hello all... getting ready for my trip... it is crazy all the 'work' it takes to go on vacation sometimes... lol... make sure you go here and pay this, dont forget that, arrange this, drop this off, pick this up, dont forget to pack this, go to the bank, go to the post office, and so on.... and i have pretty much only gotten offers to help with two things, taking care of the dog, and numerous offers to look after the truck... (i dont think so:))

anyway i only have two stories with trauma to the head and i highly doubt either of them would compete with the jarts story, but... my brother is responsible for both and they both happened within the same year... one tme (of the 867 trillion times) my brother and i got into an argument when i was about seven or eight and he was five or six, he picked up the first weapon that he could find and whacked me upside the head with it... i dont understand how through the years people have thought that cabbage patch kids are cute and cuddly, for obviously their heads are made of cement or lead or something along these lines and just airbrushed with 'cute' faces.... the other happened when we were to be bringing firewood into the basement for the winter... i was down below bringing in the wood, and he was up on top of the stack and throwing it down the 10-12' bank so that we didnt have to keep trudging up and down the hill, anyway i remember looking up and seeing this wierd stephen king look and then the next thing i know he had thrown a piece of oak down purposely on my head, i get knocked down and out, he tells mom some fantastic story, and i was in trouble for provoking him! urg... i thought little brothers were supposed to be cute and easy to manage... wrong!

anyway, hope all in Satchland have a wonderful day...

Hi Gang, I couldn’t get in here yesterday all day!

Delfino ~ *meow* ~ great cat story! I’ve cleaned up a kitty chunk or two in my day ~ LoL

soul of distortion ~ Joe plays 7 string on SBM too ~ Mindstorm and Seventh String *smiles*

Clarky ~ I lived in LA for 11 years ~ if you’re used to seeing blue when you look up, count on that about 3-4 days out of every 365 ~ LA is really a collection of smaller places pretending to be one big place ~ if I could live anywhere in LA I would choose Santa Monica ~ a vehicle is a requirement, because everything is so spread-out it takes FOREVER to use public transportation ~ places I lived south of The Valley were Silverlake, Palms, Santa Monica, Fairfax, Venice, North Hollywood, and Echo Park ~ places I lived in The Valley included Van Nuys, and Northridge (they had a really bad earthquake there, after I left ~ whew!) ~ if you’re going there I suggest the other requirement (in addition to the vehicle) is a Thomas Brothers Street Guide ~ it contains complete maps of absolutely everywhere ~ don’t leave home without it! ~ cheers, mate!

Zenfish ~ thanks again for these new explanations ~ I would like to hear more about the “progressive” nature of SBM ~ do you mean from one song to the next on that cd, or do you mean the theme progressing from SWTA … CP to EOC to SBM? Thanks again for all these details ~ it does help me understand your position ~ smiles and friendly waves to you and Joelle ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

JOE ~ got to work early this morning and cranked up FIABD there at my desk ~ the new director came over to introduce himself and shake my hand ~ he asked what was playing, I indicated your name while gesturing to the cd insert you signed, hanging in my cube ~ he knew your name but hadn’t heard any in awhile ~ then later during the quick group gathering, he joked about me blowing the windows of his office out ~ everyone at work knows I’m a Total Satriani Fan ~ I’ve got The Phone Call on right now ~ love it!

Just bought tickets Joe... See ya in Toronto with Thin Lizzy & DEEP PURPLE!!!

oh yeah baby!!

ha a fork......

i once set a really cool comlicated trap so when my sister opened her door a battery wud fall on her... It was unbelievably good for a 14 yr old or so, and worked.. it involved string' tape nails and a scisors the door wud open and move the scisors and that wud cut the string that wud drop the battery from the roof.... it was really good, i threw a chair at her before to =/ oh well, we jus dont get on

i'm so pissed off with one of the tutors at the acm that i just walked out of his lesson..he told me to go..so i did. all because i didn't want to write down this scale shape.

and so i've sent the acm a complaint

Thanks to everyone that wished me luck.

I fell asleep listening to Satch and I'm so greatful, Brother Al nows how late I've been going to bed recently...like 3am...last night I went at midnight...and didn't get to sleep after 4.am...and then I had to be up for 7am and out the house for 7:45...first guy in school which was cool...well it would've been if they hadn't of locked the common room so I had no where to go...I just had to hang around, then decided "wait a minute I don't know where the exam is being held" so I went to look for the room and I asked this mystical wizard and his pet dragon/cow/manatee thing if he knew where E19 was and luckily he said "Why yes Lad I do" and he gave me some beans with little arrows on them like a compass and they pointed me towards the room...I even got their early...I thanked the kindly old man and offered a free beard trim...he simply laughed and said "take care Mr Potter"...I'm going to assume he meant Harry and confused me with the guy...oh well I thought he was more like Gandalf than Dumbledore...obviously I was wrong too....

Anywayz I mounted my trusty steed found the room and thwarted (great word usage there) the exam and conquered and rescued the fair maiden...Miss Cameron Diaz just doesn't know it yet...

Overall it was a pretty successful day, topped off with some Satch and a run through of the G3 Dvd...

Hey Joe, Just curious when you are coming through St. Louis again? I missed you at the "Dales Music" Peavey Clinic, because I was busy giving lessons at the sister store across town "Fazios Frets & Friends"! Yes serving the public to make them all play like you is hard sometimes! No just kidding! My wife actualy tried to call Dales & see if she could get you call me just to say hey I'm sorry you couldn't make it! But she called the wrong store! But the thought is all that matters! She knows how big of a fan I am of you! I would have freaked if that would have happened! But I heard nothing but good about the clinic! And I heard you on the radio as well on KSHE 95! You were amazing! One more question? I am in the process of making my own CD. I just wonderd if you had any advice on the best way to promote it? Maybe I could get you to listen to it, & give me you humble opinion? Heh heh, That would be awesome! Anyway any helpful insight you would have would be an honor! Thanks & keep those fingers rolling!

Hamerac Bad luck about the clinic, but thats awesome about your CD, good luck with it. :-)

Thanks to Tool I have re-kindled my love of down-tuned guitars...and since I only have 5 strings on one I figure I'll drop tune it to D and use it for rhythm parts until I get me a 7-string.

Tool's song "Triad" is one that I recommend highly, I used it in my movie as a kind of "stalking" music for when the killer was watching the attractive young 17 year old girls (with nice asses)...and then as it gets more heavy...they get killed :-(...and theres ketchup all over the floor lol...and its obvious its ketchup too lol. But anywayz Im straying from the point, Tool are a great band and I wish I knew of more bands like them as I have been a Tool fan for quite some time now and am really inspired by them.

Michelle i agree with you on that question you asked about the package deal and if people who buy tickets early still get good seats. you should e-mail that question to the webmaster and then post his reply on here so we can all see it!!, it would kinda ruin everything if people who cant afford the $250 or how ever much it costs to get the package thing, and have to sit like 30 rows backs....

962 Cheers man, I appreciate it :-).

I'm now in drop B/E as recommended by Adam Jones of Tool, so basically its a 7-string tuning on a 6-string (or 5 string in my case) and the A' string is missing...its nice though...very dark. :-)

I'm gonna try to get to 500 posts tonight lol...seeing as today has been a lot better than yesterday...now that I seem to have more of an idea of what kind of music I want to play. :-)

SUPPADAVE - I have that pic of the frog also. I liked it so much that I colored it in and hung it up classic.

ARTANIS - " Concurrent programming and distributed systems" I don't know what that means but it doesn't sound healthy.

MICHELLE - I second Oakley!!!!!

CLARKY - LA area. I've never been a big fan of the LA area. I much prefer the central coast, even as far south as Santa Barbara. My two cents.

ZENFISH - Post 172, Huh?

Anyway, I fell in love with feel. I must have played for about an hour. I went home and told the other half what I had been doing and told her I liked the JS and she said... It's about time you replaced that thing you've been playing since I met you. How cool is that?! No argument , but a hurry and do it. So I will soon be the owner of a new JS 1000!!

DELPHINO - Those questions didn't sound easy to me!!!

Civ I have no idea about political alignments for all I know they could be supporting genocide and the extinction of manatees and I would not have a clue lol.

Films though, Im a big film fan, can't get enough of them. And as i said a few weeks a go if I get good enough at 3D animation and CGI and stuff I would very much like it if Mr. Satriani would allow me to make a completely 3D music video for him...even if its just for his personal use it would be an honor to do it.

ovation1: Thanks for the Dave Martone -link bro, sounds like I'll be going to the record store tomorrow (I knew it was going to happen, 'cause so many of you T2J:ers have been praising him)

Kids (6 and 8 yrs) came home after being five days in the countryside -> they were so glad to see us ... I'm so happy and grateful ... now they are asleep ... my sweet wife is also happy ... she just told me to come to bed and I don't think she's about to sleep ... Sometimes I wonder what have I done to deserve all this happiness stuff???

Song of the moment: From "Vince Neil; Exposed": "GETTIN' HARD"

JS_JS: Thanks for the kind words, glad you liked the new stuff bro :)

civgeek, looks like you have played that thing to the bone!

Quoting an old Lee Jeans ad, "Only a guitar that feels this good gets the chance to look that bad".

Nick - Well, I tried to help. Who was that tutor? Tell me in more detail exactly what happened, because on the face of it that sounds ridiculous and very unlikely...

Stace, skip on in there and tell them to give you one of everything, and doubles of the good stuff. lol! You haven't been hit by a shoe unless you lived on the 70's - the age of platforms! My one sister had a mean throwing arm too! She also picked up a fork once when she was pissed. I think she tryed to throw it at my step dad, but got my mom right above her eye. Put new meaning into the words 'fork you". lol! That girl would throw ANYthing if you pissed her off enough. lol!

Julie, being assaulted by a Cabbage Patch doll is a serious offense! As for your brother, I think you should have clubbed him like a baby seal when you finally came to your senses. lol!

The Bob, good idea. I'll copy my message and send it off.

cuthbert, I'm happy to say, my days of watching Elmo are long gone :) I've graduated to the good stuff like Ed, Edd, and Eddie! lmao!

civgeek, Oakley could be a boy or a girl, so that settles it. Phy3's next baby will be named Oakley! lol! Hmmm, maybe we should check with Phy3 first...

Well folks, I have greetings from Mari... she's arrived in Stockholm safe and sound, but very tired after the trip so she decided to grab something to eat and then stay at the hotel. Which was probably just as good, because we had a hell of a thunderstorm this evening, lightning and heavy winds and raindrops the size of Linda Lovelaces ni... err, the size of a coffee cup. Or maybe a Big Mac. Come to think of it, they were probably the size of a football or something. I mean, they were huge. Really. I've got holes right thru my umbrella now.

I'll pick her up tomorrow and show her the town, hopefully the weather will be better then.