MTLHEAD You got a care package huh? Sounds like one awesome combo of ono grinds bra! I'm sure that wont last long. There are a ton of cool t-shirts o hea. I like get one Big Island kine, but hard for find you know? You take care bra. Oh, about the martial arts deal. Have never used it on the offensive, but it sure comes in handy for defense. I just hope somebody doesnt pull a gun on me. That happened to me once and thank God I'm still "Alive". Just like the Pearl Jam song.

CUBE Will keep your friend Mike and his wife in prayer for peace and strength. My prayer list is growing. Going to have to start writing them down. Stay cool man.

SATRIELLA I'll let you know about the Hendrix guitar when it arrives. May take some time. Dana was great in that Foxey Lady cut! You know I'm a HUGE Hendrix fan and it didnt offend at all. It was really funny.

DADDARIOSOUL I saw that Soundstage presentation of Robert Plant last night. I really dont know what to think. Plant looked good. You can tell he takes care of himself. Hard to classify the music though. Loved the Led Zep stuff, but he lacks a lead guitarist that can really rip. I think that would have changed thinks alot. The bassist was outstanding in my opinion and they were not in short supply of equipment as I'm sure they are well financed. It was cool though. Alway enjoy RP.

Pretty beat up and tired. Hope I make it thru the 4th without passing out. Practice for the jam has left my head spinning and my fingers have blisters on top of blisters. But onward and upward as they say! Did I just complain? Enough of that!!!!!

WATERPROOF SOAP Slept pretty much all day man. Hey, what you string your bass with? Just picked up some nickel SIT's (heavy gauge) and man they are smoooth as silk bro. My fingers are in heaven! Just in time for tomorrow. Hope all is well with you.

SATRIELLA Good luck on the new job girl. Speaking of "Foxey Lady", I just got the new Band of Gypsys cd/dvd. Wish I could link everybody up to the dvd of FL. Billy Cox, Buddy Miles, and Eric Gales combine on this cut. Gales is unreal! Just shreds the hell of the solos. Had to change up our version of the song and Machine Gun which was awesome as well, but not on dvd.

Also picked up Buddy Guy Live, The Real Deal with the Saturday Night Live Band. Buddy still has it. This dvd makes you smile. Buddy is what about 72 yrs old now? You can pit this dude up against ANY guitarist and he will hang bruddah. Check it out. Does some good lead duals with G.E. Smith.

Well, I'm well rested and ready for the gig tomorrow. Its time to GET IT ON! EVERYBODY IN THE USA HAVE A GREAT 4TH OF JULY!!! EVERYBODY ELSEWHERE HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

ALOHA ONE AND ALL!

SLANSHROOM I've never had the opportunity to see ALI-G man. Again, some great stuff! Me wife and I had a good laugh. Thanks bro.

WATERPROOF SOAP Hey bruddah you and I have alot more in common than I thought after reviewing the posts. Again, I slept all day after the gig last night. Didnt finish until about 5am after tear down and all. Man, I cant tell you half of what happened on the 4th. Music wise, it was great. My lawn will now take 1 year to get back to normal after all the people stomping on it. We got stuck on Machine Gun when two other guitarists plugged in and it ran about a half hour. Other than that all went nicely until the cops came at 2am to make sure we terminated, which we did. Great time bro. The SITs held up nicely as well. For the most part I play an Am Fender Jazz and shift to my Tobias Growler for the mellow cuts. Thinking of a Bossa when I get in the mood. I'll have to check out the others via catalog as we dont get squat in Hawaii. It has to be special ordered and thats a drag.

WS, SLANSH,CHEESE 101, CUTHBERT, AND ZENFISH Not that my opinion matters, but all of your points are well taken and certainly have merit on this site. I can, and have been a real butthead on this site in the past when somebody attacked my viewpoint. I am not going to do that again. I I.D. most with WS and his point of view and all that share this viewpoint concerning Independance Day, God, the Constitution, and the American way. Cuthbert and others are certainly historians in explaining the origins of our way of life. Which has certainly changed over time. Those who know the Bible know "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The key word is ALL. Granted, we have all done terrible things as individuals and groups of people, some in the name of God. None of us has walked on water, and none of us be sinless. The US has drifted from it's origins and paid the price, but we are still Alive, and that is what we are celebrating at this point. Even though we have fallen in the past, present, and future, we are FREE and ALIVE and God loves us! Thank Him for his Grace because we all screw up, but He forgives us. All of you Christians out there, God Bless You! All of you non-Christians, even if you dont believe in God, God Bless You too! I hope all had a great day yesterday and today! Satriella worked yesterday and I hope the new job was great!

ALOHA ONE AND ALL! Wow, alot of posting since my last visit to Satchland!

Sounds like things have become a little heavy of late.

CUTHBERT You know, I dont really remember too much about any conflicts we had in the past but please accept my apology for anything that may have hurt you. I am really trying to turn over a new leaf so to speak and I have come to the obvious conclusion that aggresion and anger, which originates in mind, is harmful only to the person suffering the anger. I have now found it useless to debate over the internet in an angry fashion. Express my opinions, yes, but not to get upset over the response. I think alot of people posting here know what an ass I've been and can be defending myself and others. Now I have an outlet. I get out my aggression by fighting in a controlled environment two to three times a month. Of course this causes physical pain at times, but what the hell! Were cool. Much peace to you. Enjoyed the links!

SLANSH Your dad continues to be in my families prayers. Hows he doing buddy? You holding up alright? The Ali G. thing was funny in that the rednecks were really getting into it. I know it was a joke, but was there a skinhead factor in the video? Ha. Roy, you are a good man and I hate to see you travelling into what I term Growler territory. This is territory where I spent most of my time trying to make a, point but was getting myself frustrated and irritable, and as I mentioned above hurt myself and others in the process. I support you 100% bro, and I respect what you are doing, but please at least try to let it go and move on. You have alot going for you and you dont need this 4th of July thing nagging at you. OK? It took another guy Anton Shred to show me the light and he actually changed me! I now hook up my gonads to a 45# plate and drag it across my front lawn in the nude until I pass out! It works!

ZEN I know you never really respond to my posts and dont feel any obligation at all to do so. I am just asking for some sympathy here. I live in Hawaii and am very unfamiliar with France and the European nations. Just as you most likely are unaware of Hawaii and its culture. I dont know if you are aware of this but the dictator of North Korea just fired a nuclear test missle at us yesterday. Fortunately it failed or I would not be posting this. I am thankfully alive. Roy is going thru a tough situation with his dad. Very tough. I know because I have dealt with people in his dad's position in my line of work. If you have a heart, and I know you do, because I read your posts and they are impressive and deep, forget about the 4th of July controversy. Its not worth ruining your friendship. I see your point and I am sympathetic. We are all human and make mistakes, I make alot according to my wife. It happens on an individual and global level. Sometimes sorry is all you can say, when that is not enough sovereignty must be offered. What else can be done? If you are going thru a hard time now, or have been, I offer my support as I really cant see you nor do I really know you. Much Aloha to you.

SLANSH You do remember my past buddy. I have no room to talk, just give advise from experience. Its good things turned out alright with you and Zen.

SUZIE Nice quote from BL. I believe all that he said was true at his age. I dont know how old you are, but things change as you age of course. I think BL would have modified his quote if he would have had the chance to age. Now the mind tells the body to move and it doesnt respond, or is that just me? Thanks.

OVATION 1 I have a question for you now that peace has been made. Can you tell me where the American Indian originated? Not any specific tribe or your ancestors, just the American Indian in general? Thanks man.

Another bit of time has happened by since my last chat again. A few pages to catch up on.

OVATION 1 A big thanks bro for the link! Just curious. History haunts me for some reason.

SLANSH Thanks for the words of wisdom buddy. Glad to see all is well with you. My wife and I cant get enough of that Ali G link!

SUZIE Your my kind of woman girl. Loves Bruce Lee movies, and quotes him as well? I think I married the wrong woman!

GUITARMEISTER Good thing you missed the UFC man. I've been watching Pride too. Poor Shamrock is looking for a positive way to bow out and he just keeps getting pounded both in UFC and PRIDE. How do you like Bob Sapp? Think that dude could take care of Silvia?

CUTHBERT Thanks for the congrats buddy. Yeah, I think that the time and energy put into research and study kicked my butt! Congrats to your wife. She must really have a great sense of accomplishment, however the kids are far more important than anything. The Ph.D is in physical therapy and like your wife, I'm not practicing anymore. Maybe I should be?

KEN Yeah, I thought Joe was into snowboarding or surfing. Living in San Fran you get the best of both worlds. Thought he might surf as he has the surfer on the back of his guitar. Coooool! Love the drags bro! Funny cars are outrageous! The shake! We used to have a dragstrip out here but it had to close down after 20 years. You could race for 2 bucks! Anything you wanted. From mopeds to dragsters. I just looked inside of a AA fuel alt and got the chills. Those things are mean, nasty critters. Love it though!

WATERPROOF SOAP Welcome home bro! Your bass is waiting.

BAHDUH Get down! Now thats what I call venting! You have my sympathy man. Over here in Hawaii we have the North Korean missle testing going on. Today I heard on the news that they are stagging-up another onslaught. The problem is is that even with our technology we have a difficult time with I.D. of an actual warhead. We just sent over a new ship to Japan that is supposed to be capable of intercepting these warheads. They contain nuclear and biological concentrations. Our military believes that Japan is able to handle the situation without US involvement. If not, you can look at us most likely pulling out of the mid east. At least I hope so for Hawaii's sake as the range of these missles can reach into Nevada! Then you have to worry about fallout. Global? My wife and I are actually going to get our trust and papers in order tomorrow. I'm serious bro. Live each day the best you can.

BAHDUH Man, all hell is breaking loose and I am glad to hear you are up on prophesy. If we stay focused on the Man we stay at Peace. We know what happens so hang tough bro.

WATERPROOF SOAP I see we have more in common. Nice insight on the media. I wish I could just shut it down, but in a way I like to know current events, but can we get a little good news of the world? You know slansh is right in comic relief bro. However, where you and I have been even that was not able to reach us was it? I'm glad your feeling good, it sure is a blessing!

SLANSH Funny as always! Billy Connolly is funny, but Ali G. and Buzz was too much! "But the moon was full." Ha!

OVATION Jake is cool huh? It's like hes fuel injected with energy. Animated. Leslie West of Mountain started playing on the uke. Never tried it though. Thanks for the link. His new cd Dragon is supposed to be good.

SUZIE Enjoy all BLs films. We use to run the fight scenes in slow motion to study Wing Chun techniques. If you have a good eye you can see him block attacker shots with his legs. Its called the front thrust kick and is the only kick used in Wing Chun. All other kicks are part of his own style of JKD. JKD is what makes him one of the most watched martial arts superstars, I think. Roundhouse and spinning hook kicks look cool!

HEY JOSEPH! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY BRO! Went to Easy Music yesterday, and while looking about noticed a few pics of you at the store. Apparently, you kind of sneak in and out of Hawaii unnoticed. How is that possible? Anyway, nice shots, it doesnt seem like you age at all. Lookin good Joe!

SLANSH Dangerous weapons. Reminds me of my home defense arsenal. nunchakus 9, 11, and 13s, crossbow, and stars of all types. Seldom get to practice with them, but at least they are legal for home protection as guns are off limits in this house!

WATERPROOF SOAP Hows things going. You know, its great that Wolf 2 gets on the site and stays active. He has alot to say, and thats good. Hey bro have you heard of metal group called DAGRA? Like I mentioned before, I was at the music store yesterday and noticed they were looking for a bassist/vocalist. They were going to open for TOOL here in August but lost the bassist to the military. I spoke with the manager Roy and mentioned you John as the perfect replacement. You want to play metal in Hawaii? Check out these local boyz at myspace.com/dagra. Just kidding John, but have you heard of these guyz?

CUTHBERT Interesting point about sovereignty. We currently have a Bill in Congress called the Akaka Bill. Not in favor of it as most Hawaiians, but it would affort the Hawaiians some compensation resulting from the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. My wife is part Hawaiian so we would benefit from this in some way (i.e. property, decreased taxes, etc.). Cant complain about that.

SUZIE What BL movie did you watch? I always whip out Enter the Dragon as I can relate to some of the co-stars. Love the long staff scene during the release of the prisoners. Thats something you need alot of room to practice. Never tried that bad boy!

SUZIE No problems with the link here. Nice tune. Cool. Like a night on the beach with a full moon......Just got done watching "Bulletproof Monk." I've never seen it before. Kind of far out but some Wing Chun in there.

CUTH I totally agree with you. Wish I had more to say on the subject but the bill is on hold for now.

SLANSH Must respect bro. You have a way with words, and so does Zappa. Speaking of Zappa, do you know the title of the song, I think its on one of his OLD albums Sofa Number 2? He has Johnny Guitar Watson singin in an awesome jam at the end of it. Could it be San Berdino? No doubt FZ or Watson visited this place because it describes it perfectly. San Bernadino is like a smog pit in southern cal. I used to live near there so I dont want to offend anybody out there. If ya know let me know bro. Have a good one.

WATERPROOF SOAP Hows it going? I didnt know you were at Pearl Harbor that long? I worked in Aiea and Pearlridge for about 4-5 years. Go to Pearl every so often. No. Bully Hayes be gone man. Alot has changed on that side of the island, as a matter of fact the whole island has changed. Big business has moved in and all the mom and pop stores are gradually leaving. Its kind of a shame, but thats life. Good to hear your standing your ground with the band. Whats the saying? Ordeals lead to new deals.

The band I'm in breaks up at the end of summer when two of the four of us return to teaching, thats why I'm looking for another band. In answer to your question I'm doing OK. Still with the dizziness, which I believe is adrenaline overload. In some ways its great because it doesnt bother me when I'm focused and I can play bass better, work out better, but afterwards the adrenaline wont downshift. Knowing the body and chemistry fairly well, you cant just shut it down, no matter what you take. It takes time of inactivity and rest which is the pits. I know partially its a thyroid T4 underload. Secondly, hormones are very powerful animals and precursors to neurotransmitters, but I dont want to go the route of norepinephrine, dopamine, SSRI's, etc so I am using amino acids instead as they act as reuptake inhibitors as well. But it still takes time and I have time to chill.

So getting into a metal band is most likely a bad choice. The manager called me this morning, Roy, and the guy is desperate. Found out hes the lead guitarist's dad. Is that cool or what. Full support from the family. We talked a long time and he is a GREAT guy. Turns out we are the same age! So, Im going to look hard for a bassist for the group on this side of the island, as he is way over in Ewa Beach. Made a good friend and contact anyway.

ALOHA EVERYBODY!

MR. JOE SATRIANI It looks like you have been reading the posts lately sir. So you might read this. I know I'm the "bad guy" on this site, but I would really like to complement you on an OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE on the Steve Miller "Fly Like An Eagle" dvd. I'm sure you dont remember much of that night, but you ripped a solo on one of Freddie King's cuts that was nuts! I think you extended beyond the fretboard man! I have never seen anybody, including Clapton on "Five Long Years", unleash an assault attack like that. How is Steve Miller. It seems that hes had his neck fused. Joe, I think you should do a blues cd sometime as I have not seen you rip like that ever. Billy Peterson, GREAT bassist. By the way, where did you get that Psychotic Pineapple shirt. Coooool! I think the message on the shirt fits me more than it does you. Ha!

DO THE STU I knew somebody out there was in southern california. Sorry man. We had a cabin up in Lake Arrowhead in the 80s and took the Waterman Canyon Rd thru San Berdu in the summer. Guys would be practicing football in the smog and 100 deg heat! Tuff dudes. Hey man I be playing bass as well. Good to see another bassman on site!

SUZIE Hi girl.

WATERPROOF SOAP How you doing buddy? I know you are doing the right thing with the band. Remember, as Gene Simmons says, play that thing like a weapon! Stay Cool bruddah, but stand your ground.

BAHDUH Last but not least. I am finished giving MY opinion on the war. So lets skip that because thats not going to get us anywhere. Its good to vent our frustrations, but lets face it buddy can we really do anything in our positions? I feel bad about the whole situation. The only shoes I can walk in are my own.

If you are familiar with Bible prophecy you know that wars and rumors of wars are prophecy. We will have starvation, sickness, nuclear war, plagues of the oceans and of the seas, meteors, tsunamis, etc. etc. that will far outweigh anything happening in the world now. This future is not ours to control. Yes, we have free will. But look what that has got us into.

If you dont already know. I will tell you what the Book of Revelation says about the last battle. ALL, and I do mean ALL nations of the mideast and Russia (Gog and Magog) will rise up against Israel and it will seem as though Israel will be finished. This is not the case. Israel survives and the other nations are finished. Now, know this my friend. This is not MY end of the story. If you are familiar with Bible prophesy you will know it to be true. I cannot explain it any further. Further information must be researched on your part. The prophesy is clear, but not detailed.

BAHDAH Thanks for the comeback buddy. As christians, its no use getting upset. We all have been there and done that. Where does that peace come from that passes all understanding? Only from the Lord in that even if we die we are assured a place with Him. My 2 words to live by, especially during this time are NO FEAR. Easy to say over here in Hawaii. God bless bro.

DO THE STU Hey Austin, I remember those days as well. What type of bass do you play. Music preferences?

CUTH Respect your views and do not disagree at all. Like the input and the point of free will leading to the most important aspect of life, salvation. Right on!

SATRIELLA Impressive insight on prophecy. You have done your homework. One thing I would like to point out as I refuse to teach and correct. This is just a suggestion. What alot of students of the Bible, such as myself, do is pick and choose scripture. This cannot be done. You need to foremost have a firm understanding of it as a whole, otherwise you get lost in traffic so to speak. What I stated to bahdah is not my interpretation of the scripture context, but cross-referenced fact. As I said previously, I will not go into a full breakdown on this site as it is extensive. I believe you are on the right track so I am going to suggest you pick up/ research end times material from THE authority on it, David Hocking. Be prepared, as your eyes will open wide. Enough said on my part.

SATRIELLA Trying to fire me up love? Now that would be a poor witness wouldnt it? I failed that test before. Again and again. Hey, another good source of material while we are on the subject is cri.org Hank Hannegraff. I always spell his name wrong.

Lets see, we had two new versions of BLACK BETTY. Loved them both. One funky TJ and one metal. Of course the original Ram Jam version is cool. Now there is a version for every mood. Great Song! Tom Jones had natural hair like that dude dancing with the piece at one time. HA!

BAHDUH Right On right back at ya bro! Hope all is well with you. Have a GREAT weekend!

CUTH Your link to the homeless situation in Vegas is almost unbelievable! This is a tragedy! This is..............I'm pissed! If its one thing we must do it is to feed the hungry. I support the efforts of any government supplying food to other nations when needed and in times of catastrophy, but we must not turn our backs on the homeless. We have, as most states do, a homeless problem in Hawaii. Most stay at the park in tents or at the beach. We are fortunate to have good climate. We have shelters and outreaches which are encouraged, but some insist on moving them from place to place. Now, these are not typical homeless people. Most call themselves houseless as they have jobs and income, but cannot afford the high cost of rent in Hawaii which is outrageous. No low income housing available. All upscale. What are they to do? No rent control either. God bless that woman who feeds the homeless in Vegas no matter what the cost.

You know CUTH there are so many things that need our attention, its hard to keep up! Thanks for the links bro.

DO THE STU It sounds like you have a favorite bass buddy. Like the Fender as thats what I have, Jazz. Also have a Tobias Growler, thus my nick name. I favor the Fender because of the feel and outright power.

We are much the same in all other aspects as far as musical tastes and playing. I did play in church for awhile and I play in a band during the summer months as two of the four guys are teachers and cannot devote time to practice while in session. We basically play Hendrix, Joe, Leslie West, Robin Trower, ZZ Top, Buddy Guy, Clapton, etc. The blues/rock thing. The semester starts soon, so I am meeting with a new drummer and we are going to team up with a couple flying in from Maui next weekend. She will be the vocalist and he plays lead, so it should be cool if the drummer and I can tighten things up. I'm excited to meet them. New people! It might give me a chance to go to Maui once in awhile.

HI EVERYBODY!! Hope you all had a GREAT weekend!

SATRIELLA Hey wonderful lady. I b one ugly dude Sandy. No, seriously. I'm pretty busted up. Growler is a kind nick name to describe my looks. My wife will only sit and talk with me if its pitch black in the room. In my youth I looked like a typical "surfer dude." I was blonde with blue eyes and about six feet tall and 190 lbs. Now, its like "what happened!" Its best you not see me, I'm hiddeous. Loved Stairway to Heaven!

SUZIE Your married? Is there any way you can sneak away to Hawaii for awhile to watch Bruce Lee movies and Tarantino flicks? I'm married as well, hiddeous looking, but good company at the movies. Like Tarantino as well. In fact, just played some cuts off the Desperado and From Dusk Til Dawn soundtracks. Did you see Jackie Brown? What did you think? Tarantino really likes Pam Grier. When I lived on the mainland I hung out with her brother Rod, this is how I know this. But, who cares! Trivia. Be coool girl.

KAYLA Get that pinky fixed, its still growing!

DO THE STU Austin, thanks for the heads up on U2 as I havent seen them . Will really try hard to get there. Sorry, I didnt know that you had been posting on the site so long. Welcome back then! You staying cool over there? Last time I was in Long Beach was 00 or 01 for the Fender Blues on Catalina Island. Took the ferry over. It was great!

SLANSH Excellent links as always bro. How difficult is that to do? That guy compound fractured both the tibia and the fibula at the same time! It was hard to tell just how he threw that kick, but from the looks of it he tried to sweep him instead of kick, with his toes facing upward. Dude, I couldnt help but show that to my wife and she about threw up on me! Love it! You know what I like. We seem to function on the same wavelength.

Sounds like you had a great time at the concert. Sorry you didnt get to see the boyz afterward. Its difficult to figure out the right exit. I guess its luck of the draw. Whatever that means. Well, good to hear from you bro. Peace and Joy to you and your family.

WATERPROOF SOAP Howzit bruddah? You sing too? Your one of those ultra-talented guys yeah? More power to ya. So it looks like you got yourself a good new deal. One door closes and another opens! Great news bro.

BAHDUH Sorry to hear about your friend Steven. I'm not sure I know him, but if he needs prayer, my wife and I are there. He is on our list and I'll see if I can get him on some others. In the meantime, keep the faith man. All on the site are aware and in support. Hang tuff. You are to be admired for your concern for your friend. Your brother's keeper.

SATRIELLA Love, thanks for trying to improve my looks, but its no use. I need to have work done. Some kind of deluxe edition miracle makeover plus. The only thing I have thats half way decent is usually hidden under my jeans. HA!

SUZIE You know I didnt see Kill Bill 1 or 2. I think I'll rent them this week since you suggested it. How did I miss em? Anyway, all of Tarantino's flicks are unique and off the mainstream. I think thats why hes so popular. Another interesting factoid. Pam Grier is half black and half filipino! Cool huh? You take care suzie. Have a good night.

SLANSH I must have missed something. Where you going buddy? Down south Mexico way? Thats the lyrics to Hey Joe isnt it? That cant be right. Funny link you and Sandy posted on Darth. Thats how most of my conversations with my wife go! Another gold star for the both of ya!

BAHDUH Thanks for the update. Good Steven is feeling a little better. It seems hes going thru a psychological trial. We will keep praying for him bro. I to appeal to the Webmaster and Joe to post a little something for Steven as it can do nothing but help.

SUZ Thanks for the Tarantino link on the soundtracks. Yeah, I'm really getting into latino rock. Tito and the Tarantulas really get down. Fast and furious. Love the spanish in the tracks! Will let you know about the flicks. Dont know when as I have a real busy week. Aloha girl.

MICHELLE Cool JP link! Great bass and drum solos. Very poised and mature gentlemen at their age. We all know JP got into self chemical and biological research. One of the true greats of all time. Thanks

ZEN Nice Led Zep links as well. In my time of dying, outstanding. Bonham can sure carry the bottom nicely in the pocket. STRONG!

BASS FULL OF BULLETS I'm a bassist as well, although WATERPROOF SOAP is the man to ask. I play blues/rock as you do and find that my Fender 25 is ample for a typical garage. I think its all relative though. But if you feel overpowering then drop the watts. If I do a gig I use a Fender 150. Ask WS for the real info as I'm just a rookie. Welcome to the site bro. STU also is very experienced. He is another go-to guy.

WATERPROOF SOAP Hows the new band going bro. I bet your too busy to even post. Hope all is well. I hooked up with the drummer yesterday and we be jamming bro. Its seems I'm a little too fast from playing all that latino rock and gotta chill. It takes time, but the singer and lead guitarist are coming this weekend and I'm freakin man. This drummer is full on power. He is former marine infantry. He gave me a complete rundown on his 50 cariber machine gun and its physics. Cooool. This is exciting brudda!

ZEN Thanks for links. Malmsteen and Metheny. Very classy yeah?

BAHDUH Seems like things are going better. Joes still finishing up his tour and must still be pretty busy. Im sure he will post when he has the time. God bless.

CUTH Cool link on the auto rifle. Marines have good smarts dont they? He knew that baby inside out. Hes like a machine himself. Our new drummer, the guy who was marine infantry told me he had to haul the 50 with 3 additonal barrels plus his rifle! Reason: He can only fire in 3 sec bursts to avoid overheating the barrel, then he has to change it out or it begins to bend and become inaccurate. Given strict orders not to target civilians with that thing. The round goes a minimum of 1 mile unobstructed! Did you hear about a Tamahawk falling off a truck while driving thru the Bronx NY a couple of days ago? Who packs these babys?

Today we had an earthquake in the islands and I didnt even feel it! It was reasonably high on the scale. The drummer was POUNDING! Now I have to upgrade my amp.

WATERPROOF SOAP Hey bro, what up? Hows da band doin? Thanks for the advise. I'm going to check out the Hartke and SWRs this weekend. Your right about the Fender amps. I like my Fender Jazz, but I gave the 150 a trial today and had second thoughts. Your set up sounds excellent. Hows the vocals going? Just got a call today from a young gun lead guitarist whos looking for a band. Meeting him this weekend to pick up some cuts he made. This dude sounds wild man. Born in the islands and raised in Vegas. Its kind of exciting starting a new band. Mahalo for your time and talent buddy.

CUTH You know, Big Wess talks so much its hard to get a question in. If he isnt talking hes POUNDING. I'll try to get the question in about the marine corps. Hes an interesting fellow. I dont know what they do in training either, but he sure is focused!

BAHDUH I know your off the site for awhile, but we are still behind you and Steven. I have to tell you this story about my college roomate. I was doing some of my undergraduate work at Pepperdine University in southern california. He was from India and his name was Saji. Saji did not eat meat or seafood of any kind. You can kind of guess whats coming. Anyway, he was pledging with some frat on campus and would be out late at night. I, on the other hand was a slacker, spending most of my time in the weightroom and eating stink tuna out of a can and studying. So one night, during a brutal "hell week" I mostly finished my can of tuna and put the can between his matress and boxspring. HA! Saji gets in real late and is so beat he cant even undress or shower. About 5 minutes after hitting the bed I hear this sniff sound which quickly turns to snorting. Man, I am cracking up! Tears were flowing, but I didnt make a sound. He couldnt figure out where the smell was coming from. I was immune to the smell, so I left the can there for about a week! He had a few disturbing nights, but I eventually had mercy on him. I told him what I did before he left at semesters end and he had this look like he was going to kill me but we both had a good laugh. He was a great roomate though. Aloha and praying

SATRIELLA Sorry love about your bad day. Some of it was kind of funny because all of us have been there at one time or another. Thoughts and prayer to you and your husband in his brother's passing.

CLARKY You want to speed the recovery? Now is the time to punch the ibuprofen up to 1200 mgs per day to terminate the inflammation. You may not see it, but its there. Also start using heat and ice, as after 3 days heat will increase your flexibility so you can play quicker. You can use a bowl of hot water and soak your hand in it until it starts to get cool. Do it as often as you can and follow it up with ice for 10 minutes. Just trying to help the injured get back to doing what they do best. Rip and shred dude! Try it, you'll like it. You may be saying "who is this guy?" I be a phantom. G....

WATERPROOF SOAP Thanks again for the info. Looks like I'll be picking up the SWR WorkingPro 2x10 w/ BBE 362 Sonic Max. I think that will work for me in the position I'm in. I forgot I used a Redhead at church awhile back, but forgot all about it. Love the Bass Intensifier. Think I'll opt for the pedal. If I need additional boost I can always pick up a cab. Buddy, you are a life saver! I owe you one. There is no comparison between the Fender and SWR and you get more bang for the buck! Shakas bruddah! G......

Have a GREAT weekend dude!

Man, alot has happened recently.

MICHELLE Your too funny girl. Man up.....tape and whiskey WILL do!

CLARKY Sorry about the break. At least you were doing the right thing until you found out. It happens like that with quite a few suspected breaks. Sometimes a physician wont even order a x-ray and it turns out to be broken. Hang tough man as you just have to wait it out.

WATERPROOF SOAP Hey John! Well buddy, I wish I were there to personally assist, but since I cant I will do the best I can posting. The a/c joint is one pain in the ass to begin with. Its such a small joint to deal with and usually gets neglected in cases of shoulder injury because the pain doesnt centralize until later in rehab. You are dealing with a sprain as it is a ligament that is primarily causing the problem. Ligaments are white as are tendons to a degree, as opposed to muscle. So what the hell does that mean? It means it doesnt get the blood circulation that a muscle does (i.e. strain). This means it takes a longer time to heal due to decreased oxygen flow. This is just a bunch of backround crap you really dont need to know.

Anyway, the MRI shows calcification and it is extremely rare for this to occur at the ac joint in such a short period of time, so you must have injured it prior to November for actual bone growth to adhere to scar tissue. Nevertheless, you must treat it like you would if it were scar tissue. You see John, bone calcium increases with friction, and since calcification has occured with arthritic changes it will limit the function at the joint, causing more pain with less motion as time passes.

So, now that I have put you to sleep. This is what I normally do in this situation. Deep friction massage directly into the ac joint. This hurts like a son of a gun, so it must be done to your tolerance. I usually spend 5 minutes doing this, then ICE for 10 minutes right after. The first time is the killer but it gets better after each treatment. If you dont plan on going to a pt or massage therapist, the technique is simple.

As the clavicle runs medial to the acromion process, have a friend, or enemy place the TIP of the thumb into the joint with fairly hard pressure and begin massaging in a north south direction over the ligament. The pressure should get progressively stronger and more painful to you. This will break up remaining scar tissue and increase blood flow. CAUTION Stop before fainting! There you have it. Then ice it down by masssaging the area with an ice cube held in a wash cloth and take some Advil if necessary. Let me know how the first few sessions go and we can move on to more torture. Remember, like Michelle says, man up dude and take the pain, it will pay off later. Again, thanks for the advise!

SLANSH Your back bro. Great links, of course. Enjoyed them all. The kung fu sets are so cool to watch, its such an artform. Eagle style is rare to see. It looks like hes on a golf course, but I'm sure hes not. Watching them is almost therapeutic. Hows your dad? Best wishes and thoughts buddy.

ZEN Some very nice work man. Great links. Especially the EVH!

SUZIE Hows things going? "The Longing" is fantastic girl. Always enjoy Flamenco, its so emotional. Matt is surely gifted. Hey, finally saw Kill Bill vol 1 and it was outstanding. Women samurai! Great cast and filmed in true Tarantino style. Cant wait to see vol 2! Have a great day suz.

BAHDUH Mark and Steven, As you know our prayers and thoughts are with you both. Its difficult to express feelings over the website, but know that you have support here. Steven, I dont know the specifics of what you are going thru, but it seems you need time to heal. You might want to get into the Word while you have time and if its possible for you to read. Maybe the Psalms buddy. Its a good place to start. If you need professional help, by all means seek it out. There are alot of cold M.D.s out there, so get some kind of reference to find a good one. Hang tough. G

COSMIC APE Glad to see you back! Congrats! Sounds like the reception was great. Happy for ya. Have a good one.