why oh why did i choose oatmeal for breakfast this morning? *gag*

Cool Joe, thanks for the blue, thought you had lost the Mac or something :) glad you are having fun and that Chad is OK to play, enjoy the days off in Abba-land.

Tweet if you can.

nice Black Dog with the squiggles

Can't get the link to work, but if you search at evilbay it's a luverly lookin Chrome Boy.

Bad news about your "oppo" whatever that is Scuby - can you get another one? haha

burly - morning buddy hope you're not working too hard - if you get the chance to sit back and relax and enjoy the Ashes Test and Tour de France it's a great week for sport.

mahavishnu

DO THE STU: definitely my favourite moment of the album!! I hear it over and over again and can't get tired of it. The whole song is great actually.

The early riffs you refer to are awesome as well. My band tried to play the song but it wasn't easy, specially for the drummer. It's a tricky signature (I hope this is the correct term). We couldn't pass those early riffs.

I haven't had the guts to start learning the solo yet, I'll probably feel too frustrated as it isn't an easy one... But I'll get there eventually :)

I remember when I thought I'd never be able to play AWMAWY and the great feeling it was to hear my self playing it (after a couple of years of course)

I think the reason why I was so impressed with it was that I wasn't expecting that kind of solo from Petrucci. Usually he is more of a shredder than anything else (at least that's the way I see him). That solo is extra-melodic but also fast at the same time. I'd say it's my favourite solo from him, but I don't know DT that well.

I know Octavarium pretty well and didn't feel that impressed. Maybe I have to listen to it more carefully.

My old covers band played a version of "The Root Of All Evil". You can check it at:

PlayLoudInsane

(the sound quality is not that good as this was recorded directly from the mixing table and my playing could have been much better. At the time - 2005 - I had just learned the song and things weren't fluid yet. Oh, and the upper E string is out-of-tune!)

I will also listen to the section you refer more carefully. My favourites are tracks 5 and 6 (Best of Times and Count of Tuscany - I think)

This is definitely my fav DT album. After a few days listening to CF cd, this cd went back to the car stereo and it still feels great :)

Sorry for the long post!

Hooray! Message from Joe!!!

I sure hope that he has heard that MJ tribute by Buckethead. I just cannot stop listening to it. That abrupt chord at the end, right out of nowhere, really represents accurately just how sudden and unexpected the end came for Michael. It falls like a guillotine... and then.. nothing. Genius.

(best comic-book guy voice) Most beautiful guitar song.. ever.

smooches,
» Phy³

elpp: I've always loved Candlebox and thought they were an underated band. Love the song "Rain" always love jamming to that song. Would like to see them come out with something new.

A Car Crash

A woman and a man are involved in a car accident on a snowy, cold Monday morning; it's a bad one. Both of their cars are totally demolished, but amazingly neither of them is hurt.

After they crawl out of their cars, the man is yelling about women drivers.

The woman says, 'So, you're a man. That's interesting. I'm a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There's nothing left, but we're unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should be friends and live in peace for the rest of our days.'

Flattered, the man replies, 'Oh yes, I agree completely, this must be a sign from God! But you're still at fault...women shouldn't be allowed to drive.'

The woman continues, 'And look at this, here's another miracle. My car is completely demolished but this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune.'

She hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, opens it and drinks half the bottle and then hands it back to the woman.

The woman takes the bottle, puts the cap back on and hands it back to the man.

The man asks, 'Aren't you having any?'

The woman replies, 'No. I think I'll just wait for the police...'

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Women are clever, evil bitches.

Joe - Thanks for the update! :-) Sammy and Mike are enjoying Europe, I take it? I don't think either of them have been over there in a long time...

I don't really have a secret. I just look at weight loss as a math problem (if you burn more calories than you consume in a day, you'll lose weight). I do lift some weights, but I spend most of my time doing cardio. I ride the stationary bike at a fast enough pace to burn 700 calories in 45 minutes. I also do a short cardio warm-up at the start of my workout and I run a mile at the end.

I haven't changed my diet at all...I know the weight loss would come quicker if I did, though.

Solid DT cover, by the way. Their music is tough to get "right", but you succeeded.

Here's something better:

12345 and 67.8

Yes, I was driving when I took the photo (on the way to see Saw II, I think).

I had been waiting for the 12345...I was ready for it. I honestly didn't plan the 67.8 on the trip meter, though. I reset that every time I get gas, and it happened to work out perfectly. I think if I actually tried to plan it, I would have screwed it up somehow...

I'm back from San Antonio, Texas. Got a couple of days and took Mrs. burly on a romantic trip. Every body..Awwwww!!

It's a really nice place to visit. Stayed on the famous "Riverwalk". I want to go back again whan I have more time to stay.

aaaaaaaaaaand....it's the sign of the devil...if u believe in that :) We've always known u were trouble Mckenna :D

burly, the Riverwalk is GREAT! Been to San Antonio once myself and made sure to do that, although didn't stay there, just rode the boat around to see the sites and walked around it. Loved San Antone :) It was like an oasis after living in western Texas. Nice of you to take wifey!

Austin, nope, u absolutely couldn'ta planned that if you'd been paid a million bucks, lol!