MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'guitar'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:00:54 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139604&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F08%2F16%2Fpedal-board-2011-update-4%2F The Final Update Well here it is – what is hopefully my final pedal board update for the rest of the year. My list is empty. I now have no further Pedals that I’m intending to get. I have sold a lot of guitar gear this year including pedals and amps and have arrived at a rig that I am truly happy with. The final pieces of the puzzle were the awesome Strymon Timeline delay, and finally a new tube amp – a Vox AC15C1. To complement the amp I also added a footswitch to toggle the amp reverb and tremolo, and a Lehle Little Dual A/B/Y switch so I can switch between the “normal” and “top boost” amp channels or use them together. Put the new rig through it’s paces on Sunday, using almost all of the pedals, and I have never been more contented with my... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139604 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:32:12 +0100 5139604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069395&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F07%2F26%2Frandom-reviews%2F Time for another one of those posts where I list a few things I’ve been into lately. Work is a little quiet today, which I’m blaming on being the first day of school term. It’s been busy the last few weeks so hopefully today is just a temporary blip. Music / Entertainment - Bon Iver – loving the new album by Bon Iver – very atmospheric stuff; it’s like post-rock with vocals; and the first song is named after Perth - Wicked – we saw this show last weekend at Burswood. Very entertaining. If you get the chance to see it then make sure you do. - West Wing – watching our DVD collection of this show again. Definitely one of the best shows ever. Computing / Tech - Lion – the new Mac OS seems noticeably zippier, but I’ve had a few random... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069395 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 04:13:52 +0100 5069395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841384&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F05%2F18%2Fpedal-board-2011-update-3%2F So here’s the hopefully penultimate pedal board update for 2011. I have finally got my hands on the Timmy overdrive and swapped my second hand Tim for a new one. If you don’t have either of these pedals then you owe it to yourself to get on the waitlist. Paul Cochrane is a great guy who makes awesome pedals at a very reasonable price. Get on the list now and you’ll be thankful in 5-6 months time. Also I’ve rectified my fuzz deficiency with the Wampler Leviathan fuzz. Brian is another top notch pedal maker with an excellent range to choose from. This pedal can produce some pretty wild fuzz growl but you can also dial it back for some relatively more subdued tones as well. A great pedal which adds yet another optional to my tonal palette. The other pedal I’ve ad... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841384 Wed, 18 May 2011 10:01:42 +0100 4841384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696583&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F04%2F10%2Fipad-for-worship%2F Recently I got an iPad 2, which is a wonderful thing in so many ways. At some point soon I’ll list a few of the useful apps I’ve discovered thus far, but for the time being I just want to discuss how useful I’ve found the iPad as a worship musician. Actually all of the stuff I’m talking about isn’t necessarily specific to the church music setting – you could use it just as well in any live music environment. One of the first things I thought the iPad would be useful for is to display my chord charts. I have a big library of chord/lyric charts in PDF and Word format and so I thought it would be great to display them on my iPad instead of having to print them out each week, with just a simple swipe between songs. I’ve found an app which does not only... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696583 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 08:07:41 +0100 4696583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536024&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F03%2F02%2Fpedal-board-2011-%25e2%2580%2593-update-2%2F Time for another pedal board update – I expect this will be the last for a little while, since I have much fewer gear purchases in the pipeline as I get serious about paying off debt and saving for Ethiopia… Pedal Board March 2011 - Click for larger image Signal path is as follows : Line6 Relay G50 wireless Korg PitchBlack Plus Tuner – also acts as an A/B switch so I can plug in a second guitar in addition to my wireless Boss AW-3 Auto-wah – with manual control by Boss FV-500L (right one – uses as expression pedal) Wampler Ego Compressor Wampler Paisley Overdrive MXR Distortion III Tim (Paul Cochrane) Boss FV-500L Volume (the left one) Strymon El Capistan (tape echo) – with Favourite Switch TC Nova Modulator (mods including chorus, tremolo, flange, vibr... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536024 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:06:29 +0100 4536024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501760&cid=t_106215_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F20%2Ftwo-beatles-albums-from-itunes-stir-assorted-memories%2F David Letterman, noting Yoko Ono’s 78th birthday last week, joked that she celebrated by breaking up The Jonas Brothers. Back in the twilight of sixties, perhaps early seventies, a much-appreciated Christmas gift (namely for my older brother Craig but which the rest of us took full advantage of) was a record player. Not just any [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501760 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 10:00:16 +0100 4501760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382717&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F01%2F21%2Fpedal-board-2011-update-1%2F Non-guitar playing readers can tune out now (if the title didn’t already switch you off)… It’s time for a long overdue update of the current state of my pedal board (here’s the last update, from Dec 2009). It’s undergone a radical remodelling over the past few months, with a number of new additions, and I’ve got it to a place where I’m pretty happy with the sound… for now. First the basic infrastructure. The board itself is a Diago Tourman hardcase, which I love. Very rugged case, easy to carry around, and to set it up all I have to do is lift off the lid, plug in a couple of power plugs and one lead to my amp and I’m ready to go. Power is the CIOKS DC-10 power-supply, which I have mentioned previously. Heaps of power, no hum. Tremendous. Pedal... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382717 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:55:32 +0100 4382717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4229169&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F12%2F04%2Fabsolute-power-cioks-dc10%2F Just wanted to mention a phenomenal product I’ve discovered recently. The DC-10 effects pedal power supply from CIOKS. I’m currently three quarters of the way through a major revamp of my effects pedal board, and along the way decided I needed to get a dedicated power supply, for two main reasons. One is so I didn’t have to use 4 separate “wall wart” power adaptors plugged into a power board which was messy and unsightly. Secondly, I discovered a whole lot of hum issues as I added new pedals which were very fussy about which power supply I could pair them with. Theres a number of high quality power supply units out there of which the most popular seems to be the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2+.  These are quite expensive to buy in Australia but unfortunately sourc... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4229169 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 04:25:56 +0100 4229169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175624&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F11%2F17%2Fdiago-tourman-pedal-board-case%2F Depressingly quiet at work again (where are all the sick people?) so wasting time on the net as usual. Thought I’d post a review of the Diago Pedal Board Case. Recently I started revamping my pedal board and found that I had outgrown my old trusty Gator Pedal tote (with soft case) so I started looking for a bigger alternative. I also wanted one that had a hard case or flight case so as to provide better protection for my gear. I looked at the Pedal Train series but the Pedal Train Pro with flight case was prohibitively expensive and also only marginally bigger than my old board. Then I came close to buying a Road Ready pedal board and case on eBay but I didn’t quite like the structure of it, with these movable foam blocks. And then I discovered Diago, which I believe is a UK co... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175624 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 03:35:26 +0100 4175624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151675&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F11%2F10%2Fhead-trauma%2F Have you ever hear an old recording of yourself talking and thought “did I really sound like that?”, or read something you’d written many years before and been shocked of how lame or juvenile it sounded? Sadly I had an experience like that last night. I’m in the process of updating my effects pedal board and have my eye on some new effects so figured it was time to dust off some old unsused ones and put them on eBay to raise some funds. Of course I needed to test them out before doing this to make sure they were in working order. The one that disturbed me the most was my Digtech GNX 4 multieffects unit. For well over a year this was my main source of tone – and people back then used to tell me they thought it sounded good. But playing back through some of my o... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151675 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 23:29:50 +0100 4151675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151676&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F11%2F09%2Fa-shipment-of-the-good-stuff%2F Herdim blue picks : imported from West Germany via the USA – can’t find these anywhere in Australia. Definitely worth the effort though (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151676 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:19:35 +0100 4151676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644565&cid=t_106215_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fsleep-helps-legendary-guitar-heros.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644565 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:12:00 +0100 3644565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581545&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F05%2F19%2Fnew-guitar-site%2F Actually it’s not a new site – it’s an old site with a new home. Karl’s phenomenal worship guitar blog (easily the best of it’s genre) has finally got it’s own domain : guitarforworship.com I was just updating my blogroll and thought I might as well mention it here also. So if you like guitars or worship music or especially if you do both, then make sure you go and pay Karl a visit! (Liking U2 also comes in handy as well). Long term readers of my blog (if there are any who didn’t give up years ago) will notice the increased frequency of posts lately. Looking back at all the twitter summaries and not much else I’ve decided to put a bit more effort into keeping this blog ticking over in a more interesting fashion…. oh and it’s provi... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581545 Wed, 19 May 2010 15:48:48 +0100 3581545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3436240&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F04%2F04%2Fthe-true-purpose-of-cars%2F Here’s this morning’s haul… and that was just the load for the car… on stage I had three different amps for three different instruments plus my vocal mic. And the best bit? Where we stopped playing and singing much and just let the crowd lift their voices – a great way to celebrate Easter (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3436240 Sun, 04 Apr 2010 06:07:51 +0100 3436240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3142469&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F01%2F05%2Fa-musicians-view-of-rockband%2F You’d have to have been living under a rock for the past few years, or be totally oblivious to the world of gaming, to not have some awareness of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band phenomenon. These games have achieved massive sales and a wide following. Initially they were primarily guitar based, but now the genre has expanded to include drumming, singing (?dancing), and even DJ’ing. Obviously as far as games go they are very popular and fun for many people. But do they have any musical merit? Should musicians see them as a positive thing, negative, or indifferent? My own experience with these games began a couple of years ago with Guitar Hero II on the Xbox 360 (complete with plastic wired Gibson Explorer shaped guitar controller). I thought it was good but didn’t find it so... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3142469 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:32:13 +0100 3142469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3083011&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F12%2F13%2F2336%2F Super hot day here today – 39 degrees (thats 102F). So hot in church that the best place to be was the baptism pool. Certainly on stage under the lights was a bit unpleasant – and I blame the heat for the number of mistakes I made – of which the worst was definitely when I mangled the lyric of ‘Salvation is here’ to sing “I don’t care that the world will know your name.” Not sure if anyone else noticed but I apologise – I’m definitely not so indifferent that I would sing about it. Anyway, before I got jump in the pool it’s time for another pedal board update. Non guitarists can tune out now… I’ve made a couple of alterations – adding in an EQ pedal so I can shape or boost my tone when necessary. The other i... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3083011 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:38:30 +0100 3083011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999469&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F11%2F17%2Fgood-news-for-couch-potatoes%2F There is some evidence that playing some Wii games does give you a moderate workout (see here). However I’d like to see more study on the issue – specifically does playing Guitar Hero make you a better guitar player? I’m sure there’d be no shortage of volunteers to take part in this sort of research… (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999469 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:56:09 +0100 2999469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796743&cid=t_106215_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2F7ikqrZ6kBC8%2F Listening to some Genius mixes on iTunes as I sit here at the Laughing Goat in Boulder, soaking up the lattés and the free bandwidth. This is a perfect way to re-discover all of those songs and tracks that you have loved but haven’t listened to in a while. A folky sort of Genius mix just brought forth “Early Mornin’ Rain” from Peter, Paul & Mary’s 10 (Ten) Years Together album. This is an album that I first got in high school, back in those early, early days when the idea of a group of musicians managing to stay together for ten whole years was astounding to me, a feat of endurance which should probably hit the record books any day now. Of course, I played it often, and had most of the songs memorized, especially during that time when I was also learning ... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796743 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:31:57 +0100 2796743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2770170&cid=t_106215_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fmaybe-there-is-hope-for-humans-after.html I recently posted about a very cool high speed robotic hand that could beat most humans in a finger race.However, I was somewhat comforted today when I ran across this video of the real thing, playing guitar at speeds I would not have believed possible.Rest easy, John Henry -- we're still ahead of the steam drills at a few things.World Record Guitar Speed 2008 Tiago Della Vega (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2770170 Sun, 06 Sep 2009 08:45:00 +0100 2770170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2683961&cid=t_106215_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FM32MyPH8T1w%2F Just a short note and congratulations to Dr. Francis Collins for being confirmed as director of the National Institutes of Health. Francis Collins is new NIH director According to the Associated Press, Collins was confirmed by the US Senate yesterday via voice vote (say “aye” or “nay”), so I’d have to say this was an even easier confirmation than Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who took her oath today from Chief Justice Roberts as the first Hispanic justice of the US Supreme Court after a non-event of hearings. Collins is a familiar face and name at the NIH, having been one of the prime-movers of the human genome project as head of the Human Genome Research Institute for 15 years. He also authored the controversial book “The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief ” ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2683961 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:40:00 +0100 2683961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2667378&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F08%2F04%2Fiphone-music%2F Now this is an area where I think I’ve only barely scratched the surface yet, but the iPhone is a veritable treasure trove of useful apps for musicians and music lovers. Here’s a few of the ones I’ve tried so far… Shazam This is one of the Apps that iPhone users love whipping out to impress their friends. And there’s a reason for that - it’s just cool. Basically if you hear a song playing and want to know what it’s called and who sings it, Shazam listens to the song through your iPhone’s microphone, processes it, and then gives you the answer - as well as the option to purchase the song for yourself on iTunes or search for it in YouTube. Seems to work about 90% of the time. I’ve used it in the car, and even in a crowded restaurant, with... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2667378 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:02:20 +0100 2667378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2662564&cid=t_106215_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fpower-of-pentatonic-scale.html An old friend (and discerning reader of this blog) pointed me to the following video, wherein Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale at the World Science Festival 2009.As Mr. McFerrin shows, the pentatonic scale is a great scale for improvisation -- it's hard to sing a wrong note. On a guitar, just noodling around on the simple 1-4, 1-3, 1-3, 1-3, 1-4, 1-4 pentatonic pattern is a fine way to spend a happy hour or two. It's impressive how many classic rock and blues licks fall out of this simple scale.Pentatonicity is also the basis for a number of great old-time fiddle tunes, of which Billy in the Low Ground is an examplar. This version of BITLG shows the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys flinging a tasty torrent of notes about a pentatonic C scale.I'll have to ask our physi... Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2662564 Sun, 02 Aug 2009 08:06:00 +0100 2662564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2593088&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F07%2F12%2Fpedal-board%2F Haven’t done this before now but it’s a widespread practice on some of the guitar blogs I frequent to post a photo of your pedal board, so here goes (click on the picture for a higher resolution view)… A couple of months ago I was fortunate to find on eBay this Gator pedal tote for thirty dollars. It’s brilliant - solid wood construction with a sturdy carry bag. All I lacked was some velcro to stick my effects down. A trip to Bunnings this weekend solved that and with a few hours work we have my current pedal board setup. Easy to carry and just requires plugging in to my amp, power and guitar and I’m ready to rock! The current setup is : Guitar —>> Boss FV-50H Volume >> Boss TU-2 tuner >> Boss AW-3 Auto-wah (to Boss FV-500L expression ... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2593088 Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:57:13 +0100 2593088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2786053&cid=t_106215_109_f&fid=38953&url=http%3A%2F%2Frileyjennifer.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fmusic-therapy.html There is a lot of research being done recently looking into the therapeutic benefits of music. Much of this research has examined pain and anxiety symptoms but less has been done in the specific context of mental illness(though many registered music therapists are out there).A review done last year showed that while music therapy was well tolerated in depressed patients, had low drop-out rates, and improved symptoms, that the studies under review were of low methodological quality and few in number.A recent study demonstrated improvements in people suffering from depression or psychosis with a dose related effect of music therapy sessions.Another study showed an improvement in quality of life of people suffering from a mental illness, though there was no significant improvement in symptoms... Psych Scamp blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2786053 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:08:00 +0100 2786053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584260&cid=t_106215_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fcapo-cool-tool-for-musicians-or.html If you are a musician, the word "capo" brings to mind the device that we guitar and banjo players clamp on the necks of our instruments to change key.However, Capo also refers to a new and rather swell Mac program for learning tunes from recordings. Capo does this by playing a torrent of music at a speed slow enough for one to comprehend. Here's the really cool thing: it does this without changing the pitch of the music!The following screenshot shows Capo playing "Heather Bonne", a swell tune I snagged last week at a jam session at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes.As a fiddle player, I learn a lot of tunes from field recordings made at festivals, jam sessions and concerts. Although I'm a quick study, some intricate or especially twisty tunes are a lot easier to learn when slowed down ... Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584260 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:33:00 +0100 2584260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416762&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F05%2F18%2Fprince-weeps%2F I don’t know if I would want to nominate my “favourite Beatle” - they are all awesome, although I’d probably if pushed lean towards the more serious ones (or the dead ones) John and George. Similarly I wouldn’t want to have to choose my favourite Beatles song, but certainly “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” would be right up there - not only is it an awesome song written by George, but Eric Clapton played guitar on the original. Few would probably immediately nominate the artist known once again as Prince in the same category of guitar heroes as Clapton, but check out his amazing, theatrical solo in this tribute to George… this man can wield a Telecaster with style! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYl942_I3Wo And while we’re on the topic,... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416762 Mon, 18 May 2009 14:32:35 +0100 2416762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375762&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F04%2F27%2Fguitar-baggage-mystery-worship-and-a-rocking-boat%2F Greetings from sunny tropical Queensland, where aside from missing my wife and kids I am suffering from serious guitar withdrawals. I can’t find any station on my TV where I am staying except ‘Max’ and have had the radio in my hire car alternating between my iPod, some new CDs I got, and the local country FM station (Kix - the Best Country in the World!) - why doesn’t Perth have a country music station?? seriously one of the worst things about Perth… anyway I digress… so yeh, I’m listening to lots of interesting music but have no guitar to play - very frustrating! I seriously think that the airlines should allow guitarists to take one guitar in addition to their usual baggage allowance.. would make for a much happier, more melodic travel experience... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375762 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:45:39 +0100 2375762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347623&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F04%2F07%2Fepiphone-les-paul-black-beauty-rewiring%2F My first good electric guitar was my Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty. Prior to this I had an Ibanez TR series strat copy for many years but when I started getting more serious and playing on stage regularly this no longer cut it. So, since I couldn’t afford my dream guitar, a real Gibson Les Paul (one day it will happen), I went for the next best thing, an Epiphone. And the 3 pickup gold hardware Black Beauty custom model just looked so hot I just couldn’t resist. It’s a guitar that looks awesome, and sounds great too, with a nice thick full tone and heaps of sustain. It was my main axe for a long time but in the last couple of years has languished while I’ve primarily used my two Fenders - my VG Stratocaster that I bought in Nashville and my beautiful Custom Teleca... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347623 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:14:45 +0100 2347623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2305305&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F03%2F26%2Fworship-blogs%2F I continue to not be too active here in this blog due to study/family/ministry/work/facebook etc, although have been a little more involved in our worship team’s blog here : http://wccworship.wordpress.com/ In the process I’ve recently discovered a few brilliant worship guitar blogs that have really got me inspired. Here’s a few of them : Guitar for Worship Guitar Praise Worship Guitar Guy Les Paul Player Doctor They are all now fixtures in my newsreader and all are excellent, but I’d recommend the first one especially. This dude has a mountain of good material, loves U2, and is pretty damn funny too. So if you’re into that sort of thing, check it out. In the meantime I’ll be off hiding out in facebook as usual. (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2305305 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 03:49:43 +0100 2305305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232712&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34967&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdocisinblog%2FwNlq%2F%7E3%2FqWOO6i9-2Lw%2F It was time. The bare bulb threw sharp shadows, angular in their diminished brilliance, leaving remote closet corners barely illuminated. Casting about the cluttered closet — that mortuary of materialism where much that was once precious now lies entombed in dust and disuse — a glimpse of a black vinyl case peaked through the litter: this was it. Clambering over the clutter, I grasped the handle, and stumbled across the junk to lift it free. It seemed so very heavy, perhaps less from its mass than from the burden of its past, and the history which it bore. It had been many, many years since I had shouldered that weight. Flipping its latches and opening the lid, a fleeting sense of emptiness filled me, in that dark, ill-lit corner of the soul where unfathomable loss resides, lon... The Doctor Is In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232712 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 07:56:37 +0100 2232712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2067684&cid=t_106215_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fsome-kind-of-hero.html Get the code:-Cut and pastefrom this littleboxy thing below Generally speaking, I use ‘electronics time’ to be productive. However, the new Wii game, guitar hero, proves to be quite a challenge. There’s the issue of finger isolation, co-ordination and any number of different skills that prove insurmountable but tantalizingly tempting for the junior members of the household. Personally, I’d rather watch paint dry, but it takes all sorts I suppose. Although the persevere to master these new skills, the ratio of grief to joy is not favourable. I need ear plugs for the wailing let alone the actual music itself. I expect a plastic guitar to be hurled with every passing missed note. As a result my own productivity reaches at all time low as they cannot be left unsupervised unless I wish... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2067684 Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:59:00 +0100 2067684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2061067&cid=t_106215_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FYuQqRDrcXHw%2F So, you’re reaching for the eggnog or another piece of gingerbread and Great Uncle W says to you, “Now what is all this I hear about autism and vaccines?” Or, some friendly step-relatives happens to end up next to you while the Christmas carol sheets are being handed out and, just as you’re trying to sneak out of the chair to sit by your child who already has his hands over your ears while your musician second cousin starts playing something from Jersey Boys on the piano to expressions of delight, said step-relative says, with a concerned smile, “Does he have this thing called sensitive-processor disorder too? A friend says her nephew has it.” Now don’t get me wrong. After the initial incredulity that Charlie “had” something, my extende... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2061067 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:26:30 +0100 2061067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996959&cid=t_106215_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyelomablog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F11%2F02-pretty_little_thing.mp3 This is an mp3 I made from a tape which is over 20 years old.  Please excuse the poor quality.  I had a 4 track recorder and a Fender Squier, which was the cheapest guitar I could get in about 1985 or 86. It’s still around, but I haven’t played it in about 10 years. Unnamed guitar piece If you want to hear more weird little songs I made up, let me know. (Source: beth's myeloma blog) beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996959 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:10:29 +0100 1996959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1826023&cid=t_106215_88_f&fid=35612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheknifeman.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fever-wondered-why-they-called-him-god.html The sax solo ain't too shabby, either, but nothing beats Eric's guitar face.... (Source: The KnifeMan) The KnifeMan blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1826023 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:09:00 +0100 1826023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720310&cid=t_106215_132_f&fid=35024&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBlindscientist%2F%7E3%2F370475712%2F Image via Wikipedia Now that BMX and trampoline are in the Olympics (OK, all right, trampoline got in a couple of editions ago) I can say that the Olympics are a bona fide international competition. I would like to thank to the enlightened people that include those wonderful “sports” in the competition. I can’t wait to see rock-paper-scissors and Guitar Hero in 2012. Related articles by Zemanta Counter-Culture BMX Makes Debut in Beijing Parents Let Kid Drop Out of High School to Focus on Guitar Hero [Guitar Hero] Holy SHIT, look at the size of that ramp! (Source: Blind.Scientist) Blind.Scientist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720310 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:17:44 +0100 1720310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1510066&cid=t_106215_118_f&fid=36984&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthManagementRx%2F%7E3%2F308898029%2Fhospitals-want-guitar-hero-healthcare.html "Hospitals want involved patients" - from the Chicago Tribune.Good piece, but a bit outdated. The Joint Commission's Speak Up! Program has been around for a few years (at least since I used it as a Patient Advocate 'rounding' in 2003-2004), but you rarely see a specific staff person within the acute care setting responsible for implementing the program. Our hospital, however, had a team of 5 Patient Advocates rounding on inpatient floors discussing the Speak Up! Program with patients and families.What, we found, however, upon administering the program is indicative of the healthcare system's larger 'chronic' issues....The process looked a bit like this:1. PA enters the room, cheerily confirms identity with double checks (name, armband) - after asking if we can chat about the program and if... Health Management Rx blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1510066 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:13:00 +0100 1510066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423214&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2008%2F05%2F06%2Fworship-guitar-guy%2F - cool blog this. well presented with some useful posts. Just wish he would update it a little more consistently than he does. But for church guitarists, it’s definitely one worth checking out. (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423214 Tue, 06 May 2008 02:42:08 +0100 1423214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423215&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2008%2F05%2F06%2Flocal-shots-2%2F Originally uploaded by baggas. My favourite shop in the local area. No prizes for guessing why The kids know this as the “orange guitar shop” (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423215 Tue, 06 May 2008 01:47:44 +0100 1423215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1405369&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2008%2F04%2F29%2Fgreatest-guitar-solos%2F Craig linked to this list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of all time and as a guitarist I had to check it out. In general it’s a pretty good list. I agree with most of them and have a big chunk of them in my collection already but it’s perhaps pointed out a few gaps I need to fill. But seriously, number 40? Steely Dan? Who’s idea was that? Anyway, here’s the top 10… Jimmy Page - Stairway to Heaven (of course) Eddie Van Halen - Eruption (can’t argue) Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd) - Comfortably Numb (nice) Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower (yeh baby!) Slash (Guns n’ Roses) - November Rain (sweet) Kirk Hammet (Metallica) - One (good choice) Don Felder / Joe Walsh (The Eagles) - Hotel California (classic) Randy Rhoads - C... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1405369 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:05:13 +0100 1405369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1289288&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2008%2F03%2F09%2Fmy-two-new-babies%2F I’ve already introduced you to Mia, but my other new baby is a Fender acoustic/electric mandolin, which I got the other day. I’m afraid I got a bit mixed up about which one belongs in the case though Plenty more new photos (of Mia, not the Mandolin) online at flickr…. (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1289288 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:42:44 +0100 1289288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1272532&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2008%2F03%2F03%2Fspanish-heaven%2F This Mexican duo are amazing - Rodrigo y Gabriela. And if you like this, you should definitely check out their album, which includes a version of Metallica’s Orion amongst other things. But for the meantime, enjoy Stairway to Heaven… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNc5o9TU0t0 (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1272532 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:15:32 +0100 1272532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1238170&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2008%2F02%2F18%2Fgarage-band%2F If you’re a musician then this piece of software is almost reason enough to consider switching to a Mac. GarageBand is my new favourite piece of software. I’ve barely scratched the surface of what this program can do but basically it’s a powerful multi-purpose recording studio that can be used for anything from podcasting to creating a demo CD or just jamming around. We started off with some simple vocal stuff (Jenni recording some stories onto CD for the boys to listen to) and then mucking around with the boys using various vocal effects (like echoes, monster, mouse, and chipmunk voices). Now I’ve got myself some decent quality digital/analogue interface hardware so I can connect my guitars to my MacBook Pro. Even the basic level guitar effects included are not bad... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1238170 Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:07:04 +0100 1238170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1165291&cid=t_106215_114_f&fid=34646&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthcarebloglaw.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fguitar-hero-health-care.html Guitar Hero (Rock Band) Health Care. The current (next) generation expects to be on the stage performing and not just sitting passively in the audience.Check out Why Consumer - Directed Medicine, Health 2.0 Will Flourish by Jen McCabe Gorman at Health Management RX.What the coming generation will expect from providers - read Jen's questions and formulate your answer. She ends with:Work on mentoring the 'me' generations - the next wave of healthcare delivery will depend on carefully mentoring 'me' thinkers to manage personal responsibility and maintain individual health. Wellness maintenance programs are just one part of the solution . . .. . . Give us a solo - we've been taught for most of our lives to tell people what we want. You've been taught for most of your lives to tell people what ... Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1165291 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 06:04:00 +0100 1165291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1049887&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F11%2F26%2Fmac-3-devices-and-video%2F Continuing to work with my Mac - now starting to deal with connectivity to various devices. Firstly I was pleased to find that I could get my Windows Mobile 6 PDA phone to sync with my MacBook without too much difficulty. All it took was a download of a beta version of a program called Missing Sync and within minutes I was able to use Bluetooth to synchronise my calendar, contacts, to-do list and more with the relevant applications on my Mac. Changes were reflected accurately in both directions. It also enables you to sync a whole lot of other items including photos, videos, call and sms logs etc, but I haven’t really explored that. But being able to get this working so quickly was a bit of a bonus. I hadn’t expected it to be so painless. A different story with my Digitech GNX4... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1049887 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 01:45:44 +0100 1049887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=815221&cid=t_106215_140_f&fid=35448&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseemedlikeagoodideathetime.com%2F2007%2F08%2F21%2Fmusic-brought-me-back-to-life-briefly%2F   By UM This is Randy Owen….use to be frontman for the country group, Alabama. I was/am a big Alabama freak. Randy Owen is not a hottie by hottie standards. I’m sure the experts (LMAO) at hotornot would say…..NOT! But, I love RO. I have been to 4-5 of his concerts. He has the most amazing twinkle in his eyes……pure mischief. But, the best thing about RO is that incredibly husky, raw-sex voice. Goosebumps, I tell ya. Those romantic songs…..you know the ones with promise of S-E-X + F-I-R-E at the end of the nite. Anyway, my daughter bought me tickets to go see Randy Owen in concert at the WV state fair. He has his own band now, The Randy Owen Band. Kind of a surreal, circus atmosphere, though. Two black guys who looked like they were the two missing triple... bipolar chicks blogging blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=815221 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 03:01:18 +0100 815221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=806596&cid=t_106215_140_f&fid=35448&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseemedlikeagoodideathetime.com%2F2007%2F08%2F17%2Fi-lost-it-unmedicated%2F by Cat ok, so the day before yesterday…. the day before that, and yesterday… I was unmedicated…. what repercussions did I have? well… where do I start… some of them funny… some not so funny…. I found myself yelling at my Navigational System in my new car yesterday…. that would have been funny, if it were not for the fact that I was IN MOTION, turning onto a one-way street in downtown San Antonio, Texas… and that’s ok too… cause I was going only ONE-WAY… unfortunately, I was going the WRONG-WAY! I found myself face to face with traffic in a $38,000 vehicle that I did NOT want scratched, dented, poked, prodded, or otherwise mutilated…. I swiftly pulled to the sidewalk where a cop on motorcycle found me being berate... bipolar chicks blogging blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=806596 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 03:11:53 +0100 806596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=756715&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F07%2F25%2Fthe-rock-n-roll-hajj%2F Getting late here but I haven’t updated in a couple of days so time for a quick recap. Monday morning I got up nice and early, bundled the boys in the car and drove halfway across Tennessee to Memphis, birthplace of the blues and home of The King - Elvis Presley. Was a smooth 3 hour drive through some beautiful countryside before we arrived at Graceland. And Graceland itself was well worth the effort, not only to see the 70s style home decorating, and Elvis’ cars and planes and gold records etc, but to really step back into history and connect with a man whose legacy is still with us today.  Graceland, and the city of Memphis, would have to be the rock ‘n roll Mecca. It’s a shame Memphis was such a drive because there was so much more I wanted to see there - Beale ... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=756715 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:50:48 +0100 756715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676577&cid=t_106215_140_f&fid=35448&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseemedlikeagoodideathetime.com%2F2007%2F06%2F15%2Fthe-guitar-hero-the-foreigner-belt%2F   I don’t usually tell many stories…I suck at them; (as you will see) but then again I tend to think in tangents & thought this tied in…so here we go: (btw, there is NO point to this story, so don’t look for one) About a month ago, my oldest kid (of Bring on the Hate Mail, I’ve Spanked my 4 Year Old Instead of Drugging Him fame) was put out with his friends because they we addicted to a video game. Guitar Hero. “Why don’t you play too?” “It’s really dumb, it has some stupid baby looking guitar thing and they suck. It’s horrible to sit through.”   For those of you who don’t know me, not a mom bragging thing, just a fact, this kid is musically gifted, he can play anything by ear within a few minut... bipolar chicks blogging blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676577 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:56:00 +0100 676577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=638082&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F05%2F24%2Fkeith-urban%2F Tuesday night Jenni and I went and saw Keith Urban in concert in Perth. For those who are not in the know Keith is an Australian country music artist who moved to Nashville in the 90s, was hugely successful over there, and ultimately married Nicole Kidman. I’d never listened to any of his music until a few months ago when we first started thinking about going and visiting friends in Nashville - since then I’ve bought 4 of his CDs and I really quite like them. And from there I’ve gone on to explore a bit more of the country genre. Keith is nowhere near as popular here in Australia as in the USA - he probably gets more publicity here because of his marriage and rehab problems than he does for his music. So I was interested to see what sort of demographic the crowd would be ... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=638082 Thu, 24 May 2007 02:46:25 +0100 638082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=612158&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F05%2F17%2Fguitar-portal%2F I love Wikipedia and I love guitars, so this is the perfect site for me : Wikipedia Guitar Portal. Links to all the Wikipedia articles about the guitar, a guitar related article of the day (today’s is George Harrison), pictures, trivia, annniversaries and much more. Totally excellent! (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=612158 Thu, 17 May 2007 06:56:51 +0100 612158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=588000&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F05%2F04%2Ffriday%2F Today has been one of those steady days at work. No major crises, no babies born (yet) and plenty of gaps between patients to catch my breath. Just had a very pleasant lunch with a drug rep - good food (no dodgy sandwiches thank God), good gifts (a USB coffee mug heater and a really nice ceramic travel mug), and good conversation. I think we barely touched on the drug he was supposed to be selling but talked a bit about church and a lot about guitars, including what might be some of the best places in Nashville and LA to pick one up… This weekend could be quite busy though. I’m on call for the hospital so how busy I am depends on how many babies are born. At this stage since we’re still planning our trip another baby boom would be most welcome to help pay for it all and f... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=588000 Fri, 04 May 2007 04:51:19 +0100 588000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=588002&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F05%2F04%2Fcanon%2F This is awesome. I found it this morning via Phil Baker.net and immediately thought of my mate Joel from our band at church, who’s a bit of a Pachelbel fan. I must say though, the music/mix just seems a little bit too good to be just some dude playing along in his bedroom, but then again there are just enough wrong notes to make it seem authentic … anyway enjoy… EDIT : after browsing YouTube a bit more it seems this guy (”FunTwo” aka Lim Jyong-Hyun from South Korea) is a bit of a phenomenon. There’s quite a few videos of him playing on there as well as a CNN story about his rise to fame. Inspiration for bedroom guitarists everywhere! (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=588002 Thu, 03 May 2007 23:47:31 +0100 588002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=579540&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F04%2F30%2Fgoogle-and-fender%2F Over the years I’ve had a number of interesting free stats plugins on my website but most of them have either been inconsistent or stopped working entirely after a while. So I was very interested when my mate Dean showed me Google’s stats offering that he uses on his website. For him this tool is invaluable, enabling him to keep a detailed eye on the progress of his e-commerce and track the website’s effectiveness at transalting visits into sales. For me the interest is more just on how many people are coming and where they are from, but I’m still very impressed with Google Analytics. Plus being from Google, it’s most unlikely to stop working or disappear. I’ve only just started to scratch the surface but thus far Google analytics seems to be a very powe... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=579540 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 04:35:46 +0100 579540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=540514&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F04%2F13%2Ffender-vg-stratocaster%2F Looks like it’s a week now since I’ve posted any kind of YouTube Video on this blog (and some of you are probably saying that’s a good thing), but I’ll make up for it now. It’s not a video of the kids or scenery this time but rather a demonstration of the latest product from Fender. Now for me, as both a guitarist and a techo-gadget-geek, this new VG Stratocaster seems to be the ultimate toy - a fully fledged American strat with the discrete addition of a small Roland pickup and two small control knobs which allow you to instantly change the tone and tuning of your guitar. No additional effects or special midi cables or anything required. Check out the demo : I’ve already been wanting to get hold of a strat for quite a while now but this new product loo... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=540514 Fri, 13 Apr 2007 04:57:37 +0100 540514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=540515&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F04%2F13%2Faussie-dollar-hits-17-year-high%2F . 13/04/2007. ABC News Online Well this is not necessarily good news for everybody, but for those of us who like to shop online it’s not bad. Hope it stays like this (or higher) through into July and August as it will make our trip to the USA that much more affordable (plus it’s my birthday while we’re away and I’ve got my heart set on one of these…) (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=540515 Fri, 13 Apr 2007 02:45:58 +0100 540515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=501675&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F03%2F26%2Fwhile-my-ukelele-gently-weeps%2F For any of you who doubt that the Ukelele can be cool, check out this awesome video by Jake Shimabukuro. I came across it while searching for the music/lyrics to one of my favourite Beatles’ songs, and was absolutely blown away. Makes me want to put my guitar down and pick up my uke, aside from the fact that I’m a total novice on the instrument. Anyway check it out - this guy is phenomenal! (Source: Baggas' Blog) Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=501675 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:57:15 +0100 501675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=500757&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F03%2F26%2Fthe-rhythms-of-the-devil%2F Slacktivist: All the good music Just watched a YouTube video on the Slacktivist blog that was annoying, sad, and yet bizzarely entertaining at times. Entitled “Satan’s Tool : The truth about contemporary Christian music” it is comprised of excerpts from a sermon given by a guy called Alan Ives. His thrust is that there are certain elements in the music itself that make a song ‘ungodly’, no matter how Christian or biblical the lyrics might be. Specifically he focuses on aspects of the rhythm such as the Boogie-Woogie (think Chopsticks), back-beat, and break-beat, that are so wrong. I’m sure glad he hasn’t visited our church - he would be horrified at some of the ’sinful’ rhythms we play. And what he would make of my amplified, distorted ... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=500757 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 04:10:33 +0100 500757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=493275&cid=t_106215_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2007%2F02%2F23%2Fvista-setback%2F I’ve now been using Windows Vista for a few weeks on my home PC and laptop and I’m still liking it a lot. Very few crashes, and when a program does crash it recovers very quickly. The GUI is nice - looks good and functional, and the new explorer features are mostly an improvement. But yesterday I struck my first serious snag. To date 95% of the software I have tried to install has worked fine, and those that haven’t worked have not been very important programs anyway so it was no great loss. But yesterday I discovered that x-Edit, the software for my Digitech GNX-4 guitar multi-effects board, simply will not install on Vista. This is a real shame because one of the coolest features of the GNX4 is the ability to be able to edit effect patches on the PC and hear the changes... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=493275 Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:30:46 +0100 493275