SMF

Cool!

I like Amos Lee’s “Windows Are Rolled Down.”

Get a capo, if you don’t already have one. If you’re going to sing, you’re going to want to change the key from time to time. I like Kaysers.

Sam, the pinkie is an unruly child and the most difficult digit to train. Repetition is key. I love Marty and have learned a lot from him. Justin Sandercoe at justinguitar.com also has some great lessons and has updated his website and many of his older, non-HD lessons. Regarding the office, I keep ...

Bass is not glamorous, but the bottom end is like the glue holding everything together. Having played drums for decades, I can say that a solid rhythm section (bass and drums) is essential to a tight band.

Your fingering will improve with practice. Soon you’ll do with ease things that now seem very difficult. Playing AND singing is like a whole ‘nother skill, but you’ll find your brain begins to associate lyrics and chord progressions so that singing can actually help you play better. The real fun com...

Good for you, Sam! I took up guitar six years ago at about the same age as you. I thought it would be easier than it is, but it’s a journey, not a destination. One thing to keep in mind: the learning process is not linear. You’ll reach many plateaus and seem stuck for awhile, then you’ll break throu...

No reason at all to believe in the concept of a 'gateway' drug. That's just silly. As for any medical claim for any constituent of marijuana, just ask for the same level of evidence that is required for any drug that comes to market (and good luck finding it!) Sans evidence, don't claim you have it...

Godspeed to the boys and their rescuers.

I really like the bamboo cutting boards. Knife friendly and durable, they don’t seem to require as much upkeep as regular wood. Also good are Epicurean brand boards, made of natural wood fibers and dishwasher safe.

Dateline NBC tonight is about CBD and how it has been shown to help epilepsy and chronic pain patients, among others.

I’ll have to check it out. I love good biographies, and I was a boy during the Kennedy administration. I remember well coming back to my class in third grade from a bathroom break, and my teacher had taken the transister radio that I had brought to school that day and put it on her desk so the class...

I’m just not sure I buy the “gateway drug” argument. If anything, marijuana is more an entry-level drug; i.e. the first thing you try that is different from alcohol. Does marijuana “lead to” heavier drugs? Not really, in my experience. Nearly everyone I knew growing up in the ‘70s smoked marijuana t...

I caught the end of the movie “Inherent Vice” last night, and this gem from the ‘60s rolled on the closing credits. What a commanding performance!

https://youtu.be/v2n4N2ySoYs

All’s well that ends well.

Good luck, Sam. I wore my 6-inch Beans quail hunting yesterday and took advantage of the 25% coupon to order a new upland hunting vest last night.

Sam, I guess you’ve considered that a deep puddle could reach the elastic side panel of a Chelsea boot. Personally, I’d go with Bean boots, which offer much greater protection. You can choose the height of the upper that suits you best.

Murray, I’m talking about the grinder of my Chef’s Choice sharpening station. I don’t know if has anything to do with Trizor. I don’t recall that term. It’s probably 5-7 years old. The grinder sets the bevel and should not be needed, or rarely so, after that initial grind. Then, only the shapening s...

Murray, I honed my knives on both sides until I got close to the edge I wanted, then I used the hone one one side until a hook began to form on the edge. That was my sign that it was time to hone the opposite edge and remove the hook, resulting in a proper edge that only needs touching up with the s...

I wear briefs and found some that I really like a few years ago from Jockey. They are cotton with a little Spandex or something in them. I really like the fit. Alas, they no longer make them. All cotton sags a little to much for me, just doesn’t have the spring to it that the blend does. Other model...