Useful Stuff from a Great Magazine
Posted by Chip
There's only one magazine that I take that warrants a cover-to-cover read. It's Esquire.
At this point in my life it addresses most everything that I'm dealing with or need to know about. This is a great example of the kinds of things you'll find in there: Four Trips to Take with Your Kids Before They're 18.
In any given month, you'll find information on what to wear, politics, being a better man, understanding (or attempting to) a woman, sex and sports. I also love the "What I've Learned" column. Give it a try next time you're infront of a newsstand.
The Difference Between Friends & Acquaintances
Posted by Chip
Do you know how many friends you really have out there in the world? If you really think about it are they really friends at all?
I define a friend as one who would drop anything they're doing at any time and go anywhere in the world you would need them - for whatever reason. Now, if we define "friends" as that - we really only have about 2-3 people that would fit the definition.
Now, if we also accept that definition, how many people are then just "acquaintances"? A lot of the people we encounter - neighbors, colleagues, co-workers, people at the gym, and others - we'd never ask them that kind of favor. Maybe you would?
Songs that Changed My Life
Posted by Chip
I mentioned the word "serenity" in my post yesterday. That word always reminds me of the song "Rocky Mountain High".
Now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake
So, I began wondering about the songs that changed my life in many different ways. Here they are:
| Song | Year* | Comment |
| Rhinestone Cowboy Glen Campbell |
1976 | This song was my first favorite song. I listened to this everyday for about a year when I was four or five years old. It absolutely played a huge part in developing my love of listening to and playing music. |
| Guitar Man Jerry Reed |
1978 | When you hear lead guitar being played on the radio today, you're listening to players who were absolutely influenced by Jerry's playing. Guitar Man started it all. There is an absolutely incredible recording of this song on an album called "Jerry Reed: Live at the Exit Inn". It's absolutely amazing and preceded by a song called "I'm Your Guitar" which is one of the best songs about the love of a guitar ever. |
| Rocky Mountain High John Denver |
1979 | Here's the first song in my life that inspired me to travel. I fell in love with the Rockies very early in my life through John Denver's music. My parents moved us out West when I was in High School - and this song had a big impact on that happening. |
| Johnny B. Goode Chuck Berry |
1986 | I flirted with playing the guitar starting at about 11 years old. One day my Dad gave me a copy of the soundtrack to "Hail Hail Rock-n-Roll" the documentary about Chuck Berry. I figured that learning "JBG" note for note was a rite of passage for any guitar player - and it is. |
| Sunshine of Your Love Cream |
1990 | I decided in 1988 to start taking the guitar seriously. And, after a few years of study, I could hold my own. This was when I began studying Clapton. This song, too, is a rite of passage for a lead guitar player. This version is off of the latest Cream album from 2005. Amazing version! |
| Voodoo Child (Slight Return) Jimi Hendrix |
1991 | Here's another song that just blew me away. There is no other song that has an unmistakable sound. From the first note, you know that it is this song. Once I learned this song, I knew that I could play just about anything I wanted to play. I also absolutely love Stevie Ray Vaughan's version on Live Alive! |
| Changes in Lattitudes, Changes in Attitudes Jimmy Buffett |
2000 | Ok, here's where things get interesting. What's a trained musician doing listening to Buffett? Well, I'll tell you. Buffett at this time in my life taught me about how to live. I became a Parrothead after reading his book "A Pirate Looks at 40" and it changed my life. This song incpired me to head down and check out Key West. That is where I fell in love with the islands and began my journeys to as many islands as possible. |
| Somewhere in the Sun Kenny Chesney |
2005 | Here's another song that inspired me to travel somewhere. I love the islands and was wondering about this place called Jost Van Dyke. If you haven't been there - go. When you see a Caribbean island in your mind, this place is what you see. |
| In Repair John Mayer |
2006 | This song helped me through a very tough time in the fall of '06. It's very theraputic. |
* year denotes the year that I was influenced by the song, not when it was released.
My Top 5 Favorite Words
Posted by Chip
Yesterday, while using the word "loathe" in my post; I began to think about what my top 5 favorite words are in the English language. There are so many of them. Some useful. Some colorful. Some are there to make you look smart. Some are stupid.
Anyway, here are my top 5 favorite words:
- serenity
- I just love the calming feeling that this word embodies.
- maverick
- This word best describes me. Not so much in the "against the grain" meaning of the word, but how I am willing to go against the norm.
- logic
- This is the most misused word in the English language. "Reason or sound judgment, as in utterances or actions" - not much of that going around, is there?
- inspire
- This is one of those words that places the action squarely on you. I'm not interested in other derivatives of the word - just this plain ole verb.
- f*ck
- This is one of those words that is so useful. I also believe that it is one of the most hypocritical words used today. You know who you are - you (and I) use this word everyday. Everyone uses it. It's the Swiss Army Knife of words - it can be used in so many, useful ways. If we all use it, then why in the f*uck is it on the FCC's list of seven "dirty" words?
I Loathe the Dentist
Posted by Chip
I had to go do one of my least favorite things in the world this morning. Yeah...I know...you're supposed to get your teeth cleaned. But, I just hate the dentist - never have liked it. It's the taste of tooth polish, the smells, the sounds and that "sterile" environment that just sucks. I may have to give these new "dental spas" a try.
BTW, 'loathe' is one of my favorite words. It's one of those words that should be used more often.
loathe1 –verb (used with object), loathed, loath·ing.
to feel disgust or intense aversion for; abhor: I loathe people who spread malicious gossip.
1 "loathe." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 09 May. 2007. [Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/loathe].
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