new office buildout, a set on Flickr.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Germs! Eeeek!
Here is some info I have gathered in response to the current craze about germs.
The current state of worry all began with the flu epidemics of recent years, and research that shows that the flu virus can live far longer, especially on non-porous surfaces, than cold viruses live. Other research shows that we tend to touch our mouths, noses and eye areas a lot. Great, tell me something I don't know.
The important part of the latest research gets lost in our panic, though. People, if you are worried about touching the flu virus, or the cold virus, you better wear gloves all the time. Because that next doorknob, and the one after that, are just as likely to have that same virus that you successfully navigated in the bathroom. And, the viruses don't enter your bloodstream through your skin. You have to touch your mouth, eye or nose. So wash your hands, use hand sanitizer properly, but do it mostly when your hands are going to be closest to your eyes, nose and mouth. For more on this, here are links to a NYT column on virus transmission
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/health/15real.html
and a link to a study of how often we tend to touch our mouth, eyes and nose.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15459620802003896.
Pay particular attention to the study's conclusion that states that there is not a whole lot of research that shows very clearly exactly how much at risk we are. It is more important to be aware of how to keep ourselves healthy. So better carry that paper towel around all day long! Or, better make sure that you are cleaning everything that goes in to your mouth, eyes and nose. I know I don't, but I try. Doesn't that count for something?
Carry on.
The current state of worry all began with the flu epidemics of recent years, and research that shows that the flu virus can live far longer, especially on non-porous surfaces, than cold viruses live. Other research shows that we tend to touch our mouths, noses and eye areas a lot. Great, tell me something I don't know.
The important part of the latest research gets lost in our panic, though. People, if you are worried about touching the flu virus, or the cold virus, you better wear gloves all the time. Because that next doorknob, and the one after that, are just as likely to have that same virus that you successfully navigated in the bathroom. And, the viruses don't enter your bloodstream through your skin. You have to touch your mouth, eye or nose. So wash your hands, use hand sanitizer properly, but do it mostly when your hands are going to be closest to your eyes, nose and mouth. For more on this, here are links to a NYT column on virus transmission
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/health/15real.html
and a link to a study of how often we tend to touch our mouth, eyes and nose.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15459620802003896.
Pay particular attention to the study's conclusion that states that there is not a whole lot of research that shows very clearly exactly how much at risk we are. It is more important to be aware of how to keep ourselves healthy. So better carry that paper towel around all day long! Or, better make sure that you are cleaning everything that goes in to your mouth, eyes and nose. I know I don't, but I try. Doesn't that count for something?
Carry on.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Jakey words
Trying to remember some of his early words. Here we have
Mo-sir-sigh = motorcycle
"us" instead of "we", as in "where us going?"
Mo-sir-sigh = motorcycle
"us" instead of "we", as in "where us going?"
Friday, April 15, 2011
2010 Jazz parts bass
2010 Jazz parts bass, a set on Flickr.
Here is a bass that I assembled this week. This project is one that has taken on a quasi-epic element. I first purchased a fretless bass (my first of that type) last fall. The bass was damaged in shipping by UPS. That issue got resolved just fine since the seller immediately refunded my money. He eventually got a payout from UPS for the bass, and also got the bass returned to him by UPS, which was a pleasant surprise to him. After the basses return, he sold me the neck and bridge, which I installed on the agave blue Fender Jazz, Mexican version, aka MIM in bass circles. Stands for "Made in Mexico." I had purchased the blue bass immediately after I had received my refund for the the damaged bass. I liked the blue bass, but still the loss of the damaged bass lingered with me. That bass was exactly the design and color scheme that I had wanted.
But I did enjoy the blue bass, especially once I added the nice looking pearloid pickguard. So I kept it and played it happily. Then last week I was looking through the Talkbass classified ads in the "accessories" section and saw that someone was selling the body to a brand new Fender Jazz MIM in a sunburst finish. This body was from a "70's Classic" bass, a newer line that Fender has produced as a more custom version of their standard MIM basses. Usually carries a "classic" price as well, so I had not considered one prior. Didn't seem worth the extra money. But the seller wanted only $200 for the body. I contacted him to see if he would be willing to hold it for me while I tried to sell my blue body and pickguard, and buy his with those funds. I was able to luck into a local buyer for my body and pickguard very soon after I placed my add to sell my body. Um, that didn't sound right... Anyway, the local buyer was able to come to my office at lunch that very day. He liked what I had to sell, and we had a deal. From there I bought and subsequently received, this time safely from UPS, the new sunburst body and put it together during lunch this week when I received it.
The box it came in had a big old dent, so there were some anxious moments as I looked inside to see if the bass had survived yet another drop by UPS! To my relief, it had been very well packed by the seller, and was unscathed! So for $0 outlay on my part, I was able to upgrade from a 2004 standard blue body to a 2010 shiny new body, with a very nice upgraded pickguard in tortoise shell, my favorite design! See my other basses if you don't believe me! :-)
For anyone interested, the "Classic 70's" body has the pickup spacing of that era. The bridge pickup is positioned slightly closer to the bridge, giving the bass a slightly more edgy sound than the standard pickup spacing gives. Probably not noticeable to most listeners.
This model was popular, and still is, with bassists who like that "funk" sound. We'll see how it sounds with the fretless neck that it now wears. So far I like how it sounds through my headphones. And we'll also see how it sounds in the jazz band where it will be showcased as my "Jaco tribute" bass. Not a replica, just a nod or 2 to the legendary bassist and his bass, the "Bass of Doom" as he called it. Nods include fretless neck with lines and fret markers. He did not play the 70's model body, but his main bass looked similar to this one, minus the pickguard. His fret markers were dots, not diamonds as is the case with mine. And his markers were real whereas mine are vinyl inlay stickers.
For those not familiar with Jaco and his bass, Jaco is the only electric bass player in the jazz hall of fame. He is widely known as a genius and a pioneer in electric bass playing. His style has been copied by many bassists, and many of us list him as our top influence. his fretless sound was achieved primarily by playing the bridge pickup only, which is easy to do on a Fender Jazz bass.
Sadly, Jaco suffered from mental illness and was untreated for much of his life, resulting in chaos and instability in his personal and professional life. He was homeless during the last years of his life, and he took his bass with him on the streets, with no case, and abused it with now legendary neglect.
My bass story is a small reflection of the epic journey that he and his bass took, minus the tragic ending. Jaco sadly lost his life in a bar, beaten to death by a bouncer at a night club in Florida when he was not even 40 years old.
Jaco's Bass of Doom was lost for years after having been stolen from him prior to his death. It remained missing until very recently, when it re-sufaced in a New York City pawn shop. The shop owner laid claim to it, setting the stage for a legal battle that was avoided when the bass player from the hard rock group Metallica took it upon himself to buy the bass outright from the pawn shop ower and then donate it to Jaco's family, where it belonged. This act is indicative of the wide renown that bassists of all genres have for Jaco and his influence.
Below is a pic of the bass in it's current form. I replaced the Gotoh bridge for a standard Fender bridge. Simple, yet effective and way more effective in achieving a quality set-up.I added the diamonds to the neck. They are stickers. They still look great after 18+ months of regular use!
Here is a bass that I assembled this week. This project is one that has taken on a quasi-epic element. I first purchased a fretless bass (my first of that type) last fall. The bass was damaged in shipping by UPS. That issue got resolved just fine since the seller immediately refunded my money. He eventually got a payout from UPS for the bass, and also got the bass returned to him by UPS, which was a pleasant surprise to him. After the basses return, he sold me the neck and bridge, which I installed on the agave blue Fender Jazz, Mexican version, aka MIM in bass circles. Stands for "Made in Mexico." I had purchased the blue bass immediately after I had received my refund for the the damaged bass. I liked the blue bass, but still the loss of the damaged bass lingered with me. That bass was exactly the design and color scheme that I had wanted.
But I did enjoy the blue bass, especially once I added the nice looking pearloid pickguard. So I kept it and played it happily. Then last week I was looking through the Talkbass classified ads in the "accessories" section and saw that someone was selling the body to a brand new Fender Jazz MIM in a sunburst finish. This body was from a "70's Classic" bass, a newer line that Fender has produced as a more custom version of their standard MIM basses. Usually carries a "classic" price as well, so I had not considered one prior. Didn't seem worth the extra money. But the seller wanted only $200 for the body. I contacted him to see if he would be willing to hold it for me while I tried to sell my blue body and pickguard, and buy his with those funds. I was able to luck into a local buyer for my body and pickguard very soon after I placed my add to sell my body. Um, that didn't sound right... Anyway, the local buyer was able to come to my office at lunch that very day. He liked what I had to sell, and we had a deal. From there I bought and subsequently received, this time safely from UPS, the new sunburst body and put it together during lunch this week when I received it.
The box it came in had a big old dent, so there were some anxious moments as I looked inside to see if the bass had survived yet another drop by UPS! To my relief, it had been very well packed by the seller, and was unscathed! So for $0 outlay on my part, I was able to upgrade from a 2004 standard blue body to a 2010 shiny new body, with a very nice upgraded pickguard in tortoise shell, my favorite design! See my other basses if you don't believe me! :-)
For anyone interested, the "Classic 70's" body has the pickup spacing of that era. The bridge pickup is positioned slightly closer to the bridge, giving the bass a slightly more edgy sound than the standard pickup spacing gives. Probably not noticeable to most listeners.
This model was popular, and still is, with bassists who like that "funk" sound. We'll see how it sounds with the fretless neck that it now wears. So far I like how it sounds through my headphones. And we'll also see how it sounds in the jazz band where it will be showcased as my "Jaco tribute" bass. Not a replica, just a nod or 2 to the legendary bassist and his bass, the "Bass of Doom" as he called it. Nods include fretless neck with lines and fret markers. He did not play the 70's model body, but his main bass looked similar to this one, minus the pickguard. His fret markers were dots, not diamonds as is the case with mine. And his markers were real whereas mine are vinyl inlay stickers.
For those not familiar with Jaco and his bass, Jaco is the only electric bass player in the jazz hall of fame. He is widely known as a genius and a pioneer in electric bass playing. His style has been copied by many bassists, and many of us list him as our top influence. his fretless sound was achieved primarily by playing the bridge pickup only, which is easy to do on a Fender Jazz bass.
Sadly, Jaco suffered from mental illness and was untreated for much of his life, resulting in chaos and instability in his personal and professional life. He was homeless during the last years of his life, and he took his bass with him on the streets, with no case, and abused it with now legendary neglect.
My bass story is a small reflection of the epic journey that he and his bass took, minus the tragic ending. Jaco sadly lost his life in a bar, beaten to death by a bouncer at a night club in Florida when he was not even 40 years old.
Jaco's Bass of Doom was lost for years after having been stolen from him prior to his death. It remained missing until very recently, when it re-sufaced in a New York City pawn shop. The shop owner laid claim to it, setting the stage for a legal battle that was avoided when the bass player from the hard rock group Metallica took it upon himself to buy the bass outright from the pawn shop ower and then donate it to Jaco's family, where it belonged. This act is indicative of the wide renown that bassists of all genres have for Jaco and his influence.
Below is a pic of the bass in it's current form. I replaced the Gotoh bridge for a standard Fender bridge. Simple, yet effective and way more effective in achieving a quality set-up.I added the diamonds to the neck. They are stickers. They still look great after 18+ months of regular use!
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Aiden firsts
Michelle and I figured we better start writing down some of Aiden's firsts before they disappear from our collective deteriorating memory.
scooting - not crawling position but able to get across the room October-December
crawling - December 17th - army crawl December 24th for lifting up body some - mid January has perfected crawling
standing - holding on to things with us super close by December 30 - Pulling up some by January 1
2 teeth - bottom - December 30th
STOOD!!- 1/26
Sitting early October
Rolled everywhere for months
kiss sound with mouth - 1/24 - keeps blowing them to Sissy :)
Really getting good at pulling up and can balance for a second by himself. Can stand for extended period of time holding on to somehting or hold one finger of ours.
Feb 7 ate cornbread - first non-pureed food!!!! :)
Also learned how to sit down from standing without falling...and is starting to cruise again!
March 1st - really getting fast with the cruising - booked around the whole coffee table
likes to climb up the stairs of the slide and loves to climb up the staircases. Still not a fan of going down
Lights up anytime he looks at Jake or Sissy. Started a new game of stealing Jake's paci....cracks them both up!
Two new teeth! Front top left and top right molar.
March 2nd - ate cheerios for the first time. Jake is excited about Aiden eating real food. Jake likes to eat the baby snacks and likes to offer his half eaten portion to Aiden. Aiden's food list is growing - bananas, cheese, baby finger wheels, yogurt, LOVES corn - likes to "sing" while eating. The more he likes the food the louder he hums. Based on humming volume cheerios and corn are current favorites :)
Loves to make raspberries - cracks himself up while doing it too
Also loves to give Mommy big open mouth kisses. So sweet!
scooting - not crawling position but able to get across the room October-December
crawling - December 17th - army crawl December 24th for lifting up body some - mid January has perfected crawling
standing - holding on to things with us super close by December 30 - Pulling up some by January 1
2 teeth - bottom - December 30th
STOOD!!- 1/26
Sitting early October
Rolled everywhere for months
kiss sound with mouth - 1/24 - keeps blowing them to Sissy :)
Really getting good at pulling up and can balance for a second by himself. Can stand for extended period of time holding on to somehting or hold one finger of ours.
Feb 7 ate cornbread - first non-pureed food!!!! :)
Also learned how to sit down from standing without falling...and is starting to cruise again!
March 1st - really getting fast with the cruising - booked around the whole coffee table
likes to climb up the stairs of the slide and loves to climb up the staircases. Still not a fan of going down
Lights up anytime he looks at Jake or Sissy. Started a new game of stealing Jake's paci....cracks them both up!
Two new teeth! Front top left and top right molar.
March 2nd - ate cheerios for the first time. Jake is excited about Aiden eating real food. Jake likes to eat the baby snacks and likes to offer his half eaten portion to Aiden. Aiden's food list is growing - bananas, cheese, baby finger wheels, yogurt, LOVES corn - likes to "sing" while eating. The more he likes the food the louder he hums. Based on humming volume cheerios and corn are current favorites :)
Loves to make raspberries - cracks himself up while doing it too
Also loves to give Mommy big open mouth kisses. So sweet!
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