Rudi

I think the outstanding part of this is the rhythm of contradiction. Very appropriate.

ok I caught up. Just read the relevant other post you exhibitionist you.

I dont geddit

What happened in the 3rd verse Nigel. It changes to morose for no apparent reason!

The standard advice is not to cut your nails but file them. Use emery boards and not metal files. Always file in one direction only (dont 'saw') and finish with the fine side of the board. Dont let your nails dry out. Buy a good nail cream from the Pharmacey and rub the cream into the cuticles. When picking a lot, I used to use clear varnish indispersed with layers of tissue (bog roll) paper. Build up three or four layers to minimise nail damage. You need to remove this every 3 days or so to lube up the cuticles again. Prevention is better than cure. Never work on cars. Get them serviced. Under no circumstances, never, ever wash up. Get in paper plates & plastic cuttlery or else invite your mum around for every meal.

The Oceans Eleven film was subliminal in its entirety. I rented it out and watched it without realising that I had seen it some months before. I only realised this when I checked my list of 'seen movies'.

Schooners and Shire Horses Schooners have mollusc encrusted bottoms Shire horses have 4 hairy feet What they have in common more or less, is 18 hands Schooners are not much good in a flat calm Schooners are not much good in meadows Shire horses are good in meadows Shire horses are just as good in a flat calm Shire horses are good in water, though not the open sea Shire horses don’t have to tack to go against the wind, though they could do if they chose to On the whole, I’m more partial to shire horses PS schooners run on wind shire horses run on hay schooners have no emissions shire horses emissions are good for the roses

Im not sure that HUNGER NEEDS TO BE FED is a noble sentiment Nigel. HUNGER NEEDS TO BE STARVED would be more apposite.

both good!

Strawberry Fields - Beatles Fingerpicking provides a lot of potential for `solo' fills etc.

Nothing. They are still on top of the wardrobe.

Fascinating. I clearly do everything wrong. No wonder I lose my voice after every gig. I’m not sure that our punters will dig the operatic Italian style though. Thanks Hari

Dont put yourself down aitch, youre a Full-Assed singer man!

kippers These are also bad for your throat. So we'd better not smoke kippers either.

The Scullion She shelters within the demilitarised quarter And mourns for Catherine, her infant daughter Catherine had drowned in two feet of water She can’t discard the clothes she’d bought her Squats in the scullery hours after curfew She’ll tell you of things that she never knew Talks to Catherine while she’s looking at you Listens to within, and talks to the view She has a postcard of Ponte de Lima off season She calls it her chapel of rest for some reason It’s a pretty picture frayed at the corners There are priests within that she calls mourners Sons go like lambs to the slaughter The scullion’s wages, war has taught her Is thread the tangled lines war has drawn Where victims perish faster than new ones are born

umm... how did it go again?

The 05 Snakes. With vertical columns filled correctly The 05 snake arrived directly Forming itself on the filled form Informing the year with daily growth The 05 snake had arrived The 05 snake came alive and changed its role Undulating with a vertical scroll After that, image in nation did the rest. The 05 snake invaded my vest. Invested with an 05 snake, I reject it. I wriggle and shake, to eject it Its all in the mind, I remind me But the mind has caves, I ruminated Vast and unilluminated The 05 snake could hide out in there for the years duration Six months further serpentine undulation Living on eat-me dates Those dates keep us regular But they belong on the calendar A final quake, shook the 05 snake It was expelled I had excelled So be careful with those spreadsheets Or risk snakes in your bedsheets there it goes now… 09-Apr -05 10-Apr -05 11-Apr -05 12-Apr -05 14-Apr -05 15-Apr-05 17-Apr-05 19-Apr-05 25-Apr -05 26-Apr -05 27-Apr -05 01-May -05 02-May-05 03-May -05 04-May -05 05-May -05 08-May -05 09-May-05 10-May-05 11-May-05 13-May-05 RZS May 2005

Self taught. I picked up a couple of text books years later, just to find out what to call things. I was devestated when I learned that some of my `discoveries' were well known.

Youre essentially right that a Marshall is associated with heavy distorted sounds. Fenders have a rep for being clean and bright. I use a Fender amp for that reason. Whatever you use, if it has a reasonable `clean' channel, then you always have a choice, and have potential for a range of sounds. Its easy enough to add an effect or two (adding selective distortion), but you cant `take it away' if its built in. In reality, these days, all amps try to offer both a clean & a coloured channel. When you check them out, try to do so at your `working volume'. ie: in a soundproof booth or else hire it for a gig. lets us know how you get on. good luck

Liked it Nigel.

Childhood Dead rainbows floating in a puddle Shy, as friends see mum give a cuddle Keeping a grass snake in a box in the shed and wary of the creature living under my bed Close Your Eyes & Keep Your Feet In Cant let my feet dangle out of the bed The creature beneath it has not been fed Why is it there, instead of the wildwood And only known to me in my childhood The walls moan and creak alarmingly “It’s water-pipes dear,” says mum disarmingly But why is it water-pipes sleep out of sight During the day, but wake up at night The shadows I see at the end of the room Are static by day, but move in the gloom I need to visit the toilet I fear I’m scared to get up, ill just do it here

uh huh! I think your're both right. Thanks boys.

2 Versions. Both written pretty quick as an excercise. Dunno which is better Washing Line (mach 1) Billowing wind gave the night gown form On the washing line it was worn Lurching like a rag doll yearning Liberty denied, its tethers spurning Of the north gusts the animating force Careless of consequence, empty of remorse Karma acting on wood and twine Sails in human form incline Washing Line (mach 2) Blustering wind gives the night gown form About the driven air its worn Reaching like a ghostly carcass The penalty for attire mark us Egress granted at the sleeves Regardless of the style of weaves Eager spirit of the air Dancing in our daily wear RZS

If you mainly strum, more give is desirable, so a lighter pick makes sense. Light picks are ok for melody work if you dont mind all your notes sounding the same. Thats what I reckon anyway

Like Didier, I like Gibson triangular picks (they are always black). I find the gauges LIGHT, MEDIUM & HEAVY very unreliable. In other words they vary, and sometimes a HEAVY will be about the same as a certain MEDIUM. So I handle them before I buy. I end up buying some of each. As a general rule, the heavier pick suits the heavier gauge strings, and there should be a little give in them. I couldnt find these picks for about 3 years and was using up my `stock'. I now have found them again (Yippee!) & so bought some new ones.