Donna

A lovely summer evening, it'd cooled a bit from the 90+ high humidity. ______ and I sat outside w/ tobbacco's, O doul's and dark chocolates. I listened to _____ speak about the Am. Civil War and asked questions. I played outside after chat. A. (12) and M. (eight) were at the table with me. I put the axe away for awhile and we laughed about the other eve, when M. came up to me, very late: I hissed, "What?!" (I begin hissing after about 10:00 pm when they want me - 14 hours is enough I think!) She was all big eyes and not intimidated. "Mom," she said in a low voice, "Posh Nosh was on." Giggle. "We saw it, yeah, it was really funny." I sat to attention, "I'm jealous!" Anyway, they talked again about Posh Nosh and were looking for Orion's Belt in the sky as it got dark. M. was feverishly working on something with her markers. A. went down the hill to retreive her paper airplane (admirable flights!), and M. all wide eyed again, and in her robe, announced: "I'm finishing a comic called Coo Koo Cats for you, Mommy. And I want you to look at it." I put away the guitar and we studied the page in the outdoor lights. No words, but about 6 panels, roughly. 1st - a cat on floor looking up at microwave 2nd - kitty's now in the microwave (door open) 3rd - kitty being mic'd 4th - kitty beginning to blow up 5th - kitty in a mad fight with another cat (it's unclear to me if this 2nd cat turned on the mic in the 1st place, but due to evening, I may've missed seeing 2nd kitty back in panel two or 3). 6th - both kitties sleeping heavily...1st kitty has very long sharp claw extended from outstretched "arm" "They got tired from fighting, so they went to sleep," M. explained. "But the one cat is ready - see her claw?- yeah, she's ready to fight as soon as they wake." I laughed and admired her full color comic. "I think you should put it in your guitar case," M. suggested. What a fantastic idea. So there it is.

So looks like 1) amp plugged in (to AC) 2) volumes down (amp/instrument) 3) 1/4 cable to amp 4) then to guitar 5) turn on/volumes up (Roughly) t/y (cocktail emoticon)

Thanks Rudi!

i miss you, Dylan

Thoughtful, t/y. I will look at your diagram...but right now I must say Happy Birthday to Steve!

Getting happy with this one. It's basically a bass riff. Before I finished writing the song, it was mainly on one string, either low E or A. The whole thing. One day I said I just gotta finish this. What it lacked was a chorus and I was fine with that also being a bassline. But it's chords instead. Same ol chords, yet they fit just right. There's chords also on the bridge. The bridge lyric refers to M. & m. coming home one day with lice, right when I was feverishly trying to record Last Train for the Songstuff Christmas contest, on a deadline. That really threw me off. I am trying to do something w/ the right hand to pick up more sound during the last verse one-string-bassline. I play always w/ a pick, but by mistake sometimes the right hand fingers pick up "grace notes" strumming of the strings. Had lotsa these kind of accidents playing drums and esp. keyboards! Always grateful for them. I think progress and nuance gets born and developed in such a way.

4 yr old D. 5 yr old G. ~ and myself were driving this pristine day to pick up one of their flu-ish siblings, from school. G. was popping - her little world is opening up: "I'm happy, I like this day! I like the world, I belong to it!" Sho nuff! That's the way it should be! We 3 were whistling dixie, grand ol day. We pull into the school lot and approach the doors. They are all locked. "Hmmm, why're they locked?" we all wonder. I begin banging on the doors, having spied an adult thru the glass. Thick glass, too, because we both must shout, once she gets about one foot away from us. "I can't let you in!" "Why not!" "Because we're in a lock-down!" Lockdown? "Well, I have a very sick child in there, what'm I supposed to do!" [This was Dylan...this comment inserted July 22] So we decided to drop off G. at her school readiness freakout initiation in the meantime, til lockdown was over. While leaving the thick-glass doors, I looked straight up to the bluest sky ~ same sky ~ same sun ~ same deliciousness But altered and didn't even know what to say to God. I am not that old! But lockdowns, there was no need for 'em such a short time ago. I had not come face-to-face w/ them before. G. skipped off with her new teacher once we got her settled there. I approached the in-charge office patron. "Do you practice, er, lockdowns?" "Oh yes," she said seriously. .................................................. Dear G, Belong in the world, honey, not to it. Cause you don't know where it's gonna go. It shouldn't go the way of lockdowns. Everything in this day and sky begs against it. I don't know why what shouldn't be, is. But it is. Love, Mama

Seen guitarists do it a thousand times...but never noticed, which should be plugged in first, amp to guitar or vice versa? When should the amp be turned on during this to avoid pops and kahrannnggzzz?

Beers again for you, big guy!

Prometheus, that reply was helpful to me (even still un-compressed as I am) - what's shaking? Arifah, thanks for all that! Hey, do you have a link re: Orkney's history of once having been part of Norway? Just curious.

Didier, Re: the initial goal: Sucess! Now I have to deal with the state of the tapedeck...possibly. I've 3 of them currently. We'll see what goes in the trash and what is salvageable. The original tape deck I've always mixed on has become an issue - just as other things were getting resolved. Made 3, 45 sec mixes. The ---- tapedeck I used tonight began cutting out one side, so I probably won't bother trying to judge those snippets. Recent acquisition practically free. I've never had a cutting out show up on the recording tho. JVC, I very much like the line in's on front as well as in back. Anyway, that's why there are repair places if it comes to that. Or go new. I had a great time mixing.

Nice! It's organized well, imo and the info/categories taken in by the blink of an eye. I like the Songstuff side bar box! Easy navigation, like the colors and script. -Donna

Artist name change for me: Donna Dahl. Have begun working on the logistics. (Auntie, I love you and all the Dahl's)

t/y mate.

Wow, ATom gave someone (Rudy) a compliment!

Hi Arifah Learning Gaelic makes perfect sense to me. I've found Songstuff to be invaluable! Almost tender toward the novice, too. Yeah, the TR's didn't come til I think ten years after you left. They own Papa Stronsay and seemingly mostly self supporting, with their flocks and cheeses and goodness knows what all. It's funny - fellow American women I know kinda dreamily sigh at the thought of visiting, but one day a man squawked, "that God-forsaken island!" Thanks for Orkney tidbits.

The main answer I've seen is to subscribe to "Taxi". Colnel, your questions are good ones (esp about how blown out of a demo). Joe, now that is edifying, the inspiration you get as a city mgr. I get it, too (esp lately) at my little day job. You're right, why give that up completely?

Thanks, Mandy. It comforts me, that you can relate. I heard this: mothers, it is your job to prepare your children to do without you. Sublime wisdom and heartbreak and truth. Yes, G needs looking after...egads!

blah blah blah *Continually passed over is the perrenial "permission" (cough hack) declared long ago in the 16th century, as noted in the document Quo Primum. *And also the lifting of the declaration of excommunication. The SSPX is part of the Church. Thank you A. Lefbrve for keeping Tradition alive... *Blah blah blah. The French Bishops have persecuted A. Lefebvre for almost 40 years, Michael Davies' trilogy having damningly documented the first decade of this. "Unity" is Orwellian bullying doublespeak, long since unmasked. Instead, we see a unifying of Traditionalist "approved" and "unapproved" (SSPX) faithful, both largely treated like bastard sons since the Sensitive and Pastoral Council. *Mannichean disclaimer goes here: We acknowledge that some people do believe in invisible and/or passive things like love, prayer, wind, emotions, thought, elctricity, listening to music, etc; that it's possible to fully particpate sans constant outward actions." *I participate most fully when I'm not singing High Mass. *And now it's handwringing time because you were stingy? How did you learn to celebrate this Mass of your ordination? Via some gnostic faculty no longer existent after Vaticall II Council? * Wow, this is almost as bad as letting the ex-communicated SSPX bishop preach in St. Peters.

I stumbled into the choir loft in the midst of the Vidi Aquam; a bright teenage girl let me look on her music. It'd been too long since last sang w/ em. Dr. K. was wearing black and directed us, sang and played organ all at once, mightily recovering from a few blunders. I'd forgotten what a feat it is to keep track of all the music; today there were 5 books; you just keep up and flip around best you can. Introit propers for Pentecost - Bam! Kyrie from St. John Bapists Mass - Bam! Gradual ("recto tonal on the last verse!" Dr. K shouts without making any sounds) - Bam! Credo #4 - Bam! Juilatio something-or-other (uh, dunno this one yet) - Bam! Veni Spiritus sequence in chant... on it goes for about 90 minutes. By minute 80 I was feeling thoroughly warmed up. The Gloria from the little M. of S. John Bapt. is fast...it's wonderful, you'd like it. Dr. K for a moment looked like the Lunatic Dreyfus, cause the organ "solos" are so very wide....deep deep notes, big big chords, wiff that rumbling bass (you hip hopsters' loud-bass-in-yo-cars IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE, OK?) They can do it acoustically, too - old plump Norweigan's, they kill it I love Dr. K ........................................ I left and the 1st thing outta my mouth to an acquaintence was sadness over our oldest moving out. He understood completely. Saw someone flinging thee cutest bald baby on the way back and began crying cause my boy's leaving home. I don't think I'm gonna be good at all with the empty nest thing.

Wow, Hari! You should be proud Is this your day job?

Now I understand! I just tried it in this way: rca out 2nd tape deck to rca in track 1 and 2 (on the back of the 4-track)...the signal to the 4-track is way low. But it's there! Thank you so much...will you help me figure the rest of this out? I mean, if after I try I can't get a good enough signal? Gotta run to work now~ woo hoO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Arifah, Your story touches me. It is inspiring as well, not knowing compression (yet). Offtopic: Did you know the Transalpine Redemptorists while on Orkney? -Donna

Steve, fortunately I can add a live source while remixing (which I wasn't thinking about til JB said he could do that on his Fostex). Wouldn't that do it? Hmm, maybe not, I'm trying to recall what I did on the 8 parter (never say die!) - o well, it's all in my mixing records. Altho...I have before done straight drums, bass, guitar, voice, one for each track and it satisfied me. Or do a sequenced bass along with live drums. Hmmm, if wonder if Sugar from yesteryore would dust off his 5 string Rick for me? He'd nail it, and would MAKE me be perfectly in time! Oh the fisticuffs we could have! Yeah, I agree, do the vocal w/ guitar...and the second guitar w/ another vox. There's just no way outta singing/playing for me, is there . Besides going digital! I beg your pardon, I'm trying not to complain too much about 4 tracking, because digital would shut me up as far as track numbers go. Digital (still) seems insurrmountable right now, to afford it and learn it. My computer set up: it's Husband's, that's not a present option. ..................................................... JB, It ain't been that long - kudos for the primers/reminders.

Hey big guy, what's happening in your musical world? Yeah...Finn mentioned this before, and someone else, I believe. I did not understand how to do it, tho, playing the mixed regular cassette back into the four track. Even tho it was explained to me, I don't understand. I like the way you're thinking, tho, with those holes. The only rememdy for me learning this, is to really sit down and figure it out.