...and needed to buy some new bass strings. So yesterday I took the strings off of my old Squire and cleaned it up real well. Polished it and everything. Was up at Loma Linda today and went to the Guitar Center to buy some strings. I ended up buying a set of Fender 7250M bass strings. Got home, started to put on the "G" string, and my hand slipped, causing me to cut it to short. So, I quickly ran to the local guitar store and bought a single string (Ernie Ball...hate their strings) before Rick closed (a live-saver, Rick is). Drive back home and put it on, only to get a terrible sound.
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ
From the nut to the fifth fret, it was buzzing. Not a good sign. I tried to put on the "D" string, figuring I'd play with the "G" later, only to have the damn string snap. So now I have a $25 set of strings, two of which are broken. I have a now worthless $5 Ernie Ball "G" string that I can't use anymore. And I bought a $10 string winder/cutter from Guitar Center for a bass that I can no longer use.
For that price, I could have just left the dead strings on the damn thing and bought a used BOSS Compression bass pedal. That way, I'd have a decent compression pedal for church (the Behringer one I bought is kinda broken), and a bass I could still play at home. Now I have nothing.
Piece of shit.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Oh the irony...
I have a tracking toolbar on my browser (ant.com), which list the ranks on just about every website there is. Anyways, as I've mentioned, I'm a fan of fanfiction.net where I got my start writing. The website rank is 1,072. That's the same page count as Under the Dome.
Anyways, in other news, I will soon be starting the editing process of Ethics, mainly due to the fact that I've been going through writer's block. Since I have a bit already written, I will print it and start editing most likely sometime tonight or tomorrow.
In other other news, my house is almost an island. The rain storms have battered this valley I'm forced to call home badly.
Anyways, in other news, I will soon be starting the editing process of Ethics, mainly due to the fact that I've been going through writer's block. Since I have a bit already written, I will print it and start editing most likely sometime tonight or tomorrow.
In other other news, my house is almost an island. The rain storms have battered this valley I'm forced to call home badly.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Oh, the urge to steal three million dollars...
Just found out that the murdering son of a bitch who beat my ex's son to death last year somehow got his trial moved to May 17th. Was supposed to be next Tuesday. At last I checked, the fucker's bail was three million. What I wouldn't give to have that kind of money on hand. Post his bail, then shoot him to death outside the court house. Maybe stab him to death. Tear him apart limb by limb. Electricute him, gas him, throw him in the ovens. KILL HIM!
I'll say this now, however. Should he be killed before his court date, I didn't do it. Nor did I have anyone do it for me. If I were going to have him killed, I would do it myself, then kill myself right there. Witnesses, police, and press bedamned.
That, and last time I checked, my bank balance was about $4.57, nowhere near the amount needed.
Son of a bitch...not even two full weeks into the fucking year and my year's already ruined...
I'll say this now, however. Should he be killed before his court date, I didn't do it. Nor did I have anyone do it for me. If I were going to have him killed, I would do it myself, then kill myself right there. Witnesses, police, and press bedamned.
That, and last time I checked, my bank balance was about $4.57, nowhere near the amount needed.
Son of a bitch...not even two full weeks into the fucking year and my year's already ruined...
Friday, January 8, 2010
A Tip For All You Writers
In case you're writing about something that can be readily looked up on the internet, meaning anything, MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST!!! Don't be like me and do it after the fact as a "Maybe I should throw this in..."
Thursday, January 7, 2010
It's been too long...
Well, I know I'm behind on my Music in Worship blog. I will try and have a decent sized post up for it later on tonight. However, I thought I would come and give an update on my current WIP, Ethics.
Depending on which version you look at, there are two page counts and two words counts. The one I'm working on is at 90 pages and 57,233 words. That is in Times New Roman, 10pt print, and single spaced.
Then there is the version I will print out once it is complete. This one is 204 pages long and 54,636 words. It is in Courier New, 12pt print, and double spaced. It contains chapters 1-8 and 11-12, the prologue, and the epilogue.
For a comparasion, the original project I was doing last year at this time ended up being (first draft) 171 pages long and 52,126 words long. It was also in Courier New, 12pt print, and double spaced. It also had extra space after the chapter heading and the scene breaks. And I still have another forty to fifty pages to write for Ethics at least, and that's in 10pt print and single spaced. That also does not include the detail I will go into that NaNoWriMo didn't allow me to pan out with for the first few chapters on the second draft.
Busy busy busy my future be.
Depending on which version you look at, there are two page counts and two words counts. The one I'm working on is at 90 pages and 57,233 words. That is in Times New Roman, 10pt print, and single spaced.
Then there is the version I will print out once it is complete. This one is 204 pages long and 54,636 words. It is in Courier New, 12pt print, and double spaced. It contains chapters 1-8 and 11-12, the prologue, and the epilogue.
For a comparasion, the original project I was doing last year at this time ended up being (first draft) 171 pages long and 52,126 words long. It was also in Courier New, 12pt print, and double spaced. It also had extra space after the chapter heading and the scene breaks. And I still have another forty to fifty pages to write for Ethics at least, and that's in 10pt print and single spaced. That also does not include the detail I will go into that NaNoWriMo didn't allow me to pan out with for the first few chapters on the second draft.
Busy busy busy my future be.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Under the Dome - A Review
A week ago, one of my Christmas presents was Stephen King's latest novel, Under the Dome. This thirty-some dollar, 1072 page bohemath was, sad to say, one of the most dissapointing reads since Deathly Hallows two and a half years ago. However, unlike the final Harry Potter book (the most overpriced piece of fanfiction in print), this one had its enjoyable moments.
Please note, that there are going to be spoilers throughout, so if you would like to read the book, then go and buy it. I promise, though I might not agree with how he went about it, the book is damn enjoyable and worth the money.
For the most part, King is taking for granted that the people in the situation that is presented would act like good people. Maybe they would in Maine. I, however, live in California. If that happened here, the elected officials would probably be hung after the first twelve hours and the police force publicly executed right after. That would be how it would go. King has them acting nice until a staged riot starts and even then they still obey the officials. I spent close to the entire book waiting for the general population to start acting like real people and tear the main official's head from his body and overthrow the police force.
The main cast (and it's a cast at least as large as The Stand, if not bigger), however, are well written. You have your main hero, you main villian (who I must admit, reminded me far to much of Albus "It was for the Greater Good" Dumbledore), the hero's love interest, a trio of young teenagers going through puberty and a spawning love triangle (again, shade of Harry Potter with the brains, the brawn, and the goof), and that's not even scratching the surface of the dome. The characters are given life and you start to mutter as you read it, cheering on the goods guys, booing the bad guys while telling them to go to hell, and telling the leader of the teenage trio to just shut up with the inner monologues and kiss the girl already. There are even points when you start to cheer for the bad guys when they have a change of heart.
All in all, I must say that, while the book was unreal, it was a great book. And it was most likely the aformentioned book that caused it to be hard to read at times.
This book has many shades of The Stand, only instead of the setting being all over America, the setting is reduced to a single town. Whereas in The Stand there was no government, there is one in Under the Dome. He has seemed to try and capture that, a story that takes place over the course of a year, and put it into a book that takes place over the course of a week. I'm sorry, Mr. King, but it didn't work.
Nevertheless, I still say buy the book. My biggest complaint could be written down to culture shock, and the dozen or so mistakes (while annoying as hell...that line about being an author and then reading a book is true), are forgiveable. So go and buy this book, read it, enjoy it, and cheer for the good guys.
So, Mr. King, while the idea is kinda...meh, this is one Constant Reader that you have not lost. So start writing again while I continue to catch up.
Please note, that there are going to be spoilers throughout, so if you would like to read the book, then go and buy it. I promise, though I might not agree with how he went about it, the book is damn enjoyable and worth the money.
For the most part, King is taking for granted that the people in the situation that is presented would act like good people. Maybe they would in Maine. I, however, live in California. If that happened here, the elected officials would probably be hung after the first twelve hours and the police force publicly executed right after. That would be how it would go. King has them acting nice until a staged riot starts and even then they still obey the officials. I spent close to the entire book waiting for the general population to start acting like real people and tear the main official's head from his body and overthrow the police force.
The main cast (and it's a cast at least as large as The Stand, if not bigger), however, are well written. You have your main hero, you main villian (who I must admit, reminded me far to much of Albus "It was for the Greater Good" Dumbledore), the hero's love interest, a trio of young teenagers going through puberty and a spawning love triangle (again, shade of Harry Potter with the brains, the brawn, and the goof), and that's not even scratching the surface of the dome. The characters are given life and you start to mutter as you read it, cheering on the goods guys, booing the bad guys while telling them to go to hell, and telling the leader of the teenage trio to just shut up with the inner monologues and kiss the girl already. There are even points when you start to cheer for the bad guys when they have a change of heart.
All in all, I must say that, while the book was unreal, it was a great book. And it was most likely the aformentioned book that caused it to be hard to read at times.
This book has many shades of The Stand, only instead of the setting being all over America, the setting is reduced to a single town. Whereas in The Stand there was no government, there is one in Under the Dome. He has seemed to try and capture that, a story that takes place over the course of a year, and put it into a book that takes place over the course of a week. I'm sorry, Mr. King, but it didn't work.
Nevertheless, I still say buy the book. My biggest complaint could be written down to culture shock, and the dozen or so mistakes (while annoying as hell...that line about being an author and then reading a book is true), are forgiveable. So go and buy this book, read it, enjoy it, and cheer for the good guys.
So, Mr. King, while the idea is kinda...meh, this is one Constant Reader that you have not lost. So start writing again while I continue to catch up.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Dawn of a New Year
As I sit here, listening to The Best is Yet to Come from the Metal Gear Solid soundtrack, loud music being pushed through speakers at a party next door, gunshots already filling the air, I come to post my last blog of the year 2009.
This has not been a good year. While the first half was sub decent, it all started to fall apart in late June. When my ex's son was beaten to death, I almost lost it. I don't even know what kept me going. They only thing that I can even think of to have kept me going was the hope that I would see a news article about the basted who killed him being killed in prison. Probably one of the few things that is still keeping me going.
Then in September, my little sister was rushed to Loma Linda close to death. She was a pale, skinny, all bones and skin copy of my sister. Had she died, I don't know what I would have done. But she didn't die. I came back from the church to the place we were staying and saw her sitting at the table with my parents eating dinner, and for the first time in God knows how many years almost cried in front of someone. The fact that I sat in my car crying after coming home to get some stuff to take back to the place doesn't count.
They say for a new year, you're supposed to look back at the good and embrace it. You look at the bad and then look to the future for how to fix it. I don't know how I can do that now. For me, 2009 will have two memories forever engraved into my mind. Holly's heartbroken voice as she told me JT had died, and seeing my sister sitting there eating dinner after being released from the hospital. The bad and the good.
This next year, I don't know. I don't know what it will bring. I already know my twenty-first birthday will bring nothing. I'll simply come home from class and take a drink of vodka, then never touch the stuff until that bastard is either killed in prison, or executed by the state of Louisiana. I hope to be out of this valley by this time next year, going to a four-year probably in Riverside. I'm hoping I can get into Point Loma, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
A year ago, I was lying in this very spot I am now, typing something like this. At the time, the worst of my pains from the year was my final lossing of Holly. That was my breaking point at the time. I had said that I hoped this year that is coming to a close would be better.
I was wrong.
Nevertheless, I will say the same thing I said then.
Here's to 2009, thank God she's over.
Here's to 2010, may she be a far sight better then the last one.
-Sean Arseo
11:58pm, December 31, 2009
This has not been a good year. While the first half was sub decent, it all started to fall apart in late June. When my ex's son was beaten to death, I almost lost it. I don't even know what kept me going. They only thing that I can even think of to have kept me going was the hope that I would see a news article about the basted who killed him being killed in prison. Probably one of the few things that is still keeping me going.
Then in September, my little sister was rushed to Loma Linda close to death. She was a pale, skinny, all bones and skin copy of my sister. Had she died, I don't know what I would have done. But she didn't die. I came back from the church to the place we were staying and saw her sitting at the table with my parents eating dinner, and for the first time in God knows how many years almost cried in front of someone. The fact that I sat in my car crying after coming home to get some stuff to take back to the place doesn't count.
They say for a new year, you're supposed to look back at the good and embrace it. You look at the bad and then look to the future for how to fix it. I don't know how I can do that now. For me, 2009 will have two memories forever engraved into my mind. Holly's heartbroken voice as she told me JT had died, and seeing my sister sitting there eating dinner after being released from the hospital. The bad and the good.
This next year, I don't know. I don't know what it will bring. I already know my twenty-first birthday will bring nothing. I'll simply come home from class and take a drink of vodka, then never touch the stuff until that bastard is either killed in prison, or executed by the state of Louisiana. I hope to be out of this valley by this time next year, going to a four-year probably in Riverside. I'm hoping I can get into Point Loma, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
A year ago, I was lying in this very spot I am now, typing something like this. At the time, the worst of my pains from the year was my final lossing of Holly. That was my breaking point at the time. I had said that I hoped this year that is coming to a close would be better.
I was wrong.
Nevertheless, I will say the same thing I said then.
Here's to 2009, thank God she's over.
Here's to 2010, may she be a far sight better then the last one.
-Sean Arseo
11:58pm, December 31, 2009
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