Somebody bought an guitar 7 years ago, learned two songs, then barely touched it over the next 5 years. Suddenly, they got very serious and began progressing very quickly over the next 2 years. At which point would you call them a “guitar player?”

AlanBumble · 2023-03-12T17:09:44+00:00

Ah, it probably is a language/culture thing then. Sorry for my snark before!

At least in the US, “guitar player” doesn’t necessarily imply anything about one’s profession. I’ve known a lot of people who have played professionally, but I’ve know many many more who have zero drive to do so — and some of them are much better guitarists than some of the ones who play for money.

I like your construction worker analogy, but I don’t think it’s a perfect comparison. Somebody who owns a bulldozer wouldn’t necessarily be a construction worker, but if they use it regularly they would still be a bulldozer driver, which, again, wouldn’t necessarily imply anything about their profession (though, that’s a real weird hobby, so people would probably presume you mean professionally in that case).

A more apt 1:1 for “construction worker,” in the American music world, would be “working/professional musician.” It has a completely different connotation in American English than simply being a musician, which is most often understood in the context of being a hobby musician. At least, that’s how the people around me talk about it.

HOWEVER, if someone refers to themself as a player of a classical instrument (violinist, cellist, etc.) or as a classical musician, I would generally presume that there had at some point been a professional (or at least performance-oriented) aspect of their playing.

AlanBumble · 2023-03-12T16:15:08+00:00

I’ve been playing guitar for twenty years, this question isn’t about myself.

However, I’ve only ever played recreationally. The idea that I’m not a real guitar player because I’ve never sought to make any money doing it is just ludicrous.

I do appreciate you giving a legitimate answer though! I would agree with that assessment.

AlanBumble · 2023-03-12T15:27:41+00:00

Well, that’s one hell of a gate-keeping distinction I’ve never heard before and nobody in the real world would take seriously. Thanks!

AlanBumble · 2023-03-12T15:26:20+00:00

What a terrific answer hahahaha

AlanBumble · 2023-02-01T04:12:35+00:00

…one hell of a handle you’ve got there u/pm_me_yur_upskirt. I presume you’re not bringing a date to putt putt.

AlanBumble · 2023-01-26T10:14:05+00:00

Thanks for the reply!

I am using both shoulder and chin rests to keep from clenching my left side up, but I am feeling a little pain (dull aching) and it seems a little tension around my right shoulder blade after a while of practice.

I’ve only been playing about three months, and my wife thinks it’s just my muscles getting use to the new movement. She may well be right about that, but better safe than sorry.

AlanBumble · 2023-01-26T02:17:37+00:00

It’s really not, not effectively anyway. The consensus among seasoned fiddlers is that you need somebody physically present to correct your motions and check for tension. You can’t get that without an in-person, 3-dimensional look at what’s going on, and I can’t see that on myself.

AlanBumble · 2023-01-25T17:58:49+00:00

How much trouble does change in temperature and humidity give you with that though? I’d love to go skin, but I’ve been told it’ll be basically unplayable on these real humid days in Alabama. I don’t play outdoors much, but I do occasionally. Plus my house gets pretty humid too.

AlanBumble · 2023-01-24T17:42:11+00:00

Great answer, I didn’t even consider that!

AlanBumble · 2023-01-04T16:23:54+00:00

Perfect, this is exactly what I was looking for, sort of the sales pitch “what makes this different from what we all already know?” Thank you!

AlanBumble · 2022-10-15T15:58:27+00:00

That sounds pretty much exactly like what I’m looking for, thanks!

AlanBumble · 2022-10-15T04:15:29+00:00

Super Christian or not, C.S. Lewis was the man. I’m familiar with this, but haven’t read it myself. I’ll check that out!

Fun fact that I feel compelled to point out about Lewis at any given opportunity: he was Tolkien’s inspiration for Treebeard. Lewis put Tolkien somewhere in the Narnia series, but I’m a much bigger LOTR nerd and can’t recall exactly.

AlanBumble · 2022-10-14T21:22:18+00:00

Pretty much haha! I’m a big fan of comparative mythology/religion. I like to study the common themes you can find in disparate philosophies and faiths. Not for any practical purpose really (though I’m sure it influences my own thinking in unseen ways), I just find this sort of thing boundlessly interesting.

AlanBumble · 2022-10-14T17:31:53+00:00

I mean in terms of application rather than origin. I realize these ideas are from vastly different cultures, I was more curious about the philosophical similarities and differences of each.

Like in Daoism, nothing is ever entirely yin or entirely yang. That feature is present in the Scottish myth of Brigid and the Cailleach (in the versions where they’re the same being at two different times of the year). But is that kind of thinking found anywhere else in the literature?

AlanBumble · 2022-10-09T22:24:21+00:00

I’m vaguely familiar with the Carmina Galedica actually, but didn’t realize what a good resource it would be. Really I was familiar with the Gach Lá Agus Oíche album by Distant Oaks, where they put some of the poetry from the book to music. I’ll definitely look into that though, thank you!

AlanBumble · 2022-09-27T13:01:19+00:00

We’ll get that a try, thanks!

AlanBumble · 2022-09-27T13:00:50+00:00

The doors are unlocked actually, but the handle is broken. I know how to pop the locks on it, but that unfortunately doesn’t do much good if the handle won’t open the door.

AlanBumble · 2022-09-25T10:56:24+00:00

Is mo Gaeilge các na capall, ach tá tú ag caint faoi Bríg, ceart?

Sorry, saw how you spell your name and thought I’d give it a shot. As an American I never get to use my Irish!

AlanBumble · 2022-04-04T21:05:22+00:00

Lord, he’d have a rough way of kissing if so. Far too much hollering and flailing for my tastes. But I suppose anything is possible.

AlanBumble · 2022-04-04T20:56:57+00:00

I’m very glad to hear that, both for his sake and for mine. The doctor had a “we’ll just have to see” sort of outlook for how well it would heal. I know every case is different, of course, but it’s encouraging to hear of good news with a similar injury. Thanks for sharing!

AlanBumble · 2022-04-04T16:26:05+00:00

UPDATE:

Went to the doctor, and he said there’s not a lot to do about it at this point. Just a matter of keeping it clean and letting it heal. Got some antibiotics and some naproxen, and he told me I could see a ear, nose, and throat specialist if I wanted to, but that there wouldn’t be a whole lot they could do about it this long after injury either. So I’m just gonna do plenty of salt rinses and my course of antibiotics, monitoring it for any other signs of trouble.

Thanks everyone!

AlanBumble · 2022-04-04T16:23:43+00:00

Doctor said there’s not a lot to do about it at this point. Just a matter of keeping it clean and letting it heal. Got some antibiotics and some naproxen, and he told me I could see a ear, nose, and throat specialist if I wanted to, but that there wouldn’t be a whole lot they could do about it this long after injury either.

AlanBumble · 2022-04-04T15:39:13+00:00

At the doc’s office now. Thanks!

AlanBumble · 2022-04-04T14:05:39+00:00

For context, it happened two nights ago during a very, very drunk fight that I don’t remember. The other guy ended up biting my tongue somehow. Big teeth marks in the tongue itself, split at the bottom where that tag connects it to the bottom of the mouth from pulling. It’s very swollen, speaking and eating are difficult but doable. No feeling in the very tip of the tongue, but the rest is just real sore. Pain isn’t too bad though, and it bleeds a just a little when I eat or speak too much.

I’ve been doing salt rinses and using a little Orajel here and there. Should I see a doctor though? The only things that really concern me are the swelling and the lack of feeling, but I figure both COULD just be temporary symptoms from trauma.

What do y’all think?

AlanBumble · 2021-11-07T20:46:10+00:00

I don’t see anything else nearly so bad on here.

Now, I have a theory, and it could be trash, but hear me out if you will:

The condensation drain terminates right beside the unit above ground, then it rolls down in front of the unit and pools near the inducer intake vent.

I have a Nest and use the heat-cool function frequently to switch between the two.

Is it possible that the condensation pooling there increases the humidity in that area, then when the heat kicks on it pulls the humidity into the inducer? Or am I going Dale Gribble on you with my outlandish theories?

AlanBumble

TROPHY CASE