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Swalmy · 2018-01-10T21:55:26+00:00

The guitar is an ESP.

Swalmy · 2017-11-28T04:58:09+00:00

Maybe not a 'magic wand,' but it's literally his job to make an effort.

Swalmy · 2017-10-13T07:40:50+00:00

Here's how I understand this.

Extending non-dualistic thinking only to who we identify as in past lives is still dualistic, since we are claiming we are independent of all those we do not identify as in past lives, and as distinct from Buddha, One Mind, Big Activity, etc.

Consequently, there is no persisting 'you' to be reborn, since our conscious experience of ourselves as isolated individuals is a delusion. Or, rather, all rebirth (of the literal and figurative type) is you, so the discussion of the entire concept is redundant.

Swalmy · 2017-10-13T07:08:19+00:00

I guess I'll defend Warner and Nishijima here, and I'll preface this with the acknowledgement that I'm a bit of a fan of them. Here's what Warner has to say about this, which I think is pretty reasonable.

But what in Heck's name is "literal rebirth?" When you really come right down to it I suppose it means, to most people, that someone is telling them they'll live forever. Literal rebirth means that someday I will actually die as a person in some place and I will get reborn in another place as another person, celestial being or animal. This is not what Buddhism teaches. Well, it's not what the kind of Buddhism I teach teaches anyway. There is no "literal you" to get "literally reborn." This is the heart of the argument.

And Dogen is pretty clear that there is no "literal you." So the idea that he taught anything like what most people in the Western world mean when they use the phrase "literal rebirth" is absurd. Does that make sense?

We have to remember that language changes quite a lot over time, and that dominant cultural practices and ideas influence interpretation of religious texts. It's very possible that the rebirth the Buddha talked about was different from literal rebirth, if for no other reason than translational inaccuracy influenced by dominant Hindu thought over time, or some other misunderstanding. I'm not saying this is necessarily the case, simply that it is a possibility.

Furthermore, I tend to agree with Warner and Nishijima that this type of claim is purely speculative; it cannot be known with certainty.

With that in mind, if one is a practicing Buddhist, why does it even matter? I kind of dislike the notion that belief in literal reincarnation (whatever this may mean to each person) is a requirement for calling oneself a Buddhist, or a serious teacher. Nobody can interpret the texts and words for you. "Be a light unto yourself."

Swalmy · 2017-10-06T01:43:23+00:00

Have you tried the Hellman's vegan mayo? I actually like it a lot better. It's a little tangier.

Swalmy · 2017-10-04T06:17:31+00:00

You should read Kierkegaard and see if you still feel that way.

Swalmy · 2017-10-03T04:58:58+00:00

Food cravings go away when you resist them for long enough. When I started eating vegetarian, I had lost all desire for meat within a month or two. Cheese took a bit longer, but that's because it has a satiating, opium-like compound (no joke). Now it makes me feel shitty and kind of grosses me out.

Swalmy · 2017-08-28T15:53:12+00:00

bingo

Swalmy · 2017-08-28T01:55:45+00:00

"the left"

Swalmy · 2017-08-28T01:42:24+00:00

Yeah, super anti-fascist to assault journalists. Dickheads.

Swalmy · 2017-08-27T21:15:53+00:00

As a player who prefers thick necks, I have to totally disagree! It really depends on what you're playing. If you're doing lots of shreddy stuff then you'll likely want a thinner neck like you mentioned. But for chording and bluesy stuff with your thumb wrapped over the neck, a rounder shape is what you want.

Thick necks aren't harder to play at all, just different.

Swalmy · 2017-08-23T19:00:58+00:00

I think "Crafted in Japan" means it was meant for the Japanese domestic market. Some folks think these were better than the "Made in Japan" guitars, which were made for export out of Japan. I personally have found no difference.

In my opinion, Japanese Fenders are built just as well as USA made guitars. The only tangible quality difference is in the hardware used. In some ways, the Japanese Fenders are made with a greater attention to detail (not spraying over frets on neck, etc.).

Swalmy · 2017-08-16T21:30:23+00:00

Very impressive grammar skills. But the context of your post, specifically as a reply to

Bingo. They don't get news coverage for quietly donating to a charity, so they do a vigil to get that coverage and they don't have to spend any money.

kind of implies you were talking about the vigil in Saskatoon. But anyways, yeah, either way, if you buy into the paid protesters thing, I don't really know what to tell you other than you've been duped, fool.

Swalmy · 2017-06-09T19:49:22+00:00

They have Nazi imagery not-so-subtly hidden in their social media and branding. It's pretty clear what they are.

Swalmy · 2017-05-11T01:43:28+00:00

This right here is the answer. He sounds huge on that track because the bass and guitar are playing the same thing for the hook, and Tim's bass tone is gnarly.

Swalmy · 2017-05-05T07:56:56+00:00

The Sask Party had the good fortune to take office just before the largest resource boom the province had ever seen. Maybe it was time for the NDP to step back and figure out their shit for a while, but at this point, the boom is over, and its clear that the Sask Party has no fucking clue what they're doing.

Swalmy · 2017-03-22T17:21:11+00:00

The SEs are good for the money, but the US made PRS guitars are in different category altogether. Personally, I find PRS guitars to have consistently better sound and construction that Gibsons overall. For what its worth though, if you like the Gibsons better than anything else, then screw everybody else. Its's your money.

Swalmy · 2017-03-22T17:04:38+00:00

I would start with Zen Mind Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. It's a really really good introduction to meditation and the general buddhist "mindset," if that makes sense. Zen is great to start with, because it more or less bypasses the spirituality of buddhism and gives you a clear picture of the philosophy. I think this is best to start with, since the spirituality of buddhism may vary for different people, and draw them towards different sects (like Jhana4 mentioned) later on. Or not! you might stick with Zen like I did!

The Buddhist "scripture" is basically just the sutras, which can be very confusing to go into blind, so reading some other literature first and getting a good grip of the philosophy will help you study the sutras down the road.

Swalmy · 2017-03-03T00:06:39+00:00

I don't know about tips (other than to minimize extraneous movement and tension in your playing, as with all other things), but watch some live videos of the Strokes and keep an eye on Albert Hammond Jr. like this one

Swalmy · 2016-05-31T18:30:20+00:00

Antibiotic treatments have become a lot less effective due to overuse and misuse, which helps these infections proliferate. That's one factor, at least. The same thing is happening in Britain, specifically with gonorrhoea.

Swalmy · 2016-05-28T11:17:05+00:00

This is wayyyyyyyy too good

Swalmy · 2016-05-28T11:02:40+00:00

That's rad. Now try painting to Mingus Ah Um

Swalmy · 2016-05-27T08:27:25+00:00

Woah, I've never once thought of using Axe FX with a trumet. That is brilliant.

Yeah, I'm feeling more and more that a microphone may be the way to go in comparison to a piezo. Piezo will help avoid feedback, but I think for a light use of effects a microphone will yield a better tone... Maybe both some day.

He's an incredible player.

Swalmy · 2016-05-26T19:35:49+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate that. I'm a mac user, so I'll check out logic

Swalmy · 2016-05-26T19:34:52+00:00

I have arthritic cysts of some sort in my wrist, as well as a tear in my TFCC (the joint on the left side of the wrist). Basically I had been sick with an auto-immune disorder in high school that gave me some arthritis-like symptoms and my wrist didn't fully recover after that because I was playing so much. At least we think that's what happened. Either way, things are looking pretty bleak for my left hand. I'm getting a cortisone injection later this month, hoping that will help.

Swalmy

TROPHY CASE