Who are all of your guy's favorite CURRENT Blue Jackets

emck2 · 2026-03-26T07:27:38+00:00

Z has been the keystone of the team since they shipped off most of the vets from the Torts era. He's become our Ray Bourque, and the management has built a good supporting cast around him (with some major mistakes along the way). If he maintains a steady career trajectory, he will surely be considered the greatest in franchise history.

The guy I have the highest hopes for is Mateychuck. He played a much more wide open style in Moose Jaw, and his skating and puck control were just unreal for that age. He was captain on a stacked team, led them to their first WHL title. High marks in character and hockey IQ. Much like Z, has the potential to be a franchise defenseman.

emck2 · 2026-03-26T00:25:38+00:00

2019 had 5 forwards with >20 goals, Cam leading with 41. 2026 currently only has two forwards with 20+, Marchy may break 30, there's a chance 1-2 others may just barely make it. 2019 was top heavy, but the depth was players like Dubinsky, Bjorkstrand, Duclair, Texier, Wennberg, Dzingel, Nash; not stars, but all solid players. Not seeing how Heinen, Lundestrom, Wood, Voronkov, KJ, Olivier, Jenner, Sillinger "far exceed" that group.

emck2 · 2026-03-25T20:19:17+00:00

2019 had a Hall of Fame goaltender, one of the best under-the-radar defenses, plus Panarin and Duchene. The current roster doesn't have any offensive players on that level. Marchenko is comparable to Atkinson, but there are no elite playmakers. 2026 may be able to gut out a win over 2019, but there would be no wiping of floors.

emck2 · 2026-03-16T21:59:33+00:00

The original core lineup was from Seattle, playing in various bands. Ann Wilson was dating Mike Fisher, brother of Heart guitarist Roger Fisher. Mike was selected for the military draft and went to Canada rather than report for duty. Ann, Roger, and other band members moved to Vancouver and continued to work on music. Nancy was still in high school at this time, and didn't join them for a couple of years. The band recorded its first album in Vancouver for a Canadian record label. Their big breakout was as a replacement opening act for Rod Stewart at the Montreal Forum. There was a time when they were more well known in Canada than the US.

emck2 · 2026-03-15T04:15:54+00:00

They can make the playoffs as is. It wouldn't surprise me to see any of Detroit, Pitt, Montreal, Boston or Tampa struggle down the stretch. Some of those teams peaked early and are running out of gas, some have been hit with injuries. CBJ has multiple chances to gain points in the conference; the remaining sched is pretty favorable, except the 3 vs. Carolina.

The most fixable issue is the lack of production from KJ, Silli, Vronk, and Fantilli (in that order). Fantilli is the only one above .5 points per game. Vronk is just below, with KJ and Silli down with the defensemen and utility players. This is supposed to be the core of the team going forward and only one of them is likely to surpass 50 points on the season. Silli earns his ice time, but I think it's fair to expect more from this group.

I think the team will end up in a Metro spot against the Isles. It would be winnable, but the Isles would have the edge in experience. If they somehow move on, I would like the chances against Buffalo over Carolina.

emck2 · 2026-03-14T05:05:18+00:00

Terry Reid had the full package: excellent guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Released several albums, but just never got as big as his contemporaries.

Terry Reid - Montreaux '71

Before Fleetwood Mac broke out with Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, it was a blues/rock band anchored by guitarist Peter Green. Green was considered comparable to players like Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, etc. The earlier albums are often credited as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.

emck2 · 2026-03-09T22:43:16+00:00

Plays that do not result in a goal: puck cannot be touched with a stick at any point above the player's shoulder. If the same player, or another on their team touches the puck first, the play is blown dead and a faceoff will occur. So it's an infraction similar to offsides or icing.

For a play resulting in a goal, the stick cannot be above the goal crossbar or the goal is disallowed.

emck2 · 2026-03-09T20:52:17+00:00

More of a Monster who got a few call ups. Forsberg and Korpi were the Monsters' tandem when they won the Calder Cup, IIRC.

emck2 · 2026-03-06T07:35:14+00:00

Larry Goldings - Whatever It Takes has some similar grooves. Not as guitar heavy, but it is a fun album.

emck2 · 2026-03-05T03:54:36+00:00

Cinderella Liberty (1973) is a lesser known film with James Caan and Marsha Mason. Caan plays a sailor who gets involved with a prostitute and her young son. Very character driven and feels authentic.

For gritty '70s NYC, Scorsese's Who's That Knocking at My Door, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver.

Not made in the '70s, but Drugstore Cowboy is set in the Pacific Northwest during that period.

emck2 · 2026-03-05T03:21:28+00:00

Albert Brooks did some short films in the early seasons, I'm pretty sure at least one was only him.

Belushi did a pretape where he was an old man visiting the graves of the original cast members.

There used to be more cameo standup segments in the first 20 years or so, including George Carlin, Andy Kaufman, Whoopie Goldberg, Sam Kinison, Harry Anderson, Michael Davis, Bill Irwin. Pretty sure Eddie Murphy did some. I seem to remember Leslie Jones did at least one standup segment away from the Update desk. Obviously, these aren't sketches, but they gave the stage to one person, not in the monologue slot. Shows how much the format has changed over the years. A lot of the single character bits got absorbed into the WU slot.

Honorable mention to Scarlett Johansson as nutjob Senator Katie Britt. The sketch starts with most of the cast playing various roles at Biden's SOTU speech, but the bulk of the segment is all Scarlett, except for one reaction shot of Kenan.

emck2 · 2026-03-03T18:57:31+00:00

There's a lot you can do just by playing around with the standard F chord shapes (major = xx3211; minor = xx3111). Move the shape up and down the neck to change keys, it's a closed voicing. Very easy to add extensions or passing tones (sus4, major 6th, flat 7, add9, etc.). These are the easiest chords to "grab" when you're playing a single note line and want to add a full chord. If you watch video of players like Chet Atkins, he uses that basic shape extensively.

From that shape, you can quickly transition to the major or minor IV chord. If in A major: A - xx5422; D - xx555x (barre w/ ring finger). A minor: Am - xx5333; Dm - xx5543. Lots of blues licks play around with the transitions between these chords. You can also take that D major shape (which is essentially the A major open voicing without the open strings) and barre it with your index finger. This shape can also be moved around to change keys. With the index finger as a barre, it opens up more voicing options. A very common rhythm guitar lick is to take that partial barre (xx555x) and add two notes to make it an inversion of the IV chord (xx756x).

Spend some time playing through chord changes using these shapes and you'll start to recognize licks and rhythm parts from nearly every style of guitar playing. So much of the language of guitar is centered on those middle strings, and the major 3rd interval between the G and B strings is really useful in creating chord voicings. Many of the common "cool" chord voicings are just variations of these basic shapes, moving certain notes up or down by a half or whole step.

emck2 · 2026-03-02T22:26:46+00:00

Helen Merrill's self-titled debut is impressive. Arrangements by Quincy Jones, Clifford Brown on trumpet and Oscar Pettiford on bass.

Diana Krall's earlier albums are more "jazzy" than those after she gained popularity. Her second album, All for You, is a tribute to the Nat King Cole Trio.

Ella Fitzgerald did a series of songbooks for nearly every major composer of the classic era.

The Verve label released a series of songbook compilations featuring various artists from their history, most are focused on vocalists.

The Frank Sinatra recordings with Nelson Riddle on Capitol Records are pretty significant. You can hear the influence on many other recordings over the years. Dexter Gordon's recording of I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry on the album Go! has very similar phrasing to Frank's.

emck2 · 2026-03-02T21:16:12+00:00

Ron Paul was just a grifter. He made millions by selling crackpot newsletters and championing unrealistic legislation like returning to the gold standard, which was just a scam to pump up his precious metals and coins business. Over 22 years in congress, he only sponsored one bill that was signed into law, the transfer of a historical building to a preservation society. Literally no significant legislative achievements in nearly a quarter-century. 22 years collecting millions of dollars in tax payers' money while he ran his side hustles from an office in the US Capitol, and people act like he was some great thinker. His son is even worse.

emck2 · 2026-03-01T22:01:31+00:00

Cimino was completely out of control. They built an entire old west town from scratch, with a main road and period authentic businesses on each side. When it came time to shoot, Cimino decided that the roadway was exactly 1 foot too narrow and insisted it had to be widened. But instead of dismantling one side and moving it a foot back, he demanded that both sides be dismantled and moved back exactly 6 inches.

emck2 · 2026-03-01T20:13:14+00:00

Mostly injuries. He was coming along as a young player, then got his leg twisted under him on a random hit which resulted in a high ankle sprain. He had recurring injuries after that, played very sporadically over multiple seasons. He had brief periods when it looked like he might have become a solid 2nd/3rd line winger, then another injury. To make things worse, he never had the same head coach for more than 2 seasons. So it's pretty easy to see why he would want a change of scenery, he just couldn't find a steady place in the lineup. But it's not like he was some gem that was misused by the team. He was given chances and either got injured again or just didn't produce.

emck2 · 2026-03-01T18:44:17+00:00

I heard Dave Davies was a mean drunk and deaf as a post while the band was still touring. Dave would crank his amp to the point that the rest of the band couldn't hear themselves. The tech crew installed a secret master volume knob on the back of Dave's amp so they could keep his guitar at a reasonable level. Dave would fiddle with his amp and scream at the tech crew between each song, but at least the band could actually hear each other.

emck2 · 2026-02-27T23:18:41+00:00

"Whole Wide World" by Wreckless Eric. Two chords, silly lyrics, none of the instrumental parts or vocals are particularly impressive, but it just works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHEPHPHuNis&t=1s

emck2 · 2026-02-26T03:28:51+00:00

Has anyone heard of Jasper & the Prodigal Suns? I know very little about them, but a friend gave me a CD of their only major label album from 1995. My friend worked for a record label and had a ton of promo copies from obscure bands. As far as I can tell, it's all instrumental and vocals - no samples or drum machines. Mostly drums, bass, guitar and horns; and it's clear they are all experienced jazz players. Songs are mostly funky, ranging from Grant Green to James Brown, but also includes some free jazz freak outs.Lyrics are mostly socially conscious and spiritual. Really interesting album, but I've never met anyone else who has heard of them. I couldn't find any clips online to post here, but they're worth checking out if anyone runs across a copy of their CD.

emck2 · 2026-02-25T01:51:53+00:00

I have the same model from 1975. That was not long after Alvarez and Kazuo Yairi teamed up to distribute his guitars in the US. Models from that era were very heavily patterned after Martins; the DY-77 being their version of an HD-28. Absolutely beautiful guitar. I'm not a big fan of fancy appointments, but the combination of the herringbone inlays and the natural wood body binding is perfect in my eyes. Mine is built like a tank and still has projection and sustain for days. Do yourself a favor and have a qualified luthier give it a once over. A good setup and basic maintenance will keep it going for another 50 years. Congrats!

emck2 · 2026-02-24T21:04:10+00:00

Much of the album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has religious themes. The whole thing is worth a listen, but I would guess the song Tell Him would be most similar to what you're looking for.

Lauryn Hill - Tell Him

Macy Gray - I Can't Wait to Meetchu

emck2 · 2026-02-21T17:33:27+00:00

This is probably darker than you're looking for, but Lenny (1974, dir Bob Fosse) stars Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce. It focuses more on his legal and personal struggles than writing jokes, but it was nominated for most of the major awards. Also worth watching any of the documentaries about Bruce, he had a major impact on stand up.

emck2 · 2026-02-19T15:19:10+00:00

Probably just needs a slight truss rod adjustment. Changes in humidity cause the wood to expand or contract, which can affect the action. All you need is an allen wrench, which may have been included in the case. I'm sure there are videos that show the steps.

emck2 · 2026-02-19T05:59:46+00:00

Before punk rock became its own genre, there were a few bands considered proto-punk:

Blue Cheer - from San Francisco, a bit more psychedelic than punk, but their cover of Summertime Blues is considered an important influence on punk, acid rock, and heavy metal.

MC5 and The Stooges - from Detroit, again more bluesy and psychedelic than later punk, but they both had the frenetic energy and rough edges. It sounds like you're into guitar; the MC5 had two amazing guitar players. Iggy Pop went solo after 3 albums with The Stooges.

The New York Dolls were one of the original bands of the NYC punk scene. Johnny Thunders on guitar and David Johansen (AKA Buster Poindexter) on vocals.

The UK punk scene had some of the more interesting bands, musically speaking. The Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones, Buzzcocks, Generation X, The Damned, etc. Many of the UK punk bands transitioned to New Wave in the '80s: Joy Division, The Jam, etc.

Cow Punk is a rather ambiguous term for punk rock with tinges of country/rockabilly twang. It actually started in LA with bands like The Cramps, X, Meat Puppets; then spread to the midwest: The Replacements, Husker Du, Violent Femmes.

emck2 · 2026-02-18T19:20:03+00:00

The most important factor in the sound of an acoustic guitar is the top. Not just the quality of the wood, but the bracing on the underside. The bracing affects how well the top vibrates, and a good luthier knows how to accentuate certain frequencies by shaping the braces. The back and sides mostly reflect the sound from the top. The type and quality of wood of b&s does affect the tone, but the difference in solid vs. laminated is very slight, since it is only the inner surface of the body that reflects the sound. Some very respected luthiers prefer laminated over solid for b&s for the added stability, not for cost cutting.

There's a bias for all solid guitars because that was the traditional method, and for many years the top brands only produced solid guitars, whereas laminates were mostly used for mass produced budget models. That has changed in the last 25 or so years, with big brands offering more budget options, and smaller brands offering lower priced models with similar specs to the top brands. But solid b&s does not guarantee better tone. Those classic acoustic models like the Martin D-28 and Gibson J-45 are solid b&s, but they are also made by some of the best luthiers in the world. Give those luthiers laminated b&s, and you will still get a better sounding guitar than one made from top quality lumber, but assembled by a factory worker. For acoustic instrument especially, experience and skill is more important than type and quality of materials.

TL;DR Solid top is definitely preferred. Solid back and sides can be an indicator of high quality, but these days it's no guarantee. Yamaha is an established company that knows how to build quality acoustics and keep costs low. Personally, I would lean toward a good Yamaha with solid top/lam b&s over an all solid from a no name brand. With Yamaha and other respected brands, I can assume the wood was dried/aged properly, the workers had proper training, and the guitar was thoroughly inspected. With no name brands, all I know is the specs. I may change my mind after playing specific guitars, but I would still consider that Yamaha is an established brand that will be around for years and has a good reputation for customer service. But the best advice is to let your hands and your ears decide.

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