More guitar

I feel like I've advanced enough in guitar to consider myself an intermediate now, or at least close to it. Barre chords are finally starting to come around which has been a six week struggle or so and my song library has opened up to a significant amount of new playable tunes right along with them. My left hand is insanely strong. I feel like I could go rock climbing with it or something.

I know everyone who's reading this probably reads the forum as well, but I've gotten a couple videos up on YouTube, if you're interested.

Also, Seth and I are doing Reute 66. Which you should check out.

Numb fingers

Oh, hello there.

Those of you who know me personally know that I've recently been trying/struggling to learn how to play the guitar. I've been pretty deeply into it for a month or so, and I wanted to write about it, so here goes.

I picked up an acoustic guitar about a year and a half ago after a bad breakup. I can't possibly see how anything could be more cliche than that, but in all seriousness I'd wanted to learn how to play for the longest time. Breakups are unusual times in that you often find the courage to attempt something that seemed out or reach before. This wasn't my first guitar though, I begged my mom to buy me a guitar off of eBay in my early teens, wary of my excitement about such things in the beginning tending to wane over time, she consented to buy a cheap learner's guitar. I learned absolutely nothing on it and promptly gave up playing altogether. Aric 0, Guitar 1

Guitar and I again crossed paths near the end of high school. I started hanging out with some of the local punk rock kids and suddenly had access to a whole lot of instruments which were foreign and confusing to me. At about that time my best friend started learning to play and I'm convinced I would have had an 8-year head start if he had been right handed. Unfortunately playing lefty was out of the question. I never asked any of my other friends to teach me; I was too shy to ask. Aric 0, Guitar 2

Then, as I said above, I went and bought myself a nice acoustic guitar, determined to learn how to play it. My friend and roommate at the time, Justin, was just picking up the instrument again after a hiatus and another friend, Amber, was nurturing a budding interest as well. It seemed like the perfect storm for me to learn. Able to make mistakes in front of Amber, who was at the same level I was, while also learning from someone who knew considerably more than myself, Justin.

So I sat down and, over the course of a few weeks, I awkwardly grasped the basics of how to play. Justin showed me new chords, and I watched a series of videos on YouTube by Justin Sandercoe, which I cannot recommend enough. I learned how to play a song or two and a handful of chords. Then, due to the start of a new relationship, problems at work, and life in general, I didn't play guitar for about 8 months. I would stroll past my Epiphone, pick it up maybe and strum a few notes on occasion, but nothing more than that from March through the end of last year. Aric 0, Guitar 3

So now, I'm sitting here wondering why I've started on this quest again. I'm struggling to pay bills, which doesn't leave me a lot of money to spend on leisure activities. Guitar only really required an initial cash investment (which I had already paid) and also time to sit and practice (which is free). I think another big reason is that I've really truly fallen in love with the Mountain Goats discography over the past year or so. I've always been a huge fan, but never felt like I had the grasp on his library the way I do now. John Darnielle performs with such intensity that I kinda want that moment, if only it's ever by myself in this room. Learning songs that I know/love has been a huge help in my current practice.

The real reason for this post is that I practiced for about 45 minutes tonight. Well, that's not really a big deal, but I'm sick and home from work tonight, very tired and a little depressed and I didn't want to play. I walked past the Epiphone and sort of scowled at it. I picked it up and reluctantly played a D chord (the first chord I learned and the automatic one I form when I pick up a guitar). Then I halfheartedly strummed out the tune to "Weekend in Western Illinois" and hummed the lyrics quietly.

By the end of the song I was full throat into it and banging on my guitar the way that Darnielle often does. I'm going to go ahead and pat myself on the back. I had had a miserable night, play-wise, the night before. I couldn't get strumming right, strings were buzzing, and it was overall just very nonproductive and disappointing. So practicing at all tonight was a major step for me, in terms of the big picture of LEARNING TO PLAY GUITAR™.

I don't know if I'll be able to update as I keep learning, but it's entirely possible I can feel bad about not updating, so you have that to look forward to.

Mutli-gaming

We're all busy. Who has time to play two different web games? Nobody, that's who. That's why PongOut is the future of gaming. Ok, not really, but it's pretty interesting.

PongOut combines Breakout and Pong in one application, where you play the games simultaneously. If you're feeling particularly smart, this will knock you down a few pegs.

EDIT: My top score is 12,640. Let me know what yours is.

33.35 Minutes

Thanks for this one, julia.

I just finished watching 2001 Seconds, a 2001: A Space Odyssey recut down to, you guessed it, 2001 seconds.

I wouldn't characterize myself as a fan of 2001, more that I accepted it for what it was and moved on. I didn't particularly like it, I wouldn't buy the DVD, but I was happy to have watched it and appreciated it for breaking some film barriers.

2001 Seconds is, in a word, amazing. Not only recut, it has a new soundtrack which just kinda works. Definitely worth the download and a half hour of your time.

Happy Poultry Day

Be sure to give thanks for all of the delicious football that's on TV today.

Still Nilein'

It's rare that a browser game captures my complete attention for more than a few days. It's even rarer when it so completely grabs onto so many others in the forum.

As we all delve a little deeper into the game Nile Online starts to open up and you can see how challenging and fun it truly is. The market in the game is brilliantly done, keeping many different economies active, with a difference in price and availability of goods as you move around the world. The availability of items becomes strategy as you form alliances and try to plan your next move.

Another neat thing about playing, especially right now, is that this is a work in progress and it shows. I think this is a very positive way to play a game. Sometimes things don't work right, there are items in the game that have no context yet, and there is much that doesn't make sense. What's so great about that? The developers over at Tilted Mill Entertainment are working on this stuff right before your very eyes.

Features are coming into play every day that change the game in subtle and more user friendly ways. These guys are taking feedback from their forums and implementing it on a daily basis.

This game is a lot of fun. If you aren't playing yet, you should be. Don't forget to join us in the forum and let us know where you are!

Slaves have never been so much fun

Ok, so maybe Travian isn't for you. How about giving Nile Online a try?

Currently in beta testing, Nile online attempts to remove some of the tedious troop building in Travian and instead focuses on a rich user run economy. This is a resource gathering game at heart, but there are enough neat twists to keep you interested.

This is not a game that you sit down and play over the course of an afternoon. It's one of the new brand of perpetual browser games where resources keep piling up in your city even when you aren't playing.


Basically everyone starts out with a small plot of land on the Nile. You then send people to work in one of the three basic resource areas (wheat, reeds, and clay) and a special resource area which is unique to your area of the world (gold, emeralds, leather, etc.). As you gather these resources and expand your town you'll eventually have to visit the open market for certain items. This is where the game is currently lacking, but where the broad goals of a user created and controlled economy really come into play. Unfortunately it's going to be a while before this area of the game picks up, but it's definitely worth getting in on the ground floor.

You can sign up for a free beta account at the website. Feel free to seek out my village "Fun Happy Land Smile" in the nome of Osirisduat.

EDIT: Don't for get to stop into the forums thread and let us know where your town is!