Saturday and I'm heading out for lunch.

 

Good morning. I did two hours of violin yesterday. I didn't do any double bass. Well, it's unlikely that I'll ever get another double bass gig. Though I do have six original pieces that I constantly practise. I worked on a few of my violin pieces yesterday, with particular effort put into two Bebop tunes - A Night in Tunisia and Anthropology. Anthropology has the subtitle 'Thriving on a Riff'. As I've told you before, it uses what are referred to as Rhythm Changes. A common thing that pops up in quite a few of my chosen jazz tunes is the progression m7b5 to dom7b9. I practised playing over this progression yesterday. The b5 and the b9 in this progression are the same note and it opens things up for substituting with a diminished triad. That gives a really nice effect to your solo. Talking about double bass gigs, or lack of them, I'm hardly inundated with violin gigs either. For example, May is Music Month. In past years I have been asked to play at libraries. Nothing this year. Never mind.

I'm off to see Peter and Lynn today.

I couldn't find one of these at the supermarket
yesterday, so I had to buy a different bottle.

I've been told that I can't bring pies. Ah well, it'll be great to see them. Shelley is coming too. Finding a park could be interesting. Peter suggested, in a comment, that I park in Mount Victoria. That's helpful advice. Not.

I read Rob's latest post this morning. He has been practising his bowls and has gotten rid of his golf clubs. He also said that he sees my point about sin. He implied that he'll stop wasting his time by going to confession to tell stuff to paedophiles. Good on you, Rob!

It has been very windy in the Nui. I've just been out looking for our elderly neighbour's newspaper which we deliver to her door. The person who delivers it throws it on her drive. I don't know why it can't be put in her letterbox. I even hopped in my car and drove around adjoining streets. No sign. I'm having a coffee to settle down my lungs. Yes, I know what will be required next. [Bathroom.]

While I'm at it, another thing that annoys me is that on wet rubbish collection days the people who empty the bins always leave the lids open. It would take half a second to close them, then the bins wouldn't fill with rainwater. I don't think they give a shit.

Well, it's nearly time to think about getting some practice done. No gigs? Who cares? I enjoy the challenge of getting better.

[Bathroom is calling.]

I'd better go.

Ciao.

Banana Toast.

 

    I woke up just before 6am this morning. I looked at my phone and checked Richard's Bass Bag.* No new messages, but I saw that Rob had written a post. Nothing new from Peter, as expected. Rob showed that he doesn't know the difference between a Kindergarten and a Childcare Centre.

"Had an early call out to work yesterday. It was to help clean a creche. In RBB's day they were called by a German word...kindergarten."

Ah well, he can work out that one for himself. He tells us that he spent time, when he could have been practising, praying to an imaginary group of people. He finished up with, "Don't listen to RBB. Sin does exist." Well, I suppose that sin exists for him, thanks to his silly church.

Actually, I only practised for an hour yesterday, but I certainly didn't waste time praying. I'll make up time today. Though the practice I did yesterday WAS good practice. I worked on a Bebop piece (among other things) that uses the Rhythm Changes. I see that Evil Doctor Richard mentioned the first 8 bars of those changes in a comment on my last post. When I mention my 'last post' I'm not talking about ANZAC Day. Also, half of my practice yesterday was double bass practice. That's good.

[Bathroom visit. The banana toasted sandwich has moved on.]

SIN.

We hear quite a lot about sin around here (our blogs). I read a definition that defined the word as, "An immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law."

Let's look at the word 'divine'. "Of or like God or a god."

So, sin is linked to some godly entity. Without a god there is no sin. Okay, we still have a sense of right and wrong. We use the word 'morals'. I've heard religious people say, "But, why worry about right or wrong if there is no sin?"

This is where they get it very wrong. Morals are decided on by what is fair, or best, for the greatest number of people. Morals give us a safer environment, when they are followed, and give us respect for how others get to live. Morals are really common sense. Don't hurt others. Don't take things that are not yours. Hopefully others apply the same 'rules' to how they treat you. 

Sin is tied up with a set of rules that some imaginary entity has made, along with a set of punishments.  The worst of these punishments is suffering forever. Remember that 'forever' is a VERY LONG TIME! VERY LONG!

Yes, we have designed punishments for people who don't follow morals that give the best chance of people having a happy life. Here we are working on what can make life best for everyone. 

Please understand that there is a difference between morals and sin.

Well, that's just about me for today. It's nearly time to take my pills and start my practice. The new strings on my violin are sounding good and the shoulder rest is back in my strings drawer, where it will hopefully stay.

It's a wet old day in the Nui. I guess that it's wet in Thorndon and Moera too. 

I'll have a quick shower and then get the day underway. Don't worry, I don't take my phone into the shower. 

Ciao tutti.

* the original bass bagging site

Late start.

 

Well, at least I'm writing a post, unlike the two old chaps who should be posting.

I had trouble with my computer this morning. Shelley had moved it out of Harrison's reach and didn't realise that she had knocked the plug out. The computer lost its internet connection and its battery was flat. All fixed now. I don't know why Robert hasn't posted this morning. I can understand Peter not posting. You see, he bought a new lamp and is still trying to work out where to put it. 

Shelley and I have been invited to Peter's place for lunch on Saturday. We're not allowed to bring pies or eclairs. I'll probably take a Cleanskin.

I know he likes these.

The Evah Pirazzi Gold strings are sounding good on my violin. They have a big sound. I must get some double bass practice done today. Obviously I'll be doing violin practice too.

Well, I'll leave it there for this morning.

Time is getting on.

Ciao tutti.

No shoulder rest.

 

What tune is this improvisation from?

Yep, the shoulder rest has gone again. That video was a solo from Oh Lady Be Good. I was just doing a warmup. However, you can see that there is no shoulder rest. 

Still warming up here.

I'm off to work soon. (Though these videos are from last night. Maybe I was warming down?)

After that there will be time for a bit more practice, then it's grandson minding time. 

I'm still looking after my hands. They are sometimes good and sometimes not so good. I guess that's just part of getting old. Peter will know about that because he is older than me.

There is not much happening around the blogs this morning. TC is evidently getting into the harmonica and has found a new friend in the Cuba Mall. Ah well, that keeps him out of trouble. 

Robert has written a post. Same shit, different day. It seems that Gsus has given up on becoming a shepherd and is now becoming a gardener. Silly bugger.

I'd better leave you there for today. I'll get into work early so that I can do some violin practice before the troops arrive.

Ciao tutti.

Evah Pirazzi Gold

 

Gsus Kryst!

Good morning.

Rob left a comment on my last post.

"The shepherd knows his sheep by name and calls them. The goats are stupid and ignore him."

It's all to do with Gsus being compared to a shepherd. The blame has all been put on goats, though it's a known fact that they don't eat sheep. Shepherds do. What, did you think that all shepherds are vegetarians? Ask yourself, why are sheep kept in flocks? They supply wool and meat. That's not rocket science.

No promised post from Peter yet, but Rob has posted. He finishes with this statement.

"If you sin, repent and go to confession to a Catholic priest. Though you probabaly have to be Catholic, which everyone should be anyway." Sorry about the spelling of 'probably'. It seems that Catholics don't proofread. I wonder how many mistakes there are in the Bible?

Most Catholics (or, at least, many) are baptized as babies, before they are old enough to have a say in the matter. That happens in all religions. When you see a guy wearing a turban, there's a very good chance he was born into that religion. Everyone who belongs to a religion is convinced that their religion is the one true religion. Some have to be wrong! In fact, everyone but one religion has to be wrong. Rob is sure that he has picked the right one. The odds are not in his favour. 

Anyway, where is Peter's promised post? Maybe I need to write it for him?

He'll probably wear this hat.

"Lynn and I went to do volunteer work at Zealandia yesterday. We did a predator-free fence inspection. The fences turned out to be fine. We didn't see any rats or mice. A sparrow had flown in, but how do you stop that happening? I mean, a lot of birds fly. We get them in Thorndon. They sometimes shit on our car. Little buggers! That's it for this morning. I'll have a bath, dry my phone, then I'm off for a walk."

That could have been a bit longer, Peter!

[Bathroom visit, and I hadn't eaten or drunk anything. That's a bit cruel!]

Maybe I need a couple of little pies? There are four in the fridge. I bet Peter hasn't had an eclair this morning. Definitely not a little pie or a coffee! He'll have to ring for a cuppa with oatmeal milk.

Well, that's it from me for this morning. 

Ciao tutti.

Who will post this morning?

Heater on, banana toast. I will post.

Peter will be squiggling around in bed thinking about bowls.

Robert will be thinking about his shepherd because he is a sheep.

 

I'm thinking about my practice. It's going pretty well. The shoulder rest is feeling more comfortable too. I think I'll add a slice of peanut butter toast to my breakfast. Done. If the old boys both take up or return to bowls, will they take their golf gear to op shops? They'll both need to get white outfits too.

[To bathroom.]

Toast sent to the coast.

[Back.]

I suppose that Robert could wear his white outfit to mass. Peter will be up and dressed now, in white, and drying his phone. I think he will have dropped it in the bath again. I'm pretty sure he will have. He'll be ringing Lynn for a cup of tea about now. With oatmeal milk.

As usual I'll start my practice with some long notes and then some chords. I need to do work on my double bass tunes too. It's nice to be near the heater. I'll make a trip to the Hutt today. Lower Hutt. I want to pop into a couple of music shops. I'm looking for some music for a violin student. 

The sun has shown a face in the Nui. All the carparks will now be full in Thorndon but there will be some spare ones in Moera. I don't know what the parking will be like at mass. It probably depends on how many church shop people turn up.

I think that's all I have to say this morning.

Bye to the boys dressed in white, for now.

Be careful if you're taking orders from a shepherd. He may finish up eating you.