Original Post By: AlexCarter Date: 2/18/2010 4:09:47 PM If you have a 10-year-old computer and YouTube won't support your browser in a few weeks and you can't get a newer browser because your machine's so dang old, how does counting on YouTube for learning make sense? This is why I'm on a mission to get all the Jumpin' Jim books I can, even though I literally make an average income - for an Iraqi. Yep, the guys hosting us Over There live on a few hundred bucks a month, and that's the kind of income I have. I bet hummous and pita bread's cheaper over there though! But I mean this just to illustrate, I'm basically really freakin' poor. And "free" as in YouTube isn't free if you're poor, it's generally unobtainable. But, books don't go away when the grid goes down, or when the Internet it just a memory. Thus, my mission to fill in the gaps in my Jumpin' Jim collection and I hope you will think about this too. Why Jumpin' Jim books in particular. Well, er, I've seen him on YouTube and well, he ain't no George Formby or Ohta-San. But the dedication he's put into his books is amazing. The chords he's figured out. It's just amazing! The guy has a minor uke empire and he earned it. Every fretboard bastion and loyal vassel, and I proudly describe myself as such. If I tried to collect ALL uke books, forget it - too many and a lot of junk out there. But all of Jim's books is an achieveable goal. Even on my microscopic budget. So when YouTube ends for me, according to them in early March, and eventually the Internet goes down, the electrical grid becomes dodgy, I'll still have the books to learn out of and teach out of. I worked 4 hours a few days ago, netting me $20. That's big pay for me. I sent it off to a benefactor here who ordered the uke blues book for me on Amazon, and will mail it to me. Being as poor as I am means not using banks, credit cards, paypal, or any modern financial mechanisms. For me it's cash, or US Postal Money Orders, these have been around thousands of years or in the case of the USPS, a couple hundred, founded by Ben Franklin. Which brings me to a good subject: Ben Franklin was born poor and did he sit around? Nope he was one of our first buskers! He did that, printed broadsides, did all kinds of things like that. He didn't wait for someone to give him a job, he made a job for himself. I've had to take the same tack after losing my business and almost everything in this ongoing Depression. I do crafts, odd jobs when I can get them, and so on. I live CHEAP. I'm of the opinion that the area could use a ukulele busker, and that's where all the Jim books come in. Thus, my efforts to obtain and use materials that are independent of the internet. Too Long, Didn't Read: (1) I think Jim's books are the best "desert island" uke learning method out there. (2) The Internet and YouTube are great but dying, for some of us rather soon. (3) I'm on a mission to obtain what Jumpin' Jim books I don't have, and I suggest you do the same. Posted By: Mattman Date: 2/18/2010 5:25:39 PM Alex, I'm in a similar situation in terms of income & technology. When I think about how I spent my time twenty years ago, before hardly anyone had a home computer, and the time I spend "on line" now...makes one wonder, no? My computer is seven years old, been trough two power supplies & four total software rebuilds, but still keeps going. I don't get to see a lot of videos here, due to slow dial up service (24Kbps!), but go to the local library to check out YouTube clips from time to time. Things will change- try to keep doing what makes you happy and improve the quality of life. Like playing ukulele, learning more music, spending time with family & friends, all the good stuff. Books are wonderful- they always work (as long as there's light enough to read by) and they're easy to transport & share. Simple things can't be beat, and frugality is beautiful! Cheers, -Mattman Posted By: Christie Date: 2/18/2010 7:29:04 PM OK, now I'm on my third attempt to post on your thread due to faulty infrastructure! Two other posts simply vanished. Argh. Income? What's that? We have all outgo! Being travelers in foreign countries usually means we are forbidden to work due to immigration rules. Further, Internet access is usually very slow and expensive IF existent or tolerable. So YouTube has never been an option for us. We join you in being "bandwidth challenged". In our small space, our Uke book collection is now competing for space with our cookbook collection (large) and general reference collection. What's important afterall? (Need a Pita bread recipe or hummus recipe? I got 'em. Seriously.) DVDs are still a good source for learning and they are compact. They are just not as portable as a book unless you have one of those newfangled gadgets to view videos or can afford an upcoming iPad. JJ has two good DVDs available. Good luck on completing your collection. Posted By: mLKauai Date: 2/18/2010 7:39:20 PM I totally agree with Alex about the quality of Jumpin Jim B's books. He is a man of broad and discerning taste and skill. Alex reminded me of how a personal library will always be here for us and how important to have one. Posted By: Frank B Date: 2/18/2010 11:10:45 PM I am in a quandry over your post. On the one hand I remember being young and trying to get started and being frustrated by the futility of life in general. On the other hand I'm wondering why you are spending so much energy wallowing in self pity. The economy is depressed and many folks are having a hard time. But breaking into the music business is a risky endeavor even in good times. Only a very few make it. My father tried twice in his lifetime without success, so I have some personal experience with this. I thought I was destined to become a tele-evangelist and spent every penny I had following that pipedream. I ended up on the brink of bankruptcy. But, I some good people took pity on me and gave me a helping hand. I found an occupation that I liked and followed it for 35 years. My musical activities have remained an avocation, and I have no regrets. So, I'll give you my Jumpin' Jim songbooks. Send me your address and a list of what you already have, and I'll send you everything you need that is in my possession. If you are able to make a success of your life you can repay me by helping someone else yourself. We're all in this together, and none of us are going to make it out alive. So it let's work together for the common good. Frank B. Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/18/2010 11:41:45 PM I have: The two Xmas books the first in the series Tips and Tunes, with Jim in a hammock on the light-blue cover, Fretboard Roadmaps, and the Uke Blues book. I lack: Any Jumpin' Jims not on that list! I'm not "wallowing in self pity", I'm stating fact. And chances are, many people, even people you know or are related to, are in the same situation. I'm in training to become an EMT right now. Sweated my butt off paying for that course. I take hard-boiled (laid by our hens) eggs to class to avoid having to buy food Those and I toast up some squash seeds, yep grown here, too. It's very hard to wallow in self-pity when I built the most awesome frank-lloyd-wright style goose nesting house EVAR. So much to do here and so much of it COOL. I have weeds to fight and geese and chickens, good co-workers, in my quest to make this land some good pasture. I get to do all kinds of neat stuff every day. I live here because I help out, and while my trailer is strictly favala-chic, it beats any tent in Tent City. Frankly, I live like a king. I'm eating better, and have far less stress than when I was employed. I'm not here because I was taken pity on, but because I'm useful. I talk about jobs being extremely scarce because they are. A "career" in EMS may await me, it may not - the economy may be mostly GONE in 6 months when I'm certified. Thus, I just work on being generally useful and living on VERY LITTLE money. And I suggest to others to prepare for their own situations to change as mine did a few years ago, it's jarring losing everything and well, being homeless for a bit, but adapt and you can learn to live on very little, and end up in the end more free. About to eat some beans yep grown here .... the musical fruit. Since the Internet is more dodgy all the time, here's my addres: ALEX CARTER 10815 FOOTHILL AVENUE GILROY, CALIFORNIA, 95020 I have a book with something like, ALL the uke chords, it's dazzling, you want it? I can send it if you can use it. Posted By: Dutch Date: 2/19/2010 6:27:50 AM And fake books will be a treasure as long as I have my eyesight. The first one I put together was in the 60s with almost 1200 tunes. Of course, a piano player ripped it off before it was copied. I started over and did a 364 tune standard book with a blues book of 60 (jazz blues). The military got lots of copies floating, so I no longer have to rely on the original. I do lyric sheets from records and transcribe the changes to them for gigs. Michael is correct: It's important to have a personal library. I know (based on age and experience) the musical experience will last a lifetime and will be of great value whether remunerative or not. Bizet said "Ah, music! What an enobling art and what a sad profession." Tanks Frank B; way ta go! Y'all keep on strummin' (an' hold on to yer day gig as long as possible). Strength & Honor Dutch Posted By: AlanJ Date: 2/19/2010 1:48:11 PM In response to Alex's alarmism: the internet's not going down any year soon and the economy will rebound. If the internet dies, I'll post an apology for being wrong. There are jobs, lots in Chicago, but depends on your particular skill set, education and location. Alex, if you are happier doing what you are doing then go for it. Don't confuse work with what you are. If you gauge your fulfillment by what you do to earn money, you are mostly going to be disappointed. (Alas, they wouldn't call it "work". They'd call it "my personal fulfillment".) Now, constructively, what can one do when one has little or no money? First, get a chord dictionary (preferably before the 'Net goes down since they can be had for free). Then try: 1) the Library. Lots of song books and sometimes even recordings. Learn folk music since it's likely to be public domain and also have recordings available. 2) Get with other musicians. Nothing increases knowledge like playing with others. 3) Ask music stores or libraries if they have unwanted copies of music that they'd like to get rid of. 4) Learn your fretboard. It's free and the knowledge will be worth more money than can be earned over a lifetime. So much for learning the instrument. Want to be a professional? Come up with something that people would pay money to see. Busking is great for honing those skills. Oh, it's free to busk (unless you live in Canada apparently, right Boswell?). I wish you luck in playing for money. But learning doesn't need expensive music books otherwise Pete Seeger would be a very bad banjo player. Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/19/2010 11:46:26 PM AlanJ - Playing the uke in the park and getting maybe $3-$5 an hour in tips and lots of laughs and interaction with people may sound like failure to most of you, for me that few bucks an hour is BIG MONEY. And yes, the time to gauge one's worth by what one earns went out last century. I've been sniffing around libraries and music stores, used book stores etc., and uke books are hard to find and NOT being given away cheep. Never seen one in a thrift store or library sale. There's a uke craze going on right now, simultaneously with a Depression so more people out looking for what I am, and the whole flow of all kinds of things, books included, has slowed way down. The Internet won't go down overall for a while. But for an individual, when it's down, it's gone. Downages are happening here more and more often. This computer is OLD and when it dies that's it. YouTube videos won't be viewable by me in early March so no more YouTube. I simply can't live my life assuming the internet will be more than a very occasional, no-audio, library experience in the near future. Jim's books aren't expensive, and are a lot of work packed into a small volume. In my hands, they'll be used, treasured, and probably copied by hand to give copies to students/friends/successors. Hopefully, in 6 months when I'm an EMT, I find work. But being able to go out and play a few hours and make the $6 it takes to put a tank of gas into my 250cc motorcycle, or buy milk and oatmeal, etc., can make a HUGE difference. With an EMT job, I'll have riches (minimum wage) and uke playing can go back to fun and cheering people up. Sigh. I'd love to be able to put videos on YouTube myself, but over time I'm falling lower and lower on the tech scale. Basic email will be the last to go, but already video is a rare treat so no tele-lessons much less putting videos out there, I don't even have a mic nor money for one so it's all paper and pencil for me, I'm keeping it to what people had before electricity, and it was live music and sheet music and if ya came up with a funny song, you shared it locally or maybe got a publisher to print it. So yeah I'm hoping to fill in the missing spots in my JimUkeLibrary, and I urge you all to do the same. Posted By: AlanJ Date: 2/20/2010 11:05:54 AM Alex (and others who might be new to music), you don't need *ukulele* song books per se. Just books with chords will do. For example, it I came across a Beatles book and it says on 1 song to play an Am chord, although the chord diagram might show me an Am chord for a guitar, I know how to play an Am chord on my ukulele so I just substitute one for the other. Make sense? This way, you aren't limited to just Jumpin' Jim books. Not that there's anything wrong with them, I love them. But when cash is at a premium, my rule is "if it's for free, it's for me". Also, I can't emphasize enough the value of playing with others. Especially those that are better than you. The learning gained is so worth it plus you can't put a price tag on that kind of fun. Finally, an aside to this conversation but food for thought. When I got out of the service, I moved back to Pittsburgh and tried going back to college. Recession hit and I ran out of money so took this job and that hoping things will get better soon. One winter morning, forecast is for windchill to -40F. My favorite radio personality finishes the weather segment with "Remember, if you don't like the weather... move!". Laughed hysterically at that. But it made me think, no job, no money, no ties either. Shortly after, I found a job... in Vermont. Packed what I could fit in my car and left. Don't let your location dictate your life unnecessarily. If it ain't working for ya, move :) Posted By: Frank B Date: 2/20/2010 3:44:53 PM   (Updated: 2/20/2010 3:46:34 PM) Alax, the packaage is in the mail, Media mail rate, so don't expect it too soon. Several books. A Herb Otha Masters Series with CD with some other - I can't remember. Good luck. Frank B. Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/20/2010 4:53:45 PM You guys are great! I was wondering that about guitar chords in guitar books .... sadly the free books are just not showing up out here. The Depression is hitting hard, and people are buying instruments, mainly acoustic guitars, as one last hurrah before moving into their cars or the tent encampment. I'm not kidding! So books are rare. Sadly, where I live there are NO uke players. This is good and bad, bad because there's no one to play with, but good because it's not like I'm going to run into competition when out busking. Santa Cruz is 50 miles away and while this is not a huge distance, as this Depression deepens I'm less and less likely to go there. I can walk a couple of miles and get to the bus stop, and then on the 68 to San Jose, and then to other points, but the bus is a rich man's form of transport, and right now my motorcycle is actually cheaper. There is a transition point where if the motorcycle is not being ridden much, it does become cheaper to just ride a bicycle around here and go on the bus or train to the big city once a month or so, and a bicycle gives better exploration and foraging abilities so I am actually looking at selling the motorcycle and going to bicycle after EMT school. The upshot is, it's difficult and becoming more so, to travel where there are any other uke players. Eventually life is lived within a 10-mile radius. This will happen for you, too. Thanks Frank I can still play CDs for now, I have to grab 'em out with tweezers when done which is a LOL but so far so good. Posted By: Christie Date: 2/20/2010 5:27:37 PM Alex, good luck with the EMT shcool. In the meantime, with your uke playing, now that you have the JJ Blues book, think about translating some of your observations, laments, struggles, passion and energy into some cool original blues songs. Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/20/2010 9:48:27 PM I don't have the blues book, it's coming, by Media Mail. I want to play cheerful music, blues is the foundation of rock and folk but there are literally millions of people out there who will never have a job again and I see this despair translating into what I hear people playing on the street - SAD music. I want to play cheerful music because it's Depression, the public are already losing their jobs, a month or a week away from homeless, have 1 working person supporting 7 on minimum wage, etc. They don't need more sadness. They need something a bit cheerful. George Formby knew this. The Great Depression started in the 1920s in England, and he knew people didn't need more sadness. He sang cheerful songs, even if they were sarcastic, they were cheerful. I can't guarantee how much longer I'll be on the net myself, I'll try to check in, but chances are, those who get to hear my playing will be within a fairly small radius of where I live. Maybe once in a while a big exciting train ride to SF, almost 100 miles away wow. This is why I'm trying to get supplies I need in now, while it's still only very difficult as opposed to nearly impossible. Gotta get a bunch of strings in too. My whole life has been about 'prepping' lately, on yes, a tiny income of a few thousand a year. Remember, the last Depression brought us some great jazz and folk, as each of your lives becomes constricted to a horse-ride from your house, you too can become your local uke heroes. I used to have dreams of becoming known on YouTube but look around you, that's all going away. (Ow gave myself a heck of a blood blister working on something today, and this old keyboard has about the same effort as a manual typewriter, guess I'd better stop these long posts!) Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/20/2010 10:39:38 PM Update: YouTube just stopped working for me. This is why I want it in print! Posted By: NinaC Date: 2/20/2010 11:55:27 PM I think we're being had. Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/21/2010 2:56:37 AM Bleh I just restarted/reset/relaunched my computer and surprisingly YouTube is working for me again, but I wish it were possible to put their videos on my computer in some way that my old machine could keep viewing them. Then I'd just save a bunch of the uke stuff. In the end it just comes down to the same stuff that's in the books anyway. YouTube will go down for real on March 5 or March 8 I forget, I've got these pink warning banners saying so each time I go there. I'm not sure what caused today's downage for me; I got suspicious when even archive dot org wasn't working. Nina if you think there are not people in my situation by the millions, I suggest you get your driver to take you beyond the gated community for a little drive around the parts of town where the "working clarsses" live, or, the closest I think you could get to it otherwise is ask someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone, who works at a homeless shelter, lots of ex-middle-class folks out there. The plummet in "high tech" is if anything more jarring than the plummet to 10% of income and then half, a third, of that. "Akamai" web sites will be at text-based as possible, fast even on dial-up, and no fancy Java, Quicktime, etc. Able to be accessed with an old 8086 machine salvaged from a thrift store. Yep my finger's numbed up - can't wait to show it off in EMT class lol. Posted By: Diane1020 Date: 2/21/2010 9:02:29 AM Nancy, I'm thinking the same thing. Posted By: AlanJ Date: 2/21/2010 12:01:57 PM Alex, you are certainly entitled to your opinions and to reflect them here. IMO, you need to research a bit more (maybe forgo searches on survival techniques a bit?). The Great Depression started in England? From Wikipedia, "The depression originated in the United States, starting with the stock market crash of October 29, 1929 (known as Black Tuesday), but quickly spread to almost every country in the world." Ease off of the Doomsday scenarios and concentrate on your uke more. In the end, you'll be happier. Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/21/2010 7:26:38 PM No, the American Great Depression didn't start in England, reading comprehension is golden. Posted By: Diane1020 Date: 2/21/2010 9:27:15 PM When people begin to wonder, sarcasm is never effective in winning them over........ Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/22/2010 1:04:39 AM I'm not concerned about winning the hearts and minds of the Rush Limbaugh set. It's hard to understand, it seemed odd to me too upon first learning about it, but when the official Great Depression hit, Britain had already had years of Depression, and as the Wikipedia article mentions in passing, hunger marches. "George Orwell", Eric Blair, writes about this in "The Road To Wigan Pier". Formby was a Wiganer by the way. Obscure info yes, but not to someone curious about what made a guy like Formby tick. Nor to someone curious about where our economy may be going. The same factors seem to be in operation as are described in the book, which describes a sort of permanently depressed economy such as England arguably had from the 1920s to the early 60s, Japan has has sine 1989 (although not nearly as bad) and we may have entered in 2008. Formby showed it's possible to grow like a lotus from such mud! And this is why I'm working and planning for a future where it's not about the money, it's about service to others, being cheerful and hardworking, and cheering others up. BTW that's a good tip about guitar books. There's so many of those out there I'm sure to come across some. Garage sales around here are sad, they all seem to be losing their houses and thus the sale. But the prices are something like 10% of what even a thrift store charges. I'm the one buying warm winter clothes in summer lol - and apparently buying that sheaf of guitar books for my uke playing. Posted By: Diane1020 Date: 2/22/2010 5:30:50 AM The Rush Limbaugh set! LOL LOL LOL LOL ROFL ROLF What an imagination! Posted By: NinaC Date: 2/22/2010 8:18:31 AM   (Updated: 2/22/2010 8:32:01 AM) "And this is why I'm working and planning for a future where it's not about the money, it's about service to others, being cheerful and hardworking, and cheering others up. " Nice sentiment, but you might start by not insulting people you don't know with stuff that's so off the mark it isn't even funny. Perhaps naively assuming I'm not answering a troll trying to stir up a political argument in a ukulele forum, here's another tip on music sales: I got two great vintage guitar books yesterday, advanced ones dealing with inversions and other jazz chord philosophy, for $1.50 at the flea market. Forget yard sales unless have a lot of time to waste. Another place to check is the library, some of them have bookstores where people donate books and the sales go back to the library. I've found tons of inexpensive sheet music and music books there for next to nothing. I'm sure you could phone around to see if nearby libraries have a bookstore. If you're in Gilroy, I'm sure you can get to San Jose pretty easily. I used to find tons of thrift stores/flea markets there. Do you know the way? Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/22/2010 4:31:47 PM Yeah I need to get up to Capitol sometime, because that is ONE BIG flea market. I have been checking for this stuff and, I dunno it's scarce. I have $10 I can spend, $40 in my savings Mason jar I won't touch, will hopefully make $30-odd tomorrow, I'm on a very short leash for spending, plus just don't have the venues for selling stuff I used to, craig's list is great but without a digi camera I'm limited to what I can sell w/o a pic, I will work myself out of this but it's interesting right now. Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/22/2010 11:34:01 PM Update time: I'm not gonna identify my benefactors since no good deed goes unpunished! The one of more than a few paws sent me the Uke Blues book, that got here safe and sound. The one of the 2nd letter in the "old" WWII-era radio phonetic alphabet sent me a huge package of books, THANKS. There's a book on sophisticated type playing, about 6 Jumpin' Jims, and a book by a guy wearing a hat. Wow! And thanks! Both got here today. This is just great. I'd dig right in but tomorrow's EMT school day, packing up stuff for that, boiling my hen-eggs (3 are from bantys lol) and roasting da seeds, packing up my toilet kit for my one really good shower of the week on the way to school, shining my shoes which get to be clean just before school, and so on. Oh maybe some STUDYING! And don't wanna break open this blood blister playing tonight either. Got a good rainy week ahead to stay in 'n' play though! Posted By: cowbelle Date: 2/23/2010 10:54:39 AM I suspect you could preserve music from youtube by borrowing a cassette tape recorder and using it. My music goes back to reel to reel stuff from early 1960s on and it still sounds fine. Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/24/2010 3:25:54 AM That's a good idea, no money for a casette recorder but that would work, wouldn't it? Sigh. Went to class, borrowed my friend's car to go since the weather is like pea soup today, nonstop rain. Made a grand total of $6 after putting $12 in gas in the car, I was running at a loss. Too wet to sell ribbons, I sold some books (NO not any given to me, some other stuff I had, not uke related) it will likely be too wet to go anywhere for a week so I can practice, dunno how soon I'll be able to afford something like a cassette recorder, and don't know anyone else rich enough to have one. A good arguement for learning to read/write music well enough to transcribe, cassette players don't work when the grid's down anyway, do they? They say an IRA is nice, But I trust in beans'n'rice! Posted By: AlanJ Date: 2/24/2010 9:45:17 AM   (Updated: 2/24/2010 10:57:00 AM) Of course cassette players work after the grid's down. Just make sure it's battery driven but most are. Surely there are 2nd hand shops in San Jose where you should be able to find one with little problem. Heck, there's a used tech shop by SFO airport that sells IBM mainframes so a used cassette player shouldn't be that hard. [edited to remove snarkyness] Posted By: Hilo Greg Date: 2/24/2010 12:53:47 PM I have just chiseled all of my uke arrangements onto gigantic stone tablets, like the Ten Commandments. (It took a long time, because I put soprano on the front and bari on the other.) Sure, they weigh a lot, but at least I have the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will be around for the next 1,000 years. Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/24/2010 2:56:40 PM They'll be around when all this other stuff is gone, congrats! Posted By: ukrazy Date: 2/24/2010 3:08:45 PM Hilo G, That's a pretty good idea! But since I'm lazy, I think I'll just find me a cave to paint mine in. Those cave paintings last a few centuries too. BTW, better stock up on strings. When the grid goes down, we'll be back to using "gut". I'm not sure I want to learn to make those! Posted By: bassfiddlesteve Date: 2/24/2010 8:38:17 PM How do you think the collapse of Western society will affect vintage prices? Should I pull the trigger and buy that Martin concert now? Will Paypal still be around? Is this normal? - Steve Posted By: ChefJeff Date: 2/25/2010 8:47:51 AM String shortage? Gotta go lock up the cats! Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 2/26/2010 6:17:22 PM Apparently "cat" gut is sheep gut, and yeah it'll be back to gut strings, stocking up on modern strings IS a good idea. As for vintage prices, if it's good and you want it, and can, I advise you to buy it. One notable aspect of the ongoing Depression is, money is NOT moving. The "velocity of money" is down to a crawl. PayPal will be around longer than most of us will be able to use it. As an example, the modern banking system certainly still exists, but for me it might as well not. This year I've actually gotten 2 checks, I took them to the bank they were drawn on right away and got cash. I got one check all last year, which I cashed in a liquor store. I will likely not all the rest of this year. When I had my business, I didn't like to have money just sitting, I tried to spend it on stuff, electronic surplus, that I'd make a return on. Now the rules are different, if I have any extra money it goes into supplies for the future, really basic stuff like coffee and oatmeal, etc. For example I got a pair of wire cutters at Wal-Mart when I was there with a friend. It looked like an impulse purchase, but in fact I'd been on the hunt for a good pair of 'em for months, knew the going prices for what quality. That's why my hand grabbed so quick - Chinese made, sadly, but good Stanleys with a nice large box joint and thick handles. $5-something with a one-year guarantee. I use 'em a lot around here working on fences and stuff around here. I love 'em. If there's a bank holiday tomorrow or some kind of a panic, at least I won't hurt for wire cutters. Bassfiddle - it's normal now. Posted By: Diane1020 Date: 2/26/2010 8:51:32 PM Wonder where I'll be when the grid goes down. Posted By: Mattman Date: 2/26/2010 10:38:48 PM The same place Ben Franklin was when the candle burnt out. -Mattman Posted By: NinaC Date: 2/27/2010 12:51:23 AM Diane, sounds like a song to me. Posted By: Diane1020 Date: 2/27/2010 6:20:32 AM   (Updated: 2/27/2010 6:28:15 AM) Nancy, if NYC is still standing in May we can collaborate on it when you come up for the fest, but if the grid goes down we might have to burn our ukes for fuel. Now there's a good question: Which of your ukes will you burn for fuel last when the grid goes down? For me it might be a toss up between the Martin 0 and the Koaloha concert. I think someone will have to throw them into the fire for me since I don't think I could ever do it. Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 3/1/2010 4:41:21 AM Geeze. Posted By: Craig Robertson Date: 3/1/2010 4:51:57 AM "Geeze"???? You started this shit, Alex; so stiff upper lip and all that. Even on this board people hold strong opinions. By the way, Doomsday is NOT right around the corner, folks; but your local bar is. Have one on me. Posted By: ChefJeff Date: 3/1/2010 9:16:12 AM This whole thread makes me want to quote one of America's great philosophers who said, "Good grief." There's no bar right around the corner but there is one about 1/4 mile over. Craig, I'll tell Jimmy to put it on your tab... and the next round's on me. And I need one 'cause I'm depressed. I keep getting this horrible mental image of me throwing a clot and Alex being the EMT who responds. CJ PS - Perhaps the song could go something like: Watcha gonna do when the grid goes down? Bad, boy, bad boy. PPS - For Hilo Greg: When you take your music with you... stay out of canoes. Posted By: Diane1020 Date: 3/1/2010 7:12:47 PM Craig and Chef Jeff, thank you for the lighthearted giggles. I was getting so depressed thinking about that damn grid.......... Posted By: Rick Turner Date: 3/3/2010 12:10:52 AM Why does anyone need this medium in place to play uke? Four strings, four fingers, and the will to make music is all it takes. Go strand yourself on a desert island with a uke, so extra strings, and a soul and you'll be fine... Posted By: cowbelle Date: 3/3/2010 1:07:07 AM Is it possible to boycott this self-pitying garbage? Blame whatever on the bossa nova but for heaven's sake please pray that Alex Carter does not make it through EMT certification. Mental state as written on this web site makes me more than uneasy. God forbid a person who expounds such drivel be in a position of making life or death decisions for others. No more responses from me on this person's long suffering ramblings! Posted By: Dutch Date: 3/3/2010 7:52:08 AM Gee, Cowbelle, I thought it was worth wading through all the bovine excreta to see Craig's last entry. I laughed all day remembering it. In context, the humor was worth all the effort. Never fear! I work for Fire/Rescue. In most departments close supervision usually prevails. Talk to your local EMTs. Because failure is not the preferred option, nearly all of them are well founded and very serious. They are a good bunch to make the acquaintance of. Strength & Honor Dutch Posted By: Solar_Ray Date: 3/3/2010 9:23:42 AM My mind is boggling that there is such a thing as apocalyptic uke survivalists who think that ultimate security is paper copies of Jim's books. I guess it takes all kinds. I may be influenced by the fact that I lost all my tangible property in one of the California wildfires, and now have my important stuff (pictures, memorabilia) tucked away in the cloud. Sure hope that doesn't go away when YouTube and the internet suddenly fail to show up one day! Posted By: ChefJeff Date: 3/3/2010 9:31:41 AM Christie I thought we'd accepted that we've been getting trolled or scammed. But hey, as Diane observed, I'm just in it for the giggles. That said, I still have nightmares about Alex standing over me rubbing paddles together yelling, "Clear!" Rick, for those of us who's kin come from way up the hollars of Kentucky, playing ukulele is even more fun. You may only have four fingers on each hand but some of us have six! Posted By: AlexCarter Date: 3/4/2010 7:56:57 PM YouTube is now gone. No, Jim's books are not the key to survival, I have other things and books for that, not uke related. I simply wanted some materials that would not evaporate when large parts of the net and finally electricity itself, evaporate. While most of the basement-dwellers here sniped, a couple of people came though, in spades. You bitched, they acted. I wish to express again, my thanks. EMT's don't do the paddles and "clear" thing any more, I believe paramedics can but mostly prehospital it's done with a little gadget called an AED, which you can learn about by taking your local CPR class. And Chef, if your heart's gonna stop it's not gonna be up to me, that's between you and the roux Posted By: Craig Robertson Date: 3/4/2010 8:13:34 PM Bullshit. YouTube is NOT GONE. What the hell are you talking about??? I DON'T live in a basement. I'm on the second floor. I've got something FAR better than books...I can play songs from memory. Or I can make up new ones. Grr. Where's my beer? Posted By: allenhopkins Date: 3/4/2010 8:51:39 PM Can't stand it any longer -- When the internet and electricity and potable water and sewage treatment and the visible light spectrum and the sun's hydrogen fuel and the force of gravity are all gone -- we will exist on the flesh of trolls, roasted over bonfires of donated guitar fake books. The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades. Posted By: duane Date: 3/4/2010 9:39:08 PM I think I am beginning to feel the Borg implants as we speak. Posted By: Diane1020 Date: 3/5/2010 5:34:27 AM   (Updated: 3/5/2010 8:28:37 AM) Alex is probably a good person, but an EMT can't save a life with creative writing. For me the problem is that when people hold other people's lives in their hands they should have a better grip--on reality! Just saying...... Posted By: ChefJeff Date: 3/5/2010 12:29:31 PM "...the flesh of trolls, roasted over bonfires of donated guitar fake books." GREAT metaphor. I'll see your metaphor and raise you an analogy: Posting in this thread is like teaching a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

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