Chronicles of a Late-Blooming Child Prodigy

Kicking off a year in Afghanistan

2011-07-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings All! Here's the first of my Afghanistan blog posts. Survived the FT Lewis-Bangor Maine-Leipzig Germany-Bishkek Kyrgystan-Kabul Afghanistan odyssey and now live in a pretty decent barracks at Kabul International Airport.

Most importantly, my fiddle and mandolin arrived intact. Well, sorta--my fiddle suffered a broken e string but is otherwise as fit as a ... bassoon. :) I intend to post some tunes here, just as I did back in '04-'05 from Mosul, Iraq. If there is one thing this country needs more of, it's music.

Also brought my small wooden travel chess set. Great for taking your mind off your circumstances and focusing it on crushing the ego of the hapless chap sitting on the other side of the board. Or getting your own ego crushed. Either way, there is no such thing as a "friendly" game of chess. I play for pints of blood. B Pos, please.... :P

The chow is pretty good, although the discriminating palates among us bemoan the British emphasis on beans. It keeps body and soul together, so I have no complaints. The free wireless connection at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation tent is a boon to the spirits. A daily check of Facebook, mail and news does wonders for the spirits.

I wasn't on the ground 24 hours before I made my first foray into Kabul to visit the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (a neat meeting with a bit of spleen venting from ministry representatives and humanitarian do-gooders) as well as the US Embassy in Kabul. The Embassy occupies some pretty nice buildings within walking distance from ISAF (although you are accosted by ragamuffins trying to sell you scarves if you're on foot). Their gift shop has enough spirits to float a rowboat. No wonder those State Dept folks are so relaxed.

More to follow! --GT

Lunch with International Fellows of the War College

2011-02-16T05:20:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to sit down with a group of 25 international students of the War College for lunch at the American Lake Club. My table included colonels from the Lebanese, Kenyan, and Japanese Armies. This was a rare occasion in which I had personal stories related to all three nationalities (Lebanese instructors in Arabic at FT Bragg in '98; a six week mission to Nairobi, Kenya in '99 and repeated trips to Japan to work with the Japanese Self Defense Forces). Enjoyable!

The opening volly of 2011 Blitz Chess!

2011-01-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

Yama Sakura 59 Mid Planning Conference

2010-07-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

Spending a week in Hawai'i with I Corps and fellow Japanese soldiers in preparation for our big annual exercise in Camp Kengun, Japan in February. I enjoy working with the Japanese. Hard workers and a great sense of humor!

Facebook interface with Hipcast

2010-07-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

In addition to scouring the house for old photos and videos, I'm looking into ways to post all my Hipcast audioblog work to Facebook. FB is a great repository for family media and is the most active of all the media sharing utilities on the Internet.

Visiting with Sarah and Paul Koerner

2009-07-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

Finally, after 3.5 years of Naval Postgraduate School and Korea, I'm back home! Two granddaughters were born during my absence: Brynna and Amara. We're enjoying a short visit with them in Mitchell, SD before settling down to nice, predictable life in Olympia, Washington.

Wrapping up the Marathon

2009-06-13T01:11:00.001-07:00

The Army sent me to Naval Postgraduate School in January, 2006. I kept the family back in Olympia, Washington in order to help my sister overcome the harsh aftermath of our father's suicide back in Jamestown, Ohio--the third death in our immediate family and the second by suicide.

This is perhaps the best assignment in the Army--earning a Master's Degree on the Army's dime in Monterey, California. Those 18 months were very rewarding personally and professionally. I earned a Master of Science in Low Intensity Conflict while playing acoustic music downtown, sharpening my chess game at the NPS Chess Club (thanks Professor Arquilla!) and my public speaking skills with the NPS Toastmasters Club (Thanks Carl and Arnie!).

That 18 month "geographical bachelor" stint was followed by a two-year assignment with the 2nd Infantry Division in Uijeongbu, South Korea. Again, with the family remaining home to look after my sister. Another professionally rewarding assignment with the US Army in a great organization. Time to return to Olympia, Washington to resume duties with the Army's I Corps at Fort Lewis. Finally, I can come home from work and sleep in my own bed!

Tolle's GeoBio using Google Earth

2009-03-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! Figured out how to add a Google Map with geotagged photos to my blog. Scroll to the bottom and check it out. I used www.trippermap.com to add this functionality to Google Earth. I geotag existing photos at www.flickr.com with precise locations where I took the picture, then post them to the map. My goal is to do this for all my photos. Imagine spinning the Google Earth globe and having a story that takes you from event to event in your life. Ties all those shoeboxes of photos together into an autobiography of sorts. Nice to share with friends and family.

Martin Kirwan's and Temperance Reel in Korea

2009-03-13T03:13:00.001-07:00

Attempted this for the first time in Uday and Qusay's old palace in northern Mosul, Northern Iraq. It's a few days short of St. Patrick's Day here in South Korea so I thought I'd re-try it. It was a fav at the London Bridge Pub in Monterey, CA April '06 to June '07. :)

A Blackbelt in Taekwondo!

2009-03-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

Just last month I tested and earned my blackbelt (chodan) in Korean Taekwondo at Camp Casey, Republic of Korea. That was on my "bucket list" :) I encourage young Soldiers to take advantages of all the opportunities available to them in a typical military tour in South Korea. This place is the cat's meow.

Uijeongbu, South Korea

2009-03-07T20:42:00.000-08:00

Life is good in the Republic of Korea. I've been serving as the G9 (Civil Affairs Officer) for the 2nd Infantry Division since July 10, 2007. I'm rapidly approaching my 2-year mark and a happy return to Olympia, Washington and Fort Lewis. The two "extracurricular" things I'm taking away from the Land of the Morning Calm is (1) Taekwondo (earned my black belt last month) and (2) golf!

Blackbird Endgame

2007-07-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

I played black today against f4. I don't see that too often as black, so the battle ensued to a King-Rook v. King-Rook-Pawn endgame. On such dastardly spare pawns hang the fate of the board:

An aggressive King across the Mason-Dixon Line (due to some disadvantageous exchanges by my opponent from India) figured prominently in the pawn push. "Git there the fustest with the mostest."

White's exchange at 70 proved fatal and ensured a safe corridor for my knight's pawn.

Endgame study is interesting and time well-spent!

ICC Blitz 17 Move Mate

2007-06-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

This Sicilian came as a shock to both me and my 1660-rated opponent on the Internet Chess Club (ICC). Notice black's unhinging at 13...Nd4 (disregard the "#" as chesspublisher incorrectly thinks it's a checking move) and mate four moves later with the shifting of a single pawn:

What made this all the more interesting was the time constraint: 3 minute blitz. Thinking under pressure devolves into pattern recognition, and may the player with the most internalized patterns win!

ARGH!

2007-05-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Brian Anderson, United States Marine Corps, vs. Glenn Tolle, United States Army:

A nifty checkmate that served me right for permitting two consecutive forks. I will spend this week flagellating myself in preparation for the next match!

Competent Communicator

2007-04-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

This Friday I gave my 10th and final speech out of the Toastmasters Basic Communication manual, earningn me the "CC" award. I've been working toward that goal since joining the Naval Postgraduate School Toastmasters Club in July '06.

The entire Toastmasters program is perhaps equal to earning a Masters degree in Public Speaking. The amount of work required to reach "Distinguished Toastmaster" is considerable and should not be taken on half-heartedly. In fact, nothing worth doing in life should be done half-heartedly, right?

My 10th speech was entitled "Roads." I talked about key roads in my life, including US 35 South, leading away from Point Pleasant, WV. My '73 Pontiac Ventura caught fire on that road in the summer of '79. I made the front page of the Point Pleasant Register! Feels good to survive such things and look back years later from a comfortable vantage point.

Pirc Punishment

2007-04-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

Alas, the Pirc (pronounced "peerts") Defence is worth studying. The final game today against David Book at the NPS Chess Club is a study in Goodwill donations of spare bishops:

Duh. Utterly blunderlicious. I'm convinced that the path to high ratings is littered with occasional wreckage such as this!

Back to the drawing board (here's a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirc_Defence

Cheers!
GT

Tolle vs. Arquilla, Round 3

2007-04-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

My third crack at the NPS Chess Club Godfather, Prof. Arquilla, resulted in "Death by Caro-Kann (ECO B12--Caro-Kann, Advance Variation). Result=Tolle sleeps wit da fishes.

7. h3 gave my opponent a free pawn. Such freebies tend to haunt you in the end game, usually in the form of a renegade pawn racing to the back rank on the King side supported by a couple of rook goons. Also, 20. ...Ne3 proved to be an lasting thorn in my flesh until an ignomious concession before move 40. (The game actually lasted a few more moves than what is posted, but you don't have to drink the whole gallon to know that the milk is sour. Bleechh...)

I'll be better prepared for the next Caro-Kann!

--GT

Sneaky Little Checkmate

2007-03-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a second interesting game played on the Internet Chess Club "Dos Hermanos VIII" blitz tournament. Some checkmates are easy to overlook---this one I pulled off while so low on materiel that I was resorting to the King for help:

A whole-board scan that answers the question, "is my King in immediate danger?" should be the mantra of every move. :)

"Get a Little Better Every Day!"

--GT

ICC Tournament "Dos Hermanos VIII"

2007-03-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

The "Dos Hermanos VIII" tournament on ICC has drawn such luminaries as Magnus Carlsen, the boy wonder from Norway, and Alex Lenderman, of "Kings of New York" fame. I'm just a humble 1100 rated blitz player, but that doesn't mean I'm immune to passing flashes of semi-brilliance...

Here is a hard-fought game that earned the bitter ire of my 1700+ opponent after he stuck his knight in the wrong spot:

The surprise checkmate at the end earned me a stream of accusations of cheating that I found irritating yet amusing and complimentary. I was rated 600 points below him, so that might have precipitated the vitriol. Too bad some people don't "Win with grace and lose with dignity" as Susan Polgar so aptly puts it.

Chess Publisher: Tolle v. Kirpekar 1 Mar 07

2007-03-03T13:37:00.000-08:00

This game is the NPS Chess Club debut of my new DGT Tourmanent Set. Fellow NPS student Ulhas Kirpekar sat down at my computerized setup and gave me a run for my money through move 25. Fritz 10 (dynamically rating the game as we played on the DGT board) registered an advantage for me at that point, namely, the opportunity to pin his rook to his king.

Being a restless blogger, I searched the net for a convenient way to display the game here on Blogspot (I will post significant wins AND losses here, lest this degenerate into unwarranted chest-thumping), and found a nifty blog-friendly Portable Game Notation (PGN) publisher called "Chess Publisher." The two best things about it are (1) it works and (2) it's free! Here is the game, complete with diagram:

Many thanks to my friend Ulhas for the game, and to the author of Chess Publisher!

DGT Tournament Set!

2007-03-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

OOOoooooo baby! I just received my DGT Tournament Set (Rosewood USB board, Ebonized Professional Chessmen, DGT XL clock, black case) from the House of Staunton. The software loaded seamlessly with Windows XP, and I promptly lost a game to Fritz 10, who announced his moves in English from my dual core Dell Inspiron e1705 laptop. The pieces are feather light--almost like balsam wood, but the computer picks up the moves as soon as you can make them. If you make a mistake or overlook a check, Fritz will tell you emotionlessly to put your piece back to its original spot. I'll take the set to the Naval Postgraduate School Chess Club today to hook it up to a smart board and let the laptop record the moves. Ah, the wonders of digital electronics.

Blindfold Chess

2007-02-05T16:25:00.000-08:00

How does one train for blindfold chess without a second party moving the pieces? Perhaps voice recognition software would be a step in the right direction, but so far, "Move Bravo 3, Capture Charlie Four" doesn't sound very appealing, unless you have lost the use of your limbs and that was your only means of playing computer chess.

The ability to visualize and track multiple positions without the benefit of the chessboard and pieces must be the product of tens of thousands of games and incredible mental discipline. I think the ability can be developed---one just isn't born with it. As with any skill, it's 10% talent and 90% hard work.

More on this later...

Sergeant@Arms Phone Blogging!

2006-12-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

At today's NPS Toastmasters' Meeting, I tried phoneblogging from the lecturn, and it worked! Check it out.

powered by Audioblog.com

Now, on to videoblogging...

www.chessmaniac.com

2006-12-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

Central California's Chessmaniac is an excellent correspondence chess site on par with the British Schemingmind chess site. One of the great features I like in Chessmaniac is that you know who is online, and you can instant message them to accelerate your games. This is especially helpful in quick tournaments. Getting little graphic medals beside your user name is a nifty motivator. (My user name on Chessmaniac is Dienekes--the main character in Stephen Pressfield's novelization of the Battle of Thermopylae. Getting wiped out was the theme there, and this theme unfortunately surfaces in my chess play as well!)

If you like chess, go there and check it out. If you have homework, don't go there. It will pull you in and your grades will suffer!

2006-11-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

GT's Mobile Blog!

2006-11-21T07:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, I fell for it. Blogspot has a new Mobile Blogger service where you can blog straight from your camera-capable cell phone. I made a test post, and it works great! Now, if I could integrate that with my audioblogs, that would be sooooooo 2007....

District 4 Contest

2006-11-21T07:07:00.000-08:00

No win this time! The competition on Saturday, November 18th was tough. But I have the satisfaction of knowing now what to expect in the next contest. A more detailed writeup by our NPS Toastmaster Emeritus Carl Thormeyer can be seen at the NPS club blog.

Pardon me while I get ready for the next one. :)

NPS Toastmasters Club

2006-11-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

NPS Toastmasters Club

Our NPS club has its own blog now! We're soooo 2006 now.

Division A Toastmasters Contest

2006-10-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Lightning struck thrice on my shiney noggin--I won again against increasingly tough competition. I'm now the Division representative for the District #4 Humorous Speech Contest on November 18th, the day before my 45th birthday.

Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of rhetoric! Grrrr bark!

Toastmasters Humorous Speech Contest

2006-09-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

The Toastmaster's Humorous Speech Contest at my local club (Naval Postgraduate School Toastmasters Club #2032) piqued my interest, so I participated on 18 August and surprised myself. Yesterday I proceeded to the Area-Level contest in Salinas, California where lightning struck twice on my shiny dome. Lo and Behold, I'll head to the District-level competition in Aptos, CA on 7 Oct. Thanks Carl, Arnie and Rachelle for the encouragement and seasoned critiques!

The contest yesterday was organized by a team of about 16 Toastmasters who pooled their collective energy and commitment to excellence and produced a very professional event! I was impressed. The level of effort surprised me--folks are really serious about doing well in Toastmasters International.

Several of the team met afterwards in the Ellis Restaurant in Salinas to do a military-like "After Action Review," to examine what worked and what didn't. No wonder they pulled off a quality event.

The Clap Dance / 69th St. Polkas

2006-07-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

Adapted from the Lifescapes Celtic Fiddle CD, track #14

(http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/203)

The Clap Dance is also known as the Rattlin' Bog and the Sixty-Ninth Street Polka is also known as The Galway Belle or Tom McVicar's. Very session-friendly tunes in D and E Dorian, respectively. When strung together with "Britches Full of Stitches" in A, you have a pretty darn good polka set. If someone did the gypsy tamborine thing on 69th St., it would be soooooo cool...

My timing on this tune leaves room for improvement, but as with the other recordings, it is a quick mark on the wall before racing off to class. :)

Schemingmind Chess Team

2006-07-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

WWW.SCHEMINGMIND.COM is an outstanding site for correspondence chess. My user name is gtolle. Since I'm on email daily, making some chess moves over a cup of coffee has become routine. This clever club-oriented chess site has every variant you can imagine and the user interface is the best I've seen.

I started a team called "Weekend Warriors" and we are currently playing a team on Schemingmind called "No Expectations." I've forgotten how fun chess can be. Some of these players are reminding me how painful it can be, too!

Sevens (tenor banjo)

2006-07-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

My tenor banjo attempt at Liz Carroll's Lost in the Loop tune. The session-friendly version taught by Josie Solseng in Olympia, Washington is my angle of approach (trying to replicate Liz' version faithfully is beyond my current tenor banjo powers!)

Wise Maid, Tenor Banjo, Caffeinated.

2006-07-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Wise Maid Reel on Ernest T. (my tenor banjo) after a triple shot latte. Tenor banjo requires a pinky stretch that isn't required on a mandolin or fiddle, and it is uncomfortable until you've done it regularly for a month or two.

Waldorf Mayfaire

2006-05-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

The Monterey Bay Charter School held its 10th annual "Waldorf Mayfaire" yesterday. The staff invited local Celtic musicians to play for the event, and I tagged along. We played from 11 to 4, with a free lunch break. Several youngsters got a generous dose of enthusiastic acoustic music, and a couple even danced a jig or two. A good time was had by all.

Contra Dance at the Monterey YMCA

2006-04-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

A local group called the Crabapples hosted an open mike contra dance at the Monterey YMCA last night. Initially the musicians outnumbered the dancers, but the balance of power shifted after the first hour. A lot of fun. Anyone learning an instrument should get out and help play for one of these events in whatever capacity they can. (There were even a couple of trumpet players in the mix. They sounded great!)

The Portland Collection tunebook is where the Crabapples pulled a majority of their tunes. The second volume is out, along with accompanying CDs. The neat thing about contra dance tunes is that they draw heavily from standard Irish session tunes. Whacking two acoustic birds with one bow, if you will. :)

Out on the Ocean (Jig)

2006-04-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

Fiddle, Key of G. Someone dinging a triangle on the B part lends a little nautical ambiance to the tune. I played it through twice. The second time seemed to clear out the early morning cobwebs. :)

How to Podcast my Tunes

2006-04-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

If you use Apple iTunes, here is how you can listen to a "Podcast" of my fiddle, mandolin, banjo and guitar tunes:

1. copy this link: http://gtolle.audioblog.com/rss/zen_fiddler.xml
2. switch to iTunes
3. click the Music Store menu link
4. click the Podcasts menu link
5. click the "Publish A Podcast" icon
6. paste my link into the field named "Podcast Feed URL" in iTunes.
7. click the Continue button and follow any additional instructions iTunes provides.

Now you have a handy collection of my audioblogged fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo MP3s on your iTunes player. Not that anyone will buy these anytime soon, but it is a neat way to share tunes over the internet.

Now I've got to get back to my homework. Cheers, GT

London Bridge Session in Monterey

2006-03-25T09:55:00.000-08:00

The Monterey Bay area has a lot of music happening all the time, much like Olympia, Washington. A new Irish Session venue is about to kick off Wednesday nights, 8pm-10pm at the London Bridge Pub and Restaurant. I talked to the manager of the London Bridge, and Marc Rush, the local lead for the "Clifford-Hoban Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann" has put out a general note to local Irish musicians. We'll get this train rolling and see where and how far it takes us.

First session is this Wednesday, the 29th of March. It will be a nice weekly break from college!

BBC Virtual Jam Session

2006-03-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

The BBC Virtual Session is the best internet jam partner I've found. Folks who play at Irish sessions look for inspiration from all quarters, both online and off. If you can't get out to enjoy Celtic music in its natural habitat, then this is a good alternative.

The tunes are grouped by type (Reel, Jig, Hornpipe, etc.), and are all played three times through. You can print out the tune, and control the playback so you can go over that particularly difficult reel as many times as your sanity will permit.

Whoever put this together, kudos. You guys rock.

The Galway Hornpipe

2006-03-23T16:11:00.000-08:00

Fiddle, Key of D. I heard Florie Brown play this on "Best of Irish Fiddle." Man, it sounds great when SHE does it. :) This is my first attempt--you veteran sessioneers let me know if you even recognize it.

St. Pat's at Monterey Youth Center

2006-03-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

I had the good fortune of playing with an enthusiastic local céilí band for an Irish dance recital at the Monterey Youth Center. A lady by the name of Shannon (who actually competed against Michael Flatley in Irish dance) led her youthful students through several numbers in a nicely decorated community building adjacent to the park. It was a fun evening and a fine way to cap off another great St. Paddy's Day.

The jam rolled right along, courtesy of Shirley and Robin on fiddle, Cory on guitar, and Laura on mandolin. Yours truly did the Dr. Seuss thing and played the fozzlewonkers and bingleboppers in the background. I'd like to play again as soon as possible (who said you can't keep up the St. Pat's musical momentum?)

Nostalgia time. Two whole years ago, I celebrated St. Pat's at the Task Force Olympia Civil-Military Operations Center (CMOC) in Mosul, Iraq. A fellow Civil Affairs officer, MAJ Stephanie Gerber, organized the shindig with decorations and green tea. A local oud-playing youngster named Bilal joined us, and he got his first (and hopefully not his last) exposure to Celtic fiddle and mandolin.

The Olympian newspaper ran a cover story that day back home in Washington that focused on the human side of the campaign in Iraq. My music-loving friends from Olympia sent me all sorts of small musical instruments (harmonicas, tin whistles, kazoos, etc.) which I distributed to children in Northern Iraq.

As you can see, St. Patrick's Day has special meaning to this soldier...

Sailor's Hornpipe in Monterey

2006-02-20T20:09:00.001-08:00

Sailor's Hornpipe ......attempted on the FIDDLE >argh< This tune is tougher to fiddle than mandolize, where the slide to the upper register is a challenge of monumental proportions to a chronic first position player such as myself.

Time to kick off the audioblogging season with a few standards. I've fallen in with an enthusiastic Old Timey / Bluegrass / Celtic crowd here in Monterey, and it's motivating me to expand my meager repertoire.

Drop me a comment and let me know if you recognize the ol' Popeye theme tune. Perhaps someday they'll figure out how to allow audioblogs in the comments, so that you seasoned fiddlers out there can share a few variations with me.

Old Timey Jam at Central Avenue Bakery

2006-01-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

Not only are there Irish sessions to be had, but I also had the good fortune to sit in on an Old Timey / Bluegrass jam at the Central Avenue Bakery and Cafe in Pacific Grove (next door to Monterey). There used to be a time when folks would gather and play music, and use it as an excuse to get out of the house and socialize. As one salesman said in Edwards Music in Fayetteville a few years back, "The day of the back porch picker is over." (That chap had a lot of Kurt Cobain garage band merchandise, and a limited acoustic collection.)

As long as there are fingers and strings, I think folks will find an excuse to rally and share a tune or two--even if there are a hundred cable channels to choose from.

Monterey Irish Sessions

2006-01-27T06:33:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness, the Monterey Irish Session scene is alive and well.

Heading to a new locale and finding folks who dig acoustic music as much (if not more) than I do is very encouraging. The "3rd Sunday Session" at Santa Cruz and the "4th Thursday" jam in Monterey spoke the same acoustic language as my friends up in Olympia, Washington. Anybody wanting to learn this particular musical idiom has plenty of resources to draw upon.

And now, back to my homework. :)

A Fellow Soldierly Blogger / Muse / Musician

2006-01-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

Remember the old putdown--"You don't get paid to think. If you were, you'd get paid a lot less!" Here's a fellow soldier and old friend who should be paid a lot more for his thinking.

fides quaerens intellectum: Eighteen Years in the Army

Rock On, Joe.

Celtic Guitar Forum

2005-12-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

Finally, I found a spot where I can share a few ideas on the 12 string guitar:

Celtic Guitar Talk.

Celtic Guitar Hero El McMeen posted there, so it must be a pretty good forum. :)

Irish Tenor Banjo, Wind that Shakes the Barley

2005-10-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

Meet Ernest T., my old/new four-string Irish Tenor Banjo. Tenor banjos are fun to pick, and are tuned the same as mandolin and fiddle (an octave lower, naturally).

The Blarney Pilgrim Jig, 12 String Open G

2005-10-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

First cut, using my Ovation 12 string in Open G. I'm gonna have fun with this one. :)

GT's Mosul Collection

2005-10-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

These are the 35 fiddle and mandolin tunes I recorded in Mosul, Iraq (Jan 04 to Jan 05). I would fire up my laptop first thing in the morning and record a tune before PT. When they sounded fair enough, I'd publish them to my blog. This little regimen worked wonders for stress relief, and gave me something to look forward to during those long months in the Tigris River Valley. The tunes are arranged from oldest to newest. You know you are at the end of the playlist when you hear Turkey in the Straw (November), God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Joy to the World (December). Enjoy. :)

Mary Had a Little Bluesy Lamb

2005-10-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

Children's tunes are a fun romping ground for a slide guitar. :)

Muddy Waters meets Earl Scruggs

2005-09-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

My Ovation 12 string tuned to open G and subjected to the whims of a glass slide and hybrid picking (flatpick and fingers). I like this little ditty, so I'm going to work on it a bit.

Adams County, Part II

2005-09-23T04:48:00.000-07:00

Just back from emergency military leave. I visited Locust Grove Cemetery again, this time to bid farewell to my father, Berlin. He and my brother Gary are buried side by side now.

Times like these militate against picking up a musical instrument, but I think music will have an important part in working out my grief in the months ahead. More audioblog entries to follow.

Adams County, Ohio

2005-08-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Once in a great while, Uncle Sam allows me to return to my home town, and visit all my kinfolk in Greene County and Adams County. My mother, Madge Ann Tolle/Jones, is buried in Wilmington (Clinton County), so I took time to stop at her grave site and pay my respects.

My grandparents, Grace Jane and Herman Tolle, are buried at Locust Grove Cemetery, in Adams County (between Locust Grove, where my dad Berlin went to school waaaaay back in the Jurassic Period of Ohio), and Peebles. My brother, Gary, is also buried at this cemetery.

While looking for their grave sites at Locust Grove, I happened across a relatively new grave site that really saddened me. An elaborate tombstone bearing the pictures of SSG Omer T. Hawkins from the Adams County area, and his Marine father sat between my brother's and grand parents' grave sites. SSG Hawkins had been killed in Iraq on 14 October, 2004. I had just returned from Iraq in January, where a car bomb almost took me and my fellow troopers out, in Mosul, on 11 December, 2004--less than two months after SSG Hawkins died.

When you see where these young troopers are buried, it makes you re-think the war. I trust that folks in charge take time from their hectic schedules and ponder the many lonely gravesites across America, where nearly 2,000 American troops lie. If Congressmen and women and other high-ranking politicians had to bury their own children, they would be less enthusiastic about ordering Americans off to distant battlefields.

Drowsy Maggie in Waikiki

2005-07-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a good way to start the morning here in beautiful, sunny Waikiki--kicking off with a little Drowsy Maggie on my trusty ol' Martin Backpacker Mandolin. This feller's been around the world, most recently in Mosul, Iraq, Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Kumamoto, Japan. :)

Perhaps the rich and useless youngsters puttering around on the sidewalk below on their geeky looking Segways would benefit from a little back porch musicianship? Who knows...

Waikiki--Again

2005-07-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

This is the third time that the Army has sent me to Hawaii. Once to Schofield Barracks, and twice to Waikiki for conferences / planning sessions. This time around, I have some Japanese officer buddies from the Japanese Self Defense Forces (JSDF) helping me to plan an exercise in Kyushu, Japan (southern most island). Kyushu, incidently, is where Nagasaki is located

I was in Kyushu in April for an initial planning conference, and my good friend Lieutenant Colonel Takano (Judge Advocate General Corps, JSDF--lawyer), arranged for me to visit the cave where Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman in Japanese history, sat down and wrote the "Book of Five Rings." The samarai penned the small book in his sixties, to reflect on just why he won over 60 sword duals in his lifetime. American business picked up on this little tome in the '80s, during the "What the Japanese are Doing Right" educational blitz. Apparently, the Japanese thought this amusing, since the book is not really a metaphor for business tactics, but a manual on how to "cut a man down" with a long sword and short sword. It does lend itself well to the imaginative lecturer.

Back in the University of Phoenix Saddle

2005-06-20T06:13:00.000-07:00

After back-to-back flyaways to Japan, Ohio, and Thailand, I'm ready to continue work on my MBA with the University of Phoenix. My current class, Accounting 539, promises to obliterate many a blissful evening and weekend. (During my recent trips to Japan and Thailand, it was very difficult to get online and work on my Economics 533 class. After three straight As, I pulled a C+ for that one. What can I say? Being a globe trotter and an MBA candidate does stretch one's limits.)

Once I'm over this academic hump, I'll crank out some more audio blogs with fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo. In the mean time, check out some of the other posts. They're standing up to the months rather well. :)

-- GT

Dan Crary at Music 6000

2005-02-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

It's nice to be back in the States. Especially when one of your acoustic guitar heros show up for a workshop at a local music store. Dan Crary has been sitting behind an acoustic guitar since 1952, when he was 12 years old. All those decades of practice sure paid off--he makes that Taylor six-string of his talk. He and Beppe Gambetta worked through an assortment of polished flatpicking tunes, and fielded questions from all us picker wanna-bes.

The best advice of the evening regarded practice. Dan said you don't need five hours, three hours, or even an hour. Ten minutes of focused practice with a stated goal is worthwhile progress. You have to be specific about what you want to accomplish (e.g., the first two measures of a tune), then once you achieve it, tell someone about it to reinforce what you learned, and gain psychological momentum from achieving something worthwhile. That alone was worth my five bucks. (Well, that and the mazurka Beppe picked out with Dan's accompaniament...)

I had a chance to shake hands with this tall chap after the workshop, and told him abou the Olympia Irish Session donating musical instruments to children in Iraq. "That's great! Thanks for sharing that with me."

Home in Olympia, WA

2005-01-29T06:55:00.000-08:00

I'm home! Time to change the strings on the acoustic arsenal. Got a lot of pickin' and fiddlin' to catch up on...

Reflecting on a Year in Mosul

2005-01-15T02:20:00.000-08:00

We're at the one year mark in Mosul, and it's time for a quick recap:

Hundreds of boxes of school supplies, toys, clothing, and musical instruments have been distributed to dirt poor families and schools throughout Mosul and surrounding towns. The musical instruments were courtesy of fellow Celtic aficionados in Olympia, Washington, and fans of the Chiff and Fipple website.
Made a lot of friends among the Iraqis, primarily the interpreters. These guys and gals are just like us--they want to make a living, raise families, bounce their grandchildren on their knees, etc.
My fiddle and mandolin have survived intact, and now a lot of troopers know that there is a bald major with a mustache who haunts the palace late at night with Irish tunes.
It has only snowed once here--back in February.
Several troops and civilians and Iraqis have come and gone, and some are gone forever.

Mosul is about to hold elections along with the rest of the country, whether CNN believes it or not. They don't know everything--the camera has a magnetic pull to anything violent or out of the ordinary. The thousands of good news stories that happen every day across the country get eclipsed by the occasional barbarism--but rest assured, we're winning.

Tolle's Resolutions for 2005

2005-01-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

After spending nearly all of 2004 in Mosul, Iraq, I hereby resolve to eat, sleep, breath, and bathe in acoustic music when I return to Olympia, Washington. Too many guns, not enough music in Iraq.
I will not place myself in a position where I'm forced to watch ESPN. Our makeshift gym had ESPN piped in 24 hours a day, and I watched the same over-priced professional athletes getting richer and romping around the primo vacation spots of the world, while we uniformed few held back the tide of Muslim fanaticism in Iraq. I wouldn't walk across the street to shake hands with any basketball player or golfer, but I would for a 19 year old kid who left home for several months and took shrapnel or a bullet while serving his country. They are the true role models, along with the teachers, law enforcement officers, and firemen in the United States.
I won't sleep on a blow up mattress this year when I get home.
I won't eat anything fried for at least a month when I get back.
I'll spoil my little girl and have real quality time with my wife.
I will vote at the drop of a hat to keep anything that looks like a mosque from being built in my neighborhood. (Have you ever found stockpiles of explosives and machineguns at the First Baptist Church or St. Martin's downtown? I think not.)

Just a few things to think about in the coming year. You don't realize what you appreciate until you're taken away from it for a year.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Senator Kerry stopped by for a visit at the palace. Stripped of the media glare, he's actually an affable and courteous chap. But remember--this is the same guy who called his Hollywood buddies "the heart and soul of America," while the rest of us were dodging car bombs downtown. If Hollywood, that bastion of make-believe, were to be swept away in a tsunami (not an impossibility, considering its location), I think America's heart would continue to beat. But then again, that's my opinion, I could be wrong. (Sorry, Dennis Miller!)

Mosul Fights Back

2004-12-27T23:56:00.000-08:00

It figures--you post a Christmas tune, and it's followed by a horrific suicide bombing in a mess hall. My own observations of this are as follows:

99% of the good folks in Mosul are still happy that Saddam isn't in power. The other 1% had their privileged position stripped from them, and they hate us for it.
Once in a great while, the rats get lucky, but their rate of survival is Zero. (The mathematical concept of Zero was invented by the Arabs)
Mosul is fighting back, both Americans and Iraqis. What Al Jazeera doesn't want you to know is that we are winning, and Iraq will have elections as scheduled.
America's own history is somewhat parallel to what we are experiencing here. Remember Valley Forge and the struggle for independence? What most Americans forget is that Washington lost several thousand revolutionary troops to the elements. His circumstances were much graver than what we are facing in Mosul, and he won.
The enemy is in it for personal gain, through any means possible. The thought that everyone in Iraq will have a free voice and equal access to the blessings of liberty is repugnant to them.

It's tough, but things worth achieving usually are. Stand by your troops no matter what.

--GT

Joy to the World

2004-12-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

(Fiddle) Nice one to tinker around with on the fiddle. In fact, all the Christmas tunes are fun to tinker with.

It was chilly in my palace office this morning, so it's a bit short!

Time for Christmas Tunes

2004-12-02T04:56:00.000-08:00

Ah, December. Time to break out the Christmas tunes. This time last year, I had played fiddle at a Christmas play at a church. Now that nearly a whole year has passed in Iraq, it's time to expand the repertoire.

The Christmas tunes this year will be played in the foyer of Uday and Qusay Hussein's old palace in Mosul. It's called "Qasr Arimeh" (Castle of Spears--the pointy kind, not the Brittany Spears kind). It's vaguely gratifying to play traditional Christmas tunes on a plaintive ol' fiddle in a castle that was originally erected to gratify the excesses of a couple of ruthless (and now dead) Iraqi gangsters. How the wheel turns.

I've downloaded MIDI tunes to all my favorites, and am systematically getting them under control on the fiddle (my definition of "under control" is recognizable to the average listener). Everything comes out with a Celtic or Bluegrass flavor, which is of course by design. :)

I have about a dozen to record, ("God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is already posted), so keep your eyes peeled.

Mosul, Iraq could use peace on earth, and good will toward men right now! That's why we're here...

Cheers,
GT

Turkey of a Tune

2004-11-25T07:38:00.000-08:00

(Mandolin) Here's a good one for Thanksgiving.

Steve Kaufman did "Turkey in the Straw" on his Four Hour Bluegrass Workout. Sure makes it easy when you hear someone play it slowly. Late blooming child prodigies need all the help they can get. :)

By the way, the Arabic word for Turkey is "Alisheesh"

Happy Thanksgiving! --GT

Boy Scout Troop 989

2004-11-20T05:35:00.000-08:00

Big Kudos to Eagle Scout Candidate Carl J. Todd and Boy Scout Troop 989. They recently sent 14 boxes of school supplies for Iraqi children. The postage alone was almost $400!

The Boy Scouts of America are an organization worthy of the nation's continued support. The
efforts of the ACLU to have military support withdrawn from the Scouts is embarrassing. There are a number of reasons why the Scouts have been under attack by the Far Left and other unsavory characters:

1. Belief in God is anachronistic and odious to "progressive" thinkers. (There are no athiests in Iraq, my friends. Get shot at and have friends die, and you will acknowledge both God and the Devil. It might be good for the ACLU to spend some time over here and find out first hand why every branch of the service has a Chaplain Corps.)
2. "Morally Straight" is much too restrictive---you should allow "gay" scoutmasters! (shudder)
3. Principled children might grow up some day and allow the 10 Commandments back in the classrooms. Perish the thought.

Good luck on your Eagle Scout project, Todd--and keep up the great work, Troop 989.

-- GT
Mosul, Iraq

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

2004-11-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

(Fiddle) Believe it or not, it's time to work on the Christmas repertoire.

This is an E Minor-ish tune that goes well with "What Child is This?" (Greensleeves). It just sort of flies naturally off the fingerboard.

Morlocks and Eloi

2004-11-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

Coming to Iraq from the United States is like stepping into H. G. Wells' Time Machine. The Eloi (those effete, perfumed lovers of all things soft, cuddly and un-warlike) sit at home, saddened that their figurehead John Kerry didn't get elected. Their number one gripe is that the Global War on Terror is unneccessary and needs to stop, or they might be required at some point to join an unsavory fight.

Those of us stepping off the plane into the "underworld" of the counterinsurgency in Iraq are confronted by the mortar slinging, destructive, vengeful Morlocks, ever on the prowl for American and British flesh.

It would be easier to just ignore the wardrums and dwell peacefully beside the river with our Democrat-voting Eloi friends, but as long as there are increasingly sophisticated Morlocks seeking to destroy all that is civil and tolerant, we have to do something about it.

What really annoys me is that this insurgency business is taking away valuable time from art and literature (yes, I suppose I'm an Eloi in American Morlock's clothing.)

Mind Tools

2004-10-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

Mind Tools is a super collection of cerebral tools for the working man. Tim Allen's plaintive cry, "More Power!" is answered here, for the thinker. The collection of mnemonic tools is impressive, as well. If anything, it will provide you some party tricks to astound your friends.

Twenty Years in the Army

2004-10-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally made it. Twenty years ago today, I kissed my wife goodbye and got on a jet in Columbus, Ohio and made my way to Columbus, Geordia. I've been wearing Army green ever since. The intervening years have been interesting:

Two shooting wars in Iraq.
Peacekeeping/training deployments to Kosovo, Kenya, Kuwait, Korea, and Kentucky.
Four trips to the NTC at FT Irwin, CA and two trips to JRTC at FT Polk, LA.
Three tours in Fort Bragg, culminating in over 70 static line parachute jumps.
Surgery in two different Army hospitals.
Three children born on two different Army posts.
Six months of Arabic language instruction at FT Bragg.
Survived ass chewings from Private First Class to Major, much to the surprise of friends and foes alike.
Over four years spent away from home in exercises, schooling, and war.
Mother, brother, and several Army friends passed away during the last two decades.

It's been a hard, but good ride. I'm ready to moveon.org. --GT

Olympia's Irish Cottage Fair

2004-10-24T05:36:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? The City Council is considering canceling the annual Irish Cottage Fair. That's not fair. The city invests a paultry $1,500 for this great event, which showcases lots of volunteer talent that doesn't have a spot in the Ethnic Festival. Lots of letters have been written already. I hope the Parks and Recreation chairlady reconsiders...

I was hoping to jump in and play some sort of Irish-type instrument at the next one with my Session buddies.

#1 Correspondence Chess Site

2004-10-21T00:30:00.000-07:00

When you are deployed to all parts of the world, keeping in touch with friends via a friendly, slow-paced correspondence chess game is a good idea. A website I discovered recently makes correspondence chess a breeze. SchemingMind.com is a web-based correspondence chess site that has a tailorable graphic interface, keeps track of several concurrent chess games, and even notifies your opponent via email when you make your move. You can play up to ten games free, or register for under 20 bucks a year for unlimited games (10 is currently plenty for me).

The Cost of Freedom

2004-10-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

In Mosul today, we lost two Civil Affairs troopers to a car bomb. They didn't know what hit them. What bothers me is that reports came back about a crowd of 50 or 60 gathered to watch my fellow Civil Affairs troopers burn in the fire. Apparently, nobody lifted a finger to help anyone in a US uniform.

If they had known that one of the Americans killed in the suicide attack had implemented several economic programs for the city of Mosul, perhaps they would have done something other than watch the fire. But then again, maybe not.

Ungrateful sons of bitches. Our magnanimity to these barbarians is wearing thin.

GI Bill Increase

2004-10-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, when I signed on the dotted line in Columbus, Ohio, I got a lot less. Uncle Sam put two dollars for every one of mine, up to a total of about $6,000 or so. Today, that would get me about two weeks into Harvard. Nowadays, folks are getting $36,000, which is approaching a respectable benefit. Now you can get through perhaps a year at Harvard, not counting Books, Lab Fees, Room, and Board! (I'll stick with the University of Phoenix for now, thank you.)

My son is getting this deal through the Air Force now. Way cool.

American trio wins physics Nobel

2004-10-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Leave it to smart bald guys to keep America in the Nobel Prize race. You just don't see Ted Koppel hairdos at these events. Is there a positive correlation between follicularly-challenged males and their intelligence quotient? Nah--Curly blows that theory out of the water. So much for my shot at a Nobel...

Quest for Univ. of Phoenix MBA

2004-10-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I've taken the MBA plunge. The University of Phoenix is my latest iron in the fire. What's with this sadomasochistic struggle for self improvement? (I inflict pain on both myself and the hapless recipient of my writing assignments.) Possible answers are:

(A) The current Global War on Terror (GWOT) has a nation building aspect that relies heavily on old-fashioned business savvy.

(B) Masters Degrees are today what Bachelors were 15 years ago.

or,

(C) A West Virginia GED just ain't gittin' it in today's corporate culture.

Remember, in multiple choice tests, C is generally a safe bet.

Hackworth Fire For Effect

2004-09-30T05:31:00.001-07:00

It must be nice to retire and open up with both barrels on such things as the
Jessica Lynch debacle. Big Roger, bubba. We have a bad habit nowadays of making heros/heroines out of victims. It's truly unfortunate what happened to PFC Lynch's convoy, but it was the culmination of a tragic series of errors. Recognize it for what it was, and don't spin it into something it wasn't.

Humaila is Famous

2004-09-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well well, lookie who's famous now. Humaila has done superb work for her country, even after her sister was gunned down in Mosul, Iraq. A very brave and committed Kurdish Iraqi. She's telling everyone in the States now how good things are getting done in Iraq, inspite of all the disproportionate attention paid to the negative.

I hope the rat bastards who shot her sister die soon and find out that there are NOT 72 virgins waiting on them, but 72 Virginians lined up to kick their sorry asses.

Middle East MilBlogs

2004-09-27T04:40:00.000-07:00

There is a story about GEN Eisenhower pulling key reporters in to lay out the plans for the D-Day invasion. He then warned the reporters, that if a single word of this hit the papers, they (the collected reporters) would be shot for treason. Funny thing--the papers were mum all the way to 6 June, 1944.

Military Blogging ("MilBlogging") is an interesting phenomenon in Internet Age warfare. Soldiers now have access to internet cafes, set up by commanders concerned about soldier morale. Email, pictures, video, and even fiddle, mandolin, and guitar tunes bounce instantaneously from geosynchronous satellites to families and friends on the other side of the world.

In some cases, these cafes become bleeding sieves for vitriol, where "reports from the front lines" become little more than mean-spirited indictments against the chain of command. The same chain of command, incidently, providing internet access to let young troops tell the folks at home that they're ok. (It's almost as if the 5th Amendment were printed on a Kleenex, so these soldiers [sic] could staunch the flow from their collective noses.)

Complaining in war is nothing new. In fact, General Holland "Howlin' Mad" Smith said of his bitching Marines on the eve of Iwo Jima that they were ready for a fight. Had those same Marines been given an internet cafe to vent their collective spleens, however, it would have been bounced off a gazillion computer screens in Tokyo.

Should the military be accused of jack booted censorship when a Private or Specialist (typically under 9 years old when this trooper was buttoned up in a tank in Saudi Arabian sandstorm in January, '91) bumps his/her gums about everything from autoerotica in the portapotties to the miseries of having his/her leave delayed? The chain of command has a right to be concerned when remarks run contrary to good order and discipline, and can possibly give an adversary encouragement that he's having an impact on morale.

This is not some Pollyannish call to ignore all the bad circumstances in war (and believe me, there are plenty), but a reminder to all troops that we shouldn't crap where we eat and sleep.

--MAJ T (2.5 year Stryker vet, currently working Civil Affairs in Mosul, Iraq.)

Army Considers Shorter Combat Tours

2004-09-27T03:51:00.000-07:00

Not a bad idea, if you ask me. (8+ months and counting) The folks really impacted by this are our Reserve and National Guard troops, many of whom return after a year or more and find that their job is gone. Shorter tours would help.

CNN.com - Report: U.S. Army eyes shortening combat tours - Sep 27, 2004

Saving the Smart Kids

2004-09-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

Accelerate that brainiac! (Being a Late Blooming Child Prodigy actually has its benefits: No jealous peer group in a public school to contend with!)

TIME.com: Saving the Smart Kids -- Sep. 27, 2004

Beeswing Hornpipe

2004-09-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

(Fiddle) One of Peter Cooper's tunes from the "Complete Irish Fiddle Player." He does a "Sean Macguire variation" that I dig, but I haven't quite got my fingers on it yet. Sounds very arpeggio-ish. (Is that a word? It guess it is now.)

Will Durant

2004-09-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

I bought Will Durant's "Story of Civilization" series in the '80s, not long after he and Ariel passed away. What a great student of what makes mankind and civilizations tic. Check out his website. Lots of good reading there.

Will Durant: A Life

Star of the County Down

2004-09-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

(Fiddle) A standard session tune and old classic. Can be played as a waltz (oom pa pa oom pa pa)

Karpov Chess School--in Kansas!

2004-09-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

Karpov's Chess School in Lindsborg, Kansas, is billed as "Little Sweden, USA." Karpov prepared here for his defeat of World Champ Kasparov. I bet this guy could smoke nut case Bobby Fischer now...

Tin Whistle for Iraqi Girl

2004-09-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

A tin whistle and a crochet'd sleeve for a neatly dressed Iraqi girl. Many thanks to the Columbia Street Session Band and other friends from Olympia, Washington who rounded up and sent all these musical instruments. I must have handed out 200 of these over the last eight months.

Listening to Whistlers

2004-09-09T05:12:00.000-07:00

This morning, at the newly-opened Al Erbeed Elementary School, south of Mosul, Iraq. I handed out the second shipment of tin whistles, harmonicas, and kazoos donated by my Irish Session friends in Olympia, Washington. My next project is earplugs for the parents! The kids didn't know what to make of their windfall. It certainly improved their opinion of these brown-clad, heavily armed liberators in their town.

Donated Instruments for Iraqi Kids

2004-09-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

After handing out dozens upon dozens of whistles, harmonicas, kazoos, and other toys for the Iraqi kids, good to hear that word is getting around. I hope those youngsters haven't driven their parents nuts or the goats away from the farm by now!

Boys of Bluehill Hornpipe

2004-08-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

(Fiddle) Listened to the "Best Irish Session Tunes" version, and the Matt Cranitch version, then took a crack at it. I dig the hornpipes. :)

Flowers of Edinburgh

2004-08-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

(Fiddle) Not sure if this one is a reel or hornpipe--seems like you can play it either way. Another Steve Kaufman tune from his Celtic and Bluegrass workouts.

One of these days, I'd like to go to Scotland and see the castle at Edinburgh myself, and hear Amazing Grace played by a bagpiper from the ramparts. A "must do before you die" kind of thing.

Staten Island Hornpipe

2004-08-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

(Fiddle) First crack at a new hornpipe. Hornpipes have a "HUMPty DUMPty HUMPty DUMPty" feel as you play them. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put this one back together again, I'm afraid. Hey, it's a "first crack" - so cut me some slack, Jack, while I get a snack in this Iraqi shack before the mortar attack. >wicki wicki scratch scratch, turban worn sideways, coping a menacing pose<

Get Up John

2004-08-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

(Mandolin) A cross tuned piece from Bill Monroe. I was inspired by the Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder Live version. (The gap between inspiration and performance is glaringly apparent, but hey--it's a start!)

Cross tuning for Get Up John (and that doesn't mean you try to get your mando in pitch while angry) is, low to high, F#A, DD, AA, DD. One website had the high strings at DE, but that didn't sound right to me. Check out the Acoustic Guitar Q&A column on cross tuning.

The Fiddler's Companion

2004-08-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

One of many Fiddler's resources. The tip of the iceberg.

The Fiddler's Companion

Internet Chess Club

2004-08-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

I dig chess (it's all part of the "Late Blooming Child Prodigy" motif). The Internet Chess Club and its "Blitzin 2" interface beats anything else I've seen. You can't help but improve your game here.

Internet Chess Club: "Where the Grandmasters Play Online Chess"

Sidebar: Too bad Bobby Fischer went off the deep end. He actually praised the 9/11 attackers and said America should have been "wiped out." Kudos to the Japanese for detaining him in Tokyo. Checkmate, loudmouth!

Haste to the Wedding

2004-08-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

(Fiddle) This is on one of the Corr's CDs. Sharon Corr plays it a lot better than I do (duh). A jig in the key of G. I'm working on the accompanying Brittany Speers tribute reel, "Hurry to the Annulment." :)

Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore

2004-08-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

(Fiddle) This tune came to mind while looking out over the Irish landscape at Shannon Airport, on our return flight to Iraq.

Sailor's Hornpipe, Tenor Banjo Style

2004-08-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Gold Tone Tenor Banjo CC-Tenor Video Sampler #3

Leave it to Folk of the Wood in New Mexico to have a ton of Quicktime clips featuring several of their high-end instruments (their Weber Mandocellos and octave mandolins can't be beat) and a very high-end picker. This guy's good!

Kesh Jig

2004-08-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

(Fiddle) So many jigs, so little time...

Sailor's Hornpipe

2004-08-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

(Mandolin) "I fights to da finich 'cause I eats me spinich..

Another mark on the wall. Acoustic travails indeed!

Be sure you have Macromedia Flash 7 installed.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley

2004-08-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

(Fiddle) Every Irish tune has something to do with barley now, doesn't it? :)

I was just warming up this morning (5am), so don't take this one too seriously!