Reading List for 2010... part 1

This is pretty simple - these are the books I plan to read over the next few months. Suggestions are always welcome!

AW Tozer - The Pursuit of God

CS Lewis - Screwtape Letters

Jonathan Kozol - Savage Inequalities

Stephen Lawhead - Patrick

Francis Bremer - John Winthrop: a Biography

Aron Nimzovitch - My System

JRR Tolkien - Children of Hurin

GK Chesterton - The Man Who Was Thursday

This is just a beginning, and I will be including more in the coming months and weeks. Some I have read before, but I think that it would be arrogance to believe that I have gleaned all that is to be gleaned from a single, or even a dozen, readings of the great works such as these.

Budget Guitars... Gotta Love Em

So I just got another guitar. For anyone keeping track, that makes five electrics and two acoustics. So people might ask, "My, how do you do it? How can a recent college grad afford that many beautiful guitars?"

"Buying budget instruments," I would reply. "Ignore the Gibson's and Fender's of this world, and look for something that is quality, but lower cost."

"Where would I look for something like that," would be a logical reply.

"Funny you should ask," is the response, as I supply a great link to a great sight that sells very reasonably priced electrics online.

http://www.rondomusic.com/

I just grabbed a used Agile AL-2000 in 2 Tone Sunburst. It has had a few cosmetic changes, but the only sonic upgrade is the pickups being swapped out for a set of Guitarhead's "Zbuckers" which retail for $50 a set online. So if you wanted the same thing, you'd be looking at well under $300 with the new pickups, shipped.

Yes, that is nearly $200 cheaper than a comparable Epiphone LP Standard Plaintop. Yes, the pickukp upgrade actually makes the guitar substantially better than a stock Epiphone LP Standard. Yes, I have done an A/B test with both of mine, and yes, this is no exaggeration.

If Stratocasters are more your thing than Les Pauls, let me highly recommend the Squier Deluxe Stratocaster. The pickups are very nice for a $279 guitar (new). The nicest Strat I have ever played that was under $800 was the Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster, though. These things are so well made it isn't even funny. At $350, they are well priced, too. If you can do without the "Fender" headstock shape, check out the SX SST line on Rondo's sight. Very nice, may need a little work to mod it to perfection, but I have only heard good things about them when they are modded out, and set up. Rondo also sells some very nice Telecasters under the Agile line.

Anyway, today's lesson is that tone comes from your heart and your hands, not the price tag of the axe that you are playing.

Chess: the Game of Kings

So I have been getting back into chess a lot lately. Towards the end of my student teaching assignment, I helped coach the HS team - and man, was that fun. Even after the assignment is over, I am still hanging out Tues/Thurs evenings with them, helping them to grow as players. And, not surprisingly, in the process I am getting back into "chess-shape" myself.

Couple of notes for anyone who plays:

1. Look me up as "dgmisal" on chess.com - I play live games there (usually with a 10-15 minute time control) and would be willing to play internet "postal" chess, too.

2. Grab a copy of Nimzovitch's "My System" for your personal reading and edification. Preferably the 21st Century Edition, I think it is called. It's blue and white, and uses algebraic notation, thank God.

3. Play as much as you can! Every chance! You only get better with practice... so do it!

Anyway, just a heads up. I have been running a lot of Pirc Defense games lately (or KID if Qpawn) with the Black pieces, but working on a White repertoire... any advice, chime in!

Here's to the New Year!

Just a short post - I have been away for awhile, and haven't written like I would have liked.

I have finally completed my student teaching at Millersville, and actually have time to write again. It's kind of nice, now that I think about it. However I will keep this short and sweet.

In 2010, I will be doing weekly updates, and focusing a little more on education topics, as I search for a job locally in the schools. Of course I will be continuing with philosophy and religion - specifically, I will be walking through some of the writings of CS Lewis, such as the Great Divorce.

I will also be working on a pamphlet/book, dealing with Christianity and postmodernism. I may prepublish some of the chapters/sections here on the blog.

Anyway, more to follow - hope someone is reading this out there!