I Can't Make a Fist with The Cyst on My Wrist

...by Dr. Seuss (his as-of-yet unpublished masterpiece)

Yup - finally got some pictures of the evil thing growing on my left wrist - my wife thinks it's a new thumb, my son looks at it and goes, "ICK!", and one of the guys at work wants to know when I'm selling my guitars.
























This is why I'm not playing much guitar right now. When I bend my wrist at a 90 degree angle (necessary for 2nd Position Barre Chords) it hurts like heck.

Doctors don't even know where they come from, except from a possible injury on the joint which is where it is attached. And you can't just pop and drain it, because they just fill up again. So it HAS to be surgically removed. Fun.

Anyway, I felt like grossing out the lot of you who dare to look upon the beast that grows within.

Thanks to my Mom for taking the photos (she's the Ansell Adams of the family) - and thanks to Dad for giving her the digital camera for Christmas.

WCUW February 24th

Hi folks! I am tentatively scheduled to appear at WCUW, a local community radio station (located at Clark University) on Tuesday, February 24 on the "Under The Influence" show hosted by Valerie Sampson.

The show features interviews with local musicians, mainly focusing on their influences (obviously?!). Valerie has asked me to round up some of the music that has influenced me, along with some of my own music, so we'll be playing some of my own tunes, along with some of my heroes. I'll be bringing along some Black Sabbath, Kiss, Zappa, Sonny Sharrock, maybe some Mahavishnu Orchestra, King Crimson, and a few more.

I have a few songs of my own picked out, but if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know - leave a comment.

If you're in the local Central Massachusetts area, you should be able to pick up the show at channel 91.3. However, anyone can listen to a live stream of the show from the station's website. Here's the link:

WCUW

Just click on the "WCUW LIVE - Listen Now!" banner on the left of the webpage. That'll bring up a Live365 pop-up window - hit play and listen. Remember, this is Eastern Standard time (Boston, MA).

Hopefully I won't come off as a total goof-ball. Luckily, it's only radio, so you won't have to see my ugly mug for two hours.

Thanks to both Valerie Sampson, and Jeff Sampson (as she describes him - her "sort-of husband" who currently lives in Colorado Springs) - by the way - Jeff Sampson (who recommended me for the show!) is a founding member of the experimental ambient band, Embracing the Glass. You can find out more about his music, and other projects he's involved with at the Burning Shirt website. Burning Shirt is a small record label formed by Mr. Sampson, and mainly features music of an ambient and experimental nature. Check it out!

Hope you can all listen in!

Going under the knife...

No this is not the title of my new suicidal black metal project...

I have finally scheduled my cyst-removal surgery for January 30th. Oh boy. So not looking forward to it (I'm a big baby with needles, I.V.'s, etc.), but I do want to get this cyst removed. It really does effect my guitar playing, among other things. It's just a serious throbbing sensation constantly in my wrist (imagine having a small ball bearing under your skin right where your thumb meets your wrist). It's just THERE all the time.

Well, I do want to try to work on my Doom2 Variations recording, if at all, before the surgery. After the surgery, I'll be wearing a wrist brace for two months and won't be allowed to used my left hand for anything strenuous, so no guitar, no push-ups, no weight-lifting, etc.

Most likely, I won't be able to finish much of my recording, and it may be crappy anyway.

I think maybe this project was never meant to be. Here's my reasoning:

Number 1 - It's called "Doom", so it's probably doomed from the start.

Number 2 - my new guitar that I bought is a Schecter "Omen". How's that for a "bad omen?"

Number 3 - It's not just a few covers, it's a complete album of someone else's music. Well known music.

Number 4 - a few of my Internet buddies (and myself) have announced that I will be doing this music, so it may be jinxed.

I think I'm just being paranoid. Let's face it - crap happens. To everyone. And it could be worse.

I am just a big baby when it comes to medical stuff, so it's not as bad as it seems.

Well, just thought I'd spout off a bit. Let's see what I get done this weekend, if anything.

Ego Boost - 12-21-08

Okay, I've been a little bit down and depressed lately - can't play guitar with this stupid cyst, lost power for 5 days, holidays coming up (always get the holiday blues), so I need a boost. Yeah, I'm posting the latest numbers on downloads of my albums.

It's not like it actually means anything; it just makes me feel good that people like my music.

Here goes:

Bryson's Universe 4,222
Aetherial Art of Decay 3,541
Leprosia Doom 1,722
I Am Become Daevel 1,455
Dimaensia Nexus - Improvisations for the Ancients 816
Ugotllathath 733
End of an Era 727
1st iZ LaZt - The Daevellation Suite 588
Deus Fetor, Pt2 422
Loco-Motives 409
Cyberthief Strikes Again 126

Total: 14,761 downloads

Don't know why so few people have downloaded "Cyberthief". I actually like some of the tunes on that one. Some very weird covers. Very weird. And I think the production on it is actually pretty good, too. Oh well.

Well, the song titles are hyperlinks to get to the download pages, so go ahead and help yourselves.

I personally want to thank the 14,761 obviously mentally deranged people who have downloaded my albums. Please seek professional help. Really.

Dec 23rd Orthopedic Specialist

I am seeing an Orthopedic specialist on Dec 23rd - so the cyst will either be drained, or removed.  Oh, what fun it will be either way.  If they do drain it, there is a 50% chance that it just fills up again, so they may just remove it.  Or decide to leave it and show me how to work around it.  It isn't fatal or malignant or anything.  They're actually quite harmless except for the pain they cause.  Here's a good link:

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

See - not so bad.  Treatable.  And mine is actually quite small compared to others that I've seen online.

Thanks again to everyone for your support and who've left comments and encouragement.  I WILL get back to my guitar playing ASAP.

All projects on hold...

Well, all of my music projects are on hold for now - I have developed a ganglion cyst on my left wrist where the thumb meets the wrist joint. Not fun. Painful. Well, at least it is NOT carpal tunnel syndrome.

I will be seeing an orthopedic specialist later this month, so hopefully it will be taken care of soon.

Meanwhile, playing guitar will be a bit painful, and my fingers are a bit weak. I'll probably have to wait until the cyst is fully drained or surgically removed before I can actually play guitar to the best of my ability.

I will keep working on the basic audio tracks for the Doom 2 Variations, so I'll have everything ready for when I can play again. I'll keep everyone apprised as things progress.

ThanX.

Doom 2 - The Soundtrack

My next project is underway - I have chosen to do my own versions of the Doom 2 Video game Soundtrack. Based on the original music and actual MIDI files by Mr. Bobby Prince, I have begun re-arranging the tunes a bit, re-assigning some of the instruments with more symphonic and orchestral sounds, using better drum samples (Toontrack EZ Drummer!), and adding my own real guitar and real bass (here and there).

The music will not be as "metal" as my most recent projects have been. I'd like to remain as close to the originals as possible, keeping the original flavor, but beefing them up a bit with the various guitar parts. Some of the songs that are basically just simple backing with be used as vehicles for some guitar solos, which I haven't really played in a while, so it's time to do some "woodshedding".

I am pretty much going to include all of the tracks ("maps") EXCEPT one or two, depending on how much room I have on a CD. I may leave off the original INTRO, and just use the short "Intermission" track as the new intro. It really depends on how much room on the CD, and how lazy I get towards the end.

My thanks go out to original composer Bobby Prince, Sonic Clang (who did the Classic Doom 3 music), and I know there are a few other guys who were involved in the initial game music development. This music is a tribute to your art and skills, which I greatly appreciate.