Guitar Notes Vol. II

  • Bad now doesn’t mean bad forever
  • Something that’s hard now – playing individual notes – doesn’t mean hard forever
  • Really listening and enjoying the music makes you play better
  • Your fingers will tremble. So. You have played hard stuff in that reality.

An unfortunate aspect of school is being forced to learn things for less than compelling reasons. Since the reasons aren’t hugely inspiring, and since being “forced” to do just about anything stirs rebellious urges, it’s easy to dismiss the thing itself as unimportant. Maybe good to know for a stellar grade, but little else. This is an understandable conclusion. It’s also sometimes terribly incorrect, like in the case of vocabulary. You seem to already understand this. Congratulations! So absorb this book not for better grades, not for a tilting of college admission probabilities, not even so you can seem (and be) intelligent, but because language mastery is foundational to understanding and communicating. Possession of these intertwining skills provides a rightful confidence boost to connect with anyone, anywhere. And human connection, I dare say, is the apotheosis of compelling reasons.

Pay attention

to what you most enjoy blaming people for: it’s probably an area where you enjoy giving yourself credit. For if something is not blameworthy, doing its opposite is not creditworthy.

 

 

less an indication of lacking skills than it is the simple indication that you care about whatever is to follow.

If you are primarily

known as an employee who takes notes, you probably are filling time trying to do something valuable, you probably aren’t, and you probably should be fired/your job shouldn’t exist.

Vow now

to always let another car in. Even if you are late. Even if you are tired.

There are places to get mad at others. This is not one of those places. By being selfish you save yourself, what, 10 seconds all while capitulating to unreasonable anger. Instead, show reasonable mental equanimity and train yourself to care about what actually matters.

All men are terrible.

All women are manipulative.

There are no good guys out there.

Women don’t know what they want.

Etc.

It’s easier to be angry than sad.

re: Testosterone

  • T produced by Leydig cells in the testes
  • T decline = hypogonadism. Causes:
    1. Leydig cells impaired or
    2. Control glands in the brain are not informing Leydig cells to produce enough T
  • For #1:
    • LH & FSH: hormones that exert influence over sex glands
    • When these levels are high, the pituitary is correctly trying to get T up, but it’s not happening, hence leydig failure. You would see low T and high FSH/LH in this situation
  • For #2:
    • T is low AND LH/FSH are low. The message to produce more T isn’t being sent. (CG is something to do in this scenario)
  • Aromatase converts T to estrogen and goes up w/ age. Too much estrogen can reduce production of T
  • Free T is 2-3% of total T
  • Estrogen high = SHBG high
  • T high = SHBG low
  • SHBG binds to T and limits free T
  • Can run into issues where injections spike T, but a disproportionate share is converted to estrogen, so the T to E ratio actually worsens even though total T is high
  • Patches/pellets may be superior because they don’t cause spikes

re: Buying a Car

  • Rust on rocker panels
  • Did they already start the car before you showed up? A bit suspicious
  • Check the date on the tires. Four digits. Week and year of manufacture
  • Use penny for Lincoln head tire test
  • Oil leaks under car
    • And then open car and see if there is oil splattered around the engine
  • Are all the panels the same color? If not, maybe an accident.
  • Check oil: not burnt or low
  • Check transmission fluid (yellow pull): not burnt or low
  • Low brake oil may mean the brakes are worn (but they could just top it off)
  • Antifreeze: should be green or pink NOT oily
  • Stitching coming off on soft top?
  • Check trunk rust underneath cover panel
  • Check windows
  • Check stereo
  • Check ac/heat

 

How did you arrive at this number?

It sounds like there’s no movement?

You’ve been very generous. It sounds like there’s nothing more you can do.

 

  • Find out what you can do w/ assessed value for taxes. Is assessed value less than purchase price? If so, can you just fill $0 in for purchase price and pay the assessed value?
  • Be careful with license plates. Probably won’t forget this lesson. It’s fine to leave them on, but make sure you 100% know what is required to transfer plates.