I continue to find acoustic and electric guitars fascinating. I've dabbled in acoustic but hope to also get into electric. Electric guitars and basses are instruments unto themselves because the expansive flexibility of electrical and digital signals seperate them from being imitator of their acoustic counterparts.

Here is a product plug: the Line 6 Variax electric guitar and Variax electric bass are awesome pieces of instruments that mimic 25 and 24 historical string instruments respectively. I'm sold on the quality of these instruments. Among the sounds modeled are Fenders, Gibsons, resonator, acoustic guitar, banjo, sitar, upright acoustic bass.

Before I consider having one of these axes, I should get lessons and learn with an instrument fit for a beginner. Then I will see if this is for me. Otherwise I may not come to appreciate or understand the capabilities that these instruments allow. Line 6 markets these instruments as the "last bass [and electric guitar?] you will ever need." With the continual innovation in creating new guitars, one cannot definitely say "only." For me I would likely be satisfied.

The Man ... Google?

In recent news: Microsoft's suing Google. Google's brain draining Microsoft. At the same time Google & Microsoft are trying to overtake Yahoo's dominance in Asia. Note: China. Oh, corporate turf wars.

Is Google the next Microsoft? Will this startup tech company morph into a corporate giant? Let's compare: Google is a spry, young startup who's made web searching less painful. It is "in" enough to enter our daily speech ("googling" someone). In contrast, Microsoft has made our ability to compute somewhat painful. It is viewed as the Man, the Evil Empire; as it dominates the ability for businesses to operate. Jack Black in School of Rock would say "stick it to the Man."

Both companies latch onto bright minds. Both consume other companies and wield savy marketing to entered new markets. For example, Google ate Picasa & Keyhole; Microsoft ate Bungie (innovated creators of games like Halo). Certainly acquisitions are not uncommon in the industry; however Google's and Microsoft's efforts generate so much publicity and are adopted by so many users so rapidly.

Tangent: in the '90's, Bungie was developing Halo for the Mac primarily, until Microsoft offered to buy Bungie, an offer they could not refuse ($$$ & a part in creating the Xbox). Though Steve Jobs introduced Halo to the world, it was Gates who ran (away) with it.

Where will Google go next? It has a long way yet to become "the Man"-- people like it too much, yet it's influence is spreading... thank Google for blogger.com.

Ahhh, finally entered the blogosphere. All things have a reason even if banal. Therefore there is some significance to the blog title. Try guessing. ...wanted to have an interesting first entry but a start's better than none.

Hmmm...blogger.com has no copy, paste, cut, delete (as opposed to backspace) functions -- things one takes for granted in text editors.

Hello world!