I just noticed that it has been ten years since I discovered the SoundClick community and joined. It has been a lot of fun putting up my music and listening to yours. I think the opportunity to share our music beyond our own physical boundaries has been a very cool thing. Most of us on here are amateur musicians and mostly play local gigs. We have had a chance to listen to folks from all over the world and to be listened to by folks all over. We all listen to and model our attempt at music making from the pros. But the true magic of music is the ability it has to move all of us and to make us want to participate in its creation. I appreciate all of my SoundClick friends. You all are the best.

Like a lot of musicians, I'm always browsing the music stores and pawn shops and looking at instruments. A couple of years ago, I found a nice Alvarez MF80C, which is an acoustic electric cutaway in the Masterworks series, in a pawn shop and definitely liked its sound. They also had a nice Sigma acoustic electric. I have a friend in Mountain View, Ar, who was interested in the Sigma so I bought both guitars at the same time. Wanting him to be able to hear the guitar, I recorded Dos Guitaras, playing the lead on the Sigma and the harmony on the Alvarez and posted the song on line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmvj6Fjftzo

I was listening to an interview with Frank Partnoy on public radio today about derivatives on Wall Street and how the brokers and people creating these things and selling them have hoodwinked so many people. The "insurance" that AIG has sold and now lost out on is nothing more than gambling. Now we, the taxpayers, get to cover their losses. Wish I could get a deal like that. The only derivatives I have are those songs of mine that probably sound like something I've heard before. At least the public doesn't have to pick up the tab for them. Don

I just dropped $15, including tip, at a place called Red Robin (America's Gourmet Hamburger Joint) in the Avenue Carraige Crossing Mall in Collierville. I chide myself for not being willing to try new resturants, so, batching it tonight I decided to try this one. For my money, I got good service, a Wendy's burger, only bigger, a diet coke, and some steak fries. For about $5 less, I could have gone to Belmont Grill and had the best burger in Memphis and better fries and equal quality diet coke. Or, I could have gone to Red Sun Buffet and had the incredibly delicious Mongolian Grill. Or, two! footlong Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches at Lenny's. I really don't know why I try these corporate come- ons. They consistently let me down. Just give me good food at reasonable prices. This ain't New York. Don

Yeh, that's me, a world away and a lifetime ago. Now look at me. The one thing that's assured is time's gonna pass. The only suggestion I can make is the one I've taken. Keep on pickin'. Learn what you can, use what you can and leave the rest. Don't let baggage overload you. Oh, and when you cover a good song, make the thing your own. When someone hears yours first, it's the one that sticks. Don