I developed a rash on my legs when I was around 20. Red, scaly, itchy. The dermatologist said it was para-psoriasis and it would go away in time.

It did not. For decades I suffered with dry, itchy skin. And it spread over 80 percent of my body.

When I was 40 I went to another dermatologist and he said I had psoriasis. After some coal tar treatments which did nothing he stuffed me in a Light Box. UVB treatment. After a few weekly treatments I started to clear. I was almost completely clear after a few months. Then he retired and no one had light treatment. The rash returned and I suffered.

A year and a half ago I decided to stop suffering and go find another dermatologist. They took biopsies and diagnosed me with psoriasis. They offered self-injectables. That kind of treatment is often hit and miss so they tried me on a pill - which did nothing. Finally I found a place that had a Light Box and again, within a month of weekly visits the rash was in retreat.

Then my scalp started flaking. Then itching. Then bleeding. Then came the scabs and the pus. A year ago my hair started falling out. I'm now 80 percent bald. During this time I saw my two dermatologists They tried a few creams and antibiotics with no effect.

Then they brought in a more experienced nurse. She took one look at my scalp and her eyes widened with horror. Steroids and a new antibiotic were prescribed along with more biopsies. After two weeks with new medications my scalp is 70 percent clear.

I now have a new diagnosis: Eczema.

The scalp may be something different but the treatment is working. The doctor is unsure if the condition scarred my scalp so hair regrowth is considered a stretch goal. I'm keeping a good attitude towards this but decades of suffering could have been avoided if I had been properly diagnosed at 20.

Does the Strait of Hormuz need ships to protect it from Iranian aggression? All those important tankers need help getting through safely?

How about sending all those seized Russians yachts? Arm them with 50 caliber machine guns and drone jamming equipment. How about a nice rocket launcher and a mini gun? Maybe mount a few torpedo tubes just for good measure.

Then man them with MAGA members of the 101st Keyboard Division and some NRA Nut jobs. Make sure they fly some big tRUMP flags. They may not move very fast but the food should be excellent.








I meant this as comedy but I'm really starting to like this idea.

Doing something musical every day - working on it. I try to rotate what I play: my new (to me) Hagstrum Super Swede electric, my 12 string acoustic, my phony Fender bass. I'm building strength in my hands and callouses on my fingers.

(Maybe get a blister on your finger, maybe get a blister on your thumb.)

I learned to play guitar from my friends who were almost exclusively finger pickers. After all these I'm learning how to use a pick.

Real bass players don't use picks. (LOL) If I was playing METAL I might use a pick on the bass but... nay.

I've rewired my practice set up: an old laptop to play out songs plugging into a 4 channel mixer to practice with. I use headphones so I don't disturb my housemate. I have to remember to take of my sweater because I tend to sweat a bit when planing the bass. It's both physically and mentally demanding right now.

Sat down at an old and shitty keyboard I bought at Goodwill and started doing chords and scales again. My hands shook when I first sat down but I'm remembering my fingering from my piano lessons. It's for ear training. The lower registers just don't sound right but the upper ones sound in tune. Due to the way the keyboard is wired it's not the keyboard - it's my ears. I'm trying to retrain my brain so it knows that the sounds are actually okay. I'm trusting my electronic tuners.

Repaired old headset - so don't need to spend 150 dollars replacing it.

I checked out 2 small 4 channel mixers for functionality They were being thrown out at work. They work very well.

Checked dual channel 45 watt Crown amp. Again, being tossed at work. Both sides are good.

Checked out old speaker columns from my old band. Hey, they're ancient but they still work. Kind of wish they were smaller though.

( I will need to recheck one of the mixers and the amp after they fell off one of the columns. I should have known better than to place it up there. The columns are tall not super stable so when I bumped one the amp and mixer fell five feet to the concrete floor. The amp case got bent up so hammer and pliers were used to straighten it out. Retesting slated for Monday. )

Wired up new connectors for said amp and speakers. I need some more wire to finish the job. Slated for Monday.

Checked old microphone and cables. Still good. I've got more cables and odds and ends to check out.

Re-wired my ancient, 12 dollar electric no-name short scale guitar. I have no idea what brand the guitar was/is but I think it originally came from the 1950s and had two pick ups. It only had one when I found it in a swap shop in the late 1970s. The faceplate had been replace and the whole guitar had been repainted. It has a gold marijuana leaf painted on it. I had taken out the POS pickup that was in there and installed a no-name bass guitar pickup, replaced the tuners and the bridge. After removing an unnecessary and troublesome switch and replacing a stripped screw I plugged it in and it still works. Very punk sounding. New strings are on the docket. I'll add that to my 'play' list.

No, I'm not going to restore it. It sounds fun, it's easy to play and I don't want to break the magic.

Years ago, my brother wanted to learn how to play electric guitar. I had an old Stromberg Carlson PA amp (tube amp) that I lent him. It matched really well with my short scale guitar. Really rock n roll. He either lost it or threw it out. Similar models on EBay are going for 250 dollars. Gee, thanks bro. I'll be looking for another shitty tube amp to rock out with.