anodyne

i use d'addario 9s on my les paul and 10s on my es-335. i use light gauge elixers on my acoustic (i think they're 11s). when i played in a hardcore band, i used 12s on my les paul.

i've never seen a Les Paul Standard for under $750, but my studio would go for about that much. i have an older black beauty studio with covered pickups that i got for a song. my favorite guitar in this price range is the carvin dc-127 as far as dual humbucker guitars go. i regret selling mine to buy a "dream guitar" that just wasn't anywhere near as good as the old carvin.

i LOVE my carvin acoustic. the cobalt series are really affordable, high quality, low price. definitely look at www.carvin.com before you buy.

i loved DORIAN GRAY. i assigned it to my world history class two years ago. when they found out the author was gay, it sparked a GREAT class discussion. i'm reading i'm 1/3 through it and so far it is a very good read. the statistical methods are a little suspect and the prose a bit repetitive, but an insightful book nonetheless.

i just ordered up the new Jim Loewen book on sundown towns. that should be interesting. i loved his previous works. right now, i'm rereading a lot of stuff i haven't looked at in a while. up next is WE by zimyatin. it's what orwell admitted he was ripping off when he wrote 1984.