Click on the picture to see it properly. I don't have time to figure out how Blogger.com handles image constraints. Standard HTML isn't working.
2008-12-25
How cute are we?
My brother Tom, myself, and my sister Jennifer.
Click on the picture to see it properly. I don't have time to figure out how Blogger.com handles image constraints. Standard HTML isn't working.
Click on the picture to see it properly. I don't have time to figure out how Blogger.com handles image constraints. Standard HTML isn't working.
2008-12-22
My 2008 CD
01. Ashes Divide - Keep Telling Myself It's Alright - 02 - Denial Waits
02. Ashes Divide - Keep Telling Myself It's Alright - 04 - Forever Can Be
03. Ashes Divide - Keep Telling Myself It's Alright - 06 - Enemies
04. Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight - 06 - Dreamworld
05. Rilo Kiley - Take Offs & Landings - 03 - Wires And Waves
06. Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous - 09 - Love And War (11-11-46)
07. Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous - 02 - Does He Love You?
08. Cream - The Very Best Of Cream - 20 - Badge
09. Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew - 06 - Keep It All
10. Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew - 08 - Pistachio
11. Spoon - Gimme Fiction - 07 - I Summon You
12. Paramore - Twilight - 02 - Decode
13. The Black Ghosts - Twilight - 03 - Full Moon
14. The Weakerthans - Purchased - 01 - Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure
15. The Weakerthans - Purchased - 02 - Pamphleteer
16. The Weakerthans - Purchased - 03 - Plea from a Cat Named Virtue
17. Bury Your Dead - Beauty And The Breakdown - House Of Brick
More about the CD later.
02. Ashes Divide - Keep Telling Myself It's Alright - 04 - Forever Can Be
03. Ashes Divide - Keep Telling Myself It's Alright - 06 - Enemies
04. Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight - 06 - Dreamworld
05. Rilo Kiley - Take Offs & Landings - 03 - Wires And Waves
06. Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous - 09 - Love And War (11-11-46)
07. Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous - 02 - Does He Love You?
08. Cream - The Very Best Of Cream - 20 - Badge
09. Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew - 06 - Keep It All
10. Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew - 08 - Pistachio
11. Spoon - Gimme Fiction - 07 - I Summon You
12. Paramore - Twilight - 02 - Decode
13. The Black Ghosts - Twilight - 03 - Full Moon
14. The Weakerthans - Purchased - 01 - Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure
15. The Weakerthans - Purchased - 02 - Pamphleteer
16. The Weakerthans - Purchased - 03 - Plea from a Cat Named Virtue
17. Bury Your Dead - Beauty And The Breakdown - House Of Brick
More about the CD later.
2008-12-17
American auto makers take note
Ford, Chevy, and Dodge should change their advertisements. They should give up on the "Our cars kick ass" idiom and try something like "Senate declines automaker bailout. Buy American you assholes."
2008-12-11
My latest PC upgrade
Here are the parts I bought for this last upgrade:
$189 - ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard
$173 - AMD Phenom 9950 2.6GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HD995ZXAGHBOX
$129 - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$129 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$119 - GeIL Evo One 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model GE24GB1066C5DC
$54 - ASUS Arctic Square 92mm Vapo Bearing CPU Cooler
$27 - SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q
$25 - LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30
-------
= $1018
This was spread over 3 paychecks, so it wasn't nearly as painful as you might think. I got the WD Caviar first, and found the larger Seagate on sale about 3 weeks later. Oh well.
Here's the CPU-Z validator link.
$189 - ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard
$173 - AMD Phenom 9950 2.6GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HD995ZXAGHBOX
$129 - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$129 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$119 - GeIL Evo One 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model GE24GB1066C5DC
$54 - ASUS Arctic Square 92mm Vapo Bearing CPU Cooler
$27 - SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q
$25 - LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30
-------
= $1018
This was spread over 3 paychecks, so it wasn't nearly as painful as you might think. I got the WD Caviar first, and found the larger Seagate on sale about 3 weeks later. Oh well.
Here's the CPU-Z validator link.
2008-11-25
New hardware today
At least I will have something to do while the servers are coming back up. I've ordered some new PC hardware that should arrive sometime in the next few hours. I hope to have the Windows machine running again before servers come back up.
The new specs will be:
AMD Phenom quad core 9950 2.6 GHz 125w CPU (I didn't get one of the new 140 watt models, they have been out of stock for weeks now).
ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe AM2+ 790FX Motherboard
GeIL Evo One 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
I'm still using my PNY GeForce 7800 GTX, and will probably continue to use it for at least another month before buying an nVidia 200 series. After that I'd like to get a quad-rack (or larger) LCD mount and a few more monitors, 2-3 for the main PC. The backup PC will probably stay at one monitor, but I'd like a rack large enough to mount an LCD television above the monitors. Yeah, I won't be spending a lot of time outdoors.
The new specs will be:
AMD Phenom quad core 9950 2.6 GHz 125w CPU (I didn't get one of the new 140 watt models, they have been out of stock for weeks now).
ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe AM2+ 790FX Motherboard
GeIL Evo One 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
I'm still using my PNY GeForce 7800 GTX, and will probably continue to use it for at least another month before buying an nVidia 200 series. After that I'd like to get a quad-rack (or larger) LCD mount and a few more monitors, 2-3 for the main PC. The backup PC will probably stay at one monitor, but I'd like a rack large enough to mount an LCD television above the monitors. Yeah, I won't be spending a lot of time outdoors.
Pandora Classic Rock
Pandora.com is pissing me off today (I usually love it). I used their "Classic Rock" genre as a starter for one of my channels, and it's putting up to 90's rock in there. Hey, I like a few Sublime songs, but nobody on the planet considers them classic rock yet. They just don't mesh well with the Beatles, the Doors, CCR, Aeorsmith, ZZ Top, Journey, etc.
I guess I should check to see if they have a decade restricted classic rock station.
I guess I should check to see if they have a decade restricted classic rock station.
WoW update
My main, BigGuyKills (Troll Priest), is level 79 and less than 600k XP from 80. I should ding about 2-3 hours after the server comes up at noon today.
A few PC crashes caused me to fall behind. I spent at least 1.5 days trying to fix the Windows machine. I spent another 4 hours getting the expansion DVD to install in Linux.
Seriously, is Blizzard unable to spend maybe $80k a year to hire a developer that ports WoW to Linux? They make something like 15 MILLION each MONTH just in subscription fees.
For anyone interested in WoW under Linux, The best solution for the WotLK expansion DVD is to mount it as root and copy the entire disk to the HD and install from there. If you use one of the more secure and user friendly installs like Fedora or Ubuntu, the command is:
sudo mount -t udf -o ro,unhide /dev/dvd /media/dvd
You will probably need to unmount the DVD first though, so this step may be required before the last one:
sudo umount /media/dvd
That command may need to be altered depending on the location of your mount points and devices. The /media/dvd directory is what worked for my Linux install, Ubuntu 8.04, Hardy Heron. Some distro's may need to know your UID. Get your UID with 'id -u' at the terminal. Then unmount the disk like above and run this:
sudo mount -t udf -o ro,unhide,uid=(number) /dev/dvd /media/dvd
Hope that helps. I know I'll probably have to check this post the next time I install Linux.
A few PC crashes caused me to fall behind. I spent at least 1.5 days trying to fix the Windows machine. I spent another 4 hours getting the expansion DVD to install in Linux.
Seriously, is Blizzard unable to spend maybe $80k a year to hire a developer that ports WoW to Linux? They make something like 15 MILLION each MONTH just in subscription fees.
For anyone interested in WoW under Linux, The best solution for the WotLK expansion DVD is to mount it as root and copy the entire disk to the HD and install from there. If you use one of the more secure and user friendly installs like Fedora or Ubuntu, the command is:
sudo mount -t udf -o ro,unhide /dev/dvd /media/dvd
You will probably need to unmount the DVD first though, so this step may be required before the last one:
sudo umount /media/dvd
That command may need to be altered depending on the location of your mount points and devices. The /media/dvd directory is what worked for my Linux install, Ubuntu 8.04, Hardy Heron. Some distro's may need to know your UID. Get your UID with 'id -u' at the terminal. Then unmount the disk like above and run this:
sudo mount -t udf -o ro,unhide,uid=(number) /dev/dvd /media/dvd
Hope that helps. I know I'll probably have to check this post the next time I install Linux.
Tuesday mornings suck
I am up, but the server is down. I hate weekly maintenance. This may be the worst part of working nights.
But at least Miranda Kerr is hot:
But at least Miranda Kerr is hot:
2008-11-02
My political post
I was reading up on issues at both candidates web sites. From them, have a few points that bothered me. I'm a Republican, and have seen nothing from Obama that would convince me to vote for him. Because of this, most of my views will be right-slanted.
From the Barack Obama web site about McCain: "giving $200 billion in tax cuts to corporations, including $4 billion in tax breaks to Big Oil".
I'm going to rag on Obama here. This is misinformation, something that Democrats use liberally (a superb pun) to falsely inform their undereducated followers (I reference the portion of Democrats that are undereducated and am not calling all Democrats undereducated). The $4 billion to big oil portion of this quote is designed to make readers think that a component of this plan was created just for oil companies. It wasn't. The $200 billion includes companies in every sector, and the plan was not designed to exclude any company or industry. Since it wasn't exclusive, oil companies are just some of the many that will benefit from this. Intelligent Democrats will probably see this as no big deal, but the uneducated masses that often vote Democrat because they want to continue receiving handouts will see this as proof that McCain is in bed with the oil companies. This $4 billion is brought up many times on the Obama web site. After the third time it just struck me as tacky. Such tactics should insult intelligent Democrats. It's like saying you need to be lied to in order to secure your vote.
Obama website: "John McCain has no plan to end the war in Iraq, and would keep spending $10 billion a month in Iraq"
Does anyone think McCain wants to drag out the Iraq conflict? Making sure Iraq can stand on its own is not the same as dragging out the war. Leaving premature could result in tragedy. If that happens, then all the sacrifice America has endured for Iraq could be for nothing. McCain is a vet, he has lost many friends in combat. Until I have had the same experiences (and I hope that never happens to me), I trust his perspective on war. The fact that McCain hasn't promised a fast withdrawal, like the public seems to want, speaks volumes about his character and beliefs.
What I don't like about either candidate? Taxes. They each promise tax cuts like that's the solution for all that ails America. It's my opinion that in this trying economic time, we should maybe keep taxes where they are or even raise them a bit in order to help fund the programs we need to get the country back on track. All the talk of tax cuts makes me feel like I'm just being told what they think I want to hear.
Energy: I think McCain has Obama beat by a slight margin. I think Palin has them both beat, and I was happy to hear her willingness to disagree with McCain in the VP debate with regard to northern shelf drilling.
I don't think we can "talk it out" with irrational world leaders. I think sanctions should be our primary leverage and they can come to us when they are ready to play nice. We should set limits regarding what we will allow and if they step over the line even slightly, we should be willing to use force.
Otherwise, I don't have a lot of issues with either candidate. I have reservations about both. Obama has a few things that scare me. McCain has a few things that disappoint me. But overall, I think we will be well served by either. I'm still going to vote McCain because I think he is a better leader and I think he is better suited to lead our country at this point in our history.
And for the record, Cindy McCain is a babe.
From the Barack Obama web site about McCain: "giving $200 billion in tax cuts to corporations, including $4 billion in tax breaks to Big Oil".
I'm going to rag on Obama here. This is misinformation, something that Democrats use liberally (a superb pun) to falsely inform their undereducated followers (I reference the portion of Democrats that are undereducated and am not calling all Democrats undereducated). The $4 billion to big oil portion of this quote is designed to make readers think that a component of this plan was created just for oil companies. It wasn't. The $200 billion includes companies in every sector, and the plan was not designed to exclude any company or industry. Since it wasn't exclusive, oil companies are just some of the many that will benefit from this. Intelligent Democrats will probably see this as no big deal, but the uneducated masses that often vote Democrat because they want to continue receiving handouts will see this as proof that McCain is in bed with the oil companies. This $4 billion is brought up many times on the Obama web site. After the third time it just struck me as tacky. Such tactics should insult intelligent Democrats. It's like saying you need to be lied to in order to secure your vote.
Obama website: "John McCain has no plan to end the war in Iraq, and would keep spending $10 billion a month in Iraq"
Does anyone think McCain wants to drag out the Iraq conflict? Making sure Iraq can stand on its own is not the same as dragging out the war. Leaving premature could result in tragedy. If that happens, then all the sacrifice America has endured for Iraq could be for nothing. McCain is a vet, he has lost many friends in combat. Until I have had the same experiences (and I hope that never happens to me), I trust his perspective on war. The fact that McCain hasn't promised a fast withdrawal, like the public seems to want, speaks volumes about his character and beliefs.
What I don't like about either candidate? Taxes. They each promise tax cuts like that's the solution for all that ails America. It's my opinion that in this trying economic time, we should maybe keep taxes where they are or even raise them a bit in order to help fund the programs we need to get the country back on track. All the talk of tax cuts makes me feel like I'm just being told what they think I want to hear.
Energy: I think McCain has Obama beat by a slight margin. I think Palin has them both beat, and I was happy to hear her willingness to disagree with McCain in the VP debate with regard to northern shelf drilling.
I don't think we can "talk it out" with irrational world leaders. I think sanctions should be our primary leverage and they can come to us when they are ready to play nice. We should set limits regarding what we will allow and if they step over the line even slightly, we should be willing to use force.
Otherwise, I don't have a lot of issues with either candidate. I have reservations about both. Obama has a few things that scare me. McCain has a few things that disappoint me. But overall, I think we will be well served by either. I'm still going to vote McCain because I think he is a better leader and I think he is better suited to lead our country at this point in our history.
And for the record, Cindy McCain is a babe.
2008-10-27
I'm not a fan of Howard Stern, but...
This is both funny and scary. Our future may be decided by the ignorant masses:
Howard Stern Audio clip about voters in Harlem.
Howard Stern Audio clip about voters in Harlem.
2008-10-24
Illidan down!
We killed Illidan! The last boss of Black Temple used to be the toughest boss in World of Warcraft (a new instance was added a few months ago that is more difficult than Black Temple), so we "beat the game" so to speak.
This is what we were pushing for. We wanted to hit this milestone before the next expansion hits in November. So I'm pleased.
This is what we were pushing for. We wanted to hit this milestone before the next expansion hits in November. So I'm pleased.
2008-10-23
I am putty in gadget manufacturers hands
This is awesome. Logitech has made an extremely authentic guitar-game-controller for Rock Band (I hyphenated those to keep that from being misinterpreted). It has rosewood fingerboard, metal frets, a wood neck, and metal tuning pegs. It even comes with a "gig bag" for the guitar, which I think is mandatory since this thing costs $250. The images make it look amazing. This is guaranteed to impress your friends when you head to their house to play.
But you are going to pay for that impression as you ride the bus to your friends house. When people see the guitar bag, they ask about it. You lose all the coolness of being a guitarist when you explain that it's a game controller for a PS3. HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA! NERD!
Anyways, they are even adding a new method of playing, the neck slider. As these things get more and more complex, will they reach the point that it would be easier to just learn to play a REAL guitar?
But you are going to pay for that impression as you ride the bus to your friends house. When people see the guitar bag, they ask about it. You lose all the coolness of being a guitarist when you explain that it's a game controller for a PS3. HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA! NERD!
Anyways, they are even adding a new method of playing, the neck slider. As these things get more and more complex, will they reach the point that it would be easier to just learn to play a REAL guitar?
2008-09-20
Another ding
My Human Pally on Frostwolf dinged 70 yesterday. That makes eight characters at level 70.
2008-09-15
Missing Media
I'm trying to make a proper list of all of my media, mostly CD's and DVD's. If you have any of mine, would you post a comment or send me an e-mail please.
Some of the ones I know that I'm missing are:
Sports Night (entire series in 1 collection)
Arrested Development Season 1
Matrix Revolutions
...and probably a few others. Thanks.
Some of the ones I know that I'm missing are:
Sports Night (entire series in 1 collection)
Arrested Development Season 1
Matrix Revolutions
...and probably a few others. Thanks.
2008-09-12
I love Lisa
Lisa is coming to SLC! October 28th. This is it, from the crowd I will catch her eye and thus will begin a lot of awesomeness. I've stated in the past that I've had a crush on her since I first heard her sing on Damien's CD's. I already have my ticket.
I guess Jason Mraz is closing for her. Meh. He's never really impressed me, but I can deal with it, so long as Lisa is there. And who knows, maybe Jason Mraz puts on an amazing live show. He just seems like a gimmick to me. Like he's singing to make money and not because he loves making music.
BTW, you can get Lisa's new album at her site. Costs just over 21 Euros after shipping.
I guess Jason Mraz is closing for her. Meh. He's never really impressed me, but I can deal with it, so long as Lisa is there. And who knows, maybe Jason Mraz puts on an amazing live show. He just seems like a gimmick to me. Like he's singing to make money and not because he loves making music.
BTW, you can get Lisa's new album at her site. Costs just over 21 Euros after shipping.
2008-09-09
My mother is the Kwisatz Haderach
Link, for anyone not familiar with Dune.
A brief layman's explanation is that the Kwisatz Haderach was able to see any place, any time. It meant they knew more than anyone else could know. This is the way in which I use it.
I honestly believe that mothers are given by God a special stewardship over their children, and are given insight into when to reach out to them.
This week was bad for me. I had setup a bill to be paid directly from my bank account, and then forgot that it would go through. This left me very low on money, like $20 to last me two weeks. But my mom called me from the grocery store and asked if there was anything that I needed. I said "no, I'm ok", but she kept offering, like she knew I needed something.
She doesn't do this often, and every time that she does, it's when I'm nearly destitute. One time I was completely out of money and food, but when I went outside that day, there were 3 bags of groceries on my doorstep.
There are only a few things in this world that I'm 100% certain of, and my mothers love is one of them.
A brief layman's explanation is that the Kwisatz Haderach was able to see any place, any time. It meant they knew more than anyone else could know. This is the way in which I use it.
I honestly believe that mothers are given by God a special stewardship over their children, and are given insight into when to reach out to them.
This week was bad for me. I had setup a bill to be paid directly from my bank account, and then forgot that it would go through. This left me very low on money, like $20 to last me two weeks. But my mom called me from the grocery store and asked if there was anything that I needed. I said "no, I'm ok", but she kept offering, like she knew I needed something.
She doesn't do this often, and every time that she does, it's when I'm nearly destitute. One time I was completely out of money and food, but when I went outside that day, there were 3 bags of groceries on my doorstep.
There are only a few things in this world that I'm 100% certain of, and my mothers love is one of them.
2008-08-29
Payday Friday
I'm making the mistake of judging the new Slipknot album while playing my Warlock.
For anyone that plays WoW, a Warlock, once properly geared (like mine is), is AN ABSOLUTE GOD in the game. It's not uncommon to have arrogant players attack me thinking I'm an easy kill. Those chumps usually end their life face down in the mud with me, at nearly full health, roaring my pleasure at their demise for all to hear.
So obviously I'm kinda in the mood for energetic music. Thanks Ryan, you goat. I also got the new B.B. King album and the new Theory Of A Deadman. I expect each of those to deal a solid amount of ass kicking.
Today I had a decent day at work. I've been getting further and further behind due to the disparity of workload between the first and second half of my shift. I can get a proper quantity of work done in the first half, but the second half is almost pure calls, which usually all end in new cases for my backlog, and none of my existing cases getting the attention needed to keep my case load from incrementing. We honestly need at least 2 more people to cover the second half of my shift and bring balance to the Force... err... I mean... make my job easier.
If you didn't get that last quote, watch more Star Wars.
But the last call I took was fun. It was for a problem with a tape drive, and the company was in Scotland. The cool part was that the person who opened the case was a woman. I'm a sucker for any GB accent, and a Scottish accent is nigh perfect IMO. And her voice was about as cute as a mortal could achieve. Add to all this that I was able to make her laugh on call made me feel like I'm less of a loser than I really am.
It's little things like that which can easily make my day or even make my week.
For anyone that plays WoW, a Warlock, once properly geared (like mine is), is AN ABSOLUTE GOD in the game. It's not uncommon to have arrogant players attack me thinking I'm an easy kill. Those chumps usually end their life face down in the mud with me, at nearly full health, roaring my pleasure at their demise for all to hear.
So obviously I'm kinda in the mood for energetic music. Thanks Ryan, you goat. I also got the new B.B. King album and the new Theory Of A Deadman. I expect each of those to deal a solid amount of ass kicking.
Today I had a decent day at work. I've been getting further and further behind due to the disparity of workload between the first and second half of my shift. I can get a proper quantity of work done in the first half, but the second half is almost pure calls, which usually all end in new cases for my backlog, and none of my existing cases getting the attention needed to keep my case load from incrementing. We honestly need at least 2 more people to cover the second half of my shift and bring balance to the Force... err... I mean... make my job easier.
If you didn't get that last quote, watch more Star Wars.
But the last call I took was fun. It was for a problem with a tape drive, and the company was in Scotland. The cool part was that the person who opened the case was a woman. I'm a sucker for any GB accent, and a Scottish accent is nigh perfect IMO. And her voice was about as cute as a mortal could achieve. Add to all this that I was able to make her laugh on call made me feel like I'm less of a loser than I really am.
It's little things like that which can easily make my day or even make my week.
2008-07-05
Two downsides of the 4th of July in America
#1. If you work graves, fireworks in your neighborhood during the middle of your sleep period sound like gunshots. If you are the type who owns weapons for home defense, this triggers a reaction that is not pleasant. Luckily, I realized what it was before I had even reached the key to the cable lock for my shotgun.
#2. Some kinds of fireworks sound remarkably like rain on my roof if the distance is just right. Unfortunately, I did NOT realize this until I was fully dressed and jogging outside to put the convertible top up on my car halfway through my sleep period. Damn neighbors!
The first point happened about four times last night, but only the first time did I mistake it for gunfire. The second point happened only twice. Can't wait for the 24th!
#2. Some kinds of fireworks sound remarkably like rain on my roof if the distance is just right. Unfortunately, I did NOT realize this until I was fully dressed and jogging outside to put the convertible top up on my car halfway through my sleep period. Damn neighbors!
The first point happened about four times last night, but only the first time did I mistake it for gunfire. The second point happened only twice. Can't wait for the 24th!
2008-05-21
I decided to pretend to be mature for a few minutes of my month by setting up a simple budget. I haven't done any semblance of a budget since about 2004. Since it's been so long, I didn't bother trying to look for my old spreadsheet, that would take forever and wouldn't be a wise appropriation of time. And you all know that I want to spend my hours at work making certain that I don't waste company time.
So I did what any modern person would do, I Google'd it. My search for "budget spreadsheet" returned the usual plethora of results. I went through about 5 spreadsheet downloads, and ended up liking the first result the best. Vertex42 was that version that I liked the best. You may also want to try the Microsoft "Template" site where you can search for budget related files. That site had some good and some bad. I didn't find anything in there that did more than the Vertex42 sheet, so I stopped looking after a while.
The Vertex42 sheet has everything that I need. The layout is nice, easily fits into the width of a standard medium resolution monitor (no side scrolling), has the more important top rows locked so they always appear on screen, and has plenty of rows to put in any expense you could think of.
I also messed around with an online budget system from Pear Budget. It's rather simple and easy to use. This system would be perfect for someone who wants to be able to manage the budget from more than one location (from work and home, or from multiple computers/PDA's/SmartPhones). The downside is that this is a paid service. But at only $3 a month, anyone that can afford an internet connection should be able to justify that cost.
The site is very well done, and I say that from a web developer's point of view. I've signed up for their free 30 day trial which I will probably convert to a paid account this Friday (payday). That way I can use it from the 4+ computers that I use at 3+ locations. Synchronizing a spreadsheet over multiple computers is a pain, and it tends to not get synch'd as often as it should.
After working through 3 budgets, the numbers show that I could save about $600 a month, leaving me with seven to eight thousand dollars in my bank each year. If that's the case, why am I always broke? I guess for it to work, I need to put everything in there, no matter how trivial. Then see where all that wasted money is being spent. Now I just need the motivation to do that much work. I'm hoping that it will come with time.
I'd like some other people's ideas and suggestions about budgeting. Post a comment with what you do, even if it's just to say that you use a standard spreadsheet. If you do use a spreadsheet, try the Vertex42 version and tell me what you think. I'm very interested to know if there is something that this sheet is missing.
So I did what any modern person would do, I Google'd it. My search for "budget spreadsheet" returned the usual plethora of results. I went through about 5 spreadsheet downloads, and ended up liking the first result the best. Vertex42 was that version that I liked the best. You may also want to try the Microsoft "Template" site where you can search for budget related files. That site had some good and some bad. I didn't find anything in there that did more than the Vertex42 sheet, so I stopped looking after a while.
The Vertex42 sheet has everything that I need. The layout is nice, easily fits into the width of a standard medium resolution monitor (no side scrolling), has the more important top rows locked so they always appear on screen, and has plenty of rows to put in any expense you could think of.
I also messed around with an online budget system from Pear Budget. It's rather simple and easy to use. This system would be perfect for someone who wants to be able to manage the budget from more than one location (from work and home, or from multiple computers/PDA's/SmartPhones). The downside is that this is a paid service. But at only $3 a month, anyone that can afford an internet connection should be able to justify that cost.
The site is very well done, and I say that from a web developer's point of view. I've signed up for their free 30 day trial which I will probably convert to a paid account this Friday (payday). That way I can use it from the 4+ computers that I use at 3+ locations. Synchronizing a spreadsheet over multiple computers is a pain, and it tends to not get synch'd as often as it should.
After working through 3 budgets, the numbers show that I could save about $600 a month, leaving me with seven to eight thousand dollars in my bank each year. If that's the case, why am I always broke? I guess for it to work, I need to put everything in there, no matter how trivial. Then see where all that wasted money is being spent. Now I just need the motivation to do that much work. I'm hoping that it will come with time.
I'd like some other people's ideas and suggestions about budgeting. Post a comment with what you do, even if it's just to say that you use a standard spreadsheet. If you do use a spreadsheet, try the Vertex42 version and tell me what you think. I'm very interested to know if there is something that this sheet is missing.
2008-04-19
Time for my monthly post
Nothing deep today, but I wanted to point out one reason why I'm deliciously evil.
When people complain about some headache they have, they are always looking for sympathy. If it's someone whom I don't love, like a stranger or a coworker, I mess with them like this.
I tell them that headaches don't bother me, because I have a high threshold for pain. Then sit back and watch them try to convey how enormous their pain tolerance is without sounding contradictory. You can't have it both ways, either your headache hurts and you have a normal tolerance for pain, or it doesn't because you're tough.
That's one thing about Americans that I don't get. Most of us take some kind of strange pride in certain things. Pain threshold is just one of them. Ask someone if they are any good with chopsticks. Holy crap! I have YET to find an American that will own up to sucking at chopsticks. It's like we have some desire to appear all sorts of cultured, and chopsticks are the litmus test. I can use chopsticks, and I can eat an entire meal with them. But I know my skills pale in comparison to what a 4 year old Japanese kid must have.
So, my question for this post: What other crazy things do we take pride in when maybe we shouldn't?
When people complain about some headache they have, they are always looking for sympathy. If it's someone whom I don't love, like a stranger or a coworker, I mess with them like this.
I tell them that headaches don't bother me, because I have a high threshold for pain. Then sit back and watch them try to convey how enormous their pain tolerance is without sounding contradictory. You can't have it both ways, either your headache hurts and you have a normal tolerance for pain, or it doesn't because you're tough.
That's one thing about Americans that I don't get. Most of us take some kind of strange pride in certain things. Pain threshold is just one of them. Ask someone if they are any good with chopsticks. Holy crap! I have YET to find an American that will own up to sucking at chopsticks. It's like we have some desire to appear all sorts of cultured, and chopsticks are the litmus test. I can use chopsticks, and I can eat an entire meal with them. But I know my skills pale in comparison to what a 4 year old Japanese kid must have.
So, my question for this post: What other crazy things do we take pride in when maybe we shouldn't?
2008-03-19
I love articles like this...
NPR reports that the oceans are not warming. This doesn't prove or disprove anything, but at least somebody isn't just jumping on the global warming bandwagon.
This world is amazingly resilient, and we are definitely destroying it, but we should proceed based on facts rather than fears.
This world is amazingly resilient, and we are definitely destroying it, but we should proceed based on facts rather than fears.
2008-03-01
My guild killed Kael'thas Sunstrider!
Most of you don't know how significant this is, but we killed Kael'thas Sunstrider, the last boss in Tempest Keep, It took us 3 weeks of trying, but now we have 23 raiders who are attuned to enter Mount Hyjal. Mount Hyjal and Black Temple are the only things left in WoW that our guild has yet to complete. After we beat the first boss in Hyjal, we can start on Black Temple.
We took a quick look into Hyjal, and tried the first boss. It was fun, more fun than I've had in an instance in a long time.
I'm so proud of our crew, I feel like a parent after their kid won some otherwise silly award.
We took a quick look into Hyjal, and tried the first boss. It was fun, more fun than I've had in an instance in a long time.
I'm so proud of our crew, I feel like a parent after their kid won some otherwise silly award.
2008-02-22
More Ding!
A few weeks ago, one of my friends in WoW typed this in guild chat:
Well, this week Scott made that into a strip for Ding!
Well, this week Scott made that into a strip for Ding!
2008-02-02
Ding! is up!
You can view the first strip here. The female character in that strip is the one named after my Paladin, LilGalKills. Hisuji, from the second strip, is the name of one of the other officers in our guild, and a good friend of mine. In case you didn't know, Hitsuji means "sheep" in Japanese, and a Mage in WoW can polymorph enemies into sheep, making them lose control of their character for a short time. In the comic, Hitsuji "collects" enemy players.
There are 3 comics up right now, and more on the way. The third one, with the pumpkin, actually happened to our guild a few years ago. We raided an alliance area, and at one point we hid in a pumpkin. Anyone who looked would see that we didn't fit, but it surprisingly worked out for a while. Everyone was already in complete silly mode, so the whole thing generated far more laughter than it warrented. The last panel of that comic should have several giggles coming out of the pumpkin.
There are 3 comics up right now, and more on the way. The third one, with the pumpkin, actually happened to our guild a few years ago. We raided an alliance area, and at one point we hid in a pumpkin. Anyone who looked would see that we didn't fit, but it surprisingly worked out for a while. Everyone was already in complete silly mode, so the whole thing generated far more laughter than it warrented. The last panel of that comic should have several giggles coming out of the pumpkin.
2008-02-01
Trying to 'asplain WoW to a non-player: Part 1 - Getting Gear
The short answer: Nothing else can provide so much entertainment for $15 a month. Very few things in my life can provide more joy or more frustration. Of course, the lows are usually me swearing at the screen and pounding my desk. The highs often result in me silently smiling at what I/We've done. If you have tried it and didn't enjoy it, there are good odds that you've been "presented" it in the wrong way, or you have already made up your mind that you wont like it, or a combination of the two.
The long answer: We need some term like "Muggle" to describe those who don't play. Maybe Wuggle? Does that mean anything that I'm not aware of? With my luck it's some slang that only those deep in the drug underground would know, and my blog is now being "watched" by the government.
Well, for all you wuggles out there, World of Warcraft (or WoW), is the single greatest creation in the history of mankind. Sliced bread truly sucks in comparison. The wheel is only a "meh" when placed next to this technological wonder. Over 10 million people play, about 1/4 of those are in the US. It works out to be about 1 in 120 people in the US that play WoW, and that number is rising. Each of those people pay $15 per month to continue playing. That works out to be about 150 Million dollars a month that Blizzard is making off this game. I would estimate that 80% of that is pure profit.
So, how do I convey the entertainment that Warcraft brings? I think we do it a disservice by thinking of it only as a game. I'm not saying that it isn't a game, nor am I saying that it's greater than a game. It's that this software can be so much more than a game. I think a better classification would be to call it a hobby. When people learn how much I play, they think it's kinda wierd. But those same people wouldn't think anything is wrong with the model railroad guy who spends just as much time working on this train set. Think of how many hours of TV the average American watches each day. I replace TV with WoW (but I still watch about 2 or 5 TV shows each week). I consider each of my characters as a project I am working on. I spend a lot of my play time trying to get better gear for them and perfecting how I control them.
That's not saying that everyone takes it at the same level. For some people, it really IS just a game. You play for a half hour, maybe 3 times a week. That kind of player may or may not ever see level 70 (the highest level in the game currently).
Other people have multiple 70's and have them geared up rather well with good armor and weapons. For those people, each character is the end result of dozens of hours of work. For example, I put about 300 hours, spread over a few months, into getting my latest character to level 70. And once you're 70, that's just the start. Now you have to get all your gear. And by the time you have that gear, Blizzard will have announced new content or a new expansion, and that means you can work to get more gear.
The way most people get gear is from running "instances" or "PvP".
"Instances" are special zones that have some computer controlled creatures for you to fight. These creatures sometimes drop "loot". The instances also have a few difficult to fight "bosses", which have much better loot, and at least one item is guaranteed to "drop", or be looted from them. But each boss has several items that may drop, and since they drop only one or two things each time they are killed, you may not get your desired item, even after many attempts.
PvP is another way to get loot. PvP stands for Player versus Player combat, and it is when you get to fight character controlled by another person, somewhere else in the world. Every time you defeat an enemy player, you receive "honor points". Honor can be spent like currency towards very nice equipment. There are designated areas that people can go to in order to participate in PvP combat. These areas are called Battlegrounds, and have objectives that can give bonus honor and/or help your team win the match. The smallest PvP battleground allows for 10 player on each team, and the largest allows for 40 players on each team. The encounters can result in 1 on 1 fights, or 40 on 40 battles. Sometimes it's incredibly fun, especially when some punk kid "jumps" you unexpectedly, but you are able to defeat him. Few tings are more exhilarating than coming out ahead when your opponent had every advantage.
I'll write up some more points in another post. I'll probably cover the crafting or social aspects of the game next, and have another post about the coordination required for some of the fights in various instances.
The long answer: We need some term like "Muggle" to describe those who don't play. Maybe Wuggle? Does that mean anything that I'm not aware of? With my luck it's some slang that only those deep in the drug underground would know, and my blog is now being "watched" by the government.
Well, for all you wuggles out there, World of Warcraft (or WoW), is the single greatest creation in the history of mankind. Sliced bread truly sucks in comparison. The wheel is only a "meh" when placed next to this technological wonder. Over 10 million people play, about 1/4 of those are in the US. It works out to be about 1 in 120 people in the US that play WoW, and that number is rising. Each of those people pay $15 per month to continue playing. That works out to be about 150 Million dollars a month that Blizzard is making off this game. I would estimate that 80% of that is pure profit.
So, how do I convey the entertainment that Warcraft brings? I think we do it a disservice by thinking of it only as a game. I'm not saying that it isn't a game, nor am I saying that it's greater than a game. It's that this software can be so much more than a game. I think a better classification would be to call it a hobby. When people learn how much I play, they think it's kinda wierd. But those same people wouldn't think anything is wrong with the model railroad guy who spends just as much time working on this train set. Think of how many hours of TV the average American watches each day. I replace TV with WoW (but I still watch about 2 or 5 TV shows each week). I consider each of my characters as a project I am working on. I spend a lot of my play time trying to get better gear for them and perfecting how I control them.
That's not saying that everyone takes it at the same level. For some people, it really IS just a game. You play for a half hour, maybe 3 times a week. That kind of player may or may not ever see level 70 (the highest level in the game currently).
Other people have multiple 70's and have them geared up rather well with good armor and weapons. For those people, each character is the end result of dozens of hours of work. For example, I put about 300 hours, spread over a few months, into getting my latest character to level 70. And once you're 70, that's just the start. Now you have to get all your gear. And by the time you have that gear, Blizzard will have announced new content or a new expansion, and that means you can work to get more gear.
The way most people get gear is from running "instances" or "PvP".
"Instances" are special zones that have some computer controlled creatures for you to fight. These creatures sometimes drop "loot". The instances also have a few difficult to fight "bosses", which have much better loot, and at least one item is guaranteed to "drop", or be looted from them. But each boss has several items that may drop, and since they drop only one or two things each time they are killed, you may not get your desired item, even after many attempts.
PvP is another way to get loot. PvP stands for Player versus Player combat, and it is when you get to fight character controlled by another person, somewhere else in the world. Every time you defeat an enemy player, you receive "honor points". Honor can be spent like currency towards very nice equipment. There are designated areas that people can go to in order to participate in PvP combat. These areas are called Battlegrounds, and have objectives that can give bonus honor and/or help your team win the match. The smallest PvP battleground allows for 10 player on each team, and the largest allows for 40 players on each team. The encounters can result in 1 on 1 fights, or 40 on 40 battles. Sometimes it's incredibly fun, especially when some punk kid "jumps" you unexpectedly, but you are able to defeat him. Few tings are more exhilarating than coming out ahead when your opponent had every advantage.
I'll write up some more points in another post. I'll probably cover the crafting or social aspects of the game next, and have another post about the coordination required for some of the fights in various instances.
2008-01-19
Another 15 minutes of WoW fame
Thanks to my guild leader, my Blood Elf Paladin's name will be imortalized in his new web comic Ding!
The other day Scott asked me if he could use LilGalKills for the name of the Blood Elf Rogue in the comic. Of course I said yes. It should be starting soon, I'll make another post at that time.
The other day Scott asked me if he could use LilGalKills for the name of the Blood Elf Rogue in the comic. Of course I said yes. It should be starting soon, I'll make another post at that time.
2008-01-05
American Airlines
In regard to American Airlines allowing BAE Systems to test an anti-missle defense on test airliners:
"Fort Worth-based American, a unit of AMR Corp., has said anti-missile defense is best handled by stopping terrorists from getting missiles that could shoot down commercial jets and by improving security around airports."
That could be the most ignorant statement possible with regard to this situation. Both "solutions" are naieve.
The first aspect is considering how many shoulder launched missle systems are in the hands of underpaid soldiers in former-Soviet countries. If you aproached one of those units and said you'd pay 80,000 for a single launcher, what do you think they would do? 80k and all they have to say is that one was destroyed by a forklift in a warehouse, or in a training accident. This reeks of the same ignorance that thinks guns can be kept out of the hands of criminals.
The second, airport security, is full of dumb when you consider that these launchers have at least a 5 kilometer range. That includes straight up. So if they stood 10 miles from an airport, directly under an ingress path or holding area, they just have to point up, and any plane aproaching will be vulerable. This is a system that could easily be transported in a small car, truck, or even a motorcycle if the bad guys were bold enough.
American and BAE aren't using live flights or live weapons in the tests. Right now it's just testing the system to see if it can withstand the workload of an airliner. I presume one of the next steps will include a remotely-operated empty aircraft, and live missiles.
I do take my hat off to them for allowing these tests. But I can't help think American is getting some kickback for this. The DHS awarded this contract to BAE, and there is almost surely a provision in the contract that rewards airlines for participating.
BTW, I bet I jsut tricked Annie into reading this, just from the title.
"Fort Worth-based American, a unit of AMR Corp., has said anti-missile defense is best handled by stopping terrorists from getting missiles that could shoot down commercial jets and by improving security around airports."
That could be the most ignorant statement possible with regard to this situation. Both "solutions" are naieve.
The first aspect is considering how many shoulder launched missle systems are in the hands of underpaid soldiers in former-Soviet countries. If you aproached one of those units and said you'd pay 80,000 for a single launcher, what do you think they would do? 80k and all they have to say is that one was destroyed by a forklift in a warehouse, or in a training accident. This reeks of the same ignorance that thinks guns can be kept out of the hands of criminals.
The second, airport security, is full of dumb when you consider that these launchers have at least a 5 kilometer range. That includes straight up. So if they stood 10 miles from an airport, directly under an ingress path or holding area, they just have to point up, and any plane aproaching will be vulerable. This is a system that could easily be transported in a small car, truck, or even a motorcycle if the bad guys were bold enough.
American and BAE aren't using live flights or live weapons in the tests. Right now it's just testing the system to see if it can withstand the workload of an airliner. I presume one of the next steps will include a remotely-operated empty aircraft, and live missiles.
I do take my hat off to them for allowing these tests. But I can't help think American is getting some kickback for this. The DHS awarded this contract to BAE, and there is almost surely a provision in the contract that rewards airlines for participating.
BTW, I bet I jsut tricked Annie into reading this, just from the title.
2008-01-04
Iowa was funny!
Obama beat Hillary, Hahahahahaaaa! She couldn't even win the female voters, and that was supposed to be her core. Of course Iowa is just one state, but the political types seem to think it's a big deal, so I guess it is. They say New Hampshire could really solidify Obama as the lead Democrat, and I'd love that.
Tonight, as I read about his victory, I realized time that if he wins the Democratic nomination, for the first time in over 15 years, I won't be upset if a Democrat takes the office. This doesn't mean I'm voting for Obama, I'm still undecided and it will depend on the Republican candidate. But for once I won't be voting in an attempt to keep someone else OUT of office. It will be nice for a change.
However, if Hillary gets the nomination, I will definitely be voting Republican. I honestly don't think my vote will make a difference, but I'll be damned if I'm going to do nothing about it.
If you think about that last statement, it would really be wise for the Democrats to pick Obama as their choice. Republicans who are on the fence, may vote for him. But Democrats who would be on the fence with regard to Hillary would probably not be on the fence if Obama were a choice. I could see the sway go to the left, but not to the right.
Tonight, as I read about his victory, I realized time that if he wins the Democratic nomination, for the first time in over 15 years, I won't be upset if a Democrat takes the office. This doesn't mean I'm voting for Obama, I'm still undecided and it will depend on the Republican candidate. But for once I won't be voting in an attempt to keep someone else OUT of office. It will be nice for a change.
However, if Hillary gets the nomination, I will definitely be voting Republican. I honestly don't think my vote will make a difference, but I'll be damned if I'm going to do nothing about it.
If you think about that last statement, it would really be wise for the Democrats to pick Obama as their choice. Republicans who are on the fence, may vote for him. But Democrats who would be on the fence with regard to Hillary would probably not be on the fence if Obama were a choice. I could see the sway go to the left, but not to the right.
2008-01-03
My 2007 CD
We did another album for Christmas, and as usual, I didn't get the print out done that I wanted to. I was going to have Kinko's print out a little booklet that would fit in a CD jewel case, but didn't prepare enough in advance. So I'm blogging about my track selection instead.
My 2007 Tracklist:
1. Tegan And Sara - The Con
2. Tegan And Sara - Dark Come Soon
3. TNP - Myriad Harbour
4. TNP - Adventures in Solitude
5. Silversun Pickups - Checkered Floor
6. Silversun Pickups - Little Lover's So Polite
7. Silversun Pickups - Dream At Tempo 119
8. PJ harvey - When Under Ether
9. Iron & Wine - Carousel
10. Iron & Wine - Innocent Bones
11. Iron & Wine - Wolves
12. Iron & Wine - Boy With A Coin
13. The White Stripes - 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
14. The White Stripes - Little Cream Soda
15. Led Zeppelin - In the Evening
16. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Little Wing
17. Aerosmith - Back Back Train
Now the details:
1. Tegan And Sara - The Con
This is just an incredible song, it shouldn't need explaining. Hands down my favorite song from this album. What I love most about it is the energy of the vocals, guitars, synthesizer and the drums. I think they could have even sped it up a few BPM more.
2. Tegan And Sara - Dark Come Soon
I added this song mostly to try to put something on the album that I thought would have a broader appeal to the rest of the family. The guitar it starts out with is interestingly simple and pleasant, the kind of fun picking style that mom likes.
3. TNP - Myriad Harbour
I can't explain what it is about this song that I like so much. The vocal cadence at the begining is intruiging to me. That caught my attention almost immediately. The "question and answer" (even though no questions are asked and no answers are provided) style of having the rest of the singers join in with the lead is another aspect of what I like about it. It's really difficult to describe actually. Just listen to it and enjoy it for whatever reasons you find.
4. TNP - Adventures in Solitude
This is a happy-sad kind of song. It has a sad sound, and describes welcoming back the veteran of a war who feels guilt for surviving when their friends did not. But it does so with the tone an understanding friend would use when they welcome you back. I think it's the empathy in the song that sells it for me.
5. Silversun Pickups - Checkered Floor
I picked 3 SSP songs from Carnavas that were not regular radio songs, not that I have much of an idea what's on the radio. I was really expecting Marianne or Clayton to have a few SSP songs on their albums. Had I known they wouldn't, I'd have put on about 8 SSP songs total. Maybe it's good that I didn't know. Carnavas is an amazing album. It falls into the very exclusive category of albums that I can listen to more than a half dozen times in a row without growing tired of. I usually only change from this album because I fear that I will grow tired of it.
6. Silversun Pickups - Little Lover's So Polite
It's just got a good tempo and energy. After looking up the lyrics, it may not be the best topic though. I still love it.
7. Silversun Pickups - Dream At Tempo 119
I'm confident that Brian (the lead singer) is at least partially insane. This song is my proof. But it makes me wish that more singers were insane.
8. PJ harvey - When Under Ether
I almost didn't include any PJ Harvey songs for fear of everyone thinking I'm wierd. Well, more odd than you currently think I am. PJ Harvey is the kind of singer that you probably won't like from one song. You have to listen to a few, prefereably an entire album, over and over, to come to appreciate fully. I picked the song that, in my opinion, was the most accessible. Yes, the other ongs on White Chalk were even more odd. This at least had a pretty piano part to it.
9. Iron & Wine - Carousel
Have you heard this song. If so, then you know why I included it. You wouldn't even need to know English to appreciate how great this one it. That brings up a good point, do you have any music that you appreciate without being able to understand? The frist that comes to mind for me is Beethoven's 9th. I've looked up a translation, but that one symphony makes me want to learn German.
10. Iron & Wine - Innocent Bones
Just a nice slow smooth song. Odd lyrics. I enjoy it, like Carousel, without needing to listen to the words at all. A really cool banjo part fits in perfectly without making it "Ozark". Of course I'm a sucker for the pretty, whispy, background vocals that his wife provides.
11. Iron & Wine - Wolves
If you don't like the beat of this song, I can forgive you, but will probably never like you more than I like a passing stranger. All kidding aside, it's just fun to listen to.
12. Iron & Wine - Boy With A Coin
See the notes for track 11. I really didn't intend to have 4 Iron & Wine songs on this disc, but after picking a few, I found it difficult to remove them.
13. The White Stripes - 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
This is a great example of a modern blues song. It starts slow, crecendo's as it builds to it's climax, and then backs off slowly as the song ends. I almost added "A Martyr For My Love For You" from the same album, but I couldn't verify if it was singing about an inapropriate relationship or not. He was either too old to be dating the girl that is the focus of the song, or he just didn't consider himself worthy of her. Another great song, but my first impression of it was the age issue, and I didn't want to creep anyone out.
14. The White Stripes - Little Cream Soda
This is a great example of what The White Stripes mean to me: lo-fi and loud, fast and fun.
15. Led Zeppelin - In the Evening
A classic from one of Led Zeppelin's later albums "In Through The Out Door". I almost took this song off to make room for something more modern, then slapped myself for ever considering such a crime against classic rock.
16. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Little Wing
This is possibly my favorite SRV song ever. And this is easily my favorite version of his take on the Jimmy Hendrix classic (he has at least 3 versions of this song). If you listen to it, really listen, you can feel the sorrow bleed from his guitar.
17. Aerosmith - Back Back Train
A few years ago Aerosmith put out a mediocre album of electric blues. On that album was this gem (and at least one other song that made the album worth buying). This is electric blues at it's best; mean, dirty, and loud. It has an aural "momentum" to it, you feel like the song has the energy and innevitability of a train bearing down on you. Whatever the outcome of that approach, the train passes you as the song decrecendo's on it's way to another victim.
My 2007 Tracklist:
1. Tegan And Sara - The Con
2. Tegan And Sara - Dark Come Soon
3. TNP - Myriad Harbour
4. TNP - Adventures in Solitude
5. Silversun Pickups - Checkered Floor
6. Silversun Pickups - Little Lover's So Polite
7. Silversun Pickups - Dream At Tempo 119
8. PJ harvey - When Under Ether
9. Iron & Wine - Carousel
10. Iron & Wine - Innocent Bones
11. Iron & Wine - Wolves
12. Iron & Wine - Boy With A Coin
13. The White Stripes - 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
14. The White Stripes - Little Cream Soda
15. Led Zeppelin - In the Evening
16. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Little Wing
17. Aerosmith - Back Back Train
Now the details:
1. Tegan And Sara - The Con
This is just an incredible song, it shouldn't need explaining. Hands down my favorite song from this album. What I love most about it is the energy of the vocals, guitars, synthesizer and the drums. I think they could have even sped it up a few BPM more.
2. Tegan And Sara - Dark Come Soon
I added this song mostly to try to put something on the album that I thought would have a broader appeal to the rest of the family. The guitar it starts out with is interestingly simple and pleasant, the kind of fun picking style that mom likes.
3. TNP - Myriad Harbour
I can't explain what it is about this song that I like so much. The vocal cadence at the begining is intruiging to me. That caught my attention almost immediately. The "question and answer" (even though no questions are asked and no answers are provided) style of having the rest of the singers join in with the lead is another aspect of what I like about it. It's really difficult to describe actually. Just listen to it and enjoy it for whatever reasons you find.
4. TNP - Adventures in Solitude
This is a happy-sad kind of song. It has a sad sound, and describes welcoming back the veteran of a war who feels guilt for surviving when their friends did not. But it does so with the tone an understanding friend would use when they welcome you back. I think it's the empathy in the song that sells it for me.
5. Silversun Pickups - Checkered Floor
I picked 3 SSP songs from Carnavas that were not regular radio songs, not that I have much of an idea what's on the radio. I was really expecting Marianne or Clayton to have a few SSP songs on their albums. Had I known they wouldn't, I'd have put on about 8 SSP songs total. Maybe it's good that I didn't know. Carnavas is an amazing album. It falls into the very exclusive category of albums that I can listen to more than a half dozen times in a row without growing tired of. I usually only change from this album because I fear that I will grow tired of it.
6. Silversun Pickups - Little Lover's So Polite
It's just got a good tempo and energy. After looking up the lyrics, it may not be the best topic though. I still love it.
7. Silversun Pickups - Dream At Tempo 119
I'm confident that Brian (the lead singer) is at least partially insane. This song is my proof. But it makes me wish that more singers were insane.
8. PJ harvey - When Under Ether
I almost didn't include any PJ Harvey songs for fear of everyone thinking I'm wierd. Well, more odd than you currently think I am. PJ Harvey is the kind of singer that you probably won't like from one song. You have to listen to a few, prefereably an entire album, over and over, to come to appreciate fully. I picked the song that, in my opinion, was the most accessible. Yes, the other ongs on White Chalk were even more odd. This at least had a pretty piano part to it.
9. Iron & Wine - Carousel
Have you heard this song. If so, then you know why I included it. You wouldn't even need to know English to appreciate how great this one it. That brings up a good point, do you have any music that you appreciate without being able to understand? The frist that comes to mind for me is Beethoven's 9th. I've looked up a translation, but that one symphony makes me want to learn German.
10. Iron & Wine - Innocent Bones
Just a nice slow smooth song. Odd lyrics. I enjoy it, like Carousel, without needing to listen to the words at all. A really cool banjo part fits in perfectly without making it "Ozark". Of course I'm a sucker for the pretty, whispy, background vocals that his wife provides.
11. Iron & Wine - Wolves
If you don't like the beat of this song, I can forgive you, but will probably never like you more than I like a passing stranger. All kidding aside, it's just fun to listen to.
12. Iron & Wine - Boy With A Coin
See the notes for track 11. I really didn't intend to have 4 Iron & Wine songs on this disc, but after picking a few, I found it difficult to remove them.
13. The White Stripes - 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
This is a great example of a modern blues song. It starts slow, crecendo's as it builds to it's climax, and then backs off slowly as the song ends. I almost added "A Martyr For My Love For You" from the same album, but I couldn't verify if it was singing about an inapropriate relationship or not. He was either too old to be dating the girl that is the focus of the song, or he just didn't consider himself worthy of her. Another great song, but my first impression of it was the age issue, and I didn't want to creep anyone out.
14. The White Stripes - Little Cream Soda
This is a great example of what The White Stripes mean to me: lo-fi and loud, fast and fun.
15. Led Zeppelin - In the Evening
A classic from one of Led Zeppelin's later albums "In Through The Out Door". I almost took this song off to make room for something more modern, then slapped myself for ever considering such a crime against classic rock.
16. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Little Wing
This is possibly my favorite SRV song ever. And this is easily my favorite version of his take on the Jimmy Hendrix classic (he has at least 3 versions of this song). If you listen to it, really listen, you can feel the sorrow bleed from his guitar.
17. Aerosmith - Back Back Train
A few years ago Aerosmith put out a mediocre album of electric blues. On that album was this gem (and at least one other song that made the album worth buying). This is electric blues at it's best; mean, dirty, and loud. It has an aural "momentum" to it, you feel like the song has the energy and innevitability of a train bearing down on you. Whatever the outcome of that approach, the train passes you as the song decrecendo's on it's way to another victim.
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