The results are in.

Above are my results on the iTrip sugury. Results were positive, but I'd use a thicker gauge of copper next time. I've since electrical-tape wrapped these antennaes... for safety's sake.

A political quiz

I could have drawn this for you before taking the poll. I was feeling especially liberal today after reading Roscommon's link the to article by Kevin Tillman and reading about 100 of the comments. Some comments were great, and others made me fear for my country. I especially despise the "if you don't like your country anymore then LEAVE" comments. No, sir, this is my country as well, and you fucking barking at me isn't going to make me do anything but realize you're an imbicile. I'm sorry that I don't feel any safer now that our commander-in-chief has thrown out Habius Corpus (a right written directly into the constitution, older even than America itself) and can now torture his suspects as he wishes without having to document which procedures he's deemed 'humane.' So how's that multi-billion dollar war in Iraq going, Mr. President? Oh. Then I assume the civil and constitutional rights you've destroyed have made us safer? What's that you say? The actions of this country have INCREASED the number of fundamentalists and radicals joining terrorist organizations? So let me get this straight. I'll talk real slow and use small words for you Mr. President... We enjoy fewer rights, are spending BILLIONS on a war outside our borders which we are losing with no end in sight rather than on domestic problems of the poor/homeless/uneductated, AND you've managed to piss off MORE young radicals abroad. Awesome. Sir, I'd impeach you if Dick Cheney wasn't your replacement.

And by the way, you do know what happens to the shoot-first-ask-questions-later cowboy at the end of those kinds of movies, right? Let's just say that they don't make it to the credits. Perhaps a little diplomacy is in order. The way of the gun is only getting us in deeper.

A Case of the Mondays...

"shit naw... I believe if somebody said that where I work, they'd be liable to get their ass kicked." - Office Space.

So on this manic monday, I thought I'd share some insights into my workplace. As a disclaimer, my job is pretty sweet as far as desk-jobs go, especially as Cube-jobs go. Granted I'm listening to my iPod for the majority of the day, so I really can't complain. I'm a 'Commercial Processor;' which means that I get applications for insurance from 'Underwriters' who've provided instructions on how to process said policy. I then take the instructions and application and 'procces' them. Basically, I take paper and spreadsheets and make them actual insurance policies on our system and paper copies in the insureds' hands. You could also call it Glorified data processing. Whatever. Anyways, here's a peak into my plot in the CubeFarm.














Here are a few lessons/tips (yes, from an interoffice email) for all of you others in the Coporate Army:
1. Always carry a document in your hands.
People with papers in the hands look like hardworking employees heading for important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they're heading for the cafeteria. People with newspapers in their hands look like their heading for the restroom.
2. Have a messy desk.
Top management can get away with clean desks, but the rest of us look like we're just not doing enough work. Build large piles of papers on your desk, to the observer, yesterday's work looks just like today's so its only the volume that counts. If someone is coming to get a document, first bury it in one of the piles so you have to rummage before giving it to them.
3. Have two jackets.
Leave one jacket on the back of your chair at all times, so even when you're away it will look like you're nearby and working. When in fact you're three blocks down at the mexican restaurant.

The Puritanicals at ex-Gabes' Oasis

I made a hasty retreat from work this past Tuesday to drive to IA city to catch my younger cousin's band play a rock show at the hole-of-a-bar which was formerly known as Gabe's Oasis (where Roscommon and I have previously seen Lucky Boys Confusion). After some conversation and a pitcher or two, Scheib took the stage with his bassist and drummer. The show was raw and good. Something like the Horseshoe Spatulas meet Nirvana with a screamo twist. Scheib impressed even me with a pretty kickass solo or three. A very Cobain-ish finish complete with the drum kit getting kicked over with mike playing as loud as possible and breaking a string. Better than sitting at home watching TV for sure.
For your viewing pleasure:

iTrip = iPieceOfShitNotWorth$5

So if you've spent any time around me in the car, you already know that I MUST listen to music. Also, you know that my tape deck recently crapped out, making my tape adapter to CD player or iPod obsolete. I had to resort to the iTrip.
What the iPod/Apple store DOESN'T want you to know is that any and all FM adapters are BULLSHIT. Federal regulations force the manufacturers to seriously limit the antenna and therefore the strength of its signal (something about not wanting to interfere with other cars' radios/pirating radio stations... whatever). Either way, if you've got an iTrip, you already know that if you're not duct-taping the thing to your car's antenna, its sounds like the music was recorded in a microwave. Even if you manage to get a decently clear signal, the quality (highs and lows) of the sounds are 8track at best. Not what I got an iPod for.
After several vows to smash my iTrip with a hammer after setting it aflame inside a pentagram and circle of candles, I did some research to see if there was anything I could do to ah.. 'Tim Taylor' it. Here's what I found.
Article 1-
http://www.surfbits.com/?p=526
>Good step by step, with links to pictures. For my model of iTrip.
Article 2-
http://delicategeniusblog.com/?page_id=113
>This is the best picture-based walkthrough I've seen yet. For Roscommon's iTrip.
Article 3-
http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php?threadid=98944
>Not bad, essentially article 2 with better text walktrough. Maybe combine the two.
Article 4-
http://www.instructables.com/id/E308VDYYKVEP287WG6/?ALLSTEPS
>This is the one I'm going to follow tomorrow. This is for the new LCD iTrip which I have.

What all these mods are having you do is using a razorblade to gently open the iTrip, locating the small copper internal antenna, and wrapping another copper wire around the antenna like a spring. Then, cutting a small notch in the the casing to let the newly tricked out antenna stretch out an inch or so. Suddenly, you've got a tiny pirate radio broadcast good for nearly triple the old distance and improved quality of sound. I'll post again after I attempt this mod.

Tell a friend...

Heres a show that everyone I know should be at. Good Band, Cool Venue, Good CD to buy (I know, even though I shouldn't), and even a good opener. Bring a friend!

Towncrier CD Release Show
w/ the Josh Davis Band

http://www.iowatix.com/WebSales/Pages/VenueListPage.aspx?rguid=562e4442-d112-4a3f-a5d3-9b6b237e1405

Ideas/Brainstorming

Open Mic Ideas:
Acoustic only (for now) w/ pedal board. **Possibly Half-tone lowered.

1. Taylor - Jack Johnson
2. Voodoo Chile - Hendrix (yes, acoustic)**
3. Spaghetti Streetwalker - Speechwriters LLC** (slow down)
4. Annie Dan - Speechwriters LLC** (slow down)
5. Typical Situation - Dave Matthews (practice loop)
6. Vacation - Towncrier (learn the words. don't be jerry)
7. Wonderwall or Champagne Supernova - Oasis
8. I Don't Trust Myself w/ Loving You - John Mayer (practice loop)
9. I Shall Not Walk Alone - Ben Harper (learn words)
10. Mary Jane's Last Dance - Tom Petty
11. Tomorrow - Silverchair (clean up)
12. Bartender/Don't Drink the Water - Dave Matthews (don't be dave)
13. The Warmth - Incubus (clean up)
14. Take the $$ and Run - Steve Miller Band

Others:
>Only in Dreams - Weezer**
>Desparation Song - Carbon Leaf
>Promise - Eve 6
>Teenage Wasteland - The Who
>The Remedy - Jason Mraz
...

This just in...

Mountain Dew - "Amp" tallboys will KICK YOUR ASS. Then it'll run around your house 5 times before igniting and leaving only a smoke trail on its way to the moon. This shit not only wakes you up, but also makes you want to -punch the nearest wall, rip out a stud, and gnaw on it for its fiber content. Basically this stuff is Rockstar with an easier to chugg flavor. Put down the crack, addicts... Amp'd MD is all you need.

You don't know AC from fluxin DC!

(wa-doop wa-oo, wa-doop wa-oo)

A fun filled weekend with friends and family. I had some peoples down to the 'partment to catch the season premiere of Battlestar Galactica (yes; its on sci-fi, and no; I don't care what you think is cool and what isn't.) We grabbed some Beaverdale Pizza and Big Gulps to go along with it and had ourselves a rockin Friday night. Frackin' right. Saturday featured sleeping in, watching 3 episodes of Lost in my pajamas until 4pm and then tailgating in Ames. After leaving the grass lots, we hoofed it to Jimmy Johns to kill the time before the Stuart Davis show at the Octagon Center for the Arts. A CD release show, the album "¿what" finally showcased several of my favorite Stu songs previously unrecorded live or otherwise. After getting our fill of sardonic, humorous, and enlightening zen buddhism we again traveled across town just in time to see Jerry's solo show at Loites' favortie coffee shop, Sante Fe. A big thank you to Loites for driving home since I can't stay awake in a car for more than 10 mins. Sunday was also a party. Hy-Vee breakfast with Madre and Roscommon followed by a Target run for a much needed vacuum cleaner. The clean apartment was good, but had a sad turn towards midnight.
See, our apartment is 'infested' with a solitary tiny mouse, whom I affectionately named Ralph (after Ralph S. Mouse from the book The Mouse and the Motorcycle). Sunday, we purchased two kinds of mouse traps; two old fashioned wire traps (finger-breakers) and two neo-modern traps which didn't seem as, uh... gripping. Tragically, Ralph wandered out that night and became entrapped in one of the new-age traps. Only, Ralph didn't die. He merely started struggling loudly and squeeking. Roscommon and I were appalled and for about 5 minutes, didn't know what to do, not wanting to even look at the tragic scene which we were listening to. We couldn't let him go outside, as there was likely an access point into the apt from the outside or basement from which he came to begin with, and we couldn't just sit there and listen to him struggle all night until he starved to death or just gave up. We came to a compromise. Roscommon would use tongs to pick up the trap and still struggling mouse and place it into the sac held by me which I took outside and placed in the large trash can. I came back in a agreed w/ roscommon that neither of us felt very good about what had just ensued. I don't like killing animals (unless they're spiders) and part of me felt very evil for what we had done. Farewell, Ralph, may you find your way to the infinite cheese and peanut-butter fields above.

Put it in a battery an save it for later...

So my cousin has a band. He's younger, played for two years less, and dammit, I'm jealous. Don't get me wrong, you rock Scheib, I'm just really jones-ing for a band right now. If you're reading this, (all 3-4 of you) and you can play bass, I want to know. Tom, you need to invest in a drum set. It'll get you out of the house. I'm even thinking about puting up a flyer or two in my workplace advertising the need of a drummer/bassist. If nothing else, I need (NEED) to starting writing again. Even crappy stuff, my creative drive is currently in neutral and rolling backwards. I think it'd help if I got a second job at Guitar Center. I'm going to look into that.
In other news, I've got a bunch of live music to look forward to this month. Stuart Davis' CD release in Ames this weekend, directly followed by Jerry Lorensen's solo gig at Sante Fe (les' favorite coffe shop). Then Kaki King that next tuesday, with two Towncrier shows the following week. Then, to top it all off, a very halloween Anathallo show at the M-shop on the 31st! I think my need for a band will only be getting worse this month. I need to do something about it.