EU considers county-wide smoking ban

Makes sense, if you think about it. Its more deadly for the people around who AREN'T smoking than the smoker themselves. Its crazy that smokers can mosey into a restaurant or bar and light up next to you, then somehow feel THEY'VE been wronged by your dirty looks and obvious coughing. I'm more than all for this. Smoking in public/crowded places should be banned. Kill youself slowly and stink up your own clothes in your own home, not next to me while I'm eating.

My Custom Build

I realized that if I had a million dollars, and didn't have to work, I'd build electric guitars. In that spirit, I thought I'd share my current "Dream Build." If I had the money (which I don't), this is the guitar I'd build piece by piece for a beautiful and quality Strat. Body: Warmouth Strat Alder Single Piece Body
"Brown" Transparent poly Finish (i wish it was nitro)
S-S-H routing (S-S-S shown above)

$160 alder body + $40 1-piece body + $185 trans poly finish = $385
Maple/Rosewood Neck:
Vintage Modern Strat replacement next
9.5" nut width/radius
Graphite Nut
6105 Narrow Jumbo frets
Modern "C" shape neck contour
Fender/Schaller Tuner holes

Vintage-tint nitro finish (satin)

$157 maple/rosewood neck + $30 Graphite Nut + $95 vintage tint nitro finish = $282

Pickups:
Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's Single Coil (neck) = $220 for 3. I need 1.
Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials Single Coil (middle) = $220 for 3. I need 1.
Seymour Duncan Little '59er (bridge) = $75

(the link above shows a boxed set of 'mixed' pickups. This is basically what I'm going for)

'Vintaged' Pickguard and knobs (the yellowed kind) with a gold American Standard Tremolo bridge and gold jack plate (gold hardware not shown in picture).

Here's an idea of what the finished product would look like:

*please excuse the fact that I frankensteined pieces of other guitar pictures for the top one.*

*the bottom pic is someone else guitar body that is very similar to what I'm thinking of. Disregard the scalloped frets on the neck, though.*

Tabs, Chords, n' riffs...

I found a pretty sweet tabs page, its just a guitar teacher's site with really well organized tabs to learn on. They are tabed out extremely simple for beginners or people who don't want to know each tiny riff, just be able to play and sing the song. This makes for a great starting point on learning a song (though I still am obsessive so I'll go out a find those tiny riffs and solos as well). Here are the few I'm gonna start with tonight.
Buffalo Springfield - For What its Worth
Coldplay - Fix You
Deathcab For Cutie - I Will Follow You Into The Dark
The Fray - Cable Car
Flogging Molly - What's Left of the Flag
Postal Service - Such Great Heights
Paul Simon - Me & Julio
U2 - Desire

Time of Death - 9:17

My lumina, which has been with me since High School, finally died this morning at 9:17am. After 6 years of faithful service, the brakes have failed beyond the point of repairing them. Luckily, I didn't die in the process of finding out. Still, after a conversation with Roscommon a week ago, I realize just how much people take their auto for granted. We always assume it will be there, that when the key is turned, the engine will start and take us to our destination. And when that doesn't happen, suddenly a feeling of helplessness creeps up. The Fist, I shall always look back on the times we spent together fondly. You never let me down, even when I ran you out of gas that one time. I wish you nothing but the best, and hopefully the wholesale people who rip you apart and sell off your metal treat you nice. Now, to find a car. The good people at Beechers might have a prospect for me next week. I've got my fingers crossed.

Semantics 101

As our current president is finding out the hard way, there are three branches of government. And, contrary to popular belief, none of them is more powerful than another. After Bushy decided to play cowboy with less than impressive support in America and around the world, the opposition is mounting.
A NY Times Article describes the upcoming resolution in Congress. Essentially a vote of No Confidence in the Presidents war strategy.
A CBS article references the new Anti-War resolution.
But what really shows me that there is no longer any respect for the man in the seat of our President are the little things. For example, notice how he's now 'Mr. Bush' in many articles. The title of Mr. President or President Bush seems to have fallen by the wayside.

Doomsday Clock moves closer to midnight

Apparently the Doomsday clock doesn't only exist in the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony. It actually exists, and today it moved two minutes closer to midnight, leaving us with only 5 mins till. Ill omens, culture tensions, nuclear proliferation, and other factors determine the ticking of the Doomsday clock. Religious fanatics w/ nuclear programs, Jumpsuit-wearing wackjobs testing nukes in their neighbor's backyards, and a cowboy in the Whitehouse does make for a distressing scene. Read Here for the full story.

Woman Dies over Wii

things are getting out of hand. Supply and demand, shit... just sell them to us, and make enough for everyone. Do you want our money or not?

Open Mic

So I'm gonna do it. This friday at Java Joes in downtown Des Moines. Gotta get there early, sign up around 7:30, and hopefully get one of the first slots starting around 8:30. I'm not entirely sure how long each person gets, but I've got a few reserve songs if I need them. I'm not sure how this will go, as I've never been to an Open Mic at this place. Could be amatuer and lax, or it could be a firey hoop. I'd rather that it was somewhere in between so that my 150lb, 4-ft pedalboard won't be frowned upon by the help. Yes, its an acoustic open mic, but I'm still lugging this massive toy around with me. I spent the time and money to build it, and I'm using it, damnit. Plus, then I can over-use the vocal delay to hide my insecurity.
Here's what I'm thinking about playing.... warning: spoilers ahead!
1. Taylor - Jack Johnson tabs & lyrics
I have played this song every show I've ever played (Depot Deli, Emerald Isle, St. Paddy's, Bali Satay House). I'm not really sure why. My voice feels comfortable in this song. Plus, its super simple, except for the intro/outro, which could be one of the most complicated riffs I know. Its so non-Jack Johnson. Almost like someone said, "Jack, all you do it strum surf chords. You're not that fantastic of a guitar player." To which Jack responded by writing the intro to Taylor. "Fine, learn THAT riff... see you in a week"
2. Spaghetti Streetwalker - Speechwriters LLC tabs & lyrics
This is one of my all time favorite songs. So simple. Yet the lyrics hit home, like so many Speechwriters songs. A good one for anyone who's ever waited tables. Gonna try a little solo, hopefully, I won't blow it. B major Ionian? What's the relative minor for B? Anyone?
3. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room - John Mayer tabs & lyrics
This song would be more justified by an electric guitar and a huge tube amp, but we're going to find out how an acoustic version works out. This song's piercing solo is one of my favorite parts, but due to time constraints, guitar limitations, and the fact that I'm not actually John means I'll be cutting that part out. A little worried about the 'go cry about it why don't you' part as well. Not strong there. Also, need to practice an ending of some kind.
4. Arc of Time - Bright Eyes tabs & lyrics
This is a sweet song, and I would like to loop the drums in the begining by slapping the body of my guitar, but that's a little touchy and I'm not sure I could pull it off on the 1st try in front of people. I think I'll just stick to strumming and trying to remember all the damn words.
5. Wonderwall - Oasis
Even though this is an Oasis song, I'm playing the stripped-down, non-capo'd, Towncrier version. This song is pretty simple, and everyone knows it, so hopefully it will be a decent closer.
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runner-up/maybeanothertime songs
-Bold As Love - Jimi Hendrix
-The End - Towncrier
-The General - Dispatch
-Typical Situation - DMB

Next Gen

Check THIS out. Roscommon eluded to this a few months ago, and here Apple (Steve Jobs) is unveiling it. The new iPod. Only, its not an iPod. Its an internet browser, iTunes, video iPod, AND.... PHONE!. Its the new iPhone, and could replace every electronic device you take with you out of the house. There's a few catches though. Read the links and evaluate as you will...

WDYTIW

this is just awesome. kick-ass awesome.

The Highway's alive tonight...

I wonder who would win the "Most original songs covered by other bands" contest between Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen? It seems like if something is a cover song, and it rocks, it was most likely originally written by one of these two guys.

My most recent discovery: The Ghost of Tom Joad
This song is covered by Rage Against the Machine and it rocks hard.
De la Rocha is a great songwritter for sure (and crazy as hell) but this song struck me for some reason as a little different than other RATM tracks. Turns out, this song was written by The Boss, that why. If you just listened to the music, these songs couldn't be more different. Somehow, though, the lyrics fit perfectly into both songs and give two different moods to the same setting. One very folk-ish and hopeful, the other hard as hell and aggressive, yet both ask for change in their own style. The Boss seems to expect it of people, De la Rocha seems to demand it of people.

"Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand
Or a decent job or a helpin' hand
Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free
Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me."

2006 Recap

As always, I look to my older brother Roscommon for guidence. In this case, I am emulating how a blog SHOULD look. (see: Roscommon to Imogene) Apparently, at the end of a year, you have to do some recaps of the year behind you and predictions for the year ahead.
2006 saw the birth of my Blog, my new job, and a move to DSM.

Here are some of my favorite 2006 posts.
Interesting, Who Am I?, iTrip=iPieceOfShitNotWorth$5, Case of the Mondays, In Loving Memory, What We Learned from Office Space.

And my posts about my projects:
BYOC kits: Projects Pending, BYOC kits and more!
Stratocaster: Strat Work
iTrip Surgury: Rant, Results

2007 Goals:
Continue to workout after Roscommon leaves.
Backpack Europe (hopefully around turkey break)
Play live at least 10 times.
Record 2 songs of my own.
WRITE 2 songs of my own. (the second one will be better)
Figure out my life.