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.

a shout out to the city of wind

One of my favorite bands is on the rocks. I don't like to hear the word 'hiatus' from a band. Especially when its preceded by the word 'indefinate.' Lucky Boys Confusion, a pop-punk band from Chicago has yet to announce fall shows, and according the the band, they most likely won't be any. Granted they've played for around 9 years, (I remember Bossman and Fred Astaire from Junior year of HS, and they were already pretty popular.) Vikas sealed the deal my Freshman year of college w/ tracks like Saturday Night, One to the Right, and the Power (acoustic only up until a year ago). Commitment could be one of the better ALBUMS in my entire collection. But above all, these guys ROCK a live show. Heavy drinkers, especially when on stage, they thrive on the bar scene. I can only wish to put on a show as bad-ass as LBC. As a side note, I've never disappointed anyone by reccomending LBC, they've almost got as good a track record as Speechwriters LLC.
Favorite LBC tracks (in no particular order):
1. Medicine and Gasoline
2. Saturday Night
3. The Struggle
4. Atari
5. Closer to Our Graves
6. Breaking Rules
7. 40-80
8. Arizona Stand
9. Dumb Pop Song
10. Broken

Take your time, guys. Don't force it.
Here's to you, the good life, and me.

Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, etc.

Things I'm hooked on recently:
1. Lost
2. Imogen Heap (of Frou Frou)
3. Pickup Switch setting 5 (towards the neck)
4. Scrubs re-runs on Comedy Central.
5. The Office.
6. Half-Life 2

Things that piss me off recently:
1. Blogger and its inconsistency.
2. U/W's who think I'll do their work for them.
3. Losing an entire post that you really like.
4. Mislabeled iPod songs.
5. Teenagers who tYpE LiKe ThIs on overdone blogs w/ more lights, moving backgrounds, and sparkles than a 4th of july parade. K.I.S.S. (wikipedia it if you have to)

Top 25 Most Played

After Roscommon posted his top played songs on shamROCK, I was compelled (and possibly coerced) to do likewise for Love Is A Stream... So here they are, only 5 months old, my most played singles. (For the record, I also listen to alot of CD's/Full albums at work, so White Stripes, John Mayer Trio, Carbon Leaf, and the like are probably misrepresented here.)

1. Love and Memories - Of A Revolution (OAR)
2. Lay Down - OAR
3. Spaghetti Streetwalker - Speechwriters LLC
4. The Sound of Settling - The Postal Service
5. Follow - Incubus (live @ Red Rocks)
6. The Warmth - Incubus
7. All Mixed Up - 311
8. Gracie - Ben Folds
9. Who Did You Think I Was - JM3
10. Heard the World - OAR
11. Solar Flare - 311
12. I'll bet that you look good on the dance floor - Arctic Monkeys
13. Landed - Ben Folds
14. Speak Easy - 311
15. Amber - 311
16. Homebrew - 311
17. The only difference between martyrdom and... - Panic! at the disco
18. The Struggle - Lucky Boys Confusion
19. Save Your Last Breath - Towncrier
20. Classic Heart-breaking Bitches - Speechwriters LLC
21. Take the $$ and Run - Stever Miller Band
22. Protection - Damon Dotson Band
23. When the president talks to god - Bright Eyes
24. Amber - Towncrier
25. Don't Let Me Go - Little Mojo

Congrats to locals Damon Dotson, Little Mojo, and TC for making the cut with the bigwigs. Next September I'll report back... See you then.

ask the axis (he knows, he knows)

When it rains it pours. Life is a roller coaster. When things are good, its tough to make calls on which opportunities to jump on, and which to pass up. Similarly, when things are bad, it seems like they're never be good again. Work is going really well, a new responsibility and new project almost every week; meeting with supervisors and directors, being offered opportunities to expand and grow after only a few months. Work is work, but at least I don't dread every day of it. There are much worse jobs out there. But. BUT, I feel like I'm leaving a BIG part of me behind. I need to have music in my life. I think I can have both. I will. Then, when I'm at my most distressed about my lack of musical direction in my life, I get an offer (more of a heavy suggestion, request) to be road manager of a band I've become friends with. These guys are really good guys, and of the bands I know, these guys have a chance to really do well. Plus, I could open occasionally, getting priceless experience in both performing and the whole music life routine. Can I balence both? I'd be BUSY (I just typed 'busty' and made myself laugh out loud at work) and that's an understatement. I can't see how I can pass up the opportunity to make valuable connections with Towncrier and the Nadas.
I've been playing alot more lately. Playing with the 'less is more' style. Straight 12 bar blues, pop-style progressions w/ only 3 chords and the like. And the occasional hendrix song. John Mayer makes me realize that I need to practice more.