Now, something a little lighter

Upgrade

As of last night, I can announce it is possible for the coolest thing ever to get even cooler.

Sonos upgraded their software; I downloaded it last night. The system now loads local radio stations into the system based on my location (which I can change), and there are more than 10,000 stations and shows.

Sonos is, without a doubt, the single best purchase I've ever made, and the favorite thing I own. If you love music and want it everywhere in your house, this is an investment you must make.

Oh, yeah.

New Slayer, Summer 2009.

Heavy

These guys are. Heavy. Good.

I'm not sure how I survived

Over the past year or so, I've been able to enrich my life in several ways. Some of them, I don't understand how I lived without for as long as I did.

High Definition Television

Ok, seriously, I don't like golf. I don't watch it. I have zero interest. The day I got my high def TV, I spent an hour watching golf. Just because it looked that good. Watching non high def tv now hurts my eyes.

DVR

Up until we got the new TV last May, we relied on a VCR to record programs we really wanted to see. Given how awful television is, and living for a year with a little tiny TV 2 floors away from the kitchen, we weren't recording much of anything. Now, I've discovered a host of great stuff. Anthony Bourdain's No Reservatons, The Office, and reruns of The Tick. I honestly fell off the sofa watching 'That Mustache Feeling'.

BJs Membership

So the local Safeway has been where I get my food for the better part of 7 years. It's always been OK, but expensive. This year, we joined BJs. Honestly, I think we've already saved the $45 membership fee in meat alone. The prices and selection are fantastic. If you are a lifter and eat like I eat, you need to belong to a place like this.

Sonos/Network Attached Storage/MediaMonkey/Sansa

Yes, I've posted about Sonos before, but I finally got all my music stored on my Buffalo Linkstation (500G) as FLAC (lossless) files. I then put a lot of it on my 8G Sansa MP3 player, after using MediaMonkey to convert the files to MP3s. I'm rediscovering things I haven't listened to in years, along with new stuff via internet radio (my latest love is Radio IO Blues). I have a great selection with me all the time, an at home, the music is limitless.

I didn't even know they were on

This year's Grammys may be the third least watched of all time.

Yeah, Frank," Keys interjected during a Sinatra verse. "Tell
'em." Beyonce was paired with Tina Turner for a showy — and leggy — rendition
of "Proud Mary." Kid Rock joined up with Keely Smith, a winner in the very first
Grammys in 1958, for "That Old Black Magic." Hancock and Chinese wunderkind Lang Lang did the dueling pianos thing for a compelling take on George Gershwin's
"Rhapsody in Blue."

Empahsis mine.

Gee. I wonder why. Kid Rock? Really? I'm sorry, I find it hard to take that awards show seriously.

To be productive at work, I have to be well rested.

This is awesome.

Not safe for work because of language. If you don't like words you can't say on television, don't click on this.




Edit:

Here is the first one:

F(n) = F(n-1) + F(n-2)

This could possibly be the coolest thing I've ever seen. I'm a huge music fan. Tool is one of my favorite bands, and Lateralus is one of my favorite songs.

This video combines Lateralus with images from the Hubble Telescope, and points out the relationship of items in the song with the Fibonacci Number Sequence.

Lateralus sends chills down my spine when I listen to it. This video did that, and brought tears to my eyes as well. This is art in the new age.

Ride the spiral to the end.



Via Reason.

Nelly's Echo

In a world where every time I turn on a radio, I'm attacked by the likes of Nickelback and Daughtry (oft I can't tell the two apart, much like you can't tell what dog dropped that pile you just stepped in), it is both encouraging and discouraging to know there are folks out there like Nelly's Echo.

Encouraging, because there are lots of people out there this good, and if you look hard enough, you can find them in your town. Discouraging because they are all playing in tiny bars that hold 50 people, when they could be selling millions of CDs and playing arenas, but for some reason we are all listening to Coldplay.

We saw them at the Austin Grill at the Can Company (not a place known for live original music - who knew?). Joined by our friend K, and our neighbors R and D, had a couple of beverages, but really focused on the guy playing.

Those of you who know me, know this is certainly not normally my cup of tea. However, I can see remarkable talent when it is presented to me, and this guy is the real deal. If this is your cup of tea, pick up his CD, and if you are local, catch a show.

Maybe he'll make it, and music will be better for all of us.

A Smalltimore aside: The bass player is married to the old guitar player for my brother's old band, Unprovoked Moose Attack, which has morphed into The Yellow. They reconnected with J buying a house.

Stuff I'm spinning

Clutch - Blast Tyrant

Van Morrison - Moondance

Van Halen - Van Halen

Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos.

Peace Sells

Through tht eprocess of burning all of my CDs to an NAS (for the Sonos), I'm rediscovering some great old stuff.

What I'm spinning today while getting things done around the house (Mrs. Stagg isn't home):

Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying

I'm suprised not only how well this stands the test of time from a musical standpoint, but the lyrics are applicable today just as they were 21 years ago (I'm getting old). Frankly, this is still better than the pop/metal crap you hear on 'rock' radio these days.

Live - Mental Jewelry

While not the usual heavy shit I usually like, I still dig these guys (and again, 100 times better than what you get now). This 1991 album has a couple of killer tracks on it.

Whitesnake - Slide it in

Really, what else needs to be said. Grab a shot of whiskey, a beer, and a pack of Marlboros, and check out the blondes in tight acid washed jeans.

Dream Theater - Awake

1994. Just awesome. How can anyone not like this.

Hatebreed - Perserverance

This was in my training rotation for a long time. Really not groundbreaking mucisianship, but good to get you angry. In a positive way.

Lines in the Sand

Saw Dream Theater last night. Unreal.

Simply the best rock band on the planet.

But all I hear on the radio is Nickelback. I'll never get it.

How you can tell for sure the American public is stupid

Daughtry has a record deal, and has sold 3 MILLION copies of their first album.

Who listens to this shit? I heard it on the radio the other day, it's like they rip off 3 other awful bands (Nickelback being the most obvious), and don't even do it well.

I hate pop music.

Heavy

Sleep. Dragonaut.