Soundproofing.

So the studio is coming along slowly. We have the largest of the soundproofing walls completely framed. The two foot top sections (trusses) take about 5 times as long as the rest of the wall, because we more or less have to be exact in our measurements for the wall to stand straight and have a tight seal against the blocks and rubber that decouple them from the floor and ceiling. The idea is to build a very dense wall inside the existing wall to cut down the STC or sound transmission coefficient to practically zero at high and mid frequencies and to reduce low end transmission to negligible amounts. To accomplish that we place a layer of highly absorptive foam rubber over the studs and conventional insulation, then two sheets of drywall, and a rigid fiberglass product generically called 703 covered with fabric. So after passing through an inch of rigid fiberglass, 1 and a quarter inches of sheetrock, 6 millimeters of high density foam rubber, 7 inches of packed fiberglass insulation, and another half inch of sheetrock, the amplitude of the sound waves has died enough that 2 feet of dead air and a conventional wall will do the rest. The hardest thing is that we really will have no idea how much we've reduced the STC till the wall is finished and we place a drum set or guitar amp inside and rock out. Here's some pics.

This is kinda like God sanctioning my vote...

I'm a republican. And I've wanted John McCain to run for president for almost as long as I have wanted General Colin Powell, the former Army Joint Chief of Staff and former Secretary of State, to run.

General Powell is more qualified to make an endorsement than any man I can think of. He has served in some official capacity under 5 U.S. Presidents. He has been in the Situation Room for hundreds if not thousands of hostile national security situations. He knows the temperment and judgement that should be displayed by a commander in chief and I think no one can doubt he is fit to judge the foreign affairs and national security readiness of a candidate.

General Powell stated his dismay with Senator McCain's campaign in the plainest rhetoric, and echoes my concern about the campaign's efforts to align Senator Obama with people's fears about terrorism. He defends the honor of Muslim Americans and Islam as a religion of legitimacy and peace. He assesses, I think rightly, that Sarah Palin is not qualified or prepared to be President in the event that that might become necessary, and he acknowledges Barack Obama's level-headed approach to leadership.

Even if McCain had remained true to his views and values, and run an honorable campain, a Colin Powell endorsement of Barack Obama would have made me think twice about voting for McCain. That's the level of respect and deference I give this man, and even now, when I thought I could be no more sure that Obama was my man, the words of this great soldier, republican, and statesman make me even more sure. God bless the United States of America.

The (nearly) Exhaustive "What I did on my vacation" List.

Flew to Utah.
Attended Priesthood session with my little brother.
Ate Arby's/talked chicks.
Crashed on Soundmaster Graham's futon.
Delayed trip to AZ.
Said hi to Richard and Mike.
Went to Sunday afternoon session.
Supped with Jason and Pugs.
Saw also JuHu, Kylee, & Sean+Wife.
Drove to Provo.
Met Brian's girlfriend, Lexi.
Introduced her parents to my compulsive need to see the score.
Screamed at the TV all through Brian's birthday party.
Resigned myself to it finally ending in the 12th.
Slept on a vinyl mattress.
Bought new scriptures and too many church books at BYU.
Registered as a Massachusetts alumn.
Realized how amazing BYU's campus & facilities are.
Remembered how little money it cost to live in Utah.
Checked out Velour and the studio I never finished.
Took Al to lunch at Cafe Rio.
Ordered shredded pork burrito enchilada style.
Consumed it with exultant joy.
Read about Mormons as Vampires in BYU studies.
Tracked down Adam.
Threw frisbee.
Wolfed burgers with Adam and Scott.
Listened to Book on Tapeworm.
Rode to the airport.
Checked phone compulsively through 9 innings.
Found a TV I could switch off Monday night football.
Shouted really loud when the Sox won.
Ran into Laura Heaton.
Talked to Laura Heaton for half the flight.
Recalled what a radfaced hottie Laura Heaton is.
Landed in Phoenix and rode home with Mom.
Hugged mom & listened to Dad rag on Obama.
Had breakfast with Mom.
Sat with Grandma & listened to Uncle Rick rag on McCain.
Listed my Hammond Organ on Craigslist in Phoenix.
Watched "Choke" with Mark.
Acquainted myself with April.
Debated economics and political philosophy with Mark.
Slept in.
Had my eyes examined.
Got new prescriptions for glasses and contacts.
Shopped for new suit.
Made a QwickTrip run.
Sampled Red Hots Flavored Smoothie.
Passed.
Enjoyed Horchata Smoothie.
Finished watching Gone Baby Gone like 7 months later.
Road tripped to Snowflake.
Toured my sister Lori's house and property.
Picked up my niece Brenna from school.
Chilled with Lor, Delv, and Bren.
Mocked the contestant on Deal or No Deal.
Discussed Howie Mandell's baldness.
Returned home from snowflake.
Stopped at Someburros for Pollo Fundido.
Cringed through a Lifetime drama about an FLDS Polygamist Ranch.
Sold Hammond to a guy that actually knows how to play it.
Roamed the house for wireless signal.
Helped deliver the Hammond.
Ordered new contacts.
Sought out Sourdough Jack and Pete's onion rings.
Caught up with Kylee.
Dined with Gary & Holly, Joel & Jenny, Kevin & Andrea, Mark & April.
Pondered how all of my friends are married and I am so not.
Wandered around Mesa Arts Center with Laura 'Reverend' Heaton
Hooked up late with Jen and Emily.
Loved not working.
Missed Boston and Boston friends all the while.
Coming home soon.

The astute may notice I used a different verb for every line. Which is hard if you consider how much “eating” and “meeting” I did.

Why is Snowflake, AZ so windy?

Because Holbrook SUCKS and Showlow BLOWS.

Ha!

Well, many of you will see me this week.

At least it's to be hoped you will.

I am in dire need of this time off work and it will be good to be home. I will no doubt, desperately miss my Boston home while I am gone. It never takes too long away to seem like too much time away. Beanies, hold down the fort and see if you can persuade Winter to stay off a little longer, I still need to swim in Walden at least once more. Utards, I won't have much time with you but will try to make the best of what I have. Zonies, this is my last vacation till March when I'm going overseas, so let's party like it's 1999... except for the part where I was on my mission in a freezing apartment in Mississippi.

From the 2 or 3 times I've watched the show...

I'm totally smarter than a 5th grader.

Guernica

Song lyrics | Guernica lyrics

Ahhh forwards... I relent.

Five Things

10 years ago I
1. Graduated high school... wow.
2. Got good grades for the first time ever at Mesa Community College.
3. Worked at Godfather's Pizza.
4. Made out with a redhead for a week or so.
5. Played small gigs with my band, Shell. Again, wow.

Five things on todays to-do list:
1. Get the hell out of the station ASAP.
2. Sleep.
3. See Annie.
4. Night swim in Walden... yes it's cold, but I need it still.
5. Play some drums.

Five Snacks I enjoy:
1. Carrots
2. Frozen Lemonade
3. Costco Chocolate Covered Raisins
4. Dried Apples
5. McDonalds Soft-Serve Cone

Five Places I have lived:
1. Mesa, AZ
2. Provo, UT
3. Huntsville, AL
4. New York City, NY
5. Boston, MA

Five Jobs I have had:
1. Chick-fil-A, baby.
2. I reloaded ammunition for my Grandpa.
3. I worked in a grease recycling yard.
4. Student Sound Designer for LDS Church Audio-Visual.
5. Broadcast Engineer at WBUR, Boston's NPR Station.

Five Pet Peeves:
1. People listening to one earphone of their iPod. It's stereo you fools!
2. Mormons who think the universe is only occupied by other Mormons.
3. Boston drivers in roundabouts (called rotaries out here).
4. Getting drawn to sweep off the satellite dishes in a snow storm.
5. Sarah Pallin.

Five things that bring me joy:
1. Nightswims in Walden.
2. Super 8 Movies.
3. Friends.
4. Head-scratches or massages.
5. Rocking out.

Five people whose business I want to know
1. Soundmaster Graham.
2. The Dancing Newt.
3. Kirsti-face.
4. Wherefore art Elizabeth?
5. Scream Phoenix.

I'm in business.

...the business of kickin' yo ass. And let me tell you, business is booming.

Oh Meatwad, the moments of laughter you've given me.

So, I know the threat has been made for almost 2 years, but I really I am opening a recording studio here in Boston. It's for real now, we're signing on Wednesday and should start moving in tons of crap early next week. I'm pretty sure we're gonna go by Dirty Water Sound & Music. Check out the rad business card I designed.

The Great Gig in the Sky

Pink Floyd member Wright dies at 65

Richard Wright, a founding member of Pink Floyd, has died at the age of 65 after battling cancer.

Wright played keyboards with the legendary band and wrote music in classic albums such as Dark Side Of The Moon and Wish You Were Here.

The self-taught keyboardist and pianist met fellow band members Roger Waters and Nick Mason while at architecture school.

In the early days of Pink Floyd, Wright, along with Syd Barrett, was seen as the group's dominant musical force. The London-born musician wrote and sang several songs of his own.

The Great Gig In The Sky, and Us And Them, both from 1973's seminal Dark Side Of The Moon, were his most well-known compositions. He also made essential contributions to Atom Heart Mother, Echoes and Shine On You Crazy Diamond.

Wright played with the surviving members of Pink Floyd in 2005 at Live 8. He also performed at a tribute concert to Barrett last year, but bassist Roger Waters and guitarist David Gilmour, who famously fell out more than 25 years ago, appeared separately. Wright had performed on every Pink Floyd tour.

This guy was a total animal on the Hammond Organ. Greatest rock piano/organ ever.

Damn!

Few things can be worse than coming home exhausted and realizing your sheets are in the washer, and will need to be dried before any happy falling into bed will be enjoyed.

You'd rather watch me drown than see your hands get wet.

I'm in envy of addicts.
You're obsessed with stars.
Dont, dont you sound
so excited showing me your vanity?
Whisper it once, just a little bit,
C'mon whisper it twice.
I cant stand to see the spotlight shine one more night.
Its killing me to see you...

Just tie the rope.
Then kick the chair.
Just leave me hanging there,
Gasping for air yeah,
Dont mind me three feet from the ceiling

You'd rather watch me drown,
Than see your hands get wet.
You took the plot from stage to screen
and turned it to an epic scene
So whisper it once, tell me again.
C'mon whisper it twice,
I cant stand to see my whole life flash before my eyes,
When I'm with you there's
No point in breathing.

Just tie the rope.
Then kick the chair.
Just leave me hanging there,
Gasping for air yeah,
Dont mind me three feet from the ceiling

And I think I know (whoah oh oh)
Why you never get to close
Its cause you're too scared to
When I'm with you there's no point in breathing
No point in breathing...

So so you run away for no apparent reason
Cause you and I are changing with the seasons
You give me an answer as to why you're leaving
The table's full. Nobodys been dealing,
So fold your hand, c'mon and fold your hand.

Just tie the rope.
Then kick the chair.
Just leave me hanging there,
Gasping for air yeah,
Dont mind me three feet from the ceiling

And I think I know (whoah oh oh)
Why you never get to close
Its cause you're too scared to
When I'm with you there's
No point in breathing
No point in breathing
No point in breathing

Time for a new blog name, any suggestions?

More politics, this time by request.

Sorry to do it again, but a friend requested a link to this article about the man I referred to as "the old John McCain."

"Mr McCain used to be a passionate believer in limited government and sound public finances; a man with some distaste for conservative Republicanism and its obsession with reproductive matters. On the stump, though, he has offered big tax cuts for business and the rich that he is unable to pay for, and he is much more polite to the religious right, whom he once called “agents of intolerance”. He has engaged in pretty naked populism, too, for instance in calling for a “gas-tax holiday”. If this is all just a gimmick to keep his party’s right wing happy, it may disappear again. But that is quite a gamble to take.

Two months remain before the election, more than enough time for Mr McCain to allay some of these worries. He needs to spend less time reassuring evangelicals that he agrees with them about abortion and gay marriage, and more time having another look at his tax plans. The old John McCain attacked Mr Bush for his tax cuts, which he said were unaffordable. The new John McCain not only wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, but wants to add to them by virtually eliminating estate tax (something that would benefit a tiny number of very rich families, like his own). He also proposes to slash corporation tax. People on middle incomes would see little benefit. Independent analysts agree that Mr McCain’s plans would increase an already huge deficit.

Hawkish foreign policy, irresponsible tax cuts, more talk about religion and abortion: all this sounds too much like Bush Three, the label the Democrats are trying to hang around the Republican’s neck. We preferred McCain One."

As did I. And lest it be said I'm getting too political on my blog, I remind you I just did a post that said "knockin' the boots" like 4 times.

Knock, knock, knockin on heaven's door.

Consider the following terms:

Knocking boots (or knockin' the boots).

Knocked up.

I plan to use them regularly when I'm married, possible connotations:

The wifey looks perdy all knocked up eh?
Yeah, sorry I didn't answer, Amy and I were knockin the boots.
So honey, ya feel like knockin' boots for a while?

Maybe the wifey will knock some sense into me.

Talking Politics: Move on if you don't like it.

Disclaimer: I'm getting political on my blog... I was in Washington DC for part of this weekend and visited the FDR memorial (which is probably my favorite). On one of the walls it had this quote:



My mom and I just had a conversation about John McCain. She remarked how odd it was that I had always wanted John McCain to run for President and now that he's nominated, I wasn't planning to vote for him. We talked about it for a long time, but eventually I just threw my arms up and said that I miss the old John McCain. The John McCain before this belligerent attack ad crusade and crap. I honestly think he used to have his head on straight and now he's just being puppeted by his party and campaign managers. My dad thinks I'm caught up in this youth Obama storm, and I will admit I feel strongly that Barack Obama should be the one elected in November. And I might feel torn if John McCain weren't making it so easy for me to dislike him. I don't agree with Obama 100%. While I am generally pro-choice his voting record on partial-birth abortion is a little discomforting. But abortion is a stupid issue to make this election about, since Rowe v. Wade is going nowhere even if McCain were elected. Honestly, all other policy aside, he's the only one who's economic plan makes any sense.

I think I manage fine on what I make, but there are a lot people in this country trying to support families on less than what I make and these are the people without health care and at biggest risk of losing their jobs. To continue massive tax breaks for corporations who export their labor, oil companies who made the most obscene of profits this year, and Americans who make over $200,000 a year while extending not a cent of tax relief to the middle class is blanketly absurd.

The John McCain I grew up with would've never championed the Bush tax cuts. The argument in favor of these tax cuts is that people in this tax bracket will use the money they save and the economic growth will stimulate the greater economy. The problem with that argument is that history demonstrates it doesn't trickle down. It doesn't strengthen the overall economy. At least in never has. Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over, while expecting a different result. My mom agreed but said, "Jared, you know your father makes over $200,000 a year, right?"

"Yes, but is that WHY you guys feel differently?"

"It's a big part of it. You'd feel picked on if you worked as hard as your dad has for as long as he has, to have 39% of your wages taxed."

"I suppose, but at the wage I earn, 21% might actually hurt worse. And I don't even have the risk of losing my job."

I've been thinking about this a lot and I think I agree with the guy who got us out of the great depression more than the guy who got us into whatever it is we're in now.

TGIF

I really look forward to Fridays (even when I do crazy things like decide to go do a radio equipment installation in Baltimore and Frederick, Maryland over labor day weekend).

Of course there are the usual reasons like "it's the start of my weekend" and "it's the day I get paid." But honestly, I really look forward to Favorite Video Friday. Luke is a friend of mine from NY (more accurately, he's a friend I made in NY after I already lived in Boston cause he started dating, then married a friend I made while I lived in NY), confused yet?

Anyway, on Fridays he posts 3 music videos that share a common something. And I just realized how addicted I am to it. Anyway, if you're looking for something else to make your Fridays a little shinier, check it out.

More Clavinet awesomeness.

The Clav is pretty funky on this track, but it's kinda hard to decide what's funkiest. The bass? The Rhodes? The guitar? So much funky in so little space. This dude is white too. He was a Doobie Brother though, so he almost passes. This rule does not apply to Kenny Loggins, who will be forever white, no matter what. (Punishment for his contributions to the Top Gun soundtrack.

Oh the Clavi goodness.

If Sesame Street had been this awesome when I was a kid I would've never stayed up watching VH1. Anyway, this video is posted just to brag that I won a Clavinet on ebay and will soon be rocking like Stevie Wonder. I'm also aware only Jason knows that the Clavinet is the funky sounding keyboard he plays that sounds a little like a very bitey guitar. I need to be in a funk band now. I'll also need some fairly awesome brass players. Extra points for fros. (All I need now is a talkbox and to be born blind.)

P.S. How hardcore is that kid rocking out up top?

Now that's valuable information.

Thanks Katie!

27

Created by OnePlusYou - Online Dating

(the groin of the ankle)

Oh, funny.