Ice Cavern Studios

So, after a week of threatening to be the snowpocalypse, it finally snowed. And it’s actual snow. It’s not Boston/Michigan levels, but we’ve definitely hit southern Ohio. And this has caused the city to shut down. ::shrugs::

I will say, I’m amazed at how…unprepared people are for snow/cold weather here in Seattle. I have friends who don’t have boots. This just seems…insane to me. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a place where it would snow occasionally, but it seems like boots should be one of those required pieces of footwear that people own. They don’t have to be the -20 degree rated boots I wear (I bought them for when I moved to Boston), but at least something snow worthy. Maybe I’m just crazy because I’ve had snow worthy boots since i was..oh…3. Even just a pair of hiking boots.

The other thing I was noticing, is that there are basic amenities that buildings around here lack that are everywhere back east and in the Midwest. For instance, lots of space and proper places to hang winter coats in restaurants. I was talking with a coworker who lived in Montreal and he and I talked about how just handling snow is not something Seattlites seem ready for. People were confused in the cafeteria that I was walking around in sandals and shorts. They actually thought I walked to work like this. Seriously. I had to explain that I walked to work and that my boots weren’t really a good idea in the office, and that my pants were wet from snow, so i brought shorts to be comfortable in. People’s minds were blown.

Then again, maybe I’m just expecting too much of people. Not everyone gets the opportunity to spend large amounts of time in the snow and cold. And unless you are subjected to a lot of it; it’s one of those things that can be quite offputting.

Life and Times

So I bought the book,1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, and have been reading it for a couple of weeks. So far, it’s really interesting to read, but something was clearly not fully right. I wasn’t listening to the Albums. I was ready about all of these amazing recordings, but I wasn’t fully grasping the brilliance of some of them.

So now, I’m rectifying this. I’ve already downloaded all of the ‘A’ artists that i can get with my Zunepass. While it’s not all of the recordings, it’s a place to start. This is going to be interesting, but a lot of this stuff sounds pretty tight. Plus, if I want to make good music, I need to listen to the best, right?

So here we go.

Music, Zune

Seattle paralyzed by chance of snow.

I wish I could say this was an exaggeration. But my office is pretty empty. People sent “working from home” emails last night. Let it be known, there was no precipitation of any kind last night. It was completely “dry.” Of course, since we lack any kind of cold weather gear in this area, there is still black ice on the roads.

I just find this amusing given what it was like in Boston. Ice still on the roads two days after snow fall that had warming temps? I mean, sure, they turn the roads into salt flats. But at least people can get around. You’d think Seattle might, I don’t know, have some kind of ability. You know, just in case. Even Cincinnati was better than this, and when I was growing up there, it was sad. This is just…pathetic.

Life and Times

Rumormill: Subaru pulling out of WRC tomorrow – Autoblog.

One of the things I like about owning an STI is it’s rally heritage. Subaru has been a major player in the Rally’s for over 20 years, and their cars are iconic. Well…we’ll just have to see.

Cars

So, as I had previously said, I was in need of some gear. And well, there was some gear I just wanted. Well, as of today, I have at least 2 pieces of said gear.

The first bit of gear, a gigging amp, I have picked up today. Thanks to the magic of craigslist, I was able to find a 300w Fender combo amp for 200 bucks. What’s even better, is that I like the sound and, well, it’s loud as a motherf**er. Seriously, I asked Yorke if he could hear me playing with his door closed and headphones on and it was a resounding yes. Sweet.

The other bit of gear I ordered was an M13 from Line6. I’ve been lusting after one, and decided it was my Christmas gift to me. I don’t really need effects. But they are awesome and I really like to play with them. This weekend, I’m going to see about picking up a bas wah from a guy on craigslist for 50 bucks.

While I will admit that it is kind of ghetto to be picking up all of this gear off of craigslist…I don’t really care. It’s cheap, sounds/plays incredibly well, and it’s getting me going. But yes, I think I’m a decent practice amp away from being done for a while.

Music