Behold! I have returned! It has been awhile since I have logged into blogger. After Google changed things up with my account, I switched to a newer blog site that didn't suit my needs. However, I am looking at changing all my profiles over to google and want to get a fresh start on blogger. I will be abandoning Yahoo Mail for Gmail (yahoo sucks anyways), Facebook for Google Chrome, and why not hit up blogger again while I'm at it?
Well, to kick things off, let's catch up from a year ago when I last posted here. I no longer work at Toys R' Us, (Hated it!) but got a job at Best Buy! I worked PCHO (computers) for most of the time, and about 3 months ago I moved to Geek Squad in Best Buy. Talk about a job! Over time, you will find numerous stories with Geek Squad on this blog. (I had a lady ask me, "Where the white ink is?" just the other day...) Definitely an interesting job, a lot of work, but can be a lot of fun.
Musically, the roller coaster is heading back up. After leaving the Remnant Band for a few months, leadership has changed and I will be rejoining the band... On electric! So much to post here, but I will touch on that in tomorrows blog. (which is technically today, but it's 4am)
As said, there is a ton to touch on, but I will break it down over the course of the next few blogs. I must sleep now since I have work in 5 hours, but I promise a few good stories from my day once I get home.
Goodbye for now!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Random things that make my day.
One of the best feelings is when I am having a bad day, or am feeling down for whatever reason, then there is something random to either cheer me up or to make me laugh. I'm not talking about events or people, but random objects and stuff. The other day I went for a walk, just to get out of the house when I was really annoyed at a family member. I went walking through a ditch in our neighborhood (Always walk there) and something caught my eye. Instead of the usual lame graffiti, someone had wrote in wet cement to let it dry. What did it say?
May the force be with you!
Seriously? Of all the things an average hoodlum would write, they chose that? Yep! There are plenty of other weird writings in the ditch, like "ZZTOP" "Why am I here?" and "Ryan is a..." I like it even more when bigger companies start playing the random game too. Example: One hungry Tuesday, I went to Chili's to get my precious Chicken Crispers, but upon parking, I noticed something that made me double-take...
Glad we didn't park there!
May the force be with you!
Seriously? Of all the things an average hoodlum would write, they chose that? Yep! There are plenty of other weird writings in the ditch, like "ZZTOP" "Why am I here?" and "Ryan is a..." I like it even more when bigger companies start playing the random game too. Example: One hungry Tuesday, I went to Chili's to get my precious Chicken Crispers, but upon parking, I noticed something that made me double-take...
Glad we didn't park there!
Friday, October 8, 2010
After weeks of work:
My truck is finally primed! (Almost...!)
Q: But I thought you were already priming it....?
A: The first time I was priming it, our spray-gun for the primer was jacked up. We tried a little bit of thinner, but the primer was then too thin and came right off. After realizing this when we were half-way done, we had to sand it all down and start over again. (Yes, Sand down every bit of work and having to buy more sand paper and paint)
Our alternative this time was to by spray-can primer. Definitely not fun to put on, and abit ton more expensive and time consuming. However, we almost have it 100% done and ready for paint. Just need to finish a small section on the back left side. This week has been a very good one for my truck; even if the primer didn't get finished, I still got a lot done in these last few days.
1) Got rid of a flat tire and got 2 new back tires, and put them on.
2) Took off the door panel on the passenger side to fix the door. I now know the problems it has, and will only take a bit of work to fix it where it can open from both sides.
3) Looked at the window on the passenger side to see how I can fix it. Turns out there is a bad cable for the window motor. It won't reverse the polarity of the magnets in the window motor to make it go down but only up. Need a new motor to fix this.. :(
4) Started installing a working radio! Finally, this is a must for me!
5) Got more freon to take a look at this bad compressor. I'd like the AC to work, but it's not a must for me now with this amazing weather.
6) Replaced old nasty front lights with new chromed out lights!
Here are some pictures of the work-in-progress, if you care. (Yes, you do care!)
I have future plans to get this truck lifted a little higher, with some bigger tires. I haven't fully decided on what color to paint yet, but I'm thinking a new cool/white (not that nasty beige/offwhite) with black secondary (knobs, handles, toolbox, rails, pin-striping)
Interestingly funny fact: Where did I get this truck from? A friend of my dads, who traded for some football cards and other random small stuff :)
Q: But I thought you were already priming it....?
A: The first time I was priming it, our spray-gun for the primer was jacked up. We tried a little bit of thinner, but the primer was then too thin and came right off. After realizing this when we were half-way done, we had to sand it all down and start over again. (Yes, Sand down every bit of work and having to buy more sand paper and paint)
Our alternative this time was to by spray-can primer. Definitely not fun to put on, and a
1) Got rid of a flat tire and got 2 new back tires, and put them on.
2) Took off the door panel on the passenger side to fix the door. I now know the problems it has, and will only take a bit of work to fix it where it can open from both sides.
3) Looked at the window on the passenger side to see how I can fix it. Turns out there is a bad cable for the window motor. It won't reverse the polarity of the magnets in the window motor to make it go down but only up. Need a new motor to fix this.. :(
4) Started installing a working radio! Finally, this is a must for me!
5) Got more freon to take a look at this bad compressor. I'd like the AC to work, but it's not a must for me now with this amazing weather.
6) Replaced old nasty front lights with new chromed out lights!
Here are some pictures of the work-in-progress, if you care. (Yes, you do care!)
I have future plans to get this truck lifted a little higher, with some bigger tires. I haven't fully decided on what color to paint yet, but I'm thinking a new cool/white (not that nasty beige/offwhite) with black secondary (knobs, handles, toolbox, rails, pin-striping)
Interestingly funny fact: Where did I get this truck from? A friend of my dads, who traded for some football cards and other random small stuff :)
Friday, October 1, 2010
A time to remember..
Story time, cause I'm bored!
I was digging through my laptop today, backing it up since it's been slowly dying on me. I came across some OLD cliff jumping videos with some of my friends. I mentioned it in an earlier blog, but I have 2 of the clips uploaded that I will post below.. Man, great times! This was an excellent time in my life, cause it was around then that I had started becoming social (About time!) and hanging out with people I never had before. We had a decent sized group, that was drama-free for the entire year! (Wow!) It didn't last the next school year, but the memories I have of this group won't shatter like the some of the friendships did. (not so much me, but the group kinda fell apart)
Back on track with the cliff jumping, we have a small hidden area that we adventured too. After a small trek up the cliff, there is the perfect ledge for jumping off of into a small pond below. Behind the ledge is a small cave that is just awesome to chill in, great place to BBQ and spend the day at. The spot doesn't hold much value anymore to us, so it doesn't feel like the secret hangout like it was back then. If you know where the Forum is, (Agora Pkwy) there is a neighborhood behind it. (Olympia) Near the end of it is Sunrise Canyon, where you venture to Kitty Hawk road. At the end of the road, you'll see a small trail you can go down to get there. Once your at the bottom of the awesome movie-like-abandon-road-with-blowing-leaves-and-trees-that-cover-you, you will see a rocky area that you can't drive through. (Unless your like the General who has a jeep and recklessness to ride it like a normal road). Once you're down there, it will all unfold in front of your very own eyes. Pretty ain't it?
Here is the first video, one of my old friends Eleazar taking a jump off the highest part of the cliff. This was his first jump, by the way, so you can probably understand his language. :P
Here is another video from my Facebook.. This guy below was some random dude we met along the way. Him and his friend were cool, so they tagged along with us. He was actually the first one to 'guinea pig' the highest part of the cliff. Though it may not look crazy high, when your standing up there, it's crazy!
And last, but not least, is another video of EZ (Eleazar) this time doing a backflip off the lower part. Great success!
I was digging through my laptop today, backing it up since it's been slowly dying on me. I came across some OLD cliff jumping videos with some of my friends. I mentioned it in an earlier blog, but I have 2 of the clips uploaded that I will post below.. Man, great times! This was an excellent time in my life, cause it was around then that I had started becoming social (About time!) and hanging out with people I never had before. We had a decent sized group, that was drama-free for the entire year! (Wow!) It didn't last the next school year, but the memories I have of this group won't shatter like the some of the friendships did. (not so much me, but the group kinda fell apart)
Back on track with the cliff jumping, we have a small hidden area that we adventured too. After a small trek up the cliff, there is the perfect ledge for jumping off of into a small pond below. Behind the ledge is a small cave that is just awesome to chill in, great place to BBQ and spend the day at. The spot doesn't hold much value anymore to us, so it doesn't feel like the secret hangout like it was back then. If you know where the Forum is, (Agora Pkwy) there is a neighborhood behind it. (Olympia) Near the end of it is Sunrise Canyon, where you venture to Kitty Hawk road. At the end of the road, you'll see a small trail you can go down to get there. Once your at the bottom of the awesome movie-like-abandon-road-with-blowing-leaves-and-trees-that-cover-you, you will see a rocky area that you can't drive through. (Unless your like the General who has a jeep and recklessness to ride it like a normal road). Once you're down there, it will all unfold in front of your very own eyes. Pretty ain't it?
Here is the first video, one of my old friends Eleazar taking a jump off the highest part of the cliff. This was his first jump, by the way, so you can probably understand his language. :P
Here is another video from my Facebook.. This guy below was some random dude we met along the way. Him and his friend were cool, so they tagged along with us. He was actually the first one to 'guinea pig' the highest part of the cliff. Though it may not look crazy high, when your standing up there, it's crazy!
And last, but not least, is another video of EZ (Eleazar) this time doing a backflip off the lower part. Great success!
Good iPod Touch Apps?
So I've been looking for some new fun iPod apps to keep me entertained when I find myself in a boring situation. I've already got loads of good apps, (see below) and am looking for more to entertain me. In a way, this is an open invitation for you to comment on great apps you've tried, and recommend them. I'm going to write a small review on a few that I really enjoy when the days are long.
Here we go, in no particular order:
1) N.O.V.A.
Definitely one of my favorite iPod games! It's a full 3-D first-person shooter. You wouldn't think it's easy or possible with a touch screen, but when you get used to the controls, the game controls are actually well worked out. The gameplay is great, and has a full Campaign/Story mode you can play through. It's a good length too and you have close to 6-8 different guns throughout the game. Regarding Graphics, I give it a 9/10 for being an iPod. They're great, and I could only imagine how well it'd be on the new iPhone 4. The storyline itself isn't too bad, and it's got some fun online multi-player via WiFi too! Go check it out if you're looking for a good shooter!
2) Call of Duty: Nazi Zombies!
If you liked Nazi Zombies on World at War, give this a try! It's 10 bucks, but pretty fun actually. I've got to round 28 by myself on the iPod (nowhere near my round 39 on Xbox) and it's got Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Coop too! They also released a map pack that I haven't tried yet, but I think it'd be cool too.
3) Angry Birds
When I first tried the lite version of the game, I was like "Sweet, that was kinda fun, might play it more." When I got the actual game, that changed, and became a personal challenge and accomplishment to finish each and every level. Finally, as of 3 days ago, I finally nailed it! The game is very simple and addicting, definitely go get the lite version if you haven't played it. There is a ton of levels and it's WAY worth what it costs!
4) StickWars
This game was one of the first I ever got, it's insanely addicting! It's an iPod version of "Defend your castle", where you
5) Words with Friends
Who doesn't like Scrabble?! Words with Friends is exactly that, but with a slight difference: You can play whenever you want. Yep. Lets say, someone makes their move, and it's my turn. I don't have to play right then, I can wait an hour later, or 2 weeks later if I want and don't have internet.. (Sorry mom!) Feel free to add me on Words with Friends if you ever want to play! My screenname is cool29801.
6) CubeRunner
A very small app, but a very fun app! You basically are a moving ship-thing (An arrow?) and you have to dodge cubes as you pick up speed. Simple concept, hard game. Very addicting! It has custom level support, and is a lot of fun to compete with friends through pass-and-play. Go grab it!
7) Other Apps
7a) Facebook
This is almost a must when I am running around. I use it constantly! It's facebook, with a very smart layout that takes advantage of the iPods touch. Pages are easily accessible, and has enough features that you can get by without ever bothering using facebook on a website.
7b) The Bible (YouVersion)
It's the Holy Bible! It lets you select easily any verse, chapter, or book you want! You can easily email friends verses and switch between TONS of different translations! There are a handful of downloadable translations for when you don't have internet, but not quite some that I'm looking for, sadly.. (Get the Amplified Bible! Come on YouVersion, make it downloadable!) With internet, or being on an iPhone, this is great and you instantly have all access on the go! Combine this with the built in note app for iPods, and you're set!
7c) NES Emulators
These are cool, but generally don't perform up to par of what I'd be wanting. Seeing ancient NES games is amazing, but sometimes, audio can be skippy, and some games just aren't enjoyable. (SuperMarioBros3) But others like Zelda and Metroid can be!
These are a few that I have tried, but I really need more. Feel free to drop some suggestions in the comments, or put in your own input. Peace!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Blessings Vs. "Blessings" (aka Counterfeit)
It's really important to know what comes from God and what doesn't. I may sound harsh in this post, but this is my take from experience with living with a certain family member and around a few other Christians. Just read on, and it will make sense as you go ;)
Let's start simple:
1. God gives you what you need when you need.
The Bible has a lot to say over blessings, money, gifts, needs, and advice. I've heard lots of stories about how people find a break when they need it and how close they've been to accidents, but always end up safe. It's a great thing to know that we are promised blessings. God will never give us something to face that we cannot handle, but instead God gives us power to stand over it. Sounds good, right? Lets turn up the heat.
2. God doesn't bless you with something so you can sin in return.
Here is something very dangerous that people pass up. If you find yourself to be blessed to have extra money, what are you going to spend it on? Sometimes God will give us something, but what we do with it doesn't glorify him but instead does the opposite. It's a definite need to understand how your using what is given to you and making sure that your using it for good and not bad. Every thought, word said, purchase, action is a 50/50. Is it good or bad? This is an extreme thought, yes, but a definite good one.
Lets take it from a different approach, shall we? Money is an important factor, but there are many examples that don't involve it. Let's say you're driving stupidly or in an illegal manner, and you find that by a miracle you didn't get permanently injured in a crash that took place due to your driving. Are you going to keep driving the same? What more would it take for you to finally stop? Lets beef up the heat even more as I move on to a slightly different subject.
3. Some, 'Blessings' aren't from God.
This got your attention, didn't it? Here's my take. Whereas God will provide for you as you need, don't fool yourself into thinking some things are directly from God. Here is an example I have taken from a near family member.
Say you have no money in the bank, or just enough to get you gas for work this last day before your paycheck. However, you REALLY want some pizza. Now, because you have no money and want pizza, what are you going to do? Lets say you write a hot check, which will charge you an extra $35+ from your bank and give you bad credit. (not to forget it's illegal) After delivery charges and getting the pizza to your door, you spend a total of $55 that night for food. This becomes a normal thing, and eventually starts to really take a toll on your Credit score and leaves you broke to figure out how your going to get to work. Is this a blessing that God provides you with pizza, or is this a foolish habit that the devil would use to ruin you? It's extremely important that you don't close your mind and become ignorant to this.
Though some of this may be common sense, you would be so surprised that people could live like that. Here is another example: You're low on cash, but can still get by. This time, you are an alcoholic, and love to get drunk to pass time and make your life better. In a time when you can't afford enough beer, a friend spots you by buying you a 12-pack, so you can get drunk and enjoy the night, forgetting about your problems. Is this a blessing, that God has touched your friend to have a giving heart? Of course not.
4. Regarding faith:
Though faith is extremely important, do not completely neglect something important in faith that it is taken care of. This will leave you open and unprepared should something worse or unexpected happen. Some people will have huge debts owed, and just ignore it in faith that it will be taken care of on it's own. If you ignore this hoping it to solve itself, it could easily leave you open to some serious trouble. If you have a problem, don't ignore it, but have faith and pray that you can take it head on and get it taken care of. Then you know for sure the problem doesn't exist, and you make it through.
Don't be paranoid and hopeless about problems, but definitely don't be careless.
5. Recognizing a counterfeit vs. blessing.
As with all decisions, first things to check:
A) Is what your thinking of biblical?
B) Does it or will it leave you in a better or worse condition than you are now?
C) Is it out of the ordinary, or something completely expected?
D) WWJD?
E) Is this something you can use to sharpen someones faith?
Random Fact: I like to use WWJD in a lot of situations. It will make you rethink what your doing, and possibly higher your standards. I don't see how you could go wrong using this, so try it if you don't!
Let's start simple:
1. God gives you what you need when you need.
The Bible has a lot to say over blessings, money, gifts, needs, and advice. I've heard lots of stories about how people find a break when they need it and how close they've been to accidents, but always end up safe. It's a great thing to know that we are promised blessings. God will never give us something to face that we cannot handle, but instead God gives us power to stand over it. Sounds good, right? Lets turn up the heat.
2. God doesn't bless you with something so you can sin in return.
Here is something very dangerous that people pass up. If you find yourself to be blessed to have extra money, what are you going to spend it on? Sometimes God will give us something, but what we do with it doesn't glorify him but instead does the opposite. It's a definite need to understand how your using what is given to you and making sure that your using it for good and not bad. Every thought, word said, purchase, action is a 50/50. Is it good or bad? This is an extreme thought, yes, but a definite good one.
Lets take it from a different approach, shall we? Money is an important factor, but there are many examples that don't involve it. Let's say you're driving stupidly or in an illegal manner, and you find that by a miracle you didn't get permanently injured in a crash that took place due to your driving. Are you going to keep driving the same? What more would it take for you to finally stop? Lets beef up the heat even more as I move on to a slightly different subject.
3. Some, 'Blessings' aren't from God.
This got your attention, didn't it? Here's my take. Whereas God will provide for you as you need, don't fool yourself into thinking some things are directly from God. Here is an example I have taken from a near family member.
Say you have no money in the bank, or just enough to get you gas for work this last day before your paycheck. However, you REALLY want some pizza. Now, because you have no money and want pizza, what are you going to do? Lets say you write a hot check, which will charge you an extra $35+ from your bank and give you bad credit. (not to forget it's illegal) After delivery charges and getting the pizza to your door, you spend a total of $55 that night for food. This becomes a normal thing, and eventually starts to really take a toll on your Credit score and leaves you broke to figure out how your going to get to work. Is this a blessing that God provides you with pizza, or is this a foolish habit that the devil would use to ruin you? It's extremely important that you don't close your mind and become ignorant to this.
Though some of this may be common sense, you would be so surprised that people could live like that. Here is another example: You're low on cash, but can still get by. This time, you are an alcoholic, and love to get drunk to pass time and make your life better. In a time when you can't afford enough beer, a friend spots you by buying you a 12-pack, so you can get drunk and enjoy the night, forgetting about your problems. Is this a blessing, that God has touched your friend to have a giving heart? Of course not.
4. Regarding faith:
Though faith is extremely important, do not completely neglect something important in faith that it is taken care of. This will leave you open and unprepared should something worse or unexpected happen. Some people will have huge debts owed, and just ignore it in faith that it will be taken care of on it's own. If you ignore this hoping it to solve itself, it could easily leave you open to some serious trouble. If you have a problem, don't ignore it, but have faith and pray that you can take it head on and get it taken care of. Then you know for sure the problem doesn't exist, and you make it through.
Don't be paranoid and hopeless about problems, but definitely don't be careless.
5. Recognizing a counterfeit vs. blessing.
As with all decisions, first things to check:
A) Is what your thinking of biblical?
B) Does it or will it leave you in a better or worse condition than you are now?
C) Is it out of the ordinary, or something completely expected?
D) WWJD?
E) Is this something you can use to sharpen someones faith?
Random Fact: I like to use WWJD in a lot of situations. It will make you rethink what your doing, and possibly higher your standards. I don't see how you could go wrong using this, so try it if you don't!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Band Practice Tuesday!
For those who don't know, I play bass for the youth praise/worship band for Tree of Life church (aka, Remnant) Practice is every Tuesday, and service starts Wednesday nights at 7pm. (go!)
I figure that now would be a good time to clear up a few questions I've been asked regarding me and my musical instruments:
Q: You play electric guitar too?
Though I play bass there, I can definitely say that it isn't my primary and I would prefer electric, but it's where I'm needed. I play a variety of instruments, including: Acoustic, Electric, Bass, Keyboard/synths/piano, Drums, Vocals (when nobody is home) and occasionally the Air drums.
Q: How long have you been playing?:
Electric: 4ish years
Acoustic: 3ish years
Bass: 2 years
Drums: 1.5 years
Keyboard: 1 year
Keep in mind I play my instruments every single day, so despite the number you see, I actually feel further than them.
Q: What kinda setup do you use?
For my electric guitar, I have a heavily customized black and gold Ibanez Gio GSZ120. I can post up a picture of her later. For effects processing and amps: I run my monster cable to my M-Audio MobilePre Pre-amp, where it then goes into my computer. I have some software programs that I use as an amp and for effects, sounds great too! The first program is called Guitar Rig 4, which is great for clean, rock, and overdriven tones, then my second program, Amplitube 2, which is good for my Bass and harder rock tones. Guitar Rig 4 is great though, and I prefer it heavily against Amplitube 2. Lastly, to hear the audio, I either use my Samson MediaONE studio monitors, or my Sennheiser studio headphones. My next guitar will definitely be a PRS guitar, as they are a very classy and great brand. I love everything about the guitars, and they feel amazing.
For Bass, I use an ESP LTD. Definitely not a brand I like, but hey, the bass was a blessing and I couldn't pass up the offer. Likewise with electric, I run the bass through Amplitube 2 and listen through my studio headphones. Whenever I play live on Wednesday nights, I use the churches amazing I'm looking for a new bass, preferably something closer towards the Ibanez SRT900DX, but I will have to look more towards what I would want. I'm not big on out-of-the-ordinary shapes, or radical shaped guitars.
For Keyboard, I use an M-Audio Keystation 49e running through a software synth called Reason 4. It is amazing, and some nights I can spend hours just making patches and beautiful sounding pads. I hope to sometime get the M-Audio Axiom 61 key, as it has more than what I would need.
For Drums, I had a old Roland Electric Drum kit for awhile. After it being noisier than I thought (even for an electric) I traded it for a wealth of musical gear. I drum at Remnant whenever I can, and at various friends houses, but one day, I will have a nice kit! Im looking at a Pearl kit right now, white with black hardware, and Zildjian cymbals, but if I can get anything nice right now, I'll be happy. Drumming is the most expensive of any instrument
Q: What style music do you play?
Mostly, I love to play the Praise/Worship songs that we play at our church. It has a definite rock basis to it and is super fun. It's also great for learning music theory and learning the guitar. I always here creative new stuff and ways to put the songs together with it, and lyrically it glorifies God. An example song that I like to play would be From God Above by Hillsong United. One of my fav's. I used to be obsessed with metal, and it in a way shaped my style too. One of my old favorite bands was Avenged Sevenfold for their albums "City of Evil" and their self-titled album (listen to Afterlife). Overtime, I learned pretty much all of their songs from that album.
Q: So, all in all, how many instruments do you have?
Currently? Only a few that I use. I have had numbers of guitars in the past though.
Historical Fact: I have owned many guitars and classical instruments too. Here we go, from first to last! First Act Electric, Fender Squier Strat, Fender NIN Strat, Ibanez Gio Gsz120, Ibanez Soundgear Bass, ESP F-?? Bass, Esp Ltd B-50, Sivertone Electric (dad gave it to me, didnt even ask), Alverez acoustic (ditto), and an Emperador Acoustic (ditto).
Though I am blessed to have all this equipment, I would like to start upgrading what I have. I have a little more to add, but gotta go for now, so I will edit this later. Peace!
I figure that now would be a good time to clear up a few questions I've been asked regarding me and my musical instruments:
Q: You play electric guitar too?
Though I play bass there, I can definitely say that it isn't my primary and I would prefer electric, but it's where I'm needed. I play a variety of instruments, including: Acoustic, Electric, Bass, Keyboard/synths/piano, Drums, Vocals (when nobody is home) and occasionally the Air drums.
Q: How long have you been playing?:
Electric: 4ish years
Acoustic: 3ish years
Bass: 2 years
Drums: 1.5 years
Keyboard: 1 year
Keep in mind I play my instruments every single day, so despite the number you see, I actually feel further than them.
Q: What kinda setup do you use?
For my electric guitar, I have a heavily customized black and gold Ibanez Gio GSZ120. I can post up a picture of her later. For effects processing and amps: I run my monster cable to my M-Audio MobilePre Pre-amp, where it then goes into my computer. I have some software programs that I use as an amp and for effects, sounds great too! The first program is called Guitar Rig 4, which is great for clean, rock, and overdriven tones, then my second program, Amplitube 2, which is good for my Bass and harder rock tones. Guitar Rig 4 is great though, and I prefer it heavily against Amplitube 2. Lastly, to hear the audio, I either use my Samson MediaONE studio monitors, or my Sennheiser studio headphones. My next guitar will definitely be a PRS guitar, as they are a very classy and great brand. I love everything about the guitars, and they feel amazing.
For Bass, I use an ESP LTD. Definitely not a brand I like, but hey, the bass was a blessing and I couldn't pass up the offer. Likewise with electric, I run the bass through Amplitube 2 and listen through my studio headphones. Whenever I play live on Wednesday nights, I use the churches amazing I'm looking for a new bass, preferably something closer towards the Ibanez SRT900DX, but I will have to look more towards what I would want. I'm not big on out-of-the-ordinary shapes, or radical shaped guitars.
For Keyboard, I use an M-Audio Keystation 49e running through a software synth called Reason 4. It is amazing, and some nights I can spend hours just making patches and beautiful sounding pads. I hope to sometime get the M-Audio Axiom 61 key, as it has more than what I would need.
For Drums, I had a old Roland Electric Drum kit for awhile. After it being noisier than I thought (even for an electric) I traded it for a wealth of musical gear. I drum at Remnant whenever I can, and at various friends houses, but one day, I will have a nice kit! Im looking at a Pearl kit right now, white with black hardware, and Zildjian cymbals, but if I can get anything nice right now, I'll be happy. Drumming is the most expensive of any instrument
Q: What style music do you play?
Mostly, I love to play the Praise/Worship songs that we play at our church. It has a definite rock basis to it and is super fun. It's also great for learning music theory and learning the guitar. I always here creative new stuff and ways to put the songs together with it, and lyrically it glorifies God. An example song that I like to play would be From God Above by Hillsong United. One of my fav's. I used to be obsessed with metal, and it in a way shaped my style too. One of my old favorite bands was Avenged Sevenfold for their albums "City of Evil" and their self-titled album (listen to Afterlife). Overtime, I learned pretty much all of their songs from that album.
Q: So, all in all, how many instruments do you have?
Currently? Only a few that I use. I have had numbers of guitars in the past though.
Historical Fact: I have owned many guitars and classical instruments too. Here we go, from first to last! First Act Electric, Fender Squier Strat, Fender NIN Strat, Ibanez Gio Gsz120, Ibanez Soundgear Bass, ESP F-?? Bass, Esp Ltd B-50, Sivertone Electric (dad gave it to me, didnt even ask), Alverez acoustic (ditto), and an Emperador Acoustic (ditto).
Though I am blessed to have all this equipment, I would like to start upgrading what I have. I have a little more to add, but gotta go for now, so I will edit this later. Peace!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Why I don't have an Xbox 360:
Simple.
I am a person who likes to have money when I need it. However, with great Xbox (power) comes great wallet (responsibility?). If you go cheap on the console, it will show. Unless you buy everything new and use Xbox Live cards, then you can stand a chance to avoid the situations and drama I had below.
I got my first 360 brand new. Loved it like my own, but never had a hard drive. After buying a used one, it died after 2 weeks, right after the warranty. I traded the Xbox away, feeling the loss, but wanting better (musical instruments!). I managed to get another 360 for cheap at a pawn shop, sweet right? I enjoyed it for about a month before the hard drive died on it. After replacing it, the console itself gave me a red-ring-of-death. No fun. I sold the thing, not looking to get another. Weeks pass, and my friends old-trusty-steed-of-an-Xbox-that-never-failed-him-over-the-course-of-4-years failed on him. He bought a new one and gave me his old one. I happily took it (Free, any smart person would!) and baked it back to life. (No joke) I thought it would hold up well, so I subscribed to a monthly-version of xbox live. The xbox died about a month after, which I had expected, but M$ (Microsoft) never cancelled Xbox live when I told them too through hours on the phone. After about a month, I managed to fix it one last time. I noticed I still had 9 days of live left, so, everything was alright... right? Wrong. A day passes, and I can't log into my live account. Somehow, the account got jacked, and over $100 was spent. After another series of phone calls with M$, they did their 'investigation'. Month passes, finally, I get the refund and the account back. Whoever stole it was supposedly banned from live, but a day after getting it back, it was stolen again. When I called India (Microsoft) again to let them know, they told me to just sign into the account to confirm it was stolen again. I turn on the Xbox, and what do I see? Sure enough, the red ring of death yet again. To end it, I had M$ delete the account all-in-all, and I haven't bothered with it since.
Interesting Fact: Similar to how I baked the Xbox 360 back to life, I bake my brothers laptop back to life. It's a nice laptop, (asus c90s) but with a faulty video card. Nothing that tossing it in the oven in 200 degrees for 20 minutes can't fix!
Do I have horrible luck? Is the Xbox experience truly better than this? Likely, but hey, maybe it's a good thing I never got addicted to the Xbox. If anything, I do enjoy a few good songs in Rockband 2 (the Xbox destroyed the disk slightly before the red ring... sigh..) but not enough to deal with the issues of it. I've got real instruments to occupy me now :)
I am a person who likes to have money when I need it. However, with great Xbox (power) comes great wallet (responsibility?). If you go cheap on the console, it will show. Unless you buy everything new and use Xbox Live cards, then you can stand a chance to avoid the situations and drama I had below.
I got my first 360 brand new. Loved it like my own, but never had a hard drive. After buying a used one, it died after 2 weeks, right after the warranty. I traded the Xbox away, feeling the loss, but wanting better (musical instruments!). I managed to get another 360 for cheap at a pawn shop, sweet right? I enjoyed it for about a month before the hard drive died on it. After replacing it, the console itself gave me a red-ring-of-death. No fun. I sold the thing, not looking to get another. Weeks pass, and my friends old-trusty-steed-of-an-Xbox-that-never-failed-him-over-the-course-of-4-years failed on him. He bought a new one and gave me his old one. I happily took it (Free, any smart person would!) and baked it back to life. (No joke) I thought it would hold up well, so I subscribed to a monthly-version of xbox live. The xbox died about a month after, which I had expected, but M$ (Microsoft) never cancelled Xbox live when I told them too through hours on the phone. After about a month, I managed to fix it one last time. I noticed I still had 9 days of live left, so, everything was alright... right? Wrong. A day passes, and I can't log into my live account. Somehow, the account got jacked, and over $100 was spent. After another series of phone calls with M$, they did their 'investigation'. Month passes, finally, I get the refund and the account back. Whoever stole it was supposedly banned from live, but a day after getting it back, it was stolen again. When I called India (Microsoft) again to let them know, they told me to just sign into the account to confirm it was stolen again. I turn on the Xbox, and what do I see? Sure enough, the red ring of death yet again. To end it, I had M$ delete the account all-in-all, and I haven't bothered with it since.
Interesting Fact: Similar to how I baked the Xbox 360 back to life, I bake my brothers laptop back to life. It's a nice laptop, (asus c90s) but with a faulty video card. Nothing that tossing it in the oven in 200 degrees for 20 minutes can't fix!
Do I have horrible luck? Is the Xbox experience truly better than this? Likely, but hey, maybe it's a good thing I never got addicted to the Xbox. If anything, I do enjoy a few good songs in Rockband 2 (the Xbox destroyed the disk slightly before the red ring... sigh..) but not enough to deal with the issues of it. I've got real instruments to occupy me now :)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Raaaaiiiiiin Down!
(title is a definite song reference)
Yep, I am going to blog about the rain. It's amazing, and is especially rare that we have this much rain in Texas, after what felt like months without it. The temperature is 72 outside, so much better than 100+! First time since winter it's been this cool out. Me and my friend, whom I will refer to as The General, spent the day out in it. It's as if people are afraid of rain! The streets are empty, and we had the pool/hot tub to ourselves. We checked out the ditch too, and there is a good flow going. (See blow) I hope this rain continues, I LOVE IT! I may go check out the cliffs too soon, I already know the pond will be filled, but I gotta make sure it's still accessible. Cliff-jumping may be in my near future, it's been too long.
Semi-Relevant Fact: We had to stop cliff-jumping in the past due to a vehicle someone submerged by accident and ditched. Yes, we found out the hard way, and no, it wasn't me! Luckily, it was removed after awhile, and the hole was empty and ready for rain last I saw.
Ditch tubing anyone? Too bad I don't have a skim-board, that would be FUN!
Yep, I am going to blog about the rain. It's amazing, and is especially rare that we have this much rain in Texas, after what felt like months without it. The temperature is 72 outside, so much better than 100+! First time since winter it's been this cool out. Me and my friend, whom I will refer to as The General, spent the day out in it. It's as if people are afraid of rain! The streets are empty, and we had the pool/hot tub to ourselves. We checked out the ditch too, and there is a good flow going. (See blow) I hope this rain continues, I LOVE IT! I may go check out the cliffs too soon, I already know the pond will be filled, but I gotta make sure it's still accessible. Cliff-jumping may be in my near future, it's been too long.
Semi-Relevant Fact: We had to stop cliff-jumping in the past due to a vehicle someone submerged by accident and ditched. Yes, we found out the hard way, and no, it wasn't me! Luckily, it was removed after awhile, and the hole was empty and ready for rain last I saw.
Ditch tubing anyone? Too bad I don't have a skim-board, that would be FUN!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Diet plan:
So you can obviously tell by the title that the BBQ today was overly-satisfying. I didn't completely bloat myself, since I need to still go for my run tonight, making it day #3! I'm going to start a streak, similar to my guitar-playing streak, which is currently at day #219. Each night, I'm going to run/jog/walk from my house to a apartment complex pool, where I will get a bottled water for the jog back. It's not too intensive, but it is a long run. The walk there and back took a little over an hour with the route, so I'm going to see how long it will be with running. Also, when I'm not running, I have weights and dumbbells I will work with to every hour or so. If I can start these habits, I will start feeling much better and get more motivated for weight loss.
Also, I'm going to try to cut soda for a month. (thats right, an ENTIRE month) Being at my dads house, this will be very hard to do, as there is ALWAYS soda in the house. But I'm still going to try to break this habit. Even if I don't lose weight, I will no doubt be healthier and maybe obtain a regular sleep schedule as an added bonus. It's the first week thats hard, but if I can do it, I can last. Time to get the iPod and go for a run.
Fact: Live oak has a curfew at 12am, only more reason to run faster. Amirite?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)