cabin fever

Not really crazy

2010-10-25T20:43:00.001-06:00

When I was a teenager I had this switchblade comb. Looked just like a switchblade, but with a comb, obviously.

One day my step-mom Pam was in the kitchen. I walked up behind her and flicked open this comb and said "you know I've had just about enough of your shit."

She just about jumped out of her skin. Hahaha. Because she thought I was going to cut her.

Hahaha.

I guess you had to be there.

I've started..

2010-04-09T20:39:00.000-06:00

a totally separate blog for the hiking and camping stuff. It felt really weird having a blog that was about hiking and camping that I also posted music to. I feel a lot better about separating the two.

the hiking and camping blog is hardly started yet. but I feel a lot more comfortable posting music here knowing that outdoor freaks won't be offended by the whole music posting thing.

heading off for vacation tomorrow. I think I can manage to start posting more tunage and that when I get back.

hope the weather is great wherever you're at. it's still very wintery here.

My Review of Leatherman Juice S2

2009-12-19T23:29:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at REI

This cutting-edge multi-tool features a bevy of useful tools and distinctive burnt-orange anodized handles, contoured for comfort.

Mostly what I need, not lots of junk

By Jerry from Montana from West Yellowstone, MT on 12/19/2009

Gift: No

Pros: Sharp Blade, Comfortable Grip, Functional

Cons: Bends

Best Uses: Camping

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

I wanted a multitool specifically for hiking and camping out of a backpack. I spent quite a while shopping for one that had the few things I need without a whole bunch of things that I don't need. My requirements are very minimalist. I need:

1. A pair of pliers. Early last summer my buddy had a zipper blowout on his backpack. It required both his and my pliers to get the teeth lined back up so he could close the zipper. A pair of pliers is a must. One minor issue with these. When I'm squeezing down on the pliers, there's the tiniest bit of flex in the tool that I'm a little concerned about. I worry that one day when I'm really bearing down on something with the pliers, it's gonna break.

2. A pair of scissors. For opening freeze-dried meals, mostly. But also if I need to cut bandages. For certain tasks a knife doesn't work as well as a pair of scissors. I like the scissors on this. I like the feel on the thumb. The blades are a nice size.

3. A good sharp knife that's not too big and not too small. For a large knife I'll carry a separate large knife. This one is a little larger than a paring knife. It locks open so I know it's not going to fold when I'm using it.

Aside from those three things, I don't really need much else. Here's some thoughts on the other gadgets:

A can opener is okay to have, but not really necessary. When I hike into the back country of Yellowstone I'm not lugging cans of food, I'm carrying lighter dehydrated or freeze dried food. I suppose I could picture going on a day hike and stuffing a can of chili into my pack, in which case a can opener would be useful.

I'm trying to think if any of the camping or hiking gear I have has screws of any kind. The screwdrivers are pretty small and take up little space, so it's not bothersome to have them there.

This tool does NOT have: a file (I don't need it), tweezers (I have a good pair in my emergency kit, don't need an extra), a toothpick (I can whittle one with the knife), extra knives (I just need the one).

This isn't quite the perfect hiking/camping/backpacking multitool, but it's the closest I've been able to find. The real trick was finding a multi tool that had both pliers AND scissors, without having 20 other things on it. Take a look for yourself. Look at all the multitools that have both pliers and scissors and see how many extra gadgets they have.

This is a cool little tool

(legalese)

re: my last post..

2009-12-03T09:45:00.001-07:00

I posted my mediafire stoner rock folder for people to scan through. I'm gonna be closing that in about a week. so grab what you want.

I think I posted this already, but I'm not sure...

2009-11-12T20:33:00.002-07:00

unreleased Unida. Produced by Ric Ruben.

I'm durnk as fuck. No graphic. No description. Here ya go.

http://www.mediafire.com/?i1mbnm0sy3a

It's the shiznit.

Slayina is especially great. Would have done great on the radio, if they'd gone that direction. Fuckin' a right.

My Review of Snow Peak Titanium Double-Wall Cup

2009-09-28T21:18:00.001-06:00

Originally submitted at REI

Keep your beverages piping hot and reduce weight in your pack--this lightweight cup features insulating double-wall construction.

Spendy price but a really good mug

By Jerry from Montana from West Yellowstone, Montana on 9/28/2009

Gift: No

Pros: Easy To Clean, Durable, Lightweight, Compact, Stable

Best Uses: Hiking, Backpacking

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

What Is Your Gear Style: Minimalist

I've taken this camping into Yellowstone a couple times now and it's great! I'm still shopping for the perfect bowl/saucepan setup for me so I've used this for mugs of stew and chili. It seems to retain the heat for a long time.

I like the mesh bag that comes with it. I can put a 2oz bottle of Campsuds into the mug and then jam a bandana in with it (for cleaning things). Then I just cinch it into the mesh and stuff it into the bottom of my pack. I know the Campsuds aren't going to come out into my pack and make a mess.

(legalese)

My Review of REI Jungle Juice Plus Insect Repellent Spray - 4 oz.

2009-09-28T20:42:00.001-06:00

Originally submitted at REI

Find instant relief from biting insects with this easy-to-apply and long-lasting lotion that is 3 repellents in 1.

Not great for heavy infestations

By Jerry from Montana from West Yellowstone, Montana on 9/28/2009

Gift: No

Pros: Easy To Apply

Cons: Not effective

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

I used this a few weeks ago on a back country camping trip near Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone. In areas where there were small amounts of mosquitoes it worked pretty well, however the bugs around the lake are very very thick, and this stuff is almost useless. It kept most of the pests at bay but I was still continually harassed.

It wasn't durable at all. One application lasted maybe an hour at most. I was constantly having to put on more.

I'm not the biggest fan of DEET but a higher concentration works way better. My buddy had a spray that was 98% DEET, and that's what kept us alive during the trip.

(legalese)

How to camp overnight in yellowstone park

2009-08-13T10:52:00.001-06:00

"It was a blast! Had a bison ramble right past our camp site!"

How I did it: Found a buddy who digs camping too. We egged each other into it. Had to watch a vid at the back country office about back country safety. Had to reserve the camp site ahead of time. We picked one maybe a bit far in for a first over-nighter. But it was worth it.

Lessons & tips: Get the right gear and just go for it!

Resources: REI.COM for all the cool camping gear you'll need. Plus there's lots of tips and pointers from experts there.

It took me 4 years.

It made me woot

See more progress on: camp overnight in yellowstone park

follow up to my last Brant Bjork/Facebook post...

2009-08-03T00:18:00.002-06:00

Monster Magnet also has a page there, and Dave himself sometimes posts stuff.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Dave-Wyndorf-Monster-Magnet/102835440192?ref=ts

Brant Bjork is on Facebook.

2009-08-02T23:49:00.004-06:00

so add him as a friend.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/brant.bjork?ref=nf

Bored and felt like posting something here..

2009-06-26T23:01:00.001-06:00

IMG_1373
Originally uploaded by revatman

Trying to get various life things together (as always) so I haven't been around posting much. So I thought I'd post this from my flickr page.

My Review of Justin's Organic Nut Butter Blend - 1.15 oz.

2009-06-13T21:08:00.001-06:00

REI

Justin's Organic Nut Butter Blend is the perfect snack for people on the go!

Quick tasty snack for a hiking trip

Jerry from Montana West Yellowstone, MT 6/13/2009

Gift: No

Pros: Flavorful, Nutritious, Lightweight

Best Uses: Backpacking, As a Snack, Quick Boost

Describe Yourself: Casual Adventurer

I took some of these on a quick day hike in Yellowstone. They're small and fit into a hip pouch great.

I've read reviews on other sites that complained about them having sugar. But from what I can tell, there's no refined sugar. The sweeteners are honey or maple sugar, and are meant as flavorings.

Any future order I place with REI is going to include some of these.

()

the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Mo' Width (repost @320)

2009-06-02T09:40:00.002-06:00

allmusic sez:

Recorded in 1992, Mo' Width is somewhat of a precursor to 1993's Extra Width. The album introduces some of the experimental '70s-style recording techniques that come to fruition on Extra Width, and the songs sound as if they were written contemporaneously. Spencer and company, however, have yet to develop the innovative and gritty blues-rock fusion that defines their later work, and so the record may fail to impress most casual listeners. Collectors, though, will find Mo' Width, with its alternate version of "Afro" and guest appearance by Kurt Hoffman of They Might Be Giants, a solid and likeable album which won't just gather dust on their shelves. The off-the-cuff playing style, lo-fi recording, and intermittent bottle smashing contribute to an overall live performance feel, and the Blues Explosion always sounded better live anyway.

get it here:

Mo' Width

wow, "Magic" GuitarBand?

2009-02-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

more of a toy than anything, but it's sure fun to play with.

sorry...

2009-02-01T23:37:00.000-07:00

my last music post, Nebula - Heavy Psych, somehow I got the wrong file linked. man I'm a dope.

it's fixed.

finally figured the tagging stuff here...

2009-01-27T20:58:00.003-07:00

so I'm going back and tagging all my old posts with relevant identifiers. shit like "pot" and band names and "story" (which is weird autobiographical stuff ya'll might find amusing). probably take me a few days to get it caught up, but hang in there.

again, props and thanks to you folks who've bothered to stop by here. I'll try to make it worth your while.

okay, gonna get caught up with some older stuff... [fixed]

2009-01-27T20:35:00.006-07:00

Here's "Heavy Psych" by Nebula. Freakin' awesome.

Very spacey, aptly named album. Same laid-back singing style from Eddie Glass. Heavy thumping bass.

Man, I'm so bad at this review shit.

The guitars sound like a pignose amped through a marshall stack.

Okay, here's my review.

Smoke a big fat doob. Crank this to 11. Smoke another big fat doob.

There ya go.

right here

the door to the dumpster just slammed down on my fuckin' head...

2009-01-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

minor blood and major pain.

This is probably my favorite Incredible Hulk episode.

2009-01-19T06:11:00.001-07:00

It's got a mad scientist.

When he leaves another hot chick in another town, it's always heart-wrenching.

to you Mac users, don't forget that the Dictionary on your computer also does Wikipedia lookups

2009-01-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

I really haven't been around blogging that much..

2008-12-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

but my 'recently loved tracks' on last.fm gets a fair amount of action.

i'm really sorry I haven't been posting much..

2008-12-25T19:02:00.002-07:00

I get into these grand funks. I have a whole huge shitpile of killer diller tunes I wanna share, but I just can't seem to conjure the right mood to pick out an album, write an original review, zip the tunes, upload it, etc.

winter is coming on. and I go batshit without something to do. so I 'spect I'll be more busy, coming up.

for those of you who've bothered to drop by my site, I appreciate your attention. peace and love.

minus 13 Fahrenheit

2008-12-14T04:33:00.000-07:00

made a really good sammich

2008-11-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Started out with a slice of toasted honey wheat bread. Added a layer of Adam's Natural Peanut Butter (chunky):

Then some Welch's Concord Grape Jelly:

Next, BACON!!

Another slice of toasted honey wheat bread:

Oh man, this is GOOOOD!

'bout to go to the dentist, have a cavity filled

2008-11-25T05:42:00.001-07:00

long overdue. I can feel it with my tongue.

hopefully they won't fill the whole cavity between my ears. or if they do they'll fill it with something good. like killer weed.

Jon Lajoie - High As Fuck

2008-11-11T16:03:00.007-07:00

one of my online contacts, Lady C, hipped me to this.

I used to really get seriously carded for beer until I was like 28 or 29.

2008-11-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

This election happened to coincide..

2008-11-05T02:19:00.000-07:00

.. with our hotel closing for the winter season. I'm still getting my hours though.

Yesterday I got out of bed around 5:30ish. Dressed in my regular street clothes. Read a few of my RSS feeds and scanned Google News while I smoked a cigarette. Left the house and headed down to the local coffee shop. Which was closed. Which is unusual. I hope Chris the owner is okay. He's a great guy. And I've been having to settling for sh!tty convenience store coffee. His place was closed up again this morning.

I got to the hotel a couple minutes before 7am. The owner was there and he let me in. We lock all the doors and turn out the lights at the hotel when we close. The owners don't like for this place to ever be empty, so they always have someone staying here when we're closed to keep an eye on the place. I'm gonna be staying here tonight for about a week.

I got really sick of this election maybe 2 weeks ago. And I started getting tired of guests here at the hotel maybe a month ago. So yesterday, for the election to finally be over and for me to be able to come in to work in my street clothes and not have guests to deal with. AND for me to get a chance to stay at the hotel for a week. I have a nice little bit of synchronicity going on right now. If I were superstitious I'd go buy a lottery ticket.

... smoking, etc..

2008-10-29T15:21:00.000-06:00

when i showed up at the Bonneville county jail to serve my 5 days for possession of about a tablespoon of weed, I showed up with an overnight bag. with my wallet, my checkbook and my address book. and my cell phone. and down at the very bottom there was a busted in half cigarette. the first thing I did when I got outside was dig down to the bottom of that bag for that busted cigarette. which was a huge fuckin' mistake.

leftoverking hipped me to this vid

2008-10-28T18:12:00.001-06:00

http://leftoverking.blogspot.com/ , and I can't watch it enough.

The End of America

2008-10-22T22:22:00.001-06:00

In a stunning indictment of sweeping policy changes during the Bush years, best-selling author Naomi Wolf (The Beauty Myth) makes a chilling case that American democracy is under threat. Investigating parallels between our current situation and the rise of dictators and fascism in once-free societies, Wolf uncovers a number of deeply unsettling similarities-from the use of paramilitary groups and secret prisons to the targeted suspension of the rule of law. With this galvanizing call to arms based on her recent book, she urges regular citizens to take back our legacy of freedom and justice.

[work] more stupid whining about inane crap

2008-10-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

i freakin' hate it when i'm talking people through the registration and X'ing each spot for an initial or signature, people try to take the pen out of my hand before I'm finished. guy just now, I almost got in a tug of war with him. that sh!t pisses me off. he LOST the game and resorted to pulling a pen out of his own pocket.

i get this fairly often with impatient people. a while back I went through this with a guy, I thought to myself "screw it" and let him have the pen. I've made a point of not handing over the room keys till they finish the registration. so this guy a while back, he scribbles his signature on the bottom and he puts his hand out wanting his keys. I go "I also need an initial here and here." he gets this annoyed look and then initials in one of the spots I had just indicated, but not the other, and then slams the pen down. I give him my best Forrest Gump and go "need here too." at this point he's pissed and gives me this look like i'm fucking with him. I return a blank stare.

don't fuck with front desk clerks. really. i mean, if you want to come back to the desk a whole bunch of times to have your keys rekeyed because they're not working anymore, then act like a dick. when I get bored in the evening it's people like that who stand out in my head.

whups.. that last novadriver post..

2008-10-15T06:20:00.000-06:00

i somehow password protected it. all good now.

Nova Driver - Deeper High

2008-10-14T11:47:00.004-06:00

Here's what allmusic has to say:

Nova Driver's long, four-year hiatus between first and second albums was a rather bizarre one. Vocalist/organist Mark Miers effectively quit the group to pursue other interests, presumably found them to be less interesting than expected, and then rejoined in time to complete an album -- 2005's Deeper High -- which, at least sonically speaking, behaves as if he never left in the first place! All good considering the Detroit natives' first outing had set a very good precedent; standing out from a rather stale late-'90s stoner rock revival by brusquely shaking (not stirring) equal doses of classic rock, space rock, and their hometown's vibrant, proto-punk legacy around a shiny (heavy) metallic canister -- then spicing it with just a dash of those dangerously excessive jam tendencies. Here, as then, instantly foot-taping nuggets like "You Want Yours, You Want Mine," (an ideal, slow-building opener); "Roll You" (a brutal aural mugging); the memorable title track (affording plenty of soloing room for guitarist Billy Reedy), and "Turn to Stone" (simply a timeless classic rocker) come souped-up for maximum highway-driving enjoyment. And even though it eases off the gas pedal considerably, the semi-ballad "Dark Aftermath" is unconventional enough to keep the listener interested until the dirty garage-psych charge of "Machine" can restart the engines and lead the way into the downright spectacular "Bury Me Alive." A near-perfect example of Nova Driver's fluid songwriting chops, this album and career standout does, however, also draw attention to the fact that, in a broader sense, the band still frequently comes off sounding like a sleeker, tamer, less gonzoid version of Monster Magnet -- as further witnessed by easy flowing, space-groove runs like "Stars After Stars" and "Blackout." Then again, Dave Wyndorf himself would be the first to admit to channeling these same musical devices from earlier sources, dating back as far as the late-'60s, so that the inescapable similarities are only there inasmuch as such things are inevitably cyclical in rock & roll. Moreover, as the feedback creation "Whiteout" fades down to black, the feeling that lingers is how great it is having a new Nova Driver album. Tragically, bassist and key songwriter Jim Anders passed away shortly after Deeper High's recording sessions, leaving yet another major challenge for the band to overcome.

I say:

freakin' awesome!

get that sucker here: Novadriver - Deeper High

i know this has been around the blogs already, but a buddy of mine on Multiply asked me to repost it, so I posted it there. this is a crosspost from that.

Russia clls for a European alliance to counteract NATO and the US influence in the area..

2008-10-11T19:30:00.001-06:00

Not going to bother looking for a link.

The influence of NATO in Europe is making Russia nervous. They've called for an alliance of countries to rival NATO.

Dig this. The French president has said that such an alliance would be fine, but that it would have to included the United States.

Us Americans joke about the French all the time, but they sure are acting like an ally right now.

my old funky ass neighbors are finally gone..

2008-10-09T21:04:00.000-06:00

the place next door is empty right now, and i"m trying to decide if I wanna just enjoy the quiet for a while, or do I go out and find somebody the landlord could put in there who's mellow, and maybe lessen the risk of having a shitty neighbor.

here's the best picture i have of my place. looking at the photo, the place is split right down the middle. i'm on the right, the empty place is on the left.

also what's nice, mine's the only vehicle in the driveway. there used to be freakin' four more besides mine out front. someone told me a while back that it looked like a used car lot. I just realized I otta find out what parking my solitary truck right down the middle of the driveway feels like for a while.

creamcycle and ass

2008-09-27T07:09:00.000-06:00

thats what our lobby bathroom smells like this morning.

yet more on iTunes Genius..

2008-09-24T17:57:00.000-06:00

Okay, I've written a couple of love posts about this already.

Stoner Rock is a pretty obscure genre of music. To go more into that would be a whole afternoon of music journalism exercising. And I'm totally not in shape for that shit.

But just as hard rock has more than just one sound, and bluegrass has more than just one sound, and 'indy' (hate that freakin' term) has more than just one sound. Stoner Rock is not just one sound. There's heavy, mellow, thashing, etc.

I picked a less heavy song (band: Nebula, album: Charged, song: This One) and iTunes Genius was able to match songs for this.

Holy Crap.

Or more appropriately, What The Fuck. Where is it getting this shit?

Get out of my head iTunes Genius! Aaaah!

Leon Lederman, Nobel Prize winner, sits on a street corner and answers science questions

2008-09-22T19:30:00.001-06:00

I went to my last.fm page just now to find that it mysteriously says "subscriber" beneath my avatar..

2008-09-22T15:51:00.000-06:00

anyone have this happen? either someone bought me a subscription, or someone working at last.fm hooked me up. my guess is that last one. and I think I know who.

"big box" store mentality is mind boggling to me..

2008-09-20T04:21:00.003-06:00

Sittin' here at the front desk, a lady comes up to the desk and asks me if there's a Walmart in town. I tell her no. "Well, is there a K-mart?" Again, "no. There's no major chain stores here in town." She looks at me perplexed "well, are there any stores here at all?" The implication being if there's no big box stores here then us locals must be breatharians who make all our own appliances and clothes and whatever else we need.

"Yes, we have stores. What are you looking for?"

"Excedrin." I guess I was expecting some specialized item that you'd need to go to a big box store for. What that item would be I have no idea.

I know some people actually use the word "coke" when what they mean is "soda pop." My brain isn't awake yet, but I know there's other instances where someone will use a brand name as a generic term for a product. But I get this all the time here, and I get tired of playing 20 questions. I don't equate "Walmart" as a generic term for "store." Not real fond of charades either. If she had just said flat out "where can I buy some Excedrin?" I could have told her without having a brainless exchange.

from the USA Today

2008-09-17T18:25:00.001-06:00

Olympia Washington - a jury awarded $10,000 to Ramtha School founder JZ Knight in a lawsuit against another spiritual teacher. The jury agreed that Whitewind Weaver copied teaching practices from the seminars in which Knight says she channels the spirit of an ancient warrior. Weaver attended 12 classes or retreates at teh Ramtha school in Yelm before conducting her own workshop in nearby Rainier.

um. yeah. like, wow. kookie.

I gotta figure out a way to start some sort of spiritual racket. an aunt told me several years ago I should start a cult. that I'd be good at it.

gonna have to think about this stuff a bit more seriously.

before I moved to Montana, I was getting pretty angry. living in the 'hood sucked..

2008-09-16T09:04:00.001-06:00

I don't think I've told this one before. before I start I'll just say that I'm not like this anymore. not at all.

I drive down to the local strip mall in Emeryville to CompUSA. I forget what for. I drive all around the parking lot and I cant find a parking place anywhere. I get to this one spot in the parking lot and I see a brand new (or almost new) Trans Am parked right down the middle line of two parking places. so i finally find a place to park in the street, walk over to the TA and dump my strawberry milkshake on the windshield. and down the hood. I go into the store and take care of my business. there's a taco bell there so I go in, get something to eat. I come out and am walking back to my vehicle and I see this guy walking up to this Trans Am. He yells "WHAT THE FUCK!?" I'm walking by, he sees me and I get this look on my face (academy award performance) like "oh man, that sucks." he goes back to ranting about his car, I go back to my truck and go on with my business.

Ben Kingsley does "Minor Threat" by Minor Threat

2008-09-16T05:13:00.001-06:00

Sir Ben Kingsley STOMPS into the shoes of Minor Threats' Ian MacKaye from Mean Magazine on Vimeo.

Sting gone bad: Deputies lose 75 lbs. of pot

2008-09-13T06:10:00.001-06:00

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AP)

The pinal County Sherrif's Office says a suspect made off with a police vehicle and 75 pounds of marijuana they had used for bait in a drug sting.

Deputies from the county's drug task force set up the deal to close out a months-long investigation in Casa Grande. Court records show undercover deputies agreed to trade a Hummer vehicle for the marijuana they possessed from a prior drug seizure.

But the deal went sour on Wednesday at a mall parking lot off Interstate 10 when five men showed up in the Hummer and a pickup. One got into a sedan with the pot and drove away before a SWAT team could close in. The other four were arrested.

Pinal County chief deputy Jeff Kirkham says such failed stings are rare and played down the effect of losing the marijuana.

another true story..

2008-08-25T21:47:00.001-06:00

back in my twenties, I drove between dallas and s.f. maybe 4 or 5 times in the course of about 6 months. I had gotten the route down really well. and at the time I was driving a '78 camaro /insert picture here/. it was white with red interior. it didn't have a very big motor tho. it was almost a creampuff. the engine was like a 287, or 270something. something weird. with a catalytic convert that required unleaded gas. but I had a bitchen stereo tho. pioneer super tuner 3, with a cassette deck that had a SEARCH function. with a 40 watt eq. jensen triaxle speakers in the back with 9" speakers in the front. it would hurt your ears.

going through the desert I liked to drive really fast. like 95 or 100, for long stretches at a time.

so this one time I decided I was going to change my clothes. I remember I was wearing like jeans or something, and a button up shirt. and I wanted to change into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. so I decided I was going to change my clothes while I was driving. I was all revved up about driving so fast. so i managed to get my my shoes off pretty easy. and I get my pants off and shorts on without much problem. and I then i got my shirt off okay. but then trying to get my t-shirt on, I get each arm in the sleeves, and I go to slip my head through the hole, when I get it tangled up on my head. and I'm going like 95 on the highway with no other cars around out in the middle of nowhere in the desert

I went into pure panic mode for about 3 seconds, but I kept it together, got myself untangled (I think it was mostly luck) and got the shirt on, before I had time to even think about how I was going to slow down or stop without flying off the road. then I hyperventilated for about 30 seconds and kept on driving.

I have another story about driving in that camaro that I'm going to have to try to remember to write about.

desk clerk rant of the day..

2008-08-22T00:47:00.002-06:00

me: "blah blah, this is Jerry, how may I help you?"

phone person: "hi!, you're located in West Yellowstone, right?"

me: "yes, we are."

person: "is that on the way to Seattle?"

me: "well, depending on where you're coming from it's on the way to anywhere."

pretty much made up my mind..

2008-08-21T14:56:00.000-06:00

gotta grow the hair back out.

oh snap! Dude action figures!!

2008-08-21T04:26:00.001-06:00

from the USA Today:

Timed to the 10th anniversary of The Big Lebowski, Bif Bang Pow! collectibles and entertainment earth.com are releasing action figures ($25) of the stars of the Coen brothers' film, Jeff Bridges and John Goodman, as well as a Dude bobble head ($13). The special edition DVD ($20) is out Sept. 9.

gonna get ripped tonight for the first time in weeks...

2008-08-14T12:45:00.000-06:00

today at work was a freakin' bitch.

litterbugs can suck it..

2008-07-31T05:25:00.000-06:00

from the "Across the USA" section of the USA Today:

St. Paul Minnesota,

Wildlife officials tried for six days to capture a bear that had a plastic jug stuck over its head, but ended up killing the animal to protect the public. The wild black bear had ambled into the city of Frazee, about 200 miles northwest of the Tin Cities, during the town's busy Turkey Days celebration.

hikes that I've done this year..

2008-07-29T12:10:00.000-06:00

/can't get the links right and this is giving me a freakin' headache./

Utah:

Bryce Canyon, April 17

http://flickr.com/photos/revatman/sets/72157604695510989/

Zion National Park, April 19 & 20

http://flickr.com/photos/revatman/sets/72157604701605163/

Yellowstone:

Fairy Falls, July 15

http://flickr.com/photos/revatman/sets/72157606395187488/

Mt. Washburn, July 22

http://flickr.com/photos/revatman/sets/72157606398426422/

Elephant Back Mountain, July 29

http://flickr.com/photos/revatman/sets/72157606442770528/

Doom [hotel complaint log entry], i wrote this this morning.

2008-07-25T05:39:00.000-06:00

I knew it could sense my impending arrival. The realization that it's doom was at hand sent it into panic mode, but there was nothing it could do. The toilet in room 300 made a valiant attempt at resistance, but ultimately its efforts proved to be futile as my mighty plunger banished it to the depths of hell.

had to call in "sick" to work today...

2008-07-23T03:02:00.000-06:00

the boss knows I'm not sick, tho. I've had this bizarre ongoing leaky shower issue going on for like 2 years now.

I'll try to sum it up in a nutshell here..

about 2 years ago my shower started leaking. one of those deals were the gasket in the faucet knob needed to be replaced. the shut off valve for my bathroom is not in my apartment, it's in the neighbor's apartment. I can't stand those scumbags and don't want to even talk to them.

The bathroom is pretty close to my bed, and the drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip all night drives me fucking insane.

So I told the landlord about it, nothing happened. ages later I told him about it again, nothing happened. We're talking, starting time frame of 2 years ago.

New landlord. Told the new landlord about it, nothing happened. Told him again, nothing happened.

So a few days ago I decided to put a shut-off valve right there at the showerhead. Still leaked. So the landlord came finally came over and we got the showerhead hardware replaced.

NOW, the water is leaking BEHIND the wall, and the carpet in my bedroom is a freakin' swamp. woke up this morning and snapped. called in sick. started ripping apart my shower stall (no tub, a stall), the landlord has rented me a carpet cleaner which I'm gonna use to clean up the carpet. then I'm gonna rip apart the shower stall completely so I can try to fix this thing.

blah blah.

I can't really fault the landlord too much. There's another apartment complex in town here that people refer to as 'the ghetto', but this place is still pretty ghetto. The landlord doesn't get paid, he just get's free rent. and actually, he doesn't even get free rent, he pays like, I dunno $25 a month or some kind of shit. So any landlord we've ever had here has to work a J O B.

so I'm sitting here watching The Colbert Report and The Daily Show on the Comedy Central web site, waiting a short while for it to be a reasonable morning hour to fire up the carpet cleaner. then I'm gonna go batshit on the shower stall. try to fix the leak.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad

2008-07-19T20:31:00.001-06:00

A documentary about the "only" metal band in Iraq, Acrassicauda ("black scorpion"). Their efforts to be a metal band in a country ripped apart by war, where you can get shot just walking down the street.

A must see.

Rush, on The Colbert Report

2008-07-17T02:10:00.000-06:00

all of my formerly white boxer shorts are now a light shade of pink..

2008-07-08T16:27:00.000-06:00

"color safe" bleach, my ass.

Queens Of The Stone Age perform "Battery Acid" on the Henry Rollins Show, from IFC

2008-07-05T18:07:00.001-06:00

The day before yesterday they tarred and chipped the road out front of the hotel..

2008-06-27T06:37:00.000-06:00

I was walking around outside just now and saw a little bird out in the middle of the street. I approached it slowly and it didn't take off. I got within a foot of it and saw that it had tar across it's face. It couldn't see anything. I started to pick it up to get it out of the road and it took off, flew around a bit and then landed back in the road. So I walked up to it again managed to pick it up and get it out of the street. When I tried to set it down on a branch it clung to my finger. It wound up flying off again.

try to really really imagine yourself as a pirate..

2008-06-22T21:40:00.000-06:00

I dunno. maybe something to ponder.

what the fuck is this shit? I have an electric stove...

2008-06-20T17:14:00.000-06:00

I was just cooking up some bacon for a dank ass killer bacon cheeseburger.

you know how a stove generally goes from 0 to like 10. i had mine on 2. my freakin' stove just caught on fire. what the fuck!?!?!? my luck on cooking in this dump has been for shit.

i'm lucky my fire alarm is working.

and I'm typing into a 2200 dollar computer.

fuck this.

and I have blisters popping up on my fingers from dragging my cast iron skillet outside.

no pictures now, but when these babies start to bubble, I'll let ya'll know what it looks like.

i dunno if this is a factor of me getting older, or i'm just noticing things...

2008-06-20T16:35:00.000-06:00

the cartelidge on the bridge of my nose seems more prominent. I can feel all the ridges and shit.

gotta get on that yoga/buddhist shit ASAP.

Florida Substitute Teacher Fired For Wizardry for real!

2008-06-17T07:40:00.000-06:00

almost had to beat the crap out of my buddy's cousin...

2008-06-10T18:47:00.000-06:00

.. because their neighbor was a gay ass dude that didn't know better to not be hitting on a dude from the south. the cousin of my friend was threatening to slit the guy's throat. for real. so I obviously had to jump in. it all finally worked out.

just after high school I almost joined the Army..

2008-06-08T00:50:00.001-06:00

I scored a 97% on the ASVAB test.

recruiters bugged the fuck out of me after that.

nobody ever posts any comments on my blogspot blog..

2008-06-07T21:00:00.001-06:00

but my post of jon spencer's "mo width" has been downloaded 42 times. so I know you peeps are out there.

crap

2008-06-05T18:20:00.000-06:00

had a pint glass in my freezer. in the rack thingy in the door. just opened the door to my freezer way too fast. the pint glass just smashed all to fuck all over my floor.

I'll let you peeps know if I slice up my foot all to shit.

my pop loved Marty Robbins

2008-06-05T17:18:00.001-06:00

give this here a listen..El Paso (full-length version) - Marty Robbins

this song is totally the shit.

kinda drunk. my first concert ever...

2008-06-05T15:37:00.000-06:00

The Doobie Brothers. Their first fairwell concert. Me and my step-mom Pam. I was 15 and she was like 7 years older than me. We misread our tickets. We thought we were in the 4th row. hahaha. Imagine our surprise when folks showed up wanting us to get the fuck out of their seats. hahahaahaha. we were 14th row.

Bo Diddley passed away at the age of 79

2008-06-04T02:30:00.000-06:00

Say Man - Bo Diddley

catching up

2008-06-03T03:20:00.000-06:00

a few days ago at the hotel one of the housekeepers called the front desk because they needed to speak to the manager in one of the rooms. our manager was out on a run to the bank and the post office. when he came back I sent him down to the room in question. turns out that one of the beds in one of the rooms was filled with, um.... pee, poop, blood and vomit. and I'm not just talking about a tiny bit of each, I'm talking horror show proportions. I didn't have the nerve to go down to the room to look for myself, but I did get a look at the pictures that the manager took. it was freaky. all sorts of crazy speculation as to what happened. there was a family of 2 adults and 6 kids, split up into 2 two queen bed rooms. was one of the kids being abused? one of the owner's friends who came to take a look (she worked for the city) speculated maybe someone had given birth there? if so, where was the baby? I mean, ECK! turns out, one of the teenage girls slept in one of the rooms by herself, and all 7 of the others slept in the other room. just weird.

so the manager locked the party out of their rooms and wrote up a letter that they had to leave. and charged their credit card for the damaged bedding.

later that evening when those guests came back (and I had gone home for the day) the mother in the group acted surprised that there was any concern. I mean, they had just left the mess and gone out for the day, without bothering to tell anyone. and she was puzzled as to why she should have told anyone. her explanation was that the baby had a leaky diaper and one of the girls in the party had an early period.

sorry, but the amount of poop in the bed... that baby had to have been wearing NO diaper. and as for the vomit, she said her kid was sick. if the kid was sick then why did everyone just go into the park as if nothing was wrong? none of it added up.

on different note, folks in town here are starting to say the same thing. "we're not getting summer this year." I'm trying my damndest to avoid falling into a depression. I'm gonna go into the park today. not sure if I'm going to dare a hike. the hiking trails are still snowy and muddy. and there's bears running around all over the place.

digging my new computer. I gave away my tv set. in a few weeks i'm going to buy a USB tv tuner.

Stephen Colbert talks to an astronaut

2008-05-24T07:56:00.002-06:00

this show is the greatest. what a cool job.

Hackman - The New Normal

2008-05-15T22:19:00.003-06:00

Most of these tracks are instrumental. My most fave track off this is "Ababac", which I can only guess has something to do with chord structure. But it's got that crunchy phased-out guitar groove that I dig the mostest. Members include guitarist Darryl Sheppard from Roadsaw, as well as Jase Forney on bass and Todd Bowman on drums, both formerly with Lamont. These guys are really tight. Other songs I like from this are "Fuck You, I Played Altamont" and "Packed Bat."

New Normal

two different people wrecked their cars this morning...

2008-05-15T05:50:00.000-06:00

... inside Yellowstone National Park. I'm not without sympathy, and I do understand that the roads are a little icy still, but how can you roll your car enough to deploy the airbags and total the vehicle when the speed limit inside national parks is 35 mph?

I'm pretty sure these two cars were in seperate incidents, so them being involved in a head-on is not part of the equation.

Katnip Kollege

2008-05-11T10:35:00.005-06:00

Okay, what they didn't show was the poor square dood going out back and smoking reefers before he came back all hip. hahaha. w00t!

just coughed while appying shaving cream to my face...

2008-05-09T02:22:00.000-06:00

and wound up with a huge amount in my ear.

yay. it's snowing again.

2008-05-08T16:26:00.000-06:00

this shit is never gonna end.

my pop passed away back in 2000 from cancer, and for some reason it hit me really hard tonight...

2008-05-08T13:45:00.000-06:00

...

Stephen Colbert - Googley Eyed Clams

2008-05-06T18:06:00.000-06:00

some weird-ass stuff for your earhole

2008-05-05T21:23:00.002-06:00

Diamanda Galas with John Paul Jones.

love you peeps

2008-05-05T21:09:00.001-06:00

Fatso Jetson - Flames For All

2008-05-05T18:02:00.005-06:00

Okay, anything from this band is sorta hard to find. But if you can hunt 'em down anywhere, I totally recommend buying any album from them.

They're weird as PHUCK. They'll make ya dookie in your longjohns, that's for sure. Quirky sounds. Quirky lyrics.

These guys are old school desert rock. Some might say they're the godfathers of the whole desert rock genre. I love 'em to death. Probably have more coming up sometime soon.

Fatboy Jetson - Flames For All

Why do folks buy speakers for their computers when most stereos have an AUX jack?

2008-05-05T15:08:00.000-06:00

Sorry folks, but I don't get it at all.

Project Playlist search engine in RIAA's legal crosshairs

2008-05-03T06:35:00.000-06:00

One of The Pirate Bay's key claims to legality is that it's only a search engine and doesn't host any infringing files. Project Playlist, based in California, makes the same claim, but that hasn't prevented nine RIAA member labels from filing a federal lawsuit against the service. "Theft is not innovation," says the complaint, a copy of which was seen by Ars Technica, "and the Internet does not grant a license to steal." And because Project Playlist does appear to exert control over the music it finds, it may have trouble mounting the "we just point to files" defense.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080429-riaa-files-suit-against-project-playlist.html

/I'm probably gonna delete my account there. I played with it for a while but never really used it much, so it's no great loss for me.

RIAA Sucker Punched: “Making Available” Theory Shot Down

2008-05-03T06:13:00.000-06:00

Arizona District Court Judge Neil V. Wake dealt a heady blow to the RIAA last Monday, striking down its popular “making available” theory as insufficient grounds for accusations of copyright infringement.

Wake’s ruling (PDF) set a higher burden of proof for the RIAA’s campaign of litigation: RIAA investigators – not third party agents, like those at MediaSentry – must download files from a defendant’s hard drive in order to accuse them of unlawful distributing copyrighted materials.

http://www.dailytech.com/RIAA+Sucker+Punched+Making+Available+Theory+Shot+Down/article11650.htm

just had this crazy ass dream..

2008-05-02T19:38:00.000-06:00

I was living in some condos, where I dunno, maybe utah, and I got lost and this old guy said he'd lead me back to where I lived, only he leads me to security because he thought the crease in my jacket was a sword and he thought I was a terrorist. so I get searched by these military guys and they find nothing wrong. so we end up back at my house so I can prove to these military guys that I live there, and I totally satisfy their interest. and this same old guy comes into my yard. I tell him to get the fuck out of my yard that he wasn't welcome there, and he refuses, acts like he has a right to be there. so I bodily remove him from my yard. and he keeps stepping back into my yard. the military guys are still there. finally, after I've removed this old guy from my yard for the third time, he spits in my face. so I call the cops and tell them what happened and I want some cops there to arrest him because spitting in my face is assault. the cops agree and say they'll send some cops. I hang up but then call right back and tell the cops that if the guy had been more my age I'd have beat the crap out of him. the old guy is acting all smug because he thinks I faked calling the cops. when the cops finally get there this old guy is filled with righteous indignation because he really did think he had the right to come wandering into my yard with these military guys there because he's the one who turned me in. the cops take the old guy down to the police station and I get a call on my cell phone (which in real life I don't own one) and they want to know if I want to press charges. I say "well, can I just come down and file a complaint but not actually press charges?" and they go "yeah, you can do that." so I tell 'em I'll be right down there. so I go to the police station and ask the cops if I can talk to the old guy first. they say "sure". so I'm talking to this old guy, trying to find out if he understands that he cant just come wandering into my yard and that it wasn't okay to spit on me. but he's still all full of himself feeling put apon that ME "the guy he suspected as a terrorist" had the right to tell him to get the fuck out of my yard. I keep asking him over and over why he felt like he had the right to come wandering into my yard and we keep going around in circles over it. I ask the cops how long they can hold him before i make up my mind about pressing charges that I want to go home and I want them to hold him overnight, maybe it'll freak him out enought that he'll realize the gravity of the situation.

around this time I woke up. but this dream went on for freakin' ages before i even GOT to this part. WTF?

GnR - Chinese Democracy

2008-05-01T18:13:00.003-06:00

added this to my library May of last year. sorry if the tags are all fucked up. there are probably many versions of this floating around.

Axl, man, I know you'll never read this. but I would have paid for this shit. how many more millions are you gonna need to finish this? pull the fuckin' trigger on it already. put an album out. tour behind it. set up a tour. don't cancel any dates. you'll be on top again. go for it. fuck, dood.

Chinese Democracy

Puny Human double shot

2008-04-30T20:55:00.013-06:00

The first one, It's Not The Heat It's The Humanity, is their second album. Released in 2003 on one of the greatest record labels of all time, Small Stone Records, this is full of killer riffs and has a really dense sound. Sure doesn't sound like just four guys. I'm digging "The Toos," and "Devil's Riff" has an awesome groove. It's pure hard rock but it also has some of that punk sensibility that makes this kind of music worthwhile and keeps them from being a generic hard rock band.

You can get it here:

Puny Human - Not The Heat

The next offering here is their third and most recent release Universal Freakout, again on Small Stone Records. The opening track, "Waking Up In Williamsburg" is full of guitar work that's hard to top. "The Bus Will Eventually Crash," "You Can't Clap With Your Drink In Your Hand," and "Number of the Beauty" are some of my favorites.

You can get this one here:

Puny Human - Freakout

I suck ass at this review shit. If you want better, go to freakin' Pitchfork.

Albert Hoffman, father of LSD, has died

2008-04-30T02:23:00.000-06:00

Albert Hofmann, father of drug LSD, dies in Switzerland

By FRANK JORDANS – 3 hours ago

GENEVA (AP) — Albert Hofmann, the father of the mind-altering drug LSD whose medical discovery inspired — and arguably corrupted — millions in the 1960s hippie generation, has died. He was 102.

Hofmann died Tuesday at his home in Burg im Leimental, said Doris Stuker, a municipal clerk in the village near Basel where Hofmann moved following his retirement in 1971.

For decades after LSD was banned in the late 1960s, Hofmann defended his invention.

"I produced the substance as a medicine. ... It's not my fault if people abused it," he once said.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hNDRiP53gl6YPZEcojTe2sK6ERWwD90C3M800

The Rolling Stones are now officially old geezers...

2008-04-27T18:26:00.000-06:00

This is the real freakin' deal. get one now before they're all gone.

Is there a more 70s pastime than metal detecting? Memories of kids in fields and on beaches in green snorkel parkas trying to find hidden treasure - but going home with four bottle tops and an empty Coke can. It's now long gone and confined to the nerdy few. Or is it? Well, according to an ex-Rolling Stone, it's very much a happening hobby again - and he's just released the Bill Wyman Signature metal detector to get us out and about treasure hunting. “Metal-detecting is not just for anoraks or eccentrics; it’s probably the best and the most enjoyable way of learning about our history,” says Wyman. “On any garden, country field, footpath, woodlands, beach or moor land you can find a huge variety of historical objects, all easily located with this high quality metal detector.”

http://www.retrotogo.com/2007/04/bill_wyman_sign.html

Fireball Ministry - Their Rock Is Not Our Rock

2008-04-26T07:16:00.001-06:00

Here's what allmusic has to say:

Quite a few accolades were bestowed upon Fireball Ministry after their second album, including Guitar World magazine heralding the quartet as the "#1 metal band you need to know now." Sensing they had a good thing going, the quartet go the "AC/DC route" on their third full-length overall, 2005's Their Rock Is Not Our Rock -- following the same exact formula as their previous releases. Still comparable to a more melodic Pantera at times (perhaps a more fitting description would be that they're akin to Down) and once again teamed with producer Nick Raskulinecz, Fireball Ministry offer another helping of part-stoner, part-biker metal. While it doesn't take long to realize that derivative metallic sounds abound on Their Rock, in this day and age any group that sticks to its guns and doesn't give in to the mainstream should be commended, and Fireball Ministry refuse to buckle. Although they're thought of as a raw, straight-ahead rock band (and rightfully so), it appears as though the group made a conscious "epic" effort in the songwriting department, as several tracks stretch past five minutes in length -- case in point, one of the album's strongest tracks, the moody "Hellspeak." Fireball Ministry themselves would admit they're not trying to reinvent the wheel, and that's precisely one of the main reasons their fan base is a fast-growing one.

Get it here:

Fireball Ministry

Get it at eMusic here:

Fireball Ministry on eMusic

stupid freakin' mice

2008-04-21T18:16:00.000-06:00

A few days ago the right front speaker in my truck was making a dreadful racket. Sounded like it was about to blow out. The next morning it was back to normal. Next day I left it parked in the Zion National Park visitors center parking lot all day. When I got back from hiking I wasn't getting any sound at all. Not even staticy noise. So I figgered I'd wait till the next day to see if it magically fixed itself like it did before. Well, this morning I start it up, still no sound.

So I'm driving along and figgered I otta turn on my headlights. TA-DA! I'm getting sound again. Turn the lights back off, no sound.

I can't get any sound out of my car stereo unless I have my headlights on. The stereo works, just no sound.

So this afternoon on my way back from Utah I stop at a gas station/convenience store for some gatorade and when I'm done paying for my stuff I poke my head into the garage there and tell them about my predicament. One of the guys says it's probably mice in my dashboard, eating stuff. "If you leave any crumbs inside your vehicle then the mice get in there and go to town."

Well, i had left freakin' trail mix on the floorboard of my truck. After talking to him I took a look at my floorboard and all that trail mix, sunflower seeds, etc (crap that mice like) was gone.

WELCOME TO YELLOWSTONE YOU FUCKIN' MICE! HOW YA LIKIN' IT HERE IN THE LAND OF THE ICE AND SNOW? BITCHES! AINT QUITE THE SAME AS FREAKIN' SOUTHERN UTAH, IS IT? HOPE YOU MOTHERFUCKERS FREEZE!

crash pryor

2008-04-12T23:24:00.003-06:00

http://chronicridicule.blogspot.com/

http://crashpryor.multiply.com/

http://mog.com/CrashPryor

still missin' ya.

what ever happened to the band JET?

2008-04-12T22:49:00.002-06:00

they were hot shit all over the place. where'd they go?

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Mo' Width (11 songs)

2008-04-12T08:34:00.001-06:00

Not to be confused with their album "Extra Width".

allmusic sez:

Recorded in 1992, Mo' Width is somewhat of a precursor to 1993's Extra Width. The album introduces some of the experimental '70s-style recording techniques that come to fruition on Extra Width, and the songs sound as if they were written contemporaneously. Spencer and company, however, have yet to develop the innovative and gritty blues-rock fusion that defines their later work, and so the record may fail to impress most casual listeners. Collectors, though, will find Mo' Width, with its alternate version of "Afro" and guest appearance by Kurt Hoffman of They Might Be Giants, a solid and likeable album which won't just gather dust on their shelves. The off-the-cuff playing style, lo-fi recording, and intermittent bottle smashing contribute to an overall live performance feel, and the Blues Explosion always sounded better live anyway.

get it here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?04ijb9agszm

Jered Leto says no to Fight Club musical

2008-04-09T22:55:00.002-06:00

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/04/09/jared-leto-says-no-to-fight-club-musical/

i think it'd be an AWESOME idea. hahahahaha! woo-hoo! yeah, that'd kick ass.

how 'bout you, tough guy

2008-04-09T22:49:00.002-06:00

Shit Kicker from the album "Boxriff" by The Atomic Bitchwax

last night I had my tea kettle going on low, to get some moisture into the air..

2008-04-07T05:20:00.001-06:00

and forgot to turn it off before I went to bed. woke up this morning to discover it melted to the burner. black "dust" all over the place. presumably from the black plastic handle. my whole apartment smells like burnt metal and plastic.

and I wasn't even drinking last night. just spaced it out. on it. now I have to do a top to bottom cleaning.

i was gonna shut my computer off and get to work on cleaning the crap out of everything, but all my music is on there.

going through my music library and changing all the "various artists" artists...

2008-04-02T12:04:00.000-06:00

... to the actual name of the band. 231 tracks. argle.

I knew a guy back in Berkeley..

2008-03-27T14:42:00.000-06:00

who me and my buddy used to buy weed off of.

he'd pull up in his car and hop out with a paper plate covered with tin foil. walk up like he was delivering food. under the tin foil he'd have a bag of weed.

hahahahah! woot!