Tuesday, June 29, 2010

RockerVerb MK II 50w 1x12


I have been considering downsizing my guitar amp and cabinet.
Currently, I use an Orange Rockerverb 50w amplifier.
I am running it through a Marshall 4x12 Lead speaker cabinet.

It sounds so great - Filmer introduced me to Orange amps.
But I could use the mobility and extra space at home.

This is the RV MK 2 50w 1x12:


It's the same amp as what I use now - integrated with a 12" cab.
This should do the trick - and let me keep the tone I love!

the MK II series improves the reverb and adds full clean eq.

I'm lucky Orange iterated and improved upon my amp.
Now I can change up my rig and keep my tone and control.
I love my 2-way switches for tube reverb and tube distortion.

Friday, June 25, 2010

axe sheath


i bought this axe a while ago.
i wanted to bring it to northwest fest.
it didn't seem safe strapped in the back unsheathed.

i improvised with this tool pouch i found at a hardware store:



Wednesday, June 23, 2010

old drunken friend drawing


i took this photo on Saturday, February 21, 2009.
it's of a napkin i drew at the end of some drunken night.
i took this photo of the napkin so i could toss it out.
i save enough garbage as it is.


we ended up at dennys at like 2 or 3 or whatever.
i drew my friends and myself for fun.
then we had the table next to us grade it.
anyways, click the picture to enlarge.



wow.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

the hard part is knowing what you want

we can change everything about our lives through our perspectives.
only we are in control of ourselves, and only of our own outlooks.
our positivity can and will influence and benefit those around us.
love yourself first, be happy, and work hard; always do your best.


Brad Klein
for fathers day. i'd like a few things returned. my respect. my enthusiasm. happiness. serenity. i'd like my self esteem. my home. my wife. my goal oriented thinking. my sight. i wish for dreams, hikes, hunting, camping, atv-ing, to see 2 ocean pass. to revisit the memories of a better time. i'd like to trade my fear for confidence. my shame for shamelessness. my work for change. that was then. THIS IS NOW.

Kndrew Alein

you can do it dad! change the things that you can change, let go your worries about things you can't change, and choose to be happy - only you can decide how you feel about yourself, and only you can change who you are! once you find peace, it will shine from your inside out, and everyone around you will feel your warm glow!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

gr8

cant wait for:
Jul 15, 2010
11:35 AM

thats when rae will be in van next!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

most treasured vinyl


this is a bootleg modest mouse record i got.
it was recorded in 1997 in NYC.

theres a few songs i've never heard elsewhere.
its also their sound from when i was introduced to them.

thanks mikey!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

glasses fix


i got these duke nukem 3d glasses from blackbox.
the old blackbox, from downtown.
when blackbox meant something.

anyways, they're pretty rare.
and super stylish, dont you think?

i've tried fixing them twice.
each time, they held up.
inevitably breaking.

so, with a bit of help from rae, i finally fixed them for good.

new tire!


i got a new tire today to replace one that had a nail in it.
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BACK STORY:
i bought 4 new tires about a year ago.
at $250 each, i decided to use one of my old worn tires for a spare.
(rather than buying 5 new tires)

unfortunately, one of my NEW tires got a nail in it.
the nail filled the hole it created, so it never went flat.
that was about 6 months ago.
i left the nail in the tire to act as a plug.
it held air, but at about 10 PSI lower than it should.

the low tire pressure on one side was causing bad things:
* inconsistent tread wear
* poor fuel economy
* undue stress on steering components
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i decided to buy a new tire to replace the one with the nail in it.
i had the shop fix the nail hole, and will use that tire as a spare.

heres my old spare next to my new tire.
you can see how worn the lugs were!
the tire's diameter was reduced by almost an inch!



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today, i got to learn about the professional tire repair process:

the tire is unmounted from the rim.
it is placed in a spreader for easier access to the inside.

the area surrounding the hole is cleaned and scraped.
the scraped surface will create a better bond with the patch.


a plug is inserted and pulled through the tire.
here is the plug before being pulled flush with the inside of the tire.

again, the inside surface is cleaned and dried.

a self adhesive patch is applied.

the patch is coated with sealer.

the tire is once again mounted on the rim.
the plug is cut flush with the outside of the tire.

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in the end, this is a good thing, because now i have 5 matching tires.
(rather than depending on my old worn tire for a spare)
this NEW spare will hold up for a long time!

my desk at werk

i always marvel at how these whiteboards contain actual problem solving.
its great how scribbles like these facilitate discussion of complex concepts.


this is a good little area:
* @ndy memento from rae - so i never lose my marbles!
** theres a marble hand sewn in this pouch!
*** great for fidgeting and feeling loved!
* tablet pen and mouse for easy access
** used to create digital drawings
*** pressure sensitive
* lego boba fett and R2D2
** the most important star wars characters
*** i have to remain inspired somehow...
* white and green painted rocks
** painted from a kit given to me by Kudo Tsunoda
*** one of my most respected mentors


i don't want to be a dummy...
...see my wisdom teeth up there?
with Z-BOT guardians!


thats my name, don't wear it out!


i got the a free skateboard for the lady in the mail room.
she always cuts me a great deal when i send out packages!
its for her son - SCORE!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

stuff i love

NWF 2010 shirt design

i designed the shirt for this years North West Fest.

the event is a way for northwesterners to get together with their jeeps.

the northwest chapter is part of NAXJA, north american xj association.

its where i go for all my jeep info.



Tuesday, June 8, 2010

u-joint strap cleanup

i have picked up a few extra sets of u-joint straps here and there.
1 set came from the donor vehicle for my dana 44 rear axle.
who knows how i got the others.. ..not even a full set...

these straps tend to be the first to go with u-joint failure.

so, its good to have some extra sets for trail repairs.
the spares i had were filthy, so i wanted to clean em up.
clearly, i was super bored.
its kind of sad, actually.

_______________________________

dirty straps and bolts.


clean up supplies.


1 part water, 1 part gojo, 2 parts brake cleaner.


taped up a full set to keep in the jeep.

Monday, June 7, 2010

tub drain stopper


a while back i got a new battery for my 14 Volt coordless drill.
i had forgotten about this, and as such, i hadn't been using it.
its nice because its got a keyless chuck, and its lightweight.
plus, no cord.


this old tub stopper works great for taking baths.
i drilled a hole in it so i could keep better track of it.



anyways, there was always this chain hanging in my bathroom.
with nothing on it?
i dunno what it was for.


i put this keyring on the stopper to hold it on the chain.
its not a full keyring loop, so it unclips pretty easy.

the derivative

its had many names many structures many and many lyrics.
some have stuck, some have come and gone.
it will probably have many more, or no more.
i wrote it when felicity broke up with me.
so, thats what its about.
i used to play it all the time.
then i stopped, for quite some time.
well, im playing it again, i think because its packed with emotion.
and im finding that music with emotion actually means something to me.
this is probably my first serious attempt at writing a song for myself.
what i mean is, its easier for me to try harder when it comes from truth.
even a lyric says 'always wanting to be anyone else'
i guess this song is not anyone else, its me.

the derivative

Sunday, June 6, 2010

5 steps to rae

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__________________________

this is how i send things to rae.
i like doing this since we live far apart!
__________________________
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STEP 1.)
decide what i want to send her

__________________________
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STEP 2.)
wrap it up nice

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STEP 3.)
write a love letter

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STEP 4.)
make some easy-open packaging



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STEP 5.)
decorate


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repeat steps 1-5 as many times as necessary