This and That

Some tasks at my new job require me to be mentally present.  Others, however, are some of the same menial tasks that I did for two years at my last job.  When I'm stuck with some of those, I just hit auto-pilot, and my mind wanders.  What do I think of during those times?  Usually nothing important.  I think about the book I'm reading, trying to guess how things will play out.  I think about what I could have for dinner.  Lately, I've been thinking about this blog.  For once, I actually have a stockpile of topics.  Maybe I'll lazy out and never actually get around to typing them.  But who knows.  We'll see, I suppose.

I've been experiencing a great deal of musical frustration lately.  By lately, I mean for the past year.  It's one of those things that's cumulative.  The more time that passes, the more out of the loop I become.  I used to be on top of what's new.  I surfed the billboard charts, plowed through youtube, streamed KROQ.  Now, I can't do any of those with any kind of efficiency.  Living in the sticks can be nice, but it also means you have nothing but a shitty internet connection to work with.  That, combined with the very limited radio formats offered in the area, means that new music makes it to my ear at an incredibly slow pace.  I'm never out of the loop when it comes to music.  And now I am.  This makes Kim a sad panda.  

There is one exception though.  I did buy an album recently.  A brand, spanking new album.  First time in a while for that.  It was the new Evanescence album.  Hey, hey, HEY now, shut up.  Among my fellow music enthusiasts (here's lookin' at you, music snobs of the world), Evanescence is frowned upon.  But if you've read some of my previous posts, you know my stance on that.  When it comes to music, it's personal, and you will like what you will like.  It's pointless to rag on somebody for it.  So rag all you want, I'm impervious to such things.  Dammit, I'm rambling again.  I should probably get to the point...

Anyway, I bloody love the album.  It fully satiates my shameless love for Evanescence.  There are two ballads in particular that just...floored me.  Amy Lee can write some purty ballads, but these go above and beyond all expectations.  The first, "Lost in Paradise," starts out as traditional ballad fare, but then it builds and builds until it hits the bridge, which hits my ears with such a beautiful ferocity that it's just...I dunno...it's just something.  Moving.  The second, "Swimming Home," sounds like nothing she's ever written before.  It's almost sweet.  Evanescence doesn't usually do "sweet."  "Melancholy" is more their style.  Now that I'm really thinking about it, I suppose "Swimming Home" is perfect median between "sweet" and "melancholic."  Anywho, whatever it is, it's interesting and beautiful in its simplicity.  It has already leapt into my top ten most played songs on iTunes.  If I could add the number of times it has played in my truck, it would have an insanely high play count.  I suppose I will wear it out eventually...maybe.  

I suppose that's all I have to say for now.  Bye bye for now.  Here's "Swimming Home" if you're at all curious.  

Gah.  Or not.  I can't get youtube to load the embedding code.  Whatever.  Here's a link if you want. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzR-_GwVc3E

A replacement iPod in just 15 Easy Steps

I love my iPod.  I use the crap out of it.  Aaaand...I suspect that they may have contributed to the early demise of my beloved iPod Nano.  Given the fact that I sleep with it on in my iHome every night...could I have blown the power supply?   I don't speak techie, so I don't know.  I suppose it doesn't matter now.  It only lasted about a year and a half.  Though I take it for an odd coincidence that my iPod died a mere 3 days before Steve Jobs?  Fate?  Fortunately, the one and only stroke of good luck that came with this whole ordeal is that I had bought a two-year warranty on it, AND I managed to find it (truly a miracle given the fact that I've moved in that time frame).

Anywho, my recent adventures have led me to create a step-by-step guide to replacing a dead iPod.  If you think it is as simple as going to the place of purchase, waving a paper, and bringing home your new baby, you are quite wrong.  So, if you should find yourself in a similar situation, please follow this guide to replacing your iPod. :)

How to Replace Your iPod

Uh-oh!  Your iPod has died!

Step One:  Do you have an active warranty?  If no, then say a tearful goodbye to your hard-earned money as you shell out for a new one.  If yes, then please continue to Step Two.  

Step Two:  After locating your warranty, drive 45 miles to the nearest Best Buy at the next available opportunity (one of the many perks of living in the middle of nowhere, huh?).  

Step Three:  Locate the Customer Service desk and wait a minimum of thirty minutes for your turn to come up.  I bet you wish you could plug in to your iPod right about now to pass the time as you wait, sucker.  

Step Four:  It's your turn!  They will confirm that your warranty is still in effect.  Go pick out your replacement and come back to the Customer Service desk!

Step Five:  Uh-oh!  In the entire store, they don't have a single 16GB iPod Nano!  Would you like to exchange for something smaller?  No, not really.  Would you like to go upgrade and pay the difference?  No thanks, I'm broke.  Please go back to the Customer Service desk to figure out what to do next. 

Step Six:  Wait an additional twenty minutes for your turn at the Customer Service desk.  Damn, I really wish I had an iPod right about now.  

Step Seven:  They will order a replacement for you.  Please wait one week before coming back to pick it up.  Oh, and it's probably a good idea to go ahead and buy another warranty since the last one was handy.  Enjoy the 45 mile drive back home empty-handed!!

Step Eight:  Receive an email stating that your new iPod is in the store!  Make another 45 mile trip to Best Buy.  

Step Nine:  Lookey there!  There's no wait today!  Head to the Customer Service desk and pick up your new iPod!  Hooray!  ~*confetti*~  But you're not done yet, pal.  Drive another 45 miles back home and continue to Step Ten.

Step Ten:  Great, you're home!  Plug in your iPod, and let's sync it up!  Uh-oh!  Your new iPod is not compatible with the old version of iTunes on your computer!  Time to upgrade, I guess.

Step Eleven:  Your router is being particularly moody today and is currently not in the mood to pick up your internet signal.  There will be no downloading a new version for a while yet.  Mutter a few colorful words and try to muster up some patience.  

Step Twelve:  After battling a come-and-go internet signal for a few hours, unplug your ancient desktop computer and drag it down the stairs and plug it straight into the modem.  Patience may be a virtue, but it doesn't have to be one of YOUR virtues, now does it?

Step Thirteen:  Go to the iTunes website and click on the link to download the latest version of iTunes.  Uh-oh!  The site is down for maintenance!  Choose your favorite angry and say them with some feeling.  

Step Fourteen:  Oh yeah!  Maybe you can get to the download straight through iTunes!  Give that a try!  Yay!  Something works!  Download your new version of iTunes.

Step Fifteen:  Plug in, sync up, and breathe a sigh of relief like a heroin addict finally getting their fix.  Enjoy your new iPod, and don't forget to store that warranty some place safe.  That you'll remember.  

Dreaming Again...

So, it's been a while, huh?  I guess it doesn't matter since so few people read this shit anyway. :D  I'm going to claim that I was so upset over the break-up of Silverchair that I have been unable to tend to my blog in my inconsolable state (that's bullshit, but I'm gonna claim it anyway).  It's been so long since I've even stopped by to check up on my reading list that blogger seems to have changed their lay-out.  I had format problems before.  Expect lots more to come while I figure this out!

Anyway, I have a topic today, I promise.

For a while, I've been meaning to blog about this dream I had.  It was one of those dreams born from me leaving my iHome on all night.  It was creepy and beautiful at the same time.  It will be difficult to describe, but bear with me. 

Ok, so for some reason, I was attending some sort of seminar being held in the auditorium of UT's music building (which I hear has been bulldozed by now...).  Jim Carrey was the speaker at said seminar.  I don't know why him, but since he was sporting his very sexy Eternal Sunshine look, I can't complain.  I don't remember what he was talking about, but I remember entering in the middle of his talk and taking my seat in the front row.  It was very dark, but the stage had a dim, blue light illuminating Carrey.  And then... he started to sing.  That's when the dream turned creepy/beautiful.  Here's the song:



Do you see what I mean?  Those haunting four notes repeated over and over again.  The way he was moving across the stage.  The way that blue light played upon him.  As the song built, I noticed there were screens directly in front of us on the front row.  And these images began to appear on the screen.  They were the same shade of blue, and they seemed to shapeshift as you watched.  I remember that I gripped the edges of my seat, trying to push myself back as far away from them as I could.  I don't know why I was afraid of them.  But at the same time, it was so beautiful that I couldn't look away. 

See, I told you it would be really difficult to describe.  I actually had that dream about a month ago.  I kept meaning to post about it.  It's stayed with me all this time.  Every time I hear that song now, that's all I can think of.  I already liked that song (hence why it was on my iPod), but now I have this new respect for it. 

Well, guess that's all for today!  Adios! 

A Sad Day...

Well, I signed on to facebook today to find some sad news.  There was a post from Silverchair in my news feed...a farewell post.  Despite having begun work on their sixth studio album, they've split, citing creative differences.  I feel so...sad.  I was never able to see them live.  I said that as soon as they got that new album out and began their tour that I would do whatever it took to get to one of their shows.  And now, that will never happen...

Well, I suppose I can't say "never."  They're not calling this a "break up."  They're opting for the phrase "indefinite hibernation."  The farewell post said that the three of them "won't be working together unless and until it feels right again."  They've been on hiatus before and returned. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't want them to stay together just for us kids.  If this is what they need to do, then it's what they need to do.  But I can still be sad, right?

So I'll just recount how I came to meet and love Silverchair for you, and leave you with a favorite song.  I first heard of Silverchair when I was quite young.  My sister had their first two albums, though I never really listened to any of their music.  It wasn't until I was in middle school (and going through my MTV phase) when they really hit me.  Their third album was on its way out, and "Anthem for the Year 2000" was in rotation.  I fell in love with the song, bought the album, and I wore that sucker out.  And that's how it all started for me.  I went ahead and bought albums 1 and 2 for myself, but it wouldn't be until years later (January 2008 to be exact) that I would re-discover those albums and discover their successive albums for the first time.  But Neon Ballroom has held its place as one of my favorite albums ever since that very first time I heard it in 1999/2000.  Now, their five albums are probably some of my most played in my entire library. 

Well boys, it's been great.  I will miss you.  Thank you for all the years I've been able to spend with your music.  Here's my favorite Silverchair song, "Untitled."  It's a b-side from the Neon Ballroom-era. 

Rockin' to the End of the World

I've got a post in drafts that I've been working on from time to time, and I can never really seem to perfect it.  However, that post is put on hold because a more pressing matter has come up:  the world is ending this Saturday.  That's tomorrow, people!!  That means we need an Apocalypse-appropriate playlist!  And so, with a little digging through my iTunes, I've uncovered a handful of tunes to help you ring in the end in style! 

*Note:  I went with either lyrics or titles that fit, so no lectures about what the songs really mean because you're MISSING THE POINT. :P


1) Everclear - "Santa Monica"
Worried about getting the best seats to watch the end come?  Worry not, my friend!  Everclear has figured that one out for you!  Find yourself an ocean, then you can "swim out past the breakers and watch the world die."

2) Smashing Pumpkins - "The End Is the Beginning Is the End"
The world ends tomorrow?  But what about 2012?  It's confusing, ain't it?  Is this the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end.  Hell, we'll just listen to this one "til the end times begin."

3) Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper"
Pretty good advice, ya think?  Do not go gentle into that good night, people!  Grab your cowbells and hold you heads up high!

4) Linkin Park - "Waiting for the End"
If it is the end of the world, not much we can do about it, eh?  Not much to do now except wait.

5) "Last Night of the World" from Miss Saigon (yeah, it's in my iTunes, what's it to ya?)
Grab your significant other and dance like it's the last night of the world, because it just might be.  Preferably dance to a solo saxophone.

6) Lostprophets - "It's Not the End of the World, But I Can See It From Here"
Well, the Lostprophets don't seem to think tomorrow will be it, but they sure do seem to think it's coming soon.  2012, perhaps?

7) Muse - "Apocalypse Please"
Probably the most appropriate song on the list, seeing as how it's the only one whose lyrics actually refer to a biblical apocalypse.  This is the end, this is the end of the world.

8) R.E.M. - "It's the End of the World As We Know It"
And I feel fine.

And that's my playlist for you today!  I could have overlooked some good ones, and I'm sure there are more that I just don't know too well, so by all means, tell me:  what else can you add to the playlist?

Feeling Blue

Ok, so I know I sound like a broken record, but I really miss concerts.  My facebook news feed is filled with updates as my friends kick off the spring/summer concert season.  I have to admit, I'm a wicked shade of an envious green.  Of course, I'm happy for them, buuut...I wish I was partaking in the action, even just a little bit. 

I am trying to be positive though.  I really am.  I mean, come on.  I'm in my mid-twenties.  I have a lifetime of concerts waiting for me.  The bands that I'm missing this year, I will see, eventually.  Things will take a turn for the better, and I know I can get that little piece of myself back.  I know it might sound a little weird to value these things so much, but this is how I get my kicks.  I feel so alive at a show.  The whole experience is one big thrill ride.  The excitement as you're driving to the gig, blaring the same band you're about to see on your speakers the whole way there.  That feeling when you step inside the venue and take your spot.  The rush that comes the instant the lights go down.  Then when the music starts, absolutely nothing else exists in the world. 

But like I said, I know things suck right now, but this is far from the end of my life (I hope.  Hint hint, God).  All these shows that I'm sad about missing, those bands will keep touring.  They'll come back around, and circumstances will be better for me.  Then I'll forget all about that time that I missed so-and-so. 

Last Friday, I read that one of my favorites (Company of Thieves) was playing an acoustic set at the Disc Exchange back home in Knoxville.  I literally cried when I read that update.  But one and can only wallow in self-pity for so long before you're forced to kick your own ass back into a better mindset.  There are lots of great shows in my future.  I'll be there before I know it. 

Only in Dreams...

So I got an iHome for Christmas.  I have a desktop, not a laptop, and no $$ for a proper stereo/soundsystem, so the iHome is a mighty handy alternative.  It sees the most use at nighttime, when I catch my zzzzz's. 

For ages, I've slept with a radio playing.  I usually turn it down really low so that the pesky talking and commercials won't wake me up.  But with my dandy little iHome, I don't have to worry about that, do I?  I still keep the volume down for my sleeping, but louder than I would with the radio.  The result?  The music enters my dreams. 

Seriously, at least 3 nights a week, I'll dream about the songs playing.  When I wake up, I always go back through my iPod to see if the songs really did play, and yep!  There they are!  Dreams can be weird enough, but when you throw in your favorite songs, it really gets interesting.  I've had a couple of artist mix-up dreams.  For example, I dreamt I was at an Offspring concert, but at this concert, they were playing "The Night" by Disturbed.  In the dream, I thought it was a really strange song for them to cover.  In a similar dream, I was at a Weezer concert, and I kept thinking that Rivers Cuomo was sounding more like Jared Leto than himself.  And alas, when I flipped back through my iPod, there was 30 Seconds to Mars. 

Of course, I can't remember them all.  After last night's dream, which featured two songs, back to back, I decided to tell yall about my musical adventures in dreamland.  Last night, I dreamt I was driving down the interstate, playing the acoustic version of Muse's "Sing for Absolution," but I added to it, dreaming that lead singer Matt Bellamy had some false starts during an instrumental part.  I remember thinking, "Huh, I never noticed that in the recording before..."  Then I was at a friend's house, and he was showing me a video he made, which he had set to "Territorial Pissings" by Nirvana. 

I know this might be a boring post, but over the past couple of months, I've really started looking forward to checking my iPod in the mornings to see what I can remember dreaming.  So I had to share.

Oh, and speaking of Jared Leto...I dreamed about him last night, too.  Not in the way that a girl would like to dream about Jared Leto, but still any appearance by him at all is pretty nice, right?