RSS MAD

the machines that coexist with us can also have baby pictures

The Twin Machines (left to right): k0rma & 1nertia

Born SAT 2008-JUN-27 3PM

the post explosion continues…

Since next month is a month filled with fireworks, I’m shooting for thirty-one posts in July.

Stay tuned. It will be fun.

the farm

Just a few updates:

• Added three new platys to the Hex-5: a gold Mickey Mouse platy, a red Mickey Mouse platy, and a red wag platy. The sunburst wag platy that we still have really likes the company of the red wag.
• The new editions to the folding farm are still pending completion. The Twin Machines, k0rma and 1nertia, are awaiting their customized acrylic case with vintage stereo cabinet windows for side panels. A few more holes to line up the pieces, and the rest should fall into place.
• c0rey’s motherboard, an ASUS M3A78-EMH HDMI Socket AM2+, has been RMA’ed. ASUS says it will take ten working days from when they receive the board. I mailed it through USPS Priority Mail on Monday night, so they should have it by now. The countdown for c0rey’s rebirth continues.
• I had this daydream of renting out an air-conditioned storage closet that has power outlets and run a folding farm out of one of those. Once I figure out how to get an internet connection from inside that closet, I will be good to go.

the 1:43

The random web search at 1:43AM

the summer

The heat is back, and I haven’t been posting much at all lately. Let’s just say I’ve been living blog-free for a little bit. I can’t leave you hanging for too long, so I felt obligated to write up a quick post on this lazy Saturday. My internet connection was out, since Thursday and they finally got it running again today so hooray from them (*sarcasm*).

I fired on my twin machines earlier this week, and they are running great. Neil and I picked up the materials yesterday to build a custom case for them tomorrow. Since it was early in the morning, we had some barbacoa tacos for breakfast that were bomb.

Last night, we saw Rancid at La Zona Rosa. They played an excellent show. I was surprised by how much they played off …And Out Come The Wolves. Check it:
(This is in the order of the album, not in the order they played them.)

• Maxwell Murder
• Roots Radicals
• Time Bomb (first encore song)
• Olympia, WA
• Lock, Step & Gone
• Ruby Soho (last encore song)
• Journey to the End of the East Bay
• Old Friend
• The War’s End
• The Way I Feel

They also played a bunch from Let’s Go:
(Again, the order’s from the album, not from the show)

• Nihilism
• Radio
• Salvation
• Tenderloin
• Gunshot
• St. Mary

Rancid - St. Mary - La Zona Rosa, Austin TX - June 13, 2008

They played Hyena and Rejected off their second self-titled album and Hoover Street and a couple others from Life Won’t Wait. I can’t remember what else they played, but they played so many songs. Neil and I got to show just in time to enjoy a beer and then see Rancid. The show lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, and they didn’t do any bullshitting between songs. They just played them one after the other. We definitely got our money’s worth plus Neil scored himself the shirt he was looking for with the …And Out Come the Wolves cover on it.

I also enjoyed the visuals they had coming from a projector. This sold out show marked Neil and I’s first time to see Rancid which was at Vans Warped Tour ‘98 in San Antonio. Their new drummer, Branden Steineckert, did an amazing job. The rest of the band was awesome as always.

the mighty fine burgers in austin

Mare returned to Austin from her Canada/North Carolina trip yesterday. We had lunch at Mighty Fine which is pretty fine but I wouldn’t say mighty fine. They are owned by the same people that own Rudy’s which is their gimmicky barbecue place. My only beef with that Mighty Fine is that their prices are too damn high, but I’m sure it’s based in figuring out how much they can squeeze (capitalize) from the earners in that area which is a fairly nice area. That place is always packed when I go, and for what? Burgers, fries, and shakes.

The burgers are very homemade genuine-tasting, but again, I don’t think you’d normally pay someone five bucks to make you the same-quality half-pound burger and a couple bucks for a soda in a bottle. I love their half-pound burgers and their fries are good, but I’m gonna give the rest the two thumbs down. They have these chili dogs where they slice up the hot dog, so I guess they could charge more for it. Most chili from burger places are recycled burgers. You’re paying for yesterday’s leftovers.

I’m not saying I won’t go back to Mighty Fine, because I’d rank their half-pound burger in the top five in Austin, but they sure know how to overcharge for what I can get for a couple bucks less almost anywhere else and I’m not talking fast food chain burgers. I’m talking about the Crown and Anchor, Burger Tex, Bagpipes on Tuesdays, Hut’s, Dan’s, etc.