Can I borrow $4000?


The TWO 3M M79s they used to record Thriller. No shit.

Posted on Craigslist today:

3M M-79 24 Track 2" machine - $4000 (Springtown)
-------------------------------------------------
Reply to: sale-663748569@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-05-01, 1:40PM CDT

I have a 3M M-79 24 Track 2" machine with just rebuilt power supply, just relapped heads from JRF with full report, all new rubber and bearings, comes with extra cards and new motor, two selectake IIs (remotes) one working and one for parts all manuals for the machine and upgrade sheets and manual for the selectake II. I brought this from LA purchased from DEVO and have been restoring it but I need money for my aging parents. Everything works but needs a little tweeking but sounds like a million dollars. This is the one...from Led Zepplin to Frank Zappa Sweeeeet! Analog Also I will throw in a non working M-79 2 track with all parts (which many are interchangeable with the 24 track) I have many spare parts lights etc....Ron 817-501-4576

These motherfuckers were $38,000 new. From some of the other things I've read, these sound astounding. A number of people think that they smoke newer otaris like this mx80 that went for $2,000 on ebay:


I tend to agree with Analogrules.com about "the best" equipment: it's all in how you use it. Studer, MCI, 3M, Sony, Otari, Scully - pro equipment is pro equipment and they're all pretty much the same, so you should buy the one that's the cheapest and in the best condition. It's very much the same as my and Daniel's attitude toward Peavey products. I love the T-60 because it's the best deal on one of the sturdiest, smoothest playing, best sounding American made guitar ever. Daniel loves his 5150 head because it's all tube, it's rugged and built to last and he loves the way it sounds. Get your money's worth out of the gear you buy.
- posted by Mason @ 10:32 PM (0) comments

Time to Clean the Bikes, Little Daddies!



I cleaned and lubed the bike chains this afternoon. I bought this awesome thing called The Grunge Brush, and it's my new favorite tool. If you own a bike, you need to own one of these. I scrubbed the chain and the whole gear system using the brush and some Pedro's Bio Cleaner. It's fucking spotless now, don'cha know!
- posted by Mason @ 8:24 PM (0) comments

Did you know that taxes are our problem?



In case you didn't already know they were the same person, Hillary now agrees with Boris Karloff about the "Gas Tax Holiday". I'm going to let that sink in. Ms. Clinton thinks that the way to solve our looming depression is to cut taxes. Cut taxes. Are you listening to this? She's suggesting that (contrary to the opinions of every economist on earth) that saving us $0.18 a gallon will also save us from the coming economic collapse. You know what, maybe she's right... it makes sense that letting our roads and bridges crumble, making them thereby totally impassible is a fantastic solution to our fuel crisis. Besides when gas is $10 a gallon, no one will able to afford it, so the tax revenues will be down anyway, and it won't make any difference.

Hillary, you make me sick. I hope Maya Angelou threw up in her mouth when she made that video for you.
- posted by Mason @ 6:13 PM (0) comments

I am an ice snob.



I'm very finicky about ice. I should be, I grew up with an ice snob for a father.

Here's the rundown:

1- I hate ice cube trays. I think they're an abomination. The cubes are much too large, they're always cloudy and they usually taste like shit because no one ever uses filtered water. Also, I hate the ice that your refrigerator makes. It's even worse than ice cube trays.

2- I'm not fond of Reddyice brand ice. They use a tube method which produces huge, uncrunchable barrels. While they are crystal clear and frozen very solid, I think they suck in drinks.

3- In certain situations I like nugget ice. Like what they have at Sonic, you know? While it melts very quickly, the crunch is fucking great. I also associate flake ice (ice chips, yeah?) with nugget ice, in that there are some positive applications for it, but it's still a specialty product. Not suitable for everyday drinking.

4- The best solution here is what's known as cube ice from a commercial ice maker. It should be between 1" and 1.5" inch square and no more than .5" thick. I love our ice machine at work. It has it's problems (sometimes the drain line gets kinked and it fills with water, and sometimes you have to unplug it and plug it back in to make it produce), but it kicks out fantastic ice.

5- When my dad lived in San Antonio, there was this great store that a guy ran himself where he reverse osmosised water himself and made ice out of it. Heaven.

6- If there is a Twice the Ice in your area, I highly suggest you use it. It's the greenest way to get ice because it's manufactured right on site, and you can get in bulk with no bag if you want. Sadly, the closest one to us is at skillman and abrams, north of NW Highway. Not worth riding to just to get ice, and I don't think I could get it home before it melted. Sad.

7- I buy ice across the street at the diamond shamrock run by an asian family. It's average cube size, always clear and reasonably priced at one dollar for an eight pound bag.


So when I come over, don't try and give me anything but bagged ice. Don't even bring up tap water, jesus I don't want to get started on that. Filtered, reverse osmosis drinking water only.
- posted by Mason @ 9:11 PM (0) comments

I learned a new song.



I spent over an hour tonight learning this song. I love it so much. It's the number three all time best selling song by a female artist. Be prepared for an upload after I record it.
- posted by Mason @ 9:09 PM (0) comments

Oi, listen to these I sang, innit?


sorry John Prine, the picture of you wouldn't fit.

WARNING!!! CROSS POST FROM THE MOON MISSION DEATH SQUAD BLOG!!!!
THIS IS NOT ORIGINAL CONTENT!!!!!!

So I'm sort of into this covers thing lately while we're working on the next album. it's called "Songs You Loved in High School" and it's fourteen songs by seven artists that I like. It's very, very lo-fi (which is on purpose). If you'd like to talk about it, head on over to the MMDS blog and leave a comment.

The Cure-Boys Don't Cry
Neil Young-After the Goldrush
The Velvet Underground-Candy Says
Morrissey-Every Day is Like Sunday
REM-Losing My Religion
John Prine-Sam Stone
The Velvet Underground-New Age
The Cure-Friday I'm in Love
Warren Zevon-Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
John Prine-Speed of the Sound of Lonliness
Warren Zevon-Splendid Isolation
REM-Man on the Moon
Neil Young-Tell Me Why
Morrissey-Last of the Famous International Playboys
- posted by Mason @ 11:23 PM (0) comments

Hell Yeah!


meg's huffy on the left, my columbia on the right

Your favorite Bike Rocker (namely, me) today procured a home bicycle rack. We got a new rack for the front of the store, so I asked what was going to happen to the old one.

THEM: "We're going to throw it away."
ME: "Oh... well can I have it?"
THEM: "Sure."

So I rode back up to the store at six when my friend Chuck got off work, we loaded it in his truck and it's now parked in our courtyard. It's totally fucking boss. It's about eight feet long and made out of steel, and you won't be able to steal anything locked to it.
- posted by Mason @ 9:49 PM (0) comments

Today's Conversation



Old Man: "What kind of coffee ya'll got here, Folgers?"
Me: "Oh dear god no."
- posted by Mason @ 9:50 PM (0) comments

Marjoe (1972)



I just watched the Oscar winning 1972 documentary Marjoe, and I just loved it. It's about former child evangelist Marjoe Gortner, who as an adult got back into preaching for money. In the film he talks about the scam of pentecostal preachers, the tricks of the trade and how to get believers to shell out the most cash at the end of the revival. I'm amazed I've never seen this film before, and so glad that I did. You can Netflix this or download it from itunes. A must for any agnostic, atheist, skeptic or free thinker.
- posted by Mason @ 10:37 PM (0) comments

Java Juice - Sacrilege, I know.


We went to REI today to purchase rear bike lights (so we don't get hit by a car at night). While there, I was perusing the camp food (you know how I love compressed food bars) and came across this seemingly disgusting new product called Java Juice. It's triple strength coffee in a tear pouch that you pour into a cup of hot water. I should be outraged by this, but after purchasing (and then tasting) it, I really didn't think it was that bad. I liked it better by itself as an espresso shot in a pouch than I did mixed into water, but I should have saved it to mix with soy milk. It's certainly better than instant coffee, and if I had to drink anything but fresh brewed, this would be an acceptable substitute. It's organic and they support fair trade, so I'm going to try and get us to start carrying it at work.
- posted by Mason @ 4:37 PM (0) comments

I can feex it.



Huh huh... 420 dude. Get it? It's like, April 20th... you know, 420? Like weed? Huh huh.

So the T-60 is strung up, tweaked out and playing like a dream. My brother points out that it's the much more rare rosewood fretboard which makes it kick even more ass. It's so amazing and I love it. Thanks lord jesus for answering my guitar prayers.
- posted by Mason @ 4:36 PM (0) comments

Oh No You Didn't!



After YEARS of searching, I finally found a T-60 for a reasonable price. $200 with the case. It didn't have any strings on it and the phase switch is broken. I had my uncle neil adjust the neck and set it up, oh it plays so sweet you can't even imagine. It's everything I hoped it would be. I need to now purchase a mini 3 way toggle switch and it will be wonderful. The serial number says it's an '81, making it the same age as me. I'm a happy boy now.


Look at the case. It's awesome.

I was sold on it before I saw this picture of EVH cut out of a magazine taped inside it.
After seeing it however, it was a total lock.

I wish I had a t-shirt that looked like this.

I have never seen a better sticker than this sticker.
- posted by Mason @ 11:35 PM (0) comments

"You got any tape wound strings for an electric bouzoki?"


Well, it's guitar show time again which means one thing: listening to people talk about Stevie Ray Vaughn. I really want to have a booth with t-shirts that say "FUCK CLAPTON", but I don't think it would go over very well. We've made some money, sold some strings, talked up the product, so all's well. I had a chat with famous guitar player Will Ray today, he was very nice. Come by and purchase some strings from us, or wait until the show is over and talk to me about some cut rate deals on strings.
- posted by Mason @ 11:35 PM (0) comments

A Woman Under the Influence (1974)



I'd never seen all of a Cassavetes film before, but we watched A Woman Under the Influence today. I really enjoyed it, but I really didn't understand it. Here's what the wiki says: "[The film] tells the story of a young wife and mother's uninhibited, erratic, psychotic behavior which leads her violent, confused husband to commit her for psychiatric treatment, leaving the family even more dysfunctional than before." I guess that's what it's about. It was mostly Gena Rowlands acting totally insane and Peter Falk yelling and screaming at her. It was depressing and disturbing and made me uncomfortable in parts, which means it was powerful and affected me in some way. It didn't really have a plot, per se... but that's ok I suppose. I felt the same way about it that I felt about There Will Be Blood, in that they were both character driven films about a person [or persons] tearing apart everything around them and hurting the people they love the most. Have you seen this? Care to have a conversation about it? Call me and let's talk about it.
- posted by Mason @ 11:35 PM (0) comments

Darkon (2006)



We watched the documentary Darkon tonight, and very much enjoyed it. It's about a group of LARPers (wait, I'll explain) in the Baltimore area and their imaginary RPG world called Darkon. I knew that Live Action Role-Playing existed, but this film really opened my eyes to the inner workings of it. It does a great job of weaving the subjects real lives in with their dressing up and fighting with padded swords. This was a true documentary in the sense that the filmmakers just shot tons and tons of footage and then let the story come together in the editing room. There was no slant, no judgment, no ridicule. No one is made to look absurd, and even their own most damning statements about themselves are so well put together that you're more fascinated than repulsed. It would have been very, very easy to make the participants out to be losers, outcasts or freaks since they get together on soccer fields and wage magical 10th century warfare against one another, but everyone comes off fairly even handedly. It didn't make me want to be a knight, but I think it's pretty hardcore to own plate armour.
- posted by Mason @ 11:34 PM (0) comments

I maded the icey creamy coneys.


Today I became your new waffle cone jesus. I made the tastiest vegan waffle cones in the world at work today. Everyone across the board said they were the best waffle cones they'd ever tasted. Also, I broke a sales record last week because I am the king of coffee.

More power to me and my awesomeness, or more importantly the awesomeness of these waffle cones.
- posted by Mason @ 6:19 PM (0) comments

Wizard/Warrior Lives!


James and I had a practice for our post peak-oil/new american wasteland/sword and nanotech sorcery band called C:\>WIZARD\WARRIOR. It was really productive and we wrong a song and a half. We worked out quite a bit of back story as well (which is obviously really important to establishing a cannon for the universe). Expect our the first album "Book One" to be out by xmas.
- posted by Mason @ 6:19 PM (0) comments

Half Price Bookage




All one dollar at NW Highway Half Price Books.
- posted by Mason @ 6:19 PM (0) comments

Have you ever spent years not listening to something?


Graham Nash and my dad David Crosby.

It's been well established that I'm a huge Neil Young fan, and I enjoy the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young as much as anyone else, but I'd never really listened to any Graham Nash solo. A friend at work told me that I was fucking idiot for not being into it, so I downloaded "Songs for Beginners". It's really, really good. I don't know why I've never heard it before. I've had access to several copies of it over the years: my parent's copy, at the flea market, at the record store... the internet, obviously... and I've passed it up a number of times in the dollar record bin. Why didn't I ever just listen to it? It's a direct corrallary to all early 70's Neil Young (not as good, but very, very similar), though just a touch more British. I also listened to his 1974 follow up, "Wild Tales" and I think that's great too.

I suppose it's akin to the feeling of finding out that someone you wanted to have sex with in high school would have been willing to if only you'd asked. It's thrilling, yet somehow retro-actively disappointing. Anyway, check these albums out.
- posted by Mason @ 6:37 PM (0) comments

I am the guacamole master.



I have the biggest boner for the guacamole I made. There is so fucking much of it I can't even tell you, easily enough for 8-12 people. I plan on eating it for days. It's the best gauc I've ever had, and should you want to make it I've provided the recipe (thanks to meg for the transcription):

"Guac to the Future"

6 medium mexican Haas avocados
1 large or 3 small tomatillos
1 medium white onion
2 seeded serrano peppers
10 mild seeded jalapeños
juice of 5 limes
salt and pepper to taste

Dice tomatillos, onions and peppers. Scoop flesh of all six avocados into a large bowl. Add lemon juice and salt. Mash with a potato masher until creamy. Add diced veg and mix well. Pepper to taste.

Eat with many, many, many tortilla chips.
- posted by Mason @ 5:35 PM (0) comments

So I have this swipe card reader, and this glockenspiel....



It's called the Brockenspiel, and there's no denying it's power.
- posted by Mason @ 11:56 AM (0) comments

Skins has really gone off the rails.



!!!!WARNING: SPOILERS!!!!!!!!WARNING: SPOILERS!!!!!!!!WARNING: SPOILERS!!!!

What the fuck is going on with Skins? Chris is dead? Why? I'm so upset that I can't even stand it. Cassie runs away to New York? Why? I want series 2 to be the last. I think this show, which I formerly loved so dearly, has completely jumped the fucking shark. It needs to stop. The majority of the episodes this season haven't really made any sense, and I don't see any hope for recovery. I'm saddened by this turn of events. Sorry if you read this before you watched episode nine.
- posted by Mason @ 11:50 AM (0) comments

Koko is smarter than you are.



We watched the film Koko: A Talking Gorilla, and were struck again by how limited our concepts of personhood are. Koko understands what you're saying, and can sign back to you. She can use a symbolic logic keyboard to speak to you, is fully self aware and recognizes herself in a mirror and on film. She's more intelligent than many mentally challenged adults, and you wouldn't deny their human rights, would you? The fact that great apes aren't treated as legally human is appalling to me, what do you think? Daniel? Dave? Robert?
- posted by Mason @ 11:50 AM (0) comments

Great Documentaries on Demand


a film about shakers

Folkstreams.net (which I think I brought up about a year ago) is the single best repository of streaming documentaries about all aspects of American life and culture. As is totally apparent, we're on a huge doc kick right now, and folkstreams has some of the best shorts I've ever seen. This is hundreds and hundreds of hours of free and enlightening entertainment that shouldn't be missed.
- posted by Mason @ 11:50 AM (0) comments

The Scariest Movie I've Seen This Year




The Spanish horror movie [REC] scared the shit out of me. It's certainly in the top five zombie movies of the last five years. A tv reporter and her camera man are covering a a unit of the Barcelona Fire Dept. when they get a rescue call. They follow the firefighters to the scene, an apartment building, and find a decrepit old woman, covered in blood and screaming in her living room. She attacks one of the cops, and everything goes apeshit from there. The zombies are grotesque, the makeup is incredibly gory, and the camera work is really claustrophobic. The entire movie is shown through the tv camera man's lens, and unlike that movie about witches in the forest, the technique actually works here. Sadly, there's an American remake in the works, which I'm sure will be fucking horrible. Rent this movie, or download it or get me to burn it off for you.


- posted by Mason @ 11:49 AM (0) comments

Heckler



I don't think that Jamie Kennedy is funny, but I thought this movie was. Again, because we were volunteering I didn't see all of it, but what I saw was hilarious. The majority of the film was interviews with other comics and entertainers discussing hecklers, movie critics, bloggers and the death of responsible journalism. While I like the movie, I take issue with the it's basic premise. As an artist or an entertainer, I think you open yourself up to any and all criticism. It's illogical to criticize your critics for unfairly criticizing you, which Kennedy does throughout the film. It's well worth your viewing however, and sparked some very lively debate and discourse.
- posted by Mason @ 7:28 PM (0) comments

Burning the Future: Coal in America



Tonight we saw a super fucking depressing doc about how big coal companies are shamelessly and unabashedly poisoning the people of rural West Virginia. If you didn't think that coal was evil and murderous before, watching this film will really solidify your views on the issue. I very much enjoyed what I saw of the film, and I hope it gets a strong cable or public television release.
- posted by Mason @ 7:28 PM (0) comments

Circus Roseaire



We caught the last half of an excellent documentary called Circus Rosaire while volunteering tonight. I loved it and I can't wait till it comes out on DVD so I can watch the begining.

For nine generations the Rosaire family has entertained audiences all over the world with their legendary animal acts. From lions and tigers, to bears and chimpanzees, to a famous horse named “Tony the Wonder Horse”, the Rosaires are renowned for their unique and respectful way of training and performing with wild animals.

The Rosaire’s roots are deeply embedded in circus tradition. Their forefathers were court jesters, acrobats and animal trainers who traveled through the villages of Europe captivating audiences with their family side shows and wild animal menageries. However, the circus life of their ancestors is a very different one today. Major declines in audience attendance and increasing, yet legitimate concerns for animal welfare have greatly impacted the Rosaire’s traditional way of life.

Jobs are scarce in circus and living the life of gypsy performers is taking its toll. The Rosaires are acutely aware that their traditional way of making a living is slowly dying. However, they continue struggling to keep it alive because it's in their blood and it's all they know.

When tragedy befalls the family not once but twice, they decide to attempt what they've been unable to do for over 50 years - quit the road and create a family circus on their property in Sarasota, Florida.

Watch the trailer.


- posted by Mason @ 7:28 PM (0) comments

Postless 2: The Non Posting Continues



I second Megan's "Postless" post. I couldn't give a better reason as to why there's been such radio silence.
- posted by Mason @ 11:18 AM (0) comments

April Fuel's Day



Dad, did you know that gas costs $175 a gallon now? Welcome to the world of The Road Warrior. After Peak Oil is reached and our society beings to crumble, Megan and I are going to be fuel pirates, mercenaries and small arms dealers. We're going to get an armored tanker and roam the Western Wastelands in search of smaller bands of survivors to loot. Let me know if you have a tanker I can outfit with Kevlar panels.

LifeAfterTheOilCrash.com will let you know everything you need to know about how We're All Fucked. Sadly, someone has already registered wereallfucked.com, too bad. However, wearesofucked.com is still available... I'm might register it.

Also, in case you hadn't heard, now's the time to commit suicide for the insurance money before your policy carrier goes bankrupt.
- posted by Mason @ 11:13 PM (0) comments