MY BLOG --- WHOOPTY-DOO! 

Ooh, CDs. Sweet!

I must've overlooked it, but I actually DID get Jen's CD package yesterday (after arriving home at 6:30 pm and checking the mail like a normal human). Fabulous artwork on the covers, very slick packaging ... haven't had any time to listen to them yet (to be fair, I want to give it more than a cursory "listen to 15 seconds of each song, make a snap judgement about it" spin before I really say much about it.

I will say this, though ... the tracklisting is almost exclusively (save the Dandy Warhols - excellent!) made up of bands that I have either never heard of or have maybe heard of but never HEARD before. I mean, I've got a subscription to BLENDER magazine, but that doesn't seem to be enough. Here's my question: is that kind of thing a conscious, cultivated effort, to be into bands that are off the radar of the general public, or am I just not "hip" anymore (not that I ever was!)? I might just be in my own little world ... I don't listen to the radio, because they never play what I want to hear ... I hear about new stuff from co-workers (friends) and MTV (gasp, I know, I know ...) It's only in the last two months that I have been exposed to the whole catalog of the Eels and absorbed it like a sponge ... it's awesome stuff ... yet to some, I'm sure the Eels are passe, or "too mainstream." Hmmmm.... makes you think.

Anyways, it appears that my ears are about to be assaulted with some fresh tunes ... hitch up the wagon, Ma, we's goin' to town!

Dual-Disc Debacle ... what a great name.

Checked my mail this morning (I work at the Post Office, so it's easy enough to see first thing ... otherwise, my mailman doesn't get to my house until about 3:30 in the afternoons ...) and was disappointed in finding that there were NO CD packages for me. I must have some late partners, or karma is catching up to me. So far, still 1/5, which is technically 0/5 (see previous posts). But the sheer act of me making CDs for others and knowing that someone, somewhere, was going to "tune into my wave" (KD Lang and the Reclines, circa '88 or so ... good stuff) was joy enough, now that I think about it.

I do know for a fact that Jen from Piddleloop.com (what a good-hearted soul, don't you think?) is sending me a few CDs, so that will be great ... I want to see what this "Detroit Cobras" excitement of hers is all about.

I'm considering whether or not I want to participate in the "Dual-Disc Debacle" ... not that it would'nt be fun (I have some good ideas, style-wise) but I really feel that I need to "step up my game", so to speak. Like this blog ... maybe there's a different site that makes it even easier to make a GOOD-looking blog. Then again, I don't have a digital camera or anything fancy like that, so would it matter? Hmm... I'm almost embarassed that I actually update entries on here ... it makes me feel like some teeny-bopper on Myspace.com, trying to be cool and desperately trying to justify my existence somehow ... (not to say that you who blog as a whole are not cool ... I now rather enjoy peeking into the secret lives of knitters ... so many of you who seem so young it is amazing to me ... I always thought knitting was typified by a bunch of old ladies every week down at the Grange Hall, but ... look at how wrong I was!).

... One side of my brain laments, "I wish I could make beautiful CDs like so many of the other CD Swap participants." Then the other side of my brain replies, "You don't have the right resources, equipment, money or talent, so just make do with what you have available to you." Signups are on 'til the end of August, so I have plenty of time to make up my mind ...

CDs are "in the mail" ...

... I buy my CD-Rs by the 100-ct spindle (because I burn a lot) and only when Office Depot (closest place to my house) has them on sale ... so I didn't have slim cases. When I went to look, they cost almost $15 for 25 of them ... NO WAY.

One lunch hour, some orange paper gleaned from a shelf in the office, and some re-cycled plastic DVD-style cases (thanks, AOL!) later and they got mailed out Friday, July 29th. I even "hand-colored" the CD-Rs with sharpie markers and then lovingly wrote, "COMPY" on each one. Knit THAT, why don'tcha! ;)

Since it seems that a lot of people mailed theirs out last minute (as I did), I may eventually get something useful out of this CD Swap. As mentioned previously, I have so far only received ONE CD, and because of some problem with the sender's "burning" process, there's nothing on the CD. My Bose 321 system says "BAD DISC" and it won't play in my computer or car. I mean, it looks like they spent some time on the CD cover so it has a nice look, but it's no good without any actual music.

Reminds me of one of my favorite lines from Beavis and Butthead ... Butthead: "You can't polish a turd, Beavis."

It's very intimidating to look at everyone's blog and see the really great pictures of what people are doing as far as covers on their CDs, but ... maybe it's just me ... I just want some really great music, even if it comes in just a plain white paper sleeve.

This Blog Sucks.

That's what I get for trying to take the "easy" way out ... even I don't enjoy looking at this blog. How do all the rest of you find time to make yours look so nice? Oh, well. And then I see the super-cool packaging for these CD-Rs that some swappers have ... as for the people on MY LIST, I ask that you remember that once you put the CD in the player, it really doesn't matter what it looks like anyway. Kapische?


I've gotten one CD so far ... really nice cover and all, but ... it's a bad disc. There's nothing on it.

Here's my tracklisting ... I think this may end up being the final version:

1.
2. Indie Rock 'n Roll -- The Killers
3. Overlover -- Delays
4.
5. Maybe -- N.E.R.D.
6.
7. Clocks (remix) -- DJ P
8. Third World Lover -- Dynomite D & Kid Koala
9.
10. The Dope (Wonderful You) -- Dandy Warhols
11.
12. Spitting Games -- Snow Patrol
13.
14. El Album -- Aterciopelados
15. Get Outta My Way! -- Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper
16.
17. The Night My Girlfriend Left Me -- Prince Paul featuring MC Paul Barnham
18. Country Hell -- The Cardigans
19.
20. Tomorrow Tomorrow -- Elliot Smith
21. Taking a Bath in Rust -- Eels
22.
23. X & Y -- Coldplay
24. Sunshower -- Chris Cornell
25.
26. Under the Bridge (Ginuwine remix) -- DJ Erb
27. Oops, I'm Loaded -- Primal Scream vs. Tweet
28.
29. Fabulous -- Dr. Theopolis
30.


That pretty much sums up what I think sounds good ... right at the moment, that is. That's the beauty of a mix CD ... it's always changing. The blank spaces are surprises ... #30 isn't bad, but it's not for wee children ... everything else is alarmingly PC.

A Bit About ME.

... got to thinking that maybe I'm being a bit "Grinch-like", what with the utilitarian-style blog. Same rules apply (little time for this, as stated below) but I'll throw my CD-Swap Two partners a bone, at least.

My name's Ryan, I'm 33 years old (damn, how time flies ... ) and live in Hillsboro, OR. I work for the US Postal Service. I've been married for almost 7 years now (to Stephanie) and have a daughter (Tatumn) who will turn 5 soon and start kindergarten this year. Life has had its ups and downs for me over the course of a life, but if hard pressed I wouldn't change many of the end results ... just do certain things differently. I just want to make my wife and daughter happy (and extract a bit of joy in the process for myself), and sometimes it is extremely difficult to accomplish that mission.

I've been excitedly compiling my list of songs for the CD Swap ... can't think of a theme, and I guess for my first foray it should be representative of me ... songs I like and think sound really good, and that I think others may find accessible. Then again, the true purpose of a mix CD (especially in the case of this SWAP) is to be exposed to stuff you never would have heard otherwise ... so we'll see!

...Aww, c'mon ... you KNOW you have better things to do with your time.

...but I work about 60 hours a week for the Postal Service. No time or desire to sit and mess with this thing for hours at a time. CD Swap? I'll eventually put my tracklisting on here, and put up the tracklistings and personal review of each CD I get in return.

Please Find Something Better To Do With Your Time Than Look At This "BLOG"

I'm not gonna sit here and waste my time or yours telling you all about my fabulous life. I started this "blog" simply to participate in a "Mix CD Swap" or two (I love music, and it sounded like fun). After these words you are reading are typed, there will be no (planned) updates. Maybe if I ever have the time to kill, but I'd rather be outside enjoying life than posting pictures of my cats. Other than that, have a nice life, I'm sure you'd think I was an okay-guy if you actually knew me, Yada-Yada-Yada.