NOTE: this is a new blog feature that I hope to have each and every Monday here. Concerts I’ve been to, albums I like, meet and greets I’ve been to… everything and anything related to music.

Back on August 3rd, Arcade Fire released their third album entitled “The Suburbs”

If you’ve never heard of Arcade Fire, they are a Canadian band with American roots who took the indie music scene by storm in 2004 with their debut release, “Funeral” Songs like “Wake Up” and “Haiti” became anthems for fans and the band took their new found fame in stride.

In 2007, they released their second album called “Neon Bible”, which brought a slightly different sound, but the same type of musical vibe with tracks like “Intervention” and “Keep The Car Running”. This was the year I first heard of them, from my daughter. We saw them live in concert (and got to meet them afterwards) and I was hooked on their music.

“The Suburbs” was a highly anticipated album on my list for this year and when it came out, I played it non-stop for several days, attaching myself to it’s great mix of songs like “Ready To Start”, “Month of May” and “City With No Children”

I can’t recommend this album enough to anyone who appreciates a good creative process in making music and turning something discrete that turned popular back to something independent.

I am on vacation this week in Park City, which is about 30 minutes from where I live. So in a way, it’s kind of like a staycation, but without actually being at home.

Every other year, I retreat with my wife to the mountains to try and regroup, relax and attempt to get caught up with some things I want to do but don’t during normal days at home. Things like reading books and magazines, blog posting, swimming, drinking, hiking and just plain down time. Most of the reason why I pick this time is that it’s both my birthday (Aug 6th) and my wife’s birthday (Aug 3rd). Like automatic birthday gifts for both of us.

And each year, I actually do some of things on my list. It’s not a chore and I don’t beat myself up if I don’t do everything, but I do take notice of my overall state of mind before, during and after this week off. Then I try to change things in my life to help me reduce my stress, change how I deal with daily matters and learning how to relax during non-vacation hours.

Why do I do this? Because I know myself well enough that if I don’t, I feel like I will crack under the pressure of normal daily life. Or as I have come to realize, I am a very nervous person. If you’ve met me in person, you might be questioning this, since I appear to be a calm, cool and easy going person. And I really am. But for me, I have a lot of worries that fuck with my nervous system. Way short of a being a nervous wreck, but enough to constantly give me cause to rattle my nerves. Let me give you a couple of examples.

Even on vacation, I’m connected. Maybe not while at the pool or out hiking, but I do at least have one type of gadget with me, normally an internet-connected phone. My phone checks email for me a couple times a day, my day job email included. On Monday, an email from our VP of IT came in asking for an update on something he’s asked for. I had updated him, but not before I left. Unlike some that can ignore this thing until they get back from vacation, I let it weight heavy in my mind and seriously contemplated replying and drafting a response. After a few hours of going back and forth, I finally decided that I was on vacation and that if it was serious enough to address, a phone call would be made to me asking to take care of it.

Here’s another example. I had promised to help someone in a move on Sunday afternoon, but due to being out of town on Saturday night [a quick and cheap Wendover, NV trip] and leaving for Park City on Sunday night – combined with a family issue that came up, I wasn’t able to help, which combined with the work email I received, further added to my nervous state.

Wireless Goes Wired

Adding to all of this, my Palm Pre [which I have yet to blog about here in greater detail] is on the fritz, with the screen being non-responsive most of the time, and the earpiece being completing broken, needing both a USB cable and a wired headset plugged in at all times to use the phone. My frustration level trying to use this Frankenstein-looking device, topped with worries and concerns about a work email, and a broken promise to help someone move left me a bit rattled at the start of my vacation. Not wanting to set the tone for the entire week, I decided I had to deal with my anxieties. So I took a couple of hours while my wife rested in Park City and drove down the 25 minutes back into Salt Lake valley. I helped with the move, I got a replacement cell phone ordered and drafted and deleted four different responses to the work email. Since then, my worries and concerns have gone down drastically, only coming up once while waiting for dinner on Tuesday night.

Self Torture

So why in the fuck do I do this to myself? Why do I let all of these items weigh so heavy on my mind? I know part of is that I feel like I have to take care of things all the time. While I know I don’t have to, I’ve edged myself into a place where I feel I need to. I’m not a controlling person at all, so this surprises me that I have let myself meld into this type of mindset. Most of the time, it’s just easier to do things then to let my mind worry about doing them or letting someone else do them. Trust me, I would prefer to let others do the stuff I do. I’ve blogged about fixing computers and would be more than pleased to have others know just as much or more than I do so that they can either fix their own issues or help others that I normally would. I’ve gotten better at saying no to many people I used to help, which has helped, but still, there’s enough other items that cause my nerves to jumble that affect me much more adversely.

So how I do stop this level of self torture? Or at least significantly reduce it to a manageable level? That’s the question I am looking for an answer to. My concern is that if I don’t find a way to effectively reduce and eliminate the nerve-induced trauma I experience on a regular basis, that it can get worse and start affecting other aspects of my life that it hasn’t already touched.

My first plan of attack is to find ways to de-stress over situations I don’t need to worry about. Once I can get a grip on that, I think all other situations that I do need to manage will be much easier, without the weight of worry. Then sometime before the end of 2010, I hope to be a much calmer person, at least internally to my own self. Wish me luck.

the Mac version of 1Password

After a month of iOS4 devices being available, we are seeing more evidence that older iPhone and iPod touch models are being treated as antiquated. 1Password, a very popular app that’s used to store user name and password information, has issued their new version 3.5 as supporting “only iOS 3.2 and above”, which works on pretty much any iPhone 3G/3GS and all iPhone 4 devices, iPod touch 2nd-generation and above and any iPad model. Any other device that isn’t running iOS 4 or iOS 3.2 can’t install the upgrade.

The previous version of 1Password Pro was version 3.1.1, which runs just fine on any device running iOS 3.1.x or above. This new version does add support for syncing with Dropbox and other functionality, which are nice updates. But if you are using an original iPhone or a 1st-generation iPod touch, you are out of luck.

I discovered this when recently running my App Store updates and trying to sync my iPhone 2G, which gave the error that the version of 1Password was not compatible with this device. Fortunately, it didn’t delete the app from my iPhone, which kept all of my data intact. The newer version installed just fine on my iPad.

Functionality wise, I’m still in business here. But it did raise some concerns over how much the older iPhones, iPod touch models and previous versions of iOS are at risk here of being antiquated rather quickly. Yes, I understand the original iPhone and 1st-gen iPod touch are three years old now and support cannot continue forever. But iOS 3 was current just one month ago. And already we have a major developer that is pushing forward with eliminating support in previous versions.

This is not new, since at the first announcement of the iPhone 4 and iOS 4, it was known that the original iPhone would not be getting an OS upgrade option. And neither would the 1st-gen iPod touch. And with that, I can understand why. Older devices running new version of an OS can be problematic. But it was announced months before and users of these devices had a heads-up. Not so with Agile Web Solutions, who simply pushed out a new version without notifying it’s customers of what they were planning on doing. Yes, in the small print on the App Store for 1Password, it does say that “iOS 3.2 or above” is required. But to a lot of people that don’t do the OS math, they may not have clued in what that meant exactly. There should have been a more detailed announcement on their web site, in their support forum, an email sent to all registered users – something – to give users who store critical and important data, a warning of what’s coming up with some solutions for keeping their older app.

So for now, I am extra careful to ensure I have backup copies of both the previous version and my data. But if this is happening now, I can imagine more developers jumping on board and orphaning previous users, all with an eye to supporting the latest and greatest. I’m sure supporting multiple iOS versions is not the easiest thing in the world and I can understand wanting to move forward, but people still use and love their older Apple products. Kicking them to the curb too soon could leave a bad taste in users’ mouths when it comes time to upgrade. By then, they may have moved on to a competitor’s product.

And that’s not a win for anyone.

Freestyle

As I have posted previously, it’s no surprise that I love soda. Even with my cutback to just one a week, I make that soda count. Recently I found out that Coke was expanding their test market for their Freestyle soda machine into Utah. A co-worker was kind enough to tell me where it was located and I took a visit.

This machine is like a smorgasbord of different flavors of Coke products: Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Mr. Pibb, just to name a few. There are over 106 unique flavors that can be made. I decided to try as many as I could, without giving myself a soda overload. Since the Freestyle machine was located at a movie theater, I paid a movie theater price for a refillable cup ($3.25). So I wanted to get my dollar value from this experience. Below are a couple of videos of me testing this awesome machine out.

Making a Grape Sprite

Making a Coke with Lime (the sugar one, not the inferior diet version)

Freestyle Thoughts

The Coke with Lime was nice to find, since they discontinued the HFCS version of it in cans and bottles [only the diet version remains, which is horrible]. Unfortunately, this concoction was not the right mix. It was good, but overly sweet, drowning out the Coke from the Lime. The Grape Sprite I tried was just right. Not too sweet, a well-induced grape flavor that went down nicely.

In addition to the above, I also tried Fanta Peach, Cherry Sprite and Mr. Pibb. But when all was tasted and sipped, I ended up liking Raspberry Coke the best. The mix of the flavor with real coke with a good mix of raspberry was extra tasty.

I have found another Coke Freestyle machine via their Facebook page with cheaper soda prices and will expand on the different flavors in a sit down setting, giving me more time to experiment. If you get a chance to try this, it’s very cool and for any soda lover – especially Coke products – you will be very pleased. Check the location listing at their Facebook page to see if there’s a Coke Freestyle near you.

I’m being extra lazy today and using the same photo on two different blogs Cooper gave his permission – awfully nice of him

July 3rd

Hope everyone has a safe and sane holiday today. Here in Utah, most of the celebrating happened yesterday, which was July 3rd. Since July 4th fell on a Sunday this year, and due to a sizable amount of the population here in Utah that belong to a single organized religion, shooting off fireworks and having parades gets moved up a day.

I’ve always wondered how something like celebrating the birth of our nation gets trumped by religious mindsets. Sure, those that observe the modern sabbath day are being respectful. And yes, it only happens once every six years. But still, it has puzzled me for years why something so important has to adjust it’s celebration schedule as not to disrupt a religious practice.

Regardless of any ritual, today is the day that we celebrate our independence. And with that, I’m going to go cook some hot dogs and burgers, light some fireworks and throw back a few beverages.

Happy Independence Day to all who celebrate it.

I love soda. And for years, I’ve drank a lot of soda. The last four years, I’ve had to cut back a lot, due to doctor’s orders. While I’ve felt healthier since doing so, I admit that I still love to have a soda every so often. And in today’s market, there is no shortage of soda types and flavors. Recently, there have been two cherry-flavored concoctions that caught my eye at the store and I thought I would try them to see if they passed my taste buds.

Cherry Crush

Cherry Crush

As a kid, I always loved Orange and Strawberry Crush. Getting a glass 16 oz. bottle at the corner store was a treat for me. I still find a bottle at the grocery store and “crush” all over again. There have been many types of Crush flavors over the years, in addition to the two afore-mentioned: Grape, Pineapple, Peach, Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Lime… so when I saw this Cherry Crush, I had to buy it and try it.

First off, it’s pretty sweet… much sweeter than I was expecting. Strawberry Crush is sweet, too, but this had an extra kick of sweetness to it. The cherry flavor was good, though. Very natural tasting and something that I didn’t feel was some sort of “trying to be cherry” taste. Highly recommended if you are a Crush fan and are curious about trying this new flavor. I liked it and will buy this flavor again, but still, for purely nostalgic reasons, Strawberry Crush will always be my favorite.

Cherry Vanilla Pepsi

Cherry Vanilla Pepsi

In the cola wars, I’ve been a Coca-Cola fan ever since I can remember having my first cola-based soda. I’d try a Pepsi here and there, but it was always too sweet. In 1985, Cherry Coke came out and I loved it on the first taste. Pepsi responded a few years later with Wild Cherry Pepsi, and while it was ok, it was just too sweet. There have been other Cherry Vanilla sodas over the years, notably Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, which I really liked a lot. It’s been discontinued now, so the news from Pepsi that they would have a Cherry Vanilla soda got me curious to see what it was like.

It’s pretty sweet, like most Pepsi products are. But the taste and flavor is good. Nothing to rival the Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, but it’s still pleasing to my taste buds. It’s more vanilla than cherry, but that makes the two tastes go very well together. It’s got a small bite to it, but it does go down smoother than expected. Too bad it’s only around for eight weeks this summer. And it’s too bad they don’t make a sugar version of it. [replacing the high fructose corn syrup] Regardless, it’s something I will try again before it goes away, taking into consideration there is no Coke-variety equivalent to choose from.

What sodas have you tried and liked over the years? Have you tried the above two flavors? Thoughts and opinions welcome in the comments.

The recent US Supreme Court decision on extending 2nd Amendment rights to all cities and states, effectively removing most, if not all, local gun rights, gave me pause.

While I’m not a gun owner [Super Soakers don't count, do they?], I do support the right to own a gun [no semi-automatic or assault rifles, AK-47's and the like] and to use it for personal protection, harmless target practice or hunting. Even properly registered guns with a concealed weapon permit are ok by me, as long as the person packing heat has been trained and knows how to use the gun and plans to be responsible in their use.

I discussed this recent decision with a local gun rights supporter, who also happens to feel that state rights should not be trumped by federal rights. Yet, he supports this decision. I asked him about his conundrum and conflict:

• ME: “So you don’t want the feds to take away states rights, yet you support this decision?”
• HIM:“Yes.”
• ME: Asking a follow-up question, “So it’s ok when it’s something you agree with, but yet when the Supreme Court decides on something you don’t agree with, it’s not ok?”
• HIM: “Well, yes… er.. um.. I guess”

We didn’t discuss much after that, changing the subject to something generic ["Are you getting the new iPhone 4?"], but it made me think about this. Sure, there are some decisions that the court decides that I don’t agree with [the decision earlier this year, removing the limitation of corporations to financially participate in elections], but I really do try to keep an open mind about how some of these decisions are made, for the most part, trying to see how they would benefit others. The ultimate goal of the Supreme Court is to extend rights, not take them away. I’m waiting to see what the impact of this 2nd amendment decision will be before I weigh in with my thoughts, but would like to hear how others feel about this.

Comment away below.

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Shannon, Marty, Reba and Shannon’s Dad

Back in April of this year [I'm not that far behind], we had a couple of visitors to our fine state of Utah. Shannon, who is more famously known as Bubblewench [Blog, Twitter] and her dad spent a few days in Park City to golf, ski and just hang out. Since Shannon knew my wife and I lived here in Utah, she gave me a heads up and we planned a meet up.

Jumping back to October 2009, I met Shannon at Avitaween. Shannon was nothing but a fun and cool person, not only fixing me some wonderful pasta, but also making me a couple of drinks before the costumed-festivities started. Both my wife and I connected with her and had a blast. So imagine my excitement when we had the chance to meet up with her again – without having to travel [BONUS!]

We met at Market Street Grill, which is a local restaurant that serves great food and drinks. We all ate so well and shared some great wine and awesome company. Shannon’s dad [who's name I cannot recall] was such a nice gentleman and I can see why Shannon is the great person she is.

If you have a chance to meet Shannon, please do. Make every effort to do so. She’s fun and full of energy and just good people. I know I’m looking forward to my next meet up with her [and her dad, too].

To read Shannon’s post [which was posted back in April], go here.

Our Room

We had two nights free, thanks to signing up for mailings at the Peppermill in Wendover, NV. Our room was better than we expected. Here’s proof:

Welcome message on the giant LCD flat screen TV

Our bed and the rest of the suite

There’s even a TV in the bathroom

Our room’s view of the pool

Pretty damn suite… he he. Needless to say, we enjoyed a nice room.

Lunch With A Princess

Our anniversary was on Monday, June 21st [the first day of summer] and we enjoyed each and every minute of it. – including meeting up for lunch with Lisa of Floating Princess at the Peppermill. We talked, ate and took pictures – including a cameo appearance by Cooper Trooper.

Lisa adjusting Cooper on my shoulder

Marty and Lisa

I met Lisa for the first time at Avitaween, but didn’t spend much time chatting since I was the social penguin that was getting his drink on. So this was a nice chance to chat and eat lunch and finally get to know how cool a person Lisa is.

After time out at the pool, a visit to the day spa, a nice dinner and some gambling, we ended our first full day in Reno. All in all, a great day filled with lots of fun, a visit with a blogger friend and great food.

• Not all “Free Wifi” is necessarily a good thing, regardless of the idea of being “Free”
• There are roads that say it’s 132 miles to your destination, but going 65 miles an hour and getting there in 2 hours may not be possible.
• Lunch may consist of a snack-size piece of cheese and a Vitamin Water.
• Deciding to take tons of photos on a digital camera is a good thing, even if I know that a good half of the photos may be out of focus, contain the wrong subject I was after or can’t remember where it was I took the photo.
• In line with the last thought, I’ve learned that it’s very useful to take a photo of the sign related to the photos that are taken soon after.
• Face wash, face scrub or just water splashed on your face makes you feel a hundred times more refreshed afterwards.
• Sometimes bad coffee is not bad.
• Scratch the above. It’s good to have a lot of Starbucks available.
• Nothing beats a nice bed to get a good night’s rest, even when it’s only $60/night.
• Most hotels that are $60/night don’t have nice beds.
• The 12 hours it takes to reach your destination is all worth it when you have 15 minutes to take in the beauty of nature.

Ok, I lied. There was one photo on this post. Lots more later.