Best Albums Of 2009

I know, I know. It's been months since I've done anything here. Let's pretend I was busy doing other things and it wasn't because we bought a Playstation 3. Deal? Deal.

Anyway, here's my list of the 10 best albums from the past year. You can now replace whatever shit you've been listening to previously, listen to strictly this list, and tell your ears they're welcome.

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10

Shook Ones - The Unquotable A.M.H.

This melodic hardcore band known previously as more or less a Kid Dynamite tribute band finally branched their sound out with this release, and the result was fantastic. Blistering fast, angry punk, with a pop sensibility not usually found in hardcore.

Shook Ones' Myspace

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9

Chuck Ragan - Gold Country

For his sophomore full length, Mr. Ragan took his brand of roots country/folk with a punk rock energy to new lengths. He branched his sound to encompass much more country and bluegrass this time around. While each song displays one of a wide array of sounds, each is truly catchy and helps makes this album his most accessible and cohesive.

Chuck Ragan's Myspace

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8

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown

What can I possibly say about this you don't already know? It's not their best, but it's still Green Day and unlike a few other bands (ahem, Weezer), that still counts for something. Musically it's better than American Idiot. Lyrically, about the same, maybe slightly worse. Again, it's not Warning or anything they did from the 90s, but it's Green Day. Count it.

Green Day's Myspace

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7

Propagandhi - Supporting Caste

Propagandhi release their first album in years and it ends up being the perfect combination of everything this band is good at: insane hardcore, brilliantly witty and intelligent lyrics, and Chris Hannah's fantastic vocals. They also upped the melody on this, which is a nice touch.

Propagandhi's Myspace

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6

Strike Anywhere - Iron Front

This is Strike Anywhere's best album, by far. It's a perfect mix of fast punk, catchy melodies, and anthemic sing-a-longs.

Strike Anywhere's Myspace

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5

Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed

I was a little late getting into Frank Turner, so this album blew me away. It's folk/country with a punk energy and fantastic melodies. You'll want to sing along with every song here.

Frank Turner's Myspace

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4

Fake Problems - It's Great To Be Alive

Fake Problems started as a folk-punk band, and a damn good one at that. With It's Great To Be Alive, they've added some indie and even some disco. At times this sounds like Modest Mouse meets Against Me!, meets...something dance-y. It's weird as fuck, but it works. It works really well. Truly an album with something for everyone.

Fake Problems' Myspace

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3

Bomb The Music Industry! - Scrambles

Bomb The Music Industry! is a music "collective" featuring one man, Jeff Rosenstock, and a rotating group of his friends and fellow musicians who contribute when needed. It's punk, it's ska, it's electronica, it's acoustic, but above all else, it's insanely good. Hands down the best lyricist in music right now, Rosenstock's writing is equal parts witty, cynical, critical, and hilarious. The music is at times downright strange, but it's always infectious and catchy. Besides the fact that any of these songs are deserving of your hard-earned cash, Rosenstock gives all his music away for free download via Quote Unquote Records, asking for donations where you see fit. But buy the CD from Asian Man Records. He deserves it.

Bomb The Music Industry!'s website

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2

Nothington - Roads, Bridges and Ruins

Nothington's debut, All In, was one of my favorite albums of 2007. It was a great mix of punk and southern rock. With this album, they've toned down the southern rock, but the songwriting, melodies, and vocals are some of the best I've heard in a long time. The first time I listened to this album, I ended up listening to it over and over non-stop for 3 days. All I can hope for in the future with this band is more implementation of dueling vocals in songs, as everyone in this band has a great voice.

Nothington's Myspace

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1

The Swellers - Ups and Downsizing

It's truly been amazing watching what this band has accomplished in their first 7 years of existence. From tiny shows while we were all still in high school, to signing a major recording contract and touring with one of the biggest bands in the world, I'm so proud of them. With this album, they've proven what all the fuss is about. Not since Green Day's Dookie in 1994 has an album been this refreshing. This is the call to arms for the new generation of pop-punk. I'm saying it now, The Swellers are the future of rock and roll. They're the hardest-working and nicest people in music, and they also happen to have the best songs.

All the album covers were captured from the nice people at Punknews.Org, the only place you should get your music news.

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Incase it wasn't already clear, let me say right now that the FDA is useless. This beurocratic organization has been in the pocket of the food industry for years, doing only the bare-minimum (if that) when public outcry becomes too loud. The latest example (and possibly one of the most dangerous and least known) is their handling of trans fat.

I'm not a scientist, so I'll refrain from getting overly technical in my explanation. Trans fats were developed in the early 1900s using a process called hydrogenation. Long story short they came up with things like margarine and Crisco, forever changing the food industry. In the early 1990s, scientists started discovering that maybe (just maybe) trans fats might be pretty bad for us. More and more research started coming in showing this to be true, but even though people started to learn about this, there was no way to tell whether a food contained trans fat. Nutrition labels would simply tell you the amount of total fat, and the amount of that total which was saturated. Then, in 2006, the FDA finally required food labels to distinguish all types of fats found in a product. The public hailed it as a victory for healthy eating. What the FDA tried their best to keep secret (from us, not from the food companies) is that if the amount of trans fat in a serving of food was less than 0.5g it can be reported as zero, even if it's 0.49g. As such, many companies have lessened the amount of trans fat they use so that it's just under 0.5g. Some companies have even simply changed their serving size without actually changing their products. Many of the foods you see which claim to be "trans fat free" are - in fact - not.

Does this really matter though? How bad can they be? What's so bad about consuming trace amounts?

Recent studies have shown that 1 gram of trans fat can be 15 times more likely to lead to Coronary Heart Disease than 1 gram of saturated fat (incase you're in the dark, saturated fat is commonly known as  the "bad fat" and the one that will kill you if you eat too much of it). The American Heart Association recommends you consume less than two grams of trans fat per day, and even that figure seems high to many people. Think about it: if you're eating foods with 0.5g per serving, it only takes 4 servings in a day to reach your limit. If you're eating a food that reduced its serving size without the food being changed, you're probably still eating the old serving size.

Trans fat is a poison, and a potent one at that. Luckily, there is a way to avoid them - look at the ingredients list on any foods you eat. If the ingredients contain "partially hydrogenated oils" or "shortening", that means it does still contain "trace amounts" (if you follow the FDA's definitions) of trans fat.

In the few days since I came across this information, we've scoured through everything in our kitchen, removing any offenders. We only came across one in our kitchen, but it came as a surprise to us: Coffeemate Brand coffee creamers. This popular brand of creamer also goes out of its way to advertise being trans fat-free on the front of its label. As such, we've switched to International Delight.

You should go through your kitchens as well. Also, if you still use margarine or butter, I strongly suggest you switch to one of the brands like Smart Balance. It might be a little more expensive than the regular stuff, but it's worth it.

There's little chance the FDA will change this policy anytime soon, so the best thing we can all do is spread the word and do our best to take responsibility for our health. I don't know about you, but even a trace amount of a poison is more than I want.

No Activation Fee!

Today I observed something that happens daily in the pharmacy, and never seems to be acknowledged. Two people, both with insurance, bought the same amount of the same drug. One person's co-pay was $9 for it. The other person's co-pay was $256.13. Only one of them left the pharmacy with their prescription, though they both needed it. They both had their (drastically different) policies through the same insurance provider: Blue Cross, Blue Shield (BCBS does 95% of insurance business in AL. My insurance is with them as well, and my policy more closely resembles the second person. I wouldn't go a day without it, even though it's just slightly more useful than treating disease with injections of infant feces).

I understand how and why insurance companies make decisions about who qualifies for a treatment and how much they should pay. BCBS is a business trying to make a profit. All of this makes sense. That said, it's completely and totally wrong.

It does not matter how much money someone makes or how successful/powerful they are. When it comes to our health, any industry that decides (directly or indirectly) that one person's life is more important than another's is wrong and should not exist.

The ability to treat a person's health is a right that should exist to any human being. Today, at least one person left our pharmacy without a prescription they needed to keep their health where it should be, and this person has health insurance they pay dearly for each month. Something has to change.

- Jeff

Yours free, with 3 easy payments of $19.99

I saw this the other day and it inspired me to start a new line of exciting magazines!

Coming Soon:


Clown & Cheese
Ferret & Football
Dining & Deer Hunter
Audio & Airplanes


Got an idea for another great magazine along these lines? Leave it in the comments.

A Brief Interruption

Well that was a nice week+ vacation. What did everyone do with their time off?

Since laziness prompted me to skip an entire week, I'll take this as an opportunity to give some answers to questions I've received about this little blog.

1. The Titles
The titles to my entries are typically some sort of slogan or phrase I find on a product or in an ad. These are usually picked by what I find to be the most annoying. (Also of note: I'm very forgetful, so when I do come across a good one to use, I save a draft of an empty entry with the title for use later. I see it as recognizing and adapting to my flaws. Yes, even I have flaws. Sometimes)

2. "Loyal Blogolists"
Loyal Blogolists are anyone who reads this regularly. Now that my parents have joined the group, I think that brings the total to 2? (Hi Mom and Dad!)

3. Topic Choices
A few people have asked me how I come up with topics to write about here, and why it varies so widely between politics, my own life, and various others. For the most part, it's just whatever I happen to be thinking about at the time. My goal with this is to keep it entertaining and enjoyable, regardless of topic. Hopefully if you're reading this, I'm pulling that off. If not, you have bigger problems I don't feel comfortable trying to tackle.

There are a few more I'll answer at a different time. Right now I must be off.

If you have any questions, want to talk, or want to dish out some destructive criticism, hit me up at Twitter (@stylson), Facebook (facebook.com/stylson), or by email at jeff@stylsonrecords.com. (If you send me a friend request, put a note on it, or I'll probably ignore you). Cheers!

- Jeff

Lounge in Luxury

So one aspect of my job is dealing with people who want to buy medicine with pseudoephedrine (PSE) in it (examples include Claritin-D, Zyrtec-D, the original Sudafed, Advil Cold & Sinus, etc). Medicines that contain PSE are hugely effective, and for many people, they are the only things that will work to treat sinus problems. These are all over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, but are kept behind the counter because of people who make Crystal Meth. You see, one of the most common ingredients in meth is PSE. Meth makers will buy a medicine containing PSE, and extract it from the medicine to use in their special little cocktail.

Because of this, the federal government enacted a law that requires all pharmacies to control the sale of anything containing PSE. We are required to track every sale and tie it to the purchaser's State ID. Each person is only allowed to purchase a certain amount of PSE in a certain amount of days. There are a few problems with this though: (1) If someone has a fake ID or data is entered incorrectly by someone previously, we must give benefit of the doubt, and (2) It's a gigantic pain in the ass for all people involved.

Because of this, a lot of pharmacies have opted to keep all of their products hidden from view from any customer, and purposely leave our shelves "empty" where customers can see. Then, when someone asks if we have any, our job is to make a judgement call on whether or not this person seems legit, and then ask the pharmacist if we've "gotten any in today". Then the pharmacist will make their own call and either we ring it up, or we're "all out". These calls are usually based on a combination of any number of things including speech, physical characteristics, mannerisms, and whether or not they appear sick. None of these necessarily qualify or disqualify someone. A lot of times we truly do not have any in stock, but many times we are refusing a sale without saying we're refusing the sale. There's really no way of knowing which is going on, so it's pointless to wonder.

Even with all of this, meth labs are still getting their supplies. Because of this, a rumor we're hearing a lot lately (and one that is more than likely true, though not yet confirmed) is that these drugs will be going to a prescription-only basis beginning in October. Chances are this will be the step that finally makes a difference, at least as far as PSE's go. In the very least, it's going to make my job a lot easier. It might even mean that insurance companies start picking up part of the tab, though I'm not holding my breath about that. The downside will be that these extremely effective drugs will only be available after you've seen a doctor, so people without any sort of insurance will be even more screwed. It's a classic case of a few dishonest people ruining it for everyone else.

Also, let me say right now, no matter your stance on any sort of drug use and the legality of said drug use, I'm not trying to make a case here for either side. I'm just stating something about the job that I do. I will say that I haven't made my mind up entirely on the legality of drugs, but that's for a different time. Maybe that will be my topic for tomorrow.

Hopefully, at the very least, I was able to keep this interesting.

- Jeff

A style for every taste

I am terrified of getting old. It's the most frightening thing I can imagine. It's not even a fear of death. I don't want to be an old man. I don't ever want to have trouble walking or talking. I never want to think that music is too loud, or technology is too confusing. I never want to feel like it's pointless to stay connected with society and culture.

More than anything, I think it's a distaste for relying on others. I've never been big on asking for help, and with rare exception, I do not believe I need people's sympathy. Maybe this comes from my often-inflated ego. Though I try to be courteous, polite, and respectful, I do truly believe I am better than most of the people I encounter on any given day. I always make sure that if I display my ego, it's done in a humorous way, so as to not offend, but typically the driving force behind the joke is, in my opinion, truth. For the most part, I do my best to never sincerely appear conceded. For me, it's good enough that I'm aware of the truth (this is likely also due to my ego). Part of me is afraid that if I get older and lose the ability to do things I easily do today, I will lose the sense of myself that I've developed.

I sometimes tell myself that I can do things differently and never reach those points, but there are plenty of times I have doubts about it. Because of this, there are times where I hope I die young. As crazy as it may sound, the thought of never reaching a point past my peak is unusually comforting. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my life and would never remotely consider dying sooner than "my time". Sometimes I just hope "my time" comes before I start falling apart.

Well, that was bright and cheery. I'll leave it on a brighter note: burritos are delicious.

- Jeff

Eat Free For 3 Weeks!

(Note: this rant was written on a cell phone in a Wal-Mart break room. It's not my best writing. Oops)

Ok, I've heard a lot of people saying lately that America has the best health care in the world or the worst. One of these is false, one of these is misleading.

As far as actual patient care goes, American-educated doctor's (with occasional exceptions) provide the best care for their patients. We also develop most of the better medical breakthroughs and medicines.

BUT!

Because of this, American medicine is also extremely expensive (more so than any other comparable nation). We also have one of the worst "insurance" industries in the world. An insurance company collects premiums on large groups of people/cars/homes and then pays out when someone/thing gets sick/is damaged/stolen. The idea is everyone shares the cost. Premium prices are calculated based on risk so that the company can afford to pay the claims when necessary.

Current health insurance is not really insurance at all. When you get sick, the insurance company looks for any loophole they can find so they can reject your claim. Paying insurance premiums right now is more along the lines of playing the lottery (obviously that was a joke and an exaggeration. Quit your bitching).

Yes, America has the best health care in the world. It's also the most expensive, and we have the worst insurance. Fixing it is not an option. It shouldn't even be debatable.

Maybe Obama should stop calling it "health care reform" and start calling it "health insurance reform". At least then the idiots we call fellow citizens could stop claiming confusion.

- Jeff

99% Fat Free!

I seem to be falling back into the same workaholic habits I've done before. It's not necessarily from trying, but when someone needs a shift covered and they ask me, I say "yes" without even thinking about it. Also, I don't have a problem saying no, but even when I'm not thrilled about having to work, something in the back of my head screams "more hours = more money = more things!" And I instantly agree to it. My feet do not thank me.

By now, everyone's been talking about Kanye West again. It's obviously just a narcissistic cry for attention. Kanye, next time someone wins an award you disagree with, complain on twitter instead. You should be familiar by now. Twitter is the thing that everyone uses to make fun of you when you're an ass.

I'm in the break room at Wal-Mart right now. It smells like chicken noodle soup in here.

Music Trivia!:

Pop Song + Light Southern Accent = Country Song

Playing 70 shows a year (working just over 25% of the time) instantly makes you the hardest working person in show business.

- Jeff

The ONE thing a pregnant cat MUST have constant access to

I've survived my first full week as a pharmacy worker for Wal-Mart. It has its ups and downs, but so far everyone I've met that I work with is nice/funny. I need to condition myself a little better though. Not used to standing for 8 hours. Very happy to have a full weekend off.

I have an addiction to Scrabble on Facebook [and also Subway Scrabble, but that's a different story altogether ("That's a different story")]. I can't stop playing it. I'm always looking for more opponents. If you have a Facebook and want to play, let me know. Find me there or email me and I'll set it all up.

My computer was having some issues over the last week or two. I tried to do some little tweaks to give it a little speed boost, but didn't get anywhere. It never did well when I upgraded it to Leopard, so I wiped it and put it back on Tiger. It's doing GREAT again. I need to get myself a new iMac to have as a more powerful computer, but part of that includes being able to afford it.

Ok, "Strawberry Fields" is playing right now. This song has one of the best little melodies of all time. 3rd line of each verse. Listen to it again, if you need to. Amazing.

Ok, it's probably time for me to get some sleep. I've got a day full of Scrabble tomorrow. Need to make sure my brain is fully rested.

Any time I walk in front of a car in a parking lot I look at the car, say "don't hit me", and keep walking. So far they never have. Moral of the story: I have mind-control powers. Don't fuck with me.

- Jeff

Get your daily dose of fashion!

Watched Obama's speech tonight. Hopefully he sticks to what he's talked about. He's shown previously he can inspire and sway people. What this really comes down to is whether or not he will hold congress to his demands.

One thing about Bush, he always got his plans through congress with relative ease. That said, Bush's ideas generally contributed to the global downfall of society. If Obama will just take his good ideas and apply the Bush Administration's balls, everything will turn out fine.

Sure, people don't trust anyone in government these days, but his job is not to calm us down by taking the easy, dangerously wrong approach. His job is to do what he believes is best for the country. In 2012, if the American people decide he's not doing that well enough, we can vote for someone else.

Something to keep in mind, wouldn't 8 years of a terrible President who lied us into wars and economic crisis be a large part of the country's collective growing distrust of our government? Now is the time for Obama to prove to us that he can regain our trust, and he can act on the hope he harvested so well last year.

It's a big job. I hope he can pull it off.

Soft 100% Cotton

If you do not enjoy nerd-talk, skip the next paragraph. You've been warned.

Apparently this Wednesday, Steve Jobs will be announcing the next line of iPods. Rumor has it they'll be doing away with the Classic all together. I hope not. Personally, I still prefer the simplicity of the click wheel. Plus, I use an 80gb iPod right now, and to make sure I don't run out of space, I'm forced to either downgrade quality or pick and choose which music makes the cut. I realize that 80gb is plenty of space for most people, but I listen to a lot of music, and if it makes it onto iTunes, that means that at any given moment, I will want to listen to it. If they do pull the plug on the Classic, I hope they'll ensure a Touch model with at least 80gb.

Ok, nerd talk out of the way. I did warn you.

Yesterday in Publix (for people in states/countries that do not have Publix: nicer grocery store) I found Arizona brand Arnold Palmer in big jugs. I've been wanting this for years now. Arnold Palmer, for those unfamiliar, is not just a famous golfer. It's also a drink consisting of 1/2 black tea and 1/2 lemonade (do not confuse this with "iced tea with lemon". It is nowhere near the same thing, and if you make that mistake again I will slap you). There are few beverages better than an Arnold Palmer (one of those is an Arnold Palmer made with green tea instead, but that varies greatly with the quality of the green tea). I recommend you go out and buy one now (found at any respectable gas station: 24 oz can for 99¢), or brew up some tea and make one yourself. I'll wait.

waiting...

Ok, by now you should have it. Isn't it wonderful? The only correct answer is "yes". If you said "no", throw yourself out a window. You deserve it.

I have my first day of actual training in the pharmacy tomorrow evening. Starting tomorrow I should have a decent idea whether or not I will like this job. The rest of today shall be spent doing little errands or chores around the house.

In the words of Cory, "I've probably met over 1000 cats. There's no way I can remember all their faces."

- Jeff

Cleans to a Natural Shine!

So it's been too long. Loyal Blogolists, I apologize. It's been a busy week or so. I started my new job at Wal-Mart. It doesn't seem to be as bad as I'd anticipated. That said, all I've done so far is computer training. I start actual training Tuesday evening.

In other news, last night we had the house to ourself, aside for watching Cory. Andrea helped him make his own dinner (he made himself a grilled chicken sandwich), then he spent the evening upstairs writing a story about cats. With him quiet and upstairs, we got to have a meal to ourselves. I improvised a salad with chicken, peppers, tomatoes, and olives. It ended up being so good that we decided to create a new blog to serve as an online cookbook, so everyone else can enjoy the meals we enjoy (assuming they're as good at cooking as the two of us are, of course). We're calling it Food And Rhyme: The Cookbook, Inc. You can get to it by going to FoodandRhyme.blogspot.com

Also, The Beatles' complete discography has been remastered and comes out on the 9th, in coordination with The Beatles: Rock Band (which, by the way, I really REALLY want). When I first heard they were going to remaster the albums, I figured they would just crank the volume for radio play, and it would sound like shit. However, I've given all the albums a listen, and they sound amazing. This is the best these albums have ever sounded. With that in mind, I need to find a lot of money lying around so I can buy the box set.

I think my lunch today will be a grilled chicken sandwich on toasted wheat bread with lettuce and hummus. Mmm, yes, that sounds fantastic.

I promise I will keep this thing more up to date from here on out. No weeklong vacations for me.

In the words of Cory, "You know if you let your facial hair get rough, you can light a match on it."

- Jeff

Blow again and again!

Last night we celebrated Andrea's birthday with a belated dinner. My parents gave us some money to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Olmeca. It's a little local chain with three locations in small towns on different sides of Huntsville. It's the best Mexican food we've ever had, extremely reasonable in price, with the best lemonade Andrea has ever had, and really good mexican beer cheap and on tap. It was very nice to get out of the house for a bit, just the two of us. When we got home we played a few games of Scrabble. Overall a pretty nice evening.

Before we left I watched some of the Ted Kennedy memorial. It's really sad to lose a man who cared so deeply about average human beings. I can only hope some new politicians with that same level of caring. All of our lives are better off these days because of legislation that man was responsible for.

Andrea has to work tonight, 2-10:30. I'm going to spend the day/evening working on some music, watching Return of the Jedi, and making Jaime watch a zombie b-movie.

My orientation is Tuesday all day, then I presumably start training after that. Fear not, loyal blogolists [that's your name now (all 3 of you)], I shan't let the new job affect me writing!

It's lunchtime now, meaning I get to smell Andrea's amazing leftover fajitas, while I eat something else and wish I had left some of mine for today.

- Jeff

Safe to use around cats and dogs

I peed in a cup today. (That's a great way to start a blog, isn't it?) Hopefully I'll get a call in the next few days to set up my orientation (full-blown dude-loving), start training, and not be broke anymore. This has probably been said before, but being broke sucks. Money might not buy happiness, but it's much easier to be happy when you're not trying to decide between food or bills.

Ok, dinner's ready, but I'm not ready to stop this wonderful piece of writing just yet. I believe an intermission is in order...

(Intermission)

Well that was delicious. Some sort of garlic chicken rice thing. Cleaning up afterwards was less appealing. I won't go into details, but I cleaned with an idiot and double standards are fun(!).

My dad has some sort of growth on his face. He got a biopsy on it and we should here back in roughly ten days. My mom's convinced it's cancer, but she thinks if it is, they've caught it early enough to get it removed with simple surgery. I hope so. More info when I know it.

Ok, Star Wars marathon continues.

- Jeff

Available via e-mail!

A second post for today. It's nearly 1:30 in the morning as I'm typing this, and I really should be sleeping, but I have a bloody nose, so here I am.

Andrea and I have become addicted to a game for our phones called Ka-Glom. It's a new take on Tetris-style games, and it's quite addictive. Unfortunately Andrea's phone has been having issues lately, so we're now sharing our Ka-Glom time.

In my last post I mentioned a great new band called Red City Radio. I have another to add to that list: Running With Giants. Totally different music. They sound like Paramore, but much faster and more aggressive. Unfortunately they seem to have lost most of their band, along with their female vocalist, who is really what made the band stand out. They're apparently looking for new members. Hopefully they'll recover and continue. Their current EP is outstanding.

I have to take a drug test in the morning for the new job. Apparently they test more often when you work in a pharmacy, to make sure you aren't stealing prescriptions and using them yourself. I had no idea this was such an issue, but I guess it makes sense. I'm not sure if they want me to disclose any prescriptions I'm taking. I should probably ask about that. Wouldn't want them to think I'm stealing the cholesterol medicine that's $12.50 for a 6 month supply. How do I manage that cheap of a prescription you ask? Well, sure, I'll let you know my secrets.

Because they caught my cholesterol at an early age (thanks in large part to my dad needing heart surgery at 46), we've been able to get my numbers under control by only needing a small dosage. As it turns out, the cost of 10 mg is the same as the cost of 20 mg. A 30 day prescription for either is $6.95 with my insurance, but a 90 day prescription is $12.50 after my insurance. So I bought a $2 pill splitter and asked my doctor to give me a 90 day prescription of the bigger pill, then I split all the pills in half to get my smaller dosage. If you're keeping track, this medicine should cost me $41.70 for a 6 month supply. Yes, I'm aware of how brilliant I am, but thanks for mentioning it. Surprisingly enough, it never gets old to hear.

If Brian works at a WalMart in Indiana, and I work at WalMart in Huntsville, are we co-workers now?

Around a year ago I started making some new music along the lines of the stuff Dan and I were doing, just without any jokes or vocals. I ended up making 5-6 songs. The name of the project at the time was Subject: Predicate. I'm thinking about going back to those songs, reworking them a little bit, maybe adding some vocals, and putting them up. Should I keep the current project name or use a new one? I'm open to suggestions.

Ok, time to test if my nose has stopped bleeding. Nope. I guess I'll find more to write about. I'd really like to get a new computer at some point. And replace both our cars. And Andrea's phone. And get a PS3. And pay for my tuition. Who wants to give us some money?

The Daily Show being off for 3 weeks is not good for me. I start to go crazy if I'm reading or watching news and I don't have the comfort of knowing that at 10p.m. (Central Time) someone will be calling them on their bullshit. There's a rumor (though strangely enough, not talked about much at all by almost anyone) that they're using the next 3 weeks to update the studio, cameras, soundboards, and other equipment to start broadcasting in HD. If so, awesome, I want to believe I'm in the same room as Jon Stewart.

Ok, nose has stopped bleeding now. That wasn't too bad. Only an hour and 15 minutes. Mild compared to some previous incidents.

I'm going to sleep now.

- Jeff

Speak Spanish - the fun and easy way!

Trying to get a 10 year old to do his homework can be a nightmare, I'm learning. This is especially the case when the kid has an attention span lasting nano-seconds.

I got hired at Walmart today. Apparently they felt bad that they couldn't pay me the wage I was making at Hughes, which is amazing to me. Did they actually think I would expect a retail place to match that wage? Anywho, seemingly because they felt bad, they pulled some strings to match what I was making at Target before we moved, $8.18/hr, so all things considered, not too bad. I am considered part-time, and to them that means 16-34 hours a week. We should have no problem covering our bills with this added in, so that's a HUGE relief. I can finally stop worrying about that and start putting more energy into finding out how to fund my tuition in January.

I think I mentioned this briefly before, but I've been making a greater attempt to listen to new music and find up-and-coming bands I enjoy. Yesterday I came by a band called Red City Radio, and holy shit. Outstanding. That said, I've also been listening to quasi-jazz like Jamie Cullum and Holly Cole whenever I feel like relaxing.

Resuming my Star Wars marathon tonight probably.

RIP Ted Kennedy.

- Jeff

Convenient 24/7 account access*

Interviewed at Walmart yesterday for a pharmacy clerk position. It went well. I have a follow-up interview scheduled for tomorrow morning. We did the math, and if I can just find something around 20 hours a week we'll be fine.

Thanks to Brian feeding ideas to the little 14 year old girl, Jaime has taken to playing pranks on me. Because of that I've begun plotting retaliation against her, but I figured why not plot against everyone else while I'm at it. Right now I'm focusing my efforts on Jaime though. Two good ones planned so far, just waiting for the right moment(s) to strike.

I drank a bit much last night. That doesn't happen often. I've been paying for it this morning. I won't go into details.

Confession time(!): Not that long ago I would occasionally rant to Andrea about how Twitter seemed like the worst idea for communication I'd heard of. I still think it's moving us further and further to making communication completely counter-personal, but shit. It's addictive. I've become a fan. Sometimes I just have to deal with the self-righteous voices in my head judging me instead of the people around me. Whatever.

Ok, gonna go try and eat some chili. Hopefully I can hold it down.

- Jeff

Lasting Fragrance Stays Behind!

Cory is becoming a handful. Apparently the curriculum here is a little tougher than it was in Davison, but rather than work harder, he's been looking for excuses and people to blame. Yesterday he got confused by a homework assignment, refused everyone's help, made up a story about something bad happening at school, and proceeded to throw tantrum after tantrum about things he didn't like. This morning he feigned sick because none of his homework was done.

We've been patient with him, about as patient as you can expect two 22 year olds who don't want kids to be. We've spent the morning helping him get his homework done. Anytime a problem gets hard he pretends he has to go to the bathroom or instantly "develops" sniffles. That shit may have worked in the past, with other people, but it will never fly with me. I can only assume he's never been called out on it, since every time I do he gets a look of terror on his face. Apparently he realizes he can't lie to me and get away with it. The sad thing is that's worked before.

On a lighter note, I made fajitas last night and they were amazing, though way too spicy for everyone but Andrea and myself. I'll definitely be making them again sometime soon, with a little less hot sauce and jalepenos.

I interviewed at Barnes & Noble yesterday. I feel like it went well. Hopefully I get offered a job. As far as retail goes, that's always been a place I've wanted to work.

OK, time to take the crybaby to school and take back some library books. Then I make a delicious lunch and we have a few hours of quiet.

- Jeff

Who finished the cherry limeade? Me.

Ever since leaving Hughes Properties, I've been feeling much younger. I finally feel like a 22 year old again. I've been making a concerted effort to try and do a better job balancing responsibilities with enjoying life. I even got the guitars back out. I'm trying to at least get to the point where it isn't painful to play. It's been awhile. I'd like to start making music again, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

I'm hopeful for my interview with Barnes & Noble on Wednesday. Not sure what the position is, but if it gives me 20 hours a week that'd be perfect to balance with school.

I've spent today listening to a lot of newer music, mostly from artists I've never listened to before. So far I've liked everything. That's odd.

Methinks tonight should consist of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And popcorn. Definitely popcorn. Ok, there are some sleeping kitties that are crying out for attention by sitting there quietly and sleeping.

- Jeff

Right off, no never ever

Today was spent making food. Andrea and I worked on a big pot of chili, then she made a potato salad, then I made the remaining pinto beans into a big thing of refried beans for our daily mexican lunches. You see, a few months ago Andrea started a lunchtime ritual known as "Mexican Mush" (for a short time nicknamed "Taco Pudding" by yours truly. Now commonly referred to as simply "Mushy Mushy"). Essentially this consists of the burrito essentials minus meat: rice, beans, salsa, cheese, sour cream, with occasional additions of guacamole and black olives. Mix it all together and fill into your preferred tortilla. Delicious and simple.

This started as a cheap lunch for her when she was home alone and wanted something quick and easy. Now we all eat it. As such, we buy almost everything in bulk. Sam's Club has become our grocery store. Cheese, sour cream, beans, and tortillas are all bought in bulk. We home-make our salsa from ingredients bought in bulk as well. And then there's rice. Rice is cheap on it's own, but it's ridiculously cheap from Sam's. 50 pound bags for roughly 20 bucks. It's just a matter of finding a place to store it. We took one of those big plastic containers that had Christmas decor in it, washed it out, and filled it with those little white grains. The mothership resides in our closet upstairs, with an old plastic coffee can downstairs for quick kitchen access.

We've definitely adapted well to budgeting, whether it's the bank account or space around the house. It's amazing how much money you save on food living like this.

Wow, did I just ramble for multiple paragraphs about buying and storing food? I hope it's interesting.

- Jeff

I forgot to post a title before I sent this one in, so..."Title"

I've been having trouble sleeping lately. Don't know why. I seem to be back to a stage of insomnia like I had a few years ago. Not much I can do about it. I just keep myself busy playing games on my phone or writing this. You know, mindless things.



I accidentally stepped on Teddy tonight and in retaliation he stuck a claw in the heel of my right foot. Managed to puncture a well-developed callous. If you've never experienced that before, it hurts. A lot. Anyway, Teddy's fine, thankfully. Little guy had me worried though. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him.



The more and more I watch this health care coverage, the more and more I'm disappointed in our country. The rest of the world must be laughing at us. I was glad to see Campbell Brown take some time tonight to dispel rumors, but right after that segment there was an ad about Obama the boogeyman and his apparent plots to decapitate senior citizens. I realize Time Warner is a business and their primary focus is making money, but when you're attempting to gain public trust and sell your network as "responsible", maybe you should take 30 seconds to watch an ad before you decide if you'll sell the time for it. Maybe that's just me though.



Tonight is a good night to listen to Holly Cole. I suggest you do so as well.



My foot hurts



- Jeff

Looks like bacon in the forecast

This health care debate is getting out of hand, and sadly enough the republicans are going to pull this off. You've got to applaud their tactics though. They might not be classy, respectful, for the good of the country, or ethical but shit, it seems to work. So congratulations Republicans, your insurance friends get to keep ripping off the very pawns you so creatively exploited. Kudos.

Is it really too much to ask for the Democrats to do what's best for the country, regardless of the loud people that are wrong? The loud ones aren't even in the majority. Just do it and say "I'm sorry you're wrong. You'll thank me later."

I'm still hoping for a miracle, but I'll be shocked if it happens.

- Jeff

My Fantasy

So this morning I've been in a terrible mood where I just want to throw things. I laid down on the bed to calm myself down and started daydreaming. In this daydream I would detach my ass from the rest of my body, and it would grow back. I would then throw my ass at whatever was irritating me, currently the apple store. So I spent a good 5-10 minutes imagining my ass flying through the air over and over towards those glass doors.

Now I feel better

- Jeff

It's August, so Christmas in July is over (for now)

I was having a lot of knee pain last night, so I took one of the pain pills an old Doctor gave me for when I had tendinitis a few years back. Safe to say I have a pretty low tolerance for pain medication. I slept like a rock for a good 11-12 hours, and once awake I was useless for the next 3 or 4.

Andrea had an interview at JC Penney. She got the job. 30-40 hours a week selling clothing. And Tim got hired at Subway. That leaves people without jobs: two children, me. Turned in some applications to Best Buy today. Maybe those'll pan out.

I can smell some delicious spaghetti sauce coming from the kitchen, so I think I'll wrap this up and go eat, then finish watching movies after dinner.

- Jeff

I'll save my heart attack until you get back

Today hasn't been horrible, but I could do without some members of the household. We went swimming and took Cory with us. He was being annoying so we attempted to ignore him. He kept following us so we had to keep swimming away from him. Probably one of the best workouts we've had in awhile.

I made a fantastic dinner. Just a simple vegetable stir fry. Then things got ugly. I won't go into it here, but suffice to say I'm hiding upstairs listening to music. It may be cliche, but good music always helps my mood.

Ideally, tonight should consist of some TV, popcorn, and laziness. We'll see how it ends up.

- Jeff

Technology

Isn't this technology thing fun? In the last 24 hours I've learned way more than I ever thought I should about things like twitter, shortened urls, etc. Today was another day. Andrea made delicious curry lentil soup. One of my favorites. It also helps that no one else goes crazy for it so I get to have it for lots of upcoming meals

I just made myself some cherry lemonade. It's delicious.

- Jeff

Andrea's Blog

Andrea has made herself a little blog. Go over to meowsies.blogspot.com to read it.

Coryisms

Andrea's 10 year old brother, Cory, is a very special little boy, and he drops little bombs of wisdom every day. We've decided to start documenting them in a blog affectionately titled "Coryisms". Check it out at coryisms.blogspot.com

- Jeff

Frogger always got hit on my watch

I had an interview today at Home Depot. What a waste. After waiting an hour to start (due to the hiring manager apparently unaware that doctor's appointments rarely run on schedule), I was informed that I was interviewing for a parking lot attendant position. 15 hours a week at minimum wage. Funny thing is I never applied for that position, though I did apply for half the supervisor positions. I guess that was their idea of a good slap in the face.

In better news, we made homemade salsa the other day. It's amazing, super cheap, and makes a lot. It might be the best salsa I've ever had. I've been looking for excuses to eat it ever since.

Well, back to watching Watchmen...

- Jeff

Testing 1,2,3

Apparently I can update this thing by sending emails from my phone. So now I can post things as I think of them, rather than trying to remember them later (and ultimately forgetting).

Cool.

- Jeff

No turning back now

Life is moving along. Don't think I'll be able to start school until January at this point. It was all just too quick to happen immediately. Better late than never.

I love my new phone. Incase you missed it. I have a new number. email me at jeff@stylsonrecords.com if you want it. If you have a Blackberry as well, let me know your PIN.

Andrea cut my hair off yesterday. Much better.

Methinks it's bed time. This was an utterly pointless blog. Oops.

- Jeff

I added a little last.fm thing on here so I don't have to tell you what I've been listening to. Cool?

Week 2...a little better than Week 1

Well, here I am in week two. I've yet to really get a hold on all of this and how it's going to turn out. I do my best to stay positive and hopeful, but there are definitely some rough times.

As Andrea's family will be staying with us for the foreseeable future now, we rearranged a lot of furniture to make it feel less "temporary" now. Previously, Cory (10 year old brother) was sharing a room with Shelley (their mother), Tim (19 year old brother) was camped out in our den, and Jaime (sister) was sleeping downstairs on the couch.

We took the two desks out of the den, turning it into a full-fledged bedroom again. My desk went into our bedroom, Tim's desk (really Andrea's but since she never uses it she's letting him borrow it) moved down into the living room. This has an added bonus - it forces Tim (who likes to hide out and sit in front of a computer all day) - to be around people and, as a result, be generally more social.

Now Jaime and Shelley are sharing a room (though Jaime only really goes in there to sleep), Tim and Cory share a room (though Tim likes the idea of sleeping on the couch so he only goes in there to get to his clothes), and our formerly spacious bedroom feels a lot more lot a small apartment again. It's a sacrifice I can live with though, it means we'll have a much easier time affording to live.

I'm trying to update/perfect my resume and get it out to as many places as possible. Hopefully I'll have good news soon on that front.

Last night we finished catching Jaime up on Heroes, the level of frustration she felt with the cliffhangers was extremely entertaining.

Anywho, back to work for me.

- Jeff

Sounds: Barenaked Ladies
Sights: The office I never got around to decorating.
Drinks: Coffee and bottled water

I hate having to do this

Asking for help is something I've never been good at, but I'll get to that in a bit.

We found out last night that the Saturn, our reliable car, has some major maintenance issues, and we were told, "trade it in while you still can". We were already planning on trading in the van, our non-reliable vehicle in October when it will qualify for the Cash for Clunkers bill, but now it turns out the van is the reliable vehicle. So we're now trying to figure out how much the Saturn would be worth as a trade, and we still owe 800-900 on it. The only problem is I have no idea how we're going to pull off replacing two vehicles in such a short time frame, especially now that our income situation has changed so drastically.

So here's the part that I hate forcing myself to do. We need help. Anything anyone can do to help us, even just advice or ideas we might not have considered, would be hugely appreciated. Please email me at jeff@stylsonrecords.com or call/text me from the phone number on my Facebook page (if we aren't friends on their that's my bad. let me know and I'll get that fixed).

To anyone who's been reading this, thank you. It means a lot that anyone cares enough to follow along, and writing this is already proving very therapeutic.

Speed Bumps

So more details have been fleshed out on the whole "Let's find out what happens when Jeff stops making money and instead starts spending lots of it" experiment.

Job at Hughes Properties
I will be remaining with Hughes for the next few weeks, as they find a suitable replacement for me. I don't want them to have to rush and get someone who wouldn't be good at it.

In the meantime I'm putting my resume out there for some sort of part time work. Ideally, I'd love to work part time in a lawfirm. It'd be good experience for me. I'd also be up for part time work for an apartment complex, since I already have that job down. Something around 20 hours a week.

Living Situation
We've asked Andrea's family if they'd be willing to stay with us and contribute to the rent, utilities, cable, etc. Andrea's mother agreed, as it will save everyone, including her, a noticeable amount of $.

The big key here is Andrea/Jaime getting along with their mother. It'll take a concerted effort from all three of them, but I think it can be done.

Funding
Here's the big hurdle. We've figured out how to make our monthly bills and income balance, but so far paying for tuition, books, and gas is completely in the red.

Calhoun Community College (where I'm wrapping up my basics to begin with before I transfer to UAH) has a deadline of April for receiving a FAFSA. Futher, according to federal guidelines, I'm still considered a dependent of my parents when it comes to school, so it goes by my parents' 2008 tax returns. Even though my mom was no longer receiving income by fall of last year, that tax return essentially says the government expects my parents to foot the entire bill.

However, as many of you know, my parents quit their jobs, sold their home, bought a boat, and are about to start sailing around the world, so they don't exactly have an excess of money laying around.

My only shot with Federal Aid is to plead my case to Calhoun's financial aid department and see if I can be declared independent status by means of special circumstances, and hope that they can somehow work around that deadline.

Otherwise, I'm trying to get private student loans. I've already checked, and I don't qualify. I went by my current income, which more than qualifies, but my credit - though good for my age apparently - is still not quite good enough. I have to find a cosigner with great credit and at least $12,000 in annual income. It doesn't sound too hard, but so far I've found no one.

Hopefully I'll be able to figure out this cosigner thing, or get granted special circumstances. Right now it's playing out day-to-day.

In Other News
Because my previous phone was a work phone, I have gotten a new phone and number. Let me know if you want it.

- Jeff

Current Sounds - The hum of the office equipment
Current Drink - Code Red
Currently Reading - Rereading Harry Potter 6 in hopes will be able to afford to see it next week

I really hope I know what I'm doing...

Today, I made one of the most difficult (and probably smartest) decisions I've ever had to make. I am going back to school. I will not stop until I have a law degree. I will soon begin burying myself in so much debt that I will have no choice but to finish.

A few years ago, a decision like this wouldn't have been too life changing, but for all intensive purposes, these days I'm one of those full-fledged "adult" types, with bills, responsibilities, people depending on me, etc. With that in mind, there are many obvious questions, with what should have been - to me at least - obvious answers.

1) Why now?

For the last few months, I have been diving further and further into a stress-filled abyss that was my career (up until today). For awhile I thought it was just a couple rough and busy months, and that it would all subside. Then a week or two ago I started looking around me. None of us ever seem happy to be there. Sure, we're glad we all have jobs, and there are certainly worse jobs out there, but most days we get paid to be yelled at and respond nicely. Maybe I'm just not masochistic enough to be cut out for property management.

2) Why, of all things, a law degree?

The money is an obvious answer, but it's not my biggest one. For a long time now, law has always fascinated me. And, unlike numerous other things that fascinate me (science, music, wooden fruit, why candles burn unevenly, etc), I might actually be good at it (so long science, wooden fruit, and music that should be taken seriously) and I can make money doing it (candles, wooden fruit, and music).

I actually considered law a few times before, but up until now I've never really been a big fan of school. Which brings me to...

3) You're not dumb. You might even be smart. But surely you've noticed that you and school have never really mixed well. What are you thinking?

It's true. I haven't exactly excelled in the education system since around 7th grade or so, but I also know that all of my failures in school so far have resulted from laziness and/or apathy. For a long time, I really believed I could make something of myself without finishing college. I did surprisingly well at it, too, but I know I can do better, and I will not accept anything less this time around.

Anywho, there are a lot of details I haven't covered yet in tonight's entry. Some of that is because we're still figuring it out, some of that is because I'm tired. More tomorrow...

- Jeff

Style (The Band)

Starting now, you can stream or download everything Dan and I recorded as Style (The Band). For now it's only on last.fm, but when I figure out how to get everything up on other places, I'll get it there too. The mp3s that are available to download are high-quality, but if anyone's interested in CD-quality, I'll try and figure out how to get that up as well, whether it's through torrents or something else.

Anywho, Click Here to stream or download all the Style stuff.

New Place, Same Rambling

Well, our website has become a much more difficult task than we'd planned. In the meantime, I shall ramble here. Woohoo.

It's the 4th of July again. That translates to laziness and food.

Sarah Palin...that's really all I have to say.

Once I figure this out a little better I will find a way to post all the music that Dan and I made awhile back. I figure some of you might enjoy it. I say "you" like there's anyone reading this...

That's all for now.

Congrats to The Swellers signing to Fueled By Ramen.

- Jeff

Audio Stimulation: Me singing

Video Stimulation: Heroes Season 2

Liquid Stimulation: Root Beer till later, then Upside Down Squirrel