Genius Orphans

I am not a HUGE fan of iTunes, but I was hooked when I found you can share your library over a network (ie - with co-workers).  At my previous job, I worked with a local artist who had EVERY SINGLE song that U2 had released, planned to release, accidentally leaked, and practiced on stage.  So, I would open up iTunes and listen to his mp3 collection goodness.

I then moved jobs and found that many enjoy listening to MY library.  THEN, Apple dropped the price of their 80 GB iPod about a year ago.  So that brings me to now.  An iTunes junky.  I just can't get enough...  There, I said it.

So, fast forward to the now.  iTunes came out with a "Duh" product a little while back called "Genius"

It was so-so at first.  I didn't like that iTunes was collecting information about my mp3 collection, but I have since gotten used to the idea.  Genius peeved me a few times when I would "Genius" a song and it would suggest that I buy an album that I already owned.

But, it has by far made up for its losses over the past week when I snagged Modern Guilt by Beck (one of my all time favorite artists).  I "Genius" 'd the first song on the album (Orphans) and low and behold, the single greatest playlist was thus created.  I did have to edit a few songs out and replaced some live versions with more fuller sounding originals.  But, all in all - I can NOT get enough of this playlist.  Here it is:

Orphans	Beck
Old Enough	The Raconteurs
300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues	The White Stripes
My Mathematical Mind	Spoon
Polar Opposites	Modest Mouse
Cemeteries of London	Coldplay
Hiphopopotamus vs. Rymenoceros	Flight of the Conchords
Black Tambourine	Beck
Drain You	Nirvana
Big Bang Baby	Stone Temple Pilots
Level	The Raconteurs
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground	The White Stripes
Dolly Dagger	Jimi Hendrix
Troublemaker	Weezer
Modern Guilt	Beck
Jungle Gym (Feat. G. Love)	Jack Johnson
Never Ending Math Equation	Modest Mouse
Superunknown	Soundgarden
Consoler of the Lonely	The Raconteurs
42	Coldplay
Catch Hell Blues	The White Stripes
Paranoid Android	Radiohead
Guess I'm Doing Fine	Beck
Stephanie Says	The Velvet Underground
Love Revolution	Lenny Kravitz
On a Plain	Nirvana
Two Of Us	Aimee Mann and Michael Penn
Dreamin'	Weezer
Drown	The Smashing Pumpkins
Bike	Pink Floyd
Volcano	Beck
Heart Cooks Brain	Modest Mouse
Wait Until Tomorrow	Jimi Hendrix Experience
You Don't Understand Me	The Raconteurs
Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn	The White Stripes
This Is Such A Pity	Weezer
Moonage Daydream	David Bowie
Lost!	Coldplay
Love Love Love	Lenny Kravitz
13 - Turn It Again	Red Hot Chili Peppers
Every Moment (Live Performance	Rogue Wave
Police & Thieves	The Clash
Scarecrow	Beck
The Greatest Man That Ever Lived	Weezer
A Martyr For My Love For You	The White Stripes
Going Missing	Maximo Park
The Switch and the Spur	The Raconteurs
Gravity Rides Everything	Modest Mouse
Soul Of A Man	Beck
Houses of the Holy	Led Zeppelin
Love You Madly	Cake
Pretty Little Ditty	Red Hot Chili Peppers
Strawberry Swing	Coldplay
Astronomy Domine	Pink Floyd
Bring It On	Lenny Kravitz
Siva	The Smashing Pumpkins
Castles Made Of Sand	Jimi Hendrix
Needle In The Hay	Elliott Smith
Chemtrails	Beck
Everybody Get Dangerous	Weezer
Rag and Bone	The White Stripes
Ten Years Gone	Led Zeppelin
Rhinocerous	The Smashing Pumpkins
Frank Sinatra	Cake
Top Yourself	The Raconteurs
Trailer Trash	Modest Mouse
Sweet Jane	The Velvet Underground
Rental Car	Beck
Surrender	U2
Lullaby (Feat. Matt Costa)	Jack Johnson
The Denial Twist	The White Stripes
Death And All His Friends	Coldplay
Dancin' Til Dawn	Lenny Kravitz
Paper Thin Walls	Modest Mouse
Heart Songs	Weezer
These Days	Nico
Walls	Beck
Perfect	The Smashing Pumpkins
That's The Way	Led Zeppelin
Many Shades of Black	The Raconteurs
Arnold Layne	Pink Floyd
Love Buzz	Nirvana
Little Cream Soda	The White Stripes
Dramamine	Modest Mouse
Staple It Together	Jack Johnson
I Could Have Lied	Red Hot Chili Peppers
High Speed	Coldplay
This Is A Call	Foo Fighters
The Golden Age	Beck
Screwdriver	The White Stripes
Automatic	Weezer
Salute Your Solution	The Raconteurs
Look At Me	John Lennon
If You Want It	Lenny Kravitz
In the Evening	Led Zeppelin
Desecration Smile	Red Hot Chili Peppers
Stay Away	Nirvana
Tropicalia	Beck

Phew!  What a list!

I have had this playing pretty much non-stop since I created it.  Loving Modest Mouse right now...

Web Comics

I am not a web comic junky, but I do enjoy a few.  

Dilbert is the best.  Hands down.  It describes everything that happens to me day by day TO.A.T. Especially anytime Mordac (The Preventer of Information Technology) shows up or anytime they introduce some Quality/Lean idea.  Maybe you would have to work here...

XKCD is also one of my favorites...  Sometimes.

Also Cy&H 

I just REALLY found today's comic hilarious for some reason.  It has nothing to do with how my dad brought me up.  Or how I plan on bringing up my children.  Ok, maybe it does.  I think it says a lot about a dad who is willing to pee in snow in front of his son.  We actually encourage Josh to pee on the lawn when he doesn't want to run inside and use the toilet.  And even when he does "use" the toilet, it ends up on the floor anyway (he uses the open lid of the toilet more like a backstop).  But that is beside the point.

The point is that I always want to be a "cool" dad.  I want to try and remain in touch with what is cool without throwing my principles aside.

I don't see how peeing in the snow is against any principle I have...

...Its good for business

Yes, finally my very own blog.  I'm not sure if I should be excited about this or not.  We'll see how it goes...

So I named thie Flush Twice because of a saying my manager at work is always saying (OK maybe not always, but he says it quite often).

Flush Twice - its good for business

I work for a company that designs and builds water treatment equipment for municipalities and mining/industrial companies.  We treat everything from fresh, clean well water to nasty poo water to industrical waste water.

I am a programmer there - I make the system's valves open and close, turn pumps and blowers on and off, control their speed, and stir poo water faster or slower.  It may sound rough, but it is the most rewarding job I have ever had.  My favorite part of my job is designing the user interface for all of this so even the most simple minded waste water treatment plant operator can use the systems we build to their full potential.

So, that's me and this is my blog.  And remember - whoever you are, wherever you live FLUSH TWICE!