Well, I'm happy to announce that after a month and a half of jumping through hoopes to get this thing off the ground, it has finally begun! The construction of the new home for Advanced Budget Studios has officially started, and I cannot tell you how excited I am. The only down part of this whole situation is - the waiting.  I anticipate t...

Below is a photo of how my little studio looks right now... Despite the fact that it's now nothing more than a bedroom, with piles of acoustic pucks and other audio paraphernalia scattered about, I've gotta say - "I'm over it." In 3 days, I'll say goodbye to this place, and begin anticipating the construction of our new abode, as w...

Today was spent with my good friend, and brother, Ryan (and his family, who happens to love my family!) We spent the day moving all sorts of large items from our home into the storage space we're renting.  From the kitchen table and chairs, to the couch downstairs, to the hutches - we made two trips full of items, with our mini-van and Dad'...

Wow...  I can't believe it's here. For those who don't know, Advanced Budget Studios resides as a single bedroom rigged up as a recording studio in my basement. Thanks to all of you, I'd like to announce, both sadly, and beyond excitedly, that I have outgrown this little single-room studio.  The acoustics, the size, and the location...

So I've been working on a lot of projects lately, but one I thought to be of particular note was the song "Blind World" by Lucid 8.  The song is well-made on a variety of levels, but one of the coolest aspects of this song is the way they presented it to me. Jonny (drummer for Lucid 8) came to me and asked if could incorporate an ...

This was in response to people NOT SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS AND VETERANS.  When the people calling our veterans scumbags and persecuting the people defending them - can defend our nation better than our veterans and soldiers, then they can say something.  and NOT BEFORE!!!! THE ARM OF OUR NATION! READ RIGHT NOW!!! and let me know wh...

So, a few years ago, when I had no idea what I was doing in the studio, a guy named Rich Bischoff contacted me and asked me to give him some drum samples from my studio.  He didn't call me back.  I don't blame him. hehe... So, for the past 3 years, I've been dedicating myself to getting the studio to be the absolute best it can possibly...

Okay, so I recently watched a documentary on the Foo Fighters called "Back and Forth", and I thought it was really well made - okay, I thought it was awesome.  The funny thing is - I don't own a single Foo Fighters album, and am really not familiar with them as a band, even though I generally like the "rock" genre they asso...

I don't even know where to start.  Let's start at the beginning... So, 10 years ago, I got a hair-brained idea to buy a keyboard and start writing and recording music.  Seven years ago I thought it'd be a good idea to get a mic kit for my drums to learn how to record drums better.  Three years ago the studio had its first paying c...

So, I just got a new Logitech C910 web cam, and when trying to join or create google hangouts, I couldn't see myself in the stream at all, nor anyone else's.  I can hear everyone, and everyone can see me, but I can see nobody, nor myself.  I found this gem of a site with a very easy solution. I'm using gentoo Linux, and this simple tric...

 So, I recently went to a Walk Off The Earth concert, and it was awesome.  Their concerts just keep getting better and better.  As good as it was, that's not the purpose for this entry.  The purpose is a guy named Scott Helman, and a thought he provoked. Scott Helman performed for 30 minutes before WOTE came on stage.  He...

Oh....my....goodness... Yesterday was simply beautiful.....simply beautiful. I don't have NEAR enough time to write down exactly my feelings nor what happened...however - suffice it to say, yesterday was beautiful. I got up yesterday morning and started packing up my drums almost immediately. I was supposed to be at Dane's house at 1:00pm and...

Update:  Due to the popularity of this post, some people are having a hard time viewing the video posted above.  If it won't play for you, simply wait until the gray progress bar has filled 1/4 to 1/2 of the way before you press play.  That should do the trick. Yesterday I took the day off work to go to my bother's sealing to his w...

 Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the first solemn assembly I remember having attended.  As I raised my hand in my bedroom while sustaining President Nelson, tears welled up in my eyes.  I felt as if I was partaking in something very important.  I was with Luci and Leah.  Everyone else in my family was out doing o...

So, I just got off the phone with my wife, and she was at our new home-to-be this evening, and apparently, almost everything is done.  The carpet isn't in, nor are the toilets, nor are the cement stairs leading down to the basement, but everything else - yeah - it's done.  I'm just beside myself.  We could be moving in as early as la...

Well...  Yesterday, a friend of mine had told me he had the privilege of being formally taught how to tune a snare drum. I read what he had to say (he posted it on facebook, so if you're not his friend, I imagine you can't read it, but here's the link anyway) So, today, I went and investigated a bit of whether I could get the proper tool...

Last weekend I went to Arizona to see my brother Greg, my sister Andi, and my friend Natalie compete in the Ironman Event. I put together a video which pretty much sums it all up.  I hope you like it....

Last night, the temperature dropped down to right around 0 degrees fahrenheit.  When I woke up and was almost to work, I almost hit the car in front of me.  No, I'm not a poor driver... It's just that with it being so cold, there was literally about a half an inch of frost which had gathered on.... pretty much anything left outside. ...

I just got done reading about and listening to a wonderful audio-bite from good ol' Steve Ballmer.  Honestly, I don't understand why Microsoft keeps him employed. Anyway...  According to Mr. Ballmer, Linux is no longer free.  So, with that in mind, please do not try to download Linux from here, or here, or here, or here, or here, o...

As some of you know, in addition to running this site, I also run a site called ldscompanion.org Today, I was rummaging through some of the artwork submitted by my users, when I found this piece. The artwork is well-done, and presents a Biblical message as well as a URL.  Well...  Not being familiar with the URL, I decided to see wh...

Okay...  Since I had recently returned from my mission in 1996, I knew I wanted to learn how to record music.  Recording music swiftly turned into wanting to be able to record my drums.  A couple of years ago, I was able to put enough money away to buy a load of recording equipment for my drums. I've recorded quite a few diddies in...

Okay.  I've been working on a song since a while back, actually... I wrote the lyrics on the same night I wrote this entry. Anyway... It's just about done.  All I'm waiting for now is some seriously kicking piano tracks from my good friend Scott.  As soon as I receive those, I'm all but sure they'll kick bootie, and I'll incoropor...

Today I was commissioned to create an FTP server here at work.  Through persistent pestering of the hideously insecure nature of FTP in general, my boss let me dedicate an entire server just for the company's need to FTP.  This was to negate the possibility of any hacking of the web server, should the FTP server be compromised.  It's...

Well... Today was the big day at church with the blessing of the newest addition to the Jones family, Samuel Jones. The blessing went well, even if I did botch the proclamation of the power by which the blessing was given.  I'm glad God is a forgiving God. The spirit of the meeting was wonderful, and it testified quite powerfully of one sp...

I was sifting through some old voicemails today, when I found this treasure.  I almost deleted it when it was originally left, but I'm glad I didn't. This will be fun to show Luci when she's older. The voicemail itself is attached as audio in this entry....

I've just got to put this somewhere so I don't forget it.  I just finished installing postfix / dovecot using postgres on my home server by following this wonderful tutorial. I followed it almost to the tee, and ... it just works.  I have no other information other than that.  For all I know, as you read this, it may be interpret...

 So, I've been working on this PDF project for awhile, and I think it might be beneficial for me to add some notes which were somewhat elusive on the net. The FDF file which is generated by PDFTK generate is encoded in UTF-16 character set - and is very hard to work with.   I found this script which solves the problem, and allows the FD...

Oh, man...  Where do I even begin this post?  And from which angle?  How about I just start typing and figure it out when I'm done....  Yeah, that's what I'll do. I just finished reading this Microsoft article which explains, using no uncertain terms, how to get "IT Management" to see the "value" in upgrad...

As many of you know, I recently upgraded the exhaust on my 2007 Mustang GT. Well... Tonight, I had to take it out to see what I could do.  So, I went the usual route and didn't find much more than a crappy 90's Eclipse that wanted to play.  After almost an hour of dragging back and forth, lady luck just didn't have it in for me tonight...

This is an audio recording of tonight.  FHE is included. That's about it....