Looking for Alaska by John Green. It's a young adult book about some teenagers that go off to boarding school together and get into some good ole tomfoolery. I laughed quite a bit, but I also teared up at some parts (which I don't normally do). I finished it in a sitting, it's pretty easy to read.

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I've only read the first two so far but I randomly picked up this gargantuan book with five of the novels in one. Definitely starting over from the beginning. This book tends to show up on internet forums all the time but I can't stress how funny it is.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. Not his best work but I read it a week or two ago and found it pretty funny. I'd classify it around fantasy/humor/adventure.

I have been listening to a "fuzz folk" band called GASHCAT. They recorded their first album on a boat and remind me a lot of Neutral Milk Hotel, very enjoyable!

Also, check out this electronic band called The Soft Greens. He started his solo work after Loose Lips Sink Ships broke up, another really good local (for me!) math rock band.

The entire album is pretty awesome, I think you'll enjoy it. It's hard to put into words what kind of music they perform, but I still like the "Experimental Outer-space Jam" tag that I've heard used.

I love putting on my noise cancelling headphones and shutting out the world once in a while. When I do, I listen to: De loused in the Comatorium Getting Paid A mix of Daft Punk songs The Moon and Antarctica Rubber Factory

Thanks for sharing! I'm sure I'll have quite a few questions once I start acquiring all-grain equipment.

I made some beer the other day. I'm still an amateur but will step up to the all-grain plate soon enough. So far I've made an Irish Stout and an IPA.

Here are a few pics I took when making the IPA

I just realized that You Slut! came out with a new album last year called Medium Bastard. So far Elton Chong is my favorite track. Check out their other album Critical Meat while you're at it, it's pretty awesome. Roofio shoots, Roofio Scores!

Sounds like you have quite the experience! I'll definitely give those a try at some point. The honey addition especially sounds right up my alley, thanks! The wait will be rough..

Giraffes? Giraffes! - More Skin with Milk-Mouth is a great instrumental and math-rock album. I just started listening to them again. My favorites off the album are probably "I am shimer..." and "A Quick One, While She's Away." The last track is very soothing to me.

I am also in love with Perpetuum Mobile by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. It's a pretty old song and I'm sure it was probably in a commercial, but I still enjoy every minute of it. It makes me want to reflect on life and contemplate what my future will be like.

Thanks for the suggestions! I haven't listened to any new math rock in a while, but I'll definitely be listening to Bulletproof Tiger more in depth this week.

Thanks for the rec, that was the first artist I checked out in this thread!

I haven't listened to too much new music this week. However, I have really been enjoying the track Sunshine by Atmosphere.

Haha that's exactly where I've been. I went in 2007 for the Rage Against the Machine reunion and am still curious as to why I am alive. It was worth it.

I really want to explore the west coast (only been as far as a Indio, CA for a few days), but for now I think my favorite state has to be Wisconsin. I live pretty close to the IL/WI border, so I have been there quite a few times. The smaller towns I have been to have been very welcoming and friendly. Madison and Milwaukee always have something going on, not to mention how pleasing they are to the eye (although I do live a pretty ugly place).

Best of all, Wisconsin is pretty big in cheese and beer, two of my favorite things in life. Everyone there has had a DUI at some point. EVERYONE. Ok, not everyone. There is a place in Monroe, WI, called Baumgartner's where they have locally brewed beer and delicious cheese sandwiches. Besides that, there are some pretty sweet campsites to explore and canoe around too. I guess the only thing I have against Wisconsin are the harsh winters and the Packer fans, but I'm pretty used to both.

I can also say with complete confidence that Tennessee is the worst state I've ever been to.

I hope so, because the way the ran the show was about 99% suck! It is no wonder that they have a hard time filling the position. As for the exit interview, I was completely honest with them in a respectful manner. They were pretty grateful because of that and took a lot of notes to improve the position for future candidates.

I did a few months ago, actually. It felt pretty good too!

I was responsible for traveling around the country to collect transportation information with a piece of shit van (kind of like the google car). Sounds cool, right? Not when you don't get to come home for over four months, get about one day off a week, and drive for nearly ten hours a day (unless it rained). Once I finally got a week off in between projects I was told I'd have to drive to the west coast and back in a few days to pick up and switch out another vehicle that another crew was using. SURPRISE!! I ended up having to stay while my partner and a person from the other crew got to go back. They didn't tell me this until I got there, yet they knew the whole time. I had only packed for a few days.

After working that surprise project for another month, I had just about reached my limit. The saving grace of my next (third) project was that it was about an hour away from my house. However, we had a different vehicle that was very old and sensitive. We would hit a bump in the road, the software would crash, and we'd lose all of the data we'd just collected. After constantly reporting this and our superiors doing nothing about it, my partner and I seriously considered quitting. Then it happened. They gave me a lot of shit for wanting a weekend off for a family gathering after a very stressful week. After that, my partner and I each called the office to tell them we were dropping the van off there. We both quit that day.

Although I probably should have given notice, I couldn't take it anymore. I did give them some feedback in an exit interview, however. My weekend was awesome, too!

EDIT I totally spaced out and forgot to mention all the safety issues that were problematic as well. Not only did they have us zip-tying loose brake cables, they also were not happy when we wanted to take our van in to get the COMPLETELY bald tires and grinding brakes replaced (not an exaggeration, I actually have a pretty sweet bald tire pic from the incident). Every time we would mention our concerns they would just tell us to tough it out because the project was almost over. Sorry, I don't feel like driving through the mountains on bald tires and bad brakes.

Yeah sure I can do that.

I love busting out my telescope and stargazing, especially in a desolate, open field. It's quite peaceful and there is always something new to find. See that "smudge" in the sky? That's Orion's Nebula. Or maybe the Pleiades. That dark spot over there? Not so dark through a telescope.

Grab a beer and a friend and you've got yourself a star party! I like to use an Android app called "Space Junk Lite" to help identify more celestial bodies as well. Best of all, scoping is free (after the initial investment)!

I'm in my 20's, unemployed, and live in my parents house.

Although my last job sucked, I did get to enjoy some parts of the country I've never been to. That being said, I am getting very close to getting an unrelated, "just to pay the bills" full-time job and moving out. I have a degree and have been making progress in networking with professionals in the industry. I love my girlfriend and we've been dating for a year. We are different but also share hobbies and interests (makes life interesting). She is just as anxious to move to a new city as me.

I have been learning and growing in my hobbies and passions (amateur astronomy, mapping, music, etc). I just started volunteering and have found it to be enjoyable. I just brewed a batch of beer and can't wait to do it again. Best of all, I've been making an ambitious bucket list to enjoy life a bit more. I can't wait to delve into it and travel across the country some more.

This is probably a stupid question, but have you listened to Andrew Jackson Jihad? One of my favorites of the genre!

I've been into this independent hip-hop artist Sol for the past week. Some of it is a bit corny but I still like it. I'm fond of "Paint" and "Stage Dive" in particular.

I'm also digging this completely unrelated classic bluegrass track by Flatt & Scruggs. Everybody get out your jugs!

Interesting article. Here is related website called Walk Score. The point of it is to see how "walkable" your city or neighborhood is. Time to get off my ass.

Zechs Marquise

Their newish album is amazing. It's mostly instrumental, experimental, and psychedelic. If you like The Mars Volta you'll probably enjoy this.

Also, Mystery Skulls! I enjoy head grooving to this a bunch.

Rockford, Illinois, USA. I live in a sea of corn and crime!