I was wandering through Pullman today on my bike, doing some shopping, when I happened to pass this house. It just struck me as being amazing! It reminds me of Charleston or Savannah - something very East coast and old...

The research paper I'm working on is supposed to be done tomorrow and then Michelle is coming to visit Saturday! Can't wait for the weekend!

You may recognize this little rodent from the recent movie Ratatouille. I'm currently living with some rat housemates, and although they aren't as cartoony as this one, they are very cute and friendly. My housemates keep quite a collection of rats - bred show rats for the most part.
Here's one of the curious girls. The girls tend to be smaller and more energetic than the guys. I had several rats as pets when I was younger. They are intelligent, clean, quiet, don't bite, are friendly, and don't smell bad! They actually make for great pets.

Here's a little clip of some of the lady rats looking for attention:


In other news, I went to the local WSU bouldering wall to practice my climbing a bit more. The climbing supervisor is showing some new climbers the basics. The cave is my favorite - it's quite exciting to crawl along the ceiling...

Just noticed a new Final Fantasy IV OC Remix album came out and thought it deserved a post.

Video game music is a huge genre full of amazing and memorable music. For example, composer Yasunori Mitsuda compiled astounding soundtracks for many games including Chrono Cross. Check out the opening in-game music:


Aside from video game soundtracks themselves, remixing game music has gained a huge following. The biggest resource is Overclocked Remix - a site "dedicated to the appreciation, preservation, and interpretation of video game music." There are over 1700 free songs - remixes of games both old and new. The sources range from old classics like Mario, Zelda, and Tetris to recent games. It's a great way to celebrate new artist talent and explore variations on familiar themes.

For those who are interested in the original game music itself, check out Gamemp3s which releases game soundtracks - particularly from hard to find foreign soundtracks.

Huzzah, got to use my new Acopa climbing shoes today! I got them last weekend in Portland to replace my worn out 5.10's that I've used the last few years. They are a tighter, more technical shoe for edging.Mikey and I went out to Granite Point along the Snake River to do a bit of outdoor climbing. It was a roasty day and I got a bit too much sun on the shoulders. Still, it was a nice day and a good chance to get back out climbing after winter and my hand injury.

Here, Mikey is rappelling on the left side of Granite Point. The climbs are all rather short, but intense.This is a sweet picture from a fellow climber/photographer. I'm hoping to make it out Post Falls (where this was taken) in another few weeks...

So, I realized there are a stack of pictures that never made it on my blog. Time to cover a few past events...

This is my daily commute to WSU. I bike 2 miles to school (uphill both ways of course). A good bit of the ride is on a nice bike path as you can see. This makes for a nice morning ride before digging into research...


Next, is a nice photo of Michelle when we camped in Wenatchee National Forest (about 5 hours from Walla Walla) with our friends, Adam and Liz over Memorial Day. It was a beautiful area and I'm looking forward to going back sometime for another camping/hiking trip!

Even earlier this year, I escaped to Bluewood ski-resort a few times. On this particular day, there had been over 3 feet of new snow in the last day and the resort couldn't open due to too much snow. It was really sad, but my friend and I were already up there so we made our own fun. We found a superb jump on the side of a hill and practiced. I even managed to pull a backflip!

Lastly, I had a frightening mustache for a couple days. I had several compliments on it, but really needed a top hat and one of those ancient bicycles to complete the look...

Continuing on my mp3 rant from yesterday, I'll get a little more specific.

For my uses, I was hunting for something small, lightweight, and inexpensive. I eventually narrowed my choices to something along the lines of Apple's Shuffle or Nano. I looked at some comparisons with other products - particularly Sandisk's Clip and Fuze. Not only are they significantly cheaper, they are also stylish and have several nice features that the Shuffle and Nano lack.

If you are considering an ultra-small mp3 player like the Shuffle, take a look at this Shuffle and Clip comparison.

I was interested in something slightly larger with a screen. Here's my quick summary of how the Sandisk Fuze and iPod Nano differ:

















** An 8gb Nano costs $120. The 8gb Fuze costs $75. ($199 vs $85 retail).
** The Fuze has a microSD slot (that means you can add an additional 8gb of storage for $15).
** the Nano is about 15% smaller and lighter than the Fuze.
** the Nano has a slightly higher resolution screen than the Fuze.
** the Fuze has far better sound quality (this only matters with good headphones).
** Unlike the Nano, the Fuze includes an FM radio and voice recorder
** The Nano requires iTunes. The Fuze uses simple drag-n-drop like a USB thumb drive.

I ended up choosing the Fuze (in my hand above, displaying a picture I took). I bought the small 2gb model for under $30 (refurbished). I'll probably add a 16 or 32 GB microSD card later. I use it mostly for music, but also have some pictures and youtube videos (using the DownloadHelper firefox addon). It's been fantastic so far!

One other item worth mentioning is the open-source firmware RockBox which you can put on a wide range of mp3 players. It adds many audio features, visual themes, and even games to your mp3 player! As soon as the official release comes out for the Fuze, I'll be using it ;)

Whenever I purchase electronics, I aim for the best. 'Best' is a very subjective word. For me, it means the perfect balance between price, features, and quality. The information to make a good choice is out there, but it often takes intensive research before discovering the winner.

My mp3 player was stolen this past year and I recently began the quest to purchase a new one. I'd like to present some of my discoveries along the way.

Currently, in the mp3 market, iPod reigns supreme (like Microsoft in the OS business). Without a doubt, iPods look nice and they work. However, are they the 'best' on the market? I've settled on a 'no' for that answer. For you, the answer might be yes, but just consider your options before investing in a new mp3 player.

First, how are mp3 players used? There are a number of common uses to consider:
- A lightweight music player for people who exercise
- A way to enjoy traveling more - in crowded planes and buses.
- A way to share music, pictures, and videos with friends and family
- A way to access a music library in a car or home without bringing a stack of scratch-able cds.

I discovered a website titled anythingbutipod.com which, of course sounds like a completely unbiased website. After some investigating however, this site simply aims to raise awareness of alternative products to consumers. It contains news, reviews, comparisons, and forums relating to mp3 players.

There are a number of reputable brands including Sony, Sandisk, Cowon, Microsoft, and Creative that offer excellent portable music players. If you are looking for a new player, I'd recommend browsing this Buyer's Guide which helps you pinpoint what you are looking for in an mp3 player.

More on my sweet new mp3 player soon!

This is a nice photo Amy took of Michelle and I down at Brandon and Natalie's wedding in Portland. It was a gorgeous wedding down by the creek. Best wishes for the new husband and wife who are celebrating somewhere "warm."


As far as other updates, I'm still researching math up in Pullman. We are supposed to have a paper ready to publish by next week which will be a little intense. I'm continuing to learn a lot - I almost feel guilty being payed to learn...

I'm also going back to Australia!!!! I'll arrive in Sydney on the 28th of August and leave September 19. I'll get to see Kristin's play shortly after I arrive. The rest of my visit will involve delving into some government archives for history research and visiting good friends around the country.

I'm also going to be climbing again soon. My broken hand has mostly healed and I've learned of some good climbing in Idaho a couple hours away. I've been practicing at the bouldering wall here on campus.