Here is the concept for my workshop.  This is a rough draft and will be modified about one million times.

I’ll post pictures of the garage itself soon but so far I’ve:

• Run a 60 amp service from my main breaker panel to a main lug in the garage using 6/3, 4 wire cable.  This will allow me to be able to have 110v or 220v circuits from the same lug.  While all of my tools are currently 110, my table saw can be rewired for 220 which I may end up doing so I’m less likely to trip a breaker.
• Mounted a pair of B&W WM6s on the wall connected to a Marantz SR4021 receiver.  The source is a Slim Devices (aka Logitech) Squeezebox Duet.  (The WM6s sound awesome, by the way.)
• Installed 2 Fluorescent light fixtures in the ceiling controlled by an Insteon remote.
• Installed a bunch of shelving on the wall that I reclaimed from the remnants of a Poliform Zoe bed that was (partially) shipped to me.  When the company never shipped me the full bedroom set or replaced the damaged pieces I bought the bed locally and disputed the charge.  I was credited back the full amount but, for whatever reason, they didn’t want the bed back.

I have a few three, and four, day weekends coming up so hopefully I’ll be able to finish up my work in the garage and then start working on the deck, which reminds me… I still need to finish designing planning that.

For my own personal reference, here is concept 1:

This will evolve as I have time to take more accurate measurements but for now, it’s a start.  I still haven’t even decided what materials to use.  Ipê seems to be a popular choice but some favor composites.  It’s difficult to determine what the more eco-friendly option is since even the composite manufacturers try to market themselves as "Green."  I suppose I still have time to decide.

I ended up ordering a 6’x8’ Rayas Rug to go in between our sofa and armchairs.  So far I’ve managed to keep everything in the house very muted in color since I had planned to  be very selective about how I introduced color into the decor.  I really hope this works out the way I planned it.  Only time will tell… we’ve got to wait about 4 weeks before getting the rug delivered.  Now if only I could decide on which houseplants to get….

There are no fingerprints deep under water
Nothing to tie one to a crime
And if you seek vengeance
All you need are instruments of pain

You need your

Knives? Check.
Rope? Check.
Dagger? Check.
Chains? Check.
Locks? Check.
Laser Beams? Check.
Acid? Check.
Body Bag? Check.

Murmaider [x16]

But beware…
For when you quench your blood thirst
Others will seek their vengeance on you
And they won’t rest
Until you’re dead

They’ll have their:

Shiv? Check.
Pipe? Check.
Hammer? Check.
Axe? Check.
Subject? Check.
Location? Check.
Desire? Check.
Vengeance? Check.

Hold your breath, swim and strain
The smell of death, can’t escape
Blood will cloud and drift away
Attract the murders of Murmaids
It’s so cold they all know
What you’ve done, you can’t run
Vengeance is the law for thee
A thousand leagues below the sea
You’ve been tracked, you’ve been seen
Murdering the next of kin
Ate their hearts drank their blood
Washed your fins in blackened mud
Now you swim try to hide
Heart beats faster from inside
Thought it was a big charade
Your life was ended by Murmaids.

Murmaider [x16]

Swords? Check.
Saws? Check.
Clubs? Check.
Claws? Check.
Hatred? Check.
Anger? Check.
Mermaid? Check.
Murder? Check.

MURDER! MURDER! MURMAID MURDER!

Your life was ended by mermaids.

Being white means to engage in a day in, day out struggle to prove that you are smarter than other white people. By the time they reach college, most white people are confronted with the fact that they may not be as smart as they imagined.

In coffee shops, bars, and classes white people will engage in conversations about authors and theorists that go nowhere as both parties start rattling off progressively more obscure people until eventually one side recognizes one and claims a victory. By the time they graduate (or a year or two afterwards), white people realize that they will need an edge to succeed in the cut-throat world of modern white society.

That edge is graduate school.

Though professional graduate schools like law and medicine are desirable, the true ivory tower of academia is most coveted as it imparts true, useless knowledge. The best subjects are English, History, Art History, Film, Gender Studies, <insert nation> Studies, Classics, Philosophy, Political Science, <insert European nation> Literature, and the ultimate: Comp Lit. MFA’s are also acceptable.

Returning to school is an opportunity to join an elite group of people who have a passion for learning that is so great they are willing to forgo low five-figure publishing and media jobs to follow their dreams of academic glory.

Being in graduate school satisfies many white requirements for happiness. They can believe they are helping the world, complain that the government/university doesn’t support them enough, claim they are poor, feel as though are getting smarter, act superior to other people, enjoy perpetual three day weekends, and sleep in every day of the week!

After acquiring a Masters Degree that will not increase their salary or hiring desirability, many white people will move on to a PhD program where they will go after their dream of becoming a professor. However, by their second year they usually wake up with a hangover and realize: “I’m going to spend six years in graduate school to make $35,000 and live in the middle of nowhere?”

After this crisis, a white person will follow one of two paths. The first involves dropping out and moving to New York, San Francisco or their original home town where they can resume the job that they left to attend graduate school.

At this point, they can feel superior to graduate school and say things like “A PhD is a testament to perseverance, not intelligence.” They can also impress their friends at parties by referencing Jacques Lacan or Slavoj Žižek in a conversation about American Idol.

The second path involves becoming a professor, moving to a small town and telling everyone how they are awful and uncultured.

It is important to understand that a graduate degree does not make someone smart, so do not feel intimidated. They may have read more, but in no way does that make them smarter, more competent, or more likable than you. The best thing you can do is to act impressed when a white person talks about critical theorists. This helps them reaffirm that what they learned in graduate school was important and that they are smarter than you. This makes white people easier to deal with when you get promoted ahead of them.

As usual, having rekindled a hobby sent me into a mini-purchasing frenzy.  I bought a pair of Dynaudio BM6a studio monitors, an Alesis io|26 firewire audio interface, and a Digitech GSP1101 effects processor with footcontroller to replace my Boss GT-6 that I was bored with.  After spending a decent chunk of change on all of those things, I was presently surprised at the fact that not a single item made me feel the slightest bit of buyer’s remorse.

The Dynaudios are out of this world.  Really…. seriously.  No, I mean it.  Granted, for $2k you’d expect them to be pretty good, but they’re everything you’d want in a monitor.  Accurate, not muddy at all, decent range down low through about 45ish hz, and with a silky smooth highs that make me a happy camper. 

The Alesis io|26 *may* have been the slightest bit of overkill.  It has more inputs than I’ll be able to take advantage of in the immediate future, but I new this when I was buying it and didn’t want to have to upgrade my audio interface in a year or two if I started doing other things (recording vocals, additional instruments simultaneously, etc).  All in all, it’s a solid piece of equipment and a bargain at about 400 bucks.

Last but not least, the Digitech GSP1101 is a serious FX unit.  I’ve been disappointed with everything after having owned a GSP2101 for a few years back in high school and college.  Nothing else I’ve used has come close…. until now.  Despite the fact that the 1101 doesn’t have a tube preamp (the 2101 had 2 12ax7 tubes) it sounds like it does, and the amp models are really convincing.  Oh, and did I mention it was roughly half the price of my 2101?  Well, not exactly…. I did have to spring for the Control2 foot controller with the expression pedal, but I would have had to buy something regardless (midi or other foot controller).

Overall, I’m really satisfied with all of these items and would recommend a guitarist looking to build a home studio on the cheap to give these items serious consideration.  They’re all connected to my Macbook Pro and I’m using GarageBand to record/play backing tracks.