Forests of mahoganies

I love mahoganies. They are large, impressive trees that are not only impressive with age, but they are fast-growing too. You don't have to wait that long for the glory to manifest itself.

And being very tough, drought resistant trees, they are perfect for Singapore's dry climate. They can grow in many kinds of environment, including covered landfill sites. I think a bare grassland could be made much nicer with mahogany trees covering it, isn't it? And of course, a nice mountain biking trail and/or a few paths could go through it, and make it into a park.

There - a practical use for a landfill site, to enhance our garden city.

Look what happens when you take a cheap, budget mountain bike onto the real off-road...

... The cassette failed after a number of months of this abuse, which included:
- Being covered in mud,
- Foot-high drops from curbs,
- Left under the rain for long hours,
- Bumpy off-road trails with mainly clay, soil and a bit of gravel.

The cassette comes loose from the rear wheel pretty often now, which means the bike loses its propulsion completely at times. In other words, the cassette isn't driving the rear wheel. If it isn't, what is? Gravity?

I didn't intend to do much off-roading, so replacing it with another cheap bike will be fine. But learn from my experience. If you want to go off-roading on a serious level, get a higher-end Giant, Cannondale, Wheeler, GT or something else that is high-end with top-end components.

Some info about my (ex) bike: Very cheap, the cheapest model Aleoca probably ever had. Perhaps other, more expensive Aleocas are better but I'd rather not take the risk. Aleocas are budget bikes, MTB or no, so don't take it to extremes.

Should I sell my hardcase?

Still considering selling my Road Ready hardcase. I've been using it for my Ibanez acoustic but I've always preferred padded gigbags as they are lighter and easier to bring around, which is why this hardcase has not left my house in quite a while.

Hopefully I'll be able to make this decision soon. In fact, I could always trade it for a higher-end softcase such as a Gator Gunslinger, Madarozzo or something like that. Optimally, a Mono gigbag. Mono gigbags cost a bomb but they offer more protection than even hardcases. XD

Anaerobic digestion

No point in my elaborating on the whole process, it's simple enough if you're familiar with chemical equations and chemistry in general. Refer to this link (it's superb and easy to understand).

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13198464/Anaerobic-Digestion

It's nice to know that we can yield useful products by using anaerobic digestion to break down our food and organic waste. Awesome method of recycling...

To the cockroach last night...

Would make a good idea for a song, eh? Maybe an experimental black metal track or something. Anyway, I mean every word...

I wish I didn't have to kill you
But you freaked me out
Scared the fuck outta me
I had to kill you
Do you know
That you are superior?
You're a living dinosaur?
You could do me harm if you wished?
It's natural instincts
That made me kill you
But I hope you know
That I have no hate for you
Only admiration and fear
Of the superiority of your species
Which is why I had to kill you
I hope you don't just cease to exist
But I hope you'll meet your maker
Who appreciates you for who you are
I'm an outcast too
I understand a bit of what you're going through
But I'll never be you
Because you're the superior species

Oh-kay, a bit cheesy, but you get my drift. I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL IT. I just happened to neaten my sofa, and then this cockroach appears. It's not big, but it's an adult with fully developed wings, and after a frenzied attempt at killing it with a book (eventually successful), I realized that it's beautiful. It's symmetrical, it's a living organism, it has a head and a body and all the smutz.

Hopefully one day I'll be able to live among cockroaches and not have to kill them anymore.

Guitarworld reviews on Youtube

I'd say Guitarworld has good reviews for electric guitars, amplifiers and the schmutz. And there's nothing Paul Riaro can do about his voice, so all you Haters on Youtube can suck it. You have nothing better to do. If you can do a better job, then post a video of yourself doing it. Otherwise - shut the fuck up.

But there's one thing that bothers me about Guitarworld's reviews. When you ask them to review an electro-acoustic guitar (in layman terms, an acoustic guitar that can be plugged into an amplifier or PA system), they go around all the features and materials like they should, but when they play it, you never get to hear the acoustic guitar's unplugged tone.

The rule of thumb is that no acoustic guitar pickup can replicate its guitar's exact tone. If you review a guitar with a Fishman Prefix pickup, for example, you're not showcasing the guitar's tone. You're showcasing the Fishman Prefix's tone.

Guitarworld reviews - you never hear the unplugged tone. If a Breedlove has a solid engelmann top, I want to hear that. In other words, showcase both the guitar's unplugged and plugged in tone, because both of them matter.

I hope Guitarworld does something about that...

Man... I would love to have this...

http://www.trossachscycles.co.uk/images/etb/bikes/06Mako.jpg

Gary Fisher Mako. Suitable for what I do (mainly on-road but with the occasional off-roading). It's simple in all ways, being fully rigid, but with what looks like a 24 or 28 speed system? And a professional bike like that will probably have Shimano parts. Man... It's the way to go.