Healthcare Hits Home

After almost nine years working for the same company I have decided to leave and go to a much smaller company. The two major factors in my decision to leave were (1) a very good opportunity to do what I love for a long term and (2) a much better healthcare package. I was very surprised by the second reason. I'm moving from a place that employs the equivalent population of a small city down to a place with about 50 people. You would think that a large corporation would have much better buying power than a tiny company, but I guess that isn't the case.

In 2001, I had a great health plan. The monthly premiums were low and most co-pays were about $10. I think the highest co-pay was $50 for an ER visit. Over the years I've seen all these costs go through a 100% to 300% increase. Finally, we had to switch plans from an HMO type plan to a high deductible plan. The monthly premiums were about the same but the yearly out-of-pocket expenses have increased drastically. As an example, the birth of our first child in 2002 cost a total of about $150. That included prenatal visits, delivery, recovery, and the first couple of well-child visits. Similar services for our third child born 12 weeks ago has cost us over $3,000. We're lucky enough to be able to afford these kinds of costs, but I can't imagine what it is like for people making a lower household income.

The new health plan is still a high deductible plan, however the yearly out-of-pocket max is much less than our old plan. We also have a much better health savings account where we can rollover unused money from year to year. The combination of the better healthcare plan and a good job made the decision to jump ship much easier. I only hope that I enjoy the work as much as I think I will.

Books Read in 2009

Here's the annual list of books that I read this past year:
The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
Equal Rights by Terry Pratchett
Sourcery by Terry Pratchett
The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

As usual, almost completely dominated by SciFi and Fantasy. What can I say? I'm addicted.

You Gotta Love Military Propaganda

Before watching Avatar last night, I saw for the first time the new National Guard: At This Moment movie theater ad. What struck me the most was the faux Carmina Burana O, Fortuna style music. If you haven't seen it, check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVId6JLggNM

Here's O, Fortuna for comparison:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGbFBpP2sL0

About halfway through the ad, Nora leans over to me and says "This reminds me of the recruitment ads from Starship Troopers".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPDmJxLkh1o&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7-PQIuWwLo

I'm sure there's something else I could comment about it (e.g. military propaganda at the movies), but I find it funny that this add strikes up such different images from both of us, neither of which makes us want to join the National Guard.

Say "Hello" To The New Car

After 8 years of trusty service, I have traded in the Subaru for a used '05 Accord. While I'm sad to see the Subaru leave, it was starting to show it's age and the combination of more frequent service visits and cabin noise drove me to getting a new car. The Honda is by far the nicest car I've ever owned and I'm glad that I could help the economy by taking out a smart loan which I will easily be able to pay off. I would have never been able to afford this car if I bought it new.

Jon Brion

Today while listening to Sound Opinions, I heard an interview with Jon Brion from 2006. He's a producer (Kanye West, Fiona Apple), songwriter, and movie score composer (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Apparently, he performs every Friday night at Largo in Los Angeles. One of the things he does while performing is record a live tape loop of drums, then he adds a bass loop, and finally adds a guitar and singing (I take it he also does this with other instruments).

The following video starts with him doing a hilarious rendition of Tom Waits doing Radiohead's Creep. That's followed by one of these looped songs. The video is really poor quality, but you should be able to hear it just fine.

Valentines Day and Music

It's Valentines Day and I'm sitting at home writing on my blog for the first time in more than a month drinking a Cuba Libre (Rum and Coke for the non-hispanics). Nora is in San Diego for the weekend going to gay bars with her Uncle and his boyfriend. I don't know if I have had a weirder Valentines Day (ok, I have, but I'm not going to get into that now).

I've recently joined a carpool with 3 other people, which is really great considering that we have a 1 hour commute each way and I usually have to drive only once a week. The unfortunate part is that they have completely different political/social views from me. Between their commentary about the effort to overturn Proposition 8 in California ("don't they just get it, being 'tolerant' of gays doesn't mean you accept gays") and having to leave my house at 5:15 AM, it's been a little tough continuing with the carpool. So far, the savings on gas and wear & tear on my car are winning out.

One thing that has made this carpool bearable is that I've started listening to the Sound Opinions music podcast. It's a once weekly hour-long podcast with two music critics from the Chicago area who talk about recent music news, interview artists and producers, review mainstream and obscure albums, and play a lot of good music. They have an archive of podcasts that goes back to 2005, which is great for me since I haven't really listened to much music since I started listening to NPR in 2001. I can't stand commercial radio and I don't have the patience to listen to college radio stations to find the good music. I've had plenty to listen to by combining the new shows with the archived shows, and have found some really great music to boot!

However, I don't always agree with the "Buy It, Burn It, Trash It" recommendations that Jim and Greg make when they review albums. I've bought a couple of duds which they were raving about (Neil Young's Living With War and Tim Fite's Fair Ain't Fair) which I wish I hadn't wasted my money on buying the whole album. After these mistakes, I've signed up for the Rhapsody music service and I can easily say this is the best move I've made all year. For $12.99 a month I get to listen to all the music that I want and gauge what I want to buy (The Loon by Tapes 'n Tapes) against what I think really stinks (Sunday at Devil Dirt by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan).

Here are some of my favorite albums that I've found specifically through Sound Opinions:
The Loon by Tapes 'n Tapes
Finding Forever by Common
Steal My Horses and Run by Blackstrap
Remind Me In 3 Days by The Knux
Dear Science by TV on the Radio
In Rainbows by Radiohead
12 Angry Months by Local H
The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust by Saul Williams
This Gift by Sons and Daughters
St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley
Late Registration by Kanye West
Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo by Rivers Cuomo
Over the Counterculture by Tim Fite
Icky Thump by The White Stripes

Here are some of my favorite singles that I've found through Sound Opinions:
Black Stacey by Saul Williams
Effect and Cause by The White Stripes off of Icky Thump
The Modern Leper by Frightened Rabbit
You Really Got A Hold On Me* by She & Him
Jack Killed Mom by Jenny Lewis
Misunderstood by Common
I've Been Shot by Tim Fite
Dancing Choose by TV on the Radio
Can't Stop Partying by Rivers Cuomo
15 Step by Radiohead
The Iliad by Tapes 'n Tapes
The List by The Knux

*I don't like the album version of You Really Got A Hold On Me by She & Him. You've got to go to the archive of Show #142 on the Sound Opinions website. This recording sends chills down my spine every time I hear it.

What a Fun Show!

We've been watching "Weeds" as rentals from Blockbuster over the past couple of years. Quick synopsis, suburban wife's husband suddenly dies and leaves no life insurance. She turns to dealing pot in order to keep up her suburban lifestyle. Mary-Louise Parker stars in the show with an excellent supporting cast including Kevin Nealon (who is hilarious as a crooked accountant/city council member/pothead).

We just got finished watching the 3rd season, and the following scene is my favorite from this season (the fist bump at the end is classic):

Books I've Read This Year

I've been really bad with blogging at the end of this year. I'll blame it on trying to get a good grade on my master's degree class...yeah, that's it.

Here are most of the books that I've read this year:
Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest
Crystal Rain by Tobias S. Buckell
Nimitz Class by Patrick Robinson (a real stinker)
Duma Key by Stephen King
A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle
Forever War by Joe Hadelman
A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
Little Borther by Cory Doctorow
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow
Superpower: A Novel by David J. Schwartz
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow
Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
Forever Peace by Joe Hadelman
The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
Space Propulsion Analysis and Design, by R.W. Humble, et. al.
Space Mission Analysis and Design edited by James Wertz

The last two are sort of cheating because I had to read them for class and I didn't read them from cover to cover, but I did read a majority of them. I'm also anticipating that I'll finish Agent to the Stars by the end of the year. There may have been a couple that I missed, but I think that is a pretty good representation of what I read.

Alright! I'm averaging more than 1 book a month. Let's see if I can bring it up to 2 books a month next year. Of course, that will mean keeping better records.

Honest Scrap

Julia tagged whoever reads her blog with the "Honest Scrap Award".

So, what does this award mean? It means – “leftovers, fragments, discarded material, and many times truth and honesty is discarded material, considered fragments and left over.” We tell it like it is and let the scraps fall where they may.

The honorees are to:
a) first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!
b) pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

1. I truly believe that I'm a moderate on most issues, but I know deep down inside that my viewpoints have got to be radical to other people, although I don't think that I would ever admit this to someone in person.

2. I can't stand most forms of remote communication. My least favorites, in order, are: (1) text messaging, (2) instant messaging, (3) talking on cell phones, and (4) talking on regular phones. However, I don't mind e-mail or blogs...don't ask me why, I'm just weird.

3. I like rap music, but I don't like it when the "n" word is prevalent in the lyrics. I don't mind a bunch of swearing, it's just the "n" word. I think it has to do with me accepting the fact that eventually my kids will be swearing (even if they don't do it in front of me) but I will never accept them using that word...ever.

4. The only thing that really keep me awake at night is if I start thinking about things that I've done in the past which I'm ashamed/embarrassed of. If I start thinking about one of these things it will typically take 2 or 3 hours before I can fall asleep.

5. For a period of 6 years beginning when I started in college, I made myself become an extrovert in order to make more friends. I'm back to being an introvert and am very happy for it.

6. While I'm very proud of my Puerto Rican heritage, I often wonder if I would have had the same opportunities in my life if my skin was darker or if I spoke with an accent.

7. If an e-mail says to forward the e-mail to everyone I know, I will never forward the e-mail. I consider it another form of spam and the e-mail will stop with me.

8. I have the worst memory with people's names and/or social situations. I wouldn't be able to remember who I met a couple of minutes ago, what I did last week, or what I said a year ago. Unless we really know each other very well, I will have a hard time remembering you if it's been a couple of years. I've been caught in many awkward situations because I didn't remember the name of someone who I should know.

9. I started playing rugby mostly to spite my mother who didn't let me play any contact sports while I was growing up. What a let down when all she did was say "oh really?" when I told her that I was playing rugby. On the up side, that was were I met my wife.

10. I can't read. OK, not really. But I think my own writing is atrocious. I feel sorry for all (2) of you who read this blog.

Per #7, I will not forward this to anyone. If you (a) actually read this blog, (b) have a blog of your own, (c) haven't already done this, and (d) actually want to do it, then tag, you are it.

Failing...

Thanks to Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog for this performance by Gary Karr of Failing by Tom Johnson.

HNIC - Hockey Night in Colorado

We recently changed our service from analog cable to satellite. One of the extra perks is that we get the NHL Network as a part of our package. I was already pretty psyched about this because there is almost zero hockey coverage on any of the major sports networks...instead they're covering something called the "World Series", whatever that is. Then I tuned in on a Saturday night and there were Canadiens on TV...and they knew stuff about hockey...and there was a double header of hockey on...and it was Hockey Night in Canada!

After a little research, it turns out that the NHL Network started including the full HNIC program in it's broadcast this year. I promptly added HNIC to our TiVo record list and declared to Nora that Saturday nights are officially Hockey Nights in Colorado. She kind of gave me a strange look, patted me on the head, and walked away.

By the way, I'm loving the NHL Network commercials featuring the confused head coach talking about hockey; they are hilarious. Here's a good example about Defense and Offense:


If you want to see more, this guy collected a whole bunch of them in one place.

Out of the Dark Ages of Music

I recently purchased a Korg Chromatic tuner. Up until now, I have always used a tuning fork to tune my bass. Much to my surprise, it appears that I consistently tune and play my bass a quarter tone flat. At first I thought it must have been that I hadn't played the bass in a couple of days and it went flat in that time. So I tuned against the tuning fork and checked against the tuner again. Nope, I was flat. Then I checked the tuning fork to see if it was flat, nope, it was dead on.

Then I started playing. Every time I hit an open string things sounded just a little off. Checked the strings again and they were still in tune. It was me, I involuntarily kept adjusting to the tuning that I've been listening to myself play for years. I'm going to have to do some serious work on my intonation!

Amazing how much a little bit of technology can help your playing. Maybe I should also invest in a metronome...I've skirted along this long without one, but I think that can only really work when you are playing with an ensemble and can hear what the others are playing. I've found it quite difficult to get the pieces to sound right when I don't have a conductor to follow.

Incidentally, I'm now playing Marcello's Cello Sonata 2. It's a nice little piece of music which doesn't involve too much thumb position. Something nice to get me back into the playing habit again. I'm taking baby steps here, play something fun and easy to get my intonation back up to snuff. Maybe then I can try some more technically challenging pieces.

I just realized that I haven't ever posted a picture of my bass. I imagine that only Ryan (of my vast readership of 3 people) would be interested in seeing the pic since he owns a Samuel Shen as well. Accompanying the bass is Señor Frog the Humidifier. Colorado is so dry I basically have to keep him running all year long.

I Miss the Fall

Today, Julia wrote about how the damp, gray weather puts her into not quite so friendly of a mood. I have to confess that I love just that type of weather. Now that I live in Colorado, we usually go straight from Summer to Winter with about 2 weeks of Fall. I love the nice long Fall seasons that you get out East, especially in upstate New York. It's something that I didn't realize until we moved out here.

I think it all started in 4th grade when I was stuck inside on one of those typical overcast, drizzly Rochester days. I had just gotten Bunnicula in our Scholastic order that week and figured that it would be a good day to read the book. I plopped down in my bean bag chair, wrapped myself in a blanket, and read for the whole day by the muffled light that was coming in from outside. It's one of my favorite childhood memories.

Later on, in junior high and high school, I really fell in love with the season while I was running cross country. There was something magical about running through the parks in Irondequoit during that time of year. Some of my best memories are of running through Seneca Park, Helmer Nature Center, and Durand Eastman Park with a light drizzle and the smell of woodsmoke in the air. Some other great parks in the area were Webster Park and Mendon Ponds Park. God, I forget how beautiful that area is.

I don't seem to understand...

Watched the debate last night. Something that I don't think anybody who was watching last night was that McCain thinks that Obama doesn't seem to understand much of anything. After the first 20 or 30 minutes, he practically started every sentence with "Senator Obama doesn't seem to understand...".

What I don't understand is why Obama didn't specifically call McCain on it. Sure, he refuted a lot of false statements that McCain, but I think that it would have been a lot stronger if he used McCain's words against him. It would have been perfect when he went down the checklist of things McCain got wrong about Iraq...not knowing where the WMDS were located, being greeted as liberators, no history of violence between Shia and Sunni. Why not add something like "I don't think I'm the one who doesn't seem to understand..."?

Van Halen to Schmitt's Gay

While I was flipping through the radio channels today, I happened on the opening of Van Halen's "Right Now". The first thing that popped in my head was Crystal Gravy, SNL's spoof of the Crystal Pepsi commercial. That then got me thinking about all the funny "commercials" that SNL did around the same time...my personal favorite being the Schmitt's Gay commercial. I'm not sure how long these SNL commercial links will be valid, but have a look at them while you can.

First, original Crystal Pepsi commercial:


Next, Crystal Gravy. Unfortunately, you'll have to follow the link since YouTube doesn't have it.

Finally, Schmitt's Gay:

Playing the Bass Again

Nora has classes on Mondays and Wednesdays until about 8 PM. That translates to 3 hours alone with the kids until Nora gets home. We have a nice little schedule where we eat dinner together, play outside together, and then horror of all horrors, I get to practice the bass while the kids plunk away on the piano and/or bang on the mini-drums. This is actually the first time since we moved from Philly 3 years ago that I'm actually able to get some real playing in. It's probably not the most productive practice sessions...what with all the other "music" going on, frequent interruptions from fighting over instruments/toys, and handing my bow over so that the kids can bow while I finger out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". But it's better than the absolute zero playing I've done over the past 3 years.

As an aside, Julia posted about her own practice sessions today. She mentioned that being a former Suzuki method student, she always tries to pick up a recording of the piece she is playing before practicing. I'm sad to say that this little tidbit was something that I didn't pick up on until about 2000 or 2001 when I was playing with the Main Line Symphony Orchestra. I started playing the bass in 4th grade, played throughout grade school, highschool, and college (I got about halfway through a performance 2nd major), and finally the MLSO after college.

This probably would have helped a lot while I was learning to play more difficult pieces, especially with the Bach Cello Suites which I thought were impossible to play on the bass. Edgar Meyer proved that wrong with this superb performance.

I don't know why it didn't click earlier; it seems so obvious of a thing to do now.

Answers: Lyrics by Fours

1 - Breaking the Girl by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
I am a man
Cut from the know
Rarely do friends
Come and then go

2 - Hey Lover by LL Cool J
I've been watching you from afar
for as long as I can remember
You're all a real man can need
and ever ask for

3 - Final Hour by Lauryn Hill
I treat this like my thesis
Well written topic
Broken down into pieces
I introduce then produce

4 - Soma by Smashing Pumpkins
Nothing left to say
And all I've left to do
Is run away from you
And she led me up, down

5 - Another Brick in the Wall (Part 1) by Pink Floyd
Daddy's flown across the ocean
Leaving just a memory
Snapshot in the family album
Daddy what else did you leave for me?

6 - Te Conozco Bien by Marc Anthony
Siento pena,
pena porque te quise de veras
rabia porque te di
lo que nunca

7 - The Son Never Shines (On Closed Doors) by Flogging Molly
I saw her there from afar
Her hair grey charcoal
Takes a drag from her tar
I kissed her a smile

8 - Heaven Help by Lenny Kravitz
There comes a time to be free of the heart
I wanna be ready, ready to start
On a love journey, got places to go
Made up my mind and I've got to let you know

9 - Super Bon Bon by Sould Coughing
Move aside and let the man go through
Move aside and let the man go through
Move aside and let the man go through
Move aside and let the man go through

10 - Smile by Weezer
Open the door and let your love come down
Over the wall, you're spinning 'round and 'round
'Cause you wanted some love
I'll make it happen

11 - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson
Lovely is the feelin' now
Fever, temperatures risin' now
Power is the force, the vow
That makes it happen, it asks no questions why

12 - One Tin Soldier by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Listen, children, to a story
That was written long ago,
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley far below

13 - Unforgiven by Metallica
New blood joins this earth
And quickly he's subdued
Through constant pained disgrace
The young boy learns their rules

14 - The Drinking Song by Moxy Fruvous
And the band played on
As the helicopters whirred
Drunk on the lawn in a nuclear dawn
My senses finally blurred

15 - Add It Up by Violent Femmes
Day after day
I will walk and I will play
But the day after today
I will stop and I will start

16 - The Nest by Sons And Daughters
Everything that happened here
Cannot happen when you're dead, she safely said
Worry when you wake tonight
Is it all in you head?

17 - Sin by Nine Inch Nails
You give me the reason
You give me control
I gave you my purity
My purity you stole

18 - Peace Train by 10,000 Maniacs
Now I've been happy lately,
thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be,
something good has begun

19 - Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
Hey where did we go,
Days when the rains came
Down in the hollow,
Playin' a new game

20 - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp by Led Zeppelin
Ah caught you smiling at me,
That's the way it should be,
Like a leaf is to a tree, so fine.
Ah all the good times we had

Lyrics by Fours

Meme from Julia:

1. Put your mp3 player or music player on your computer on random.
2. Post the first four lines from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song (skip repeat artists).
3. Post and let everyone you know guess (in the comments!) what song and artist the lines come from.
4. Please play fair. Don’t be a dirty rotten cheater and Google the lyrics!

1.
I am a man
Cut from the know
Rarely do friends
Come and then go

2.
I've been watching you from afar
for as long as I can remember
You're all a real man can need
and ever ask for

3.
I treat this like my thesis
Well written topic
Broken down into pieces
I introduce then produce

4.
Nothing left to say
And all I've left to do
Is run away from you
And she led me up, down

5.
Daddy's flown across the ocean
Leaving just a memory
Snapshot in the family album
Daddy what else did you leave for me?

6.
Siento pena,
pena porque te quise de veras
rabia porque te di
lo que nunca

7.
I saw her there from afar
Her hair grey charcoal
Takes a drag from her tar
I kissed her a smile

8.
There comes a time to be free of the heart
I wanna be ready, ready to start
On a love journey, got places to go
Made up my mind and I've got to let you know

9.
Move aside and let the man go through
Move aside and let the man go through
Move aside and let the man go through
Move aside and let the man go through

10.
Open the door and let your love come down
Over the wall, you're spinning 'round and 'round
'Cause you wanted some love
I'll make it happen

11.
Lovely is the feelin' now
Fever, temperatures risin' now
Power is the force, the vow
That makes it happen, it asks no questions why

12.
Listen, children, to a story
That was written long ago,
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley far below

13.
New blood joins this earth
And quickly he's subdued
Through constant pained disgrace
The young boy learns their rules

14.
And the band played on
As the helicopters whirred
Drunk on the lawn in a nuclear dawn
My senses finally blurred

15.
Day after day
I will walk and I will play
But the day after today
I will stop and I will start

16.
Everything that happened here
Cannot happen when you're dead, she safely said
Worry when you wake tonight
Is it all in you head?

17.
You give me the reason
You give me control
I gave you my purity
My purity you stole

18.
Now I've been happy lately,
thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be,
something good has begun

19.
Hey where did we go,
Days when the rains came
Down in the hollow,
Playin' a new game

20.
Ah caught you smiling at me,
That's the way it should be,
Like a leaf is to a tree, so fine.
Ah all the good times we had

Answers some time next week...

First Day Of School

Today was Zoe's first day of kindergarten. Is it sad that I was really excited that she already has homework and that we started doing it as soon as she got home?

I Just Love Technology

I love to listen to NPR on my way to work. I have an hour long commute, which would be OK if I could listen to NPR the whole way. Unfortunately, about 15 minutes into the commute, I go over a Monument Hill and suddenly I get competing signals from the other NPR station in Denver which broadcasts at the same exact frequency as my local station. It turns out that both stations have signals strong enough so that I have interference all the way up to work. Argh!

I've been filling up my time with some Podcasts and/or books on tape...these have been filling in pretty well...but I really want to hear the news in the morning. I've been stuck with this dilemma for a couple months...that is, until now.

Last month I installed Ubuntu Linux on my computer. The nice thing with Linux is that it comes with a whole bunch of extra programs that help you do what you really want to do. Today on my way home from work I had completely run out of things to listen to on the road. So, instead, I spent the whole time in complete silence thinking of what I could do to fix my situation.

At first I thought up an idea to connect an FM radio to the input jack on my sound card and then have my computer automatically record Morning Edition from 5 to 6 in the morning. Then I thought, "wait, you moron, KRCC provides an audio stream, see if you can record that instead". I did a little research, installed a couple of utilities, and voila, I can now record Morning Edition every weekday morning and have it ready to go on my iPod when I'm ready to leave.

There will be no procrastinating the next time my station holds a fund drive. This extra service that they provide is not cheap and it is allowing me to listen to one of my favorite shows.