Garden Gnome

Garden Gnome
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

As seen in a Gonzales Wal-Mart.

Single Barrel

Single Barrel
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

A birthday gift from my buddy Alfred.

Desk Vandalism

Desk Vandalism
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

This is what happens when you take off work for a few days in my office.

Celebrating My 27th Birthday At The 40th Annual Jazz Fest

I just wrapped up my fourth trip to New Orleans in five months, which is definitely a record since moving away from the city in December 2004. We were celebrating my 27th birthday and it was definitely a memorable one.

On Saturday morning, Ashley & I drove into the city to meet up with our friends Freddie & Kadee. Freddie is a Shell employee, so he was able to get us onto the surrey leaving from One Shell Square to the New Orleans Fairgrounds, and then into the Shell hospitality tent for free food & drinks.

Although we were able to get free food in the tent, I still wanted to check out some of my favorite dishes from the vendors. Throughout the day I ate Crawfish Monica, a Crawfish Pie, Crawfish Enchiladas, Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms, and a Snowball.

On the music front, I was able to catch several acts during the Saturday performances including the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Deacon John, Dr. John, Irvin Mayfield, and the 50th anniversary tribute to Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" album. That last performance even included the original drummer from the recording of "Kind of Blue."

Saturday evening we had dinner at Emeril's NOLA restaurant. A bottle of Pinot Noir, a filet, garlic mash potatoes, stuffed portabello mushrooms, and barbeque shrimp made for an exquisite birthday dinner. Afterwards, we went to Arnaud's bar which was pleasantly quiet compared to most venues in the Quarter that evening.

We had a few cocktails, and then I struck up a conversation with the bartender. I asked him if any bars in the Quarter carried the recently re-legalized authentic Absinthe. I was specifically looking for Jade Liquers Nouvelle-Orléans, which I've been researching since 2005. He said he didn't think any bars carried that particular brand, but recommended we check out the bar in Pirate's Alley, next to the St. Louis Cathedral.

Pirate's Alley was only a few blocks away, so we headed that direction. Upon entering the bar, I immediately recognized the bottle for which I was searching. I indulged in two glasses of Nouvelle-Orléans Absinthe, which was even more enjoyable given the historic location of the establishment. It really was an amazing cocktail. After finishing, we walked across Jackson Square, got some beignets & hot chocolate from Cafe Du Monde, then headed back to Embassy Suites to call it a night around 3AM.

On Sunday morning, we checked out of the hotel and then Ashley & I headed back to the Fairgrounds for a second day of Jazz Fest. One of my friends from Houston, Alfred, also made it out to Jazz Fest that day and linked up with us at the Acura Stage for the Allen Toussaint performance. During the rest of the day, we caught the Ellis Marsalis Quartet in the WWOZ Jazz Tent, and then Buddy Guy in the Blues Tent. Buddy Guy was actually the reason I wanted to go the second day, and it worked out even better since heavy rains descended on the Fairgrounds after we were already safely inside the Blues Tent with 3 seats.

As for food on the second day, I went for another round of Crawfish Monica & a crawfish pie, a softshell crab poboy, and crawfish beignets. Deliciousness.

An eventful birthday weekend, to be sure. Below I've included a link to the pictures from our adventures, as well as two videos I've put together with the various music clips from the performances of Jazz Fest that I captured.

Pictures

40th Jazz Fest & 27th Birthday Photoset On Flickr


Videos

(Note: Be sure to click the HD button at the bottom of the video player to see in High Quality)

JW's Jazz Fest Montage - May 2, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rko2NvQRB8

JW's Jazz Fest Montage - May 3, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE_7_hd1PvM

Twitter Week In Review 2009-04-25 To 2009-05-02

Reason # 127 to love @googlevoice : responding to txts from a full-size keyboard is 100x faster than pecking out a response via your phone.

7:51 PM Apr 25th from Tweetie

Wow, CD 1 of the new Pacha Classics album is like house music bliss; making my school project feel like less work & more party. Good times.

8:19 PM Apr 25th from Tweetie

Entire day spent on iPhone school proj; confession: this might be the most fun I've had on a school-required proj ever; plus this might = $!

10:57 PM Apr 25th from Tweetie

Posted this week's JW / Electronica Classic: Sasha's NYE 1999 Mix at Ally Pally; the heyday for trance tunes! http://tinyurl.com/dlgwaf

10:27 AM Apr 26th from TweetDeck

@brianthiggins It's illustrating the SDLC applied towards the creation of an iPhone app about NOLA. :-)

12:03 PM Apr 26th from Tweetie in reply to brianthiggins

Awesome, check out this Trombone Shorty vs Wynton Marsalis video from Fri night @ HOB NOLA: http://tinyurl.com/cg3cbl

12:18 PM Apr 26th from TweetDeck

@dudesy916 Wow, I've never even seen a torrent that large, much less attempted to download one; 14 hrs for 39GB is crazy fast!

1:03 PM Apr 26th from Tweetie in reply to dudesy916

@msheets That's awesome!

3:50 PM Apr 26th from Tweetie in reply to msheets

Singularly focused on iPhone paper today; knocked out 12 pages worth of analysis/description + diagrams; need to wrap up tomorrow night.

11:37 PM Apr 26th from Tweetie

Snap, I just worked 9 solid hrs @ work, followed by the most intense 6 hrs of paper writing I've ever attempted; my brain is zapped. Eeesh.

1:13 AM Apr 28th from Tweetie

Branford Marsalis tunes on a rainy day are helping this sleep-deprived individual feel human again. :-)

11:41 AM Apr 28th from Tweetie

Drained day due to 3 hrs of sleep last night; managed to still get stuff done @ work, then made minor progress on my Info Sec slides; in PM.

10:10 PM Apr 28th from TweetDeck

On the cusp of being caught up @ work for 1st time in '09; mall trip in PM for Jazz Fest prep w/new clothes + haircut; so stoked for weekend

9:47 PM Apr 29th from Tweetie

Last time slot @ #JazzFest on Sat is tough! Miles Davis Kind of Blue tribute vs Bon Jovi vs O'Jays; too bad set lists aren't preannounced ;)

10:09 PM Apr 29th from Tweetie

@khurst421 Much better! This time my hair stylist actually got finished with my sideburns before I sent her into a sudden fit of sobbing. ;)

10:13 PM Apr 29th from TweetDeck in reply to khurst421

Here are my cube picks for #JazzFest on Sat & Sun; great music & then Emeril's NOLA on Sat night. http://tinyurl.com/d5kxfz (PDF Link)

8:46 AM Apr 30th from TweetDeck

Listening to Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" album again after reading this article: http://tinyurl.com/c2zbfb Can't wait for #JazzFest tribute

10:28 AM Apr 30th from TweetDeck

Listening to the #JazzFest broadcast at work via www.wwoz.org.

12:33 PM Apr 30th from Tweetie

Headed to LA tomorrow, so spent evening packing, getting the car cleaned up, & prepping my gadgets for the weekend+ of fun ahead #JazzFest

10:41 PM Apr 30th from Tweetie

Made it to LA for #JazzFest; stopped by Tanger charity walk for etouffee & catfish; finished PM w/drive-thru daiquris; Fairgrounds in AM! :)

9:36 PM May 1st from Tweetie

@saralytle Congrats Sara!

7:11 AM May 2nd from Tweetie in reply to saralytle

Made it onto the Shell surrey; next stop Fairgrounds!

10:24 AM May 2nd from Tweetie

Had an awesome day out @ #JazzFest; headed to Emeril's NOLA for dinner, then bar hopping in the Quarter w/Ash, Freddie, & Kadee.

8:44 PM May 2nd from Tweetie

JW / Electronica Classics 013: Smokin' Jo's 2003 Essential Mix

Another feel good set this week, as I'm still on vacation in Louisiana celebrating my 27th birthday. I had this Essential Mix burned to an MP3 CD and it stayed in my Jetta's CD player for months back in 2003 & 2004. It's got groovy house tunes (as you'll see from the track list below), a few harder tunes towards the end, and stays upbeat throughout.

This will be a keeper for you as the summer months kick into full swing. It was an old standby set when Ashley & I used to cruise around in her Beetle convertible & head to the beach in Delaware. Enjoy!

Smokin' Jo - Essential Mix 2003-09-21
Megaupload Link / Rapidshare Link

Inland Knights - Right Now
Lisa Stansfield - Hold On [Accapella]
Locodice - Phat Dope Shit
Inland Knights - Wait A While
Switch - Get Yer Dub On
Boinic Bump Band - Beastie
Hughes - Idiot Box
Locodice - City Lights
Jon Carter - Closer to God (Tim Sheridian Mix)
Delgardo - Coffee Beats Vol 2
Ronnie Ganaoa ft Stephane K - Cant Get Enough Of Your Love (Jako Ibiza Mix)
Unknown - Unknown
Ciarmen - Work It
4 Tune 500 - Dancing In The Dark
Sandy Rivera - Dreams
Gordan Edge - Body Free
Ross Couch - In The Night
Wackside feat Chic - Freak Out
Maracia - Shake It [Mutiny Remix]
Superchumbo - This Beat Is
Julius Papp - Drum De Voodoo
Mansonic Noodles - Gonna Get You
Audio Bullys - Way Too Long (Switch Remix)
50 Cent - In Da Club (Radio Slave Edit)

Buddy Guy Performs At Jazz Fest

Buddy Guy Performs At Jazz Fest
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

We were insanely lucky to find 3 seats together in the Blues Tent just minutes before the rain showers started over the New Orleans Fairgrounds.

Crawfish In The Clouds

Crawfish In The Clouds
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

As seen as I stood in line for a Crawfish Pie at Jazz Fest.

iPhone Unlock Screen On My Birthday

iPhone Unlock Screen On My Birthday
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Complete with a festive NOLA scene for the occasion.

Parking At Jazz Fest

Parking At Jazz Fest
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Even though we had to drop a Jackson for the convenience, our spot was only a few blocks away from the entrance, and the elderly gentleman pawning off spots was exceedingly polite.

Late Night Closeup of Café Du Monde Sign

Late Night Closeup of Café Du Monde Sign
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Ashley was kind enough to get me hot chocolate and beignets after a late night of indulging.

AT&T's Network Crumbles At Jazz Fest

AT&T's Network Crumbles At Jazz Fest
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Despite the data meter at the top of the screen, internet access was non-existent, SMS messages rarely went through, and voice calls were about 50/50. Temporary towers aren't available for events like this or SXSWi?

Soul Cleansing In The Gospel Tent

Soul Cleansing In The Gospel Tent
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Watching Dillard University's VisionQuest Choir at Jazz Fest.

And So Jazz Fest Weekend Begins

And So Jazz Fest Weekend Begins
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Kicking it off in my own way in TX via the easily-accessible LA-native Raising Cane's for lunch today.

Singularly Focused On Chewing

Singularly Focused On Chewing
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Few things make a Puggle more content.

Flooding In The Woodlands

Flooding In The Woodlands
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Alternate titles for this post included "When Lake Woodlands Attacks" , "Aquatic Park Benches" , and "I Think My Fountain Has Swine Flu".

Soap

Soap
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

A Fleur De Lis and a W...it just kind of fits.

iPod Closeup

iPod Closeup
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

My old MP3 work horse. A 60GB iPod Color which still serves as my primary daily listening device almost 4 years later.

Twitter Week In Review 2009-04-18 To 2009-04-24

@dudesy916 You must zone out during my new tech demos at work, like the one where I showed TweetDeck...a month ago. ;-)

12:38 PM Apr 18th from TweetDeck in reply to dudesy916

Sat spent working on my Hewitt InfoSec paper & doing a few things around the house; went to the @bjmitts Crawfish Boil in PM...good times!

9:20 AM Apr 19th from TweetDeck

Posted this week's JW/Electronica Classic: Hybrid on One World 2003; amazing live breakbeat performance: http://tinyurl.com/cyelqj

9:58 AM Apr 19th from TweetDeck

Landry's Crawfish Boil = AWESOME. http://twitpic.com/3m1co

2:28 PM Apr 19th from Tweetie

I like to see NOLA getting publicity, even on Twitter. Plus, half the tags in this cloud could be NOLA-centric! http://twitpic.com/3n1wc

10:44 PM Apr 19th from TweetDeck

Didn't get quite as much paper writing done today as hoped, but did have some fun w/Ash & Puggles; family sometimes has to trump school.

10:52 PM Apr 19th from TweetDeck

@dsilverman Heard of any AT&T 3G data outages around Houston? We've had 0 3G all morning in The Woodlands in places I'd normally get 5 bars.

12:05 PM Apr 20th from Tweetie

Downed a mini-pot of coffee; let's see how long I can ride this caffeine wave towards paper-writing progress!

7:30 PM Apr 20th from Tweetie

Calmer Mon @ work actually allowed me to...work. Measurable progress in PM on my Hewitt Info Sec paper; should be able to finalize tomorrow.

11:34 PM Apr 20th from Tweetie

Digging Tweetie for Mac; fits nicely into same Space as Adium; will prob run in parallel to TweetDeck which needs its own space but is great

11:59 PM Apr 20th from Tweetie

@ATTNews Have changes been made to 3G towers around The Woodlands TX (just north of Houston) recently? Our 3G coverage has been poor this wk

1:01 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie

RT @TheEllenShow: Hey Tulane students - I've told you to follow me...and you're gonna find out why tomorrow!

6:18 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie

Knocked out a single, but important task @ work today; home in PM for more Info Sec paper writing...1 more section to go, then iPhone paper.

11:10 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie

RT: @Pogue -BREAKING POGUE TWITTER NEWS- Dear followers: We're about to become a book! Get psyched! Here's the details: http://bit.ly/2b8FQ

11:17 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie

Wow: Oakenfold + Sandra Collins @ Rich's Houston on 5/15; 2 of my wildest NOLA stories involve them @ MardiGras '01 http://twitpic.com/3r67u

11:47 PM Apr 21st from TweetDeck

Speaking of Sandra Collins, #7 on this CD = WIN; reminds me of cruising around uptown NOLA; check the Listen link: http://tinyurl.com/dfllja

12:16 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

Man, AT&T's 3G coverage is still completely MIA in The Woodlands,TX. What happened over the weekend?

1:16 PM Apr 22nd from Twinkle

Not a bad Wed; caught up on some projs @ work, then finished my Info Sec paper in PM after watching Fringe w/Puggles. Exam study, then bed.

11:39 PM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

This wk is draining me; AM spent @ office, PM working @ home waiting for Comcast tech who didn't show; studied in evening for Fri's final.

10:26 PM Apr 23rd from Tweetie

@JustonWestern 's #followfriday @ashleyzw @MattWestern @nojf @TulaneNews @voodooexp2009 NOLA fun next weekend! #jazzfest

5:52 AM Apr 24th from Tweetie

RT @Pogue 13 yr old downloads 1 billionth iPhone app. Wins $10K gift card, laptop, iPod, Time Capsule, & universal envy. http://bit.ly/pmP5l

10:40 AM Apr 24th from Tweetie

Just had a Which Wich sandwich over at the new location here in The Woodlands; super busy, but great food!

1:06 PM Apr 24th from Tweetie

Listening to the #JazzFest broadcast on www.wwoz.org; can't wait to be there next Sat & Sun!

1:14 PM Apr 24th from Tweetie

InfoSec exam in AM; uninterrupted work @ office; lunch out @ Which Wich, then iPhone dev proj outline in PM; lots-o-ground to cover Sat/Sun.

11:24 PM Apr 24th from Tweetie

Just wanted to make another plug for @nojf; it's an aggregator acct that RT's any tweet w/JazzFest or #jazzfest in it; interesting to watch!

11:27 PM Apr 24th from Tweetie

JW / Electronica Classics 012: Sasha's NYE 1999 Mix At Ally Pally

I've been doing a lot of writing this week for school, and for some reason late 90's trance music helps get me in a focused frame of mind. In that spirit, I offer up this classic set from Sasha recorded on New Year's Eve 1999 at Alexandra Palace in London.

It's notable that during the years of 1998 & 1999, you'd be hard pressed to differentiate a Sasha set from a Paul Oakenfold or Paul Van Dyk set. There seemed to be a convergence in the style of music during those years from many of the famous European DJs. By 2000 or 2001, each of those guys were pursuing noticeably distinct sounds.

As you listen to this performance, it's easy to remember the kind of pre-millenial, chaotic but hopeful exuberance that trance music really seemed to embody. This was at the height of popularity for super clubs in the United Kingdom, and truly for the trance genre as a whole. I think this set really captures that spirit.

Sasha - Essential Mix 1999-01-01 NYE Live at Alexandra Palace, London
Megaupload Link / Rapidshare Link

01. Nuclear Hyde - Contact
02. Orkidea - Unity
03. Libra Presents Taylor - Anomaly (Calling Your Name) (Albion Mix)
04. Tilt - Whats This? (Tilts Tunnel Mix)
05. Caspar Pound - Pioneers Of The Warped Groove (Starecase Mix)
06. Jan Driver - Drive By (Timo Maas Mix)
07. Robert Junior & Danny Polanco - See The Light
08. Silhouette - Silhouette Of Our Love (Dark Matter Mix)
09. Space Manoeuvres - Stage One (Space Manoeuvres Separation Mix)
10. Lucid - Crazy (Nalin & Kane's Down On A Sit Mix)
11. Ecano - Run (Z2 Mix)
12. Mono Culture - Free
13. Danny Tenaglia - Turn Me On (Bedrock Mix)
14. Red Devil - Gamelan
15. Humate - Love Stimulation (Paul Van Dyk`s Love Mix)
16. Armin - Virgo
17. Breeder - Twilo Thunder (Stoked Up Mix)
18. Laguna Seca - The Flow (Nalin & Kane Mix)
19. Arrakis - Aira Force
20. Nuclear Hyde - Contact
21. JX - Close To Your Heart (Immortals Mix)

Getting My Money's Worth Out Of My MacBook Pro

Getting My Money's Worth Out Of My MacBook Pro
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Today was the kind of day I planned for when I purchased my MacBook Pro 15 months ago: 20 applications open, 3 Firefox windows totaling 62 tabs, Photoshop, Xcode, every MS Office application, & Google Earth. I love technology. :-)

Dual Skulls

Dual Skulls
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

It just so happened this skull-themed wallpaper rotated through Desktoptopia as I was looking at my Skullcandy headphones.

The Cube Tree

The Cube Tree
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

It's like entering the jungle every time I walk to or from my desk.

The Mind Of A Puggle

The Mind Of A Puggle
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

It runs wild with the visual stimulation provided by life on the other side of the window.

Stuffed Longhorn

Stuffed Longhorn
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Adorning my manager's desk. Yes, he's a UT grad.

Sights Of The Season

Sights Of The Season
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

It's the end of April, so that means...paper writing time! So much paper writing...

More Bars In More Places?

More Bars In More Places?
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Or a dead zone? *cue scary piano sound*

Landry's 13th Annual Crawfish Boil

Landry's 13th Annual Crawfish Boil
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Beautiful weather, cold beer, and all-you-can-eat crawfish...not a bad Sunday lunch.

More pictures from the boil here.

Twitter Week In Review 2009-04-12 To 2009-04-17

Great Sat; up early for Crescent City Classic, drinks in City Park post-race, then crawfish & Abita @ Bulldog on Magazine with Freddie/Kadee

7:46 AM Apr 12th from Tweetie

Stuck in traffic on I-10 West around exit 810. These 2 hr delays really put a damper on otherwise pleasant travel. :-/

6:56 PM Apr 12th from Tweetie

Posted this week's JW/Electronica Classic: JGriffin Live on WTUL New Orleans 2005; house makes me smile. :-) http://tinyurl.com/cdrxmr

10:56 PM Apr 12th from TweetDeck

Easter mass in NOLA @ St Louis Cathedral in AM; amazing champagne brunch @ Royal Sonesta on Bourbon St; then 6.5 hr drive back to TX in PM.

11:29 PM Apr 12th from TweetDeck

Standard Mon in '09: fixing what went wrong @ work over the weekend; overly ambitious evening agenda didn't reach 100%, but made progress.

10:18 PM Apr 13th from TweetDeck

Digging the new "Strictly Erick Morillo" album.

12:25 PM Apr 14th from TweetDeck

Eeesh, definitely not feeling this new Sharam "Get Wild" album. Makes me long for the days of their Yoshitoshi compilations & GU021 Moscow.

4:55 PM Apr 14th from TweetDeck

Another busy/late day @ the office; PM spent on class videos & research paper prep for Wed interview of Hewitt IS/IT guru; e-mails, then bed

11:41 PM Apr 14th from TweetDeck

@rgremill Gah, did Idol encroach upon Fringe again? I had to watch the last 10 mins on Fox.com last wk since my TiVo recorded as scheduled.

11:43 PM Apr 14th from TweetDeck in reply to rgremill

Kaskade's albums were much better when he was w/Om Records instead of Ultra; alas, his recent comps are forgettable trance-ish house mixes.

11:51 PM Apr 14th from TweetDeck

@dudesy916 What's wrong, man?

12:26 PM Apr 15th from Tweetie in reply to dudesy916

Got a pre-release copy of the GV Mobile iPhone app for Google Voice today from the app's developer; very slick! http://tinyurl.com/d2ftsq

3:41 PM Apr 15th from TweetDeck

Longest day @ office since last fall; evening spent transcribing InfoSec Interview recording + sorting articles for research paper...school.

10:24 PM Apr 15th from TweetDeck

Deep thoughts by Puggles: http://tinyurl.com/d4sycr

11:37 PM Apr 15th from TweetDeck

Lots-o-calls @ work today, nearly all superfluous; broke away for lunch @ Goose's Acre; spent all of PM working on Info Sec research paper.

11:25 PM Apr 16th from TweetDeck

JustonWestern #followfriday @PugglesTXRanger @shayman @DJJohnDigweed @googlevoice @NOLABrewingCo ; a nice smattering of my interests. :-)

12:11 AM Apr 17th from TweetDeck

@shayman Good luck w/the iPhone Under The Hood demo @ Auburn; I'm a current MBA student there, but caught your demo @ U of Houston on 4/1.

12:16 AM Apr 17th from web in reply to shayman

@laurenramsey Pretty slick!

8:43 AM Apr 17th from Tweetie in reply to laurenramsey

The new Wynton Marsalis "He & She" album is providing a proper soundtrack to this rainy Friday in The Woodlands.

2:31 PM Apr 17th from TweetDeck

Took a break to order my birthday present: http://tinyurl.com/b5r42h I've been eyeing it since Feb, & it released just in time for Jazz Fest

4:05 PM Apr 17th from TweetDeck

Short day @ the office; spent the afternoon on school stuff, mostly on an Info Sec research paper; also tweaked prefs in Nambu & added grps.

11:05 PM Apr 17th from Nambu

JW / Electronica Classics 011: Hybrid On One World 2003

This week's choice is the first breakbeat mix in the series and a true musical gem. I first learned about Hybrid back in the fall of 2000. This production team out of the UK was known for its fresh approach to breakbeat music, and represented a noticeable departure from the traditional breakbeat sounds popularized by DJs in Florida in the late 1990s. They gained international fame in the early 2000s when they were the opening act during Moby's tour.

The set was recorded on Radio 1's Maida Vale Live Session back during the summer of 2003 while promoting their then soon-to-be-released Morning Sci-Fi album. A year later, during July of 2004, I was able to conduct a phone interview with Chris Healings of Hybrid and asked him about this performance. Here is an excerpt from that interview.

Originally published in the August 2004 issue of the New Orleans Electronica Digest:

Juston: Your Maida Vale Live Session on One World that was broadcast on Radio 1 in July 2003 still generates buzz on dance music boards around the world. Were you guys aware of the set’s immense popularity amongst your fans?

Chris: We were actually, and you know what? For myself, as well, I think I actually prefer it to “Morning Sci-Fi”.

Juston: Really?

Chris: Yeah, I think it’s a much better set of tracks, mix of tracks. It’s got some of the older stuff in there and it’s got that “live” feel to it. It’s actually going to get released. We’re just releasing a Y4K DJ compilation, but after that there’s going to be another “Remixed & Additional Production” album that we did, which of course we’ve done before. It’s basically a set of all our favorite remixes that we’ve done for other people. We’re currently doing some remixes for Hans Zimmer, the composer. We’ve already gotten a hold of some of the parts from “Hannibal”, the film. So we’re currently remixing some film scores just because it’s rather interesting. So that album of “Remixes & Additional Productions” will be all of our remixes, but the second CD will be that live show from the BBC. Hopefully there will be some footage on there, too. Let’s see, what all did we have there that day? I think it was something like 40 classical players, we had Peter Hook from New Order there, Kirsty Hawkshaw, and then we had our 5 or 6 piece live act. So there were a lot of people in there that day.

Juston: Yeah, it sounded like quite the full studio that day.

But I’ll tell you what, my god was I stressed. (laughs) Pulling that one together was a bit tricky. But it came out really well. So that’s gonna get released, a proper release, because it really deserves it.

If that doesn't pique your interest, I fear little else will. Enjoy!

Hybrid - Live Session On One World Radio 1 2003-07-25
Megaupload Link / Rapidshare Link

1 - Visible Noise / Theme From Wide Angle
2 - Kill City (Live Mix)
3 - If I Survive (Adam's Vocal Cover)
4 - I'm Still Awake
5 - Know Your Enemy
6 - Higher Than A Skyscraper
7 - True To Form
8 - Blackout

Rainy Day Puggles

Rainy Day Puggles
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

The little guy zonked out, listening to the rain hit the window.

Friday Night Research

Friday Night Research
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

All my notes spread out in Puggles' room as I try to logically correlate the gathered information. And a little Longboard Island Lager by the baseboard to quench my thirst.

Garbage Receptacle

Garbage Receptacle
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

This is where the trash goes in Hewitt's cafeteria.

Waterway Square

Waterway Square
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

As seen on my walk to The Goose's Acre for lunch this afternoon. Perfect weather for patio dining by the waterway.

GV Mobile Splash Screen

GV Mobile Splash Screen
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Testing out a pre-release version of the Google Voice iPhone application. This is likely the final piece of the puzzle I needed to switch to my Google Voice 281# full time.

Puggles Hanging Out In The Office

Puggles Hanging Out In The Office
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Looking for mail on my desk to eat, no doubt.

AT&T 3G = Dark Magic

AT&T 3G = Dark Magic
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Note the full 3G coverage. Screenshot taken less than 50 ft away from my desk, where I get 1 bar of EDGE on a sunny day, & periods of "No Service" on cloudy days. Hey Ralph de la Vega: how about some of that 850MHz network upgrade love here in Houston?

The Puggle Threshold

The Puggle Threshold
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

He gazes curiously, wondering why I'm sitting in his room while the rest of the house is freely accessible.

Twitter Week In Review 2009-04-05 To 2009-04-10

Posted this week's JW / Electronica Classic: Roger Sanchez's 2004 set from Club Queen Paris. http://tinyurl.com/cb4vym

4:59 pm April 5 from TweetDeck

Following @CCC10k ; getting pumped for Saturday!

8:04 pm April 5 from TweetDeck

@pineoaks If they were truly sent to you, but not a direct msg, you can view your msgs here: http://twitter.com/timeline/replies

8:56 pm April 5 from TweetDeck in reply to pineoaks

A rather cerebral Sun; class vids, both Auburn & Stanford; paper prep, proj proposals, work e-mails, then iPhone SDK practice programs.

11:02 pm April 5 from TweetDeck

@laurenramsey Best free: TwitterFon; Best Paid: Tweetie

1:00 pm April 6 from TweetDeck in reply to laurenramsey

@zorak303 I'll remind you of this Tweet in 4 yrs when you're using 300GB just to store the recording of the 2013 Iron Bowl in Super HD+++.

10:18 pm April 6 from Tweetie in reply to zorak303

Tough day @ work w/my schedule/priorties dictated by others...a pet peeve; reclaimed PM w/House, iPhone dev reading, & RSS in Puggles' room.

10:25 PM Apr 6th from Tweetie

I still get more comments/views of this video than any other I've ever uploaded to YouTube. It's kind of creepy. http://tinyurl.com/chtqxl

11:16 PM Apr 7th from TweetDeck

Another comically hosed day @ work...sheesh; hit the books hard in PM w/2 class vids, project planning, & paper writing; must get thru Apr!

11:58 PM Apr 7th from TweetDeck

Bad: hairstylist having nervous brkdown midhaircut/walking out in tears w/out saying a word; incidentally, my hair is its shortest in 10 yrs

9:19 PM Apr 8th from TweetDeck

Great Twitter clients hitting this week; loving the new TweetDeck update, but Nambu's got Mac-like polish & native feel; think I'll run both

10:50 PM Apr 8th from TweetDeck

Started out day w/workout & iPhone Dev vid; hit Arby's @ lunch w/coworkers for an eating competition; PM spent prepping for Thur NOLA Trip.

11:45 PM Apr 8th from TweetDeck

Following @PugglesTXRanger ; it was only a matter of time before he leveraged his iBone & iPaw towards Twitter: http://tinyurl.com/cnpud2

12:18 AM Apr 9th from TweetDeck

Busy day @ work trying to get everything in order prior to long weekend; trip from Woodlands to BR took 7 hrs due to a burning car on I-45.

11:28 PM Apr 9th from TweetDeck

BBQ Shrimp Poboy = WIN. http://twitpic.com/33vkh

12:11 PM Apr 10th from Tweetie

NOLA people: Ash & I will be @ the Bulldog on Magazine 12ish tomorrow after Crescent City Classic. Join us for a beer if you'll be in town.

2:57 PM Apr 10th from TweetDeck

Woke up w/pink eye; what am I, 7? Day got better w/NOLA fun, CCC packet pickup, & lunch @ Red Fish Grill on Bourbon; now an early night.

8:01 PM Apr 10th from Tweetie

Weekend In NOLA For Crescent City Classic & Easter

Just got back into The Woodlands after 3 days in Louisiana for the Crescent City Classic & Easter. I was a little light on the blogging while there, but did manage to snap several great pics on my iPhone during the trip.

I've uploaded the two photo collections to Flickr for everyone to check out.

Crescent City Classic 2009

Easter 2009

An awesome trip, and only three weeks before we get to go back for Jazz Fest. Living within reasonable driving distance of the city has definitely been a plus.

JW / Electronica Classics 010: JGriffin Live On WTUL New Orleans

I just got back into town from a weekend in New Orleans for the Crescent City Classic & Easter, so it seemed fitting to pull this mix out of the vault.

This two hour set was broadcast on my alma mater's radio station back during the summer of 2005, less than 2 months before Hurricane Katrina struck. I was living in Delaware when I downloaded this house mix, and it immediately struck a chord with me. The track selection is decidedly upbeat, with elements of jazz & Caribbean steel drums. In short, it really captures the musical diversity of the city.

I've really developed a sentimental attachment to this mix. It was the first music played in both my wife's convertible & my first new car. When I need to get in a positive frame of mind, this is likely the mix I'm going to cue up.

No tracklisting again this week, unfortunately, but I hope you all enjoy this two hour set as much as I have over the years.

Jeremy Griffin - Live on WTUL New Orleans 2005-06-03
Megaupload Link / Rapidshare Link

Escape From Houston

Escape From Houston
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

After first being delayed an hour by a burning car on I-45 South, we were provided little comfort by all the warning icons along I-10 East.

Popcorn Menace

Popcorn Menace
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Interestingly, no signage exists prohibiting threats such as weapons or narcotics. Of note, however, are the 1,300 popcorn-related deaths in The Woodlands this year alone. May God help those on the 1st floor.

Running Gadgets

Running Gadgets
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

My iPod Nano, Nike+ Transmitter, & Nike+ iPod WatchRemote chilling on a carpet coaster in preparation for their New Orleans debut at the Crescent City Classic this Saturday.

Monday Night Reading

Monday Night Reading
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

As odd as it seems, yes, I'm actually reading software development books for leisure. It's actually pretty fun & interesting learning about programming when it's in a "want to" context instead of a "have to" context.

Puggles Downs My Leftover Ribeye

Puggles Downs My Leftover Ribeye
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

The little guy can consume steak faster than I can drink water. Apparently chewing is optional in both scenarios.

Twitter Week In Review 2009-03-29 To 2009-04-04

Posted this week's JW/Electronica Classic: Sasha & John Digweed's Delta Heavy Essential Mix from WMC 2002. http://tinyurl.com/dkbfu5

1:57 PM Mar 29th from TweetDeck

@RyanDurham Glad to hear it!

6:35 PM Mar 29th from TweetDeck in reply to RyanDurham

Spent day catching up on house stuff; 3 class videos in PM, 2 30 Rocks w/Ash & Puggles, then MP3 moving to have fresh tunes for next week.

11:53 PM Mar 29th from TweetDeck

RT @voodooexp2009: KISS confirmed for Oct 31. Happy Halloween! Many more bands to be announced. #VoodooExp

3:44 PM Mar 30th from TweetDeck

Busy Mon @ the office; easily handled a client prob, though, so that was fulfilling; school work in PM...April's going to be challenging.

9:23 PM Mar 30th from TweetDeck

Deep in the weeds of SAS coding today @ work...didn't even pause for lunch; had to unwind in PM w/"College" DVD (filmed @ Tulane!) + wine.

10:29 PM Mar 31st from TweetDeck

Just made it down to the University of Houston for the "iPhone Under The Hood" development seminar. Parking @ a commuter school is tough!

1:01 PM Apr 1st from Tweetie

Awesome day; short, but productive morning @ work, great iPhone dev talk down @ U of H in PM, Mexican dinner out w/Ash, now brainstorming.

9:38 PM Apr 1st from TweetDeck

Just scored box seats for the Seinfeld show at Jones Hall next month. :-)

10:34 AM Apr 2nd from TweetDeck

@mintyone Awesome! Thanks for the heads up on this place; I hadn't heard about it yet; I'll definitely have to check it out next weekend.

7:17 PM Apr 2nd from TweetDeck in reply to mintyone

A ticket buying kinda day! Just picked up 2 for the Crystal Method live show here in Houston @ the House of Blues next month.

7:20 PM Apr 2nd from TweetDeck

Stormy morn in The Woodlands; had lots of iPhone dev talk @ work today; PM spent with class quiz/videos/planning; cell amp research then bed

11:09 PM Apr 2nd from TweetDeck

Delicious lunch on the patio on a beautiful spring day. http://twitpic.com/2rt4g

1:14 PM Apr 3rd from Tweetie

@pineoaks Awesome. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow! :-)

9:09 PM Apr 3rd from TweetDeck in reply to pineoaks

Quite the day; calls & proj planning @ work; extended lunch on patio of Landry's w/great weather; ran 10K in PM in prep for Cresc City Clsc.

10:09 PM Apr 3rd from TweetDeck

@baldbobbo Got plans for after the race on Sat? I'm toying with the idea of hitting up Bulldog/Big Fisherman or that new NOLA Brewery.

10:23 PM Apr 3rd from TweetDeck in reply to baldbobbo

Good morning! Headed down to Rice University soon for the Tulane Alumni Crawfish Boil, then catching the Tulane vs Rice baseball game.

7:54 AM Apr 4th from TweetDeck

JW / Electronica Classics 009: Roger Sanchez Live At Club Queen Paris 2005

Another great house set this week, with a four hour long monster from Roger Sanchez.

I ran across this set back during the summer of 2005 and it stayed on my iPod Shuffle for nearly 6 months as my exclusive running set. The mix never really drags throughout the four hours, and I'm particularly fond of hour number two. It's got a jazzy feel to it and probably struck a chord with me because of fond memories of New Orleans.

I couldn't find a comprehensive track listing for this particular mix, so I'm afraid you'll have to go into it blind. Rest assured, however, you'll recognize some classics in there. ;-)

Roger Sanchez - Live at Club Queen Paris 2005-04-06

Megaupload Link / Again No Rapidshare Link...the ZIP file is over 300MB

Out At The Tulane vs Rice Baseball Game

Out At The Tulane vs Rice Baseball Game
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

The Green Wave couldn't pull out a win this day, but it was still fun
getting to see some college baseball again.

Shrimp Poboy

Shrimp Poboy
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Seemed like a fitting choice for lunch in preparation for tomorrow's
Tulane vs Rice baseball game & crawfish boil.