50 Ways (to Lose your Data)

by Dave Thomas (with sincere apologies to Paul Simon)

If you've a huge experiment in seismology,
Be sure to set it up very logically,
for if you screw it up, you will quickly see,
There must be fifty ways to lose your data

It's not just sensors than can leave you very screwed,
you must check DASes for their connectitude,
sometimes your cables can wind up strangely chewed,
There must be fifty ways to lose your data
Fifty ways to lose your data

Just drop your lock, Brock,
Mess up the params, Graham,
Guralp ain't a toy, Joy,
Just listen to me.
Don't step on the bus, Gus,
Your battery's dead, Fred,
Forget to reset, Bret,
Use the wrong I.D.

Remember solar cells just don't work in the rain,
Hooking up Texans can really be a pain,
Too high a sample rate can make your units drain,
There must be fifty ways to lose your data

Mixing Garmins with SiRFs will not be right,
Your precious event table may never see the light,
Wasn't that active source supposed to be tonight?
There must be fifty ways to lose your data
Fifty ways to lose your data

Just drop your lock, Brock,
Mess up the params, Graham,
Guralp ain't a toy, Joy,
Just listen to me.
Don't step on the bus, Gus,
Your battery's dead, Fred,
Forget to reset, Bret,
Use the wrong I.D.

Just drop your lock, Brock,
Mess up the params, Graham,
Guralp ain't a toy, Joy,
Just listen to me.
Don't step on the bus, Gus,
Your battery's dead, Fred,
Forget to reset, Bret,
Use the wrong I.D.

First performed at the HLP After Party, Thursday, September 11th, 2008, at the Outpost in Burns, Oregon

Live Performance (from Bighorns 2010)