Surly Abrasive Good

How could it not be with a hop-spark shooting angle grinder on the can?

Side Two

We Belong to the Night

Let it Rain
Terri
Feel It
Dreaming

2649

H is for Hamster

Zombieland 5K

The first rule of Zombieland is you do not talk about Zombieland. Wait, no, it's Cardio. I have been striving to improve mine by running on elliptical machines and sometimes treadmills for the last 18 months - occasionally venturing out onto the streets with others to suck wind before being Left 4 Dead (2) -that's me on the right. Outside today with Chris and his GPS watch I did a full 5K and it really felt like a milestone.

Running is hard, there is no coasting. The ground beats my body and joints, and my lungs feel like clenched fists. I'm at the edge of anaerobic after the first three blocks, still.

Mental toughness is harder. I am striving to catch my second wind now because I have a long way to go and a lot to do - when the zombies come I must be ready.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

The kids and I watched this tonight. They liked it but I really liked it. Definitely one of those good on multiple levels movies. Stop-motion animation and good actors, it's a Wes Anderson too which I didn't know until the credits, but which then totally made sense.

Sean and I spent a bunch of time oohing and aahing and tightening and taping last night. We agreed; the graphics look pretty cool actually - in a racer bike kind of way. Today after some final position tweaks I was off to the Greenway and the lakes.

Carbon deadens road chatter better than steel I would say - I was very comfortable. That bike climbs and sprints like no other I've ever ridden. I barely noticed dreaded mountain bike slogging hills. I went from sidewalk to speed-of-traffic on Lyndale in a quarter block - if you've got the legs for it, I bet you could go 60 miles an hour. Strong west wind today, but riding into it didn't completely suck, it just was what it was - in my mind's eye the sculpted scalpel blade frame tubes were cutting through it like a white hot knife.

It's a dream, I'm really really liking it.

Wednesday night I had no time to meet my new ride. I didn't see much more than the photo I posted this morning - could have stayed up, but wanted to savor. Today I couldn't concentrate at work.

I've never had a lot of love for the great Trek bicycle making company, but I'm feeling it more tonight. This is a sexy bike, it's beautiful, the curves, and sweeps, are sensual. Every aspect of the frame is obviously highly engineered. It's light. I think the wheelset weighs the same as the rest of the bike.

The packaging is the most confidence-inspiring I've ever seen. Bubble-wrapped, foam-tube-zip-tied and blocked, and strapped to the side of the double wall cardboard. The boxing is almost as highly engineered as the bike itself. It's not just another bike in a box.

It's a thing of beauty, it makes you want to touch.

Q: What's red and white and black all over?
A: Last night in the garage.

ArtCrank 2010 - Be Your Own Engine

Went to ArtCrank 2010 MPLS opening night tonight in a Nord-East art studio warehouse space. Three blocks from where I used to work. Band, Beer, Bike-people, posters - cool. Two were sold out when I went to buy, but neither that I wanted. One I already have. Gene-O was doing tricks on his single speed and everyone seemed really drunk in the poster room. It was late.

My favorite poster there was not for sale though - yes, the Nice Ride poster from the new MPLS bike share program (only available with $75 year membership). I talked to dude (Jake) for a while, he said contact him at his office at the Midtown and he'd see what he could do - wink wink. But he wouldn't budge tonight. He seemed like a smart guy, interesting angle to open at a place where no one would ever buy his product, but all would totally support it.

I'm very curious what you guys got.

I totally rocked on see and be seen, I am the old master at move thought the crowd as if you don't care. This gorgeous 30-something bike helmet Nordic amazon w/boyfriend gave me a long look and I fell in love for a few seconds. Another older dark haired followed and bumped, I pretended not to notice. I'm already in love with another. Very fun.

SHEER HEART ATTACK

Dinosaur Rock Guitar - Heavy music geeks only!

There's a hard rock-heavy metal guitar geek site I like called Dinosaur Rock Guitar. It's neat in that it's very nitch-y. It includes information about guitarists, equipment, and bands - but very specific ones. Old hard rock - yes. Blues hard rock - yes. Metal - yes. -But each of these only if they have those old-school blues-based, frequently classically-influenced, yet aggressive; roots, and style. It will really only be interesting to people who like 70's and 80's heavy music... and play/own a guitar.

I stumbled across it in a search result again today, and I call your attention to it now, for one specific set of pages that are truly vintage-metal-guitar-geeky. The "Guitar Alchemy" section. There they have very detailed and insightful analysis of a particular player's style, influences, strengths and weaknesses, as well as specific technical signatures, sound, equipment, essential recordings and "dinosaur credentials".

The rest of the site seems to be a bigger framework than the content it contains - and the pictures suck throughout. I don't know why they bury the alchemy section three links deep, for my money it's by far the best part. Alchemy/Guitar Alchemy/A through Z.

They have a funny description they occasionally apply when analyzing one of these masters, if they get distinctly slower and mellower in the second half of their long careers. They say they have "ALD". Alex Lifeson Disease. Gary Moore has it.

Sean and Randy at least will enjoy this - fuck you all, metal rules.

I AM THE LAW

Sniff n the Tears Drivers Seat

Here, awesome 80's one hit wonder song.

Rhythm of Nature Great Wolf Lodge WI Dells

Queen News of the World 1977

My brother requested and received this as a last second birthday gas station purchase one summer on the way to the cabin in the later 1970s. Starts with We Will Rock You/We are the you know what - that if you listen to in a quiet low-stimulation environment, the stomp-clap reverb and faint vocal grunts sound like god meets James Brown - And goes from there. Some of my favorite Queen songs are on here. Spread your wings. Get down make love. The whole thing really.

Buddy, you're a boy make a big noise playing in the street. Gonna be a big man some day. Got mud on your face. Big disgrace. Some body better put you back into your place. We will we will rock you.

Here - top 20 all time album. FLAC files love Foobar2000, download it, all versions are free, open source. It's my ipod manager too- ask me how.

SIDI Genius 6.6 2010

I will never have a really nice car, or guitar, computer probably, or even bicycle maybe, but I will now have the (second) nicest pair of road cycling shoes made - SIDI 6.6. I really spent some time trying to decide if two steps upgrade was value for the money - my basic Dominators don't leave much to be desired. I concluded that after the frame and wheels - that like a Brooks - the most important parts of the bike are the parts that touch my body. I will be strapping my stumps into the finest engineered leather and carbon, Italian-hand-made shoes known to man. I could not find anyone, anywhere who said it was not worth it. In a year the extra money would have been wasted a thousand ways, but the shoes will be a dream for many to come.

Oh, and I'm officially changing my blog slogan from "photos first text later" to things I've purchased or am planning to purchase.