Roubaix

Public Acceptence of Evolution

Merry Christmas!

We had ours last night.. It was great, lots of good presents for everyone. We wrote Santa and asked him to bring them early 'cause Mom had to work yesterday-day and this morning too. Ran an errand to Target later in the afternoon, and returned to full stockings and tree, and hey - there's mom just arriving home too. I turned on the camera's video and set it on the table...

Christmas-Saturday Monday-Holiday Tomorrow

Merry such to you all.

Dick Proenneke in Alaska

I stumbled across this documentary recently on PBS - completely entrancing. I watched it three times the first week I saw it. In 1950, when he was 44, Dick moved to rural Alaska by himself - and proceeded to live there for the next 40 years. He built his own cabin, out-buildings, implements, furniture and everything else by hand, by himself with a few bladed-tools. His woodworking skills, ingenuity, and energy-level are incredible.

But the kicker is he also filmed, and later narrated much of it. That's right, he moved to Bumble-fuck Alaska for the challenge of it in '50 when it was way-wilder than it is now, and then filmed himself building his survival-structure while he sets-up the shots for later narration. Views of him shoving-off and paddling into the lake, where you know he then turned around to stop the camera and save the precious film for later. Unbelievable.

His voice is old-school mellow, like Howard Hill maybe, he's a good speaker, he has these pauses after the first word of the sentence which immediately reminded me of Shatner. His casual descriptions of life-and-death-importance tasks display his underlying-confidence that he would easily meet them.

It's just freaking fascinating. This guy, in his 40's decides to go live in a rugged wilderness largely by himself, potentially for the rest of his life. Goes there with a canoe-full of supplies, makes the rest, and does it. And he films all of it.

Scorpions Lovedrive 1979

I've never decided whether their lyrics are simple and stupid or zen-genius. Cover by Hipgnosis.

Rockhopper Project

Last days of Fall sandblasting and spray-painting project. A 13 inch steel Rockhopper scavenged. Surly fork $20 from Bikes and Pieces in the 612. Plus best spare parts equals nice bike. Now one wheelset away from childhood single-speed rock stardom, or at least enjoyment.