Been a while between posts. I want to see if this generates tags that are searchable, so I will talk about my bike ride today.
Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 roundtrip. I was kind of writing a song which sounded a lot like "Love On A Two Way Street" by the Emotions.
Big gear workout today, was burning off the Starbucks coffee I had this morning after voting.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Bike Ride: Monday, August 25, 2008
Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. Took it easy, just tried to spin easy circles. Felt tired during ride, not a good sign. Need to be more consistent about riding.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Bike Ride: Thursday, August 21 2008
Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. It rained, it stopped, it was wet, it was dry, kind of a weird ride. Did a cadence ride in a big gear with the wind at my back, and in a small gear with the wind in my face. Good ride, legs feel like they're coming around.
Song in head: "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Frank Sinatra.
Song in head: "I've Got You Under My Skin" by Frank Sinatra.
Bike Ride: Wednesday, August 20 2008
Worked at home, so I rode to the tip of Anna Maria and back. I'm guessing it's about 18 miles, it took me an hour. Did a cadence ride in 53x18. Spun fast, got heart rate up, legs felt good.
Don't remember what the song was in my head.
Don't remember what the song was in my head.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Bike Ride: Tuesday, August 19 2008
Was going to ride at Flatwoods, but it was closed due to the storm. So I rode up to Cross Creek and did an out-and-back. Tough going out due to wind, but had wind with me coming back. Did big gear workout, felt good mostly.
Song in head: "So Tired Of Being Alone" by Al Green.
Song in head: "So Tired Of Being Alone" by Al Green.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Bike Ride: Saturday, August 16 2008
Did 50 miles or so, no computer on the Lemond, so it's best guess.
Rode over to DeSoto, then the Barn Loop, then the Anna Maria / Longboat Key ride. Up and down the beach, always a good ride. Had a bit of rain, but nothing major. Got a bit more tired than usual, but I haven't been logging miles so I'm probably just out of riding shape. Also, that gut is looking up at me again, need to get rid of that.
Song in head: "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" by The Spinners
No ride on Sunday, but did mow lawn.
Rode over to DeSoto, then the Barn Loop, then the Anna Maria / Longboat Key ride. Up and down the beach, always a good ride. Had a bit of rain, but nothing major. Got a bit more tired than usual, but I haven't been logging miles so I'm probably just out of riding shape. Also, that gut is looking up at me again, need to get rid of that.
Song in head: "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" by The Spinners
No ride on Sunday, but did mow lawn.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Bike Ride: Wednesday, August 13 2008
Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. Legs not feeling good yet, so just did a cadence ride rather than short intervals. Got my heart rate up for entire ride and focused on endurance and breathing.
Song in head: 'La La Peace Song' by Al Wilson
Song in head: 'La La Peace Song' by Al Wilson
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Bike Ride: Tuesday, August 12 2008
Worked at home, so did the short beach loop. 15 mile round trip on Lemond bike. This is one awesome bike, I need to ride it more. Did big gear workout, got heart rate up, but legs didn't hurt.
Good ride, felt good afterwards.
Good ride, felt good afterwards.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Bike Ride: Monday, August 11 2008
Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile roundtrip. Did stomps, 8 sets of these. Good workout, but I felt like I couldn't get my legs going hard enough. I haven't ridden a lot lately, so perhaps that's why.
Didn't ride over the weekend, I felt weak for some reason and slept a lot. I was barely able to get the lawn mowed. I feel better now so I hope it was just a passing thing.
Didn't ride over the weekend, I felt weak for some reason and slept a lot. I was barely able to get the lawn mowed. I feel better now so I hope it was just a passing thing.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Flick: 'A Hard Day's Night'
5 out of 5 stars
This flick still holds up after all these years. The best way to describe this is by saying, "well, it the Beatles, and it's kind of like an old Marx Brothers movie". Just great fun, and my kids even liked it. The camera angles were innovative for the time, and what I remember then still held true now: it made the Beatles seem more human because you were seeing them "from all angles". The hardest part of watching this was trying to explain to my children how wildly popular the Beatles were.
One other thing I'll mention here. Ringo Starr gets no respect as a drummer. No, he's not an innovator or a power drummer. He is a thorough professional, a minimalist (good for a drummer), and has a super steady beat. He was probably the perfect drummer for the Beatles, in that he never overshadowed anyone else. Perhaps he stumbled into the gig of a lifetime, but he was a talented drummer.
This flick still holds up after all these years. The best way to describe this is by saying, "well, it the Beatles, and it's kind of like an old Marx Brothers movie". Just great fun, and my kids even liked it. The camera angles were innovative for the time, and what I remember then still held true now: it made the Beatles seem more human because you were seeing them "from all angles". The hardest part of watching this was trying to explain to my children how wildly popular the Beatles were.
One other thing I'll mention here. Ringo Starr gets no respect as a drummer. No, he's not an innovator or a power drummer. He is a thorough professional, a minimalist (good for a drummer), and has a super steady beat. He was probably the perfect drummer for the Beatles, in that he never overshadowed anyone else. Perhaps he stumbled into the gig of a lifetime, but he was a talented drummer.
Flick: 'Movin' With Nancy'
3 stars out of 5
I enjoyed this movie, but not that much.
Nancy's singing is, well, somewhat flat, but she manages a few pleasant numbers. Her outfits are totally 60s, which is fun. She comes off kind of appealing, which is fun too.
One thing you simply should not miss, her version of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" is interesting in a "spectator at a traffic accident" kind of way (with Sammy Davis, Jr. as the hippie photographer). It's a howl, but I don't think that was the intent.
The highlights of this are Frank Sinatra doing "Younger Than Springtime", and Dean Martin singing "Just Bummin' Around". Rent this to watch with friends who enjoy 60s pop and who might enjoy poking fun at the times.
I enjoyed this movie, but not that much.
Nancy's singing is, well, somewhat flat, but she manages a few pleasant numbers. Her outfits are totally 60s, which is fun. She comes off kind of appealing, which is fun too.
One thing you simply should not miss, her version of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" is interesting in a "spectator at a traffic accident" kind of way (with Sammy Davis, Jr. as the hippie photographer). It's a howl, but I don't think that was the intent.
The highlights of this are Frank Sinatra doing "Younger Than Springtime", and Dean Martin singing "Just Bummin' Around". Rent this to watch with friends who enjoy 60s pop and who might enjoy poking fun at the times.
Flick: 'The Blair Witch Project'
For me, it was a mixed bag.
I thought the film worked as a "real life" thing, I honestly felt what happened in the movie was happening to the actors. However, the flick just didn't grab me. On one hand, the characters were pretty much too annoying to care about. Another is where it feels as if you're always waiting for something else to happen. In good and great films, interesting things happen, you don't need to wait. Too many dead (no pun intended) spots for me.
The film definitely worked as far as building suspense, and it had a feel of creepiness that's hard to describe to others. A love it or hate it movie? Can't say, but it's not a movie I would recommend to friends.
I would recommend seeing it for it's impact on popular culture. Think about how many spoofs have been done of this flick.
I thought the film worked as a "real life" thing, I honestly felt what happened in the movie was happening to the actors. However, the flick just didn't grab me. On one hand, the characters were pretty much too annoying to care about. Another is where it feels as if you're always waiting for something else to happen. In good and great films, interesting things happen, you don't need to wait. Too many dead (no pun intended) spots for me.
The film definitely worked as far as building suspense, and it had a feel of creepiness that's hard to describe to others. A love it or hate it movie? Can't say, but it's not a movie I would recommend to friends.
I would recommend seeing it for it's impact on popular culture. Think about how many spoofs have been done of this flick.
Blues: Chris Thomas King
With Keb' Mo' and Shemekia Copeland, CTK is one of my favorite blues artists performing today. He just released an EP of live selections, 'Live On Beale Street', where he mixes rock, blues, and rap. He's done this before on studio releases, but it really works in the live environment. He also has a standout version of the blues classic, 'I'll Play The Blues For You'.
His previous studio release, 'Rise', is just about the best blues album I've heard in years. 'What Would Jesus Do' is a song written about the Katrina tragedy, and it's first rate. It includes a couplet, "standing outside the Walgreens, with a stone in my hand, standing outside with a stone in my hand, I ask myself 'would Jesus understand?'", which perfectly describes the moral dilemma decent, law-abiding citizens had to face every day during that time. 'Faith' is another terrific song, and 'Baptized In Dirty Water' has outstanding guitar work by CTK. There are a few covers there too, 'Big Yellow Taxi', 'St James Infirmary Blues', and 'What A Wonderful World', all done well. There is a lot of despair depicted, but overall there is a hopeful tone to the album.
Another outstanding release is 'Red Mud', which is much more traditional. The title cut is outstanding, and the rest follows suit.
His earlier stuff is good, but a bit inconsistent, especially where he tries to be a bit too 'pop'.
His previous studio release, 'Rise', is just about the best blues album I've heard in years. 'What Would Jesus Do' is a song written about the Katrina tragedy, and it's first rate. It includes a couplet, "standing outside the Walgreens, with a stone in my hand, standing outside with a stone in my hand, I ask myself 'would Jesus understand?'", which perfectly describes the moral dilemma decent, law-abiding citizens had to face every day during that time. 'Faith' is another terrific song, and 'Baptized In Dirty Water' has outstanding guitar work by CTK. There are a few covers there too, 'Big Yellow Taxi', 'St James Infirmary Blues', and 'What A Wonderful World', all done well. There is a lot of despair depicted, but overall there is a hopeful tone to the album.
Another outstanding release is 'Red Mud', which is much more traditional. The title cut is outstanding, and the rest follows suit.
His earlier stuff is good, but a bit inconsistent, especially where he tries to be a bit too 'pop'.
Blues: Shemekia Copeland
Shemekia Copeland is a great blues singer, a belter like few are. She is simply fantastic live, as I've never seen her where she didn't absolutely give her all. Try to catch her perform, even if you don't know her music, you'll be entertained. She's the daughter of Texas blues legend Johnny Copeland, but she definitely has her own style and chops.
But her music is top notch contemporary blues. I first discovered her by happening upon a free track from her, 'Whole Lotta Water' off of her initial release, 'Turn The Heat Up'. I loved the power in her voice, and even better loved her 'old school' sound. After hearing a few more samples, I bought the CD and loved it. I also bought her next release, 'Wicked', and loved that. Now I buy everything by her and even got the last 2 releases autographed.
My least favorite release of hers is 'Talking To Strangers'. It was produced by New Orleans bluesman Dr. John (aka Mac Rebbenack). It feels restrained to me, he doesn't appear to let Shemekia loose. Indeed, in interviews regarding the release Shemekia mentions that Rebbenack requested her to reign in her vocals. This is a big mistake in my opinion, although the release features several good songs, such as 'Talking To Strangers', 'Sholanda's', and 'Don't Whisper I Love You'.
Her first release 'Turn The Heat Up' features the title cut, 'Married To The Blues', and her father's 'Ghetto Child'. She also sings the living crap out of 'Ghetto Child' live. I mean that sincerely, I got chills when she sings of the part where the girl has no shoes. Everything on the 'Turn The Heat Up' release is very good, so get it.
Her next release 'Wicked' rocks out a bit more. Standout cuts here are 'Wild Wild Woman' (she also does this terrific live), '3 AM', and 'Miss Hy Ciditty', but all are quite good and worth a listen.
My favorite release of hers is 'The Soul Truth', produced by Steve Cropper. This sounds a lot like an old Stax / Volt release and it's simply excellent. Stand out cuts here are 'Who Stole My Radio?', 'Honey Do That Voo Doo', but everything here is first rate.
If you love old school soul and blues, you'll love her. Here's her website: http://www.shemekiacopeland.com .
But her music is top notch contemporary blues. I first discovered her by happening upon a free track from her, 'Whole Lotta Water' off of her initial release, 'Turn The Heat Up'. I loved the power in her voice, and even better loved her 'old school' sound. After hearing a few more samples, I bought the CD and loved it. I also bought her next release, 'Wicked', and loved that. Now I buy everything by her and even got the last 2 releases autographed.
My least favorite release of hers is 'Talking To Strangers'. It was produced by New Orleans bluesman Dr. John (aka Mac Rebbenack). It feels restrained to me, he doesn't appear to let Shemekia loose. Indeed, in interviews regarding the release Shemekia mentions that Rebbenack requested her to reign in her vocals. This is a big mistake in my opinion, although the release features several good songs, such as 'Talking To Strangers', 'Sholanda's', and 'Don't Whisper I Love You'.
Her first release 'Turn The Heat Up' features the title cut, 'Married To The Blues', and her father's 'Ghetto Child'. She also sings the living crap out of 'Ghetto Child' live. I mean that sincerely, I got chills when she sings of the part where the girl has no shoes. Everything on the 'Turn The Heat Up' release is very good, so get it.
Her next release 'Wicked' rocks out a bit more. Standout cuts here are 'Wild Wild Woman' (she also does this terrific live), '3 AM', and 'Miss Hy Ciditty', but all are quite good and worth a listen.
My favorite release of hers is 'The Soul Truth', produced by Steve Cropper. This sounds a lot like an old Stax / Volt release and it's simply excellent. Stand out cuts here are 'Who Stole My Radio?', 'Honey Do That Voo Doo', but everything here is first rate.
If you love old school soul and blues, you'll love her. Here's her website: http://www.shemekiacopeland.com .
Flick: 'Oceans Twelve'
I didn't think I would like this movie that much. I figured it would suffer from 'sequel-itis', meaning it would have too many elements of the original movie. It did to some degree, with all the main actors reprising their roles and the creation of an expected but plausible premise.
But halfway through the movie, there is a twist which just really works. So I ended up enjoying this movie pretty well. Still, the filmmakers only made this flick to make money, not to tell a good story. Julia Roberts is especially likeable, she truly has a presence on screen, and I think she steals this movie. Bruce Willis plays himself for laughs, and quite frankly, Catherine Zeta-Jones is gorgeous. This is a star movie, and it works, mostly.
3 out of 5 stars, but if you like the actors in the flick, you'll like it.
But halfway through the movie, there is a twist which just really works. So I ended up enjoying this movie pretty well. Still, the filmmakers only made this flick to make money, not to tell a good story. Julia Roberts is especially likeable, she truly has a presence on screen, and I think she steals this movie. Bruce Willis plays himself for laughs, and quite frankly, Catherine Zeta-Jones is gorgeous. This is a star movie, and it works, mostly.
3 out of 5 stars, but if you like the actors in the flick, you'll like it.
Blues: Lizz Fields
Lizz Fields is not precisely a blues singer, but she puts her heart and soul into everything she sings, so that's blues for me.
Her latest release 'Pleasureville' is first rate stuff. Her style is more jazz-inflected pop, although this release by her is more urban sounding. Her first release, 'By Day By Night', was definitely in an old school soul style.
All the tracks on 'Pleasureville' a worth a listen, but the standout tracks are the title track, 'Brooklyn Flowers', 'I'm Waiting', and 'Sugah'. 'Sugah' is pop radio fare and while I didn't like it too much at first, it's infectious and I'm loving it now. On 'I'm Waiting' she successfully conveys a foot-tapping mood, all with the nuance of her voice.
Check her out, she's great. Her myspace page has samples, give 'em a listen: myspace.com/misslizzfields .
Her latest release 'Pleasureville' is first rate stuff. Her style is more jazz-inflected pop, although this release by her is more urban sounding. Her first release, 'By Day By Night', was definitely in an old school soul style.
All the tracks on 'Pleasureville' a worth a listen, but the standout tracks are the title track, 'Brooklyn Flowers', 'I'm Waiting', and 'Sugah'. 'Sugah' is pop radio fare and while I didn't like it too much at first, it's infectious and I'm loving it now. On 'I'm Waiting' she successfully conveys a foot-tapping mood, all with the nuance of her voice.
Check her out, she's great. Her myspace page has samples, give 'em a listen: myspace.com/misslizzfields .
Flick: 'Hell On Wheels'
4 stars out of 5.
I liked this a lot better than I expected to. This documentary was filmed during the 2003 Tour de France, where the eventual winner was Lance Armstrong. But the primary focus of the filming was on the lesser riders and how they have to sacrifice themselves for their team leaders, but yet they still have some chances at glory.
This is something I had been wondering about for many years. Sure, it's easy to admire the winning riders, but there are so many domestique type riders where they are simply part of the team, but just as important to the overall team focus.
The reason I didn't think I would like it is because I've seen other cycling movies and they are just not well edited or well documented. 'Stars and Watercarriers' comes to mind, which I liked, but there were so many dead spots. In this flick, one really got the sense of how difficult the ordinary rider's job is, and the filmmakers made us care about the riders.
I liked this a lot better than I expected to. This documentary was filmed during the 2003 Tour de France, where the eventual winner was Lance Armstrong. But the primary focus of the filming was on the lesser riders and how they have to sacrifice themselves for their team leaders, but yet they still have some chances at glory.
This is something I had been wondering about for many years. Sure, it's easy to admire the winning riders, but there are so many domestique type riders where they are simply part of the team, but just as important to the overall team focus.
The reason I didn't think I would like it is because I've seen other cycling movies and they are just not well edited or well documented. 'Stars and Watercarriers' comes to mind, which I liked, but there were so many dead spots. In this flick, one really got the sense of how difficult the ordinary rider's job is, and the filmmakers made us care about the riders.
Flick: 'Mr and Mrs Smith'
3 out of 5 stars
If you like the stars in this movie, you'll like this. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are interesting, attractive, clever, and adversaries, even though (or perhaps due to) they are married to each other. This is entirely predictable, but it's a decent ride.
I didn't love this, but there are a lot of blow-em-up scenes.
If you like the stars in this movie, you'll like this. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are interesting, attractive, clever, and adversaries, even though (or perhaps due to) they are married to each other. This is entirely predictable, but it's a decent ride.
I didn't love this, but there are a lot of blow-em-up scenes.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Blues: Paul Thorn
I just discovered this guy after seeing him perform at the Snowbird Rock and Blues festival in Utah this past weekend. His web page: Paul Thorn, his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/paulthorn
I bought his CD 'A Long Way From Tupelo' at the festival, which he signed. It's all quite good, in the vein of American swamp blues. Think John Fogerty with a bit more country feel. His myspace page has samples, good stuff. He has a fantastic drummer in his band, completely in the pocket.
At the Snowbird Blues festival I also saw Buckwheat Zydeco and Keb' Mo', but Paul Thorn had the best set of the 3 of them, and I am a big Keb' Mo' fan.
I bought his CD 'A Long Way From Tupelo' at the festival, which he signed. It's all quite good, in the vein of American swamp blues. Think John Fogerty with a bit more country feel. His myspace page has samples, good stuff. He has a fantastic drummer in his band, completely in the pocket.
At the Snowbird Blues festival I also saw Buckwheat Zydeco and Keb' Mo', but Paul Thorn had the best set of the 3 of them, and I am a big Keb' Mo' fan.
Flick: 'Swing Vote' with Kevin Costner
3 1/2 stars out of 5.
This was surprisingly good, even if it was a little predictable. Kevin Costner plays Bud Johnson, a guy barely existing, more liking beer than his job or his daughter. His daughter repeatedly tries to get him to care about something, perhaps anything, but always failing. As it turns out, Bud is the guy who will decide a presidential election. In the movie, it's not as implausible as it sounds.
Of course, Bud at first loves the attention, is easily gullible, and proceeds to piss away his chance at truly making a difference. But as movies often go, he undergoes a character arc where he is able to redeem himself, especially so in his daughter's eyes.
I know, it sounds cheesy, but it worked for me. Probably because I love my own daughters so much, and a sweet relationship was depicted between Bud and his daughter.
This was surprisingly good, even if it was a little predictable. Kevin Costner plays Bud Johnson, a guy barely existing, more liking beer than his job or his daughter. His daughter repeatedly tries to get him to care about something, perhaps anything, but always failing. As it turns out, Bud is the guy who will decide a presidential election. In the movie, it's not as implausible as it sounds.
Of course, Bud at first loves the attention, is easily gullible, and proceeds to piss away his chance at truly making a difference. But as movies often go, he undergoes a character arc where he is able to redeem himself, especially so in his daughter's eyes.
I know, it sounds cheesy, but it worked for me. Probably because I love my own daughters so much, and a sweet relationship was depicted between Bud and his daughter.
Bike Ride: Wednesday and Thursday, August 6 and 7 2008
Wed August 6: Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. Did big gear workout. Went fine considering the week's layoff. Had a great vacation in SLC, saw Buckwheat Zydeco and Keb Mo at the Snowbird Rock and Blues festival. Best performer of the night was a guy named Paul Thorn, and bought his CD, 'A Long Way From Tupelo'.
Thur August 7: Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. Did cadence ride in a medium gear. Good workout, but my legs need some time to come around. Can't remember a song in head, although I know there was one.
Thur August 7: Rode at Flatwoods at lunch time, 13 mile round trip. Did cadence ride in a medium gear. Good workout, but my legs need some time to come around. Can't remember a song in head, although I know there was one.
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