Monday, October 30, 2006
MOST DANGEROUS!!!
“Don’t be rollin up in the Ham…..cus we be bus’n caps!!!”
1. St. Louis
2. Detroit
3. Flint, Mich.
4. Compton, Calif.
5. Camden, N.J.
6. Birmingham, Ala.
17. Atlanta
73. Montgomery, Ala.
93. Huntsville, Ala.
143. Mobile, Ala.
146. Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Without further ado... I give you the 6th most dangerous city in the whole U.S. of A. The HAM!!! That’s right Birmingham, Alabama is #6……I knew that I had bars on my windows and a security alarm for some reason. This list only reflects the cities that report their crime. Click Here for the entire list in reverse order from least to greatest crime rate. On that note….Why in the hell would you put out a list in reverse order? Who cares which city is safest…jeez!! Notice my list is reverse of thier reverse list…..mmmmm…hmmmm
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Lil' man
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Ahhhhhh...
Ahhhhhhh……
I almost had this template looking the way I wanted. But….alas, in order to have more control over it, I had to start over. So….I may screw it up before I get it just the way I like it. NO laughing in the mean time!!!
Friday, October 27, 2006
Le Tour
Le Tour…..
Oh yea……the 2007 Tour De France route has been released. Now all we have to do is count the days till the worlds toughest race gets underway. I can’t wait……
Running from Saturday July 7th to Sunday July 29th 2007, the 94th Tour de France will be made up of a prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,550 kilometres. This will be the first time the tour comes to London and the first time the tour will begin anywhere in Britain.
These 20 stages have the following profiles
+ 11 flat stages
+ 6 mountain stages
+ 1 medium mountain stage
+ 2 individual time-trial stages
Distinctive aspects of the race
+ 3 mountain finishes
+ 2 rest days
+ 117 kilometres of individual time-trials (including the prologue)
+ 21 Category 1, Category 2 and highest level passes will be climbed
12 new stop-over towns
+ London
+ Canterbury
+ Waregem
+ Villers-CotterĂȘts
+ Joigny
+ Chablis
+ Semur-en-Auxois
+ Tignes
+ Tallard
+ Mazamet
+ Cognac
+ Marcoussis
Complete 07 Tour Info (click image for better view)
LOGIC...
I am certainly not an expert on DJs, but Logic is not your typical DJ. He works with many jazz musicians and seamlessly incorporates his skills into the music. He is very talented and has earned the respect of numerous top notch jazz musicians. It was Logic’s work with Medeski, Martin, and Wood on “Combustication” (release 1996) that first opened my ears to DJs. Since then I have discovered a few other DJs, but that’s for another post.
In 1998 two years after his work on “Combustication,” Logic released his first solo work “Project Logic.” Three years after that came “Anomaly.” I did not even know “Anomaly” existed until I looked up the release date for “Project Logic.” So… I get to hear a new DJ Logic album in the near future….yea!!!! His newest release on July 11th, 2006 was “Zen of Logic.” It’s slammed full of guest jazz musicians just like his first release and is easily as good. Listed below are some exerts that I snagged from his Jambase.com bio. I thought they summed up how unique his work is and might push you music lovers to give him a listen.
(LISTEN and PURCHASE here)
“Logic toured with MMW and recorded with them on their Blue Note album, Combustication. A big break for the DJ, his work with MMW made him a sensation in the jazz, jam band and hip-hop worlds, leading to work with jazz musicians like Graham Haynes, Don Byron, John Scofield, Joshua Redman and Christian McBride; jam bands like the Allman Brothers and Phish; and hip-hop masterminds like Prince Paul, Ursula Rucker, and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson from the Roots…..” (FULL biography)
Coming in HOT!!!
This is as close as I will ever get to a street bike again....sniff..sniffff........WHAAAAAAA!!!!!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Happy Halloween!!!
My criterion for a good pumpkin is simple. It must look like a pumpkin, not a sculpture. I have many pics of intricately sculpted pumpkins. Don’t get me wrong. They’re pretty cool but, not the real deal. A perfect pumpkin must be carved. Here are my top 5 “punkin’ pics.”
Enjoy these pumpkin innovations!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Will Rogers
Will Rogers Wisdom
Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935, was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known. Enjoy the following quotes:
Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.
Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
There are two theories to arguing with a woman... neither works.
Never miss a good chance to shut up.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.
There are three kinds of men: ones that learn by reading, few who learn by observation, and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
If you're riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.
Lettin' the cat outta' the bag is a whole lot easier 'n puttin' it back.
After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him... The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
More on Will Rogers.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
NOT GUILTY
NOT GUILTY
Ok...I'm sure many have heard that Floyd Landis tested positive for steroids in his recent Tour De France victory. This whole thing gets my blood boiling for many reasons. The first and most upsetting is the fact that the MEDIA has convicted him well before any proof to that effect. Second, this whole scenario clearly depicts the media's ability to negatively influence the public and their willingness to do so! Many Americans read that first head line, "Floyd Tested Positive!", and believed it or rather had no reason not too. The stories of athletes using drugs are old news now. So what's one more? That's it. Case closed. The majority of people won't look any further. To many people that was thei first and only impression of Floyd Landis. It's wrong and shameful to influence people of something you yourself do not KNOW to be true.
Now the good part...Floyd is fighting for his integrity. He was raised strict Mennonite until he was 18. This means not following the social norm is a way of life for him. He and his team released their defense last week for the world to read. My jaw dropped when I read it. I was amazed that this could happen and amazed that the lab that tested him could be considered competent. Below is only one example of the information contained in the Powerpoint presentation that outlined his defense. READ IT HERE or scan, because it won't take you long to come to a conclusion. Please comment, I would love to hear your thoughts.
WADA (World Anti-Doping Association) Rules
"Any forensic corrections that need to be made to the comment should be done with a single line through and the change should be initialed and dated by the individual making the change. No white out or erasure that obliterates the original entry is acceptable."[1] Ignorance is not an excuse: "All personnel should have thorough knowledge of their responsibilities including the security of the Laboratory, confidentiality of results, Laboratory Internal Chain of Custody protocols, and the standard operating procedures for any method that they perform."[2]
[1] WADA Laboratory Internal Chain of Custody. TD2003LCOC. (2003).
[2] WADA International Standard for Laboratories. 29, (2004),
Hide-N-Seek
These two photos are identical, except for three small differences; just like in the old Highlight magazine. So, you have to find the three differences. I can only manage to find two. Let me know if you find all three. Good luck…it’s a tough one. “Click on the image above to see the two pictures”
BECK...Do it yourself!
Beck’s new album, "The Information", has do-it-yourself cover art where owners can decorate the cover with stickers that come with the CD. Also, people can go to the Beck website and upload the their designs for the chance to have them included in the album cover sticker set for the second pressing. In an interview in Wired Magazine, they ask Beck, "Isn't all that repackaging just about making ways to sell more product?" Beck answers:
"I guess that's part of it, but for me it's more about giving the music legs, giving people new ways to experience it. There are so many ways to integrate technology into music; I can't wait to see how the opportunities end up being put to use."
Well I hate to say it but I have only started listening to Beck in the last couple years. His 05 album “Guero” was recommended by a friend and DAMN!!! That was a good album. So when his latest album “The Information” came out I was more than eager to give it a listen.
ITS GOOD!!.....hahaha Like there was a question that it would not be. The man is talented and as with his last album "The Information" is full of refreshing changes, sounds, and grooves. So far it has not hit my as hard a “Guero” did but I'm still digging it.
BOTTOM LINE: If you Dig Beck…get it! If you liked “Guero”….get it! If you have not listened to beck…get “Guero”…then get it!
Friday, October 06, 2006
Rodney Mullen
SICK!!! Thats all there is to say. Rodney is old school and a complete BadA$$ (i.e. MADD SKILLZS.) You don't see this stuff at x-games. Can I get an OMG from the SKATERS??? |
Thursday, October 05, 2006
SEC LEADS NATION!!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Amos Lee
“Supply and Demand”
For those of you who are Norah Jones fans... get ready to add Amos Lee to your CD changer. That is... if you don’t already have him in there. A year or so ago, I heard Amos Lee and was not surprised to learn that he opened for Norah Jones. His first album, “Amos Lee,” was released in 2005 and was an instant favorite for me and my wife. He has a rich soulful voice that never sounds anything but in control and warm. His style is a mix of folk, gospel, country and blues music, much like Norah Jones. His guitar is clean and simple. His lyrics are to the point and meaningful. I don’t know what to say other than he is the real deal. Excellent music anyway you cut it.
I grabbed "Supply and Demand" the instant I heard it was out. This album sounds like he picked up where he left off from his self titled debut. The production value might be a little higher, but nothing to the point of changing his sound. My biggest complaint from the first album was that... Dang It!...It's just not long enough! Well, he picked up where he left off there as well….both albums sport 11 tracks and a listening time of 36 and 37 min respectively. I guess that I should not expect any more, since this is typical for folk music. Shorter songs mean shorter albums. I am just happy that I can now listen to him for an hour straight.
Almost forgot to mention…….He is on the BLUE NOTE label….So, you know its good stuff. Oh, and you can check it out here http://www.amoslee.com/home.php
BOTTOM_LINE: Go get it, if you like Norah Jones…….or really good easy listening with a blues-folk sound.
JIM SMASHERS!!!
MSMW
Since no one knows, I will clue everyone in….”Medeski, Martin, and Wood” is my FAVORITE band …well Jazz band….and is among my few all time favorites (all favorites being equal regardless of genre), which I will divulge in a later post I am sure. They just released there second album with John Scofield on Sept. 26th. The first was “A GO GO” released in 1998. This was a John Scofied album featuring MMW. The new album “OUTLOUDER” is a true collaboration between all four artists. Recorded in just under a week at Shacklyn, MMW's downtown Brooklyn studio this is the first release on MMW's independent label Indirecto Records. For more specifics and thoughts from the artist go to www.myspace.com/medeskiscofieldmartinandwood
This is an early review, but when I picked up “OUTLOUDER” I was expecting something different given the vibe of MMW’s last release “End of the World Party (just in case)”. Oh, I highly recommend “End of The World Part” if your interested in giving MMW a listen. Given my expectation I was .…mmmm….less than ecstatic upon listening for the first time. Since then I have listened a few more times. Every track on “A GO GO” was very listener friendly, which is logical since this is an improvisational album and the first was not. With that said, this album defiantly has tracks that are as friendly just not all of them. The sound on the album is jam up of course! It’s from MMW’s label. All in all I like the album, my minimal disappointment arrives in some of Scofields work on a few tracks. Some of his soloing just does not sound as fluid or as solid as I like. He has never been one of my favorite guitarists, so these parts leave me unsatisfied. There I said it……..not a Scofield fan. I feel Scofield just does not have the improvisational skills that Medeski, Martin and Wood have or maybe it’s just the way he chooses to phrase things.
BOTTOM_LINE: Good album but I do not like it as much as there first work together. Not in my top five MMW works.
ANY MMW FANS MUST COMMENT!!!!!.....pleeees?
Monday, October 02, 2006
DOODLE THIS...
Old doodle which has become my Profile Pic...... Actual size is about 1/2" Square on lined note pad and drawn with RED felt tip pin..............hence the BLEEEEDING!!!!!
ON YOUR MARK!!!
ON YOUR MARK!!!
Lynn, Jim Kemp (former Boss), and I line up to start day 2 of our 150 mile adventure. With 75 miles in our legs from the day before we were not sure what to expect on our final 75 miles. The weather could not have been better for both days, with Sunday being the hotter of the two days. On Saturday we road 75 miles and averaged 18.7 mph for four hours. Then on Sunday the ride was 5 miles shorter and only totaled 70 miles. When I realized the ride was shorter I was a little disappointed.......But only for a second........Then I was very pleased to see the finish 15 minutes sooner than I or my legs expected. Amazingly Lynn and I managed to average 18.6 mph on the second day. This was much better than we expected considering we road the final 45 miles or so by ourselves. We managed to take a few photos from day 2 (forgot the camera on Saturday...oops). Click here for Photos!! We had a tremendous time and plan to do it again next year!!!
Lynn and I want to thank everyone that donated to fight MS. We raised over $600 and our team raised almost $75,000!!