watching the wheels

NYE 2009, Bellydance Mayhem

2010-01-01T12:08:00.003-05:00

Christmas 2009 in Hampton, VA and Nags Head, NC

2010-01-01T12:07:00.002-05:00

Transcription. . .

2009-10-25T10:52:00.002-04:00

durt -y catskills

2009-10-14T21:34:00.001-04:00

Here's some video of me playing with my teacher and a couple friends at a dumbek retreat this past weekend. iPhone recording so the audio is lacking but you get the idea.

Richard Serra in Greenpoint

2009-09-24T20:58:00.007-04:00

Whilst riding up Newel St. on my way to work sometime last week I saw a pretty awesome something that stopped my in my tracks. A huge elephant door was rolled up at a warehouse between Messerole and Calyer and inside were quite a few gigantic Richard Serra sculptures. I snapped a pic or two, and then a few days later they were out in the street being placed onto flatbed trucks via some crazy crane-ish contraption. Rachel stopped by and chatted with the guys and apparently the pieces have been stored there for several years and they're being rolled out to head over to the West Side for an exhibit.

It's hard to describe how awesome it was to see this art in this particular setting: the scale is so enormous and it was just right there in front of me on a Greenpoint side street. In some weird, mostly irrational way, it made me feel proud of the neighborhood for housing this amazing art for the past several years.

I Coulda Been a Contender

2009-09-13T18:08:00.003-04:00

Watched "On the Waterfront" a few nights ago. . .it deserves its reputation as a great fim.

In other news, two weeks ago I finally did the 2009 version of "My Own Private Century". I only did 112 miles though because I took a wrong turn that added a bunch of climbing and I got slightly turned around inside Harriman State Park. At the exact halfway point I hit some kind of large, sharp something (rock?) that tore a pretty nice gash in my front sidewall. Booted it with a tube patch and rode all the way home with 80 psi in my front tire to keep the bulge from looking threatening. Navigating my way home through Manhattan was almost more than my brain could handle, I took it super slow for that part.

Nyack and back today, felt short. River Road was covered in wet leaves and small branches which made descending a little hairy. Tried to attack the climbs, do more out of the saddle in an effort to incorporate my interval training into my outside riding. Felt good.

Good Vuelta stage today, Valverde is tough.

New Dumbek Tracks

2009-08-25T17:03:00.003-04:00

Here's a couple more dumbek tracks. The first track, "Maiden Voyage" is a solo I wrote for dumbek. It's my first composition for the drum, hence the name. The second track, Warm Up Cycle, is pretty much that. It's a series of licks I learned from Raquy (except the second phrase which is my addition) that she in turn learned from Bunyamin in Istanbul.

These tracks are also my first real attempt at recording, mixing and mastering in Pro Tools. . .

Me, percussion, cats, MC Frontalot

2009-08-18T20:11:00.003-04:00

I recently spent a fun afternoon recording some dumbek and cajon tracks for my friend MC Frontalot. The first mp3 has some of my cajon playing in it, it's a celebratory track for a friend's cat's twitter page crossing the 1 million followers mark. Whoa. The second mp3 is from the same session and is a short dumbek track. It's not exactly album ready but you get the idea.

Weather Permitting

2009-08-08T16:40:00.002-04:00

Pain is in the forcast.

Greenpoint to Harriman State Park Loop
Find more Bike Rides in Brooklyn, New York

Ole!

2009-08-04T20:53:00.003-04:00

Pretty much the best birthday week(end) ever thanks to the scheming of one Rachel Clift and one Mark Derby.

Bike Vomit

2009-08-04T20:39:00.015-04:00

Le Tour:

Week one: snooze-fest. The Pyrenees were pretty dull too.
Contador-Lance: the egomaniac with the best legs won. I admit I had counted Lance out after watching the Giro, so chapeau for proving me wrong.
Garmin-Hincapie: Jerks. Wasn’t Matt White Hincapie’s teammate at Postal? Vaughters annoys me too, so smug. They did a disservice to US cycling       because of their spitefulness. The flipside is unfortunately Hincapie always seems to be acting like a big baby whether he’s once again not winning       Paris-Roubaix or he’s missing Yellow by 5 seconds.
Hushovd: took Green by whining as opposed to riding though Cavendish’s utterly idiotic stage-win salutes should have been enough to relegate him on       every stage he won.
Jens Voigt: Hated seeing him go down on his face, he’s one of my favs in the peloton. He’s getting a touch long in the tooth, no? I’ll miss him when he       goes.
Radio Shack: This is obviously not a concern for me but I wouldn’t want to be part of a team with the word “shack” in the title sponsor though I think       they could have some cool kits. Also, Lance will podium in 2010.
Schlecks: It must be awesome for them.
AG2R’s kit: Didn’t make my eyeballs bleed like I thought it would. I thought the brown shorts were somehow pretty cool but then again I love brown.
France: Congrats on finally having more than one or two Frenchmen out there with some legs.
Phil and Paul: Oh, go on then. I love 'em.

In other, more personal cycling news, I bought some Easton EA50 bars off of ebay for about 10 clams and they’ve completely changed the way I feel about the bike. I could stay on that thing all day now and feel great. Ciao, numb hands! Thank god. Also got a very hip 3T stem with a removable faceplate (after ruining my existing stem trying to ram said EA50's through it) which is pretty much sex. Skipping mid-week park rides for indoor sessions and feeling stronger for it. Went out in the pouring rain last Sunday and had a great time. Made it down the state line descent before looping back around. Could’ve kept on but my glasses were fogging up and since they’re Rx I couldn’t take them off. . . Really, it’s true, I was having a lot of fun out there. If the weather looks good for Sunday I’ve got my eye on Bear Mountain. And yes, for no good reason whatsoever I’m shaving. My legs. Man it feels good though, much cooler.

In commuting news. . . I've been commuting to Ailey for probably about 5 years via bicycle. For some reason it was only about 2 weeks ago that it occured to me to try going crosstown on 61st St. instead of 60th. There is tons of Queensborough Bridge traffic emptying out onto 60th so I thought 61st might be a little more chill. Good god, there's almost no traffic on 61st so not only is it way more enjoyable, it's also faster because I catch more lights because I'm not stuck behind 2 buses and a dump truck. Why oh why did it take me so long to figure that out?

Speaking of light traffic, it is August, and that means Manhattan has cleared out to go spend a month having key parties out in the Hamptons. I wish they'd stay out there year-round.

Last bit: Gatorskins: never again. I wore out the one I had on the back and replaced it with a Conti Ultra Sport and it feels like I swapped out a square piece of granite for a lovely round pillow. Yes, they last a long time and are pretty flat-resistant but they're not that flat-proof and for the cost of one Gatorskin I could buy three Zaffiros.

The end.

"I said HUNGEEZ!!!!"

2009-07-27T20:05:00.002-04:00

Congrats!

2009-07-08T16:24:00.002-04:00

July 4th

2009-07-06T09:18:00.004-04:00

No fireworks, but a pretty sweet view just the same. R and I pedaled down to Jacob Riis Beach in the Far Rockaways.

(Vive le Tour! Vive Cavendish!)

It's Official

2009-06-30T23:34:00.002-04:00

Last night I dreamt I won the Tour de France. Yellow isn't really my color but it felt pretty good last night. . .

Durango, CO

2009-06-26T20:41:00.004-04:00

Spent a fantastical week in Durango, CO staying with friends. Thank god we went or I think I would have completely forgotten what it's like to ride non-commuting miles outside.

You know the drill, click on the photo to get to the album.

Welcome to Spring, NYC style

2009-03-22T17:23:00.005-04:00

Ah, Spring. Though the high is only supposed to be 50 today, I thought I'd mix things up a bit by getting off the trainer and taking the Pista up to The Cloisters. The roads were pretty quiet and after a loop around The Cloisters I decided to see how many roadies were out by taking a trip out and back on the GWB. The answer is quite a lot.

On the way back home riding down Riverside Drive I got doored. I was thankfully a few feet away from parked cars so I didn't take the full door, I think the door actually caught my right calf, I'm not sure. At any rate, I went flying and landed on my back. Maybe the door hit my bars too, I'm not sure, but they took a pretty good whack somehow because the drops were pointing skyward when I picked up the bike. [edit: Upon further reflection and bike inspection I think I safely conclude that the door struck the right side of my bars and also hit my right calf.]

The guy stuck around, was nice and very apologetic. I didn't feel pissed off, just more a sense of disbelief. The bike looked ok, I didn't have any broken bones, so it could've been much worse. Of course I didn't discover the massive hop in my front wheel until after he walked away. SO STUPID!! That should have been the first thing I checked. I feel sure he would have given me cash to replace it. I did true it up enough so that it's rideable (we'll see if it holds because there is definitely some pretty serious unbalanced spoke tension going on. . .) So my lower back is nice and puffy and my calf muscle is killing me but I'll live. Had I been on the Moser, oy, I can't even think about it. Let's put it this way, I don't think I would have forgotten to walk with him to an ATM.

Sometimes I wish I only had a casual interest in cycling and could, say, go to the gym instead. I'm over getting hurt doing something I love. I know I'm a responsible, skilled rider and I'm trying to fight off feeling like there is some kind of fuku over my head. The first f'ing ride of Spring! C'mon!!

DR Pix

2009-03-22T17:18:00.003-04:00

An amazing week in the DR. Photobucket has a nice new widget so you can now view the slideshow right here without having to click over. Cool.

Cats, Snow Day

2009-03-04T21:59:00.002-05:00

Got the day off on Monday because of snow, so naturally I took a bunch of pictures of the boys. Click on the image to get to the album.

80's Fav

2009-02-15T21:47:00.003-05:00

Check the Stereogum player for a reworking of one of my all-time favorite tunes from the 80's. Bon Iver takes on The Outfield's "Your Love". I can dig it.

Nerdcore Rising

2009-02-15T13:01:00.003-05:00

This is a super-fantastique documentary about Sir Frontalot, the "Godfather" of nerdcore, and also a friend of Rachel's. Highly recommended.

Quickly, a few other films I've seen recently that were also super: The Wrestler, Man on Wire, Milk.

Jan. 20, 2009!

2009-01-21T11:40:00.004-05:00

Obama-mania!! For real though, what a day! Click on the image to get to the album.

Eggplant and Chard Lasagne

2009-01-05T21:13:00.005-05:00

Super delicious. It's been a while since I made lasagna. . .it's a lot of work (but worth it). This time I didn't make the pasta but used "no boil" boxed pasta which is pretty good. Recipe from "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison. This book is still pretty new to me but everything R and I have made from it has been right on.

Eggplant, chard with onions and garlic, tomato sauce, cheeses.

The chard mixture goes into the ricotta.

A completed layer.

Hungry cook.

Cross-section. I tossed the greens with olive oil, red wine vinegar, parmesan, pine nuts, black pepper and parsley.

LPD's at Rodeo Bar

2009-01-02T12:17:00.001-05:00

LPD's played their annual Jan. 1 show at Rodeo Bar commemorating the life, music and passing of Hank Williams. Click on the image to get to the album.

HNY!

2009-01-02T11:36:00.001-05:00

Jalapeno cornbread from JOC, Hoppin John from Bittman's book. Way too much rice called for in the Hoppin John recipe, but otherwise good.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T19:35:00.006-05:00

Click on the image to get to the album. Many of the photos were taken with Rachel's new camera, a Canon Rebel XSi.

New Cookbooks

2008-12-31T19:30:00.005-05:00

R's mom got us a fun new "ethnic" cookbook for Hanukah, or Christmas, I don't remember which. R made a sweet chicken dish with raita, pix below (note my new mortar and pestle, a gift from Rachel). I requested and got Mark Bittman's books, How to Cook Everything and Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-22T13:15:00.002-05:00

Too Bad He's Only Got Two Feet

2008-12-15T13:57:00.001-05:00

Not that this needs to be blogged about any more, but I'm putting it here for posterity.

Zing!

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-30T21:54:00.004-05:00

A pretty different T'giving than my last five but one that was ultimately familiar. My first T'giving away from NYC since I've lived here. Nice to be out of NYC, to be in Vermont of all places.

Click on the image to get to the album.

Love it

2008-11-20T13:43:00.001-05:00

Chromeo hooks up with Vampire Weekend for "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance".

Really?

2008-11-18T22:28:00.003-05:00

This is about what I spent on my entire f'ing bicycle.

Packing it in

2008-11-15T20:21:00.008-05:00

I am forcing myself to admit that I don't like riding in cold weather. I'd be more into it if my fingers and toes didn't get so cold. Bad circulation I guess, everything else I've got covered in the way of staying nice and toasty. (The commuting carries on per usual which gives me 10 to 20 miles outdoors every day.)

So, that means it's officially "off-season" (like I have a season) for me. As far as having a "season" goes, I'm going to hold myself to at least getting involved in some regular group rides this spring/summer. Not exactly racing, but you know. I digress. . .so what I am doing is hitting the rollers, doing some pilates and yoga and grabbing some spins in Central Park with the occasional Nyack foray. . .

Rachel snuck in from doing some laundry, this is me smiling through an interval. As she said, welcome to the great outdoors, New York style.

This photo illustrates two things: one, goddamn I am a bald mofo and two, I suck at pliates. I start a Tuesday class this week as opposed to only doing this video which will hopefully help me out.

I try not to get too existential about my cycling ie, why do I really want to "be faster" when I don't race. I guess it's just because I can be.

Maybe the best picture I've taken

2008-11-15T20:17:00.005-05:00

Well How About That?

2008-11-08T20:15:00.008-05:00

~~It looks like I'm going to get married after all. Whoa!~~ Anywho, I made the engagement ring. . .it's pretty awesome and I'm proud of it. The diamond was left to me by my grandmother which adds a whole 'nother dimension of awesome.

[Edit: The ring is still awesome, but it's back in its box. And so it goes.]

Click on the image to get to the album.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T10:38:00.004-04:00

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Click on the image to get to the album. This was my first trip to the parade and I hate to say it was a huge yawner. As per usual at Halloween, I have the most fun in transit getting to and from wherever I happen to be going.

Bikes

2008-09-09T20:05:00.004-04:00

I haven't done a single bike post all summer. . .Here's the recap:

Averaged about 200mi/week.
Did hill repeats on the River Road climb to Alpine about once a week for the first time ever.
Became marginally faster and marginally better at climbing.
Have thus far managed to not have any of my ribs broken.
Watching the Vuelta for the first time and so far all I can think is that it's a far cry from the Tour. Yawn.

Paper Planes

2008-09-04T20:40:00.004-04:00

After hearing this booming out of a Polski car out in front of my building recently, I tracked this down by Googling "Straight to Hell sample" and I can't stop listening to it. Such a cool riff and I love it as the hook for this reworking. I admit I have a soft spot for MIA. I can't really listen to an entire album of hers in one go, but I love her songs.

Dear Sarah,

2008-09-04T10:18:00.002-04:00

You can be rest assured that you wouldn't be anywhere near the place you are standing in today had it not been for community organizers which you chose to attack and belittle last night.

Way to appropriate leftist ideology while simultaneously denouncing it.

Tolstoy

2008-09-03T18:26:00.005-04:00

I did it, I finished War and Peace last night. It was highly readable until Part II of the Epilouge. Tolstoy scraps the story altogether and lays his theory of power on you pretty thick. I read Anna Karenina about two years ago so I knew what I was getting into. I was prepared for, neigh, looked forward to, his lengthy commentaries and addresses to the reader. It's what makes Tolstoy Tolstoy. His analysis and judgement of the Napoleonic Wars from 1805-1812 is particularily awesome. In a nutshell, he says both Napolean and Alexander I were dunderheads and the war happened by the force of its own impetus and not because of anyone's "genius".

I feel a little post-partum depression. . .I'll miss my time with the old guy.

I Can Dig It

2008-08-23T15:43:00.003-04:00

Enjoying the new Okkervil River, Brazilian Girls, Brendan Canning and Beck.

Tulum, Mexico

2008-08-21T11:20:00.006-04:00

Feeling slightly shell-shocked back here in Brooklyn after a stunning week on the Caribbean Sea in Tulum, Mexico. We didn't take a ton of pictures, but spending all day sitting on the beach doesn't make for a horribly exciting, extensive photo shoot.

Our sand-floor cabana was amazing and couldn't have been much closer to the sea without being in the water. I miss falling asleep to that sound! We would wake up every morning to find our floor full of hermit crab tracks, so cute! I only managed to spy one the whole time we were there.

Iguanas are in abundance there and were fun to come across. Every evening a host of pelicans would glide up and down the shoreline and dive into the water seeking food. Very entertaining to watch. Lots of crabs running around of various sizes and colors. We didn't have any claw-oriented encounters and it was pretty funny to watch them scuttle around. Also saw a snake late one night on the way to the bathroom. Not a very big one, he didn't move as we walked past and we obviously didn't care to disturb him.

The bulk of our time, day and night, honestly was spent sitting on the beach (or on our "front porch", the massage area) watching the sea, napping, reading, going for the occassional dip and taking little strolls up and down the beach. The clothing-optional policy added another dimension to the scenery on our beach walks. We all, ahem, got into the swing of things. When in Rome. . . The ease and naturalness of people naked on the beach further confirms my idea that almost everything is context.

What else. . .We got up several mornings for a 730 yoga class that was challenging for me. A nice way to usher in the day. We would typically follow that with a morning swim, often the most pleasant one of the day as the water was generally glassy in the morning hours. Went on an ill-fated snorkeling trip involving a less-than-helpful guide and me emptying my stomach into the sea because of sea sickness and swallowing a bit too much salt water. Ate some amazing seafood though the food in general was unimpressive and horribly over-priced. The best food we ate came from a couple taquerias in Playa del Carmen and at half the price. One of the trade-offs of urban convenience versus beach isolation.

We were there for a full moon which was truly stunning. We almost never needed a flashlight. We could however still see some stars despite the intense light from the moon. We spoke to several guests there who all mentioned the splendor of the night sky. It's easy to see why the Mayans were so fascinated with and engaged in understanding the stars and sky.

Anyone looking to escape the stress and rigors of "modern day life" couldn't do much better than a week, a month, a summer staying in a beach-front cabana in Tulum.

Photobucket Album

Bronx Zoo

2008-08-06T16:44:00.000-04:00

Coney Island on a Friday Night

2008-08-06T16:39:00.002-04:00

The Boys

2008-08-06T16:33:00.002-04:00

Mass Transit $$ to Fund Highways

2008-07-31T15:36:00.002-04:00

Sweet Mother of God!

From the Times:

Drop in Miles Driven Is Depleting Highway Fund; Loan From Mass Transit Is Urged

Abuse of power, anyone?

2008-07-28T22:10:00.002-04:00

I'll be the first to admit I have mixed feelings about Critical Mass, but this is outrageous. There is no way that guy should be a cop!

Henri

2008-06-24T12:57:00.001-04:00

Ahhh, poor Henri. . .

Stream the New Coldplay Album

2008-06-09T10:38:00.001-04:00

It's their best to date. That is to say, I really like it.

Listen here.

I've waited a long time for this

2008-06-07T19:11:00.001-04:00

Hillary finally endorses Obama. . .

video

Times article.

Pretty good speech, especially the bit about insuring Obama walks through the doors of the Oval Office. My vote for Hillary is Secretary of State.

A Wall Painted Animation by Blu

2008-05-28T11:56:00.000-04:00

Supair-coelle.

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Oh, River Road

2008-05-23T19:11:00.004-04:00

I was feeling pretty good about my legs after cruising through the Montauk Centruy last Sunday. My first trip on River Road today put me in my place. I averaged a whopping 15.6 mph. Wow.

I was climbing like an old man and descending like an old lady. I couldn't let go of the idea that around every curve was an SUV waiting to make me into a hood ornament. Getting passed by a jackass in an SUV going about 35 mph did little to assuage this fear. Going up the climb to Alpine I held steady at 9.5 mph. The climbing, whatever, it'll get better. It was the nancypants descending that upset me. I just couldn't bring myself to lay off the brake. Hopefully that will get better too and I've not condemned myself to ride like a geriatric for the rest of my life.

How was the ride out there, you ask? Well, it was awful as a matter of fact. Riverside Drive was a parking lot of cranky people trying to get to New Jersey. It goes without saying that the cut through Central Park was as big of a PITA as always.

How was the ride home, you ask? Well, it was also awful. Some douchebag on a POS bike rode right into me on the GWB. Thankfully, I had slowed to almost stopping because of a couple pedestrians and the fact that we were all negotiating one of the S-turns. Not so for the brain-genius on the gaspipe Schwinn. Despite my best efforts to get out of his way without running into the peds, he managed to stay right on target and knock me off my bike. I landed on my shoulder and hip which are a little sore. Hello my old friend 401 Plasters! How are ya? My bike is thankfully fine except for a small cosmetic crack around my right brifter. I don't know what I would have done if my bike had been damaged. Call the police? Threaten the guy? Thankfully I don't have to know.

All in all, a joyless ride. Kind of depressing. I love cycling so much, but the rides in NYC are soooo limited (ie go to Nyack or go in circles in Prospect Park) and full of idiots. My first thought was "this is not a good place to live and love bikes." But perhaps it's really just not a good place for me to live and love bikes. Hopefully I'm just getting ahead of myself.

Kitty TV

2008-05-17T17:20:00.005-04:00

There's almost always something on kitty tv thanks to the large bird population taking up residence in the vine outside our kitchen window.

Bonus crazy-time shot. Ruben has been a lot more playful since moving to Norman Ave. He's definitely into the railroad setup. It's so satisfying to seem him acting more like his old quirky (hi-larious) self.

Ravioli Part I

2008-05-17T17:09:00.007-04:00

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce. Goddamn I love this kitchen!! First time ever that using the pasta maker wasn't a giant pain in the ass because of limited counter space. Apron courtesy of one Alicia Huff Sport. Thanks Mom. (It was an awesome meal.)

Wet the edges,

Fold,

Seal

Ravioli Part II

2008-05-17T17:04:00.005-04:00

Amazed Onlooker

Finished Product

Ahhh

The Scene of the Crime

2008-05-11T13:50:00.003-04:00

First ride out to Nyack today since last summer's mishap. Definitely a surreal moment riding by the spot where it happened. All in all though I had a great ride. I'm sure I'll always have a moment of reflection when arriving at that particular spot, but I suspect it wil lessen each time I ride by. It really wasn't even much of a deal today, but it was definitely on my mind.

My numbers were only a little off, averaging 17mph. Didn't descend aggresively at all, kept my top speed down. And the climbing was a bit slower than "normal" but at least it's only May. My legs felt good and I feel fine about riding the Montauk Century next Sunday.

Haven't posted in a while. . .still in the process of moving in to the new place. Everything is shaping up nicely except the music room/office which is still a total mess until we get some shelving in there. The kitties are loving the railroad straightaway and are getting more exercise and getting along a tiny bit better. In what I imagine as a triumph of sorts, Nigel is able to get on top of the fridge and cabinets in this place. The stinky old man who lives downstairs is moving out next month which is a huge relief. Living with Rachel is super-awesome, though our schedules don't line up all that well and we still don't feel like we see enough of each other.

What else? My spring semester is finally winding down and I'll have a couple quiet weeks until summer gets rolling. Going to see Joan as Police Woman on Wednesday at Mercury Lounge. Rachel left yesterday morning for New Orleans but gets back Tuesday night. It's interesting being here without her for the first time.

A Rare Reversal

2008-04-10T22:10:00.001-04:00

In this Miller High Life ad, the guy on the bike is a "patriot" for not driving and burning gas. A nice change from the usual depiction of people on bikes being losers because they can't afford a car. Dig it.

In a Nutshell

2008-04-08T19:58:00.005-04:00

I'm not going to piss and moan here about the (hopefully temporary) demise of congestion pricing in NYC.

(Sheldon Silver is a douchebag.)

Fleet Foxes at Bowery Ballroom

2008-03-30T16:38:00.004-04:00

Fleet Foxes were molto impressivo at Bowery Ballroom last night. As they got onstage I had the thought "If these guys can't sing live, we're in for a long set". That thought was laid to rest approximately one second into the first song. Goddamn! They were also so self-assured and relaxed onstage, like they were playing the show in a friend's living room, chatting with the crowd, being witty.

Ola Podrida were cute in that they all were soooo nervous. I wanted to get up there and give them all a hug and tell them they were doing a great job. Good tunes in an Iron and Wine kind of way. Blitzen Trapper were as high octane as I suspected them to be. The drummer in particular was a source of endless entertainment as he rocked the fuck out in a southern-fried Keith Moon kind of way the whole time he was up there. Rachel made the sage observation that if a movie were ever made about the band Phillip Seymour Hoffman would have to play the drummer.

Ride One

2008-03-30T16:22:00.003-04:00

Just got back from a few laps in Prospect Park, my first outdoor ride on the Moser. Still a little tweaking to do, but mechanically it's all pretty much there. The ride itself was mostly awesome, though I was also a bit nervous and apprehensive. The irony is I feel a bit unsafe riding a freewheeling bike in traffic. It's a strange feeling to stop pedaling and not have the bike slow down. The park was more of the same, as I felt hyper-vigilant about not hittng anyone, or being hit by one of the myriad of non-paying attention people there. It wasn't until I got home that I got a little endorphin rush of exhilaration.

I've been having 3 or more "bike dreams" a week for the past month, maybe two. They have largely centered around not knowing how shift with the brifters (brifters are freaking awesome, btw) or getting punctures. They're obvs about my anxiety about getting back on a road bike. I'm sure it will be a process but I can't help but think that finally doing that "first ride" is going to be a big help.

From a fitness perspective, my legs felt pretty good, my lungs have got some work to do. . .

Anywho, to celebrate ride one, I just dropped a wad at Performance: new Fortezzas, clif bars, gels, Cytomax, couple pairs of socks, tubes. But c'mon, it's double points weekend and I got 15% off my order.

Barack Obama: 'A More Perfect Union' (Full Speech)

2008-03-27T02:09:00.001-04:00

Goddamn.

Moser Build, II

2008-03-26T18:38:00.002-04:00

Moser Build

2008-03-26T18:33:00.002-04:00

At long last, it's done. Well, I still haven't put the computer on, but outside of that, it's done. Maiden voyage, tomorrow, approx 1pm. Finally!

New Place. . .

2008-03-24T14:01:00.002-04:00

with paint and Rachel's stuff. . .

You'll Be Glad You Listened to This,

2008-03-10T21:49:00.009-04:00

I guarantee it.

I was whining to Rachel this weekend about how I never listen to "This American Life" because it has a crappy time-slot. Sunday at 4pm is just not a good time for me. Listening to Ira Glass talk makes me twitch but the content of the show is undeniably amazing.

A quick stop at their website revealed that many of the shows are available to stream for free. (You can also buy downloads and cd's.) Unsure of where to begin, I went to their favorites page and listened to the first two. The "Camp" show is highly entertaining. The kids are so refreshing and full of enthusiasm, if at times way over the top. Well, maybe that's what makes them so great.

Tonight I listened to "Act V" and I was completely blown away. The show is about a group of convicted felons rehearsing and performing Shakespeare, specifically Act V of Hamlet. A group called Prison Performing Arts goes into a high-security prison in St. Louis to direct the troupe of convicts and I'm not sure what adjectives to use to describe how incredible the result is. Well, perhaps not the result (ie the performance) in and of itself but listening to these men talk about their lives and how they draw upon experience to use for their characters is unbelievably unique and powerful. When the convict who plays Laertes in an interview said "I am Laertes" I got the chills. And of course the show goes beyond the play to address the complex issues involved with the whole notion of prison. I suppose there are more productive ways you could spend an hour of your life, but I highly recommend you find the time for this show.

As a side note, the music selection is also quite good (outside of the cover of "Desparado" at the end). I was happy to hear an Ui track I hadn't heard in ages.

Macbeth at BAM

2008-03-09T19:55:00.006-04:00

The New Yorker loves it. The Voice further proves it's fish-wrapper staus and hates it. It's an amazing production. Go see it.

One Year Ago Today

2008-03-06T22:27:00.005-05:00

This time last year I was about to begin one of the most devastating nights of my life. Godspeed, little Maxer. You are sorely missed.

New Home!

2008-02-25T12:17:00.004-05:00

Rachel and I went to look at apartments yesterday and found this great place in Greenpoint. It's so nice, huge kitchen w/ lots of counter space, 3 other rooms (w/ plaster walls and moulding: goodbye drywall!) and a great bathroom. Lots of light, great floors and did I mention NO DRYWALL?! And it miraculously does not involve a broker!

I'm so excited about the place and of course living with Rachel!

Right now

2008-02-22T23:07:00.004-05:00

this looks perfect.

February is a tough month in NYC. This one is bright, especially compared to last year. And Max is on my mind a lot as March 06 approaches.

The good news is Daylight Savings Time (my favorite day of the year) starts March 09! Huzzah!

SXSW mp3's

2008-02-15T19:01:00.004-05:00

Hey Kids- The SXSW site has artist profiles and mp3's up of this year's line-up. So you go ahead and wade through that list and tell who I should be listening to, ok? Thx.

I checked out a couple, of the bands I don't know only Mom (I want to hate this name but find myself unable to, perhaps b/c I love my mom?), Cansecos and Dodos have grabbed me so far. But I have a long way to go on that list. . .

Grateful Dead + Obama = Awesome

2008-02-05T20:39:00.000-05:00

I love it.

Sheldon Brown, RIP

2008-02-05T19:55:00.002-05:00

I have just learned, via Bike Snob NYC, that Sheldon Brown is dead. I can't believe it! I really can't believe it. I never met the guy but, like virtually anyone who takes even a casual interest in cycling, I feel like I know him. Or I could have known him. Or I should have known him. Something like that.

In addition to being "the" source for all things technical/mechanical, he built a ridiculous, yet fabulous collection of bicycles that have to be seen to be believed. I mean the guy built his own tandems for chrissakes.

I feel a few genuine tears welling up thinking about him being gone. . .

RIP Sheldon, I'll always be indebted to you for all the humor-infused mechanical knowledge you passed on. The short list is my knees don't hurt, I don't get saddle sores, I have the correct reach brakes, got the right BB for my 80's Moser, don't worry about stripping a cog on my track bike, calculate gear inches, finally understood the relationship between "rake" and "trail" (which is counter-intuitive) and learned more about a Sturmey-Archer three speed hub than I thought I wanted to know. . .

Memorial page/blog here.

N'awlins

2008-01-22T21:07:00.000-05:00

Got back late Sunday night from a fantabulous few days in New Orleans. My impetus for going was to visit Rachel who is two weeks and some change deep into a five week stint down there for work.

Stayed in some sleek-ish corporate housing where Rachel has been living that's only 2 blocks off the Quarter. Nice to be able to pop in and out without feeling compelled to make a day of it. Spent plenty of time poking around taking pix and eating great food. The Quarter itself looks pretty much back to normal thought there's still plenty of construction around, most visibly the French Market.

I got to see some sides of NOLA that I never would have otherwise because of the job she's doing down there. That is to say I got an up-close view of some full-on ghetto and it was something to see to say the least. So many decrepit shells of homes, it's hard to believe any of it withstood Katrina. People seemed to have more or less "adjusted" to seeing white faces down there and everyone I came across was friendly.

One highlight of my timing for being down there was that on Saturday night I got to see the first, and only horse-driven, parade of Mardi Gras, the Krewe de Vieux. Went to a super-cool bar at the far end of the Quarter to watch it go by and it was awesome. The only downside to the night was I inadvertently bypassed dinner and in true Mardi Gras style got wasted and ended up spending some time at the curb heaving. The heaving continued on into the night, but we shan't dwell on it. Prior to said heaving, I managed to make a boisterous ass of myself because I got really revved up about the parade. The true miracle of the night is that my girlfriend not only did not get pissed but claims she feels even closer to me after hearing me heave my guts out. (!!!) That's right, she's a keeper. In the picture below I'm even more drunk than I appear if that's possible.

After having to suffer through being told some of the myriad of idiotic things I said and did on Saturday night, Rachel and I spent a quiet Sunday, first eating beignets and then cruising around the Quarter.

It was so fun to be with Rachel someplace "not-New York" though I was the only one truly on vacation. There were loads of other fantastic things going on during my time there but I don't want to ramble on and I don't want to be crass. . .

More pix here.

Williamsburg Bank Clock Up and Running!

2008-01-18T09:59:00.000-05:00

From Streetsblog.

I've certainly missed one of my favorite Brooklyn landmarks and it's great to know the clock is working again (as of noon Wednesday).

Presidential Candidates Transpo Views

2008-01-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

From the Tri-State Transportation Campaign blog.

What do the leading candidates have to say or not say about transportation issues?

My favorite perspective is Ron Paul's who says he won't ride the DC or NYC trains because they violate his libertarian principles. Hmmm, Ron, who do you think paid for all those highways? IDIOT. Some more sensible positions below:

Obama "is the only candidate to connect transportation and economic access. He identifies lack of adequate public transportation as a barrier to low-income people seeking work and highlights the disproportionate share of income they spend on transportation. Like Clinton and Edwards, he wants to see increased transportation funding but he goes further by seeking to incentivize bike and pedestrian measures. He also wants to reform the tax code to equalize the commuter pre-tax benefits for parking and transit riding (currently, employees can use up to $220/month in pre-tax income for parking, but only $115/month for transit)."

Hillary "wants to increase federal funding for public transit by $1.5 billion per year. She mentions principles inherent in a smart growth approach to land use as she vows to encourage a shift away from commercial developments towards urban centers that balance residential, commercial, and transportation needs. She correctly points out that this will help discourage sprawl and fight congestion while also increasing mobility options for the elderly. She wants to invest an additional $1 billion in intercity passenger rail systems as this mode is a 'critical component of the nation’s transportation system.'"

Edwards "will 'support more resources” to encourage greater mass transit use amongst workers and will encourage more affordable and environmentally sound transportation alternatives.'"

A few hard numbers from Barack and Hil, more rhetoric from Edwards.

Bikes Outsell Cars in Australia

2008-01-15T23:49:00.001-05:00

From Streetsblog:

"Australians bought more bikes than cars last year by a record 40 percent margin, according to a report released this week by the Cycling Promotion Fund. It was the eighth straight year bike sales topped auto sales, bolstering appeals to re-direct government spending toward bike-ped projects."

Look at all those Aussies lined up on their bikes at the light! This brings out my conflicted feelings about tons of bikes on the road: no freakin' way do I want to be sitting at the back of that line!

Cyclists, Pay Up?

2008-01-15T10:29:00.000-05:00

Cycling tax? Hmmm, this brings a phrase to mind: "Get bent." This fine fellow over at the LA Times presents an incredibly flimsy argument for taxing cyclists for bike path construction, etc. Have a look.

His argument is essentially that building bike paths is not a cost-effective use of transportation dollars. He sites motorists having to sit in traffic, wasting "3 billion gallons of fuel each year" as a reason drivers are entitled to "cost-effective" use of transpo money. My head is about to explode.

I Love These NYC Kitties

2008-01-12T22:52:00.000-05:00

From The Times, I've been meaning to post this since I read it in December. The bodega/produce stand kitties are one of my favorite NYC (mainly boroughs?) institutions.

Clorox Buys Burt's Bees

2008-01-08T22:10:00.000-05:00

This story from the Times (thanks Rachel) highlights what I think is a growing trend for corporations: (environmental) responsibility leads to profit. On the face of it, it looks like a small company being eaten up by a large one, but Burt's Bees is pulling in millions already, and was already available for sale at mainstream, franchised outlets. Not exactly a mom and pop operation. If Clorox can buy Burt's Bees and allow them to keep, even expand on, their environmentally progressive business model, then it's all good by me. And if it actually influences Clorox to create their own "green" product line (Green Works) then I have a hard time opposing them. As I write this, I feel like there must be an angle I'm missing. . .yes? Or is it just that I'm programmed to assume that every move a corporation makes is ultimately evil?

My Half-Second of Interweb Fame

2008-01-04T17:28:00.000-05:00

Thanks to List of the Day, I'm getting emails from pretty random sources saying they've seen my "Olan Mills portrait" on the site. The picture came into being thanks to my photographer friend Daniel, incredible amounts of alcohol and possibly the best party-concept of all time.

More good times at babycola.com.

Aeroplane

2008-01-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

I just bought a ticket to New Orleans for January 17-20 and it's like a massive weight has been lifted from my chest. R leaves on Saturday for another 5 week stretch and letting her go feels so much lighter knowing that I get to see her soon. I'm excited about seeing her in her element, doing her thing. A few days out of NYC during the ass of winter for a more southern latitude is also really exciting. And it's a done deal; a decision has been made, I'm going down there and it feels really right.

Xmas 2007 pix part 2

2007-12-28T15:12:00.000-05:00

Xmas 2007

2007-12-28T14:51:00.000-05:00

Pretty good trip to Hampton this year all in all. Spent a great day with my mom running around shopping (I had a pretty nice take on the day: pea coat, jeans, shoes, sweater), spent some time in my brother's new house in Richmond, lounged around Mom's house in Hampton, sneaking drinks (sort of) and pulls on the green, saw my dad, suffered through a Redskins game, worked a couple puzzles, patched up a relationship that needed some patching. No trip home would be complete without drama, and there definitely was some, but I'm keeping it to myself. . .

2007 Blogosphere Finds

2007-12-28T14:39:00.000-05:00

As the title suggests. . .

Afuche
Annuals
Artanker Convoy
Au
Broken West
Coltrane Motion
David and the Citizens
El Ten Eleven
Ferraby Lionheart
Future Clouds and Radar
Get Him Eat Him
Golden Sounds
Great Lakes Swimmers
Hallelujah the Hills
Handsome Furs
Harlem Shakes
Illinois
Loney, Dear
Minus Story
Misha
Pela
The Cool Kids
White Rabbits

A somewhat useless list, but should you want to explore, free mp3's are available in the archives of Brooklyn Vegan, Stereogum, Music for Robots and 3Hive.

2007 Favs

2007-12-16T17:15:00.000-05:00

There's so much music that came out in 2007 that I'm not hip to yet, but what follows is a list of albums that did make it onto my radar that I find at least notable. I will say that nothing I heard this year moved me as much (not even close) as the Joan As Police Woman record. She also is a no-contest winner for the best live show I saw in 2007.

Joan As Police Woman, Real Life
Okkervil River, The Stage Names
Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
Beirut, Lon Gisland EP
Interpol, Our Love To Admire
Great Lakes Swimmers, Live EP
Loney, Dear, Loney, Noir
The National, Boxer
The Shins, Wincing the Night Away
Besnard Lakes, Are the Dark Horse
Chromeo, Fancy Footwork
Ferraby Lionheart, Catch the Brass Ring
Panda Bear, Person Pitch
Black Kids, Wizards of Ahhhs EP

Honorable mention: (mainly b/c I'm tired of linking. . .)
Feist, The Reminder
Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
Peter, Bjorn and John, Writer's Block (wasn't this a 2006 release? But it's on Paste's list. . .)
The Broken West, I Can't Go On, I'll Go On

I was underwhelmed by Radiohead's In Rainbows. I am open to loving the record, but I need to spend some more time with it.

**Next post: my favorite singles of 2007 from the blogosphere.

Wouldn't This Be Nice?

2007-12-11T20:12:00.000-05:00

More at Streetsblog.

Happy Hanukkah!

2007-12-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

So, this year is my first even casual observation of Hanukkah. Having a half-Jewish girlfriend and an all-Jewish cat made it happen I guess. I got some pretty sweet gifts from Rachel's mom: Cabot cheese, rose petal preserves (!) and Vermont maple syrup.

In other holiday news, I got all teary in the pet store the other day whilst buying some food for Nigel, aka Little One. There's a box by the register you can put toys and treats in for shelter kitties for Christmas. Oh my god, did that break my heart. My card had already been run at that point so I didn't contribute but it's in my planner for this week. Poor little homeless kitties! If R ever leaves me I have a feeling I'll turn into what the kids will call "the crazy cat man (who never showers)". I've already got a moth-eaten cardigan, brown slippers and a propensity for beard-growing. . .

In other kitty news, Ruben, aka Jackass, swiped R's hard boiled egg off her plate this morning, took it under the bed to eat it and growled at her when she tried to shoo him out and retrieve the egg. I wasn't home at the time. Taking advantage of the newbie!

First Snow of the Year

2007-12-09T11:40:00.000-05:00

These pictures are actually from last Sunday. . .
In a mild state of panic, I ran out and bought two new pairs of Carhartt double knees, but I'm taking one pair back.

What else? I went to see Cold War Kids last weekend and they were amazing. I wish it had been on a weeknight so they could have played longer. (A Webster Hall Show where they shoo everyone out early on the weekends to turn it into a dance club.)

Goddamn it!

2007-12-05T17:59:00.000-05:00

A cyclist was doored, fell into traffic and was then run over and killed this morning on Sixth Avenue. Of course, no charges were brought against either driver, not even for dooring, which is a ticketable offense. Why is it that the police often seem to be the least informed when it comes to the law? I realize that what happened here is much larger than someone getting a ticket but it's inidicative of the City's attitude towards cycling, well at least the police's: "Cars are blameless". Driving a car is a privelege most people don't deserve and New York has got to start holding drivers accountable for their negligent actions.

More at Streetsblog. It's worth looking at to see how ridiculously and shamefully this event was reported by The Daily News and 1010 Wins.

Twin Brushes

2007-11-30T19:38:00.000-05:00

Needing to buy two brushes, and not just one, definitely puts a grin on my face. You will also notice I spared no expense in the purchase of said toothbrushes.

Two Gondry Vids

2007-11-29T22:36:00.000-05:00

Chemical Brothers, Star Guitar and The White Stripes, The Hardest Button To Button.

Great marriage of audio and visual. These both rank high on my favorite all time video list.

Xmas Card

2007-11-27T22:24:00.001-05:00

Not sure if I'm done. And don't misunderstand, I know exactly how limited my photoshop skills are.

Kitties and Turkey

2007-11-26T19:53:00.000-05:00

These kitties got down on some turkey, as I guess is already pretty clear. A somewhat bittersweet experience, as I couldn't help but think of my friend Max eating turkey last year. He wasn't really into fresh fish (!) and so wasn't interested in treats from the table. However, he devoured some Thanksgiving turkey last year and it was so satisfying to see him really scarf it down. Oy, do I miss him!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-25T15:05:00.000-05:00

From this. . .

to this. Success!

The Kevin perspective.

The Rachel perspective.

My first turkey, a really super-fun day w/ friends. R made the place look so beautiful and inviting.

I can't believe this is true

2007-11-15T22:04:00.000-05:00

Check this bike-parking shelter bizness going on over at Streetsblog. Like, whoa. Notice all the virtual bikes are fixed-gears, possibly even track bikes. Hahahahaha, love it. How many bikes can you realistically lock up in that thing? Six? At any rate, I take it as a great sign that bikes as realistic modes of tranportation are on elected officials, as well as DOT's minds.

Regina Rules

2007-11-15T21:54:00.000-05:00

Hey kids- If you love Regina Spektor (and you should) you should really head over to NYC Taper and grab her Hammerstein Ballroom show from October. While you're there, you also might want to grab Wilco, 1997-style at Irving Plaza. Very raucous. What kills it for me about the Regina show is it's just her. I've grown to really love and respect a performer who can play a whole show solo and have it be so powerful.

Other music bits: I confess Broken Social Scene were kind of boring me last night. Then they launched into 7/4 Shoreline, Anthem for a 19 Year Old Girl and Major Label Debut and it was super-amazing. Superconnected also rocked it. I'd never checked out Webster's balcony before last night and it's a great perch.

Dreams Dashed, Hopes Shattered

2007-11-13T21:41:00.001-05:00

It took a day for the north foot/bike path of the Williamsburg Bridge to close again. Why, oh why do they do this?

In other news, I'm breaking the long fast of going to shows by heading out to Broken Social Scene at Webster's tomorrow night. Cold War Kids is not far behind. And I did see an amazing choral piece last night at the Winter Garden at WTC. The Talbot Project performed "Path of Miracles". It was about El Camino de Santiago in Espana. Super-cool piece and really fun to hear something different. Going to a perucssion quartet show there next Tuesday.

Ruben, food critic

2007-11-09T17:10:00.001-05:00

Hmmm, yes, while these beets have a fairly adequate color and the aroma is passable, I don't much think I'll be trying these. I recommend adding some tuna, possibly salmon. Try a little harder next time. This place gets one star and I'm being generous.

Today is a Red Letter Day

2007-11-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

I witnessed a small miracle today that I hope will be a gift that keeps on giving. I have been commuting via bicycle in New York for the better part of 3 years now and today is the first day I have ever witnessed BOTH FOOT/BIKE PATHS OF THE WILLIAMSBURG BEING OPEN!!!! This was not the case this morning, but it was in full effect on my ride home this afternoon. Why today, why this afternoon? Is it going to stay that way? Will people actually use both sides? Will one side be designated for peds and one for bikes? I'm all jittery with questions! I've never understood the alternating side being open policy b/c it never looked like any work was being done on the closed side.

Dear Peds,

PLEASE, OH GOD PLEASE, use the south side path.

xo,
Everyone else on a bike trying not to hit you

In other bike news, I'm trying to get off the mail-order habit and start supporting NYC's LBS's. I bought tires (Vittoria Zaffiros, the best durability for the $$ that I've found) and a track nut from BikeWorks (my favorite NYC shop. Dave is awesome and that place is bullshit-free) today. I was pleased to find that KT now works there. Last week I bought bar tape and a chain from them. Some things will always be easier to find online but I'm going to try and give the local shops more of my $$$ because it feels right and honestly it's more fun. I got to hang out for a bit and bullshit about bikes and I def don't get that from Performance.