Oi

So, isn't this swell?

After the CNN planted debate questions debacle, the Clinton campaign is trying to deflect from that by creating this hostage situation in Rochester, New Hampshire?!

"Vote for Clinton, We Were Held Hostage"

Now I don't seriously believe the conspiracy that I just put forth... but look, if it came to light that it was indeed true -- i would not be surprised!

What really sucks most about this -- is there anything else in the world happening this afternoon? Here we are, yet a-freakin'-gain, when one halfway lame ass story DOMINATES the news while the rest of the world seems to either have stopped or fallen into some black abyss where nothing exists any longer. No one else is out there, nothing else is going on, there's no other news other than this one lone dillhole.

When I have the news channels on during the day, I don't want one freakin' story.

Pathetic.

Los Alamos, Slovenia: Lemme Hear Ya Say "YEAAA-AHHHH!"

Always love visits from the government... if you're back, I promise, I am not a spy for the resurging Soviet Union or for those al Qaeda dooshbags ... in fact, I'm pretty sure I'm not a spy for anyone. The Lollypop Guild often tried to recruit me for underground activities to overthrow Canada's government, but I turned them down. (They don't even have Dunkin Donuts over there! (Here in Alaska, Canada's not up there, Canada's over there, eh, to the left... and not just physically but politically, too... to the left... Haaa! To the left, leaning towards Socialism, loony lefties, Left, get it?! HAAAA!) (I'm a little looney myself this early in the a.-freakin'-m.) Plus I'd have to go to the U.S. for my healthcare, that is if I wanted to be taken care of in a timely manner.)

Annnnnnyway, I've never been to Los Alamos. Last time I was in New Mexico -- sheesh, beats me, years ago, like 6 or 7 maybe. If you want an accounting of my movements there -- no! (I can't remember. I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday, so bite me.)

Domain Name		lanl.gov ? (U.S. Government)
IP Address		128.165.145.# (Los Alamos National Laboratory)
ISP		Los Alamos National Laboratory
Location		Continent : North America Country : United States (Facts) State : New Mexico City : Santa Fe

And this one is interesting...

ISP		Slovenija
Location		Continent : Europe Country : Slovenia (Facts) State/Region : Bohinj City : Ljubljana

Visit Length		1 hour 54 minutes 7 seconds
Page Views		101

Seriously, is there that much interesting content here?! I doubt it.

Oh, Mann, finally back to runnin'!

· Run Time -- 14 minutes 17 seconds (+0:21)

· indoors

· Total Running Time for November -- 2 hours 18 min 45 sec
______________________October --- ______57 min 06 sec
____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
__________· So Far -- 9 lb... havin' a difficult time getting to 10

Finally got back to the Rec Center for a run tonight. It's been several days since my last run... and several days without exercise is a bad thing. It was interesting walking into the gym at such a late hour. I had already eaten something for dinner. Was almost just lookin' forward to some TV and sleep... but I knew I had to run, had a playlist loaded on my mp3 player and ready to go. Now, man, I'm so glad I made the decision to change clothes, grab my keys, and head over to the University. For days I hesitated running, had some sort of block that wasn't exactly urging me to go. Stoopid. Afterwards, right now, I'm soaked in a feeling that going for a run was exactly the right thing to do.

Smooth run. Another 1/3 of a minute tacked on. Slowly building back up to 20 (and then beyond.)

I realized that now that I'm running indoors, I'm using outdoor Trail running shoes. Okay, so there's not that much difference and they do the job indoors just fine, but do I need Gore-Tex indoors? And deep tread made for uneven conditions outside on a trail?

Ah, well. I suppose they'll do and by the time I need a new pair, I'll be back outdoors again... of course, that won't be for months, but whatever, I'm not exactly ready to move to a less cold climate yet. Eventually maybe but for now this is what it is -- running indoors in late November and that'll continue through February. Maybe in March I'll finally be able to hit the trail again. Until then, this will suffice.

Running tunes
from this evenings album...


Aimee Mann

Whatever

1993






I Should've Known
Fifty Years After The Fair
4th of July
Could've Been Anyone
Put Me On Top
Stupid Thing
Say Anything
Jacob Marley's Chain
Mr. Harris
I Could Hurt You Now
I Know There's A Word
I've Had It
Way Back When

I'm not so sure what to make of this album. I used to dig Aimee's band Til Tuesday but I never heard any solo material of hers... until now. She's an amazing songwriter, that's for sure. The lyrics here are smart and they tell good stories. Her sound, sort of Adult Alternative, I'm too excited by. It's not bad but then again i didn't think, "Wow, i love this." Just eh. A few songs pop while others are fairly mellow. There's sort of a wide array of sounds here so it's not all the same for 51 minutes. It's a cool mix with something that'll appeal to anyone who used (or still does) dig Til Tuesday.

(Wow, could I be any less specific?!)

Mostly 320 kbps dload @ Music Eldorado

T right here in Montego

ost of America is asleep right now as I type this at 4:30 in the morning (Eastern time zone, yo... 12:30 a.m. here in Alaska.) But 25 years ago this very moment, the good ol' Grateful Dead were just starting their show that would wrap up Day 1 of the Jamaica World Music Festival. This would be their only concert in the Caribbean, and aside from Hawaii, their only show south of the mainland United States.

Many people've seen a show start when it was light out and finish when it was dark... but only a very few can say they saw the sun rise as the band went into Fire On The Mountain! Breakfast right after a show? Oh, man, that must've been somethin'. Knowin' me as well as I think I know me, this is a show I definitely would've mailordered for. Maybe I'd never have made it but my plans to go would have been in full swing, I tell ya what.

Anyway, on with the tunes...

Grateful Dead -- 11/26/82
Bob Marley Memorial Performing Centre
Montego Bay, Jamaica

1st Set
Sugaree, Minglewood Blues, Loser,
Women Are Smarter, Althea, Let It Grow

2nd Set
Samson and Delilah,
Scarlet Begonias -» Fire On The Mountain -»
Drums -» Space -» Throwing Stones -»
Not Fade Away -» Black Peter -» Good Lovin'

Holy Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Rastaman!! Mmmm, tasty! Just lovin' this yet again! Loser, for the 3rd time in a few days now, is absolutely the pinnacle of the 1st Set. I don't know why, near the end, everything in the universe comes into one absolute moment of perfection. Only a 6-song set but a pretty sweet Let It Grow wraps it all up. The band is in such a massive groove here that they could have jammed this out for twice as long as they did. For some reason, Bobby's rhythm guitar throughout the show is off to the side in only the right channel and not so easy to tune in on... but I'm really diggin' Phil totally front and center... and Jerry, of course.

Set 2 has more of the same. Scarlet-> Fire, at 16½ minutes, seems just right for 6 in the morning. Loved it! Drums-> Space is really brief before Bobby goes into Throwing Stones, a relatively brand new tune, launched only a couple months before. I usually love a rockin' end of the show but Peter is a pretty nice, mellow moment with some sweet, sweet Jerry! No encore but Bobby works some fun cheese into Good Lovin' to close it all out. The whole thing is a little on the short side at under 2 hours but not a bad show for 4:30 to about 7 in the morning! And what a sweet recording!

lineage: master soundboard cassette > WAV > SHN
·
sound quality: Smokin' ... A to A+!!

·

listen: 11-26-82 Montego Bay is @ Archive.org


or Dload It Right Here
11/26/82 - 1st Set «--» 2nd Set - 11/26/82

Never Just Monday-Friday...

How fun is it to work the Saturday overnight shift?

Not very. Sometimes it ain't bad when you get boring call after boring call -- no blood, no vomit, no brains, maybe an IV or two. At the end of the shift you can slump down into the couch, take a deep breath, let out a big sigh, and just relax.

Then there are nights like the one I just had. I've been off-duty for a little over 2 hours now, since 9 a.m.... and... I'm burnt out.

All I can do is veg out. I don't even wanna think right now.

Seahawks-Rams is on. So is Buffalo-Jacksonville. Yawn.

Chicago Bears are on next... but I need sleep. They kinda bite anyway this year.

It's a beautiful morning, though. Over much of America, the sun's flyin' high overhead. Might not be very warm but where there isn't an overcast sky, sure is sunny. Here there are no clouds to speak of today but it's halfway dark because the sun barely rises above the horizon this time of year. 11:30 a.m. and it looks like 7 a.m. elsewhere. It's very cool, in a way, but right now it's bringin' me down a little...

because I'm wondering why the hell some people have kids?! I think it was just yesterday that I mentioned in a comment I left at Mark's smorgasborg of fun -- Knockin' On The Golden Door -- that people oughta need a license to become a parent.

It's true. You need a license to become a barber? But anyone can have a kid?

Take, for example, this idiot last night who got in her car, with her infant in the child safety seat... she drives off the road and about 75 feet down an embankment. Neither she or the kid is wearing a jacket with the temperature at about 7 to 8° F (-13 to -14 C.) There's no smell of alcohol or marijuana but this woman is clearly whacked out of her gourd. Her face has been beautifully rearranged by the windshield and her year old baby, this is the best part, wasn't properly strapped into the child safety seat... and the seat itself wasn't seatbelted in AT ALL. Mom, in her unbelievably deranged state, kept saying that she'll just walk home. She never asked about the baby. Not once. Both would probably be just fine... but God Bless, meth, huh?!

I need to get out of this line of work once and for all. Of course, if I'm not flying fulltime, I'll be writing books including some about very sad subjects like poverty... which'll be so uplifting, huh?

Just after the noon o'clock hour now and... time to sleep.

Rita Run

· Run Time -- 13 minutes 56 seconds (+0:23)

· back indoors

· Total Running Time for November -- 2 hours 4 min 28 sec
______________________October --- ______57 min 06 sec
____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
__________· So Far -- 9 lb... havin' a difficult time getting to 10.

This whole thing lately with above freezing temps during the day, below freezing at night -- it's really gotta stop. I mean seriously. People've gotta stop driving cars 'cause this damn global warming, I'm serious, it's gettin' on my nerves. 37 (F) during the day?! Melting half the snow, makin' life one holy mess... come on. Would have LOVED to have gone for a run on the trail in this temp... but slush is not good.

Not that it really woulda mattered anyway 'cause Geez, Louise, could my run tonight have been any more freakin' difficult?! Finally I woke up after sleepin' half the day... but I'm thinkin' I had such a hard time because I didn't get enough sleep after working that 24 hour shift. Not enough proper energy maybe? Somethin' just wasn't right. But mentally I felt I was ready to go. Got my butt over to the gym with just enough time to spare before they closed early for the Thanksgiving break... was really lookin' forward to gettin' that nearly 14 minutes of exercise. Stretched... Pressed Play... Started Running... and I made it all the way to my end cue... but twas not easy. I was simply practically dead at the end. Within a few minutes I had recovered just fine... but oi vay, ay caramba, Flander-dider-didly-o, life would be so much easier without this crap. I made it, though. Hopefully my next run will go a whole lot better.

3 reggae running tunes from this, my Album du Jour...


Rita Marley

Who Feels It Knows It

1980






A Jah Jah
That's The Way
Who Feels It Knows It
One Draw
Thank You Jah
Good Morning Jah
I'm Still Waiting
Play Play
Jah Jah Don't Want
Easy Sailing

After the death of her husband Bob, the soul of Marley reggae would not be silenced... Rita helped to carry it on. Here she makes her solo debut. Her sound is well-crafted; this is no amateur effort, not one bit. One Draw celebrates the ganja in fine Jamaican fashion and many tunes focus on the Oneness and the Greatness of Jah, or God, praising Him in a way any Christian would be happy to hear. All the while the ride is laid back yet alive at the same time with a playful and fun feeling.

Not great to run to because it didn't help give me a quicker pace that I wanted... but some really nice reggae and I'm lookin' forward to more Rita in the future.

128 kbps dload @ moot-soul

¿Por qué no te callas?

Smoked salmon & caribou stew for Thanksgiving?!

Aside from giving people a day to remember to be thankful (since remembering on the other 364 days of the year is way too difficult of a task) ... what is Thanksgiving usually for?

A time for family and friends to gather, eat turkey, mashed potatoes, perhaps some sort of bean dish, a little vino, some beer, some football, pecan pie, other assorted yummy goodies like that? And of course ya gotta kick the day off with watching the Macy's Thankgiving Day Parade, right? How about a DVD viewing of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving? (Dude, Peanuts always rules! Well, maybe not as much as Looney Tunes, but still great and definitely classic!)

Why not skip all that and just go to work?
Maybe even do a 24-hour shift?

Say from 9 a.m. Thanksgiving morning until about an hour ago, 9 a.m. this morning, the day after Thanksgiving.

No gatherings. No relatives. No turkey.

I could've had turkey, actually. There was a buffet spread deal all set up at the station, donated by a restaurant in town, and there were other dishes brought in by whoever.

My 24 hrs in food:
a few granola bars
some crackers
smoked salmon
and the best caribou stew I've ever had!

Thanksgiving's never a big deal for me anymore. It's not a deal at all, really. It's basically just another day. Since it is a huge holiday, and I wasn't scheduled to work, I actually volunteered for this shift (because some of the regulars had asked for this little bit of vacation time way in advance.) Not being married or involved with anyone right now, that right there makes me free to do whatever I want. My closest family members -- mom, dad, brother -- at over 4,000 miles (6,400 km) away, might as well be in Johannesburg.

So here I am, in exile, sort of, in a way, not really but kind of... a long way from the world that I came from. Much of everything is the same here but smoked salmon and caribou stew for Thanksgiving? Not gonna find much of that in Wyckoff, New Jersey!

Now today is America's hugest shopping day. Reportedly 50% of the population is doing some shopping in malls or other stores. And to prevent me from getting so angry at the disgusting commercialization of Christmas and the ultra-disgusting selfish mentality (in general) of the American people, I'm not gonna go into that subject. Just that much thought about it is already making me wanna stand up and throw my chair through the window.

In any case, I do hope people enjoyed their day yesterday.

The Music Did Stop... But They're Back

Something's not right in Alaska, or at least in this part of it.

36° F (2 C) is the current temperature as the noontime hour approaches.

8° F is the average high for this day. 8. Nuts is the only way to describe this weather. I'm goin' out soon to get some errands done and I'm wearin' shorts again. This I most definitely did not expect, not until like March. Shorts. 36? Weird.

Bad news: the snow's melting. I really wanna go for a run outside but the trail has got to be a waterlogged mess. Then tonight as freezing temps set in -- Ice Everywhere. I'll be home safe and toasty warm? Not quite. I'll be at work, in an ambulance, on the icy roads. Oh joy.

Well, at least this a.m. has been filled with some great tunes...

hat were the Deadheads wondering over those many months from late '74 to mid-'76? The band they loved, would they ever see them again? Shows in '75 occured in March, June, August, and September -- only 4 months... with only 1 show a month! 1976 rolled around then what? January, February, March, April, nothing. Well, plenty of Jerry shows but no Grateful Dead. Finally in May there was some news and on June 3rd in Portland, Oregon, the Dead played their first show of the year, their first show in 8 long months.

After two quick Oregon shows, they headed East for a swing -- Boston, New York, Passaic, NJ, Upper Darby, PA then Chicago in the midwest. Almost two weeks after that was all wrapped up -- shows at home. Market Street. Finally.

Grateful Dead -- 7/12/76
Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco

soundcheck
Dancing In The Streets, They Love Each Other,
The Music Never Stopped, The Music Never Stopped,
Stella Blue, Stella Blue, Stella Blue, Stella Blue,
Stella Blue, Stella Blue, Stella Blue,
Let It Grow, Eyes Of The World

1st Set
The Music Never Stopped, Brown-Eyed Women,
Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, Minglewood Blues,
Candyman, Looks Like Rain, Row Jimmy,
Lazy Lightning -» Supplication, Deal, The Promised Land

2nd Set
Sugaree, Samson and Delilah,
Help On The Way -» Slipknot -» Franklin's Tower,
Dancing In The Streets, Wharf Rat -» Drums -»
The Wheel -» Around and Around

Encore: U.S. Blues

With so few Soundchecks in circulation, it's kind of unfortunate that this one doesn't contain any sort of special gem. There isn't a lot of joking around, not a lot of audible chatting. Oh well.

Gems also seem to be lacking in the 1st Set. But wait a minute 'cause that's not sayin' it was bad or boring or anything like that. Well-played throughout. Tennessee Jed, even though it's patched from an Aud, is top-notch (and the Aud's not bad, either.) Same for Lazy Lightning-> Supplication. The best thing about the set -- Jerry. Tune him in each and every song and it's a Heaven coming alive in your ears.

Set 2 has much of the same. Nothing really stands out, nothin' pops, nothin' that makes time stand still... until the end of the Encore -- wow! But even though there's a lack of mind-boggling moments, again, without a doubt, the 2nd Set has more meticulously played tunes; they're just kind of on the mellow side. The 26 minutes of Help-> Slip-> Frank is probably the highlight for me. Wharf Rat, as well. Both beautifully played with more precision pickin' from Jer. The band is tight, the playin' near-perfect. It's was a good night to be indoors in July. It was good that life was indeed normal again... well, whatever normal was bein' a Deadhead in 1976.

sound quality:
the soundcheck has a buzzing noise heard in the quiet spots.
1st Set -- light hiss, B+/A-. 2nd Set: better, solid A.

lineage:
Soundcheck: SBD->Master VHS->DAT->CD
Set One: SBD->RM->Reel->Reel->Reel->DAT->CD
Set Two: SBD->RM->DAT->Sonic Solutions->CD
Tennessee Jed is patched from Bob Menke's Aud Recording AUD->RM->DAT->CD

The soundboard of 7/12/76 is @ Archive.org
for listening only.

Without the soundcheck, you can listen to and download the
Audience version of 7/12/76, also @ Archive.org

Or you can dload the Soundboard right here:
·

·
7/12/76 - soundcheck
·
1st Set - 7/12/76
·
7/12/76 - Set 2, Part 1 Part 2, Set 2 - 7/12/76

next up: hopefully another GD sbd early next week

In About 360 Miles, I'd Reach The Beach

Is the freedom of Americans
more important than the freedoms of other human beings?

According to some Congressman debating the embargo against Communist Cuba on C-Span last night, yes, the freedom of American residents and citizens is what's most important. He kept bringing up over and freaking over the fact that the U.S. government does not allow Cuban citizens to travel back to Cuba more than once every three years, and that regular citizens can't go at all. That freedom is being withheld from us.

But the schmuck Democrat Representative McGovern barely addressed the fact that Cuban citizens are essentially prisoners on their island. People opposing the government -- they're prisoners in jail.

McGovern seemed more concerned with the rights of Americans rather than his fellow human beings who have very little rights whatsoever. I think he said it's not for the U.S. government to judge how the Cuban government treat their citizens... or some lunacy like that.

On the one hand, the embargo is a bad thing because if we were allowed to go there we could speak to Cuban citizens to our hearts delights about FREEDOM and they could have a PROPER REVOLUTION against the Communist government who keeps them (basically) in chains. But on the other hand, Communist Cuba has in the past sponsored terrorism and if the embargo was lifted, they'd have billions of dollars flowing into THE GOVERNMENT and not necessarily to the people -- what exactly would they do with that money? They are already best buds with that Socialist jerkwad Hugo Chavez and I bet Ahmadinejad wouldn't mind being a nice little part of that threesome, as well. Iranian nukes linked with Cuba so close to the United States? That may be far-fetched but is it seriously without a shadow of a doubt not a possibility?

The embargo does not hurt the Cuban people. They have what they need to survive. It's their repressive Communist government that hurts their people. If Bush is considered a "dictator" by some, then what exactly the hell is Castro? A nice man looking out for his people? They can't buy a nicer home. They can't just go buy a car. They can't buy certain foods because the government hordes them for themselves, for resorts serving Canadian and Spanish visitors, and for overseas trade. They can't just open a business in order to thrive better than they live now. They can't travel to Cancun or Mexico City, to Chicago or London or Montreal. They have no free media. They have no free voice. If you tell your friend that you hate Castro but your friend loves Castro and he tells an official what you said, you will go to prison. Last time I checked, that doesn't happen in the United States of America. People bitch and complain about Bush "shredding the Constitution" and how our rights are being thrown out the window. Give me a break. Seriously, come on, we are WAY above and beyond much freer than Communist Cuba. There the government works to control every aspect of peoples lives. It might seem like that here sometimes but when you look into it it's easy to see that in Cuba, citizens have very few human rights at all. Why is that okay? It's not. But it's America who's the bad guy? Look, it's not the United States who makes Cuba maintain a totalitarian police state. We're not controlling them and making them do that. That's under their own command.

Cuban citizens are prisoners but it's the freedom of Americans that certain politicians are concerned most about? What the hell?

Damn I hate life sometimes. It's so easy to understand how ignorant Americans can go about their Happy Go Lucky lives not caring about such things because they'll have no sadness about such matters. What they don't see, what they don't know about, what's the problem then? Not for them to worry about.

What if it was you who wanted to escape Communist Cuba to have a better life? Wouldn't you want others to give a damn and try to help you out somehow?

This should be its own post. Easily I could do 3,000 words on this subject because it bothers the hell out of me... and it should bother the hell out of everyone.

Man, all I wanted to do this a.m. was say: this morning I went for a run... OUTSIDE... as it's rather warm today...

· Run Time -- 13 minutes 33 seconds (+0:17)

· 25° F (-4 celcius) -- overcast, but 25 is now considered kinda warm!

· Total Running Time for November -- 1 hour 50 min 32 sec
______________________October --- ______57 min 06 sec
____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
__________· So Far -- 9 lb.

Yeah, once again: it was warm! It's like 16 or 17 degrees ABOVE average right now. When i looked at the thermometer I had to a do that classic double take to make sure it really said what I thunk it said.

I was mentally prepared to head on over to the Rec Center again... as I would for every run between now and about March... but with this temp I decided on hitting the trail.

Fresh snowfall in the past few days made it nice and soft. What a contrast to the hard running surface indoors. I added 17 seconds onto my run and if the day before yesterday was a 5 on the 0 to 10 Easy Scale, today was about a 7 -- relatively a piece o' cake. Adding on slowly is working just fine for me. I'm looking forward to 20 minutes but I'm in no rush to get there. Just wanna make sure I progress nice & steadily as well as easily.

I won't count on any more warm days. Today may've been just a fluke. Back to the gym tomorrow!

3 running tunes from my morning music...


The Fixx

Reach The Beach

1983






One Thing Leads To Another
The Sign Of Fire
Running
Saved By Zero
Opinions
Reach The Beach
Changing
Liner
Privilege
Outside

Mmm, cool stuff! This is the second album from this new wave/modern rock band from London, England. Two songs here -- One Thing Leads To Another and Saved By Zero -- are two of their few most popular. I've known those from way back. Great to hear 'em again. And the rest ranks right up there. Another excellent band healping to lead the way in England's post-punk days.

find a download @ Yesterday Lives On

A Psychedelic Run; or Not Quite Pretty In Pink

9 degrees today (-13 C.) Pretty cold but not biting to the bone. Completely overcast. Some flurries here, some light snow there. It's gonna be a long winter. We've been above average for the most part, a little on the High temps but especially on the Low temps. National news I watch religiously but local news almost never... caught it tonight and they said the Record High for this day was 41° (5 Celcius) all the way back in 1916. Wow. 41. At this point I couldn't imagine. Actually I can. Shorts weather! Seems like it's been a couple months since we've had those temps. Deeper into the Interior today, many villages were well into double digits below zero. The wicked cold has set in there... but not here yet. Soon. It's gonna be a long winter.

Decided at Halftime of Sunday Evening Football to go for a run. Another blowout for the New England Patriots. I think they had 5 touchdowns at the half! Holy cow. (Being a New Englander by birth, I once tried to adopt the Pats as my favorite team, or one of two along with the Chicago Bears, but eh, never caught on.)

The temperature was just below the cusp of the point where it's just too darn cold to be out there on the trail running or casually hiking... and it was dark so on over to the Rec Center I drove. Oh joy. Having to fire up the Bronco and drive over there, walk inside, walk back to the truck, drive home, still not sitting well with me -- but it's worth it.

· Run Time -- 13 minutes 16 seconds (+0:21)

· Indoors

· Total Running Time for November -- 1 hour 36 min 59 sec
______________________October --- ______57 min 06 sec
____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
__________· So Far -- 8 lb.

Not a bad run. Great in a way despite it not being on the very easy side. The last two or three minutes I was a little distracted in that I wanted for it to end already. I wasn't dyin' so I was okay. Still gettin' used to this indoor temperature and the rather hard running surface. Not to my liking whatsoever... but acceptable especially since I'm not gonna shell out for a treadmill and "run" indoors at home... although, that is kind of sounding like a good option here. Hmmm. I can make up my mind in a split second on a course of action to take in order to stabilize a patient at work... but trying to decide on whether to buy a treadmill for "running" at home during the winter (which is technically still more than a month away) is something I could make my mind up about! For now I'll utilize this indoor track. While I might not like it, I'll like the results (so long as I don't fracture my tibia again!)

I ran to three of these...


The Psychedelic Furs

self-titled debut

1980





India
Sister Europe
Susan's Strange
Fall
We Love You
Soap Commercial
Imitation Of Christ
Pulse
Wedding Song
Flowers

What a great freakin' album! This is not the Psych Furs on the Pretty In Pink soundtrack. That's fur sure. Recorded in late '79 and released in early '80, this is one of many albums that led the post-punk, modern rock/new wave/alternative charge into the 1980's. Within the vocals of Richard Butler, clearly there are hints of whats to come from these guys. But this is gloomier, at times almost goth-ish and dark. A few songs even lean backwards in time to a punk sound that these guys probably played a lot with before they hit the studio to record this album. Afterall, that scene in London is the one in which this band emerged from. Almost every song here has a subdued feel to it while still full of energy. No band member every really takes the spotlight. The music is crafted to be a full ensemble with no spotlight on anyone, especially not Butler. It's like while the band plays he's singin' every song but not really giving a damn... but it all works perfectly.

Listening to this makes me wonder why I spend so much time exploring so much other music. I kind of need a kick in the head to make me just spend time with great albums in this style and period of time.

320 kbps dload @ A Dashing Blade

Some U2 also in today's Playlist:

_ ►Beautiful Day (Beautiful Dance Dub Mix)
_ ►Slug (Grain of Salt Remix)
_ ►All Because Of You (Killahurtz Fly Mix)

Hey, don't bogart those mutterings!

There's no intro. I'm mad. Tried uploading, once 7 hours worth, before that 12 hours worth, and EACH time it went 100% through then failed to show up. Swell. Nearly a whole day wasted.

Anyway...

Unconscious Mutterings

a free association game -- I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Toasty :: warm... especially after bein' outside freezing, get inside, warm sweatpants, cozy sweatshirt, fresh clean socks, hot chocolate with a brand new log into the wood-burning stove to get the heat stoked up, yeah, nice and toasty warm.

2. Allegations :: I deny EVERYTHING. You can't be serious bringin' those accusations 'cause I'm innocent, I done nothin' wrong, so kiss.. my... shiny... metal... ass.

3. Herb ::pot... is what you might plant your herbs in, yeah, that's what I meant, sure it is, now 'scuse me while I light this spliff, mon. (haha, I don't indulge in the greenage anymore and shouldn't promote drug use, bad, Chris! But then again, drinking too much alcohol is also bad and in fact, for every American death related to pot there's like 5,000 related to alcohol... so which is more dangerous? Yet one is fully illegal and one's not. Hmmmm. Somethin' don't quite add up there. They oughta both be on the same plane and not lop-sided like it is now. Argument why pot's so bad -- "Pot's a gateway drug" ... yeah, whatever. Friend o' mine graduated from Cornell 3rd in his class, smoked pot all the time. Today's he a fatcat corporate snob with a half million dollar mortgage and car payments on a Mercedes and a Land Rover ... and which drugs did he venture onto after pot? Lemme see here -- none. Alcohol is way more dangerous than marijuana. Period. So either outlaw alcohol or legalize the mary jane, mon. Can't have it one way and not the other. Just plain freakin' ludicrous.)

4. Bacon :: Homer Simpson... Mmmmmmmm, baaaaay-con [droooooool.] I think if I ever kill myself it might be by bacon, just eatin' it until my arteries make me keel over from a massive heart attack. What a way to go!!!

5. Neck to neck :: Are you kidding me? This means nothing.

6. Simon :: and Simon... TV show from the early to mid 80's, private detective brothers in San Diego, I think one time they did a cross-over show onto Magnum, P.I.

7. Heels :: High

8. Fundamentals :: If you don't know those then fahgetaboutit, you're screwed.

9. Middle :: finger

10. Seasonings :: Celestial: tea; or Old Bay

(exciting picture, isn't it?)

Some Jerry for a Cold Winter, err, umm, I mean Fall Night

nd so another day in central Alaska comes to an end.

Almost. Got some tunes to play first.

Was stoked for a run today... until I saw the temperature.

Holy semi-deep freeze, Batman.

It's actually not that bad... it's not wicked cold but it's still darn cold. That's gonna be the same every day, pretty much, between now and... well, I don't wanna think about it.

At noon today it was 3 below. Snow started falling when it got dark around 5. It's been lightly snowing all evening and all night now. Makin' me feel like Christmastime again. Hey, only like 38 days away... so according to the TV commercials, yeah, it's already Christmastime... but that's another rant for another day.

No run. No hike. It got up to a whopping 2 degrees (-17° C) -- where it's at right now. I thought about getting dressed to run and hopping in my truck to go try out the indoor track at the University. Nah. I've got to do it... just not thrilled about the hassle. But I've got to do it.

In any case, how about enough of this rambling so I can play some music, eh? I've been stoopidly purposely putting off more Jerry for awhile so I could raise my Dead show number up above Jerry stuff. Dumb, huh? Time to start gettin' ol' Jer back in the mix. So much great stuff to look forward to! Legion of Mary, Reconstruction, Old and In The Way, Garcia-Saunders, Garcia-Grisman, Garcia-Kahn, Garcia-Weir, JGB, Jerry Acoustic Band, etc! A lot to dive into and with Ratdog and Phil and Robert Hunter and some Mickey and "The Dead" and TOO and more etc, there's a never-ending supply to explore and share.

Ready? Onward...

Jerry Garcia Band -- 11/7/81
McDonough Arena, Georgetown University
Washington, D.C.

1st Set
Sugaree, Catfish John,
That's What Love Will Make You Do,
Sitting In Limbo, Let It Rock, Midnight Moonlight

Set 2
I Second That Emotion,
Russian Lullaby, Valerie, Don't Let Go,
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down -»
Dear Prudence -» Tangled Up In Blue

I find it increasingly difficult to write a review of a show when the recording is not a soundboard. I probably could do it... but the crowd noise is a barrier that needs to be overcome. Right now I'm listening to this show again for the second time in a few days... and it's great to groove to but not the easiest to really enjoy. But that's most definitely not because the music is bad... not at all. It's because of the Audience recording vs. Soundboard thing. Just not easy to be so analytical. Ya know, that might be a good thing. I can just listen and dig it without feeling the desire to critique between half and the entire performance. Just groove, man!

Jerry's playin' a nice show on this night in our nation's useless capital. He's not on fire with his guitar work but still lighting up this small arena on the campus of Georgetown U. He's certainly got the Deadheads into it. Other than the few people talkin' talkin' talkin' away at times, the crowd is so lovin' it.

Sugaree to open -- definitely a crowd pleaser! Let It Rock -- another one... could Chuck Berry ever play it this good? This is so sweet!!! I Second That Emotion got Set 2 off to a ten minute dance-fest. Excellent all the way, with Jerry, at times, bringin' everything up a notch or twelve with his guitar. Valerie, here in the Fall of '81, was making one of its earliest appearances... and not bad, either. And now that I think about it, here deep in the second set, the sound seems a whole lot better than at the beginning of the show. Dixie Down, is... wow, very nice! For some reason the crowd here is so attentive, more, it seems, than for most of the show. And then Prudence has really got 'em now. Originally done by some band called... who was it? The Beatles? Well, whoever they were there's no way they ever beat this! Mmmm! I love the way Kahn is workin' this on bass. A little different than later years. Very cool. Unfortunately the show came to end with Tangled Up In Blue cutting off wayyy before its proper conclusion. Track length is listed at 6:52 but only the first few minutes are there before the disappointing cut. Ahhh well, gotta shake it off and just try to reflect on what was. And what was before that was a pretty nice show. Absolutely worth a listen... most stuff usually is. It's when the sound quality's so bad that something can be written off as a waste of time and this is definitely on the opposite end of that. Good stuff that made my night! Thanks, Jerry!

Source: AUD>Cassette>CDR>SHN
Taper: unknown but still a big thanks!
Sound Quality: Crisp sound but with a bunch of crowd noise...
and unfortunately some minor chattering near the mics.
Basically: Good for '81. Eh, I don't mind it.
Seems distant at first but I got used to it/it got better.

Listen to it online: where? Probably nowhere.
But you can download it right here

1st Set -» JGB 11/7/81
·
JGB 11/7/81 -» Set 2

I'm Warm Now... But Not Earlier

· Run Time -- 12 minutes 37 seconds (+0:21)

__· Temperature: 10º F (-12º C)
__· Total Trail Time: 51 minutes

· Trail Time in November -- 9 hours 15 minutes

____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
__________· So Far -- 8 lb.

Time to start running at the gym. I am absolutely NOT a gym person... but at the U of AK Fairbanks, they've got an indoor running track and I've got a pass from work so...

When I went on a run this afternoon as the sun was setting, twas 10 Fahrenheit. I was on the trail for less than an hour and when I got back -- twas 3 Fahrenheit. Nice of a cold front to come through without alerting me. Stoopid weather.

At this late hour approaching midnight: -7° F (-22° C) ... brrrrrr!

My wood-burning stove is firin' on all cylinders, so to say ... it's gettin' a workout! This, I do believe, is the coldest it's been all season so far. -10 is in sight, can almost feel it already!

Great run, though. Perfect even! Piece of cake. I have totally turned the corner post-tibia fracture. I'm absolutely on my way back to twenty minutes and beyond. Running the London Marathon in April is out of the question. I may have been on that path before my injury but now -- London '09. That's my goal. My first ever race will be that to raise money for charity. Lonnnnnnnnnnnng way to go before I'm even close to ready -- but I'm workin' in it!

Yeah, so it was a great run and +21 seconds from last time. But I nearly froze. I will die out there, literally my life will end, if I happen to twist my ankle badly enough and can't make it back... severe hypothermia will set in, made worse by sweating from the run. Death, like, fer sure.

So it's time to run inside for awhile. And here, once again, I can say that if I was in New England or New Jersey -- I want to live on Long Beach Island but since a closet there costs $300,000 and decent living accomodations more like $600,000, it'll probably be back to New England, place of my birth -- I'd be able to run without such a high chance of freezing my face off.

Or I could just stop running and go on medication for high blood pressure and then eventually get diabetes and live an unhealthy life, an American life.

Nah.

Tunes!


Brooke Fraser

What To Do With Daylight

2003





Arithmetic
Saving The World
Still In Love
Lifeline
Waste Another Day
Without You
Reverie
Indelible
Better
Scarlet
Mystery

I'm so glad that I found about Brooke Fraser! What a GREAT debut album from this Kiwi who is now a member of Hillsong United in Sydney. This was the 2nd best selling album in New Zealand in 2004... not a single tune makes me even halfway bored. Her sound is really all over the place, a little jazz, a little reggae, some funk almost, piano accompaniment only, and a soft acoustic mellow track, but primarily a beautiful female "alternative" sound. And interestingly the lyrics to every (or nearly every) song are Christian in nature... but she never says God's name. Each time that there's a message it shines through in the brilliant songwriting. Fantastic stuff here. My favorites, with a portion of the lyrics:

Saving The World
Didn't I tell you everything's fine?
If there's a good and bad we're somewhere in between
Often I feel like we're all navigating blind
Could we get a change of pace to set the scene?

We could stay another day in this confusion
Let it permeate us 'til we can't move on

But while we're waiting we could try saving the world
Or are we storing that up for a rainy day?

Why do we, humans in general, just give at Christmastime or think something like, "I'd love to help, one of these days I will"??? Go, help, now, save this freakin' planet, the people who suffer so badly. Why wait?

Lifeline
I have this sinking feeling
Something's weighing me down
I am completely saturated
The waves are crashing closer
My feet already drowned
Doing the thing I said I hated

They've been swimming in the wrong waters
Now they're pulling me down
But I am clinging to you, never letting go
'Cos I know that you'll lift me out

Have your way here
Keep me afloat 'cos I know I'll sink without you
Take this ocean of pain that is mine
Throw me a lifeline

Wow. I have no words for that. Maybe I do. Feels like I don't, at least not when I'm gasping at how amazing that message is. People say God's a crutch. That's true, He is! And that's okay!!!! He's a crutch, He's a ladder, He's a helping hand, He's inspiration, He's a lifeline!!

I'm lookin' forward to spinning her follow-up to this, which isn't even a year old, and man, I already wanna pre-order her next album whenever that comes out!

192 kbps dload @ Som Cristão