Rambling Canuck

This is a TEST

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:29:04 -0700

For some reason, when Apple switched their .Mac services over to MobileMe, it screwed up my publishing capabilities - that is, the ability for readers to leave comments. So, no, I’m not trying to censor you lot (though I probably should). Hopefully, I’ll figure this out sooner than later.

Also, going on vacation for about two weeks, so you won’t hear from me for a while.

Peace out.

Bikes vs. Cars

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:09:43 -0700

There’s a big confrontation raging in Portland right now. Yes, we’re considered one of the most bike-friendly cities in America, but you wouldn’t know it by reading the latest headlines. Drivers are up in arms over belligerent bikers running red lights and changing lanes without right of ways, while bikers would like to see drivers share the road a little more, maybe look over their right shoulder before making a right turn once in a while, and perhaps check their side mirror before flinging their door open. To make matters worse, we’re now experiencing bike rage. It sucks that one drunken loser can give so many law-abiding bikers a bad name.

Personally, I’m a huge bike advocate. But I also think bikers need to respect the rules of the road if they want to be given equal right to it. (However, am I hypocrite for believing messengers are excluded from this point of view? I just think they have a unique job to do, and it comes down to speed and doing whatever is needed to keep the packages moving.) Regardless, I’m tired of the us-and-them mentality. It’s ridiculous and needs to stop.

Jonathan Maus at BikePortland.org sums it up best “I am not a bicyclist or a motorist, I am a person. I hope someday everyone begins to understand that the way we choose to move around the city does not define who we are.”

Photo from BikePortland.org’s Flickr photostream (Critcal Mass, Jan. 2008)

Brews and Who

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:37:41 -0700

So I just finished a stellar winning soccer match on the pitch (it’s about 100 degrees here in Portland, by the way) and, of course, we end such a game with a few pitchers of fine Oregon brew. After many post-game stories and reveling in our win I decided to shuffle The Who catalogue on the way home. With a head full of hops I relished in the obscure. There are so many strange tracks that no one remembers, yet (and maybe this is the beer talking) are rock solid. Check “Empty Glass”. Does anyone even know what album that’s from? I think not. Regardless, Keith Moon’s drums put me over the edge. I banged my fists on the steering wheel the entire ride home.

Blue-Eyed Soul

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:45:51 -0700

Every summer I end up digging through my Little Feat discography. There’s something about their Southern swamp music that is the perfect soundtrack for sitting on the front porch with a margarita. However, I must admit, I’m somewhat of a Feat snob - I only listen to Lowell George-era releases. Post-George stuff is decent but it has never grabbed me. George was the heart and soul of the band. His lyrics were both honest and bizarre, and his slide guitar work was out of this world. Not to mention, he had one of the best voices in the business - a master of blue-eyed soul.

It’s funny to think that George was in Frank Zappa’s band ,The Mothers of Invention, at one point. You can hear his guitar on Weasels Ripped My Flesh. The outcome of this foray has gone down as one of the better rock myths. George was kicked out of the band but no one seemed to remember why. Most likely it was drug use, which was something Zappa never tolerated. One version has him kicking out George because he brought a new song “Willin’” to the table, but it had glorified drug use in the lyrics. Another story has George being relieved of his duties for taking a 15-minute slide solo during a concert, which was a bit long even for Zappa. Regardless, I think it says a lot about George’s abilities - if you can hang with Zappa musically, you’ve got it going on.

Anyway, there’s one bootleg Little Feat track that always gets me excited about this band. Check out “The Fan”, live from Ultrasonic Studios in 1974. George (or it might be guitarist Paul Barrere) unleashes one of the best solos and Billy Payne goes off on his keys with some tripped out riffs. Every time I listen to this I’m hooked once again.

The Immortal Class

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:02:49 -0700

We’re currently in the process of selling our house and I can say, with all my heart, never again!! What a pain in the ass. We’ve been through this before, about five years ago, and it feels like so much has changed. People are way more anal about it. Why can’t it be more like buying a car? I know, it’s a lot of dough, but sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith. All this sewer scoping and crap is driving me nuts. Anyway, this isn’t really the point of my post (I’m sure you’ll hear more about the home-buying roller coaster later). What I wanted to offer up was a recommendation on a great biking book I just finished.

With gas prices going through the roof, and our new place (fingers crossed) being very close to my place of work, I’ve decided to get my car off the road and embrace the bike commute once again. To get my legs pumping I looked for some inspiration and found a book called The Immortal Class by Travis Culley. It’s essentially a memoir of his days flying through the congested streets of Chicago as a bike messenger. He’s part street philosopher and part road warrior. The tales he tells about this rag-tag group of riders are awe-inspiring - the fights with taxi drivers, the illegal races through city streets, the blood, the pain. Not that I’d ever be so hardcore, but this book got me super exciting about getting back on two wheels. Check it out.