tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87992492024-03-06T21:43:00.185-08:00chewingonaviancranium...and other passtimes of a geek.Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-74686194150314124682008-06-01T18:54:00.000-07:002008-06-01T19:19:33.536-07:00Summer To-Do List<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I'm roughly 45 hours away from the start of my summer vacation. The last day of school/graduation is tomorrow, and then there's one more day for the staff to close up show for the summer, expected to wrap up around 4:00 PM on Tuesday, June 3rd. All the grading is done from finals week, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">scantrons</span> are bubbled - all the hard work is done, I'm already mentally on vacation. Now to make the most of my impending freedom, I think it wise to make a "to do list." What follows it that list.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Investigate housing options in Davis/possibly (probably) move to Davis.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Buy a bike. Use it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Devise & start a new training <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">mesocycle</span>. Goals: strength maintenance, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">bodyfat</span> reduction (same goals as the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mesocycle</span> I've been running since late March, but I need to switch it up) + bringing up my back (an unassisted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pullup</span>? w00t!)</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Read some books. I need to assemble some candidates. I've <em>no idea</em> what to read right now. Work this year has taken the wind out of my reading sails...</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Summit a minor Cascade peak. South Sister? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">McLoughlin</span>? (Shasta's nixed for this year due to poor conditions & under-training)</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Head up to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Yreka</span> for the fair weekend (the last weekend of my summer) & go tubing on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Klamath</span>, go to the fair, & go blackberry picking.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Brew again - it's been, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">sheesh</span>, over a year? Weather will mandate a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">saison</span> of some sort. Have my dad brew with me? (He expressed interest)</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Do some more farmers' market shopping. I'm especially interested in finding local meat.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Buy some of Old Soul's bacon.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Go on the ocean fishing trip some of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Yrekans</span> have organized?</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Run the Mt. Shasta 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">th</span> of July race ('<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">twood</span> be my <em>first</em> race).</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Eat at </span><a href="http://www.cafemaddalena.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Cafe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Maddalenna</span></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://www.billygoatstavern.com/billygoatstavern.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Billy Goat's Tavern</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, and </span><a href="http://www.taylorsrefresher.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Taylor's Refresher</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> (should be able to take care of the last one when I'm at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Napa</span> conference).</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Get "out" on a weekly basis lest I go crazy.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This one always makes "the list," but rarely happens: paint!</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Update this list as the summer goes on?</span></li></ol><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span> </p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">All I can muster for now...</span></p>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-25381534209075955862008-03-08T08:51:00.000-08:002008-03-08T09:59:55.627-08:00Community organization, rescindance, and other goings-onI checked my e-mail on this fine, late-winter morning to find this comment had been left regarding my post, <a href="http://chewingonaviancranium.blogspot.com/2006/06/bread-circuses-and-my-hometown.html">Bread, Circuses, and My Hometown</a>:<br /><blockquote>I realize this is a pretty old post, but I stumbled upon it in some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">google</span> search. I just want to let you know that you are not alone in wanting to see <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Yreka</span> and all of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Siskiyou</span> county develop into its full potential. Please visit <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">siskiyoutopia</span>.com. We can make a difference! It's just going to be an uphill battle and the older generation will only go along kicking and screaming! Yea for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Siskiyou</span> county! ...stop kicking back there and shut up!....</blockquote><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Soooo</span>... I checked out <a href="http://siskiyoutopia.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Siskiyoutopia</span></a>, and I have to say that I'm quite pleased. Looks like a Southern Oregon transplant to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Siskiyou</span> County has taken it upon themselves to try to mobilize some cultural revitalization there, and that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Siskiyoutopia</span> blog is a primary engine of that movement. So far it looks like the primary content of the site is reports on local events, local shopping, local enterprise, etc. In general, <a href="http://siskiyoutopia.com/2008/03/08/stuff-to-do/">things people can do in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Siskiyou</span> County</a> that will establish and build some cultural momentum and economic revitalization. If I could make a suggestion to the voice of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Siskiyoutopia</span>, I'd say check out what the heck is going on with local agriculture: is there a farmer's market; who besides Hunter Orchards is producing some scrumptious, local eats; who can you go to to get some locally-raised, grass-fed beef? (I'm splitting a side of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Townley</span> beef with my brother and my folks)<br /><br />Anyway, I'm glad to see there are like-minded folks living up yonder. Makes me think my eventual return will go much smoother...<br /><br />BUT, the above comment prompted me to re-read my post, <a href="http://chewingonaviancranium.blogspot.com/2006/06/bread-circuses-and-my-hometown.html">Bread, Circuses, and My Hometown</a>. In that post, I said, "[mixed martial arts] is for troglodytes." Immediately after that, I said, "And I'm not going to back down from that statement." Well folks, I feel I do indeed have to back down from that statement, and here's why...<br /><br />At the time I wrote that post, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">MMA</span> was just beginning it's national <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">resurgance</span>. I wasn't quite aware of the scale to which it would permeate ALL of American society. It wasn't just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Siskiyou</span> County that saw <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">MMA</span> grow, it was the <em>entire country.</em> Now we see <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">MMA</span> on cable TV every night, and specials on the "fight science" of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">MMA</span> on the "educational" cable channels. It's everywhere. And the fact that it's everywhere, and not just in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Siskiyou</span> County, makes me less scared.<br /><br />Beyond that, honestly, my involvement in strength athletics (which began when I decided I didn't want to die a corpulent beast about a month after I wrote the post in question) has done a lot to make my more "okay" with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">MMA</span>. You see, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">MMA</span> circle mixes with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">powerlifting</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">olympic</span> lifting, strongman, and bodybuilding circles. There's a lot of cross-pollination. When I look for articles on Russian conjugate training, I inevitably end up at the same sites that publish articles on things like "lactic acid tolerance training for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">MMA</span>." By spending enough time in these overlapping circles, I've come to better understand <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">MMA</span> as a sport, and to have a better appreciation for the rigors involved.<br /><br />Indeed, as I've trained for my own athletic feats (first an attempt on climbing Mt. Shasta, currently a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">powerlifting</span> meet, and up next, another attempt on Mt. Shasta), I've come to appreciate sport in general to a degree which I never achieved before (that's what happens, I suppose, when you aren't athletic as a kid). At this point, I have a hard time believing that I dismissed physical activity and accomplishments as much as I once did. I now thrive on the zen of physical rigor. In all honesty, little in my personal experience has carried the same potential for self actualization that devotion to sport does. And if some folks find this same experience through the brutal regimen of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">MMA</span>, good for them. That said, a sport which almost inevitably involves facial disfigurement and brain damage is <em>most <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">definitely</span></em> not my cup of tea, but to each his own, I suppose.<br /><br />Beyond all this, I've encountered some more mundane reasons to be "okay" with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">MMA</span>. My activities in strength athletics have brought me Sacramento's coolest gym (with the best music selection ever heard in a gym), <a href="http://physicalsubculture.com/blog"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Bodytribe</span></a>. At <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Bodytribe</span>, I've met folks involved in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">MMA</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Muay</span> Thai, and you know what? They aren't creepy. They aren't <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">skeezy</span>. They aren't really weird. They're actually really nice people.<br /><br />But with all that said (and heading back towards the original topic of this post), should small-time <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">MMA</span> fights held on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Karuk</span> grounds be the biggest and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">bestest</span> thing to happen in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Siskiyou</span> County? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Definately</span> not. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Siskiyou</span> County can do more and should do more.<br /><br />I'd love to say more, but it seems that duty calls right now...Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-58508711761837068102008-02-13T21:12:00.000-08:002008-02-13T21:51:13.786-08:00Raw Youth - A reader's thoughts...Recently I posted concerning the publication of my friend <a href="http://whenwillthehurtingstop.blogspot.com/">Tim's</a> novel, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/RAW-YOUTH-Timothy-ONeil/dp/0615177948/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199653050&sr=1-9">Raw Youth</a></em>. This past weekend I finished reading it, and I feel a need to talk about it a bit.<br /><br />First of all, I must say that I respect the hell out of Tim for writing and publishing this novel. When we were in high school, idealistic and confused youths that we were, we voiced some pretty big plans for our futures. I dreamed of being a rock journalist or a guerilla artist or a socialist revolutionary - something provocative. Tim was pretty damned set on being an author, on writing "the great American novel." Nine years later, I'm teaching high school - valuable work, certainly, but it doesn't have quite the glory I'd envisioned myself to be destined for. In the meantime, Tim has lead a crazy and unexpectedly dramatic life, but he hasn't lost sight of that initial goal. Every step of the way from high school graduation to this very moment, he has been, according to my observations at least, focused on his literary aspirations. While I'm fairly happy with my life, the artist and dreamer in me envies Tim's clarity of vision and the cojones he has demonstrated in his commitment to his goals.<br /><br />Now I'm not quite sure how to respond to <em>Raw Youth. </em>I don't know why Tim decided to push this manuscript through, as opposed to any of the others he has worked on. And to be completely honest, I was skeptical of the novel when he initially serialized the first several chapters on his blog - in that stunted and truncated form, I had a really tough time figuring out where the hell he was going.<br /><br />And where was Tim going with <em>Raw Youth?</em> The novel consists of the recollections of a narrator who seems to be subject to paranoid delusions and hallucinations (in comments concerning the novel Tim has described the character as a paranoid schizophrenic) who is obsessed with the national traumas to which the American public has been subjected over the past 15 years (Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine, 9/11, etc). Weird premise, eh? After reading the novel, I'm still not really sure what the hell Tim was saying about all this.<br /><br />Ultimately, I feel somewhat unqualified to evaluate the literary merits of the novel. I'm not an objective audience. Reading the novel proved to be a rather odd experience for me simply because I am so familiar with many of the personal experiences and events Tim mined to flesh out the novel... Tony Roma's in Salt Lake? That's where we ate on our way back from seeing the Chemical Brothers at Red Rocks. I got food poisioning from that meal. But beyond that, I feel like I have too many preconcieved notions of Tim's psyche and intentions, and I'm not sure what I do think I understand about his novel is based on his <em>writing,</em> and not more than that.<br /><br />That said, I need to describe what happened when I turned the last page and returned the novel to my bookshelf. I felt a longing. I wanted more. I didn't want to be done with the novel. I wanted the experience I'd had reading it to continue. Then I realized that Tim had done something <em>very</em> successful. He'd written a kick-ass, riveting narrative. <em>Raw Youth</em> was, for me, a page-turner. I enjoyed it greatly, and I eagerly await Tim's future writings.Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-19519231861136757152008-01-12T08:33:00.000-08:002008-01-12T08:58:47.150-08:00RIP, Edmund Hillary<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Edmund_Hillary"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sir Edmund Hillary</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, O.G. of modern mountaineering, has </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/world/asia/11hillary.html?em&ex=1200286800&en=4f630ef1549f3e9b&ei=5087%0A"><span style="font-family:verdana;">passed</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">.<br /><br />But let's not forget that his accomplishment, the first known summit of Everest, was shared with </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenzing_Norgay"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Tenzing Norgay</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, who himself passed in 1986. The degree to which the role of the Sherpas in so many of Westerner's mountaineering accomplishments is overlooked will never cease to irk me.<br /><br />That said, much respect to the both of them.</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-39984742892115280132008-01-09T13:45:00.000-08:002008-01-09T13:48:18.558-08:00Lolme<span style="font-family:verdana;">A certain eager & amorous neighborhood cat came to see me today upon my return home from the gym, and as I crouched down to pet it, it jumped up on my shoulders, settled in, and started purring.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153596659370738434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fqAL4OMkwVqk9gkut6q2lLLz43Upfxz4lWX2Sxj0qxXILBFQCYHk5sa_eOJeFEN_oZ-nfCF5x-z395s9EfZnbqCwmkI-LeQcZ92SZHu44na43K7rifktf8rAlPyzx_aUtwtCLA/s320/Lolme.jpg" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>Sigh,</em> I need a pet...</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-44128541988659536742008-01-08T21:11:00.000-08:002008-01-08T21:16:48.746-08:00Plug - "Raw Youth"<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">My old friend </span><a href="http://whenwillthehurtingstop.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Tim</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> has written and, finally, published a novel, <em><a href="http://rawyouththebook.blogspot.com/">Raw Youth.</a></em> Follow that link or the button to your right for some preview chapters & a further link to purchase the book.</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-48407281848174879422007-06-27T19:24:00.000-07:002007-06-27T19:28:25.653-07:00Check one off my list...<span style="font-family:verdana;">... of life accomplishments.</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGO3a279TZM_kilc0rFNV6OTJLhcdADH6B-EaRn-IKkzxnaRWKA-_qBsjF75vrvOc4dOEgqzCD2fhTNx2W-KZO-bhDXB4qPWF30Gsxe-ts4YAqtKYoz0zhFsmcbTufeTZSvPab3Q/s1600-h/02.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080935920021730754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGO3a279TZM_kilc0rFNV6OTJLhcdADH6B-EaRn-IKkzxnaRWKA-_qBsjF75vrvOc4dOEgqzCD2fhTNx2W-KZO-bhDXB4qPWF30Gsxe-ts4YAqtKYoz0zhFsmcbTufeTZSvPab3Q/s320/02.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Finding a "Zoltar" and getting my fortune told? Check!</span></div>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-32767097861211411412007-06-13T17:52:00.000-07:002007-06-13T17:54:08.354-07:00The Fifth Circle...<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hrmm. Seems about right. But most of the wrath and anger stays in my head...<br /></span><br /><b>The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to <i>the Fifth Level of Hell!</i></b><br />Here is how you matched up against all the levels:<br /><table style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 5px; FONT: 10pt arial, verdana, 'sans serif'; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr style="FONT: bold 12pt arial, verdana, 'sans serif'; COLOR: #ffffff; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><th><b>Level</b></th><th><b>Score</b></th></tr><tr style="COLOR: #eeeeee; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #220033"><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><b><a style="COLOR: #ff3344; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html#0">Purgatory</a></b> (Repenting Believers)</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: #3344bb; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333"><b>Very Low</b></td></tr><tr style="COLOR: #eeeeee; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #110022"><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><b><a style="COLOR: #ff3344; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html#1">Level 1 - Limbo</a></b> (Virtuous Non-Believers)</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: #ff1133; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333"><b>High</b></td></tr><tr style="COLOR: #eeeeee; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #220011"><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><b><a style="COLOR: #ff3344; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html#2">Level 2</a></b> (Lustful)</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: #ff1133; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333"><b>High</b></td></tr><tr style="COLOR: #eeeeee; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #330011"><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><b><a style="COLOR: #ff3344; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html#3">Level 3</a></b> (Gluttonous)</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: #aa33aa; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333"><b>Moderate</b></td></tr><tr style="COLOR: #eeeeee; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #440011"><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><b><a style="COLOR: #ff3344; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html#4">Level 4</a></b> (Prodigal and Avaricious)</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: #3344bb; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333"><b>Very Low</b></td></tr><tr style="COLOR: #eeeeee; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #550011"><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><b><a style="COLOR: #ff3344; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html#5">Level 5</a></b> (Wrathful and Gloomy)</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: #c40033; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333"><b>Very High</b></td></tr><tr style="COLOR: #eeeeee; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #660011"><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><b><a style="COLOR: #ff3344; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html#6">Level 6 - The City of Dis</a></b> (Heretics)</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: #ff1133; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333"><b>High</b></td></tr><tr style="COLOR: #eeeeee; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #770011"><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><b><a style="COLOR: #ff3344; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html#7">Level 7</a></b> (Violent)</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: #aa33aa; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333"><b>Moderate</b></td></tr><tr style="COLOR: #eeeeee; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #880011"><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><b><a style="COLOR: #ff3344; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html#8">Level 8- the Malebolge</a></b> (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: #4466dd; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333"><b>Low</b></td></tr><tr style="COLOR: #eeeeee; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #990011"><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><b><a style="COLOR: #ff3344; TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html#9">Level 9 - Cocytus</a></b> (Treacherous)</td><td style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 4px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 4px; COLOR: #4466dd; PADDING-TOP: 4px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #333333"><b>Low</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>Take the <a href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-test.mv">Dante Inferno Hell Test</a></b>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-17751385864288011182007-06-05T23:52:00.000-07:002007-06-06T00:12:13.156-07:00A Die-Hard Chemical Brothers fan's reaction to the We Are the Night - Liveblogged upon his first listening<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Liveblogging my first listen of We are the Night. (How did I get it? Why do you ask?) </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072843787678145426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPap3nC9uelTn70musycAyWf6yKG12DUUKJ_7Jca7X4U49pZYzyAjmyKbQR6Lzf7GP2l473j_taduGcD6nbMwDhZfv-ZwbFI3Pee89fKCg5jA1dSYnE7LaPke0u5DAO5PddK5IxQ/s320/cover.jpg" border="0" /> </span><em><br /></em><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Currently in the title track (track 2). That's because track one was very short - one minute, just an intro - that's new for the chems. Minimalist too. Weird.<br /><br />This track ("We Are the Night") has some weird distant percussion, psychedelic noises, and some acid. And hell yeah, here's the full on Chems percussion at about 1:30 in. Unabashedly old school in structure so far. Just old acid with a Chems sound palate. I dig it so far.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Rolling bass line. "We are the night, we are the night." Yeah, I can see wigging out to this one while being blinded by a lightshow, with some sweaty dude who smeels like patchouli dancing way too close to me.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Sweeping and psychedelic and dancable. Maybe even spiritual at a point. All the things I like in my music. A little odd that this seems so quintessentially Chems, yet also like such a departure. So old school but so new.<br /><br />So far I feel like Tom'n'Ed may have finally said "to 'ell with it" to whatever's going on in music around them and just decided to making the drug-addled dance music that first got them going back in '93.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Oooh, nice Kraftwerkesque keys at the end.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Now it's on to "All Rights Reversed (feat. the Klaxons)." My friend told me the Klaxons are teh suck, so my expectations are low... Hrmm, typical brit "rave-rock" vocals. Track's alright. Dark, which is a new one for the Chems. Not dark in the possibly bad-trip, "It Doesn't Matter" kind of way, but dark in the nihilistic way.<br /><br />Well, for a collaboration track, this ain't too shabby. Just wish they'd get over their need to collaborate with second rate brit-poppers. I haven't noted yet that this track isn't one of the dance-based tracks. Breakbeats, not 4/4, but a bit slower. Much more a traditional rock song structure, but with Chems production. Think "Let Forever Be" and "The Boxer."<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Oooh, EBW #8 is on here - now called "Saturate." Good - I thought that track was very high caliber. Love the drums that come in during the second minute. I anticipate this track being part of a solid live 4/4 string..<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">As for album structure, thus far it seems okay. Now that I think about it, I like that the first track is an intro track. "All Rights Reserved" was so dark, and "Saturate" so happy, and "We Are the Night" so psychedelic, I'm not really percieving a distinct emotional arc (yet). Tracks largely un-transitioned - alas...<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Now it's on to Do it Again. I've had this track for about a month now, and have already become very familar with it. It's hard to remember my first reactions - I was happy with it, and it's aged well. Never before have I heard something that was simultaneously so bubblegum-r&B-ey, yet so psychedelic and dark. A contrast that I really dig. This contrast, however, has thrown off a friend of mind - "it sounds like Justin Timberlake, sorta," he says. But how someone who likes JT and the Chems can disagree with this track, I don't understand. I like me some drugged up JT.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Alright, now it's onto Das Spiegel (awesome title, BTW). Hrmm, electro on a 4/4, with a clap. And now some chugging chords in the back. And weird Chem noises peppering things. I'm not apt to describe it, but it's fitting entirely within what I understand to be the Chems' current direction. Enjoyable little track, this is.<br />Apparently Spiegel means "Mirror." Now am I hearing an homage to "Hall of Mirrors" in some of these synths. Perhaps... And all of the sudden, the Speigel Catalog just got way cooler...<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Really an undeniably happy tune. Petit. I dig it.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Now I stand in anticipation of "The Salmon Dance" - will it live up to its title?<br />Hrmm, breakbeat based, with a guest rapper. And it's actually one of those "here's how you do this dance" songs. It's cool, I suppose, I'd just expected an acid stormer or something like that. Better than "Left, Right," at least. But then that's saying very, very little.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This is a silly song. It's silly. Does silly belong on a Chems album? Well, the weird/psychedelic factor might be enough to override the sillyness. Perhaps the sillyness is part of the overall psychedelic arc. Yeah, keep telling yourself that...<br />Well, perhaps I just hold Tom'n'Ed to too high a standard. It's that old DYOH syndrome striking again.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Okay, Burst Generator is bringing it back to the seriousness & the dance. Still waiting for the break, which the building, reverbed guitars indicate will come soon. If this follows though, this could be a good one. Oh yeah, I dig it. This one's a head-nodder. And a spiritual-level booty shaker. Yeah, this is going to kick ass live. I'm going to take a break from typing and enjoy this one.<br /><br /><em>Several minutes of bliss pass.</em><br /><br />Yeah, that was good. Exactly the kind of track that makes me love the Chemical Brothers, love music, and love life. I feel a warmth in my heart and a peace in my mind.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And to make it better, the next track, "A Modern Midnight Conversation" is transitioned. A little electro again, but in the new wavey way, not in the hip-hop-ey way. Ooh, and serene female vocals - I'm a sucker for serene female vocals on a Chems track. This is cool - burbling synths, spastic synths, a bass and percussion track that could be from some unrealized Herbie Hancock/David Byrne collaboration circa 1983, and serene female vocals. A weird combo that works way better than you'd ever expect, and comes out sounding dead serious & spiritual.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I'm a happy man right now.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This album so far, and "A Modern Midnight Conversation" really leaves me wondering what the Chems have been listening to lately. It's like this is a modern electronic dance music album from an alternate universe, were new wave, electro, and acid were all far more influential than they have been in this sphere.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Now it's onto "Battle Scars (ft. Willy Mason)." Okay, apparently the vocal from "No Path to Follow" was lifted from this track. Grizzled blues-folk-ey vocals over a breakbeat-based, rock-structured track, with prominent xylophone in the percussion track. And, of course, some of the Chems synths for good measure. Thoroughly unexpected, but I think I like it rather well...<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Is this track a response to that new-fangled "New Weird America" genre? The whole psychedelic folk thing? Let's google this Willy Mason guy. 1984? Crap, he's younger than me - prominent, non bubble-pop musicians being younger than me is still freaking me out...<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Okay, "Harpoons" is the penultimate track, and it's just over two minutes - they aren't going to pull another "Pioneer Skies" on me, are they (that was a *great* track that was just missing it's second half). On that note, imagine a live version of "Pioneer Skies" transtioning to the second movement in "The Sunshine Underground" - such awesomeness could not be comprehended by mere mortals...<br /><br />So "Harpoons" was just content to fiddle around with some noises for two minutes - fine by me. It never threatened to break into a magnum opus of uber-psychedelic proportions as "Pioneer Skies" did. And "Pioneer Skies'" fault was in not following though on that promise, not just making the promise - I like my magnum opi of uber-psychedelic proportions. And if you're saying to yourself right now "proportions can't be psychedelic," </span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>then you just don't get it, man...<br /></em><br />So, "The Pills Won't Help You Know (feat. Midlake)" is a mellow closer, not a storming closer. And I'm enjoying it. It's not occasioning much remark, however. I'm really looking forward to going back & giving "We are the Night" and "Burst Generator" second, third, and fourth listenings.<br /><br />Yeah, that's a good album. Best initial reaction to a Chems album I've had since Surrender. It has a definate edge on Push the Button, but where it falls overall, I've yet to say.<br /></span></span></span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1176092852400572552007-04-08T20:58:00.000-07:002007-04-08T21:28:47.436-07:00Castle Crags<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7094/614/1600/867841/05pix.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7094/614/320/564173/05pix.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> Well, training pays off. This past Wednesday, April 4th, Castle Crags proved easier with a 55lb pack than it had last September without any added weight. I felt strong, sure, and swift the whole way up and down, and that should be a decent gauge of my Shasta-readiness, as the rate of ascent on Castle Crags is actually about the same as on Shasta (though the total elevation is significantly lower, and Shasta has about double the gain/distance through the total trip, and Shasta also has the snow to deal with). Whatever the case, my performance on Wednesday is solid proof of my progress. Now I just need to do what I can to drop any additional weight over the next two months so that there's less of me to haul up the mountain...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And a note: trekking poles are awesome. Using the poles enabled me to be more agile with 55lbs added weight than I would've been sans pack and poles - I was scrabling all over the granite up top... They also did much to decrease joint stress on the descent.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Up next, </span><a href="http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/154226/goosenest-mountain.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Goosenest</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">?</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1175660793492067772007-04-03T21:26:00.000-07:002007-04-03T21:26:33.493-07:00I could do this all day...<object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-2ZkJd4u0Us"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-2ZkJd4u0Us" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1175660655306701192007-04-03T21:22:00.000-07:002007-04-03T21:24:15.306-07:00A wellspring of happiness<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">You're welcome...<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z4VNMERVsC4"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z4VNMERVsC4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1175660530037736222007-04-03T21:21:00.000-07:002007-04-03T21:22:10.050-07:00Finally...<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I have searched for this for years:<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g5X7ztdd_6E"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g5X7ztdd_6E" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1175563141459003422007-04-02T18:17:00.000-07:002007-04-02T18:19:31.866-07:00Daily weirdness<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">As I came home from the gym today to find this on my doorstep:<br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7094/614/320/428821/bird.jpg" border="0" /></span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1175494494793222952007-04-01T22:01:00.000-07:002007-04-01T23:15:59.390-07:00Mountain of a Mountain Man<span style="font-family:verdana;">So I'm finally going to climb Mount Shasta. It's something I've thought about since I was a child growing up in Siskiyou County. It's the realization of a life-long yearning, and a benchmark in my fitness development. But that's not the point of this post.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The point is this. I'm big. I don't look like a "typical" athelete. At least not any athelete other than a football lineman or a powerlifter. This makes finding athletic clothing and equipment somewhat difficult. While I can certainly, though perhaps with some searching, find clothing and equipment suited to typical gym-training & team sport needs, I experience significant difficulty outfitting myself for "outdoor" sports (the ones I'm actually interested in). Mountaineering, in particular, has prooven to be a problem area. Within this blog, I would like to detail my experience searching for mountaineering equipement suitable for my large size, in hopes that other aspiring large-sized mountaineers out there might find my posts and make use of the information contained therein.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">First order of business, <strong>mountaineering boots.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hard, "double-plastic" mountaineering boots are pretty damned fundamental to mountaineering. They are completely waterproof, they're insulating, they're sufficiently rigid to hold onto any crampon and support various and sundry mountaineering steps, and the stiff shell of the boots allows crampons to be cinched down without cutting off circulation to the foot. The only problem is, most mountaineering boots don't come any larger than a US men's size 13, if that. Seeing as my feet are size 14, and you're really supposed to wear your mountaineering boots one size too-big, that fact was a problem for me.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">After much searching on the internet, I found mention of one boot that goes above a size 13, the Lowa Civetta. There's actually the standard Civetta and the Civetta GTX Extreme (the standard Civetta should do you fine unless you're planning to do some really long, really cold expedition climbs - we're talking Himalaya's here). The cheapest price I was able to find on the Civetta (by about $20) was </span><a href="http://www.shoebuy.com/lowa-civetta/119641/282063"><span style="font-family:verdana;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> (shipping and return are free).</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I tested the boots out about two weeks ago while taking a basic mountaineering course. They're size 15, standard width. Lengthwise, they were great. Width was alright, though if you have particularly wide feet and/or "boxey" toes (I have both), they might be a little tight near the "knuckle" of the little toe - something to be aware of when applying the moleskin.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Up next, <strong>gaiters.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I think I'm screwed on the gaiters front. You know the size of my boots. Now be aware of the fact that I have 19 inch calves. Between the size of my boots and the general largeness of my lower legs, I haven't been able to find any gaiters that come anywhere close to fitting. Double-X rentals from Outdoor Research were 1-3 inches of girth from closing at any point along their entire length. Same with some double-X gaiters from Mountain Hardware found at an REI. I haven't found any mention of triple-X gaiters anywhere. The solution? I'm going to make my own gaiters.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Turns out you can buy Goretex fabric, ripstop nylon, as well as numerous buckles & gizmos useful in the maufacture of gaiters </span><a href="http://www.owfinc.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> and </span><a href="http://www.seattlefabrics.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> (amongst other places, I think). Both retailers also stock paterns for </span><a href="http://www.seattlefabrics.com/controlled.html#CE35%20Fitted%20Gaiter"><span style="font-family:verdana;">gaiters</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">. I'm actually rather stoked about the notion of making my own gaiters. I'm just a little scared about the fact that there might be people out there who make their own </span><a href="http://www.seattlefabrics.com/green.html#GP87-13%20Adult%20Sleeping%20Bag%20Quilt"><span style="font-family:verdana;">sleeping bags</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, </span><a href="http://www.seattlefabrics.com/green.html#GP404%20Bicycle%20Racing%20Shorts"><span style="font-family:verdana;">bicycle shorts</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, and </span><a href="http://www.seattlefabrics.com/green.html#GP407%20Mt.%20St.%20Helens%20Hot%20Top"><span style="font-family:verdana;">sports bras</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">That's all on this topic for now. In upcoming weeks, I may return to discuss <strong>crampons...</strong></span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1175490057987439942007-04-01T21:59:00.000-07:002007-04-01T23:15:14.040-07:00Say what? Free time?<p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Weirdness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sheer weirdness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Work had been going well over the past few weeks, but now it's spring break, and I'm having a rough time adjusting to vacation. Come Tuesday I plan to head up north to the </span><a href="http://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">homeland</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> in order to do some training hikes for Shasta and bottle some batches of homebrew that have been sitting for way too long in the houses of assorted family members of mine, but in the meantime, I just don't know what the hell to do. I've been sitting around the apartment feeling vaguely anxious, twiddling my thumbs. Yeah, there's some cleaning and organizing I could do, but I've been trying to stay "out of the way" as my counterpart starts her new job tomorrow, and has much to to in order to prepare.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">So now I'm trying a bit of the old blogging to entertain myself... Over the past several months, many many blogworthy things have crossed my mind, but I'm having a helluva time remembering what they all were. Hrmmm... If and when I recall them, I might try posting about 'em. See if I still have the ol' blogging chops... </span></p>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1164605499066827272006-11-26T21:21:00.000-08:002006-11-26T21:31:39.213-08:00Tree farms are for wusses<span style="font-family:verdana;">Sometime in the past week, the Sacramento Bee ran a piece in their home & garden section regarding that hallowed piece of post-Thanksgiving tradition - the family outing to get a Christmas tree.<br /><br /><em>But hold up.</em> The piece in the Bee talked only about going to tree farms. <em>"Tree farms?"</em> I say, no small hint of derision in my voice. Yes, tree farms. Plots of land, commercially owned and operated, planted with trees, maintained and groomed. Am I to believe that for those who are used to the box-store sprawl of a California metrosuburbanopolis, going to such a place actually makes one feel outdoorsey and traditional? Are these the same people who think they're granola because they occasionally go to Yosemite?<br /><br />Really, all I have to say is that a tree farm ain't got nothin' on the slope above a dirt logging road at 6500 feet on a snow-covered, minor Cascade volcano: <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7094/614/320/276056/100_0309.jpg" border="0" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Y'all best respect the O.G. holiday-ness...</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1163131294052065782006-11-09T19:43:00.000-08:002006-11-09T20:05:15.186-08:00I ain't dead...<span style="font-family:verdana;">...but I sure as hell haven't blogged much in the past three months.<br /><br />What have I been up to over the past quarter of a year? Well, school started up again, so I'm getting my teach on for about eight hours every day. Commuting takes about two hours round trip, bringing the grand total up to 10 hours... Then I've been at the gym about three hours a day, which puts us at 13 hours, and then it takes me about 90 minutes to get ready in the morning, so 14.5 hours... Then dinner, laundry, dishes, and a post-work-out shower take another 2 hours, so 16.5 hours... 24-16.5 = 7.5, which is, uh, less than eight. So I don't even have room for eight hours of sleep in there, let alone blogging.<br /><br />Okay, so that's weekdays... But what about weekends, you ask? Well, there's been a slew of weddings, bachelor parties, baby showers, debate tournaments, and other such things that have eaten up my weekends. And on the few open weekends I've had here and there, I've opted to, as part of my plan to be more active/healthy, gone and done things like camping and hiking. So, again, no blogging...<br /><br />But Veteran's Day is here! The first three-day weekend in what seems like ages... I have tomorrow off from work, and I will be heading up to Yreka early in the AM to visit friends (family will be elsewhere) and brew some beer (Aztec Imperial Stout - more on that later). Right now I'm currently avoiding packing. I figured I'd just snag a minute and say "hello" to the blogosphere. I'd love to comment on the "Democratic tide," personal issues, education, and my current obsession with mountaineering, but the first item is being covered by <em>everyone</em> out there in the blogosphere, the second would be boring to anyone who might stumble across this blog, the third would depress me, and the fourth is really just kinda weird...<br /><br />But I would like to pose this question? What kinda freak thinks Sierra Nevada Celebration is <em>improved</em> by cellaring? Fresh, it's a <em>wonderful,</em> clean, <em>definative</em> West-Coast IPA. After two years of cellaring, it's utter crap. All the hops fade, and those weird, "old Chico yeast" flavors come <em>waaaaay</em> out. Only weirdo East-Coast hop-pansies would like this stuff cellared, I guess... Now three-year old Rogue Imperial Stout? That's some good stuff...<br /><br />Anyways, enough with the beer geekdom. Really, all I wanted to say is, "I ain't dead," and I might be around here a bit more.</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1155707364217757112006-08-15T21:11:00.000-07:002006-08-15T22:55:57.310-07:00Summer 2006: the End<span style="font-family:verdana;">A few months back I reflected upon the </span><a href="http://chewingonaviancranium.blogspot.com/2006/04/seventeen-twenty-one-twenty-five-1998.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">summers of 1998 and 2002</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">, and mused hopefully about the possibilities offered by this summer. Late this spring, as my first year of teaching wore me down, I longed for an amazing summer on par with those of 1998 and 2002 in order to replenish me. Right now, I am very near the end of my summer, due to return back to school on Monday, August 21st. Instead of traveling somewhere or doing something amazing during this last week, I'm just hanging out around my apartment because I'm on call this week for jury duty, and thus may be called into one of the local courts any morning or afternoon. I'm a little bitter about that, to say the least.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Now with most of this summer behind me, and the possibilities for the remaining days of my summer squelched by the looming threat of jury duty and necessary but minimal preparations for the school year, I think it's safe to refect upon the summer and begin to assess whether the Summer of 2006 was indeed a good summer, and if there is really a numerological significance to the four-year intervals...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Well, the past few months have certainly been significant, and eventful in a way... Though dozens to hundreds of miles separate me from my core group of friends, I did manage a few highly enjoyable outings with my friends. The spelunking trip was a definate success, with an afternoon crawling around underground followed by a long evening of mildly inebriated discussion of geo-politics and general catching-up. My friend's bachelor party set the bar high for the flurry of bachelor parties that are to follow over the next few years as my friends continue their respective journeys into matrimony. My two weeks in and around Siskiyou County were thoroughly relaxing and, in addition to allowing me to brew several batches of beer, also facillitated a sort of "re-set" in my habits and routines by way of placing me away from my usual surroundings. A trip back to Humboldt County with my counterpart brought with it cooler weather, positive reminiscing, and some damn good sushi. A recent weekend trip brought some blackberry-picking, more beer-making, some thoroughly enjoyable conversation with friends, and some damned-amusing people-watching at the county fair. Somewhere in there I also made my way to a concert festival, and I even seem to remember </span><a href="http://chewingonaviancranium.blogspot.com/2006/06/travelblogue-napa-conference-mid-way.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">enjoying</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> my one week of work obligations back in June. So overall, it seems like it was a good summer, right?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Well, I don't know...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">You see, there have also been many days spent battling churning discontent. The freedom to live my life closer to how I wish to live it during this summer has, to a great degree, highlighted just how much I dislike my life as it is most of the time. Long story short, my desire to move away from Sacramento and back to a less urban, less expensive, less "California" setting, has only grown stronger. I've also spent a lot of time questioning my involvement in education, and I've become fairly convinced that I shall not stay on this course too much longer. In order to preserve my sanity and my health, I think I need to leave this city within the year, and the profession of education within a few more.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I've expressed my complaints regarding cities before, and regarding education, I just feel something's wrong there, that it's just not a right fit for me. I don't enjoy the work involved in education as much as I enjoy other lines of work, and I seem to enjoy it far less than my co-workers do. And yeah, helping disadvantaged urban youth can be "rewarding" and all, but that doesn't quite do it for me. I think I'd feel more "rewarded" by some higher pay and/or work that alligns more closely with my personal interests. I also feel that my potential for monetary success and/or personal happiness in other lines of work are so great that I'd be a fool to continue in education, that it'd be a waste of my life. Altruism be damned. I need to look out for myself...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Now, those two conclusions - that I need to get out of Sacramento, and that I need to get out of education - both came about when I was traveling away from Sacramento this summer. When I returned a few weeks ago to work on preparations for the school year, I found myself facing an enormous block as a result of those conclusions. Both my residence in the Sacramento area and my work in education were, within my own mind, finite. As I attempted to work, I kept thinking "I don't like this, and it will be over soon anyway." As you can imagine, not much quality work got done. Soon I started wondering how the heck I was going to get through the next nine months of my commitment to my school. It was a dismal scenario.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Thankfully, after some reflection and hours of conversation with those close to me, I've managed to arrive at some sort of resolution. By framing the work I do now as enabling positive changes at a later point in my life, I think I've given myself the fuel I need to make it through this ordeal.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So what's the plan? Work as much as I can and save as much as I can to increase my total net-worth and thus bring me closer to the dual goals of buying a house and having the capital to start a business. I also intend to educate myself as much as I can regarding my intented eventual pursuit, in particular making use of my summers to do so. And the end goal? Move away from here and start my own brewery within five years. In five years' time, I intend to be living elsewhere (though the moving elsewhere part can happen as early as next summer) and working seriously at starting a brewery.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Am I crazy? I don't think so. Craft brewing is a growing industry, I think I have a knack for it, and I spend so much time thinking about brewing and beer that I might as well be working in the industry anyway. I know that I am happiest when working in a creative capacity, and I think that, no matter how hard the work, I'd be well satisfied.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I've mulled the brewery idea over in my head for much of the past four years, and the farthest I've ever gotten is "I'll think about that later." It's damned scary to think about starting up a business, which is a damned expensive and risky proposition. But I'm tired of settling for the status quo and ignoring my dreams. I'm also thoroughly confident that, though fate may be fickle, and though the odds and chance may in fact not favor me, that I do possess an enormous degree of competence and capability. I should just go for it - it'll probably work, and I'll probably be happier.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Having come to this conclusion, I feel greatly relieved and reinvigorated. And the very fact that I came to this conclusion, I think, is reason enough to declare this summer a success. Leaving college, I was most definately uncertain regarding my career and general direction in life, and part of the reason I gravitated towards education was that I figured the summers off would give me an opportunity to "figure things out" a bit more while recieving a paycheck. Now I have things a bit more "figured out," and I'm growing emboldened to take the steps towards my desired future. As tumultuous as the road here was, this is a good place to be.</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1155016265862277672006-08-07T22:32:00.001-07:002006-08-08T15:43:34.816-07:00Brewlog: Bachelor Party Porter & Saison #3 Update<span style="font-family:verdana;">My recent excustion to Siskiyou County allowed me to tend to the </span><a href="http://chewingonaviancranium.blogspot.com/2006/06/brewlog-bachelor-party-porter.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Porter</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> and </span><a href="http://chewingonaviancranium.blogspot.com/2006/06/brewlog-saison-3.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Saison</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> I'd brewed back in early June. Thankfully, I've ended up very pleased with both beers...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Bachelor Party Porter, brewed for a friends bachelor party, was kegged, force-carbonated, and chilled on Thursday, July 20, then tapped at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, July 21, at our rented cabin on Elk Lake near Bend, Oregon. After a fierce battle against that and other forces, the keg was finally drained on the morning of Sunday, July 23rd, as we dined on a breakfast of bratwurst and attempted to figure out how the heck to make the cabin look like anything other than the warzone we had turned it into over the course of the weekend.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The beer had a finishing gravity of approximately 1.015, making for an abv of around 5.5%. The beer was exceedingly dark with a tan head. There was a bit of mint in the aroma and flavor due to the Eroica hops, and that was not unwelcome. There was an appropriately medium mouthfeel, and a considerable residual sweetness. The round, estery flavors of the London Ale yeast worked perfectly. The hopping was substantial, more so than I'd expected, making the overall impression of the beer similar to that of Rogue's Shakespeare Stout. Overall, I'd say I was <em>damned</em> pleased with it, and I'd say the rest of the folks at the festivites were too... I can't say that I'd make any tweaks to the recipe, I think it's damned-near perfect as is. The only concievable change I can see would be to up the gravity of the whole thing and turn it into a Baltic Porter. Mmmm....</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">As for Saison #3, that was bottled on Tuesday, July 25th. The final gravity was 1.012, which though higher than the WLP 565 has the potential to ferment to, is right where my Saison #1 settled out, and both batches were brewed & fermented under damn-near identical conditions. Whatever the case, the beer still yielded an abv of about 7.5%, though with a bit more substantial of a body than I'd find ideal. The spicing is perfectly subdued and just barely noticable. The hopping is mild - I'd still like to beef-up both the hop bitterness and hop flavor in future batches, though what I have here is certainly acceptable. The yeast didn't produce as much funkiness as it can yield at higher temperatures, but I still did get a moderate level of funk, a good level of fruit, and a nice spiciness out of it. Right now I'm still letting the bottles condition, though a bottle opened this Sunday did show a good level of carbonation.</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1155017231662295622006-08-07T22:32:00.000-07:002006-08-08T15:40:42.723-07:00Brewlog: India Brown Ale<span style="font-family:verdana;">One of the two batches of beer brewed recently...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Batch #25, 7/26/06: India Brown Ale</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">For several months I'd intended to brew a single-hop pale ale using Amarillo hops. Two weeks ago I set out to do just that, but somehow I veered off course, and ended up with something considerably different. Entranced by the assortment of dark and Belgian malts I had on hand, and inexplicably deviating from my hopping intentions, I ended up creating something moderately dark, substantially hoppy, and with some damned-weird malt character going on. Thus, I give you my "India Brown Ale..."</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Water:</span></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">7 gallons Yreka tap water (tastes a little weird lately, but I was too lazy to buy water) treated with a pack of Burton Water Salts, the weight of which I neglected to write down...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Grain:</strong> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">4oz Belgian pale malt<br />2oz Belgian aromatic<br />1oz Roasted barley</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">10z Caramunich</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">4oz 40L Crystal</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1oz Special B</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">.5 oz Black patent</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">2 oz Caramel wheat (again, 80-100L in color)</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Extract:</strong> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">7 lbs pale malt extract<br /><br /><strong>Hops:</strong></span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1oz 11.2% Chinook at 60 minutes<br />1oz 8.8% Amarillo at 30 minutes<br />2oz 8.8% Amarillo at 10 minutes</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Yeast:</span></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1/2 gallon starter of </span><a href="http://www.whitelabs.com/ratings.asp?id=WLP001"><span style="font-family:verdana;">WLP 001, California Ale</span></a><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Procedure:</strong><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Mini-mash" the grains, steeping just below 150 for at least 30 minutes, then remove. Add the dried malt extracts and bring to boil. Commence 90 minute boil. Hop according to schedule. At 15 minutes, add two tsp Irish moss. Knock out and cool according to your preferred method. Final wort volume should be just at five gallons if your boil was sufficiently vigorous. Next, aerate, transfer, and pitch yeast. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Notes:</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Now, the O.G. I read was 1.050, and I'm certain that's wrong. I know I took the reading when warm, but I don't know how much that affected the reading. I was concerned solely because the hopping was rather substantial for such a low O.G... Nevertheless, a sample I tasted after four days, when the gravity had dropped to below 1.020, seemed just fine to me. But then, I'm a damned hophead...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Whatever the case, this is a weird one. But that's okay, 'cause it's homebrew. I have the freedom to make some weird beer if I want to...</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1154906774328711642006-08-06T15:59:00.000-07:002006-08-06T16:28:13.696-07:00It really does live...<span style="font-family:verdana;">My old laptop is officially, completely recovered. I'm currently re-installing assorted software and copying back over my data, while concurrently making my rounds on the internet on my work computer as everything loads and installs... Having one computer at each hand makes me feel like I'm in some technophillic mid-90s thriller. I can almost hear the goa playing in the background...<br /><br />Anyway, sometime today or</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> tomorrow I should post some brewblogs regarding the Bachelor Party Porter (which was consumed in it's entirety over the course of a weekend "fishing" near Mt. Bachelor) and Saison #3 (bottle-conditioning currently), as well as a big ol' "quadrupel" and <em>something</em> that started as a hoppy, citrusy, west-coast pale ale, but then got hit with a grain bill involving some dark and/or Belgian malts. It's really just a dark IPA, but there are some very a-typical malt flavors going on behind the west-coast hop assault...<br /><br />Outside of the brewing stuff (which is an increasingly huge part of my life), I also hope to post some updates regarding my travels this summer, some photos, etc. In the meantime, check out </span><a href="http://unsubstantiatedclaims.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Mosier's blog</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> - after a month and a half back in the States from his adventures in Japan, he finally posted again. Within his posts, you can find two pictures from our shared excursion to the Lava Beds National Monument.<br /><br />More to come...</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1154857332346103222006-08-06T02:09:00.000-07:002006-08-06T02:43:36.933-07:00It Lives! (knock on wood)<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7094/614/1600/01.4.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7094/614/320/01.4.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">After spending the better part of the last nine hours wrangling my computer, I think it's finally coming back. Right now it's restoring the factory image to the new hard drive that I installed (rather easily) and then struggled for hours to get the motherboard to actually recognize as existing. In the end, it was a simple and absurd solution. What can I say, I'm not 1337...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And thankfully, I was able to recover most of the data I'd thought I'd lost... When I returned from my two weeks in the wilderness (details on that later) I, on a whim, fired up the heap. Magically, it started. I grabbed my mp3 player and a USB cable and started pulling data off. I got the photos first, then my documents (school papers, notes, letters, writings, etc.), then the miscellania. Last came mp3s and videos. I got less than halfway through my backup of my illicit property when the computer started making that grinding noise again, and eventually went back to the same blue screen I'd gotten before. No huge loss, however - I'd procured the most recent versions of my writings and the photographs from all my travels for the year, and I can always re-download or otherwise obtain anything else I might've had on there. The salvaged data has since been backed up in an additional two sources - my external hard drive (bought for music storage) and my work laptop (without which I'd be crippled in this whole repair process).</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1153377342294139662006-07-19T23:03:00.000-07:002006-07-19T23:36:23.500-07:00Humbug Burning...<span style="font-family:verdana;">So for two weeks, I'm away from the festering, burning pit of hell that is the Sacramento Sprawl. This weekend I'm attending/putting on a bachelor party for a good friend up in the wilds of Oregon. Before and after that, I am residing with my parents for a while, enjoying the company of my family and the "charms" that my hometown has to offer. At the end of this all, my better half and I shall go on a short road trip to celebrate the third anniversary of togetherness. Nothing too remarkable... However, this vacation has already proven to be far more, uh, "exciting" than I had anticipated.<br /><br />You see, tonight I drove home to see this: <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7094/614/320/02.2.jpg" border="0" /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">That's taken from I-5 North of Yreka (I was driving back from Medford where I'd bought an obscene amount of meat to grill up for my friend's bachelor party...) The fire, if you can make it out, was on Humbug, the group of mountains that rise above Yreka to the west. Over-logged sometime before my birth, Humbug has always been, to my knowledge, a barren range, covered by bone-dry sage-brush and manzanita, populated only by assorted wildlife of the unfriendly sort (rattlesnakes, mountain lions, coyotes), the proprietors of meth labs, off-road vehicle afficianados, and mountain bikers. It's always been a tinder-box, an inferno waiting to happen. I remember Humbug burning in the past, but I don't remember it ever threatening property (aside from the meth labs). This time, however, the fire was very low, just above houses I played in as a neighborhood kid. Folks up one more block were evacuated, and though my parents weren't, they were ready to go...</span> <p><span style="font-family:verdana;">In my attempts to get up to my parents' house to help them clear out in case of an evacuation, and to protect my own belongings housed there, I encountered approximately 1/2 of the population of Yreka - apparently the stupider half - who had come up to the borders of my parents' relatively sparsely-populated and exclusive neighborhood to watch the show on the hill. This behavior infuriated me. One troglodyte on had the gall to motion to motion to me to slow down (from the speed limit) because his clan of fellow troglodytes was occupying roughly 1/2 of the breadth of the street to watch the fire. As his and his kin's property wasn't threatened by the fire, and mine was, I felt that my need superceeded his. Jackass...</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Aside from the idiot lookie-loos, "law enforcement" was out in full (and misused) force. I was turned back from my attempts to reach my parents' house. Officer Jackass wouldn't even listen to me long enough for me to explain my situation (yes, I don't live there, but I am currently <em>staying </em>there, I have possesions there, and my dad has a bad back and can't lift too much, so he needs me to help load out...), "resolutely" turning me away. So I parked my car and walked up. I met no resistance, which I find odd, as if the police were really looking out for my safety, couldn't I flee faster by automobile than by foot? Regardless, I regret that the pig's heavy-handed manor infuriated me so quickly and so thoroughly (as such jackass, authoritarian manners always do) that I was unable to communicate effectively to the fellow, and was, quite actually, ready to go to jail for whatever charges he would level against me for whatever I might do in my infuriated state.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Argh. I hate people. Especially the stupid ones...</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Regardless, the fire was under controll within an hour of my arrival at my parents' place. Looming evacuation orders were rescinded, the embers died down, and the fire trucks drove away, as did an utter horde of troglodyte lookie-loos who had managed to make it up the hill before the police started blocking the way. I'm glad to know that the police felt it was more important to keep me away from my kin, property, and memories, than to turn back that horde of jackasses.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Argh.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Now the fire seems to be almost entirely subdued, though I can still smell smoke, and I can still hear the activity of some engines further up the hill. I'm not quite calmed down from the enormous surge of adrenaline and fury that my earlier encounters with the good townspeople and peace officers of Yreka produced, and I'm going to have a helluva time trying to go to sleep. Especially considering that with a good gust of wind, I could need to ready for that evacuation after all...</span></p>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799249.post-1153375303648465922006-07-19T22:51:00.000-07:002006-07-19T23:02:55.323-07:00Blue Screen of Death: Zac's Laptop, RIP...<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7094/614/1600/03.2.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7094/614/320/03.2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Three good years it gave me. And now all it does is make a grinding noise, followed by an occasional plink or plunk sound. Fortunately most data had been backed up, but lost are all pictures taken in the past six months and a certain revision of an earlier piece of writing that I rather liked. Alas...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The most lamentable part of the ordeal is that I never quite got to live the lifestyle that I wanted the laptop for. I never got to write a novel on it while sitting in the corner of a pub, nursing a pint, occasionally nibbling on some Welsh rarebit. The most I ever did with it that was dependant on it being a laptop was surf the internet from my couch and work on a paper for one of my education classes while riding down I-5 in the passenger seat of a car.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Now it's time to shop for a new computer, but this time I think it'll be a desktop - money's not tight, but it'd still be an extravagance to buy a laptop at this point in time. And worse comes to worst, there's still my work laptop.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Now anyone have any desktop suggestions for someone who's a compulsive internet surfer, downloader, and occasional writer?</span>Zachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03357055971974787667noreply@blogger.com2