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A Big Step

Medal of Honor recipient

The Sal Giunta Story from SebastianJunger/TimHetherington on Vimeo.

Best Birthday Present Ever

Blythe surprised me with a helicopter tour of Atlanta for my birthday. It was completely unexpected and I loved every minute of it. We saw Buckhead, Downtown, Midtown (including Piedmont Park), then went out to Decatur and Stone Mountain before landing back at PDK. I want to start taking lessons, just as soon as those student loans are paid off.


















(I look like crap)

Coincidence? You decide.

Actually...it's probably just a coincidence.

100 Best Signs from Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Here

I can picture this in my head and it's amazing

from Facebook Fail Blog

In case someone hasn't seen this...

"And a masters degree in COMMUNICATION!"

In Rotation

North Rim - Grand Canyon

After Zion, we loaded into the car and made our way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s a beautiful drive out of the park and into the pines of the Kaibab. There was snow in the forest – basically a 180 degree shift from where we had spent the previous three days. The campsite was in the pines and had plenty of shade from the Sun – a much more comfortable place to relax than in the heat of Zion. A few hundred yards from our campsite we got our first glimpse of the Canyon from the north side. I was surprised how much different the vegetation is on the North Rim from the South Rim. Lots of pine trees and there was even some snow on the ground left from the winter.

















Highlights:

Hiked to bottom of grand canyon

Saw Colorado River

Doug/Apple on the canyon rim

Star party

Trail of tears to the GC lodge


















In all, we hiked 50 miles in 4 days, including at least 1.5 vertical miles. It was intense.

Good Documentary on the War in Afghanistan

Restrepo is in limited release right now, but it is definitely worth checking out if it is playing in your area.

Also, there is a companion book about Battle Co.'s experiences in the Korengal Valley called War. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but my friend who was in Afghanistan with the 173rd recommended it.

Zion trip

SO...clearly a bit of lag time on this, but better late than never. Here goes:

Dave and I got into Vegas on Tuesday night. When my plane landed, Dave had been there for an hour or so, circling the McCarren airport grounds in our rental chariot and getting antsy. We checked in at the Hard Rock, which was surprisingly nice, and went for a slice and bought some beers. Dave and I tried our hands at busting open the bottles using our fists and the curb. Eventually we settled on using the magazine stands on the side of the road. Great success. What follows is hazy, which, frankly, is not the point of this post.

The next day we got slightly lost looking for In-n-Out and managed to find the least accessible fast food restaurant location in existence. It was worth it. We ran some errands – got a few last minute supplies – and picked up Josh from the airport.

Our three days in Zion were amazing. The first day we hiked Angel’s Landing, which is probably the most popular and well-known of the hikes in Zion.



















The first few miles were pretty mundane, but closer to the top it becomes a scramble over boulders and sheer drop-offs. I didn’t really know how far down it was from there – maybe 1000 ft? I’d heard stories from a co-worker the previous week about the number of people that fall off Angel’s Landing every year. I have to admit, it definitely gave me pause. But once you get up there, it was more fun than anything. We all really enjoyed climbing up the rocks and scrambling to the top – except Josh. He hates everything.


























The next day we hiked the Observation Point trail, which was quite a bit longer, distance-wise, than the hike on the previous day. While it didn’t have any of the exciting scrambling of the Angel’s Landing hike, it was quite a bit more scenic and actually brought us to the top of Zion Canyon.



















After that hike, we walked down to the Virgin River (that carved out the canyon) to see how cold it was. It was bad. If we had been allowed to hike the Narrows, we would have needed wet suits. Even then it would have been uncomfortable.



















That night, we had our first and only rattlesnake sighting on the Watchman Trail. That called for an impromptu reggae sunset party – Dave busted out the iPod speakers, three cold Tecates and a flask of Dewars.



















On our last day, our intention was to hike to the Emerald Pools, but called a last minute audible and checked out Hidden Canyon. It ended up being a great call. This was the most interesting and challenging hike of the 4 days.



















Once you make it to the riverbed a couple of miles in you face a series of more challenging boulders and rocks to continue on the trail. We had been told to keep going even when we thought that the trail ended. We took that to heart. We made our way up the trail and it was an absolute blast. Probably the best hike of my life.




















There was also an arch about 2/3rds of the way in, so we were able to cross that off the list.



















I'll leave you with our credo for the trip: Safety Third

2010 at the halfway point

Those that read this probably already know what my favorites are so far this year, but just in case:

The National - High Violet



Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me



The Black Keys - Brothers




Check em out, you silly goofballs

Merica

Best of Sky Mall

No updates for a while

I just moved to a new place without internet (for the time being) and am headed on a long vacation (the longest I've had since I started my job two years ago, actually) in the Southwest, so probably no substantive updates for a while (not that there have been that many recently). Speaking for myself, I know you'll all miss me very much.

Headed here:

Sprawlanta

with John Lennon on drums

Preach on Steve Albini

The Problem with Music

Sometimes I think I'm gonna lose my mind
But it don't look like I ever do
I've loved so many people everywhere I went
Some too much, and others not enough

Well I don't know
I may go down or up or anywhere
But I feel like this scribbling might stay

Maybe if I hadn't seen so much hard feelings
I might not could've felt other people's
So when you think of me, if and when you do
Just say, "Well, another man's done gone"

Well, another man's done gone

-- Woody Guthrie

Someone tried to poison The Joker?

FOOLS!

The Elusive Flip Flop

Loving this one right now

How to Make Bread

Moonlighting sucks!

Check out this blog:

http://www.sleeptalkinman.blogspot.com/

You won't regret it.

Long Overdue Wax Polemic

The term "wax" in its most traditional form, is generally referring to the substance secreted by bees and used to build their honeycombs.

As referenced in wikipedia, "wax" has more broadly been identified as a substance that:

- becomes soft plastic at room temperatures
- has a relatively low melting point
- has low viscosity when melted
- is insoluble in water
- is hydrophobic

In addition to beeswax, certain types of plant wax and petroleum wax occur naturally (this was news to me). The most common uses for wax are in candles, wax paper (surprise!), shoe polishes, wood polishes, automotive polishes, as mold release agents in mold making, as a coating for many cheeses, to waterproof leather and fabric, in crayons, and in cosmetics.

For my purposes, I use the term "wax" to modify "polemic" - exhibiting that my arguments/opinions are often, although not always (see previous entry on the Rock/Roll Hall of Fame), malleable.

And now, to the purpose of this post (per Dave's suggestion) - a polemic on the topic of wax:

I'm sick and tired of hippies that think Japan wax is better than Rice Bran wax. I can't tell you how many times I've had to sit and listen to these idiots go on and on about how Japan wax is a great substitute for beeswax because it is derived from the berries of certain sumacs native to Japan and China. Big deal, a-holes! Have you thought about the fact that Rice Bran wax can easily serve as a substitue for Carnauba wax? Or that Rice Bran wax bleaches and deodorizes easily, making it great for use in cosmetics, adhesives, crayons, even pharmaceuticals?! I bet you didn't think about that you COMMIES! Not to mention the fact that the relatively low melting point of Japan wax (at 53C, compared to 75/85C for Rice Bran) makes it less stable when using certain manufacturing techniques. Good luck using Japan wax next time you make a typewriter ribbon (what? too good for a computer, dicks?). Use your brains next time!

Some good rock for Spring

And a sweet slideshow with fancy transitions

KFC's Double Down

KFC is offering a new sandwich called the Double Down which, as you can see, consists of cheese and bacon sandwiched between two pieces of fried chicken. The sandwich will set you back 540 calories, 32g of fat and 1380mg of sodium. Coming to a KFC near you April 12th!

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Pet Costumes

Target's selection of pet costumes is always good for a laugh.

My personal favorites:

Waterloo

David Frum, conservative journalist and former Bush speechwriter, on what yesterday's passage of the health reform bill means for Republicans going forward.

"We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat.

There were leaders who knew better, who would have liked to deal. But they were trapped. Conservative talkers on Fox and talk radio had whipped the Republican voting base into such a frenzy that deal-making was rendered impossible. How do you negotiate with somebody who wants to murder your grandmother? Or – more exactly – with somebody whom your voters have been persuaded to believe wants to murder their grandmother?"

FrumForum

RIP Alex Chilton

This week's New Yorker has a really interesting article about Justice John Paul Stevens and the current state/evolution of the Supreme Court. The author, Jeffrey Toobin (who wrote The Nine), was also interviewed on Fresh Air this evening - worth checking out if you're interested. I was particularly interested in how the authorship of the majority and dissenting opinions are used as tools to coax swing votes.

New Yorker article

Fresh Air interview

circa 1970
























in 2009

May Releases

This May is going to be a great month for new music. In part to allow myself to keep track of these, but also in case others are interested, I'm keeping a running list:

May 4th - Josh Ritter, Broken Social Scene, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Band of Horses, The New Pornographers, The Hold Steady
May 11th - The National, Gayngs
May 18th - The Black Keys

All of this plus Dr. Dog's new one in April and possible Radiohead and Fleet Foxes albums later this year. 2010 is shaping up nicely.

Doing God's Work

But First, A Little Perspective

A worthwhile read regarding the use of reconciliation in Congress through the eyes of the media:

http://mediamatters.org/columns/201003030032

While the article is a little left-leaning, it's hard to argue with the facts presented. When the Congress passed Clinton's welfare reform bill using reconciliation, no one called it a "gimmick" or "procedural trick." Similarly, when the Congress passed Bush's $726 billion tax cut package (while starting a war on two fronts that was conveniently left out of the President's budget, by the way), the use of reconciliation was barely mentioned. From the article, "The Times, Post, the three broadcast networks and CNN combined for fewer than a half-dozen other mentions of the process over the course of five months, none of which portrayed it as controversial."

Having earned a majority in the House and/or Senate, it's your duty to use that majority to work towards what you've promised - not to posture yourself for re-election or hold back for fear of being voted out next time around. Grow a pair, Dems - you're in office (partly) because voters liked your ideas and thought that you could get something accomplished. So, get it done. And fasten your seatbelts because the media and Republican wharblgarb has just started.

Laurel Canyon Country Store

I hadn't heard of this until we stopped off on our way through Laurel Canyon. Steve Miller was blaring from the stereo and the old hippie behind the counter smiled as we walked in. Immediately, I realized that this is a special place. There was an article framed on the wall that described the history of the store. Apparently, it used to be more of a cafe/hang out/performance area for the locals. And the locals in Laurel Canyon were (and probably still are) quite special; Folks like Jim Morrison, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Frank Zappa, and Joni Mitchell. In fact, Jim Morrison used to live right behind it and sang about it in the song "Love Street." It was also used as a location in "Sunset Boulevard." So...basically, this place rules. Check it out if you're ever in LA.