Gravel Grinder

Rolled into the rally spot super early-before anything was open early. First ones there early.
Preride warmup? Why not, didn't bring any trainers...

Nick got in on the camera action.

Did I mention the flowing mullet-watch out cross season

Shouldn't have taked shit about Perry Hill cause it was first up on the menu again. Kicked my ass again. There were some other tasty hills on the menu. Clouds are covering up the top, but there was still snow on top of Stowe.

Who needs Battankill for dirt roads. Where is the headless horseman?

Nick waited up for me at the first aid station, and we were off again.

With 5 miles left we hit another aid station. Time for a High Life.

Before we knew it, we were on to the amazingly muddy and fun community bike path and pulling into the parking lot. Nick took the sprint for those that were wondering....
Rad Tacos to finish it off and then 4 hours listening to the Red Sox blow it on the way home. Thanks to 5HillsBikes for putting it on.
By way of a product review, the showers pass softshell trainer gets two thumbs up. Kept me dry. Wasn't exactly torrential downpours but highly effective.

Vermont Weekend

The plan was to head out to Vermont for the weekend. Bring road bikes and cross bikes. Do a road ride on Saturday and the Gravel Grinder on Sunday. Well the best laid plans of .... and all that. Weather reports promised rain, snow, doom. Road bikes got left behind and it was 2 days on the cross bikes.
Woke up to this.

It stopped snowing and the rain let up and we went out to try a 30 mile loop. Right off the bat this loop punches you in the face. Perry Hill. Not a fan. Pain may be weakness leaving your body, but Perry Hill gives it back to you at the top.
After suffering in silence, I decided to go full tourist mode. I had my camera why not use it. We came to a cool covered bridge and I went into full Mofo mode to get the shots.


We trudged on over some incredibly beautiful roads. Got lost. Got tired. Got stoked. and got home. These rides were short but they kicked my ass.
One wrong turn took us to the top of this dead end road where we met a couple dogs.


back down.

Trying to focus on riding and taking pictures helps you forget about sucking on the bike....

Trying to take a perfect picture of Nick's mullet also helps pass the time

Soggy dirt roads on cross bikes can be a little "soul sucking" so why not try video. Better luck next time.

Dont want to be a downer, the ride was tough but fun. Cold, rainy, whatever it was pretty damn cool.
Anyway that was pretty much day one. Finished it up with eating, bike cleaning, and lounging. Up next day two the real deal Gravel Grinder.

38 bitches.

Athletes and business rarely end well. (Vin Baker comes to mind, but there are many examples). So it is no real surprise that the portly, conservative Curt Schilling might run into some problems as he tries to launch his video game start up. A month or so ago, he was claiming he could create several dozen high paying jobs, but unless Massachusetts gave his company some big tax breaks, he might be forced to leave for Rhode Island or even *gasp*New York. This shameless gambit earned him a shellacking in the comments on the Globe or Herald and that seemed to silence him for a few minutes. But hey tax breaks, that's conservative right?
Then this appeared.
This gem of true conservatism jumped out at me. “If the state doesn’t get involved at the start-up level, this industry will stagnate here." State involvement prevents stagnation? Did I just hear that from a conservative? I thought the party line was govt involvement and meddling cost jobs, not created them? Surely he has lost his talking points.
There is this little number-30 Million. As in 30 million of his own money invested in this company. So like most free marketers, when a business fails you applaud the rationality of the free market and move on right? Not our Curt, when it's his money, he starts trying to bully and beg the state for tax breaks and help. Nothing more conservative than shameless self-interest.

Burzum Belus

Why bother talking about this? The controversial angle is articulated well here. The opposing view is summed up here. To me Burzum were more hype than success. They pointed the way for a lot of sick black metal, but never really pulled it off that well themselves. The crimes and polemics kept it interesting when the music was reduced to embarrassing ambient keyboard exercises with pseudo classical pretensions. Just like a lot of people, I was curious what this post prison Burzum record would sound like. Initial rumours and reports said "a return" to black metal roots. I was skeptical, but took the plunge none the less.
The opening intro track did not get my hopes up-pretty much a Bathory rip. The first few songs are good black metal jammers. Influenced it seems by many who came after. Competent, but not jaw dropping. Until track 5. Holy shit, some real blackened thrash. Not unlike the new Old Wainds. Next track up is solid as well. I wouldn't place this as a "must hear" or essential, but it does live up to the hype.
In the end, music doesn't determine my politics or philosophy. Varg is like a Glenn Beck who pushes illogical stances to their logical conclusion and thinks its consistent and rational. So when it comes to thinking, I am with Laina, but when it comes to rocking I got no issues with Varg.

logos that rule seven that leap to mind

Logos run our lives. Signify, Identify, etc. Was bugging out on how many "homages", odes, and rip offs there are of the Black Flag bars. Got me running down a bunch of my favorites.....

1.Black Flag The Bars. The best.


2.SSD. I barely even like them, but this logo which is really just their name seems to pave the way for the collegiate youth crew graphic antics that would follow and be more popular.


3. Void. The upright and upside down crosses. So good.


4.Darkthrone. True Northern Darkness. You can pick your blueprint band, but there is no denying the influence of the black metal logo.


5. Tie. Crass and Bad Religion. Easy to draw and easy to understand.



6.Speaking of easy to draw. Love them or hate them, you probably drew this on something....


7. NYHC. Whatever localized version you drew on your bookcovers, no matter how goofy, was less embarrassing than Anthrax trying to copyright this.


8.Impulse Records




This was music focused but lets not forget some other classics....







More to come. What makes a classic? What did I miss? What are you favorites?

Hails to Ronnie James Dio

Had Ronnie James Dio pop up in a couple unexpected spots recently and thought I owe him a hearty "Get Well"! and a thanks for all the tunes over the years.
1. Reading Spray Paint the Walls-a recommended biography of Black Flag. This passage comes up. A young Mark Arm is interviewing Black Flag in 1983. He asks what they have been listening to and the all say Dio. "...And I didn't know who Dio was so I asked what is that? And Greg Ginn explained, 'It's Italian for God". Amen

2.Log on to facebook this morning and see this.

67 years old? He was just out on tour with Heaven and Hell (aka Black Sabbath)
Get well soon.


Get the Black Flag book and crank some Dio

DC Weekend

Went down to DC for the weekend. I have mixed feelings about this place since the city has changed so much since I went there. Georgetown is like a bigger version of Harvard Square-all chain stores. Most of the cool shops gone. They even moved the Hagen Daaz. The HD that Henry Rollins managed should be a fucking historical landmark. I think all cities change-Boston has definitely, but you don't notice it as much when you are living there. Go away for 15 years and come back-then you will see how much things change.

Went to this shop Crooked Beat for the 1st time. Up in Adams Morgan. In the original buiding for Madame's Organ. AKA DC Hardcore history! BAD FUCKING BRAINS. In case you didn't think it was history, how do you explain the tour of DC podcast? Nostalgia, it is a real pain in the ass.
Rad shop. Picked up a BubblePuppy 45. They were playing the Warmers 1st LP in the background. Thought for a minute it was a new Chris Thompson project. Didn't really like that record when it came out, but I will be digging it back out now. Rad Tune.
Smash Records is still the same, and a couple doors down.
Nothing will every replace Vinyl Ink for me-even if it wasn't in the city.