Categories
Bike

New Shoes

My bike shoes are three and a half years old. They were fine- biking is not exactly tough on the soles- but I needed a second pair for work. Of course, as soon as I ordered the new pair, the old pair started falling apart. THEY KNEW.

My bike shoes.
Left: old and busted.
Right: New Hotness.
In the back: gloves (in case you need to dye your hair).

The new ones look more like sneakers, which is nice. They also look more like clown shoes, which might be okay as well. BONUS! One of my bikes is yellow, and the other is olive green. my feet will match either bike, which is what makes bikes fast.

Leo from Twin Peaks would be so happy.

I was going to put a video of Leo saying “new shoes,” but he’s gross and drooly., so you get some Angelo Badalamenti instead.
Leo is excited.
I told you he’d be happy.

Categories
Bike

My fingers didn’t like this ride

I ride a lot in the summer. I’m used to heat. I ride wearing gym shorts and a t-shirt.

Today was not hot: Sunny, but mid forties to low fifties. Not the best weather for thin shorts. I did adjust my clothing a tiny bit: I wore a long sleeved shirt. That helped my arms, but did nothing for my fingers or ears, which were mad at me for most of the ride.

Tomorrow: gloves!

Categories
Uncategorized

I make important things.

Sometimes a dumb idea appears and must be indulged.
Categories
Uncategorized

Please enjoy some bad writing about sex

Don’t write like this. If you do write like this, don’t send it to a publisher. It’s creepy, embarrassing, and hilarious. You could be doing much more valuable things, like finally cleaning out that space under the kitchen sink or taking a really good nap.

Also: don’t publish writing like this. That’s paper that could be still be trees. Instead it’s a permanent record of a complete lack of understanding of composition, physical intimacy, and basic anatomy.

I changed my mind. Publish all writing like this. It accidentally brings the reader satisfaction. I hope that’s not a parallel to anything in the authors’ lives.

Categories
Bike ridesfv

Today’s Silly Little Ride

I thought the hardest part of riding every street in the San Fernando Valley would be the long stretches, but so far it’s the back-and-forth required to get every side street and alley.

I’m sure once I start getting up into the hills I’ll wish I was doing twisty flat rides again.

Today’s goofy ride:

You can see my total progress here: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1133075/heatmaps/3eaec873#12/34.22072/-118.47229

Categories
50ish Recent Songs

50ish Recent Songs

50ish recent songs, mostly chosen by my phone. BONUS: a link to a full length feature film! Not a good film, but still: film!

Distant Sky – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Gerson’s Whistle – Yeasayer

I Should Have Known Better – She & Him

Remember that time you wanted a folky cover of a Beatles song done by Zoe Deschanel? Well, here it is!

America – Simon and Garfunkel
…Something Like That – Airline Food
The Coast – Paul Simon
Sa Trincha – Smell of Paradise
Feed me to the Lions – Adam and The Ants

I’m Not There – Sonic Youth

Because when you think “Sonic Youth” you immediately think “Bob Dylan covers.”

Concerto in A – Sicilienne – Telemann
Harm – The Munitors
Catch The Rainbow – Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra

It’s Too Quiet – John Frost
This is actually a New Detective sketch from KROQ. I used to love these, but now the silly fun is muted by the casual racism of “Socky, the little foreign office boy.”

Reckless – Liam Finn
Hot Car – Being Dead
The Greys – Frightened Rabbit

Israel – Miles Davis

Y’like JAZZ?

Baby Hallelujah – Konradsen
The Balance – Royal Tongues
Naima (alternate take) – John Coltrane
The Loved Ones – Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Van Morrison – U.T.A. Texas Hall – Dec 13, 1973 – Radio Commercial
I have a bunch of these old commercials. I love hearing stuff like “Come see Van Morrison. Tickets are five bucks at the door.”

Class System (featuring Pharrell Wiliams & Julee Cruise) – Handsome Boy Modeling School
Catch 22 – Send Dudes
Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
Know Your Rights – The Clash

Our Lips Are Sealed – The Go-Go’s

My first time watching this video is the official starting point of my Jane Wiedlin crush.

Tired Eyes – Neil Young
Best Friend – The Beat
Sugar Daddy – Frank Black
Everybody Knows (Ft. Mating Ritual) – RAEKO
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1 – The Flaming Lips
Can’t Let Go – Lucinda Williams
Fill the Void – Oingo Boingo
Traits De Caractere – Paris Combo

These Burgers (live ’01) – The Moldy Peaches

Great song, or greatest song?

Late For The Sky – Jackson Browne
Changes – David Bowie
True Love Will Find You In The End – Beck
The Last Ten Homes – Mice Parade
My Funny Valentine – Ben Webster
Movie Theme – John Wesley Harding
Little Green Bag – George Baker Selection
We Live So Fast – Heaven 17
Steven Stills – Poco – Tarrant C. C. C. – Jul 15, 1975 – Rock Show Commercial

Triple Terror Show ad 2 – Commercial

This is an ad for three grindhouse films: Blood of Ghastly Horror, Naked Evil, and The Gorilla Gang. Youtube actually has the full movie of Blood of Ghastly Horror. If that’s too much time to invest in a crappy film, at least watch the trailer for Gorilla Gang. It’s magical.

The full ding-dong movie!
“Evilcolor” appears to be the same as “Black and White.”
I think this really happened.

The Distance – Cake
Fleetwood Mac – Kansas – Memorial Aud. – May 19, 1975 – Rock Show Commercial
Try – Delta 5
Walkinonit – J Dilla
Sweet And Lovely – Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane
Sunday – The Cranberries

Categories
star wars work

I make important things for work (Star Wars Edition)

My students are shooting a film that includes a light saber battle, so I found a tutorial to help them figure out the effects. This is my rough test footage.

George Lucas named Luke Skywalker after me.

Some things:

  • Rotoscoping is annoying and tedious.
  • Rotoscoping is even more annoying and tedious when you realize halfway through it that you haven’t been setting keyframes.
  • It’s easier to to animate large movements.
  • It’s hard to match up prerecorded light saber sounds to new video. None of the sounds in this clip are timed properly, and most of them are the wrong sound altogether. I would have faked it with mouth noises, but Katherine is asleep and doesn’t need to wake up to me making buzzes and space burps.
  • Square ended light sabers look weird.

I also made this opening for the morning bulletin. A few nerds on campus will get it.

And all of them will be annoyed by it.

Categories
Bike Music ridesfv

Some Bike Ridin’ Stuff

Managed to get in a nice 26ish mile ride today at (for me) a good pace. If I get back to riding more than once a week, I might get okay at this again!

I should get back to my “ride every street in the San Fernando Valley” project. I’ve got the Southeast corner pretty well sewn up. The hard part about the rest of it is I have to either drive my bike somewhere else (which I hate), or I have to re-ride for a while on streets I’ve already done (which will take longer).

The map so far. I might be ten percent done. Maybe.

Also, completely by accident, I found a great old bike song. This is a “new” (circa 1978) version by R. Crumb and the Cheap Suit Serenaders.

Weird comics AND old music. What a renaissance man.
Categories
Photoshop

New Star Wars Shows

Disney+ just debuted with a new Star Wars show, The Mandalorian. Using my incredible sleuthing skills I have discovered promotional images from a few other Star Wars-based series now in development.

The Mandymorian!

The Mandelbortian!

I’m pretty sure this was already a movie.
Produced in association with the World Wildlife Fund.
Ah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah

She spends every show whining that Boba Fett gets more attention.
Categories
50ish Recent Songs

50ish Recent Songs

Mostly picked by the Music app, with some assistance from Dan.

Checkout Blues – Eels

Creeque Alley – The Mamas & The Papas

Life’s What you Make it – Talk Talk

For Your Love  – The Yardbirds

Dream Forever – Bumblebees

absolute lithops effect – The Mountain Goats

Hope Street – Stiff Little Fingers

Strangers – A.O. Gerber

Mother Nature’s Son (Take 15) – The Beatles

Love Like Laughter – Beth Orton

Canoe – John Lurie

12 Elliot In Your Cup – The Blanks

Back in the Saddle – Aerosmith

California – Liz Phair

Time Out For Fun – Devo– there are definitely other Devo records that are more revolutionary and/or iconic, but “Oh, no! It’s Devo” was the first record of theirs I owned, so it’s the one that brings out the most nostalgia.

SUNLIGHT – BESOS

Time Heals Nothing – Danko Jones

King Midas In Reverse – The Hollies

Love of My Life – Louis Prima

Riot – Childish Gambino

St. Louis Blues – Louis Prima

Dancing In The Street – Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

Israel – Miles Davis

Crepuscolo Sul Mare – Piero Umiliani

Daydream Believer – The Monkees

I Got Life (James Rado & Company) – Original Broadway Cast

Never Give You Up – The Black Keys

The Negotiation Limerick File – Beastie Boys

Godless Heathens – Skin Mag

Get Bummed Out – SPORTS

Don’t Pull Away (Feat. Milosh) – J.Viewz

The Perfect Drug – Nine Inch Nails – I’m not a huge NIN fan, but this is an awesome bike song. Check out the “deep” visuals in the video.

In The Hanging Gardens – Pinkshinyultrablast

BLEACHÉ – yuko yokio

Everything Borrowed – Jerry Paper

Company Calls – Death Cab For Cutie

Unknown Legend – Neil Young – very different from NIN, but also an awesome bike song. And if you’re thinking that the song is about someone riding a Harley Davidson and that that’s a very different kind of bike, I have some news for you.
There’s a real video for this song, but no high quality versions are on Youtube, probably because Neil Young only wants his music played in 6000 bit hyper dense magic quality.

Popeye Theme – Face to Face – the most important song of this or any other time.

Fool, Fool, Fool – The Clovers

SOKA – Sister Bliss

Giving It All – 20/20

Sailor and widow – Keren Ann

The Man In Me – The Clash

The Power Of The Heart – Peter Gabriel

Evil Angel – Rufus Wainwright

Can’t Stop The World – Ginger Sling

Donuts (Outro) – J Dilla

L.S.D. Partie – Roland Vincent

Grand Illusions – Joan Osborne

Fade To Grey – Anteros – this is not a cover of Visage. This song is generic alternapop. No need to seek it out.