Best of 08 Update

Keane -Spiralling (Perfect Symmetry [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

This band is upbeat and pop oriented. This album isn't too bad though they seem to struggle a bit with their sound. This song is a perfect pop single and great to run to. It seems to me they nailed whatever it is they are trying to create with this song.

Best of 08 Update

Jem - They (Finally Woken [2004])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

This album is OK. It's like a lot of music out there, but this song is a big standout where she actually gets her best hook.

Best of 08 Update

Lee Ann Womack - Last Call (Call Me Crazy [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

She did a good job on this album of picking out songs which have nice pop hooks. I think this song stands out above the rest of the album simply because it seems to have classic country lyrics, but with a nice modern country sound.

Best of 08 Update

Saul Williams - Convict Colony (The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

I think what this song shows is that more people should sample The Cure. I like the way they have used the opening hook from the song Torture to create the backdrop that the rest of the song sits atop. The album as a whole is entertaining but at no other time does it match up to this song.

Let's Run

OK I've been very lazy with my running and nothing better to get me back into it than making a new run mix. As always you can check it out on Rhapsody.

1. Spiralling - Keane
2. I'm Not Over - Carolina Liar
3. I Will Follow - U2
4. Sunburn - Muse
5. Stop - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
6. Hard Row - Black Keys
7. Smile - Olive
8. Barbie Girl - Aqua
9. Ray Of Light - Madonna
10. Loose Ends - Imogen Heap
11. They - Jem
12. 1234 - Feist
13. Borrowed Time - A Fine Frenzy
14. Pictures Of You - The Last Goodnight
15. I'm Glad - Jennifer Lopez
16. Corazon (You're Not Alone) - Prima J
17. Generals - The Beautiful Girls
18. Hot - Avril Lavigne
19. Too Bad About Your Girl - The Donnas
20. I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango) - Grace Jones
21. (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty (LP Version) - KC & the Sunshine Band
22. Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe - Barry White
23. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
24. The Hustle (Original Mix) - Van McCoy
25. I Love The Night Life - Anita Ward
26. Shame (Radio Edit) (Digitally Mastered- May - June, 1988) - Evelyn Champagne King
27. I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer - The Cardigans
28. Zombie - The Cranberries
29. Like The Weather - 10,000 Maniacs
30. Walk On The Ocean - Toad the Wet Sprocket
31. Interstate 5 (extended version) - The Wedding Present

A Little Princess (1986) Parts 13-17

Sara is wasting away, will anyone help her?

A Little Princess (1986) Parts 9-12

Sara stays so positive and such a good person despite all that she goes through. She's a real inspiration.

A Little Princess (1986) Parts 5-8

Life's about to take a hard turn for Sara.

A Little Princess (1986) Parts 1-4

This is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Let's Run

Here is the weekly run mix. You can check it out on Rhapsody.

1. Glory Days - Just Jack
2. Army Of Me - Bjork
3. L.E.S. Artistes (Single) - Santogold
4. Partie Traumatic - Black Kids
5. I Don't Feel Like Dancin' (Album version) - Scissor Sisters
6. (A Style Called) Crying Chic - Pop Levi
7. Love Today - Mika
8. No, No, No Part 1 - Destiny's Child
9. Rain - SWV
10. My Love Is Like...WOAH - Mya
11. Talk About Our Love (Featuring Kanye West) - Brandy
12. Why Don't We Fall In Love? - Amerie
13. No More Drama - Mary J. Blige
14. Me & Mr Jones - Amy Winehouse
15. Trouble In Mind - Aretha Franklin
16. I'll Be Satisfied - Don Covay
17. I Never - Rilo Kiley
18. Bar Woman Blues - The Watson Twins
19. Sentimental Heart - She and Him
20. You Baffle Me - Shannon Wright

Let's Run

The latest run mix. You can check it out on Rhapsody.

1. Sound The Alarm - Thievery Corporation
2. Pa' Bailar - Siempre Quiero Mas - Bajofondo
3. Brown Bike - Nortec Collective
4. Mountain Rain - Saint Etienne
5. Hard To Find - American Analog Set
6. I'll Be Around - The Spinners
7. Convict Colony - Saul Williams
8. Proto Culture - Del tha Funky Homosapien
9. King Of Sorrow - Sade
10. All My Days Without You - Sweetback
11. Get A Life - Soul II Soul
12. What I Gotta Do - Macy Gray
13. Here We Go Again - Angie Stone
14. Mercy - Duffy
15. Respect All People Now - Carmel
16. Good People - Jack Johnson
17. Love Love Love - Tristan Prettyman
18. Wichita Skyline - Shawn Colvin
19. Wrong Impression - Natalie Imbruglia
20. What's The Matter Here? - 10,000 Maniacs
21. Don't Panic - Coldplay
22. Black And White Town - Doves
23. This IS That New Song - Badly Drawn Boy
24. If You're Feeling Sinister - Belle and Sebastian
25. Royally Used - Sons & Daughters
26. Fire It Up - Modest Mouse
27. Modern World - Wolf Parade
28. Graves - Tokyo Police Club
29. Uh Oh Hello - Elefant
30. Your Heart Is An Empty Room - Death Cab For Cutie
31. Man On The Moon - R.E.M.
32. I Go Wild - The Three O'Clock

Let's Run

Here is the latest run mix. You can check it out on your Rhapsody account by clicking here.

1. Haven't Found - Pras
2. You Are The One - Shiny Toy Guns
3. Strangelove - Depeche Mode
4. Pictures Of You - The Cure
5. Chewing Gum (Vocal mix) - Annie
6. Love At First Sight - Kylie Minogue
7. D*ckh**d - Kate Nash
8. So Lonely Was The Ballad - Jamie T
9. Writer's Block - Just Jack
10. Block Rockin' Beats - The Chemical Brothers
11. Where You End - Moby
12. The Rockafeller Skank - Fatboy Slim
13. Probably A Robbery - Renegade Soundwave
14. Violence - (Hacienda version) - Pet Shop Boys
15. This Charming Man - The Smiths
16. Lost A Friend - James
17. Lemon - U2
18. Open the World - Sam Phillips
19. 6Th Avenue Heartache - The Wallflowers
20. Keys - Golden Smog
21. Simple Twist Of Fate - Jeff Tweedy
22. Annabelle - Gillian Welch
23. Hotter Than Mojave In My Heart - Iris Dement
24. Are We Ever Gonna Have Sex Again? - Amy Rigby
25. Gladys and Lucy - Victoria Williams
26. Where Am I Now - Shelby Lynne

Best of 08 Update

Shiny Toy Guns - You Are the One (We Are Pilots [2006])
Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko (We Are Pilots [2006])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

I really enjoyed this album. Sorry I just discovered it in fact. It's good alternative, dance pop. Good stuff. "You Are the One" is the opening song to the album and it's followed by "Le Disko". Watching the first video makes me think of a modern day Human League.

Best of 08 Update

Foals - Olympic Airways (Antidotes [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

I really like this song. The album is pretty good, but not my favorite. To me these guys sound a lot like Modest Mouse and so if you like that sound you might like these guys. If you don't then I'd stay away.

Best of 08 Update

The Jim Jones Revue - Princess & the Frog (The Jim Jones Revue [2008])
allmusic, myspace

This album is like 50's rock meets noise punk or something. The album seems to have been recorded at too high a level, so it's very loud and very noisy. It's a very odd sound and over an entire album it wears one down, but this song is very good. It is the first song on the YouTube clip I've attached.

Let's Run Mix

Click here to checkout this playlist on Rhapsody.


1. Sick Of Myself - Matthew Sweet
2. Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
3. Soul Meets Body - Death Cab For Cutie
4. Speed Of Sound - Coldplay
5. Music Was Saved - Starsailor
6. These 3 Sins - Gomez
7. Tiny Little Fractures - Snow Patrol
8. Bend and Break - Keane
9. Why Does It Always Rain On Me? - Travis
10. Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
11. Hug My Soul - Saint Etienne
12. Been It - The Cardigans
13. Solar Sister - The Posies
14. Gigantic - Pixies
15. Puke And Cry - Dinosaur Jr
16. Ventura Highway - America
17. Cemetery Lawn - The Rosebuds
18. Judy And The Dream Of The Horses - Belle and Sebastian
19. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths
20. Laid - James
21. You're So Pretty - We're So Pretty - Charlatans U.K.
22. Lucky Man - The Verve
23. Clocks - Coldplay
24. Over My Head - The Fray
25. Not What It Seems - Something Corporate
26. Suedehead - Morrissey
27. Four Flights Up - Lloyd Cole
28. And Your Bird Can Sing - Matthew Sweet
29. Mary Anne - Marshall Crenshaw
30. A Million Miles Away - The Plimsouls
31. Waiting For The Weekend - The Vapors
32. David Watts - The Jam
33. Rock DJ - Robbie Williams
34. My Love (Single Version) - Justin Timberlake
35. Hot In Herre - Nelly
36. Temptation Eyes - Blake Babies
37. Know Your Onion! - The Shins
38. She's Not There - The Zombies
39. Love Potion No. 9 - The Searchers
40. The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
41. Welcome Back (Theme from Welcome Back, Kotter) - John Sebastian
42. Little Honey (from "Thelma & Louise") - Kelly Willis
43. This Will Be - Natalie Cole
44. The Sweetest Taboo - Sade
45. Breakout - Swing Out Sister
46. Good Lovin' - The Rascals
47. Nowhere To Run - Martha and the Vandellas
48. My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
49. Family Affair (Single Version) - Sly & the Family Stone
50. Runnin' Away (Single Version) - Sly & the Family Stone

Hulu.com

You've got to love the web. We missed the opening episode of the Sarah Connor Chronicles the other day and forgot to tape it. Luckily the episode was already posted on hulu.com. I hooked the laptop up to the TV and we kicked back and enjoyed the episode. Check out hulu it's a cool site with free movies and television episodes. It's an NBC Universal and Newscorp company. My only hope is that the in the future the Netflix players like the Roku will also stream things from hulu.com and other such sites.

Let's Run Mix

Click here to checkout this playlist with your Rhapsody account.

1. Slow - Tricky
2. Come To Me - Bjork
3. Little Bit - Lykke Li
4. It's All Good - El Perro Del Mar
5. That You Know - Paula Frazer
6. The Bad Photographer - Saint Etienne
7. The Birds and the Bees - The Real Tuesday Weld
8. Paper Tigers - Yuji Oniki
9. Three days from Now - Ladybug Transistor
10. Destination Girl - Finishing School
11. Dancing In The Dark - Solange Knowles
12. Right Here/Human Nature - (Radio mix) - SWV
13. It's Like That - Mariah Carey
14. Dont Tell Me Its Over - Gym Class Heroes
15. Cupids Chokehold - Gym Class Heroes
16. The Woman With The Tattooed Hands - Atmosphere
17. Jazz (We've Got) - A Tribe Called Quest
18. Gettin Up (Main Version) - Q-Tip
19. Description Of A Fool - A Tribe Called Quest
20. These Days - Glen Campbell
21. All The Things She Said - T.A.T.U.
22. Not Gonna Get Us - T.A.T.U.
23. Human Nature - Michael Jackson
24. Sign Your Name - Terence Trent D'Arby
25. Every Picture Tells A Story - Rod Stewart
26. I Didn't Mean To Turn You On - Robert Palmer
27. Sweet Thing - Van Morrison
28. Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John
29. Take Your Mama - Scissor Sisters
30. Olympic Airways - Foals
31. Shut Up And Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
32. Golden Skans - Klaxons
33. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
34. Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen
35. Never Say Never - Romeo Void
36. Under Pressure - (with Queen) - David Bowie
37. All The Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople
38. Rocks Off - The Rolling Stones
39. Say It Right - Nelly Furtado
40. I'm No Angel - Dido
41. No Difference - Everything But the Girl
42. Smile - Olive
43. Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Saint Etienne
44. Cool Scene - The Dandy Warhols
45. Kick In The Teeth - Supergrass
46. Connection - Elastica
47. Guilt - The Long Blondes

Best of 08 Update

Gym Class Heroes - Dont Tell Me Its Over (The Quilt [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

OK this band has one very interesting twist. They will blend older songs into new songs, but instead of sampling the song, they actually live record and pull the component of the song they want into their song. I got introduced to these guys a few years ago with their song Cupid's Chokehold which revolved around the old Supertramp song Breakfast in America. So anyhow I'm listening to their new album which is OK, when I hear the opening to Bruce Springsteen's Something in the Night. This alone was enough for me to pick this song as one of my top songs of the year. This is the only song on the album that was really a stand out for me, but it's a fun use of a great Springsteen hook.

Best of 08 Update

Glen Campbell - These Days (Meet Glen Campbell [2008])
allmusic, band homepage

I grew up a big Glen Campbell fan, loving his Jimmy Webb hits from the late 60's and early 70's. This album goes back to that sound using modern songs. This is similar to the project done a few years ago with Johnny Cash covering modern tunes. I found the album an easy listen, though I wouldn't run out and buy it, well that is except for this song. I really think this may be one of the best songs he's ever made. Of course this isn't that modern a song since it was written by Jackson Browne when he was very young, but this song fits perfectly with this classic Glen Campbell arrangement.




For comparison here is Browne doing the song six years earlier on another AOL Session.

Best of 08 Update

Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl (One of the Boys [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

OK I know this is a big leap from the last update, but this is a good pop song and I'm a sucker for good pop songs. It has a great sound and ridiculously silly lyrics. The album is pretty much a throw away, but this song is a lot of fun.

Best of 08 Update

Trips and Falls - Between Baptism & Burial (He Was Such a Quiet Boy [2008])
myspace

This is the beauty of the subscription services like Rhapsody or Napster. You can discover an obscure band by chance that you like. I really enjoyed this album and especially this song. Sad to say these guys have no presence on the web except for their myspace page, so there are no videos of them that I could find. Check them out though they have a neat sound, one of my favorite albums of the year.

Best of 08 Update

Death Cab for Cutie - Your New Twin Sized Bed (Narrow Stairs [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

OK this song takes us off in a bit of a different direction. I decided to listen to this album because I heard these guys interviewed on Sound Opinions a few weeks back and thought they sounded pretty good. I like the album OK, but this song was a stand out.

Best of 08 Update

Olive - Smile (Trickle [2000])
allmusic

I completely missed this band back in 2000, didn't have anything like Rhapsody or Napster subscription services back then to get exposed to so much different music. I'm seeing a pattern here by the way in the music from this year so far. But whatever this is a good song. The album is fine, but no other song really stood out to me like this song.

Best of 08 Update

Swing Out Sister - Who's Been Sleeping (Filth and Dreams [1999])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

I have to say I had forgotten about this band. I really enjoyed their first big US hit Breakout and the quickly forgot they existed. They are in fact still putting out music, and this song may encourage me to pull out some of their newer stuff and give it a try.

Best of 08 Update

Hooverphonic - Plus Profond (A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular [1997])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

I guess I was still in the late 90's dance mood when I caught this song. I enjoyed this album. Should probably take the time to listen to some of their other stuff, but just haven't. I've embeded here an FMA (Fullmetal Alchemist) video someone has made with this song.

Best of 08 Update

Nubla - Malquerida (Voayeur [2006])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

I admit that I have no idea what this song is about, but I really like the sound of the song. In fact I like the sound of the album. It feels very late 90's dance club to me. There was a band I got into for a short time in the late 90's (I can't remember their name) that had a very similar sound. Hearing this album it brought me back to that vibe. It has layered off center beats and a dark, erotic feel to the music.

Let's Run Mix

1. Love Like This - Natasha Bedingfield
2. 3 a.m. - Matchbox Twenty
3. Stuck In Here - Filter
4. Just Pretend - Ben Folds
5. Pop A Cap In Yo' Ass (Full Mix) - Ben Watt
6. Baby - Brandy
7. One Wish For Me - Miguel Migs
8. So Far - Miguel Migs
9. House Of Cards - Radiohead
10. A Sort Of Homecoming - U2
11. Listening For The Weather - Bic Runga
12. Wrong Impression - Natalie Imbruglia
13. San Andreas Fault - Natalie Merchant
14. Babylon - David Gray
15. Make It Mine - Jason Mraz
16. Jane - Ben Folds
17. Barely Breathing - Duncan Sheik
18. Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello
19. Just What I Needed - The Cars
20. Pablo Picasso - The Modern Lovers
21. The Modern Age - The Strokes
22. We're The Same - Matthew Sweet
23. Valerie Loves Me - Material Issue
24. Seeing Is Believing - The Three O'Clock
25. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
26. Groovin' (Single/LP Version) - The Rascals
27. Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder
28. Welcome - Maxwell
29. When Can I See You - Babyface
30. Another Sad Love Song - Toni Braxton

Margaret's Bianchi

Back in 2007 we decided it was time for Margaret to get a new bike. We weren't riding much but her bike had issues. It was one we had bought used at Play it Again Sports for I believe $36. It was a fine bike, Margaret did two triathlons on the bike, but it didn't fit her very well and the shifting had a lot to be desired. Our hope was that if we got her something that fit better and was geared better she would ride more. The big debate was on what kind of bike to get her. This old bike of hers had standard road bars, but was setup like a cyclocross bike with brake levers across the flat part of the bar. She loved this and I can say I never once saw her go down onto the drops. In my mind it seemed then that we should get her a flat bar road bike. I mean we could buy a standard road bike and then add different shifters, but why when I thought we could find her a good flat bar road bike.

There was, however, a problem. I couldn't find a flat bar road bike that was setup like a road bike. Most of the gearing and tire widths I was seeing matched more of a touring bike and this wasn't what I had in mind. Again I went back to the idea of the Surly Pacer and building my own, but decided against it when I remembered the 2005 Bianchi Strada. The beauty of this bike is that it is setup exactly like a road bike, it simply has different shifters and handle bars. After searching around I found a place online that had one her size in stock. They shipped it and I put it together. It is a very pretty bike and though a little heavier than the Brava actually has nicer shifters. It has a suspension seat post which adds some weight but definitely makes for a more comfortable ride. The main thing is Margaret really likes the bike and feels comfortable on it.

My Bianchi

So back in 2005 I was looking for a road bike. At the time I had an old hand me down late 80's Cannondale touring 10 speed. There were some nice things about the bike, like it was free and had fantastic shifters. But there were some bad things as well. It didn't fit me all that well, and it was really geared for touring, so it had a very limited cruising speed. Not that I'm a fast rider, but you want to be able to continue to accelerate when you can, especially on a nice flat road when you can hit a good cruising speed. I remember we were out one day riding when a group came flying past us. I tried to stay with the group, but it was a slight downhill and they were chugging along around 28mph or so. Well on my Cannondale to go that fast I had to be in my highest gear and spinning at 120bpm just to keep up. I noticed that they were all cruising along with a gear or so to spare and keeping a comfortable cadence. I decided right then and there that I was getting a new bike.

I didn't want to spend much, so I was looking at a lot of entry level bikes. After reading a lot of reviews and talking to different folks I decided I wanted to do a steel bike instead of aluminum. The basic idea being that entry level aluminum bikes aren't the most comfortable and can give you a bit of a harsh ride. Where steel is heavier, but has a more comfortable ride. The first bike I looked at seriously was the Surly Pacer. This frame had a lot of great reviews, but it meant I would have to build the bike. Though this interested me, I decided it was a bit too much for me. My next pick then was the Bianchi Brava. I must confess I liked the idea of owning a Bianchi and I loved the color of the Brava in 2005. I contacted the Bianchi dealers around here, but didn't have much luck as none of them had a Brava in stock. They could order the bike for me, but the nearest dealer who would do this was a few hours away. So I started looking online and found a dealer in the Philly area who would sell the bike online. I ordered it up. Happily the bike fit my legs, but it was a bit long for my arms. I ordered a new stem for it and have been happy ever since. It is a very comfortable ride. I feel like I'm riding a big luxury car at times.

The Big Picture

So we had some pictures that we wanted to have enlarged to put up on the wall. Well it dawned on me that with digital photography there should be software out there to help with this, and in fact there is. But what I also found were companies that do this for you. We sent a couple of images off to get enlarged and they look fantastic. You check out colorenlargement.com yourself. They can take a standard 6meg jpeg up to 40"x60", that's incredible.

Here is my favorite of the two we sent off. It was blown up to 36"x18" and just looks incredible.





I think Margaret prefers the barn picture.

Let's Run Mix

I just spent way too much time working up a run mix for tomorrow. Hopefully it will be good to run to.

1. The Sign - Ace Of Base
2. Affair Of The Heart - Rick Springfield
3. Dancing Queen - ABBA
4. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) (Easy Mo Bee Remix) - The Temptations
5. Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart
6. Lucky Star - Madonna
7. Don't Let Go (Love) - En Vogue
8. Fallen - Mya
9. Full Moon - Brandy
10. Welcome Back - Mase
11. All I Have (featuring L.L. Cool J) - Jennifer Lopez
12. Miss You Much - Janet Jackson
13. Where Is The Love - Black Eyed Peas
14. Bring The Pain - (featuring Method Man) - Missy Elliott
15. Nature Of A Sista' - Queen Latifah
16. This Here Giraffe - The Flaming Lips
17. Creeper - Islands
18. Neighborhood #2 (Laika) - Arcade Fire
19. Modern Love - David Bowie
20. Beautiful Day - U2
21. Can't Get There From Here - R.E.M.
22. Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
23. Electric Bloom - Foals
24. Your New Twin Sized Bed - Death Cab For Cutie
25. Fire It Up - Modest Mouse
26. Modern World - Wolf Parade

Getting Back to Biking

We are trying to get back into biking. It seems like we keep starting and stopping, but today was a good experience. I think I have finally figured out how to include at least one decent hill and make it feel like it belongs to the route.

Best of 08 Update

Natalie Portman's Shaved Head - Iceage Babeland (Glistening Pleasure [2008])
allmusic, myspace

Sometimes you just want a fun song with a good hook and a good beat. This song has all that. It's a great one to come on the player about half way into a long run to give you that boost of energy.

Best of 08 Update

Bic Runga - Winning Arrow (Birds [2005])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

This is a pretty good album. Very mellow, good background, conversation music. This particular song I feel has a bit more life and zip to it than the rest of the album.

Best of 08 Update

El Perro Del Mar - Glory to the World (From the Valley to the Stars [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

This song really grabbed me when I heard it. The album is pretty good, but this is the only song that really jumps out for me.

MP3 Casts

I've really been into mp3 casts lately. I listened to a group of different programs every week and it really helps with commuting. Here are the current mp3 casts I'm into.

Weekend America

It's All Politics

Marketplace Money

This American Life

The Splendid Table

Car Talk

Sound Opinions

On the Media

Fresh Air

Only a Game

Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me

The Olympics

I've really enjoyed watching the Olympic cycling events online. No commentators, just raw video feed with text commentary. It's the best. You can sit and watch all 6 hours of the men's road race, but it's tough to track down all of the full length competition videos, so here they are.

On the Road
Men's Road Race
Women's Road Race
Men's Individual Time Trial
Women's Individual Time Trial

On the Track
Day 1 (men and women's individual pursuit qualifying rounds, men's team sprint all rounds)
Day 2 (women's individual pursuit first round, men's kierin, points race, and men's individual pursuit finals)
Day 3 Morning (men's team pursuit, men's and women's sprint qualifying)
Day 3 Evening (women's individual pursuit finals, men's and women's sprint round of 16 and 8)
Day 4 (women's point race, men's and women's sprint quarters and men's team pursuit finals)
Day 5 (men's madison, men's and women's sprint semifinals and finals)

BMX
Day 1
Day 2

Cross Country
Women's
Men's

Everything But the Girl

Of course I'm a huge EBTG fan and I miss them now that they are no more. I always thought they were very good lyricists. Love the opening lines to the song Cross My Heart

Now and then
Do you wash your hands of me again?
Wish me anywhere but home
Drunk and on the end of your phone

Here's some band doing the song at a wedding




Back in the 90's they toured around doing acoustic shows. Too bad they never recorded one of these concerts for video. But with youtube at least I can get a sense of what it was like.



Poor Ben looks awful. He was sick with some illness that almost killed him. But he survived and they went on to have a big hit eventually. Now he has his own record label and DJs while Tracey has been taking care of their kids. She recently put out an album and it was OK. The best song was a song she wrote about Ben. It's cool because they never seem to write songs about their own relationship.

We don't need any kind of big parade
Just this once a little serenade
To celebrate this love we've made
We don't need
Don't need a big fanfare
This is just my heart laid bare
For anyone who might care

Best of April 08 (Part I)

M. Craft - Silver and Fire (Silver and Fire [2006])
allmusic, myspace

Oh man how do I describe this guy. He's like so many other solo male artist out there right now. Easy jazzy pop with a lot of mellow singing and mellow beats. It's a good album but right now this song is so overpopulated. I do like this song though. If you like Crosby, Stills and Nash you will probably like this song, and may like this album.


Palomar - Static (Palomar II [2002])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

It's as if someone took the Marine Girls and put a band behind them, then sped everything up. This song definitely has that feel to it, as does the album. But I like the Marine Girls and so I like this song. Over the entire album it feels a bit tired and boring to be quite honest.


The Weepies - Antarctica (Hideaway [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

This duo has a nice soothing pop-folk sound. They aren't breaking any new ground but their songs are consistently pretty to listen to. This is probably my favorite new album of 2008 up to this point.




Findlay Brown - Losing the Will to Survive (Losing the Will to Survive [2006])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

The past continues to be reborn with Findlay Brown. Yet another solo male artist with a cool folksy sound. More Crosby, Stills, and Nash influence. Who knew they would be so influential 40 years after they started.

Best of March 08 (Part I)

Shearwater - Mountain Laurel (Thieves [2005])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

An Austin indie band these guys mix country, pop, and rock pretty well. This particular EP is quite slow and moody. This particular song is the most energetic on the EP and I would say the best.




The Lost Patrol - Alright (Songs About Running Away [2004])
allmusic

Not sure what came of this band. Can't seem to find anything about them. I'm realizing that way too many of the songs and the bands I pick per month sound alike and these guys are no different. They have a mixed sound that harps back to sounds from the 70's and 80's. This particular song is a upbeat pop tune that is very catchy, but could honestly have been a hit radio song in 1985.

Best of February 08 (Part I)

Matt Costa - Vienna (Unfamiliar Faces [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

This is a nice laid back song off of a nice laid back album. This song has something a bit special that makes it stand out.


The Helio Sequence - Back to This (Keep Your Eyes Ahead [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

This is a nice album. Similar to the Matt Costa album, it is light alternative pop/rock which seems to be so prevalent these days. Still it's a good album and I really like this particular song.




China Crisis - The Understudy (What Price Paradise [1986])
allmusic

This is an oldie but goodie for me. I hadn't heard this album in forever and it just got released in digital format. It sounds just as good now as it did 20 years ago when I first heard it. It is light jazzy alternative pop, good stuff.


Fastbacks - In the Observatory (Answer the Phone, Dummy [1994])
allmusic, myspace

A punk pop band that came out of the Seattle grunge scene they are still around. Like most of this music, this album is OK, but doesn't do a lot for me. I do, however, like this particular song which has a good hook and more depth to the lyrics than most the other stuff on this album.

Best of January 08 (Part IV)

Grant Lee Buffalo - Truly, Truly (Jubilee [1998])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

I completely missed these guys when they were around. This is a solid song on a solid album.




New Buffalo - Emotional Champ (Somewhere, Anywhere [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

All in all this album is a bit too vague. It plays at being too experimental and cool. I remember being friends with this girl in college. She was pretty artsy and stuff. When another friend of mine met her, her comment was something like, "Why does she dress so ugly? I think she does it on purpose to seem different and cool." She wasn't saying this to be mean, she was saying this because she did really dress ugly. Listening to this album I have a similar reaction. She shows with this song that you can be cool and still write a song that has a bit of pop appeal. You can maintain your integrity and still create something nice to listen to. But most of the album has a bit of an overdone artsy, experimental, folksy edge.

2008 Recipes Week 4

Another week of recipes.

Tuna Melt
Margaret had been wanting a tuna melt for quite some time, so I actually found a recipe. Why not? They were quite good. Not sure you really needed a recipe but still it was different that what I would have made on my own.

Chicken and Asparagus Pasta Toss
The best thing about this dish was how well it reheated out of the fridge. It was a bit too spicy and had too many onions. It was very good with green olives and sun dried tomatoes.

Squash-Rice Casserole
I really liked this dish. It was quite tasty and not too heavy. I had eaten it all by mid week. Not quite Margaret's thing though.

Italian Vegetable Stew
I have to admit I didn't eat any of this. Margaret did eat it all, but wasn't that crazy about it. Not sure why but she thought it was just OK.

Brownie Cheesecake
This was OK, but certainly not as good as it sounds. The brownies make a soggy and not so tasty crust and the cheesecake part was a bit too light in taste.

Best of January 08 (Part III)

Bliss - Without You (Life [2007])

OK I can find nothing about this band. See this is the problem of having a name that a million other bands have, being on a label, Zaga Zow, that doesn't have a website, and releasing an album with such a generic name. That being said this band is similar in many ways to Zox. Both young male bands with a pop rock sound that can be pretty generic. But like the Zox tune I picked this month, this song really stands out as a good solid pop tune.


The Greencards - River of Sand (Viridian [2007])
allmusic, myspace

This is a nice album. It's an interesting mix of Austin and bluegrass. I really like this song. It has a nice sound.





The Beautiful Girls - Generals (Ziggurats [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

Do you like the Police? If so then you'll enjoy this album. I'm not a big Police fan, but they did have the occasional good song. I like this song OK and the albums OK.


Bodies of Water - I Heard It Sound (Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

If you like the Polyphonic Spree you will more than likely enjoy these guys. A bit odd to say the least, but this song has a catchy something about it. The rest of the album is a bit too out there for me in a lot of ways.

Napster to Go

Napster to Go

For $14.95 a month you can get Napster to Go. They have a full list of compatible players, but it works with most players that are Play for Sure compatible.

There are a lot of things I like about Napster. If you simply want to stream music you can run it from a web interface. Unlike Yahoo it's not reliant on IE, so you can use Firefox or another browser if you like. It is very quick and very stable. I've had some problems with Yahoo being a bit unstable, but not Napster. The files download onto the player quite a bit quicker than Yahoo. They have an extensive catalog of music and so you can find almost anything you are looking for.

I think those are a lot of positives and certainly overshadow the negatives. You cannot rate music. This is something about Yahoo and Rhapsody that I really like. The search interface leaves a bit to be desired. It seems you have to make quite a few clicks to get to what you want which can be a bit annoying. Other than that there is really nothing wrong with the service that I can tell. It's a bit expensive, but still $15 a month is equal to a CD a month.

My parents love music, but aren't the most computer savvy people. I picked Napster as the product to give them for Christmas along with a compatible player. Mom loves the player and finds it quite easy to download music. Dad loves to create playlists for when he's working mixing everything from classical to The Lettermen. I don't think it's the best product available, but I find it very easy to use and I find it to be very robust.

2008 Recipes Week 2

Sorry I've been slow in putting up week 2 recipes. A lot was going on last week and we couldn't cook for the week, so we're just back into it in week 4 and so I'm just now sitting down to review week 2's recipes.

Baked Eggplant with Mushroom and Tomato Sauce
Margaret referred to this as her favorite eggplant parm recipe ever. I thought it was OK, but not all that. Of course her saying this is a big deal since eggplant parm is one of her favorite dishes. It's a simple dish and quite easy to make.

Beef Stew
This dish is fantastic. Best stew I've ever had. This one was also quite easy to make. It didn't matter how I ate this dish, served with the mashed potatoes below, or served as a stew with crackers it was excellent. Margaret agreed which is saying something since she's been a vegetarian for the past 10 years and just now getting back to eating meat. To help her I cut the meat up into very small pieces.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes
These were a perfect match with the beef stew. They have a bit of horseradish in them which added a nice tangy sweetness to the mix. I also made potato cakes with these toward the end of the week and they were quite good.

Italian White Bean and Artichoke Salad
This dish was quite tasty, but I have to admit I barely had any of it. Margaret loved this dish especially mixed in with a green salad. It went pretty fast. A lot of flavor for very little oil and vinegar.

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies
These cookies were good though not as good as they sound.

Best of January 08 (Part II)

Carrie Rodriguez - '50s French Movie (Seven Angels on a Bicycle [2006])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

This is a pretty good album and this is a good song. It won't be in my top 20 at the end of the year, but it stands out enough to make my top picks of the month. If you like the Austin, Texas sound and you like Sheryl Crow then you'll love this album.




Tracey Thorn - It's All True (Out of the Woods [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

I greatly anticipated Tracey Thorn's solo album last year and was a bit disappointed when it came out. I really didn't pay it much attention after giving it a listen. But recently listening to Ben Watt's weekly radio program I heard a track off of her album and thought about giving it another shot. The bad part of the album is it's lack of cohesion and Ben Watt's sensibility when arranging and producing for Tracey's voice and lyrics. What is there is Tracey's singing and wonderful lyrics. I really like this song because of what it is about. She writes a lot of songs that seem to be about her and Ben's lives, but they are usually not romantic songs, but reflective songs on their lives or their view of the world. Usually her songs about love and romance are written as an outsider looking in as though she's writing about people she sees in her everyday life. This song seems to be a love song written for Ben and as a long time Everything But the Girl fan I really like that. The album is definitely no Everything But the Girl album, but if you are a big fan like me it's a good pick.




Jesca Hoop - Money (Kismet [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

The most complete song on the album. It has the experimental and funky sound of the album but nicely packaged in a solid pop tune. The album is hit or miss with me. You can check her out on Morning Becomes Eclectic.





Zox - 7th Avenue Prophet (Line In the Sand [2008])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

This album isn't bad. It seems there are so many of these bands out there, but that doesn't mean they can't produce a good song here and there. I think this song fits that. It's a solid pop-rock tune with a nice sound that goes out beyond a lot of the album.

Best of January 08 (I)

ATB - Justify (Trilogy [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

ATB is a DJ out of Germany. Heather Nova is singing on this track and quite a few on this album. The album is pretty good when the tracks include her. The other tracks are nice laid back electronica stuff. This is nothing more than laid back dance beat pop. Good to run to and program to.




Everlast - Broken (White Trash Beautiful [2004])
allmusic, myspace

I like this song. Everlast is known for mixing hip hop, rock, and blues. This song seems to blend them all very well. The album is pretty good, though the sound and feel get a bit heavy after a bit.


Rachael Yamagata - Be Be Your Love (Happenstance [2004])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

This album makes me think of Fiona Apple's first, but with more energy. She also has a much stronger voice and seems to write for her voice very well. The album is fairly solid and this song is I think a good representative of the album as a whole.




The Dunaways - Dust From Your Feet (Wanderin' Mind [2000])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace

Easy going folk pop this is a nice album. I like this song the best of a consistent and nice album.

2008 Recipes Week 1

So Margaret and I are trying to make food for the week on Sundays to make our life a little easier during the week. This means picking out recipes to make and so I thought this would be a good place for me to write some brief comments on the recipes so I'll know if we liked something or not.

Easy Greek Chicken Casserole
This was fairly easy to make and quite tasty though it did need salt. It is very soupy and I probably would precook the potatoes and use canned green beans if I made it again.

Baked Ziti with Vegetables and Mushrooms
This is heavy on bell peppers and so Margaret loved it and I thought it was OK. It was easy to make and was good all week.

Quinoa Tabbouleh
I've made a lot of tabbouleh over the years and this is the best I've ever made. It has a great taste seems to balance the flavors out about right.

Oatmeal Cookies
These cookies are quite tasty though then tend to be a bit dry. The real good part of these cookies are the walnuts. I felt they really made the cookies.

Well that was our food for week 1. It lasted well through the week and was not too expensive or hard to make. All the recipes came from MyRecipes.com.