Siftings
May
24
Still Life
Ten hours out, and eight thousand something feet up. Break out the map. A couple peaks to choose from. Look at the sun. Maybe three more hours of daylight. Look at the sun again. Not a cloud in the sky. Let’s put the odd part up front, this time. Good climbing weather makes for bad...
May
19
Craig’s Friday Countdown - Outsourced
Outsourcing the Countdown this week, nj.com has a worst to best ranking of Gaslight Anthem songs (here). Not a bad ranking, either. Though I’d move Miles Davis & The Cool and Navesink Banks into the single digits and nudge We Came To Dance to even a somewhat lower number than 7, purely on its...
May
12
Craig’s Friday Countdown - Replacements Songs
If there are two, ten-hour solo drives between any given two Fridays, there’s an 83% chance the Countdown will be something to do with songs. The original idea of two Countdowns this week requires further work as I continue to sort through where to place Michelle Branch’s new “Best I Ever” on the...
Apr
30
Grey t-shirts, hips and other life forces
That can’t be right. A recent assignment included estimating life expectancy with an on-line tool that asks fourteen questions. Year of birth, gender, height, weight, do you smoke, live down river from a fertilizer factory … that kind of stuff. Answer the questions and out pops a number. Ninety...
Apr
28
Craig’s Friday Countdown - Concert Films
In homage to Jonathan Demme, who passed away this week, the Countdown ranks concert films. Due respect to Last Waltz, Gimme Shelter, Bullet in A Bible, Ziggy Stardust, Monterey Pop, loudQUIETloud and Buena Vista Social Club, Stop Making Sense is on an entirely higher plain than any other concert...
Apr
24
What Goes Around
Bit of a strange day, yesterday. Attend an Earth Day fest and get critiqued by some guy who’s a Board Member of some do good planning non-profit that sued the City. For something initiated prior to my arrival. For reasons that aren’t currently applicable. Because I’m obviously evil, working for...
Apr
17
Catcher In The Rain
For once, I didn’t do the dumb thing. The Monterey Amberjacks, of the Pecos League, are having open tryouts and I’m on the wrong side of the fence, Could be worse. Could be raining.
It starts raining. The eight fans in the stands open their umbrellas while the seven professional baseball...
Apr
09
Not Existential Enough
Economic Development Program Manager Gloria Stearns asks if we can have fifteen minutes of music playing before the General Plan meeting on art on Monday. Of course. Then she asks me to assemble the playlist and Saturday ends with an iPod and sore thumb.
Randomize the songs and let the iPod...
Apr
04
Points of Reference
Warning: Slight length alert.
Mount Crumpit. It’s what we call the first half mile of 126th Street off Highway 92 in Andalusia, Illinois. It’s a joke, as many things are between the Malin boys, referencing the steepness of a short stretch of road rising above the Mississippi River to...
Mar
31
Craig’s Friday Countdown - Happy DP Places
Cold rainy days in rust-belt cities are an acquired taste. Renewing the plates on the Ford has me in downtown Davenport at Scott County’s admin building. The building is architecturally depressing, particularly in context of the County’s historic (unfortunately, long ago torn down) courthouse and...
