OVER THE RAINBOW – EXPLAINED

I’m not too well versed in musical theory but NPR’s dissection of Dorothy's famous track was enlightening.  I’ll never hear it the same again.  Next time you have 10 minutes, definitely check this one out.

_Alexander

MY FIRST INSTRUCTABLE – WATERPROOF DRYER LINT FIRE-STARTER

I’ve been a huge fan of instructables.com for a long time now and I’ve finally put together my first submission.  Gather up some household items that you would have otherwise thrown away (dryer lint, an egg carton, some old candle stubs) and make your very own fire-starters.

Use them for camping, backpacking or even in your back yard.  Either way, these guys were fun to make and fun to use.

 
Waterproof Dryer Lint Fire-Starter - More DIY How To Projects

UPDATE: The editor’s decided to feature my entry on their home page, way cool.

DIVE BARS – CHEAP WHISKEY, COMPLIMENTARY WISDOM.

 

We all love a good dive bar and the folks at Westword were kind enough to list out the top ten.  I’m sure there are some gems missing from this, most notably, The Lancer Lounge (who’s staff seems to measure their shots in exponentially larger quantities as the evening progresses).  I’ve taken it upon myself to map out these seedy destinations.

1. Ace-Hi Tavern

2. Carioca Cafe

3. Club 404

4. Candlelight Tavern/Kentucky Inn

5. El Chapultepec

6. Hill-Top Tavern

7. Rustic Tavern

8. Squeeze Inn

9. Squire Lounge

10. Thunderbird Lounge

First on my list, The Hill-Top Tavern.  Allegedly, it’s a preferred hangout of Bill Murray.   Should you find yourself looking to ponder the finer aspects of life, or maybe just kill a Friday evening, drop me a line and we can trade stories at one of these established watering holes.

_Alexander

SUNUP IN SUMMIT COUNTY

I drive a lot in the Winter, I-70 to be specific. Sometimes it’s a straight shot at 80 miles per hour, blasting through the Eisenhower tunnel to the slopes. Other times, you leave and return late, stop at Loaf and Jug for coffee, Blue Moon for Breakfast, Daylight Donuts for second breakfast, followed by beers at Eric’s and Chili at Kermit’s. Then there are those days where the highway seems like little more than a parking lot, testing the patience of every white knuckled, chapped-lip’d, wind-burned, snowpants-wearing rider. In any situation, you need fuel. The cars get gas, the people get this mix. I call it “Sunup in Summit County”. It’s a decidedly chill, admittedly folk compilation. Wherever you spend your winters across this big blue marble, I hope you enjoy.

Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ejp35r

SUNUP IN SUMMIT COUNTY

1. Big Rock Candy Mountain – Harry McClintock

2. Oh, Girl – Hackensaw Boys

3. The Hardest Part – Ryan Adams and the Cardinals

4. Ragged Wood – Fleet Foxes

5. I And Love And You – Avett Brothers

6. Old Man – Neil Young

7. Son – Sean Higgins and Jonathan Cendrowski

8. Mr. Tambourine Man – Bob Dylan

9. Requiem – M. Ward

10. The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash

11. In the Mystic (cover) – The Frames

12. Tell Me Why (cover) – Will Yates

13. Adirondack Amish Holler – Frontier Ruckus

14. Man of Constant Sorrow – Oh, Brother Where art Thou?

15. Every Wall You Own – Chris Bathgate

16. Pints of Guinness Make You Strong (acoustic) – Against Me!

17. Hazey Jane I – Nick Drake

18. Such Great Heights (cover) – Iron & Wine

19. Glenn Tipton – Sun Kil Moon

20. Everybody’s Moving Out of Michigan – Will Yates

21. Brackett, WI – Bon Iver

 

_Alexander

Snow

Click here to enlarge

December 10, 2009

 

It’s time to shut my mouth and let my boots do the talking

Hike out and up

Put some hard miles on the interstate

Let’s watch the odometer roll into a full gallop

Let’s sleep in airports with ridiculously important fiction as our head rest

Vehemently pursue the noble act of going very far to do very little

Just take it in, listen, speak, observe

Shut the fuck up

Make something with your hands

Stand on top of mountains and be humbled

Now yell

The revolution will not be streamed on YouTube

Write a letter, sing a song

Bring good people into your home to do nothing more than drink too much whiskey

Tell stories until the sun comes up

Good people, people who get it

When you find them, don’t lose them

Don’t ever forget this could be over tomorrow

There are no curtain calls, there are no encores

Keep it honest, terribly, wonderfully honest

 

_Alexander

MOON – DON’T MISS THIS ONE

If what I read on the internet is true, one of my favorite movies this year, Moon, will be out on DVD in a few days.  In the vein of classics like Silent Running and Alien, this is one of those really thoughtful Sci-fi films in which the main characters aren’t stoic astronauts, but everyday people placed into outer space.  It’s the first major picture by Duncan Jones, son of David Bowie.  Sam Rockwell plays the lead and Kevin Spacey voiceovers as the HAL-like robot.  For whatever reason, it had a very small release in the US, and I stumbled into it while in London.  Check out the trailer.

I love how the set design looks a little dated, almost like the ship was made in the 80’s by GM, held together for 20 years with duct tape and string.  In an age where Sci-fi is synonymous with massive budgets and explosions, simplicity was the driving force here.  A great script, confined to a small space station.  Moon plays more like Robinson Crusoe than Star Trek. 

The soundtrack was scored by Clint Mansell, who I think is one of the best film composers in the business.  He’s worked on most of Darren Aronofsky’s films (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, the Wrestler) and acts almost as the 4th character in this one, reinforcing the cold distance and isolation.  Some kind soul uploaded the tracks to youtube and I made the playlist below (or here).  If I ever muster up the courage and buy that keyboard, I’ll have to give this one a try.

Check out the movie, You won’t be disappointed.  and if you know any other great flicks that I might have missed, drop me a line.

_Alexander