A Bike Meet 'Round the Bend

Last night I attended a small bike meet at Sky Cycle in Lunenburg, which is less than 60 seconds from my house. They were celebrating new management and rebranding as Central Mass Powersports.

Unlike the Tyler Ride, the mix of bike brands was inversely proportional to the usual Harley-to-Honda ratio. That's probably because Sky Cycle sells and services Hondas. Duh.

Although I didn't stay very long, I had a nice time checking out the bikes, talking with other riders about my 1520 Valkyrie Dragon, and meeting former Boston Bruins enforcer (with over 1,000 penalty minutes in 279 games) Lyndon Byers. LB isn't so big. I could take him ... if he had both hands tied behind his back. And I had a hammer.

Here's LB's bike:

And here's a view of about a quarter of the bikes at the meet:

Google Reader

A relatively unknown feature of Google to which I've become addicted is Google Reader. If you use a personalized Google home page as I do, then this service will let you know when a website has been updated. It's kind of like e-mail.

It rocks.

Weekly iTunes "Single of the Week" Review

Welcome, readers! It's time for the iTunes Single of the Week Review.

This week's "Single of the Week:" Black Heart Queen by Gallows.

[iTunes writers' words follow . . .]

Brace yourself for the uncompromising English metal / punk of Gallows. "Black Heart Queen" is fueled by a contagious, spitting anger and playing with a fury that recalls classic early '80s hardcore mixed with the melodic heaviness of newer acts like Funeral for a Friend and Bullet for My Valentine. Not for the meek.

My review:

I'm fortunate to live in the Boston area (for many reasons), and thereby am lucky to have radio access to WAAF's Mike Hsu, recognized nationally as one of the most knowledgeable DJs when it comes to heavy metal. I'm not a huge fan of the genre, but only because there's far too few diamonds and way too much rough. When it's good, it's great. When it's bad, it sucks.

Despite what the iTunes writers claim, Gallows is not punk. No no no. The Ramones are punk. Gallows is heavy metal. And furthermore, they are far more reminiscent of Scissorfight than Funeral for a Friend. The comparison, frankly, is downright laughable. It's like saying Godsmack sounds like 311. To illustrate the point, listen to Black Heart Queen and then listen to Scissorfight's "Victory over Horseshit." They sound very similar, no?

Hard core, head-slamming chords by guitarists Laurent Barnard and Steph Carterand backed by a kick-ass drummer Lee Barratt make "Black Heart Queen" a definite keeper.

*** 1/2

iTunes Library Result:
KEPT
... and I want to hear more ...

Boston, Oregon

Well, almost. While channel surfing between innings of tonight's Red Sox game featuring the nationally celebrated return of Jon Lester after his successful battle with cancer, I caught a neat factoid.

The city of Portland, Oregon was named on a 2-to-3 coin toss. The contending name? Boston, Oregon.

From TravelPortland.com, "the official tourism and meeting website for Portland, Oregon,"

It all began in 1843 when Tennessee drifter William Overton and Massachusetts lawyer Asa Lovejoy beached their canoe on the banks of the Willamette River .... Overton [sold] his half of the claim to Francis W. Pettygrove.... Lovejoy was determined to name the site after his hometown of Boston, while Pettygrove was equally adamant about his native Portland, Maine. They decided to flip a coin, now known as the "Portland Penny," to settle the argument. Pettygrove won on two tosses out of three.

Two Sad Losses for Baseball

Ugh. What a sad weekend for baseball. First we suffered the loss of Mike Coolbaugh, killed by a line drive as he was coaching first base during a game of the Colorado Rockies minor league's team, the Tulsa Drillers. Mike was only 35 years old. He had a wife, two young sons, and a baby due in October. Ugh.

From young to old, the oldest former major leaguer, Rollie Stiles, died at the ripe old age of 100. He pitched to Babe Ruth over three seasons, and Rollie said that the Babe only ever had three hits off of him. Cool.

Yeah, people die every day. I know that. But why so many people lately -- people close to me and people for which I feel such a connection?

The Test of a Classical Pianist

I'm listening to classical music tonight, good and loud as it's supposed to be played.

Here's a thought. And before you jump all over me and claim that another song is the real test of a classical pianist's ability, can we at least agree that mastering Scherzo No. 1 in B minor by Chopin is probably a decent benchmark by which one can separate the "I wanna-be" crowd from the "I am" crowd?

Spare me the examples of pianists that stuff their repertoire full of composers utilizing dramatic minor chords in the lower 30 keys. It's the 19th-century equivalent of a hack garage band twisting the distortion dial on their guitar's amplifier as far clockwise as it'll go. Even I can sound good using that trick, and I only know five chords.

Chopin was the Stevie Ray Vaughan of his day. That man knew how to throw down.

A Day I'll Not Soon Forget

Once in a great while I am fortunate enough to experience "one of those days that I'll never forget." Last Saturday was one. It was awesome.

From 8:30 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon I participated in the 8th annual Tyler Ride, a yearly gathering of hundreds and hundreds of motorcyclists to benefit Tyler Ricard, a 13 year old boy who has Muscular Dystrophy. There's something really cool about being a small part of a huge gathering of people all doing a singular thing. It make me stop and think about the communal human spirt, and our innate care for others less fortunate than ourselves. I'm a relatively healthy nearing-40-years-old guy, have a beautiful wife and three healthy, smart, well-fed kids. Probably less than 1% of the fathers in the world can say that they own their own home, vote, have access to clean water, own a motorcycle, health care, and cable television.

I am truly a lucky, lucky guy, and I appreciate it.

Tyler's a really nice kid. I've had the pleasure of eating lunch with him and shooting the breeze. Perhaps obviously, he loves motorcycles. In 2005 the Make-A-Wish Foundation even arranged for him to meet the crew from Orange County Choppers.
This was my second Tyler Ride. Based on unscientific observations, it was a smashing improvement from last year. I clearly recall four rows of two bikes in 2006. This year, the parking lot of the Westford VFW was so full that they had to begin cueing bikes up facing the wrong way because there was no more room to turn them around to face the road.

Aside from the incredible 100-mile ride throughout central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, with police blocking off every intersection for us, crowds lining the streets and cheering wildly as we roared through their towns, I enjoyed perusing an unprecedented gathering of every motorcycle known to man. 95% of the bikes were of course Harley Davidsons, the popular choice of American riders. But there were also a host of custom choppers, along with Victory, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and even Triumph bikes. I'm proud to say that there was another Valkyrie Dragon present too! Naturally, Val was jealous that I was staring at the other gorgeous 6-cylinder beauty.

A picture of my most prized possession, Val:

A picture of the only other Valkyrie at the ride:

Here's a small selection of pictures from the event:

Nice chopper.


Another nice custom job.


Old school Harley.


I have huge respect for the owner of this humble bike -- he (she?) rides a motorcycle, regardless of how "flashy" or not it is, plus the owner rode for Tyler.


My sister's boyfriend Ken on his Harley, with the often admired custom paint.


One of seven towns' motorcycle escorts.


A sweet Triumph. I want to ride it.


Two stunning Victory motorcycles, heavily customized.

To cap it off, I rode to New Ipswitch NH to see a fireworks display unlike any I've ever seen. I was invited by my buddies Jeff (who helped wire up the pyrotechnics) and Jimmy. Forgive me for being a bit sketchy on the details, but apparently this is an annual display put on by a guy from my home town. He spends tens of thousands of dollars, and it shows. Imagine the five-minute finale of the fireworks in your hometown ... dozens upon dozens of simultaneous explosions ... and then extend it for an hour. That's what it was like.


What a great day. I'll likely add to this post when time allows.

Weekly iTunes "Single of the Week" Review

Welcome, readers! It's time for the iTunes Single of the Week Review.

This week's "Single of the Week:" Bubbly by Colbie Caillat.

[iTunes writers' words follow . . .]

Colbie Caillat has the sound of breezy California down pat. She grew up in Southern California close to the beach and the catchy sweetness of "Bubbly" practically smells of salt water. A little bit of folk guitar, a lilting rhythm, and lyrics that tread on the border of cute make this track a mandatory anthem for summer.

My review:

* 1/2

Imagine Norah Jones trying her damndest to write a song like Jack Johnson, such as "Bubble Toes." There. Now you know exactly how "Bubbly" sounds. Average insipid lyrics, an average voice, and an equally average acoustic guitar adds up to be, well, an average sounding pop song. The bit of uninspired scatting should have been left on the production floor. Who knows? Maybe she'll improve with time.

iTunes Library Result:
KEPT
(but likely never to be sought in the iTunes Library intentionally)

My Constant Companion

I just absent-mindendly reached below my desk to pat my dog Lindsay. I felt stupid patting the air. She isn't with me today, and I have an irrational sadness about this fact.

Today I rode my motorcycle to work. You can see a picture of my bike, Val, in all her glory below. I love riding Val, but rarely have the opportunity to do so because I have kids, a wife, and a dog. Oddly enough, it's the dog that keeps me from riding. Maybe I should get a sidecar. Or maybe a lot of bungee cords.

I like to have Lindsay with me at all times. When I'm home, she sits on the couch with me and puts her head in my lap. She sleeps in my bed. She comes to work with me. I love Lindsay because she's the epitome of the "Oh my god I love you so much you're the alpha male I'll be good and will do whatever you say" kind of dog.

Lindsay is a rescued Hurricane Katrina dog. I got her just about three years ago now. For the first year she wouldn't come out from underneath the kitchen table, shook uncontrollably whenever I tried to pat her, and never ever let her tail out from between her legs.

She will now allow my kids to pat her (grudgingly, but with a certain patience), lets the cats snuggle with her, and raises her tail high and proud when another dog comes 'round to play.

I've never been away from her for more than 24 hours unless I'm on a business trip. It's time to go home and tell her that she's a good girl ... Daddy's sorry that she was left at home all day.

Will It Blend?

I feel so behind the 'Net times. Until I caught a mention on Bob Congdon's blog, I had never before heard of Will It Blend?

And, yes, those are iTears of sorrow and jealousy in my eyes at the waste of a perfectly good iPhone.

The PC Dam Is Breaking

If you want to start an online flame war, just declare that Windows-based PCs are better than Linux-based Macintosh computers. It doesn't matter which you choose. It will have the same effect.

Personally, I've been a hard core Macintosh fan since 1986 when I used a Mac Plus. It had a half meg of memory and utilized a 30-meg external hard drive (which, incidentally, I thought would never be possible to fill).

With the advent of the iPod and now the iPhone, I believe (seriously) that the dam might indeed beginning to break. More and more of the hypnotized DOS-heads are experiencing the Mac OS. And they like what they see. A lot. That goes for both business and personal use.

Save me the tired and old "but not for games, dood" argument. Buy a goddamn X-Box if you want to play games. Then tell your mom to make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

By all accounts, Vista is an enormous lump of bloatware that's five to seven years behind OS X. Friends and colleagues stuck with PCs and Vista regularly bitch and whine about their machines.

I'm happily zinging through the computer world ... speedily, compatibly, and creatively.

Weekly iTunes "Single of the Week" Review

Welcome, readers! It's time for the iTunes Single of the Week Review.

This week's "Single of the Week:" 125 Pt. 3 (Connections) by Joell Ortiz featuring Gab Gotcha, Graph, Stimuli & Ras Kass

[iTunes writers' words follow . . .]

Just like the other famous Ortiz, this Big Papi dreams of big hits. Brooklyn-based MC Joell Ortiz shows that the demise of New York hardcore rap has been greatly exaggerated. "125 Pt. 3" is loaded with guests (Gab Gotcha, Graph, Stimuli, and Rass Kass) blazing the microphone with no hooks, no gimmicks, and no trendy dances — just street-level poetry. Ortiz has been linked with Dr. Dre's Aftermath label and he's about to blow up, so download "125 Pt. 3" now and get familiar.

THE REVIEW:
I can't figure out how to give a song negative two stars.

Uh, wow. I'm not a big rap fan, but I have a few in my library. I'm trying really really hard to find something nice to say about this song. The secondary rapper on this song is better than Joell. The tune has a nice backup singer. Umm ... oh, screw it. That's about it. This song fucking sucks. It makes me want to shove an ice pick into my ear.

iTunes Library Result:
DELETED

Beautiful Song

For over a decade one of my all-time top ten favorite songs has been the cover of Over the Rainbow by "Iz," Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. I listen to it over and over and over again.

Iz died in 1997, attributed to his massive obesity -- he was over 750 pounds. Just last month a re-release of his more popular records hit the Billboard 500. If you don't own it, get it. It's one of those rare songs that can make you either burst into tears or beam a smile of joy depending on your current mood.

Future Recording Artist

Perhaps it's a father's rose colored glasses, but this is one of the cutest things I've ever heard. At home last night I was at my desk, using my computer, when my 4-year-old daughter Nicole climbed into my lap. She likes seeing herself on my screen via the iSight camera, especially with the iGlasses visual settings to "Crazy Colors."

I asked her to make up a song on the spot. It was amazing. I expected far less. Here's what she produced.

Immediately I was struck by three things.

First, she has clearly absorbed some of my omnipresent blues music. This is evidenced her repetition not only of the words "down, down," but also by repeating the hook twice. A blues formula indeed.

Secondly, she puts a little trembelo into her voice. Who the hell taught her that? Certainly not me, shatterer of glass and recipient of angrily thrown beer bottles during a drunken karaoke session.

Lastly, she formulated a song that tells a story . . . right off the top of her little blonde head.

Mark my words. In 12 years you'll be seeing her on American Idol in 2018.

Jack Ryan Is Officially Unemployed

Merely twenty years ago, this photo and analysis of the latest Chinese nuclear submarine would have been not only classified as "Eyes Only," but may have cost employees of certain government agencies their lives.

Now it's merely fodder for discussion for anybody, anywhere. As for me, it makes me ponder what our government has up their technological sleeve. I for one hope (and believe) it's leaps and bounds beyond what we can currently comprehend.

Is this a good or bad thing?

First Weekly iTunes "Single of the Week" Review

I'm a huge fan of music, spanning all genres (except for country, which is for inbred idiots). As such, my opinion is more important than anybody else's.

From now on I will review the iTunes Single of the Week in a hundred words or less. Usually much less. And I'll give it a rank from one to five CDs (until such time when the next new physical music delivery system becomes popular) represented by asterisks *****. Another little rule before we get going. I'll add a link to the band if they've bothered to create a Wikipedia entry, otherwise they can go pound sand. Oh, okay, if I think they're really good I might find them on Google for you. Otherwise, you're on your own.

Without further ado, I give you the first of a new weekly installment on Don's Blog, the iTunes "Single of the Week Review."

This week's "Single of the Week:"
[iTunes writers' words follow . . .]

"Autumn Cannibalist" is the new single from Toronto-based melodic punk-metal outfit Die Mannequin. They're a great live band currently touring with Deftones, and have quite a few fans around our office. That's why we picked them for our latest free Single of the Week.

THE REVIEW:
* 1/2

Don't you hate reviewers which use "half" rating systems? What, you couldn't f*ing decide between integers?

The combination of discordant opening riffs and a female lead singer can only lead to one of two destinations ... awesomeness or Suckville. Die Mannequin, taking into account the worst band name since Itchy Nipple, is on the road to Suckville.

Kudos to a decent drummer. Aside from that, they suck. It's like The Donnas, but with poorer insturmentalists and vocals.

iTunes Library Result:
DELETED

Fake Steve Jobs

For my fellow Mac addicts, I hereby dedicate this post to you. Have you read the Fake Steve Jobs blog? F*ing hysterical. For you slow-witted PC users, you may not understand the High Priest of Appledom that is Steve Wozniak, but perhaps you'll enjoy the digs which are given to him on FSJ's site. I recommend starting here.

Great Time Waster

Hey. Got a minute? Well, maybe I should ask if you've got five minutes.

There have been thousands of online Shockwave Flash time wasters created to drag down your productivity. You probably remember Yeti (a.k.a. "Penguin Baseball"), Puppy Curling, and of course, one of my favorites for which I've cursed Pete under my breath a hundred times, Desktop Tower Defense.

I really enjoy simple, well made games. My new favorite is Shuffle.