Tuesday, March 02, 2004
I've been debating about putting the knobby tires on the Surly. If I do then I can utilitze all the fun shortcuts to get to work, because right now it's crazy muddy everywhere that there isn't asphalt. But does that mean I'll want to put the slicks back on in 2 weeks? I'm essentially lazy and the idea of changing both front and rear tires on my bike twice in a two week span is almost incomprehensible. Then again maybe the drag of the knobbies will help to get my in a little better shape.
I'd like to learn to play guitar. Is there anyway to just implant that knowledge in my brain because I'm terrible with the whole practice-perseverance thing.
I recently watched the movie "The Missing". It's with Tommy Lee Jones and Kate Blanchet. Fairly entertaining movie if a little far fetched. There's this one scene that I found deeply disturbing for some reason. When the mean Indians (why are they mad? it's not like we killed them, drove them off their land and ruined their culture) take Kate Blanchet's daughter they cook this guy. They skin a cow, tie him up in the hide, hang the hole she-bang from a tree and light a slow roaster underneath him. Such a grisly image. I can't get it out of my head. What an unpleasant way to go.
Here's what I really want to do. I want to own a record store. I want to sit around unpackaging CD's all day, listening to music and riding snarky reviews. That sounds like a little slice of heaven. But you've really got to find a niche to retail music nowadays. You're competing with enormous retailers and of course the whole downloading (legal and illegal) craze. There are some really good record stores in SF. Good locally owned shops that have found a niche in hard to find music or just excellent customer service combined with a knowledgable staff. Amoeba Records is amazing, Rasputin Records is great, but I've always admired Aquarius Records . They've integrated on line shopping with their nice little brick and mortar store in the Mission District. They've done well and if you buy CD's on line consider using these guys.
Another business idea while I'm rambling: Do you remember the great bikes we rode as kids? I had a red Schwinn Stingray. Single speed. Coaster brake. Banana seat. That bike rocked. It was inexpensive but bomb proof and I rode that bike until I was 12 or 13. Why doesn't anyone make a bike like that anymore. Show me a $300 bike and more often than not it's a pile of shit because the manufacturer is trying to spec it to make it look like a $1500 mountain bike. Kids don't need suspension and 21 gears. Someone should start producing a simple steel bike for the pre (and limited post) adolescent. The Stingray needs to make a come back because I don't want my daughter riding around on a Toy's R Us Huffy that's always going to need tuning and is in constant danger of breaking, but I'm not buying a 7 year old a $700 bike. There's got to be a middle ground with quality and price for this generation.
Ok, done with the rant. Have a great day.
I'd like to learn to play guitar. Is there anyway to just implant that knowledge in my brain because I'm terrible with the whole practice-perseverance thing.
I recently watched the movie "The Missing". It's with Tommy Lee Jones and Kate Blanchet. Fairly entertaining movie if a little far fetched. There's this one scene that I found deeply disturbing for some reason. When the mean Indians (why are they mad? it's not like we killed them, drove them off their land and ruined their culture) take Kate Blanchet's daughter they cook this guy. They skin a cow, tie him up in the hide, hang the hole she-bang from a tree and light a slow roaster underneath him. Such a grisly image. I can't get it out of my head. What an unpleasant way to go.
Here's what I really want to do. I want to own a record store. I want to sit around unpackaging CD's all day, listening to music and riding snarky reviews. That sounds like a little slice of heaven. But you've really got to find a niche to retail music nowadays. You're competing with enormous retailers and of course the whole downloading (legal and illegal) craze. There are some really good record stores in SF. Good locally owned shops that have found a niche in hard to find music or just excellent customer service combined with a knowledgable staff. Amoeba Records is amazing, Rasputin Records is great, but I've always admired Aquarius Records . They've integrated on line shopping with their nice little brick and mortar store in the Mission District. They've done well and if you buy CD's on line consider using these guys.
Another business idea while I'm rambling: Do you remember the great bikes we rode as kids? I had a red Schwinn Stingray. Single speed. Coaster brake. Banana seat. That bike rocked. It was inexpensive but bomb proof and I rode that bike until I was 12 or 13. Why doesn't anyone make a bike like that anymore. Show me a $300 bike and more often than not it's a pile of shit because the manufacturer is trying to spec it to make it look like a $1500 mountain bike. Kids don't need suspension and 21 gears. Someone should start producing a simple steel bike for the pre (and limited post) adolescent. The Stingray needs to make a come back because I don't want my daughter riding around on a Toy's R Us Huffy that's always going to need tuning and is in constant danger of breaking, but I'm not buying a 7 year old a $700 bike. There's got to be a middle ground with quality and price for this generation.
Ok, done with the rant. Have a great day.
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