Some Things I Think You Should Know

Thanks to the sketchiness that is craigslist, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon some tickets to see Tool in concert in Vegas this past weekend. The show was unreal. I hadn’t seen those guys in concert since 2003, and they’ve only gotten better since then.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07pLGIgyfjw[/youtube]

Now, I try not to get all Fanboy about shit like this, but Maynard has a vineyard here in Arizona and the wine is actually really good. I saw the documentary about the process (called ‘Blood Into Wine) and was fortunate enough to meet Eric Glomski, who is the man behind the wine, besides Maynard. The movie’s worth checking out, especially if you live in these parts…or if you’re at all interested in wine. Really cool shite.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqUXBMQODqM[/youtube]

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Yesterday I watched a fist fight between the UPS guy and some crazy dude who looked like he hadn’t showered in about a year. The UPS guy kicked the other guy’s ass. It was sort of surreal to watch. The dude freaked out because the UPS guy blocked the sidewalk (our street is dead…walking around the truck would not have been a problem), which I think is a pretty stupid reason to get into a fist fight.

But my wife reminded me that it can be akin to blocking the bike lane, which pisses me off to no end. In fact, just last week I yelled at a woman for parking in the bike lane (there’s no parking on that street anyway), and she refused to move. So I guess I’m a bit hypocritical here.

I do get worked up about this kind of stuff. It’s easy to do that. But you whine too much and you end up looking like a coked out whore looking for the next fight like it’s an eight-ball. (Am I mixing my drug references here? I can never tell…)

Coked Out Whore.
Coked Out Whore.

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If you haven’t seen the video of Lance riding into the spectator, you can see it here. It’s already been beaten to death on the web (even on this site), so I’ll keep this brief. Frankly, I think it’s a lot of nonsense for nothing. I’m no fan of Lance, but I think this is getting blown out of proportion here. He knocked into the guy after riding a race in the Tour de France. I’ve been a bit off kilter after long rides myself. Knock Lance for not apologizing, but jesus, it was barely a bump.

And as far as yelling at the photographer: I would have said the same thing. He just had a shitty day on the bike. Who wants a camera shoved in his face after that?

Say what you will about Lance, and I’ll probably agree. I think he’s probably a doper, I think he’s probably a shitty dude. He’s a celeb. I think that stuff kind of goes without saying. But this video is sort of whining for the sake of whining.

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While you’re at it, watch this movie, too. I watched it a lot this winter while riding the trainer. Strangely inspiring.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YvNVqf2at0[/youtube]

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I noticed there hasn’t been a lot of poetry and prose on this site recently (probably much to the relief of many, the chagrin of others). If you need your fix, check out this site.

WATERLOGGED AUGUST.

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By the way, I’m currently building up a Batavus Course for my wife. It’s a pretty killer bike, but I don’t know anything about the brand. Anyone have any insight?

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About D2

I am a writer and a photographer. I never killed a man in Reno, but I once rode a bike through a casino in Vegas. Bikes are cool, huevos rancheros are for breakfast, whiskey is for dinner. Denver, Colorado, USA

22 Replies to “Some Things I Think You Should Know”

  1. Batavus is a Dutch brand. they make the cool Amsterdam bikes those low-country folks are so proud of. They also make some racing bikes, cargo bikes, dope bikes, etc. Poker!

  2. We haven’t done much poetry lately. Not sure why. Speaking for myself, I guess I just let it go for a while. Maybe I’ll dig some up later.

  3. I did an article on them for a local magazine,

    http://jetsetmagazine.org/emags/janfeb2010/index.html#/36/

    page 36

    They have done a lot to get the wine industry going here and have a vision. The wine is small batch and it is good stuff. ….MJK was not the rock star I was expecting and Eric is one of the most grounded people I have ever met in my life. It is cool to talk to someone who is truly passionate about doing what they know they were born to do.

    http://www.caduceus.org Judith Cab and Sangiovese blends

    http://www.pagespringscellars.com Vino de barrio – Off the hook. Rhone Varietals

    If you guys ever get a chance, highly recommend the Page Springs Cellars and their Harvest Festival… Hit it after a ride in Sedona or Prescott.

    Cheers

    http://www.pagespringscellars.com/mod-pagesetter-viewpub-tid-2-pid-81.phtml

  4. I’d be a lot more fired up about hell’s half acre up there in Jerome if I hadn’t spent many a summer day as a kid mowing the grass in and around the vineyard on the neighboring property to my parent’s place in Pennsylvania. Never mind the weeding… I sprayed grapes in a tyvek suit enough times to pretty much say I’m fucking over it. A half acre? You’ve got buying other grapes to mix in, right? I can’t imagine that there is enough there to run a commercial operation.

    But, that all said, I’ve heard the wine is quite good. I don’t believe I’ve yet tried it. I have had the Javelina Leap Vineyards wine, and thought it was nice. (http://www.javelinaleapwinery.com/)

  5. I’ve had a bunch of the Caduceus stuff, and it’s all been really good. The half acre is a bit of a joke, but they’re making it work. I have a lot of respect for Eric Glomski…he seems to be pulling off a miracle.

    And Mikey, you are indeed correct. Tool is by far the best rock band out there today. Danny Carey is a god when it comes to drums.

  6. The Caduceus product is well played. I spent my birthday up at the Jerome Grand Hotel this year, and we made a stop at their retail outlet. All of what we sampled was distinct and very drinkable. I saw the blood into wine premier here as well and I like the effort they’re putting into it. Growing grapes simply sounds difficult at best.

  7. @D2— I bought a vinyl copy of _Aenima_ becuase I can play it just a tiny bit louder than the CD. I run about fifty pounds of warm, boat nachor amp and eight foot-tall electrostatic loudspeakers. Suffice to say, it gets loud. _10,000 Days_ also get tight rotation.

  8. 10,000 Days got lukewarm reviews, but I think it’s my favorite Tool album so far…

    “Fetch me the spirit, the son and the father…tell them their pillar of faith has ascended…”

    Homeboy wrote that about his mom. Badass.

  9. saw Tool when they came through Vangroovy lately, became an even bigger fan – fu**in blew me away

  10. man, that ain’t cool. Sell a nihilistic, doped out vision of life to your fans, then spend the money on getting back to nature and making craft wine.

    Not saying I don’t enjoy his music though.

  11. Saw Tool at one of the original Lollapaloozas back in the day…was just amazed by Maynard’s voice. Then saw A Perfect Circle open for Nine Inch Nails…it was even better in an indoor venue.

  12. Tool at Red Rocks last month was definitely amazing. If I wasn’t so busy I was ready to fly out to Vegas or CA for another show!

  13. I started making wine last summer and I’d love to do it again. If I settle again for 6 months or so, I’m on it.

  14. Yep. Dude fails to achieve the podium much less win this tour, which was the original goal. The goal that a new team was built around. And for the conciliation, at the end of stage 16, he was again forced to accept the fact that he can no longer contest a sprint as he sat up 50 meters before the line, only to watch his teammate Chris Horner, as well as Moreau, at 39, roll on by. For a split second, I could see his contempt for the situation as he sat up. How he hated the truth of it.

    Instead of going out on top, he is disappearing disgracefully, with embitterment, questioning of his character, and the cold truth new lackluster, honest, and aged capabilities. Ah, if only we could go back to the days of EPO and doping. But it’s all lost now.

    Armstong’s shoulder check of the wal-mart greeter makes sense to me. I wouldn’t want to be fucked with one bit either, considering all that.

  15. Well,
    Did they play 46 and 2? I think that’s their best song. While we’re on stories…got to see them at ASU’s Gammage Auditorium a few years back. A girl in front of us in line stripped off her shirt and ran around amok. It was awesome. The show was awesome. I hear they keep getting better…glad you got to Vegas man.
    @HUMPTY: Nice plug on Page Springs. That’s the root of the wine right there.