December 3, 2008
Discovering Internet radio ...
I know I'm a bit of a late-comer here, but I've become addicted to Internet radio, even to the point where I paid $4.95 to try Radio Io for a month ad-free. At $50/year, it's a lot cheaper than XM/Sirius, and it provides a pretty wide range of stations. I'm listening to a progressive rock station as I write this, and I'm also frequenting everything from radioioGrunge to radioioNewgrass to radioioJambands. It didn't take much tinkering to repurpose an old Mac laptop to work with my stereo and wireless network for streaming purposes.
So this post on A VC caught my eye today. Apparently, CBS Radio is positioning itself to be a key player in Internet radio. Much of the focus is on TargetSpot, which apparently allows targeted ad avails to be delivered in streams.
So I started wondering. If they can rig Internet radio so that targeted, relevant ads are appearing in streams instead of the endless jewelry ads Radio Io was feeding me, would I feel compelled to spend $50 a year for ad-free streams? Probably not. And those satellites that XM and Sirius launched into orbit? How long before they're as useless as the person who paid tons of money to put category 5 cable throughout his new house only to have wireless technology negate it a few years later?
Things are moving fast. I love it ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)
December 1, 2008
Penguin vs. killer whale ...
This is too cool (nod to Kayak Yak, where I found it ...)
Posted by Bob Benz at 7:32 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2008
Carousing with Gilligan
It happened again. Gilligan and Ozzy made a mad dash for freedom the other night. I was a little surprised they took off because I was throwing a big, bone-shaped floating toy into the cove for Gilligan. An engaged Gilligan is generally a good Gilligan. But he took off, clenching that goofy fuzzyellowbone and oblivious to my fading shouts. Ozzy was close at his heels, charging into a night of debauchery.
I found the toy up by the road. Gilligan and Ozzy were nowhere in sight, but dogs where barking all over in the surrounding neighborhood. A party was brewing. A full-out dog kegger.
At 11 p.m. I'd resigned myself to the fact they weren't coming back and that they'd be spending a 20-some degree night outside. At Lara's insistence, we cracked the garage so they could get in there if they returned.
Next morning I went straight to the garage to see if they were there. Ozzy scampered for the driveway to escape my wrath. But then I heard a noise in the back corner of the garage. I looked up just in time to see Gilligan stretching in the front seat of my Lexus convertible, which was parked with the top down. He hopped out as if he'd just driven up in it and I was the valet he was tossing the keys to.
Needless to say, that's not the reception he received ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 6:39 PM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2008
Peace on earth ...
My friend Tom sent me a link to this video the other day.
"So often this time of year we hear the phrase 'peace on earth,' usually taken to mean absence of war," Tom wrote. "I did this to show what I think peace on earth actually looks like and where you can find it."
It's also a strong reminder of how fortunate I am to live in Tennessee -- and have friends like Tom.
Posted by Bob Benz at 12:59 PM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2008
'Where Saturniides Fall Into the Sky'
I watched a two-hour special on Whitman last night, thanks to the DVR. And as I read Rosie's latest story this evening, I thought of Walt. And Emily Dickinson. Nice work, Rosie.
Posted by Bob Benz at 7:39 PM | Comments (0)
November 3, 2008
The beast
gilligan.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
Gilligan, up close and personal, after chasing sticks in the cove for an hour on an autumn afternoon.
Posted by Bob Benz at 12:51 PM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2008
My head is in the stars ...
I've always loved that scene in Harold in Maude where Maude tells Harold, "The earth is my body. My head is in the stars." That quote popped into my mind when I found Stellarium, a program that basically turns your computer into a planetarium.
I've always been interested in astronomy, but I get overwhelmed when I look up and try to figure out what's what. Stellarium puts things in perspective quickly. You tell it where on planet Earth you're viewing from, and it configures the sky as it appears. You just need to figure out if you're looking north, south, east or west and line it up to figure out what's what up there. On my MacBook Pro screen, it's pretty stunning. The sky moves in real time, and you can speed it up if you want to watch the moon rise and set or see the planets move across the sky. It's definitely worth checking out ...
And what better way to finish than with another quote from Maude ...
"The stars are shining right now. We just can't see them. Just another instance of all that's going on that is beyond human perception."
Posted by Bob Benz at 7:09 PM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2008
Bunny munching heron
This is freaking bizarre ... the entire sequence is here ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 6:20 PM | Comments (0)
October 21, 2008
The hole in my hull ...
kayak_hole.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
I went out for a paddle on Saturday in very choppy conditions that weren't helped much by frequent Vol Navy drive-bys. It was a wild ride, with water crashing into the cockpit a few times.
When I returned, I pumped the water out of the cockpit, but also checked the bow and stern hatches. Stern was fine and dry, but the bow had a lot of water in it. That's when I discovered the hole in my hull.
I'm pretty sure I did this while paddling with reckless abandoned before daybreak. At one point, I ran aground so hard on some boulders that I almost fell out of the kayak. That must be when the damage in this picture occurred.
How to fix it? I'm not terribly adept at "fixing stuff," so I turned to the Internet, specifically Paddling.net, for guidance on how to proceed. I found this site that does a great job of explaining how to fix a fiberglass hole and apply new gelcoat. Resolved to plug the leak, I went out and bought the materials I'd need.
On Sunday, I worked on the boat, following the instructions from the fiberglass repair site. I screwed up and used too much epoxy despite warnings to go easy with it. But in the end I sanded that down and ended up with a fixed hull. I still need to apply gelcoat, but that should be relatively easy.
To test it, I took the kayak out yesterday and paddled up to Cloyd Creek, which is about 10 miles roundtrip. When I got back, the first thing I did was popped the bow hatch. It was bone dry in there.
Posted by Bob Benz at 11:58 AM | Comments (0)
Sid's greatest goals ...
Even if you don't follow hockey, this compilation of Sid's top 10 goals is amazing. Crosby rocks.
Posted by Bob Benz at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2008
Paddling Vol madness ...
Fun story in Metro Pulse this week about a kayaker who paddles into the Vol Navy infested waters around Knoxville on game day ... and lives to talk about it.
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)
September 25, 2008
The coming depression ...
Hank Stuever, one of my favorite writers, imagines what it might be like if the Chicken Littles are right this time and we suffer a big fall. I really hope it doesn't happen, but the pessimist in me is feasting on current events ...
"Your favorite neighbors will hit the road in search of work or an upbeat sense of spiritual self-determinism. Pretty soon you'll pack up and leave too, but the gas will cost too much to get wherever you think you're going, and the car will break down. Husband will set off in search of a timing belt and there you'll be, with the kids and your Verizon service down to its final minutes. You will be camped in a strange parking lot, in front of an old Best Buy. "
Posted by Bob Benz at 4:39 PM | Comments (0)
September 23, 2008
The perfect weather continues
sunrise_09_23_08.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
I paddled over to Prater Flats before sunrise today under clear skies and a waxing moon. We've been getting phenomenal fall weather. It's in the upper '50s before sunrise.
I tend to hug the shore because you see more that way, and I was moving at a pretty good clip when I ran aground hard. I was sitting atop a giant boulder that was just barely beneath the surface. I can't believe I didn't dump the kayak and it proved the hull is pretty strong. I felt it bend when I hit the rock, but there was no damage. I rocked and paddled backward till I managed to get loose.
I spun my kayak around to shoot this photo as I returned to the main channel. It probably was about 6 or 7 miles roundtrip given all the drifting around I did in coves back there.
Posted by Bob Benz at 5:07 PM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2008
Leaper's Bluff sunrise
sunrise_09_22_08.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
I managed to paddle about eight miles this morning, which took me past Leaper's Bluff and within sight of the predawn lights in Lenoir City. I wasn't ready to go there yet, but I'm going to give it a shot soon.
As I crossed Loudon to return to the north shore, I saw this pre-sunrise glow above Leaper's Bluff.
Great morning for a paddle. About 60 degrees and clear, starry skies when I set out. Fall definitely is in the air ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 5:55 PM | Comments (0)
September 19, 2008
Next stop, the Big Easy ...
sunrise_09_19_08.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
When i started paddling this summer, I sent an initial goal of getting to Concord Park, which is about a 12-mile roundtrip journey from our house. This morning I made it, and I took this photo of sunrise at Concord Yacht Club to prove it.
It took me about three hours to do the entire trip, and the last mile or two was pretty rough. But overall, I'm convinced I can go even farther if I pace myself right.
Lara seemed duly impressed that I'd made it to Concord Park, but when I told her my next goal was to get to New Orleans, she winced. So I think I'll rein in my ambition and shoot for Lenoir City, which is about 14 miles RT from here.
Posted by Bob Benz at 6:13 PM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2008
Up Cloyd Creek
cloyd_creek
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
I intended to do one of my usual paddles today, but I was feeling pretty good when I hit the daymark at mile 608 and I kept going. I passed Leapers Bluff and went into a south shore cove that is fed by Cloyd Creek. I've taken the bowrider up there a few times but always stopped at the Unitia Road bridge. Clearance was low and I didn't want to risk banging up the boat going through.
But in the kayak I pressed ahead amid moonlight-lit fog, paddling past trees spun with spider webs. I went as far as I could before downed limbs forced me to turn and head back.
Overall, a great paddle that really helped clear the cobwebs out of my head. I figure I managed about 9 miles this morning.
Posted by Bob Benz at 5:50 PM | Comments (0)
Paddling the gibbous moonglade
sunrise_09_17_08.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
My friend Tom was over on Tuesday night, and we were marveling at the moon. It's started to wane, and Tom noted it's a gibbous moon and that the light the moon casts across the earth is called the moonglade. Needless to say, that was on my mind before sunrise Wednesday when I was paddling through the light of that gibbous moon as it reflected off Lake Loudon.
I really wanted a photo of the moon. It was impressive. But I had to settle for this sunrise. Not a bad bargain, I guess. But I really wanted a shot of that gibbous moonglade.
I paddled Prater Flats again, focusing on center islands and stumbling across a few shallow coves I'd yet to explore. Probably put in about 6 miles or so.
Posted by Bob Benz at 5:25 PM | Comments (0)
September 17, 2008
That smell ...
Something's rotten in the state of Tennessee ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 9:06 AM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2008
Rock City and Vols mania
rock_city.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
I came across this odd scene just upstream from Choto Marina during this morning's paddle. One of the little people on the bench was painted white, which I guess was an attempt to mitigate the racial weirdness of the little black dude holding the U.S. flag. The white boy gets to proudly wave the Vols colors. Gotta love the Rock City birdhouse ...
The water was calm this morning, quite a contrast to yesterday, though the wind start picking up as I paddled. I cut to the south shore and followed it up past the entry to Prater Flats. I explored a few coves upstream from the flats and then cut over to the north shore at the daymark at mile 614, so that means I put in at least 8 miles. I didn't see one boat out there the entire time, though I did scare up a bunch of herons.
Posted by Bob Benz at 7:24 PM | Comments (0)
September 14, 2008
Paddling in a washing machine
boat_rack2.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
It wind was gusting today and there was a heavy chop in the cove while I set up the boat rack in this photo. After I was done, I decided to tempt fate and get out in the rough stuff to gain a few paddling experience points.
I had a lot of fun paddling into the wind and watching the water break over the bow of the kayak. When I got to the main channel, I decided to make a run over to Tom's to do a drive by. I dropped the rudder for the first time since I bought the kayak to help me stay on track in the waves. It worked beautifully. (I've been shunning the rudder for the most part to force myself to learn how to control the boat through paddling, but today I figured I needed to focus on staying in the damn thing and decided the rudder would let me focus on that rather than drifting off course.)
It was a nice adrenaline rush overall. Almost dumped a few times but managed to stay upright and I even stopped by Tom's dock to talk with him for a bit before heading back. I had a harder time paddling with the wind at my back than I did moving into the wind. It was harder to read the waves and roll with things, but once I got the hang of it I managed to "surf" a few times, hopping on a roll and staying with it for a bit.
Overall, pretty minor league stuff in the big picture, but it built my confidence and made me want to get out in the ocean that much more.
As for the dock, I put in a Suspenz rack to organize things. It's designed so the boats rest on straps instead of the cross bars.Very easy to load and unload them. I have the canoe in "backward" to keep water out of it, and I've ordered a cockpit cover for the kayak with the same scheme in mind.
I bolted the entire thing to the dock to make sure it doesn't get blown into the cove. Even in the gusty winds we had today it seemed pretty stable and solid.
Posted by Bob Benz at 7:54 PM | Comments (0)
September 13, 2008
Gilligan in action
Gilligan in action
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
After ruining my aging Nikon when I dumped the kayak, I decided a waterproof camera was in order. This is one of the first shots I took with my new Olympus 1030SW. Pretty cool. I pulled i out and shot this as Gilligan was retrieving a stick in the cove.
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:17 PM | Comments (1)
Swimming with hounds ...
gilligan_swim2.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
After ruining my aging Nikon when I dumped the kayak, I decided a waterproof camera was in order. This is one of the first shots I took with my new Olympus 1030SW. Pretty cool. I pulled i out and shot this as Gilligan was retrieving a stick in the cove. It pretty much captures the sound and fury that is Gilligan in the water ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:13 PM | Comments (0)
September 11, 2008
The sun also rises ...
sunrise_09_11_08.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
Maybe it's because today is 9/11, but this sunrise seemed more profound than the others I've witnessed while paddling Lake Loudon. I paused to listen to the herons squawk and watch the light ripple across the water while I reflected on that horrible day seven years ago ...
I covered a lot of ground this morning, paddling upstream on Loudon and then heading up Gallagher Creek, past International Harbor Marina and into a minefield of rocks. I managed to get hung up there for a bit but managed to patiently work my way out of it and decided it was time to head back home.
A few planes ascended from McGhee Tyson as I paddled back, another reminder of 9/11 and that I have to a flight to D.C. this afternoon for the Online News Association conference.
I'm not looking forward to flying again. I've taken particular glee in watching those planes soar above me, heading for Atlanta and Cincinnati while I'm paddling along. I didn't realize how much I hated flying until I had a chance to do a lot less of it. I wish I could paddle to D.C. ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)
September 9, 2008
Between the heaves of storm ...
paddle_09_09_08.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
Riotous weather last night. I wasn't sure if I should risk a paddle this morning, but I didn't hear thunder so I set off under cloudy skies after sponging rainwater out of my kayak.
I paddled downstream along the south shore a few miles and was toying with trying to get to the daymark at mile 606, but I decided not to try my luck and cut across to the north shore to poke around in large cove for a while. I saw a few deer grazing and startled a several herons before heading home.
When I walked in the door, it started to pour. I'd managed to find a space "between the heaves of storm," as Emily Dickinson would say. Perfect.
Posted by Bob Benz at 6:15 PM | Comments (0)
Run Palin run ...
That does it. I'm definitely voting for Palin now ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 1:43 PM | Comments (0)
September 8, 2008
Sunrise over Prater Flats
sunrise09_08.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
Here's this morning's sunrise over Prater Flats, just off Lake Loudon in Knoxville. You can see the bow of my new kayak in the frame. Make note of the Steeler black and gold.
This shot was taken with my old DImage Xg digital camera, which I had to resort to when my Nikon Coolpix S1 took an unexpected bath last week. Seems getting out of the new kayak isn't as easy as it would seem, and I ended up in the drink, along with the camera and my Blackberry. I had the presence of mind to enclose the Blackberry in a Ziplock back so it survived unscathed. The camera wasn't so lucky. But the memory card did survive and now lives on in the Dimage ...
I hit the water early today under shimmering starry skies. During the weekend, I added a few new pieces to my kayak paraphernalia, including a flashing strobe that hopefully will stop a bass boat from turning me into a predawn speedbump and a waterproof bag that can hold both my Blackberry and camera.
It was a great paddle. I managed to explore parts of Prater Flats that I haven't been to yet. I'm able to cover a lot more ground in the same amount of time when paddling the kayak. And I even managed to disembark without taking an unplanned bath ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 5:14 PM | Comments (0)
September 7, 2008
If Steve Jobs built kayaks ...
new day - new boat
Originally uploaded by j_rheinlander
I finally got my new kayak, a QCC Q500X, and it was love at first sight. After my first paddle, I knew I'd made the right decision.
You can't tell in this photo that Joanne shot while we were out for an early morning paddle, but the boat is Steeler black and gold. Very cool. (Joanne posted other photos from her visit, including more paddling pics, on her Flicker site.)
I tend to labor over big decisions like these, and I spent a lot of time researching kayaks trying to make the right decision. I needed one capable of surviving someone my size, and I wanted one that would be suitable for a newbie but also would challenge me as I add to my skillset. The more I researched the more I became convinced that the QCC was the right yak for me. I test paddled a Hurricane Tracer, but it didn't suit me at all. What it did do was give me a touchpoint for conversations with Steve at QCC about what I found lacking in the Tracer and what I wanted in a boat. After a lot of hand-wringing, I decided to buy the QCC without being able to test paddle it, so I was pretty nervous when it arrived.
A few minutes on the water completely put those concerns to rest. The boat handles beautifully and the switch from a 12-foot canoe to the 16+ foot kayak is like moving to power steering.
I started thinking about QCC and the cult that seems to have grown around the company. The closest thing I can compare it to is the Apple fanatics I've made fun of so often in the past (even though it's a cult I now firmly belong to as I type this on my MacBook Pro). As with Apple, there are haters. But the QCC faithful are quick to defend their yaks. I'm now a card carrying member of the cult ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 9:19 AM | Comments (0)
August 23, 2008
Doggedly digging up info on kayaking
My paddling obsession had me Googling "kayak gps" earlier, and up came this guy's page. Very cool.
Posted by Bob Benz at 6:47 PM | Comments (2)
August 19, 2008
More sunrise paddling porn ...
sunrise1.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
I paddled downstream to a large cove on Monday morning, where I caught this sunrise bursting across the lake. It was another amazing paddle that started under a full moon and concluded with the rising sun at my back as I headed back to Duck Cove.a
I finally broke down and ordered a "real" Kayak from a company in Wisconsin that makes boats that are supposed to be great for big people. I have my fingers crossed. I talked to them on the phone for a while, read all the online reviews and decided to go ahead and pull the trigger. I'm hoping to get it in time to do a lot of paddling before it gets cold. My goal is to be confident enough in it to paddle all winter, but I'll need to get a lot of paddling in before the water gets cold if I'm going to be able to pull that off ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:04 AM | Comments (0)
August 13, 2008
Cove sunrise
cove_sunrise.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
Another beautiful sunrise this morning while I was paddling. Went downstream this time, past the osprey nest and into the cove this photo was taken from. Sadly, the entire, wooded shoreline is littered with for sale signs, so I guess once the economy picks up this will become some sort of subdivision. But for now, it's a great place to paddle amid the smell of pine trees and the shouting of waterfowl.
As I was heading out this morning, I paddled toward a mother duck and her ducklings. She cut away from the youngsters and started flopping and thrashing in the water, trying to convince me she was injured so I'd follow her rather than her little ones. She kept the act up for a hundred yards or so before she finally took off and flew a wide circle back to the ducklings, who were safely in the middle of the lake by that time.
The weather remains amazingly temperate for this time of year, with the lows dipping into the low 60s at night. We have all the windows open in the house. Hard to believe we were sweating through hundred degree days at this time last year.
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:16 PM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2008
Today's canoe sunrise ...
sunrise2.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
Shot this today during my morning paddle. Another incredible sunrise to complement the weather we've been having. Last week's heat is gone, leaving weather so temperate that we've turned off the AC and opened the windows.
I paddled upstream this morning, just past Choto Marina before turning around and heading back home to Duck Cove.
I rented a Hurricane Tracer 165 for a week, but I decided to stick with the canoe for my morning paddles. The kayak is really tippy at this point, and I'm having a hard time getting it to track straight (the skeg is broken and won't come down, which I think has something to do with it).
The other, bigger problem, is that I really have to squeeze into the cockpit. I didn't fall out during my inaugural paddle this weekend, but I want to make sure there are people around to help yank me out of there if I end up underwater. So for the longer solo paddles, I'll stick with the canoe and play around with the kayak in the evenings.
Posted by Bob Benz at 4:38 PM | Comments (0)
August 8, 2008
Paddling video ...
paddling
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
During Tuesday's paddle to Prater Flats, I used a Gorillapod to secure my digital camera to the canoe's thwart and shot this video.
Aside from my horror movie heavy breathing that dominates the sound, it came out better than I expected, but i didn't count on the fact that the bow of the canoe would ride so high in the water that most of the view from the thwart is canoe instead of water.
I'll make adjustments next time ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 3:34 PM | Comments (0)
Rage, rage against the "dumbness" ...
I've been frequenting Marlon James' blog since I read his book John Crow's Devil. He doesn't post often, but when he does, it's awesome.
His most recent post might be his best yet, even though it's utterly gut wrenching. Is black culture "allergic to intelligence"? he asks.
"Of all the interviews I’ve had the most stupid was from a fellow Jamaican who couldn’t think of something more profound than 'did you write the book to get girls?' I complained and was told that it was all about publicity and fun and sometimes one had to play the game. What game was that actually, pin the tail on the dumb-ass-sex-mad Negro? I was offended by the question. I’m as irreverent as anybody and pride myself on a perverted sense of humour, but I bristle at stupidity and go apeshit at dumbness commoditized and thrust upon me."
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)
Herons hate me ...
sunrise_paddle.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
Anyone who knows me knows my interests become obsessions pretty quickly. Enter my latest obsession: paddling.
I've been going out in the canoe one or two mornings a week, slipping out of the cove before sunrise and exploring the Tennessee River as day breaks. This morning I saw my first truly transcendental sunrise after a series of cloudy, brooding paddles. This photo barely does it justice. I had to stop and drift for a while just to drink it in.
As I paddle, I leave a trail of croaking, pissed off herons in my wake. Often they're dead asleep on a dock or a rock as I approach and I get incredibly close before they awaken and take indignant flight. Other times the warily watch my approach and move on only when it's clear there is no alternative.
This morning I cut immediately over to the south shore at Parks Bend after exiting Duck Cove and paddled downstream about 2.5 miles to Sequoyah Heights. There's a red buoy there that I set as my goal, and when hit it, I crossed to the north shore and passed the osprey nest on Coulter Shoal daymark as I headed back upstream. An osprey chick and one of the adults were in the nest, taking off and flying around for a bit while I passed.
I'm going to start uploading my paddling pictures to a Flickr photoset called, appropriately enough, Paddling Pics.
Posted by Bob Benz at 9:48 AM | Comments (1)
August 2, 2008
Check out Root Clip. Now!
Voting is open in the latest installment of Root Clip. I posted a note on the Maroon Ventures blog about this, so I won't ramble on here. Just go vote. It's very cool and worth checking out.
Posted by Bob Benz at 9:06 AM | Comments (0)
August 1, 2008
Foggy sunrise as seen from a canoe
canoe4.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
It rained last night. Hard. So this morning when I got down to the dock to launch the canoe, there were wisps of fog everywhere. It made for a great ride.
I've been taking the canoe out several mornings a week to try to break up my workout routine. I started by exploring neighboring coves, and then moved on to seeing how far up or down river I could go with a 1.5 hour total trip time. I went down river today, toward Lenoir City, and managed to get as far as the Osprey nest that's on the Coulter Shoal Light and Day Mark (608.3).
Watching the Osprey chicks rise up and screech out of their nests was pretty cool. The water was like glass and there was a lot of fish action. I guess last night's rain created plenty of breakfast opportunities.
After I got as far as the nest, I turned the canoe and paddled home. I'm using a used Old Town 12-foot canoe with a pretty wide beam. Instead of an oar, I'm using a kayak paddle to propel it, and I'm starting to get pretty confident. I'm really wanting to rent a kayak soon to see how much of a difference there will be ...
Reading recommendation: The Kayak Companion by Joe Glickman. Very readable and informative. It's helping tons with my paddling technique and when I'm ready to make the switch to a kayak I think I'll be well-prepared.
Site recommendation: Paddling.net. Awesome forums. Decent classified section. Lots of useful information.
Posted by Bob Benz at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2008
Cool twangy Brit humor Led Apple goodness
A few cool tidbits that I've stumbled across during the past few weeks. Not claiming any of this is new, but it was new to me ...
Shameless -- This might be the coolest thing I've ever seen on TV. Part soap, part British comedy, totally hilarious and always off-the-wall. At times, even I'm appalled and offended. That ain't easy to pull off. Kudos to Sundance for having the balls to air it in the U.S.
Mad Men -- I stumbled across this in the iTunes store when I was looking for something to download to my iPod to ease a mind-numbing flight to Montana. It worked. The second season just started on AMC, but I'm only about half-way through the first season, thanks to my iPod and Apple TV. It hooked me with the Pete Campbell character. It would have been so easy to make him the stereotypical oily villain, but the writers gave his character complexity and actually manage to make you feel sorry for him at times. It's also amazing how different today's world is from the 1960 Madison Avenue setting of the show. The characters are constantly drinking and smoking in a creepy patriarchy that makes you wonder how anyone ever came to idealize the '50s and early '60s. Great stuff.
Hayes Carll -- I've been hearing his stuff on WDVX and never seemed to be able to catch his name. During a drive from Crested Butte to Denver, "She Left Me for Jesus" came on XM's X Country station and I caught his name and realized he's the one who also sings "Good Friends" and "Chickens" of WDVX fame. I've been downloading his stuff ever since. Twangy-ass country goodness.
iLife '08 -- I resisted buying this upgrade for a while but finally broke down when I wanted to synch photo libraries between my laptop and desktop. I didn't realize how much cooler iMovie is in the upgrade. They've finally taken the same approach with iMovie that iPhoto has been taking almost from the start. It allows you to create a library of all your video. That alone was worth the price of the upgrade.
Led freakin' Zeppelin -- I loved these guys when I was a kid, but I grew tired of them and drifted away. My rediscovery came from the strangest of places -- John Baker. I never thought Zeppelin would be his thing, but he's a total convert, preaching the gospel of Plant and Page while sipping a Cold Smoke microbrew. I was dubious at first, but then I burned a few of their CDs, including a copy of "Jimmy Page & Black Crowes Live at the Greek" and "How the West Was Won." (To show how far I'd drifted from Zep, my iTunes library had only Led Zeppelin III in it.) I'd forgotten how good this band could be when they were hitting on all cylinders. Total rock. I even had to dust off my air guitar ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
July 24, 2008
Mt. Crested Butte
hdr_deck_view.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
While I was in Colorado last week, I managed to snap a few HDR shots, most of them at Oh Be Joyful campground (with a name like that, how can it not be an incredible place?). But I think my favorite is this one of Mt. Crested Butte, taken off the deck of the house we rented in town.
I've posted photos of my Colorado trip here on Flickr, and I added several new shots to my HDR collection during the Montana and Colorado trips. They're at the bottom of the set ...
What's HDR? Here's an explanation.
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)
Dog days in Crested Butte
gunther.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
I went to the land of the Mountain Hippie last week and learned the ZenDog ways of Crested Butte.
During a cold, early morning hike on a trail in the shadow of Mt. Crested Butte, I saw some sort of cattle-dog cross maniacally yapping and circling a mountain biker while the dog's owner tried in vain to recall the mutt. The cyclist calmly dismounted, putting the bike between him and the frenetic canine until it drew tired of the game and ran back to its owner of its own volition.
As I approached the cyclist, I fully expected a rant on idiots who let their dogs run loose and don't control them. It's what I was thinking. But he calmly looked at me while he fiddled with the earbuds of his iPod and beamed "Good morning."
"Without a doubt," I replied.
"Do you go far up the mountain."
"Only about 45 minutes walk. I'm still getting acclimated to this 9,000 foot stuff."
"Where are you from?"
It continued like that for a few more minutes and I was on my way. In a short encounter, I'd learned the way of the Mountain Hippie and the effect the incredible beauty of Crested Butte has on everyone touched by it.
And any town this nuts about dogs has to be OK. Witness Gunther (pictured), the coolest dog in Crested Butte. In this photo, he's frolicking in a stream at Oh Be Joyful Campground just outside of town. Gunther is known to sleep in the street in front of his house. He's so well known and people are so dog friendly, they just slowly steer around him ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)
July 15, 2008
Sunset camper
HDR_truck_sunset_flowers
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
I took this HDR shot of the camper on John's land at sunset. The camper has survived one vicious attack by Mountain mountain rednecks and it still provides solid shelter from the bears. We didn't see any bears while we were there, but I'm pretty sure we heard one rumbling around at sunrise. That made me glad I heeded John's advice to sleep in the back of his truck rather than in a tent. I did see two spectacular redtail hawks soaring in the morning breezes and startled a buck while I was lurking around out in the woods that morning. That piece of land is an amazing place.
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)
Montana mountains
HDR_truck_moon_sunset4.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
This is the view from John's land east of Missoula. It's an amazing spot bristling with pine trees, mountain wildflowers and assorted critters. I took this HDR shot around sunset. If you look closely, you can see a pinpoint of light that is the waxing moon.
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:08 AM | Comments (0)
June 26, 2008
Penn doesn't want to be your friend ...
... and he thinks agnostics are pussies
From Crackle:
Posted by Bob Benz at 7:57 PM | Comments (1)
Tent with a view ...
tent_view.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
I just added this to the Rooms with a View group on Flickr. It's the view from my tent in the wilds of Pennsyltucky during a weekend "Pickin' Party" that featured incredible guitarists, fiddle players and other assorted musicians in addition to some of my nearest and dearest friends.
Of all my Rooms with a View shots, this probably is my favorite: My friends' tents drifting into the woods all around me and the sound of Pittsburgh accents filling the air ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 11:48 AM | Comments (1)
Passive aggression in KnoxVegas
One of my favorite guilty pleasures is passiveaggressivenotes.com. It never fails to amuse me, and today's passive aggressive missive from a Knoxville chiropractor is a hoot.
I know people who swear by chiropractors, but my experience with one back in the mid-90s was more in line with this experience. They seemed kinda cagey and reluctant to go over details of my special x-rays, and their end game seemed to be a protracted (perpetual?) series of chiropractic visits. My goals were vastly different. Fix my back and send me on my way.
Posted by Bob Benz at 9:51 AM | Comments (0)
June 25, 2008
A refuge for the big, the fat, the muscular and the tall
Sometimes the travel gods smile upon me, other times they smite me.
Yesterday, they were playing the prankster.
I was arrived at the Kansas City airport in time to stand by on an earlier flight to Chicago, where I was connecting to Beautiful KnoxVegas. With a gentle nudge from the travel gods, I made the flight and when I got to Chicago I started getting United Airlines e-mail updates on the flight I was supposed to be on. It was delayed. Again. And again. And again. Sadly for the poor people who didn't get the earlier flight, the 4 p.m. KC to Chicago plane didn't leave till 10:21 KC time, more than six hours late. I definitely would have missed my connection, and this surreal experience.
While I was milling about the concourse waiting for the Knoxville flight, I saw a lanky guy walking around looking a tad confused. I had him pegged for a Tennessee boy through and through, and on the way out to the plane I chuckled when he was amazed that we were walking across the tarmac to climb into the 50 seat Canadair Regional Jet.
"I've never been on one this small," he said, clearly nervous.
I tried to be reassuring. "They're good little jets," I told him. "I fly them all the time." But i was thinking: "I hope this 6-foot-6 beanpole isn't sitting next to me ...
He wasn't. He was one row head of me, across the aisle. And I was in the 13th row, right next to the pisser. Several other large people lumbered aboard. The largest ended up sitting right in front of me. And then Muscle Man boarded ... and sat down in the window seat right next to me. Shit.
Turns out Lanky Dude was really from the Bay Area and was making his first trip East of the Mississippi to visit his sister in Oak Ridge. He looked at Muscle Man and asked him if he played for the Chicago Bulls, despite the fact he was "only" about six foot tall. But the dude was cut. He laughed and said no. Rather than putting on my iPod to block out all human interaction, though, I kept the ear buds holstered. It was just a hunch.
We ended up having one of the most fun and entertaining hour-and-a-half flights I've been on. It started when the flight attendant looked at our two rows sympathetically, We were a refuge for the big, the fat, the muscular and the tall. All the biggest people on the plane were in our two rows at the back of the aircraft, which set off a round of jokes.
Lanky Dude was kind of dorky, but he was a good guy. The rest of us live in Tennessee, so we started giving him grief about what to expect. The moonshine. Catching catfish by hand. Neyland Stadium.
Muscle guy apparently played college ball for a small school in Mississippi, which mightily impressed Lanky Dude (and me, for that matter). We spent the entire flight cutting up and joking with the flight attendant. I even bought Muscle Guy a beer. The big guy in front of me talked about his world travels, including charity work he'd done in Haiti. He's a native Knoxvillian, so he had plenty of inside info for Lanky Dude, including inside info on grits and sweet tea.
When we landed, Muscle Guy gave Lanky Dude his number and told him to call if he wanted to go out and catch some catfish by hand. We'd all bonded in that stupid little tin can. It was one of those sublime experiences that makes travel worthwhile.
As we came out of the concourse, Lanky Dude's sister was there to greet him. I told him to have fun in Tennessee while he sauntered up to his sister like the Scarecrow dancing down the Yellow Brick Road. I hope he has fun on his Tennessee sojourn. The image of this talk, skinny white geek and the muscular African American dude wading in Watts Bar Lake stalking catfish won't leave my mind ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:35 PM | Comments (1)
June 18, 2008
Jesus got soul
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:17 PM | Comments (2)
June 17, 2008
Sing it, Buddy
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:11 PM | Comments (0)
June 14, 2008
Rocky Top flashback
ut_vs_uk.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
Wes the Kentucky boy poses as we float past Neyland Stadium on the Tennessee River heading toward Knoxville.
Wes paused to reflect on his playing days at the University of Kentucky, when he got to hear Rocky Top more times than he cares to remember while playing Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.
What started as a Sunday morning boat ride turned into an effort to get to Knoxville from our house west of Choto Marina. It took about an hour, but we got there and even took Gilligan along for the ride (he's visible in the lower right of this photo).
We kept going after we passed downtown Knoxville and went up past Island Home airport and continued up the Holston River a ways before heading back. All told, it was a three-hour tour. A three-hour tour ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)
Straight talk from Bug
straight_talk.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
Emma (aka Bug) hops up and down in front of John McCain's Straight Talk Express in Memphis recently. Anita took this shot while she, Lara and Bug were doing the Memphis tourist thing, complete with plenty of Elvis and barbecue.
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:22 AM | Comments (1)
Don't fear the cowbell
blueoyestercult.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
No, it isn't 1979. And this isn't Blue Oyster Cult turning the entire band loose with guitars during a mind-numbing "Don't Fear the Reaper" encore. It's RiddickFest, an army of guitarists who know half of every song ever written.
Really, though, it was a blast having a bunch of my closest friends in town for the weekend to float on the lake and make music on the back porch. And some of the music was downright transcendental. Even without the cowbell ...
RiddickFest photos here ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)
June 13, 2008
A stone's throw from the Durty Leprechaun ...
copperleaf_appleton.jpg
Originally uploaded by Suffering the Benz
The view from my fifth floor room at the Copperleaf Boutique Hotel in Appleton, Wisconsin. Overall, nice hotel. OK gym (clean but too few machines). And Appleton was a nice surprise. Great cigar store (Appleton Souvenir and Cigar Co.) a short walk from the hotel and a watering hole called the Durty Leprechaun which, sadly, I didn't test drive.
That's the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center to the right, on College Avenue, where I found the cigar store and noticed the Durty Leprechaun.
Rooms with a View group on Flickr ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 4:01 PM | Comments (0)
June 4, 2008
Knoxville airport adds insult to injury ...
As I was paying my parking fee late last night at mighty McGhee Tyson airport, I noticed a sign warning that they're raising rates effective July 1, 2008. Looks as if long term will jump from $8 to $10 a day. Short term is going up, too, but I didn't catch the rate since I was more focused on the long term increase. Of course, their website makes no mention of the hike. Guess they're too ashamed to make it public and try to explain themselves.
So gas prices are soaring. Airlines are nickle-diming travelers every chance they get and providing a truly miserable experience. And now the airport is going to charge you an extra $2 a day to park long term. Sorry, but that's crap. Talk about kicking road warriors when they're down ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:54 AM | Comments (1)
Tombstone hand and a graveyard mind
I was crushed when I read on Monday that Bo Diddley had died. I came to him through a circuitous route that started with a searing Grateful Dead version of "Not Fade Away," then to Buddy Holly and finally to the source, big bad Bo.
Most of the tributes I've been reading have focused on the famous Bo Diddley beat that's that's spine of so many rock songs, but this homage on Literary Kicks focuses on Bo's verbal prowess. Great read and right on the money. To wit:
"Ellis 'Bo Diddley' McDaniels lived to tell stories and create characters. His songs are what made him famous, even more than his beat. His words were as simple as his guitar playing, and just as strong."
Funny that author Levi Asher also refers to the Live at the Ritz CD that features Ronnie Wood. That was the first Bo Diddley CD I bought, and I knew it wasn't quite on target. Asher's assessment of it is right on. Glad I tried again and got to know the real Bo.
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:39 AM | Comments (1)
June 3, 2008
Rooms with a View: Truck crash
Truck Crash in Fredericksburg
Originally uploaded by Howard Owens
Leave it to Howard to get the news angel in the Rooms with a View group. This is his shot of a truck crash in Fredericksburg as seen from his room at the Hilton Garden Inn.
If you have photos take from hotel rooms, submit them to the Rooms with a View group here ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:55 PM | Comments (0)
Rooms with a View: Virginia B&B
Mount Holly Bed & Breakfast, Nomini, VA
Originally uploaded by sailorbill
Another shot in the Rooms with a View group, this one of from sailorbill of Mount Holly Bed & Breakfast, Nomini, VA.
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:51 PM | Comments (0)
Rooms with a View ... Hong Kong-Lee 052
Hong Kong-Lee 052
Originally uploaded by Ron Feinbaum
After I created the Rooms with a View group on Flickr, I got distracted and didn't revisit for a while. When I did, I found a slew of cool photos other folks have uploaded, including this shot of Hong Kong by Ron. Apparently, I'm not the only one with a penchant for snapping photos of hotel views ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 8:49 PM | Comments (0)
June 1, 2008
Geekin' on the wireless ...
Lara went to Memphis this weekend, leaving me with too much time on my hands and an excuse to spend an overcast afternoon tweaking my wireless network.
My Macbook Pro is still pretty retarded where wireless is concerned. It must be something with the card since Admiral Higgins had perfect reception out on the porch while my computer bricked. Same machines, purchased within a month or so of each other. Overall, the wireless works fine, but the range is lacking, forcing me to use a Verizon Wireless card when I'm surfing on the porch. Annoying, and not as fast as it would be if I were connecting through the network.
So, I pulled an Airport Express that went haywire out of the drawer and started monkeying around with it, hoping that if I could revive it I could use it as a way to extend the existing network's signal out onto the porch. (Of course, I could just take the laptop to Apple's alleged Genius Bar, but that would require a trip to the mall and the possible loss of the machine for a few days ... and an admission that I couldn't fix it myself.)
But I wasn't having much luck. The Express wouldn't take a firmware upgrade, and I couldn't get into it at all using the Airport Utility. Then I found this post on the Airport Admin Utility for Graphite and Snow 4.2.5 (I found this solution by searching for the specific error number I was getting ... -6765.) Downloaded it, upgraded the firmware and was able to access the Express' setting. I used a direct Ethernet connection rather than try to do this magic act via wireless.
So now I needed to figure out how to make my Linksys WRT54G router and the Apple Express enter a meaningful and lasting relationship, the kind that would make any conservative Christian proud. More Googling turned up this post on the dd-wrt open source operating system I use on the Linksys router. (Switched to dd-wrt in an attempt to boost the router's signal strength, but that didn't do much good though I liked dd-wrt and kept it on the router anyway.)
Now some tweaking and a few adjustments to accommodate the fact the dd-wrt directions are for the Airport Admin utility and I was using a variant version, and viola. I know have the Express set up next to the kitchen table, the outer reach of my laptop's current range and just around the corner from the deadspot on the deck.
I took the laptop out there and got a strong signal off the Express. Now I can roam the whole house without having to pop in the Verizon card.
So why the mind-numbing detail in this post? I figured that someone somewhere might be able to use this info. Might as well detail it. But most importantly, it's a testament to how innovative and sharing people can be. In the end, I got this up and running because people had not only figured the problem out ahead of me but also were willing to take time to answer other people's questions about it and give details on how they set it right. Consider it my contribution back into the Google well of soul.
At some point, though, I'm still going to have to break down and visit the damn Genius Bar ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 6:36 PM | Comments (0)
May 23, 2008
Odds and sods ...
A few gems I found while staggering around the Internet today:
I know I've read something great when my first reaction is "I wish I'd written that." So is the case with Rosie's post today on Smokey Mountain Breakdown. In a note about her recovery from a serious ailment, she manages to not only invoke Monty Python but reels off this incredible paragraph at the end of her post:
"I hobbled up to the guinea enclosure and left the door open for them. I can't risk another fall and am limiting my outdoor activities for the time being. So--I can't haul their water and feed to them. They marched past the house this morning--waking all and sundry at the crack of dawn and then went down the mountain. Not sure if they were here long enough to bond. Hopefully they'll be back to roost this evening after filling up on ticks in the woods. Or they may just stay down there, slaves to their tiny tiny brains, wondering where they came from and how they got there."
That's writing, folks. Damn, I wish I'd written that.
I've always suspected that vodka is vodka is vodka. Regardless of how pricey it is, the nuance from one vodka to another is largely a study in brand. Via the Consumerist, we get this amusing BusinessWeek validation of the point. The bottom line: Save your money and go for the cheaper stuff. Even hardcore vodka drinkers can't tell one from another.
Summer's here, and it's grilling time. At least for civilians. I grill all year round, rain, sleet, dark of night. Gizmodo offers this guide to tricked out grills. Even though they omit my weapon of choice, the Big Green Egg, it's still worth a look.
It's probably bad form to direct you to one of my own posts here, but this note I put on the Maroon Ventures blog this week is a pretty amusing look at what happens when a carnivore and tofu collide. Not a pretty sight ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 7:26 PM | Comments (1)
Rooms with a view ...
I’ve spent entirely too much of my life staring listlessly out of hotel windows, too tired to enjoy the city that lies beneath me and knowing full well that I really should anyway.
For reasons that even I don’t fully understand, I’ve taken to snapping photos like this from the windows of the hotels I stay in. And for even more obtuse reasons, I’ve decided to start a Flickr set to encourage Road Warriors, Recreational Travelers and anyone who finds him or herself in a hotel to contribute their hotel art. Details about the hotel would be nice but not required.
This shot is of the Denver skyline as seen from the Convention Center Hyatt.
Here’s a link to the photoset. I’ve already seeded it with a few photos and will be adding more as my travels permit. Enjoy …
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)
Sunrise on Lake Loudon
A blue heron soars over Lake Loudon during a sunrise boat ride this morning. We took the boat out last night and this morning and are getting much more confident driving and maneuvering it. This morning, we even took Gilligan along for the ride, and he did quite well.
I thought the heron was a neat omen given my recent obsessions with them.
Last night, we saw Dave cruising around in his plane. It was pretty cool to watch him land it on Lake Loudon and then pull it up to his lakefront house.
I've created a Flickr set where I'm uploading all of the boat photos ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)
May 17, 2008
Smooth sailing ...
I was starting to wonder if I'd done something to offend Poseidon, something so heinous that I'd never get our boat in the water.
Today, the Greek deity smiled upon us with sunny skies and let us bring our boat home.
We bought the 2003 21-foot Sea Ray bowrider more than a month ago, but it sat over at Choto Marina while we ran a gantlet before getting it into the water.
First, it took weeks to get a lift put in our dock. The guy who eventually did the job hurt his back, which accounted for much of the delay. While he was putting it in, we had problems with the electrical setup that required the electrician to return to replace a faulty GFI.
Then we had a lift. All we needed was to get the boat over here. The weather fended us off for more than a week, throwing wind and rain at us every time we planned to meet the boat salesman for our first lesson.
But today it all came together. Salesman Justin showed us the basics of operating it and we took it out for a spin, even stopping by Tom and Jenny's a few coves over from ours to show off our new toy.
We still haven't tried putting the dogs aboard yet. That should be interesting. But this summer should be a blast. Give a shout if you're in the neighborhood and we'll take it out. With any luck, it won't turn into the Poseidon Adventure ...
More photos here.
Posted by Bob Benz at 5:32 PM | Comments (2)
May 14, 2008
Like a Hurricane ...
At dawn after a fierce Friday night storm, Xena and I went down to the dock, where I nursed a go-cup of coffee and tortured worms while she pondered Zen dog thoughts. The water was muddy and strewn with leaves, branches and other detritus from the previous night’s fury. Crappie and minnows churned and swirled in the diarrhea shallows. This was a very tenuous calm after the storm. The two hounds were still missing, having run off the previous evening before the full fury cut loose. As I fished, I wondered where they were, alternately seething at their insolence and worrying that they were crumpled on the side of the road somewhere.
Then something amazing happened. A gang of blue herons, maybe 10 or 12 in all, invaded the cove in a cacophonous squawking, flapping stormfront of their own. I’ve never seen more than two of them at once, and usually there is just one heron who reins supreme over the cove. But this morning, there was an army, fighting, feeding and presumably mating all around us. It was sublime, causing even Xena to sit up and take notice.
After we settled back in to a becalmed morning punctuated by the herons all around us, Xena and I were startled to hear a splash and rattle on the shore not 20 feet from where we sat on the dock. A heron had approached stealthily, spotted swirling prey, struck and was now gobbling a crappie pelican-like. The Newfy and I exchanged a startled look. The heron paid us no mind, even as Xena rose to her feet to warn him against approaching her dock, and after he was done devouring the fish, he took flight with a hop and a croak.
The sound of leaf blowers and chainsaws rings through the cove as frantic suburban barons try to cleanse their fiefdoms of last night’s blow. And I find myself growing progressively more annoyed at the noise pollution destroying an otherwise supreme spring evening. Moving into suburbia has taken some adjustment on my part. While it’s hard to tell for all the isolating trees and water, we’re nestled in a series of subdivisions, each with that burning desire to impose order on nature that subdivision life seems to breed.
In Hardin Valley, our previous home, the noise nemesis came almost entirely from the road, which was slowly being overrun by the area’s rapacious growth. But subdivisions had yet to strangle our rural stretch of Hardin Valley Road so lawn mowers, weed eaters and leaf blowers were a fairly uncommon annoyance.
Not so now. It seems as if someone somewhere is always running a whining, sputtering, two-stroke gas engine, and as much as I abhor the government-run-amok edicts that seem to emerge from places like California on a regular basis, I’m starting to wonder if bans on leaf blowers and restrictions on noise are such a bad thing …
Tonight, the leaf blowers are out in full flail.
But something more melodious rises up and grabs my ear, pulling me away from thoughts of legislative tyranny against landscaping.
Sitting in a dead poplar, a cardinal sings with the passion of Amy Winehouse right after she’s inhaled crackpipe inspiration.
Cardinals are one of those birds that, despite their brilliant red feathers and regal crests, often go unnoticed. They’re fairly common. But this guy wouldn’t be ignored. Framed in the dead poplar branches with a riotous green background from the canopy of trees covering the hill, he pops up like an instant message from a long lost friend. He’s looking for love, and he’s arrogant enough to believe he can out-wail the moronic drone of the leaf blowers across the cove. What he lacks in decibels he overcomes with finesse.
The leaf blowers disappear. And all I hear is his song.
The prodigal hounds returned, but not without a little help. Someone a subdivision or two away found them and managed to coax Gilligan close enough with an offering of dog food to get a look at his 2006 rabies tag, which prompted a call to Hardin Valley Animal Hospital, which triggered a call to my cell phone. The final domino fell when I called the guy who found the hounds.
Yes. I’ll be right over to get them. Relieved. And angry.
There they were. Standing in the middle of the street, disheveled, hoping for more food. They approached my truck cautiously, wondering if they were going to get kind words or a slap upside the head. I opted for a stern order to get in the back of the F-150. They obliged and spent the rest of the day sleeping off their all-night party and steering clear of me whenever I entered the room. The storm clearly had taken a toll. They were soaked and weary. But they were unscathed.
Sadly, the same couldn’t be said for poor Hurricane, the basset hound Leanne rescued from Katrina’s aftermath in New Orleans. Apparently, the weekend wind brought down tree limbs that compromised her fence. Hurricane stormed out of the safe harbor of the yard and into the path of a car, where he was killed instantly.
In trying to offer condolences to Leanne, and perhaps feeling a bit guilty that my hounds had returned home safely after their illicit sojourn, I feebly offered that while it was sad poor Hurricane was spared from Katrina only to be killed by a car, he had lived his bonus time on the planet to its fullest. What basset wouldn’t want to be part of Leanne’s pack? He was already in doggy heaven …
But what I really wanted to say, and couldn’t quite conjure the words at the time, is that somewhere a cardinal is sitting in a dead poplar tree, singing with all his might, searching for a mate.
Posted by Bob Benz at 2:11 PM | Comments (2)
April 23, 2008
W sucks
No. Not that W. I’ll save that rant for another post.
This one is targeted at The W hotels in general and the Atlanta-Perimeter W in particular.
The W annoys the crap out of me, from the Eurotrash music that throbs in the elevators to the dark hallways to the copies of Wired magazine in the rooms. They’re just trying too damned hard to be hip. And generally, if you have to try that hard, you ain’t. Though I realize the real issue here could be that I’m a decidedly middle-aged guy who’s in bed by 10 every night and more interested in the quality of the fitness center than the hipster cocktails at the bar. But I’d sooner think it’s The W’s problem, not mine. It’s easier that way …
As for the W Atlanta-Perimeter, we decided it’s merely a V after staying there for several nights this week. The offenses were small and great, ranging from a hyperhip coffee bar that shutters at 11 a.m. to a fitness center that totally sucks despite its hipster name, “Sweat.”
The V appears to be a failed attempt to transform a stereotypical suburban Atlanta hotel into something special. They got halfway there.
The ultimate strange event was when one of my cohorts returned to his room late one night to find all his stuff was gone. Well, it wasn’t gone. His cloths were wadded up in a bag and his computers were over in a back corner. Apparently, a computer problem led the staff to believe he’d abandoned all this and they were gathering it up. Not sure what they would have done with it from there, and it was only after being insistent that he convinced the hotel it needed to iron the clothes they’d wadded up in the bag so he could wear them the next day.
On the bright side, the V delivered pretty well for the meeting we were holding. The food service was good and they did a solid job of planning it. Few things are more nightmarish than having the hotel facilities crumble before your eyes while 50+ meeting attendees are sitting there waiting to get started.
Posted by Bob Benz at 11:23 AM | Comments (2)
April 20, 2008
An ode to Otis ...
Condolences to Howard Owens, who lost a friend this weekend. Howard had to put down his rottweiler, Otis, after he discovered the dog had bone cancer. I've had to say goodbye to a lot of dogs over the years, and it's always difficult. Hang in their, Howard, and remember the good times ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 9:14 AM | Comments (1)
April 14, 2008
Bootleg Butthole Surfers ...
I was wondering if Butthole Surfers classics like "Hairway to Steven" and "Locust Abortion Technician" were available somewhere on the Internet. I'd lost my copies long ago when I abandoned my cassette deck. So I started Googling around and quickly found the official site of Gibby and the boys. It has the perfect proportions of creepy, bizarre and off-the-wall to reflect the Butthole Surfers experience. And even better, it has free MP3s of several classic bootlegs.
I highly recommend the bone-crunchingly psychedelic Double Live, recorded sometime around 1988. And while you're at it, download a copy of the bootleg Tejass for a taste of their mid-'90s incarnation.
Boy howdy. They don't make music like that no more ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 10:51 AM | Comments (1)
April 13, 2008
Spring scene
The other morning as I was dealing with the dogs and feeding the angry, vindictive cockatoo, I noticed the cove was blazing in a spring sunrise. So I grabbed my camera and blasted off a few HDR shots to see what I'd come up with. This is a view of the stairs leading down to the dock. In a few more weeks, you'll barely be able to see the water.
I've been doing a little fishing off the dock, catching mostly small bluegills, one tiny bass (smallmouth, I think) and a catfish. Xena was particularly interested in the catfish.
I can't wait for it to get warm enough to swim in the cove. We've bought a boat to put in the dock. Just need a lift now. The water is up, but apparently winter is going to slap us upside the head one more time this week ...
Posted by Bob Benz at 9:19 AM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2008
The Ninja Dognapper
During a recent business trip to Atlanta, I met the Ninja Dognapper. She's a gorgeous blonde who can't stand to see a dog in distress. It bothers her so much, in fact, that she goes out in the dark of night, dressed in black and armed with hotdogs, to liberate canines who are living lonely lives at the end of chains.
As we were driving around Atlanta in her dogmobile (complete with a dashboard that has been chewed by one of her grateful pooches), she detailed how she can't resist the temptation to sneak into some half-wit's yard to liberate a dog who is being abused or neglected.
I asked her if she was afraid of getting shot by some pissed off weasel, and she didn't even flinch. The dog's welfare is just too important to pause at such peril. She's not even worried the dog might turn on her. Enough hot dogs will appease even the most savage of beasts.
I left Atlanta with a newfound faith in humanity and wishing I had the balls and bravery to do the same, especially after reading the plight of the forlorn St. Bernard that some piece of shit redneck had on a chain in Tennessee. The poor thing got tangled in its chain and chewed its own leg