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Music Bob Techno Bob Travel Bob

Driving all night …

I spent 15 hours in my truck during a recent two-day trip to and from Ohio University, which gave me a chance to test my iPod’s FM tuner gizmo. It worked very well, better than I expected. There are a few spots where I was catching a bit of fuzz, but overall, it was clear and made the drive much more bearable.

It plugs into your cigarette lighter and allows you to listen to your iPod on one of four FM frequencies. It also keeps the iPod charged.

Driving home Friday night reminded me of several of the long-haul late-night trips I made in my younger days. Driving back to Edinboro from a 1981 Dead show at the Capitol Center in D.C. only to run out of gas at daybreak a mile from our exit. Driving from Birmingham to Destin in the middle of a muggy summer night in 1986 and freaking out at the stars and insect accordion hum during a piss stop somewhere south of Montgomery.

And this time, driving through rainy central Ohio swarming with swollen creeks, hoping the temperature wouldn’t drop below freezing and having my entire CD collection at my fingertips. Loading all my CDs into the iPod has given me a chance to revisit stuff I haven’t listened to in a long time. Returning home, I listened to Mazzy Star, the Breeders, Natalie Merchant and Phish. The more I use this thing, the more I love it. I’m now into the “S” CDs in my collection (Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys …) and think I’ll have the whole thing loaded on the iPod within another week or so.

Here’s a link for iPod freaks with too much time on their hands …

Now Playing: From Gagarin’s Point Of View from the album Somewhere Else Before by Esbjorn Svensson Trio

Categories
Assorted Bob

Just ducky …

A hunter friend recently graced us with a few ducks, which I promptly marinated in cayenne, black pepper, red wine (a cab), tamari and lemon juice. I then offered this sacrifice up to the BIg Green Egg with a liberal helping of mesquite. A few hours later, the smoker surrendered two of the best ducks I’ve ever eaten. These guys were much better than the farm-raised ducks I occasionally buy at the local store, and they came with the added bonus of an occasional shotgun pellet.

Now Playing: WUMB – Folk Radio

Categories
Movie Bob Zombie Bob

When there’s no room left in hell …

Looks like a remake of the George Romero masterpiece Dawn of the Dead is in the works. My Tivo downloaded a preview that I watched immediately. Then I went to the website for more details. Not a lot there. But it looks promising. It’s supposed to be released in March.

I do have some concerns, as every card-carrying zombie fan will after the remake of Night of the Living Dead. That remake just didn’t stand up, but the original was a tough act to follow. I did like the way Barbara’s character was recast from catatonic terrorized victim to an ass-kicking woman of the ’90s.

I’m particularly interested in how the new Dawn will handle the whole consumerism/mall satire that the original did so well. Also, the original was filmed in a mall a few miles from where I grew up, which added considerably to my experience of the film. It was pretty cool seeing zombies feast on bikers in front of stores that I’d actually shopped in.

A few worthwhile zombie links:

  • Zombiegirls: The reviews are good, and as an added bonus, they’re from Pittsburgh.
  • The Zombie Farm: This page is a tribute to the original Dawn of the Dead. Particularly cool is the bloopers section, which details mistakes and screwups in the film.
  • Homepage of the Dead: This tribute to Romero’s Dead films is worth checking out, despite the annoying music that loads when the page does. At least he included an icon you can hit to make it stop.

    Now Playing: Alcohol & Pills from the album The Fallen by Audrey Auld