Pizza Huts Of The CSA (Confederate States Of America)

Today, in the news for Nashville, the city of Franklin, Tennessee has won the battle for the historic grounds of The Battle Of Franklin.

I believe this is a huge win for Franklin, the state of Tennessee, and the country considering what has adorned the field since the 1970's; a Pizza Hut:

In a November 1, 2005 article, Franklin Mayor, Tom Miller, wanted a spectacle today:

"I want it dramatic," Miller said. "I want a bulldozer up there and run it into the building. That is also the easiest way to do it. "

My two favorite quotes from the article?

1. Headline: Pizza Hut destruction will commemorate battle.
2. "That damn Pizza Hut."

Thank God For Rick Rubin

The title of this post is probably not the most heard of statements, however I stand by it.

A quick google search yielded this result:

Probably the only thing 100% certain about Rick Rubin is that music is his overriding passion, the filter he sees the world through. He’s done landmark albums with Run-DMC (Raising Hell), the Beastie Boys (Licensed to Ill) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (BloodSugarSex- Magik, Californication). His shotgun marriage of rock and rap—Aerosmith and Run-DMC’s smash collaboration on “Walk This Way”— revitalized Areosmith’s stalled career and started a revolution in rock itself. His continued involvement with Tom Petty (Wildflowers, Echo) and Johnny Cash (American Recordings, Unchained) helps keep these artists vital and current. He thinks nothing of working with Slayer (five albums) and Danzig (four albums) on one hand and Donovan (Sutras) on the other. And, after all his success, Rubin still does hang in ratty rehearsal halls, not letting his bands near a proper studio until the songs are great. He’s an enigma, a cipher, but his love of music is clear as day.

A new album has been making the marketing rounds over the past two weeks, 12 Songs by Neil Diamond. It seems to me that 12 Songs is a re-introduction of "The Jazz Singer"; much like the American Recordings Rubin created with Johnny Cash (Note: I am of the opinion that Johnny never really went away, but I commend Rubin for helping Cash focus his efforts again).

Rubin's applied strategy for Johnny Cash was elemental:

In the beginning, Rubin simplified the Cash sound, stripping it of the studio gimmickry and melodramatic production that marred most of his releases in the late 1970s and '80s. Rubin told him: "You would take your guitar, sit down in front of a microphone and sing me the songs you love. Just sing me everything you want to record.

It's a simple formula. Exceptional talent + open slate = Good music. Isn't that what it should be all the time?

Keep 'em coming, Rick...

I-N-D-I-A-N-A

GO IU!!!
Originally uploaded by From The Still.

A picture from the pea packer to Ten Fingers, 6 Strings.

Be patient; roundball is starting soon!

Mountaineering Style - Part II (~14,000 feet and below)

Let me start by saying that I have no desire to be 8000 meters in the air. I believe that those who want to should follow a strict set of rules so that those who follow them can share the same experience. The wildest I'll ever see myself getting is a trip to Everest Base Camp (~18,000 feet). In the meantime, I am perfectly content to play on 14ers and below. From here on in this post, I will mainly be in rant mode.

I want to talk about some of the things that agitate me in "everyday" mountaineering. On my last 14er trip, we saw a man coming up the mountain with penny loafers on his feet. I'm not saying that you have to have a spanking new pair of Vasque Sundowners to be on a mountain, but penny loafers? (Note: Just for the record, he did not have actual pennies in the penny compartment. I don't know if that makes it better or worse.)

Crowds are always a nuisance. Here in Colorado, you can have 20 or more people at the summit of a 14er in the middle of the season. Then you think about all the people visiting our National Parks. On the one hand, I can't complain about the overwhelming interest in the beauty of America. On the other hand, crowds are a deterrent to the serenity I seek. My friend Dr. Joe kids about visiting the Grand Canyon in the summertime, "It's like standing on a sidewalk in New York City. Excuse me, pardon me. Can you take our picture?"

Littering can be a problem, but I believe that the Park and Forestry Service do their best to clean up after the messy ones. On a recent trip to Bryce Canyon, I only say an apple core and an orange peel.

Done with ranting, hopefully I'll have some more solid content up soon.