Whoa. Via TravelWild, those people who sent me to Antarctica (What? Did that really happen?), there’s a new series of photos from the Shackleton expedition. Whoa.
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I’m not even going to excerpt this piece because I want you to go read the whole thing right now. Marika Malaea is possibly the most under-appreciated writer I know. She writes with such gutsy humor and grace and style that I don’t understand why she’s not the queen of Bust or The Toast or some other thing except maybe they’re too shy to ask her to come and rule because they couldn’t pay her what she’s worth and oh, hell, just go read this. Go on, git.
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Iggy Pop’s messy talk about the music industry and art and weasels who will try to take advantage of creative types is, well, it’s messy. But it’s a worthwhile slog because there’s good stuff in there.
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f I wanna make music, at this point in my life I’d rather do what I want, and do it for free, which I do, or cheap, if I can afford to. I can. And fund through alternative means, like a film budget, or a fashion website, both of which I’ve done. Those seem to be turning out better for me than the official rock n roll company albums I struggle through. Sorry. If I wanna make money, well how about selling car insurance? At least I’m honest. It’s an ad and that’s all it is. Every free media platform I’ve ever known has been a front for advertising or propaganda or both. And it always colors the content.
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Thank you, Dean Richard, for making me laugh like a crazy person over this Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video. “Who the fuck still uses a pay phone?” Okay, I admit I probably find it funny because I wade through so much travel promotional nonsense, but still…
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I recently spent a bit of my REI dividend on winterizing my bike gear — I got blinky lights* and reflective gloves and fenders and a bottle of Nikwax waterproofing wash* in hopes that it will keep me from having to buy new rain pants. (Nikwax is good stuff, I’ve used it before.) Turns out I didn’t need any of it (yet) as the following day, I rode 25 miles under the bluest possible sky. I had a meeting that day at Ampersand, a tiny cafe at Alki Beach, and I felt like, yes, I am living right.
Hey, if you find the whole bike thing just too overwhelming, I highly recommend Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike. It’s got none of the gear-head hype that keeps potential riders from feeling like it’s something for everyone. If a pudgy middle aged type like me can average 10 miles a day for the last six months, you can too.
*If you shop through these links, I get a little cash and there’s no markup. Just FYI – and thanks to those of you that have been clicking through. It makes a difference.
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Top photo: Fern Ridge Reservoir, Panasonic Lumix.
It’s true, you are living right. Thanks for this great collection of stuff!