Weekly Link Round-Up

Relax Shacks has a new website and a new book.
Missouri School of Journalism's annual Pictures of the Year International awards. Via: Coudal.

Cycle Sign makes reflectors out of old street signs.

The LA Times goes deep on Exit Through The Gift Shop. Via: Vulture.

A video about photographing the Westminster kennel Club Dog Show.

short doc day

"Peter & Ben"
Directed by Pinny Grylls
Run Time: 10:12

Here's what happened; Peter decided to go it alone and live an idyllic life in the hills, living off the land that called to him and such. One day he met Ben, a sheep who had abandoned his herd to go it alone in the hills. Peter and Ben became best friends, but soon it was time for Peter to be a rational human and send Ben back to the herd. Then I got a lump in my throat and my eyes kinda got all watery. Shortly after that I smiled really, really big and my day was made better by viewing this 10 minute speck of simplistic storytelling perfection.

Dog Town

I’m in the air right now, but I’ll be on the ground in Los Angeles in an hour or two. Had a snowy ride to the airport this morning—hopefully one of the last snowy mornings we’ll experience in a while. I’ve actually dug (ha!) shoveling the last two days, but I’m ready for winter to stop. It’s a stupid season, especially in Nebraska, and the less winter we have, the less stupid the rest of the year will be.

Hubble came outside to help me dig out by trying to eat each shovelful I threw into the yard. And with his help I managed to get the driveway and sidewalks cleared for the second time in as many days. He gives me the same kinda help when I turn on the garden hose except that’s more of a drinking thing than an eating thing.

Best. Dog. Ever.

I was looking at some old photos yesterday, and saw little one-minute video from about three years ago. It must have been one of the first few days we had Hubble … right after I’d gone and gotten him from a farm northwest of town. In the video he’s super tiny, maybe just a little over two handfuls of fur and teeth, but he looks so much like he does today—same little dog face, dog nose, dog ears. It’s awesome.

He’s out in the backyard and the grass is still all mushy brown and sleepy looking. It’s probably like the first week of April, ’cause he was a surprise birthday puppy for Miles’ ninth. Co-staring in the video is our then sixteen-year-old lab-collie mix, Carl.

Other. Best. Dog. Ever.

Carl (rest in peace, buddy) was pretty slow and pretty rusty by then. She’d lost almost all her hearing, had doggie cataracts, and by then had had two of these episodes that the vet called “stroke-like symptom syndrome" and it made her hold her head crooked and veer to the left when she walked. She wasn’t very good at stairs anymore, either, and to get up or down the two steps out our back door she’d have to get up to a trot, ride out her momentum, and hope that she could keep her balance. It was pretty sketchy

When we brought Hubble home, though, it was like Carl was suddenly five years younger (that’s 35 years younger to you and me). She seemed to stand straighter, she was stronger, and as much as you can read a dog’s mood, she was so stoked. Super happy to have a puppy buddy, or puppy sibling, a newly adopted puppy son, or however she read the scene. And you can see it in the video. Carl is kind of hopping around on arthritic paws as Hubble literally runs circles around her, alternating between jumping up and punching her in the face with his puppy paws and bighting onto her ear hair and hanging on as long as possible before Carl whips her neck one way or the other and knocks hubble a few feet away onto his back. They used to do that for ever and ever—for what seemed like hours—and even with all his newborn energy, I remember that Hubble was usually the one who would poop out first and just kind of plop down right there in the muddy yard—Carl standing tall next to him, watching over him, the proud old matriarch.

Good dogs are unexplainably amazing, and because almost everyone has either lived with a good dog or broed down hard with someone else’s good dog, it requires no long-winded explanation. It’s sweet and that’s really all there is.

I miss Carl a lot. Still have her ashes. Haven’t figured out what to do with them yet. Maybe I don’t want to let them … I mean let her go. I know we have Hubble now, and know he got to spend some long dog days getting shown the ropes by one of the best, but maybe it’s time.

Once the snow melts, I’ll have Hubble help me find a soft sleepy spot out in the backyard, we’ll dig a hole, and we’ll let Carl ride out her ashy momentum right there where she goofed around and did some of her best work. It’ll be a good way to mark a spring and the end these snowy days.

somebody owned a monkey

Twice As Nice

Just home from the second hourish spin in as many days. Keeping it slow, keeping it mellow, and it really feels good to do something rather than nothing. My knee isn't super happy, but it's not super happy off the bike, either. It doesn't like walking up or down stairs, it doesn't like bending super fast or extending super fast. It doesn't like getting bumped. And it doesn't like Mariah Carey or Celine Dion. Can't say I blame it.

I've got ice on the thing now and it's fine and dandy.

Three weeks from skating, I'd guess, and that makes me a little insane, but I'm trying to keep it together. Still have tons to do before the weekend and we're a little past deadline at The Mag. Found out yesterday that my sister Annie will be in Cali the same time as me with nothing to do but fart around. My niece, Adeline, my brother Pat, and his lovely lady Jane all live in Venice, too, so I'm looking forward to some quality time wasting. Couldn't ask for a better crew of time wasters, either. Complete professionals.

I built a couple of those homemade "gel" packs for my knee-icing duties and they're totally killing it right now. Only had one at first and it wouldn't refreeze fast enough for a second or third icing in one day, so I got backup going and the rotation of the two is working perfectly. Thanks, ice bags.

The recipe is a simple one:
Three cups of water
One cup of rubbing alcohol
Two zip lock bags

Pour the stuff into one bag, get the excess air out, and seal the baggy.
Put that baggie inside a second one, get the excess air out, and seal it too.
Put the whole thing in the freezer over night and there you have it. It makes a kind of soft ice pack that forms around any sore spot regardless of its angle or shape. Works as well as any $25 gel pack from the health supply store and it's only 10% of the cost.

Okay, this thing's getting cold as hell. Gotta go.

random photos i've taken in the past month

People power

Nice enough weather for a commute to school. Especially considering the month.
.mw.

Lists

Surgery was never an option. I don't think I ever hinted at that, but something about those last couple posts must have made going under the knife seem like it was on the table. Maybe it was the drawing of the knee. Just to confirm, that was not a drawing of my knee. Mine still has all the skin on it and is much tougher looking.

Making lists right now. I have a ton of things to take care of before I head to a warmer work environment at the end of the week.

I'm off for some cool-guy, backstage stuff related to the Bones Brigade doc, The Skateboard Mag's Year's Best Am party, and some sunny days. A couple meet-ups planned with traveling Donuthillers, too.

Got a few new boards today (Thanks, Andrew!), but I don't even know if I'll set one up for the trip. I wouldn't have time to get used it in the next few days and I think it'd be weird do go from not skating at all to trying to get used a new board with a hurt knee. The boards will be here for me when I get home. I've toyed with the idea of not even bringing a board and just letting my knee rest, but that seems weird.

Haven't ridden since the knee smash, but I'll try to get that going today.

It's on the list, anyway.

Flip has these Schmitt boards now. His boards are the best and he messes with (and kills it) with new constructions. Haven't ridden one of the P2 boards yet, but they look insane. Very stiff, very light, steep nose and tail. Likey.

Go See The Doctor

Got massage from Tara at Bella this morning. She usually works on my back and hip but today was all about my knee. She knows what she's doing and is really good at moving the the waste and bullshit out of the affected area. It's weird. I almost always feel better walking out of there than when I went in. And 48 hours later it's even better. Those pros who get massage or PT everyday are so stoked. Huge advantage when you're trying to win the recovery battle.

I have an appointment with the doctor today to get my knee looked at. I know how it's going to go:
"Doc, it hurts when I do this."
"Well, don't do that."
Maybe he'll have some nuclear anti-inflammatory or some new instant ligament healing compound, but I doubt it. Still, I'm going. Need to get my vitals taken by someone other than the blood pressure machine at Walgreen's.
Cian's home from school today, so I'll try to get him to go with me, but he likes to chill on his days off. I don't blame him. Couldn't even get him to go get a doughnut with me this morning and doughnuts are his favorite.

The other day I told someone I had Brian Howard knees, and then Brian himself made a couple comments on Facebook that made me feel a lot better. He's kneeslid and slammed on his knees way, way, way more than I could even imagine and he's a regular and veteran cyclist, so it was cool to have him chime in and confirm what I was hoping was true — I'll be fine.

Sometimes a few well typed words are all it takes to make you feel right.

Weekly Link Round-Up

Funny Wi-Fi networks collected on WiFi Hi 5.
Photographing the Super Bowl. (more interesting than the Super Bowl)
Get a telephoto lens for your iphone. Via: Vulture.
Ken Jennings on playing against Watson on Jeopardy.
Come on people, make a DIY HD Antenna already.
How the Winklevoss twins were made in The Social Network.
Misery Bear Goes To Work.

Post Cruciate Ligament

I slammed on my knee last Thursday. I knew it was bad right when I did it. Fell about six feet straight to the joint right under the knee cap. It's where I usually fall, but this was a full-weight, full-speed thumper. I tried to get up super fast like squirrels do when they fall out of a tree. Almost like I was trying to get out of the way of the injury. Didn't work.

I've fallen like this before — a lot — but not for years. It's the kind of fall where what you hit doesn't even hurt that bad — the opposite side of where you hit takes the brunt of the slam. Like if you slam to your hip, your groin hurts from your femur tearing into your crotch. I hit my right knee on the front and right so the back left hurts. It's a bit of pcl and a bit of mcl aggravation, not sure about the tearing, but it's definitely sprained. The swelling is minimal, but it doesn't take much swelling inside the knee to make it tight and painful.

Still ... icing three times a day on two different spots on my knee. Ibuprofen too.

I'll go to the doc on Monday, but I know the drill: stay off of it, maybe see an orthopedic specialist, maybe see a physical therapist.

There's been improvement everyday, which I love. I can walk pretty good, but lifting my right leg while going up the stairs hurts.

I think I can ride. I might spin around for a half hour or so nice and easy. Get the blood going and stretch things out little. No skating, though.

Cyclists will say stop skating, just like the skaters question cycling after a bad crash.

I can think of like half a dozen people who do both and they won't say anything. They'd do what I'm doing: serve their sentence and then keep going.

short doc day

"Honey Pie" from the California Is A Place series
By Drea Cooper & Zackary Canepari
Run Time: 06:09

This is a film on the origin and creation of the Real Doll. If you are new to this subject matter you will most likely have many questions. This film will not answer most of them, but that's okay. You are not meant to understand everything right away. Sometimes you are not meant to understand certain things, ever.

NSFW - There is a form of nudity in this film.

Y2k ice

so back in 1999 i bought some water in a large bottle because the world was going to end. and as we know the world continued and i kept the water in the basement in the large bottle. well the bottle went to an early death this winter by being placed in the garage where it froze. this is the remaining ice chunk. .mw.

Weekly Link Round-Up

Mitch Dobrowner's awesome Los Angeles landscapes.

Editor of The Big Picture, Alan Taylor moved over to The Atlantic at In Focus..

Slate analyzes some Jeopardy data.

Put This On tackles grooming.

Mike Mills' new Faces Of Tomorrow project.

10 free programs for multi-media journalists. (and regular creative people too)

Ok Cupid has the best first date questions.

Vulture breaks down the New Yorker's Scientology article.

Omaha

Has some nice roads to the north.
.mw.

short doc day

"Everything Is A Remix: KILL BILL"

By Kirby Ferguson and Robert Grigsby Wilson

Run Time: 5:30

Everything is a Remix is a current and ongoing video series (soon to be a Four Part) that takes an amazingly well-crafted and research-minded look at the convergence of originality and creative influence. This video sidebar of the series documents the ways in which Quentin Tarantino was influenced in his creation of the forever rad, Kill Bill. The best stuff comes at the end of the video in a dope-as-hell mix of editing crescendo when we are reminded just how heavily influenced Quentin Tarantino is by Quentin Tarantino.

Good humor

sometimes you find some funny stuff out there .mw.

Weekly Link Round-Up

Mondo Blogo scans William Christenberry Kodachromes.

Should you change your tooth brush after being sick? Slate answers.

Cracking the lottery from Wired.

Bolds, Underlines, and other facebook secrets.

Dallas Clayton is teaching his kid Emotional Lessons.

World Income Inequality chart. Via: What Consumes Me.

NY Times Minimalist chooses his 25 favorite recipes.

short doc day

"I'm Keith Hernandez"

Directed by Rob Perri

Run Time: 19:31

Part baseball documentary, part anti drug film, part socio-political satire, I’m Keith Hernandez utilizes a version of Hernandez life as a vehicle to discuss how male identity is shaped by TV/film, sports, advertising, and pornography. Topics discussed include Iran/Contra, Just Say No, when the Mets were good, Reagan, Moustache Power, Cocaine Power, Budweiser, Seinfeld, Sesame Street, Daryl Strawberry, and more.

Some content NSFW

hunter gatherer

One of my favorite skateboarders Jeff Chase with handmade weapons.

come on over tonight

come by and say happy birthday to my woman.

random pics i've been nabbing...

Got Guts

New art

Chics with animal skulls...hell yes!
.mw.

this is the first time I will have typed... wtf?

click the pic for the link to some wicked-ass weirdness...