Pick #417

Magic! = "Let Your Hair Down"

Pick #416

Sonique - "It feels so good"

Pick #415

Here's the perfect storm leading to this pick:

Over Thanksgiving, my brother showed me this video: and I had never heard that song before.  I thought the fake lyrics sounded pretty good.

Today I read an article claiming that Bill Gates offered Young Thug $9 million to stop making music.   After reading the headline and before reading the article, I didn't realize that Young Thug was actually a person's name.  I thought that article had to be fake, so I looked into it more (and it is).

Rich Gang - "Lifestyle" ft. Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan

Picks #413 & 414

Beyond  - "Guang Hui Sui Yue" this version has a translation... but this version is live and I like it better.

Francesco Yates - "Call"

Pick #412

Migos - "Fake Watch Busta"

So, after hearing this song, I found the FWB Instagram account and had a good time.

Pick #411

Ryn Weaver - "Octahate"

Pick #410

K. Flay - "Can't Sleep" (link to remix by Vanic)

Pick #409

Joseph Sanders - "Fight On, State"

So, this is Penn State's fight song.  I thought it was fitting for Pick #409 since Joe Paterno has 409 wins.

Pick #408

Ludo - "Such as it Ends"

Picks #406 & 407

Needtobreathe - "More Heart, Less Attack"

Tinashe - "Boss" (Ryan Hemsworth Remix)

Pick #405

Eric Church - "Sinners Like Me"

Pick #404

Johnny Lee - "Looking for Love"

Pick #403

Bonnie Raitt - "Angel from Montgomery"

Pick #402

Joyce Manor - "Heart Tattoo"

Pick #401

RJD2 - "A Beautiful Mine"

better known as the Mad Men theme

Pick #400

Elvis Perkins - "Moon Woman 2"

Pick #399

Sylvan Esso - "Coffee"

Pick #398

Raleigh Ritchie - "Bloodsport"

Pick #397

The Band - "Atlantic City"

Pick #396

David Allan Coe - "If That Ain't Country"

Pick #395

Langhorne Slim & The Law - "Animal"

Pick #394

Charli XCX - "Boom Clap"

Pick #393

Hops & Vines - "The Story"

I think that I often have a prejudice that I like a song best when performed by the first people I heard it from.  This song is a cover of Brandi Carlisle's song and I like it better than the original.

Pick #392

Aretha Franklin - "Think"

Pick #391

Kendrick Lamar - "M.A.A.D. City"

Pick #390

Ferras - "Hollywood's Not America"

Picks #391 & 392

Carolina Liar - "Show Me What I'm Looking For"


Fury in the Slaughterhouse - "Every Generation Got Its Own Disease"

On Changing Road Rules for Cyclists

I recently joined Yammer at Penn State (yammer.psu.edu) and saw a post linking to this article about why it makes sense to change some road rules for cyclists.  As a rule, I stop at stop signs now unless 1) I'm in an empty parking lot, 2) I'm on campus AND there are no cars/pedestrians at the intersection, or 3) I'm riding my fixed gear and it's safe to do roll slowly (otherwise, I track stand).  As for #3, I still slow to an almost-stop.

If the law were changed, I would definitely like to treat stop signs like yield signs.

Pick #389

Del Amitri - "Roll to Me"

Pick #388

Of Monsters and Men - "Little Talks"

Pick #387

Los Tucanes de Tijuana - "La Chona"

Pick #386

The Bens - "Bruise"

Pick #385

Caesars - "Jerk it Out"

Pick #384

The Tall Natives - "Where You Stand"

Found & Lost

A couple nights ago, I found my lost silver dollar.  Today, I lost my USB rechargeable tail light.  I had it clipped on to the under-seat bag on my 29er using the "backpack clip."  It must have flown off when I was crossing bumpy terrain.  I discovered its absence when I parked my bike.  If I didn't have to be at work so soon after that, then I would have backtracked.  It would probably have been easy to find because it was in flash mode.  I looked for it on the way home and couldn't find it.  The battery had certainly died by that time and maybe someone else picked it up.

That Serfas USL-TL60 is an amazing light for the money.  I will use the TL-411 until I either find my old light on the side of the trail or give up and order a new USL-TL60.  It's nice that Serfas uses a universal mount so that I can interchange the lights.

Race Report: Autism Speaks U 5k Run/3k Walk

Erin, Vera, and I participated in the PSU Autism Speaks event yesterday.  I had not run in a long time (except a slow 2 miler with the dog through the new property a couple days ago).  I was able to pull off a 3rd place finish in an admittedly not-very-competitive race.  My time was 19:25.  This was a nice way to finish at the last race of my 25-29 age group career.

Vera did great.  She managed not to trip anyone (she did the walk with Erin) and she got a few things marked off her socialization checklist.  For instance, she met a baby in a stroller and she was around some people in uniform, and she saw a police car with flashing lights and a siren blast.

Pick #383

Pet Shop Boys - "West End Girls"

Pick #382

Michael Logen & Sierra Noble - “Human After All”

Lightning-quick updates

1. It's snowing right now outside my window.  Big snow flakes!

2. Last Thursday, I managed to lose my Salamanca key chain (la rana de la suerte) that I've had since I went to Salamanca in 2004.  Within hours, I also lost my silver dollar that I've had since...when was it...1998?  Maybe one or both will turn up, but I don't think so.  It's weird that they both went so soon to each other.

3. I'm moving.  Maybe you should ask for my new address if you care to send me anything.

Pick #381

Gwar - "Sick of You"

Pick #380

Pixies - "Where is My Mind"

Pick #379

Landon Pigg - “Falling in love at a coffee shop”

Angry Birds in Real Life

I found a hilarious video of Angry Birds "Air Swimmers" where the remote control birds crash into things.

Save Some Energy in PA

You can get a free energy kit by visiting paenergykit.com.  It sure seems like we use a lot of energy during the winter months.  This kit can help reduce energy usage and therefore lower your bill.

Pick #389

The Family Crest - “Love Don’t Go”

This band has a really cool philosophy about welcoming musicians of many talent levels. They're the largest ensemble making albums that I've heard about.

Pick #388

Rilo Kiley - "Portions for Foxes"

Pick #387

Don Omar - "El señor de la noche"

Pick #386

Kito & Reija Lee - “Sweet Talk”

Pick #385

Feeling Every Sunset - "Heartless"

eligí ésta canción porque acabo de empezar de ver los videos de HolaSoyGerman en YouTube y al fin me gusta la canción.

First Bike Crash in State College

Don't worry, it wasn't bad.  I was riding my bike through the parking garage to put it on E's car and go pick her up.  I was in a bit of a hurry, so I was riding full bore (but that's not much in a parking garage unless you're on a downhill stretch...luckily I was on a flat section).  I went to turn left (hey, at least it wasn't turning right) and I leaned in to the turn.  I know that in snowy/icy conditions that you should remain more upright, but I was inside the parking garage.  Apparently there was a thin layer of ice on the ground and not even my Ice Spiker Pro tires could keep their grip.

Luckily, there were not any moving cars nearby when I took my spill...I landed on one wrist, then the other (oops) and then in slow motion, my chin hit the ground.  I guess that's where the full face helmets come in handy.

After the fall, I laid there for a bit assessing the damage.  Lucky for me it was just a bit of a red spot on the heels of my hands and probably an eminent bruise on my chin.  As I went to get up, I noticed how slippery the ground was.  I couldn't even see the ice when I was inches away from it!  I'm ready for some spring time riding without accumulated snow, ice, or below-zero temperatures/wind chills.

Pick #384

Adele - "Rumor has it"

Pick #382

Coconut Records - "It's Not You, It's Me"

Pick #381

Steve Winwood - "Higher Love"

Fribbled Breg

Here is a little quiz for you to take. I took it this morning as part of an online training provided by Penn State. You probably do not know much about fribbled bregs, but that’s OK.  All these questions have a correct answer...give it your best shot. When you're finished, you can see the answer key, but I encourage you to answer the questions and give a justification for your choice before looking at the answers.

1.  Trassig normally occurs when the

a) dissels frull.

b) lusp trasses the vom.

c) belgo lisks easily.

d) viskal flans, if the viskal is zortil.

2.  The fribbled breg will snicker best with an

a) Mors.

b) Ignu.

c) Cerst.

d) Sortar.

3. What probable causes are indicated when tristal doss occurs in a compots?

a) The sabs foped and the doths tinzed.

b) The kredges roted with the rots.

c) Rakogs were not accepted in the sluth.

d) Polats were thonced in the sluth.

4.  The primary purpose of the cluss in frumpaling is to

a) remove cluss-prangs.

b) patch tremalls.

c) loosen cloughs.

d) repair plumots.

5.  Why does the sigla frequently overfesk the trelsum?

a) All siglas are mellious.

b) Siglas are always votial.

c) The trelsum is usually tarious.

d) No trelsa are directly feskable.

6.  The snickering function of the Ignu is most effectively performed in connection with which one of the following snicker snacks?

a) Arazma tol.

b) Fribbled breg.

c) Groshed stantol.

d) Fallied stantol.

7.  Which of the following is/are always present when trossels are being gruven?

a) rint and vost

b) shum and vost

c) vost and plone

d) vost

Once you’ve really tried to figure these things out, see the answer key.

Pick #380

Billy Bragg - "A New England" on Life's a Riot with Spy vs. Spy