Portable Sound System

Last year at the Tour De Fat I saw quite a few awesome sound systems on trailers.  Shortly thereafter I was on a mission to figure out how they were done.  I found myself at a great Instructable on how to do it. I got pretty pumped about it and poured over the detailed information for quite a while.  After a few weeks I cam to the conclusion that I would probably use something like this once a year and just have to store it most of the time...So I decided to scrap the project.

Almost a year later...Tour de Fat rolls around again (see what I did there?) and there they were...All of the awesome sound systems making the parade awesome for everyone around.  I was bummed I didn't have one.  Later that day I was digging up old links and making plans for a system of my own.

Here we are three and a half weeks after the Tour de Fat...and here's what I've got!

I also have a couple of build pics.  What you can't see in the first picture is that I took the amp apart, drilled two holes in the bottom half of the case and screwed that to the inside of the speaker box.

The crossover mounted nicely to the existing panel of the speaker.  I was even able to reuse one of the jack holes in the back. The panel was a bit brittle so I had to be careful when drilling through.

 Here's the crossover and power jack screwed into the back panel.

 And here's what it looks like from the inside.  Because I attached the case for the amp to the inside of the speaker box first, I had to slide the amp circuit board down in to the assembled case.  Then I screwed the front place of the amp to the case.  I wasn't able to screw the bottom plate on the case so I just left it open. I also connected the speakers to the back of the amp before putting the woofer back in the box.

Talib Kweli's Top 100

Talib Kweli published what he considers to be the top 100 Hip Hop songs ever.  I don't agree 100% with this list but there are some real bangers in this list.

Here's the original post:

And the actual list
Follow The Leader- Eric B and Rakim
Planet Rock- Afrika Bambatta
Top Billin- Audio Two
Peter Piper- Run DMC
T.R.O.Y- Pete Rock and CL Smooth
Simon Says- Pharoahe Monch
Ante Up- M.O.P
Fight The Power- Public Enemy
The Message- Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Hypnotize- Biggie
In Da Club- 50 Cent
Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothing To Fuck With- Wu Tang Clan
Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See- Busta Rhymes
La Di Da Di- Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick
Straight Outta Compton- NWA
B.O.B- Outkast
Mona Lisa- Slick Rick
PSA- Jay Z
Ain’t No Half Steppin- Big Daddy Kane
My Philosophy- Boogie Down Productions
Award Tour- A Tribe Called Quest
Ebonics- Big L
Grindin- Clipse
Buddy- De La Soul
Hip Hop- Dead Prez
Cream- Wu Tang Clan
99 Problems- Jay Z
Lost Ones- Lauryn Hill
One More Chance- Biggie
I Get Around- 2Pac
Get Low- Lil Jon
Juicy- Biggie
It Takes Two- Rob Base
Intergalactic- Beastie Boys
Flavor In Your Ear rmx- Craig Mack
Check the Rime- A Tribe Called Quest
Dear Mama- 2pac
How I Could Just Kill A Man- Cypress Hill
Get By- Talib Kweli
I Used to Love Her- Common
So Watcha Sayin- EPMD
Rock the Bells- LL Cool J
Mind Playing Tricks On Me- Geto Boys
Black Steel In the Hour Of Chaos- Public Enemy
Ice Cream- Raekwon
Money Power Respect- the Lox
Method Man- Wu Tang Clan
O.P.P- Naughty By Nature
Represent- Nas
Hail Mary- 2pac
Intl Player’s Anthem- UGK
Who Got The Props- Black Moon
Full Clip- Gangstarr
Runnin- Pharcyde
Next Episode- Dr. Dre
Stan- Eminem
Summertime- Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Scenario- A Tribe Called Quest
Can’t Tell Me Nothing- Kanye West
Nutmeg- Ghostface Killah
The Choice Is Yours- Black Sheep
Love of My Life- The Roots
Shook Ones- Mobb Deep
Sound of The Police- KRS One
Made You Look- Nas
Paid In Full- Eric B and Rakim
Hey Mama- Kanye West
Brooklyn Zoo- Ol Dirty Bastard
U.N.I.T.Y- Queen Latifah
Ether- Nas
Get Money- Junior Mafia
Children’s Story- Slick Rick
Time 4 Sum Aksion- Redman
93 Til infinity- Souls of Mischief
Move Bitch- Ludacris
It’s So Hard- Big Pun
Whoa- Black Rob
Lean Back- Terror Squad
All For One- Brand Nubian
Da Rockwilder- Meth and Red
Ruff Ryders Anthem- DMX
The Light- Common
They Want EFX- Das Efx
Lose Yourself- Eminem
The Symphony- Marley Marl
Fuck The Police- NWA
NY State of Mind- Nas
Bring The Pain- Method Man
Niggas In Paris- Kanye West and Jay Z
Bring Em Out- T.I
Hot In Here- Nelly
Definition- Black Star
Exhibit C- Jay Electronica
Shake Ya Ass- Mystikal
What We Do- Freeway
Drop It Like Its Hot- Snoop Dogg
Ready Or Not- Fugees
Live At The BBQ- Main Source
Jump Around- House of Pain
I Got It Made- Special Ed
Power- Kanye West
I Got 5 On It- the Luniez
Elevators- Outkast
Ms Fat Booty- Mos Def

Great weekend of riding in Breck.

Johanna and I just spent the weekend hanging out with friends and riding in Breckenridge.  We shot out of town a little early on Friday to beat the traffic and did a couple of great rides on Saturday and Sunday.  Before this we had only been to Breckenridge twice so we were still on our first handfull of rides in the area. My favorite thing about the trails is how much it reminds me of Virginia riding.  Don't get me wrong, the chunky, dusty front range riding is awesome but we came up riding the loamy, rooty, swoopy trails of central Virginia.  Breckenridge is much like VA but about 7,000ft higher.

The first day Johanna really wanted to try and get up to the Continental Divide.  Her first (ridiculous) ride plan involved climbing up to 14,000ft...which just wasn't going to happen.  Our friend Rebecca wisely suggested an alternative that would get us just under 12,000ft at Georgia Pass.  We started on Tiger Run Road in Breckenridge and did a 16 mile out and back.  8 miles up, 8 miles down... Sort of. The first half of the climb was really just some nice rolling terrain to soften you up for the real gut kicker.  The next two miles were brutal basically making up the bulk of the 2,000ft of climbing. The last 2 miles of climbing we fairly chill gradually bringing us up to Georgia Pass.

Day 2 was a dog-friendly loop that topped out at about 11,000ft with much less climbing all around. I was feeling surprisingly good until the last road climb but after that it was all perma-grin downhill.

If you care about the details you can see the Strava info for the Georgia Pass and Burro/Spruce Rides.

MTB Week 2012:Sedona

Last year 8 Virginia mountain bikers descended on Fruita like a swarm of fat tire locusts.  We had a great time camping in some amazing places, packing more people and bikes in a pickup truck than is likely legal and bombing down Porcupine Rim.

This year we opted to go a little more posh and "base camp" out of a VRBO in Sedona, AZ.  You may be wondering..."Why Sedona? Moab, sure, Fruita, Yup! But what's in Sedona?"  Oh, only about 300 miles of trails and mind blowing scenery right from your doorstep.

It was pretty nice to be based out of a house where we could roll out of the garage and ride to most of the trail heads.  We did drive one day when we wanted to check out some trails on the North side of town.

We basically all landed in Arizona on Saturday and made it to the house Saturday evening.  Team Vegan did have a slight delay and rolled in a day later.  Sunday's ride was HOT!  We got a bit of a late start and were out in the desert cooking during the heat of the day.  By 2 or 3 in the afternoon we were pretty much all in survival mode just looking to get back to the comfort of our little resort on the golf course.

We did meet a couple of characters on day 1.  A local who kind of had something to prove with a buddy who rides in denim. I think we also suffered from a flat or two on that first day.

Day two was pretty similar.  We got out a little earlier to try and beat the heat but we were still out there when it was close to 100 degrees.

On Tuesday we decided to head for higher ground and meet up with a Charlottesville buddy that recently moved to Flagstaff.  Unfortunately, Chris had befriended some local riders who had been pent up all winter and hadn't just spent the last two days trying to cook their brains in the desert sun.  All things considered it was a great ride and a good day in Flag.

Wednesday was a rest day for some of us.  Johanna, Fenton, Kyle and Richard opted for a little pre Grand Canyon ride.  I think they were out the door by 6:00 and a few hours later we were all headed up to the Grand Canyon for a little day trip.

By the end of the week temps had cooled down into the 70's and it was pretty ideal for riding.  I think we had some rain in the early part of Thursday so we waited it out and the group split up for two different afternoon rides.  J and Richard explored the Airport trails and the rest of us (minus Fenton who was beginning his own personal journey into hell) rode some of the stuff closer to town.

The last ride of the week was just a bit North of town and was pretty much perfect.  Being the last ride of the week I decided to throw the gauntlet down as we approached a short rise before a decent descent.  As I expected, Kyle and Richard answered the call and the three of us were tearing through baby heads like nobody's business.  I did manage to bonk myself about 300 yards from the car...which I would say is just about ideal.

Roots Retrospective (Part IV): Phrenology

It's hard for me to believe that this album has existed for 10 years!  Every time I see the CD jacket in the holder I feel like it's the most recent release.  There are some timeless hard hitters on this album.  The energy starts with Phrentrow and doesn't settle down until well after Pussy Galore.

While the two releases Break You Off and The Seed (2.0) are pretty accessible they are by no means the best songs on the album (IMHO).

So...standout tracks...let's see.  Rock You (Track 2) sets the tone for most of the album. Even soulless zombies have to bob their head when the beat for Quills drops, Thought @ Work is a nice illustration of Tariq's skills and to round out this album I've got to go with Pussy Galore.  The title is a bit misleading but give it a minute and be sure not to miss the message.  Also, while Rhymes and Ammo may not be the highest quality Roots track it's a fun anthem that makes a great fight song.  Not to mention pretty much anything Talib Kweli touches is pretty much gold.

Track Listing
Phrentrow
Rock You
!!!!!!!!
Sacrifice (featuring Nelly Furtado)
Rolling with Heat (featuring Talib Kweli)
WAOK (Ay) Rollcall
Thought @ Work
The Seed (2.0)
Break You Off
Water
Quills
Pussy Galore
Complexity (featuring Jill Scott)
Something in the Way of Things (In Town)

Bonus Track

Rhymes and Ammo/ Thirsty!

Next....The Tipping Point

Roots Retrospective (Part III): Things Fall Apart

You would be doing yourself a disservice to not listen to Things Fall Apart from beginning to end. Sure, there's some highs and lows but there are really no bad tracks on this album.  Things start off quite strong with the first three tracks...settle down for a little bit and then pick up with one of my favorite Roots tracks of all time.  Ain't Sayin' Nothin' New.  If I were forced to pick my 3 favorite...The Next Movement, Adrenaline and the elusive Hidden Track!


Track Listing
"Act Won (Things Fall Apart)"
"Table of Contents (Parts 1 & 2)"
"The Next Movement"
"Step Into the Realm"
"The Spark"
"Dynamite!"
"Without a Doubt"
"Saturday Night"
"Ain't Sayin' Nothin' New"
"Double Trouble"
"Act Too (The Love of My Life)"
"100% Dundee"
"Diedre vs. Dice"
"Adrenaline!"
"3rd Acts: ? vs. Scratch 2... Electric Boogaloo"
"You Got Me"
"Don't See Us"
"The Return to Innocence Lost"
"Act Fore (The End?)" (Hidden track)

Next Up: Phrenology

Roots Retrospective (Part II): Illadelph Halflife

Wow! It looks like I need to do a little more homework.  My awakening must not have happened until 1999 with Things Fall Apart.

Here's the track list:

"Intro"
"Respond/React"
"Section" "Panic!!!!!!!"
"It Just Don't Stop"
"Episodes" (featuring Dice Raw)
"Push Up Ya Lighter" (featuring Bahamadia)
"What They Do" (featuring Raphael Saadiq)
"? vs. Scratch (The Token DJ Cut)"
"Concerto of the Desperado"
"Clones" (featuring Dice Raw & M.A.R.S.)
"UNIverse at War" (featuring Common)
"No Alibi"
"Dave vs. Us"
"No Great Pretender"
"The Hypnotic" (featuring D'Angelo)
"Ital (The Universal Side)" (featuring Q-Tip)
"One Shine" (featuring Cassandra Wilson & Joshua Redman)
"The Adventures in Wonderland (performed by Ursula Rucker)" "Outro"

I have heard a few of these tracks but not enough to say that I can really recommend the premier tracks off of this one.  The (unedited) video for What They Do is pretty clever and from what I know of the tracks I have heard...I think I've been missing out.  Damn!

Next Up...Things Fall Apart

Roots Retrospective (Part I): Do You Want More?!!!??!

Release Date: January 17, 1995










Track Listing
Intro/There's Something Goin' On
Proceed
Distortion to Static
Mellow My Man
I Remain Calm
Datskat
Lazy Afternoon
? vs. Rahzel
Do You Want More?!!!??!"
What Goes On Pt. 7
Essaywhuman?!!!??!
Swept Away
You Ain't Fly
Silent Treatment
The Lesson Part 1
The Unlocking

Strangely I can't find this album in my iTunes library.  I have to wonder if there's a stray disk somewhere in my collection that has not been assimilated. Anyway, I can't say that there are any particular standout tracks on this album. Overall, it does sound just a little bit dated but there are some marquee tracks on this one that really characterize the essence of  The Roots. Proceed, Do You Want More and Silent Treatment have to be some of most classic songs on this album.

Next Up: The 1996 Release Illadelph Halflife

Do you want more of that illadelph game theory before things fall apart?

Hands down one of my favorite groups of all time.  There are only two groups who's albums I would buy without having heard a single track or review.  The Roots are one of those groups.

Well, to be fair, I haven't heard or purchased Wake Up! a collaboration with John Legend. I am not a huge fan of Organix but everything from Do You Want More?!!!??!  to How I Got Over will forever have a place on my iPod.

I had a buddy ask me to put together some new (to him) music and I immediately asked him if he had heard any Roots tracks.  He had heard a few, liked some, but not all.  I agreed to put together a recommended playlist for him but with so much music (8 albums in my collection anyway) I didn't really know how to pull my favorite tracks for him.  Well...I thought I would just go through each album, list the tracks and just highlight the ones I liked and why.  I figured if I was going to go through that much effort, I might as well document it.

This is clearly too much for one post...so I'll just start with Do You Want More?

Products of Our Environment

I don't think that anyone would argue that many of their traits came directly from their parents.  No breakthroughs there.  I am sure you notice it in your everyday life.  Perhaps it's how you talk, your sense of humor, how you cook, your music preferences...the list goes on and on.

What's interesting to me though are the inverse tendencies that are just as powerful as the direct tendencies we inherent from our parents.   One example, growing up we were always late going places.  Not just a little late every once in a while...always late, and sometimes hours late.  I think as a results I have this inherent animosity towards being late.  Not to the point that I am neurotic about it, and sure, I still get caught up from time to time and don't leave the house when I really should, but most of the time...I would much rather be ready early and get where I am going with time to spare.  That being said, I still drive way too fast (like my dad) and I will delay folding laundry for as long as I can (like my mom).

What about you...do you have any reverse tendencies as a result of your childhood?