More Music

Following up on last weekend's I Fought the Law post, here are two protopunk classics:

The Phantom: Love Me  (1958)             Johnny Guitar Watson: Space Guitar (1954)

Gravel Grind Update

This just in from the event organizers.  Even though you may not get a tee shirt, it's still not too late to get with this thing.  Now, the only remaining question... to camp or not?  Weather's going to be good, but probably not.  With only an hour and a half drive up, the time that would be spent breaking camp in the morning makes it about a wash, and I know which is easier.

----------

Good day gravel grinders! I wanted to email everyone with a little bit more information about the event. 

--As mentioned in the flyers and on the registration site, you will need a photo id, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance to get on base, and no weapons are allowed on base. Please remember this, Camp Shelby is an active military base and has rules about being allowed on base. You will enter through the SOUTH GATE off highway 49 and there are signs to get to the museum. Directions can be found at http://www.armedforcesmuseum.us/Directions.pdf

--Hotels are available in Hattiesburg, some along the intersection of highway 49 and interstate 59, and others around the intersection of highway 98 and interstate 59. As far is which is closer, they are both about the same. Staying along highway 49 you can just head sound on 49 to the gate, staying along highway 98 you will want to go south on interstate 59 to the highway 98 east exit 59, then exit onto highway 49 south toward the MS gulf coast. 

--Camping, cottages and cabins are available at Paul B. Johnson state park which is very close to the Camp Shelby gates. Fees and rules are available at http://www.mdwfp.com/media/235680/40_miss_admin_code_part_6_compilation_v2_final.pdf and information on booking is at http://mississippistateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/paul-b-johnson/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=MS&parkId=156846  

--Registration/check in will start at 8:30am, day of registration is allowed, so if you know anyone who decides last minute to come ride, please bring them! The ride will start at 10:00am with the 50 mile riders in front and 25 behind. The 25 mile is a lolipop loop with an aid station that will be passed twice. The 50 mile is a loop with 2 aid stations along the way. Aid stations will have water, fruit and gels. There will be a course sweeper so if you have trouble someone will be coming along to help. 

--After the ride stick around for chili, chips and soft drinks. 

--Most important of all... have fun! This is a relaxing ride on some fantastic gravel roads.

Thank you all for registering and we will see you on Sunday!

I can see doing this.

Italian coffee king Renato Bialetti buried in coffee pot, over at UPI.  There are many other  write-ups around the web if you really care to look, but this one photo from the funeral says it all.

Two versions of "I Fought the Law"

Was listening to some late-night shortwave last night when "I Fought the Law" came on, the Bobby Fuller Four version.  I don't know, it's pretty good in its own way, but the Clash cover is the one I know.  Guess that's more a function of when I grew up.  Anyway, here they both are, pick your poison:

Bobby Fuller Four                                       The Clash (live)

Movie Review: Deadpool

No wait, I'm not going to give a full review.  Here's what I thought of it: great fun, 3.25 stars out of 4.

Now, will you like it?  That depends a lot on you.  It's full of profanity-laced graphic cartoon violence, and that does not appeal to everyone.  Here are two reviewers who I regularly read and respect, one who loved the move (Reelviews), one who hated it (Flikfilospher).  Scroll down on the Reelviews review and there's the red-band trailer.  Watch that, it's an honest trailer, it's a fair sampling of the move.  If it appeals, then you'll like the move.  If it appalls, then you'd best not go.

Two more bonus reviews.  First from a friend who's a fan of the comic book source; he gives it a thumbs-up, said it's true to the source material.  Finally, there's the review over at Liberty mag, which sports the tagline Not for everyone – and that's OK.  Yeah, that's about right.  Watch the trailer, you'll know very quickly.

Anyway, I thought it was pretty damn good.

New Willie Nelson Record, "Summertime"

On his latest album, Nelson dives deep into the Gershwin standards catalogue.  To a casual observer that would sound improbable, but he pulled off a similar feat 38 years ago on his perpetually-listenable album "Stardust."  Review and tracks over at NPR, so give it a test listen and see for yourself.  Pretty good stuff.

Mad Scientists Through the Ages

OK, we've had enough of this good science gravitational wave stuff.  Now for some bad science.  Here's a list of fifteen mad scientists spanning from ancient times through the 19th Century.

Now, I have seen plenty of enraged scientists and several slightly eccentric scientists, but those were more of personal affairs.  The quality of their research didn't suffer though the quantity occasionally might.  The classic weird old dude in a castle seems to be creature of the past, when proto-science was the best horse running.  One might mourn that the world is a less colorful place for the lack of true mad scientists, but honestly, the real stuff we're doing these days is far more interesting and arguably even more bizarre.