fixed impressions

I’m keeping my 46/18T on the REK, and 40/21 on the Uniscorcher. If I had a fixed/fixed, instead of a cursed flip/flop that’ll likely never flop, I’d run a 23T on the other side. Seriously. Come to Northern Vermont and you’ll understand. It’s not like the hills are any steeper here than anywhere else. They’re steep and ROUGH.

Nuff said.

I got my part-time nordic track-setting job again for the winter. Goal = Craftsbury 50k classic race at the end of January. We’ll see. Love XC skiing.

G

“Dub”

Many connotations.

Denotation:

1. to confer knighthood.
2. a clumsy person (from M.G.Webster no less)
3. to add audio (sound effects) to a motion picture or television.

King Tubby.

Lee Scratch Perry.

Reel to Reel.

Mixing Board.

Mad skills.

CJ was on me about my lack of production so I did a quick one for him.
Click on his mug to hear the show.

I don’t have any of Perry/Tubby on vinyl except for a couple o’ 7 inch.

So.

I made the 30+ minute show as “dubby” as is possible for me.

Enjoy.

G.

I ride a 46 x 18T on the REK (commuter) and 40/21 on the scorcher.

I found out today that my favorite Atlanta video artist, good pal and dedicated fixer:

Ab rides 48 x 16T.

What is my issue? I just suck? or I just like to ride an easy gear…

I guess I just like slow. Slow riding, slow food, steady movement.

G.

(this rare shot reflects 40 x ??, but she sorted out a 48T all-steel Raleigh crank since. You can use your imagination. Oh, wait! You repainted it? blue now? Well, someday she’ll send me a pic of the new color scheme…

This mix is very different than most of FIX’s downtempo shows. Inspired by one of my trainer/mentors at WRUV FM Burlington, TED, I’m featuring King Crimson in this show. I got a set of their LP’s in great condition. The records were MIA until last week when I found them in one of my jazz crates. Go figure. Not sure why I filed them there, ’cause I probably wouldn’t file them there in any normal frame of mind. Ahem. ‘Nuff said.

Enjoy the change of pace. Click below for FIX Alternative Downtempo.

G

The photo is for effect, as usual this mix was all on 12″ vinyl, except for the DEVO track which is from a rare 7″ 45RPM promo!

Tuning up for my “team graveyard” FM gig starting next week. This set should be up by the wee hours EDT.

G

Fixed Impressions now moves fully into the fall season. I actually could see some of fall today as the two weeks of cotton-wool weather subsided. It actually looks like fall now, with some color showing in the trees.

Anyway, to the first thought: Some of the changes you’ve seen in style in the blog will continue apace. I’ve been, well ok, way off topic here. I just wanted to focus on some non techie-fixed stuff for a bit. But, the focus will shift back to the point. Fixed works.

Also, as I have mentioned previously, I registered the domain name www.fixedimpressions.com. I did this so that I can have complete control over content, and because neither Blogger nor .Mac support any dynamic server-side web services. Up to now that hasn’t been an issue. But my ability and interest has grown. Complemented by growth in traffic on the site and my vocational ambitions as web designer/developer, I’m going to take it up a couple of levels. Without getting into too much techie detail, let’s just say I’m getting my DHTML and server-side AMP act together. Mind you, I’m no pro. But I think you’ll like the new stuff.

I’ll be moving the static images and other fixed content off of Blogger first. Then, I’ll create my own server-side blogger app. Blogger has been great and makes learning to do it yourself much easier by giving you a good starting point. One of my only complaints is that html forms for writing are not cool. I suppose some people like it because the form has image, link and other tagging shortcuts. Having lost two posts due to my stupidly closing “all” tabs in Firefox, or because Blogger crapped out, I use an editor and cut and paste. Highly inelegant. I believe that you can email your posts in too, but I so depend on blogger preview to “alter my consciousness” that the email thing just doesn’t sound too appealing either.

After exhausting a bunch of energy figuring out how to host my site myself, I decided to look for a commercial host. I’ve been handicapped as most cable internet users are, by our ISP/Cable provider shutting down all common ports. I’m about to move, and haven’t really checked with my new housemates too much about their set-up. Though its possible to get a routable fixed IP address and Synchronous DSL with very good upstream bandwidth, there are issues of cost and security with that solution that are out of scale for my hosting plans.

For now that is.

OK.

G.

OK. It stopped raining for a half a day. WOH.

WRUV here I come. I start my graveyard show effective 10/28. Unfortunately for right coast listeners ( in US ) the show is from Friday mornings, 2-4AM. For Oregonian/Cali, it’s on Thursday 11pm-1am. Such is the task of the beginner. You’ll be able to listen live by clicking on the links on the station home page: WRUV. There is a link there that lets you choose from .mp3 or real audio streams. They also have an “archive” from which you can download any show broadcast on the station during the last week. Sweet huh? I’ll probably link them out of the sidebar.

Moving

After all I wrote about moving to the country…I took a place closer to Burlington. Go figure. Faced with the coming N. VT winter, I thought the old Subaru would be better off limping the 2 miles than 20. This became more important with my accepting a graveyard slot on the radio station. I found a similar and less expensive “cave-like” basement room. Of course I already live in the basement, but this one is really nice! Specs later.

Moving MOM

The weekend before I move I will be helping my mom to move into her new “condo” which is attached to my sisters house. Custom.

I’ll have made 5 moves (including hers) in the last 14 months. Please, can I just stay in one rental until I buy a house. Please.

REK

I’ve only been able to get out on REK lately. I was selling it, but of course after getting a couple pitiful low-ball offers, the sale ended abruptly. That’s a great bike. And it’s got a complete set-up. That’s the part that potential buyers miss. This is a road bike conversion, and anyone with any real conversion experience knows that it doesn’t (almost never) just work. Lots of chainline coaxing, re-dishing, cone and axle switching, hanger hack-sawing and all. It’s no gimme!

The REK. It rolled me over to the grocer in a Northern European style grey-monsoon. No complaints, lots of fender and mud-flap proving their worth with every perigee probing downstroke. The bottom of the pedal circle is where the fender/flap earns its salary. My dad made the custom flap about 15-20 years ago from two layers of sheet rubber. Not a tear in ‘em. Course he had them on his back up bike. Not too much use. Anyway, people routinely look at the thin rubber and laugh. I just need to add a DIY plastic stiffener to the setup and it’ll hold back the wake from those 12mph “boat-launches.”

It’s a keeper.

FUTURE PROJECTS

63XC

I’ll be working up a new article or two for 63XC for their December “Issue”. Love that site. And I seem to have content that really works for them. This will be “Reverse Part II”. Possibly a piece on tires, but I only use a couple tires, and haven’t had time to experiment with others. In fact once I decide that they work (tires) I usually forget about them until they stop working. Or get cut.

Fixed Impressions Feature.

I have all the content I could dream of. Also can create in a hurry almost anything I don’t have and think that I need. The reality is that editing from documentary type footage is painstaking and requires the right frame of mind. I currently do not have it. Expect another trailer of out takes in December. Then wintertime I’ll compose the music (slow but rewarding) and get ready to start editing. Realistically folks, the feature won’t be ready until spring.

I keep getting sidework doing css and html “tuning” and just helping people get their web/blog setup.

VULTURE SOCKS

I plan to actually write a review. As soon as I got mine from Nat, I promptly took a few pair and went hiking on the Long Trail in VT. They performed flawlessly and showed excellent durability. Good wicking. Cleaned up well. Shrunk a bit in the gas dryer.

I just saw that Nat added the FIX radio tuner to his site. Sweet. I tested it and it ’s right. Good work man. I had a hell of a time with HTML in the beginning too.

I will write more about the socks. But they’re great so far.

Thanks for reading. I’ve got to get some rest as I’m going to be up at night a bit for the next 2 months (on WRUV, FM Burlington ).

G

A quick reminder of sunnier times.

I feel like I’m in the rainforests of Oregon. Or the Olympics. It’s been cool and grey and raining for days. Seems like it’s been forever since the sun was out.

This was the second to last day of CJ’s visit from Bend in September. A quick round of disc golf in Waterbury, VT.

I’m on decks tonite. Vermont House rooftop hipster shindig.

See you there.