Grateful

To be part of the Community of the United States of America.

Grateful - and optimistic!

Get On Your Boots -- New U2 Single

Bono stated a few months ago that they were delaying the release of the new album (now due March 3rd) because the band had hit "a rich songwriting vein" and they wanted to continue to mine it for aural nuggets. (Ok, he didn't say "aural nuggets." That lame phrase is all mine.) Seemed like an excuse born in a PR session to me, but based on a few listens of the new single, perhaps he was right. Not bad boys. This one's going on a spin playlist. Now bring on the tour.

BTW, listen to it LOUD!

BTW II -- I love iTunes on shuffle mode. Once the aformentioned U2 song concluded, the next track randomly selected was a 10-second SNL clip of Phil Hartman saying "I just stepped in a big pile of sassy!" Forgot I had that. Puts a smile on my face.

Spin Workout - Amaterasu

If you happen to be a member of the Comcast Fitness Center, get out of bed early on Wednesday mornings and come to my spin class. We start at 7a sharp. Here's a recent workout (three circuits of a spint/climb/recovery):

Intro/Warmup: Red Sun by Anoushka Shankar
Sprint #1: Elevation (Influx remix) by U2
Climb #1: Give It 2 Me (Oakenfold edit) by Madonna

Sprint #2a: O Saya by AR Rahman & MIA
Sprint #2b: Voodoo Child by Moby
Climb #2a: Starry Eyed Surprise by Paul Oakenfold
Climb #2b: Diesel Power by The Prodigy

Sprint #3: Men's Needs by The Cribs
Climb #3a: Halfway Home by TV On the Radio
Climb #3b: How High by Tricky
Recovery & Cool down: Love Rescue Me by U2

Video playing in background: Stage 13 of the 2003 TdF (the one where Lance took a tumble and went on to win the stage.)

45 minutes of spinning goodness. Let me know if you have music suggestions for future classes. High bpm tunes are best, for obvious reasons.

Faster, faster! Up a half turn! Out of the saddle!

See you Wednesday morning.

Eschaton

Another Infinite Jest post.
In the middle of the "Eschaton" section. Page 320-something through 340-something. I expected this section to be harder to read than Isaiah, but once again, I'm surprised at DFW's ability to make an otherwise tedious passage so engaging. SACPOP, AMNAT, SOVWAR, IRLIBSYR, INDDIR, SUFDIR, INDPAK, REDCHI - acronymns become meaningful shorthand in telling a larger story. As exciting as playing Risk for the first time. And the game narative feels like an alegory for the cluelessness of nations over-weighting self-interest. Not done with the section yet. Just saying.

(Image courtsey Seamus Carmichael)

Happy Y.D.A.U. !

Go ahead. Google it.