2009 Bass Opener

We took our inaugural fishing trip as boat owners today (all these years it turns out my fear of backing up trailers was completely irrational).

Forgive the cell photo in bad light, squished to within an inch of its life to pull out the image, but there you go...the first picture worthy bass from our very own fishing platform - A 14ft Lund with a 9.5 horse vintage Johnson on the back. The fish weighed in at a tad over two pounds. Not a trophy exactly, but not too shabby either.

GD⁴ saw a fish jump, Louie's cue to pull out the hulapopper. A few casts later she saw a ripple, dropped the hula right on it, gave it one pop and pow! She was using an ultralight rig, the "Lady Angler" to be specific, with four pound test.

We had a beautiful day for the bass opener and after a false start on South Center Lake - you can't believe how choked with weeds it is - we went to another nearby lake (which shall remain nameless) where the photo was taken.

No. Don't even ask. You can't have it.

Anyway...caught a few bass, a small northern, and so many crappies I lost count early on. They were hitting on...well...everything.

Not a bad way to start the summer - our first with a boat.

Renewal Awaits

My hotel reservation confirmation for my summer trip to San Francisco:

Welcome,

Renewal awaits. We've received your reservation. Thank you for choosing to experience The Westin St. Francis. Your mind, body, and spirit will be energized. If there's anything we can do to make your stay more rewarding, please ask.

Be Well,

The Westin St. Francis

It must be some hotel.

MIA

Not much hockey going on this weekend, and we'll have to wait for Monday for the sure-to-be-absolutely-delicious continuation of Pelosi's idiotic fumbling, so please enjoy my absolutely favorite Foo Fighters tune in the meantime:



Mmm. Nice.

Billy Mac's Triumphant Return

This is long overdue, but here it is: Billy McLaughlin playing left handed.



I once heard Billy Mac lecture on "the intervalic fretboard." I didn't get it then - no one else did either - and I don't get it now. Billy is one of those rare musicians who sees the music; his hands are just an extension of his mind. That said, if you were to try to think of someone, master musician or not, who could suddenly decide to switch from right hand to left, Billy would be one of the few that would come to mind.

He plays differently now, holding the guitar more like a cello, but its all there.

We briefly taught together at Evans Music in White Bear Lake, although I can assure you it wasn't the same students. While Billy was teaching the deep principals of music to serious musicians, I was teaching "Enter Sandman" to teenagers.

The above recording was filmed at the Maplewood Community Center and marks Billy's comeback after years of struggling with focal dystonia, which forced the astonishing switch. Unfortunately it doesn't include his first words to the audience that night, following Helms Place, "I'm Billy McLaughlin, left-handed guitar player."

UPDATE: What the hell, as long as we're on the subject here's Fingerdance, from the old days and yes, he plays it left-handed now.

Whammy Bar as an Art Form

There's something comforting about knowing Steve Vai is still out there, still doing that crazy, crazy, thing only he can do:



The fretless stuff was my favorite. And yes, he plays all three.

For the Love of God: Retire Already!

rrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All in the Verbiage

Environmentalists are getting wise to the absurdity of their own language:

Instead of grim warnings about global warming, the firm advises, talk about “our deteriorating atmosphere.”

Thus continues the deteriorating cause.

Hockey at its Finest

Ovechkin vs. Crosby starts now on NBC.

In the meantime, watch perhaps the greatest goal ever:



My money's on Ovechkin.

Question Answered

The Wyoming mole sends an important resource that answers the question: Do I have swine flu?