Al's Blog-o-Sphere

I went for a ride yesterday with the NFBC, a 50-miler called the Alabama Ramble. It wandered from Clarence out into the Alabama swamps, on through Akron Falls Park and back. It was a hot day, but not as hot as the past week and it felt good to get out and be riding. As usual, I kept with the group for the first half of the ride, then rode the second half with a couple who were taking it more leisurely. Only the last 5 miles or so, I rode alone. When I got back to the parking lot where we started, my vehicle was the only one there.

Somewhere along the ride, I lost my SuperFlash taillight. It was on and blinking, so it might be out there somewhere, still blinking in the grass. I probably hit a big bump and it popped loose. It’s a bad design, the batteries, electronics and lens are all in the front half of the clamshell case. The back, which fastens to the bracket on the bike, is empty. All the weight is in the front, detachable part of the light. All that weight is working to open the case with every bump. Most lights have everything in the back and only a light lens cover comes off to change batteries. Continue Reading…

Okay, if you were in any doubt about it being summer concert season, it’s now in full swing with the Independance Day holiday behind us and the rest of the season ahead. What’s on this weeks slate?

[Left: Amanda Nagurney]

Tues. - Artpark - The Guess Who, Son of the Sun
Wed. -  Gateway Harbor - Wanted Dead or Alive and Beatle Magic
Thurs. - Lafayette Square - Ozomatli, Rebelution
Fri. - Lockport Canal Concert - Gretchen Wilson,  Bareback Jack, 
                     Amanada Nagurney
Fri. - Gateway Harbor - Shadows Motown Review with 
                     Barbara St. Clair & Billy McEwan
Sat. - Hard Rock Cafe - The English Beat, with Giant Panda 
                     Guerilla Dub Squad and Floozie

Great holiday weekend, now it’s time to get to business. Let’s run through the who’s-who of the week: Continue Reading…

I went into Downtown Lockport last night to check out the Canal Concert. This was the first time this year for me, as I was out of town for the opener last week. I didn’t actually stay for the concert, but passed through the area twice during the event. These are my impressions…

I was walking down Main Street early, about 5 o’clock, and noticed a lot of broken glass, mostly of the brown variety, on the sidewalks. Not an isolated place, but everywhere. Did I miss a riot, or something? This was before the concert started and they don’t serve glass containers there anyway, so where did all this come from? I don’t think it was the craft show! It was endemic the whole length of Main Street. Big pieces were gone, like they had been picked up, but smaller pieces were in every crack and crevice. Is beer-bottle throwing some new sport in Lockport? Continue Reading…

With the weekend spent in Rochester doing Ham Radio things and the weather being somewhat cool, I’d been itching to get out and ride again.

Today, it was warm enough and a beautiful sunny day, so I went off for a long ride. Actually it was a cool day, but not so cool that I needed a jacket. I had wanted to ride to North Tonawanda on Wednesday to go to an outdoor concert, but it was a bit chilly and I didn’t relish riding back after dark when it got colder. Continue Reading…