The White Horse is Dead
Caballo Blanco’s body was found on March 31st in New Mexico’s Gila National Forrest. When Caballo disappeared, several friends and admirers flocked to New Mexico to assist in the search. His body was found up a creek far from any …
Pianist President
President Harry Truman was quite the pianist. There is a nice recording of him playing Debussy’s Arabesque No. 1. The president played with a polished and intimate musicality. There have been a few musical presidents. Clinton famously played saxophone on …
Blobs of Melodrama
There is a performance of Carmen coming up on June 22nd at the JCC in UTC. The production is a joint venture by the Pacific Lyric Association and the music department of Mira Costa College. I haven’t been able to …
Friday Cove Swim
“…I salute the air, the ocean and the land, Every day, at Sundown…” –Whitman On Friday, dozens of swimmers and triathletes descended on La Jolla Cove to salute the ocean. The conditions were favorable with the swell having diminished from …
Nostalgic Nauseating
Have you ever been at the gym and found yourself re-racking 315lbs of plates before you can use the squat rack? Have you gone to the open area usually reserved for stretching or abs only to find it covered with …
No Summer Doldrums Yet
As we head into summer, classical music concerts become thin on the ground but there are some nice ones this weekend. La Jolla Symphony concludes their celebration of Stravinsky with The Russian Composer. They will be performing Samuel Barber’s Piano …
Walking is not Running and Vice Versa
In an early post we explored a few verses of the Bhagavad Gita. In those verses we learned that we have a right to do work but not a right to the results of our work. http://bit.ly/KsKVLR What if we …
You Participated In a Marathon
What about my friend who ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll without training? I should make it clear that while my friend didn’t train for a marathon, this is a person who does three miles a few times a week and …
Cinderella: Like a New Yorker in San Diego
While looking over The Proms schedule I noticed that Gergiev is conducting Prokofiev’s Cinderella. Romeo and Juliet is Prokofiev’s most famous ballet but Cinderella is well worth a listen. In many ways I prefer it to Romeo and Juliet. The …
Lean Lean
We were supposed to go over what it means to “lean into” a hill but I got distracted. Here it is. There’s only one difference between a hill and flat ground. That difference is the way we interact with gravity. …
Prom Date
Who should I ask to prom? I’ve never been to prom and I want to go, bad. I want it to be perfect so I’ve put it off year after year. How can it be perfect if I ask just …
Illicit Bib
My phone gave me a text alert. “I have some news but you have to promise to be positive.” “I promise.” “I’m running the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon tomorrow!” “Awesome! You’re in for an experience. Isn’t it sold out?” “Ya …
Return to Dusty Rhodes
The guys from S10 Fitness are giving a free boot camp session tomorrow, Saturday the 2nd at 9:00 am. The location is Dusty Rhodes Park in OB. Yes, this was my near puke experience. I can’t recommend it enough — …
Stab Siri in the Neck
A recent commercial has planted "Un bel di vedremo" into my head but I’m enjoying it. I’m not sure what this iconic aria has to do with a conversation between a smart phone and John Malkovich. Of course, “un bel …
More Bang for the Buck
Since San Diego County is blessed with so many hills, we’ll be visiting one of them every now and again. The first one to visit is obvious — Torrey Pines State Reserve. When visiting the reserve, we have a few …
Lift Up Thine Eyes Unto the Hills
I just found a new hill to run near my home. For years I resisted hills and considered them the enemy. The hills picked up on my attitude and conspired to kick my butt relentlessly. I realized that I couldn’t …
Mesmerized: San Diego Symphony (2 of 2)
The final piece of music at Sunday’s concert was Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Pianist Horacio Gutiérrez appeared to be a master of illusion. His hands appeared to be hovering above the keys as he played the daunting solo part. …
A Step in a Direction: San Diego Symphony (1 of 2)
On Sunday the San Diego Symphony completed their 2011-2012 Jacobs Masterwork Series. The concert was an interesting one. The first piece was Ansel Adams: America by Chris and Dave Brubeck. This piece of music represents a direction classical music could, …
Skip the Start and Go to the Finish
There is a great opportunity to observe efficient and inefficient strides next Sunday, June 3. It’s called the Rock n’ Roll Marathon -- you may have heard of it. The event starts on Sixth Avenue at Quince Street at 6:15 …
Minimal Torture
When we were on the subject of the toe shoes, I mentioned that you need to modify your stride to make them work. I did not mention how to modify the stride. I will do that now. The initial purpose …