"Coach" Benjamin Wade to speak at Lone Wolf

Coach is in town and has spent the last few days hanging at the Wolf and over at Lindenwood University speaking at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes luncheon.

I am honered to know him and seek to enhance my own life through his Warrior Spirit.

The Blues

So cornbread tosses me a CD and says: "Hey Ralph, you think you can write about music? it says so on your blog" (which, if I might add, seems to be disappearing in to the abyss with the Twitter thing and other methods of communication, though I might be wrong).

I wanted to have said: "hey man, that would be cool, let me comment on that piece of shit CD by Elvis Costello that literally put me to sleep in the first track and kept me there for a solid 45 minutes until I pulled out of slumber right before taking out a Blockbuster Video Store at 2:00 PM Christsake. I will not write about CD's and have already indicated my knowledge of the industry.

We did get our act together on a set lately that includes a couple of (what some might consider) cliche pieces from the Blues Brothers and Chuck Berry (not the pervert years). I really don't care, because from now on I am known as "Jimmyleg" and I can now craft out my persona accordingly. This from a 2nd grade leg gyrations learned from some hip teacher back in the day.

All I can say is that Jimmyleg is real and is coming to a blues house near you as soon as we can get our friggin lead guitar playa back. Ifyouknowhatimtalkingbout.

Wapiti

Well, the new site is up and it is pretty killer. Wapiti Adventures is off and running with trips planned for this year and an open conduit for next year. It is exciting, and our mission to engage and change the world through O-Sports is underway.

Check out the site and watch the video:

BB's, Stlblues.net and Cornbread

May 17th was fast approaching and our band, who has been in the process of sorting things out, including coming up with a name and, most importantly, the time to practice as a group, wasn't looking like it was up for the task. We lost our drummer in April and last week Kevin, our Lead Guitar needed some "him" time.

We were the St. Louis Kingpins and supposed to be the opener for the Soulard Blues Band at BB's the STLBlues.net Cancer benefit, put on by our boy Peter Cohen, (aka) Cornbread. Now, Cornbread is pretty well known in the underground, grassroots community of St. Louis Blues. He has told me stories of receiving tons of CD's from all over the country that he listens to and reviews and posts them on his site. I took for granted, I am sure, that it was just a hobby and one that wasn't quite so "involved" as hobbies go.


This is not the case with Cornbread and his partners, who have embarked on a journey, a viral marketing process that engages the way musicians and fans communicate; how to find the blues. Visit stlblues.net if you get a chance. It is a very comprehensive site, devoted to the blues with an ongoing calendar that is comprehensive. As I get "all-up-in" to that culture, while still learning to play guitar and crafting out my own style, singing and playing the harp, it will be important to take note of a couple of things in regard to the community.

First and foremost, let it be known that blues fans come in all shapes and sizes, and the history of who's who, or better said, who used to play where and with who, is sacred knowledge amongst the group. I say this because it didn't take me long to put my foot in my mouth.

We had been at BB's for a couple hours and had gotten there early to get a good table to watch Chef Mike, one of our band members (keyboard player), playing in our forfeited spot under the band name, Park the Karma. They were really good and I was indeed correct in assuming that, since we lost our lead guitar player and drummer, it was the right thing to do: bag the inaugural St Louis Kingpins event.

And I was thinking while sitting there watching, listening--if I would have gotten tripped up while on stage, I could have simply blurted out stuff about being an elite cyclist or something, and that I can ride really fast, and that this blues thing is all really just an experiment, and that if y'all throw shit at me, I will leave on my 4000.00 Cannondale like, really fast.

So the bands went on for a couple hours, Cornbread knew virtually every musician and every musician wanted to meet him because he is the one who does all the reviews in the city and other. I met the lead singer of the Soulard Blues Band, asked him how and the hell he remembers all the words. He says, the key is knowing the story. You got to get the message, so you can feel it, sing it, be it, the way the artist wanted it to be, when sung. Word, I didn't get his name but he told me that he is coming out west for coffee soon. A black guy in cowboy boots, we are now friends.

I was wanting to get out of there because it was getting dark and I selfishly yearned to get back home to the comfort of West County, where there are less chances of people asking for money. While standing out front of what is surely St. Louis's premiere blues entertainment venue, BB's.

I noticed this guy, around my age, short and plump, dressed up in one of those vintage southern Alabama shirts that looks like Mayberry. He had on a straw hat and looked like he come right off the set of "Brother Where Out Thou". He was standing around like I was, so I struck up a conversation with him. I told him that my boy Cornbread over there is a baddass blues CD reviewer, the best that ever existed and that, (and here is where you hit me) if the CD's were DVD's, he would listen to them on priority and that every CD should accompany a DVD, as part of the marketing, blah, blah, blah...typical Pfoodman necktalk. Turns out the dude was no other than Tom "Papa" Ray, the owner of Vintage Vinyl down in the Loop. The man. He shut me down pretty good and I got a serious learnin from this southern boy, who was really quite charming in his knowledge and oratorical articulations (George Clooney demure). Great guy, very knowledgeable, a true St. Louis icon.

From Cornbread himself:

Yesterday BB's had a decent crowd. Ralph, Dan and I were there, had a Bud, ate some wings & sweet potatoe fries and took in 4-5 bands. The crowd was less than we hoped. Mike and Park The Karma really well. Ralph and I are each getting some coaching from guys in Soulard Blues Band (vocals and bass). Dan kept talking about the old guys that were playing. I was asked for rolling papers by some guy walking by, Ralph offended Papa Ray then hit a tree..... All-in-all it was a great afternoon!

So even though we didn't play, I made a couple friends, got down with the culture of the blues in St. Louis, which is a very serious thing. I just returned from Austin and it is a very serious thing there as well. Who knows where the journey will go from here? The main thing is that there are open arms in each community as it relates to music and the love of music. And that, even if my opinion is shit, I can still make some meaningful acquaintances.

Look What's Coming in July

Check back for updates...

Austin

Austin Texas is not in Texas. So says just about everyone I have met there. There is a culture different from that which one would think is the "damn proud of my heritage attitude" of most Texans. It is a good place with style, unlike Dallas, Houston, even San Antonio with its fabricated river walk of corporate hotel and restaurant. Austin is different from the rest of the state, independent of the state in many ways, even though the state capital sits boldly in the middle of downtown.

I was there on business meeting some folks on the active living front. Austin is all about that, active living and entrepreneurship is the best way I can explain. Small start up businesses are springing up everywhere. I strolled the warehouse district to get a feel for what is real and what is not, as well as other areas of the city, to find out what the culture there truly possesses. I noticed some things that were really on the fringe. The use of the old buildings, the architecture that defines the area--this was cool. The loading docks are all left exposed, so to navigate from one building to the next took you up and down stairs, connectors with surfaces that change, creating an interesting way for business owners to merchandise.

We went to Mellow Johnnie's near an area soon to be developed and enhanced by additional big building stuff. There is mixed use apartments towering high above the skyline, condos, expensive ones, with retail below, mixed in with the old. The whole place is really quite splendid with the eclectic mix of old and new. The attitude is hip. Lots of fixie retro stinky bikes ridden by the locals, for those with impeccable style. I, like a tourist, purchased a couple MJ jerseys, one to display at the Wolf and one for swag at the Dirt Crit races this summer.

I am going back in two weeks. if anyone wants to go with. Going, to just hang out in the center of town and get in to the active lifestyle a bit, ride bikes, drink coffee, listen to music. You can ride out of town in to single track I am told. The locals also told me of a couple private land owner places where the single track is golden. I am taking up trail running and since this place is famous for ultra marathon freaks, I plan on working my way in to the fold and find out what this place is all about.

Maybe I will bring a video camera and film it, start a reality show seeking out the best Active Living Cities in the Country, maybe that is what I am supposed to do. Maybe I have already started this whole thing and I haven't quite gotten warmed up yet. Regardless, Austin is a fun town and certainly inspiring for those who want to check out of Midwestern delirium. I plan on getting a firm dose of this town, and seek to capture the culture in the journey, then spread the word, ifyouknow.....

Bike Racing Back Up

A most excellent picture of burnin at the bluff 08. If that ain't enough...


Enough of the pre-season writers quagma. I am sick of whining for now. I feel the fitness coming and it will be soon that I can actually finish ahead of Skuck and not far off of Thrashers wheel. And, by the way, he is riding most wonderfully. Both of them.

So the new guy, Bert. The ICCC loner who obviously trains about 6 hours a day with a smile on his face that can only compete with you-know-who. I take great pride in alerting the public to watch out for this guy, who I predict will win races (if he sandbags in sport).

Also at the Ranch ride Tuesday, George on his 69er pushing some home brewed slime mixture. I glanced over and saw Thrasher and Skuck enthralled in conversation, figuring out viscosity and density of matter......

Albert brought his dog and a cage for his dog. I thought this was quite nice, a little strange, but nice that, in order to get a ride in, he would pack up the little booger in the car, set up a makeshift kennel with blankets, food and water, and probably a stuffed animal, all while he went out on the sweet single track.

The GrandmasterGeezer was there, always good to see Paul. I am exploiting both he and Kaspar on Friday, taking a group of guys on the Two Fairy's ride Friday, hosting and flexing their muscles. Paul says comeback might be in order. My aim with Kaspar is to get him out of circle riding, ifyouknowhatimtalkinbout. These two should have stories to tell of yesteryear. I bet both of them still have kits from before I finished high school.

And how about Bobby, still sporting a black eye from some brawl he got in while in holdover at the city workhouse. Apparently he got in to it with a cop after getting all up in Ryan, the "full of piss and vinegar" trail steward from GORC at Castlewood. Word, if I find myself in any way shape or form answering to this kid on my call to run a race, there will be a serious problem. Ryan, do not meddle where you are not needed. We know how to make the calls on trail suitability without you providing undue influence. Make adjustments in your energy level towards this sort of thing and all will be cool. No tongue and cheek here.

Anyways, have a good week of riding. We are now getting ready for Rhett's Run in Columbia. Looking to have quite a group coming down there. I have heard from a few people in regard to the state championship, hearing that this race might be NORBA sanctioned. Can anyone settle the score on this?

Pigs

Rather than write about the swine flu media hype, that which we all know will lead towards a slew of commercials advertising swine flu remedies, shots, etc. Brilliant! A boost for the economy by way of "scare media" and the lack of anything else controversial to report about. But hey, if it kick starts the pharmaceutical biz, so be it, I have some stock that needs to recover. I figure there will be lots of this stuff coming about. A puppet master of media controversy making sure stuff like this gets the attention of the masses. It sure makes the secondary schools flex their "cover your ass" muscles. Has anyone gotten a position statement from their school district yet? Same with the other "disclaimer" oriented need be's. I heard this morning that Egypt is slaughtering all the pigs in the country. Do they have pigs?

I just thumbed through my copy of Fortune Small Business. I am not sure why I receive this each week, or maybe its monthly, I don't really know. It simply appears in (my) bathroom and I read it, placed there with love from my wife. It is the reading material of the morning window. Word.

I don't like this magazine and read it because it gives me contrasting opinion on how big business and small business differ yet have an evolving process of conforming destiny. It's put together pretty well and shows up on time (I presume) and in good condition. The reason I (like) don't like it is because the subject matter always takes the unconditional high path of big business theory, even though small business is in the title and small business is where opportunity meets conventional and unconventional principals of entrepreneurship. It's almost like the editors simply apply traditional business theory to small business, then look down upon them (the entrepreneurs) and say: "Hey, you need to conform or find yourself in litigation, the wrong position, in unjustified markets or worse, find yourself in...(thumbing through)...a broken business model".

There are lots of articles to be written about the broken business model.

Do entrepreneurs really aspire to have the culture of big business practice take over--the autopilot of "RED's", (Reasonable Efforts of Defense found in policy manuals produced by legal departments) the "just so there is no confusion" dialog spliced into the 75 page employment manual?

Do I really think they are missing the mark? Well no. Not really. Any rational business owner says to them self: "Yep, I need to be doing that. We need to be doing sensitivity training, protect the workplace, promote, respect...file catalog...report...pay...conform...respond...accrue". Fortune Small Business will capture the next article nicely....How to raise capital through VC.

As important as it is, and as necessary as all that stuff is in today's business world in order to stay out of trouble. It is an absolute downer to use that side of my brain--the side that has to spend its time conforming to legal precedent, government restrictions and administrative requirements. This is what they don't tell you in school but tell you in Fortune Small Business, that you have a nut to crack before you can launch that business. You have to outsource a bunch of your (lack of ability) to sort through the fog. You need to consider this in your business plan, the mounds of legal and conditional process. And then just wait and see what happens when you hire a bunch of employees. You need big business!

I don't let that get to me for the most part. I figure my job is to use my talent to advance my business and the rest will fall in line. I have to keep moving, in order to make the money necessary to keep up with what will continue to lay claim to our ability to move through the system. So from now on, I am two part creative development process and one part advocate for less government and regulated process defined by big business. I will attempt in the next few years to re-define the way small business is considered, in relationship to the political, legal and moral standard. I say go to the ceiling with what I am able to appropriately dole out in regard to the RED's. But shut my business down and lets see who really loses.

It won't be Fortune Small Business, they will simply write another testiment. The employees will lose.