Aaron's Status

8:44 am

Recovery

I felt a little pinch in my back while climbing Sunday and committed myself to resting it. I had lead class on Tuesday and couldn’t under any circumstances skip it after a month of rescheduling, so I went, planning to be very ginger with my back.

The class went fine, I could feel some soreness, but we only climbed like maybe four times, and mostly easy routes. But from that point on, it hasn’t really gotten wildly better, and I’m starting to feel that sense of frustration that I don’t know what to do about it.

Of course the reality is that I am doing everything I can do: daily PT, paying attention to my posture, laying on the heating pad and ice pack, etc. I remain cautiously hopeful that I will be up for a climb on Sunday, and the second class on Monday.

Postcards

This is the second year that I am participating in the “pen plotter postcard exchange” (or “ptpx” for short). A nice fellow named Paul Butler organizes it, and it’s a nice excuse to fire up the plotter again and draw some stuff.

I signed up for eight postcards and I’ve already made them, so now I have to address them (which I also do on the plotter because why not?) and send them out! That will be a task for this evening or perhaps tomorrow.

Hip hop

Back in ‘01, I was working at an insurance software company. I became friends with a fellow named Joe who ran a small record label and produced drum’n’bass and electronic tracks. We were about the same age and among the youngest at the company at the time, so we used to get lunch together and hang out at the office.

On one of those occasions, Joe introduced me to what was, at the time, the bleeding edge of hip hop. Groups like Deltron 3030, Lovage, and Handsome Boy Modeling School. These records had all come out between ‘99 and ‘01 so it was fresh stuff, and I had never heard this style of hip hop.

I’m still kind of dumb when it comes to music genres, but I had equated “hip hop” with “rap,” which, obviously, they have different names and that is why they are not the same. Still, there is a certain “urban” quality to hip hop where I guess I can understand my own confusion.

Both styles involve lyrics more often spoken than sung, with varying degrees of rhyme, though hip hop tends toward more “freestyle” lyrics in which the rhyme and rhythm are more important than the meaning. That takes a little getting used to, but I enjoyed how totally unhinged some of the lyrics were.

Anyway, fast-forward to today, and I was reminded of some of these gems that I’ve enjoyed on and off over the years, and made an effort to gather together a more complete list.

For anyone who cares, here is that list.

• Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
• Handsome Boy Modeling School - So… How’s Your Girl?
• Lovage - Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By
• Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst

It’s worth noting that every single one of these records was produced in part by Dan “The Automator” Nakamura. Truly an icon of the genre. Key performers include Kool Keith, Del the Funky Homosapien, and Kid Koala.

If you want to go on a real roller coaster ride, listen to Dr. Octagonecologyst. But not in front of the kids.