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Showing posts from July, 2013

Jim O'Brien: Pilloried By Fools

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1993 Angeles Crest 100 Mile Finish line at Johnson's Field, Altadena, CA.  L to R: Nancy, Coach Jim O'Brien, Larry Gassan, pacer Ray Deschenes. I repaid Ray by pacing him at WS in 94. On June 13, 2013, legendary coach Jim O'Brien was fired by the Arcadia High School for unspecified transgressions, despite two national titles and a winning record going back almost thirty years. ...O’Brien, now 60, was abruptly fired from his head coaching position at Arcadia. Runners, students, alumni and parents were shocked. O’Brien was not apparently involved in any scandal and, though his style has been described as intense, had no real detractors, other than the personnel associated at Arcadia High School associated with his firing. [from the TrailRunner article]   On July 24, 2013, friends, students and supporters of Coach Jim O'Brien came out and spoke directly to the Arcadia Unified School District Supervisors in an open meeting as to why Jim was important to them, th

The Tao Of McLeod

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Just below Newcomb's Saddle on the Gabrielino Trail, with Sri Roshi McLeod. Photo courtesy Dominic Grossman Today was a very good day to set aside the camera, and swing a McLeod with the AC100 Trail Crew. And no, the trail did not get magically shorter. It took about an hour to realize that I was keeping the McLeod from doing its job. All I really had to do was raise it high overhead, and guide it as it fell towards the brush. The blade severed branches and twigs with far less effort than before. Only problem was that I had about 90 minutes juice left. The memory of what I had been able to do years ago was trumped and punked by ass-time in front of a computer. The McLeod is a brush-clearing tool of great simplicity. A long ash-handled cutting, raking, and clearing implement, with a 9x9" hoe-blade/coarse tooth rake 1/4" steel plate at the end. Chop with the blade, clear with the rake. The simplicity requires much study and devotion before it reveals itself fully.

Why You Didn't Get To Join

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A typical bogus candidate profile. [revised Jan 30, 2015] When I first wrote this, I was coming to grips with the staggering number of fake profiles in Facebook Landia applying to the ultrarunning Facebook group. Note lower-case U. Since this, I've become ruthless in dealing with this problem. My first line of inquiry into an ultra-candidate is UltraSignUp.com, a great bullshit detector. And if there's any further doubt, I'll look on RealEndurance.com . Here's the current ABOUT. It's edited down from the original, and still nobody reads it. Too bad. This non-commercial site is about ultrarunning only. This growing group of informed ultrarunners is an excellent knowledge base. Please share your ultrarunning stories, adventures, goals, race reports, and questions. Nothing focuses the mind like a cut-off. Everyone here has passed that simple test. 1] MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS, in effect since April 2013 verified completion of at least one [1] 50k via Ult

Radio Goddess: Deirdre O'Donoghue

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Home-brew dub cassette art, 1990. July 16 is the late Deirdre's O'Donoghue's birthday. Deirdre hosted "SNAP" (an acronym for "Saturday Night Avante Pop") aired three nights a week on KCRW out of Santa Monica College, in Santa Monica, CA. This is my unabashed fanboy eulogy. Out of my own selfish memories of her, I revere Deirdre O'Donoghue's amazing forays and discoveries, I re-educated myself. No longer were the blighted wastelands of KROQ and Phil Collins to determine my landmarks. Yes, I date myself. But holy fuck-fire of art! Did not Deirdre bring amazing music to the ears of those who'd learned that she was passionate and engaged about what she played? And yes, I wasn't ready, but who is? Because if you're pushing, its always out past the comfort zone? Here's a short list of what she played: The Finn Brothers with their glorious a-capella rendering of "Throw Your Arms Around You" Mary Margaret O'Hara

Topical Relief From Poison Oak and PPDB

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AC100 Trail volunteers, between Charlton Flats and Shortcut Saddle in the burned-over Angeles Crest  of the San Gabriel Mountains. The Purple Poodle-Dog Bush has started to come in— the creepy sage/reefer-like bushes in bright green. April 16, 2011. While in the San Gabriels, you will, sooner or later, encounter  Poison Oak  and  Purple Poodle Dog Bush ( PPDB) .  I've been friends with poison oak for over 30 years.    PPDB  re-appeared after the 2009 Station Fire. I'd never seen it before. The PPDB lies dormant for years, until fire conditions burn off chaparral and manzanita. It then reappears, First it looks like a cross between marijuana and sage with oily lime-green leaves. As it grows, it sends up a stalk that can top out at 9' high. Watch out for the pretty purple flowers, which look like lupine, but stink like natural gas or decay.  Do not touch . When the flowers die off in late spring, the stalks have dried fibers on them, which will fuck you up, just l