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JamLegend is a fabulously good time. Yes, I've played GuitarHero and RockBand, but to do so has always required that I spend time dinking around at a friend's house (since I would never get anything done again if I brought a game system into my own home . . . can anyone say "Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 and 4"?). Well, JamLegend has quite possibly ruined productivity for me for the next few weeks. I'm a sucker for video games, and JamLegend is now available to me anywhere I have an internet connection.

It is currently in closed beta, although getting an invite isn't too tricky. I got mine from a great blog, PaulStamatiou.com, where he recently reviewed JamLegend (that's where I found out about it). He had an invite code posted in the comments of that entry. Get them while they're good and hot!

And don't forget to check out my JamLegend profile. Let's duel!

Two weeks ago, I rode in the LOTOJA bike race from Logan, Utah, to Jackson, Wyoming. Did I finish the entire course? The answer is a definitive "NO." That said, I encountered some really great successes along the way. It is one of these successes that I wish to highlight: the Specialized Toupe Saddle.

How can a saddle be one of _my_ successes? Read on and you shall see.

First, a brief history.

I've ridden bikes for a long time. I've bike commuted to school and work for more than a decade. All that time (until very recently), I rode a mountain bike. Sure, I slapped some slicks on the wheels to make things roll along more smoothly, but at the end of the day it was still a mountain bike. In March of this year, I was lucky enough to get a road bike from my wife for my birthday. Nice gift, to be sure. For the first time in my life, I could head out on a road ride and not feel like I was fighting myself the entire time. The efficiency of a road bike is so outstanding compared to a mountain bike. As a result, I began riding my bike just to ride, and not to get from Point A to Point B. And I bought more spandex than I ever thought I would. All excellent so far.

Literally, A Pain in the Butt

Out of the box, there were a few changes that I wanted to make to the bike. The biggest change that I made was to get a new saddle. Yeah, the saddle that shipped on the bike was less about being awesome, and more about being super-not-at-all-something-I-want-to-sit-on. I'd love to be able to point out the brand and model of saddle that shipped on the bike so that I could knock it here and now. It makes sense that the original saddle wouldn't have any branding on it. If I manufactured a lousy saddle, I wouldn't mark it with my brand either.

After the first few hundred miles, it was entirely clear to me that the default saddle had to go. That said, it was far from clear to me which saddle would be taking its place. I searched high and low for any clue as to which saddle is "the best." Turns out, there is no single "best" saddle. One of the things that was most frustrating about searching for a new saddle was that I wasn't able to find any in-depth reviews of particular saddles that interested me. Sure, there were plenty of one paragraph saddle reviews on sites like RoadbikeReview.com, but most of these were lacking in substance. Perhaps the lack of reviews is due to the intimate nature of the relationship between rider and saddle. Some people are uncomfortable speaking in detail about the fit between their seat and their seat, if you know what I mean.

Guess what? I'm bucking that trend.

Enlightenment Time

The Specialized Toupe is very, very, very comfortable. Anyone who has spent significant time on a bike knows that "saddle comfort" is a relative term. That said, the Toupe really is quite nice to sit on for extended periods of time. How can I be confident making such an assertion? The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. As I mentioned earlier in this entry, I rode LOTOJA two weeks ago.

When I first found out that I received a spot to ride LOTOJA, I started a training regimen geared toward making me a lean, mean, bike-riding machine in time for race day. Unfortunately, three weeks after receiving confirmation for the race, I hurt my back while rafting on the Green River. For the next two months, I could barely stand up straight, let alone ride my bike. When I finally got back on my bike, I only had time to log 71 miles in the saddle before race day. I certainly wasn't prepared for the 206-mile ride from Logan to Jackson.

Feeling certain that I wouldn't be able to finish the race, I started to wonder what would be my greatest hurdle. High on the list was whether my butt would be able to manage that much time in the saddle after nearly three months of a sedentary, non-bike-riding lifestyle. Believe me when I say, I was certain that I would not finish the race for no other reason than that I wouldn't be able to sit and pedal.

For me personally, I can't think of a more profound testament to the quality and comfort of the Specialized Toupe than to say that my butt loved sitting in the saddle the entire ride. Sure, there were moments where it felt great to stand and stretch things out . . . you know, get a little blood flowing again. But there was no sense of saddle soreness or butt fatigue during the ride. And the day after the ride, I was excited to discover that I had very little butt soreness to deal with (my knees on the other hand were barely attached to my body the next day, but that that's a separate story).

So, Where Does the Comfort Originate?

The comfort of the Toupe originates in the design. Looking at the saddle, you might initially conclude that it would be highly uncomfortable, as it simply does not appear to have enough padding. In this case, appearances aren't deceiving at all. This saddle has little-to-no padding whatsoever. Sounds super comfy, right? The comfort is the result of the saddle flexing, much like a leaf spring. When sitting on the saddle, all weight and pressure rides squarely on the sit bones. If you get the correct width saddle for your pelvic bone structure (130mm or 143mm), those bones contact the saddle in the middle of the flared rear part of the saddle. While pedaling, the saddle flexes almost imperceptibly beneath the rider's weight. In addition to the flexing, the cut-out section in the middle of the saddle serves to protect the softer tissues located between the legs of all mammals (at least those mammals with legs . . . sorry humpback whales). The cut-out not only protects softer tissue by absence of material (i.e., there is nothing there with which to come into contact), but the cut-out also serves to allow the saddle greater freedom to flex while riding.

Don't get the wrong idea. This saddle is not bendy or floppy. To the contrary, it feels very stiff when handled. In fact, before spending a significant amount of time in the saddle, I was concerned that the amount of flex offered by the structure of the saddle would be insufficient for extended time in the saddle. The nearly-fourteen hours I spent riding during LOTOJA proves (at least to me) that the amount of flex is dialed in perfectly (at least for me). This would be a great time to point out that I'm 6'4" tall and 170 pounds soaking wet. I purchased the 143mm version. I was initially thinking that I would need the 130mm version, as I have a relatively slender build. However, after measuring, I concluded that the 143mm would be a better fit. Specialized makes a tool for measuring sit bone width. Take a look at that link and you should see that it isn't rocket science. I measured the width myself, without the benefit of the tool. One thing to bear in mind when measuring is that the width will change depending on how far forward you lean while taking the measurement. Be sure to assume a bike riding position before taking any measurement. Otherwise, you'll end up with a "sitting-straight-up" width measurement. That might be satisfactory if you're measuring for a new unicycle saddle, but it won't cut it once you actually hop on a bike and get pedaling.

In Conclusion

In the final analysis, I couldn't be more satisfied with the Specialized Toupe Saddle. Thinking back to my original saddle, I can't imagine that I would have been able to finish LOTOJA with that saddle to sit on. I would have been out of the game before I was halfway through. I can almost guarantee that. The very fact that this saddle allowed me to continue pedaling all day, without hardly any training miles on my butt, makes the high-quality of the saddle crystal clear. Does this mean that no other saddle can compare to the Specialized Toupe? Not remotely. Does it make it more likely that I'll get another Toupe in the event that this one ever expires. Absolutely. I've never been more impressed with a saddle and I say without hesitation that upgrading to this saddle is the single greatest improvement I could have possibly made for my biking comfort.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

• • 206 miles : Course Distance (according to event organizers)
• • 204 miles : Course Distance (according to my Garmin)
• • 195 miles : Actual Mileage I Personally Rode

More to follow . . .

The silhouette of the dog in the old version of whatever this site is just had to go. It was simply too pedestrian-looking. I feel that the new look is more "me" and less "not me." Of course, it still isn't anything near what I want it to be. But it is closer, and that is worth points . . . three points, I think. Yes, I believe these changes are the equivalent of a three-pointer. Mike = 3; unidentified opponent = 0.

I'm winning.

After learning that I had secured a place in the 2008 LOTOJA, I instantly felt justified in making a purchase with a hefty price tag: a Garmin Edge 305.

Now if I can only figure out how to make it work for me, instead of vice versa.

Nearly a month ago, I applied for a spot in the 2008 LOTOJA, a bicycle race from Logan, Utah, to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Ever since submitting the application, I've been on proverbial pins and/or needles waiting to see whether I would be given a spot to ride in the race this coming September.

Today, I received an email congratulating me on receiving a spot in the race. I couldn't be more excited. Not only did I get in, but everyone else who applied in our teams received a spot to ride, as follows:

* TEAM VCBO "CUTTERS" (FULL RACE) *

1. Tim Valentiner
2. Justin Brown
3. Tyler Smith
4. Zack Hackett
5. Jer Valentiner
6. Steve Baxter
7. and myself, Mike Drechsel

* TEAM VCBO "MIGHTY CUTTERS"" (4-PERSON RELAY) *

1. Christianne Valentiner
2. Niels Valentiner
3. Mallory Lake
4. Katie Drechsel

* TEAM VCBO "IT CUTTS BOTH WAYS" (2-PERSON RELAY) *

1. Daniel Dansie
2. J. Ray Milliner

It looks like things couldn't have gone better for our teams! Excitement Level: HIGH to QUITE HIGH.

Radiohead has long been one of my favorite bands. I think it was my brother James who first got me hooked on this stuff.

I was checking iTunes earlier for some music and stumbled upon this gem of an idea. Radiohead is allowing fans the opportunity to play around with one of the tracks, Nude, from their most recent album, "In Rainbows." I don't fancy myself able to do anything spectacular with the raw materials of this song, but I LOVE the idea of letting the common folk have a shot at remixing the track into something hopefully unique and unexpected. The full details are available on the iTunes Radiohead Remix page or you check out the Radiohead Remix website for more info and for a chance to listen to some of the work that's being done with this music.

Initially, I emailed a link about this out to my family members, but then I realized that it deserved to be posted here as well. I watched this TED Talk presentation by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor earlier tonight and it really left quite an impression on me. I thought I'd recommend to everyone that you take 20 minutes when you get a chance and watch it. This is really impressive stuff and I think you'll find that it ends very differently than it begins.

And if you don't know about TED already, you really should learn more about TED.

There are some really amazing talks available on the TED website, and I recommend exploring the content there. I have spent (not wasted, but invested) hours watching different presentations on the TED site. The one I recommend above is one of the very best I've seen to date.

Think about it.
Or don’t because nobody can make a monkey think about anything.
In a monkey suit, you are as good as, maybe better than, most monkeys.
Be free. Be who you’re supposed to be.
Swing from tree to tree.
Jump onto a table and pounce on strangers.
Sit on the floor when eating dinner.
Knives, forks and spoons are out of the question…
unless you really want to use them,
because with a monkey suit on, you can do anything you want.
You certainly have the dexterity.
Monkeys don’t have to get up early.
Monkeys don’t have to watch TV or brush their teeth.
Monkeys only have one bill to pay,
and we all know what that is.
Monkeys are curious
and people laugh at the crazy capering they indulge in.
Monkeys don’t have to conform to proper grammatical conventions.
Do what you want. Get the suit. Do what you want.
But definitely get the suit and wear it.

If I were running for political office, and especially if the office I were running for were as consequential as President of the United States of America, I would not be seeking handouts from visitors to my online home before even letting my guests get a foot in the door. Clearly political candidates need to raise funds to support their campaigns, but can't the solicitation wait until after I get comfortable with who they are?

The reason I'm mentioning this is that tonight, for the first time, I visited the respective websites of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the two candidates seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party in the upcoming November 2008 Election. Quite frankly, I was shocked by the wide degree of difference between the reception I received at each site. Without requiring you to click through and visit the sites for yourselves (unless you're so inclined, that is), I'll let you see the message with which each candidate greeted me upon my arrival at their online "Front Door." Gentlemen first:

Compare that message from Barack Obama with the following from Mrs. Clinton:

A song lyric is now in order:

And if all I have is a heart that fears
if all that's left are the stains of tears
and if your soft voice is all I hear
I'm never fighting back

I'm playing with Blueprint: A CSS Framework this time around, so bear with me and we'll see if we can't make this work beautifully.

I grew up in SLC and I really think it is a fabulous place. What’s not to like?

Did anyone know that you can use TextMate to post directly to a blog? This just gets better and better.

Here’s the scoop. Everyone should be backing up their computer data regularly. It’s simply foolish not to. I was foolish for a very long time, but no more! My personal backup strategy is as follows: weekly backup to an external firewire drive; monthly backups of digital photos and movies to DVD (this in addition to the weekly external firewire backups); and daily backups to a GMail account. What, you say? Backup to GMail? Correct, I backup to a GMail account with a little application called “gDisk.” This excellent little application allows me to upload specific files to the GMail account of my choosing. Once the files are uploaded, I can access them anywhere I can access GMail.

Ayden is growing up. He is so smart that at times I can’t really believe it. Tonight we played hide and seek. He’s better at the seeking than the hiding (so far). When it’s his turn to hide, he leaves the room, or goes to the closet in the same room, but then returns before we finish counting to ten. I suppose we’ll have to shorten the countdown. Once the seeking begins, he usually just shows up out of his hiding place without really understanding the whole concept of staying hidden until found. I think he likes the searching portion of the game. He excels at seeking. I hid all over the place tonight, but he found me every time without too much delay. I even relocated my hiding spot a few times during the same seek-session, but he is thorough. If he couldn’t find me, he’d check the places he’d already searched again to see if I was there on the second check. Then when he finds the person he is looking for, he runs away screaming and laughing. it is pretty funny.

After significant practice and familial moral support, I’ve bettered my previous score from this to a new high of 107667 and a world rank of 147. Beat that if you dare!

Recently, I encountered a grammar issue that I have meant to figure out for some time. Now is that time.

The English language is largely a messy tangle of inconsistent rules and exceptions to those rules. The subject of this post will highlight a portion of that messiness. When ending any written sentence, the convention is to use a one of three punctuation marks: exclamation, question, or period. That is straight-forward enough. But things get a little stickier when the end of the sentence (or, in the case of the comma, a dependent clause) also involves a quotation mark. The question is, does the punctuation mark go inside of or outside of the closing quotation mark?

I’ve updated Journler today from 1.1.6 to 2.0 and I’m loving the changed appearance and functionality. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the application, “Journler” is a fine program for recording thoughts digitally - either words, or images, or sound, or any combination thereof. Actually, this app does so much more than that. Bottom line, this is a great application and I’m going to donate money for it as soon as I get a chance. I wonder how much I should send to the developer. I’m not sure why I mention this at all, but I can’t help myself.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to kick a ball around your office trying to get the ball to land in a trash can that you place in increasingly inaccessible locations? Then have I got a treat for you. Check out Binball Wizard!!! [DISCLAIMER: Michael Drechsel will not be held responsible for any diminished productivity that may accompany engaging in a game of Binball…you’ve been warned.]

NB - My best is 90752 and my global rank is 13781…for the time being.