From the monthly archives:

August 2008

Crash Course, Part 1

by Alan Rider

It seems hard to believe, but it was 20 years ago today that my life was changed forever by one old guy’s decision to run a red light at a downtown Salt Lake City intersection.  An intersection I just happened to be riding my motorcycle through at the time. 
While the crash and the nine months of surgeries and physical therapy that followed were more than a little unpleasant, two decades later I can look back on the ordeal in a surprisingly positive  light.  Though I can’t really recommend a near-fatal motorcycle accident as a way to change your life, I can tell you that this crash course in what really [...]

Read More →

Book It!

by Alan Rider

 
I’m headed to New York City this week and, frankly, I’m not looking forward to spending five hours crammed into the plane’s overcrowded economy cabin on the way there.
Of course a good book will definitely help pass the time.  To make things a little more interesting, I usually try to find something set in my destination to sort of set the mood for the trip. 
If you’re of a similar mind when it comes to your choice of reading material on the road, take a few minutes to check out Longitude Books.  This online travel-oriented bookseller’s website offers a cool search feature that allows you to enter either a destination or [...]

Read More →

The Real School of Rock!

by Alan Rider

I was flipping through the cable channels the other night when I came across the movie School of Rock.  While it’s not my favorite Jack Black flick (that would be High Fidelity where he plays a serious rock-and-roll record snob, something to which I can relate), it got me thinking about Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, a place that ranks as a truly extraordinary experience for any serious student of rock music.
Unlike your typical dusty museum, the I. M. Pei-designed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame feels as vibrantly alive as the music history it chronicles.  Its 55,000-plus square-feet of exhibit space contain thousands of remarkable [...]

Read More →