Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Mary J. Blige - Doubt

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!



Code Expiration: March 10, 2015

A Million Steps by Kurt Koontz

I finished reading A Million Steps by Kurt Koontz. As I have mentioned before, Sharon and I are interested doing the Way of St. James pilgrimage. A Million Steps is one of the many books available chronicling personal journeys hiking the Way of St. James. Following Liz's journey, reading her emails and having dinner with her after she got back only deepened by desire to take this pilgrimage.

I enjoyed the book, but the author's approach to the pilgrimage was very different than mine would be. Koontz got up very early in the morning; he would travel by headlamp in the dark. Koontz maintained a breakneck pace. I don't think he paused for more than two or three days over the entire trip.

I am more interested in seeing the country. We will probably spent a couple of days in each of the major cities and take some side trips along the way.

There were a couple of interesting technical observations. First, Koontz shopped places to stay when he reached his destination each night. He would tour the albergues (pilgrim hostels) before picking one of them. Second, Koontz broke up the trip by staying in a hotel every few days; this sounds like a great idea!

The book got more and more philosophical as it went along. I appreciated his musing and found some personal insights. I do need to find a book that focuses more on the practical and technical aspects of the pilgrimage.

2014 Christmas Lights

pictures of outside Christmas Lights over the years

ESPN Films 30 for 30 Vol II: The 'U' Part II

With Sharon out to Dinner with Janie for their annual Christmas dinner, I watched The 'U' Part 2. This is the twentieth-sixth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Vol II. An episode guide for Vol II is here.

Five years ago, I watched the 'U' as part of the original 30 for 30 series. Part Two picks up where the original film ended. In the late 1990's, the University of Miami football program received a number of sanctions from the NCAA, including the loss of 31 scholarships and bowl game ban.

Under Butch Davis, the program was rebuilt. In the 2002 Rose Bowl, the Hurricanes took a 34–0 halftime lead and cruised to a 37–14 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers to capture their fifth national championship and put the finishing touches on a perfect 12–0 season. There is an interesting FiveThirtyEight post that this was the most talented college football team in history.

In 2003, the #1 ranked and unbeaten Hurricanes faced Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. On a controversial pass interference call in overtime, Ohio State upset Miami by the score of 31 to 24. The Ohio State team featured Maurice Clarrett and was coached Jim Tressel! They are the topic for another 30 for 30 Volume 2 film.

In a macabre incident of history repeating itself, the program gets into trouble again in the late 2000's due to the involvement of Nevin Shapiro. Shapiro is a former University of Miami football booster who is currently imprisoned for orchestrating a $930 million Ponzi scheme. According to interviews, he engaged in rampant violations of NCAA rules over eight years as a booster for University of Miami athletes. Shapiro allegedly provided cash, goods, prostitutes, assorted favors and on one occasion, an abortion to University of Miami football players.

The story flips once more when the NCAA came under fire for methods that they used to investigate the University of Miami football program. Apparently, the NCAA made payments to Shapiro's attorney to subpoena people for dispositions in an ongoing bankruptcy case as a way to ask questions under oath.

In spite of all the turmoil highlighted in the two films, the football program has had amazing record. The accomplishments included:

• From 2000 to 2002, the U won 34 consecutive games.
• From 1979 to 2008, the U had more NFL first-round draft picks than any other school [49].
• From 1979 to 2008, the U had more players drafted to the NFL than any other school [180].
• From 1983 to 2002, the U won more national championships than any other school [5].

While I didn't find it as compeling as Part One, this is an interesting documentary. All of these films make me very jaded about college football. It is a big business whose rules needed to be badly overhauled.

Milo Greene - Photoshoot 101

Photoshoot 101: In this lesson we display the classic "depth of field depth of soul technique." By arranging ourselves at varying distances from the camera, we suggest varying mystiques and hidden emotions. The range in depth makes the viewer feel like our artistic vision is layered and endless, with brilliance emanating from as close to the camera as a yard, and as far from the camera as eternity. Wardrobe by Hot Topic / Foot Locker. Lollapalooza 2012. #photoshoot101 #depthoffielddepthofsoul

A photo posted by Milo Greene (@milogreene) on Dec 12, 2014 at 11:14am PST

2014 Christmas Tree

Rolling Stone - The 30 Best '30 for 30' Films

As ESPN's groundbreaking 30 for 30 series celebrates its fifth anniversary, Rolling Stone picked their favorite films: tales of triumph, tragedy and (of course) 'The U'.

I have seen all of these films, except Hillsborough. Hillsborough was one of the 30 for 30 Soccer Stories that ran during the 2014 World Cup. I have Hillsborough downloaded on my iPad, but just have not watched it yet. Given Rolling Stone's comments about the film, I am going to make it a priority before the end of the year.

I ranked the original 30 for 30 series. I am not sure that I will ever try to rank all of the films...

Rolling Stone's rankings were:

1. June 17th, 1994
2. Hillsborough
3. No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson
4. Elway to Marino
5. This Is What They Want
6. The Two Escobars
7. Muhammad and Larry
8. Survive and Advance
9. The Best That Never Was
10. Catching Hell
11. Judging Jewell
12. Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks
13. Venus Vs.
14. The Birth of Big Air
15. Youngstown Boys
16. The U
17. Broke
18. Big Shot
19. Untucked
20. Requiem for the Big East
21. Four Days in October
22. The High Five
23. Swoopes
24. Free Spirits
25. The Price of Gold
26. The Fab 5
27. Run Ricky Run
28. Unmatched
29. Fernando Nation
30. Into the Wind

California Historical Landmark #263

Back working in Sonora in June, July, August, September, October, November and December of 2014, I started exploring the California Historial Landmarks in Calaveras County. Sites that I visited included: Valley Springs [#251], San Andreas [#252], I.O.O.F. Hall [#256], Fourth Crossing #258, Congregational Church [#261], Stone Corral [#263], Chili Gulch [#265], Jenny Lind [#266]; Mokelumne Hill [#269]; Pioneer Cemetery [#271], Douglas Flat [#272]; Carson Hill [#274], Robinson's Ferry [#276], Angels Camp [#287], Altaville [#288], Vallecito Bell Monument [#370]; Old Mining Camp of Brownsville [#465], Red Brick Grammar School [#499], Angels Hotel [#734] and Birthplace of Archie Stevenot [#769].

Stone Corral
California State Historical Landmark #263
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This landmark is located at Stone Corral Ranch, on State Highway 26, 9.5 miles southwest of Valley Springs, California in Calaveras County. There are 40 other California State Historical Landmarks in Calaveras County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 05'57.0" W 120° 55'35.7".

Stone Corral, consisting of a hotel, barns, and the large corrals for which it was named, was one of the stopping places on the road from the mines to Stockton.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - VVVVVV

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!



Code Expiration: March 3, 2015

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - JD McPherson - Twinkle

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!



Code Expiration: March 3, 2015

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 107

On Day 107, I rode 23.7 miles across Southern Illinois. I started at the corner of West St. Louis Street and Highway 50 in Lebanon. About two miles east of Lebanon, I exited onto Old Highway 50 and rode east into Carlyle. I stopped at the intersection of Old Highway 50, Highway 50 and Highway 127.

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

Neighborhood Christmas Party

After spending most of the day working on the Christmas decorations and dragging containers back to the storage shed, Sharon and I went to a Christmas Party thrown by Mike and Jill. They had a nice group from the neighborhood, including Tom and Judy, John and Sara, Dan and Deborah, Rod and Kathy, Marianne and Scott, JJ and her boy friend, Audi, plus two other couples (Tim's parents and the new owners). In less than three years at Deterding Ranch, we have gotten to know the community better than we did in almost 12 years at Lakeside.

2014 Farm Credit West Christmas Party

For the fourth straight year [2013, 2011, 2102], Sharon and I went to the Farm Credit West Christmas Party. This year, it was held at the Delta King in Old Sacramento. We took a copy of the Milo Greene album as a white elephant gift. I ended up with Dilbert calendar...

We were very surprised by the traffic and crowds in Old Sacramento. It took us a while to navigate to a parking spot.

We finished the night with Holly, Van and the Dohertys at the Back Door Lounge.

Amazon Artists to Watch in 2015 - Milo Greene

Amazon has highlighted Milo Greene as one of their Artists to Watch in 2015!

Post by Milo Greene.

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 106

On Day 106, I rode 10.6 miles across Southern Illinois. I started the ride at the junction of the Lincoln Highway and Highway 159 [North Illinois Avenue] in Fairview Heights. I rode east on Highway 50 into Lebanon. I finished the ride at the corner of West St. Louis Street and Highway 50.

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

ESPN 30 for 30 Shorts: Robbed

Grantland and ESPN Films have released the twenty-seventh film in their 30 for 30 documentary short series.

30 for 30 Shorts: Robbed

The latest film, from Emmy Award–winning director Eric Drath, brings us to the intersection of boxing injustice and urban chaos in the 1970s..

You can find Robbed on the ESPN web site at http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11935642.

More about the film at: http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=robbed.

California Historical Landmark #266

Back working in Sonora in June, July, August, September, October, November and December of 2014, I started exploring the California Historial Landmarks in Calaveras County. Sites that I visited included: Valley Springs [#251], San Andreas [#252], I.O.O.F. Hall [#256], Fourth Crossing #258, Congregational Church [#261], Stone Corral [#263], Chili Gulch [#265], Jenny Lind [#266]; Mokelumne Hill [#269]; Pioneer Cemetery [#271], Douglas Flat [#272]; Carson Hill [#274], Robinson's Ferry [#276], Angels Camp [#287], Altaville [#288], Vallecito Bell Monument [#370]; Old Mining Camp of Brownsville [#465], Red Brick Grammar School [#499], Angels Hotel [#734] and Birthplace of Archie Stevenot [#769].

Jenny Lind
California State Historical Landmark #266
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This landmark is located on Milton Road, County Road J1-4, 8 miles southwest of Valley Springs, California in Calaveras County. There are 40 other California State Historical Landmarks in Calaveras County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 05.696 W 120° 52.234.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

Jenny Lind, located on the north bank of the Calaveras River, was a placer mining town as early as 1849. Most of the placer mining was done along the hillsides above the river, and later the river was mined with dredgers. In 1864, the population was said to be 400, with half of the population of Chinese and Mexican immigrants. Located on the main road from Stockton, it was also an important freighting center for the area.

The town was originally names Dry Diggins, but was renamed in the early 1850s to Jenny Lind, partly for the pioneer Dr. John Y. Lind and partly for the famous Swedish singer Jenny Lind (though the singer never visited the town, or California).

Dredging was the main from of gold mining from the early 1900s until the onset of World War II, when mining operations declined. Jenny Lind is now an unincorporated town, though a few buildings from the past and a cemetery remain as a reminder of its early history.



Settled in the 1840s as a flourishing gold mining, cattle ranching, and farming community. Dedicated on the 100th Anniversary of Joaquin Parlor No. 5, Stockton, Native Daughter's of the Golden West.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Idina Menzel - Silent Night

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!



Code Expiration: February 24, 2015

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - She & Him - Stay Awhile

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!



Code Expiration: February 24, 2015

2014 Christmas Tree Lane

For the third straight year [2013, 2012], Sharon and I went to the Loyola Guild’s 58th Annual Christmas Tree Lane Gala Dinner at the Red Lion Woodlake. The event included a shopping boutique, a dinner and a fashion show. The fashion show was really more of a variety show.

After being at the Hyatt in 2012, this is the second year at the Woodlake. I really don't like the Woodlake as a venue for this event. The parking is horrible and the space is too small for the number of people attending.

We sat with the DeAndas, Mike's mother and her date, the Flores and some friends of the DeAndas that we sat with at the auction. It was a very nice table and a very social event. The Renterias were working at the event helping the boys, including Coop, selling raffle tickets.