Vespa Ciao Rear Brakes

If you are looking at this then you took the wrong route to the rear brakes.

So, I'm driving down the brakedown lane on my 1974 Vespa Ciao. I run over a 5'' roofing nail and it punctures the tire and actually goes through to the other side of the tire, tearing two holes in the tire and two holes in the inner tube causing a minor crash.

Fast forward a few days later to when I ordered two 2.25/17 inner tubes from a shop in California since nothing that size is available around here. The tubes arrived.

I take the rear wheel off and really struggle to take that tire off and replace the inner tube. The rim liner needed to be replaced but I forgot to order one so I had to mess with that and in turning the rim upside down all the gear oil from the rear hub poured out onto my rug. I didn't care about the rug and after puncturing one inner tube by being sloppy I got the thing installed again...and took it for a ride... and after speeding through town to get to the library I ran directly into the bike rack because the rear brake didn't work. Why didn't the rear brake work? Because the oil from the hub had leaked into the brake assembly and contaminated the pad.

Unicornio Azul

I'm clearing the hard drive of stray song recordings as I feel I'm going to be going back to work soon in a big way...moving...or else being off the grid so there will be no time.
My mom turned me on to this song by Silvio Rodriguez, one of the trovadore singer/songwriters. I prefer Fernando Delgadillo but he sings so fast that it will take a long time to learn one of his songs.

Dedicated To Sam

Bring it On Home To Me Sam Cooke As performed by Oggy

Nouveau Riche

I wanted the inlay to say "Western Swinger" but decided against it. It's like a tattoo for your guitar.

 I did more damage to the guitar face taking the old guard off than the new pick guard is going to protect against. It sort of irks me that the guy couldn't get the stems in the right direction. Notes below the middle line have the stems go up. Notes above the middle line have the stems go down.

Dedicated to Broken Hearts

While 1966 is a year of music that makes me quiver with delight, 1962 also deserves special attention specifically because of Sam Cooke. It's a rare voice that can sing simple words with real emotion. It's part acting and part entertainment and part reflection on the lovers who never returned your phone call or left you waiting at the bar.
This tune has been covered quite a bit by the greats; Van Morrison did a cover version of this song back in 1974 and it's pretty good but without even hearing Sam Cooke's version I know it's going to be the winner. I don't know if this particular recording is the best but it's one of the few times I pity a happily married man because Sam Cooke and Otis Redding make heartache and loneliness cooler than contentment. It's a little ironic since Cooke was the one staying out late at night...maybe he was writing from the perspective of his jilted lovers.