Sojka's Call

Music, videos, books, movies, television and food are where many of we spend the majority of our leisure and socializing time. We also spend a decent percentage of current or future earnings on these pursuits. Do you have time to find out about the new stars and releases? I do, and here is my list from 2015. Hope you find something to talk about at the next party! And, there are links to free versions and pro reviews of almost all the listed music and videos . No free lunches at the restaurant though! Music  This was the year I developed more of an ear and appreciation for hiphop with even some rap here and there. Last year started this morph with Azealia Banks' Chasing Time video and Vic Mensa's Down on My Luck inventive storyline. This year brought Future's Dirty Sprite 2 which is at once both nihilistic and entrancing with its brutal portrayal of inner city life dominated by drugs, violence, generational crime and the resulting mindset focused mostly on money, sex a...

What’s Your Ride? What’s Your Ride? Everyone has a vehicle. I am not really talking about a car or motorcycle. No, the vehicle I am talking about is what you use to explore for new places both physically and in other ways. So, it might be your car. But, it could be your running shoes or your yoga mat. Most of us have more than one way to get around. There are the few one-trick ponies who maybe find work or school all-consuming. But, like a different set of clothes, we have our various ways of seeing and experiencing. One of my favorites is the bicycle. You can ride paved roads bicycle paths, dirt roads, and dirt trails. You can even put it on your shoulder and walk for a while to get over obstructions. And, when the same routes get boring there are resources like Google Maps, RidewithGPS, Strava, and many others to find new places, see new sights, and change up the routine that maybe has become stale. And, like those same roads we travel day-after-day that can become ...

Mark Sisson, over at MarksDailyApple.com posted a good article called Is Your Workout Worth The Risk? Check it out if you work out regularly as it has really good points about listening to your body, limiting/eliminating higher-risk exercises, good form, and many other common-sense daily practices. While his post and this one are primarily for the person who works out regularly, the advice can help anyone. As Mark says, everyone will deal with this issue sooner or later. A recent survey of CrossFit athletes found that 73.5% had experienced an injury during training, 7% of which required surgery. But before the anti-CrossFit crowd starts gloating, realize that this injury rate is similar to Olympic lifting, powerlifting, and gymnastics and lower than contact sports like rugby. Similar polls in runners find that in a given year, 13% of runners experience knee injuries, 8% get Achilles tendinitis, 7% suffer hamstring pulls, 10% deal with plantar fasciitis, 10% ha...

Music  Since the Grammys were just given out it seemed I should publish this post which I wrote up about two months ago and never felt inspired to release. Since I disagreed with every award except #10 Best Electronic/Dance Album (Syro by Aphex Twin) it seemed my list should get published to provide some counter-weight (haha, like anyone reads this blog) to the misguided Grammy judges and nominators. Albums War on Drugs - Lost In The Dream  Why?I discovered this album in early May and have been listening to it a lot since then. It still sounds new after six months of heavy play. Jangly guitars, good vocals, interesting lyrics and a driving beat make for a good listen over and over. Under The Pressure is beautiful example of the music on this album.  Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like A Bell Why? Even though the voice of Nicole Miglis can sometimes be annoying due to the difficulty understanding her and the piccolo-pitch she reaches, it is the instrument-like ...