A thousand-point bonus for anyone who recognizes that!
Last week I wasn't around for the start of HNT because I had a gig. I had promised to post some pics, but I procrastinate with the best of them. I will say that it was one of best gigs I've played in some time. We were tight, had an appreciative crowd, and the lightning storm that showed up 15 minutes before we played went away quickly and gave way to real sunlight!
Click 'em to big 'em!
We are a band still in the embryonic stage. We are growing and developing, and are at that point where decisions have to be made. The fact we've made it this far points to one decision, since this was just a summertime project for last year. The looming questions deal with commitments, performances and style. Do we want to play a lot? Do we want to expand the musical style? Where do we want to go with this? It's hard enough to do with a 4-5 piece band, let alone trying to get nine of us to come together. Especially when almost everyone in the band has other musical groups that demand their time. However, some direction has been agreed upon.
We're looking at keeping this thing going for awhile. However, our marketing (which has been non-existent) will need some work. So I think we'll be setting up a FB page, as well as putting together a DVD that can be sent out to prospective clients. To that end, our sound guy sent out a raw recording off of the sound board from last week's gig. My first reaction is that there's some things that need to be cleaned up, but overall, it's not a bad recording!
Since many of you over the years have said they'd like to hear something, here you go! This is what I do. And since you can't just import mp3s into Blogger, I've made it a movie with pictures of some of my previous HNTs. It was the quickest thing I could think of, and it's my first shot at using iMovie (and certainly not the last!). Enjoy!
And for those of you who don't want to put up with all the old half-nekkidness, here's just the audio (I found a different way to handle that...).
No Mystery Guest this week. Sorry!Lots of people over at "...the Other HNT" this week! Be sure to stop by and check out your fellow HNTers! Something for everyone over there this week, but NSFW, to be sure...Doctor's appointment this morning. Blood pressure is down, A1c is up (that's OK in this case), blood sugars levels are good, cholesterol has been so good that there was no need to check it this time, weight was even down (which is not to imply that there's not plenty more to lose...). In other words, I'm still as healthy as a diabetic horse! Add that to the eye appointment I had last week that found my eyes were in pretty good shape (for my age--grrr...), the good results from my anal probe in April, and a generally positive mental health, and it looks like I'll be around for awhile! At least until I get hit by a bus or something...Thought I had my car sold. That fell through, so now I have to actually advertise it. Think I'll try Craigslist first.Heading out on OsTour '11 on Friday! I'll be meeting up with one of the early day HNTers in Wichita, and also have lunch and dinner dates in my two layovers on my return on Monday! One of whom is a current HNTer!!! Anyone want to join in? Yeah, yeah...there will be pictures!
Google left me a warning across my Gmail tonight, informing me that I was almost out of storage space. Didn't know there was a limit, did you?!? I have used 7253 MB out of 7615 MB of free storage--that works out to 95% of 7 GB of data. I think that's because every picture that I've posted for OHNT ends up in Picasa albums, as well as the original copy taking up room in Gmail.
What to do? What to do? I've opted to purchase an extra 20 GB of storage for the whopping price of $5/year. Which means I've got plenty of storage for even more OHNTs, so keep sending them in!!!
I did something last night that was undoubtedly the musically geekiest thing I've done in decades. Which you'll have to put up with here if you continue reading. But first, some background...
Marching bands aren't a big thing in Montana. For a number of reasons. Primarily because we can have a foot of snow on the ground by mid-October. No one wants to be marching in that! Secondly, the concept of "competition" doesn't really exist among music educators up here. When HS bands go to district festivals, it's to be adjudicated and given feedback to improve performances. There's never a "top band/choir/jazz band/orchestra" designation. Keeps the performing groups closer to an educational thing, rather than a competitive sports thing. This is not to say that there's not some sort of marching going on. Gotta entertain those football fans at halftime, don'tcha know? But they're very basic moves, and not a great deal of time goes into preparation. Even at the college level here, it's fairly rudimentary. Which makes sense...it's mostly Montana kids in the marching bands.
However, this is not the way it is in most of the rest of the country...
Yesterday afternoon/evening I spent five hours at the local theater watching a simulcast of the preliminary round of the Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships. And true to Montana--there were five of us in a 192-seat theater. If you've never watched a drum corps performance, you really should. It's hard to describe it, other than to cast aside any precepts of a halftime show, and ignore anything you might have seen in "Drumline". Top drum corps are a multi-million dollar enterprise, with touring buses, equipment semi-trucks, absolute top of the line musical instruments, uniforms, staff, practice facilities...the list goes on.
My first exposure to drum corps was the day-long drinking parties at my college band director's house watching videos of prior championships. While we didn't try to emulate any of them, we did steal their music. He would transcribe (by ear) the arrangements he really liked. In any case, I was hooked, and the yearly PBS broadcast of the Championships were always a party!
I haven't really kept up with DCI over the past few years, so I was curious about how things changed. I had a mixed reaction, but mostly positive. Such as...
MUSIC--These groups have their own staff arrangers, who arrange literally every type of music out there. Last night's show had some Bach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Mozart, just for starters! Throw in some jazz, contemporary classical stuff, classic rock and you end up with quite a mix. None of this is anything you'll hear a pep band play at a basketball game though. Much of this music is difficult while seated, let alone having it memorized while running all over the field! There's actually performance CDs that corps put out of their music over the course of a season. No comment on whether or not I might own one or four of those...
MARCHING STYLE--This has changed some. The constant is that you're almost always moving. And no one person has the same drill as the next. Marching sideways, ahead, behind, double-time, half-time, in place--it's all there. There's sometimes a little more 'freestyle' motion than I like too, but when the time comes to conform, it happens in a snap! Also a bit more 'dancing' than I like. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. And there's much more emphasis on using the entire football field, which sometimes requires full-out sprinting! While playing difficult memorized music while running all over the field!
CONCEPT--A lot of concept goes right over my head. "The white fabric represents those souls who have fallen..." No--it's a white fabric that's covering up half the color guard. I don't get it... Each corps approaches this differently. Some of it is spectacular. Some of it isn't.
DESIGN--This is one area that has changed drastically. Back in the day, shows were designed after considerable hours of pencil-breaking, erasures, failures and fudges. Today, it's all done on computer, and the shows reflect that. Designs and movements that no person could configure one their own. Shows that used to be quite symmetrical are rarely seen. There's constant movement, with maybe a static image on the field for a single count. If you were to follow a single person through an entire show, you'd be amazed at what routes they end up taking! And I'd say that at least 95% of what is seen on the field is scripted. Arm movements, head movements, placement of the feet, direction of where you're playing...lots to think about. While playing difficult memorized music while running all over the field!
DRILL--This is where the execution comes in. You cannot believe the precision that is needed to make the design come to life. While playing difficult memorized music while running all over the field! There's YouTube video clips of what happens when that precision isn't there. Particularly when you've got a line of musicians marching backwards. If someone has been bumped, or gone down, the next 6 or 7 players don't stand a chance of staying on their feet! Lines passing through each other, with color guard flags or rifles flipping around you, and an occasional field judge getting in the way--everything has to be absolutely precise! Of course, these people spend at least 12 hours/day on the field in rehearsals and preparations. And when final standing scores come down to 1/10ths of points out of 100 points, you'd better be as close to perfect as possible!
BRASS--Back in the day, they used modified bugles with only two valves (opposed to three on standard brass instruments, or none on a true bugle). It appears now that the bugles have been replaced by three-valve instruments. No trombone slides, but a marching equivalent with valves. The brass playing is generally outstanding. Especially considering that no players are older than 22! As the players have gotten better, their arrangers are constantly writing music to test their limits. While playing difficult memorized music while running all over the field!
COLOR GUARD--This is one of the areas where I've been disappointed. I could watch a color guard spin their flags or toss their rifles all day. Unfortunately, at some point they were allowed to also include what can only be described as modern dance--another thing I'll never understand. Depending on the theme and the concept, there might be 2-3 "dancers" running all over the field with what appears to have nothing to do with the music. Almost like this whole production was somehow put together to support only them. I hate it. It's unnecessary. And frankly is a FAIL. What's worse is when half of the color guard abandons their props and joins in on the "action". Then they con some of the brass players to help out. Ugh... Keep the guard on the flags, rifles, sabres, poles and other props please!
WOODWINDS--There are none! Though, I can almost sense the day that saxes might be allowed. Which would be a shame.
PERCUSSION--Since the "D" in DCI stands for 'drums', I should mention them! Actually, the big change is that rather than keeping the snares in one line at all times, they actually move away from each other a lot. And there's a great deal more 'running' by the entire section than I ever remember. Also part of the percussion is the "pit". These are the mallet players who are stationary on the sidelines, in front of the drum major. Back in the day, they had to haul them around on the field, but since the rules changed, the pit's function has too. Rather than carrying small marching xylophones and bells and tympani around, they now play full-sized marimbas, chimes, cymbals, bass drums. These musicians work just as hard as the on-field members, even though they're not moving as much. There's a dozen or more players, with half of them playing marimbas, usually in unison. And generally faster than God ever intended the marimba to be played! It's really quite scary how musically talented these kids are! The biggest disappointment was that electronics are now allowed in the pit. So almost every corps has a synthesizer player that will play sound effects, samples, or actual piano. A couple of corps had a drum set player (seems redundant), and one even had an electric stand-up bass! Next thing you know, they'll start using a string section...
So there you have it. If you've read this far, you're as geeky as I am! One thing I hadn't realized is that Indianapolis has been the home for the World Championships for 8 years now, and will continue into the foreseeable future. Methinks that I might have to start making my plans for DCI '12! Mere and Maggie--are you listening?
"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." ~~E. M. Forster
Check back on Thursday afternoon to find out who's life has been let go!
Of course, the Mystery Guest this week is Barefoot Dreamer! You should probably stop by and say hi! Some lovely pictures over at "...the Other HNT" this week (as usual!). Stop by and leave your fellow HNTers some comment lovin'! As always...NSFW.Things around here are being autoposted today, as the soul band is playing for the after-work beer, food and music thing that we have on Wednesdays in the park, and I won't be online until well after HNT goes up. It's been almost 4 years since I've last done one of these. It was the last regular gig for the rock band before we went on indefinite hiatus. Before that we were yearly regulars. It'll be interesting to see how things have changed (or not). I'll be sure to get some pictures up as soon as I can!
Way back in the mid-70s, when I was an impressionable teen, six of us crammed into the cab of Tammie's cousin's pickup truck, hid some beer in the bed, and went to the Ski-Hi drive-in for their end of summer "Planet of the Apes" marathon (only the first four of the five). I don't recall a great deal from the evening, let alone actually watching the movies. I'd seen the first two already, probably the third, and possibly the fourth. I don't think the fifth had been out long enough, but it was a terrible movie anyway. Surprisingly, I don't recall whom I was "with", either. Beyond me, Tammie and her cousin (male), I can't, for the life of me, remember who the other three were. Or who I was paired with. Possibly Tammie, but that would have been highly improbable. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the girl that would have been my girlfriend at the time--that wouldn't have been her thing. All I do remember is staying through the entire run, and not watching much of the movies, and enjoying the evening (wink, wink, nod, nod).
But none of that has anything to do with this post. Movie makers have been trying to get the look of monkeys by non-monkeys for ages. In "The Jungle Book", all it apparently took to fool the orangutans was a couple of coconut halves tied to your face and a grassy skirt.
Interestingly enough, that same sort of look worked for the original "Apes" movies, as the actors' mouths and their ape mouths didn't really work well together. And while their movements didn't really mimic simian movements, they sort of became what we expected of human "monkeys/apes/gorillas" in the movies. Thank you Roddy McDowall.
When the 2001 version of "Planet of the Apes" came out, Hollywood's abilities (and that whole computer-generated image thing) and improved immensely. Faces moved more realistically, mouths actually looked like they were forming the words being spoken, and the body movements seemed to be much more "ape-like". But still, no one could doubt that you were watching a human in a monkey suit--not a highly trained ape. Close, but no bananas. So to speak.
Now, the newest "Apes" has hit the big screen. In my effort to get out of the apartment more, I went to see it (I promise that my blog isn't going to become a movie review blog!). I really hadn't read up on much of the production, but I think I read somewhere that all the simians were CGI-ed. And for all the years of trying to get humans to look like a monkey, I think they went too far the other way. While the special effects are quite good, the apes all appeared too human. I can't quite put my finger on it. Perhaps it's because we're not used to seeing a wide range of subtle human expressions showing on the face of a chimp. Maybe it's the eyes (I'm positive on this, actually). While the apes were created by computer, there was first a human who was filmed with all the little dots on his face for the computer to capture for reference. Perhaps too well. What I felt I was looking at wasn't so much a chimpanzee, but closer to a Neanderthal or earlier human-ish creature. Not ape, not human.
As for the story--eh... It's interesting to see Caeser (the main chimpanzee) as he starts to realize his leadership abilities and forming plans. It's fun to see what references are made to the original movies (there's a direct and complete rip-off from the original's script...even more blatant and obvious than the non-existent Harrison Ford quote from last week's movie). I counted a handful of direct nods to the earlier movies. I'm sure that most of them will end up in IMDB's "trivia" section for this film.
Will I go again? Doubtful. But at least I kept my streak of watching every "Apes" film at the theater. "Star Wars" would be the only other series I can say that about. Not "Indiana Jones". Not "Nightmare on Elm Street". Not even "Star Trek". Now I have to figure out if I want to spend the money to go back and catch Olivia Wilde again. :-)
Life is funny as you get older. I spent years of my life "doing" things. Concerts, social events, public celebrations--I would be there. People recognized me from a variety of places. From my stint as the manager of the local independent CD store, or as 'that guy' in the symphony, or the college band director, or in 'that rock band'. My name was rarely known, but I have a face that sort of burns its image into the mind. Granted, the reason I was at these things was either because it was a gig, or because there was beer drinking to be done! Or both, if I was lucky!
These days, I don't socialize anywhere near as much. Rachel, my beer drinkin' buddy, has been gone for almost two years. As have all of my other beer drinkin' girls. The carefree beer drinking days are no more, anyway. The rock band is, for all intents and purposes, disbanded. The symphony folks aren't really anyone I'd want to spend a great deal of time with outside of rehearsals/performances. I'll go out for special things, but I find that I'm much more content to stay in and spend my time with you interwebz people. It's not that I don't enjoy myself when I go out--I do. But frankly, the desire just isn't there. And that's OK.
But now that August has arrived, I'm finding myself doing all sorts of things! Started out with dinner/beer last week with some HS classmates. In particular because the one in the orange blouse was visiting from Vegas. It was sort of a diverse group of us, with her as the common denominator. We had a great time!
Then last night, I had dinner with my first serious college girlfriend. The one that I notched many "firsts" with, if you know what I mean... She was in the state, and passing through, so we worked out a dinner date. This is the third time we've seen each other in 32 years, though the first time was her wedding (still happily married!), so I didn't get to say more than a couple of words to her then. As soon as we sat down, it was like no time had passed. We gave each other shit all through dinner--just like the old days! This visit was WAY to short, but she had to get on the road, and I had a rehearsal.
So what does the rest of the month hold?
My mother's mother's sister's granddaughter (aka 'third cousin') and her family will be in town for a HS reunion. Plan on drinks together at least one night...
The soul band plays for the weekly after-work party downtown next week.
The friend who rolled her car last month is looking to move to town as soon as she can, so between apt. hunting and selling her my car, we've been out and about quite a bit.
I'm hopping on a plane to visit someone in less than 3 weeks. Heading someplace where it's 90° by 10 AM. What am I thinking???
Add in some layover time in MEM and MSP, and I'm hoping to meet some others!
Labor Day weekend party out at the lake with the sisters, family and lots of friends.
Is this a renewed phase for me? Am I going to start socializing again? Hard to say. I just might. However, I can't write about it anymore. I have a poker party I was invited to tonight, and I have to get this ready to autopost!
"Everyone is like a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody."
Mark Twain (1835-1910) U.S. humorist, writer, and lecturer.
One part of this Mystery Guest's 'dark side' will stay unshown--she's choosing not to reveal this week!
Be sure to check out "...the Other HNT" for some naughty goodness! NSFW, as usual, but don't let that stop you from leaving some comments. Your fellow HNTers always appreciate it!
Went to see "Cowboys & Aliens" on Sunday afternoon. I don't know what I expected going in, but the movie was very good. It's interesting to think about--we tend to think that aliens showed up en masse after the Roswell incident. Or that they were a part of ancient civilizations. Why should it be so weird that aliens were part of the old west, as well?
I won't go into the story line, but it's nothing that hasn't been done before. Just retold in an interesting way. The casting was interesting as well. The central characters were played by Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. I don't recall Ford playing second banana to anyone since the Star Wars days. But there's no question that the story is built around Craig. Without giving anything away, he reminded me of Clint Eastwood in "The Outlaw Josey Wales"--a mystery man with a gun. Ford, on the other hand, played a heavy in this one, and how often does that happen? He softens up through the movie, but he's not the lovable leading man we've come to expect.
Of course, you have to have a strong female in all this, and that falls to Olivia Wilde. Olivia Wilde with a six-shooter strapped to her hip. A girl and her gun--oh, yeah! There's a bit of mystery with her too, but who cares? It's Olivia Wilde! And yes, there's a scene of Olivia Wilde buck-nekkid--not a bad thing at all. Nothing to be seen, of course, but there's about 5-10 seconds where you're hoping the camera pans around or something. Of course, the townsfolk AND the Indians (yep, there's Indians too!) all got an eyeful! Probably multiple takes, at that...
As for the aliens? Steven Spielberg has found a new alien that looks a whole lot more badass than E.T. or the little ones from "Close Encounters"! They're big and fast and mean. Interestingly, back a hundred fifty years ago, alien abductions looked more like calf roping. Didn't they have tractor beams or something like that?
As for the sci-fi part of things, there were all the bells and whistles that you'd expect. As a western, it stayed true to formula. At least as true as you could be when fighting aliens flying at you shooting at you!
On a final note--I was expecting Ford to say his "I have a bad feeling about this" line, but I didn't hear it. If it's in there, it passed me by. Might have to consider going back to see it again, just to see if it's in there. And to get another look at Olivia Wilde...
Dad's come into mind alot over the past week or so. For no real reason. But I find that he's in the back of my mind at the most odd times.
I was grocery shopping the other day, and was passing through the beer section. Now that my legendary beer drinking days are behind me, I find that I can pass by without drooling too much. But as I got to the end of the row, they jumped out at me. Cases of Olympia beer. The beer of my youth! I can still remember the jingles. "It's the water. And a lot more!"
Back before microbrews and national conglomerates taking over beer companies, there were plenty of regional beers that one part of the country could get that others couldn't. One of those was Oly. Brewed in Tumwater, WA. Just north of Olympia, the capital of WA. Founded by a German from Montana. Rumored to be brewed by the Artesians (a play on the artesian wells where the brewery got their water). The brewery itself was on I-5. And that's what I drank as a kid. As did Clint Eastwood and Clyde, in "Every Which Way But Loose".
Dad would be watching the football game, or golf, or a bad Sunday afternoon movie, and tell someone to get him a beer. My sisters and I would scramble to do it, because whoever got it for him knew that they could crack it open, and suck out a third of a can before it ever got to Dad. "It was foaming--I didn't want to spill any of it!" was the common excuse. In any case, I developed a love for beer during those days. Add to the mix that the drinking age at the time was 18, and it wasn't long before I was buying/drinking Oly on my own.
Of course, there were other beers. Hamms was always a winner ("From the Land of Sky Blue Water"--thank you St. Paul, MN!). Ranier was the other favorite, also from Washington. At one time it came in "light", "light-light" and "not-so-light". This was back in the days before "lite" beers were marketed, so it was quite a deal that there were three types of beer from Ranier! Of course, my grandfather would buy beer a six-pack at a time, and being the cheap bastard that he was (I say that lovingly), would buy Schlitz, or some generic beer (remember the generic white can with black type that just said "BEER"?--he was a big fan!). If he was expecting company (us) he'd buy a second six-pack. His greatest coup? Skaggs Alpha-Beta beer. 99¢/six-pack. Tasted like crap, but as he said, once you got to the second one, you never noticed!
Back to the grocery store--I saw these cases of Oly, and I started thinking about Dad, and realized that I probably haven't sucked down an Oly in three decades. So I bought a case. Now I've become a microbrew snob over the years, and rarely drink anything major like Miller or Coors or Bud. I prefer the various tastes that are crafted by any microbrewery. Some work, some don't. So I take my first swig of Oly in decades. I had forgotten how bad it really tasted. But memories from my high school days came rushing back, and the next thing you know, I'm sucking down beer #2. And my grandfather was right! It didn't taste anywhere near as bad!
So here I am, reflected in my car's window. With my Oly. No, I didn't go driving. I wanted a picture of me in this window. Why? It's Dad's car. Which is now MY car. I have a new OsMobile! Short story--it was due for registration renewal and insurance renewal, and Mom didn't want to spend the money. So now it's mine! (BTW--the shirt? Official Hawaiian shirt from the islands. A gift from the lovely Shizzle!)
The other car, that I've had for almost exactly one year? I'm 85% sure I've got it sold to the friend who rolled hers a couple of weeks ago. This one is a 2007 Honda CRV. Less than 15K miles on it. In immaculate shape. And I'm a happy camper! Of course, Dad came to mind again when I found his gloves and sunglasses still in it. I'll wear them.
One of the neatest things about it--it's got a retractable moonroof! I asked Mom something about it, and she said she didn't think Dad even know about it. She sure didn't! So here I am, toasting Dad with an Oly through the moonroof he didn't know he had! (Click the pic to see the whole car!)
The Mother's Gift
"The dreaming The longing The anticipation The belonging
The plans The preparations The excitement The wonder of creations
The approaching time The gatherings The closeness The names of beings
The emotions The hearts lift The new beginning The Mother's Gift"
--Cynthia I Rogers
This week's Mystery Guest will be revealed late Thursday afternoon. She's more than just a little excited as you can imagine! Our maternally excited MG is Cowgirl (you might remember her as Cute but Evil--depending on how long you've been around). In any case, it's been an adventuresome ride for her. Go say hi, and see more proof! In spite of the busy summer, there's plenty to see over at "...the Other HNT"! As usual, it's NSFW. Be sure to stop by and leave some comments for your fellow HNTers!I found something disturbing on Mina's site yesterday. She warned us about some sleazy site that had stolen some posts of hers, reposted them on their site, but inserting links within it, so that they could generate some sort of revenue stream. In addition, slap in some porn shot that was not part of the original post. This pisses me off in a number of different ways. Not the least of which is the incredibly tacky way that they present their porn. NOT ONE SINGLE BIT OF ORIGINAL MATERIAL! Porn ads all over. This post is already too long to really allow me what I'd really like to say. But then Mina mentions that there was a HNT "category" as well. You know I had to check that out...
Similar to Mina's work, this site has stolen posts/pics from Cheeky Minx, Petal, Sexie Sadie, Hedone, Lexi, Vanillamom, Kat, and some others I'm not familiar with! Who knows who else they've stolen from? And as much as I hate to direct traffic there, here's twolinks to see what you've been missing. (In getting that last link, I see they've already stolen Cheeky's HNT for this week...less than FIVE MINUTES after she posted it, she tells me!) Can anything be done? Probably not. They are obviously using English as a second language (read Mina's excerpts). There is a link at the bottom of the page to complain about copyright ownership, but I doubt that they take it seriously. The only consolation might be that it doesn't appear to be a terribly popular site (as porn sites go). If anyone's got any viable ideas...throw them out there!To end on a happier note--some of you have asked over the years what happened to the original OsShirt. I thought it was lost on its way to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2006, but apparently, it's found it's way onto TV!
Saw the last of the Indiana Jones movies this afternoon. It struck me how old Karen Allen has gotten (she looks older in the movie than this picture). It's not that she's not attractive still (she is), but I'll always think of her as she looked in her first big movie role in "Animal House".
But Harrison Ford? He's definitely aging! Have you seen the previews for "Cowboys & Aliens"? (a side note--I don't go to the movies much, but I'll definitely be going to see this!) Like all good leading men, they just get better with age (though he looks older than this in the previews), but what a difference from his first movie appearance in "American Grafitti"!Another Harrison Ford thought... Any chance we'll get to hear him utter that most famous "Star Wars" line once again? Specifically, "I've got a bad feeling about this..." It's used in every one of the Star Wars movies. In addition, Ford says it towards the end of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Will we hear it in "Cowboys & Aliens"? Anyone want to put money on it?
Lots of death this weekend. The massacre in Norway is just horrific. And in Texas, there was a murder spree at a roller skating rink. I just don't understand how one's mind can get to the point where the body would allow it to do such a thing...
Unfortunately, the big death story seemed to be Amy Winehouse. I'm sorry...I can't feel a loss over this one, and am sort of disgusted by the adulation she's getting. Let's be perfectly clear...she's was a drug-addicted mess. She was not a musical superstar. Yes, there was talent, but she didn't bring anything to the table that wasn't heard already. And perhaps that's why she got as far as she did. She channeled the true musical giants of the past. But the fact is...she wasted her gift away. When a generation worships a caricature such as she turned out to be, it's a sad state of affairs. Shed a tear for the death of a soul, but don't attribute anything more to her than she's due. She certainly didn't do anything to be particularly proud of...Only 5 months until Christmas!!! Do you have your tree up yet?
One of the things I really like about blogging/HNT is when someone does something in their real life that I can either observe or be a part of. I'm talking beyond actually meeting people, though that's pretty cool too, and I highly recommend it! But I'm talking about something different. Things that can be purchased or seen, or that have a direct connection to someone we "know" online.
For instance, I was fortunate enough to watch Bad Bad Girl, live and online, as she walked the stage during her college commencement to receive her diploma. I've watched as Heather from Canada put her jewelry business online, and the tremendous growth it's enjoyed. Others have successfully started Etsy sites, selling the fruits of their labor. Crimson (Queen of HNT) started selling greeting cards using her fantastic photographic skills. Ms. I, unknown to most of you, has a well-respected book out there that she co-authored for work, but is available online through Amazon.
Others need to be experienced. Trojan has some movie and commercial credits under her belt, as well as some great mp3s and modeling gigs. BTExpress will soon be appearing in a movie too! There's musicians out here who can be heard in various types of venues. I'm sure there are plenty of others that I'm not aware of who have their art, be it performance or visual, available to the general public.
For the most part, the public exposure is limited. In other cases, it's wide open. Tara Tainton'sspread (so to speak) in Hustler magazine comes to mind. She was one of "us" before she started making adult films. And Sexy Sadie is getting plenty of press coverage for both her show, "BedPost Confessions ™" (which is now officially on tour!), and for her book, "Open All the Way".
Which brings me to my latest purchase of a blogger/HNTer's efforts. I was pleasantly surprised to find Cheeky Minx' book, "Sinfully Sensuous" in my mail yesterday. I first mentioned it about a week and a half ago. Let me say now that the preview doesn't do the book justice! The writing is very much what we've come to expect from her in virtually every post she writes. Again...sometimes tender, sometimes slutty. Personally, I'm not a big fan of erotica. Far too many amateurs who think they can write it. Cheeky, on the other hand, has a real grasp on the style. A true joy to read her words.
But what sets this book off from others are the pictures. All featuring Cheeky; all taken by Cheeky; and all quite sexy and classy. And at least one, if not two pictures of her for every turn of the page. Some in color, others in b&w, and others in sepia or some other filter. There's a bit of narcissism at play when you use yourself as the only model in the book, but she pulls it off miraculously. The pictures don't overpower the words, and the words compliment the pictures. I know she spent months putting this together and editing it. In my opinion, she nailed it! Spread the word! Buy it yourself!
There's something about the tactile sensation of holding a new book in your hands. This one is quite sturdy, and well put together. Even the packaging is impressive. The hard cover is not a generic one with a cover--it's the actual printed cover as shown. The printing is perfect (though she thinks some of the pics are a bit dark), and the pages are a very high quality. Much different than seeing/reading it off of a computer screen. I now understand why many people won't buy a Kindle or Nook. However, I think I need to find a better place to read it. It was a pain in the butt to keep the little kids away...
"Now if you feel that you can't go on (can't go on) Because all of your hope is gone (all your hope is gone) And your life is filled with much confusion (much confusion) Until happiness is just an illusion (happiness is just an illusion) And your world around is crumbling down, darlin Reach out come on girl reach on out for me Reach out reach out for me I'll be there with a love that will shelter you I'll be there with a love that will see you through" "Reach Out (I'll Be There)"~~The Four Tops
This week's Mystery Guest is currently at a low point in her life, and would love to have someone who would be able to say these words to her. She'll be revealed here late Thursday afternoon. This week's MG is Amber, from "Mommy Mania". Stop by and say hi to her. Leave a cheery note for her too, if you can. She could use it! Lots of good things to see over at "...the Other HNT" this week (as usual). Give your fellow HNTers some support and leave them some comments! NSFW (also as usual).Prior to getting Cheek Minx' book in the mail yesterday, I was going to link you to the symphony's staff photographer, and post pics of me and Michelle. So here they are anyway. But you can check the rest of them out at his site!
One more summer concert finished and in the books! The theme was "Harlem Renaissance", and featured the music of Duke Ellington, J.P. Johnson and George Gershwin. Also thrown in was some Fats Waller and others. Primarily a jazz concert for orchestra!
Which, if anyone knows anything about jazz and string players, is like mixing oil and water. It ain't gonna work well. Though I do have to admit...they did a fairly respectable job. It's not their fault. They're trained to be classical musicians, whereas jazz musicians spend years developing a "feel" for jazz. It's not something that can be notated and performed. It just "happens". I expressed my concern early on about whether or not we could pull it off. As it ended up, it worked out pretty well!
In addition to the orchestra, we had a vocal soloist perform with a jazz quartet of musicians in the orchestra. To some degree, they stole the show. The vocalist was not great (see below), but the quartet was fantastic!
In some prior years, I rated the concert on a scale from 1-10 (ten being the best), so I figured I should do it again. There's some pics at the bottom too, if you're interested!
WEATHER - 9 - I should give it a 10, as the temps got no higher than the mid-80s, there was relatively little wind, and no rain. But there were clouds and rain during the week, and there was an ongoing threat of thunderstorms Friday and Saturday. As it turned out, there was no rain, and all storm clouds seemed to split and miss us to either side. It caused a bit of nervousness not knowing what was/wasn't going to happen...
STAGE CREW- 10 - Once again, a solid 10 this year. Many of the crew (mostly older HS or college students) have worked this setup in prior years, so they've got a good sense of what needs to be done. And they work their tails off!
PERFORMANCE - 9.5 - I don't believe there's such a thing as a "perfect" performance, therefore, no such thing as a perfect 10. But we came close! Even taking the jazz aspect into consideration, this was a pretty good performance. And much of the music was quite difficult!
FIREWORKS - 10 - We used a different fireworks company than in the past, so there was a little question as to whether or not they'd meet the standard that had been set in the past. They came through with flying colors (so to speak)! It's a new local company, and I think they realized this would be a huge test/opportunity for them, and they didn't disappoint. And the timing with the music was perfect--something that's not always been the case.
CROWD - 8 - For the first time in thirteen years of doing this concert, I could tell that the crowd was smaller than in years past. Some people attributed it to the questions about rainy weather. Others thought it was as big, but spread out to the sides more. I think it's because of late advertising. On the other hand, the word on the street is that they liked the program, so that's a good thing!
SOUND - 9 - This was a tough concert to mike, as the jazz quartet needed their own setup, and then the rest of the orchestra. Our sound guy is pretty good though, and quite experienced with our needs. One point off though, for the feedback on an announcer's mic early in the concert, catching him off-guard and leaving us with 30 seconds of that embarrassing "now what?" moment...
SOLOIST - 5 - I hate to give her that score, but I have to. Unfortunately, it's not entirely her fault. The problem with her is that she's classically trained. And one shouldn't look for a classically trained vocalist to sing jazz. She seemed uncomfortable (I'm sure she was), and I'm not entirely sure she knew the songs she was singing. She even had the lyrics on a music stand in extra-large font. Jazz singers know their lyrics--they don't need help. She's done "Messiah" with us a soloist. She was wonderful. Not here though. I would put most of the blame on the music director, but she's the one who agreed to do it, insinuating that she thought she could. What's truly sad is that I can think of 2 or 3 women in Helena that would have been spectacular in this position.
ADMINISTRATION - 5 - This number could go higher or lower, depending on the time of the weekend I was asked. The woman in charge as the project manager really dropped the ball on a number of things. The biggest problem was a complete lack of communication. Or maybe it was a lack of understanding the timelines needed to put it all together. Sponsor money was lost (as in, not received) because of a lack of communication. Volunteers were found at the last minute. Many things were not taken care of because she didn't know about them (a production meeting or two would have solved that). While there's many facets of this production that sort of run on automatic, many of them have to be told that we needed them this year. And that word came really late in some cases. The woman will not be doing it next year (it won't be offered, and she wouldn't accept it anyway). I have a sneaky suspicion that I'll be that person for next year's concert...
PERSONAL INJURY - 9.5 - Anyone who's followed this concert over the years knows that I generally have something happen. Sometimes it's severe (nearly snapping my leg in half in 2007); sometimes it's just simple gashes in the arm or leg. This year I'm happy to report that I scraped my thumb knuckle (right in the crease--gonna take forever to heal), and I got a good deal of sun. The burn is turning into a decent tan, however, so I can't complain!
OVERALL EXPERIENCE - 8 - The fine performances by the orchestra and the quartet notwithstanding, the stress of the balls that were dropped by the project manager and the soloist's performance knock the total score to an 8.
So there it is. I think Dad would have liked this concert. He always complained that he didn't know any of the music in prior years. This one he would have known most of the songs. And the weather would have been just right for his bones. Mom went with friends this year, and I know Dad was on her mind. It dawns on me now that their 55th anniversary is tomorrow (Tuesday). Hell. Now I'm depressed...
Here's a few pics I was able to take during the day and before the performance. Including Mom, and N2, S2 and S3.
My, things have piled up on me in a hurry today! Heck, even since work! For those of you who were here early, you saw my temporary post. In over six years of HNT, I've never missed the opening bell. Or had someone else posting for me when I was away. But I was always prepared. Not so this week! But since you're reading this, I must have gotten it worked out!
As I mentioned, things have piled up. And I'm just finding out about it all today. Lots of fires being put out, or quashed before they even started. Found out the reason that I've been feeling out of the loop with this concert--there hasn't been a loop! The woman who is in charge of everything (new this year), grossly underestimated the time needed to get everything done. While she's been somewhat efficient getting concert sponsors and money, she assumed that most of the rest of her work could be done in the last week and a half. If I were in her position, I would have estimated closer to the last three months.
Fortunately, almost everyone knows what their role is for this concert. It's just a matter of being told that they need to do the same as they've done in the past. Far too much assumption, not nearly enough confirmation. But it will all come off just fine, and everyone will rave at the great fireworks, and the gates will be opened to start on next summer's concert...
To see what's been involved in years past, you can clickonanyofthesedifferentlinks. In the meantime, I leave you with a picture I actually posted on Facebook a week or so ago, by request. Me in my bathroom. I don't anticipate seeing much of it over the next few days...
When I host a Mystery Guest, I generally offer to write this blurb, and most MGs take me up on it. Then I scour the interwebz to find an apropos quote or lyric. But tonight, I'll just use my own words... This young lady turned 32 today (Wednesday). She has always been one of the sexiest HNTers around. But she's found herself in a situation where she can work further on her body, specifically focusing on her hind end. Today, she's showing it off for us. Methinks she's done well! I'll be revealing her Thursday afternoon, but feel free to leave her some birthday wishes here. Her hiney would appreciate it! Our very fit birthday girl is the one and only Shizzle! Sorry, no link, but you can find her as the MG in the past--I think this is at least her 10th appearance! Happy Birthday, Shiz! Summer has definitely arrived! Even with some last minute submissions, the numbers at "...the Other HNT" are low this week. But where it lacks in quantity, it's doing just fine in quality! Be sure to check your fellow HNTers out. And leave some comments--they really do appreciate it!Update on the young lady mentioned in my last post (the car wreck). I chatted with her last night, and she's apparently going to try to come to the concert! Not to play, obviously, but as an audience member. If she can find a ride...I'm outta here until Sunday afternoon. No time for chats or emails or any of that nonsense! I'll try to get caught up on the HNTs on Sunday night. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Big concert is coming up on Saturday, and it's causing all sorts of angst around here. Ultimately, it's going to come off just fine, but the stuff behind the scenes is just piling up and up...Not the least of which was a late start to Saturday morning's rehearsal (one of two three-hour rehearsals in a stuffy, unventilated room in the summer sun...). A couple of players from out of town were late because traffic was held up due to a one-car rollover a few miles east of town. Turns out that the driver was also one of "us", our newly appointed principal string bass. She had swerved to avoid a car that had stopped on the 2-lane highway waiting to make a left hand turn. She missed the car, but at 70 MPH, rolled her car a number of times in the ditch. Her seat belt broke, but she wasn't ejected. In fact, she was coherent enough to crawl of the car, fearing it might explode. The first highway patrolman on the scene told her that his heart sank when he drove up, as he figured he had to find a body bag or two. Miraculously, she didn't suffer any broken bones, but spent the rest of the weekend in the hospital for observation. And she's going to be sore for awhile after being beaten up while rolling. Her bass also came away with only minor damage, which should be easily repaired. On the other hand, her car was totaled. She had me stop by the towing company's lot to retrieve anything that still might be in there. As she posted on FB--if this can happen sober/without distraction why would you even think of drinking and driving?
Click 'em to big 'em!
At any given time, I've got 12-16 different games happening on "Words With Friends". Overall, I think I've got a winning percentage with all the games I've played. Lots of blow-outs (both winning and losing). Lots words I've never heard of (which I keep in mind for future games!). And lots of words that I never thought I'd see allowed!
A new name came up last week inviting me to play. My mom. She's apparently taken to the iPad we got her for Mother's Day. Now I have to pay attention to whom I'm playing at any given time. Can't be using dirty words against Mom!!!
Click on the pic to see the most amazing score for a single word. I suspect it's been manipulated, as I can't see it possibly happening naturally...
Remember that commercial from six years ago? I suppose a bit more detail would be good...the one I blogged about here. Go look, it's a short post. None of you would remember it, as it was written before the invention of HNT (but only by less than a week!). I'll wait...
Welcome back. I've got the same feelings tonight with the latest Dish Network commercials with "The Truth", and the little punk ass kid. For as much as I loved the previous commercials with the Russian and the tiny giraffes, I despise this one. I don't know if it's because of the kid, or because I've seen the same damned commercial 2-3 times per hour!Please don't ask why I was on this site. I'm not really sure how/why I landed there myself. It's one of those sites intended for women, by women. I'm sure it's because the title of the article caught my eye: "One of the Most Detested Sex Acts Is Good for Women". Go see what one of the most detested sex acts is--I was surprised!Have you been sucked into the new Google+ yet? From what I've read, we won't really have a choice... I'm not thrilled about the fact that private profiles will no longer kept--either make it public, or they will simply drop it. I've also read something regarding Google's claim to ownership of pictures and posts published on their sites (Blogger, Picasa, etc....). I don't know if that was simply speculation, or if that's an official statement somewhere. And I'm not entirely sure that Google needs to get into the social networking thing (don't they already have enough?). But as I understand it, we don't really have a choice, so go with the flow.In over six years of HNT there have been a handful of people who have separated themselves from the rest of us with their photography. For them, HNT has become a creative outlet. It is not a sex thing. Yes, there are many who post sexy pictures. But "half-nekkid" doesn't necessarily refer to the flesh. The concept of "half-nekkid" lies in the mind of the person posting the HNT. Many bloggers have used HNT to show parts of their soul, parts of their conscience, and parts of their lives. Many have used HNT to break out of whatever shells they might have found themselves living within.
I tend not to rave over specific HNTers, and try to avoid playing favorites. But every once in awhile, you just have to gush... We have watched Cheeky Minx over the past couple of years as she's taken us into the depths of her soul. Her pictures are always classy and sensual--never crude. And her words...oh, her words. One day she will write about soft surrender to her lover, and the next time she'll be writing with animalistic passion. And always, always leaving the reader wanting more.
Well, "more" has arrived. She's been working for months on publishing a book. "...a collection of over eighty erotic self-portraits and vignettes that take you on a journey through feminine desire, from the seductive allure of an ethereal sensuality to the dangerously magnetic eroticism of the femme fatale…" Many of the words and pictures will be familiar to anyone who's visited her HNTs (and hers is consistently one of the most commented on). Others will be fresh and new to the reader. Click on the picture of the cover to get a preview look at it. And once you're there, put in your order for your own copy. No, it's not going to be personally autographed--that will have to wait for the elusive book tour. But it's going to be something tangible you can hold in your hands. Almost as good as the real thing, I'd imagine!
She didn't want me to pimp her out, but dammit, I just had to! Go buy it. Now!And because I still think this is the greatest thing on YouTube at the moment...
As mentioned in my post below, the main activity at the lake on Sunday was beer pong. Seems like a roundabout way to drink beer, but people had fun. Including my two oldest nieces who, as fate would have it (or for having the only grasp of the complex rules--seriously, a new rule after every freakin' toss??), ended up as the champions of the day. Anyway, since the only pics of me at the lake were neither half-nekkid, nor very good, I offer this picture of the champs, early in the competition (as provided for in the HNT Guidelines). What?!? You don't know there are guidelines? Shame on you--click here!
Thanks to a particularly rancid douchebag who is currently intimidating this MG, she's requested that I take down her picture. Too bad. It was pretty hot...
"I like a man with a tan and a twisted chrome kickstand Leanin' on a big old bike The low rollin' sound that'll shake the ground Comin' out of long pipes I like a tattoo or two Or even more if they're cool On the big old arms of a long-haired dude Inside of me, there's an all I wanna be Biker chick chick Biker chick chick (whooo)
But the tequila's kickin' in And since I'm here with friends Can't a girl just fantasize
I never said he was the marryin' kind All I said was I bet he'd be a wild ride" "Biker Chick" ~~Jo Dee Messina
This week's Mystery Guest, just being who she is, will be revealed Thursday afternoon. Be sure to come back to find out who it is! This week's biker chick MG is relative newcomer Gigi! As fate would have it, she's gone this week, but you can still leave a comment on her last post. Go say hi! There's a nice selection of submissions over at "...the Other HNT" this week (as usual!). And some new "faces", as it were! Be sure to see what your fellow HNTers are up to! It's NSFW, of course...
What a great weekend! Friday night found me at a local concert to both celebrate the anniversary of a popular eating/drinking establishment downtown, and to raise money for the hospital's cancer services. The concert was held at the site of an historic old hotel just west of town (amongst century-old cottonwood trees). The hotel was torn down in the 70s, but the grounds are wonderful. The first band was The Clintons--a popular band from Bozeman. I don't ride their bandwagon, and I won't ever buy their CDs, but they're a good band for this sort of thing. And they played well. The second band was a local blues/rock band. I'm not sure how they got this gig, but I know there's plenty of other bands that would have sounded better. The biggest criticism would be that the female lead singer thought she was channeling Janis Joplin, even performing three of her biggest songs (not even Janis did all three in a concert!). And apparently, channeling Janis means screaming at the threshold of her throat's limit, and not worrying too much about hitting the high notes remotely in tune. Sorry--Janis could pull it off--this woman can't. The rest of the band was rather ordinary, at best.
But none of us were there to hear them. The headliner was the Mission Mountain Wood Band. The biggest Montana band of the 70s. Back on tour with their first new album since those days, and sounding just as good as they ever have. Since they were pushing the new album, much of the expected old stuff didn't get performed, but that's ok. The "biggies" were still played. I started their set right off the stage, in front of a bank of speakers. I thought I'd lost most of my hearing from years of doing that exact same thing, but apparently not. After about an hour, I had to move back to where the soundboard was. Funny...the sound was much better back there!
The stars were out--not a cloud in the sky. The cottonwoods were snowing, which played hell with my eyes. The beer was cold and plentiful. The food available was incredible. A fantastic beginning to July!
(click 'em to big 'em!)
Saturday was a day of rest, sort of. Sunday was spent out at the lake with the rest of the family and friends. Due to the amount of snow we've had, the lake is higher than it's been in decades. Which means that there's all sorts of flotsam coming into shore. So, since there was little swimming or boating to do, the main activity was beer pong! Thanks to the two nieces who have graduated from college! Almost everyone got involved, including both grandmothers who were there. I didn't play, but I was the designated drinker for the recent high school grads (who knew how to beer pong far better than they should have...). Those who weren't playing beer pong were playing washers (which is the same as cornhole, but the wind in north central MT blows the beanbags too much, hence the use of large washers). Other activities included laying in the sun, and drinking beer next to the bar that's been set up down by the water (complete with margarita blender!). It was a great day.
Monday was another lazy day, but I did get out to watch the big fireworks show. Back in the day, that would have been another good reason for more beer, but I'm getting to old to do so much anymore... All in all, a fine weekend!It was amazing to see FB blow up with reaction to the Casey Anthony case. I found it humorous that the Canadians, for the most part, had no idea who/what was going on. Personally, I didn't watch a single second of it, but my question for the many who did...would there have been this much interest in this if the little girl was ethnically different? Would there have been such "outrage"? I think not, because it's happening on a daily basis. And it may be against the grain, but kudos to the defense team. They were able to raise reasonable doubt, and the prosecution (thinking they had a slam dunk case) failed to prove their case. She wasn't found 'innocent'. She was found 'not guilty'. Vastly different. As some TV attorney noted on one of the many news shows tonight--the American legal justice system is built to acquit guilty defendants rather than risk finding a truly innocent person guilty.Then again, I did watch Nancy Grace. She was spectacular in maintaining my total disdain for the woman. Possibly the most puke-inducing clip, though, was from the ladies on "The View". They couldn't discuss it without choking back the tears. Really? Quit embarrassing yourselves, ladies.The big summer concert is in 10 days. I hate to report that we are WAY behind. Those who are in the upper level planning positions have not been on the ball. I'm sure the concert will come off just fine, but this last minute scrambling is getting old. I see a possible new position for me in the coming year...Big news this week--the population of the state is projected to break the 1,000,000 mark before the end of this year. Woohoo!!!
