Random musings of Jeromey Balderrama
My good friend Andie passed along a link to an awesome video – the evolution of dance! It looks like it made it’s way around the Internet, but I just saw it for the first time. I just about fell out of my chair laughing, especially since I’ve personally attempted a few of these…
Check out the site at evolutionofdance.com
Today as I was listening to Cnet’s Buzz Out Loud I heard one of the funniest things I’ve heard all week. Apparantly if you go to Wikipedia (the on-line user-driven encyclopedia), and search for "Gory Death Scenes" you get a list of all different types of gross, graphic ways people have bit it on the silver screen, as well as the movies that feature those ways to do. Be careful when visiting that site, especially if you have a weak stomach. Check out the site!
Some notables on the list:
The fact that people have taken time not only to list these movies, but categorizing them the way they have – it’s just too much. I wish I had this much time on my hands.
So who’s up for a "Death due to contact with a caustic or otherwise deadly substance" movie marathon this weekend?
As I stated in an earlier posting, my camera-phone (combined with my not-so-great-for-picture-taking seat location) produced poor pictures, but I did managed to find some great pictures offered by users on the Warehouse forums.
This is the shot of the 2006 stage setup. I love the three different-sized screens!
During "Smooth Rider" someone apparently threw a pair of sunglasses on stage. Dave picked them up and put them on to sing the next verse.
Another great stage picture!
Back in Fort Collins one day later, I wanted to offer one last reflection about the Bonner Springs trip. Like I said a few posts back, the trip back home always seems longer than the trip there. It was largely due to the lost anticipation of the concert, along with the realization that the hassles of work, school and the "to-do" list are early awaiting our return.
This trip was no exception, and while we employed the same "Podcast" strategy to help pass the time, things didn’t work out as well as we could have hoped. Most notably, we ran out of content with 2+ hours of driving left. While we theoretically had enough content loaded in the playlist to last us the trip home, our impatience combined with our need to censor certain shows resulted in multiple skips.
Our original intention was to listen to completely new PodCasts, but we modified the plan to incorporate reliable favorites, mixed by the "Shuffle" option on the iPod. This produced our "return home" Podcast list:
Daily Breakfast #122
Urban Coffee #39 – STOPPED EARLY
Tips from the Top Floor – #127
Daily Breakfast #123
AirFerg – 5/28 – STOPPED EARLY
Daily Giz Wiz #73
ShashDot Review 5/31
Daily Source Code #395 – STOPPED EARLY
Manager Tools – 5/29
Cnet Buzz Out Loud #239
Mike Tech Show #68
Daily Source Code #396
The Word Nerds #64
Daily Giz Wiz #74
Boagworld Web Design Podcast #36 – STOPPED EARLY
Cnet Buzz Out Loud #238
Slashdot Review – 5/30
Daily Giz Wiz #72 – STOPPED EARLY
As I said, the "old faithful’s" delivered on quality content, but we we weren’t stingy on the "skip" button, and we used it where appropriate:
Urban Coffee – Sorry, but this was off-topic, crude and couldn’t hold our interest – skipped and removed from Juice.
AirFerg – It had it’s moments, but they were few and far between. We couldn’t understand the role of "Shelly" on the show. Did they drop her voice clips post-production, or is "Shelly" even real?
Daily Source Code – It was riding the fence with us all throughout the trip (which is why we skipped 395 and not 396). Contrary to constant praise from listeners on the show, Matt and I aren’t big fans of Adam’s wife, Patricia being on the show. She’s a nice person and all, but when she has the mic the show is suddenly about "nothing" (and not in the Seinfeld "nothing – the boring "nothing"). 396 was good because it was just Adam, and actually relevant for a change.
Boagworld Web Design Podcast – This Podcast is typically good, but the fluxuating volume levels on the PodCast made it impossible to listen to on our FM Transmitter. Rather than placing our finger on the volume knob, we hit "skip" instead.
Daily Giz Wiz – This is another fence-rider. The concept of the show is actually good, but the problem is that the hosts spend more time talking about anything but the daily "Giz". When a 14 minute show is 12 minutes longer than it needs to be, it’s not a bad sign. You guys talk every day, would it be too much to ask to not banter so much on-air?
At that point we virtually ran out of PodCasts. We had a few episodes of Keith and the Girl, but we bagged them, due to vulgarity fears. We also had a Comic Geek Speak X-men III review, but because Matt had not seen the movie we skipped it as well.
Overall we failed in our "Podcast-only" road-trip, but we gave a good solid effort. Plus I’ve picked a few new Podcasts from this trip that I’m excited to now subscribe to: MP3 Insider, Manager Tools, The Word Nerds, and Mike Tech Show.
Now to look forward to upcoming trips: Glenwood Springs (5 hour drive) next weekend, Orlando Florida in 10 days (but flying)…
Well I arrived safely back into Fort Collins. The 10-hour drive took it’s toll on the way back. It’s amazing how much longer the trip home seems a lot longer than the trip there. Tomorrow I head back into the office for my one day of work before the weekend – gotta love that schedule.
Before I get to the mountain of email, the mess that is my home, and the laundry list of "to-do’s" I wanted to spend some time reflecting on the trip.
Wednesday in Kansas City
After sleeping in until the late hour of 9:30am (I hate that!), Matt and I woke up and made our way into the city with two stops in mind: a sampling of KC BBQ, and the Negro League Baseball Museum. As luck would have it, both locations were within blocks of each other. A DMB fan on the Warehouse boards recommended Arthur Bryant’s BBQ, saying "[it’s] the only name you need to know." They definitely did not disappoint. The food there was phenomenal.
From the outside Arthur Bryants, it looked like just about any other older down-town place. It was funny because when you walk in you see a building that has to be at least 50 years old, random tables and chairs, and a swing-out screen door. You stand in line, grab your own plate, fork and napkin. Behind the counter is a bustle of activity, people serving up orders in what seems like chaos back there. I ordered a Turkey and Pork sandwich and watch the guy place it on slices of Wonder Bread – no different than that you’d buy from the store.
After getting our food, Matt and I sit down and tackled our huge sandwiches. I ate what was easily the most delicious BBQ I’ve ever had, resulting in the biggest state of "fullness" I’ve ever felt. We’re talking beyond "Thanksgiving dinner" full. Unable to finish our sandwhiches, Matt and I ate as much as we could, leaving quite a bit still on our plates. The sandwich kicked our asses – but it was a delicious experience.
What struck me while sitting in Arthur Bryants was the diversity in the restaurant. As I looked around I literally saw people from all walks of life: the suited business men rolling up their sleeves for a quick lunch; two retired men engaged in conversation; a mother with her children; young adults enjoying a bit to eat. It blew me away that all of these people would journey down to this old place to enjoy classic BBQ. In a strange way it was a uniting and community-building experience.
After lunch Matt and I waddled down a few blocks to the Negro League Baseball Museum. I’ve heard about this place from listening to various radio shows, and had all but forgotten it’s existence in Kansas City. I am glad that we researched and found it, as it was an enlightening and amazing experience.
I had always considered myself a casual-moderate baseball fan. I have a lot for the game, and as an avid sports fan, have a passable knowledge of baseball. However, I had no idea about the role that the Negro Leagues had in baseball history. It’s impossible to grasp the impact that segregation had on the sport of baseball, and how different history would have been if the leagues were integrated sooner. Josh Gibson would likely be remembered in the same breath as "Babe Ruth", and Satchel Paige would have arguably been one of the greatest pitchers in major league history. I am still in awe of my experience in the museum, and would recommend a visit to anyone who loves baseball, or simply values history.
Check out all of my pictures from my trip on my Flickr page.