WRFL: How it Went Down PT 1

In the flurry of stuff that seems to always be going on, I nearly forgot to post anything about this documentary that I served as an Associate Producer for. It's a look at the early days of WRFL-FM-88.1, which I helped to start. 20 years later, I served as the Lexington producer for this bit which owes its existence to producers Kakie Urch and editor-producer Ayser Salman.

Patio time!

Patio time!, originally uploaded by mrtoastey.

Trucks and shovels and measurements and sand and gravel and screeds later, the patio that Lucy and I concocted is finally starting to look like ... a patio.

George Carlin: "a counterculture hero"

One of the great comics and — more importantly — social commentators of our times, I'm going to miss George Carlin

That guy could make me pee myself with laughter. In addition, he increasingly seemed to hit the nail on the head when it came to critiqueing the increasingly disturbing politics at play in our modern world.

George Carlin, r.i.p.

E. Weston idolatry

E. Weston idolatry, originally uploaded by mrtoastey.

After finding (and paying dearly for, btw) these gloriously saggy heirloom tomotoes at Kroger, of all places, I couldn't help but want to photograph them. Ed Weston, I ain't. A friend told me that Weston shot things like this pepper inside a tube. Some of great photography is definitely about clever.

jade crassula

jade crassula, originally uploaded by mrtoastey.

I'm becoming obsessed with my Jades/Crassulas thanks to the wonderful folks over at GardenWeb.

Jewell Rae Jeffers

If you'd like to see W cooked up southern style then you want to see this.

Family Portrait

Smile: the series, originally uploaded by mrtoastey.

in Soddy Daisy, TN, everybody does "the Chicken," which is a hand position designed to hide the ever encroaching "waddle" that comes with age/wisdom. Note: Bill, my dear stepdad, is for some reason doing "The Vampire," which is a different photo move altogether.

Campsie Tree Calamity

Campsie Tree Calamity
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey

We had a juggernaut storm roll through Lexington at dawn and it brought down a big old tree just feet from our property — and unfortunately on top of Neighbor Tommy's truck. The Honda parked behind it emerged miraculously unscathed (save for a few scratches). Here is a flickr set of the mayhem.

Keleigh and Brian's Wedding

Keleigh and Brian's Wedding
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey

Had a great time south of Corbin on a beautiful beautiful Saturday, as Brian and Keleigh tied the knot in country style. What a wonderful setting! There were baby goats, all manner of farm charm, delicious food and drink, live bluegrass, the company of so many beloved friends, and most importantly the presence of true love as two very sweet people got hitched. Thanks for a great day and evening, Brian and Keleigh and blessings upon you. Why don't you look at the complete photoset? There's some good ones.

Jim and the horse

Photo_05
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey

My pal and fab artist jim shambhu oversees some big new signage at the kentucky horse park. The large horsie was attached moments before…

The Coup vid from FreeKY Fest 2008

Here's a nice article that the Kentucky Kernel ran, following WRFL-FM's FreeKY Festival 2008. You can still donate to WRFL's signal upgrade Boost the Power Build the Tower fund right here!

bow-wrapped building

Photo_05
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey

Small town primpin-- this building has a real purdy "ribbon" and "bow" around it! Yipe.

always ask

While biding my time in Somerset waiting for Lucy to complete her business, I hoofed it in search of the Pulaski County Library, with some difficulty:

1. It had moved.
2. The new location was wrong in Google Maps.
3. The actual location was quite a few blocks back in the opposite direction.
4. It was starting to rain.

Fortunately, I decided to ask directions at The Doolin House, a swanky B&B. I always feel like I've got a decent "in" at B&B's since my parents ran one for so many years. Doolin House was austere and quiet and pretty much unoccupied, so I was delighted when my request to check email was welcomed, and here I sit in a lovely den, in big armchair.

It never hurts to ask, folks!

Me n John Sherman

Fountain Square, Somerset, Kentucky — Me with the statue of John Sherman Cooper and the blue-dyed fountain in the background.

live from Somerset

Dudez— it's the future.

I'm blogging from a park bench in the center square of tiny Somerset, Kentucky. I was on my way to the library (an internet favorite in small Kentucky towns), and then i decided to do a walk-around, with my handy-dandy TrendNet Hotspot detector, and it said I was golden just siting out next to the oddly-blue-watered fountain. Yup.

Lucy and I are en route to my brother's 40th birthday celebration at a house we've got in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. You wanna see it?

Here's a funny little coincidence: Before leaving town, I snagged a DVD from KET with an edition of Kentucky Life that features a segment on photojournalism legend Sam Abell. The other part of the segment was something I'd never heard of called Somernites Cruise. Well, in searching for a Somerset link to include above, I discovered that Somernites Cruise is — yeps — right here in Somerset. That's kinda weird, right?

Well, if you're stuck inside on a pretty nice Friday afternoon, maybe you want to check out MUTO a wall-painted animation.

Sons of the Silent Age: Bowie with Peter Frampton

I love the Internet, 'cuz it lets me find unnecessary yet wonderful bits of my past like this performance of David Bowie's "Sons of the Silent Age," a stand-out gem from his odd and garish Glass Spider tour in 1987 that included strangely enough, Peter Frampton on lead guitar as a part of his touring band. Frampton was easily a decade past his glory years, and yet it was just delightful to hear his golden soaring tenor as the counterpoint refrain on this, one of Bowie's finest nuggets. Easily my favorite memory of that show.

New Orleans: The Lensbaby Tour

Napoleon House
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey

The barkeep at New Orleans' historic Napoleon House can mix up a half-a-dozen Ramos Gin Fizzes so fast his hands actually seemed to blur. Or maybe that was the "Famous Ramos's." :-)

I experienced Sunday in New Orleans with my Lensbaby-equipped camera in effect. And while I opted out of the finale day of Jazzfest, I have no regrets, as my travels included historic buildings, cocktails, Lakeview flood damage, a French Quarter history, and a cemetery visit that included a soundtrack by Santana, drifting over from the fairgrounds.

Here's the whole set.

x

Rube Goldberg - Creme that egg!

If you like Rube Goldberg machines, then of course, you'll need to see Creme that egg! Oh yes, you will…

Get me out of houston

Get me out of houston
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey

Get me out of Houston, God, and I promise to try to never come back. At least where George Bush Intercontinental Airport is concerned. In this picture, I'm actually on an actual plane actually getting ready to take off, after a fascinating debacle where I:

1. Was ultra-late from my connecting flight from equally cluster-fucked Baton Rouge.
   
2. Ran — barefoot for better speed — from one gate to the other (about a 1/2 mile)
3. Arrived at my gate to SEE my plane SITTING THERE and being told that I was too late.
4. Feverishly tried to get a hotel room as they evaporated all over town right before my eyes.
5. Finally getting maybe the last hotel room in Houston, on my own dime, and payng out nearly $200 for the privilege.
6. Being told by several locals that my experience sounded like a typical day at Bush Intercontinental.

So, lord, I will try in the future to avoid Houston.