CCS_LEX_1b
Originally uploaded by pkageyama
Michelle Malott's inspired illo of our performance at Creative Cities Lexington summit.
Thanks, Michelle! Here's the whole set.
And check out Michelle's other fabulousness at How Do You Innovate.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
March Madness Marching Band! by Malott!
CCS_LEX_1b
Originally uploaded by pkageyama
Michelle Malott's fabulous illo's from Creative Cities
CCS_LEX (10)
Originally uploaded by pkageyama
There's a whole set of these wonderful illustrations done by Michelle Malott for the Creative Cities Lexington summit.
The repercussions of the summit are still very much with me, inspiring me.
Click the image to take a look at the rest. Be inspired.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Keep Everybody Together…
I occasionally have this recollection from my younger days:
It's 1980. My mom has gotten remarried and our house has expanded from her, my younger brother and I, with the addition of a stepdad and two stepbrothers. This is creating all kinds of complications for all of us, but could be said to be going reasonably well. I'll always give my mom and Bill due credit for this, because they tried very very hard to assure that it did. Not the easiest thing when you combine four boys, age 13 – 16. I mean — there's the potential for a very very bad version of the Brady Bunch. Very bad.
And here's the part that has really become, after all these years, the funniest thing to remember: They weren't just playing REO Speedwagon, or just a particular album by REO Speedwagon. Or barely even a particular song.
Fortunately, I had Styx. And by "had" I mean had tickets to see Styx on their "Paradise Theater" tour. Oh yes. In Evansville, IN, an hour away.
Me and my best friend John were going to go and it was going to be awesome. This was going to be, like, my 3rd arena-rock concert ever. Mom was going to take us, drop us off, and then pick us up at the end of the show, all the while hoping (correctly) that the incredible stench of weed rolling off of us was not due to us actually smoking weed.
Well, stop the presses —
Remember the new marriage? The new family? In the interest of keeping things fair, it was decided that all the kids should get to go. And get to bring a friend.
Wha?! Nobody else even liked Styx. Maybe not even my best friend John. Anyway, so be it. We went from me and a friend getting shuttled by my mom, to a vanload of eight boys, fighting over the stereo, with Mom and Bill up front, lucky in love.
All I remember about the show is that it began with Dennis DeYoung dressed as a janitor, sweeping the stage. It was great, I'm sure.
Afterwards, we had arranged for all of us to "camp out" in the basement of mine and chris' Aunt and Uncle, who lived in Evansville, and that is what I'm trying to get around to, the thing that comes back to me somewhat often.
In that basement, it was a Lord of the Flies version of "who owns the record player." And the Jeffries boys were totally losing. In fact, the new stepbrothers were exercising perfect domination with a "live" REO Speedwagon album. This is before Hi Infidelity owned FM radio, mind you. I knew who they were, in name only, I'd say. I don't even know where they got the record, since we were at somebody else's house.
The thing I remember — and it drove me stark-raving mad at the time — is that these Styx-unappreciating infidels had:
- Gotten to see Styx, a Big Rock Show, which I had had to jockey a variety of ways to be allowed to go to. In another city, mind you.
- Didn't care, having seemingly zero appreciation for the AWESOMENESS of STYX.
- Were ruining the afterglow by making us all listen to REO Speedwagon.
And here's the part that has really become, after all these years, the funniest thing to remember: They weren't just playing REO Speedwagon, or just a particular album by REO Speedwagon. Or barely even a particular song.For some reason, they were obsessed with this talking intro to REO's at-that-time biggest hit, "Ridin' the Storm Out." Over and over, they would lift the needle, and back the record up to Kevin Cronin saying "You gotta keep everybody together, keep everybody warm, and keep RIDIN' THE STORM OUT." which was followed by this air-raid siren sound leading into the song and then — needle lifts, maniacal laughter from by new stepbrothers and friends — and then — Kevin Cronin saying "keep everybody together, keep everybody warm, and keep RIDIN' THE STORM OUT." which was followed by this air-raid siren sound leading into the song and then — needle lifts, maniacal laughter from by new stepbrothers and friends — and then — etc. etc. etc.
In fact, it's a lot like this.
I was some combination of puzzled and deeply irritated. I didn't know how to be furious yet. I did hate that this was happening and couldn't figure out how MY Styx odyssey had turned into this cacophony of lesser rock. In the basement of MY Aunt and Uncle, even.
All these years later, it's more of a fond memory — albeit a slightly masochistic one — to keep. I don't really hold it against my stepbrothers (much), and I'm left with this snippet of classic rock, this Kevin Cronin intro.
Oddly, it's never left me. And lately, I've actually been trying to track it down. I want to see how close my recollection of the words is. They're pretty close based on this search and this search — but I can't seem to find the infamous album. It's not "You Get What You Play For," although I would have BET MONEY that it was. At least it's not the digital version.
I do expect to know where it came from probably within an hour of posting this. Thanks, Internet! Thanks readers! Just remember: "…keep everybody together, keep everybody warm, and keep RIDIN' THE STORM OUT."
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Carnegie Center Blogging Symposium
Having a great discussion of blogging today with a wonderful, intrepid group and my blogging peers Donna Ison, Morgan Siler-Cecil and Rona Roberts!
Action: Reaction
Mesmerizing piece currently on display at the Living Arts & Science Center's "Action: Reaction" exhibit. I MUST get over and see the whole exhibit. (clarification: I saw this at Give Into The Groove, where it was ensconced for the evening)
March Madness Marching Band
My beloved, beloved cohorts of March Madness Marching Band: how much joy does it bring me to play with you all? So, so much.
(Moments from rocking "Give Into The Groove 2010" at Buster's)
Ellee Ven at Give Into The Groove 2010 at Busters
Much much love to LA/Lexingtonian Ellee Ven for once again orchestrating the winning, entertaining, and charitable Give Into The Groove! I know that March Madness Marching Band had a fab time performing!
Dispute Finder — handy for fringe-thinkers!
This was passed on to me. I haven't tried it, but it has interesting promise. The internet has introduced us all to torrents of ideas and you can really find support for most any perspective, no matter how hare-brained. Even the best of us occasionally buy into a notion that — it may turn out — isn't so credible, or at least is disputed legitimately. This Firefox extension tries to alert you to alternate claims that aren't in keeping with what you're reading.
Seems like an impossibly complicated task, but the idea has promise for at least occasionally saving face — like that time you heard that gang members were drivers who flashed headlights as part of an initiation rite. Right?
Seems like an impossibly complicated task, but the idea has promise for at least occasionally saving face — like that time you heard that gang members were drivers who flashed headlights as part of an initiation rite. Right?
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Friday, April 23, 2010
Kent Lewis introduces Bill Cloyd at TedXLex
American Gladiator meets Junkyard Wars? Meet Newton's Attic. Watch out for the tennis ball machine gun
Marjorie Guyon at TedXLex
One of my favorite artists, it's great to hear her talk about her art — and her motivations for it.
Jim Embry at TedXLex at Busters
Another fabulous brainathon is in progress in Lexington. On the heels of the Creative Cities Summit, and Now What Lexington, is TedXLexington, playing to a full house at Busters.
Jim Bates at TedXLex
Jim Bates talks sports-in-society — the good & bad — in a way that creatives can grasp #nowwhatlex
Kris Kimel at TedX Lexington
@kyspace is one of only 11 companies with legit access to the International Space Station
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Package from Portland!
Very exciting! Artisan gin from the Pacific Northwest!! Thank you, thank you, Eames friends!!!!
Peter Frampton Show Me The Way Midnight Special 1975
Today is Peter Frampton's birthday, which makes me happy for some reason. I think it's because it takes me back to my earliest rapture of AM radio, and how that was the beginning of forming my own musical tastes, independent of those of my parents, or siblings, or even friends. I have these memories of sitting around our patio on hot Summer days, listening to the radio, and cataloging the songs, what I liked, what I didn't. I loved this song, and all these years later, I still do. Lots of things don't hold up so well, it's true. But it's worth hanging on to the little pop gems that are scattered through the years. And, yes, I do still have my original vinyl of "Frampton Comes Alive," the surprise hit, for years the biggest-selling "live" record ever made. I'm sure there's a story to that success — is it good that it's soeasy to find? I'm ok with it today.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Burning Man Evolution 2010 Excitement is Building
Burning Man 2010 is just a few months away. It'll be here before I know it. As I've said since our rig rolled away from Burning Man 2009: "Wild horses couldn't keep me away."
Happily, Brother Chris feels the same way.
I got to go last year — after a decade of wanting to go — due to his self-reinvention as an Airstream vagabond. That gave me the hitch I needed. (Going to Burning Man is not something to take lightly, and enormous resources are required.)
One of my favorite moments of Burning Man 2009, was walking around with my brother on about Day 4. I wasn't at all clear whether or not he was truly enjoying "the Playa," because he's always so game — and also so polite — even in the face of things that may not be his bag.
But looking around at the never-ending, never-fully-believable spectacle of Black Rock City, walking along 3 O'clock Avenue, Chris mused: "If I come back to Burning Man — and I probably will…" The rest of the sentence isn't important. The part that made my heart sing was "…and I probably will."
In case it needs to be said, we've already got our tickets and plans for Kentucky Fried Camp are in full swing. In fact, the camp will likely double in size this year — making Black Rock City doubly-richer in Lexingtonians.
Here's a video (one of the hundreds on youtube) that shows some fraction of the dizzying array of wonders contained in the one-week city of 45,000 people, the 3rd-largest city in Nevada for that one week.
Black Rock City, I can hardly wait to see you in this year's incarnation.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Columbia Steak House — downtown
Columbia's is a strange paradox of locally famous and yet kind of a secret. It's always delightfully underlie and easily fits in one of my favorite categories, which we'll call "Lost in Time." Personal Insider Secret: you can call in your dining-room order and then show up a little later to a set table with your meal sitting there — like you're some kinda celebrity. Just as importantly, you can sit down and just dig right in. Columbia's how do I love thee? Let me count the steak fries.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Come Blog With Me, We'll Blog, We'll Blog Away…
I'm part of a cool blogging seminar this weekend with Lexington's wonderful Carnegie Center. I'll be talking about how to use social networking tools to KEEP blogging, during less inspired times, and how to tie together assorted Web 2.0 tools and extensions to help expand your blogging. Hope you can make it! See below for details!
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Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Mick: Epic Small #1
Taking a lost and neglected cast iron sink that had sat face-down in my backyard for 3+ years, and lifting it up, flipping it, and cleaning it off. The upshot: reclaimed space, and a potting station. Big win. (ps: yes, there will be a migration off the rain barrels. One thing at at time.)
Asset Share
Great discussion of how to share talent, materials, space, labor at NowWhatLexington.org
The apples in stereo!
The Apples in stereo kick off their 2010 tour to a frothing home crowd in Lexi KY at Cosmic Charlies!
The apples in stereo!
The Apples in stereo kick off their 2010 tour to a frothing home crowd in Lexi KY at Cosmic Charlies!
Glasses from the future
Robert evaluates his near-future, Randy "macho-man" Savage glasses, as The Apples in stereo kick off their 2010 tour to a frothing home crowd in Lexi KY at Cosmic Charlies!
The apples in stereo!
The Apples in stereo kick off their 2010 tour to a frothing home crowd in Lexi KY at Cosmic Charlies!
Strawberry Fire
The Apples in stereo kick off their 2010 tour to a frothing home crowd in Lexi KY at Cosmic Charlies!
The apples on stereo !!
The Apples in stereo kick off their 2010 tour to a frothing home crowd in Lexi KY at Cosmic Charlies!
The apples ... With Christin?!
Nobody knew our bud was gonna be singing b-vox! The Apples in stereo kick off their 2010 tour to a frothing home crowd in Lexi KY at Cosmic Charlies!
The Apples in Stereo!!!
The Apples in stereo kick off their 2010 tour to a frothing home crowd in Lexi KY at Cosmic Charlies!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Jessica Case, Busters Billiards and Music Hall
Jessica Case, Busters Billiards and Music Hall
Originally uploaded by mrtoastey
One of my subjects for the series Leading Women of Central Kentucky for Business Lexington magazine.
The entire set of 19 subjects — with my commentary on the shoots — can be found here!
The online published version (it was printed, as well) plus the articles about the women can be found on the Business Lexington website.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Josie's
Completely revamped comfort-food eatery. a certain charm, especially at the horse-shoe-shaped, swivel-stool counter. My Zesty Chicken sandwich was just that. Big TVs are kind of unfortunate. The Upshot: another option for the Ramsey's/Buddy's crowd
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Minty Fresh
Super-excited to have mint for spring & summer cocktails. In fact, here's the garnish from last night's Mai Tai's
