Under Glass - Suz is leaving the area - KURTH REUNION

FIRST NOTE - Suz is leaving for California (I think) and plans are in the works for a KURTH send away night Friday the 25th to say by to Suz and we all get a chance to smack her on the ass one last time.

So make plans and I'll have more info when I make it up!!

Of course at the end of her email she says she might not make it  - so . .the hell with her anyway! Let's party and smack each others asses instead. 
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Sort of a disappointing thunderstorm last night. I woke up at 1:48 to lightning and rain smashing the side of the house. I looked at the radar and saw a giant red blob from Columbus to Lacrosse. After the initial onslaught there was a calm and the radar had a hole. The rest would start up soon.

Nothing - it all vanished!! 0.16 inches of rain. The first of the 1-2 punch was over.  Left hook came and went, a glancing blow. This afternoon we will have round two, the upper cut, coming from the south west, maybe around 3:00ish.
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So I've been playing with a new . .thingy with photographs.  I've been calling it Under Glass. I've had a number of photos that while nice are just missing something that would draw people into the scene.  Nice enough by themselves but missing . . .something.

So while playing around I started experimenting.

This photo was taken on Gaston road north of Cottage Grove a couple of years ago.  It was near 100 degrees that day and I had a long sleeve shirt and pants on. DJ was in the car with the AC running.  I had driven past this field after golf a number of times and had stored the field in my memory banks. 

That day we had to deliver something to a friend of DJs that lives on that road and I noticed those clouds. I mentioned that we should drive up the road about a mile as I wanted to see something.

As luck would have it those tracks were perfect! The clouds were as I had hoped and I got out and started sweating and taking photos.

Call me daffy but I like it.
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SO - yesterday I was in the hallway and a guy I do not know comes up to me and sort of angrily starts talking about the Columbus Carriage Classic charging $5 a day.  I say "WHAT?  No they would not do that, that's crazy."

But upon further investigation . . they ARE.

OK - I can see their point. They want more money but this is certainly NOT the way to do it.  I feel they over estimated what they have.  Yes - it's a very very good show if you are really that interested in horse and buggies. In fact it's one of the best in the States.

The problem is that there is nothing else there!  So while they get people watching it's more of a past time, do they really want to spend $5 a day?   I loved watching the horses in that beautiful park, but do I want to spend $5?  Not really.

Being a super genius at self promotion and promotion in general (I would have been a great snake oil salesmen) they went about this in the wrong way and I feel charging $5 will do more harm then good.

There is a MUCH better way.

When I was on GRABAAWR, a 500 mile bike adventure, farm families would put up little stands and sell bananas and other healthy food for the thousands of bikers that would ride by.  One day a group of us road up for a little break and a kid was selling bananas for $1 each.   He had a little glass jar and there were dollars in it but not enough to retire on yet.

As we road off we all commented that $1 was too much for a banana, they were greedy.

25 miles down the road we stopped at another little stand.  This kid also had bananas. But those bananas were 10 cents.  You know what happened don't you. HIS jar was packed full of dollars as bikers would give him $2 for being nice!!

That is what CCC should have done.  Instead of charging $5 a person and making people angry because it just looks like greed!  They should have charged $2 and a sign saying any donations would be a big help.  I bet you their jar would have been full!  People would feel they helped and THEY would feel good.

That is the trick to making money. Make the person who is paying feel good about paying extra!

But - who listens to me anyway. LOL

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I'm sort of laughing at the Senator from Texas that apologized to BP for how Obama forced them to pay up and take responsibility.  Poor Poor BP having to take shit from Obama.  I'm sure we all feel sorry for them.  Well, at least the Texas Senator feels sorry for BP.

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On this date the War of 1812 began.  It started in 1812 and there is a pretty good Overture called  . . you guessed it, the 1812 Overture.

This is significant because it was this piece that turned my head to classical music.  Any music that can have actual canon firing, when you are an 8 year old kid, is pretty darn cool. It was at that point that I decided I wanted to play in an orchestra and for the next 15 years I played cello (it was more manly then a violin or viola). 1st chair my entire career . . until I was in the Wisconsin Youth Symphony.

Sadly, I never got to play the 1812 Overture.

Oddly the 1812 Overture has nothing to do with the War of 1812. The 1812 Overture is all about Napoleon being defeated by the Russians in Waterloo on this date in 1815. You did not know those dudes just south of Columbus were Russians did you!  ME neither!!  yea - makes you wonder about TREK now don't it!  

While the 1812 Overture has nothing at all to do with America it seems to be a staple on the 4th of July. It's the canon.  We Americans love a good shelling! 

Also on this date in 1778 the British abandoned Philadelphia. Sometimes I think America should abandon   Philadelphia.  Talk about a town with just a little too much testosterone. Ever watch an Eagle game? Ever see any woman in the stands?  Check it out next time. Oh, there are a few . . probably gay.   NOT THAT THAT IS A BAD THING.

am I in trouble now? 

I better stop.

Have a great weekend.

Rod