December 24, 2008 - Wednesday 10:07 AM
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Current mood:  relaxed
Category: Parties and Nightlife
Given that I have the day off from work, I figure I better make progress on something in my life. Cleaning my part of the apartment isn't that thrilling right now, though, and neither is going to workout, playing more PS3, wrapping gifts or anything else truly useful. So, here we go with more blog catch-up -- something that needed to be done anyway.
We flash back to the end of Cream City Swing's "Slow Music" month at Hot Water, where Erin and Karl taught the basics of how to dance when the music slows down. We were all given specific instructions for what to play music-wise during this particular month, and while I kind of pulled a renegade move by deciding to do a "Best Of" set in my Aug. 7 appearance, I adhered to the principles when Karl asked me to do a half-set with him on Aug. 28.
Let's face it: Slow music and blues are my thing. I've never considered myself athletic enough to do the fast stuff like Charleston and Balboa, nor do I really enjoy it all that much. I'd rather have a slow blues song with the right follow and just feel every ounce oozing out of the music. I've been eagerly awaiting my first chance to DJ a late night and I'm of the understanding I might get that chance in a couple months with Karl & Erin's workshop (not sure yet; we'll see).
Anyhow, I knew this was going to be right down my alley and with the crowd prepared for slow music, I was happy with the results.
One of the cool things about slowing the music down is the fact that it opens up so many different styles. The Ella Fitzgeralds and Sarah Vaughans of the world did a lot of slower, bluesier numbers that are all great to dance to. But you can tap into a lot of more-modern music with the slower stuff, too, like Jack Johnson and Diana Krall. There seems to be so many more options available to you when you slow things down, whereas for faster music to swing, you're kind of limited to either the traditional swingsters like Glenn Miller and Django Rinehardt or "nouveau swing" like the vast majority of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies stuff (which will get you run out of town by most dancers if you play too much of it).
Karl opened the night a little more up-tempo than I had been thinking, so I think the crowd liked the fact I slowed things down some. The nice thing, though, was that I didn't necessarily slow things to a crawl. Songs like Stop This World are still fun songs to just dance to, whether you decide to go straight-up blues styling or not.
I was even a little liberal with my definition of blues, including some electric blues in the set from the likes of Jonny Lang and B.B. King. I guess I had no reasoning, other than there probably being no other time where I would have a better excuse.
To the set!
Two for the Blues - Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
Don't Cry Baby - Etta James
Basin Street Blues/When It's Sleepy Time Down South - Louis Prima
Stop This World - Diana Krall
Cherry Red Wine - Jonny Lang
Jazz Me Blues - Woody Herman
Romance in the Dark - Dinah Washington
Inaudible Melodies - Jack Johnson
You Don't Know Me - Ray Charles & Diana Krall
Blues in the Night - Dinah Shore
I Like to Play - The Alex Wilson Band
Boogie Blues - Anita O'Day
Let the Good Times Roll - B.B. King
Hootie Blues - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot SKillet Lickers
Trust in Me - Etta James
East of the Sun (West of the Moon) - Keely Smith
Drop Me Off at Harlem - Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington
Transition: Pictures - The Jazz Jury
Lovesick Blues - Madeleine Peyroux
Shadowboxer - Fiona Apple
Live by the Drop - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Narrow Daylight - Diana Krall
I was kind of surprised how well-recieved the night was and, in an odd sort of way, but I think this set might have marked the beginning of people finally starting to "get" my sound. As I look ahead at the sets I've done since that night, I notice the reviews get more and more favorable. Part of it is me hoaning my craft -- you'd hope you'd get better as time goes along. But I think part of it is people's growing knowledge that I'm going to play something different for you whenever you come out, as well as play something fun. I'm not like a lot of other DJs in that I don't really care what era it's from or whether or not it's what you think of as something you'd hear at a swing event. If I like it and I think you can dance to it, I'm going to play it.
I have to credit Glenn Gonzalez of Baltimore for originating the philosophy as I understand it. Thing is, when I met Glenn at Swing to the Power last year in Ann Arbor, he was lamenting the fact that his philosophy was being shunned by a lot of dancers around the Beltway. Here, I think our scene is still in flux and impressionable enough -- for better or for worse -- that people can make up their own minds.
I know I have my own unique sound. And while I may not do the advertising or teaching that our other regular DJs in town do, I think people are starting to catch on and recognize the important part: When I DJ, they have fun. There's no particular style of dance you have to adhere to, nor is there a particular sound of music you're guaranteed to hear. You're probably going to get some of it all -- and it's going to be different than what you've heard before. As long as people can disconnect their brains from their concept of what swing should be or is supposed to be, I think they enjoy themselves. That might be a unique thing to Milwaukee, but we're a city that tends to have a lot of unique things to itself and nowhere else, so if that's the way it is, I'm happy to further that philosophy.
With all that in mind, we push forward. When next I get the chance to attack the blog, we'll talk about my set from Thurs., Sept. 11; one where I made a philosophical change and one where an influx of people out made for a great evening.
We'll probably have more on that before the end of the weekend.
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December 20, 2008 - Saturday 4:45 PM
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Current mood:  contemplative
Category: Music
New profile song time, kiddies.
I post this one with the knowledge it could be my last post of the year. It might not be. But it could be. If that's the case, I kind of want to go out with this one -- even though it wasn't exactly my first choice (I can't find an embeddable version of Billy Joel's No Man's Land. Someday Columbia Records will stop holding Joel down.)
NEW PROFILE SONG
Everything is Different Now
Don Henley
Inside Job (2000)
Inside Job was Henley's last solo album before he realized that a reunion with The Eagles would probably be far more profitable than anything he was doing on his own. Everything is Different Now is also the last single off the album, which was fairly well received critically, even though Henley's appeal to the mainstream was starting to fade, more due to age than anything else.
Everything was written by Henley for his wife, Sharon, upon her being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Of course, it can take deeper meaning for anyone, though, who is recognizing change and life moving forward.
That's my reason for picking this as my 'last' song of the year.
I think 2008 was kind of a watershed year for me. It's not one that immediately feels like it was of great influence, like 2004 or 1994 were. But, like 2000, I know I'm going to look back on this year at some point and realize it's where I turned a page and entered kind of a new chapter of life.
We go through stages in our lives. To me, everything before age 10 was one stage. Then there were those last two years of elementary school, 10 to 12, when you started looking at the world through the eyes of an adult instead of through the eyes of a child. Then there's middle school, 12 to 14, where the world is changing around you and you know you just have to weather everyone else's storm. My high school experience was very different between the first two years I was at Central and the last two years, but I can see that being put together into another age.
Then there's college and the short period afterwards. For me, that was kind of 2000-2007. You spend those years refining the things you didn't quite figure out, or didn't have the chance to, in high school. You're still young enough to feel young and do young-person things. You're grown but you're not turning the corner yet.
This year is where I felt like that all ended. I kind of saw some of the little dreams and hopes of that era just die for me, or I gave up on them, and began to realize that I'm no longer a 'young adult' anymore.
I'm an adult. I have a real career with real responsibilities. I have friends going through real struggles. Life doesn't revolve around going drinking on Friday and Saturday nights anymore, nor does it revolve around nine hours of football watching on Sunday. It revolves around doing what I need to do to contribute to the world. That means helping friends, doing real work, taking care of myself and saving some of my shrinking amounts of energy for the important things.
I see life with a much different perspective than I did at the start of 2008. A promotion to a job where things are taken a little more seriously does that to you. The realization that it doesn't always come easy does that to you as well.
And seeing your friends struggle, as well as much of the world, does that to you, too.
In some ways, I'm not different. But in other ways, I am. It's been a long journey. But I kind of feel like I'm not a kid anymore. I'm a grown up, now, and I need to be the grown up in certain situations. You hate to admit that, but it's true.
So with that, we move forward. Part of me says 2009 should be a quest to recapture some of that youth -- to be more active, to workout more, to be more involved with Marquette and seek out new opportunities. But then part of me says that 2009 should probably be more about further maturing and being even more of a grown up.
I don't know. Part of seeing the years go by is the realization that each one passing is just another number. Life moves at your speed, not the speed of the calendar. Who knows what the future brings.
We move forward. More soon.
 | Currently listening:
Inside Job
By Don Henley
Release date: 2000-05-23 |
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December 15, 2008 - Monday 11:32 PM
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Current mood: relaxed
Category: Travel and Places
So we're done with Atlanta in just a few hours and while I'm sure I'll have some sleep to catch up with before the day is done, I figure I should jot down a few notes on my trip before I go. Furthermore, I have about three hours to kill before I should get to the airport and while the prospect of making one last trip downtown seems interesting, you take away the time it takes to get everything together and transit and those three hours probably won't be much.
I think the summary of the trip actually begins ...
THURSDAY AT HOT WATER
With my plans all set, I happened to be talking to one of Milwaukee's favorite now-and-again dancers, Pilot Dave, when I mentioned I was heading to Atlanta for the weekend.
"Really? I live there," he said.
"Really?" I said.
"Sure. Do you want to stay at my place?"
The awesomeness of this can not begin to be described. We were within 24 hours of my hotel reservation, so I wasn't going to be able to get out of the first night at the Castleberry without paying for it. But Dave's place, as he described it, is home to a number of pilots who often are shuffling around the country (just like Dave) and often aren't home, leaving ample space to stretch out. I type right now in my two-bed room, complete with my own bathroom, which is far better than other options. I never actually ran into Dave here in Atlanta, but met a couple of his other pilot roommates who were all very cordial (just like Dave). Part of me wonders if pilots are all friendly because they travel so much and are meeting new people all the time because the ones I've now gotten to know are all great guys.
In the end, I probably saved about $100 or so on the deal after transit and whatnot, so I can't say thanks to Dave enough.
FRIDAY ARRIVAL
Flew in with a problem-free flight (after going to the wrong concourse), went straight to Dave's and got settled. From there, to the MARTA station and off to Swing & Soul where I promptly got lost.
Atlanta is notorious for being difficult to navigate. When I plotted my route from Dave's to the venue with Google Maps, the map showed me "Gordon Street" as the place where I was supposed to turn right while walking away from the MARTA stop. Just one problem: "Gordon Street" hasn't had sinage saying "Gordon Street" in about 20 years, according to a local. It's now "Ralph David Abernathy Street," which I promptly proceeded to walk right by as I went straight on Westwood.
After a while, including going under a large bridge where just about every pillar had bags and items consistent with what homeless people would hold onto and a group of men gathered under a bridge on a 40-degree night discussing something, I met an older gentleman with a large truck who was locking up a business. I told him my plight and we proceeded to drive in circles for about a half an hour looking for a "Gordon Street" that didn't exist. At long last, we got back to Abernathy and just happened to see Wells Street, the street the venue was on. As Dave had already warned me, Atlanta isn't necessarily the safest place in the world and apparently one of the streets I had turned onto in my lostness, Metropolitan Parkway, is known as one of the worst in the city for crime. For those of you that are Milwaukeeans, imagine Center Street east of I-43. To a certain degree, I'm lucky to still be blogging.
THE VENUE
Everything with Swing & Soul was held at the Ambient + Studio, a former warehouse converted into a photo studio on the south side of Atlanta near West End. Apparently Peter Strom & friends got it for a steal. The room was large -- their site says 140 feet by 60 feet -- with a wood floor that was decent for spinning but left a little to be desired when it came to evenness. A few spots on the floor had nails that could have been finished a little better and a couple boards were a little uneven. It wasn't fun to know I was catching the souls of my new shoes on those spots when it happened.
It was clear upon arrival that this was a planned and organized party, not something that was just thrown together. The door to the venue had a sign blinking "SWING & SOUL" in flashing lights. Cool-looking tables were covered with colored cloths. Candles and mood lighting set the scene. A large, professional banner hung in a service elevator converted to be a couch/picture-taking zone. One wall had a large white backdrop and had DVDs reflecting on the careers of various soul artists projected onto it throughout the weekend. There were pro-style party lights and a few pillars were covered with soulful decorative cutouts. An upstairs area was cordoned off as for workers and volunteers only -- I took a peek before it was too "off-limits" and it was a very cool looking kind of lounge that ended up kind of feeling like an area where only the VIPs could be.
This is the first time I'm going to be a little critical -- not too much, just a little. Yes, there is something cool about having multiple venues when you go to an event because you see more of the area, but when you can get a space like that for a song (having looked for similar events in Milwaukee), I guess I can understand taking advantage. But at the end of the day, I couldn't help but feel like I had more fun at the only other soul event I've attended, the Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor Exchange in Michigan last year, than I did here in Atlanta. Not that I didn't have fun here at Swing & Soul -- not by any stretch of the imagination -- but something about YAX felt far more raw. Every venue felt like dancing at the Milwaukee Ale House, our regular Tuesday night venue, in large part because we did a lot of our stuff at bars and restaurants. There weren't decorations, banners or special places for the organizers to get away from the commoners -- we were all just there to dance for three days and have a blast.
I think it's just personal preference. I like my swing when it feels like it's not planned -- it just happens. Like a good dance: When you and your partner know the song, you connect, you're on the same brainwave and it just happens. Obviously there's planning involved in an event like this and I can't say I would do it any differently in the same position and with the same resources. If I had one room all weekend, I'd want to make it look good. I'm not saying the likes of Peter Strom, Naomi Uyama, Ramona Staffeld and Steven Mitchell don't deserve their own little place to get away. They're swing rockstars, so much so that the Minnesota contingent I hung out with for food on Saturday and Sunday referred to Peter repeatedly as 'God' (Peter's from Minneapolis).
I guess it's just my personality, though. At Swing & Soul, Peter and crew of organizers got the chance to teach, do performances, DJ and kind of be the stars of the show. In Ann Arbor, the organizers really only came to the fore when we did a very cool "thank you" jam at the final venue. It's just me, but if I were the organizer, I'd appreciate that jam far more than being the center of attention. But that's just me.
Seeing the venue itself was the first time I understood that vibe was going to be there and I kind of just came to accept it. It didn't stop me from having fun. It just ... was what it was.
FRIDAY "SOUL SESSIONS"
Call me ignorant, but I had no idea there were going to be classes this weekend going in. Ann Arbor didn't have any. I assumed this would be the same. Whoops.
After a little light music for an hour, Peter grabbed his fellow instructors and had us circle up to learn some soulful moves. For a little background, here were our four main teachers:
Peter Strom: Peter is the kind of guy all us swing dancers aspire to be. Tall, strapping, quick-witted with a sense of humor and a great knowledge of music, Peter's claims of dorkiness as a kid and lack of success with women must be bogus because I think any girl would melt to have the chance to so much as go out once with Peter. He has a great way of putting things when he demonstrates to show you why you shouldn't do it one way and should do it another. He goes fast when he teaches, though, so for a guy like me that doesn't always pick up on "are we going left or right first?" immediately, I sometimes get lost when Peter's teaching.
Steven Mitchell: The elder statesman of the group, Steven defines smooth. No one over the course of the weekend preached feeling the music and listening to the song moreso than Steven. A lot of his talks were more about making the follow feel comfortable, secure and cared about through the music and the way you hold her than the actual moves themselves. Steven was the perfect instructor to have at this kind of an event because you could tell the music breathed through him and vice versa. I learned a lot from Steven and would take instruction from him again.
Tena Morales: I knew nothing of Tena until this weekend but I think it's time we all know something about her. Tena and Steven had a spectacular connection that was rooted in what soul is all about. Tena just had that way of moving and feeling the music that seemed definitively soulful. From her look to her dancing and her way, I couldn't help but think of Chaka Khan -- and from the way this weekend went, there's probably a good chance that one of the folks involved worked with Chaka at some point.
Manu Smith: Manu wasn't as involved with the instruction as the others, but you could tell he had the feel. From New York, his Sunday class with Peter was an experience. We'll talk about that in a moment, though.
For our first 'Soul Session', we learned a 'signature' move for each teacher that emphasized a different part of the music. The basic step-tap was simple. Tena turned hers into a swing of the butt. Peter threw his foot behind his other foot. Manu kinda dove down in a staggered sort of way. And Steven just threw one leg out there and worked his hip a bit. Taking those four basic steps with me will be good for some solo dancing when the song's right but the partner's not there.
Met a lot of neat people from the start, including Bonnie from Atlanta. At first, she seemed a little cold, saying she wasn't all that into blues and really didn't like it because too many guys were only interested in turning it into a combination of rubbing-humping-etc. and not dancing. During our warm-up, she was my first dance of the exchange and it was a blusier song. She led by saying what she said, so I showed her the respect of keeping some space. She was bubbly and happy to see me the rest of the weekend, so I must have done something right.
FRIDAY NIGHT DANCING
The Friday night dance, as is often the case for opening dances at events like this, wasn't particularly memorable. Anytime you first get to an event, it's as much a feeling out process as anything else, particularly when you're there as pretty much the lone representative of your state. Since I'm a pretty cliche Wisconsinite, too, I can crack jokes about beer and cheese with the best of them.
I did dance twice with a girl from Philadelphia. The first time, the song ended and we introduced ourselves. I always make a point of asking what city people are from because I know names will fade, but the knowledge that I danced with people from certain regions won't. When she said Philly, my knee-jerk reaction was to give her crud about the fact the Phillies knocked the Brewers out of the playoffs. After the first time we danced, she gave me a funny look and walked away. After the second time we danced, she said she couldn't remember if we had danced already or not. I said yes but she wasn't sure. I asked her name and where she was from. I said, "Remember? I made the baseball comment."
She said, "Oh, that's why I forgot," and walked away with the funny look again.
I sometimes forget how different my background, interests and culture are than most swing dancers. Dancers tend to be independent, free-thinking types that wear a lot of patterened clothes, have hip hairstyles and are very artistic people. They tend to like renaissance faires, coffee shops, independent small boutique stores, mismatched apparel, fuzzy things and looking like, if not being, artists. Milwaukeeans will know them as the bohemian, Bay View or Brady Street-type people.
I, on the other hand, am kind of a wannabe jock or preppie in a short person's body. I like solid colors, khaki pants and shirts with the home team's name on them. My life moves to fast for tiny stores. Give me the bargains of Kohl's or Wal-Mart with the quality of Dockers and something that matches my Brewers hat and is easy to clean McDonald's off of. Turn on the game and I'm happy, but don't talk about the Cubs or the Badgers or I'll get ticked with you.
Was the look she gave me about the Phillies? No, it was probably about the fact that my first association was with baseball. Most dancers could care less about sports and I'm guessing a few were the types that were in band or drama in high school and were always ticked that the teams got the pep rallies, the big crowds and the new uniforms while the school musical used props from the 70's. I'm not saying I know for sure, but her thought was probably that there was no need for my first association of her should be to a baseball team she had nothing to do with and could care less about -- and a negative association since I said, "Oh, you're the guys that knocked the Brewers out of the playoffs, damn you!" It was said in jest, but eh, whatcha gonna do if the person doesn't get it?
That aside, I also found out the first night that the largest contingent at the event was from a surprizing place: No, not Atlanta -- Minneapolis. The Peter Strom Fan Club apparently came out in force for the man and it seemed to me as if every-other dance I had was with someone from Minnesota. It was to the point where I felt as if I had traveled much further than I really had to. Fortunately, though, as the lone Wisconsinite in the house, I knew the whole neighboring-state, fellow-northerner thing could be of use and I took note accordingly.
FRIDAY PERFORMANCES
There were two performances Friday night: One by Mama Yeye and one by Popin' Pete.
Milwaukeeans will recognize the Mama Yeye (pronounced YAY-yay) style of dance from the likes of the Ko-Thi Dance Company. Traditional African style to the fullest. The story behind having her perform was that this was the "roots" of soul. I dig.
Meanwhile, Popin' Pete was an experience. Seriously, check this guy out. Pete's worked with pretty much any artist you can think of since the 80's who uses a significant amount of dance and he and his group played a major role in the Michael Jackson video for Beat It. His style is popping -- moving in a relaxed way but rapidly tensing up muscles to create an effect. As Pete was quick to point out, you might think of this as a form of break dancing, but that's a term that encompasses a lot of unique styles that are very different from each other, so much so that no one on the inside really refers to anything as 'break dancing'.
Pete had a way about him that was just really cool. For as many stars as he's had a chance to work with, his act had a sense of humor and he's clearly held onto his humble beginnings. He wasn't afraid to make fun of himself and he told it like it was. When we took lessons from him, he'd laugh along with us and even mock us the way we were mocking ourselves as we struggled to get what he was teaching. It was great exposure and I was very, very impressed.
Pete's Friday performance took us through the history of his styles of dance in a humorous way, incorporating wigs and the music of his eras. It wasn't hard to see why Pete is so dynamic and why so many people want to work with him. Pete also endeared himself to the crowd, too, by letting us know that he actually preaches the benefits of Lindy Hop when he goes and talks to other groups.
While I certainly enjoyed Popin' Pete and I understand there is definitely a connection between these things and soul, again, I felt like having both Pete and Mama Yeye at the event was a little bit of a stretch. Again, though, this is just me and it's important to remember something, too: I'm not so much a pure dancer as I am a social swing dancer. I'm not someone that takes or even has an interest in all styles of dance. I dance because I enjoy moving to music with other people and I enjoy the social nature of swing in bars like the Ale House without the stuffiness of ballroom.
A Milwaukee dancer once told me that I could be a top-flight competitive dancer if I really put my mind to it and wanted to be, based on my natural feel. Thing is, I don't really want to be. To do that would be to sacrifice all the other things in life I enjoy, like Marquette stuff, baseball, rec sports, etc. I don't want to be taking workshops in studios and practicing in my free time. I just want to go out and dance, hang out with my friends and be a good enough dancer to feel comfortable dancing with anyone in the building to the right song. It comes up a lot when my resistance to Charleston or balboa is mentioned. Yes, I would be a much better dancer if I learned those steps. But I wouldn't have fun doing those dances. The little bit I've done with those dances isn't fun to me. If I'm going to move that fast and bounce around, I'll play volleyball or basketball. There's no intimate connection, to me, in those dances. They move so fast that there's no time to concentrate on your partner -- it's move-move-move-move-move-move-move-move-move, even if you're repeating the basic step for a number of measures. With Lindy or blues, there's space for variations and time to work things -- subtle things -- while getting a feeling for your partner (Steven Mitchell would be proud of me right now). It's that smoothness, that sexiness, that feeling that it's about more than just doing steps together but really connecting that I don't get with faster dances but can feel come through with Lindy and blues.
Oh well. Again, I'm a social swing dancer, not a pure dancer. Steps and moves, to me, are just a means of expression. My expression is usually one of thinking things through, looking to read between the lines and making sure it's right. That means going slow and that means not straying from my focus.
To a certain extent, performances like these seemed to stray a little from the weekend's focus, which is why I bring it up. They were still cool and I'm definitely not knocking the amazing Mama Yeye or Popin' Pete at all for getting gigs and doing what they're legendary for, but again, I think it just breaks down to me being more of an Ann Arbor guy than a Swing & Soul guy.
FRIDAY LATE NIGHT
I was tiring fast on Friday, but I did want to stay for some of the late night event and I'm glad I did.
In Ann Arbor, I got to the exchange during the Friday late night, which was kind of awkward. That late night was very bluesy and it's not real easy to walk into a venue and just start blues dancing with people. I remember feeling as though I wished I had just skipped that part of the evening and started fresh on Saturday morning.
This late night kind of felt like it just melded into the dance. It wasn't particularly bluesy -- perhaps just with a few more familiar soul songs than we had been hearing through the day. They did the Swing & Soul line dance at the late night, which I regretfully never got the chance to even start learning before I came down.
They served us comfort food. I had macaroni and biscuits. Good biscuits.
I had a chance to meet a pair of girls named Rosanna and Elizabeth while eating. Both are from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, an eastern province in Canada that doesn't even border the United States (though it's territorial waters run into Maine's). Their journey by car took 26 hours and, if Google Maps are to be believed (except in Atlanta), the traversal of 12 states and two provinces. Through chance, they mentioned they were doing a story for their college radio station about their trip to the exchange. With a little background in the field myself, I was able to help Elizabeth with her minidisc player and deleting some unneeded tracks when we met up the next day. I'm looking forward to visiting the Dalhousie site and checking out their story when it gets done.
One thing I'll say to all you girls who might be wondering what the next trend is in fashion: Look to Katy Perry, particularly if you have dark hair. I saw a lot of bangs with hair up in the back in a ponytail with funky dresses and socks. It's a little Amy Winehouse-esque, just not as morbid.
I left the Friday late night around 3 a.m. or so.
When I first walked in on Friday, I didn't know if I was cool enough to belong. When I left, I felt like I was about in the middle of the bell curve.
SATURDAY CLASSES
Again, I hadn't really expected there to be classes, so I was originally thinking I'd have all day Saturday to myself. With the classes going on, though, I wasn't going to pass them up.
Steven Mitchell and Peter Strom led a workshop for the guys. One of the interesting things about soul is that the guys are expected to move their hips almost as much as the girls. It's also key, though, for the guys to feel the music and understand what's being said. If the song's about holding the girl, then hold the girl! If the song's about how you're upset with her, feel a little upset and show that by adding some tension to your movement. As Steven put it, "Get mad." Don't just be in your dainty Lindy Hop mode -- get angry with things and get down with it. Don't be 'la-de-da'. Be, exact quote, "I hate your ass!"
One of the keys to soul is that everything that happens seems to be straightforward. Twisting and swiveling isn't necessariliy there. It's side-to-side and front-to-back, not around in circles.
Peter then taught some moves with Naomi. I'm not going to tell you I remember a lot about the class.
I sat out the west African dance session with Mama Yeye for a few reasons. First off, it wasn't something I saw as being anything I would use real often. Secondly, I was already starting to get sore from all the dancing -- remember, I tend to be more of a wallflower in Milwaukee -- and I knew I needed a break. Thirdly, I had a feeling from the previous night's demonstration that the African dance session was going to be very intense and physically demanding. One must be careful to save one's self when in such a weekend. I helped Elizabeth with her disc player while that went on.
I wasn't going to pass up Popin' Pete's class, though. Pete taught us some poppin' basics and while I can't say I'm any less white than I was before, just the fact I was in a poppin' class is cool to me. I'm never going to be that kind of dancer, nor should I be. But like Pete said, it's more about recognizing what kinds of dance you're seeing and having an appreciation through doing. I liked that way of looking at it.
SATURDAY DINNER
I kind of realized from my Friday experience that venturing out alone in Atlanta might not necessarily be a good idea. Unfortunately, though, most of the other dancers had hosts or hotel companions to hang out with, while I was the only person from my state and the only person in my house, which was kind of far away and didn't have much to eat around it. My only thought: Why not try and join up with the group that is at least geographically closest to me?
I found some Minnesota follows who were making dinner plans and asked if a fellow northerner could tag along. They were more than happy to oblige and I thanked them for their hospitality.
We ate at a place called Six Feet Under, which had nothing to do with the HBO show but everything to do with seafood. The shrimp and hush puppies were great, though I wished the basket had more hush puppies and fewer chips. Oh well.
I didn't totally feel as though I connected to the Minnesota group. Again, the dancer's culture thing. I did kind of seem to form a bond, though, with a guy by the name of Tim and a girl named Gloria. Gloria's personality reminded me a little of Milwaukee dancer Pam: At the dances, she was seemingly very shy and could often be found sitting on a small cushy seat on the side. Get her talking, though, and she'll have thoughts on anything. Tim was quirky but in a nice way and I could see a lot of similarities between him and me.
I went with the two to Six Feet Under, after which they wanted to see downtown. We found a place to park and went to Centennial Olympic Park. They have a great sound system near the fountain there and, sure shooting, they were playing big band Christmas music. Add that park to the places where I've Lindy Hopped as Gloria dropped her bags and Tim took pictures. It was a lot of fun.
From that point in the exchange on, I kind of felt like I could have a dance with Gloria whenever I wanted to and she came to me often. Our dance connection wasn't stellar but it was a nice feeling to feel like I made a friend.
The park, for the sadness that came with the bombing during the Olympics, is a lively and nice place. The fountain show that occurs on occasion is a neat choreography of fountains in the shape of the olympic rings set to music. The playlist: Twist and Shout by The Beatles, Summon the Heroes (the John Williams orchestral theme of the '96 games) and Dancin' in the Street by Martha & The Vandellas. Cool songs and a cool show.
We drove around downtown for a while, then it was back to the venue.
SATURDAY DANCE
Most people dressed their best for the Saturday night event. I had brought a gold tie with red and blue accents, but I wasn't quite feeling the look with the scarlet shirt and the khakis. The tie came off after about an hour.
I had a dance during the Saturday event with a girl named Liz from Atlanta that was one of those dances that made your eyes pop open wide. It was an up-tempo Lindy song, so we're not talking about blues connection here. It was one of those moments, though, where she hit pretty much every move I tried, even when we had broken connection. Liz was a bubbly, fun pixie of a girl who's getting married in a week and she, too, said that the dance was a blast. If I had to give it an award, I'd have to call it the "Dance of the Exchange - Fast." It's moments like those that justify the money and time you spend on going to these things.
SATURDAY PERFORMANCES
Peter & Co. did a number of lip-syncing performances on a stage during the Saturday night event. The best was a gentleman whose name I think is JP who did a James Brown impersonation. I've kind of already shared this thought, but I didn't necessarily see these as necessary, though I won't complain about getting to see Naomi and Ramona in 60's getup as backup dancers for "Wilson Pickett" (Manu).
SATURDAY LATE NIGHT
I had the most fun after the performances Saturday night.
I'm now going to proceed to upset a lot of the Milwaukee follows in my life by making something known that none of them will like: The prettiest girls I have ever danced with are two from Miami that I danced with this weekend. Their names are Christina and Jessica, I think they're twin sisters, and their look could give Betty Grable a run for her money. Each was about 5-foot-1 or so, one in red, the other in black, and in addition to their stunning blonde crimped hair and vintage-style wardrobe, they were both extremely light follows who moved as if on clouds and reasonably friendly, too. One's aspiring to go to med school while the other is a dentist. They're both from the University of Florida, which makes me believe it's not just the basketball and football teams that are consistently the best in the nation down there.
Their light nature was the best part. I don't think I took any step larger than four inches when I danced with them. On Sunday, I felt the need to tell Jessica that her look and way were just spectacular, to which she made a point of describing my lead as light, "charming" and graceful, which I took as a real compliment. As I explained, with some girls, you have to be very forceful with them because they won't move otherwise. If every girl were like Christina and Jessica, though, man, life would be easy (and great).
The "Dance of the Exchange - Slow" award goes to Christina (I think) who I was really, really, really lucky to join for Janet Jackson's That's The Way Love Goes.
You wonder why they can't build more of them -- a lot more of them -- like those two. Jessica made me promise I'd come to Atlanta again sometime and I was glad she asked me if I had Facebook. I'm not suprised her sister has thousands of friends compared to my dinky 100 something. Who wouldn't want to be friends with those two?
Between Gloria, Liz and the twins, I had a ball at the Saturday night. It evoked some memories of the late night at Windy City in 2005. I left around 4 a.m.
SUNDAY CLASSES
Sluggish on Sunday and starting to really have trouble moving my legs without soreness and my hips without pain, the tougher classes on the final day were really a bear. I picked up a lot from them, but I was beat by the time they were over.
Tena and Steven taught a slow dancing class to start the day. Seriously, everyone should watch these two dance. I texted Karl and said that the class should basically be called "How to Get Some." There was such a good connection between Tena and Steven that it filled the room, despite Steven saying that the daytime and flourescent lights of the side studio we were in weren't conducive to the mood he was trying to convey.
Steven also made a point that I wish people would understand: Slow dancing requires you to make an investment in your partner. All too often, I see girls that are dancing blues that look like they don't want to be there. They're staring off into space, they don't want to get close and they look uncomfortable. I understand it's tough if you don't know me or, worse yet, don't like me. But Steven made it clear that it's a lot easier when you have a connection with the partner and it's also a lot easier when you just immerse yourself in the moment. I think of the follows that do or did that and I realize those are my favorite follows of all-time. And, as a guy, you have to be that way, too. I didn't feel like I learned a lot that was new from that class, but it reinforced a lot of priciples that I feel need reinforcing for so many dancers. To a degree, it's kind of sad: It's a common lament, but the dancers that need those lessons the most probably aren't the ones in that class.
Popin' Pete gave a talk after that about the way he went from the streets of Los Angeles to being a choreographer for the stars. He shared some Michael Jackson experiences, talked about how the dance came about and even enlightened us as to how what's old is seemingly always new again. It'll be interesting now for me to look at some of the music videos Pete talked about and see how those dancing steps were inspired by the moves Pete and others created.
The third class of the day on Sunday was probably the most memorable: Peter & Manu's Magical Mystical Ride. The premise of the class was a musical journey through all the songs and dances Manu and Peter liked growing up.
On the one hand, the class was spectacular. We learned how to properly do the Running Man. We picked up on Kool Moe Dee's Wild Wild West dance. The best and most memorable part was getting to learn how to imitate Morris Day & The Time -- yes, Purple Rain's Morris Day & The Time -- and all their moves to the song The Bird. It's all those dances you can use when you really want friends to laugh at you and remember the 80's fondly.
On the other hand, at the end of an already long weekend where I was sore, this was the most physically demanding of all the classes. Again, if I were a pro dancer, this would be fine -- but I'm not. I would have put something like this on Friday or Saturday since I literally couldn't do some of the steps at speed by the time things were getting done. It was a little disheartening, particularly as fast as Peter sometimes flies through things. Again, left and right were an issue at times when trying to mirror Peter's moves.
I'm glad I took the class and I might actually work at some of those steps (it's hard to find video of Morris Day actually doing the dance, though). Nonetheless, that class kind of messed up my Sunday night.
One more class with Steven and Tena rounded things out. I took the class instead of listening to a lecture by Rob Bowman about Stax Records. The good thing about the class was that we learned a bunch of classic soul moves and more about soul feel.
The big thing about the lessons is the feel. I could go back to Milwaukee and try and lead a lot of the moves I learned and nobody would know what I'm doing. But I think the feel can translate and that's the important part. That's what I carry away and that's what I want to bring more of to my dancing, particularly when something soulful comes on.
SUNDAY DINNER
I joined the Minnesota group again for dinner at the Flying Biscuit, someplace I guess is kind of an Atlanta staple. Shrimp and grits were good, though the biscuits were a little dry for my taste. I prefer buttermilk, I guess.
The group went back to their place to nap while I got on the MARTA nearby and went back to the dance.
SUNDAY LATE NIGHT
My legs were absolutely dead by Sunday night and my lead went to complete crap. It was kind of disappointing to end such a weekend on such a sluggish note but there really wasn't much I could do.
I did make a point to take paper and pen along so I could get some Facebook names. Among some of the other girls I had a chance to share good dances with at various points were a woman from NASA in Houston named Tracy and an Atlanta girl named Cari.
I made a point of doing three things before I left:
1. Dancing with Jessica (Christina was gone for a med school interview Sunday)
2. Dancing to Stand By Me, since my dance with a girl named Shoshi from Texas in Ann Arbor to that song still sticks out as one of my best ever (there was another Shoshi in town here, but taller and from New York)
3. Dancing with Gloria one more time
I got all three, including my final dance with Gloria, before the cab came at about 2 a.m. I had a couple decent dances later in the night with folks, but for the most part, I knew the night was pretty much a lost cause and decided to play some sleep catch-up before braving Atlanta-Hartsfield today.
So ... that's it. Again, maybe it wasn't as good as Ann Arbor, but I thought it was worthwhile. I made some friends, had some great experiences and enjoyed myself.
The "next time"? Well, for one, if Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor decides to do another weekend like their last one, I'm definitely there. I think, though, that I'm going to really try to talk at least one other Milwaukee dancer into traveling with me the next time I go -- to the point where I'd almost be willing to pay their way. It was different in Ann Arbor, where I drove and I always at least had my car as my central base. Here, it wasn't quite the same. Karl & Erin would have loved the classses, while Jackie might not have gotten a lot out of the instruction, but would have loved the music and would have been great at making friends fast in addition to being her usual good company.
Also, I think I'd like an event like Ann Arbor that wasn't quite as "strictly soul." I was a little soul-ed out by the end of the weekend. Eh, we'll see.
Oh well. Next time.
For now, it's time for me to get ready to get on the plane and head back home. So, from Atlanta, this is the Radio Kid sayin', "I'll be home soon."
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December 11, 2008 - Thursday 8:21 AM
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Current mood:  busy
Category: Music
OK, fine, so I have been spending more time on Facebook than on MySpace in the last few days -- but that doesn't mean I've forgotten about all you MySpacers out there. For one thing, I can't blog on Facebook. For another thing, I'm sure there's an app that allows me to post music on my profile ... but it's just not as cool as putting a YouTube video up on my site.
That said, let's throw another one up there as I start to get my mind on heading down to Atlanta for Swing & Soul. Hmm ... so many great R&B artists out of Atlanta. Who to pick, who to pick, who to pick?
NEW PROFILE SONG
Idlewild Blue (Don't Chu Worry 'Bout Me)*
Outkast
Idlewild (2006)
Outkast is to R&B what Coldplay is to light rock, No Doubt is to ska and early Genesis was to progressive rock: Too smart, talented and diverse for its own good. Their music is so different and has so many influences and unique feels that when Andre 3000 and Big Boi get together, their sound can only be called something all their own. So many Outkast songs are good that it's hard to pick just one. Nonetheless, taking Idlewild Blues (the short title for the above song) is fitting as we get ready for Atlanta since the movie Idlewild had a heck of a lot of swing in it and the bluesy, soulful feeling is one that will probably be represented quite a bit when I'm down in the ATL.
The song is traditional 12-bar blues, but it has Outkast's usual cool attitude and feel along with a solid groove underneath. You'll notice the asterisk -- I throw that next to songs that are swingable. Idlewild Blues is a staple of DJ Charles Stan's sets here in Milwaukee and I never complain when he pulls Outkast out of his MacBook.
Welcome to Atlanta would have been cliche, most other Ludacris songs would have required a lot of searching to find clean versions and I'm in a little too much of a hurry tonight to spend the evening looking through the catalog of other artists who make references to the 'A'. All I can say, though, is that this should be a fun event to go to, and even this little bit of blues starts me down the road back to a feeling I haven't had since the Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor "Swing to the Power" exchange last summer.
Alright, I'm hoping to throw some more in The Bubbler over the next couple nights, but I've got other business to take care of this evening. As usual, more soon.
 | Currently listening:
Idlewild
By OutKast
Release date: 2006-08-22 |
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December 9, 2008 - Tuesday 5:56 AM
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Current mood: relaxed
Category: Blogging
Hello Bubblerites.
So yeah ... I'm on Facebook now and as much as I wanted to get something on E-paper yesterday about Marquette's big come-from-behind win over the Badgers and the Packers' continued failings on defense, I found myself spending most of the day posting photos or clearing E-mails out of my Gmail inbox about friend adds and wall comments. My goodness, you people are obsessed and it's borderline disgusting.
I ran into an interesting debate, though, when I realized that I had the chance to put an XML feed of The Bubbler onto the Facebook page.
See, here's the thing: I lead a pretty compartmentalized life. I understand that, to a certain extent, Facebook allows you to kind of compartmentalize your friends. You can change privacy settings, set up lists, all that kind of stuff, none of which I've figured out yet.
I have my swing dance friends, who are definitely my most numerous and best friends, who know me as one thing. I have my Marquette friends and co-workers, who know me as something else. I have my work friends, who know me as something else. It's all me -- it's all Dan Pfeifer -- but it's a lot of different umbrellas that I'm standing under.
The thing about those communities that I'm in, though, is that they have very different cultures. The best example I can come up with is the difference between swing dancers and people in the business of sports.
In swing, a key part of the community is unity. In some ways, this is a good thing. Dancers who travel get tremendous hospitality when they go on the road with dancers in other cities more than willing to open up their homes and give traveling dancers room and board whenever an event is going on. Dancers are generally very friendly and tremendously courteous. For the most part, even the best of dancers usually check their egos at the door when they go out and are more than willing to dance with the worst of beginners if asked -- the good dancers probably won't seek out the bad dancers, but they'll always be kind enough to share a dance if prompted.
On the other hand, this unity creates trouble if there's something about the scene you choose to question. Some will think, "How dare you go against the grain?" One thing I begin to believe is that a lot of people have opinions, but a lot of people are inflexible about changing their own when they hear others. Maybe it's the fact top-level dancers need to have a degree of creativity and having your creativity challenged is something a lot of extra-creative types really don't like.
On the other hand, the sports community, particularly the media, is built around challenging what and how other people do business. Questioning coaches? We do it all the time. Challenging players to change their mindset or perform differently? It's what sports talk radio is built upon.
I have that mindset. I believe that a baseball team that doesn't go 162-0 still has an opportunity to improve. As an opinion blogger, I feel it's my job to call things out that I notice and get you to think about them the way I do.
I used to write about my swing dance experiences the way I write about sports. I stopped. I got way too tired of getting in hot water and people getting very mad at me for "doing damage to the scene" when I was calling it the way I saw it and just trying to inject my opinion. I didn't think I was hurting anyone because I was doing it the same way I did it with the sports blogs, where the more I challenged the status quo, the more it made people think. Instead, I got a lot of bemused responses and even some people telling me their dancing was a 'private' experience not to be written about (which really confused me, since we do it out in public, but I guess that's the difference between the mindset of someone whose every word once had 25,000 watts behind it versus the mindset of others).
It was a really good idea to stop the dance blogs and I've been a lot happier since I did.
The only thing is that I still have those opinions, even though I don't express them anymore.
It's still frustrating to see people who are not dancing on the beat after years or not respecting others' space not making any attempts to get better by taking lessons or working on trying to connect with the good dancers. I know that those kinds of people are the types that might turn potentially great dancers off from the scene because they take what can be a very cool dance in the Lindy Hop and make it look very uncool with their brand of "fun." Yet I know if I call them out -- or try to do it in my usual humorous way -- I'm the bad guy.
I know that an iffily-DJ'd night can create a crummy mood and drive people away. I feel half of the sets I myself put together are sub-par and am constantly working to improve and always look for suggestions, or even people just pointing out they didn't like my stuff for a particular reason. But if I say that to other DJs, or write it in the blog, I'm just going to have other DJs who don't want to talk to me.
For those who have stuck it out on MySpace and followed the on-again, off-again Sportsblogs, you know that there are certain things, teams and players to whom I have a great deal of loyalty. I also have my fair share of venom for certain others. That's the sports radio side of me. I don't think that comes out when I'm in the culture of the swing dance community because I adapt to that scene and deal accordingly. I don't think that comes out when I'm working Marquette Soccer games because it's my job to be professional and have respect for everyone I work with, no matter their school affiliation or even if I have any prior history with that individual or institution. Yes, that does mean I get through Marquette/UW games without insulting anyone.
Now, though, I'm a little scared. On the one hand, I'm overjoyed that 88 people from all aspects of my life have decided in the last 48 hours that they want to recognize me as a friend in their lives.
On the other hand, very few of those people know about or share in all aspects of my life. Now, they get to see. I don't know if I'm OK with that. And the area I'm most scared about is right here in The Bubbler.
Posting my swing dancing sets is something I do as much for random DJs and my few really loyal friends as anyting else. I figure if someone gets an idea for a song from something I post, that's great. I talk about what worked and what didn't and it helps me put together better sets the next time through. I'm not worried about more people seeing those, though I think my new Marquette friends will be surprised how much of an effect swing has on my life since I don't talk about it much with them. At a dinner once with the men's coaches, I took some subtle flack, as did my friend Jackie, for our love of swing. Now, they're going to see the vast majority of my pictures are from dancing and they're going to get a good feel for what it's like in that community.
I am concerned about the Sportsblogs, though.
It's very easy when sitting in front of the computer to say a lot of things that I might not say in real life around certain types of company. A lot of my time writing is spent in 'stream of consciousness' mode when I'm online and I know I have a certain audience.
Now, there are a lot of people that are going to have blogs pop up in their news feed that might reveal a part of me they don't know. And I'm concerned.
I cringed when I got add requests from Madison dancers I know. Sure, they've told me that they aren't really basketball fans and could care less about any rivalry. They're friends with me because I'm a decent dancer and I enjoy dancing with them, even though I despise the university they're associated with. I can separate the person from the institution when I'm in reality, especially if the person takes the step of separating themself from the institution to a certain degree.
Now, though, those people are going to see me potentially tearing into their institution on a regular basis. I worry.
I also wonder about the other dancers. Most are not sports fans and many of them are very nice, extremely courteous and, in some cases, dancing is the most exciting thing they do. I adapt to those types of dancers when I'm out and am also very courteous and friendly. Now, if those folks choose to click on the right Sportsblog, they may see me laud any team that beats the Cubs or any Bears player who fails miserably, take random potshots at Badger fans and generally use my dark sense of humor.
I flashback to a scene outside The Bubbler but at the office where I suggested that the best answer to a Mets-Cubs series at Shea Stadium was a well-timed plane crash out of the nearby LaGuardia Airport. A couple people looked at me like I was sick. The thing is, that's my sense of humor -- I grew up watching a lot of the Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoons as a kid and any reference I make to violence like that is usually meant to be cartoonish. Of course I don't wish death or injury upon anyone -- I won't be afraid to say it about Cubs fans, but it's not like I would actually be happy about seeing it. I can think of a few dancers who would find this kind of thinking unconscionable. Now, they can click on my Sportsblogs and find it, though their impression of me might not have ever been that way. You get interesting reactions when that happens.
 I wonder about the Marquette folks, too. I'm in an interesting position because I do work for them part-time and seasonally, but after soccer season ends, I'm not officially a representative of the school. Marquette Basketball is a big part of my life, though, and college basketball is probably the sport I know best after baseball. For me not to talk about the sport and my favorite team would be silly. But again, I call it as I see it and, in my position, I see it as a fan.
I also believe strongly in a certain principle: If I'm going to be in the role of a fan, I'm going to be the best fan I can be. That means subscribing in full to the rivalry that Marquette has against schools like Notre Dame and, of course, Wisconsin. Good fans show class and represent their institution well -- but, more importantly, they also show no mercy to those who try to hold their institution down, particularly proxemic rivals.
This doesn't mean I'm not professional when I'm on-site or in a working role. I am. I'll say this: When I was at SportsRadio 1250, my blogs were very different. They were more informative and less fan-based. I think back to when I was doing my most-popular blogs at the ballpark when I was covering the Brewers in 2006. Those were far less about opinion and far more about facts and interpolation of those facts. Even though I was harboring thoughts of Ned Yost being largely to blame for the Brewers failing to live up to expectations that year, I was never going to express that in those blogs.
The next year, yes, I was all for Ned getting ousted. That's because I was no longer a journalist but an opinion blogger.
I would never write anything other than kind words when talking about Marquette Soccer in The Bubbler. I love the work I do for MU in the fall and would love to do more. If I were ever in a position where I was in a similar role for Marquette Basketball, I'd probably go back to the writing style I used for the Brewers in 2006. Were I to ever get the chance to write for Marquette, then you'd probably see The Bubbler disappear and read more newspaper-like stories that I'd write for gomarquette.com. While that would be a fantastic moment in my life and a dream job, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.
So as long as I'm paying my good money to sit in Section 420 at Marquette games, I'm going to be honest about when I think Dominic James puts up too many threes, Buzz Williams isn't using the right rotations, the officials stink or whatever. I'm also going to rip on the Badgers in my own unique way and feel free to comment about anything and everything I find interesting about college basketball. This might even include some things about game ops or arena issues, even though I know a lot of the people behind those things. I've been a part of those things, I know how they work and I'm guessing there are fans interested in knowing an inside opinion. I'll be careful, yes, but I will open my mouth.
But I'm concerned because I know I have a tendency to put my foot in that mouth sometimes.
I guess my big concern is that my friends will think less of me when I open my brain and tell them what I really think. I actually like being unfiltered when I feel comfortable -- the problem is, I don't know if everyone's comfortable with me unfiltered.
With that said, though, I want to make some clarifications before we even get started:
1. I like to think I'm a nice guy and that's what I want to be. Just because I say something nasty about your favorite sports team doesn't mean I won't be nice when you meet me in person, or won't be nice if you aren't into sports at all. I pride myself on being cordial and able to adapt to any social situation. I don't seek out battles -- I only take them on when, say, I'm sitting across from a Cubs fan who consistently tries to make the case his team is the best, unprompted, in the middle of non-Cubs territory (like I have to at work everyday).
For pretty much everyone out there, don't take what I say personally. There are only a few people on my "Wall of Shame" list and chances are you're not one of them. As a matter of fact, the only people on that list are a very select few who are or were employed by UW System schools, girls I've been interested who've broken my heart or their friends. So if you don't fall into one of those categories, you're golden.
2. Don't take my snarkiness too seriously. Working in the media makes you cynical. So, as I've already said, don't take it personally. If you're in doubt about what my intent is, my intent is probably to make you laugh.
3. I exaggerate. It's what I do. So when I I seem to be a little too bold, don't take it seriously.
4. I'm not violent. I know I very flippantly use phrases like "he should be shot" or make references to individuals or groups jumping off the Hoan Bridge. It goes back to the previous point.
I will get frustrated and perturbed at things, and occasionally raise my voice and roll my eyes, but I'm guessing most of you do, too. I'm generally a pretty calm guy. Only once in my life have I ever considered using force -- after repeatedly telling a grown adult in a position of authority that I didn't appreciate him making fun of me and him continuing to do it. I only stopped myself in that single moment because I knew I was leaving the position I was holding a short time later and didn't want to put my next position at risk. It's unfortunate, though somewhat convenient, that this person is part of the athletic staff at the University of Wisconsin now. Needless to say, part of the reason that rivalry is so strong for me is because it is truly personal.
Other than that one moment in 2001, though, I've never even thought about it any other time, nor should I because, at 5-6, I'd get my patoot handed to me were I to try and engage in any actual fisticuffs. And really, who uses the word 'patoot' and does well in fights?
In short, I will make exaggerated references to violent acts at times. Again, think about the Road Runner and various faulty Acme products, not actual violence.
5. I'm demanding of myself and others, but I recognize it's your choice as to how to deal with that and I will not force you to change. This manifests itself in a lot of different ways.
I sometimes have to think about the fact that I am saying things about other players when I'm playing rec soccer because I myself often do the same things wrong. I recognize I'm not very good -- that doesn't seem to stop me from recognizing who else isn't very good, though. Just remember that I'm as hard on myself as anyone else.
This comes up more often than not in dancing. I've been called a few names or criticized a few times about things. One of my favorites is when I'm called a "Lindy snot," or someone who only dances with good dancers. I respond by saying that my eight years of hard work at becoming a good dancer was in large part so I would get the chance to dance with those good dancers and I encourage others to put in the same kind of effort. It's not good fortune, it's hard work. So I tend to appreciate the others who put in that work and want to dance with them more. I won't turn down a beginner or mid-level dancer, particularly if they're a friend. But I won't seek them out.
In the dating realm, I've been called "picky." At work, particularly when I'm doing games for Marquette, I'm a "perfectionist." It's my nature. I'm detail-oriented and I like things, and people, that are of high quality.
I lay this out there ahead of time so you know and can choose to deal with it accordingly. I like to quote a line from a Billy Joel song off the River of Dreams album called The Great Wall of China:
Advice is cheap, you can take it from me
It's yours to keep 'cause opinions are free
I'm just one dude and I'm not all that. Don't take me and what I say or do personally or too seriously. If you want to impress me, work hard and raise your game. Become a better dancer, a better worker, a better person and, most of all, be willing to think and laugh.
It takes me a while to let people into my circle. But if I do, I take you in as you are. I don't try to change people. I recognize my opinions are my own and that yours may differ. I hope you'll view it my way and respect my opinion. Again, you shouldn't take it personally.
So, long story short, don't read too much into it. See it for what it's supposed to be: A view into my brain and one guy's opinion. You can take it or leave it. Just don't let it get you tied up in knots.
If you're a friend of mine, I'm a friend of yours. And I'm hoping, if you liked me before, you'll still like me now. I'll keep doing things my way and I hope you can respect that. And I'll let you keep doing things your way and I hope you can respect that, too.
Alright, that's enough. If there are issues, I'll just pull the blog from Facebook and we'll keep on going. I'm hoping there won't be, though. I'm happy to have more people connecting and to have many of you finding out more about who I am. Heck, if I can convince one Marquette person to come out dancing ... or talk one dancer into going to a Marquette game ... anything along those lines ... I'll be really happy.
OK, hopefully we get back to talking sports tomorrow. For now, we rest.
More soon.
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December 8, 2008 - Monday 1:43 AM
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Current mood:  weird
Category: Parties and Nightlife
I'm trying to stay away from Facebook for a while. It needs to be done.
We continue playing catchup with swing dance sets by flashing back to the night of August 7.
After a week that was harrowing at best with a number of different stresses, I decided I wanted to do a "Best of the Radio Kid" set that consisted of my favorite songs. The theory was that, at that point in time, this was the set I wanted to put together as my signature. If I were to have died in a car crash the following day, this was the set I wanted people to know was my 'farewell' (and given the stresses I was under, a heart attack, unemployment or someone wanting to kill me didn't seem unlikely at that point). Fortunately, I'm writing this about four months after the fact, so I not only survived but lived on to do many more sets and blogs about them.
Unfortunately, while the set was good and kept people dancing, it wasn't by any stretch of the imagination "my best set," nor was it all that memorable. The way I put it in my set liner notes was that it "kept people dancing," but that was about it. We only got up to 36 songs (about average for my sets) and I know I was removing some from my plans at the end of the night. It's not like things were spectacular.
Nonetheless, you don't hit a homer every time and a lot had to do with the time of the year, the fact I was the DJ'd in consecutive weeks and the fact I had done four sets over the course of the month. Your selection just gets limited when you play that much and you're trying to limit how much you repeat songs.
Anyhow, here's what was played. Don't be surprised if you see a lot of familiar tunes here because this was my set of "favorites" -- many of these songs are among my most-played.
Goes Around - Bellevue Cadillac
Straighten Up and Fly Right - Diana Krall
Can't We Be Friends - Buck Clayton & Buddy Tate
Knock Me a Kiss - Louis Jordan
Holy Cow - Lee Dorsey
Begin the Beguine - Cole Porter
Big Ten-Inch Record - Moose Jackson with Tiny Bradshaw's Orchestra
April in Paris - [Various Artists]
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - Lionel Hampton
I Cried For You - Count Basie
Birthday: Birthday - The Beatles
Soul Cadillac - Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Transition: Winning - The Natural Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Shim Sham: 'Tain't What You Do - Jimmy Lunceford
Fever - Elvis Presley
And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine - Anita O'Day
Manah Manah - The Muppets
Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Etta James
Is You Is or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby) - Louis Jordan
Why Don't You Do Right - Benny Goodman
Ain't No Sunshine - Lighthouse Family
Carmen's Boogie - The Andrews Sisters
Sweet Georgia Brown - Brother Bones
Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) - Us3
Perdido - Sarah Vaughan
Something's Got a Hold On Me - Etta James
Swanee River Rock - Ray Charles
The Best is Yet to Come - Frank Sinatra
Blue, Blue World - Roomful of Blues
Transition: Let's Dance - Benny Goodman
Cupid Shuffle - Cupid
Cuppa Joe - Bellevue Cadillac
Moondance - Van Morrison
Careless Love - Madeleine Peyroux
Dream a Little Dream of Me - Benny Goodman
Goodnight: Aloha Oe - Elvis Presley
The birthday was for Jackie.
It is worth noting that the theme of the month for August was slow Lindy and/or blues. My sets tend to skew that way anyhow but I made more of a point to focus on that type of music on August 28 when I was asked to do a half-set with Karl. That set was much more successful and was a little more along the lines of what I'm good at.
We'll touch on that set another time. Right now, it's time to watch the Packers' secondary continue to get torched like Peshtigo in 1871.
At least we do fires better than they do them in Chicago, even if nobody knows. Plus, our cows are smart enough to know better than to kick over lanterns.
This is getting really obscure. I blame Facebook.
More soon.
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December 7, 2008 - Sunday 11:41 PM
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Current mood:  distressed
Category: Web, HTML, Tech
First off, a fun story from Friday night that needs to be shared.
So I'm at the First Friday dance, right? It's at the Knights of Columbus Hall on 92nd Street in West Allis and the King Comets are the band. Fun stuff.
Anyhow, the last time I saw the Comets play was at the Ale House and they did a kickin' version of Tossin' and Turnin'. It was really fun, high-energy stuff. I particularly liked the harmonies and the fact they used a different key than what you hear in the Bobby Lewis original. I didn't actually dance to the song but found myself singing along.
So I went into Friday, one night after having DJ'd at Hot Water, thinking I wanted to hear this new King Comets favorite. Only problem is, I did DJ Thursday night and, as often happens when I DJ, I tend to start scrambling what songs I played when in my brain (that's part of the reason I keep a database of my sets and post them here in the Bubbler). On Thursday, I played Splish Splash by Bobby Darin for the first time and, somehow, I got my 50's pop smashes a little smashed-up in my brain.
I'm at the First Friday dance and the band is taking their second break. I approach the bass player, John Steffes. The exchange is the beginning of yet another memorable December First Friday experience:
"Hey, can you guys play Splish Splash?!?"
"I don't know, we don't really know that song all that well."
"C'mon, you played it at the Ale House and it was kick @$!"
"We did?"
"Yeah! Don't you remember ... it was near the end of the night, and you guys nailed it."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I was singing along and everything!"
"Okay, I'll talk it over with the band."
About 10 minutes later, and after some conversation, the band kicked up their final set. I saw them over there talking and thought about what John had said. "They certainly didn't seem like they didn't know the song when they nailed it at the Ale House," I thought.
I then started thinking about Splish Splash, since I had played it the night before. "Wait a minute," I thought, "There's no harmony part in Splish Splash. What song was it? Oh yeah, Tossin' and Turnin'."
I grabbed one of Maureen's fliers and a pen, wrote down, "Sorry! Not Splish Splash, Tossin' and Turnin'!" and walked up to the band to show John. He nodded as he was playing another song, then proceeded to go into the intro to the next song.
"So we had a guy out there request we play Splish Splash 'cause we apparently played it at the Ale House. And, uh, we don't know that song, but, you know, after a couple ... [makes a motion as if drinking a beer] ... we could have played anything or he could have thought he heard anything. So we think this is what he was looking for."
They then proceeded to play Tossin' and Turnin'. I laughed and got a good dance with Sister Sarah.
So it's later on, now, and the band starts playing Fever. Jackie asks me to dance, so we start dancing. John's singing the song, Jackie and I are dancing and all is well. Presumably most of you know how Fever goes.
Well, let's not forget that the King Comets have a sense of humor (check out the "Mis-heard Lyrics" section). So, sure shootin', here's how this version of Fever went:
... he gives me Fever
With his kisses
Fever when he holds me tight
Fever
I'm his misses
Daddy, won't you treat him right ...
Splish splash I was takin' a bath ...
At this point, I let out an uproarious laugh.
Long about a Saturday night ...
By now, the dancing with Jackie has ceased and I'm nearly doubled-over on the floor with laughter.
Rub-a-dub, just relaxin' in the tub
Thinkin' everything is alright ...
This isn't unusual for the Comets, who began singing Jack The Knife when someone requested it once at the Delafield Brewhaus ("Oh the truck has // Eighteen wheels, dear // And it spins out // On I-94") while also busting into a portion of Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof during a song at the Ale House.
However, I can't help but note that, for one evening, I became the joke for the band. The legend grows.
In my usual pattern of being about two years behind the curve, I've surrendered to the masses and joined Facebook. The formal invite accepted came from Frances Fletcher, though I had already received beggings and pleadings from the likes of friends like Justin, Kerry, Jen, etc.
Frankly, I'm not real happy about it. I dragged my feet about it and I'm starting to realize it was for a reason.
First off, I feel a little too connected now. Man, everyone's got everything on Facebook and I both can't go through and see every little detail for everyone, nor do I really want to.
Compared to MySpace, the site is a freakin' disaster. Everything's all over the place and you can't find a darn thing. A guy commented on my status and it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how to see it -- I clicked on the link on my status bar and it just refreshed my Home screen.
I kind of said it before, but I'll say it again: I really don't know if I want to know everything that's going on with all my friends. Seriously. It's not that I'm cold and heartless, but I really just don't care all that much. I mean, yes, I feel that way about a select few people I know. But I generally see those people often enough to find out from them in-person -- you know, that whole thing about communication in reality. Otherwise, as much as I hate to say it ... I just don't care.
Furthermore, there's kind of an unspoken pressure put on you by the site, as well as when you add a friend, to join their groups and add all of those people's friends. The site also tends to like to pick out people it thinks might or should be your friends from your E-mail, your schools or your places of employment, which creates some really awkward moments. Why? Well, let's list a few of the types of people I've noticed have popped up a lot in my "recommendations":
1. Badger fans or people from UW
2. Girls I went on one date with ... then just kind of never heard from again (like, three years ago)
3. People my friends are friends with who I really don't enjoy hanging out with
4. Co-workers at former jobs whose names I feel awkward seeing and who probably feel awkward seeing my name
I mean, it's awful and it's forcing me to face a rather nasty fact about my own personality: Social networking brings out my most anti-social tendencies.
For as many people as I've had to have cursory contact with through the years and the many things I do, I really prefer standing against the wall and watching everyone else do their thing.
When I blog, I'm typing more for myself than for others. You might agree with me, you might not, but it's what I think and I'm writing it down so it's there. Fortunately, on a lot of different topics, a lot of people agree with me, which is why my stuff gets read and why I worked in radio. But man, when it's just the dinky little facts about life, I see those as small, mundane details that don't really matter. That's kind of what Facebook seems to be all about. It makes me fear what I'm going to get when my Playstation 3 shows up in a couple weeks.
It was very telling to me that my first status -- "Dan is happy Marquette beat Wisconsin" -- got a rather rivalry related comment from a Wisconsin fan in the media. Welcome to Facebook: Here's your chance for all your enemies to take shots at you. This is why you joined, right?!?
It makes me sit there and wonder why everyone loves this site. MySpace, to me, gives you more freedom, the ability to customize your profile to be "more you" (where can I post a Brewers logo or write a blog in Facebook?) and is a heck of a lot easier to use. I know it's gotten a reputation lately of being "lower class" than Facebook. Well, I guess that's just the cheap, south-side Polish part of my roots coming out. Part of it is just familiarity, but I gotta say that I liked MySpace much better in the beginning than what I've seen on Facebook at the start.
So yeah, I'm there, but I'm not exactly thrilled about it. Add me (!). I'll try and be enthusiastic about it.
With everything that's gone on this weekend, today's going to be about watching the Packers, getting Dad to church and just plain ol' trying to catch up.
By the way, I had the chance to attend an awesome workshop for public address announcers yesterday with Mike Jakubowski, the voice of Marquette men's basketball, and learned a lot. That was a lot of fun.
As part of catching up, though, I want to do a Sportsblog (since I'll have to be online most of the day, anyway, to clear out all the new Facebook E-mails ... grr ... ) and maybe post some other stuff.
As we always say, even in the Facebook era, more soon.
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December 4, 2008 - Thursday 3:39 PM
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Current mood:  disappointed
Category: Sports
Not much to talk about tonight, but I just wanted to throw out a few Bucks thoughts while they were on my mind.
I have to admit, with the intensity of the Brewers/Cubs rivalry and how good both teams were last year, each game was big and you knew either team could pull off a win every time both squads took to the diamond. On the flip side, there's something about saying the following to the Chicago sports fan that sits behind me at work that I kind of like:
"You guys lost to the Bucks? The Bucks?"
I digress.
 Getting Andrew Bogut back, even if it wasn't for the full game tonight, was big. He just brings a certain presence and organization to the team, plus his ability to do the little things, such as take charges, play stand-up defense and even distribute the ball are what makes him so valuable. He's by no means a dominant big man, but he's a very important piece. I actually had a discussion today about whether Bogut was more or less important than Richard Jefferson to the Bucks. I'd make the case for Bogut because of the little things he brings, along with his attitude.
Dan Gadzuric actually played pretty well in Bogut's place, too. Part of me thinks he just forgot his two normal roles:
1. Sit on the bench
2. Screw up
 Thinking he'd get to do a lot of 1 after getting a lot of chances to do 2 in the last couple weeks, I think the surprise of getting back in there made him forget to do 2.
In all seriousness, I think Gadzuric has looked a little better at times this year. Charlie Villanueva has as well, and he showed it tonight with a season-high 23 points. Throw in a double-double for Luke Ridnour, a combined Ridnour/Ramon Sessions assist-to-turnover ratio of 19-3 and you've got enough for the Bucks to beat a team in the Bulls that I don't think will go very far under Vinny Del Negro.
Villanueva still -- still -- needs to decide that he's not as good of a three-point shooter as he thinks he is, though.
Games like tonight are encouraging because, again, it shows the Bucks can come alive and beat a team they can and should beat. It's going to take a while for things to truly come together, as well as the team getting a little healthier yet. But they're on the right path and, as we've heard Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers repeat over and over during the last few weeks, the Bucks "just needed a win" and they got one.
It was also telling that the Bucks actually got out to a good start. This is a point Scott Skiles has been trying to hammer home and this shows he's at least still getting through, despite the injuries. Having Bogut back helps with that, though.
The Bucks just need to avoid the injuries and they'll be fine. Some time to gel with this rotation will do the Bucks good, especially in this stretch where they can and should make some hay.
Next up, the Bobcats on Friday. Another team there's no reason the Bucks shouldn't garner a win against. Get on a roll and hey, you never know.
One non-Bucks thing: It's starting already.
Alright, more soon.
Photo: Dan Gadzuric (left) defends Derrick Rose (Gary Dineen/Getty Images/NBAE/Yahoo! Sports)
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December 2, 2008 - Tuesday 8:26 AM
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Current mood:  nostalgic
Category: Sports
Hidey-ho, neighbors. Blogging while watching the Badgers: Pardon me if I occasionally stop to scream at the TV.
Well, what to discuss first: Let's start with the topical as the Brewers have offered salary arbitration to CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets and Brian Shouse. Eric Gagne was not given the offer.
 Keep in mind that this is moreso of a "designation" than an offer. The Brewers haven't actually had an arbitration case since the 80's (I think it was Jim Gantner) and avoid going to such hearings at all costs. As I hope you all already understand, a player can turn down arbitration and choose to go on the free agency market, in which case the team offering the hearing gets draft picks in return. CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets will almost certainly turn down the hearing because they can get far more in free agency than they can in a renegotiation of their current deals. Not offering these two arbitration would be passing on draft picks.
Shouse is an interesting case. The Brewers don't want to give Shouse the two-year deal he's looking for. I hate to say this, but ... why not? The guy's got a rubber arm and has had nothing but success for you -- plus, he was one of the few pieces of the bullpen that was so stable that they even used him outside of his role as a situational lefty. His ERA has dipped each of the last two years and his number of innings pitched has gone up.
So he'll be 41 when the deal ends -- so what? What was the very-similiar Jesse Orosco when he retired? Like, 58? Granted, Orosco had more of a career than Shouse, whose career really didn't kick into gear until he was 33. But it's not like he throws all that hard and they say the submarine motion is actually better for your arm than going over the top. Plus, he's a good character guy.
I think the Brewers are erroring by not at least giving him an offer.
With regards to not giving Gagne an offer ... it's a good idea. Tom Haudricourt is right when he says Gagne can still command a pretty penny just based upon his past numbers, steroid-inflated or no, so he would likely go to arbitration and, if not win, at least force an offer from the Brewers that's much higher than what they're willing to offer. Don't offer it to him, let him go, good riddance.
Don't forget that guys can still be signed before such a hearing would take place. I still wouldn't be stunned if Ben Sheets ends up a Brewer when this is all said and done. Yes, some team might take a chance, but I think the word is out on Sheets with his injury trouble.
As Frank mentioned in the 'Drops' yesterday, nine weeks. Not like anyone's counting or anything.
 Bye, Derrick Frost. I don't think anyone here in Wisconsin is going to miss you all that much. Somewhere, someplace, B.J. Sander empathizes with you, as does Don Bracken and Paul McJulien.
I do find it interesting that Mike McCarthy wouldn't answer the question about whether or not he wishes he had Jon Ryan back. That was a tough question for whoever asked it to throw out there and he had to know he wasn't going to get a very positive answer, nor will he get a positive answer for many questions from here on out the rest of the season. It's interesting, though. I think everyone knows what McCarthy's answer is in his head but also knows he can't say it aloud.
 I find it even more interesting that the Packers released Frost without another answer. Some are saying Ken DeBauche might be an option. While he's a great story, not only being a Wisconsin Badger but also a graduate of Bay Port High School, any punter you find at this stage of the game is likely at the bottom of the scrap heap for a reason. The Packers will probably have to start fresh at that position next season. Let's just hope they don't do it with a high draft pick.
While I appreciate the optimism that some writers for the Journal Sentinel have, reality puts me in Mike McCarthy's camp in saying "we just have to win a game right now." Until the Packers can show me they can be dominant against a team that isn't the calibur of the Lions, I'm not going to be too convinced of anything.
Apparently the Badger football team is going to have to "settle" for the Champs Sports Bowl in light of the fact the Alamo Bowl doesn't seem to want Wisconsin. Gee, Orlando instead of San Antonio. I'm sure the Badgers and their fans are heartbroken.
One local side-sport note: UWM volleyball made it to the NCAA Tournament again, though they've never won a match in the dance and will likely struggle again when they go up against ninth-ranked Illinois. The Badgers and their well-followed program? Left out of the tournament for the first time since 1995. Badger Volleyball, for the uninitiated, is probably the fifth of five truly well-followed programs on campus, trailing football, men's basketball, hockey and women's basketball but still with a fairly loud and raucous following in the old Fieldhouse. Volleyball games at UW are and event and are very well attended. For that fact and that fact alone, I say "HA!" and laugh at the Badgers for their ineptitude.
I don't laugh too loud, though, as Marquette's team struggled against a weak Big East this year and saw coach Pati Rolf resign before the end of the season. We can't really hold a candle to Wisconsin Volleyball, so I'll shut up now.
There's a heck of an NBA game going on tonight in Boston as the Orlando Magic, winners of 13 of their last 15, go up against the Celtics, who are giving Patriots fans a reason to remain cocky. The Celtics are leading at this point but it's very far from over. Boston has two losses -- one to the Nuggets and the other, almost inexplicably, to the Pacers. It's kind of ridiculous that they came into the night having opened up a six-game lead on the rest of their division but that's also how the Eastern Conference works nowadays. I somehow can't see the Magic keeping up this pace and I can't help but think the Pistons will eventually adjust to life with Allen Iverson and overtake Orlando for the third seed in the East. I'm really not sure it will matter when you look at the Cavs and the Celtics, though. It would be a big win for Orlando if they could pull it off, but I don't know if they have the depth right now to keep up with the Celtics this evening.
Lance Armstrong will ride in the 2009 Tour de France. I know this is going to come off as really cynical but I can't help but believe he's been doping, given all the other cyclists we've seen go down in the past few years and given how dominant he was. It's just too amazing to be true -- and how many other "too amazing to be true" stories from sports in the last 15 years have been revealed as steroids cases in the last couple?
Derek Anderson followed in the footsteps of Brady Quinn by getting knocked out for the remainder of the season for the Browns. Wishing to join them in being put out of their misery, Romeo Crennel has volunteered to be the quarterback of the Browns this week. Rumor has it many Detroit Lions have also inquired about the position.
Graham Harrell, Texas Tech's quarterback, is having surgery to remedy the fact two fingers on his non-throwing hand have been broken in, combined, nine different places. Ouch. The surgery will require 17 pins and two plates. Nonetheless, don't expect him to have an easy time taking snaps in the Red Raiders' likely appearance in the Cotton Bowl. Frankly, it's kind of nice knowing a Big XII team is a little hampered -- it clears up the mess a little bit.
 Dabo Swinney will move from interim to permanent head coach of the Clemson football program, leading the AP put out a story about him that redefines sappy. It makes me think that I might be playing for the Brewers right now had I pushed harder to get Amanda Dowd to take interest in me when I was in kindergarden. Why didn't I hold her hand? Why oh why?
The Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face off in next year's London game. Any thoughts the British might have about reclaiming the 13 colonies plus 37 will likely disappear after hearing Bill Belichick's press conference and seeing Jon Gruden's scowl. Personally, I think we should have them play on on the Afganistan-Pakistan border. Or maybe on a boat outside of Somalia.
Lastly, the names of the nominees for the 2009 class of the Baseball Hall of Fame were released today. Among them (get this): Greg Vaughn, Dan Plesac and the earlier-mentioned Jesse Orosco. Dan Plesac? Really? Maybe it's just the nature of my childhood, but hearing Plesac's name in reference to the baseball hall is somewhat like hearing Terrell Buckley's name mentioned in the same sentence as Canton (with the only plausible combination being "The Packers once played in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton and Terrell Buckley got burned like Detroit after a championship."). I know he went onto bigger and better things with a number of teams after becoming the inaugural pitcher to earn a spot in Miller Park's tower* but c'mon. Just because a guy was around forever doesn't mean he should be in the Hall. It's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Situational Lefties.
As for Vaughn ... well, yes, he did go onto have greater success with the Reds and Padres after his career with the Brewers. But, as with all guys like Vaughn, you can't help but wonder why his homer total went from 19 in 1994 and 17 in 1995 up to 41 in in 1996 and 50 and 45 in 1998 and 1999, playing for the Padres and Reds. Qualcomm Stadium wasn't exactly known as a hitters' park, yet Vaughn hit 50 home runs in 1998. Greg Vaughn. We're not talking about Cecil Fielder. We're talking about Greg Vaughn. In 1998. The year of the homer, with Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire chasing after records. And they were such bastions of drug-free clenliness.
If there's anything The Mitchell Report showed us, it wasn't just the top-level players. To say Vaughn was "coincidence" while putting others on a skewer isn't fair.
A few other notes on some of the other names on the ballot:
Andre Dawson: As a Cub, Dawson will get tantalizingly close to getting into the Hall on this year's ballot but will fall just short. This will continue until he reaches the Veterans' Committee.
Ron Gant: Gant will make the Hall, but his plaque will constantly break due to sheer ugliness.
Mark Grace: Grace will not make the Hall this year. In fact, it will take him until his final ballot, at which point he will "bust the slump."
Rickey Henderson: As perhaps the best at stealing bases in the game's history, Henderson will make the Hall but will leave the ceremony having taken much of the paraphernalia in the back storage rooms. He will also deliever his speech entirely in the third person.
Don Mattingly: Don will get enough ballots to make the Hall but refuse to enter when the plaque-maker demands he shave his moustache for the mold.
Mark McGwire: Mark will also get enough ballots, but will be unable to go to the ceremony because he will have ballooned to a size that does not allow him to fit through the doors.
Jesse Orosco: Writers will vote for Orosco until he decides to come back and pitch … until age 70.
Dave Parker: Known for his power and slow speed by the time he made it to a brief stint with the Brewers, Parker will be elected to the Hall in 2009 and make it to the induction ceremony in 2011.
Tim Raines: Will proceed to try and freebase his bust. He may be joined by Henderson.
Matt Williams: Will not make the Hall when his first two ballots only garner 32 and 28 percent of the vote, then will see his vote total explode to 94 percent on his third try, when he will be joined by McGwire and Brady Anderson. Extra reinforcements will be bought for the stage.
Alright, that's enough bad comedy for one night. More soon.
Photo: Derrick Frost (Mark Hoffman/JSOnline)
Photo: Dabo Swinney (Phil Coale/daylife)
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December 1, 2008 - Monday 11:37 AM
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Current mood: disappointed
Category: Sports
This was one of those weekends during which the Bubbler came out kind of battered and bruised. I think the only team that we follow rigorously here that didn't come out worse for the wear was the Brewers, and let's face it, that's only because there's not really much to talk about with them right now.
I feel the need to continually reassert the following: Aaron Rodgers is not to blame for the Packers recent struggles. I think we need to face the fact that last year's Packers team probably overachieved and this year's version is more like what the Packers should be. That's not Rodgers' fault, though. He's played well this year and to blame him for losing the game because of a so-so first half and an interception at the very end of the contest isn't fair. Brett Favre had his rough patches, too, and goodness knows he was just as apt to throw that pick.
Aaron Rodgers has been sharp and played within his game. If anything, Rodgers and the receivers were the bright spot today.
If you want an answer as to why the Packers have had their struggles this year -- and the game-ending stat about the Packers losing four games by four points or less was telling -- you need to look at two areas:
1. Defensive Consistency
2. The Running Game
The Packers' defense has had an identity crisis all year long. Stopping the run? Well, sometimes they do, but then Adrian Peterson runs roughshod all over them. Getting a pass rush? The only time the defense had any success today was when they were busting through the line and getting through to the quarterback, which was primarily in the third and early part of the fourth quarter. Stopping the pass? Not surprisingly, the Panthers abused the middle of the Packers' defense again today and it's starting to look like Bob Sanders just has no answers for his personnel shortcomings. A.J. Hawk still gets abused in pass coverage; Brandon Chillar has had a couple rough weeks in that department as well and Brady Poppinga is not holding his weight. Trying to put Charles Woodson at safety today in place of the ineffective and perhaps still-hurting Atari Bigby left too many other holes in the secondary and Sanders was forced to move guys around later in the game.
On what was essentially the game-deciding play -- the long pass to Steve Smith that set the Panthers up for the game-winning score -- I don't blame Charles Woodson too much for being out of position. I blame the Packers for thinking Brandon Chillar could keep up with Smith on that pattern and for no safety help being around in that situation. The wind might have helped Smith get that ball but the fact of the matter is the Packers really got outschemed on that one play.
It was amusing that the Panthers used as many as three tight ends today. That's the way to attack the Packers: Use tight ends and backs to abuse the seams and force the linebackers into coverage, then adjust to the Packers' adjustments and go after the secondary. This is facilitated by the fact that, whoever the quarterback is, he usually has all day. It's not so much Kampman as much as it is the tackles, who are consistently getting outmatched and even blown off the ball in run situations. The mix of Johnny Jolly, Ryan Pickett, Colin Cole and Justin Harrell truly isn't getting the job done.
There are a lot of pieces that need fixing on defense. Ted Thompson might not have thought he needed to change much on defense this year -- and with the year they had last year, that's understandable -- but he's going to have a lot to fix going into next year.
 Meanwhile, let's go back to the fourth quarter on offense. I'm sure some might play Monday-morning quarterback and say the Packers should have tried to punch the ball in on fourth-and-goal from one and a half yards out when the game was tied 28-28. I agreed with the decision to kick the field goal there but you're still talking about a group that had three chances to get six and couldn't capitalize.
Brandon Jackson had to take over for Ryan Grant today when Grant bruised his hand in the second quarter -- he did well but he lacks Grant's power and that hurt on the goal line. Still, without any push on the line, I'm not sure Marcus Allen could have scored.
Everything about that series on the one and two was disappointing. First off, there was no creativity on the play calls. Three times, right into the middle of the line, the third time with John Kuhn. Jackson is definitely more of a scat-back than Grant and would have probably been better trying to bust it outside.
Furthermore, the characteristic of that long drive wasn't the running of Jackson but the short-passing of Rodgers and the receivers. I kept yelling at the TV for the Packers to at least try running the ball to eat some clock. As it was, they held onto the football for quite a stretch and could have even done more to run time -- perhaps to the point where a game-winning field goal could have come with very little time on the clock instead of with just under two minutes. Instead, the only way the Packers could get the ball to the one was to throw and the results were what they were.
The Packers might have dominated the time of posssession numbers today but there's something to be said for getting the most out of the plays you have. Turnovers were part of the reason the Packers lost, but another part was their inability to get significant yards on the ground. The Panthers didn't need the ball that long -- when they got it, they got big plays and scored quickly.
For the sake of argument, the Packers did outgain the Panthers on the ground, 145 yards to 130. But DeAngelo Williams also had four rushing touchdowns and, considering the time of possession disparity, you should be outgaining your opponent by far more than 15 yards when you're holding the ball that much.
I look at this Packers team as one that needs to do some rebuilding in the next couple years. Your cornerbacks aren't getting any younger, so you're going to have to replace them. You need better options at safety and you need linebackers that can cover. You need to replace Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton, who are just looking old and worn down this season. There's a lot that needs to be fixed.
And yet we all blame Thompson and McCarthy for not holding onto Favre when, in reality, I think Rodgers may be better at quarterback.
It is at least nice to see Donald Driver and Greg Jennings finally getting some of their due. There's talk of Jennings becoming an emerging star but I think it's time Driver is recognized as a player as well. That diving catch today? It has to be the lead clip on the team's NFL Films highlight reel this year. He's caught over 80 balls in each of the last four years and could still get there this season. He's got a chance at his sixth thousand-yard season. To put those figures in perspective, yes, Herman Moore did have that ridiculous 123 catch season in 1995 and was over 100 catches three times, but he also only had four 80-catch seasons and four years over a thousand yards in his career. You can make a solid case for Moore going into the Hall of Fame. Driver ... no one seems to talk about him in that way, probably because he's never made a huge splash and largely because a lot of the credit Driver deserved went to the current quarterback of the New York Jets. But he catches everything that's thrown his way, he's a community guy, he's a great story and he deserves a look.
I'm afraid the Packers are going to be watching the playoffs from the outside this year. I would be happy to see them play consistent, injury-free football for the rest of the season, even if that means no playoffs in the end.
 This wasn't exactly a great weekend for the Bubbler's college basketball loyalties, either. Marquette's defense disappeared against Dayton last night. I didn't get to see a lot of the game as I was out for dinner with some friends but it sounds like Dayton figured out that the key to beating Marquette is not turning the ball over. I've started to notice that Marquette tends to give up some points to teams that can shoot because they have a tendency to let guys slip into open spots in the half-court game. Defense is about more than creating turnovers. You have to get hands in faces when guys are taking shots.
It troubles me that Buzz Williams said afterwards that the team had a lot to learn. I can kind of understand that statement as directed towards the bench, which didn't seem to show up last night, but I'm not really sure what the seniors have left to 'learn'. If they don't know enough to not do the things they needed to do to win last night by now, I'm not sure they're ever going to figure it out.
The bench scoring is an issue. David Cubillan has seemed a little out of sorts in the early part of the season. Patrick Hazel isn't looking Dwight Burke-esque when it comes to putting the ball in the basket and I don't think anyone's expecting Jimmy Butler to do a lot of damage with the basketball just yet. Maurice Acker seems to have become a guy who is only going to be taking threes and distributing the basketball. No one is expecting the bench to be a major source of scoring for Marquette this year, but they have to contribute something.
It's hard for me to explain why Dayton's guards had such success getting inside. There's a small part of me that wonders if all the offensive fouls called in the Texas Southern game made MU think that taking charges is an easy thing, but I think that's a bit too obscure of an explanation to be legitimate. Again, it's hard for me to say without having seen what went on.
The Badgers, meanwhile, appeared to hit a stride against UWM. I know Central Michigan comes first, but I can't help but be a little nervous. Let's hope Central Michigan is the game Marquette uses to work out the issues they had against Dayton to get ready to hold onto the ever-so-important state bragging rights.
As for the Bucks ... I don't think anyone was expecting them to put up much of a fight against the Cavaliers and they didn't. Yes, the schedule does get easier for a while now, but without Andrew Bogut and with Michael Redd appearing to still be somewhat limited, despite coming back, this is a very mediocre Bucks team, no matter who's coaching it or what their level of defensive intensity is.
My fear is that too much more playing like this will give this Bucks team a chance to do the same thing that the last few encarnations of the Bucks have done: Give up, keel over and die. You hope Scott Skiles recognizes that's gone .. with this team and doesn't let that happen. John Hammond, too, since he could potentially stop such issues with a trade to shake things up at some point. I'm not convinced this team will do that, but with so many new faces, you don't want them to get the idea that's an OK thing to do.
Anyone else notice that this is kind of a depressing time to be a Wisconsin sports fan? It's as if it took sapping all the energy from all the other teams in the state to get the Brewers into the playoffs, leaving nothing left for anyone else, save maybe ... [sigh] ... Badger basketball.
I'm depressed. Let's get things in order, troops.
More soon.
Photo: Brandon Jackson being tackled (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/Yahoo! Sports)
Photo: Dayton's Robb Lowery, guarded by Wes Matthews (left) and David Cubillan (Paul Beaty/AP/Yahoo! Sports)
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November 30, 2008 - Sunday 12:45 AM
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Current mood: froggy
Category: Music
There was a great man who once said, "All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players."
He had a number of other interesting things to say, too, but while he seemed to divide life up into seven 'acts', what I've noticed is that there are certain times in your life when you know you're in transition. I think those times are a lot more interesting than the times when you're just kind of gliding along, good or bad, because that's when you know changes are happening and your path probably isn't going to be the same as what it was when you entered that period.
There are certain periods in my life when I know I was in that mode. The spring and summer of 2004 is an obvious one -- a period tied to my parents' illnesses in 2003. I think you could argue this year was another of those periods as I began to realize that sports probably isn't and won't be my primary career and I kind of became involved in a lot of secondary sports projects that complimented my new role, which is somewhat leadership-based, at Quad.
One of the big ones for me, though, was the first half of 1994. I was finishing up what had been a wonderful seven years at Wisconsin Hills Elementary School, I was growing from a boy into a man and I was recognizing that I kind of had one final chance to do things with all my friends from my childhood before we all went off to the big, bad Elmbrook Middle School and likely went our separate ways. Middle school turned out to be hellacious for me but my last few weeks of elementary school were all about trying to make a few last runs at doing spectacular things before hormones, flannel shirts, grunge rock and a group of teachers that knew nothing of my good grades at Hills. In elementary school, I was the good kid -- the All-American guy that I wanted to be, Mr. Baseball, Apple Pie and Home Team. That wasn't real cool to be when you were in middle school.
Yeah, there was a girl involved, too. Her name was Anna. I had it for her real bad. Through middle school and high school, too. It's not worth dragging it through the mud much anymore -- she's married now and lives in Waukesha. But I was kind of in a duel with another guy for her attention (I later found out he was ... um, not as into her as I thought).
It came up in yesterday's blog and it actually came up the other day when the guy behind me at work started mentioning that he had Ace of Base on his iPod. Three of Ace of Base's four biggest hits came during that stretch of late fall 1993 through the summer of 1994 -- a period generally not thought of as a boon time for music, largely because of bands like Ace of Base, but one that had a big influence on my tastes.
There are certain songs and bands from that time that just kind of stick out. Boyz II Men were kind of in the tail-end of their success. Mariah Carey was just starting to hit it big. Yes, Ace of Base and The Proclaimers with their belated hit from Benny & Joon, I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles). But another band that was creating some buzz around that time was the Crash Test Dummies.
I kind of consider 1994 to be the time when pop -- along my innocence and, to a large extent, the innocence of the nation I lived in -- kind of died. I can put an exact date on it, too: June 17, 1994, the date of the low-speed police chase involving O.J. Simpson. At that moment, the lines between news and tabloid; celebrity and trash; grunge, rap and pop, all kind of disappeared. Up to that point, the world had been a pretty easy place to live in for a guy born in 1982 like me. Everyone was pro-America during the Reagan years. We won the Cold War. The protesters of the Gulf War were few and far between. But as that white Ford Bronco made its way through the freeways and streets of Los Angeles, we were all witnesses to the beginning of racial strife. We all saw our picture of what a clean-cut celebrity appears to be shattered. We all stood there and watched, even though we knew we shouldn't because we knew we were all participants an event none of us felt proud of or better about ourselves for watching. We were being trashy voyeurs in upon a man who had likely done something terribly wrong and was now threatening his own life. We were watching for the drama of what could go wrong.
Before that, though, the world for a guy like me wasn't like that. It was nice, clean-cut and fairly sanitized. And, frankly, I liked it better that way.
Anyhow, that's a long, rambling tangent to the idea that my mind was back in 1994 this week and I decided to pick a song from that period for my next profile song.
NEW PROFILE SONG:
Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
Crash Test Dummies
God Shuffled His Feet (1993)
The Crash Test Dummies are a Canadian band, which seems to always multiply a band's 'awesome-ness' by a factor of about 1.25. After years of struggling to find an identity around Winnipeg, they finally hit it big with Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm. They appeared on Saturday Night Live with Martin Lawrence in an episode better remembered for Lawrence's obscene opening monologue about "women's hygiene." Amusingly, after that night, Lawrence was banned from SNL for life while the Dummies would never really put together another song that would make them worthy of ever being considered for coming back.
The song is slow, quiet and thoughtful. It was a good song for a transitional time. And it was a better choice than posting an Ace of Base song ... though I won't rule it out eventually.
OK, that's the new song. More soon.
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November 30, 2008 - Sunday 12:03 AM
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Current mood:  morose
Category: Parties and Nightlife
Thursday, July 31 was not a good night for a lot of people for a lot of reasons. For one, there was way too much going on. It was Karl's night to DJ, but he had to get up early for work in the morning and had to leave Hot Water early. I'm usually the backup in such situations, but I was working a Marquette Soccer Camp that night and was going to miss the start of the evening.
Multiple-DJ nights are invitations for tragedy if not handled correctly. The challenge of handling such nights lies in maintaining a feel from one DJ to the next. In June, I had tried to present a completely different feel from Adam Baus' Charleston set and things fell flat for me, though even if I had kept up the same pace, I don't think it would have worked. In this instance, I was going in without having heard any of what Karl had already played. I knew the results weren't going to be great and I was right.
To try and appease everyone in the crowd and get a feel for the building, I purposely laid out a wide variety of tempos. The result was just kind of confusion on the part of the dancers. I've labeled this set "mediocre at best." I think I took the completely wrong tack in the beginning -- I probably should have gone with a lot of Lindy to start out, then mixed things up a little. Instead, I started out mixing in too much fast stuff and the results weren't what I wanted.
Anyhow, here's what we had:
Cupid Shuffle: Cupid Shuffle - Cupid
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - Ella Fitzgerald
Babalu - Benny Carter
Chorkee (Concept II) - Joe Pass & Herb Ellis
Well All Right - Big Joe Turner
Jivin' with Jarvis - Lionel Hampton
C'est Magnifique - Kay Starr
Splanky - Count Basie
Shiny Stockings - Ella Fitzgerald
Taking a Chance On Love - Anita O'Day & Oscar Peterson
Nadine (Is It You) - Chuck Berry
Bone Dry - Louis Jordan
Oh Lady Be Good - Benny Goodman
Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Michael Bublé
Betcha Nickel - Ella Fitzgerald
Rehab - Amy Winehouse
LoveStoned - Justin Timberlake
Alligator Stomp - Zydeco Stomp
Put On a Happy Face - Blossom Dearie
Caldonia - Louis Jordan
The Way You Look Tonight - Radio King Orchestra
Destination Moon - Dinah Washington
Someday Sweetheart - Artie Shaw
Don't Cry Baby - Etta James
I Heard it Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
You Don't Know Me - Ray Charles & Diana Krall
Temptation - Diana Krall
Good Night: Happy Trails - Roy Rodgers & Dale Evans
Interestingly, because of the way the schedule fell, I ended up DJing the very next week. With only one of three sets in July being ones I'd consider "above average", I decided my first set in August was going to be a "best of" set where I'd abandon my usual method of going through my collection randomly to piece together a new set of songs and instead pick out my 40 favorites and throw those out to the crowd. I called it "the set I'd want to play if it were my last-ever time DJing." The results were good but not stellar.
We'll talk about that more next time, though.
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November 29, 2008 - Saturday 11:56 AM
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Current mood:  blah
Category: Sports
With the Marquette men's basketball team at the Chicago Invitational tonight, the women's basketball team hosting a tournament of their own at the Al McGuire Center and a lot of students gone for the Thanksgiving holiday, I was kind of thinking that tonight was going to be the night that I was going to get my first basketball call from Marquette. After soccer season and my statement that I was more than happy to handle even the most menial of gameday tasks for either the men or the women, I was told I'd be called into duty at some point.
I had kind of thought it would be tonight ... but I never did get that call. Part of me was tempted to just show up at the Al but that kind of struck me as a little desperate.
I think they're kind of still learning what I can do. I've told them that I've done play-by-play and whatnot. Oh well -- I'll keep trying.
It's a good night to sit at home and watch basketball with Dad, anyhow. The Marquette men are off to a decent start against Northern Iowa and the Bucks ... well ...
... the Bucks are struggling with the Pistons right now in Detroit, giving up a lot of points to a team that isn't known for scoring all that many.
The Bucks have been winning more this year than they have in the past couple years and the following shouldn't be that much of a surprise: The Bucks win more often when they play better defense. While this is in no way a stunning statement, especially considering that we're talking about a Bucks team that seemingly didn't want to play defense the last few years, it's worth noting what kind of scores teams are posting when they beat the Bucks versus when the Bucks get wins.
WHEN THE BUCKS WIN ...
Opponents' Average: 87.9
Opponents Over 100: Two out of seven
WHEN THE BUCKS LOSE ...
Opponents' Average: 103.4
Opponents Over 100: Eight out of 10
Again, I know this seems painfully obvious -- give up fewer points and you're more likely to win. But given that the Bucks are still kind of learning to play defense, and not always doing it, these numbers are telling to me. The 100-point mark really seems to be the line. Of the four exceptions to the rule, two involved overtime (and the Bucks would have beaten the Celtics in Milwaukee were it not for the wonderful officiating the NBA gives us).
 Defense is as much about a frame of mind as it is about having any sort of skill or ability. You have those last two things if you're in the NBA. Luc Mbah a Moute has committed to playing tough defense while I personally think Luke Ridnour has done a better job playing 'D' with the Bucks than he has at a lot of other times during his career. You also have to wonder if these figures have been, um, "helped" by how much Michael Redd has been out.
An aside: I know there was some talk earlier that there might be some sort of a rift between Scott Skiles and Michael Redd that was keeping Redd from coming back sooner. I really don't think that's the case -- the Bucks are standing behind Redd and part of me thinks that talk is only coming from people who can't get enough of the Stephon Marbury story. Nonetheless, Skiles and Redd definitely don't take the same approach to the game and I'm pretty sure that Redd isn't the kind of player Skiles would have on his roster if he could build a team from scratch. I think we have to face the fact that Redd has a little Ben Sheets in him and he's probably going to be injury prone for the rest of his career. As far as I'm concerned, that's OK -- I kind of like having Richard Jefferson as our primary scorer and while Charlie Bell is certainly streaky, the different combinations that you've been getting with the other Bucks guards on the floor have presented interesting opportunities.
Part of the Bucks' current defensive problem is not having Andrew Bogut. You can't tell me you're going to take away both the Bucks' best offensive (Redd) and defensive (Bogut) players and have good results, particularly when you're going on the road for four-straight games. Still, you'd hope the other big guys would step up.
The point is this, though: Scott Skiles knows what he's doing. Along with John Hammond, he's brought in more guys that want to play defense and he's trying to convince his team that they should focus on that area. The key is for the team to do that. When the Bucks aren't out to outscore their opponents, they're the kind of team that could sneak into the playoffs and even cause some havoc for a top-seeded team. When they don't, they're the same old Bucks.
We got sick of the same old Bucks last season. Here's hoping they figure things out and snap out of this skid.
One last Bucks note: I was disappointed to find out that the Bubbler Sportsblog's favorite Engergee! dancer, Amy, isn't on the squad this year. Presumably she's done with school and has decided to pursue other interests since she had been a veteran on the team and was at the age where one would think she's probably starting down a career path. We'll miss you.
Who's our new favorite? Easy -- Samantha. It's a little different this time, though. See, I have to admit that part of the thing about Amy was that she looked a lot like a swing dancer I used to know. I'll admit, the Amy thing ... yeah, kinda creepy, really. When I used to cover the Bucks, I could swear she shot me dirty looks when she was running back behind the basket. But Samantha becomes the new favorite because I had a chance to meet her last year when she was dancing for the Milwaukee Bonecrushers and she struck me as very cool and even humble, something you don't often get from pro-level cheerleaders. Sam, we're rooting for you.
Anyhow, over we go to Marquette, who took to blowing out Northern Iowa while I was writing about the Bucks. Marquette showed me something tonight after playing a mediocre game against Texas Southern. They bounced back big-time, playing the type of defense we know they're capable of and, more importantly, outrebounding the Panthers by a wide margin. Dayton will be far more of a test than Northern Iowa and tomorrow night's game should be good to watch.
You wanted to see how MU was going to respond and they responded big time. They attacked the basket, worked hard and decided that they were going to have no mercy upon UNI. Marquette has to know that they're going to beat teams like Texas Southern and Northern Iowa. The key is whether or not they can keep up the intensity and fire through these games and show that they mean business. I get the feeling the seniors understand this is it for them and they need to make a statement every time they take the floor.
Furthermore, this tournament in Chicago is coming at just the right time for Marquette. It's easy to fall into a lull when you're playing the same kind of weak, unknown opponents on your home court again and again. Another game or two at the Bradley Center would have only continued that malaise. By getting out of town and playing someplace different, you get to change things up and stay sharp. While I'm generally against tournaments like this -- ones that come off as little more than a cash grab for promoters -- the timing is perfect, especially when you consider how the times we've seen Marquette play upwards of 12 or 13 non-conference games at home with their only road trips being to Wisconsin and maybe one other opponent.
Marquette will be fine, though we'll find out more about them tomorrow night than we did this evening.
 One point that the Homer brought up on the TV broadcast that I agree with: Basketball courts are starting to look really ugly now that there are as many as three three-point lines to deal with on the court. It doesn't help that the NCAA wants the men's line to be of a contrasting color to the women's line when it's out there. Schools like Marquette, that only have one court for the men, are lucky. Not every school is that lucky, though. It was interesting watching the Badgers in the Paradise Jam, too, since the floor out there also had international markings, meaning a fourth three-point line was possible on the floor (fortunately they didn't have the NBA line), along with the trapezoid lane and striping for two practice courts. The result was an absolute mess of lines that made me hungry for spaghetti. Maybe it's because I grew up in the city that created the basketball court as art at the MECCA Arena, but man, can't we at least give a little bit of a nod to aesthetics with these things? At least let the lines be the same color -- I'd almost rather see a colored space between the two three-point lines than what we're seeing now. Furthermore, while we're talking about basketball courts, man, we need to get some of these two-toned, stained NBA courts under control. Timberwolves games are practically unwatchable. Has the idea of subtlety been lost on these teams? You know, a subtle change in colors between the areas inside and outside the three-point lines? Maybe some of these teams can donate the money they're spending on these ridiculous wood-stain jobs to colleges with multiple lines so they can buy enough tape to pull up the unused line whenever the team that uses them isn't playing. I suppose that last sentence explains why I voted for Barack Obama, but that's just me.
Wow, that last paragraph was probably the most hackneyed thing I've ever written. I better just move on to something else.
Bad, bad, bad news for UWM tonight as we find out Ricky Franklin has been arrested for drunk driving. After having a litany of player problems last year, this is the last thing Rob Jeter needs, particularly at a tough time for him personally after the death of his father.
Jeter is handcuffed in the matter and I have to think he has no choice but to throw Franklin off the team. I would assume Jeter and UWM have a no-alcohol policy for their athletes (particularly after the Bruce Pearl chapagne incident), much less an issue with anything that gets the kids arrested. Furthermore, we talked last year about how Jeter could probably get away with losing but would not be able to get away too long with losing and having player conduct issues. This is very much a player conduct issue.
I do want to stand up for Jeter. First off, for all the jumping up and down that I know coaches do to try and get their players to study, get good grades and generally do the right thing, they can't be with the guys every hour of the day. Ricky Franklin is a young adult who has the right to make his own choices. He's a senior, which means he's been around the block a few times and has had enough years of experience in the realm of college basketball to make his own personal decisions. He's also over 21, which means he is legally able to choose to drink. Jeter had to have some faith in Franklin's ability to choose to do the right thing, particularly since Jeter himself chose to start Franklin the last two seasons. There's only so much Jeter can do when a kid gets to that point and I don't expect him to end every single practice with a 10 minute speech about what you should and shouldn't do with your free time.
Nonetheless, there comes a point when having these things happen too often gives your program a black eye. Your team gets labeled as a group of thugs and opposing coaches have a wide variety of ways of using this sort of information against you when you're competing for recruits. "They obviously don't care enough about their guys to watch out for them, or for their program to recruit guys that can stay out of trouble," they'll say.
Bud Haidet is on his way out as athletic director at UWM. A new AD could potentially want to make a mark on the program by bringing in a new coach.
Jeter is by no means a bad guy -- I worked with him during my 'year of hell' with the UWM basketball team under Bo Ryan -- and I know he doesn't encourage his guys to be thugs. But perception is very important. You also have to consider how unstable UWM's support base can be. The Panthers have gone back to drawing smaller crowds that could fit in the Klotsche Center for a lot of their games. They're not a school like Marquette that can guarantee at least 10,000 fans a game and a need for a facility like the Bradley Center. Panther fans will come out when UWM is wowing the world but they haven't shown they're going to come out all the time. GIve them reasons not to show up and they're not going to show up. Give them reasons not to root for the team and they're not going to root for the team. A new AD might see that and try and fix that with a new coach, whether Jeter deserves to be ousted or not. Furthermore, with UWM trying to expand as a university, something tells me there might also end up being some pressure applied by those outside the athletic department.
Franklin should have known better. Here's an article with him talking about Avery Smith and how he got kicked off the team for a year. In addition to his legal troubles, here's hoping he doesn't have to also deal with the onus of potentially playing a part in a coach's dismissal, too.
After Marquette's win over UWM, I got a text message from Marquette Soccer's associate head coach Stan Anderson saying he felt bad for Jeter after his father's death and his team's loss. I responded that Jeter would be fine because his team was better and would be more competitive. Now ... I feel bad for Jeter, too. He has to know the water's starting to heat up around him. This is a worst-case scenario and you only hope his team rallies around him to prove they can not only behave but win without Franklin.
Who'da thunk it -- Major League Baseball is recognizing the Brewers for being one of the best-selling teams in baseball when it comes to apparel. And I would get made fun of in 1995 for wearing my Brewers jacket and hat to middle school. Let's just remember to keep rooting for the team if they're not as good next year. Fair-weather fans aren't good fans.
 Speaking of the Brewers, there's talk that the Giants are getting set to make C.C. Sabathia a contract offer. Guess what -- if the Giants make an offer that's somewhat serious, I think he ends up in San Francisco. He gets everything he wants if the Giants step up. He gets to go to California. He gets to hit. He even gets to pitch in a fairly good pitchers' park. No, you don't think of AT&T Park as a great pitchers' park at first because your mind instantly flashes back to a 'roided-up (allegedly) Barry Bonds bashing balls into McCovey Cove. Check out this chart from ESPN, though. Sort by 'HR' and check out a bunch of different years with AT&T Park. You'll find the park checks in below the '1' mark every year. The runs factor is also usually under '1', though I think it went up this year just because the Giants' pitching was just so bad.
The Angels will make a run at C.C. as well, but I literally think that getting the chance to bat is something Sabathia will literally pay millions of dollars to do. Sabathia is also an instant draw, will turn the Giants into a decent team right away and will be the kind of star that the Giants can put their marketing focus on, especially in a town that desperately needs another sports figure to make them forget Bonds.
If he does sign, do make sure you give him a nice cheer the first time he comes back. Don't wear his T-shirt jersey, though. Root for the Brewers of the present. Heck, buy a new shirt -- we've got a title to keep up.
Meanwhile, the Brewers have signed Jason Bourgeois. Personally, I'm more for the proletariat myself, but again, that's why I voted for Obama.
Hey, you probably don't know this, but the best college golfer in the country goes to Marquette (I feel like I'm kind of becoming a Marquette shill -- oh well). Mike Van Sickle has won four tournaments this year, including the Western Refining All-America Golf Classic this week in El Paso, Texas. The All-America Classic is generally considered to be the nation's premier golf event and lists among its previous winners Notah Begay, Davis Love III, David Duval and some guy named Tiger or something.
Van Sickle has been rising up the ranks the last couple years and is creating quite a buzz. Just remember that he came from MU when you see him winning tournaments in a few years. My guess is he's going to be someone we're hearing about for many, many years because he's probably going to be a successful pro and then come back to the area to be involved in teaching and more than likely course design or broadcasting (yup, another guy keeping me from getting jobs). Keep your eyes open and remember that name.
When I saw this headline in the week leading up to Redskins/Giants, I hate to say that my first instinct was "Why would the Redskins honor LT?" I feel ashamed.
We mentioned Bruce Pearl earlier, but Tennessee is set to hire former Raiders coach Lane Kiffin to lead their football program. I don't know if I like the move. While Kiffin's lack of success in Oakland was in large part due to Al Davis' senility, I'm just not quite sure if he's cut out to be a head coach. Great offensive coordinator, not sure about the recruiting side or the crisis-handling ability every head coach has to have. Football is still king at Tennessee, with the title of queen going to Pat Summit and women's basketball. It might be Pearl who holds the throne by the time Kiffin gets done.
I wish I had something intelligent to say about the Marbury situation. I keep going back in my mind to Starbury's bargain-priced shoes and how great of an idea that was for urban kids. There's a shred of good in Stephon, really. But man, other than that one thing, his brain is just so messed up. To not get along with Mike D'Antoni, Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas -- two of the better coaches in the game and one of the better players of all-time -- tells you a lot about a guy. You have to have an ego to survive in the NBA. But too much of one, with no malleability in your personality what so ever, is just fatal for your career. It's no wonder to me that the Knicks aren't trading Marbury or buying out his contract. He's not worth the money and nobody's going to take him.
LeBron James has called Charles Barkley stupid. I do agree with Charles that there's too much talk about his free agency and LeBron needs to do a better job of telling folks he's focusing on the here-and-now than on the future. This is the problem with LeBron and the NBA in general: Even going back to his high school days, it's always been way too much about the business and the hype than it has been about what's actually going on.
At the same time, I can't disagree with anyone who calls Barkley stupid, just on general principles. LeBron should have stopped before he started explaining himself.
Dwayne Wade is back. I'd suggest getting out of his way. Do the Heat have enough to match up with the Celtics yet, though? Probably not, especially if the officials call all Celtics game the way they called the one at the Bradley Center. I'm not getting over that easily.
This is Robin Lopez, forward for the Suns and one of the Lopez twins that knocked Marquette out of the NCAA tournament last year at Stanford. I hope that's a rookie hazing prank.
Lastly, kudos to whoever replayed this over the last couple days, in light of Allen Iverson's missing ... um, you know. For as people have ripped Iverson's style of play and attitutde through the years, it's stuff like this that still makes you like the guy.
Alright, that's more than enough. More soon.
Photo: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, guarded by Rasheed Wallace (left) and Amir Johnson (Duane Burleson/AP/Yahoo! Sports)
Photo: What is now the U.S. Cellular Arena, then the Wisconsin Center Arena, with its famous Robert Indiana-designed floor (theTicketKing.com)
Photo: C.C. Sabathia (Darren Hauck/AP/MLB.com)
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November 29, 2008 - Saturday 9:44 AM
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Current mood: blah
Category: Parties and Nightlife
One of the challenges of being a DJ is playing to the crowd you have. Every DJ conquers this differently but every DJ faces the fact that they have to deviate from their planned set at some point during the night.
DJing at Hot Water during the summer can be a challenge since the number of people who come out dancing can sometimes be effected by things beyond your control.
July is a time for a lot of events in Milwaukee, one of them being Bastille Days. When an event that's popular with the dancers, like Bastille Days is, goes on, you know your attendance will be effected.
My July 10 set was a little odd because I had a good crowd -- that came in late. On a 'normal' night, not that there are very many of those, my set kind of follows a pattern: Mid-tempo early, speeding up in the middle, pop after that and blues to end the night. But when the majority of the crowd comes in during the middle, you kind of feel like you need to get them warmed up with what you usually play at the start of the night. The only problem is, you've already played your start-of-the-night stuff, so you're really forced to be versatile and move around your songs to be successful.
The other thing that was a problem was my original set. For whatever reason, I had a wider array of tempos selected for this particular evening than usual. With the late-arriving crowd, the tempo variety didn't feel right. I just kind of felt like I was a step off the whole evening. Then again, I didn't show up late myself, so it's hard to say what the other dancers thought.
Anyhow, it was an odd set. It didn't help that my version of She's a Bad Mama Jama, which was well-recieved, cut off mid-song. I did the best I could but it ended up being a night where I hoped people just came in happy from Bastille Days and at least got a couple good dances in.
Here's the set list:
Evening - Girls From Mars
Georgia On My Mind - Anita O'Day & Gene Krupa
Money - Indigo Swing
Swingin on a Star - Bing Crosby & The Williams Brothers
Are You All Reet? - Cab Calloway
I Concentrate on You - Frank Sinatra
Tickle Toe - Count Basie
You Gotta Ho-Di-Ho - Cab Calloway
Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Manhattan Transfer
American Patrol - Radio King Orchestra
Hog Wash - Louis Jordan
Ball the Wall - Professor Longhair
Dig That Crazy Chick - Sam Butera
Dim, Dim the Lights (I Want Some Atmosphere) - Bill Haley
When I Take My Sugar To Tea - Nat King Cole
Alexander's Ragtime Band - Bing Crosby and Al Jolson
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. - John Cougar Mellencamp
Transition: Let's Dance - Benny Goodman
Shim Sham: 'Tain't What You Do - Jimmy Lunceford
Sun Risin' Blues - Big Joe Turner
Salute to Harlem - Girls From Mars
A Dollar Down - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
Banana Split for My Baby - Louis Prima
Take the 'A' Train - Harry James, Benny Goodman & Stan Kenton
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To - Nancy Wilson
Takin' My Time - Benny Carter
Transition: Winning - The Natural Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Yes Indeed - Ray Charles
Play a Simple Melody - Bing & Gary Crosby
Rock A While - Big Joe Turner
Portrait of Louis Armstrong - Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Next Door to the Blues - Etta James
Bada Boom Bada Bing - The King Comets
On a Slow Boat to China - Bette Midler with Barry Manilow
Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder
She's a Bad Mama Jama - George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
Orange-Colored Sky - Radio King Orchestra
I'm Beginning to See The Light - Harry James featuring Helen Forrest
It's Only a Paper Moon - Ella Fitzgerald
Fever - Peggy Lee
My Heart Belongs to Daddy - Julie London
Opus in Pastels - Barry Forge & Roland Shaw
When Lights Are Low - Weslia Whitfield
Feelin' Good - Pussycat Dolls
Into the Mystic - Van Morrison
Just Squeeze Me - O-Tones
Good Night: Happy Trails - Roy Rodgers & Dale Evans
Fortunately, I got some time off after this to rest and recover. My next set would come on July 31 at the request of Karl, who needed to get home early for a work committment. I'd be showing up late myself due to a soccer camp, making for so-so results again. But hey, you do the best you can with what you've got.
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November 25, 2008 - Tuesday 9:13 AM
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Current mood:  okay
Category: Sports
Hey folks. Some quick Marquette talk before we watch the Packers take on the Saints.
I feel the need to give some credit to Wes Matthews, in light of the fiery start Marquette has gotten off to in the 2008-09 season.
Let's face it: I think most people, me included, have always kind of thought of Matthews as the third of Marquette's Big Three.
There's Dominic James, of course, with all his flash and athleticism, his quick move to the basket and all the potential he brought to the table. James was the first to make a real splash as a freshman and was the one that seemingly always had the ball in his hands as the point guard. In the beginning, James seemed to try a little too hard to win games by himself, taking a lot of shots and trying to beat four guys on his own rather than running the offense.
Then there was Jerel McNeal, whose steal totals put him on the map as a sophomore. We know about McNeal's quick hands and aggressiveness on defense and he also, at times last year, appeared to be the best shooter of the three. McNeal's hard-nosed edge and determination was something that was needed in the last two seasons, compared to the often-too-flashy James and the inconsistent Matthews.
And that's just it: Matthews' consistency was never really there. I always thought he was the least emotional of the three guards and the one most apt to disappear from games. I remember thinking in the last couple seasons that I was having trouble figuring out what Matthews role was supposed to be. Was he the three-point shooter of the group? No, it seemed as though he took the ball to basket more than pure shooters like the long-lost Robb Logterman and the somewhat-disappointing Dan Fitzgerald. Was he the 'slasher'? Well, he didn't seem to get the ball enough, nor did he seem to go to the basket enough, plus he certainly didn't have the agility or ball-handling ability James had, so if that was his role, he was going to have to settle for being second-best on the team and be the second option in that circumstance. Defensive specialist? Not with McNeal on the floor, plus James upped his game defensively last year, so no. Free-throw shooter? I guess so, but that's not saying much on a Marquette team that has struggled to make free throws with this group of guards at its core.
In the end, Matthews was kind of an undefined option. Occasionally he would have a better game than the other two guards, but most of the time it seemed like he was just kind of off your radar.
Now, it seems as though Wes has found his niche with Buzz Williams -- and it's an easy-to-define one at that:
Scorer.
James and McNeal do their damage defensively. James has settled into a role as more of a passer on offense. McNeal is a second option. But when push comes to shove, the guy who's the gutsiest about taking the ball to the basket hard is Matthews right now.
 His scoring numbers show that fact. Matthews' points per game figure prior to this year? 11.2. His scoring average thus far this season? 26 points.
But it's as much about Matthews' attitude as it is about anything else. Like I said, he's the guy that's willing to go into the trees right now, something I've wished for years that James would do more often and something I was starting to think only McNeal was even remotely capable of. It's as if Matthews is seeing the end of his college career before his eyes and deciding that he's sick of being the one guard nobody is talking about when it comes time to discuss the NBA Draft. He doesn't want to be the "third guard" anymore. He wants to be seen as a player with talent and ability that can do something.
It's important, too, to credit Buzz Williams for seemingly giving the three guards better-defined roles than what they had before. While Tom Crean was certainly a yeller and a screamer who emphasized deflections, rough-and-tumble defense and creativity offensively, I was often quick to criticize Marquette for not running a tremendously organized half-court offense. Buzz seems to have a better plan and has gotten a lot of the guys to see what role they have to fill for the offense to work best. It's a more plotted, planned style that has clearly worked, given that the Golden Eagles are essentially averaging 100 points a game right now.
Now yes, we're talking about a Marquette team that clearly has not faced great opposition just yet.
(Take heart, UWM fans -- the Panthers showed me a lot with their strong first half on Saturday night and I think they'll be fine in the Horizon League, both now and in the next few years. Tone Boyle is the real deal, as far as I'm concerned, while a few other guys just didn't have a great second half. So it goes.)
But we're going to see them go up against a Wisconsin team soon that I think will find out fast, even after seeing how Marquette can run last year, just how smoothly oiled of a machine the MU offense is right now. The Badgers have improved from last year -- but not a lot. Plus, they're still a plodding team of bigger guys who don't have great speed but rely on angles, the swing offense and sharp shooting to succeed. Marquette ran the Badgers out of the Kohl Center in the second half last year and the Golden Eagles look even more like a well-conditioned, second-half team this year than they did when last they faced the Badgers. This is not a good matchup for Wisconsin and if this wasn't a rivalry game, and if Marquette hadn't snapped UW's lengthy home winning streak last year, I'd think Marquette would be a heavy favorite in this kind of game.
Nonetheless, Bo Ryan, as always, will have a plan, much of which will focus ..ping Matthews from getting the ball, much less going to the basket and getting the many free throws he's drawn lately. My guess is he will try and slow the game down and force Marquette to try and take a lot of outside shots, something they still occasionally do too often. But I'm impressed with Buzz's style thus far and, if he's thinking ahead, he'll try and counter this by making sure his guys stay gutsy, keep taking the ball to the basket and run, run, run.
I'm getting ahead of myself. We still have to get past Texas Southern.
But when it comes to beating the Badgers, it's hard not to think ahead. It's been nice to have bragging rights this past year. I really don't want to give those up. I'm not above admitting that's more important to me than any ranking or a win over some school I really don't care about in Texas. I care about what happens to Wisconsin. Actually, I care about Marquette enough to care to see Wisconsin lose every game it plays. That's what a good rivalry's all about.
Alright, Packer time. More soon.
Photo: Wes Matthews drives between Deion James (left) and James Eayers (Darren Hauck/AP/Yahoo! Sports)
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Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 27
City: Brookfield
State: Wisconsin
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