September, 28th 2009 16:20
The air was cool and mingled with the smells of hops and barely. With my back to the Denver skyline I faced west and could see the mountains which loomed in the distance. My friend of 23 years, Buck, and I were enjoying a sampler of some of Denver's finest libations when I declared "This is the moment that has changed my life. This is the moment that has crystallized my decision, that I will move here"; and it was right there, (sitting on the Great Divides porch and sipping a finely wrought Samurai Ale), when I decided to make the Front Range my home. It may seem a bit precocious, I admit, but for the longest time I felt that I had out grown my childhood home. It took a good friends interrogation about my future plans, however, to solidify this new chapter in my life.
February 26th 2011
It's been one year to the date since I left my home in Florida and started my Trans American journey towards Denver.
I feel like I have hit a milestone.
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Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, December 3, 2010
A turntable away
The night began @ 9:18 with the opening set by the “Chicharones” – A three piece hip hop group with obvious influences from the Beastie Boys and The Cut Chemist. Unapologetically goofy the lyrics they spat were all of different topics but mostly placating to the 20 something college crowd, with songs that have chorus that say Fuck you or talking about potty humor, they succeeded in livening the mood and getting everyone ready with a purposely shitty cover of “Eye of the Tiger”.
Next came the “Food Chain” – Originally a Denver based 7 piece group that consists of 4 MC's and 3 keyboard players that laid down a great slightly funky East Coast sound. Taunting the crowd for a reaction; to which was mostly well received, it filled the cavernous room with an urban appeal. Then at 12:10 the MC that everyone came to see got on stage.
“Talib Kawali” – We shouted... What can I say the man is a genius. In the hour he preformed and the subsequent encore tKawali must've laid down over 20,000 words. Just a wall of rhythm and rhyme I was blown away at his showmanship as well as the ability to get the crowd to spontaneously “testify” during a performance of “I Get By”. There wasn't a steady foot in Cervantes Theater with people pushing ahead to hear him speak during a virtually unplugged mike set. With only his voice and a shitty amplifier, causing a; dirty-underground-bootlegged sound, he got the 500+ people to quite down just enough to hear him almost whisper his lyrics.
Upon his arrival of his encore set tKawali performed new tracks from his soon to release album as well as classic standards from Black star(Mos Def and he) and compilations with Kanye West and Hi-Tek (recording under Reflection Eternal).
During the climax of an unbelievable show, he invited the crowd to join the stage with him. People swarmed to get up close and personal with a living legend. The ladies were first and then the fellas joined the revelry, (myself included). I came a turntable away from shaking the mans hand until security blocked my passage. Undaunted I began to bob my head to the beat as the revival continued around me. That is until a stripper pulled me aside, (another story entirely).
Poetry and art met with what I would consider the best Hip Hop Set I have ever attended. Talib Kawali Remains in the Pantheon of Hip Hop Greats like Nas, Tupac, and Jay-Z.
Next came the “Food Chain” – Originally a Denver based 7 piece group that consists of 4 MC's and 3 keyboard players that laid down a great slightly funky East Coast sound. Taunting the crowd for a reaction; to which was mostly well received, it filled the cavernous room with an urban appeal. Then at 12:10 the MC that everyone came to see got on stage.
“Talib Kawali” – We shouted... What can I say the man is a genius. In the hour he preformed and the subsequent encore tKawali must've laid down over 20,000 words. Just a wall of rhythm and rhyme I was blown away at his showmanship as well as the ability to get the crowd to spontaneously “testify” during a performance of “I Get By”. There wasn't a steady foot in Cervantes Theater with people pushing ahead to hear him speak during a virtually unplugged mike set. With only his voice and a shitty amplifier, causing a; dirty-underground-bootlegged sound, he got the 500+ people to quite down just enough to hear him almost whisper his lyrics.
Upon his arrival of his encore set tKawali performed new tracks from his soon to release album as well as classic standards from Black star(Mos Def and he) and compilations with Kanye West and Hi-Tek (recording under Reflection Eternal).
During the climax of an unbelievable show, he invited the crowd to join the stage with him. People swarmed to get up close and personal with a living legend. The ladies were first and then the fellas joined the revelry, (myself included). I came a turntable away from shaking the mans hand until security blocked my passage. Undaunted I began to bob my head to the beat as the revival continued around me. That is until a stripper pulled me aside, (another story entirely).
Poetry and art met with what I would consider the best Hip Hop Set I have ever attended. Talib Kawali Remains in the Pantheon of Hip Hop Greats like Nas, Tupac, and Jay-Z.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Winner, the Quitter, and the Quarterback...
With doves flying over the practice field, freezing marbled sized raindrops pierced the lavender scented plains. People half expected the darkened sky to part and a ray of holy light to descend onto the field and embrace Gainesville's favored son Timothy Richard Tebow. That was not the case.
Now I have never claimed to be a sports columnist, nor have I ever specifically gone to a Pro Training camp but today I got to see UF's Warrior-monk on his first day at work as a Denver Bronco...The occasional “Go Gators” would bubble to the surface and was utterly respected. Orange and Blue have a natural home here in the Mile High City and I proudly wore my colors.
Now given his career at Florida with two National titles.. .he has well deserved hype. He did beat the collegiate records of; Peyton Manning [pass %] and Herschel Walker [rushing yardage], while twice nominated for the Heisman and being the first underclassman to win it. Not to mention a litany of accolades, any one of which, would make any athlete blush; you would think that his progression to the starting position of any team would be sealed on day one?
That was definitely not the case...
Ahead of him in the Broncos much maligned Quarterback Roster sits Kyle Orton (8) and Brady Quin (9), respectively. Timmy is third string, meaning he's the backup of the backup and much to the chagrin of many die-hard Bronco fans, they traded 2x Pro-Bowler (nick-named “The Beast”); Brandon Marshall for 2 second round draft picks and $47.5M, thus putting the death knell in the Mike Shanahan years. It also goes against all convention that this third string, backup of the backup has also sold more jerseys in his debut, than the whole team combined.
Which fueled this uneasy feeling I got from the fans who came to see if second year coach Josh McDaniels had made an egregious error in judgment by drafting young Tim and yet still secretly hoping that his spectacular gamble was not folly.
You see as a new resident of Denver I can not call myself a part of its diverse tapestry nor a string in its fabric but more accurately a smudge on the edge of its parchment. Given the proud football tradition this city has; with 2 Superbowl wins and 20 playoff appearances, lasts years 2-8 record burns at the cities core. McDaniels had to do something great and extraordinary to reverse course from the toxic Shanahan era. So he cleans house and recruits a mostly untested rookie class and makes, arguably, the most controversial football drafting decision ever made. That gamble falls again onto Tebows shoulders.
Watching him take his limited snaps you could honestly hear the enthusiasm of the capacity crowd wax and wane with the quarterback cycle. Now I'm not talking about the average; “Way to go!” with “OHHH's” and “AHHH's” at the drop of the ball (Tim and Quin each had theirs). I'm talking about adolescent teenage girls yelling in shrill voices; “TiM tEboW”... At times it much more resembled a Justin Bieber concert than a testosterone filled football camp. Grown men with aspirations of Sundays in the Man-Cave filled with suds & buds would yell “Go Tim!” and it was silly... It was also apparent that the crowd hinged at the snap to see if young Tim would run or pass-it. Denizens of Denver marveled at their first sight of the prodigy from the East. Many where visibly disgusted at his lefty wounded-duck pass. Many more where upset to see both his incompletes.
Still Quin in the second slot has a lot to be worried about. His knowledge of the Norte Dame football systems jargon, is compatible with the Mile-High system, however his audacity (or lack there-of) is not. Quin is by all accounts an intelligent quarterback who is comfortable passing in the pocket. However that strength is also his weakness. I saw him throw away 3 opportunities rather than be sacked or make an incomplete pass. Even when he hit his receiver in the back of the helmet, no one is denigrating his accuracy. They are questioning his fortitude.
But I cannot shake the feeling that everyone’s expectations are greater than the “Rookie” can mange. I have faith in my champion for I heard his speech after the Ole Miss game and I saw him play with both Faith and Moxie. However, I was here in Denver the night of the Kentucky game and saw Superman fall. He is human. He is still uncomfortable in the pocket and would much rather smash into the defender than vice versa. Let us just hope that his style of play matched with his work ethic will win over the city and his team. It almost certainly will. But I digress.
The evening was capped with the stark image of Tebow carrying Kyle Otrens pads, (a rookies traditional duty) and a mob of fans from every socio-economic strata yelling “Tebow” not Orton's name. You see the team I fear is embattled in a search for its identity. Orten maybe the Quarterback and “Quin” maybe his backup, but Tim, he's their destiny, he's their winner...
Now I have never claimed to be a sports columnist, nor have I ever specifically gone to a Pro Training camp but today I got to see UF's Warrior-monk on his first day at work as a Denver Bronco...The occasional “Go Gators” would bubble to the surface and was utterly respected. Orange and Blue have a natural home here in the Mile High City and I proudly wore my colors.
Now given his career at Florida with two National titles.. .he has well deserved hype. He did beat the collegiate records of; Peyton Manning [pass %] and Herschel Walker [rushing yardage], while twice nominated for the Heisman and being the first underclassman to win it. Not to mention a litany of accolades, any one of which, would make any athlete blush; you would think that his progression to the starting position of any team would be sealed on day one?
That was definitely not the case...
Ahead of him in the Broncos much maligned Quarterback Roster sits Kyle Orton (8) and Brady Quin (9), respectively. Timmy is third string, meaning he's the backup of the backup and much to the chagrin of many die-hard Bronco fans, they traded 2x Pro-Bowler (nick-named “The Beast”); Brandon Marshall for 2 second round draft picks and $47.5M, thus putting the death knell in the Mike Shanahan years. It also goes against all convention that this third string, backup of the backup has also sold more jerseys in his debut, than the whole team combined.
Which fueled this uneasy feeling I got from the fans who came to see if second year coach Josh McDaniels had made an egregious error in judgment by drafting young Tim and yet still secretly hoping that his spectacular gamble was not folly.
You see as a new resident of Denver I can not call myself a part of its diverse tapestry nor a string in its fabric but more accurately a smudge on the edge of its parchment. Given the proud football tradition this city has; with 2 Superbowl wins and 20 playoff appearances, lasts years 2-8 record burns at the cities core. McDaniels had to do something great and extraordinary to reverse course from the toxic Shanahan era. So he cleans house and recruits a mostly untested rookie class and makes, arguably, the most controversial football drafting decision ever made. That gamble falls again onto Tebows shoulders.
Watching him take his limited snaps you could honestly hear the enthusiasm of the capacity crowd wax and wane with the quarterback cycle. Now I'm not talking about the average; “Way to go!” with “OHHH's” and “AHHH's” at the drop of the ball (Tim and Quin each had theirs). I'm talking about adolescent teenage girls yelling in shrill voices; “TiM tEboW”... At times it much more resembled a Justin Bieber concert than a testosterone filled football camp. Grown men with aspirations of Sundays in the Man-Cave filled with suds & buds would yell “Go Tim!” and it was silly... It was also apparent that the crowd hinged at the snap to see if young Tim would run or pass-it. Denizens of Denver marveled at their first sight of the prodigy from the East. Many where visibly disgusted at his lefty wounded-duck pass. Many more where upset to see both his incompletes.
Still Quin in the second slot has a lot to be worried about. His knowledge of the Norte Dame football systems jargon, is compatible with the Mile-High system, however his audacity (or lack there-of) is not. Quin is by all accounts an intelligent quarterback who is comfortable passing in the pocket. However that strength is also his weakness. I saw him throw away 3 opportunities rather than be sacked or make an incomplete pass. Even when he hit his receiver in the back of the helmet, no one is denigrating his accuracy. They are questioning his fortitude.
But I cannot shake the feeling that everyone’s expectations are greater than the “Rookie” can mange. I have faith in my champion for I heard his speech after the Ole Miss game and I saw him play with both Faith and Moxie. However, I was here in Denver the night of the Kentucky game and saw Superman fall. He is human. He is still uncomfortable in the pocket and would much rather smash into the defender than vice versa. Let us just hope that his style of play matched with his work ethic will win over the city and his team. It almost certainly will. But I digress.
The evening was capped with the stark image of Tebow carrying Kyle Otrens pads, (a rookies traditional duty) and a mob of fans from every socio-economic strata yelling “Tebow” not Orton's name. You see the team I fear is embattled in a search for its identity. Orten maybe the Quarterback and “Quin” maybe his backup, but Tim, he's their destiny, he's their winner...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Califonian "Slackerism"
Cal·i·for·nian-slackerism
| (kāl'ĭ-fôr'nyən, -fôr'nē-ən - [slak-er izm]) Pronunciation Key Abbr. CAism or Cal.ism or Califism. 1. - A state of mind in the western United States near the Pacific Ocean. CA was laggardly admitted as the 31st state in 1850 and has procrastinated ever since. The area was colonized by the Spanish and was then over-run by hippies to informally secede from the United States during the 60's cultural revolution via the Timothy Leary treatise - "Flashbacks". Californian-Slackerism is often simply called "Chill-out or No Worries", depending on the region, and its term differing in Northern California and Southern California but ultimately and unanimously regarded as just; Cal'i·for'nian adj. & n. 2. - An epiphany made clear seconds after a near fatal collision with a tractor-trailer near Golden Gate park... |
Origin:
2008–2009; CA slack1 + -er1 + ism; def. 5 popularized by a little known and "untitled" free-lance writer during a trip to Big Sur and Napa Valley (October 2008)
2008–2009; CA slack1 + -er1 + ism; def. 5 popularized by a little known and "untitled" free-lance writer during a trip to Big Sur and Napa Valley (October 2008)
As a Floridian I have always felt that there is an unspoken interstate rivalry with Californians. For example; both our states are named after the conquering Spanish, both of our States revenue are based on tourism, we have Disney World, they have Disney Land. We both have Orange Counties which happen to export oranges. We both have teams consistently ranked in the top-10 of the college BSC polls, They have the Governator we have Charlie "girly-man" Crist, (no not that one), but I guess the similarities end there.
As far as the interstate rivalries are concerned, I think Florida is winning the infra-structure competition, due in part to Californian Slackerism or CAlifism. Take for instance CA's $3,107,023,275 in publicly held federal debt or the rolling Blackouts and their "No worries" deal with it later policies.
However with all of these "cons" and my acute awareness of my biases prior to flying out there; I have to admit, California, is worthy of its hype...
To be clear this slackerism was an epiphany made seconds after a close call with a tractor-trailer... In my opinion it was completely avoidable. If they had given me some more road to merge I would not have felt the pressing danger of my situation. However due to a quirky slightly under-funded highway system that propels you onto a major highway (CA 101), I was at its "No-Worries" mercy.
I was leaving the Northern Golden Gate conservation area on a Sunday afternoon and the visibility was (<) a hundred feet below the "dense" fog cover. The top of the Golden Gate bridge was hidden in the mist and the sun-light burst through in an unknown but rhythmic dance. I was on my way to Napa Valley and had just traveled a thousand miles of the CA highway system. To my surprise, hitchhiking hippies still span the scenic Californian country side... They where young and fit and could easily get a job if they would tend to their personal hygiene, but that wasn't the point. They had adventure in their eyes and shrugged responsibility. Trust fund kids with lots of time on their hands. Damn, I envy them...
However I was on my own adventure. Having just spent a couple of days driving on the most treacherously beautiful vinculum of asphalt ever: Highway - 1, where you are a tire width away from certain death. The shear cliffs plunging into the frothy ocean which masticates against the oxidized-granite. In this place lies the last stand of the continental United States. There is no more civilization to be seen across that great wide blue immensity. Just the knowledge that if you go far enough and endure ample hardships, you could be on the other side of the world.
Big Sur, the most lonely place on our continent. Standing on its cliffs you could not see the Pacific, only hear her frenzy beneath the mist. Humbling and frightening a local shop-owner commented "He had never been swimming in the Ocean, he was scared of it."
Imagine the land surrounded by a blanket of thick white cotton balls and you would get a sense of the profundity of the cloud cover. Redwoods dangle off the cliffs while ancient grass lands commingle with the salty air. It is a land of unprecedented beauty and austere ruggedness. The inhabitants are surrounded by miles of scenic isolation. If you could afford to live there you would be hard pressed to find a decent patch of land in which to build your home. The Spanish named it el país grande del sur (the Big Country of the South) which was often shortened to el sur grande, because it was a vast, unexplored, and impenetrable terrain...
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