Dance Workshop with Stacy "Jukeboxx" Letrice - Step One - January 14, 2023

A fun afternoon learning from Stacy "Jukeboxx" Letrice.  The Saturday half of the workshop was described as follows:

The 90 min Afro-Dancehall Fusion class integrates traditional West African movement, Jamaican dancehall, and African pop culture dance styles, creating a colorful montage of dances of the Diaspora. Participants will learn steps and techniques from African and Caribbean dance forms. Then, participants will apply those very movements to exciting and lively choreography. In addition, participants will gain the understanding of the fundamental similarities and differences between the various cultural styles while exploring individuality, confidence, body awareness, and performance. All levels welcomed.

Here's one of the practice exercises:

 

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Here's the music played for the main dance:

 

Tony Ashby's Obituary

Courtesy of Linda and Kate. One really nice guy:

GSPD & DEAD BLONDE – У России три пути

I heard this as exit music from the recent show I saw:

 

California Drought Eases Slightly

Before the last person in California washes into the ocean from all the rain, climate watchers finally concede that the state's drought has eased somewhat.

David Zaintz, The Painter

I don't know David Zaintz, but I do know (my high school classmate and what is very likely his brother) Steve Zaintz. About ten years ago, Steve kindly hosted my family one afternoon at one of his Thai restaurants.

Last year, my friend Ira tried to get in touch with Steve to let him know he was dying, but Steve apparently was quite ill himself, and couldn't be reached. 

At least David paints:

“In the Direction of Albuquerque,” David Zaintz, acrylic. (Courtesy of Sumner & Dene Gallery)

"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" - Shotgun Players, Berkeley, CA - January 6, 2023

This time, I got to see the show.

"Letters"

 

"Oh, The Humanity!"

Was Ricky Romero a Stage Name?

As a 60s kid in Albuquerque, I took great delight in watching Mike London's wrestling show on late-Saturday-morning TV. In particular, I liked watching my hero, Ricky Romero. 

Recently, watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the 1936 motion picture "Swing Time," I learned that Astaire's romantic rival for Roger's affections in the movie is given the name Ricky Romero. Now I'm wondering if the wrestler adopted Ricky Romero as a stage name. Does anyone know?

[A contributor to the "Albuquerque Memories" Facebook Group points me to the Ricky Romero Wikipedia page.  He was born Henry Romero, and had several ring names, but there is nothing at the page about why he called himself Ricky.]

The Rain Keeps Falling in California

The rain keeps falling in California. Not everywhere, of course, but particularly in a belt from about Monterey Bay to Fallon, NV. Forecasts for the next 2.5 weeks show no important changes. More rain will fall. Maybe expand that wet area. Currently at Sacramento Executive Airport, rainfall is 158% of average for the date.

All But Gone

Gone, gone 

Gone with the hogshead cask and demijohn 

Gone with the sugar barrel pickle barrel, milk pan 

Gone with the tub and the pail and the tierce

Happy New Year!

"You Have To Marginalize These Figures"

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Suddenly, So Much Rain!

San Francisco may record its wettest day ever recorded, today, the 31st of December! Problems are multiplying in the Bay Area. 

It's pretty wet here in Sacramento too. 1.76 inches have fallen so far today (at Sac Exec Airport), which puts the rainy season 130% of average for the date. Street flooding is an increasing problem, and traffic accidents are occurring. 

The current storm will end soon, but there are three other storms coming next week, and more storms are coming the week after that. After so much drought, we may get sick of so much rain.

A Tribute to Bobby Foster Road

 

 John E-Mailed with this:

Bobby Foster Road. I've never heard of it but an amazing number of scenes have been filmed there.

I replied:

Oh, this is quite good! The fellow here is very proud of a “Better Call Saul” Season 5 scene he was in. I happened to be at Tractor Brewing Co. in ABQ when the scene aired, and the fellow was there too, so I was able to congratulate him in person.

The fellow also identifies several new films I haven’t heard of. I looked closely at ABQ films in 2018-19, but newer films have come out since then, and he names them.

Yes, Bobby Foster Road is just a short distance from Q Studios, and it’s not quite a public road either, with gates that can be closed to limit traffic anytime one desires, so it’s the filmmakers’ cheapest, go-to road for desert scenes. Dozens more films and TV shows have used that stretch of road. Probably TV commercials too. Every one has been there, at least virtually. 

Bobby Foster was a reasonably well-known boxer, most-famous for getting his ass kicked by Joe Frazier back in the day. I don’t think Bobby Foster spent any time on Bobby Foster Road, however.

Andrea Nowak's 2022 Albuquerque Visit's Tribute Video

It's always so much fun to be a part of someone's excellent year! The best to Andrea Nowak of Essen, Germany, and to "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul"!

Atmospheric River

I was skeptical when I heard the term "Atmospheric River" applied to the series of storms that will come to California over the next week, so I checked out the GOES Infrared Longwave picture. Yup, that band of moisture, that Atmospheric River, is at least 4000 miles long, and California will receive a good flow from it. Currently, rainfall in Sacramento is 94% of average. We need a good bump of rain, and it looks like we'll get it.

Russian Bank Run and Economic Collapse

Miss Ukraine

Effective!:

Victoria Apanasenko displayed the costume she'll be wearing to represent Ukraine at the Miss Universe contest. 

According to designer Lesya Patoka, the outfit symbolizes "Ukraine's struggle with darkness" and at the same time "carries light".

RIP, Tony Ashby

 Such a nice guy!  I think everyone who knew him will miss him.