I guess I’ll try and catch up on some of my recent doings.

Last Friday was opening night for the Denver Roller Dolls. We got some free tickets for donating to Denver Safehouse which, of course, made the event even sweeter. Dang, roller derbies are an absolute blast. It took me a little while (about one and a half periods) to figure out the rules and how the scoring worked but it was fun to watch even when I had no clue what was going on. It was a home team match with the Bad Apples and Green Barrettes facing off against one another. I was rooting for the Bad Apples which was unfortunate as they lost. I remember the roller derby days of the early 1980’s and watching the bouts on late night television and it is so much more fun to watch live

DRD’s two home teams will face off once again in September, and it will be interesting to watch such an even-matched game once again. You should go. Donate to Denver Safehouse regardless. It should also be noted that the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls have a bout against the Pikes Peak Derby Dames (Colorado Springs league, these women look like full-on slamazons. Yikes!) next Saturday.

The Derby Dolls are heavy on the internet which is cool in my book. Just about all of them have a blog or myspace account. Azraelisa and Paisli were a referees on Friday. And Tammytoes retired.

Cassie at Wayward Panties put together a rough & tumble playlist for the bout.

Since we now have a coon-ass in the family, Mardi Gras and its associated holiday’s, have become much more important. At least the party part of them has. Yesterday’s Fat Tuesday was no different (though my sister-inlaw wasn’t involved at all). Me and G headed over to Lincoln’s Raodhouse (home of the meat loaf cheeseburger and pot roast burrito), or as it is affectionately called during Mardi Gras: Poirrier’s Cajun Cafe, for their annual crawfish boil. How do you say it Down South? Crawfish or Crayfish? We called them crawdads growing up. Anyway, we settled up to five pounds of crawfish, a six pack of beer, a roll of paper towels, and several beaded necklaces.

The place got pretty crowded and the kitchen was churning out bucket after bucket of crawfish as fast as it could and it wasn’t close to keeping up with demand. By the time the washboard band that was crammed in the corner started blaring their zydofied (I think I just invented a word) zz top music, the place was standing room only. The dancing began but we left before the place it was in full fervor, which, given the clientele in this place, was probably a good idea. I don’t care to imagine the place with beads, beer bottles, and boobs flying around.

Wholy shit mang! The Go! Team, The Flaming Lips, and Ween were all incredible this weekend.

We had a team at the doors at 10:00 am so our runners got us seats second row center (click the picture above to see me, and be sure to mark where you were at [click all sizes to get a good view of the crowd]). I was busy at will call but most of the others in our group got to watch sound check.

I really loved the Go! Team. I have been wanting to see them for a long time now. I bought there album as an import last summer not having any idea how much the pounds I payed for it transferred into dollars, just knowing I had to have it. Their show was complete energy and really pumped me up for what was about to come. Ican’t wait for them to get big enough to have an actual horn section.

Because of our coveted seats there was a lot of jockying going on before the flaming lips came on. Two incredibly huge dudes who were itching for a fight took my me and my friends seats when we went to get beer telling my brother that if we wanted our seats we were gonna have to kick their ass for them. Luckily a few friends back him up in the confrontation till security got involved. This all left a strange vibe throughout the night for me. There were a few times after that when I had to tell people who would just try to stand in front to get the hell out of the way. But my veiw was unobstructed for the entire show due to a two-year-old passed out in the row right in front of me.

The Flaming Lips were also tons of fun. Lots of theatrics and good tunes. Their cover of “bohemian rhapsody” was great, that’s a hard song to cover. But “war pigs” was weak I thought. The Santa and Alien dancers cracked me up. I like the fact that a couple got engaged on stage when normally I’d find that incredibly lame. It just seemed to be fitting for the atmoshpere this time around. Anyway, the flips had a great euphoric set and goods times.

Ween completely rocked my socks off. I was exhausted and still smiling by the end. Johnny On The Spot, Dr. Rock, and Buckingham Green, and Gene’s Arabic chanting were all highlights. Deaner fucking killed it all night and Gener’s rockin’ roll ego was larger than all of Red Rocks.

The whole day was great. A total time.

Lots of pictures here and here. And some more after the jump.

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June 18-24th is national lightning safety awareness week.

Each year lightning kills 50 to 100 people in the USA (500 injuries). During an average year in Colorado, lightning will kill 3 and injur 18 people. Men are struck by lightning four times more often than women. Colorado has the 3rd highest lightning casualty rate in the nation. A typical 100-million volt lightning flash can heat the air to more than 40,000°F. The contact voltage of a typical industrial electrical shock is 20 to 63 kilovolts, a lightning strike delivers about 300 kilovolts. The saying “lightning never strikes twice in the same place” is false. The Empire State Building is struck by lightning on average 100 times each year, and was once struck 15 times in 15 minutes.

People are struck by lightening all the time. In fact, here in Colorado, just last week a man was killed by lightning while walking to his parked car at the Mile-Hi Flea Market. Over the last few days, 69 people were killed by lightning in India.

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Even airplanes get struck by lightning.

Although most lightning mortality is through cardiac and neurologic events, other organ systems can be affected. Further complications may include respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary edema, renal failure, retinal lesions, and rhabdomyolysis. Most of the current from a lightning strike passes over the surface of the body in a process called “external flashover” and results in deep burns at the point of contact most commonly on the head, neck and shoulders. Sometimes the burns come in the form of Lichtenberg figures (graphic picture but SFW). Lightning can catch your hair on fire. All lightening strike burns are highly prone to infection. Other complications caused from lightening strike include: Contusion or internal hemorrhage of brain, lungs, liver, intestine or other organs, bone fractures and brusies, numbness/weakness in limbs, partial or complete (but temporary) paralysis, tympanic membrane ruptured (typical), transient blindness, photophobia , conjunctivitis, corneal damage, retinal abnormalities (macular hole), and cataracts.

If the physical effects weren’t enough, 70 percent of lightning survivors experience residual effects, most commonly affecting the brain (neuropsychiatric, vision and hearing). These effects can develop slowly, only becoming apparent much later. Survivors complain of intense headaches, ringing in the ears, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and other post-concussion types of symptoms. Survivors also experience difficulty sleeping, often sleeping excessively at first and then only two or three hours at a time. some develop seizure-like activity several weeks to months after the injury. Many lightning victims may suffer personality changes because of frontal lobe damage and become quite irritable and easy to anger. As a result, many isolate themselves, withdrawing from church, friends, family and other activities. Othe neuroligic disorders include: loss of consciousness or coma, amnesia, anxiety, confusion, aphasia, seizures, electroencephalographic abnormalities, brain damage, neuropathy, memory disorders, concentration disturbances, irritability, lightning storm phobia, and post traumatic stress disorder. The experience can be so dramatic that there is a Lightning Strike Survivors Support Group. The pathology of lightning, or keraunopathy, is known only to a few specialists.

And if all that wasn’t enough lightning will often explode, tear, shred, or burn your clothes right off you - leaving you not only very disorientated, but at least partially naked.

On a happier note, only about 20 percent of lightning victims are immediately struck dead.

Other links of note:

Wearing a bra can get you struck by lightening.

A recent scientific study strengthens the belief that metallic supports in modern bras could attract lightning and strike their wearers dead. An unconfirmed instance of this occured circa 2000 in Hyde Park, London, when two women hiding under a tree died after being struck by lightening. The forensic report said “lightning discharge was channeled into the metal brassieres, leaving burn marks on the women’s chests.”

Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning seven times. His wife was struck once. He died by suicide.

US lightning strikes during the last two hours
Selected Incidents from the “It Can’t Happen to Me” Library
Over 200 cool lightning photos
Tips on taking photographs of lightening
Stories of lightning strike survivors
Your chance of being struck by lightening: 1 in 280,000
Lightning Kills! posters
Lightning Kills public service announcement

On Saturday I went to a backyard BBQ/ summer kickoff party. It was a lot of fun. Tons of good grub, and beer, and all you can drink mojitos with fresh crushed mint. It was a little bit of a different crew than I see normally so it was great to mix it up that way too.

Our wonderful hosts booked Gypsy Swing Revue to play for the shindig. Their sound is a throw back to the 30’s and 40’s with large influences from Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli (they played songs by both of these artists), and the like. If you’re so inclined, you can check them out most Wednesday nights at the Snug. It was the perfect music for dancing through a late, sweltering, Denver night. The band was talked into playing till 12:30 in the morning, allowing everyone to get there dancing shoes well greased.