Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Tuesday 8:00 Buzz - 2/26/2008

This continues my effort to chronicle the guests and topics covered on the Stan Woodard's Tuesday 8:00 Buzz on WORT-FM. Our Podcast is online in the WORT Archives.

We are podcasting! Subscribe via the WORT Archives

Today's Show - February 26th, 2008

First Guest: Dr. Lita Hooper Author of Art of Work: The Art and Life of Haki Madhubuti (Non Fiction). A Third World Press book.

Second Guest: Sarah Spaeni , an Edgewood College student doing research on bullying.

Third Guest: Christopher Alan Bracey Author of Saviors or Sell-outs: The Promise and Peril of Black Conservatism, from Booker T. Washington to Condoleezza Rice (Non Fiction). A Beacon book..

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Tuesday 8:00 Buzz - 2/19/2008

This continues my effort to chronicle the guests and topics covered on the Stan Woodard's Tuesday 8:00 Buzz on WORT-FM. Our Podcast is online in the WORT Archives.

We are podcasting! Subscribe via the WORT Archives

Today's Show - February 19th, 2008

First Guest: Susan L Taylor Editor in Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine and Author of All About Love: Favorite Selections from In The Spirit on Living Fearlessly (Non Fiction), a collection of her columns. A Urban Press book.

Second Guest: Theresa Sanders talking about the Kappa Psi Omega 13th Annual Men Who Cook at the Fitchburg Community Center, 3-5PM on Saturday, February 23rd, Call 608-249-9799 for advance tickets.

Third Guest: Elisa Carbone (Author) and E. B. Lewis of Night Running: How James Escaped with the Help of His Faithful Dog (Fiction). A Random House book..

Monday, February 18, 2008

Honeymoon Destinations...

So, I'm getting married soon (May 25th, 2008), and I'm trying to work out where to go for the honeymoon. I want somewhere green, somewhere nice to the locals, somewhere not a sterile American environment. But, most of all, somewhere with drinks, a beach, and clear blue waters (presumably, for me, on the Caribbean.) Given the nature of the trip, I would prefer somewhere all inclusive so that if we don't want to care about anything, we don't have to.

I think I've narrowed it down to a few choices:

They're all expensive, but...

Hamanasi will cost over $1,800 to get to and take a number of hops — at least two hops to Belize City, and a hop on Maya Island Air or Tropic Air to Dangriga Airport. But, has excellent adventures: Mayan ruins, barrier reef snorkeling and diving, nature preserve, kayaking, canoeing, the whole shebang. They are also heavily invested in ECO Tourism. Their honeymoon package includes all meals, but not drinks from the bar.

Tiamo is a much easier trip (comparably, at least), catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale, and a $400 hop on Lynx Air to Congo Town on South Andros Island — still around $1,200 in airfare. They are completely isolated: no computers, cell phones, TVs. Their power is entirely solar, and they thoroughly recycle waste and water. They are largely non-motorized watersports oriented, with kayaks, sailboats, snorkeling and scuba (along the barrier reef and blue holes). Like Hamanasi, their honeymoon package includes all meals, but not drinks from the bar.

Manchebo Resort and Spa is kind of the odd duck, not nearly as out there as the other two — but they are a Green Globe Certified resort and a CAST member. The airfare is much cheaper (only about $800 total), and it is a direct flight from several US airports. They have all of the usual water activities, although the snorkeling probably isn't as good. Their All Inclusive Honeymoon does include everything, including drinks.

I'm still undecided. I need more information, maybe I need more options. Manchebo seems nice, but mainstream, but easiest. Hamanasi has Mayan ruins and other adventures that don't exist elsewhere, but getting there will likely be a 19-hour multi-hop adventure. Tiamo is less of a flight adventure, has wonderful snorkeling and water, but (maybe this is a positive?) doesn't have any modern toys.

Anybody (is there anybody other than me reading?) have a suggestion?

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

If You're Trying to Find the Margaritaville in Glendale, AZ

Entering the Address they give you (6751 N Sunset Blvd, Suite E109 Glendale, AZ 85305) gets you to the wrong place.. Google is completely wrong. It lands you on W Sunset Dr, approximately 7.3 miles from where you want to be -- the Westgate City Center near W Glendale Ave at 93rd Ave in Glendale. If you use this data to plan a trip by bus, you will waste a lot of time.

For whatever reason, Google does not know that this is N Sunset Blvd .. Or, Margaritaville Glendale made their address up. (Although the mall security agents sure seem to think that it their address.)

Monday, February 11, 2008

Calendar Systems, Respect

My Calendar
(Meeting name blurred to protect the guilty -- although I'm not sure why.)

I'm leaving tomorrow morning on the 6:05 AM flight, so I blocked this afternoon off to get ready and run errands as needed with a meeting that says Getting Ready to Leave Please Ask Before Scheduling. Without so much as an email attached to the invitation asking if it is OK, a 1.5 hour weekly meeting popped on my calendar this morning.

This shows either a complete disregard for the ability of our calendaring system to show available times, or a complete disregard for me. Hopefully the former.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Guild of Professional Englisth Butlers

Guild of Professional Englisth Butlers

Noticed this when I was checking how nice places like Hamanasi Resort or Turneffe Island Lodge in Belize, Oualie Beach Resort in Nevis or Tiamo Resort on South Andros Island in the Bahamas compare price-wise with the behemouth, gut wrenching resorts like Sandals (Although, they aren't as bad as Couples, at least.) It turns out that among the Luxury Included features Sandals provides is Butler Service from graduates of the Guild of Progessional Englisth Butlers.

Jimmy Buffett Podcasts

I've been a long-time listener of Wastin' Away on the North Coast, but I just wanted to take this opportunity to pimp it a little here. They boys discuss the latest Buffett news and gossip and whatever else pops in to their heads (Roger Clyne, usually). They remind me of sitting around with my friends (on the Bradshaw porch, or the Jordan boat). The audio could use a little compression (and normalization), I find myself cranking the volume, and occasionally being blasted by someone too close to a Mic.. but it's worth it.

Just today I discovered The TropiCast Radio Network (The Official Soundtrack of Your Tropical Dreams) .. Jimmy Pirate plays great Trop Rock, unfortunately as a 64K MP3 sampled at 22.05Khz, so it's hard listening occasionally. Maybe they'll upgrade someday.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Tuesday 8:00 Buzz - 2/5/2008

This continues my effort to chronicle the guests and topics covered on the Stan Woodard's Tuesday 8:00 Buzz on WORT-FM. Our Podcast is online in the WORT Archives.

We are podcasting! Subscribe via the WORT Archives

Today's Show - February 5th, 2008

First Guest: Randall Horton (Editor) and Patricia Eldgidge (Contributing Poet) Discuss Fingernails Across the Chalkboard: Poetry and Prose on HIV/AIDS from the Black Diaspora (Non Fiction). A Third World Press book. Upcoming: Black HIV/AIDS Day, February 7th, 2008.

Second Guest: Dorothy Pickney Discussing the jailing of her husband, Rev. Pickney. Call to support at 269-925-0001.

Third Guest: Carl Weber Author of Something on the Side (Fiction). A Kensington Publishing book. Email him urbanbooks@hotmail.com.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Tuesday 8:00 Buzz - 1/29/2008

This resumes my effort to chronicle the guests and topics covered on the Stan Woodard's Tuesday 8:00 Buzz on WORT-FM. Our Podcast is online in the WORT Archives.

We are podcasting! Subscribe via the WORT Archives

Today's Show

Guest: David Rose Author of The Big Eddy Club (Non Fiction). A New Press book.

Musical Break:

  1. Lionel Richie - Zoom from the 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Lionel Richie a Motown album

Caribbean Cosmopolitan

Shake on ice

  • 2 oz Malibu (or Cruzan) Coconut Rum
  • 1 oz Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
  • Splash Rose's Lime Juice
  • Splash Cranberry Juice

Serve in cocktail glass with lemon twist.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Rum Stinger

Mix with ice (or shake):

  • 1½ oz Dark Rum
  • ¾ oz White Crème de Menthe

Serve in cocktail glass.

Of Fiber and Backhoes

One of our major connections to the world (BoreasNet) was cut this afternoon by workers on the Illinois Tollway.. I'm just reminded of a few backhoe and fiber jokes:

From my friend Terry Bradshaw (no, not that one -- this one operates our data center) liked to note (in my aweful paraphrasing):
Fiber optic needs to just start hanging around with the backhoe's natural enemy: the natural gas line. We'll either have a lot fewer fiber cuts, or a lot fewer backhoe operators.
Collected somewhere, long ago:

A tip for all who go to sea in ships:

Always carry a length of fiber-optic cable in your pocket. Should you be shipwrecked and find yourself stranded on a desert island, bury the cable in the sand. A few hours later, a guy driving a backhoe will be along to dig it up. Ask him to rescue you.

Monday, July 16, 2007

I Guess Priceline Uses Perl...

I could have sworn I posed this already, but it seem I have not.

Friday, June 29, 2007

How not to Move the Jet Way


With the airplane, duh.

When Helmet Flashes....

Please exit the elevator.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Tibetan Flag Over Madison

The City of Madison is flying the Tibetan flag over the City/County Building while His Holiness the Dalai Lama is in town. Pretty cool, I think.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Tuesday 8:00 Buzz - 4/24/2007

This continues my effort to chronicle the guests and topics covered on the Stan Woodard's Tuesday 8:00 Buzz on WORT-FM. Our Podcast is online in the WORT Archives.

We are podcasting! Subscribe via the WORT Archives

Host the Buzz!

Stan will be unavailable Tuesday mornings in May and June, if you would like a chance to host the show, email The Buzz with a short proposal if you would like to guest host.

Today's Show

First Guest:

T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting Director of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University and Author of Pimps Up, Ho's Down: Hip Hop's Hold on Young Black Women (Non-Fiction). A New York University Press book.

Second Guest:

Nikki Turner Author of Forever a Hustler's Wife (Fiction). A One World/Ballantine book.

Musical Breaks:

  1. Respect Yourself and If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) by the Staple Singers from The Best of the Staple Singers a Stax Records album

Announcements

    Drumming for Hope 5/6 HNS 3PM-Close. HIV/AIDS fundraiser. African Youth Outreach.
  • Drumming for Hope 2007 - Sunday, May 6th 3PM - Close at High Noon Saloon. A fundraiser for African Youth Outreach's work to fight HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Lineup:
    • 3:45 pm - The Figureheads
    • 5:00pm - WADOMA’s West African Drum and Dance
    • 7:45pm - This Bright Apocalypse
    • 9:30pm - El Clan Destino Afro-Cuban rhythms
    • 11:30 pm until close - DJ David Muhammad

Monday, April 16, 2007

Fo Shizzle

My Fiancée, Maureen F. O'Neil got some mail the other day... Fo Shizzle.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Tuesday 8:00 Buzz - 4/10/2007

This continues my effort to chronicle the guests and topics covered on the Stan Woodard's Tuesday 8:00 Buzz on WORT-FM. Our Podcast is online in the WORT Archives.

We are podcasting! Subscribe via the WORT Archives

Host the Buzz!

Stan will be unavailable Tuesday mornings in May and June, if you would like a chance to host the show, email The Buzz with a short proposal if you would like to guest host.

Today's Show

First Guest:

Elaine Creager Executive Director of Dane County Court Appointed Special Advocates . They are having Blues Bash for Kids fundraiser at the High Noon Saloon Thursday, April 12 featuring In Black 'n White from Milwaukee. For more information or to volunteer, contact them via their website, email casa06@sbcglobal.net or call 608-266-9201.

Second Guest:

Lisa Jackson Author of more than 75 Novels, most recently Absolute Fear (Fiction). A Kensington Books book.

Musical Breaks:

  1. September by Kirk Franklin and That's the Way of the World from the Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire a Concord Music album

Announcements