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The annual Freedom Fest on the Lake stood in stark contrast with all prior versions of the event, nearly to the point of being a non-event.  Day time activities were limited to a couple of vendors showcasing products, a bouncy house by the Arkansas National Guard and four or five food vendors overcharging.  Cardboard boat races, which had taken center stage for the last several years, failed to make an appearance due to lack of support. That probably should have been left for the end of the month anyway, rather than trying to combine it with the fourth of July.  Participation had declined significantly since combining it with Freedom Fest. A hot day at the beach on Saturday ended with music from local area talent  Sophie and the New Relics , playing their hearts out to a good crowd gathered on the asphalt, as well as the masses littering the beach and soaking in the lake.  The whole affair culminated with the usual massive display of fireworks li

image borrowed under Creative Commons from  The Concept of “Resource” Traveling down the road this morning, tuned in to "Morning Edition" on the local National Public Radio station KCUR, a brief story unfolded about failing concert ticket sales across the nation.  It seems that just in the last few days The Black Keys and Jennifer Lopez have cancelled tours citing other reasons, in spite of data indicating pre-sales for their concerts were not living up to expectations. It is an interesting little tale that identifies the cause at a high level.  The cost of tickets to some of our favorite shows has become completely unrealistic.  Fans are backing away from the extreme expense of enjoying their favorite artists.  In 2023,  an article in People magazine  marked the average price of concert ticket at $252.  Add to that parking, dinner, drinks, memorabilia, and all t

  The Saturday Open Jam has been missing from our agenda for quite some time now.  It is one the best ways to burn up a Saturday afternoon in Kansas City, listening to some of the best rock and blues musician in town.  This particular occasion featured the return of a longtime resident of the event who had been off the roster for more than year following multiple personal crises, one of which nearly ended his ability to perform at all.  Taking his spot behind the drums once again for a couple of tunes, "D" picked up right where he left off, keeping cadence as if nothing had ever happened.  There were tears among some of the crowd that were closer to him, understanding the extent of his dilemma.  After playing, he admitted stumbling a few times, but everything sounded great from our side of the stage and we look forward to seeing him play again more often.

A couple of folks from our crew participated in a run out at a local elementary school.  The entire schools showed for this one, lined up and ready to be splashed with some colored powder or another. The more they ran the more colorful they became.  Beats all around set a festive tone for everyone. Those of us participating chilled on the playground after a few laps, then joined back in for another lap or two to close out the day.    Free drinks and snacks refreshed those otherwise banned from enjoying the ice cream truck.  

  An afternoon focused on technology down at J. Rieger & Co. broke up the week nicely, offering a unique learning experience from Pomerol Partners.  Lunch and presentations associated with machine learning and data stack modernization were followed by a discussion around large language models with a few Kansas City IT leaders.   Immediately following that, Abstract Technologies talked about LATAM opportunities through nearshoring staffing services, followed by Black Khaki Brand Communicators discussing maintenance of organization cultural wellness.  Topping things off like a cherry on top, we learned of a new podcast worth listening in on, entitled " Drinks and Data ," hosted by KC technology leaders Kanon Cozad and Shawn Helwig.