m2a0y

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... a monthly column presenting five random topics of interest associated with the underlying themes of the site ... music . dance . life . art . culture ... 

music
The Library of Congress recently launched Citizen DJ, a project by Brian Foo developed during his time as an Innovator-in-Residence at the Library of Congress. Inviting the public to create music using the Library’s public audio and moving image collections, the Library hopes listeners can discover items in the Library's vast collections that they likely would never have known existed.  It is an immersive experience quickly increasing in popularity around the world recently, but has been used in a lot of gaming systems over the last couple of years.

dance
Limitations on life open new possibilities for the exploration of accessible classes, projects, and performances across the globe. Ten professional dancers share their insight on what is working, what is not, and the potential for new audiences, while Dancing Alone Together.

life
One of the persistent questions in cosmology is the speed of expansion of the universe, and the rate at which it is increasing.  A paper last published in Physical Review D, two collaborators reasoned expansion would speed up as more dark matter decayed over time.  Currently, with no way to prove the theory, it remains a wait and see situation.

art
Offering a different sort concept tattoo, Sasha Unisex of St Petersburg designs brightly colored prismatic watercolor skin art.  Detailing her process through social media channels, Sasha offers the option of trying out her designs through print or temporary tattoos, before committing permanent ink.

culture
A glance back at the apprehension and mistrust associated with the pandemic of 100 years ago. "The influenza pandemic did long-lasting damage to relationships in some American communities." and history seems to be repeating itself in approach and attitudes.

site
The restoration process is complete. All event photos and articles are fully restored.  The backstory is discontinued in favor of writing on specific events within already existing associated blog posts.  

Always looking to expand content, if interested in writing a column similar to this, any one of these topics, or have your own idea, leave a comment below or get in touch with the editor at phocas.net.

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freedom fest on the lake 2024

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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
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32nd world championship cardboard boat races

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While visiting the great state of Arkansas, we had the opportunity to check out this event, which had been elusive for several years.  The endurance of some of these hand manufactured boats was quite surprising, and amusing at times. Apparently, the theme of the year was Star Wars, and there were quite a variety of flotation constructions about the landscape of Sandy Beach. All of the contraptions endured the warm waters quite well, and really did not take on any water.  It was quite surprising, considering the construction materials permitted. A few, while water tight, contained a few minor design flaws that caused disintegration under pressure. One almost fell apart at the starting line, and eventually did, prior to the finish line. It was quite a lot of fun though, and a full house on the beach in spite of threatening rain.  We look forward to getting back to it again. view more photos from this event or add your own to the mix
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a five foot powerhouse

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Stacey East ~ Interview with Heather Heart ~  Heather Heart and I sat down for coffee. It was almost 4:20 and we began the interview. I was looking at a publisher, DJ, record store owner, label owner, producer, and mom. This small dynamo created the first static global forum for the underground to meet, through the only underground manual "UnderOneSky" or "UOS." "I put my entire being into the music to educate and give voice. Publishing grainy interviews from Underground Resistance to letters from Moby, UOS was the only "zine" of its kind. There was always some rage, people were very candid with me and I printed a lot of controversial letters. Record labels, DJ's and fans alike would battle on the pages of UOS. All the important record stores in England, Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Holland, to name some, sold copies. The world was behind my effort. I mean this was when the scene first blossomed, just before all the politics came into
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running through color

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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.  
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d returns to the jam

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  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.
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chaos theory

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Very likely one of the biggest, and most looked forward to event to hit Kansas City in a long time, Chaos Theory descended on the Uptown Theater bringing Baby Anne, Charles Feelgood, Dara, and John Kelley to play for a packed house. Supporting cast consisted of Stan Doublin from St Louis, along with local talent DJ Bounce, Zak C, Jimminy Kickit, Sydeburnz, Paul Wicked, cQuence vs Skizm, DJason, and DrumLoc. It was wild night, and there was not an unhappy soul in the house. The crowd stayed until last beat dropped, and had to be told to get out. Nobody wanted the night to end. It was that good. view more photos from this event
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