Monday, August 30, 2010

Dancing With The Stars Season 11 cast

I have been a bit fascinated with how the producers of Dancing With The Stars choose the cast for the show.

The show has had some interesting casts and is fun to watch in my opinion.

The season 11 cast was announced tonight and includes:

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino (Jersey Shore)
David Hasselhoff (Baywatch, former judge on America's Got Talent)
Kyle Massey (That's So Raven on the Disney Channel)
Michael Bolton (he's sold a gazillion albums in his singing career)
Kurt Warner (former quarterback of the Phoenix Cardinals)
Rick Foxx (former basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers)
Margaret Cho (comedian)
Brandy (singer, actress, former judge on America's Got Talent)
Florence Henderson (Mrs. Brady on the Brady Bunch and former spokeswoman for Wesson Oil)
Jennifer Grey (best known for acting in the movies Dirty Dancing and Ferris Bueller's Day Off)
Bristol Palin (daughter of Sarah Palin)
Audrina Partridge (one of the original four actors on MTV's The Hills)

It should be fun to watch!  The new season starts September 20 on ABC (KGUN 9 in Tucson).

I'll be routing for Florence Henderson.  Maybe she can use a little Wesson Oil on the dance floor to screw up the other contestants dance routines!

Kenparazzi: Cosmic Bingo

Saturday was another fun night at Cosmic Bingo at Casino Del Sol.

Anthony and I witnessed the devirginization of Thomas and Allison (to Cosmic Bingo).  I work with Thomas at Journal.

Thomas, Allison, Lucinda Holliday, me and Anthony:



Special cake baked for the night!  O69!  (Everyone's favorite Cosmic Bingo number)

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Kenparazzi: Daniel and crew

My friend Daniel always comes up with the most spectacular costumes for things.

He went to some kind of show last night at the Rialto Theatre and I ran into him after.  Kenparazzi in full effect!

Guess who is dressed as the club kid and who is dressed as a Jehovah's Witness:



Daniel, Bobby (in the middle) and crew:



You don't have to dress up to make a request from the dj.  Really.

Kenparazzi: Monsoon clouds

Anthony and I were driving west (ok, I was driving and he was riding shotgun) and I saw some spectacular clouds and rain and I handed him my camera so we could get photos.



Kenparazzi: Barkays

Mega presented the BarKays tonight at Monsoon Nightclub.

I feel kind of dumb.  I hung out backstage with my camera in my pocket and did a stage announce and totally forgot to get a photo with the group.  Have I met too many celebs at this point?  Sheesh!

Here's photos I took while they were performing:





Thursday, August 26, 2010

Fire fire!

I heard the fire department being dispatched to Cornerstone Hospital a short time ago on the emergency scanner.  Cornerstone is the building directly west of the Journal radio / television building on Rosewood Street.

It was apparently a bed electrical fire.  The fire department showed up in force (one of those cases that turned out to be overkill but they never know so the fire department takes a better safe than sorry approach to such things).

The picture turned out crappy.  I didn't pick the right setting to get the shot but you'll get the idea.

Kittygate

I've had a random cat appear on my apartment patio three of the last six days this week.

The cat seems to be in good condition so I think someone takes care of it but it doesn't have a collar.  I have not given it anything except petted it because I don't want to be adopted by a cat.

Its cute but it needs to go back where it came from.

Its not patient with having its picture taken but I did get a few photos:





Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Circle K is one of the most fascinating places on Earth

I stopped at a Circle K convenience store a few blocks from my apartment on my way home from work tonight.  The store at 1st and Limberlost in Tucson.

I am convinced that convenience stores are one of the most fascinating places ever.

I've gone to this store multiple times.  Past visits have included seeing a beer run, finding someone's debit card on the ground (I called Bank of America and reported it found), found a banana peel on the ground outside of my car, and a woman who didn't squeeze the trigger on her gas pump nozzle and pulled the nozzle out only to cover her pants in gasoline.

Tonight's visit was equally as interesting / odd.

I stood in line behind two people.  The man who was at the register purchasing what looked like about $30 worth of items and was in a wheelchair made the clerk put items in a specific order in the bags.  The clerk would put bananas in a bag and the wheelchair guy would make him put some of the bananas in a different bag and then rearrange the whole set of stuff all over again.  Oddly enough he kept a candy bar and two hot dogs out of the bags.

While this was going on a woman walked into the store and went over to the hot dog rolling rack and made the clerk stop checking out the man in the wheelchair to find out why there was only one hot dog on the rack.  The clerk explained they don't put new hot dogs on there after 8 p.m.  (I don't understand that but I don't work there so it'll remain a mystery).  She then left the store, came back in, left the store, came back in, left the store, and came back in and wanted to know if it was safe to eat the one remaining hot dog on the rack.  The clerk said that it was put there before 8 p.m. and she'd have to make that decision for herself.  She then went out of the store and came back in and was walking around the store even after I left.

The man in front of me had two Gatorade drinks and after the lengthy transaction with the man in the wheelchair he got his turn and tried to pay for the two Gatorade drinks with a debit card that got declined.  He shoved the drinks at the clerk after the card was declined and apologized for the hassle and left.

While all of this was going on there was a Budweiser beer truck unloading pallets of beer in front of the store and the delivery guy was informed by the clerk he would have to wait to verify the beer delivery until there weren't any customers that needed to be rang up.  So the beer delivery guy paced outside the store the whole time I was there.

The clerk who works at that Circle K late nights has worked there for quite a while.  He's kind of funny.  He always looks like he's really stoned.  I don't think he is.  I think he's worked late nights for a long time and he always looks like he's ridiculously tired.

I've always admired anyone who works at a convenience store.  I have a public job but I'm pretty insulated.  The media companies I've worked for take measures to make sure the public is at arm's length.  Those who work at convenience stores are exposed to extremely random people all day long.  They don't get paid enough for what they do.  But they probably have the most interesting stories to tell at the end of their day!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Ped Egg + drinking = disaster

A buddy called me tonight (who sounded buzzed on the phone) and announced:  "My face and arms hurt."

I asked why.  "I used a Ped Egg on my face and I cut myself."

I started laughing.  I couldn't help myself.  It turned out that he had purchased a Ped Egg, which is supposed to be used to smooth out calouses on your feet, on his elbows and arms and then on his face.  He apparently thought it was supposed to cut hair.

I explained that he used it incorrectly and not for its intended purpose.  He then asked me what calouses were.  I explained that they are thick layers of skin that your body produces when an area is rubbed (like when a shoe rubs against your feet) as a defense that your body has to protect the skin there.

At least it didn't cut him so badly that medical attention is required.  But it does make for a funny story!

Kenparazzi: Monsoon storm while driving to work

We had a pretty heavy group of storms move through Tucson today and it started while I was driving to work.  I took a few pictures.

If you're not from Tucson (or Arizona) then you're probably wondering what the big deal is.  Its just a rainstorm.  But it doesn't rain that often here (it's the desert!) so its one of the most extreme weather events that occurs here.  The ground is mostly clay and very hard so flooding occurs very easily.

River Road driving east right after it started:



Driving south on Craycroft between River and Grant:





Grant and Craycroft as the intersection was flooding:





Kenparazzi: My neighborhood at night

Kenparazzi photos of my neighborhood at night.

In front of my apartment complex on Limberlost:









Oracle and Limberlost:







I will admit... I'm kind of proud of this shot.  Full moon over my apartment building:

Monday, August 23, 2010

Shoes for School finale at Payless Shoe Source

I got to the finale of Mega's Shoes for School new shoe drive on Saturday afternoon where there was a small car show going on as a way to raise some additional donations.

The wind started crankin' really hard right after I got there and the rain poured soon after so I didn't get a lot of photos of the cars but here are a few photos of the event:







Kenparazzi: Photos in traffic

I ended up behind a vehicle over the weekend (its three cars in front of mine) and they were transporting two trees upright.  Am I the only one who thinks there's something mildly dangerous about this?  (The shot is slightly blurred because I took it with my DSLR while I was driving and it was tough holding the camera steady).



I always seem to get stuck behind slow moving vehicles driven by landscapers. It always happens when I have a deadline to get somewhere!

Kenparazzi: Look up! Its a plane!

I got a shot of this plane flying over the south part of Tucson.  I told Anthony that if it crashed later I could probably sell the picture for thousands.  He laughed.  It didn't crash.  Here it is anyway:

Kenparazzi: Mega studio window

Here's the view out of the Mega 106.3 studio window looking south on Friday August 20.  A combination of roof mechanical devices and dishes and scenery to the south.



I could see a day moon from behind the control board looking out the window.

Jim Click TCC Super Sale 2010 - Part 2

I did a second live broadcast at the Jim Click TCC Super Sale and here are a couple more photos:

They are busy!



Here's my buddy Vanessa in a candid shot I took from about 30 feet away.  Kenparazzi in full effect.

Bellisimo at Casino Del Sol is closing

I think I'm getting sentimental as I get older.

I had a wonderful dinner tonight with Anthony, Jeff and John at Bellisimo at Casino Del Sol casino.  Bellisimo is the fine dining restaurant they have at the casino that opened when the back part of the casino opened in 2003 (I think it was 2003, it may have been 2002...)

The food and the service have always been wonderful.  We found out tonight that they're going to close Bellisimo in the next few weeks because its going to be the entrance to the hotel under construction from the casino.

I've always been a little bit sentimental when something I've enjoyed closes or changes.  I realize that's a part of life but it always makes me a little bit sad.  I sometimes feel like I didn't spend enough money at a business I've liked, purchased a product enough that I enjoy, or participate enough to keep something around that I appreciate.  I end up feeling like I can only blame myself for losing something I liked.

One new thing that is coming to Casino Del Sol:  An Del Sol.  Its being opened by one of Tucson's most well known businessmen:  Kwang An also known as Mr. An.  I've never shared this story with anyone but I was at an event in 2009 when I overheard a conversation between Casino Del Sol President Wendell Long and Mr. An.  The conversation was basically this:  "I need to set up a meeting with you because we want you to open a restaurant at the casino".  I thought at the time that I was hearing something I shouldn't.  Little did I know how right I was.  It was the opening conversation about what will be opening second week of October at the casino - An Del Sol.  Sometimes you learn things if you actually listen to what's going on around you.

Back to the purpose of this post:  Thanks to the staff at Bellisimo for making the dining experience there A+.  I'll miss you.

Friday, August 20, 2010

What? Part II

Weirder.

What?

This is like a mug shot from a homeless guy.

Yes, I know him.  He sent it to me.

I'm just sayin'.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Kenparazzi: Jim Click TCC sale at Tucson Convention Center

The annual Jim Click TCC Super Sale is happening this week and I have two live broadcasts there as part of the festivities for Mega.  I had the first one today from 12-2 p.m. and brought a Kenparazzi camera for some photo action.

Here's a guy who got into the money machine.



Some of the cars inside of the Tucson Convention Center:



Here's Will Nevels from the Mega promotions team at the tent in the middle of hundreds of cars.



A woman gets a turn inside the money machine.





All these people are either buying or selling the cars.  Kensanity!



Somebody's getting a test drive in a new Mustang.



This woman looked like she could be Mega numerologist Patricia Kirkman's long lost sister.



More cars inside the arena area of the TCC.