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February 2006 Blog
Rick Hampton Square Dance Caller
February 1st
I hope that everyone has a good Groundhog Day-And not like the Bill Murray
Movie-This is basically an entry to start the February Blog-12:29am 2/1/06-Or as
we say-Early Evening
Rick
February 2nd
Brace yourselves- Another NETWORK TV show spotlighted our "Lousy-Hokey-poor
Image" and again 's/d is surprised -"How could they do that"- Simple UNTIL WE
STOP BEING HOKEY WE WILL APPEAR HOKEY- How to stop?-Glad you asked-1) Quit
wearing S/D attire at demos- Quit getting callers who only do "Country Singers"
and then Karaoke in between Demo Tips (I Call constantly at demos-I don't
sing) 3) Quit doing demos! Or we will continue to whine about The show
Tonight-Or the Tonight Show when they show us ,as we are-Not what we think we
are , to the masses-Why Whine-We ARE HOKEY-Don't B*tch about it 1)Fix the image
or 2) Shut Up-I still crack up about the "Officials of The California State
Council" Calling for a boycott of CBS and their advertisers for an unflattering
Square Dance on Saturday Night Live (Which is on NBC)-True story, added to our
hokey image and likely started a Stupid Image as well. Don't forget to wear s/d
clothes this Saturday at any club which requires them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll be
calling up north for a group who would prefer square dancers-not square dance
clothes. Care to bet which group has a larger turnout (That's has to be a no
brainer cuz I'm calling in a town with 1/3 the population base)-Again Wanna
BET?--4 days without any form of Nicotine in me-Can ya tell?
Rick
February 5th
Much calmer now that 7 days have passed without nicotine. Friday Jet
Roberts and I called in Auburn-An unannounced surprise for the gang-Fun for all
-Then off to Anderson for the Prairie Squares Between the 2 sessions I had 12 or
so squares and some in great looking casual clothes. Some in s/d attire- I saw a
GREAT flyer up there for a Mt.Shasta Dance-which included "Square Dance Attire
Preferred"- Had a chat with some Sacramento area folks who took the drive up and
it was noted that the "Blast Classes" worked better when somewhere to dance was
offered-Sacramento area I BEG- Don't follow the Fresno area approach-(nowhere to
dance) Go back to what you were doing-It will work!!!!
I guess we'll be at Squarama, I have been encouraged to attend (Haven't missed
one yet in 34 years)-Read my Letter in Februarys VASD Newsletter- What you don't
get it!! Subscribe its just a buck a month- Occasionally there's a dance listed
(6 or so times a year)
Rick
February 7th
So a few of us were chatting tonight and we came to quite a realization- the
majority of folks who've learned how to dance in the VASD area in the last 30
years-Learned from Callers Who YELL at students- Ain't that a trip-True
but a trip.The conversation started after a dancer described an entire square
walking out on a caller in the last 72 hours-Hmmmmm Now add to that the
fact that another group let's the caller-that they fired-fill in and allows them
to teach whatever the hell he wishes-in spite of the new caller not wanting this
dude to teach anything-much less invented calls-Me I'd go ballistic if that was
done to one of my classes-Notice I said done to, not done at-That caller
is an OL' Yeller too. It's no wonder that the few who have survived this abuse
over the years-don't go dancing-Hell I'd be afraid too!! If I was the new
caller of such an aforementioned club and they did this one more time-I
would have to leave due to their breech of contract, lack of respect to the
class, and just because-They don't deserve any better-Go fold before you screw
up more new dancers-Let's hope they realize just how critical to the survival
of this area New Dancers are-You have a good new teacher-let him!!!!
Rick
February 10th
A nice week, We have 4 callers (so-far) signed up for the High Desert
Callers School- 1 away from the minimum, 6 from the max!! This weekend is
Roseville Sat-C1 Class Sunday and back to a typical week. On another
track..........I chatted with "New Club Caller" from above and He thinks that
the situation is resolved-I'll reserve judgment and comment till next month when
"Old Caller" fills in again. Hell no I won't reserve anything- STOP
screwing with New Dancers, OK I'm better now, I'm in fact laughing-
.....................On the road again........let's keep up the same ol' crap
again.........All I Love etc..................................................
Side bets anyone as to how this shakes out?
Rick
February 12th
Early in the am of 2/12 3:31 to be exact. A FUN nite at Royer Park, A
good crowd and even some nice (but crazy) people from 4 hours away came out
(They had danced to me 7 days before in Redding)-What fun. I found out
that a few folks will be coming down for Squarama (From the Sacramento area) I
wonder how they got flyers. I hope the committee has learned how the
active publicity works...cuz I won't be pushing this weekend next year-I'm not
calling it and I am booked for the Presidents BDAY weekend so I will
not be there in 07- I hope the area will learn, and prosper and grow but I ain't
doing that much for a weekend that I'm not calling -again no-mo' (At least till
I'm a Featured Caller again-we used to have HUGE crowds in those days-I am Open
in 09)Well I gotta go nitey-nite so I'm 100% for the C1 Class that starts in 9
hours and is 2 hours away.
Rick
February 13th
A truly weird day. I've had a MAJOR reaction to blood tests since I had a
bad time with one at age 3. Today's test was one of the worst in a long
time- That's how the day started. Thank GOD for Lynn. It was almost a
Square Dance Disaster day, and had I not (for once) Stood my ground-for what is
right, It would have been a bad end to the day. The Class tonight was fun (ain't
day no-mo) and we had a new couple join the workshop-Welcome!!!!! All in all I'm
always amazed at how the "behind the scenes" stuff in s/d allows for some
catastrophes to the purpose of s/d Fun,Recreation,Fellowship,Health- Today I'll
put in the Near, Damn Near, Miss category.
Rick
February 14th
So much for the afore mentioned "Near Miss". It seems that for some
"seemingly nice people", all it takes is a little power and the mind goes to
mush. By power , I mean, to be in charge of some MUNDANE part of a Square
Dance Event (I.E-Co-Chairman of the Decorations on the Foyer of the Clogging and
intro to fishing hall) or Just a small piece of a SIMPLE puzzle- A Square Dance
Event-Say the 50/50 ticket seller The truth is be it a One Day or a Three
Day event-It's really VERY SIMPLE 1) Get Hall 2) Get Callers/Cuers 3)Let Dancers
know to show up-For this we need 40+ people committees?????- Square Dancing in
the Central San Joaquin Valley-Modesto to Fresno is in crisis- Folks cannot seem
to be able to manage simple tasks like appointing people to do a job, letting
them do it OR Publicity of a dying (one or two fall into this category)
Festival................PEOPLE, GET YOUR SH%T TOGETHER OR GET OUT OF THE
WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop hurting the activity you purport to love, and
try your damnest to kill. Or hurry up and finish off what's left , fold your
associations and committees and clubs and we'll put it back together-after YOU
have left.
I'm really Sad and Disgusted at the Central Cal. political base- I hope the
situation gets fixed with your "leadership" ASAP (Doubt It) and I don't
care if it's without you-I just want to see Folks having Fun s/dancing again-
Rick
February 16th
The overall picture in Central California is- Many in Charge, worry most
about saving face and keeping in power than about the s/d. Too bad.
I musta hit a nerve with one of my posts/ articles as I got a scathing email
demanding an apology-Fat Chance, What I wrote mentioned no specific person (like
this blog) and I stand by what I write- My advice to this person or persons
unknown Do what has been seen done at the big meetings- Go hide and
pout.-Squarama is this weekend and I've personally informed one of my colleagues
(on the program) what Level the New dancer stuff needs to be- Interestingly the
Caller never was told by the festival what level was to be called for the new
kids (As of 4:30 PM Pacific Time 2/16/06-AKA less than 28 hours prior to the
dance) An email I got from a festival type said "I personally told the callers 4
weeks ago" re: the level- NOPE, You lied, I found out and I'm the bad
Guy???????????????? I hope officials who so obviously display such erratic
behavior get axed ASAP- I wonder if this will be the 2nd time I'll be SCREAMED
at ,in a hall, with dancers around at a Squarama- The last one who did rapidly
"fell from committee grace" afterward- Any Bets?
Rick
February 17th
I Hope The First Nite of Squarama was HUGE- I worked the mic on this
festival like I never have since I was a multi-year Caller at it. I truly
mean that I hope it was a FUN nite for all. I just couldn't muster up the
strength to head out-I'm politically exhausted. So I made Mrs. Rick a Salmon
Dinner and we watched a movie. We'll probably head over to Squarama
sometime Sat. I'm looking forward to dancing with some friends. I
hope politics will rest, but if not, Let's compare who promotes the activity
most, who is more effective and who has to listen to the jokes, and questions
and snickers about this particular political bureau from soooooo many areas.
Any guesses? Then it's C1 class Sunday, Off Monday and back to the grind.
Rick
February 21st
Lynn and I enjoyed the dancing at Squarama- It is very unusual to be asked
to pay $60.00 to dance at a Festival that I spent the last year aggressively
promoting, In fact, last year when I spent the $60.00(I Bought the ribbons at
the same time sat-both years) I got ribbons numbered in the 300's-This year
it was # 579-80- You're welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!! By the way, I have taken a
booking for the President's day weekend in 2007-The First Time I've booked this
(Squarama weekend) in 34 years( By the way I was an integral part of this
festival's calling staff for 17 years) . I will not be aggressively promoting
this weekend this next year as I have another engagement to promote- I hope this
was worth the 60 bucks to you!-I will continue to help the Bakersfield Fiesta in
anyway I can, They appreciate the publicity I offer and their association books
me regularly, frequently and I appreciate the business and will continue to
return the favor (They also insist that NO CALLER/CUER Pays to dance)-THANK
YOU!!!
I don't normally make real world political statements So don't freak out but
here's one................- They didn't execute the a$$h%le
murderer who raped/tortured a 17 year old girl in 1981 because it might
hurt.......................Awwwwwwwwwwww I hope somebody shanks the guy and he
bleeds a looooonnnnnnng time....and then dies on a prison shower floor- maybe
after being raped too-I don't suppose he could be dragged to a vineyard to
expire, Hell they can use my ranch.....Terri was only 17 years old-She died in a
vineyard.-May GOD bless Terri's Family and DAMN Mr. Morales.
Rick
February 22nd
A good review at the A2 workshop tonight. I was really proud of those I saw
dancing recently-They did so good-It's truly dramatic the turnaround in the
level after just 1 season of A2 workshop only, I think the every other year for
Advanced class is the way to go.-Speaking of Advanced- SUNDAY
y'all.................. Saturday it's Rick Me and Rick B. doing the R&R thing
for the Whirlaways 51st anniversary
DETAILS
Y'all come on out. Have a GREAT day and do something good for Square
Dancing Today (Meetings don't count)- Oh yeah A major issue recently discovered
(By a certain group) was that flyers passed out at state council NEVER made it
to dancers-News Flash.........................They Never do.............The
State Council has a few individually great folks, who are sadly outnumbered by
those who think "power at council" is more important that Square
Dancing...................Nope it ain't.................By the way has your
association representative ever refused to return to a meeting that was not
going their way and decided to cause a "Roberts rules of order" quandary by
hiding after lunch-After Roll Call so not absent ? Strange but apparently
true, Too many politicos spoil the s/d broth.
Rick
February 24th
A nice day in the SJV-Sunny and warm-Good S/D Weather- I wish there was a
dance to go to but the only thing going on is an 1 1/2hour class with a
food break an A2 Star tip then maybe 2 plus tips after prizes and
announcements-Reminds me of WALMART- Something for everybody, nothing in any
kind of useable amount, I don't go unless I have to. -Sigh. It sure takes me
back to the old Fresno area joke Q...Who's calling A...Who Cares they are
serving Chicken wings (circa 1985-90) Not much changes around here. Tomorrow a
Bakersfield dance that promises to be huge, I promise you'll get 7 Plus tips at
least and food!
Rick
February 26th
Gosh ( Cool old word-huh) A GREAT time at Sharpshooters A2- A few NEW folks
joined us, and some old friends- Some we haven't seen in a while( RV
Lifestyle-Must be nice-heehee) I know many folks DRIVE a long time to join this
group, I hope those really nice people understand that I have to draw the locals
to make this fea$able- Thanks for understanding the nuances of merging "diverse
groups"- THANKS- Now last nite almost 4 SQUARES OF VASD AREA DANCERS-came down
to Bakersfield-WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sequoia Squares led the pack w/ DAMN NEAR 3
SQUARES-The rest came from Steppers and Council- WE (aka Fresno area)
could dance Saturdays and have FUN like we did in Bakersfield-We coud have a
2000 dancer festival instead of a 400 (maybe) festival-All it would take is more
DANCE (including weekends) and less politicos and the accompanying
BS-Think about it-PLEEEEEEEZZZZZEEEE
Rick
February 27th
A fun nite- we'll finish Mainstream by Fiesta and all are going!!!!!- Don't
Forget WING DING This weekend-Tomorow it's All Singing Calls fat Tuesday
Rick