21-30
#24 Be Part of a Stage Illusion [podcast]
Mar 12th
Hey Team,
No more waiting! It’s Wednesday again and after almost a month long wait between objectives here it is…#24!
Thanks again to Terry Evanswood and Jay of Magic Beyond Belief and to Pat and Helen for getting in touch with them.
I had a blast! I hope the rest of you enjoy this week’s video half as much as I enjoyed being there.
(OH! Also this is the first week of a new compression setting to compliment the Apple TV and HOPEFULLY give a much clearer picture. Sadly, it also means longer download times. Let me know if it doesn’t work on any of your players. And just in case, I used the old settings for the youtube version. If I don’t hear any complaints that wont happen next week though.)
Get the Flash Player to see the wordTube Media Player. var WT1_1 = { params : { wmode : "opaque", allowscriptaccess : "always", allownetworking : "all", allowfullscreen : "true"}, flashvars : { file : "http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amtrekker.com%2Findex.php%3Fxspf%3Dtrue%26id%3D21", volume : "80", bufferlength : "5", controlbar : "over", 'logo.hide' : "false", shuffle : "false", playlist : "bottom"}, attr : { id : "WT1", name : "WT1"}, start : function() { swfobject.embedSWF("http://www.amtrekker.com/wp-content/uploads/player.swf", "WT1_1", "437", "522", "9.0.0", false, this.flashvars, this.params More >Magically Ambitious
Mar 10th
Hey Team,
I’m sure I’ve said this a hundred times by now but I am continually blown away by how often people surpass my expectations of kindness. I spent most of yesterday in Pigeon Forge, TN thanks to Helen and her mom Pat’s connections to the Magic Beyond Belief show and Terry Evanswood. (Also…no such thing as the internet there, sorry for the delay on this post.)
But if I’m going to be honest (and that’s kind of what I strive for) when I spoke on the phone with Jay, one of the Magic Beyond Belief honchos, earlier in the week I started to get concerned that this was going to be yet another dead-end. Over the phone the situation didn’t sound super promising. I didn’t get the feeling that they were very excited to help out (not that I could fault anyone for a lack of excitement, like I said, it’s a complete surprise every time anyone offers to help out) over at the show and worse it didn’t look like I was going to have the opportunity to film ANY of it.
(Well, worse for you anyway…I still would have had the chance to do something I’ve always wanted to do More >
Magic is About to Happen
Mar 8th
Hey Team,
I made it to Pigeon Forge, TN today thanks Tommy, my Couch Surfing Host, Jessica’s, friend. Why would I come to a place called Pigeon Forge if I’ve already been to a place called Bald Knob? Sadly, I don’t just visit places based on how ridiculous their names sound. I’m actually here to cross a little something called #24 off the list today!
Despite the small town name it turns out Pigeon Forge is actually…well, a really small town. But at least it has delusions of grandeur. This may be one of the strangest “cities” I’ve ever been in.
It’s mostly just one street (but it’s a long street…so there’s that) but instead of the general store, the post office and the gas station they have thirteen miniature golf courses, twenty-eight pancake houses, eight comedy shows, shops and hotels galore, a building filled with singing mechanical bears and the Magic Beyond Belief Theater!
Which is why I’m here. They have my seat saved and the illusion all picked out all I have to do is show up at 8:15 and convince someone to be my cameraman!
I’m going to go wander down to the Fudge, Knives, Swimwear and Leather Shop (no joke, this More >
News To Me
Mar 4th
Hey Team,
I had my interview with CNN’s News To Me today. It was a complete one-eighty from Fox Business News and a nice chance to answer some of those questions that keep popping up that I never fully acknowledge.
It was pouring rain when I woke up and I was dreading even the short walk to the coffee shop where they were planning on conducting the interview. I stared out the window willing the rain to stop and wondering if my Totally Rad Show t-shirt was clean enough to wear. “Maybe I should just wear the TRS shirt and hope the rain washes off the stink.”
Luckily, the shirt was clean, just wrinkled, so I slung it over the shower rod and let it suck up some of the steam while I scrubbed myself down.
I showed up at the coffee shop while they were shooting a webcam interview with another guy…something about a dirty boat. (Obviously I was paying very close attention.) As soon as they finished I was shuffled around for introductions. Everyone involved with the program seemed to be of the friendly intelligent variety and Eric, the host, managed to come off as distinctly not a douche bag. (Happy, Eric?)
The interview More >
What’s He Talking About?
Mar 3rd
Hey Team,
I’m sure I had something to write about today but I’ve just been staring at the screen for the last five minutes trying to remember what it was. Let’s just assume it was the funniest, most exciting, eye-opening post I’ve ever written, pretend I actually wrote it and then move on.
I’ve been insisting that I don’t change for years now. That the world just changes around me and I adapt as necessary but it doesn’t impart any lasting effects. I hate to admit that I might be wrong.
Living little pieces of other people’s lives everyday for the last 240+ days is a tough act to ignore. As strong willed (read: stubborn) as I am I don’t think I’ve made it through unscathed. And maybe it hasn’t been a “change” so much as a “concentration.” (Wow. This is tougher to explain than I thought it would be. Too bad I can’t remember that other, probably easier to write, post I was planning on.)
I’ve always been pretty laid back (obviously, or I wouldn’t have even started this trip) but that has always meant “live and let live” or “I’ll do my thing and you do yours.” But I’ve taken that option More >
#22 Be a guest on a talk show BONUS #5 Enter a hotdog eating contest! [podcast]
Jan 10th
Hey Team,
Here’s the Amtrekker cut of the Fox Business News’ “Happy Hour” program! It’s a little too long for youtube to accept so I’ll have to work on an alternative for some of you folks. (ahHA! Here’s a link that might work for some of you peeps.) But for the rest of you normal people…
Enjoy!
Get the Flash Player to see the wordTube Media Player. var WT2_2 = { params : { wmode : "opaque", allowscriptaccess : "always", allownetworking : "all", allowfullscreen : "true"}, flashvars : { file : "http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amtrekker.com%2Findex.php%3Fxspf%3Dtrue%26id%3D30", volume : "80", bufferlength : "5", controlbar : "over", 'logo.hide' : "false", shuffle : "false", playlist : "bottom"}, attr : { id : "WT2", name : "WT2"}, start : function() { swfobject.embedSWF("http://www.amtrekker.com/wp-content/uploads/player.swf", "WT2_2", "437", "522", "9.0.0", false, this.flashvars, this.params , this.attr ); } } WT2_2.start();I’m done.
Brett.
Entertained people are generous people!
How entertained are you feeling?
AKPC_IDS += "171,";
Talk Show Eating Contest (wait…that sounds wrong)
Jan 2nd
Hey Team,
I don’t have time to tell you all how awesome my experience with Fox Business and the “Happy Hour” crew was but suffice it to say I can’t thank Paul, Jen, Nicole, Tracy and (to a lesser degree that cheater) Cody enough. I found a spontaneous ride to Chicago tonight in an effort to get closer to Kentucky and a coal so I’ll give them all a proper blogging tomorrow but here’s the video of my segment courtesy of the Fox Business Network!
Thanks everyone!
I’m done.Brett.
Ka-KOW!
Fun!
AKPC_IDS += "166,";
#27 Go on a lobster boat [podcast]
Nov 20th
Hey Team,
Thanks so much for the feedback on yesterday’s video. Your comments were overwhelmingly positive and I’m going to do my best to get more of them out there. IN FACT, why don’t you kids feed your eyeballs on this little guy!
Get the Flash Player to see the wordTube Media Player. var WT3_3 = { params : { wmode : "opaque", allowscriptaccess : "always", allownetworking : "all", allowfullscreen : "true"}, flashvars : { file : "http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amtrekker.com%2Findex.php%3Fxspf%3Dtrue%26id%3D38", volume : "80", bufferlength : "5", controlbar : "over", 'logo.hide' : "false", shuffle : "false", playlist : "bottom"}, attr : { id : "WT3", name : "WT3"}, start : function() { swfobject.embedSWF("http://www.amtrekker.com/wp-content/uploads/player.swf", "WT3_3", "437", "522", "9.0.0", false, this.flashvars, this.params , this.attr ); } } WT3_3.start();I’m done.
Brett.
Kind strangers keep ‘trekkers trekking. I think Mark Twain said that…maybe.
Or was it Steinbeck?
AKPC_IDS += "121,";
