This week, we launched a project that we’re all extremely excited to finally show the world.  Although we’ve only been working on it for six months, it’s been a concept that has existed in the minds and dreams of the Sixthman team for far longer than that.  I’m talking about Sixthman TV.

Andy jokingly told me earlier this week after the the project launch that the domain (sixthman.tv) was purchased before I was born.  I’m sure that was a slight exaggeration, but I’m sure the idea of a Sixthman on-demand video service has been bouncing around for years and years and now it’s finally become a reality; I’m just glad to be a part of the team that gets to bring it to life.

Every week, we’ll be adding new content to Sixthman TV: exclusive interviews with Sixthman artists, live performances from some of our cruises, and even the occasional quirky video from artists or Sixthman employees showing you more of our world.

We’ve partnered with Endavo, a new and upcoming video software development company that is really excited to help us bring great Sixthman content to as many people as possible.  Got to love the internet!

Here’s an example of one of the videos that’s on the site now, from our friends Gaelic Storm.

Our second big announcement of the week involved our new message boards over at sixthman.net/community.  Essentially, this will be the central hub for the communities for all of our cruises.  Rather than having separate message boards with separate logins and disjointed groups, we wanted to bring everybody together.  Although our cruises have a different music theme, we’ve realized that our guests have a lot more in common than we initially realized; everybody is passionate for music, everybody likes to get to know new people, and everybody is really a kid at heart.

Check out the new boards, set up an account, and start chatting with other Sixthman community members!

So, now that the new message boards are launched, a blog redesign is in the works, Sixthman TV is officially ‘broadcasting,’ and the Sixthman Podcast is on its weekly schedule, I’m trying to figure out what the next big thing should be.

Any suggestions?

-Steve

PS - Happy Birthday USA!

So, I think I’m finally an adult, or I’m on my way there.  This is the conclusion I have come to while trying to decide what to write my blog about today.  I know there are many things I still do that wouldn’t necessarily qualify as “adult” behavior, but hey, even the best of us have that inner child at heart.

Here are the following reasons I feel like I’m an adult:

• I’ve graduated with a legitimate Bachelor’s Degree
• I have a steady job
• I have a home and reliable transportation
• I have a cell phone
• I don’t ask my parents for money anymore
• I have had a stable relationship for three years
• I think about ways to improve myself as a person and as a leader
• I am of legal drinking age
• Generally, I have learned how to take care of myself

Now, this doesn’t mean that I don’t call my mom when I’ve had a bad day, or that I’ve learned to stop picking at scabs, or I’m not inappropriate from time to time.  It does mean, however, that I have to budget my money, take care of my body, and clean my own house.  All things that were so much easier when done by my parents.

I’ve come to this conclusion because I had some very strange dreams last night.  One of which included the birth of my own son (and by that I mean this imaginary dream baby).  This could be because today is the anniversary of my three year relationship, or that my hormones are messing with my sleep, or that many of my friends have gotten married and have had or are planning on having children.  I’m not really sure, but it was a bit scary.  Holding a child’s life in your hands must be one of the most terrifying (I’m sure also rewarding, but definitely terrifying) things that can be expected of someone.

While I feel like I’m an adult, I’m not sure I could actually be expected to keep a baby from falling off the porch.  Yes, that was in my dream too. But, I do know that (and here’s where everything reverts back to roller derby) being the captain of my team has led me to put many things ahead of my own wants and sometimes even needs.  Each member of my team feels like my very own child.  A person that relies on me for important decisions, learning experiences, and individual growth.  Sometimes I have to be mean mommy and do something for the team as a whole that doesn’t necessarily befit a single person.  Sometimes, I make the wrong decision, which can be devastating for me and for them.  Sometimes, I get to be a proud mommy when everything we’ve worked on comes to fruition.  Or when my girls come to me and tell me their feelings and secrets.

So, children for me is scary, leading a team still scary, but I can definitely see the rewards.  And just like a gushing mother, I read books about becoming a better leader (books recommended by our Sixthman University team), I post pictures everywhere, I talk to my co captains (the dad?) about better training, I tell everyone how special my team is, I plan family vacations, everything.  It’s taxing, but it’s fun.  I’m definitely an adult, and I have the best team ever.  So for all you other teams out there (you know who you are), nah-na-nah-nah-boo-boo.

-Lisa

Sixthman kicks things off by highlighting an interview and performance from Over the Rhine on Cayamo 2009.  Following the interview, Sixthman team members Steve and Ashley discuss some exciting new announcements: Sixthman TV, the launch of the new Sixthman message boards, and a plan to get more Sixthman people involved in the podcast.

 

 Sixthman Podcast #25 [16:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (78)

Me and the fashion industry have a long, embattled past. They keep coming up with crazy fashions only petite, bric-a-brack sized people look good in, and I keep telling them to stick it where the sun don’t shine. I am not a small woman. I am 5′9″. I have freakishly long legs. When I skate, I am constantly tripping people, and I can take up the width of most of the track with my leg span. My stride is VERY impressive. When I do lunges, I need more space than most people because my lateral motion is just too much. Skirts that hit most people’s thighs are minis on me.

So, with these freakishly long legs, why do I find it impossible to find a pair of jeans that I don’t have to roll up? My friend had a pair of jeans that no longer fit her, but were my size. I told her I would take them, and she warned me, “they’re a little long.”

“Long on you,” I thought. “Shorty.”

I put the jeans on, and they were so long, they covered my feet and hung out below my toes. What kind of person wears jeans this long? I could have skipped wearing shoes altogether.

I thought those jeans were a peculiarity, until I went jean shopping. I could not find a single pair in the store that was made for someone who does not wear 4 inch heels under them. Obviously, these designers don’t understand that chicks who wear jeans every day do not wear heels every day. ESPECIALLY THE REALLY TALL ONES. Seriously. I should not have to wear jeans marked “short.” Ever. For any reason. I am not short.

I am tall, and very happy with it. So please, fashion industry, for the love of Pete, will you please produce something normal people actually want? Something functional? Something that doesn’t require me to shove my rather large feet into an uncomfortable and unhealthy shoe, simply so I can wear a casual pair of jeans? Thank you in advance.

Look out people..I’m feelin’ kind of pensive.

Four of my best friends in the world came for a visit this past weekend.  We did what you always do with those kind of friends that are more like family.  Meaning we showed off our families (an 8 year-old, a seven year-old, a 1 year-old and little 6 month old Rachel), ate like kings, drank copious amounts of beer (once the kids were safely tucked in at night) and stayed up entirely too late remembering good times and other dear friends.  Lots of laughs, lots of sentiment and the worst hangovers ever, compounded by 4 children who get up at 6 am no matter what time you went to bed the night before.

We manage these reunions once a year, usually during the spring/summer, or around Christmas.  With our expanding families it gets harder and harder to pull off, but we all miss each other too much and have gone through too much together not to make it happen.

Thing is…this year, after the empty beer bottles were rolled to the curb for recycling and we finally managed to get Rachel down for her first real nap all weekend, I started thinking a lot about those college and post-college days.  About the goals we had then and where we are now…and somehow I couldn’t help but think….are my best days behind me?

I feel like the same old Jill, but where I am is so different from where I thought I would be.  And don’t get me wrong, I still feel incredibly blessed, but never would I have guessed the twists and turns that life would bring to me.  I mean, at one point in my life my highest goal was to be on Broadway – and while I never quite made it there – I did manage to eek out a living in NYC on nothing but the merits of my voice, including some Off-Broadway.  But just the other day I was watching Chess: In Concert on “Great Performances” and thinking, “It feels like 100 years ago since I used to sing this stuff.”  I also never wanted kids and now there is this little person that I could never see my life without.

Maybe it’s just that lately I feel so grown up – I have a real job, I’m a homeowner, a wife, a mom. But does anyone else ever have that fear?  Like maybe the world might never feel as wide open to you again as it did in those college days?  Will I never have the opportunity to travel the world now?  Does being an “official” adult mean there is nothing left to discover? I know that can’t possibly be true and I’d love a little advice on getting past the feeling.   I’d love to know what you guys do to help you remember that life is always an adventure and that the best is yet to come…

I am a believer that many great moments in life involve a balanced “Attack of the Senses”. Feel, Sight, Taste, Smell & Sound

Sure, it’s easy to create this environment on one of our cruises with your arm on the shoulder of your best friend while looking up at the stars & sipping your favorite drink, with the scent of the ocean air and your favorite song performed just twenty feet away from you.

But who can do it in the everyday world?

As a big fan of the restaurant “Houstons”, I keep trying to figure out why I prefer to eat there over many other places.  The food is not the best, nor is it the cheapest or most expensive.  My mom and I had lunch there on Saturday and it hit me.  They “Attack the Senses”

FEEL – They use a great combination of brick and wood to create a sturdy foundation.
SIGHT – The lighting is perfect with an overall dark feel but with pin lights over each table.  In most of them you actually can see the grill when you walk in with burgers, steaks, fish and ribs being prepared.
TASTE – The food is definitely good but not the best.
SMELL – If you don’t walk right past the grill and enjoy the scent coming from it, you are usually still within it’s reach.
SOUND – The music is always just the right volume but between the sizzle of the grill and the low rumble of conversation, it is the perfect background noise to prevent the awkward silences from being so noticeable.

Know any other establishments that “Attack the Senses” like this?

It’s summer time, and for sixthman a period of a few months when we can all manage to take some time off to visit family, get away, or just get stuff done.

In planning for my vacation this year, I’m having a hard time deciding what to do – and when to do it. Which is making it very hard for me to plan with anyone else in mind.

So, I started thinking about going somewhere – to some beach – or some mountain house, by myself. The only other time I have done something like that was right after college, I went backpacking through Europe alone. I was 22, and completely ready to conquer the world. Now, it’s different. But I can’t quite put my finger on why.

Here are some of the thoughts I’ve had… and questions I keep coming back to, and i’m hoping you guys can help me make a decision!

*I’m nervous about being with me and only me for a period of time. I live alone, so its not like I can’t spend time alone. But spending time AWAY from everyone else, for days in a row… can I do that?

*I don’t know what I’ll do all day and night to keep myself from getting bored. I do love to read and bike, and hike, and cook, but will I find myself feeling bored after days of doing everything alone?

*If I have time off, and am traveling somewhere, shouldn’t I go visit my family, or a friend somewhere instead? Why would I waste valuable vacation time – being alone?

*If I go to the mountains, will I be scared? If I go to the beach, will I be embarrassed as people see my alone?

*If I do enjoy the time alone, and come back refreshed, what does that mean about myself?

So, as you can tell, I’m really torn about which direction to go. But I know I need to go somewhere, sometime, soon. Have you ever vacationed alone? Or thought about it? I would love to hear from all of you out there…

I need some advice!

When I heard the Yankees were coming to play the Braves I was stoked. I couldn’t wait to get tickets and a new Jeter jersey. I grew up in New York loving the Yankees, watching the games with my family and really not liking the Red Sox (sorry Steve and Carla…not!). Well the first game of the series was this Tuesday night at Turner Field. The game started and I started as a dedicated Yankee’s fan.

Come 3rd inning I COULD NOT help myself from silently cheering when Brian McCann hit an RBI double. My silence broke when the Braves next batter Garrett Anderson doubled to deep right which brought in two more runs and the Braves went on to win 4-0. We won! Wait, what? Had my loyalty shifted from my dear Yankees? What happened to me?? I felt a little guilty. I should have seen this coming.

I follow the Braves more than the Yankee’s now, I go to their home games and have secretly adopted McCann as my favorite player ever. But what caused me to lose my dedication towards my childhood team? No, it isn’t their “over paid” salaries or their “monopoly” on the league or whatever other reason Yankee haters will give me, I believe they are a great American team and they’ll always be in my top 2. But I’m now open to admit that I am a Braves fan. Phew. I’m certain to get some backlash for this from my Yankee friends and family and that’s ok with me.

I can owe this switch of fan hood to the one thing - that undeniable feeling of belonging to something great. The Braves are now my home team and over the past 5 years of me being an Atlantan, they have earned my allegiance. They’re a stand up baseball club and are what you’d hope every MLB team could be. Watching the game from the Top of the Chop with your city neighbors, all cheering for the same thing and giving “We’ll get’em next time” high fives after a sore loss is what being a sports fan, or any type of fan, is all about. Surrounding yourself with a great community with a common interest is incredibly infectious, and I happily caught the Braves bug.

It isn’t that I lost my love for the Yankees, it’s that I strengthened my adoration for the Braves. I’ll still root for the Pinstripes against any other team and would be proud to wear their jersey. But I have to root root root for my new home team and give the Tomahawk chop to anyone taking their field.

This same scenario happened to me about six months ago in a taste war between coke and pepsi. I grew up on Pepsi, hated Coke, moved to the South and now can’t stand Pepsi. I don’t feel this shift in preference is bailing on or being a traitor to your roots I just think it’s inevitable to not be affected by your surroundings. Whether it be a sports team, a food or drink, a type of music or a band, if you’re exposed to something long enough and this something is pretty great, you’re bound to accept it’s greatness and welcome it into your life. Tell me I’m not jumping on the Southern band wagon and someone else has experienced a shift in their loyalty due to a shift in their environment?

-Melissa

PS. I still hate grits and the Red Sox-  there’s a little New York left in me.

Sixthman is gearing up for new events and special projects to announce, but unfortunately we can’t discuss them quite yet.  To make up for the lack of news, we’re bringing you an exclusive interview with Brandi Carlile from Cayamo 2009, followed by her incredible performance of “Turpentine” while on the ship.  This is a must listen!

 

 Sixthman Podcast #24 [11:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (284)

Okay, so I was at the airport the other day, waiting in a huge line at Starbucks. It was early morning and people needed their coffee. To pass the time, I started listening to people’s orders. As the “triple venti no whip skim latte” and the “single tall half and half soy” phrases started whizzing around my head, I had a thought. “Wow, Starbucks has invented its own language!” This was quickly followed up with a second thought. “Are they giving the consumer too much?”

That’s right, you heard me. Has Starbucks created a platform, an outlet for the consumer to be conditioned into thinking they can get whatever they want, however they want it? Is there such a thing as having too many choices? Does this ultimately foster an environment of actually not being able to make a decision?

I’m sure there are many other examples like Starbucks, and while the choice bonanza is great for the consumer, where does it leave those of us on the other side? Has it created an uneven playing field of false expectations? Has it built an arena where the majority of people want it exactly as they want it, regardless of the product’s ability to do so? How many people walk away dissatisfied, now that they are used to “the Starbucks Factor”?

Just something to ponder…over my soy mocha frappuccino no whip…

–Carla