Children are not born crazy, sometimes we make them that way:

“Becoming the Alpha Dog in Your Own Home”, New York Times (Nov. 20, 2009)

“Tips for the Admission Test . . . to Kindergarten”, New York Times (Nov. 20, 2009)

The Illusion of Life & Other Elements of Fly Design

By Casey R. Smartt

 What is it that makes some flies better than others?  Is it their size, color, or the brand of hook they’re tied on?  Why is it that fish often find a tattered-looking replica more attractive than a perfect match?  Angler Ken Abrames has written entire books devoted to answering these questions.  In his book, A Perfect Fish, Abrames argues that the real goal in fly tying is not to replicate an exact image, but rather to infuse a fly with the illusion of life.  The illusion of life is a unique and elusive combination of textures, colors, and movements that cause an inanimate object, a fly, to be seen as a living creature.  Abrames writes that a fly should not be a copy of a living creature, but rather, a suggestion… or idea of life.  It is an interesting way of thinking about flies.

So many times I have sat down at the vise and strived to produce an exact replica of a particular minnow, crawfish, or shrimp, believing that an anatomically correct reproduction would surely catch fish.  To that end, I have used all sorts of materials, paints, and glues.  I have used up expensive little bags of fiber and even experimented with a computer printer to make skins, eyes, and other fly parts.  Although many of the flies from these experiments looked amazingly lifelike to me, they haven’t always fooled fish.  In fact, abstract patterns built from a few simple materials have often outperformed those crafted with an attention to detail.  But why? 

What characteristics make one fly better than another?  Why do fish often ignore a fly that looks like something and eat a fly that looks like nothing?  I believe the answer, in part, has to do with the mysterious spark of life Abrames writes about.  Perhaps the real truth is that a fly that looks like nothing to a fisherman actually looks like everything to a fish.  Subtle movements, blended colors, and nondescript features in flies just might provide a more convincing suggestion of life than a detailed copy of the original. 

I responded to a question from a reader recently that got me thinking again about Abrames’ philosophy and the creative process I go through when designing or selecting flies.  A gentleman who I know to be a highly experienced and accomplished angler asked how much “tub testing” and refinement went in to creating a new fly pattern.  In response to the question, I made a list of everything I could think of that either consciously or subconsciously went into the design or selection of a new fly.  The list-making process spooked me a little because it was reminiscent of a corporate training exercise.  But, I have to say it was enlightening and it gave me a better perspective of what I value in a good fly pattern.  I condensed the list into essentially 4 categories: 1) Illusion, 2) Versatility, 3) Fishability, and 4) Complexity.

 Illusion

As far as I am concerned, the bottom line with any fly (other than one destined for a shadow box) is that it must create the illusion of life.  I am right in line with Abrames in this thinking.  Either by size, texture, color, action, or feel, a fly must emulate a living creature, sometimes specifically. A fly must in some way suggest to a predator it is worth eating.  When crafting a fly, knowing the features and understanding the behavior of prey is only part of the picture.  Time and again I have learned that regardless of how good a fly looks clamped in a vise, fish must consistently recognize it as prey.  It doesn’t matter what we think about the fly.  Flies like the Seaducer, Flatwing, and Woolly Bugger are prime examples of this.  They have an inherent lifelike quality that is hard to for us to define, but clearly irresistible to fish.  They look like everything. 

 Fishability

The second important trait in a fly is its fishability.  By “fishability,” I mean the ease and efficiency with which a fly does its job.  In short, a good fly should catch fish without creating a bunch of headaches.  Good flies are easy and accurate to cast, they’re durable, and they don’t get heavy or distorted when they’re wet.  They are designed with protection against weeds and snags and they should not spin during the cast or the retrieve.

 Versatility

The third characteristic I look for in a fly pattern is versatility.  This is important to me because I fish for many different species in both fresh and saltwater.  I like flies that look like food no matter where they go and I seldom spend much time or effort tying flies specifically for one fish or one place.  Versatility is one reason why the Clouser Minnow is such a deadly pattern.  It looks like prey.  A Clouser Minnow can be made to represent anything.  It can be tied in very small or very large sizes and can be fished shallow or deep.  It is no mystery why flies like the Clouser Minnow have remained popular over the long haul- they are simple, versatile, and effective.

 Complexity

The last trait I evaluate is complexity.  How hard is a particular fly to tie? Can it be repeated?  Is the time and expense of a pattern justified by the results?  An example of a pattern that is at absolute ground zero of simplicity is the San Juan Worm.  It consists of nothing more than a single piece of chenille lashed to the hook shank.  The San Juan Worm is comically plain but amazingly lifelike in the water. Without a doubt it gets my vote as the fly with the greatest return on time invested at the vise. 

 At the extreme other end of the complexity spectrum are “realistic” flies.  These patterns are works of art.  They are painstakingly assembled and some of them are so detailed that under a microscope they are anatomically correct.  While I appreciate the time (sometimes days for a single specimen) and skills required to tie realistic flies, I don’t have the patience or the commitment to even consider tying them.  Especially when I know that mine will eventually end up stuck in an oyster shell or the lint trap.

 The next time you sit down at the vise or pick through a fly box, ask yourself what makes a fly tick.  Is it the illusion of life, or simplicity, or perhaps anatomical perfection?   Or is it something more?  These questions make it all so interesting.  So I’ll just keep tying flies, fishing, and searching for the answers.  But hope I never really figure them all out.

The song Becky, by Plies, is probably one of the dumbest songs I had ever heard. However it is a good infectious sing-a-long. The first time I heard it on the radio it didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

However, I acquired the un-censored version and suddenly the song made a lot more sense.

What does Plies mean by “Becky” though?

According to my research, “Becky” is slang for a white valley girlish female. This is supported by the video. However, when I listened to the uncensored version of the song, I quickly came to the conclusion that he meant something else altogether.

Here is a sample of the uncensored chorus, “A lil head and I am ready I want yo mouth give me that Becky.”

And basically the rest of the song revolves around giving head. According to one of the urban dictionary entries, “it comes from the saying “white girls give the best head”. and Becky is a “common” white girl name.” However the lyrics to the song do not support that he’s particularly referring to a white women.

Most artists these days have heard of and respect Horiyoshi III, the world renowned tattoo artist, but how much do you know about the art he creates?  Many other artists work by hand and there are many ways to mark without a machine.

Tebori is the traditional Japanese hand tattooing method, practiced by Horiyoshi III and the select few who possess the skill required. It is said that this method can create finer lines and more gradual shading than a machine.

There is a lot involved in becoming a true Tebori artist. The long road starts with a formal apprenticeship living with and learning from the master. There aren’t very many Tebori artists in the United States, but we tracked down Horisuzu out of Black Rabbit Tattoo in Bend, OR. Horisuzu started as a Western tattoo artist, but wanted to learn traditional Japanese tattooing, including Tebori. He sought out an apprenticeship, saying “After over a year of consideration and close observation I think perhaps Ryugen Sensei saw something in me, in my heart maybe that he felt was worth taking in. This is how I found my way into the Japanese tattoo culture. I am very grateful to my master Ryugen Sensei of Tokyo Japan for bestowing upon me the honor of my title Horisuzu”.

His advice to an artist looking to learn traditional Japanese Tebori is to “seek out a master to study under; it is not something to attempt without guidance from a master. The Japanese tattoo encompasses all aspects of Japanese culture therefore great care should be taken in study of Japanese culture and arts.”

The tradition of Japanese tattoo is vast, making it a daunting field to enter.  Horisuzu said, “It is hard to become a practitioner of the Japanese tattoo in a traditional sense if they have not grown up in Japanese culture. The Japanese tattoo is actually very cryptic. Each motif is a hidden language based on culture, history, religion and oral mythology. This is something that books and research alone can not translate. Immersion in Japanese culture and a traditional Japanese apprenticeship is necessary.”

Japanese tattoo is rooted in tradition and the spirit is contagious. Horisuzu says, “I feel deeply connected and proud of the traditions. My genuine love for the Japanese tattoo coupled with the lessons learned with my master make me very respectful of the history and people that came before me. I believe that we should all honor traditions and the people that paved the way for us. Tattooing with no connection is very unwise. The tattoo will have no value to that person, it has no spirit. A tattoo with no spirit looks poor in my eyes.”

Getting the tattoo is also a long process. Once a design is agreed upon, the artist will do the outline, often freehand, in one session. Steel needles are used, tied in rows, stacked or alone to a long handle, traditionally of bamboo, but with the rise of sterilization practices, now of steel or titanium so it can be autoclaved. The needles are dipped in ink and pressed rapidly into the skin to create some of the finest lines and most gradual shading.

You can find more about Horisuzu’s work at blackrabbittattoo.com

There are many types of hand poking and hand tapping besides Tebori. Cory Ferguson out of Good Point Tattoos near Toronto uses a method called handpicking that uses a single needle to insert ink one dot at a time. While this is much more tedious, he says, “Without having a machine to contend with, there are far less variables. There are so many fewer obstacles between your finger tips and the skin, so the ink does exactly what you intended it to do.”

This method seems easier to try than others, even machine tattooing. Cory said, “Once you put it out there, it’s so much more accessible for someone to try their hand at, so you find that many people around you will give it a shot, especially people who’ve never tattooed at all before.  I get asked how to do it a lot, and get people coming in showing me the hand poking they’ve done on their own foot.” Even though it is easy to try, it isn’t the easiest thing to make money at. “I’ve seen some people try to work only by hand, some have succeeded and some have failed.  It’s a difficult way to go, that’s for sure.  Finding people who want to sit through the extra time and pay for it can be very tricky.  Hand work is like 1% of what I do.”

Despite the cost and time, many customers are more than willing to sit for the experience of a hand worked tattoo. Cory says, “People who choose the lengthier handwork seem to do it because they are curious to see what it will be like to have a tattoo done in such in unusual and primitive manner.  And some times people choose it because they’ve had it done before and prefer the quiet, chilled out atmosphere that hand poking provides.  Clients are much more likely to fall asleep during handwork.  This is why I sometimes prefer the handwork, it’s nice just to switch it up once in a while and have a really mellow, relaxed tattoo session – it’s almost meditative.”

Cory isn’t worried about the method being lost to history. He says, “I don’t think it’s going anywhere, and that’s probably most of what the appeal is.  It’s the same way of putting ink into skin that was done thousands of years ago. The whole point of it is a primitive, raw, tribal sort of experience.  The designs will get tighter and the quality of work might improve, but to me the feeling I get when hand poking is all about getting back to basics rather than pushing into the future.  It’s an homage to the absolute beginnings of what we call tattoo.”

To see more of Cory’s work check out corytattoos.com.

Even another method, out of Polynesia, uses a rake-like tool that is tapped with a stick.  The lines created are a little thicker than with a machine, but it isn’t a detriment because tribal designs rarely use fine lines. The designs are drawn on by hand and tapped in during the same sitting.
Sulu’ape Angela is the first known woman in history to learn the hand-tap technique. Her teacher is Su’a Sulu’ape Petelo, the top traditional Hand-Tap Tattoo Artist in the World. She became interested in hand tap as a child from looking at a National Geographic article. She saw tattoos being hand tapped at a conference in Tahiti and started working as an assistant, stretching the skin for the artist. She said watching the artists work she was awe-struck, “I sat and watched the patterns flow from his hands. He drew no patterns, just tapped the designs.”

After that experience she didn’t pursue becoming an artist herself, believing it was taboo. “I just wanted to watch. I was shocked when Petelo wanted to teach me.” She learned the language and ceremonies and served as a traditional apprentice. Her advice is to, “make sure you have gone through the respects, and find someone who has the blessing to teach. Pay your dues.”

People are intrigued by the history and tradition involved in getting a tattoo. Most clients choose hand tap tattoos for the experience. Sulu’ape Angela said, “They do it for the awe factor, or they went to a region where it was done or they want a more profound experience.” It doesn’t hurt that hand tap is said to bleed less and heal faster than machine work.

Aside from a hiccup converting to autoclavable tools, she says that she is getting more and more hand tap work as it gets more spotlight. “Tribal is becoming popular. People who go the tribal direction, tend to want to go further. People are becoming more interested in doing it the ancient way.”
To learn more, check out www.tat2inc.com

It’s been a couple weeks since I updated this blog – busy weeks, both online and off.  I’m honored to be a part of the eduFire CLEP team, one of six people who spent this past week writing a syllabus and planning a curriculum.  There we were: two in the US, two in the UK, one in Bolivia, and one in India, separated by oceans, but united by a wiki, a platform, and a vision.  When the team leader unveiled his design for class avatars, several of us were together, commenting in ‘real time’. 

I am linking to the official eduFire blog announcement, in which CEO Jon Bischke explains how the CLEP program relates to his original mission of reaching out across cyberspace to those who, for economic or geographic reasons, have been denied educational opportunities.  That includes so many people right here in this nation!

The CLEP examinations have helped many students graduate from college in a shorter time frame and (importantly!) with less debt.  EduFire is offering support classes  for six CLEP subjects: Spanish, Psychology, Macroeconomics, English Composition, College Mathematics, and College Algebra.  A seventh subject should be posted soon. 

If you’ve read my posts before, you’ve probably guessed that my subject is English Composition.  Oh yes, I do believe education can transform lives… and so can words.  I am linking also to a short passage from one of my published pieces.  It’s about my mother – born in rural Kentucky in abject poverty – and how she graduated from high school at sixteen, and put herself through college.

Here’s another tidbit about my mother.  She was editor of the Baylor Lariot in the pre- civil rights era.  Decades later, she showed me the piece she was most proud of.  Ah, and you might guess, too, what she wrote about — there’s a hint in this paragraph. And in this post, you can see her, two decades before my birth, dreams ablaze in her eyes.

فديو, فيديو كليب انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه الرومانسىافلام لك تحميل من

شاهد فديو, فيديو كليب انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى – سعد الصغير 2009
تحمل وتنزيل فديو, فيديو كليب سعد الصغير من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى انا بيه ورومانسى

لمشاهدة وتحميل الفديو, فيديو كليب …

شاهد فديو, فيديو كليب اغنية سعد الصغير انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى
يو, فيديو كليب سعد الصغير من فلم, فيلم البية الرومانسى – انا بيه ورومانسى

اضغط هنا لمشاهدة الكليب

|اغانى|فديو, فيديو كليب|مقطع|هدف|مسلسل|اعلان|فلم, فيلم|برنامج|حلقة|شاهد|مشاهدة|اون لاين|سرعة عالية |بدون
تحميل|اغانى|عربى|اجنبى|MP3, mp3, ام بي ثري|البوم|
2009|سينجل|نغمات|تنزيل|نزل|شعبي|راب|حمل|موسيقى|MP3, mp3, ام بي ثري

|افراح|فديو, فيديو كليب|راديو||اون لاين|بدون تحميل|مجانا|بدون اشتراك|2010

Bradenton Herald - Chances are, if you’ve picked up a magazine, newspaper or book having anything to do with celebrities, you’ve seen a David McGough photo.

His portfolio of the famous — featured in publications such as Vanity Fair, People Magazine, Rolling Stone and an assortment of books and films — includes David Bowie, Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol and Michael Jackson.

High-profile presidents and princesses.

Actors and actresses.

The list goes on and on.

McGough, an Anna Maria Island resident who lives in a quaint, fashionable home overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, has some of those celebrity photos on display at ArtCenter Sarasota in conjunction with its newest photography exhibition — the sixth annual Florida Open Juried Photography Exhibition, which runs through Jan. 9. On display is a 16-piece collection of music idols. It’s just a taste of the thousands of photos he’s shot in a career that spans more than 25 years.

The 50-year-old photographer has a lifetime of tales to go with them.

“They are beautiful, iconic photographs that will speak to our memories,” said Fayanne Hayes, the center’s executive director. “Some of our newest photographers can learn from one of the greats.”

Photographic memories

These days, though, McGough, who is also a musician, often sets his camera aside to pick up a paint brush.

The former Pratt Institute student has a collection of large, colorful paintings he’s created that hang in his gulfside home. He’s excited about his newest art project, using photo images on canvas and then painting around them. They will be very Warhol-ish, he said.

Warhol, the prolific pop artist icon of his time, was a friend and mentor to McGough. He appears in many of his photos. McGough was honored when Warhol asked him to submit a photo project for his publication, Interview Magazine, in 1979.

Their friendship began via the United States Postal Service. While living in New York, McGough, a New Jersey native, constantly sent Warhol his work. For a while, he never got a response back.

Then, they ran into each other at parties.

“I would see him a couple times a week,” McGough said. “He was a kind of golly-gee type of guy. For being so hip in so many ways, he loved celebrity. He was fascinated by it all. He really felt like he was so lucky to be around the celebrities — the bigger, the better. He loved big stars and he loved to be around them. He’d get excited like a little kid.”

McGough has been mystified by fame, too, but not in the same way as Warhol. He’s literally read thousands of books on the subject. His photos and stories have appeared in many of them, including biographies of stars such as Mick Jagger and Elizabeth Taylor. McGough worked for Taylor for five years, snapping behind-the-scenes photos of her on the road.

His career began as a college freshman at the Columbus College of Art and Design. A local newspaper in Ohio asked him to shoot a Dan Folgelberg concert at Ohio State University.

After that, McGough realized he could merge the two things he loved most in life — music and photography.

After graduating from Pratt in 1979, he covered New York’s gritty punk rock scene, covering Lou Reed, Talking Heads, the Ramones and others. He shot rock stars in New York clubs and later branched out to film stars. He was doing so well that he started his own freelance company, DMI Photo. His aggressiveness for his craft got him noticed by The New Post and other publications.

In the early 1980s, there were about 10 photographers who made a name for themselves covering the stars.

Only 10. This was before MTV, the Internet, an onslaught of cable networks and celebrity magazines — what McGough calls the evolution of our celebrity- obsessed culture.

The heightened obsession bothers McGough sometimes. Most people in America seem to know more about Lindsay Lohan than Iraq.

“It’s kind of sad to see,” he said.

Celebrity through the lens

Behind the camera lens, watching celebrities in the limelight, McGough discovered the makings behind these larger-than-life industry machines. At their core, the stars were just normal people, who worked hard to craft their image. And the stranger, more outlandish or risque the better, because it would keep celebs in the spotlight. The key was to make it look like normal behavior for them, McGough said.

As he talked, Michael Jackson came to mind.

The photographer met Jackson just before his legendary solo career — before the surgeries, before Neverland. McGough said he was “a sweet, shy kid,” who later tried his best to be “weird.”

The tape around his fingers, the veils he wore — it was part of an image; A persona he tried to create for the public.

“His goal was to be as weird as he could be,” McGough said. “He thought that he would keep his name in the news. And it worked up until a point and then it backfired because people got sick of the weirdness.”

Manipulating the media is a card many celebrities play, McGough said. He’s seen it too many times. Scandals, leaked photos, tapes. Celebrities will often tip off the media about their unannounced appearances. It’s just part of the game, he said.

McGough’s roughest encounter: He got punched once by Ryan O’Neal, Farrah Fawcett’s long-time partner, outside of New York’s popular Elaine’s restaurant in 1980. O’Neal hit him and broke his camera.

The photographer particularly enjoyed covering the Monaco royal family, who often visited New York. Photos of them were highly sought among the international media. Princess Caroline, the daughter of actress Grace Kelly, was one of the most beautiful people McGough said he’s ever photographed.

And when it came to classy, Jackie Kennedy broke the mold in McGough’s eyes. He took many photos of her, too.

“She was beyond classy,” said McGough, who worked with paparazzi god Ron Gelella, who found fame through her photos. “She really was one of those very special people that really affected our culture. These first ladies now really all want to be Jackie, especially the one we have right now. But clearly, they all don’t hold a candle to her.”

When it comes to the world of celebrity, four deaths shook McGough.

The first was Warhol, who died after a gall bladder surgery in 1987. McGough framed a headline from his death that appeared in the New York publication. It reads: “Andy Warhol Dead at 58” and sits on a shelf in his home.

The second, Princess Grace, who died in a tragic car accident in 1982.

Both deaths were unexpected, he said.

Then there was Jackie Kennedy, who died of cancer in 1984.

“It really was an end of an era,” McGough said. “There was no one that was going to come up and replace them. You could say that about anybody really, except that these three were really one of a kind. They weren’t actors. They weren’t movie stars. They had more cultural impact.”

The other death was Princess Diana in 1997, which changed the way celebrity photographers were viewed by the public.

“They had nothing to do with her death,” he said.

But since then, things haven’t been the same for his industry, he added.

Expanding his talents

McGough sold the rights to his extensive photo collection to Time Life. The portfolio features millions of celebrity photos.

When he moved to Anna Maria 10 years ago, he found time to paint. His work hangs at the Village of the Arts’ Divine Excess Gallery. More will be showcased in an upcoming exhibit at the Palmetto Art Center in March.

Though he enjoyed the hustle and bustle of celebrity photography, McGough finds new solace in painting.

“I just like paint,” he said. “I like to put paint on canvas and move color around. It’s really a very liberating feeling.”

Still, a rush of memories flow back when he thinks about the first photo he ever took — before being a professional photographer entered his mind.

It was of the Rolling Stones as they were leaving a concert in New York.

“I still have that picture,” McGough said. “That sort of planted the seed for me — that this would really be fun and exciting.”

And it has been.

posted Nov. 20, 2009

for SOFIA “Status”

Writing about oneself is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do.

Which aspect is it that you need to read and what are my intentions in writing this? Do I want you to see a certain side of me that promotes my interests and projects? Or do I just want to give you a real, raw look into the life of me? Well, for one thing I don’t know if I am really interesting enough for that, so I will stay on the safe side and work on the former. And so, in a committed attempt to keep you reading, here are some (hopefully) interesting projects, insights and initiatives in the life of Nathan Daniel Heller…

To be clear, let me first describe my current roles. I can do this with convenient links for your further education

1. I am a South African currently living and training in northern and western Europe.
2. I am a participant of the International Youth Initiative Program (YIP) in Järna, Sweden.
3. I am a trainee of Föreningen SOFIA, supported by the organisation Forum Syd and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
4. I am a voluntary consultant, working with Idem International and multiple others to organize the Connectivity Conference in South Africa in 2011, and help facilitate the network and initiatives surrounding this project
5. I am a freelance project manager and consultant in the creative and media industries in Cape Town, with various clients, projects and initiatives that have added to my professional experience

So what does this all mean? Well, basically that I wear a number of different hats depending on which role I am taking, and in which meeting – but more importantly for me, that the universe is conspiring to support me. I have mentioned 5 labeling aspects of the immediate and broad external conditions shaping my life and my lifestyle at present, and these are interesting aspects to look into. They will define somewhat the qualities with which my current experience is imbued, as well as the tangible processes I find myself in as an individual. One thing is for sure, I am very grateful for my present situation, whichever way I look at it – and I give thanks to all the individuals in my life who have helped form or are continuing to form this experience with me.

My first observation would be to look at being a foreigner for the first time in my life, even though it is a somewhat watered-down experience of this, as I am safely welcomed into a well-supported program for international students in a very sustainable and cosy setting, in a very safe and comfortable living environment, in a very socially and politically stable country. So, needless to say, culture shocks do not abound. More than this, I am finding how ever-similar this culture is to the westernized aspects of South African living. There is nothing quite like flying over thousands of miles, dozens of countries, and billions of people, to land up in an environment that is really both easy and satisfying to call home, for now. The intricacies of this observation are endless so I will spare you the details, for now

Being in this intensive program, which is at once a training for emerging or future Social Entrepreneurs and an experiment in sustainable micro-communities, is very inspiring. I am almost overwhelmed – daily – by the incessant meaningful conversations and multi-faceted learnings. As someone who has yearned for a learning center that exists in the practical realm and engages significant knowledge and practices that are relevant to youth facing an uncertain future, my prayers have been answered in this regard. I couldn’t have asked for a better educational journey for this stage in my life. It is important to note that the Swedish education system that provides the platform for these types of inspired education methods is something that the world could learn from, in many areas that come to mind. The training seems to be designed in such a conscious way that the trainee really has the opportunity to formulate their own overall process and level of learning, depending on their intended outcome for this year of engagement.

This aspect of the training is for me the most exciting and versatile, in that I am able to carry a specific project focus with me throughout the YIP process, and to work on it constantly with an almost enigmatic network of international contributors that help to build and facilitate the course. This is possible because of the one keyword that is carried consciously or unconsciously in so many of the significant conversations that fill this space – and that keyword is initiative. I have learned that when we celebrate this human quality and give it room to prosper, we are inviting the best of ourselves to come out into the world and dance with a dynamic energy of interchanging ‘connectedness’. This is something that gives my project work a tangible, workable, and welcomed place in my life, and makes me proud to be a core team member of the Connectivity project.

Thus, ultimately I have one thing to say about myself right now:

I am a young person with heaps of initiative – and I am constantly learning how to use it.

Thanks for your time.

Inget cover legendaris ini? waktu lagi kelayaban online, ketemu kisah menarik dari cover ini.  mungkin ini cerita lama, bagi beatles mania, tapi tetap aja masih misteri menggelitik.

Tahun 1969, the beatles ngebuat sebuah album yang sebetulnya direkam dari tahun 1966. Album ini namanya Abbey Road. dan disebut sebagai salah satu album terbaik the beatles. Tiba-tiba terdengar kabar kalau salah satu personel the beatles yang bernama Paul McCartney udah meninggal dunia. Teori konspirasi ini dimulai saat seorang penelpon radio namanya tom nelepon ke sebuah stasiun radio dan mengumumkan kalo Paul McCartney udah meninggal, dan meminta untuk memutar lagu revolution no 9 diputar secara terbalik. Kemudian stasiun radio itu mengaku mendengar sebuah kalimat “turn me on, dead man”.

Gak lama dari itu muncul rumor di masyarakat kalo petunjuk kematian Paul juga ada di cover albumnya.

menurut rumor yang beredar di fans beatles, pakaian yang mereka kenakan merupakan petunjuk. Dimulai dari pakaian jhon lenon yang serba putih menandakan sebagai Tuhan, berikutnya adalah Ringo Star yang mengenakan setelan jas hitam rapih dan bersepatu mengkilap yang mengarikan sebagai pendeta. Ketiga, paul mcCartney memakai jas namun tidak bersepatu, jasnya pun tidak rapih. Dalam budaya inggris orang meninggal memang dimakamkan dengan jas rapih dan tidak bersepatu. Sedangkan yang terakhir adalah Goerge, dengan pakaian paling casual hanya dengan jeans dan baju yang tidak resmi, mengartikan sebagai penggali kuburan.

Selain itu kalau diperhatikan ada mobil yang ditengah jalan dibelakang sana, arahnya lurus dengan posisi Paul McCartney yang sering disebut sebagai cara kematian Paul. Di mobil sebelah kiri yang berwarna putih ada plat nomer 28 (saat itu paul memang sedang berumur 28 tahun). Di sebelah kanan, ada mobil hitam. Itu dalam budaya inggris merupakan mobil jenazah.

Dan rumor ini merebak hingga ke seluruh dunia dan orang percaya dengan rumor aneh ini. Sehingga banyak yang bertanya-tanya, entah betul entah tidak masih menjadi misteri. Karena sampai sekarang keterangan resmi kover album ini hanyalah pembuatannya dilakukan di depan apple recording secara mendadak (perusahaan rekaman milik the beatles).

فديو, فيديو كليب انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه الرومانسىافلام لك تحميل من

شاهد فديو, فيديو كليب انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى – سعد الصغير 2009
تحمل وتنزيل فديو, فيديو كليب سعد الصغير من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى انا بيه ورومانسى

لمشاهدة وتحميل الفديو, فيديو كليب …

شاهد فديو, فيديو كليب اغنية سعد الصغير انا بيه ورومانسى من فلم, فيلم البيه رومانسى
يو, فيديو كليب سعد الصغير من فلم, فيلم البية الرومانسى – انا بيه ورومانسى

اضغط هنا لمشاهدة الكليب

|اغانى|فديو, فيديو كليب|مقطع|هدف|مسلسل|اعلان|فلم, فيلم|برنامج|حلقة|شاهد|مشاهدة|اون لاين|سرعة عالية |بدون
تحميل|اغانى|عربى|اجنبى|MP3, mp3, ام بي ثري|البوم|
2009|سينجل|نغمات|تنزيل|نزل|شعبي|راب|حمل|موسيقى|MP3, mp3, ام بي ثري

|افراح|فديو, فيديو كليب|راديو||اون لاين|بدون تحميل|مجانا|بدون اشتراك|2010

Bradenton Herald - For the past 18 years the Sarasota Blues Festival has featured some of the best blues artists in the country. This year is no exception with performances from legendary artists Little Feat to a jazzy little 13-year-old guitarist named Mojo.

The event, which is Saturday at the Ed Smith Stadium Complex, features a mixture of blues — Funk/ boogie. Rockabilly. Soul/jazz. Smooth R&B.

Maybe that’s why the festival has been well-attended for nearly 20 years.

“With this festival, I want young and old, blues legends, up-and-coming, black and white, horns and guitar,” said Barbara Strauss, who coordinates the annual fest.

Strauss is particularly excited this year because of Little Feat’s arrival.

Seeing Little Feat perform in concert has been on the wish-list of area blues fans since the Sarasota Blues Festival began. But schedule conflicts and other issues kept the band from turning up, Strauss said. Until now.

“This has been a huge coup,” she said in finally booking the band. “I feel that this is going to be the biggest festival in many years.”

Not that the festival isn’t big already. The event has attracted thousands each year. Last year, 7,000 people attended the day-long event.

The main event

With songs like “Cat Fever,” “Dixie Chicken” and “Got No Shadow,” the 40-year-old band Little Feat has continued to jam in the way it knows best: With honest music — funky blues, California rock and dabs of country and soul.

“At the heart of what we do it’s American music,” said Little Feat keyboard player and founding member Bill Payne. “We have world influences in a lot of what we do as well.”

In fact, the band’s music has helped pave the way for other artists such as Jimmy Buffet and Dave Matthews, who performed with the band on its 2008 album “Join the Band.”

“The influences go both ways,” said Payne, 60, whose biggest influences are Elvis Presley (as heard on the band’s tune “Oh Atlanta”), the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Miles Davis and many others.

Little Feat includes Payne, Paul Barrere, Fred Tackett, Richie Hayward (who is suffering from liver cancer), Kenny Gradney, Sam Clayton and interim member Gabe Ford. Over the years, they have stay busy either on the road or working with other bands on projects. But no matter how far music takes them separately, they always come back together as Little Feat. The love for what they do as musicians keeps them together.

“The root thing is that you should have music that you like to play, that you sound good at playing,” Payne said. “That will transcend all the different metamorphosis that a band will go through.”

Looking back 40 years, Payne is amazed at how far Little Feat has come. When he and Tackett were in their 20s, they used to sit and think what they would be doing at age 38.

“I said, ‘Well, we’d probably be on Las Vegas backing Anne Margret,’ ” Payne said. “We didn’t have a clue what was going on back then. People rarely do.”

In between playing the blues with Little Feat, Payne has toured as a drummer with high-profile acts such as James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Bob Seger and others. Clayton, the band’s conga player toured with Jimmy Buffett, as did Payne.

As a musician, Payne has always wanted to work with many great musicians. After nearly a lifetime in the music business, he’s got his wish. That and his never-fading love of music that has kept him young at heart.

Payne said as long as the passion for music is alive, anyone can make a living out of being a musician. Though they don’t necessarily have to be in a band. Music can be enjoyed for simply what it is.

“We look at music in such a pop culture lens oftentimes that we forget what the simplistic beauty and magic of music really is,” Payne said, who is working with the band on its next album.

That’s maybe one of the biggest reminders of the Sarasota Blues Festival.

One of the opening acts is “Mojo” Myles Band featuring 13-year-old Myles Mancuso. He’s performed with guitar legend Les Paul, Levon Helm and a host of others. Though Mancuso is backed by an adult band, he is versatile, playing the guitar, keyboards and sax. And he does vocals.

Strauss calls him nothing short of brilliant.

On the flip side of up-and-coming Mancuso is four-time Blues Music Award-winner Duke Robillard, named a legend of his own time.

He sings, writes music, produces and plays a mean guitar full of funk.

Besides the blues, the Grammy-noimated Robillard spins jazz, swing and big band tunes with his band Roomful of Blues.

His music will transport fans back in time on a journey that dips into the 1970s to as far back as the 1940s. Ever versatile, his name has been linked with Bob Dylan, John Hammond and Tom Waits.

“He’s a blues music icon,” Strauss said.

published Oct. 22, 2009

And we have an answer … Stretch properly!!!
by Darren Brown
The more appropriate question would be … to stretch statically or dynamically? Over the past year, we at Rogue have tried to pass on tips about some of the non-running work that you can do to improve your actual running. There has been the introduction of strides, foot drills, recovery, core strength, etc. One of the more important, but also most overlooked and frequently skipped tasks we have introduced is our rope-stretching routine. The rope stretching routine we have introduced in two different forms and while the motions are the same for each, the way you complete the stretches varies … and matters!
The first form is dynamic stretching, used primarily for pre-run warm-up. Dynamic stretching consists of multiple repetitions of a stretch, held for a short duration, usually lasting no more than a second or two, while avoiding a bouncy or jerky movement. The sought-after result of stretching in this manner is not actually as its name implies however. You are nottrying to stretch your muscles to a completely relaxed and loose state. You are instead simply trying to get the muscles warm by providing them with extra blood flow, preparing them for the exercise ahead. By using this form of stretching, you are allowing your legs to keep the natural bounce and “pop” (as many runners call it) that allows us to run more explosively and, as the attached study now shows, efficiently.
The second form of stretching is static stretching. This stretching is primarily used post-run or pre-bedtime. Anytime that gaining recovery is the main purpose for stretching, static stretching is the right choice. Static stretching consists of fewer repetitions of a stretch, held for a prolonged duration, and lasting upwards of 30 seconds. As the stretch begins to settle in its hold, it is appropriate to deepen the stretch slightly by placing more tension on the muscle group you are working. This can be done within a repetition or from rep to rep. Static stretching loosens muscles and allows them to flush out and recover quicker and with greater ease which is great for post-run, but can be detrimental to efficiency pre-run.
By stretching more appropriately, and more frequently, it is an easy way to see your overall running improve without actually putting in more miles. While the debate remains as to whether stretching “prevents” injury or not, one fact has been proven (as seen in the following article) … stretching the correct way not only improves performance, but stretching the wrong way will actually decrease performance.

Parents are a very large part of getting their children involved in using musical instruments at a young age.  A beginner guitar is a good place to start.  Many children show interest in music when they are very young. The great thing about beginner guitars is that they come in many sizes to accommodate difference-sized children.  This is important when it comes to your child learning the proper techniques on their guitar.  It will also ensure that they are as comfortable as possible.

You may be a parent who is knowledgeable when it comes to music, which would give you the ability to help your child learn and grow.  If this is not the case, you can find a great music teacher who specializes in working with children and the amateur guitar.  Either way, your child will begin to know what success and accomplishment feel like at a very young age. Music stimulates the brain and has been shown to increase intelligence, along with math and reading skills.

When choosing a beginner guitar do the research to find the best one to accommodate your child and his or her specific needs.  Having an amateur guitar that is just right can make all the difference in the world.  Your child will have a very hard time if a guitar is too big or too small.  Letting your child help you choose will make them proud of their choice, and make it more likely that they will want to play.  It can help play a large role in the encouragement factor.

If you are not sure what type of beginner guitar to pick, try going online to a music equipment store.  They will give you full descriptions of beginner guitars, and help you pick the perfect amateur guitar for your child depending on their skill level and need.  Having a guitar that is just right, will give your child a very positive experience with their first guitar.  This will be vital in whether they will carry on the interest later on in life.  It is important to get a guitar that is meant for their size and experience.

If your child needs to be a little more social, or craves being around others, try to find a group they may join if this is not an option for them at school.  Beginner guitars can open up many doors to being more social, building friendships, and gaining a healthy sense of competition.

Many parents are worried that they children don’t have enough constructive activity.  Music can be a great remedy for this, especially with children who are not very sports oriented.  Music is a great way to exercise the mind, keep a child active in a constructive manner, and build self-esteem and confidence.  Music is a great way for all children and people to relate.  Almost anyone from any type of background can sit and talk about their love for music whether it is listening to it or playing it.  Open up your child’s musical world with an electric guitar.

If you would like any further information on our products than visit us at coolkidguitars.com.

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