Becker, fabricante alemán de sistemas de navegación portátil, ha lanzado al mercado una nueva versión de su gama básica de navegadores Tr. Los nuevos Traffic Assist Z 112 y Traffic Assist Z 116, que están diseñados para los usuarios “menos tecnológicos” por la sencillez de su manejo, facilitan la ruta más económica y ecológica.

Así, estos nuevos navegadores calculan el trayecto óptimo en función de parámetros que influyen en el consumo de combustible (velocidad media, duración del viaje…), de manera que los conductores puedan circular por el itinerario que les permita ahorrar gasolina y reducir así las emisiones.

La nueva serie de Becker cuenta también con la función bloqueo de ruta, lo que hace posible seleccionar de forma manual determinados tramos por los que no se quiera circular (túneles, por ejemplo) de manera que el navegador los excluya a la hora de calcular el itinerario.

Los nuevos Z 112 y Z 116, que facilitan las instrucciones de ruta en 28 idiomas diferentes, cuentan con un interruptor de desconexión que permite conservar la información contenida en la memoria interna de los navegadores mientras estén desconectados. Así, no será necesario dejarlos en “modo espera”, consumiendo batería.

La nueva serie de navegadores Becker, que cuenta con pantalla TFT de 4,3″, contiene funcionalidades para aumentar la seguridad en carretera, mostrando siempre el carril recomendado para circular en cada tramo. También incluye cartografía en 3D de las ciudades para facilitar la orientación de los usuarios.

Becker Z 116, el más completo
Dentro de la nueva edición, el modelo Becker Z 116 incorpora además el sistema Navteq Traffic Patterns, que calcula el mejor trayecto en función del día de la semana y la hora para evitar tramos “atascados”.

Otro de los “extras” que incorpora este navegador -además de Bluetooth- es un cronómetro que calcula con exactitud el tiempo empleado en recorrer un determinado número de kilómetros. Asimismo, determina la hora de llegada al destino con o sin paradas.

El PVP de esta nueva serie, que estará disponible a partir de diciembre en grandes almacenes y distribuidores Becker, es de 236 euros (IVA incluido) para el Z 116. Por su parte el PVP del Z 112, que incorpora base de datos de radares preinstalada, es de 199 euros (IVA incluido).

San Francisco signed Fair Workplace and Housing laws into effect with Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone in 1979, now 30 years later Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker signs his name to the list of champions of human rights.

This afternoon, before a crowd of 50-100 people, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker follow the recommendation of the Salt Lake Human Rights Commission and signed into law the recently approved Fair Workplace and Housing ordinances with cheers from onlookers. Earlier this year, the Human Rights Commission, led by Jon Jepsen delivered a report to the Mayor and the City Council detailing discriminations that are being visited on a large number of Salt Lake City residents. According to the report, members of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community in Salt Lake are being unfairly treated, as under current laws in Salt Lake it is legal to fire, refuse to employ, evict and refuse housing based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Salt Lake is behind the majority of this country” when it comes to these rights said Jepsen, and something needs to be done about it. The Mayor went further and said he hoped these rights would spread “throughout the rest of the state.”

Diabetes in India is exploding. The Diabetes Atlas estimates India had 40 million people with diabetes and will have over 70 million by 2025.

According to a November 14, 2009, article on the Punjab Newsline Network, India has very few podiatrists, diabetic counselors, and dieticians. Therefore the burden of care will fall on general practitioners and on the patients themselves.

 If practitioners in India have questions about using ShearBan® to prevent and treat diabetic foot ulcers, they should contact Endolite India which distributes Tamarack and Becker products in India.

It’s been fourteen long years since Urge Overkill released it’s last album “Exit The Dragon”. As rumors float, Urge Overkill is presently working on their sixth studio album with no release date yet determined. If you’ve been out of the UO loop in the last 12 years it will not be the original trio but I am optimistic they’ll have not missed a beat with strong vocals from Kato & Roeser.

Urge Overkill made a huge impact in the early 90’s and hit the charts strong with the cover of Neil Diamond’s “Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon” for the Soundtrack “Pulp Fiction“. Although being put on the map with the amount of airtime from the soundtrack, their 1993 album Saturation was shadowed by label changes but reviews were still in their favor. They continued their sound into 1995 with “Exit The Dragon” but ran into drug issues with drummer Balckie O which cut a tour short. Things between Roeser and Kato then heated as well which lead to “The Break” of UO shortly after.

During the break I had the opportunity to see Nash Kato solo promoting his album “Debutante”. He played in Saskatoon at Amigos just off Broadway to a mere empty venue but still a few followers of UO. A few years later Urge Overkill reunited and toured though Saskatoon for the first time in 2004. In my eye’s both were amazing shows as I will be a true follower of UO or any side projects Roeser or Kato are involved with.

I am not expecting anyone to drop everything for UO. Being form the generation I am from you will have an appreciation for the change in the music world that Urge Overkill was a part of. Keep your ears open for future releases.

I have never investigated Thailand ever let alone Bangkok. I know the 80’s song by Murray Head – “One Night In Bangkok” and I have watched the movie “The Beach” many times but never really thought I would step foot on the ground in Thailand. So I clearly had no idea what to expect. Besides being in the airport which is “internationally” clean I was introduced to a city that smells different every 10 feet and that is beyond dirty! The saying “Good from far but far from good” should be the slogan when entering the city of Bangkok. If you have a view everything looks fine other than a couple noticeable blemishes entering your sight.

Other than garbage on most streets you’ll be distraught by the smell of whatever whoever is cooking. I was warned not to touch and walking by it was clear enough why. I was disappointed that there wasn’t any Thai food restaurants on some or most corners. We were staying at the Millenium Hilton and in a busy district of Bangkok. We were surrounded by more 7-11’s than we were “appropriate” Thai restaurants. Meaning ones you go in and sit down at and not ones you go sit on the curb. In the end we settled for Arabic or Egyptian food which was no problem for me. I am slowly learning to eat with no utensils and possible may make that step maybe once to eat sitting on the floor.

Other than the smell, pollution, prostitution and child poverty Bangkok is not that bad. Well let’s just say it’s a place to visit and do some cheap shopping. Other than that jump on another plane or Tuk Tuk and get to the islands ASAP. A good experience overall but 7 days was enough for me. Ideally 1 or 2 nights in Bangkok is plenty. 5 or 7 nights on the islands would be perfect. Still a place to say you went to and experienced. I’ll say it’s not really on my list again and honestly never was. I can happily say, been there and done that.

Owning a car in Bangkok would be a huge no no! Maybe a scooter or motorcycle but nothing with four wheels on asphalt. Anything on two wheels will get you through traffic and to you destination in 1/4 the time. Traffic at the key commuting times like any other major centre will hold you back longer than anticipated. Boat, Metro or Tuk Tuk are the easiest means of transportation around downtown Bangkok and all are very inexpensive. Negotiate a price before jumping into a Tuk Tuk and whatever he says offer 75% less. All three modes of transport will get you either to your destination or to the next transport station.

“One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster. The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free!” – Murray Head

Labeled as one of the biggest Red Light Districts in Asia, Patpong Night Bazaar offers way more than you would ever imagine! Turned by the blind eyes of the Bangkok Law Enforcement anything and everything goes in this part of the city let alone most the other parts too. The night scene starts around 6PM and “Happily Ends” around 2:30AM. No more than two steps onto the Night Bazaar grounds you’ll be hounded by dudes trying to get you into “shows”. If you’re with a female they’ll respect your space just a little bit more, not much but enough. I think I heard “Ping Pong Show” more than a hundred times! Not going to explain that show but I think you’ll figure it out! Just remember, there are no Ping Pong tables anywhere! If you want to see it you can see it! (hence the name in the above image).

Along the two streets (that we saw) is a market filled with bags, watches, souvenirs, belts, clothing, throwing stars, brass knuckles, stun guns, jewelry and much more. All imitation but looks crazy real. Really, stun guns?? Pick your weapon and do your thing. A little freaky! Beware of the “Ladyboy”! They are everywhere! They’re the only “Thai” shemen with the huge boobs! Very easy to pick out. Just be sure you’re not too intoxicated or they will take you down!

Don’t get me wrong at all. Patpong Night Bazaar is a must see for the tourist. It’s easy to filter out the dirty noise coming from all directions. A couple hours to check it out is all you’ll need. It’s enough time to shop, have a beverage and a serious laugh.

So here I am. Finally getting down to writing my first blog after eons of procrastinating. But now I have made a promise to myself that I will be blogging once a week on different and varied topics in which I would like to chime my two cents in. And it is but obvious that my very first blog should be about my first love in life: the game of tennis.

I was shocked, to say the least, when I read excerpts from Andre Agassi’s forthcoming biography called “Open”. Right off the bat, I must admit that I have been a huge Andre Agassi fan all my life and for me he was, after Boris Becker, the most charimastic player of his era. So its a given that I followed his professional and personal life as he grew from being a rebel teenager to being the grand old champion and the great ambassador of tennis.

For the uninformed, Andre admits in this memoirs that he took crystal meth for a year or so starting in 1997 while his career was crashing and his marriage to Brooke Shields was falling apart. Morevoer, he lied to the ATP when asked to justify his positive drug test.

Firstly, I simply can’t understand why Andre would want to open a can of worms after 12 long years and especially since he isn’t even in the limelight anymore. Maybe it was the need to be in the limelight again that made him do that. Only Andre and his cronies know that.

Andre has made more money than anyother tennis player of his era in endorsements and hence he is rich beyond his wildest dreams. And he could have had more money, if he wished, if he was involved in numerous charitable organizations  So its hard for me to believe that he did it to increase the sales of his book. Books needs stories and the more controversial the story, the more the book will sell. But having heard Andre in interviews, I can say for sure that Andre comes across as a fairly intelligent and reasonable bloke. So I refuse to buy the fact that he wouldn’t have thought long and hard about this controversial revelations just to pocket some more money and not think about its effects on his reputation and legacy.

The judgement on Andre’s revelations in the tennis community seems divided. While players like Navratilova and Nadal have castigated him for cheating, others like Roddick and Murray seem to have been more cautious in their reactions. I,for one, know that crystal meth is not a performance enhancer and it could only have hurt his chances on the tennis court. So he obviously didn’t gain anything from taking that drug. Maybe he was depressed about breaking up with Brooke that he slipped into a negative phase where all he was looking for was a ‘high’. Or maybe, after holding a secret for so many years, he just wanted to unburden himself and get it off his chest.

Either way, my opinion on Andre Agassi doesn’t change. I don’t believe that his revelations will change how fans perceive the current crop of players and the game of tennis as a whole. I still believe that he was the foremost ambassador of tennis in the last 20 years and he has done more for humanity that any other athlete I have known. He will  always be an idol for me but in light of what he has revealed, I must admit that now I will have major doubts about his ability to think rationally and pragmatically.

If you want a good laugh you should see my view! Our UAE weeks run Sunday to Thursday so every week day at 1:45PM – 2:00PM outside our apartment it’s like comedy hour in cars! If you have never experienced Abu Dhabi traffic and parking you will require a valium before your excursion. Everybody parks everywhere and drives wherever on the side streets. The city has just recently implemented pay parking in the over populated and heavy traffic areas. This will soon spread throughout the city. The infrastructure of the city does not coincide with the amount of vehicles on the road. Some families have up to six or seven vehicles and live downtown. Where to park?!! Outside our apartment there’s a Women’s College, an Islamic English School and an International Elementary School. Needless to say these schools get out at very similar times and there’s minimum 1000 students per school. This causes CHAOS! Very fun to watch and very comical most times. It’s like musical horns! That’s all you here. I believe some people just honk because others are doing it and it’s fun and most certainly annoying! The Porsche in the one photo was backed into. He layed on his horn the entire time he saw the van backing up. The Emirati driving the Porsche got out, opened the door of the van and snapped! I would have done the same! So, note to self: Plan your departure from home and avoid a mess and the stress!

The Land Of Smiles Hockey Classic Tournament in Bangkok celebrates its 15th consecutive year running in 2009. For a rink with no plexi glass, no dressing rooms and on the 5th floor of a mall, tournament coordinators did and amazing job organizing and maintaining a tight schedule. With at least 25 teams attending, this tournament attracts teams from The United Arab Emirates, China, Japan, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Singapore and many more. The main focuses for the tournament are good competitive fun for the 400 athletes attending and helping raise funds for Father Joe Maiers Human Development Foundation. His drive to help poverty stricken children on the streets in Thailand has been supported by this event raising hundreds of thousands of baht each year.

The Abu Dhabi Ice Hockey Team made another appearance this year after not attending last year. The team had taken their divisional championship previous to last year. Hopes and spirits were high as we entered the round robin tournament. With teams from Bangkok, Japan, Singapore, Kuwait and UAE. We had our work cut out for us as these teams are very skilled and talented. We finished the round robin 2-1 and lost in the semi-final to Canstar (Bangkok National Team). We fell short of our goal but gained a lot as a team in other areas.

Our seven days away from home and spending many hours together brought a team closer. I personally learned a lot more about all individuals on the team plus gained more experience with the Emirati culture. Although I missed the F1 weekend at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi, The BIGGEST event to hit Abu Dhabi, I feel very fortunate to have the experiences, travel and relationships I have endured with my friends of the Abu Dhabi Ice Hockey Team! Tournament #1 is now complete and I look forward to assisting with the growth of the sport of hockey in the UAE moving forward. Keep posted for more updates with future movements of the Abu Dhabi Ice Hockey Team.

Twelve hours at sea was an entirely new adventure where I realized another profession that I will never pursue! I am not made to withstand an entire day “Going With The Flow” or “Moving To The Motion Of The Ocean”. My local friend Ebriham whom I work with on the Abu Dhabi Ice Hockey Team had taken Teemu (Coach), Matias (Asst. Coach) & myself on a excursion 35KMS off the coast of the United Arab Emirates into the Arabian Gulf. With many years of experience, “E” had all the knowledge of where and how to get the fish in the boat. The big and obvious catch is Kingfish and Barracuda. Kingfish are a visible sight when feeding. Launching 3 to 5 feet out of the water you’re almost guaranteed to snag one of these out of the huge schools they feed in. We were very aware of the Barracuda in the area as we pulled some fish into the boat that were only halves. Not the most pleasant sight as my breakfast was making its own waves as the tide inside my stomach decided to come in or should I say out?! If you don’t know me I am notorious to an anticipated throw up due to motion and or fish guts laying on the deck of the boat. I settled into place as the day grew older as I slept for numerous hours at sea. A fifteen minute cool down in the Gulf was the perfect prescription to cool me down. Unfortunately it was the only cool down I took as it wasn’t the big fish I was frightened of but all of the flippin sea snakes and jelly fish we encountered.

An great experience overall for a rookie at sea. We took in some amazing sights that most people wouldn’t have the opportunity to ever. Despite the sea snakes, jelly fish and Barracuda swimming around the boat I managed to catch a handful of fish but was more entertaining to my mates aboard as I think fish are slimy and I can’t stand touching them. In the end they won!

We concluded our evening with and amazing Arabian sunset with dolphins making an appearance around our boat. This was an experience for all of use that we will never forget!

Few people know the real reason behind Agassi's drug revelations

By now everyone should know about Andre Agassi’s explosive admission that he used crystal meth (the dangerous drug otherwise known as ‘ice’) in 1997, tested positive, then got away with it by writing a simple explanation letter to the ATP.  However, very few people know about the underlying reason for this seemingly pointless admission – Agassi’s ongoing contest with Boris Becker to see who can dominate the tennis spotlight.

What? I hear you say.  Allow me to explain.

All one has to do is to take a look at the careers and post-career lives of these two great tennis champions.

First set

Boris Becker played 15 years of professional tennis, was number 1 in the world and claimed 6 grand slam titles.  Andre Agassi, on the other hand, stuck around for 20 years, was also number 1 in the world at some stage, and bagged 8 grand slam titles, including the rare career grand slam.  Strictly speaking, Agassi has probably had a slightly more impressive career based on titles alone.  Further, Agassi has a 10-4 record against Becker, including a 4-1 record in grand slam matches.  The first set goes to Agassi, 6-4.

Second set

However, the real battle between these two warriors took place outside the tennis courts.  Both men craved the spotlight, and it was only a matter of time before they started trying to outdo each other.

Boris Becker, with his attacking style, struck first, marrying famous photographer Barbara Feltus in 1993 by first getting her pregnant.  The couple also caused shockwaves when they posed nude together in a photo taken by Babara’s father before the wedding.  Becker had captured the spotlight of the tennis world off the court, and for a while, there was no one to challenge him.

Enter Andre Agassi, who either intentionally or inadvertently stole the spotlight from Becker with a high profile celebrity wedding of his own.  Agassi, the natural baseliner known for his defensive brilliance, took his time, dating actress Brooke Shields from 1993 (perhaps already with Becker in mind) and wedding her in 1997.  It was a stormy relationship that the media feasted on, snatching away the attention so dearly craved by Becker.  Easy second set for Agassi, 6-2.

Andre Agassi

Third set

Frustrated, Becker planned his next move, only to be caught off-guard by a pre-emptive strike from Agassi, who rocked the tennis world again by ending his marriage with Brooke Shields in April 1999.  Not to be outdone, a furious Becker initiated a separation from his own wife in December of the same year.  To kick it up a notch, there was the whole debacle surrounding the pre-nup the couple signed, which brought more media scrutiny than even Becker had hoped for.  Thanks to the messy divorce settlement, Becker finally edged Agassi this time in a tie-break, 7-6 (11-9).

Fourth set

From here, both tennis greats stepped up their games and took the rivalry to a new level.  First Agassi began dating one of the greatest female tennis players of all time, Steffi Graf, after the French Open champion’s ball in 1999.  Two of the greatest of all time dating?  It was a strange doubles combination, that’s for sure, but think about the kids they’d have!

But Becker brought his A-game this time and dropped a bombshell on Agassi and the tennis world by revealing that he had impregnated a waitress in the broom closet of Nobu in London after his last match in 1999 (following Wimbledon).  Just to milk it a bit more, Becker initially denied paternity, claiming that he was an ‘unseeded’ player, until a DNA test confirmed what he had known all along.

Nevertheless, the impact was undeniable.  Becker was king of the headlines once more, and as a result people barely flinched when Agassi and Graf married in 2001.  A big comeback for Becker, 6-1 in the fourth set!

Boris Becker

Final set

From here, with the match tied 2 sets apiece (6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 1-6), the two men were exhausted and struggled to come up with new material.  Agassi and Graf started pumping out kids and made a few headlines when they played doubles together.  Becker, on the other hand, went through a custody battle and another broken engagement through which he was dumped by text message.  It was all very tame and both men were have difficult coping without controversy.

Becker even tried to relive some of his best moments when he recently (a week before Agassi’s latest revelations) declared that the daughter he had with the waitress was actually conceived on an uncomfortable set of stairs as opposed to a broom closet.  Regardless, he admitted in shame that it was the quickest match he had ever played, prompting suggestions that there were other reasons apart from his powerful serve that earned him the nickname ‘Boom Boom’.  Indeed, the waitress recently likened Becker to a “runaway train” in her new tell-all book In One Breath (named after the length of the encounter).

Just when the two champions appeared to be heading down an endless fifth set with each unable to break the serve of the other, Agassi stunned the world with his latest drug revelations.  One of the greatest tennis players of all time not only took ice, but he had also gotten away with it!  Let’s not forget, 5 of Agassi’s 8 grand slams were won after 1997 – if he had been banned from tennis the way he should have, then Becker probably would have won their secret contest already.

The disappointment in Becker was apparent for all to witness in his latest interview, where he said: ”I’m the last person to throw stones, as there have been some difficult times in my own life (emphasis added), but to hear that he took crystal meth, that certainly puts a whole new light on Andre.  And it’s not a beautiful light.”

”There have been stories over the years about some tennis players taking drugs, but maybe they were just stories, and now Andre, a big star, has been so open about what he took and how he lied to avoid punishment. I’m struggling to think of anything else in tennis that comes close to this.”  At this point, Boris whipped out some old newspaper clippings of his Nobu scandal, but no one seemed to notice.

”Andre didn’t just take drugs, he also tested positive for drugs and then got away with it, and that’s not good at all for tennis, especially for the governing bodies,” Becker said. ”People are going to be thinking, ‘How could this happen?  How could he get away with this?’”

Clearly, the fact that Agassi ‘got away with it’ has plagued Becker, who added: “If it had been made public in 1997 that Andre was using drugs, his career, and his life, would have been very different.  He wouldn’t be where he is today.  Maybe his career would not have survived if everyone knew that he had taken drugs, and if he was banned from the tour for a while.  But no one knew until now, and it was after he took crystal meth that he played some of the best tennis of his life.  He won many grand slams after that.”

For the last person to throw stones, that’s certainly a lot of rocks!

Perhaps sensing that defeat was inevitable, Becker threw in a futile last-ditch effort, reminding everyone that in his own memoir, he admitted to washing down sleeping pills with whisky.  I’m sure he wanted to say: “That’s almost as bad as ice!”  Unfortunately, victory had already slipped out of his grasp.

Game.  Set.  Match.

Agassi defeats Becker, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (11-9), 1-6, 27-25, in their secret contest.

Eine lange Zeit der Ungewissheit ist beendet. Herbert Becker hat im fernen Kaukasus das Grab seines Vaters gefunden. „Leider hat meine Mutter das nicht mehr erlebt, sie starb in der Ungewissheit, dass mein Vater in Rumänien vermisst sei“, erzählt Herbert Becker. Er ist Jahrgang 1940 und hat seinen Vater 1944 zum letzten Mal gesehen. „Meine Erinnerungen daran sind nur schwach, aber ich habe Fotos aufbewahrt“, so der Trebbiner.

Die Familie hatte 1947 die Nachricht erhalten, dass Fritz Becker, Jahrgang 1912, in Rumänien vermisst sei. „Meine Mutter hat noch bis 1954 gehofft, als die letzten Kriegsgefangenen in die Heimat zurückkehrten“, so Herbert Becker. In all den Jahren trug er das Schicksal seines Vaters im Herzen, vor allem, seitdem er selbst Frau und Kinder hatte. „Irgendwie hat sich die Geschichte in der Familie wiederholt. Auch mein Vater hatte seinen Vater als Kind zum letzten Mal gesehen, bevor dieser im Ersten Weltkrieg fiel.“ Inzwischen hat auch Herbert Becker Gewissheit, dass sein Vater am 18. Oktober 1944 im Lager Georgijewsk verstorben ist. Im August 1994 traf eine entsprechende Mitteilung vom Suchdienst des DRK ein.

Die damaligen GUS-Staaten hatten zu dieser Zeit die bis dahin geheim gehaltenen Archive geöffnet und so wurde auch das Schicksal von Fritz Becker bekannt. Allerdings konnte die genaue Grablage nicht mitgeteilt werden. „Zumindest war für mich mit einiger Sicherheit die Ungewissheit beendet“, erinnert sich Herbert Becker. Er bedauert nur, dass seine Mutter das nicht mehr erfahren hat, sie war gerademal ein halbes Jahr zuvor verstorben. „Wir hatten immer an Rumänien gedacht. Jetzt war es der Kaukasus. Wenn wir das geahnt hätten. Zu DDR-Zeiten waren wir schon einmal in der Nähe, zu unserer Silberhochzeit“, erzählten Beckers. Sie warteten inzwischen auf weitere Informationen. „Ich habe zahlreiche Telefonate mit dem DRK-Suchdienst und dem Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge geführt.“

Im Sommer 2009 teilte der Volksbund die genaue Lage der Grabstätte von Fritz Becker mit: Georgijewsk, Friedhof des Lagers 147, Quadrat 3, Grab 22. Im Brief hieß es zugleich, dass es sich um eine schwierige Lage im Kaukasus handele, vermutlich um das Gelände eines Gefängnisses. Über den Volksbund gäbe es keine offizielle Reisemöglichkeit dorthin. Herbert und Hannelore Becker waren sich längst einig, dass sie die Grabstätte unbedingt aufsuchen würden.

Vom 5. bis 9. Oktober erlebten sie die aufregendste Zeit in diesem Jahr. Beckers hatten erfahren, dass ein Mann aus Nürnberg bereits Georgijewsk besucht und dort das Grab seines Vaters gefunden hätte, und sie fanden auch das Reisebüro in Köln, das seinerzeit für den Nürnberger die Reise in den Kaukasus organisiert hatte. Jetzt unternahmen die Kölner das Gleiche für das Trebbiner Ehepaar. Und dann war es soweit. Die Reise in den Kaukasus klappte wunderbar. „Nach einigem Hin und Her fanden wir in Begleitung einer 22 Jahre alten Dolmetscherin auch das Gefängnis und von dort wurden wir weitergeleitet“, so Herbert Becker. Schließlich hatten sie Unterlagen und Namenslisten des internationalen Soldatenfriedhofs in der Hand. Sie fanden auch den Namen Fritz Becker. Der Friedhof war eine Wiese, nicht einmal eingezäunt. Die verrosteten Blechtafeln nur schwer lesbar.

Aber dann stand Herbert Becker am Grab seines Vaters. Ein bewegender Augenblick. Hannelore Becker hielt den Moment im Bild fest. „Wir fanden im Kaukasus Hilfe und Verständnis. Dafür sind wir sehr dankbar“, so Beckers.

(Quelle: Uta Franke – MAZ Online)

Take a look at these Mosley Tribe sunglass that are set to drop in Spring of 2010.

“Having partnered with various streetwear entities earlier this year, we move forward and preview some of Mosley Tribes’ 2010 spring Resort collection. The eyewear models include the Patterson, Chambers, Hillyard and Becker, which could be best described as modern updates to classical shapes and styles. Each style is further broken down into a handful of different color configurations.”

Take a look at these Mosley Tribe sunglass that are set to drop in Spring of 2010.

“Having partnered with various streetwear entities earlier this year, we move forward and preview some of Mosley Tribes’ 2010 spring Resort collection. The eyewear models include the Patterson, Chambers, Hillyard and Becker, which could be best described as modern updates to classical shapes and styles. Each style is further broken down into a handful of different color configurations.”

I’ve had the technical school training. I’ve shot on my own. I’ve read books on photography. I’ve read blogs/websites/magazines about photography. With all this under my belt I’ve come to one conclusion: that the best way to learn is to study actual photographers. There is just something about seeing the work of others, reading their thoughts, and just trying my hardest to squeeze any information out of a wedding photographer’s website that makes my mind work in a very productive way. So in this post I want to share some of the best wedding photographers I’ve found out there. Check them out, and be amazed!

Jasmine Star
I’m sorry everyone else, but she’s easily my favorite. From how open and honest her blog is about her work and life to the amazing photographs, Jasmine does it all. She’s a constant source of inspiration.

Mike Colon
Finally, someone who isn’t afraid of grain! His style just caught my eye so fast I knew I wanted to follow his work and pick up a few things. So many of his images just have this classic quality that makes me feel like the wedding somehow fell through a time warp and really took place decades ago. I half expect to see Frank Sinatra in the background. But of course, it doesn’t happen, all I get is beautiful shot after beautiful shot. (oh no!)

Dane Sanders
Let me get this out of the way: his photographs are just beautiful. There, it’s said, it’s the truth, and it’s done. What Dane does better then anyone (for me anyways) is display an ability to anticipate, adapt, and fully explore new ways to do business as a photographer. His book, Fast Track Photographer, was one of the most eye opening books I’ve ever read. If anyone reading this wants to start any kind of photography business I highly recommend it. If you’re looking to start a wedding photography business it’s 100% essential!

The Becker
The Becker has an eye that can’t be denied. The vast majority of his images look like they belong in a magazine, like they were carefully crafted in the perfect studio setting. But they weren’t, this is just how good he is.

Ed Pingol
What can I say about Ed Pingol? Personally, he’s the model for what modern wedding photography can be. He is a master of creative angles and has had more “how the hell did he do that?!” shots then anyone else I have ever seen. Check him out!