Thursday, 11 November 2010

The Radar: Monopoly Travel Map; Eurostar Expands Routes; Airline's Low Price Pledge

AC Boardwalk.jpg Forget the smart phone, in the latest episode of his "76-Second Travel Show," Lonely Planet editor Robert Reid uses a Monopoly board to navigate his way around Atlantic City. The Parker Brothers' game was based on this historic New Jersey town, and as Reid discovers, many of the places still exist today. The video, a bit longer than the titular 76 seconds, is worth a look, particularly the moment when he attempts to buy a hotel on St. James Place for "100 dollars plus four houses." [Huffington Post]
Eurostar's high-speed rail network is expanding to include stops in Amsterdam and Geneva. The expansion will include ten new trains and updates to existing cars. Slated for completion in 2014, the project is estimated to cost over a billion dollars. The new fleet will be Wi-Fi equipped; offer various movie, music, and entertainment options; and carry 900 passengers, up from 750. [Telegraph]
Allegiant Air promises the best travel deals and now they're putting their money where their mouth is. If you discover a hotel and air package that's better than what they offer, Allegiant will fly you to your destination for free. They're so confident, they'll allow travelers to submit a claim within a week of booking a flight. [Jaunted]Got Radar? Tag your favorite travel stories from the web #ngtradar and follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and @IntelligentTrav.

Photo: Lulit Mekonnen/My Shot


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disneys house little prairie

Two little girls named Mary and Harry (Actually, it's Laura) go to Kansas and ride on a horse that has a wagon. A rattle snake comes and bit the horse and the horse got hurt and broke its leg. And the nice guys gave them a lot more horses and they got a cow. They builded a house and the Indians came and when the dad was riding on the horse, he fell off the horse and coyotes started to get the daddy. And when they were on their way, the dog was swimming in the water and they lost their dog. They thought their dog was dead and they didn't know where the dog was and then the dog came back. I loved it so much when the dog came back. There were some sad parts. Then the dad gave the little girls new shoes and Laura wanted to get the other girl's shoes messy. And more Indians went in the house and the mother shouted, "Indians!" and that was it.

Review:

I felt sad and happy because there were some sad parts in it that made me really sad and scared. And happy. My favorite characters were the two little girls, Mary and Laura because I liked them so much. I want to watch it again. Can you get it for me from Netflix, Mom?

Star Rating out of 5

Gracie: SIX!

THE FOX THEATRE IN ATLANTA FROM JUNE 15-20 ONLY!

“We are delighted to present LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL,” states Christopher B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars. “This exciting new show will bring back fond memories for so many of us who loved the books and the hit television series. Having the marvelous actress Melissa Gilbert performing in the role of Ma will add even more fun to the experience. This entertaining show is appropriate for all ages, so we encourage you to bring your families and friends and neighbors to join us at the Fabulous Fox Theatre from June 15-20.”

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL, a new musical based on the beloved Laura Ingalls Wilder series of classic American books, will arrive on June 15 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta for a one week engagement. Melissa Gilbert, who rose to fame as a child playing ‘Laura’ in the hugely successful NBC television series “Little House on the Prairie” during the 1970’s, now continues her legacy ‘on the prairie’ by taking on the role of Ma. LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL will also star Steve Blanchard as Pa and Kara Lindsay as Laura. Tickets for the Atlanta engagement of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL are on sale now and may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787, at www.ticketmaster.com, or by visiting the Fox Theatre box office. Group of 10 or more can get special rates by calling the Fox Group Sales Office at 404-881-2000.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL with Gilbert, Blanchard and Lindsay, had its world premiere production in August, 2008 at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, where it shattered all box-office records and sold-out 12 consecutive weeks. Initiated for the stage by Adrianne Lobel (Frog and Toad) and Francesca Zambello, the show is directed by Zambello (Disney’s The Little Mermaid), with music by Academy Award® winner Rachel Portman (Emma), lyrics by Donna di Novelli and a book by Tony Award® winner Rachel Sheinkin (The 25TH Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). Michele Lynch is choreographer and Kevin Stites is musical supervisor.

The producers of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL are Ben Sprecher, Amy Sprecher, Louise Forlenza, Bob Boyett, Jay Harris, William Franzblau, Tony Fusco, Larry Feinman, Peter W. Bezemes, Friendly Theatrical LLC, Jon B. Platt, Wendy Federman, Michael Filerman, Marc Schwartz, Karl Sydow and Nelle Nugent, in association with Bob Reich and Sharon Carr.

The production includes scenic design by Adrianne Lobel, lighting design by Mark McCullough, costumes by Tony Award winner Jess Goldstein, sound design by Carl Casella and wig/hair design by Charles LaPointe. Richard Carsey serves as music director, orchestrations are by Larry Hochman and dance and incidental music arrangements are by Michael Dansicker, with additional vocal and incidental music by Kevin Stites.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL is the uplifting story of an American family forging a new life amidst the mighty challenges, heartbreaks, joys and triumphs that face them in the newly-settled heartland. It is also the story of young Laura Ingalls, as she begins her life as a young woman, finding purpose, and finding love. Above all, it is the celebration of the pioneering spirit and the core values on which this country was founded – a spirit that still resonates today.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from June 15-20, 2010. Performances are Tuesday-Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 1:30 pm & 7 pm. Tickets are on sale NOW at all Ticketmaster outlets, at 800-982-2787 and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $25-$65. Special group rates are available through the Fox Group Sales Dept. at 404-881-2000.

Theater of the Stars celebrates its 58th Anniversary as one of the nation’s premier regional theater companies. A civic not-for-profit cultural treasure, Theater of the Stars is dedicated to presenting and producing the best in musical theater. To learn more about our history of excellence, visit www.theaterofthestars.com.

Here are bios for the principal cast and creative team:

MELISSA GILBERT (Caroline “Ma” Ingalls) Theatre: Off-Broadway: A Shayna Maidel (Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards); Regional: Love Letters (Canon Theater, LA); The Glass Menagerie (Chautauqua Theater Company); The Miracle Worker (Royal Poinciana Playhouse, Palm Beach); Bus Stop and Love Letters (Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville); Little House on the Prairie, the Musical (Guthrie). Television: Series lead in “Little House on the Prairie,” starred in more than 40 movies for television, including Emmy Award-winning The Miracle Worker, and more than a dozen television series, including “Nip/Tuck,” and “Sweet Justice.” Ms. Gilbert served as President of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001–05, and is currently the Standing Board Chair and Spokesperson for the Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition. Ms. Gilbert is also a New York Times best-selling author with the recent publication of her autobiography, Prairie Tale - A Memoir, from Simon & Schuster.

STEVE BLANCHARD (Charles “Pa” Ingalls). Broadway: Beauty and the Beast, Camelot, A Christmas Carol, The Three Musketeers; Off-Broadway: Frankenstein, Johnny Guitar, An Oak Tree; National tours: Camelot, Phantom of the Opera, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Repertory Theatre of St. Louis: Esmeralda; Baltimore’s CenterStage: Sleep of Reason; Charles Playhouse, Boston: The Threepenny Opera; Ford’s Theatre, Washington, D.C.: Hot Mikado, Godspell; Guthrie: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical; Paper Mill Playhouse: Chess; Theatre Under The Stars, Houston: Chess. Film/Television Law at Randado, Rapmaser Ronnie, Warlords 3000, “Third Watch,” “Law and Order,” “Ed,” “Police Story,” “Sunset Beat,” “One Life to Live,” “Guiding Light,” “Another World.”Original cast recordings Johnny Guitar, Sundown, Frankenstein; debut solo CD Northbound Train

KARA LINDSAY (Laura Ingalls). Theatre: Denver Center for the Performing Arts: Quilters; Guthrie: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical; 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle: Lone Star Love; West Virginia Public Theatre:Thoroughly Modern Millie, Beauty and the Beast, Cats, Hello, Dolly!; Carnegie Mellon University: Side Show, After Miss Julie, Hello Again, Oresteia. Training B.F.A., Acting/Musical Theater, Carnegie Mellon University

FRANCESCA ZAMBELLO (Director). Theatre Broadway: Disney’s The Little Mermaid; London: Royal Albert Hall: Showboat; West End: Napoleon; Raimund Theater, Vienna: a new musical based on Rebecca; Seattle Children’s Theatre: Tibet Through the Red Box; Bregenz’s floating stage: West Side Story; Guthrie: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical. Old Globe: First Wives Club, Skylight Music Theater: artistic director, 1984-91; Opera: Metropolitan Opera: An American Tragedy (world premiere), Cyrano de Bergerac (with Placido Domingo), Les Troyens; Teatro alla Scala: Cyrano; Washington National and San Francisco Operas: The Ring, San Francisco Opera: artistic advisor; Royal Albert Hall: La Bohème; The Bolshoi: Fiery Angel; Chicago Lyric Opera: Salome; Royal Opera House: Carmen, Don Giovanni; Paris Opera: Boris Godunov, War and Peace, Billy Budd, William Tell; Film War and Peace (ORF), Amahl and the Night Visitors (BBC), The Little Prince (BBC/PBS). Awards: Three Olivier Awards; two Evening Standard Awards for best musical and best opera; two French Grand Prix des Critiques; Japanese Golden Prize; Helpmann Award; Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres; Russian Federation’s medal for Service to Culture; the Palme d’Or in Germany; the Golden Mask in Russia. Education: Colgate University; Moscow University. www.francescazambello.com

RACHEL PORTMAN (Music). Theatre: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical. Film: Grey Gardens, The Duchess, Emma, The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Infamous, The Manchurian Candidate, Oliver Twist, The Lake House, Nicholas Nickleby, Hart’s War, The Human Stain, Life is Sweet, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Beloved, Home Fries, Addicted to Love, Marvin’s Room, Only You, The Road to Wellville, Sirens, Benny & Joon, The Joy Luck Club, Used People, Smoke, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, Where Angels Fear to Tread. Opera/concert: The Little Prince, The Water Diviner’s Tale. Awards: Academy Award for Best Original Score for Emma; Academy Award nominations for The Cider House Rules and Chocolat; British Film Institute’s Young Composer of the Year Award.

DONNA DI NOVELLI (Lyrics). Musical Theater/Opera: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical (lyrics); Florida (book and lyrics) Lyric Opera Cleveland, Public Theater’s New Work Now, New York City Opera’s VOX; No God but Yearning (book and lyrics) Public Theater’s New Work Now, Joe’s Pub. Theater: The First Eff (stage play) Mark Taper Forum, Duende Arts. Dance: Twelve Dancing Princesses (text) Los Angeles Modern Dance and Ballet. Commissions: San Francisco Opera; Chanticleer; BBC. Publications New Monologues For Women by Women (Heinemann Press), NuMuse, Brown University. Awards: Manhattan Theatre Club Fellowship, Rockefeller Foundation residency in Bellagio, Italy; National Musical Theater Conference residency, the Mac Dowell Colony and the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Professional Affiliations: ASCAP, Dramatists Guild. Teaching: Bookwriting, Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts; Playwriting, National Theater Institute, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center; Visiting professor, Brown University. Training: M.F.A., Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts (Ira Gershwin Fellow); A.M., Brown University.

RACHEL SHEINKIN (Book) Recent work includes Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Tony, Drama Desk awards); Off Broadway: Striking 12 (Lucille Lortel nomination), off-off: Serenade. Regional: Guthrie, Little House on the Prairie, the Musical; Center Theater Group, Sleeping Beauty Wakes (Los Angeles Ovation Award); London: Blood Drive. Residencies, fellowships, commissions include: Eugene O’Neill National Theater Center, Baryshnikov Dance Foundation, MacDowell Colony, Manhattan Theatre Club, Deaf West, McCarter Theatre, Playwrights Horizons. Rachel is a volunteer mentor for TDF’s Open Doors program, a visiting instructor at Yale School of Drama, and adjunct faculty member of NYU’s Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program.

MICHELE LYNCH (Choreographer). Paper Mill Playhouse: Happy Days. Broadway: The Coast of Utopia (Choreographer), Hairspray and The Full Monty (Associate Choreographer), Urinetown (Asst. Choreographer). Off-Broadway: Everyday Rapture (Second Stage), NYMF: Idaho; Yale Rep: Rough Crossing; Guthrie: Little House on the Prairie; Asolo Theatre: Pride & Prejudice; Mark Taper Forum: 13; St Louis MUNY: Breakfast at Tiffany’s; Stanford Center for the Arts: Empire; North Carolina Theatre: South Pacific; Ford Center: Leading Ladies; has traveled around the world setting companies of Hairspray and The Full Monty. Film: CAMP. Awards: Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Happy Days at Goodspeed Opera House; Garland Award for 13.

KEVIN STITES (Music Supervision, Additional Vocals, Incidental Music). Broadway: Tale of Two Cities, Color Purple, Titanic, Sunset Boulevard, Pamela’s First Musical, Children and Art, Les Misérables, Threepenny Opera, Fiddler, Nine, Oklahoma!, On the Town. National tours: Color Purple, Martin Guerre, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Titanic. Guest conductor: Grant Park Symphony, Guys and Dolls and Les Miserables at Hollywood Bowl. TV/Film: “Rosie Live,” Reefer Madness and others.
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http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
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http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/
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Believer or Bieber!

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9/28 Man Crush and D-Bag of the Week!

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My Top Six Great Blues Guitarist

My Top Six Great Blues Guitarist

Some of the greatest blues guitarist in the world never achieved greatness, but because their style is so unique and innovative, it has made that artist world renowned. Artist like Bonnie Raitt for example certainly does not have the speed and raw sound of a Stevie Ray Vaughn, but instead she creates beautiful tones and lyrics that made her what she is today and advanced her into the mainstream of blues music.

The following is a list of my favorite top 6 Blues Artist:

Muddy Waters, an amazing artist specializing in the acoustic guitar. Muddy Waters roots came from rural Mississippi and helped create the style know as the Chicago blues. This style exploded and helped pave the way for artist like Stevie Ray and Eric Clapton.

Robert Johnson, his innovative and unique sound helped create the style we know today as the Delta blues, this style and can be heard today in current blues.

Eric Clapton, his unique style today helped combine the blues from the 60's and the more heavy rock sounds we hear today. Eric Clapton is truly one of the best of his generation.

Stevie Ray Vaughn, was known for his raw power and sound. His incredible talent reached new heights in the industry. You would be hard pressed to find any anyone today that could hold a candle to his style and power. Stevie was one of the most influential artists of his time and often compared to Jimmy Hendrix.

T-Bone Walker, helped establish the blues guitar as a lead instrument, and also had a very unique sound especially while playing the blues. This unique style is still widely used today. T-Bone Walker is truly a pioneer and an important influence in almost every great blues player from that generation on.

Jimmy Hendrix, known as the godfather of the blues, Jimmy had the most influence and impact on virtually every guitarist today. Although Jimmy was surprisingly humble, musically, his style and sound is one that is most imitated today. When anyone talks about the blues guitar it would be nearly impossible not to mention Jimmy Hendrix.

We only mentioned a few of the great blues guitar players in this article, but every one of these artist helps continue to shape the history of the blues and lives in every great blues player today.

The Pitch – Part 2

Some of the greatest blues guitarist in the world never achieved greatness, but because their style is so unique and innovative, it has made that artist world renowned. Artist like Bonnie Raitt for example certainly does not have the speed and raw sound of a Stevie Ray Vaughn, but instead she creates beautiful tones and lyrics that made her what she is today and advanced her into the mainstream of blues music.

The following is a list of my favorite top 6 Blues Artist:

Muddy Waters, an amazing artist specializing in the acoustic guitar. Muddy Waters roots came from rural Mississippi and helped create the style know as the Chicago blues. This style exploded and helped pave the way for artist like Stevie Ray and Eric Clapton.

Robert Johnson, his innovative and unique sound helped create the style we know today as the Delta blues, this style and can be heard today in current blues.

Eric Clapton, his unique style today helped combine the blues from the 60's and the more heavy rock sounds we hear today. Eric Clapton is truly one of the best of his generation.

Stevie Ray Vaughn, was known for his raw power and sound. His incredible talent reached new heights in the industry. You would be hard pressed to find any anyone today that could hold a candle to his style and power. Stevie was one of the most influential artists of his time and often compared to Jimmy Hendrix.

T-Bone Walker, helped establish the blues guitar as a lead instrument, and also had a very unique sound especially while playing the blues. This unique style is still widely used today. T-Bone Walker is truly a pioneer and an important influence in almost every great blues player from that generation on.

Jimmy Hendrix, known as the godfather of the blues, Jimmy had the most influence and impact on virtually every guitarist today. Although Jimmy was surprisingly humble, musically, his style and sound is one that is most imitated today. When anyone talks about the blues guitar it would be nearly impossible not to mention Jimmy Hendrix.

We only mentioned a few of the great blues guitar players in this article, but every one of these artist helps continue to shape the history of the blues and lives in every great blues player today.

Silly Me

With the above in mind, here’s my theory and the essential points of my pitch:

Record labels invest in genuinely creative acts (like Pink Floyd and The Doors) who produce quality products, which then generate billions of dollars. This type of music becomes the industry standard for the Rock genre as well as for generations of Rock fans.
The aforementioned “standards” so easily generates money year-after-year, that the music industry has the ability to focus on developing new artists.  However, it rarely operates outside the proven revenue generators of the past.
In the 80's, industry returns skyrocket when formats change from LP to CD.  The lesson to the executives?  “The more I sit back and relax, the more money I make!”
Next, major labels get fat and lazy, like well-fed pigeons in a park. They forget their core A & R values and focus only on the easy, short-term money.  In part, they accomplish this by spending money on marketing and advertising (Remember Vanilla Ice, Millie Vanilli and CMC Music Factory?)  It was easier for the business to pedal the junk they already had and jam it down the throat of the consumer.  Creatively speaking, they were only interested in music that was cheaply produced.
In the meantime, the industry ignores bands like Dave Matthews and Phish. These bands generate millions of dollars for live performances–money that bypasses the record company and goes directly into pockets of the artists.
This “game change” of marketing music “product” and producing cheap music may work for a while, but it will never exceed the sales of music based on the talent and cultivation of musicians and songwriters like Dylan, Elvis, Beatles, U2, Eagles, AC/DC, and other standard artists.
This new process also stiff-arms the 30 and over audience, who’ve since found comfort in the “new” country music.

Hey, but I’m the guy with no business background.  Silly me.

Meat and Potatoes

The pitch I delivered seemed simple enough.  Here were my notes:

Return to classic A & R practices by scouting and cultivating gifted artists and bands in the classic Rock ‘N Roll genre.  In other words, follow the same process that yielded The Dead, Lynard Skynard, Cream, Buffalo Springfield, YES and the like.
This cohort would carry on the “new” standards of Rock music.
Work to develop their music over a long period of time (think of the many albums Bonnie Raitt produced before having success).  In other words, stick with the artist and allow room for some failure.
My proposed musical model would be Classic Rock of the 70's and 80's.  My expectations would be that songs by these newer bands would satisfy the older, say, AC/DC fan, and would be Classic Rock radio friendly. In fact, these stations could play these new songs today amongthe many other classics on currently on their playlist.

(The only band that I can think of that even came close to achieving what I describe was The Black Crows.  It was brilliant when they collaborated with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.  I believe it appealed to the disenfranchised listeners that I discussed earlier, converting them into Black Crows fans forever. All they did was tap into the Classic Rock pipeline.)

Finally, according to the design of the pitch, I would be the one to clarify the business model and implement it for the record company.

To Prove a Point

It seems like radio formats go through cycles rather quickly.  The Smooth Jazz station turns to Alternative Rock seemingly overnight.  The Lite FM station to 24 Hour Sports, and so on.  The only genre that’s consistent is Classic Rock.  For example, try the following on your next road trip: As you flip through the stations notice the variety in every radio market.  Now, find the classic rock station in each market.  I guarantee that it’ll be prominent on the dial and easy to tune in.  To me, this means that there are plenty of people listening and that there is a great demand.  You’ll rarely hear a new song from a new band.  You may also notice that these classic rock stations play the same stuff, over and over.  In terms of my pitch, this meant that the business had abandoned a large market.  Like a grocery store selling the same line of food year after year, because the people used to like it.  Instead, why not, give them something “new and improved” and still sell the classics?  Perhaps the new line of product will even become the staple of the future!

Don’t Let The Door…

In preparation for my impending meeting, I asked RCA to send me information and recent releases. Soon, a package arrived containing recordings of newly-signed bands, lists of current tours, and a breakdown of on-going projects.  I studied and listened.  Those days, RCA was rudderless and seemingly, had no interest in Rock ‘N’ Roll.  I had been in an RCA band years earlier and personally felt that the company was asleep at the wheel.  The cds in the package were disappointing.  Overall, it appeared that the label was too busy following trends instead of creating them.

On the day of my meeting, I received a warm welcome from the RCA staff.  A listening session had just adjourned, and the A & R staff were mulling about.  There were Suits lingering outside the conference room in a heated discussion.  Bob Jamieson came over and introduced himself and asked me to wait a few minutes more.  About an hour later, I was escorted into his office and was left to myself for a bit.  This was when I studied the photos and memorabilia to get a sense of the man to whom I’d submit my business proposal.  Eventually, he returned and we sat down to talk.

I began with my theory of a “New” Rock ‘N’ Roll, satisfying a disenfranchised and older market.  I spared no detail and spoke from the heart as if we were at a Happy Hour on our third round.  As my pitch progressed, Bob became distracted by phone calls, impromptu meetings and paperwork.  He also went out and spoke to his secretary for several minutes.  When he came back, he had a copy of the original letter I had sent them, and was skimming through it.  It was obvious that he hadn’t read it.  It also became apparent that he had no idea who I was and why I so desperately wanted to meet with him.  In addition, I didn’t get the sense that this guy knew much about music.  I’d refer to bands or songs to demonstrate a point and was waiting for the “Yeah!  I know what you mean!” type of response.  Instead, Bob grew restless and fidgety.  At the end of ten minutes or so, he made a polite excuse and called our meeting to an end.  He looked like a man who had been tortured by mindless talk about music–by a musician no less.  The horror!

…Hit You On The Way Out!

As he escorted me out of his office, I could see the red face of his secretary, Claudette, as I walked by her desk.  She diverted her eyes when I thanked her for inviting me.  The look on her face told me that she got a royal reaming from her boss for setting up this meeting.  She was in deep shit.  I felt like Jerry Maguire in the movie, the morning after the delivery of his infamous Mission Statement.  Embarrassed for misdirected passions and humiliated for my naivete.  I was treading water in another world and realizing that I had no idea how it operated.  “You know, you’d be a great A & R guy” he said as I waited for the elevator.  “It’s just that we’re not hiring anyone at the moment.” “Gee,” I thought, “thanks for offering me the hypothetical job.”  I walked in wanting to reinstate Rock ‘N’ Roll to its rightful throne.  I walked out in search of my dignity.

The After Story

Bob Jamieson contacted me some time later and asked me to meet with one of his A & R guys.  Maybe he had a chance to reflect on our meeting and my ideas.  I took the meeting.  I forget the guy’s name, but I remember that every few minutes, he’d supress a yawn.  After that, there were no more discussions or meetings with RCA.

In hindsight, I think things could have gone either way for me.  Going out on a limb for my “pitch” was well worth it, and I’ve done it again since.  From an early age, I believed that you had to be the best at what you do.  That’s what really matters.  This is a noble mission, but there’s a lot left out of that statement.  There’s your roomate at Yale or NYU, the personal connections with your neighbors in Great Neck or Scarsdale, the charity your family supports, your handicap on the golf course, the size of your trust fund, your fraternity brothers, your dad’s Wall Street associates, your wife the banker, or the Board that your mother chairs.  I’ve never had any of these “assets.”  Instead, after my RCA meeting, I could feel the loafer heel on my forehead as I was repelled from the party boat.

A Valuable Lesson

The lesson I learned was this: Assess, acknowledge, move on.  Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t.  Sometimes you’re handed your station in life on a platter, and other times, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never achieve your dreams and goals.  If that’s the case, don’t make a big deal about it, just move on to the next endeavour.  However, it is important that you continue to assert yourself.  Do the hard work and don’t worry too much about the outcome.  Two years later, in a strange twist, I became an elementary teacher in the NYC Public School system.  In a way, I felt like I had answered a calling.  Teaching and I fit like hand in glove.  In another way, because of my teaching job, my music career was never better.  Finally, I was able to say “no” to sub-standard or underpaying gigs.  In addition, my schedule was suddenly full, which made my time more valuable to me and my clients.  Surprisingly, leaving my old lifestyle was as easy as dropping a hot coal.  Assess, acknowledge, move on.

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Wednesday, 10 November 2010

$10 Million Elk Visitor Center Opens in Pennsylvania

Intelligent Travel $10 Million Elk Visitor Center Opens in PennsylvaniaBy IT Blog, October 6, 2010 4:40 PM | Comments (1) A new visitor's center and lodge in central Pennsylvania lets the intrepid traveler see the state's elk population up close. Adam H. Graham left the comforts of Brooklyn to see it for himself.

Photo: Elk in PennsylvaniaThough Pennsylvania's environmental headlines have lately been dominated by natural gas fracking in the Marcellus Shale, a handsome new $10 million Gold LEED-certified Elk Center quietly opened on September 9 in Benezette, Pennsylvania, on the edge of the fossil fuel-rich Allegheny National Forest, and just five-hours from my Brooklyn apartment. In its first week, the center saw over 10,000 visitors, its gift shop was depleted of merchandise, and it attracted over 100 new members to the Keystone Elk Country Alliance, who operate the facility with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

"Did you hear that?" asks the six-foot-two-inch CEO of the alliance, Rawley Cogan, who is sporting a pair of Wrangler jeans and a Stetson hat during our horse-drawn wagon ride on a cool September evening. His quiet enthusiasm about the center is palpable, and for a man who's seen thousands of elk in his lifetime, he's just as excited as the kids in back of the wagon when we spot a majestic ten-point bull emerge from the meadow fog and bugle loudly in our direction. If you haven't heard one before, the piercing gull-like bugle calls of elk are somewhat intimidating and positively haunting. I had seen the animals while on assignment in Newfoundland and California, but hearing them is extraordinary.

Photo: Elk Country Vistor's LodgePennsylvania has the only elk population on the east coast, and all 700 of them are contained within an 800 square mile range in the Pennsylvania Wilds, stretching over hilly second growth forests from Treasure Lake to the township of Lumber. "We're lucky this site was never strip-mined," Cogan explains to a few local farmers riding in our wagon, revealing the state's checkered environmental past. A century ago, Pennsylvania had clear-cut much of its forests and over 100 species had been extirpated from the state, including panthers, wolves, beavers, and elk. The story, often referred to as the 1760 massacre, is explained in vivid detail in Henry W. Shoemaker's 1917 classic Extinct Pennsylvania Animals.

But the state's recovery has become a model for reforestation. The elk, bear, and beavers have returned in healthy numbers. A burgeoning eco-tourism industry and a growing awareness of conservation now can be seen even in the state's most conservative pockets where oil, coal, and lumber provide local jobs. The new lodge-like center, slated for a grand opening today, October 6, harvests rainwater and is constructed with Pennsylvania hemlock and stone from local quarries. Inside, pieces of mission-style white oak furniture crafted by local prisoners are arranged around a grandiose fireplace, and a new multi-sensory theater will screen a film which incorporates the scent of campfire and an actual snowfall while explaining the local history of the elk--their depletion in 1867 and successful reintroduction in 1913 from a Rocky Mountain colony shipped by train.

In addition to the horse-drawn wagon rides, the center offers workshops on elk, guided walks, and a homestead program where visitors can spend the night in a three bedroom farmhouse house on the elk range. This winter, the center plans on offering sleigh rides, and expanding its repertoire of programs.

Getting There:
Elk Country Visitor Center
134 Homestead Drive, Benezette, PA; +1 814 787 5167.
Grounds open at 6:30 a.m. The Visitor Center is open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Mon-Sun (seasonal hours).

Photos: Above, Elk pause for a picture in Benezette, Pennsylvania, by Vanessa Rumsky/My Shot. Below, the new Elk Country Visitor Center.


The Lonely Planet Awards

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Japan's Maid Cafes

Intelligent Travel Last year, Rainer Jenss traveled around the world with his wife and two sons, and blogged about his experience here on Intelligent Travel. Now he's writing a column that focuses on traveling with kids.

Photo: Japan's Maid CafesDuring a recent visit to Japan, I had a chance to explore a side of Tokyo that was quite different from the one I saw when I was last in the city with my family almost two years ago. Before the trip, I came across a magazine article about a new trend in Tokyo that's grown out of the Japanese subculture obsessed with video games, manga, and anime characters. Eccentric themed restaurants called Maid Cafés were sprouting up all over the city and throughout the country to give these Otaku die-hards a place to hang out, and I was curious to see what all the buzz was about.

Not long after arriving, I began to realize these cafés were not part of some secret underground society. They were advertised all around town, especially on the metro trains. Because both my sons, like most boys in the U.S., are really into video games, I asked some locals if they were popular with kids. I was assured that they not only attracted the hardcore gamers, but were getting quite popular with couples, tourists, and the simply curious. Being rather inquisitive myself, I decided to check one out to see just how appropriate they'd be for families.

I headed for the Akihabara, or high-tech district of Tokyo, to one of the original maid cafés called the @home Café.  Once inside, I was greeted by several young ladies dressed in Victorian maid outfits like the kind you'd see women wearing for Halloween. This fashion trend apparently derives from "cosplay," the costume play craze that is now booming in Japan. Tasked to make their customers feel special, guests are addressed as "Lord" or "Master" by the maids who wait on them. And what do they serve? Their menu consisted mainly of dessert items like chocolate brownies, ice cream, and milk shakes. There was alcohol offered, but that just didn't seem fitting in this type of setting.    

Photo: Maid CafeAfter getting a seat in front of a small stage and placing my order, I began to feel a little awkward. The decor made it appear as though I walked into a pre-teen birthday party, but there were no kids in sight. Instead, there were a few middle-aged men and a couple of twenty-something girls performing song duets and getting Polaroids taken with the maids for 500 yen (about $6) a pop. Feeling somewhat obligated to play along, I opted for a round of Crocodile Dentist with one of the maids, a game I last shared with my sons when they were preschoolers.

While pretending that I was actually enjoying myself, I asked the local friend I was with what the appeal was with these places. She told me that most of the patrons love anime and manga characters, so when they come here, it's like stepping inside a cartoon. She further confessed how some of the café regulars are probably a bit socially awkward and sometimes uncomfortable around members of the opposite sex (there are now Butler Cafés for women), so these spaces serve as a sort of refuge, somewhere where they can feel accepted. I replied that even though many Americans might share this Japanese interest for video games and cartoon and comic book characters, I could never imagine something like a maid café in the U.S. Not because kids wouldn't like them, on the contrary. In this country, they would be designed for kids, and kids only. The only adults you'd find inside would be the parents coming to pick their children up.

I left the café somewhat relieved to get out of this bizarre, yet fascinating situation. More importantly, I came away with a heightened sense of awareness and appreciation for just how acute our cultural differences can be. It's what makes traveling so intriguing, and already has me looking forward to my next visit to Japan.  

[Tokyo Travel Guide]
[Jenss Family Travels]

Photos: Rainer Jenss


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