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It’s not just a club thing!
AUGUST 2011
MAGAZINE
WWW.KARMASCENEMAGAZINE.COM www.facebook.com/karmaprogroup www.facebook.com/karmaprogroupevents www.twitter.com/karmaprogroup
Mention Jennifer Judice at the Door!
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CONTRIBUTORS LETTER FROM THE EDITOR SOUTH FLORIDA WATERPARKS TEEN HANGOUT: SOUTH FLORIDA JC WAHOO THE VILLAGE GRILLE THE RETURN WINGS OF GOLD ANNUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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AROUND THE WATER COOLER CARS, CARS & MORE CARS ANNUAL TATTOO EXPO BEER GOGGLES BLOG BACKYARD LEG SHAVING LOCAL SIN
The articles featured in SCENE Magazine are of editorial content and the views of the writer. We welcome any feedback from our readers at fanmail@karmascenemagazine.com.
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Anais Alexandre,
Writer Anais Alexandre is a Miamibased Food Writer and Food Photographer. She is much more than a food enthusiast, she is a food lover, aficionada and devotee. Her fervor to hold all the knowledge of food in her grasp propels her to travel to all areas of South Florida to uncover all of Miami’s phenomenal, and sometimes secret eateries.
Elmo Love, Photographer
A little over a year ago I got stuck in the middle of writing a book and picked up a DSLR. 30,000+ clicks, and several equipment upgrades later, life is awesome. I’m doing things with my cameras that leave me speechless at times. I have lots of respect for people who study the craft. However, I only learn by doing, so I just keep shooting. I don’t dwell on my mistakes. I try to learn from my successes rather than my failures. I let every shoot teach me new lessons, and never say no to a bizarre opportunity. I believe that the art is out there, waiting to be captured. I take pictures and make photographs. I rather despise the phrase “creating images.” ELMO elmoloveftl@gmail.com ModelPort.
CONTRIBUTORS M. Alberto Rivera, Writer
M. Alberto Rivera has been many things over the years: musician, sailor, liberal conservative, antisocial activist, and fully unqualified loudmouth. Currently, he spends his time writing for this and many other fine publications. He is not concerned with, nor is he consumed by conspiricay theories, but is always bemused by what people fail to notice in plain view.
Beer Goggles Blogger, Writer
An insensitive and opinionated jerk?Well… I’ve been called worse things to my face as recently as last week, so I really don’t mind it… but I appreciate the ones letting me know if they agree, disagree or got something other than apathy to my blog, as it helps me know who reads me. I tend to talk just about anything, from personal experiences having fun out there, to crazy stuff I read about on the web, to things we all should take a moment to think about. Anything I post comes from my point of view, just as I see it through my beergoggles.
Ben Guzman, Photographer Ben Guzman is a Miami-based portrait and lifestyle photographer. Before resolving to follow his creative dreams, a passion for people initially led him to a career in behavior therapy. The experienced proved invaluable and he remains comitted finding the best in his subjects.You can list my website as Ben@benguzmanphoto.com and my website as benguzmanphoto.com. facebook.com/benguzmanphoto.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Better Late Than Never! What a month we have had here at Karma! I think it has been a true testament to our dedication of making this a success. Life has this uncanny way of testing you, whether you are ready for it or not. I truly believe that taking what your current situation is and trying to look at it from a positive side can be a test all by itself. I mean, do we say I can’t because it’s too hard or I don’t have enough to get it done? Maybe you could and maybe you are right but why would you accept it? Pushing through some of the most difficult times is usually the most rewarding when it is all said and done. Some people only measure their success and accomplishments through the degrees on the wall or the balance in their bank, but I think there are many other ways to measure it. This month, look back at some of the most difficult times in your life and write down the lessons that came from them, not just the obvious things because perhaps you will not see what it is you are looking for at first glance but if you dig deep into them you will find your small rewards.
I hope for you all that no matter the situation you are in, GOOD or BAD, that your season continues to change and your life is bountiful. Always remember that whether you see it or not we all have seasons, and when the darkness of winter is upon you… just hold on through the storm because spring is right around the corner! Have a great August, everyone! Next month we have our North Florida pages added so no matter where you are we will be there with you! Thanks, Karen from Karma
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WELCOME TO SOUTH FLORIDA
Sun, Sun & More Fun in the Sun is what I think of when I am looking for things to do with the family. Florida is boasting 155-160 State Parks with everything you could think of to enjoy with your family. Camping, fishing horseback riding and of course one of kids’ favorite, water parks. Check out these direct links to Waterparks BROWARD: http://www.broward.org/PARKS/THINGSTODO/Pages/WaterParks.aspx DADE: http://www.miamidade.gov/parks/parks/larry_penny.asp MONROE: http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/ PALM BEACHES: http://www.pbcgov.com/parks/aquatics/waterparks/
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SOUTH FLORIDA WATER PARKS
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Calypso Bay Waterparks 151 Lamstein Lane Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 (561) 790 - 6160 C.B. Smith Park Freshwater Swimming 900 North Flamingo Road Pembroke Pines 954-437-2650 Coconut Cove Waterpark and Recreation Center 11200 Park Access Road Boca Raton, FL 33498 (561) 274 - 1140 Gribble Pool West Tot Lot 13150 NE Eighth Avenue North Miami 305-891-7727 Key Largo Undersea Park MM 103.2 Key Largo 305-451-2353 Larry and Penny Thompson Park - Beach and Water Slides 11451 SW 184th Street Miami 305-232-1049 Markham Park Pool 16001 State Road 84 Sunrise 954-389-2000
Pembroke Falls Aquatics Center 1361 NW 129 Avenue Pembroke Pines 954-538-3646
South County Regional Park 11200 Park Access Road Boca Raton 561-966-6600
Topeekeegee Yugnee Park Swimming Lagoon 3300 North Park Road Hollywood 954-985-1980
Plantation Central Park Pool 9151 NW Second Street Plantation 954-452-2525
Sugar Sand Park’s Science Playground 300 S. Military Trail Boca Raton 561-393-7810
Venetian Pool Swimming Jewel 2701 DeSoto Boulevard, oral Gables 305-460-5356
Quiet Waters Park Mountain Biking Trails 401 S. Powerline Road Deerfield Beach 954-360-1315
T.Y. Park 3300 N. Park Road Hollywood 954-985-1980
West Lake Park - Manatee Play Area 751 Sheridan Street Hollywood 954-926-2480
Quiet Waters Park 401 S. Powerline Road Deerfield Beach 954-360-1315
The Fountains on Clematis Street 100 Clematis Street West Palm Beach 561-835-7042
Quiet Waters Park Splash Adventure 401 S. Powerline Road Deerfield Beach
Rapids Water Park 6566 North Military Trail West Palm Beach 561-848-6272
Rapids Water Park 6566 N. Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33407 Ski Rixen at Quiet Waters Park Mountain biking trails 401 S. Powerline Road Deerfield Beach 954-429-0215
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TEEN HANGOUT: SOUTH FLORIDA
Where Did All The Good Times Go! I am not sure about you but for the past few weeks my face book has been blasted with this post. ”My curfew was the porch light. My parents called my name, not my cell. I played outside with friends, not online. If I didn’t eat what was cooked for dinner, then I didn’t eat. Sanitizer didn’t exist, but you COULD get your mouth washed out with soap. I rode a bike without a helmet, getting dirty was OK, and neighbors LOVED YOU as much as your parents did. Re-post if you drank water from a garden hose”. UNKNOWN
Now, I know that some of get tired with all these types of blasts but it really got to me. I can’t think of or maybe just out of the loop but where do the kids today hang? Remember parking lots, video arcades, hamburger joints, skate arena’s ( 2 wheels in front , 2 in back with a stopper…) hehe, bands playing in garages and who could ever forget “THE MALL.” I couldn’t think of anywhere I would even let them hang with their friends now days! So this month we set out to find some places that are cool for them and safe for you! Check em’ out and write to us and let us know what you think!
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TEEN DANCE CLUBS
“505” Teen Center and Hobbit Skate Park 505 SE 5th Ave. • 561.243-7158
Orlando Skatepark -- Orlando Mary Brogan Skate Park -- Stuart Olliewood Bowl -- Hollywood FL. Kona Skatepark -- Jacksonville Pompano Indoor Skatepark -- Pompano Beach Seminole Tribe Skate Park -- Brighton Niceville Skatepark -- Niceville Graffiti Skate Zone -- Palm Bay Wadsworth SkatePark -- Flagler Beach Control Skatepark Miami -- Miami Vans Skate Park - Orlando -- Orlando
SKATE PARKS
Teen Library Clubs
Skateboarding Contests First Saturday of every month Control Skatepark 380 NW 24 Street • Miami Florida 33127 www.controlskateboarding.com 305.576-9012 Crashup Derby Factor: 5 We are skateboarder owned and operated, no pads are required, just have the release form signed by a parent or guardian if you are under 18
Teen Club @ Golden Glades Branch Library Every week Saturday, 3:30pm
Club Pure Energy http://www.clubpureenergy.com/ 2845 N Military Trail • West Palm Beach, FL 33409 561.308.0813 clubpureenergy@yahoo.com TEEN CENTERS
Late Nite @ Super Wheels Skating Center 12265 SW 112th Street, Miami, Florida 33186 305.270.9FUN (386) Every Friday Skate and dance your way till the 12:30 closing. DJ’s play hip hop, house, electro and freestyle bass to the beat of laser lites and fog machines. Skate Park @ Amelia Earhart Park Beginner, intermediate, and expert instruction for skaters and BMX bikers, 3:00 -5:00 p.m. Mondays -Fridays. Call 305.685.8389 for details. Daily Random Skate Parks in Florida Skatepark of Tampa -- Tampa DeepSouth -- Pensacola Metro Skatepark -- Sanford Mad Chucks Skatepark -- Panama City Beach Ramp 48 -- Pompano Beach Paradise Funplex -- Merritt Island Nav City Sk8 Park -- Navarre Palm Beach YMCA -- Palm Beach Satellite Beach -- Satellite Beach Mesh Skatepark -- Longwood Ft. Myers Skatepark -- Ft. Myers Collier County -- Collier County Central Skatepark -- Clearwater The Pipe -- Janesville
Teen Club: Wii Gaming @ Homestead Library Tue., August 23; Tue., August 30 Teen Club: Chess @ Coral Reef Branch Library Sat., August 27 Teen Club: Chess @ Doral Branch Library 4:00 PM Every Wednesday Sharpen your chess skills by playing other fans of this classic game. Teen Club: Anime @ Coral Gables Branch Library Sat., August 20 Teen Club: Filmmaking @ California Club Branch Library Wed., August 17 Teen Club: Anime and Manga @ Coral Reef Branch Library Wed., August 31 Teen Club: Comics, Manga, Anime and More @ International Mall Branch Library Fri., August 19 Teen Club: Games and More @ Kendale Lakes Branch Library Fri., August 19 Dance Through the Ages (For Teens) @ David Posnack Jewish Community Center Every week Thursday, Friday, Saturday Tween Book Club @ Coconut Grove Library Second Tuesday of every month Japanese Anime Screenings @ South Miami Branch Library Every week Tuesday
Stormont Kings Chess Club @ Kendall Branch Library Start Time: 3:00 PM End Time: 5:00 PM Learn the game of chess with beginners and advanced players. Every Friday OTHER CLUBS & PLACES FOR TEENS Goal Ball @ A.D. Barnes Park Fun for visually impaired teens and adults. Every Friday, 3:00pm-5:00pm Nourishing Hope @ Miami Counseling and Resource Center Recovery-oriented therapy group for young women and girls struggling with issues of disordered eating. Every week Thursday, 5:30pm-7:00pm Crossroads @ St. Louis Catholic Church Fellowship group for young adults meets for faith exploration, social events, and community activities. Every week Monday Tango Lessons @ The Tango Times Dance Company Oscar Caballero & Roxana Garber Argentine Folk and Tango Dancers and teachers present dance classes for kids, teens and adults. Argentine Tango Lessons for Adults: Mon.-Thurs. 8pm Argentine Folk Lessons Tues. 7pm Tango and Folk for kids and pre-teens: Wed. 6pm Modern Dance Technique: Mon. and Thurs. 6:30pm. Family Day at Scott Rakow Youth Center @ Scott Rakow Youth Center Join your friends and neighbors for an exciting day of recreation from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pool users ages 7 and under must be accompanied by a parent. Every Sunday Fish Fry Weekends @ Dashanty Music and Reggae Designs http://www.dashantymusic.com 1301 North Dixie Hwy Pompano Beach, FL 33060 954.786.3970 Leave the hustle and bustle of the long workweek and come chill with us on the weekends. Listen to music, play ludo, dominos, chess and checkers, or simply enjoy some fried fish and hard dough bread!!! Every Sat. and Sun. Tennis Center @ Tamiami Park Daily
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JC Wahoo
tuesday night kids jam
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Just like a lot of other families out there, are you faced with the deciding factor on the daily question of “What’s for dinner”? Well, this particular Tuesday it was one of those days when the response was “ I don’t know, I don’t know, whatever” … Knowing all too well that if I had my way we would be sitting down at a chic’ little sushi bar with a cool roll and a Cosmo but, since it’s rarely is about me I thought I would look for something that the kids would be somehow entertained, so I wouldn’t have to go to the bathroom 3 times during dinner as their form of socializing entertainment. (Moms, you know as soon as you sit down, it’s “mom I need to go potty” as a way to see what’s going on without being able to run amuck!). Anyway, I had seen the Ad (event flyer) for JC Wahoo a few times in our event Calendar and thought this is a great way to get out, grab some good food and let the kids be kids. MAN, was I pleasantly surprised to see how well it was all put together, and I mean for the kids. When we arrived, all the teens and tweens were unloading equipment and hanging together right outside the place (remember when just hanging was enough)? We sat and started to listen, and enjoying the place not only for the kids. These kids singing and playing
were good! Hosted by Rough Shot and mentored by some of the names that locals recognize as our bands, such as SSlejj Party band and Wild Eyed Cats along with Joe Riley, it was very enjoyable to see what it is to appreciate a community and to give back, for these bands to take their time off from their schedules and to come help the next generation of rockers… My hat goes off to them. If you have a musically inclined kid or teen, and would like to take him/her/them to be in an environment that they can enjoy and be themselves while it’s ok for mom and dad to be there, I highly recommend JC Wahoo on Tuesday nights Open Jam. Great service, friendly staff, well priced good food and a fountain of youth and entertainment. It has been a long time since we didn’t have to have a roll of quarters at the restaurant just to keep the younger ones busy with the operated coin video games, and the atmosphere was terrific. Thanks JC Wahoo!! We appreciate the kind offerings for a place the kids can just be, listen to some cool tunes and participate in the meantime. Check them out and you won’t be disappointed. Karen from Karma
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The Village Grille is a beach front restaurant offering their customers a multitude of dining styles. The building is stately, with brick exterior and interiors. It not only has a restaurant and bar, but also a lounge and a sushi bar as well. The ambiance of the place is relaxed and comfortable. The Village Grille is the sort of place you can see yourself becoming a regular in. After we were greeted by the smiling hostess, Melinda, we took a quick trip around the restaurant to give you
guys all the details. The main room and restaurant held large camel colored booths as well as elegant dark wood tables for smaller dining parties. The lounge and bar were hip and modern and the sushi bar was tasteful and elegant. The entire place is full of delicious scents and sounds. The rooms are filled with happy people enjoying their evening while classic jazz music plays in the background. I feel right at home and ready to start my evening. We were seated by the friendly GM Nick, who put in our drink orders.
THE VILLAGE GRILLE Our waiter, Ian, came by promptly to take our order. For an appetizer we ordered pot stickers. They were sweet and meaty with a tender chewy dough. The pot stickers came with a roasted corn salad side, which was refreshing and had a sweet vinegarette. For the entrĂŠes we ordered the seafood lasagna special for the day, and the fish and chips. Each bite of lasagna was full of shrimp, calamari and scallop covered in a creamy tomato sauce. Everything
was cooked to perfection, and perfectly tender. The fish and chips were fantastic as well. The cod was crunchy, buttery and fell apart delicately when bit into. Add some of the fresh coleslaw they serve with it along with some thinly cut French fries and you have yourself a perfect beach side meal. Stuffed but still having room for dessert, how could we say no to Laura’s famous cupcake truffles, especially at 3 for $6.50. Who is Laura, you may be wondering? And why are her truffles so famous? Laura is an extraordinary baker, and wife of the restaurants GM.
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the village grille cont. These tasty mouthfuls are hand dipped by her each week. The best part is they come in three flavors. A moist lemon cake with white chocolate, chocolate cake with milk chocolate, and a dense red velvet cake covered in dark chocolate. All three tiny chocolate mounds are topped with fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries. With bellies full and smiles on our faces, we made our way to our final stop, cocktails! The Village Grille happens to have two famous martinis which we were more than willing to try. The first being a Pomegranate Martini, which was sweet and ultra refreshing. The second being a Mocha Martini which was creamy, espresso heaven!
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THE RETURN
This 4 song CD is the equivalent of The Ultimate Extreme Work Out video, only for guitar players. It opens with a true to form rendition of Michael Sambello’s “Maniac,” sans pesky vocals to get in the way. Andreas throws himself into the song. There are subtle and overblown passages. Phrases where EA muses and reflects and others where his fingers fly a hundred miles a minute. This kids, is what was called a Guitar Hero before the words were trademarked into something your parents didn’t complain about noise-wise. “The Return” is the title track for a reason. This song screams and squeals; everything about it is absurdly big and foreboding. Robin Trower, George Lynch and shades of Gary Moore can be heard pressed together in the subtext of Erich Andreas playing, coming out as his own unique musical voice. “The Return” without visual accompaniment, is the sort of song designed to command a moment. If this was used in a film, it would play out during the films climactic scene, as good triumphs over evil and/or Vin Diesel wins a race. My point is, this is epic music, worthy of an equally ginormous visual presentation. “Sown in Tears” is no slouch. There are some Paco De Lucia/ Al Di Meola acoustic moments wedged in between the electric shredding. Multiple guitar parts weave in and around each other, constructing an intense sonic lattice. This CD closes out with “Amazing Grace” presumably performed with an E-bow for the bag pipe effect. It seems an appropriate way to close out the disc. After the intense and soaring emotions of the previous tracks, this gives the listener a chance to slow down, catch their breath and be amazed, just before the CD starts once more.
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WINGS OF GOLD ANNUAL
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AROUND THE WATER COOLER by M. Alberto Rivera
Amy Winehouse, You Know, uhm 2 birds With, uh; While Stoned
Alright, the news online and on everyone’s mind for exactly 3 hours and 7 minutes today was about the death of Amy Winehouse. The print was full of adjectives like tragic, unfortunate, upsetting and other un-words (unhappy, unpleasant, you pick one) but not surprising. Any one who’s caught off guard by this is just plain stupid. Winehouse’s drug use is/was legendary. Her hit “Rehab” was initially considered a bit of politically incorrect fun, and has proven to be prophetic. The same way the Kurt Cobain penned Nirvana number, “I Hate Myself and Want to Die,” was. The first time I saw the title, it was a great laugh, and a few months later, well, the world wondered out loud how they could have missed all the signs. As of this writing, the official cause of death has yet to be determined, but I’m gonna guess it wasn’t food poisoning A few scant weeks ago, Winehouse was being goofed on by news anchors on CNN for her horrifically bad opening night performance in Serbia. When she walked out on stage she said “Hello Athens!” and the audience turned on her immediately. Things didn’t improve. She was incoherent, forgetting the words to her own songs, and berating the musicians in her band for perceived mistakes. She wandered the stage, unable to focus or complete a song. She ended up getting booed off the stage. The tour was susbsequently cancelled. This would be the pathetic final performance of her life. I don’t wish to seem straight up unfeeling regarding her passing, but the only news to me is that she wangled her way into the 27 Club. Not a big club, but really exclusive and largely reserved for genius/seminal quality artists. Robert Johnson, Kurt Cobain, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison are all card carrying
members. People are calling Winehouse a genius in part because of her Grammy win, but a couple of good albums, a good voice and a throwback retro vocal and fashion style, however enchanting, does not a genius make. Sure she was talented, but she’s leaving behind a legacy of two memorable full length CD’s and mountains of ink related to her very public problems, which unfortunately, overshadow most of her career achievements. But death is almost always a good a move for an artist. Ask Elvis and Tupac. Well you know, ask the estate of either one. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “Tis a poor business to speak ill of the dead.” And usually the public is in full agreement. There will be tributes in the form of shows and CD’s, posthumous releases, t-shirts, Sno-globes, and rolling papers, black light posters and anything else anyone might think up. This cash cow is aching to be milked, now. I don’t think Winehouse will suddenly become a ubiquitous part of pop culture, but in the short term, she’ll have a spike in popularity. Maybe we’ll see her hairstyle catch on en masse. But I see a cable TV bio-pic, some quickie
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AROUND THE WATER COOLER cont. sordid paperback biographies, and far too many overly sentimental testimonies by friends, lovers and complete strangers lamenting the loss of her amazing talent. Whatever. Winehouse now has everyone’s attention in death for the same reason she did when she was alive; laying there unresponsive, smelling of dope and liquor. Some of the lesser known members of the 27 Club also qualify as amazing. These need to be identified by their bands as they never achieved the mainstream recognition
they deserve. D. Boon of The Minutemen, Mia Zapata from The Gits, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, a founding member and keyboard player for the Grateful Dead, Chris Bell from Big Star,
seminal painter/artist Jean-Michael Basquiat and Dave Alexander, original bassist for The Stooges. There’s lots of notable dead artists; some of them just got the timing wrong and as a result their legacies are sort of tenuous and fleeting. Shannon Hoon is the best example off the top of my head. The voice of Blind Melon, he was a notorious drunk and junkie. Hoon was found unresponsive on his tour bus in 1995. But kicking off at 28, Hoon becomes a footnote as a great one hit wonder. Tim Buckley, Bradley Nowell, and Hillel Slovak, all deceased at 28. All remarkable and important, but the numbers conspired against them. They all deserved greater recognition for their accomplishments and not who they inconvenienced with their passing. One hopes Miss Winehouse restless and troubled soul will find peace and respite in death. Her parents, who publicly plead for her to seek help, now have to endure one final fall they can’t help their child with. Hopefully they will be able to replace the years of uncertainty and anxious fretting with tranquility. The rest of us are left to contemplate another cautionary tale of excess, and a talent not fully realized. It will only be a matter of time before we turn our attention to another to celebrity playing out a disaster called their life for our entertainment.
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CARS, CAR
Mad Mods
1306 S. Dixie Hwy. West, Pompano Beach, FL 954-410-8450
Facebook –“The Original” Mad Mods “You may catch the Mad Mods crew at the shop, or at just about any of the local car shows in the South Florida.
Elmo Love Photography
RS & MORE CARS
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annual tattoo expo
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:
Debbie Amchir Coordinator South Florida Tattoo Expo 954-868-7040 / flatattooexpo@aol.com
ANNUAL TATTOO EXPO RAISES FUNDS FOR JOE DIMAGGIO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Fort Lauderdale, FL – 07/01/11 – The Fort Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs Hotel, Golf Club & Convention
Center at Heron Bay will be abuzz August 12, 13 and 14, 2011 as the 16th Annual South Florida Tattoo Expo, sponsored by Cool Cat Tattoo, gets underway with 100% of all proceeds to benefit the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation. This spectacular event will include tattoo artists and vendors from all over the world, including Germany, Austria, Japan and South America to fill the more than 115 booths at the spacious Coral Springs Marriott at Heron Bay. An open car and truck show is scheduled for Sunday, August 14, and has been dubbed South Florida’s “Most Unique Summer Car Show”. Sponsored by Cruisers of South Florida, all proceeds of this event also benefit the children’s hospital. Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is one of the area’s leading pediatric care hospitals, offering comprehensive health services and programs in an atmosphere that is child-friendly. An all-new facility opens July 20 in Broward County thanks to the support of events such as the South Florida Tattoo Expo, which since adopting the hospital, has raised over $600,000 to benefit the facility. Utilizing the exceptional facilities at the Coral Springs Marriott at Heron Bay, and a 100% volunteer support staff, this three-day expo will include contests, entertainment by 14 live national and local bands and celebrity guests. More information concerning the expo may be found at www.floridatattooexpo.com or by calling the 24-hour Expo hotline at 954-343-5585.
### About South Florida Tattoo Expo™: Based in sunny South Florida and founded in 1996, the South Florida Tattoo Expo founders and coordinators Dave and Debbie Amchir along with the many volunteers dedicate their time to put together this event. All proceeds benefit the Joe DiMaggio Hospita Foundationl. For more information, contact flatattooexpo@aol.com or call 954.868.7040. -END-
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Find us at www.beergogglesblog.com & http://www.facebook.com/beergogglesblog
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BEER GOGGLES BLOG
Turbans for sale now!
We all know these days that America is in trouble, and many of us are suffering the consequences of our government ineptitude to correct the many mistakes made over the last couple of decades, but I could only wish our problems ended there. I am an avid reader of international news, perhaps because I was brought up to look in depth at different cultures and learn from them, or perhaps because I have had the chance to do some traveling in my lifetime and found out how important it is to learn from the effects of the other guy sticking a fork in the power source instead of experiencing it on my own. I think this has allowed me to see whole societies changing, and notice today some early signs of it that perhaps others might miss, or chose not to see. Take a moment and ask yourself what we are fighting in our current wars. They say we are fighting to bring freedom to some poor folks overseas, and we most certainly do. But in reality we are fighting regimes that have used religion, most specifically Islamic law, to govern their everyday life. There were no problems with Islam while the people in power were moderate Islamists, allowing people the freedom of practicing any religion they believed on and keeping it out of their government, but as soon as the radicals took power and started using religion as the law of the land, and using their interpretation of the scriptures as the only for their people they rule as the way to live, we started seeing the Jihadist, the honor killings,
the public executions by stoning and the oppression of women as their way of life. That brings me to the conclusion that our forefathers were right by mentioning the need for separation of church and government in our constitution, and the right to allow everyone to practice their own faith while respecting the next person one. But I see changes that are really scaring me. I hear politicians on television saying for example that the United States constitution protects them, of Christian fate, from the “crazy Muslims” that dare to build a mosque to practice their religion. I also see another politician that organizes a public religious gathering to pray to God so he can bring solutions to our problems. I hear a politician that says he thought about running for the candidacy of the United States presidency but God told him not to, while another said she never intended to be in politics and much less run for president, but God spoke directly to her and told her to. These are scary times. Not because politicians using religion to gain votes jump into our political scene, but because of the many religious fanatics in this country that move in masses to the urns and give them a chance, slim perhaps now but a chance indeed, to actually be the next president of the United States. A president with the power to start Armageddon with the push of a finger, unleashing chaos because “God told them to.”. A president now pushing to amend laws
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beer goggles blog cont. because his or her interpretation of the scriptures tells them things are not right. A president that can bring us to the brink of a religious State, like the ones we are fighting overseas. Then who will fight to bring us freedom? Now some will call me a Godless person that wants to destroy their nation, and others will say that my God is Satan (yes, I have had people actually reply to me such nonsense on some of my comments and views) when it couldn’t be further from the truth. Raised a Roman Catholic, I have no doubt God exists. My issue is not with God, but with religion itself. There is an irrefutable fact on this regardless of your beliefs, and it is that religion has been and still is the number one cause for the vast majority of killings in the history of humanity. You can go thousands of years back and see how, when used to rule societies, created murdering sprees that lasted centuries. From the Egyptians to the Romans, from the Crusades to the Ottoman Empire, all the way to the Middle East fighting and today holy war against the West. I think
that certify them wrong. All the way to simple facts like the creation of this Universe to the evolution of the species, from Adam and Eve to the origin of the scriptures themselves, you are always instructed to believe it as faith or burn in hell for questioning them. You find multiple interpretations of the same writing, depending of the branch you follow, and there is only one reason for it in my opinion –manipulation of the masses based on circumstantial, geographical and sociological needs. Rules made by men to rule other men without questions. You can’t do that using logic, but most certainly can do that using faith as the basic element. It has been done since the beginning of times, and the less educated the society you intend to rule is, the easier it becomes to make them drink the Kool Aid. I believe mixing government and religion is a recipe for disaster, and have many societies to use as an example of my statement. We fight one currently in Afghanistan, yet a governor of one of our greatest states in this country uses a similar strategy at the same time. In Texas, the books we use to teach our kids about history are being systematically changed to express the views of the religious right, with facts and people that were crucial to the origins of this nation being erased because they don’t fit their religious views. They push on the evolution vs. creation issue, when science has absolutely and irrefutable proven one of the theories is one hundred percent, without a doubt, baseless and flawed. Our educational standard has fallen over the last six decades to incredible lows, and the future doesn’t look promising. Our society is
...and the less educated the society you intend to rule is, the easier it becomes to make them drink the Kool Aid.
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there is a fundamental problem with religion and their basis. They teach you only to believe that it is true and that evil forces work within you when you question many of the obvious faults in the scriptures, teaching you to simply ignore many scientific facts
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beer goggles blog cont. fallen deeper and deeper into third world poverty levels, and our leaders only offer prayer as a solution to our problems while asking to give more and more with only the hope to receive something in return. Too often they ask us to have faith, and try to call us nonbelievers when we dare to demand something more substantial than faith as a solution to their ineptitude as leaders. I think we are allowing religion to rule our politic spectrum, and that has been proven to be ineffective over the last couple millenniums. Why do you think it will work for us? We still have time to turn this wave around. It won’t be easy, and it might take something mightier than the pen to do it, but we must act now or otherwise we might find ourselves hiding from our own neighbors if we decide not go to church on Sunday, or having to find a “turbans for sale now� sign posted in a store nearby in order to allow our 10 year old daughter to get proper clothing to go out play in public.
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I think this article was supposed to be some sort of grand opinion piece that would cause everyone who read it to examine their ideas about beauty, sexiness, and voyeurism. It would also have all of you proclaiming (out loud) “That Elmo Love is BRILLIANT!” The process of getting the pictures, however, became as much a story as anything I might have otherwise written. It was supposed to be a title, “Web 2.0 Status Update: Shaving my legs in the backyard…I think my neighbor might be taking pics! lolmao.” Along the way it morphed into actual words coming out of my mouth, “Pool party with swingers? Sounds great, but I can’t. I’ve got a 20 year-old babe coming over to shave her legs in my backyard. So, that became the point. Somewhere between the Idea and the execution, the fantasy and the reality, we figure out what’s really fun, sexy, and worth doing. The idea was simple enough. Not nude, not glamorous, just something people would stare open-mouthed at. Not titillated exactly, just in awe of something so simple that they’d never seen before. I think I was reading something online where someone was crying about a lack of originality in photography. They were whining that they really wanted to see things they’d never seen before. Almost instantaneously this picture formed in my head of a cute girl dragging a chair and a bucket outside to shave her legs in the yard. To be clear, this is not a fetish of mine. I’ve been showering with women since I could stand, so I’ve seen it. The part that I got hooked into for almost a year was actually finding a model willing to do
backyard leg shaving?! by Elmo Love a set of such odd still photos strictly on trade. There are plenty of glamour models willing to do anything they’re told as long as they’re getting their hourly rate. That’s exactly like it sounds though. I didn’t want pay for play, painted-up sexy. This wasn’t about a glorified escort indulging my personal fantasy. I really wanted to find someone who thought it was as funny and dorky as I did, and just wanted to try it out. Model Mayhem is a grandiose little online subculture, which I might explore in a future article. For now, I’ll just say that it’s a semi-private online community for models, photographers, fashion designers, makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, and others, where we all converge to try and put together photo shoots without a massive editorial or marketing budgets. Like the rest of the fashion industry, the life-blood of the thing is fresh young models trying to build portfolios and get “discovered”. So, rather than do a casting call, and risk being remembered or classified as a “fetish photographer” or the horrifyingly creepy “Guy with camera,” I did what I do anyway, which is troll the listings for paid and unpaid portfolio-building work with models who need photos. Whenever I came across a casting for photographers where the model was presenting herself as “looking to collaborate on wild concepts,” or “would love to do something outside the box,” I’d send them a link to my portfolio slideshow, and try to explain the concept as gently as possible.
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backyard leg shaving?! cont. Mostly I got ignored. A few times there was interest; as long as I would be spending hundreds of dollars on makeup, hairstyling, and wardrobe. In several cases I was also supposed to allow the model’s boyfriend to case my house for a future burglary while the shoot happened. In every case where there was interest, it evaporated once the prospective model learned that this particular concept was actually outside the damn box! I’ve known since I was a child that people talk really loudly about being unique, original, artistic, uninhibited, and whatever other words attract people more interesting than themselves. However, for all the loud talk, most people are pretty dull and just want to stick with safe and ordinary. I’m totally respectful of safe and ordinary. I did a whole bunch of safe and ordinary model portfolio and family portrait work while I was quietly building a deep obsession with this particular artistic concept. When I became involved with Karma Scene, and saw that this could actually be a lovely forum for the discussions likely stemming from my brilliant idea, a sense of urgency beset my artistic ambitions. I started thinking I’d have nothing for the August issue if I didn’t find the girl. Well, “God and fate are never late.” So just in the nick of time, I found Odaira Matos (whom you see here). A little more exotic than my original “country-girl behind a trailer” vision, but outside the box means outside my pre-packaging as well. So we sent a few messages back and forth about the idea, and I was in a state of neartotal disbelief even the day of the shoot. Until she actually
walked up my driveway, I continued to allow for the possibility that I was just being toyed with. However, Odaira is one of the coolest models I’ve met. I’ve met some really cool models, really, so as much as the camera loves her, I’ve also got a bit of an artistic crush. So, even though this article was supposed to be about the absurdity and voyeurism of Web 2.0; a thoughtful intellectual rant about over-sharing and the prevalence of bad ideas about sexiness online, it ended up being much simpler. Hopefully still well outside that dang old box; but surprisingly, just a cute story about an artist and an idea looking for, and finding, a muse. Enjoy the photos! I’ll do my best to come at y’all with something fun, weird, and sexy again next month. *****Elmo Love is a really weird dude. He appreciates being treated like a princess, and really misses the old candy-raver days when he got to do makeup on the underage girls at Baskin Robbins and they’d paint his nails. Now he’s mostly just weird on the inside and specializes in making people look prettier in the digital realm. He figures art is like that, we find it, try it on, absorb it, then release it back to the wild hopefully changed for the better. He charges really reasonable rates for doing what he does, and doesn’t do anything else productive, so he’s really only busy about half of the time. He can be reached at elmoloveftl@gmail.com unless he’s shooting or sleeping off a nightclub gig.
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Back by popular demand! Billie B. Good and Izzy Rich of The Glamour Goddesses and the sexy Tania Sofia of Shameless Burlesque have a tale to tell. A tale of pirates, goddesses and muses. Join Mauricio in his search for booty, while special guests Brand Name Punk and The Midnight Hour join the quest. And don’t miss our special musical guest John Provenzano. Good Theatre is adult theatre for adult audiences this night of burlesque and music that will be a night to remember. Churchill’s Pub • 5501 Ne 2nd Ave • Miami, Fl 33137 Admission $10 • Show starts at 9pm Bring a flier for the show and enter for a chance to win our raffle! It’s also Miss. Me Again’s Birthday! Email Billiebeegood@hotmail.com for special birthday offers.
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