Exposure Magazine February 2016 by ReadExposure

Publ isher'sNote. February 2016. This has been a fantastic year. Exposure Magazine has been through many transitions, with all of the focus being on bringing you, the reader, fun content to read and share. We didn't realize it until the second week of January that almost every single one of you was downloading the digital version of this little magazine and reading it from the comfort of your iPhone, Android, tablet, or PC. The January Issue was downloaded more than 21,000 times! Congratulations to you, dear subscriber. You proved that Lake Charles was ready for the digital age, which is why Exposure Magazine made the announcement that we were going 100% digital the other day (a week or two ago) with the article Survival of the Digitaliast, By Warren Bujol (the Editor-In-Chief who usually writes these silly little notes). So far, after the announcement, only two of our advertisers became wary of the idea of supporting the awesome content that you've grown accustomed to us publishing in this new format. Out of the two, the first reconsidered because he's super awesome and sees the potential of going all digital. It's not his fault that he was caught off guard by the announcement. Our bad for not giving him a little heads up, but, hey, the business side of business waits for no man and we had to make a decision faster than Bruce Lee turning down a personal invitation from Bill Cosby to attend a house party. The other advertiser is great company who utilizes an in-house ad rep, and she has not been easy to work with. She also wants to continue supporting us, but is doing so reluctantly. She never sends me the new photos and logos on time and always complains to her superiors that I never send her enough notice. Guess what, Sherry? I've sent you messages about deadlines and didn't hear back from you until months later when your superior called me about your complaints and I sent him the emails (including time signatures) that proved your slacking on your end, not mine. We love the company you work for, but do not have time for these kinds of shenanigans. Thank you for everything, and we wish you the best in learning how to better manage your day. The first advertiser who thought about pulling out realized that the format would allow us to reach more readers, and that their ads would become super clickable, allowing any interested subscriber the ability to click on their informative ad, thus taking them to their website. So, how about this issue, huh? Pretty cool, right? You can tap (or click) on photos, and have them expand to full screen or take you to link. Also, and if I didn't mention it before, you can also click on any ad you might find to be useful and it will take you directly to that advertiser/ supporter's website. Sound cool? We hope you find that feature to be pretty neat. Anyway...here's to a new year and new formats. We hope you enjoy the digital era as much as we do, and look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please submit all complaints to editor@readexposure.com, and all praises to publisher@readexposure.com.

Sincerely, Calvin Tyler Publisher, Exposure Magazine

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REMEMBERING DAVIDCONNER By George Swift, President and CEO SWLA Economic Development Alliance

It is with deep regret that the SWLA Alliance announces the passing of David Conner, Vice President of Economic Development and International Services. After a gallant fight against leukemia, David passed away January 26 at M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston. The courage he exhibited throughout his illness stands as a tribute to his strong faith in God and love for his family. David played a key role in the growth of the Alliance in the recruitment and facilitation of most of the large industrial projects in our region. He was passionate about international trade and business, leading several international trade missions. He led the Alliance's efforts to develop a comprehensive housing strategy of which he was very proud. His work has helped create thousands of jobs and much opportunity for our region. We thank the thousands of friends who supported him and his family during his illness, the number of which humbled him. We extend our deepest sympathy to David's wife ,Mary Beth, his daughter Mariet Bernard, son Clint, his father, Herbert, siblings, and the Conner family. Though he left us way too soon, David will always be remembered for his love of family, love of his McNeese University, and love and dedication to the people of his beloved Southwest Louisiana.

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worked with Daniel at Waitr that I realized I could, and liked, staging and photographing food. It's exciting to me to be able to travel to all these towns, meet new people and try the food (which is mostly local). That, and I still have time to do the more artistic things I like to do. The older you get, the more your life becomes convoluted. J: Do you miss your ponytail? A: Yes.... having long hair is awesome, but having in between long and short hair is not awesome...

should experience that, even if you're miserable, you should at least experience it. The scared part is because I have a lot going for me here and good friends, everything is where I want it to be, etc. from that perspective, it's scary because it's like starting over...how am I going to make friends at 29 years old? And I'm sad because I'm going to miss Lake Charles. This place is like a low self-esteem teenager that looks in the mirror and says "I'm not good enough", and is always going to stay the same, but it is good enough and I wish more people saw that.

J: Are you excited to be moving to Houston?

J: Yea! Who is someone (artist) who you think is really badass and everyone should check out? Don't say Banksy...

A: I am, it's a bit of mixed feelings, excited and nervous and a little sad. It's exciting because Houston is a new place and I've wanted to be in a new place for a long time now because it feels like people

A: Banksy.... or Walker Evans (may have to fact check), he did this thing when film was still new, he'd take the subway in New York, and he'd set up and just take pictures of people when they were

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ENCHANTEDBOUTIQUE By Hannah Langley

As I pulled into the parking lot of Enchanted Garden, I noticed a sale rack full of miscellaneous items; tapestries, renaissance costumes, handbags, dresses and shirts. After pilfering through the clearance items I decided to walk inside, and walked in on a ?Spiritual Reading?, which consisted of the store?s owner Starr and a gentleman siting at a patio table set up with burning incense, a spell book, crystal ball and rosary. I immediately excused myself and walked out to the sidewalk to allow them to finish up, and I figured I could take some pictures of the outside of the building. After 15 minutes or so I was invited back in by Starr to start our interview. I sat down and got my journal and recording device out so we could begin but that was soon followed by an interruption of another customer requesting a reading, so I excused myself once again and waited. We finally sat down to start our engagement; I pulled out my equipment and began to ask questions. (Hannah): What made you decide to open a Metaphysical shop? (Starr Muro): To be honest, I think Lake Charles needs to wake up. There are a lot of questions about this subject and not a lot of answers. I am hoping to break the cycle and help the community out. I DO NOT judge or look down upon anyone?s beliefs or religion. I am simply here to help! My shop is for anyone and everyone who comes with an open mind. (Hannah): How would you describe your business to the community? (Starr Muro): I think the name gives it away? Enchanted Gardens Metaphysical Healing Boutique. It is all natural healing. We teach how to use our herbs, stones and oils for remedies, potions and spells, and anything you want to use them for. (Hannah): What items do you offer in your store? (Starr Muro): Oh gosh! We have so many items ranging from herbs to essential oils, healing stones, books, jewelry, clothing, candles, incense, alter boxes, tarot cards and many more unique items! I grow 99% of my own herbs such as cinnamon, St. Johns Mort, lavender, rosemary, ginger, tea mixes, etc. What I don?t grow, I get from a fully organic garden in California. I make all my essential oils myself. (Hannah): What is your best seller/ popular items? (Starr Murro): Pretty much all of our items are our best sellers. We sell a lot of herbs and oils, incense, books, candles and stones.

(Starr Muro): My prices are actually very good. I have had people from New Orleans and Texas visit my shop and they all say I have very reasonable pricing. I am not here to get rich, I am here to teach and learn. (Hannah): Have you gotten any feedback from Lake Charles? What are we saying? (Starr Muro): Lake Charles has been so positive and gracious. I have received a lot of positive feedback and reviews from the community, I love it. I cannot wait to see what else is in store! (Hannah): What can we expect from Enchanted Gardens in the near future? (Starr Muro): Expect a lot! We have a lot of classes coming, such as a drum circle, rake classes, herbology 101 and past life regression classes. I am also expanding to have monthly clubs featuring incense, seeds and much more. (Hannah): Is there anything else you would like to add? (Starr Muro): Yes, anyone and everyone is welcome to Enchanted Gardens I just ask that you be open-minded and leave your stress at the door. You can find us on Facebook under ?Enchanted Gardens Metaphysical Boutique!" We are also having a wine tasting on February 13th. $10 per person, so don't miss it! (Hannah): Thank you Starr for being so helpful and honest, I wish you the best of luck for you and your business! (Starr Muro): You are very welcome!

(Hannah): What if someone comes in and is requesting a specific item that you don?t have? (Starr Muro): That is not a problem. You tell me what you want and I can get it for you! My orders usually come in within 3-4 days. (Hannah): What do your prices look like?

Enchanted Gardens Metaphysical Boutique is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1pm ? 7pm, they accept all major credit cards and cash, no checks and offer Apple Pay and Foursquare. Mindful Meditation classes are available Thursdays at 6pm and Open Talk Group is available Fridays at 6pm. It is located at 3611 Ryan St. across from Coyote blues and next door to LA Star Buffet. The shop phone number is 337-292-1966.

Illustr ation by M ar y Thom pson

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ASASSYINNOVATION By Bill Elliott

Today people want convenience and quality. Add innovation, fun, and a hedonistic attack on the taste buds and you will find Liz Fuselier, a creative energetic dynamo with a determination to let the world sample her unique blends of olive oils and balsamic vinegars in an interactive fun-filled atmosphere of entertaining that delights both ladies and men alike. "What I do is no secret," says Liz. "I don't sell; I teach your taste buds what they have been missing." Liz came up with the idea of what she calls a "mobile boutique" that specializes in high quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar blends that provide a unique set of experiences in taste. She replaced the "trial and error" method that consumers use with "trial and success." Liz uses her concept of "tasting socials" to educate groups of men and women gathered in a variety of settings to the health benefits and culinary attributes of her products. These are not typical house parties, not only because they invite vigorous discussion about the methodology and range of uses of the products, but also because the guests may bring or prepare various dishes and confirm how well they are improved with the addition of "Sassy" products Liz uses the term "tasting socials" to aptly describe the events that she conducts and which she emphasizes "are not your typical house parties." She says "Because of our mobility, we go just about anywhere," and that includes card groups, fitness centers, office lunches, conferences, club meetings, pot luck dinners, and even lingerie bachelorette parties, as well as your home. At the social you get to try the various products without any cost or obligation. In addition to being a mobile boutique, Sassy Oil & Vinegar has online shopping available. If you are looking for a prototype of the contemporary woman that social engineers strive to make commonplace then you will find it in Liz. This is a woman who creates opportunity instead of waiting in the shadows to seize one when it happens by.

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SOSWEET! By Dr. Henry Goolsby

I have the fondest memories of my medical education, as do most of my colleagues. The challenge of integrating the different basic and applied sciences complicated by the need to administer to our brethren with the delicacies of human compassion. This certainly, but as I am want to inform you in this the season of new romance and heartfelt joy, I am, in fact, now thinking that my nostalgic euphoria could be the sequela of the nutritional excursions most students in Belgian universities succumb to. Yes, my family lived in Belgium during those tender formative years of higher education and professional development. And yes, I was well integrated into the national and university student culture that was required to assure success for those of the university elite. That said, the rigorous academic requirements necessitated a nutritional intake that achieved ongoing high levels of focus, enhanced memory, intellectual confidence, memory recall, mental acuity and attention to detail, as well as providing an enduring sense of well being, altruism, a calm relaxed demeanor, and stress relief. Lastly, the advantages of these foodstuffs should provide some reasonable caloric benefit to the seasonal amorous and protection against the otherwise nefarious composition of the usual academic alimentary intake.

Dr. Tr ip Goolsby and the team of Infinite Health Integr ative M edicine Center ar e dedicated to inspir ing and em pow er ing our patient-par tner s to achieve tr anscendent health by pr oviding excellent patient-centr ic integr ative healthcar e that em br aces the m ind, body, and soul. Our com pr ehensive tr eatm ent str ategy takes an individualized integr ative appr oach by com bining w ester n m edicine w ith peer -r eview ed and clincaly suppor ted com plim entar y ther apies. Our 4Pillar s Appr oach? addr esses nutr ition, fitness, hor m onal and m etabolic balances, com bined w ith var ious m ind-body pr ocesses such as dir ected im ager y, suppor tive gr oup m editation, r eiki ener gy ther apy, and tailor ed m ind-body life and health coaching. For m or e infor m ation visit w w w.Your InfiniteHealth.com or to schedule your initial consultation call 337.312.8234

There are in fact a number of pharmacologically active naturally occurring substances in our bodies and in our brains that accomplish these desired effects. If only some externally sourced supplementation embellished the naturally occurring substrates, it would of course be helpful in these settings, and would be the foodstuff of choice for the amorous and the student alike. Mais non! Although I agree with you, despite the absence of age limiting legal guidelines restricting consumption, Belgian monastic microbrewery produce is only capable of inducing the latter of the desired character traits in an academic or romantic setting, not the former. What would be the ideal food for this tender time of year and in this academic setting? Surely some intersection of nutritional value and neuropsycholeptic activity will yield the appropriate culinary delicacy. Let us consider first and foremost that students never have enough time to study, never enough time to ingest the required volume of information for that next exam, and I was no exception to this rule. Being one to avail myself of the diverse continental cultural offerings at my disposal, I would routinely try to make the days prior to any exam contain at least 30 hours each. That being the case the pharmaceuticals derived from the Xanthine chemical group are, of course the favorite of a majority of students, myself included. This group of substances contains the well known stimulant caffeine that has surely assisted virtually every student that lives achieve higher scholastic marks by virtue of its ability to enhance mental acuity and focus with concomitant, albeit somewhat less desirable, enhancement in urinary output (increased diuresis), cardiac output (increased heart rate) and respiratory capacity (enlarged airways and ventilatory exchange). These latter also being quite useful in the romantic season assisting the romantic endeavors of the love stricken. Sugar and fat content would probably be the next in order of importance given the need to provide some source of caloric substrate to the brain cells (neurons) and musculature of our bodies over protracted periods of forced concentration and those of romantic creativity in the cooler winter climes. Noting that the brain only consumes glucose as a source of energy, any lack thereof might be the reason for many an episode of fanciful delusion or scholastic diversion. Only after protracted deprivation does the brain even remotely consider use of other energy sources (fatty acids). Next, romantic intention does not suffer readily the moody. Our substantive ideal should, and does need to provide for the vagaries of humor in such an effective way as to address the genders' particularities with aplomb and surety

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Sendyour kids' artwork toeditor@readexposure.com * Have som e 'r egular ' kids? That's okay, you could alw ays send them to our good fr iend Er ica Nelson. She has an incr edible ability to teach our youth how to appr eciate and cr eate ar t. Send your kid's ar tw or k to editor @r eadexposur e.com . Send your kids to Er ica, you can get a hold of her thr ough nelsonar tstudio.com , or give her a shout at 805.338.8065

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FROMCANDLELIGHTTOBONFIRE ABRIEFHISTORYOFLCEDM By Dominik Zawadzki

We had one goal, Casey and I; and that was to make Lake Charles a better place. As DJs, and ultimately as entertainers, we lacked the crucial element that was a stable venue suitable for our purposes. We'd heard it so many times before, both from our lips and those of others; there's nothing to do in this town. We sought what was we found when attending Gritsy events in Houston or "going to Church" in New Orleans. It pained us that a city with a significant population and college town reputation was missing the new standard of nightlife; for lack of better words a certified EDM night. But I need to rewind this track, because I am getting ahead of myself. First, the ingredients and the recipe which eventually yielded what we have before us today. In all reality our fable reaches back to the early oughts circa 2001, right around the time Grand Theft Auto 3 was released and hijacked my heretofore unfettered sleeping schedule. Within the same timeframe Napster hit the internet, and society, like a freight train of entertainment. Whenever Casey and I weren't committing crimes within GTA, we were probably downloading music on Napster and our genre of choice at the time happened to be trance; aptly named due to its near never-ending euphoric builds which sometimes lure the listener into a near trance-like state. We would then burn these tunes onto CDRs (also a revelatory innovation) and somehow convince my parents (Jedi mind tricks?) to not be at home while simultaneously inviting over as many friends as we could. We'd replace the living room ceiling lights with black lights and bought every glow stick within a 20 mile radius. Granted this was before either of us could legally drive and we didn?t own cell phones as it was prior to their ubiquity. We weren?t DJs man, we were merely internet pirates with a taste

for an obscure (albeit fun as hell) genre of music and had enough eccentric friends to entertain us entertaining them. Fast forward a decade. I?m living in Seattle, home of one the most robust electronica scenes in the country. Some of you may know of KEXP, a national leader in non-profit listener fueled radio. KEXP specializes in playing something for damn near everyone. If there?s a genre of music for the deaf, KEXP has it. On Sunday nights from 9 to 12 airs Expansions; their EDM offering. It was upon such a broadcast where I heard drum and bass for the second time (the first being via GTA3 courtesy of MSX FM - see above). It wasn?t instant but eventually I found myself transfixed to the sound emanating from my speakers and literally wondered where this music had been all my life. I became infatuated with the sound and soon attended my first event centered on said genre. Upon leaving that event I discovered flyers covertly tucked beneath my windshield wipers and learned of a drum and bass weekly within walking distance of my apartment. Hell yes! Drum and Bass Tuesdays at the Baltic Room just off Pike and Melrose alleges to host the nations? longest running version of such a night, 14+ years last I checked. It had such a massive impact on me that I have the logo tattooed between my shoulder blades.

Then dubstep came to the States and everything changed. I despised it at first, discounting it as "drum and bass' retarded little brother". Not long after I found myself spending a total of $1.75 to ride the bus downtown to Trinity to see Rusko...for free. He hadn't yet achieved critical fame so the promoter made it a free event hoping to score big on liquor sales, which I don?t drink. My bus

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ARIVEROFNORETURNFLOWS By Bill Elliott

Though my article is about a piece of history and not a sermon, it has made me think that we citizens of Louisiana sometimes behave like a flock of sheep. We are perfectly comfortable with only looking at the patch of moving ground a few inches in front of our lowered heads which bump the backside of the guy ahead of us when the guy behind us bumps our backside causing us to inch forward. The dogs that keep us huddled together bark and snap and yelp and move us along hither and thither as they wish, taking a bit of fleece here and there from each and every one of us and we either care not or dare not look up to see what is happening. Occasionally a sheep raises his head, breaks from the flock and begins shouting "Look what they are doing! Look where we are going. Stop! Stop before it's too late," so loudly that the interruption cannot be ignored. We begin to bleat at the noisy offender, softly at first in irritation at being invaded by thought, then, as more sheep chime in, the bleats become louder and louder and gather an edge of fear which is fed by the sheer mass of the now noisy flock. Outsiders, alerted by the noise, begin to take note that the flock is disturbed and inquire as to the nature of the disturbance. At the approach of the outsiders the dogs move back from the flock and with their ears flat against their heads and their heads down on their paws, lay motionless and quiet in tall grass, pretending to be indifferent, until the flock quiets down and the curious interlopers direct their attention elsewhere. The dogs then begin to move about the flock again, gently at first so as to not frighten anyone, then more forcefully with the barks, snaps, and yelps and the gathering of fleece that gives them pleasure. The dogs are experts at their instinctual task and know that a tasty bit of extra alfalfa can go a long way in quieting a pesky sheep.

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My history project started out as personal and uncomplicated. I have always vividly remembered a picture in a newspaper that I saw as a child. It was a huge pile of slot machines that had been broken and smashed and I remember they were being dropped into a river. At eight years old my thoughts were of how much fun it would be to play with the broken slot machine parts. Even though I eventually grew up, the memory hung around as a "Someday I will look that up." Well, it took me sixty years to pull that lever and when I did I hit a jackpot of Louisiana culture and history. Determined to get closure, I dusted off fragments of my shabby memory, made a best guess of when I saw the picture, and began stroking my computer. Bits and pieces of information soon became a story that kept growing larger and larger. Captivated, I ended up following the history of the Louisiana slot machines into the annals of organized crime, congressional investigations, and blatantly corrupt state and local political structures that were accepted by the Louisiana citizenry as the norm. The U.S. Senate Kefauver Committee report of 1951 found that in the mid-thirties, the then governor Huey Long actually invited the slot-machine business into Louisiana. Long was intending to legalize the machines and tax them for various State purposes. But as it turned out, he was assassinated and his plan was never completed. Meanwhile, organized crime had already acted enthusiastically on the opportunity to place the slot machines in parishes and cities about the state. By the early 1950's gambling of all types was rampant in Louisiana, the state was inundated with one-armed bandits, and the laws were being openly ignored. The irony was that there

Insert Vietnamesefoodphotoor pictureof typical assholeAmerican

CULINARYCUSTOMS&COURTESIES By Amy Reon

Have you ever found yourself in a restaurant listening to another table?s conversation? You don't mean to listen but sometimes you can?t help but overhear a few lines here and there. I mean let's face it, conversations are hardly ever non-stop. Even if it's a married couple, dating peeps, or even a first date, there will always be a pause in the chit-chat (if not, one of you has wordvomit). Everyone gets a little distracted from time to time. My favorite distraction or interruption is the loud group of ladies or friends out for the evening. They end up laughing and cutting up so much and loudly that you can?t help but look over from time to time. It's also assumed wine or other adult beverages are flowing at their table.

does speak English but not extremely well?. Returning to our own conversation, our food arrives and we ogle and drool over the steaming feast of deliciousness. Shortly thereafter, the server walks over to 'the other table' where he is asked about ?vegetarian options?. I don?t know what the hell kind of place they thought they were in but most people know that besides a special made spring roll, there are not many vegetarian dishes at a Vietnamese place.

Recently, I introduced my sister to a fairly new restaurant, a Vietnamese place I immediately fell in love (she trusts me when it comes to food). The night we went, the weather was terrible (one of those 30% chances of rain that turned out to be a hurricane of sorts). Fueled by our stomach?s desire and the promise of excellent cuisine, nothing would stop us; we were going no ifs-ands-or-buts about it.

The man at ?the other table?receives a phone call where he loudly exclaims, ?we are somewhere in New Orleans?. (INSERT BIG EYES OF DISBELIEF HERE) It?s decided they are both drunk. He continues, ?yeah-she wanted to stop and get some kind of Chinese food. It rained the whole way here?. For the record, were NOT in NOLA, we were in North Lake Charles. The poor server walks back to their table, and really tries to take their order. After much confusion, when their food is served, the woman proceeds to lose her mind, ?Hey boy, there is meat in this?. When the server walks over to address the table, she says ?just pack it all up to-go I'll feed it to my dogs?!

When we drove up, the parking lot was empty (assuming from the weather). We walked inside and noticed we are the only people there besides 2 employees. We chit-chat and order our food, which was a little challenging because neither employee spoke English very well? which everyone knows is a good sign because that means the food is authentic.

I was in complete disbelief. I mean really? What an insult to the server and establishment. I was so embarrassed for the server. This is not an uncommon scene, most people have witnessed something similar at least once. We found ourselves thinking; what does one do in that situation, apologize for 'the other people'? Why people feel that they can treat service industry employees as second class citizens escapes me.

Then an older couple walk in the door...* DUN DUN DUNNNNNN* Immediately the lady asks 'do ya'll have red wine?' My sister and I look at each other with BIG eyes because this woman was clearly tanked-up. Who waltzes into a restaurant and before even getting a table demand to see the wine list? This was not a bar atmosphere restaurant. After being seated, they discover there is no alcohol served. The woman then attempts to whisper (and fails miserably) to my sister and I, 'Do these people speak English?? Being the polite young ladies we are, we reply ?yes in fact the staff

Nothing can make up for what we just witnessed but we tried by leaving a sizable tip that night. I somehow felt that it was the least I could do to make up for that horrible couple. Being a former food service employee, I have dealt a great deal with customers like the ones mentioned above. Servers, on average, make $2.13/ hour which all goes to Federal, State, and Social Security taxes. They essentially live off tips alone. If a table doesn?t leave a monetary tip (the bible verses and Thank You?s on receipts are nice but they don?t pay the bills), the server essentially paid for them to sit there. Be kind to everyone, but make an effort to be especially kind to people in the food service industry.

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STRAIGHTOUTTA COMPTON By Duane Bergeron

As of January 19th, a five-month long wait ended as Straight Outta Compton came to home video. I generally do not report on films becoming available in that ancillary industry. However, this is the exception to the rule. The reason is obvious. Released theatrically in August 2015, Straight Outta Compton became the number one dramatic hit of the year. Take away the dinosaurs, superheroes, "fast" cars and other cinematic genres that were hits last year, and this movie would have been number one unto itself. It grossed domestically over $161 million dollars and over $200 million worldwide. This was the musical biography of the N.W.A. And within this sub-genre of the musical "biopic" it was one of the biggest success stories ever. The leading cast was O'Shea Jackson as Jr. as Ice Cube, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Neil Brown Jr. as D.J. Yella, and Aldis Hodge as M.C. Ren. Directed by F. Gary Gray, Dr. Dre and Ice also served as producers on the film. The N.W.A. was formed circa 1987 in the area of Compton, California. These five young men came together to form a rap group with a huge amount of talent and possessing a vision which was unprecedented for its time. Straight Outta Compton was highly and in some cases brutally realistic in depicting the group's rise to fame. The N.W.A. became superstars on the basis of their music being totally honest and enabling listeners to be educated on the effects of prejudice still taking place in different areas of the nation. Their story was told in a cinematic form that was impossible to ignore and provided a wake-up call indicating America had made strides in being more enlightened but simultaneously bigotry was still around. The scenes where the group's members are being hassled by the Los Angeles Police Department are powerful examples of this. They had done nothing but still they were being taunted and basically persecuted by L.A.P.D. officers. The storyline was not sugar coated. The film held nothing back in depicting how these talented artists were going through such turmoil and there was no justification for it at all. To provide more insight into the N.W.A. and why Straight Outta Compton was such a tremendous box office hit is Eric "Tee" Thomas. Thomas is the brand manager (formerly known in the radio industry as program director) for KJMH JAMZ 107 in Lake Charles. JAMZ 107 is a very popular urban contemporary radio station owned by Town Square Media. Also, Thomas has a show that runs in the early to midafternoon hours Monday through Friday. Also on JAMZ every week, known as "The People's Station," is Gina Cook in the morning and Big Boy Chill in the evening hours. When asked what were the primary contributions of the N.W.A. to music history and if their influence is still felt today, Thomas said: "Their influence is still very much alive present day. I think the N.W.A. brought to hip-hop and even R&B since Dr. Dre has produced several artists like Mary J. Blige was real freedom of speech. I feel the right to make and

play the music you want was already there but as you saw in the film the artists were challenged due to the lyrical content. They even had to face ordeals within the industry itself. It takes a lot of courage to perform your music when its coming under fire like that. Because they were breaking new ground the N.W.A. also pioneered the practice of having parental advisory stickers on the album so listeners became aware of the content within the record. They brought the spirit and the mindset of being true to your creative talents and not compromise on anything when writing their songs. One of the greatest strengths the N.W.A. brought to hip-hop and rap was the philosophy of being true to your passion, your music, and not letting anyone dictating terms when you want to fulfill your vision. The film also dramatized how much negative feedback was generated by opponents to their songs. But, the N.W.A. was determined to overcome any and all obstacles. This inspired so many people, whether they were contemplating a career in music of their own or not." The N.W.A.'s accomplishments were not just limited to the music alone. There were also powerful messages the group was sending out to their fans and others within the lyrics. Those lyrics also contained noticeable amounts of profanity. However, the profanity was not just there to be part of the lyrical composition. The members had suffered a lot of pain and setbacks due to very unfair treatment from law enforcement officers and others. The N.W.A. underwent a great deal of persecution for their art and the profanity was a means by which to express their anger and frustration. Obviously, this did not go unnoticed. Thomas elaborates further on the topic. "Personally, I do not endorse explicit lyrics," he said. "I know such material has been used by other musical artists and comedians too. But, while profanity does not always have to be used to get a message across and it is an expression of opinion, there was something different taking place here. No one in this country deserves to be treated in a less than human manner. But, Straight Outta Compton correctly depicted how this very barbaric treatment was being fostered upon the N.W.A.'s members. They were five musicians just wanting to share their collective gift with the world. And for that, they were being treated brutally. There was something very wrong with that picture. The N.W.A. was angry and had a right to be. I feel the profanity within their lyrics was there to express a very strong message. The song F* * * the Police is a poignant example. The N.W.A. pointed out there were problems in American society and change was needed desperately. This kind of treatment went against everything Dr. Martin Luther King believed in. America had to rise above this kind of treatment to its citizens. The profanity used was also a way to get attention to the group's plight and champion a cause for change. Music can effect such changes and this is what the N.W.A. brought to audiences all across the country." Straight Outta Compton is available in both DVD and Blu-Ray formats with some very beneficial special features within both formats.

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