Source: New York Times

Mark Roozen, a personal trainer in Colorado Springs, holds classes that include work out routines that are likely to incorporate logs, wheelbarrows and sandbags, alongside circuit machines, Pilates equipment and other gym staples.

“We’ll take a big, old tractor tire and a sledgehammer and hit the tire 25 times” in a typical class, said Mr. Roozen, owner of Performance Edge Training Systems and director of certification for the National Strength and Conditioning Association. “Those tires can weigh 250 pounds, and they have to flip the tire.”

He makes use of other low-tech equipment that has resurfaced in recent years, including kettle bells (borrowed from the early Soviet military); stability balls (popularized in Switzerland in the 1960s); air-filled balance boards (a physical therapy staple); and medicine balls (“In ancient times, they’d fill an animal bladder with water or sand,” Mr. Roozen said of the balls’ origins).

While such rough-hewn techniques and gear may look old-fashioned, they comport with a modern shift away from developing individual muscle groups and toward so-called functional fitness, which refers to overall strength and comfort in performing everyday activities, like lifting, walking and reaching, along with cardiovascular health.

“Rather than just sculpting the body to have great biceps, or for women who don’t want the waggle under their arms, we want you to be able to move functionally and have a healthy body,” said Shelby Murphy, editor of Personal Fitness Professional magazine and owner of a personal training studio in Granbury, Tex. Staples of Ms. Murphy’s group conditioning classes, she said, include push-ups, pull-ups, mountain climbers and bear crawls, along with squats, walking lunges and other “big movements using a combination of muscles.”

Such exercises “mimic nature,” she said. “You’re running, you’re jumping, you’re squatting, you’re hopping, you’re skipping — all of those things our body was designed to do that we’re getting away from.”

Pilates Pirates
A lot of what is being done in the typical outdoor boot camp these days seems to mimic if not down right steal from some of the best-selling Pilates online videos out there. The moves made on the mats are related to if not exact forms of Pilates exercise, such as the core work done using the workout balls and rubber bands.

Still, these drills have changed since many boot campers last heard a physical education teacher’s whistle, evolving to combine several components at once, Mr. Roozen said. To increase muscle power across a range of motion, for instance, he updates weight drills like squats, curls and presses by adding lateral motions, one-armed or one-legged lifts and other variations.

For organizers of workouts, an advantage to these is that they don’t require expensive equipment, lending themselves to large class sizes.

Kelli Calabrese trains instructors nationally for the Adventure Boot Camp program and also owns Argyle Adventure Boot Camp in the Dallas suburb of Argyle. Her daily 5:30 a.m. class usually draws about 60 participants at $19.95 a class. The group meets at a church-school campus, making use of fields, blacktop and bleachers (for running drills, of course).

When she began outdoor classes in 2007, Ms. Calabrese said, “I didn’t want to drag out a truckload of stuff” every day. So she improvises, setting up a rotation of workout stations using traffic cones and baseball bases, each with its own physical challenge. “Your body has no idea if you’re using a $4,000 machine or if you’re using a rock,” she said.

Or, as one of her students, Patrick McCarrell, put it: “The parking lot now is a workout facility. And there’s no air-conditioning and no heater.”

Mr. McCarrell, 40, said he Googled “boot camp” after watching “The Biggest Loser” on NBC. In April, he enrolled in Ms. Calabrese’s program, which runs in four-week sessions with a fifth week off between camps.

“My goal for the first few camps was just to survive,” said Mr. McCarrell, who said he has since lost 16 pounds.

Julie Crecelius, 38, who also attends the Argyle camp, said she used to work with a personal trainer but could afford only two hours a week. When she exercised at a fitness center, she said, work and family demands often derailed her evening workouts. With a morning boot camp, she said, “I can get out and get home in time for my husband to get to work.”

Despite the popularity of the camp format, group strength training and conditioning classes are becoming more common in fitness clubs, too. The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association reported in its annual survey that nearly a third of member fitness centers offered some form of so-called boot camp classes in 2008.

Equinox fitness centers offer some 20 varieties of boot camp and, this summer, added four types of kettle bell workouts to their schedules.

AYC Health and Fitness, a personal training center in Prairie Village, Kan., runs “30-minute express” boot camps every morning, both on-site and at corporate locations. While less expensive than personal training, the classes often act as a “feeder” for higher-end services, said the owner, Greg Justice.

“It’s almost imperative that you have some type of boot camp offering,” Mr. Justice said, “for pure and simple bottom-line dollars.”

Beyond convenience and economy, the retro fitness kick may also — like the revival of Pop Rocks and tie-dye — appeal to a taste for boomer nostalgia. “When’s the last time most adults jumped rope?” Ms. Calabrese asked. “Second grade? We play tag. We play games. We do baton races, Indian runs, shuttle runs, all these things that go back to gym class.”

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My Take: I recently signed up for a boot-camp that takes place in a park. It’s not easy. I have to get up at 5 a.m. and in my car by 5:30 to get to the site, where the rest of the class is usually in their cool T shirts, ready to pump while I climb out of my car with a cold coffee wearing a T-shirt that you won’t find on any of the hip workout sites or sites for trendy Tee shirt designers out there. I must admit, I haven’t worked this hard since my time in Mexico during the cleanup after a devastating earthquake where I spent six weeks doing volunteer conservation work for my chuch and a Baja-based sister congregation.

We not only use Pilaties and standard yoga poses in our warm ups and the core of our workouts, we also sometimes move into some demonstrated Alexander Technique breathing exercises that are supposed to help us with cardio longevity and bone health What is the Alexander Technique? You ask? Good question. Essentially it’s a very old form of breathing and posturing practice that many athletes, musicians and performers have incorporated into their healthcare and workout routines because it is supposed to help you extend your spine and other parts of your body so that you learn to basically breathe and move more freely and without causing long-term pain or joint problems.

Speaking of volunteer programs, if you want to travel abroad but don’t have a lot of money, think about volunteering your services in a foreign country in exchange for housing and food. This is a great way to learn about a culture/country from the inside out, and you get to feel good about your vacation when it’s all over.

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Other Resource

Structured Settlements

Structured settlements provide injury victims with tax benefits and enable offer financial planning for future needs of the injury victim because of the injury. This is why the use of a structured settlement is desired by many injury victims because it can help protect him or her financially after an injury settlement. Your Texas personal injury attorney can explain structured settlements in more detail to you. Briefly a structured settlement is a financial or insurance arrangement that includes periodic payments that a claimant accepts for a claim or to compromise a statutory periodic payment obligation. Sometimes a structured settlement is incorporated into the trial judgment and it is called a “periodic payment judgment.”

Looking Better

In in the last couple of decades, looking good has become more of a desire than ever before. People are continuously advised to exercise and eat well, to lead a healthy life. Sometimes, it is not all that simple and people feel that something is missing. Although this was primarily the focus of the female populace, males are now joining in this endeavor. This means that more people are looking for a good Lebanon health spa. Many people call it vanity when you want to look better and be healthier. There is so many ways to accomplish this and regardless of your age or the light style you lead, a Lebanon day spa salon can help.

Source: Associated Press

The sudden death in February of iconic fashion designer Alexander McQueen leaves a gaping hole in London’s fashion world.

McQueen was Britain’s shooting star, a man who helped make London cool again in the 1990s. And his personal history helped inspire others.

The son of a London cabbie, the youngest of six siblings, McQueen was a product of the streets, not a posh dilettante with a wealthy family to back his fashion whims.

Now he is gone, due to an apparent suicide that has not been confirmed by his family or the police. And fashion insiders don’t see any heir apparent to the enfant terrible who turned catwalk shows into memorable works of performance art.

“I don’t see anyone on his level,” said Kate Brindley, spokeswoman for the Liberty store, where sales of McQueen’s signature scarves have increased 14 fold in the last day. “His vision was completely unique, that’s why he was so successful commercially and so well respected in the industry.”

She said McQueen forged a path for other emerging designers, urging them by example to remain true to their visions. His impact was magnified, she said, by the fact that he kept his businesses based in London even though he showed his work primarily in Paris.

“He’s still very much a British designer, in terms of his rebellious feeling,” she said. “He created this tremendous international fashion brand, but he never lost sight of what made him who he was.”

The McQueen store in central London remained closed Friday, with lilies and roses in the window in memory of the designer. Some devoted mourners also placed flowers and candles outside the shop on London’s upscale Bond Street.

The fashion house’s offices worldwide are now asking all journalists who were given sample garments in the past to ship them back to the company’s headquarters because of concerns that they would be sold for high prices on Web sites such as eBay, which has already seen a spike in the number of listings of Alexander McQueen items, from 63 on Monday to a little over 900 on Friday.

The company said hundreds of the items — including clothing, shoes and other accessories from current and past collections — have been recalled to keep the McQueen legacy secure.

Fashion’s Loss Felt Around the World
There is not shortage of online commentary on the death of McQueen and, while his official Website remains quite (there isn’t even an online memorial website link to refer to), his death has the fashions sites across the globe bogging about his unexpected departure, including recent news that the designer had been distraught over the loss of three females, including his mother.

Meanwhile, plans continued for London Fashion Week, set to begin next Friday, but the mood is expected to be somber as many offer tributes to McQueen, whose early London shows helped put the event week on the international fashion calendar.

“His death will cast a real pall over London Fashion Week,” said Hadley Freeman, fashion columnist for the Guardian newspaper. “He was a real inspiration to young fashion students. There is not a single student in the last 10 years who didn’t cite him.”

She said McQueen’s working-class background and his liberal use of street and punk influences had a democratizing effect on British fashion.

“He hadn’t shown in London for a while now, but he was so intrinsically associated with British fashion, he was the reason Britain got kickstarted, got cool, in the ’90s,” she said.

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My Take: I checked out McQueen’s official website at www,.alexandermcqueen.com/ and there is little information about the death of the designer except a link to a public letter from his family asking for privacy. I can’t imagine the fashion world letting too much time go by before they are able to compile a proper online tribute to McQueen, complete with a history of his most famous designs and the catwalk antics he was also known for.

Did you know that you can create a lasting tribute to someone you love? They don’t have to pass away for that. You can create a fabulous and touching memorial website for a relatively low fee where you can share stories and photographs or videos, offer information updates and even spiritual gifts. These aren’t just for adults. Take some photos of your daughter’s fist Eastr this year while you’ve got her all dressed up in that fancy outfit complete with spring hairbows.

By the way, did you know that the hair bow and big fluffy flowers are making their way into the spring fashion line up this year? It’s true. Hair accessories are going frilly this season and many retailers are selling beautiful flower hair designs that have both clips for hair or pins for clothing if you decide to put it on your spring jacket instead.

Looking for wickless candles to give away as gifts? Try the Scentsy brand, which has one of the best flameless candle selections online.

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Other Resources

Smoking Breaks

The NJoy NPRO is one of several available smokeless cigarette options out there to choose from. These electronic cigarette products are supposed to help you wean yourself off traditional tobacco cigarettes and, because they are smokeless, you can puff on them in all kinds of places, including airports.

Source: CNET News

Two years ago, when the FBI was having trouble catching a band of armed robbers known as the “Scarecrow Bandits” that hit up more than 20 Texas banks, it came up with a novel method of locating the thieves: track them by their cell phone.

FBI agents obtained logs from mobile phone companies corresponding to what their cellular towers had recorded at the time of a dozen different bank robberies in the Dallas area. The voluminous records showed that two phones had made calls around the time of all 12 heists, and that those phones belonged to men named Tony Hewitt and Corey Duffey. A jury eventually convicted the duo of multiple bank robbery and weapons charges.

Even though police are tapping into the locations of mobile phones thousands of times a year, the legal ground rules remain unclear, and federal privacy laws written a generation ago are ambiguous at best. On Friday, the first federal appeals court to consider the topic will hear oral arguments (PDF) in a case that could establish new standards for locating wireless devices.

In that case, the Obama administration has argued that warrantless tracking is permitted because Americans enjoy no “reasonable expectation of privacy” in their–or at least their cell phones’–whereabouts. U.S. Department of Justice lawyers say that “a customer’s Fourth Amendment rights are not violated when the phone company reveals to the government its own records” that show where a mobile device placed and received calls.

Those claims have alarmed the ACLU and other civil liberties groups, which have opposed the Justice Department’s request and plan to tell the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia that Americans’ privacy deserves more protection and judicial oversight than what the administration has proposed.

“This is a critical question for privacy in the 21st century,” says Kevin Bankston, an attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation who will be arguing on Friday. “If the courts do side with the government, that means that everywhere we go, in the real world and online, will be an open book to the government unprotected by the Fourth Amendment.”

Not long ago, the concept of tracking cell phones would have been the stuff of spy movies. In 1998’s “Enemy of the State,” Gene Hackman warned that the National Security Agency has “been in bed with the entire telecommunications industry since the ’40s–they’ve infected everything.” After a decade of appearances in “24″ and “Live Free or Die Hard,” location-tracking has become such a trope that it was satirized in a scene with Seth Rogen from “Pineapple Express” (2008).

Once a Hollywood plot, now ‘commonplace’
Whether state and federal police have been paying attention to Hollywood, or whether it was the other way around, cell phone tracking has become a regular feature in criminal investigations. It comes in two forms: police obtaining retrospective data kept by mobile providers for their own billing purposes that may not be very detailed, or prospective data that reveals the minute-by-minute location of a handset or mobile device.

Obtaining location details is now “commonplace,” says Al Gidari, a partner in the Seattle offices of Perkins Coie who represents wireless carriers. “It’s in every pen register order these days.”

Gidari says that the Third Circuit case could have a significant impact on police investigations within the court’s jurisdiction, namely Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; it could be persuasive beyond those states. But, he cautions, “if the privacy groups win, the case won’t be over. It will certainly be appealed.”

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My Take: I’m not sure I agree with cell phone tracking for any reason, given the potential for abuse. Think about it: if we freely give up our right to our privacy when it comes to everyday conversations, everything we attempt to accomplish on a cell phone, whether it’s trying to get an instant insurance quote, by a used digital copier, or set up airline reservations for a colocation for a business meeting. We shouldn’t have to wonder whether or not we are being tracked every time we pick up our cell hones to do everyday mundane tasks, whether it’s set up a babysitter for a date night with our husbands, buy used copy machines, or talk to a friend about making a CD copy of our favorite band’s new work.

Speaking of call data centers, I’d also be curious to find out whether our 4^th amendment protections extend to our businesses calls via computer-based phone service providers, such as Vonage or Skype or whether we’d be tracked by our attempts to obtain auto insurance quotes, or homeowners’ insurance over the Internet. In short, the long list of things Big Brother can’t doo sees to be shrinking.

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Other Resources

Need Backup?

Looking for a safe, and so far legal way to backup your data and important graphics? Safely make a DVD copy of your work via any one of the online copy DVD California companies in business. DVD replication, duplication, packaging and printing companies will usually provide you with free quotes online.

Employment Discrimination

Often, employees feeling victim to discrimination bring a charge without an attorney. The process can become confusing and overwhelming especially considering the fact that the employer will most always have legal representation. Why should you be at a disadvantage? The EEOC investigator is not your lawyer. In reality, the EEOC investigator is a neutral fact finder. You must have your own Manhattan EEOC lawyer. They can ease the process for you by drafting and filing the charge of discrimination, submitting your rebuttal and other relevant documentation and work closely with the investigator in gathering relevant facts. Manhattan employment lawyers will also negotiate with opposing counsel to resolve the matter.

Greek Pride

Many people who were members of fraternities and sororities in college remain active both locally and nationally with their organization. That means they retain the right to wear Greek clothing or letters that are associated with their fraternity or sorority. After graduation many people can wear Greek clothes to show their fidelity to the organization. One Greek vendor’s graphic art department is second to none, from customized Greek clothing to 1000’s of stock artwork choices to pencil sketches, and even e-mail doodles of text, they can do it all! Are you looking for an easier way to order your chapters T-shirts? Then you have found it!

The Court Reporter

The job of a Los Angeles court reporter is to maintain an accurate record of a word-for-word account of conversations in various circumstances that require a documented account that will serve as a piece of legally binding evidence. Los Angeles court reporting services offer reporters for work at court trials, provide translation services for the hearing impaired, assisting judges, recording depositions and assisting attorneys. The court reporter is a key component to making the new technology run more effectively. It is often the reporter’s job to maintain technological systems such as the legal support software, troubleshooting computer problems, and monitoring the process.

Source: Time

The Academy Award-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire may have made all things Indian popular with moviegoers in the West, but before the movie’s release three U.S. Americans of Indian heritage were putting the final touches on their plan to take Bollywood into the digital age.

Today, three-year-old Saavn (an acronym for South Asian audiovisual network) controls global distribution rights, outside India, to a massive number of Bollywood films, songs, albums and music videos, all downloadable to iPods, MP3 players, cell phones and computers. And if consumers in America are captivated by the song-and-dance extravaganzas of Bollywood — the umbrella name for Mumbai’s film industry — Saavn believes its offerings will be attractive marketing tools for U.S. companies.

Last year Saavn posted revenues in the low seven figures — five times its 2007 numbers — with the largest spurt coming from its music enterprise. The company expects 2009 revenues in the low eight figures, “growth north of 500%,” says Neal Shenoy, one of Saavn’s co-founders, who manages the three other media companies within Saavn’s parent company 212Media. (Saavn is co-owned by Indian company Hungama, a competitor turned partner.) “We had no idea how quickly Bollywood and India would penetrate American culture,” Shenoy says.

Shenoy and Saavn’s two other founding partners — CEO Vinodh Bhat and managing director Paramdeep Singh — had witnessed popular media’s gradual but certain infatuation with Bollywood, whose revenues account for roughly 80% of India’s $2 billion film industry. In 2003, rapper Jay‑Z sampled London DJ Punjabi MC on the Bollywood-flavored track “Beware of the Boys.” Bombay Dreams launched on Broadway the following year. The infectiously danceable “Chaiyya Chaiyya” played over the opening credits of Spike Lee’s film Inside Man in 2006. And last year even Snoop Dogg got into the act by creating a rap song for the Bollywood movie Singh Is Kinng, “helping put the film and its music on the map in the U.S.,” says Bhat. Warner Bros. recently released its own Bollywood film, Chandni Chowk to China, whose sound track Saavn distributes for downloads.

And then there’s Slumdog.

A.R. Rahman, a 20-year Bollywood veteran — he wrote “Chaiyya Chaiyya” and hundreds of other songs — and the composer of Slumdog’s Oscar-nominated score, concedes that the film’s music, with vocals sung in English rather than Hindi, is not true Bollywood. Nevertheless, the movie has been a dynamic conduit for Saavn’s business — even if Saavn distributes only one Mumbai-produced song from it. “Slumdog’s sound track has elevated the entire Bollywood genre and brought us a new customer base wanting to explore similar music,” says Bhat.

Saavn’s offerings — more than 90% of all Indian music is film music — are available at digital music stores, while mobile carriers offer Bollywood ringtones, ring-back tones, single tracks, music videos and Bollywood graphics. “Since the release of Slumdog, we’ve seen a substantial increase in the sales of Bollywood ringtones, ring-back tones and songs,” says Ed Ruth, director of V Cast Music at Verizon, which offers more than 1,200 Bollywood ringtones and ring-back tones and more than 30,000 songs.

Powered by Bollywood, Saavn has already conducted a brand-marketing campaign for Verizon. Half a dozen major U.S. companies are now in discussion to use Saavn’s content to pursue the same market. The wealth and education level of South Asian consumers in the U.S. make them a desirable target, says Nirmalya Kumar, a professor of marketing at the London Business School and the author of India’s Global Powerhouses: How They Are Taking On the World. The best way to reach them emotionally, he says, is through the music and movies they love. As for Saavn’s platform, “You can’t market today without including the digital world,” says Jerry Wind, a professor of marketing at Wharton.

Digital Ties
South Asian consumers in the U.S. have strong ties to family back home and, coupled with their strong interest in and knowledge of changing technology, they are key consumers of other online content innovations. This might include digital wedding website content, which would allow them to share photos, videos, podcasts and music from their wedding with distant relatives out of the country. Other options besides film, music and personal events could likely include forms of recognition via any one of the new online memorial website tools available.

Americanized Bollywood hybrids could help Saavn expand. “Whether it’s Slumdog or Snoop Dogg, future media collaborations will inject Bollywood further into the mainstream,” says Shenoy. “And when fans want to experience the real Bollywood genre, they’ll come to us.”

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My take: I’m guessing these guys have stumbled into a gold mine. The success of Slumdog, not to mention the literature of India over the last decade, has created a huge market for all things Indain among otherwise non-Asian consumers in the U.S. Certainly, if we are just as comfortable buying shopping bags, or the latest in organic and natural beauty products on the Web, why wouldn’t we want to download the best of Bollywood? Asian cultures will glom on to this idea, too, because the music, videos and other art forms of India are simply unsurpassed by America’s versions in Hollywood, not necessarily because they are inferior, but because they cannot conjure nor recreate the cultural connections the way real Indian art can.

In my neighborhood shops and specialty stores there is no shortage of Indian products for sale. Right there next to the kids stationary, games, or trendy cards are also things like incense, bindi dots, henna tattoo kits, scarves, sandalwood oils, and other great Indian personalized custom gifts you can give to friends and family. The more ethnic the better it seems when it comes to giving.

Speaking of giving, you can also customize those great reusable plastic bags that you take to the grocery store with a friend’s name or a graphic design. They make great gifts for friends and family, too, and you can give them away stuffed with food items from Trader Joes; books; or speciality skin care products.

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Other Resources

If you run a small company, whether its music store or a retail shop, and you have employees to take care of you are probably handling all your payroll solutions on your own to save time and money, right? You may want to rethink that. Check online and get some quotes from the different companies in your area that provide off-site payroll services for small companies. Usually you wind up saving money and time by being able to spend more of both on your business rather than tracking payroll issues.

RP TV Replacement Parts

BP96 lamps, bulbs, and parts should be handled with a clean cloth at all times to avoid any dirt or oil. Your hands are naturally oily and this is not good for these lamps. It is highly recommended to do a final wipe with a clean, non-abrasive, lint free cloth before reinstalling your lamp or Samsung color wheel. Make sure you discharge yourself from any electro-static charge before working on your television. Once you have gotten your color wheel out, you can go ahead and replace it. Then you can move on to your DLP replacement lamp installation. Remember, one part at a time.

Searching for Workwear

When deciding which company or retailer you will use to provide workwear for your staff, ensure that you are selecting one that is professional and reputable. There is no point choosing the first company that you come across if it provides flimsy and poorly made workwear garments. Workwear needs to be, above all, durable and so must be very well made like Carhartt work overalls. Search online to find a quality company. An online durable workwear vendor’s goal should be to provide online clients with Carhartt at an affordable price with a secure online ordering service.

Mortgage Experts

A mortgage company is a wholesale mortgage broker that shops many of the country’s largest lenders daily. Looking through the wholesale rate catalog was in order to find their clients exceptional pricing and offers a variety and competitiveness of a Fortune 100 company. Perfect credit is not required to qualify for many of the best offerings like a Louisville Kentucky mortgage or a loan modification. In fact, they can help credit repair KY, if you need it. If you would like someone to be completely honest with you when considering short sales or even KY refinancing, you want trained experts who will contact you with the answers to your questions.

Cell Phones with No Contracts!

Can you believe it, there is one company that provides cell phones with no contracts expiration point they sell pre-owned, used, new, prepaid and unlocked cell phones such as Blackberries, iPhones, PDAs, sliders and all other models that make great cheap phone replacements with no contract cell phones. Phones come with a free wall charger, free shipping for orders over $20 and a 30-day replacement guarantee! In fact, their goal is to provide the best used cell phones to customers and to earn your repeat business. When you get a phone from them, please try it out quickly and make sure it is works fine and is the model you needed. If you have any problems with a phone or product give them a call ASAP. They want you to be happy and use their online website often and will do whatever they can to solve your problem.

Source: Associated Press

A new travel and adventure-based music show that seeks out the roots of popular music around the world is preparing for its debut. The upcoming TV series was shot by Denver-based Filament Productions.

Set to debut in the U.S. early 2010, The Music Voyager takes viewers on a journey to unique destinations around the world to discover the culture, uncover popular local music and understand its contemporary significance — all while showing adventures the location has to offer. The show will be broadcast on American Public Television/PBS affiliate stations throughout the U.S., on National Geographic Channels International’s Nat Geo Music and Nat Geo Adventure channels (internationally for the first season), as well as on other local broadcast partners (CVM Jamaica, etc.) and online. Kelly Magelky is the Director and Chief Editor. Rod Blackhurst and Oliver Cheneval served as director of photographers for the India and Jamaica shoots respectively.

Initial episodes, shot earlier this year with AG-HVX200 P2 HD handheld camcorders, feature the Northern regions of India, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur, and Jodphur. Upon availability of the HPX300 camera, the production crew jumped at the chance to take the P2 HD camcorder to Jamaica for an 11-day shoot documenting the roots of reggae music in the homeland of world-renowned music legend Bob Marley.

“I had many concerns after reading our schedule for Jamaica, as it seemed most shoots were going to be at night, and most likely in areas difficult to find lighting,” said Director Magelky. “I did some tests at home in Colorado and found that the HPX300 had an amazing capability to handle low lighting. I kept checking the shutter speed, gain, etc. and was truly amazed at what I was seeing.”

“Fast forward to Jamaica – we were, indeed, in many locations where lighting would be an issue, but the camera delivered great results,” he added. “I was amazed at the footage, even while in the edit.”

“A large part of why our show is being received well by our broadcast partners is that we capture great imagery, we absolutely pride ourselves on the fact that every single frame is a knock-out. The HPX300 delivers such a wide dynamic range and color palette that the show sells itself,” said Magelky. “Consistent responses that we hear are that the colors are amazing (pre-color correction). The camcorder does a great job of capturing blacks and reds. Our DP was able to make gamma corrections on the fly very easily and we were able to get the image and color we wanted.”

World Beats

Think of rhythms of world music and it’s easy to be swept away by your imagination. Drum beats of Africa conjure images of safari sunsets and game watching, while the sounds of Spanish guitars transport us to the beaches of Malaga, where stately Andalucia properties overlook the Costa del Sol. This show will not only attempt to transport you to a day in the life of those lucky enough own Costa del Sol properties, but will explore the roots of the music the locals call their own.

The segments were shot in 720p/30PN in AVC-Intra 100. “We created scene files for day, night, overcrank (60fps) and undercrank (12fps),” said Magelky. “We shot a large amount of scenics at 60fps and sunsets/sunrises at 12fps. For me, the big benefit of AVC-Intra is in post-production. I’m finding that the footage handles effects and web compression really well, and general picture quality is definitely impressive.”

“There were many bonuses to shooting with the HPX300,” he said. “The camera’s ability to handle dark situations without gaining was excellent — we didn’t have to up the gain at all. Also, because the camera was shoulder-mounted and not too heavy, we were able to shoot a lot of moving interviews. I personally thought the ease of viewing clips on location was great.”

Magelky continued, “I was very surprised at how quickly the camera was able to switch to the viewing mode, and back to camera mode. This was a huge time saver, and it made me feel comfortable asking to see certain scenes on the fly. As for battery life – we never had to worry about it – that’s priceless!”

“We needed a variety of focal lengths when dealing with this show and the lens we used (17x HD Fujinon lens) worked really well. The quality of the viewfinder was incredible; it was nice to know we had focus during the shoots.”

The crew utilized twelve 8GB P2 cards. “While we could have used larger cards, the capability to hot swap cards kept us from any real issues. Each night, or even between shoots, I would manage the media by offloading through my computer.”

“The quality of the footage is great, but more importantly, the integrity of the footage during and after post-production is superior; it holds up very well,” Magelky said. “This is a great codec – especially as so much footage is online these days. Even if it’s on air, it usually ends up being streamed online as well and this codec is great to work with overall.”

The Music Voyager is being edited in Final Cut Studio Pro 7. For more information about The Music Voyager, visit http://www.tantraww.com.

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My Take: I don’t know about you, but right now, with half the East Coast at a standstill due to extreme winter weather conditions, I’d give anything to be transported to the beaches of southern Spain. I’m sure the folks who bought South Nyack real estate last fall are counting the days until they can dig out from under the snow and enjoy their beach-front property. Not that all Piermont real estate is under snow, but the winter has hit the area hard and no telling when it’s going to let up.

If I owned any one of the homes along the eastern seaboard right now I’d be seriously considering hiring a solid property management company to rent out my house while I wait out winter somewhere where the ice doesn’t stick to my shoes and I can wear flip flops to the fanciest restaurant in town.

By the way, if you’re planning on moving to the east coast, specifically New York, you might want to check into a class that will help you learn to drive NY style, because the rules of the road are quite different there. Even if you’ve mastered truck driving school on the west coast, you’d benefit from some driving tips for moving those big 18-wheelers across East coast highways and byways.

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Source: Los Angeles Times

A new study shows that, when moral implications of sexual activity are left out of the argument, sex-ed classes for teens can reduce sexual activity by nearly one third in 12-13-year olds.

Other forms of sex education also worked, however, reducing sexual activity by about 20% and reducing multiple sexual partners by about 40%, according to the study reported Monday in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

None of the classes appeared to influence the use of condoms or other birth control when the students did have sex. The children thus remained at risk of pregnancy and disease. “This study, in our view, is game-changing science,” said Bill Albert, chief program officer at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group based in Washington. “It provides, for the first time, evidence that abstinence-only intervention helped young teens delay sexual activity.” The George W. Bush administration poured tens of millions of dollars into federal funding for abstinence-only programs, most of them religious-oriented, with little or no evidence that they worked. And new data released last week showed that sexual activity, pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases are increasing among teens. The Obama administration has sharply reduced funding for abstinence-only programs and has announced its intention to fund only interventions that have been found to work. The new study is expected to provide support for such interventions. But Albert noted that this is only one study in one region. It “should not be interpreted as a signal that abstinence-only education works at all times and under all circumstances. That doesn’t even pass the common-sense test.”

Growing Up Fast

Teenagers have slowly been leaning toward early sexual activity over the course of the last two decades. Those sweet 16 invitations are no longer quite the message of transition from innocence to adulthood they once represented. Gone, too, are the days when 12-year-old boys were happy hanging with their pop playing with toy train sets or building a fort. These days, model trains and Barbie parties have given way to all-night Wii games and texting sessions, and sexualized videos and TV programs have youngsters experimenting earlier than ever before.

In an editorial accompanying the report, journal editor Dr. Frederick P. Rivara of the University of Washington and Dr. Alain Joffe of Johns Hopkins University argued that “no public policy should be based on the results of one study, nor should policymakers selectively use scientific literature to formulate a policy that meets preconceived ideologies.” The study’s lead author, psychologist John B. Jemmott III of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, agreed in a statement, saying that other types of students must be studied as well: “Policy should not be based on just one study, but an accumulation of empirical findings from several well-designed, well-executed studies.” The study was conducted among 662 African American sixth- and seventh-graders in four low-income schools in the northeastern United States. The students were randomized into four groups. One received an eight-hour abstinence-only class focusing on the risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. It was based on principles shown to be effective in reducing transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and did not use a moralistic tone or portray sex in a negative light. A second group received an eight-hour safe-sex class. The third group received a comprehensive eight- or 12-hour class emphasizing both aspects.

The control group received education only about healthy living. Over the two years after taking the classes, 48.5% of those in the control group reported sexual activity, compared with 33.5% of those in the abstinence-only group. About 52% of those taught only safe sex reported sexual activity, and about 42% of those in the comprehensive class made a similar report. About 8.8% of participants in the comprehensive class reported activity with multiple partners, compared with 14.1% in the control group, indicating that the comprehensive class reduced the risk of sexually transmitted disease. Diseases and pregnancies were not monitored, however. Catherine Camacho, deputy director for the California Department of Public Health’s Center for Family Health, said previous research had shown that it made sense to include abstinence education as part of a comprehensive program. “A comprehensive approach that does include abstinence is the most effective program,” she said. “We have never disagreed with that. But we would prefer to call it abstinence-plus.”

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My take:Frankly, it’s pretty discouraging to think that teens are experimenting with their sexuality at such a young age. If your teen is active sexually and not careful, you can say goodbye to those college savings plans. Forget about that whole life policy and start getting the best term life insurance quotes you can get your hands on because you just might need to set money aside for the costs of helping raise grandkids long before you even get near retirement age.

Seems these days you no longer get the baby announcements sent out that you are having a discussion about sex, drugs and rock and roll with your youngsters. Don’t get me wrong: I’m all for education and probably at the rate we’re heading, the earlier the better. I just prefer to think my son, who is now 10, still has a few years left in him that are going to be perfectly happy sitting next to mom and watching comedy movies online all night.

Speaking of movies, did you know there are some great sites you can take your teen to online for a free movie download? It’s true. You pay a small fee and each month you get a new list of titles in your in box. Netflix online also has a great selection of instant play movies online to watch and many of them are new releases.

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A cleaning service should be backed by experience that provides top shelf house cleaning and home cleaning services to individuals and to the public sector. Customer care as well as the quality of work should shine above all else. You can find one such service cleaning VA.

A cleaning service should provide reliable housecleaning services that are of the highest quality and at competitive rates. Virginia cleaning services in Arlington VA 22207, Fairfax VA 22030, and Alexandria VA 22314 areas are comprised of a gold standard in residential, apartment, condominium, and move in, move out services in these areas.

The service that is provided should be more than just a cleaning lady. The service should strive to achieve customer satisfaction in their cleaning business. They will need to gain your trust to keep you as a customer. Their goal should be to keep their customers happy and to build a lasting relationship to keep their business going.

A Fairfax VA maid service should provide you with the comfort and security that you need along with the leisure time that you deserve. The service needs to understand that peace of mind goes beyond cleaning a house. They should be the most proficient, dependable and trustworthy maid service in the state. They should provide you with the promise of the best house cleaning services and home cleaning services that are available.

Since they are in the housecleaning business, they should provide their customers with a cleaner and healthier environment. They should be able to pass the white glove test.

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The Cleaning Lady

Many people do not appreciate the “cleaning lady” because when she arrived she does just what she is expected to be. You want more than just another “cleaning lady” coming to your home or business. You deserve the unique domestic cleaning and commercial cleaning methods that a Maryland house cleaning service provide. A service whose goal is to provide their customers with a cleaner and healthier environment by providing maid services MD. A service that can provide you with the comfort and security that you need along with the leisure time that you deserve.

Do Not Waste Time or Money

Whether you are putting in a new garage floor or just building a new garage, you do not want a waste your time or your money. That means to avoid wasting time and money you need to get the correct epoxy flooring. You will waste time and your money if you simply slap water-based or low-grade solid epoxies on your floor that are less than 10 mils thick with no anti-wear protection topcoat. If you do, it is guaranteed to waste you time and money because the floor will come up quickly and easily. You need a good urethane fortified paint for the topcoat to provide a gloss protection and durability.

What Is a Call Center?

An office centrally located it is used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting large amounts of information/requests by telephone. A company that administers incoming product support and inquiries from customers is considered a call center. A call center is more than just an answering service. It provides a service to your customers for your business. It can also provide outgoing calls for telemarketing, clientele, product services or collections. Most major businesses use call centers through a telephone answering service to interact with their customers. Some businesses even service internal functions through call centers. Examples of this include help desks, retail financial support, and sales support.

SEO Goals

The goal of on-page optimization is to create a website that the search engines can easily read through (code-wise), enjoy reading, come back to read as frequently as possible and generate a common theme for ranking purposes. Once this has been achieved, the SEO link building process begins. This on-going SEO service is critical to achieving and sustaining great search engine placement. The link building will be consistent with the keywords targeted on a page-by-page basis. You also need to consider how real human beings will read your webpage and consider the goals for the visitor. How would you drive them through the conversion path of least resistance?  An SEO company can answer this question for you.

If you are familiar with booking flights or making reservations then you are familiar with how fast the travel industry is moving today. In fact, prices vary wildly from one company to another. Prices normally fluctuate with the season. At other times, fares and fees change for no reason at all and make cheap airfare difficult to find.

Here are 5 tips on cheap travel that may help you save money:

Take the cheapest route. The direct route may be quicker but it could also be more costly. Airfares are constantly changing. They change because of the seasons, time of day and variation in demand. Make sure you check alternate routes and take advantage of the discounts by taking two flights instead of one.

Eat in-house. Most discount hotels or motels take advantage of tourists as much as they can. Due to currency differences, you may not realize that you are paying $15 for a bad breakfast or lunch that costs only $5 in the US. Go to a local grocery store and get your own food. This does not mean that you have to start cooking in your hotel room. Get something that is fresh from a market to eat while you are on the go instead of stopping at a restaurant that is also a tourist trap.

Rent an apartment for your vacation. If you plan to stay more than a couple of days in any city, consider renting an apartment. Many cities now have apartments for rent weekly or monthly, especially during the summer months. Comparatively, this is cheaper than most cheap hostels, hotels or motels. Many countries now have a cottage industry for people renting a vacation spot that is for a short period.

Do not be particular. When you start getting fussy, the price will go up. Be a little bit more flexible and the price will get lower. This is especially important when you are searching for discount car rentals. You do not need a large luxury car to go sightseeing. You just need something that will get you from point A to point B.

Consider staying in one spot. The most expensive part of traveling is traveling. This all includes the bus passes, car rentals, train tickets and the restaurants. When you are always on the go, you tend to spend more not only on food but also on accommodations. Besides, if you stay in one spot you are more likely to get to know what the country and people are truly like.

Following these 5 tips will not guarantee that you save money when traveling. However, they could make your trip more enjoyable.

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Flags Galore

The United States flag is one of the most popular sellers for one flag retailer who offers large to miniature flags on their website. They have a vast inventory of flags and discount flags that include over 300 flag designs including 220 international flags. You can buy flag products including outdoor flags, flags banners and historic flags quickly and conveniently from anywhere in the world and available with same day delivery when you order. Their stock of nylon flags include every state, country or personal interest category available including individual US state flags like custom flags, Texas flags, Marine and military flags, nautical flags, historical flags, and Christian flags.

It’s Party Time!

If you are looking for exclusive tableside bottle service at one of the hottest night clubs such as Tryst, XS, Pure, Tao, Body English, The Bank, or LAX for your Las Vegas bachelorette party, then you’ve come to the right place for your VIP connection. These exclusive limousine bachelorette party packages will have you looking and feeling like Las Vegas superstars. Imagine you and your friends driving down the strip in Las Vegas Hummer limousines drinking complimentary champagne, listening to great music, screaming out the windows and walking straight into any Las Vegas night club.

LA Air Charter Goal

This charter company’s goal is to do things right the 1st time by providing an honest, fairly priced, top-quality service. They will not create grandiose images, nor will they gild their promises. They decline so much of what the industry accepts and have taken an oath to their promise of Safety, Punctuality, and Hospitality. This Los Angeles private jet charter service gives you access to your personal aircraft concierge 24/7, 365 days a year! Customers are provided special numbers and do not have to use an 800 number. In fact, they tailor their service to you, the customer.

A New York Inn

Some B & B’s operate in a niche market. Floating bed and breakfasts for example are a concept originating in Seattle in which a boat or houseboat offers B & B accommodation. However, this New York Inn is not a floating New York bed and breakfast. These accommodations are designed for the senses and the warm ambiance contributes to the sense of retreat. Your accommodations not only provide a breakfast, and include, but not limited to, iPod docking station, PC with Internet, Wi-Fi, LCD TV and more. Upon request, you can get Garden access and Babybjorn travel crib for 1 to 3 year olds if needed.

Violation of the employment discrimination laws is not a laughing matter. Right now, there is no avenue for an employee to take in filing a complaint with the government; however, an employee can seek out and hired New York employment lawyers.

As in the case of Robert Fulop versus Zynga in which Mr. Fulop alleges that he was discriminated against due to a disability. According to court documents filed February 2009, Mr. Fulop had requested a medical leave, five weeks after being hired, to work from home part-time due to the need for heart surgery. Mr. Fulop had already been contracted with the company for almost a year prior to being hired. The court documents also state that he was fired because they had no work for him and immediately after firing Mr. Fulop the company sought to hire someone else to fill the exact position.

Mr. Fulop did the right thing in hiring an attorney. If you think you need a NYC employment attorney, contact one. There are many benefits of hiring employment discrimination attorneys. Here are a few of those benefits:

1. Skill. A good employment discrimination attorney can take care of all the red tape and help simplify the process of filing a lawsuit for complaint.
2. Experience. With a skilled attorney, nothing will be overlooked. They know and understand the processes that go into proving a case as well as getting the appropriate compensation for a client.
3. Peace of mind. Any lawsuit can be very draining, not only physically but emotionally as well for a victim. An employment discrimination lawyer will give you some peace of mind.

Now that you have decided to get an employment lawyer, you need to choose the right kind. This is where you look for their specialty. There are different types of discrimination laws in our country. This means that there are different types of discrimination lawyer, including employment discrimination lawyers.

You should also consider the amount of experience that the attorney or law firm has dealing with employment issues. You need to consider the personality of that lawyer as well because if you do not like the lawyer, you may not like how he handles your case. You should feel comfortable when speaking to your lawyer.

It is always wise to seek the advice of a lawyer when your rights have been violated. A lawyer will help make sure that you do not leave any stones unturned and ensure peace of mind during the stressful process of a lawsuit.

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Issues of Administrative Law

TX administrative attorneys can counsel clients on issues of administrative law, arbitration, banking and finance, corporate and commercial transactions, general corporate law, securities law, entertainment (music, sports and television), immigration, international law, estate and trust planning, probate and trust administration, taxation, private banking, real estate, secured lending, and litigation before all State and Federal Courts. They also have civil trial practice involving complex commercial litigation, including international disputes, business disputes, business torts, director and officer liability, intellectual property, and professional liability involving legal and accounting professionals.

Personal Injuries

One Texas personal injury attorney works to promote the development of a safer society by seeking jury verdicts that take the profit out of negligent conduct and the manufacture of defective products. They represent clients who have suffered from all manner of personal injuries or wrongful death due to the negligence of others. When you choose this law office to represent you on your personal injury case, you are partnering yourself with a group of attorneys who do not merely dabble in personal injury law, but rather a highly specialized firm that spends all day, every day, winning cases just like yours.

That is a simple question. Astrosauce is the answer you are looking for. They have all the cool t-shirts you will ever need. They base their online store on a triangle and the three sides represent:

1) Music

Music is the base of the triangle or their foundation. If it were not for music bringing them together, Astrosauce would not be! Music is the universal language. Music t shirts help to spread that music.

2) Urban Art

You cannot deny that urban art plays a role in their design concepts. The movement has moved out of the shadows and they look to bring you some fresh flavored designs by some of NYC’s graffiti legends. That means you can get graffiti t shirts by some of these legends.

3) Inspirational

Astrosauce is not for those weak clones! If you strive to learn, question and break through those glass ceilings then check out some of their deeper meaning inspirational designs. You will find words of wisdom that have been passed down for generations like “It’s not my fault!” on many T-shirts

You may make your first order because of their designs but you will go back for more once you put it on. Their premium knit apparel is combined with their precision dye process and its breathable, not like the cheesy silk screen process. You will find Astrosauce versatile enough to wear out on the town, the beach, and even to sleep in!

Whether you are looking for music, cool or graffiti tee shirts, Astrosauce is the place you are looking for.

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T-Shirt Material

When looking to purchase promotional T-shirts, you should consider the material that T-shirts, sweats and lower priced golf shirts because they are priced according to color range; white, heathers and colors. Dark colored shirts may require an additional under base color (primer) to assure the desired ink color will not be affected by the garment color. This is to ensure that your complete designs will be seen. If you’re using these as corporate gifts to your employees, you want them to reflect quality as well as your business. Remember your budget, the more elaborate your design, the more costly your project will be.

British Prom Night

No matter what you call prom night, girls still need prom dresses. The British call their prom night the Leavers’ Ball, Leavers’ Dinner, Formal or, informally, Leavers’ Do. This is closer to the Australian description, although in the UK, some schools have called the above events proms. In Canada, Ireland, and Australia the terms Grad or Formal are most commonly used and the event is usually held for those graduating high school or middle school. In Ireland, the event is also known as the Debs, which is derived from Debutante. Just like in America, girls can also choose from evening or formal dresses to wear to these events.