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Roland (Cakewalk) A-300 Pro Mini-Review
This is the best off-the shelf midi keyboard controller under $500 in my opinion. The A-300 Pro is a solid, no-headache deal. Its not plug & play (requires a software driver), but its impressive. The key action is a steep improvement from the terrible M-audio Axiom Pro, and possibly Novation Remote (which was heavier and louder ). Ergonomically everything is laid out very well and will cause no headaches or mis-triggers. Menus are not hard to navigate, thankfully . The drum pads are acceptable and trigger fast, as well as light up. While Roland could create a keyboard thats only slightly more professional, with JP-80 level keys, it would end up too heavy for your lap. I found the keys translated to other Roland key-beds. This series of controllers by Roland is probably your best bet today. You won't have any regrets with the A-300 if you like to play and need a semi-compact setup.
Rating: A-
NAMM 2013 – The Keyboards Leaked and Announced Thus Far
Launchkey by Novation
"Launchkey is a range of 25, 49 and 61 note keyboard controllers with up to 50 physical controls including 16 velocity-sensitive multi-colour launch pads that trigger and stop clips – and launch scenes – in Ableton Live…"
To be honest this one looks a little on the cheap side. I'm not a fan of Novations software. I hope this is a step in the right direction, but I'm not excited. Wait till a full review comes out before purchasing. The midi controller market is notorious for poor quality and expensive products. This just doesn't look like something I'd buy, unless it turns out they fixed all the issues I've had with every other midi controller. I'm not sure what companies are listening anymore.
An unknown Casio keyboard! I'm betting its repackaged FM technology from the old days w/ rom.
A Custom Animoog Controller With iPad
The knobs are specially designed for the Animoog software. The box contains an iPad and Doepher USB interface. Neat! By Synthesizer Project.DE
The Best Midi Controller Keyboard
What is the best midi controller keyboard? By taking data from forum user's positive and negative experiences we're able to make a comparison of the most popular brands. Specific models were grouped into product lines, or by brand when necessary. The winner? Novation. By far it had the most recommendations. Second place would go to the M-audio Axiom line with 7 positive experiences. Things get more complicated when you take into account negative experiences. Each brand had someone complain about it. This leads me to believe that ALL these companies are making products with problems, even Novation. Most Novation users complained about the Automap software. While the majority of M-audio users were happy, some complained about build quality. Oberheim MC3000 seemed to be a favorite by they are no longer in production. The worst rated midi keyboard controller was the Korg MicroKontrol. Nobody reported a positive experience with it and one reported going through 3 different bad units. If you are buying a midi controller and don't fuss over software control, Novation seems like a good choice, as well as M-Audio.
Little-Scale's Novation LaunchPad Controls a Sega
I must have missed this guy somehow. I didnt know it was possible to control a "megadrive" directly yet.
Check out this guy's blog
Skin Your Gear!
With Styleflip.com's flash editor I was able to make a star wars themed vinyl for an Electribe. The tool is pretty advanced, and you can order your creation. A wide selection of boxes are supported, like akai, and other DJ gear. I hope they make some more keyboard templates, beyond their midi controllers sometime!
LinnDrumm II Design
Looks like I didn't see this yet. Its a cool 3d mockup. Looks a little like a mixing console. Everything is starting to take this shape lately.
New Version of OSCulator Released
Osculator works with obscure controllers, like the Wiimote, to help you control different Midi parameters for your performances.
Winter NAMM 2009 links
A new M50 by Korg with 76 keys.
Korg releases the Pink Kaossilator.
Korg releases the nano controllers in black.
Is all you could do was come up with new colors?
So far there is nothing too exciting to report about winter NAMM. Maybe everyone is buying guitars this year?
Nova Drive presented by Uffe Hansen at NAMM '09
This is kind of cool, a combination overdrive & distortion thats analog, with presets! Midi controlled too. Sounds like a premium pedal.
Kinda retarded but cool. The ultimate hacked TR707
Diabolical Devices TR-707 at NAMM 2009
More as I find it…
Christmas Wishlist
Don't know what to buy yourself for christmas? Check out this toy list for some holiday ideas.
1. Roland SPD-20 Total Percussion Pad $650
Instead of getting a PS3 with Rock Band, why not grab a Roland 8 pad drum kit with 700 sounds loaded into it?
2. Korg Kaoscillator $200
100 of Korg's world renowned synth sounds right at your finger tip.
3. Sterling Audio ST51 Large Diaphragm FET Condenser Microphone $99
This microphone is the top rated in the under 100 dollar range in a number of realworld tests. I would rather have this than an m-audio mic or any other costing 3 times its price.
4. Korg DS-10 For Nintendo DS $36
For only 36 dollars and Amazon delivery this video game / synth will be on everyone's list.
5. Hal Leonard Rock Keyboard $12
Learn different Rock styles and chords to play along with the CD. If you are a beginner or intermediate I recommend this one as it helped my playing and improvising.
6. Stocking stuffer pick: Disney Hannah Montana Guitar with Bonus Amp
NO! Well if I'm not the grandaddy of all liars!
Alesis Fusion: Ultimate Heavy Metal Guitar FX
Upon plugging my guitar into the Alesis Fusion, I always wondered how to use it as a guitar fx processor. The fusion includes 8 inputs, and a variety of FX. Unfortunately it only lets you use bus effects on the audio inputs, which gets rid of all of the amp modeling, and overdrives by themselves. To get a great heavy metal sound from your guitar and alesis fusion, you will have to stretch the use of the bus effects without clipping and overloading it (which is easy to do). Here is a great patch that lets you use the Alesis fusion as heavy metal guitar FX processor.
Step 1. Create an audio track
Step 2. The fx bus settings:
Bus Send 1 = Wah Distortion + Delay @ 99%
Dry Level 0%
Bus Return 10%
Time: 0.1ms
Feedback, Attack, Release, Sensotivity, all @ 0%
Drive: 100%
Bus Send 2 = Plate Reverb @ 71% (Optional)
Dry Level 0%
Bus Return 9%
Decay, Diffusion 100%
Density 35%
Damping 30%
Be careful when setting this up as you will likely clip the internal circuit or your speakers if all the settings aren't in yet. Pay attention to bus return levels.
Step 4. Plug your guitar into the Alesis Fusion's audio in OR through an external amp FIRST (recommended).
Here are the settings on my practice amp which leads into the Alesis Fusion via Headphone-Out:
Input Gain 100%
Treble 100%
Mids: variable (50%)
Bass: 100%
Overdrive: ON
Adjust the output volume accordingly
After all this setup you will get a live guitar FX processor out of the Alesis fusion, and a patch that sounds AWESOME.
Its like Overdrived Metal-Wah from hell. Great for solos and some chords.
Fibra's Custom Laser-Cut x0x0b0x
TB-303 emulation!
Fibra has many other custom synthesizer works on his Flickr stream.
Also check out his upcoming Divius (TR-808 clone)!
Digidesign and M-audio Drivers Lacking with Latest Operatin...
From Create Digital Music
if you're a user of Digidesign and M-Audio products and looking to use current operating systems, very often you're out of luck.
I think that totally sucks. I've had this happen to me with an m-audio USB midi interface. They just never updated the driver on the switch from OS9 to OS X. All it was is a USB midi module. I had to sell it and switch to an anchient MOTU unicorn midi interface. Just go with MOTU. Their support is way better than both of these companies that are basically releasing gobs of products and not paying any attention to them at a later date.
Be careful who you buy from when you are getting computer-specific gear, even if it is USB, or plug and play.
The Declining Quality of Apple, Synthmania 4 Year Anniversa...
Many laptop-based Mac OS X users are experiencing significant audio issues on Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard. On Tiger, the culprit appears to be the AirPort Extreme Update 2008-001 released earlier this spring. One workaround on Tiger is to simply turn off AirPort.
From CDM
Do you think that Apple's software and hardware quality have gone way down?? Every update they release seems untested nowadays. Programs also seem to crash more often, even with an increased overall stability of the system. Airport giving audio problems is insane, and evidence that they aren't paying attention.
Step by Step instructions on how to Control Ableton Live with your iPhone
Beat Bearing!!!
Controlling a TR-808 with ball bearings! Looks like alot of people saw this one already. Eh, I'm slow.
Keytars and Controllerism From Lx7
Come Celebrate Synthmania's 4 year anniversary with a Visit to their page on the Electrix Filter Factory!!
Mp3 Demo
Do you need a kick start in your garden?
Features 5 encoders (with button), an additional button and a display. Software is customizable (by me, hahahaha)…..But I use it to command my machinedrum effects over sysex
RuinWesen Midi Command Link @ EM411
Sing a Song in Midi – Vocal To Midi Convert & Utils
Want to sing your music into the computer instead of spending hours creating songs from scratch?
It looks like there are no commercial hardware to do this, but there are a few companies providing software. The best looks like Widisoft, who actually has both PC & Mac versions.
Your voice becomes a midi controller
WIDI Audio to MIDI is a realtime Audio to MIDI conversion plugin. The plugin receives input from an audio channel and performs realtime music recognition.
A "complete" list of Pitch to Midi Convertors can be found Here
Midi makes Pictures with MSMidiPix.
How to record vocals from MixBus
Korg TR Quick Review
After having the mixed feelings and ultimate sell off an Alesis Fusion HD6, I acquired the Korg TR to see how it stacks up in controlling my studio.
Its alot nicer than it looks in the pictures. People may complain of plastic construction, but thats only the end caps!!!! The front face is black metal & high quality knobs and buttons.
The Korg TR is very solid, but it's sounds won't inspire you by itself. You will probably want to connect it to a PC with a larger sound library, or some external gear. This board will serve as the basis for music creation & composition, however. Out of the box the knobs are set to control basic external gear parameters very well, like RES, CUTOFF. These control knobs even worked with Reason without any setup. Any time saved not setting up obscure midi parameters is a good thing. Once you get your channels, and programs set, you can save it as a song template and use it every time you start a new song.
The sounds of the Korg TR leave something to be desired. If your sound is completely electronic or sort like Jean Michael Jarre, then you will like it ALOT. It has amazing organs, and electronic strings, but you will be hard pressed to find any gritty guitars or other sounds onboard. Even through tweaking the rom it can be difficult to make it sound mean, unless you are going to be doing it with a synth program. The category button is set up nicely to find a particular sound you are looking for, although scrolling to select programs inside the sequencer mode is a mixed bag. It doesnt matter however, because you can use the category button inside Sequencer mode. This is unlike the Alesis Fusion's inability to do so, and its a good thing. The drums are pretty decent for hip hop and some electronic music. As far as rock, they come off as a little cheap. I am not sure Korg has ever been good at drums, so you will be better off loading up something in Reason again. Some of the kicks are very very nice and bassy though. Nothing faboulous, even though the sound quality is very high. The high point of the rom is its synth sounds. They sound better than older yamaha stuff, which always had a catlike meow sound to them. Overall the Korg has more of an "ahhhhh" type of quality to every sound. It is more soothing. I think this has to do with whoever was in charge of creating the rom, however long ago it was.
Sequencing is solid & very easy. You will be able to start making songs in no time. Loop features are very nice to set up. Menus are easy to navigate once you get the hang of it. It is a good compromise between touch screen, and an even smaller menu based screen. Combis are also flawlessly easy to put into sequencer mode!! You could probably create a keyboard split of all your gear, save it as a combi, then import it into sequencer mode and have easy control. With the TR88, this would be ideal!!
EFX: They sound amazing, but you only get a single effect to apply to ALL of the tracks. Not even per-track, so choose wisely. Let me specify this: You can only have one effect, and then have the ability to turn that effect off or on for each track. You also get mastering effects, but thats applied to your entire mix. SO if you want to add amp distortion to one sound, then add reverb to another…you cant. It is hard to change the quality of the onboard sounds too much, but most of them sound acceptable, and can be tweaked with the RES, HPF, and cutoff functions to make them blend in you mix. I think judging this board based on what effects it has is not a good idea since it does have assignable outs, and you can just set up something in your computer during monitor/mixing to apply effects.
The build of the board is way higher than it looks in any picture. Its actually very nice, and the buttons are nicer than I expected. The keys are a little nicer than an Alesis fusion, but are nothing special.
Overall this is an amazing piece of equipment to use in your studio for composing and controlling all your gear!! The USB to PC also makes it a good midi controller. I would recommend this board if you found it used and the price was right. Make sure you get an SD card (it has no internal memory for songs). You can use this to trigger samples on your computer, so if you don't gig, then the lack of sampling features is no big deal….even then the sampling upgrade option could be applied later if you feel you really need it.
Conclusion: Average sounds except for Synths & Organs, easy integration into your studio, and its fun to play. Great as a controller & techno machine. Worth the money.
Sound Quality: 9
Musical Expression & Voices: 6.5
Build: 8
Key Action: 6
Sequencer / Menus: 8
Building your own "Neko" PC keyboard with touchsc...
I've decided to come up with some designs, and at least a partial parts list for building your own keyboard with integrated computer and touchscreen. It seems like a good time to do it. LCD prices aren't too bad, and we now have high powered computers that can fit almost anywhere, like the mac mini and those PC mini-itx cases. I don't think you should have to pay over 2 thousand dollars for something similiar, and this would just be cool to make. The whole idea would to make something that is portable with all the controls in the same place.
Parts List
LCD Planar Touchscreen $300 – This one is kind of ugly due to the white frame, but the price is right for a 15 inch. Getting a good touchscreen / LCD with enough screen space for the right price would be pretty important. This Planar one goes for $440 and could be a hell of a lot better.
A small Midi keyboard + Keypad for only $44. I'm not going to bank on the construction quality of this one, but it looks really Neko-ish. If you added a small, in-car-style 8-10 inch size touch screen, which are even cheaper than the ones I mentioned it might be really cute. Other than that you'd be best to go with a USB midi keyboard for whatever you can get on ebay. Even better if it was one of those keyboards that had the audio interface built in.
This might be the grandaddy solution for picking out your computer…
intel imac with touchscreen or ibook touchscreen. On the intel mac, you could have your choice of running both windows and Mac OS X with the latest chip architecture. If you went with an iBook, you could carefully dissassemble it and mount it inside your case with the keyboard midi controller you picked out. Having the computer, Keypad / touchscreen all at the same time would be effecient, as then you wouldn't have to worry about power supplies for each. I don't know how much that costs to add on.
And then your audio interface, if you didn't have it built in to your keyboard, probably get an Edirol self powered USB unit. That one is a little expensive at $240. You would probably want the built in audio interface type of midi controller, with knobs.
As you can see, I didn't address the problems of having multiple power supplies…but if your like me, you'd just have the bundled cords wrapped up out the back and buy a power-squid. Maybe with enough space, you could shove the power-squid up inside the keyboard box, to trick people, like you actually know how to run all of that stuff off the same voltage.
Version 1:
Cost Estimate: $1,150 ish
(LCD Touchscreen, Cheap Prodikeys Midi Controller, Intel mac mini, Edirol USB/MIDI Audio interface, + random case parts)
Version 2:
Cost Estimate: 1,900 ish? ($1,500 Apple iBook bought on ebay with modified touchscreen by Troll Systems, $300 Midi keyboard with audio interface built in, +$100 worth of random parts)
This could version be flat and rectangular looking more like an Elektron machine. The flatscreen would be attached at the far left end, with various components inside the box underneath, then having the keyboard tacked on its side. You could also have the flatscreen attached like version one above if you didn't like looking down.
Doing a keyboard like this would be an awesome project, and I bet you could do it for under 2000 dollars and have a pretty nice result. If you were able to use clear plexiglass as a box, you could even do etching across it and light it up from inside. Extra modifications would be knobs & such for midi control. Even sillier would be to add speakers. If you played on stage, it might be cool to have a mini lcds attached to your keyboard, facing the crowd, so you could put some kind of weird video on it. Also, no, this keyboard isn't the solution I was talking about for my previous article.
Big Damn Namm Update 07
The Chip Collection didn't make it out to NAMM 07, but thats not going to stop us from making a giant NAMM compilation post!!! This post will be updated on January 18th the following days as stuff comes in.
UPDATE: Moog Little Phatty Stage Edition and Customizable Voyager
UPDATE: Open Labs upgrades MIKO SE and MIKO LE: Link
From future music blog
UPDATE: Mackie Anounces Control Pro Surfaces: Link
Mackie anounces Tracktion 3!!!! (I love Tracktion's ease of use and its better mastering plugins)
TAPCO Anounces 4×6 Firewire audio interface for $249: Link
UPDATE: KORG IMAGES on Gearjunkies.com: Link (currently having server issues)
A Stupid Mixer, MINI Kaoss Pad (***AWESOME***), M3 Synth, and R3 (new Darth Vader edition microkorg).
Check back for status and pictures / adds.
If you know anything, please comment!
Most Anticipated / Rumored:
Apple Logic version 8 or 7.5: Unconfirmed
Alesis Master Control Firewire Audio Interface: Confirmed
Alesis Master Control
Nice!! Check out the specs on this audio interface. Its everything you've ever dreamed of….6 discrete outs, 5.1 surround. 8 Channels of 44.1-192khz audio in. Motorized Faders, MIDI, 2 Preamps, SPDIF, LCD, Jog wheel, fully editable presets.
New Korg Microkorg called the R3: Leaked Images / Confirmed From Gear Junkies
New Korg Mini Chaos Pad: Leaked Images / Confirmed From Gear Junkies
Roland MV-8800 Sampler Workstation: Confirmed
Roland V-Synth GT: Confirmed
V-Synth GT
Previously Confirmed:
(Coming in March)
Arturia Origin: Origin is the first Arturia Hardware synthesizer. It is a modular system of a new generation opening innovative avenues in sound design.
Loaded with modules extracted from the best synthesizers of all time (Moog Modular, ARP 2600, CS-80, minimoog and Prophet VS). Details Link
(Arturia Origin sounds like it could be really expensive…)
No word yet on Steve Urkel Edition Moog.
More using quartz composer & Kaoss Pad
Kaoss Pad + Electribe EMX1 + Quartz Composer = Good track.
Free Sample Pack: Hard & Bouncy / Free Electribe VSTs
This sample pack sounds like pre-rockstar Prodigy sounds (Charly). If you need new bass drums or really excellent hoovers & stabs, then get this. Download it free from Serious-Sounds.net
For Korg electribe users:
I dug up these VST controller plugins somebody made for Korg Electribes! Covers most machines, EMX, EA1, ER1. Sweet!
AudioCubes Control Elektron Machinedrum
Using AudioCubes to control Elektron Machinedrum
From PercUsa
Lazy Monday Updates
Good stuff, All Via SonicState:
Virsyn has CANTOR-2 Vocal Synth
Free Pitch Shifter Plug FREE!
Kenton Killamix Mini USB Killaaahhh
20th anniversary.
Have a gooood day guys.
The Cheapest Wireless Midi Controller discovered
DSMIDI Wifi!
Yes its the Nintendo DS converted over to a midi controller. I saw this yesterday, but thought I'd repost.
Alesis offers free M1 Active MkII Studio Monitors
….with a purchase of any Fusion keyboard.
Awesome deal!
Offer available Here
Reason Song Tutorial Part 2
Korg Announces K61P USB-MIDI Studio Controller
K61P combines computer controller features with built-in, high-quality, stereo-sampled acoustic and electric pianos
So its a midicontroller that they put some piano sounds into. Korg is scared that people are going to stop buying their keyboard workstations, so they are marketing a regular keyboard as a midi controller I see.
Like other K-series models, the K61P comes bundled with Korg's M1 Le software synthesizer, a complete software version of the classic M1 Music Workstation. As a bonus, K-series users can upgrade at a special "Preferred Owner" price to the Korg Legacy Collection – Digital Edition, which comprises a significantly enhanced version of the M1 software synthesizer, the WAVESTATION v1.6 software synthesizer and the MDE-X v1.2 multi-effect plug-in.
Ah! I this is also a product intended to get you purchasing their software.
Whatever happens I hope that its a really good midi controller, because it seems kind of expensive for a keyboard with a couple of piano sounds. Full press release and links after the break.
Roland FA-06, FA-08 Leaked Audio Tool Rocks: The Online TB-303 & 909 Emulator How to Hack Your PS2 Memory Card And Run Anything Behringer Guitar Review: Metalien Pack Mac OS X Dolphin Speed Guide Top Ten Drum Machines of all time The Roland V-synth Resource Page Tutorial: Installing Windows On Partitioned Mac Without Bootcamp What are the Best iPad Synthesizer Apps? (iOS) Visual Audio Mastering In Logic Pro Using Parallel Compression For Mastering 5 Electronic Music Production Tips & Techniques Jupiter-80 and Jupiter-50 Patches Roland 6 Instructables For Electronic Music & Synthesizer DIY A Sound Comparison Of Synths 2013 (updated) Logic Pro X Review – Just OK Downloadable Frequency Chart (PDF) Drum Machine Waves 4GB Download What Type Of Plugins Do I use to Compress Drums For EDM? Fire The Head of iTunes. iTunes 11 review: The Worst Interface Update In Years. Top Raspberry Pi Synthesizers Links NES Wave Pack Reason Refill Dubstep Drums Effects Processing Tutorial. Hear the MFB Dominion 1 Synth in an Epic, Triumphant Demo Song 20 of My Favorite Console Video Games of All Time Multiband Limiting To A Loudness Curve & NS10s Using Aiwa Q Sound Boombox as an Effects Processor Quiz Your Synthesizer Vocabulary on Memrise Mac Productivity Tip: Mission Control And The Middle Mouse Button


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Beautiful song I discovered looking for something else... Consequences of Falling from Sweet November movie
RT @KwanaWrites: Did someone give Taylor a #Grammy playlist b4 the show started? Every time I turn the camera is on her signing a song I don't know.
Between Taylor (eyeroll) & Rihanna and the occasional Christina & Eminem songs, they pretty much have my life covered in song. :D
Jay-Z & Beyonce bebopping their little heads.... PRECIOUS. Worth enduring this silly song. #grammys
OH CRAP. The girl is no longer on fire. I literally cannot hear this song ONE more time. #grammys I love Daylight however. :-)
RT @meljones77: I hope Taylor Swift ran into John Mayer backstage & is writing an awful song in her sparkly journal called "Blue Tux Heartbreak" RIGHT NOW.
See what's Trending Now for @KrisColvin
Follow @KrisColvin on Twitter


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BAFTA Award winning,Oscar Award Nominated, Possibly next Bond Villain Chiwetel Ejiofor. totally was amazing meeting this man 📷🎥 #workflow
Find your inner strength! It's ok to breakdown, just remember to move on, don't linger on what could have been.Raise your head up. I must say I have the bestest friends ever.👭💋 #RefocusingMyLens #kingevispeaks #quotes @chikadibiaa @slolly07 @tolajinjah_ @tieseabiodun @chy_obi @kemiawoyemi @tyronebeatz @ogbolor @sarahblackangel ❤❤❤❤
Sometimes you have to fall down a couple of times in order for you to learn how to walk. Nobody ever said success was easy.there always is a light at the end of very tunnel, regardless of how dim that light is, strive to reach it.I was not built to break! I would not bend!Resilience! The most successful persons never had it easy #Titanium #kingEviSpeaks
ThankFul!!!! Time to go to bed. Long ass day tomorrow, had so much fun today. I will post after party pictures tomorrow 😜😇👼👸🆓
The king is out!!!! Worst behavior 😤😾🔥👌✌👑💋 #phuckyocomments
To God be the glory. The tears wasn't in vain. On to the next, I am so glad it's over. Ibadan turn the f**k up, am about to Run this Town 🙏🙅😤 #grownwoman #Nysc
OY/2013A/0528. It's official I'm out 💃🙏 #baddestcorpereverliveth #nofilter (at Lekan salami stadium)
Repost!!!!!!! Word!!!! Preach!!!! Make em count!!!!! The back up plan. I decided today not to put all my eggs in one basket, spreading my wings 🙏


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Republican lawmakers in Iowa are opposing a bill that would require "state health officials to list both members of same-sex marriages on their children's birth certificates" because Iowans did not vote on the right of gay and lesbian people to get married, the Des Moines Register reports. Openly gay state Sen. Matt McCoy (D) introduced the measure after officials failed "to correctly interpret older Iowa law in light of the Iowa Supreme Court ruling" and list the names of two same-sex parents in at least one incident. In that case, a judge has "ordered state health officials to issue a birth certificate listing both members of a same-sex marriage as the legal parents of a 2-year-old girl." So-called pro-family conservatives in the state are describing McCoy's bill — which would ensure that both parents are legally responsible for their children — as "more bad fruit," however. "My position has always been to let the people of Iowa decide what the definition of marriage is, period. It hasn't changed at all," State Sen. David Johnson (R) said. "I think if the state were to work its way through that, whatever the decision is by the voters, then we can address other issues."
Iowa Conservatives Oppose Bill To List Same-Sex Parents On Birth Certificates
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Last week Kylie woke up, and had some scratches on her upper thigh… maybe two or three inches from her diaper. She was at my parents house the night before, so I wasn't sure if she'd done it then or in her sleep. I knew it was her: paper thin cuts, the exact markings form baby nails. It healed in a few days.
Well. This morning my lovely baby woke up with a massive (relative, of course, to baby thighs) red spot in the same place. Child clawed the mess out of her thigh in her sleep. Her nails are pretty short and dull right now, unlike the last time, so it's just really red and rough. It's so sad.
She gave me no trouble at bedtime last night. I just put her in her crib, and she put her bear in a headlock. She made no sound. Not one cry.
I hate to put pants on her to sleep because she gets so incredibly hot. I mean… I put the lightest, most breathable baby pajamas I can find on her and she wakes up in the middle of the night, screaming and drenched in sweat. T-shirt and diaper have become our nighttime norm.
Why is my child suddenly into self mutilation?


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Was £65.00
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- Designed in a midi length, back measurement 103cm / 40.5"
- Boat neck
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- Lace: 100% nylon
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Reports of salsa's death have been exaggerated and premature
By Juan Carlos Pérez-Duthie
Earlier this year, I wrote a column about how Colombia's artists have contributed to changing the international image of this South American nation via music, song, and dance.
From Carlos Vives to Fonseca, Juanes to Andrés Cepeda, with plenty more in between, Colombian artists have made their country a musical powerhouse and, in the process, helped erase some of the stigma attached to the country's recent past.
But there was a group of performers whom I just mentioned somewhat indirectly amidst names of colleagues like Cabas, Bomba Estéreo, and Totó La Momposina. That group is Grupo Niche (pictured above), and the music they gave their own swing to, along with other singers, is… salsa.
Though the group was formed in Bogotá in 1978, it was two years later in Cali, Colombia's third largest city, where they began their ascent, and with it, helped turn the capital of the Valle del Cauca department into a hotbed of the tropical rhythm that emerged years before out of the mostly Puerto Rican barrios of New York City.
Its heyday, of course, was the end of the 1960s through the mid-70s. First, with orchestras like those of Puerto Rican New Yorkers who had made names for themselves since the 1940s, like Tito Rodríguez and Tito Puente or Cortijo y su Combo and its legendary sonero Ismael Rivera, and with contributions by Cubans such as Machito (Frank Grillo) and Arsenio Rodríguez, to name a few. Then came the creative apex that was Fania Records, and icons that are forever etched in the history of Latin music: Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Celia Cruz, and again, Tito Puente.
A new generation of performers emerged in the 80s and 90s, infusing a romantic element into salsa that pushed aside the socially conscious and political motifs explored by artists of the genre in years past, as was the case of Panamanian Rubén Blades's mordant Chica Plástica, for example. Still, a new batch of stars surged in the figures of Puerto Ricans Tito Rojas, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Tito Nieves, and Víctor Manuelle, among others, and found acceptance in spite of the criticisms.
Whether because of generational fatigue, lack of lyrical creativity, the dismantling of the orchestras, the closing of New York City's Latin dancehalls, the rise of urban music, or all of the above, salsa languished for most of the 2000s, at least with Hispanics in the U.S. In Latin America, especially in Colombia, however, the story unfolded quite differently over several decades.
In the 1940s, the music of Puerto Rican Daniel Santos, Cuban orchestra La Sonora Matancera, and of other big names of the era, including Mexican performers, was welcomed in Cali. Their sounds were adopted and fused into the local rhythms. This continued with the rise of salsa, but instead of simply copying what the Puerto Ricans were doing, Colombian artists made their own contributions, such as, in some cases, speeding up the music in order to dance it more frenetically.
In the mid-80s, Grupo Niche even added Puerto Rican big-name musicians to the band: Tito Gómez, of La Sonora Ponceña fame, and Ray Barretto.
Salsa with a Cali stamp grew in popularity, attracting Colombians as well as foreigners. Today, there are over 100 salsa schools in the city, competitions, the Summer Salsa Festival each July, and even a new movie, Ciudad Delirio, which uses as background the delirium felt by the people of Cali, or caleños, towards the music and the dance.
Will salsa experience a return to its glory days? Probably not, unless a charismatic new performer breaks through and attracts the younger generations hooked on rap and rock and bachata. But no fear. In Miami, the Cuban version known as casino is still danced. In New York, salsa is forever part of its fabric. And even Los Angeles has its own style.
Music tastes ebb and flow. Some dances become relics, like the Charleston, or ballroom staples, like the foxtrot. The resiliency of salsa is one not to be underestimated, much like Latin music in general. That is something that I've come to witness and appreciate over the two decades I've been covering it, and over the year I spent writing this column.
Like any song that must come to an end, it's the same for The Right Track. The opportunity to explore the strengths and weaknesses of our music industry has taken me on a fascinating, unexpected, and usually surprising journey. To those of you who took it with me, I thank you. Until next time, keep on dancing!
In Cuba, some performers are singing a different tune
Think music is simply disposable pop culture fluff? Think again.
History has shown that something peculiar can happen when a song or a musical genre clicks with a certain demographic group. Especially young people. Then the elders start paying attention, for all the right, or wrong, reasons.
In Cuba, a rather remarkable incident took place earlier this month.
The setting was a concert staged by the communist government in support of the release of a group of Cuban spies incarcerated on American soil. The show, airing on Cuban television, took place in front of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana. It would've been the typical exercise in dated propaganda and rhetoric except for one reason.
A musician by the name of Roberto Carcassés (picture above) demanded, via a song towards the end of the program, that he and his fellow countrymen be given the right to express themselves freely, as well as the right to vote directly for the Cuban president.
Bada-bing, bada-boom.
With this kind of heresy, one would have expected a swarm of Cuban thugs to beat up the 41-year-old frontman of the band Interactivo and of the Roberto Carcassés Trío, then whisk him away, where perhaps he would've suffered an "accidente."
The official response, however, was more nuanced.
For a short while, the Ministerio de Cultura prohibited Carcassés from performing, but after discussing the issue with apparatchiks of that governmental cultural entity, and once other major league singers such as Silvio Rodríguez came to his defense, sanctions were revoked.
Not all of his colleagues stood up for him, though. Some, obviously on the wrong side of history, blasted the son of jazz player Bobby Carcassés. But this is not the first time that a young musician, performer, or singer living on the island pushes the envelope in the Castro brothers' fiefdom. Others, such as troubadour Pablo Milanés, punk rocker Gorki Águila, and above all, the rise of homegrown reggaetoneros and rappers (like Los Aldeanos), have made the establishment frown or sweat.
Cuban president Raúl Castro apparently understands this; along with his economic reforms, he also seems to be willing to let the youth release some steam. Because if Castro loses the young people of Cuba, and the message clamoring for liberty and human rights that dissidents have not been able to instill entirely across the island spreads through the virus of music, he and his brother will be dancing on their graves sooner than expected.
In another instance of the unbearably ridiculous twists and turns of this communist regime, The Beatles, and rock and roll, were once prohibited in Cuba. But, wait, is… is that a statue of John Lennon in a park in Havana??? Yes it is. It has been since the year 2000.
Cuba has not been the only Latin American country where music and singers have threatened the status quo or been used to prop it up.
In the Dominican Republic, and up to the end of his rule in 1961, when he was killed, dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo used merengue to spite the elites who hated that rhythm and to win favor among the masses.
When rightwing dictatorships bulldozed their way throughout South America in the 1970s, it was the turn of a lot of leftist artists to flee into exile, their songs deemed "subversive." In Argentina, for example, Mercedes Sosa, Charly García, León Gieco, among others, fled. The generals also took out their zealotry on tango music and dance, considering it corrupt and filthy, and tried to "cleanse" it.
Artists like Los Olimareños and Daniel Viglietti in Uruguay had to leave. But in Chile, folk singer and social activist Víctor Jara didn't escape, and he paid with his life, murdered at the hands of general Augusto Pinochet's henchmen.
During the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, one funny (though certainly not to him) use of music was when the Army blasted rock music into the Vatican Embassy, where general Manuel Antonio Noriega sought refuge, trying to drive him crazy with the sounds. The music of choice? Van Halen's Panama. What, they couldn't get El General and his Tu Pum Pum? Noriega, by the way, gave himself up.
Consternation and contempt erupted among Puerto Rico's ruling class with the onslaught of reggaetón in the early 2000s, with a governor then trying to co-opt the sound to win favor with the island's youth and use Calle 13 in a campaign against gun violence. Did it work? Not really. Even music has its limits.
That song you're dancing to? Or humming? Its origins may surprise you
By Juan Carlos Pérez-Duthie
There was a time, in what now seems like ancient history but in reality it was the not-so-distant 90s, when American media went loco with the so-called phenomenon of the "Latin music crossover explosion."
Suddenly, it was all about Ricky Martin, or J.Lo, Enrique Iglesias, even Gloria Estefan, who had ridden that wave years before. Then, as usually happens with every boom, the bust came, and the furor died down.
Interest surfaced a few years later with Shakira going bilingual, Christina Aguilera paying homage to her Hispanic roots, and Anglo artists singing in Spanish here and there.
The truth is, however, that none of this is new. Decades before, America had had various love affairs with all things Hispanic, and in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, it is worth remembering some of them.
Music and dance were the great forces that not only came from south of the border to capture Americans' hearts and feet, but from America's own Latino communities. As far back as the 19th century, as various elements coalesced to evolve into what would became jazz, Cuban music would play a pivotal role, as Afro American and Afro Cuban rhythms began intertwining.
In the 1930s, Black jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington began playing their own versions of that classic El Manisero (The Peanut Vendor), by Cuban Don Aspiazu. In the early 1940s, more Cubans, this time Machito and Mario Bauza, among others, played Afro Cuban jazz, which would evolve into Latin jazz with the help of Puerto Rican musicians from New York City.
Spaniard Xavier Cugat (future husband of singer, guitar player, and comedian Charo) would inject the Latin swing into big bands. Cuban Dámaso Pérez Prado popularized the mambo, while another Cuban rhythm, cha-cha-chá, had nightclubs particularly in the Northeast brimming with dancers incorporating these hot rhythms into their routines. Dance instructor and businessman Arthur Murray took advantage of the passion for Latin music and saw his dance studios boom across the U.S. with ballroom dancing that included tango and many other popular bailes.
In 1948, Dizzy Gillespie made jazz history when he recorded with Cuban conga master Chano Pozo Cubano Be, Cubano Bop in France. Thus began Gillespie's Afro Cuban sound, labeled, you guessed it, Cubop music.
Hollywood noticed too, and plenty of films were made with Latin-influenced scores and dance routines: The 1933 musical Flying Down to Rio, with Mexican Dolores del Río; 1940's Down Argentine Way, with Brazilian bombshell (though originally from Portugal), Carmen Miranda (pictured above); Week-end in Havana (1941), with Miranda again and with Cuban César Romero; Gilda, from 1946, with Rita Hayworth (Margarita Cansino, of Spanish ancestry); and Puerto Rican dancer and comedic actress Olga San Juan popping up even in non-Latin roles throughout her peak in the 1940s.
In the 1950s, exotica/lounge/space/cocktail music swayed heavily to Latin sounds and performers like Mexican bandleader, pianist, and composer Juan García Esquivel, or Esquivel, considered the maestro of that type of rhythm, and of Peruvian Yma Sumac, she of the jungle sounds and astounding vocal range. Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona's Babalú became popular thanks to fellow Cuban Desi Arnaz (of TV's I Love Lucy fame), and rock 'n' roll would've been much poorer if not for the influence of Mexican American Ritchie Valens, whose life was cut tragically short in 1959.
The 60s gave us one of the most enduring American musicals ever, West Side Story, about Puerto Ricans in the barrio, and in 1968, a Puerto Rican, José Feliciano, made his rendition of the American national anthem both unforgettable and controversial.
Some of the best TV themes, from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to Mission: Impossible, and scores of movie soundtracks, entered our consciousness thanks to Argentine composer Lalo Schifrin.
Salsa reached its most glorious moments in the 1970s with the Fania label and its stable of stars, from Cuban icon Celia Cruz to Puerto Rican legend Tito Puente and many, many more, while disco music flourished with essential contributions from marginalized communities like Blacks, gays, and, sí, Latins. Puerto Rican boy band Menudo had the world screaming like pre-pubescent girls around that time too.
Vikki Carr and Linda Ronstadt rediscovered their Mexican heritage in the 1980s. In the 90s, salsa exploded in Japan in the early years, and at the end of that decade, we faced the Latin crossover boom.
Today, in spite of urban music, salsa is still king in certain markets (like Colombia), tango renews itself in popularity across the world (there is even Finnish tango!), flamenco and new flamenco have never lost their broad appeal, and Dominican bachata is being sung in English too. Who knows what the next, great big sonido will be?
The artist, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and is in financial distress, pens her memoirs to earn cash
By Juan Carlos Pérez-Duthie
A name from the not-so-distant past has suddenly popped up everywhere: as a trending topic on the Internet; in a lengthy interview in The New York Times; in a People magazine profile; and in other outlets.
Linda Ronstadt (pictured above) is in the news once again.
But she isn't celebrating the release of a new album or promoting an upcoming tour. This American singer of Mexican ancestry announced that she has Parkinson's disease. The symptoms have become so severe that she can no longer perform.
Ronstadt's is another cautionary showbiz tale. Not every singer tops the Forbes list of the highest-paid performers, like Madonna just did after having pocketed some $125 million between June 2012 and June 2013. For every superstar with enough money to end hunger on this planet, there are plenty of artists who have been forgotten, have fallen onto difficult times, or have simply given up.
Seems hard to believe this would be the case with Ronstadt, the winner of quite an array of awards, including 11 Grammys, an Emmy, and an ALMA. She was nominated for a Tony and a Golden Globe as well. She performed with stars like Frank Zappa, Rosemary Clooney, Philip Glass, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, and Johnny Cash, among many others.
As part of her ample discography (over 100 albums), she also found success in the late 1980s singing mariachi songs in albums such as Canciones de mi padre.
The problem here is that Ronstadt never wrote her hits, which is where the royalty money is, and most likely she blew her savings over the years (she has admitted to having suffered from a drug addiction). Sad and ironic for someone who was once the top female singer of the 1970s, and at one point the highest paid rock performer.
In that recent candid interview with The New York Times, the Arizona-born star admitted that she needed the money and though she hesitated for a while, decided to write her memoirs. The result is the book Simple Dreams – A Musical Memoir, released this month by Simon & Schuster. In all, a reminder that dreams can come true, but the can also end in unexpected ways.
Selena's bomb
Someone else whose dreams probably didn't materialize the way she hoped is young pop starlet Selena Gómez. The Texas-born singer, with Mexican heritage, apparently thought it was a good idea to try her hand at acting (and most likely all those around agreed with her. She should fire them).
So the ex of Canadian singing brat Justin Bieber just made her film debut alongside Ethan Hawke (what was he thinking?) in Getaway.
To get away from this bomb is what all critics have recommended so far, and the audiences did just that. Reviews all around were toxic. In old Hollywood, Gómez would've been deemed "box office poison," harming her stardom for quite some time.
But in this day and age, in which apparently every artistic trespass, sin, and aberration is forgiven – if not forgotten – Gómez will most likely continue bopping along.
Stars headed your way
Touring the states is One of Colombia's most talented artists. Singer/composer/producer Andrés Cepeda has been around for a while but has never, inexplicably, achieved the superstardom of some of compatriots like Shakira, Juanes, or Carlos Vives.
Lo mejor que hay en mi vida tour 2013 (The Best There Is In My Life Tour 2013) has already been to Europe and Latin America, then moved on to New York City on August 31.
Upcoming performances of Cepeda that you can still catch: the 12th of September in Houston's House of Blues, the 13th in Orlando's House of Blues, and finally, on the 14th, at The Fillmore in Miami Beach.
Also on the 14th in Miami: Puerto Rican diva Ednita Nazario, at the Miami Dade County Auditorium, ending her Desnuda tour in the city that has become her second home. Next up for her: a new album in the works.
A lascivious way of dancing makes tongues wag, and it is embraced by Latino and Black youth
By Juan Carlos Pérez-Duthie
So Miley Cyrus managed the unthinkable: to divert attention from an impending attack on Syria by the U.S. government.
Instead, the nation's focus turned to her performance at Sunday's 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, a program that has ingrained in its DNA the notion that it must shock to remain cool, hip and in step with the coveted young consumers sought after by advertisers.
In an award show in which almost no Black artists won a thing (except for Janelle Monáe and Erykah Badu in the category Best Art Direction, or Jay-Z with Justin Timberlake in Best Direction), and Latinos also left practically empty-handed (Bruno Mars won Best Male Video and Best Choreography, while Selena Gómez took home the Best Pop Video prize), it was Cyrus' lewd moves that caused an uproar.
You see, the 20-year-old Cyrus, looking like a grown-up version of Rosemary's Baby with hairdo courtesy of Björk, came on stage sticking out her tongue as if she were the spawn of Kiss' Gene Simmons. She then jiggled her stuff in what is known in street slang as "twerking."
Now, don't be confused by the terminology. This is hardly anything new. It is pretty much what in Spanish has been called perreo for more than a decade. We have seen countless reggaetón performances that rely on it to entice the crowds.
Cyrus tried to coax fellow singer Robin Thicke onstage to participate in the raunchiness that accompanied a medley of the songs We Can't Stop, Blurred Lines, and Give It 2 U, with 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar jumping in later on. The twitterverse, the blogosphere, the whole mundo seemed to explode.
With plenty of psychobabble, feminists then cried out both in favor (in HuffPost as in other venues, some condemned the "slut-shaming" and the double standards of gender sexuality) and against. Several female African American bloggers spoke of racism and/or of coopting Black culture (memo to these ladies: all the dancers with Cyrus were African American, and no one, as far as I know, put a gun to their heads to do what they did, plus, what she coopted, is it really something to be proud of?); Thicke's mother told the press she wished she could "unsee" what she had seen (cue the violins here); Justin Timberlake came out in Cyrus' defense (roll eyes); and MTV got what it wanted: tons of press coverage and, pardon the expression, kick-ass ratings.
Waaay too much credit has been given to Cyrus' act. Much, much more than she deserves, I'd say. ABC News even ran a report about "the science of twerking" (for real), and others have discussed this as the new workout. Whatever. In the end, this… Was. All. An. Act.
Staged, prepared, executed, and approved by the minds at MTV and by Cyrus' team. Everyone knew what she would be doing. Still, even a writer at New York magazine fell into the trap, calling her number a "minstrel show."
You want to see a real minstrel show? Tune in to any of the low-budget "comedic" TV shows so popular in Latin culture in which the performers dress up as women to, well, make fun of women; act swishy to insult gays; pepper their jokes with double entendres at every moment; and even don blackface, yes, blackface. Where are the voices of dissent here? Few and far between. Why? Because, 1) many audiences go for this garbage, 2) the TV executives love the ratings. Same thing with the VMAs.
The problem is bigger than Cyrus and her inane antics. In part it has to do with the endemic and irrational obsession of urban culture, both Black and Latino, with the female posterior and its views on women. Something rarely anyone wants to talk about, in or out of those groups.
Check out Flo Rida's latest video, Can't Believe It, with Cuban American rapper Pitbull. It is demeaning not just to Black and White women, but to women in general. Punto. And speaking of Pitbull, one of his first hits in the Spanish-language market was called Culo. Where was the outrage from Latina activists here? Can they not criticize him because he is Hispanic?
This year, there was another trashy video obsessed with "booty," as expressed in DJ Diplo's Butter's Theme, featuring Gent & Jawns. By the way: Diplo is Caucasian, so no one here is off the hook. Any simple search of songs and videos on the subject will open up a whole trunk of this stuff, going back years, in both English and in Spanish.
Yes, twerking, just like its Latin cousin perreo, is vulgar, is lewd, and it is hugely popular. Artists exploit these dance forms, the women dance to them, and the crowds holler for them.
If people attending the show on Sunday were so offended by Cyrus' performance, however, why didn't they just walk out? Why didn't they talk to the press and condemn MTV?
Sure, Rihanna gave Cyrus the look of death, while the former Disney tot jumped up and down in a flesh-colored bikini with a big foam hand, and scores of black performers danced dressed up as teddy bears. Some artists tweeted their "shock" but, are we really going to believe that come next year they won't be there? That they will boycott the network? Please. Sex and crassness sell, no matter the color of the skin or one's background. They always have. They always will.
There are new documentary projects, but we still need more
By Juan Carlos Pérez-Duthie
It seems almost a given that documentaries are forever being made on American and British music. Rockumentaries are nothing new, and nada to be dismissed. They have become part of this country's musical history, hailing back to 1967, with what is considered a landmark music feature on Bob Dylan, Don't Look Back. Since then, even Oscar winners such as Hollywood director Martin Scorsese have left their mark on them.
In our Spanish-music industry, however, we seem to come up short. I don't know what accounts for this. Lack of funds? Little interest on the part of Hispanics? Scant profitability for production companies?
This is not to say that we haven't had documentales on our música.
Miami's Joe Cardona has been fighting the fight for years, putting out Celia the Queen in 2009, among other musical and non-musical projects. For the Cuban American filmmaker, whom I've interviewed over the years, it's always been a labor of love and a struggle. But he keeps on going.
Luckily, there are people that, like Cardona, and fellow Cuban American actor/musician/producer Andy García (Cachao… Como su ritmo no hay dos, Cachao: Uno más, the TV movie For Love of Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story), Spanish directors and producers Fernando Trueba (Calle 54, the animated flick Chico & Rita), and Carlos Saura (Fados, Flamenco, Flamenco), to name a few, are interested in preserving and promoting the rich and varied musical legacy of Latin music in this country and throughout the world.
This year has brought some good news in that department:
- March brought the release of Cubamerican, a feature-length documentary by first-time director and screenwriter José Enrique Pardo that, although it focuses on what the Cuban revolution did to Cuban society in general and how it affected the family, also pays homage to the rich musical legacy of the Caribbean island with a soundtrack of contemporary sounds composed by also percussionist Carlos José Álvarez, a South Florida native and the son of Cuban immigrants.
- One of Latin America's biggest and most beloved folk singers, Mercedes Sosa (pictured above), died in 2009, but in a way, she's come back to life in director/screenwriter Rodrigo Vila's documentary Mercedes Sosa: La voz de Latinoamérica (Mercedes Sosa: The Voice of Latin America). Conceived by her son, Fabián Matus, the film made its debut in the singer's native country, Argentina, in June, and is expected to travel to other countries. Hopefully it will make it to the U.S. as well so those who don't know her can be aware of her contributions to Latin music (even to Argentine rock!).
- And on the horizon: the mostly unknown story of one of the best soneros, or improvisational salsa singers, that few today remember, Puerto Rican Chamaco Ramírez (Ramón Luis Ramírez Toro), whose talent was cut short after being gunned down at the age of 41 in The Bronx, New York. His story is the basis of a documentary-in-the-making titled Alive and Kicking: La historia de Chamaco Ramírez.
As we lose performers, musicians, composers – another jazz, Latin and Caribbean music master, New York-born Puerto Rican drummer and percussionist Steve Berrios, passed away at the end of July – a lot of that history goes to the grave with them, and we are all poorer for it.
More documentaries are needed to rescue and present to new generations all that Latinos have contributed to the world's music scene. Maybe instead of spending so much money on telenovelas, or time, energy, and publicity on inane reality shows, our networks could focus a bit more on the people that really made a difference and made us dance, sing, and feel alive.
The controversial leader regulates what music gets airtime in his country.
By Juan Carlos Pérez-Duthie
Name the last time you heard a singer from Ecuador on the airwaves (besides Christina Aguilera, whose dad is from that South American nation, or 80s rapper Gerardo's hit song Rico Suave). For that matter, when was the last time an Ecuadorean heard a singer from Ecuador on that country's radio?
Well, Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa is intent on changing that.
Last June, Ecuador's National Assembly passed (and the president ratified) a media bill called the Ley Orgánica de Comunicación (The Organic Communications Law). Supporters say it will diversify the information landscape, protect children, indigenous communities, and other groups from media exploitation, and rescue the beleaguered Ecuadorean music industry, decimated by commercial tunes from other countries (i.e., mostly the United States) and thus incapable of competing against multinationals.
Critics predict it will shut down private broadcasters à la Venezuela's Hugo Chávez, strangle freedom of speech by regulating forums on the Internet, TV and print media, and force radio stations to play a percentage of national music to the detriment of foreign music.
The left-leaning Correa has not been shy about waging a war on media outlets and individuals that he deems corrupt. In Argentina, a similar attack has been launched by Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the country's president, particularly against the conglomerate Grupo Clarín. The tune in all of these moves is very similar: a so-called "democratization" of information, even if that means muzzling the opposition. So there's ample reason to be nervous about the intents of this type of legislation.
But let's assume for a moment that Correa doesn't want to play DJ in chief. If, and that is a big if, the law's good parts (and there are some), and specifically the one that relates to music, do regenerate the industry and create a burgeoning scene of talent, local performers could benefit.
Singers like Danilo Parra (pictured above) and Juan Fernando Velasco would have a better chance to compete on the air, and since radio programmers now have to fill their shows with lots of homegrown talent – at least 50 percent of all content has to be national – there would be opportunities for record labels to pop up, studios to open their doors to local performers, and with time, perhaps there could even be an infrastructure that would allow for Ecuadorean artists to travel and be recognized abroad, as has been the case with Colombia, a musical powerhouse. All this of course comes nicely wrapped in a package of nationalism that, as Correa does so well, quickly veers off into populism. And that's where the danger in this resides.
Several years ago, acclaimed singer and composer Gian Marco moved back to his native Peru after launching his international career from Miami. He told me in an interview that not only did he want to be close to his family and raise his children there, but also that he wanted to help develop the Peruvian music industry. And that he has done, teaching, recording, performing.
As that country's economy has continued to grow during the governments of the last three presidents, poverty has been substantially reduced, and many parts of the capital city of Lima have been refurbished. Restaurants, clubs, pubs, and other venues where artists can perform have opened in these now trendy areas.
Which approach then is better, Ecuador's or Peru's? Time will tell, but Peru has not had to resort to such strict measures to ensure that its talent gets recognition.
Helping make Latin music cool way back when
Recognition of another kind deserves a singer unknown by many young music lovers today and by radio stations, and mostly forgotten by the industry as a whole, Eydie Gorme (pictured below), who passed away on August 10 at age 84.
What's interesting about this Sephardic Jewish American performer from the Bronx (born Edith Gormezano, of Turkish and Spanish parents), who grew up speaking Spanish, and found success as part of the famous duet Steve & Eydie and as a solo artist, is that much of that success was Latin oriented, Spanish-language oriented. So sí, way before anybody talked about today's Anglo artists singing in Spanish, Gorme, like a few others before her, had done it.
Gorme's biggest hit in the English-speaking market was the 1963 non-Brazilian sounding (in spite of its title) Blame it on the bossa nova, but she also hit it big in Spanish in 1964 with Amor, which she recorded with the famous Mexican trio Los Panchos. Her éxito was so big, that she even outsold her output in English. Let's see someone today try that.
Latin music went to the dogs these past few months
By Juan Carlos Pérez-Duthie
It wasn't just Hollywood's blockbusters bombing left and right this summer.
Commercial Latin music continued its creative decline into near bankruptcy while its counterparts in the English-language market saw success and variety (if not necessarily quality).
In Spanish-language music across the States, though, what did we have? Not much.
No canción del verano, or the summer song that really had everyone excited.
No new artist to become enormously popular.
No trend that could herald the next big thing in our música.
No mega tour that enthralled audiences from coast to coast.
Instead, we lived through a season of duds and scandals and the shocking death of a radio personality, all rocking the Latin entertainment industry.
- The sudden illness, coma, and death (reports blamed a bacterial infection) on Wednesday, August 7, of one of Miami's most durable and popular radio personalities, Ecuadorean Betty Pino, stunned the city's artistic and radio-listening community. Pino (pictured above), affectionately known as the "Queen of radio," from Univision's Amor 107.5 FM station, was instrumental in helping launch the careers of such Latin icons as Julio Iglesias, Raphael, and Dyango in the U.S.
- Puerto Rican Bronx diva J. Lo performing, yet again, for a despot; this time, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, of Turkmenistan, and then feigning ignorance. (Plus now we are being bombarded with news that she may be returning to TV's exhausted American Idol. Yawn.)
- Christina Aguilera, half-Ecuadorean, moving from a fun and ubiquitous hit like Cuban American rapper Pitbull's Feel This Moment to a dreadful telenovela theme, a new cover of 1975's Hoy tengo ganas de ti, with Mexican crooner Alejandro Fernández. What is it with all these performers who sing catchy and danceable pop songs in English, yet when they sing in Spanish they feel they have to dig up old saccharine-laden love songs that few care about?
- Enough mediocre Hispanic reality TV shows and awards shows to overdose on and end up throwing the televisor out the window.
- Scandal after escándalo: Puerto Rican merengue star Elvis Crespo going loco at a restaurant, drinking too much, inappropriately kissing a husband and wife, embarrassing himself to no end, etc., and finally admitting he suffers from a severe alcohol problem; Mexican L.A. radio icon Piolín being accused of sexual harassment by a man, finally putting out in the open years of rumors about his alleged homosexuality; and, lost in all this commotion, what was perhaps an even more unbelievable story, the allegations of sexual harassment by two female employees against Puerto Rican American Tomas Cookman, a Spanish-language rock giant, artistic manager extraordinaire, and founder of one of the few remaining innovative Latin music companies around, Nacional Records.
After this season of our discontent, however, we can look forward to some rays of light. Thus, expect to hear:
- Young, up-and-coming, Justin Bieber-like Cuban American singer from Ohio Anthony De La Torre, artistically known as De La Torre, releasing his debut EP, De La Torre Volumen 1, later this month. Renowned music producer and composer Desmond Child produced the album, while Cuba's hip hop star X Alfonso directed the video for the first single, No Te Entiendo.
- At the other end of the age spectrum, 85-year-old Cuban master of the trumpet Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros enjoying a much-deserved comeback (there are not that many Afro-Cuban legends still alive) with an album dedicated to him, Zon de Chocolate, in which he is also featured, and his expected participation in a musical homage honoring his deceased friend and colleague Arsenio Rodríguez in San Francisco at the end of the month.
- The slow but steady artistic growth of Miami-based Argentine singer Ariel Nan, who is premiering a video on the 9th, Enloqueciendo, on the CNN en Español network.
- And the unique collaboration of two Portuguese-language groups, New York City's Nation Beat and Recife's Estrela Brilhante, joining forces in "A Tale of Two Nations" tour, which brings to the forefront a rhythm from the northern parts of Brazil known as maracatu de nação, which revels in its intoxicating mix of African, indigenous, carnaval, and religious sounds. Expect performances in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York.
So not all is lost. After a summer of grim news and disappointments, there are some things to look forward to in the fall.
- Juan Carlos Perez Duthie
With some 20+ years of experience covering the music and entertainment industries as a bilingual journalist in the U.S. and abroad, Juan Carlos always gets a kick out of listening to any great new song.
- Moda: bella sin morir en el intento
- Entre amigas: esto es cosa de mujeres
- El Tentempié: recetas ricas y originales
- Ser madre: el trabajo más duro y hermoso
- The Right Track: lo último sobre tu música
- Off The Record: los entresijos de la política
- Legal Alien: aquí se habla de inmigración
- My American Life: un vistazo a la actualidad


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by Steven Sheinkin, illustrated by Tim Robinson
Roaring Brook Press
May 22, 1856: A MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA WALKS INTO THE SENATE CHAMBER, LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.
That Congressman, Preston Brooks, was ready to attack Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts over remarks Sumner made slamming senators who supported slavery in Kansas. Brooks lifted his cane to beat Sumner, and here the action in the book stops, so that Steve Sheinkin can explain just where this confrontation started. In the process, he unravels the complicated string of events – the small things, the personal ones, the big issues– that led to The Civil War. It is a time and a war that threatened America's very existence, revealed in the surprising true stories of the soldiers and statesmen who battled it out.
Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the Civil War
by Steven Sheinkin, illustrated by Tim Robinson


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A man who shot a teenager in the back during a drug deal in Daly City has been charged with attempted murder and several other felonies, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.
Lonnie Eldrige Lewis, 19, allegedly contacted a 17-year-old boy to buy marijuana Feb. 26, Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
The two men got into the victim's vehicle that was parked in the Daly City BART parking lot, with Lewis sitting behind the victim in back seat, Guidotti said.
Lewis allegedly pulled out a gun and told the boy to hand over the drugs, according to prosecutors.
The victim didn't see the gun and refused.
Lewis shot him in the back through the seat, stole the marijuana and fled, Guidotti said. He was arrested later that day with a .32-caliber gun in his backpack.
In addition to attempted murder, Lewis has been charged with robbery, assault, premeditation, and four separate firearm offenses.
He is scheduled to enter a plea Friday.
-- Bay City News
For more news about the city and county of San Mateo, follow us on Twitter and "like" us on Facebook. Get Patched in daily by signing up for our newsletter.


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2008r2 behind nat router, port forwarding rdp to server.
I have static ip, again behind nat router.
want to set firewall to only accept rdp from my ip (static public IP of my router)
Attachment 14097
So i assume that i would put my ip in the lower of the two boxes.
Surprise, it doesn't work.....
So for a gold star and 10 brownie points
Does port forwarding on a NAT router forward or does it handle the communication? (i.e. change the source IP in the packet header)?
or is there another issue here?


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Opponents of the National Security Agency's collection of hundreds of millions of Americans' phone records insist they will press ahead with their challenge to the massive surveillance program after a narrow defeat in the House.
Furious lobbying and last-minute pleas to lawmakers ensured victory for the Obama administration as the House voted 217-205 Wednesday to spare the NSA program. Unbowed, the libertarian-leaning conservatives, tea partyers and liberal Democrats who led the fight said they will try to undo a program they called an unconstitutional intrusion on civil liberties.
Rep. Justin Amash, a 33-year-old Michigan Republican, made his intentions clear through the social media of Twitter: "We came close (205-217). If just 7 Reps had switched their votes, we would have succeeded. Thank YOU for making a difference. We fight on."
The other sponsor of the effort, 84-year-old Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, said the vote's slim margin ensures that vigorous debate on the NSA's programs will continue.
"This discussion is going to be examined continually … as long as we have this many members in the House of Representatives that are saying it's OK to collect all records you want just as long as you make sure you don't let it go anywhere else,'" said Conyers, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. "That is the beginning of the wrong direction in a democratic society."
The showdown vote marked the first chance for lawmakers to take a stand on the secret surveillance program since former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden leaked classified documents last month that spelled out the monumental scope of the government's activities.
Backing the NSA program were 134 Republicans and 83 Democrats, including House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who typically does not vote, and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. Rejecting the administration's last-minute appeals to save the surveillance operation were 94 Republicans and 111 Democrats.
"I am particularly pleased that members on both sides of the aisle worked together to preserve critical intelligence tools that have proven successful in preventing terrorist attacks and keeping America safe," Boehner said in a statement after the vote.
It is unlikely to be the final word on the worldwide debate over the U.S. government snooping to defend the nation versus the privacy of Americans.
"Have 12 years gone by and our memories faded so badly that we forgot what happened on Sept. 11?" Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in pleading with his colleagues to back the program during House debate.
Amash defended his effort, saying the aim was to end the indiscriminate collection of Americans' phone records.
His measure, offered as an addition to a $598.3 billion defense spending bill for 2014, would have canceled the statutory authority for the NSA program, ending the agency's ability to collect phone records and metadata under the USA Patriot Act unless it identified an individual under investigation.
The House later voted to pass the overall defense bill, 315-109.
Amash told the House that his effort was to defend the Constitution and "defend the privacy of every American."
The unlikely political coalitions were on full display during a brief but spirited House debate.
"Let us not deal in false narratives. Let's deal in facts that will keep Americans safe," said Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., an Intelligence Committee member who implored her colleagues to back a program that she argued was vital in combatting terrorism.
But Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., a senior member of the Judiciary Committee who helped write the USA Patriot Act, insisted "the time has come" to stop the collection of phone records that goes far beyond what he envisioned.
Several Republicans acknowledged the difficulty in balancing civil liberties against national security, but they also expressed suspicion about the Obama administration's implementation of the NSA programs — and anger at National Intelligence Director James Clapper.
Clapper has acknowledged he gave misleading statements to Congress on how much the U.S. spies on Americans. He apologized to lawmakers earlier this month after saying in March that the U.S. does not gather data on citizens — something that Snowden revealed as false by releasing documents showing the NSA collects millions of phone records.
"Right now the balancing is being done by people we do not know, people who lied to this body," said Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C.
With a flurry of letters, statements and tweets, both sides lobbied intensely in the hours prior to the vote in the Republican-controlled House. In a statement, Clapper warned against dismantling a critical intelligence tool.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Congress has authorized — and a Republican and a Democratic president have signed — extensions of the powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists.
Two years ago, in a strong bipartisan statement, the Senate voted 72-23 to renew the USA Patriot Act, and the House backed the extension 250-153.
Since the disclosures this year, however, lawmakers have said they were shocked by the scope of the two programs — one to collect records of hundreds of millions of calls and the other allowing the NSA to sweep up Internet usage data from around the world that goes through nine major U.S.-based providers.
Proponents argue that the surveillance operations have been successful in thwarting at least 50 terror plots across 20 countries, including 10 to 12 directed at the United States.
The overall defense spending bill would provide the Pentagon with $512.5 billion for weapons, personnel, aircraft and ships, plus $85.8 billion for the war in Afghanistan for the next budget year.
The total, which is $5.1 billion below current spending, has drawn a veto threat from the White House, which argues that it would force the administration to cut education, health research and other domestic programs in order to boost spending for the Pentagon.
The bill must be reconciled with whatever measure the Democratic-controlled Senate produces.
Copyright © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2013 Capitol Hill Blue
2 Responses to "Defeated foes of NSA spying program vow to continue fight"
Furious lobbying and last-minute pleas to lawmakers ensured victory for the Obama administration as the House voted 217-205 Wednesday to spare the NSA program,
All of which simply means that 217 members of our esteemed House of Representatives are not about to let the US Federal Government's $800 Billion/year, War on Terror, "gravy train" stop pouring money into their districts.
And they are ALSO not about to do ANYTHING that would jeopardize those hundreds of millions of dollars now flowing into their biannual re-election campaigns from the fat-cat Defense contractors who are supporting (and in some cases performing) all that illegal snooping.
Clearly, these unadulterated crooks in Congress are not about to let the continuous, egregious breach of the 4th Amendment get in the way of perpetuating their own self-serving fraud on the American people.
As Mark Twain once wrote, "There is no distinctly native American criminal class…save Congress.
Check out the vote on Amendment 100 if you want to know the fake leaders in the House of Representatives. Issa, Bohener,Pelosi,Rogers and Bachmann all fake leaders.
Call your Representative that voted NO and tell them to retire now!
Comments are closed.


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Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel is headed towards the 2014 NFL draft. Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman told The Musers, Craig Miller and George Dunham, on KTCK-AM 1310 and KTCK-FM 96.7 in Dallas on Thursday that he has two concerns before calling him a first-round pick.
"I think he'll be pretty good," Aikman said. "The concerns that I have would first of all be his size. Can he take the pounding? I've never met him, so I'm not sure what his stature is, but he just seems like he's a pretty small guy, and maybe, I don't want to say fragile, but the punishment in the NFL could take a toll on him. So that would be concern No. 1.
"And the No. 2 would be, not having sat and visited with him, how well can he be the face of a franchise? Is he mature enough to handle that responsibility? Is he going to commit himself to being a great NFL quarterback or are other things more important to him? If you can come out of those questions and say, 'Yeah, I believe he's big enough to withstand the punishment and I believe he is committed and he is going to do the right things because we're going to be paying him a lot of money,' then I think he's a first-round talent. I really do."


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Posts tagged transgender
Posts tagged transgender
Randi and Shellie, "We're from Peoria, AZ": Spouse Changes Gender, Couple Stays Married
A true testament of commitment, a married couple stays together after the husband transitions to a woman.
Share your story with us!
YAY! WE ordered sweet Stickers today! right now we have 49 followers! I'll send out stickers to our 50th follower! Along with anyone who submits new resources to the blog!
***The purpose of our blog is to create an open resource and personal interaction for the Trans* community. There fore we ask that you include contact info in your submissions, so our users can speak with you first hand about your personal posts to our site.***
Some things we're looking for
The more followers the more Merchandise and Giveaways i can do! Thanks for following and your support <3 BLITZ
I just started a Tumblr called the Trans*ition Fund Collective. It's made to highlight the projects of trans* individuals fundraising for their transition while sharing some awesome trans*-friendly products and resources. Submissions are always welcome! Please reblog and spread the word?
I received Kit Yan's new chapbook and cd in the mail today. I will post a review of it soon. It looks awesome! (http://www.kityanpoet.com/)
National Coming Out Day - TUESDAY, October 11th, 2011
We're Here. We're Queer. We're Out and About.
Apples by Miles Wasler. Gawd, you can feel every line in this.
Whoa. Ouch.
This is brilliant. <3 The sound is quiet, so make sure you turn up the volume so you don't miss a single word.
This girl's experience is a pretty great refutation of "won't somebody think of the children!"-type moral panic. Actually, seems like the kids will be fine, provided adults don't poison them with their own hateful ideas.
(Source: andythenerd)


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Youth Pass opens up travel on peninsula
Clallam Transit System's Olympic Peninsula Summer Youth Pass is on sale for $20 to all youths ages 6-19.
The pass is good for travel on transit buses now through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3, and also will be honored by Jefferson Transit, Mason County Transit and Grays Harbor Transit on fixed-route services.
The summer pass is a substantial discount on the regular youth fares of $18 (base) and $36 (premium) per month. This is the 12th year for the program.
For more information, call the Clallam Transit System at 452-1315.
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« Newsbites: The supernatural stories edition! | Main | 'Milk' and the problem of politics »
February 21, 2009
Newsbites: The comics and superheroes edition!
1. It may not have been nominated for Best Picture, but re-releasing The Dark Knight last month has paid off in one small way, at least: the film has finally raked in the last few pennies it needed to gross a billion dollars worldwide. Only three other films -- Titanic (1997), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) -- have passed this milestone. Interestingly, The Dark Knight is the only film in the all-time Top 20 worldwide that has made more money in North America than it has overseas. -- Variety, Hollywood Reporter
2. Mickey Rourke recently suggested that he might not be co-starring in Iron Man 2 after all, though the studio apparently still wants him for the film. This follows earlier reports that Emily Blunt might not be able to co-star in the film due to scheduling conflicts with another movie, and that "an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world" might prevent Samuel L. Jackson from reprising his role as Nick Fury. Of course, Terrence Howard has already been replaced by Don Cheadle in the part of Jim Rhodes. Let's hope Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow stick around, at least. -- New York Magazine, Entertainment Weekly
3. Remember that recent rumour about the Wachowski brothers being asked to reboot the Superman series? It's been debunked. And the same website that debunked it is now reporting that a password-protected page at the Legendary Pictures website indicates the next Superman movie will be a sequel to Superman Returns (2006) called Superman Unleashed. -- SlashFilm (x2)
4. There will be not one, not two, but three versions of Watchmen: the 156-minute version coming to theatres in two weeks, a 190-minute "director's cut" on DVD, and an even longer 205-minute "ultimate edition" on DVD that will include footage from the story-within-the-story Tales of the Black Freighter. Meanwhile, early reviews are trickling in, and they are not mixed so much as they are sharply divided. -- Collider.com
5. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays the Comedian in Watchmen, is in talks to star in another comic-book movie, The Losers. The story concerns "a special forces team betrayed by their handler and left for dead" who regroup "to conduct covert operations against the CIA and its interests." -- Hollywood Reporter
6. By some strange fluke, a superhero movie called Push came out two weeks ago, right around the same time an urban drama called Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire won the grand jury prize and two other awards at the Sundance film festival. To avoid confusion, Lionsgate, the studio that acquired the distribution rights to the Sundance film, has renamed it Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. -- Variety


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Welcome to Integrity Event Video! We are a Video Production company based out of Colorado Springs... but never fear! We travel! We cover the entire state of Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arizona.
We believe that our quality of video is our main selling point... so we encourage clients and potential clients to review our portfolio. If you have any questions... ask away!
Contact us today at
or call us at 719-425-6560 to find out how we can serve your video needs.
See us on Thumbtack!
As a taste: here our latest wedding work....


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CONCEPTS x Nike SB Black Friday 2012 – Teaser
Boston-based retailer, CNCPTS, already seen a collaboration with the New Balance 999 "S.E.A.L" this year and they show no signs of slowing down. CNCPTS will once again link up with Nike SB for another collaborative sneaker. It's not confirmed whether or not this upcoming Nike SB will a lobster-inspired colorway or if it's even going to be a Dunk model for that matter. One thing's for sure is that they plan to release the next collaboration on November 23rd.
Stay tuned as the latest updates for the CNCPTS x Nike SB surfaces. via N-SB
About the Author (Author Profile)Senior Editor for TheShoeGame.com Twitter: @FootSole_ja & Instagram: @alexthagr8_tsg
Comments (1)
Can't wait to see which sneaker model they are gonna use. Would be dope if they used the blazer or did something worth buying with the dunk mid


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Leon Osman's debut goal within two minutes of his full debut at Wolves isn't enough to give the Blues only their second away win of the season, as they go down 1-2 against the relegation candidates.
However, Bolton's 4-1 mauling of Leeds grants the Blues another campaign in the top-flight with just two games to go.
Everton's new kit is unveiled and it is given its first airing in the game against Sam Allardyce's side at Goodison. However, it is an unhappy bow for the new design as Youri Djorkaeff's double helps the Trotters to a 1-2 victory.
Moyes reveals that David Unsworth and Tomasz Radzinski have been offered two-year deals at Everton - but both are still to sign. Meanwhile, reports suggest that the manager himself may also be offered a four-year extension.
In the last game of the season, at Manchester City, the Blues need a point to avoid finishing fourth from bottom with their lowest points total in 24 years. They lose 1-5. Moyes promises change.
"There are no words for that, it just wasn't acceptable for Everton Football Club and it hasn't been acceptable all season and now we have to do something about it," he said.
"We need a drastic change around. There are quite a lot of players we are releasing in the summer, somewhere in double figures, so we will need numbers for the squad if nothing else."
Moyes rejects a £900,000 offer from Fulham for Tomasz Radzinski, while Francis Jeffers is returned to Arsenal after failing to impress during his season-long loan. However, there is good news for Wayne Rooney, who is named in England's EURO 2004 squad.
The Blues bid £7m for Alan Smith, who joins Manchester United, Paul Dickov opts to join Blackburn before Everton and CEO Michael Dunford ends a nine-year spell at the club, with Trevor Birch named as his replacement.


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Amarillo, TX - The Texas Water Development Board just released a report showing water levels on all but one of the 26 wells in the Ogallala Aquifer dropped considerably during 2010 to 2011.
The average drop was 3.5 feet and one well went dry about 18 months ago.
To understand what the drop really means, a well in Hansford County contained water at around 70 feet deep in 1950.
Now pumpers hit water at 150 feet.
The figures from 2011 to 2012 are expected to be gloomy as well, with a continuing downward trend but at a less rapid rate.
Telephone: (580) 355-7000
Fax: (580) 357-3811
Email: email@example.com
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Phone (617) 742-0333
Price $24 - $40
Age Suitability All Ages
Boston Harbor Cruise on the Liberty Clipper
Tuesday, Sep 18, 2012 3:00p to 5:00p
Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships Boston, MA
Experience Boston Harbor from the deck of an authentic tall ship! Become part of the crew and help us hoist the sails, or relax and enjoy a drink at our bar. Join us on board the 125-foot Liberty Clipper and discover the majesty of sailing on a traditional 18th-century replica vessel. We offer sunset sails, harbor sails, Rum & Revelry Sails on Saturday nights, and Sunday Brunch cruises.
Created by LibertyClipper
Set sail on a Tall Ship sailing Boston Harbor daily! Or consider joining us for a week-long cruise in the Bahamas this winter!
Location & Nearby Info
Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships
67 Long Wharf
(docked at the NE Aquarium)
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 742-0333
67 Long Wharf
(docked at the NE Aquarium)
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 742-0333
Show nearby:
0.2 mi 1 Tia's on the Waterfront
0.3 mi 2 Stadium Bar
0.4 mi 4 Hennessy's
0.5 mi 5 Green Briar
0.7 mi 6 Marliave
1.1 mi 7 Alibi Bar & Lounge
1.2 mi 8 Skyline Room
1.8 mi 10 Lucca Back Bay
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TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan - Meet the Warrior of the Week - Airman 1st Class Wayne Abrams. Airman Abrams is a 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Security Forces member deployed from the 35th Security Forces Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan. He hails from New York. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Stacy Moless)
Warrior of the Week: Airman 1st Class Wayne Abrams
by 376th Air Expeditionary Wing
Public Affairs
2/11/2011 -
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan
-- Every week, a member of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing is selected as the Warrior of the Week. This individual is recognized based on outstanding performance, good conduct, work ethic, and most importantly, for a job well done.
Meet the Warrior of the Week.
Airman 1st Class Wayne Abrams
is a 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Security Forces Member deployed from
35th Security Forces Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan.
He hails from New York.
Here's what Airman Abrams has to say about himself and this deployment to the Transit Center at Manas.
What do you do on a daily basis at Manas?
I work as an entry controller and Security Forces Member, ensuring the safety of all personnel on the installation.
What do you enjoy about being at Manas?
Meeting all of the new people from different branches of the military and the job that I get to do.
Why did you choose to serve in the military?
To further my education and because I believe in doing my part to insure the freedoms my country enjoys.
How do you feel about your contributions to the Manas mission and the Global War on Terrorism? Or How does what you do contribute to the GWOT mission?
My job is to detect and deter threats against the installation and its personnel. This is a job that I take great pride in.
Mother, Father; 3 sisters and two brothers
Time at Manas:
Approximately 2 weeks
Time in military:
Approximately 10 months
Greatest accomplishment:
Making my mother proud by doing something good with my life.
Goals you want to achieve or meet while at Manas:
Working on my professional development (5 Level) and taking advantage of the educational opportunities available at the LRC on base.
Boxing and Basketball
Your best habit:
Being polite and sociable
Favorite movies:
Who is your favorite mentor and what did you learn from him/her:
TSgt Adams from my home unit. He taught me how to adapt as a new military member and how to adjust to military life. He has been a great help.
If you could spend one hour with any person, who would it be and why:
My great grandmother Princess Adams, she had a great impact on my childhood.


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The Vatican, reeling from unprecedented criticism over its handling of sexual abuse cases in Ireland, took a pre-emptive strike Wednesday and published some internal files about a priest accused of molesting youngsters in Ireland and the U.S. The files published on the website of Vatican Radio represent a small, selective part of the documentation the Holy See must turn over to U.S. lawyers representing a man who says he was abused by the late Rev. Andrew Ronan. The man, known in court papers as John V. Doe, is seeking to hold the Vatican liable for the abuse.
The Crusader
By Christy DeSmith
Jeff Anderson on law school, legal tactics and his ultimate goal—deposing Pope Benedict XVI
Statement by Jim Keenan of Savage, MN.Today, I'm asking a judge to publicly release the names of 46 Minnesota Catholic priests whohave been accused of sexually victimizing children.My motivation can be summed up in two words: kids' safety.Sitting in two diocesan headquarters, and in the Ramsey County Courthouse, are the names ofthese accused predator priests. As best we can tell, none of them are locked up. Most are likelyliving with or near unsuspecting families. Some may still be molesting kids. And this afternoon,one of them may be tutoring a young girl who's struggling in school, or taking...
Attorneys file motion seeking release of names of priests accused of sexual abuse Names of 46 priests in Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis and Winona Diocese are contained in Ramsey County court documents. Attorneys for a Savage, Minnesota, man who was sexually abused as a child by a Minnesota priest are asking a Ramsey County judge to unseal court records that contain the names of 46 priests accused of molesting children in the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the Dioce...
A man who alleges he was sexually abused by a Catholic priest in the 1980s, but didn't remember until 20 years later, should be able to go back to court and have experts testify about repressed memories, a three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals said Monday. The case brought in 2006 by Jim Keenan, 44, against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona was dismissed last October after Ramsey County District Judge Gregg Johnson ruled he hadn't met the standard that would allow an expert to testify about repressed memories.


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One veteran learned that what goes around comes around. The whole thing started when a Vietnam Veteran gave an Afghanistan Veteran tickets to the Cincinnati Bengals playoff game.
Active and veteran military personnel lined up at an area Kroger store Saturday for a chance to get two free tickets. Within thirty minutes, the tickets were gone.
John Norris a Vietnam Veteran couldn't help but pay it forward to Afghanistan vet, Brett Bondurant. Bondurant lost his legs at war.
"When he walked in, I knew that is why I was standing in line. To give him them tickets," Norris recalled.
When the story got around about Norris's generous offer, many offered their tickets to him. A bartender of the Blue Wisp Restaurant and Jazz Club even offered him three tickets.
"I am still going to watch the game either way, but there is nothing like being in the stadium…"
Norris brought his twin granddaughters to the game.


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A teen that escaped from Gibault School and allegedly took part in a deadly crime spree has decided to change his guilty plea and he wants a new attorney.
Police say that Andre Moton and two other teens escaped from Gibault, beat a man, stole his car and then led police on a chase that killed one of the teens.
Moton had initially been charged with several felonies, including Murder and pled guiltily to lesser charges as part of a plea deal.
Moton said that he isn't happy with his plea deal or council.
The judge in the case has set a hearing for February.