5.30.2019

WOODSTOCK 50TH ANNIVERSARY: NEW BOOK OFFERS FRONT ROW SEAT


The year was 1969. The Vietnam War was in full swing. Richard Nixon was in the White House and Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. And revolution was in the air. In that backdrop, 500,000 young people gathered on a mid-August weekend in upstate New York for the promise of three days of peace and music. What they experienced at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was something far greater.


Celebrating “the greatest peaceful event in history,” Woodstock 50th Anniversary: Back to Yasgur’s Farm (Krause Publications) offers a dazzling and compelling front-row seat to the most important concert in rock history, an implausible happening filled with trials and triumphs that defined a generation.


Author and Woodstock attendee Mike Greenblatt brilliantly captures the power of music’s greatest performers such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Santana, and the Who, while sharing stories both personal and audacious from the crowd of a half million strong who embraced not only the music but each other.

The book features a Foreword by Country Joe McDonald, whose rousing solo acoustic version of “The Fish Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” was one of the most memorable performances at Woodstock.

Readers will enjoy interviews with such rock icons as Graham Nash, Carlos Santana, Joe Cocker, Richie Havens, Country Joe McDonald, Edgar Winter, members of Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sly & The Family Stone, Canned Heat, Sha Na Na, co-host Chip Monck, fans and countless others. In addition, all 32 performances at the festival are showcased.

Equal parts circus and surreal, Woodstock 50th Anniversary: Back to Yasgur’s Farm tells a transcendent tale of a musical and mythical moment in time.

For more information contact author Mike Greenblatt: Mikeg101@ptd.net

5.29.2019

ROCK YOUR BACKYARD CINEMA WITH THESE RETRO IDEAS!


There are few places on earth still dedicated to retro pop culture quite like Michigan, and it has the drive-in cinemas to prove. Currently, there are nine outdoor cinemas dotted throughout the state and for locals, this is an opportunity to catch those waves of nostalgia as they line up for their popcorn and sodas.

For those who wish to recreate this same vibe at home, all it takes is a bit of imagination and a few minor tweaks to the exterior. Before long, you’ll project your favorite cult classic film or even a modern rendition of a retro series, as the best thing about a home cinema is that you get to choose what to watch.

What Is A Movie Without Snacks?

It’s a no-brainer that popcorn and movies go together like peas and carrots if you pardon that pop-culture movie reference. But you don’t have to stop at popcorn. A truly magical outdoor film experience should include delicious treats and beverages too. For those who want to add a theme to their evening, a classical nod to Gone With the Wind or Casablanca can easily be incorporated. Simply swap out the popcorn for a gourmet variety, add some appetizers, a bottle of champagne, and you’re good to go. You may want to glam up your seating arrangement a little too.

Find The Perfect Spot

One of the best parts of planning a retro cinema evening in your garden is that there is usually no shortage of walls to act as a backdrop. Choose one that offers a clean slate, or if that can’t happen, one that will easily accommodate a big white sheet or blanket.

Opting for retractable awnings will be a good idea to allow seamless viewing pleasure. The perfect spot will also allow great acoustics without being too hard on the neighbors. If you’re willing to splash out, then consider investing in wireless headphones to enjoy the film without being the neighborhood nuisance.

Comfort Should Not Be Compromised

While a snowstorm may seem like a good time to sit by the fire and snuggle under a blanket, it won’t mean much when this is done outside even if it is the ideal time to show off your new firepit.

Instead, find an evening that is comfortable enough to keep your guests from shivering. If it’s a balmy summer evening, it might be a good idea to have a fan or two outside.

Create a comfortable area with chairs, loungers, pillows, and blankets to ensure that everyone remains glued to the screen. Soft fairy lights or low watt bulbs add to the ambiance without distracting from the screen. If you’re looking to do this often, you may want to consider some permanent structures to make those retro movie evenings pure bliss.

The ideal outdoor cinema event should be about making memories and this is quite easy thanks to the inherent nostalgic factor that always plays a part in films. The joy of an outdoor cinema is that you get to decide whether you’re going to wing it or make it a more permanent part of

5.28.2019

FIELD OF DREAMS RETURNS TO THEATERS FOR 30TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT


"If you build it, he will come." With these words, Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is inspired by a voice he can't ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe. Supported by his wife Annie (Amy Madigan), Ray begins the quest by turning his ordinary cornfield into a place where dreams can come true.




Along the way, he meets reclusive activist Terence Mann (James Earl Jones), the mysterious "Doc" Graham (Burt Lancaster) and even the legendary "Shoeless Joe" Jackson (Ray Liotta). A heartwarming experience that has moved critics and audiences like no other film of this generation, Field of Dreams is a glowing tribute to all who dare to dream.

5.23.2019

BRIDGET RILEY AMAZING INVENTOR OF OP ART


Bridget Riley is the fantastic 1960s era British Artist best know for her optically vibrant and visually tension evoking paintings known as "OP ART" Ms Riley was the Ultimate 1960's Mod Pop Artist.

Flashback to 1964. In the United States, we were still reeling from the assassination of our President, escalating the Civil Rights movement, being "invaded" by British pop/rock music and, in general, pretty much done with notions of achieving idyllic lifestyles (despite that which was touted in the 1950s). Given the circumstances, it was a perfect time for a new artistic movement to burst on the scene.



In October of 1964, in an article describing this new style of art, Time Magazine coined the phrase "Optical Art" (or "Op Art", as it's more commonly known). The term referenced the fact that Op Art is comprised of illusion, and often appears - to the human eye - to be moving or breathing due to its precise, mathematically-based composition.


After (and because of) a major 1965 exhibition of Op Art entitled The Responsive Eye, the public became enraptured with the movement. As a result, one began to see Op Art showing up everywhere: in print and television advertising, as LP album art and as a fashion motif in clothing and interior decoration.


Riley’s vibrant optical pattern paintings, which she painted in the 1960s, were hugely popular and become a hallmark of the period. As your eyes explore the picture to the left, can you continue to see momentary after images (white dots) that cause a slight flickering effect?


Riley works meticulously, carefully mixing her colors to achieve the exact hue and intensity she desires. She explores color interaction first in small gouache color studies, then moving to full-size paper-ad-gouache designs (as in the photo at right). The large-scale canvases are then marked up and painted entirely by hand — first in acrylics, then in oil.

What a fantastic RETRO artist! She created a genre for the entire 1960s generation.

 

5.22.2019

SHARON TATE AND FRIENDS MURDERED AT 10050 CIELO DRIVE IN 1969


10050 Cielo Drive (now changed to 10066), Beverly Hills: the house where the Manson Family cult slaughtered actress Sharon Tate and five others (including her unborn child, Paul Richard Polanski) on August 9, 1969. The murders were the basis of the 1976 movie, "Helter Skelter."

Before the murders, this house had been the home of Henry Fonda and was the site where Cary Grant & Dyan Cannon honeymooned in 1965. (Since new buyers were reluctant to live there, in 1994, the owners tore down the original home and built a new 17,000 square foot Mediterranean villa on the same site.) See the map Here


This was a fascinating headline for long after the actual crime in 1969. Vincent Bugliosi the prosecutor of Charles Manson, wrote a really great book about it called Helter Skelter. Hollywood made their movie Helter Skelter from his book.


In February 1976 I was in Santa Monica and had the opportunity to visit 10050 Cielo Drive in Beverly Hills. The house was up a narrow curvy road and I wondered how those scruffy hippies made it up there without a wealthy neighbor calling the police.


There are homes close by. I didn't want to invade the new tenants and there was someone definitely living there then. The home looked smaller in person than in the newspapers. I climbed up on top of a terra cotta type wall near the drive way and took pictures as the neighbor's Doberman was dying to chew me to pieces. I lost my photos from back then but it looked like this up Benedict Canyon


It was fascinating up there and creepy too. This was the first thing on my list of things to do when I got to California. Up closer looked like this



Jay Sebring is buried here in Southfield Michigan read his bio here on Find a Grave.

5.18.2019

TODAY'S PREAKNESS STAKES: NO TRIPLE CROWN FOR 2019


The 2019 Preakness Stakes will begin at 6:48 p.m. ET 
Saturday, May 18th, on NBC.


When the 2019 Preakness Stakes gets underway on Saturday, none of the top four finishers from the Kentucky Derby, including Country House, will be running.

Initial Derby winner Maximum Security, who was eventually disqualified, will be held out at the Preakness Stakes because of abrasions sustained during his infamous run at Churchill Downs. Code of Honor and Tacitus, the second- and third-place finishers, are also not listed as part of the Preakness field.

But why, exactly, is Country House not running at Pimlico Race Course? Why is he set to become the first Kentucky Derby winner to skip the Preakness Stakes in more than two decades?

RARE! FULL BLUE FLOWER MOON 5-18-2019


May's full moon is typically known as the flower moon because of all the blooms this month. This year it coincides with a rare occurrence: a blue moon.

Of course, Saturday's moon won't actually be blue. And the reason for the name is a little confusing.

A blue moon is the second of two full moons in a month -- but it can also be the third of four full moons during a single season. In this case, it's the third of four full moons this spring. These don't occur as often as two full moons in a month.

"The name 'Blue Moon' has nothing to do with the color of the Moon," Gianluca Masi, astrophysicist and director of the Virtual Telescope Project in Rome, wrote in an email. "Every two to three years we have 13 full Moons within a year. This way, we can have four full Moons during a given season or two full Moons in a given month."


Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 5:11:21 pm (EDT)
Moon sign: Scorpio 27° 38'

Here you find this time converted into different timezones for other cities:
WELLINGTON = Sunday * 19 May 2019 * 9:11:21 am (NZST)
SYDNEY = Sunday * 19 May 2019 * 7:11:21 am (AEST)
TOKYO = Sunday * 19 May 2019 * 6:11:21 am (JST)
BEIJING = Sunday * 19 May 2019 * 5:11:21 am (CST)
BANGKOK = Sunday * 19 May 2019 * 4:11:21 am (ICT)
DELHI = Sunday * 19 May 2019 * 2:41:21 am (IST)
DUBAI = Sunday * 19 May 2019 * 1:11:21 am (GST)
MOSCOW = Sunday * 19 May 2019 * 12:11:21 am (MSK)
BERLIN = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 11:11:21 pm (CEST)
LAGOS = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 10:11:21 pm (WAT)
LONDON = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 10:11:21 pm (BST)
RIO = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 6:11:21 pm (BRT)
SANTIAGO = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 5:11:21 pm (CLT)
NEW YORK = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 5:11:21 pm (EDT)
MEXICO CITY = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 4:11:21 pm (CDT)
CALGARY = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 3:11:21 pm (MDT)
LOS ANGELES = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 2:11:21 pm (PDT)
ANCHORAGE = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 1:11:21 pm (AKDT)
HONOLULU = Saturday * 18 May 2019 * 11:11:21 am (HAST)

5.17.2019

MAKING YOUR EVENTS EXTRA SPECIAL WITH MUSIC


Be it a wedding, birthday, baptism, or coming-of-age ceremony, music never fails to create the right mood. Of course, a major requirement is that you play good music. Otherwise, it won’t create the right mood. It will make the atmosphere a disastrous one!

Anyway, good music is a pretty effective way to make festivities feel more festive. I believe that it’s something that speaks to all sorts of people from all walks of life.

You can be a student, a parent, a king, or president and still love how melodies blend together in perfect harmony. It’s something that brings people together; it makes the world a better place (read more).

Something so special must be present in any and all of your life-changing events. When it’s your birthday, why not hire a band? If it’s your wedding, why not hire a wedding singer? If it’s your baby’s christening, why not hire a choir? Actually, why not hire a choir for all these occasions?
Yes, you can definitely do that.

Why A Choir?

If you’ve ever been a fan of Glee or Pitch Perfect, you would know how versatile a music choir is. They can go from chic and groovy to solemn and serene. They’re definitely the kind of people who can accompany you in every stage of life. Doesn’t the idea just thrill you?

Imagine the same set of people journeying through life with you and accompanying you as you reach each new milestone. Now, that’s definitely a delightful thought to ponder about!

Anyway, here are the advantages of hiring a choir like Gospel Paris for an event. I tell you, you won’t regret it!


Versatility

Having a group of people perform as one can give birth to a promising performance. Imagine this diverse set of people, each having different talents, varying strengths, and contrasting rhythms perform as a single unit. The result would be art – good art if done right. The possibilities you get with hiring a choir for an event are endless.

You can start off with a light atmosphere, maybe the blues or light rock. Then, you can pick things up mid-event and switch to more upbeat music to prep for the climax. When people are really in the zone, you can pump up the occasion with some timeless hits of the 70s and 80s.

Then, when the hype starts to die down, you can close with smooth-sounding music – the kind that hits home perfectly. With a choir, you can perfectly choreograph the musical atmosphere of your event. It’s going to be breathtaking and nothing less.

Melodious Atmosphere

Since a choir is already composed of several individuals, they already make the event grounds feel jampacked. I mean, all these wonderful voices harmoniously blended together can bring out melodies unlike any other.

They will certainly give more life to the occasion. People will dance along, sing along, and party all night like there is no tomorrow. One of the best moments of any event is when people come together and sing the chorus of a song at the same time. That’s the kind of hype you should be aiming for.

Read more about how music brings people together here: https://cw.ua.edu/46190/opinion/music-brings-people-together/.

Great Work Ethic

If there’s one thing I have observed about choirs is that they know discipline. They eat and breathe discipline, in fact. And it doesn’t just reflect on their music; it reflects on their work ethic as well.

You won’t have a problem rounding them up when the event is about to start, or when they’re about to go on cue – they know it all too well. Every day they exercise discipline – from vocalizations to practices and run-throughs, they exercise it. And that should tell you that they won’t ever let you down.

Spontaneity

Choirs are composed of individually trained professionals. They sound marvelous as a whole but they also sound just as great when performing individually. Because these people train every day, they can bring a lot to the table. Song requests in the middle of an event are no problem for them. Your guests can pitch in a song they like and jam with the group effortlessly. You can create a very fun and spontaneous event when you have a choir on the list!

5.05.2019

LETTING GO: CARD READING FROM LOTUS FREE


Six of Cups

You should consider letting go of the past; it was never as rosy as you make it out to be sometimes, and the past doesn't equal the future.

Take personal responsibility for your decisions and live for now and the future - don't wallow in the past.


Ten of Cups

What you will gain is a period of real contentment, peace, and prosperity.

You will spend plenty of time with your friends and family and all in all you will feel loved and wanted.

WILLOW: 1988 FANTASY FILM MAY BE NEW SERIES ON DISNEY!


One of my favorite movies of the 1980s may get a green light on Disney.

The cult-classic fantasy movie Willow (directed by Ron Howard) might be revived as a series for the upcoming Disney+ streaming service.

According to Deadline, Howard has said Jon Kasdan -- who worked with Howard as a writer on Solo: A Star Wars Story -- has been pushing for a reboot on Disney+. Apparently, Howard and George Lucas have long talked about the potential for a Willow series, which might give them an opportunity to build on existing characters.



The original story follows a farmer who protects a special baby from a tyrannical queen set on taking over the world. Lucas developed the idea in the early 70s and later asked Howard to direct it.


The film wasn't necessarily a blockbuster, but it did win two Academy Award nominations and attracted a loyal fan base. Read More

MINDHUNTER SEASON 2 PREMIERES AUGUST 2019!


One of my favorite of all the new Netflix Original series. It is the story of the beginning of the FBI Behavioral Science Division. Smart and suspenseful series with great acting... Check out superb actor Jack Erdie who plays spree killer Richard SpeckSee Full Cast and Crew

Jack Erdie as Richard Speck

Netflix: Mindhunter is making its return for its second season in August 2019 on Netflix. The long-anticipated return of the Netflix crime series release date got dropped this week in an interview with Charlize Theron who serves as the executive producer for the show.



As you may know, Mindhunter was one of the biggest Netflix Original releases of 2017. The first season dropped on October 13th, 2017 and it’s been an excruciating wait ever since for a new season. Quite often we see Netflix Originals taking much longer than the traditional yearly release schedule most are accustomed to with cable TV.

In case you’re not familiar with the show, it’s an absolute must-watch on Netflix right now. The series is set in the late ’70s and is about the early days of criminal profiling with FBI agents looking into various cases of serial killers.

5.01.2019

ORLY'S SUMMER NAIL COLOR COLLECTION: EUPHORIA


Experience EUPHORIA, Orly's 2019 Summer Color Collection!
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Opposites attract in a collection representing the sudden, colorful variations of experiences summer season brings. Dive into Relaxing Icy Blues and bask in the glow of Vibrant Flaming Reds. Take a breather with Laid-Back Pastel Teals and Light-Hearted Mauves. Watch as confetti polishes erupt, injecting fresh perspectives and good vibrations. This season, anything goes.
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