tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29734291886242377852024-03-05T10:02:53.035-05:00Star City FameDowntown and around the Roanoke Valley, SW Virginia
Business, music, arts, shopping, life...
Roanoke Happens. Here.Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-59445014151437042182010-11-03T02:44:00.000-04:002010-11-03T02:44:48.353-04:00New Website - New Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTb3tyPIqt12eOdKYl9iI_Qfx9Qqu5BnBEscnqiuSAMAyWRGtkrot3vKPAD7f9c1ozDDrLMnIs9iXSrFYyZZ7ogJ4JfJm-cZKhgk13IOGnKrwLQtNARWkSUpw1nDGvxM7fHItH3aGtg/s1600/SCF+Banner+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTb3tyPIqt12eOdKYl9iI_Qfx9Qqu5BnBEscnqiuSAMAyWRGtkrot3vKPAD7f9c1ozDDrLMnIs9iXSrFYyZZ7ogJ4JfJm-cZKhgk13IOGnKrwLQtNARWkSUpw1nDGvxM7fHItH3aGtg/s320/SCF+Banner+small.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So head on over to the new <strong><a href="http://starcityfame.com/">Star City FAME</a></strong> website where this blog picks up, okee??<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Thanks!! See you around Downtown!!Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-26150039607526227632010-08-10T22:35:00.004-04:002010-08-10T22:43:02.007-04:00What Time is It?? It's Microfestivus Time!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwnntjLm2bjVwrWjHaRcJyusEMg8DB5PTLVYFfij-pBS87G298-wE5sJKnoEa_hMG-p49zvhKEIdh9HsDWuJtpmfWrfqj-thAKpCYBWDB-6IsjrtDIVRS89CpjdX6nAHtXto8r6ZRgw/s1600/Microfestivus_MmmBeer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" mx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwnntjLm2bjVwrWjHaRcJyusEMg8DB5PTLVYFfij-pBS87G298-wE5sJKnoEa_hMG-p49zvhKEIdh9HsDWuJtpmfWrfqj-thAKpCYBWDB-6IsjrtDIVRS89CpjdX6nAHtXto8r6ZRgw/s200/Microfestivus_MmmBeer.jpeg" width="154" /></a></div>Here we are again, dog days of summer. Some like it hot, but no one can stay in this heat for too long without some kind of relief. So what can you do about it??<br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6481064789">The Square Society</a></strong> is hosting their annual mega-party <strong>Microfestivus</strong> and has you all hooked up this Saturday to take your mind off the high temps. Beer to the rescue!! Here's what it's about, as posted on their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/daniel.pagdon?v=wall&story_fbid=1451269134194&ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment#!/event.php?eid=317223676888&ref=ts">Facebook event page</a>:<br />
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<em>"The Square Society will host the 13th annual MicroFestivus, a micro and craft beer festival. There will be a selection of over 50 beers from 20 micro and craft breweries from the Mid-Atlantic region. MicroFestivus takes take place at Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke on August 14 between 12pm and 6pm. Beer tastings are in 4 oz. and 8 oz. sizes. And of course you have to be at least 21 with a valid ID to have attended.</em><br />
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<em>For our VIP patrons again this year Flanary's will be providing food including Reubens, Meatballs, Fish and Chips, among other tasty bites! BE SURE TO ORDER YOUR VIP TICKET ON LINE....VIP tickets are limited and will sell out. Order on line early to not miss out!</em><br />
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<em>Jordan Harmon and Pop Rivets are the music for this year's Microfest!"</em><br />
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In other words, BEER, BEER, BEER, MUSIC, BEER, FOOD, BEER... (Did I mention, there's gonna be beer?)<br />
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So please come and join <strong>The Square Society</strong> for this day-long event. Get your tickets online at a discount, or at regular price on the day of the event at Elmwood Park. Find out more about joining <strong><a href="http://www.squaresociety.org/home/">The Square Society</a></strong> by visiting them on the web. This is Roanoke's ultimate Young (and Young-at-Heart) Professionals organization creating the cheeriest atmosphere at all their events, which to date has raised tens of thousands of dollars for <strong><a href="http://www.centerinthesquare.org/">The Center in the Square</a></strong> in Downtown Roanoke.<br />
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If you are interested in volunteering at this year's Microfestivus, sign up to be on the official beer-pouring crew for one shift. That gets you in FREE and you also can have four free beer tastings, plus a T-Shirt! Go to this link to sign up: <a href="http://www.squaresociety.org/services/volunteers/volunteers.asp?EventId=A7B8021HRZDF">VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP</a>. (Other volunteer tasks are still available, too. Just sign up for a quick little shift, and be 21 or older.)<br />
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For more info on <strong><a href="http://microfestivus.squaresociety.org/">Microfestivus</a></strong>, check out the website. The complete schedule is posted there for brewers, bands, and food. And don't forget to buy your tickets while you're at it... <br />
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See you around Downtown (in Elmwood Park!!) <strong><em>CHEERS!!!</em></strong>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-74809138418144959092010-07-24T19:07:00.000-04:002010-07-24T19:07:19.023-04:00Wow, July is HOT!!! Tons of Music and Arts...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fvJTdJh0mkAFJPCJV_pOjj2GY_8mQ7IiJfaR2fEmRPWCL3osmv-8pWuicFvKyX3m7wufHbLxkRshXfiI4OTmSvWezxCyg0-_ffXxnhqYyynaKNLnSmE0qKFw4DXwITR7t1Dcw3Qeig/s1600/Summer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fvJTdJh0mkAFJPCJV_pOjj2GY_8mQ7IiJfaR2fEmRPWCL3osmv-8pWuicFvKyX3m7wufHbLxkRshXfiI4OTmSvWezxCyg0-_ffXxnhqYyynaKNLnSmE0qKFw4DXwITR7t1Dcw3Qeig/s320/Summer.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Don't know where to begin...<br />
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<a href="http://starcityfame.com/">Star City FAME</a> has been out on some fun shoots this month of July, so far. Coming off a couple great live shows last month, we've had the opportunity and pleasure to catch <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/roanoke-revolution/263222694839">Roanoke Revolution's</a> first-ever "<a href="http://www.roanokerevolution.com/">Underground Melodies Music and Art Festival</a>" on July 10th, right after a week up North in Woodstock, NY, where the temperatures were above 100 every day. We got to shoot some more footage of <a href="http://www.denisejordanfinley.com/">Denise Jordan Finley and Daniel Pagdon</a> for an on-going musical documentary. We hurried back to catch the day and night-long festival in Boones Mill, VA.<br />
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That weekend, we caught the <a href="http://starcityrollergirls.wordpress.com/">Star City Roller Girls'</a> double-header, taping some really great action of their rookies in a game they called "Fresh Meat Bout."<br />
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On the 16th, <strong>Star City FAME</strong> headed over to <strong><a href="http://www.wvtf.org/">WVTF</a></strong> to shoot the station's "<a href="http://wvtf.jalbum.net/Juried-Art-Show-2010/">Juried Art Show</a>." There were musical guests, catering by <a href="http://www.centerstagefood.com/">Center Stage</a>, and of course, ART!!! <br />
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And just the other day, we grabbed footage of <strong><a href="http://www.milantobacco.com/">Milan Tobacconists'</a></strong> cigar event featuring world-renowned master cigar maker and blender Don José 'Pepín' Garcia. Right after that, just a couple blocks away, was the <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=138944124685">Starbomb Bicycle Superheroes</a></strong> bike event, meeting at <strong><a href="http://www.sharebike.org/Home.html">Sharebike</a></strong>, taking cyclers on one of the wildest rides two (or three) wheelers could ever hope to make!! These bikers were truly super-heroes (the event's theme for the bike race down Mill Mountain, and for its parade through Downtown).<br />
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Yes, we're working on the videos. A few are already uploaded. But we are currently upgrading our hardware, so this weekend's editing is delayed a little. Our new system will be a dedicated new editing machine. Now if only we could get a dedicated new editor who needs nothing but coffee to run on...<br />
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Don't forget, there are still plenty of groovy events going on out there in the old 'Noke. Tonight, catch the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107698132615076&index=1">Roanoke Hard Rock Festival</a> (going on til 11pm), and if you're already downtown, the Square Society is still crawling the pubs in their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132584473433338">Summertime Cocktail Crawl</a> today until 9pm.<br />
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See you around, Downtown!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">("Summer" graphic courtesy livingstonps.schoolwires.com)</span>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-22478371822492982362010-06-11T03:09:00.000-04:002010-06-11T03:09:49.836-04:00It’s CBGB’s! It’s Max’s! No, it’s The Bazaar Consignment Shop!!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixU999UBM_bnzEJljTiRb7v5MBVz24F0nB9YR9C65QdLEx8Ew0VtzxOtBulRsiNbxTnd6GTcdGOzyueQwJiqG66qQ3NvQk1z4yt26HiYKMiaJwi9kteQgE9pbsqOAj6jAR8N02ylYxFg/s1600/Bazaar_Logo._Small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixU999UBM_bnzEJljTiRb7v5MBVz24F0nB9YR9C65QdLEx8Ew0VtzxOtBulRsiNbxTnd6GTcdGOzyueQwJiqG66qQ3NvQk1z4yt26HiYKMiaJwi9kteQgE9pbsqOAj6jAR8N02ylYxFg/s320/Bazaar_Logo._Small.JPG" /></a></div><strong>Jamie Booker</strong> opened a shop last year after managing Plan 9, the cool vintage record store on Grandin Road which closed in an otherwise cool-supporting neighborhood. Jamie must be a die-hard vintage music fan to want another go at carrying vinyl. But with the addition of hip resale clothing and distributing local artists’ original creations, her <strong>Bazaar Consignments</strong> shop has the authentic feel of bohemia in a store that at one time was a rather hi-end electronics retailer for the finessed audiophile.<br />
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Just across the street from Tower’s Mall on Brandon Avenue, <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Bazaar-Consignments/100000180008407">Bazaar Consignments</a></strong> passes under the radar, offset to a high-traffic, four-lane road in a strip-mall world. This ain’t Bleecker Street. At least, not until you go inside.<br />
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Last Saturday was the first time I made a trip to “The Bazaar,” as it’s called informally. What took me so long? With the barrage of Facebook Events posted on my News Feed (and in my Messages Inbox), so many things go overlooked until I have time to catch up. Luckily, some of my artist and musician friends will throw me a heads-up now and then… and that’s how I finally caught onto this fabulous place.<br />
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The occasion for my virgin trip to The Bazaar was to see three original music acts perform. Thinking at first that this gig was at a typical watering hole – a Bar and Grill venue – I was delighted to find it anything but that! It felt like I took a trip back into the 70’s and entered a Greenwich Village hang-out, with musicians gathered around inside and out, absorbing each other’s creativity, and encouraging fans to get up-front and personal during performances. Even the owner added coolness to the laid-back atmosphere, cheerfully trading conversation about Roanoke’s original music scene. The night air outdoors was full of giggles. The sights and sounds inside were colorfully pulsing at The Bazaar.<br />
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First up was a young rap/ hip-hop artist named <strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/cbzl">CBZL</a></strong>, a/k/a <strong>Cody Beasly</strong>. He brought grooves and moves so fine, he seemed like he’d been doing it for longer than he’s been alive. This guy’s a pro. And he mixed it up with the audience, dancing and singing himself into the crowd.<br />
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From Charlottesville came a very somber, spatiotemporal group called <strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/manorladyband">Manorlady</a></strong>. A four-piece electric band, they filled every inch of air with layers of thick, serious harmonic tones and unrushed melodies. Vocals became instruments, and instruments became vocals, swirling about like waves of fireflies floating out of a lava lamp. Awesome group.<br />
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Last up were our local heroes, the “Ultimate Party Experience” of <strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/nancyandtwometeors">Nancy and Two Meteors</a></strong>. These cats play a spacey, pop-and-groove-driven concoction of tunes locked against a bevy of beats that they create. Hectic in places, chunky and grinding in others, with a ballad sneaked in here and there, they cleverly change up the tempos between songs. Their unordinary style at times is reminiscent of strange (but fun) Bowie songs from the Ziggy Stardust era. I keep thinking, shouldn’t “Moonage Daydream” be a Nancy song?? There is a rock-star quality about them that makes kids come back singing the lyrics in true anthem fashion during Nancy gigs. Check ‘em out!<br />
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Watch for new CD’s released by these artists soon. The Bazaar will be carrying them for sale... See you around Downtown!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTJWD7CupAV61HPuWTc9xnHBgFf5r1ncMX1IKCRcGCwEey6L-WrB5kwPQGkTDyWQ6OFh63jeePk0wfTc5o4S5B31BbWk6nh7n5YsT4dHJJ9sKAKiykdCthuEj8H3ebauYT9aFShvRpQ/s1600/Bazaar_Owner2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTJWD7CupAV61HPuWTc9xnHBgFf5r1ncMX1IKCRcGCwEey6L-WrB5kwPQGkTDyWQ6OFh63jeePk0wfTc5o4S5B31BbWk6nh7n5YsT4dHJJ9sKAKiykdCthuEj8H3ebauYT9aFShvRpQ/s320/Bazaar_Owner2.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Jamie Booker</strong></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1RRBZt9VUwXrqk2OkwmdB6aasCsY-sQhRZQy10MXU0OxbSsyb-3wGFBvLgBpAg_EnLdPXAEwfW5o_xbWvzjfxiEDIQ-7C5WyvFSX2q7fBeRf8pgr4VcA_Li5KOEdRvU9IWi0TzBTxg/s1600/CBZL_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1RRBZt9VUwXrqk2OkwmdB6aasCsY-sQhRZQy10MXU0OxbSsyb-3wGFBvLgBpAg_EnLdPXAEwfW5o_xbWvzjfxiEDIQ-7C5WyvFSX2q7fBeRf8pgr4VcA_Li5KOEdRvU9IWi0TzBTxg/s320/CBZL_2.jpg" /></a> <strong> <span style="font-size: x-small;">CBZL</span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiP54iTmUjiZEiXcb7iqOMIQ4-STIOJIqJjdBLSXUnn8zf-morwNyugTc-Ds-0KMv3l8CVE8x0VLztfw64mOaVtGI7CVbAxSLL_XofEP4I5bvSn4noIZoDnJ6GEcnKSQe3eIUfyHLJCA/s1600/CBZL_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiP54iTmUjiZEiXcb7iqOMIQ4-STIOJIqJjdBLSXUnn8zf-morwNyugTc-Ds-0KMv3l8CVE8x0VLztfw64mOaVtGI7CVbAxSLL_XofEP4I5bvSn4noIZoDnJ6GEcnKSQe3eIUfyHLJCA/s320/CBZL_4.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVHFuO6WovxLKTSeH2B6BaYcQvCOB1yUMTmNvwtWBrafvXj-dBQevsz1x3fkhypCJHi-McR7J1dfl-wNBGMt4n4szVmO8VHeTLXom8ha6iWS8-vHYYM_qeiTgkmxaHA-A07EetdPbfA/s1600/CBZL_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqLXeObjUcz_LIEIEEX2g27jsIq7xut_3nyop4V6KqHs-UWDc9aWPVZum-tzlpsGJaLzpPkS8jz2oSaXJTl3iFa5NAilu1MH6ViWLPB8-oFmqEwKoVCtBVAxGaYGlmch-JQ9PxVD3Hw/s320/Manorlady.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> <strong>Manorlady</strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-QzsM_jLIbs3nYF_vTXJ2KUoEIeJ7rfbWsm3pYV3WTrkZFWXmAPJOoPwY7WCFP6RviKR_5636Ckw2YMmVTzX4daeuOIUlWfpdpYTlm7XAWQ7-dHTTn3gHwI_jN8lEuaXk27EExKuWA/s1600/MOL_Aaron2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-QzsM_jLIbs3nYF_vTXJ2KUoEIeJ7rfbWsm3pYV3WTrkZFWXmAPJOoPwY7WCFP6RviKR_5636Ckw2YMmVTzX4daeuOIUlWfpdpYTlm7XAWQ7-dHTTn3gHwI_jN8lEuaXk27EExKuWA/s320/MOL_Aaron2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRj5Af8EW-n31Tinp0VaXykIsM6cz0bFV-4B2gUkHnHlX_FOVrbRvodk7sGx7CWo5oPaHKOr9MRKnMsElv-kPs2pLNoyKzVqY0-zfZbnDFWRmZX9fJPFGGUsgGnjGhnVFTfkT8IREBiQ/s1600/MOL_Aaron_Dylan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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<div></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheSakaeVY7UakGdSSv-_p-e3aIjPSTkhr8OB-hp_Zzia5Iv_KvvIAAyOBGhXXNc7GUVOuPM4aA7eBqvolrv65JPI0RA7z6IA2HBJ0bUohhBDc1GcOw5G4Z_DRyhUZVj8CiN2S_MH11g/s1600/Nancy_Aaron2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheSakaeVY7UakGdSSv-_p-e3aIjPSTkhr8OB-hp_Zzia5Iv_KvvIAAyOBGhXXNc7GUVOuPM4aA7eBqvolrv65JPI0RA7z6IA2HBJ0bUohhBDc1GcOw5G4Z_DRyhUZVj8CiN2S_MH11g/s320/Nancy_Aaron2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyOBPn3Un2BAGwDDut0Nx2asRK4kPFRiJfx1XgFo0QlP5bxBSs2VcuFSmihHUGiJD7hpFU6jefKZfPHPqRkibfNwnbIAdYLnXrgEPYuoDaDzpw5MpRiI7Y9nXWebxmQSqRsMEG7CUgw/s1600/Nancy_Aaron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyOBPn3Un2BAGwDDut0Nx2asRK4kPFRiJfx1XgFo0QlP5bxBSs2VcuFSmihHUGiJD7hpFU6jefKZfPHPqRkibfNwnbIAdYLnXrgEPYuoDaDzpw5MpRiI7Y9nXWebxmQSqRsMEG7CUgw/s320/Nancy_Aaron.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibF7lP4Zpg9DSA38gQHcf0gs07wzcqyRF1lP7fUebx31TOs8ox-kgL1vMbvzoPFIaamXOF-UrRYgLxu-Exr_weS_M8xeX4oAx9dmHZL7tsUqOG9Jml21MztRG5AO0tzb7uqZuLAb_DRQ/s1600/Nancy_Dickie_Cool3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibF7lP4Zpg9DSA38gQHcf0gs07wzcqyRF1lP7fUebx31TOs8ox-kgL1vMbvzoPFIaamXOF-UrRYgLxu-Exr_weS_M8xeX4oAx9dmHZL7tsUqOG9Jml21MztRG5AO0tzb7uqZuLAb_DRQ/s320/Nancy_Dickie_Cool3.jpg" /></a></div>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-53924891115775432752010-06-08T19:34:00.000-04:002010-06-08T19:34:34.810-04:00A Weekend of Original Art and Music in Downtown Roanoke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlI2K0DGjQYZI7bB2sCOWYsmy-NyLF3Hkdk4N2Vtd0I3hF1-rak3qNvbvkXWgDogIsU7oQI2R-oXCvxKLM4m39nA36dGJvoi6T8N8HODoYZJ9lGiAtrhLx6Cxa3oyclXYzuBuKtYcaA/s1600/DowntownArtShowExperiment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlI2K0DGjQYZI7bB2sCOWYsmy-NyLF3Hkdk4N2Vtd0I3hF1-rak3qNvbvkXWgDogIsU7oQI2R-oXCvxKLM4m39nA36dGJvoi6T8N8HODoYZJ9lGiAtrhLx6Cxa3oyclXYzuBuKtYcaA/s320/DowntownArtShowExperiment.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">What a great weekend for the Arts in Downtown and around the Noke. Friday saw a new thing happen on the streets of Downtown called "Just Around the Corner." It featured live music acts playing outside and entertaining passersby. On Saturday and Sunday, The Taubman Museum of Art hosted its 52nd annual Sidewalk Art Show. And in the evening, on both weekend nights, local and regional music artists joined together at two hot spots, The Bazaar and Happy's, to rock out.</div></div><br />
Here are some photos taken at the Art Show. We'll come back and do a story on the gigs at The Bazaar and Happy's. See ya soon!<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ozwnwm-LK_p5kMwvbZ1pdKPChQSAMQ8019CIM6CNachd7QH_AgRamGqmcgNDhy3UoeJ2D_kwbeR-EpDAOOH7s2UX9qhWguYdPUejG5Xmfiy9Nak5MCiuqvxW074E84qlhdzNgCX6qw/s1600/DowntownArtShow2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ozwnwm-LK_p5kMwvbZ1pdKPChQSAMQ8019CIM6CNachd7QH_AgRamGqmcgNDhy3UoeJ2D_kwbeR-EpDAOOH7s2UX9qhWguYdPUejG5Xmfiy9Nak5MCiuqvxW074E84qlhdzNgCX6qw/s320/DowntownArtShow2.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">1st Street Looking at the Market Building<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCr8zNAWcproKGjNIF03Wz17iEAyjt9xeViWisg5M8XiKaSbkXxxvRTra1YYGhbDFwobBqxPLvdVl6OpM_qcrQPvwQztavowAinU2Ecjn-GWD6Ek8wvBIzuo7riQla_ImalOW_JmNTaA/s1600/DowntownArtShow3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCr8zNAWcproKGjNIF03Wz17iEAyjt9xeViWisg5M8XiKaSbkXxxvRTra1YYGhbDFwobBqxPLvdVl6OpM_qcrQPvwQztavowAinU2Ecjn-GWD6Ek8wvBIzuo7riQla_ImalOW_JmNTaA/s320/DowntownArtShow3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">1st Street</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMcSkkIlQfcMYlgwDLKn6vLgMbE2EE5aXegw8YMzuCN-UDoAMuR-7J87yQS8vPuXhnSfqg-SMIWbXu0dE3dBqkk-4WH9Vq2yTBlJa9zpZ0EpQq_T-vmvVcMV8Rjt6xmjLz9O-fcjyaw/s1600/DowntownArtShow5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMcSkkIlQfcMYlgwDLKn6vLgMbE2EE5aXegw8YMzuCN-UDoAMuR-7J87yQS8vPuXhnSfqg-SMIWbXu0dE3dBqkk-4WH9Vq2yTBlJa9zpZ0EpQq_T-vmvVcMV8Rjt6xmjLz9O-fcjyaw/s320/DowntownArtShow5.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">1st Street by Norfolk Ave</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5HPzvcxfjQe3VIAf10unr0nV0snkibchlpUofSkLuc6UGUbWmUFcyM61UJ1a73KD7A3pk6e1hPQVLPB0NmeFHe0byuSgWVVbvBScg5CmvTdCLd_rQlhnESBmt40IC8DnjUTM8Tk3dA/s1600/DowntownArtShow6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5HPzvcxfjQe3VIAf10unr0nV0snkibchlpUofSkLuc6UGUbWmUFcyM61UJ1a73KD7A3pk6e1hPQVLPB0NmeFHe0byuSgWVVbvBScg5CmvTdCLd_rQlhnESBmt40IC8DnjUTM8Tk3dA/s320/DowntownArtShow6.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Taubman Museum in the background</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp0C0ARISb02AIr6qOjRWL4CgDy66HwdYzDCFXipkmSk8NJMC5aM-aLG9pOAhR8F814f2fCyKZQew9mIsOvNwewxJh4SS48iS5UYFwXSc6sq6QwR3zerDfftg_0wuCXaXKsWGdmNRvg/s1600/DowntownArtShow7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp0C0ARISb02AIr6qOjRWL4CgDy66HwdYzDCFXipkmSk8NJMC5aM-aLG9pOAhR8F814f2fCyKZQew9mIsOvNwewxJh4SS48iS5UYFwXSc6sq6QwR3zerDfftg_0wuCXaXKsWGdmNRvg/s320/DowntownArtShow7.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Visitors on Market Street</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRZBfmZct4NXSe7kxuuOam0jjo7jmy9Gb0so6j0kdxRyTfGH3fRBMs1P0BYuZUzx1ckY5a_fv8d80vLRjfvrjioSw4DizkMzVIJG60Cec4kBvf_gktbk8hY9ahVCCFfOCbZru1lN-WQ/s1600/DowntownArtShow8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRZBfmZct4NXSe7kxuuOam0jjo7jmy9Gb0so6j0kdxRyTfGH3fRBMs1P0BYuZUzx1ckY5a_fv8d80vLRjfvrjioSw4DizkMzVIJG60Cec4kBvf_gktbk8hY9ahVCCFfOCbZru1lN-WQ/s320/DowntownArtShow8.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Artist at her stall</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZJM9fegXbVgpkezrD8JNv8pHs_O-qpBoYUAX_0H7izbSipbNr759YxpfUl_YJobVtEf-IqcuwZapu4oIwIivDTy_BHAvYQCUivoFgd3xoJUsYJhcjUB5fRfWETo4VncD1leVlqLCEw/s1600/DowntownArtShowKurt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZJM9fegXbVgpkezrD8JNv8pHs_O-qpBoYUAX_0H7izbSipbNr759YxpfUl_YJobVtEf-IqcuwZapu4oIwIivDTy_BHAvYQCUivoFgd3xoJUsYJhcjUB5fRfWETo4VncD1leVlqLCEw/s320/DowntownArtShowKurt.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">2nd Prize Winner Kurt Kindermann of Bedford</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpf0hnu7C6dOpsaBIhmeLljytRaiEpOz6QXsJS2KriRTEm8otrZwfo3A8yeKr71HkBAuXFx-f0Gn87ylLzyfIIn9l1I5nqP-vudD8gPxQJRkJ4YhQB0Df9YQ1S9z-j5jDzRPTrEbHbxQ/s1600/DowntownCat_Tom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpf0hnu7C6dOpsaBIhmeLljytRaiEpOz6QXsJS2KriRTEm8otrZwfo3A8yeKr71HkBAuXFx-f0Gn87ylLzyfIIn9l1I5nqP-vudD8gPxQJRkJ4YhQB0Df9YQ1S9z-j5jDzRPTrEbHbxQ/s320/DowntownCat_Tom.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Downtown Cat, "Tom"</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXImDWwNNQbnaRLbb-JGR3zX7svj5CRdkgPxCXBm6gwYG16ug30iXpVKbAF45Y0ShlNqF8f4HyVs0EGBlKoUl1g9gGwhL1isqzim_Y-91lATdEY-CDVERksZQfEr41NEeAd4kWXB-JzQ/s1600/DowntownCat_Dickie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXImDWwNNQbnaRLbb-JGR3zX7svj5CRdkgPxCXBm6gwYG16ug30iXpVKbAF45Y0ShlNqF8f4HyVs0EGBlKoUl1g9gGwhL1isqzim_Y-91lATdEY-CDVERksZQfEr41NEeAd4kWXB-JzQ/s320/DowntownCat_Dickie.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Downtown Cat, "Dickie"</div>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-83035595567785157952010-06-05T05:52:00.001-04:002010-06-05T06:01:33.761-04:00Dinner with Happy Healthy Cooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqcwVfKYOkGkfQ0F1eCnzdJhi5GuUJMPSyaxDQ25VsgUapC-FJ_RTg-3_TUDsVk9VLQ65qQF8-UNFPJdoEZEuBhDlv50CPzj2YgjUaT25F8SODVJQybJwckynLzFmu13huXWGySbNuw/s1600/HHC_LOGO.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqcwVfKYOkGkfQ0F1eCnzdJhi5GuUJMPSyaxDQ25VsgUapC-FJ_RTg-3_TUDsVk9VLQ65qQF8-UNFPJdoEZEuBhDlv50CPzj2YgjUaT25F8SODVJQybJwckynLzFmu13huXWGySbNuw/s200/HHC_LOGO.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The invitation read, “As a way to give back, our students would like to make dinner for our supporters! <strong>The Happy Healthy Cooks</strong> at Grandin Court elementary school are excited to prepare and serve a meal to our greatest supporters...”</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This past Wednesday, June 2nd, at the “venue” of <strong>Christ Lutheran Church</strong> at Grandin and Brandon, the atmosphere was like coming to a school recital. Excitable kids with proud parents and their friends awaited the “performance” soon to be presented. What was this all about?</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If you’re a first-grader at <strong>Grandin Elementary School</strong>, you know all about <span style="color: black;">this</span>. There’s a wildly popular and very welcome new program put together recently by one of the parents, <strong>Heather Quintana</strong>, called <strong><a href="http://happyhealthycooks.blogspot.com/">Happy Healthy Cooks</a></strong>. She and a friend brought HHC to Grandin Elementary School last fall after realizing that the school lunch program offered at city schools left much to be desired. Donuts, Pop Tarts, Jelly on Biscuits… Children need something nutritious to help them grow physically and mentally. This menu, the two decided, just won’t do.</div><br />
And so with 15 other volunteers, including some parents, Happy Healthy Cooks visit the first grade classrooms once a week to introduce children to healthy food choices in a way that would appeal to kids… they’re encouraged to assist in preparing the very meals they’ll be eating for lunch.<br />
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The program began last fall of 2009. Heather hopes to take the initiative further into the school system. (Maybe if we’re all lucky, this can go nationwide.) Already HHC has gotten great press in Roanoke, including a continuing guest spot with the daytime talk show, <strong><a href="http://www2.wsls.com/sls/entertainment/ourblueridge"><em>Our Blue Ridge</em></a></strong>, on <strong>WSLS-TV</strong>. <br />
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But nothing made the class and their fearless leader more proud than the dinner that was given by the children last Wednesday to HHC’s biggest fans (the parents) and supporters.<br />
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“Three classes of first-graders, about 60 kids, showed up after school around 4:30PM to prepare the food for tonight’s meals,” said one parent, <strong>Dawn Stein</strong>. “It was a lot of work.” Dawn has a step son in the class, and she’s a volunteer with Happy Healthy Cooks. She was also one of the ten volunteers who came that night to help serve the meals.<br />
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Another parent, who sat across from me at one table, told me that each child was asked to bring one parent. “They got to choose which parent,” she explained. <br />
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What was really nice was that many of those parents were Dads who came to have a meal prepared by their own kids, and to show their support for HHC.<br />
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The dinner began at 6PM, with Heather introducing some slideshows and talking a little about the program, seeming very obviously excited and happy to have made this initial progress towards a worthy goal. Our fun and tasty celebration meal consisted of Caribbean Red Beans and Rice, Three Sisters Casserole, a vegetable salad, and an eye-catching, colorful shish kebob of cubed fruit pieces. Everyone received a program to take home with the recipes of the evening included.<br />
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Many congrats to Heather and all her volunteers! Thanks for a great dinner and for bringing this much-needed program to the school kids. <strong><a href="http://starcityfame.com/">Star City Fame</a></strong> wishes HHC wider success. Long Live Happy Healthy Cooks!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAWbWe_u9v-97itjNAeyVg08JSlAUPz5x72NhK1cz6XASfJbWY0EcVN-19L2OYSw3EqkAX_RB57WpFtdn1VjOYq_NYZ-tBhtlXRJMMvzdgwdyelYxToHVBK75_bwc1XoNSxpXeVZqAA/s1600/Servers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAWbWe_u9v-97itjNAeyVg08JSlAUPz5x72NhK1cz6XASfJbWY0EcVN-19L2OYSw3EqkAX_RB57WpFtdn1VjOYq_NYZ-tBhtlXRJMMvzdgwdyelYxToHVBK75_bwc1XoNSxpXeVZqAA/s320/Servers.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjJ5K_mN9b_WAq85XCa3BJnXxjZelAruVMTRRSFvmjkcEVi-ap7Q982exeMxWQhmAhD52hmhuAeiR42HiUzXSAAmo-E6cGOICxgSSwaQiXsIcAA1F30hCEsWD4r3cnW6PHBvSZfXbjA/s1600/HeatherSpeaking(cropped).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjJ5K_mN9b_WAq85XCa3BJnXxjZelAruVMTRRSFvmjkcEVi-ap7Q982exeMxWQhmAhD52hmhuAeiR42HiUzXSAAmo-E6cGOICxgSSwaQiXsIcAA1F30hCEsWD4r3cnW6PHBvSZfXbjA/s320/HeatherSpeaking(cropped).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nHNfz7JsjE4et5xWISCdS0oS9c8GaGDdBdymcuazFMzKCS4xBzD82Em0qSpUOKGwViSE8VXk4yqSeg7nsWRzgVel4kUemcjEWcTnigf1OpuJKkxTbmnzQCV5W2M6jVuh-t2WxMLbVA/s1600/Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nHNfz7JsjE4et5xWISCdS0oS9c8GaGDdBdymcuazFMzKCS4xBzD82Em0qSpUOKGwViSE8VXk4yqSeg7nsWRzgVel4kUemcjEWcTnigf1OpuJKkxTbmnzQCV5W2M6jVuh-t2WxMLbVA/s320/Salad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vKDSwP3Oj4lFZV5okZRkAvK-Pdtk_6t00m3H65M8JeW7f3Mxa-pkkNHVqg4RSk-QyBRI6yLaLcg3TH5s9GFx42ksOfcxBtYKdXIIM74gG7iaNIOqGsyGEYbFGFsp5EvA2nlReDskbA/s1600/FoodLine_B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vKDSwP3Oj4lFZV5okZRkAvK-Pdtk_6t00m3H65M8JeW7f3Mxa-pkkNHVqg4RSk-QyBRI6yLaLcg3TH5s9GFx42ksOfcxBtYKdXIIM74gG7iaNIOqGsyGEYbFGFsp5EvA2nlReDskbA/s320/FoodLine_B.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSiwazXqwRTwDvHN6pCRRnBLkT9UBbvHcfMjVqRVYdWhxKEi0nanLQwgHJlTpZU7qnShNabw_7feebZyE1yJe_he7ZqlvR9_X8TnZMw7DbDrkO2pnUBfSKxzRkk6pngT8zEQp3d1rGQ/s1600/Fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSiwazXqwRTwDvHN6pCRRnBLkT9UBbvHcfMjVqRVYdWhxKEi0nanLQwgHJlTpZU7qnShNabw_7feebZyE1yJe_he7ZqlvR9_X8TnZMw7DbDrkO2pnUBfSKxzRkk6pngT8zEQp3d1rGQ/s320/Fruit.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyY_3Z8joUh-IEWWhyphenhyphenwLGBSkrq6I6eL2H-JMluJFq9B5jUFO1UEeu5ZRPg1jvlk7ywXJeCinwCMkYAfFuQqZBZOp_81c9khGDSxCHL-fSedlKrnZ59AUUapJ3uRz5B99WNIhKuSYFJA/s1600/HallFromRear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyY_3Z8joUh-IEWWhyphenhyphenwLGBSkrq6I6eL2H-JMluJFq9B5jUFO1UEeu5ZRPg1jvlk7ywXJeCinwCMkYAfFuQqZBZOp_81c9khGDSxCHL-fSedlKrnZ59AUUapJ3uRz5B99WNIhKuSYFJA/s320/HallFromRear.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5c6g24xyc9S_6GC1dC7wTuJVhVfm-5EkMhitRq7pi4mMF5fgRljPoWEl0Yp4KIbGKcZzkez8oQC2ERlYNlIQMcpgZCbwCvTAFM2v73LrVQQhuySIuIG2tRO4leGGFJIEErbpktFwmOA/s1600/BehindServers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5c6g24xyc9S_6GC1dC7wTuJVhVfm-5EkMhitRq7pi4mMF5fgRljPoWEl0Yp4KIbGKcZzkez8oQC2ERlYNlIQMcpgZCbwCvTAFM2v73LrVQQhuySIuIG2tRO4leGGFJIEErbpktFwmOA/s320/BehindServers.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju86-GVfYhkghpiqevComCbTAl72comgXmEpbZ5iTpjKG07Ea3o_AycKmtc2_-zcDufGA6ylBUI9dOO2v1tfz9q7zU6kdyI2N4LzIQr1UHeAwiQp5fYxo4FtUt-AmARikAbmwbn0Kj6w/s1600/Heather_Line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju86-GVfYhkghpiqevComCbTAl72comgXmEpbZ5iTpjKG07Ea3o_AycKmtc2_-zcDufGA6ylBUI9dOO2v1tfz9q7zU6kdyI2N4LzIQr1UHeAwiQp5fYxo4FtUt-AmARikAbmwbn0Kj6w/s320/Heather_Line.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=star00c-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1600850219&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=star00c-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0312206399&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=star00c-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1844836037&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=star00c-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1844836037&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-22969284018359699282010-05-31T13:21:00.001-04:002010-05-31T13:33:43.606-04:00Video Production Resources - Best Ways to Keep Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyL51tpEpeCpnlvmMDGPPYH65cvCcE2uPoyKkObTOlcX5SJGQ5b_OUs3Q1mZQ0WqDRqdtdJUSQvdCdo6UwCNJOPf5o3Ub1RoYl4Owg1SPKQ-Hgghu9-5R0KtO_uDYCNSV86eHKCaeVkg/s1600/VideoEditing.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyL51tpEpeCpnlvmMDGPPYH65cvCcE2uPoyKkObTOlcX5SJGQ5b_OUs3Q1mZQ0WqDRqdtdJUSQvdCdo6UwCNJOPf5o3Ub1RoYl4Owg1SPKQ-Hgghu9-5R0KtO_uDYCNSV86eHKCaeVkg/s200/VideoEditing.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>Never stop learning, no matter what industry you're in. That's a given. Otherwise, you'll get old and stale really fast. Can't rest on your laurels, especially when it comes to technology. And just about everything nowadays has something to do with technology, whether you like it or not... but more importantly, whether you think so or not.<br />
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When it comes to video production, you're already dealing with a tech curve that is unavoidable. Digital video from A to Z requires you to know so many functions, knobs, switches, additional gear needs, software, file types, and even how natural things like the location of the sun or what someone's clothing is going to look like on footage to avoid post-production nightmares.<br />
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Luckily, there are people out there in cyberland who have made plenty of mistakes (and successes) for you to learn from. Or to share in their experience. One thing for sure, you can't be afraid of making these mistakes. It's the road to learning. If nothing else, it has forced me to find the best online information avenues to hook up with. And now I will share those with you.<br />
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Top spot on my list is <strong><a href="http://www.creativecow.net/">Creative Cow</a></strong>, a magazine for media production professionals. When you go to their website, you'll see these categories listed: Forums, Tutorials, Magazine (their regular published articles), Training, Videos-Reels, Podcasts, Events, Services, Newsletter, News, Blogs. For the video professional or amateur/ enthusiast, this website is like being in a huge candy store, think tank, university, and geek heaven all in one place. The Forums section alone makes this site one of the best resources in the video production industry. You basically have every piece of pro gear and software topics listed, plus a variety of creative and marketing sections to peruse. Members range from broadcast company experts to independent videographers and editors, to filmmakers, to newbies of all disciplines dealing with multi-media and the industry.<br />
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Another great set of tools online to use is your manufacturers' websites - and in many cases, the makers of video gear and software apps offer forums and tutorials specifically aimed at helping their own community of customers. You'll see extensive information to gain knowledge from by the makers of <strong><a href="http://www.adobe.com/">Abobe</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/">Final Cut Pro</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.avid.com/US/">Avid</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.grassvalley.com/">Grass Valley</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/">Sony Vegas</a></strong>, just to mention the biggest video editing software creators. <em>(As an aside, Final Cut Pro's website is the least helpful to its user community, as typical of Apple/Mac products.)</em><br />
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Then there's <strong><a href="http://www.mediacollege.com/">Media College</a></strong>, which has free resources for film and digital media production, including user manuals, industry news, and also a forum. Other great forums to belong to are <strong><a href="http://www.videomaker.com/">VideoMaker</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.dvinfo.net/">DVInfo</a></strong>, and <strong><a href="http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/">DVXUser</a></strong>. Tons of industry-related info can be found on <strong><a href="http://www.cinematography.net/">Pro Cinematography's</a></strong> website.<br />
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Don't forget the easily-searched resources on places like <strong>YouTube</strong> and <strong>eHow</strong>. Sometimes, you can find exactly what you want through these <strong>UGC</strong> (User-Generated Content) video sites. These can be a pain if you're not specific in your search terms. But watching video tutorials is nice when you're too tired to read or if in a hurry for quick, easy answers. Just be aware that quick and easy is not always the best answer.<br />
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I will throw in these last couple links for good measure - especially for those who would like to find out more about learning on their own, how to go about it, and how to apply a little motivation to get off their butt, get creative, and get going with projects. One is a blog called <strong><a href="http://abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com/">Abundance Blog</a></strong> (not at all a kooky or salespitchy blog). The other is a book called <strong><em>Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar: How Self-Education and the Pursuit of Passion Can Lead to a Lifetime of Success </em></strong>by James Marcus Bach, son of Richard Bach, the author who wrote <strong><em>Jonathan Livingston Seagull</em></strong>.<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=star00c-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1439109087&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
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Have a great day - and keep learning!!Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-13967211147967147752010-05-12T17:48:00.001-04:002010-05-12T17:49:04.545-04:00Scroogle Back Up, For Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDppwVtOnzcoQ7OdrPZGf3KyY7zQBp65zkKe6x2KEcx7kA6LGOp7ZVDh76SUBIjjgASG3Fc0TKtAwoaComw4SeiMwzslmR3fYrscNcVnfof5QvznpX-vzArSqrsYZRyORPZGrAN1Y2g/s1600/Oops.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDppwVtOnzcoQ7OdrPZGf3KyY7zQBp65zkKe6x2KEcx7kA6LGOp7ZVDh76SUBIjjgASG3Fc0TKtAwoaComw4SeiMwzslmR3fYrscNcVnfof5QvznpX-vzArSqrsYZRyORPZGrAN1Y2g/s320/Oops.jpeg" width="320" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh well, the moment our last post ran, Scroogle Scraper's operation went back up online. Yes, folks. It's working for now. There's no immediate information regarding how they ironed things out. Possibly, they are just scraping temporarily... or the Masters of Google have given them another go-ahead until the next time.</div><br />
Remember, as soon as you light a cigarette, the bus comes. Or for you non-smokers - as soon as you get up to go to the bathroom, the food comes.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Graphic Credit: Courtesy of </strong></span><a href="http://www.faithandfacts.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>http://www.faithandfacts.com</strong></span></a>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-71364319748149203732010-05-11T21:52:00.000-04:002010-05-11T21:52:43.182-04:00The End of Scroogle, The End of Your Internet Privacy<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYD_Op7Fq6EZ7HbCf8Rv1zMWcY7PASLTzELmt7lkZAR4rUgxn84k24RJvtFdwv_NrX1ZeXuqD3a2blQFvfni1XW9e0FVu2RbCqXHNyrZSyJJ8TJZ5SoBS0IQ6cXE6G7nxGsXNqLlUpg/s320/ScrooglePage2.jpeg" tt="true" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As of May 10, 2010, the interface that Scroogle Scraper had been using since 2002 to access ad-free Google searches is now gone... and Scroogle may have finally bit the dust at last.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This particular instance of Scroogle getting jammed, banned, or otherwise yanked and intercepted, has geeks worried that this time the world's giant search engine may have eliminated its simple interface that Scroogle had until now been scraping.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For those never initiated, Scroogle Scraper was one of those "best-kept secrets" for those who enjoy their internet privacy and prefer to circumvent needless search results, such as ads and SEO-pumped sites. Scroogle faithfully returned ad-free, cookie-free, search-term record-free search result pages.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Beyond the "mere" privacy concerns of long-time users, though, is a sense of loss for what they feel was just a great, all-around "search engine" (which is provided by Google itself before it loads its ad carnage). The ability to get un-juiced data after hitting the enter key has been a most useful tool for serious researchers wanting better information, faster. Geeks - and other information hounds outside the IT industry - will now have to deal with what mainstream internet users have long accepted: Endless pages of paid info and jacked-up sites. Mourners of Scroogle will now be getting used to the "Next" button to sift through all the crap.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The alternatives come up short. Available alt engines to search on are Blackle (a "green" version of Google) and at least one that professes to keep your privacy safe - Ixquick, which has a sister site called Startpage. We may as well just get used to Google because, at best, they do have some of the coolest features around. You can search not only for websites, but more specifically for Images, Video, Maps, News, Shopping, blah-blah-blah.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the end, what remains most useful for those of us doing serious online researching with other engines may be adding quotation marks around search terms. The results will be closer to what Scroogle searches return, except we'll be seeing sponsored links on the right-hand side of the page. And getting our search terms recorded for posterity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No offense to advertisers. No offense to Google Juice. Sometimes those things just get in the way when one is on an information mission. Otherwise, more power to ya's. The privacy issue is another story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For more information on how to improve your searching capabilities, these links may be helpful to you:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.google.com/advanced_search">http://www.google.com/advanced_search</a> (Google's Advanced Search page)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://us2.startpage.com/eng/power-search-techniques.html">http://us2.startpage.com/eng/power-search-techniques.html</a> ("Search like a Pro" from Startpage)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're interested in the deeper side of the internet privacy question, read up on the following:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi">http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi</a> (Scroogle's current sign-off explaining their situation)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.google-watch.org/">http://www.google-watch.org/</a> (What Scroogle is talking about, in neatly organized links to articles, regarding Google and your browsing concerns)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sure, Scroogle was using technology made available from Google itself. But only Scroogle truly was capable of presenting it to internet users without any targeted ads, sponsored links, and that privacy nuisance of tracking search terms and IP addresses. No one else could do it as effectively as Scroogle. Perhaps they were the Robin Hoods of Web 2.0. Perhaps it was just a matter of principle that Scroogle got blown away for good. With such a minority of Scroogle users, though, one wonders if Google felt they were losing revenue from the geek demographic... or Google was worried (??)... perhaps... that they just didn't have everyone's "number?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=star00c-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0321518667&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=star00c-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0764508466&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=star00c-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0300144229&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-24727722690034062362010-05-09T17:18:00.000-04:002010-05-09T17:18:15.599-04:00Another Weekend on the Set of "Planet Divine"<span><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=star00c-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00178PKVS" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=star00c-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001BZA2VU" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_x6UT6puCs10pVnSY6h6PN_8gYvTgXKp9_jr9iuTNsoDDyRiRt05ySwGjo4qMmZy_Fsvqw99gR7eW8kfOgk11RzLCKHuR7QFjMnkDqhjw5XLW3FI0fBsklB0EY5utMU0lp9bk-k2Lg/s1600/SCF_AhhaPictures.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_x6UT6puCs10pVnSY6h6PN_8gYvTgXKp9_jr9iuTNsoDDyRiRt05ySwGjo4qMmZy_Fsvqw99gR7eW8kfOgk11RzLCKHuR7QFjMnkDqhjw5XLW3FI0fBsklB0EY5utMU0lp9bk-k2Lg/s200/SCF_AhhaPictures.jpeg" tt="true" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">That's a wrap for <strong>Episode One</strong> of <strong><em>Planet Divine</em></strong>. <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Ahhapictures">Hans Moore</a></strong>, who has been directing most of the episode along with <strong>Larry Reid</strong> and myself, will now be in the editing room doing post-production. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As always, we broke out with the <strong>Canon D50 DSLR</strong> to take some behind-the-scenes shots of our stage set in the green-screen studio. Once this edit is all finished, we'll be taking it to the streets of <strong><a href="http://www.downtownroanoke.org/">Downtown Roanoke</a></strong>. THAT is going to be seriously outrageous, but we can't give away too much detail just yet.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So far, we have a few interested parties on-board who will be participating in the subsequent episodes. There will be things like limosines, tour buses, maybe even a lear jet and a space ship, making a stop through the outdoor shoot... who knows. But we'll definitely find out whether Roanoke is film-maker friendly (even with permits in place).</div><br />
We'll bring you updates as we go along. So, for now... here are some pix from Saturday's shoot:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWytpIr6ENYiwGPJxZ6uJihfDFzRwrCtyl1D3i6XmOxpxragFArBsuR_czf6WxsydzrLUJP5gTEG2c2SvZzwIdIFWdY2wgO_i6wD26wJtv2JjDosgG3trWWZZjTWby0ktEYZTVaAeNGA/s1600/IMG_0852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWytpIr6ENYiwGPJxZ6uJihfDFzRwrCtyl1D3i6XmOxpxragFArBsuR_czf6WxsydzrLUJP5gTEG2c2SvZzwIdIFWdY2wgO_i6wD26wJtv2JjDosgG3trWWZZjTWby0ktEYZTVaAeNGA/s200/IMG_0852.jpg" tt="true" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKLFIeNG5dfQpgPKhHTCJNyBI_SSu8f9seA189F6ItE3l_2xXN6otqccvqN0hKmD5P9y6u9O9ll8E7m9mt9Hz04k4tplB7-86P-mn7C4h8pS3ilLRxuAn72NAfiWfkIcfJ1yOJBB2VA/s1600/IMG_0856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKLFIeNG5dfQpgPKhHTCJNyBI_SSu8f9seA189F6ItE3l_2xXN6otqccvqN0hKmD5P9y6u9O9ll8E7m9mt9Hz04k4tplB7-86P-mn7C4h8pS3ilLRxuAn72NAfiWfkIcfJ1yOJBB2VA/s200/IMG_0856.jpg" tt="true" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See you around Downtown!!</div><span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50D-Digital-28-135mm-Standard/dp/B001EQ4BY0?ie=UTF8&tag=star00c-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001EQ4BY0&tag=star00c-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=star00c-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001EQ4BY0" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Canon-XL2-MiniDV-Camcorder-Optical/dp/B0002OJYDS?ie=UTF8&tag=star00c-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img alt="Canon XL2 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0002OJYDS&tag=star00c-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=star00c-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0002OJYDS" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></span> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Canon-TUTORIAL-TEACHING-PROGRAMMED-INSTRUCTION/dp/B001BZA2VU?ie=UTF8&tag=star00c-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="2008 Learn the (Canon XH A1, XH-A1) XHA1, XHA1s TUTORIAL TEACHING PROGRAMMED-INSTRUCTION DVD" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001BZA2VU&tag=star00c-20" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sandisk-Ultra-Compact-Flash-Card/dp/B00178PKVS?ie=UTF8&tag=star00c-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Sandisk 4GB Ultra II Compact Flash Card - SDCFH4096901 / SDCFH004GA11" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B00178PKVS&tag=star00c-20" /></a></div>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-10535105740874768492010-05-06T11:16:00.000-04:002010-05-06T11:16:45.164-04:00Calling All Chocolate Lovers in Roanoke, VA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI3QwziNqJTa32ZkBdvBauBP4QHP6bkDjow101MgVvdnt9I3k6w98Y1N9rM33p0A8xBlt1L1g36D8ln61AxVQ6avMLrnid8AB7jb8-Nsf6s-QCpgRpXpWdXYM66NlW6uMAY_4ziEj7g/s1600/Baylees.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI3QwziNqJTa32ZkBdvBauBP4QHP6bkDjow101MgVvdnt9I3k6w98Y1N9rM33p0A8xBlt1L1g36D8ln61AxVQ6avMLrnid8AB7jb8-Nsf6s-QCpgRpXpWdXYM66NlW6uMAY_4ziEj7g/s200/Baylees.jpeg" width="200" wt="true" /></a></div>It's about time we write a little bit about food. For some of us, chocolate is an essential part of nutrition, perhaps of the emotional kind!! You know you have moments when you could just get plain nasty without a chocolate fix. So, does any piece of chocolate do the trick? Nope.<br />
<br />
I mean, you just can't put ANY ordinary chocolate into your system. Not you or your kids. No, no, no!! And even if you think, well, maybe that fancy-wrapped gourmet stuff in the supermarket is loads better than the ones in the shiny dark brown wrapper, you'd be mistaken. Why? Because those have been sitting around the store a few days (or weeks). And ya know, it takes a while for the store to receive them. So, counting in the distribution and shipping times, your fancy brand might be a couple weeks old already. Are you eating preservatives meant for shelf-life? Yup.<br />
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Okay, what can you do about it? Is there some kind of chocolate factory around? Well, no. Not exactly... Or some kind of secret homemade chocolate connection you need to know? Getting closer!! How about an artisan chocolatier store - a place that makes chocolates fresh daily, by hand?? BINGO!!<br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.bayleesbest.com/">Baylee's Best Chocolates</a></strong> is the place - right here in Roanoke, in SW County. They are the best-kept secret in town. But those who know... ah, yes, they do feel special. You get the royal treatment in this cozy little shop, hidden in the back end of the <strong>West Village Shopping Center</strong> behind <strong>Baja Bistro</strong> (formerly The Daily Grind). Owner Bayla Sussman and her friendly staff create a variety of scrumptious chocolate treats, which in itself is fun to watch through the glass panes inside the store while you decide between Truffles, Buttercreams, and Pretzel Pops. Baylee's Best makes dozens of different chocolate creations, and they're always designing new flavors to use... even taking requests for your ideas to suit <em><strong>your taste or occasion!</strong></em><br />
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And yes, you don't need to be a local to indulge. Baylees will ship individual orders direct to you, however that may depend on the season. Chocolate melts, ya know, so call the store to find out more details about mail orders.<br />
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As for us Roanokers... no sweet tooth or chocolate attack can be best satisfied than with rich, creamy, and freshly made chocolate. Right here, in town. Indulge yourself!! It's the edible equivalent to fine diamonds.<br />
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PS - Happy Mother's Day!! (Hint, hint...)Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-21733730009883640922010-04-29T10:17:00.000-04:002010-04-29T10:17:04.953-04:00Not Just Any Party - Gina Holmes Book Launch at Roanoke Library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFVznUb3gntzfw0PWXWVia6mFCe23bCpFrb51ysUGJSnLYl-GKc4VTuV2M3bkUnzzddnUCZ7hzjhk7heJVU5g6SA70RSu0H38xyZ8egn4cNautgHkOvZnEocp8hAra7hyphenhyphen6ZMjN7TV2w/s1600/GinaHolmesBookLaunchParty.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFVznUb3gntzfw0PWXWVia6mFCe23bCpFrb51ysUGJSnLYl-GKc4VTuV2M3bkUnzzddnUCZ7hzjhk7heJVU5g6SA70RSu0H38xyZ8egn4cNautgHkOvZnEocp8hAra7hyphenhyphen6ZMjN7TV2w/s200/GinaHolmesBookLaunchParty.jpeg" tt="true" width="134" /></a></div>Where to start?? <strong>Gina Holmes</strong> is our home-girl-does-good story in Roanoke, VA. That is the big, awesome thing here. The new book she's written was just published and will be hitting the book stores very soon. It's called <strong><em>Crossing Oceans</em></strong>, about a young single mother who comes back into her family's life after a long absence.<br />
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For the past few weeks, all sorts of great local media coverage proclaimed and celebrated this artistic victory - the Press, TV, Bloggers, Social Media sites... But the most outstanding celebration of all was the love our own Roanokers showed Ms Holmes at the Roanoke Library last Tuesday evening.<br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.roanokeva.gov/WebMgmt/ywbase61b.nsf/DocName/$library">The Roanoke Public Libraries</a></strong>, as we've mentioned other times, is (as an organization) one of the front-running advocates for the Arts scene in the SW Virginia region. They take it to the streets, up-close and personal. No fancy, corporate-sponsored bookings brokered here. What they do have is one <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2420539537">River Laker</a></strong>, a fellow who keeps his eyes and ears on up-and-coming local talent (and from nearby cities), so he knows the latest, the artsiest, the grooviest... And then he books 'em for what always becomes a treat to the community in performances, exhibitions, seminars, readings, and that one very special thing so many "venues" can't really do - Participation.<br />
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So, Tuesday night at the Main Library's <strong>Howery Mezzanine</strong>, we all came out to celebrate <strong>Gina Holmes' Book Launch Party</strong>. Mr Laker brought together a very successful party, indeed - perhaps the largest attendance thus far at the Library. There was a lot of work behind it to pull this off, and again he coordinated that magnificently as always. Roanoke is lucky to have a real-life Eveready Bunny.<br />
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Ms Holmes was honored and entertained by fellow area artists. The cool thing about that is she was greatly involved with the entertainment herself. For one, the author's work inspired a short play that was performed during the event. From SW County's <strong><a href="http://www.showtimers.org/1.html">Showtimers</a></strong>, local actors Nancy Lawrence, Caitlin Morgan, and a cute little actor named Madeline Neil practiced the script with precision over the past couple weeks, under River's directing. Watch out, Broadway! (Oh yes, it was my debut as an actor that evening - and I enjoyed being in the company of experienced actors! Thanks for having me on!)<br />
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A short video, as a response or spoof to the book's trailer video, went over hugely with the audience. Gina co-starred in it with her husband and, oh, that guy with the British accent who dresses up in silly outfits... um, yeah - River again! You can see the video here, on River's <strong><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/riverlaker/videos">Vimeo Channel</a></strong>, produced by <strong><a href="http://philosophyinc.com/">Matt Ames</a></strong>.<br />
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The event had a musical guest, <strong><a href="http://www.flat5.com/">Maddie Grace Garber</a></strong>, a local teenager with tons of talent for songwriting and singing. Also, artist <strong><a href="http://goodlifelove.ning.com/profile/tOObz">Toobz</a></strong> once again created a backdrop and banner for the stage area. His work is often showcased at the Library for <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2420539537">Emerging Artists</a></strong> performances.<br />
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Ms Holmes answered questions from the audience about her book, about writing and her journey to become a published author. One guest, <strong>Sunny</strong>, who is also a local artist, even referenced a page and paragraph in her question to the author, which must've been a sweet compliment for any writer when someone can do that!<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=star00c-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1414333056&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<strong><a href="http://starcityfame.com/">Star City FAME</a></strong> taped the book launch party, and will be editing the video this week. Hook up with us on <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daleville-VA/Star-City-FAME/68711502280">Facebook</a></strong> so you can get updates on cool things that happen within the Arts community here in Roanoke.<br />
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Visit <strong><a href="http://www.ginaholmes.com/">Gina Holmes' blog</a></strong> for more information about her life, her books, and the art of fiction writing. Her novel <strong><em>Crossing Oceans</em></strong> is also available through Amazon.com. We wish her many congratulations, much inspiration, and a long, happy career in writing!<br />
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See you around Downtown!!Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-7254692165749067002010-04-24T17:45:00.000-04:002010-04-24T17:45:10.558-04:00Internet Learning Curve for Business 101<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjDUQe4Hd3DvGg-F0ruk_nVuIVKEv7DCLK8iy70LrUqKvsZrmn1OdLaRd0bZ2idH-cbgwIbOQl1Kc6cjgkuYq7SWH-eQd_DGL-ysQPe48JcMpay3xat10R7CWauagCegfZlcgZLj5Fw/s1600/LearningCurve.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjDUQe4Hd3DvGg-F0ruk_nVuIVKEv7DCLK8iy70LrUqKvsZrmn1OdLaRd0bZ2idH-cbgwIbOQl1Kc6cjgkuYq7SWH-eQd_DGL-ysQPe48JcMpay3xat10R7CWauagCegfZlcgZLj5Fw/s200/LearningCurve.jpeg" tt="true" width="200" /></a></div>Change or die? Old dogs can't learn new tricks? Fear of the unknown?<br />
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How many people have never seen, used, or even heard of the internet... I have no statistics here. All I know is that if my Mom ever bought herself a laptop, she would junk her remote and browse QVC's website all day and night long. As it is, the UPS driver already knows her address by heart.<br />
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But if you're in any kind of business and still fumbling with getting information... how to improve your website, gain traffic, acquire basic geek skills, or just learn anything, pretty much, I bet you can find all of that in whatever skill level and language you will understand. Heck, you can even take online classes at M.I.T. if you want. FOR FREE!! (No, you don't earn a degree. But the courses are the same as if you enrolled. For some of us who value knowledge over mere paper, that's freaking awesome. Thanks, M.I.T!!)<br />
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I did a three-part blog post recently about the internet being a "series of tubes" - you know, the joke that's actually true, wink, wink?? So this time, I'm going to rattle off some cool stuff for beginners. The thing with the internet is that once you start looking and finding answers, you can't help increasing your knowledge. First, you will find answers, challenging as it may be to discriminate facts if you're a casual user (or gullible). But one must acclimate oneself. Think of it as hazing for a college fraternity, haha. Then, once you figure out the difference between snake-oil and useful information, you will develop a keen method of tracking down specific information through blogs, forums, and specific communities related to what you do.<br />
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I personally feel that this routine is as important (more so) than plain networking on Facebook or whatever. If you only pay attention to output (yackity-yacking online) but seldom find input (investigating how people actually DO THINGS in your industry) then "joining the conversation" will be nothing more than being in a high school clique. If that impresses you, go for it.<br />
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I'm not knocking socializing with inter- and intra- corporate collegues, your co-alumini, and connections surrounding your field. Heavens no... But if you can't bring fresh stuff to the table or understand the lingo of your peers, you ain't adding much to the conversation.<br />
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Okay, Blogs... I have this one on my blog feeds which is pretty direct and intelligent information. You can dig through this blog to learn a little about SEO and social networking, etc, etc… Useful for brushing up on guerilla marketing.<br />
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<a href="http://www.conversationmarketing.com/">http://www.conversationmarketing.com/</a><br />
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The blogger above has a particular article on Google Analytics that might help those who haven't taken advantage of that application's power to reorganize their sites. It's not just for checking how many hits a page gets. You can use the information to figure out what direction to go and make adjustments whenever necessary. Follow the links to his "cheat sheet" from this article:<br />
<a href="http://www.conversationmarketing.com/2010/01/google-analytics-cheatsheet.htm">http://www.conversationmarketing.com/2010/01/google-analytics-cheatsheet.htm</a>.<br />
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What I do with blogs, simply, if I feel like following them… is add it to my blog feed, which is similar to adding favorites on your browser. This way you don’t have to deal with the person’s blog page… you just browse through their headlines and click on whatever article you might like to read.<br />
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Learn how to do stuff… Tons of sites that explain stuff!! It’s nice to have the internet. I don't care if you think the following are lame. I've been an IT guy with a couple major corporations, and I still use these:<br />
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Ehow.com <br />
Yotube.com (for the reading challenged or time challenged)<br />
Howcast.com (video how-to's)<br />
Ask.com<br />
Howtodothings.com<br />
Howstuffworks.com<br />
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Also, search your field or industry by typing in the word "forums" along with the kind of work you do. I myself belong to several related to videography. Some forums are hosted by the manufacturers of the products I use. Those are absolutley great! Some are independent of the manufacturer. But their users/members have a huge cross-section of knowledge outside the product lines. They talk about techniques and solve problems amongst themselves which can be invaluable. Join forums like that... just stay away from the trolls. And don't be one. (Trolls are those idiots who have nothing better to do than picking fights with other members over stupid things. Or they're just interested in spamming the forum with their BS websites while never adding anything useful to the thread.)<br />
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Asking questions is always fine. Be sure to state that you're a noobie 'cos the other members will figure that out and you might get yourself embarassed. Usually, there's a noobie section in a forum. Also, you will find a section called a "sticky," which is kind of a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) thing along with general rules of engagement for using the forum. If you break the rules, you might get kicked off.<br />
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So, there ya go. Educate yourself and pass it along. Practice safe cyber-surfing. Be sure to use an anti-virus.<br />
Have fun!!Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-13268794306851514162010-04-17T11:06:00.003-04:002010-04-17T11:15:17.288-04:00Pre-Production for "Planet Divine"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsy97c1YO8wBVQ02ZAMNg3iSup0FkeDFb0glalJRf726T9Sys_hvKCLw-Xqq4gdLUkRmi6ChzyON0G1kXHdK_RqZqFSZPDb4EsZqWpmV3o9LI7tLxqqPCZ21CfGq8f3GAoOjl5k1rVvQ/s1600/Hans_Spaceman2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsy97c1YO8wBVQ02ZAMNg3iSup0FkeDFb0glalJRf726T9Sys_hvKCLw-Xqq4gdLUkRmi6ChzyON0G1kXHdK_RqZqFSZPDb4EsZqWpmV3o9LI7tLxqqPCZ21CfGq8f3GAoOjl5k1rVvQ/s200/Hans_Spaceman2.jpg" width="200" wt="true" /></a></div><strong>Star City FAME</strong> and <strong>Ahha Pictures</strong> begin collaborating on a new video series today, called "Planet Divine." Last night was a six-hour preparation involving setting up lights, cameras, and audio, with a run-through of costume checks and script-tweaking.<br />
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Director <strong>Hans Moore</strong> (<strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Ahhapictures">Ahha Pictures</a></strong>) has been an actor in several local independent movies, one that is currently making the rounds at national-level film festivals. The movie <strong><a href="http://www.blueridgemovie.com/">Blue Ridge</a></strong> is a feature film by Vincent Sweeney, which was shot in the Roanoke area using many local talent, and stars Sean Gullette.<br />
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Hans picked up a video camera about two years ago when he acquired enough cash to get into it "the right way" after learning a great deal from working on-set with professional directors and cameramen. Film was not the medium, however, due to the huge expense. But he equipped himself with some of the best video technology available.<br />
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<strong>Ron Bergeron</strong> met Hans in December 2008 at a local Dunkin' Donuts in Roanoke, where the two stopped in to chat with friends. Ron remembers how excited Hans was about a new venture into film-making. Ron (that's me), who has been a musician in New Jersey and technically skilled at audio engineering for over 25 years, liked his enthusiasm so much that, a few months later, he contacted Hans to ask about going into video production himself. Hans was still so intensely involved and passionate, that it rubbed off... and they became close friends through sharing techniques and ideas. Eventually, the two began shooting and editing projects together.<br />
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One of the earlier collaborations between <strong><a href="http://starcityfame.com/">Star City FAME</a></strong> (Ron's Video Production and Media Company) and Ahha Pictures turned out to become a series of YouTube comedies called "Cher on Crack." These videos spoof the Sonny and Cher television show from the 1970's, but the characters are only loosely based on Sonny Bono and Cher. They are what Hans calls "Trailer Park Trash Sonny and Cher, looking to break into the big-time," and their last name was changed to Bonehead instead of Bono... to protect the innocent, of course.<br />
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This week marks the start of their new series, which will be a combination of studio green screen shoots and on-location filming in various Roanoke settings. Some of it will be impromtu (or "reality" style) in which there will be interaction with the public. Also in the works are casting local notables and collaborations with other film and media professionals from the Roanoke area.<br />
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Here are some photos of Hans and Ron in pre-production last night at the studio.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVkrR3YbOHMMO_AOFd2YwyH_TrNiURt-pa9pWg65E98JWurS1Lk7wFTG8lbxIQSbh3tgpXVF9L_FByXsQOa9YigVQ8mLrgqsr5mUWQ47Qsc3lvdkEfVEydJsITm5sQpJOLAuHwRtG8w/s320/Hans_Director.jpg" wt="true" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Director Hans Moore of Ahha Pictures</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVA2x2-NZjxuF_pYeMnrnoHVCL-KF-nZdFuPpl5YG0xwT6lUHebubnXA37Y7_qe_6ODqSt37awwhvZmZCDFTyaYvjmTk09tS0FccOjpm_A2tsXo5_1C7NHOTS2_xdVEcqbKI_MZ5_RtA/s1600/Hans_Clapboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVA2x2-NZjxuF_pYeMnrnoHVCL-KF-nZdFuPpl5YG0xwT6lUHebubnXA37Y7_qe_6ODqSt37awwhvZmZCDFTyaYvjmTk09tS0FccOjpm_A2tsXo5_1C7NHOTS2_xdVEcqbKI_MZ5_RtA/s320/Hans_Clapboard.jpg" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUU1VhvD0WdmPsn9Mp0lSddL2mHj0MZHIIoFN5rqkA3sG-9q0ix4qNA_DqpdAc5ABlYnY8un43jBueetaMsIaEnWQTL_Rqlzr-GmbWaV2uSWgMbxvmFk-bXb4E1RyQ6Q0CBS0-iHcqQ/s1600/Hans_ScriptRead2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUU1VhvD0WdmPsn9Mp0lSddL2mHj0MZHIIoFN5rqkA3sG-9q0ix4qNA_DqpdAc5ABlYnY8un43jBueetaMsIaEnWQTL_Rqlzr-GmbWaV2uSWgMbxvmFk-bXb4E1RyQ6Q0CBS0-iHcqQ/s320/Hans_ScriptRead2.jpg" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL73YwTKomNmLvugOw-MBBbsXgL3mXAcpan7-iCdp1RXW6uYTTCCKGv-gfBOO7ar8IG6NbmRhfFtM0Mc8ZLcaJXd9t7USNoMuWn3eIq1mq_otfYMq4fhO_1p3DA7vOYLprYqgcUEfjw/s1600/Hans_SpaceMan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPL73YwTKomNmLvugOw-MBBbsXgL3mXAcpan7-iCdp1RXW6uYTTCCKGv-gfBOO7ar8IG6NbmRhfFtM0Mc8ZLcaJXd9t7USNoMuWn3eIq1mq_otfYMq4fhO_1p3DA7vOYLprYqgcUEfjw/s320/Hans_SpaceMan.jpg" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46awwdYCxD2_clMQSknylgdhseIrHGOYiU2PoU9VJnUOIzbYwGvfY66NoTumNbsAhkB383lEvaxRVN0y-JZu0KssDuF3kOw66tGgd7tzOPeiMVvzv7IwVsTgS6N-Ab0zOrzSz0PGWAw/s1600/Studio2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46awwdYCxD2_clMQSknylgdhseIrHGOYiU2PoU9VJnUOIzbYwGvfY66NoTumNbsAhkB383lEvaxRVN0y-JZu0KssDuF3kOw66tGgd7tzOPeiMVvzv7IwVsTgS6N-Ab0zOrzSz0PGWAw/s320/Studio2.jpg" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKwKhfYzZynPdKOzZME7jF8op_BGHVRE9OimTVmPfJFoFvtVA6BUg5nN6KtFQxiFlDjVn5aGnzq91BmhxD9d1GcSGIHy_s1Ka0Yu0nH2YkEDUpc36cHtcIEcaehkAgcvyoMhIL7lVDg/s1600/StudioMonitor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKwKhfYzZynPdKOzZME7jF8op_BGHVRE9OimTVmPfJFoFvtVA6BUg5nN6KtFQxiFlDjVn5aGnzq91BmhxD9d1GcSGIHy_s1Ka0Yu0nH2YkEDUpc36cHtcIEcaehkAgcvyoMhIL7lVDg/s320/StudioMonitor.jpg" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4Z8nO_KxJox4lGuIgIqTR-jZ382CfOg2N_vg3leYl6Pr5Zc3nspihFCe443CBd_Kl91TAmHW_YNPIlDO1eZckdDC2ega0JiVo3fYoaHlqaaS_egUXW96tXHg5lH9LYNLPFvmzRkw5A/s1600/TheCam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4Z8nO_KxJox4lGuIgIqTR-jZ382CfOg2N_vg3leYl6Pr5Zc3nspihFCe443CBd_Kl91TAmHW_YNPIlDO1eZckdDC2ega0JiVo3fYoaHlqaaS_egUXW96tXHg5lH9LYNLPFvmzRkw5A/s320/TheCam.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div>Definitely see you around Downtown!!!Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-19308426528679583152010-03-31T16:55:00.003-04:002010-03-31T17:06:08.312-04:00Karen Land Speaks at Roanoke Main Library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrPgNyhmgmBX7tl2c5IUBjgm7NGcxzMAQ9p-zF5DyWHlzLcDfRUnF7641V8g5qSq4aVIfrULxWgY0AdqZ1QkZj9NKV5uj80oZeEcRYeEyH8WXSqeKlKrlGCVUMjEnXVZccPIgqIGNLg/s1600/KarenLand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrPgNyhmgmBX7tl2c5IUBjgm7NGcxzMAQ9p-zF5DyWHlzLcDfRUnF7641V8g5qSq4aVIfrULxWgY0AdqZ1QkZj9NKV5uj80oZeEcRYeEyH8WXSqeKlKrlGCVUMjEnXVZccPIgqIGNLg/s320/KarenLand.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>There’s always something going on at the Library… you already knew that. Right? Well, let’s look at this week’s program presented by the <strong><a href="http://www.roanokeva.gov/WebMgmt/ywbase61b.nsf/DocName/$library">Roanoke Public Library</a></strong>. This is not your average library, just in case you think it’s a quiet place to sit and use the computer or check out books for free. (Oh-oh, what the ???) <br />
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Monday night, Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Musher <strong><a href="http://www.mymusher.com/">Karen Land</a></strong> spoke to a packed house at the Main Library’s Mezzanine Room. <strong><a href="http://starcityfame.com/">Star City FAME</a></strong> came to take pictures and learned about a sport that seemed more grueling and exciting than just about anything else out there.<br />
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Dog Mushing is a competitive sport, one musher against others… and a team sport, a pack of dogs being that team. Karen presented some finer details of training for the Iditarod, which is the annual race held in Alaska. The race begins every March. Competitors typically enter with 16 (maximum) dogs. The trail covers 1161 miles in sub-freezing temperatures. They get 15 days or less to finish it. Karen’s training took a number of years, as she explained she had to apprentice with a kennel owner, whose dogs raced as sled dogs, to really learn about mushing.<br />
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Here is a photo courtesy of JKBrooks85 off Wiki that details a sled dog team: <span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/aa/Mushing_graphicx.JPG"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/aa/Mushing_graphicx.JPG</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoOLq6wsdbQGEiBNMeusF02y5f9RlZ2UVG0B41KWyXe1WlEQ6fnYwTXyV0ArBs8I3fjiYHSAgbpdL0lvyPUWHUpvpenRUTS_aUg9xkMjdaaXJ8wGyPttg1jRVZr1EaU8ij9Pr_ntR1Q/s1600/Mushing_WikiJKBrooks85.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoOLq6wsdbQGEiBNMeusF02y5f9RlZ2UVG0B41KWyXe1WlEQ6fnYwTXyV0ArBs8I3fjiYHSAgbpdL0lvyPUWHUpvpenRUTS_aUg9xkMjdaaXJ8wGyPttg1jRVZr1EaU8ij9Pr_ntR1Q/s400/Mushing_WikiJKBrooks85.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Karen went on to talk about the way she was first introduced to mushing, her training to qualify, her rookie entry into the Iditarod, and of course, she spoke proudly about her faithful team of dogs. Karen also brought along a photo presentation of breath-taking pictures, her racing sled, and her beloved Alaskan Husky, Borage.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0xzObUBwxe71K-6Qd6sdqz9QLSeSo_So9C7Nzt8QFoXl-IS9xKyBmobPfHf_ujyyBuvEUvGZdcAUkx1FN-4bH8HNSWeyBOXk0iwVZPSiaNZ0wDhXGw9u9WsBv4McEOoPpSwgH-XAvog/s1600/Borage2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0xzObUBwxe71K-6Qd6sdqz9QLSeSo_So9C7Nzt8QFoXl-IS9xKyBmobPfHf_ujyyBuvEUvGZdcAUkx1FN-4bH8HNSWeyBOXk0iwVZPSiaNZ0wDhXGw9u9WsBv4McEOoPpSwgH-XAvog/s320/Borage2.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The sled shown here is actually quite light in weight… 20-something pounds or so. The dogs pull the musher, all suited up, and the sled, all loaded up, over snow and ice. However, a lot of the Iditarod trail can be rocks and dirt.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEyCr_a0GZs-tYqUdzLVJp5EgknJJA1Iq06OcZv4sW-rMH74gpRWgrjvlEvjfvkWCZpQdOZ9bfKQJYh330ggsfDbqUE-qH41MAvUs_mEgGU_sPxmbU_QJyzKc1ExvS-Irt7uT00-cLw/s1600/Sled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEyCr_a0GZs-tYqUdzLVJp5EgknJJA1Iq06OcZv4sW-rMH74gpRWgrjvlEvjfvkWCZpQdOZ9bfKQJYh330ggsfDbqUE-qH41MAvUs_mEgGU_sPxmbU_QJyzKc1ExvS-Irt7uT00-cLw/s320/Sled.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Karen asked the audience a number of questions and surprisingly a lot of children present knew some of the answers. She has been on over 300 such presentations to audiences all over the United States since 2005, mostly at schools and libraries. She has taken this year off to tour the country and talk about Mushing, but says she will enter the Iditarod once again next year.<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNF62MFsigOBtJ5xckcnKmiA9Di8GTHd4xnaDcN6LXl6XOqAnlWliqvvBS5CUXfc5hjCyNOAkctRoYJXsvdDoJqMnZ9S3bH0pZCdfZxDyilMfxM903TzSd6x0LpkCfPCANNEXl-in7Pg/s1600/Lecture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNF62MFsigOBtJ5xckcnKmiA9Di8GTHd4xnaDcN6LXl6XOqAnlWliqvvBS5CUXfc5hjCyNOAkctRoYJXsvdDoJqMnZ9S3bH0pZCdfZxDyilMfxM903TzSd6x0LpkCfPCANNEXl-in7Pg/s200/Lecture2.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJntf4-OQPS17tS9PZ_Vl5RC8DiLfQDSvyegIbyR-Uo3ZM-3LPYfzxy7vIN-LOYPxPvM-dpHGCUkFPzzufMAO_gwF_ymujKycCvuTcmAQY0VvRVBmDMoFOvxxMjMF-cbg4SjEYM8EWQ/s1600/Lecture3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJntf4-OQPS17tS9PZ_Vl5RC8DiLfQDSvyegIbyR-Uo3ZM-3LPYfzxy7vIN-LOYPxPvM-dpHGCUkFPzzufMAO_gwF_ymujKycCvuTcmAQY0VvRVBmDMoFOvxxMjMF-cbg4SjEYM8EWQ/s200/Lecture3.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38g3NDgKf_JhI1ZDCow54wYXpmbi_k9jg1P-x2bodGYxs0XJf2sN7N5Z8mqkaaTEq01nBH2dyO2sYeA_3PIi16oobMa9kKGe4PzSoEnu8mE8oy3VcZDoCMrXt8QdWaTlB7tciAeJLBQ/s1600/Brakes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38g3NDgKf_JhI1ZDCow54wYXpmbi_k9jg1P-x2bodGYxs0XJf2sN7N5Z8mqkaaTEq01nBH2dyO2sYeA_3PIi16oobMa9kKGe4PzSoEnu8mE8oy3VcZDoCMrXt8QdWaTlB7tciAeJLBQ/s200/Brakes.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb05D7bZ-Q3CAeW4TPGkndfivx8DIQLfIPrV1PfUoxnuIlQK9keJsZeMZ6_H2o9NPDeYySGTVOBc5orAhMDZO_IwTEU0KmAXT2a9OoTDPaJwt_sOHNYgy5f3J7-B2-JJKYy3ohnKKuqg/s1600/Audience.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb05D7bZ-Q3CAeW4TPGkndfivx8DIQLfIPrV1PfUoxnuIlQK9keJsZeMZ6_H2o9NPDeYySGTVOBc5orAhMDZO_IwTEU0KmAXT2a9OoTDPaJwt_sOHNYgy5f3J7-B2-JJKYy3ohnKKuqg/s200/Audience.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbRE5GUKbVYXn5Q0WhBXFSa8xkX4fKMuASxsnQRNJCJmVVR-bzgzuIW7CwNMDsEJg6Ynu-f5DBrb0-QiI__jNUMv0QnNA8qGoKIps4L-g_sZnWngDWMKy6vaXUOo6uAlialjmt0XaWQ/s1600/BorageVisiting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbRE5GUKbVYXn5Q0WhBXFSa8xkX4fKMuASxsnQRNJCJmVVR-bzgzuIW7CwNMDsEJg6Ynu-f5DBrb0-QiI__jNUMv0QnNA8qGoKIps4L-g_sZnWngDWMKy6vaXUOo6uAlialjmt0XaWQ/s200/BorageVisiting.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXe68d0Cu2PGCAclAT-nNw9hLHawKYzTWE199EIalQDAF-u374qsJSWft7dyEgGfipSqc6z-USwQ2myXZ_90ikUrU4sYqPa_IoqqvG9aWX0QRacGxvqZPT0cZ7AmYMM48BYboHFc6CQ/s1600/SneakingUp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXe68d0Cu2PGCAclAT-nNw9hLHawKYzTWE199EIalQDAF-u374qsJSWft7dyEgGfipSqc6z-USwQ2myXZ_90ikUrU4sYqPa_IoqqvG9aWX0QRacGxvqZPT0cZ7AmYMM48BYboHFc6CQ/s200/SneakingUp.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoZEqiocH5pKYpS7BURXTUaovRaSOgby4SJnTnnbpYexm6cCrI4yrnYq8Q6ocDCRkSATmfKM816CNt_U6G6JLS_ChPYodDBSk3Ckpyzle22CIrNry3Gat0FVviThs6SYQR8UKOnVj5Q/s1600/Borage_Photographer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoZEqiocH5pKYpS7BURXTUaovRaSOgby4SJnTnnbpYexm6cCrI4yrnYq8Q6ocDCRkSATmfKM816CNt_U6G6JLS_ChPYodDBSk3Ckpyzle22CIrNry3Gat0FVviThs6SYQR8UKOnVj5Q/s200/Borage_Photographer.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos Star City FAME (c) 2010</span></div><br />
You can find more about Mushing at Karen’s website and blog at <a href="http://www.mymusher.com/">http://www.mymusher.com/</a><br />
The official site for the Iditarod is <a href="http://www.iditarod.com/">http://www.iditarod.com/</a><br />
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See you around Downtown!!Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-15650402889129042902010-03-13T22:58:00.001-05:002010-03-13T22:59:41.787-05:00Star City Roller Girls Get Ready for Big Showdown this Weekend | WSLS-10This past Friday, all-female sports team, The Star City Roller Girls, were guests on "OurBlueRidge," the daytime TV spot aired by local station, WSLS-10. Star City FAME is one of the team's sponsors, as well as the official team videographer. We were pleased to be able to supply WSLS-10 with live-action footage from a recent Star City Roller Girls home game, held at Lee Hi Skate Center in Roanoke, VA.<br />
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Many thanks to WSLS-10 for airing our clips and also for giving this great team and the sport of Roller Derby some wonderful coverage.<br />
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Here is the interview in its entirety:<br />
<a href="http://www2.wsls.com/sls/Entertainment/ourblueridge/article/star_city_roller_girls_get_ready_for_big_showdown_this_weekend/87035/#comment_form">Star City Roller Girls Get Ready for Big Showdown this Weekend WSLS 10#comment_form#comment_form#comment_form#comment_form</a>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-84392685001333280582010-03-12T09:24:00.001-05:002010-03-12T09:31:58.164-05:00No Shame Theatre Now in the Daytime at Roanoke Public Library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopQ4dpJ7ZS3p1mUzpc91Zpn7X7gLeczqGsUjbVFH1tpbfZ3Ltcdomj5KSjpoa_NTpR5TeK3sPGQHzf3EZI3k_HFKiKjO01KtnPHgHF0GbuGmlntLmy36f5GkKkI0sxJddHyC2vT-_dg/s1600-h/NoShameInTheAfternoon.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopQ4dpJ7ZS3p1mUzpc91Zpn7X7gLeczqGsUjbVFH1tpbfZ3Ltcdomj5KSjpoa_NTpR5TeK3sPGQHzf3EZI3k_HFKiKjO01KtnPHgHF0GbuGmlntLmy36f5GkKkI0sxJddHyC2vT-_dg/s200/NoShameInTheAfternoon.jpeg" vt="true" width="200" /></a></div><strong><a href="http://www.studioroanoke.org/nst.html">Studio Roanoke</a></strong> partnered up with the <strong>Roanoke Public Library</strong> to bring a daytime version of <strong>"No Shame Theatre"</strong> to the infamous Mezzanine of the Main Library in Downtown Roanoke City. <strong>Chad Runyon</strong>, host and General Manager of <strong>Studio Roanoke</strong>, opened the show with the near-usual announcement adding the new rules of "no cussing" or any other obscene behavior for the more family-oriented flavor of "No Shame."<br />
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The first performance was held last week on March 3rd at noon, and brought in several brave souls to kick off what will be a regular monthly program at the Library.<br />
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The very first original pieces offered at "No Shame in the Afternoon" were by authors (in order of appearance) <strong>Patrick Lyster</strong>, <strong>Claudia Harris</strong> (read by <strong>Jonathan Harris</strong>), <strong>Leisa Thomas</strong>, <strong>Paula Smith</strong>, <strong>Mark Tutai</strong>, and <strong>Beth Deel</strong> and <strong>River (Car Less Brit) Laker</strong> as a duo.<br />
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Everyone followed the rules, but you know, there always is that one exception in the crowd who will find a loophole, right? Wonder who and what that could have been??<br />
<br />
Luckily, <strong><a href="http://starcityfame.com/">Star City FAME</a></strong> brought a camera, otherwise it'd all have been hear-say!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rz0-X3XAZqCiOcllulNU0m7wnGMU7kApnCGaTJTFrgQvWTsUjaI5bg04wa3b-pCcFhzsRrDBBSxqY8LPAZ4qGHDc5SIBqw6Vi9e1lLC9UlnY_RFNCeJulkCo2DQ724o7zdru_iHQLQ/s1600-h/IMG_0422_A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rz0-X3XAZqCiOcllulNU0m7wnGMU7kApnCGaTJTFrgQvWTsUjaI5bg04wa3b-pCcFhzsRrDBBSxqY8LPAZ4qGHDc5SIBqw6Vi9e1lLC9UlnY_RFNCeJulkCo2DQ724o7zdru_iHQLQ/s320/IMG_0422_A.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">River Laker and Beth Deel</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA75ThXXCYpjmQdVxMINxkdw17TW8X4n6kc2iisyumfir35Omsmr6-_q6PliAmco1OmI5AYkEAjS_s8FUPEzzzck2IlC0Unphg4gS7TfOqyoioiz6WYbGz4my8Y3bK5bcIN1cGBncVTw/s1600-h/IMG_0423_A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA75ThXXCYpjmQdVxMINxkdw17TW8X4n6kc2iisyumfir35Omsmr6-_q6PliAmco1OmI5AYkEAjS_s8FUPEzzzck2IlC0Unphg4gS7TfOqyoioiz6WYbGz4my8Y3bK5bcIN1cGBncVTw/s320/IMG_0423_A.JPG" vt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNByeOVe-bl5k115ryiHEsGRJF9K4r1odKZNWQjAWNX4XTCHtP0qVh0fEB3NGI4KIAOyag_qRJ9iycREeCtmxatBPlzGihDY_UrZo8evSNobyHOKwLnXdDtgXJ_1IJhlPLiLGF-t2MLw/s1600-h/IMG_0424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNByeOVe-bl5k115ryiHEsGRJF9K4r1odKZNWQjAWNX4XTCHtP0qVh0fEB3NGI4KIAOyag_qRJ9iycREeCtmxatBPlzGihDY_UrZo8evSNobyHOKwLnXdDtgXJ_1IJhlPLiLGF-t2MLw/s320/IMG_0424.JPG" vt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBjNnQUb6TKZyTVCdukUeKdrBFnfjmzEyh1SBhXK_e5_ZTMM99oOs5WU1A_V41Dces2iTlxXbHq2SH_HYFkWZYVrD7E6bt_Z75sdpBDIwxxeWSfJTvNIFO_P0QGLMoerEqnpqQ1dS5w/s1600-h/IMG_0426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBjNnQUb6TKZyTVCdukUeKdrBFnfjmzEyh1SBhXK_e5_ZTMM99oOs5WU1A_V41Dces2iTlxXbHq2SH_HYFkWZYVrD7E6bt_Z75sdpBDIwxxeWSfJTvNIFO_P0QGLMoerEqnpqQ1dS5w/s320/IMG_0426.JPG" vt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyl2WGiime8IT27SAGP3P4UBKxxj_fhJxCD-lNBzXXNNNZzD4FsjTp9oEO3GPEb5MYBzwLm4WLWSYtQE48kui4NSHE_s2wbeynz4I-tyLP_-ccT0y2khuu4U5jJCFD3CbFuY6LxzLilg/s1600-h/IMG_0425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyl2WGiime8IT27SAGP3P4UBKxxj_fhJxCD-lNBzXXNNNZzD4FsjTp9oEO3GPEb5MYBzwLm4WLWSYtQE48kui4NSHE_s2wbeynz4I-tyLP_-ccT0y2khuu4U5jJCFD3CbFuY6LxzLilg/s320/IMG_0425.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div>Of course, this is not considered dis-robing in public, because the man clearly was not wearing a robe.<br />
<br />
More pics...<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFXqb4o1jleDcl1hyphenhyphenOHC8KGb1EgEG6n3Jj1nhGSCzqPQAy1yc6xl06yHDOBI1pkh7RVRdtW4VxKyJiqB11ErbEBEwGMULc5e0CbYCuutQYb4a9tfwsoemgekgdlkDY-78Iu2aSP3QRg/s1600-h/IMG_0395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFXqb4o1jleDcl1hyphenhyphenOHC8KGb1EgEG6n3Jj1nhGSCzqPQAy1yc6xl06yHDOBI1pkh7RVRdtW4VxKyJiqB11ErbEBEwGMULc5e0CbYCuutQYb4a9tfwsoemgekgdlkDY-78Iu2aSP3QRg/s200/IMG_0395.JPG" vt="true" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Patrick Lyster</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOTgJDuwEg5mnX38ue933sjMBk4vQWfDlRcsXvd-zB5mBWXRrG7bM4KOLiPw4o2Ckj8hEmBSWJ_iQ9ydkPjUZMjqRFtLv0r48SMxYsO411uE0Xf468ZeR4NQ9kD05cLU7H6KKpCFINg/s1600-h/IMG_0402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOTgJDuwEg5mnX38ue933sjMBk4vQWfDlRcsXvd-zB5mBWXRrG7bM4KOLiPw4o2Ckj8hEmBSWJ_iQ9ydkPjUZMjqRFtLv0r48SMxYsO411uE0Xf468ZeR4NQ9kD05cLU7H6KKpCFINg/s200/IMG_0402.JPG" vt="true" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jonathan Harris</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yTAF96kIcE_DouUuSiaqyp4rppaEJhZr5wmn9N44SblUAa1f3pzDWLn8Zj6t2NUxPw8zvh5z4Mr4YL_dxMBRfBdkf_hWAPYeMC5c2NxH-8mzzpLHzy4pnfwdUzbcCShpSzzF5OVdRw/s1600-h/IMG_0407_A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yTAF96kIcE_DouUuSiaqyp4rppaEJhZr5wmn9N44SblUAa1f3pzDWLn8Zj6t2NUxPw8zvh5z4Mr4YL_dxMBRfBdkf_hWAPYeMC5c2NxH-8mzzpLHzy4pnfwdUzbcCShpSzzF5OVdRw/s200/IMG_0407_A.JPG" vt="true" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Leisa Thomas</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9ZZd6NfPfSQk8-_WiCiVi8BUPEkEn7UKtA7eCSJ_wAXzf32VNGsD6iiTF2rIbYUQ5qNm0FnOBmqYfAbZvenT0O0Pytkq0PRQ7wR7ha6yEk-KBSk6NWkXIWFKiPX9ct_Y27nrtKg_5w/s1600-h/IMG_0408_A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9ZZd6NfPfSQk8-_WiCiVi8BUPEkEn7UKtA7eCSJ_wAXzf32VNGsD6iiTF2rIbYUQ5qNm0FnOBmqYfAbZvenT0O0Pytkq0PRQ7wR7ha6yEk-KBSk6NWkXIWFKiPX9ct_Y27nrtKg_5w/s200/IMG_0408_A.JPG" vt="true" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Paula Smith</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ceYOuwE8xj4VCCRl1iUeidj5fVNlqUmFlcXk6ND3b2eQzVcGCkQbV5WNfZECeluorINLWlYVUx4Ke9IYLmUT-Zos_ZX_BFz-Iml-JJN6G4PnqcvjI58OQLfgwCHB5KdZKERpOE4dAw/s1600-h/IMG_0418_A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ceYOuwE8xj4VCCRl1iUeidj5fVNlqUmFlcXk6ND3b2eQzVcGCkQbV5WNfZECeluorINLWlYVUx4Ke9IYLmUT-Zos_ZX_BFz-Iml-JJN6G4PnqcvjI58OQLfgwCHB5KdZKERpOE4dAw/s200/IMG_0418_A.JPG" vt="true" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mark Tutai</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GqiWVaVfBYH_hU1SCqMqWr6Em55ayHqixUohfRf-eQL75jwVlIcTYGGyu6HedLJM397ZcGKM9dPUJoUkkXF-lWqfzQvnrBFgCLzGtE1dOsdT_wWzrUdDsRocpjEUoleimunCpay24A/s1600-h/IMG_0392_A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GqiWVaVfBYH_hU1SCqMqWr6Em55ayHqixUohfRf-eQL75jwVlIcTYGGyu6HedLJM397ZcGKM9dPUJoUkkXF-lWqfzQvnrBFgCLzGtE1dOsdT_wWzrUdDsRocpjEUoleimunCpay24A/s200/IMG_0392_A.JPG" vt="true" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chad Runyon</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">A fun time not to be missed. Please come out to the next "No Shame in the Afternoon," which will be on April 7th. Workshops for the afternoon performances are held on the last Monday of the month at the Main Library.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Many thanks to Studio Roanoke, Roanoke Public Libraries, and special thanks to River Laker, the programming master-mind behind so many of the Library's events, and Beth Deel of <strong><a href="http://myscoper.com/">myScoper.com</a></strong>, one of Roanoke's brightest artists and biggest advocate of the Arts here in Downtown. Without some of our more adventurous residents, Roanoke would just be plain Roanoke. (A whole 'nuther topic for another day...)</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">See you around Downtown!</div>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-49798608950170833572010-03-10T10:23:00.001-05:002010-03-10T10:28:52.134-05:00Origins, Facts, and Fiction about Web 2.0 and Online Strategy – Part Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1byI0vR96APq1nqboxVPCzl4X3h57O26Fi_FuxtYI00ZcOjqLRC6lhthIN1I5EgEgXPUYU_ovCJCL_8z1_KffIUwXqoZY-2JtVD9ZAy6IwAggpLYt8-kU66-00JYcPDoHGif1Lu8Kw/s1600-h/the-internet-a-series-of-tubes3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1byI0vR96APq1nqboxVPCzl4X3h57O26Fi_FuxtYI00ZcOjqLRC6lhthIN1I5EgEgXPUYU_ovCJCL_8z1_KffIUwXqoZY-2JtVD9ZAy6IwAggpLYt8-kU66-00JYcPDoHGif1Lu8Kw/s200/the-internet-a-series-of-tubes3.jpeg" vt="true" width="200" /></a></div>Organic viral videos don’t need a crew of pushers sending links out to people in Russia or Turkey, or to my mail box. Nor do they need to be posting fake comments on video channels, and all that. Organic virals are rather just interesting videos that people happily and naturally forward to their friends or repost online. If you want more specific exposure instead of hoping something will go viral, pay the fees to YouTube (or your favorite video site) to feature your video. They are the experts.<br />
<br />
Yes, you can make online videos do some cool tricks aimed to run up the viewer counter. But one thing you can’t do is trick the hosting site. If you add commands to the video’s code (say, to make it loop) and then embed it from its original site, the powers-that-be will know you’re scamming them right away. Google employs some pretty slick programmers. People ought to be happy about that since Google controls everyone’s cyber lives now, regardless of operating system or web browser (that thing you open to look at the internet). It’s easy to add commands to a video and make it loop-play after one second, thinking you’re going to rack up the viewer count. YouTube halts the counter after about five (5) loops or auto-plays (meaning the video plays when you land on the page). They may never allow your video to count hits again, ever, so don’t experiment with a video you really want to go viral with.<br />
<br />
Besides, Google owns YouTube. You should be really happy about that, as well. Why? Because if you upload a video to YouTube, and you give it a great title, Google will kick your search results up on ALL search engines. Um, for free. So, say you have a bike shop, and you have a website for your bike shop. You sign up for a YouTube Channel and start uploading videos about bike-riding in your hometown. You load some more videos about fixing a flat tire on a bike and other maintenance stuff. You call them things like, “Bike-riding in Roanoke, VA” and “How to Fix a Flat Tire on a Bike” and “Worst Bike Ever.” (After a while, you will learn to use silly titles. And yes, sex sells, so “Hot Girls on Bikes” might get you somewhere.)<br />
<br />
Be sure to name your channel something relevant, such as the exact name of your store or brand. Use it in your video’s description. Use it in your tags. Tags are the words that help your video come up on a search - not only in YouTube, but on the web itself. (Google owns YouTube, remember?) It doesn’t matter if you use Bing or Yahoo or whatever as your search engine. Google (DMOZ) is the scraper that acts like a huge cyber rolodex. Now that your company name is splattered all over your video channel, an online search for “bike shop, roanoke” will display results not only for your videos but also for your website (and anything else associated with your company name, like a Facebook or Twitter page).<br />
<br />
So how hard is that? Most of these online sites are fairly simple to use. You don’t have to get fancy. A company or business web site might be the only thing that needs to look polished. Everything else, like your Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, Vimeo, Blogger, or WordPress pages can take its time while you get the hang of it… no hurry. I’ve heard quotes up to $300 to “make” a Facebook page for clients. Please rent a kid in your family or on your block and give them a nice bowl of ice-cream. You know, the kid you used when you couldn’t figure out how to work the VCR remote… But the more you yourself play with these “social” sites, the more you’ll understand. You can hook up most of these sites to feed each other updates so you won’t have to keep logging into all of your accounts just to tell everyone you posted one new article or uploaded a new video.<br />
<br />
There are also a lot of extra tools (if you want to know more) that you can utilize with most any site. The most important would be to keep track of traffic, what that traffic did, who they are (in general), where they are, and how long they paid attention and to what. That will help you determine whether they liked or didn’t like something about your website pages, blog articles, videos, and so on. This is called Analytics, which Google (and its YouTube site) offers for free. Use the results to plan your future marketing efforts.<br />
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If you’re worried about becoming really popular: Don’t. Just provide good content, good products, get your business name out on various places, stay current, be accessible and be sociable. I have to quote Jeffrey Gitomer, who says, “People hate to be sold, but they love to buy.” So, knock off the sales pitch. And quit making it about “helping people” too. Barf, barf. This is the information age, not the helpless age. People want to learn for themselves and the information is there. People are no longer helpless. Information is not a commodity anymore. It’s free. (PS – where do you think most of these “gurus” get all their info from?)<br />
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The Web is not such a mystery. There’s really not much you can do to screw it up. And it doesn’t take a genius to do Social Networking. How do you think kids do it? They play with it. So go play with it. Just remember to update your anti-virus and be sure to set your third-party cookies to “prompt.” If you want more protection, go to Adobe’s website and set your flash settings to block those invasive .sol files which by-pass your cookies security. Now you’re fairly safe to go back in the Web 2.0 water.<br />
<br />
Nice description (with pictures) on how to set up third-party cookie handling:<br />
<a href="http://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/disable-first-and-third-party-cookies-in-ie8/">http://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/disable-first-and-third-party-cookies-in-ie8/</a><br />
Here’s where you can learn about flash settings:<br />
<a href="http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html">http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html</a><br />
<br />
That’s it for “Social Networking” for now…<br />
My next techie article will be a lesson on how to speak on-camera.Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-4719328132536795032010-03-03T20:25:00.001-05:002010-03-03T20:27:52.386-05:00Origins, Facts, and Fiction about Web 2.0 and Online Strategy – Part Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwdNbZM4ge8SzistBnJMBrsqo577LX9aV-Z-TaTGcqRSGCI4YTNHWiHyxpWc7BLjcR3qL98ToWabGHXAycz6FB0kTNSJUBr0LucGux_U_myn-sT3c25rBrGnOh1sRLe5LqLWzZ04I1w/s1600-h/the-internet-a-series-of-tubes2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwdNbZM4ge8SzistBnJMBrsqo577LX9aV-Z-TaTGcqRSGCI4YTNHWiHyxpWc7BLjcR3qL98ToWabGHXAycz6FB0kTNSJUBr0LucGux_U_myn-sT3c25rBrGnOh1sRLe5LqLWzZ04I1w/s200/the-internet-a-series-of-tubes2.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>Just what the heck is Online Strategy? Do you need it? Are you good at it? Do you sell it? Do you buy it?<br />
<br />
Sure, you can plan it or have someone else plan it for you. It’s like any other advertising strategy, only for the web. A company can help put together your business motto and logo, set you up with newspaper and magazine ads, paid articles, highway billboards, and TV and Radio spots. They can get you in the business section or on the front-page, or get you on a talk show. They can coach you or hire a spokesperson for your business.<br />
<br />
Or perhaps you are clever enough to do all or some of that yourself. Some people can because they are quite crafty. Either way, it will take time and money. But unless you have TONS of money from the start, or you are the darling of your social club, an overnight success by way of marketing and/or advertising is not a common event. It depends on being at the right place at the right time with the right thing that people want. And you know how people are: You don’t.<br />
<br />
It’s like everything else. If you’ve got something people will love, you need to get the word out, no doubt. Edison had to take his invention somewhere. (Okay, I know he didn’t invent the electric light bulb…) But the questions you need to ask yourselves are:<br />
<br />
A. What do I offer?<br />
B. Who’s my target audience (readers, viewers, buyers)?<br />
C. If it succeeds, can I support the demand?<br />
D. How much time do I devote to this on the web?<br />
<br />
Entrepreneurs struggle with this the most, I think, because they are trying to run a business while wearing all the hats. Social networking alone can take up an entire day. It’s more work than cold-calling, because you can schedule your out-calls to 20 minutes a day and move on to other stuff. Online, if indeed you are interacting, engaging and responding to people, you might get stuck there for a while. That’s why some companies have Social Networking departments now. That’s also why gurus come along throwing seminars at you, hopefully making you cross-eyed enough to sign up for their services. They will handle all your Web 2.0 Social Networking Online Strategy needs. Which is fine. But are they engaged in it successfully themselves? Or do they know just enough to be dangerous? Obviously, advertising agencies don’t run commercials like Coca Cola ™ because they work behind the scenes for the client (like Coca Cola ™). <br />
<br />
BUT… You should find out:<br />
<br />
• Who are their clients?<br />
• What industries are they good at promoting?<br />
• Have they taken something from weak to profitable?<br />
• Or do they pass the buck because it’s really all up to you? (Did they take on your crummy product and you expected miracles?)<br />
• Do they claim to know HOW to make something happen and yet have no such thing to prove they can do it?<br />
<br />
Let’s take viral videos for example. What is a viral video and why the heck would someone want or need a viral video? Marketing your business is one. Getting views (so you can get paid for them) is another. But there are two kinds of viral videos. Yup. One is “organic” and the other is “synthetic.” Unless you know that, it doesn’t matter. Once you know that, it will matter, depending on what your business is.<br />
<br />
Viral means the online video file gets forwarded on to others and/or watched many times over, most likely on or through a hosting site like YouTube or Vimeo. There are dozens of video hosting sites, but those two are probably the best known.<br />
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If you are a YouTube Partner (which means you make popular videos and YouTube pays you), you have to be consistent with your video programming or no one will ever come back. Just a one-off video that gets 10,000 views will hardly prompt YouTube to offer you a partnership. But even one popular video can help you – sure, if it’s meaningful and brings you business. People who believe that it’s all a numbers game and only care that the file is passed along, no matter how insidiously it’s done, don’t realize the ineffectiveness of this synthetic viral method UNLESS view counts make you money. They’re posted in other people’s blogs, forums, Google Groups, Facebook Groups. They’re sent using spam email broadcasts, and so on. They’re set on other channel users’ rotation playlists, or posted as a response to other users’ videos (regardless if their video is relevant). Some popular bloggers accept bribes to post “viral videos.”<br />
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So, is that bad? I can’t answer that for you. What’s your goal? To get viewers – as many eyeballs as possible? How does that help you? Synthetic virals never get watched all the way through, which is why they are made to be VERY SHORT. People won’t put up with a video they didn’t ask to see. So, it better be a damned great video, because most folks already hate you for getting it in their email.<br />
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Of course, you can use all sorts of methods to boost your Social Networking on the Web 2.0. If you have the money, you can hire starving bloggers to write articles for $10-15 a piece. You can pay people to kick your stuff up onto Digg and Delicious. Did you REALLY think all those top-selling “gurus” sit around typing catchy articles every day?<br />
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But better yet, and because you want things to be automated, “bots” are the way to go. Want your YouTube video seen? Use a bot. (Just google “bots for YouTube” and pick one. I won’t advise you on which ones to use.) The same applies to just about every Social Networking site to gain friends, fans, followers, and viewers. It’s all there, free to research. No magic, no mystery, no classes to take. Reading is all that’s required. Fortunately for Social Networking gurus, most people who want to make a million dollars overnight do not like to read.<br />
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Most of all, what’s really so special about Social Networking, is that it’s a mighty database culled from billions of logged in users. Thus the internet has become very efficient in targeting better online ads to people. These days, Web 2.0 is fairly close to speaking directly at you and me. Some ads even say, “Ron, we have the perfect [whatever] for you!!” It’s all very creepy, but advertisers easily get info from what you post on Facebook in comments, “likes,” and stuff from your profile pages. Lucky for the marketing world, not everyone blocks internet tracking cookies. These stay on your machine for YEARS, patiently learning about what you prefer and don’t prefer in life, so they can market TO you more personally, with better results.<br />
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So, in that sense, if you want the very most people to see your spammy ad and spammy viral video, it’s not all that difficult to set up. There’s a sucker born every day, as PT Barnum once said. If that’s your customer base, go for it. I just won’t be seeing it.Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-28331985002638490652010-02-27T16:19:00.002-05:002010-03-03T20:26:55.997-05:00Origins, Facts, and Fiction about Web 2.0 and Online Strategy – Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BarUNWdiofi_6hMgfbis5jOE28v4fv3O45Qvrt5Mhi-5NOswJQ73Jh-tgDnKEYaLI7WLLmjbbIaEOG-hL_VV8vsjgBwDPZ7Ay9-FucG0KzxdIfkUqmxbtQD8OqHKK4IcPqUiRozyZA/s1600-h/the-internet-a-series-of-tubes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BarUNWdiofi_6hMgfbis5jOE28v4fv3O45Qvrt5Mhi-5NOswJQ73Jh-tgDnKEYaLI7WLLmjbbIaEOG-hL_VV8vsjgBwDPZ7Ay9-FucG0KzxdIfkUqmxbtQD8OqHKK4IcPqUiRozyZA/s200/the-internet-a-series-of-tubes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Okay, sometimes we really must post humorous information because the world is just too serious a place. And besides, today is Saturday. Unfortunately, for some people, we need to post a sarcasm warning. Times are tough and it stresses out sensitive individuals, particularly those who are angry that it takes so much effort to make a few million. So here's your warning: SARCASM IN EFFECT.<br />
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This article is about the origins, facts, and fiction concerning the internet. This is Part One of a series of three. There is absolutely no truth to it. As you know, the internetS is a series of tubes. (In reality, it actually is.) Here goes.<br />
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<strong>The Web (or Web 1.0)</strong> – this is online stuff. Back in the day, you went to Yahoo and AOL. Companies were tripping over themselves to get a web page created. Your phone did not ring while you surfed the Web.<br />
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<strong>Web Media</strong> – this is online stuff, too. Used to be Javascripted animation, that annoying page art-with-sound some web designers still insist upon using for the landing page of their client’s website (as an example). Sometimes you will see that Javascript thingy open in your taskbar when this garbage is coded into a webpage.<br />
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<strong>New Media</strong> - Today, it’s called New Media, and it is mostly video. It is coded better to stream better. That means it plays right away without you waiting for it to download. Professional animation geeks use Adobe Flash, but various site builders use similar intelligent coding. In reality, there really is no “streaming” done much anymore. Most people’s computers have the players necessary to watch files, or the files are linked and neatly coded in embedded players. Server bandwidth and hi-speed internet takes care of the rest. Whatever that means (tubes). How cool is that?<br />
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<strong>Web 2.0</strong> – this is online stuff, too. As recent as this past decade. This means all those cool “interactive” sites and applications that everyone uses is brainless to the naked eye. It incorporates New Media and Social Networking. Biggest experts are five year-olds and internet entrepreneurs. It is a mystery to everyone else, including politicians and people who get graduate degrees in Computer Sciences. After all, the Web is one big happy world-wide market. Programmers are just a necessary evil.<br />
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<strong>Texting</strong> – this is the 21st Century version of Morse Code. You must learn the correct abbreviations or no one will understand you. Applies to tweeting, also.<br />
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<strong>Social Networking</strong> – this is the “interactive” stuff mentioned above. I use quotation marks, because I really consider user-participation online to be <strong><em>bi-directional</em></strong>, not “interactive.” Examples are Facebook and Twitter. The ancient versions were instant messenger services (Windows, Yahoo, AOL), chat-rooms, and things like MySpace (which basically started the revolution of online “friends” as some sort of popularity contest, and became a great way to market to a particular demographic).<br />
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<strong>Viral Marketing</strong> – this is what happens when WHAT you do or say or offer online takes off like a hot potato. There is no magic internet fairy. It can be manipulated for a cost (time, money, human resources) or it can be quite organic. More on this later.<br />
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<strong>SEO</strong> – stands for “Search Engine Optimization” (or, "Something Everyone Offers") and was very huge in the dark ages of Web 1.0, whatever that means. You could buy SEO software to help you set up keywords and submit your site to 100’s of search engines. These are useless today. Google, or DMOZ actually, “crawls” over the content of your web page. But if you’re not saying much relevant to what you are trying to convey or sell, your site will be buried way Off-Off-Off Broadway into the swamps of New Jersey. Yes, title and description matter, too. Refreshing your website with new content is helpful. Content is king. You can pay someone to “trick” your site up for $5,000, but much of that doesn’t work anymore.<br />
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<strong>Blogging</strong> – this is kind of Web 1.5 in a way. Considering people, especially Westerners, are all afflicted with ADHD, the blog has moved back into its rightful place as the personal web page of the early 1990’s. Most people and businesses that start a blog will let it fall off after a few entries. Successful blogs do continue to emerge, for sure, as it is useful for alternative news from the more serious writers. (<strong><em>The Huffington Post</em></strong> is one example.) Work-from-home bloggers that make money through click and affiliate programs have flooded the blogosphere. The better ones have something useful to say and sell. The rest… well, if it looks like spam, smells like spam, tastes like spam…<br />
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<strong>Forums</strong> - Many techie people still keep blogs, but you’re better off joining a serious forum where these folks are most helpful talking shop with other forum members. This is where you will learn lots of useful stuff about whatever subject you’re interested in. There are forums about everything imaginable.<br />
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<strong>Vlogging</strong> – this is blogging using video or at least adding videos to your articles. It helps to keep your readers entertained, so throw a video at them now and then. <br />
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<strong>Podcasting</strong> – this is a kind of amateur broadcasting, but online, as it has become available for anyone to do. Lots of people (and companies) will stream audio, like an interview, on their websites or blogs. Radio stations and newspaper media use it on the web.<br />
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<strong>Tweeting</strong> – ah, finally. The 140 characters that killed the blog. Twitter may be the best or the most annoying thing to have ever come online. Now THAT’S the kind of stuff that makes something special – ya gotta either love it or hate it. You need private citizens and commercial interests alike on social media like this one (and Facebook), because after all, if it can’t generate money, why bother? <br />
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<strong>Facebook</strong> – Use this or go back to the chat room… which both Twitter and Facebook may one day turn into after something cooler takes their place. But because so many application creators have invested in making cool stuff for these sites, it may take a while… or maybe not. You can invite hundreds and thousands of "friends," but if you do it all at once, Facebook will get mad at you. They prefer you become a paid advertiser.<br />
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<strong>Smartphones (Mobile Web)</strong> – this is where it’s all going real fast. Third World countries are computing and communicating almost 100% by smartphone. Get with the program.<br />
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<strong>Online Strategy</strong> – this is my favorite and combines all of the above. This is like watching a hockey game and commenting on the great strategy even though the puck changes possession every two seconds. More on this later.<br />
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If you want to add your own Web definitions, that would be awesome. (Keep it Rated G.)<br />
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The next segment will expound on "Online Strategy." Hope you had fun reading! Please come back.Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-55843655424278006872010-02-12T00:02:00.005-05:002010-02-12T00:13:43.410-05:00Had Fun at the Biz Expo - Meet the Street Team!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAEu_k6vsE5h-nYTkYFm4GkVfoE89a5EzKlCT_harKciqYLRkbLmf5grBsHMvNviFGeKw6z7mAZuwOvkTeJlxGm9uq2kEWTYHtcJv1zNkRQRInbLmU06dAg9Sl6_92YBJdRcroXJa_w/s1600-h/BizTech_SR-ChamberLogo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAEu_k6vsE5h-nYTkYFm4GkVfoE89a5EzKlCT_harKciqYLRkbLmf5grBsHMvNviFGeKw6z7mAZuwOvkTeJlxGm9uq2kEWTYHtcJv1zNkRQRInbLmU06dAg9Sl6_92YBJdRcroXJa_w/s200/BizTech_SR-ChamberLogo.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Last Monday, on February 8th, the <strong><a href="http://www.s-rcchamber.org/">Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce</a></strong> hosted the <strong><em>2010 Business and Technology Showcase</em></strong> at the <strong>Salem Civic Center</strong>. <strong><a href="http://starcityfame.com/">Star City FAME</a></strong> was there with bells on. We set up our booth for the first time as a company and Chamber member, and then, in Star City FAME fashion, had a blast!<br />
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Although this marks our first outing to showcase the business marketing end our Video Production company, we came to have fun and engage visitors to our "booth" in helpful dialogue about how they can promote their services and products in a visual, non-hardsell way. We gave out demo DVD's and CD's and even instructional inserts in our brochures to give them a clear understanding of the variety of ways to promote business through video on several marketing platforms. For some people, of course, point-and-shoot DIY videos are just fine. Knowing and keeping up with all the avenues to benefit them still can be a time-consuming task - in fact, a full-time job in itself. And then there are the bigger projects like instructional programs and full-on marketing videos that simply cannot be done on a $300 Flip or iPhone. And that's what we want you to know: No matter what your media project is, it can be done better and more effectively, whether it's on the web or CD/DVD.<br />
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<strong>The Street Team:</strong><br />
Several friends of mine, who often jump on-board with SCF projects, decided to form the official <strong>Star City FAME Street Team</strong>. <strong>Hans Moore</strong> of <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Ahhapictures">Ahha Pictures</a></strong> and <strong>Josh Seaman</strong>, his nephew, ran around the Civic Center with one of our smaller HDV camcorders asking Expo participants if they'd like to be on camera for a short video promo of the event. The two of them collected a nice collage of footage, which Hans, an accomplished video editor, will produce in the coming weeks. (Josh is the young man assisting me with the filming of last season's AMTRAK Excursions out of Roanoke, VA.)<br />
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Also, my dear pal Sam Roby manned the table for quite a bit while I snooped around chatting with other vendors at their booths. He is a genuine cut-up at 84 and fits right into our company's business profile! Hard work as our projects always are, we are "Fun about Business, and Serious about Fun!" Who needs another stuffy tie-and-jacket sour-face out there? (Business suits are out; Star City FAME T-Shirts are in! That's why we gave away SCF shirts for our door-prize drawing!!)<br />
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Here are some pics of the 2010 Biz Tech Showcase...<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNbGx8ufcBqj2r0RakmI8pRZUwHxh9GON4F1LUxXUUf0gqOZeCbgtLZVhKz03hB0K3EWAXuiR4XMnW0JaYx0QqpIiJe6quky-2e1TK3X1satGHvVhZhF2g0vE3dcVPqamt1XqOUyYng/s1600-h/BizExpo3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNbGx8ufcBqj2r0RakmI8pRZUwHxh9GON4F1LUxXUUf0gqOZeCbgtLZVhKz03hB0K3EWAXuiR4XMnW0JaYx0QqpIiJe6quky-2e1TK3X1satGHvVhZhF2g0vE3dcVPqamt1XqOUyYng/s200/BizExpo3.JPG" width="200" /></a><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjrjlImC6QE1OPSMH46YsHWh85Z2T5LaXIvakmM1dFGwgZqfwuxe9QXMv_MxU1l3Iyyxk5KscV4Sxxo6qYZxjSjXpHu6twCAWNLgg8h39lrZwmHugw66feEmzLOGpSgNMt_zTDZ94-w/s200/BizExpo7(SCF_Booth).JPG" width="200" /></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_9ZIlbOxfj8aQV-JCyAV05HLWE70pq-92cB87qGDp1wtWMjXwdLCfyaqNqjtFOGka3ZIYV0mhpObCEDOZWi6ykIRWsvXbwQQf5hmkbpTYt5FJQpZ_3vV9os08x4mMmyt1gimv6uCjQ/s1600-h/BizExpo10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_9ZIlbOxfj8aQV-JCyAV05HLWE70pq-92cB87qGDp1wtWMjXwdLCfyaqNqjtFOGka3ZIYV0mhpObCEDOZWi6ykIRWsvXbwQQf5hmkbpTYt5FJQpZ_3vV9os08x4mMmyt1gimv6uCjQ/s200/BizExpo10.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7uAc-4J-kvAPvj7Mc_x1cIHpxOij_Ak9duTO68FOgc7HaM2wGRpaojCVJxpeeOfBvMmrPnZIQys8mYqSbSG1AyXTjcjacWbSmG0g-8BKQRrn7IBipHRRW212xSmw1AzLMjzhm-KO8A/s1600-h/BizExpo1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7uAc-4J-kvAPvj7Mc_x1cIHpxOij_Ak9duTO68FOgc7HaM2wGRpaojCVJxpeeOfBvMmrPnZIQys8mYqSbSG1AyXTjcjacWbSmG0g-8BKQRrn7IBipHRRW212xSmw1AzLMjzhm-KO8A/s200/BizExpo1.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLK9VafGI7LvUsWpdns1tNuQcpxq6DORXj5JKU65mREkQr-Ha1xWu3nvfhU4oGWirm4_mTP5-7kzMzEHGU4UZNhCyrClrKy9d_0lZx2MDVno-YRRtRxh4U7dGZkNBt-_gcy7b4H7Kng/s1600-h/BizExpo2(Abandon-AlexanderMedia).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLK9VafGI7LvUsWpdns1tNuQcpxq6DORXj5JKU65mREkQr-Ha1xWu3nvfhU4oGWirm4_mTP5-7kzMzEHGU4UZNhCyrClrKy9d_0lZx2MDVno-YRRtRxh4U7dGZkNBt-_gcy7b4H7Kng/s200/BizExpo2(Abandon-AlexanderMedia).JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKI_JWuqLElHS963WZ_23viEX1Ccbfl1cEuphDTXO0YgVocYo9ZB-XcntjUB8N_R0EkiWF8ypiYZVlZCigHGOAJCSqouslKdJ0Sr8b9g0jfk4_1sbg_LoGW7Rr5oWbG1siqvMDRqDWg/s1600-h/BizExpo11(Performer).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKI_JWuqLElHS963WZ_23viEX1Ccbfl1cEuphDTXO0YgVocYo9ZB-XcntjUB8N_R0EkiWF8ypiYZVlZCigHGOAJCSqouslKdJ0Sr8b9g0jfk4_1sbg_LoGW7Rr5oWbG1siqvMDRqDWg/s200/BizExpo11(Performer).JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgMnX8ClcYjHlEJfJEJEqDbHVYAz92wQB2VQbKNKxfTLsf7haE3gd1_jCYbhKxQ3QMByPxVuVJ4o6iI-kOd-HYSPnqPJIaQJH7FXfOBx6Jhw3HzBsqDlu36KCTQSy_WeJbNyG0OBEZA/s1600-h/BizExpo8(Chef_Catering).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgMnX8ClcYjHlEJfJEJEqDbHVYAz92wQB2VQbKNKxfTLsf7haE3gd1_jCYbhKxQ3QMByPxVuVJ4o6iI-kOd-HYSPnqPJIaQJH7FXfOBx6Jhw3HzBsqDlu36KCTQSy_WeJbNyG0OBEZA/s200/BizExpo8(Chef_Catering).JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeDgfjBBUYagtX10T93irwOxJhv4a6nxQqSpyzBT_C_IKXwfjF1UcMo1IOk1vKkMA0Ew8h4aSMzZ9Xi7HZhEmNazL0A3OZk38Lb2XowCb9MNKavfeAjsbhIeB6uGVue5oaz7xFEYATQ/s1600-h/BizExpo4(Sam1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeDgfjBBUYagtX10T93irwOxJhv4a6nxQqSpyzBT_C_IKXwfjF1UcMo1IOk1vKkMA0Ew8h4aSMzZ9Xi7HZhEmNazL0A3OZk38Lb2XowCb9MNKavfeAjsbhIeB6uGVue5oaz7xFEYATQ/s200/BizExpo4(Sam1).JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The catering was awesome, BTW. Thanks SR-Chamber for the eats, because I was starving by the time I got there and set up our table, haha. The fellow behind the electronic piano sang just like Barry White. (I will have to get his name, folks. I slipped up on that, which is a big no-no considering we support the Arts.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So here's the Street Team...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpruoCyQlXY7y1tY8PgxMC7LqkNigho8hHPW_7uJamc3RpT3k5B_z2EPZLYg-aPO6ysDLl7SvMUz9FhMKwNyhzKoCnv6lknJZp7ZWiRa1s6vWFFhTn_VIFQ9vd4D4EfgN11IZP7cRUrg/s1600-h/StreetTeam_Hans1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpruoCyQlXY7y1tY8PgxMC7LqkNigho8hHPW_7uJamc3RpT3k5B_z2EPZLYg-aPO6ysDLl7SvMUz9FhMKwNyhzKoCnv6lknJZp7ZWiRa1s6vWFFhTn_VIFQ9vd4D4EfgN11IZP7cRUrg/s320/StreetTeam_Hans1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hans Moore, Videographer and Editor, Ahha Pictures</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3uoB1opXMYvYA0htHB4h2I9HAKijRiY5pwwbArriHtpsATeinln1XfEDx9Xfz0-hyi6CA3wG31yDFiuvlxssFopuaKPQ3rtlEbftR_HpzMUNPjZm4W87LwD6zdgUaiBdeUqwSv7hng/s1600-h/StreetTeam_Josh1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3uoB1opXMYvYA0htHB4h2I9HAKijRiY5pwwbArriHtpsATeinln1XfEDx9Xfz0-hyi6CA3wG31yDFiuvlxssFopuaKPQ3rtlEbftR_HpzMUNPjZm4W87LwD6zdgUaiBdeUqwSv7hng/s320/StreetTeam_Josh1.JPG" width="273" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh Seaman, Assistant Camerman</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IsMcgT_MAhCSQ3le-eLCid4kxEGbXxuY1rUYU-eJFQtpSgVyWIPzwJdl_8rJTQtTct2ugarP50EwDrvGJ2PyA7j5hKuWhxq9jqkeRS-02A2s9q91J03AIillyiioH6G1gtKvxyRJDg/s1600-h/BizExpo5(Sam2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IsMcgT_MAhCSQ3le-eLCid4kxEGbXxuY1rUYU-eJFQtpSgVyWIPzwJdl_8rJTQtTct2ugarP50EwDrvGJ2PyA7j5hKuWhxq9jqkeRS-02A2s9q91J03AIillyiioH6G1gtKvxyRJDg/s200/BizExpo5(Sam2).JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sam Roby, Assistant Sales</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Afterwards, Hans caught up with <strong><a href="http://www.etclimo.com/">Executive Town Car and Limousine Service</a></strong> owner <strong>Patrick Helvey</strong>... and disappeared into Pat's finest stretch limo to take some absolutely wild footage of this automobile's stunning interior. Josh and I joined him to horse around on-camera inside the limo. What was hysterical, Pat threw on some Cher in-concert videos. How appropriate without even knowing that we produce the Cher spoof series, "Cher on Crack," right?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaULb0hAUQPovG5iLPH03laEhsc5ZvGwxpqannc109Y8rrFNurZx3s_eup-DO6XZWp9HYGORgNWA54OCka7ail8Op4xGy0Xq7idLqQSyIJrCw-DFHUVJ4QiuyMpgtZhIurBr1lztfBIQ/s1600-h/ExecutiveLimo(interior).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaULb0hAUQPovG5iLPH03laEhsc5ZvGwxpqannc109Y8rrFNurZx3s_eup-DO6XZWp9HYGORgNWA54OCka7ail8Op4xGy0Xq7idLqQSyIJrCw-DFHUVJ4QiuyMpgtZhIurBr1lztfBIQ/s320/ExecutiveLimo(interior).jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">How cool is this??</span></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, that's it for now... We have some live music footage coming up soon from <strong>Nancy and Two Meteors</strong> at last month's Happy's gig and also a special <strong>Twelve O'Clock Knob</strong> performance from the Jefferson Center. There will be a couple surprises too, but I've got to go and edit now!!! See you around Downtown!!</div>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-28541543852707262282010-02-04T15:30:00.006-05:002010-02-04T15:47:58.999-05:00What's New from Star City Fame in 2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWbkSnvODFKVWJ0UaJO9VKXMA1hYCAQ6auYJbpxgBv-NgbuIxYcrM36O3__PocB1gqXxh-hLbs8-gGrYs1WROavoY3P1_toYaryW-gfsmmbUUBh8IXGMaRBGHDTPctrYt-Zm8QB1xhw/s1600-h/Banner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="71" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWbkSnvODFKVWJ0UaJO9VKXMA1hYCAQ6auYJbpxgBv-NgbuIxYcrM36O3__PocB1gqXxh-hLbs8-gGrYs1WROavoY3P1_toYaryW-gfsmmbUUBh8IXGMaRBGHDTPctrYt-Zm8QB1xhw/s320/Banner.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Well, we're just getting started for a new year and a new set of ventures. Our business model has been tweaked to accommodate an on-going need for <strong>New Media</strong> in the corporate, professional, and entrepreneurial marketing genres. This banner seen above will come with us to the Feb 8th <a href="http://www.s-rcchamber.org/Showcase%20Flyer.pdf"><strong>Business and Technology Showcase</strong></a> at the <strong>Salem Civic Center</strong>. The event is hosted by the <strong><a href="http://www.s-rcchamber.org/">Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce</a></strong>, and will begin at 3:30pm. <br />
<br />
We will have videos of our productions available to pick up on CD's and DVD's, and visitors can chat with us about their multi-media marketing campaigns, online social networking, and video how-to's. More than that, we want to make sure people know that there are more ways to make an impression on their prospective clients, employees or new hires, and in public relations. To that end, we are now serving the business sector with <strong><a href="http://starcityfame.com/services.htm">DVD packages</a></strong> that they can include with beautifully printed materials.<br />
<br />
The Tech Showcase promises to be a lot of fun for vendors and visitors. (I personally love going to them. It's like one huge, all-day water cooler for business people.)<br />
<br />
<strong>Ringing in the New Year:</strong><br />
We got started off with shooting a 2-camera video production for the <strong><a href="http://smwv.org/">Science Museum of Western Virginia</a></strong> on Dec 31, 2009. The event was for their <strong>2nd Annual Bouncy Ball New Year</strong>, during which 11,000 little bouncy balls were dropped at high noon from the <strong>Center in the Square's</strong> Atrium. This was a family event, and its theme basically set for kids in a similar fashion to Times Square's New Year's Eve Ball Drop at midnight.<br />
<br />
Here's the Video of it if you missed it:<br />
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<br />
The first week of January, we took a chill-pill. But things got cooking really fast after that, with new video projects, new gear, new software, new ideas... busy, busy, busy. And that makes us better, better, better!!!!<br />
<br />
We tested a Hi-grade Logitech webcam set-up with a program from SightSpeed to use for business video conferencing, and with an application from Booru that makes practically no-cost time-lapse videos.<br />
<br />
We have been, by default, keeping up with IT as it applies to Video in the use of various applications such as the ones described above. With these, and using <strong>New Media</strong>, we can coordinate with your company's network admins, not just webmasters. (I have been in IT since 1999 and continue to service Windows-PC users, so this is a natural for me.)<br />
<br />
And this year, we added a new print/ graphics/ media distribution partner out of Lynchburg. Of course, we continue to work with local Roanokers for a whole host of things. Our biggest supplier is <strong><a href="http://www.stagesound.com/">Stage Sound</a></strong>, who also coordinates with our cameras to sync audio at various venues. We love you guys!!<br />
<br />
We're still supporting the Arts here in Roanoke and maintain our great relationships with wonderful people in Downtown, where we do most of our work. We are grateful to <strong>Roanoke Public Libraries</strong> and their <strong>Emerging Artists Series</strong> program. We have just completed a video for their <strong>Sneakerhead Show</strong>, which will be on <strong>River Laker's</strong> <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/riverlaker/videos">Vimeo Channel</a> shortly.<br />
<br />
Also, we've done a couple shoots for the <strong><a href="http://www.jeffcenter.org/musiclab/">Music Lab</a></strong> at <strong>Jefferson Center</strong>, and hope to continue providing them with great concert coverage of local acts and alumni of the Music Lab program.<br />
<br />
Here is our visit to the Music Lab recording facilty hosted by their Artistic Director, <strong>Dylan Locke</strong>:<br />
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<br />
Last weekend, we had the pleasure of shooting at the Jeff Center again. We will bring you footage of that concert on our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/StarCityFame">YouTube Channel</a> soon. (It was <strong>Groovuhtational Pull</strong> opening for <strong>Twelve O'Clock Knob</strong>. Amazing show!!!)<br />
<br />
Another huge local Roanoke musical act is <strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/nancyandtwometeors">Nancy and Two Meteors</a></strong>. We grabbed footage of their recent show hosted by DJ and band member, <strong>Dickie Eikcid's</strong> <strong>Just Embrace Love Please</strong> at Happy's on Williamson Road. Also playing that evening were Hip-Hop artists <strong>Poe Mac</strong>, the always eclectic <strong>Bastards of Fate</strong>, and power-punk-metal band <strong>Heevahava</strong>. (Roanoke is bursting with HUMONGOUS original talent. If you're not connecting with the Arts and artists on Facebook, you are missing out big-time. They kick ass! Move over NYC, DC, LA, and Nashville. Roanoke is coming!!)<br />
<br />
Here's a video of Nancy and Two Meteors:<br />
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<br />
BTW, another fascinating new happening in Roanoke is a venue provided for younger artists at the <strong>Penn Forest Worship Center</strong>. We will bring more information on that in another blog. We are working on a joint venture with a local journalist to carry an exclusive story on the PFWC venue and the great folks behind it, including <strong>Santiago Prada</strong>, leader of the Alt-Rock band <strong><a href="http://www.myspace.com/twelveoclockknob">Twelve O'Clock Knob</a></strong> and 3rd place winner of the recent <strong>Roanoke Times</strong> Music Poll.<br />
<br />
Well, that's it for now... See You Around Downtown!!Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-91522136496990901612010-01-09T10:53:00.001-05:002010-01-09T10:54:59.428-05:00Thank You Roanoke!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-X_Baa_GAxohtnUgvt8jzGwf1w4kR2SL1iHrQ7I8g9ynLXguyszJc3LZMBo4XmD7FfuHU51ws77DaCGCd6HsjjlrvbSX3B4YwqjsgcKqhvosoG3Asj_1CrkGEhBKmZHc3wgJ4BC_fQ/s1600-h/ThankYouRoanoke1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-X_Baa_GAxohtnUgvt8jzGwf1w4kR2SL1iHrQ7I8g9ynLXguyszJc3LZMBo4XmD7FfuHU51ws77DaCGCd6HsjjlrvbSX3B4YwqjsgcKqhvosoG3Asj_1CrkGEhBKmZHc3wgJ4BC_fQ/s320/ThankYouRoanoke1.jpeg" /></a><br />
</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We did over 70 video productions for Downtown in 2009,<br />
so THANKS for giving us a great first year!!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">BEST WISHES to all our friends for a fabulous 2010…<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdsQrlk0NZQWGJvlLjuixH66H0YHWiYkuSgFYdZ-ffr8enG2ueAy6WSwIsgGK0feJdS9EKNKokTui7tZPLzz2oUvA2_4jFWOQXmZ5sH4QeY8HRyBnDOf2EBnFsbF-V6z5Z4_hXoqQGQ/s1600-h/KingScreen_SCFLogo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdsQrlk0NZQWGJvlLjuixH66H0YHWiYkuSgFYdZ-ffr8enG2ueAy6WSwIsgGK0feJdS9EKNKokTui7tZPLzz2oUvA2_4jFWOQXmZ5sH4QeY8HRyBnDOf2EBnFsbF-V6z5Z4_hXoqQGQ/s320/KingScreen_SCFLogo.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://starcityfame.com/">Star City Fame</a></strong><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Arts, Culture, Commerce –<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We’re there for you!!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Because… <em>Roanoke Happens. Here.</em><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMw6UTpDO8akZNbLmvkdbfH0Kd9sOxrxjphfLpbHWzTqbA02PHiH7AE7f6VB5IfeIipfXYuZqE3Yw7g_rIbDZ4ykRyWOCXsPj9vMWuwRFBCUsjotkq9HPHeSK20wDjJhgqabw-TuhDw/s1600-h/ThankYouRoanoke2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMw6UTpDO8akZNbLmvkdbfH0Kd9sOxrxjphfLpbHWzTqbA02PHiH7AE7f6VB5IfeIipfXYuZqE3Yw7g_rIbDZ4ykRyWOCXsPj9vMWuwRFBCUsjotkq9HPHeSK20wDjJhgqabw-TuhDw/s320/ThankYouRoanoke2.jpeg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-19617765390682205992009-12-16T01:32:00.004-05:002010-04-24T17:36:35.619-04:00Bouncy Ball New Years' Eve at Science Museum of Western VA<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjhgtxx6QtZiaKa7kfPIJRLPORwiXF8BBbicz-n603kHgg_4m4hQvAVqhZM5TMWnf3TYklB7DfjhsbsFXJkpuWp3AOt46F83b56k0z3nXJVHF3Zuox4h25BLBx79-RtXntlNcQkYbew/s1600-h/ScienceMuseum_Logo(Edit_Small).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="47" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjhgtxx6QtZiaKa7kfPIJRLPORwiXF8BBbicz-n603kHgg_4m4hQvAVqhZM5TMWnf3TYklB7DfjhsbsFXJkpuWp3AOt46F83b56k0z3nXJVHF3Zuox4h25BLBx79-RtXntlNcQkYbew/s200/ScienceMuseum_Logo(Edit_Small).JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This New Years' Eve, the <strong><a href="http://smwv.org/">Science Museum of Western Virginia</a></strong> will be hosting its <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=193069967741&ref=mf"><strong>2nd Annual</strong> <strong>Bouncy Ball Drop</strong></a>. The event begins at 10:30am Thursday, December 31st at the Museum which is located in the <strong><a href="http://www.centerinthesquare.org/">Center in the Square</a></strong> building on the <strong>Market Square</strong> in <strong>Downtown Roanoke</strong>.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A take on the dropping of the ball to kick-off New Year's, which adults customarily practice (the most famous of which happens in New York City's Times Square), <strong>Bouncy Ball</strong> is alternately a family affair for kids to enjoy as thousands of bouncy balls are dropped from various landings inside the atrium onto the ground floor level. The Ball Drop is timed for high noon and promises to unleash a frenzy of cheering and a rampage of boings!</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Immediately after the Ball Drop, visitors may continue their visit inside the Science Museum until 2pm. Admission is free. (No shows are scheduled for the Planetarium or the Megadome on New Year's Eve. The Museum is closed the following day on Jan 1st and will re-open on Saturday.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some scenes from last year's <strong>Bouncy Ball</strong>, courtesy of <strong><a href="http://myscoper.com/">myScoper.com</a></strong> from their <strong><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/myscoper/sets/72157611998838605/">Flickr</a></strong> photo page:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY17lRUPH8kgoINRRCqM29qMyXWHxD7nOVqdu0vbj4crA3biuPObgx1I7DuoeOffsmA0gNETiOZeYeocLBQcpMB49iPUW6L_YRA5CfMwe8ZWcQpEP4FGgi2kP7g39gJb9Gdh5EtDP-oQ/s1600-h/BouncyBall(Photo_MyScoper2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY17lRUPH8kgoINRRCqM29qMyXWHxD7nOVqdu0vbj4crA3biuPObgx1I7DuoeOffsmA0gNETiOZeYeocLBQcpMB49iPUW6L_YRA5CfMwe8ZWcQpEP4FGgi2kP7g39gJb9Gdh5EtDP-oQ/s400/BouncyBall(Photo_MyScoper2).jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnb0JFUygBVaL8I4Fm04MILwtE7yA2EwyAFiO1ACpnFP-Eg1X2X6uG4_R7cDxzb6HaOE96IC3zLPJh5SOrlcjrJdRSOtw9Ij3nM_gEOs_zEDkK5CYeJ2uFXFE3wJro-dPYrJ_RUYXrMw/s1600-h/BouncyBall(Photo_MyScoper).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnb0JFUygBVaL8I4Fm04MILwtE7yA2EwyAFiO1ACpnFP-Eg1X2X6uG4_R7cDxzb6HaOE96IC3zLPJh5SOrlcjrJdRSOtw9Ij3nM_gEOs_zEDkK5CYeJ2uFXFE3wJro-dPYrJ_RUYXrMw/s400/BouncyBall(Photo_MyScoper).jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, <strong>myScoper</strong> posted a <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHj3uIergXE">video</a></strong> of last year's <strong>Bouncy Ball</strong> if you'd like to see what's in store for you and your kids - You're definitely in for a treat, so bring your cameras!!!</div><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YHj3uIergXE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480"></embed><br />
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The <strong>Science Museum of Western Virginia </strong>is located at 1 Market Square SE, Roanoke, VA 24011. Visit their <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Science-Museum-of-Western-Virginia/10420322956">Facebook Page</a></strong> and become a Fan today! For more details and to show your support for the <strong>Bouncy Ball New Year</strong>, you can check out their <strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=193069967741&ref=mf">Event Page</a></strong> and click to "Attend." (And after New Year's, you can post your pics of all the fun you had!!!)<br />
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Hope to see you at the <strong>Bouncy Ball</strong> on New Year's Eve Day! <strong><a href="http://starcityfame.com/">Star City FAME</a></strong> will be there to capture all the mayhem on video! So as always...<br />
<em>... We'll see you around Downtown!!</em><br />
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(Photos and video of courtesy myScoper.com)Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2973429188624237785.post-73477860436176080052009-12-09T23:52:00.000-05:002009-12-09T23:52:33.106-05:00Sun Trust Dickens of a Christmas 2009<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ckKzyY5b-frVa8DgZLB9uk8mcJ1MsAvCyzldetsLQmf5PSxiMEW01-Mt4FhiRoMhcX8bVG2UWmOt6oAQ7XYHt94YI8ppnuTkJdMSXkCI4fr_m3TgEiZMZHFjVLwO9ZS_doElXmB-zQ/s1600-h/Dickens_Logo1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ckKzyY5b-frVa8DgZLB9uk8mcJ1MsAvCyzldetsLQmf5PSxiMEW01-Mt4FhiRoMhcX8bVG2UWmOt6oAQ7XYHt94YI8ppnuTkJdMSXkCI4fr_m3TgEiZMZHFjVLwO9ZS_doElXmB-zQ/s200/Dickens_Logo1.jpeg" /></a><br />
</div>Two more Fridays left for the <b><a href="http://www.downtownroanoke.org/dickens.htm">Sun Trust Dickens of a Christmas</a></b> celebration in Downtown Roanoke - so try to get out to see all the magic!!<br />
Last week, Star City Fame went out to experience the first night of this event. It was awesome fun! I brought my smaller video camera with me to be more mobile... it helped keep people from freaking out too. I was able to get many of the vendors, passers-by, and even the Dickens street actors to just do their thing. This made editing the video so much easier and a lot of fun! So thanks everyone for participating!!<br />
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Actually, I don't have to go into any details - you can see for yourself everything that happened if you watch the video.<br />
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tfia6TuoTLc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425"></embed><br />
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Please come out this Friday and next Friday... On tap for the 11th there will be an XMas Parade, and on the 18th there is a pet dress-up contest. All three Fridays are packed with sounds and colors of Christmas, street vendors, horse and carriage rides, children's games, various performances, and of course, the Dickens characters. Stores are open late along Salem and Campbell Avenues and the Market Square, and further around the perimeter.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.centerinthesquare.org/">Center in the Square</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.millmountain.org/">Mill Mountain Theatre</a></b> and other local Arts Organizations will also have special performances, including a choir of <b><a href="http://www.localcolors.org/v2007/html/index.html">Local Colors</a></b> friends this Friday night (11th). Find out more on <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=212336995139&ref=nf#/event.php?eid=212336995139">Facebook</a></b> - Visiting Dickens of a Christmas is free, so just click to "Attend!!"<br />
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Have a wonderful Holiday Season - and see you around Downtown!!!Star City Famehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03905856495820546786noreply@blogger.com0