Recently in Events Category

The shuttle is off from the very last night launch. It's cloudy out tonight, but that actually helped the viewing from my back yard. The exhaust flame looked as though it was half a mile long during the main SRB launch. It was just a big, fiery streak across the sky.

When the SRB finally dropped, the shuttle seemed to change to being a bright star that slowly made its way across the sky from the east to the north. The star would get dimmer, and then suddenly brighten up a bit. While the first stage went by shortly, it seemed to take several minutes until the star finally disappeared.

Damn, I'm glad I didn't go over to the coast to watch this thing. Damn traffic is a nightmare and it's hot enough for mosquitos out there. Some of those people started getting their spots at 10:00 am this morning.

That's a lot of attention for a space truck that's delivering a recycling system that allows astronauts to drink their own urine. It's the new Tang.

The Face and Body Art International Conference is in town again. Once again, I'm there taking photos and enjoying the wonderful people who make great art. It runs through this weekend and I'll post a fuller story when it's done. For now, here are a few samples of the work these people create.

Forget the Orlando Magic and the playoffs. Those guys are just professional entertainers. If you want real sports, you have to watch real athletes who compete because it's in their soul. That's what I did this weekend at Disney's Wide World of Sports and the Magic Kingdom. It reminded me of my childhood youth, before cable, when the only thing to watch on a weekend was either Ron Ely as Tarzan or ABC's Wide World of Sports. I can hear it now...

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport...

The thrill of victory...

The agony of defeat...

The human drama of athletic competition...

This is Orlando's Wide World of Sports!

I first attended the Muddy Buddy and the Danskin Triathlon events last year due to my friends (below) competing in them and decided to go again this year. Let's face it, I'm not a big sports fan. In fact, I can't think of anything more annoying than the voice of a sports announcer. Fortunately, it's easier to tune those voices out of your head when you're actually at a competitive event. It gets even easier when you concentrate on photographing the event. I took over 1500 shots at the Muddy Buddy and about 500 at the Danskin Triathlon.

Both events start too damn early (7:00 am and 6:00 am respectively) and I had to wake up two hours before start time each day so I could get ready, make the drive down to Disney, and be there about a half hour before the start.

One thing that amazes me is how people find each other at these events. The Muddy Buddy had 2800 competitors. That's more than enough people, but then you have to add in all of their supporters. Let's just say it makes for some interesting traffic and crowds. Despite all of that, I still managed to find my friends before the race. Normally, you'd think that a couple of girls dressed up like chickens in bright yellow would stand out, but not at the Muddy Buddy. People are encouraged to wear some interesting costumes.

The Danskin Triathlon kicks off in Orlando every year on Mother's Day at the Magic Kingdom. In some ways, I'm less thrilled about this one than the Muddy Buddy. They do far more to restrict the spectators and it's nearly impossible to get a decent photograph without part of someone's head or hand in the way. This year, one woman who finished the race decided to stand right in front of me before the finish line so she could High Five the other competitors as they neared the end. Not only did I wish she'd get out of the way of my photos, but she also confused many of the competitors into thinking that they'd already finished the race when the end was still 10 yards away. More than once the crowd had to tell those women that it wasn't over yet. They still have to run over the matt to record their finish time electronically. Basically, this nice old woman screwed over everyone with her enthusiasm.

Still, you can't help but admire the people who compete. Keep in mind that the vast majority of these folks aren't Olympic or Iron Man competitors. They're your friends and neighbors. They may be old, fat or physically disabled. Some of the fastest competitors in both races were amputees. Maria Katz hopped into the water on one foot for her swim, she rode her bike without a prosthesis, and then she raced to the finish with her prosthesis. Here's the part that amazes me. Her swim time was faster than a friend of mine who won first place in her age group.

This is why I don't really care about professional sports. Those guys are just paid to put butts in the seats. They don't have another day job. They're literally at the top of their game and have every advantage to be there. The folks I saw this weekend were just like you and me. Some of them are incredible athletes, but all of them got off their ass long enough to work up a sweat and have a good time. You have to admire those folks.

According to the St. Pete Times, there's a new fantasy camp in town. Who wants to be a porn star? Apparently, at least a couple dozen people in Tampa this weekend who shelled out $4,000 a head (no jokes about big or little) to attend.

So what do you get for your money? Priceless information about:

1: Porn star pay scales
2: Set design
3: Lighting
4: Web site design
5: Your own hard-core porno scene!

The good news is that you get a lot of information and possibly a chance to score on camera. The bad news is that you don't own the rights to your scene. It may show up on a DVD sometime in the future, or just uploaded on the web. I guess that would be a hell of a thing to have show up next time someone does a Google search on your name. I can see it happening in a job background search.

"Mr. Johnson, I see you have some experience you didn't list on your resume. Would you mind telling me how you ended up in this porno scene with two midgets and a goat?"

Honestly, it's a smart move for Courtney. She probably realizes that there's a lot of money to make on the other side of the camera and giving these educational camps. it's common in many other lines of interest, such as photography or racing. People are willing to shell out big bucks to gain professional insight to a business. We've had porn on the Internet for years, but it's rising with sites like YouPorn.com or RedTube.com.

The Tampa area is a little hotbed of porn activity. There are plenty of potential actors in the area and the community seems to be growing. Given the mainstream acceptance and viability of porn, it may be a smart business move during hard economic times. If people can't afford to go out to eat, at least they can stay home and jack off.

I remember Spring Break in the 80's. Lots of skin. Lots of hot pink bikinis. Lots of alcohol. Lots of sex. Lots of loud music. Basically, it was a party/ That's pretty much all you need for Spring Break at the beach. At least, that's what I thought.

However, Daytona decided that was too much and wanted to crack down on all those rowdy kids. They pour out the kids beer on the beach, setup a temporary jail, and control the hell out of the Spring Breakers.

Except, things are wilder now than ever before. Two of the reports from WESH News spring to mind. A security guard hired for a hotel raped an 18 year old girl and then tossed her off a 6th floor balcony. She hit the second floor and survived and the rapist was arrested. Then there's the story of three kids from Illinois & Ohio. It seemed they detonated a 1/4 stick of dynamite on their patio the other night and blew the windows out of a couple of rooms.

Maybe the drinking and screwing around weren't so bad after all. At least then people weren't getting thrown over balconies (though some fell on their own) and they weren't blowing shit up.

I was just checking concert tour listings on Pollstar to see who was coming to town. Orlando's Matchbox Twenty is on the Top 50 list with a tour. There are two Florida dates: Hollywood on January 25th and Tampa on the next night.

So what about Orlando? The hometown isn't good enough for the boys who used to play at The Mill? I think the last time they played here was back in 2003. Actually, it was a great show. They played up the hometown angle and Rob Thomas wanted to call the venue the "O-Rena" just for the night. They did a great cover of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name", too.

Don't expect any love from Matchbox Twenty this time around, Orlando. I guess they've outgrown us.

Are the Las Vegas hotels getting so full of themselves that they're collectively killing the goose who lays the golden egg? It's possible. Hotel rates for popular conferences like the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) are astronomical. Hotel rates have risen 365 percent in the last two years, according to this story by Richard N. Velotta with In Business Las Vegas. Perhaps most telling is this excerpt from the article:

Executives with the Consumer Electronics Association, the owner of the show, approached the LVCVA earlier this year for a meeting with resort executives to try to persuade them to keep prices in check.

Karen Chupka, senior vice president of events and conferences for the association, said several exhibitors have had to reduce the number of delegates they can send to the show because companies can no longer afford to send as many people as in the past.

"It's crazy," Chupka said. "The rates have become astronomical. Some of the resorts are requiring a food and beverage guarantee on top of the hotel rooms and that has gone up by 365 percent in the past two years. Las Vegas is no longer the cost-effective destination it once was."

Chicago and Orlando were mentioned in the article as two possible alternatives to Las Vegas, since there are few choices that have capacity for the 140,000 visitors that CES draws. Considering the timing of the event during the first week of January, Chicago would be a bleak alternative. One good snowstorm could ruin the entire event for everyone. With Orlando's temperatures traditionally around 72 degrees at this time of year, my guess is that we'd be the odds-on favorite for a potential relocation if the show stays within the USA.

One event that tagged on to CES and has grown with it is the AVN Adult Entertainment
Expo. My guess is that Orlando's family-friendly image wouldn't go well with a porn expo. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to attend and take some pictures, but it's just not going to happen here. Orlando's power players don't want that crowd nestling up to the kids going to Disney World, and the porn folks don't want to fly across the country to a town that just doesn't have the nightlife facilities to accommodate them. If CES moves to Orlando, look for the AVN Adult Expo to stay in Las Vegas. It's a short trip from the LA area where many of them reside and Vegas embraces the Sin City nature of overused and scantily clad women roving through its hotels.

CES in Orlando would be a great way to start the new year. Unfortunately, I don't see any signs that the folks in Orlando recognize the potential opportunity, much less their efforts to steal the show away from Las Vegas.

I went to B.B. King's Blues Club last night in Pointe Orlando. The place just opened the night before, but I couldn't make it for opening night. Fortunately, B.B. was playing for a few nights this week and I finally got a chance to see him perform live. It's not like he hasn't been to Orlando before. It's not like I haven't asked my friends to go with me to see B.B. King perform in Orlando before. The problem in the past is that every single friend I've ever asked to go with my, those friends who seemed enthusiastic about going to his show, always flaked out and caused me to miss the concert. The reasons are numerous and lame. Tonight, I said "screw my friends." I went alone so nobody could mess it up for me.

I called the club earlier in the day to ensure that I could get a ticket. The lady who answered confirmed there were seats available and I opted for the $125 ticket. It wasn't the prime seat at the stage, but just a bit behind those folks. The price included a prix fixe meal from the club, also. I could arrive between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm for dinner and B.B. started at 9:00 pm. I asked about their policy on photography. She told me that I should bring something concealable, as there's no flash photography allowed. I asked a few more questions, and I got the impression it'd be a hassle if I brought my Nikon D200. Instead, I just brought my little Canon P&S camera, which is much like bringing a cocktail umbrella to a tropical storm. It's there, but useless.

First Impressions

Once I got there, the night started off a bit wrong. They couldn't find my seat. The manager walked me all around the club and didn't know where it was. He passed me to someone else, who in turn passed me to another girl named Susan. Susan comped me a free drink and promised she'd make it right. It took her a while, and she mentioned giving me a full refund and putting me in a lesser table than I bought. I just smiled and told her that I trust her to work it out. It turns out they'd seated some other woman in my chair.

After almost a half-hour, they ended up putting me in a seat directly in line with B.B. King, sandwiched right between some of the fattest people I could've imagined. While that initially set me back, I have to say that both of them were are nice as could be and I didn't feel overly cramped for the night. A couple more rum & cokes came at me and I got my meal. Life was good.

These pictures are going to suck. Most people have these crappy little P&S shooters or their cell phones, but there are obviously some folks with their digital SLR's shooting with no problem. I should've brought my D200. Another opportunity lost because I didn't want to push it a bit.

Al around the club, inside and outside, you find traditional Memphis blues art like this photo reveals. You recognize it immediately as something a 3rd grader could've painted. I'm not sure why blues music equates with really poor painting, but at least it conveys enough that you're supposed to recognize the musicians depicted.

The Food

On a night like this, things run smoother for the staff if guests have limited options. I knew ahead of time that this event would have a prix fixe menu, though I didn't know what options were on it.

Your only real choice is whether you want BBQ Salmon or BBQ Chicken & Ribs. What the hell, I went for the chicken & ribs and skipped the salad (I hate lettuce).

I can honestly attest that the ribs met the definition of being so tender that the meat falls off the bone. That's because, as I brought one of the ribs to my mouth, the meat fell off the bone onto my plate. The BBQ sauce tasted like some kind of bourbon/BBQ glaze. It worked for me, because I didn't leave any ribs or chicken behind. The mashed potatoes were fine. The other two sides didn't really appeal to me. Just for the hell of it, I tried the macaroni & cheese. It was bland, tasteless, and rubbery. The cornbread muffin that came with the meal was also fine, but not extremely flavorful.

Years ago, I ate at the B.B. King restaurant in New York City and remember feeling disappointed. I was prepared for a mundane meal, but I think that's the case for a lot of theme restaurants. My meal last night wasn't bad at all, but it wasn't outstanding. If I were going solely on the basis of a meal, I probably wouldn't make the trip back. It's not that much of a draw.

For desert, you didn't have a choice. The menu called for a Bourbon Pecan Pie. I didn't have my hopes up, as I'm really not a fan of pecans and didn't expect much from the pie. Damn, was I wrong. They served a little individual pie that was absolutely wonderful. The portion size was just right and I loved the flavor. This little desert elevated my opinion of the offerings enough that I may go back to try a few other dishes.

Opening Act

The staff was friendly, the food was OK, and the desert surprised me. However, the reason I came here was for the music. The opening act is the house band, The B.B. King All Stars. These folks exceeded my expectations. The first two numbers were instrumental covers of some Booker T and the MG's songs. The band was tight and right on the mark. Four horns, two guitars, keyboards, bass and drums filled up the sound and didn't overwhelm by being too loud. The sound crew had to level out a few things, something I would've expected them to do before the show began. Otherwise, I had no complaints. After the first two instrumental numbers, the male and female vocalists came out to share some duets and their own songs. Again, I was just floored with the great performance delivered that night. Although I came out to hear B.B. King play, I was thrilled with the notion that there's a great Blues/R&B band in Orlando that I can hear seven nights a week if I get in the mood. This band is outstanding. Go hear them live.

The Main Event

This is one of the first times I can remember wishing that the opening act played longer before bringing on the main event. I definitely have to go see them again when they can play longer or for more sets. Still, B.B. was the reason I was there. His band came out, set things up, and opened the night with a pair of instrumental numbers. Once again, another outstanding band filled the stage. It's such a joy to see a polished group perform and they didn't disappoint.

They introduced B.B. King and he came out, as expected, to a standing ovation. People love this guy, and it was easy to see why. He's kind, talkative, genuinely funny, full of facial expressions, and really knows how to connect with his audience. He's 82 years old and his voice is strong and he can play the hell out of his guitar. He told the crowd that he's diabetic, his knees don't work so well, his head doesn't, either. Even so, he's still traveling the world and performing. Maybe that's what keeps him alert and alive. It definitely seems to make him happy.

B.B. shares the stage well, making sure that every talented musician on his stage has an opportunity to shine. Maybe he shares a little too well. For the first half hour, he didn't play his guitar that much. Although he opened up with a few licks to show his chops, he hadn't really touched the guitar that much. Fortunately, it seems that's just the way he designs his sets to let the band show off a bit, and the later parts of the show feature his playing as you would expect.

There's a more laid back feeling to B.B.'s show. The opening act was energetic and almost breathtaking. B.B.'s show is more of a simmer with occasional moments of boiling hot. With over 90 CD's and 500 singles behind him, there's no way he can perform it all. His songs ranged over the decades, including a very differently arranged version of U2's "When Love Comes to Town." There are some staged moments of comedy, even in the middle of songs.

In between songs, or sometimes during them, B.B. talks to his audience to share his thoughts, experiences, and humor. Sometimes it's a fatherly talk. He tells how he believes that women are a gift from God (and they believe it, too). He also laments that no matter what a father does, he first thing a kid is going to do when he gets on TV is say "Hi, Mom." Dads never win. Then he tries to inspire the men to treat their women right so they can go home and get some. Now that's a fatherly talk with a message I can appreciate.

B.B. King's show isn't designed to blow you away. It's designed to be a good night out with some good music and humor, something just to make you feel good. It worked for me. It also seemed to work for some blonde girl standing behind me. Somewhere along the last half of the show, I felt her arm slowly crawl around my neck (never a bad feeling). She was taking pictures of the show and decided to wrap her arms around me to steady herself. Sometimes she'd take pictures of the show, then she'd slowly turn the camera toward me. I finally tried to get a snapshot of her. This picture sucks, but it was the best of the bunch.

I have no idea who she is and I didn't ask her name since she appeared to be there with some other guy. However, she helped make my night complete. Even though I went to the show alone, it doesn't mean I minded having a beautiful woman crawl around on me. I gotta go back to this bar.

The night was sultry. It may seem like the opening line to a mystery. Perhaps it was. Thirty-seven women from nine Central Florida Hooters locations arrived at Hooters of Sanford to compete in the Hooters Regional Swimsuit Contest on June 9th. Each one hoped to advance to the 11th Annual Hooters International Pageant in Las Vegas on July 18th, but only two could qualify from this event.

The Hooters of Sanford location proved to be ideal for the competition. Many Hooters locations are either located in a strip mall or have their own small lot. Hooters of Sanford's presence at the Seminole Towne Center Mall provided ample space for the event and parking for guests. It was also the first Hooters location to have a full liquor bar, something most other Central Florida stores lack.

The weather cooperated by not raining on the event, but some in attendance may have preferred rain to the oppressive heat and humidity. Everyone was looking for some relief from the muggy atmosphere, including guests, Hooters girls working at the event, and the swimsuit contestants themselves who started the evening in dresses for a VIP meet and greet.

Central Florida proved it has no lack of lovely women in the area. Each lady had her share of supporters from co-workers, friends, family, and people who just liked her. Hundreds of people crowded the venue to cheer their favorite. Some carried signs or wore custom t-shirts. The women working from Hooters of Sanford had a little home-field advantage for cheering, even banging on pots when girls from that store appeared on stage.

Over 400 people from 13 different nations traveled to Orlando for the Face and Body Art International Convention from May 23rd to 27th. They were artists, models, and vendors all involved in the growing world of body art. The convention, started by Marcela Murad in 2002, sold out this year. There are other body art conventions around the world, but this is the original and draws people from around the world. Participants like the feeling of camaraderie and family shared by everyone.

It's no wonder, given the convention's roots. Marcela Murad started her career as a clown. She became aware of a growing interest in face and body art, and took the initiative to start Face and Body Art magazine. Later, she created the first face and body art convention by inviting her friends and colleagues to share their knowledge. The people at this convention are here to teach, learn, and share.

So why hold the convention in Orlando? According to Murad, "There are always international flights available to Orlando." Murad tried hosting the convention in San Francisco before, but ran into flight complications for some attendees in different parts of the world. One conventioneer also told me that area attractions entice families to visit around the convention dates.

Body painting at the convention often involves near nudity (all the vital parts remain covered), but yet it's done within a comfortable environment. People of all sizes and ages agreed to model for painters. There is no awkward sensation of looking at a nude stranger. Instead, you're transfixed by the artwork on display. Not all models were willing to shed everything, as there was a great need for faces during classes and competition. Some children stripped off their shirts as artists pained them with ripped abs or a Spiderman suit. One model posing as an Aztec Warrior for artist Dawn Marie turned around to find his girlfriend decided to get in on the act. She disrobed and posed for a nearby artist to become an Aztec Queen. I didn't stay to see if there was any power struggle. [Dawn Marie also worked with local model Kona, pictured below.]

Some of the artists have rockstar status. John Vargas of New York is famous for his calendar of models painted in World Cup uniforms, selling over 50,000 copies. Jinny of Montreal is the chief make-up artist for Cirque du Soleil special events. Pashur traveled with Brooks and Dunn as part of their Neon Circus Tour for three years. Christopher Agostino combines storytelling with facepainting to create a theatrical experience.

Artist Lynne Jamieson and model Kelly Virgone traveled the farthest from Werribee in Victoria, Australia to attend the convention. "23 hours on a plane just to get here," said a smiling Virgone.

Not everyone came from the other side of the planet, though. Local artists Nick Herrera and Edgar Garayua both provided instruction on airbrush and painting techniques for convention attendees. Orlando model Lori B patiently posed for both artists. A complete body painting may take three to four hours. More complicated works can take up to six hours.

WESH News just showed exclusive video of police capturing the suspect in today's shooting of two Polk County deputies and a police dog. The suspect, a black male with dreadlocks, raised his hands, lowered to his knees, and laid down on the ground. Five law enforcement personnel surrounded him with weapons drawn (big, nasty looking weapons). He was cuffed, placed in a car, and that's the last I saw of him.

UPDATE: 6:00pm

Police now say they caught the wrong man. They're letting him go while still on the scene.

Today is a good day to be born. First, I got the news that my friends Niki & Zoli welcomed their new son, Cole, this morning at 10:07 am.

The nice folks over at Sea World have a new baby on their hands, a 7-foot-long, 350-pound calf born at 3:23 pm today.

If you believe in Astrology, I guess this makes them both a Virgo. So what else happened on this date in history?

• 1709 - The creator of the first dictionary of the English language, Samuel Johnson, was born in England.
• 1763 - It was reported by the Boston Gazette that the first piano had been built in the United States. The instrument, named the spinet, was made by John Harris.
• 1793 - U.S. President George Washington laid the actual cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol.
• 1851 - The first issue of "The New York Times" was published.
  1947 - The U.S. Air Force was established as a separate military branch by the National Security Act.
• 1955 - The "Ed Sullivan Show" began on CBS-TV. The show had been "The Toast of the Town" since 1948.
• 1965 - The first episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" was shown on NBC-TV. The last show was televised on September 1, 1970.
• 1981 - A museum honoring former President Ford was dedicated in Grand Rapids, MI.
• 1991 - U.S. President Bush said that he would send warplanes to escort U.N. helicopters that were searching for hidden Iraqi weapons if it became necessary.
• 1998 - The U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted to release the videotape of President Clinton's grand jury testimony from August 17th.
• 1998 - The FDA approved a once-a-day easier-to-swallow medication for AIDS patients.
• 2003 - Robert Duvall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  
Welcome to the world, Cole. Stay around a long time.

Orlando gets quite a bit of convention business. It's an understandable draw. We have world-class attractions, plenty of hotel rooms, the weather is generally accommodating, and there are facilities all of the place. The Orange County Convention Center is one of the ten largest centers in the nation. We get all manner of conventions in Orlando, including the Orlando Comic-Con that's at the Caribe Royale this weekend.

If a collection of geeks is good for Orlando, why not another collection? I'm trying to decide if that's what I'll find if I attend BlogOrlando - an unconference of bloggers at Rollins College on September 22-24. It's a free event to discuss "blogging, podcasting, public relations, social media, citizen's journalism and other related topics," according to the web site.

The idea of a blogger convention within reach appeals to me. BlogHer '06 just finished recently, and I've been reading many of the articles people are writing about it, but I think I'd like something with an implied acceptance of testicle owners. When I first read about BlogOrlando, I thought this could be my opportunity to actually see other people who like to do this stuff.

Then the word "unconference" stuck out. What the hell is an unconference? Why do I need an "un" in front of "conference?" I've been to plenty of professional conferences, and I like them. Sure, conference food sucks. They make up for that by offering cool swag, like conference bags.

It seems that an unconference is the uber-geek's idea of cool for the past few years. Instead of having planned sessions with intelligent speakers (right), the unconference hopes that the attendees will do all the work for them (wrong). My, isn't this exciting? It's almost communism in geekdom. Everyone is equal, but the one with the microphone is more equal than others.

In truth, the event is really only one day's worth of informative sessions. The last two days are set aside for theme parks, and I have no desire to see Disney or Universal Studios (again). The first day is a travel day for people who aren't local. So the question in my mind - "Is this thing worth taking a vaction day?"

The attendees page shows about 39 people right now, including one woman who doesn't have a blog yet. Whether this unconference is any good or not is ultimately up to the participants. That thought doesn't inspire me with confidence. I've seen too open mike sessions ruined by geeks with an affinity for stealing the spotlight, and without regard for the audience's benefit.

Do I go? Ultimately, I'll go with my gut feeling. My desire to attend a conference is high, but this just doesn't feel right to me.