A Perfect Nature Photobomb!
google.com, pub-2427795083793513, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
Do you agree?
If you enjoy it, please like and share it!
From:Conservative Tribune
Camera phones — which barely existed even a decade ago — are awesome in so many ways. We can take pictures quickly and easily and share them with the world instantly.
Sometimes, something sneaks into a photograph unexpectedly and that’s exactly what happened when Dan Mozer began taking pictures of his wife on Atlantic Beach, Florida.
Mozer’s nine-month pregnant wife, Angeline was posing by the oceanfront last month while her husband took pictures. You can image his surprise when he realized he also captured a dolphin jumping out of the water in the background in what may have been the world’s greatest photobomb.
Categories: General Tags: Atlantic Beach, conservative tribune, dolphins, florida, instragram, photobomb
Florida, Family, Fun Times and More! (A great read!)
google.com, pub-2427795083793513, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
Our family started going to Florida for vacation starting way back in 1997. Back then, our now adult kids’ were little kids. We didn’t have much money but we thought they all should experience Disney World at least once in their lives as kids. I remember going to Florida as a kid in 1976 and not being able to go to Disney World. My family went to St. Petersburg and we were “that close” but Mom said “no”. So we didn’t go. It would have been cool to ride the 20,000 Leagues under the Sea submarine or watch the Mickey Mouse club gang being film but it wasn’t meant to be.
Fast forward some. So, we started the yearly family trips back in 97. We packed lunches since we really couldn’t afford to feed a family of five at Disney World. The kids never knew the financial struggle we had. My wife and I kept it secret. Granted back then the ticket pricing was different so we did convince our son Josh that he really was only 5 years old instead of 7 to get a ticket price break. We also had our oldest daughter Crystal who was 14 at the time to say she was 10. Again for a break on ticket prices. We had to do what we had to do. Britt was 10 so we kept her ticket honest. The kids had a great time in between the sandwiches and rides. All good memories.
So that was the start of something we have done almost every year since then. A family trip to Florida. Orlando was the “mecca”. We went to Ole Town in Kissimmee too. It was cheaper and not as crowded. The kids got older. We looked for hotel discounts etc. But we went. Family time was and still is, that important.
About 12 years ago or so my wife Denise’s boss owned a condo in Madeira beach. He rented it out when he wasn’t using it. Well, he let us use it. I hadn’t been to the St. Petersburg area since 1976. Once we got to Madeira beach it was love at first sight. It wasn’t a tourist trap but it had things the whole family could do. John’s Pass was right across the street from her boss’s condo (located in Madeira Norte’.) Our kids could go across the street to the shops or to the pier. We went deep sea fishing and dolphin sighting. Our kids and now grandkids love the Candy Kitchen!
Madeira basically became our second home. We go every year. The kids could go to the beach. As they got older they would bring a friend or two. Then as they got married. They, along with their spouses and kids would also make the trip with us.
As the days turned into nights my wife and I would go across the street to a little bar called the Bamboo Beer Garden. It was a small friendly place and the walls and ceilings were covered in dollar bills. Signed and dated by the patrons and pinned in any open space one could find. We started our tradition too. We would go over there for a night cap. Reflect on the day. Make small talk with the others that were there. Tip the bartender and sign and date a dollar and add it to the collection. At that time Muffy the DJ would also do her karaoke act there. She wore poodle skirts and well the wind one time…Well we enjoyed watching her perform. It seemed like the people of Madeira Beach had something special in their mist. Our kind of place.
We did this every year. We would make the long drive to Florida. Rent a condo as close to John’s Pass as we could get and pull back on the throttle of life. Nice beaches, nice people. And more importantly not over run by tourists. Though I guess we were “technically tourists, or snowbirds”, we really considered it “ours too”.
Time, like it does, doesn’t stop for anyone and moves on. The Bamboo Beer Garden was sold. The name was slightly changed. It’s now called the Bamboo Beach Bar & Grill. And it was expanded for more seating. They now have outdoor seating. Long gone are the probably hundreds of dollars on the walls and ceiling. I remember calling from Kentucky before we left a couple of years ago just to make sure it was still open. (It has that kind of cool atmosphere.) The new owners (They have owned it for a few years now) always recognize us when we show up which is amazing!
This June, as we do yearly, we rented condos at Madeira Norte’. Packed up and pointed all the vehicles toward our home away from home. Madeira Beach. We arrived on Saturday, and checked in. After we got settled in the family all headed to the Bamboo Beach Bar & Grill. I think I failed to mention they serve food too! Great food and it doesn’t cost and arm or a leg. We had a large group and they made sure to accommodate us. The waiters pushed tables together so we all could eat together close to the stage.
The entertainer that night was Mark Mann. A one man acoustic act. I enjoy listening to real musicians far more than a jukebox. That night Mark was killing it. A great show. He really entertains the crowd. He was also taking requests. I am an old school music kind of guy for the most part and requested “Sylvia’s Mother”. An old Dr. Hook song that my wife really likes to hear. It’s a great song and if you have never heard it before, check it out here. Up until that night at “the Boo”, no one that I ever requested to play the song would play it, or even heard of it for that matter. Well, Mark Mann not only knew it, he pulled it off! It was awesome! Another favorite song of mine is “Taxi” by Harry Chapin. He was such a great writer and story teller. I asked Mark Mann if he knew it and BAM! I was listening to him do “Taxi”. Mark Mann was knocking them out of the ball park to use an old Kentucky term! Mark Mann was a super nice guy and in between his sets he would come over and talk to us. We talked about the music life, our families and more. Like we had known each other for years! He was such a cool guy! Later on that night he invited me up to sing backup vocals on The Eagles “Take it easy”. I was road weary and a few beers deep but I felt honored that he allowed me the opportunity to sing with him. Most Musicians don’t share the stage even for one song. Mark Mann was different. No egos or attitudes, just a good time had by all.
See that’s the kind of place Madeira is. Nice people. Nice places to go. The Bamboo Beach Bar & Grill and Mark Mann helped start off our family vacation perfectly. My wife and I hope to retire there some day soon.
What started off as five people in an old car back in the 90’s has grown into 14 people so far! We’re already planning next year’s trip! We are looking forward to The Boo” and hopefully Mark Mann will be in the area playing!
Tell us about your vacation spots!
Until next time, peace out!
on FaceBook
Triple threat? Does 3 of a kind beat a pair? A pair of boobs that is…
google.com, pub-2427795083793513, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
Ok, as if the media hasn’t made thousands of, if not millions of young girls to older ladies feel ugly and not up to par with the photo shopped airbrushed Hollywood stick figures we are forced to see in the print and internet world…Here is the latest victim of it I would guess.
She says she had it done because she is tired of guys hitting on her. I am not sure she is a celebrity fame seeker or another causality of the “you will never look as good as me” photo shopped hoopla.
So guys and girls…What do you think? Three boobs better than two? I am going with PINK’s song. “Stupid Girl”. jmo…20,000 bucks for a 3rd boob. Not to mention radio Head and the Hollies will probably want royalties for her using their song Creep/The air that I breathe for her YouTube video…Opinions?
Click the photo if you want to go to her Facebook page.
For more of the story go here: Opposing Views
KickActs interveiws Tony of “Big Engine”!
google.com, pub-2427795083793513, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and were you can be found
online.
My name is Tony Mikus and I am the lead singer and one of the guitarist of the rock band Big Engine based out of Jacksonville, Florida. We are on Facebook and Reverbnation and we have our website www.bigengine.com
Who are your musical heroes and influences? Why?
I personally have too many heros to list. Being from Jacksonville, the home of Southern Rock where the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, and others hailed from, I definitely have been influenced by that broad genre. Tom Petty is from near by Gainesville too and you mix those together and throw in AC/DC, Black Sabbath, and KISS and you start to get an idea of where my music stems from.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in the music business?
I have a lot of advice. Runaway! lol. This is a tough business so try to keep it fun. Enjoy other bands and don’t be a hater. Get band members that get along and enjoy each others company. If you have any
success it means you will be spending more time with them than anybody else in your life so you better like them. Write all the time.
What piece of advice did you ignore that you wish you hadn’t?
I don’t think I ignored any advice. Some things you have to learn on your own and you later say to yourself, “Oh that’s what they were talking about!’
Do you have a greatest gig story or worst gig horror story you’d like to share?
Wow doing about 200 shows a year for many years means I have a lot of both. More good than bad for sure. One in particular was playing in Sturgis, South Dakota and looking in the audience and seeing Patrick Simmons of The Doobie Brothers watching me. Another great one was opening for Motorhead. That was surreal. Being backstage and seeing Lemmy was like something out of a movie. Then on the opposite side, we played a show in South Carolina to a handful of people and after the show the club owner apologized for the lack of crowd. He said it was his fault for booking us the same time as the Gopher Festival.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of peckers or boobs? Make sock puppets? Sit in the dark and eat Cheetos?
I do all the fun family things with my kids. I love to travel and sightsee. I really enjoy sports, hot rods, motorcycles, and I collect Hotwheels.
What do you think about the current music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
There is all kinds of great music out there. The scene is never what you want it to be but griping about it does nothing. It would be nice if people went to see live music on a more regular basis. It depresses
me that DJs are more valued by the masses than musicians are.
Do you think reality shows like American Idol, X factor and The Voice have helped or hurt the music industry as a whole?
I don’t know if it has done either. I think it shows that singing talent is abundant but writing talent has always been what impresses me the most.
What is your opinion of unauthorized music downloads?
Well I think some people discover music that they wouldn’t have because of it but there is no question that it has taken away some of the incentive for bands to create new music. It might mean the end of
bands spending a year in the studio creating a masterpiece. I hope not! It is a reality for any business that you have to be smart and try to recoup your investment. Most people don’t want to pay for
anything they can get for free. Whether that be a sandwich or a song. I don’t know if anything will change in the future to make people care about the music creators. What I don’t mind though is when people tell
me they bought our cds and made copies for their friends.
Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear.
I will start with myself. I have a degree in accounting. Want me to do your taxes? lol. Hans our guitarist is a clean freak. Charlie our drummer has an incredible knack of falling asleep within two minutes
of hitting the road in the van after a show. Matt our bassist is a really good bass fisherman.
Hypothetical situation. You’re on Gilligan’s island and you get to hook up with
only one of the survivors… Which one and why?
Here’s what I would do. I would play matchmaker and get the professor and MaryAnne together. Maybe she would spark something in him so he would come up with a way to get us off the island.
Do you know what a vinyl album is and have your ever purchased one? If so, what was it?
Click to buy this CD!
Man I even have a picture disc by The Cars. I love albums. I miss the artwork and liner notes. I used to go through record stores and look at every release in alphabetical order. That was a cool Friday night
when I was a kid.
You’re marooned on an island with Justin Bieber. Do you choke him out the first night in his sleep or what?
No I hope somebody is looking for him so I get rescued. Maybe then he could finance my next album.
What is your opinion of Miley Cyrus?
Hey she’s doing her thing I guess.
Which would you rather hear in concert? Lip synching or real vocals?
Real vocals. Even if they aren’t perfect I want to hear the real emotion in the singers voice.
Who, or what, is the next big thing?
I wish I knew. I have been surprised by some of the latest trends.
One artist you can’t get enough of and can’t live without is…
AC/DC. I honestly haven’t heard a song by them that I didn’t like.
Confession time. Share a secret about yourself.
I like Neil Diamond.
Favorite movie of all time and why.
Spinal Tap for obvious reasons
Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ANGRY TO ROCK! EVERY SONG DOESN’T HAVE TO BE ABOUT HOW MISERABLE YOU ARE OR HOW SOMEBODY DID YOU WRONG.YOU CAN ROCK WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE! I like all kinds of rock. I have diverse interest in all things including music. Some people are scared to have a good time. Not me.
CHECK OUT “BIG ENGINE” ON THE FOLLOWING DATES!
Sept 11 OCEAN CITY BIKEFEST OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND
Sept 12 OCEAN CITY BIKEFEST OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND
Sept 13 OCEAN CITY BIKEFEST OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND
Sept 19 BAINBRIDGE BIKEFEST BAINBRIDE, GA
(Opening for Jackyl)
Sept 20 BOBAROSSA SALOON DEL RIO, TN
Oct 1 SANDPIPER BEACON PANAMA CITY BEACH,FL
Oct 2 SANDPIPER BEACON PANAMA CITY BEACH,FL
Oct 3 SANDPIPER BEACON PANAMA CITY BEACH,FL
Oct 4 SANDPIPER BEACON PANAMA CITY BEACH,FL
Categories: General Tags: .38 Special, ac/dc, Allman Brothers, big engine, black sabbath, florida, Gainesville, hot chicks, hotrods, Jacksonville, lynyrd skynyrd, southern rock, tom petty
Ten Questions with DOMINICAN DON
google.com, pub-2427795083793513, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
Recently James Lowe from Kickacts Magazine sat down with one of the very exciting artists on the scene. The following is a written interview we conducted with the artist while they were working on their next CD and Tour.
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and your band and were you can be found at 
on the web.
i am a solo artist i love making music it is in my blood the passion the drive keeps me going thats y I’m number 1 on the ReverbNation Hip Hop charts for Fort Myers, FL. http://www.reverbnation.com/dominicandon1
Who are your musical heroes, influences & why?
jay-z because he is the man biggie 2pac and big l them boys are really great with thers music
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any pitfalls they should avoid?
dont stop if your good at this keep it goin one day it mite take off you will never know
Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?
the fist time i got on stage i knew this music is for me im nice
On the same token as the above question. How about a “worse gig” ever story.
never really had one
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of boobs?
sports clothes girls making money n more
What do you think about the present music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
n/a
Tell us something about each of your band members…
im nice i work solo and the people i work with to they are all great artist too
Hypothetical situation. You’re stranded on Gilligan’s island and you get to hook up with only one of the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell and why?
haha funny marry ann she a pyt preety young thing that my style
Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!
I’m number 1 on the ReverbNation Hip Hop charts for Fort Myers, FL. http://www.reverbnation.com/dominicandon1 HIT ME UP @ http://www.dominicandon.com/ WORK HARD PLAY HARD STAY FOCUZ ON THE PRICE AINT NO LIMIT TO WHAT U CAN ACCOMPLISH SO NEVER GIVE UP
Categories: General Tags: DOMINICAN DON, florida, hip hop, james lowe, jiggy jaguar, reverbnation
The Changing of the Guard…
google.com, pub-2427795083793513, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
The Changing of the Guard…
It’s tough. It happens. I have a hard time seeing it both ways and quite frankly, can’t even stop it..
The changing of the guard. The student becomes the teacher.…It’s an old phrase that’s been around forever. But what does it mean? Well, to me it means things are constantly and slowly ever changing. One day you are a kid and the next you are raising kids. And then the next day your kids are raising kids so you continue to move down the line of life so to speak. Your parents once were the “guard” and responsible for your well being and safety. They nurtured you. Hopefully they held you, read to you and spent as much time as they could building memories with you. My Mom said to me when I was older and it’s probably the most profound statement she ever said. She said “I held onto you as long as I could but it was as if you were just whisked from my hands”.
It’s a powerful statement that speaks volumes. I would only realize that years later with our own children. My wife and I did everything with our kids. We were never apart for more than a day or so. Whatever she and I were doing we took them too. Whether it was vacations, camping or just shopping, we piled them up in the car and they went too. I even played music on the road during the weekends and I took our son with me. The girls never wanted to go so they stayed home with their mom. But we read to them. We held them. We spent as much time as we could with them building memories. My boss at the time also had a profound statement he shared with me. He and his wife raised two kids. He said that it seemed like forever his house was always bustling with kids and their friends. His said the phones were always ringing off the hook and then one day it was…silence. He said he goes home to an empty house and silence now and he missed the “noise”. He too said “cherish the moments” with your children. It’s over too fast and too soon.
The changing of the guard marches on. Our kids grew up and they all now have kids of their own. Our house that was once bustling with kids and phones ringing off the hook has also gone ……silent. Too fast and too soon. The Guard has been moved to their homes. It’s their time. It’s their time as parents to read to them. To hold them. To nurture them. To build memories of their own in which one day, too soon for them also, they will experience the changing of the guard.
They were just babies not too long ago…
Every year we take a family vacation. All of us pile up in a few cars and go to Florida. Our kids go, their spouses go too. So we have a big family get together in Florida. One thing my son and I do is take a deep sea fishing trip. It consists of a four hour trip out on a big fishing boat with a bunch of other people that like to fish. It’s mainly a time for us to hang and get away from the women folk. Nothing against my wife or daughters’. It’s just “guy time”. The boat leaves the harbor and heads out to sea for about an hour before it drops anchor and we all fish.
While on the last fishing trip we took, it was my son n law Zack, my son Josh and me that all went. We settled on a place on the side of boat and grab our spots. Zack is located to the right of me and Josh is located to my left. After me having a few beers and hamburger cooked on the boat grill by one of the shipmates, the boat is still and the horn sounds. It’s time to fish. As it would be, the Captain and first mate wound up on our side of the boat and were fishing over the railing to the left of my son.
Josh and the fish I couldn’t reel in…
It was a nice day out of the ocean with the sun and wind in our hair. We carried on with the Captain and first mate a bit while we all fished. The Captain and first mate had a little bet going on between the two of them about which one would catch the biggest fish. Several people around the boat including us were landing some fish. Nothing to write home about but it was a nice day to be out and enjoy. And then… The changing of the guard. My fishing pole took a hard hit and went straight toward the water. I held on to it and was trying to reel the fish in. I couldn’t turn the crank. I am left handed and the crank is right handed but still regardless I couldn’t turn it. By then the Captain and first mate first had turned their attention to my catch. The first mate said “Oh, now that’s a big fish!” So here I stand, fishing pole facing straight down over the railing of the boat. I am trying desperately to save face and crank this damn fish up. Still no success. I couldn’t turn it. My son sees my struggle. So he reaches over with his right hand and grabs the pole and lifts it up. Almost straight up in the air and then brings it down some so I can crank the fish in some. He has his pole in his left hand and he is still fishing the whole time he is reaching over grabbing the pole I am holding and bringing it back up into the air, lets it go slack so I can reel the fish in. We do this over and over and finally the fish breaks the surface. So here I am holding the fishing pole with both hands trying to crank the fish up higher to get it into the boat and I still can’t reel it in! Even after his help the fish is now between the railing of the boat and the surface of the water and it’s just dangling in the air! I can’t do anything but hold the pole! So Josh reaches over the railing and grabs the fishing line and pulls the fish over the railing for me. I was both happy and embarrassed since my pride as being “the man” was diminished some. I helped him catch fish when he was a kid. I helped bait his and his sisters’ hooks. I took the fish off the lines for them. I helped them when they couldn’t get them in. And now…The changing of the guard. He helped me. I couldn’t do it. So he took over. He wasn’t trying to embarrass me he was just doing what has to come naturally. The changing of the guard.
We all are doing it. My grandparents raised me. I now take care of my grandpa. The guard has changed for him. He once took me fishing. I have taken him fishing. He used to take my brother and me out for a burger. I now take him out for a burger. Our kids are slowly experiencing the “changing of the guard” with my wife and I. We aren’t getting any younger. That’s an old cliche I know but its happening right before our eyes. I don’t want it to happen. But it’s a natural precession…
To see how slowly and ever steady it marches on, look at a photo album. A precious book of memories. Some of the babies are full grown and have kids of their own. Some of the older folk are gone on to their reward and no longer are with us.
It’s never ending,
It’s the changing of the guard…
cherish the moments..
chuck
2013
Categories: General Tags: changing of the guard, family, florida, history, life, photo album, precious memories
