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pre-dance workshop: 7:30 - 8:30 P.M.
dance: 8:30 - 11:30 P.M.
cost: Just $15 for the whole night! Student Rate (under 23 with ID): $10 (unless otherwise noted below)
location: Check location for each dance below. Unless otherwise noted, the location is Swedish Cultural Center, 1920 Dexter Ave N (just north of downtown).
- Smoke and alcohol free
- Attendance limited
- Please ensure your shoes do not mark the wood floor.
December 20: Casey MacGill and his high 5
Dress up for this holiday season dance at the Swedish and please bring some snacks to share. NWDance hosts one of Seattle's favorite swing bands. Casey MacGill performs music that swings. Nat "King" Cole Trio meets the Mills Brothers. Fats Waller meets Fats Domino. Slim Galliard meets Fred Astaire. In the Holiday spirit please bring a food item to benefit the North Helpline Emergency Services and Food Bank. Performance by Savoy Swing Performing Troupe at break. The evening starts with a Pre-dance workshop at 7:30 PM with Michelle Badion.
January 3: John Holtes Radio Rhythm Orchestra at the Leif Erikson Ballroom in beautiful downtown Ballard
The Leif ballroom is the perfect place to host this popular big band. Their repertoire includes the greatest arrangements from the swing era as well as John Holte's delightful original compositions. The evening starts with a Pre-dance workshop at 7:30 PM.
December 6: Brian Lee and the Orbiters
Brian Lee & the Orbiters are among the premier bands on the Northwest U.S. blues circuit. Brian delivers dynamic and engaging performances with melodic vocals, exceptional song writing, and superb instrumentals. They are a favorite of dancers at NWDance.net. Come enjoy music that you will enjoy dancing, Swing, Foxtrot, blues and more. A cool repertoire of Brian's originals and tunes from the broad blues tradition. 7:30 PM pre-dance workshop will be led by Sean "Gatorboy" Donovan and Nancy Fry.
November 15: Valse Café Orchestrap>
Seattle's Valse Café Orchestra began in Seattle in 1999 and has been delighting dancers with its modern renditions of dance hall classics. Expect an evening of Swing, Waltz, Latin and more. 7:30 PM pre-dance workshop with Guy Caridi and Nancy Fry in Rotary Waltz Tune up.
November 1: Dina Blade and Singing in the Rain
"Swingin in the Rain" plays a danceable variety of swing, blues, Latin, and Waltz. Dina and her vocals supported by an all star cast of musicians will light up the evening at the Swedish. Sean Donovan and Heaher Kraft will lead the 7:30 pre-dance workshop in "Swing Shines." Improvisational Flights of Fancy and Footwork Fun.October 29: Class party and dance with DJ Sean Donovan
Costumes encouraged. 7-9:30pm at Swedish. Bring your friends and a snack to share. Suggested donation $5.
October 18: Speakeasy BandThe Speakeasy Band was a gigantic hit with dancers at the 2014 Folklife Festival. They weave a mix of swing, waltz, foxtrot, polka and other great dance music. Bandleader Phil Wilkinson draws on his vast library of dance tunes to create programs dancers love. Pre-dance workshop with Dean Paton and Nancy Fry begins at 7:30. Dance from 8:30.
>October 4: Little Bill and the Blue Notes
It's time to enjoy some good old rhythm and blues music with Little Bill and the Blue Notes. They know what dancers want and they play the world's best music. Bill Englehart is a Washington tradition and NWDance.net is pleased to welcome him back with a great evening of dancing. Pre-dance Workshop at 7:30 features Nancy Fry and Guy Caridi teaching "The Ease and Variety of One Step."
September 20: Chassez at the Swedish Cultural Center
Sweet music to dance Swing, Foxtrot, Latin and yes waltz. Terry Wergeland's dreamy piano, and, of course, the musical savvy of those longtime dance-hall pros, Phil and Vivian Williams. Predance lesson with Julie Cauthorn and Dean Paton will be a Rotary Waltz tuneup. Workshop with Julie Cauthorn and Dean Paton.
September 6: The Boneyard Preachers
The Boneyard Preachers are a contemporary blues band that breaks all the rules but keeps the dancers happy. Influenced by Texas blues guitar and the drive of Chicago blues harmonica they keep the dancers enjoying swing and blues. Featuring NW blues legends Mike Lynch on harmonica and Tim Sherman on guitar, this all-star ensemble of some of the best blues players on the west coast delivers an incredible show. They guarantee to keep your toes tappin' and upset your world with their politically incorrect and raunchy 1950′s R&B and original tunes. 7:30 workshop with Nancy Fry and Winfield Hobbs.
August 16: The Solomon Douglas Quartet
The Solomon Douglas Quartet will join us for the August 16th Dance at the Swedish Cultural Center. Solomon Douglas is a jazz pianist and bandleader, whose has played at numerous gigs in North America, Asia, and Australia in the past ten years. His experience as a swing dancer and dance instructor gives him an understanding unique among musicians of the music that swing dancers and blues dancers like to dance to! The dancers at NWDance.net love his music. The evening begins at 7:30pm with a pre-dance workshop led by Michelle Badion.
August 2: Zydeco Rex
Zydeco Rex was such a big hit at Northwest Folklife and at Dancing til Dusk, NWDance.net has invited them, for our August 2nd dance. They play Zydeco and Cajun music of Louisiana, all the way up to Western Washington. Sean "Gatorboy" Donovan and Cathy Footer will start the evening off with a dance lesson at 7:30 P.M. They have been working on their lesson title and it will be something like; "Zydeco: 0 to 60 in one hour!" Or, "A solid hour of zydeco love" or "two-step your way into zydeco heaven." If you are not a regular Zydeco dancer, you are sure to enjoy this lesson which will give you all the skills you need to enjoy an evening of dancing. In addition to the Zydeco Two Step the band will play some waltzes and Blues. This is one hot summer of Zydeco Dancing with many dances. Come join the fun- this August 2nd will "let you pass a good time." Wine and beer will be available for sale.
July 19: Stickshift Annie with Kimball and the Fugitives
Annie Eastwood and her band play a lot of clubs in the Seattle area but this night there will be plenty of room to dance. Their music is an unique form of American Roots which you will enjoy dancing to. Expect a good time. Pre-dance workshop with Nancy Fry and Dean Paton at 7:30 P.M.
June 21: Maia Santell and House Blend
This is the day of the Summer Solstice and the Fremont Parade. Seattle is going to be a hoppin with people, excitement, and fun. This dance is no exception and will add to your fun. Dress eccentric or at least casual. The pre-dance workshop will be with Michele Badion and Scot McKay. Maia and House Blend are a favorite dance band throughout Western Washington. They perform a mix of styles and tempos that dancers will enjoy. For more information about Maia Santell and House Blend, see MaiaSantell.com.May 17 at the Swedish Cultural Center: Brian Lee and the Orbiters
Brian Lee & the Orbiters are among the premier bands on the Northwest U.S. blues circuit. Brian delivers dynamic and engaging performances with melodic vocals, exceptional song writing, and superb harmonica and guitar. Dancers love their mix of swing, blues and more.
The pre-dance workshop at 7:30 P.M. with Guy Caridi and Nancy Fry will feature simple Lindy steps to honor the 100th birthday of Frankie Manning.
May 3 at the Asian Resource Center (1025 South King Street):The 9th Annual Waltz of Flowers is our annual opportunity to dance to the world's grandest waltzes– played by the sublime Garfield Orchestra and directed by Maestro Marcus Tsutakawa. Masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Anderson, Rosas and other great composers. Pre-dance lesson at 7 P.M. with Walter Dill. Dance from 8 P.M. till 11 P.M. Snacks and drinks for sale, with all proceeds to benefit the Garfield High School Orchestra. The spacious Asian Resource Center is at 125 South King street in the International District one block east of I-5 [MAP]. Plenty of free street parking, plus nearby parking under the freeway for $2.00. Admission is $25.00 Adults, $15.00 Students. April 19 at the Swedish Cultural Center: Rainy City Riff Raff. We think Rainy City Riff Raff is the best Swing Band in Seattle. Come enjoy a great show that is fun to watch and dance too. RainyCityRiffRaff.com. April 5 at Lake City Eagles (8201 Lake City Way NE): Boneyard Preachers. The soulfulness of the vocals and harp...as well as the power and soulfulness of the guitar playing show why this is a great band. One of Seattle's most sought after Blues band, knows what the dancers want. Pre-dance Workshop with Christine Sampson and Winfield Hobbs. April 6 at the Swedish Cultural Center: Graduation Celebration Dance. Graduation Celebration Dance. 6:00 - 8:30 PM. Come help celebrate those students who have just finished classes. Suggested donation: $5.00. DJ music. Bring your friends. Bring a snack to share.
March 15 at the Swedish Cultural Center: Little Bill and the Blue Notes.Little Bill in this case is Bill Englehart, also known as Washington's "Ambassador of Bass Guitar." His style ranges from the type of slide guitar pieces associated with early country blues to sophisticated, romantic R&B balladry. Our dancers love their mixture of swing and blues. Pre-dance workshop with Ann Coker and Dean Paton.
The music that Casey puts out is the best in Seattle. A variety of tempos, a cha cha or more and even a waltz. Casey has been on Broadway and tonight he is at the Swedish. Predance workshop with Jodi Fleischman and Winfield Hobbs.
Featuring Great Dance music of the twenties – forties. This band was the hit of killer diller weekend and our a Seattle swing favorite. Predance workshop with Nancy Fry and Guy Caridi
The orchestra's eclectic repertoire celebrates a romantic mélange of bygone eras and cultures: Paris in the thirties. Hapsburg Vienna. Yiddish melancholy. Gypsy romance. Ragtime Manhattan. And dual genres of swing – the sophisticated urbane variety as well as a few Bob Wills barnburners. The dance and predance workshop are at the Leif Erickson Ballroom. The 7:30 workshop features Richard Powers from Stanford, and Angela Amarillas from San Francisco. They will teach Four easy dances in 50 minutes: The Australian Swing Waltz, Bugg Rueda (a Street Swing Mixer), Tokyo Polka and the Crusin' ChaCha.
A swingin' eight piece variety band, is a group with something special...three hot, happening HORNS! Fire 'em up over a solid four piece rhythm section, add two great vocalists, then enjoy. The result is an upbeat mix of classic hits played with style...and dancers that are all smiles. Predance lesson with Guy Caridi and Julie Cauthorn.
The Blue Notes are one of the most requested bands at Northwest Dance. Many consider the Blue Notes one of the finest rhythm and blues group in this part of the country. Vocalist and bassist "Little Bill" Engelhart is the founder and front man for the Blue Notes. The pre-dance workshop at 7:30 will be "Traveling Blues – Fast and Slow" featuring Leah Fast and Dean Paton.
This great group was a great hit at our Labor Day Dance. Dancers wanted them back and we are happy to oblige. With a vocal clarity like Ella Fitzgerald's and a natural, distinctive phrasing like Carmen McCrae - Diane effortlessly draws you into each song and leaves you wanting more. With each member of the group a recording artist in their own right, and a room full of people who love to dance, this is a win/win combination. 'Cool' Swing: Don't be square, daddy-o! Get hip to the sophisticated rhythm and learn to jazz that Swing, dig? Yeah. Far out, man. (Beret and bongos not required.) With Leah Fast and Sean Donovan. Please wear your festive holiday attire to this Holiday Dance. Awards will be given to the Lead and Follow who win the crowd's approval.
We are so excited to have Rainy City Riff Raff play for us at a new location. A swingin' eight piece variety band, is a group with something special...three hot, happening HORNS! Fire 'em up over a solid four piece rhythm section, add two great vocalists, then enjoy. The result is an upbeat mix of classic hits played with style...and an audience that's all smiles. What an evening for dancing! The dance will be at the Lake City Eagles, 8201 Lake City Way NE. They have a beautiful wood floor for dancing. We will start the evening with a pre-dance lesson in cha cha with Nancy Fry and Guy Caridi. The dance goes from 8:30 until 11:30.
March 1 at the Ballard Odd Fellows (1706 NW Market St): Mach One Jazz Orchestra.With repertoire spanning styles from big band's golden age to the contemporary jazz artists of today, Mach One Jazz Orchestra delivers high energy, artistic precision and musical dynamism. Dancers love their big band sound. Pre-dance workshop is Fast Swing with Guy Caridi and Nancy Fry. They will teach moves and techniques in single-time swing to keep up with sound barrier tempos.
What an evening of dancing! Pre-dance workshop features Barry "the Man" Douglas from Detroit and Seattle's most versatile dance instructor, Michelle Badion. The band is the Max Band a perennial favorite at NW Dance, The Rockin Horse Barn and around town. They are known as a "dancer's band" that plays an incredibly wide variety of dance music including Swing, Blues, Classic Rock and Roll and a smattering of Country and Latin. A great band, great instructors what a great evening for dancing!
Little Bill is a Pacific Northwest tradition that you are sure to enjoy. Dance to a variety of swing and blues. The evening will start at 7:30 with a predance workshop with instructors Dean Paton and Leah Fast.
This weekend many dancers are enjoying a workshop on Cross Step Waltz with Richard Powers and Angela Amarillas. The Saturday dance with the Valse Café Orchestra is open to the public in addition to the those enjoying the weekend workshop. Angela and Richard will conduct the predance workshop in "Real Seventies Disco." Come enjoy this great teaching pair. Richard is a much sought after dance instructor from Stanford University. Valse Café will provide a variety of music including Waltz. Swing, and Latin- their eclectic repertoire celebrates a romantic mélange of bygone eras and cultures: Paris in the thirties. Hapsburg Vienna. Yiddish melancholy. Gypsy romance. Ragtime Manhattan. And dual genres of swing – the sophisticated urbane variety as well as a few Bob Wills barnburners. Admission for this special dance is $20. $15 for students age 23 and under.
Seattle's most exciting 17-piece big band swingin' at the speed of sound! With a repertoire spanning styles from big band's golden age to the jazz artists of today, Mach One Jazz Orchestra delivers high energy, artistic precision, and musical dynamism to the dance floor. Nancy Fry and Guy Caridi start the evening out at 7:30 with a predance workshop: "It's Hep Daddio's Day–Let's Swing It."Two Scoops Combo
Eric "Two Scoops" Moore is a tradition at Northwest Dance. Eric was nominated by the Washington Blues Society for best songwriter of 2013. Two Scoops Combo plays very danceable music, and it's so great to have them back. East and west coast swing, a little Latin and a waltz or two. The 7:30 workshop will be taught by Christine Sampson and Winfield Hobbs. It's the holiday weekend so wear your casual summer attire—t-shirts, shorts, sundresses! Keep the spirit of independence going.Diane Kirkwood Quartet July 20
The night is going to start off with a great pre-dance workshop by Sean Donovan and Cathy Footer. Sean and Cathy are both known as playful dancers. Their workshop promises to be great fun. The Diane Kirkwood Quartet is back by popular request. Diane is one of the most sought-after partners in the Northwest and a performing member of the Savoy Swing Club. She knows what dancers want. Come join the fun. Brian Lee and the Orbiters August 3
Brian Lee & the Orbiters are among the premier bands on the Northwest blues scene. Brian fronts the band with melodic vocals as well as superb guitar, slide guitar, and blues harp. He has consistently won awards from the Washington Blues Society. Expect a great evening of swing, blues, and much more. The evening starts out with a pre-dance lesson by Dean Paton and Jo Ann Coker.The Boneyard Preachers - August 17th (at Ballard Odd Fellows)
This night we are at a new location, the Ballard Odd Fellows, 1706 NW Market Street. Northwest Dance is hosting the Boneyard Preachers for the first time. They have been a great hit around Seattle with their mix of swing, blues, and a bit of Latin. Barry Douglas and Michelle Badion will teach the pre-dance workshop.
Ranger and the Re-Arrangers - September 7th (at Ballard Odd Fellows)
If you are unable to make it to Paris this fall, you may want to visit the Ballard Odd Fellows for the NW Dance. Seattle Gypsy Jazz band, Ranger and the "Re-Arrangers" evoke the spirit of a Paris cafe and the raucous energy of a Gypsy campsite with their unique twist on gypsy jazz. At the heart of their sound is Ranger Sciacca's sweet violin playing. Their tight rhythm section features a hand drummer, giving the music a bouncy swing and accentuating the joyful interplay between the two soloists. The band's repertoire includes swing standards, traditional Gypsy melodies, the music of Django & Grappelli, Brazilian choros, and Ranger's unique originals. A great night of dancing – Wear your beret! Pre-dance workshop features instructors par excellence Guy Caridi and Nancy Fry.
Benefit Dance for Nancyanna Dill - September 20th
The evening will feature Valse Café Orchestra playing a mixture of Swing, Waltz, Blues and Latin. Performances by Lucia Neare, Dina Blade, The Savoy Sing Club Performance Troupe, and Twyla and Celina Dill. The Dance will be at the Century Ballroom. Suggested Donation $20, more would be appreciated. Evening begins at 8pm with beginning waltz lesson followed by an advanced lesson featuring Hallie Kupperman and Dean Paton. Nancyanna was one of the founders of Living Traditions and an extraordinary dance instructor. She has struggled with MS and now lives at an assisted living facility in Port Townsend. Medicare pays for only a portion of her living expenses - Thus the benefit.
Little Bill and the Blue Notes - September 21st
The Blue Notes are one of the most requested bands at Northwest Dance. Many consider the Blue Notes one of the finest rhythm and blues group in this part of the country. Vocalist and bassist "Little Bill" Engelhart is the founder and front man for the Blue Notes. The pre-dance workshop at 7:30 will feature Dean Paton teaching "Mo Blues."
The Max Band - October 5th
Howard Mack and his Max Band know what dancers like. They are a perennial favor at NWDance and we are pleased to be able to book them for one of their rare performances. The predance workshop at 7:30 is in 21st Century Foxtrot – Styling and Fundamentals. Angela Fleagle and Dean Paton are the instructors.
October 19th at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center: Kevin Buster and Lunch Money
Young though he maybe, Kevin Buster lights up the Seattle Dance scene with his great dance music. He is a dancer as well as a musician and knows what dancers like. The band Lunch Money will keep you dancing all night long. Music includes some rock and roll as well as some favorites from the 1920s and 1930's. The Predance workshop at 7:30 will feature Michelle Badion and Jackie Hursey. "Ladies favorite WC Swing moves" - Simple, but cool moves to impress your follows. These moves will be fun for follows to do and that will make it extra fun for the leads. We will teach both leads and follows connection, technique, musicality and how to enjoy the slower WC moves. No WC Swing experience needed, but you do need to know some swing.
November 2nd at the Swedish Cultural Center: Dina Blade and Swingin in the Rain
Swingin in the Rain plays a danceable variety of swing, blues, Latin and waltz. We are so excited to have them back at the Swedish because of comments like these from our dancers:
"Just great, A great dance." —Heber Farnsworth.The predance lesson at 7:30 will feature Sean Donovan and Julie Cauthorn. You can find out more about Dina on her website.
"Superb, very danceable, sexy, It was a wonderful night." —Linda Clark.
November 16th at the Swedish Cultural Center: Brian Lee & the Orbiters
Brian Lee & the Orbiters are a premier blues band in the Northwest and a favorite of dancers at NWDance.net. Brian delivers dynamic and engaging performances with melodic vocals, exceptional song writing, and superb harmonica, slide guitar, and guitar. Lots of swing with some tempos great for WC and Blues. 7:30 pre-dance workshop.
December 7th at the Leif Erikson Ballroom: A special Holiday dance with Valse Café Orchestra with Lucia Neare
You will want to include this festive holiday dance in your busy holiday plans. We return to the festive Leif in Ballard where there is plenty of room to dance. Lucia Neare will be joining the Valse Café Orchestra for this celebrative evening. Lucia was a hit with audiences at NW Folklife and Dancing till Dusk. We encourage you to dress up and invite your friends to this grand evening of dance. Simple refreshments will be offered. More details will be forthcoming on the pre-dance workshop at 7:30pm. The admission to this grand evening will be $20. Tickets at the door – no advance sales.
December 21st at the Swedish Cultural Center: Casey MacGill and his High Five
Casey is Seattle's favorite swing band. He performs music that swings. Nat "King" Cole Trio meets the Mills Brothers. Fats Waller meets Fats Domino. Slim Galliard meets Fred Astaire. It is American music of many decades and no decade in particular, all happening at the same time, woven into a seamless, beautiful whole. At the core of his sound are his band's sometimes sweet, sometimes rough-hewn three-part harmony vocals and a piano-ukulele-bass-and-drums rhythm section that swings in a variety of textures. The Pre-dance workshop at 7:30 It will feature Guy Caridi.
January 4th at the Swedish Cultural Center: John Holte's Radio Rhythm Orchestra
The orchestra was founded by John Holte and has been inspiring swing dancers since 1972. Pete Leinonen is the current leader of what is truly a ."big band." You will enjoy the great sound and the danceable rhythms of this great orchestra. They have been a Living Traditions and NWDance favorite for over 20 years. Predance lesson at 7:30pm with Michelle Badion.
January 18 at the Swedish Cultural Center: Ranger and the Re-Arrangers
Ranger and the Re-Arrangers were a big hit when we hosted them last fall, so we were anxious to have them return for your dancing pleasure. The evoke the spirit of a Paris café and the raucous energy of a Gypsy campsite with their unique twist of gypsy jazz At the heart of their sound is Ranger Sciacca's sweet violin playing... his sense of melody and daring improvisations. The band's repertoire includes swing standards, traditional Gypsy melodies, the music of Django & Grappelli, Brazilian choros, and Ranger's unique originals. This is very danceable music. Predance workshop at 7:30 with Sean Donovan.
February 1 at the Swedish Cultural Center: Diane Kirkwood and Her QuartetWe really like the vocals and energy of Diane and welcome her back for a night of fantastic swing dance. Diane is one of the most sought-after dance partners in the Northwest and a performing member of the Savoy Swing Club. She knows what dancers want. Come join the fun. Predance workshop at 7:30 with Sean Donovan and Darla Weideman.
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Reality Check
Mohegan Sun's Reality Check, is an exciting and interactive event that brings the best and brightest stars from the reality TV world to Resorts Casino Hotel.
This free event series, which is open to guests of all ages, provides fans with the ultimate exposure to their favorite stars with engaging live exhibitions followed by intimate signing events.
Stay tuned for our next Reality Check Star announcement!
Million Dollar Waves Of Summer
Earn Entries: May 23 - September 20 Sweepstakes Drawing: Saturday, September 20
Play for your chance to win $1,000,000 and prizes including Free Slot Play, comp dollars, a vacation and more! Star Card members can play once every day, and can play a second time by earning 5 tier points at your favorite slots and table games.
Plus, collect entry forms when you play for entry into our Waves Of Summer Sweepstakes where we will give away $50,000 cash and slot cash prizes. Drawing will be Saturday, September 20 from 2pm to 10pm; location boardwalk entrance near Margaritiville restaurant.

subset: commoncrawl


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Visit the Knoxville Firefighters Association fan page on Facebook to order a shirt. Remember to leave your phone number on the page so they can contact you!
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT)-- Pink is the color of the month to support the fight against breast cancer and local firefighters are joining the fight.
Friday they showed off their newest uniforms for the month, a pink t-shirt. It's not your typical fire department uniform but this month things are a bit different across the country.
Kevin Faddis, President of the Firefighters Association told us, "Fire departments across the nation wear pink to show support and since we all know people that have dealt with breast cancer; we thought the t-shirts would show the community our support."
Captain Frank Mallory is just one of the many firefighters wearing pink proudly. His wife was diagnosed with breast cancer at 28 years old just months after she gave birth to their second child.
"It was a difficult time for us but I was able to get through it with the support of my church family and the fire department." Mallory said.
More than 350 firefighters will wear the pink t-shirts through the end of the month and they are even on sale for the public.
The shirts are $12.00 and ALL the proceeds go towards breast cancer research. They are on sale from Friday October 14th to Sunday October 16th.
If you want a shirt; log onto facebook and "like" the Knoxville Firefighters Association page. Remember to leave your number for someone to contact you.
Also, you can call the Knoxville Firefighters Association at 865-524-3473 for more information.
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December 22, 2014
Fruits, vegetables and herbs are a growing segment of the Illinois agriculture economy, but state statisticians are not sure of the crops' true value, but a survey mailed today should help them find out.
The Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service, the University of Illinois Extension and the Illinois Specialty Growers Association compiled a list of about 1,500 producers to ask about their crop.
The only fruits and vegetables listed in the state's annual agriculture statistics bulletin are apples, peaches, sweet corn, cabbage and snap beans, but Illinois growers produce at least 64 vegetables and 15 fruits commercially.
Officials say the survey should provide a more accurate accounting of specialty crops in the state, which should make Illinois more competitive for money that can help develop the industry.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Quick quiz: What was "Project Titan?" Doesn't ring a bell? Well, about a year ago, the blogosphere was all abuzz in anticipation for it. Still don't remember? That was the code name for Facebook's "Next Generation Messaging" system — the supposed Gmail, or even email killer.
Mark Zuckerberg's announcement back on November 15, 2010 was the source of great speculation. Well, now a year has passed, and the impact of this huge initiative that had Facebook dedicate more engineers than any other project has been little to none. Both from a consumer and a marketing perspective. So what happened?
From a consumer perspective, it appears that essentially no one is using their Facebook email address. Since my company, Emailvision, delivers millions of emails on behalf of our clients, I was able to analyze them to see how many of those went to @facebook.com addresses.
It was like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack! Out of more than 3 million emails, I found that less than .0015 percent of all emails were delivered to @facebook.com addresses.
We can give a bit of leeway for the duration of the invite and rollout process, but a year is long enough to safely say that if the service was going to hit critical mass, there'd be much greater uptake by now.
For the marketing community, the big question back in November 2010 was whether or not this new unified messaging system have a negative impact on email marketing, which at that point had one of the highest return on investment for marketers.
The perceived threat from Facebook email was the "social inbox," which would divide incoming mail according to the user's social connections, likely categorizing opt-in newsletters and other marketing messages as junk. With such limited adoption, this hasn't come to pass.
The biggest reason that "Fmail" hasn't taken off is simply that the user experience is very poor for managing email.
While the idea of having seamless integration of all your messages from different platforms and accounts seems alluring, if you can't read, review, sort, filter, organize or follow up properly, then what's the use?
Even the default view for reading email is not great, as formatting is removed from text and images are stripped.
Facebook and social networks have a clear role to play in our digital lives and I'm a strong advocate of using both social media and email to their best and together.
Ultimately, Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail and the less known email clients are miles ahead of the Facebook email experience. Even the message capability in LinkedIn is better than that of Facebook.
I might go as far as to say even Lotus Notes can do email better. And these providers are making changes that require a shift in many email marketers' strategies.
With the introduction of "intelligent inbox" features, which automatically sort and filter emails to reflect what is most likely to be important to the reader, there is a real need for email marketers to ensure their communications well targeted and highly relevant.
How about you: What's your experience been?
Guest writer Tim Watson oversees U.K. operations at Emailvision.


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Tour Yogyakarta, Java
Asia » Indonesia
Author: Koen
Getting there and away
- The airport Adisucipto lies along the way to Prambanan, 10 km out of Yogya.
- A taxi to the Yogya's city centre costs about 11.000 Rp (8/2000).
- Indicative prices (8/2000) for flights to :
- Jakarta (456.800 Rp)
- Denpasar (426.000 Rp)
- Surabaya (241.200 Rp)
- Bandung (268.700 Rp)
- Ujung Pandang (883.900 Rp)
- Mataram (529.700 Rp)
When you arrive at the trainstation (probably coming from Bandung) you can choose between a taxi or a becak. A ride to the citycenter will cost 5000 Rp for both (8/2000).
Becak-drivers will start at the price of 10.000 Rp, ignore this of course.The best option is still the taxi. (fast, AC and no exhausted fume)
Most popular way is to take a tour bus which takes you to Bromo, and onwards to Bali.
- For short distances you can take a becak to drive you around.
- Some drivers offer you a city-tour for almost a whole day for 10.000 Rp per person.
- Two recommended becak-drivers are Jiman and his friend Supardi. You can find them in front of the Prambanan guesthouse at Jl. Prawirotaman. They are very well English-speaking and will not drive you from batik to silver shop in the hope to collect some commission if you not want to.
Background info
A becak-driver rents his vehicle for 1000 Rp/day. He spents another 1000 Rp for food. His average income is about 10.000 Rp/day even in tourist places. Makes 8000 Rp/day for maintaining his family.
Typical tourist Pangandaran - Yogyakarta trip
Koen took the classical tourist tour (30.000 Rp including boat and bus, 10/98):
- Leave Pangandaran at 6 am by minibus to Kalipucang.
- The boat leaves Kalipucang at 7 am. This boattrip is supposed to be a marvellous trip along remote villages according to LP), but don't expect too much of it. It takes about 3 to 4 hours till Cilacap.
- In Cilacap expect to wait at least an hour till the bus from Yogya comes to pick you up.The bus trip to Yogya took us another 4 hours.
- The drivers will stop at a mosque for their prayers, and also along a restaurant to collect their commission.
- Finally he arrived at 5 pm in Yogya. They will stop at a hotel where they get a commission, but since no one got off there, they went further to Jl. Prawirotaman, 1 of the 2 hotel areas for tourists. He got off there. Then they continue to the other hotel area.
- It is also possible to go from Pangandaran to Wonosobo. In that case they will drop you at a busstation near the intersection to Yogya, and from there you'll go on a public bus.
- The
Prambanan Guesthouse
, Jl. Prawirotaman 14. They charge 64.000 Rp (fan + cold water), 84.000 Rp (fan + hot water) and 116.000 Rp (AC + hot water). In low season they give a reduction of about 15 %. In high season (july-august) they're often full. They have a small swimming pool and garden were you will have your breakfast. Breakfast and "afternoon snack" (cake with tea or coffee) is included. (prices 8/00).
- You can make reservations :
- Indonesia : fax (0274)384256 or tel. (62-274) 376167
- Belgium : phone/fax (0032-2) 361.37.38
Duta Garden Hotel
, Timuran MG (not to be confused with Duta Guest House on Jl. Prawirotaman), is also recommended. You can get a big room with mandi and AC for 180.000 Rp (7/98). It's set in a nice garden, has a pool, and the staff can do some babysitting. Their website is at
- The
Agung Guesthouse
charges 35.000 Rp for a triple room including breakfast, private bathroom and they have a swimming pool (10/98)
Rose Hote
l on Jl. Prawirotaman is also a good deal. They have a big swimming pool, and for only 20.000 Rp, you get a double with fan, and for 40.000 Rp a double with fan and hot water (10/98). Another report was a bit less enthousisastic saying service was unpersonnal.(6/98).
Restaurants / Cafés
Via via
, Jalan Prawirotaman 24b. A Belgian run travellercafé with excellent fruit juices, milk-shakes, salad dishes and more. Every day they serve a different typical Indonesian meal. They also organizes tourtrips (see travelagencies).
- Prambanan Restaurant, Jalan Prawirotaman 14. Excellent beef dishes. Good alternative music and nice setting (bamboo tables, chairs and walls)
Ramai Mall Lantai
, Jl. A. YaniThe most luxurious shopping mall in Yogya. Shops with CD, CD-rom, fitness equipment, handicraft, ice-cream bar, Versace,…………
Mall ?????
, Jl. Malioboro 52-58With a Dunkin' Donut, KF-Chicken, CD-ROM shop and a good choice of cheap T-shirts.
Market, Jl. A. Yani
The ground level is a collection of stalls selling clothes and standard-batiks, the upper level has a supermarket. Next to this building lies a street where flowers and fruits are solled.
Rates are from 3500 Rp to 4000 Rp an hour.
Interesting for mailing, not for visiting websites because speed can be frustrating low.
, Jl. Prawirotaman 11.
8, Jl. Prawirotaman
Tourist Office
Located at Jalan Malioboro 175. Closed on Sunday.
Open from Monday till Saturday from 8.00 AM to 20.00 PM
Bagus Laundry
, Jl. Prawirotaman II. Tel. 0818261170.Washing is done with modern automatic washing/drying machines.
Washing per item : Small pieces (750 Rp), medium (2000 Rp) or large (3000 Rp)
Washing per weight : 6 kg is 25.000 Rp.
Prices (08/00).
What to do?
- The Kraton itself is fine, but nothing fantastic.
- Opening hours : Mon-Thurs (8.00 AM – 14.00 PM) – Friday (8.00 AM – 11.00 AM) – closed during traditional ceremony and festival days.
- Price : 7500 Rp
- A lot of cultural events take place here like the Ramayana Ballet, Gamelan & Wayang Golek performances. Entrance is free (you will still have to pay the Kratonentrance). These performances are not like the "fake-one" held in hotels.
- Only the best dancers may perform here and are recruited by the Sultan's wive.
Classical dance
Kraton (Sultan palace), on Sunday between 10.30 AM – 12.00 AM
Gamelan traditional music
Kraton (Sultan palace), on Monday and Wednesday between 10.30 AM – 12.00 AM
Water castle (Taman Sari)
- The former swimming pool of the sultan and his harem. Nowadays it's just a glimpse of what it has been. Could have been more interesting with some decent restoration.
- Opening hours : Mon-Thurs (8.00 AM – 15.30 PM) – Friday (8.00 AM – 11.00 AM)
- Price : 1000 Rp
Birdmarket (pasar Ngasem)
Selling of birds, bats, dogs, cats, monkeys, mice,….Interesting but animals are living in cramped conditions.
Opening hours : Daily (9.00 AM – 16.00 PM)
Kota gede
It's a suburb of Yogya. The home of the silver industry. In the workshops, you can see the whole process (melting silver and producing of silver jewellery/statues.)
- Design : It's very hard to find any traditional batik. Almost everything is some kind of "artwork" with yelling colours. Not my taste in fact.
- Touts : Walking around in Yogya you will be definitely approached by men who start up a conversation ending up in "I know a very cheap batikshop". Going with them means that they collect a commission when you buy something in that shop. No need to follow them, plenty of shops enough.
- Prices : Before start buying something it's best to visit shops with fixed prices so you can make up price-settings. A traditional coton batik (75cm x 95cm) is about 40.000 Rp. A traditional silk batik (100cm X 120cm) is 250.000 Rp.
- Shops with fixed rates are:
- Batik Margaria, jl.A. Yani (Malioboro) nr. 69
- Ramai Shopping Mall Lantai, Jl. A. Yani
- Bargaining : It's essential. You can reduce the price with 50 till 75 %. Consider it as a game.
- Where:
- Jalan Tirtodipuran : Here are several shops where you can also watch the process of making batik.
- Malioboro street
- Inside the Kraton : Several art shops. One of them is S. Kampek (batik art studio) at Ngadisuryan KT. I/172. He has silk batiks and some with traditional design. His prices can be reduced by 75 % !!.
Jalan Malioboro / Jalan A Yani
- The main shopping street in Yogya, starts at the train station and almost ends up to the Kraton.
- Tip : The shop J.B. NOVI, Jl. A Yani 27. They sell second hand wayang golek puppets and music instruments.
Ramayana performance
every Monday, Wednesday and Friday 20.00 PM – 22.00 PM
Ndalem Pujokusirman, Jl. Brig Jen Katamso 45Everyday (20.00 PM – 21.30 PM)
Purawisata Open Theatre, Jl. Brig Jen Katamso
Ramayana open air Theatre at the Prambanan temple (Recommended)
- Prices on july 2000: VIP (60.000 Rp) – Khusus (40.000 Rp) – Utama (35.000 Rp) – Class I (20.000 Rp) – Class II (15.000 Rp)
- Tickets : Can be bought at your hotel or at a travelagency,
- The transport to the Prambanan-site will cost around 15.000 Rp for an AC-bus which will pick-up all visitors at their hotels/guesthouses.
- Performances only between May and October (19.30 PM – 21.30 PM)
Wooden puppet (Wayang Golek) performance
Every day except Saturday (15.00 PM – 17.00 PM)
Every day except Sunday (11.00 AM – 13.00 PM)
- Agastya Institute (school for narators), Jl. Gedongkiwo MD III/237
- Nitour Inc., Jl. KHA Dahlan 71
Leather puppet shadow performance.
Every day except Saturday (15.00 PM – 17.00 PM)
- Agastya Institute (school for narators), Jl. Gedongkiwo MD III/237
Every day (20.00 PM-….)
- Hanoman's forest, Jl. Prawirotaman 9
A lot of small travelagencies can be found at the street Jl. Prawirotaman.
The following is a list of tourtrips all agencies offer, prices are indicative and without entrance/food. (Minimum of two persons required)
- Borobudur sunrise (leave at 5.00 AM, 15.000 Rp, 5 hours)
- Borobudur sunrise & Prambanan (leave at 5.00 AM, 20.000 Rp, 8 hours)
- Borobudur & Pawon & Mendut (leave at 7.30 AM, 30.000 Rp, 5 hours)
- Borobudur sunset (leave at 14.00 PM, 25.000 Rp, 5 hours)
- Prambanan sunset (leave at 14.00 PM, 25.000 Rp, 4 hours)
- Dieng Plateau & Borobudur (leave at 7.00 AM, 60.000 – 90.000 Rp, 12 hours)
- Dieng Plateau (leave at 7.00 AM, 50.000-70.000 Rp, 9 hours)
- Transport to Bromo (leave at 7.00 AM, 60.000 Rp, 11 hours)
- Baron Kukup & Krakal beach (leave at 11.00 AM, 60.000 Rp, 8 hours)
- Kota Gede & Imogiri & Parangtritis beach (leave at 11.00 AM, 35.000 Rp, 7 hours)
- Sukuh temples & Solo & Tawang Mangu (leave at 7.00 AM, 80.000 Rp, 9 hours)
- Gedung Songo & Old locomotive museum (leave at 7.00 AM, 75.000 Rp, 8 hours)
- Sunrise at Merapi Vulcano (leave at 10.00 PM, 75.000 Rp included guide, home stay and breakfast, climbing starts at 1.30 AM, 14 hours)
Via Via, Jl. Prawirotaman 24,
, they also have a website with their trips at
- The Belgian run travellercafé which offers only alternative tourtrips and some courses. A minimum of 2 persons is required.
- TRIPS : Bicycle trip to nearby villages (25.000 Rp) – Prambanan by bicycle (22.5000 Rp) – Alternative city trip (40.000 Rp) – Borobudur by motorbike (60.000 Rp) – Ciremai Cave & Parangtritis beach by bus (+/- 50.000 Rp)
- COURSES : Silver (40.000 Rp) – Batik (30.000 Rp) – Pottery (35.000Rp) – Cooking (30.000 Rp)
- Koen did the Kampung Naga tour and thought it was an excellent trip. We were with 4 people guided by an Indonesian girl who showed them her village by bike. You go there at a leisurely pace, so you have plenty time to take marvellous pictures and meet local people. The guide explains you how they use certain plants etc...
- They have their own site now, have a look there.
Agung Tourist service
, Jl. Prawirotaman 31., tel. (0274) 370187
Taxi service – flight reservation – money changer – motor bike and car rental - tourtrips
Around Yogyakarta
- The Prambanan temple complex is marvellously restored. Take your time for a visit. Go there as early as possible if you want to escape the heat.
- Several tours offer a combined tour with the Boko temple. Koen visited the temple very early (6.30 am) and had a great view from Boko over Prambanan which was still in dawn.
- Entrance : 37.500 Rp or 5 US$ Rp (8/2000).
- You can also see the open-air theatre where the Ramayana performance takes place almost every night between may and october. (see further for more info)
- How to get there?
- By a travelagency : join one of the numerous tours.
- By public transport : count on 1 hour by bus. Make sure you catch the last bus back to Yogya around 6 pm. B
- By taxi : You can do f.e. from Yogya to Boko, then to Prambanan including the more remote Plaosan temple, and then to Borobudur. The most recent report mentions 80.000 Rp for a full day with driver going to Prambanan, Boko and Borobudur!! (10/98) Some drivers will sometimes stop at Kota Gede silver shops to collect their commission.
Mount Merapi
Since 19/7/98, Merapi has erupted again and it is possible to go on a trip and see the lava. The Metro Guest House and Hotel organize a trip leaving at 9 pm and taking 6 hours. Price p.p. 65.000 Rp (9/98). You could also go to Vogel's at Kaliurang and see the lava at night. A posting on the LP Thorn tree said you could go to Muntilan, then a bemo to Talum, then charter a bemo to Barada observatory center. From here you are 4 km away from the crater. You can stay there for 10.000 Rp (very basic), they have food and drinks there. It's easy to see the lava from there.
See Chapter 'Borobudur'
Go on to "Borobudur page"
If you have questions on Java, please
e-mail Steven Buvens
Article Comments:
yoyok sandoyo
Not only jogja has a spectacular actif volcano but also try to visit mount bromo and join to http://www.indobromo.com/
Alec Morris
Thank you very much. I Will be traveling to Yogyakarta in a couple of weeks and am planning on buying some batiks.
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Football in Qatar
A-Z | Adhan | Arabic | Bookstores | Clothing | Etiquette | Food | Glossary | History | Islam | Living | Newspapers | Pearls | Ramadan | Ruling Family | Sadhew
Football in Qatar
Initially the Qatari crowd was quiet compared to the Thais sitting opposite. Then a clapping began, swelling up. Then, with the first of three Qatar goals, the crowd the biggest I have ever seen in tiny Qatar surged to their feet, yelling their support.
We were at the quarterfinals of the Asian Games football, in Al Gharaffa stadium. Qatar went on to beat Iran who had won their previous 15 Asian Games football matches in the semifinals, becoming the first host nation to reach the finals in twenty years, and topped it off by beating Iraq 1-0 in the finals in front of an 18,000 strong crowd. This was not just a fluke, either just two years before the Qatari national teamhad become champions in the Gulf Cup.
Qatari men are football mad, and their national team is one of the mostly highly ranked by FIFA in the Gulf. Yet, until now, little has been written in English about football in this tiny peninsula. We set out to try and collect what information we could.
The first football club in Qatar was set up when Bedouin nomads were still roaming the desert, in Dukhan in 1948. In 1950 the first Doha club, "Al-Ahli", was established. The Qatar Football Association was founded in 1960 and in 1970 became associated with FIFA, the world governing body.
The Qatar National Soccer Team
Despite the size of their country, the Qatar football team are highly rated and have a pretty impressive list of results: They are ranked in the top 100 in FIFA's World Rankings, and their dream now is to enter the World Cup for the first time. They are coached by a Bosnian at present, Dzemaludin Musovic who replaced Philippe Troussier in 2004, and the team plays in all white shirts and shorts.
Star Players
Khalfan Ibrahim has become the first Qatari to win the Asian Football Confederation player of the year awardin 2007. At just 18 years old, he's also the youngest player ever to win the award. He's probably one of the reasons Qatar has got as far as they have in the Asian Games, too, scoring two goals in his international debut match against Bangladesh, and a further two against Thailand in the semi-finals of the Asian Games.
Sebastian Quintana played some superb football during the 2006 Asian Games. As you might have guessed from his name, he wasn't actually born in Qatar, but was brought to Qatar from Uruguay in September 2004 by French coach Bruno Metsu. (He had to look Qatar up on the map when he was recruited). Quintana started playing for Al Gharaffa, scoring 14 goals in their first season and helping them to the top of the Q-league, before moving to Qatar Sport club, where he scored 19 goals in 20 Games and was voted Q-league player of the year. After two years of residence he was allowed to play in the National Team, and scored 4 goals during the Asian Games. Qatar claims he is only 18, but this seems highly unlikely.
Leagues and Clubs
There are 20 clubs in the country. 10 play in the top league (known as the Q-league), ten in a lower league. Each of the ten teams in the higher league will play a total of 18 games. The bottom two teams of the top league are relegated, the highest two of the second-tier league promoted. The 10 clubs presently in the Qatari top flight are Al Sadd, Qatar Sports Club, Al Arabi, Al Rayyan, Al Ahli, Al Shamal, Umm Salal, Al Gharrafa, Al Khor, Al Wakra.
Qatari Stadiums
Qatar's football teams have large and modern stadiums with a capacity of up to 50,000 (Khalifa Stadium). Given the population of the country (approximately 900,000 including a majority expatriate population), these stadiums are never going to be filled for a normal football match.
Qatar's Football Supporters
Time and time again outsiders have commented that Qataris do not support their teams or country in any numbers. It has been reported that Qatar will be paying Vietnamese supporters in Vietnam to cheer on the team in the 2007 Asian Cup. One writer noted that even the biggest games would only draw in a crowd of 10,000. Now remember there are only about 180,000 Qataris, so roughly 90,000 males, many of whom will be either too young (there is a huge birth rate) or old and infirm to attend, and you realise that 10,000 is a massive number.
A UK equivalent, taking into account the relative size of the populations, would be about three million. Using the same maths, even a more normal crowd of a thousand or two for a club match is huge. (Some Qatar residents who make up the majority of the population but are not citizens have become fans, but the majority of the supporters at the games are Qatari).
Anyone who has been present at the games can not doubt the enthusiasm of the football supporters. The wild Arabic football chants and drumming sound closer to Africa than to Europe. Happily, supporters have managed to avoid the violence that has dogged European or South American football. Instead, after winning a game they prefer to hop in their Landcruisers and drive up and down the Corniche, leaning out of their windows, honking their horns and letting off firecrackers.
Best Qatari Club
Al Sadd, 11 times Q-league winners and only former winners of the continental cup, are probably the best team, although the supporters of their close rivals Al Arabi might disagreee. Al Sadd is a street in Doha, Qatar's capital city, which gives you some idea of the scale of things here. However, their president is Sheikh Tamin Bin Hamad Al Thani, who is also the heir to the throne.
Big Money
Oil money is pouring into football here. In 2003 each football team in Qatar was given an initial ten million dollars to go out and employ some big foreign names. One of the football coaches told me that there is a former Tottenham player in his mid-40s receiving nearly two million dollars a year. The most well-known foreign player here is Gabriel Batistuta, an Argentinian striker, but he has been joined this season by Nigerian Jay-Jay Okocha (formally of Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League), Cameroonian Bill Tchato and Australian Tony Popovic. Other players to have appeared in Qatar in the twilight of their careers include Romario, Marcel Desailly, Christophe Dugarry, Pep Guardiola, Frank Leboeuf, Frank and Ronald De Boer, Stefan Effenberg, Ali Benarbia, Claudio Caniggia, Abedi Pele, Alain Goma, Youssef Chippo, Fernando Hierro, Sonny Anderson, Mario Basler, Taribo West and Sabri Lamouchi.
Developing Talent
Qatar does not just want to employ big names. They are also aiming to develop home grown talent, and have launched a sports academy called Aspire to do so. Every year the academy aims to take on 70 youngsters in Qatar to develop their sporting talent; not a huge amount, considering the athletic skills of every child in the country is tested. The head football coach is Michael Browne former Charlton Academy Chief. (See www.aspire.qa/).
Football is also incredibly popular in schools one UK teacher in a secondary school told me he was astonished at how fast the football played in the schools was. Qatar is yet to produce a world-class star but that may change.
Qatar is likely to stage the 2011 Asian Cup which will further increase interest in the 'beautiful game'. Qatar is also keen to hold a future world cup - a test of whether they can do this will be when they host a friendly between Brazil and England in November 2010. (See Football's Elite Descends on Doha as England Take On the Boys From Brazil for our writer's assessment of their chance.)
Further Information
Qatar Football Association
Related Articles
Football in Iran


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- Sonoma Valley Sun - http://news.sonomaportal.com -
Child molester found guilty
Posted By Sun News On December 3, 2013 @ 12:30 pm In News | Comments Disabled
Kenneth Donald Hutchins, 65, of Sonoma, has been convicted of four counts of sexual molestation involving his eight-year-old grandniece. The Sonoma Valley man faces the possibility of more than 25-years-to-life in prison when sentenced in January.
Hutchins was arrested on January 16, 2013, after the then eight-year-old victim disclosed to her brother that the defendant had sexually molested her. Sheriff's detectives executing a search warrant found videos of child pornography in an end table in the defendant's living room.
Hutchins, a Valley resident for more than 20 years, lives in the Springs, and the victim resides in Sonoma. Illegal acts likely occurred at both residents, officials said.
The testimony of the young victim was a key element in the prosecutor's case, according to District Attorney Jill Ravitch. "We applaud the child victim for disclosing the abuse and courageously testifying at trial, and hope this is an important step toward healing from this trauma.
Child molestation is too frequently difficult to discover and prosecute, Ravithc said, "consequently, this verdict sends a strong message, in addition to holding the predator accountable."
Article printed from Sonoma Valley Sun: http://news.sonomaportal.com
URL to article: http://news.sonomaportal.com/2013/12/03/child-molester-found-guilty/
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kochupusthakam » Kambi Kada Malayalam » kambikathakalonline-ammavanum meerachechiyum pinnenjanum
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« LL Cool J Unveils 'Authentic Hip-Hop' Cover, Tracklisting
Video: WZRD (Kid Cudi x Dot Da Genius) – 'Teleport to Me, Jamie' »
Video: Nicki Minaj – 'Freedom'
Fresh off the release of her new album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up, Nicki Minaj liberates the striking video for "Freedom." Shot in England, the Young Money queen looks gorgeous as she poses in couture pieces in the part black-and-white, part color clip, directed by Colin Tilley.
A blonde Nicki wears a crown in one scene and poses in front of an old ship in another. "I wanted it to feel timeless and classic, so it was important that we established a very intense backdrop for all of the setups," she said during her visit to "106 & Park."
But things weren't all glamorous. Nicki said the video was her least favorite to shoot because of the extreme temperatures. "It was five degrees and it was hailing," she said.
Celebrate her "Freedom" below.
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ONHELL is a fast rising west coast talent that YourEDM called "a sexy yet somber blend of RnB, hip-hop, future bass, and psycahdelic, ambient beats. "
You can grab a free download of the tune 'Every Night' on DoAndroidsDance http://doandroidsdance.com/audio/onhell-every-night/ that was recent;y featured in a set by Gent & Jawns on their guest mix for Diplo and Friends https://soundcloud.com/gentandjawns/gjdnf930
Some other recent coverage includes Boom And Claps: http://boomsandclaps.com/onhell-simple-stare/
and Versacelettuce: http://versacelettuce.com/2014/08/18/future-fresh-vol-6-onhell/
Born A King CDs along with a 12 page booklet and stickers can be purchased here http://www.amazon.com/Born-King-Sizzla/dp/B00K2ITUJC/ and here http://mutimusic.bandcamp.com/album/born-a-king
Mista Savona did an absolutely fantastic job producing the album and it has been getting outstanding reviews globally, we've included a few links to some of our favorites right here:
The ill.Methodology Remixed V2 has been warmly embraced by dancers and music community with features on EDM Network, On The Rise and music DJ support.
ill.Gates is a constant source of new energy and ideas he recently published and awesome article on why EDM is just a baby and not this monstrous bubble some folks are making it out to be, it makes for a great read https://illmethodology.com/2014/05/edm-not-biggest-thing/
You can also get a better taste of mr. Gates vibrance in this video interview on RageTracks.com http://ragetracks.com/blogs/ragetracks-com-interview-with-illgates-the-ill-methodology-remixed-v2/


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Ironweed is:
Jeff Andrews: vocals, guitar
Mike Vitali: guitar
Brendan Slater: bass
Dan Dinsmore: drums
All songs written by Ironweed.
Additional Vocals on "Messenger" by Mike Vitali.
Recorded at Mad Oak Studios & O Studios
Produced and recorded by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios, Allston, MA.
Additional engineers: Ryan Slowly, John Delahanti, Carl Blackwood, Mike Vitali, Dusten Pettengill
Mixed by Benny Grotto and J. Saliba at Mad Oak Studios, Allston, MA.
Mastered by Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs, Ann Arbor, MI.
Illustration & album artwork:
Alexander von Wieding, zeichentier.com
Jeff plays Gibson guitars and uses Peavy 5150 & Mesa Boogie amplifiers.
Mike plays Gibson Guitars and uses Marshall, Mesa boogie & Electric Amp amplifiers
Brendan plays Stingray Basses and uses Orange Amplifiers.
Dan plays Spaun drums.
Ironweed don't want you to think like everyone else. Luckily, they've provided a manual on how to tolerate the mundane just until you can get home, crack a beer, and sneer in the face of conformists. The album's cover says plenty (unfold the album's insert and it says much more) about its message. This concept album wastes no time in grabbing your collar and doing everything it can to keep you from becoming another automaton. Don't buy in, pig. Don't buy in.
You can call Your World of Tomorrow a departure from Ironweed's sound, strongly established on 2008's Indian Ladder, but you'd be neglecting the band's strides. You can't call it stoner-metal, you can't call it grunge, you can't even call it terribly unsettling until you focus on the lyrics. The influences permeate the disc without detracting from the band's vision. Is this what post-grunge might've sounded like if it hadn't had a false sense of entitlement? One wonders.
Now Stronger wastes absolutely no time in combining dusty groove with cock-rock vocals and that distant sunset guitar we cream our jeans over. Timing on the track (and throughout the disc) is perfect, a testament to impeccable production. Guitars here are roman candles, finding a discernible pattern while seemingly spraying everything with good-time flames. The rhythm never relents, setting the tone for an aggressive, poignant collection of tracks that leaves listeners thinking about their lives as they raise the horns.
Your World of Tomorrow is swollen with feedback, fuzz, and bounce, fueled by drums that remain steady at the forefront despite Jeff Andrews's brilliant classic-rock auditions. The vocals sail on Enduring Snakes as Mike Vitali's anthemic licks channel Kim Thayil's Jesus Christ Pose fretwork and the rhythm slices down sequoias. Listen to Awaken and you'll again hear Soundgarden, but you'll be surprised where the song goes, almost taking elements from HUM before the death-growl (out of nowhere) guides the listener through a rain-soaked funeral.
Dan Dinsmore's drums keep things modest here. The rhythm section (let's not ignore Slater's bass) does more in these forty minutes than most bands do in a career. The groove on both The Lucky Ones and Messenger chews up preconceptions, finding elements of doom and heart-thumping blur. These songs could be ballads if they were totally lame. Fortunately, they're not. On a short street, these songs click through gear after gear and sing no apology for the noise.
Two songs perfectly balance the album's mood and motivation; And the New Slaves paces the album well, though the listener quickly realizes this band doesn't give a shit about pacing. What's important here is the dreary dreaminess the track pretends not to seek. Admit it, guys... This song's brilliant, you know it, and you want the entire world to hear it. Guitars fight with one another, riffs slice through bone, and skin-slaps warn of the drag-race romp you're about to run from. Drums cheese out, spit, and fade into space. The song begins like Catamaran from Kyuss and ends like QOTSA's I was a Teenage Hand Model. Let's be clear... I don't have a problem with how the song begins, ends, or what's in-between. Neither will you.
On the other hand, Red Circles is C.O.C. guitar grind, with the song's final minute serving as one of the most head-twitching tracks I expect to hear this year. The guitars are sawing pines and hiding behind veils, all at once. The track goes in every direction, often at the drop of a hat. Love it.
The concept on Your World of Tomorrow is great, while the band's sound has evolved. Ironweed have struck an incredible balance between their instruments, creating a sound that is confident, honest, and ultimately indisputable. The production of the album is slick, the track selection is dead-on. It doesn't matter who people say this band kinda sounds like (Kyuss, Soundgarden, HUM, C.O.C.) because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Ironweed have put together an album that's meaningful without being pretentious, heavy without being over-stuffed, and precise without being clean. What a cool vibe.
- Seth
I had a hard time writing a review about 'Your World Of Tomorrow', because once again IRONWEED's heavy brew causes very mixed emotions within me. That was already the case after covering the band's debut 'Indian Ladder', that has also been released by Small Stone Records in 2008. Since then, three years have passed and once again I am torn between joyous thrills and sheer boredom. One reason is that IRONWEED's songs lull in the zone somewhere between top-notch and utter triviality. In addition, it seems to me as if they are trying to put too many song ideas into one. The resulting complexity of course is intended and from a technical point of view, IRONWEED cut a fine figure.
Powered by the edgy fuzzy sounds of two guitars, the band shows off its tight interplay and it did not take listeners long to find that these guys fit nicely alongside Solace. That's also because of the fact that IRONWEED blend heavy metal, hardrock, doom metal, and hardcore in a similar way. But unfortunately it doesn't always result in great songs. On the plus side, there is 'A Graceful Death' and 'Awaken' that both show IRONWEED's ear for melody.
Especially vocalist/guitarist Jeff Andrews does a fantastic job here with a crisp clean voice that is haunting and soulful. His unique vocal stylings are giving 'Awaken' a sharper profile, emphasizing the metal edge in IRONWEED. The same could be said about 'Now Stronger' that is another favorite of mine on this album. But there are also some tunes where everything sounds a little bit too contrived for my taste. I miss a compelling idea or some memorable hooks. What remains in my memory is just a bunch of heavy riffs but nothing more. As I have said, it's difficult for me to make up a clear opinion about 'Your World Of Tomorrow'. To me, it is a double-edged sword even when IRONWEED still offers much promising potential.
If there is one record label on this rock 'n' roll world that truly embodies the Uber Rock spirit then it is Small Stone, the independent yet awesome home of, seemingly, a million cool bands that operates out of Detroit. A badass buzz accompanies every new release from the label that turns up for review, barely a mediocre moment amongst their collective selves, solid records being the worst thing I could say about the releases of the bands on their roster. Sometimes something special happens, Sasquatch and Gozu special, and that has happened again....
Ironweed have followed up their 2008 debut, 'Indian Ladder', with an album that came out of nowhere and has firmly implanted itself on my stereo ever since. The New York band's sophomore album, 'Your World Of Tomorrow', is themed around a near-future totalitarian state where governments control the people by way of electronic devices. It's hardly an original statement for sure, but it is certainly a passionate one, an idea that prickles the consciousness of anyone with a spine, soul and refusal to simply accept their lot in life. The fact that this warning is played out by heavy-duty veteran rock musicians just gets me every time. It's the primitive against the perfect, like perversely taking photographs of dereliction with a state of the art digital camera, like devouring a musty, well read copy of Fahrenheit 451; I do these things, perhaps that is why this album has resonated so with me on more than just a musical level.
That, though, is by no means a dismissal of the hard hitting sounds that make up this nine track album. The rock associated with Small Stone can generally be preceded by the words stoner, space or desert - not this time. Ironweed have fashioned a sound for themselves that harks back to the more metal-tinged outfits that got lumped into the grunge scene, possibly having a little more in common with the few metal bands who jumped on the grunge bandwagon and got away with it without embarrassing themselves. The Alice In Chains and Soundgarden comparisons will, and have, come and, although Ironweed are soundalikes for neither, the aesthetics behind those bands throw up the grouping, the latter especially, for one big reason.
Ironweed vocalist Jeff Andrews has been blessed with an incredible set of pipes. The Chris Cornell/Soundgarden comparison comes solely from this, a fantastic voice wailing out over noisy, dirty, grungy rock. At times Andrews' vocals soar in a fashion that throws up images of Ian Gillan or Glenn Hughes fronting, not classic rock bands, but edgy, dangerous, gutsy metal; the great 'Heavy Crowns', with its fly trap "Your truth is inverted" refrain, for example. The hook of 'The Lucky Ones' is so infectious that when I think of my favourite songs of the year so far I just can't shake this fucker from my memory. The chorus is as infectious and life changing as a zombie bite but, and this is where I get even more interested, the verses are like prime Warrior Soul. Kory Clarke's mob come to mind on several occasions during playback of 'Your World Of Tomorrow', possibly because of the lethal combination of ass-kicking music and political angst.
There are more sedate moments here also; 'And The New Slaves' features subtle verses that remind me of Paul Draper and Mansun. By the time you get to album closer 'A Graceful Death', introduced by heavy, gorgeous bass, you will, if like me, be so impressed that moving for the repeat button is as essential as breathing. Seriously, I have not listened to this album just once since it turned up for review.
I love albums like 'Your World Of Tomorrow', coming from out of nowhere and blowing everything away. That things like this still happen in a music business that grooms anorexic automatons for a life of tabloid misery is both assuring and awesome. This will trouble my album of the year list for one simple reason; it is a stunner.
- Gaz E
The expectations towards Small Stone releases remain unchangeable. One can always anticipate a massive-sounding, heavy-on-groove, ballsy stoner metal. This rule also applies to the Albany outfit, Ironweed. Their debut, "Indian Ladder," combined heavy stoner metal with some grunge and tribal stylings (hence the name of the disc). The songwriting was often devoid of focus though, which resulted in a quite uneven album that comprised of several standout tracks out of which "A Penny For Your Prayers" was arguably the most notable.
"Your World Of Tomorrow" showcases the band's improved approach to song craft, with an abundance of oppressively heavy guitar-driven sections which are reminiscent of their debut. The new disc sounds more cerebral even though the concept of it is dead serious. It revolves around the idea of the government being able to control people by using advanced electronic devices. Although this theme is hardly original, Ironweed manage to handle it with grace delivering fitting lyrics and infusing every track with a somewhat apocalyptic vibe. In fact, the disc has its distinct sombre style that pays tribute to a wide range of artists including both stoner rock and heavy metal acts.
The album's soundscape is obviously very sludge-oriented, yet stylistically it resembles heavy grunge of Alice In Chains origin rather than Kyuss-inspired fuzz rock. The motoric guitar riffs are frequently accompanied with harmonized soloing that, along with a pummeling rhythm section, evokes an apocalyptic vibe in the majority of compositions. Given that, there are some traditonal heavy metal undertones that especially surface in the vocals of Jeff Andrews who delivers a top-notch performance that ranges from seductively melodic to brazen and aggressive.
The first half of the disc is particularly impressive with several high-octane tunes that verge on being classic. "Now Stronger" makes for an amazing opener owing to its brisk pace coupled with a totally anthemic tone. You just can't help, but raise your fists high up in the air to this expertly conceived rocker. "Enduring Snakes" uses more conventional galloping stoner metal riffs to great effect, whereas "And The New Slaves" reveals a more vulnerable side of the band adding some welcome progressive elements to the table. It startlingly contrasts with "Awaken" which is basically a full fledged homage to classic heavy metal artists aside from being the most upbeat track on the disc.
The strengths of "Your World Of Tomorrow" may not be evident from the very get-go. The album certainly requires a number of listens to truly sink in. Once it does so, it immediately becomes apparent that we're dealing with one of the most evocative metal releases of the year.
4.0 Excellent
- Greg Fisher
The signs really were hidden in plain sight on Ironweed's 2008 debut, Indian Ladder (referred to as "metallic stoner rock"), but the Albany, New York band's sophomore return, Your World of Tomorrow, wipes away any doubt of their intense Soundgarden worship, particularly once the falsettos start flying (see "The Lucky Ones," "Awaken") and the guitar riffs start grinding into cyclopean spin cycles ("Heavy Crowns," "Red Circles," etc.) that would not sound all that misplaced on Chris Cornell and company's 1989 breakthrough, Louder Than Love. Back then, '90s alt rock was of course just a glimmer in Kurt Cobain's glazed eye (its precursor, college rock, was still trying to pass final exams), so it was not uncommon for listeners to lump guitar-centric outfits like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and even Jane's Addiction into the all-encompassing heavy metal category (don't forget that Jane's was actually in the running for a heavy metal Grammy in 1989). But then, once that gaggle of grunge gods wiped the music fashion slate clean and proceeded to wipe the floor with all metal bands -- the good, the bad, and the ugly, ugly glam ones -- even mentioning "alternative" and "metal" in the same sentence became nigh impossible. Now, two decades hence, it seems that the time has finally thawed out intra-genre enmity enough so that this musical odd couple can share tight quarters once again, and that's essentially what's happening all over Your World of Tomorrow (and many other contemporary albums out there), even though the aforementioned songs (most of them stacked in the album's second half) generally sound like second-rate Soundgarden wannabes. No, this album's vastly redeeming highlights -- namely "Now Stronger," "Enduring Snakes," and "A Graceful Death" -- are those that blend their alt metallic influences far less conspicuously and come up with much more individual, flowing, monsta-grooves instead. Another standout, "Messenger," shifts from brutish power chords to sensitive acoustic parts with astonishing ease, while "And the New Slaves" can't entirely make good on its hugely promising, seductive psychedelic intro, but sure comes damn close. The same is true, in broader terms, about Ironweed's second album as a whole: its songwriting inconsistencies and minor personality disorders forbid it from measuring up to the band's first, but it's a close call and, let's not forget, that first was pretty darn good.
- Eduardo Rivadavia
The cover of Your World of Tomorrow, the second LP from Albany heavyweight champion Ironweed, gives an immediate clue about its contents: brightly wide-eyed citizens with almost painfully beatific smiles on their faces loomed over by an Illuminati pyramid. Ironweed looks out at this wide, weird world in which we live and ain't sure it likes what it sees – corporations rule, the media caves in to the slightest pressure and the populace keeps its collective head buried so far in its computer screens its brainwaves have come ones and zeros. But fear not – Ironweed is here to kick against the pricks. The band wastes no time with fripperies – instead they distill four decades worth of metal down into a potent, heavy-as-fuck clash of riffs and power chords, like Black Sabbath, Trouble, Judas Priest and Kyuss orgying behind a Marshall stack. Frontdude Jeff Andrews singshrieks about Heavy Crowns, Red Circles and The Lucky Ones, and if specific gripes seem elusive, it's pretty clear he's really pissed about the way life moves in the 21st century. But even if you don't buy into the message, the medium makes perfect sense – check out the amazing And the New Slaves for a lesson on how to engage in earnest protest and still be guilty of assault and battery. The next time you want to raise your fist and your lighter at the same time, Your World of Tomorrow is your soundtrack.
- Michael Toland
Ironweed is a band that is hard to pin down. That was the case with 'Indian Ladder', their 2008 debut and it has not changed with follow-up 'Your World Of Tomorrow'. Is this still Southern Metal, is it perhaps more nu metal or should we just dub this modernized eighties hardrock? After listening to 'Your World Of Tomorrow' I tend to choose the latter, although Alice in Chains and even Tool references ('And The New Slaves') pop up at times. It most definitely is no stoner, a more or less logical thought knowing Ironweed's records are released by Small Stone Records.
'Your World Of Tomorrow' is a concept album – another typical remainder of the seventies and eighties. The record's main theme is a world that appears utopic, thanks to modern technology, but turns out to be more a dystopia once you look better. A world in which everyone is watched with the same modern technology, freedom is sacrificed for profit and greed. A world living on credit and passes its problems to the next generation. Sounds familiar? Ironweed keeps the pace high during the album. No mid tempo bullshit, just heavy rock that despite the thundering drum rolls appears old fashioned. In 1989 this may have been the next big thing. Now it is a kind of seldom heard retro. Could it be because we would rather forget metal from that particular period? Listen for example to 'Awaken' and shiver. Even if singer Jeff Andrews had been a bit more in tune and had been given a bit more talent, this would still be a horrible song.
'Your World Of Tomorrow' will disappoint most potential buyers. The average hardrock / AOR listener will judge Ironweed too wild, the stoner fan on the other hand thinks it is too cheesy and it never gets alternative or experimental, so the real snobs, eh… music lovers will dismiss it with characteristic arrogance. Because of this flaw I do not predict big sales, or it should be because of the (it must be said) intriguing and very well fitting cover layout made by Alexander von Wieding, who single handedly gives most Small Stone albums a nice and tasteful look.
Rating: 70/100
- Jan-Simon
I have to admit I never got round to checking out Ironweed's debut offering "Indian Ladder" which landed in 2008, so I approached my initial listen to this album with no idea what to expect other than some preconceived notion that it may involve some nice fat bluesy riffs, big grooves and beards that so many Small Stone bands excel in delivering. I didn't expect a powerhouse metal album with balls of steel!!!
Sure, the riffs here are certainly bigger than J-Lo's ass and fuzzier than Ron Jeremy's chest but they bristle with a metallic sheen that somehow manages to bring together elements of Alice In Chains style grunge with the catchier, groovier elements of Anthrax's prime 80's output. If I may be so bold as to make another Anthrax comparison I would say that Jeff Andrews' classic high throated vocals occupy the same territory as so many classic 80's power metal bands with something of a nod towards Joey Belladonna's helium fuelled approach.
This album is a mammoth riff-fest from start to finish that piles crunch on top of crunch bolstered up by relentless rhythms. A track by track run down is almost redundant though "The Lucky Ones" is a clear highlight with its incessant "My dead friends are the lucky ones" refrain that continues to ring out long after the album has finished. It isn't all heads down to the finish drum patterns and huge riffs however, Ironweed do know when to hold back and on a track such as "And The New Slaves" they show they are able to vary their dynamic attack as the song builds from a balladic verse to epic mid section through prog tinged psychedelia into a full on metal assault and back again before heading into outer space...pretty much all facets of the Ironweed sound blended into one song.
This may not be the most immediate album to grasp. I have to admit on first listen I was left thinking "what the fuck" as I felt that I'd been transported back 25 years to a time when my jeans were sprayed on and my hi-top trainers were pristine white, but repeated listens have opened up the subtleties held in this album. Most albums aren't without their weaknesses and "Awaken" is a bit of a dip; the vocals bordering on a little too shrill for easy listening and possessing a chorus that does delve into the cheesier side of 80's metal. Fortunately the rolling rhythms of "Messenger" quickly bring things back on track.
Recorded at Mad Oak studios under the guidance of Benny Grotto this is, as you might expect, an exceptional sounding piece of work with crisp, all encompassing guitars and an overall thick, warm tone that allows Andrews' vocals to shine.
I will admit, this isn't my favourite album in the Small Stone catalogue, but then the competition is pretty fierce. It is, however, as strong a metal album as is likely to be released this year and a million miles better than some of the appalling shit that is pedalled in the pages of Kerrang and Metal Hammer as the "next big thing". Definitely worth a listen if you're in a head busting mood.
- Ollie Stygall
I've been neglecting my pile of recent Small Stone releases lately. They've been sitting here for a few weeks now and every time I try to get around to writing them the demands of reality (ugh!) demand my attention and another day slips by. But not anymore! Here a triple decker of new stuff from the unusually consistent rock label.
I always liked the name Ironweed and now that I've heard their music I like that a lot, too. Hailing from the New York state capitol, Ironweed are easily the best thing to come from Albany since Blotto. Ironweed are a straight ahead pummeling metal band. Two crushing guitars, pounding rhythm section and lots of good yelling, Ironweed remind me of another great Small Stone band Solace. Fans of anything hard n heavy ranging from vintage Judas Priest to D.R.I. will love Ironweed. Starving iron dogs will feast upon this bloody platter of raw riff metal.
It's worth noting that all three of these releases were produced and recorded by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Boston. The sound is hard, clear and punchy and will definitely sound good in your car as flip off the slow pokes in the right lane.
- Woody
"Now Stronger," the opening track on Ironweed's sophomore album, Your World of Tomorrow, is a mega-sized mix of spacey ambition and aggressive thrust, and lays the groundwork for an entire album's worth of all-encompassing cosmic crunch. It might be said, then, that Your World of Tomorrow is a much more loftier effort than 2008′s Indian Ladder, and why not? With its eye-in-the-sky theme, Your World of Tomorrow finds the Albany band reworking their motorcycle metal into a groovier, albeit more paranoiac, ride. And while it still offers up its fair share of sludge n' fuzz with songs like "The Lucky Ones," "Enduring Snakes," "Messenger," and "Heavy Crowns," there's a noticeable move away from the stoner center thanks to the flashy dynamics on songs like "And the New Slaves," "Awaken," and "Red Circles". Make no mistake, though, Ironweed is still really fucking heavy, it's just that they've found occasion to take what they could from The Quill, Soundgarden, sHEAVY, and Solace and incorporate it into their ten ton sound. Best part is, the album ends as it starts, with closer "A Graceful Death" serving as mean, meteoric punctuation.
- Jeff Warren
They've undergone a few lineup changes since the release of their 2009 Small Stone debut, Indian Ladder, but Albany, New York's Ironweed have managed to maintain the tightness and the heaviness of that first album and even develop it some on the follow-up, Your World of Tomorrow. A rallying cry against the post-modern dystopia in which we live, the nine-cut, 40-minute full-length is rife with crisp songwriting, clear presentation and an overall straightforward style that the four-piece is well suited to. As per the Small Stone norm, tracking and mixing was handled by Benny Grotto at Mad Oak Studios in Massachusetts, and as per his norm, there's no sacrifice of the band's formidable live energy in the name of getting a professional sound. Your World of Tomorrow is heavy rock for heavy rockers, and I know there are plenty out there who will find satisfaction in the aggression and payoff these songs have to offer.
Ironweed trace their roots back to Albany outfit Greatdayforup, of which guitarist Mike Vitali and bassist Brendan Slater were members. I wasn't a huge fan of either Greatdayforup or the first Ironweed record, and even Your World of Tomorrow has a couple moments on it that feel contrived: the commercial balladry in the opening section of "And the New Slaves" and the '80s metal chorus of centerpiece track "Awaken" come most immediately to mind. Yet, for every down, there's an equal and opposite up: The swagger of "Messenger" is a heavy and unmistakable highlight of the album, and the earlier, faster-paced "The Lucky Ones" features Your World of Tomorrow's best scorching guitar lead and chorus alike. "Heavy Crowns," which pops up later, finds vocalist/guitarist Jeff Andrews playing up the considerable Solace influence in his singing to great effect, as does opener "Now Stronger," but there's something decidedly nü-metal in the chorus riff of that song (it can be a fine like sometimes), and it's just one of the tradeoffs I find myself making while listening to Ironweed's latest. The band – rounded out by the hefty drum work of newcomer Dan Dinsmore — is solid on a songwriting level, and it's easy to appreciate what they're going for on Your World of Tomorrow, but there are some misfires to go along with the hits as the album plays out.
On the whole, the record has a lot going for it: there's the agreeable concept, awesome Alexander Von Wieding artwork, Benny Grotto production, well-honed songs, tight performances and a few memorable tracks. But when it comes to what I want to hear, Ironweed has yet to change my mind, and if I want quality new-school heavy rock from Small Stone, I'm invariably going to reach for Gozu or Lo-Pan first – not to mention Solace, who really do come across as chief instigators even on the shorter "Red Circles" or closer "A Graceful Death," which follows. I respect the work Ironweed obviously puts into what they do, but even the most gripping passages of Your World of Tomorrow – "The Lucky Ones" and "Enduring Snakes" – don't seem to hold my attention as much as they feel like they should. That said, I'll make the point to say again that Ironweed are a talented and tight group and that these songs will no doubt find welcome in many ears among those in the heavy underground. I know I've said it before, but not everything is going to work for every listener, and I guess that's just what's going on here. I don't hate it, I'm not violently opposed to it or offended by it, but it gets a firm "meh," and among such indispensible other output from the label, it's not something I see myself revisiting. You might feel differently, and if you haven't heard Ironweed before, I'd still recommend checking them out so you can find out for yourself where you stand.
- H.P. Taskmaster


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Book your room at Flamingo Waterpark Resort
Standard Room, 2 Queen BedsMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 1 infant)
Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds, Park ViewMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 1 infant)
Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Park ViewMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Jetted Tub, Park ViewMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Early Booking Special -Room Assigned at Check-inMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Suite, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking (with Sofabed & Bunk Beds)Max Occupancy: 6 guests (up to 5 children, 2 infants)
Family-friendly Kissimmee resort with waterpark
Located in Kissimmee, Flamingo Waterpark Resort is in the entertainment district and convenient to Osceola Center for the Arts and Osceola County Stadium.
This family-friendly resort is within close proximity of Osceola Heritage Park and Silver Spurs Arena.
Make yourself at home in one of the 240 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Your room comes with a pillowtop bed. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with bathtubs or showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
Be sure to enjoy recreational amenities, including a water park (surcharge), an outdoor pool, and a lazy river. Additional features include complimentary wireless Internet access, an arcade/game room, and gift shops/newsstands. Guests can catch a ride to nearby destinations on the area shuttle (surcharge).
Satisfy your appetite at the resort's restaurant, which features a bar. Dining is also available at a coffee shop/café. While enjoying a refreshing dip in the resort pool, you can order your favorite drink at the poolside bar. Breakfast is available daily for a fee.
Featured amenities include a 24-hour business center, a computer station, and express check-out. Planning an event in Kissimmee? This resort has 4000 square feet (372 square meters) of space consisting of conference space and meeting rooms. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available on request), and free self parking is available onsite.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
At your hotel
At your hotel
Flamingo Waterpark Resort features a heated lounge pool, tower slides, and a zero-entry lazy river, also heated. Additional recreation options include a fitness center and game room. Dining options include a coffee shop and a poolside lounge.
Free WiFi and parking are provided at this Kissimmee resort. Events can be arranged in 4 flexible meeting rooms with catering available. Shuttle services to the airport, theme parks, and nearby areas are available for a fee. Laundry facilities and a 24-hour business center are additional conveniences provided to guests.
- 24-hour front desk
- Supervised childcare/activities (free)
- Airport transportation (surcharge)
- Arcade/game room
- Total number of rooms - 240
- Number of floors - 3
- ATM/banking
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Coffee shop or café
- Conference space
- Elevator/lift
- Express check-out
- Fitness facilities
- Shopping center shuttle (surcharge)
- Theme park shuttle (surcharge)
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Beach/pool umbrellas
- Billiards or pool table
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free Wi-Fi
- Lazy river
- Waterslide
- Computer station
- Water park access (surcharge)
- Laundry facilities
- Meeting rooms
- Multilingual staff
- RV, bus, truck parking
- Rooftop terrace
- Poolside bar
- Luggage storage
- Local Expert Concierge
- Restaurant
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Area shuttle (surcharge)
- 24-hour business center
- Conference space size (feet) - 4000
- Free self parking
- Conference space size (meters) - 372
- Number of meeting rooms - 4
- Pool cabanas (surcharge)
- Pool sun loungers
- Smoke-free property
- Number of buildings/towers - 6
- Spa tub
- Children's pool
- Outdoor pool
- Television in lobby
- Wedding services
Stay connected
Available in all rooms: Free Wi-Fi
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi
Park your car
Free self parking, RV, bus, truck parking
In your room
- Premium TV channels
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Air conditioning
- Climate control
- Ceiling fan
- Phone
- Free local calls
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Complimentary toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Bathtub or shower
- Desk
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Cable TV service
- Free Wi-Fi
- Pillowtop mattress
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
Eat and drink
Dulce Coffee Bar - Guests can select freshly prepared fare from a hearty breakfast buffet or order from an a la carte menu in the lounge. A children's menu is available. Open daily from 7-11 AM.
Tiki Bar - Poolside bar serving casual fare for lunch and dinner daily. Open daily from 11 AM-10 PM.
This resort features an extensive water park with a number of slides, a pool, and a lazy river. A fitness center and a game room are also located on site.
- Golfing nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Playground on site
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible path of travel
- Accessible parking
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
The fine print for Flamingo Waterpark Resort
When you arrive
Check-in time starts at 4 PM
When you leave
Check-out time is 11 AM
How you can pay
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
Only service dogs are allowed
No rollaway/extra beds available
Noise-free rooms not guaranteed
- Resort fee: USD 6 per accommodation, per night
- Pool access
- Fitness center access
- Business center/computer access
- Internet access (may be limited)
- Phone calls (may be limited)
- In-room safe
- In-room coffee
- Self parking
- Facilities fee: USD 8 per person, per day
We should mention
This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply). Guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation. Some facilities may have restricted access. Guests can contact the property for details using the contact information on the booking confirmation.


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TOMBLAINE, France—Canadas Ryder Hesjedal is now focusing on the London Olympics after a left leg and hip injury forced him out of the Tour de France. Dwight Freeney Jersey . The Giro dItalia champion, who was injured during the crash-marred sixth stage of the race, did not join his Garmin teammates at the start of Stage 7 and was flying home later Saturday. His Garmin-Sharp team said that Hesjedal was not able to pedal normally. Hesjedal was among at least two dozen riders caught up in a nasty crash with 26 kilometres left to go on Friday. He entered the day in ninth place but lost more than 13 minutes and dropped to 108th overall. "The problem is that the swelling is to a degree that he cant actually bend his leg, and you obviously need to bend your leg to race a bike," Garmin manager Jonathan Vaughters said. In a statement released by his team, Hesjedal said he was disappointed to abandon the race, ruing the fact that he was in good form and looking forward to reaching the mountains. "I only took a few days off the bike after the Giro before I started training again, and I have been very focused on doing a great Tour," Hesjedal said. "Its a huge disappointment." The Victoria native will now try to recover quickly in order to be ready for the London Games, where he is expected to compete with the Canadian team. "Ill go home, keep working with the medical staff on my recovery, and re-focus everything on the Olympics," he said. Another Garmin-Sharp rider, Robbie Hunter of South Africa, had to pull out ahead of Saturdays stage between Tomblaine and La Planche Des Belles Filles, in another blow to the American team. Almost all of the Garmin cyclists were caught up in Fridays pileup, the worst on this years race so far. Vaughters hopes his riders will be able to reach the first rest day next week without more trouble and recover from their injuries. "Then I think well have to play sort of an open and aggressive game and see how it goes," he said. "First things first. First thing is just to get to the rest day in a survival mode." Garmin has had its fair share of trouble since the Tour started. The team lost Tom Danielson on Friday night while sprinter Tyler Farrar, who has crashed several times, is still looking for his first stage win. Also this week, Garmin was embroiled in speculation surrounding the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigation into Lance Armstrong. A Dutch newspaper reported that several former teammates of the American—including two current Garmin riders and Vaughters—had struck a deal to testify against the seven-time Tour winner. Vaughters has dismissed the report as "completely untrue." Donald Brown Jersey . So the 33-year-old midfielder signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Thursday, the latest move in the clubs effort to improve following a last-place showing in its first Major League Soccer season. Elite Reggie Wayne Jersey . His mistake to Chris Young contributed to Atlantas 3-2 loss to Arizona on Thursday night. "I missed a spot," Kimbrel said. "Hes a good high-ball hitter, and I threw it right in his wheelhouse. http://www.cheapindianapoliscoltsjersey.com/andrew-luck-jersey .Va. —Webb Simpson likes the way hes avoiding bogeys and figures hell need to play smart again at the Greenbrier Classic to get his second win in three tournaments. Dwight Freeney Womens Jersey . Johnny Aprile, six-foot-two and 208 pounds out of Queens, was the 16th pick overall earlier this month and the Bombers plan on using him as a defensive back. Andrew Luck Youth Jersey . —The day after a playoff loss to the New York Giants in January, Donald Driver seemed resigned to the idea that he may have put on his Green Bay Packers uniform for the last time.Columbus, OH (Sports Network) – The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed defenseman Nikita Nikitin on Thursday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the Dispatch reported it is for $4.3 million over two years, including $2.5 million in 2013-14. The 26-year-old Russian was set to become a restricted free agent on July 11. Game Andrew Luck Jersey. Nikitin was acquired by the Jackets from the St. Louis Blues on November 11 in exchange for fellow rearguard Kris Russell. He finished the season with a combined seven goals and 32 points in 61 games. Over 102 appearances in two NHL seasons, Nikitin has totaled eight goals and 41 points. ' ' '
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