My Ramblings

A place for me and my friends to ramble on.

Everybody knows that purchasing a house is likely going to be the biggest investment of their lifetime. The saying is “You Buy A House, You Make It A Home.” You should feel safer in your homed than you do anywhere else in the world. There’s nothing quite so comforting as know that you have an adequate amount of mortgage protection insurance in the event of your untimely death.

When you buy a house it means that you’ve decided to make a long-term financial commitment. Unfortunately, you never know what the future holds. One thing’s for sure though. If you’ll go one step further and purchase mortgage insurance this will help alleviate the stress often caused by a weak financial plan. To say it plainly, if you don’t have some type of mortgage life insurance and you die unexpectedly there’s a good chance that your spouse and children will be forced to sell the house and move into an apartment.

Believe me, I know it’s tempting to skip the insurance in an attempt to save money. However, perhaps it’s time to do a bit of research. With the economy in the shape it’s in nowadays there’s a very good chance that you can get a better deal on mortgage life insurance that you might have imagined.

Think about it. You’re committed to taking care of your family while you’re alive, but what happens if something happens to you? Wouldn’t you feel more at ease with a mortgage protection insurance policy as part of your overall financial portfolio?

Honestly, finding the right mortgage life insurance policy is not difficult. If you do your research on the internet it’s really not even all that time-consuming. Trust me, the peace of mind you’ll get from it simply cannot be measured in dollars and cents. Actually, it will probably turn out to be the best decision you’ve ever made in your life.

Why Cross Media Publishing?

Whatever it is that your company needs to have printed or published, Cross Media Publishing is a state-of-the art comprehensive solution package which answers all your requirements and has a company-wide application.

Starting with a neutral data bank Cross Media Publishing is a simple and effective way to bring across the very essence of your company or your product to a clearly-defined target audience. The aim of Cross Media Publishing is to establish a consistent and stringent communication between your company and your customers, whatever the chosen channel of communication or medium. One great advantage is that unnecessary costs can be cut, and this irrespective of the size of your firm.

Product Information Management (PIM) means supplying high quality and up-to-date information on products for use in different media and for different company locations. The information in the form of product data, images, descriptions, texts and other sources is stored and administered in a modular systems architecture and can be used on WWW and intranet using a standardized technology. One of the most important aspects of PIM is that the individual product data is stored in a inter-exchangable form. If PIM is not used, there is a danger that the product information is not accessible throughout the company, and can only be used once.

A good Cross Media Publishing system guarantees the highest possible benefits for your company:

  • Optimal integration into the existing systems environment
  • Modular solution
  • Utilisation of existing standards such as Java et. al.
  • Compatible with prevalent software and hardware platforms
  • Modern software architecture
  • Data can be easily maintained because the content, structure and layout are separated
  • Final publishing in print and online media can be effected with a high level of automation
  • Customer communication can be optimised
  • Cross Media Publishing can be implemented fast and with little effort

Nikon D90 Price

If you have less than $1,500 but more than $700 for a Nikon digital SLR, then the Nikon D90 is THE camera. The Nikon D90 price is currently $1,000 - $1,300 in Amazon. If you want to buy Nikon D90, then now is probably the right time.

Nikon D40 and Nikon D60

Why go for the Nikon D40 and Nikon D60 if there is an available Nikon D90? The major reason for getting a D90 is for its many fine extra features. For example, the Nikon D90 has a depth-of-field preview button.

Another reason is that the D90 makes better photos in almost all picture-taking situations. This is afforded by its Auto ADR feature, which is always on by default.

What about the D80?

The D80 is more expensive, but that does not translate to quality and performance. Although cheaper, the D90 is a great upgrade.  Here are some upgrades of the D90: 3-inch LCD with higher resolution, 2 extra MP, choice to get a VR 18-105mm kit lens, and 1 stop extra ISO up to 6400.

What about the D300 and D700?

The D300 and D700 are much tougher than the D90. They are also faster if you do sports or event photography. But the funny reality is that the D90 is just as good as the two older models in terms of picture quality in good light.

Spending more money for a D3, D700, or D300 will give you more durability as well as much faster frame rates and focus, but the advantages seem to stop there. The Nikon D90, on the other hand, also sports these same features, while also providing great photo quality and terrific LCD screen.

Other nice features

The Nikon D90 has many positive points that will give you a great value for money. One of the selling points is the fact that the D90 has the ability to shoot HD video. The D90 handles great, and the defective exposure metering of the D80 and D40 is gone; the flash metering is also perfect.

 

When I find something I like, I always want to tell as many of my friends, family members, acquaintances and anyone else who will listen about it. My latest find is EZ Driving Directions. I stumbled across this great and helpful site when I was trying to decide between google mapquest driving directions. I found all kinds of helpful information about free online direction sites there. In fact, I found out some things I did not even know such as that google offers 3D maps as part of their service options. I went there and looked up a route from my home to my office just for fun.

Over the years I have used different websites and different programs for my travel needs but I have not been able to depend on one in particular. It seems that one site is great for one thing but another site is great for another. I am now tempted to give maps google a try and see if that website can not accommodate all of my needs on one website instead of having to go to different locations to map out my trips, my short distance drives and even book some travel plans other then mapping. I am anxious to use the site.

There have been a few times where I have gotten directions online and they just didn’t make sense.  However, when it comes to yahoo maps I have never been led to the wrong destination.  They just don’t ever seen to be fooled by construction, or names changes with roads.  There have even been a few times where i’ve seen the directions change within a matter of days of taking the same route.  They seem to do a much better job keeping their systems up to date with what is going on out there in the real world of mapping software.

Kidventure Camps In Houston

Kidventure Summer Day Camps operate at various venues around Houston and there is also one at Austin. The program is divided into three age groups. Discoverers is for children aged 3 - 5 years old, Explorers is for Grade 1 - age 8, and Adventurers is for age 9 to 13. There are lots of activities and field trips for older children. These camps in Houston are officially licensed Child Care Centers. Kidventure also run Finale After School Camps in association with The Regis School and St. Theresa’s Catholic School. The company hosts special events, such as the Houston Children Festival.

For the budding rock star, there is no need to settle for playing air guitar. DayJams Rock Music Day Camps are located across the USA, including a camp in Houston. The camp is open to children aged 8 to 15 years and beginners, intermediate or advanced musicians are welcome. Campers learn from local professional musicians in individual and group lessons and they can choose to study drums, guitar, bass, horns, keyboards or vocals. He or she will be part of a band, whose task is to write a song and practice it. The song is then given a public performance for campers’ family and friends.

Science can be fun and this is proved at the Super Science Camp. The program contains sessions in Dissecting, Electronics, Chemistry and much more. Older children learn about Forensic Techniques and younger children can build a motorized vehicle which they can race and even launch a rocket.

There are many sports themed camps in Houston for individual and team sports. The Boykins Summer League Football Cheerleaders Camp teaches football skills to the boys and cheerleading techniques to the girls. The boys learn about positions, footwork, teamwork, and discipline whilst the girls also learn about positions and teamwork, in addition to dance, cheers and chants. Dodgeball Camp is for children in the 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade who want to have fun, practicing five different kinds of Dodgeball. These are Classic Dodgeball, Paintball, Star Wars, Fast Dodgeball, and Speed Ball.

Horses are an important part of the Texas economy and the All Heart Horse Farm is a camp in Houston, designed for riders at every skill level, including first timers. Campers learn about riding skills, Horse Management Skills and Horse Care and Grooming. There are four-day sessions, culminating in the final Horse Show Exhibition, which everyone gets a chance to participate in.

LUK learning system specialLUK provides effective and enjoyable activities to develop intellectual growth for children ages 2 years old and up. Each LUK system contains an uniquely designed controller for self-checking and series of workbooks each targeted for specific skills. The learning model is consistent and easy for children to operate. The contents of the workbooks are age appropriate, challenging, and fun to play. It is an excellent flexible system, which helps children master higher level thinking skills while at the same time adapting to individual needs. This system is designed for independent learning, guided play, or small group instruction. It is ideal to be used in learning centers, schools or at home.

LUK learning systems for different age groups:

SpecialLUK for age 2+ and children with special needs

Extending the innovative bambinoLUK design for play and learn, SpecialLUK features specially designed exercises with focuses on promoting the most critical developmental processes in sensory, cognitive, communicative and physical development for children.

Strengthen fine motor skills Encourage eye-hand coordination Strengthen fine motor skills and encourage eye-hand coordination through the fun playing activities. and etc

bambinoLUK for age 3 to 5 -Complete intellectual development system for age 3-5

bambinoLUK system is designed to maximize children’s learning through play while meeting individual needs. It contains one easy-to-operate controller with 6 tiles and a series of workbooks targeted for children’s intellectual and developmental growth.

Innovative self-checking design The elegantly designed controller consists of 6 large and sturdy tiles in a high-quality transparent case. The whole playing process will strengthen their fine motor skills while enhancing their eye-hand and brain coordination. The innovative design features a self-checking mechanism with a colorful dotted pattern. etc

miniLUK Advance Brain Olympics series for age 5 to 8 Complete intellectual development system for age 5-8

miniLUK system is designed to maximize children’s learning through play and is flexible enough to adapt to an individual’s ability. It contains one easy-to-operate controller with 12 tiles and a series of workbooks targeted for various intellectual developmental areas.

Innovative self-checking design Symmetric pattern with 12 tiles The elegantly designed controller consists of 12 tiles in a high-quality plastic case with a transparent lid. The whole playing process will promote children’s ability to recognize numbers and strengthen their fine motor skills while enhancing their eye-hand and brain coordination. The innovative design features a self-checking mechanism with a unique symmetric pattern. etc.

Being fat or obese has become a larger problem for most people over time. However you can beat obesity and get healthy a lot quicker if you exercise regularly. In the times we live in, most people will drive to work and home and usually will do nothing physical at their job. Then when you get home from work you do little to no exercise and only lay around and watch tv. Walking is a good exercise but if weather does not permit it, it becomes difficult. Having exercise bikes at your house is a great solution for you to easily get into shape. You can quickly hop onto your exercise bike and start burning fat whenever you want to. If you have your own exercise equipment at home you realize how great it is. You don’t have to worry about paying membership fees or jogging on the street.

Having your own Proform exercise bikes at home is convenient and very nice. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of pieces of exercise bikes. This is the reason I suggest that you take into account your budget, view some ratings and reviews and choose whats best for your needs. If you have your own home gym you know that you save a lot of money in the long run because you don’t have to go to the gym and spend money on gas and membership fees. Having your own exercise bike at home comes with many benefits. You don’t have to take your fitness equipment out of the house. You can get fit and burn fat whenever you want at your own home. This is why you need your own fitness equipment at home.

Another exercise bike benefit is that it is economical. Another exercise bike benefit is that you can use it whatever your fitness level. If you have arthritis or problems with your joints then a exercise bike is great for you.

Bike exercises also improve the heart and lung fitness. Thus you will benefit more if you combine bike exercises with walking and aerobic ones.

The Magic Of Injection for Botox

Botox cosmetic treatments have become a very hot topic around the world for a variety of reasons. It is often used to remove wrinkles that form around the eyes. Botox will soften moderate to severe frown lines & lines between your brows. Once processed, its injection serves to interfere with nerve impulses, amongst other things. As such, it has come to serve many purposes in non-surgical Wrinkles Removal, namely the removal of lines. An improvement can be seen within days and your youthful face may last up to 4 months.

The image society has about being beautiful has changed from what it was a few decades ago. Looking very best all the time is much more important in our society today than it was back then.Besides, Injections of Botox for the temporary removal of facial lines are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In other word, it is very safe to use. Nevertheless, Botox promises rapid outcomes. Visible results are produced within the day or immediately the next day.

Besides the Botox injections Cost, there are also very few side effects to be concerned with. However, antibiotics used to treat infections, such as clindamycin, tobramycin, lincomycin and gentamicin; medications used to treat heart rhythm problems, such as quinidine; and medications used to treat other conditions, such as myasthenia gravis, ALS or Alzheimer’s disease may be dangerous if mixed with Botox. You are not advisable to adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider allows you to do so. On the other hand, the beneficial effects of Botox lasted an average of 200 days.

Conduct more result on the product so that you will know what is expected and what the possible risks and complications are. Although most people are able to have Botox treatments done, you should only use someone who is very experienced in the procedures. Remember that you will get the best results if you put time and effort into finding out about all these things before using Botox cosmetics. Remember always, it may not be for you even though it may be something hypoallergenic to millions of people out there. Who knows? Check before you decide! And of course you should consult a doctor before taking any Botox treatments

Insurance For Young Drivers

There are several types of conferences; the dictionary definition of conference says “A meeting for the exchange of views”.

My interpretation of conference, being a conference producer, is a place where people meet to confer and share knowledge. In the sharing theme I have decided to detail the elements required to ensure your conference goes smoothly. Whether you are getting a conference production company like mine to do it for you, or if you are going to manage it yourself, follow this outline and you can be assured that if you have made ample allowances for each of the items then your attendees (usually called delegates) will have a great day out.

There are many different types of conferences, one of the most popular types are seminars which are normally an academic style forum where people go to learn about a specific topic.Quite a few companies run free seminars to teach their clients about the products they sell and how they can help to fulfil a need. Quite often the clients do not realise they have the need until the seminar is over!

I mention Forum above because this is probably (at least to my knowledge) the oldest type of meeting or conference that I am aware of. My partner Sam will cringe at this, as when I discuss my work, I always have to get the Romans in somewhere! A lot of the passion in my work comes from Roman history.

A Short History of Conferences

The forum as many people are aware was the centre of power in Rome for many hundreds of years, a Roman general would return from a successful campaign and he would have been received at the forum and made a speech from the rostrum to the Roman people, about what he encountered on his travels and how he overcame the challenges he faced.

So for thousands of years people have been having conferences around the world, the tools for doing the job have changed, but I can imagine and have indeed read about, the effort and organisation that went into preparing for one was the major component of its success.

Things haven’t changed much no matter how large or small a conference is, there are some rules that we must all follow, if it is to be a successful event.

The Right Venue

Once you have a reason to hold a conference and an audience to attend the next step is venue selection, this is crucial as you will need a room large enough for the numbers attending, without being too large. If you are going to have a conference set with rear projection then the throw distance has to be taken into account when you are looking at the room, (I will come onto throw distance later when thing get more technical) as this uses space too.

Once you have a main meeting room suitable for your delegate numbers, you then have to consider where they will have tea and coffee breaks for networking and if there is potential for exhibition style displays. Quite often a conference you will have a large group of industry leaders and corporate decision makers, why not create a form of exhibition area to promote ancillary products or services?

A good idea when responsible for conference management is to take note of the amount of international visitors and ensuring the trip from the airport is an easy one for the delegates who will be flying in.

Remember if you are going to do the job right you are also responsible for the delegate experience prior to arriving at the venue, you want them to have a pleasant journey and feel as relaxed as possible on arrival so venue location is very important, as is the type of venue.

Conference Production

Once a venue has been selected and it fits with all the criteria above, then it’s time to give your production company a call, they will normally recommend a site visit, so the room can be measured to check all of the conference production elements fit within the room available. There is nothing worse than turning up on the day to find something wont fit!

There are various different styles of the seating and this is an important consideration. There is theatre style seating where the delegates sit in rows next to each other. Then you have classroom style seating where delegates sit next to each other with a slim table in front similar to when you might take an exam. Then there is cabaret style seating which is where delegates are seated on round tables normally 6 feet in diameter.

After your production company has completed the site visit they will propose the elements of staging you require to achieve your purpose. This will include stage and set, video projection, sound, lighting, crew levels and any pre-production specifics.

Pre-production

Not all conferences require pre-production, for example if your conference has PowerPoint slides you may want your production company to create them for you, a lot of companies now have the resources to do this in-house, but if that is the case they need to be of a professional standard.

You may want a video to be created, there are different types of messages you could utilise a video for, for example, a short opening sting, like an advert, to give an uplifting start to your show.

Sometimes there may be presenters that can’t attend so you could have them videoed prior to the event and then played back during the conference at the allotted segment.

Not all presenters are comfortable with presenting, so a speaker coach may be a good idea, the coach will do as much or as little as is required. Usually they will come into your offices and asses the presenters, presentation techniques and will advise accordingly.Speaker coaches can be invaluable to the success of your event if your presenters are new to their role and do not have any public speaking experience.

Scheduling event managements can be very time consuming and stressful, particularly if you have not done it before, so for larger conferences it is recommended that you engage a professional organisation to ensure the day is a success until you gained experience organising some smaller events.

However, if you decide to do it yourself, then below are some useful hints and tips to creating your own successful conference production.

Set and Staging

A conference set is usually a timber framed construction covered in a material of a colour that fits the client’s corporate colours, normally this would have an aperture in it for rear projection with a screen, the screen should be large enough for all of the audience to see the content on the screen without too much trouble.There is nothing worse than being on the back row and not being able to see the screen, especially if it forms a major part of the presentation.

The base of the screen, known as the under panel, needs to be at least 1.2m (5ft) to ensure the audience has a clear view over the heads of the people sat in front of them.
This is where the ceiling height comes into play. For example if you had a screen height of 2.5m, a screen base of 1.2m and a screen header, above the screen, of 300mm the minimum ceiling height required is 4m, be sure to take into account any staging or steps in your measurements.

There are many different styles of set you can use, many companies have a stock set option which is pre-built, when it is used it is recovered to suit the client’s corporate branding. Other styles of set include a bespoke set where you consult a designer who will take a brief from you regarding the theme of the event and come up with a purpose built set with various options. This is of course more expensive compared to the standard stock set options. Provided you use a competent production company a stock set will do the job fine, unless you need something really different.

Whether you decide on a stock or bespoke set it is advisable to have some scale floor plans created to ensure all the elements fit into the available space and most production companies will do this in-house. if you went for the bespoke option you would receive some 3D drawings so you can visualise what the set will look like in the venue.

Once the set has been decided upon then the stage will also need to be included in the plans. The most cost effective stage option for corporate events is a standard stage the width of the set, which is normally about 2.5m deep and 450mm high.

The size also depends on what you want to have on stage during the conference, for example if you are going to have just one lectern or two, or if there is a requirement for a top table or some comfortable chairs and a coffee table.

Video Projection

Video projection is required if you want to put an image on the screen behind the speaker. The image can be data or video playback or indeed both. At small conferences this may just be a data projector and a laptop, controlled from the lectern, either with the client pushing buttons or with the help of a remote mouse so a presenter can move around the stage area freely.These are a great tool and whilst being relatively cheap to buy really help the presenter to get into their presentation!

You can also use a stage monitor screen so the presenter can see the slide changes without having to turn and look at the screen, the presenter should never have their back to the audience. To enable this you will require what we call a VCA DA this piece of equipment splits the signal from the laptop to both the projector and the stage monitor screen. Generally this is a trade tool only of the AV industry so if you can’t find one ask your conference production company to provide it.

If the presenter is more akin to speaking than using a computer and doesn’t want to control their own slides then a cue light system can be used. This is a hand held controller that when pressed sends a signal to a light backstage and a technician then forwards the slides for the speaker.

If you want to play DVD’s you will require a DVD player with a preview monitor and a switcher. There are many different switchers you can use but it is recommended that if you’re going to play a lot of videos during your event then a good quality data switcher should be used.

So you’ve got your data projector, your cue light system, your stage monitor and your DVD playback.

What other ways can corporate events be enhanced by using video projection?

Recently I did an event which had a live camera feed. Much the same as you are used to seeing a music concerts, where there is a large screen showing the view from a live camera.

The client wanted this for two different reasons firstly there was a presenter that didn’t have any PowerPoint slides except a name slide, so when he was presenting we had a live camera feed on the screen so the audience had a more up close and personal experience with the presentation. Then we utilised the live camera feed during the question and answer session for the same effect. By using two cameras we were able to switch between the person asking the question and the speaker responding to the question so everyone could properly see and hear both the question and the answer.

The second reason was that the client wanted to use some footage for the internet like a webcast, to be run after the live event. Certain elements of the conference were edited out and compressed for the internet so that delegates who were unable to attend could get a feeling of the content of the conference|, simply by watching it on their PC’s}.

Sound System (Public Address PA)

The sound system can range from a couple of speakers and one microphone in a small conference for say 50 delegates, or multiple speakers and microphones for up to thousands of delegates.

The basic sound system requirements are speakers, amplifiers, microphones and a mixing desk, to enable each microphone or set of speakers to be turned up and down as required.

The speakers are generally on stands, however if you are organising a large conference they may be able to be flown from truss above to give an even coverage in the centre of the room.

In the event that you do have a very large audience than a delay line is required, this ensures that the signal reaches all of the speakers in the various locations around the room, or venue, at the exact same time removing any echo.

There are various different types of microphones, the most commonly used these days are the tie clip radio microphones which enables the presenter the freedom to walk around the stage cable free.

If the presenters are going to stay at the lectern then lectern microphones which are wired are more suitable.

With regards the amplifier, most professional amps will run four speakers so if you need eight speakers for good coverage then two amplifiers will be needed. When the amount of speakers and amplifiers is specified, the next piece of equipment required is a mixing desk, generally people who are doing their own event don’t plan for this, but it can be the one piece of crucial equipment that makes the difference between an amateur and a professional event.

The mixing desk takes in all the signals that need to be heard through the speakers, such as the microphones, CD players and video playback. Once the equipment is plugged into the Mixing console, a feed is taken out of the desk and into the amplifiers, then from the amplifier to the speakers.

After this has been done the sound engineer then equalises the system which in layman’s terms means making it sound good in areas of the room. A well equalised sound system will have the feeling for the delegate, that the presenter is seated next to them not shouting from the front of the room.

All mixing consoles have a basic equaliser on the unit itself, however a professional conference producer will know it is advisable to get a separate graphic equaliser which has more options on it.

In a very large room it is recommend having what is called a multicore which as the name suggests is a cable with multiple cores inside it that carries the signals up and down the room from the control position from front of house to the control position backstage.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important visual elements of the conference. If you don’t have the luxury of a bespoke conference set then lighting can make all the difference.

There are several different types of lighting available, there is up-lighting normally provided by Par 64 floor cans, which you will recognise from seeing any professionally staged event. These can have coloured gel in them to add a set wash. There are also Fresnells which is a type of lamp which can hang from a truss or floor stand and again these can have a coloured gel in them to provide a set wash or coloured lighting effects. Profile lights are used to highlight elements of the set such as logos, steps or other details.

The most modern type of lamps on the market are LED lights. They are the most expensive type of lighting but they are worth it if you have the budget, the beauty of this type of lighting is that it can change colour at the press of a button|, which saves having to use gels to set the colour, and of course is a much more flexible for of lighting. I am sure you have seen LED lights being used all over the place these days, in torches, in mirrors, in cars, there are even some new cats eyes in the road that use LED lights.

Once the Lighting type and style is specified then it’s a good idea to get a lighting designer involved.

The designer will specify the type of lamp, where it should go, and what it’s going to do, if possible it’s best to hang lighting on a truss in front of the set, as opposed to using floor mounted stands. After the lighting has been decided on then it will need power, this usually comes from the venue supply via a dimmer rack to the lamps.

Crew

The crew is very important as they pull all the elements of the show together, professional conference production companies will know the value of a crew communication system which comprises of headphones and belt packs for each crew member allowing them to communicate with each other, and the production manager or producer.

On larger shows we have a production manager and if required a conference producer, either one of these will show call, which means they will tell the crew what they should be doing and when they should be doing it. For example, when a video is due to be played they will let the video engineer, the sound engineer and the lighting engineers know in advance so they are ready when the caller say run VT.

Transportation

Again transportation is a crucial aspect of any event, or else how is everything you have ordered going to get there at the right time on the right day? The size of the vehicle is dependent on the size of the show, it can be anything from a transit size van up to an arctic with a 40ft trailer. It is the responsibility of the conference production company to decide on the type and size of transportation, but remember if you are booking a venue and it’s a large show that requires an arctic then make sure the vehicle can get into the loading bay! Fortunately it is not from my own experience that I have learnt this but from watching a competitor learn the it the hard way many years ago at an event I was working at!

In Summary

Organising a conference requires a lot of forward planning, the more you put in to it at the beginning the smoother it will run on the day.

Remember to look after your crew because they are the ones who enable it to all happen, look after your presenters because they are the ones it is happening for, and most importantly look after your delegates if you want it to happen to them again in the future.

I fell in love with American roots music while I was in college in the late 1960s. The irony of that is that I was born and grew up in the Washington, DC area and had to move to Minnesota to hear the blues for the first time!

I should say that it was in college that I first heard the blues played by the original artists. I’d been a big fan of the Rolling Stones and numerous other British Invasion groups who were all playing their versions of the blues, or derivatives thereof. I just had no idea at the time that they’d been so heavily influenced by a whole generation of musicians that I’d never heard of.

In the meantime, there were American musicians playing blues and blues-influenced rock to small, but devoted audiences. Three of my favorites (discovered for the most part years later) were Lonnie Mack, Albert Collins and Roy Buchanan. Lonnie Mack is best known for his radio hits, but is a killer blues player as I discovered much to my surprise when Alligator Records put out a video of a concert with Lonnie, Albert and Roy at Carnegie Hall in New York City from the early 1990s. The concert was called “Further On Down The Road” and was a real eye-opener for me when I first saw it. It’s still one of my favorite videos.

With the explosion of videos on the Internet, there is a wealth of blues video footage from the 1950s through today. It’s a blessing that so much still survives from the early days. Watching some of these legends perform helps make it clear just why they are legendary.

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