Ok all you arts and science enthusiasts, have I got a cool experience to share with you!
As you know, I like to promote artists of all genres. Well, in an effort to see what the city of
Louisville, KY, had in the way of artists I spent a Saturday scoping downtown and was able to visit the Louisville Science Center thanks to the freindly and intelligent Danielle Waller. I heard that they had local art there so I was on a mission to see exactly what it was. What I
actually experienced was one of the coolest places I’ve been and not just because of the immensely spectacular Titanic Exhibit.
This four-floor building held many surprises ranging from nearly 150 learning and activity stations to a four story IMAX Theatre. I’m talking about teaching laboratories, a fun way to learn about the human body with trivia game consoles, arcade style bacteria smashing and my favorite, the x-rays. Yes, people in positions doing everyday activites with a screen that shows an X-RAY of what happens while you do it, none of which made me queezy.
This largest hands-on science center in Kentucky also had an awesome variety of interactive ways to learn about industrial technology, building your own bike, skeleton weight lifting, a huge wall screen map that told you of different places around Kentucky, wildlife, a machine that showed you pictures of what you’ll look like every couple decades, a kids zone that made me wish I was 10 again, 3 or more different educational and breathtaking movies on their IMAX screen, info on chemistry, telecommunications, physics, manufacturing, oh I could go on and on. So I will.
Their exhibit, The World Around Us, combines natural and earth sciences to create a fantastic range of interactive and multimedia activities. Three awesome ecological galleries that cover the atmosphere, terrashpere and aquasphere will excite you if you’re an environment buff.
For history fans their Discovery Gallery has natural history collections that includes cool, interactive learning experiences with the mummy, polar bears and Gemini trainer.
The World We Create is a fascinating exhibit
that introduces you to a mixture of manufacturing, transportation, chemistry, architecture, physics, engineering and communication. You can actually indulge all your senses in this fun environment and also compute and design stuff. There’s even physical science exploration. True! Here you can build with blocks, conduct chemistry experiments, design a bike, delivering high-tech packages and more. No pyromania exhibits though, thankfully. This was a lot of fun!
Another amazing exhibit was The World Within Us. According to their site, it “lets you get to know the amazing body that’s yours for life. Learn more about how your body works through hands-on exhibits that will give you a new appreciation for the parts most people take for granted. How does your voice work? Just how large is a large intestine? You’ll never see your body in the same way again!” Well, they were right. In a salute to my mother, a nurse, I would soon head to this amazing exhibit where I’ll also see how healthy and unhealthy lifestyle choices affect my body, as if the reflection in the mirror wasn’t enough. And I sure wasn’t going to miss the recommended highlights, “Out of Control: Slide behind the wheel of an orange Volkswagen and experience the difference between driving sober and driving under the influence of alcohol. Time Machine: This photo booth takes you into the future so you can see how you might look in 20, 30 or 40 years.Amazing Beginnings: In a reverent, awe-inspiring display, eight human embryos and fetuses show how you grew from two autonomous cells.” Before I could get into more meat and potatoes of this fine facility I had to check out their intense Titanic exhibit. If you have never seen this historic adventure you should head out to wherever it’s going next. Seeing this with my own eyes was simply awesome. Very educational, very breathtaking and it had cool, detailed touches to boot. Before entering we were told that the cases which held the artifacts were on an alarm system. I was also handed a mock boarding pass with the name of one of the passengers that actually rode on the Titanic. At the end of the exhibit I was to find the name in the list of survivors or the list of those who perished that tragic night. Sad to say, my guy and his family didn’t make it. I also have to mention that they had an actual large piece of a freshwater iceburg there as well. It was so cold. It was to let people get an idea of how cold the water was when the Titanic went down. In fact, the water was colder than that iceburg.
The exhibit walls had pictures of those on the massive boat and brief stories of others. The belongings in the cases had photos and stories of those whom they belonged to and there was even a pair of phones that had recordings of what eye witnesses who survived had described about the tragedy. Intense! There was a volunteer there as well who was stuffed full of information that the exhibit did not display. To me, it was icing on the cake. So, of course, I had to check out the four-story IMAX screening of James Cameron’s deep sea dive to explore the Titanic.
Inisde this 250 capacity theater it was difficult to find a seat but it was well worth it. The screen was in your face like a dog wanting a cookie. The way it added to the historic allure of the Titanic Exhibit was incredible. I could not imagine going there ever again without also partaking in an IMAX adventure. I even think only one kid cried. That’s impressive due to the number of families with children that were there.
This wonderful Titanic piece catered to my assistant, Stephanie in major ways. It is her favorite historical story so I let her write an article on the exhibit for you to read at the end of this article. Yes, I’m that kind.
After the movie was over I spent a lot of time in the health science section, “The World Within Us.” It was the most interactive learning experience I’ve ever witnessed (and that includes the game, Charades, and the kids game, Memory. Ha.) Huge displays in vibrant colors really grabbed my attention. Computers with Trivia about what you just saw were there as well to test your smarts factor. Devices that let you see pieces of bone construction via magnifiying glass, a machine that showed you what vision is like with several different diseases, a lot of different interactive ways to see your heart at work, and the list goes on and on. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the skeletal movements as I simulated weight lifting and enjoyed destroying bacteria via an arcade video game machine.
I witnessed the aging process of my associate, Stephanie, as she sat in front of this screen that took her picture and showed her what she would theoretically look like every 20 years until age 85. According to the machine she wouldn’t gain much weight, she would get glaucoma judging by how one of her eyes looked and that she would actually live to age 85. Theoretic flaws aside, this was unique entertainment. We also saw the KidZone where little ones could play and learn. I’ll just say that Ronald McDonald would be jealous. I also witnessed some cool nature and wildlife history of Kentucky and was in gemstone heaven in their surprisingly varied gift shop. Come on now, a gemstone vending machine? Yes! Fifty cents in, a handful of gemstones out. $2.00 later and we needed a bag for them. Those clever little vendors and that wonderful machine! Before you think I’m some dork I’ll have you know I’m a gemstone fanatic.
Finally, after so much fun, I found the only spot that had local artwork. It was hanging on the wall along the hall by the IMAX theater entrance. More than a dozen paintings decorated the wall all by the same artist, Margaret Oechsli, PHD . She uses a process called Photomicrography. As I understand it, it’s photography through a microscope. Her unique artwork includes different medicines with cool pieces such as “Dots Going For The Walk,” “Vagueness of Being” and “Almond Default” which all are priced at $1500. Amazing idea, her artwork! She crafts it very well. Sadly, that’s all they seemed to have in regards to local art. Well, it wasn’t really sad. the rest of the museum was just too cool for words.
I wish I could have stayed there longer. We spent over four hours there and didn’t even get to experience a good third of the place. Danielle Waller says that the ROBOTS exhibit starts in about two weeks, an exhibit based off the animated movie ROBOTS. How cool is that? When I go back to write on it I will partake in the rest of the adventure that is the Louisville Science Center . Next time I will focus greatly on the exhibit. This article was to let you know about this entertaining complex. Maybe one day they’ll have a mime display. It would be more acceptable than a drunk driving display. Yikes! To see for yourself all the other things this place has to offer and its rich history visit the site at www.LouisvilleScience.organd when you visit, let them know that Daniel sent ya!
So to Danielle, Josh, Kelly and the rest of the staff, thank you for your hospitality, your energy, and passion. It was one of the coolest places I’ve been. I look forward to seeing you all again very soon!
– Daniel C. Morrison aka the Hit Man for Arts and Entertainment Connexions Shout! Radio Services DanielsDoorstep.com
A Walk Through The RMS Titanic Exhibit at The Louisville Science Center Written By: Stephanie Pacey Titanic’s story is still heard even from the dark, abysmal silence of the bottom of The Atlantic. It has been almost ninety-eight years since that fateful night that the White Star ocean liner set sail on it’s first and last journey to its watery grave. Today, the luxury ship sits over 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface as a massive tomb for over 1,500 souls and millions of memories.
The Louisville Science Center’s exhibit on this tragic loss is beyond what you would call “informative”. Unlike most historical walks through time, not only do you learn about things you wouldn’t possibly know, you actually enjoy learning little known facts about Titanic, and are able to recall them later on. They incorporate every way of learning that is known in society into one massive place. Everyone knows the story of Titanic, even today’s middle school students know a little about the ill-fated, maiden voyage of the largest and most luxurious ocean liner ever made at the time. Whether they learned about it in school or watched the movie, they know the basics. What the exhibit in the Science Center had to offer was above and beyond.
At the beginning of the exhibit, you are told by one of the many workers donning lab coats that the artifacts actually come from excavations of the wreckage, and because of their delicate condition, they are encased in glass that will sound an alarm if it is touched. You are also told to look out for “major butt”, who ends up being a passenger from Louisville named Major Archibald Butt. So in finding the amusement of this tragically, yet humorously named man, you remember the name later on at the end of the exhibit. They give you a faux boarding pass with a name of a passenger on it, why they are travelling, who they are travelling with, and what they do for a living.
As you walk through, there are framed pictures and facts along the walls, and encased artifacts such as: American currency, bank notes, dinnerware, pots and pans, hair brushes, toothpaste containers, Gillette razor blade wrapper, a champagne bottle with liquid still in it, a marriage certificate, the list goes on and on. There is also a part in which you see a menu of what types of food was served to each class rank. There is also a fun fact stating that one ticket for first class would be around 100,000 dollars today. The most aristocratic passenger was John Jacob Astor who was a businessman in New York. Mr. Joseph Bruce Ismay was the owner of Titanic and was on the ship when it hit the iceberg. He was also the man behind how fast the ship was going and how many lifeboats were on the ship on its maiden voyage. He survived by getting on collapsable lifeboat C. Mr. Thomas Andrews was the ship’s builder, and spent his last hours telling people to get on the lifeboats and to put on a lifejacket. Sadly, he did not survive.
Near the end of the exhibit you come to an actual freshwater iceberg that you touch to feel how cold the water would have been for the 1,500+ souls that didn’t manage to get on a lifeboat because there weren’t enough to rescue everyone on board. You also get to see some AuGratin dishes found stacked neatly in the rows they were in when the ship sank. At the end, you walk to a wall that has the classes, and a list of who survived and who perished. You are to take your boarding pass and try to locate the name on it to see what happened to them that cold night on April 14th, 1912. You could also go to their IMAX Theater and see “Ghosts of the Abyss”, a short film by James Cameron, the director of Titanic starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. It takes you on an exploration of Titanic’s wreckage and stars Bill Paxton who is a guest on the quest. There is also two special guests called : Jake and Elwood, two ROV “bots” on the boat that become part of the family.
I knew a great deal about Titanic when I went to see this amazing exhibit, and I can say with confidence that it was the best learning experience about the ship and its passengers I have ever witnessed. There is nowhere else I can think of that related so much in a few hours as the Louisville Science Center did. They make learning a lot more fun and easy than, say, reading a book, or an article (just kidding..) I would love to go back to see their next exhibit on Robots that starts March 20th.
Evolving from previous projects, BLIND started playing as a group in the mid-90’s after the previous project The Crocodile Nasty’s which included both Marty and Jim tragically ended with a death of a member.
Marty and Jim added a new drummer and began an 8 year stretch of countless shows and a debut CD in 1999. Work was nearly complete on the followup album when they disbanded in 2001.
Seven years later, Marty and Jim, still playing together in a local cover band “A-Town Unplugged” for the love of music, occasionally performing a requested Blind song or two were asked repeatedly by fans to play a rock show again with the Blind catalog of songs as a setlist.
Since they had Pat from A-town on drums that knew many of the songs, and was available, they worked on putting a new twist on the old lineup including working on some new songs and retooling some of the unfinished 2001 material.
This new incarnation, now called LEADING THE BLIND, has all that the fans loved from the past but benefits from years of various projects that each member has participated in since 2001.
The new songs that have been played live since reforming has increased the hopes that a new album will not be far off!
Listen to the Rising Star Spotlight on this great band:
Be sure to make your comments and let the know what you think.
Hello everyone. I am happy to announce a promotional dream come true for artists of all genres. In light of the recent news about Ear Xtacy potentially being erased from Louisville I decided to go ahead and announce something I am introducing to artists of all genres. It’s a sad truth that local artists get little exposure and I think like most others do: it’s got to change! So artists of all genres, listen up closely.
Thanks to a supporting cast by Shout! Radio Services and Daniels Doorstep I have an opportunity to give you exposure unlike any other. It’s a package that consists of a high definition video posted on YouTube for your portfolio, an interview like you see me post on this site (which will be posted on as many sites as I can including DanielDoorstep.com, this site, and Louisville Mojo), the opportunity for you to sell your merchandise to the public, and at times mention on local public broadcasting stations, and sometimes being aired live on Acoustic Alternative radio (for musicians). There is a lot more to it than that and you can find information here at AllForOnePromotions.com.
I’m also using my html coding experience to come up with a list of artists in the Louisville area. I have realized that I cannot search one spot and find all the artists that exist in this city. So anyone who is in a band, who paints, who is a comedian, etc. send me your name and what you do and a link so I can get a public directory for this city.
I hope to be able to start one of these conventions really soon but I need the cities support. I am going this alone as far as paying for the initial costs, doing the recruiting, doing the physical work and most of the advertising and it’s very difficult but my passion and desire to be a good samaritan and help others drives me forward. Hopefully, this will work. I have seen no one go to this extent. I can’t thank Shout Radio enough for their support. Here’s to everyone who has an art and skill to make the world a better place!
Hello everyone. I hope the holiday season did you well and your new year started off right. If it didn’t, I hope you were able to sleep through it, ha! I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know that the reason the content has not been added regularly has nothing to do with the holidays. I have sprained and fractured my left ankle, caught 2 nasty computer viruses where I had to wipe all computers and my external hard drive and also fought a 17 day nasty cold/flu. Please, no violins.
I’ll have you know that I will be adding content again shortly but I am also excited to announce a project I am going to start backed with support by Shout! Radio Services, AcousticAlternative.com and a trio of good samaritans. It is going to be an arts and entertainment convention focusing on artists of all genres all over the nation, starting first in Louisville, KY. Not only will this allow artists to showcase their talent it will also aid them in a successful resume with promotional opportunities next to impossible to find in one place.
Stay tuned for more information on this. I’m just awaiting the final website design. This is a real deal, not some fly by night idea. I’ll stake my entire reputation on it. In fact, it’s coming together so nicely that I am positive God has a hand in it! So happy 2010 everyone and remember, together we and 2010 can accomplish anything!
Ok hip hop and celebrity music fans across all genres, put your phones on vibrate, turn down your music a bit and focus! I bring a very special treat to your eyes, a world reknown music producer that probably sounds familiar to you. His name is Frankie Biggz and if the name doesn’t sound familiar, his musical prowess will.
So that you will be more apt to check out his MySpace page, which you can visit by clicking his name http://www.myspace.com/frankiebiggz I’ll hit some highlights of this quite possibly most sought after independent record producers that exists today.
Fact 1: Frankie Biggz has 20 years in the biz! Fact 2: Frankie Biggz started at the age of 9 opening nationally bands like Poison, Guns’n’Roses and Ratt Fact 3: Frankie Biggz earned a #1 Billboard Hit, Angel En El Cielo by Stefani. Fact 4: Frankie Biggz earned a Platinum Record and three Grammy nominations. Fact 5: Frankie Biggz remixed and programmed for various Platinum artists such as Christina Aguilera, Eminem and 50 Cent. Fact 6: Frankie Biggz shared space and studio with producers like Dr. Dre,Randy Jackson, Rodolfo Castillo, and Sergio George. Fact 7: Frankie Biggz is one of the creative minds behind HBO’s Paranormal TV show “ Dead Serious” Staring Shannon Sylvia. Fact 8: Frankie Biggz won a Latin Grammy for his production work on Sony Latin Artist Oscar D’Leon. Fact 9: Frankie Biggz is an International Club DJ, Business Owner, Grammy Award Winning Record Producer and TV VJ Host.
If you want over a dozen more facts and information about his own record labels and other projects he has done stop reading right now and check out his myspace page at Myspace.com/FrankieBiggz . Then come back directly for a rare, original interview with one of the most inspirational success stories in the music industry. Or read the interview first, then go to his myspace page.
Hit Man:Of course, your success resume is outstanding. In your own words will you give us who Frankie Biggz is?
Frankie Biggz: Well, I’m just a 4th generation Mexican/American born in Monroe Michigan in 1973 just south of Detroit. I am the middle child of two brothers, and my first love has and always will be Music.
HM:You have done many things and have had many accomplishments. What is the one that stands out as most memorable to you and why?
FB: My two biggest accomplishments were the births of my two sons Marcus and Luis Lucio.There’s nothing like seeing your kids being born period.
HM:What inspired you to go after your music career and also, what helped you to break down the barriers to continue to move forward?
FB: My inspiration was my older brother Miguel Tomas Lucio. When we were kids, he played the drums and all I wanted to do was be like him.I would sit with a huge boom box and record every Jazz Band concert he had at school. I was determined to be a drummer, so I just listened to music and watched MTV all day,everyday!
HM:Not many people may know this but I am a fan of Yoo Hoo. Did you know that?
FB: Nope.
HM:I think it is made in Heaven. Is there a beverage that you believe would never get old to you?
FB:
Jagermeister baby!! lol
HM:I meet a lot of sayers and rarely any doers. Some people have this idea preset that a person is shady. I can vouch that you, Mr. Biggz, are the real deal and I wish people could know that you are one of the rare ones who are comopassionate and appreciative. Is there any advice you can give people to help explain why some producers and celebrities are shady or any advice to help show that many are not?
FB: Unfortunately, about 90% of record producers have earned the “Doche Bag” tag !!
1. They use this false power that they give them selves to be “Dream Weavers” or “Star Makers” and use it against unsuspecting new artist to either sleep with them or rip them off. 9x’s out of 10, these guys don’t know the first thing about the music business and believe that programming a beat on there MPC makes them a producer.
2. They LIE about who they have connections to, both managers and labels, YET, they have no credits to there name.
Advice?
1. Keep working and never give up the dream.
2. No substitute for pressing palms!! Meeting someone face to face is way more effective then phone calls or emails.
3. PAY YOUR PRODUCER!! Hit Production is not FREE!
4. Have fun, be real, and be honest.
HM:Your myspace page mentions that you are looking for the next great thing. I suppose you get a lot of people claiming to be that thing. When someone contacts you to try to prove it, what are you really looking for?
FB: Something that I’ve never seen or heard before!
HM:What comes over you when you do music? Where is that place you go to shut out the world and allow the music to take over?
FB: GOD , and HEAVEN!
HM:Do you hate it when people call you Smallz just to be funny?
FB: Not at all because the only person that’s ever said the word “Smallz” is my former Latin Artist Evonne Ramos. Whats funny about that is that she calls her self “Smallz” She’ll call me on the phone and say” Biggz, It’s Smallz” !! So for the last few years she’s “Smallz” to me…Love ya Sis!
HM:What advice do you have for people struggling to make it with their dreams? Is there any sure fire strategies you have come across that works?
FB: My advise is to never give up but PLEASE educate your self in this business, ask a lot of questions and never stop promoting!!
HM:It is now time for the pitch! Please tell how someone can get a hold of you and where they can find more information on the amazing Frankie Biggz.
Last question, albeit strange: If you could reap rewards for good deeds or reward reapers for good deeds what would those deeds be?FB:
Great question, however , that’s not one I’m at liberty to answer or even know. I’ll know it when I’m face to face w/ my maker, I mean, is that not the subject of your first meeting with him?
Mr. Biggz, it has been an honor! On behalf of the music industry and fans of music in general, thank you for your contribution to the world of music. It’s a universal language that is easily understandable and your musical touch has made it even more pleasant.
In life, there are many questions about relationships, friendships and even spirituality. Whenever I am out promoting my books or music or go on ghost hunts I get asked questions about these things. For some reason, people feel comfortable asking me these things and even send me emails about my advice. I have no degrees but I have been told by a psychic and medicine man that I have a highly developed Divine Intuition. Perhaps not having a degree or bias from books on many subjects helps me to give my experience and views of things I have noticed in my life. Since so many people have requested that I share my advice and ear to others I decided to do just that. So, hopefully you can gain something from this. I always wish the best for everyone which is the only reason I decided to do this. Take care!
A fan asked me what I meant about “if you want a miracle, be a miracle”
Guess who I have in store for you? Historical fiction writer Lynny Prince. Nice ring to the name huh? Her latest novel, Scattered Leaves: The Legend of Ghost Killer will have you thinking “whoah, that was one hell of a ride!” Maybe not, but it did me. In fact, it did a complete 180 during the middle and I never saw it coming. So, do you want to know what it’s about? I’m going to tell you.
Scattered Leaves: The Legend of Ghost Killer is a fictional tale about the historic Great Sioux Uprising in 1862. In Minnesota on December 29th of that year 38 full blooded and mixed blood Sioux Indians were hanged. Why? Various crimes against white settlers. Crimes? yest, crimes related to the unjust and unfair actions that the government was doing instead of honoring the treaties. The hangings are known as the largest mass execution in United States History. Unless you count natural disasters. Just kidding. Natural disasters really can’t be compared to mass hangings just like batteries can’t really be compared to a hamster running on a wheel.
Ok all you arts and science enthusiasts, have I got a cool experience to share with you!
This four-floor building held many surprises ranging from nearly 150 learning and activity stations to a four story IMAX Theatre. I’m talking about teaching laboratories, a fun way to learn about the human body with trivia game consoles, arcade style bacteria smashing and my favorite, the x-rays. Yes, people in positions doing everyday activites with a screen that shows an X-RAY of what happens while you do it, none of which made me queezy. 
This largest hands-on science center in Kentucky also had an awesome variety of interactive ways to learn about industrial technology, building your own bike, skeleton weight lifting, a huge wall screen map that told you of different places around Kentucky, wildlife, a machine that showed you pictures of what you’ll look like every couple decades, a kids zone that made me wish I was 10 again, 3 or more different educational and breathtaking movies on their IMAX screen, info on chemistry, telecommunications, physics, manufacturing, oh I could go on and on. So I will.
Before I could get into more meat and potatoes of this fine facility I had to check out their intense Titanic exhibit. If you have never seen this historic adventure you should head out to wherever it’s going next. Seeing this with my own eyes was simply awesome. Very educational, very breathtaking and it had cool, detailed touches to boot. Before entering we were told that the cases which held the artifacts were on an alarm system. I was also handed a mock boarding pass with the name of one of the passengers that actually rode on the Titanic. At the end of the exhibit I was to find the name in the list of survivors or the list of those who perished that tragic night. Sad to say, my guy and his family didn’t make it. I also have to mention that they had an actual large piece of a freshwater iceburg there as well. It was so cold. It was to let people get an idea of how cold the water was when the Titanic went down. In fact, the water was colder than that iceburg.
The exhibit walls had pictures of those on the massive boat and brief stories of others. The belongings in the cases had photos and stories of those whom they belonged to and there was even a pair of phones that had recordings of what eye witnesses who survived had described about the tragedy. Intense! There was a volunteer there as well who was stuffed full of information that the exhibit did not display. To me, it was icing on the cake. So, of course, I had to check out the four-story IMAX screening of James Cameron’s deep sea dive to explore the Titanic. 
Titanic’s story is still heard even from the dark, abysmal silence of the bottom of The Atlantic. It has been almost ninety-eight years since that fateful night that the White Star ocean liner set sail on it’s first and last journey to its watery grave. Today, the luxury ship sits over 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface as a massive tomb for over 1,500 souls and millions of memories.
