Tampa Bay Pulse Magazine

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Types of People

to Unfollow or Defriend on Facebook & Twitter

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Bakon Vodka & the Return of AbsinthAston Martin’s CygnetFinal Fantasy XIIIStylist Roy NaccourPedro M & ChristionCollaj CollectionJL Music GroupTravel Trends for 2010

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contents05Volume Issue

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sixESSENTIALSLifestyle Accessories

tenGAMINGFinall Fantasy XIII

sixteenTECHGeek Gear

eighteen8 TYPES OF PEOPLETo Unfollow or Defriendon Twitter and Facebook

twenty-twoMIXOLOGYBakon Vodka Lucid Absinth

twenty-eightMOTOPorsche 918 SpyderAston Martin Cygnet

fourtyCOVERSean Ocean

fifty-twoPROFILERoy Naccour

fifty-sixMUSICPedro MDJ Christion

sixty-sixTRAVEL2010 Travel Trends

sixty-eightFITNESS“Reality” Miracle Pill

seventy-twoTIMEPIECESBig Bang from Hublot and Depeche Mode

seventy-fourFASHIONCollaj CollectionTag by Maria Sharapova

eightyUP & COMINGNew Kids on the BlockJL Music Group

eighty-fourPULSARAZZIRobbie RiveraDay GlowWhite PartyDJ Ruby

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The Sistine Chapel. The Mona Lisa. A Ferrari Enzo. Tampa Bay Pulse

Magazine. What do all of these have in common? None of these works

of art were made overnight. Each masterpiece was painstakingly hand

crafted with love and attention to detail. We joke in placing ourselves

among the greats, but the statement is very true. Over the past year and

a half, Tampa Bay Pulse Magazine has worked hard to find it’s identity and become

a source for cutting edge editorial. With each issue we strive to bring more content to

our readers and with the support of our website and social networking and promo-

tions, make Pulse Magazine an event as well as a publication.

Regards,

editorLetter from the

Chad Kirby

PUBLISHERH. A. World Wide Media Group, Inc.

EDITORChad [email protected]

DESIGNCK Graphic Designswww.ckgraphicdesigns.com

PRESIDENTHugo D. [email protected]

FINANCIAL DIRECTORAnthony McGeough [email protected]

OPERATIONS DIRECTORMichael [email protected]

DIRECTOR of WEBSITE OPERATIONSDiego Felipe [email protected]

LEGAL ADVISORDebra Belniak, [email protected]

SALESDon [email protected]

Kris [email protected]

MARKETING ADVISORSAngye Fox | Ad Sizzle [email protected]

TRAVEL/EVENT ADVISORSTammy Levent | Elite Travel [email protected]

PUBLIC RELATIONSSonny [email protected]

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTKrystal [email protected]

CONSULTANTSDonald K. Duru | DURU Ventures GroupPavan Pediredla | PCM Investments, Inc.Satya Mantena | PCM Investments , Inc.Jennifer McLaren | Cara Mias, Inc.Rick “Ross” Brown | RBrown Consulting, LLC

PHOTOGRAPHYEric Rivas | Twin Turbo PhotoDiego Felipe Alonso | 2night.com

FASHION | HAIR | MAKEUPElena Filoqi | Belanova SalonMarty Bouchard, Marco Antonio Escobar, Sarah J Escobar | The Red Room SalonTula Pambianchi

To advertise contact H. A. World Wide Media Group, Inc. 1-877-334-6569 ext 4

Vol. 2 Issue 5 Tampa Bay Pulse is published by H.A. World Wide Media Group, Inc. Tampa Bay Pulse Magazine is a registered trademark ofH.A. World Wide Media Group, Inc.. Tampa Bay Pulse Magazine is in no way responsible for loss or damage to unsolicited items. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. Copyright 2010 by Tampa Bay Pulse Magazine and H.A. World Wide Media Group, Inc.. All rights reserved.

STAFF

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Essentials

Harvard professor David Edwards unveils a new version of Le Whif, the world’s only breathable chocolate. Developed by Edwards’ Art-Science Labs network, the new Le Whif design is biodegradable, organic and contains less than one calorie.

The invention of Le Whif, a small tube of chocolate that consumers breathe into their mouths, attracted global attention when it was disclosed in April 2009.

The new Le Whif is available in three flavors: pure chocolate, rasp-berry chocolate, and mint chocolate. It is available for purchase at www.lewhif.com and in stores around the world for approx. $2.50. It is currently on sale at Le LaboShop, Galeries Lafayette and Colette in Paris.

The year-long Le Whif World Tour will formally come to a close in March 2010 with the launch of Le Whif Coffee in cafes on the Har-vard University campus. The functionality of Le Whif Coffee is com-pletely identical to Le Whif Chocolate, offering a breathable coffee powder with an amount of caffeine equivalent to an espresso. “Le Whif first offered the taste of chocolate without the calories, and now it offers the kick of coffee without the cup,” says Edwards.

Le Whif is a first commercial step toward breathable food and pro-vides a completely new tasting experience. During 2010, ArtScience Labs will launch Le Whif in stores around the world, along with other breathable food products and new Le Whif flavors.

For more information, visit www.lewhif.com.

LE WHIFNew “Breathable Chocolate” Design Offers Chocolate Without the Calories

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Rolling WonderThe BMW M Bike is a spectacular combination of state-of-the-art technology and exclusive design. Disc brakes and an elegant matt an-thracite frame with the M logo combine per-fectly with the leather saddle, stunning rims and handles, and shiny red seat inlay. Char-acteristic of the entire M collection, which, like the BMW M model itself, stands for the extraordinary and unique.

Anyone who rides this sporty speed bike through the city or takes a short tour through the countryside will immediately attract a lot of attention – at least for a few seconds. The high total gear ratio transmission delivers as-tonishing speed.

The BMW M Bike’s saddle is made from the highest quality leather with a red inlay. This ensures extra riding comfort and superior grip. The built-in Shimano SLX gear system is light and sturdy. The Manitou Match suspen-sion fork on the front wheel is incredibly dura-ble and the disc brakes make for a clean stop.

Starting in June 2010 BMW M Bikes will be available in a special limited edition at select BMW dealers and online at www.bmw-shop.com. •••

App MagnetsJailbreak Collective has been inspired by a new kind of icon. Something that has transformed our society, is a symbol for change and has rightfully earned its place on refrigerators throughout Apple Nation. The App Magnet pulls the 2-D face of the iPhone and renders it into 3-D epoxy magnets with each of the 18 familiar icons individually represented by full color, origi-nal artwork. With packaging that evokes the actual iPhone, and including such hits as “You Tube,” “Mail” and the ever-popular “Text,” Jailbreak has given every iPhone

devotee a tangible, creative way of showing their allegiance. The MSRP for the set is $12.99. For more information on Jailbreak Col-lective please go to www.jailbreak-collective.com

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We’ve got New Eras, Denim, Tees, and Sneakers

everything to look fresh for the summer...

CHECK US OUT ONLINE AT: WWW.RENOWNGOODS.COMOR VISIT OUR YBOR LOCATION AT 1509 E. 9TH AVE., TAMPA FL

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Gaming

FINAL FANTASY XIIIlighter-flicking fun sure to melt your face offFINAL FANTASY XIII marks the dawning of a new era for the celebrated series, bringing the series to multiple hi-definition consoles simultaneously for the first time in its history. Expanding upon the rich tradition of the series, producer Yoshi-nori Kitase (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), director Motomu Toriyama (FINAL FAN-TASY VII, X, X-2), character designer Tetsuya Nomura (FINAL FANTASY V, VI, VII, VIII, X) and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo (FINAL FANASY X, XII) combine their creative vision to deliver the latest masterpiece in the FINAL FANTASY universe. Additionally, Masashi Hamauzu (FINAL FANTASY X, DIRGE of CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII-) presents a sweeping soundtrack while movie director Takeshi No-zue (FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN) and his team of artists adorn the game with seamless cinematic sequences of unparalleled calibre.

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Introducing new worlds, memorable characters and extraor-dinary stories with each new instalment, the FINAL FANTASY series has continued to reinvent itself over the last two decades and has shipped over 92 million copies worldwide. The series is defined by a constant evolution, offering nothing less than the finest creative vision, graphical quality and gameplay system of its generation with every instalment, and FINAL FANTASY XIII will be no exception to its legacy.

StoryCocoon — a utopia in the sky. Its inhabitants believed their world a paradise. Under the Sanctum’s rule, Cocoon had long known peace and prosperity. Mankind was blessed by its protectors, the benevolent fal’Cie, and believed that tranquil days would con-

tinue forever. Their tranquillity was shattered with the discovery of one hostile fal’Cie.

The moment that fal’Cie from Pulse — the feared and detested lowerworld — awoke from its slumber, peace on Cocoon came to an end. Fal’Cie curse humans, turning them into magic-wielding servants. They become l’Cie — chosen of the fal’Cie. Those branded with the mark of a l’Cie carry the burden of either fulfilling their Focus or facing a fate harsher than death itself.

A prayer for redemption.A wish to protect the world.A promise to challenge destiny.After thirteen days of fates intertwined, the battle begins.

FeaturesTake Part in a Gaming Experience that Sets New Standards – The first in the series developed for a simultaneous release on mul-tiple high-definition consoles, FINAL FANTASY XIII pushes new boundaries in cinematic presentation, sound and gameplay.

Experience the Unity of Speed and Strategy with the Ultimate Active Time Battle system – The familiar system has evolved, granting players the freedom of executing numerous commands in a single turn with the multi-slot ATB gauge. Whether input-ting singular commands in each slot for consecutive attacks, or expending multiple slots at once to activate a devastating blow, it’s up to the players to respond effectively to the battle condi-tions at hand.

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Adapt to the Ever-Changing Tide of Battle with Paradigms – A brand-new game mechanic enabling players to assign roles to their party members at any time during battle, shifting between combat paradigms. Consisting of various combinations of the game’s six roles, ranging from Com-mando, the offensive specialist, to Medic, the quintessen-tial healer, paradigms allow players to respond and adapt instantly to any given situation to turn the tide and seize victory.

Witness the Battle Scene Transform with an All-New Summon System – Introducing Gestalt Mode, a powerful dimension of the summon system that elevates the action to a whole new level. In Gestalt Mode, characters and their transformed Eidolons fight as one, dealing massive dam-age to enemies through simple button commands.

Delve into an Emotional Experience – An immersive sto-ryline connects players to an intriguing cast of characters. Will they have the strength to confront their cursed fates, or will destiny prevail over all that they believe in? •••

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Tech

HTC Evo 4GA device beyond compare

HTC EVO 4G delivers a robust list of features, including a 1GHz Qual-comm® Snapdragon™ processor ensuring a smooth and quick user experience. With dual cameras – an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera – HTC EVO 4G unleashes the ability to create, stream and watch video that far surpasses expectations of what is possible on a phone today.

With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G allows up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 4G experience. Users can eas-ily share an Internet connection on the go with a laptop, camera, music player, game unit, video player, or any other Wi-Fi enabled device.

With integrated HD video capture and 4G speeds, HTC EVO 4G makes slow uploads and grainy video a thing of the past. Now, it is possible to post high-quality video to YouTube™ or Facebook, or share moments in real time over the Internet live, via Qik. After these videos have been captured, it is easy to share them on an HDTV via an HDMI cable (sold separately).

HTC EVO 4G features the newest version of the highly acclaimed HTC Sense user experience. Along with all of the HTC Sense features first introduced on HTC Hero, HTC EVO 4G adds a number of new features, including Friend Stream, which aggregates multiple social communica-tion channels including Facebook and Twitter™ into one organized flow of updates; a “Leap” thumbnail view to easily switch between home screen “panels;” the ability to download new, interactive widgets; and a “polite” ringer, which quiets the ringing phone once lifted up.

In addition to today’s Android apps, the performance of which will be enhanced by 4G speed, application developers will be introducing new apps that take advantage of 4G power in new ways – games and com-munications tools and other apps that bring together video, presence and location simultaneously, and capabilities that haven’t yet been imagined. For example, an application developer might create an app that allows a customer to simultaneously watch a streaming sport-ing event while pulling down stats and conducting a video chat with a friend.•••

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Apple iPadMagical and RevolutionaryStarting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.*

iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. You can read and send email on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard or import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s el-egant slideshows. iPad makes it easy to watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD, or flip through the pages of an ebook you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world’s largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. Developers are already creating exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.

The new iBooks app for iPad includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBookstore will feature books from the New York Times Best Seller list from both major and independent publishers, includ-ing Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.

The iTunes® Store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 12 million songs, over 55,000 TV episodes and over 8,500 films including over 2,500 in stunning high definition. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer. •••

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Everybody has a few people clogging up their social net-working sites with frequent up-dates, annoying pictures, and general stupidity. But there’s often guilt about offing these former friends. Feel bad no more! These are the people you must ditch now.

Now, to be fair, you should probably con-sider your relationship with these people before you go deleting them from your electronic life. After all if it’s your partner, parent, boss, best friend, or the guy you’ve been seeing on and off for the last few years, they might notice what you did and take it as an affront. If you’re close enough to this person for them to notice you went out for a pack of eCigarettes and never came back, then it might be better to just have a talk with them about fixing their obnoxious internet behavior. Or you can do the passive aggressive thing and defriend them and then when they say “Yo, what’s up?” tell them that they suck. That works too.

If you know any of these people below, it’s time to cut the cord. Hopefully they’ll know what they did.

The Overuser: Their thumbs are practi-cally shackled to their Blackberry and their fingers never leave the keyboard. It’s always some new update about where they are (fucking Foursquare!), what they’re doing, or other similar inanities. It’s like someone tweeting about their work out. Oh

look, Bill is on his first set of bicep curls. Now Bill is on his second set of bicep curls. Now Bill is on his...we don’t care, no mat-ter how good his guns look. We don’t want to read the seven million articles about Robert Pattinson someone thought were so revealing they had to be shared with the world in rapid succession. We don’t want to hear a critique of every American Idol contestant’s wardrobe, song choice, and singing ability in separate dispatches. This person is like the cyber version of the guy in the Micro Machine’s commercial. Just shut the fuck up. The noise is drowning out the conversation we’re trying to hear.

The Oversharer: The minute one of your followees says anything about a bowel movement, it is time to go. Period. Some people use Facebook to share what they’re doing and how they’re feeling in a fun and interesting way. It’s like running into them at a cocktail party and getting the quick rundown. An annoying few use it for their disgusting confessional full of graphic biological, biographical, and sexual information. We don’t want to hear about yellow toenails. We don’t care that this is the heaviest flow that the world has ever seen. We don’t want to hear about every petty slight, bicker, and squabble with a significant other. We’re not a couples coun-selor, we’re a friend. Sure, if the results of the biopsy come back negative, please celebrate and share it with the world. But a constant stream of gross overshares won’t just make us flinch, it will make us click that little X next to your name.

The Proselytizer: These aren’t just the people who are constantly sharing Bible quotes with the world, it’s any person who is constantly nagging other people to join their causes, political battles, and groups. Guess what, if we cared about stopping the

deforestation of the Florida panhandle, we would seek the group out and join it our-selves. We don’t need you suggesting that we become a part of it every time we log on to the site! And just because we were guilted into joining “One Million Smooches for Gay Marriage” doesn’t mean we’ll have the same magnanimity when it comes to “Make Gay Marriage Happen Or We’ll Stop Arranging Your Flowers,” “A Petition to End Oil Dependence in the Middle East,” or “Save the Owls of Tuscaloosa County.” These people might as well be one of those horrible college kids who stand on the street with a pack of pamphlets and say, “Do you have a moment for environmental rights?” No, we do not. It’s bad enough when it’s something we already agree with. If someone is spreading crazy Christian nonsense, creationist magic, or right wing political propaganda, they’re so dead to us.

The In-Joker: Have you ever gone to someone else’s high school reunion? Un-less you are the world’s most patient part-ner, of course not, because who wants to sit through hours of people sharing stories that you can’t put into context, understand, or enjoy. But that is just what following an In-Joker’s Twitter feed is like. “Like Mark is totally eating a shrimp taco, wink wink @Mike Totally makes me think of that guy in Cancun: ‘Por favor’ Am I right?!!” We’re glad @Mike chuckled because we have no fucking clue what you are saying. No, we don’t know what is so LOL about a crul-ler in a Corolla or what is so LMAO about karaoke in Bangkok. (OK, that is kind of amusing.) Sure, those might be hilarious for a small collection of people, but it’s a total confusing bore for the rest of us. And please don’t leave in-jokey comments on our page either. Sure, you just want to show how close we are by reminding us of a great moment we shared. We get it,

The Eight Types of People to Unfollow on Twitter or Defriend on Facebook By Brian Moylan

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but we want to propagate an open conversation among people we know and like, we don’t want our little slice of the internet to be the back of a 13-year-old girl’s yearbook.

The Replyer: There is nothing more annoying than looking at some-one’s Twitter page and every burst of characters starts with either an @ or an RT. This is especially true if the response has no context of what the original comment was about. If we don’t follow that other person, we have no idea what the reply is all about. It’s like turning on a David Lynch movie 45 minutes into it. You will be lost, frustrated, and possibly on the verge of an LSD flashback. These are also the people who have something to say about every status update, every picture posted, and every event invitation confirmed. To the casual observer, he is your only or best friend only because he is always there, lurking like two-day-old onion bagel stink in your trash can. He never has anything to say for himself, he’s just feeding and living off of what everyone else has to say. Come up with something of your own or go away.

The Meme Lover: The only person who should be sending you weird forward chain mail letters is your mom. Some strange neurotoxin must be released when a woman pushes a baby out of her body that makes her send these to her offspring years later. It can’t be helped, only toler-ated. However, if anyone other than your mother is bothering you with “25 Things You Don’t Care to Know About Me” or #sometimesiwonder or tag-ging you in one of those stupid grids of Little Miss characters, then they need to be cut loose from your life. Yes, a Blingee kitten every so often isn’t the worst thing in the world and can brighten a day, but for those peo-ple who fall for every retarded Avatar Week tomfoolery the web dreams up, there is a special sort of banishment.

The Fisher: These are the people whose low self-esteem needs to be bolstered by other people want-ing to know the details of their life. “I just feel like crying right now” or “You’re never going to believe what I just bought!” or “Can’t wait to tell everyone the big news.” People who

say vague and leading things like that want someone else to say, “What?” or “Why?” or “How Come?” That is what The Fisher makes you do, but what they’re really saying is “Tell me I’m good enough to care about.” You probably are, but you don’t need a bunch of anonymous affirmations to tell you that. And sorry, Al-Anon taught us how to not be an enabler so we’re not taking the bait. We’re just going to ignore you and let some poor Replyer feed your madness.

The Nobody: Face it, everyone’s Facebook friend list is bloated. It includes people from high school you haven’t talked to in eons, people you you met once at a cocktail party and never talked to again, people who you have 90 mutual friends with but have never actually met in person. And you have to listen to all these things that people say. More often than not, these are the folks who are the types above

that you have to get rid of. Your real friends don’t annoy you. Well, they probably do, but you put up with it because, as Dionne sings, that’s what friends are for. Just cut out all the fat. If you don’t recognize someone’s name or face, let them go. It doesn’t make you any less of a person that your numbers are dwindling. You are still important, people still know and like you, and it’s going to be OK. Just take a deep breath. These tools are here to keep you connected, share information, and have fun. Just like the winner of The Biggest Loser, life going to be so much easier to do that once you get rid of all the excess.

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Mixology

BAKON VODKATHE WORLD’S FIRST BACON FLAVORED VODKANorthwest Company Launches One-of-a-Kind Potato Vodka

Bacon Vodka? Yes. Bacon Vodka.

This unique combination of flavors served by forward-thinking mixologists has gained fans in bars across the country. Now Bakon Vodka, the first commercially available bacon-flavored vodka, has already started people buzzing on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

“This is the only vodka you’ll ever want to use to make a Bloody Mary, and it works well in both sweet and savory drinks,” says co-founder Sven Liden. “Bakon Vodka is also a great Bar-B-Q companion, used as a marinade or sipped chilled with a steak.”

“Bacon has an earthy fragrance and a charismatic taste that brings out the flavor in a variety of dishes and it’s enjoy-ing a well-deserved renaissance,” says co-founder Stefan Schachtell. “We wanted to take this classic ingredient and bring it to the beverage world.”

Fans of both fine vodkas and bacon, the three founders of Black Rock Spirits decided to try infusing spirits with bacon to experiment with different flavors. The journey to find the perfect recipe took almost two years.

Bakon Vodka begins with su-perior quality Idaho potatoes instead of the random mixed grains that make up most vodkas. It is column-distilled using a single heating pro-cess that doesn’t “bruise” the alcohol like the multiple heating cycles needed to make a typical pot-still vodka. The delicate balance of flavors leaves drinkers with the essence of a crisp slice of peppered bacon.

Co-founder and Creative Director Chris Marshall notes, “Although today you can find plenty of sweet, fruity-flavored mixtures and infusions, we’re excited to produce a savory spirit that people can’t wait to try.”

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For more recipes, please visit www.bakonvodka.com.

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THE RETURN OF GENUINE ABSINTHE TO THE US AFTER 95 YEARSLucid Puts an End to Modern Prohibition

Brazilian SangriaDeveloped by Ben Scorah

Beekman Bar and Books New York, NYFresh seasoned fruit

(recommended: strawberry, lime, orange, kiwi, and passionfruit)

¼ oz. Lucid Absinthe1 ¼ oz. Cachaca

½ oz. Spanish Brandy½ oz. Orange Liquor

1 oz. Red Wine

In a cocktail shaker, thoroughly muddle the fruit with Lucid, cachaca, brandy, and orange liquor. Pour into wine glass. Float red wine on top of

cocktail. Stir and enjoy.

ORANGE POPPY1 oz. Lucid® Absinthe

½ oz. triple sec2 oz. lemon-lime soda

2 fresh orange slices (thick cut)1 mint sprig

In a cocktail shaker, add ice, Lucid® Absinthe, triple sec, and a squeeze of orange. Shake vigor-

ously till ice cold. Pour into a tall glass and top with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with mint sprig

and orange slice.

In May 2007, Viridian Spirits LLC launched Lucid Absinthe Supérieure, the first genuine absinthe made with real Grande Wormwood to be legally available in the United States in 95 years. The launch was the result of extensive negotiations between Viridian and the U.S. government paving the way for the ban on absinthe effectively to come to an end. Viridian retained renowned absinthe historian and distiller, T.A. Breaux to develop Lucid in France. Breaux had spent over a decade studying and perfecting his techniques after sampling and analyzing several unopened bottles of vintage absinthe.

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Consumers in the New York region were the first to sample the ultra-premium product, crafted exactly the same way absinthe was made 100 years ago. Due to the strong demand over the several months since the launch, Lucid is now distributed throughout the country in 28 states and more markets are expected to be added throughout the year.

“We initially felt that there would be a demand for absinthe in the U.S. after we witnessed its reemergence on the European scene and in American pop culture,” said Jared Gurfein, President of Viridian Spirits LLC. “Our expectations have truly been ex-ceeded and we are looking forward to taking this brand to new levels.”

Lucid is an authentic absinthe in the tradi-tion of absinthe from the Belle Époque pe-riod. Unlike many contemporary imitations currently available in the U.S. and abroad, Lucid, naturally green in color, is distilled entirely from spirits and whole European herbs and uses no artificial additives, oils or dyes. Lucid begins with a full measure of Grande Wormwood (Artemesia absinthium), Green Anise, Sweet Fennel, and other culinary herbs representative of European traditions and historical absinthe crafting.Lucid is distilled at the historical Combier

Distillery in Saumur, France, in the heart of the Loire Valley. T.A. Breaux chose to use the distillery’s original antique copper absinthe stills and apparatus, much of which were designed by Gustav Eiffel in the 19th Century.

As a testament to the brand’s early success, Lucid was recently named as one of The Top 12 Picks for 2008 by Beverage Industry News Magazine. Voted on annually by a panel of key retailers, distributors and beverage professionals, B.I.N. award recipients are selected as influential spirit brands to watch for in the coming year.

The suggested retail price for Lucid is $59.99 for a 750 ML bottle. Lucid is cur-rently available in high-end retail shops and finer establishments in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Min-nesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Viridian also sells classic absinthe accesso-ries such as fountains, glasses and absinthe spoons. For more information, please visit www.drinklucid.com. •••

Starry Night2 1/2 oz. Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka®

1/2 oz. simple syrupCrushed chocolate cookie on rim

GarnishChinese Star Anise floating

In an iced filled shaker, add Vodka, LUCID® and simple syrup. Shake thoroughly and

strain into martini glass. Add the Chinese Star Anise.

A Perfect Pear1 oz Lucid Absinthe1.5 oz pear vodka

1 oz peach schnapps4 oz lemon-lime soda

1 mint sprig

In a cocktail shaker, add ice, Lucid Absinthe, pear vodka, peach schnapps, and lemon-

lime soda. Shake vigorously and strain into a highball glass.

Garnish with a mint sprig.

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MotoThe 918 Spyder concept combines high-tech racing features with electric-mobility to offer a fascinating range of qualities. For example, it is planned to provide an emission level of just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometer on fuel consumption of only three liters/100 kilometers (equal to approximately 78 mpg U.S.), which is truly outstanding, even for an ultra-compact city car. This car, however, is intended to offer the performance of a super sports car with acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in just under 3.2 seconds, top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph), and a lap time on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring in less than 7:30 minutes, faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT.

918SPYDER

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The 918 Spyder is one of three Porsche models with hybrid drive making their world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. This trio – made up of Porsche’s new Cayenne S Hybrid SUV with parallel full-hybrid drive, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car with electric drive on the front axle and a flywheel mass battery, and the two-seater high-performance 918 Spyder mid-engined sports car with plug-in hybrid technology – clearly demonstrates not only the great bandwidth of this new drive technol-ogy, but also the innovative power of Porsche as a genuine pioneer in hybrid drive.

This open two-seater is powered by a high-revving V8 developing more than 500 horsepower and a maximum en-gine speed of 9,200 rpm – as well as electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 horsepower (160 kW).

The V8 combustion engine is the next step in the evolution of the highly successful 3.4-liter power unit already featured in the RS Spyder racing car and positioned mid-ship, in front of the rear axle, giving the car excellent balance and the right set-up for supreme performance on the race track.Power is transmitted to the wheels by a seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkup-plungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission

that feeds the power of the electric drive system to the rear axle. The front-wheel electric drive powers the wheels through a fixed transmission ratio.

The energy reservoir is a fluid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. The big advantage of a plug-in hybrid is that the battery can be charged on the regular elec-trical network. A further point is that the car’s kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy fed into the bat-tery when applying the brakes, thus providing additional energy for fast and dynamic acceleration.

A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose among four dif-ferent running modes: The E-Drive mode is for running the car under electric power alone, with a range of up to 25 km or 16 miles. In the Hybrid mode, the 918 Spyder uses both the electric motors and the combustion engine as a function of driving condi-tions and requirements, offering a range from particularly fuel-efficient all the way to extra-powerful.

The Sport Hybrid mode uses both drive systems, but with the focus on performance. Most of the drive power goes to the rear wheels, with Torque Vectoring serving to additionally im-prove the car’s driving dynamics.

In the Race Hybrid mode the drive systems are focused on pure per-formance with the highest standard of driving dynamics on the track, running at the limit to their power and dynamic output. With the battery sufficiently charged, a push-to-pass button feeds in additional electrical power (E-Boost), when overtaking or for even better performance.

With the hybrid drive system offering this wide range of individual modes and applications, the 918 Spyder is able either to achieve lap times comparable to those of a thorough-bred racing car, or the extremely low emissions and high fuel economy figures of a plug-in hybrid.

Like the drivetrain, the lightweight body structure of the Porsche 918 Spyder also bears out the car’s DNA carried over directly from motor-sport: The modular structure with its monocoque bodyshell made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFP) and liberal use of magnesium and aluminum not only reduce weight to below 3,285 lbs, but also ensure supreme driving precision thanks to a high level of torsional stiffness.

Reminiscent of highly successful, legendary racing cars such as the Porsche 917 and the current Porsche RS Spyder, the 918 Spyder, with its design concept so typical of Porsche

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arouses powerful emotions. The combi-nation of racing car dimensions, clearly structured design with perfectly bal-anced surfaces, and innovative details throughout, creates an ideal synthesis of form and function – following Porsche’s design DNA.

The smooth balance of tradition and progress gives the car a powerful stance on the road. Variable aerodynamics, typi-cal of Porsche, ensures both visionary and traditional highlights especially around the rear spoiler. The striking rear hoods extending out of the headrests, in turn, not only fulfill an aerodynamic function on the 918 Spyder, but also ac-commodate retractable air intakes with a ram air function.

The driver and passenger are not only embedded in contoured sports bucket seats but also form part of the cockpit, which provides a synthesis of efficient functionality and ergonomic high-tech operation. Additionally, the cockpit of-fers a glimpse at the potential interior architecture of future Porsche super sports cars. The three free-standing cir-

cular dials for road speed (left), engine speed (middle) and energy management (right) would appear to come directly from a racing car in the ‘60s, bearing out that unique philosophy of driver orienta-tion so characteristic of Porsche.

The center console rises up towards the front in the 918 Spyder and houses a touch screen for intuitive control of the car’s functions, serving to reduce the number of visible controls and maintain the principle of direct operation.

The control units relevant to the driver are mainly concentrated on the three-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel, while the variable driving modes are supplemented by a switch enabling the driver to call up various drive programs and serving as the push-to-pass button for E-boosting. Instrument illumination, finally, varies from green for the consumption-oriented running modes to red for the performance-ori-ented driving programs.

The Porsche 918 Spyder concept also comes with further innovative func-

tions such as the Range Manager. After being activated in the Center Display, the Range Manager uses the map in the navigation system to present the remaining range the car is able to cover, naturally allowing the driver to influ-ence that range through the appropriate choice of power and performance. In cities with environmental alert areas the Range Manager also states whether the driver is able to reach a certain destina-tion on electric power alone.

Applying this information and using further info on the availability and loca-tion of special energy filling stations, the driver is then able to choose his per-sonal style of driving as well as the right battery charge and filling strategy.

Offering a unique combination of extremely low fuel consumption, su-preme performance and long electric range, the Porsche 918 Spyder concept represents an essential milestone in Porsche’s strategy on the way to genuine electric-mobility. •••

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A bold step towards a new form of transportation; the luxury com-muter car, a form of personal transportation that sees the com-pany’s core values engage with a new environment.

The Cygnet Concept enhances the marque, pointing to a future of ongoing innovation, design and technology; allow-ing Aston Martin customers a greater degree of freedom without compromising the levels of design, quality and innovation that embody the brand.

An Aston Martin delivers the pleasure and exhilaration of driving combined with an appreciation of craftsmanship, design and technology. But Aston Martin is also about in-novation, forging new links and associations; and bringing the brand’s qualities to new sectors of the market.

Urban LuxuryThe Aston Martin Cygnet Concept

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“Many of our customers have a need for a small car for urban and city use,” says Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez, “The Cygnet Concept brings intelligence, innovation and artistry to the small car market. The Cygnet Concept represents the natural choice for those customers looking for a premium commuter car.”

“Our past, our future and our backbone will always remain sports cars, but the Cygnet Concept will support this by offering our customers a greater degree of freedom in the urban context.”

The Cygnet Concept is the result of a unique and intelligent collaboration, the coming together of two companies that are leaders in their respective fields. The project has required a close intellectual and engineer-ing partnership, resulting in an inventive solution that unites volume and niche auto-motive engineering.

Aston Martin has always understood the im-portance of an emotional engagement with its products. As the company continues to innovate and diversify its product portfolio, emotional design will remain at the heart of its strategy, be it through the exhilarating sound of a V12 engine, the unmistakeable silhouette of an Aston Martin sports car or

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the quality, craftsmanship and skill that is evident in an Aston Martin interior. The Cygnet Concept exemplifies this latter attribute, demonstrating the high levels of detail design and craft that are integral to every Aston Martin, pre-sented within a compact and highly advanced technological package.

The Cygnet Concept is a demonstration of Aston Martin’s unrivalled skill at creating hand-crafted interiors. The rich blend of hand-stitched leather, Alcantara and aluminium is shared with Aston Martin’s sports cars. The company’s extensive experience of traditional processes and richly detailed craftsmanship gives each Aston Martin a unique feel, bringing together de-tailed design work, high technology and exquisitely tactile materials.

As a luxury commuter car that can slip easily and unobtrusively into the city, the Cygnet Concept is a highly intelligent solution to urban mobility. Using tried and tested technology, together with Aston Martin’s acclaimed levels of personalisation and customisation, material quality, craft skill and tactile delight, the Cygnet Concept is innovative and forward-thinking, a genuine solution for future mobility and a natural partner for Aston Martin’s line-up of acclaimed luxury sports cars.•••

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John Rush has been training in the pho-tography field for the past eight years. Mr. Rush started while a freshman in high school where he won several awards including best of show at the Florida State Fair. The accolades received, through his high school and college years, helped him earn a scholarship to film for the Univer-sity of Alabama’s Football program. After having received his degree in communica-tions and an associates in Studio Art, he veered from photography to video, where he produced TV shows for a cable music network MOR Music TV, shooting as the Center Ice Camera man for the Tampa Bay lightning, and as a freelancer videog-rapher for several years before heading into a career in telecommunications.

John decided to venture into various fields of work for fourteen (14) years and John decided to take up photography again in 2008, concentrating on fine art photogra-phy, shooting scenic, nature and abstract photography. Within a year, he sold a large volume of private pieces, becoming the

Official Photographer for JL Music Man-agement and he also earned a gallery in his name at Feather Sound Country Club. John Rush has concentrated on shooting scenic, nature abstract photography as well as music and fashion events.

When John Rush was asked what his goals were, his response was, “My goal is to photograph images that people would not even think to look at as art, images that capture the eye and inspire the imagination that would put a smile on people.”

John has the highest regard for quality and customer satisfaction, always provid-ing professional services and having his photography enjoyed by others.

Please visit his services page for details, and his galleries link, to enjoy the slide-shows John has to offer. www.JDRush-Photo.com Email: [email protected] Direct: 727-420-6422. •••

JOHN RUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

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Profile

What is your favorite thing about photography?That I am able to create art for others, to show them the way I see it. What do you prefer more, studio or location?I’d have to say my first love would have to be studio. I like being in control of (I’m getting in the groove hold on) the entire setup and it’s easier to express my imagination in my own studio. It’s like one giant blank canvas; just me and my paintbrush with no distractions. What is something no one or not many people know about you?(mmmm…I have a crush on Jared Letto. ha ha ha! I’m kidding!) I’m a dive instructor and I enjoy spending what little free time I do have underwater. What would your dream shoot be?My dream shoot would probably be even a half an hour with Kate Moss giving me her full attention, if I could stand and not pass out after that long (chuckle) You say you like all things Japanese. I was born there and lived there from 10 years old to 14. I totally feel you on this one. What exactly is it about the Japanese or Japan that has you so smitten?The culture. Absolutely everything about the culture intrigues me, from all the art to the get up and go of Tokyo. Japanese art is just amazing…so much so, it’s tattooed on me. I still have yet to go, so if anyone wants to send me on a photo shoot, I’ll be on the next plane to Tokyo. Where do you find inspiration?(that’s a good one) The obvious inspiration would be, coffee,

seanOcean

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sean

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because that seems to bring all my ideas (chuckle) but really, I find inspira-tion in many ways. It could be walking through a museum to just looking at a Polaroid. What would you be doing, if not for photography?I’d be living in a shack near the beach, working as a captain on a boat, 5 days a week, making no money and being really tan dive bum. Seeing as that’s what I plan to retire as. Whats in your iPod right now?(music?) Moguai, Radio Head, Explosions in the Sky…along with a little Kesha and most importantly Lady Gaga, everybody needs a little Lady Gaga (maybe that’s who my dream shoot would be….lady gaga wearing the king of fashion Alexander McQueen!) When you arent shooting...what are you most likely to be caught doing?Sneaking away to starbucks to get my 6 shots of espresso What chess piece would you be/ why?(oh!) I want to be the freaking horse! Just because he’s the only one that moves in a cool shape! You never know where he’s coming from. Knight, I’d be the knight! What is harder when it comes to photography, the technical aspects or theartistic? in other words, is it harder to have a clean photograph orinteresting subject?I’d say the interesting subject, I can take anything and make it a clean shot, but it’s about getting the model to react how I need them to react. While I feel the technical aspect of photography is one of my greatest strengths, I also feel I am inherently artistic. •••

To see more of Sean’s work visit his site www.sean-ocean.com

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Profile

When most teenagers were studying the periodic table, Roy was styling

hair. He knew what he wanted to do at the age of fourteen and went to his first hair show in London. Having fallen in love with the atmosphere: the creative energy, fashion and glamour. A new world opened up.

Roy moved from Lebanon to Sweden at a young age. In Sweden, students are given a choice to attend either a college preparatory school or a trade school. Roy chose a trade school, and was given

the opportunity to train under master stylists from France and Italy. The training was intense, and as the youngest stu-dent, he had to work extra hard to catch up to the older, more experienced stylists. Unaware at the time, this experience would serve as preparation for future endeavors.

In Sweden, most of the hair I worked with was fair and fine. However, I wanted to learn how to work with all textures and colors, so I moved back to Lebanon where most of the hair was coarse and dark. Then, at eighteen, I moved to Florida without knowing a word of English, worked at Wal-Mart to pay the bills, and returned to school to get my Florida license. It was a difficult time but I persevered, knowing that I was cultivating my passion and would soon reach my ultimate goal.

I came to J. Joseph Salon as a stylist when I was twenty-four. Nine months later I asked the owner if she was interested in selling it. That question could have been the end of my job; most owners would have felt threatened. But I believe she recognized my passion for the industry and knew I would do great things.

My vision was to create a certain feeling and experience that I believed other salons didn’t get quite right. I want my guests to enjoy every moment of a luxurious experience, starting with a glass of white wine or a cup of tea when they walk through the door. My stylists and I don’t just wash hair, we massage. We don’t just style hair, we work with guests to find the look that emphasizes their most beautiful features. Then, we teach them how to create the same style at home.

Now my salon has gained a reputation for creating hip, trend-setting looks. I attribute this to having the finest hairstylists in the area, and to our commitment to continued education. My stylists attend classes and hair shows regularly, and my team travels to Europe every year to see the hottest new looks. I want to bring back the latest styles and techniques from Paris and Milan to my guests in Tampa.

I welcome you to experience the world-class flair and flavor that J. Joseph Salon has to offer. We take pleasure in helping you look your best and feel your most confident.

-- Roy Naccour

J. Joseph Salon offers Custom Cuts, Award-Winning Color Services, Hair Extensions, Facials, Manicures, Pedicures and Full-Body Waxing Spa Services. To book your appointment, call us today – (813) 235-6848

Roy NaccourBringing European Style to Tampa

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RemarQuable, Designs By Essence (RDE) along with Tampa Bay’s Pulse Magazine, hosted the biggest fashion event of 1st quarter 2010! The Fashion Showcase was held at the Tampa International Jet Center, one of the largest and newest “first class” FBOs on the west coast of Florida. The 20,000 square foot facility was the stage for “RemarQuably Sexy - Unforgivable” the newest clothing line from Designer, Essence Flowers.

The showcase staged 15 of the most beautiful models, breathtaking garments, some of the best professionals in the fashion industry, a state of the art jet hangar and the inspiration of a Victoria’s Secret runway show!! It was undeniably REMARKABLE!

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Music

PED

ROM

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Pedro M. Muniz has become one of Tampa’s most influential House deejays. From his weekly sets on Saturday nights at Jack-son’s Bistro in Tampa, Pedro Muniz has stepped it up to promote this genre of music and aims to give party goers what they yearn for at venues throughout the Bay area. He has shared decks with artists such as Roger Sanchez, Benny Bennassi and Robbie Rivera. Some of his recent local sets include Dayglow (Underground) in Tampa alongside David Solano, Afterhours Set (Floyd’s Nightclub) and Play Sundays (Bliss) in Orlando. DJ Pedro M has played in countries around the world such as Peru, Spain, New Zealand as well as in cities in Australia. He is a deejay fueled with the passion and fire needed to bring energy to any club or venue that he spins in.

Due to the fact that we have a very diversified readership, give us the true history of where you are from and how you started in Tampa?First of all, I want to thank Pulse Magazine and all the read-ers and voters, once again for this. It caught me by surprise. My sincere and deep thanks to everybody that voted for me for the 2009 House DJ of the Year, special thanks to Hugo and Tony for this as well. As far as where I am from and where I started, I was born in Baltimore, grew up in South America, moved back to go to school here in Tampa. I’ve been always involved with music. As far as the bar busi-ness, the night life business, I started back in 94’ and did World Beats and International Nights when I started. I then eventually saw potential work with a lot of people, deejays and artists from Miami. That’s when I started to explore the House scene and tried to bring it to Tampa and work with a team to be able to do that locally here and that’s where it brought us til today.

How old were you when you first picked up your tables and what was the defining moment that made you want to pursue your dream as a deejay?It was actually by accident, 1994 when I picked [them] up. I had to crash learn to do this based out of necessity because it was too expensive to bring deejays, from flying them in all the time from South Florida, from Miami. Based out of necessity I had to learn how to do it, although my knowledge of music was always there, it’s a family thing. As far as the techniques and skills, the deejay part of it, I had to learn it as I went, just by watching others and playing for myself.

You started as a promoter and moved yourself up to a deejay or did you just start becoming a deejay or did you just start becoming a deejay?Actually both at the same time. I had to do both at the same time. Like I said, based on necessity because for me to be able to do the kind of events and parties we were trying to do, I had to get a certain deejay with a certain style of music and I couldn’t find it in Tampa back then. I would have had to import it from somewhere else or do it myself. They both went hand in hand at the same time.

So when you first started out, did you start out with re-cords and tables or did you go straight to basically MP3s and CDs?Back in 94’, MP3s were nonexistent and it was basically CDs, especially for the World Beats and International stuff. It was all coming out in CDs. It was rarely any vinyl. It was all CDs for the most part. I did have vinyl for the dance music stuff where eventually it became where it is today, you know for the house music stuff. All the rest of the stuff I was focusing on was CDs mainly.

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Now would you say that the industry has definitely changed because of the fact it’s moved from vinyl to MP3s or do you feel that vinyl was definitely the way to go or do you feel that the technology has definitely advanced to MP3s and that’s how it should be?I think there is a place and time for every-thing. Vinyl is a beautiful art. I think unfor-tunately nobody’s really watching lately. People just want the party; they want the music, no matter how it is delivered. The art of spinning vinyl right now I think because of convenience for the most part is kind of a lost art at this point. The new generations are doing MP3s, laptops and techniques like that which, it’s a new way of doing things for a lot of the new generations of deejays. It’s always a beautiful thing to watch someone spin vinyl every now and then. Unfortunately, not many clubs carry the vinyl equipment or travel with crates of vinyl. You need an assis-tant to help you out because it is 300 pounds worth of gear and just CDs and MP3s are convenient way to do it. Not only that, they don’t skip. If somebody’s had one drink too many and bumps you at the deejay booth your needle wont scratch.

Did you have any other aspirations before becoming a DJ?I always wanted to be involved in the car business for some reason, I’ve always liked cars. When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut. That’s out of the question now. I come from a musical inclined family. The way I saw it back then I really wanted to make a difference in all this. If I wasn’t going to have a deejay career and be in the night life business I really wanted to bring back to Tampa everything I’ve learned through my traveling and things I’ve seen overseas. Back it to Tampa to try to take it to the next level and at least try to make an impact as far as putting Tampa on the map and work 24/7, nonstop and try to make that happen. If I was gonna go do this, I was gonna take it the whole way.

Where do you see the House Music taking itself here in Tampa in the future?There was a big dance music explosion in the early 90s, late 80s and then at one point the urban culture took over due to media, MTV and what not. Now all of a sudden because of the worldwide phenomenon with House Music which is a global thing really, now it’s starting to catch on. It’s going from the big metropolis cities of the U.S., like Miami, New York, Chicago, LA. It’s going into the B cities like Tampa for example. It’s starting to sink in. Due to the variety, there’s so much variety of House Music for this matter. It’s included in the Top 40’s charts. People are starting to get aware of it and in this case in Tampa people are starting to travel more and seeing all these events

and parties elsewhere that their getting exposed to, the music, the genre. They’re coming back here, asking for more. I hear it all the time. People asking me, when are these people coming here? We hope this, we hope that. We hope that some day there’s a festival, someday these deejays come to Tampa, bring it back here. I think it’s gonna head to the point that it’s gonna start level-ing off with the Top 40. It’s already starting to happen with deejays, artists such as David Guetta who’s working together with Akon, creating awareness of what we call in the industry, the 128 bpm genre.

In this day of age, everyone sees success but they don’t know the hard work, blood, sweat and tears that it takes to get there. Do you feel you have paid your dues as a deejay or still paying them?I think I’m still paying them. The way I see it is 80 percent of the American culture is still Hip Hop/Top 40. It’s a very urban culture, still there’s awareness because of the media. It will always be that way especially in the other cities, Midwest, central. It could be Pittsburgh, Atlanta, to name a few, that are still for the most part 80 percent of the U.S. is focused on that genre. It will always be a labor of love. I think it will never stop. I’ll always have to work hard and create awareness with the genre and expose people to it because we don’t have much radio help with this. So we got to do it ourselves. I think I’ll always be paying my dues. I think it will never stop. It’s just matter of incorporating more people into this and show them that it’s also a very good party.

What does success means to yo?.Success means a group of people all com-mitting to the same mission and all working together to achieve a goal and not being selfish, not just thinking about yourself, going all the way through with and support each other especially on something like this. It’s a mission and were always gonna be paying our dues and got to be able to convince mass crowds about the genre were trying to influence and bring it to the table here so we need a big team and the success of what I’ve been going through is not only to them but to the people that actually listen to us and support us unconditionally week in week out. I can name everybody from Tony Puccio, DJ Christian, of course my brother Alvaro, Sharif, the whole team, Kiko, even Pied Piper and everybody that has believed in us on this what I still call madness be-cause people thought we were nuts six years ago for even considering following the House thing in Tampa. Everybody was shooting for us to do, like everybody else, Top 40/Hip Hop because it was the safe way. We really put our brains together, 24/7 nonstop without a break basically, went all full force with this. Yes, success comes like you said; you’re as

good as the people that surround you. In this case, I think we’ve achieved a very good suc-cess and a win here, a triumph based on the team that we have right now.

With success comes loyalty, define the word loyalty and what this means to you. It’s probably the biggest part of this. The biggest word of this interview I would say is loyalty and that comes back to the team, all the team that we work with, the fans, the people that support us in and out, it’s all under the umbrella of loyalty. I know that I can turn my back and focus on one thing, on a task or a mission and I know that the team will be taking care of other tasks that need to be taken care of. It’s not humanly possible to handle everything and loyalty comes down to that because you know you can count on them. At the end with loyalty they will suc-ceed as well once you got the platform ready and you have it there and the stage is set and everybody will benefit from this and we know that we got each other’s backs in case anything happens. Teamwork, commitment, loyalty it’s something I thought in Tampa is very hard to find and I think we achieved it.

Do you feel that your fan base is loyal?Yes, I believe the fan base that we have is. I couldn’t ask for a better fan base. It’s impos-sible to ask for anything better than that. I’ve seen it in other places; even the artists that we bring or go somewhere else or we go play with them somewhere else. They even talk about them all the time. Not only in Tampa, but any other city I see a few of them here and there. It shocks me to find out they follow your career so closely. Nothing feels more gratifying than going to sleep, could be at your apartment or hotel in another city, knowing that there’s at least one or two people out there that will be counting on you and want to go see you and hear you. There’s nothing more gratifying than that and in return you try to give them 157,000 percent to keep them happy.

What other places besides Australia have you had the pleasure to enjoy and which countries stand out the most and why?Me and Tony Puccio were in Australia and New Zealand back in August, phenomenal people, phenomenal countries, beauti-ful places. We met amazing people over there. I’ve been in Malta, the Mediterranean also, beginning of August 2009 as well as Barcelona for Barcelona Week. I was lucky enough to be able to play in those countries where their scene is huge and I was really surprised and grateful for them even to con-sider me, somebody from Tampa, to be apart of those huge events and in Europe which is very competitive. It’s a culture for them, you go head to head with the big boys over there and Columbia as well, well of course Miami and South America, Peru of course. Every

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single country I’ve been in, the people have been treating us with the up most top notch hospitality. I can’t even begin to thank all these people and their hospital-ity and everything they’ve done for us. Every country has their own sweet spot, their beauty. Everything has been really wide-eyed opening experience.

Do you feel that Tampa has the chance to compete with every other establish-ment in regards to music festivals?Yes, I think the people in Tampa are starting to get ready for bigger and better things now at this point. Everybody that we spoke to, we did a follow up with the people that went to the party and the par-ty itself, the people were having a blast. It was phenomenal. Yes, it was the first festival, all House festival, mind you, done in the Bay area. Like any first festival of course got some flaws and difficulty as far as the organizational part of it. It’s the first one ever done, a very difficult task to pull through. But as far as the sup-port of the people, it was unconditional, phenomenal, people have a blast and people are ready for more. I think 2010 is going to be a key year for the Bay area as far as growth and much more artists are knocking on our doors literally speak-ing, wanting to come here as opposed to the past trying to avoid it. Now Tampa is starting to become a destination point for tours with these big artists, which is flat-tering on many levels because it serves to show all the hard work is starting to pay

off now, six years later. We get incredible respect and the input we get is amazing and how these big names talk about Tampa, Florida, which was unheard of up to six, seven years ago.

Have you ever had a three-some?I had three CD players. If you were drunk does it count?

After many long nights in the deejay booth what is your favorite deejay hang-over remedy?Chicken soup, Tylenol, any kind of Alka-Seltzer, cold coffee at Starbucks, Iced Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, make it a venti with a lot of ice so you can put it in my eyeballs when they are popping out of my skull.

What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you in the deejay booth?

One that stands out a lot because it scared the bejesus out of me was one time at the Hard Rock at Floyd’s [Night-club]. It was Halloween 2007 I believe. It was a crazy party and these three girls came to the booth. I was distracted of course spinning and they were dressed up, one as a nurse, two as a cop. They sneaked through security. I had a hole in my jeans because that’s the way the jeans were but apparently the hole got too big from moving around like crazy all night and one of these girls came up to me and tried to stick her hand inside the hole in my pants. It was very close to a cavity search. Of course it scared the hell of me because I was in the middle of spinning.

From past experience, do you prefer Spanish women or American women?I don’t discriminate. I am an equal op-portunity employer.

What advice can you give to anyone starting out in the business?Get ready because you’ll have very odd sleeping hours. It’s not gonna stop. Depending on how you real you are and if you really wana do this. You’re going to going at it nonstop, 24/7 and if you wana do this make sure you do this for the right reasons and not just because of popular-ity, girls, fame. This is a career and this is for the love of music. It all comes down to working very, very hard, nonstop. You will be on the phone 24/7. You will be on the computer 24/7. You will be doing so many

things. You will not even imagine what happens behind the scenes to do this so if you do this make it a career, it’s a beauti-ful career. It’s a beautiful profession, a beautiful job. You get to meet amazing people. It is a lot of work. It looks very nice from the outside. It’s just a lot of work and a lot of tiresome nights.

If you had one last thing to say to your fans what would it be?You guys are doing phenomenal. We really, from the bottom of the heart love every single one of you and we don’t forget about any of you guys. And make sure to everyone keep in touch, please by all means, always.

Can you elaborate on your family’s influence on your music?My family had somewhat an influence, since I was a kid. My father is an OBGYN but he had a hobby, a vast musical collec-tion and I was always involved with music as a kid and I have a family of artists from my mother’s side, from actors to people in the music business that also influ-enced my decision to do this. Of course in the beginning none of my family mem-bers were too happy about my choice. But once they saw me go full on with this, they knew I was for real and it was not a joke and I was gonna take it to the next three steps and four levels as far as I could. That’s what I’m trying to do now is take it as far as I can and as much as I can and push harder. When I hit that wall, I’m gonna keep pushing to see how far this takes me and once I feel I have ac-complished what I’ve accomplished that will be the time to start settling down on a business, which I still think is gonna be something in regards to this. I’m gonna still keep following the same line of what I do now just probably on different levels.

Would you say Jackson’s has a big influence on your career and also your success in Tampa?I think Jackson’s was the place that allowed us to have carte blanche, to basi-cally implement all the ideas that we had, everything from the outdoor setup, every single laser, cryogenic, everything we wanted to put in there to be able to ap-ply what we saw in other cities, in other countries, to Tampa to be able to accom-modate the party. From every streamer and confetti machine to everything we’ve seen in Europe, Miami, New York, every-where else. We’ve adopted all their ideas and tried to implement it here to be able to make this party, to be able to compete and make people not only enjoy the music but also enjoy the party. If you are not into house music you at least enjoy the party with everything that’s going on then by

I’ll always have to work hard and

create awareness with the genre and expose people to it because we don’t have much radio help with this. So we got to do it

ourselves.

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default you will eventually enjoy the music. If you have the perfect audio visual experience it’s worth millions. You can’t compare to that. You have the whole experience, the way it’s supposed to be and that’s what Jackson’s provided for us. It was geographically a great setup, a great location, has the perfect parking. You can arrive in your yacht if you have one. You can see the downtown skyline. It’s a phenomenal location. It has served us very well for what we were planning on doing with all this. Jackson’s would’ve set the stage for all the things that have been happening and that are coming up as well.

Have you ever had sex at Jackson’s?No, very difficult, too many cameras, man-agers all over the place. I’ve heard stories of others though. There’s too much going on, too many open areas.

Where do you get your music and how do you decide what tracks make the playlist and what tracks don’t?I guess this question is catered mostly to the new guys trying to get into this field. For the most part, music now comes digital so you can get it online pretty much, in a wide variety of web sites. You can purchase it. In my case, I find it, I buy it. Or a lot of these big deejays send it to me, their new releases and stuff so I can be able to promote them in Tampa. I’m lucky enough to be able to have the confidence and trust of the big produc-ers and DJs that send me their unreleased material before it comes out so I can start promoting them. Everything goes hand in hand. I scratch their backs, they scratch mine. It’s got to the point, based on trust, they send me all their material, I promote the artist, eventually bring them to Tampa and everybody makes out good. As far as choosing music for the playlist, I think it comes to palette, taste. I really choose what-ever sound I feel more comfortable with, depending on where I’m playing, if I’m play-ing at a venue that’s a little more commer-cial, vocal or a place like Jackson’s which is wide open, basically a clean slate, wide open canvas for just basically greet the crowd and go at it, no holds bar. It really comes down to palette and taste. First of all, play what you’re more comfortable with, don’t try to be somebody your not. Second of all, learn to read your crowd and that will come through time. That takes a lot of time. Third, I would say honestly don’t try to get too drunk while you’re spinning. You gotta have all your senses in one spot. You’re gonna need all your senses for this. The drunker you get the more mistakes you’re gonna make. You’re not gonna know if your reading your crowd right or not. Not everything is a party. You’re the one trying to deliver it and have the people party and then once you’re done then you can party. •••

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DJ Christion has built a name for himself in the music business. This Tampa native has been spinning records since he was 16 years old and is quickly climbing to the top in the Hip Hop industry. He attracts and entertains party goers at the hottest nightspots in Tampa Bay. Even before he was legal enough to drink, he played in cities like Miami, Atlanta and New York. His unrivaled skills, attitude and dedica-tion has sealed him radio spots and book-ings at clubs and events all over the world. “Everyday is a drive, you learn something new everyday. It’s always a grind.” His approach to deejaying has separated him from all the other players in the game. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, and has even deejayed at many of their parties. “If you want success, well you got to be around successful people, same mind state.” Fans can hear him spinning records at the clubs in Ybor City or live on Wild 94.1FM.

Due to the fact that we have very diversi-fied readership in Tampa, give us the true history of where you are from and how you got started in Tampa?Tampa, West Tampa, lived all over, but pretty much you could say I’m a Tampa native. My parents are from NYC so I had that vibe and always loved music.

From here rep here, nothing better than Florida. As far as how I got started, 15 years old. Always loved music, couldn’t go without radio and couldn’t go without a stereo. I used to make mixed tapes, sell for like $3 in junior high. They were the worst mixed tapes ever. They came with the stereos with the turn table on top and the two tape decks. They were the worst things ever. I sold them. My sister felt sorry for me and bought me a set of turntables, best gift ever. Went at it for a year, when I was 15. Then went to WTMP, which is the AM station, been around for over 50 years, I don’t even know how long now. But 1150 (WTMP) they were the stron-

gest, had a great loyal audience.

I remember when I turned 16, the day of my birthday; I gave them a mixed tape because I wanted to be on radio. My favorite deejays are Funkmaster Flex, Kid Capri, greats like that. I took the tape up there, all black sta-tion label, looked at me like I was crazy, like I was Eminem. Who’s this guy? The main guy, Big Money Ced, who ended up being one of my mentors; he basically gave me the run around for like three weeks. I had to call him non-stop everyday. He just wanted

to see that I wanted this. So he finally let me on, gave me my shot. I was at that sta-tion for five years. Wild was around and I think the Beat came around. For whatever reason there was an opening at Wild and the Beat wanted to do there own thing and try to be really urban as well. Basically just ripped the clubs down for years, stayed busy with the mixed CDs, traveled, in state, out of state, the islands, Bermuda, Cayman,

Jamaica, stayed very relative. I ended up getting on Wild 98.7. Between the radio, Wild 94.1, the clubs here, Ybor City, any type of party, I’ve done did it. Any type of big event, from starting to having to do it for free to play 5 hours for like $50 to eventually climb-ing them steps, to do what you got to do to try to be number one.

What was the defining moment that made you want to pursue your dream as a DJ?When I got on AM 1150 (WTMP). That’s when everything kind of changed and I had to take it more serious. I was on commercial radio, it wasn’t college radio. I was sixteen. I always knew when I heard Funk Master Flex what he did live on the radio scene. I always wanted to be in music but I never wanted to be a rapper. I can’t rap. So the best thing while still being an entertainer is to be that DJ. So that’s when I knew once I got on that station and you know playing live in the clubs.

Did you have any aspirations before becoming a DJ?I wanted to be a football player. I wanted to be a quarterback. I wanted to be the next Dan Marino. I was a Dan Marino fanatic. When he retired I retired. I used to play foot-ball in high school, for a little bit, I was the quarterback. I ended up going to Sickles. All I wanted was my thousand yard season, we always joked about it, but I got it.

In this day and age everyone sees success but they don’t know the hard work, blood, sweat and tears that it takes to get there. Do you feel that you have paid your dues as a DJ or are you still paying them?Absolutely, I definitely paid my dues. Every day you pay another one. Every day you want to get higher, bigger, you know up the food chain, up the ladder. You just create more goals; a lot of people would stop at where I’m at now. Not being cocky or an asshole like that. Radio, all the clubs, traveling around the world, down with the Terror Squad, traveling with Fat Joe, this, that; it

DJ CHRISTION

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becomes, shit, done did it. What’s next? Like damn, that’s yester-day’s news. It’s just like getting drafted into the NBA. What are you going to do now to stand out, become a star? You in the league now, so what are you going to do with it? So everyday I’m like very driven very ambitious, the goals get bigger. Every day is a drive; you learn something new every day. It’s always a grind. Let’s say back in the day I would do a free party for Mary, her graduation party, just to get the name known. Now Diddy calls me ‘hey I need you, were throwin’ a little white party, can you do it for me? Of course we would do it, to get higher, higher up that food chain. Everyday we grind, it never stops. It just depends how big you want to be.

What does success mean to you?All goals met, were talking about the end of the day. Album out, number one radio show, shuttin’ down every club around the world but also other goals in mind, other businesses, whether it be real estate, just different ventures, and always at the end of the day til the day I’m dead and gone, being able to take care of family and friends. Be very successful, be a positive person and a great person too. Al-ways stay humble, keep that type of vibe, family, that type of friends around. As long as you are successful and always surround yourself with success.

What does loyalty mean to you? First thing that comes to mind is Terror Squad, most loyalist group of guys I’ve ever met in my life. Luckily, I was able to become very, very good friends with people I looked up too. It just worked out that way. It just so happened that we vibed, we clicked and now it’s like more of a family, these people I’m talking about. Loyalty at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing whether it’s a business partner, whether it’s a friend whether its’ at the radio station. At the end of the day, a man is as strong as his words. Most important thing you got to stick to your family, stick to your guns, go at it, can’t be a switchout. When things go hard you can’t bail out. You got to stay behind your people. It always pays off at the end.

Do you feel that your fan base is loyal? I would say so because I’d probably be out of a job. I’m not going to lie, I wyle out in the clubs. I wyle out on the radio. I bring back records a hundred times, cutting them all in. I cut people’s favorite records off, sometimes I play for a minute and on to the next one. Some people hate it, but it’s a continuous energy, its non-stop. If they weren’t loyal and couldn’t stand my guts, I’d probably be out of radio and out of the clubs. So I’m thankful for them.

We know you just got back from Dubai, what other countries really made a significant impact on your career?Jamaica. I was lucky enough to do this event. I always wanted to do Fully Loaded, it’s like the roughest, toughest show in the world that goes on every year, every summer in Ocho Rios. Basically, it gener-ated from Kingston, Tony Masron, all the greatest reggae acts and they bring hip-hop acts as well. If you suck, you get bottles thrown at you, you getting booed off stage. Places like that make you ten times tougher. Jamaica was one of them, New York of course and Miami. When you are able to do these bigger venues in these huge cities where all different types of people are around you. Make it or you break it. You find out what you’re made of. Most memorable: Kosovo, Albania. As soon I touched down there I was freaked out. It was very eerie. It looked like out of Borat. You weren’t even allowed to listen to hip-hop music. Bullet holes, grenade holes were in all these vil-lages. The club I went on was the most incredible set I’ve ever dee-jayed. These people appreciate the music so much, the energy level is insane. [Fat] Joe came out, he weighs 300 something pounds and the people were showing him so much love. I really thought he was going to stage dive and they were going catch him. I had an incred-ible show, he had an incredible show. That changed my mind. That’s

when I knew it really is worldwide.

After a long night in the DJ booth, what is your favorite DJ hang-over remedy?A lot of water, some type of greasy food, a pizza, a little taco bell, a six piece nugget. I’m not going to lie, Chinese food, egg rolls, come back and relax in the tub and try to get my mind straight again. Then we got to do it again because it usually happens Friday and Saturday, we back at it.

What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you in the DJ booth?Shirts have come off, pants have come off. Luckily, I was just watch-ing, I never took part in any of it. I stay away from groupies. Groupies come with their other friend called STDs and I’ve heard stories and more stories. Lucky, I’ve never been a freak like that. I’ve never been a nympho. I can control myself. One New Years Eve I went so far and ripped the club down and took the shirt off like if I was at my house, preaching to the people, talking about Jesus, letting them know it’s a new year. I was giving them that preach, taking them to church early. It was a good time.

Traveling, what are your favorite types of women?I would say Latin. I love everything: Latin, American and Italian.

Where do you see yourself in the DJ industry 10 years from now?Definitely be a powerhouse. I’m lucky enough to have really good friends of mine as mentors. A definite goal of mine, next couple of years is to put out a DJ Christion album. I’m actually going to the studio with Cool & Dre in a couple of months. I got to go down to Miami to work on one of my first records. After that, it’s just the at-titude. Where there’s will there’s a way. You want it, you want it bad enough and when you do you will make it happen. No one’s really selling records anymore. It’s more about itunes and downloads. Definitely put out an album, working on the record coming soon. I will definitely be involved in real estate, definitely be involved in probably syndicated radio, maybe satellite radio by then. Basically, to be on top in the next ten years no matter what.

What advice can give to anyone starting out in the business?Do everything and anything when it comes to marketing yourself, when it comes to doing parties. If you got to do them for free, you got to get that foot in the door. No one knows if your name is DJ Ricky Rick, no one knows DJ Ricky Rick; you got to build that brand. Every time you’re on the set, make sure people know you’re on, by shouting out your name. We do my birthday bash every year which is insane. No one has ever done anything like that in this city in a lot of cities basically. Every year, packed to capacity, 2000 people and all my friends come, like Rick Ross, Pit Bull, Flo Rida, Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, Three 6 Mafia, there’s been so many. And every year their successful and it’s a great time. Doing things like that, you got to brand yourself and do everything and anything and really you got to be passionate about what you’re doing. If you want it, you’ll get it. You will be hot, you will be the man. You got to have talent and you got to have that drive.

If you had one last thing to say to your fans what would it be?Thank you so much for the love you have shown me so far. Thank you so much for voting me the Pulse Hip Hop DJ of the Year. I’m going to continue bringing nothing but fire when it comes to that radio sta-tion, number one station, Wild 94.1. It’s all about the Terror Squad, Turntable Assassins, Ybor City. Were going to continue to do what we do. Stay with me. Album coming soon, single coming soon. You are going to see a lot of DJ Christion. Were not going to stop anytime soon. •••

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Travel Trends 2010The travel trends of 2010 will largely be determined by the recession and the Olympics. The recession hasn’t made people stop traveling, but it has changed the way they travel and where they travel, and those changes will continue into the new year. The Olympics have three billion people looking, and booking, North.

The emphasis on budget travel will continue into 2010, but will be more about finding more value for your dollars than on finding the cheapest hotel. Bargain-hunting for package deals and extra perks will increase, and many vendors will try to entice buyers by throwing in credits and dis-counts. Travel agents are very savvy at finding these deals, but for those who want to haggle solo, here are some tips: Find the hotel you want, research the rates of comparable accommodations in the area, then ask what their price is. If their bid is above what you’ve found elsewhere, politely let them know and they might try to match the lower price. And if the hotel you want isn’t publicizing deals, don’t be afraid to ask if they will throw in a room upgrade, spa credits, or coupons for meals and activities.

More people will travel this year than last year, but they will travel closer to home and travel more often. Think shorter weekend trips instead of one long vacation. Americans tend to forget about the attractions of their own country, but this year, they may just remember New York, Chicago, Las

Travel

Tammy Levent CEO Elite [email protected]

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Vegas, San Diego and the national parks. Bed & Break-fasts and smaller boutique resorts that offer more per-sonalized experiences will take center stage, as part of a larger trend towards supporting smaller businesses. Just as destinations in the U.S. will pick up, locations bordering the U.S., like the Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico, and Canada will also draw more attention.

The hot destination for 2010 is Canada. Over three bil-lion people will be watching the Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver this year, and Canada’s tourism industry is gearing up to greet the masses. Vancouver will be the epicenter of the surge in tourism, but the whole country will benefit from the exposure. Places like Victoria, Banff, Montreal and Quebec will see more travelers as well.

The other travel trend is about going above and way beyond the usual destinations, and seeking more excite-ment in travel. Travelers want an adventure, not just another piña colada at another seaside resort. Luxury travel will be more personalized, customized and out-of-the-box. For example, I’m offering luxury Mystery Trips where travelers won’t know where they’re going until they get there. My company will design itineraries around each client’s preferences after a full interview, and the trip will be tailored to the group. Every night guests will be given instructions for the next day’s activities, which can get wild. This is the kind of cutting edge luxury travel that will be in vogue in 2010. •••

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Fitness

My answer upsets most because it is again my new weight loss pill, “Reality.” They work their asses off! They do the work that it takes to lose the weight. It is not hard to figure out and yes even you can do it. Let’s look at some facts here. What kind of situation are we truly in? I call this : Stage 1: Reality• During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic in-crease in obesity in the United States. In 2008, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-two states have a prevalence equal to or greater than 25%: six of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia) had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%. *• World Health Organization’s latest projections indicate that globally in 2005:Approximately 1.6 billion adults (age 15+) were overweight:At least 400 million adults were obese.• World Health Organization further projects that by 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese.At least 20 million children under the age of 5 years are overweight globally in 2005.

Stage 2: Health Factors Overweight and obesity leads to serious health conse-quences. Risk increases progressively as Body Mass Index (BMI) increases. Raised BMI is a major risk factor for chronic diseases such as :• Cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke ) which is already the worlds number one cause of death, kill-ing 17 million people each year.• Diabetes: has rapidly become a global epidemic . World Health Organization projects that diabetes deaths will in-crease by more than 50% worldwide in the next 10 years.• Musculoskeletal disorders: especially osteoarthritis.• Some cancer (endometrial, breast, and colon).Now maybe you are beginning to get it. I know I am giving some facts here to get you going, but that is the foundation

of our new pill. Let’s face it, the reality shows and all the Dr. Phil’s and the Dr. Oz’s aren’t doing it so maybe my approach might work.

But we need to look at one more thing before we get into how to actually lose the weight and keep it off. I want people to realize that there is a whole other group of people getting fat with you, or at least their wallets are. The people who make all those fancy fat loss pills, diet drinks, and diet meals. Just look at these numbers.

• “With no end in sight for America’s obesity problem, de-mand remains strong for all kinds of weight loss programs, fueling a $ 55 billion dollar U.S. industry. America’s estimat-ed 72 million dieters-about 70% of whom try to lose weight by themselves , are fickle and shift from fad to fad diet, as evidenced by the Atkins low-carb mainia of 2003-2005,” ac-cording to Research Director, John LaRosa. • Market data estimates that the total U.S. weight loss mar-ket was worth $55.4 billion in 2006. The market should reach $58.7 billion this year and $68.7 billion by 2010.

Wouldn’t you love to be the company cashing in on your desperation. The company taking advantage of people ‘s lazi-ness and desire for the easy way out, so they make a fortune. Don’t get me wrong I would love the money, but I have been educating people for 20 plus years on why they shouldn’t buy that stuff and my integrity as a professional trainer means more to me than money can buy.

So now that you have the facts it’s time to get to the meat of “Reality.” Anyone can lose weight! Anyone can have the body they have always dreamed about. That’s right I said anyone! So time to get started.

et’s get the excuses out of the way first. Your genetics don’t make you fat, can they give you the propensity to gain weight faster, yes; but, this blaming your genetics has got to stop. Face it, what you put in your mouth has made you fat; your lack of movement has made you fat. Not having enough time, is a bullshit excuse, because you find the time to sit back and watch TV every night and stuff your face with junk food, right?

Miracle Weight Loss PillEvery year the American people look for the easy way to a sexy body. Well here is the miracle pill for 2010, ”REALITY.”

Over the last 20 years the American people have continued to eat their way into obesity. Face the facts, everyone is looking for the easy way to get it off. Reality is there is no easy way. “The Biggest Loser” is one of the most watched TV shows in history. The funny thing is you would think that this might actually help people figure out that losing weight means, “move your fat ass.” People love to watch Jillian and Bob from “The Biggest Loser,” beating the contestants down , making them puke, making them cry, but

in the end losing tremendous amounts of weight. Reality check right, nope, most of those people sit and ask ”what fat burners do they take?” Don’t laugh, I hear it at least twice a week when the show is aired.

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Shayne CahillCEO/ PRESIDENT

Progress Personal Training

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Not enough money to hire a trainer or go to a gym, so what, there are hundreds of different things to do without having either.

So now that we have those pathetic excuses out of the way, what are the in-gredients to our Miracle weight loss Pill: “Reality.”

Ingredients of: “Reality”1. MOVE. A statement we have been telling people for years, no one wants to do it. Simply put, you have to burn more calories than you eat. How do you do that? Get off your ass. Start doing all the things you hear about: such as, park farther away and walk to the store. Take a walk at night with the kids instead of watching TV. Your health should be more important than that stupid TV. If you don’t want to walk turn the radio on and dance, dance around your living room for a half hour or so, just remember to close the blinds. Could be embarrassing, it would be for me. Take the stairs at work. Get a co-worker to take 15 minute walk with you at lunch after you eat. These are all simple things to do that add up. It is not hard it just takes effort.

2. EAT. I know that sounds crazy right. Eat more than you do now and lose weight. If you are one of those people that only eats once or twice a day than your body is in starvation mode. Five to six small meals a day and you will stoke the fire that was once your metabolism. But don’t be stupid, eat good foods and eat proper portions. Proper portions are simple. Meat should be the size of your

palm. Vegetables; eat a lot of them and eat them often. Fruits are great snacks between meals and help re-duce sugar cravings. Try to keep your consumption of breads to a minimum but try to eat whole grain when you do. One slice is a good serving. And lastly, eliminate all your empty calorie con-sumption. All those sugary sodas and snacks that do you absolutely no good. Don’t eat them and yes that means that 1,000 calorie coffee drink too. You need to plan your meals, this is your life, your health, and if you don’t take the time now, then when. You took the time to read this, start making an effort.

3. REST. Your body needs time to reset its hormone levels and recover from all the stress and damage you cause. Most of us don’t think along these lines but not getting enough sleep will hinder weight loss efforts.

a. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), 63% of Americans do not get 8 hours of sleep a day and 31% get less than 7 hours on week days. In their 2008 Sleep America Poll, 72% of the

respondents were overweight or obese. For work days, these individuals reported less time in bed than the average weight respondents. Simply stated, many people are not well rested. This is an even more important issue for those struggling to lose weight. Among other health risks, sleep deprivation could contradict weight loss efforts by increasing hunger.*

So now you have the secret. Simple and to the point, there is no magical solution to weight loss and the answer is not hard to figure out. “Reality” tells us that. The problem with “Reality” is no one wants to take it or face it. People constantly go on looking for the easy way out and the quick fix year after year.

Albert Einstein once said “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.”

The American people keep buying diet pill after diet pill expecting different results. Doing Fad diet after Fad diet and expect-ing different results. Do you get where I am going here? “Reality!” Make it work for you. •••

All those sugary sodas and snacks that do you absolutely no good. Don’t eat them and yes that means that 1,000 calorie coffee drink too.

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Timepieces

BIG BANGHublot creates 12 very “pop” Big Bangs for Depeche Mode

One of the most influential bands on the international electropop scene, Depeche Mode recently gave their first ever concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The band’s members were thrilled at the prospect. Not just because of the prestigious venue, but also because of the cause they have chosen to support. The event raised funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust, an organization which provides help to adolescents with can-cer in terms of treatment, research, education, family support and special-ist diagnosis (www.teenagecancer-trust.org).

To mark this special occasion, Hublot and Depeche Mode decided to create

a series of 12 unique watches, each of which featuring one of the band’s album covers on its dial. For fans of Depeche Mode and Hublot alike, this is a one-off opportunity to acquire a highly exclusive “pop” Big Bang model.

Martin L. Gore, on behalf of the band, declares : “As big fans of Hublot, we’re happy to be collaborating with them on such an important cause. We’re all honored to have these 12 unique pieces created by Hublot and are grateful that it will be in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust.” •••

View all 12 models online at pulsemagazinetampa.com

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Style

TAG Heuer WomanThe Maria Sharapova CollectionTennis star Maria Sharapova is internationally known for her flawless tennis swing and impeccable sense of style, on and off the tennis court. As a TAG Heuer am-bassador, she’s also known for being a “TAG Heuer woman”. Now TAG Heuer Eyewear and Sharapova have collaborated to design a stunning new collection of sunglasses that deliver both function and fashion. With the Maria Sharapova Collection by TAG Heuer Eyewear, women will enjoy chic sunglass designs that are also comfortable, durable and crafted from the highest quality materials – all key features signature to the TAG Heuer name.

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Avant-garde, ultra-feminine and incredibly comfortable – the Maria Sharapova Collection by TAG Heuer Eyewear includes two distinc-tive styles. The iconic aviator style includes a sleek line at top and bold thick frame that combine for a cutting-edge look. The oversized round style is elegantly sculpted, offering 3D curvy coverage worthy of the red carpet. Both styles feature Sharapova’s signature discreetly laser-etched into the shatter-resistant, ultra-light lenses, which offer 100% UV-A and UV-B protection.

Material highlights such as superbly smooth black acetate hand-polished to a mirror finish and racecar-grade stainless steel stand out from the crowd. The Maria Sharapova Col-lection by TAG Heuer Eyewear is available in black with gray or gradated lenses, or in three other trendy color combinations: an ivory frame with blue lenses, tortoiseshell with brown lenses and dark plum with pink lenses.

The Maria Sharapova Collection by TAG Heuer Eyewear will be sold exclusively at authorized TAG Heuer Eyewear retailers nationwide.

TAG Heuer – maker of high-end sports watches and chronographs since 1860 – has been applying the same standards for design and quality found in their timepieces to the creation of exceptional eyewear since 2002. All TAG Heuer “Avant-Garde” Eyewear lenses are shatter-resistant, ultra-light and provide 100% UV-A and UV-B protection. TAG Heuer Eyewear is available at authorized retailers nationwide. •••

TAG Heuer Woman

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This clothing line immediately registers the roots of its inspiration - music, theatre, sculptures, dance, and photography. The meticulous detail seen in the designs, cut, and selection of fabrics in this up-scale casual line is a refreshing break-a-way from the norm. The selection of fabric makes the skin feel exhilarating and wraps the contours of any body with a sensuous yet “take me serious” fit and form, which speaks to the “conscious” message of this line.

According to Robert, who prefers to be addressed as Rob, “I want Collaj Collec-tion consumers to be actively involved in pursuing fashion. I want to promote con-scious thought about what’s the best fit, feel and style to send the best message about the wearer’s perception of self, and how that message is then transferred to the world. This is why idealistically we call this a “conscious line,” because it empowers the wearer to think through the statement

they’re making in approaching someone and even more the reputation they leave behind after exiting the room.”

Rob’s skills and talent in fashion design came from a persistent hunger for excel-lence and the understanding of the power of relevance. “We believe one of the most important factors in fashion design is a repu-tation for excellence – no matter how unique the design, it has to set a new standard. Competition is harshly critical and can easily sweep up your clientele by offering cheaper alternatives and swaying your customers with “imitations.” So we overcome it by stay-ing relevant – modern with a focus on the long term,” states Rob. Collaj Collection is not concerned with being a seasonal trend. Instead they wish to be the beginning and end “designer of choice” for today’s fashion conscious consumer. Rob enthusiastically states, “we wish to be the only choice for today’s trendsetter. We know realistically

Raised consciousness, rhythmic bod-ies, bold statements, artistic display of intelligence and class, and oh so sexy – these words effectively describe an innovative fashion line slowly emerg-ing through the creative lens of Robert Bryant, CEO in the highly anticipated premiere of Collaj Collection.

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this is a low probability, especially with so many options for a buyer. However, it does not lower our ambition to be a recognized name for today’s globally focused clien-tele.”

This focus on global representation comes from lessons learned in humble begin-nings in both North Philadelphia, and York, PA. The unleashing of Rob’s sense for design came through exposure to various cultures and a strategic network built around observing and setting fashion trends. “I got enthralled with watching individuals shadow others, switching from one fashion line to the next. They were affordable and made a statement – but after a while it was as if they were being designed from the same template. My entrepreneurial spirit reared its head

with two nagging questions – What if I could create a move for consumers who aren’t just looking to purchase a brand or a name? What if my client base was em-powered with choices that more effectively send a message about who they are at a greater level? Collaj Collection emerged in response to these questions, as Rob explains.”

In 2009, Rob collaborated with a select group of master graphic designers who understood what was envisioned for Col-laj Collection. Their untapped artistic backgrounds ranged from period impres-sions, intern placements with reputable magazines and noted clothing lines, and graduating students from premier interna-tional art schools.

Rob’s focus resonates in every design, on every curve of a woman, the strength of presence for today’s fashion focus male, and the global adventurous spirit we seek in our client base. He thrives on energy, intellect, and the conscious desire to imprint his mark into the minds of his clientele, to help them create their own Collaj in spirit, mind, and of course on their body. •••

Tapping into Tampa’s artistic side, Sum-mer 2010.

For more information visit the website at:Collajcollection.com Or contact us at: [email protected]

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Up & Coming

BLO

CK

NEW KIDSon the

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It is said the music recording industry of today appears to make more money off its past than it does off its present. But where the path to success for up-and-coming artists and their management

teams used to be clear -- pursue a major record label deal, which helped you get publicity and radio airplay, after which you recorded albums, toured and trashed some hotel rooms–- all that has changed dramati-cally. What the new path to success is, and where it leads in 2010 is, well, unknown. That uncertainty, however, has not deterred two enterprising young Tampa men who possess a passion for music and an eye for talent from pursuing their dream of find-ing, nurturing and representing Bay Area musicians. Meet Joe Kelly and LB Alcala of JL Music Management. Based in downtown Tampa, they are fearlessly charting a new path to musical stardom for their clients in the unexpectedly turbulent dawn of the 21st Century.

“At this point, we don’t think of a major record label deal as something we absolutely have to have, or even need to pursue ”, says Kelly. “We realize that these days, everything is in a constant state of change, and not just in the music industry. LB and I agree that to be successful in 2010, you have to find your audience in different ways, and musicians who don’t take advantage of today’s social networking tools will quickly disappear”.

Close friends since high school, Kelly and Al-cala played baseball and football respectively for four years at Tampa Catholic. Graduat-ing in 2007, they credit their teachers and coaches with instilling in them the virtues of hard work and dedication. It has paid off as they initially achieved great success building their own nightclub promotion company in Tampa while attending college. Says Alcala, “We handled some of the biggest venues in town and learned a lot about the local music scene. We formed JL Music about a year ago with the express purpose of promoting local Tampa talent”.

Their artist management company, JL Music, seeks out public radio, television and film soundtrack opportunities, the art scene and even designer T-shirts to promote their client’s music at a time when “American Idol” and its lottery of fame have replaced the follow-the-chart career rules of “Ameri-can Bandstand” and “American Top 40.

“We’re a company based on actions, not words,” says Alcala. “We already have developed some good contacts in the film and television industry. We want the artists we represent to be both real and commit-ted, willing to connect with their audiences in ways that permit their fans to get to know them, and not based strictly on commerce

and the usual ‘Hey, go buy my record’. To that end, we look for artists who are unique, personally and musically, and who are will-ing to put in the hard work”.

“Websites are as much a key to success today as radio was to the acts of the ‘50s and ‘60s”, adds Kelly. “It may be a different era but you still need to focus. We’ve always felt that once people hear our client’s music, we want to develop a relationship between them. To tweet or not to tweet isn’t the question. But whether it’s MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare or something else, we prefer to concentrate on only two at a time -- at most. Obviously the hard part is getting heard, but that’s our job. Our client’s job is to work on their art, to continually improve their performance skills. We’re proud of our client’s Tampa Bay roots. They have a lot to say and are very serious about their craft. ”

One such client who is garnering a tremen-dous amount of attention of late is Tampa resident Kabeir Da Juan, an up and coming Hip Hop songwriter/singer. A prodigious songwriter, Kabeir is known as much for his searing lyrics as for his formidable vocal ability. Raised in musically talented family, much of his outstanding song catalogue was written while in prison, and has been lavishly praised for its poignancy and sensitivity. Friends with Kelly since they were young, Da Juan recently performed at “Terror Squad/ Wild 94.1”, Tampa DJ Christion’s Birthday Bash, more than holding his own along side such established national acts as Fat Joe, Ace Hood, Brisco, Cool n Dre, Triple C’s and Manio. Opening before a sold out house, Kabeir’s debut performance received rave reviews and left fans calling out for more, while leaving Guest of Honor DJ Christion ex-claiming afterwards “Kabeir absolutely killed it on stage!”

Based on that breakthrough performance, Da Juan was subsequently invited to Miami to perform in The Rick Ross Maybach Music showcase. Since then, Kabeir has been vir-tually living in the recording studio alongside Kelly and Alcala, laying down rough demos of his songs, continually re-working them until they are all satisfied.

But it remains an uphill climb. Says Kelly, “Recording music and posting it online is not enough. Sure, the internet plays a big part these days, especially online shows, but you also need to contact club DJ’s, radio DJs, university and community college radio stations, independent radio, and anyone else you encounter, everyday”. While many believe television is the fastest way to music success these days, Kelly and Alcala hold that continual touring, music publishing, social media and music sites hold the keys.

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Another dilemma they face in today’s music industry is the rapid changes occurring in mainstream radio. According to the LA Times, commercial radio is no longer a regional business with a number of idio-syncratic gatekeepers; the business is now in a national corporate mode and ruled by market testing and the heavy rotation of the same safe hit songs. Audiences are still vast, but the number of artists they hear is startlingly low. “You have to get into the local community and make noise. If you deliver a professional product, and your music is hot like Kabeir Da Juan’s, people will notice”, says Kelly. “It’s a business, and, if you want to be taken seriously, you need to present yourself and your client’s music with professionalism. Most people looking to make it in this industry just aren’t ready and they become disillusioned when no one is interested”. Adds Alcala, “You can’t be hit-ting people up on the street to buy a burned cd that’s been written on with a sharpie. We focus on our client’s sound quality, on the mixing and recording levels, beats, photo shoots, the printing, fliers, copyrights, multiple formats, the whole nine yards. We constantly evaluate local studios, engineers, backup singers and producers. Right now, we‘re working with G1E Productionz which has worked along side Justin Timberlake, Mandy Moore, Shine Down, Puddle Of Mudd, and Backstreet Boys. We also look at our live performances closely. Joe and I are big believers in rehearsing, especially with the sound equipment our client will be using”.

Kelly adds, “We try to understand our cli-ent’s target demographics and create a record to catch their attention. Once we feel we have the right record, we get our business done on it. We make sure it can be purchased online, such as iTUNES. We’re developing our own web site, and invest heavily in promotional material like free singles, demos and mix tapes, with a minimum of a thousand copies per market. We’ll flood the streets with them. Once our product is on the streets, we start pushing it to the Club DJs and regular DJs on local radio and mix shows. Once they have the re-cord, we then try to set up meetings with the station’s Music Director or Program Director. We start locally, move statewide, then region wide, and eventually we’ll go national”.

“Regarding new artists, we heed what a mid-west DJ recently said: “If your music sounds the same as everybody else’s, then I feel no urgency to play it. Be original. Don’t set out to be the next Jay-z, Lil Wayne, 50 cent, or any other successful artist getting spins. They’ve already put their style out there first and they do it better than you. Contrary to popular opinion, Hip Hop is not a get rich quick scheme. And the rap game is not like the crack game. If you sell dope, then just sell dope. You’d be offended if Dionne Warwick started hugging your block, trying to get your cash, wouldn’t you? Well, stay out of my small-ass wallet. I may die broke chasing my music aspirations, but I don’t need some hobbyist digging in my

pockets at the same time. And learn how to perform on stage! I don’t need a bunch of studio gangsters f***ing up shows so they can grab their balls, force the waistline of their jeans below their kneecaps to show the three pairs of shorts they got on, and coon it up for the four homeboys they came with. Learn how to entertain somebody beside yourself. And pay for s**t! Don’t always ask to get on the list at shows; you’re taking money out of promoters and, by proxy, artist pockets. The same goes with graphics work, cd pressing, and promotions; how good can the product be if no money is put behind it? At least offer some kind of service in trade. For example, $50 for a DJ to do your mix tape is a slap in the face; you might as well hold them at gunpoint and force them to do it. And don’t ask me to do a mix tape and then tell me how you want it done. If you had any clue how to make a successful mix tape, you wouldn’t be hollerin’ at me to begin with, right? Last but not least, if this music s**t is easy for you, THEN YOU AINT DOIN S**T! You have to love pain and hardship to have any sort of success. If those that are successful in music did it effortlessly, there would be no reason to have a VH1 “Behind the Music Show”. I don’t do business with those that don’t show the wear and tear of dedication to the business.’

With a penetrating gaze, Kelly says simply: “LB and I take those words to heart”•••

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ROBBIERIVERAPresented byPMNOCTEM EVENTS & PIED PIPER PRODUCTIONS

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DAYGLOWPresented byPMNOCTEM EVENTS & PIED PIPER PRODUCTIONS

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