HAL Bazaar: A duo band performed at Pogue Mahone's Bar

               Rock out with HAL Bazaar
An," acoustic rock duo with the Big sound" is how Adam Danesi, the lead singer and drummer describes his band.

  David     Singer and guitarist Steve McCurdy and

 Buckler   Danesi get their instruments ready for the

----------  long night.

   Music          An electronic tuner prepares the

  Review    guitar, and warm up stretches for the drummer and the men start. At first the audience was modest in their involvement with the music, occasionally a woman in the far corner would dance for a few minutes than sit down.

       Two hours later the bar became louder, free drinks were being given to the talent, and the crowd started to dance. The duo played all types of Rock from Bob Marley, Fuel, Kings of Leon and much more.

       Their talent as musicians become clear as you witness them change styles and replicate any artist from the past and present. Energy from the men was great and their stage presence was entertaining but could be better.

       As for the crowd they were absolutely into the music being played. I could tell by the discussions being held around me. Their involvement could of been better, I was hoping for some good dance scenes to get video of but this was not the dancing crowd, they were perfectly happy in their seats except for a select few woman.

        One lady behind me said "this song was played at her prom when she was in high school and I love this song!" Another man on my right was singing along to the words of another oldies song.

--------------------------------------           As the night went on the smell of beer and sweat took over the

"HAL Bazaar" will be performing soon   place. The music was heard from any area of the bar even outside
call Adam Danesi (267)-226-8092        which was nice when I wanted to go outside to give my ears a
for tickets and bookings. or email them   break from the loud music.
halbazaar@comcast.net                                 Overall the men were great performers, and worth a visit. Price to get in is free so that is a bonus for anyone looking for affordable entertainment. I enjoyed my time there even though I'm not a drinker I can safely say I had a great time thanks to these men.

Amerikick Internationals Held Extreme Form Competition

"Ke-Ya" the competitors scream!

Karate Students compete in Amerikick Internationals competition.

                      By David L. Buckler 

           Intro to Journalism student writer

Official trade mark of the competition. 

Shortly after 3 p.m. Friday March 30th, competitors at the Convention Center in Philadelphia broke out in loud screams as they mentally prepared themselves to perform: the winners shared in Friday's fifty thousand dollars in awards.
      Men and women, boys and girls strapped up, suited up, and warmed up as their turns to compete were getting closer.

      "Alot of guys get sponsored at this event," said Mike Recinto, one of two directors for the competition. He has been running the show for 32 years and has a 7th degree black belt in Kenpo which makes him qualified and dangerous.

Photo by amerikickinternationals.com
Main Judge left and winner of extreme forms right

.

      Recinto's pleasant personality and confidence attracts people around him at all times.  Answering everyone's demands was a chore as  he rushed to satisfy each person's questions at the same time.
      "Continuous sparring" started the 2012 Amerikick Internationals off with a bang.  Two people are matched together in the same age group and they go at it for 45 seconds of pounding fits and rib cracking kicks.
       The first two men were a foot difference in height with the same rank of 2nd degree black belt. The two men went at it strong right from the start.
       spectators watching thought the taller man was going to win but the underdog came through with fist and to all of our surprise, kicks to the face!
       The taller man left the mat smiling with blood on his face saying to his father, "He is a great fighter, but I'll win the next match."
       It was a great way to start the competition and the audience seemed to agree. Cheers of excitement and yells of encouragement filled the room up as each space was filled with a different age group sparring at the same time.
        The woman were no exception to the excitement, in some cases they were more vicious than the men. Whoever said women cant fight were wrong, very wrong. Thundering punches were slamming hard on each woman's chest and face. They had little or no reaction to the blows, and continued to fight back as hard as they could.
        Some of the competitors waiting around to compete cheered their team mates on, and others continued to warm up as they waited.
       "My name is Jhalani Williams, you will see me on UFC someday," said Williams a first time competitor. Williams said,  "I don't know what to think yet about this competition, but I'm excited and I know I'm going to win."
        Williams took this competition very seriously, he continued to practice his moves as he wanted, even when being interviewed. Williams later competed in the continuous sparring and appeared to be able to back up his words. He dominated in his first two fights crushing his opponents in the first round.
        Chad Flick a father of a second degree black belt son said, "you really see the best of the best, the kids really are phenomenal." Flick and other supporting parents watched as their sons and daughters fought with everything they had to win in the three rounds of kick boxing.
        Extreme forms or "CMX Forms" was next after the sparring. Video of some of the forms is posted on the top of this article.
        The audience seemed to be enjoying themselves as the competitors used all of their energy and skill to impress the three judges at each station. Some of the audience members were yelling in support of their son, daughter, or friend.
       Volunteers were a huge part of the success of this event, many of the volunteers wore blue as they ran around making sure each station was ready for the next fight or extreme form.
        Darthon Newman a volunteer for the eighth year in a row is also supporting a friend who is a  competitor this year.  He said, "To survive in this competition you have to take risk, it's ok to be worry some but no risk, no reward."
        Photo journalist, Mary Shoulty works for the Kansas City Star, weaving herself in and out of the crowd, taking pictures of each event with great speed. She gave me tips on who to look out for and the upcoming stars that will put on a great show.
        Explore Talent, a company that helps upcoming actors get a job attended the event.  Competitors freely handed out business cards that had a head shot of themselves, their name, number, email, and Explore Talents logo.
        Stephannie Figueroa, one of the Explore Talent competitors handed out her cards to spectators before she performed her extreme form with a sword. Video of her can be found in the video above around the 3:40 mark.
        The competition ended with awards being handed out to all the winners. Sponsors waited for the winners to walk off the stage before talking with them about deals.
        Interested in going to a competition? The next one is the 18th and 19th of May, Gator Nationals in Daytona Beach, FL. 
      
        

     

Philadelphia Flower Show Hosted a Hawaiian Themed Event

One of the beach displays 
Photo By: David L. Buckler

 The fresh smell of flowers, the vivid color of Hawaii, the soft feel of leafs between my fingers, and the sound of people talking are all part of the flower show experience.
      This past March, The Pennsylvania Convention Center hosted a Hawaiian themed Flower Show for the Philadelphia area. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, or PHS has been funded by the proceeds of this event.
       PHS is an organization focused on urban greening programs, such as "City Harvest" which feeds Philadelphia families in need. Tickets cost $32, which is a steep cost for many but it helps PHS feed the hungry and plant in Philadelphia.
       Bob Ward, a front gate employee has been working the flower show for eleven years. He said, "Every year they do an amazing job here and every year thousands of people come to see the beautiful displays." He said around "300,000 people" attend each year over eight days.

Wedding Ideas 
Photo by: David L. Buckler

      Volunteers are a huge reason this is successful every year. Sharon Lentz has been volunteering for the last three years. She says, "It takes a lot, alot of volunteers to pull this off." Lentz also said, "The isles are bigger than ever before as is traffic flow because people  complained, which is a good thing."
         Being a volunteer comes with it's benefits. Free admission to the show is one benefit that Lentz said is why she volunteers. If interested in volunteering for the show contact PHS.
          John Tanouye, a first timer at the show said, "This is pretty amazing." The look of awe and amazement struck Tanouye's face as we walked by the table on the right.
          The people who show up to this event all seem very happy and relaxed. Maybe it's the pleasant smell or the eye striking colors. Or maybe it's an escape from everyday life. One thing is certain this is a colorful event to attend.

An actual beach built indoors
Photo by: David L. Buckler

          No event comes without it's criticism. Caitlin Pasarelli a long time member of PHS and photo enthusiast said, "I am disappointed with the lack of colors this year, I wanted to see hibiscus and more variety of flowers but it's mostly leaf work this year." Like Lentz said, when people complain things change. Next year the colorful display of Hawaii might be even more colorful as spectators demand for more flowers.
         Three shows were scheduled throughout the day in the PHS studios, located on the far left side of the building and directly in the center of the building. The first show was the PHS Gardeners studio where professionals gave the audience advice on gardening methods, to optimize their yards potential.
          After lunch time The Philadelphia Zoo hosted an event for the children. They brought a parrot, a turtle, and a sneak with them for children to see and touch. Parents seemed relieved to sit down as their children ran to the stage to pet the animals.
      Around dinner time the last show was at the PHS Designer's Studio where professionals gave the audience tips on how to make beautiful bouquets. They also demonstrated by making several bouquets with flowers from the show, and flowers that were on sale.
      By the end of the day most of the people filtered out of the doors exhausted but happy. "A day well spent" said Audrey Strother as she slowly made her way out of the building.
      

       

Donald Glover apologizes to Swarthmore College students

Swarthmore College students dancing to the music!
Photo by: David L. Buckler

The lights go out with a thick layer of fog rolling off the stage. Students Cheer in anticipation for their end of the year concert.
         Donald Glover, the lead rapper for the group, "Childish Gambino" performed at Swarthmore College Saturday, April 27th for what was supposed to be a five hour show.
          He was scheduled to begin at Seven Thirty pm, and end early the next morning. Clover did not come out until close to 8:30pm and he ended at 11:30pm due to technical difficulties.
           JWM Entertainment group, was in charge of the lights and sound for the artist.  John M. Wolk the president of the company attended the concert and said, "The stands holding the lights and speakers is over fifteen hundred pounds. When the students were jumping I saw them shaking and my heart skipped a beat and I had to stop the show for the safety of the students."
           Mame Yarukara, a Junior, was with her friends after the show venting over the "awful event planning." said, "They choose to put this show indoors in a room that can only fit 300 people with a weight limit for all the equipment." She further explains that the show should of been outside because there would of been no issue with the equipment and everyone would be able to attend."
           Glover, later posted on his Twitter page, "Swarthmore, I apologize. I was told during the show that jumping could cause a collapse. Come to the Philly show to see a full performance."
           Besides the objection towards the planning the show was full of energy, and excited college students were jumping and singing along to the lyrics of Glover's songs. The short show seemed to be of no concerns to the majority of Swarthmore students. It appeared everyone was satisfied by the end and ready to party afterwards.
           Nick kushner, a Junior, was inviting everyone to a party after the show.  In the middle of a song he said, "This concert is {profanity} awesome!" and after leaving the building he said, "It was a blast dude." Others in the crowd agreed.