The following iconic guitarists have obviously owned several different guitars over the years that they have been playing but they all have one thing in common as well and that is a deep affection for one particular special “ax”. Let’s have a look at these legendary guitarists and their special guitars; starting with number 10 on the list:

10 – B. B. King and the renowned “Lucille”; while playing at a dance hall in Arkansas a fight broke out and some kerosene was knocked over which caused a huge fire. After rescuing his Gibson he found out that the fight had been over a woman named Lucille and has named all of his guitars the same in order to remind him to never fight over a woman.

9 – Keith Richards and “Micawber”; when he asked why he chose such an uncommon name for his guitar (the name is from a character in the book David Copperfield) he claims that the only reason is because when he screams it out everyone knows exactly what he is talking about.

8 – George Harrison and “Lucy”; the cherry colored Les Paul was given to him by Eric Clapton and was named Lucy in honor of Lucille Ball. Later Eric Clapton actually played the guitar as a favor to George when recording “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.

7 – Stevie Ray Vaughn and “Lenny”; this vintage guitar was in a pawn shop in Austin, TX but the $350 asking price was not something he could afford back in 1980 so his wife, Lenora (Lenny), rounded up the $50 they were lacking from friends and bought if for his 26th birthday. He named it Lenny in her honor.

6 – Willie Nelson and “Trigger”; when a repair shop in Memphis was unable to repair one of his favorite guitars they offered to sell him a Martin which he did, sight unseen, and instantly fell in love with it, naming it after Roy Roger’s horse. He played the guitar so often that he wore a hole in the top; but he liked the unusual sound so much he refused to get it fixed.

5 – Neil Young and “Old Black”; Neil got this 1953 Gibson from Jim Messina in 1969 and then painted the original goldtop black. The instrument frequently goes out of tune according to his guitar tech, Larry Cragg, but Neil refuses to have the fingerboard re-fretted.

4 – Billy Gibbons and “Miss Pearly Gates”; while this ZZ Top guitar player is known for a big beard he has an even bigger guitar collection, however, his favorite is the 1959 Les Paul. The story is that they let a friend drive their 1930 Packard to Hollywood for a movie audition and when she landed the part they called the car Pearly Gates thinking it must have divine powers. The friend sold the Packard wired him the money and the guitar was purchased the same day also christening it Miss Pearly Gates.

3 – Eddie Van Halen and “Frankenstrat”; many guitarists have debated over whether the Gibson or Fender is the best guitar so Eddie just combined the two to create his Frankenstrat.

2 – Jimi Hendrix and “Woodstock”; while he was known to sacrifice many guitars by lighting them on fire but fortunately one survived and it was the one he played the legendary rendition of the Star Spangled Banner on at Woodstock.

1 – Eric Clapton and “Blackie”; Eric bought six Fenders at a music shop in Nashville and gave three of them away to Pete Townsend, Steve Winwood and George Harrison. He then decided to create one super guitar by using the best parts of the three remaining resulting in his legendary Stratocaster that he named Blackie after the black finish.

So, you have all of these digital photos, video’s and music on your hard drive but now you really want to be able to enjoy all of it on your TV and stereo in the living room; well if you have a network connection and any of the game consoles like PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, you may have everything you need to enjoy streaming digital media. Each one of them is capable of streaming a wide variety of photo, video and audio formats from the PC to the TV using your home network. However, if you are not a gamer there are some products that will fit the bill.

Sonos digital music system (bundle 130) – it is a 2 room wireless audio system that can be expanded for up to 32 rooms. The wireless remote uses an iPod style scroll and has a very easy installation process. It has audio input that allows you to access 3^rd party audio sources and will stream the same audio to all rooms or different music to every room.

Apple TV (40 GB) – this allows you access to both premium and free media content that includes TV shows, movie rentals, photos, podcasts, music and YouTube videos. Works with both Windows and Mac, has a great sleek design and a good user interface with a simple setup and provides smooth streaming.

Roku Soundbridge M1000/M1001 – a network receiver with a sleek design, big front panel display and has great compatibility with all digital files including those purchased from online sites and premium subscription services (includes DRM WMA files). Has both analog and digital output that allows you to connect to any speaker or stereo system and works with any Ethernet or wireless home network. Both the setup and the user interface are simple and it streams from both Mac and Windows.

The Sony VGF-WA1 – this is a very reliable wireless audio stream with a lithium battery providing 4 hours of life; includes an auxiliary mini-jack for external sources and digital audio output.

MVIX MX-760HD – great file compatibility, room for internal hard drive and a DVI output capable of us to 1080p. It has 2 USB ports, Dolby soundtracks and both wireless and Ethernet networking.

So, if you love gadgets and want some excellent streaming video then any one of these should be more than adequate.

Vintage “lost” video from ww1 about tank

I don’t claim to be a movie critic or movie expert, I’m just a fan. I’ve been watching movies since 1955, and I guess based on  conversations with my family, coworkers, and friends,  I know a little more than the average person on the street about movie titles, actors, and directors. Movies that might give a guy a little entertainment and open his eyes to some of the great actors and directors of  the past.  This section of Man-a-Mania will be dedicated to movies that aren’t on everybody’s  radar, especially if your under the age of thirty five.

We’ll highlight one actor and movie per month. Don’t be looking for car chases and shootouts with guns that never run out of bullets, hopefully if you haven’t  seen these movies before you’ll enjoy them or if you have  you’ll see something you missed.  Enjoy these selections for their combination of action, irony, cinematography, acting, direction, and thought provoking ideas.

This months movie selection is Anatomy of a Murder, nominated for seven academy awards. The 1959 classic stars James Stewart as a country lawyer defending a military man accused of murder. Directed by Otto Preminger and costarring Lee Remick, George C. Scott,  Ben Gazarra, and Murry Hamilton ( Mrs. Robinsons husband, and the Mayor in Jaws). A must see courtroom drama and classic film.

Walter Brennen

Three academy awards. Over two hundred film appearances spanning five decades.  Costarring roles opposite Hollywood icons John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Humphry Bogart, Gary Cooper, and Spensor Tracy.

This months featured actor, Walter Brennen usually played the crabby but good hearted side kick in many of Hollywood’s all time favorite movies.  Catch his performances in the films below, especially Northwest Passage starring Spensor Tracy. He played Hunk Marriner Robert Young’s (Father Knows Best, Marcus Welby) friend, drinking buddy, and Indian fighter. This 1940 adventure set in the mid 1700’s depicts the French and Indian War and is a must see for any action, adventure, and historical film fan.

1894-1974

Favorite Picks

How the West was won

Rio Bravo

Pride of the Yankees

Sergeant York

My Darling Clementine

Bad day at Black Rock

Northwest Passage******

Photo: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

Perhaps the powers that be decided that with the state of the economy the general public needed a little relief; whatever the reason this seems to be the year of the comedy.

Starting with Letters to Juliet that came out on May 14 taking place in the land where Juliet met Romeo, Verona. While it starts out with Amanda Seyfried helping Vanessa Redgrave find her long ago lost love you know that Amanda will find her own love along the way.

On May 28^th we were graced with Sex and the City 2 that starts two years later where the first one left off and the women setting off to far reaching desert locations. The plot seems to be immaterial with all of the “cosmo” acting and dialogue.

Get Him to the Greek that came out on June 4^th is a great movie, especially for those fans of the crude humor of Judd Apatow; if you are not a fan then you may want to skip this movie. There are plenty of humorous antics in this crass buddy-style movie where Jonah Hill is the bumbling guy that is in charge of getting a rock star, Russell Brand to a reunion concert at the Greek Theater.

The Killers also came out on June 4^th starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl as a married couple that were happy until she learned that at one time he had been a spy and that now there are assassins after them; Happy Anniversary honey.

On June 25^th Grown-Ups came out where a group of grown men, David Spade, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, Kevin James and Adam Sandler, get together to relive their youth after the death of their high school coach.

And, on July 23^rd we have Dinner for Schmucks to look forward to; Paul Rudd has to play a game called who can bring the biggest idiot to dinner in order to get a promotion at work that he is after. His idiot of choice happens to be the current king of slapstick Steve Carrell and what ensues are some very funny moments.

There are many good movies already out and some more scheduled for the rest of the summer and fall. With choices ranging from romantic comedies to buddy films there is sure to be something for everyone.

The mere thought of designing anything can sound a little intimidating, especially when it comes to your landscape; however, not everyone is able to hire a professional for their garden designs. There are some great tips for those that want to do it themselves that will result in a garden that is both beautiful and inexpensive.

In order to complete your landscape project you need to understand the basics of garden designs; these include color, line, form and texture. The form portion refers to the plant’s branching pattern as well as its shape and garden designs take into consideration the difference in these shapes.

Texture is a visual aspect in garden designs which means you would rely on things like how the plant is perceived in relation to things around it. For example, the texture of one bedding plant might be considered coarser than a plant next to it simply because of the different leave sizes. The line element is a consideration because the eye movement of the viewer is usually governed by how the plant groupings flow or fit together in the landscape; both on the vertical and horizontal planes.

When it comes to color in landscape there are four categories: primary which are the yellows, blues and reds, secondary are purples, oranges and greens, tertiary are the mixture of secondary’s and primaries and neutral which are the silvers and grays. In garden designs the easiest way to obtain unity is by matching the cool colors, blue, green and purple to cool colors and warm colors, yellow, orange and red, to warm colors.

You can use this kind of color theory to influence the mood emitted from your landscape; the warmer colors will excite the person viewing them and the cool colors are much more likely to create a relaxing atmosphere. So in garden designs a blue color is a great choice for something along the lines of a meditation garden while a bright red is considered a natural focal point. A beginning gardener tends to just plant the colors that are their favorites in any placement while the more advanced gardener will use this color theory as a way of making their gardens really stand out.

Gather your friends and family pop some popcorn and grab the lawn chairs then head to the backyard for a night at the movies. Backyard movies have become a very popular form of entertainment and when designed to fit in with your landscape movies done this way can also be visually pleasing.

The first thing you are going to need in order to show backyard movies is a projector; you need to consider two main factors: brightness and aspect ratio. The dimension of wide screen movies is 16:9 so you want to look for a projector with that ration. Depending upon the lighting in your backyard landscape movies generally look best at around 1,000 lumen for a smaller area and 2,200 for a larger one.

Your next concern is choosing a DVD player; normally hooking up a player to the digital projector is not a problem but just like any technology those that want to enjoy backyard movies may run into a glitch or two. Sometimes it is necessary for the projectors to convert a signal from the DVD player so that the pixels come out looking better. Try doing some research online to see which players and projectors work well together in order to get the most out of your movies.

Depending upon your landscape movies may have a different sound when played outside so if you are using a laptop in order to play the DVD’s you need to be sure that your sound card will support surround sound which is what many people prefer when enjoying backyard movies. For those that prefer it a little more simple you may want to consider getting some wireless speakers as it also makes it a little easier to walk around without having to worry about extra cords.

The screen on which you play the movies is also important and whether you want it simple or sophisticated can also mean the difference between an easy setup or a more difficult one. For some, backyard movies played on a white tarp draped over a fence or garage door is just fine while others prefer a real screen; in which case you can opt for an inflatable screen or you can purchase one specifically intended for playing movies outside.

If you want music online and are willing to go off the beaten path as in willing to hear some music that is not always so popular on the radio there are plenty of free music downloads to be found on the Internet. Here are a few of the different places where you can find music downloads on the web.

Indy.tv is custom radio that enables you to find independent music online. You have to download Indy and then double click the title and you rate the music while it plays. The more you rate the more your preferences will be played.

Pandora is really great as it allows you to make as many different personalized stations as you care to and enjoy your free music downloads this way as well.

Sideload is a great free music online download site with a huge MP3 selection as well. This site has a great selection of different music that you can preview before downloading. When you find a tune you like simply click on the title and a new window opens with your free music download link.

Soundclick has been around since 1997 and has upwards of 2 million free music downloads available. They also offer streaming audio that can be used for radio stations and free videos.

BeSonic requires registration (but it is free) before having access to about 12,000 songs to download. Or, you can listen to the music online via their streaming audio. They have a search option available that helps you to quickly locate the music downloads that you want.

ArtistServer is actually a social site that hosts 8,000 legal and free music downloads. It also provides free blogs, photos and MP3 ringtones so be sure to check this one out.

Audio Archive is another good place when you are looking for a free music download; they have both an MP3 and audio library that has about 100,000 free digital songs. They also offer radio shows, poetry readings, live music recordings, books and music online.

Jamendo has about 7,000 different music downloads that you can share, review and if you like what you are hearing you can make a donation directly to the artists.

These are only a few of the sites that offer music online or free music downloads there are plenty more once you take the time to start searching, but in the mean time these should get you started.

The casual flash game has become a favorite on the web as it is a form of entertainment that does not require committing a lot of time or spending money; you just sit back, relax and play games. There are many of these games available already and it seems like more a being added every day. Here are a few sites the have some really great games and some even have them available as downloads as well.

RuneScape is works like a multiplayer RPG (role playing game) but it works in a Java enabled web browser as well and it is free. This flash game graphics are a little primitive but that has not kept it from becoming extremely popular.

Gumshoe Online allows you to play games where you are the detective and you find the guilty party and then put together an airtight case to put them away. The key to success is to solve puzzles, uncover clues and interview suspects; there are enough different items and locations to keep you busy for quite some time.

Whizzball is similar to the game Mousetrap and is a good example of just how non-violent, yet still innovative a flash game can be. You have to use several different gutters, gizmos and gadgets in order to guide the ball to a target. Not only can you solve the existing puzzles you can create new ones for other players to solve.

Samorost is an interesting point and click type flash game where the idea is to find all of the items that are clickable and then be able to click them in the right order to get to your next level. It sounds easy but if you like to play games with a little thought involved you will really enjoy this one.

Sunday League can be a rather addictive flash game that gives you your own soccer team who will then play against teams that have been created by other different players. There is quite a bit of detail with this game and it actually has a sense of humor.

Bejeweled 2 deluxe is another great one if you like to play games that are similar to the classic type of matching games, it is easy to learn and can be quite addictive. This particular version of the flash game has different modes and even a puzzle mode that requires more thought as you make it to the higher levels.

You have undoubtedly heard the phrase that a bad day fishing beats a good day working; these are probably the same guys that would be able to land a fish worthy of mounting out of a puddle. However, no matter what your skill level may be fishing trips are always worthwhile if for nothing else than the relaxation factor. Listed here are a few trips; some even have a fishing guide available for an additional fee that is worth the trip.

If you are thinking about heading down under for some fishing then you should definitely check out Weipa, Australia where you will find one of the best fly and sport fishing opportunities available. You can hire a charter with a fishing guide for both laid back tourist or active fishing trips and wade around in the waist deep blue water or stay in the boat and try for the coral trout or red emperor.

If you plan on staying a little closer to home then you should take one of your next fishing trips in Point Pleasant, New Jersey where you have the chance of catching some fluke or big tuna. You may just enjoy floating along in one of the charter boats as much as fighting to reel in that bluefin. Most of the organized trips even offer catering if you want to enjoy some gourmet food while you fish.

If you are looking for something a little more exotic then you may want to venture to Forra River, Norway where the area looks like it has been undisturbed by mankind and a local fishing guide can help you catch an Atlantic salmon that will surpass your wildest dreams. You are also pretty much guaranteed some solitude as they only allow four rods to be cast at a time for environmental reasons.

For pristine water and a natural beauty you can’t beat the Great White North of Seward, Alaska, the stuff real fishing trips are made of. The charter boats led by your own fishing guide takes you out among the sea lions and whales while you can expect to find some halibut and silver salmon that are most certainly trophy sized; many of them have been known to weigh over one hundred pounds. For excellent king salmon fishing you should plan your trip in either the early spring or the fall.