The Freakbike Militia (FBM) is an international bicycle club made up of people from all walks of life. Many types of bicycles can be seen at Freakbike rallys, including tall bikes, and lowrider bicycles, but most of its members are Chopper bicycle enthusiasts.
Members show up for semi-annual rides on three different types of bikes. The first is the individual who has the equipment to chop up old bicycle frames and weld them back together in an unlimited variety of configurations that reflect their personal style. Many of these fabricators build bikes that celebrate the theme of each ride, from St Patrick's Day to Halloween. The second type of rider chooses one of a few factory made Chopper Bicycles available today, and quite often, will use custom parts to build an impressive bike. The last type of rider will employ the services of a select group of Custom Chopper Bicycle Designers who have frames and parts that are not available in most bike shops.
April 2007 saw the 15th Choppernite ride in West Palm Beach, Florida, with an estimated attendance of over 130 riders.
The FBM started in Florida and while there is no official leader, there are a growing number of chapters.
In 2007 the FBM attended the St. Patrick's Day festivities in Delray Beach, Florida, including the Charity Parade.
Thousands of people descended on Atlantic Avenue to watch the 39th annual St. Patrick's Day Charity Parade. About 40 parade entries included several bagpipe and drum bands, fire engines, Model T Fords, monster trucks and a pack of bicycles called the Freak Bike Militia.
Maria Herrera:
Sun Sentinel
Saturday, Feb 10, 2007
Members show up for semi-annual rides on three different types of bikes. The first is the individual who has the equipment to chop up old bicycle frames and weld them back together in an unlimited variety of configurations that reflect their personal style. Many of these fabricators build bikes that celebrate the theme of each ride, from St Patrick's Day to Halloween. The second type of rider chooses one of a few factory made Chopper Bicycles available today, and quite often, will use custom parts to build an impressive bike. The last type of rider will employ the services of a select group of Custom Chopper Bicycle Designers who have frames and parts that are not available in most bike shops.
April 2007 saw the 15th Choppernite ride in West Palm Beach, Florida, with an estimated attendance of over 130 riders.
The FBM started in Florida and while there is no official leader, there are a growing number of chapters.
In 2007 the FBM attended the St. Patrick's Day festivities in Delray Beach, Florida, including the Charity Parade.
Thousands of people descended on Atlantic Avenue to watch the 39th annual St. Patrick's Day Charity Parade. About 40 parade entries included several bagpipe and drum bands, fire engines, Model T Fords, monster trucks and a pack of bicycles called the Freak Bike Militia.
Maria Herrera:
Sun Sentinel
Saturday, Feb 10, 2007
The Latino Leadership Council (LLC), formerly the Hispanic Affairs Agency, is one of six agencies of the Multicultural Information Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The LLC exists as an umbrella organization to unite and empower Latino students and 37 associated student organizations at UT through communication, leadership and education for the advancement of the Latin community.
Membership
Internal
Ten positions are available on the LLC internal team, chosen by successive directors and chairs. The Co-director positions are paid hourly by the University of Texas at Austin, while the directors stay within the Multicultural Information Center.
The eight Co-directors hold positions dealing with operations, university relations, finance, campus outreach, leadership development, community development, communications, and archives. The three chairs deal with the Latino Leadership Summit, the Latino Parents Weekend, and Sabado Gigante.
Internships
Interns will work closely with Internal Team Members to facilitate event planning and help with the many resources provided by LLC. Many interns go on to become members of the internal team.
Latino Leadership Institute (LLI)
The institute is a leadership program hosted by the LLC, aimed at developing freshmen and sophomore students' ideas about a contemporary social theme. LLI consists of weekly sessions, workshops, the LLR, and the LLS, and focuses on leadership development, networking and social justice training. Past themes have included gender equality. Only Latino organizations are allowed to attend.
Latino Leadership Summit (LLS)
The LLC bills the Latino Leadership Summit as "one of the largest leadership conferences for Latino students in the Southwest" and for drawing students from "across the country". The two-day conference includes hotel accommodations, workshops, keynote speaker addresses, and film presentations.<ref name="LLCevents"/>
Past keynote speakers have included managing editor and host of Latino USA Maria Hinojosa, Xicana-Indígena lesbian multi-disciplinary artist Adenlina Anthony, Latino children's book author Carmen Tafolla, and 2008 Vice Presidential Candidate for the Green Party Rosa Clemente.<ref name="LLCevents"/>
Past films have included a screen of "The Wall" documentary produced by Ricardo Martinez.<ref name="LLCevents"/>
Latino Leadership Retreat (LLR)
The two-day summer trip invites the top three ranking officers from the UT Latino student organizations to discuss the vision and initiatives of the community as a whole. The LLC provides community and leadership development as well as social justice training.
Latino Parents Weekend (LPW)
Latino Parents Weekend allows Latino parents to attend class, workshops, and take a tour of the UT campus with the LLC internal team, and their respective children.
Bravo Awards
This formal dinner recognizes the leadership of achieving UT Latino organizations of the current year by giving them awards for their performance. The awards are provided by category.
Policies
The LLC requires all participants in their events to have an open mind. Specifically, the LLC encourages attendees to be open to spirited dialogue and new, challenging ideas.<ref name="LLCevents"/>
Membership
Internal
Ten positions are available on the LLC internal team, chosen by successive directors and chairs. The Co-director positions are paid hourly by the University of Texas at Austin, while the directors stay within the Multicultural Information Center.
The eight Co-directors hold positions dealing with operations, university relations, finance, campus outreach, leadership development, community development, communications, and archives. The three chairs deal with the Latino Leadership Summit, the Latino Parents Weekend, and Sabado Gigante.
Internships
Interns will work closely with Internal Team Members to facilitate event planning and help with the many resources provided by LLC. Many interns go on to become members of the internal team.
Latino Leadership Institute (LLI)
The institute is a leadership program hosted by the LLC, aimed at developing freshmen and sophomore students' ideas about a contemporary social theme. LLI consists of weekly sessions, workshops, the LLR, and the LLS, and focuses on leadership development, networking and social justice training. Past themes have included gender equality. Only Latino organizations are allowed to attend.
Latino Leadership Summit (LLS)
The LLC bills the Latino Leadership Summit as "one of the largest leadership conferences for Latino students in the Southwest" and for drawing students from "across the country". The two-day conference includes hotel accommodations, workshops, keynote speaker addresses, and film presentations.<ref name="LLCevents"/>
Past keynote speakers have included managing editor and host of Latino USA Maria Hinojosa, Xicana-Indígena lesbian multi-disciplinary artist Adenlina Anthony, Latino children's book author Carmen Tafolla, and 2008 Vice Presidential Candidate for the Green Party Rosa Clemente.<ref name="LLCevents"/>
Past films have included a screen of "The Wall" documentary produced by Ricardo Martinez.<ref name="LLCevents"/>
Latino Leadership Retreat (LLR)
The two-day summer trip invites the top three ranking officers from the UT Latino student organizations to discuss the vision and initiatives of the community as a whole. The LLC provides community and leadership development as well as social justice training.
Latino Parents Weekend (LPW)
Latino Parents Weekend allows Latino parents to attend class, workshops, and take a tour of the UT campus with the LLC internal team, and their respective children.
Bravo Awards
This formal dinner recognizes the leadership of achieving UT Latino organizations of the current year by giving them awards for their performance. The awards are provided by category.
Policies
The LLC requires all participants in their events to have an open mind. Specifically, the LLC encourages attendees to be open to spirited dialogue and new, challenging ideas.<ref name="LLCevents"/>
Fantasy Hair Styling, sometimes referred to as "avant-garde hair styling," is a sub-genre of traditional hair styling that is characterized by its overstated constructions and themes. Fantasy hair styling may also incorporate the use of clothing, make-up, and props to achieve an overall theme. Some examples of fantasy hair styling might be considered to border on Costume design depending on the extent to which the stylist completes the total look. Examples of this might include costuming for theater or film such as the Mystique character in the X Men movies or Queen Amidala of the Star Wars films where it is difficult to distinguish between hair and costume (see example below).
Fantasy hair styling is similar to Updo Hair Styling in that the hair is usually arranged by pulling the hair up to the top of the head. Fantasy hair styling differs in that it takes this basic idea and exaggerates some elements of the style beyond what would be considered "normal" limits. i.e. an updo might pull curls up into a knot, twist, or curls; a fantasy hair style might use hair ornaments or hair pieces to augment or exaggerate the style. Below we see a normal updo and an updo that has fruit added to the style to create a more exotic look.
Early Examples
Hair styling has played an important role in defining a person's status in society and in some cultures the more elaborate the style worn, the greater the person's status within the group. Fantasy hair styling can be traced back to the earliest periods of recorded history when Egyptian, Babylonian, and Persians adorned their hair with elaborate headpieces and wigs. Later, in Greece and Rome, hair was adorned with flowers, jewellery, and ornaments.
16th through 18th Centuries
This era saw the emergence of some of the most elaborate fantasy hair styles in history. In the 16th century Queen Elizabeth used make-up and dye to achieve a particular look that was widely copied. In the 17th and 18th century French court elaborate hair styles that incorporated props such as birdcages that were attached to the head and hair as signs of affluence. Frames and "rats" (cotton wrapped into pads or coils) were used to help mold the hair into unusual shapes.
Modern era
Between the end of the 18th century and mid-20th century hairstyles were generally subdued and fantasy styles were not widely produced. Starting in the mid seventies fantasy hair styling began a re-emergence partly due to science fiction films and television shows such as Star Trek that portrayed women from other planets with exotic hair styles. Science fiction movies such as Star Wars helped to popularize fantasy hair styles beginning with Princess Leia's "muffin roll" hair style and culminating with the elaborate styles worn by Queen Amidala.
Competition
Fantasy hair styling has been a part of hair styling competitions for many years but only caught on in popularity since the mid 1980s. In hair styling competitions of this nature the object is to create a total look. Stylists are given a specific period of time in which to complete the hair and make-up, and to clothe the model in a matching outfit to create the total look desired. In some instances, such as the North American Hairdressing Awards, only photos are entered for judging.
Competitions of this nature were satirized in the 1999 movie The Big Tease staring Craig Ferguson.
Fantasy hair styling is similar to Updo Hair Styling in that the hair is usually arranged by pulling the hair up to the top of the head. Fantasy hair styling differs in that it takes this basic idea and exaggerates some elements of the style beyond what would be considered "normal" limits. i.e. an updo might pull curls up into a knot, twist, or curls; a fantasy hair style might use hair ornaments or hair pieces to augment or exaggerate the style. Below we see a normal updo and an updo that has fruit added to the style to create a more exotic look.
Early Examples
Hair styling has played an important role in defining a person's status in society and in some cultures the more elaborate the style worn, the greater the person's status within the group. Fantasy hair styling can be traced back to the earliest periods of recorded history when Egyptian, Babylonian, and Persians adorned their hair with elaborate headpieces and wigs. Later, in Greece and Rome, hair was adorned with flowers, jewellery, and ornaments.
16th through 18th Centuries
This era saw the emergence of some of the most elaborate fantasy hair styles in history. In the 16th century Queen Elizabeth used make-up and dye to achieve a particular look that was widely copied. In the 17th and 18th century French court elaborate hair styles that incorporated props such as birdcages that were attached to the head and hair as signs of affluence. Frames and "rats" (cotton wrapped into pads or coils) were used to help mold the hair into unusual shapes.
Modern era
Between the end of the 18th century and mid-20th century hairstyles were generally subdued and fantasy styles were not widely produced. Starting in the mid seventies fantasy hair styling began a re-emergence partly due to science fiction films and television shows such as Star Trek that portrayed women from other planets with exotic hair styles. Science fiction movies such as Star Wars helped to popularize fantasy hair styles beginning with Princess Leia's "muffin roll" hair style and culminating with the elaborate styles worn by Queen Amidala.
Competition
Fantasy hair styling has been a part of hair styling competitions for many years but only caught on in popularity since the mid 1980s. In hair styling competitions of this nature the object is to create a total look. Stylists are given a specific period of time in which to complete the hair and make-up, and to clothe the model in a matching outfit to create the total look desired. In some instances, such as the North American Hairdressing Awards, only photos are entered for judging.
Competitions of this nature were satirized in the 1999 movie The Big Tease staring Craig Ferguson.
Rebel Pop originates from the Caribbean island of Barbados. A term locals have come to familiarize themselves with, Rebel Pop describes an indiginous musical rendition using native guitar and vocals. The resulting sound can be described as a fusion of the reggae/dancehall roots popular to the region, mixed with a modern pop vibe.
Rebel Pop players adorn their bodies with inky markings, or "tattoos", and often wear their hair in elaborate structures, such as the "mohawk". Their tattoos symbolize the importance of individuality, which the strange hair concurs. While Rebel Pop players most often practice their ritual at night, it is not uncommon to catch them engaging in the tradition during the day as well.
Interestingly, Rebel Pop players are not confined to a race or class structure, and their harmonies are encouraged and enjoyed by Barbadians of all walks of life. According to a local study, Rebel Pop players are vital to the country's cultural and spiritual growth, as they connect highly local nuances to a global perspective.
There is actually only one true Rebel Pop player at any time in the island, though the current one may be found through youtube (rebel pop Barbados).
Rebel Pop players adorn their bodies with inky markings, or "tattoos", and often wear their hair in elaborate structures, such as the "mohawk". Their tattoos symbolize the importance of individuality, which the strange hair concurs. While Rebel Pop players most often practice their ritual at night, it is not uncommon to catch them engaging in the tradition during the day as well.
Interestingly, Rebel Pop players are not confined to a race or class structure, and their harmonies are encouraged and enjoyed by Barbadians of all walks of life. According to a local study, Rebel Pop players are vital to the country's cultural and spiritual growth, as they connect highly local nuances to a global perspective.
There is actually only one true Rebel Pop player at any time in the island, though the current one may be found through youtube (rebel pop Barbados).