text:
A surprising number of animals can reproduce via a process called parthenogenesis, in which females produce viable and fertile offspring without getting a male involved. Although this is rarely the reproductive method of choice, even vertebrates such as sharks and lizards have reproduced without males when sexual reproduction wasn't an option in zoos and aquariums. Parthenogenesis doesn't seem to be an option in mammals, though, as both male and female mammals modify the genomes in their germ cells in ways that cause lasting changes in their expression, a process termed imprinting. But a research team has now figured out a way of avoiding these problems, and have created mice with two mothers, and no involvement with a father.
The researchers built this breakthrough on two pieces of knowledge. The first is that cells early on the path to oocyte (egg cell) development haven't been imprinted yet. The second is that researchers have identified a small number of areas in the genome that undergo opposite imprinting in the two sexes. The researchers generated mice carrying deletions of two of the imprinted areas, and then isolated early oocytes that had not started the imprinting process from these mice.
These cells could be fused with a normal oocyte, creating a cell with a normal diploid genome. When those cells were activated to divide, they produced apparently normal early embryos. Once implanted into female mice, the embryos survived to adulthood at rates roughly comparable to those produced by in vitro fertilization. The biggest difference appears to be a reduction in their growth rates—adults wound up 20 percent smaller than normal mice. This isn't much of a surprise, given that imprinting is one of the ways that males and females compete for providing the appropriate amount of resources for their offspring.
It's not clear whether these mice are necessarily going to be useful for any specific application, but they tell us two things. One is that there appear to be only two regions of the genome that are imprinted in a way that's essential for the control of embryonic development, which should greatly simplify the study of that topic. The second is that the lack of a male contribution has been proposed to be a key reason for the low success rates of cloning and various forms of somatic cell nuclear transplants. The results indicate that there's nothing magical provided by the male other than the properly imprinted chromosomes.
Nature Biotechnology, 2007. DOI: 10.1038/nbt1331


text:
HowardForums was stolen. We're located at HowardForum.com for now
September 19th, 2012
Hi everyone and welcome to our temporary domain. As I'm sure you've noticed HowardForums is currently located at the temporary domain www.howardforum.com (no "s"). In case you can access this on some of your computers and not others, it will take a few hours for the changes to propagate throughout the internet.
In the meantime, do not access the site via www.howardforums.com unless you hear otherwise from me.
Unfortunately, our domain was stolen over the weekend and I'm currently working with my registrar, GoDaddy on getting it back. While I initially thought GoDaddy wouldn't do anything till Monday, after a a few hours they got back to me. Since then, they have been working with me to get the domain back so kudos to them helping me on the weekend.
Our stolen domain was transferred away to http://www.austdomains.com.au/ so GoDaddy is waiting for them to respond. Hopefully things will go smoothly so we can get our domain back. So far it's been 3 days and GoDaddy hasn't gotten a response back Aust Domains. I hope Aust Domain gets back soon, there's a lot at stake here!
In case you're wondering our forum data is unrelated to the domain so it is safe.
How did this happen? My GoDaddy account is attached to a family member's email. I did this so that our domains would be safe in case anyone ever tried to break into MY email. While the family member's email is used for other things it doesn't have anything else to do with the forum besides the domain. Last week, we were forced to log into this email at a hotel business center in order to print out something. Normally, I know better but we were in a bind. I suspect our thief was able to capture our email and password using a keylogger then.
The theif used the email to reset our GoDaddy account and then transferred the domain away. Before they did this they setup filters to automatically delete subsequent emails from GoDaddy. This would keep us from realizing our domain was about to be transferred away plus it would create the illusion that everything is okay.
Regardless, I apologize to all of you for our downtime and thank you for your support. I'll let you all know more as the situation unfolds.
Howard Chui
Entry Filed under: Phones

subset: commoncrawl


text: To view details about the offender including a physical description, photo and map to the offender's address, click on the "View Details" link. Searches based on geography do NOT list offenders where addresses cannot be electronically mapped. To see a list of unmappable addresses click the related button. Searches based on city or other geographic area may not produce a reliable list of all offenders near you because boundaries used for the search may be arbitrary. Searches based on first or last name will also show any alias matching the submitted name(s) however legal name only will show on the offender name list. If you are unsure of spelling of an offender name, try searching by the first letter or other portion of the name you are more certain of. Site will produce a list of all offenders whose name begin with the letter "B" by typing B in the name field. If you wish to return a list of offenders based on an exact keyword(s) search, enclose the keyword(s) in either double or single quotes.


text:
Jarbidge Wilderness is certainly one of the most remote areas in Nevada and arguably the most spectacular. Quietly tucked away in the very northeast corner of Nevada, the Jarbidge Wilderness area is comprised of an unimaginable 113,000 acres with nearly 100 miles of hiking trails.
Dishing up untouched natural beauty that just wont quit, the Jarbidge Wilderness area was designated as Nevada's first wilderness area in 1964 but has slowly expanded throughout the years. Today, the area encompasses Jarbidge and Emerald Lakes, as well as the headwaters of both the Marys and Jarbidge Rivers, and the Salmon Falls Creek. Pay particular attention when traversing areas with aspen groves, as visitors are likely to spot arborglyphs, or tree carvings left by Basque sheepherders many years ago. And, depending on the time of year, an unimaginable 60 varieties of wildflowers can be spotted in this vast wilderness area.
Outdoor adventure in this neck of the woods is truly never-ending, with enough world class hiking, fishing and hunting to keep you amused for what feels like an eternity. Visitors will be surprised with the area's rugged peaks, eight of which tower above 10,000 feet. Perhaps one of the most popular cross-country routes is Matterhorn Peak, a difficult but rewarding 12-mile loop that offers unmatched views of neighboring points from a magnificent 10,839 feet.
Jarbidge is also known for its premier fishing, as it's the only place in the state of Nevada to nab the esteemed Bull Trout. Visitors can fish Jarbidge River right from the town of Jarbidge itself, or dive into the remote backcountry for a true back-to-nature experience. For additional fishing options, the Little Salmon River and its many tributaries are excellent for regularly hooking Rainbow and Brown Trout up to four pounds.
Jarbidge Wilderness Area also offers phenomenal hunting, as the majority of Nevada's record deer and elk come from this region. Bird hunters will enjoy the number of sage grouse, chukar and pheasant found in the region as well.
Best yet, you certainly don't have to be a wilderness athlete to enjoy this extraordinary part of Nevada. Enjoy a relaxing drive through panoramic canyons, explore the nearby ghost towns of Tuscarora and Charleston, and spend the night in the charming town of Jarbidge for a Nevada memory that will go down in the record books. With boundless ways to enjoy this spectacular backcountry, make sure you've got Jarbidge Wilderness at the top of your next Nevada itinerary. A true must-see in Nevada!
Point of Interest Go››


text:
Luxuria Lifestyle Advertising Opportunities
The readership of Luxuria Lifestyle is composed of global affluent private clients and business pioneers who enjoy the finer things in life and favour high-end fashion, travel, dining, automobiles, private jets, yachts, real estate, watches, jewellery and a variety of other luxury goods and lifestyle services.
Luxuria Lifestyle has created an innovative approach to online advertising, which provides a template for brands to fully integrate into the magazine in numerous ways. Furthermore, we also produce completely customised publicity solutions catered to each international client's specific needs and requirements.
Luxuria Lifestyle Newsletter
Luxuria Lifestyle sends a luxury sales, promotional and incentives newsletter on a regular basis to a private database of VIP's, AB1 consumers and high-net-worth private clients both regionally and globally.
Our highly targeted newsletter is sent personally to the private inbox of affluent consumers and includes a wide selection of luxury market information, event invitations and a wide selection of products and services for sale from the following market sectors.
Property, Fashion, Home and Garden, Arts and Antiques, Travel, Hotels, Spas and Resorts, Gifts, Health and Beauty, Automotive, Aviation, Boats and Yachting and much more.
Luxuria Lifestyle Bespoke Event Management
At Luxuria Lifestyle we are luxury event management experts with many years of international experience and take great pride in making your luxury event as successful as possible.
We can organise your event from start to finish or support and help you as needed, working very closely with your in house marketing team.
Weather you would like a new product launch, boutique opening, roadshow, exhibition, private client viewing, networking event or luxury party, we will be at your side every step of the way to guide, help and support you.
We will source the venue as needed, engage with suppliers and take care of the smallest details. Our team work behind the scenes covering all the logistics, ensuring you can mingle with your valued guests and enjoy watching your event run smoothly and successfully.
We will produce and provide your ideal event, working very closely with you every step of the way and even source partners and sponsors through our global connections in the international luxury market.
At Luxuria Lifestyle we also hold a private database of hight-net-worth clients and affluent consumers who we would be delighted to invite to your event, opening doors to new customers currently outside of your normal business reach.
Luxuria Lifestyle Brands Directory
Our Luxuria Lifestyle Brands Directory features a wide selection of the finest products and services from around the world, together with authoritative news and the latest trends from the global luxury market.
Through our exclusive Brands Directory, discerning visitors can discover a growing selection of the most desirable international companies, products and services showcased for maximum impact.


text: Honeybees play an important roll in the production of crops. They support the growth of fruits and vegetables like apples and green beans. Honeybees also help grow other staples like cotton, cashews, and coffee. Without honeybees, all of these important crops and many more like them would be in trouble.Read More


text:
Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
Define a project and meet with a community partner. Present the community problem and proposed solutions to a special session of the city council.
Simulate the writing of a constitution for the hypothetical country of Permistan.
Conduct an opinion poll on racial profiling. Physically engage students by having them move around from "Agree" to "Disagree" to "Undecided" positions during discussion.
Visit a cultural center to see artifacts and hear first-person accounts of the victimization of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Make connections between newspaper articles and issues Butler raises in the book. Encourage students to involve themselves politically by writing letters that call for social justice.
Discuss the Chinese practice of footbinding and then explore how contemporary American women suffer to make themselves conform to society's standards of beauty.
Provide students with a window into the culture of Chiapas, and enable them to understand how the texts are related using the bilingual picture book "The Story of Colors /La Historia de los Colores."
Immerse students in Asian American culture with a class trip to Chinatown in Los Angeles. Create Japanese renga poems to describe the experience.
Learn about current events, develop opinions about them, and then express and support those opinions in writing.
Prior to the 2002 mayoral election in Newark, New Jersey, students study the candidates' positions on issues they have chosen to track.
Create a brochure promoting a European city and write a letter proposing future plans to improve it.
Role-play representatives from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine, apply for entry to the EU and make a presentation to the EU Council of Ministers.
Literature and extension activities are connected thematically as students examine issues related to government limits and individual rights.
Simulate a U.S. Supreme Court hearing on a First amendment case about a Texas school district delivering prayers over the intercom.
On a class field trip to historic Bartram's Garden, pupils learn how the local watershed area of the Schuylkill River has changed over time.
Make global comparisons of quality of life indicators with those of Indonesia.
Students question the translator of ...y no se lo tragó la tierra... (And the Earth Did Not Devour Him) by Tomás Rivera, conduct Internet research, and interview Mexican immigrants who work in their school.
Consider the several push-pull factors involved in the migration of Mexican workers to the Maquiladoras of Monterrey, and to the U.S. for seasonal work, then back home to north central Mexico.
Study the locations of trenches and volcanoes and learn the relationship between them. Discuss the pros and cons of living near a volcano.
Examine the past and present boundaries of Jerusalem and the reasons why and how these came about.
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


text:
I dare you to get through this entire video without feeling gross ...
Views: 366
??? What is this... I don't even. ???
I wouldn't say I feel gross, but I definitely sacrificed a few brain cells.
More proof that there is no god.
Nice find!
I don't feel gross at all. I actually feel sorry for them, and for us as a whole, that we still have specimens (the audience too - if it can be called an audience) like that wandering around.
By the way, I think that video (along with the commentaries) is funny as hell, I am still laughing. The end is the best part.
Does anyone know what 'EG time' means? Moron-english is not my native language.
Oh, so now you can hold hands only if you're married.
Ok... I guess Wikipedia answers my 'EG time' question.
Side hugging for religious reasons was first labeled the "Christian side hug" in a rap song written by Ryan Pann of California. The song was performed as a skit at the 2009 Encounter Generation evangelical youth conference (EG), hosted by The Fathers House church in Vacaville, CA.
AHHHHHHHHHHH. Why? WHY!?!?!?
*deep breath*


text:
Viewing Your Grades in MyCCRI
Students may view midterm and final grades in their MyCCRI accounts.
|Instructions and Screenshots
Step 1
Log in to your MyCCRI account and click on the For Students tab.
Step 2
In the Student Grades channel, click on the arrow next to the Select Another Term drop-down menu
Select the term for which you wish to view your grades
Click the GO button
Step 3
View Midterm Grade or Final Grades when they become available. Grades should become available for viewing within a few days of being submitted by faculty. (See College Calendar for grading schedules.)
Return to MyCCRI Documentation Page »
This page developed and maintained by the Information Technology Department. Send comments and suggestions to email@example.com .


text:
Here's a photo of an ultra-orthodox Jewish man wrapped in a plastic bag in his airline seat. His reasoning (if one might apply such a word) is unclear but apparently this is done to ensure the Bagged One does not become impure in the eyes of God just in case the plane flies over a Jewish cemetery.
Yeah, I know. What do you mean the cabin is pressurized? That's no good. Gimme a giant see-through plastic bag with a breathing hole poked in it somewhere. That's how you block out the magical nasty.
Views: 559
Bagged and ready to be tagged.
That looks more like the interior of a train, than a plane. How valid is this story?
I bet he's a lot of fun.
Now serving:: rabbi in a baggie.
"Freshly Squeezed Jewce"
That's punny --
Now you're being silly.


text:
Negative Number
Scanned as part of the Howard University Digitization Project by Backstage Library Works. This digital object was funded in part through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
All photographs are copyright protected by the Howard University Archives. For rights, permissions and high resolution scans of images, please contact Dr. Clifford Muse, University Archivist at email@example.com or 2020-806-7498. Be sure to reference the Negative number for each photograph.
Howard University, Baseball Team: 1900-1910?. Cornelius Ridgley, Left, 1st Row.
higher education, ciaa, college presidents, student activisim, student life, ROTC, collegiate sports, black life


text:
Uses for Education
Mathematica offers a complete environment to create materials for your courses, seamlessly combining a powerful calculation and dynamic visualization engine with a professional-quality documentation and presentation tool. Now there's no need to jump between different programs to get your work done.
Turn concepts into lesson plansWhether you are designing or revising a course, Mathematica will help you organize and test your ideas and quickly develop them into an actual lesson plan.
Feature Highlights:
Functionality Reference:
Utilize pre-existing materials in course developmentMathematica will save you time by allowing you to utilize existing course materials and examples developed by other educators and refine them for your needs.
- Download and customize ready-made models from the Wolfram Demonstrations Project
- Get started quickly through how tos, examples, tutorials, video screencasts, and other learning resources in the Mathematica Learning Center
- Download courseware, demos, and other user-submitted materials from the Wolfram Library Archive
Design and present lecture materialsMathematica lets you turn all of the materials you have created for your lecture—notes, equations, examples, illustrations, and demonstrations—into a dynamic presentation that you can modify on the fly.
Feature Highlights:
Functionality Reference:
Presentations with Mathematica»
Notebook Basics»
Notebook Formatting & Styling»
Document Generation»
Generate professional looking documentsNo matter if you need to create syllabi, lesson plans, student assignments, or exams, Mathematica gives you the freedom to include technical elements in your documents without compromising on aesthetics.
Feature Highlights:
Functionality Reference:
Notebook Basics»
Notebook Formatting & Styling»
Notebook & Interface Customization»
Importing & Exporting in Notebooks»
Document Generation»
Generate interactive student lab activites/projectsCreating interactive models in Mathematica allows students to explore hard-to-understand concepts, test theories, and quickly gain a deeper understanding of the materials being taught firsthand.
Feature Highlights:
Functionality Reference:
Interactive Manipulation»
Dynamic Visualization»
Visualization and Graphics»
Symbolic Graphics Language»
Computational Geometry»


text:
West Lodge Chambers
Rainbow Street
We are a care company that specialises in domiciliary care for adults with a brain injury.
Home > Services A to Z > Inspiration Care, Herefordshire
West Lodge Chambers
Rainbow Street
We are a care company that specialises in domiciliary care for adults with a brain injury.
One person's brain injury affects their entire family. Our network of professionals enables you to access a complete package of practical, emotional and financial support.
Sharing knowledge and best practice develops further the expertise of the health and social care professionals working with brain injured people.
We expect a lot of our members; time and again they demonstrate their dedication to achieving the best outcome for brain injured people. It's an elite group that we're proud of.
The effects of an acquired brain injury ("ABI") are truly multi-faceted, ranging from dysexecutive syndrome, neuro-behavioural issues, to more obvious physical disabilities. It is well known that mental health issues and conditions can arise from…
Read More
Not everybody who has sustained a brain injury will be experiencing the same difficulties or challenges. We often see Clients with hidden effects of a brain injury and it may not be immediately obvious that…
Read More
It is not uncommon for minor health complications to arise during or following the birth – these often resolve quickly and require little or no treatment. However, some birth injuries may have life-changing consequences that…
Read More
A-Z listings by category
From expert legal advice to holidays, home insurance, therapies and aids, the BIG Directory will help you find the services you need.
A brain injury can change a person's life significantly – and that of their family. Many injuries are unfortunately the responsibility of a third party, in which case there may be the potential to make a claim for compensation. A successful claim could go a long way towards supporting a rehabilitation programme, or providing long term care, or simply easing the financial burden caused by changed circumstances.
If you think you have a claim, speak to several lawyers and ask lots of questions before you instruct anyone; you need to find someone you can relate to. When you speak to any one of our network members, you can be confident that they have a track record of handling brain injury cases and appreciate all the complexities.


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text:
Host: Christopher Rose, Outreach Director, Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Guest: Natalie Arsenault, Director of Public Engagement, Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies
The Haitian Revolution, which took place between 1791-1804, is significant because Haiti is the only country where slave freedom was taken by force, and marks the only successful slave revolt in modern times. A ragtag force of slaves managed to unify Haiti, defeat Europe's most powerful army and become the first country in Latin America to gain independence, second only to the United States in the Americas as a whole.
Guest Natalie Arsenault from UT's Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies discusses the Haitian Revolution and its significance within the narrative of the political revolutions of the 18th century.
Download audio (right click to save)


text:
The Aquapac Waterproof Small Camera Case helps protect your camera and still take good pictures. The case is suitable for small digital cameras. It comes with 3 desiccant sachets to keep your camera safe from condensation in humid climates. This case comes with a lanyard strap. It is very durable, since it is designed using TPU 100% recyclable materials. The Aquapac Case floats if dropped in the water so you don't have to worry about losing it. You can take the case to every expedition. It is designed using malleable materials and allows you to use the camera easily. With the Aquapac Waterproof Small Camera Case helps protect your camera and adjusts to your needs.
The case seams are high-frequency (RF) welded and the case uses the patented Aquaclip ultra secure rustproof, injected molded plastic seal that opens and closes with a simple twist of two levers. The case approximately measures (L x W x H): 8.25" x 5.63" x .75" (21 cm x 14.3 cm x 2 cm) externally with a device compatibility measuring in circumference 10.2" (26.5cm). The case will also provide your device with protection from dust, dirt and sand. The case weighs 1.7 oz. (49 g) and lanyard 0.2 oz. (7 g). Case is manufactured from durable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with an optically clear LEZFLEX lens window and has an IPX8 waterproof rating. This case can be submersed in water up to a depth of 15' (4.6 meters) for up to 30 minutes.
This product has a limited warranty of 60 months.


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A Noise Within Presents THE GRAPES OF WRATH, Opening 2/23
A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, presents Frank Galati'S adaptation of John Steinbeck'S iconic THE GRAPES OF WRATH, opening Saturday, February 23 and closing Saturday, May 11, 2013 (previews begin Saturday, February 16), which brilliantly distills the quintessential American novel to its core while preserving its essence as perhaps the greatest American travel tale ever written. Directed by Michael Michetti, this timely work, filled with heartbreak and strength, features Steinbeck's words almost exclusively as well as deeply evocative music that includes period hymns, Dust Bowl songs and original music by Michael Smith written for the play's original 1988 Steppenwolf Theatre Company production, hailed by the London Daily Mail as "shatteringly perfect." The Chicago Sun-Times praised Frank Galati's adaptation as "utterly faithful to its source - that it is not only uncompromising, but devoid of sentimentality, and that it is flawless in the way it sweeps us into the lives of the characters, and their time, without a wasted word or motion." The run includes a "Pay What You Can" date on Thursday, February 21.The cast features Deborah Strang (Ma Joad), Jill Hill (Granma Joad), Steve Coombs (Tom Joad), Lili Fuller (Rose of Sharon), Andrew Hellenthal (Al Joad), JosH Clark (Uncle John Joad), Jesse Peri (Connie Rivers), Lindsey Ginter (Pa Joad), Gary Ballard (Grampa Joad), Matt Gottlieb (Jim Casy), Dorrie Braun (Mrs. Wainwright) and Mark Jacobson (Noah Joad).The Grapes of Wrath - which figured prominently in Steinbeck winning the Nobel Prize in 1962 and for which he won a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award - chronicles the Joad family, who, driven out of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl by drought and hardship during the height of the Great Depression, journeys to California in search of jobs and a better future. Michetti says, "It is a story about people who endure incredible hardship yet, against all odds, their optimism keeps them moving forward and caring about each other and the community around them. This adaptation beautifully captures the essence of this epic novel and its life-affirming message that even in times of great adversity, people can transcend difficulties by looking beyond themselves and helping others." Michetti also notes, "Still profoundly relevant some 80 years after Steinbeck wrote it, Grapes of Wrath addresses many of the issues our country sadly continues to face today: people losing their homes, high unemployment, and man-made environmental problems."A Noise Within, led by Producing Artistic Directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, is the only year-round classical repertory company in Southern California and one of only a handful in the entire country dedicated solely to producing classical dramatic literature in the repertory tradition of rotating productions with a resident company of professional artists. It has been lauded by critics as a "premiere classical theatre company," and an "outstanding ensemble" whose "vibrantly theatrical" "brilliant productions" are "freshly imagined," "exceptional," "invigorating," "riveting," "brilliantly atmospheric," "inspired," and "masterfully crafted." Founded 21 years ago, ANW quickly established itself as one of the region's key theatre companies, attracting fiercely loyal audiences and consistently high praise from the media for its productions and as a key force in arts education. The company has presented more than 140 plays from the classics of world literature, each season producing works from authors ranging from Shakespeare and Molière to Ibsen, O'Neill and Shaw to Miller and Williams. A Noise Within completed its milestone 2011-12 Season and 20th Anniversary in its permanent new home, a 33,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art venue in Pasadena, in May 2012. A Noise Within's production of The Grapes of Wrath is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.Media sponsors for ANW's 2012-13 Season are Pasadena Star-News and KPCC 89.3 FM.A NOISE WITHIN is located on the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue at 3352 East Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107. Single tickets currently range from $40 - $52. "Pay What You Can" tickets for the Thursday, February 21 performance, which allow patrons to pay what they can afford, are sold at the box office the day of the performance for cash only on a first-come, first-served basis based on availability, with a limit of two per person. Contact the A Noise Within box office in-person, via phone at 626-356-3100, or online at www.anoisewithin.org for updated pricing and seating availability.


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Simul Master Challenges /simul all play all simuls
I would like some proper simul event routines for playing the masters in simuls, but also to make this feature part of any person wishing to give simul games to play with the routines helping move from board to board, I am sure there are many players that would like to play in simuls, the simul master gets to have good challenge to play as many ppl he thinks hes able to play, and gives the average player a chance to play a master with a good chance of good game.
1] simul needs is board control box this can be a floating keyboard like window panel that has icons for each board in simul , so anyone playing in simul or watching can easily see which board the master is at and who has made their move awaiting the master the box would start off default i would a 3 or 4 icon wide box that could hold any amount of simul boards starting in a 3x3 keypad layout extending down to max needed 20 -30 ppl
3]simul needs a torny entry routine to enter the ppl into the simul and setup boards once master is ready as setting up the boards manually can take too much time if ppl not understand how start multiple game boards need this so simul is easy as sit and play
3] the m last master playing the simul should start on board 1, when he moves on board 1 it automatically switches to the next board 2, then 3, etr... when next board appears there should be quick reply of last move as an option maybe so if time short it just ready to move.
4] the master has option to click to any board he wants to to override the auto sequence so the system not to rigid and games may need more attention ?
5] board icons could have all game info needed , ie flashing means move been made, win/lost/drawn when finnished,hover to give name player, yellowed out board where the master is
6] centrelised chat so simul has its own chat room so we can all chat whilst we playing I think this would make the experince much more fun
7] audience could have option of follow the master so thier view the boards as the master does as option able to turn on or off
If anyone else got idea on this simul software for chesscube or wishes for simuls to be held on chesscube please reply and give my post a YES PLEASE vote or any other ideas you got on this


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Robert Poss fell in love with electric guitars and basses in 1964 at an age when he still believed one plugged them directly into a wall socket. He memorized the Fender Guitars Catalog and passed through a succession of rock and blues bands before discovering punk in the late '70s and staring to write, record and release his own material. He joined Rhys Chatham's ensemble in the early '80s and remained a core member for several years. He also began performing and recording the music of eclectic electronicist Nicolas Collins, whom he had known since the mid-1970s. Eventually Poss realized that the sound of feedback, distortion and ringing overtones was "the cake, not the frosting" and began trying new ways of writing songs by layering simple chord patterns over drones and looped riffs. It was his initiative that gave rise to the wall-of-guitars group Band Of Susans in 1986, and his early experiments became the foundation of their sound. Band Of Susans, which Rolling Stone Magazine described as "adamantly arty, brainy, visceral and bracing," went on to release two EPs and five LPs (all produced by Poss) before disbanding in 1995. Interviewed in The Wire, Steve Albini stated that "I think Robert Poss…is an enormously underrated guitar theorist. A lot of his approaches to the density of guitar are completely overlooked in any discussion about guitar.….The way he structures the song around the drone instead of finding a drone to fit into the song I think is wholly unique. In 2002 Poss released two companion solo CDs Distortion Is Truth and Crossing Casco Bay on Trace Elements Records. At the time, Tape Op Magazine described him as a "guitar genius, drone meister …the master of treated and manipulated guitars." Since his 2002 releases, Poss has composed and performed music for choreographers Sally Gross, Alexandra Beller and Gerald Casel, has worked with ex-Band Of Susans member Susan Stenger on a 96-day musical installation for the Musée d'art Contemporain in Lyon, France, performed at the premier of composer Phill Niblock's "Stosspeng" in Krems, Austria and contributed music to an Albert Maysles/Kristen Nutile documentary, Sally Gross: The Pleasure Of Stillness. In 2009 he performed with Rhys Chatham and Robert Longo at a Metropolitan Museum of Art retrospective and participated in Chatham's Crimson Grail project for 200 guitars at Lincoln Center. He has also collaborated with Austrian visual artist Margret Wibmer and has written guitar-centric articles for The Leonardo Music Journal. Reviewing his 2010 solo release Settings: Music For Dance, Film, Fashion and Industry, The Wire wrote that Poss' "abiding love for electric guitar is no casual dalliance or detached Platonic infatuation; it's an erotic commitment, an obsessive plunge into the instrument's metallic churn and enveloping drone."
Artist Website


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Home Office makes nice cartoon ID card ad
Look kids! Cartoons!
The Home Office is to spend over £500,000 this year on a marketing campaign for the identity card which features cartoon fingerprints.
A departmental spokesperson told GC News that it is planning a public information campaign to alert businesses on the need to prepare for the introduction of the card, which will initially be made available on a voluntary basis.
It will be focused primarily on the north-west of England, reflecting plans to make the card available to residents of Greater Manchester later this year, with some nationwide marketing.
The campaign, one advert for which features a cartoon fingerprint unveiling the identity card to an admiring audience of other fingerprints, is expected to cost £544,000 between September and December.
"This will help businesses with 'know your employee' and 'know your customer' checks," the spokesperson said. "The National Identity Card may be presented to businesses across the country any time after launch, as proof of identity. Businesses need to ensure that their staff are ready to recognise the National Identity Card, and know how to check the security features."
The plan has attracted fresh criticism from campaigners against the card. Phil Booth, national coordinator of NO2ID, said: "This latest, desperate attempt to market the ID scheme is patronising hype. Having failed to come up with any convincing benefits, officials are set to waste millions shoving ID cards down the throats of shops, of licensees, and of young people who already have alternatives.
"The IPS is treating the public and businesses like children if it thinks giving fingerprints smiles will make us all happy to be fingerprinted.
"Let us be clear: anyone signing up for a Home Office identity card has agreed to report to an official database for life, and lost control of their own identity information for ever. It is nothing to smile about."
This article was originally published at Kable.
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Frosty Fortress
Ice Castle Out, Snow Castle In For Winter Festival
February 15, 2013
On the opposite end of death and taxes, the weather is rarely guaranteed.
Such is the case for the upcoming Presidents Day Weekend Winter Festival in Mayville. As a result, the traditional ice castle which makes an appearance almost every year has been foregone in favor of a more practical snow castle.
"Last Thursday night we measured the ice at 3 inches, and then we saw the forecast of warm temperatures through last weekend," said Ken Shearer, president of the Mayville Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce. "We knew we wouldn't have enough ice, so we decided to do something different. I contacted the town of Chautauqua, and between the town and the village, they started bringing snow in and piling it up. They just kept on doing that until we had a huge pile of snow."
Article Photos
Due to uncooperative weather, Ken Shearer, president of the Mayville Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce is presenting a snow castle this year instead of the annual ice castle. The castle is shown above earlier in the week during the construction process.
Photo by Jaala Haskins
Shearer said that with the help of some construction equipment, the snow castle began to take shape. Though snow isn't as sturdy as ice, the castle has been tested for integrity, to ensure it is stable and safe.
Additionally, the snow has given event organizers the opportunity to get creative: in the form of a snow slide down the back of the castle.
"It's a pretty tall children's slide," said Shearer. "There are stairs to the top of the castle, then there's a slide in the back toward the lake. Just earlier this week we built a halfpipe on the back of it, as well. It doesn't look like a traditional castle - it's a pile of snow that they carved ... it's been difficult to build, but we're very happy with how it turned out."
Shearer said that no other material other than snow was needed to help the castle maintain its shape.
"We just kept packing the snow down with (machines), and we're sure none of the snow in the castle is going to move at all," said Shearer.
Fortunately for Shearer and those who plan on attending the festival this weekend, below freezing temperatures are forecasted to prevail into next week. Even if it doesn't snow, this presents the opportunity to use a snow machine, which has been donated by Peek'n Peak. The generator to run the snow machine has been donated by the Chautauqua Institution.
The Presidents Day Weekend Winter Festival kicks off tonight at 6 p.m. According to Shearer, there's going to be entertainment for the whole family.
"Our grand opening is (tonight) at 6 p.m.," said Shearer. "We're going to light the castle and perform our opening ceremonies. Following at 7 p.m., we're going to have something called a snowball dance, which is free for all ages. It will be supervised by adults, so children are encouraged to come. The dance lasts until 9 p.m."
Following the snowball dance, there will be a toga party at the Lakeview Hotel at 10 p.m. There is no price for admission, however guests are encouraged to bring their own togas.
The festival will resume on Saturday at 10 a.m., when venders will set up and a snowshoe demonstration will take place.
At 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, the cold-water rescue team from Dewittville will perform a rescue demonstration.
"They're going to get out there in the water and show exactly what happens when someone falls through the ice and what happens when they need to be rescued," said Shearer.
Immediately following the rescue, a polar bear swim will take place. According to Shearer, this is the fourth year the festival has hosted a polar bear swim, and every year more people sign up to participate.
"Last year we had some folks come down from Buffalo just to do the swim," said Shearer. "You wouldn't think people would be getting in line to jump in the lake in February, but who am I to second guess what makes some people happy. We're just glad to host them."
Starting at 1 p.m., the Chautauqua Lake Snowmobile Club will be giving snowmobile rides around the park.
At 2 p.m., a chili cookoff will take place. According to Shearer, forms will be available at the festival, so no pre-registration will be required. All guests who would like to participate should bring enough chili for judging.
At 2:30 p.m., a snowball throwing contest for distance will be held, followed by a parade at 3 p.m. By 7 p.m., a bonfire will be started, and fireworks will begin at 8 p.m. Throughout all of Saturday, horse-drawn carriage rides will be available, and Rainbow the Clown will offer face painting for children.
"We're really excited about the fireworks show this year," said Shearer. "We've hired a new company, and the show should end up lasting about 10 minutes longer than it normally does."
The festival will resume on Sunday at 11 a.m. Snowmobile and carriage rides will be available throughout the day.
Beginning at 2 p.m., a snowman building contest will be available for children. The festival activities will conclude at 3 p.m. with a Lego building contest.
Admission to the festival is free. According to Shearer, some parking locations will ask for a $5 donation, however in return guests will receive a coupon which will offer them $5 off a meal at participating restaurants in the Mayville area.
For more information on the Winter Festival, please visit mayvillechautauqua.org/events.


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The United Nations now says that nearly 93,000 people have been confirmed killed in the Syrian conflict, but the organization acknowledges that the actual number is likely higher. As conditions in Syria deteriorate into the greatest humanitarian crisis since the Darfur conflict, the aid response has been increasingly put under the microscope. Syrian citizens and opposition leaders have rightly argued that not enough is being done to meet humanitarian needs. And reporting from areas unreached by aid has left the impression of an absent aid effort altogether. Meanwhile major aid agencies – which would normally be highly visible on the ground and vocal in the media – have been uncharacteristically quiet.
It is time to set the record straight. Aid workers are, in fact, working extensively across Syria, and have established significant humanitarian aid pipelines into the opposition held territories in the North. I know, because I have worked since last fall as a part of this effort.
While security concerns and a country with divided leadership and loyalties have forced us, and virtually all of the groups providing relief in northern Syria, to maintain an extremely low profile, I am speaking out now because the flawed narrative of "absent aid" threatens to hurt the people of Syria and endanger the aid groups working to help them.
Here's why. Prominent policymakers and commentators have argued that in light of perceived aid failures, the United States should use its humanitarian aid toward explicitly political aims. Over the past few months, calls have been growing for routing US humanitarian aid through groups that are themselves party to the conflict. The intent is to use this relief as a political tool to support the main opposition alliance and to win the US political credit with the population at large.
Beyond being ineffectual, proposed moves to use aid as a political tool would be dangerous. Humanitarian access to civilians in need relies on adherence to the core principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. These are not abstract ideals; they are pragmatic tools central to the credibility and safety of Syrians we serve and humanitarian workers. Politicizing the aid effort would demolish these principles and put the Syrians we work with – not to mention my colleagues and me – at much greater risk.
In each Syrian town where my aid agency works, we have invested months building the relationships with local militias, governing councils, and community groups that enable our staff to safely deliver aid. If any party to the conflict sees us as partial to one side or another, those relationships could quickly unravel, and our work would be severely threatened.
It is also a myth that humanitarian aid in Syria is ineffective. Humanitarian assistance supported by the US government and other donors has ramped up substantially since last fall and is now making a difference for many hundreds of thousands of Syrians. My organization – since beginning work in Aleppo governorate last summer – has provided critical support to more than 400,000 people, and we are just one of several major aid agencies active in opposition-held areas.
But, yes, we are not yet reaching all the people who need our help. The war poses a constant challenge, as the fighting limits access to many areas and frequently interrupts aid delivery. One of the most critical challenges, however, has been the peculiar situation in which the United Nations finds itself. Though active within Assad regime-controlled territories, the UN has been forced to the sidelines in opposition-held areas due to objections by the Syrian government and inaction by the UN Security Council. This has prevented the UN from playing its usual role in large aid efforts, leaving humanitarian agencies such as ours to coordinate those efforts independently.
While more aid is needed, it cannot serve as a substitute for a viable political solution to the Syrian crisis. I was reminded of this recently while talking to a group of displaced women living in an elementary school classroom in northeastern Syria. They told me that while they are grateful for the aid, it is not going to stop the bombs from dropping. What they desire is a return to normalcy and a return to their homes. They are perplexed and jaded by the failure of international efforts to resolve the crisis, and putting a US brand on aid deliveries will not make up for that.
The biggest step forward would be a resolution to the conflict; but short of that, could more be done to help Syrians? Absolutely, yes.
The currently established humanitarian pipeline is limited by security issues, rendering it insufficient to meet the massive needs in the country. It is imperative that the region's political players provide better, safer access for humanitarian groups. More aid needs to get into Syria and we must be able to move it around the country safely. Allowing the UN to operate at full capacity is vital to reaching more Syrians. The UN's current push for a resolution from the Security Council to pressure the Assad government into providing humanitarian access across conflict lines is both admirable and essential.
Finally, greater effort is needed to improve coordination of relief priorities between traditional Western donors and emerging major donors such as the Gulf States.
Policymakers should focus on concrete steps like these, rather than playing politics with US humanitarian funding just as this work is beginning to hit its stride.
The author works with an international aid organization in northern Syria. For security purposes, the author and her organization affiliation remain anonymous.


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The wait is almost over: AT&T is bringing the LTE ruckus with two new Android smartphones: the HTC Vivid and the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket. They're very similar, but hey, forget specs for a minute: LTE, finally.
The Vivid (left) packs a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 4.5-inch 540x960 display, 8 MP camera, and 1080p video recording. The Skyrocket (what a name!) bumps up the CPU to 1.5 GHz, and sports a lower resolution (800x480) SuperAMOLED screen of the same size. They'll retail for $200 and $250 respectively (with contract renewal), when they hit on November 6th.
Keep in mind AT&T's only running LTE waves in nine cities at the moment (Boston, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Athens, Ga., Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio). So you won't be able to really use these phones like they're meant to be used across most of the continent. But it's a good, overdue start to getting awesome speeds everywhere. [AT&T]


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From SacBee.com
Not long ago, I regularly coached students and residents that during their patient encounters, they should put their papers and notes aside and listen to the person — look them in the eyes. There was so much more to be learned by having doctors use their eyes as well as their ears.
Today, a flat-screen computer sits between the doctor and the patient — just as a fence divides two neighbors. My students and residents — like doctors around the country — are slaves to the computer and electronic medical records. If you've not had the experience of sitting across from your doctor as she or he types your medical history into the computer, then just wait, as it is likely coming. One health-care expert calls the push for the electronic medical record (or EMR, as it is called in medical circles) the search for medicine's holy grail.
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A few weeks back, I entered into an unsettling "Facebook conversation" with a couple of screenwriter/filmmakers. Yes, I should have known better than to engage, but it was one of those moments when someone posts something that seems to require a response. You've probably been there yourself. You know if you say something you're opening a can of worms, that life will be easier if you just ignore it, walk away. But you don't. In hindsight, I now wish I'd walked away because the "conversation" that commenced left me so shaken, so depressed, almost to the point of paralysis.
Thanks to the internet and sites like Facebook, we now live in a world where everyone's a critic; everyone has a vocal opinion (myself included) and with that the ability to actually effect the world around them. This can be in some small way, as in just among your closest friends, or in a larger sense, by adding your voice to the many already out there gaining momentum.
The particular tête-à-tête I was so shaken by started with a comment posted about artist, filmmaker, theater director Julie Taymor. Having recently been fired off –or at least asked to take a creative step back from– the much publicized musical SPIDER-MAN, Taymor's name has been in the press quite a bit of late. Leading up to this parting of the ways between Taymor and her associates, were a number of tragic accidents during both rehearsals and performances of Taymor's interpretation of this extraordinarily popular comic book character and the mythos surrounding it. Now I don't intend to get into the details of what happened or didn't happen or even point fingers as that is not what our discussion was, ultimately, about. And what I would like to examine here is less about the individuals themselves with whom I conversed, but what I see as a slippery slope of commentary that reflects a reactionary attitude that leaves little room for intelligent discourse and seems more based on emotional venting than on enhancing whatever medium is at the forefront of discussion.
With the digital medium expanding, with information (accurate or not) at everyone's fingertips and the opinions of both "professionals" and non-professionals now appearing side-by-side, with camera and phones that can capture every moment and present it as if it were real and place it within a context that might NOT be real, and with the popularity of shows like TMZ and the non-stop media insistence that other human beings' suffering be viewed as must-see entertainment, I find myself increasingly uneasy. In part that I may one day myself be on the receiving end of it, that I may one day find myself unwittingly drawn to it, or simply that potentially creative, insightful people and their work may be suppressed or choose to withdraw out of the fear of what I see as an increasingly hostile environment. Yes, I know, it's part of human nature. We used to go to public lynchings and watch Gladiators fight to the death for entertainment. Sure. It's always been here with us. But I'm afraid I find small comfort in that notion, nor do I feel that it's much of an excuse not to be a tad more self-reflective and attempt to elicit change.
The comment posted that initially grabbed my attention was not the first negatively-tinged comment that I had seen posted about Taymor and SPIDER-MAN. What got me this time was the idea of perpetuating an environment that somehow diminishes artists and their art without the author personally knowing the artist or what the art itself really is. i.e. not having seen it or experienced it himself. And to take it one step further, the idea that what doesn't work for one person should then be treated with disdain, contempt and commented on as if the commentator was somehow superior to the work or the artist. This is a transgression we see daily both on the internet and in print. But it's always a little worse for me when it comes from one artist to another. This cannibalistic tendency is, in my estimation, far more dangerous than it might seem on the surface.
The posted comment was in quoting director Neil Jordan's statement that, after having sat down with both Bono (who was doing the music for SPIDER-MAN) and Miss Taymor, Mr. Jordan (who was being considered to write the play's book), commented that it was clear that Miss Taymor's vision for SPIDER-MAN was "narratively incoherent." The post was meant to be, not a slight on Mr. Jordan, but somehow proof of Miss Taymor's unworthiness as the visionary/director behind such a project. Now, if you want to discuss the physical dangers inherent in her vision and the possible difficulties in pulling it off practically without anyone getting hurt or, worse, dying, then I'm all for that. There's most certainly a point where, vision or no, it is not worth a human being getting hurt. However, "narrative incoherence" has no universally shared definition. There is, in all reality, no such thing. To put Julie Taymor down for wanting to tell a story that did not fit into Mr. Jordan's idea of narrative coherence is not a bad thing. Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY was termed "incoherent" by more than one critic. As was Andrei Tarkovsky's SOLARIS. Hell, I was reading quotes recently that suggested the film INCEPTION was too difficult to follow narratively. And what of many Bergman, Fellini or Godard films? Or even the experimental narrative films of lesser-known artists like Seattle-based filmmaker Janice Findley? What might be a difficult narrative for one person to follow, may be no trouble whatsoever for someone else to follow with ease. But even if a work is created with the very notion that it should be interpreted differently by each member of the audience, it is no less valuable than a story that follows a more "traditional" narrative.
"A film is – or should be – more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later." –Stanley Kubrick
This Kubrick quote is, for me, words to live by. I do not take it to mean that all film narrative need take this approach, but it offers an awareness that this approach is, indeed, a valid one. Coming from a filmmaker whose films were often met with harsh criticism as they offered a narrative approach often quite unique to the filmmaker himself and not in keeping with the "accepted norm," I find inspiration in the boundaries Kubrick pushed.
"[The way Kubrick] tells a story is antithetical to the way we are accustomed to receiving stories.". –Steven Spielberg
"If you go back and look at the contemporary reactions to any Kubrick picture (except the earliest ones), you'll see that all his films were initially misunderstood. Then, after five or ten years came the realization that 2001 or Barry Lyndon or The Shining was like nothing else before or since." –Martin Scorsese
As someone interested in exploring narrative, structure, the over-all power of expression offered via filmmaking, I am constantly disheartened when I see other filmmakers and lovers of film close the door on particular avenues of expression via the medium. Living in Hollywood –a town I find very limited in its approach to telling stories on film– I am always relieved and excited to find a fellow compatriot, a brother (or sister) in arms, as it were, who shares my deep love and desire for open forms of expression and storytelling. So it is always difficult to come to the realization that there are very few of those people in my world. And most of the ones that ARE in my world, don't live in Hollywood (Hmmm… do I see a pattern emerging?…).
I recently had a conversation with a Hollywood filmmaker friend with very strict guidelines as to what actually constituted a film or filmmaking. He suggested that filming two guys having a conversation over dinner would "not be filmmaking." If I were to buy into that school of thought, I would have to take Louis Malle's MY DINNER WITH ANDRE off my DVD shelf.
As someone who is about to embark on a project that I am aware might be "narratively challenging" for some, I find myself rather sensitive to arguments that suggest, directly or indirectly, that what I am attempting is, ultimately, invalid. It may not be the intent of the commentators, but the end result is the suggestion, and often the outright proclamation, that certain attempts are no more than the product of ego and steeped in pretension. Or worse, not real filmmaking. I will suggest that ego is an essential part of any artist willing to express themselves in a public forum. To even believe that you have something to say, something to offer that another human being may want to experience and engage in requires a certain amount of ego. For most of us, it's a rather scary endeavor, but one worth overcoming such fears and allowing what's inside to be seen by all. And to take a chance and know that you might fail. Or that you might succeed but no one around you may notice. And to know that quite often when your work is termed a "failure" by others, you are systematically thrown to the wolves.
Which brings us back to Julie Taymor.
It has been written that the producers of Taymor's SPIDER-MAN were hoping for something with the visual splendor and excitement of CIRQUE DU SOLEIL. In fact, there was talk that the show, if successful, might even find permanent residence in Las Vegas, as CIRQUE has. And one has to assume that, given Mr. Jordan's comments, Bono and others were well-aware of Miss Taymor's vision for this piece long before it was put into production. It seems by all accounts, this was to be unlike anything before or since. Unique. Daring, Visionary. Expensive. I'm guessing (as I have not seen it but based on everything I've read) that it was all of those things. However, some of those things (or even all of them) aren't seen as good qualities by some. For all we know, Taymor's vision for SPIDER-MAN, had it worked logistically and managed to have an actual run, might have been a masterpiece of theater. Or maybe just a lot of eye-candy. But in truth, it probably would have been both, depending on who you spoke with. But like so many films and other works of art derided in their day only to become cherished works in later years, Julie Taymor's SPIDER-MAN may have become part of our celebrated culture. Or not. We'll never know. But what I do know is this: when someone with a vision –and Taymor certainly has vision, regardless of whether or not it adapts to your tastes– is lynched and derided in the public eye, it makes it that much harder for other artists to take chances, to risk, to fight for their vision, or even think of trying.
"If you're not allowed to experiment anymore for fear of being considered self-indulgent or pretentious or what have you, then everyone's going to just stick to the rules — there's not going to be any additional ideas." — Francis Ford Coppola
I submit that CIRQUE DU SOLEIL would be termed by many in attendance as "incoherent narrative." Every CIRQUE DU SOLEIL show tells a story. But it does so in its own way, via its own form of expression. Now perhaps the visual feats of the show itself compensate for any confusion the audience may have about the actual "story" being told, but that does not mean the essence of the story is not taking hold. Modern dance, ballet, acrobatics, music all tell stories in unique ways that are not always comprehended in traditional terms. Or they simply take an understanding of the language of the art form in order to decipher more accurately what is being expressed. But having those tools is not necessarily a requirement. There are many ways in which we take in narrative, in which we experience storytelling. Some are more challenging than others. And some reach us in ways we don't understand and perhaps have a violent or negative reaction to as many do to, say, the films of John Cassavetes.
One of the other writer/filmmakers who chimed in on our Facebook chat once shared his opinion with me that directors should not edit their own movies; that doing so has more to do with ego than with what is best for the story, for the film. I wrote about that exchange and why I personally, as someone who edits his own films, found it to be not only extremely closed-minded but dangerous insomuch as it applies rules to the artistic process where no rules should apply. What works for one filmmaker, writer, sculptor, painter, actor, singer, dancer, what have you, is not necessarily what works for another. Artistic expression, language, and the paths and processes we engage in on our journeys toward our finished works are not things that can be set down as rules. There is no such thing as right and wrong in this arena. To assume there is, is to limit the artists and, by default, the level of art we receive, are exposed to, moved by, provoked by, touched by. You can read my essay on that particular subject in more detail at: "How Dare You Edit Your Own Film," And Other Creative Alienations.
This same filmmaker recently commented that SPIDER-MAN deserved better than Julie Taymor, a comment which on its own is a strange beast given that we're talking SPIDER-MAN here and not, well, Shakespeare, which Miss Taymor has also tackled on numerous occasions to both critical acclaim and critical disdain. I personally land strongly in the former. I thought TITUS was a singular vision of Shakespeare's words and world that stirred me. I thought it was tremendous. But there are those who are not fans of TITUS or any of Taymor's work, who would prefer to call her "Pretentious." Ahhhh… Now there's that word again. Be wary, friends. Pretentious… Those same films I mentioned earlier that were termed "narratively incoherent?" Exactly. They were also coined "pretentious" by many a critic and audience member. But what would make those films or even Julie Taymor's SPIDER-MAN pretentious? According to one screenwriter, Taymor's involvement with SPIDER-MAN was nothing more than an "unfettered ego sidetrack thing." He suggested that Taymor's intention to combine the SPIDER-MAN story with "some Greek dance magic" had nothing to do with the world of SPIDER-MAN and was not only "PRETENTIOUS," but was actually an outright rejection of the SPIDER-MAN source material with intent to imprint it with an auteur vision and therefore an insult to the artists who created the SPIDER-MAN mythos and was condescending to boot.
So let me get this straight. Wanting to take a new and different approach to the SPIDER-MAN legend is pretentious. Altering it from what it has been in the past is pretentious and condescending. I suppose the comics, the TV series, the first movie franchise, the new "re-boot" movie franchise currently in the works… There's no room in the world for another vision of SPIDER-MAN? Really? To attempt such sacrilege is an act of pretension? Well, I suppose if you are referring to the definition of pretentious as grandiose, elaborate, extravagant, flamboyant, ornate or even overambitious. Well then I don't have an argument. But if you are using the term in a derogatory manner to mean sophomoric, pompous, artificial, snooty, or characterized by assumption of dignity or importance, then I question how anyone, not having seen the show nor engaged with Miss Taymor herself, would know such a thing? The play may not have been any good, that possibility certainly exists, but pretentious? Probably not. What I have found is that this is a word that is not only overused as a replacement for genuine, honest criticism, but it is also quite often misused.
As for Miss Taymor's combining of Greek mythology and the SPIDER-MAN mythos, I would not have been surprised if her interpretation might not have captured something innate, something familiar and revealing in the way in which our myths converge despite thousands of years' separation in creation dates. I suggest reading author Vladimir Propp's book MORPHOLOGY OF THE FOLKTALE for more connections on that concept.
As for being an unfettered ego-sidetrack thing, let's look at Taymor's career. It has been pointed out on many occasions by those familiar with Taymor's work, that she has always had a deep fascination with the connection and integration of humans and animals. For the production of Carlo Gozzi's The King Stag, Taymor designed the masks and puppets which combined a man with a stag. Taymor also designed the puppets and masks for Juan Darien, wherein a boy becomes a tiger. And then, of course, there's The Lion King, which seamlessly integrated humans and jungle animals. Or how about The Green Bird, the off-broadway and then Broadway production about a prince trapped inside a bird? So is it so unreasonable, so outside comprehension, that Taymor would be attracted to a story about a man who becomes, essentially, part man, part spider? In her re-imagining of the tale, Peter Parker is bitten (impregnated, in a sense) by a female spider who is an offspring of Arachne, a character inspired by Greek mythology, who turns out to be the villain of the show. This is certainly not the first time Taymor has mixed stories and ideas to create a new hybrid of the two. Quite often to startling effect and rave reviews.
Another screenwriter commented that Taymor was nothing more than the establishment's accepted version of avante garde. He suggested that most everything she does from The Lion King to Shakespeare, is nothing more than "tricked-out kitsch" and that she was, by all accounts, a "weak storyteller." Well, here's one account that may not be in sync with that particular line of thinking.
Jeffrey Horowitz, the founding artistic director of Theatre for a New Audience, commented upon seeing Taymor's SPIDER-MAN:
"Once Spider-Man began… it was unlike anything I had ever seen or felt. That's often the case with Julie's productions. Her theatricality engages the audience's imagination. Taymor is called a visual genius, but her imagination isn't only visual. It's visceral. She makes you feel what it's like to be something or someone else.
"In Spider-Man, I couldn't be judgmental about humans flying around a theatre in ways I wished I could. I was enchanted by the whimsy of theatrical sets which presented New York City from extraordinary multiple perspectives that I could only see if I were a bird or a super-hero. Two dimensional cinematic images were contrasted with three dimensional people and surreal masked characters. Images flipped like the pages of a comic book, but it wasn't a literal comic book. It was like being a kid again or being awake during a dream. And, like a dream, there were parts that I couldn't understand, but it really didn't matter. I surrendered to this strange and fabulous circus crossed with rock and roll, myth and a comic book."
There are forms of storytelling, not unlike the kind suggested by Stanley Kubrick in the quote I referenced earlier, that transcend traditional narrative and rely on feeling, on a mutual dream-state, on the subconscious, on those ethereal and intangible connections we have as human beings, to relay, transmit, and share with one another. There's nothing that says you have to like it or engage in it, but there is no denying that it has its place in the world of art, be it music, poetry, sculpture, theater, dance, film, painting… What would art be without a sense of the abstract? And who is to pass judgement on the worthiness of an artistic attempt, particularly by those who have not themselves experienced that art in which they criticize?
What happens when we shout "pretentious!" in a crowded theater? Well, for one, we aid an environment that is not conducive to risk or vision; where thinking out of the box is a punishable act. It is, in many ways, artistic bullying. Now I am not suggesting that we not be critical of our art. On the contrary, I believe critique is not only welcome, but essential! But it is "how" we critique that I question.
Film director David Lean who brought us such cinematic treasures as LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, OLIVER TWIST, GREAT EXPECTATIONS, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, BRIEF ENCOUNTER and many, many others, praised by fellow filmmakers like Steven Speilberg, Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick, voted the 9th greatest film director of all time in the British Film Institute Sight & Sound "Directors Top Directors" poll, stopped making films for nearly fifteen years. Why?
''I got terribly discouraged and I sort of gave it up for something like 14 years. I suppose round about 'Lawrence of Arabia' I got quite good notices. Then, as I went on, 'Doctor Zhivago' got the worst notices you could ever see. 'Ryan's Daughter' was absolutely torn to shreds by the critics and I thought, 'What the hell am I doing?'
"When you're a movie director, the only people that you really believe are the critics. You mistrust your friends because you think they're being nice, but there in black and white with the power of the printed word it says you stink and you have no idea of what you're doing. I just thought I'd lost the drift somehow or other."
Popular film critic Pauline Kael's review of RYAN'S DAUGHTER was, though consummately written as always from a literary standpoint, nothing more than a disrespectful piece of nastiness. But of course Kael was not a fan of most of Lean's films stating of his work "the emptiness shows in every frame." Kael was eventually fired from McCalls by editor Robert Stein who stated, "I [fired her] months later after she kept panning every commercial movie from Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago to The Pawnbroker and A Hard Day's Night." It was, of course, not only Miss Kael's right to dislike those films, it was her job to write about them. However, I submit once again, it is how we choose to go about critiquing the work of others that should be explored.
Invited to a meeting of the National Society of Film Critics in New York, Mr. Lean stated:
"It was one of the most horrible experiences I have ever had. I remember Pauline Kael meeting me at the door and leading me by the hand to the table where there were ten or twelve critics and they sat me at the head of the table and within seconds they started grilling me in the most unfriendly fashion. One of the most leading questions was, "Can you please explain how the man who directed Brief Encounter can have directed this load of shit you call Ryan's Daughter?" It really cut me to the heart, and that was Richard Schickel."
Luckily for us, Mr. Lean eventually returned to filmmaking and now we have the masterful A PASSAGE TO INDIA. But what did we lose in the interim? We know we never got to see Lean's take on MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY or his adaptation of the Joseph Conrad novel NOSTROMO, both projects dear to his heart. Perhaps, had critics been more "constructive" in their criticisms of Mr. Lean and his films, had they had the foresight and vision to recognize that this was not a filmmaker devoid of talent, a hack, as it were, they may have offered him "useful" criticisms that he may have taken to heart or simply accepted as a difference of opinion, and we might then have NOSTROMO and many other unmade David Lean films to experience as well.
As a counter-balance to Miss Kael's deciphering of Mr. Lean's work, I offer filmmaker Martin Scorcese's take on those same "empty frames," which one could certainly interpret as a direct response to Miss Kael's writing:
"His images stay with me forever. But what makes them memorable isn't necessarily their beauty. That's just good photography. It's the emotion behind those images that's meant the most to me over the years. It's the way David Lean can put feeling on film. The way he shows a whole landscape of the spirit. For me, that's the real geography of David Lean country. And that's why, in a David Lean movie, there's no such thing as an empty landscape."
When I suggested in our online conversation that we had, especially as fellow artists, some responsibility to promote an environment that allows artists to grow, take risks, be moved by their visions and, maybe most importantly, learn from their mistakes, I was met with the notion that it was not the critics' job or responsibility to foster artistic growth. No? Well, perhaps my argument is that it should be. Or, at the very least, one should invite the question of intent. "What do I hope to gain from engaging in this criticism?" If not to foster artistic growth, then is it simply to be judgmental for judgment's sake? Is it as a means of feeling superior? I suggest that it may be beneficial for anyone critiquing the work of another to know what they would like the end result to be.
During our discussion, the question was raised on more than one occasion that if Miss Taymor were indeed an "artist," then why was she engaging in directing a "massive, insanely commodified venture like a broadway musical franchise." I'm not sure why taking on a Broadway show automatically removes Taymor from having a worthwhile vision. And unless you've actually seen the show, you cannot, in good conscience or fairness, critique its worthiness or artistic merits. One of the screenwriters engaged in this line of thought was someone who wholly embraced and highly recommended the experience of James Cameron's AVATAR in 3-D. Certainly this is a fair equivalent to Taymor's SPIDER-MAN in sheer size and expense. It was, after all, the most expensive movie ever made. And despite a rather large consensus that it was somewhat lacking in the script department and followed a rather overused, if not outright tired, formula, it was still nonetheless a cinematic experience that the screenwriter I was speaking with felt was at least as important for film lovers to see in a theater as Kubrick's 2001. And I won't argue that he was wrong. And yes, I know many, many people who hated AVATAR and many who loved it. But had the film bombed financially, Cameron's attempt at spending this much money on a massive, insanely commodified venture like a Hollywood movie to tell an environmentally conscious alien love story would have been tagged "pretentious" alongside its "failure" moniker. Regardless of who it touched.
All this said, one need not like an artist or their work in order to allow it the right to exist and, at the same time, have meaning for others. And I'm afraid, while I do believe that it's every person's right to criticize in whichever manner they choose, for whatever reasons they choose, I still believe that a certain level of responsibility is inherent. Whether or not you care about the outcome or effect of your words is another thing entirely. But know that your words can result in works of art you may have quite possibly cherished, not being created at all. We have a choice: we can be constructive in our criticism or destructive. I personally found many of the comments I heard on the subject of Miss Taymor and SPIDER-MAN to be more destructive and lacking in any real criticism of the work itself; it felt more like partaking in and quite possibly relishing the public bashing Miss Taymor was receiving. Like sharks in blood-infested water. If there's to be growth, artistic and otherwise, a bit of self-reflection might be in order. But perhaps this knee-jerk reaction, as I see it, may have more to do with some measure of fear, or perhaps an honest misunderstanding of the process, than it does with any type of actual criticism. Accusations of pretension, incoherent narrative, or a simple, "I don't like it" are no replacement for analytical critique any more than saying something is "stupid" or "boring." It's an honest and valid reaction, but it says nothing about the artist responsible for the work. It's all about the recipient. But even if one's criticism is limited to "stupid" or "boring," how we present those particular criticisms makes all the difference. To simply say "That work is stupid and boring" is not the same as saying "I found that work to be stupid and boring." Semantics? Nitpicking? I don't think so. Words have power. How you present your thoughts has a direct effect on how they land and what their impact and repercussions are. To call a work stupid or boring is to make a sweeping declaration of what that work innately is. On the other hand, to alter that phrase to point out what your personal experience of that work is, is another thing altogether. To go under the assumption that any statement you make is naturally taken as your opinion even when it's not stated as such is to misunderstand and diminish the power of words. Again, this may seem a small change, a slight alteration in how we present our thoughts, but I believe it has great significance in the bigger picture of creating a safe and healthy environment for artists to work and explore.
I also find myself discouraged at the level of outright "glee" I've witnessed on the part of some at the news of Julie Taymor's firing and the disdain present in the notion that she, in attempting to do what she does, in being called a "visionary" or even simply having a vision, might not be, at least partially, a result of misogynistic tendencies, whether conscious or unconscious. I'm not saying that anyone who dislikes Taymor and/or her work are haters of women, but I would be remiss in my duties here if I did not at least entertain the possibility that this might, indeed, play some part. There is an extra "bite" to much of the criticism I have read and heard that seems to suggest something else under the surface. Not unlike some of the hate I've seen directed toward President Obama that, like it or not, suggests at least the possibility that racism might play a role in a portion of the public's strong negative reaction, despite most everyone's insistence that it plays absolutely no part in their actions, reactions, or decision-making.
Food for thought, certainly.
Robert Hilburn was the head music critic at the Los Angeles Times for 30 years. Something Robert managed that very few of his fellow critics managed, was that he was actually influential in the music world; he gained the trust of musicians, not by showering them with praise, but by offering them very real, constructive criticism. In my conversations with Robert, he was very clear about how uncommon it is to find music critics that seem to move beyond either blind praise or churlish, angry criticism. It was Robert's desire that, as a music lover, he see artists grow, expand, reach their full potential. Why? Because as a lover of music, this would allow great music to potentially be created and, therefore, Robert himself would be able to partake of the joy of listening to and being moved by that very music. He wasn't a music critic because he loved to criticize musicians, he was a music critic because he loved music! So while other critics were vicious toward an up and coming band called U2, Robert, though disappointed in many of their early albums and not afraid to express that in his reviews, often focused on what was good and promising about U2. He saw the potential of what was there and wanted to see them grow to reach that potential. But he was not afraid to criticize them.
After the release of U2's WAR, an album he loved, Robert attended several live shows on that tour and was deeply disturbed by Bono's dangerous physical antics, such as climbing over the balcony rail and dropping fifteen feet into the arms of fans on the ground level. From Robert's book CORNFLAKES WITH JOHN LENNON:
"I was troubled. In his eagerness to inspire, Bono could hurt himself and lead others to do the same thing. Indeed, two fans at the arena did follow Bono's lead and leapt from the balcony, only this time there were no outstretched arms to greet them."
Robert ended his review of the U2 concert by saying:
"When you have music as exciting and as purposeful as U2, you really don't need a sideshow as well, especially a potentially dangerous one."
The day the review appeared, Bono called Robert to say he would heed his words. That the rest of the band had been trying to stop Bono from his "antics" for a long time, but he just hadn't listened. Until now. He informed Robert that he would not be jumping off balconies or climbing scaffolding anymore. He understood, now, that the music was enough.
So I ask again, what is to be gained in publicly calling Julie Taymor pretentious or stating that SPIDER-MAN deserves better than Julie Taymor? And what do we really know about her?
Again, Robert Hilburn's words have relevance for me here:
"I found that I often didn't recognize musicians I was familiar with when they were profiled in other newspapers and magazines. All too often, the writers seemed to mold the artists to fit their stories… Every great artist goes through periods when his or her image and integrity are questioned… Springsteen had been widely accused of being just "hype" when Time and Newsweek both put his photos on their covers, and [John] Lennon had to combat backlash against his "[The Beatles are] bigger than Jesus" remarks."
I'm reminded of the public reaction to the Woody Allen scandal. It was fascinating and horrifying all at the same time. I have always been a big fan of Woody Allen's work. And I know many people who have simply never liked him. They don't connect with his humor, they find his intellectual ramblings boring, even distancing, and I've heard more than one non-fan call him downright creepy/disgusting/homely. So when it was suggested by Mia Farrow that Allen was a pedophile and had sexually assaulted their infant child (a charge he was acquitted of), it was amazing to watch how many people hopped on that bandwagon. People who knew nothing about the man, neither personally nor professionally beyond the fact that they knew they didn't like him and maybe considered him "creepy", found an event that fit into their pre-conceived notion of who and what he was and this accusation validated their feelings. "I knew it!" "I always said there was something wrong with that guy." "Doesn't surprise me at all."
How quick we are to judge, based not on any particular reality, but on our own fears, desires, and misunderstandings.
So what of Julie Taymor? Once again I turn to the Theatre for a New Audience artistic director, Jeffrey Horowitz:
"In media reports about Spider-Man, Taymor has been described as a perfectionist out of touch with concerns of budgets or the opinions of others. The person I know is a true collaborator who enjoys and wants the contributions of others and incorporates their contributions into her ultimate vision. She is also caring, hard-working and mindful of budgets. Furthermore, what's wrong with being a perfectionist or committed to a vision?
"It is now reported that Spider-Man is undergoing rewrites and changes without Taymor. Julie Taymor is responsible for articulating her vision, and for me — and for what seemed like most of the audience who cheered when I saw Spider-Man — her vision was thrilling."
It is far easier to condemn someone whose work we don't appreciate or understand, than it is to find ways to foster growth in the areas that we see potential. It seems to me that what happened here with Taymor may have fit more into what some people were feeling about her already, their preconceived notions, opinions and reactions –or their deep feelings about "the Spidey mythos" itself– than about any truth of what she was trying to do. That said, the same can be said of me. My reaction is based on the fact that I admire much (though not all) of Taymor's work. I want to see more. And I don't find her to be a "weak-storyteller" in the slightest. Nor do I have any love or deep connection to SPIDER-MAN or its mythology so I have no opinions to offend there. Ironically enough, I had very little interest in actually seeing SPIDER-MAN outside of Taymor's contribution. I'm not a big fan of the music of U2 and therefore Bono doing the score is not a personal draw for me, though I understand and appreciate its commercial and popular allure. No, for me, what Taymor was bringing to the table was the ONLY thing of interest to me about the entire project. And I dare-say, what ends up remaining of her vision in the final product may be the only part of the production that shows any creativity for me beyond the simply commercial execution. But again, these are my flaws, my preconceived notions, opinions, and desires. I am not immune to any of this. But I do desire to be aware of my own limitations and the ways in which I allow them to manifest. Both internally and externally. Perhaps even what I've written here today will prove to be less insightful or constructive than I intend and hope it to be. Perhaps it will be seen as just more bashing. I certainly write it as much from a need to articulate my thoughts and feelings as I do a need to affect change.
In their closing comments on our Taymor thread, I was accused of stating that it was not okay for someone to dislike a particular work; that I was suggesting the disliking of a film in and of itself was a form of negative criticism. Of course, I never said nor suggested any such thing. I was also accused of stating that anyone we deem, or who deems themselves, an "artist" is automatically "worthwhile," and should be respected and exist free from hard critical scrutiny. Again, never said it or even suggested it. But it's a curious thing to witness and it harkens back to what I was mentioning earlier about what we bring to the table that may have more to do with our reactions than the subjects we are actually commenting on; that it is more a reflection of us, than of anything else. Though nothing I wrote suggested any of the above accusations, perhaps what was "read" as opposed to what was "written" has more to do with the fears and concerns of the reader than the intent of the writer. And the same could be said of my interpretation of their comments. Though I have re-read them all for clarification, I am not immune to the particular magnifying glass of experiences and emotions that I view the world through.
And while it would be a perfect universe if artists were made of stone and unaffected by the negative press and misguided rantings of those more interested in serving their own desires to condemn and lambaste as opposed to taking a higher road and offering real-world constructive criticism for which every party benefits, the sad truth is that it is quite daunting and frightening to go out on a limb to express oneself, to have a vision of something that is new, different, or simply unknown, unexplored, but deeply felt. Artists are, more often than not, quite fragile individuals. And while I fully grant my friends that they have every right to proclaim someone pretentious or egomaniacal or even a hack, I also offer the notion that there is another option out there. But I suppose that all depends on what we hope to feed: the art itself and the environment in which it's created (an environment we ourselves proclaim to be a part of) or our own fragile egos.
The huge budget musical extravaganza SPIDER-MAN, for which Miss Taymor committed nine years of her life, looks like it may not have ultimately been the best avenue for her to express herself artistically, insomuch as the final result will most likely not be an accurate depiction of her vision. But not all great works are created with little money in dark basements. GONE WITH THE WIND holds a special place for many for a reason. And I am often VERY critical of big-budget Hollywood films, as anyone who knows me will attest to. Mostly because I don't find it a conducive environment to artistic expression or one that attracts many filmmakers interested in artistic expression. But there are ALWAYS exceptions. And I have no doubt Miss Taymor has learned some very hard lessons about herself and her own needs and desires here and the environments in which they may be best able to thrive. And I, personally, look forward to seeing what she does next. Regardless of whether or not it completely works for me.


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Educational Assessment, Research and Practice
Three semester hours.
This course deals with the comprehensive assessment of the educational process in school systems. Primary focus will be to gather, disaggregate, and analyze data; and to develop appropriate plans of action. Prerequisite: Admission to Superintendency Program.
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