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City of Tempe, AZHome Menu
Facility Directory
Corbell Park - Hours 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.Amenities:
- Basketball Courts
- Picnic Tables
- Playground
- Ramadas
- Soccer Field
- Parks
Corbell Park is located in south central Tempe at Lakeshore and Chilton drives. This 11 acre park is one of Tempe's larger neighborhood parks and was dedicated in honor and memory of Victor Corbell, an Arizona pioneer and prominent Tempe business leader on April 7, 1984.
Victor Corbell was born into an original Arizona pioneer family on January 31, 1894. His father, Charles Asher Corbell, homesteaded in the area near Baseline and McClintock and Victor later owned his own ranch, a 320-acre site near what is now McClintock and Guadalupe roads.
After graduation from Tempe High School and Tempe Normal School, Victor served in the Army Signal Corps during WWI. In 1921, he married Anna Miller whose family lived in the area across the road from what is now the Lakes Community. Corbell served as president of the Salt River Project for 16 years and was a member of the SRP Board for nearly 35.
Victor was also active in many community and civic affairs. He served as director of the Arizona Reclamation Association and was a member of the Colorado Water Resources Committee and Central Arizona Project. When he was first elected to the SRP Board, the utility had 4,350 customers. At his retirement, SPR had grown to serving more than 157,000 customers.
He also served as president of the First National Bank of Arizona, was president of the Tempe Rotary Club and served on the Tempe Union High School District Board for 20 years. He died in February 1980, but his contributions to the community will continued to be recognized through the designation of one of Tempe's 49 parks named in is honor and located close to his family home.
Park size is 11 acres.


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Members appreciate holistic, relaxing services that complement exercise programs.
Meet Elsa, a 45-year-old career woman. She is stressed.
To ease her tension, Elsa exercises at a health club. She burns calories in the cardio area. She unwinds by attending a yoga class.
After her workout, Elsa steams and showers — but she doesn't leave the club. Instead, she indulges herself with a little luxury — and she doesn't have to get dressed, or travel to another location, to do it. Elsa simply robes up and strolls through the locker room to the club's day spa.
Elsa opens the pink door and enters another world. Soft instrumental music plays in the background, paintings of tranquil landscapes adorn the walls, and the scent of lavender is in the air. The day spa's attendant greets Elsa by name, and an employee leads her to a private room for a shiatsu aromatherapy massage. For someone as stressed as Elsa, this treatment is the ultimate antidote.
Two hours ago, Elsa felt time-starved and tense. Thanks to the combination of exercise and day spa services, however, she leaves the club relaxed and rejuvenated.
Does Elsa sound like one of your members? Do these services sound like something that you offer? If not, they could be. Any club can deliver spa services, improving retention and increasing profitability.
"If a club is selling a lifestyle rather than a fitness program, then a day spa can greatly enhance the experience," says Francis X. Accunzo, president of Sage Management, a Branford, Conn., company that services organizations within the fitness, beauty and hospitality industry. "And depending on its focus, a spa can accomplish a variety of things.
"For example, if you want to shore up your wellness component, you create a program in your spa that offers acupuncture, acupressure and other alternative health modalities. For beauty services, you can add hair, nails, makeup, or a focus on skin care. Your club members will shop for beauty products at the spa, and this will increase per-member revenue."
Before adding any services, however, clubs must determine how much they are willing to invest in a spa component. Operators need to ask themselves some questions. Are you planning to build the spa into an existing space? Will you have to add electrical lines? Will you need to bring in plumbing? Will you need new windows? How much remodeling and other conversion work do you need to do?
Start on the Right (Square) Foot
If you start with a plain space with everything in place, your final investment will depend on the "feel" that you want. "The easiest way to look at it is on a per-square-foot basis," Accunzo says. "This cost will vary depending on your market. You want to align your day spa with your club. Your market tells you how much you can spend per square foot. It could be a mid-market spa, an upscale spa or a luxury spa.
"Depending on which category you're in, the range for building the facility is $75 to $135 per square foot. To equip the facility, you have to figure approximately $50 per square foot, and for startup costs — including pre-opening marketing and printed materials — another $50."
When the Atlantic Club in Red Bank, N.J., decided to expand its existing spa — moving it from downstairs to upstairs — the facility leaned toward the high end. The club's investment reflected that choice.
"The cost depends on what you choose to put into your day spa," says Kevin McHugh, the club's president. "And the day spa has to reflect the quality of your club. We did a lot of research on what the competition was doing, then we tended to go premium. Our spa, when we move upstairs, will have come in at about $200 per square foot, including the equipment, the artwork and the construction."
The costs don't necessarily stop with the construction, either. "There is a minimal amount of additional insurance to pay," McHugh explains, "but if you're carrying a big policy, it doesn't really impact the bottom line very much."
In addition to staying on top of insurance, club operators expanding into spa services must understand local ordinances. Getting the required approvals is crucial. Researching these procedures not only helps the club, but also offers an operator an opportunity to initiate positive relationships with town officials.
"What you are looking for is the exact requirements the town, the county and state have for licensing your operation and the technicians," Accunzo adds.
Operators who go through the trouble of obtaining licenses and building a spa will want to make sure that they earn a good return on their investment. To get what they deserve, operators should base their service charges on the alignment of their clubs in the marketplace, according to Accunzo.
"Pricing in the mid-market spa for a one-hour massage in the U.S. is typically $55 to $70, for an upscale spa we're looking at $70 to $90, and a luxury spa would be $90 to $120, $130," he says. "For a one-hour facial, mid-market is $50 to $65, upscale $65 to $85, luxury $85 to $120."
Pricing the Products
To get a better feel for what they should charge for services, operators can also examine the competition. "You have to know who you are before you price your product," Accunzo says.
"If I'm upscale, I'm going to find all the upscale spas within a 5-to-10-mile radius. I'm going to test their pricing, and then make a judgment call based on that assessment. The judgment call could be that we want to be less than our competition. It might be we want to charge less than our competition for members but the same for nonmembers. If we think what we have is significantly better than what our competition is offering — locker rooms, saunas, steams and access to an indoor pool and whirlpool — we may want to set our fees at the upper limit of our price category."
As operators set the fees, they should keep in mind that they are initially pricing for existing members.
"Your primary market is your current club membership," Accunzo explains. "First you will reach out to your club members and sell them on your services. You want to talk to them directly and at the same time nurture referrals."
Operators accomplish this outreach/nurturing goal with in-house promotions: signage, member letters, circulars, and visuals on the desk and in the locker rooms. Once clubs have captured members, these clients may bring in family and friends for spa services.
After clubs have successfully marketed to members — who, by the way, deserve incentives such as special introductory offers — it is time to address the local market, drawing nonmembers. Clubs can introduce themselves (and their day spa) to the community through local ads, fliers, radio and TV spots, and personal visits to business establishments.
Propagation Through Donation
Clubs can also bring nonmembers into the spa area by establishing referral sources. For example, a spa gift certificate for a popular local hairdresser may ultimately bring more referrals than a radio spot.
Health clubs can also donate gift certificates to local charitable organizations for their raffles and fund-raising auctions. In turn, everyone on the organizations' mailing lists will read about the generous donation and spa services.
Still, before reaching out to new prospects, health clubs must decide whether they have enough existing members to launch a spa business in the first place. "The spa's primary market is the club membership, so you have to be sure that you have a sufficient and adequate potential market within that membership," Accunzo reminds. "We recommend a minimum of 1,500 females between the ages of 24 and 64, with household incomes of $75,000-plus."
This may be an unrealistic number for many health clubs. However, club operators can still determine whether their membership can sustain a profitable spa business.
"In a health club, typically you are looking at a departmental profit that consists of the revenues minus direct cost, and the cost of labor, supplies and the marketing specific to the operation of the spa department," Accunzo says. "We see profit margins in this case ranging anywhere from 20 percent to 30 percent.
"[W]hen a spa runs as a department of a club, [it gives] you economies of management, marketing, physical plant maintenance and human resources. Because all those functions currently take place in the club anyway, you have minimal additional costs when the same functions take place in the spa."
Sign of Success
McHugh of the Atlantic Club believes that a 15 to 20 percent profit marks a successful spa. And he knows all about successful spas. Since converting some empty space into a massage area 10 years ago, the Atlantic Club has grown its spa services into a $1 million business.
"The concept was if we've got 4,000 members in the club and put together a nice quality team, the club member would shop with us rather than someplace else for spa services," McHugh says.
With good planning, club operators can take a similar route, complementing existing services and adding new profit centers. If feasible, a day spa is an opportunity that shouldn't be missed by clubs.
Wendy Bosalavage is president of American Leisure Corp., New York, a consulting and management company for fitness and spas. She can be reached at (800) FIT-MGMT, ext. 113, or [email protected].

subset: commoncrawl


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Happy Independence Day everyone! Let's take at least a minute to be appreciative of the fact that we live in a non-occupied territory and do not have to suffer the pain and inconveniences that come with such a life condition.
Ho'kay, for today's
I have a special new recipe to debut. Please welcome Paleo Waffle 2.0 to the stage.
These are grain free, dairy free, sugar free and paleo-approved. I was trying to come up with a paleo waffle that used only sweet potato and eggs and no coconut flour, but I couldn't make it work. The coconut flour is key to making them hold their shape and be waffle-like. However, this waffle has less coconut flour than my original version (and seems to digest easier) and a delicious sweet potato flavor.
For breakfast I have been having 1 sweet potato waffle and one banana paleo waffle topped with ~2 tablespoons of nut butter and 2 egg whites on the side.
I will never get sick of waffles. Did you know I'm a quarter Belgian?
Cinnamon Spiced Sweet Potato Waffles [gluten free]
Recipe: Makes ~7 waffles
- Sorry this has been removed until further notice!
Josef's sugar free maple syrup (don't hate! malitol is one of the less craptastic sweeteners) and shredded coconut
Nutrition Facts for 1 Waffle
- 120 calories
- 9 grams protein (more if you sub protein powder)
- 15 grams carbs
- 4 grams fiber
- 4 grams sugar
poor coco shreds, I bet it's hard to swim in almond butter and syrup.
Yesterday's lunch consisted of pastrami lettuce wraps.
Simply take a few Romaine leaves and place a slice of nitrate-free pastrami, gourmet mustard, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and salt on each and eat like taco!
The second course of lunch was pink lady apple slices topped with pate.
Pate = duck liver. It is delicious. Please don't stop reading my blog.
Dinner was colorful and satisfying.
Leftover roasted chicken, a slice of bacon, salted avocado, sweet potato fries, and salad with honey mustard bacon grease dressing.
As is apparent, I am still pretty paleo, but this is just how I eat nowadays. I'm back on the dairy hard as ever. My first sip of creamy coffee after my week of strict paleo felt like liquid happiness was seeping into my system and coursing through my veins. In true relapse fashion, I've been eating yogurt and ice cream like its my job.
Best way to break up with paleo =
first thing I bought after paleo week was pastured butter, half and half, and gelato
Speaking of jobs, I have exciting news! But I will save that for the next post. 🙂 Along with this lil' gem…


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Search - a quick & easy way to find the parts you require, simply enter a part number or keyword to search our product catalogue.
Query: Handles
Press Room - Visit our press room, for our latest press releases, promotional emails and offers, including discount codes. Don't miss out!
Testimonials and reviews to reassure you - read what our customers say about our qualtity products & great service....


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Sure, it's a B-movie as lost in the annals of film history as the beautiful Bahaman lagoon featured in the movie, but it deserves a more widespread cult status. John Rawlins' film has a perfect cast and is curiously watchable from beginning to end—more than once.
Protagonist, Charlie Walker, is down and out and in need of cash to pay his insurance premiums for himself, his wife and two kids. While on a fishing outing, where he lowers himself to ask for a loan from his successful brother-in-law, Millard, a storm blows in, and Charlie is washed overboard with $10,000 of Millard's money in an envelope that fell on the deck-floor as the boat rocked in the sweeping waves. Presumed dead, an insurance claim is opened by his wife and two kids.
Millard characterizes his disdain for Charlie to Bernadine, Charlie's wife: "Lost at sea? Truth is Charlie was lost at sea all his life. Only this time, it took."
Experiencing luck more profound than death, Charlie is cast upon a remote lagoon on a small island—a Caribbean paradise. The island's only inhabitants are a beautiful young woman, Liz Moore, who is about twenty years Charlie's junior, and the staff of her failing resort which has closed due to being "under-capitalized," as she characterizes her predicament.
In one of the more curious aspects of the film, Liz suffered a shortened tendon after an accident when she was much younger. She now walks with a limp as one leg is slightly shorter than the other. In a sense, she's as much an outcast as Charlie.
Charlie thinks out the situation and soon enough has no intention of leaving, but of helping Liz restore the resort and of staying forever.
Liz asks, "But your home…your family?"
He responds, "Let them find their own lost lagoon," and continues, "The biggest part of my life is over. I don't want to spend the rest of it for the sake of the latest car model, for insurance, for a future to be buried in a king-size family plot. Oh no. I want to live it my way for a change…Is that wrong?"
He and Liz soon fall in love in the idyllic environment, which deepens his decision to stay. In one scene, Liz steps out on a limb, "Charlie…dance with me."
They dance, embrace and soon are kissing.
As he is somewhat concerned about their age difference, she counters, "You think your age is a handicap, well I have one too," referring to her limp.
In another scene, they remove their clothes and swim together in the lagoon, soon lying in the sand passionately in each other's arms, leaving the question of whether they made love or not.
He changes his last name from Walker to Smith, emphasizing his evolving from one who walks the daily grind to one who is safely hidden in a sea of same-named individuals.
Should Charlie return to his wife and two kids and the daily grind that tears at men's souls, or should he hideaway forever in paradise with Liz and the resort profits? Therein lies the rub.
Aside from the story, the film has a very curious tone to it. For one, Liz walks with a limp. For another, Bernadine, Charlie's wife looks strikingly unattractive, in fact, wearing her hair in a shortened version of the Bride of Frankenstein's hair. The camera lingers on certain scenes, abandoning the choppy scenes of life in the fast lane. In two scenes, Liz's fingers sensuously knead Charlie's bare back while creepy organ music plays on the soundtrack.
In another scene, Liz recites the last lines of Matthew Arnold's lyric poem, "Dover Beach" for Charlie:
Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
The film is structured around a strophic form with a recurring chorus provided by a Calypso band. The film begins with a dance and continues with the recurring theme of the dance of men and women as they work out their relationships. At one point, the Calypso band plays dance music while the words are sung, "Work all day / Sleep all night / Drink black rum / Get real tight / Me go home / Fight with wife / Never had such a happy life."
It wouldn't be a good film without a twist. Eventually, Charlie Walker is discovered by a diligent insurance investigator who tracks him to the island paradise.
Millard nastily remarks to his sister, Bernadine, "I should have known Charlie wouldn't die like some ordinary guy…on the ground…in a bed."
Charlie is forced to confront his wife, who tells him, pathetically, "I need you Charlie. I don't want to be alone."
Once again, the question arises: Should Charlie return to his wife and two kids and the daily grind that tears at men's souls, or should he hideaway forever in paradise with Liz and the resort profits? Therein lies the eternal rub…


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and have enlightened each other ad nauseum. I don't think that I am just sitting around complaining, as I tried to be proactive in my situation and they DIDN'T want to hear from me, and DIDN'T care. I got the boot. There were others waiting to take my place - someone who is willing to be degraded and doesn't care, and management doesn't have to get my pesky e-mails.
As far as a large group of MT's standing up and fighting for ourselves, that would be great! Where do I sign up?
I spoke to a clinic that is/was using it. They said it was the worst thing they had ever seen. You could actually have a rash on your face, but by the time the machine *reaches* out for the nearest sounding word, you may end up with some dread disease. And face it, nobody but nobody has time to READ EVERY REPORT FOR ACCURACY AND CORRECTNESS this day and time. Well, by golly, come to think of it, that's what MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONISTS USED TO DO, before we were replaced by machines that can't spell or know a toenail from a hangnail in the grand scheme of things.
I'm like you, the first time I find something in my reports, they will hear from my lawyer. I won't even waste the time being on hold, calling the hospital or doctor.
If you really want to know how to form a union, check out the link below for the AFL/CIO. You'll need to pick a union with which to affiliate. They have a list with contacts. They also have state/local federations of labor with contacts. You'll also need a professional union organizer to help you. There's a form you can fill out to get in touch with one.
SEIU split from the AFL/CIO and is a healthcare union. Find a web page for a local in your area, and they can give you the same information as above.
These are the people who can really answer your questions and help you. I'm betting, though, that you just want stay on these boards to stir the pot and whine.
other happy Trans Tech employees. It has been such a loooong choosing process, but I am feeling so happy about this decision, thanks to all who helped me out, especially Donna, and Debbie is a fantastic-sounding boss. Looking forward to getting started, give me a yell if you can!


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Karol Szymanowski's operatic masterpiece is coming up at the Royal Opera House next week, and not a moment too soon. My God, what an impossibly gorgeous score it is. I nearly died of joy the first time I heard it. So I had a chat with its director, Kasper Holten - and wasn't sorry to hear about his passion for early 20th-century opera, or the fact that one of his happiest experiences to date was with Korngold's Die tote Stadt (his production, for the Finnish National Opera, is on DVD).
Tony Pappano conducts, the wonderful Mariusz Kwiecień is the King, Georgia Jarman is Queen Roxana and the production opens 1 May. NB the live streaming on the Internet on 16 May.
Here's my piece from today's Independent.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Introducing Karol
Outside the ICC in Birmingham yesterday there snaked a massive queue. Thousands upon thousands of of eager young people had turned out to support the CBSO, Karol Szymanowski and your blogger doing her pre-concert yak....oh, hang on. Across the mall from Symphony Hall were, um, auditions for Britain's Got Talent.
Ironic that inside Symphony Hall all afternoon the CBSO Youth Orchestra - 110 young people aged 14-21 - were rehearsing Berg and Bartok and Bruckner, and they really do have talent. And, being mostly teenagers, the chances are that they don't regard angstful, emotional, challenging music as difficult, but identify themselves with it something chronic. We who remember what that was like sometimes wonder if those who wish to stop youngsters from facing that type of art were ever teenagers themselves.
Anyway, a grand turnout for the evening event too, and huge thanks to the super Symphony Hall & CBSO team for all their help.
Below is my script, for anyone who couldn't make it, or anyone who could and wants to have another look.
It's a great pleasure to be back in Symphony Hall to offer an introduction to an extraordinary composer of whom most of us know too little. He was much of his time, yet he was also ahead of it - to many he seems to be coming into his own today. He was much of his country, and yet his country barely existed except in his imagination. And he was part of an entire generation of composers who were marginalised in the philosophical and musical atmosphere that ensued after the second world war – a generation that it has taken decades to rehabilitate to the deserved degree. He is, of course, Karol Szymanowski.
He is one of those composers that most of us have heard of, though it's by no means certain we'll ever have attended a concert containing his music, nor that we'd be aware of what he wrote, when he wrote it, or why. Of course, to say this must be tempting fate here in Birmingham, because you probably know more about Szymanowski than audiences anywhere else in the country! That's because perhaps his most important champion has been Sir Simon Rattle, whose performances and recordings with the CBSO, in the early 1990s, were vital in putting this wonderful composer back on the map where he belongs.
I'd like to read you a little of what Simon Rattle himself said about Szymanowski, and specifically about the Stabat Mater, which we will hear tonight. Here he describes his first encounter with the music:
"I was having lunch with my friend Paul Crossley, the English pianist. Paul was a man whose advice I used unscrupulously. He said, 'I've got something special for you', then sat at the piano and played a bit of some piece. I had no idea what it was, but it got me very excited and I knew it was love at first sight. It was the last part of the Stabat Mater."
Rattle duly put the Stabat Mater into one of his first concerts with the CBSO, but he later felt he'd made one mistake:
"I must admit with shame that the choir sang in Latin. We knew, though, that a Polish language version would need to be prepared. And we struggled with that difficult language. Only Finnish and Hungarian are said to be more difficult, and there is not too much similarity between the Birmingham dialect and the Polish language. Only ten letters are pronounced the same in English and in Polish. So it was a character building experience on all counts. It took a year to work with the choir, but apparently the sopranos can now be understood. I suppose that if Poles tried to sing in Welsh, they would understand our problems. We reached a point where language started to impact on the sound of the music, its rhythm. For instance, the holding out of the vowels and the proper start of the consonants has lent this music a specific pulse. The choir was no longer a group of English singers feeling aloof about a strange, obscure composition. They began to penetrate the music. It was an extraordinary trip. Szymanowski's music bought the ensemble, the choir and the orchestra."
Then Rattle adds:
"I cannot talk objectively about Szymanowski, for you cannot expect objectivity or reasonability from someone in love. And reasonability is out of place when this music is concerned."
So, for Sir Simon it was love at first sound. I think I know something of what he felt. I was about 14 when I first heard any Szymanowski, and what I heard was THIS:
[We didn't show this extraordinary little 'Cinephonie' film by Emile Vuillermoz last night, but I can't resist posting it this morning!]
This is one of Szymanowski's better-known pieces: one of his Mythes for violin and piano, composed in 1915, a period of his compositional life that is sometimes termed his "oriental impressionist" phase. It is entitled 'La fontaine d'Arethuse' – the fountain of Arethusa being a Greek myth about a nymph, whose virtue is saved from a pursuer by Artemis, who transforms her into a fountain. Szymanowski wrote that his aim was to capture not the narrative but the beauty of the myth – perhaps the aura of it. But it's worth noticing that Szymanowski visited the actual fountain itself – it is on the island of Ortygia in Syracuse, Sicily, a place where his travels may have had much personal significance. More of that later.
There's exoticism in here, without a doubt: the attraction of the ancient, the mythical, the magical, as well as the sensuality of the story and its watery imagery. This percolates into the music from several directions: the harmonies being the most obvious, then the extended and unpredictable lengths of the phrases, and the sheer range of subtle colours that he draws out of these two instruments through his exploration of texture and timbre. You can feel that unique personality, with its mix of emotional and intellectual intensity, that suffuses Szymanowski's greatest works.
Szymanowski was born in 1882, in what's now the Ukraine and was then Russia. A lot of Polish landed gentry had settled in that region after Poland was partitioned in 1795, divided up between Prussia, Russia and Austria. The family estate was called Tymoszowka and one wonderful description of their lifestyle says: "It was an aristocratic, cultured household, where music and literature were practised with a passion which drove less artistically-inclined guests to distraction."
Part of what forms any composer's outlook, and hence his legacy, is how he deals with the changing world around him. As you can imagine, a lifespan from 1882 to 1937 encompassed some of the biggest upheavals in European history. And how Szymanowski dealt with them contains its own fair share of paradoxes. As he himself said, he had a "fanatic love for the idea of Poland" – note the IDEA OF, rather than Poland itself.
Indeed, Poland at this time was more an idea than a place. But its spirit lived on in its music, especially that of Chopin, which is full of national dances, such as the mazurka, the krakowiak and the polonaise. Szymanowski in his early years certainly showed hints of influence from Chopin. However, let's just come back briefly to the question of actual language.
I think it's true to say that every great composer is influenced to some degree by the ebb and flow of his native language. Think of Bach's cantatas or Schubert's songs in German, or the way the French language permeates Fauré and Debussy; imagine Tchaikovsky without his Russianness. And Bartók could never have been Bartók without being Hungarian. This strain was especially true of music written in the late 19th century, when a sense of nationalism – usually in a relatively benign form – became increasingly crucial to many composers' concepts of their own identity. The inflections of Polish, as much as Polish folk music, as Rattle noted, helps to give Szymanowski's works their particularly plangent, pungeant quality – listen for the flow of the stresses and crunchy consonants during tonight's performance. And it could be that because of the language, Szymanowski would have "sounded" Polish whether he liked it or not.
Szymanowski's attitude towards Polishness in music was anything but nationalistic in the usual sense. He went to study in Warsaw, but found the general approach provincial: he preferred to follow the latest developments in western European music, especially German music. In 1905, when he was about 32, he joined a group of young Polish composers who sought to rise above any obvious folk element and wished to take the notion of a national music onto a higher plane.
So it wasn't national dances that were the prime influence from this idealised Poland, but more the world of aestheticism, religion or spirituality, and nature, and the interrelation of them as they crystallised in Szymanowski's inner world. Describing his First Violin Concerto, he once said: "Our national music is not the stiffened ghost of the polonaise or mazurka … It is rather the solitary, joyful, carefree song of the nightingale in a fragrant May night in Poland." It's clear that this has little to do with reality – it's all about dreams, images, abstractions, even escapism, a train of thought that puts Szymanowski virtually in the line of the Symbolist movement, like Debussy.
Perhaps it's ironic that much later in Szymanowski's life he turned to extremely real Polish folk music to reinvigorate and reinvent his creativity after the traumas – political, personal and emotional – that beset him around 1918. In 1924 he became enchanted by the folk music of the Tatra mountains. He settled in Zakopane – it is now a famous resort, popular with keen hikers, and his house is now a museum. He chose the resort for its good air, because the one all too real thing that he had in common with Chopin was tuberculosis. But there was more to keep him in the mountains; he described the revelation of this indigenous Polish music as "the discovery of one's own jewels". The music of the Tatras is irresistibly rhythmic, intricate, filled with discord and astringency – he termed this 'Polish barbarism'. Yet even towards the end of his life, interviewed in 1936, Szymanowski responded to a question about this by saying: "Folklore is only significant for me as a fertilising agent. My aim is the creation of a Polish style in which there is not one jot of folklore."
His Op.50 consists of 20 superb and rather difficult mazurkas for piano. I still remember with absolute horror the time I was faced with one of them as a sight-reading test at university. The harmonic language is so rich and subtle that it is very hard to predict what the next chord should sound like if you've never heard it before. It's that very richness, though, the extreme headiness of his personal language, that seems to get us hooked on him.
Here is an extract from no.2, played by Arthur Rubinstein.
Also in Zakopane, the area's early church music began to make a profound impression on Szymanowski. This is reflected strongly in the Stabat Mater – its incantatory lines and primal types of rhythmic progression all suggest that it plucks at heartstrings that are very deep-rooted and very ancient. I'd contend that this gives Szymanowski a special place in the evolution of the music of today, and perhaps helps to account for his increasing recognition just at the moment. This Orthodox Church influence is something that he shares with more recent composers who are sometimes termed "Holy minimalist" – that label is admittedly not always a good representation of their work, and certainly Szymanowski himself is not remotely minimal. But we could consider Arvo Pärt, from Estonia, the late Henryk Gorecki, who was Polish too, and the British composer John Tavener on whom the influence of these eastern and exotic ancient sounds has been considerable. If you've enjoyed Tavener works such as The Protecting Veil - a magnificent cello concerto - the chances are that you will also get along well with the sound of Szymanowski. That brings Szymanowski closer to home than ever before.
So, what sort of person was Szymanowski and what impressions and influences spurred him on his personal journey? One musician who knew him well and championed his music was the great pianist Arthur Rubinstein. One night Rubinstein, aged about 17 and spending the summer in Zakopane, was startled by what he thought was an intruder in the garden. It turned out to be a medical student named Bronislaw Gromadzki, who just wanted to listen to him practising the piano. The two became friends and Gromadzki, a keen amateur violinist, asked if he could introduce the young pianist to his school friend Karol Szymanowski, whom he described as a composer of genius. Here's how Rubinstein described the incident in his autobiography:
"Having had quite a few disappointments with so-called geniuses, I nodded patronisingly and said "I am working now, on some very serious works, but come tomorrow and let us see some of your friend's little pieces."
"It is difficult to describe my amazement after playing only a few bars of a prelude. This music had been written by a master! We read feverishly all the manuscripts, becoming more and more enthusiastic and excited, as we knew we were discovering a great Polish composer! His style owed much to Chopin, his form had something of Scriabin, but there was already the stamp of a powerful, original personality to be felt in the line of his melody and in his daring and original modulations."
Rubinstein wrote to Szymanowski to tell him what a great impression his music had made, and the young composer wrote back, saying he would soon be arriving in Zakopane. Rubinstein and his friends went to the station to meet him:
"We awaited the arrival of the train with great excitement. Then there he was: a tall, slender young man. He looked older than his 21 years, dressed all in black, still in mourning for his father, wearing a bowler hat and gloves – appearing more like a diplomat than a musician. But his beautiful, large, grey-blue eyes had a sad, intelligent and most sensitive expression. He walked towards us with a slight limp, greeted his friend cordially but without effusion and accepted our warm welcome with a polite but aloof smile."
It took Rubinstein a little while to get Szymanowski to open up, but once he did, in a more private setting, the two became fast friends.
They could scarcely have been more different. Rubinstein had a fun-loving, earthy, sensual nature which enabled him to get along with anyone and everyone. Szymanowski, by contrast, was a gay Catholic, a combination which perhaps contributed to the fact that he possessed a relatively tortured soul. He was deeply sensitive and intuitive, and had constantly the feeling of being an outsider. He didn't conform. So, for all his love of Polish culture, Polish culture and its officers did not always love him back. Later, as head of the Warsaw Conservatory from 1927 he struggled to introduce the idealistic reforms he sought, in the face of the traditional, conservative attitudes that got there first. He resigned after just five years.
He was a real Renaissance man, enormously cultured and with a profoundly enquiring mind that gave him a great appetite for travel, philosophy, writing about music, engaging with leading writers. His spheres of musical knowledge and the cocktail of influences he could draw upon was suitably broad as well – Debussy is very much there, Scriabin too, and later Stravinsky. And don't forget Wagner. No composer of that era could forget him and Szymanowski was no exception. When Rubinstein met him he had just been to Bayreuth and heard Tristan und Isolde – a rite of passage for many composers. But his early passion for Wagner, and for Richard Strauss, was soon supplanted by the atmospheres he absorbed from travelling in Italy, Greece and North Africa, which represented a sort of liberation which is generally thought to have been sexual as well as cultural.
The First World War years at first brought him a positive form of isolation: Szymanowski had a bad knee, which meant that he was not conscripted, and he was able to spend several years on the family estate devoting himself to composition. It was then that he created some of his most enduring works, among them the Mythes, the First Violin concerto and the Third Symphony, as well as the Songs of an Infatuated Muezzin, the very title of which should be some indication of the degree to which the composer was in love with the orient and its sensual impressions. Then, after the Russian Revolution of 1917, Tymoszowka was ransacked in the family's absence, the house was destroyed and the composer's grand piano met a watery death in the lake.
Depressed and traumatised, Szymanowski found escapism in a different kind of creativity. He wrote a novel. A homosexual novel, for that matter. It was apparently inspired at least in part by his relationship with the librettist of his opera Krol Roger (King Roger): this was his cousin and a well-known poet, Jaroslaw Iwaskiewicz, who himself wrote a number of poems about the pair's travels together. They both evinced a deep passion for Mediterranean lands and were well versed in the region's history. The degree to which Szymanowski's musical sensibilities were affected by his homosexuality is a topic that merits probably more discussion than we have time for, but I'd like to offer that thought for those of you who are intrigued by it to take away and investigate further.
Much of the novel's manuscript was destroyed by fire in 1939. But the opera, which is usually considered Szymanowski's greatest work, has lived to convey a powerful legacy. It began to take shape in 1918 and was eventually premiered in 1926, the year in which he also wrote the Stabat Mater.
Szymanowski's quest for self-knowledge, plus his obsessions with the orient, folk music and spirituality, were very much of their time, and indeed represent a link, if an indirect one, with an important strand of philosophy that ran through much music of the 1920s and before. Gustav Holst, whose music we also hear tonight, was one of many creative artists who involved themselves with Theosophy – a movement that claimed to be a sort of pan-theological short-cut to the spiritual heart shared by most world religions, by-passing the superficial trappings of religious tradition but also extending towards spiritualism, the occult and so on.
Were they around today, this would be regarded as rather New Age, but in the first decades of the 20th century it was an influential force embraced by such figures as the poets Rabindranath Tagore and WB Yeats, besides composers such as the flamboyant Russian Scriabin, the rather quiet and modest Holst, and John Foulds, who was born in Manchester but eventually emigrated to India. Szymanowski's own passions do not seem to have extended to theosophy, but I suspect that those who followed it could well have argued that they shared basic roots with the spiritual journey depicted in King Roger.
The opera is set in 12th-century Sicily – not far from the Fountain of Arethusa – and concerns the conflict in the king's soul between duty and sensuality: a shepherd initiates him into Dionysian mysteries, gradually leading him towards greater self acceptance. In the end the King is able to embrace the full richness and complexity of life, as represented by Apollo.
The music is strongly influenced on one hand by Debussy and on the other even more by Stravinsky. Certain phrases and effects seem to have stepped straight out of The Firebird. And yet you never feel that Szymanowski is lifting things gratuitously from other composers; rather, these feel like conscious references with which he is building up his own distinctive world which can't be divided from everything he has found on his travels, be they physical or spiritual . Here is Queen Roxanna's song:
Tuberculosis eventually killed Szymanowski at the age of 54, well before his time. But perhaps he was ahead of his time. His time may be now. And today we can appreciate his art as part of a full and varied tapestry of music from the past century that goes much deeper and much wider than perhaps was initially realised. He once wrote: "I should like our young generation of Polish musicians to understand how our present anaemic musical condition could be infused with new life by the riches hidden in the Polish 'barbarism' which I have at last 'uncovered' and made my own'. And that did happen to some degree. Witold Lutoslawski and Roman Maciejewski were two composers who did just that early in their careers; and tangentially a tribute to Szymanowski lives on in the form of the composer Andrzej Panufnik's daughter, Roxanna, now a prominent composer herself, named after King Roger's queen.
There has never been such a rich musical century as the 20th, with such an array of different styles and approaches and philosophies, and it is wonderful to find long-underrated or misunderstood composers, such as Szymanowski, finally finding the audience they deserve. Perhaps Szymanowski himself is the shepherd who can lead us to embrace the full richness and complexity of musical life.
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I'm a stickler for accuracy, and the bar in ANH had no stools!!
KAY-BEE STANDARD RESPONSE: "All we have is 1990's 'Robocop' toys."WHICH MEANS: "Holy ******* ****, please shoot m
Nice! But I'd still like to see the rest of that catalog if possible. We still don't have a complete numbering scheme of figures 1 - 30, with something of a gap in the teens.
C-3PO comes with a Salacious Crumb. Hopefully he comes with a chewed out eye.
And hopefully they use the Endor Deity 3PO as a base.
The more I think about it the more I want a new Gamorean Guard.When was the last time he was released?
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Mary Veres Iacofano, age 93, passed on January 21, 2013 at Akron General Hospital. She had been living for the past six years in the home of her granddaughter, Kristine Moore, in Rootstown.
Mary was born in Cleveland August 9, 1919 to Rebecca (Hegedus) and Stephen Veres. She was a graduate of the Huron Road Hospital School of Nursing and was employed by University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Division as a Registered Nurse. She served there for 29 years, caring for premature babies.
Mary and Arthur, her husband of 57 years, were longtime residents of South Euclid and St. Margaret Mary Parish. They enjoyed evening walks, classical music, and Arthur's Violin Concerts on Sundays with the Beachwood Symphony Orchestra. Mom enjoyed languages, travel, gardening, opera, cooking and baking. Her homemade pasta family dinners were legendary. Later, she enjoyed working puzzles and watching old movies that she loved from her younger years. Mom also enjoyed being a member of St. Margaret Mary Friendship club.
Mary is survived by her children, Dennis (Judy), Nancy (John) Benedict, and Daniel (Susan) of Berkeley, CA; five grandchildren, Scott, Andrew and John Benedict, Kristine Iacofano Moore and Jeffrey Iacofano; and 12 great-grandchildren, Lindsey, Sarah, Ellie, Jack and Lucy Benedict, Jacob, Gregory, Abigail and Katelyn Moore, and Emily, Megan and Brendan Iacofano.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur; and sister, Elizabeth Lippay.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Church, 2643 Waterloo Rd., Mogadore, OH 44260. Visitation will precede the Mass from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Burial will follow in Lake View Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest memorial contributions to St. Joseph Church.
Arrangements by Schulte & Mahon-Murphy Funeral Home, Lyndhurst.
Please sign Guest Book at:
(Schulte & Mahon-Murphy Funeral Home, 440-442-0000, RC 1-24-13)


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Last night, as I tried to make an unprotected left turn against 3 lanes of cars I thought to myself "This just proves that I am not a vehicle". I have neither the power nor the safety features to compete on a level with the cars.
This morning that was brought home again to me, in a scary way.
I live on a one-way 1.5 lane urban street (enough room to double-park, but not really two lanes). My husband and I rode to the red light and stopped, as is the law. There was a car behind us who wanted to make a right on red. Being reasonable people we moved to the left, me more than he, and the car turned right.
The light then changed. I proceeded into the intersection, crossing it somewhat diagonally to make my way over to the right-hand side of the street. While I was in the intersection a BMW SUV going about 45 miles per hour swerves and honks and nearly clips me. She was insistent on her "right" to go about 2X the speed limit down this tiny one-way residential street. Thank God I wasn't turning left, I would be dead.
Naturally we caught her at the first red light. I was able to see into the car and saw she was looking over her new parking ticket. I imagine that played into her algorithm of aggression towards me.
I told her "You need to chill out". She told me to get out of the road. I started to get really angry at this point and told her it was the law that I ride in the road. She said I had to be at the side of the road. In retrospect I could have tried to explain what had happened with the other car, but really - is there anything I can do in the road that merits that kind of aggression? She just kept repeating that she had a car and all I have is a bike. This is the exact same statement another man used for acting in the same way towards my husband a while ago.
With people like that in cars I know we will never be equals. There is evasive action I must take as a cyclist in order to stay safe.
Later this morning I was stopped at a red light. There were at least 10 cars stopped with me. I looked ahead and there was a Construction Zone sign taking up the bike lane. I knew that I would have to move left into the car's lane in order to get past it. I looked both ways and ran the red light, getting beyond the sign and back in the bike lane before the cars caught up, making the whole thing less confusing and thus safer for everyone. This is a violation of the "Same Road, Same Rights, Same Rules" idea, but for the better.
There were some cops directing traffic outside my office this morning. I was shaken up enough to stop and run all these experiences past them.
- With respect to running the red light (I confessed!!!) they said that what I did this morning was reasonable and courteous, despite the tickets given in Cambridge to cyclists running reds.
- In the situation with the lady in the SUV, they said that I should just get the plate number. I can submit it to the RMV and get a hearing. They will listen to both of us and possibly take disciplinary action. I asked if it would help create a history of aggressive behavior, should she do worse next time and he said it would. I think it is worth getting the license plate next time, just in case.


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Select one of the links above to learn more about NSF's certification and why it's important for home water treatment systems.


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When TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey recently asked her former personal chef what he wanted for his 50th birthday, Art Smith's first thought was a new treadmill.
Aim higher, she told him.
How about a check to help fund the sort of healthy eating programs for children another of his high profile clients, first lady Michelle Obama, recently called for?
On Monday, during a party hosted by celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, Smith says he'll formally announce the $250,000 donation from Winfrey to his Common Threads nonprofit.
"We're going to educate a lot of children about taking care of themselves," Smith said during an interview late Friday at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
"I'd like to take this money to create healthy programs for children that mirror the first lady's program," said Smith, who recently lost 90 pounds (40 kilograms) thanks to his own healthy eating reforms.
Earlier this month, Michelle Obama announced her "Let's Move" campaign, an effort to teach children healthier eating habits and to get better foods into school lunch programs.
Smith's program runs more than 20 afterschool programs around the country. The programs teach children how to cook healthy, ethnically diverse foods.
"What an amazing birthday present that I can share with so many friends," Smith said.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Glam Slam: Michelle Obama's Fashion Fit for A Queen
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Sue Monk Kidd
The Secret Life of Bees
Sue Monk Kidd
The Secret Life of Bees
Release Date: 1/28/2003
LIST PRICE: $17.00 (you save $2.01)
Sue Monk Kidd's first novel The Secret Life of Bees, a heartwarming coming of age tale set in 1960s South Carolina, a New York Times bestseller for more than 125 weeks, and a Good Morning America "Read This" Book Club pick
Fans of The Help will love Sue Monk Kidd's Southern coming of age tale. The Secret Life of Bees was a New York Times bestseller for more than 125 weeks, a Good Morning America "Read This" Book Club pick and was made into an award-winning film starring Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees will appeal to fans of Kathryn Stockett's The Helpand Beth Hoffman's Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, and tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed.
When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's most vicious racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love—a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.
""A moving first novel...Lily is an authentic and winning character and her story is compellingly told. The bees presage her journey toward self-acceptance, faith and freedom that is at the heart of this novel."" —USA Today
""Inspiring. Sue Monk Kidd is a direct literary descendant of Carson McCullers."" —The Baltimore Sun
""Fully imagined...the core of this story is Lily's search for a mother, and she finds one in a place she never expected."" —The New York Times Book Review
""This is the story of a young girl's journey toward healing, and of the intrinsic sacredness of living in the world. Simply wonderful."" —Anne Rivers Siddons
""""The stunning metaphors and realistic characters are so poignant they will bring tears to your eyes."" —Library Journal
""Kidd has written a triumphant coming-of-age novel that speaks to the universal need for love"" —New Orleans Times-Picayune
""The chapters...dance on the edges of 'Magical Realism,' that blend of the fabulous and the ordinary that can invest a tale with a sense of wonderment, as is the case here."" —Richmond Times-Dispatch
""I am amazed that this moving, original, and accomplished book is a first novel. It is wonderfully written, powerful, poignant, and humorous, and deliciously eccentric. Do read it."" —Joanna Trollope
""A wonderful novel about mothers and daughters and the transcendent power of love."" —Connie May Fowler
""A truly original Southern voice."" —Anita Shreve
""It's as if Kidd loaded up a take-home plate with treats, and you said 'Oh, I couldn't,' and then scarfed it down in the car on the way home."" —Entertainment Weekly
""The tale of one motherless daughter's discovery of what family really means—and of the strange and wondrous places we love."" —The Washington Post


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"Dirt Envy . . . "
|from Southern Accents.
As a big city dweller, there are many things that I enjoy about my life. I can usually see all the new art films as soon as they are released. (btw, go - and I mean go NOW - to see Jane Eyre. Seriously good.) I can get chinese food delivered in less than 30 minutes with a phone call to the place around the corner. And San Francisco boasts more than two competitive fencing clubs within its city limits. Now, I've not darken the door of any of them in over three years - but I very easily could.
But, that's not my present obsession. It's Spring. And I wanna get my hands dirty. Like my days as a child in Mississippi - playing in the yard. Helping to plant the garden. Tromping adventurously through the acres of forests behind our house looking for dogwood trees beginning to bloom. All the while, trying to avoid walking through the spiderwebs that were billowing between the trees.
And here within the citified boundaries of my current existence, no such experiences seem to present themselves. There's no rough hewn shed awaiting me - with seed packets. With masses of terracotta pots . Or a collection of barely matched mucking boots. I miss the sight of my own footprints in the early morning dew. The feel of peat moss. The threatening sounds of bees getting closer.
Perhaps, I've watched a bit too much of The Fabulous Beekman Boys over the weekend. Or maybe I should attack the two tiny window boxes outside the citied kitchen window and try to create some magic this weekend.


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There is more to modern-day school lunch than the soggy chicken fingers and extra-boiled green beans past students may remember.
There is more to modern-day school lunch than the soggy chicken fingers and extra-boiled green beans past students may remember.
Proof was on display yesterday in a cooking classroom at Framingham State College, where school food service workers sifted, mixed and baked with instruction from some of the culinary world's top talent.
The school cooks - including nine from Ashland - worked alongside Rudolph Speckamp, a certified master chef from the Culinary Institute of America, and David Bruno, an instructor from the same school.
The upstate New York institute is one of the top cooking schools in the country.
The goal is to teach school cooks how to prepare healthy meals that meet evolving nutrition guidelines, while also making sure food is tasty despite reducing salt, fat and sugar, Speckamp said.
``It has to be attractive to the young people so that they're going to eat it,'' said Speckamp, one of only 62 chefs in the U.S. to hold his prestigious master chef title. ``They can follow the recipe, but if the food doesn't taste good, even the best recipe won't help.''
Jackie Richwein, a food service manager at Ashland Middle School, said she felt lucky to attend the workshop as she mashed bananas for a recipe. Ashland got a state grant that allowed so many cooks from the town to attend.
``Basically we're trying to find healthier ways, healthier alternatives to make meals while still meeting all of our requirements,'' she said. ``It just makes you want to do better with your job and the kids.''
The expert chefs came to Framingham through a partnership between the John C. Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition at the college and the Mississippi-based National Food Service Management Institute.
Both groups educate food service professionals on child nutrition.
With a grant from the state Department of Education, they organized four workshops for school cooks, said Theresa Stretch, a food and nutrition specialist with the federally funded Food Service Management Institute. The first workshop was earlier this month.
The sessions drew school food service workers from Groton, Swansea and Billerica, Shrewsbury, Worcester and South Easton.
School chefs return to work with a better understanding of which foods they should be provide students - especially plenty of fruit and veggies - and the nutrition science behind federal and state requirements, Stretch said.
``It takes a lot of skills and knowledge for those individuals that are serving that food to children,'' said Pat Luoto, director of the Stalker Institute at the college.
In the past 10 years, school lunch requirements have evolved to focus much more on nutrition, Luoto said. Schools also are serving meals to more students with special needs and food allergies, Stretch said.
As Bruno and Speckamp led a demonstration on how to bake rich-looking muffins and biscuits, Stretch said all the recipes used in the program are researched, approved and provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
``You may see a certain food and say, `My God, should we be serving that?''' Stretch said. ``In reality, they have been designed to reduce the sodium, fat and sugar content.''
The group focused on baking yesterday, from sweet potato plum squares to blueberry muffins. Speckamp and Bruno demonstrated how to get muffins to round nicely on top instead of rising into less appetizing peaks.
``You dress it up, it makes it a little more appetizing,'' Speckamp said. ``It appeals to all the five senses. First we look at food, we see, then we smell, then we taste.''
Three-day program also covered entrees that fit within a school budgets - plenty of chicken dishes and a new spin on meatloaf, Speckamp said.
Though the cooks were using government recipes, knowing the right cooking techniques goes a long way, Speckamp said.
``Cooking is a little bit like music,'' he said. ``When Liberace plays the piano and I read a sheet of music, it doesn't come out the same.''
- MetroWest (Mass.) Daily News


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Before Sam Worthington travels back to Pandora or Ancient Greece, he's to the 1960s on the hunt for a Nazi responsible for a litany of atrocities.
"Here's a movie where it's not necessarily about Holocaust and Nazi hunters," Worthington tells PopcornBiz of the new film "The Debt" from director John Madden ("Shakespeare In Love") in which he, Jessica Chastain and Martin Csokas pursue a possible Third Reich butcher, leading to their present-day selves dealing with the mission's fallout. "It's actually about harboring a secret for so long that you know is wrong and the ripple effect it has not only on you, but everyone close to you in the long term."
"It's made me question everything," he admits of the effect the film's story had on him. "I used to hold a lot in, especially with loved ones. Now I'm pretty damn honest, whether it hurts them or not. I'd rather it hurt them straight up, rather than 30 years down the track, because then it can actually kill them."
U.S. & World
After turns in two hit 3D films in the science fiction and fantasy genres – "Avatar" and "Clash of the Titans" – Worthington says he doesn't have a preference between acting in imaginative epics or stories deeply rooted in reality. "Each job you have has it's own challenges," the actor says. "I think that's one of the great things about my job, is that each one is a different journey."
Worthington's as eager as the audience to hear when writer/director James Cameron is ready to pull the trigger on starting a sequel to "Avatar." "I talked to him on my birthday," he says. "He's told me where he wants to take 'Avatar 2' and '3.' It's monumental – It's just huge! You would expect nothing less. He's not going to start it until he knows he's a hundred percent. They're already setting up shop in Manhattan Beach, and when he says, "Jump," I jump!"
"I'll do 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 with Jim," he adds. "I love working with him. He raises the bar and gives you the courage to jump over it. He keeps pushing in life. He hasn't just changed my life career-wise – he's changed my life as a man. He makes you stronger in a sense of being more focus and committed. If I'm doing this job, I've got to challenge myself more. Don't listen to anybody else. Don't listen to any media or bloggers. Just listen to yourself. Push yourself, or else there is no point in me doing this. If I don't believe I am growing, if I believe I'm just coasting, then I got to get of the train. I've got to keep growing, keep going. It's a long marathon."
The latest leg of Worthington's marathon is a return to the character of Perseus for the "Clash of the Titans" sequel. Despite the remake's critical drubbing, he wasn't surprised to be called back for a second film "because it made a sh*tload of money – a lot of people went and saw it. We've just got to make [the sequel] right. I just finished that. I loved that experience. 'Clash 2' is so different. It was a different experience for me because I had learned a lot in 'Clash 1' and I learned a lot from different movies. I can't wait for it to come out. [Director] Jonathan Liebesman –I'm working with him for the rest of my life. I love him."


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North Korea's vast Ryugyong Hotel not opening yet after all
This was going to be the year.
The year that the infamous North Korean "hotel of doom" would finally open, allowing the world's more adventurous tourists to gawk at whatever ridiculous or bewildering or extravagant interior North Korea dreamed up for the colossal glass-plated money drain that has stood empty on the Pyongyang skyline for nearly three decades.
The year that the hotel would start becoming a "money-printing machine," as Kempinski Hotels group CEO Reto Wittwer predicted at a Seoul business forum in 2012, when it was announced the company would be managing the 105-story property.
But despite speculation that swept through the travel world about an official opening as early as this summer, it looks like Pyongyang's 330-meter Ryugyong Hotel will keep its Guinness World Record as the tallest unoccupied building. At least for a while.
Kempinksi's entry 'not currently possible'
Following recent tensions with North Korea, the Geneva-based Kempinski Hotels chain issued a statement earlier this month distancing itself from the project.
"Kempinski confirms that KEY International, its joint venture partner in China with Beijing Tourism Group (BTG), had initial discussions to operate a hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, however no agreement has been signed since market entry is not currently possible," reads a statement Kempinski provided to CNN via email.
When asked about possible future entry, a Kempinski representative said, "you just never know what might happen in the future."
Also on CNN: Gallery - The unseen face of Pyongyang
Reporting from the inside
The projected 2013 launch seems to have been optimistic in the first place.
Despite its flashy exterior, the hotel's interior showed no sign of being close to completion in December, according to Simon Parry, a Hong Kong-based freelance journalist who took an unauthorized look inside the hotel last year.
After entering North Korea as a tourist on a four-day trip from China, Parry lied to his North Korean minder that he was going for an early morning jog, ran straight to the Ryugyong Hotel and made it into the lobby.
He looked around and took pictures before being spotted by a North Korean soldier.
"When I stepped through scaffolding into the lobby and looked inside, there were no completed surfaces, just bare concrete and one electric light hanging down," Parry told CNN.
A few days prior to his secret visit, Parry's tour group had seen lines of soldiers with shovels marching in and out of the hotel complex.
"From what I saw of the inside, it's a concrete shell," said the journalist, who added that his hotel foray was a "foolish thing to do."
Fortunately, no one pursued Parry as he made his way back to his hotel. When he returned to his tour group, he was reported to the tour guide who demanded to see his camera but didn't follow through with any punishment.
Despite the unfinished interior, Parry describes the hotel as "fantastic from the outside -- it's dazzling, coated in expensive glass tiles."
The juxtaposition of the spaceship-like building with its humble surroundings is dramatic, he adds.
"In the morning and evening the effect of the sun's reflection blazing down over the rest of the city is extraordinary," said Parry.
Delayed for decades
The North Koreans started erecting the 330-meter Ryugyong Hotel, the tallest hotel at the time, in 1987, with the opening scheduled for 1989. It's estimated to have so far cost $750 million, or 2% of the nation's GDP.
But the 1989 completion was delayed, reportedly due to construction method and material problems, and then delayed again in 1992 because of funding issues.
The project ground to a halt completely in 1993.
Construction re-commenced in 2008 when Egyptian telecommunications company Orascom shelled out $180 million to complete the building's glass façade.
The investment was reported to be part of a $400 million mobile phone license that the company won from the North Korean government in 2008.
Also on CNN: The happiest place in North Korea


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A Matter of Time
Giovanna d'Arco al Rogo
The Visit
Rage in Heaven
A Walk in the Spring Rain
Viaggio in Italia
Saratoga Trunk
The Yellow Rolls-Royce
Arch of Triumph
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It's been quite a while since the site had a contest, so thanks to Virtu Art Gallery and their kind donation, the Creep Machine has a limited edition "Yuuwaku" print from Audrey Kawasaki to give to one lucky reader. This print was from the last batch of "timed" print releases that Audrey had back in January. The print is 16″ x 20.5″ on 100% cotton archival fine art paper, signed and numbered in an edition of 1350. This is also the image that will be seen on the latest Hi Fructose Collected Edition Book.
So what do you have to do to win? Simple, just comment below with a number between 1 and 1350. In two weeks on July 10th the person with the closest number wins (in the case of multiple, same number entries, Random.org will decide) . How easy is that for such a beautiful print? Make sure to enter your e-mail address when you leave a comment. One entry per person, multiple entries will be deleted, and good luck!
NOTE: Please refrain from entering web site addresses, some entries are being caught by the spam filter because of it.


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ImageMagick Overview • Download ImageMagick • Install ImageMagick • Command-line Tools • Program Interfaces • Image Formats • Getting Help • Support ImageMagick • Miscellaneous Topics
Use this ImageMagick sitemap to quickly jump to one of the areas of interest listed below. If you can't find what you want on this page, try our site search.
ImageMagick Overview
Download ImageMagick
Install ImageMagick
You can install ImageMagick from source. However, if you don't have a proper development environment or if you're anxious to get started, download a ready-to-run Unix or Windows executable.
Command-line Tools
Program Interfaces
Image Formats
Getting Help
Support ImageMagick
Miscellaneous Topics
ImageMagick Next Generation
We have a next generation release of ImageMagick, version 7, at https://imagemagick.org


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Courtesy of Intermountain Medical Imaging, Boise,
Figure 1 shows a normal gallbladder on ultrasound. Figure 2 shows a
large gallstone in the gallbladder.
Last Revised:
July 15, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Arvydas D. Vanagunas, MD - Gastroenterology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


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Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Art versus Craft: What it Means for Little People
The thing is, though, that the projects are always very step-by-step, very procedural, and I'm very...not. I'm highly opposed to giving a child supplies and then telling her what to do with them, or showing her a finished project and instructing her how to do the same thing.
I'm all for establishment, such as "Let's listen to this Bob Marley CD and color how it makes us feel," or parameter-setting, such as "I want you to paint this picture frame for Uncle Chad," or even instruction, such as "Here's how to hold my expensive Micron pen. Don't push down too hard or you'll break it." And some stuff, such as my Jacquard fabric paints, is supervised VERY carefully when in use. But on the whole, I think that children's creativity is vastly more powerful than adult creativity, and I am strongly opposed to an unnecessary top-down, adult-controlled hindrance on that creativity.
In other words, unless it's absolutely necessary, don't tell a kid what to do.
The problem, however, is that Willow and Sydney LOVE these step-by-step craft projects. They always have. When each was under three years old I tried to shield her as much as possible from even knowing what the craft project was "supposed" to be--the resemblance of their paper plate "clocks" to the other children's paper plate clocks resided solely in their both being done on paper plates--but as they've grown more aware of the world around them and more adept at using the daily craft supplies of paper, glue, and scissors, they've come to adore this time. Witness:
They're making snowmen, of course, out of construction paper, paint stirrers, cotton balls, sticker dots, pom poms, markers, and glue sticks. I don't even know where to start.
It's been hard for me to even so much as resign myself to this kid's craft schlock, and I still don't enjoy it, but I do see how it holds value for the girls. Will, who has always been so much inside of herself, has always loved taking her completed project over to show Ms. Janet, who clearly loves each and every little child's project and enjoys discussing them in detail with each child. Sydney, who at times can barely settle herself long enough to eat a piece of toast, and who will fly off the handle if her sister bumps her arm in passing, will happily focus like nobody's business on any kind of project.
So it's interaction with a nurturing adult who is not their mother, and instruction following is important for developing logical ordering in thought and action, and...um?
And at least I don't have to worry that they will focus too much on making their projects look like the example:
Paint stirrers--who knew?
2 comments:
I'm with you on letting children explore art to their heart's content, supervising only when the tools are dangerous, such as hot glue or exacto blades; or if the materials used are of the permanent nature. As the semi-responsible adult in charge you just can't let young children run amuck with Jaquard paint, sharpies or india ink!
You are spot on in that there is a time and place for more directed activities. Kids love order and rules. No, really. They do. Regular meals, bedtimes and step by step instructions. Following directions helps to develop logical thinking skills - very important should said child discover someday that they love love love math and want to study it in college. Finally, you have to consider the social aspect of organized crafting. It's important in kid world to learn how to work together, to be a part of the team. Primative bonding and friendship building - complete with spiffy snowmen-on-a-stick.
- February 24, 2010 at 9:39 AM
- cake said...
i think you are smart to focus on what else they might be getting from those sorts of activities, other than expressing their creativity (they clearly get plenty of opportunities for that at home). ordering, logical thinking skills, socializing...
not wanting your child to do certain types of crafts, because of their structure, can turn into another kind of rigidity. you have the good sense to know when to back off.
- February 24, 2010 at 11:33 AM


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Media accreditation application period will start November 19th. National media officers will inform their local media about the accreditation process in a due time. Criteria for Media AccreditationThe application information for media accreditation will be distributed by he respective national ice hockey association to the following type of media only: (The media types are listed in order of priority)
1. National News Agencies (Example: Reuters, AP, CP, DPA, Itar-TASS, FNB, TT, STT)2. National daily newspapers (Example: Die Welt, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Globe & Mail)3. Major regional daily newspapers (Example: Göteborgs-Posten, Basler Zeitung, The Toronto Star, Turun Sanomat) 4. Major daily sport papers (Example: Sport-Express, Russia, La Gazzeta dello Sport)5. Major sport or hockey weeklies (L' Equipe, Sports-Illustrated, The Hockey News)6. Major weekly magazine (Example: Der Spiegel, Newsweek)7. Major sport or hockey websites (Example: ESPN.com, TSN.ca)Note: No requests from applicants who write for websites which do not regularly cover sports or hockey will be approved. Please check out the AIPS criteria for online media. 8. Other magazines (economic, lifestyle, fashion). Only time-limited accreditations. In general, one credential per media outlet will be approved. For national news agencies, national daily newspapers the general limit will be three and for major regional newspapers and major daily sport papers the general limit will be two accreditations. Considerations will be given to special requests.
Also special considerations will be given to media of the hosting country and to regional media from the hosting cities (In 2013, Helsinki & Stockholm and vicinity).
NOTE: Reporters and photographers from major international news agencies go on a special IIHF quota and not on any national quota. (Example: AP, Reuters, AFP).Free-lance Journalists Since it is very difficult to control the validity of the increasing number of applications from free-lance journalists, the following rules will apply:Further to the accreditation application, a free-lance journalist must submit the following documents to the responsible person at the national association:1. Copy of a valid press card from a relevant press association (AIPS, national press association, national sports press association).2. List of media outlets that the free-lancer will provide with stories, reports.3. Written confirmation from the editor of the media outlet that has assigned the free-lancer to the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.In general, no application requests will be approved to free-lance journalists from the organizing country. There will be no accreditation requests approved on site in Stockholm or Helsinki.
Contact Information2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship / Media Department (Stockholm)email@example.com GängerMedia Coordinator email@example.com+46 (0) 72 53 79 805Niclas LidströmCommunication email@example.com+46 (0) 70 81 00 666IIHF Media Department Adam Steiss Communications Manager email@example.com + 41 44 562 22 61


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It has been some considerable time since I last wrote about this issue, but it keeps coming up again and again every time I teach a class about blogging, or using Google, or sharing family trees online or any other related subject. News stories with devastating examples of "Identity Theft" make people, especially older people less experienced with computers, paranoid that someone is going to steal their bank account if they sign up for email.
The first rule to observe in any kind of threat news is to see who is saying that there is a problem. It is interesting that nearly all of the online information about the so-called "Identity Theft" comes from companies who are trying to sell some sort of security program. You get the same type of scare tactics from home security systems, insurance salesmen, and many other sales types. So is there a real identity theft problem?
The main challenge of coming to grips with the world of identity theft is that there is no clear definition of exactly what they are all talking about. From all the news stories and even genealogy blogger posts, you would think that everyone knew exactly what they were talking about. But if you go to the U.S. government statistics, you will soon find that the definition used in government reporting includes, at
least, three broad areas. Here is the definition from the Bureau of Justice Statistics:
For the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the definition of identity theft includes three general types of incidents:The last definition concerning the misuse of personal information is the one most worrisome to individuals, especially older individuals. But any statistics showing millions of victims a year quoted by security companies, conveniently or intentionally omits any distinction. Notice that the definition of identity theft includes "attempted use of existing credit cards." This means any time anyone tries to use a credit card improperly, this is reported as identity theft. Including this type of vague activity as the basis for reporting criminal activity renders the whole category of identity theft entirely meaningless.
- unauthorized use or attempted use of existing credit cards
- unauthorized use or attempted use of other existing accounts, such as checking accounts
Reports examining identity theft victimization at the person level uses data from an identity theft supplment to the NCVS. The supplement collects data from all NCVS respondent age 16 or older about experiences with identity theft. Reports examining identity theft victimization at the household level, use data from the core NCVS, in which the head of the household reports on the experiences with identity theft of all household members age 12 or older.
- misuse of personal information to obtain new accounts or loans, or to commit other crimes.
Next, if you go to the Bureau of Justice Statistics website, you will immediately see that the incidence of identity theft is based entirely on the National Crime Victimization Survey. In other words, the numbers are not based on criminal arrests or convictions but on asking people if they think they have been victimized. If you dig deep enough, you will find that losing your credit card makes you a victim of identity theft.
By the way, people don't want to listen to me tell them these facts. When I try to explain why there is an overblown fear of identity theft, I have no audience.
Here is a summary of the statistics from the Bureau of Justice Statistics:
Presents data on the nature of and trends in identity theft victimization among U.S. households from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The NCVS defines identity theft as the misuse or attempted misuse of an existing credit card or another existing account or the misuse of personal information to open a new account or for other fraudulent purposes. Findings are based on experiences of all household members age 12 or older as reported by the head of household. The data brief examines changes in the percentage of households experiencing identity theft from 2005 to 2010. It describes differences in the types of identity theft experienced by households in 2010 compared to 2005, as well as changes in the demographic characteristics of victimized households. The brief also presents estimates on the monetary losses attributed to household victims of identity theft.
Highlights:Look at these numbers carefully. Obviously, the Bureau of Justice does not distinguish between the misuse or the attempted misuse of a credit card. Also, note that this does not distinguish attempted use by family members. So, if your child tries to use your credit card, you are the victim of identity theft. Not if they succeed in using your credit card, but only if they try to use it.
- In 2010, 7.0% of households in the United States, or about 8.6 million households, had at least one member age 12 or older who experienced one or more types of identity theft victimization.
- Among households in which at least one member experienced one or more types of identity theft, 64.1% experienced the misuse or attempted misuse of an existing credit card account in 2010.
- From 2005 to 2010, the percentage of all households with one or more type of identity theft that suffered no direct financial loss increased from 18.5% to 23.7%.
Notice there is no mention of online or computers anywhere in this report. Also note that a percentage of the entire population of the United States for a whole year is always a large number. Note also that financial loss is falling not rising. Have you ever seen a news report stating that losses from identity theft are falling dramatically? Neither have I.
Now, don't misunderstand me. People should be worried about their credit cards. But when was the last time you went to a restaurant and gave your credit card to a server for payment. What did he or she do with the card? Do you know? If you want to get paranoid about identity theft, you need to be aware of where and when it is happening. It is not type of crime the news stories and those selling products would like you to believe.
OK so prove me wrong. Let's look at the United State Attorneys' Annual Statistical Report for 2010. Guess what, identity theft is not identified as a separate category. So where do you go to find out how many identity theft crimes were committed in the U.S? It turns out to be a slippery and difficult question to answer. I turn to the U.S. Census Bureau and their 2012 Statistical Abstract. The latest statistics are from 2009, almost four years ago. Guess what? Identity theft is not listed as a category in the general statistics. But there is a separate report for "Fraud and Identity Theft -- Consumer Complaints by State."
Look at this report. It is not based on criminal prosecutions, but on unverified reports from consumers. The latest year reported in 2010. The total number of identity theft reports in the U.S. for 2010 was 250,854 or 81.2 per 100,000 population. This compares to a violent crime rate of 429.4 per 100,000 population. Motor vehicle theft is at 258.8 per 100,000 of the population.
Why then is identity theft such a hugely touted concern in the U.S? That is a really good question. But look again at the definition of identity theft being used by the U.S. Government before you cite any statistics.


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If Wrath of a Titans was a horror movie instead of a gods-and-monsters B-movie, then it might have had a fighting chance at living up to this insane concept art by the Aaron Sims Company. Sims also brought us those disturbingly real-looking Green Lantern aliens, and now there are some horrific cyclopses and minotaurs to add to your store of disturbing fantasy imagery.
If the actual movie had looked like this, it might have been one of the year's most memorable films. Instead of, you know... whatever it actually was. Here are some of our favorites from Sims' newly published gallery:
G/O Media may get a commission
Check out more at the link. [Aaron Sims Company via Comic Book Movie]


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We are an alliance of ten leading healthcare and research organisations dedicated to bringing the global knowledge of genomics to benefit the individual care of Victorians.
Genomics has huge potential to improve healthcare. Looking at the genome can help diagnose illness more quickly and accurately, and help doctors understand what treatment or medical management may be most effective.
We are assessing genomics in practice, building the knowledge of health professionals, establishing the best systems, harnessing the latest research, and ensuring appropriate access to genomic information.
Find out why people have DNA sequencing and what the results have been.


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Home > Clothing & Accessories > Women > Accessories > Hats > Red Polyester Pleated Turban Head Wrap Headwrap Cap Twist Hat
Product Details
- Pre-tied, pleated turban headwrap
- Slips right on up, and super comfortable
- Great for hair loss due to age, alopecia, chemo therapy
- Also use for fashionable headwear
- Hat Circumference: Approx. 23 inch / 58 cm( unstretched )
- Hat Depth: Approx. 6 inch / 15 cm( unstretched )
- Stretchy to fit most
- Material: Polyester
- Color: Red
Package Includes:
- 1 x Turban hat
Keywords: Turban hat, hat, head wrap hat, pleated hat
Note: Please be reminded that due to lighting effects and monitor's brightness/contrast settings etc, the color tone of the website's photo and the actual item could be slightly different.
Related Tags


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MedSource Appearance award; Medicare meeting; Fairfield Bridge scores
MedSource improvements awarded
Members of the Kinston Appearance Commission have awarded the May 2013 Visual Improvement Award to MedSource Pharmacy, 505 W. Vernon Ave.
A brief ceremony acknowledging the award � recognizing its attractive landscaping � was held April 30.
MedSource owner Dalton Ange and employees gathered for the event, including Justin Ange, Lindsey Taylor, Vicky Daniels, Stephanie Barnett, Eric Steele, Dalton Ange, Leigh Turner, Susie Barbara Rose and Pat Jenkins.
Medicare redesigns notices
The Medicare Summary Notice, the statement that informs Medicare beneficiaries about their claims for Medicare services and benefits, has a new design.
The MSN generally sets out what Medicare has or hasn�t covered, provides information about a beneficiary�s payment responsibilities, and lays out the process for initiating an administrative appeal when a beneficiary questions a denial of coverage.
New features on the revised MSN include a clear notice on how to check the form for important facts and potential fraud; an easy-to-understand snapshot of the beneficiary�s deductible status; a list of providers they saw, and whether their claims for Medicare services were approved; clearer language, including consumer-friendly descriptions for medical procedures; definitions of all terms used in the form; larger fonts throughout to make it easier to read; and information on preventive services available to Medicare beneficiaries.
Volunteers with Lenoir County Seniors� Health Insurance Information Program and the Senior Medicare Patrol will hold an informational clinic � �Medicare Summary Notices: Are Those Charges Really Mine?� � from 1 to 2 p.m. Friday at the Skinner Center, 112 E. Blount St.
For more information, call Trudy Pickett � Family and Consumer Education agent, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension � at 252-527-2191.
Bridge club names winners
The Fairfield Duplicate Bridge Club played a regular game May 14.
The winners were: Joe Goldwasser and Lamar Finch, first; Sarah Mullikin and Frances Jilcott, second; Pinkey Harper and Geneva Hood, third; and Dayle Pond and Edith Cahn, fourth.
A regular game will be played at 9:50 a.m. Tuesday at Fairfield Center. The club welcomes and encourages all bridge players.
For more club information, call 252-523-6791.


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This Sunday, May 13, we will be hosting a free public debate event on theodicy. Defending Christianity will be Dr Phil Smith, head of the philosophy department at George Fox University. Representing secularism and science will be Secular Humanist Minister Bernie Dehler and Freethikners of PSU co-president Ben Crockett.
When: May 13, 2012, 3:00-5:00 PM
Where: SMSU 238 (1825 SW Broadway)


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I am completely jealous that Micaël Reynaud still has all the toys he grew up with. Seriously! Watch this video and see the typical 80s baby toy lineup: Transformers, Hot Wheels, Gobots, LEGO and more. It seamlessly morphs from one toy to another.
I think it's more surprising that Reynaud still has these toys (who gets to keep their toys?) than him putting in the work to individually film these toys. Either way, it's an awesome video that just time travelled me back to being a child where all I cared about were firetrucks and police car vans. [Micaël Reynaud]


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Welcome back hope you had time to join our last challenge! Again we had some wonderful creations thanks so much for taking the time to join our challenge it means so much to us!
Now it is time for our newest challenge which is a photo inspiration. Don't forget the photo serves as a a prompt to get your creative juices flowing. Your project need not be an exact copy of the picture below but can be anything that comes to mind when you see the picture!
The rules are simple: Create a photo inspired project and post a link to it on Bugaboo Stamps challenge blog, Catch the Bug, by 12/15 at 6:00 AM EST to be entered a random drawing for three digi prize packs –ten (10) (using Bugaboo only) seven (7) or four (4), using any image!
New projects only no backlinking please!
Now check out the team's inspiration!
Stephanie Landon featuring AKV Reindeer - Reindeer Front and AKV Reindeer - Reindeer Back
Billie A featuring Little Penguin Winter - winter bench
Melissa Sackman featuring Winter Birds-Scarf
Joy Stagg featuring Knobby Knees - Christmas Stars
Cheryl First featuring Winter Birds - Scarf
Sandye Curry using a merged image of Groom 5 and Bride 3
Amy Ely - featuring Comfy chair


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Mine Kafon is a wind-powered, low-cost landmine destroying device designed by Afghan designer Massoud Hassani that can roll over the surface of a minefield like a tumbleweed to detonate hidden explosives. Equipped with 70 bamboo sticks and rubber legs, Hassani's device only costs $40 and can sustain up to four explosions, which is far more cost-efficient than the conventional method of mine-removing that can cost over $1,000 per pop.
Shut Up and Take My Money of the Day is a feature series dedicated to highlighting the latest innovations and visions in the world of consumer product design and gadgetry.