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Joan Crawford
March 23, 1904 - May 10, 1977
"I have always known what I wanted, and that is beauty... in every form."
Miss J as in Joan, Joan Crawford was a legend, and her attitude and temper were legendary. Joan was a great movie star, and did some pretty spectacular things: Mildred Pierce being the best, and my personal favorite, Trog, and an appearance on Night Gallery, (Steven Spielbergs first professional directing job). Remember she played the horrid blind woman, who purchased Tom Bosleys eyes (he had gambling debts), so she could see for a few hours? As soon as she ripped off the bandages, there was a blackout in New York, and she flipped and went out the window of her high rise! Fantastic!
Joan was obsessively polite, particularly with note writing. She would write a thank you note to thank someone for a thank you note. Heres one, donated by my buddy Roger Sinclair. Thanks Roger.
A long time ago, someone sent me examples of Joan's signature from a check that was being sold on Ebay. I say thank you to that mystery donor, as I have misplaced your original email. Here is the check and signature.
Unfortunately for Joan, her reputation as an actress is completely overshadowed now by the image of her being a complete monster of a mother, mostly brought on by her adopted daughter Christina's book, Mommie Dearest. When the abuse allegedly went on, Joan was living in Brentwood, on Bristol Avenue. Their house was located at 426. Im not absolutely positive about this, but I do think that this was the front door she stood at, upon hearing the news about winning her Oscar for Mildred Pierce. I also heard a rumor that in recent years, Jim Carrey was living in the house. It is only a stones throw from the Rockingham home of you-know-who.
May 2004 - I drove past Joan's old house, and saw that major renovations were going on. The front of the house is being torn up as I looked thru the gate. But the mailbox (undoubtedly unoriginal) was still there. Shame, but I managed to scam a brick. :)
Joan moved to New York when she married the Pepsi guy Alfred Steele, in 1955. Al died in 1959. She stayed on with Pepsi as a spokesperson, until they decided to "retire" her some years later.
Towards the end of her life, she became a Christian Scientist. She was not keen on medical treatment. She was getting older, and the acting parts she wanted were no longer being offered to her. One of her last public appearances was at a party for Rosalind Russell, in 1974. She became a recluse. Joan got cancer. The details are almost non existent. I do know that just before she died, she gave her precious Shih Tzu away, because she could no longer care for it.
I know that when she died, she lived in an apartment located at 150 E. 69th Street. (thanks Mark Langlois) Findadeath.com friend Marta Dawes sent some lovely pictures that she found of Joans home. Check out the sassy living room. And then there is the very cool dining room. Of course, what house is complete without the huge self-portrait?
According to Christina Crawford, the death went like this:
On the morning of Tuesday May 10, 1977 Joan was at the end. Two women (probably fans) were looking her after. They werent nurses. She had been bedridden for months. One of the women arrived at 8am, to take over watching Joan. When the woman realized that Joan was dying, she began praying softly, then a bit louder. Joan heard the words, and said, "Dammit, dont you dare ask God to help me." She died shortly after that.
Other reports state that Joan was about to have her usual tea and graham crackers morning meal, when she passed away. Another theory is that she knew it was coming, and asked that her lawyer be informed.
A lot of people wondered why an autopsy was not performed, causing the medical examiner to issue a statement saying, "I didnt think the circumstances called for one. There was nothing in my evaluation to lead me to suspect in any way I do know the location of the body, in her own bed, and she appeared to be well looked after. There was no disarray or disorder. The replies to all the questions I asked made me feel the cause of death was natural."
I don't know this to be fact, but I would like to think that this is Joan's death bed.
The official cause of death is cancer (pancreas) and acute coronary occlusion. She was 71 to 73 years old. I wish I had her death certificate, but the jerks in New York dont let the public have access to them. Does anyone know anybody who can help?
Her funeral was on Friday the 13th, at the Frank Campbell Funeral Home (They put the "fun" in Funeral!). I didnt know this, but Joan was embalmed and then cremated. The urn was on a pedestal in the chapel, and a Christian Scientist practitioner read the service, which consisted of Bible readings, and some passages by Mary Baker Eddy. Myrna Loy, Van Johnson, and Andy Warhol attended it. Afterwards, they put Joans urn in with her last husbands, at Ferncliff Cemetery. Appreciation to Casey Lalonde for hoofing it to Grandmother's house, for this terrific picture.
The next Tuesday, there was a public memorial service thrown by Pepsi, at the All Souls Unitarian Church, located at 1157 Lexington Avenue, in New York (Thanks Beca). Along with Joans children, those attending included Anita Loos, Geraldine Brooks, Cliff Robertson and Pearl Bailey (who sang.).
Here is the program for the service, thanks to bq.
On June 24th, there was a bigger memorial service in Los Angeles. It was held at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. John Wayne, Robert Young, George Cukor, Myrna Loy, and Stephen Spielberg attended.
January 1, 2012
This is an interview I did with Casey LaLonde - Joan's grandson. I met casey in May of 2004 and we have become friends. Casey was kind enough to give me an hour of his time, so I could quiz him on all things Crawford.
In May of 2004, I had the opportunity to meet and become friends with Casey LaLonde, grandson of Joan Crawford. He was visiting Hollywood, and just happened to take my tour when I was still doing tours of the living people's homes. Casey is a terrific guy, and anxious to clear up mistruths about his grandmother. He made himself available for questions, and has been generous with his responses. The following comes directly from Casey:
I will not speak on how Joan "acquired" Christina and Christopher, but my mother (Cathy) and (Cindy) were legally adopted in Tennessee. Through research, my mother and Aunt Cindy actually found their birth parents in Tennessee. We first visited the birth family in 1989. They were in fact fraternal twins, and their mother died several days after giving birth. We met their birth father in 1989 and he passed away in the mid-1990's. Christina has made many claims against these facts and she is wrong. I will forward you some information on this topic.
As for Uncle Christopher, I can't even recall the last time I saw him in person. I am thirty two, so I must have been five or so. My most embarrassing experience concerning Christopher was in 1987 (high school), when his family appeared on a talk show, making a public plea to their father to contact them. Christopher had abandoned the family. As for Christopher, from what I understand, he has always had some type of dependency problem. His family mentioned it during their television appearance. I did some research a few years ago, and found a New York Times article stating that authorities had labeled Christopher a "delinquent" after shooting out some street lights on Long Island in 1958.
I had not seen my Aunt Christina since about the same time. My mother (Cathy) refused to have any contact with her following the publication of Mommie Dearest. I do not blame my mother. The book is filled with Christina's lies and mangled childhood perceptions. My mother had such wonderful memories of Joan that she couldn't reconcile Christina's hate.
I do not know precisely what I would do if I encountered Christina. She single handedly ruined my grandmother's reputation. Joan's successful transition from silent to sound movies, many decades of reinventing herself for new audiences, and winning an Oscar for Mildred Pierce were all scuttled for a time because of a child's faulty memories.
Here are two links regarding the "adoption" issue.
Let me be honest with you. Due to the destruction Aunt Christina did to my grandmother's reputation, I have been hiding my connection to her for years. Only close friends and family know my grandmother's identity.
Casey was in town visiting his Aunt Betty, who was Joan's personal assistant for decades. I asked if Betty was the inspiration for the Carol Ann character in Mommie Dearest
I asked Betty many questions about herself including how she came to work for my grandmother. Betty stated that she worked as one of five personal secretaries to Howard Hughes at RKO for several years. However, Hughes wanted to move to Vegas, so Betty and one other secretary stayed behind in Hollywood. She then went to work for Joan in 1955 and was her personal secretary until Joan's death in 1977.
As for the Carol Ann character in Mommie Dearest, I suggest it is a stand-in for Aunt Betty. The filmmakers were good about eliminating real people from the film who wanted nothing to do with the project. I suspect the producers were afraid of libel suits from those still living. Due to complete frustration with my Aunt Christina, I have never taken the time to read Mommie Dearest. I doubt I will ever find the time. My visit with Betty Barker this May helped me become proud again of grandmother's contributions and star power she brought to Hollywood. There has been so much negativity over the years, that it is time for a new era of appreciation for Joan Crawford.
As we lived north of Allentown, PA since 1972, visiting NYC was a snap and we did it often. Occasionally, my mom and dad would go out to lunch or dinner and Joan would
baby-sit me and my sister. She would never leave her apartment, especially near the end of her life. As you can imagine, my grandmother didn't like "grandma" or
"grammy" or even "grandmother." She preferred to be called JoJo. So that's what we called her until she passed away.
My biggest regret in my life is not knowing her more. I was too young to fully realize her greatness as a star and the contributions she made to Hollywood. At my young age, she was just JoJo, my grandmother.
What do you remember of her New York home?
I was five when she passed away, but I vividly remember her apartment. I recall climbing up onto the window ledges (sealed windows, of course) and looking down on the city. Cool as you can imagine! I remember her famous plastic slip covered furniture too.
Betty confirmed that she died from cancer. She wouldn't elaborate, except to say she was sick for a long time and did not seek medical help. She was a Christian Scientist, and I believe she just accepted her own mortality.
Thank you Casey.
Everyone knows that Joan cut Christina and Christopher out of her will, "For reasons which are well known to them." According to Casey and others, Joan knew about the tell all book Christina was writing, and that would be the "reasons." They contested the will, and got a settlement for $55,000. Christina penned the book, Mommie Dearest, in 1978. It was eventually made into a film starring Faye Dunaway, who deserved an Oscar for the performance of her life.
Joans other adopted children came out publicly and said that Christina was full of shit. Still, what a great story. I remember when Christina was doing the talk show circuit back then. Some woman in the audience stood up and said (basically), "Ive been a fan of Joan Crawfords for years, and I do not believe her being capable of such evil things, blah blah blah blah." Christinas reply was, "Lady, I was there." Christinas brother Christopher says of his sister, "Tina cared about that bitch. She still does."
Also in 1978 there was an auction in New York, of Joans personal belongings. Hats, sheets, pillowcases etc, were all sold. Andy Warhol bought Joans false eyelashes and some costume jewelry. The auction raised $43,000. Sad, because today she would fetch so much more.
Trivia: Joan was born Lucille Le Sueur. MGM bosses decided her name sounded too much like "sewer," so they had a nationwide contest to rename her. They said she hated the name "Crawford" because it sounded like "crawfish". A woman from Albany, New York won $500 for renaming her Joan Crawford a much nicer sounding name.
More: Joan was quite outspoken about her dislike of Marilyn Monroe. Upon hearing the news of Marilyns death, Joan was quite upset. She was having dinner at George Cukors house, when he called her on it. "What is this? You never liked Marilyn." Joan answered, "Yes, youre right. She was cheap, and an exhibitionist. She was never professional, and that irritated the hell out of people. But, for Gods sake, she needed help. She had all these people on her payroll. Where they hell were they when she needed them? Why in the hell did she have to die alone?"
In November of 1998 the book Mommie Dearest was being re-released. Christina hired a drag queen that looked like her mother to accompany her to the book signing. Funny, huh? And I don't mean funny ha ha.
Findadeath.com friend Robert Rechter writes: the 'drag queen' performing as Joan Crawford at the launch of new version of 'Mommie Dearest' book is actually the incredible Lypsinka, best known for her legendary stage shows where she lip-syncs the voices of great Hollywood actresses in rapid succession like gunfire. She appeared in the film 'Wigstock' and has been a Thierry Mugler model, appearing in the George Michael clip 'Too Funky'. She is an extremely gifted performer who never stops working. For a photo of her as Joan Crawford go to www.lypsinka.com Click onto 'My favorite things', at the bottom of 'The Valley of the Dolls' article click 'Joan Crawford'. She is pictured as Joan with Christina Crawford who asked her to recreate and lip-synch the famous L.P 'Joan Crawford Live at Town Hall', for her new version of 'Mommie Dearest' book launch.
Findadeath.com friend Heather Anne (what is your damage?) sends this info on Christina:
The name and address of her B&B in Idaho is:
Seven Springs Farm Bed and Breakfast and Bistro
Sanders Road, 2 Miles East of Highway 95
Tensed, Idaho 83870 (208) 274 2470
Another tidbit from People magazine in an interview with Christina Crawford regarding the twins Joan adopted. "For one thing, they were never twins. They were raised as twins, she called them twins. Her career needed a boost, and one child alone wasn't going to get her the publicity she wanted, so she got two girls who both had brown hair and brown eyes. That was the extent of their "twin-ness."
Wanna see her footprints at the Chinese Theatre?
This was sent in by Findadeath.com friend Gregory in Montreal: Joan's last phone # was: 734-6969. Joan's own autograph book sold at NYC auction at Plaza Galleries in Feb 1978 for only $2,800. Imagine today!
Findadeath.com friend Dominic Druce sends this information:
Christmas 1976 - a friend noticed how thin she was. "I'm getting down to picture weight, darling." He thought she was disintegrating.
A Christmas card she sent in 76 said, "I am so at peace with the world, that I'm even having good thoughts about Bette Davis."
January 1977 - Mamie Van Doren says she had the room next door to Joan at the Ambassador East, in Chicago. Joan seldom left, but paced around at night watching television.
Joan's secretary states that Joan did not leave New York in 1977.
Not being able to pick up the dog was the clincher as far as its fate was concerned.
Late March 1977 - Joan made a point of not watching the AFI tribute to Bette Davis.
May 1977 - Joan's weight dropped to 90 pounds.
Tuesday May 10th (at odds with Christina's account, she made breakfast for her housekeeper and fan, went to the bedroom while they ate, and died.
New York secretary Florence Walsh, "She died of a heart attack."
Los Angeles secretary Betty Barker, "It was cancer."
The two are not mutually exclusive. She could have had a heart attack while dying of cancer. Also, if you weigh less than 90 pounds and can't pick up a small dog, can you make breakfast for two?
Debbie Reynolds and others thought it was suicide. Others say it wasn't her style.
Thanks for the thought food, Dominic.
Findadeath friend Mike Pare:
Christina gave all the settlement $ to Christopher. Christina was originally named Joan, and the first child adopted was a boy that she changed her mind about a few weeks later and returned. Barbara Parkins did the same thing.....Christina recently said on Larry King that she is convinced & has some speculative evidence & other proof that her mother actually killed Al Steele, her final hubby....
All of Crawford's marriages lasted 4 yrs. each, her feud with Davis was 2 fold, one 'cuz she caught Bette giving Franchot Tone head in a trailer on set, & then 'cuz Bette refused Crawfords advances...
I believe she didn't so much actively kill herself as just allowed it, funny it was virtually the wedding anniversary of her & Al.
This is Scott speaking: The photograph
at the top of this page (Note the Pepsi in the bucket) comes from Mike Pare, a long term friend of
Findadeath.com who
has recently passed away. Mike sent me a box of photographs, and from time to
time I'll be adding them to stories to keep the memory going. Thank you Mike.
Findadeath.com friend Justin Speliotis sends us this: Just wanted to shed some light on the fact that the '70's rock great Blue Oyster Cult recorded a song called "Joan Crawford". The lyrics go something like "Joan Crawford has risen from the graaaaave...". Near the end you can hear Joan calling for Christina..."Christina Mommie wants you." Great cheesy stuff worth checking out.
Now we all can click here to hear a few seconds of the song, in MP3 format.
January 2004, Findadeath.com friend Duncan sends us this: Scott, I just wanted to point out that although Joan's best known work may indeed be 'Mildred Pierce' (for which she won an Oscar, by the way), this was quickly followed not by 'Trog,' but by a couple of films some consider to be equally if not more outstanding than 'Mildred Pierce' itself. I'm talking of course about the noir gems 'Humoresque' (1946) and 'Possessed' (1947), the former probably being the most sophisticated and tragic love story ever filmed, and let's not forget her great swan song 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?' (1962), the mother of all psychological thrillers and quite possibly the masterpiece of its genre. In it she shared the screen with that other Hollywood icon you may have heard of, Bette Davis. simply having those 'two old broads' in the same picture makes that film an instant Hollywood 'classic' as it was their only acting outing together. So if you're going to boil down Joan's career (the longest in Hollywood by some estimations) to only two films, I think you're best served by going with 'Mildred Pierce' and 'Baby Jane.' Also, someone else pointed out that Joan hated her mom and brother. Well, that much is true. However, her loathing of her mother and brother were well justified, as both of them were two of the most despicably abusive white trash one could ever hope to run into. Her brother Hal died of syphilis in the 60s, I believe, so that should give you some idea of what a piece of trash he was. I don't think Joan attended his funeral services and I don't blame her one bit.
Here is a picture of Joan and Bette, when rehearsals began for Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, their follow up to Baby Jane, that was never happened.
This just in, November 2004, from Findadeath
friend Chris:
Since today is the anniversary of the whacking of John Kennedy, I thought it would be fitting to send you this bit of trivia: Guess who was in Dallas that day? Yes, none other than Joan Crawford! She was at a Pepsi Cola board meeting in that town.(as you know she was a stock holder) Guess who else was there at that board meeting? Richard Milhous Nixon! Yes, Tricky Dick Nixon.
I have even heard rumors that the President's father was in Dallas that day as well, however, details are sketchy.
Thanks, Chris!
Look for Joan art here


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Project Based Learning
We believe that working with our hands and caring for living animals and plants instills important lessons in children and teens. Avonlea students participate as poultry farmers and caretakers of our school garden.Read More
Multi-Age Classrooms
By providing a mixed age classroom, our children can learn at their own pace in their own style, as well as through group guided participation, where they learn by observing modeled behavior and techniques.Read More
Nature Conection
Our gardens, our chickens, and the beautiful land our school rests upon all contribute to our sense of place and give us numerous opportunities to practice land-based skills. Nature is one of our favorite classrooms!Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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Tigerair selected Pratt & Whitney's PurePower PW1100G-JM engines for 37 firm A320neo aircraft. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in 2018. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
"Pratt & Whitney is delighted to introduce the PurePower engine family in Singapore, a very important region for the company," said Dave Brantner, president, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines. "We are also confident that we will enter into service with an engine that meets or exceeds the fuel burn specifications as promised which will provide superior environmental and economic performance."
Mr. Koay Peng Yen, Group CEO of Tigerair said, "These PurePower engines promise greater fuel efficiency for our aircraft, thereby delivering larger cost savings for the airline. We can in turn pass these savings on to Tigerair's customers, so they enjoy even greater value when they fly with us."
Tigerair, established in 2004, is a leading Singapore-based no-frills airline that offers affordable travel options and a seamless customer experience. Tigerair comprises three airlines, namely Tigerair Singapore, Tigerair Mandala and Tigerair Australia. Collectively, the group's network extends to over 50 destinations across 14 countries in Asia Pacific. As of March 20, 2014, Tigerair operates a fleet of 48 Airbus A320-family aircraft, averaging less than three years of age.
Source: Pratt & Whitney, A United Technologies Company (NYSE:UTX)
Date: Mar 24, 2014


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If you do not see it just ask, because we just might have it and not had time to get it on the site yet!
"Live to Ride, Ride to Live....KEEP THE RUBBER SIDE DOWN, but be safe!"
This website is run by BIKERS, for BIKERS!
You can also find us on Facebook at D's Hawg Shack, we have a Business & Profile pages for events, etc!
Dallas & DallasGal


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We have princesses on the brain here big time! Last week my little princess got a princess makeover. Well this week she got to attend a princess tea party! In addition to the tea party, they played lots of fun princess games. I am going to share some about the tea party AND give you lots of ideas if you are planning to throw a princess party.
1. Pin the Tiara on the Princess. This one is pretty self explanatory. Print out a photo of a tiara, blindfold the girls, and see if they can get the tiara on the princess' head. For the princess, we used a personal outfit assistant by Girls Looking Cute.
|Photo by: Shooting Stars Photography
This would be really fun to do at a party. If you don't want to teach a song, you could do some princess karaoke or a little dance party to get some energy out. You can find the music to "Every Girl Can Be a Princess" HERE. I also looked up some princess karaoke cd's for you too. That link is HERE.
Before I get to the craft, I will have to tell you a little more about the tea party. The girls learned about good manners, how to set the table, and how to curtsy.
|Curtsy lessons
|Setting the Table
Each girl also got a chance to get her picture will all of the princesses. They were in heaven. Here is my princess in the middle of all the 'big' princesses.
If you live in Arizona, I can not stress enough how much fun this was. There is one more event coming up on April 28. It is a Daddy/Daugher & Mother/Son ball. You can get more info and tickets here: http://girlslookingcute.com/store/act-tickets/
Okay now for a fun little princess craft/party favor. It is a very simple princess wand, with a giant pixie stick for the wand! My daughter came home from preschool with this, and she has been carrying it around non stop since then.
- Giant Pixy Sticks (You can buy them HERE)
- Curled Ribbon
- Foam or scrapbook paper stars
- Stapler
Simply staple the star and curled ribbon to the top of the giant pixy stick. You can keep it simple or fancy it up a bit and let your party guests decorate their wands.
You can check with your local candy shop to see if they carry the Giant Pixy Stixs, or you can buy them on Amazon for less than a dollar a piece.
Phew! I think we did it all. Three princess party activities and a craft/party favor. Thanks for reading!


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January 18, 2016—Los Angeles, CA
There is no better way to celebrate Boarding for Breast Cancer's (B4BC's) 20th Anniversary than with a fundraiser featuring the 20 Most Iconic Snowboarding Images of All Time, and an opportunity to own a piece of history. Trevor Graves, founder of NEMO Design and celebrated snowboard photographer, and Kathleen Gasperini, co-founder and Executive Director of B4BC and pioneer of snowboarding journalism, have teamed-up once again to create a unique photo and art exhibition in honor of snowboarding and B4BC's 20th Anniversary.
The X Games Aspen 2016 will be the first stop of this 3-stop Photo and Art Exhibition tour throughout 2016, starting with a live online auction that is open for bidding now and running through the kick-off evening bash in the exclusive X Games Athlete Lounge at Buttermilk Mountain on January 27, 2016, ending at midnight. (You do not have to be present at X Games to participate. Pre-bidding starts http://b4bcxgames.auction-bid.org and will also be live online throughout the X Games.)
"I'm incredibly stoked that the X Games thought our Photo and Art Exhibition was a good idea, and wanted to host this event in Aspen and make us a co-beneficiary of their opening night party," says Gasperini. "I spoke with Trevor who I've worked with before back when we were at Snowboarder Magazine, to see if he could help us with this fundraiser, and it's turned into an exciting exhibition. His idea of curating the 20 most iconic snowboarding images of all time, and then letting people know the stories around the images, will really put this exhibition on the global map."
Given the epic amount of snowboard photos that have been published over the years, there are some that have risen to the top to be considered truly iconic and inspiring. These tell some of the best stories about the incredibly talented, rebellious, and spirited nature of snowboarding, and those who captured its global growth that has forever changed the world of sports and photography.
B4BC was borne from this tribe and continues to celebrate the spirit from where it all began. The combo is a potent reminder of what can happen at the right time in the right place for the right reasons: the stoke of snow and making something different happen.
An online auction will give people around the world the opportunity to bid on the iconic global images, all in support of a good cause. This means the opportunity of owning a piece of snowboarding history, like the classic Ingamar shot at Riksgransen or the Terry Kidwell rocker air from Tahoe.
Epic photos and stories are guaranteed as seen here:
Photographer: Adam Moran
Snowboarder: Kevin Pearce
Location: Aspen, CO, 2008
"I have such fond memories of that one and drawing it out on a napkin where to set up flashes and telling KP to just slash since we were on a deadline for an ad. Then, ironically, I was told the next day it was 'too set up,' and they didn't want to use it. And we only had four chances to try I think before we were thrown out of the pipe too! But it all worked out in the end." — Adam Moran
Photographer: Trevor Graves
Snowboarder: Dave Downing – The Wire Walker
Location: Las Lenas, Argentina, 2000
"I got some angry calls on this one from my pier group. They thought this shot was Photoshop-ped. No Photoshop required. It was created with old fashion elbow grease.
Dave, Mark Egge, and myself saw this shot and worked all day on digging the perfect in-run to the cable. The secret recipe was that this lift was closed due to an avalanche that had taken down the lift tower. The cable fell down and stretched across the top of a knoll on the ski slope. There was a decent landing about 20 feet down the cable. We pushed snow for what felt like about 6 hours to get the incline of the in-run to meet with the cable at a very slight pitch. This low angle was required because when Dave would "hop" onto the cable it would flex and bounce him off. It was very important to Dave to make sure that he could actually and officially jib this cable or the still shot would be bogus and un-useable. We used a 14mm lens, Fuji Velvia film, f5.6 at 1000.
Dave actually slide the cable perfectly a total of about 4 times. I am literally just standing with my head next to the cable to get this shot. In the meantime the other 20 Burton riders were sessioning a 20-foot table top, seen in the lower right of the frame. They were done for the day by the time we were able to get this image." — Trevor Graves
Photographer: Jeff Curtes
Snowboarder: Ingemer Backman Air
Location: Riksgransen, Sweden, 1996
"I love how photography be a catalyst for curiosity, and an archive for the unexpected defining moments of life, or a sport in this case. This shot of Ingemar Backman's legendary 1996 backside air taken just down the tracks from Riksgransen, Sweden, in 1996 embodies that better than just about any of my snowboarding photos taken over the past 20 years, now compiled in Ammo's new release Chasing Epic.
Riksgransen was definitely a hotspot in the mid-90's, long days, nearly endless light, and perfect trannies scattered throughout the backcountry made it a perfect Spring fling go-to for international shredders. I was there on a shoot with the Airwalk team and near the end of our shooting day in the backcountry on snowmobiles, we had heard about a small local contest happening a short walk down the train tracks west of the resort. Curious to see what the scene was, camera in hand, I approached just as Ingemar was strapping in. Friends told me to hurry-up, pull out my camera, as this was gonna be IT. With no time to consider an angle other than from where I was standing, and my film counter on 32, Ingo dropped in and I pushed the button. BOOM! History made, and without a doubt one of the most defining moments in freestyle snowboarding's now extensive history of 'epic moments.' Unplanned, unposed, unexpected. I love that. That's why I keep chasing." — Jeff Curtes
For the X Games Aspen Opening Night Bash, a limited number of tickets are available for $150, for this unique experience at https://xgamesaspen.frontgatetickets.com/event/o8goarykv92fsjkv
Stay tuned for more from B4BC's 20th Anniversary plans, which will include the return of the B4BC Snowboard + Music Festival, at Sierra-at-Tahoe on April 2-3, 2016; 2nd Exhibition: April 2, 2016; B4BC's Snowboard + Music Festival, Sierra-at-Tahoe, CA; and 3rd Exhibition: October 2016; BeCore, downtown Los Angeles, CA. www.b4bc.org
About B4BC:
Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation that advocates early detection and a healthy, active and sustainable lifestyle as the best means for breast cancer prevention. Founded in 1996, B4BC empowers young people to make positive choices that promote lifelong wellness through outreach, prevention, sustainability, and support programs.
The inspiration for B4BC was a young woman named Monica Steward, who started her battle with breast cancer at the age of 26 and passed two years later of complications that arose from delayed diagnosis. B4BC's founders – Lisa Hudson, Kathleen Gasperini, Dawn Kish, and pro-snowboarders Tina Basich and Shannon Dunn – hoped to honor their friend Moni by creating an event that centered around their passions of snowboarding and music while communicating the urgent importance of awareness and education.
In 1996, the first ever B4BC Snowboard + Music Festival was born with tremendous support from the action sports industry. Sadly, Monica passed away right before the event but her spirit shined on that day in a celebration of life and love. The Festival drew internationally-acclaimed acts, including the Beastie Boys, Blink 182, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Moby, Less than Jake, Luscious Jackson, Ozomatli, and more.
With the success of these events, B4BC decided to take its show on the road, literally, and launched B4BC board-a-thons in 1998 as a platform to advocate healthy, active lifestyles while building communities and benefiting local organizations. Shortly thereafter, the B4BC traveling educational outreach experience began touring nationwide to school campuses, local communities and youth lifestyle events like the Vans Warped Tour, X Games, U.S. Open of Surfing and Snowboarding, the Dew Tour, and more. These programs continue to this day as B4BC moves into its 20th Anniversary. To learn more, visit B4BC.org.
About NEMO Design:
Nemo Design was founded in 1999 with the vision to build an agency that didn't rely on any one person's name on the sign, but instead on the power of collective progression. Nemo comes from the Latin word for "no one" and we champion the idea rather than the individual.
Our inclusive attitude has taken us from the three original founders to a Portland-based office of 39 full time employees. We're a cornucopia of ultra-relay runners, expert brisket makers, skateboarders, cyclists, gearheads, and artists.
The principals are Trevor Graves, CEO and renowned snowboard photography pioneer; Jeff Bartel, executive art director and one of the originators of board sports graphic design; and Mark Lewman, executive creative director with a lifelong list of cultural contributions from Grand Royal magazine to MTV's Jackass and ESPN's 30 for 30.


text: Share on Facebook Follow on Facebook Add to Google+ Connect on Linked in Subscribe by Email Print This Post Bowhunting.net 2009 Antelope Day 2 – A Fence Postless Stalk By Robert Hoague Aug 17, 2009 – 6:48:10 AM One thing about antelope hunting is it's not absolutely essential to go out early and be at your hunting area before sunrise. Antelope move during the day and aren't usually out for an hour or two after full daylight. So I took advantage of that this morning and updated the web site. Bruce Ryan came in mid morning and we drove to the area where Jay Liechty had put the fence post stalk on a buck yesterday. This is the first week of the antelope season so there hasn't been any previous hunting pressure and when the antelope see a truck on a ranch road they are curious but not spooky about it. We topped the hill overlooking the yesterday's stalk area and sure enough, there was a buck leisurely browsing around about 300 yards away. I glassed the area and noticed that the 2 track road we were on took a left turn and got about 100 yards from the buck. So we drove very slowly, took the left turn and eventually we were alongside the buck. Bruce put the range finder on him and whispered 96 yards. The buck browsed along slowly and glanced at us occasionally. We drove slowly and stayed with him. The buck changed his walking angle and got closer to the road … and us. Bruce read out the rangefinder settings as the yardage decreased. It was obvious now that the buck intended to cross the road ahead of us. I slid the truck door open and left it open, eased out and walked alongside the slow moving pickup. When the buck got to the road he stopped and watched our pickup. I heard Bruce whisper, "54 yards". I drew and held at full draw. A strong gust of blew my cap off. It jammed in between my face and bowstring and I had to let down. I could have re-drawn and shot but didn't. It was like mother nature had spoken and told me not to take the shot. The pronghorn meandered off, still unspooked. We watched him awhile and drove back to hunt headquarters. Glen Halter waits in his blind for antelope to come to the water hole. Steve Bishop was now ready to make the long jaunt to pick up three of the antelope hunters so I went along with him. Mike had seen antelope all day long and several groups came to drink at his water hole. Five were big bucks but Mike didn't get a shot. Glen Halter also saw lots of antelope and had some bucks come in. He had some cow visitors too, at the same time the bucks came in and Glen couldn't get a clear shot at a buck. We drove to Gary Sefton's blind and he saw antelope also but none came close enough for a shot. Loading up antelope hunters after the hunt. The stalkers, Matt Bateman and Justin Lowry were into antelope all day and stalked several bucks but came up empty handed today. Bruce Ryan snuck up on a buck in his hay field of round bales but didn't get him. Jason Allen, Cedar Spur Television producer, also had close calls but no antelope for the freezer. Two young bucks walking through Montana prairie grass and sage brush. Rain is in the forecast, but we are hoping it stays away, because if it does the hunting will get better and better. © Copyright 2005 by Bowhunting.net


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Hellenic Studies Announcements, 2008
- Freshman Open House - Tuesday, September 9, 2:00 p.m.
<Posted on 09/08/2008 11:11>
Please visit us in Scheide Caldwell House, room 103.
Event Flyer
- Freshman Open House - Tuesday, September 9, 2:00 p.m.
<Posted on 09/05/2008 12:08>
Please visit us in Scheide Caldwell House, room 103.
- Lecture - Thursday, October 2, 4:30 p.m. Alicia Walker: "Classical Myth and Female Morality in Medieval Byzantium: The Case of the Veroli Casket"
<Posted on 09/26/2008 09:39>
Department of Art & Archaeology Lecture
Alicia Walker (Washington University; Visiting Fellow, Program in Hellenic Studies)
106 McCormick Hall
Event Poster
- Haar Lecture - Tuesday, September 30, 4:30 p.m. Thalia Dragonas and Anna Frangoudaki: "Negotiating Identities: The Muslim Minority and the Politics of Education in Greece"
<Posted on 09/22/2008 15:20>
Thalia Dragonas (University of Athens; Member, Hellenic Parliament)
Anna Frangoudaki (University of Athens)
Scheide Caldwell House, Room 103
Sponsored by the Department of Sociology and the Program in Hellenic Studies
- Workshop - Friday, October 3, 1:30 p.m. George Karamanolis: "Greek Humanism in the Late Renaissance"
<Posted on 09/26/2008 09:58>
George Karamanolis (University of Crete; Visiting Fellow, Program in Hellenic Studies)
Respondent: Anthony T. Grafton (Department of History)
Scheide Caldwell House, Room 103
Given the importance of classical Greek in the formation of Renaissance humanism, the role of Byzantine Greek intellectuals (such as Chrysoloras, Argyropoulos and Bessarion) in Renaissance culture has often been rightly emphasized. There has been much less interest, however, in the role that later Greek intellectuals played once Renaissance humanism became a mature movement. Figures like Mathaios Debaris, Leonicos Thomaeos, Iason Denores, Maximos Margounios, Frangiskos Portos and others, hardly ever appear to qualify as humanists, although they were engaged in projects similar to those of Bembo, Poliziano, Crusius, Erasmus, or Zabarella. Such projects included preparing editions of classical authors, composing Greek and Latin epigrams, or taking part in contemporary theological and philosophical debates. This paper argues that the refusal to name these later Greek intellectuals "humanists" stems from unjustified assumptions. Their intellectual profile can only be appreciated if we realize that they too are guided by the ideals and trends of Renaissance humanism.
George Karamanolis is lecturer in Ancient Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy and Social Studies at the University of Crete. He studied Classics in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (B.A. and M.A.), Late Antiquity at King's College, London (M.A.), and Ancient Philosophy at Oxford (D.Phil.). From February 2003 to October 2004 he was fellow of the Centro per lo studio dei papiri ercolanesi in Naples. His research interests lie especially in Hellenistic philosophy and the philosophy of Late Antiquity. In his doctoral thesis he examines the debate among Platonists in late antiquity concerning the merits of Aristotelian philosophy (published as Plato and Aristotle in Agreement? Platonists on Aristotle from Antiochus to Porphyry, Oxford 2006). He is co-editor with Anne Sheppard of Studies on Porphyry (London 2007), and is engaged in the edition of a Herculaneum papyrus of Chrysippus, On Providence. He is currently researching the status of ethics in ancient philosophy. [last updated 2008]
- Lecture - Sunday, October 5, 4:00 p.m. Anthony T. Grafton: "Greek Books and their Readers: From Antiquity to the Renaissance"
<Posted on 09/08/2008 10:13>
Anthony T. Grafton (Department of History)
Location: McCormick Hall, Room 101
Sponsored by the Council of the Friends of the Princeton University Library and co-sponsored by the Program in Hellenic Studies.


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Insulation Talk - February 2015
Welcome to our InsulationTalk e-bulletin. We hope you find our news informative and useful on keeping you up to date on our progress within product development and manufacturing as well as the latest news within the industry.
In this issue....
- Improving Energy Efficiency in Local Councils
- Knauf Insulation launches new Loft Storage System
- Warm efficient homes are a no brainer, 'everyone says so!'
- Knauf Insulation is Fitter Friendly at the Hardware Show
- Round up of Energy Bill Revolution's Cold Homes Week
- Sponsors of the Green Deal and ECO Regional Awards
Or subscribe to get Insulation Talk as soon as it comes out.
Improving Energy Efficiency in Local Councils
'Energy Efficiency: How to enhance local authority strategies' was the topic for the Guardian Public Leaders Network seminar, held Thursday 12 February, which sought to explore best practice and barriers for councils trying to reduce energy bills across the board. In conjunction with Knauf Insulation, the seminar also considered the findings from the Local Authority Energy Index, which measures the local energy and energy efficiency agendas of councils in England.
John Alker, Director of Policy and Communications & Interim CEO at UKGBC, set out the direction of the event with an address that recognised those local authorities that were leading in the area of energy efficiency and how they can play a key role in this within government. However, John warned that the challenge for the next elected party would be the consistency and longevity of policy approach: "Energy efficiency must be viewed as a national infrastructure priority."
The esteemed panel consisted of Malcolm Ball, Director Energy Efficiency at UK Green Investment Bank, Ian Hutchcroft Head of Local Delivery, Energy Saving Trust, Tim Pryce Head of Public Sector, The Carbon Trust, Sarah Sims Program Manager – Housing at Bristol City Council and Steven Heath, Director of Public Affairs and Strategy at Knauf Insulation.
The need for benchmarking across councils, the sharing of best practice and having robust measurement in place to build an effective business case - and therefore safeguarding support from the top levels in councils, were conclusive themes realised from the discussions in terms of tackling energy efficiency in local areas.
During the seminar, discussion groups debated the latest policy developments, how to maximise the benefits of energy efficiency measures and the need for government – and in particular cross-party support and commitment to realistic, long term plans for energy efficient homes. Only then will real changes come for the millions of people struggling with unaffordable energy bills.
Steven Heath, said: "It was great to engage with so many people across such a wide spectrum of issues. They were all passionate about confronting the challenges that exist for councils trying to reduce energy bills for residents, businesses and their own estates. It was also extremely beneficial to gather so much feedback on where the Local Authority Energy Index might go from here."
The full seminar round up has featured in the Guardian newspaper and live on the Guardian Public Leaders Network. For more information on the Local Authority Energy Index please visit www.laenergyindex.co.uk.
Knauf Insulation launches new Loft Storage System
Recent research [1] has shown that 82% of householders want to use their loft for storage, but are not sure how to.
Well now you can with the new Loft Storage System from Knauf Insulation.
The key feature of the system is the use of the new Polyfoam EcoBeam. This is a thermally engineered composite of 180mm thick high performance extruded polystyrene (XPS). The XPS is sandwiched between two layers of 22mm thick Oriented Strand Board to give a rigid, lighweight but robust platform on which to lay your loft decking boards. The EcoBeams are 224mm high, 2400mm long and 50mm wide.
100mm Earthwool Loft Roll is installed in between and up to the full height of the ceiling joists as normal. Polyfoam EcoBeam is then installed and fixed with screws at right angles to the ceiling joists. This allows you to then install 170mm of Earthwool Loft Roll, in between the EcoBeams to give a complete insulation layer with no gaps.
Once the insulation layer is complete, you can lay standard loft decking boards on top of the EcoBeams to give a firm base for storage.
The 224mm height of the EcoBeam ensures you have a full 50mm airspace above the insulation. This ensures that moisture is not trapped underneath the loft decking boards.
In addition, this total insulation thickness of 270mm allows you to achieve a U -value of 0.16 W/m2K and comply with Building Regulations.
So what does the new Loft Storage System give you?
- A thermally efficient means of insulating your loft to current standards
- A quick and easy to install secure platform for your loft decking boards
- A vital airspace above the insulation to stop moisture build up
- No need for specialist fittings
- Suitable for any joist spacing
- Cost effective means of improving your property's energy efficiency whilst giving ample storage
Phil Rigby, Glass Product Manager (Residential Refurbishment) at Knauf Insulation, commented: "Many householders are putting off topping up their loft insulation because they don't want to lose storage space or think that it's going to be an additional hassle and expense to install loft storage afterwards. Our system simplifies the whole process by installing the insulation and storage deck all at once, which ultimately saves time, effort and money."
[1] Research conducted by Conduit Partners
Warm efficient homes are a no brainer
'Everyone says so!' is not the right reason to make warm efficient homes a priority. The right reason to improve our homes – the infrastructure in which we live – is that they have a huge and recognised impact upon our health and the way that we live, work and learn.
There is, however, an outbreak of consensus too. And this consensus is clear that providing warm efficient homes to all is, whether in economic, social or environmental terms, a no brainer.
"… out of all 27 Member States, the UK ranks 26th … Only Estonia had a higher incidence of 'energy poverty' at 19.7%"
The Cold Man of Europe – Association for the Conservation of Energy, March 2013
"Low-income working-age households have lost the most as a percentage of their income from tax and benefit changes introduced by the coalition"
Institute for Fiscal Studies, January 2015
The IFS report goes on to emphasise that people at both the top and the bottom of the income spectrum have been hit by current measures. However, the UK has a specific problem with homes that perform below average in cold weather, and those least able to act on the condition of that housing have been some of the hardest hit by current austerity.
You can read the rest of Josh's entry by visiting our Built on Performance blog. We also have an accompanying infographic which explains that warm homes need to be an infrastructure priority, with cross party support if we are to bring about change.
Knauf Insulation is Fitter Friendly at the Hardware Show
On the 15 and 16 February, Knauf Insulation showcased its new fitter friendly Earthwool®OmniFit range on stand A8 at The Hardware Show in Dublin.
Throughout the two-day event, merchants and installers were able to get hands-on with Knauf Insulation's brand new multi-purpose insulation range. It providesoutstanding thermal, acoustic and fire performance across three products: Earthwool OmniFit Slab, OmniFit Roll and OmniFit Stud.
Bryan Stone, Sales Director for Ireland at Knauf Insulation, commented: "Following extensive research with builders, contractors and insulation specialists, it revealed some startling results. Of 225 installers surveyed, 89 per cent said they would be keen to trial an alternative product to existing flexible slabs and rock mineral wool rolls. That is if it meant handling would be easier and the products would be softer to touch. We realised that we had to fill this gap and therefore developed the new Earthwool OmniFit insulation range.
"Each product has been specifically designed to provide compliance with Building Regulations. This gives merchants and their customers complete peace of mind. The range includes more material per pallet than alternatives, meaning more material in the storage space allocated. Furthermore, there is a comprehensive marketing campaign from Knauf Insulation to fully help and support merchants in their offering to customers."
Football fanatic visitors to Knauf Insulation's stand had the chance to enter its latest competition, to win two tickets to this season's El Clasico, including flights and accommodation for two people.
For more information please visit www.fitterfriendly.co.uk.
Round up of Energy Bill Revolution's Cold Homes Week
Knauf Insulation supported Cold Homes Week, a public campaign to end fuel poverty, which took place between 2 to 6 February. The week, organised by the Energy Bill Revolution – an alliance of 170 major charities, businesses and unions, of which Knauf Insulation is a member – aims to raise awareness about fuel poverty and urges politicians to help make UK homes more energy efficient.
The Cold Homes Week of Action was a huge success. The highlights included:
- #coldhomesweek reached Twitter feeds 58 million times (there are only 16 million Twitter users in the UK)
- Thousands of people have been taking action; from visiting their MP in person to posting selfies on social media in their scarves
- 254 MPs are now supporting the campaign
- When supporters got involved, 600,000 Twitter accounts were reached every 30 mins
Further information regarding the Energy Bill Revolution and Cold Homes Week can be found at http://www.energybillrevolution.org/
Sponsors of the Green Deal and ECO Regional Awards
Knauf Insulation is pleased to announce that it is the official sponsor of the Energy Efficiency Champion of the Year category [1], at this year's Green Deal and ECO Regional Awards.
Knauf Insulation takes its social and environmental responsibilities seriously and greatly recognises individuals that drive their passion and dedication to completing energy efficiency programmes. As such, we thought it would be appropriate to sponsor the Energy Efficiency Champion of the Year category, to say thank you to all those who work hard to make energy efficiency a priority.
The Energy Efficiency Champion of the Year award recognises the contribution an individual has made towards the promotion of Energy Efficiency within their geographical agenda.
Good luck and well done to everyone who has been shortlisted.
The regional awards will be taking place from the 24 February right through to the 19 March. To view the list of award dates please click here.
[1] Knauf Insulation is sponsoring the Energy Efficiency Champion of the Year category in all of the regional awards apart from the North West Haydock Awards.
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text:
Adam C. Zern shares his thoughts on Susan Heyboer O'Keefe's Frankenstein's Monster:
"I loved Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I thought it was profound, moving, thoughtful, and unforgettable. It is, in my opinion, one of those classics which actually deserve the status of being one. Frankenstein's Monster is an unofficial follow-up to Shelley's classic, and it strives for greatness but comes up very, very short of the goal.
Frankenstein's Monster is ambitious in that it strives to continue the fascinating themes and motifs established in Shelley's book. Initially, I was very pleased with Frankenstein's Monster and was anxious to read more of it. Written in the form of a journal by Victor (the 'monster' created by Victor Frankenstein), the book felt very personal and intimate from the outset but quickly regresses into incessant self-pity and anger which sounded more like an adolescent going through puberty than a being attempting to discover its humanity. It all became very trite and irritating instead of exploratory and enlightening.
Furthermore, the book attempts to create contrasts between human beings and the monster and make the reader ponder which the true monster is. It's a fine idea, but it's buried by the fact that most of the characters the reader becomes familiar with during the course of the book are all monsters with very little reason to be redeemed in the reader's mind. Even the characters that are genuinely good are overshadowed by Victor's petulant whining. I think the author, Susan Heyboer O'Keefe, might have realized this deficiency by the end of the book and created an exceptionally odd circumstance in which Victor the monster discovers himself to be a man and the monsters of men are forgotten because of the kindness of a few. It felt contrived and subsequently emotionless.
Thousanders should read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein but skip Susan Heyboer O'Keefe's Frankenstein's Monster. Writing a follow-up book about Frankenstein's Adam (his monster) is a great idea for a fascinating character. I think it can be done well, and I'd love to read it. But this isn't the book to read."


text: I am staunchly anti-"mingling" of PvE and PvP. I understand that it's not a big deal to people who PvP casually or otherwise, but many "carebears" are basically just lambs to the slaughter in these cases. I've certainly had my fair share of being trolled, camped, hunted, farmed, whatever you want to call it, just trying to accomplish one task for an otherwise PvE-oriented achievement. It's not even remotely fun and frankly brings out the absolute worst in players. I will always believe that these two modes should be kept completely separate.


text:
At Audible Spectrum, we're budget-minded audio nuts on a quest to seek out and offer reasonably priced alternatives to expensive audiophile products.
These audiophile rubber and cork pads, Isolation Blocks, or Isoblocks are great for audio gear vibration reduction, or for reducing vibration under almost any device. I even use them under my external hard drives.
Use them under turntables, amplifiers, CD players, speakers, etc. They can be placed right under the footers, or in combination with a maple block and brass footers. These measure 2" X 2" X 7/8" and are identical to much more expensive audiophile alternatives.


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Blog Archive
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12 Questions with Kurt Metzger
Kurt Metzger recently joined City Connect Detroit as the Director of the new Detroit Area Community Information System center, also known as D-ACIS. Kurt has previously held posts with the United States Census Bureau where he served as Director, covering Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia; and a Senior Research Analyst and Director for Wayne State University's Michigan Metropolitan Information Center. More recently he was the Research Director for the United Way for Southeast Michigan. Having spent the last 30+ years in metropolitan Detroit, Kurt is a well known and prominent figure on the data scene.
Q. Is Detroit Area Community Information System the actual name of the new center?
A. Detroit Area Community Information System is a working title. We will probably come up with a name that is a little catchier, with a better acronym so that people will have a better idea of what we are trying to do. But for right now the center is called D-ACIS.
Q. Can you explain the purpose of the new D-ACIS Center?
A. D-ACIS is a comprehensive regional data collection, analysis and delivery system that will address a broad variety of issues and conditions facing Detroit and the region. By having more comprehensive, neighborhood focused data and information, we in the region are in a better position to receive more federal, state and other funding to address vital issues and conditions and improve the quality of life for people in the entire metropolitan Detroit area.
Q. How will D-ACIS be funded?
A. The Skillman Foundation and Kresge Foundation awarded a three-year, $1.85 million grant to City Connect Detroit who is serving as an incubator and fiduciary to D-ACIS. The new data Center is temporarily housed at City Connect Detroit's downtown office. After the 3 years, we expect to have some foundation funding; but the idea is for D-ACIS to become its own 501(c)3. We want to develop the capacity to do analysis and research projects to actually start to bring money in and become self sustaining.
Q. How and why did CCD become involved in the creation of D-ACIS?
A. Several years ago, City Connect Detroit created a project called the Detroit Data Partnership (DDP) that maintains data-sharing agreements with numerous organizations. DDP was funded by the Skillman and Kresge Foundations. Based on the success of DDP, City Connect Detroit wrote and was awarded a grant by the Skillman and Kresge Foundations for the creation of D-ACIS. Because of City Connect Detroit's track record and expertise, the foundation community believed the organization would be the perfect place to incubate D-ACIS.
Q. What is the overall mission of City Connect Detroit?
A. Under the leadership of Dr. Geneva J. Williams, founder, president and CEO of City Connect Detroit, the organization's mission is to create and facilitate cross-sector collaborations to aid metropolitan Detroit nonprofits, governmental agencies, businesses and others in obtaining national, state and local funding.
Q. What neighborhood focused issues will D-ACIS address?
A. The neighborhood focused issues will be detailed down to the parcel level, and will include, parks, recreation and green space; abandoned buildings, vacant land, blight and dumping; retail and services attractions; job availability; poverty; educational opportunities; crime and safety; and health and medical issues. We're looking at components and sustainability in healthy neighborhoods and ways to make sure those components are in every neighborhood in Detroit and the region.
Q. What excites you about D-ACIS?
A. I have always believed in the power of collecting, sharing and presenting accurate and timely data and information to stakeholders who serve as catalysts to facilitate successful outcomes. So, I'm excited to see the creation of D-ACIS because it will address a broad variety of issues facing Detroit and the region and perhaps break down a few of our geographic and racial barriers.
Q. What are some of the benefits of such a center?
A. In addition to having a region that shares vital information that will benefit all, D-ACIS will seek membership in the Urban Institute's National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP), which is comprised of 31 urban information and data centers throughout the nation. Once we become a member, the center will be in line to compete for national foundation designated funding opportunities available to members only. This will really put Detroit and the region on the map, so to speak, as far as developing a culture of data sharing for positive change.
Q. If there are 31 urban information and data centers across the United States, are there models that are more attune to what's going on in Detroit and the region?
A. We have looked at several centers, but feel that Metro Chicago Information Center and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland are great examples. Case Western's New Cando is really an excellent model for us.
Q. What is the biggest challenge that the D-ACIS center faces?
A. The biggest challenge is just getting people and organizations to share information. People and organizations have the tendency to keep information close to the vest because they often worry that information shared will be used in negative ways. So we have to convince people that there are no agendas but to improve the quality of life for residents of Detroit. And as I said earlier, it's important that we break down a few of our geographic and racial barriers. We, as a region, must figure out how to work together – city and suburbs – because this region can't succeed unless the city of Detroit succeeds.
Q. When will the center be fully operational?
A. I'm projecting that the center will be fully operational in the Spring, 2009.
Q. What is your ultimate goal for D-ACIS?
A. My ultimate goal is for D-ACIS to be a one-stop center, a central clearinghouse, where accurate and complete data and information can be accessed that ultimately moves this region forward. This is an outstanding opportunity for Detroit and the region. It's an opportunity to show that the Detroit region can develop a culture of data sharing, which will allow us to tackle the "data silos" in which we tend to operate.
This interview was conducted by Donald James of Master Media.


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Out of stock since Thu 4th Jan 2018, due back soon.
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The Stubbs Rug Rack Infill can slide on to an arm of either our the Five Arm Rug Rack or Rug Master Mobile. Rust resistant, black Stubbyfine coated steel construction.
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