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Nationwide, Saturday saw the second annual "Small Business Saturday" encourage shoppers to shop and support their local small businesses rather than larger chain stores. Shore towns, including Manasquan and Spring Lake, were filled with supporters opening their wallets.
In Belmar, many businesses that were opened this past summer have since closed down. With "for rent" signs in several stores on Main Street, nothing was out of the ordinary for businesses during this fall day.
Moses Santino, part owner and manager of Belmar's True Jersey shop said business had been steady, but they had not seen a spike in traffic due to "Small Business Saturday."
At the past Zombie Walk in Asbury Park, the company did some marketing inside Convention Hall and does business off its online store and at its Toms River store, as well. Additionally, they utilize social media marketing. They're not worried about the recession.
"We started in a recession," said another True Jersey part owner, Peter Perea.
In Manasquan, the vibe was different.
While the shops in Belmar saw average traffic, Manasquan was the opposite as many shoppers were getting their local shopping fix on Main Street.
Some store owners and workers credited "Shop Local Saturday" for the extra traffic. The town put out its own "Shop Local" campaign to encourage shoppers to support local businesses, according to Chantilly Too sales associate, Linda Bonaly.
"We have been very busy," Bonaly said. "American Express is promoting it. If you spend $25 or more today you get $25 back (on your American Express card.) Several people have used their American Express."
Dawn Furfaro of Manasquan was one of those people, as she and 9-year-old daughter Isabella were shopping at Chantilly Too and other Manasquan stores. They were on a mission to purchase Christmas decorations and birthday gifts.
"I'm using my card to save money. At this point anything helps," Dawn Furfaro said. She also mentioned that she believes sometimes the sales at the big stores are not worth it and that shopping local is more personal.
The Spring Lake Business District was another area that was filled with shoppers throughout the day.
One store that was particularly flooded with them was Juli Mei, a boutique and facial spa on Third Avenue. The store carries many gift items including beauty and fashion brands.
"The holidays are always very busy. Overall, we have been much steadier and busier (this weekend)," said Juli Mei store owner Juli Scrabis.
Scrabis said a lot of people went into her store knowing about 'Small Business Saturday," and that about 30 percent of her business on this day was from it. To help increase sales, she is confident that Juli Mei's new online store that's launching in the Spring, will contribute.
"We have cut back on advertising and are building an online store, set to launch in the spring," Scrabis said. "People have asked us to open a store online and other stores."
Like the Furfaros, Kayla Lung of Canton, Ohio also has an appreciation for shopping local. She and her family are staying in Spring Lake concluding a Thanksgiving visit with her family in New Jersey. She was enjoying shopping Spring Lake's Business District.
"I prefer to shop local if I can. The stuff is different and more unique," said the 20-year-old student.


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Following the Sandy Hook shootings, Governor Rick Perry of Texas has expressed his support for the affected families and is also allowing the school districts in Texas to determine whether or not their teachers can carry firearms. Click the pic for more details.
For those who haven't heard, many U.S. states have begun petitions to secede from the United States of America. Some petitions have barely garnered 30,000 signatures. However, Texas has reached 81,000 signatures which qualifies for a response from the White House. Click the pic for more.
Get ready America. The next George Bush is about to enter politics…. George P. Bush that is… Click the pic for all the details!
And, busted! Singer Fiona Apple was arrested at the Texas border after Border Patrol found hashish in her tour bus. Doesn't really seem like a big "scandal" but hey, check out that mug shot!

subset: commoncrawl


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Gallery preview
Art Papers Auction
Collectors' preview: 7-9 p.m. Fri., Feb 5. $100. Limited slots. Call ahead for tickets.
Silent auction: 7-10 p.m. Sat, Feb 6. $25 in advance; $30 at the door.
For tickets and information: 404-588-1837, www.artpapers.org.
Mason Murer Fine Art, 199 Armour Drive. 404-879-1500.
By Catherine Fox
For one weekend every year — this one — Art Papers Auction is the crossroads of the art scene.
The annual event, which brings together 300 works from local, national and international artists at Mason Murer Fine Art, attracts as many as 1,700 people to bid on pieces ranging from $75 to $13,000.
It's an important weekend for the bimonthly publication devoted to contemporary art. It counts on raising one-quarter to one-third of its $700,000 budget through auction sales, entrance fees and Friday night's preview party.
Art mavens will recognize many sought-after Atlanta artists on the roster as well as such international art stars as Carrie Mae Weems, Mel Chin and Odili Donald Odita. A preparatory drawing from Italian artist Luca Buvoli, made for his piece in the current exhibit at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin, is a bit of coup.
"They believe in what we do, and they want to help," said editor-in- chief Sylvie Fortin.
The auction is also a party, of course, and a networking opportunity.
The artists, who can choose to donate between 65 percent and 100 percent of the sale price to Art Papers, participate to support the publication and, hopefully, to introduce their work to new potential clients.
That is not to say, some don't feel ambivalent about it. If buyers can get a piece cheaply at auction, will they go to a gallery or seek out the artist for another work at market price? And there are so many auctions.
Fortin understands the drawbacks and advises artists to think strategically about which and how many such events to which they contribute.
"We're very conscious of these things," she said. "We try to make the minimum bids based on the artist's prior sales records."
Ideally, it's a win-win-win event: Artists make sales and meet new clients; buyers get a snapshot of a wide array of artworks and take some home; and Art Papers makes the money it needs.
Catherine Fox blogs about art and architecture on www.ArtsCriticATL.com.


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The joy of post ex. A guide to what happens after excavation...
Remember post excavation is a group effort - do not let your group down by not turning up or pulling a sickie!
All material © The Post Hole. For further information on content reuse and referencing, see our Copyright Guidelines.
The Post Hole,
The King's Manor,
Department of Archaeology,
University of York,
editor [at] theposthole [dot] org


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Down To 3: Alomar Out Of Running For Red Sox Job
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BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston Red Sox are down to three candidates to full their empty managerial position, general manager Ben Cherington announced Monday.
The Red Sox choices are down to Bobby Valentine, who interviewed on Monday, Tigers third base coach Gene Lamont and Blue Jays first base coach Torey Lovullo.
Read: Valentine 'Honored' By Second Interview
Cherington said Cleveland bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. is out of the running for the job.
"I had a talk with Sandy this weekend and told him how much I think of him, and that I think he's going to be a really good major league manger one day, but that he wasn't going to be the choice for us in 2012," said Cherington after Bobby Valentine's media availability on Monday.
Cherington noted both Lamont will be in later this week for his second interview, while one has not been scheduled for Lovullo.
Cherington also said there is a chance additional candidates will be brought in.


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Buzz Cut:
• U.S. slipping into Iran alliance in sectarian war
• Why the border surge? It's the amnesty
• How likely is IRS story on missing Lerner emails?
• Thad's 'one of us' in Mississippi race
• This investment needs guac
Secretary of State John Kerry said aloud today what the Obama administration has been hinting for days: The U.S. military may help Iran fight against rival Islamists who are beheading their way through northern Iraq. Yes, that Iran. A country that claims to shoot down U.S. drones might be aided by U.S. drones in a new front of an old war between armies from rival branches of Islam. Reuters reports that Iranian leaders have said they're open to the idea, paving the way for American air power to be used in support of Iranian ground forces. It would have sounded preposterous just a few weeks ago. But it sounds plausible today, as the city of Tal Afar and its more than 200,000 residents join the list of those conquered by a brutal, growing army seeking to create an Islamist state that spans across the Iraq-Syria border. After taking the Sunni side in the regional sectarian conflict for most of the past 30 years, the U.S. looks ready to weigh in for the first time in a significant way on behalf of the Shia.
[Fox News: "Despite the added security by the Iraqi government in Baghdad, a string of explosions killed at least 15 people and wounded more than 30 in the city Sunday, police and hospital officials said."]
Talking around the issue - The talks are expected occur as a sidebar to long-running negotiations in Vienna over Iran's nuclear program. And like the Obama administration's efforts to forge a partnership with Iran on allowing for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the partnership is presented as the least-bad option available. But unlike the diplomatic avenues in Afghanistan, the Iraq deal could lead to the U.S. encouraging Iranian forces to cross the border with Iraq and fight against their longtime hated foes. Such a move may deemed preferable to the sight of Baghdad falling to the black-robed Sunni warriors encroaching on the city, but it doesn't exactly gibe with the overall talking points from the administration that the cause of the crisis is an Iraqi government that is insufficiently inclusive of Sunnis. If you think that Sunni Iraqis are unwilling to fight for the Shia-dominated government in Baghdad now, just wait until they're asked to fight alongside the Iranians.


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Dead Bodies Everywhere
My earliest zombie memory is of going with my siblings to see the original Dawn of the Dead (why, I have no idea) and being laughed at by the audience for walking out in the first 20 minutes. For a bunch of silly kids who grew up on Saturday morning cartoons a zombie getting scalped by a spinning helicopter blade was a bit much for our delicate psyches.
Much older and somewhat a bit more steeled in nerve, I can watch zombie flicks now and even enjoy a few. Both 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later were pretty good(which some purists sniff aren't really zombie flicks because these undead don't attack and eat you; they stop at attacking you and run like Olympic track stars. "Real" zombies just kind of lurch along s-l-o-w-ly). If the zombies in Night of the Living Dead aren't scary at all (and they aren't) Romero more than made up for it with Dawn of the Dead which ramped up the guts and gore by the power of ten. It's amazing what a slightly bigger budget and shooting in color instead of black and white will to make something a helluva lot scarier. Years later I rented the movie got through all of it without walking out or turning it off.
Zombies will always mess with me in a way vampires don't. Vampires and crazed serial killers knocking off horny teenagers can be made scary, but not in the way a zombie apocalypse is. Zombie outbreaks take two of the biggest fears of human beings (death and the total breakdown of society) and mashes it up with an enemy that is implacable, impossible to reason with and is totally relentless. The only thing zombies want is you and they aren't willing to settle for anything less than your ass as an entrée.
I'm far from a gore-hound, but there's something about people you know rising from the dead for no other reason than to feed on your living flesh that makes zombies scary in a way a Jason and Freddy aren't. Zombies don't roll like serial killers. They don't come at you with knives, chain saws, pitchforks or any other cutting utensil. They don't want revenge or act out of sadistic rage and hatred. They operate on a more primal urge: the need to feed. They come armed with two arms, teeth and a very bad attitude. It only takes one zombie attack to louse up your whole day.
For the last two years some critics whose opinions I respect have raved about Dead Set, a British version of the zombie apocalypse that centers on a group of reality show contestants who have to fend off the flesh eaters when a particularly virulent undead outbreak breaks loose. Last week it showed up on the IFC movie channel so I decided to record all five 30 minute episodes.
But I'm still too much of a pussy to watch it all.
Dead Set features fast zombies and they're just scarier and more vicious than the slow types. It's as if they're pissed they've got to chase down their dinner and when they catch you that's gonna be your ass—and every other part they can chow down on. The kills are plenty, the zombies plentiful and the dwindling number of contestants finding there's nowhere to run, hide or way to avoid the inevitable.
I have the series on DVR on the chance I pound enough Jack and Cokes to give me the liquid courage to watch all Dead Set, but I doubt I'm going to in the immediate future. And when I do it won't be in the dark in the wee hours of the morning.
AMC takes the plunge and launches its own episodic zombie show with The Walking Dead. The early reviews are enthusiastic, but it's not based on the quality of the scripts, dialogue, or acting. These kinds of stories boil down to a ragtag group of survivors trying to get to a safe haven and the problems they meet trying to get there. Like hordes of the undead trying to eat them.
Dead Set proved television could deliver moments of "holy shit" splatter and if the Brits can do it, there's no doubt the same feat can't be repeated over here with The Walking Dead. There's always an appetite for this kind of blood-splattered material.
In the meantime remember these rules from Max Brooks' (son of Mel), The Zombie Survival Guide.
Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack
- Organize before they rise!
- They feel no fear, why should you?
- Use your head: cut off theirs.
- Blades don't need reloading.
- Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
- Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
- Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
- Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
- No place is safe, only safer.
- The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on
Zombies may have the edge in superior numbers, but you have the advantage of a superior brain. Use it. (Ummm…BRAINS! Tasty!)
Vote Like Your Life Depends On It (your future sure does).
I appeared at an pre-election forum tonight hosted by The Change Agency as part of a panel discussion on why voting matters. The election is less than a week away now. As far as I'm concerned why voting matters falls under the category of "we hold these truths to be self-evident."
Do I really need to tell an adult they should vote? Do they need to be told to change their underwear every day too?
There is always a reason for Black folks to vote. Our interests can only be advanced when we exercise our political clout AND demand accountability from the politicians.
But politics is not a cure-all to every ill and NO president can fix everything in a scant two years. Especially, not one whose very legitimacy is called into question by his enemies.
Any student of history (and the civil rights era is hardly ancient history even if most of the film was in black and white) should know how Blacks were systematically disenfranchised and literally shed blood to obtain the right we were already Constitutionally guaranteed.
So now because we're oh so cool and hip and all that voting is passe? A tedious chore which accomplishes nothing but reinforces the status quo? We're supposed to turn our backs on all those Blacks, Whites, Jews, Gentiles, gays and straights, men, women and children who put it ALL on the line so we can have the luxury of opting out because some of us are disappointed in ONE particular politician?
I don't believe in sitting on the sidelines and hoping things will work out for the best. Because there are too many people who would love to turn the clock back, take away what we've sweated blood for and put back up those "Whites Only" signs. Not just over water fountains and lunch counters, but over houses, jobs, political power and everywhere else we've made inroads to.
Politics is not a panacea. Sometimes–many times–the good guys lose.
Simply sitting on our hands while Boehner, McConnell and the Tea Party plot to make Obama a totally neutered Chief Executive doesn't strike me as all that appealing.
I don't believe African-Americans should be beholden to ANY political party exclusively. I subscribe to the theory of "no permanent enemies and no permanent friends, just permanent interests." I'm willing to sit down with Republicans, Democrats, independents and anybody else to advance the interests of 30-plus million Black folks.
But you can't play the game if you don't have any cards and people who don't vote and don't choose to fight for their interests are impotent, unimportant and ignored.
Crying about things don't change them. Neither does apathy or disengaging and dropping out from the established system. If it did, then why are all those White folks in the Tea Party working so hard to get people into power who think JUST LIKE THEY DO?
The energy of the Tea Party is to be admired. It's their politics I find abhorrent. On almost every social issue of importance to me, the Tea Party stands in adamant opposition to. At their best, the Tea Party is a plaything of wealthy right-wingers and corporate interests. At their worst, the Tea Party is the American Taliban.
I vote because when I do it pisses off Karl Rove, Rupert Murdoch, Fox News, and the Koch Brothers. Making them unhappy makes me quite happy.
I vote because not to do so cedes the battle to my enemies. I vote because not to do so is a slap in the dead faces of King, Evers, Chaney, Schwerner, Goodman and everybody else who died so I could have this right. I may get discouraged and I may get beaten, but I'll be damned if I give up.
Vote like your life depends on it. Your future sure does.
Tick-Tock, 49ers are on the clock.
"As far as our football team, there's no doubt in my mind, somehow, someway, we will regroup and we will keep fighting and we will make a season of it. And I still believe we can go to the playoffs. I still believe we can get those things done. We just have to get the right things in place and go from there."
~ Samurai Mike Singletary after the game and off his meds as the feeble 49ers sunk to 1-6 losing 23-20 to the previously winless Carolina Panthers.
Singletary's remarks are as far removed from reality as those by the brat owner, Jed York, who declared the 49ers would win the division and reach the playoffs. Would somebody take the lotion from them and hand them a towel because playoffs this year are a wet dream.
I'm starting to come around to the distressing realization being a fan of the San Francisco 49ers is like being stuck in an abusive relationship. Remembering when times were good keeps you hanging oneven though times haven't been good for a long while. In this case, it's been 16 long years since the 49ers won a Super Bowl. I have the sick feeling at this rate it could take another 16 years before they get bacl to another one
It hurts to admit it, but I drank the Kool-Aid. The 49er brain trust came selling me a fantasy and I bought it. I believed this year's model of the Niners had what it takes to make the playoffs. Not go very far in the playoffs, but after a previous season where Samurai Mike drove an untalented team to a 8-8 record though the sheer force of his personality, I bought into the bullshit that the 49ers had added enough pieces to take the next step. Playoffs, baby!
Now I wonder what this season might have bee if instead of signing confirmed losers like David Carr and Troy Smith, the Niners had gone after Donovan McNabb when he put on the market. Somehow I can envision McNabb having considerably more success throwing to targets like Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree and handing the ball to a bruiser like Frank Gore than the hapless Alex Smith. Oh well, Smith will probably be happier when he's playing elsewhere next season as a backup than a starter.
My approach to the final nine games is to go out there and try to do our very best to kick, scratch, claw and fight like hell to get that overall Number One draft pick away from Buffalo. WE. CAN. DO. IT!
Because really, nobody's worse than the Forty Whiners. Yeah, they have won a game and the Bills are still looking for their first victory, but does anyone seriously think this team could have battled the Ravens toe-to-toe for 60 minutes and narrowly lose by a field goal in overtime?
Detroit is bad but they have Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and a better backup QB
in Shaun "Thrown Away" Hill. Bufalo is bad, but at least they play hard and have the
misfortune to the be in a division with the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins. Cleveland is bad, but they beat the Saints. The 49ers bragged and swaggered after they almost-but-not-quite-beat the Saints.
Carolina is bad but since they beat us they're better than us.
I've seen every game of the Niners have played during this bad nightmare of a lost season and know this is not a team that fights back when it gets hit hard in the mouth and knocked down. The Forty Whiners curl up in a ball and cover up hoping they don't get kicked in the nuts while they're down.
Detroit has sucked hard for so long its hard to remember when they haven't but they have young talent in Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and a better head coach. There seems to be a plan in place in Detroit to build up their talent pool via the draft, grab a few free agents and take their lumps now in hopes it will pay off later. It might even work. Buffalo is in the same boat butat least they play hard. They have the misfortune to the least talented team in a division with the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins. Relocate the Bills to Los Angeles, put them in the NFC West and within a year or two they'll own it. Cleveland has a tougher schedule and perhaps less talent than any team in the league, but they play hard, hustle and are prone to pull off a surprise such as the butt-whipping they laid on the Saints, a team the 49ers bragged about "almost" beating. Carolina is really bad but since they beat the Niners that elevates them a notch.
Even in his fog of denial, Samurai Mike has to know by now he's a dead coach walking. He won't be warding off vampires with that huge cross around his neck next season while rocking 49er gear. Sing has been exposed as a great motivator of men and a lousy leader of them. Too bad really because I like the guy but never having been a head coach on any level has finally caught up with him.
Samurai Mike is a master of the motivational speech, but he's not a strategist or a tactician and when you're not, you'd better have assistant coaches who are. The Niners don't and that's yet another reason why they're as bad as they are.
It's one of those seasons in the NFL when there are a few good teams, no great ones, a lot of mediocre ones and some really bad ones. It's no surprise to find the Bills, Panthers and Lions in the one-or-none wins teams, but to find the 49ers and Cowboys hanging around with the dregs of the league is a bit of a shock.
Next up, the Niners trip across the pond to play a Denver Broncos team that got ripped to shreds, 59-14, by the Oakland Raiders, who were beaten by the Niners the week before. If Singletary drops this game and falls to 1-7 as the 49ers go into their bye week I could see the owners firing him and allowing one of the coordinators to finish the season.
The San Francisco 29ers are the worst team in the NFL and they can hear two very loud sounds: their season officially flushed down the crapper and the voice of Commissioner Roger Goodell telling them they have ten minutes to make the first pick in next year's NFL Draft.
Officially, they have nine more games. Unofficially, they are on the clock.
NPR's Racial Blindness
The real problem with NPR firing analyst Juan Williams has nothing to do with the irreconcilable differences between the network and the commentator's differing political views. The real problem is by firing Williams, NPR rid itself not only of his increasingly obvious preference for the Fox News style of punditry, but it also lost one of their most high-profile African-American staffers.
And it isn't the first time.
Farai Chideya, author of several books including Don't Believe the Hype: Fighting Cultural Misinformation About African-Americans and former host of the NPR program, News & Notes posted on Facebook wondering whether she should write say about her former employer's firing of Williams. In 2007, NPR cancelled N&N. Chideya had replaced Ed Gordon who had attempted to relaunch N&N after Tavis Smiley ended his radio program with the network.
"I am debating whether to write a piece on the Juan Williams controversy. So many dots, so few being connected," Chideya wrote.
It isn't only the job of a writer to write, but to encourage others to as well. I interviewed Chideya last year for her first non-fiction book, Kiss the Sky, and asked her about NPR's decision to cancel News & Notes. She didn't want to dwell on that messy break-up but did say she had chosen to leave the show before it ended in part due NPR's refusal to let the program to cover the inauguration of President Obama.
Chideya is somebody who knows about the racial skeletons are rattling around in NPR's closet. I understand her reluctance to go public with that information, but as James Baldwin said, "The price one pays for pursing any profession, or calling, is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side" and journalism in all its forms indeed has a very ugly side. For all the cries from conservatives on how "liberal" the news media is, little is ever said about how overwhelmingly White, male and entrenched journalism is.
I answered Chideya's open question with a suggestion.
Even before Juan got greased (deservedly or not), there was the horrendous way NPR fumbled the "too black/too strong" News and Notes program. I loved N&N and NOTHING has taken its place.
You have a unique insight that would add some much-needed context to the story. Right now it's being spun as liberal NPR messing up and conservative Fox pouncing on them. The real situation is much more involved than the usual battle lines.
I like NPR, but I do not love it and one reason I do not is the lack of racial diversity in its nearly lily White, upper middle class programming.
19 hours later, Chideya's article appeared in The Huffington Post:
If NPR had such clear concerns over how Juan Williams fit into their organization, in the amorphous role of "news analyst," then they had an opportunity to let him go a long time ago. They could have decided he didn't fit their needs, and moved on in a less polarized time. But by firing him now, in this instance, after years of sitting uncomfortably with his dual roles on NPR and Fox, they made a few crucial errors. They chose to fire him for doing what he has done for years… be a hype man for Bill O'Reilly. Why now? And they also showed tone-deaf communication with member stations by firing Williams during a pledge drive season.
Juan Williams pointedly said in his comments after the firing that he was the only black man on-air at NPR…. and not a reporter at that. Guest hosting on Fox, he also called himself a "loyal employee" of NPR, and implied the network was run by a "far-left mob." (If so, I didn't meet any in my four years at NPR. It's run by a Beltway cohort, perhaps, but not "far-left.") Do I think NPR fired him because he is black? No. Do I think NPR kept Williams on for years, as the relationship degraded, because he is a black man? Absolutely. Williams' presence on air was a fig-leaf for much broader and deeper diversity problems at the network. NPR needs to hire more black men in house on staff as part of adding diverse staff across many ethnicities and races. It also needs, broadly, a diversity upgrade that doesn't just focus on numbers, but on protocols for internal communication. Among the revelations in this incident is that the Vice President of News fired Williams by phone without giving him the opportunity to come into the office and discuss it.
After I was let go from hosting an African-American issues show at NPR, I walked away relatively quietly, though with a series of questions about how power was allocated and shared at the network, and whether diversity truly mattered to management. Although the focus right now is on whether NPR should be defunded (God no!), I would like to see a little more light shine on how NPR deals with diversity. It has a new diversity czar, Keith Woods, and I hope he is empowered to look at the issue broadly and respected by management.
This country needs NPR, now more than ever. But it needs an NPR and media, broadly, that are adventurous rather than expedient when it comes to reporting on a divided America, and cultivating the most diverse staff, and audience.
To which I must add, NPR is sorely lacking in both a diverse staff and audience.
Chideya does a excellent job of pointing out how NPR's real problem is a general cluelessness or shoulder-shrugging disinterest in promoting color-blind programming. Of course, Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint, Bill O' Reilly and all the other right-winger blabbermouths don't give a damn about NPR's pathetic lack of ethnic diversity. They're just grateful for an opportunity to talk up the idea of defunding NPR.
I listen to NPR, but have not scratched my name on a check to support my local public radio station and I have no intention to. In part. because I'm still ticked over how NPR whacked News & Notes and plus, WOSU, the local affiliate doesn't carry Tell Me Morehosted by Michelle Martin. They do carry "Car Talk" and every Saturday night turn over their air to "The Bluegrass Ramble" but neither one of those shows quite fill my wish for programming with a specific appeal to African-Americans.
Amy Alexander, a former News &Notes commentator and an editor and producer with Tell Me More in 2007, responded to my plea to Chideya saying, "The local stations are managed by folks who can be, shall we say, reluctant to alter their mix of local & NPR-produced shows…..most especially if the NPR produced shows have a decidedly brown or young theme. So the local station GM is not required to take any new programming made at HQ in DC, or anywhere else, they are "encouraged" to schedule shows like N&N and TMM but I do not know the extent of any arm twisting that takes place. Thus, N&N died on the vine and TMM does not air in several key markets. You say you "like NPR," but don't love it. You represent part of the demo the network needs to grow — and fast– yet they can't undo the internal cultural and systemic stuff that limits their ability to move the needle consistently and w innovation. TMM is a fantastic program but I do fret a bit about its future…."
I can hear TMM online, but the two local radio stations, WOSU and WCBE, carrying NPR programming apparently don't consider Tell Me More worth picking up. That is reason enough for me to keep my checkbook shut when they hit their listeners up for cash. My problem with NPR goes beyond Williams being fired. He landed in higher profile and better paying gig so the hell with him. I'm not feeling at all charitable to NPR when they have their hand out for money but offer little to nothing in the way of programming that is specifically directed toward my tastes and concerns.
For their part, NPR stumbles on this p.r. nightmare created by their own arrogance and ineptness. Alicia Shepard, NPR's ombudsman defended the firing of Williams and denied there was any racial angle to the dismissial, "I fear some will look for racial motivations in NPR's decision to fire Williams, who is African-American and one of the few black male NPR voices. It's not about race. It's also not about free speech, as some have charged."
Shepard needs to climb down out of her ivory tower. When NPR cans its only African-American on-air analyst, whacks News & Notes because they didn't know how to promote it and wouldn't support it and allows Michelle Martin's program to languish in obscurity it is exactly about race and how poorly NPR handles it.
When I'm looking for something that touches me as an African-American, a new season of A Prarie Home Companion don't get it.
Falling Upward with Juan Williams
Ever have one of those days when it seemed like you were having the worst days of your life and it turned out instead to be one of your best?
Juan Williams knows exactly what that feels like.
NPR commentator Juan Williams was fired by the network for remarks he made about Muslims on The O'Reilly Factor.
During the show, O'Reilly asked Williams to comment on the idea that the United States was facing a "Muslim dilemma." It followed a controversy over O'Reilly's own appearance on the afternoon show, The View,' where two hosts walked out after he said that "Muslims killed us on 9/11."
His argument, which moderator Whoopi Goldberg declared to be "bull—-," inspired both Goldberg and co-host Joy Behar to leave their own set.
On Monday, Williams said he concurred with O'Reilly about the threats faced by the United States.
He added, "Look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."
He also said, amid a heated debate with O'Reilly, that people shouldn't blame Muslims for "extremists," same as Christians couldn't be blamed for the Oklahoma City bombing. O'Reilly, for his part, said he refused to qualify everything he said about Muslims.
The full video is available here. It's important to hear in context what Williams said before determining if he was being bigoted toward Muslims. NPR apparently concluded he was.
Williams argued with O'Reilly he had painted Muslims with too broad a brush. Of course, every Muslim is the enemy of America, but you don't watch O'Reilly's dog and pony show for reasoned and enlightened debate. You watch it for the same reason you watch Arnold Schwarzenegger movies: stuff gets blown up real good.
NPR overreacted to Williams' remarks. I'm no fan of the guy, but truth be told, many Americans would be unnerved if they were sitting on a plane while several gentlemen in traditional Muslim garb started chatting in an animated style in Farsi.
However, Williams was correct by pointing out it is the fringe element of radicals who are giving all Muslims a bad name.
NPR firing Williams for what he said made him a sacrifice on the altar of liberal political correctness. The right-wing blogosphere, radio and Fox News are going to be short-stroking on this one. And probably with some justification.
This is probably a case of NPR looking for any excuse to can Williams as his political leanings don't mesh up well with their own.
NPR had already requested Williams not be identified during his frequent appearances as a talking head on Fox as a "NPR commentator." Truth be told, I couldn't tell you the last time I even heard Williams on NPR.
Williams is supposed to be the "liberal" counterpart on The O'Reilly Factor, but he's more likely to say , "You're absolutely right, Bill" than he is "You're absolutely full of shit." Williams, like Alan Colmes, represents the kind of Left-wing voice Fox prefers: weak, timid liberals paired off against strong, fierce conservatives. It's a mismatch from the get-go.
NPR president Vivian Schiller issued a statement explaining the firing, "In appearing on TV or other media . . . NPR journalists should not express views they would not air in their role as an NPR journalist. They should not participate in shows . . . that encourage punditry and speculation rather than fact-based analysis."
More fundamentally, "In appearing on TV or other media including electronic Web-based forums, NPR journalists should not express views they would not air in their role as an NPR journalist."
Unfortunately, Juan's comments on Fox violated our standards as well as our values and offended many in doing so."
Nice attempt at butt-covering NPR, but you're still the one who looks like intolerant liberal losers for canning Williams because you didn't dig his remarks. Like it or not, there is a lot of suspicion directed at Muslims and while it is often unjustified, it's difficult to go down the list of recent terrorist attacks and attempts and not find a link to Islamic extremism.
I'm not concerned about Juan's future job prospects in the slightest. Fox News Roger Ailes offered Williams a job, a column on the web page and a $2 million pay raise. All these years of cultivating a nice rapprochement with the right-wing of the news media has finally paid off for Juan. Good for him. All these years of kissing conservative ass has finally paid off nicely. Maybe Fox will give him a show and finally put an African-American journalist in a high-profile position.
But I've known for a while that Juan Williams was a little soft when it came to his so-called "liberalism." Just because you pick up a paycheck from NPR doesn't mean you're driving a Prius and voting Democratic. If Williams is supposed to represent the liberal perspective it's only what passes for liberalism on Fox. Williams is an assimilated, accommodating, mainstream colored guy and that's why he landed at Fox.
If Williams is a liberal I'm a Republican and I'm not.
The word has been out on Williams for a while. Author Jill Nelson dropped the 411 on how shaky Williams was when they were both working for the Washington Post.
Williams is the perfect Negro, at least in the eyes of white folks, because most of the time he writes–and apparently believes–what Caucasians think black folks should feel and think, which is as they do…Williams is a black Republican type, a neoconservative opportunist à la Clarence Thomas. He is also of Panamanian parentage, which explains some of where he's coming from. He typifies the worst stereotype of people of African descent who come to America inadvertently or willfully ignorant of the history of black folks born here.
Denying the role of race, they mouth the prejudices of white immigrants in blackface. Forget racism, history, the brutalization of the African-American psyche from the middle passage on down, they holler America is a nation of immigrants, and we are just like the Irish, Polish, Japanese, and Jews who have come here. They conveniently forget that African-Americans, unlike them, unlike any other immigrants, did not come here voluntarily; we are, all of us, the children of slaves.
In short I assumed he was a brother.
~ Jill Nelson on meeting Juan Williams, Volunteer Slavery, page 90-91 (1993)
Now Williams can be the token in-house "liberal" for Fox News on a full-time basis. NPR gets ripped a new one for looking like narrow-minded and biased while Bill O' Reilly can chortle how he exposed them as politically correct far-Left loons.
All n' all, it's not a bad day to be a conservative or Juan Williams. Or am I being redundant? But at least he found some job security. Nobody ever gets fired from Fox News for saying something outlandish.
Related articles
Ginni Thomas Stands By Crazy Clarence
Sometimes you just log on to the computer and the crazy just gets all up in your face, grabs you by the collar and spitting in your face starts screaming, "I AM NOT GOING TO BE IGNORED!"
How long would you nurse a grudge? If you're Ginny "Ginni the Tea Parter" Thomas, the poor, unfortunate soul who gets to see Clarence Thomas nekkid, you've had a hard-on against Anita Hill since 1991. For all the young bloods out there, during the Senate confirmation hearings for Uncle Thomas, Hill came forward to testify how she had been harassed by him. You can use your Google-Fu for all the details and your keywords are "Coke can," "pubic hair" and "Long Dong Silver."
Got it? Good. Now go forth and be as creepy as Clarence Thomas.
It appears while Hill has tried to go on with her life and forget about the Thomases, they obviously not forgotten about her.
The New York Times reported that the voice mail said, "Good morning Anita Hill, it's Ginni Thomas. I just wanted to reach across the airwaves and the years and ask you to consider something. I would love you to consider an apology sometimes and some full explanation of why you did what you did with my husband."
Virginia Thomas went on: "So give it some thought. And certainly pray about this and hope that one day you will help us understand why you did what you did. OK, have a good day."
Virginia Thomas confirmed to the Times that she had placed a call to Hill, describing it as "extending an olive branch to her after all these years, in hopes that we could ultimately get passed what happened so long ago."
She added, "That offer still stands. I would be very happy to meet and talk with her if she would be willing to do the same. Certainly no offense was ever intended."
The voice mail triggered Hill to turn the matter over to the campus Department of Public Safety Monday, which turned it over to the FBI.
Hill told The Times in an interview: "I thought it was certainly inappropriate. It came in at 7:30 a.m. on my office phone from somebody I didn't know, and she is asking for an apology. It was not invited. There was no background for it."
Virginia Thomas has become increasingly more active in Washington's conservative and libertarian political circles. Last year, she founded Liberty Central, with a goal of preserving liberty and citizens' voices. It frequently targets Obama's "tyranny" and strives to affect the 2010 and 2012 elections.
The site states, "Ginni recognized the need for our country to bridge the gap between our nation's citizens and its Capitol and return to a government that adheres to our core Founding Principles — limited government, personal responsibility, individual liberty, free enterprise, and national security."
I'm gong to go waaaaaay out on a limb here and guess three things:
* 1. Hell will freeze over before Anita Hill apologizes to Clarence Thomas.
* 2. Hell will freeze over before Anita Hill meets with Ginni Thomas.
* 3. Ginni Thomas has balls the size of an elephant and is out of her tiny little mind.
Not to offend anyone and no sexism intended, but I have a brief, succinct and under the circumstances totally appropriate response for Mrs. Thomas: "BITCH, PLEASE!"
Where the hell do you get the nerve to call up Anita Hill because you can't get over the fact you married Justice Clarence Superfreak? Some 20 years after the fact and now you're bitching and whining about the fact your hubby is a total loser creep perv? Ginni, baby, fact the facts: Anita told the truth. Uncle Thomas is a lying little shit and you really need to GET OVER IT!
I watched the whole sorry spectacle in 1991 and came away from the sordid, tawdry affair convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Hill told the truth and Thomas lied his ass off.
Doesn't matter though. He got on the Court and he's not going anywhere until they pry the gavel from his cold dead hands.
This is the classic "he said/she said" scenario and we can pick and choose whom to believe. I believe Anita Hill. Many others do not. However, let's recall there were two more women who were ready to speak about being sexually harassed by Thomas, but they were not called to testify before the Judiciary Committee.
Sexual harassment doesn't often occur in the sight of a camera or the sound of a tape recorder. The harasser is usually a bit more discreet
and a lot smarter than to get caught (literally) with their pants down.
I'm sure Anita Hill heard that voice mail, blinked her eyes, rolled her neck and thought, "Why you bringin' up old shit?"
If anybody needs to apologize here, it's your lying ass shit of a husband who needs to crawl over hot coals to Professor Hill and apologize to her. He'd probably like that. Uncle Clarence looks like the submissive type who enjoys a little harmless humiliation now and then.
I do hope that Professor Hill changes her mind and meets with you. And I also hope she pimp-slaps your stupid flat ass back into reality.
Pray on that, you silly, stupid, evil twisted troll.
Read any good books lately (or at all)?
Baby, baby, where did my love go?
Love of reading that is. Everything is cool on the home front.
It has always been a point of pride for us when people came into our home and saw all the books that filled it. Books in bookcases, books on shelves, books under the coffee table. We subscribe to magazines and take the daily newspaper. Everyone in the house has a library card, buys books, and reads books. We are a well-read bunch in the Winbush family. Always have. Always will.
It seems like it's been a while though since I've read for a book for the fun of it. I still read a lot, but it's in bits and pieces of information in bites. It's like snacking. You get something in your belly, but 30 minutes later you're hungry for something more substantial.
One of my personal failings is not reading like I used to. I don't seem to find the time to read for the sake of enjoying reading. But that's a weak excuse. Who doesn't have a busy life? If there's no time to read it's because that time is being spent doing other things. Time isn't found or lost. It's made and I must make time to read.
And by reading I mean reading a book. Not a doggone e-book and not on a Kindle or a Nook. An honest-to-Johanes Gutenberg book. Call me a Luddite but there's still a sublime pleasure to actually holding a book in my hands that a hi-tech substitute doesn't begin to compare to.
With that thought in mind I am reading The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright. A few weeks ago, I was switching away from watching the San Francisco 49ers get the soup beaten out of them and chanced upon Wright's one-man play/documentary "My Trip to Al Qaeda" playing on HBO. A tidbit of Wright's storytelling abilities whetted my appetite and sent me to Barnes & Noble in search of the full course.
It measures up to the cliché: it really is a page turner and leaves you looking forward to picking it up and reading it to the end. I throughly get why it earned rave reviews, best-seller status and a Pulitzer Prize as the ripe, red cherry on top. There has been no shortage of books about 9/11, but and has enriched my knowledge of why Osama bin Laden and his thugs want to kill us so badly (hint: it isn't simply because they hate us for our freedoms, though it plays a key part in their rabid malevolence towards Western society).
This is one of those books that is more than history, it's prophecy. Wright has written a work of non-fiction that reads like a devious mystery novel and detective story. If I wore a hat I'd tip it to him.
This is the kind of writing I aspire to. Not so much to win fancy awards, though I wouldn't turn it down. Writing that makes an impact and leaves an impression. This is the kind of writing that informs even while it entertains and puts the lie to misbeliefs previously believed to be true.
Could I write like that? Maybe. I'd like to think I could if I was willing to put the work in. I've been in a bit of a funk lately about my writing. It just might be one way to get out of it is by enjoying the writings of somebody else.
Good writers have to be good readers and it's time to get back to the basics of putting the "fun" back in the fundamental of reading consistently and purposefully. For goodness sake, I used to write book reviews for money. How did things ever get to the point where I stopped reading for free?
Not in Kansas Anymore with The Trio of OZ
The review of my buddy's Rachel Z.'s new album The Trio of Oz went up today at Allaboutjazz.com so I figured I might as well link it here as well. This is a musical marriage in every sense of the word as Rachel recently married her band mate, Omar Hakim. Congratulations, you crazy kids.
The Trio of Oz
OZmosis Records (2010)
The dilemma for modern jazz artists is how to grab the ears of younger audiences, while remaining respectful of the legacy of Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Louis Armstrong without recycling yet another variation of "So What?" The eclectic and restless musical tastes of drummer Omar Hakim and pianist Rachel Nicolazzo (aka Rachel Z) offer some mighty impressive bait to reel them in, The Trio of Oz's repertoire reading like an hour's worth of college radio station programming. But how to reconcile music from artists including Depeche Mode, Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots with two vets like Z and Hakim, who honed their skills with artists like Weather Report, Wayne Shorter and Steps Ahead?
Quite nicely, since these two masters' résumés also include stints with Dire Straits, Sting and Peter Gabriel, rendering their creation of new ways to splice the seemingly contradictory jazz and rock idioms together into some sort of mutant hybrid—capturing the fun of the latter without compromising the integrity of the former—completely understandable.
When going after a younger demographic, It's best not to pander to them with warmed-over covers of last month's pop hits, already deleted from their iPod; The Trio of Oz demonstrates far more respect for the sensibilities of its target audience. Hakim and Z, along with newcomer, bassist Maeve Royce, have redefined "jazz rock" into an absorbing and stirring hybrid, sans the trappings of cranked up guitars, banks of synthesizers, excessive volume, and piling notes atop each other in an act of sonic overkill.
It's probably no accident the last track, The Police's "King of Pain," is the most familiar to the ears of even the most casual rock listener Written by Hakim's old boss, Sting, it's a lovely, moody ballad delivered here with impeccable taste, as are the improbably named, "Angry Chair" and ominous "I Will Posses Your Heart," by Death Cab for Cutie.
Z says she enjoys playing in trios because she's "greedy," and gets ample opportunity to demonstrate her considerable chops, but she still plays well with others. Hakim is never overly flashy, a tasteful percussionist who never overwhelms with technique when finesse will do. On acoustic bass, Royce is short of the wealth of experience her two compatriots have, but she's a formidable talent with more than a few moments of Ron Carter-like brilliance. When she alternatively caresses and attacks Coldplay's "Lost" with her bow, it's fully understood why she got the job.
Whenever jazz is in danger of becoming safe, static and scared to stray out of its comfort zone, that's when it's in the fast lane to becoming the Muzak for museums naysayers already claim it is. The Trio of Oz strikes that delicate balance between respecting tradition while refusing to be handcuffed by it. There's a lot here, in one of 2010's most brilliant debuts for both purists and pioneers to admire.


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Comics 411 01.29.14: Best Comic Book Hero Origin Edition!
Posted by
Steve Gustafson
on 01.29.2014
Does Batman have the best origin story in comic books? Plus news and thoughts on Aquaman getting a second title, the latest on the
Wolverine & The X-Men
relaunch, a review for
The All-New Invaders
#1 and more!
Welcome back to the
Comics 411
! My name is
Steve Gustafson
and this is a corner of 411mania reserved for those interested in talking comics! As always, I want to thank everyone who took a few minutes to read and comment last week. Check out my interview with Playboy's Miss November,
Gemma Lee Farrell
And away we go...
Marvel.com debuted what will likely be several deleted bonus scenes from
Thor: The Dark World
. In the deleted (or in this case, altered) scene, Thor & Loki 'walk & talk' after Thor springs his brother from the Asgardian prison. In the scene that made the final cut of the film,
Chris Evans
turns in a cameo as Loki transforms into the image of Captain America. But in this bonus original version of scene,
Tom Hiddleston
puts on Cap's uniform and picks up the shield himself. Whether it was filmed this way so that Evans could be added later, or this was the originally intended version will likely be answered on the film's commentary track.
The Best Comic Book Villains Turned Heroes. Lots of feedback on this one. These were the options and results:
Magneto 46.23%
Hawkeye 13.59%
Catwoman 12.41%
Emma Frost 9.6%
Black Widow 6.65%
Dr. Octopus 4.87%
Sinestro 3.84%
Shade 1.92%
Pied Piper 0.89%
No shocker with Magneto taking it. The guy just overshadows any poll he's in. I messed up and had Hawkeye twice in the poll so I just added his numbers together. Who did I skip by accident? I was going to stay mum and say I'd leave that up to you but it was in fact ROGUE! Sorry Rogue fans.
Carlos Grajales:
"Voted for Piper. He was a great villain when he smashed Snuka with the coconut on the head. He also beat up Cindy Lauper and Mr. T. He eventually saw the error in his ways and turned good. Oooooooh yeah!"
Ben Piper :
"I would have voted for Venom had he been in the poll."
"Awesome idea! Its always weird to see where the hero/villain change occurs and how! Here's my top 10, in order. No surprise where my #1 lies though.
HM: Riddler, Scarlet Witch, Kid Omega, Archangel, Magneto, Namor, the Inhumans
10. Banshee
9. Red Hulk
8. Jason Todd (Hero, Villain, Hero)
7. Rogue
6. Quicksilver
5. Catwoman
4. Taskmaster
3. Emma Frost
2. Deadpool
1. Venom
The list really could go on and on!"
"Magneto will rightfully dominate. But I think the poll would have been more interesting had it included Deadpool. He was a "villain" for years."
redhotrash :
"Have been kind of resentful of the Emma Frost turn. After over a decade of being a very cut throat villain, they let her in the team and put her in charge of their students, Then Cyclops marries her after about 5 minutes and they are writing her as a telepath on Xavier's level. My vote goes with Sinestro. By the way, 411 Comics needs its own section. Right where the doomed politics section used to be."
"Also, went with Sinestro. Hes one of those guys who was just destined to be a villain. I mean his name is Sinestro. So you're a rookie from earth, joining the Lanterns, and they tell you the partner you're assigned to is a dude named Sinestro. Some people were just born into their roles. Like Victor Von Doom. How else could he have turned out? Dr. Stephen Strange beat the odds. Still, all Sinestro needs to do to be embraced by the hero community is shave, Never has a hero had a mustache like that."
"Had to vote Emma Frost just based on her outfits, or lack thereof...Also nominate Songbird as a write-in candidate..."
"Personally, it's Venom: Lethal Protector. But, Eddie Brock Venom was my favorite Marvel character."
null2099 :
"I'm not sure it will count, but I would like to nominate Doctor Doom. Without changing his personality at all, Doom 2099 was epic. Doom in the past wanting to conquer the world because he thought he could rule it better was villain. Doom in 2099 compared to the mega-corporations, and he could run it better, so a hero. I'm actually starting to think that he could run the world better than it is being run right now even."
His Bubbliness:
"No Rogue as an option?"
"Venom for my vote"
"Can't say I'm surprised to see Magneto with so many votes, but I couldn't choose him. Just as @Jeremy Thomas:disqus said, Emma Frost's transition from a villain as a member of the Hellfire Club to becoming a leader of the X-Men and everything in between was interesting and believable."
Jeremy Thomas:
"Venom is a really good one (the Agent Venom storyline is well-plotted out), but Emma Frost takes it for me. Magneto went back and forth too many times while Emma did the believable face turn by not really changing her personality drastically but having a believable transition from one side to the other."
"Would Winter Soldier count as a good heel-to-face turn? He was pretty much brainwashed into being evil, so I can see how he might not count."
KipSmithers :
"Wasn't Wonder Man a villian?"
Thanks for your input. Some cool stuff last week. This week we turn our eyes to a comic book heroes origins. From Wolverine and Superman to Batman and Captain America, everyone has traveled a different path to fighting the good fight. But who has the Best Origin to you? I picked 10 but I know you'll have your opinion! Vote and comment below!
Best Comic Book Origin
In April, DC's ongoing
comic will get a spin-off title, capitalizing on the recently introduced, fan-favorite superhero team, The Others.
Aquaman and the Others
will be written by
Dan Jurgens
, the writer/artist who's been active in the New 52 universe since it launched in 2011. With this latest project, Jurgens will be working with
Lan Medina
to explore the mysterious mythology of the Others — and the mystery behind the Atlantean artifacts that give them power.
Newsarama talked with Jurgens and here are the highlights:
On a second Aquaman series:
"Why not?
Geoff Johns
did a great job reshaping Aquaman in the New 52. In his very first issue, Geoff took on the topic of Aquaman being a bit of a lightweight character head on. Aquaman is now more dynamic and interesting than ever before. On top of that, The Others are a very interesting group of individuals who will be part of all that."
On the premise of the series:
"These characters come from a variety of backgrounds and geographical areas. It's the story of a disparate group of people trying to establish common goals and interests when there would appear to be none, set against a background of global intrigue and mystery."
On how the team works together:
"In some cases, it might be more common for them not to work together. They don't have a clubhouse. They don't have a satellite. What each of them does have is an Atlantean relic that comes with power. The past of those relics is a bit of a mystery as well, and we'll delve into that. They aren't necessarily the best of friends. Ya'Wara and Aquaman appear to share something of a past, while much of what the Operative has done in the past is still secret. There is inherent conflict within the team, which is something they must overcome.
Do you think Aquaman will be able to carry two series?
Wolverine & The X-Men
relaunches in March and
Jason Latour
Mahmud Asrar
promise an eventful summer! Newsarama spoke with Asrar about his enrollment as the school and the series' regular artist. Asrar, who made a name for himself recently with work on
Ultimate X-Men
. Check out the highlights:
On what to expect with the relaunch of
Wolverine & The X-Men
"When it comes to superhero books what I want to do always is have some genuine fun and deep character moments so the reader feels a connection to the characters while being entertained. I can safely say we're bringing that to this book. Jason is as good with the keyboard as he is with his pencil so I can safely say there'll be a lot of fun. We have some huge players in our team in the form of Quentin and Evan. So we'll see some important things relating to them. Also Wolverine is not going through the best time in his life which means there's even more pressure on him than you can imagine. Maybe more than he can bear, which in turn affects the role of Storm and the other school staff. We're also bringing into play a new villain which I simply can't wait to draw. Not to mention the other antagonists we have lined up."
On handling such a large cast and making them all count:
"I'm always up for a challenge so this was a welcome change after Supergirl and Indestructible Hulk which were basically single character books. However, honestly I don't think I knew what I was getting into with this one with the sheer amount of characters in the school. It is working out nicely though. The more I work on the book the more I get used to the cast. One thing I found out with my time in comics is that people care about even the most obscure character. So I try to pay attention and not be lazy on any of them. This does mean that it takes much longer to draw a page than normal."
Did you see this story kick up this past week? Seem the Powerpuff Girls cover became controversial when retailer
Dennis Barger, Jr.
posted an image of it on Facebook and questioned how it seemed to sexualize children's characters. This led to a series of outburst across every social media platform and IDW Publishing had to confirm the cover will not see print. A new variant cover will replace it and retailers will have an opportunity to adjust their orders when the new cover is revealed.
Powerpuff Girls
#6 will be released in February
Mimi Yoon
, creator of the controversial variant cover to
Powerpuff Girls
#6, has issued a statement on her Facebook page in response to Cartoon Network's decision to pull the cover from publication:
"i've been keeping quiet because of my respect for the other parties involved, but i feel it's about time i say something.
my objective was to illustrate modern, pop cultured, SASSY (not sexy), and humanized Powerpuff Girls who have just beaten the crime lord and have him on the ground. yes, the girls are wearing latex costumes… SO?!?!?! don't all superpowered heroes wear latex?
unfortunately, the comic book will never make it to the stores… yes, i'm truely disappointed… because a perverted mind decided to see in this image what his dirty mind has conjured up, and barked loud enough. worse, he brought up kids and used protecting kids and kids' perspective in his reasoning/excuse. does he think kids are dumber than him?
huge apologies to those who have been waiting… there's nothing i can do.
also sorry to those who's been asking to buy prints of it… i'm not allowed to make prints of it. the characters belong to CN.
What do you think about all of this?
Fantastic Four!
Here's a look at an upcoming Fantastic Four variant cover. Is it just me or does this look very much like
The Incredibles
? Maybe Disney is rubbing off on Marvel more than we think!
want to be a reviewer for
? Send me an email at email@example.com to find out how! Take it away,
All New Invaders #1
By RobF
The Original Human Torch. Captain America. Namor the Sub-Mariner. Bucky (now the Winter Soldier). The original Invaders (sans Toro) have reunited to face not a bunch of Nazis but a cosmic threat. Can one of the world's oldest super-team become relevant in today's world? The reunited
James Robinson/Steve Pugh
team is here to find out.
Issue #1 is a continuation of the story that began in the All-New Marvel NOW Point One book. If you haven't read that issue, you'll be at a major disadvantage here. We learn that the Kree Empire is on the hunt for some sort of weapon called The God's Whisper that the Invaders had broken up and hidden a long time ago. But before they can find the pieces, they must find the members of the team that have long since dispersed. The first one on the list is Jim Hammond AKA the original Human Torch, who has traded in the spotlight that comes from being a hero for a small town life. Giving the spotlight to Hammond is a smart move for he is the least known of the 4 Invaders. It will be interesting to see if any of the others Invaders like Spitfire or Union Jack will be appearing in these pages.
The artwork, by Steve Pugh, is not a favorite of mine. In one scene Captain America's shield looks oddly large and Namor looks strange in another. He does much better with the action scenes. The colorist does a tremendous job creating some effects with fire that make Jim Hammond look incredibly powerful and full of energy.
#1 is a good story with some potential. James Robinson has an outstanding track record and even though there is no clear connection to the rest of the Marvel Universe I think he will make it work.
Before I say GOODBYE!
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29th July 2012
The Speechless Radio - Coming Home
New video!! If I made five clones of myself and we all made a band, it would be a lot like this. "Coming Home" is from my new album Made of Wood: http://thespeechlessradio.bandcamp.com/album/made-of-wood
Tagged: the speechless radiomade of woodclones
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A Community prayer vigil will be held at Community Clubhouse in Crisp County on Sunday, September 14,2014 at 7pm.
April 14, 2008
Albany -- The Dougherty County Commission Chairman will not run for State Senate. Jeff Sinyard says he decided not to run for the District 12 seat so he can focus on his business and family.
He also said there are too many things he wants to accomplish in Dougherty County. Sinyard started to consider running for the position last fall, and said that saying no to the opportunity has been very painful.
"Ever since I've been involved in politics for 20 years my goal was to represent the folks of Southwest Georgia in Atlanta. So this has been very difficult because that is something I'd really like to do," said Dougherty County Commission Chairman, Jeff Sinyard.
State Senate Minority Leader Michael Meyer Von Bremen has held the position for 10-years, but is not running for re-election. He is running for a seat on the Georgia Court of Appeals.
Several potential candidates have said they are considering running for the Senate seat, but only former state representative John White has formally announced his candidacy.
feedback: firstname.lastname@example.com?Subject=District12/DR
P.O. Box 3130
Albany, GA 31706
(229) 446-1010
FCC Public File
(229) 446-4005
EEO Report
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From Proteopedia
|1h1w, resolution 2.00Å ()
|, ,
|Non-Standard Residues:
|Non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase, with EC number 18.104.22.168
|FirstGlance, OCA, RCSB, PDBsum
|save as pdb, mmCIF, xml
3-phosphoinositide dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) plays a key role in regulating signalling pathways by activating AGC kinases such as PKB/Akt and S6K. Here we describe the 2.0 A crystal structure of the PDK1 kinase domain in complex with ATP. The structure defines the hydrophobic pocket termed the "PIF-pocket", which plays a key role in mediating the interaction and phosphorylation of certain substrates such as S6K1. Phosphorylation of S6K1 at its C-terminal PIF-pocket-interacting motif promotes the binding of S6K1 with PDK1. In the PDK1 structure, this pocket is occupied by a crystallographic contact with another molecule of PDK1. Interestingly, close to the PIF-pocket in PDK1, there is an ordered sulfate ion, interacting tightly with four surrounding side chains. The roles of these residues were investigated through a combination of site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic studies, the results of which confirm that this region of PDK1 represents a phosphate-dependent docking site. We discuss the possibility that an analogous phosphate-binding regulatory motif may participate in the activation of other AGC kinases. Furthermore, the structure of PDK1 provides a scaffold for the design of specific PDK1 inhibitors.
High resolution crystal structure of the human PDK1 catalytic domain defines the regulatory phosphopeptide docking site., Biondi RM, Komander D, Thomas CC, Lizcano JM, Deak M, Alessi DR, van Aalten DM, EMBO J. 2002 Aug 15;21(16):4219-28. PMID:12169624
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
[PDPK1_HUMAN] Serine/threonine kinase which acts as a master kinase, phosphorylating and activating a subgroup of the AGC family of protein kinases. Its targets include: protein kinase B (PKB/AKT1, PKB/AKT2, PKB/AKT3), p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (RPS6KB1), p90 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (RPS6KA1, RPS6KA2 and RPS6KA3), cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PRKACA), protein kinase C (PRKCD and PRKCZ), serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase (SGK1, SGK2 and SGK3), p21-activated kinase-1 (PAK1), protein kinase PKN (PKN1 and PKN2). Plays a central role in the transduction of signals from insulin by providing the activating phosphorylation to PKB/AKT1, thus propagating the signal to downstream targets controlling cell proliferation and survival, as well as glucose and amino acid uptake and storage. Negatively regulates the TGF-beta-induced signaling by: modulating the association of SMAD3 and SMAD7 with TGF-beta receptor, phosphorylating SMAD2, SMAD3, SMAD4 and SMAD7, preventing the nuclear translocation of SMAD3 and SMAD4 and the translocation of SMAD7 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in response to TGF-beta. Activates PPARG transcriptional activity and promotes adipocyte differentiation. Activates the NF-kappa-B pathway via phosphorylation of IKKB. The tyrosine phosphorylated form is crucial for the regulation of focal adhesions by angiotensin II. Controls proliferation, survival, and growth of developing pancreatic cells. Participates in the regulation of Ca(2+) entry and Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels of mast cells. Essential for the motility of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and is involved in the regulation of their chemotaxis. Plays a critical role in cardiac homeostasis by serving as a dual effector for cell survival and beta-adrenergic response. Plays an important role during thymocyte development by regulating the expression of key nutrient receptors on the surface of pre-T cells and mediating Notch-induced cell growth and proliferative responses. Provides negative feedback inhibition to toll-like receptor-mediated NF-kappa-B activation in macrophages. Isoform 3 is catalytically inactive.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
About this Structure
1h1w is a 1 chain structure with sequence from Homo sapiens. Full crystallographic information is available from OCA.
See Also
- Biondi RM, Komander D, Thomas CC, Lizcano JM, Deak M, Alessi DR, van Aalten DM. High resolution crystal structure of the human PDK1 catalytic domain defines the regulatory phosphopeptide docking site. EMBO J. 2002 Aug 15;21(16):4219-28. PMID:12169624
- ↑ Alessi DR, James SR, Downes CP, Holmes AB, Gaffney PR, Reese CB, Cohen P. Characterization of a 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase which phosphorylates and activates protein kinase Balpha. Curr Biol. 1997 Apr 1;7(4):261-9. PMID:9094314
- ↑ Chou MM, Hou W, Johnson J, Graham LK, Lee MH, Chen CS, Newton AC, Schaffhausen BS, Toker A. Regulation of protein kinase C zeta by PI 3-kinase and PDK-1. Curr Biol. 1998 Sep 24;8(19):1069-77. PMID:9768361
- ↑ Cheng X, Ma Y, Moore M, Hemmings BA, Taylor SS. Phosphorylation and activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase by phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Aug 18;95(17):9849-54. PMID:9707564
- ↑ Pullen N, Dennis PB, Andjelkovic M, Dufner A, Kozma SC, Hemmings BA, Thomas G. Phosphorylation and activation of p70s6k by PDK1. Science. 1998 Jan 30;279(5351):707-10. PMID:9445476
- ↑ Jensen CJ, Buch MB, Krag TO, Hemmings BA, Gammeltoft S, Frodin M. 90-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase is phosphorylated and activated by 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1. J Biol Chem. 1999 Sep 17;274(38):27168-76. PMID:10480933
- ↑ King CC, Gardiner EM, Zenke FT, Bohl BP, Newton AC, Hemmings BA, Bokoch GM. p21-activated kinase (PAK1) is phosphorylated and activated by 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1). J Biol Chem. 2000 Dec 29;275(52):41201-9. PMID:10995762 doi:10.1074/jbc.M006553200
- ↑ Scheid MP, Marignani PA, Woodgett JR. Multiple phosphoinositide 3-kinase-dependent steps in activation of protein kinase B. Mol Cell Biol. 2002 Sep;22(17):6247-60. PMID:12167717
- ↑ Taniyama Y, Weber DS, Rocic P, Hilenski L, Akers ML, Park J, Hemmings BA, Alexander RW, Griendling KK. Pyk2- and Src-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of PDK1 regulates focal adhesions. Mol Cell Biol. 2003 Nov;23(22):8019-29. PMID:14585963
- ↑ Nilsen T, Slagsvold T, Skjerpen CS, Brech A, Stenmark H, Olsnes S. Peroxisomal targeting as a tool for assaying potein-protein interactions in the living cell: cytokine-independent survival kinase (CISK) binds PDK-1 in vivo in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. J Biol Chem. 2004 Feb 6;279(6):4794-801. Epub 2003 Nov 6. PMID:14604990 doi:10.1074/jbc.M309653200
- ↑ Balendran A, Casamayor A, Deak M, Paterson A, Gaffney P, Currie R, Downes CP, Alessi DR. PDK1 acquires PDK2 activity in the presence of a synthetic peptide derived from the carboxyl terminus of PRK2. Curr Biol. 1999 Apr 22;9(8):393-404. PMID:10226025
- ↑ Tanaka H, Fujita N, Tsuruo T. 3-Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1-mediated IkappaB kinase beta (IkkB) phosphorylation activates NF-kappaB signaling. J Biol Chem. 2005 Dec 9;280(49):40965-73. Epub 2005 Oct 5. PMID:16207722 doi:10.1074/jbc.M506235200
- ↑ Seong HA, Jung H, Choi HS, Kim KT, Ha H. Regulation of transforming growth factor-beta signaling and PDK1 kinase activity by physical interaction between PDK1 and serine-threonine kinase receptor-associated protein. J Biol Chem. 2005 Dec 30;280(52):42897-908. Epub 2005 Oct 26. PMID:16251192 doi:10.1074/jbc.M507539200
- ↑ Seong HA, Jung H, Kim KT, Ha H. 3-Phosphoinositide-dependent PDK1 negatively regulates transforming growth factor-beta-induced signaling in a kinase-dependent manner through physical interaction with Smad proteins. J Biol Chem. 2007 Apr 20;282(16):12272-89. Epub 2007 Feb 27. PMID:17327236 doi:10.1074/jbc.M609279200
- ↑ Primo L, di Blasio L, Roca C, Droetto S, Piva R, Schaffhausen B, Bussolino F. Essential role of PDK1 in regulating endothelial cell migration. J Cell Biol. 2007 Mar 26;176(7):1035-47. Epub 2007 Mar 19. PMID:17371830 doi:10.1083/jcb.200607053
- ↑ Lim WG, Chen X, Liu JP, Tan BJ, Zhou S, Smith A, Lees N, Hou L, Gu F, Yu XY, Du Y, Smith D, Verma C, Liu K, Duan W. The C-terminus of PRK2/PKNgamma is required for optimal activation by RhoA in a GTP-dependent manner. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2008 Nov 15;479(2):170-8. doi: 10.1016/j.abb.2008.09.008., Epub 2008 Sep 22. PMID:18835241 doi:10.1016/j.abb.2008.09.008
Proteopedia Page Contributors and Editors (what is this?)
Categories: Homo sapiens | Non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase | Aalten, D M.F Van. | Alessi, D R. | Biondi, R M. | Deak, M. | Komander, D. | Lizcano, J M. | Thomas, C C. | Agc kinase activation | Atp-binding | Phosphoinositide dependent protein kinase | Pi3-kinase signalling | Pif-pocket | Pka | Serine/threonine-protein kinase | Transferase


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Gradients & Shadows
Visual enhancements to add subtle depth and character
The UofL brand is primarily clean and crisp. However, there are instances where the use of gradients is beneficial. Below are several suggestions for using gradients effectively in web design:
- Subtlety is key. Color transitions should be slight and elegant. Large tonal shifts are distracting. Example: Red to black is too dramatic a shift. Consider using a dark red (660000) to the UofL Red (AD0000) instead.
- Matching directions. Do not mix radial and linear gradients unless you know what you're doing, as gradients should be used to mimic real-life lighting situations.
- Highlight, not distract. Gradients should be used to draw the viewer's eye inward to a certain object. Gradient use should never be distracting or confuse the viewer's eye.
- When in doubt, don't. Correct use of gradation is difficult and when done poorly reflects negatively on the university. Consider using flat colors if you are unsure of how to handle gradients properly.
The UofL Homepage shows how a barely noticeable radial gradient can help lead the eye toward a particular area of the design.
Shadows (behind text or shapes) are another effective way of creating the illusion of depth on the web. Much like gradients, use of shadows is difficult to achieve correctly. Below are several suggestions for using gradients effectively in web design:
- Careful with color. When placing shadows behind text, consider using a slightly darker color of the background from which you're trying to separate the text. The default black shadow color can often be too harsh.
- The busier the background, the better the justification for using shadows. Since shadows visually separate "layers" of a design, consider only using text shadows behind text that is overlaid on patterns, gradients or photographs.
- Watch your global light. Mixing multiple drop shadows in a design can be difficult. Since shadows mimic real-world lighting situations, make sure you have an idea of where your virtual light source(s) originates so that you can coordinate shadows behind multiple objects and create a realistic shadow situation.
Subtle text shadows and drop shadows on shapes combine to create depth without being distracting or attention-grabbing.
CSS or Image?
Creating gradients and drop shadows can be achieved by way of multiple methods. However, using CSS to achieve these visual effects is more effective and preferred.
Image-based effects add unnecessary size and download time to every page. Consider mobile users and those on slower connections; use CSS properties and browser-friendly markup to achieve the same effect in a lighter, smarter way.


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|HAL : hal-00691955, version 1
|PubMed : 21566564
|DOI : 10.1038/oby.2011.116
|Fiche concise
|Récupérer au format
|Urinary C-peptide is not an accurate bioindicator of energy balance in humans.
Bergouignan A., Habold C., Rudwill F., Gauquelin-Koch G., Normand S. et al
Obesity 20, 3 (2012) 683-688 - http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00691955
|Domaine :
|Titre :
|Urinary C-peptide is not an accurate bioindicator of energy balance in humans.
|Auteur(s) :
|Audrey Bergouignan1, 2Caroline Habold1Floriane Rudwill1Guillemette Gauquelin-Koch3Sylvie Normand4Chantal Simon5Stéphane Blanc1
|Laboratoire :
|Résumé :
|The apprehension of the factors that affect long term regulation of energy balance is indispensable to understand the rise in obesity prevalence as well as to delineate levers to prevent it. Accurate measurements of energy balance are however challenging during free-living conditions. Recent studies proposed urinary C-peptide, a metabolic byproduct of insulin synthesis, as reliable noninvasive assessment of energy balance. These studies were in fact essentially based on correlations between urinary C-peptide and energy intake and only focused on nonhuman primates. During a bed-rest study conducted in 16 healthy women in a controlled environment, we tested the existence of a relationship between 24 h-urinary C-peptide and energy balance in humans. Daily energy intake and body mass, body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)) and total energy expenditure (doubly labeled water (DLW) method) was measured and energy balance was calculated as the difference between energy intake and expenditure. Urinary C-peptide was positively correlated with bed-rest-induced changes in fat mass (r(2) = 0.285; P = 0.03) and energy balance assessed at the end of the bed-rest (r(2) = 0.302; P = 0.027). However, in this tightly controlled environment, urinary C-peptide only accounted for 30% of variations in energy balance. No relationship was noted between urinary C-peptide and body or fat mass both at baseline and at the end of the bed-rest. These results indicate that urinary C-peptide cannot be used as an accurate biomarker of energy balance in the general human population in free-living conditions.
|Langue du texte
intégral :
|Journal :
|Audience :
|Type de publication :
|Articles dans des revues avec comité de lecture
|Date de publication :
|Date de publication
électronique :
|Volume :
|Numéro :
|Page, identifiant, ... :
|hal-00691955, version 1
|Contributeur : Brigitte Gaillard
|Soumis le : Vendredi 27 Avril 2012, 14:38:12
|Dernière modification le : Vendredi 27 Avril 2012, 14:38:12


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For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 136:26
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Six local charities and organizations in the Lemay and community received a total of $1.7 million to improve the area. The recipients were announced Tuesday night at the Jefferson Barracks Visitors Center in front of more than 200 people.
County Executive Charlie Dooley, County Councilman Steve Stenger and representatives from the Port Authority and St. Louis County Economic Council presented the awards to the groups, charged with using the funds to significantly change the streetscape in the area.
The grants are the third round administered by the Port Authority, an affiliate of the St. Louis County Economic Council. The funds stem from the Port Authority Community Reinvestment Fund, created by revenue from the land lease of Pinnacle Entertainment's River City Casino.
For the first five years of its lease, the Port Authority pledges to reinvest 75 percent of River City's monthly $333,333 lease payments to the Lemay community. The Port Authority gives out the grants to organizations in need of funds for specific projects.
More than $20 million will be generated over the next five years and given to organizations that need a last push of funding for their projects.
The received $150,000 to restore the last boarded-up, derelict building surrounding the parade grounds at Jefferson Barracks.
Gary Stevens and a group of Civil War buffs started the restoration efforts for the museum more than seven years ago.
The group will convert the building next to it into a Missouri Civil War Studies Center. This project follows the restoration and creation of the Missouri Civil War Museum, . The studies center is set to open 12-18 months after the museum's projected opening this winter.
"People can come in to learn and research," he said. "It'll be a nice compliment to the museum."
Stevens said the group has already gotten inquiries from authors and filmmakers because of their significant collection of materials. Over the years, they've collected materials, documents, books and photos.
A South County family donated a Confederate surgeon's trunk to the organization, which contained currency and letters to the soldier's family back home.
The letters revealed the surgeon's journey and eventual death.
"That was an amazing find," Stevens said. "It's both happy and sad to discover, but now his story is out there."
The building – formerly the 1918 Jefferson Barracks Post Exchange Building- needs to be restored and designed to fit the collection of books and artifacts. The roof, windows and doors will be redone.
"We look forward to sharing it with the area and the rest of Missouri," Stevens said.
Also in Jefferson Barracks, the American Legion Post 15 received $250,000 to build a memorial after discovering lost artifacts.
Fifteen years ago, Frank "Skip" Berger made in the lower level of Soldiers' Memorial in downtown St. Louis.
Fifteen unmarked barrels filled with 752 cast bronze disks stood in the dust. Each disk bore the name and military information of a St. Louis service member who lost his or her life while serving in World War I. The serendipitous find began a chain reaction of activity that would impress even professional historians.
Berger and his fellow soldiers at the Rollo-Calcaterra American Legion Post 15 immediately began researching the disks and learned the markers, cast at a local foundry in the 1920s, were commissioned by the American Gold Star Mothers, a group who wished to honor their fallen sons and daughters.
The post will use the money to construct a Court of Honor Memorial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
"This is unreal," Berger said at the presentation ceremony. "This was a local monument that was discarded, and now (we're) putting it on federal property."
Other grant recipients include:Organization Grant Amount Purpose Lemay Housing Partnership $780,000 The LHP repaired more than 30 homes last year for the elderly and impoverished families. They will use this year's funds to expand and help 50 homes, increasing their community development work. Lemay Housing Partnership and the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri $18,500 This partnership was formed to provide civil legal assistance to low-income individuals in Lemay. The two organizations will also host workshops to teach residents about home ownership and its responsiblilities. Mid-East Area Agency on Aging $500,000 An organization that provides Meals on Wheels, hot meals and activities for seniors, the MEAAA operates the South County Senior Center on Gentry Avenue. The group will use the funds to purchase a new space for the senior center and triple its capacity and size. South County Economic Improvement Group $30,000 The improvement group will use the funds for a beautification project at the intersection of Interstate 255 and Telegraph Road. The group considers that intersection to be the main corridor to Lemay and into Missouri. They'll plant wild flowers and clean up the area.
Check back tomorrow for more of Lemay's improvement projects.


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Wednesday, 9 November 2011
21st Century Technology
I'm still getting used to blogging I've been thinking all week what to write to you, what questions to ask, what arguements to have and decided just to write something, ask a question and try to argue. As much as I don't like to argue I have to admit that how technology should be used in technology is a controversial subject don't you agree?
There are so many positive influences that technology can have in schools and whether we like it or not this is the start of the 21st century and we should be taking confident steps forward in the transformation of education not holding on to the 'safe' methods in teaching and learning, we should try out some new ones... we might just find out that we can create a first class education system for children and educationalists.
I like to buy the Times Education Supplement on a Friday (£1.70) I have found quite a lot of articles in the TesPro section of the paper recently that relate to technology in education. If this is something that interests you then I suggest you definately have a look! One of the areas mentioned recently is whether handwriting in schools is necessary for children anymore? With all of technology thats available for them is their handwriting really that important? what do you think?
I think it is, I think it's important for children to have pride in their work all the time and if they're not proud of their writing how are they going to feel when they make a note on a piece of work? will they hide what they're writing because they don't want anyone to read it or just not make a note at all? what happens when there's a birthday or special occasion and they want to write in a card or send someone a letter? will it be 'cool' in ten years time to not write neatly or spell things properly?
what I would most like your opinion on is what affect you think technology will have on education in the 21st century?
I look very much forward to reading your comments,
Rose-marie :)
6 comments:
Good start on your blog Rose-Marie. I like the look and feel of your layout, and the way you have phrased your question is hopefully going to attract some readers and commentators. Well done.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10 November 2011 14:22
I grew up with very strict handwriting lessons and value my writing now, My little brother is incredibly dyslexic was not given any handwriting lessons and has awful handwriting now and is very aware of it so types everything.ReplyDelete
In my opinion it is incredibly important for schools to give handwriting lessons and not just incourage children and teenagers to type everything because there will come a time when they will need to write a piece of text whatever that may be and their not going to have the appropriate written skills to do it.
Handwriting is an absolute must, its one of the first things that we should be taught and we shouldn't feel like we need to turn to technology.
i agree with you, i think it's important for schools to get the right balance.ReplyDelete
technology is an important educational tool but handwriting should be important as well.
assistive technology (http://www.slideshare.net/disneyqueenjo/learning-through-the-use-of-assistive-technology)creates so many opportunities for children and helps them gain independence but nobody should every become dependant on technology.
thank you for your comment :)
Hi Rose-Marie. Thanks for the plug to my link.ReplyDelete
For my daughter and I, handwriting is incredibly important, and I feel the school have the right balance with her learning. She has incentives to learn to write neatly and clearly; such as getting a 'pen licence' when her pencil writing is good enough.
However, for my autistic son, he finds the concept and reality of handwriting a hugely difficult task, yet he can word process with ease. He'll knock out a page of A4 text complete with punctuation and correct use of spelling and capitals etc. no problem. But ask him to write - and he withdraws and struggles.
Utilising the technology is a fabulous way of including him in activities he would otherwise struggle with.
Hey Jo, that's okay I thought some people reading might want to find out a little bit more about assistive technologies and seeming as you so kindly shared your presentation on slideshare.net i was able to include the link.ReplyDelete
Thank you for your comment it is good to hear your thoughts on your children's and your experiences. You have pointed out that the use of technology in education is important and should be supported.
Thank you.
Interesting topic Rose-Marie, it is worth considering if incorporating all this technology means learners lose certain skills and abilities, i.e. writing, in gaining new ones. In our ever-evolving digital world, is this change inevitable - will we eventually lose the ability to write?ReplyDelete
If you have something to add please do, I like to hear what you have to say and I'm happy for you to correct me if you'd like to.


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There are so many different methods used for creating Studio reverb. Room tracks and chambers are acoustic sources of reverb, springs and plates give us reverb mechanically, but we're not done, there are digital ways too. Digital reverbs come in two forms, algorithmic reverb, which is the type of reverb plug-in in your DAW. And convolution, which takes advantage of the ever-growing power of CPUs to bring us another form of digital reverb. You'll hear examples of these types of reverbs throughout this course.
We'll take them in order, in an earlier movie we saw how reverb comes from countless room reflections that follow any sound made in a room. In fact, those reflections that make up reverberation could be created in your DAW using a bunch of delays. One of the first digital reverbs ever was created in 1962 by a clever chap named Manfred Schroeter working at Bell Labs and he used just six delays. Today's digital reverbs of course use many, many more.
Algorithmic digital reverbs are simply tricked out digital delay lines. The high-end outboard digital reverbs from Bert Caskey, Lexicon, TC Electronic, and Yamaha use algorithms consisting of very elaborate networks of interconnected, re-circulating, modulating, and filter delays. Many, many different digital delays are combined--intertwined really--so that the sound that goes in is sustained and repeated in a richly complex pattern, very much inspired by room acoustics.
What a Concert Hall does with countless reflecting surfaces and algorithmic reverb can do with a large, but finite number of delay lines. The number of delays within the delay time settings of each, the way they're connected to each other feeding back and feeding forward with their delay times modulated, their phase shifted, their spectral content manipulated, built of process delays, multiple process delays and algorithmic reverb is a complex digital system that resonates, the signal goes in and lingers and fades.
The sound quality of this kind of digital reverb depends very much on the skills of the engineers who design and write the code and seems to be directly proportional to the digital algorithms complexity. So these reverbs are greedy users of hardware needed to do all the calculations. Outboard digital reverbs have hardware dedicated to the task. Plug-in reverbs, especially the best sounding plug-ins, will gobble up a significant share of your DAW's system resources. There are great sounding plug in reverbs for sure, but you'll do well to have a very fast multi-core CPU with quite a big chunk of RAM to handle them.
Memory and calculation intense, algorithmic reverb is one of the most important places to consider reaching for a dedicated outboard unit. Convolution offers an alternative digital approach to the algorithmic reverb. This curious word convolution simply refers to a very specific mathematical operation. Leveraging that kind of math lets us take the impulse response of a room and apply it to any audio track we have. Again, as reverb is in essence that almost indescribable, complicated, organic pattern of decaying reflections from all the room surfaces, all we need is a way to find the necessary pattern of delays and apply them to our audio.
This is done by sending an impulse into the room, a simple single instantaneous spike of energy, a perfect click, and recording the resulting pattern of spikes that follow. This recorded response of the reverberant room as it reacts to a simple spike gives us all the data we need to apply the room's response to any other signal, your vocal track, your snare, your ukulele. Convolution reverb is driven then by a library of impulse responses, those recordings of how space is reacted to an impulse.
The impulse response might be a hall in Japan, while your track is a close miked vocal from your bedroom. Convolve your vocal track with this impulse response and your listeners will hear your vocalist sonically transported to a space you may never have been. Convolution is a relatively new tool in audio, not because the idea is new, it isn't, but because it's very computationally intense. Convolution didn't really become viable in the studio environment until CPUs became multi-core, clock speed broke through the gigahertz range, and RAM started being sold by the gigabyte.
We're lucky to be alive in audio today, because such capability is readily available. Convolution joins algorithmic to give all of us two very powerful choices for creating studio reverb digitally.
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