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One of the most inpired albums to garner wide spread praise in 2008 was produced by the Seattle-based band Fleet Foxes. Combining soaring vocal harmonies with catchy, folk-pop in the vein of My Morning Jacket and Crosby Stills and Nash, this five-piece group put together one of the most infectious records of the year. These songs will stay with you, echoing throughout your head for hours after you've stopped listening.
Regardless of her troubled lifestyle Amy Winehouse has an amazing voice. Her voice has power and strength with a bluesy, jazzy quality that comes unexpectedly from her smallish frame. When I hear her sing songs from Back to Black or Frank I relate her personal trials with Billie Holiday's and hope she won't continue to say no to Rehab. I hope instead she will go.
I've been collecting "Best of 2008" music lists from various magazines including Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, Spin, and Entertainment Weekly over the past couple of weeks to see how my list compares. The one CD that has been on most Top Ten lists, but not on mine, is TV on the Radio's Dear Science. So I decided to give it another listen and although the album is beginning to grow on me it still would not make my Top Ten.
7. The Mountain Goats, Heretic Pride - John Darnielle is one of the best songwriters in music. He consistently crafts songs about characters struggling with very heavy topics. This CD takes a look at religion. Best Tracks - "Sax Rohmer #1," "San Bernardino," "Lovecraft in Brooklyn"
6. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago - Justin Vernon spent a winter in Wisconsin, holed up in a cabin to record this amazing debut CD. His voice sounds like a blustery wind and his lyrics stir up feelings of a broken world. Best Tracks - "Skinny Love," "Flume," "The Wolves (Act I and II)"
5. Nada Surf, Lucky - For most of the year I was claiming that the newest CD from the NYC trio was my very favorite. At first I didn't think it was anything special, but the more it kept popping up on the iPod, the more I became a believer. Lucky is filled with catchy power pop, perfect for the weekend. Best Tracks - "I Like What You Say," "See These Bones," "Beautiful Beat," "Weightless"
I was introduced to the music of John Legend earlier this year in a strange, coincidental manner. My brother was telling me about him and then just minutes later, he came on a Pandora station I was listening to. Strange. But it was definitely a meant-to-be connection because, since then, I've grown to love the music of John Legend. His newest tune, "Green Light" is featured in a recent televison commerical. He has performed with such talent as John Mayer and Corinne Bailey-Rae. It is no wonder that he is the holder of five Grammy Awards. Check out his albums Evolver, Once Again, and Get Lifted. They are filled with remnants of the 70s, echoes of rap, and touches of soul.
I am a music junkie. This past year I was forced to purchase a 500 GB external hard drive to store the thousands of CDs in my collection. Over the past 12 months, I have listened to over 160 CDs. It was tough, but I have whittled that list down to my Top Ten CDs of 2008.
The year 2008 was a strange year for music. Overall it was much weaker than 2007 but filled with strong debut efforts. Below are three that occupy the bottom of the list.
10. R.E.M., Accelerate - After the three previous less than mediocre CDs, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, and Mike Mills came close to reclaiming their title as indie rock Kings. Best Tracks: "Supernatural Superserious," "Mr. Richards," "I'm Going to D.J."
9. Kaiser Chiefs, Off With Their Heads - The third CD from this band from Leeds, England is Brit pop at its finest. Grammy winning producer Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen) has helped the boys craft a winner. Best Tracks: "Never Miss A Beat," "Addicted to Drugs," "Good Days, Bad Days"
8. Ra Ra Riot, The Rhumb Line - What happens when you add a string section to a indie pop band? In the case of Ra Ra Riot you get pretty sweet music filled with intelligent lyrics. Tragically the original drummer of the band died while working on this record. This is the first of five debut CDs in the Top Ten. Best Tracks: "Dying is Fine," "Can You Tell," "Ghost Under Rocks"
Admittedly, I don't often locate myself in the choral music section of a store. However, after having attended the annual holiday concert hosted by the First Presbyterian Church and performed by WMU's award-winning University Chorale singers, my appreciation for this deeply calming and ethereal form of music has been greatly expanded. A perfect compliment to emptied, commercial holiday music, take a chance, like I did, and endeavor to explore something new about the variety and wealth of our arts community.
Do not miss the remarkable album 19 by Adele. You'll recognize her influences (Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald) from the first note. She has received awards in the UK and now her song "Chasing Pavements" can be heard regularly on radio and tv in the states.
The best CD of 2006 in my humble opinion was a British-folk, prog-rock inspired album from the Portland based band The Decemberists. The Crane Wife is filled with songs about Japanese folk tales, murderous tales, Romeo and Juliet type romances, and a criminal committing the perfect crime. The band, who often dresses in period clothing will be performing in East Lansing this Wednesday. They were at the top of my "most favorite band, but never seen live" list.
My first Bob Dylan concert was October 27, 1978 - thirty years ago last week, as a matter of fact (ulp… has it really been that long??!). That was Dylan's first visit to Kalamazoo and at the time I remember saying, "He's probably past his prime…" (I was rather fond of the "Hard Rain" period then), "…but who knows when we'll get another chance to see this living legend in our area again?" As it turns out, he was not by any means past his prime and has (quite thankfully) returned several times since... State Theater, Van Andel Arena, Fifth Third Ballpark, and elsewhere.
Dylan never ceases to amaze me. Not only for his ability to create a seemingly infinite stream of relevant new material, but along with each live show come unique new interpretations of his own ageless classics and forgotten gems – and perhaps even a unique cover version here and there. Not to mention the profound influence the man continues to have on his contemporaries (Pearl Jam's version of "Masters of War" or Ben Harper's take on "All Along the Watchtower" immediately come to mind). As a result, I was very happy to see that Kevin has added several new Dylan titles to the collection. There's some terrific stuff here – old and new. Dig in and enjoy.
So, here we are some three decades later. This weekend, Dylan returns to Wing's Stadium, Kalamazoo's long-time hockey arena and venerable old concert canister. Past his prime? Certainly not. Dylan continues to intrigue and influence several generations of listeners and performers. Worth going to see? You betcha. Reviews of the tour so far indicate there's much to look forward to. Besides, who knows when we'll get another chance to see this living legend in our area again?
On a recent trip to the Big Apple, I stumbled upon the two-piece band MGMT via my I-pod while passing the time on the Amtrak. If you are a fan of the Flaming Lips and their infectious way of mashing together psychedelic pop with dance-friendly hooks, then I think you'll enjoy MGMT and their new album Oracular Spectacular. Give it a listen.
There are many great songs to help little ones learn the ABC's, but none will stick with you quite the same as Alphabutt; the title track of Kimya Dawson's new alternative CD for children. My children and I laughed all weekend, and I can't stop humming it now…A is for Apple, B is for Butt! Each track brings humor to the early parenting stages, that may seem difficult to endure at the time, but humorous in the end. We all need to pause, sing and laugh about such topics as: paying off our student loans, wiggling loose teeth, using the potty, being pregnant and waiting anxiously for the baby to move, nursing, and possibly having seven hungry tigers in our underwear drawer. Give this CD a listen, if for nothing else, than to make yourself giggle!
I've always thought of Neil Young as the Miles Davis of rock and roll because of his prolific career and the way in which he has embraced different musical styles and genres while inventing a few along the way (not always with the best results). The plaintive lyricism and beauty of his work during the early 1970's is on display with classic albums "After the Gold Rush", "Harvest" and "On the Beach". There's no better example of Young's hushed and deeply personal laments during this time period then his "Live at Massey Hall" album from 1971. This album is a lovely soundtrack to the emergence of fall weather and color. Unearth that dusty cardigan, grab a cup of coffee and watch the early morning sun rise from behind the auburn and burnt umber landscape of autumnal Michigan.
I was one of the luckiest people in the world last night. I witnessed a concert by the Icelandic quartet that moved me and left me quite speechless. The music ranged from quiet, choir-like musings to heart-pounding, floor-shaking numbers. When the four serious, professional, multi-talented musicians gathered around the organ and the lights ebbed and glowed in rhythm with their notes, it was a truly beautiful moment. Everyone should get to witness such a moving event. Check out the music of sigur rós to bring home a piece of that magic.
Contemporary electronic music may not be everyone's cup of tea, and the ever-changing multitude of subgenres can make even the most hardcore music lover's head spin. The offshoot known as minimal techno or microhouse can be particularly difficult to enjoy due to an extremely repetitive, "less is more" philosophy. German musician Axel Willner, aka The Field, creates loop-based songs that manage to break free from the coldness that characterizes much of the rest of the genre. Layering dozens of tiny bits of sound like the skip of a needle in a record's groove or a single syllable of a vocalist from a long-forgotten song, Willner makes meditative, propulsive music with a surprising amount of emotional depth. While on a surface listen the songs may sound static and repetitive, a deeper listen reveals an almost fractal-like range of tiny noises building up to a larger whole. Despite the use of a 4/4 time signature on most of the songs, The Field's music is meditative as it is energetic, and it's this mix of ambience and ceaseless energy that makes From Here We Go Sublime so fascinating.
What distinguishes the Avett Brothers from their alt-folk peers is how seamlessly they weave together various musical genres and traditions without it sounding derisive or lodged within the unforgivable sins of retro-parody. Synthesizing rock, country, folk, and pop together within an economical songwriting framework that neither sounds fixed to the past nor particularly contemporary, situates their beautifully-crafted songs of broken hearts and lost love on the cultural shelves next to other artists (The White Stripes e.g.) who deftly balance both their respect for tradition with their impulse to creatively advance new forms. For beginners, try their album "Emotionalism".
Weezer once again proves they know what makes good music. Each song on this album has a different feel and each will stay with you (to your delight)! "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)" showcases the melodic talents of the group, while fans of the older tunes will love the rhythms of "Pork and Beans" and "Troublemaker."
After I joined a gym about a month ago, I decided I needed to find some upbeat music to keep me motivated while exercising. I lucked out when I discovered Santogold. Santogold's music is a pop-punk throwback to the best of the 1980s, and perfect if you want something fun to sing along with.
The lo-fi indie rock duo of American Alison "VV" Mosshart and Brit Jamie "Hotel" Hince came together to form the band known as The Kills after striking up a long distance songwriting partnership. Mosshart heard Hince practicing his guitar in the a hotel room and decided to start sending him songs via air mail. Their previous release, No Wow (2005), was recorded in Benton Harbor at the Keyclub Recording Company and a couple of the songs referenced West Michigan in the lyrics. The band returned to the Keyclub in 2007 to work on their latest CD Midnight Boom, a record filled with a minimalist sound that is both trashy and catchy. You will find yourself bobbing your head and dancing to the contagious beats on this CD. Hince's raw guitar playing is the perfect complement to Mosshart's sassy vocals. The Kills are another great rock duo with ties to Michigan, but one who doesn't only dress in three colors.
Not ever having been an avid viewer of MTV or other such music video programs, I happened to catch a glimpse of one of them recently while channel surfing during the commercials of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. While I've always liked artists such as Jewel, KT Tunstall, Jennifer Paige, and Kelly Clarkson, I had never been really introduced to Natasha Bedingfield other than hearing her on the Top-40 radio stations. While I wouldn't call her my all-time favorite, I enjoyed the upbeat title track enough to purchase it for my Zune. Joss Stone, Chris Brown, and John Legend are newly acquired favorites as well.
Do not miss singer Rachael Davis in the Van Deusen at Central, tomorrow at 7:00 pm. Rachael is a critically-acclaimed performer who has opened for such artist as Josh Ritter and Dar Williams. In 2006 Rachael collaborated with the Steppin' In It to produce the CD, Shout Sister Shout, a recording inspired by the jazz of the 1930's and 40's. It will be another amazing acoustic show in our very popular series.
The State Theater has announced that the alt-folk duo the Indigo Girls will be performing with special guest Kathleen Edwards on Saturday October 4th! The Indigo Girls have been making music for over 20 years singing about topics ranging from immigration to the environment. They do not pull punches. Canada's Kathleen Edwards newest release Asking for Flowers is an alt-country smash filled with honest songs about the state of the world. This should be a great show!
I recently drove to Indiana to see Radiohead in concert. It was a better show than I could hope to see in a lifetime--the weather was great, the crowd was excited and respectful, and Thom and the gang played for more than two hours. The women seated beside me had driven ten hours and wept through some of the songs. If you've not experienced the beauty of their music, you must sample both the old and new: OK Computer (1997), Kid A (2000), Amnesiac (2001), and In Rainbows (2008).
Since becoming a parent, I've paid a lot more attention to the latest kids' music CDs. There are a lot of choices - and sometimes, it seems as if the CDs are aimed as much at the aging, hipster doofus parents as at their offspring. One way kids' music artists appeal to parents' tastes is to release lullaby versions of songs they know and love. The idea isn't new - I remember seeing "Beatles for Babies" records decades ago - but the trend has grown.
Recently, power-pop cult figure Jason Falkner (ex-Jellyfish, Grays) released Bedtime with the Beatles Part Two. A gifted vocalist, he offers humming only on "Hey Jude", concentrating instead on instrumental versions of Fab Four faves, awash in his multi-tracked keyboard arrangements which nod to psychedelia while carrying children (and tired parents) off to dreamland.
While I'd sing most of these classics to my wee one, tunes like "Norwegian Wood" and "She's Leaving Home" are best left as instrumentals - I don't need questions about sleeping in the bath or runaways treating mums so thoughtlessly. Still, these are far from the most questionable kids' versions of songs out there - I can't decide which is the bigger head-scratcher, "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" (on Jersey Babys: the Music of Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons for Kids), or the Trent Reznor-penned "Hurt" (on Baby Love Lullaby: Lullaby Versions of Johnny Cash). Seriously - "everyone I know goes away in the end"? Night night, sweetie!
Books (mostly memoirs) about dysfunctional families—where abuse, neglect, alcoholism, abandonment or all of the above abound—are both plentiful and popular these days. The Liar's Club (Mary Karr), Running with Scissors, A Wolf at the Table (Augusten Burroughs), The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls), to name just a few, have enjoyed commercial success and seem to strike a chord with the reading public.
Recently I've been listening to the work of front man for the band, Mountain Goats, songwriter-singer, John Darnielle, who is a master of the "themed CD." In 2005, he recorded The Sunset Tree. Thirteen songs offer snapshots of his childhood which was dominated by an abusive step-father. Each song tells a story, and together the stories compose a wrenching portrait reminiscent of the memoirs cited above. To convey the horror and offer snippets of hope through song—so vividly, so convincingly, and so succinctly—should elevate this musician to the stature of famed memoirists who write rather than sing about this realm.
In 2006, Paste Magazine put John Darnielle on their best 100 living songwriters' list; makes sense to me.
My first encounter with the American composer Philip Glass was several years ago and honestly, one of shock and awe. Clearly, at the time, I wasn't ready for his brand of repetitive music structures strung together with an odd assortment of instrumentation and vocal textures. Now several years later, Glass' eerily minimalist symphonies, hauntingly beautiful film scores (The Hours, Kundun, Fog of War), Eastern inflected rhythms, and evocative ensemble compositions have become some of my favorite classical tracks to listen to.
John Adams is another wonderful composer whose work I've recently embraced. His music is often thrown under the heading "minimalism" along with Glass and notable avant-garde musicians Stephen Reich and Terry Reily. Adams' music, like Glass' work, tends to generate its melodic color from alterations or subtle tweaking of a foundational harmony. Both deeply expressive and at times jarringly dark, Adams' music has been both widely honored and praised for its humanist themes and boundary-expanding nature.
Does any modern recording producer capture the deep, lush resonance of a plucked double bass any better than T-Bone Burnett? I don't think so. Though the list of artists he's produced is diverse, running the gamut from Cassandra Wilson to Counting Crows to the surprise duo of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, the sound of his productions is singular. While emphasizing acoustic instrumentation rooted in American folk traditions, his productions never sound like museum pieces - they're very much of their time (his influence on the Americana genre can't be overestimated), yet remain ageless.
Burnett can now add John Mellencamp's Life, Death, Love, and Freedom to his growing list of evocative production work. Co-produced with Mellencamp (no slouch as a producer himself), the album, described by JM as a collection of "modern electric folk songs", is the very best record made by a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in the year in which they were inducted. The meditations on mortality and making ends meet in tough times are classic Mellencamp themes, but the intimacy with which the disc is recorded puts the listener in the middle of the songs - there's little question to which times this new masterpiece speaks. As long as you expect Mellencamp in a deeply ruminative mood, musically and lyrically, you'll find yourself listening to the very best disc he's ever made... so far.
What goes into the making of a rock and roll masterpiece? Is it the quality of the songwriting or is it the result of a skillful lyricist plumbing the depths of humanity with wordplay, satire, irony, or poetic beauty? Maybe it was the perfect combination of all the various pieces of the band coming together just at the right moment. Could it have been the riffs, the screams, the cow bells, or even the artistic flirtation with expanding the musical envelope?
Classic albums live long after they are completed, resonating within our nostalgia-filled memories of long ago days and past lives. When done right, these classic records often become the soundtrack of a particular time period or evoke images of movements, trends, and other zeitgeist-related minutiae staining the dustbin of history like sonic residue. Continuum Books produces a fun series of album-specific monographs, penned by admirers and hagiographers aptly named Thirty Three and a Third. These pithy little books are pocket-sized and easily accessible for both neophyte and grizzled, music nerd alike.
As a Kinks fanatic, I was immediately drawn to the Kooks' sophomore release, Konk, upon seeing its cover, showing the band standing in the doorway of the Kinks' recording studio... named Konk, natch (where much of the disc was recorded).
While the UK quartet share a strong sense of melody and pop songcraft with their studio landlords, their tunes don't conjure up the quirky, busker-friendly sing-alongs of Village Green Preservation Society-era Kinks, nor the muscular, stadium-rock sound of One for the Road-era Kinks. Instead, the band's smooth vocal harmonies, moon-in-june lyrics, and Hills soundtrack-ready performance bring to mind contemporaries like Rooney - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. On a breezy summer's day, when you'd rather feel carefree than challenged, Konk might make a good musical companion.
We were privileged to host the Pacifica Quartet on July 8, in a concert and lecture made possible by Fontana Chamber Arts. The quartet's virtuosity and exuberant style thrilled the audience, which ranged in age from infants to elders. One patron remarked after: "Nothing beats a live performance." How true, and particularly so for chamber music which has been called the ultimate democracy. There's no conductor in a chamber ensemble, so all members must cooperate and collaborate. Each musician's contribution is unique. Each musician and his complete focus are needed throughout the piece. A live performance lets you appreciate this special relationship and the lively musical conversations that take place among the members.
Our next concert at KPL will be August 12 when we welcome singer songwriter Rachael Davis. Rachael's been singing on stage since the age of two. Among her accomplishments is taking grand prize in the Telluride Bluegrass Festival's Troubadour Contest.
A few years ago author David Levithan introduced me to the Swedish indie-pop musician Jens Lekman (pronounced "Yens") and since then I have been a BIG fan. Depending heavily on samples and strings, Lekman crafts whimsical and often hilarious lyrics about cab rides, cutting your finger off while slicing avocados, and playing Bingo on a Friday night. The newest CD, Night Falls Over Kortedala, is filled with perfect pop gems. Discover for yourself why he has been called a happier version of Morrissey!
British Sea Power is a quartet from Brighton, England who have been compared to both Joy Division and Arcade Fire. What they have in common with the both bands is a moody and sweeping sound that is best listened to on full volume. Their most recent release Do You Like Rock Music? could be the soundtrack for a rousing invasion of a land in need of some uplifting. Check out these literate indie boys if you are in need of some musical theatrics.
One of the best concerts I attended last year was The Avett Brothers show at The Ark in Ann Arbor. This trio performs a unique blend of country/rock/folk, which some critics have called "cowpunk." Their most recent CD, Emotionalism is a slight departure from their previous efforts and is filled with tracks that tend to move away from the "punk" and more towards the folk. I was blown away at the band's ability to elicit a vast array of emotions from a banjo, guitar and stand-up bass. The crowd at the concert rarely sat down. The Avett Brothers are one of the finest alternative country acts touring today. If you have an opportunity to see a show, do not pass it up.
After reading an article about the new Breeders record in Spin magazine, I gave Mountain Battles a listen and was not surprised that I really like it. It sounds like a Breeders record, familiar yet diverse, but still sounds current. Or as one reviewer put it – "Like their three previous records, Mountain Battles is a record to return to again and again, like an old and dear friend who can still somehow surprise you". The Spin article talked about how Kim Deal, who has always struck me as that really cool Aunt I always wished I had, moved back to Dayton, Ohio and used a bit of her Pixie's money to purchase a nice ranch house in order to live near and care for her aging parents. That is about the coolest and most real thing I have ever heard a bona fide alt. rock legend admit to, how cool. Mountain Battles offers a great collection of songs all of which Steve Albini, another alt. rock legend, gives a muddy, low-fi production that works perfectly.
All of us who had the true pleasure of working with Dale Ford knew his passion for music. He and I shared an obsession with Todd Rundgren, though Dale was without doubt the greater fan. Years of our Rundgren-related conversations got me to the point where I couldn't put a Todd record on without Dale crossing my mind.
The diverse nature of Rundgren's recordings – not only as a solo performer, but also as a member of various bands (Utopia and Nazz among them) and producer (he helmed Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell and XTC's Skylarking, to name only two elpees' worth of tunes) – is at turns challenging and rewarding. 1973's A Wizard, A True Star does a great job of showcasing all of Todd's musical personalities – art rocker, soul balladeer, experimentalist, spiritual lyricist, guitar hero, jokester.
In a pensive mood, I prefer the soulful second half of the collection – feeling more adventurous, the synthesized psychedelia that opens the collection suits the mood. The second half pays tribute to Rundgren's R'n'B influences, while the first half itself is influential, its sonic textures prefiguring disco, new wave, and even hip-hop. The wide variety of sounds on this disc (especially enjoyable on headphones) should send impressed listeners on a search for more of Rundgren's work. Dale wouldn't have hesitated to point the way.
Last night, 96 fans of old old-time country swing and blues were lucky enough to catch a free concert from the Lansing-based band Steppin' In It. The band performed many songs from the newest CD Simple Tunes for Troubled Times to a very energetic crowd seated in a circle around the stage. Between tunes the band discussed their instruments, the stories behind the songs and answered questions. The Van Deusen Room was swinging especially when the guys brought out the trumpet and trombone!
By kind permission of the band, here are a few clips from the show... "Break of Day," Give My Regards to Miss Moline," and "Gold and Silver."
The show was the first in a series of concerts each month this summer. Don't miss the Pacifica Quartet on July 8th and Rachael Davis on August 12th.
Ann Arbor rock group Kiln has been making instumental music for a decade, longer if you count the work they've done as other bands. Starting out as purveyors of a clanky, textural drone, the Kiln sound has been refined with each passing album into a cool fusion of heavily processed guitar sounds and sputtering electronics. Picking up where 2004's Sunbox EP left off, Dusker features a sound both frenetic and hypnotic that swirls around through wide stereo effects, warm buzzing tones and and choppy clicks and clacks. However, where Sunbox was somewhat mellower and dub-influenced, Dusker is more straight-ahead rock with a stronger emphasis on the guitars and a more propulsive beat on many tracks. They still bring back a dub sound on songs like "Flycatcher", and there's still soft touches of electric piano and melodica here and there, it's just that there's a sharper overlay of distorted guitar rounding things out.
The best thing about Dusker is the warmth infusing each track. Where many other producers of ambient and glitch electronics often isolate the listener with an overly artificial sound, Kiln instead provides that rare electronic release that inspires feelings of happiness and joy. As a friend remarked when I played some of the songs on Dusker, "Listening to Kiln is totally like being tickled." I couldn't agree more.
At first the new CD by the New York City based, Nada Surf did not thrill me. Tracks from their fifth studio release Lucky kept playing when the iPod was on shuffle and I finally realized what I was missing, an awesome effort. The alt-trio best known for the MTV hit "Popular" in 1996 have released a power pop CD celebrating their ability to keep making music in today's industry. I dare any of you to play this at your next summer outing and not smile.
Will history prove that Nada Surf will be more than a one hit wonder or will new listeners find themselves "Lucky" enough to see beyond that "Popular" track? Check out Lucky and judge for yourself.
The Flight of the Conchords are "New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo", but in the U.S.A. they currently sit on the top perch of music novelty acts. Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement were college flatmates in Australia studying film that decided to give it all up to play digi-folk.
Their debut CD is a collection of some of their favorites from their act and HBO series. The duo parodies every type of sound - from electronica, soul, and hip-hop. Bret and Jermaine are hilarious! Looking for a great laugh and good music? Take flight with the Conchords.
There are many different ways of making a great album. Justin Vernon decided to do it by recording for over three months in a remote cabin in northern Wisconsin. The result is a haunting debut album released under the name Bon Iver, which is a misspelling of the French for "good winter."
While listening to this amazing CD, one cannot help but feel like you are quietly approaching a distraught minstrel alone in the middle of a vast forest. Vernon's voice pushes and pulls through stories of love, loneliness, and isolation against a wintery backdrop.
Fans of Iron & Wine will definitely get caught up in the sound.


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Halloween Costume Makeup How-Tos
No costume? No problem. All you really need to create a last-minute look is eyeliner, lipstick, and a bit of face paint. Check out these awesome Halloween makeup ideas -- no animal ears required!
Skip ahead to see Halloween costume makeup ideas
True, planning a unique last-minute Halloween costume can be exhausting -- especially for those of us who like to leave things to the eleventh hour. After all, how original can any costume be when it comes in a plastic bag? The only real way to ensure you'll be one-of-kind is to do it yourself.
Therein lies the problem though, right? DIY usually means days of sewing and gluing. The exact opposite of a last-minute solution.
Which is why we've rounded up some amazing Halloween makeup ideas that don't require anything except some lipstick, eyeliner, and face paint. Don't worry, these aren�t your typical green-face witch or oh-so-tired cat whiskers. Nope, we gathered some of our favorite, fresh Halloween makeup tips from Pinterest. Keep reading to see how you can stop stressing and find this year's Halloween costume.
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Older comments
love this!! great ideas in one place!
by yummy411 Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 05:45PM Report as inappropriate
The Los Muertos girl is gorgeous! I don't think the makeup would look quite that good on me!
by Roxalyn Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 05:20PM Report as inappropriate
Love the pop art look. The zombie girl has fabulous lips!
by robyne00 Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 02:44PM Report as inappropriate
this is very cute and creative
by prettyeyesashley Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 02:10PM Report as inappropriate
Beautiful and totally doable makeup ideas. Love them!! Classy and creative :]
by Lamexicana1 Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 08:33AM Report as inappropriate
Wow some of those looks are super intense, especially the doll and the skull face. They look great and I feel like they are doable.
by RoleModel Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 11:13PM Report as inappropriate
i think this is great!!! i love the pop art one thats pretty awesome so going to try it
by jenni84 Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 12:47PM Report as inappropriate
pretty cute i think. Mostly a new drawn look for hollywood i would tooooootally do this! cute!
by mangotea Friday, October 26, 2012 at 10:09PM Report as inappropriate
Those are pretty creepy to look at. Especially the doll ones.
by Taylerbootz Friday, October 26, 2012 at 06:26PM Report as inappropriate
Love the drawn-on mask and the puppets! Too bad the Halloween party I'm going to has a zombie theme ... ;)
by KarasuSparkle Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at 02:20AM Report as inappropriate
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TV Use in East Hanover
If you thirst for cable TV knowledge, we can help. CableTV.com has cold-filtered cable data on tap and ready for consumption. Try this (it's on the house): almost everyone, or 97% of Americans, watches television as it is aired and roughly 33% of those TV viewers have at least four televisions in their homes. Upwards of 50% of people also stream video content online. Among those with cable TV, almost three-fourths bundle their service with high-speed Internet. Cable's ubiquitous national presence also helps explain how DVRs account for about 7% of America's total TV viewing.
All those stats mean that if you don't own at least one TV for every room in your house, chances are your neighbor to the left or right of you does. It also means that almost everyone you meet today will watch a TV tonight, and 57% of them will use either their DVR or their Internet to do so.
Cable High-Speed Internet in East Hanover
Cable providers have so much more to offer than TV. That is why so many East Hanover residents bundle cable services. Cable Internet is faster than most DSL services, providing downstream speeds 25%-100% faster than the national average. People who choose cable bundles also save money, roughly $400 every year they bundle TV and Internet. Both are very good explanations why cable Internet subscribers represent 32% of households, and how broadband penetration in New Jersey grew to 73% by 2010. Enter your zip code to find out more about cable Internet, bundles and providers in East Hanover.
It's easy to get cable, Call 1-866-921-5828
CableTV.com Loves East Hanover Actors
From Asian action flicks to sci-fi dramas, Grace Park has played in some of East Hanover's most popular shows. Grace Park is an actress from Canada and is listed as one of the top 40 television actors on TV.com. Grace Park gained recognition for playing the role of Kono Kalakaua in "Hawaii Five-O," which airs on CBS. Her acting debut was in 2000, when she played an Asian dancer in the movie "Romeo Must Die." She is also known for her roles in the TV series "Battlestar Galactica" and "Edgemont." See her in action on CBS with cable TV.
Find Cable TV in East Hanover
As you can see, we know cable TV like Stewie Griffin knows what happens if you put sprinkles on his ice cream. Thanks to this knowledge, we can also tell you which cable provider is right for you. There is usually only one cable provider per region, thanks to government licensing restrictions. Because of this, cable companies generally don't overlap in the same geographical location. Call the number above to find your local East Hanover cable provider.


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Patton Boggs Admits Regret for Role in Chevron Case
What's being said
Anonymous does not address the points I made -- contingency fees lead to the perception that the law itself is contingent. And the pressure for those fees lead lawyers and their firms down a road that should not be traveled -- as Patton Boggs has found out. There is a reason that contingency fees were banned as inappropriate to the profession for most of the history of our profession. Or should we still speak of law as a profession -- or merely a service?
Anonymous raises the further defense of contingency -- the taking of meritorious but complex suits. This is only true if the meritorious suit is a big one. Try to find a lawyer to take a meritorious med mal case with damages under $250,000, or with pain and suffering capped, as in California. If the case is truly meritorious, the lawyer can take the risk that the client will one day be able to pay his or her fees. Otherwise, this further promotes the jackpot justice view of the law -- some are lucky, some are not.
In response to R. Barker, I understand your frustration at contingency fees but how many individuals can pay on an hourly basis for a meritorious but complex suit against a deep pocket defendant willing to spend a plaintiff to death. Given the amount of time and resources that a law firm would have to dedicate to such a suit, even pro bono would not be an option.
A shameful episode for Patton Boggs, mitigated partially by the admitted "regret" and worsened by the 65 recent layoffs because of falling revenue. When lawyers count on contingency for their profit, the law becomes contingent. And then participating in activities that are pierced through the "crime-fraud" exception is only a slight step from the ethical viewpoint of contingent law. Congratulations to Chevron for exposing this kind of legal practice. Shameful indeed.
Randy Mastro has done an amazing job for his client.
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Bipartisanship flourishes among fringe candidates. Democrat Vermin Supreme and Republican Hugh Cort share a laugh before Monday night's debate at Saint Anselm College.
New Hampshire voters looking for something different got to size up some other presidential candidates on Monday night. The questions were pointed, the answers often succinct, sensible and serious. But some of the platforms were narrowly focused and, well, a bit wacky.
"I'm here to tell you about thorium, an overlooked energy alternative," said Robert Greene, a Democrat from Mountain View, California. "If politicians are having any discussion that does not include thorium, they have not had a serious energy discussion."
It was the "Lesser Known Candidates' forum" at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Manchester. Organizers put out the welcome mat to any candidate, Republican or Democrat, who is on the ballot for the New Hampshire presidential primary but has not appeared at a nationally televised debate.
Obscure candidates are drawn to New Hampshire by its low $1,000 filing fee. The state's Jan. 10 presidential primary will have some 44 candidates listed.


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Dear Ladies and Gentlemens,
First let me please apologize for my bad english.I hope , it will be ok for all of you to understand. Im living in germany and would like to get a Recurve Take down Jaguar.
I have following question about the Recurve Jaguar. A German resseler told me that i will not be able to swap the Limbs ( for ex. actually 30 lbs ) with 40 lbs limbs, because limbs are not available alone. Only a full bow can be available. I got pretty " disturbed" about this. All other makers offer separate parts for recurve. Can someone help with that ? and tell me if its true ?
I would like to get The jaguar and keep the Martin Quality over several years. It could be disapointing , if is there no possibilities ( except to buy a complet Jaguar ) to swap the limbs.
Thank you very much in advance for your help and support.
.....And sorry again for my poor english


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Main Content
You talk the talk and walk the walk. Oh yeah, we've got ourselves a master surfer on deck! These Walkman hybrid walkshorts from Rusty are a testament to your ability. You can flawlessly move from land to water and back again in these sweet shorts that features a plaid design and a woven brand tag at the left leg hem. They also feature two mesh-lined front pockets as well as a back pocket with a hook and fastener, Rusty embroidery, drainage grommet, zipper and a sewn-in elastic. You're a rockstar on land and sea with these cool shorts on, so what's next? The sky is the limit!
- 91% Polyester/9% Elastane
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- Zip fly with button and tie waist
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
Guest Spot
And if you're not up for making one of these yourself, you can still have this pillow for your very own. My version is for now for sale through Quilt Hope In's etsy store. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to help women and children in Haiti. So you can brighten your day with a quilted sun, and brighten their day with some much needed medical help and education. Can't beat that.
Edited to add: I'm entering this in the Blogger's Pillow Party for March. Fun!
16 comments:
Yay!!! I love this pillow, it is so darn cute and cheery! Great tutorial, for sure :)ReplyDelete
nice pillow..good luck with the tutorialReplyDelete
oooh, very pretty pillow! sigh, another for my to-do list! HAHA!ReplyDelete
This is so CUTE!ReplyDelete
My little girls would love this.
What a creative, cheery pillow!
Absolutely aDORable! Hopping on over to check out your tute. Congrats on the guest spot!ReplyDelete
Great job Lee! Turned out beautifully!ReplyDelete
Very nice! Congrats on the guest post. I'm heading over to check it out now!ReplyDelete
I'm loving this pillow! I might "steal" the design for one of my clocks.ReplyDelete
Love the pillow! And congrats on the guest spot. :)ReplyDelete
Love it! I just picked up some more Meadowsweet this week - can't get enough.ReplyDelete
Loved the wonky sun and it's great that you can help some people in need by selling them.ReplyDelete
Yay! So exciting! :)ReplyDelete
A gorgeous pillow and a great cause? That's hard to beat. Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
How very fun and cheerful that is!ReplyDelete
I came across this on Pinterest, but I can't figure out where the tutorial is on the other site. I love this and would like to make this for my daughter!ReplyDeleteReplies
Hi Megan - I found the post and I've updated the links accordingly. Unfortunately it looks like all the photos are missing from the post. I've emailed someone at Fat Quarterly to see if they can fix it. I'll keep you posted!Delete


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So. I have been sitting on this for a long time, tumblr. Its unfinished but I'm done with it, sorry homies!
the incredibly teamtrashcan made a pretty cool animation MONTHS ago, a frame by frame recreation of an anime intro using homestuck characters. It was pretty excellent!
I thought it would be funny to write music for it, but my good friend Lexxy suggested it would be even more hilarious to make a complete intro. So I set to work trying to recreate George Buzinkai's Endless Climb melody into something so anime it shits desu.
To accomplish this I had Lexxy and Alex sing the most engrish lyrics somebody wrote (sorry don't know who you are) and used Dave's theme as that sort of BUSY BASSLINE feel. (notice that video is 4:13???? COINCIDENCE???? yes)
I then asked a slew of other artists to help me out. Originally, Ashe was going to animate a short intro, as I had a lot of song to fill at this point, but she ran out of time between school and her con schedule. Ari supplied the inbetween commercial break panels. Fi supplied me with the awesome tentacles. And I recently got the OK from guzusuru to use her baller ass John animation, and it fit perfectly!
Once again, lexxy supplied the sponsor's voiceover.
A lot of work went into this!
The John animation really does fit perfectly, what luck! I would totally animate more for this if there was interest, haha.


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Margaret C Cowles
two st johns cemetery in essex!
Some one has started two different cemeteries with the same name at the same address of 3305 Sandwich st. Would you please ask F.A.G. to combine/link them for us USA people who are looking for the RIGHT ONE?
One has St Johns and the other has St John's!
I have to place a baby's grave in there that's how I came across it.
Added by
Margaret C Cowles
on Aug 14, 2014 11:46 AM
Memorial # 102643298
Oops I was a bit fast with pressing enter.
What I wanted to ask you was, could you please remove your picture from that memorial. It clearly shows a woman (in this case Mathilde de Dammartin) and should not be on this memorial.
Best regards
Added by
on Apr 04, 2014 2:43 AM
Simon de Dammrrtin
Added by
on Apr 04, 2014 2:37 AM
Jackie Holloway
Joseph and Ann Campbell Kerr
They are my 4th great grandparents. I would love to share information with you sometime.
jackiehollow @ gmail.com
Added by
Jackie Holloway
on Mar 17, 2014 3:12 PM
Friends Burial Ground (Dublin)
Hi, Do you know who created this cemetery record?
Thanks Herbie.
Added by
on Dec 25, 2013 5:32 AM
RE: Ford
Sam, please remove Martha Jane Davidson Ford from the "want" list. There is already a photo uploaded for her.
Added by
on Oct 23, 2013 4:46 PM
Cathy Beaudoin
Matilda Upcott Cowan
There was also a stone for;
William Cowan Feb 20, 1848-Aug 24, 1917
h/o Mary A Bennett Apr 3, 1849-May 12, 1900
Added by
Cathy Beaudoin
on Oct 16, 2013 12:34 PM
Cathy Beaudoin
Matilda Upcott Cowan
Matilda's stone is right beside the monument of John Upcott; Aug 29, 1828-Apr 20, 1875
h/o Rebecca Malott; Feb 11, 1831-Apr 29, 1916
Perhaps a younger brother? If you wish to make memorials, I will post the photo.
Added by
Cathy Beaudoin
on Oct 16, 2013 12:18 PM
Jessica H
Samuel Warnock
Thanks for the note. I just missed it when I was linking the family together. :)
Added by
Jessica H
on Sep 22, 2013 9:35 AM
Thomas J. Lee
King Cem.-Knox County, TN
I am researching a friend's family, and found a death certificate for a family member buried in Kings Cemetery in 1916. I noticed you had taken the photo of the sign at this cemetery. I live near the Powell area, but I can't find the location of this cemetery anywhere. I have checked old topographic maps, and the TNGenWeb Cemetery Database website. Could you give me directions to the location, or the coordinates for it?
T. Lee
Knoxville, TN
Added by
Thomas J. Lee
on Sep 18, 2013 12:33 PM
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text: Painful boots are bad! I used to wear the Koflachs and I would get large bruises on my calf muscles from them. Try them on, wear them around the store, try rentals if possible, and don't be afraid to spend money. I research all my purchases now by talking to other people, reading reviews, and borrowing from friends.


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After his grand success with 'Kick', the fastest film to cross the elite Rs. 200 crore mark, Randeep Hooda is all set to return to the box-office with his upcoming release, 'Rang Rasiya.' Directed by Ketan Mehta, (also known as the director of 'Mangal Pandey: The Rising') and produced by Jayantil
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Daughter of Nobel Laureate and Bharat Ratna economist Amartya Sen secretly tied the knot on June 22nd with Penguin Chairman and CEO John Makinson in a small ceremony in New York. Nandana was in a nine years of relationship with Ghajini producer Madhu Mantena, however their r
The film business requires all that is possible under the sun to be performed by the stars. It is often seen that Bollywood goes overboard in the sensuous play leading to some stars completely striping off. Below are enlisted some of the top names who stripped off for their films.


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A staple of the collection, the Marilia (named after our in-house model) was refashioned this season in an elegant, black supple leather topped off with a genuine black onyx semiprecious closure and hand-brushed hardware. Interior is lined in supple goat suede and features a corozo zip pocket for easy phone storage. Chain is detachable so you can go from day to night without batting an eye.
• 10"W x 8.25"H x 2"D
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Billed from Germany
Lived in Australia
Was Married to Lielani Kai
The vacant WWF world tag team championships are up for grabs as The Wild Samoans battle Tony Garea & Rene Goulet.
This week's ClickWrestle Match of the Week is Cheerleader Melissa vs. MsChif match from November 6, 2005. This is an indy women's wrestling fan's dream match. Here we have the first...
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Technology is defined as the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life. A broad definition, yes but one that underscores today's reality. No arena of life has escaped the impact of technology's revolution. Education. Health. Politics. Spirituality. Entertainment. Science. The list goes on. More...
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Too often, mainstream media accepts a new technology, touts its benefits and moves on. Every Tuesday, The Kojo Nnamdi Show reverses this trend -- putting technology in context and assessing its relevance in your life.
We understand that technological accomplishments don't occur in a vacuum. Technology shapes society, and all the while, society is shaping technology. A typical Tech Tuesday always includes the political or social implications of any new innovation, and explores the unexpected ways in which change creeps (or steam rolls) into our lives.
Anchoring Tech Tuesday, on the first Tuesday of every month, are The Computer Guys. A staple on WAMU since 1990, PC expert John Gilroy joins former Mac-Genius Bill Harlow and IT Professor Allison Druin for a thorough yet humorous romp through today's tech world, keeping listeners abreast of the latest developments, and providing solutions to computer problems we all face.


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Satisfied Wright Wants to End Career in Style
Chad Wright's No. 1 goal: Reclaim the NCAA discus title he won in 2012.
By Randy York
Too bad Yogi Berra wasn't watching the men's shot put at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Wednesday night in Eugene, Oregon. If baseball's legend had been in the stands, he could have walked down near the field after the event was over and shared a piece of wisdom with Nebraska senior Chad Wright and his throws coach, Carrie Lane. After interviewing both student-athlete and coach last week, I could only envision what Yogi would have said…something like: "You were both right, and both wrong at the same time."
A Yogi-ism came to mind because both the teacher, who recently won an NCAA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year Award, and the pupil, who happens to be a three-time NCAA First-Team All-American in the discus, could sense each other's mindset before they climbed aboard a charter flight from Lincoln to Eugene last Sunday.
It's been a tough year for Wright in the shot put and it ended Wednesday night when his season best throw of 62-10 prevented him from advancing to the finals and ensured a 13th-place finish, eight notches below his fifth-place First-Team All-America finish as a junior. Lane, the coach, continued to motivate because she wanted Wright to bring his "boxing gloves" to Eugene, so he could "pummel the face" right out of that 16-pound iron ball. The strategy must have worked because Wright, the athlete, did, in fact, pass 10 of the 23 performers who ranked ahead of him entering the NCAA meet.
Wright Has No Regrets. He Just Wants His Title Back
What we had here was reality bites and any number of Yogi-like witticisms could have painted the portraits unfolding inside Wright's head.
Yogi said: "If you don't know where you're going, you might end up someplace else."
Wright told me: "Some people say there are certain things they wish they did or could do over. Personally, I think I did everything I needed. My goal this year is to reclaim my NCAA title in the discus. That's my main agenda. That's my focus. Once that event finishes Friday, my college athletic career is over."
In my pre-NCAA Outdoor Championship conversation with Wright, he could hardly say the two words I wanted to discuss…shot and put. Unfortunately, he didn't have a Yogi-ism inside his head that could have worked perfectly: "I wish I had an answer to that question because I'm tired of answering it."
This isn't the first interview of my life, so I switched gears and deleted an "s" from discuss and that seemed to put some bounce in Wright's voice because we finally were getting to the only word he wanted to talk about – discus.
Wright Had Best Second-Place Throw in NCAA History
"I'm about fourth in the nation this year," he said without pausing to remember his NCAA gold medal performance as a sophomore and his second-place finish last year despite uncorking the longest second-place discus throw in NCAA Championship history.
""I want to reclaim my title," he said. "We have a well-rounded team this year. We need to score points. I think we have a really good chance of placing well in the NCAA this year. Last year, I got second. This year, I'm trying to do better. I want to finish first, and I'm ready to take on the challenge."
Wright praises Lane for helping him embrace the competition. "She's pretty much revamped and refined my technique," he said. "She's also given me some great tips on focus, eating right and sleeping right."
He's not surprised. "Nebraska was the best of all the schools I visited," the Kingston, Jamaica native said. "When you visit, you can see how they take charge, and that was a real plus for me. I liked the support system I saw for athletics. That's one of the main reasons I decided to come here."
Team Loaded with Depth Makes Practice More Fun
Knowing that he won't graduate until next May as a major in mathematics and a minor in business, I'm curious about his interests post-degree. "I'm not sure yet," Wright said. "Next year will be the indicator of whether I'll be able to stay here. I've really enjoyed this year. We have a lot more (NCAA) qualifiers and it's competitive. It makes practice more fun and more interesting."
Ah, practice, another word for a tailor-made Yogi-ism: "In theory there is no difference between theory and practice," Yogi said before adding: "In practice there is."
"Chad had a personal best last year and finished second after winning the year before," Lane pointed out. "It's going to be a fierce battle. The No. 1 guy's from Kentucky and the No. 2 guy's back from UCLA. He's the guy that beat Chad last year. In a meet like this, it can be a completely different outcome. The wind affects the discus tremendously. Whatever marks people have coming in mean nothing. This meet is a completely different ball game."
A disclaimer is in order before we end The N-Sider. Yogi once said: "I didn't really say everything I said."
When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Just Take It
With that in mind, we end with the best Yogi-like advice that Carrie Lane can give Chad Wright before Friday's ultra-competitive discus throw: "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
Here's another way to put it: However Wright finishes Friday in the discus, he can do something he's probably already considered – buy a shot put somewhere and bury it.
Send a comment to firstname.lastname@example.com (Include city, state)
Follow Randy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RandyYorkNsider
Randy's N-Sider Column Archive


text: If you saw me on the street, you would never look twice. You'd never guess that underneath the beauty, there's an ocean of monsters, big and small, just begging to come out. They're scratching at the doors and whispering in my ear. They tell me it's my fault. They tell me that I'm worthless. And maybe they're right.


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Federal thought leaders are looking toward 2013 as a time of austerity and continued uncertainty. But more of those leaders are anticipating the coming year as a time of great opportunity. In our special report, Top 3 for 2013, the In Depth with Francis Rose team asks some of the federal business community's biggest thinkers for the top three items they think agency leaders and industry executives will deal with in 2013. Read their ideas and hear our conversations below.
Top 3 for 2013 - Dov Zakheim on military retirement reform
Monday - 12/31/2012, 2:36pm EST
Deficit-cutting negotiations on Capitol Hill may have a big impact on the future of military retirement packages.
Dov Zakheim, former undersecretary of defense (comptroller), says those Hill negotiations are setting up a discussion about retirement that could affect recruiting and retention.
|Dov Zakheim's Top 3 for 2013


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Epic Rage!
Posted by NsmurfApril 26th, 2013 9:36 pm
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The thing is that economists of all stripes agree that U.S. trade policy has been one of the major contributors to growing U.S. income inequality.
There really is no disagreement about that -- the only debate is about the degree of the effect. A study published by the Peterson Institute for International Economics -- an early supporter of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on which TPP is modeled -- estimated that as much as 39 percent of the observed growth in U.S. wage inequality is attributable to trade trends. Other studies have posited greater and lesser contributions.
The TPP would replicate and expand to additional countries the trade agreement model established in the NAFTA. Twenty years of evidence of NAFTA's contribution to U.S. income inequality has become a major problem for Obama's push to get Congress to provide Fast Track authority for the massive TPP deal, described as NAFTA on steroids.
Not a single House Democrat would sponsor the legislation submitted two weeks ago to establish Fast Track. Last week, 17 Senate Democrats made their feelings known in letters to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). And last November, 151 House Democrats signed a letter saying they oppose Fast Track, arguing that lawmakers have been cut out of negotiations.
Congressional opposition to more-of-the-same trade deals has intensified as Obama's past SOTU trade promises have fallen flat. In contrast to Obama's 2011 SOTU promise that his only major past trade deal, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, would boost exports, in the agreement's first year, U.S. exports to Korea fell 10 percent, imports from Korea rose and the U.S. trade deficit with Korea exploded by 37 percent. This equates to a net loss of approximately 40,000 U.S. jobs.
The drop in exports to Korea added to last year's sluggish overall two percent U.S. export growth rate. Given current trends, the U.S. will not achieve the president's export-doubling plan until 2032 -- 18 years behind the 2014 deadline Obama set in his 2010 State of the Union speech.
This follows on the recent 20th anniversary of NAFTA, which fueled an explosion of the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico and Canada to $181 billion by 2012, resulting in a net American loss of one million jobs. (The net job loss figure is derived from the U.S. government methodology employed to calculate the employment effects of trade flows.)
U.S. government data show that the average annual growth of our trade deficit has been 45 percent higher with Mexico and Canada than with countries that are not party to a NAFTA-style pact. U.S. manufacturing exports have grown at less than half the rate to Mexico and Canada since NAFTA than in the years before it. Before NAFTA, the U.S. had a small trade surplus with Mexico and a modest deficit with Canada.
While many focus on the number of U.S. jobs lost from NAFTA and similar pacts, the most significant effect has been a fundamental alteration in the composition of jobs available to the 63 percent of American workers without a college degree. And this has had a direct impact on income inequality.
Trade pact investment rules remove many of the risks otherwise associated with sending jobs offshore to where labor costs are drastically cheaper. The United States has lost millions of manufacturing jobs during the 20 years of NAFTA and decade-plus since Congress approved China's entry to the World Trade Organization. As a result, the wages most U.S. workers can earn have been severely degraded even as overall unemployment has been largely stable (excluding the Great Recession) as new low-paying service sector jobs have been created.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, two of every three displaced manufacturing workers who were rehired in 2012 experienced a wage reduction, most of them more than 20 percent. The list compiled by the Department of Labor's Trade Adjustment Assistance program of more than 845,000 specific American jobs lost to NAFTA and similar pacts reads like the funeral program for the middle class.
The implications for growing income inequality are broad. It is not only those American workers who lost a job to NAFTA or China trade who face downward wage pressure; as increasing numbers of workers displaced from manufacturing jobs joined the glut of workers competing for non-offshorable, low-skill jobs in sectors such as food service and retail, real wages have fallen in these growing sectors as well.
The U.S. government data is striking: The shift in employment from high-paying manufacturing jobs to low-paying service jobs has contributed to overall wage stagnation. The average U.S. wage has grown less than one percent annually in real terms since NAFTA was enacted even as worker productivity has risen more than three times. Since the January 1, 1994, implementation of NAFTA, the share of national income collected by the richest 10 percent has risen by 24 percent, while the top 1 percent's share has shot up by 58 percent.
Offshoring of American jobs is rapidly moving up the skills ladder, expanding the income inequality effect. Alan S. Blinder, a former Federal Reserve vice chair, Princeton economist and NAFTA supporter, says that one out of every four American jobs could be offshored in the foreseeable future. A study he co-authored found that the most offshorable industry is finance and insurance, not manufacturing. According to Binder's study, American workers with a four-year college degree and an annual salary above $75,000 are among those most vulnerable to having their jobs offshored.
The grandfather of modern free trade economics, Paul Samuelson, published a startling 2004 academic paper in the Journal of Economic Perspectives that shows mathematically how the offshoring of higher-paid jobs to low-wage countries can cause U.S. workers to lose more from reduced wages than they gain from cheaper imported goods. Trade theory states that while those specific workers who lose their jobs due to imports may suffer, the vast majority of us gain from trade "liberalization" because we can buy cheaper imported goods. Except, as job offshoring has moved up the wage level, this is no longer necessarily true.
When the Center for Economic and Policy Research applied the actual data to the trade theory, they discovered that when one compares the lower prices of cheaper goods to the income lost from low-wage competition under our current policy, the trade-related losses in wages hitting the vast majority of American workers outweigh the gains in cheaper priced goods from trade. U.S. workers without college degrees (the vast majority) lost an amount equal to 12.2 percent of their wages, so for a worker earning $25,000 a year, the loss would be more than $3,000 per year.
The 20-year record of NAFTA shows that deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership would contribute to income inequality as more middle-class jobs are lost. Either Obama can prioritize a battle against income inequality or he can push more NAFTA-style trade agreements and the trade authority to railroad them through Congress, but he cannot do both.
Link to original article from Huffington Post
More information is available at http://www.citizen.org/fast-track.


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Before & After: The Beverly Grove Renovation
Seeing potential. Not everyone has this gift to see beyond an aged surface, weathered finishes, a far from perfect interior space, or even damaged furnishings. But Greg and Alexandra certainly do, (no big surprise considering the couple operate home renovation specialty service, ModOp Design, while Alexandra is also a notable textile designer and interior stylist) extending their talents to make a Los Angeles house their very own home...
Owners Greg and Alexandra share some insight about the history of the home and their renovation:
Lots of interesting history on this house. It was built in 1926 and we are the third owners. The original owner lived here for over 40 years and gave the house to his caretaker who lived here for another 40+ years. She had inherited some of the original furniture. So, when we bought the house from her children, I asked for some of the original pieces.
The mahogany post bed and dresser in the guest bedroom for example. I refinished it myself and found a photo of the original owners laundry business in the bottom drawer!
I reupholstered the wingback chair that was in the living room with my own textile design, printed on upholstery weight cotton. And I had the original wood desk in the office painted and refinished by Jessica at 'Disregarden' who I found at the Fairfax flea market. I re-painted and re-wired the dining room and breakfast room chandeliers and moved them to the bedrooms.
As far as the house goes, we restored all the original wood work - the beamed ceiling in the living room and dining room, the built in book cases and the front door were all stripped of the antique faux finish they had and were carefully stained. We restored the original windows which was a ton of work and put in new oak floors (the original floors were too far gone).
We used Heath accent tile and Granada floor tiles in the bathrooms and had our carpenter built custom kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. We had to widen the original doorways to bring them up to code, so we took the original doors to a salvage yard and traded them for wider doors from the same time period. And we restored the door hardware that had been covered with paint.
Thanks to Alexandra and Greg Becket
Images: Charmaine David for ModOp Design
67 Comments
Beautiful! I dream of having such a wonderful old (updated) house one day! Good job!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
The swirly pattern on the chair alongside the whimsical shape of the window is simply inspired. This place is a gem.
Wow, that is fantastic.
:packing bags: I hope they need a long-term house guest. This house is gorgeous and exactly what I see in my mind's eye whenever I picture my dream house.
Absolutely beautiful.
Absolutely love this. It's always nice to see a renovation that doesn't involve stripping away all the original charm. I enjoyed reading a little about the history of the house, and I think it's cool that they were able to reuse some of the original furniture.
Beautiful home but this format is super inconvenient! I had to scroll between the image icons and the image view field over and over!
Love all the reds against the white and woods. Kind of feel like this was the kind of architecture my house was modeled after... Pretty strange to be transplanted to rural KS :)
I was ready to say that the large living room carpet deserves some kind of floor-covering Oscar -- but then I saw the bathroom floor! Both provide a wealth of interest and detail without being overwhelming. I didn't like the mod dinette at first; it was so out of place that I didn't even see the lantern overhead. But I've come to appreciate the blend of contemporary touches amid the ageless vibe, and I may still warm up to the vagina chair.
Why on earth is this not a House Tour? This beautiful home deserves to be navigated in a less agitated manner...
Stellar renovation. Lovely updating and reuse.
Stunning! It just screams Los Angeles.
Zillow has it for sale: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/751-N-Ogden-Dr-Los-Angeles-CA-90046/20786006_zpid/
@MANDALA123 and guess what? They are trying to sell it for more than $400,000 more than they paid for it....6 months ago.
Good luck with that, guys. I don't think there's a remodel that exists that justifies a $300,000+ markup over the estimated value of the property.
Simply beautiful!
I am in love with this carpet! Where did you find it?
THANK YOU for staying true to this house's nature. Gorgeous. I don't like the fact that the lampshade matches the chair though. But I'm so glad you kept those beams.
That ceiling is amazing.
Phew! I was terrified when I saw the before photo, thinking that they might have covered up that beautiful ceiling. I am so pleased to see that they took the steps to actually refurbish rather than destroy their house's past.
why the super annoying thumbnail/photo layout, AT?
It's totally awesome, but I'm sad to see it's basically just an ad for a house flip. Perhaps a moratorium on houses for sale unless that's indicated right away? Having owned the place for six months doesn't indicate anything about the owners or what they love as much as it does that they are catering to the market. I want to see places that people are making, renovating for themselves and not as a business venture.
Positively stunning renovation, but anyone who couldn't recognize the potential in the "before" has to have a hole in his head.
So incredibly jealous!
Wow, AT. Is the site getting a cut from the markup? This is a lovely home, but so weird that the post is basically a real estate ad. Not revealing that info up front is a turnoff.
alright...I had a long well worded response but I lost it so here's the gist of it.
Who cares if it's a flip. Isn't AT supposed to be about great design, seeing the potential and making it happen? Sorry it wasn't some poor "artistic" hipster couple with a dog who will live there in bliss until they die of old age.
It's a great house, who knows if they'll sell it with a mark up like that and if they do good for them. There's a lot of time, money, effort and risk that goes into a renovation/flip.
And to whomever purchases that house, I hope they enjoy it!
Great house
bathroom tiles!!! are they original? just gave me a fabulous idea for my own bathroom
This is what I'm talking 'bout! The owners/sellers modernized the furnishings, but restored the house. Kudos for preserving a piece of history. There were so many beautiful little cottages built in the twenties, and unfortunately, so many of them have since been "modernized" beyond recognition. Congrats to the lucky buyer who scores this gem.
Okay, I have to ask. That giant half-oval window (1st and 2nd photo) that used to be awkwardly covered by curtains, now has no window covering. It appears that this is a street facing window. How do you feel about your living room being exposed to anyone outside at all times - especially at night when it's impossible not to see inside from the street?
I have mad envy! Especially of the windows. My Spanish Colonial house is subject to winter and the original owners had schlubby replacements put-in after living with the originals for 60 years. Sigh. This post inspires me to investigate painting the exterior window trim dusty turquoise...that might bring back some of the character! No qualms with pro-renovators...they help us amateur folks see the possibilities!
@Simone4 - The patchwork kilim rug in the living room and the vintage Kilim in the office are from Amadi Carpets on Roberston Blvd!
Love the sideboard/locker piece. Where oh where does one find another!
This is an amazing home. For the first time ever I think I'm JEALOUS of a home's owners. This is really stunning and you guys did a fantastic job of keeping true to the home while really making it shine. You should be congratulated heartily and very proud of yourselves!
@jenndevine the locker cabinet is from Rehab Vintage on Beverly Blvd!
a remodel like this could justify a markup in this range in my neighborhood in San Francisco IF the remodeling included new plumbing with tankless on demand units, new electrical upgrades, cable/internet, zoned music and a media hub, new heating, (preferably geothermal/solar/radiant), improved insulation/sealing and seismic upgrades, but if it's all paint and finishes not so much.
love what I see BUT would also love to know exactly what was done to the infrastructure and structure.
I am in awe. Thanks AT for showing and thanks to the owners for sharing.
Absolutely Beautiful!!
PS. I love your site.. BUT.....
this definitely should have been a tour..slideshow..something other than the format used..
Looks like I'm the only naysayer here. Don't get me wrong--it's very well done, and the substance seems to be there, but I was expecting more, style-wise, given the owners' pedigree. For example, why the vast empty space in front of the fireplace? Brown ceiling, floors, leather sofa, AND brown buffet? ...And then, in the middle of all of this, the metal cubby non sequitors from a sports locker room?
That's funny because as I was looking through the pictures, I was thinking it's very nice but looks staged as if for sale. I am so SMRT!
It is lovely though and I hope someone nice gets to live there.
Love the windows!
Gorgeous! I'm especially smitten with the rug and chair in the living room. I was kind of surprised to see some referring to this as a flip. I guess in the sense of having fixed it up just for sale it is. But I've always thought of a "flip" as being a fast-as-possible, cheap-as-you-can process. By that standard this is hardly a flip, but maybe I'm just ignorant about flipping!
Beautiful home!! So what if it is an ad for flip? I still enjoyed seeing it.
Very good job. I especially like the colourful textiles, the living room rug and the bathroom floor tiles.
Why is this not a house tour? Beautiful, though.
Niabassett, that's exactly what I was talking about with a friend of mine when we took my dogs for a long walk last night. We passed so many houses where people feel nothing of having lights on and no coverings on the windows. You can see people sprawling on sofas, feet on the coffee table, sipping beer and watching their hideous 52" TV's or sitting at the dining room table (in my neigbhbourhood, the street-facing windows are either living or dining rooms). I don't quite understand it, I would feel terribly exposed, especially when it is so dark outside that you cannot see out at all.
Don't know, perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I am an introvert and I can think of nothing better than being curled up on a sofa, a dog by my side, with a good book and not thinking about the rest of the world.
My idea of perfection.
Beautiful. When I saw the "before" living room I was terrified that the "after" would have paint covering the beautiful ceiling. What a relief that the owners didn't fall for the dark=bad mindset most people fall into. Talk about a house full of character.
The way this tour is layed out is WHACK. Great house though.
That is the style of my DREAM HOME!!!! Spanish/Moorish/Mediterraneanish from the 1920's. Growing up in Los Angeles they were and still are - my favorites!
Beautiful work!
that chair has a giant vagina on it!!
This is one fantastic space. To get that many details right, you've gotta be good. Bravo!
Beautiful job. Beautiful home. You must be proud. Love the chair!
I like the bathroom.
Too many white walls for me, though.
What a great renovation. Still staying very true to the style of the house. And that window in the front room, just amazing.
Rich and gorgeous use of pattern and color, really enhances the house. Good riddance to bad curtains.
The intro text to this post makes me laugh. Who on EARTH would have trouble seeing the potential of that living room?
Molly80, I came here to post pretty much the same thing. Yes, you'd need to be a true visionary to see the potential in beautiful, exposed aged beams, white walls, arched windows and an open fireplace. *rolls eyes*
Other than that - yes, lovely. Except the matching armchair and lampshade thingy.
Not everyone has 27" Mac screens AT... Would be nice to have a slideshow.
spanish colonial charm on the outside, and almost old world victorian charm on the inside. loving this.
Hmmm, did they run out of money for the front yard garden? The foundation planting is worse than most, and the dark green turf doesn't look very waterwise. A period-appropriate garden adapted to the local climate could look amazing.
Love it. So charming.
Inspirational! I wish I'd see the process in a reality TV! Interesting to know dollar wise what value you added to the property! Keep you in my referral list!
Thanks for this tour. I love this period of houses. Great job on keeping the integrity while keeping it fresh and up to date.
It is the owners' prerogative if they want to sell the property THEY bought, paid for, and renovated. This is a design site.... They can do whatever they want with their property. Why have people become so sanctimoniuos?


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Collective power
How a major U.S. organization improved efficiency and profited in both its business unitsDOWNLOAD
One of the largest organizations in the U.S. had watched as growth slowed down in both its business units. The company, which owns close to 100 manufacturing facilities, engaged Deloitte to help improve its operating margin without letting product quality or service slip at any of its plants. The Deloitte team targeted both effective near-term gains and a long-term foundation that could sustain efficiencies across the company and engage employees at many levels. Deloitte helped the company improve operating margins by about $18 million across just a handful of plants across the two business units.
Both business units at the company were experiencing slower than desired growth, less than effective operating margins and suffering from under-utilization in the manufacturing processes. Specifically, despite a strong brand, the sales for one of the business units were affected by the recent economic downturn. In the other, demand for a lower-priced product mix put intense pressure on margins. The company recently launched and Deloitte helped identify several opportunities to make improvements. The goal of the program was to drive margin improvement on the order of $200 million across the entire company over three years, about 15% of which would be through plant productivity improvements within the four walls of several manufacturing plants across both business unit.
The varying sizes and complexities of the company's plants presented several challenges. For example, shortly before the launch of the margin improvement program and the manufacturing efficiency initiative, the company installed new management at a plant that had been losing tens of millions of dollars annually, resulting in the shut-down of a product line, layoffs and reduced employee morale at the facility. This made it challenging to win employee support for an operational improvement program.
This was also the first time Deloitte worked with this company in manufacturing. As a result, it was important for Deloitte to gain trust from the manufacturing organization and build confidence in the overall approach.
The company had previously started plant productivity improvement programs with limited effectiveness. Working on a contingency fee basis — meaning its fees would be based on the extent to which the client saved money — Deloitte proposed this approach:
The team managed the process at four levels: helping executives set priorities and expectations, assisting manufacturing leadership in defining details and resources, helping plant supervisors develop a baseline of operational performance and identify areas for improvement and working alongside floor operators to implement solutions.
Deloitte sought to build trust between top executives and floor workers by communicating the program details in a way that each level could understand. The company needed to convince some employees that the status quo was unacceptable and their active participation was critical to the initiative's effectiveness. Deloitte gained buy-in by providing detailed information based on plant-specific data, conducting brainstorming sessions and soliciting feedback.
Deloitte also worked with the company to create Process Improvement Teams (PITs), composed primarily of hourly operators working across different plant functions ranging from core product manufacturing to equipment maintenance or plant sanitation. This approach helped give the teams a sense of ownership of the changes being made as they continually found ways to identify and rectify operational challenges.
During the initiative, Deloitte sought to understand current operating conditions, analyze available data and arrive at conclusions that could favorably impact operating decisions. For example, plants belonging to one of the business units were typically highly responsive to customers and to internal logistics, which added more complexity to daily operations and introduced hidden costs. Using analyses, Deloitte demonstrated the current cost of service at one facility. This helped with devising an alternative solution to provide the same service at a lower cost — an approach that is being implemented at other plants too.
In the first eight months, with the program implemented across 10 percent of the company's manufacturing facilities across both units, the company realized about 60 percent of the three year plant productivity improvement target. The Deloitte team helped plants with their bottom line by improving materials use, line efficiency and labor productivity while maintaining product quality and service. The company's initial target for margin improvements over two years was increased by close to 50%, far exceeding initiative targets.
The company also institutionalized a continuous improvement (CI) approach through the PITs at the aforementioned plants across the two business units, using them to help identify problems and then work through them using structured problem-solving techniques. Establishing these teams was important for a couple of reasons. First, without the help of plant workers who drive improvement on a daily basis, the initiative would not be as effective. Second, the teams helped win trust and sustain interest among fellow workers. In a nutshell, they needed to be aware that they were being heard and their feedback counted. This approach can be expanded to other plants.
Deloitte also helped the client create a productivity system toolbox, which consisted of qualitative leading practices and quantitative analytical tools to help plants understand where opportunities existed and how they could drive value. The toolbox helped plants collect data on different items and processes, which were then analyzed to define opportunities.
Deloitte worked with the company teams to institutionalize the governance structure at both the corporate and plant levels to help sustain improvements, set future strategy and manage the initiative. The governance structure synchronized efforts and agendas across the company from the manufacturing leadership meeting down through a shift change meeting involving hourly operators. The idea was to include as many employees as possible to discuss a broader set of issues, improve communication and help drive even greater gains over time.
As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.


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Plenty of our graduates have begun careers as interior designers. Check out some of their work and businesses.
Hello 2013, 2012, 2011 Alumni!
Please pick up your work from the last three years kept for CIDA review!
CIDA-accredited programs assure the public that interior design education prepares students to be responsible, well-informed, skilled professionals who make beautiful, safe, and comfortable spaces that also respect the earth and its resources.
Interior Design


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Core Strength Package - 55cm
- Description
This bundle will add challenge to your workout while improving posture, core strength, balance and flexibility. Use the stability ball with the included Resist-A-Ball® Exercise Guide and Hard Core DVD. Led by Stephanie Morris, co-creator of Resist-A-Ball, this all-new core workout tightens your abs, strengthens your back and improves your posture. This workout is easy to follow but challenging enough to achieve the results you desire. Get ready for some fun and unique ball moves that will truly result in a hard core!
- This bundle is recommended for individuals from 5'1 to 5'7 tall


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Main Content
Slap a double-dose of Kyle Busch pride on your ride with this 2-pack of 4" x 4" die-cut clings! One is a decal with Busch's number and facsimile signature, and the other one is Busch's fast car. You can put one cling each on two different vehicles, or pair both clings on one vehicle for your very own Busch mobile. After all, don't you want everyone to know that you're a fan?
- Clings to any smooth surface
- Each decal measures approximately 4" x 4"
- Made in the USA
- Non-fading
- Officially licensed NASCAR product
- Removable & reusable
- Team colors & logo
Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.