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Even before the hectic events in the financial markets, 2008 was an eventful year for those of us in business intelligence. We saw adoption of the dashboard design paradigm accelerate, interesting developments in the dashboard product space and the growing sophistication of business dashboard user interface design. What we can be assured of in 2009 is that our space will continue to be exciting.
The business world in general, and the BI professional in particular, finds the arrival of 2009 bringing with it the combined blessing and curse of "interesting times". While exchanging New Year's greetings with many Dashboard Spy readers and contributors, I found certain "top-of-mind" topics appearing on everyone's list. In this post, I share 5 of what will most certainly be the hottest topics of discussion when discussing business intelligence dashboards in 2009.
Dashboard Topic #1
"Business Intelligence, the recession-proof application"
Corporate spending has ground to a halt. This has impacted in a dramatic way the world of IT where, even in the best of times, we have to work hard at proving ROI and business justification. IT managers now are scraping by with reduced staff and application funding. However, I've received reports from quite a few organizations where business intelligence dashboard budgets survive. In fact, a few new dashboard reporting projects received the go-ahead despite cutbacks on other technology spending.
Does this indicate that business intelligence tools are recession-proof? Are BI applications the rare "bull in the bear market" because BI is finally recognized as the tool that companies rely on to measure and track their way out of hard economic times?
As some savvy Dashboard Spies over at LogiXML write in a post titled "Business Intelligence in a Recession: a Luxury or a Smart Investment?", whether or not BI is recession-proof in a certain company depends on the perceived value of BI within that company. There are basically 2 kinds of companies:
- The kind for whom BI is a bit like an amulet–just wear it around your organization's neck and things may start looking up again.
- The kind who views BI for what it is: a tool. To be useful, tools have to have a specific purpose. If the strategy is to go on the offensive and gain market share, then BI is to this purpose what a hammer is to a nail.
For the first kind of company, BI may end up being a luxury. Analyst firm Gartner states that only five to ten percent of companies actually get into BI with a clear strategy, which means that many organizations unfortunately fall within this category.
For the second kind of company, BI becomes a way to achieve the goal of gaining market share through a solid command of their vertical – which means a clear understanding of their data. So as they implement BI, every effort is carefully aimed towards this purpose – and the chances of success skyrocket.
Naturally, buying only as much BI as you need and ensuring that you don't have to beef up your IT team to implement it and maintain it is a way to ensure that your investment is smart.
How recession-proof are business intelligence dashboards in your company? There is no doubt of the need to quickly and accurately measure and track your company metrics in order to formula a response in this time of crisis. But can you actually take advantage of this need to make your BI budget not only survive but thrive?
As Shadan Malik, CEO of iDashboards, commented:
It is very clear that 2009 will bring pared down budgets, requiring businesses to do more with less. There will be more pressure for people to produce and demonstrate their worth. To ensure businesses remain on track during this turbulent time, affordable BI tools, specifically visual reporting tools designed to provide the insight needed for quick intelligent decision-making, will be in high demand.
This will bring about an increase in the deployment of affordable, bolt-on dashboard software. Because dashboards offer a representation of the state of the business, they not only provide the management team with insight into the bottom line, but they also give other staff a view of the top line. This bi-directional system will ensure complete visibility into the data and that all transparency polices are followed properly.
These tools will also be used for another form of business intelligence, employee performance. Systems once deployed only to monitor forecasts and actuals will now be used to show individuals their achievements, allowing organizations to track employee success against predetermined business goals, fostering a "culture of individual accountability."
Moving forward, we will see greater personalization and customization in how data is presented, as information assets will be more readily available to every worker at all layers of the organization. Access to actionable data, will transform how organizations strive to meet goals and enhance their ability in setting them.
The idea of greater personalization and customization brings us to my second "hot" dashboard topic for 2009.
Dashboard Topic #2
"The Power of The Mash-Up Dashboard"
Remember what Metcalfe, one of the ethernet inventors, said about networks? He had a formula for expressing the power of the "network effect" where the value of the network increases exponential when more users join the network. We are seeing this power come into the realm of the enterprise dashboard with the boom in the availability and promotion of RSS, APIs and other technologies and licensing agreements for the unfettered sharing of data from countless providers across the world. As more and more providers offer their data, the network effect will ensure greater participation. 2009 will be a break out year for mashup dashboarding.
The mashup dashboard takes a mix and match approach to enterprise dashboard content that provides a real user-centric focus. Think combination of business intelligence applications, reporting engines and web portals.
In 2009, more companies than ever will make their databases and application engines available for use across the internet. While TOS (Terms of Service) agreements will be in effect, the access to the data is generally granted at no cost. This has opened the world of the enterprise dashboard and made the dashboard design pattern a smorgashboard of content from a range of data providers. This "mash-up" of content serves up unique combinations of dashboard content for the ever-hungry dashboard end user. Once they've tasted the mash-up dashboard, there's no going back.
Kevin Yin, CEO of SitScape, a company specializing in a software product that allows dashboard end users to create their own mashup dashboards from web sources, took time out from demo'ing his product at the Red Herring Global 2009 Tech Start-up Show to answer a few questions from the Dashboard Spy:
Spy: Why is the Mash-Up Dashboard becoming such a trend now?
Kevin: It is a natural evolution with the mix of the following ideas : the maturity of technologies, end user's mindset and expectations, and the impact of the advancement of the consumer Web 2.0 world. The enterprise user now demands those approaches as well. The kind of projects or capabilities
that typically required 6 month or 1-year project to do by a company's engineering team or consulting
firms are now expected to be done in a much faster time frame. And incorporating the latest advances in a personalized user interface that offers improved productivity, faster decision making and extraordinary business value.
Spy: That's a lot to ask. Is the technology behind this approach very complicated?
Kevin: It might be, but the software should hide the complexity so users will not feel it. We must empower the dashboard end user to do what they want to do much faster and easier. A good example is the evolution of sending messages. When first using telegrams or letters, the expenses were quite high. But because it provided such value, the demand grew over the years and technology eventually made it pervasive. Think now of email, SMS and blogs and how easy, low cost, on-demand and personalized communication is. Enterprise dashboard technology needs to move to that direction.
The approach that Kevin's company took to creating a unique mash-up dashboard for each business end user can be seen in how his Situational Dashboard Assembler software enables a mashup of live components from web applications. Simply indicate what live data sources you want on your mashup dashboard, and presto!
Dashboard Topic #3
"The Unavoidable Dashboard" or "Here Come the Widgets!"
We are seeing very interesting developments in dashboard software. Things that we take for granted, such as where to place a dashboard (web-based, rich client, etc) are being called into question.
For organizations to achieve real returns on their business intelligence efforts, there is one startlingly simple requirement – "Get the data in front of the manager". This data visibilty has become a real challenge in today's hyperactive management environment. When the typical executive is bombarded with reports to study, phones to answer and emails to scan, even clicking on an icon or typing in the URL of their business intelligence system becomes too much to ask. Sounds silly, I know, but it's true.
The challenge then becomes how to make our dashboards "unavoidable" so that busy managers can't ignore the signals from our KPIs and metrics?
From the forward edge of business dashboard techniques comes the idea of desktop dashboards. With the end user now getting comfortable with widgets and gadgets (those mini applications that appear on your PC or Mac as part of the windows environment), we will see more and more adoption of this technique to deliver business intelligence.
Allan Wille, CEO of Klipfolio, a leader in the desktop dashboard space, offers some insight into the advantages of placing the dashboard right on the desktop:
Spy: Did you say that there are 3 really important things in business intelligence dashboards?
Allan: Yes, location, location, location! Actually, there are indeed several key principles in BI dashboards and one of them is the Rule of Placement. The idea is to make the KPIs unavoidable. Why not place them right on the desktop so that they load right away when the end user boots up. There is no sense in asking the busy executive to launch a browser to log in to a BI app or click on an application icon.
Editor's note: See The 3 Rules of Dashboarding for a discussion of The Rule of Placement, The Rule of Design and The Rule of Accuracy.
Spy: So the user doesn't even have to explicitly log into their business intelligence application?
Allan: Right. In fact, application adoption is another reason why companies are adopting desktop dashboards. If you go through the effort of launching a major BI product and no one winds up using it for whatever reason, that's a really bad thing. So what you can do is provide a desktop dashboard that surfaces KPIs and metrics from that BI application and let's the users link through to the application when they notice something of interest on the desktop dashboard. So the desktop dashboard can complement that CRM, making it easier for the data to be displayed so people don't have to log in, they don't have to go to various tabs or different Web pages to see the data. Everything is basically there in front of them without them having to do anything. Furthermore, we can then simplify the interaction between the dashboard and the Web based system. So for example, they can initiate a lead right from the desktop or they can change the status on a certain opportunity right from the desktop without having to log in.
Spy: Using the desktop as BI real estate seems obvious but I can't claim that I would have ever thought of it myself.
Allan: We use a side bar approach. It does offer additional real estate, but the nature of it forces the companies to prioritize their KPIs and metrics. If you have a side bar on the right side of your computer, you basically have a fifth or a sixth of your desktop real estate that you are playing with – this mandates that customers have to choose the most important information to put on the desktop. We're finding that our customers go through the exercise of identifying "what is the key data?", "what is it important for our customers to see?" and more importantly "what is not important for employees to bother with?" to great benefit.
Editor's note: Allan's company, Serence, rebranded itself as Klipfolio after the name of its desktop dashboard. Check them out at www.klipfolio.com.
Dashboard Topic #4
"The Eye Candy Controversy, Continued"
Several dashboarding platforms released upgrades during 2008 that take graphics to a new level. Flash-based bling and web 2.0 styling is here to stay. "Create your own dashboard" software now makes it extremely easy to add all the glitz and chrome you want to your business intelligence interface. Project sponsors who want to show slickness love this functionality but the information visualization best practice crowd is choking on their pie charts and loading up their bullet graphs. The "eye candy" versus "clarity of data visualization" controversy will no doubt continue to grow in 2009.
2008 was a strong year for the information visualization and charting crowd with many dashboards adopting best practice techniques such as sparklines, bullet charts and monochromatic color schemes. Look at the various business dashboard contests and you'll find the top contenders all sporting similar aesthetics. See the Best Excel Dashboard of 2008 for a typical sparkline-based dashboard.
In the other corner, gleefully bouncing around between rounds with the frustrated information visualization gurus are the cheerful masses. To say they are thrilled with their new found graphic power would be the understatement of 2008. With click and drag ease, they are filling their dashboard portlets with slick-looking graphs that shine and reflect light. It seems that ocassional the right chart gets selected but that almost seems to be beside the point.
As a dashboard adoption observer and business intelligence industry reporter, I will state my opinion that at this point of the maturity curve of business dashboards, it's great that the dashboard end user or department level dashboard builder has the technology available to produce great looking visual interfaces for business intelligence. Yes, there are plenty of "wrong" practices out there, but I'd rather enjoy this frenzy of do-it-yourself dashboarding than to wait forever for IT and their data visualization experts to get something "right".
Let me also state that the eye candy is not soley the result of end-user produced / dashboard platform-based dashboards. With the common availabilty of flash-based charting components such as the nicely designed ones from fusioncharts.com, the latest generation of in-house, custom developed dashboards also shine and sparkle when it comes to charts.
Our dashboards have never looked this nice. But is this coming at a cost? Consult your local data visualization expert.
Dashboard Topic #5
"The Rise of the InfoGraphic"
2008 was a banner year for infographics. I mean that literally. News sites such as the New York Times have set up considerable resources for the production and prominent display of data-driven information graphics. As explained in this interview with the NY Times Graphics Director Steve Duenes, information graphics are taken quite seriously.
Visually, information graphics typically look exactly like the business dashboards that we study at The Dashboard Spy. I would guess that for many newspaper readers, these infographics are the first interaction they have had with what we call business dashboards. Some very popular infographic dashboards from 2008 include:
- NY Times Olympic Medal Count
- NY Times Popup Election Dashboard
- NY Times Analysis of State of the Union Address (actually from 2007)
For an expert's view of infographics, I'll point to you my favorite article of 2008 on infograhics. It's by information visualization ace Stephen Few and it's an article titled "Infographics – It's Time to Put Them to the Test".
From his analysis:
It is definitely true that, when trying to communicate certain information, "a picture is worth a thousand words." As technologies such as television, video games, and the Internet fill our lives with increasing amounts of visual content, the potential of visualization is now taken for granted. The question remains, however, "Are we using this visual language effectively?"
This form and use of visualization has become popular in the last few years. We now see frequent examples of infographics in major news publications. I've seen examples that work to communicate effectively, but more that, in my opinion, do not. What accounts for these differences in the effectiveness of infographics?
I believe infographics have great potential, but their effectiveness must be honed through empirical study. Infographics practitioners must become more introspective, more critical of their work, if they wish to give something useful to the world. Most of the infographics that I've seen are filled with what Tufte calls "chartjunk." Why are we still producing chartjunk?
His article is thought provoking and well worth reading. Read up, because infographics are definitely here to stay and will become even more adopted by the media in 2009. The public will be hard pressed to differentiate between data-driven infographic applications and business dashboards. For that matter, so am I.
New Year's Resolution for The Dashboard Spy
At the start of 2009, I feel confident that no matter what occurs during the year, there will be plenty to study and learn from in terms of dashboard examples and best practices. I've personally spent the last few years collecting, collating and commenting on business intelligence dashboards and can tell you that the dashboard as a design paradigm is poised to really break out. We will see a dashboard page as part of every corporate application. In fact, it's finally dawning on everybody that the dashboard is the perfect home page.
I'd like to thank all the Dashboard Spy readers who have helped the Dashboard Spy network of business intelligence resources grow. It's through your contributions and examples of BI dashboards that have powered the growth of my sites. I've seen plenty of Dashboard Spy impersonators spring up with their own dashboard example sites and I welcome the growth in the space. It's through sharing with the dashboarding and business intelligence community that we all continue to learn what the real best practices are.
My resolution for 2009 is to really light a fire in the business intelligence dashboards space and grow the Dashboard Spy community and resources. I'll work hard at allowing the readers to directly contribute content themselves. I've acquired the domain dashboards.org and will be launching a community-driven resource that will allow you to contribute and share your dashboards with ease. I'll be networking and really driving the community aspects. For that, I've decided to drop my "secret identity". It served me well when people were reluctant to share their dashboards and were comforted by the ego-free approach that I took. That was years ago and, today, sharing dashboard screenshots is common place.
My name is Hubert Lee and I'm The Dashboard Spy. I look forward to interacting with you personally. You can send me a LinkedIn connection invite to this personal address: . Just let me know that you are a Dashboard Spy reader. Feel free to make contact. I'm sure we've got lots to talk about. Also, I've got podcasting on my mind, so if you're willing to be interviewed for an upcoming series of podcasts, let me know.
Good luck in 2009 and Happy Dashboarding!
Warm regards from Hubert Lee, The Dashboard Spy
Be sure to check out the following Dashboard Spy sites:
Stay tuned for more!
Tags: Dashboard Software


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Last year, the Utah Legislature required all high schools in addition to elementary schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day. As a student at Bingham High, I have never talked to a fellow student who enjoys saying the pledge every single day.
Most students don't even pay attention to what they are saying or don't even say it at all. If a student doesn't want to stand and say the pledge, they need a note from their parents! Yeah, that makes sense.
Doesn't the pledge say "with liberty and justice for all"? Students should not be forced to say the pledge.
I enjoyed it when we said the pledge with the whole school once a week. That was meaningful and unifying.
Before they force students to say something they should have a choice about, lawmakers should look at the Bill of Rights.
Alex Burnett
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subset: commoncrawl


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WAY OF THE OCEAN: Surf Film Trailer December 10 2010
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Hey There,
I think the problem you have is with the ETH1 interface.
If I'm right ETH1 is the interface for ethernet, which is a wired interface.
You should be using a wireless interface. Type "iwconfig" to see your interfaces.
you should be using "wifi0" or maybe "ath0" like me.
You need to make sure monitor mode is enabled on the interface you use aswell which is listed in "iwconfig" aswell.
yeah I could be wrong, Just thought you might have a external wifi apliance plugged to your ethernet card. Sorry.


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Lucretia C. Begley Gallery
The Lucretia C. Begley Gallery, located in the Slider Humanities Building, provides a space for exhibits of artistic works by local and regional artists, ceramicists, painters, photographers, furniture builders, and metal smiths. It also hosts exhibits of art works by faculty and students at the college.


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*These dental organizations are in areas of dentistry not yet recognized as dental specialties by the American Dental Association.


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Hi all-
I have a problem with SET. I can get the 'credential harvester' to run successfully from one location.
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Does the SET tool need SMTP access or just a web connection? BTW, I have access to web at both locations.
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|Art 43 Basel 2012
|Galleria A arte Studio Invernizzi
Hall 2.0 - Booth B3
The gallery A arte Studio Invernizzi has invited the artist Alan Charlton to create an exhibition for "Art 43 Basel".
The exhibition project consists in an interaction between his work and that of Mario Nigro, another great master of the contemporary art world. Charlton has decided to show one of his particularly representative recent works, bringing it into active dialogue with Nigro's works from the 1950s.
The connection between these two artists and these two creative moments is clear to see in their desire to revisit, contradict and modify the geometrical and structural archetypes of the act of painting. This approach is a feature of both artists and they express it in different but parallel ways, creating a long-distance dialogue that can be seen in this exhibition. The show brings about a constructive confrontation and profound analysis through the current creative relevance of the work of Charlton, who has selected some of Nigro's creations, revealing his formative, precursory role, as well as the potential for bringing to life new visual languages and independent spaces of imagery.
The exhibition project does not just compare the formal results and the procedures adopted by two artists of different generations, for it also constitutes an active space in which history encounters and interacts with the present in order to augment its significance. Substantiating this link, Alan Charlton's "Pyramid Grid Painting", 193.5 x 499.5 cm, of 2011, amongst others, will be on show. In this work, the modularity of the grey panels interacts with that of the rectangular element in Mario Nigro's chequered panels, or "pannelli a scacchi".
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John Maine is set to take the mound tonight in the Mets' second game of the season. Andy Martino of The Daily News gives a rundown of the starting rotation, sans Johan Santana who was predictably good in the opener despite coming off elbow surgery. Whether he can keep it up is left to be seen.
Jose Reyes played a complete game in extended spring training in Port St. Lucie and is looking good for a Saturday return, according to ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin.
David Wright arrived a month before training camp opened to work with Mets hitting coach Howard Johnson to diagnose and fix his swing, writes The Record's Steve Popper. It seemed to have worked, at least in the first game when Wright hit an opposite field homer in his first at-bat. He only needs 10 more to break last year's output.
The Buffalo News has a story about how the Triple-A affiliate Bisons are poised to have a much better season than the one in 2009 when they won just 56 games. They're stacked with not-quite-ready-for-primetime players such as Fernando Martinez, Ike Davis and Josh Thole and former pro players Omir Santos and Nick Evans.
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Bottega Veneta Resort 2013
And here we find ourselves again: another round of collections just eight weeks after the last looks of fall hit the runway. (Some of those clothes, by the way, are already in stores. Allow yourself to feel both elated and perplexed by that.) But like it or not, fashion is nothing if not urgently moving forward, and so begins resort. What a more glorious way to start than with Bottega Veneta! Not only was the bright, sunny showroom uplifting and creative director Tomas Maier charming (a smart slate-blue suit and tie early in the morning goes a long way), but the clothes and accessories—strappy sandals with leather appliqué butterflies on the heel, soft and snug cardigans in abstract florals, sheaths in complementary prints, and a sort of luxed-up tracksuit—create an idea of loveliness that's rooted in a deeply intelligent and original approach to familiar fashion tropes like 'luxury,' 'understated,' and 'elegant.'
Maier's faded-citrus palette—peach, yellow, pistachio—was intended to reflect the colors of aged frescoes, and a tableau of an Italian villa was expertly embroidered on the top of a sleeveless dress that had a red-and-white graphic-print knee-length skirt. He threw one of the floral cardigans over it, but women will just as easily throw that cardigan over anything in their wardrobe. "I grew up in a house with a lot of women, so I am concerned with what they need," he said.
His unique talent lies partly in the way he creates clothes that look adult and grown-up but don't look old. It's a difficult balance to strike, but he's able to do so with unexpected fabrics. For fall, there was the gorgeous printed velvet of his long evening dresses; for resort, it's a more athletic viscose jersey used for lean track pants (paired with double-breasted, double-faced cashmere jackets, lest the luxe be lost), sporty tanks that topped printed skirts, and effortlessly elegant, long evening looks studded with tiny dots and worn with strappy flat sandals.
When there's so much talk this time of year about seasonless dressing and a buy-now, wear-now mentality, Maier, especially with this collection that offers so many options for climate and occasion, really seems to get it. "Resort has to fulfill all functions," he said. Yes, but rarely is it manifested in such beautiful form.


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DuSable Exhibit Explores Visual Culture and the Struggle for Human Rights
The exhibition For All the World to See examines the influence of visual culture and images like that of Emmett Till in shaping and transforming the struggle for racial equality by showing… realities of segregation and racial violence, inspiring activists, and fostering African American pride and the Black Power movement.
This traveling exhibit will be open at the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago until May 16, 2011. A comprehensive online exhibition is also available.
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Investigators are trying to track down Nickolas "Nick" Kasemehas, a 73-year-old convicted career con man released from prison in September. Police are also wondering if there are new or unreported victims of the man's cons.
Portland Police Sgt. Pete Simpson says Kasemehas may have attempted new cons in the Salem area and could still be in the Willamette Valley. He is wanted for third-degree theft.
"One attribute that investigators note is that he has a very expensive daily cigar habit and so for people who are running cigar shops, he might be someone that would frequent their shop."
Simpson said Kasemehas usually befriends his victims, convincing them to lend him gold, silver, cash or other property, promising to invest in a worthy opportunity, but quickly disappears.
"Investigators are concerned there are more victims who have not reported his crimes to police for fear of embarrassment or still holding on to hope they may still get their money back."
Here's the press release from the Portland Police Bureau with details on reporting tips or possible crimes:
The Portland Police Bureau's White Collar Crimes Detail is asking for the public's help in locating 73-year-old Nickolas Kasemehas, wanted for Aggravated Theft in the First Degree.
"Nick" Kasemehas has a long list of aliases and is a career con man, beginning in 1962. Kasemehas was released from prison in September 2012 and immediately began conning victims in the Salem, Oregon area. He has most recently been frequenting locations in the Portland and Salem areas. Kasemehas is also believed to have an expensive daily cigar habit.
In the past, Kasemehas has frequented cities all along the West Coast, including Seattle and San Francisco. Many of his cons involve schemes around gold, jewelry and loans. Kasemehas' criminal history extends to San Francisco, Utah, Denver, Chicago, Seattle, Portland and many other smaller cities.
Investigators believe there are more victims of Kasemehas criminal behavior and would like to hear from anyone with information about his activities.
Kasemehas is described as a white male, 73 years old, 5'9" tall, 175 pounds, gray/brown hair, brown eyes, and in very good physical shape.
Anyone seeing Kasemehas is asked to call 9-1-1. For non-emergency information about Kasemehas or information about additional victims please contact Detective Liz Cruthers at (503) 823-0272 or email@example.com


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Dressmaker's Form
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Couturiers fashion their creations on our professional dressmaker's form. A to-the-trade essential, it's equally at home as a decorative accessory or as a stand for putting together an ensemble.
Show Details +
- Shoulder-to-Shoulder: 14¼"
- Bust: 35¼"
- Hips: 35"
- Overall: 71½"H max.
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John Kitzhaber on Energy & Oil
Democratic Governor
Nothing is more closely associated with Oregon than its natural environment and its ethic of environmental stewardship. And how we enjoy & use those resources is inextricably intertwined with how we supply energy to run our state and our economy.
Congressional Summary:Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016 the tax credit for electricity produced from wind, biomass, geothermal or solar energy, landfill gas, trash, hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy facilities.
Proponent's Comments (Governor's Wind Energy Coalition letter of Nov. 15, 2011 signed by 23 governors):Although the tax credit for wind energy has long enjoyed bipartisan support, it is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2012. Wind-related manufacturing is beginning to slow in our states because the credit has not yet been extended. If Congress pursues a last minute approach to the extension, the anticipated interruption of the credit's benefits will result in a significant loss of high-paying jobs in a growing sector of the economy. We strongly urge Congress to adopt a more consistent and longer-term federal tax policy to support wind energy development, such as H.R. 3307.
The leading wind project developers and manufacturers are slowing their plans for 2013 and beyond due to the current uncertainty. The ripple effect of this slow down means reduced orders for turbines and decreased business for the hundreds of manufacturers who have entered the wind industry in our states. When Congress allowed the tax credit to expire in 1999, 2001, and 2003, the development of new wind installations dropped significantly, between 73% and 93%, and thousands of jobs were lost. Providing renewable energy tax credits in order to provide consistency with conventional energy tax credits is the right policy to move the nation forward in an energy sector that offers global export opportunities and the ability to modernize a segment of our electric production infrastructure.
|Other governors on Energy & Oil:
|John Kitzhaber on other issues:
OR Senatorial:
Jason Conger
Jeff Merkley
Monica Wehby
Ron Wyden
Gubernatorial Debates 2014:
AL: Bentley(R) vs.Griffith(D)
AR: Ross(D) vs.Hutchinson(R) vs.Griffin(R,Lt.Gov.)
AZ: Ducey(R) vs.DuVal(D) vs.Mealer(AE) vs.Gilbert(L) vs.
CA: Brown(D) vs.Kashkari(R)
CO: Hickenlooper(D) vs.Beauprez(R) vs.
CT: Malloy(D) vs.Foley(R) vs.Walker(R,Lt.Gov.)
FL: Scott(R) vs.Crist(D) vs.Snitker(L,Lt.Gov.)
GA: Deal(R) vs.Carter(D) vs.Hunt(L)
HI: Ige(D) vs.Aiona(R) vs.
IA: Branstad(R) vs.Hatch(D) vs.
MA: Coakley(D) vs.Baker(R) &Polito(R,Lt.Gov.) vs.
ME: LePage(R) vs.Michaud(D) vs.Cutler(I)
MI: Snyder(R) vs.Schauer(D)
NM: Martinez(R) vs.King(D)
NY: Cuomo(D) &Hochul(D,Lt.Gov.) vs.Astorino(R) vs.Hawkins(G) vs.
OK: Fallin(R) vs.Dorman(D)
PA: Corbett(R) vs.Wolf(D) vs.
Newly-elected 2014:
AK-I: Bill Walker
AR-R: Asa Hutchinson
AZ-R: Doug Ducey
IL-R: Bruce Rauner
MA-R: Charlie Baker
MD-R: Larry Hogan
NE-R: Pete Ricketts
PA-D: Tom Wolf
RI-D: Gina Raimondo
TX-R: Greg Abbott
Up for re-election 2014:
AK-R: Sean Parnell
AL-R: Robert Bentley
CA-D: Jerry Brown
CO-D: John Hickenlooper
CT-D: Dan Malloy
FL-R: Rick Scott
GA-R: Nathan Deal
HI-D: Neil Abercrombie
IA-R: Terry Branstad
ID-R: Butch Otter
IL-D: Pat Quinn
KS-R: Sam Brownback
ME-R: Paul LePage
MI-R: Rick Snyder
MN-D: Mark Dayton
NH-D: Maggie Hassan
NM-R: Susana Martinez
NV-R: Brian Sandoval
NY-D: Andrew Cuomo
OH-R: John Kasich
OK-R: Mary Fallin
OR-D: John Kitzhaber
PA-R: Tom Corbett
SC-R: Nikki Haley
SD-R: Dennis Daugaard
TN-R: Bill Haslam
VT-D: Peter Shumlin
WI-R: Scott Walker
WY-R: Matt Mead
Civil Rights
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Local Issues
Social Security
Tax Reform
Term-Limited or Retiring 2014:
AR-D: Mike Beebe
AZ-R: Jan Brewer
MA-D: Deval Patrick
MD-D: Martin O'Malley
RI-I: Linc Chafee
TX-R: Rick Perry


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ReelAbilities Day! - The JCC In Manhattan
Hours: 2-5 pm
Ages: All
334 Amsterdam Ave. - 3476043964
New York, NY 10023
Description: The JCC In Manhattan Announces: The 2012/2013 Season of R&R @ the JCC – March 9th – ReelAbilities Day! WHO: Face Painting for all ages, Children's Art Project: Deepening our Connections to Those Who Have Other Abilities, Now that you Converted to Judaism, What's Next? Lecture, Adventure Workshop & Performing Arts Workshop with Rebeca Diaz, Sefer V' Sefel: Hebrew Book, Somewhere: Heidi Latsky Dance, Traditional Texts: What do the Torah and Talmud tell us about Inclusion? Lecture, Reel Encounters 2013: Collection of Short International Films, Still Standing: A Musical Survival Guide for Life's Catastrophes, A Cappella Concert: Princeton University Wildcats and much, much more!!! WHAT: R&R Saturdays are FREE at the JCC! Make your Shabbat afternoon special and share in our community. Workshops, Art, Yoga, Meditation, Food, Music, Study Sessions, film, creative art projects, Spa Experiences, Indoor & Outdoor play! There are programs for both children and adults. Guaranteed fun for the whole family! All are welcome. WHEN: Saturday March 9, 2013, 2:00pm-5:00pm (until March 23rd) WHERE: The JCC In Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue @ 76th Street, New York, New York 10023 WHY: An amazing weekly opportunity to be together as a family and as a community. R&R is an incredible alternative to the typical New York Saturday and... IT'S ALL FREE! For more information: www.jccmanhattan.org/rr or join our Facebook page for updated information https://www.facebook.com/pages/RR-Shabbat-at-The-JCC-in-Manhattan/193553367387562


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Headquartered in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, BPI is a family-owned set of companies that were founded beginning in 1976 by Eldon Roth and his wife, Regina. For more than 30 years, BPI has provided consumers with safe, wholesome, and nutritious lean beef some of the leanest beef in the market. BPIs lean beef has been a part of ground beef sold in the United States since 1993.
Since their inception, BPI has been recognized as a meat industry leader for food safety innovations and their commitment to making the highest-quality lean beef. The International Association for Food Protection honored BPI with its most prestigious award, the Black Pearl Award, for BPIs efforts in advancing food safety and quality through consumer programs, employee relations, educational activities and adherence to standards. BPI was also recognized with the National Cattlemens Foundations Beef Industry Vision Award, the National Meat Associations E. Floyd Forbes Award and the Food Quality Award.


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NRO doc "diagnosed" Gore with "Narcissistic Personality Disorder"
Following the serial claims [1] by right-wing pundits that former Vice President Al Gore is mentally ill -- which came in the wake of Gore's May 26 speech [2] about America's Iraq policy -- Henry I. Miller, M.S., M.D., in a June 1 National Review Online commentary [3], "diagnosed" Gore with "Narcissistic Personality Disorder."
As Salon.com associate editor Mark Follman noted in a June 2 "Right Hook [4]" column, Miller initially cited New York Post columnist John Podhoretz [5]'s May 27 column [6], in which Podhoretz stated, "[I]t is now clear that Al Gore is insane." In his June 1 NRO commentary, Miller wrote, "John is not a physician, but he's half right. Al Gore appears to suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which is not treatable with medications."
Miller "let loose" what Follman described as "a litany of psychology-speak buzz phrases to make his case against Gore." Miller listed the "diagnostic criteria for this malady" -- which, he wrote (quoting from an unnamed authority), includes "a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)"; "[being] preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love"; "requir[ing] excessive admiration"; and "lack[ing] empathy."
According to Miller, "Gore demonstrated his grandiosity repeatedly. Who can forget his notorious claim that he had been responsible for creating the Internet?" Miller was referring to Gore's 1999 statement, "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet," which the Republican Party distorted into a claim that he "invented the Internet" -- a distortion that many in the media then treated as fact. But Miller interpreted the "creating" language itself as evidence of what he apparently believes is Gore's tendency to exaggerate his achievements. In fact, as The Nation's media columnist, Eric Alterman [7], pointed out in his 2003 book, What Liberal Media?:
...Gore, as much as anyone else (and perhaps more) really did take the legislative initiative in helping to bring to birth the Internet. Gore was a major supporter of the technological research that helped convert the military communications system, Arpanet, into what is now the Internet. Vinton Cerf, often called "the father of the Internet" and even Newt Gingrich, have vouched for Gore's key legislative role in helping to shepherd the Internet to life.
In addition to citing Gore's 1999 Internet statement, Miller appeared to base his "diagnoses" primarily on Gore's science writings, especially his 1992 book Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit [8], rather than on what he characterized as "Gore's recent anti-Bush administration tirades." Miller described the pro-environmentalism book as "patronizing, apocalyptic, and overwrought ... manifest[ing] many of the diagnostic criteria listed above, offering disturbing insights into its disturbed author."
Miller is a research fellow [9] at the conservative Hoover Institution [10]. According to Hoover's website, Miller's research "focuses on public policy toward science and technology, especially pharmaceutical development and the new biotechnology. His work often emphasizes the excessive costs of government regulation and models for regulatory reform."
- Stories/Interests
- Al Gore [11], 2008 Elections [12]


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Dakota Fanning is a "Very Good Girl" at Sundance
Doing her best to support her latest work, Dakota Fanning attended the screening of "Very Good Girls" at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Tuesday (January 22).
Written and directed by Naomi Foner, the drama follows two New York City girls who pact to lose their virginity during their first summer out of high school. When they both fall for the same street artist, the friends find their connection tested for the first time.
Others joining the 18-year-old actress in the cast are Elizabeth Olsen, Demi Moore, Peter Sarsgaard, and Ellen Barkin. Look for "Very Good Girls" to hit theaters later this year.
Earlier this month, Elizabeth was nominated for a BAFTA Rising Star award alongside, Juno Temple, Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, British-born Andrea Riseborough, and India's Suraj Sharma.


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INTERVIEW: Armin van Buuren at Miami Music Week
Listen to Armin van Buuren on iHeartRadio
Armin van Buuren has been voted the number one DJ in the world five times now, and it's easy to see why. Creating captivating music, running his own label, going on world tours, and playing at the biggest festivals in the world, trance fans regard him as the "King of Trance."
We caught up with Armin during Miami Music Week, and he talked about his new album Intense - due out May 3rd - his new single, how his "A State of Trance 600 - The Expedition" world tour is going, and more. Find out what he had to say:
It's Miami Music Week. You've been coming down here a lot, so what is your favorite part about this week? What do you look forward to the most?
Well, it's actually one of the only times in the year that I get to hear other DJs' sets. So I get to hang out with other DJs, see how they're doing. And I always get inspired by sets, even if they're kids who are 19 or 20 years old, or they're more established names like Carl Cox. So for me, it's one of the most exciting times of the year because I get so much inspiration here. I heard so many great sets already this week, really.
Who was your favorite?
I think W&W, right now. They really feel a little bit like my guys because they were signed to my label at a very early stage, and they're really blowing up right now. Especially in the US, so it's pretty exciting.
And how did Ultra go?
Beyond my wildest dreams. I mean, I got to be honest with you, it was pretty nerve-racking, because I've been working on my new album Intense, that'll be released on May 3rd. And this was the moment where I was going to premiere my brand new single "This Is What It Feels Like." It was going to happen the first weekend at Ultra, on the main stage. So I've waited for that moment for six months, you know. And Ultra is not just a special moment for a lot of the kids that are out there and the people that like to go to Ultra, but it's also a very special moment for a lot of the DJs. Because I know in fact a lot of the DJs premiere their tracks for the very first time at Ultra. So this is a very very cool thing. You only have 55 minutes to tell your story, because there's a changeover and intros and stuff. So 55 minutes is very short for a DJ set. So I try to put a lot of energy into it, and I was very excited about the crowd's reaction. Because you never know, you know, like I said, 55 minutes you have to do your whole show. You have to make sure everything happens. So I make edits of all my tracks, make them as short as possible, give it a lot of energy, build from Above & Beyond's set to the 140 BPM that I really like, you know, the uplifting stuff. Because my heart is really with that kind of music, I just love that sound. But when you play such a main stage as Ultra, you don't want to piss everybody off and just start straight away with 140. You want to sort of build, have a more natural progression, and then at the end you give it. So yeah, it's very exciting, and I'm glad that it went well. We thought about it so long, we put so much effort into that show, and to see the reaction was just amazing.
Tell me about your new album. You said it took you two years to make on your radio show?
Yes. Well my last album was in 2010, called Mirage. And it was pretty well received, including the tracks "Not Giving Up On Love," "Feels So Good," "This Light Between Us." So I didn't try to top that, there was no point. So I sort of sat down in the studio and I just had fun, two years. And especially the last couple of months were pretty intense because I didn't have a lot of time to finish everything. But I wanted it to be perfect, so I took some weeks off of DJing, which is a hard thing to do because you know, DJing is so much fun and being in the studio is actually working sometimes. The cover also represents my feeling, I really found my light in music. I found out the way life works is, everybody has his own path, and I accept it now that I'm on a different path than anybody else. I'm always a little jealous of my colleagues, some people that I look up to, and I admire them. But I learn to realize that I should not try to force myself into being somebody that I'm not, trying to follow a road that I am not, you know. This is Armin van Buuren, this is my sound, and I've accepted that I cannot please everybody. On the other hand, if I put all my effort into something, I know that I will please a few people at least. And that's how life works, you know, it's the burden of being an artist. You try to please as many people as you can, but you can never please everybody. Having said that, I think this album has something for everybody. And I think it's a very exciting and broad range of sounds and styles. 85% of it still trance. Of course there's a more commercial single called "This Is What It Feels Like." It wasn't meant to be a commercial single or to be a chart track. We just sat in the studio and this track came about, it just happened. And I'm so so excited about it. It feels really good that that's been dropped, and people are responding to it really well, so I'm very excited. And the rest of the album has definitely more deeper stuff on there for sure.
The new single "This Is What It Feels Like," tell us about the video a little bit. It's got over 500,000 views on YouTube already!
Yeah, almost, it's getting there, and it's not even a week on YouTube, so it's pretty exciting. I wanted to make a video for "This Is What It Feels Like" because the song is pretty heavy, so I wanted to make a contrast with that. You could either do a video that's heavy and dark, but I wanted to have a fun video. First of all the singer, Trevor, is a very nice guy, I get along with him really well. So I just envisioned this thing of two guys being on the road having fun, you know, riding cars, chasing a girl, making fun of each other. First I wanted to have it in a casino, but it was too expensive, and too difficult. So we decided to do a road trip thing, kind of "Thelma and Louise" inspired kind of, two guys on the run, just racing with each other. So we actually had a real race, we had the police shutting down a mile road so we could film there, and we were actually racing with each other, it was just so cool to do. I had an 850 horse power car, and we were just racing with each other. And then we have Ron Jeremy making a special guest appearance. He was perfect for the role of the owner of the cafeteria. If you look at the video, you see that we had so much fun. It was three days of hard work to shoot it, but it was probably one of the most fun things I've ever done.
How has the "A State of Trance 600 The Expedition" tour been going? Because you're almost at the end now.
Amazing. Beyond my wildest dreams really, because when we reached episode 500 of A State of Trance, I sort of felt like maybe this is a good moment to stop. Because we did five massive events, five weeks, on five continents. But the fans just kept asking for more! And what I love about trance music right now is that it's very dynamic. You have all these range of sounds. You know, from W&W, Andrew Rayel, Sied van Riel, Leon Bolier, to Ferry Corsten, Markus Schulz, and then John O'Callaghan, Aly and Fila, Indecent Noise, 138, but also the more progressive sound that I play in my warm-up set. It's a very exciting time for trance. I dare to say that this is probably one of the best times for trance music because there are so much good tracks out at the moment, and I like to mix it up. And every event so far has been sold out, highlights being the show in Mexico City where we did 20,000 people, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia where we did 30,000 people, it was just insane. And we sold out the Garden in New York City, this is beyond my wildest dreams of course. And we sold out the last show on April 6th in Den Bosch in my home country in the Netherlands, where we're going to have four rooms and 35 other DJs, and it's just going to be 30,000 people there. It's just insane. And everything will be live and broadcasted for free so people can enjoy. Even if you don't have the money or the means to travel or you have to be home for some reason, you can still join the expedition. And this is the idea, you know, we're exploiting different sounds, we're looking towards the future, investing in new, young talent like, Orjan Nilsen, Andrew Rayel, Indecent Noise, Juventa, all these new guys that are up and coming that I really want to give the stage to present their sound, and really move forward with this whole event. So it's really really exciting, especially for a guy like me, who has been around for quite a few years, to be able to really help and promote new talent, and to promote the sound that I really believe in. It's exciting, it's really exciting.
And you're excited to play Madison Square Garden, it's such an iconic venue. People have performed there from Mick Jagger to the biggest pop stars in the world, and it's next weekend! What goes into preparing for this?
Well, it's part of The Expedition tour, so that's easy. We have the intros and the special stage design, that's already ready. A few tracks of course I'm going to play, like "The Expedition," and we have some special surprises with the live performances. But I think also people know what A State of Trance is and they know kind what to expect. It's different than an Armin only show, or different than a just simple Armin van Buuren set. It's really A State of Trance, so it should be about trance music. So I want to stick to my roots. Having said that, we've got some special surprises, of course.
Are you going to be premiering more of your music from Intense at these next few shows? Because you've been premiering them, like the Emma Hewitt track, and now this new single. Are you going to be premiering anymore?
Maybe, depends. I'm thinking about it, because there's a few tracks that would really fit the vibe. On the other hand, some people sometimes complain if you give too much away before the album drops. You know, I don't want to ruin the surprise for everybody because there's already four tracks out there. I don't know I have to think about it, and it also depends on the mood. I only have 90 minutes to play, that's not a lot of time. I think people are waiting for a new track, but I've been very productive this year. I've done "The Expedition" with Markus, the track with W&W, the track with Arty, the new Gaia, and now the track with Emma, the track with Trevor. And that's all been in the matter of three months, so I don't want to over expose myself, you know. It's intense!
People say that 2013 is going to be "the year of trance." Do you believe that? Do you think that it's progressing towards that?
Yes, absolutely. Well, I think it depends what you expect from trance music. If you expect the sound from the "golden age" of trance, you know '99/'01, I think you'll be disappointed because the way we make tracks right now is completely different, so it's a different sound. But the tracks are still euphoric, they're still melodic, they're still uplifting, and if you closely listen to my sets, you will always notice that I'm loyal to my roots of trance music. This is what I'll always do, and this is what I'm always going to be very excited about. For me, this is the most important thing. I think what is really exciting is that there is so many different styles within trance music right now, and each style has its own following. If you listen to my radio show every week, it usually starts out a little bit more down tempo, a little bit more melodic, maybe a few more vocals, and the end is the more banging stuff, the more uplifting stuff, and it really works for me, that combination. There's so many people playing house music right now. For me, it doesn't really make sense to start making house music, or to promote it. My heart is with trance music, and it will always be. But, you have to have an open mind, you know. If I eat a salad, does that make me a vegetarian, you know.
What has been your most intense fan moment?
That's actually a pretty sad story. There was this guy in Leiden, in my hometown, who was probably one of my biggest fans and he had a terminal disease. He died a year ago. And I went to see him several times in the hospital as well, and I gave him a few of my DVDs. He was in a lot of pain, but he watched my DVDs and that sort of helped him to cope with the pain. And his dream was to be me, to be in my shoes, and it still upsets me. But, this is what my wife also tells me. She says, think of it this way, you made that person have a better life because your music, and the fact that you were there made him feel better. But his vision is still engraved in my head, to this day I still think about him a lot. It really makes you feel like what you're doing is not just making money, traveling the world, and being successful. You're really making a difference in peoples' lives, and it's so much more valuable than any other thing. So yeah, that was the biggest fan moment for me. I know it's a little bit sad story, but it made a really big impression.
Photo Credit Nicole Mastrogiannis


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Allstate Sugar Bowl Quote Central
This page will host audio/video and transcripts from all official Allstate Sugar Bowl press conferences. For an example of what will be posted here, click to view last years 'Quote Central'.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
7:30 p.m. The Seventy Eighth Annual Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic
After each quarter, stats will be posted. Final stats, post games press conference videos, coaches quotes, and player quotes will all be posted shortly after the game.
Click for Virgina Tech post game player quotes
Click for Michigan post game player quotes
Monday, January 2, 2012
11:00 a.m. Virginia Tech Head Coach Frank Beamer
11:25-11:30 a.m. Photo Opportunity, Both Head Coaches
Video is posted FTP only - FTP site also has b-roll of Sugar Bowl trophy
11:30 a.m. Michigan Head Coach Brady Hoke
Saturday, December 31, 2011
8:15 a.m. Virginia Tech Offensive Coordinator Bryan Stinespring
9:45 a.m. Michigan Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison
9:15 a.m. Michigan Offensive Coordinator Al Borges
8:15 a.m. Virgina Tech Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster Press conference
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011


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Aaron Tippin becomes flight instructor for his son
Listen to Aaron Tippin on iHeartRadio
Aaron Tippin isn't just a country star and a pilot. The singer is a certified flight instructor as well. And he earned his certification for a very specific reason - to sign his son's logbook after the teenager finished his first solo flight.
Aaron tells "Country Weekly" he's proud that his son is carrying on the family's "tradition of aviation." He explains that his dad was a pilot who signed his logbook when he made his first solo flight on his 16th birthday.
Ted had hoped to do the same, but had to wait an extra day to follow in his father's footsteps. He intended to take his flight on his 16th birthday last Saturday, but bad weather kept him grounded until Sunday.
My son took his solo flight today - 3rd generation of Tippin pilots. pic.twitter.com/patOxfQF6u
— Aaron Tippin (@TippinAaron) December 16, 2013
Photo Credit Getty Images


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HANS CLEBSCHAffiliation:
The Cleveland Orchestra - Third Horn
Artist's BiographyHans Clebsch
Third Horn
The Cleveland Orchestra
Hans Clebsch joined The Cleveland Orchestra's horn section as third horn in summer 1996. He has appeared as a soloist with the Orchestra on two occasions, performing in Schumann's Konzertstck for Four Horns. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Mr. Clebsch attended the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, the Saint Louis Conservatory of Music, and the University of Tennessee. His teachers have included Thomas Bacon, William Bommelje, Michael Hatfield, William Ver Meulen, and Roland Pandolfi.
Before joining The Cleveland Orchestra, Mr. Clebsch served as acting principal horn with both the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera orchestras. He also worked with the Houston Symphony, as principal horn of the Mexico City Philharmonic, and with the orchestras of Austin, Nashville, Oregon, and San Antonio; the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra; the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy; the Seville (Spain) Symphony Orchestra; and the Minera Symphony Orchestra in Mexico.
Mr. Clebsch has given master classes in China, Mexico, Turkey, and the United States. He teaches privately and is the horn coach for the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra. Mr. Clebsch lives in Shaker Heights with his wife and their son.


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Very fascinating read. Kept me glued in front of the monitor for a while there.
Can't wait to go back to the mats!
Very fascinating read. Kept me glued in front of the monitor for a while there.
Can't wait to go back to the mats!
As i walked out through the customs gate in arrivals at LAX Airport i saw a
short black guy,wearing a suit holding a card with my name.
He was about 28 years old,5ft 6 and 250 pounds.
Maybe he did some jiu jitsu..............maybe not.I greeted him and we walked out of the airport to the car park,i squinted,the bright sunshine burning my eyes.I looked around me.Yes,this was the place.The place i'd been dreaming about since Steve Austin 6 million Dollar man at 5 years old,and then with the BMX boom in 1980 at 10 years old.By the time E.T. screened in 1982 at 12 it was a done deal.I wanted to live in LA.
As 14 approached and ICE T was rapping about the 'West Side' and Dr Dre was saying
'Fuck the Police' i was immersed in west coast culture.
So here i was,finally,at 40 years old in the land of my dreams walking towards a blacked out limousine that would take me anywhere i wanted to go in la la land.
My driver said,"buddy,most people that come out of the airport want to go and eat straight away,can i recommend 'in and out burger'?".
My reply was simple,i hadn't planned it,i think i was a bit freaked out by how surreal my surroundings and the situation were.I looked in his eyes,in the mirror of the limo and these were the words that came out of my mouth-
"Take me to Rickson Gracie"
"Rickson Gracie?" the limo driver replied,"where is that?" i realised this guy didn't do jiu jitsu,didn't watch MMA or he would know.He would just KNOW
who i was talking about.My illusion was shattered and i began to google the addresss of Rickson's academy which i had already checked was right in the heart
of Westwood,in the same street as my hotel,Wilshire Boulevard.I told the driver the address and said "Just take me there,i want to visualise how far it actually is from my hotel.As we drove through Inglewood i recognised the streets i'd been hearing Dre rap about for the last 20 years.i seemed to be feel at home in the strange place that i'd never been to before.We drove throught the run down streets and slowly as we drove the houses got bigger and the cars got newer.
We ended up driving towards Hollywood on Wilshire Boulevard and the driver said 'we are almost at you address'.I looked around,this was an upmarket part of town.
The equivelant of Kensington High Street in London.I wondered how Rickson could afford the rent here.
I have been reading for the last 10 years about the fact that Rickson was hardly ever in the academy,and even more rumours in the last 3 years that he had moved
back to Brazil leaving his Son Kron running things in LA with his mother Kim.I didn't care if i didn't meet Rickson,all i knew was i needed an academy really close to the hotel so i could get there regularly.I had packed my plain white Mizuno Judo Gi in anticipation.Stories always came back from Rickson's that students from out of town were not allowed to wear patches on their Gi's and were asked to buy Rickson Gracie Gi's.I wondered how much of this was true and how much was internet bluff and rumour.I had also heard mutterings that people who turned up were asked not to wear the belts they'd been awarded because the only belts recognised in the academy were belts Rickson himself or his father Helio had awarded.I made up my mind,i'd wear whatever Gi they asked me to wear,and if they wanted me to buy a new Gi that would be OK,but if anyone asked me not to wear my belt i would take that as a huge sign of disrespect.It would be a deal a breaker.
A man must have a limit and asking me to remove my belt would be stepping over a line.As i thought about all of this as we drove towards the academy
i felt the familar feeling of my heart starting to beat faster,and the tell tale sign of sweaty palms that would give away my anxiety to my opponents at a hand shake.
Is that why Jiu Jitsu guys just touch fists i found myself wondering as we drove at 10mph through the traffic in the sunshine of the second mecca of BJJ...........
Awesome Simon. Can't wait for the next installment!
My thought process was broken by the driver who said "This is the place" and i looked over and saw the sign,those words "RICKSON GRACIE BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU"
and i said "OK,i'm just going to go and check it out,wait here i'll be back in 10 minutes" and with that i got out of the limo".
As i walked across the pavement i wondered how they could keep an academy going in such a great location,it was surrounded by jewellers and up market clothes shops.As i got closer i looked through the floor to ceiling glass shop front and realised the academy was closed.
I started to notice that most of the newer signs said 'KRON GRACIE' not 'RICKSON' and the inside looked a little run down.Don't get me wrong,it was very nice
but kind of at odds with the retail outlets that surrounded it at this incredible location.Hanging in the window were beautiful 'Kron Gracie' plain white Gi's with that famous triangle emblem and an inner label saying 'on the mat'...........so,they weren't selling those almost legendary Mizuno Rickson Kimonos anymore.
I saw lots of posters of Kron and his father and something that really struck me deep was the samurai swords displayed in the window.I knew where they were from.
I knew that story,that tale was one of the early reason's i began this sport,this way of life.
Legend has it that a famous Japanese turned up one day at Rickson's,he'd travelled from Japan with his manager and some press with the plan that he would
ambush Rickson in his own academy and ask the master to take part in the 'Gracie Challenge',a challenge that could not be turned down,no matter what and had stood since Rickson's Uncle Carlos had placed the challenge in a Rio Newspaper in the 1920's with the immortal words "If you would like your face well and truly smashed in and your arms broken come and visit Carlos Gracie".
First Carlos had defended the family honour,then his brother (Rickson's father Helio).When Helio was passed his prime the responsibility was awarded to a 17 year old Carlson,whose father Carlos and Uncle Helio despaired as the teenager literally punished challengers with his fists from the mount rather than finishing them easily with a quick submission.As Carlson's time came to an end it was Rickson's big Brother Roll's turn until,as Roll's life was cut short with a fatal hang gliding accident the family honour and defending was placed in Rickson's lap.
So back to the Samuarai Swords being proudly displayed right before my eyes in the window of the academy.The Japanese fighter had turned up unnannounced
at Rickson's and i believe one of Rickson's black belts was taking the class that day because Rickson was sick at home with flu.
The BB was Luis Herida who now runs a successful academy in Hawaii.As he explained that Rickson was sick and he didn't know if the challenge could take place,
young Rockson (RIP) Rickson's oldest son was already out of the academy door and on his way home at speed to get his dad.Rockson already realised what it meant
to be a Gracie and he was infuriated that the Japanese had the disrepect to turn up unanounced at his fathers gym.
Rumour has it that Rickson,who was in bed and poorly immediately left the house when the impending news arrived via Rockson that he turned up at the Academy
half dressed and in bare feet to meet his challengers.
The usual 'waiver' was signed and the press were told they could not watch the closed door match,but that the contract entitled whoever wins the match
to keep the video that one of Rickson's students would film of the vale tudo fight.
The Japanese fighter was defeated once easily without too much damage being done as was usual in these situations.He then made the mistake
of demanding to fight again.This time Rickson was not so kind and behaved in the same Carlson had done all those years earlier and punished
the challenger for his insolence by pounding him until both his eyes were closed from the beating.
The next day,legend has it,the Japanese Challenger,a man of honour,a man whose cultural identity was formed by how he behaves in defeat turned up
at the academy with his manager and the samurai swords,to give Rickson the greatest present a Japanese can bestow on a foreigner.
The swords being a symbolic gesture of respect.
So,having grown up reading about this challenge on various now defunct forums,here i was gazing at those very swords with my own eyes.
I felt something as i looked at them.I know something of what it is like to have to be able to perform against anyone that walks into the acadamey
at any time,and the responsibility of the belt and what that means.That it didn't matter if you were feeling under the weather or a bit out of shape.
And my experience is only with Jiu Jitsu.Vale Tudo against some of the toughest challengers in the world where a mistake could change your life
was a completely different matter.And to jump out of bed and go to the academy in bare feet and meet a challenger in front of your son and your students
and hand out an incredible beating that,if a mistake is made could ruin your reputation is something that i respect.
As i looked at those swords,that is what i felt= Respect.
So,the academy door was locked but i saw a sign on the door saying 'If you do not arrive before the bow in,you may not attend a class'.
At that point i started thinking about my job,what i was really in LA to do,and whether this was the right place for me.I knew i'd almost always be late
for the evening class and i started to think perhaps i'd better work on a back up plan and get an introduction to Kron before i turned up for a class.
I got back in the limo and drove to the hotel.One mile away in the same street.The location was definately right for me,but was the club?
I am a Carlson Gracie Black Belt,how would they feel about me training there? I could turn up without my team patches and t-shirts but
i could not remove the bulldog and the words 'Carlson Gracie' on my arm,tattooed on a Budapest Council Estate in 2007 as a mark of brotherhood
with Mihaly the coach in Hungary.
I realised i would need an proper introduction and so as i got into my hotel room i formulated a plan.I looked out of my suite on the 19th floor at
the view of the Hollywood Hills and marvelled at the hot tub.This was a long way from my last serious training trip abroad as a Brown Belt in 2007
visiting Morocco.No,this was different,i was in luxury but i had a belt to defend.The stakes had got higher,and as a 40 year old now,the odds had
got slimmer.This wasn't a time to dwell on such matters though.It was a time to believe in myself,grow some balls and go and fight.
I punched the numbers in my cell phone and called Todd.A close protection specialist and Black belt who could be anywhere in the world.
I needed his help,he knows Rickson having spent many years training at the academy.Todd was my first BJJ Instructor and still someone
i have a deep respect for,a mentor to me.
As his answer machine beeped i spoke "Hey Todd this is Purple (my nickname) i'm in LA and i wanna go and train at Rickson's.I realise he won't
be there.Could you please contact Kron and introduce me".
At that point i hung up.It was 7pm LA time,but 3am UK time.It had been a long day and i decided if i was going to have a scrap tommorrow
i'd better get some rest.I set my alarm for 6.30 am.YES, 11.5 hrs sleep,an extremely rare occurence.Just knowing i could sleep,wake up,sleep again
for hours and hours gave me hope i would have some gas in my tank for the next day....................


text:
Human Foot Found on the Beach
It wasn't the typical day at the beach.
Authorities got a call on Wednesday, from someone who found a shoe containing a human foot along the sand at Peck Lake Beach near the north end of Jupiter Island.
The caller said she found the foot under some sea grass as she was walking along the beach.
Martin County sheriff's patrol units, K-9 and air units scoured the shoreline but did not locate any other human remains.
The foot was taken to a crime lab as detectives work to identify the remains and find out how it wound up on the beach.
Click Here for the latest on this story.


text:
King, Stephen (861 items)
Welcome back! Whilst you were away we added the functionality to view auctions and bid in pounds.
King, Stephen (Richard Bachman, John Swithen): Information on the Catawiki site about De gloed, 2005.
At its heart, Catawiki is an online catalogue with images of, and information on, collectibles. Our catalogue is compiled by users in a similar way to Wikipedia.


text:
[Date Index]
[Thread Index]
[Author Index]
Re: Clean-up code for packages
> Is there a way for packages to set up some clean-up code that is
> executed before Quit[]? (e.g. delete temporary files that may have
> been created by package functions)
I don't know if there is a better way to do this than to manipulate
> I found $Epilog, but I cannot figure out how to prepend commands to it
> if it is already defined. E.g. the default value of $Epilog is
> $Epilog := <<end`
> and I'd like to modify it to be
> $Epilog := (someCommand[];<<end`)
> without knowing the its initial value.
> Is there a way to do this safely? Or is there any other way to run the
> clean-up code when the session is terminated?
... but this is one way to alter $Epilog, I hope it will be "save
enough" for your needs. You need to look up the OwnValues directly to
get ahold of the unevaluated code and then take some care to not
evaluate it too early:
SetDelayed @@@ Cases[
HoldPattern[RuleDelayed[Verbatim[HoldPattern][$Epilog], origcode_]] :>
Hold[$Epilog, CompoundExpression[myCommand[], origcode]]
(* test it: *)
myCommand[] := Print["Hello!"];
Of course there are other ways to extract the origcode, when testing you
might look at OwnValues[$Epilog] before and after evaluating the above


text:
Topic: Foods to Avoid During Cancer Treatment
Foods to Avoid During Cancer Treatment.
http://www.cancer.net/blog/2014-04/food … -treatment
cholangiocarcinoma.org :: Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation Discussion Board
a resource for patients, friends, caregivers and loved ones.
You are not logged in. Please login or register.
Foods to Avoid During Cancer Treatment.
http://www.cancer.net/blog/2014-04/food … -treatment
Gavin, Wow, I had NO idea about some of those items, but it makes total sense. I don't think that all of those were covered in the info from my oncologist this morning, so I will be extra vigilant now that chemo has started today.
Thank you, thank you,
Julie T.
You're welcome Julie. Hope that the link is of help to you and here is another that may interest you.
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinfor … 6_Anchor_7
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer- … emotherapy
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinfor … gwell.aspx
Hope these are of use to you as well Julie.
My best wishes to you,
Thanks, Gavin, I'll check these new ones out. My printer is on the fritz...new a new one, but as soon as it is set up, I will print off copies for my binder for easier reference. Cool Dude!
Julie T.
Great post. You are relentless in your desire to provide valuable information to all persons associated with this site and with this disease.
I am glad i have gotten to know you through our messages. I am thankful yo you for all you do to help this cause.
Take care my friend,
My sentiments exactly. You have no idea how much you've helped me, especially as you're on my side of the pond!
No doubt! You're a gem, Gavin!
I should add that there was only one point in time when my sisters white blood cell counts were really low that they rec avoiding raw foods, soft cheeses etc. Once its in the acceptable range, well washed fruits and veggies are ok.
Thank you all for your very kind words, glad to be of help if I can.
The information expressed is not medical advice. The discussion boards are not intended to replace the services of a trained health professional or to be a substitute for the medical advice of physicians or other healthcare providers. Read the full disclaimer.


text:
Red Hill Weather
62m AMSL
Next 48 hours in Perth Ap
Weather News
Sydney weather: Man killed, two rescued as wild surf conditions continue to batter NSW coastline
A man has been killed while fishing off the rocks at Merry Beach and two men have been rescued from a capsized boat at Bate Bay as the NSW coast continues to be battered by dangerous surf conditions.
New Zealand storms: Clean-up underway as Christchurch and Dunedin residents survey damage
Emergency services and council workers are assessing the damage in Christchurch and Dunedin, as the clean-up begins in Timaru and Otago after a severe storm battered New Zealand's South Island.
Flooding rainfall event over NZ also blankets alps in snow
A complex series of troughs, fronts and an associated low pressure system led to heavy rainfall across New Zealand's South Island this weekend, also resulting in a fair bit of snow over the Southern Alps.


text:
March 23, 2005
Dear FOS11 Member,
Summer may feel a long way off, but now is the time to start making plans. There are many free and subsidized opportunities for children affected by the events of September 11. I wanted to let you know about some of the upcoming summer camps and the best resources for finding out more.
Whether your child wants to learn to sail or explore the world of crafts, summer camp is a great chance for kids to make new friends and discover new activities. Many camps are offered only to children who lost a loved one on September 11, and as such provide kids with a comfortable and loving environment in which to reach out to their peers. Scholarships are also available to camps that are open to all children. Many are all-expense paid and include transportation costs. In addition, educational camps give kids a chance to combine academic courses with fun activities.
As the new project manager for Families of September 11's www.childrenofseptember11.org webpage, I am excited to assist caregivers of children in obtaining up-to-date, accurate, and interesting information pertaining to our greatest asset … our kids! The webpage is designed to provide resources not only to parents, but also to teachers, coaches, school nurses, and babysitters -- any adult who cares for children. It is my sincere hope that we can bring relevant and helpful information right to your fingertips. I also look forward to receiving your feedback, your thoughts and concerns and to hear about your own challenges and triumphs. The best lessons can be learned from peers, so I appreciate your input and feedback.
So take a moment, research what's available, and get set for a fun and exciting summer! If you need more information or have any questions about the camps, please call (212) 575-1878 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Sincerely,Maureen Brogan, MA, LPC Project Manager, email@example.com
Comfort Zone Camp -- April 29-May 1, 2005 and October 28-30, 2005Comfort Zone Camp is still sponsoring its weekend camps in the NJ/NY area. They will be offering two camps there in 2005. The camp weekends are April 29-May 1 and October 28-30. The camps are for children ages 7-17. They are opening these camps this year to all children who have lost a parent, sibling, or primary caretaker. The campers will still be primarily 9/11 children, but they will be integrating all children into these camps. Transportation is available if needed, and offsite accommodations for an accompanying parent/guardian may be available upon request. Please note, Comfort Zone's Virginia-based camps continue to be open to any grieving child from around the country as well. If you visit www.comfortzonecamp.org, you can see the entire schedule for 2005. Call (866) 488-5679 for more information.
Exploration Summer Programs -- June 26-July 16, 2005 and July 17-August 6, 2005 Exploration Summer Programs is a recipient of a generous foundation grant that allows the organization to host young people who lost a parent or guardian in the September 11 attacks. Students choose from a host of engaging academic courses structured as hands-on, problem-solving experiences. They participate in a variety of activities, athletics, and trips throughout the Northeast. Attendance is fully funded with assistance available for travel costs. Dates for the program in Summer 2005 are as follows. First Session: June 26-July 16. Second Session: July 17-August 6. Catalogues and DVDs are available upon request for each of the programs: the Senior Program at Yale University for students entering grades 10-12, the Intermediate Program at Wellesley College for students entering grades 8-9, and the Junior Program at St. Mark's School entering grades 4-7. Call (781) 762-7400 or visit www.explo.org for more information.
Associated Documents: Letter from Exploration Summer Camp to FOS11 Members
America's Camp -- August 17-24, 2005America's Camp is now enrolling boys and girls, ages 7 to 15, for its fourth summer in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains. This week-long, sleep-away camp in Lenox, Massachusetts is offered at no cost to eligible families. The campers have diverse backgrounds and interests, but share a common experience -- they have all lost a parent in the 9/11 attacks or in the line of duty at any time as a firefighter or police officer. A mature, enthusiastic staff is thoroughly trained to ensure a positive, fun, supportive environment. Campers participate in a wide range of sports, crafts, water activities both at the pool and lake, and special events. The 2005 session will begin on Wednesday, August 17 and finish on Wednesday, August 24. For information about the camp and enrollment, families can call (800) 548-6295 or send an e-mail to email@example.com or visit the camp website at www.americascamp.org.
Camp Better Days -- August 17-24, 2005The Better Days Foundation was set up out of a great need for long-term support for those who lost a loved one in the attacks on September 11 and is run by people who lost family members, friends, and loved ones. Its mission is to provide victims' families with support for many years to come though a variety of fun, healing programs. The Foundation sponsors a free one-week camp. This year, the camp will again be held at the Sports and Arts Center at Island Lake in Starrucca, PA, on August 17-24, 2005, and is for campers ages 6-17. For more detailed information on the camp, check out Camp Better Days Section of the Foundation's website, http://thebetterdaysfoundation.org.
Camp Haze -- August 20-26, 2005Camp Kennybrook in Monticello, NY, will again host the fourth Camp Haze starting August 20, 2005, a one-week, all-expense paid summer experience for children who lost a loved one on September 11, 2001. The goal of Camp Haze is to provide these children with refuge from worry and grief, a network of peers, and a staff that understands their unique emotional needs. They expect to have openings for 85-90 children. If you have any questions, call (908) 665-9092 or (866) FOR HAZE (367-4293). Applications are available at www.camphaze.org.
Outward Bound -- OngoingOutward Bound, www.outwardbound.com, is the national leader in experiential education in the United States. Students learn personal leadership, character, compassion, and a sense of social responsibility through the challenge and adventure of wilderness learning. Outward Bound provides free course scholarships to young people affected by 9/11. Outward Bound also provides 3-5 day courses in the New York City and Boston areas for youth ages 12-25. These programs are excellent for 12-13 year olds and for those students who would like to remain relatively close to home. Programs run year-round. Outward Bound representatives speak extensively with scholarship recipients to find the right course for each individual student. For registration and additional information, call (845) 424-4000 ext. 237 and ask to speak to the Scholarships for Community representative.
Associated Documents: Outward Bound Informational Flyer
The Fresh Air FundThe Fresh Air Fund, a not-for-profit agency, provides free summer vacations in the country to New York City children from disadvantaged communities. Call (800) 367-0003 for more information or visit www.freshair.org.
Summer Camp -- America's Safe HavenDoctors and mental health professionals have long advocated overnight camp for children who have suffered traumatic loss. Though a parent's first instinct in this type of situation might be to keep a child close to home for the summer, the professionals feel that these children need a break from their home life for a time, in a structured environment where they are free to simply be children and experience fun. Read the full article from the National Camp Association: www.summercamp.org/media/article11.html
Summer Camp BluesEach summer, many children will have to deal with feeling homesick if part of their summer involves sleep-over camp, but parents can play a big role in helping their children overcome homesickness, say psychologists. Read the full article from the American Psychological Association: www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=20
If you received this email and are not a member, please join us at https://www.familiesofseptember11.org/families/agreement.asp
Membership is free and open to 9/11 families, survivors, and others interested in supporting our mission.


text:
Trace Adkins playing to win on 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice'
Listen to Trace Adkins on iHeartRadio
Trace Adkins says he's out to win on "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice." The country star explains that his strategy included making a bold stance from the start. Trace was one of Donald Trump's hand-picked first team leaders, and the singer says he used that position to make sure everyone knew he meant business. He also recalls how he told his teammates they needed to deliver - in the form of a reality check.
Adkins explains that he knew he had to compete in a different way and this time come on strong right away, because everybody he was up against also had previous experience on the show.
So far his efforts have paid off - he's in the finale. Adkins is facing off against Penn Jillette in the reality show's final challenge - to develop a new flavor for Walgreens' ice cream brand, along with the packaging and a promotional video promotional video for the product.
They also have to organize and host VIP events for the product, and sell up to 50 tickets for the event. Viewers will see how each of them fare in the task and learn the "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice" winner on the season finale, airing on NBC Sunday night.
Photo Credit Getty Images


text:
With interactive layers and a deep search, find buildings, explore statues and fountains, take a virtual tour or find the nearest coffee shop.
Visit Site
The official map of the Texas A&M University campus developed and maintained by the Office of Facilities Coordination.
Travel back in time and explore 100 years of campus buildings and landmarks through this interactive map.


text:
Best Of :: Arts & Entertainment
Billed as "Your Country Sports Bar," George is still, well, gay, so you're as likely to see the occasional drag queen as much as a nice Stetson. Either way, the minute you walk into this laid-back neighborhood joint, you'll feel welcome. And while we enjoy the darts, pool, the juke, the flat-screen TVs and the somewhat-cramped patio out back, it's the courteous bartenders who really set the place apart for us. You're not just another customer/tip at George, you're part of the family. With great prices even outside of the extra-long happy hours, a relaxed atmosphere and a down-home feel, George is destined to become one of your favorite neighborhood haunts — no matter where you live.
Like its big-brother Music Hall next door, the Bronze Peacock Room at House of Blues welcomes all kinds of music, from punk-rock princess Exene Cervenka to hip-hop royalty Rakim to the Kate Bush-y alt-pop of Mexico's Ximena Sariñana, but lately it's also been putting the "blues" back in "House of Blues." Mississippi-born growler Paul Thorn stopped by not long ago, but the best example came back in May, when HOB co-founder Dan Aykroyd hosted a night of local performers topped by formidable soul shouter Diunna Greenleaf and a lights-out set by Little Joe Washington in one of his last appearances before being hospitalized for emergency bowel surgery (he's on the mend now, thankfully). With the promise of more to come, the Bronze Peacock has finally begun to embrace the legacy of its bygone Fifth Ward namesake, proving there's still a lot of life — and ticket sales — in the blues yet.
What a definitive production this was — bare bones and minimal in look, but so rich in context and essence. Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Tony Award-winning classic from 1970 is a plotless, existential musical with perpetual bachelor Bobby (Luther Chakurian), his five pairs of friends and his three bedmates, who all wonder why such a catch isn't married. A very New York show, it's a dissection of modern life that includes marriage, commitment and what it's like to live in Manhattan, all jazzed by Sondheim's patented razor-sharp lyrics and adroit melodies. Masquerade's own patented ensemble cast outdid themselves, with truly splendid work from Chakurian (a very conflicted Bobby), Rebekah Dahl (a sharp-tongued Joanne, who got the show's bitchiest tune, the nervous breakdown-induced "The Ladies Who Lunch"), Allison Sumrall (who rightly stopped the show as neurotic Amy with her tongue-twisting patter of "Getting Married Today") and Kristina Sullivan (a comic delight as the stoned, innocent Jennie, who brought warmth into the bleakness). The ever-capable actors, expert direction by Phillip Duggins and Broadway-caliber orchestra under maestro Richard Spitz made this the musical of the year.
Rachel Brady has long worked as a scientist by day, but she's always loved reading fiction. One day she went from reading to writing, just to see if she could, she says. The result was Final Approach, published earlier this year. As readers might guess from the title, airplanes play a major role in Final Approach. Set in a skydiving school just outside of Houston, the book chronicles the adventures of Emily Locke as she does some undercover snooping into the case of a missing boy. Along the way, she runs into a weathered cowboy who might steal her heart — if he isn't the bad guy. Then there's her over-the-top friend Jeannie, who has turned being sassy into an art form. Brady's next book, Dead Lift, will hit shelves in December, and buzz is already building.
Happily, Houston finds itself with an abundance of good film festivals. Some focus on indie films, others on cinema from a certain country or region, still others on the stories of a particular ethnic group or sect. But only the Cinema Arts Festival Houston hones in on films by and about artists. The 2009 fest, Cinema Arts' inaugural edition, included appearances by Hollywood insiders such as Tilda Swinton and Guillermo Arriaga. It had a line-up of films in an immense range of periods and genres, from the 1924 silent film classic Peter Pan accompanied by a new score to the then yet-to-be-released Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. More than 6,000 viewers flocked to various screening venues around town, including Discovery Green, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and a portable screening room just large enough for ten or so people.
Just last year Houston drinkers were relegated to driving or walking from bar to bar if they wanted to hop from joints off Washington Avenue or Midtown. In the past year, jitney services have popped up in town to haul the thirsty and party-hungry to far-flung places when walking or driving is either a chore or ill-advised for legal reasons. Cops don't really like it when you drink ten shots of Patrón and take to the wheel of your SUV. The biggest jitney to make the scene is the Washington Wave, which quickly became the leader in the nascent industry. Each bus in its fleet comes decked out with a sound system, a DVD player, and free water, candy and condoms if you are thirsty, hungry or plan to get lucky.