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The MIMO Interview: Lissie Talks "Shameless"
Folk-rock singer/songwriter Lissie is one of those artists whom you have probably heard without even realizing it. Her song "Everywhere I Go" (from her 2010 debut album Catching a Tiger) was featured on numerous TV shows, including episodes of So You Think You Can Dance, Grey's Anatomy and 90210, and her cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" featured recently on the film Safe Haven.
With her new single "Shameless" already generating plenty of buzz, a new album in the works, and a summer full of tour dates, Lissie is staying pretty busy these days. MIMO caught up with her on the road, and she was good enough to talk with us for awhile about the back story behind "Shameless," the upcoming record, the experience of working in the studio, and her songwriting process.
MIMO: Lissie, thanks so much for taking some time with us.
Lissie: Yes, thanks for your interest. I'm happy to talk to you.
MIMO: Let's start with the new single, "Shameless". It's a strong single, it's got a powerful, bold message. Tell us a little bit about how that song came about for you.
Lissie: I guess the great thing about being a songwriter is that stuff that kinds of bugs me, a great way to express it is to write a song about it. I think I've been feeling frustrated about all the things sort of besides the point of music that can help someone advance their career, just sort of observing people that I've seen who are very calculated and never really wanting to resort to that myself. It's kind of an observation and a proclamation as well. I guess I was just basically feeling frustrated and I felt the need to say something about my frustration…I don't know, I guess just felt like, you follow the entertainment news and it's just seems like a bunch of silliness.
MIMO: I happen to totally agree with that. I just hate to see the way musicians, talented people are kind of pressured to, for a lack of a better term, prostitute themselves a little bit to get their message across. I think it should be about the music.
Lissie: Yes.
MIMO: Now, as far as the style goes, do you think that this song is a bit of a departure for you? Some of your earlier singles seem a little more folksy, and this one seems a little more rock and blues. Did you intend that?
Lissie: "Shameless" isn't indicative, really, of the [new] record, [although] I'd say that it's more rocking and more cohesive than the first album. There's not really a lot of sulky moments aside from maybe just some inflection in my voice that's just sort of naturally there. I think that "Shameless" is a bit of a one off, really. And it was such a good song, you know, the version you've heard was really actually just a writing demo, and I tried to re-record and I could never really get the same energy. We ended up using the writing demo. I think "Shameless" was an important statement for me to want to make. But I wouldn't say it's indicative of the whole record.
MIMO: Can you tell us a little more about the upcoming record? Do you know when it's coming out and the name of the record?
Lissie: It will be out in September. I'm planning on calling it "Back to Forever." I had a lot of fun making, I made it in Topanga Canyon, and my band played on it. I worked with a producer named Jackknife Lee, who was a lot of fun to work with. The setting was nice because we were kind of up on top of this mountain, really, in Topanga Canyon, and like we are able to… I could be singing my vocals while the door was open and I was practically standing outside. I really liked that; I kind of hate being trapped inside. Studios usually are sort of dark holes, you know? It was nice to be somewhere where there is a lot of air and light. It felt very, loose–we could try anything we wanted to try. That was sort of fun making this record, I didn't go into it with like a specific sound I was trying to do. I kind of just felt like I knew that it would work itself out as we played the songs. And it really did.
MIMO: Other than the typical dark atmosphere of the studio, which you mentioned, do you enjoy working in the studio? Are you a hands-on kind of an artist in the recording process? Or do you prefer to lean more on a trusted producer?
Lissie: I have this friend Bill Reynolds [from Band of Horses], who produced my EP that I put out a few years ago, whom I work with quite a bit. And the way that he and I work is I just sort of– it's almost like I don't really want to listen back to my stuff. Like, the first couple times I do it, it's going to be the best. I don't want to over-think it. I'm just going to sing then I'll let Bill decide what he wants to do with it. But since this was my album, I did try to be vocal about the things that I thought and understood. I mean I'm happy to just defer to the producer if everything is going well. But it's like, if there is something I want to try or something I don't like, you know, I'd say that I'm pretty involved in there. There are a few key musical decisions on this record that were at my suggestion or insistence–things that I could tell, they were like, "I don't know if this is going to work"–then we ended up doing it. I thought that was pretty cool. I would say I am pretty involved. I'll probably get more involved as I learn more about what the process is.
MIMO: What does the song writing process look like for you? Is it different each time? Or is it pretty consistent?
Lissie: Well, I do a lot of co-writing now. If I'm going to write by myself, if I get an idea, I capture it on my voice memo on my phone, like a melody, or you know, if I have lyrical ideas I'll write them down in my phone now if I'm on the go. And then I have like a composition notebook that at the end of the day I'll put things into. If I'm feeling inspired, I'll expand on the idea. If I'm not, I don't really worry about it. And then so a lot of times I'll have those bits with me when I go and write, and I can say "Hey, this is something that I was sort of working on." I have a handful of co-writers I stick with now. You have to have a good chemistry with someone you're going to write a song with and be that open and honest about yourself with, you know?
MIMO: Right, of course.
Lissie: So if I'm co-writing, my co-writers usually propose maybe some chords, and then I'll just sort of off the top of my head just start singing melodies, and I just kind of stick with that until I find something I really like. And usually when I sing my improvised melodies, I'll sort of sing made up words, as well, but a lot of times, those words are a clue into something subconscious. So it kind of comes out, and then I can sort of write the rest of the song around the gibberish, you know? But it's all very literal and personal, it's not really like made up stories. They are stories about how I feel and things I've experienced, so it's storytelling about me.
MIMO: If you could sum up your whole motivation for why you are a musical artist into one word, what would it be?
Lissie: Understood. Understood, because I feel like I just started making music because I feel like I want to work out who I am and how I feel, and just really to be understood. My sister sort of pointed that out to me, because I was sort of going on about all these that I was stressed out about, and she's like, "You know, you've always just wanted to be understood, and if you just keep doing that, it will be fine."
MIMO: What's on the horizon for you? You obviously have the record getting ready to come out, but are you going to be touring over the summer?
Lissie: Yes. We're in New York right now and we're doing some radio promo today, and basically we're probably going to be touring now for the foreseeable future. I'm going to be on the road until July 1st on the East Coast. We are going over to Europe. Then I have like a week off, and then back on the road for the rest of the summer. Lots of European festivals, and like UK festivals and Norway, I think we are going to Finland and Switzerland…I feel like the best way for us to win fans is to have people see us live. I guess, I even touched on it in "Shameless", because it's like, if a radio like a big top 40 radio station would give "Shameless" a chance, and play it, it could make such a big difference in your career. But it's also political as well. I'm just hoping that people find my music, but most likely, the best way to do that is just to go out to perform, and word of mouth, people bring their friends, and then their friends come back the next time and bring friends, and that is sort of how it goes.
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Tagged: folk-rock, Lissie, MIMO Interview
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Ramos and Compean's supporters continue to hold out for assistance from President Bush. "The best hope for these agents remains commutation from either the outgoing or the incoming president," T.J. Bonner, the president of the National Border Patrol Council, told FOXNews.com. "We still remain very hopeful that that will happen, and if it doesn't, we'll have the appeal to the Supreme Court."Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R.-Calif.) issued a statement on Thursday saying "many patriotic Americans are dismayed by the continued persecution and legal torture" of Ramos and Compean. A clemency petition is also pending with the Office of the Pardon Attorney. See story here.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Watch List: Ramos Resentenced
Fox News and the Associated Press report former Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos has been resentenced to his original 11 years and a day in prison. On Tuesday, Ramos' partner, Jose Alonso Compean, was also given his original 12-year sentence. The report adds:
Posted by P.S. Ruckman, Jr.
Labels: The President, watch list
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subset: commoncrawl


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Sometimes it is the one who knows you best who can love you best.
Penny has lived her life letting others take the reins, leaving her to simply follow in line. After completing her senior year of College she'll join her father's marketing firm, get married and start a family.
When her parents drop a bomb on her — that they are getting divorced — Penny decides it's time to start living by her own rules. And when she meets mysterious P.J. Hawthorne, a published writer who seems to know much more about Penny than she lets on, she knows this is her chance to finally get her life moving in the right direction.
But as questions about her new life overwhelm her, so do thoughts of sweet and gorgeous Alex — who just so happens to be her best friend.
What follows is a series of poor decisions, each one more worrisome than the last, forcing Penny further and further away from not only Alex, but from becoming the woman she's sure she's meant to be.


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International Structured Products Forum on 6/7 September in Lucerne
The traditional meeting of the sector will take place this year in Lucerne at the beginning of Sep-tember. Together with SIX Swiss Exchange Ltd, the SSPA makes increasing use of this event as a platform for exchanging opinion and holding discussions. Programme details will be announced at a later date. At any rate, the dates 6/7 September 2017 need to be entered in your diaries.08
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Song for Ireland
I sing to you a song of emerald green,
An Island home revered by people scattered.
Whose lives through tyranny were shattered,
But taller spirits earth has never seen.
Ireland, where civilization grew,
Where ancient Druid walked and left his mark
On stones and fields and stamped in artist's hearts,
Where Patrick taught the Faith to all he knew.
Ireland your sons forced far from your shore
By the heavy hand of great oppression
Remember your green fields forevermore,
And fix their children's hearts with that impression.
A richer world by Ireland's fair grace,
More beautiful by far the human race.
By Michelle C. Fergenson


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In November our Youth Board were invited by our partner Facebook to their headquarters in Dublin. They spent the day working with some of the lovely Facebook team to learn about the range of features Facebook have to keep users safe. I'll let Jack and Tayla from the Youth Board tell you about what we got up to during the two night trip....
Jack: On the Thursday we all traveled from our various locations and met at London Paddington ready to get the Heathrow Express to the airport. We had a picture around the Christmas tree then walked for what felt like miles to our gate! The flight took about an hour. When we landed we headed to our hotel and unpacked. We then had dinner at Dublin's equivalent of Pizza Express and I had a delicious American Pizza!
Tayla: It was an early start on Friday morning but this didn't bother anyone as we were all so excited to get to Facebook's European Headquarters. We arrived and were given personalised lanyards which stated we were 'special guests'...how posh! The lobby in Facebook was so cool, it had the 'like' thumb made out of a hedge. Facebook's offices were incredible!
We had breakfast and introduced ourselves to the lovely Facebook staff. We started the day with the Facebook staff doing a presentation to us on how Facebook work to try to keep everyone safe on their social media site. I learnt so many new things about Facebook that I'd never heard of before. It was also good to actually meet the people who deal with any reports people make about cyber-bullying. I can't wait to go back to my school and share with my peers what I've learned. We also had a tour of Facebook's offices where we saw their actual Facebook Wall which we signed, their Facebook wall made from pencils and their umbrella ceiling.
After lunch we took all of our new knowledge and worked in small groups to create a PowerPoint presentation on how to stay safe on Facebook and what you can do if you are being cyber-bullied on Facebook. All the groups presented these to some of the Facebook staff who were impressed and gave very positive feedback to all the groups, which was nice to hear. We are going to do these presentations in our school and spread the word. We then sat in our groups and discussed what we'd learnt throughout the day - if they hadn't stopped us we'd still be going, we all learnt so much! Sadly it was time to say goodbye to Facebook. We couldn't have thanked Facebook enough for providing us with such an amazing day!
Here are our top tips for staying safe on Facebook:
1) Block someone who is bothering you
2) Only accept friend requests from people you know
3) Remember you can easily unfriend someone without them knowing
4) If you are being cyber-bullied report it using Facebook's social reporting tool https://www.facebook.com/safety/tools/
5) Treat people online as you would offline
6) If you are being cyber-bullied keep and print any evidence of it
7) Think about the things you post on Facebook and never post your location if you have people you don't know on your Facebook.
8) Treat your password like your toothbrush - don't share it with anyone else!
As it was Jade's birthday the next day, in the evening we had an early birthday celebration and went for a meal at Wagamamas and then went to see Gravity in 3D. This was a perfect ending to such a brilliant trip and a great way to get to know everyone better!"
The Youth Board will be doing their presentations in their schools over the next few weeks and will be working together to create a document that informs staff, students and parents/guardians about the safety tools Facebook has if anyone is being cyber-bullied on their site.


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Totally different set up for me this time and only time will tell as to how this is going to come out. Three cameras and an extra body to
work the extra one. I also had invested in something called a Flycam which is supposed to give any moving shots a smoothness not possible with a shoulder
mounted camera.
Let me tell you. This bastard contraption is fucking heavy and trying to hold this thing with one hand is no easy feat unless you are
built like a power lifter. I am not built like a power lifter. I can only say that by the end of the evening I was blowing out of my arse. Have not checked the
results yet so unsure if the thing will ever see the outside of my house again. Only time will tell.
Into the only bare knuckle bout of the evening this was to be between Stevan 'The Killer' Miller and Preet Somaiya. It seems Preet's opponent Tony Goward had dropped out an unusual thing and Mr Miller stepped in so it was going to be a tough one. Fuck Preet's luck is all I can say but fair play for going ahead with the bout. It must be said Mr Miller is a big lad and I would not have wanted to be in Preet's shoes. On a side note Cyril, I have no idea why Stevan is also called Cyril or Cyril is called Stevan apart from Stevan 'The Killer' Miller has a better ring to it than Cyril 'The Killer' Miller either way a nickname he is not keen on. Triva aside Mr Miller somewhat unsurprisingly took the win in the first with Preet not wishing to continue.
The next four bouts were all gloved with a vocal crowd of supporters for one fighter or the other the noise at times was rattling the old red volume bar on the camera.
A familiar face Dave Quince was in action in the fourth bout a OIBA Title defense and with Dave having travelled from my home area of Medway I expect he was extremely disappointed when his corner threw the towel in in the first round giving Arek Drezek the win.
Number five was between Junior Gold and Jay Alley a good battle between the two fighters going all four rounds.
Keeping the action coming thick and fast next up we had Josh Morrall and Ashley Edwards going at it tooth and nail.
The final bout of the evening was between Marcin Drezek and Lucas Baker and had the added excitement of being a title fight. Both fighters gave it everything but Lucas was deemed the winner of what was a great battle.
Stevie Gold was in attendance this time in the ring announcing the bouts instead of being in one, referees were Barrington Patterson and another gent who's name eludes me but will insert here when I find out.
The Results:
Bout One - K1 Exhibition Bout
Bout Two - Gloved - Aaron Allen v Adie Taylor
Bout Three - Bare Knuckle - Stevan Miller v Preet Somaiya
Bout Four - Gloved OIBA Title Defence - Dave Quince v Arek Drezek
Bout Five - Gloved - Junior Gold v Jay Alley
Bout Six - Gloved - Ashley Edwards v Josh Morrall
Bout Seven - Gloved Title Bout - Lucas Baker v Marcin Drezek
Well on with the video and my attempt with three cameras. Not sure if this will be the normal run of things I guess time will tell. Lastly thanks to Dan for running one of the cameras while I wrestled with the Flycam and a Panasonic camera I have never used before and thanks to Jay Wann and team especially Josh Guy who was running things in Jay's absence at Raging Bull for having me along.


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McKinney, Texas-based shade supplier MCD Innovations reported record sales at the Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa, Fla.
According to a press release, the Tampa show "set the tone for 2013″ and sales expectations are they will continue to be strong for the rest of the year.
"We were talking to people every moment of the show, highlighting both the American Duo/Solo Line and the new value-priced GOLD Series Shades," said MCD spokesperson Peggy Grich. "We worked diligently to provide our customers with all the information they needed to make the best possible decisions for their lifestyle."
Grich also noted that many of the new and used brands on display at the show already feature factory-installed MCD shades including Winnebago, Foretravel, Kibbi-Renegade, Newmar, Phoenix, KZ, Excel, Dynamax, Coachmen, Coach House, New Horizons, Holiday Rambler, Fleetwood, Heartland, DRV and Monaco.
"Many of the individuals and couples I visited with came to the booth because they saw the MCD shades in the new coaches," said Grich. "We're happy to see the RV industry turn around and are looking forward to a more healthy economy that allows the public to feel good about improving their RV lifestyles."


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At least, not yet. Not in the fantastically straight-forward way we try to use it. The idea is so good, so clarifying – like democracy or the rational market – that we really, really want it to work, we're willing to suspend our disbelief just a little while longer in the hope that it might. Because it'd be so great to know with statistical certainty that Albert Pujols was worth $200 Million, that we really couldn't win that pennant without Andy Pettitte, that Jacoby Ellsbury is definitely the AL MVP, and that Ben Zobrist is exactly 9.3% better than Adrian Gonzalez. Darn that dream.
The cruel irony, the I-could've-had-Sean-Doolittle-and-all-I-got-was-stupid-Barry-Zito irony, is that the problem with WAR is the same as the problem with RBI. It frequently measures context as much as performance. Especially when used to evaluate single seasons, it doesn't sufficiently account for the inevitable variations in opportunity and environment.
What if Granderson played behind Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson?: UZR & Flyball Rates
A few weeks back I critiqued Steve Berthiaume's analysis of Curtis Granderson's defense by looking at some inconsistencies in the way Ultimate Zone Rating (the defensive metric associated with Fangraph's WAR) assesses outfielders. Mark Simon of the ESPN Stats & Info Blog followed up with a very interesting review of specific plays which have adversely effected Granderson's low ratings in 2011. While Simon isn't looking at UZR specifically, he does point out that most defensive metrics do not account for positioning and that half a dozen plays can cause sizable shifts in the aggregate numbers when we're dealing with less than a season's worth of data.
I'm not the only one who's noticed that UZR frequently yields suspicious results in small samples, at Fenway, and when several good outfielders are playing alongside one another. I do, however, want to expand upon my claim that outfield UZR is substantively effected by flyball rates.
In the Granderson article I pointed out that the teams in each league which rank highest in outfield UZR for 2011 – Boston and Arizona – also ranked #1 in their league in FB%. This remains true. However, this is obviously not sufficient proof of correlation, for a couple reasons. Not only is there a high possibility of coincidence in any single example, but both the D-Backs and Red Sox feature several outfielders traditionally regarded highly by both sabremetricians and scouts. For anybody who's watched them consistently, it would be pretty hard to argue that the trio of Gerardo Parra, Chris Young, and Justin Upton isn't among the best in the major leagues, no matter who's on the mound.
So, I looked back at all teams that finished at the extremes of the flyball scale since 2003. I do not claim that there is a perfect or, in the parlance of economics, a "strong" correlation. That is, a team with a 35% flyball rate wouldn't have a dramatic disadvantage in OF UZR compared to one at 38%. There is, however, significant evidence that pitching staffs with extreme batted ball tendencies can dramatically effect their outfielders UZR numbers. (These extremes I defined at upward of 40% at the high end and below 33% at the low end.)
Average OF UZR for FB% > 40.0: 10.1
Average OF UZR for FB% < 33.0: -10.6
Of the sixteen teams at the high end of the range, five finished #1 in their league in OF UZR. Of the 21 teams at the low-end, only five finished with a UZR north of zero.
From these I would point to some interesting pieces of anecdotal evidence:
The 2010 Giants and their 40.7 FB% led the majors in outfield UZR by a substantial margin (40.7 to 31.6), despite the fact that they gave more than 1100 innings to Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff, lead-footed former DHs who nonetheless somehow finished with positive UZRs for the season.
The 2007 Cubs had an exceptional 44.3 OF UZR in a season where they handed most of the innings to Alfonso Soriano, Jacque Jones, and Cliff Floyd, all of whom substantially outperformed their career numbers with some help from a Chicago staff that sent 40.6% of batted balls in their direction.
On the other side, the '05 Cardinals, despite featuring some premier outfield talent in Jim Edmonds, Larry Walker, Reggie Sanders, and So Taguchi, finished with a -6.1 OF UZR, thanks to a pitching staff that put only 29.7% of batted balls in the air.
The difference between 30% and 40% can easily be several hundred plays, so when you consider Simon's point about the significance of even a handful of mistakes in a few months of play, you can see what kind of advantage those extra opportunities provide.
This is not to say that UZR is useless, just that is unreliable in single season increments and that unreliability is passed on to WAR, which we habitually use/misuse when discussing single seasons and partial seasons.
I can't play several positions. (or "The Adam Dunn Effect")
WAR's move to the mainstream is deeply tied to the rising popularity of FanGraphs. One of the first of it's "unlikely results" to spark considerable conversation was Ben Zobrist leading AL batters (and finishing behind only Albert Pujols and Zack Greinke overall) in 2009. Zobrist had a breakout season which was impressive by any measure, but his WAR was given a major boost by his defense (only Franklin Gutierrez and Nyjer Morgan got a greater advantage from fielding).
On one level, this seemed legit. Zobrist appeared at every position on the diamond in '09 and over the years has proven himself to be an above-average defender at second base and in right field. Managers have long lauded the value of versatility and lavished praise on players like Zobrist, Mark DeRosa, and Placido Polanco, who play several key positions well and also swing decent sticks. Zobrist's looked like evidence of their wisdom.
But while it isn't much of a stretch to believe that Zobrist's glove was worth a couple wins to the Rays in 2009, try selling this: According to WAR, in 2011, Carlos Lee has had as much defensive value as Troy Tulowitzki.
There are two types of utilitymen, those who are given the job because they play many positions well and those who are given it because they play no position well. As yet, WAR struggles to distinguish between the two. It reads Houston's inability to decide where Lee hurts them least as evidence of Lee's versatility. It suggests that Howie Kendrick's defense at second base has gone from average to exceptional since Mike Scioscia started giving him more starts in left field.
UZR results get weirder the smaller the sample gets. The utility player may log a thousand innings in total, thus suggesting his UZR is somewhat more reliable, but what actually happens is that several hyper-unreliable samples of a few hundred innings or less are bundled together like toxic mortgages and rated AAA.
WAR Hates Sluggers
One of the things which advanced stats should be applauded for is the extent to which they've decreased the fetishizing of the homerun and raised awareness of all-around contributions. Jonah Keri and Dave Dameshek debated the relative merits of Willie Stargell and Tim Raines this week, largely based on the fact they had identical career WAR totals. Dustin Pedroia has a real shot at his second MVP, despite the fact that his "traditionals" (.309 AVG, 85 R, 18 HR, 74 RBI, 25 SB) are basically the same as Melky Cabrera's (.303, 83, 17, 79, 17).
However, one can't help but notice that a cross-section of the most intimidating hitters in the game are treated with relative disdain by the metric. It doesn't like them because they play first base or left field (or DH), which aren't scarcity positions. It doesn't like that they are fat and slow.
While I understand that everybody would love to have Chase Utley or Troy Tulowitzki, a middle-of-the-order hitter who makes big contributions in the field and on the basepaths, as well as at the plate, the fact remains, building a lineup without a slugger (or two) is like building a mall with seven Sunglass Huts and no department stores. A few sluggers are swift, slender middle-infielders. Most of them aren't. To paraphrase Reggie, there are lots of drinks and precious few straws. If you get left without one, no amount of Range Factor, WHIP, or baserunning acumen can save your season. Just ask the Padres, or the Mariners.
Yet, we misuse WAR to insist that it's better to have Ian Kinsler than Miguel Cabrera or that Peter Bourjos is as valuable as Prince Fielder or Mark Teixeira.
We've struggled to understand and statistically represent the effect hitters have on one another. Would Nyjer Morgan be hitting .306 if he wasn't batting directly in front of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder? (WAR suggests, by the way, that Morgan has been more valuable on a per game basis than Fielder.) Morgan is taking free passes this season at only about half his career rate. Has he become less patient? (On the other side of things, Adrian Gonzalez's career OPS is fifty points higher when the pitcher is throwing from the stretch. He's enjoyed that situation in 52% of his plate appearances in 2011.)
While I admit the difficulty of building a model that accounts for the effect a pairing like Braun/Fielder or Pujols/Holliday has on the rest of the lineup, this is one area in which I find the conventional wisdom to be irrefutable. While I applaud WAR (and other metrics) for aiding in our appreciation of defense and baserunning, it's beyond asinine to conclude that Ellsbury is twice as valuable as Fielder. Too often WAR is used as a means of comparing oranges to apples. One of the things that makes baseball great is the diversity of the fruit basket. WAR give incredible weight to scarcity of shortstops, but no weight to the scarcity of pitcher-intimidating, strategy-altering cleanup hitters, which I see as a form of reverse discrimination.
These are not the last of the problems. WAR evaluates catching using only the ability to control the running game. There is abundant evidence that certain park factors have not been sufficiently accounted for. I'm not arguing, however, that WAR should be completely discounted. As yet, it is probably as good a singular statistic as is widely available. But, WAR is not a debate-ending statistic, especially for single seasons. Even WAR's adherents, like Dave Cameron, generally admit the margin of error is at least 15%. When we stubbornly suggest that 0.5 WAR means anything, we are grossly exaggerating the statistic's accuracy, even according to its creators. It remains true that any reasoned discussion of an individual's contributions still requires analysis of the various components that go into WAR, as well as several that don't, and, as such, subjectivity reigns.
Statistical elegance is elusive. Variables get short shrift or go unaccounted for entirely. Results yield unintended consequences. Misunderstood data is misrepresented and polemicized. In the words of Tolstoy: WAR makes fools of us all.
EDITOR UPDATE (9/7/11): For Hippeaux's reply, please click here. It's certainly worth reading and addresses many of the thoughts, issues, concerns, debates mentioned in the comments below. Brien, too, has a follow-up that you might want to check out. Thanks. -J


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Steve was born and raised in Anne Arundel County Maryland, specifically in the Linthicum area attending the North County feeder schools. Having won scholarships to Penn State and Roanoke College for lacrosse he was poised in his senior year of Andover High School to enter the pre-med field of study. However, God had other plans. In the spring of that senior year of high school Steve received and accepted the clear call of God on his life to enter ministry. This of course meant finding a school of ministry instead of medicine.
Steve decided on Lee University in Cleveland TN. He met La Don his sophomore year and they were married before his senior year in 1986. Upon graduating they moved to Phoenix AZ to serve in an associate pastor role. In 1989 they moved further west to Fountain Valley CA in another associate pastor role. La Don and Steve had their first child Carlinn in 1989.
In 1992 Steve decided to further his education in counseling and do it by returning home to MD. Upon returning he paired with Pastor Harold Bowman at Heritage Community Church in the area of Christian Education and Pastoral Care. He attended Loyola College in Baltimore, MD graduating in 1998 with a Masters in Pastoral Counseling. He attained his license to practice Mental Health in MD then started the Heritage Pastoral Counseling Center. Since returning to MD Steve and LaDon had Olivia in 1993 and Eli in 1999.
In 2007 Steve succeeded Pastor Bowman to become the Lead Pastor of HCC. Steve is currently a Doctoral student at Ashland Theological Seminary. He enjoys the lyrical stylings of Bob Dylan, loves to surf and play competitive soccer in an over 35 league every Thursday.


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NEWS< Back to all posts
Yes WAMI
The WAMI (Wisconsin's Grammy) Awards Show is coming to Appleton April 15. With your help, we can win one of these and represent the soulful sounds of our mitten-shaped state; ambassadors of the groove that mooves you.
Online Voting for the People's Choice Award is open right now. You can vote for Sly Joe & the Smooth Operators (Northeast Quadrant), no matter where you live. It's music. It crosses state lines and drives through the night just to say good morning when you wake up. Thank you for letting us make music to you. Vote HERE.


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Findings released today from LiveLighter's first annual Shape of Victoria survey* provide a fascinating insight into the typical Victorian's lifestyle, with many believing they're living a healthy lifestyle, when they're far from it.
Alarmingly, the survey found unhealthy lifestyle choices have become 'the norm', with many admitting to regular consumption of fast food, skipping breakfast and little exercise, while others seem to be falling into the habit of 'mindless eating'. More optimistic results were found in relation to snacking, where many outlined fruit, yoghurts and veggies as their go to snack.
Where we are falling short
- Almost 50% said they didn't realise how much they ate in a day.
- Up to 45% admit to overeating when they're stressed or upset.
- Almost 80% felt that overeating has become the new normal, and more than 85% believe that occasional treats have become every day foods.
- Half believed their diet was 'healthy', however most practiced many unhealthy behaviours including:
- Only ONE in 14 ate the recommended amount of VEGGIES.
- Almost half regularly snacked on biscuits and chocolate.
- One in four ate TAKEAWAY at least EVERY SECOND DAY.
- One in three skip breakfast – a routine associated with overeating later in the day.
- One third are EXERCISING only ONCE a WEEK at most.
Where we are already doing well
- 58% of people regularly ate fruit as a snack. Other popular healthy snack choices were yoghurt (34.1%), vegetables (14.8%), and nuts (4.1%).
- Around a third of those on a diet or weight loss plan were doing so "to improve general health and well-being" – a positive finding as this reason usually results in better long-term outcomes.
What we can take from these findings
The survey shows there is plenty of opportunity for Victorians to improve their diet and level of physical activity.
The positive to take from these findings is that a greater understanding of our bad habits combined with small changes in our eating and lifestyle habits, will certainly help move us in the right direction. Read more about this survey at LiveLighter.com.
*1,000 Victorians aged 25-49 were surveyed about their diet and exercise habits in April 2015.


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Discharging Ear
Question 1: What side is it?
- Record the laterality and please avoid abbreviations such as 'rt' or 'R'
Question 2: Is it painful?
- If painful, likely to be acute infection
- If painless, likely to be chronic condition
Question 3: Adult or child?
- Painful ear discharge in an adult is likely to be acute otitis externa
- Painful ear discharge in a child is likely to be acute otitis media discharging through a perforation
- If painless in an adult or child, it may be some form of chronic otitis media ie infection or chronic discharge through a perforated tympanic membrane
Question 4: Is the discharge greenish, custard-like and smelly?
- If yes, then this goes with an acute infection ie otitis externa or media
- If it's watery/clear and not very smelly, then this may be a form of chronic otitis media with discharge coming through a perforated tympanic membrane
- If it's thick and white like rice pudding, then it could be fungal otitis externa
- The treatment for discharging ear = topical drops
- Most drops are similar in efficacy so select one with reference to the status of the tympanic membrane and allergy history
- Antibiotic/steroid +/- acetic acid preparations such as Otomize and Sofradex are effective
- For adults, the usual dose is three drops tds for 7-14 days; reduce dose for younger children
- For non-specialist care, avoid gentamicin in the presence of a perforation; in many places, ciprofloxacin drops are reserved for specialist use too
- Give Canesten or Locorten drops for fungal otitis externa
- See otitis externa, acute otitis media or chronic otitis media for further information.
For a visual representation, please see the Discharging Ear flowchart.
Page last reviewed: 23 September 2016


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What's the most-used key on your keyboard?
Probably the spacebar.
What do you think #2 is?
Letter-frequency counts would say the "e" key. I don't think so.
I think it's the Backspace.
So, I apologize for a blog entry that has NOTHING to do with explanations, video, mortgage or any of that - but this is too useful, gotta say something!
On The Mac:
Backspace deletes the previous letter.
Option-Backspace deletes the previous WORD.
Try it.
On Microsoft Word (Windows):
Backspace deletes the letter.
Control-Backspace deletes the previous WORD.
Most of us type along and hammer the BACKSPACE when we make a typo. Trouble is, you spot the typo several words later, and it's just easier to backspace over everything in between. BANG BANG BANG BANG goes my Backspace key.
You'll be amazed how much faster it is to wipe out entire words, and once your muscles learn Option-Backspace...yeah, you can thank me later.
I don't have a Windows machine sitting here to test - it may be that Win7 or Win8 has that keyboard shortcut in the OS as well. I just remember it from typing thousands of dissertation and thesis pages in Word for Windows. I was delighted to stumble on the Option-Backspace in the Mac OS - this after being back on the Mac for a decade!
One last tip - if you are on Windows Word, my muscle memory is that Shift-Control-Backspace would take out the previous sentence. Doesn't work on Mac Word or Pages. Oh well.


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It is Rael
So ends the double album epic by the band Genesis, titled "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway." This 1974 release was the last record Genesis created with lead vocalist Peter Gabriel who wrote the story and most of the lyrics to tell the tale of Rael, a street punk who is mysteriously plucked from the streets of New York city to unwillingly inhabit and then transcend an underworld filled with personal challenges, freaks, creatures, and his own alter-ego, brother John. The Lamb was a true concept album, and the tour to support it was conceived as "rock theater" complete with bits of narration, a three screen slide show with over 1,000 images, costumes, props, and lighting effects. It was staged only 102 times, seen by few of the bands eventual followers, and was utterly unique in the world of rock 'n roll.
Several "classic rock" artists between 1967-1979 wrote concept albums, meant to be taken as "rock opera" or at least as something approaching theater. The Beatles "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" was taken as a concept album, and though in reality a loose collection of individual tracks, set the tone for the form as it would be attempted within the rock framework. The Who's famous double album epic "Tommy" established the potential of rock theater even though it was not staged as such at the time. Seek out the Isle of Wight show by the Who from that era and while you will find their lead singer's delivery forceful, there are no literal theatrical elements. At the time many rock bands, from the Who to Queen, Yes, and others, incorporated some elements of storytelling and some physical or projected imagery into their shows, but generally did not have sets and a cohesive presentation approaching Broadway theater. The lead vocalists from these bands were revered for emotive presentation of the individual songs, and were lauded for as expressive a presentation as possible. Theatrical yes, theater no.
Enter Genesis, with Gabriel as lead vocalist, who had been donning costumes and acting out bit parts during their concerts since 1971. The Lamb was the logical extension of this approach, painstakingly assembled by Gabriel while secluded from the band, who wrote the music and worked to patch everything together with added lyrics and transitions. The end result is an oblique tale of Rael's experiences in a "parallel universe", which might be akin to "purgatory" or a waiting room between this life and the next. In order to escape from or transcend this realm, Rael survives a series of vignettes echoing the human experiences of imprisonment, helplessness, sexuality, disease, betrayal and despair. However one interprets the story and lyrics in the first two acts, the last is slightly more clear – Rael sacrifices his own interests to save his brother John, who then morphs into and merges with Rael himself. The union then frees Rael to become part of "it" which is here, now, and everywhere, ending the story on a spiritual plane. Did Rael die and finally make his way out of "hell?" Did he become a supreme being himself? Or, was the tale just Rael's dream depicting the battle of good vs. evil raging in his own soul. This became the grist for many debates among fans of early Genesis, most of whom consider it to be the band's masterwork, despite it's acknowledged flaws.
The production was staged in as grand a way as possible at the time, yet within the confines of a rock quintet presenting the material on stage. A slide show unfolds across three screens, allowing for over a thousand images to tumble by – some with artists renderings but most via photographs, presented as a running storyboard for the play. Gabriel was the only member of the band to "act out" the story, spending much of his time dressed as Rael, and hitting a high water mark after climbing into a bulbous rubber suit to depict the diseased "Slipperman" character. The show was presented 102 times, and besides a few short 8mm clips, it was never filmed. The specter of Gabriel being considered to be "the band" itself and probably the realization that this Lamb was as far as their brand of rock theater could go, led to Gabriel's subsequent departure.
Other progressive and classic rock bands at the time penned concept albums, but this Broadway melody was unlike any other – surreal, strange, and reaching high for meaning and impact. It's not easy listening -later work written after Phil Collins took over vocal duties in addition to his role as drummer were much more accessible, and include top ten hits approaching "easy listening." Any remnants of Gabriel or Collins acting out characters were gone by the 1980's. Over the last dozen or so years, several tribute bands have attempted to recreate the experience of seeing Genesis live with Peter Gabriel. One such tribute band, "The Musical Box" officially obtained the 24 track master tapes from the Lamb recordings, along with the slides from the actual show. They worked for almost a year to rebuild the staging elements, costumes, and even instruments from the time, many of which were no longer available. Their production of TLLDOB has been staged before, and is now back, with dates planned around the world. If you have any affinity for the challenging music of early Genesis, and want to take a journey back in time to experience this bit of rock theater, it's highly recommended. You will get a bit of the real, and the Rael.


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Pineapple RM is pleased to announce it has promoted Cassie Roman to account executive.
"Cassie works hard to deliver results that matter for our clients," says Rose McKinney, APR, Fellow PRSA, founder and CEO of Pineapple RM, Inc. "Her ability to politely, but persistently, secure opportunities has contributed to their success – as well as Pineapple's."
Roman joined Pineapple in June 2014 as an account coordinator before being promoted in January to assistant account executive. In the last year, she has grown into the role of account executive by supporting social media strategies and consistently delivering media relations opportunities for Pineapple clients, Medifast Centers, The Steve Rummler Hope Foundation, Swedish Crown Bakery, Uponor and Versique Search & Consulting.
Roman has helped to identify and secure significant speaking opportunities on behalf of Uponor North America CEO, Bill Gray; regularly blogs about industry trends on behalf of PRM clients; and contributes to the agency's monthly e-newsletter, Tidbits.
Prior to joining Pineapple, Roman facilitated fundraising and media relations for OneVillage Partners, a nonprofit focused on rural development in Sierra Leone.
Her previous experience also includes assisting with communications needs on behalf of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Scholarship America, the Minnesota Zoo, the Home and Garden Show, the Twin Cities Auto Show, Universal Studios and the Guthrie Theater's 50th Anniversary season.
Roman is a member of the Minnesota chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, where she serves on the Communications Committee. Roman graduated with a bachelor's degree in strategic communications from the University of Minnesota.


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City Beat
Sites suggested for new downtown Sacramento performing arts center
A task force exploring the need for a new performing arts center in downtown Sacramento has identified four potential sites for a 2,200-seat theater, but needs up to six more months to figure out how to pay for what would likely be a $200 million project.
During a hearing with the City Council on Tuesday night, task force members said they had determined that replacing the aging Community Center Theater would help the city compete for the musical and performance acts that are beginning to be lured to more modern sites in Davis and Folsom.
Mayor Kevin Johnson and the City Council directed city staff to work with the task force over the next six months to develop financing options, investigate locations that are under consideration, put together design plans for the theater and begin the process of requesting proposals from groups to operate a new theater.
The Community Center Theater has stood at 13th and L streets in downtown for more than 40 years. It hosts performances by the Sacramento Philharmonic, Ballet and Opera, as well as a popular Broadway series. More than 250,000 patrons walk through the building's doors every year.
City officials have debated renovating the theater for more than 15 years, and critics think it has become outdated. Those detractors say the theater's acoustics are subpar and that it requires upgrades to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Three renovation plans released last year ranged from an $11 million upgrade to a much broader project costing around $50 million.
Nearby cities have built modern performing arts centers, worrying some in Sacramento that the Community Center Theater will fall behind in the market. The Mondavi Center at UC Davis and Folsom Lake College's Harris Center for the Arts have become regional draws for patrons and touring acts.
Raising money to replace the Community Center Theater is the toughest hurdle the task force faces.
Garry Maisel, president and CEO of Western Health Advantage and chairman of the theater task force financing committee, said the project's funding would likely be a "complicated puzzle" of public and private sources. He raised the possibility of a sales tax measure on the 2016 ballot to fund regional arts groups, as well as using state economic development loans or the city's hotel tax to help cover the costs.
Private sources include naming-rights deals, corporate sponsorships and individual donations.
"If you put the pieces together correctly, it will work," Maisel said.
Richard Rich, the theater task force project manager, said the committee debated three design options.
The preferred plan, Rich said, would be to build a 2,200-seat theater with a flexible layout that would allow for smaller seating configurations. That would create a better setting for groups such as the ballet and philharmonic that have difficulty filling the 2,400-seat Community Center Theater, Rich said. The flexible seating plan also would allow the theater to host conferences and banquets.
The price tag for that option was estimated at $205 million, with an annual gap between revenue and operating costs of $1.4 million. That gap is smaller than other options the task force explored.
Dave Pier, executive director of the Harris Center and a member of the theater task force, said the group looked at several factors when exploring sites for a new theater, including proximity to hotels and restaurants and access to public transit.
A task force report said two locations on 16th Street – one between J and K streets and one between I and J streets – "emerged as preferred" sites. But those sites would require the acquisition of many properties.
Another site with strong potential is Lot X, an empty plot of land near Crocker Park and Crocker Art Museum. That land is being acquired by the Sacramento Kings under the city's financing agreement for a new downtown sports arena.
The Kings also were mentioned as a potential operator for the theater.
Kings president Chris Granger, a theater task force member, said the team is "very supportive of the cause" of building a new theater, but said it was too early to say what role, if any, the franchise would play in the theater development.
Call The Bee's Ryan Lillis, (916) 321-1085. Read his City Beat blog at sacbee.com/citybeat.


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I know now, having watched Anthony Bourdain's recent episode on Provence, France, that aioli should not, under any circumstances, be called mayonnaise. Aioli is thick, garlicky and creamy, and takes patience to make. The perfect aioli is a product of the ideal environment in which it comes together. The sun, the breeze, the love of the cook holding the mortar and pestle, are all factors. So while the accompanying sauce is called aioli, it's not of the French variety. This aioli, which sounds lovely to say, is all-American (albeit homemade), basil mayonnaise. And it's delicious.
With spring officially here (actually, it feels more like summer here in California), freshness and simplicity rule the season. Shrimp cakes are a nice alternative to their crab counterparts, and the fresh basil to dip each bite into was more impressive than I thought it would be.
And then there's the asparagus. It's a very strong possibility that I'll find a bunch in my vegetable box from now until the end of May. If you're ever at a loss for how to prepare them, there's no easier way than shaving them raw and tossing everything with a creamy lemon and Parmesan dressing.
Makes 5-6 2 to 3 inch shrimp cakes.
You'll have leftover aioli, perfect for sandwiches, or mixing in with tuna.
20 shrimp, deveined and tails removed
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons basil mayonnaise (recipe follows)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until pink and cooked through. Cool slightly, then chop the shrimp and place it in a medium bowl.
In the same bowl as the shrimp, add Panko, parsley, salt, pepper, mayonnaise and the egg. Stir to combine. If the mixture is too wet, add a few more breadcrumbs.
In the same pan that you used to cook the shrimp, add the remaining olive oil and set the stove to medium-high heat. Form the cakes gently with your hands, and press them down slightly to flatten. You should have enough of the mixture for about 5 to 6 shrimp cakes. Cook the cakes in batches of 2 or 3 at a time, for about 5 minutes, until sufficiently browned, turning halfway through.
To serve, smear a line of basil mayonnaise on each plate, then top with two shrimp cakes and sprinkle with any extra parsley, along with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
To make, follow the same directions for Basic Mayonnaise, halving the recipe if you wish. After the ingredients have emulsified, add a generous handful of torn basil leaves and pulse to combine. That's it!
This is an easy salad that makes the best of spring produce. The parmesan and lemon dressing is creamy and flavorful.
It's so easy you don't need a recipe! In a medium bowl, whisk the juice of half a lemon, some salt and pepper and at least 1 heaping tablespoon of Parmesan cheese (you can always add more) until combined. Whisk in some olive oil until lightly emulsified.
Next, take a bunch of asparagus and discard the tough ends. Using a vegetable peeler, peel each spear into long ribbons and place into the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently with your hands to combine and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve immediately.


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I enjoy watching documentaries, animal adventures and public broadcast programs. Well, in light of that passion, I began watching this series "Special Selection" on the History channel. It deals with inductees in a special two week training program, who wants to become "Special Op" service personnel for the various branches of the military. It is a grueling program, and I really don't think that I ever had or would have the desire to do anything like that.
However, there are quite a few women in the program and some of them appear to be as tough as the males. The trainers are harsh and intimidating, and I promise, if you don't know who you are, then they will get into your head and turn your life around. My heart goes out to all of the trainees.
One of the things that I have noticed about the trainers is that they look for those persons who appear to be weak, and they 'ride them' hard. They attempt to weed out the weakest ones as soon as possible, so, as one instructor put it, "They can get on with the training of those whom they feel will really make it."
Each instructor, in his own personal interview with the producer of the program has emphasized the importance of being mentally tough; of being able to make your body continue the rigorous 22 hours per day training, when everything in you screams, "I quit." It is mind over matter; the ability to endure and not to stop.
As I've watched a couple of the full episodes and several of the clips, I've pondered a Scripture that Paul wrote: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…" Philippians 2:5
Jesus never gave up on His intended goal to provide salvation to humankind. Even during the last 24 plus hours of His life, when He was dragged from one 'kangaroo court' setting to the next, beaten three times with 39 lashes each time; spit upon, called names, mocked and derided for no reason other than fear and jealousy: yet He endured it all and came out a winner.
I've learned that when I yield my heart and mind to the will of God, my endurance increases and my desire to quit is extremely lessened. Therefore, my prayer is: "Lord, help me to endure unto the end, keeping my mind stayed on you, and never entertaining the idea to quit anything that will bring glory to your name."
More: Lessons About God


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OK, maybe "showdown" is a little dramatic, but it's time to stop being ridiculous about the playground. The San Francisco Chronicle has something called ChronicleWatch that is actually better in the print version because it usually includes a photo of the person responsible for whatever mess it is. I'm OK with a little public shaming, especially when our public "servants" are choosing to not do their jobs.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
The Playground Showdown
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Photos
Yes, the photos below are of the gecko eating his peeling skin. He doesn't have problems; all leopard geckos eat the skin that they shed, both because it has nutrients and as a way to hide evidence of their existence from predators. He pulls it off with his little teeny tiny teeth and eats it.
The other random photos of reptiles scattered around amongst the posts are from a program, in which Owen of the East Bay Vivarium came and showed the kids a bunch of reptiles, and a few centipedes, millipedes, tarantulas, and amphibians. It was pretty awesome.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Principals: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Principal Zero: I call him Principal Zero because he was there up until the week before I started teaching, so although I never taught under him, the atmosphere at the school when I started was largely because of PZero. He was apparently someone whom you respect, even if you didn't like him. He was effective, and rather like an intelligent, soft-spoken drill sergeant.
Principal One: This is the woman who hired me. She was ditzy and liked to yell. She had been the assistant principal under PZero (and before that, a fourth-grade teacher, I believe), and I heard that she was great as an assistant principal, only dealing with discipline. As a principal, she was scatter-brained, and overwhelmed, and took this out on other people. She never got my name down, and in fact would usually refer to all teachers as "Mr. Man" or "Mrs. Lady." I'm not kidding. She had a tendency to have really long staff meetings, in which she would listen to every single person who had any complains and then argue with them about each complaint. Once, when a co-worker left a staff meeting (it had already gone an hour and a half beyond the contracted time) to go pick up his child from the babysitter, she paused the meeting to go down the hall and fetch him back to the meeting. Whenever I'd do something she didn't like, she would yell at me that she could fire me any time she wanted! She'd do this in front of colleagues, students, and parents. She decided to retire after a year and a half or principaling, because her friend (also a principal in our district) had a heart attach and P1 herself was diagnosed with extremely high blood pressure.
Principal Three: An interim principal, P3 is one of my favorite people. He came out of retirement when they couldn't find a good principal for our school, and said he'd lead the school for as long as it took to find someone else. I sincerely wish that they had never found someone else. He was patient, kind, soft-spoken, yet had a definite air of authority. He listened to teachers, was reasonable, intelligent, open to new ideas, dedicated, and wanted what's best for the school. I'm going to cry if I keep writing about him, because we only got him for six months.
Principal Four: P4 is also known by a whole host of bad names. She seemed really good at first, and in fact, some of our best teachers were on the hiring committee that hired her. She was black (this is relevant; you'll see in a later post) and said that she was taking Spanish classes to help her communication with the large Latino population in the area. She seemed wonderful... until it became obvious that she was evil. I'll have a whole post on her soon, because she really deserves an entire post dedicated to her evil ways. But one anecdote should give you the general idea. When the Latino parents (the school is about 50/50 black and Latino with a few Southeast Asians thrown in) wanted the school to spend some of its money on Spanish-language books for the library - since we do have classes that are taught in Spanish, however you feel about them - she said to them something that I would never have expected to hear out of an educated person's mouth. It went something like this (and read this in a loud, slow, condescending tone, like those people who speak really loudly when someone doesn't speak English): "This is what you should do. You should go down to the corner, and open a tortilla stand. Then, with the money from the tortilla stand, you can buy some books in Spanish. OK?" This was not, by any means, the only extremely racist thing she said or did. More about that later.
Principal Seven: Here was another one who seemed better than she was. She appeared calm, together, and competent. In many ways, she was. But she also decided a few months into the year that the school was too hard for her and that she'd find a different position. At that point, she kind of checked out. She's also the one who never got Robin paid, and in fact, never even bothered to answer any emails about the missing payment, so I have bit of a prejudice against her for that reason.
Principal Eight: My current principal. I taught with him for 7 years and he was a great teacher. He seemed to be in the profession for the right reasons, loved the kids, was willing to work hard and not capitulate to district demands, but rather do what was right... someone I loved working with. Apparently they give you lobotomies as part of your administrative credentials. Now he's firing people for no reason and becoming a politician. It's sad. I had high hopes for this one.
Actually, it's possible I have Principals 6 and 7 mixed up. They may be in the opposite order - I can't remember. And don't even think about asking me how many superintendents we've had.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Beware the Ides of March
That is, if the teachers are informed. A good administrator would tell the employee as the year goes on that the employee had things to work on, and point out exactly what they were. Then this hypothetical good administrator would give the employee multiple chances to make changes, provide feedback along the way, and inform the employee (if need be) why exactly the employee's services were no longer required by the school or district.
That is not exactly how things work in my district. Historically, the new teachers are surprised on March 15th by a certified letter saying that their services are no longer needed by the district. They usually don't know what these letters are, why they got one, or what their legal recourse is (none). The union is of little or no help and many many good teachers have left Oakland because - although this district usually changes its collective mind and rescinds some of the letters - nobody really feels like working for them after this experience.
My principal got one of these letter when he was a teacher. It was mainly because the principal at that time was out to get him, but you'd think he'd remember how it feels and try to do things differently. But you'd be wrong.
Three of my colleagues got these letters this year. Two have extremely difficult classes and have not received a lot of support. Of these, one would be a great teacher in a different area of Oakland, and I don't know why she didn't just get a transfer. One is a great teacher and has my evaluator (who probably would have gotten rid of me too if I wasn't tenured). She's gotten the same kind of comments as I have from said evaluator. The last has never gotten a bad evaluation, and while I don't know much about her teaching, you'd think that someone without a bad evaluation would be worth keeping.
Someone pointed out that there is one teacher per evaluator - maybe they were each told to get rid of one. I don't know why this would be though, because Oakland never has enough teachers. Maybe they figured that if they each fired one person, no one administrator would be singled out as being unfair. I don't know.
I have worked with people in my district who have gotten the "March 15th letter" on March 16. It's always baffled me that, when the CA ed code says the letters have to be received on March 15, the district doesn't send them out on March 1 or something to give themselves time. No, our district always seems to make a game out of it. I don't know anyone who has received one before March 15. It's like a little bit of excitement thrown in - Oakland roulette maybe?
It Brook My Heart
"Amani" came to school today in an even more belligerent mood than normal. I asked what was wrong and she said that it was all my fault, I just hate her and there's nothing she can do right. I'm out to get her.
OK. Deep breath. "Amani, what's really the matter?"
"You never listen to me, you hate me, you like everyone else better than me."
One more time. "Sweetheart, what's bothering you?"
She comes back with a note: "My mom told me that most of the time she don't even wanna be here with me and it brook my heart."
It brook my heart too. Her mom's overwhelmed, she's taking it out on her, but Amani doesn't know that. She idolizes her mom. She doesn't know how hard it is to be a single mom and how her mom's reacting (badly) to stress. And there's nothing I can say to make it better. No wonder she acts crazy. Negative attention is better than none.
Friday, March 16, 2007
NCLB Backlash
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Playing Hooky
They Had to Commission a Report for This???
Among the problems listed were:
- Not being able to fire tenured - but bad - teachers
- An irrational system for distributing money
- Missing data on students and resources
- Too many mandates (including many unfunded mandates)
- Excessive regulation
- One size fits all solutions for a diverse group of schools
- Extreme inequity
Solutions recommended:
- Giving more autonomy to school sites
- Less regulation in schools
- More funding for schools
- Recruiting and retaining good teachers
- Giving educators more flexibility
Seriously, they paid people to figure this out? They could have asked me. Think of how much money would have been saved if they had just emailed me instead of commissioning a report that included researches from 32 universities and institutions. And every teacher I know would say the same thing. Duh.
Maybe it's not very eloquent, but there's actually no better way to say it. Your state tax dollars at work, ladies and gentlemen of California.
Now we'll see if they do anything about any of these recommendations. I am doubtful.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
From Mystery To Medicine
One of the fourth grade units is something like "From Mystery to Medicine." When Warren and I were at Target some time back, they had the M*A*S*H boxed set - which is pretty obvious because it's so BIG, and it's called something like "Martinis and Medicine." I keep getting the two mixed up in my head and I know that people are going to look at me really funny when I say something like, "So, in fourth grade, when they're on the Martinis and Medicine theme..."
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Stephanie's Opportunity!
It's almost time for my trip. I'm so excited to go because I have never been out of state before.Thank you for the card. I have not been on the computer for a while so I have not had time to write. I maybe able to come see you & Ms.Smith on the 6th before my trip.I'll send you & her a post card from Washington. Getting late gotta go. From, Stephanie
Over-Praising the Children
- Amani is good at math, although sometimes she gets sloppy and says she doesn't know something even when she does.
- Ann is a good writer but doesn't like writing very much.
- Lucy needs to be careful about taking her frustration out on other children.
- Lamar contributes a lot to class discussions because he thinks on a very high level. (?)
- Jessie understands concepts quickly but gets really upset with herself if she can't do something perfectly the first time.
- TJ likes math best but is also improving in reading. (???)
There is an interesting article about over-praising your children. Children need to be told when they do something wrong, as well as when they do something right. Praise means nothing if they don't deserve it and if they have nothing to work for.
Friday, March 09, 2007
More Evaluator Woes
Give me a break. Every single one of these parents has my cell phone number and feels free to use it. They drop in to check on their children and check on me. They invite me to their churches, bring me food, tell me whom I should marry, and cry to me about having to put their mother in a home. I have a positive relationship with our community. None of them feel like she's approachable. She's the one missing a positive relationship with our community.
I am so angry right now that it's hard to sit still. The nerve of this woman telling me that I'm the one who's wrong here. She says I can't use the words "rude," "lazy," or "angry," because those are negative. For example, "'Lamar' has had a couple of days when he was rude to me but overall he is working very well and his attitude is improving greatly." Now, Lamar has no problem with me saying this. His dad has no problems with me saying this. In fact, the reason why Lamar is doing better with me than anyone else, I think, is because I don't talk down to him, sugar-coat things, or pretend his behavior is OK when it's not. I tell him that he's being rude. End of story. He knows exactly what I expect.
The same goes for the words "lazy" and "angry." I said that one student was a great writer when he wasn't being lazy. Those are his mother's words and his words. And the truth. I said "TJ" had a hard time when he was angry. It's the truth. I've talked to his mother, his counselor and him about it. This is part of the reason I am effective - that I don't waste words. If a child is doing something wrong, they know exactly what it is and what I expect. And I believe that is a major part of why I have developed such good relationships with so many students and parents.
I am so angry. I wasted all day trying to deal with her and write her a letter. I'll copy it below. And people wonder why so many teachers quit after a couple of years. It's not because of the kids as much as it is because of the ignorant and crazy-making administrators.
I won't "re-due" the report cards. I won't even redo them. There are a very few comments that made sense - I'll change those. As for the others, I'll explain to her exactly why I refuse to change them. She'll probably demand that I change them, and I'll refuse. Report cards may seem like a silly thing to take a stand on, but I've got to do it somewhere and I'm about DONE with this woman.
Here's the letter:
March 9, 2007
Thank you for the quick feedback on the report cards. I found some of your comments to be very helpful but I cannot agree with all of them. Please keep in mind that I know all of the students and their parents very well; in fact I have known some of these parents for years. I have definitely built a positive relationship with these parents – many of them knew me beforehand and requested that their student be in my class. While there is always more to learn and I have not come as far as possible with report card comments, I simply cannot agree with all of the comments. In fact, with some of them (the ones you just crossed out and didn't say why they need to be completely redone), I cannot figure out what could possibly be offensive or hurt the positive relationships that I do, in fact, have with the parents of these children. I have showed these particular comments to colleagues and they also cannot see anything past maybe one or two words that might be changed.
For example:
- Lamar has been rude a few times. He has no problem admitting it, his dad welcomes the feedback, we've worked through it all together, and I do not think it is offensive or unprofessional to mention that he's been working on this.
- Tatania has had problems taking out her frustrations out on other children. That is neither offensive nor unprofessional – it is something that her mother needs to know and that Tatania is working on.
- The same idea with Ann – she does, in fact, try to make writing assignments short and she does not generally read directions but waits for others to explain things to her. If you have a specific way to reword this while keeping the idea, I'm welcome to suggestions. But I cannot take this out, as it is important.
- I do not understand why I cannot say that TJ likes math best – it is his favorite subject, he gets very excited by it. That can't possibly hurt the positive relationship I have with his mother! Also, he does have problems when he is angry. He knows this, his mother knows this - I've even talked to his counselor about this. No one is upset with me for using that word.
- I see nothing wrong with the comments about Amani. Amani does get upset when she doesn't do something perfectly and she needs to take time to calm down. She doesn't like to read directions and her mother needs to be aware of that. I said positive things about her as well, as she is a wonderful child, and gave specific recommendations. Amani's mother has thanked me repeatedly for being honest with her and asked me to continue with it. She has said that Amani has never shown as much growth as this year because I am completely honest with her (the mother) and don't put up with any of Amani's ways of manipulating her past teachers. She wants this kind of feedback. And it is not without positive remarks – there are many.
- I tried to copy Deedee's report card last time you told me to because of the smudges and there were no blank third-grade cards then. Now if I redo it, it will not have her mother's previous signature and date of conference. Do you still want me to do it?
- I'm not sure when all of the smudges on the report cards happened, but the folder I handed you in the CIC on Wednesday ended up on the floor somehow afterward – one of the other teachers gave it back to me and I put it back on the table where you had been sitting. I'm not sure how long it was on the floor or if any teachers stepped on it.
Please realize that nothing on these report card comments is new to the parents. They get good phone calls as well as phone calls when there is a problem. They are intimately aware of all of the issues that I have raised and have not been offended by any of them. Again, I always have room to improve, and I will change some of the comments. However, I cannot compromise honesty with the parents, especially as I have received extensive positive feedback about these particular kinds of comments from the parents (especially Lamar's father and Amani's mother) when they thank me for the growth their children are making.
There are so many more important things for her to waste my time on than this.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Julie Kicks Ass
Julie took me up on the writing to the district superintendent, excuse me, state administrator. Here's her letter. Feel free to join her in writing.
"And, when the going gets tough, we must have the courage and stamina to stay the course."
Dear Ms. S------,
It has come to my attention that OUSD is contemplating closing East Oakland Community High School due to low test scores. While I do not have direct experience in that school, I know friends and community members who will be drastically affected by this decision. Children at this school will not continue their education -- many will drop out and never be seen or heard from again, except through the police department. These kids feel, for the first time, like school is within their grasp. As if someone cares about them, and their education. The school has only been open for two and a half years, and is serving kids who have not had the opportunities that students in wealthier districts have. It would be nearly inconceivable that they could catch up, to passing status, in such short time. But the concept behind the school is offering these kids hope -- not failing them. I know the district does not exactly have an abundance of cash laying around to "experiment" with alternative school styles. But you yourself said, on your website (as quoted above), that when the going gets tough, it takes courage and stamina to stay the course. It takes commitment. It takes sacrifice. No one is denying that. But I implore you to give this school a chance -- to stay the course and give it the time it needs to work with these kids. Closing EOCHS may save some cash -- but it will NOT get the district closer to its goal of educating the children of Oakland.
Julie might know a little something about difficult kids/families/situations also...
Also, the Oakland Tribune has an interesting - and sad - series of articles profiling one young man who was one of the almost 150 homicide victims last year. This is Part One.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
School Closings - Please Help
The district is closing four more schools. One of them, Merritt Middle school, is being closed because it is on a college campus which is undergoing construction. The other three - Kizmet Academy, Sherman Elementary, and East Oakland Community (EOC) High School - are being closed primarily for low test scores. Now, I don't know anything about Kizmet or Sherman (although I do think Kizmet has only been around for a few years - maybe 3?), but I know a little about EOC.
EOC is an alternative high school that focuses on teachers caring, art, music, and students having a voice. Education Not Incarceration (ENI) is working with this school to "stop 'pushouts' in real world terms: support of positive behavior, rather than punitive actions such as expulsion and suspension; a strong, culturally aware staff, and curriculum that empowers youth by relating learning to their lives; supporting the growth of the whole child by involving the entire community in the education of each student; and preparing students for higher education or living wage jobs by carefully connecting students to opportunities based on their individual passions."
Sounds great, right? Sounds like just what the youth of East Oakland need. Keep in mind, that a conservative estimate of Oakland's dropout rate is 50%. Many people say only one-third of Oakland's youth graduate, and you'd better believe that most of them are not in East Oakland. I personally know kids who are 12 years old, in 7th grade, and hanging out on the street smoking pot instead of ever going to school.
But no, my district has decided that - after 2 and a half years - the school should be closed because of poor test scores. The school has only been open for two years. They haven't gotten off the ground yet. The test scores are bound to be low right now because they're testing kids who don't normally attend school. Teachers, parents, and community members have worked to get this school started, and kids are now saying that they feel cared about, they like going to school, and that they can express themselves. They have an award-winning podcast, "This East Oakland Life," that has been featured by the BBC. Listen to it. The kids tell the truth - which at times is brutal - about everything from fast food to pre-teen prostitution.
Even No Child Left Behind allows four years before a school undergoes sanctions, much less is closed. I understand that our district is in trouble financially, but to close a school that is helping students who most desperately need the help - and who are FINALLY getting it - is inexcusable. The kids showed up at the school board meeting begging for their school to remain open, saying that for the first time in their lives they like school.
The state-appointed administrator, Dr. Kimberly Statham, is determined to close these schools. The mayor of Oakland, Ron Dellums, has weighed in, saying "I believe it is important to give institutions an opportunity to develop." One parent said, "If this school closes, I will lose what little faith I have in the district's alleged commitment to educating children," said one mother, whose son attends the 21/2-year-old East Oakland Community High School.
Me too.
The worst thing about it is that these are not kids who will go to their second choice school. If my school had been closed, I would have gone to another one. These kids will drop out.
If this makes any of you as mad as it does me, PLEASE do something. You can write a letter to the Oakland Tribune, and express your views. You can email the state administrator, Dr. Kimberly Statham, call her office at (510) 879-8200, or write to her at 1025 2nd Ave., Room 301, Oakland, CA 94606.
Please don't use my name, just say "it has come to my attention that..." and express your views. Please. If the district cared about these kids, this wouldn't be happening. Please help them see that SOMEONE cares about them!
Friday, March 02, 2007
They Have a Dream
"TJ:" (more about this one later; a very troubled child)
I have a dream fighting other kids. I have a dream hurting somebody on the football field. I have a dream about running away from home, school, and my football team and when I came back everything was alright."
I have a dream that people will stop smoking and drinking, stop shooting people, stop stealing money, and stop hating people. I wish that Martin Luther King, Jr. was alive. I wish people would stop mugging people.
I have a dream that people would give dogs and cats good homes. I have a dream that people would stop being on drugs. I have a dream that people would respect their homes. I have a dream that people would give people in Africa some food. And I have a dream people would stop killing and fighting.
I have a dream that nobody was on drugs, that nobody killed each other and that no one got raped. I have a dream that my mom does not have diabetes and that I do not hear gun shots and that everything is OK.These are not the kinds of dreams that many of us had when we were kids, nor are they the kind of dreams that kids should have to even think about. The last child in this list is moving. When someone came to his apartment to threaten his 16-year old brother's life, his mom decided she had had enough. The boys' father was shot and killed a couple of years ago and she was not about to lose anyone else that way. She packed them up and moved them in three days. We miss Kobe a lot - he was a wonderful, sweet child - but he may need to leave to stay that way. I hope he's found somewhere better.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Slipping Through the Cracks
If you guessed Jennie - the child who has been absent over a third of the year, who acts like a scared rabbit, and who is probably desperately in need of some intervention - then you are logical, kindhearted..... and haven't been listening to a word I've said.


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EndNote Online (formerly EndNote Web) is a web based tool that is included in NSU's EndNote Desktop subscription. It compliments your EndNote Desktop library by allowing you to access & share your references anywhere.
Although EndNote Online offers many great features, it does not offer the full functionality of the EndNote Desktop version. Here are the key differences (limitations) of EndNote Online.


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It's the song of the (astronomical, not meteorological) summer! The new theme for Ice Station Housman is here and you can listen to it, you lucky dog you.
The song came out of a morning in our office kitchen, when the idea of a rockin', Beach Boys-style theme song came swirling into my brain. I scribbled down the lyrics, recorded a rough track into my phone, then set about figuring out the instrumentation.
The final track has some computer-generated drum loops; me on vocals, guitar, ukulele and hand-claps; and a pleasant roll of thunder at the end (to remind you how we get down at the Station).
If you're some sort of music genius and want to help me sand down some of the edges, please let me know. And feel free to record your own version, if you have the chops!


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Bread pudding
|Place of origin
|Main ingredients
|Usually stale bread; combination of milk, eggs, suet, sugar or syrup, dried fruit, and spices
Bread pudding is a bread-based dessert popular in many countries' cuisines. In other languages, its name is a translation of "bread pudding" or even just "pudding", for example "pudín" or "budín". In the Philippines, banana bread pudding is popular. In Mexico, there is a similar dish eaten during Lent called capirotada.[1][2]
Bread pudding is made with stale bread and milk or cream, generally containing eggs, a form of fat such as oil, butter or suet, and depending on whether the pudding is sweet or savory, a variety of other ingredients. Sweet bread puddings may use sugar, syrup, honey, dried fruit, nuts, as well as spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, or vanilla. The bread is soaked in the liquids, mixed with the other ingredients, and baked.
Savory puddings may be served as main courses, while sweet puddings are typically eaten as desserts.
In the United Kingdom, it is said to be a moist version of Nelson Cake, hence the nickname, "Wet Nelly".[3]
Regional variations
In Belgium, particularly Brussels, it is baked with brown sugar, cinnamon, old bread, and raisins or apple.[4]
In Canada, bread pudding is sometimes made with maple syrup.[5]
In Hong Kong, bread pudding is usually served with vanilla cream dressing.
In Hungary, it is called 'Máglyarakás' which is baked with whipped egg whites on top of it.
In Malaysia, bread pudding is eaten with custard sauce.
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, black bread is used to make "black bread pudding" (Schwarzbrotpudding).
In Puerto Rico, bread pudding is soaked over night in coconut milk and served with a guava rum sauce.
In the United States, especially Louisiana, bread puddings are typically sweet and served as dessert with a sweet sauce of some sort, such as whiskey sauce, rum sauce, or caramel sauce, but typically sprinkled with sugar and eaten warm in squares or slices. Sometimes, bread pudding is served warm topped with or alongside a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.[6]
In Panama, bread pudding is known as "mamallena".
In Aruba, bread pudding is known as "pan bolo".
In Cuba, bread pudding is known as "pudín" and many serve it with a guava marmalade.[7]
In Argentina, bread pudding is known as "budin de pan".
See also
- ↑ Randelman, Mary Urrutia; Joan Schwartz (1992). Memories of a Cuban Kitchen: More than 200 Classic Recipes. New York: Macmillan. pp. 290–201. ISBN 0-02-860998-0.
- ↑ Villapol, Nitza; Martha Martínez (1956). Cocina al minuto. La Habana, Cuba: Roger A. Queralt – Artes Gráficas. p. 254.
- ↑ "Wet Nelly". National Trust. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
- ↑ Waerebeek, Ruth; Robbins, Maria (1996). Everybody eats well in Belgium cookbook: 250 Recipes from a Rich Culinary Tradition. New York: Workman Pub. pp. 294–95. ISBN 9781563054112. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ↑ "Maple bread pudding". Retrieved 12 December 2017 – via The Globe and Mail.
- ↑ "Shibboleth Authentication Request". Ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.fandm.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
- ↑ "Queen of All Pudding". Edible South Florida. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
|Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bread puddings.


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When I train groups of leaders I often bring in an obstacle course that 2 participants have to navigate -- blindfolded! -- with the help of the rest of the group. Here is the trick: the group that can "see" may only use their voices to guide their blindfolded team members through the course.
When the exercise is over and we are debriefing the experience, people tend to have a few takeaways:
"People in other departments, people in outside organizations, and new hires all have blindfolds on when it comes to my work. They don't know what I do. The don't know what I need. I see and understand the situation; they don't."
Other departments are ignorant about things you are expert in and that is normal. They are experts in other things!
What can you do to help others better understand your world?
Have a beginner's mind.
How would you explain your project, your request, your issue, your department, your assignment to someone who:
1. has no experience or expertise in your subject;
2. has their own demanding job and expectations that they have to deliver on.
Reach out and be curious about their area of expertise and the current scope of their work. Understanding the project pressure and deadlines of others will help you plan what you need from them and decide when, how, and what to communicate to them when collaboration is necessary.
These types of conversations build rapport.
Start with the Relationships that Matter Most
To be successful, who do you need to have the strongest relationships with?
Which relationship would you most like to improve?
Reach out and find a time to connect when you don't need something – except an easier, smoother, working relationship. Learn about their world. Invite them into yours. With a better understanding of each other's "obstacle course," and some agreements about how to best communicate so that you can help each other be successful, you will have fewer "blindspots" as you go about your day.
Who do you need to reach out to and have a Beginners Mind conversation with?


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10. 12 | Poconos, PA | Penn Hills Hotel + Resort
The Penn Hills Hotel and Resort was abandoned by its owner in the late 2000s after failing to pay taxes. The expansive property resembles a time capsule: heart-shaped bathtubs, floor-to-ceiling shag carpeting and circle beds. Seven exclusive couples were invited on a late-night getaway to the resort in the Poconos. There were live music and drinks. They were then checked into their rooms and given time to get intimate in whatever way they liked. We created a site-specific track to be playing from the receiver of old phones that we found in the hotel.
Thanks to our hero Hethre Contant, who educated us in the art of telephone-hacking.


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Royvon needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 93 designs submitted by 15 freelance designers.
Royvon Dog Boarding and Training
Provide very standards of care for dogs while owners are on holiday. Our services ensure our guests have activity schedules throughout the day son that they are simulated and happy.
Would like logo to display dogs will have a good time. They will learn better behaviour whilst in our care. Activity agendas whilst in our care. Dogs will be busy.
Our main usp is owners will have piece of mind that their dogs will be extremely well cared for. Total piece of mind.
Woman our the primary decision makers for our business.
Our clients are usually affluent but want value for money which we provide. Logo to instilled this would be good.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Laboratorio 28a, creates l'edition: the special capsules of an Italian company that from 2014 becomes collection.
A Factory workshop where research and style are the driving forces that create a collection ironic and eclectic combining Italian creativity to a timeless elegance.
The splendor of the Crown Jewels relives in the precious handcrafted applications and in all the intarsia of the fine yarns sweaters.


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"Bone to bone. Sinew on the bone. Flesh on the sinew, skin on the flesh, breath in the body. God made our bodies to begin with, and someday, God will put them back together again. God takes bodies seriously, and so should we."
My friends over at The Daily Cake have posted a piece of mine, a reflection on the Hebrew Scripture reading from this Sunday, Ezekiel 37:1-14. The Daily Cake is an Episcopal online community focused on twenty-and-thirty-somethings, so it's a little more overtly religious than what usually gets posted on this blog, not that it should deter you.
You can find the whole piece here. I hope you check it, and The Daily Cake, out.


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CORINA KATT AYALA is one of the most electrifying Performers and broadly talented Artists in a generation. Known for her honest, open hearted and intimate style she is a one-of-a-kind Singer/Songwriter, Actor & Writer whose work goes right to the heart of love, inspiration and human triumph. Ask anyone, the world over, who have witnessed her perform in concert, on the theatrical stage or on the small or big screen and they will tell you that they have witnessed the truth.
The firstborn of Puerto Rican parents CORINA was raised between the rough and tumble neighborhoods of New York City's South Bronx and Harlem communities and Puerto Rico, where she spent summers and school vacations with her grandmother up until her early 20s. Brought up in a home which she describes as, extremely challenging to say the least, performance became her only means of escape, as she would lock herself in her room and re-enact the performances of her Mothers favorite singers for hours on end.
By age 14, after years of formal training and performing in front of friends and family alike, CORINA was beginning to win beauty contests and talent competitions, eventually landing her the MISS HISPANIC AMERICA Title and a 1st Runner Up as MS. PUERTO RICO. By her late teens she had signed to an independent label which led to the releases "OUT OF CONTROL", "GIVE ME BACK MY HEART" and "LOVING YOU LIKE CRAZY" all charting TOP 40 on the US HOT DANCE MUSIC/MAXI SINGLES CHART respectively. CORINA'S self-titled ATCO/ATLANTIC RECORDS debut album, CORINA, spawned 3 additional chart-toppers: "WHISPERS" and "NOW THAT YOU"RE GONE" which landed her her first two BILLBOARD HOT 100 singles and "TEMPTATION" which held a Top 10 position on the BILLBOARD HOT 100 pop chart.
Describing herself as an Entertainer first and foremost when asked, "Ohh, are you getting into acting now?", CORINA explains, I am an Entertainer, having danced, sang and acted from a very early age. It just so happened that I stepped into the world spotlight as a singer first." Gaining worldwide acclaim first through her music videos, MTV appearances, and national and international tours with the likes of BOYS II MEN, ICE CUBE and MARKY MARK(MARK WAHLBERG) CORINA once again charted on the BILLBOARD HOT 100 with "SUMMERTIME SUMMERTIME", produced by LIL JOHN for their COLUMBIA RECORDS/SO SO DEF'S ALL-STAR BASE ALBUM. Her songs & performances have taken her around the world, including Japan, Europe, the Caribbean Islands and Moscow. She has been featured on TV shows like ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, LIVE! with REGIS & KATHIE LEE, MTV's CLUB MTV with DOWNTOWN JULIE BROWN and SHOWTIME AT THE APPOLLO, all while continuing to find and create consistent work for herself as an ACTOR/PRODUCER.
After a series of guest starring appearances on such shows as ALL MY CHILDREN, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, AS THE WORLD TURNS, NEW YORK UNDERCOVER and COSBY, CORINA was beginning to make waves on the big screen as well. With her earlier success starring opposite MARC ANTHONY in "EAST SIDE STORY" CORINA was now starring opposite ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL in "FUNNY VALENTINE" and EMMY & GOLDEN GLOBE winner PETER DINKLADGE in "FORTUNES". OSCAR winning ACTOR/DIRECTOR TIM ROBBINS then tapped CORINA to portray famed Mexican Artist FRIDA KAHLO in his TOUCHSTONE PICTURES release "CRADLE WILL ROCK". CORINA describes the experience on set as, the greatest acting clinic I could have ever attended. Directed by TIM ROBBINS and working with OSCAR winning Actors SUSAN SARANDON and VANESSA REDGRAVE, CORINA starred opposite JOHN CUSACK(Nelson Rockerfeller) and Latin Music Legend/Actor RUBEN BLADES playing FRIDA KAHLO'S husband, DIEGO RIVERA.
It was then that CORINA was inspired to share her stories of triumph and heartache, dreams come true and those yet to be realized, which she had collected along the path of her still unfolding journey. This inspiration was to become known as "FEAR & ALL OF ME", her first One-Woman-Show which she describes as, "The work I am most proud of to this very day, a work about feeling the fear and showing up anyway! "FEAR & ALL OF ME" would play to 3 sold out Off-Broadway runs leaving audiences in stitches, in tears and inspired. As the last character Bambi states, "Whats the point? There is no Point, this is just my story and parts of her story (CORINAS'). And what shes asking is that you all tell your story. Because you all have one, and you know how you can tell it? You can tell it by living your dream!"
CORINA continues to live her dream by touching all who come into contact with her and her work. Recent projects include her wacky Webseries character LUPITA in "LUPITA SAYS", her semi-autobiographical TV Sitcom in development "LATIN IN AMERICA" and the recording of her debut Latin Album with it's first release, "AUNQUE ME DUELA". In the pipeline are a CORINA memoir, "MY MOTHERS DAUGHTER", two feature length films written, and to be Directed by CORINA and a her second One-Woman-Show, "VOICES IN MY HEAD", debuting at The Poet's Den Theater on Feb, 14th 2017.