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Cardinal Brady is still at the same old stand – saying he won't resign despite new disclosures of his failure to pass on names and addresses of children being abused by Brendan Smyth.
The Catholic primate of all-Ireland has said that he will not resign as Church leader despite revelations in the BBC's This World programme.
It found Cardinal Sean Brady had names and addresses of those being abused by paedophile priest Brendan Smyth.
However, he did not pass on those details to police or parents.
And Brendan Smyth went on abusing the children in question.
He says he had no authority. He says it was all the higher ups. He says he trusted them to deal with Brendan Smyth. He says he was just there to hold their coats. He says why is everybody picking on him. He says the BBC is being mean to him.
Senior Vatican Prosecutor Monsignor Charles Scicluna has defended Cardinal Brady.
"My first point is that Fr Brady was a note taker in 1975, he did what he should have done. He forwarded all the information to the people that had the power to act," he said.
"My second point is that in the interest of the Church in Ireland, they need to have Cardinal Brady as the archbishop of Armagh because he has shown determination in promoting child protection policies. You need to have leaders who have learned the hard way and are determined to protect children."
You need to have leaders who have learned the hard way. Really. So leaders should all be involved in botched self-protecting institution-protecting pseudo-investigations of child abuse early in their careers so that they can do a good job later, having "learned the hard way"? So it's good that Ratzinger grew up under the Nazis and it's a pity that other "leaders" missed out on that experience?
Sean Brady's role in the affair became clear in 2010, when it became known that he had been present when the abused boy [Brendan Boland] was questioned.
He claimed, however, that the boy's father had accompanied him, and described his own role as that of a note-taker.
However, the BBC This World investigation has uncovered the notes Cardinal Brady took while the boy was questioned.
The child's father was not allowed in the room, and the child was immediately sworn to secrecy.
Brendan Boland's father was not allowed in the room as a matter of canon law, according to Irish Times Religious Affairs Correspondent Patsy McGarry. Good old canon law, eh, protecting the clergy at the expense of anyone and everyone else.
H/t Sigmund.


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"How long will the pain last?" a broken hearted mourner asked me. "All the rest of your Life." I have to answer truthfully. We never quite forget. No matter how many years pass, we remember. The loss of a loved one is like a major operation. Part of us is removed, and we have a
You Would've Been
You Would've Been by Stephanie J. DeMartino You would have been 70 had you lived today I would have bought you cake and came over to say Happy Birthday Dad, you've come a long way! You would have smiled at me and said something funny Told me I looked just like my Mother and called
Inspirational Quote 4.9.15 It Would Have Been Enough
Grief Poem 124 Dayenu by R.L. Nona If we had been given one more year to watch the sun set on the far mountains, float on our backs in salt ponds shaded by ancient willows that protest the weight of their leaves, and hold each other close as the seasons cycle. First in the
Fearless Bright and Brave
Dear Larry, I was really touched by the latest email on grief, the one with Eric Clapton and his son Connor who died aged four years old. How hard that must have been and no doubt still is. You asked for people to respond with poems, suggestions so here goes. In recent years I've taken
Eric Clapton deals with the loss of his child
'I tried to heal myself': Grieving Eric Clapton, 72, lived as a recluse in Antigua for a year after his son Conor, four, suffered a fatal 53-story fall from New York skyscraper. He was left distraught when his four-year-old son Conor fell to his death from the 53rd floor of a New York skyscraper in

subset: commoncrawl


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Twitter introduces Audio Cards so you can listen to music directly from your timeline
Today, Twitter announced that it is introducing a new type of card onto your timeline, the Audio Card. As expected from the name, the new tool lets you listen to music and podcasts directly from your timeline on both Android and iOS devices.
You can even dock the cards to continue listening to music as you browse Twitter, similar to what SoundCloud does. It also just so happens SoundCloud is Twitter's first streaming partner.
The companies note the first Audio Cards will be shared by a small group of partners, including NASA, David Guetta, the White House and others. In the coming weeks, they will be made available to anyone who has music on SoundCloud.
The new addition should make it easier for musicians and personalities to share their audio, while also streamlining the Twitter app experience – you needn't open up your browser app just to listen to new music from your favorite artists.
Update: Hardly an hour after their first announcement, Twitter has just named iTunes as their second streaming partner. Now when you listen to music from select artists on Twitter, you'll be able to order from iTunes with a couple of taps.
The Foo Fighters are the first iTunes group to use the new Audio Card, tweeting the official release of their newest single.
We'll keep an eye out for any new partners Twitter adds to the streaming party.
➤ Introducing a new audio experience on Twitter [Twitter Blog]
Read next: Facebook Messenger update for iOS lets you draw on photos before sending
Pssst, hey you!
Do you want to get the sassiest daily tech newsletter every day, in your inbox, for FREE? Of course you do: sign up for Big Spam here.


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UNESCO Second World Conference on Arts Education in Seoul
Theodore Wiprud
June 6, 2010
I was particularly looking forward to the UNESCO conference roundtable on research in arts education – specifically titled "Supporting the Practical Use of Researches: Suggestions to Enhance Practicality and Reliability of Arts Education Researches." What transpired was intriguing in ways I'd never imagined.
The speakers came from Cuba, Austria, Germany, Zimbabwe, France, and Australia, with a moderator (Dan Baron Cohen) from Wales by way of Brazil. Their understanding of "research" was similarly all over the map – several stressed the idea of involving students in research, for instance, but they didn't exactly mean drawing up rubrics together.
For instance: Ramon Cabrera Salort, from Universidad de las Artes de Cuba, described five groups of high school students in Berlin who designed and carried out their own research projects. What exactly they were researching became less and less clear. One group decided to give "invisible performances" in a park – taking naps and playing with dolls. Another group pretended to be homeless. Another blocked off a busy commuter footbridge at rush hour. Another went to sleep at a McDonalds. They wanted to know how people would react. Disappointingly perhaps, the citizens of Berlin were mainly tolerant and bemused. The final group – all football players – dressed as women and did get a rise – they documented the insults they received. Nevertheless, they discovered they rather liked walking around in drag. (Let's run this one by the NEA!)
A more persuasive approach to students as researchers came from Michael Wimmer, from an organization called EDUCULT in Austria. He cited Charles Ives' The Unanswered Question and Picasso's line, "I never made a painting as a work of art; it's all about research" in asserting that the authentic artist's stance is one of questioning, hypothesizing, discovering. So might the truest aesthetic education be designed as aesthetic research? In one project he described, students created a theatrical event through which audience members would have the experience of being trapped in a school massacre. So how did they collect data? Surveys – nothing particularly creative there. Yet in this presentation, the kids' main focus of creativity seemed to be the research itself. Rather than receiving instruction in theatre, they were being given room to think like true artists by doing research on their audience. Intriguing, but I doubt this is quite what Ives or Picasso had in mind.
The presentation most directly useful to what we think of as research was from Eckart Liebau from the University of Erlangen-Nurnberg in Germany. Speaking specifically of scientific research (as opposed to arts-based research, such as Herr Wimmer had described), Prof. Eckart noted that almost all existing work looks at the side effects of arts education – impacts on other kinds of learning, on socialization, on attitudes toward school, areas that could equally well be addressed through athletics, for instance. What is unique to arts education? What are the cognitive and other differences among the arts disciplines? He called for tools beyond surveys and videos, for more direct indicators of the mind's activities; and for designing pragmatic projects that can inform how we actually teach. If only he had methods to go with his clear-thinking approach to the field.
Pragmatism was everything to Robert Malcolm McLaren, from the Zimbabwe Academy of Arts Education. For McLaren, research means understanding and documenting the many "informal" means of arts education in his country. Just as an informal economy has grown to engulf the formal economy in post-colonial Zimbabwe, so informal arts education – many out-of-school-time opportunities, efforts of small cultural organizations, and apprenticeships, many of these in traditional arts – "democratize the top-down model" of school-based arts education. He suggested that research can legitimize a grass-roots cultural movement.
Mr. McLaren's expansive view of education came like the opening of a window in a stuffy room full of theory and epistemes. How welcome was a quiet comment from our moderator, Dan Baron Cohen, that the next such gathering might do well to include actual artists and educators, and even students, if we want to know what arts education is and what it accomplishes. A noisy ovation erupted – from just a very small corner of the audience, your truly and my New York Philharmonic colleagues.
Theodore Wiprud
Director of Education, New York Philharmonic
Theodore Wiprud has directed the Education Department of the New York Philharmonic since October 2004. The Philharmonic's education programs include the historic Young People's Concerts, the new Very Young People's Concerts, one of the largest in-school program of any US orchestra, adult education programs, and many special projects.
Mr. Wiprud has also created innovative programs as director of education and community engagement at the Brooklyn Philharmonic and the American Composers Orchestra; served as associate director of The Commission Project, and assisted the Orchestra of St. Luke's on its education programs. He has worked as a teaching artist and resident composer in a number of New York City schools. From 1990 to 1997, Mr. Wiprud directed national grantmaking programs at Meet The Composer. During the 1980's, he taught and directed the music department at Walnut Hill School, a pre-professional arts boarding school near Boston.
Mr. Wiprud is also known as a composer and an innovative concert producer, until recently programming a variety of chamber series for the Brooklyn Philharmonic. His own music for orchestra, chamber ensembles, and voice is published by Allemar Music.
Mr. Wiprud earned his A.B. in Biochemistry at Harvard, and his M.Mus. in Theory and Composition at Boston University, and studied at Cambridge University as a Visiting Scholar.
Guest Blogger, Ted Wiprud: From the UNESCO International Arts Education Conference, Part III
UNESCO Second World Conference on Arts Education in Seoul


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I photographed Shelby last year and had a lot of fun.
This past spring we decided we should do it again. My lovely and talented friend Michele
came along to take some photos too and appears in a couple photos herself!
Michele brought along a (creepy) bunny face mask.
So, we played around with that for a bit and Michele had me take her picture in the mask too.


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Playfoam has definitely been designed with preschoolers in mind. This no-mess play substance is rug, couch and curtain approved! Preschoolers will love to build, shape, squish and squeeze Playfoam. And parents will never have to clean up after sticky, gummy putty. Playfoam gives kids hours of intense tactile exploration and never dries out. If you're trying to imagine what Playfoam feels like, think of a squishy, light and airy ball of tiny foam beads! Mix the colors together for a one-of-a-kind Playfoam look, or play with them individually. Playfoam encourages creativity at home or on-the-go! Includes 8 packages of Playfoam. Ages 3 +.
Plenty of Playfoam colors to choose from in this set
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Prospect: Mathias Emilio Pettersen
420since1974 posted a topic in Stockton Heat and Flames ProspectsI couldn't find a separate thread for this prospect, so I thought that I would start one. Calgary Flames prospect Mathias Emilio Pettersen has been named the NCHC's Rookie Of The Month for October. The Denver University freshman has helped lead the Pioneers to a 3-0-1 start with his team-high 8 points. He was drafted by Calgary in the 6th round (167 overall) of the 2018 draft. Pettersen is a 5' 10", 170 lb LH center who was drafted out of the USHL after scoring 14 goals + 32 assists = 46 points in 60 games. Here is one scouting report: Future Considerations - Ranked 156th overall A quality forward, he is a decent skater, showing great agility and quickness on his edges. For his size, though, he lacks great foot speed. Yet he owns deceptive speed. With quick acceleration he makes opponents miss with stick and body checks. His hands, too, are very good, so he's elusive, with the ability to weave in and out of traffic. He can make defenders look silly at times with simple stickhandlng and stop-and-go stunts. His puckhandling ability is elite. With confidence, he carries the puck through traffic and he can make highlight-reel moves in one-on-one situations. Off the rush, he is very dangerous. His array of shots is powerful and quick. His puck movement and vision are impressive. He can uncover tight passing lanes and find the tape of a teammate's stick. Defensively, too, he excels. He's fearless in board battles. His compete and energy levels make him an effective defender because he wants the puck back on this stick. No surprise, he's an eager counterattacker. He's a consistent - and versatile - presence. He's extremely strong with the puck on his stick or when putting the body on the opposition - and also when someone is trying to shove him around. He owns an enticing package - shot, vision, skill, compete - that, no doubt, would help an NHL team, especially if he can physically mature. Here's a longer one from SB Nation: https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2018/6/12/17450370/mathias-emilio-pettersen-2018-nhl-draft-prospect-profile


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Einar and Jørn from Voy have finally made a video to explain and demonstrate Ugle: the networked owl.
In their own words:
Ugle is a wooden owl that can be controlled over the internet with an iPhone application. It lets you send colour-messages from your phone to your home. When you change the position of the colors on the owl on the screen, the physical owl turns its head to the chosen color. It is a decorative personal message system where the household has to decide what the colours mean.
I bring up Ugle quite a lot, in talks, in conversation, in day-to-day life. It's the perfect example of the kind of products that people should be designing for the home — networked but not screaming network, undemanding, ambiently conveying meaning. The meaning is constructed between the people that use it, rather than being dictated by the object.
It is designed for natural tendencies, casual observation, rather than trying to create a new behaviour.
Too many products that come out of the Internet of Things end up putting utility above beauty, whereas it can be both. Ugle demonstrates that it's possible to have a domestic, networked object that is functional and pleasing to look at (see also the Good Night Lamp by Alex D-S).
Ugle is calm, ambient, networked and beautiful, and that's what our homes need.


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The electric bike or scooter tour is an unforgettable experience for city travelers and families with children who want to explore San Sebastian in a unique and different way.
Enjoy this tour while we go through both, touristic and off the beaten track parts in town.
In a three hours ride with no hurry, we will be able to see the most of the city making a stop to have a drink and taste one of the best pintxos in town!
Enjoy your time, your walk, the pintxos, Donostia itself!


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WOW we have just found a bargain auction for bespoke garden art – this is a fabulous find.
The exquisite magnified seed pods and flowers created by Frances Doherty are cherished by Garden Beet. We have been fans of the ceramic artist for 3 years and are rather excited that she has decided to start her own auction.
I have decided to have a clear out of the studio and auction off all those pieces of work which are sitting around taking up my space. These are sculptures which are prototypes or seconds, or have simply been sitting there with no home to go to. Some of them have firing faults…a glaze crawl, a small crack etc, but I will describe them exactly as I put them up for sale. I will do one a month with no reserve so this is your chance to pick up a piece of work for much less than the retail price.
We are sure many of the contemporary gardeners who follow our interests would appreciate her interpretation of the natural world. If you feel your winter garden is in need of some colour and drama head over to her website and make a bid.
Two Artichokes on a Rod – go to her website: http://www.francesdoherty.co.uk/januaryr-auction


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NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, dubbed "NuSTAR" for short has helped show to NASA and now the world through a detailed simulation, the process a star goes through when it turns into a supernova and explodes. The video demonstration of the event was constructed by using data obtained from a remnant called "Cassiopeia A" (Cas A). The video simulation also suggests that supernovas slosh around before their conclusive destruction occurs.
NASA's NuStar is the first telescope of its kind that is able to produce full maps composed of radioactive elements, which are found in supernova remains. The data that has been received was actually the result of a large star blowing up a long time ago. In fact, the light that reached Earth from the explosion only got here a few hundred years ago and what NASA is observing today is the remains of the star from when it was young. Essentially, NASA and NuSTAR are looking backwards in time.
The exciting thing about NuSTAR, is that with its simulations such as the one as the star exploding, NASA has more forensic tools than ever to investigate such occurrences when they happen (or at least when the light reaches Earth). Before NuSTAR became available, NASA had to rely on materials that were only visible in X-rays after they had been heated up. With NuSTAR's ability to view radioactive materials through X-rays without heat having to be added first, materials are not only easier to view; they also gives much more thorough and conclusive results.
This stunning new information about the resulting explosion displayed thanks to NuSTAR and its impact on visualizing radioactive materials came after NASA hosted a media teleconference about supernovas earlier today. Live audio and visual streaming of the event was available and many of the graphics displayed at the conference are now publicly available on NASA's website.
Previously, NuSTAR has provided stunning visuals of a dead star that has been nicknamed the "Hand of God." It has also shown black holes in the distance, which were buried within dust blankets. The telescope array was launched into space on June 13, 2012 with the mission of observing black holes, stars that are either dead or exploded and other objects far away within the Milky Way galaxy and even beyond. As this most recent display has shown, the telescope is succeeding on its mission.
The NuStar simulation from NASA that shows a star exploding does more than just show off the beauty of a cosmic explosion. It also gives new information about how it is believed stars explode into supernovas and then seed the universe with elements such as gold and iron. The video shows a small circular shape rapidly expand and change its colors before becoming a three-dimensional bumpy object. This is what it looks like, but of course what is actually being simulated is the supernova explosion taking place. The earlier parts of the video present the "sloshing" aspect before explosion happens. Of course, it is one thing to read about it but another to watch, witness and develop conclusions.


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Issued to raise funds to help treat those impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Add this popular stamp to your collection now!
Get every U.S. commemorative stamp issued In 2019! Save time and money with this year-set. It's the easy way to keep your collection up to date.
Build your collection quickly with this mixture of U.S. stamps, foreign stamps, and stamps on covers. Hours of fun and excitement guaranteed!
Plate proofs are found on both India paper and card stock. They were made from finished plates and are excellent impressions, showing a sharpness and color far superior to the stamps themselves.


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McDonald Farm is your source for safe, healthy, and nutritious grass-fed beef, pork, and lamb. Drug free and free range!
We are a 4th generation family farm. My great-grandfather Alexander came over from Scotland and started raising purebred Hereford cattle as well as grain farming. Throughout the rest of the 20th century we continued in this vain with my grandfather Norman and my father Jim running the farm. In the early 1990's we decided to make a switch away from grain and toward grass farming. After many trials and tribulations we have perfected a grass finishing regime for our animals that we are incredibily proud of. This meat is the only meat that our family eats. From our farm to your table. Enjoy!
When you choose McDonald Farm grass-fed beef, pork and lamb you are supporting a family farm and giving your family the healthiest food that you can. It's a win-win situation.
Our next food delivery will be in early August on a weekday evening.
Wayne & Maria McDonald


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Our family drove by the accident a couple of hours after the accident had happend, but we didn't know it was Scott who had died. I found out the next morning, when his wife Deborah contacted me with the news and asked me if I could help her sell their goats, since she can't keep animals without Scott, and because she wants to raise money for the funeral. Scott was 54, and I can't stop thinking about him and his wife. I've been sick to my stomach ever receiving this devastating news.
So I am trying to do my small part in helping her. I loaded up their goats this morning, and they got shuttled them to my friend Michelle's property, where there is more space than on our little homestead, and where the goats will live until they are sold - hopefully for a good price to help Deborah with all the expenses she is faced with. Will you help me and do your part and pass this blog entry on to any people you know who might be interested in goats?
There are four wethered males, all one year old, sweet as can be, and really pretty. They don't have to sold together, so if someone just wants to take some of them, that's great. There are also two six week old babies. One of them is from my goat Gracie. Wethers are incredibly sweet pets, not stinky at all, and can also be trained to be superior pack animals. They are wonderful brush clearers and don't need much maintenance at all. My kids love, love, love playing with the babies.
The other shocking news this week was yesterday's Skagit River bridge collapse. It made national news, so some of our friends and family knew about it before we did. It's a bridge that we drive over all the time on our way to go shopping. Steve had driven over it just a few hours before it collapsed, and so did several of our friends.
These two tragedies freak me out and spike my anxiety, but also make me really, really grateful to be alive. This week, I have held my kids a little closer, kissed Steve a little more thoroughly before he drives off to work, and picked up the phone to tell my friends I love them.


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is the drug war or any war a source of chronic stress use to control resources, "access" and "social positions"? is that chornic stress part of "learned helplessness"?
Social defeat refers to losing a confrontation amongconspecific animals, or any kind of hostile dispute amonghumans, in either a dyadic or in a group-individual context, potentially generating very significant practical andpsychological consequences in terms of control over resources, access to mates and social positions.
Research on social stress has accumulated a useful body of knowledge, providing perspective on the effects of detrimental social and environmental interaction on the brain. Research and experimentation suffer from many methodological difficulties: usually a lack of ecological validity (similarity with natural conditions and stressors) or are not amenable to scientific investigation (difficult to test and verify).
Social psychology approaches to human aggression have developed a multitude of perspectives, based on observations of human phenomena like bullying, mobbing, physical and verbal abuse, relational and indirect aggression, etc. Despite the richness of theories developed, the body of knowledge generated has not satisfied scientific requirements of testability and verifiability.
Animal studies of within-species aggression developed in 2 main branches: A) approaches based on laboratory experiments, on controlled conditions, allowing the measurement of behavioral, endocrineand neurological variables, but with the shortcoming of applying unnatural stressors (such as foot-shocks and restraint stress) in unnatural conditions (laboratory cages rarely approximate native habitats); B) approaches based on observations of animals in naturalistic settings, which avoided artificial environments and unnatural stresses, but usually not allowing the measurement of physiological effects or the manipulation of relevant variables.
In real life situations, animals (including humans) have to cope with stresses generated within their own species, during their interactions with conspecifics, especially due to recurrent struggles over the control of limited resources, mates and social positions (Bjorkqvist, 2001; Rohde, 2001; Allen & Badcock, 2003).
Social defeat is a source of chronic stress in animals and humans, capable of causing significant changes in behaviour, brain functioning, physiology, neurotransmitter and hormone levels, and health(Bjorkqvist, 2001; Rohde, 2001; Allen & Badcock, 2003).
The social defeat approach was originated from animal experiments, using the "resident-intruder"paradigm, in which an animal was placed in the cage of another animal or group of animals of the same species, in a manner that allowed a non-lethal conflict.
If animals are allowed to fight on a single occasion only, it is usually regarded as a model of acute stress; if they are allowed to fight on several different occasions, on different days, consecutive or not, it is regarded as a model of chronic stress. After the defeat or in the interval between fights, the subordinate animal may also be exposed to threats from the dominant one, by having to stay in a cage or compartment beside or nearby the dominant, exposed to its visual or olfactory cues.
Later, the social defeat approach was also applied to observations of animal within-species aggression, in the wild, which suggested that the hypotheses generated on artificial laboratory settings can also be applied in observed in natural settings, confirming the predictions of the model.
In humans[edit]
It has been proposed that animal models of social conflict may be useful for studying a number ofmental disorders, including major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, drug abuse, aggressive psychopathologies, eating disorders and schizophrenia (Bjorkqvist, 2001; Selten & Cantor-Graae, 2005; Rohde, 2001).
The social defeat model has been extended to include observations of human aggression, bullying,relational aggression, chronic subordination and humiliation. The social defeat model attempts to extend animal studies to include human behaviour as well, in contrast to the social psychology study of aggression, in which comparisons are drawn exclusively from experiments involving humans (Bjorkqvist, 2001; Rohde, 2001).
Bullying has interesting parallels with animal models of social defeat, the bully being equivalent to the dominant animal and the victim the subordinate one. At stake are possessions of material objects, money, etc., social position in the group, represented by in-group prestige, and the consequent lack of access to mates, including for socio-sexual behaviors like copulation. Human victims typically experience symptoms like low self-esteem (due to low regard by the group), feelings of depression (due to unworthiness of efforts), social withdrawal (reduced investments in the social environment), anxiety (due to a threatening environment), and they can also be shown to experience a plethora of physiological effects, e.g. increased corticosterone levels, and also a shift towards sympathetic balance in the autonomic nervous system (Bjorkqvist, 2001).
Research about human aggression, usually conducted by psychologists or social psychologists, resembles to a great extent the research about social defeat and animal aggression, usually conducted by biologists or physiological psychologists. However, there is the problem of the use of different terminologies for similar concepts, which hinders communication between the two bodies of knowledge (Bjorkqvist, 2001).
Similarly, research on depression has employed similar constructs, such as learned helplessness, although that theory is focused on the perceived inability to escape any sort of negative stimuli rather than on social factors.
Behavioral and physiological effects[edit]
Social defeat is a very potent stressor and can lead to a variety of behavioral effects, like social withdrawal (reduced interactions with conspecifics), lethargy (reduced locomotor activity), reduced exploratory behavior (of both open field and novel objects), anhedonia (reduced reward-related behaviors), decreased socio-sexual behaviors (including decreased attempts to mate and copulate after defeat), various motivational deficits, decreased levels of testosterone (due to a decline in the functionality of the Leydig cells of the testes), increased tendencies to stereotyped behaviours and self-administration of drugs and alcohol (Rygula et alli, 2005; Huhman, 2006).
Research also implicates that the referred behavioral effects are moderated by neuroendocrine phenomena involving serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, locus ceruleus and limbic systems (Bjorkqvist, 2001; Rygula et alli, 2005; Selten & Cantor-Graae, 2005; Marinia et alli, 2006; Huhman, 2006).
Both animal and human studies suggest that the social environment has a strong influence on the consequences of stresses. This finding seems to be especially true in the case of social stresses, like social defeat (Bjorkqvist, 2001; Rygula et alli, 2005; de Jong et alli, 2005).
In animal studies, animals housed collectively showed reduced symptoms after defeat, in comparison with those housed alone; and animals that live in more stable groups (with stable hierarchies, less intra-group aggression) exhibit reduced effects after a defeat, in comparison with those housed in a more unstable group (de Jong et alli, 2005).
In human studies, individuals with greater support seem to be protected against excessive neuroendocrine activation, thereby reducing the adverse effects of stresses in general, and especially stresses of social origin.
This apparent confusion, in which social defeat generates behavioral and neuroendocrine effects, both of which depending on social contextual variables, raises the question of how to interpret this data. A useful concept is the concept of "causal chain", in which recurrent evolutionary events, in this case intra-specific competition, generates selective pressures that last for thousands of generations, influencing a whole species. This way physiological phenomena may evolve, in this case the referred neuro-endocrine phenomena, to facilitate adaptive patterns of action by individuals, in this case the referred behavioral effects. According to this framework, selective pressures generated by intra-specific competition can be considered as the ultimate cause, the neuroendocrine phenomena can be considered to be the proximate causes (sometimes also called mechanisms or moderators) and the observed behavioral alterations are considered the effects (the end events in the causal chain)(Gilbert et alli, 2002; Allen & Badcock, 2003; Rygula et alli, 2005).
Some authors, for example Randolph Nesse, warn us that patterns of behavior commonly considered inappropriate or even pathological may well have adaptive value. According to this view, several authors propose that behaviors considered abnormal may be in fact part of an adaptive response to stressors in modern or at least in old environments, for example social stressors from chronic subordination or interpersonal conflicts (Gilbert et alli, 2002; Allen & Badcock, 2003). Evolutionary psychology provides several possible explanations for why humans typically respond to social dynamics in the way that they do, including possible functions of self-esteem in relation to dominance hierarchies.
See also[edit]
- Dehumanization
- Evolutionary psychology
- Hazing
- Learned helplessness
- Psychological trauma
- Resource holding potential
- Social rejection
- Rohde, P. (2001). "The relevance of hierarchies, territories, defeat for depression in humans- hypotheses and clinical predictions". Journal of Affective Disorders 65 (3): 221–230.doi:10.1016/S0165-0327(00)00219-6. PMID 11511402.
- Laviola, G.; Adriani, W., Rea, M. Aloe, L. & Alleva, E. (2004). "Social withdrawal, neophobia, and stereotyped behavior in developing rats exposed to neonatal asphyxia". Psychopharmacology 175(2): 196–205. doi:10.1007/s00213-004-1800-3. PMID 14985924. Cite uses deprecated parameter
- Bartolomuccia, A; Palanzaa,P.; Sacerdotec,P.; Paneraic,A.E.; Sgoifoa,A.; Dantzerd,R.; Parmigiania, S (2005). "Social factors and individual vulnerability to chronic stress exposure". Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 29 (1): 67–81. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.06.009. PMID 15652256.
- Bjorkqvist, K (2001). "Social defeat as a stressor in humans". Physiology & Behavior 73 (3): 435–442. doi:10.1016/S0031-9384(01)00490-5. PMID 11438372.
- Huhman, K.L. (2006). "Social conflict models- Can they inform us about human psychopathology?".Hormones and Behavior 50 (4): 640–646. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2006.06.022. PMID 16870189.
- Marinia, F; Pozzatob,C.; Andreettab,V.; Janssonc,B.; Arbanb,R.; Domenicic,E.; Carbonic,L. (2006). "Single exposure to social defeat increases corticotropin-releasing factor and glucocorticoid receptor mRNA expression in rat hippocampus". Brain Research 1067 (1): 25–35.doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2005.10.002. PMID 16360122.
- Gilbert, P; Allan,S.; Brough,S.; Melley,S.; Miles, J.N.V. (2002). "Relationship of anhedonia and anxiety to social rank, defeat and entrapment". Journal of Affective Disorders 71 (1-3): 141–151.doi:10.1016/S0165-0327(01)00392-5. PMID 12167510.
- Van Reeth, O; Weibel,L.; Spiegel,K.; Leproult,R.; Dugovic,C.; Maccari,S. (2000). "Physiology of sleep (review) – Interactions between stress and sleep; from basic research to clinical situations". Sleep Medicine Reviews 4 (2): 201–219. doi:10.1053/smrv.1999.0097.
- Buwaldaa, B; Buwalda,B.; Kole,M.; Veenema,A.H.; Huininga,M.; Boer,S.F. de; Korte,S.M.; Koolhaas,J.M. (2005). "Long-term effects of social stress on brain and behavior: a focus on hippocampal functioning". Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 29 (1): 83–97.doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.05.005. PMID 15652257.
- Rygula, R.; Abumaria, N.; Flugge, G.; Fuchs, E.; Ruther, E.; Haveman-Reinecke, U. (2005). "Anhedonia and motivational deficits in rats: Impact of chronic social stress". Behavioural Brain Research 162 (1): 127–134. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2005.03.009. PMID 15922073.
- Allen, N. B.; Badcock, P.B. (2003). "The Social Risk Hypothesis of Depressed Mood: Evolutionary, Psychosocial, and Neurobiological Perspectives". Psychological Bulletin 129 (6): 887–913.doi:10.1037/0033-2909.129.6.887. PMID 14599287.
- Sloman, L.; Farvolden,P.; Gilbert,P.; Price,J. (2006). "The interactive functioning of anxiety and depression in agonistic encounters and reconciliation". Journal of Affective Disorders 90 (2-3): 93– 99. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2005.12.001. PMID 16442166.
- Sgoifoa, A.; Costolia,T., Meerlob,P., Buwalda,B., Pico'-Alfonsoa,M.A., De Boerc,S., Mussoa,E., Koolhaas,J. (2005). "Individual differences in cardiovascular response to social challenge".Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 29 (1): 59–66. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.07.001.PMID 15652255. Cite uses deprecated parameter
- Selten, J.-P.; Cantor-Graae,E (2005). "Social defeat: risk factor for schizophrenia?". The British Journal of Psychiatry 187 (101-102): 101–2. doi:10.1192/bjp.187.2.101. PMID 16055818.
- de Jong JG, van der Vegt BJ, Buwalda B, Koolhaas JM (January 2005). "Social environment determines the long-term effects of social defeat". Physiol. Behav. 84 (1): 87–95.doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2004.10.013. PMID 15642611.
- Handbook of Stress and the Brain (part 2), T. Steckler, N. H. Kalin, J. M. H. M. Reul, 2005. ISBN 0-444-51823-1. Pg 113+


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Legally blind and completely blind Iowans can obtain permits to carry guns in public due to a 2011 adjustment to state law banning sheriffs from denying permits based on physical ability, the Des Moines Register reported Sunday.
Polk County officials have issued weapons permits to at least three people who "can't legally drive and were unable to read the application forms or had difficulty doing so because of visual impairments," according to the Register. Sheriffs in three other counties told the newspaper they've done the same.
"I'm not an expert in vision," Delaware county Sheriff John LeClere told the Register. "At what point do vision problems have a detrimental effect to fire a firearm? If you see nothing but a blurry mass in front of you, then I would say you probably shouldn't be shooting something."
But Jane Hudson, executive director of Disability Rights Iowa, said excluding the blind from weapon permits would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Register reported.
Special training for blind permit holders is on the table in at least one Iowa county, where the sheriff, whose legally blind daughter plans to obtain a permit, demonstrated a practice shooting session for the Register.
h/t Maddowblog
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The United Nations' World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 each year. This event honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.
Rock of Fire Charity Organization celebrates the refugees and asylum-seekers in our community with two events:
Sunday, June 18 Noon–4 PM
Monday, June 19 6–8 PM
"Our responses to refugees must be grounded in our shared values of responsibility sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights and in international refugee law, including the principle of non-refoulement." — UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon


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Faith Academy had no answer for tournament MVP Alex Oliver, senior McKinley Ferguson and Jasper's front line in a lopsided 25-16, 25-13, 25-18 victory at the Birmingham Crossplex's Bill Harris Arena.
Jasper (63-9) finished with 47 kills as a team and limited Faith Academy to only 20. The Vikings are now 133-14 over the last two seasons. The MVP player of the tournament was Alex Oliver. McKinley Ferguson and Temperance Chatman joined Oliver on the All-Tournament Team.
Ferguson closed out the match with a kill that sent Jasper players piling onto each another in front of the net.
"This means a lot to all of us," Oliver said after the victory. "We put Jasper on the map and set the standard for the rest to come."
Oliver led Jasper with 17 kills to go along with eight digs, one assist and one ace. Ferguson had 15 kills, 10 digs, three assists and two aces, Dayion Johnson had six kills and three blocks, Jordan Gilbert had five kills and one block, Kelsey Shelton had three kills, 16 digs and one assist, Temperance Chatman had 36 assists, eight digs and one kill, Tryneti Chatman had nine digs and one assist and Lexie Shephard had three digs.
CONGRATS Lady Vikings!
Pictures By Daily Mountain Eagle - JOHNATHAN BENTLEY, Eagle Sports Editor


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Boudoir on the Edge
Introduction to Boudoir on the Edge
Boudoir on the Edge
Introduction to Boudoir on the Edge
Lesson Info
Introduction to Boudoir on the Edge
Now I know before we get started this class will contain mature imagery and viewer discretion is a bus. My name is ken klosterman and I am your host for boudoir on the edge with you in and brianna failan they are of doom or where less and they are innovators in boudoir education they are hailing all the way from canada and we are so excited to have him here on creative live for the very, very first time so take it away you in and brianna thanks thanks everyone on dh thanks to creative live for having us your support always means so much both sides there it's a pleasure to be here like kenna said were you in m brianna failing of doom or wear less dot com? We are from a small city of about four hundred thousand people, yet we have been able to travel internationally with our company. So the reason we say that as we want you to realize that you don't have to come from somewhere big and very we come from a conservative city so you don't need to come from somewhere somewhere that's very ope...
n we've been able to travel with that induce things outside of our area so the point is that you were able to make that bigger than just your small town so it can be done so why are we here today? We want to show you a little bit about how to look at boudoir differently so we look at boudoir as an art form, we're going to discuss our why and our themes today and a little bit later you is going to do some live posing with you on we'll be talking about why you should incorporate boudoir into your current business as well. I'm going to be talking later about some simple sales skills to help make boudoir a huge revenues part of your business. Um, so our approach when we started in the industry fused to shoot boudoir actually, I first started shooting nudes because I thought it was the most honest thing I could shoot because we thought boudoir, especially at the time this eleven years ago was too cheesy and too soft we still actually kind of feel like that is a bit of the case, and so we really didn't want to have anything to do with that. We did, we don't actually even like the word boudoir especially hate the word dude were way won't use it ever. So we really had to look at boudoir and decide what we want to do with it and we'd really decided that we could do whatever we wanted to do with it with our wedding photography at the time we were shooting stuff that was very different and we just thought, why don't we take that same approach but a lot of photographers feel like when they look at boudoir especially new photographers or wedding photographers that are starting to think about getting into boudoir they think they have to shoot it how it's always been shot the same way with weddings that there's this way that your clients wanted to be shot and you have to shoot it that way but for us we thought we could change the industry by just shooting it our way and even if we could change the industry we could at least change it for ourselves we would never want photos taken of us that were sort of soft and a little bit on the cheesy side so why were we going to shoot that? Um so like I said, our work is very different from the traditional way of looking up boudoir um is a very strong message we know our work is not for everybody we actually like it says their love us or hate us just don't like us we don't mind that people hate our work and we do have a lot of haters on dh that's fine with us it means we're doing something right it means we're pushing it and these were making people feel something and it means that because of that on the other side there are people that love our work and have tohave us and will hire us because of that and it speaks to them and we wanted to speak to them so because of that it really became early on for us this became our bottle and we just stood by I find it my father works for ford and one time I was talking to him about our model and he was telling me how they choose their cars for for it so he's a computer programmer for them he gets a lot of memos on one of the ways when they do car shows is they have that we do surveys and if a car gets all fives like safe set a one out of ten and they get all fives they won't produce that car because everybody just likes that car it's an okay car if the car gets a lot of zeros and a lot of tens they choose that car because the people that love that car will pay anything for that car and the people that I hate that car will still talk about that car so even though like I said we have a lot of haters they're still talking about us they're still talking about our work to man studios actually told us one of their workshops I had recently put up a couple shoot and if you know my couples work it definitely pushes it a little bit further than my other work on dh for the whole dinner after they did their workshop everybody passed around phones showing the couple shoot talking about it and they just said, even if you don't like it, you guys have spent an hour talking about the shoot, so really that's anybody can take a pretty photo, but not everybody can say something with that photo, and people aren't going to pay a lot of money just for something they like that's, okay? They'll pay a lot of money for what they love, what they have to have. Um, so the big thing is that what we're trying to push his well about is senior work as an art form senior self is more than just a service category has become probably one of the most underappreciated our firms out there were inundated with photos everywhere we're all on instagram everybody's, mothers, uncles, sisters is a photographer gears cheap now the time is gone when you know it was a leak class that we're we're all in a dark room, spending hours with that annoying red light on. So what I really want to do is make you think of it as an art. Now I still want you should still run it like a business there's no reason you shouldn't run like a business, otherwise run it like a hobby, because why spend the hours and hours struggling and working to make a business, um but you really should think of his art because it guides you. If you think of it that way and keep it as an art form, it gives you a voice, and it guides everything that you do, and it gives you focus and a vision of what you want to do and that's what people hire you for. People don't hire you for like I said before, a pretty photo. People don't hire you because you, uh, photograph someone famous once people thought hire you for your vision and what you have to say, and if you have a stronger something stronger to say, then that comes through, so you see here it is not just the actions, but the thought behind them that is important. The philosophy behind them is even more important. So for us, it's really about getting our message across about boudoir, that it is empowering, not because women get all dressed up and dolled up another hair makeup done, which is awesome and a lot of fun but that's not the point behind it, because they can do that in any type of shoe. So why is boudoir specifically important for us? Because it allows women to accept their sexuality and express it through our work women were allowed to say yes. Yes, I like sex just as much as a man I'm not ashamed of that I'm comfortable with my body I'm okay showing my body its mind to choose how much I want to show um and it also allows women to take sexuality back and own it we see it as a call to action to help women men gay straight, transgender whatever their sexual orientation is no category we want them to be able to express their own sexuality as exactly as they are exactly how they see it without anybody else imposing those ideas on them. Sexuality is a fundamental powerful part of who we are and we're trying to help women own that sexuality in a safe environment through artwork and show that sexuality is freely chosen not something that should be imposed on us by society and something really important to for us with boudoir is it could be a life changing event we see many of our clients come through the door and this is something that changes them permanently. When we first got into road oir it was mostly demand it was mostly brights we'd have brides come in for their wedding and they say, hey, can you shoot our boudoir my boudoir photos as well and it started to snowball and as we did meetings and viewings with our clients we started to listen to their stories and we would have mothers talk about how they hadn't felt this beautiful in a long time we've had a woman come in who was in a six year abuse of relationship we've had couples who've lost that spark or women who have just never seen that way at all and as we started listening to their stories we could see how much it was empowering in a life changing event for them and I specifically mentioned mother mentioned mothers I'm a mom we have two little girls they're seven and nine and I know when I first became a mom first and foremost that's what I wass I was no longer brianna I was no longer a wife I was a monk I didn't get to brush my hair a lot of days some days I don't even think I got changed out of my pajamas from the day before and so a lot of our clientele are mom's coming in and you really see that moment in them where they go hey, I'm still a beautiful sexual woman still I'm not just a month um and they had either not recognized that self part of themselves anymore. Another part for us is a lot of women come in women or teenager women who as teenagers were sat down with their parents and said you need to stay pure don't have sex until you're married if you show skin something is wrong with you um and it's a double standard with boys, you see a lot of times parents will say here's a condom go out and have some fun, but as a girl where taught that is wrong, it is wrong to like sex it's wrong to want to have sex, it's wrong to wear a skirt, anything like that? So we're trying to question this we're trying to put in people's faces. Why the double standard? Why are women treated differently than men and try and show through our work that they should be seen as equals? Society police is how women feel about sexuality and that's, something that we very adamantly are trying to change, and it could be something as simple as being made to feel bad for wearing heels. Having your hair makeup done when you go to the grocery store quite often, if a guy goes to the grocery store all done up in a suit, do you think he looks awesome? He's just coming from work? I've gone to the grocery store, died out before and been given looks like something was wrong with me, that I had my kids in the kurt and had had time to do my hair, so that is something we're trying to fight against, so combating the archaic view. Of sexuality really became the focus of our work, and there was a study done in brazil, and it said that sixty five point one percent of brazilians either believed partially or wholly than if dressed provocatively, women deserved to be attacked and raped. And then that fifty eight point five percent had a complacency between towards that that if women knew how to behave, then there would be there would be less rape. This blew our minds there's a slut shaming at its worst, it's deplorable tow us, especially in two thousand fifteen. So we want to provide reassurance to our clients when they're coming in to be able to express that sexuality and not be judged for it and instead also, though, for them not to be seen as sexual objects and for women to be seen as sexual beings just like them, and we're working towards having nudity and sexuality not be such a taboo topic. We're very open talking about sexuality was our children that's something we wish more people would do in their households with their families and their kids to make it a more common conversation, and then the sex talk would take place without question, and maybe we wouldn't have such a difficult time addressing rape culture, so for us, we're trying to fight the good fight here and bring our message through in yuen's work so it isn't just the expression of sexuality that we're fighting for a swell we fight for all sorry isn't just female sexuality that we're fighting for repenting for all types of sexuality to be expressed were huge supporters of the lgbtq community, and recently we had articles in huffingtonpost, cosmo, buzzfeed and it just kind of went viral from there, and this is the article here that went around, and if you read the articles, you'll hear us talking about our why about our message about why we shoot the way we do and how we're trying to change the way people approach their sexuality and see sexuality? I'm going to have to read this off my phone because our hotel didn't have a printer, I apologize, but I'm going to show you just how much this is a life changing experience, how much you two are can be a life changing experience for your clients. I'm going to read a letter from kyla she was twenty five when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She came in a few years later to do a shoot with us and had been in remission and she sent us this letter right afterwards right after her shoe and I'm not reading this is ah, look how awesome we are that she loved her photos I'm reading this thinks I really want you to listen to her words about how this isn't just a photo shoot this is helping somebody look inside of themselves helping them find that sexuality and for you to see how much weight is in our hands. So this is kyle's letter being physically sick is one thing still unbelievable at twenty five but I can do that there was no other option in my mind for me, but no one prepared me for the shrapnel mental illness is a whole other battlefield in this battle was like showing up with a bow and arrow to a gunfight I'm talking stereotypes of depression somedays I literally could not get a bit out of bed other days I cried no sobbed uncontrollably I was less than a dream to live with because I was unpredictable and it was unpredictable would make me angry or emotional feelings that are so intense that they could only be understood by someone who's been through it. So when I finally decided to do this boudoir shoot let's just say I was less than mentally committed or maybe I should have been committed excuse me nudity I can hardly scant stand to fix my hair in the morning and I can't even stand to look at myself that long in the mirror and that's with clothes on so boys sure let's go take some nude photos of ourselves later we'll have a bonfire I know that sounds extreme, but it wasn't at the time you see, I have wanted to do but to our shoot for many years, some of those years I was held back by other people's beliefs, part of another life. Now the majority of those years by fear now at the pinnacle of my depression, I took the first step in sandton and corey just a harmless enquiry to see what it's all about for myself, I think I needed to reach the deepest part of my depression in order to conjure up a way to get myself out. I realized that at that point my life was dictated by fear and insecurities, so my thought was if I could tackle one of my biggest fears, I would build the confidence to know that everything else going forward would be peanuts in comparison, it would be my beginning to recovery. Realistically, I knew that there was no downside and no follow. If it didn't go well, I could always opt out, leave and go back home to my norm. But I was sick of that this journey would never have aligned the way it did if I didn't give credit to the love of my life. I am lucky enough to share my life with the most self listen unrelenting person there are very few people in anyone's lives who would put their life on hold voluntarily to be there when you're irrationally upset. Self hating and far too acquainted with the bathroom floor than anyone should be the puffy eyes and henceforth no makeup days the inexplicable meltdowns, the excuses, stubbornness and altogether immature bratty and self absorbed behavior all the stories of massages in the world could not make up for what I put him through but he never asked for a story he simply asked that I not give up on the hope of getting better and try to be just a little bit kinder to myself and I was yesterday not kinder to him but to myself all of this is to say I did it and it wasn't even that bad in fact it wasn't even close to bad it was one of the most empowering things I have ever done and I truly hope to do this again and again it's not that I'm all better and just love everything about myself but this is a large step in getting me there I can applaud myself for doing it and it allowed me to see me see myself from someone else's perspective to be honest when I was looking for my gallery I didn't even recognize myself literally I actually had a moment where I paused on the photo not knowing it was mine and thought huh? That almost looks like me but she's far too pretty and confident to be me that's when I emailed you brianna and said I couldn't find my gallery true story she did, she didn't even recognize yourself in the photo yourself in you and exude a balance of professionalism and relatability, and she just goes on to thank us a little bit more personally so that the reason that I want you to take that lead to take that email, take that message and take its story so close to her is boudoir isn't just a way to make money, obviously it's a lucrative business, but we want you to take and do something so much more with it and see the power that you can give your clients on the message behind what you're doing. Um so this is an eames chair, this my favorite chair of all time pariente so she's going to buy it for my fortieth, but the only way that's happening is if our cats died before then because they ruin everything and I hate our cats. So my favorite designers are ray and charles eames, their american designers there probably one of the most influential designers, it's, hard to go into a home in america and nazi their influence even in the airport. Here in seattle, all the banks of leather seats with metal are designed by teams. S o they were a big they're actually a big influence for me because of the way they approach design they see designed as a problem that needs to be fixed they want to find the simplest solution to do that so they need to design a chair with the simplest way we can do that what how can we do that so for me that's what boudoir became boudoir was a problem for me it was too how do I shoot something sexy without being cheesy um and that was a problem that needed to be solved so that I could actually shoot it and love doing it so the question sort of became the answer but where is the illusion of sexy sexy is the illusion of sex so I just took out the middle man on dh shot raw sexuality now I'm not saying a shoot porn at all I know some people would love to call it that but if you actually break down the posing and everything there is nothing about our work that is pornographic um it's a very different thing we actually refuse clients we have clients that write to us and ask us to do penetration shots we have clients ask and say what happens if we start having secretary in a couple shoot it would actually be impossible for them to have sex during the couple shoots it's like acrobatics the positions I put them in but or they'll even ask, will we leave after so they can have sex after the shoot, which is always weird to me because that's our furniture and like why do we want that stuff all over our furniture? So we do not shoot that none of that will do we turn clients away all the time because of that? But I'm also not trying to just shoot something that looks sexy I want the viewer to think about sex I want the viewer to be invited into it um so what I'm trying to do is constantly push myself and push myself out of my own comfort zone now my comfort zone is very large now, obviously, but when I started it wasn't I can remember the first bridge where should I ever did so myself with sweat very uncomfortable weigh hardly showed any butt shots in the beginning because we thought people would call it porn now if you go look at our work probably every shoot has nudes in it, so for everybody their comfort zone is different when they start but it's always about just pushing yourself a little bit more a little bit more and there's times that I even go over what I think my line is and then say, okay, well, I have a new line, but I'd rather do that than just sort of sit comfortable and get bored and complacent because we do about one hundred troops a year and that's a lot of shoots to dio especially all in the same place um and even for you know like I said our company is very much bigger and you look at our work now and it's much different than when we first started even for this creative clive told me that I had to have uh pg photos for the slide show and it was very difficult to come up with enough photos that I could show there were pg um so yeah, but we're also trying to ask ourselves by pushing myself we're also asking ourselves what are we trying to say in that photo what I was trying to suggest with our hands being there what are we trying to suggest where her eyes were looking what we try to suggest in this position what are we trying to suggest? Um even if they have clothes on with couple shoots it's what am I trying to suggest in the position that there and I'm always just trying to get people to think about sex because woman in launch ray that's sexy on its own but it's also they could just be wearing a bathing suit so you have to go go sort of push yourself be on that mentality of just because she's wearing lingerie that equal sexy because it doesn't always sometimes it could be very cheesy especially depending what the lottery is um we're also trying to invite the viewer in with our work. We want them to feel like they're seeing something they shouldn't they want the fact that we get a lot of requests and questions about being able to have sex during couple shoots makes people wonder, are they seeing something that they can't, that we're not showing, are the shots that only privately they see, and we want that we want our viewers to be sort of borderline uncomfortable with looking at at work. We want them to become confronted with that question that's, part of our theme, talking about our wire, lear before of we want them to be asked, why are you uncomfortable with sexuality and nudity? Um, and like we said before, he love us or hate us, just don't call my work pretty ever.
Class Description
Join Ewan and Brianna Phelan for Boudoir on the Edge and learn about their unique approach to shooting boudoir photography.
Brianna and Ewan see creativity as a planned process rather than the result of spur of the moment inspiration. In this class, they'll discuss how they apply this philosophy to their work and how it shapes the way Ewan shoots. The pair will also discuss how they've integrated their wedding business and boudoir shoots, while protecting the artistic integrity of their work. Ewan will examine a selection of images and explain how he came to that pose and what each element in the image does to promote what that photo is trying to say.
You will walk away from Boudoir on the Edge with a new appreciation for the art of boudoir and skills for integrating an artistic sensibility into your business.
- Introduction to Boudoir on the Edge
- Breakdown of Ewan Phelan's Boudoir Shots
- Why you should bring boudoir into your business
- Figure out your why
- Building Supporters of Boudoir Photography
- Boudoir Posing with Lady Tatas
- Boudoir Posing with Opal Peachy
Ewan demonstrates how he directs his clients during a boudoir photography shoot.
- Marketing Your Boudoir Business
- Boudoir Photography Q&A
- Outro of Boudoir on the Edge
Hassan Hussein
This is an amazing class. The best I have seen so far on the art and business of boudoir photography. Brianna and Ewan covered very difficult subjects in this class in a very effective, professional, informative, and entertaining way. I loved how they addressed the human sexuality in the most beautiful way in relation to art of boudoir photography. It was fascinating to see how Ewan was able to get the models to pose into very sexy and beautiful poses by providing clear instructions in a very respectful manner. Brianna was very informative on how to run a successful boudoir business. I sincerely believe that both Ewan and Brianna shared many of the secrets of the trade that they learned over many years which made their boudoir business a success story.
Rick Steverson
This couple is awesome. I really enjoyed the intro into Ewan's posing techniques. To be honest I would have loved more. Please CL have them come back and continue this workshop. I appreciated the very clear directions to the models without being crass. I'm sure it comes with time, but his methodical tone and direction helped to (IMO) communicate his expertise and improves model/client confidence. Ewan and Brianna helped us to define not only our why, but the how. Very worthwhile to my wife and I for our boudoir photography. Much love Brianna and Ewan, and uh...sorry (lol).
a Creativelive Student
I bought this as an online course, and I was very pleased with it and felt like it was worth the investment. From reading other reviews, you can see that other students have their own opinions based upon their own expectations and interests, and my review is the same. I was more interested in the art of the photography and the posing of the models, and I was very pleased with that part and would have liked to have seen a little more of that and less of the business side. However, I thought the information on the business, marketing, contracts, legal etc. to be very informative and helpful if I wanted to do this commercially. I would recommend that they shorten the first lesson by editing some of their own personal journey and opinions, the latter appearing unnecessarily defensive. I thought one reviewer was unfairly critical of Ewan's "control". I appreciated his directness and instructions, and I think this reviewer may have reflected some of her own issues about either males or control issues. Overall, it was highly informative, and I highly recommend the course. Just go in knowing you're going to be exposed to the business side, as well as the creative side.


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Magik*Magik Orchestra artistic director Minna Choi explains why she likes working with rock bands. [the Bay Bridged]
Haha: Will.i.am can't remember his own crappy lyrics. [SF Gate]
Emily's Army, the band of Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong's son, Joey, plays tonight at the Uptown in Oakland. [7x7]
Famed singer-songwriter Jackson Browne explains why he'll talk to the press about Cuban singer Carlos Varela, but not about his own albums. [SF Gate]
Paul McCartney tells Wired that he's dusted off the tape loop machines he used to record Tomorrow Never Knows for a new project. [Wired / Underwire]
An interview with S.F.'s Blind Willies, who find the common ground between rock and Americana. [The Owl Mag]
Follow us on Twitter @SFAllShookDown, and like us at Facebook.com/SFAllShookDown.


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This is our favorite recipe for refried beans! We use it in tortillas, with guacamole, or chips. Also, we love to make no-queso quesadillas with it (recipe coming soon!)
Serves about 6 –Click here for the printer-friendly version.
2 400 g cans of pinto beans, washed and drained
2 400 g cans of pinto beans, washed and drained
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 fresh green jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and chopped fine (optional)
2 teaspoon paprika powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and onions for 2 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and chili pepper and fry for another 2 minutes.
3. Add spices and stir for 30 seconds. Don't let them burn or stick to the pan.
4. Add the beans and stir fry for 3 minutes, making sure the spices have coated the beans.
5. Add chopped tomatoes, stir for another few minutes.
6. Add tomato paste and stir through.
7. When the beans are soft enough, mash them either with a potato masher. You can mash them to the consistency you like. Some people want creamy refried beans and others like to have whole beans in the mix.
8. Remove from the heat and serve as you like.
Serving Suggestions and Variations:
- Serve as a filling for hearty no-queso quesadillas.
- Use in burritos, tacos, on nachos…
- Serve as a side dish…
- Add more jalapeno peppers or chili powder to up the spiciness!
- Experiment with other kinds of beans.
Nutrition Information: 1 of 6 servings
172 Calories; 4 g Fat; 0 mg Cholesterol; 29 g Carbohydrates; 8 g Fiber; 8 g Protein
*This recipe is filling and highly nutritious, and is therefore rated as an excellent choice for weight loss.
Alf Hana!!!
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Interactive Content Marketing Roundup: May 22-26
Summer is so close, we can feel it—even though, I mean, we're in South Florida so unfortunately our only season is Summer. School's almost out, and everyone is getting ready for the relaxation that comes along with these warm months.
But as marketers, we just can't bring ourselves to relax. All we can do is keep cranking out content that our audiences want to see. So here we are, at the end of another busy marketing week, and as always, bringing you more news, best practices, and exciting tips and tricks for you marketing mavens out there. Here's what you may have missed this week:
If You're Creating Content for the Search Engines, You're Doing it Wrong
A lot of times, we as content marketers can get caught up in everything SEO. We're constantly trying to keep up with the ever changing SEO best practices and how we can do our best to have our content be seen. It's easy to get lost in the sea of SEO and lose sight of why you're creating your content piece in the first place. See what steps you can take to help you create the most useful, educational, organic content for your audience.
How an Interactive Content Platform can Transform your Marketing Strategy
So we know you're creating interactive content (I mean, we're almost halfway through 2017. If you're not, you better get to it!) But one of the biggest challenges is figuring out the most efficient way to create these interactive experiences. Do you build one-offs or do you go with an interactive content platform? How do you really know which, or even if, an interactive content platform is the right fit for your organization? Do you wonder what exactly an interactive content platform can do for you and your marketing strategy? On this week's episode of Ask Audrey, ion's Director of Customer Engagement dives into some of the benefits of interactive content platforms and how you can find out which is the right fit for you. Check out the video now!
45 Engaging Examples of Interactive Storytelling in Content Marketing
We are thrilled to be featured in this article from Hubspot on real world examples of interactive storytelling from content marketers. These 45 examples really show how interactive content can be used across all industries. See who made the list, and be sure to check out Orbitz and Navicure's examples, which we happen to love because they were created with ion!
Want to always be up to date on the latest and greatest in interactive content marketing? Follow our Medium account here.
As well, tune in to our social media accounts for more in content marketing and interactive content tips and tricks! Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn.


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Our City Lights Open family grieves the loss of our dear friend and co-organizer, Paul Holmes. His passion and care for the dance community impacted dancers around the world and will continue to inspire. He was a true legend in the dance world and we know
Dance Vision providing Mobile App services at the 2019 Ohio Star Ball!
Using the Dance Vision (DV) app, you can instantly get real-time information about the 2019 Ohio Star Ball.
2019 Chicago Harvest Moon Ball Heatlist Now available on our website
Heatlist for the 2019 Chicago Harvest Moon Ball now available on our website www.ChicagoHarvestMoon.com
Arunas/Katusha & Riccardo/Yulia coming to 2019 OSB!
Two amazing World Champion performances at this year's 42nd Ohio Star Ball.
Social Graces Ballroom Dance Studio is looking to hire a dance teacher! We provide training and benefits.
Video of a sexy, show dance performed by Arsen Agamalyan and Oksana Vasilieva and dancing to Gardens of Delight by Vangelis. Check it out...it's a great start to a Friday night.
Flotsam and Jetsam | All About That Bal
Stumbled upon this jewel of a video with a little play on words. Made by YouTuber, Carson Morton, and his description is, "My own humble parody of "All About That Bass", this one for all my Balboa dancing friends."
Teacher of the Month: Ivana Strancaric
Fred Astaire took great pride in a standard of excellence which is still alive and well in our studio. Our instructors have completed a rigorous training program and are Certified teachers. Our teacher of the month ...
A few things to consider while starting to learn how to dance...
Access Dance helps thousands of people connect with teachers every month!


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Streator Elementary School District 44 is providing the following information to help educate our parents and students about child safety when using the Information Highway.
The links listed below provide useful information for teachers, parents and kids to understand how to safely use the internet. SES44 is aggressively monitoring and restricting access to social-networking sites using our internet filtering service.
Additional Resources
Internet Safety Curriculums
In the Childnet Hub you'll find top tips, competitions, blogs and advice to help you to use the internet safely, responsibly and positively.
Cybercitizenship.org http://www.cybercitizenship.org/index.html Provides approaches for teaching children about "Cyber Ethics." This site also includes sets of links for adults and children to gain a better understanding of the Internet.
GetNetWise http://www.getnetwise.org/ GetNetWise is a user empowerment campaign and Web site designed to give Internet users a user-friendly, easy-to-find, online resource that can be found on the most popular entry points to the Internet, as well as on many of the most popular Web sites. GetNetWise offers tips, tutorials and other interactive tools.
Illinois State Board of Education
Internet Safety (ppt) PowerPoint on Internet Safety. Includes a pledge for kids.
i-Safe http://www.isafe.org/ i-SAFE provides age-appropriate K-12 curriculum to schools in all 50 states free of charge. The curriculum is a dynamic interactive program designed to educate and empower the student. Each lesson includes Activity Pages and Discussion for the class. The high school curriculum is a video Webcast hosted by teens on either VHS or DVD format. Some of the lessons taught by i-SAFE are: Cyber Citizenship, Personal Safety, Cyber Security, Intellectual Property, Cyber Bullying, and Predator Identification
Kidz Privacy http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/ Educates kids, parents, and businesses about the privacy rights of children online. Site provided by the US Federal Trade Commission.
Play it Safe Online (ppt) From i-Safe. PowerPoint slideshow with dangers of giving personal information online.
Online Safety for Children and Teens: A Comprehensive Guide to Staying Safe Online
The G-men have tips for children, too, explaining what to watch out for online. Fun Zone with Faux Paw's
Internet Safety Game
Kids Com Jr lays our some rules for online safety.
Internet Safety Tips for Kids http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=208 From the Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Just for Kidz http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/kidz.htm Educates kids about their privacy rights of online. Site provided by the US Federal Trade Commission.
McGruff's Internet Safety Game
Play McGruff's Matching Game.
NetSmartz Kidz http://www.netsmartzkids.org/indexFL.htm Games and activities for kids to learn about Internet safety and have fun at the same time.
Online Safety Tips for Kids
The Illinois Attorney General provides kids with guidelines. PBS Kid's Internet License
Kids can get their license to surf by passing a short test on Internet safety. Rocko's Modern Life: A Byte-Size Online Safety Game
Nickelodeon's fun and game-filled introduction to online safety.
Resources for Teens
A fun site with games and the goal of keeping cyberspace safe for youth.
Internet Safety Tips for Teens http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=207 From the Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Just for Kidz http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/kidz.htm Educates kids about their privacy rights of online. Site provided by the US Federal Trade Commission.
Net Smartz Teens
http://www. safeteens.com/safe-blogging-tips-for-teens/
Teens share their own "real-life stories" about issues affecting them on the internet such as cyber bullying and giving out too much personal information. NetSmartz Teens http://www.netsmartz.org/netteens.htm Watch teens share their own "Real-Life Stories" about issues affecting them on the Internet such as cyberbullying, online enticement, and giving out too much personal information.
Online Safety Tips for Teens
The Illinois Attorney General provides teens with guidelines.
Social Web-Tips for Teens
http://www. safeteens.com/social-web-tips-for-teens/
Stop Bullying http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
Resources for Educators
Cable in the Classroom's Media Smart for Teachers http://www.ciconline.org/mediasmartteachers Explore these links to get an overview of the key concepts of media literacy, digital ethics, and online safety, along with ideas for using those concepts with your students.
Cybercrime.gov http://www.cybercrime.gov/ Site by the U.S. Department of Justice. It contains information, and up-to-date news about cyber crimes.
Cyberethics for Kids http://www.cybercrime.gov/rules/kidinternet.htm Site by the U.S. Department of Justice's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. It provides adults, children and teens information on how to use the Internet safely and responsibly.
ISC Teaching Tools to Keep Safe Online
Educational Materials available to download.
Kidz Privacy for Teachers http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/teachers.htm Educates teachers about the privacy rights of children online. Site provided by the US Federal Trade Commission.
Netsmartz for Educators http://www.netsmartz.org/educators.htm This page is designed to show educators and administrators how to use NetSmartz interactive materials in their classrooms, accumulate more information about Internet safety and technology, and take steps to bring their classrooms into the 21st century.
Resources for Parents
Cable in the Classroom's Media Smarts for Parents http://www.ciconline.org/mediasmartparents Cable in the Classroom has developed a variety of resources for parents to use to educate themselves and teach their children how to evaluate media messages, practice digital ethics, and stay safe in the digital world.
Internet Acronyms Every Parent Needs to Know http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/wie/justice_for_all/publications/Acronyms%20Every%20Parent%20Should%20Know.pdf
Internet Privacy and Safety Information for Parents http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alscresources/forlibrarians/internettech/internetprivacysafety.htm From the Association for Library Service to Children
Internet Safety for Parents (ppt) This power point contains valuable information for parents on helping keep their kids safe on the Internet.
i-Safe for Parents http://www.isafe.org/channels/?ch=op Parents can be the key to safe and rewarding online experiences for the whole family. i-SAFE helps educate parents about hazards in cyberspace, and gives them opportunities to spread this valuable information within their communities.
i-SAFE Newsletters
Monthly newsletter to keep you up-to date with internet safety.
Kidz Privacy for Parents http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/adults.htm Educates parents about the privacy rights of children online. Site provided by the US Federal Trade Commission.
National School Safety and Security
National School Safety Center
Online Safety Tips for Parents
The Illinois Attorney General provides parents with guidelines.
Netsmartz for Parents http://www.netsmartz.org/netparents.htm NetSmartz provides on- and offline learning activities for parents to facilitate discussions with their children and teens about Internet safety. Visit "Parent FAQ" to learn more about how and why parents should use NetSmartz.
Parents On Patrol
Helping parents keep their kids safe online.
The Parents' Guide to Internet Safety (pdf) Published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Parents' Guide to the Information Superhighway (pdf) Describes the advantages and risks of getting children online. This site is co-published by The Children's Partnership, National PTA, and National Urban League.
Safeguarding Children on the Internet
Booklet explaining ways to protect children on the internet.
A Safety Net For The Internet: A Parent's Guide http://www.nypl.org/legal/safety.cfm
Created by the New York Public Library, this site offers links and resources for helping parents protect their children online.
Search Engines
Child Safe Searching: Search Engines that are filtered to help parents that are concerned about their children using the Internet.
Other Internet Safety Activities
Be a Safe Surfer http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/MinorES/techsafety.htm An Internet Safety WebQuest
Educational Games http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/games/index.cfm From the Media Awareness Network, these games are grouped by age and teach students how to be safe Internet users and media consumers.
Elmer the Safety Elephant http://www.elmer.ca/splash_flash.html This Canadian site uses Elmer the Elephant to teach kids about safety through activities and games.
Interactive Safety Quizzes http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=714 Child Safety quizzes from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
KidsCom Jr. http://www.kidscomjr.com/games/safety/safety.html Games and Tips for Internet Safety and Good Manners
Surf Swell Island http://disney.go.com/surfswell/index.html Help Mickey and the gang with their adventures in Internet safety.


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The Larch.
on a more serious note, I love how simple this is. I had a play around with the code, changing colours and iterations etc. It was fun :3
by the way, line 14 can be simplified to cls(7)
you broke the chain delete your comments rn
[Please log in to post a comment]


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I waved at Adam today. Ok, maybe he doesn't think I'm a complete freak? Iono. I hope not. NO I do not like him. I don't even know him that well. I only got the balls to wave at him because Darren tapped me on the shoulder and was like, "Hey look" and pointed to him and Adam and I made eye contact. So... you can't really ignore that can you? Lol.
Darren and Wilson are freaks. They found that Jhamiie girl's facebook. LMAO. You creepy stalkers. Yes you are! Lol.
Darren, I better be your bridesmaid at your wedding! I will be so pissed off if I wasn't. And if I don't, I call dibs on Best Man. Yes! I will wear a suit and be your best man. If you guys out there want that spot as best man, you better make sure I get bridesmaid then!


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Harry Connick, Jr: Connick Timing
Having sold over 25 million records worldwide while earning more Number One albums than any other artist in US Jazz Chart history, iconic New Orleans singer/pianist/arranger Harry Connick, Jr. this month impressively releases his twenty-fourth album, ├óĆśYour Songs├óĆÖ
Consisting of Connick singing familiar songs with a full jazz big-band and string orchestra (with him writing all the orchestration himself), ├óĆśYour Songs├óĆÖ nevertheless differs from Harry├óĆÖs many previous projects, in that it represents the first occasion in which he has teamed up with a record company producer - legendary ├óĆśstar-maker├óĆÖ and seasoned industry exec Clive Davis.
With many of the CD├óĆÖs chosen selections representing signature songs for iconic performers, tracks include versions of Elvis Presley├óĆÖs ├óĆśCan├óĆÖt Help Falling In Love With You├óĆÖ; Nat ├óĆśKing├óĆÖ Cole├óĆÖs ├óĆśMona Lisa├óĆÖ; and Billy Joel├óĆÖs ├óĆśJust The Way You Are├óĆÖ. Meanwhile, arrangement-wise some of the album├óĆÖs most inventive moments arrive with a bossa-tinged take on The Beatles ├óĆśAnd I Love Her├óĆÖ; an elaborate Broadway-flavoured rendition of Ewan MacColl├óĆÖs ├óĆśThe First Time Ever I Saw Your Face├óĆÖ; plus a swinging gospel-influenced version of Burt Bacharach├óĆÖs (├óĆśThey Long To Be) Close To You├óĆÖ.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in September 1967, Connick├óĆÖs musical talents first come to the fore when he learnt the keyboards age three, played publicly at six, and recorded with a local jazz band at 10. However, it was while he was later attending New York├óĆÖs prestigious Manhattan School Of Music that, in 1987, an industry executive persuaded him to sign with Columbia Records. Following which his musical career at the label has seen him become ranked among the Top 60 best-selling male artists in the USA since 1952, win three Grammy Awards, plus one Emmy Award. Meanwhile, his simultaneously-successful career in acting has found him gracing the big screen via roles in such significant films as 1990├óĆÖs ├óĆśMemphis Belle├óĆÖ; 1996├óĆÖs ├óĆśIndependence Day├óĆÖ (with Will Smith); and, most recently, 2009├óĆÖs ├óĆśNew In Town├óĆÖ, in which he prestigiously stars alongside Renee Zellweger.
With ├óĆśYour Songs├óĆÖ having already attained Pop Top Ten status in both the USA and Australia, an affable and professionally-charming Mr. Connick takes time out of his hectic London promo schedule to tell Pete Lewis all about it, over morning drinks at Old Park Lane├óĆÖs trendily-minimalist Metropolitan Hotel.
How the concept behind ├óĆśYour Songs├óĆÖ came about
├óĆ£Well, it started with me getting a call from Clive Davis. He was asking if I├óĆÖd be interested in meting with him because he had some ideas. So I went to his office, and he was like ├óĆśWhat do you think about singing a bunch of really, really famous songs, presenting them in a very accessible, easy way and really featuring your VOCALS as opposed to some of the OTHER things you do like piano-playing or arranging?├óĆÖ├óĆ┬" And, with me having previously done some 20-odd records in my OWN way, this looked like an interesting road to go down that I hadn├óĆÖt been down before. So I said ├óĆśYeah, let├óĆÖs give it a TRY!├óĆÖ├óĆ┬" So together we began a very collaborative process picking songs and deciding how they were gonna be presented├óĆ┬" And it turned out to be a great new experience for me, and something I think I needed at that point.├óĆØ
How the collaboration between Harry and Clive Davis actually worked in terms of choosing songs and new arrangements
├óĆ£Well, we├óĆÖd basically sit across from each other at his desk. He├óĆÖd be like ├óĆśWhat do you think about ├óĆśJust The Way You Are├óĆÖ?├óĆÖ├óĆ┬" So I├óĆÖd be like ├óĆśThat├óĆÖs an interesting choice - and what do you think about ├óĆśAll The Way├óĆÖ?... And he├óĆÖd say ├óĆśOh, THAT├óĆÖS cool!├óĆÖ├óĆ┬" You know, song-wise we just sort of threw ideas around. Then, once we├óĆÖd picked the songs, I arranged them, let him hear the demo versions of the arrangements... And again he├óĆÖd be like ├óĆśWell what about doing ├óĆśMona Lisa├óĆÖ just a little bit faster?├óĆÖ; or ├óĆśMaybe you could slow that song down a little bit├óĆÖ; or ├óĆśMaybe that song has too many violins on it right now├óĆÖ├óĆ┬" You know, we just talked creatively about things. Then I went by myself to the studio - he wasn├óĆÖt a part of that process - and actually recorded the CD. Then, once I├óĆÖd mixed it, he again came on board and was like ├óĆśWell, maybe you can bring the vocals up a little louder here├óĆÖ or whatever... And that was IT! It was just a very fun process!├óĆØ
Harry├óĆÖs choice of guest instrumentalists on ├óĆśYour Songs├óĆÖ
├óĆ£I├óĆÖve known both the Marsalis brothers (Branford and Wynton) from my childhood in New Orleans. So, when I could hear a tenor sax solo on ├óĆśAll the Way├óĆÖ, I called up Branford. Then, when Clive suggested a trumpet solo for ├óĆśCan├óĆÖt Help Falling In Love With You├óĆÖ, I called Wynton! You know, I├óĆÖm lucky enough to have those guys├óĆÖ numbers on my speed-dial! Then, when I did the arrangement for ├óĆśAnd I Love You So├óĆÖ, I was looking for a kind of country sound. Like there├óĆÖs a certain type of guitar-playing that I like. And, because Bryan Sutton is the premier guy for that, I called him and asked him to do it. He agreed - and, though I├óĆÖd never met him before, we├óĆÖve now become friends.├óĆØ
Duetting with France├óĆÖs First Lady - one-time supermodel Carla Bruni - on his version of The Beatles├óĆÖ ├óĆśAnd I Love Her├óĆÖ
├óĆ£Carla was the idea of the record company, because they were looking for a song that could kinda tie the album into the European market - specifically France. But - though my wife (former supermodel Jill Goodacre) knew Carla professionally from her modelling days - I didn├óĆÖt actually know much about her MUSIC. So, after I├óĆÖd listened to it and thought ├óĆśAnd I Love Her├óĆÖ might be a nice tune for us to do, I went to Paris - and we sang it live together in the studio! Which was great, because we were like just 10 feet away from each other! So it was a really cool, intimate session.├óĆØ
Harry├óĆÖs early background, with his father being District Attorney of New Orleans and his mother (who sadly died when he was 13) a judge
├óĆ£Well, I grew up in a predominantly-white, straight-up middle-class environment. And yeah, the story that my parents did also own a record store is true - but that was 10 years before I was BORN! You know, they loved music, and that was their source of income to put themselves through law school! So yeah, they were constantly playing music around the house. A lotta Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, classical music├óĆ┬" Plus I have an older sister who loved rock & roll and The Beatles├óĆ┬" And of course, growing up in New Orleans we had immediate access to all the traditional jazz, which was an IMMENSE influence on me├óĆ┬" So I basically started playing just because we had a piano in the house! And from there I just kept on going, using all the opportunities I had around me from just being in New Orleans.├óĆØ
The famous story that, at just six years old, Harry was playing jazz to drug addicts and prostitutes on New Orleans├óĆÖ legendary Bourbon Street
├óĆ£Well, that├óĆÖs SORT of true! You know, The French Quarter is the centre of New Orleans. So yeah, there is a lot of activity going ON down there. There are prostitutes; there are drug- dealers; there are people involved in different activities... So, when I was down there playing as a child musician, a lotta that stuff was going on. But, while there may have been drug-dealers and prostitutes around and they may have been in the room, at that age I was totally UNAWARE of it!... And even when I WAS old enough to know, they were still just there as part of general society! So, while it may sound dramatic and wonderful to think of this little kid going into these clubs with people shooting heroin all around and turning tricks in the back room, in truth it wasn├óĆÖt anything LIKE that extreme!├óĆØ
What first attracted him to playing jazz
├óĆ£Well, jazz music is hard to play and you have to KNOW a lot to play it. And so it was the quest for that knowledge and experience that first attracted me to it. You know, it was a challenge. Because, just like there are certain types of music where you don├óĆÖt need to know much and you can play whatever you want, there are also those where you DO need to have knowledge. And, with jazz being one of those, for me it was a big mountain to climb. And so I was interested in DOING that.├óĆØ
The early history behind Harry├óĆÖs brief mid-Nineties flirtation with New Orleans funk, via his 1994 Platinum LP ├óĆśShe├óĆÖ plus its 1996 follow-up ├óĆśStar Turtle├óĆÖ
├óĆ£Well, what we call ├óĆśNew Orleans funk├óĆÖ is that Allen Toussaint and The Meters├óĆÖ stuff that came around in the late Sixties and Seventies. And, so, with that coinciding with the time I MYSELF was coming around, I grew up hearing a lot of it and it became a huge influence on me! You know, James Booker, Professor Longhair, Dr. John, The Neville Brothers├óĆ┬" A lotta that stuff was real big, and it was just EVERYWHERE! And, especially with me being in The Musicians Union as local piano-player, I├óĆÖd end up playing EVERY style that was happening in the city at the time! You know, for one gig they might say ├óĆśWear a suit and be at this place for eight o├óĆÖclock on Thursday night├óĆÖ - and I├óĆÖd go and be playing with a jazz trio... Then the next night I├óĆÖd go, and it would be a funk group with a guitarist, bass-player and drummer... Then another night I might be playing classical music in a hotel lobby!... So yeah, I played funk along with everything ELSE! And to me it was a lot more groove-based, and harmonically much more contained, than jazz. Which made it much easier to play, but at the same time a lotta FUN! You know, while one of them is like going to Nobu, the other one is like going to McDonalds! But I like doing BOTH!├óĆØ
The backlash he suffered from jazz purists after recording, and touring, his funk albums
├óĆ£Well, I don├óĆÖt know exactly who these ├óĆśjazz purists├óĆÖ ARE! I mean, there├óĆÖs some people out there who absolutely CANNOT STAND anything I do, and then there├óĆÖs other people out there who LOVE what I do... And I can├óĆÖt spend too much time thinking about EITHER!├óĆ┬" But yeah, with the funk albums there was some backlash in terms of bad reviews and stuff. And also there was a lotta confusion amongst the public. In that people would come to my shows expecting a jazz crooner, and I├óĆÖd show up playing this New Orleans funk - which was unfortunate. Because, you know, when you├óĆÖre around 25 years old - which I was at the time - you just don├óĆÖt THINK about stuff like that! So while yeah, I definitely would make another funk album, next time I├óĆÖd also make sure people do know what to EXPECT! Because you don├óĆÖt want people spending money on something they don├óĆÖt want! You know, you don├óĆÖt wanna manipulate people like that.├óĆØ
Harry├óĆÖs involvement in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, by helping set up a Musicians Village in the city
├óĆ£To be honest, it├óĆÖs primarily Branford Marsalis├óĆÖ project. But yeah, we├óĆÖve already built 80 homes as part of the village - and there├óĆÖs also now a big centre for music being constructed there as we speak. It├óĆÖs called The Ellis Marsalis Centre For Music, and it├óĆÖs gonna have both internet access plus performance-based teaching facilities. So it├óĆÖll be like a big community centre, and we├óĆÖre really excited about getting it off the ground.├óĆØ
Whether the strong musical culture of New Orleans is now getting back on track
├óĆ£Yeah, with it being such a strong, multi-generational society, the musical culture in New Orleans is now getting back on its feet. It├óĆÖs just that, after Katrina, there was so much physical devastation that it is gonna take a long TIME. I mean, it├óĆÖs like you have a house and you have some insurance. But then the house gets flooded, and the insurance doesn├óĆÖt cover the FLOOD! So what do you then do with this worthless piece of real estate that you also have a mortgage on?... You know, it├óĆÖs very complicated - and there are THOUSANDS of people still dealing with these situations even TODAY. But, while it is a complex issue, the city and its music is getting back on track and it will, in due course, return to its past glory. It├óĆÖs just purely a matter of time right now.├óĆØ
Harry├óĆÖs album ├óĆśYour Songs├óĆÖ is out now through Columbia Records.
Words PETE LEWIS