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Former Surgeon General David Satcher to Speak on SIUE's 'Arts & Issues' Series Feb. 11
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) - Physician, scholar, and lifelong public health advocate, David Satcher speaks on "Politics, Opinions and Public Health: The Parting Words of a Surgeon General" on Tuesday, Feb. 11, as part of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Arts & Issues series. The 7:30 p.m. lecture will be held in the Meridian Ballroom of SIUE's Morris University Center.
"Dr. Satcher has been praised for the courage he has shown in tackling the health issues of our time," said John Peecher, assistant director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences and coordinator of the Arts & Issues series. "The observations he will offer here at the University are based on his experience as the 16th surgeon general of the United States under the Clinton administration."
Satcher was sworn in as surgeon general in February 1998. He also served as assistant secretary for health and human services from February 1998 to January 2001, making him only the second person in history to have held both positions of surgeon general and assistant secretary of health simultaneously.
This past fall Satcher was named director of the New Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga. Prior to that, he served as a Senior Visiting Fellow with the Kaiser Family Foundation, spending time reflecting and writing about his experiences in government.
From 1993 to 1998, he served as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Before that, he was president of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., from 1982 to 1993.
He was also professor and chairman of the Department of Community Medicine and Family Practice at Morehouse School of Medicine from 1979 to 1982, and he was on the faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine and Public Health and the King-Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he developed and chaired the King-Drew Department of Family Medicine. From 1977 to 1979, he served as the interim dean of the Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School. He also directed the King-Drew Sickle Cell Research Center for six years.
As surgeon general and assistant secretary for health, Satcher led the department's efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health, an initiative that was incorporated as one of the two major goals of Health People 2010, the nation's health agenda for the next ten years. He also released surgeon general's reports on tobacco and health; mental health, that was followed by supplements on children's mental health and culture; race and ethnicity; suicide prevention, that was followed by a national strategy to prevent suicide; oral health; sexual health and responsible sexual behavior; youth violence prevention; and obesity. A conference report on health disparities and mental retardation is forthcoming.
"We're very proud that Wendy Nehring, acting associate dean of SIUE's School of Nursing, was an invited and active participant in Dr. Satcher's conferences on health disparities and retardation," said Peecher.
Satcher is a former Robert Wood Johnson Clinical scholar and Macy faculty fellow. He is the recipient of nearly two dozen honorary degrees and numerous distinguished honors, including top awards from the National Medical Association, the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, and Ebony magazine. In 2000, he received the Didi Hirsch Erasing the Stigma Mental Health Leadership Award, and the National Association of Mental Illness Distinguished Service Award. In 1999, he received the Bennie Mays Trailblazer Award and the Jimmy and Roslyn Carter Award for humanitarian contributions to the health of humankind from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. In 1997, he received the New York Academy of Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award.
Satcher graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1963 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University in 1970 with election to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He did residence/fellowship training at Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, UCLA and King-Drew. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Preventive Medicine, and the American College of Physicians.
"Dr. Satcher has said that he would most like to be known as a surgeon general who listened to the American people and who responded with effective programs," Peecher said. "He continues to make it his mission to make health work for all groups in this nation."
Following Satcher's appearance on the 2002-2003 Arts & Issues series is Gloria Steinem - feminist, writer, and co-founder of Ms. magazine - who will address "What You've Always Wanted to Know About Feminism and Been Afraid to Ask" on March 19. The world-renowned Takacs Quartet come to SIUE on March 27, for an evening of Hayden and Beethoven, and Helen Thomas - a fixture of the White House pressroom for more than 40 years - concludes the season on April 8, offering her "Wit and Wisdom From the Front Row at the White House."
Tickets for David Satcher's appearance are $8. For ticket information, call 618/650-2626, or, from St. Louis toll-free, 888/328-5168, ext. 2626; visit the series' Web site at www.siue.edu/ARTS_ISSUES; or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com. Admission includes free parking in the lots behind the Morris University Center or Katherine Dunham Hall.
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"SIUE, as a premier metropolitan university, will be recognized nationally for the excellence of its programs and development of professional and community leaders." -- SIUE's new vision statement
State of University Address: Chancellor Updates Campus On Progress Toward Achieving Strategic Plan
(EDWARDSVILLE) Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor David Werner said the university continues to make strides toward a goal of being a "premier metropolitan university…the best of its kind" and laid out a plan for continued progress Wednesday in his sixth State of the University address.
The strategic plan was created last year by a group of more than 80 faculty, staff, students and community members. The committee took several months to create the plan and re-examine the mission, vision, values, and long-term goals of the university.
"Our vision is not to be just good," Werner said, "but to be 'premier.' We strive to be among the best, to set the standard for others to emulate. And, we can point to much evidence that we are premier, perhaps not yet in everything we do, but certainly in much of what we do."
The chancellor then outlined the plan based on seven long-term goals:
• Engaged students and capable graduates
• Innovative, high-quality programs
• Committed faculty and staff
• Harmonious campus climate
• Sound physical and financial assets
• Active community engagement
• Excellent reputation.
Werner pointed to enrollment growth, degrees awarded, strong accreditation reviews, survey and anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of faculty and staff, a positive campus atmosphere, construction projects, success of students, the natural beauty of the campus, and unique programs as evidence of SIUE's success.
"In summary," he said, "budget difficulties notwithstanding, the state of the university is good. But, we must have a strategy to move forward over the coming years."
The chancellor said the "first and foremost" task in moving forward is to integrate the vision and long-term goals into the university's planning process. He said the University Planning and Budget Council (UPBC) is in the process of integrating its budget recommendations with the university's seven long-term goals to "complete the strategic plan."
He added, "But, the integration of the vision and goals into the life of the university must go beyond the work of the UPBC. By the end of this year, each unit needs to have measures of how it is doing on each of the long-term goals that apply to it. And, based on what the (initial) data shows, each unit needs plans to move forward."
Werner named "serious discussion" of the meaning of student engagement data, making the School of Pharmacy a reality, enhancing campus communication, securing funding for renovations to the Science Building, and continuing to enhance SIUE's reputation as being among the actions that should be priorities in short- and long-term planning.
He concluded his presentation by encouraging everyone affiliated with the campus to continue the steady progress of the university.
"Over the last year, we have made steps, some large, others small, in moving SIUE to achieve its vision, in making Edwardsville synonymous with academic excellence, in making this a great place for students to live and learn," Werner said. "We will continue to move in steps, not giant leaps, just as those who came before us moved the university forward a day, a week, a month at a time.
"Let us resolve to continue our progress this academic year, continuing into 2003 proud of our accomplishments, confident of our future, and knowing that the fruit of our labor will be our ability to say again next fall 'Now is the best time ever to be a student at SIUE.'"
(The full text of Chancellor Werner's speech is available on line at www.siue.edu. Click on "From the Chancellor" then go to "State of the University, February 2003.")
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Take a vacation, Change Your Life At Adlerian Institute
(EDWARDSVILLE) A journey into Adlerian Psychology may not sound like an interesting family vacation, but if you're looking to learn some new approaches to communication and cooperation and would enjoy a few high-summer days in the cool climate of Canada, listen up.
"Our summer institute really is a transforming experience for professionals and families interested in developing a system of real cooperation and teamwork," said Eva Dreikurs Ferguson, professor of psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. "We have experts come from around the world to teach about organizational, social, self-improvement and relationship issues."
The International Committee for Adlerian Summer Schools and Institutes (ICASSI) was founded by Ferguson's father, Rudolf Dreikurs. The annual conference is held for two weeks in July and August in a different country every year. This year, it will be held July 27 through August 8 at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
ICASSI is dedicated to the teachings of Adler and Dreikurs. Adler, according to the institute that bears his name, "developed the first holistic theory of personality, psychopathology, and psychotherapy that was intimately connected to humanistic philosophy of living."
That's another way of saying that Adler taught an approach to psychology and emotional health centered on the concept that the human being is also a part of larger wholes or systems, such as the family, or community. He taught that a feeling of "human connectedness," and a willingness to develop oneself fully and contribute to the welfare of others, are the main criteria of mental health.
"We stress these concepts in all our teachings (at ICASSI)," Ferguson said. "We draw a wide range of students…families, business leaders, attorneys, employee relations professionals. It's a very exciting, interdisciplinary environment. We have participants from all over the world, helping make this an exciting and enriching experience."
Course topics include "Psychology in the workplace," "Sexuality and Couples Relationships," "Families in Crisis," and "Constructive Communication." There also are children and youth programs led by expert staff members.
"This program presents life-changing strategies," Ferguson said. "It is a unique opportunity to gain a new perspective on yourself and your family, your workplace, your community."
For more information, go to the ICASSI website: www.icassi.org.
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SIUE Jazz Studies Director To Present Concert At Sheldon Hall
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Music Professor Brett Stamps-a jazz trombonist, conductor, composer, arranger and noted jazz educator-will present a concert of his big band jazz arrangements at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, at Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, as part of the Sheldon's Notes From Home Concert Series.
The evening of music will feature the SIUE Concert Jazz Band, as well as SIUE Music Professor Rick Haydon (guitar), SIUE Associate Music Professor Reggie Thomas (piano), and SIUE adjunct faculty members Tom Kennedy, Andy Tichenor, Jason Swagler, Jim Martin, and Miles Vandiver, all with the SIUE Jazz Studies Program.
Stamps, who is head of the SIUE jazz program, will conduct his arrangements of jazz standards such as Sugar, My One and Only Love, Giant Steps, Emily, Oleo, Yes Or No, and I Mean You, as well as compositions by Thomas, Haydon, and Ray Kennedy.
Admission is $5. For more information, call the SIUE Department of Music, (618) 650-3900.
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'Auntie Anne's Pretzels' To Come To SIUE Morris University Center
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) - It won't be long before students, faculty, staff and visitors of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville find there's a new twist to the food offerings in the campus' Morris University Center (MUC). Auntie Anne's Pretzels is on its way!
"We've just signed a contract with Auntie Anne's, Inc., to bring their pretzel store to SIUE," said Mary Robinson, director of the Morris University Center. "When we asked students what they wanted to see in the renovation of the center, new food retail outlets were at the top of the list. That's why Starbucks is here, that's why Auntie Anne's Pretzels is coming."
Robinson said that if everything goes according to plans, the new pretzel store will open in mid-summer with a grand opening celebration to follow in the fall. Auntie Anne's will offer hand-rolled soft pretzels and Dutch ices from its location across from Union Station and Starbucks on the first floor of the MUC.
Anne Beiler, founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels, got her first taste of entrepreneurship at the age of 12 when she baked cakes and pies for her family to sell at a farmer's market in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County. As an adult, Beiler ran a concession booth at a farmer's market selling everything from pizza to pretzels to help support her family. Eventually her hand-rolled pretzels became her most popular item, and soon Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels was born. The company now has stores nationwide in more than 600 locations in 42 states.
"In looking at potential food outlets, we wanted to be sure to offer a variety of options," said Robinson. "Auntie Anne's seemed to fit well into the mix of our expanded menu in the new Center Court, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Chik-Fil-A, the University Restaurant, and the new Casa Ortega Cantina that is scheduled to open by the spring of 2004 in Cougar Den." The Cantina will offer a variety of Mexican and Southwestern dishes.
The ongoing renovation of the Morris University Center is supported by a student fee increase that students approved through a referendum in 2000. Among the completed projects are new and brighter lighting throughout the building's main hallways, an expanded Union Station convenience store, new administrative offices, new offices for the Kimmel Leadership Center, a renovated and improved Meridian Ballroom, a new recreation center, a new copy center, and the aforementioned Starbucks and new Center Court. Work continues on the infrastructure of the building, as well as the creation of a computer lab, an improved conference center, and a renovated University Restaurant with outdoor dining.
The anticipated completion date for the Morris University Center renovations is Summer 2004.
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ICTM Mathematics Regional Contest At SIUE Feb. 22
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Some 300 students from 13 schools will compete at the regional level of the High School Mathematics Contest to be conducted at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Saturday, Feb. 22, according to coordinator Marilyn Hasty, an SIUE associate professor of Mathematics and Statistics.
Regionals will be conducted the same day throughout the state. Organized by the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) with financial support from CNA Insurance Companies, the statewide event will involve 250 schools at 21 regional sites.
Winners of the SIUE regional will advance to the state finals at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana on April 26. Skills to be tested include factoring logarithms, inequalities, logical reasoning, and creative analysis used in algebra through calculus.
Plaques and ribbons will be presented to individuals and schools with the best scores; an awards ceremony will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. at SIUE on the day of the competition.
The ICTM competition is open to any high school math teacher interested in observing, Hasty said. For more information, call (618) 650-2382.
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SIUE Small Business Development Center To Conduct Workshop
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Potential small-business owners can learn what it takes to become an entrepreneur by attending a Feb. 19 workshop sponsored by the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Small Business Development Center.
The workshop, How To Start a Small Business, will be conducted twice at 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., as a brief overview of start-up basics. It is a required course for all "micro-loan" applicants and is highly recommended for any prospective new business owner. Participants will be able to ask questions about start-up concerns and learn how to develop a cash-management plan.
For more information, call the SIUE Small Business Development Center, (618) 650-2929 or (618) 650-2669.
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'Linkages' Program Celebrates Black History, Heritage Feb. 18
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club will offer its annual Black Heritage Symposium from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, in Room 0003 of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center, 411 E. Broadway, East St. Louis.
The free, family event-with its theme of Linkages: Black History & Black Literature-will feature a cross-gender, intergenerational cast of poets and writers-also known as the Soular Systems Ensemble-which includes Darlene Roy, John Haynes Jr., Evon Udoh, Sherman Fowler, Patricia Merritt, K. Curtis Lyle, Sheryl Johnson, Roscoe Crenshaw, Christienne Hinz, Bala Baptiste, Sandra English, Bruce Petty, Charlois Lumpkin, and Eugene B. Redmond, a professor of English Language and Literature at SIU Edwardsville.
The program is co-produced by the National Black Writers Conference (Center for Black Literature) of Medgar Evers College at City University of New York, in Brooklyn, NY. MEC is named for the civil rights leader who was murdered in the 1960s.
Many of the tributes will take the form of a kwansaba, a seven-line poem of seven words per-line, invented by the writers club in the mid-1990s. For information about Linkages, call (618) 650-3991.
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Board Approves Awarding Two Honorary Degrees At May 10 Commencement
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) A jazz legend and a world-renowned genetic biotechnologist will receive honorary degrees at the May 10 commencement at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, according to action taken today by the SIU Board of Trustees at its regular monthly meeting.
Recording artist John "Bucky" Pizzarelli, master of the seven-string guitar, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Music, and Roy Curtiss III, a professor of biology at Washington University in St. Louis, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Science.
Pizzarelli, who has conducted workshops at SIUE for the university's Jazz Studies Program, has been an integral part of the music world for more than half a century. His career dates from 1943 when he was 17 and was asked to play guitar with the Vaughn Monroe Orchestra. During his career he has performed with the NBC Orchestra, toured with Benny Goodman, and performed with Goodman and Frank Sinatra at the White House. He also was featured on the late Charles Kuralt's CBS-TV Sunday Morning program in 1992.
In 1998, he played at the Carmichael Auditorium in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the opening of the Smithsonian Museum of American History exhibit, "Blue Guitars," with his son, John Pizzarelli Jr., a jazz recording artist in his own right.
Since the 1970s, Professor Curtiss and his research group have sought to define the biochemical bases and genetic controls by which bacterial pathogens cause tooth decay, gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, leprosy, pneumonia, and septicemia (blood-poisoning). Some of their groundbreaking research has been patented to develop commercial products that will prevent disease in animals and humans.
Curtiss discovered the development of plant-edible vaccines and holds three patents in this area. In 1997 he was named Missouri Inventor of the Year. Before joining the Washington University faculty, Curtiss was the Charles McCauley Professor of Microbiology at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, where he established the Cystic Fibrosis Research Center.
In 1956, Curtiss earned a bachelor of science in agriculture from Cornell University and a doctorate in microbiology from the University of Chicago six years later. In 2001 he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
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SIU Board Awards Bids For Outdoor Recreational Complex At SIUE
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees has awarded bids totaling more than $500,000 to four Southwestern Illinois contractors for construction of the first phase of an outdoor recreational complex at SIU Edwardsville. The action was taken at the board's regular monthly meeting.
The four contractors are: Hart Contracting Inc., Alton, $308,497 for general work; Electrico Inc., Columbia, $119,734.00 for electrical; France Mechanical, Edwardsville, $64,000 for plumbing; and GRP Mechanical Co., Bethalto, $12,404 for ventilation.
The complex will be located across Northwest Road from the SIUE Early Childhood Center on what is now referred to as the Intramural Fields. The first phase of the two-phase project will include re-grading of the property, and construction of a lighted softball field and an 1,800-square-foot support building. It will be funded through a combination of Campus Recreation and Student Welfare and Activity Fees (SWAF), as well as operating funds.
The complex would provide enhanced multi-purpose use for Campus Recreation's intramural, recreational, and club sports programs to accommodate needs expressed by a growing population of residential students at the university. The second phase of the project will include a second lighted field.
According to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Narbeth Emmanuel, the complex will provide a quality environment for intramural sports. "There is a continuing demand for expanded outdoor intramural activities," Emmanuel said. "Since building the residence halls, we have seen a significant growth in the number of teams wanting to participate in intramural sports.
"The new outdoor complex addresses those needs, thereby enhancing the quality of campus life we provide our students."
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'Rutledge Memorial Electrical Engineering Scholarship' Established By Late Professor's Daughters
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) - As they grew up, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was a familiar place for Kathy Bretsch and her sister Carolyn Willmann. Their father, Robert Rutledge, joined the faculty of SIUE in 1962 as an instructor in the mathematics department, and the two sisters would often visit their father's office on campus.
Rutledge would go on to become a professor in the University's School of Engineering's electrical engineering department - becoming chair of that program in 1985 - and the two sisters themselves would become graduates of SIUE. The Rutledge family association with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville would be a long and happy one.
The association will continue now that Bretsch and Willmann have established the Dr. Robert B. Rutledge Memorial Electrical Engineering Scholarship Fund in memory of their late father.
"The Rutledge sisters have chosen a fitting tribute to their father, an instructor whose work was instrumental in creating one of the area's finest Schools of Engineering," said Sarah Hunt MacDougal, director of development for SIUE's School of Engineering. "We're most appreciative of their gift to establish this scholarship fund. While the school has many scholarship opportunities for its students, this is the first endowed scholarship intended to cover the full amount of a student's tuition."
With memorial gifts from friends, colleagues of their father, and family members, Bretsch and Willmann created the endowed scholarship, specifying that the award be given to a junior, senior or graduate student majoring in electrical engineering who has demonstrated academic merit in his or her chosen field of study. The sisters hope to increase the level of the endowment over time so that it will be able to cover housing costs in addition to tuition.
"In addition to the tribute to their father, this is a wonderful sign of support from our alumni," said MacDougal. Bretsch graduated from SIUE with a B.S. in mass communications, returning later to complete an MBA. Willmann also holds an MBA in addition to her undergraduate degree in accountancy, both from SIUE.
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The SIUE Black Theater Workshop Presents Joy And Pain
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Take a journey through the highs and lows, the ups and downs of relationships, all from an African-American perspective, as the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Black Theater Workshop, with its theme of Joy and Pain, takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Feb.27-28 and March 1, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 2, all at the James F. Metcalf Theater.
The workshop features performances of scenes from August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Seven Guitars and Two Trains Running; Ron Milner's Checkmates; and Love Interrupted by SIUE student Joel P.E. King. The production also will feature poetry from the Harlem Renaissance, "fresh choregraphy," and music from the Urban Contemporary scene.
Admission is free; for more information, call the SIUE Fine Arts box office, (618) 650-2774.
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SIUE Indian Student Association Offers India Night On March 8
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Indian Student Association (ISA) of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will present India Night 2003, the "premier event" on the ISA's annual calendar, at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 1, in Meridian Ballroom on the first floor of the Morris University Center.
The evening features a traditional Indian dinner, a classical dance by the Asha Prem Group, south Indian dance numbers, and the latest Hindi music and dance sequences from the Josh Group and Planet Josh. A traditional fashion show concludes the festivities by showcasing the clothing diversity of India.
Tickets are $12; SIUE students with a valid ID, $10, and may be purchased through Thursday, Feb. 27, at the SIUE Information Center on the first floor of the Morris Center. Tickets also are available on-line: www.sulekha.com/stlouis for $15. For more information, call Praveen Minumula, (618) 531-8579, or by e-mail: email@example.com.
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Women With A-'Peel' - The Guerrilla Girls Come to SIUE
'Masked Avengers' of Feminism Go Bananas Presenting A Theatrical History of Their Humorous Protests
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) - Audiences will be going "ape" as Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's women's studies program celebrates Women's History Month with the outrageous 'masked avengers' of feminism, the Guerrilla Girls, on Tuesday, March 18, in the University's Dunham Hall theater.
"The Guerrilla Girls will present what they bill as a 'theatrical romp' through their history when they visit SIUE," said Martha Bailey, associate professor of political science and coordinator of the University's women's studies program. "They'll be arriving dressed in gorilla masks and throwing bananas to their audience before presenting a history of the group. The 'girls' will demonstrate how they get their ideas for using humor as a weapon to combat discrimination."
The Guerrilla Girls - a group of female artists, writers and performers - originated in 1985 as a response to an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The exhibit was a summary of the most significant contemporary art in the world featuring 169 artists. Only 13 of the artists in the exhibit were women.
The original protests were staged by women visual artists, but by the mid-90s the Guerrilla Girls had expanded to include not only visual artists, but also actors, playwrights, performance artists, costume designers and filmmakers. In 1996, some of the performing artists in the group formed a committee to discuss how they could address the lack of opportunities for women in film and theater. Because creating and displaying their infamous posters had become increasingly difficult for the Girls, and because plays and films were shown inside of theaters, the group decided to create satirical stickers they could paste inside toilet stalls to amuse and provoke an audience.
When the Guerrilla Girls voted in 2001 to split into three wings, the film and theater committee became "Guerrilla Girls on Tour," dedicated to bringing the spirit of feminism, activism and performance around the world. They packed their bags and went on tour with the piece they will be presenting at SIUE - "The Guerrilla Girls' Gig." The performance combines the didacticism of a slide lecture with the rhythms of vaudeville.
The Guerrilla Girls On Tour has 13 active members: Aphra Behn, Fanny Brice, Coco Chanel, Alice Childress, Hallie Flanagan, Lorraine Hansberry, Edith Head, Louisa Honor de Medina, Julia Philips, Diana Sands, Gertrude Stein, Sophie Treadwell and Anna May Wong. (The members eschew real names in favor of those of pioneering female artists.)
"The Guerrilla Girls Gig" at SIUE is free and open to the public; however seating is limited.
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SIUE 'Arts & Issues' to Present Gloria Steinem
Feminist to Speak Wednesday, March 19
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) - As a feminist, writer, and co-founder of Ms. magazine, Gloria Steinem has embodied the idea of equal rights for women. Her voice and her ideas have shaped the direction women are moving today. She will speak about "What You've Always Wanted to Know About Feminism and Been Afraid to Ask" as part of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Arts & Issues series at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, in the Meridian Ballroom of the Morris University Center.
"SIUE is celebrating 'Women's History Month' in March, and it seemed logical for Arts & Issues to present a prominent figure from the women's movement," said John Peecher, assistant director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences and coordinator of the Arts & Issues series. "When I spoke with women on campus, the name that always topped their list of who they would like to hear speak was Gloria Steinem. It is exciting to have one of America's leading feminist voices in the late 20th century - and today - coming to SIUE to speak."
Gloria Steinem was born on March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio. After her parents' divorce, the young Steinem was left to care for both herself and her mother who suffered from chronic depression. Steinem won a scholarship to Smith College, from which she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude in 1956. Upon her graduation, she won a fellowship for two years of study in India at the Universities of Delhi and Calcutta.
While in India, Steinem became involved with the nonviolent protest movement, joining a group called the Radical Humanists to protest governmental policy in the bitterly divided southern region of India. She returned to the United States with a new awareness of social and political issues, especially those of wealth and poverty.
In 1960, Steinem began a career as a freelance writer and journalist in New York City. She earned both popular and critical notice with her 1963 article "I Was a Playboy Bunny," published in Show magazine. In that piece, Steinem recounted (often ironically) her three-week experience working undercover as a waitress in a New York Playboy Club and exposed the low wages and poor working conditions to which she and her fellow "bunnies" were subjected. By the mid-1960s, Steinem had published a number of pieces in some of the country's leading publications and garnered a good deal of respect from her colleagues and readers for her incisive and witty reporting about celebrities and political figures alike.
Steinem joined the founding staff of New York magazine as a contributing editor in 1968. She began writing a column for the magazine, "City Politic," in which she voiced her support for a number of liberal causes. Soon, Steinem had become much more overtly political in her writing, especially after she attended a 1968 meeting of the Redstockings, a New York-based feminist group. At that time, the rise in female participation in both the civil rights movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement had spurred a rebirth of the women's liberation movement, which had been dormant for some time. Steinem embraced the new wave of feminists in the late 1960s, and became arguably the most articulate and outspoken leader of their cause.
With Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm, and Betty Friedan, Steinem formed the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971 to encourage active female participation in the 1972 presidential election. Steinem herself was extremely active in the election that year, arguing for an abortion plank to be included in the Democratic platform and protesting the lack of non-white and female delegates at the party's national convention in Miami.
Ms. magazine, of which Steinem was the founding editor, first appeared as an insert in the December 1971 issue of New York. Its premiere issue in January 1972 sold out, and circulation soon reached 500,000. Steinem served as editor for the next 15 years, then as a columnist, and from 1988 she has been a consulting editor.
In 1983, Steinem published her first book, a collection of her articles and essays entitled Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions. Three years later, she published Marilyn, a biography of the screen icon Marilyn Monroe from a feminist perspective, which many saw as an appropriately sympathetic and feminist counterpoint to Norman Mailer's somewhat sensationalist 1973 biography of Monroe. Steinem's next book, Revolution from Within (1992), was a highly personal look at the way an individual's self-esteem affects and is impacted by society, and in 1994 she released a collection of essays, Moving Beyond Words.
In September 2000, Steinem was married for the first time, at the age of 66, to David Bale, a South African-born entrepreneur. The couple divides their time between New York and Bale's home base of Los Angeles.
Following Steinem's appearance on the 2002-2003 Arts & Issues series is the world-renowned 2003 Grammy Award-winning Takacs Quartet on March 27, for an evening of Hayden and Beethoven, and Helen Thomas - a fixture of the White House pressroom for more than 40 years - concludes the season on April 8, offering her "Wit and Wisdom From the Front Row at the White House."
Tickets for Gloria Steinem's appearance are $8. For ticket information, call 618/650-2626, or, from St. Louis toll-free, 888/328-5168, ext. 2626; visit the series' Web site at www.siue.edu/artsandissues/; or e-mail email@example.com. Admission includes free parking in the lots behind the Morris University Center or Katherine Dunham Hall.
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SIUE Master Of Social Work Program Receives Accreditation
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Master of Social Work Program has been awarded accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The Council is the national accrediting organization for social work educational programs in the United States.
Achievement of accreditation affirms the quality of SIUE's MSW program, said Professor Thomas Regulus, chair of the SIUE Department of Social Work. "The accreditation standards set by the CSWE indicates a level of quality program performance that is recognized nationwide by the higher education community."
Regulus pointed out that graduation from an accredited social work program is a requirement for licensing to practice social work in many states including Illinois and Missouri. "The university's MSW program, implemented in 1997, serves students in both states," Regulus said, "but primarily in the St. Louis and Southwestern Illinois region.
"The Department of Social Work's MSW program sees its active presence in the Southwestern Illinois region as a force for social change and for the development of greater social and economic justice among the region's diverse population," Regulus said. "Within this vision, the MSW program's mission is to preserve, promote, and achieve the social well being of all individuals, families, groups, and communities through the education of competent and ethical advanced social work practitioners.
"Our mission includes strengthening the profession of social work and supporting the social and economic development of Southwestern Illinois through scholarship and public service."
Regulus said approximately 150 social workers have graduated from the program over the past five years. The Metro-East Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and many social work practitioners and agencies in the Metro East and St. Louis area have been supporters of and instrumental in the development and growth of the program."
The program currently prepares students for practice with children and families, and in health, mental health, and disability services. A school social work certification program is expected to be added to the curriculum in the next academic year. For more information about enrollment in the MSW program, call the SIUE Department of Social Work, (618) 650-5758.
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SIUE Choir Director Is "Renaissance Man" To His Students
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) If someone suggested that Joel Knapp is a Renaissance man, he would politely brush the comment aside, but he might point out he's the conductor who has taken the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Concert Choir twice to the Renaissance Fair in Kansas City.
He's also the SIUE choir director who started the university's Madrigal Dinner, featuring choir students singing madrigals during the holidays. The annual dinner has caught the attention of Edwardsville-Glen Carbon residents who have flocked to the event two years in a row.
"When I took over the choral program at SIUE four years ago, I had three men in the choir," Knapp said. "Now, there are 45, which provides a much better balance in the sound."
Knapp acknowledges the work of his predecessor, now-Emeritus Music Professor Leonard Van Camp, who built the program into a powerhouse over three decades. Knapp said he has been working to continue that tradition. Van Camp started the program at SIUE in the early 1960s and during his tenure took the choirs around the world, performing in concerts and competitions.
But, in the years before Van Camp's retirement, recruiting became a problem. "It's been tough, but I've tried to turn that around, but with tight budgets, it's not easy to offer many scholarships," Knapp said. "I'd like to see us build another strong tradition such as Leonard created in the 1980s."
Knapp must be doing something right. The Concert Choir recently won a statewide competition among high school and college choirs to sing at the annual Illinois Music Educators Association Conference in Peoria, a prestigious achievement. "It was a blind audition," Knapp said, "in that participants sent a recording and the judges decided who would perform without knowing who was auditioning.
"Four choirs were selected from more than 50 and we were the only college choir chosen. I was proud of the choir's achievement and it was a thrill to stand in front of them at the concert. They were singing for many important music teachers in the state. It was intimidating but they did a great job."
But the choirs aren't all about competitions. "In addition to the Madrigal Dinner, we also sing an early fall concert, a Christmas concert, a major works concert with the SIUE orchestra in late spring, and a Broadway concert in late winter. "And, recently we had a chance to sing before an Eventide service at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis. We sang with that incredible pipe organ at the cathedral and it was very exciting for the students."
As an educator, Knapp must balance the music curriculum with the performance time. "It's part of my educational plan to perform major works from all the musical eras in a two-year rotation. "And, I have to plan programs that are appealing to audiences in addition to being educational for the students."
Knapp continues to conduct the Community Choral Society, a group of about 100 singers from the surrounding communities that was begun by Van Camp. "It's an outreach group and it also allows the Concert Choir and the University Singers to perform with a larger group.
"And, we provide a creative outlet for the community," Knapp pointed out, "because once you've sung in a mixed choir, it gets in your blood. If you don't have opportunities to sing later, it takes away a big chunk of your spirit."
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SIUE International Trade Center To Conduct Roundtable Series
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The International Trade Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Illinois Trade Office, and United Parcel Service will begin a forum in March for exchanging ideas and experiences on international trade through roundtable discussion.
The Business Roundtable Series will provide a forum for regional firms and foreign market experts to conduct in-depth discussions about specific market opportunities. Attendees will also participate in videoconferencing sessions. The first program is set from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 19, in Room 3307 of SIUE's Founders Hall. The topic will be "Business Opportunities in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean Region".
This discussion will include a live videoconference with trade specialists from the U.S. Commercial Service in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, followed by a roundtable discussion with representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Illinois Trade Office to address important issues regarding the region.
Space is limited; early registration is encouraged. For more information or to register, call the SIUE International Trade Center, (618) 650-2452.
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SIUE Hockey Club Team Wins MACHA Division II Championship
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougar Hockey Club won the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) Division II Silver Tier Championship after defeating powerhouse Robert Morris College recently at the East Alton Ice Arena.
It was the same matchup that left the Cougars in defeat during the 2001-02 championships, which led many to worry about "déjà vu all over again" this year, said Coach Larry Thatcher. "From 'worst to first' in a period of six years is quite a feat from any organization," Thatcher said. "This accomplishment is testament to the character and dedication of the players involved."
Thatcher praised the student-athletes who worked hard to build the club since its inception at SIUE in 1996 and then moved on after graduation. He also praised later members for believing in the program even after it had languished for a season, working to re-establish the team for the 1998-99 season.
"These were some character guys who had a tremendous impact on the formation and the success of this club," he said. "I'm happy that the freshmen players were able to get to know the seniors who were leaving, because they were able to experience the veteran presence in the locker room."
Although the team had a losing return season in 2000-01, the players battled back to go to the championships the following season. "The 2001-02 season was a turn around year for the club," Thatcher said. "Building on the foundation set in place the two previous seasons, new players began to arrive and the team got back on track and went 18-9-1 for the year. They finished first but came up short in the championships against Robert Morse College. Beating them to win the championship this year made it that much sweeter."
A ceremony to recognize the hockey Cougars is set for 12:15 p.m. Thursday, March 6, in the Goshen Lounge of the Morris University Center.
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SIUE & St. Louis Blues to Score Books for Kids
Fans to Have Chance To Win Team Signed Jersey
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the St. Louis Blues Hockey team have joined forces to promote literacy throughout the Metro East. On Saturday, March 22, SIUE's "Book In Every Home" early childhood literacy campaign will collect new book donations and cash for the purchase of new books at the Savvis Center during the Blues hockey game.
"We're absolutely thrilled to embark upon this partnership with the St. Louis Blues hockey team," said Kay Werner, SIUE "Book In Every Home" chairperson. "Rather than 'bleeding blue,' as the Blues' slogan suggests, we hope that many six-week to five-year-olds in the Metro-East will be 'reading blue' after our campaign!"
About 60 "Book In Every Home" volunteers will collect new books and cash donations beginning at 1 p.m. at the Savvis Center entrances as the Blues face their rivals, the Detroit Red Wings, on March 22. The game will begin at 2 p.m. and collections for the books will end after the first period. Each person who donates a new book or cash will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win an official team-signed St. Louis Blues jersey. The winner will be announced that day during the final period of the game.
"Our ultimate goal is to generate excitement about literacy and reading to young children," added Werner. "This partnership with the St. Louis Blues and others in the community reinforces the importance of helping young children develop a passion for reading that will last a lifetime. Think back and remember the pure excitement surrounding a moment in your childhood when you received a new book. We are recreating this feeling for thousands of children in Illinois, many of whom are at-risk."
In addition to the effort with the St. Louis Blues, SIUE's "Book In Every Home" campaign works hand-in-hand with the St. Louis Rams Foundation to promote literacy in the Metro-East. Jackie Joyner-Kersee is the honorary chairperson for the 2003 campaign.
The "Book In Every Home" campaign officially kicked-off in January and will run through March. Book collection points for the campaign include the SIUE Bookstore, the centers of SIUE Early Childhood, SIUE Head Start and Riverbend Head Start & Family Services, and more. A complete listing of book drop-off points and additional information is available at the campaign's website, www.siue.edu/BOOKS.
SIUE's "Book In Every Home" campaign began in 1998, and now distributes more than 3,000 books each year to local Head Start and early childhood programs in the Illinois counties of Madison and St. Clair, including SIUE Head Start, SIUE Early Childhood and Riverbend Head Start & Family Services.
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Local author signs books at Hastings
Jennifer Lee Preyss
Sept. 21, 2012 at 4:21 a.m.
Updated Sept. 22, 2012 at 4:22 a.m.
• WHAT: "It's Never Too Late" book signing
• WHERE: Hastings, 5206 N. Navarro St.
• WHEN: 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday
• MORE INFO: Hastings, 361-573-3721, or go to FACEBOOK,WOMEN-RICH-IN-FACE
Patricia Pruett, author of "It's Never Too Late," will be signing copies of her book at Hastings Book Store on Saturday.
Pruett is the founder of Victoria-based Women Rich in Faith Ministry, a Christian ministry for women building a relationship with God.
Copies of the book will be on sale at Hastings for $8.99, and all profits are going toward the launch of a new prison ministry, "Saving Souls/Loving People."
Pruett said she has been sending out copies of the book to prison inmates to bring them encouragement through her book, which chronicles her own transformation from a drug addict to a free woman living in freedom with God.

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From the Publisher
"I admire the essays for inspiring a new generation of scholars to appreciate the value, the necessity, of studying a book in the context of the genetic history of the text, understanding the process of creation, revision, editing, publication, and scholarly editing that leads to the novel that is read today. . . . The essays on Twain are absolutely superb, and I am inspired by what he has done with Cather and Fitzgerald. Quirk's genetic investigations have a value that is immediately apparent, and his articles stand without further justification."—James Nagel


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Neither openly liberal nor conservative, the creators of Complete History play it safe with their audience by taking shots all across the American political spectrum. For instance, when Thomas Jefferson suggests the Bill of Rights should begin with the phrase "Got a problem? Throw money at it," James Madison retorts, "No, no, too liberal. How 'bout this: 'Screw the poor. Let's party.'" Likewise the show irreverently targets other groups who have, in various ways, tried to put their own imprints on our readings of the past, among them women, blacks, environmentalists, and those who would rewrite the "Star-Spangled Banner" to make it less militaristic.
If anything threatens to capsize the buoyant humor of Complete History, it's the casting. In this as well as other productions of the play that have been staged in Boston, London, and Washington, D.C., the troupe has consisted of the three white male playwrights or people who resemble them. While the FST's Clement, Baldwin, and Weinberg are all topnotch performers (Weinberg, who plays most of the women's parts, is especially good), it's undeniable that the show's dynamic would be completely changed by casting women, gays, or nonwhites.
Does this matter? The orthodox makeup of the cast doesn't alter the fact that the show itself is riotous good fun, give or take a few Jesse Helms jokes. But the subtle, underlying message seems to be: "We white men can make room for the rest of you -- and we may even revise history to accommodate your points of view -- but we're still in charge of the jokes."
Despite its tongue-in-cheek promise to eradicate "all forms of racism, sexism, ageism, weightism, hair-colorism, making-funism, and Godism," Complete History doesn't draw on quite as wide a range of points of view as it would have us believe. If it were truly as clever and incisive as it thinks it is, the revue would make fun of its own cultural biases, too. Complete History starts out by reminding us that "history is written by the winners. Tonight it's our turn." A small quibble, perhaps, but after an hour and a half, I began to wish it were someone else's turn.
The Complete History of America (abridged). Written by Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor. Directed by Barbara Lowery. Starring John Baldwin, Ken Clement, and Ale Weinberg. Through November 22. Florida Shakespeare Theatre at the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables, 305-445-1119.


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Do you remember the X-Project shoes? Yeah, Pearl Izumi announced them over a year ago, and created a ton of press hubbub around their new product. They even held a media camp in California, which Jeff attended, and Jeff even … Continue reading
Tag Archives: x-project
Pearl Izumi X Project Mountain Bike Shoes
The Pearl Izumi X Project started off with a simple-enough premise: create a mountain bike shoe that hikes and runs as well as it pedals. But before firing up the computer or simply asking the factory to use more flexible … Continue reading
Pearl Izumi's X-Project: A Lightweight and Flexible MTB Shoe
This big news from Pearl Izumi this year is the X Project MTB shoe, a lightweight and comfortable–yet high performance–set of kicks. MTB hall-of-famer Brian Lopes and Ross Schnell helped Pearl Izumi shape and test these shoes and I have … Continue reading


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From June 11th, Docebo is launching a brand new series of product integration webinars. Known as '#TechSeries' and running each week for five weeks, these events aim to further serve Docebo customers' needs – by creating strategic alliances with business partners and expanding Docebo's technology partner network around the world.
Joomla is one of the world's most popular software packages used to build, organize, manage and publish content for websites, blogs, Intranets and mobile applications. With more than 3 percent of the Web running on Joomla and a CMS market share of more than 9 percent, the free open source software powers the web presence of hundreds of thousands of small businesses, governments, non-profits and large organizations worldwide like Citibank, eBay, General Electric, Harvard University, Ikea, McDonald's and Sony.
Yesterday, The Joomla! Project and Community announced the availability of Joomla CMS 3.2.0 Stable. Since the release of 3.1.5, over 1085 commits have been made to the code base with 50 different people contributing to commits. But this release has a lot more than just bug fixes and includes a host of long awaited features for the open source content management system.
The Joomla! project recently released a new version of their flagship content management system, Joomla 3.1.4. This is a maintenance release with no security fixes. Most of the updates are technical and will likely only be of interest to developers and site maintainers, but there are also a few user interface tweaks here and there. For example, this version will now show the Joomla username in administrative area.
A few days ago, the Joomla Project introduced a new version of their content management system, Joomla! 3.1. As usual with these updates, Joomla 3.1 introduces a number of changes and bug fixes. While better late than never, the most significant new feature in this release is dynamic tagging across content-types.
Recently, the fine folks at CMS-Connected gave me the opportunity to become a periodic guest for the CMS in the Spotlight segment of their show. CMS-Connected is an hour-long monthly news webcast that focuses on the content management industry. For the January show we had Joomla! in the spotlight, but once we went live I soon found myself challenged to adequately cover the CMS given short period of time and format. So the video below contains additional comments I have about Joomla!, Joomla 3.0, open source, people, and the business side of Joomla!
This Wednesday, January 23rd, CMS-Connected will be live broadcasting its monthly webcast featuring news, trends and commentary related to the content management industry. The show is regularly hosted by Scott Liewehr and Tyler Pyburn which both do a great job delivering a very fast paced one-hour show covering a wide range of topics. I'm pleased to announce that starting this month, I will be a periodic guest for their "In the Spotlight" segment where provides a 10-minute focus on a specific content management system. For the January show, we'll be shining the light on Joomla!, a very popular open source CMS.


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Agreeable LinkBlogging
- Posted by Johanna on May 1, 2007 at 10:25 pm
- Category: LinkBlogging
Three things I agree with:
Steve Flanagan on the recent JLA/JSA crossover. He didn't like it, pointing out obvious craft problems that shouldn't have appeared in a professional publication and indicting what passes for writing these days:
For Brad Meltzer, super-heroes are his imaginary friends. He wants to hang out at their clubhouse, playing games. They can call him "Brad", and he can call them "Bruce" and "Clark" and "Hal". Grudgingly, he fits in a few shards of plot. But his heart's not in it. […] it is in the nature of the DC Universe these days that writers have to make choices about which versions of past continuity to adhere to. But it is foolish to draw attention to this unavoidable weakness, and downright perverse to base your whole story on asserting your preferred version of continuity over all the others. [Geoff] Johns is interested in exerting control over an imagined world more than in telling stories that can stand up on their own.
I share Heroine Content's praise for Geena Davis founding See Jane, "a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the varied roles of female characters in children's media." Brava!
Since women and girls make up half of the human race, the presence of a wide variety of female characters in our children's earliest media is essential for both girls' and boys' development. See Jane seeks to engage professionals and parents in a call to dramatically increase the percentages of female characters — and to reduce gender stereotyping — in media made for children 11 and under.
Ryan at Metamorphostuff tackles the complicated issue of mistaking superhero comics for all comics, especially when debating portrayals of women.
It comes up periodically on a few blogs and forums that far too many people say "comics" but in fact mean "superhero comics." More specifically, they mean "Marvel and DC superhero comics", and, to be entirely specific "the Marvel and DC superhero books I read." […] for the life of me I can't fathom the idea of throwing good money at bad product month after month. A bit of complaining when a title hits a rut is one thing, but continuing to follow something that makes you angry month after month strikes me as masochistic at best. All of which is to say is that when someone says "comics should be like this", what they really mean is "the comics I'm reading should be like this."
Hmmm, those last two fit together oddly, don't they? I think it just brings home how superhero comics these days so clearly aren't for kids anymore. The DC comic I enjoy most is Teen Titans Go! (with hope for Legion Comic With Too-Long Title of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century), and both of those have a nice gender balance and reasonable, non-sexist portrayals. Whew! Contradiction averted!
6 Responses to "Agreeable LinkBlogging"
- James Schee Says:
May 2, 2007 at 3:21 AMMy problem with how some of todays use creators use continuity, isn't so much the continuity.
It is that some of the creators seem to have this skewed rememberence of a past story that they base the new story entirely on. Yet their memory is so skewed it makes no sense to anyone who doesn't see thing as they did.
BTW, I hope you do start enjoying the LSH Adventure book, since it looks like Teen Titans Go will be canceled soon.
- Thad Says:
May 2, 2007 at 12:57 PMPaul Dini had an LJ post about See Jane a couple months back ( http://kingofbreakfast.livejournal.com/52614.html ). The gist is that, while it's certainly a noble endeavor, Ms. Davis, well, doesn't seem to know what she's talking about. Her best example of a negative portrayal of a female character in a cartoon is Smurfette, and she doesn't even mention the most obvious examples of positive and negative female role models in current animation, Kim Possible and Bratz.
But again, that was two months ago; maybe she's done some research since then.
- Johanna Says:
May 2, 2007 at 6:34 PMI don't know that I'd consider Paul Dini a great source on creating fiction for girls, myself. And whether or not Smurfette is a good idea (I lean towards no), that doesn't contradict the essential problem of needing more good role models for girls.
- Matthew Says:
May 7, 2007 at 8:13 PMActually, I don't think that they like the character too much. If they actually DID like the characters, they would be writing them well.
I really do want to write DC superheroes someday, but I'm worried that it will just be interpreted as fanwank.
- Johanna Says:
May 7, 2007 at 8:30 PMOh, I have to disagree. I'm sure people have written great stories with characters they didn't personally like, and sometimes, liking something too much makes you too cautious and safe. Or misleads you into following completely the wrong direction.
- Matthew Says:
May 8, 2007 at 8:32 PMAnd I have to politly disagree with you, at least when it comes to American superhero comics.
The reasons I read most of these comics is because of the characters. The have incredibly well defined personalities. A good writer, in my humble opinon, should let these characters, essentially, 'speak' for themselves. In an attempt at making fanscripts, I've found that the characters with well-defined personalities, wrote themselves. As a writer, a could control the situation, but I could not control the character's reaction to the situation. That's how well defined they were to me.
Brad Meltzer, however, IS trying to control the characters. He's not letting the character be themselves; he's just putting words in their mouth. As far as I'm concerned, if you can't or don't let these characters write themselves, you eithier are not a good writer of American superhero comics, or you just don't care about the character.
Really, these american superhero are a paid form of fanfiction (which is the only fiction I can do, which is why I want to work for DC/Marvel one day despite their stupidity), and the worst fanfiction are the one where the author tries to control too much. The best fanfictions are when the author sets up a situation and just describes what happens.


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Margi, your Pearl is of our family, d/o George W. Steckman, and sister to my husband's grandmother Elizabeth (Lizzie) Sreckman Blazier, Wright. Contact me and I will extend an ibvitation to my Steckman website. Am anxious to hear from you. Mickey
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NEW YORK CITY -Eight U.S. soldiers have been charged in the death of Pvt. Danny Chen, the 19-year-old soldier from New York City who was found shot to death in a guard tower in Afghanistan two months ago.
Chen, who is Asian and is from Chinatown, was found dead October 3 with a gunshot wound below his chin. Army officials never gave details about his death, but it was believed the wound was self-inflicted.
The military's investigation found that Chen had been the target of racially motivated taunts and physical attacks at the hands of his superiors and comrades before he died. Five of the soldiers have now been charged with involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide in Chen's death. It was not clear Wednesday whether investigators believe Chen shot himself amid the alleged bullying or someone else did.
A family spokeswoman said Wednesday that relatives had been told Chen was dragged from his bed, pelted with rocks and forced to drink liquids while hanging upside down, among other abuse, during his short time in Afghanistan. He was deployed there in August, and had been in the military just seven months. The soldier's mother, Su Zhen Chen, told NBC New York the charges are a start, but there's a long legal process ahead. She hopes her son will get justice.
Later at a press conference, she said through an interpreter that it is comforting "to learn that the Army is taking this seriously" and hopes the truth will come out. City Councilwoman Margaret Chin, who represents Chinatown, said "we cannot allow this to happen to our sons and daughters."
"This is our country and we want to serve... but we expect them to be treated equally and fairly and to be protected," she said.
Last week, hundreds of supporters held a vigil and demanded answers in Chen's death. The event came nearly two months after the army said it would launch a criminal investigation into the incident.
At the vigil last Thursday, the soldier's family ramped up pressure on investigators, reading aloud letters Chen had sent home, reflecting the state of isolation he was in from being harassed by his comrades and superiors.
"'Feb. 27, 2011: Since I am the only Chinese person here, everyone knows me by Chen,'" read Banny Chen, a cousin of Danny Chen. "'They ask if I'm from China a few times a day... They also call out my name Chen in a goat-like voice sometimes for no reason.'"
"'People crack jokes about Chinese people all the time. I'm running out of jokes to come back at them.'"
Chen's death is one of several recent cases of alleged hazing in the military, according to OCA, a national civil rights organization serving Asian Pacific Americans.


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Just left my road gig with Ronnie McDowell and am currently looking for work!
Professional bassist with over 25 years touring and studio experience. Solid player with great gear and good attitude. Available for recording, showcase, and live performances. Local sub gigs welcomed!
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As the title suggests, Matthiew Klinck's documentary My Brother Lives in China, Part 1: Canton Sunday is all about the life of Matthiew's brother David. David and his girlfriend Carey live in Guangzhou (otherwise known as Canton), China, with Carey's mother, where they run a school teaching English. Every weekend, David gets together with a small group of locals and other expatriates to perform and record music as Canton Sunday. At first just an activity for fun, the band finds itself in ever-increasingly complicated waters as they get an investor to cover their first recording.
At first, you might wonder what it is that Klinck is going for with this documentary, as no obvious narrative asserts itself early on, when we're meeting David and friends. Sure, David is entertaining and the glimpse of life in Canton inviting, but what exactly are we doing here? Is this a documentary, or a glorified home video?
While your mind spins on that one, the narrative concerning Canton Sunday evolves. Life for David is financially challenging, and his business is long hours with not always high reward. Everyday stresses mount, but he's still seldom seen without a smile on his face, or a song coming from his mouth (or guitar). There's joy to be found in the music, and the music-making, and the documentary becomes as much about the day-to-day life of David as it does about the creative and artistic process behind making and recording music.
Mixed through and around it all is the ever-smoggy environment of Canton itself. A city of constant change, roads are removed and rebuilt overnight, the air is dirty and the streets are full of people. Artistic creation is as much an escape as it is a reaction to a world that is seemingly always in flux.
So, yes, this is a documentary about David's life. It's also a documentary about Canton. And music. And small businesses. And evolution. The title could've said all of that too, but it's long enough as it is, right? Regardless of how, or even whether, you appreciate the film, it is at least entertaining throughout. The music of Canton Sunday is quality itself, and the soundtrack is full of it. Overall, it's a film that winds up being many things, even as it is also exactly what it says it is.
This film was submitted for review through our Submission for Review system. If you have a film you'd like us to see, and we aren't already looking into it on our own, you too can utilize this service.
Posted on November 24, 2013 in Reviews by Mark Bell
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David Klinck on Thu, 28th Nov 2013 5:16 am
I'm David from the movie. My friend found this review online and sent it to me on Facebook. I just want to say that reading this review really touched me. Thanks a lot for making my day!
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Academy Award-winning comedy legend Mel Brooks, Emmy Award-winning Brad Garrett and famed Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz guest star in the second season of Disney Channel's Emmy-nominated Playhouse Disney series, "Special Agent Oso," starring Academy Award nominee Sean Astin. The season premieres on SATURDAY, JULY 10 (8:00–8:30 a.m. ET/PT), with new episodes every Saturday throughout July and August.
First Look: Aflac 'Toy Story 3′ Television Commercial
Below is the tv advertisement that began running today featuring the Aflac duck in his 50th commercial. The joint venture between Aflac and Disney/Pixar helps to promote Toy Story 3 by placing the beloved duck smack dab in the middle of Sunnyside Daycare.
This is the second advertisement in which the Aflac duck meets the stars of a Disney/Pixar film, the first being a commercial that co-promoted UP.
Video courtesy of Aflac
Walt Disney World's 2011 Princess Half Marathon Gets New, Earlier Dates
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Video: Star Wars Weekends Television Commercial
Disney Parks has just released this tv ad that's running in the Orlando market to promote Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios which commences at Walt Disney World this Friday, May 21.
Aflac Celebrates Disney/Pixar's 'Toy Story 3′ with Aflac Duck's 50th Commercial
Aflac is collaborating with Disney*Pixar to create the Aflac Duck's 50th television ad and to celebrate the Duck's 10th birthday by reminding people that Aflac is there to help out when you need it most. The commercial is part of Aflac's integrated marketing campaign with Disney*Pixar to promote Aflac together with the highly-anticipated release of Toy Story 3, a 3D comical adventure opening June 18, 2010.
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Split / Second (Available Tuesday, May 18 or Pre-Order from Amazon.com) To order or for more information, click here |
Miley Cyrus, Sarah McLachlan to Perform on 'Dancing with the Stars' Results Show 5/18
On TUESDAY, MAY 18 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show," multiplatinum recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus will perform the live television debut of her new hit single, "Can't Be Tamed," from her upcoming album releasing June 22 on Hollywood Records. The youngest-ever recording artist with five chart topping debuts, Cyrus has sold over 15 million records, including the EP, "The Time of Our Lives," which featured her No. 1 hit, "Party in the USA."
WDW Refurb Update: Blizzard Beach's Teamboat Springs Refurb Extended
Initially scheduled to re-open this weekend, we have been advised that the extended refurb at Teamboat Springs at Walt Disney World's Blizzard Beach has now been extended with an anticipated re-opening date of June 1, 2010.
Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be the first to know when changes that potentially affect your trip occur by signing up with ReSearch!
WDW Refurb Update: Extended Closure for 'it's a small world' — Are Disney Characters Being Added?
Thanks to a tip, we have learned that 'it's a small world' at the Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom has been scheduled for an extended refurbishment beginning August 1 and ending October 22. The refurbishment is listed on the official Walt Disney World website daily view for those dates and a call to the Resort did confirm the closure.
We're sure in time that more about the details of the refurbishment will come to light, but until then, one can only speculate. With the addition of Disney characters at first Hong Kong Disneyland and then Disneyland in 2009, could the Magic Kingdom be far behind?
Spectator Tickets for Walt Disney World's Wine & Dine Half Marathon Now Available
Tickets are now available for purchase by spectators (non-participants) for both the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party on October 3, 2010 as well as the Finish Line party taking place inside Epcot's World Showcase on October 2 from 10:30 pm through 3 am.
To purchase spectator tickets for these events, please call 1-407-WDW-IRUN (407-939-4786).
Admission for these events is already included in the cost of registration for participants. Registration for the both the half-marathon and the relay are at 50%.
For more information on the event, click here.


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Very Good Recipes of Duck from The InTolerant Chef
There are 3 Duck recipes on the blog The InTolerant Chef. (118 on all the blogs)
Click on the title of a recipe or the photo of a dish to read the full recipe on its author's blog.
Rose Geranium Duck Egg Sponge
By The InTolerant Chef
05/14/13 05:31
I have some lovely Foodie Friends Friends who enjoy good food, interesting food, different food and cooking it as much as just eating it. Friends who get excited when they stumble across something a bit different, or who invite you to share a pig-on-a-spit...
Add to my recipe book
Bebek Betutu, Balinese Duck
By The InTolerant Chef
01/13/12 03:10
My local supermarket trialled a few gourmet items over Christmas. An influx of hams and smoked chicken was only to be expected, as was a million types of cheese, but the one item I wasn't expecting at our little shop was fresh duck. Lucky for me, no one...
Add to my recipe book
Duck for Dessert
By The InTolerant Chef
07/04/11 06:14
Hello My Lovelies, it's time for another 365 Challenge through Murdoch Books! They have a great team working their way through Stephane Reynaud's '365 Good Reasons to Sit Down to Eat' Cookbook. A mix of all sorts of people who cook for fun. In case you...
Add to my recipe book


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AutoMax is more than a dealership with quality vehicles. We're a place of comfort for our customers. We listen to your needs and treat you like family. AutoMax is a unique place where you can find, finance and free yourself of worry. That is why our customers call AutoMax "The Home of the Free".
Our customers are looking for reliability, performance, honesty and a freedom of mind. Our customers demand superior quality, affordable financing, and a top-to- bottom warranty coverage, all at one place. It's rare to find a dealership that offers a one stop solution for your car buying needs. It's also rare to find someone who cares for you and your special situation during the car buying experience. We are with you for the life of the car, providing financing and full service maintenance, therefore it is important for us to make sure you are well taken care of long-term. AutoMax provides special financing on site, allowing for an easy one stop car buying solution.
I have had an excellent experience with AutoMax. Come by and pick out you a car and they will help you get it. I had no car, two jobs to go to and five kids. I came over and they helped me wonderfully and I have had a great experience with AutoMax. Come on by!
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Product Description
The Cleveland CG16 Satin Chrome Irons are designed to be the longest Cleveland irons ever! Cleveland decreased overall club weight and lengthened the shafts, allowing the player to swing faster and hit it farther. The deep undercut cavity back adds plenty of forgiveness, and the milled Tour Zip Grooves with Laser Milled Face texture will have you spinning the ball like never before.
Item #:CLEVELAND-CG16-CHROME-IRONS-STEEL-4P-PO-LH |


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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article
A tipi[1] (also tepee[2] and teepee[3][4]) is a conical tent, traditionally made of animal skins, and wooden poles.[5][6] The tipi was used by the nomadic tribes of the Great Plains in North America.[7][8][9] Tipis are stereotypically associated with Native Americans in the United States in general, however Native Americans from places other than the Great Plains mostly used different types of dwellings.[1][note 1] The tipi is durable,[10] provides warmth and comfort in winter,[11] is cool in the heat of summer,[note 2] and is dry during heavy rains.[12][13] Tipis could be disassembled and packed away quickly when a tribe decided to move and could be reconstructed quickly upon settling in a new area.[14][15][note 3] This portability was important to Plains Indians with their nomadic lifestyle.[16]
Modern tipi covers are usually made of canvas.[1] Contemporary users of tipis include historical reenactors, back-to-the-land devotees, and Native American families attending powwows or encampments who wish to preserve and pass on a part of their heritage and tradition.
The word tipi comes into English from the Lakota language.[17] The Lakota word thípi [ˈtʰipi] means "a dwelling" or "they dwell", from the verb thí, meaning "to dwell".[18]
The wigwam, another shelter typically made of bark layered on a pole-structure, was also used by various tribes, especially for hunting camps.[19][20] The term wigwam has often been incorrectly used to refer to a conical skin tipi.[21][note 4]
A typical family tipi is a conical, portable structure with two adjustable smoke flaps, multiple poles (historically from 12 to 25 feet long) called lodge poles.[note 5] Lodgepole pine is the preferred wood in the Northern and Central Plains and red cedar in the Southern Plains.[22] Tipis have a detachable cover over the structure. The cover historically used buffalo skins; an optional skin/cloth lining; and a canvas or bison calf skin (historically) door. There may also be an optional, partial interior ceiling, called an ozan in Lakota, that covers sleepers and protects them from rain.[23][24][note 6]
Ropes (historically raw hide) and wooden pegs are required to bind the poles, close the cover, attach the lining and door, and anchor the resulting structure to the ground. Tipis are distinguished from other tents by two crucial innovations: the opening at the top and the smoke flaps, which allow the dweller to cook and heat themselves with an open fire, and the lining that is primarily used in the winter, which insulates while providing a source of fresh air to fire and dwellers. Tipis were designed to be easily set up or taken down to allow camps to be moved to follow game migrations, especially the bison. When dismantled the tipi poles were used to construct a dog- or later horse-pulled travois on which additional poles and tipi cover were placed.[1]
Tipi covers are made by sewing together strips of canvas or tanned bison hide (historically) and cutting out a semicircular shape from the resulting surface. Trimming this shape yields a door and the smoke flaps that allow the dwellers to control the chimney effect to expel smoke from their fires. Old style traditional linings were hides, blankets, and rectangular pieces of cloth hanging about four to five feet above the ground tied to the poles or a rope. Today's modern lining is the most difficult element to measure, since it consists of trapezoid-shaped strips of canvas assembled to form the shape of a truncated cone. The poles, made of peeled, polished and dried tapering saplings (historically pine), are cut to measure about six feet more than the radius of the cover.
The construction of a tipi starts with tying together three of the poles at the skin's radius from their bases using a tripod lashing. The tipis of the Blackfoot of Southern Canada and Northern Montana are distinguishable from other plains tribes by the tying of four poles. One end of this lashing rope is left dangling from the tie-point, long enough to reach the base of the poles. These tripod poles are stood upright, with their unfastened ends spaced apart on the ground to form a triangle, each pole's base the skin's radius from its neighbors. A dozen more long poles are laid onto the three primary poles. Their upper ends rest on the lashing of the first three, and the lower ends are evenly spaced to form a circle on the ground which includes the original three poles. The lashing rope is then walked around the whole structure three times and pulled tight. This ties the placed poles to the tripod at the crown of the tipi. The canvas skin is tied to another pole, lifted up and the top of the pole is rested where all the poles meet. The skin is pulled around the pole framework. The overlap seam is closed with wooden lacing pins which are thin sticks about 10 inches long with one or both ends tapered. Sometimes a door is attached to one of the bottom lacing pins. In old tipis of hide or early cloth, the door was where the two sides came together in the front. A blanket, hide or cloth door was put over the opening to secure the entrance.
The base of the skin is pegged to the ground. Traditionally pegs were placed in slits at the bottom of the cover. As canvas or cloth came into use loops were sewn into the bottom or, in an emergency smooth pebbles were pushed into the cloth and a cord tied between the bulge of cloth and a wooden peg in the ground. A gap can be allowed at ground level for airflow in warm seasons and the base is completely closed to the ground in cooler times. The bases of the non-tripod poles are moved in or out to tension the skin. Inside the tipi, a cord is wrapped from pole to pole above head height. An inner lining can be suspended from this cord and pushed back on the ground near the inside base of the poles. Bedding and personal items are pushed against the liner to keep it in place. The inner lining acts as a heat insulator and draft and pest excluder. An interior awning which prevents rain drops from hitting bedding can be suspended at the top of the lining.
A small fire could be set in the center of the floor for heat and cooking. The smoke would exit the top of the tipi which is guarded by two adjustable smoke flaps set at right angles to the wind to prevent a downdraft. A draft rising between the cover and the lining adds to the chimney effect and helps carry the smoke up and out. The liner does add insulation in very cold weather when stuffed with grass and can direct the draft upwards and away from the occupants while still admitting fresh air. Air for combustion can be ducted to the fire through a buried pipe when the tipi is closed tightly against inclement weather.
In most weather the lining may not be used, and the cover can be rolled up on very hot days a few feet on one or two sides allowing any small breeze to create ventilation.
This structure requires a hole in the middle of the roof, and thus may not be the best shelter in times of intense rain, but there are strategies to reduce the problem. A hide or fabric ceiling can protect against dripping water and reduce drafts. This ceiling, when used, typically only covers the back half of the tipi and is slanted slightly upwards to the front, draining water to the rear and allowing smoke from fire to vent out of the top of the tipi. Small sticks between the lining rope and the poles can create a gap for rainwater running down the poles to reach the ground without being caught by and dripping off the lining rope. Contemporary tipi dwellers may tie a bucket beneath the crown, or install rubber barriers on the poles and a canvas rain catcher which drains from the crown to the outside, to collect rain dripping off the crown of the poles. A fabric or hide rain cap can be placed over the top of the tipi if the poles are not too long but can cause serious damage in high winds. Historically these types of coverings were not used.
In strong winds the lashing rope is pegged to the ground behind the fire. This helps to keep the tipi poles from "walking", lifting up under the force of the wind on the skin and coming down in a new position. In extreme winds the bases of the poles can be individually lashed to pegs. A tipi which is pegged and has had its lashing rope tied down is a remarkably wind-resistant cone.
Most tipis in a village would not be painted. Painted tipis were mainly painted in accordance with traditional tribal battles and often featured geometric portrayals of celestial bodies and animal designs. Sometimes tipis were painted to depict personal experiences, such as war or hunting. In the case of a dream or vision quest, "ceremonies and prayers were first offered, and then the dreamer recounted his dream to the priests and wise men of the community. Those known to be skilled painters were consulted, and the new design was made to fit anonymously within the traditional framework of the tribe's painted tipis."[25]
Historically the family tipi bison skin covers were richly painted and drawn upon, mostly with images of deeds of the owner or owners and of sacred religious symbols, as evidenced in historical accounts (from the 16th century until the 19th century), Plains warriors' Ledger art paintings from the 19th century, and anthropological studies.
Many tipis, including those the Cheyenne, Sioux, Arapaho, Kiowa, and other Plains tribes, were decorated with pendants and colored medallions. Traditionally these were embroidered with dyed porcupine quills; more modern versions are often beaded. Buffalo horns and tails, tufts of buffalo and horse hair, bear claws and buckskin fringe were also used to decorate tipi covers. These are examples of tipis made by the Indian people.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tipis. |


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If the MDCC board of trustees has expressed little interest in reviewing Padron's record, the local media have shown even less inclination for covering controversy at one of the nation's largest community colleges. Mention of MDCC in the Herald is largely limited to positive pieces and the long-running image ads, which appear daily. The cost to the college of each ad, according to Padron's office, is just under $5300.
This business relationship between the college and the Herald became a closed-door issue in fall 2000, when Juan Galan, before his resignation from the MDCC foundation, pushed for the organization to adopt a conflict-of-interest disclosure policy. At the time the foundation board's chairman was Herald chief counsel Robert Beatty. To Galan, Beatty's dual role compromised the integrity of both the foundation and the Herald, leaving open the reasonable inference that the nonprofit organization, in the tumultuous period following Gonzalez-Levy's removal, could be purchasing, with its advertising dollars and through its connection to Beatty, the newspaper's silence. The debate itself became, if not moot, somewhat muted after Galan resigned from the foundation and Beatty stepped down as chairman.
Galan's concerns aside, the real significance of MDCC's image-ad campaign may not be the money it directs to the Herald but the work it performs on behalf of Padron, neutralizing criticism of his administration by perpetuating the notion that the troubled college remains Miami-Dade's little red schoolhouse, the clean, well-lighted place where every local success story begins. Never mind that the "alumni" featured, according to MDCC, need not have graduated from the college, only at one time or another attended the school. Given MDCC's long local monopoly on public first- and second-year college courses and its historically high enrollment numbers, that definition expands the field of possible featured subjects to hundreds of thousands of people. And the running joke among MDCC "alumni" is that, sooner or later, everyone in town will get their picture in the paper. Which, the way Mark Richard sees it, may be the point. "Are people featured in the ads going to start raising questions about what goes on at MDCC?" asks the union president, in a tone that presupposes the answer.
As MDCC enters its fifth decade, there is much speculation regarding the school's future. Last year Padron led a failed attempt in the legislature that would have made Florida's community colleges the primary providers of vocational and technical education statewide. Some believe he is now reversing course, and is interested in developing a limited number of four-year baccalaureate programs at MDCC, essentially bringing the school closer to becoming a full-fledged university. If so, the administration's impending contract negotiation with the faculty union, and faculty-administration relations in general, will take on even greater significance.
On a Tuesday evening in late October, MDCC administrators and faculty members sit in the dark. They are at the college's annual dinner honoring recipients of endowed teaching chairs, and Eduardo Padron is speaking to them from three large projection screens strategically located around the Wolfson Campus conference room. It is a taped introduction to the event. Padron appears pleased, sitting at the center table, staring up at his own image.
The video portion of the program will eventually feature a brief acceptance speech by each of the sixteen honorees, played over images of the faculty member teaching a class. The recipients are grouped by campus affiliation, and at the conclusion of each campus's video segment, they are invited, one by one, to come to the stage to accept their award. Only emcee José Bahamonde, an MDCC English professor whose cadence and intonation most closely resemble that of a Fifties game-show announcer, is allowed to speak from the floor. At the conclusion of the presentations, Padron rises from his chair to congratulate the honorees and thank the audience for attending. The evening -- from presubmitted guest lists approved by the administration to the canned video presentation -- is a tightly controlled, stultifying, orchestrated affair. Exactly what faculty and administrators have come to expect from the college president.
When a guest at his table wonders why the event organizers opted for taped remarks when all the recipients are present in the room, one former professor smiles and replies, "You don't think Padron would take a chance on someone saying something he might not agree with, do you?"
It was a former dean not at the dinner, however, who might have best summed up the true significance behind the rather incongruous image of the college president watching himself on the big screen, saying, "Eduardo Padron just wants MDCC to reflect Eduardo Padron."


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Rebuild Transmissions
Have tranny trouble? A failing transmission diagnosis is something no vehicle owner wants to hear. However, automatic and manual transmission repairs highly depend on
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Clutch Replacement
At Tip Top, we get why you wanted a stick shift. It makes it feel like you're really driving your vehicle, it saves on gas money and
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Machine Shop
About 20 years ago, Tip Top began with a flywheel grinder and a single purpose: To speed up the clutch replacement process and get our customers back to their commutes,
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Fleet Services
It doesn't matter if you own a fleet of hearses, limousines or even stretch pink Hummers. If "fleet" is in your business description, we can take care of you and your many vehicles.
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Nearly three months after its launch and as millions of Americans log on to shop for health plans, HealthCare.gov has still had serious security vulnerabilities, according to documents and testimony obtained by ABC News.
There have been "two high findings" of risk – the most serious level of concern – in testing over the past few weeks, the top Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) cybersecurity official told the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday in a private transcribed interview.
It's a "vulnerability in the system," CMS chief information security officer Teresa Fryer told the committee of one of the issues. "They shut the module down, so this functionality is currently shut down."
The exact description of the issue was redacted from the transcript so as not to further compromise security, a committee official told ABC News.
The federal contractor, MITRE Corporation, that oversees security of the website defines a "high finding" as a risk of "significant political, financial and legal damage" if the technical vulnerability is exploited. One high finding was reported in November, the other earlier this week, Fryer said.
In the interview, Fryer said that "several layers of security" are in place and that there have been "no successful breaches" of the website. CMS told ABC News on Friday that the issues identified as "high risk" have now been resolved.
"In one case, what was initially flagged as a high finding was proven to be false," the agency said in a statement. "In the other case, we identified a piece of software code that needed to be fixed and that fix is now in place. Since that time, the feature has been fully mitigated and verified by an independent security assessment, per standard practice."
The administration maintains that no components of the website were allowed to go live after Oct. 1 with "open [unresolved] high findings."
The revelation comes as the federal online insurance marketplace faces a surge in traffic ahead of the Dec. 23 sign-up deadline for coverage to take effect on Jan. 1. CMS says there have been more than 39 million unique visitors to the site since Oct. 1, with more than a million this week alone.
While administration officials insist there have been no known violations of HealthCare.gov security or misuse of personal information, the acknowledgement of high-risk issues in recent testing is significant. Top CMS staff had previously testified to Congress that the absence of such findings meant the site is safe and secure.
Health and Human Services spokeswoman Joanne Peters said that "risk mitigation strategies" are in place for all high, moderate and low security risk findings on the website. "Security testing is conducted on an ongoing basis using industry best practices to appropriately safeguard consumers' personal information," she told ABC News.
Still, Republicans leading the politically-charged inquiry into the website's management say the Obama administration has been reckless from the start.
Portions of the CMS cybersecurity chief's testimony provided to ABC News show that she recommended that HealthCare.gov not launch on Oct. 1 because of serious security concerns.
"It was during the security testing when the issues were coming up about the availability of the system, about the testing in different environments. I had discussions with [CMS technology chief Tony Trenkle] on this and told him that my evaluation of this was a high risk," Fryer told the committee of her assessment days before the portal was to go live.
Fryer said she gave the same warning on Sept. 20 – 10 days before launch – to two other top HHS officials. She says all three expressed an awareness of her concerns, but proceeded against her advice.
"What would your recommendation have been?" a committee interviewer asked.
"My recommendation was a denial of an ATO," she said, referring to an Authority to Operate license necessary for HealthCare.gov to go online for public access.
The website ultimately went live on Oct. 1 without ever having undergone complete end-to-end security testing.
"If they were able to do the testing in a single environment and on the same version, there would have been…less uncertainty and less unknown risk," Fryer said. "Every system is going to have unknown risk, but because the testing wasn't conducted in a single environment dedicated, there was more unknown risk."
A slide prepared by Fryer for a Sept. 23 briefing of high-level HHS officials said that risk included the possibility that applications may not be able to "withstand attack" and and that "code being released into production and available to the public" not being "functionally complete."
The warnings of the CMS cybersecurity chief apparently fell on deaf ears.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testified before Congress last month that despite the security concerns, "no one, I would say, suggested that the risks outweighed the importance of moving forward."
Democrats on the Oversight Committee note that Fryer did not pro-actively object to CMS IT chief Tony Trenkle's decision on Sept. 27 to launch the website with risk mitigation strategies in place.
"That was his decision, to move forward with this plan," she told the committee.
"So you didn't tell him he was doing the wrong thing?" the interviewer asked.
"No," she said.
Separately, however, Fryer told the committee that when she signed an internal document acknowledging the risks she made it clear that she was "not agreeing with the decision" to authorize the ATO.
House Oversight Committee chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Sebelius agreed this week to meet one-on-one to discuss security concerns in a private meeting that has yet to be scheduled.
The ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., has accused Issa of a "reckless pattern of leaking partial and misleading information" about the website operations.
"The very same witness interviewed by the Committee also said there have been absolutely no security breaches of the website and that she is satisfied with the current security testing," Cummings said in a statement responding to the release of Fryer's testimony. "This effort to leak cherry-picked information is part of a deliberate campaign to scare the American people and deny them the quality affordable health insurance to which they are entitled under the law."
This post has been updated to include an expanded response from CMS and a statement from the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.