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News Feed for Aleksander Chan - CultureMap http://austin.culturemap.com/feeds/author/aleksander_chan/ 2013-03-22T15:26:00-05:00 Whole Foods Market announces plans to open health resort 2013-03-22T15:26:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/03-22-13-whole-foods-market-announces-plans-to-open-health-resort/
 If you are among the unwashed masses or perhaps dabble in the occasional genetically-modified organism, then you've likely noticed the healthy, youthful glow of Whole Foods Market shoppers — especially at its downtown headquarters' location.

 That lit-from-within look might not be out of reach for much longer: Whole Foods co-founder, book author and occasional gaffe-maker John Mackey told USA Today that his company plans to open a Whole Foods resort in three years.

 Actually, he made the announcement last Friday, possibly as part of a weird, SXSW-timed way to sweep this seemingly good news under the rug.

 "Think of it as a center where people would go for a day, a weekend or a week for healthy lifestyle education," Mackey told USA Today.

 The move to build a resort in the downtown Austin area is part of the company's overall expansion plans, as the turning of the economy has boosted their bottom line and stock value. The wellness market, it would appear, is making a strong comeback.

 Mackey says Whole Foods is testing the waters of the local real estate market and is shopping for the right hotel chain to operate the future resort and if all goes well with this pilot program, more resorts could follow in other locations.

 And though the resort's opening is three years away, it couldn't have come at a better time for the company — Austin was just ranked by Gallup's Healthways Well-Being Index as having the best overall health in the state.
 Kick off the spring season with our top event picks for this weekend 2013-03-22T11:29:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/03-22-13-kick-off-the-spring-season-with-our-top-event-picks-for-this-weekend/
 Do you smell that? Spring is in the air. Also humidity, and if you work downtown maybe some warm garbage. Did you have a fun SXSW? Was it an exhausting, possibly terrifying experience? Did you manage to get into the Justin Timberlake show, which one friend described on Twitter as "boobs to back" packed? Great. I'm happy for you.

 Now let's all move on and enjoy our top event picks for this weekend.

 Samantha Bee

 Are people still watching late night talking heads? Is that a thing still? If you have the willpower to stay up late enough (this is why DVRs were invented) to watch the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, then you are more than familiar with the arch wit of "most senior correspondent" Samantha Bee. She's performing a stand-up set Friday night at the Paramount Theatre and there are somehow still tickets left.

 15th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk

 As if there were any doubt that Austin loves dogs, bring your pooch to the 15th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk Saturday at Auditorium Shores. There will be dog food samples, vets on location to offer free advice and something called "dog psychics." All the proceeds from the dog fest will go toward helping Texas Hearing & Service Dogs, a group that trains shelter dogs to be disabled partners.

 The Austin Flea

 Spring is officially here, so clear out your closets and make room for the stuff from local vendors and merchants at this gathering of handmade and vintage wares at the Rattle Inn Saturday. There's a complete list of participating vendors on their website, but based on just the names of some of the vendors, it seems like there will be plenty of stuff you just have to have. Go crazy.

 28th Annual Rare and Fine Wine Auction

 Calling all aspiring sommeliers: There is going to be wine up for auction this Saturday at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown. There will be plenty of tasting and swigging and buying of ritzy drinks and there's a "decadent" buffet spread planned by Chef Elmar Prambs.
 Austin-based Daily Juice secures funding to go nationwide 2013-03-21T13:29:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/03-21-13-austin-based-daily-juice-secures-funding-to-go-nationwide/
 Daily Juice, Austin-based health food shop focusing on natural juices, has secured the necessary funding to take its franchise nationwide, with plans to open new stores in Houston and Dallas this year.

 CEO and co-founder John Martin told the Austin American-Statesman that his company had raised $5 million to take the juice bars, which also have a small menu of salads and "grab and go" food, to other states.

 The first of eventually four Austin locations opened in 2003 on Barton Springs Road. That location, as well as the store on Lake Austin Boulevard, have been rebranded as Juiceland stores. The new downtown Daily Juice location serves as the model for how the stores will look and work as they expand nationwide.

 Daily Juice is the Austin-flavored foil to Jamba Juice, with a menu that has a strong focus on healthful, vegetarian and organic ingredients for its juices and bites. They also offer a series of cleanses and have catering services. The company is on track to open a new Westlake location in May.

 Martin previously served as the CEO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and was part of the team that expanded the theater chain to markets outside of Texas. The plan is to "plant flags" in major markets in California and Florida by 2014 and have 100 Daily Juice locations across the country by 2016.

 Plans for a nationwide expansion have been in the works for a while, with the first rumblings sounding toward the end of last year.
 Two iconic Sol LeWitt pieces added to UT's Landmarks art collection 2013-03-20T15:45:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/arts/03-20-13-two-iconic-sol-lewitt-pieces-added-to-uts-landmarks-art-collection/
 Landmarks, the University of Texas' curated public art program, has just landed two high-profile pieces from the late conceptual and minimalist artist Sol LeWitt. Circle with Towers and Drawing #520 will be added to the Landmarks collection, to displayed in the entrance and auditorium of the Bill & Melinda Gates Computer Science Complex and Dell Computer Science Hall.

 "Sol LeWitt is one of the truly great artists to have emerged from minimalism and conceptualism in the arts," Douglas Dempster, dean of the College of Fine Arts, said in a statement.

 "Circle with Towers and Wall Drawing #520 are perfect, post-modern celebrations of the promise and future of computer science and the latest triumph for the Landmarks collection. These two pieces are among the very most important art acquisitions in the university's vast holdings."

 Circle with Towers stands 14 feet tall and spans 25 feet. The eight towers are arranged as a meeting ground for the public. The piece was acquired from Madison Square Park Conservancy in New York. Drawing #520 was acquired directly from DeWitt's estate and its forthcoming display will be the first in 25 years, when it was a part of The Whitney Museum of Art's 1987 Whitney Biennial.

 "Circle with Towers and Wall Drawing #520 provide an important introduction to the nature of conceptual art for many in our community," Landmarks director Andrée Bober said in a statement. "Having these two works in close proximity allows viewers to recognize the consistent elements in LeWitt's work and appreciate the collaborative spirit and contextual interpretations of his ideas."

 LeWitt, considered to be the founder of the conceptual and minimalist postwar art movements, was known for his geometric, three-dimensional structures of varying sizes and for the more than 1200 drawings he completed. And while his dedication to rendering art in its most basic shapes and colors made him a celebrity of sorts in the art world, he was known for being a reclusive creator, rarely seen.

 "His [LeWitt's] work exhibits classic virtues of high art — beauty, precision, mastery of materials, economy of means, signature inspiration — while at the same time being completely iconoclastic and playful," Dempster said.

 The pieces are on display now on the UT campus. Landmarks will be holding a free public lecture in the computer science complex about LeWitt by Blanton Museum of Art curator and former director of research for the Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing Catalogue Raisonné Veronica Roberts Thursday, March 21 at 5 p.m.
 Fun Fun Fun Fest nabs expansion deal with W Hotel developer 2013-03-18T15:19:12-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/03-18-13-fun-fun-fun-fest-nabs-expansion-deal-with-w-hotel-developer/
 The annual music, comedy and oddity confab Fun Fun Fun Fest is looking to add another layer of fun. Word comes from the Statesman that the Transmission Events-helmed November gathering has brokered a deal with Austin-based Stratus Properties, developer of the W Hotel, to inject an undisclosed amount of cash into project starting this year.

 Although exact terms of the deal have not been revealed, Stratus Properties will now have a partial ownership stake in Transmission Events, whose co-founder James Moody has become a luminary in the overflowing Austin music scene.

 "The way the festival business works, no money changes hands for nine months out of the year, and then there's really intense cash flow for a short period of time, so just having access to resources for that will be huge," Moody told Billboard. "And we've had a lot of ideas but we've been limited. So if we're going to bring back Dio from the dead for the festival, now we have a partner to talk about that with."

 Fun Fun Fun Fest, held at Auditorium Shores has been the younger sibling of the city's tourist-attracting and economy-boosting attractions, bringing in smaller numbers than Austin City Limits and SXSW, but more than 55,000 people attended Fun Fun Fun last year, according to the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 Moody (who owns Mohawk), proffers the business deal as a way to provide "a bit of a career path" for artists, telling Billboard:

 You do inside at Mohawk, then inside at Red 7, then outside at Red 7, then outside at Mohawk. Then you sell that out and you go to a new place we're now building on East Fifth Street, then you go to ACL Live and Fun Fun Fun Fest. In the past we'd end with them when they sell out Mohawk, because there's a giant gap between a 1000-head room and the fest.

 This year's Fun Fun Fun Fest will be held at Auditorium Shores the weekend of November 8.
 What to watch this week in TV: Psycho prequel series Bates Motel and more 2013-03-18T10:31:30-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/03-18-13-what-to-watch-this-week-in-tv-ipsychoi-prequel-series-ibates-moteli-and-more/
 The dead of early spring is nearly over, with high profile premieres like the return of Game of Thrones and Mad Men just around the corner. Sneaking in just before those, a prequel to the event of the 1960 film Psycho.

 Bates Motel
 Premieres Monday at 9 p.m. on A&E

 In this prequel series to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho by Lost's Carlton Cuse, the sadistic, lascivious air between Norman (Freddie Highmore) and Norma (a powerhouse Vera Farmiga) Bates casts an eerie, creepy ambience — with a relationship overflowing with the Freudian-Oedipal tinges as this one, it's no wonder poor Norman becomes a fractured, murderous fiend.

 After Norman's father dies in what appears to be a home accident, his mother relocates them to the Pacific northwest, buying a motel from a foreclosure. But it doesn't take long for their new beginning to be ruined by betrayal and violence, the pilot setting up a heady case for the teenage Norman, who'd rather try out for the track team and party with girls than unpack his mother's crazy.

 This being Cuse, a few conspiracy rabbit holes get a fresh digging up by adding a sordid mythology behind the motel and the family that owned it. These added plot elements act as an exposition of the showrunner's own psyche, that Lost-era tendency toward overly convoluted secondary plots. In more ways than Norman and Norma, Bates Motel is about resisting, and failing against, our self-sabotaging temptations.

 And even though it takes the characters and many of the touchstones of Hitchcock's classic, this prequel is at best tangentially related to its source material. This is a closer meditation on damaging relationships — the twisty, consuming kind — borne out of familial ties and flared passions.

 It coaxes a particularly rich performance out of Farmiga, perhaps best known as the wry and biting foil to George Clooney's character in Up in the Air, who makes Norma a tremulous neurotic that can lash out like flip of a switch. She's a different kind of evil, one that you can't quite tell how deep the sinister penetrates.

 So far, that mental mystery is more alluring than Bates Motel's teenage drama, but it wouldn't be surprising if this promising enough new series ended up being a true killer. B

 Also on this week:

 American Winter. Airs Monday at 8 p.m. on HBO. A searing documentary about families struggling during the recession.

 Splash. Premieres Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ABC. The same concept as Dancing with the Stars, but with high-diving.

 NCIS: Los Angeles. Airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. on CBS. The backdoor pilot to a possible spinoff, starring John Corbett and Kim Raver.

 The Good Wife. Airs Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS. Matthew Perry guest stars a slippery politician facing off against Chris Noth.

 Phil Spector. Airs Sunday at 8 p.m. on HBO. Al Pacino plays the influential (and infamous) music producer in this biopic.
 Best of the fest: Short Term 12 earns its grand jury prize 2013-03-16T18:30:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/03-16-13-sxsw-2013-film-review-ishort-term-12i-earns-its-grand-jury-prize/
 Destin Cretton's Short Term 12, which won the grand jury prize for best narrative feature at this year's SXSW, is a trip. It's hard to tear yourself away from this story about a group home for troubled adolescents and the not much older staff tasked with caring for them. And it's star, Brie Larson — who's been popping up in supporting roles for a while, including in SXSW favorite The Spectacular Now — gives a career-making performance as the knowing but weary-eyed support staff leader Grace.

 Cretton treads carefully over ground already overwrought stories of disparity, but his film never indulges in the temptation to over-dramatize the plight of its subjects. And it finds room to breathe and let flashes of humor and humility in, giving Short Term 12 its greatest sense of realism. In this story of building families from the pieces of broken ones, the moments of terror are leavened by the brief bursts of levity.

 Grace (Larson) leads a team of twentysomethings, including her boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher, Jr.) at Short Term 12, a group home where the kids are assigned to their care until they age out of the system at 18 and are released. "You're not their parent, you're not their friend," Grace warns the new guy on her staff. Even then you can tell Grace is hedging — when you look after wounded souls for so long, you can't help but become attached.

 When Jayden (a fantastic Kaitlyn Dever), alluded to be a victim of abuse at the hands of her father, moves in, Grace is reminded of her own childhood trauma and with news that her father is getting out of prison after 10 years, she's slowly becoming unhinged. The scenes between Jayden and Grace are among the film's strongest, intimating a special bond through soft nudges and wise glances. They don't verbally say much to each other, but Cretton knows how to make their silence say plenty.

 And really, Short Term 12's greatest strength is communicating the ways it's difficult for kids to articulate their feelings, problems and hopes. We never actually see much of the problems the kids in the home are dealing with, but as they find the only ways they can to express how they're affecting them — through art, stories and toys — it proves more devastating.

 Larson, who has played a lot of whip-smart teenage characters in her brief career, including in Diablo Cody's short-lived Showtime series United States of Tara, is what makes this drama as effective as it is. She's young, but she's able to convey a world weariness and a sharp sense of wit in equal turns. And her scenes with Gallagher Jr. have just the right amount of sarcastic ribbing and tenderness.

 It's unclear when Short Term 12 will see a wider release, but after its successful world premiere at SXSW, it would be a shame for a story as affecting as this one to not be seen by more.
 SXSW 2013 film review: The Spectacular Now makes a strong case for the teen drama renaissance 2013-03-15T17:00:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/03-15-13-sxsw-2013-film-review-ithe-spectacular-nowi-makes-a-strong-case-for-the-teen-drama-renaissance/
 The romantic comedy may be dead, but the young adult coming-of-age drama, of the John Hughes-ian variety, could be on the cusp of a renaissance. James Ponsoldt's The Spectacular Now — which had limited screenings at this year's SXSW after an acclaimed run at Sundance — and its genuine, naturalistic leads, leave you with so much earned goodwill that even though it traces a well-worn narrative path, you can't help but stand up from watching it with a soaring, resounding, "yes!"

 Ponsoldt's last feature, Smashed, starred Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul as alcoholics reeling with a bout of sober living, was praised for its unsensational storytelling. Spectacular Now is also a story about alcohol addiction, but other kinds of dependency as well: of another's unconditional love, of not wanting blissful moments to pass.

 (500) Days of Summer screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber bring a wistful exuberance to this story, but they gracefully never belie its powerful, dark undercurrent. And like that movie, you can be just as swept up in its playful, rattling dialogue as you are when they bring the whole thing crashing back down to earth. These guys know how to write a whirlwind romance and the brick wall of reality that breaks its gusts.

 Sutter Keely (Miles Teller, who must have graduated from the John Cusack school of charming male leads with honors) is a high school senior luxuriating in his victory lap: he's the life of the party, has the cool, popular girlfriend (Brie Larson) and can talk his way out of almost anything. Until it all starts to fall apart: he gets abruptly dumped and as his classmates continue forth to graduation, he seems to be stuck in a boozy rut.

 And drunken he gets. He wakes up one morning on the lawn of Aimee Finicky (Shailene Woodley), who until then was aware of him, but he never of her. Their serendipitous meeting leads to a relationship marked by a genuine sense of affection, but also a lot of tough love reciprocity: to get her out of her shell and to get him to take a whiff of reality.

 The two young leads are what make watching The Spectacular Now feel so joyous — their romance is the right kind of infectious, the kind that feels knowing and admirable, but doesn't become sappy. And they look like teenagers, too: Woodley masterfully does Aimee as a slightly bumbling nerd who likes graphic novels but is embarrassed by any kind of glamour.

 And Teller does something almost magical in making Sutter's just-perfect aphorisms and sepia-toned come-ons make perfect sense. When Sutter, taking in the view of his classmates with Aimee at their prom, says he loves "living in the moment," it doesn't at all seem gooey or sentimental — it seems like exactly something the charismatic and charming Sutter would say. That this movie can defy even its most movie-like tendencies in the same breath is stunning.

 It all mounts to an eye-opening and searing road trip, where Sutter, Aimee in tow, track down his estranged father (Kyle Chandler, who finally plays against his bureaucratic type), who's out living the carefree and over-lubricated life Sutter is slowly drinking himself into. The movie smartly mounts Sutter's alcoholism as a slowly unmanageable build and in its last scenes, he's forced to face it.

 In its final moments, The Spectacular Now can be devastating and hopeful in separate turns, and ends on a note that I'm curious to see if it becomes divisive. But what does come through clearly is that Ponsoldt has found a great outlet, by way of a sweet, endlessly charming teen romance, to explore how relationships can push us not only into becoming the people we're afraid of becoming, but also to realize the kind of person we've always been.
 Close out SXSW with our top event picks for the weekend 2013-03-15T11:50:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/03-14-13-close-out-sxsw-with-our-top-event-picks-for-the-weekend/
 We did it. We got through another SXSW. Well, almost. We're nearly there! There are a few closing ceremonies-like events that are happening this weekend that are free and open to the public; the rodeo, of course, is always a great alternative. So wrap up this conference and enjoy our top event picks for this weekend and look forward to it all turning back to normal.

 Ice cream social at Threadgill's

 Your poor kids! I don't have any offspring, but if I did and we lived in Austin, I'd tell them to stay inside, close the blinds and not to respond to any of the loud, weird noises echoing across the city from downtown. But since most people are better parents than I'll ever be, there are a few kid-friendly SXSW-related events, like Threadgill's ice cream social all day Friday, with live music and free ice cream from Amy's. The best part for harried parents and worn out kids alike: there's plenty of seating.

 Auditorium Shores

 Because you're not better than a free Flaming Lips show overlooking Lady Bird Lake. Yes, the annual, massive live stage open to all of Austin is back, with acts performing through Saturday. Friday's performances include the aforementioned Lips, the Divine Fits and Jim James. The day's weather may be heating back up to Texas-approved levels, but nighttime is still coming to a nice, cool crisp — it's a nice way to close out the chaos of SXSW.

 St. Patrick's Day

 The partying doesn't have to end just because half of downtown isn't closed off and Sixth Treet returns to its regular flavor of debauchery — Fado's Irish Pub is having pre-St. Paddy's specials and celebrations and having a blowout, all-day outdoor festival on the day in earnest. On Sunday, starting 11 a.m. they're kicking the Irish holiday off with a host of live music and a traditional Irish breakfast. Also: bagpipes!

 Eric Clapton

 I know, I know, I know: you're sick of live music. Sick of it. You've spent the better half of this week sweating and getting elbowed in the face at the Mohawk and had to wait in long lines for port-a-potties at Stubb's. But... it's Eric Clapton. The three-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer knows how to make a jam. This guy was the soundtrack to your slow dances and even your parents' slow dances at every high school dance ever. You know what songs I'm talking about. He's at the Frank Erwin center this Sunday with The Wallflowers.
 L Style G Style publisher Lynn Yeldell takes on a new role as Ticketbud CEO 2013-03-15T10:46:18-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/innovation/03-15-13-il-style-g-stylei-publisher-lynn-yeldell-takes-on-a-new-role-as-ticketbud-ceo/
 Among the litany of ticketing websites, Austin-based Ticketbud has emerged as the favored, philanthropic underdog: They charge a flat setup fee and don't take any of the profits, charging nothing to use their interface for free events. And for events raising funds for cancer, they waive their fees.

 L Style G Style publisher Lynn Yeldell stepped into the CEO position last fall and the company entered 2013 reporting record revenue. CultureMap spoke with Yeldell about her new role, Ticketbud's presence at SXSW and the Austin startup community.

 CultureMap: How did your move into the CEO position come about?

 Lynn Yeldell: I've held about every seat there is to be had at the company. I was a [Ticketbud] attendee back in 2011 when I bought a ticket through the platform. It was super easy and I enjoyed the experience. And the ticket price of the purchase was actually the same price that I paid at the checkout. We've all become accustomed to, "Oh, the ticket price is 50 bucks, but how much are fees and all this other stuff?" I made a mental note of that.

 My partner and I founded L Style G Style magazine in 2007 and we've always been looking for a platform that would be good to host events and were introduced to Ticketbud. We'd been using some other companies and just got frustrated — they were kind of difficult to use and not user-friendly and we kept giving up about $1 to $10 of every ticket that we purchased to the ticketing company, and for personal organizers like us, that's a big deal. It makes it hard to predict your revenue stream.

 So finally, we found out Ticketbud was opening up its round for series A funding and we jumped at the chance. We wrote a check and joined in January of 2012 as investors to the company. I sat on the board of managers for a while and as [we] were looking to restructure and figure out how we were going to grow the company, the board and the investors asked me to take a leadership position and I joined on in October as the CEO.

 CM: So you've done it all.

 LY: I've done it all! I've taken out the recycling and organized events and attended events.

 CM: What's happening with L Style G Style now?

 LY: My partner has always been the one that's run the day to day operations and that's still true today.

 CM: So how is Ticketbud handling SXSW?

 LY: For us, one of the reasons I took particular interest in Ticketbud is that when I joined the board we were running about 400, getting close to 500, events a month on the platform. And now we're getting up to 600 events and the majority of that has been through referrals. People who have attended a Ticketbud event liked it and want to use it for their own organization. You can't substitute the power of a great referral.

 We've not really done anything before, but this year we've realized that the space is pretty competitive for groups to organize events, but ours is the only model out there that has the flat rate to distinguish ourselves from a crowded field.

 Eventbrite is clearly the most popular platform for people to use during SXSW — I mean, they've got tons of events. But our organizers are a little bit different. They're not looking for the mass volume — they looking to control their doors and have a better idea of the true numbers of attendees. I've seen some of the RSVPs for some of the Eventbrite events and I think that the Startup Crawl had like 16,000 people RSVP and obviously 16,000 people aren't going to show up.

 CM: Austin has become this incubator for startups like Ticketbud. What would you say about startups moving to Austin and them competing in this really competitive market?

 LY: Austin is a city of people who are looking to grow their company, who are looking to make a difference and I felt that, and it may sound threatening, but the nature of it is very quid pro quo here. And people are looking to promote their own agenda but they know they'll only be successful by helping someone else along the way. And I definitely feel like Ticketbud has been a success story of that. Austin startups like to take care of Austin startups and we've got some amazing stories here.

 To find upcoming events using Ticketbud, visit the website.
 My very first SXSW: What I've learned, plus some complementary gadgets and apps 2013-03-14T13:45:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/innovation/03-14-13-experiencing-my-first-sxsw-ever/
 This is my first SXSW ever. Ever. I went to high school in San Antonio and went to college at the University of Texas, and for eight long years, I avoided the annual music, technology and film conference because the very thought of it exhausted me.

 I may be in the "prime of my youth" in my early-20s and eating beautiful, delicately curated corporate vegetables from Whole Foods Market, but eight days (eight days!) of panels, showcases, screenings, meetups and coming-upons sound like something someone dreamed up in a very special, dotcom-era hell.

 But this year was different. This year, I was credentialed to cover the film and interactive portions of the conference (blessed be my editors who had the foresight to know that I possess neither the stamina or patience for standing in sweaty, crowded bars listening to bands I'm not really cool enough to know), and so far, with Interactive coming to a close, it hasn't actually been that bad.

 It's sort of like ACL, but more spread out and instead of everywhere smelling like weed, everywhere smells like coalescing meat scents or urine. There are people everywhere, all the time, every day. Most of them, at least during the peak of Interactive over the weekend, are from out of town and seem genuinely excited or are easily excitable — these are the cool nerds.

 Also, they have a lot of money. And a lot of them are here to make more money! There wasn't a greater flex of the technological moneymaking muscle than in the expo show, inside the main hall of the Austin Convention Center. It was world conference in there, booth upon rows of booths from countries around the world trying to shill their Next Greatest Thing.

 Some of what I saw during Interactive was neat (more on that later), plenty was just amusing and most was either not intended for general consumers (business class enterprise data management solutions! No thanks) or just...weird.

 Interactive also leaves me with a metaphorical black eye: I was duped more than once into these slick presenters' wordplay, blew more cash than I should have and perhaps worst of all, I remain convinced that the apps/devices/concepts I bought into (one quite literally) are good ideas.

 Take Mophie, a case for iPhones and Android phones that has changed everything for me. Snap this guy on, and when your phone battery dies (like it does at the worst, most inconvenient times), you flip a switch on the back, and suddenly you're charging on the go.

 It's an extra battery designed into a phone case (so it's not really all that clever), but as someone who uses his phone often enough that it's almost always nearly dead by 4 p.m. most days, it's going to be a saving grace.

 The sequence of events that led to me purchasing the $80 case for my iPhone perhaps typifies the worst, most consumerist American tendencies I possess: my friend, also a phone battery-killing journalist, bought one, so I wanted one.

 That can be seen as legitimate recommendation from a peer and colleague, but I still feel weak from having given in. When the jerky, but charismatic (aren't they all?) presenter snapped the grey demo case on my phone, it was all over.

 The $80 didn't burn too much since I was able to subsidize the price of the case with earlier foolish, impulsive purchase I made: a digital and Sunday print edition subscription to The New York Times. It was $16 a month for six months! I have vested stake in the future of journalism! Ugh. Whatever. I did it for the $25 Visa gift card and the glossy Sunday magazine.

 But there were a few things I learned about during Interactive that didn't end with me buying something (though I'm sure those guys wouldn't have minded): I like Rocket Lawyer, a subscription online repository for navigating legal matters, including filing documents and speaking with actual, vetted attorneys.

 And I found the idea behind Japanese Hatsune Miku, a singing voice synthesizer that produces digital vocals for any lyrics, useful. In the demo showed to me, you can literally type whatever words you want into the system and it spits out a perfect voice singing those exact words.

 It's coming to the U.S. and I can see it as an application for musicians looking to try out lyrics without needing a dedicated vocalist. The weird, animated aqua-haired mascot (can people be mascots?), is an unfortunate, oddly sexualized distraction.

 And finally, there's the terribly-titled 1 World Online, an app that reflects perhaps the biggest trend to come out of Interactive this year: big data. From the outset, it's just a poll app, but one that culls expert opinions to weigh on both sides of the question.

 They even provide links to news articles with data points for a sort of fact checking and rabbit hole element. Voters can see how their voter lines up with demographic data. It's intriguing and I could see it being addictive to scroll through how your vote matches up with others.

 But now that the Interactive has ended and nice, accent-think Big Brains have stopped pouncing on me the second I step out of the press room, I can refocus my attention to the brilliant (or maybe not so brilliant) films at the conference. Or try playing the insane RSVP game to see Justin Timberlake.

 The biggest thing I've learned about SXSW so far? SXSW is not interested in you catching your breath. It's go, go, go or get run over.
 SXSW 2013: The top 5 acting lessons from Arrested Development's Jeffrey Tambor 2013-03-12T15:00:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/03-12-13-sxsw-2013-the-top-five-acting-lessons-from-iarrested-developmentis-jeffrey-tambor/
 While actor Jeffrey Tambor's primary reason for being in Austin for SXSW was to promote the forthcoming new season of revived, beloved comedy Arrested Development on Netflix, he set up an acting workshop as a part of SXSW Interactive, and schooled two young actors in the art of being raw.

 What appeared to be farcical ended up being diligent and professional, taking the audience and actors Lindsay Burdge (A Teacher) and Michael Stahl-David (The Bounceback and the short-lived, Austin-based and shot ABC drama My Generation) by equal surprise.

 Reading and performing from a script by English playwright Harold Pinter, the two ran through the scene as Tambor directed, redirected and mentored. The result was like a master class in letting go and being bold. The top five things we learned about acting from the session:

 1. You have to take it seriously.

 Stahl-David spent a lot of the first few minutes stalling: he cracked too many jokes and laughed off most of Tambor's direction (probably because he underestimated how serious Tambor was about helping him). Tambor made it clear: you have to be willing to do what it takes.

 2. "So wrong it's right" is exactly right.

 "Overact!" Tambor commanded Burdge. "People overreact in real life!" There's a keen difference, Tambor asserted, in being actorly and acting like a real person.

 3. Acting is not a rational act.

 Tambor had the duo jump in place as they read their lines; to slow them down, to make them stop over-thinking their performances.

 4. Be bad.

 As in, surrender the fantasy occasionally and let yourself seem like a bad actor. It's more honest and realistic. "Now you're drunk!" Tambor yelled at Stahl-David. "Now you do it in a French accent!"

 5. Your life is at stake, not your career.

 Tambor was hard on Stahl-David, who has indeed had a career so far marked by a handsome blandness, telling him to act like it was his last day on earth. At the end, both actors looked tired, flustered and oddly enough, game for more.
 SXSW 2013 film review: Drinking Buddies goes down smooth, but with little flavor 2013-03-12T10:40:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/03-12-13-sxsw-film-review-idrinking-buddiesi-goes-down-smooth-but-with-little-flavor/
 In a brief Q & A session at the SXSW world premiere with the cast of Drinking Buddies, Joe Swanberg's romantic drama set in a Chicago beer brewery, star Olivia Wilde said that her role, as the sort of events manager for the brewery who gets entangled in many a flirtatious tete-a-tetes with Jake Johnson's droll character, was the best experience she's ever had on a film. I believe her: this film may feature the actress in her meatiest role yet; she's in nearly every scene and she's the catalyst to much of the film's (thin) plot.

 But Wilde, with those transfixing eyes and spindly frame, never quite becomes the charming, irresistible tomboy the movie makes her out to be — there's an inexactness, an uncompromised sense of dullness to her performance that would seem like the perfect fit for this type of shaggy indie rom-com-cum-drama, but it all lands too squarely. Is it fair to describe an actor as not cool enough for a role? Drinking Buddies raises the question.

 At this brewery, Wilde's character Kate, when she isn't downing beer after beer in waistline-defying numbers (one running motif is that every conversation seems to be accompanied by beer), she's dragging her heels and ambivalently carrying out her work duties.

 She's cool with the guys who make the booze (especially Luke, whom Johnson plays with his usual louche slacker amiability) and has an ongoing, if obviously rickety, relationship with Chris (Ron Livingston), a record label honcho who gives her John Updike books as presents.

 After a weekend double date trip to Chris' lake house with Luke and his serious girlfriend Jill (Anna Kendrick), the idea that the couples would be better off swapped rises to the surface and the film's second half is largely spent dancing around what any of them are going to do about it.

 Better films have been made from thinner plots, but Swanberg leaving his actors mostly to their own devices (the film is highly improvised) only renders its missing alchemy all the more apparent. Wilde and Johnson, as the rough around the edges, kind of messy and not quite together late bloomers, have sparks, but no electricity.

 Drinking Buddies sketches out some relevant psychosexual workplace drama: Where do the lines blur between easy, loving workplace relationships and easy, loving romantic and sexual relationships? It's clear the Kate and Luke are better suited for each other, getting along famously at work, but whether that translates cohesively outside is something Swanberg seems wholly indifferent about.

 He stages the kind of half-a-beat-early resolution you'd expect from this kind of independent film, a stroke more indulgent than it is artistic. It's all built from a scraggly, open-aired pacing that oscillates between playful and just plain infuriating — funny, awkward pauses are punctuated by the dead space left by an unseasoned cast of improvisers.

 It all doesn't come together because it's all way too loose. When improv works, it's because there's a very firm handle on the bursts of wild creative energy — a controlled chaos. And great work can emerge when a director is willing to take a few steps back and relinquish some control. Here, Swanberg is so far back and hands off his movie dissolves right in front of us. Drinking Buddies goes down smooth but without much flavor.
 Shaquille O'Neal picks the winners of his Pitch Shaq mobile startup contest 2013-03-11T16:06:13-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/innovation/03-11-13-sxsw-2013-shaquille-oneal-picks-the-winners-of-his-pitch-shaq-mobile-startup-contest/
 Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal announced the winners of his 15-second "Pitch Shaq" contest in a chummy gathering at the Long Center as a part of SXSW Interactive.

 The winners, which Shaq will be providing capital contributions to, are Beam, a smartphone to desktop (and vice-versa) communication app, and Speakerfy, an app that allows multiple devices to play music in sync. Both apps are in early building stages, and the idea is that Shaq's support will be what they both need to take on the stiff mobile application market competition.

  "The way I use [Twitter] is to 60 percent to make you laugh, 30 percent to inspire you and 10 percent endorse products," Shaq said. "I do a lot of 'yo mamma' jokes."

 App companies competed by sending in 15-second video pitches to Shaq through Tout, the same video app that the celebrity used to announce his retirement from professional play.

 Beyond his prolific basketball career, the San Antonio native has also become a bit of a technology and social media savant — he was an early, pre-IPO investor in Google.

 He also has business interests in Five Guys burgers, Vitamin Water and Muscle Milk.

 "I've always wanted to be at the forefront of technology," he said. "I'm one of the world's tallest geeks."

 His expertise, though, lies in Twitter, where he commands nearly seven million followers. The panel's moderator, author Brian Solis, relayed that Twitter creator CEO Jack Dorsey himself says Shaq is the "ideal" Twitter user.

 "The way I use it is to 60 percent to make you laugh, 30 percent to inspire you and 10 percent endorse products," Shaq said. "I do a lot of 'yo mamma' jokes."
 What to watch (and not watch) this week in TV: Top of the Lake, Jason Schwartzman on Parks and Rec & more 2013-03-11T09:00:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/03-11-13-what-to-watch-and-not-watch-this-week-in-tv-jane-campions-itop-of-the-lakei-jason-schwartzman-on-iparks-and-reci-and-mo/
 In our weekly roundup of what's worth seeing (and not seeing) on TV, a creepy Kiwi thriller starring Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss and special guest stars on Parks and Recreation.

 Top of the Lake
 Premieres Monday, March 18 at 8 p.m. on Sundance Channel

 Writer and director Jane Campion returns to television with the six-hour miniseries, Top of the Lake, a slow-simmering crime drama that shares more than a little DNA with Twin Peaks and The Killing.

 Set in Laketop, a small New Zealand community settled on a breathtaking, mountain-studded lakefront, the series follows the young, big city sex crimes detective Robin Griffin (Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss sporting her best Kiwi accent), who has returned to the small town of her youth to visit her dying mother.

 She's called in to investigate the case of Tui Mitcham, a 12-year-old girl who, after she mysteriously walks waist-deep into the freezing lake one morning, is discovered to be five months pregnant.

 In the course of her investigation, Griffin uncovers the barely-suppressed violence, incest and corruption of the outwardly idyllic rural community she tried her best to flee. At the center of this violence is the Mitchum Family, headed by the grizzled yet charismatic patriarch and drug dealer Matt (Peter Mullan) and flanked by his thuggish sons.

 Also causing waves in the remote mountain town is Paradise, a newly-established halfway house for women "in pain," led by the enigmatic, "enlightened" spiritual guru GJ (Holly Hunter in a long white wig), whose role in the series' first installment is still uncertain. However, Hunter's few brief scenes in the first episode promise plenty of eccentric, enigmatic proselytizing to come.

 The series' first installment, written and directed by Campion, effectively establishes a tone of disturbing menace despite its picturesque setting, creating an unbearably tense feeling that Laketop is ready to implode at any moment.

 This seething unease is bolstered Moss' excellently understated, guarded performance, as well as the showier ones put in by Mullan and Hunter, bright spots in a series that occasionally borders on dreariness but is ultimately intriguing and unnerving. A- — Katie Stroh

 Parks and Recreation
 Airs Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on NBC

 This unwaveringly sweet natured sitcom starring Amy Poehler as do-good civil servant Leslie Knope marches toward a season finale with an uncertain future. Whether the show will return for a sixth season is still very much up in the air, and so far, season five has been the show carrying out a contingency plan, carefully preparing to see of each of its characters off into the cancellation sunset.

 So this week's episode, where Jason Schwartzman guest stars rather fittingly as the owner of a struggling indie video rental store, comes as one of the more pure manifestations of the show's adept ability to tell stories about politics. Where most shows can be queasily purple in their ideology, this show may make the best case for bipartisanship.

 Case in point: to save the video store from having to close, Leslie works to have it named a historical landmark, hoping the tax break will be enough to keep it afloat — the Randian Ron (Nick Offerman) gruffs that it's just another government bailout. How the show nurtures and nettles the idealistic if uninterested liberal and the overheated but pragmatic conservative is stupefying.

 But unlike so many sitcoms that behave as Parks and Rec's narrative antecedents (namely The Office's mockumentary-style), Mike Schur's has never been about meanness. Quite the opposite: If this truly is the beginning of the end, it should celebrated as the rare show where the power of positivity always wins out. B+ — Aleksander Chan

 Also on This Week:

 Family Trade. Premieres Tuesday at 7 p.m. on GSN. A family-owned used car dealership will trade a vehicle for just about anything he can re-sell.

 Preachers' Daughters. Premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Lifetime. Take a look at the lives of three teenage preacher's daughters and the challenges and temptations they face after church has let out.

 Playing With Fire. Premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on E! Explore the personal and professional lives of New York's hottest culinary stars.

 Wicked Single. Premieres Sunday at 10 p.m. on VH1. Boston's boozy, partying answer to Jersey Shore.

 Girls. Season finale Sunday at 8 p.m. on HBO. Lena Dunham's young adult drama closes out season two.
 Get an early taste of Paul Qui's new restaurant with the Chef Wine and Dine series 2013-03-10T08:30:00-05:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/03-09-13-get-an-early-taste-of-paul-quis-new-restaurant-with-chef-wine-and-dine-series/
 Since winning Top Chef, Paul Qui has been busy: the Uchiko executive chef took a brief Mexican reprieve and came back stateside to hammer out the details and menu for his own restaurant, QUI. He recently drafted Chef de Cuisine Tim Dornon from Uchiko after snatching Congress' June Rodil, who will be the restaurant's manager.

 In the lead up to the restaurant's opening, which Qui tells CultureMap food editor Jessica Dupuy should be in March, he'll be a part of the Austin Food and Wine Alliance's new Chef Wine and Dine series (CultureMap Tastemaker winner David Bull kicked things off in January).

 The series provides guests a five-course meal with paired drinks prepared by local, high profile chefs. Each dinner will serve as a primer of the participating chef's culinary inspirations, down to decor. And for Qui's turn in the kitchen, he'll be preparing an early sampling of the food that'll be served at QUI. The dinner is March 21 at 6:30 p.m. at QUI's 6th Street location.

 The menu:

 Mint Soup with Mushrooms, Chilies and Peas

 Salad of Guanciale, Brassicas, Seaweed and White Bean

 Pan-Roasted Salmon with Coconut, Romanesco and Sunchokes

 Pan-Roasted Lamb with Clams, Garlic Chives and Soured Milk

 "Spring" Dessert

 Alas, tickets are already sold out, but Qui-heads desperate for the sneak peek at the menu, there's a last chance auction until Wednesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. over on the Austin Food and Wine Alliance website for six remaining tickets. And even if you can't quite make the $250 minimum bid, Qui is curating a group of food trucks, dubbed SouthBites, near Rainey and Driskill Streets during SXSW.
 Moving images: Tracing the GIF's animated history 2013-03-08T18:40:00-06:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/innovation/03-08-13-how-you-became-so-obsessed-with-gifs/
 Many a link-baiting slideshow and BuzzFeed post have been using animated GIFS, the moving images assembled from videos, sequences of photos or original animations.

 But how did the initially cheesy, early computer and Internet age animation trick using a file format become the au courant method for obsessing over celebrities and being web-ready shorthand for expressing emotions? SXSW has the answer: According to the GIF artists and writers in "The Economy of the GIF," you can blame your phone and microblogging platform Tumblr.

 The GIF lineage goes something like this: they were first used in website banners and as quickie animations in those quaint AOL disc days of the Internet — and then Flash animation came along. Remember when websites resembled the futuristic, highly-interactive interfaces of science fiction films? With those slick drop-down menus and fancy moving ads? That was Flash.

 Flash still exists, but with Apple and its iPhone (which famously does not support Flash-based animations or videos), web designers and animators and branding gurus had to rethink their media strategies. Suddenly, entire websites were rendered unreadable on phones and other mobile screens.

 So as Flash fell out of fashion, simpler web designs prevailed and led to a GIF renaissance of sorts — because GIFs will still display on phones and tablets and other magic, mini computer devices. And it helps that social networking sites and phone web browsers have made using the Internet much more photo-centric (hence, Tumblr).

 Plus, GIFs, says writer Lindsey Weber (who's done some GIF work for BuzzFeed and New York magazine) are better representations of how we consume the Internet in 2013.

 "[GIFs] span this space between photos and videos," Weber says. "The GIF takes the best parts of a photo and the best parts of a video and puts them together. It's just a better way to ingest that."

 And they've become so wildly popular, argues artist Jimmy Repeat (who's GIFed for MTV in the past), they've become a new art form all in themselves.

 "GIF is the new medium because it's more of a challenge than a static image," he says.

 Perhaps their greatest claim to legitimacy is their looming legal precedent: Weber says GIF-related lawsuits and copyright cases are just around the bend — she's come up against all kinds of rights issues with the GIFs she worked with.

 But for now, there's still plenty of GIF fun to be had. Just go on Tumblr and get lost for days.
 Our top weekend event picks: Go to the rodeo, hang out with NASA and more 2013-03-08T10:44:34-06:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/03-08-13-go-to-the-rodeo-hang-out-with-nasa-and-more-with-our-top-event-picks-for-the-weekend/
 It's here. It's happening right now. SXSW is on in earnest through next week, and if you want to do anything anywhere remotely close to downtown, be prepared for people, people and more people. People everywhere, all the time, every day.

 But! There are other things going this weekend that are not related this calling for hundreds of out-of-towners. Enjoy our mix of SX and SX-free events for this weekend.

 Rodeo Austin

 Did you know that the rodeo is in town? You didn't? It's a tough gig trying to compete with the buzz of SX, sucking all the air, money and time out the city like a succubus or just a really big conference/festival/explosion. Yes, the rodeo is kicking off this weekend over at the Travis County Expo Center and will run through March 23. There's a ton going over there, too: music, fairground activities (I spy pig races on the schedule) and plenty of food. Could be a good palate cleanser in between SX madness.

 James Webb Telescope

 One of the fringe benefits for the city during the nine days of festivities are the free events open to the public. NASA is setting up camp on the front lawn of the Long Center all weekend with a full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope. The successor to Hubble, this new 'scope packs 100 times the power of its predecessor and will be orbit beyond the moon "to study the universe's first galaxies as well as celestial objects hidden by clouds of cosmic dust." A good one for science and math nerds (and their kids).

 Texas High School Shorts

 As part of the Texas High School Film Competition, where students enrolled in Texas high schools submit their five-minutes-or-less films to be judged by expert filmmakers and industry types, all the works created by these young filmmakers are screened for free to the public. The shorts will be screened Friday and Saturday at the George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center and there's a full lineup of the films and their descriptions online.

 A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

 The Texas Biennial, which stages a survey exhibition of contemporary art from around the state every year, is holding a sort of salon for artists and artistic-types. Critics, art historians, curators, arts administrators, educators, museum patrons, collectors and gallerists will join to read texts and discuss major currents in the contemporary art scene, behaving like a miniature conference within the much larger conference kicking off this weekend. The talks start Sunday and will also take place Monday and Tuesday at the Austin Museum of Art; all three conferences will be live streamed online as well.
 Driskill Hotel rumored to be sold to Hyatt 2013-03-07T16:46:00-06:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/03-07-13-driskill-hotel-rumored-to-be-sold-to-hyatt/
 It would appear that the historic Driskill Hotel is facing new ownership: the Austin American-Statesman reports that a deal has been struck with the hotel's current owners, Lowe Enterprises, and major accommodations brand Hyatt.

 Both sides are mum on the details, but the Statesman corroborates what seems like a done deal. The 188-room hotel, perhaps best known for its stately appearance, heart of downtown location and its fine dining and watering holes, has been the subject of sale rumors in industry circles.

 And as recent as Wednesday, a number of new postings were listed on Hyatt's job site, and for a time, Hyatt listed the Driskill as among its locations. (Those links have since been disabled, the Statesman writes.) The hotel's current owners have apparently been marketing the location for sale since last year.

 The most damning evidence of the Driskill's looming sale? An email obtained by the newspaper by an exiting employee, which divulges that the hotel will be changing ownership this week. At this point, it seems all but official, and yet Hyatt remains coy.

 Farley Kern, vice president for corporate communications for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts told the Statesman: "We are very interested in expanding our representation in the Austin market, but do not have any information to share about a specific transaction at this time."

 But it's not as if Hyatt hasn't already planted its flag in the downtown Austin real estate market — it just opened its largest Hyatt Place hotel in the country, with 296 rooms, on Tuesday at Third and Brazos streets.

 When (and if) the sale is made official (though there's also been no mention of a sale price), it remains uncertain when or what kind of changes might take place.

 The 2013 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards will be held at the Driskill on April 11.
 Doritos and Pizza Hut hit SXSW with social media ploys to promote concerts, find employees 2013-03-06T20:38:57-06:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/innovation/03-06-13-doritos-and-pizza-hut-are-using-social-media-to-promote-concerts-and-find-employees-at-sxsw/
 How's this for a hypoglycemic twofer: a 62-foot-tall Doritos vending machine and rapid-fire interviews for a job at Pizza Hut. Both companies are launching elaborate social media campaigns during this year's SXSW, except neither really seem to be about eating their food.

 Doritos, like last year, will be erecting an enormous vending machine-themed theater, the Doritos #BoldStage, for a three-day hip-hop music showcase, with artists Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Doug E. Fresh and NCIS: Los Angeles star and occasional Grammy host LL Cool J.

 But it wouldn't be SXSW if it wasn't interactive: three undisclosed acts have been selected to duke it out, battle of the bands style, to be the opening night band — that winner will also be considered to join LL Cool J on his upcoming tour.

 It's all being done pseudo-American Idol-style, where fans vote on Twitter and Instagram using the #BoldStage hashtag. Austin-based social media technology firm Mass Relevance will be tracking the results using their fancy software. The hashtag will also be a part of the concert experience, affecting how special effects are used.

 The stage and the voting are all part of a brand relaunch for Doritos, which has a new logo and packaging it is rolling out worldwide.

 Pizza Hut, meanwhile, is also using Twitter to find its next digital media manager. For four hours on Sunday, March 10 at the Hilton downtown, Pizza Hut honchos are holding 140 second interviews for the position, a la Twitter's 140-character count. (Fear not, aspiring pizza empire employees, they'll also be conducting those interviews over Skype, too.)

 Appropriately, the Plano-based company will be pushing details for how to apply for the gig through its Facebook and Twitter pages. These are, we assume, the first of many waves to be made by big brands — and social media gurus — during SXSW 2013. Stay tuned as more SX buzz unfolds.
 What starts here changes the world: UT ranked No. 27 in World Reputation Rankings 2013-03-06T08:59:00-06:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/03-06-13-what-starts-here-changes-the-world-ut-ranked-27th-most-reputable-internationally/
 One giant, collective, international Hook 'em: the University of Texas' flagship campus in Austin has a reputation that ranks among the best in the world. In the 2013 Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, UT ranked No. 27 for its perceived prestige, determined by an invitation-only survey of top academics. The school ranked No. 32 in 2012.

 UT was among only two Texas schools to be included on the list, along with Texas A&M University (which is ranked in the list's 91-100 range). And while some of the outranking schools come as no surprise (the Ivy League says hello from the top), the 40 Acres did manage to edge out top schools like New York University, Duke and Brown.

 Its reputation rank by Times Higher Education shouldn't be confused with its annual world university rankings (where UT ranks No. 25), which with Thomson Reuters measures general international topness "across all of their core missions — teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook." This new ranking is just indicative of the university's street cred.

 UT is coming off a string of rankings-related good press: U.S. News and World Report recently declared the university 46th in its list of top schools and Kiplinger's ranked it among one of their best value public colleges.
 What to watch this week: Special binge-viewing edition 2013-03-04T11:40:00-06:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/03-04-13-what-to-watch-special-binge-viewing-edition/
 We've approached that tricky lull of midseason where we're between blitzes of new series premiering and new episodes of most shows aren't airing every week. So in this down week without any significant new premieres, we're checking in on the shows we've been following (and mostly enjoying) all season and making our case for binge-viewing marathons.

 Nashville
 Airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC

 14 episodes into its first season, the tuneful, twangy country soap Nashville is perhaps now the most fun, addictive drama on TV — move over, Downton Abbey, you're past your prime.

 The show, which started strong last fall with a premiere stuffed with catfights, backroom political deals, meaningful glances and ridiculously catchy country songs, continues to be a consistently entertaining hour of television.

 In an extremely surprising turn of events, Hayden Panettiere, an actress previously easily dismissed as that chirpy, no-talent blonde from Heroes and the blasphemous Bring It On sequels, has become one of the most compelling and charismatic presence on TV.

 As the massive crossover singer Juliette Barnes, Panettiere alternately charms and rampages her way through her scenes, embodying that sweet spot between Taylor Swift's girl-next-door country-pop appeal and a seasoned diva's steely-eyed sass.

 Nashville also seems to be slowly siphoning off some of its more snoozy plots — especially that of struggling, egotistical Avery Barkley (ex-boyfriend to the gratingly sweet up-and-comer Scarlett O'Connor) and his sleazy, careerist ways.

 However, the show still struggles with the fact that nearly half of its characters are supremely uninteresting, including (but not limited to) Rayna's soon-to-be ex-husband and mayor of Nashville Teddy, and the harmonious duo Gunnar and Scarlett, who show very little chemistry together — when they're not on stage performing some of the show's best tunes, that is.

 All this is forgiven, however, when Nashville pulls off scenes like every electric (but too rare) instance of clashing divadom between Panettiere and Connie Britton's Rayna James. The more Nashville stays true to its musical roots and shies away from political intrigue and uninspiring love stories, the better. — Katie Stroh

 Catch up on Hulu and on ABC.com.

 New Girl
 Airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Fox

 It's reasonable to think that in this Golden Age of Television, the rules for the forlorn, requited love interests, that Sam and Diane kind of relationship, can be rewritten.

 They may have been already, because in the second season of Liz Meriwether's screwball comedy, the Kiss has happened between Zooey Deschanel's ditzy Jess and Jake Johnson's daffy Nick — and not only did it not crater the cast's impeccable dynamic and rapport, it feels like it makes complete sense.

 What's making it work is that the show has stayed true to itself and its characters; of course Nick freaked and, of course Jess would spazz. Their coming to terms of what their brief embrace means to each of them is a way for a show that cherishes the oddball idiosyncrasies formed in close friendships to find a naturalistic romantic thread.

 Because even though the show is in the prime of its youth as it rounds out its second season, the relationship between the core roommates feels lived in and genuine — marked by the playful ribbing, loving sarcasm and unfettered affection of people who have been close for much longer than the 40 odd episodes they actually have been.

 That said, the show knows how to play to its strengths: Nick, Jess and the rapscallion Schmidt (Max Greenfield, who possesses perhaps TV's best, reactionary browline) have come to the forefront of too many plotlines. Poor Winston (Lamorne Morris) and CeCe (Hannah Simone) are like the show's unfortunate second bananas.

 Better together than alone, New Girl has reached a tricky creative crest: How does it mine its ensemble's chemistry without tiring it out? Nick and Jess' pseudo-romantic entanglement, and how the show has staged its development as a slapstick-heavy unraveling, is a promising indication of its second act. — Aleksander Chan

 Catch up on Hulu and on Fox.com.

 The Mindy Project
 Airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on Fox

 The thing about first seasons of new comedies is that they spend a lot their time, especially the ones that turn out to be great, figuring out what kind of show they want to be and what kind of show they can be.

 For The Mindy Project, that meant figuring out just how much of creator and star Mindy Kaling's penchant for waxing '90s romantic comedy was charmingly retro, and what was just plainly derivative — finding the fine line between veneration and duplication.

 Last week's episode, where Seth Rogen guest starred as an old flame of Mindy's from summer camp, is a step in the right direction, striking the right balance between playful banter and goofiness, taking a key lesson from the Nora Ephron films it celebrates by resisting the temptation to fuss with what's already working.

 But even as it moves forward with promise, Mindy's background world is largely inert: the workplace in this supposed workplace comedy loses almost all its comedic air whenever its star isn't around. And despite casting changes and creative retouches, it doesn't all quite gel together and tightly as it could.

 A gold star, though, to Chris Messina's Danny Castellano, clearly devised as Mindy's eventual love interest. This doctor at Mindy's practice has a defiant, occasionally displaced sense of machismo swagger that is a great foil to Mindy's bright hues and sparkling enthusiasm — an odd couple that truly evens each other out. If there's any reason to hold out for this comedy, it's for those two and their crackling, sharp-witted back-and-forth. — AC

 Catch up on Hulu and on Fox.com.

 Archer
 Airs Thursday at 9 p.m. on FX

 A couple of days off its fifth-season renewal, Archer seems to be on an unstoppable roll. It's not unusual for comedies as neck-breakingly fast-paced and densely packed with jokes like Archer to run out of steam fairly quickly — remember that even the hallowed Arrested Development began to falter in its third season.

 Archer, however, shows no signs of slowing down its unrelenting barrage of obscure references, inside jokes and character callbacks only the most dedicated viewers could catch.

 The animated comedy also makes clever use of celebrity guest stars, as displayed in its most recent episode, "Live and Let Dine," featuring celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain as Lance Casteau, a.k.a. "The Bastard Chef," a Gordon Ramsay-esque jackass who has hired the ISIS team to provide security for a group of Albanian diplomats coming to dine at his restaurant.

 Casteau and Archer (undercover as his sous chef Randy Randerson) of course get on swimmingly, Casteau schooling Archer in the ways of his ABBAB technique: "Always Be Belittling And Berating."

 Although the "reality cooking show" trope isn't one of Archer's most subtle instances of satire, it provides a rich environment for the ISIS agents to do things like weep while mutilating sheep heads in a walk-in fridge and constantly drop the kitchen's "slippery-ass bowls."

 Meanwhile, back at the ISIS offices, Mallory desperately tries to get a table at Casteau's restaurant while holding Pam's fighting beta fish hostage and Cheryl imitates a Kennedy-esque blue blood a lot, which is basically all you could ask for in terms of a B-plot.

 As long as Archer stays out of that later-season rut, keeps finding new ways to deepen its completely bonkers characters and keeps its callbacks fresh, it should stay on course as TV's most indomitable comedy. — KS

 Catch up on Amazon Instant Video.

 Other potential binge viewing:

 The Americans. On Amazon Instant Video. Keri Russell (Felicity) and Matthew Rhys (Brothers & Sisters) play undercover KGB agents in 1980s America. One of the best new shows of the year.

 Justified. On Amazon Instant Video. Timothy Olyphant is as quick as a draw as a U.S. Marshal as his hair is slick. Pulpy good fun.

 Mad Men. On Amazon Instant Video and Netflix. Hurry up! The most curated historical drama on TV is back next month.

 Scandal. On Hulu and ABC.com. Shonda Rhimes' (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice) insane power soap opera about a Washington "fixer" (Kerry Washington) is the definition of so-crazy-it-might-work.
 Fly a kite and listen to Texas music legends: Our top event picks for the weekend 2013-03-01T15:15:00-06:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/03-01-13-fly-a-kite-and-listen-to-texas-music-legends-with-our-top-event-picks-for-the-weekend/
 It's the last weekend before SXSW. Take a moment to enjoy everything that is still appropriate in Austin: the amount of people, the level of activity, the weather. Because, come seven days from now, seemingly primordial forces will alter the landscape and it'll get crazy crowded, really, really busy and science-defyingly hot. Enjoy our top events for the weekend and rest up for next week — you'll need it.

 Interior Landscape of the Emotional Mind

 Enigmatic! That would describe both my repertoire for discussing ballet (and dance performances in general), and also an intriguing new performance at Ballet Austin called Interior Landscape of the Emotional Mind. The modern dance performance is described as one that "reflects on how we, as humans, process emotions, [how] they can be all encompassing, non-linear, irrational and therefore very truthful." Interior Landscape is an experiential show taking place throughout Ballet Austin. It also features original music, lighting and digital projections. It ends its run this weekend.

 Erth Dinosaur Petting Zoo

 Prehistoric beasts were not resurrected in the making of this kids experience, though this "petting zoo" is possibly as lifelike (or at least looks as lifelike) as Jurassic Park. Using surprisingly realistic and emotive puppets and costumes, kids can "feed," interact with and care for dinosaurs in a simulated tour of a prehistoric Australian outback. The dinos are convincing enough for younger kids and a hoot for their parents — bravo to those grown men donning life size tyrannosaurus rex costumes and briefly terrorizing small children. The petting zoo is at the Long Center this weekend only.

 85th Annual Zilker Kite Festival

 Go fly a kite. No really, you should fly a kite this Sunday in Zilker Park during the largest gathering of tethered aircrafts. The Austin tradition celebrates its 85th year with the usual contests, booths of food and other goods and, of course, hundreds of kites zipping across the sky. Go. Enjoy the green lawn and pleasant weather.

 Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards

 The big guns of Texas music. The 8th Annual Texas Heritage Songwriters' Hall of Fame Awards Show (take a moment to catch your breath) honors "those who embody and celebrate the unique history and culture of Texas through their songwriting." This year honors Ronnie Dunn, the late Roger Miller and Sonny Curtis. Jack Ingram opens, Dunn and Curtis and previous honoree Larry Gatlin will perform. And to top it all off, Toby Keith will be there, too. There are a few tickets left for Sunday's show at ACL Live.
 Amplify Austin aims to raise $1 million for local nonprofits with 24 hours of online giving 2013-02-28T11:39:22-06:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/02-28-13-patsy-martin-reveals-the-secrets-of-charitable-giving-and-talks-amplify-austin/
 Patsy Martin is the founder and executive director of I Live Here, I Give Here, a local organization that supports the culture of philanthropy by encouraging Austinites to give back, connecting them with a host of nonprofits in Central Texas.

 I Live Here, I Give Here is spearheading Amplify Austin, a citywide initiative on March 4 through March 5, which aims to raise $1 million for 330 Austin nonprofits in 24 hours through entirely digital means. CultureMap spoke with Martin about the project's roots, changes in the philanthropy scene and ways new donors can decide on a cause. The following interview has been edited and condensed.

 CultureMap: How did Amplify Austin come together?

 Patsy Martin: It's a part of I Live Here, I Give Here, which is a five-year-old movement to elevate the level of personal philanthropy across central Texas. About a year and a half ago, we were looking around the country and seeing these days of digital giving spring up in other cities. We did some research about them and really felt 24 hours of online giving would suit the demographic of [the Austin] community perfectly.

 CM: You've been working in philanthropy for a long time. What are some of the excuses you've heard for not donating?

 PM: What's important for seeking an investment or a donation is that the individual feels a personal connection to the cause and makes a gift, ultimately, thoughtfully. I think the opportunity to do a one-off, one dollar gift where you never really know what happens to that dollar, and you never really know what the outcome of that gift is and how it is being used to change another individual's life, is just not very meaningful.

 As important as the mission and the work the nonprofits in this community do [are], and believe me I think we would be a very different community without the work that we all do, we need to sort of think about how we as nonprofits can meet the needs of those who invest with us. I think that's a complete paradigm shift for a lot of people in the development community.

 CM: When you say "meet the needs" of investors, what do you mean?

 PM: Everyone makes a charitable donation ultimately I think for personal reasons. We need to help understand what those personal reasons are for each individual giver and help them achieve their goals with their gift. And we can do that by making sure the donor knows that their gift is appreciated, they are a part of the solution to the problem they're investing in and letting them know they're making a difference in changing people's lives.

 CM: So it's like following the investor, to put it crudely, beyond the "point of sale?"

 PM: Exactly. And lot of people talk about it in terms of, rather than contributing being a "transaction," it being a relationship.

 CM: What are some ways you think I Live Here, I Give Here is doing that?

 PM: One of the ways we do that is working with the nonprofits that are our partners and talking to them all the time about how to tell their story, how to tell the story of the lives that are changed by the work that they do, and helping them remember to talk to their contributors and investors in those terms.

 CM: Have you seen this method of fundraising to be more effective?

 PM: Absolutely.

 CM: For people who may be coming to Amplify Austin cold, and don't really know where to start, what are some things to look at when choosing a cause or a charity to contribute to?

 PM: People who are thinking about making a charitable contribution need to recognize that we can't change everything in the world and make it better. We need to think about, if we could change just one thing in the world, what would that be? And then make a gift to an organization working in that area. There may be one, there may be two areas, but I say concentrate your giving in areas that are meaningful to you. I think you get more satisfaction.

 And if you don't know what that would be, think about your family members or your colleagues that have been affected either by a personal situation, whether it's health or education or the environment or the arts.

 CM: What kind of causes are you going to be contributing to during Amplify Austin?

 PM: I'm on the board of an organization, so I'll be giving to them that day. I am a mom, and I believe very deeply in the importance of early childhood education. It's an area that speaks to my head and my heart as far as investing.

 CM: So what's next for I Live Here, I Give Here?

 PM: Our board is planning to step back and do some strategic planning in the fall and one of the pieces on the agenda is how to take the work we do beyond Austin.

 CM: So to other Texas cities or bigger?

 PM: We're thinking more about communities that are similar to Austin, whether they're in Texas or not in Texas, it doesn't really matter.

 --

 Amplify Austin starts Monday, March 4 at 7 p.m. and ends Tuesday, March 5 at 7 p.m. Contributions can be made to participating nonprofits directly on the Amplify Austin website.
 Trader Joe's first Austin store to open in Rollingwood, not Seaholm 2013-02-26T11:12:00-06:00 Aleksander Chan http://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/02-26-13-trader-joes-first-austin-store-to-open-in-rollingwood-not-seaholm/
 Trader Joe's, the popular purveyor of highfalutin foodstuffs held in high regard like Whole Foods Market and Central Market, is ramping up the construction of its first Austin store — just not where we first thought.

 When the California-based retailer first announced plans to come to Austin, it was in the Seaholm Power Plant redevelopment area, but words comes from the Austin American-Statesman that Rollingwood's Mira Vista shopping center, near Bee Caves Road and MoPac, has nabbed the rights to construction.

 According to the Statesman, Trader Joe's has filed a building permit application to spend about $450,000 on a 15,133-square foot retail space. And according to city officials, the timeline has been sped up as well: this store, to be constructed in the renovated space formerly occupied by Sprouts, could be open by this summer.

 While Trader Joe's is yet to respond, Rollingwood officials are treating the deal as good done. "They're moving forward on this pretty quickly," Rollingwood building official Michael Alexander told the Statesman. "They were eager to get their building permit."

 Why the sudden change of location? We can only speculate, but building in the Seaholm redevelopment has been slow going and getting around that part of town — with that manic circle drive business — is not exactly pleasant.

 And of course, the obvious: building within earshot of your main competitor's monolith-like corporate headquarters seems like a fight with stacked odds.


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Cinderford Rugby Club beaten by Richmond in thriller
Posted: March 16, 2014|
Cinderford 28 Richmond 29
CINDERFORD sank further into the relegation mire as Richmond broke hearts at Dockham Road in the narrowest of defeats.
The rearranged National One fixture was one Cinderford had targeted as a must-win but a losing bonus point was their only return as Rob Kirby's last-gasp penalty in front of the posts saw the mid-table visitors snatch the spoils.
The Foresters have slipped to second from bottom in the league and though they have two games in hand, this defeat has taught the side those games mean nothing if you cannot win them.
There is no doubt the standard of refereeing at the ruck was inconsistent, with Elliott Booley and Ed King receiving yellow cards while Richmond, who infringed at least four times at the breakdown in the red zone, got away with just a warning.
Though disappointed director of rugby Andy Deacon was frustrated with the "soft penalty" that ultimately sank Cinderford, he believed more should have been done earlier in the game to avoid such a nerve-shredding conclusion.
He said: "The overriding thought right now is that we got into a position to win it and with a soft penalty at the end we managed to lose it and it was taken away from us.
"We played a lot better in the second half than we did in the first half so we just have to put two halves together now.
"We need more control of the game. Richmond are a good side with big guys and big runners and they were asking questions of us all the time.
"In the first half we dropped off too many tackles and gave away soft tries and it was those soft points that hurt us.
"Yes, they kicked in the last minute to win it but we should have been stronger in our defensive performance to ensure it doesn't come to that."
In the reverse fixture, Richmond subjected Cinderford to a humiliating 55-20 defeat and in the opening stages, they threatened to run away with the game once again.
Wrecking ball wing Duncan Peters gave the visitors an early lead when he broke through covering tackles to dive over in the third minute and dire defensive work allowed Richmond to extend their lead in the 11th minute, despite a Mark Davies penalty for the hosts.
A plethora of missed tackles allowed the visitors a run-in from halfway and saw lock Chris Davies go over in the corner to make the score 12-3.
But Cinderford then managed to score 12 unanswered points when prop Booley was in the bin.
In a fantastic piece of play, wing Nev Codlin won the chase to scrum-half Clive Stuart-Smith's cross-field kick to dart over for an unconverted try.
Davies then found a gap to attack the line and selflessly offloaded to centre Adams for Cinderford's second try and a 15-12 lead at the break.
But it was these glaring first-half defensive mistakes that would come back to haunt the side as they watched full-back Kirby's penalty sail over with two minutes left on the clock.
Cinderford started the second half with 14 men after Ed King saw yellow and Richmond capitalised on the number deficit with Peter's second try.
In response, a Cinderford driving maul muscled over, with replacement prop Will Davis planting the ball, and Davies' conversion gave the hosts a 22-19 lead.
Cinderford opted for a penalty to extend their lead to 25-19 but Richmond hit back with a 70th-minute try for wing Rob Alexander to regain a one point lead.
Davies' penalty minutes later soared over and it looked set to win the game – or so the home fans thought.
Sport can be cruel and don't Cinderford know it. They conceded the penalty in the 78th minute and Kirby made no mistake.
CINDERFORD: M Wilcox, N Codlin, J Adams, R Winchle, S Baker, M Davies, C Stuart-Smith (D Pointon, 69), C Bundy (W Davis, 51), K Britton (T Bozzard, 43), E Booley, E King (L Randall, 69), T Hicks, A Balding, M Brown, G Evans (c).
Rep: S Hawley.
RICHMOND: R Kirby, D Peters, J Falconer, M Keville, R Alexander, R Damant, J Gibbs, A Lyon (J Gethings, 53), T Coolican (63), D Parkinson, C Lenygon, C Davies, T Shaw, J Thompson (H Edwards, 63), J Attlee (c).
Reps: J Kyle, L Grimoldby.
REFEREE: Philip Davies
STAR MAN: Mike Wilcox

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Wayne Allen
PDT Staff Writer
On Thursday the Scioto County Commissioners signed a letter of support for Portsmouth Murals Inc. and their efforts to have a Bible formerly owned by Scioto County native Branch Rickey donated to the organization.
"A library in Sacramento, California has a Bible that was presented to Branch Rickey a number of years ago and they want to donate that to a charitable organization. They were thinking about donating it to Cooperstown," said Mike Crabtree, Chairman of the Scioto County Commissioners. "Branch Rickey is buried in Scioto County and his house still stands on Duck Run. His roots are here and they (The Murals) would like to have that Bible here as opposed to Cooperstown. There are tons of items there (Cooperstown) and it may get lost in the shuffle, they would like to have it here where it will be one of a few rather than one of many items."
Crabtree said The Murals is hoping letters of support from various community organizations will help bring the Bible home.
According to published reports, the Bible contains 31 signatures, with a heading in blue ink that reads - "Pirates 1953."
Born in Scioto County in 1881, Wesley Branch Rickey was many things: a school teacher, a college and professional baseball and football player, coach, lawyer and a soldier. He received three college degrees from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.
In 1942, he moved to Brooklyn as president of the Dodgers and signed African-American baseball player Jackie Robinson to play for the Dodgers in 1947.
That moment is the inspiration behind a movie being produced by Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures. The movie is titled "42" and is scheduled to be released in early April.
Robinson was the 1947 Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year, 1948 National League Most Valuable Player, six-time All-Star, and played for the Dodgers until 1956. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
Rickey died in 1965 and is buried in Rushtown Cemetery in Scioto County.
The movie's announced cast includes, Academy Award nominee Harrison Ford ("Star Wars," "Indiana Jones," "Air Force One,") as Branch Rickey, and Chadwick Boseman ("The Express") as Robinson. Also starring are Nicole Beharie ("Shame") Christopher Meloni (upcoming "Man of Steel") and T.R. Knight (TV's "Grey's Anatomy").
The film is expected to open in time to commemorate the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson Day celebrating his first Major League game. The film also opens in time for the start of the 2013 Major League Baseball season.
For up to the date information about the movie visit the film's Facebook page.
No indication was given on when the Bible donation will be determined.
Wayne Allen may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 228, or email@example.com.


text:
Jerry Gray: Luminous alumniWritten by Jerry Gray | | email@example.com
Through discussions with friends and fellow creatives over the last year or so, I've found myself returning to an idea that I believe could be very beneficial for schools, groups, studio spaces and institutions through out Toledo that facilitate the fine arts in Northwest Ohio. From high school and college programs to long-running studio spaces such as the Collingwood Arts Center and Common Space to major institutions like the Toledo Museum of Art and the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, as well as art guilds and groups throughout the region.
One common goal for these places and their programs has been to promote, instruct and engage the artistic community within their own means and context. While these organizations have worked with hundreds — maybe thousands — of artists at multiple levels of development and experience, the engaging atmosphere of these relationships often fade into the background as new students, residents, members and the like are recruited and nurtured.
It is in no way any fault of the organization; it is just simply the difficult nature of the beast, trying to keep tabs on or stay in contact with such a diverse, often nomadic and perhaps lackadaisical breed of individuals. It could easily be an undertaking for an entire department or staff.
Nonetheless, rekindling some of these past relationships could help create an arts-based group or institution that relies on community exposure as a means to their end, and an Alumni Exhibition could go a long way toward putting alumni or their programs into contact with an audience that is perpetually looking forward instead of recognizing a talented history deeply rooted in their community.
There are many potential examples for an Alumni Exhibition, whether speaking of programs such as the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo's Young Artists At Work program, The Toledo School for the Arts, The Toledo Museum of Art's Family Center or any number of others that depend on public or private donations to help fund these artistic hubs and keepers of the creative flame.
For my example, I choose to use the at-the-time notorious Collingwood Arts Center (CAC), one of my personal foundation bricks in Toledo. I lived in and/or had a studio at the CAC for nearly five years, from 2001 to 2006. This is where I first became immersed in Toledo's art scene and the time I spent there was vital in my development as an artist and advocate of the fine arts in Toledo.
The CAC is the only residential artist studio space in the state of Ohio. It is located on the fringe of Toledo's historic Old West End and has housed a plethora of painters, dancers, writers, musicians, photographers, sculptors and performers of all other sorts, including jugglers and magicians, in its nearly 25-year history. Pooling such talents into a full and varied alumni-based event would be very rewarding for an institution attempting to maintain a 105-year-old building.
The logistics of such a task may be overwhelming and difficult, but I believe with online communities such as Facebook and MySpace as well as the building's own mailing list, not to mention the spiderweb of friends connected from their lives together at the CAC, finding the artists and promoting the event and entries may not be as difficult as presumed. This step would become much easier in the case of an annual exhibition, snowballing through word of mouth and understanding of the positive impact such an event would promote.
As stated earlier, putting an institution or program into contact with the community would be very rewarding for all those involved whether artist, institution or patron.
The arts as a whole are facing the difficult task of encouraging and relating to new and younger demographics with an aging patron base and tough economic times contributing to less and less funding.
This scenario could prove to reconnect the community with an understanding of each institutional mission.
Jerry Gray is an artist, writer, vocalist, bartender, gallery owner and advocate of the Toledo Potential, which promotes the retaining and featuring of artistic talent and culture in our city.
Tags: Jerry Gray, Uni-Brow


text:
The House Armed Services Committee chairman Ike Skelton acquiesced to Mr. Kucinich's requests in monotonal agreement, matter-of-factly stating, "I support the VAE -- at the same time, I know it can be improved." To see the entire thrilling exchange play out on C-SPAN, check it out after the break.
[Via GamePolitics]


text:
Experts Guide
|Date Posted
Ralph T. Muehleisen
Ralph T. Muehleisen is the Principal Building Scientist and the technical lead of the Building Energy Decision and Technology Research (BEDTR) program.
|March 20, 2014
Jennifer B. Dunn
Jennifer Dunn is a chemical engineer examining the cradle-to-grave energy and environmental implications of the production and use of transportation fuels and technologies.
|November 25, 2013
May Wu
May Wu is the Principal Investigator for water sustainability analysis in biofuel production.
|November 22, 2013
Dileep Singh
Dileep Singh leads the Thermal Management efforts at Argonne's Center for Transportation Research.
|November 22, 2013
Jason Harper
Jason Harper's research is focused on the development and validation of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging and smart grid communication codes and standards.
|November 15, 2013
Jianhui Wang
Jianhui Wang is a computational engineer – Energy Systems.
|August 12, 2013
Krishna Shenai
Krishna Shenai is a Principal Electrical Engineer within the Energy Systems Division at Argonne.
|March 25, 2013
Vladimir Koritarov
Vladimir Koritarov has 30 years of experience in the analysis and modeling of electric and energy systems in domestic and international applications.
|February 19, 2013
Devin Hodge
Devin Hodge is responsible for effectively managing the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research operational needs.
|June 7, 2012
Di-Jia Liu
Liu studies hydrogen storage for transportation purposes, fuel cells, and batteries, including Li-air batteries.
|February 23, 2012


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- Join Date
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can i use PHILIPS SHC5102 on my pc / laptop
hi guys,
i was thinking of buying these i want to use them on my laptop and pc and as me and the wife will both be watching it we will be using the twin headsets for audio so can i connect this to the lappy and will the transmitter send the signal to both headsets,
thanks for any help,
is any body able to help please.
Last edited by sut; 02-05-2013 at 07:49 PM.
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text:
We at Extreme Productions are very proud to announce our impeccable 95% re-booking rate!
Read here why fellow event planners enjoyed our services so much.
"To whom it may concern,
It has been my pleasure to work with Dustin Nordby and Extreme Productions. I would highly recommend Dustin for any function.
In my role at the March of Dimes, I have been searching for the right DJ and entertainment provider for the last three years. Our site is large with over 1,200 in attendance. I needed to strike a balance between engaging, family friendly and fun. Over the years I had hoped to find a company with enough sound power to drive the site and energy to make the event a success. With Extreme Productions I finally found it!
Dustin Nordby added so much more to our event! His professional skills at handling the crowd and announcements were excellent. The sound was what I had been searching for over the last few years. During our pre-event consultation we decided to add the bounce house and 85ft. obstacle course. The kids and adults were thrilled! I look forward to working with Dustin in the future for more events!
I would highly recommend their services for your next event. There is no question in my mind that Dustin and Extreme Productions can add something extra to your event!"
Ginger E. Feldman
Executive Director of West Michigan
March of Dimes
Grand Rapids Division
3351 Claystone St. SE, Suite G20
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Telephone (616) 247-6861
"Dustin is beyond an awesome DJ. We had Extreme Productions for our reception and he went way beyond our expectations!! Everyone at the reception loved the show he put on and how professional he was!! I always recommend them to people looking for a great DJ!!!"
Amanda Poll
"I am writing in regards to Extreme Productions. This is such an awesome production company. The amount of people brought to these attractions is phenomenal. I have been to some of these attractions and it brings out the young and old for a night of enjoyment. If something can bring more than one generation together for fun, it's Extreme Productions. The lighting is spectacular along with the sound. The big screen is awesome. I look forward to Extreme Productions coming back to the area, you can count on me definitely being there with my son!"
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King Turkey Days
Worthington, MN
"I am the event coordinator for Sandy Hill Family Connection. We recently put on an event called Family Fun Night. We called Extreme Screen Events(Extreme Productions) and they helped me set the evening up. They brought an obstacle course, a bounce house, a 30 foot movie screen, a Nascar simulator, a well known magician, a face painter, and a couple who helped the children make bead jewelery. They were very professional and wonderful to work with. They showed up to set everything up exactly on time, and they took everything down very expeditiously. Our families had a great time, and we got a lot of positive feedback after the event. Thank you Extreme Productions for a magical evening!!!"
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Sandy Hill Family Connection
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"Extreme Productions ..... is one of the best entertainment companies I have ever hired, I was so pleased by the condition of equipment and the staff were in a class of there own. I would recommend this company for your next event, you wont regret it, thanks again Dustin for everything you put together for us!!"
James W.
Big Rapids, MI


text:
Earlier rumors indicated AT&T would be dropping the price of their HTC One X to $99 in the next day or two, and now it seems we may have a bit of confirmation. Radio Shack will be offering the device for $99 beginning July 29th.
This gives AT&T's rumors some very nice legs after being skeptical of the source. But rest assured knowing you'll be able to get one of these at a very attractive price point (that's if you have an upgrade or are a new customer, of course). Anyone going to pick one up?
Continue reading:
- HTC USA promises to support new flagships wit
- AT&T HTC One X+ Android 4.2.2 update lan
- HTC One X and HTC One X+ will no longer recei
- [Discussion] The best looking Android phones
TAGS: HTC One X


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Updated: 01/30/2013 7:46 AM KSTP.com By: Steve Tellier
Everything from food services to farming to state finances could be impacted by potential immigration reforms. Now everyone, including the governor, is weighing in on it.
"It's one of those things that people don't like but the status quo is even worse," said Gov. Mark Dayton.
So comprehensive immigration reform has at least one supporter in Minnesota, and he's a pretty important one.
"It has to be a national solution," Dayton said.
Dayton had just finished speaking with the Minnesota Farmers Union, a group keenly aware of the impact national reform could have on our local economy.
"I'll tell you from personal experience. There's some jobs that people like us won't do, and they will do it," said Peter Ripka, a Minnesota dairy farmer who was at Tuesday's discussion with the governor.
Ripka said a path to citizenship for Minnesota's estimated 85,000 illegal immigrants would mean a path to prosperity for farmers like him.
"It would help the Minnesota economy, and you wouldn't have all the illegals, and you'd have these people paying taxes just like everybody else," Ripka said.
Other business people agree. Voices from the food, farming and recreation communities, as well as the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, have joined together to form The Minnesota Business Immigration Coalition, a collection of local employers pushing for reform.
"Hopefully, now is the time," said John Keller, the executive director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM).
The ILCM is a nonprofit that provides free legal services to immigrants. Keller said many of the calls that come into his office are answered like this: "Unless the law changes, there's nothing we can do for you."
If nothing else, reform would make Keller a whole lot busier.
"We are thrilled at the possibility of being extremely busy with this group," Keller said.
Keller also said reform would be a net positive for everyone in Minnesota. But not everyone agrees with him.
Phil Krinkie, president of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, said small businesses could be hit with a heavier burden in terms of trying to verify which workers are here legally and which aren't.
Many others make the argument that reform simply sends the wrong message by letting people who came here illegally off the hook.