text: Video: Aza Raskin's talk at Wired 2011 Technology 22 October 11 by Olivia Solon w11 raskin Full talk now available to watch in the video above. We need to reinvent healthcare using everything we know about consumer technology and data processing if we don't want to end up overweight and unhealthy, according to Massive Health's Aza Raskin. Speaking at Wired 2011, Raskin, who was previously the creative lead at Mozilla for the Firefox web browser, explained that on the current trajectory, by 2020 some 52 percent of Americans will be diabetic or pre-diabetic. In the UK, by 2020, some 43 percent of people will be obese and eight out of 10 people will be overweight. "Our healthcare system is clinically insane. We are always trying to solve the wrong problem," he said. "How can we make products for people's health that they love to use?" He illustrated the point by bringing out a pin prick blood glucose monitor. "Diabetics do this test a few times every day and it gives you a number," he said, drawing a drop of blood on stage. "Mine says 101. What the hell does that mean? It doesn't even tell you whether that number is good or not. It doesn't tell me I need to do something better this week than last week. No wonder people aren't compliant if this is the kind of support we give people!" Likewise, he explained that around 22 percent of people don't complete their course of antibiotics, which helps to creates bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. "You have to change the way you deliver medicine." He said that we need to bring back the "feedback loop for the body" to remind people not to overeat or to correctly take their medication. Despite plenty of calorie monitoring apps, the best solution to monitoring food intake and fitness, the best solution is still writing it down manually. "It doesn't seem right," he said. To address these issues, Massive Health has set up an experiment that tries to incorporate all of the digital tools we have available to us to ensure that we live healthier lifestyles, which you can sign up for here. Follow the rest of Wired 2011's talks in our live coverage at the Wired 2011 hub. You will be able to watch a video of this entire talk on Wired.co.uk next week. Comments Feedback loops don't have a huge impact on health as numerous health studies show. Our obesity epidemic will not be solved with individual restraint alone (it hasn't proven to be very effective) but with wider social, epidemiological approaches exemplified in the taxing junk food initiatives, banning soda machines, etc. Our fat society is the direct result of the lack of oversight of our food industry. And poverty. And you might be interested in knowing that obese people don't end up costing the system that much, according to some studies, because they die so much sooner than other people.Please avail yourself of all the behavioral health research done by such landmark researchers as Kevin Patrick/Pace Project, health games, CHESS project (Madison, Wisconsin) and others in medical informatics. Solving health issues is very interesting, but way more complex than personal feedback loops as we know so much about health is social. pam strayer Oct 14th 2011 101? That says he's on the upper end of normal - and maybe he had just eaten an hour before too which would explain the elevated reading. Of course diabetics would know how to interpret this number and find these blood glucose monitors invaluable. So what's his point?The real reason health care providers will be forced into using technology, like never before, in the next twenty years is simply cost. The unit cost servicing an ageing population which will naturally exhibit the diseases of an ageing population will become prohibitively high. David Sutherland Oct 16th 2011 52% of Americans will be (pre-)diabetic? Has this guy any clue what he's talking about or does he also believe diabetics is caused by obesity? Pommesgabel Oct 17th 2011 In reply to Pommesgabel Obesity CAUSES type II diabetes. Doc Oct 23rd 2011 In reply to Doc Obesity does NOT cause Type 2 diabetes. My BMI is 22 and I was just diagnosed. Terri Oct 26th 2011 Some interesting points made about the blood glucose monitor.The number '101' by itself is abstract and meaningless. Would it be better if the reading was 100? or 10, or 1'000'000?I think Aza Raskin's point is that blood glucose monitors (and other healthcare interventions), could provide much better feedback, and this would lead to them being more effective.For example the feedback provided by the blood glucose monitor could: - diagnose: let the person know if a problem has been identified, - explain the problem: with a clear message, - advise: ultimately provide an indication of what action needs to be taken, in a timely and relevant way. Salks Nov 9th 2011 Oh,this is serious to know that 52% of Americans will be (pre-)diabetic? But I think Obesity does NOT cause Type 2 diabetes that's per sure.health related articles 2011 health related articles 2011 Nov 23rd 2011 Reply to a comment Name Email Comment Submit » Latest on wired.co.uk


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- SCU Home Page
- About SCU
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- News & Info
- Alumni
Preparatory Review Report 2009
Capacity ReportSanta Clara University hosted a Capacity Review site visit October 20-22, 2009.
Visiting team members include:
Fr. Stephen Sundborg, S.J., President, Seattle University
Rana Glasgal, Associate Vice Provost for Institutional Research and Decision Support, Stanford University
Ronald K. Barrett, Professor of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University
Barbara Gross Davis, Assistant Vice Chancellor-Equity and Inclusion, University of California, Berkeley
Diane F. Halpern, Professor of Psychology, Claremont McKenna College
James A. Hyatt, Senior Vice President for Business and Finance, University of South Florida
William M. Plater, Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculties Emeritus, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
For biographies of the visiting team members, please click here.
The Capacity and Preparatory Review Report was submitted to WASC in July 2009. The full report is available to members of the Santa Clara Community at the password protected "Reports and Data" page. The 35-page report (without the appendices or data tables) can be found at this link.
The supplementary materials on this page provide support for the Reflective Essays and Appendices of the Capacity and Preparatory Review.
Supplementary Materials
C. Academic Advising Syllabus
D. Competence, Conscience, and Compassion in the School of Engineering
F. Departmental Mission Goals Objectives REV
G. Educating for Competence, Conscience, and Compassion
H. Governance SCU
I. NSSE Mean Difference for Benchmark Data
J. NSSE Mean Differences for Disaggregated Data
K. Proposed Faculty Appointment Model Survey
N.Supplementary Material Inclusive Excellence: Irvine Grant Report 2007
O. Supplementary Materials Irvine Grant Summary

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi guys where do I find my fuel injectors on my mk7 fiesta 1.25 edge?
Help Me Locate The Fuel Injectors On My Fiesta Mk7 1.25? - I Think They Need Cleaning.
Started by John-231, Feb 11 2013 06:47 AM
4 replies to this topic
Posted 11 February 2013 - 06:47 AM
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Posted 11 February 2013 - 09:40 AM
Follow the small pipes leading to the cylinder heads.
Posted 11 February 2013 - 10:41 AM
There should be some plastic things sticking into the head, with the loom clipped into each injector, there should be 4 that look similar (or at least 3, the 4th can sometimes look a little different to other 3 on some vehicles). If you can post a picture if you can't find them then someone should be able to highlight which ones are your injectors.
How many miles have you covered in it? Seems odd a petrol from 2010 would need it's injectors cleaning in my view.
How many miles have you covered in it? Seems odd a petrol from 2010 would need it's injectors cleaning in my view.
Posted 13 February 2013 - 04:16 PM
Get a bottle of RedX injector cleaner that should do the job rather than fiddling about with them, and like dave says it seems a pit premature for them to be clogged up, what makes you want to clean them?
Posted 13 February 2013 - 04:20 PM
I dont mean to sound disrespectful but to be honest, if your unsure where the injectors are then i would advise you dont touch them. It sounds like you dont have much experience with injectors, messing them up is going to leave you well out of pocket!
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December 11 - 17, 2011
|Saturday December 17, 2011
James Frain
Joins Disney's The Lone Ranger
ESPN Extends International Rights to NCAA Men's Basketball
James Frain
Joins Disney's The Lone Ranger
Cinema Blend -
James Frain's True Blood character Franklin Mott could
probably be described as mentally unstable, to put it mildly.
Sure, he came across as dark and alluring at first, as so many
vampires do these days, but in the end, he proved to be as
menacing as vampires were once more frequently portrayed, with a
side of crazy for our entertainment. Since appearing in the HBO
series, he's gone on to take on a number of roles, including
NBC's short-lived superhero drama The Cape, and a part in
Water For Elephants. And now it seems he's set to improve
the already strong cast of Disney's The Lone Ranger.
ESPN Extends International Rights to NCAA Men's Basketball
Bloomberg - Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN sports cable network reached an agreement extending its international rights to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's men's basketball for $500 million through 2023-2024.
The accord includes 600-plus hours and 300 telecasts of live coverage annually across multiple media on the company's cable channels and online outlets, according to e-mailed statements today from the NCAA and ESPN, the largest cable sports network.
Prices for TV rights to sports programming have soared in recent years. The National Football League secured a 60 percent increase in its deal with CBS Corp., News Corp.'s Fox unit and Comcast Corp.'s NBC announced yesterday.
The latest agreements also include Internet streaming rights for access on computers, mobile phones and tablets. Fox secured digital rights for its portion of NFL games, and ESPN's agreement with NCAA includes streaming rights as well.
"This is our most comprehensive agreement yet and ensures sports fans will have access to top-level NCAA athletics across ESPN networks and platforms," George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports, said in a statement.
Hindustantimes - Veteran Bollywood actor Shabana Azmi will be narrating poems for a kids show on Disney Channel, while comic actor Omi Vaidya of 3 Idiots fame will be lending his voice to a character on a cookery show meant for children on the same TV network. With Christmas holiday season around the corner, Disney Channel has come with two brand new short series – A Poem Is and Tasty Time with Chef ZeFronk. Beginning December 19, these shows will be aired multiple times daily.
A Poem Is is an animated series showcasing poems for children and set amidst scenes and imagery from classic Disney films, including Dumbo, Bambi and Lady and the Tramp.
The poems will be narrated by Shabana in Hindi and by actor-director Suhasini Ratnam in Tamil and Telegu.
"Children respond to reading and writing poetry, as it fuels their imagination and creativity and allows them to express themselves. This is a great way to learn, memorise and share. Some of the poems are going to be sentimental and sweet, the kind that will warm a mother's heart, and some of them will be silly and funny to make kids giggle and laugh," Shabana said in a statement here.
`Tasty Time with ZeFronk will encourage kids to cook with their families. Vaidya has lent his voice for the character of Chef ZeFronk, who hosts a fun-filled cooking show for kids and whips up fun and healthy snacks for children.
"Little ones love to watch cooking from an early age. Highlight of the show is that it involves a lot of fun and learning at the same time. Parents will be encouraged to watch the show and cook with their kids," Vaidya said.
|Friday December 16, 2011
TUBACHRISTMAS Coming to Downtown Disney District at the
Disneyland Resort
Celebrate the Holidays at the Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort
Marvel And Disney Releasing New TOY STORY Comic in March
New Tropical Delectable Dessert at Remy on the Disney Dream
Disney: It's a big world after all
Pepper Market at Disney's Coronado Springs Tries Out a New Buffet
Disney Junior ushers in holiday season with launch of two short-form animated series
TUBACHRISTMAS Coming to Downtown Disney District at the
Disneyland Resort
DisneyParks Blog - Calling all tuba and euphonium players! On Wednesday, Dec. 21, TUBACHRISTMAS will be attempting to set another world record at Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort, and they need your help.
For the past six years, Downtown Disney District has hosted this unique event, in which hundreds of tuba and euphonium players gather to perform holiday music arranged specifically for these instruments. A global phenomenon, the event is held in various locations around the world, including the Kennedy Center, Rockefeller Center, and locations in Canada, Costa Rica and Switzerland. The Disneyland group set the world record just a few years ago for the most tuba players ever participating in this world-wide tradition and is aiming to break the record again this year.
All ages and skill levels are invited to attend – this year, the youngest tuba player will be 8 years old and the oldest will be 82 years old. Event producer and Disneyland Resort Talent Booking and Casting Director, Stan Freese (who has been participating in TUBACHRISTMAS since 1983), says he is drawn to the event for its uniqueness.
"It's fun, it's free, and you won't see something like this in just any shopping mall," he says. Be sure to keep an eye out for Stan, who will even be playing a solo in the group's performance of "Silent Night."
Here are the event details:
And even if you're not a tuba player, come out and watch this spectacular performance!
Celebrate the Holidays at the Downtown Disney District at
Disneyland Resort
DisneyParks Blog - If you're looking for even more holiday magic, don't forget about the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort! Throughout the holiday season, you can find great treats and activities from La Brea Bakery all the way to Compass Books Café!
Check out all the holiday fun at the Downtown Disney District:
ESPN Zone
Limit one per person per day. Offer valid November 14, 2011, through January 8, 2012. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. Valid at ESPN Zone Anaheim only.
Compass Books Café
La Brea Bakery
Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen
Holiday Dining
Marvel And Disney Releasing New TOY STORY Comic in March
NewsARama - Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and the
rest of the gang lead readers to infinity and beyond as Marvel
and Disney Publishing debut TOY STORY #1 (of 4). Featuring Toy
Story characters from the Disney-Pixar films, Toy Story #1
delivers entirely new content and stories to comic fans.
Andy's new puppy, Buster, loves to play
with toys — but if Woody, Buzz and the gang can't control the
playful pooch, all that chewing and shaking will leave them in a
world of hurt! Will our heroes make it through in one piece with
batteries intact? Find out this March in TOY STORY #1!
New Tropical Delectable Dessert at Remy on the Disney Dream
Now that I've shared with you two of the newest menu items at Remy aboard the Disney Dream, Jamon Wrapped Shrimp and Tomato Ratatouille, it's time to talk about my favorite – dessert!
Also new to the Remy menu is Tropical Fruit Mousse on Almond Cake. Coupled with apricot sorbet, this colorful and artsy sweet tastes as good as it looks and is the perfect ending to your gourmet meal.
In this video, Master Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek of Victoria & Albert's at Walt Disney World Resort gives us a look at the new delectable dessert.
Disney: It's a big world after all
MSN - Walt Disney (DIS
+0.51%) recently announced a big 50% hike in its dividend. While
the yield is still only 1.6%, the move shows the confidence of
the board of directors in the company's future and that has
added to my good feelings about this business.
Pepper Market at Disney's Coronado Springs Tries Out a New Buffet
It's only a test, but we expect the new buffet concept at the Pepper Market in Disney's Coronado Springs Resort might stay. The former "food court"-style dining has been replaced with a concept that suits families and conventioneers – a quick bite and a diversity of flavors.
The restaurant looks the same, but instead of ordering from stations, you now pay a set price and it's all you care to eat for everything from roast beef (or pork or turkey) to paninis, slices of pizza, pasta, salads and Mexican fare. We paired an enchilada with mashed potatoes, and had the kitchen make us a personal-size pizza instead of just ordering a slice of cheese or pepperoni. Everything is made from scratch, says Chef Stephen Wheeler.
Breakfast is waffles, made-to-order omelets, French toast, biscuits and gravy, pancakes and all the extras to accompany.
The buffet is for breakfast and lunch, dinner is a la carte. Cost is $14.99 for breakfast, $8.99 ages 3 to 11, and $16.99 for lunch, $9.99 ages 3 to 11. Non-alcoholic drink and dessert included.
Disney Junior ushers in holiday season with launch of two
short-form animated series
Business Standard - isney Junior, the learning-focused block for kids aged 2-7 on Disney Channel will usher in the holiday season with the launch of two brand new short-form series – A Poem Is... and Tasty Time with Chef ZeFronk. Beginning December 19, these shorts will play out multiple times daily on Disney Channel.
Arnab Chaudhuri, executive director
content and creative, Walt Disney Television International
India, says, "The launch of these new series further
demonstrates Disney Junior's dedication to programming that
highlights the importance of great, heartfelt storytelling with
learning components, including poetry and life skills. Both A
poem is... and Tasty Time with ZeFronk are wonderful additions
to the already robust offerings from Disney Junior and showcase
how Disney's content strives to entertain and inspire learning
while embracing positive values."
One of the most versatile personalities of the Tamil film industry, Suhasini Ratnam says, "Children these days know poetry only to score marks in school. This series is about making poetry interesting for them and it's only right that somebody fond of the language does it."
Award winning actress and poetry enthusiast Shabana Azmi says, "Children typically respond well to reading and writing poetry, as it fuels their imagination and creativity and allows them to express themselves. What a great way to learn, memorize and share. Some of the poems are going to be sentimental and sweet, the kind that will warm a mom's heart, and some of them will be silly and funny to make kids giggle and laugh."
Disney Junior will also feature a series of five-minute long shorts, "Tasty Time with ZeFronk" encouraging kids to cook with their families and have lots of fun along the way. Renowned Comic Actor, Omi Vaidya lends his voice to chef ZeFronk who hosts a fun-filled cooking show for kids from his doghouse with his assistant, a songbird named Sue. With the help of his assistant, ZeFronk whips up fun and healthy snacks for kids in every episode.
Renowned actor, Omi Vaidya says, "Being an ardent fan of the channel since childhood, it feels great to be in a Disney show. Little ones love to watch cooking from an early age and the highlight of the show is that it involves a lot of fun and learning at the same time. Parents will be encouraged to watch the show and cook with their kids."
In addition to the fun-filled shows on TV, Disney Junior will soon be available "on-the-go" as a special magazine with tons of activities and stories. This is in addition to a series of DVD content featuring select Disney Junior shows already available at retail. Parents and caregivers can also access loads of games and on-line activities of Disney Junior content online through a dedicated section on disney.in.
|Thursday December 15, 2011
Last Photo of Walt Disney at Disneyland Park
Disney D-Tech For the Holidays and Beyond
Vintage Walt Disney World: A Christmas Carol Comes to Disney Parks
Disney's John Carter Gets a Giant IMAX Poster
Disney's 'it's a small world' Storybook App Now Available on iTunes
New Gourmet Dish at Remy on the Disney Dream
Hanukkah-Inspired Gifts from Disney Parks
Last Photo of Walt Disney at Disneyland Park
DisneyParks Blog - On this day 45 years ago, the world mourned the loss of one of the 20th Century's greatest visionaries and most beloved figures, Walt Disney. Just a couple months earlier, in the fall of 1966, Walt had publicity photos taken at Disneyland park. Joined by Mickey Mouse at Sleeping Beauty Castle in the Disneyland Fire Department "Engine No. 1," Walt was photographed by my former colleague, Disneyland Chief Photographer, Renie Bardeau, who retired in 1998. That day, Renie took what would be the final photographs of Walt Disney at Disneyland park.
Prior to his retirement, Renie told the Los Angeles Times, "There is a little story of when I was shooting that particular picture. It was shot on a Rolleiflex, and there are 12 pictures on a roll. I had shot 11 pictures of Walt at different angles… watching for his smile, watching to make sure Mickey was looking the right way, making sure the (castle) spires weren't hanging out of Mickey's ears. Anyway, I had shot 11 pictures, and I had said, 'Thank you, Walt, that's it.' He asked me if I was sure, and I told him I was. He then told me that at the Studio we treat film like paper clips. You shoot, shoot, shoot all the film you need because if it's not in the can, you will never have it. So he asked me to shoot one more. So, I shot one more and he said, 'That's fine, thank you, Renie,' and he walked away."
Over time, the photo has become an iconic image of Walt, but few people know that it was the last time we saw him at his beloved Disneyland.
The memorable portrait was recreated for the "Happiest Faces On Earth" photo-mosaic murals featured throughout the park during our 50th Anniversary celebration in 2005. It hung in the foyer of the Main Street Opera House and is now seen by cast members every day as they pass through the lobby of the Team Disney building at the Disneyland Resort.
Every morning when I see it I'm reminded of the rich legacy Walt left the world, and in particular to those of us lucky enough to spend every day at the place he loved so much.
D-Tech For the Holidays and Beyond
DisneyParks Blog - Last year, I introduced you to the world of D-Tech, the new electronic accessory line created for Disney Parks. Electronic gadgets are at the top of my gift giving list again this year, so I checked in with product developer Kevin-Michael Lezotte for an update.
"We have been thrilled with the response from fans about D-Tech," exclaimed Kevin-Michael. "This past year, we have tried a lot of new things. We know that guests use a variety of electronic gadgets. That has challenged us to create a variety of accessories to match. I'm happy to say that in 2012 we will be releasing new accessories for the top five smartphone models."
Kevin-Michael and I walked through the D-Tech showroom to survey newly released items. Following the success of the limited edition iPhone 4 case created for the 40th Anniversary of Walt Disney World, there are two new limited edition iPhone 4 cases created for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort featuring the holiday castles (they also fit the new iPhone 4S).
Kevin-Michael created three new cases featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The sparkly case in the middle has been one of the most popular cases this holiday season.
There are also new iPad cases, laptop sleeves and gift sets that contain both a hard and soft case for the iPhone 4.
Some of those new smartphone cases Kevin-Michael mentioned have already been released including the three pictured above. He also showed me new cases that were similar to the leather iPad cases.
There are two additional cases that fans of Vinylmation may enjoy. They have been in development for about a year and were finally released a few weeks ago. One of the images – the allover pattern – has been used as a header image on the Disney Parks Blog.
If you are looking to give D-Tech items
as gifts this year, check out the D-Tech boutique on the Disney
Theme Park Online Store – DisneyParks.com/D-Tech.
DisneyParks Blog - I'm a total sucker for a holiday movie. On any given night, I'll get invested in some ABC Family holiday flick and forget that I actually have to do other things around my house. But there is one holiday movie that I can watch over and over and over again. It's a favorite, and of course, was made by Disney (I guess I wouldn't be talking about it if it wasn't, now would I?).
"Mickey's Christmas Carol" debuted in the U.S. on December 16, 1983. I still watch it every Christmas season, 28 years later! This cartoon short was the first appearance for Mickey Mouse in a theatrical cartoon since 1953, and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Film in 1984.
Back in December 1993, Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Scrooge McDuck made appearances at Magic Kingdom Park dressed as Bob Cratchit, Mrs. Cratchit, Nephew Fred and Ebenezer Scrooge.
And while Charles Dickens' classic story has been retold many times, I don't think anyone quite captures the spirit of Jacob Marley's ghost quite like Goofy.
Nerd Reactor - If you're going to be promoting John Carter on IMAX, then you better go BIG, like the poster below. The movie is being directed by Andrew Stanton, the guy who brought us great Pixar films like Wall-E and Finding Nemo, and is based on the books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the godfather of all science fiction.
John Carter is a civil war veteran who gets transported on the planet Barsoom, known to us as Mars. The planet's atmosphere gives him great powers, like jumping high and strength. It's up to him to save the day with the aide of Princess Dejah Thoris and his best buddy, Tars Tarkas.
Taylor Kitsch (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) stars as John Carter, Lynn Collins (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) co-stars as Princess Dejah Thoris, and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) is the giant green barbarian, Tars Tarkas (yeah, he sure likes to play green characters). John Carter will jump into theaters on March 9, 2012.
Disney's 'it's a small world' Storybook App Now Available on iTunes
DisneyParks Blog - Now you and your family can experience the iconic Disney Parks attraction, "it's a small world," anytime and anywhere on your iPad, iPhone or iPod! A new animated storybook app available today on iTunes takes readers on a musical, interactive adventure full of beautiful artwork and, of course, that unforgettable music.
Featuring the original Sherman Brothers' song lyrics, this simple, poetic story encourages young readers to meet new people, explore new places and discover that it's a small world, after all. You'll span the globe, traveling over snowy Russian hilltops, across sunny African plains, and through deep ocean waters.
The Disney Publishing Worldwide team filled the app with special touches, including:
Click here for more information and to download.
New Gourmet Dish at Remy on the Disney Dream
DisneyParks Blog - What are your favorite parts of a Disney Cruise? If you follow my Disney Parks Blog posts, you're probably aware that dining is high on the list for me.
Especially when it comes to dining at Remy on the Disney Dream.
Remy's French-inspired gourmet menu was created by Chef Arnaud Lallement from l'Assiette Champenoise—a Michelin 2-star restaurant just outside Reims, France—and Chef Scott Hunnel from award-winning Victoria & Albert's at Walt Disney World Resort.
By continually adding touches of seasonal ingredients from around the world, these renowned chefs keep the menu fresh and ever changing. In this video, Chef Scott Hunnel shows us one of their latest creations — Jamon Wrapped Shrimp, a mouthwatering Italian-concept dish that is both salty and sweet.
Hanukkah-Inspired Gifts from Disney Parks
DisneyParks Blog - When the holiday season strikes Disney Parks, the theme parks and resorts transform into a sea of red and green with dazzling, twinkling lights. Amidst this sea of reds, greens and bright lights lays a vivid assortment of blue, white and gold getting ready to welcome the festival of lights, the celebration of Hanukkah.
To commemorate the Hanukkah celebration, Disney Theme Park Merchandise has developed a variety of Hanukkah-inspired merchandise to help guests ring in the wondrous eight-day celebration. With an assortment of home wares and décor to pins and Vinylmation, the Hanukkah assortment at Disney Parks offers a great way for guests to ring in the festive occasion.
A few highlights from the Hanukkah collection include a small serving plate that is perfect to pass around the holiday table filled with tasty, traditional treats. For younger children looking to join in on the Hanukkah festivities, there is a decorative wall hang that represents the eight nights of Hanukkah. It is a great way for family members of all ages to join in the nightly traditions of the holiday.
My favorite item in the Hanukkah assortment at Disney Parks also happens to be the newest! The Vinylmation Holiday 3 mystery series was introduced to Disney Parks in early December and contains a Hanukkah-inspired Vinylmation. The three-inch figure showcases the traditional holiday game of dreidel complete with gelt and symbols to represent the celebration of Hanukkah.
To guests celebrating the festival of lights this holiday season, I wish you a Happy Hanukkah filled with wonder and light!
THR - Argentine actress Martina Stoessel will play the lead in Violetta, the first original live-action series created by Disney Channel Latin America and Europe, Middle East and Africa, with Argentine tween idol Diego Ramos co-starring, Disney announced Thursday.
The cast will be rounded out by Mexico's Jorge Blanco and Argentina's Clara Alonso - two well-known faces for fans of Disney Channel Latin America, in addition to a dozen actors from around Latin America, Spain, Italy and Ukraine.
Violetta is about a musically talented teenager who returns to her native Buenos Aires after living in Europe. It will be filmed entirely in Latin America and premiere on Disney Channels across Latin America and EMEA in 2012.
Hollywood Hills - X Factor castoff Rachel Crow reportedly landing a new Disney, Miley Cyrus type show. According to Hollywood Life and their sources, Disney is, apparently, quite happy that Rachel Crow got ousted from X Factor, so they could sink their claws into her, first. Their source claims that Rachel and Disney are already in talks about what would be the best way to market her, and that "Disney wants to develop a show about Rachel. it will be kind of like the Miley Cyrus show."
The source went on to reveal that Disney has big plans for Rachel, even bigger than X Factor could've given her, had she won the show. Finally, the source said, "Rachel is beyond talented! She has the potential to be the next Miley, Selena Gomez or even Michael Jackson.
She is an old soul and so incredibly talented!" Wow! Well, congrats to her, I guess.
Orlando Sentinel - Comedy Warehouse is coming back to Disney World — but for a limited engagement. From Dec. 25 to Dec. 31, the Comedy Warehouse Holiday Special, an improv stage show, will be put on at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
The shows will feature performers who formerly appeared at Comedy Warehouse, which closed along with the other Pleasure Island nightclubs at Downtown Disney in September 2008.
"Everyone in it is a current cast member and did the original Comedy Warehouse at Pleasure Island," says Reed Jones, creative director. The exact lineup of performers has not been announced yet.
The show is coming to Hollywood Studios as a holiday extra during what is expected to be a busy time at Disney World, Jones says. It will be produced multiple times daily in the ABC Sound Studio building, the spot that has housed the inactive Sounds Dangerous attraction and is next door to the American Idol Experience.
The new production will be similar to the Pleasure Island shows but holiday-tinged, Jones says. The cast will show off the cast's improv skills through skits — or "scenarios" — guided by suggestions garnered from the audience.
"[We're] trying to stay within the entertainment theme whether it's the theme of 'It's a Wonderful Life' or 'A Christmas Carol' or things like that but still utilize modern-day references from the audience," Jones says.
Chris Oyen, who created the original Comedy Warehouse, has been involved in the holiday version.
"We brought him back in to help recreate it with some of the scenarios they used back in the day," Jones says.
The Comedy Warehouse performers are still Disney workers — some located at American Idol Experience, being part of the "Streetmosphere" players at the Studios and other jobs. They have been rehearsing and refreshing memories, Jones says.
"You also have to turn on that set of muscle memory to come up with ideas that fast in that scenario," he says. "It's so cool to watch them back together again. Just to watch the camaraderie and click. That was a pretty special moment in time here."
There will be six shows per day in the 240-seat theater, beginning at 11:30 a.m. They'll last about 20 minutes.
"The old show was longer, but we did less of them," Jones says. "It was more of a longer nightclub experience, and this is more of a show."
Elsewhere at Disney's Hollywood Studios will be another seasonal offering. Three Disney animated works will be shown in the Premiere Theater in the Streets of America section of the park. From Dec. 23 to Dec. 31, guests can watch "Mickey's Christmas Carol," "Phineas & Ferb: A Very Perry Christmas" and "Prep and Landing: Naughty vs. Nice."
Disney started playing Christmas shows during last year's holiday cold snap to give folks a place to warm up, Jones says. He sees it as a spot to relax and recharge, especially for parents with children.
"It keeps you in the holiday spirit. It kind of keeps you in the Disney world a little bit," Jones says.
|Wednesday December 14, 2011
Disney Legend Richard Sherman Shares His Memories of Walt
Disneyland Paris Celebrates the Holiday Season
Youth Super Bowl Champs Crowned at Walt Disney World Resort
Disney VoluntEARS Serve Tamales for Good Cause
RealD Celebrates Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" Theatrical Release in Disney Digital 3D with Special Edition 3D Kids Glasses
Wildlife Wednesdays: Which Giraffe Is Which at Disney's Animal Kingdom?Disney Parks Chairman Thomas Staggs to Keynote OCBC's 2012 Annual Dinner
Disney Legend Richard Sherman Shares His Memories of Walt
Disney Insider - Many virtues define a true legend, but divine talent is what differentiates "Disney Legends." For the second segment of our "Lunch with a Legend" series, the Insider broke bread with Disney Legend Richard Sherman who (along with brother Robert) was half of the only songwriting-composing team ever to work on staff for The Walt Disney Company. From "Mary Poppins" to "Winnie the Pooh," this award-winning duo is known the world over – if not by name, then by song. Though Richard admits he's shared them a "million times," the master showman was thrilled to recount some of his most poignant memories.
Meeting Walt Disney
"Here's how it all began for my brother Bob and myself ... we were freelance pop songwriters and a little girl named Annette Funicello sang a song we'd written called 'Tall Paul,' which became a really big hit. We started writing songs specifically for her, and had hits with 'Pineapple Princess' and 'Jo Jo, the Dog-Faced Boy' – big rockers back in 1959/1960. Little did we know Annette was Walt Disney's very favorite Mouseketeer ... he listened to all her songs and liked what he was hearing."
Things changed when Walt wanted Annette to sing in a TV movie called "The Horsemasters" since her records were so popular – and requested that the brothers write the song. "Jimmy Johnson [head of the record company] asked if we wanted to give it a shot, so we wrote 'The Strumming Song.' Jimmy liked it, but said Walt would have the final word. We asked 'Walt who?'" After learning that the Walt in question was Walt Disney, Richard wanted to demo the song with a female singer before the meeting, but was told Walt likes hearing things the way they were written.
With trepidation, the brothers brought their song up to Walt's office. "Now picture this ... Walt was sitting behind his desk signing pictures. I'll never forget it because it was our first meeting with the great man. He looked up and asked if we were really brothers because there were a lot of brother acts in vaudeville with people who weren't really brothers. I said 'No, we actually have the same parents!'"
When Walt began discussing "The Parent Trap," both brothers immediately knew he was talking about the wrong film. "I was dying, but my brother Bob was brave enough to say that we were there with Annette's song for 'The Horsemasters.' I mean, how do you tell an icon he's telling you the wrong story?" After what Richard calls the most brutal performance of "The Strumming Song," Walt said, "That'll work," and gave them a script to see what they could come up with for "The Parent Trap." Richard and Robert were completely bewildered and thought the worst. "Jimmy said, 'Are you kidding? He bought one song and gave you another assignment!' We didn't even realize he LIKED what we had done. So that was our very first encounter with the man who changed our lives forever."
From there, they went on to write songs for "The Parent Trap," "Zorro," "Texas John Slaughter," and many other films and television shows. "Walt kept giving us assignments – he was testing us. He'd always say, 'That'll work,' and give us another assignment. Jimmy told us to keep'em coming."
"Mary Poppins"
Little did they know their careers would be thrown into overdrive when Walt asked "The Boys" (his nickname for the brothers) if they knew what a nanny was. Their reply? "Yeah, it's a goat! We thought he wanted us to write a song for a nanny goat!" But Walt asked them to read P.L. Travers' book "Mary Poppins," and let him know what they thought. "He threw the gauntlet down and wanted to see what we'd do with it. So Bob and I read these very charming stories, but panic struck when we realized there was no storyline – it was strictly about a nanny who flies in on the east wind, takes the Banks' children on wonderful adventures, and flies out when the west wind comes along."
Not knowing where to start, they selected six chapters to loosely base a story on – and the chosen adventures inspired scenes like "Jolly Holiday" and "Feed the Birds." Richard recalls the follow-up meeting with Walt. "Walt was as excited as we were! He fell in love with 'Feed the Birds,' which became his favorite song. When we were done, he asked to see our notes, which were pretty dog-eared from underlining and highlighting. We gave him our book and then he pulled out his copy. He had underlined the same six chapters – that was gooseflesh time. It really, really was amazing."
Walt then invited Richard and Robert to work at Disney. "We said YES, we'd love to work here! He already had a contract written up and told us we'd have an office down the hall. Walt wanted us to develop the story with screenwriters Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, but called it our 'backburner project' because he planned on giving us lots of work. And that was the turning point in our lives ... two beloved stories that I vividly recall, and both involved Walt Disney."
Aside from "Mary Poppins," the Academy-Award®-winning duo (they garnered two for "Mary Poppins" alone!) wrote songs and scores for countless Disney classics, including "The Jungle Book," "The Aristocats," "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," and the "Winnie the Pooh" short films. Though Richard says they were always creatively connected to Walt, their time with him was limited but intense. "We started with Walt in 1960 until 1966. Walt was very, very thoughtful and kind to us ... if he liked what you were doing, he'd never gush. You'd always hear from someone else that he flipped for whatever it was you did. When he died, we worked at the studio for several years, but it just wasn't the same. We've had a wonderful career thanks to Walt Disney."
Richard is currently working on his second album of instrumental music, which he calls a cross between pop and semi-classical. "I've always been a happy person. I'm very positive and so was Walt ... that's what he liked. If our music makes people feel good about themselves and gives them hints about how to act, I think we were very lucky to write those songs. It's a nice feeling to know the rest of the world responds to your material."
Disneyland Paris Celebrates the Holiday Season
DisneyParks Blog - The holidays are in full swing at Disneyland Paris, which will celebrate an Enchanted Christmas through January 8, 2012.
Special holiday offerings include amazing seasonal décor, meet and greets with Santa Claus and Duffy the Disney Bear, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Town Square, and much more. The park also features special entertainment, including Princess Aurora's Christmas Wish, in which Aurora's three fairy godmothers argue over the color of the castle. The end result? A glittering castle, covered in thousands of lights.
Youth Super Bowl Champs Crowned at Walt Disney World Resort
DisneyParks Blog - The NFL Super Bowl isn't until February, but the Super Bowl of youth football was just the other day at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. More than 60 teams from around the country competed for the Super Bowl title. Only one team in each of the four age divisions actually won it, but they all put on a heck of a show. To see what I mean, check out this video of the top 10 plays from the championship games. Who knows? Maybe one of these little tykes will be playing in the real Super Bowl one day.
VoluntEARS Serve Tamales for Good Cause
DisneyParks Blog - It's not the holiday season until the smell of tamales fills my parents' home. It's a tradition I share with many, and one that Disney VoluntEARS took part in at the Latino Health Access (LHA) Tamalada just last week. The event, which gave its start to LHA, has been driven for the last 18 years by this saying: "We will have a healthier community, even if we have to sell tamales." And that they have!
LHA sold 3,500 healthy tamales to benefit its diabetes management program and related eye surgeries, which can be life saving. The tamales sold do not contain lard and are made with reduced fat and sodium. This year, Disney donated $10,000 to LHA in support of those efforts and many others dedicated toward improving the lives of children and families in our community. To find out how you can help, visit latinohealthaccess.org.
See my blog post about our participation in this event last year.
RealD Celebrates Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" Theatrical
Release in Disney Digital 3D with Special Edition 3D Kids
MarketWatch - Following the success of their collaboration on Walt Disney Pictures' "The Lion King" in 3D, RealD Inc. and Walt Disney Pictures are celebrating the January 13 release of the animated classic "Beauty and the Beast" for the first time in 3D, with limited-edition RealD 3D kids' glasses. Featuring movie-themed colors and images of the film's characters, including the beloved Chip, Mrs. Potts and the Beast, these collectible RealD 3D glasses will be distributed at theatres free of charge with the purchase of a child's ticket to see "Beauty and the Beast" in 3D. Glasses will be available exclusively at RealD 3D-equipped theatres in North America beginning Friday, January 13, while supplies last.
"What better way for parents to share the magical experience of 'Beauty and the Beast' with their kids than to take them to see it in RealD 3D," said Joseph Peixoto, president, worldwide cinema at RealD."
"The feedback we received from parents and kids alike on the 'Lion King' 3D program was extremely positive, so we're thrilled to team up once again with RealD to make the family moviegoing experience even more special with these 'Beauty and the Beast' collectable 3D glasses," added Dave Hollis, executive vice president of distribution at Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Distribution.
Sealed in individual packaging to ensure they are sanitary and of high quality, limited-edition, "Beauty and the Beast" themed RealD 3D glasses are designed to fit children 8 years of age and younger. Standard adult and kids' RealD 3D glasses are also available at theatres throughout North America. Visit www.RealD.com/Beauty3D in the New Year to find a RealD 3D-equipped theatre playing "Beauty and the Beast" in Disney Digital 3D."
Wildlife Wednesdays: Which Giraffe Is Which at Disney's Animal
DisneyParks Blog - Guests who look closely when they're on the Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom will notice that there now are two subspecies of giraffe—reticulated and Masai–roaming the savanna. Can you tell which one is which in this photo by Gene Duncan? The answer is at the bottom of the post.
A couple of hints:
Here's some more information about reticulated and Masai giraffe:
The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund is funding–among its 2011 projects–a project that supports the reintroduction in Kenya of yet another subspecies of giraffe, the endangered Rothschild giraffe.
Answer: The reticulated giraffe is in the forefront of the photo. The others are Masai.
Disney Parks Chairman Thomas Staggs to Keynote OCBC's 2012
Annual Dinner
MarketWatch - Orange County Business Council (OCBC) is proud to announce that Thomas O. Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, will serve as Keynote Speaker for the 2012 Annual Dinner. The Annual Dinner, presented by Bentley Prince Street and Kaiser Permanente, will take place on Thursday, February 9, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine.
The theme of the 2012 Annual Dinner is "Nothing Rhymes with Orange." In keeping with this theme, Staggs will share his perspective on a unique Orange County success story that gave rise to a new concept in family entertainment that has been embraced around the world. The Walt Disney Company, like many global companies, has roots in Orange County and reflects the innovation and creativity that flourish in the region. Orange County is home to industry leaders in the fields of sports and action apparel, video gaming, medical devices, and international trade. Orange County's strategic location near the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, robust workforce and cultural diversity contribute to the region's long history of forward-thinking innovation.
OCBC's Annual Dinner brings together more than 700 business and community leaders and elected officials for one of Orange County's most anticipated events. During the Annual Dinner OCBC will recognize outgoing 2011 Chairman Eddie Northen of UPS, and install the 2012 Board of Directors, led by incoming Chair Julie Miller-Phipps, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of Kaiser Permanente Orange County.
Staggs presides over Disney's worldwide travel and leisure businesses, which include 11 theme parks at five destination resorts in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line; a popular vacation-ownership program; and award-winning guided family adventures to destinations around the globe. Staggs assumed his current role on January 1, 2010.
Prior to his tenure as chairman of Parks and Resorts, Staggs was most recently senior executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Walt Disney Company, where he oversaw the company's worldwide finance organization, corporate strategy and development, brand management, acquisitions, corporate alliances, investor relations, treasury and risk management activities, controller functions, information systems, corporate responsibility, real estate and taxes.
Staggs played an important role in a wide variety of Disney's strategic initiatives and corporate transactions, including the acquisitions of Capital Cities/ABC, Pixar Animation Studios and Marvel Entertainment. He also led the Company's efforts to drive greater cost and capital efficiency throughout the organization and was instrumental in the development and implementation of well-received company-wide environmental and healthy food policies.
|Tuesday December 13, 2011
Disney Dream ship
among top hotels
Take a Peek Inside Disney Story Rooms at Walt Disney World Resort
Goofy Dreams of Snow at Disney Parks
Music on Main Street, U.S.A., at Magic Kingdom Park
Disney XD's Sitcom 'Pair of King' To Resume Production for Third Season
Why Disney is a real antidote to the blues
Disney Dream ship
among top hotels
MLive - The grand sense of arrival each time you pass into the lobby of a hotel is thrilling. It's curiosity you feel when opening your guestroom door for the first time, followed by a moment of either relief or renewal, and a rush to the window to open the drapes and check out the view or climb onto the balcony. You are suddenly lord or lady of the manor, surveying your new, temporary domain.
I check into and visit dozens of hotels each year, typically peeking at most amenities, activities, nooks and crannys. I find there are hotels that are destinations themselves.
At the close of each year, I review my notes and nominate some of the properties I have experienced in order to select a hotel of the year.
What are my criteria for deciding? It's not terribly scientific. It's mainly whether I felt a tinge of pain at the time of departure, wondering whether I'd ever have the pleasure of returning. It's knowing I just spent a few of some of the best days of my life in an efficient, quality place. Most of all, was it memorable?
Past yearly awardees have included the Kahler International, in Rochester, Minn.; Grand Del Mar, near San Diego; Doonbeg Lodge and Golf Club, in County Clare, Ireland; and Captain Lord Mansion, in Kennebunkport, Maine.
This year's nominees included Vail Cascade Resort and Spa, with secluded, slope-side, lift access and fine dining in Vail, Colo.; Hyatt Lost Pines Resort's western-style adventure in Austin, Texas; Great House Inn in Cardiff, Wales, which has housed Prince Charles in cozy fashion; and the artistry, luxury and culinary craft of the Mediterranean village-style Pelican Hill Resort and Spa, in Newport Beach, Calif.
This year's winner is Disney Cruise Lines' new Disney Dream.
The ship's art deco, three-story atrium is as glamorous as any lobby you'll ever sweep into, immediately transporting you to the golden age of hotels and ocean liners. You will swear you're seeing in sepia-tone!
Fourteen decks of fun (including a thrilling and fun top-deck "AquaDuck" water coaster) depart from Port Canaveral, Fla., on three-, four- and five-night itineraries to Nassau and Castaway Cay -- a pristine private Bahamian island Disney owns. Massive, old Hollywood-style theaters provide Broadway-quality shows, and Disney pirates dance on deck under an explosion of fireworks at sea.
Supervised teen-only and pre-teen or toddler clubs allow parents time away to enjoy adult-exclusive dining or sophisticated themed nightclubs, cocktail lounges or romantic moments peering out at sea. Entertainment for all ages is constant, but so is sedate seclusion.
Take a Peek Inside Disney Story Rooms at Walt Disney World Resort
DisneyParks Blog - I love starting the week off with a video update on one of our exciting new projects. This week, it's a look inside the Disney Story Rooms offered here at Walt Disney World Resort.
As you can see in this video, the existing Pirate Rooms at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort are a great place for tired scalawags to rest their heads. Royal Guest Rooms, which are scheduled to open in February at Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, include nods to some of Disney's most beloved princesses. These rooms start at $189 per night and are already available for booking.
The next phase in Disney Story Rooms will debut at Disney's Art of Animation Resort, which is set to debut in phases beginning with the "Finding Nemo" courtyard in May 2012.
Goofy Dreams of Snow at Disney Parks
DisneyParks Blog - When you dream at Disney Parks, most anything can happen. Always in the holiday spirit, Santa Goofy dreams of starting his own snowfall. Can he? Let's take a look.
Music on Main Street, U.S.A., at Magic Kingdom Park
DisneyParks Blog - Few places reflect that great American spirit of optimism and achievement like Main Street, U.S.A., and one element that truly sings out to me is the live entertainment that thrives there. Turn-of-the-century ragtime piano music underscores the sense of energy and enthusiasm that Main Street, U.S.A., embraces for all who visit, and just outside of Casey's Corner, it is performed every day, to everyone's delight.
What a treat it was to happen upon one of our talented piano players recently as he was transporting our guests to a different time and place by virtue of the nostalgic and rousing music he was performing. Do yourself a favor next time you are in Magic Kingdom Park and boogie on down to Casey's Corner for a hot dog and some of the finest toe-tapping ragtime piano you will ever hear. Trust me on this.
Disney XD's Sitcom 'Pair of King' To Resume Production for Third
TVbytheNumbers - The hit Disney XD comedy series "Pair of Kings" will resume production for a third season and popular actor Adam Hicks (Disney XD's "Zeke and Luther," Disney Channel's "Lemonade Mouth") will join the cast as a new character, a long lost brother, added to the story of the unusual island of Kinkow, it was announced today by Adam Bonnett, Senior Vice President, Original Series, Disney Channels Worldwide. "Pair of Kings" will continue without the character Brady played by Mitchel Musso. The actor, singer/songwriter will continue his role as the voice of Jeremy Johnson in Disney's Emmy Award-winning series "Phineas and Ferb."
"Pair of Kings" centers on teen brothers whose lives change dramatically when they inherit the throne of the island of Kinkow, home to many quirky inhabitants. It is Disney XD's second highest-rated series in Total Viewers, Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14 and season to-date, has increased its ratings by 14% among Kids and 21% among Tweens 9-14.
In making the announcement, Bonnett said, "Adam's comedic talent will add a new dimension to an already successful series and we're eager to introduce the new character to our viewers." He continued, "Mitchel is a part of our family and for him, it will always be about versatility and doing different things on an artistic level. We have tremendous respect for his talent and we thank him for his contribution to the series."
Mitchel Musso said, "Since I was 12, Disney Channel has been an extended family to me and I want all of my friends there to know that I appreciate the opportunities that have come my way and I look forward to focusing on acting and music projects that are in development and sharing the news with my fans around the world soon. I wish the cast, producers, and crew nothing but success on the next season of 'Pair of Kings.'"
Production will resume in February with Hicks joining the "Pair of Kings" cast: Doc Shaw, Kelsey Chow, Ryan Ochoa and Geno Segers. This year, "Pair of Kings" was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series and for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
For three seasons, Hicks starred in the Disney XD comedy series "Zeke and Luther" and also starred and has songwriting credits in the hit Disney Channel Original movie "Lemonade Mouth." He has performed and collaborated on three Disney XD music videos, "Happy Universal Holidays," the hip hop spin on the classic song, "In the Summertime," and the remake of the MC Hammer hit, "U Can't Touch This." Among his other acting credits are "JONAS L.A.," "That Was Then," "The Funkenhousers" and "Titus."
"Pair of Kings" was created by and is executive-produced by Dan Cross and Dave Hoge. Matt Wickline is the executive producer. Leo Clarke is the producer and Don Beck is the consulting producer. "Pair of Kings" is produced by It's A Laugh Productions, Inc.
Why Disney
is a real antidote to the blues
sofeminine - It was almost a year since my
Dad had passed and I was feeling pretty down. I was also a
brewing cold. It was a cocktail for an Elizabeth maelstrom.
|Monday December 12, 2011
California Dreamin' for a Disney Cruise Aboard the Disney Wonder
Another Incredible Photo of the Disney Fantasy
D23 Brings Magic and Merriment to Walt Disney World Resort
Name Tags for Our Four-Legged Disneyland Resort Cast Members
A Disney-Style Super Bowl with Disney Institute
Disney's Playdom launches social game Gardens of Time on iPad
For Disney, a Younger Princess
Disney Institute Updates Bestseller Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service
Mitchel Musso is Leaving Disney XD's "Pair of Kings"
California Dreamin' for a Disney Cruise Aboard the Disney Wonder
DisneyParks Blog - Are you California Dreamin' on such a winter's day?
From stunning views of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco…
…to sunny weather and miles of sandy beaches in San Diego.
It's no wonder that a Pacific Coast cruise aboard the Disney Wonder is one of the most popular Disney Cruise Line itineraries in 2012. And with a departure from Los Angeles, this cruise is a great excuse to spend a little more time with Mickey at Disneyland Resort.
There's no doubt the seven-night Pacific Coast cruise takes guests along one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world.
Another Incredible Photo of the Disney Fantasy
Disney Cruise Lines - Here's another incredible photo of The
Disney Fantasy under construction in Germany.
D23 Brings Magic and Merriment to Walt Disney World Resort
DisneyParks Blog - This past weekend members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club enjoyed two full days of holiday happenings at Walt Disney World Resort during the club's annual Magic and Merriment event. In fact, the event was so popular in past years that D23 doubled the capacity this year by offering the event two times. And the excitement was capped with a royal engagement.
The merriment kicked off inside World Showplace at Epcot where guests were treated to presentations that offered an insider's look at the holidays around the resort. Imagineer Alex Carothers and Holiday Services manager Lisa Borotkanics revealed some of the secrets to transforming Walt Disney World Resort, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, and the Disney Cruise Line fleet into wintery wonderlands. Walt Disney Archivist Steven Vagnini looked at the history of the Candlelight Processional at Disney Parks (later that day, guests enjoyed reserved seating to see the spectacle for themselves). And Disney Legend Kathryn Beaumont (who gave voice to Wendy in "Peter Pan" and Alice in "Alice in Wonderland") talked about her history with Walt Disney working with Walt on 1951's Walt Disney Christmas Show.
Imagineer Gary Landrum explored the creation of the Cinderella Castle Dream Suite – and the following day, guests all received a tour of the rarely seen accommodations. It was inside this regal room that D23 Member Amanda Richards received a royal proposal from her now-fiancé, Ben Doughan. Congratulations!
"The Dream Suite was more magical than I expected," said D23 Member Debbie Bingham who had traveled from New Jersey to attend the event. "It was even more impressive after hearing the presentation the day before where the Imagineer described all the details." Guests also got a glimpse backstage, visiting the Holiday and Scenic Services buildings as well as the Parade Barn. "It doesn't ruin the magic," added Debbie's husband Gary. "It makes it even more impressive."
Also included during the weekend were Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and a spectacular holiday feast at Disney's Animal Kingdom after the park had closed to guests. While Magic and Merriment marks the end of another year of extraordinary experiences, D23 has unveiled an impressive slate of events for 2012 that will bring Disney delights to D23 Members across the country. Stay tuned for even more exciting announcements coming soon from D23: The Official Disney Fan Club regarding exclusive events, opportunities and benefits just for D23 Members.
Name Tags for Our Four-Legged Disneyland Resort Cast Members
DisneyParks Blog - Those of you who are regular visitors to Disney Parks know how to spot a cast member: by their costume (obviously), by their smile (it's hard not to be happy working here) and by that one indispensable piece of attire – their name tag.
As we've learned in previous posts about the Circle D Corral, its four-legged residents are just as much cast members as myself and my bipedal colleagues. So naturally these cast members have their own name tags.
The photo above shows some of the Circle D horses' name tags, which are used on this board to show where each horse is throughout the day. It helps the human cast members at the corral easily locate the horses.
But it's not just the horses who have their own name tags. In the photo above, you can see some of the name tags for the Circle D goats. (Side note: If you haven't seen the video Heather shared of the baby goats born at the corral last year, stop what you're doing and watch it here right now.)
These are just the name tags at the Circle D Corral, though. Some of these cast members have name tags displayed where guests can see them when they are in Disneyland park.
Disney-Style Super Bowl with Disney Institute
How, exactly, do you get 20,000 employees to deliver an exceptional customer experience?
You can start by looking to Disney, which is exactly what the NFL's Super Bowl team is doing in preparation for the big game taking place in Indianapolis in February. As Frank Supovitz, senior vice president of events for the NFL, said to USA Today this week: "Nobody's better at it in the world than Disney. You see that any time you go to their theme parks. They're very customer-oriented."
Disney Institute is in the second phase of a three-part engagement with Supovitz and his Super Bowl team to help implement Fans First, an initiative designed to improve the fan experience – from airport, to parking lot, to stadium seat and back. The secret lies in the upfront training. Everyone (from manager to front-line worker) has to be on the same page and has to have the same customer-focused goal. It's similar to the approach we use in Disney Parks around the world.
The end goal? Make all Super Bowl fans feel like VIPs.
Disney's Playdom launches social game Gardens of Time on iPad
GamesBeat - Gardens of Time, the most successful Facebook game created by Disney's Playdom, is launching today on the iPad.
The launch is a major one for Playdom, since the Palo Alto, Calif.-based division wants to replicated the success of the social game on mobile platforms, which are expected to be a significant avenue of growth for social games. The game has been successful because it was the first major "hidden object" game on Facebook. In such games, which are popular on casual game web sites, players search for objects in a scene.
The game launched in April on Facebook and it became one of the most popular titles on the social network. More than 5 billion hidden object game sessions have been played to date, and the game hit a peak of 17 million monthly active users and 4 million daily active users. The game now has 9.1 million MAUs and 2.1 million DAUs, but it is still Playdom's most popular game on Facebook by far.
The iPad version of the game is integrated with OpenFeint, Game Center, and Facebook. That means that the developers have tried to make the game as social as possible, so that the title can spread in a more viral fashion.
In Gardens of Time, players join the Time Society, an elite group of time-traveling detectives. They explore vibrant hidden object scenes throughout history to guard the secrets of time travel and preserve history's flow. As players find objects, they earn coins, the games currency, and collect ancient artifacts to personalize a garden that you can show off. As your garden grows, so does your reputation and you can unlock more travel spots.
The game is social because you can interact with other players, challenging them to high scores where you find objects on a time limit. You can send gifts and visit neighbors and compete in a "best garden" contest. John Spinale, senior vice president of social games at the Disney Interactive Media Group, said that Gardens of Time is perfectly suited for the tablet experience and the company sees a chance to engage with millions of players on the go on the new platform.
For Disney, a Younger
New York Times - The Disney princesses exert a powerful hold on the imaginations of many girls, influencing everything from how they play to what they wear. Some parents think they can also send the wrong message to girls — that life isn't complete without Prince Charming, for instance.
So how will a new Disney princess aimed squarely at preschoolers go over?
This week the company plans to announce "Sofia the First," a television movie and series centered on a girl princess. It's a first: Disney's princesses until now have all been adults (Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and so on).
"Sofia the First" will play on both Disney Channel and Disney Junior, a channel aimed at children ages 2 to 7 that is set to make its debut in the coming months. The company's hope, of course, is for the character to spawn all kinds of consumer products. It's a solid business bet; the Disney Princess toy line generates about $4 billion in annual retail sales.
But Disney is also keenly aware of the potential for criticism and emphasizes that "Sofia the First" will focus on learning and what it says are age-appropriate themes. Lessons will include the importance of getting along with siblings and how to be a kind and generous person.
Sofia will have "plenty of pretty dresses and sparkly shoes," said Nancy Kanter, general manager for Disney Junior Worldwide, but episodes will teach viewers that "what makes a real princess is what's inside, not what's outside."
Ms. Kanter said Disney had high hopes for the series, partly because focus groups reacted with "uniform positivity." "We saw girls have an instant relatability to this character," Ms. Kanter said. "If kids relate to what they watch — if they can put themselves in that world — that's where real learning can start."
Disney Institute Updates Bestseller Be Our Guest: Perfecting the
Art of Customer Service
PRNewswire - In honor of Disney Institute's 25th anniversary, Disney Publishing Worldwide has released an updated edition of Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service, the quintessential guide to Disney's legendary customer service. Authored by Disney Institute and writer Theodore Kinni , the updated book outlines how customer service continues to provide a competitive edge for a company that has experienced significant growth over the last decade.
Exceeding expectations rather than simply satisfying them is the cornerstone of the Disney approach to customer service. Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service outlines how Disney theme parks and resorts consistently deliver quality service to tens of millions of guests each year. Disney Institute, the professional development arm of The Walt Disney Company, helps organizations adapt these proven Disney principals in service as well as leadership, management, creativity/innovation and brand loyalty to positively impact the bottom line.
"For years Disney Institute has introduced business professionals from around the world to the strategies and practices that are core to the world-renowned success behind the Disney brand," said Jeff James , vice president for Disney Institute. "This updated edition of Be Our Guest presents those classic service principles in a new and exciting way."
In the last 25 years, tens of thousands of professionals from more than 45 countries and scores of industries have participated in Disney Institute programs. Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service highlights the success these companies have achieved after adapting some of the key processes and best practices that have made Disney a trusted and revered worldwide brand for more than 85 years.
For more information on the programs and services provided by Disney institute, please visit disneyinstitute.com.
Mitchel Musso is Leaving Disney XD's "Pair of Kings"
Modoration - Disney star Mitchel Musso is moving on from Disney XD's "Pair of Kings" to focus on more adult Disney projects, says TMZ. Reportedly, his recent DUI is what accelerated the decision.
Mitchel was arrested in October for a DUI. He plead 'not guilty' on Friday.
Mitchel will finish up one more season of Pair of Kings and then move on into more adult projects.
December 11, 2011
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Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, also called Human herpesvirus 8 or HHV8) is a γ-2 herpesvirus that causes Kaposi sarcoma. KSHV seroprevalence rates vary geographically with variable rates recorded in different sub Sahara African countries, suggesting that effects of genetic and/or environmental factors may influence the risk of infection. One study conducted in South Africa, where KSHV seroprevalence is relatively low, found that carriage of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles HLA-A*6801, HLA-A*30, HLA-A*4301, and HLA-DRB1*04 was associated with increased shedding of KSHV DNA in saliva. Confirmation of those results would strengthen the hypothesis that genetic factors may influence KSHV distribution by modulating KSHV shedding in saliva. To explore these associations in another setting, we used high resolution HLA-A, B, and DRB1 typing on residual samples from the Uganda Sickle Cell Anemia KSHV study, conducted in a high KSHV seroprevalence region, to investigate associations between HLA and KSHV shedding in saliva or peripheral blood among 233 children and their mothers. HLA-A and HLA-DRB1 alleles were not associated with KSHV shedding in our study, but our study was small and was not adequately powered to exclude small associations. In exploratory analyses, we found marginal association of KSHV DNA shedding in saliva but not in peripheral blood among children carrying HLA- B*4415 and marginal association of KSHV DNA shedding in peripheral blood but not in saliva among children carrying HLA- B*0801 alleles. The contribution of individual HLA polymorphisms to KSHV shedding is important but it may vary in different populations. Larger population-based studies are needed to estimate the magnitude and direction of association of HLA with KSHV shedding and viral control.
Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, also called Human herpesvirus 8 or HHV8) is a γ-2 herpesvirus etiologically linked to Kaposi sarcoma (KS) [1]. KSHV seroprevalence in the general population is highest in sub-Saharan Africa (50-60%), intermediate in South America and the Mediterranean countries (10-40%), and low in Europe and North America (< 5%) [2], suggesting that genetic and/or environmental factors may influence KSHV seropositivity patterns [3,4]. Environmental factors, including plants in regions of Africa where KSHV prevalence and KS incidence are high, have been postulated to influence KSHV lytic replication and, thus, increase KSHV shedding [5]. Colluzi et al., speculated that KSHV transmission is increased indirectly when KSHV infected saliva is used to soothe itchy insect bites caused by blood-sucking arthropods [6]. The role of genetic factors is less well understood. An effect of a major recessive gene on KSHV susceptibility or resistance to KSHV infection was postulated, based on statistical analysis of familial clustering of KSHV infection, among Noire-Marrons families in French Guiana [7]. Recently, a study in South Africa found increased KSHV DNA shedding in saliva among subjects carrying human leukocyte antigens (HLA) HLA-A*6801, HLA-A*30, HLA-A*4301, and HLA-DRB1*04 alleles [8]. Given that HLA polymorphisms have been shown to influence transmission, control, and pathogenesis of other viral infections such as human papillomavirus, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 [9-11], this finding is biologically plausible. Thus, we sought to replicate the findings from South Africa in Uganda and to explore novel HLA allele associations with KSHV shedding using residual samples and data from the Uganda Sickle Cell Anemia KSHV study [12].
The Uganda Sickle Cell Anemia KSHV study included 600 children with sickle cell anemia, but without KS, who were enrolled from November 2001 to April 2002 at the Sickle Cell Clinic at Mulago Hospital [12]. The mothers of the children were also included when available. Children were confirmed by gel electrophoresis to have sickle cell anemia (homozygous for the sickle cell gene) and the mothers were presumed to have the sickle cell trait (heterozygous for the sickle cell gene), but not sickle cell anemia. Children and their mothers were tested serologically for anti-KSHV antibodies using two peptide enzyme immunoassays (EIA) to the K8.1 and ORF73 KSHV peptides, as previously described [12]. A subset of 233 children, including 183 who were KSHV seropositive on either the K8.1 or the ORF73 EIA and 50 children randomly selected from among 417 children who were seronegative on both assays, were further studied for KSHV viral shedding in saliva and in peripheral blood using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for KSHV DNA [3].
We performed high-resolution HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 typing on residual DNA obtained from saliva or buffy coat of the children and their mothers from the KSHV viral study. Alleles were separated by a group-specific amplification approach using multiple amplification primer mixes in parallel (PROTRANS S3/S4 HLA SINGLE ALLELE SEQUENCING SET, PROTRANS MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS, HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY) [13]. The presence or absence of a PCR product was demonstrated by an agarose gel-based read-out for HLA-A and HLA-B while the PCR product detection for HLA-DRB1 was achieved by fluorescence-based read-out using the 5' nuclease technology [14]. Purification of the PCR product was performed enzymatically by exonuclease/shrimp alkaline phosphatase treatment (ExoSAP-IT; USB; Cleveland, OH, USA), followed by forward and reverse sequencing of exon 2 and 3 for HLA class I and of exon 2 for HLA class II, using Big Dye Terminator Technology (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA). The sequencing reaction products were purified using the Montage SEQ96 sequencing reaction cleanup kit (Millipore, Billerica, MA, USA) and subjected to electrophoresis on a 3730 Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems). The data were analyzed using the Sequence Pilot program (version 3.0; Protrans). Sequencing-based typing allowed determination of HLA allele groups on basis of resolution at the 2- digit level and alleles on basis of resolution at the 4-digit level [8].
We calculated the weighted distribution of HLA-A, -B, and -DRB1 allele group frequencies among the children and their mothers separately. The prevalence of allele groups was weighted back to the original study population. Thus, the weighted prevalence of HLA allele group (X) in the children = (prevalence of allele group X in KSHV-negative children × proportion of children who were KSHV negative) + (prevalence of allele group X in KSHV-positive children X proportion of children who were KSHV positive). The prevalence of HLA allele groups for the mothers was weighted back to the original study population based on KSHV status of the children because the mothers were selected when their child was selected.
We assessed associations between HLA allele groups and KSHV DNA detection for the alleles selected a priori based on previous associations with KSHV shedding in saliva: HLA-A*6801, HLA-A*30 and HLA-A*4301, and HLA-DRB1*04 separately for the children and their mothers. We also performed exploratory analyses to identify new associations. Odds ratios (ORs) for association and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were computed using logistic regression models. We adjusted for KSHV serostatus by including the posterior probability of KSHV infection estimated using multivariate mixture models as previously described [15]. All statistical tests were two-sided and p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Among 233 children with DNA, HLA was successfully typed for the A locus in 223, for the B locus in 225, for the DRB1 locus in 223 children. Among 233 mothers with DNA, HLA was successfully typed for the A locus in 226, for the B locus in 226, for the DRB1 locus in 227 mothers. The weighted prevalence for HLA loci, HLA-A, -B, and -DRB1 and the number of people carrying the allele group for children and their mothers separately are shown in Table 1. The allele group distribution between mothers and children for HLA-A, -B, and -DRB1 were similar (Table 1). For each locus, the 4 most frequent allele groups were HLA-A*02, A*30, A*68, A*74; B*58, B*53, B*15, B*42; and DRB1*11, DRB1*15, DRB1*13, DRB1*01 among the children and HLA-A*02, A*30, A*68, A*23; B*58, B*45, B*15, B*42; and DRB1*11, DRB1*15, DRB1*13, DRB1*03 among the mothers. HLA-A*43, which was associated with KSHV shedding in South Africa, was not observed in our study. HLA-DRB1*04 allele group was observed in only 1% of the children and in only 2% of the mothers.
Table 1. Weighted* HLA allele group prevalence among children and mothers in the Uganda Sickle Cell Anemia KSHV Study, 2001-2002
HLA-A*3001, HLA-A*3002, HLA-A*6801, HLA-A*6802, and DRB1*0405 alleles were not associated with detection of KSHV DNA in saliva or in peripheral blood in the children (Table 2) or in the mothers (results not shown). We found increased risk of detectable KSHV DNA in saliva among children carrying at least 1 HLA- B*4415 allele (OR 5.5; 95% CI 1.1-28.6), but the risk was not increased for detecting KSHV DNA in peripheral blood (OR 1.1; 95% CI 0.1-9.2). We found increased risk of detectable KSHV DNA in peripheral blood in children carrying at least 1 HLA- B*0801 allele (OR 3.9; 95% CI 1.4-10.8), but the risk was not increased for detecting KSHV DNA in saliva (OR 1.1; 95% CI 0.3-4.1).
Table 2. Association between HLA alleles and KSHV DNA detection in saliva and peripheral blood among children in the Uganda Sickle Cell Anemia KSHV Study, 2001-2002
Our study did not replicate HLA associations with KSHV DNA shedding reported in South Africa [8]. Our null results are likely due to the small size of our study and hence limited power to demonstrate weak associations. Another reason is that, our study included a highly selected group of children, i.e., with sickle cell anemia and their mothers with sickle cell trait, who may be systematically different in their HLA genotype distribution from the general population. In addition, because KSHV shedding is often intermittent, associations between KSHV shedding and HLA may have been missed by our study that relied on peripheral blood and saliva, taken at one time point. We found that the distributions of HLA allele groups in the mothers and children were similar and resembled the distributions of HLA allele groups in two general population-based studies in Uganda [16,17] suggesting that the selected nature of our population may not be a major reason for our null results. Possibly, different alleles influence KSHV shedding in different populations, as suggested by the rare-allele advantage model [18]. The polymorphic nature of HLA is critical for conferring diverse and effective pathogen response. Because polymorphisms in HLA are influenced by pathogens that are common in the environment where the population resides and is well adapted, differences in haplotype structure in populations residing in geographically dispersed regions, such as Uganda and South Africa, could lead to variable HLA pathogen associations [19]. For example, HLA allele polymorphisms HLA- B*5301, HLA- DRB1*1302, and HLA- DRB1*0101 have been associated with genetic resistance [20-22] or HLA-DRB1*04 with susceptibility [23] to malaria, but the distribution is different in different populations where malaria is endemic [19,20,24]. In the study by, Alkharsah et al., [8], risk for KSHV shedding in saliva was increased among carriers of HLA-A*43, but this allele group was observed in 2.8% of women in their study. This allele group was not observed in our study and it was absent in another study that evaluated HLA polymorphisms in Uganda [17] and, thus, its effect cannot be replicated in Uganda. Taken together, ours and Alkharsah's study [8] provide the first insights about HLA associations with KSHV DNA shedding but additional studies are warranted to clarify the role of host genetics in KSHV epidemiology.
The strengths of our study include assessment of HLA polymorphisms on three loci among children and their mothers. The pre-selected sample of children with sickle cell disease, one time sampling of subjects and small sample size were limitations. Thus, it is possible that play of chance and multiple testing in small studies could explain findings from both ours and Alkharsah's studies. Large and better designed studies are warranted to evaluate the contribution of individual HLA polymorphisms to KSHV shedding in different populations.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors' contributions
MGO analyzed and interpreted data, and drafted the manuscript. MV, TFS, BEV, CF, and RB used high resolution technique for HLA-A, B, and DRB1 allele typing. RMP contributed to analysis and interpreted data. CMN, AMO, PMB, interpreted data and edited the paper, KB interpreted data. SMM conceived the idea, guided data analysis, interpreted data and edited the paper. All authors had access to data, commented on and contributed to the final draft of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final paper.
We are grateful to the study subjects and staff at the Sickle Cell Clinic at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, for their participation. Mothers gave written consent for themselves and their children to participate; children ≥ 7 years old gave witnessed assent. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of the National Cancer Institute and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. The content is the responsibility of the authors alone and does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
This work was funded by the Intramural Research Program of the Division of Epidemiology and Cancer Genetics, National Cancer Institute (contracts N02-CP-91027 and N01-CO-12400), National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
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David Keplinger
Department of Literature
- David Keplinger is the author of four collections of poetry, most recently The Most Natural Thing (2013) and The Prayers of Others (2006) , which won the Colorado Book Award. His first collection, The Rose Inside, was chosen by the poet Mary Oliver for the 1999 T.S. Eliot Prize. Professor Keplinger has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, held a residency in Denmark through the Danish Council on the Arts, and a two year Soros Foundation fellowship in the Czech Republic. In 2011 he produced By and By, an album of eleven songs based on the poetry of his great-great grandfather, a Civil War veteran. His translations of Danish poet Carsten René Nielsen have appeared in two volumes, World Cut Out with Crooked Scissors (2007) and House Inspections (2011), a Lannan Translations Selection. His work has been included in numerous anthologies in the United States, as well as in China and Northern Ireland, and he has taught at the universities of Ostrava (Czech Republic) and Kosice (Slovakia). His areas of interest include contemporary American poetry, European poetry and poetics in the twentieth century, poetic meter and form, creative writing pedagogy, translation and artistic collaboration, and the poetry of witness (with emphases on the American Civil War, the poets of World War I, and Holocaust literature).
DegreesMFA, Penn State University
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Next Tuesday, March 5th, at 10 am(ish), we will be unveiling this year's BTBA Fiction Longlist. This year's judges—click here for the complete list—did a spectacular job selecting the 25 best works of fiction in translation published last year.
In contrast to years past, this time I recommended that the nine judges agree on 16 titles, then each pick one "wild card"—a book that they personally love, but that didn't make the list selected by the group. My hope—which seems to have worked—was to diversify the group of finalists a bit, allowing books that didn't get quite as much play to get some attention.
That said, looking over the complete list of fiction titles, there are a few books that I thought for sure would be on there, but aren't. So, over the next five days I'm going to highlight some of them. This isn't to say that I disagree with the list of finalists—I think it's pretty spectacular, and damn, is narrowing it down to 25 books a difficult task—just that I think there are a few other titles that deserve some sort of honorable mention. And besides, for those of you playing along at home, this list of non-BTBA books might give you some clues as to what did make it . . .
The Obscene Madame D by Hilda Hilst, translated from the Portuguese by Nathanaël in collaboration with Rachel Gontijo Araujo (Nightboat Books)
I wish I could write a review of this book. I read it a few weeks ago along with Água Viva by Hilst's friend and compatriot Clarice Lispector, and was struck by a) how well these two books go together, and b) how no one writes like Lispector and Hilst wrote. These are books that blow apart the nature of fiction and how to represent consciousness, and do so in a way that is mesmerizingly strange and beautiful.
But I'm really not sure how to write about Hilst . . . This book is basically about a widowed woman who lives under the stairs in her house, has masks hanging in her window, and tries to scare all the kids by yelling crazy shit at them. And if that's not enough to get you interested, just check out this wild prose:
look Hillé the face of God
where where?
look at the abyss and see
I don't see anything
lean over a bit more
only fog and depth
that's it. adore HIM. Condense mist and fathom and fashion a face. Res facta, calm down.
And let's see now which sentences are appropriate to speak when I open the window to the society of the neighborhood:
your rotten asses
your unimaginable pestilence
mouths stinking of phlegm and stupidity
enormous behinds waiting their turn. for what? to shit into saucepans
armpits of excrement
wormhole in hollow teeth
the pig's woody
The Obscene Madame D is 57 pages of that: a mess of beauty and obscenity describing life and god and death and sex. It's like Celine filtered through the mind of a bipolar woman.
So how do you even approach or explain this? What is Hilst up to?
Well, over at Triple Canopy you can read "Crassus Agonicus," a shorter piece of Hilst's, which also features a really interesting introduction:
In 1990, the Brazilian author Hilda Hilst—a prolific writer of experimental poems, plays, and fiction, beloved by initiates and completely unknown to the broader public—declared herself fed up with the punishing obscurity of high art and started writing smut for money and fame. Really filthy stuff, like a pornographic memoir narrated by a nine-year-old girl. The literary critics, those few but loyal readers, were left baffled and betrayed. "I think money delicious," Hilst explained, chain-smoking her way through interviews that accompanied the celebrity with which she was instantly rewarded. She said the idea came to her after witnessing the international success of The Blue Bicycle, a hugely popular erotic French novel—Fifty Shades of Gray for the 1980s. She figured she could make a buck the same way.
Or, at least, that's one of the versions of events that Hilst slyly propagated. In fact, the bizarre series of obscene books she wrote in the early '90s—three novels and one collection of poetry—is far from possessing broad popular appeal; the stunt brought Hilst more recognition as a personality than as a writer, and she never got to taste much money. The second installment, Contos d'escárnio / Textos grotescos—here excerpted under the title "Crassus Agonicus," in English-language translation for the first time—has more in common with the work of Ariana Reines and Helen DeWitt than that of E. L. James. Disguising a work of art as a trashy potboiler is a special sort of perversity for an author, and Hilst's forcefully, grotesquely avant-garde novels are as devious as they are unsavory. What they do best is not titillate but muddy the customary distinctions between pornography and art, between the pulpy best seller and the literary novel.
In this regard, Hilst's Obscene Tetralogy, as it became known, was an affront to the vulgar demands of the mass market and likewise to the values of the surprisingly prudish Brazilian literary scene. "Crassus Agonicus" in particular is a "fuck you" to both kinds of readers, but also a veiled love letter—a contradictory expression befitting the great passion Hilst felt for the audience she courted. As she insisted: "I wanted to be consumed before I died." And by breeding her own style of transgressive, erotic literature with the seedier conventions of pornography (bestiality, infantile sexuality, and incest), she succeeded in making something so controversial it could not be ignored.
Anyway, The Obscene Madame D is definitely worth checking out (not to mention, purchasing this book will help Nightboat—a really quality small press), even though it didn't make this year's BTBA longlist.
"Rambling Jack—what's that?"
"A novel. Novella, I guess."
"Yeah, it looks short. What is it, a hundred pages?"
"Sorta. It's a duel language book, so really, only about… 50 pages total."
"50 pages?"
"Including illustrations."
"And this—what. . .
Many authors are compared to Roberto Bolaño. However, very few authors have the privilege of having a Roberto Bolaño quote on the cover of their work; and at that, one which states, "Good readers will find something that can be. . .
In Josep Maria de Sagarra's Private Life, a man harangues his friend about literature while walking through Barcelona at night:
When a novel states a fact that ties into another fact and another and another, as the chain goes on. . .
César Aira dishes up an imaginative parable on how identity shapes our sense of belonging with Dinner, his latest release in English. Aira's narrator (who, appropriately, remains nameless) is a self-pitying, bitter man—in his late fifties, living again with. . .
Originally published in French in 2007, We're Not Here to Disappear (On n'est pas là pour disparaître) won the Prix Wepler-Fondation La Poste and the Prix Pierre Simon Ethique et Réflexion. The work has been recently translated by Béatrice Mousli. . .
Even though the latest from Jean Echenoz is only a thin volume containing seven of what he calls "little literary objects," it is packed with surprises. In these pieces, things happen below the surface, sometimes both literally and figuratively. As. . .
Who is this woman? This is the question that opens Xiao Bai's French Concession, a novel of colonial-era Shanghai's spies and revolutionaries, police and smugglers, who scoot between doorways, walk nonchalantly down avenues, smoke cigars in police bureaus, and lounge. . .