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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — It was supposed to be a night of fireworks and fun to celebrate Independence Day, but instead a man was killed, an all-out brawl broke out and a little boy was shot. Mike Hellgren explains outrage is growing over crime in Baltimore City.
New video shows the large police presence as officers tried to calm the crowds. Several fights broke out at the Inner Harbor during the fireworks. One occurred as "God Bless America" played from the loudspeakers.
The brazen violence claimed one life. WJZ obtained a mug shot of Joseph Calo, a 26-year-old from Alabama, who died after he was stabbed in the neck with a bottle. Police released a photo of the prime suspect in his killing. It happened near McCormick and Schmick's.
"These people who engage in these terrible and senseless acts of violence are cowards and we're not going to tolerate their cowardly," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
Chaos also erupted at Light and Pratt streets, where a four-year-old was shot in the leg with a stray bullet.
"We had incredible deployments down there and literally feet away from where this incident occurred," said Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld.
Police say the camera located at the intersection did not capture any part of the shooting. Detectives did not recover any shell casings, either.
Police say they made 30 arrests and handled 20 curfew violations. There are fears the violence will have a chilling effect on tourists.
"Most people are out here for a good celebration and to have something like this, most people won't come back next year," said Joseph Young.
Police are still evaluating whether they could have done anything to prevent the mayhem.
"This is absolutely ridiculous. People come down to the harbor to enjoy themselves," Rawlings-Blake said.
If you have information on any of these crimes, you are asked to call city police.
By: Zipper10
In: Regional News
Tags: Child, shot, man, dead, fireworks, celebration, brawl,
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, United States (load item map)
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Top Ten Mistakes When Selecting a CMS
Selecting a content management system (CMS) can be a complex task, and organizations often run into pitfalls with processes, politics, and understanding the CMS environment. James Robertson outlines a common-sense approach to avoiding the most common mistakes.
This article is reprinted with permission. It was written by James Robertson, Managing Director of Step Two Designs, a vendor-neutral content management consultancy located in Sydney, Australia. For more articles like this, please visit www.steptwo.com.au
Organizations often make the selection of a CMS much harder than it needs to be. They do this by running into common pitfalls that impact not just on the selection process, but on the overall success of the CMS project.
Over the past ten years, we have worked with many organizations on content management systems, and have seen a huge number of Request for Proposals (RFPs) released to the marketplace.
Across these projects, the same issues are seen again and again. These most often relate to how the requirements are documented, or how the overall RFP is structured.
They may also arise from a lack of clear scope for the CMS project, or from the limited understanding of content management issues and the CMS marketplace.
With the aim of tackling some of these issues, this article lists the top ten mistakes commonly seen when attempting to select a CMS.
At their heart, these are all simple issues to resolve, primarily by taking a common-sense approach to the selection process.
It is easy to get caught up in the detail of the requirements and the CMS project, losing sight of the overall objectives and process. The starting point is therefore to step back and to evaluate where the project is at, and how it will proceed.
By reviewing the project against the 'top 10' in this article, it should be possible to chart a rapid (but careful) path through the selection process, to the final deployment of a CMS that works well for authors, site administrators and the wider organization.
Not Understanding the Problem to be Solved
All too often, organizations rush into purchasing a new piece of technology before fully understanding the problem to be solved.
For example, CMS selection may unfortunately be done before:
- determining the business needs and overall business goals
- identifying the underlying website design or management issues
- creating an overall website or intranet strategy
- identifying what functionality will be delivered by the site (rather than the CMS)
- choosing which sites will be in scope for the CMS project
Without understanding what will be done to the actual website or intranet, there is no meaningful basis on which to select a CMS solution.
The starting point must therefore be to conduct a needs analysis process within the organization.
Note that this should not involve asking what people want in terms of CMS functionality, as the business probably has little CMS knowledge on which to base their input.
Instead, this needs analysis should focus on building an understanding of the business needs, which are then mapped by the project team to actual CMS requirements.
So the starting point is therefore to first understand the site, before trying to understand the CMS requirements.
Not Understanding Content Management Issues
Many organizations are selecting a CMS for the first time. Without any prior experience with content management systems, it can be hard to develop meaningful business requirements.
Even organizations who are replacing an existing system may be limited to their experiences with just the current product.
The real challenge for organizations is therefore to build knowledge and expertise in content management, to ensure that informed decisions are made throughout the selection process.
It must be possible for organizations to answer questions such as:
- which features are widely available in products, and which are not
- what are the key challenges in implementing CMS products
- what are the common problems with the design of CMS products
- what functionality and issues should the CMS project focus on
- what is the best scope for the project
- what are the 'best practice' approaches to content management
Much of the success of a CMS project rests on the decisions made by the purchasing organization, and on the underlying maturity of content management knowledge and expertise within the organization.
At the end of the day, it's up to the organization to be an informed consumer, when approaching the content management marketplace.
Steps should be taken to build this knowledge before writing the first requirement, or seeing the first vendor demo. Practical approaches involve reading and researching existing material, or discussing the issues with other organizations who have already implemented a CMS.
Assuming There are Only a Dozen Possible Products
The content management marketplace is an extremely complex one at present. It has been estimated that there are over 1,000 products world-wide, with almost every country or region having in excess of 100 products available locally.
(For example, the Step Two website lists 140+ products in the Australian market.)
The challenge is to find and understand these products, with few effective channels for customer research or vendor marketing.
Out of this myriad of solutions, a few vendors have spent sufficient marketing money to gain some visibility. These are often the international players, focused on gaining wins in the high-end of the market.
The trap often made by organizations is to assume that there are only a dozen 'real' content management systems in the marketplace, and to evaluate solely these solutions.
Without having done the necessary research to uncover the broader set of products, organizations often get a very skewed perception of the CMS marketplace.
The problem is that products are hugely variable in their capabilities, perhaps only 30% similar and 70% remarkably different.
This means that the less products examined, the greater the chance that the most appropriate solution has been missed. Organizations must therefore spend the time to build an understanding of the local marketplace, and to uncover all the possible solutions. For more on this, see Step Two's article Understanding the CMS Marketplace.
Assuming Bigger is Better
Many organizations are naturally risk-adverse in the way they operate, and this extends to the selection of a new CMS.
This may lead the organization to focus on obtaining a powerful and complex product from a large CMS vendor, with the goal of mitigating (or eliminating) the risk that the vendor will go bust.
To this end, the CMS RFP asks for details on the size and financial viability of the vendor, alongside the functional requirements for the product itself.
It can, however, be strongly argued that there is no correlation between price and performance when it comes to content management systems.
Paying more money does not automatically mean that the CMS is better or more capable. It also does not necessarily improve the chances that the overall project will be successful.
This issue also relates to the desire to purchase a CMS 'for life', leading to the selection of the product with the greatest number of features within the available budget.
All of this comes down to the fundamental (but flawed) principle of 'bigger is better'.
The problem is that spending more money naturally increases the risks inherent in the project. Every additional piece of CMS functionality also unavoidably impacts on the usability of the CMS for authors.
At the end of the day, if the CMS is not easy to use, the product is unlikely to prosper. This may lead to failure of the project, and of the website itself.
Perhaps the most practical approach for avoiding this issue is to keep it simple, and to keep it small.
Mitigate risks by spending the least amount of money possible, and maximise usability by getting the simplest CMS that will meet identified business needs.
For more on this, see Step Two's articles Will your Chosen CMS Vendor go Bust? and More Users = Simpler CMS.
Not Distinguishing Between Requirements and Seleciton Criteria
The core trap for those writing content management RFPs is failing to distinguish between requirements and selection criteria.
Fundamentally, the purpose of a RFP is to differentiate between products, to knock out unsuitable CMS solutions, and to finally identify a single successful bidder.
All too often, however, RFPs end up containing requirements such as:
- "The CMS must provide a web-based authoring environment."
- "The CMS must support multi-stage workflow rules."
- "The CMS must integrate with existing systems."
These exact requirements are seen time and time again, and they are ineffective for a variety of reasons:
- all products may offer the specified functionality
- the stated requirements cannot be evaluated
- insufficient information (or context) is provided to make meaningful requirements
At the end of the day, there must be a clear distinction between requirements and selection criteria.
What is needed are selection criteria that allow the organization to easily and meaningfully evaluate products against business needs.
This means writing fewer requirements (as discussed below), and writing them in a narrative format that allows the specific needs to be clearly stated.
For more on this, see Step Two's article Using Narrative in a CMS Tender (RFP).
Writing Too Many Requirements
Fundamentally, however, writing more requirements actually makes it harder, not easier, to find the right product.
The reality is that writing too many requirements leads to significant problems, including:
- confuses key needs with 'nice-to-haves'
- makes it hard to identify the real differences between the products ('losing sight of the forest for the trees')
- forces the selection of a larger and more expensive product to meet all stated needs
- increases the time and effort required to evaluate responses
- increases the time and cost for vendors to respond
- discourages many vendors from responding entirely
RFP documents should instead focus on the key selection criteria that will drive the evaluation and differentiation of the products.
In general, there are rarely more than a dozen key selection criteria, along with supporting requirements (documented as being of lower importance).
This clarifies the selection process, and ensures that efforts are focused on determining that the products definitely meet 'life-or-death' needs.
Asking for 'Complies'/'Does Not Comply' Responses
Driven by the underlying desire to be able to quantify (and therefore compare) vendors responses, a common approach is to ask vendors to indicate whether they 'comply', 'do not comply' or 'partially comply' with the stated requirements.
This is, however, a complete waste of time. Obtaining these responses gives almost no insight into the actual capabilities of the product, and encourages vendors to bend the truth in their submissions.
This is generally compounded by poorly-written requirements, leading to the situation where vendors respond with 'complies' to requirements such as "the CMS must integrate with Outlook to deliver email".
A much better approach is to get vendors to provide descriptive (or narrative) responses, giving screenshots and examples where appropriate.
Better yet, go one step further by explicitly requiring these more extensive responses, indicating clearly that vendors who fail to provide sufficient information will be eliminated from further consideration.
(Note that moving away from 'complies' and 'does not comply' responses still allows submissions to be evaluated and scored, as long as the requirements are clearly written.)
8) Focusing on the 'what' not the 'how'
Focusing on the 'What,' Not the 'How'
"The CMS must provide powerful and flexible workflow capabilities." This certainly sounds desirable, but how do the workflow features actually work?
The reality is that CMS workflow may range from a single checkbox called "published" through to graphical tools for drawing workflow diagrams with branch points, conditional logic and more.
Furthermore, adding or changing workflow rules may be a point-and-click operation, or it may need several days of development by a CMS specialist.
In almost all of these cases, the vendor can argue that the solution is 'flexible and powerful', even though the actual operational details vary widely.
In practice, the success of the CMS project rests on how well the solution fits the day-to-day requirements of the authors and site administrators. This comes back to how the product actually works, in detail.
The selection process must therefore focus on asking 'how' questions rather than 'what' questions, with the aim of building a clear understanding of the products' strengths and weaknesses.
In general, this is best done by taking things back to the underlying business need, and asking vendors to outline how they can meet that need.
In the case of workflow, this may involve describing who will be the authors, what roles they will take, and the typical process for publishing content to the site.
Vendors can then demonstrate (in both the written RFP response and the vendor demonstration) how the product can be used to manage this publishing model.
Confusing the CMS Project and the Broader Website Project
When tackling the website or intranet, there is generally more to be done than just selecting a new CMS.
First off, it is almost always the deficiencies of the current site that prompts the CMS project, including dated design, poor site structure, out of date content and ineffective publishing processes.
This generally leads to a redesign of the site itself, and there may be the temptation to bundle this in with the CMS project, potentially with the goal of finding one provider that can deliver both a new design and a new CMS. This is a dangerous approach, however, and one that is driven more by convenience than any strategic considerations.
In practice, it is generally better to separate the design and the CMS, with the redesign of the site being completed first, before the selection of a new technology solution. (See Step Two's article Separate Design and the CMS for more on this.)
Equally significantly, a number of different technologies may end up being bundled into the CMS project, including:
- search
- portals
- collaboration tools
- discussion groups
- mailing lists
While these may all be needed to deliver the site, the question is whether they should be delivered by the CMS.
A more pragmatic approach is to instead seek the best solutions in each of these areas, separately from the CMS project, recognizing that there is often little (or no) integration or connection to the CMS.
Running the Selection as a Technology Project
Finally, a common cause of project failure is to treat the CMS selection as a technology project, run by an IT team.
This can easily create a requirements document that is poorly understood by the organization (including the site owners), and the acquisition of a product that may be technically suitable, but ineffective on a day-to-day basis for authors and site administrators.
When it comes down to it, the technology issues are the smallest element of the selection process. IT must provide clear guidance on technology platform and infrastructure requirements, but will generally have little input on the business requirements.
The selection process should therefore be run by the site owners, who are best placed to document the requirements and to evaluate the solutions.
With the right set of requirements, the selection process need not be complex or overwhelming, and should be well within the capabilities of most web and intranet teams.
Driving projects in this way, from the business rather than IT perspectives, has been demonstrated to deliver the best outcomes.
Common sense underpins the successful selection of a content management system. While there are common pitfalls that many organizations fall into, these are fairly easy to avoid once recognized.
Start by building a good understanding of content management issues, and the CMS marketplace. A clear set of business needs can then be used to generate effective business requirements.
Good requirements will then avoid most of the common problems, particularly when the CMS project is simplified down to focus on the core tasks of selecting a new product, with the other needs handled separately (in parallel).
In short, take steps to mitigate or avoid the 'top 10' mistakes made when selecting a CMS:
1. Not understanding the problem to be solved
2. Not understanding content management issues
3. Assuming there are only a dozen possible products
4. Bigger is better
5. Not distinguishing between requirements and selection criteria
6. Writing too many requirements
7. 'Complies' / 'does not comply'
8. Focusing on the 'what' not the 'how'
9. Confusing the CMS project and the broader website project
10. Running the selection as a technology project
Further Reading
Step Two articles have addressed many different aspects of the CMS selection process, including:
- CMS vendors are evaluating us
- Sources of CMS uncertainty
- What is the purpose of a CMS tender (RFP)?
- Specifying technology in a CMS tender (RFP)
- The importance of CMS usability
- Requirements-focused CMS selection
(For further information regarding the evaluation and selection of a CMS, download the Content Management Requirements Toolkit.)
James Robertson is the managing director of Step Two Designs, an intranet and content management consultancy based in Sydney, Australia. James specializes in intranet strategy, web content management, information architecture and usability. If you have any comments on this article, please send them to email@example.com
This generally leads to a
This generally leads to a redesign of the site itself, and there may be the temptation to bundle this in with the CMS project, potentially with the goal of finding one provider that can deliver both a new design and a new CMS. This is a dangerous approach, however, and one that is driven more by convenience than any strategic considerations.
In practice, it is generally better to separate the design and the CMS, with the redesign of the site being completed first, before the selection of a new technology solution. (See Step Two's article Separate Design and the CMS for more on this.) http://youtubeonfire.biz
Very useful article
Thank you for sharing these very valuable steps!
Greatly written article. The
Greatly written article. The point 'what' not 'how' is the highlight of the article.
You have done a
You have done a great work by posting this article. Here I found that few simple points that people always mistake while choose the CMS for their business. 1. Not understanding CMS issues and problems 2. Assuming there are only a dozen possible products 3. Bigger is better 4. Not distinguishing between requirements and selection criteria 5. Focusing on the 'what' not the 'how' 6. Confuse in the CMS project and the website project
Great Idea for Selecting CMS
This post really trying best consumers/Organizations often make the selection of a CMS much harder than it needs to be. They do this by running into common pitfalls that impact not just on the selection process, but on the overall success of the CMS project. Great post, it will surely help the website owner to choos the advantages of the CMS.
One glaring ommission: price
Multiple CMS solutions can meet a standard set of requirements. Inevitably, the decision comes down to price. Often, people mistakenly assume open-source solutions are free. Well, that's not quite true. Check out my tumblr blog for a method to identify hidden costs associated with a project... I'm davidrobbins

subset: commoncrawl


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Event Name :Bake Sale, Vendor Fair & Quilt Raffle at Towne CentreDate & Time :10/22 (9:00 am - 2:30 pm) Category :Community EventsLocation :Saginaw - Towne CentreDetails :
Bake Sale, Vendor Fair and Quilt Raffle at Towne Centre
Date: Tuesday, October 22
Time: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Location: Towne Centre First Floor Conference
Features: Silent Auction, Quilt Raffle, Smart Card Sales, Baked Goods
Vendors: Tupperware, Silpada Jewelry, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Thiry One, Norwex, Wendy's Primitive Crafts and more!
A portion of all sales will benefit St. Mary's of Michigan Breast Care Fund.
Quilt Raffle
Tickets: $1.00 each or 6 for $5
On Sale: Now until 10/22/2013
Drawing: 2 p.m. on 10/22/2013 at the Vendor sale at Towne Centre
Donated by: St Mary's Green House of Hope Quilters
Proceeds: Benefit the St. Mary's of Michigan Breast Care Fund to help provide mammograms for uninsured and underinsured individuals
Contact: Nancy Topham or a mammography tech for tickets
Flyer :CLICK HERE FOR FLYER!!


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Yaseera Ismail
Life is full of transitions, and starting a career in science is no exception. One of the major shifts that I faced was moving from my undergraduate to postgraduate studies, and this period was not without its difficulties. Below, I'll share some advice that will hopefully make the change smoother for others on the same path.
Be adaptable. I was first exposed to a research environment when I worked at the CSIR-National Laser Centre during my honors year. This was quite an eye-opening experience for me, as it was the first time I was at an institution whose primary objective was research output. As a result, I had to change my way of thinking. During my undergraduate studies, I was provided with a detailed, step- by-step syllabus. There is no such spoon-feeding as a postgrad student. This may seem daunting at first, but, as with any job, you adapt to the demands of your new situation.
Spending time in a laboratory also taught me that methodology is rarely set in stone. You try, you fail, and you come up with a new idea. Many postgrad students waste precious time fixating on a method that is not working. This is because, as undergraduates, we are conditioned to assume that our initial plan will not fail as long as it is approved by our supervisors. In graduate school, our supervisors are conducting the research alongside us, and therefore they do not already have the answers.
Manage your time. Cramming at the eleventh hour may work for undergraduates, but it won't in graduate school. Postgraduate studies demand discipline. Procrastination is a crime that we are all guilty of, but it is critical to work diligently to finish your thesis on time. You should set short-term goals for each day so that you are never stagnant. It is difficult to keep your enthusiasm up at all times, and without a stringent supervisor to encourage you to meet deadlines, you may find yourself taking many a three-week break. Bear in mind that a Ph.D. thesis cannot be completed the week before the due date. Slow and steady wins the race!
Network. In the world of research, networking is a useful way to advance your career. Whenever attending a conference or public lecture, mingle with researchers and fellow students. Try to discover everyone's areas of interest and get their opinions on your work. A simple conversation over coffee can lead to helpful collaboration. I find it intimidating to speak to someone who is much more senior in my field, so I break the ice with a topic that is not related to my research and gradually direct the conversation towards the topic I want to discuss.
Be curious and open. Postgrad studies require initiative, determination and the desire to learn. You can choose what you want to learn and use that information to make something new. Don't work in isolation. Instead, try to learn from everyone around you. There is a vast range of resources available, so make use of every opportunity on your way to success.
Yaseera Ismail completed her Masters at the CSIR-National Laser Centre in Pretoria, South Africa, where her research focused on novel laser beam shaping for optical trapping and tweezing. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in Quantum Communication within the Quantum Research Group based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Academic careers, Career, Communication skills, Graduate school
Yaseera Ismail, Optics, Photonics, Career, Graduate School, Transition, Undergraduate, Networking, Time Management
Damon Diehl
I stumbled into my career. I started working as a "consulting scientist" while waiting to defend my Ph.D. thesis. I had a knack for helping customers distinguish between what they really need and what they think they want. The customers' needs, not all of which are technical, become additional input and output requirements when solving their problems. I then give them technical advice in terms that they understand. My angle proved to be successful, and within a few months, my gig as a consulting scientist turned into a full-time job.
Making a transition.Last year I made a career change from full-time scientist to full-time undergraduate professor. Some colleagues were concerned that I wouldn't like the change in the scope of my work. However, I'm actually doing the same thing: I evaluate what my students need and then give them technical instruction in terms that they can understand. Sure, generating 15 hours of lecture material every week is demanding, to say the least, but it lines up with what I'm best at. I enjoy it immensely.
Adjusting to authority.The culture shock came from an unexpected quarter: having a boss—four layers of them, to be exact. As a professor, I have immediate responsibilities to the department chair, the dean, the vice president and the president of the college. Separately, I must also answer to the people who control the way the college uses its money, time and facilities. That all adds up to a lot of bureaucracy. For example, I discovered this semester that having pizza delivered to campus, while not technically impossible, requires a purchase order, two weeks' notice, and a variance for not using the on-campus cafeteria. After a while, I started to feel like I was trapped in an invisible mesh of rules designed to stop me from getting things done.
Creating a customer.My solution came from a change in perspective. I have learned to view the college as my customer. This is not a stretch—they are paying me to do something, which is the definition of a customer/vendor relationship. I am still mindful of requests and demands from folks up the authority chain, but now I take a step back and separate what they request from what they need. I make sure I understand the real problem, and then I let my engineering brain solve it within the allowed parameters. This has two advantages: It is more intellectually fulfilling for me, and it produces more effective results. In learning to shift my view and cut to the heart of the matter, I have reduced extraneous demands on my attention … leaving more time to grade the four-inch stack of lab reports, homework assignments and exams on my desk.
Damon Diehl (email@example.com) is an assistant professor and program coordinator of Optical Systems Technology at Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y., U.S.A. He is also the founder and owner of Diehl Research Grant Services.
Academic careers, Career, Communication skills
Damon Diehl, Optics, Photonics, Career, Academia, Industry, Transition
Bright Futures is a blog written by and for optics and photonics professionals who are looking to navigate career transitions. It is affiliated with Optics & Photonics News, the member magazine for the Optical Society (OSA).


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Saturday, April 27th with walker registration beginning at 9:00am and the walk kicking off at 10:am.
Start/finish are at UWEC Davies Center. There are two walk routes available to choose from. They both follow the River Trails to Phoenix Park Farmer's Market Pavilion.
One route is 3.5 miles while the other is 5 miles. route maps will be available at registration and are also available on-line. There will be rest stops with fruit and water and rest rooms on the routes. If walkers need assistance or are unable to complete either route there will be an assistance vehicle driving the route. There will also be volunteers positioned along the route to insure safety.
There is no entry fee but walkers are encouraged to raise money through pledges. Those raising $100 or more will receive a free MS Walk t-shirt.
To make on-line donations or receive more information go to: www.walkMS.org. Monies raised support research for treatments and to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis as well as provide education and assistance to those living with MS or those who love someone with MS. Our CV walk is hoping to raise $58,000 and have 550 walkers participate.


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Alexander H. Stephens in Reconstruction
Alexander Stephens (1812-1883) was a politician who served in the Georgia legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives before the American Civil War. Throughout his career, Stephens defended slavery but opposed disunion, favoring sectional compromises instead. When his home state of Georgia voted in 1861 to secede from the Union, Stephens reluctantly followed. His fellow southern leaders chose him to serve as vice president of the Confederacy throughout the Civil War.
When the Confederacy fell in May 1865, Stephens was arrested and imprisoned for five months at Fort Warren, Massachusetts. He was an early proponent of peace but provoked northern outrage when Georgia elected him to the Senate in 1866. Thanks to his high rank in the Confederacy, Stephens was a particularly symbolic example of the failure of Presidential Reconstruction. Many northerners felt that to re-admit him to Congress was tantamount to betraying the memories of their sons, husbands, and brothers who had died for the Union. The Republican majority denied Stephens his seat because his state had not been properly reconstructed according to the congressional guidelines. Stephens was nonetheless reelected to the House of Representatives from 1873-1882, and then served as governor of Georgia from 1882-1883.


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Located only 2 ½ short blocks, down the same street as the "Convent" for easy access to the Lounge, Bird-Cleaning Facility, Office and Pro-Shop, etc.
Larger House
CAPACITY- Sleeps 6 comfortably, with an additional roll-away.
|Larger House
Fully Equipped Kitchen
| Larger House
Laundry Room with an extra Freezer for your birds and enough room for a few dog-crates.
Smaller House
CAPACITY- Sleeps 7 comfortably.
| Smaller House
Living Room with space for furnished roll-a-way bed.
| Smaller House
Fully Equipped Kitchen.


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Great way to diversify into hard sporting goods. Callaway is run well but is depressed in the bad economy.
I really like that idea! Would open up many new doors for them, they could also bring their existing apparel brands into golf shops as well. Not sure if Callaway apparel is licensed?
Yeah, and then they could buy Rossignol Skis too! You must be joking, right?


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Some residents in Las Cruces woke up to the sound of gun fire Saturday morning. They were forced to evacuate while police and a SWAT team searched the area.
Authorities surrounded a home on the 1200 block of California. Police also blocked off other midtown streets including Solano Drive during the search. Streets reopened up again around eleven, but police are still investigating who fired the gun.
The Las Cruces Sun News reports no one is in custody, but some neighbors where taken into custody for questioning.


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50+: Live Better, Longer
Helping Older Adults Manage the Outside World
In this article
Travel and Older Adults
Statistics tell us that active older adults are healthier older adults. Because they get so much out of the experience, it's a good idea to encourage vacations and trips when possible. Research the many books, organizations, and websites geared toward travel for older adults.
Elderhostel organizes terrific moderately priced adventure and learning programs -- including astronomy, zoology, and just about everything in between -- for people over the age of 55. There are many other travel agencies that specialize in travel for older adults.
For information about older adult and special-needs travel (including transportation, lodging, discounts, and wheelchair and scooter rental, among other things), visit The Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality.
The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers can connect you with English-speaking doctors in almost any foreign country.
Check with airlines, trains, car rental agencies, and hotels about senior discounts.
How about a free vacation? Various government agencies as well as individual state park systems welcome older volunteers to work as campground hosts in exchange for free lodging. Your parents could volunteer for a day or a year. Contact National Park Service for more information.
You'll be thrilled to know that once your parents reach the age of seventy-five, their ski lift tickets are usually free!
Keep a travel bag in the car with the supplies and provisions you need often: a small bottle of water, wet wipes, and an extra pair of sunglasses, for example.
Make your own wet wipes by placing damp washcloths in plastic bags that seal.
Those little handheld fans can be a lifesaver if Mom has to wait in line for any period in a stuffy room or if it's hot out. Try to buy the kind that has a spray attachment for water so she gets a cool mist as well as a breeze.
Before you and your parents travel to a foreign country, make sure you know about illnesses you might encounter in the country you're visiting. Contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers.
Because older adults are more susceptible to childhood and local diseases as well as the flu and pneumonia, it's important to consult a doctor about immunizations before setting off on vacations. In addition to getting your loved one those immunizations required by immigration laws, you should ask about other illnesses common to older travelers.


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"I can't really explain it," she said. "My faith is what brought me through it. I've still got my faith, my strong belief in the Lord. I know he brought me to it; he will bring me through it."
Macon said once she learned she had cancer, her only question was "when can we do it?" in regard to her treatment.
"I said, 'I've got to go through it; tell me what I need to do,' " she said.


text: ATR is developing technology that will enable safe and reliable launch and recovery of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on small surface combatants. Funding agencies for this work include the Office of Naval Research and DARPA. This project involves advanced sensing technology integration, ship motion compensation control development, and mechanical system development. Current work includes the development of a test bed to demonstrate ship motion stabilization technology and the development of a full-scale model of the UAV capture mechanism.


text:
gToon Bio
I am a bookseller by day and crazed animator by night. In between, I work as the managing editor for Renderosity and co-editor for Renderosity Magazine. I live in Los Angeles with writer, Lisa Morton, and a houseful of cats, books and computers (oh, and cookies). I love reading, gardening, anything strange and weird and am trying to learn the 3D application Houdini. Wish me luck!
Los Angeles, CA
Birthday on March 23, 2005
Joined on April 07, 2006


text:
Two Silicon Valley groups warned today that decisive action by business, government and education is needed if the region is to retain its standing as the world's innovation epicenter.
The warning is contained in the Silicon Valley Index, a look back at last year's economic carnage prepared by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network and Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which issue annual reports on about 40 indicators of economic strength and the health of the community.
The groups said the valley's long road to recovery from the recession is complicated by state budget gridlock, decreased education funding and competition from other regions. There are "clear warning signs" that the valley has entered "a new phase of uncertainty" in which its standing as a tech center is at risk, the report said.
"It could be that Silicon Valley has a different future coming," said Russell Hancock, president and chief executive officer of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network. "It's not a given that we will continue to be the epicenter of innovation."
Employment is back to 2005 levels, with 90,000 jobs lost in less than two years; the influx of foreign science and engineering talent has slowed; venture capital funding has declined; and there are fewer middle-income wage earners in a "hollowing out of the middle." Per capita income is down 5 percent from 2007, and the number of people working as contractors rather than full-time employees is rising.
Other regions are expanding their shares of federal spending, while the valley's share of federal procurement dropped from 2 percent in 1993 to 1.3 percent in 2008.
Adding to the valley's problems is a malfunctioning state government that is shortchanging investment in education and infrastructure, the report said.
"Who wants to come here to a state with a $20 billion annual deficit?" said Emmett Carson, chief executive and president of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
The two groups noted that there are plenty of candidates to take the valley's place as innovation capital: Austin, Texas, and Huntsville, Ala., are beating the valley in snagging federal funds, the report notes. India or China also could someday wrest the title away from the valley.
"We're sort of sitting on our laurels and singing 'We're Silicon Valley,' " Carson said, while the valley risks falling behind as it emerges from the recession.
"We've got to have a call to action, to bring together our political, business and educational leadership, and in a comprehensive way, or we are at risk," Carson said.
State funding for higher education declined 17 percent last year, even as the cost of education continued to rise, the index noted. Yet the valley will be increasingly dependent on homegrown talent for future innovation.
Kim Walesh, chief strategist in San Jose's Office of Economic Development, said the report "really nailed" the valley's increasing need for a healthy educational system. Because of post-9/11 restrictions on immigration and increased opportunities in India and China, the valley can't rely on foreign talent as it has in the past 25 years.
"We have a much tighter link between economic development and education," Walesh said.
"The next 25 years, the major driver of the new workforce growth is the sons and daughters of those foreign immigrants who came here and who have come up chiefly through our school system and now are clamoring to get into postsecondary school," she said.
Leslie Crowell, Santa Clara County's budget director, said the report reflects the problems that local governments are dealing with. "This index has a much more measured sense of caution about it than previous indices," she said. One thing that stands out, she said, is an office vacancy rate that shot up 33 percent last year from the previous year.
The index also had some good news. Clean technology is generating new, good jobs, and home foreclosures by lenders have leveled off. Median home prices are dipping, increasing the percentage of people who can afford a home in the valley.
Venture money, while down, is slowly returning and moving into biotech, energy and medical devices. The valley also is becoming a more sustainable place: Growth in energy usage is slowing and fuel consumption is down, while development patterns are "greener" — 21 cities have green building codes, and home construction is denser and more likely to be located near mass transit.
Budget director Crowell said the report shows that the valley is still a desirable place to live. "We're better off than other places in the nation," she said. "We're better off than Flint, Mich., but we never even thought we'd be comparing ourselves to Flint, Mich."
The index was released in advance of a town hall event, "State of the Valley Conference," Friday at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
The report is available at www.jointventure.org and www.siliconvalleycf.org.
Contact Pete Carey at 408-920-5419.


text:
Games / how to play
Wondering how to play FreeCell on iPad? Looking for free solitaire games for iPad? Solitaire Whizz is the definitive collection of solitaire games for iPad. The current version contains 28 popular solitaire games and variants in a single app, offering incredible value for money for solitaire fans and novices alike. Alternatively, the Solitaire Whizz family includes some free solitaire games for iPad: see below.
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Solitaire Whizz is a compendium of solitaire (patience) games for iPad. If you are new to the solitaire games, then you should probably start by looking at the page on how to play Klondike solitaire. If you searched for www.whizz.com in error, you may have been looking for this site.


text:
Definition of slacker in English:
1A person who avoids work or effort.
Example sentences
- Antoine is a layabout slacker who lives in a lounge at a health club where a friend lets him stay.
- For the most part they're the seekers, slackers, and free spirits who tend to avoid the straight life, such as it is, for as long as they can.
- In short, they are slackers - but, to their credit, slackers with jobs.
1.1US A person who evades military service.
Example sentences
- Yes, we had slackers, draft dodgers and antiwar advocates, but they got short shrift, little attention and almost no press.
1.2chiefly North American A young person (especially in the 1990s) of a subculture characterized by apathy and aimlessness.
Example sentences
- Despite their slacker stereotype, many members of Generation X have grown up to be useful and productive members of society.
- No one can represent an entire generation - including hippies, slackers, and dotcom CEOs.
- They were a large part of slacker culture, and became poster boys for Generation X.
Words that rhyme with slackeralpaca, attacker, backer, clacker, claqueur, Dhaka, hacker, Hakka, lacquer, maraca, paca, packer, sifaka, smacker, stacker, tacker, tracker, whacker, yakka
For editors and proofreaders
Syllabification: slack·er
Definition of slacker in:
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The Ultimate Destination for Soul Music
Classic Soul Archives
Artist A-Z
SoulMusic Records
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Hall of Fame
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The World of David Nathan
Dedicated to Soul
Express Yourself! Appreciation Features
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Giving R-E-S-P-E-C-T
1 January 2009
Created By:
Justin Kantor
About Justin
Transcribed By:
Nathan Stafford
Contact Nathan
Whether you're a fan of bustling, 70's-driven Northern Soul, or all-out disco with a soulful vocal punch, chances are you've sung heartily along to a tune or two from Evelyn Thomas's catalog before. The Chicago native got her professional start in the early 70's doing stage work in New York for Broadway shows such as The Wiz before striking gold in the UK with 1975's "Weak Spot" - the first of many collaborations with Northern Soul impresario Ian Levine. What followed over the next decade was a handful of striking LP's that impressively melded the influences of classic R&B and dance-driven club sounds. 1978's I Wanna Make It on My Own, '79's Have a Little Faith in Me, '84's High Energy, and '86's Standing at the Crossroads didn't all hit paydirt for the gifted vocalist; but established her internationally as a commanding vocalist and performer equall y adept at tackling fiery dance numbers and smooth grooves - not to mention her own composition, "Spread Love," from Fatback's Is This the Future? LP.
Since the mid-90's, Thomas has been working as a free agent, lending her voice and songs to a number of varied projects. There's her autobiographical stage show (and companion soundtrack) Witness; her collaborations with Danish soul/pop producer Soren Jensen on his 2008 all-new compilation CD, The Plan; and several works produced with Miami underground dance collective Groove Box.
Speaking with Evelyn is just as enjoyable an occasion as listening to her recordings. Because of her down-to-earth, enthusiastic personality, interviewing her was more like having a fun conversation - as you will read and hear. She discusses her youth; her first professional experiences; the ins and outs of recording deals,;and several promising independent ventures here, in an exclusive interview conducted on June 29, 2009.
Justin Kantor: It's a thrill for me to be speaking with you. I've heartily enjoyed your voice and your music for the past 12 years, ever since a friend of mine made me a copy of that "High Energy" music video for New York Hot Tracks years ago. That was my first introduction to you and I've been hooked ever since. Your fiery vocal delivery, and your vivacious live performances are truly great.
Evelyn Thomas: Thank you!
JK: You've had quite an amazing and musically rich, impressive sales-wise career so far too, so I'll try to do it justice by going through it. So, take me back a little bit. I know that you were born in Chicago. Tell me about your childhood, growing up there.
ET: Well, I am the youngest of three girls, and I have one younger brother. I had one older brother, but he passed away; he had cerebral palsy. He was supposed to live until he was 18, but he actually made it to 21.
JK: That's a really tough disease to fathom. I'm sorry for your loss.
ET: Well, that's the way life is sometimes. He understood what was going on, so he knew, that's the way it goes. So actually I have three sisters and one younger brother, and my childhood was very interesting. We had a lot of music in our house. My mother was the organ player for the church, and my grandmother used to sing in the choir, so there was always a lot of music in the house. My mother would have the piano and the organ rockin' every day. That's just the way it was in our house.
JK: You guys were jamming.
ET: Yeah, we were jamming all the time. When people came over, we had to dance for them and all kinds of stuff, so we had a good time in the house.
JK: So music was in your blood from the beginning, pretty much?
ET: Oh yes. My mother was a singer as well and as a matter of fact, when I sing, I can hear her voice.
JK: Oh really? What was her name?
ET: Her name was Doris.
JK: Doris. Okay, so how did you feel about school, growing up?
ET: School? I hated it. (laughs)
JK: I was going to ask if you had any favourite subjects, but maybe not. (laughs)
ET: No. But I went, you know, I just didn't like it.
JK: It's good that you went. That probably helped a little bit, down the line.
ET: It helped, but my interest was music, and they didn't have any, so my opinion was, "Why am I here?"
JK: I can understand, because if we hadn't had music when I was in school, I probably would have liked it a lot less myself. You went to college though, right? Didn't you graduate from a school in Chicago?
ET: I graduated from Inglewood High School.
JK: I was reading something about business studies you had done. I might have gotten confused, because I did read that after you finished school, you moved to New York for a little while.
ET: Oh, I went to an acting school in New York and I did very well there. I did so well that they wanted me to travel. There was a play that they were travelling with, but I just couldn't go at the time. I just wasn't ready to go.
JK: Weren't you on The Wiz cast album?
ET: I used to do the backup. When different plays came through Broadway, they had different people, and when you had certain people, like investors come to invest in your play, they would give a preview of the play, and I was in that troupe of people, that would do the music for The Wiz, or whatever play it was. There were quite a few plays, and that's where that came from.
JK: Okay, so maybe they used some of those performances from that group that you were in for the actual final product of the soundtrack.
ET: Right.
JK: Okay, because I had always wondered about that, if it was a different Evelyn Thomas. As you said, you moved back to Chicago shortly after that, right?
ET: Yes. Well, I had never really moved back to Chicago. I moved back and forth. New York became my home for 12 years, and then after New York I moved to London, and stayed there for about another 5 to 6 years, and I was just back and forth. I was stationed in New York, and I never went back home to Chicago. After so many years of New York and London, I moved to Florida, and I've been in Florida ever since.
JK: So for a while, you were bi-coastal and bi-continental, and then you just decided to settle down.
ET: Yes, it was time to actually settle somewhere, to say, "This is home".
JK: I lived in New York for a couple of years, and I don't know about you, but I could vouch for myself how financially difficult it could get.
ET: Tell me about it.
JK: It was on a trip back to Chicago where you had your chance meeting with Ian Levine, if I understand correctly?
ET: Well, the way I met Ian Levine was, I was in this band called The Mood Mixers, and there was a guy in the band, his name was Pumpkin. I don't know his real name. I just know that Pumpkin was the one who was instrumental in me meeting Ian Levine. Nobody had ever known that. He told me that he was going to try out for a recording contract, and he asked me to go along for the ride, so I did. After he got there, and he did an interview with Ian, I was sitting in the room with him, and Ian liked his voice, but he had somewhat of a skin condition that Ian didn't think the public would be pleased with, which I thought was wrong, but anyway, you've got quite a few people in the business that have that, so it's not a big deal. Anyway, he didn't take him, so Pumpkin came to me and asked, "Why don't you try out?"
So anyway, Danny Leake asked Ian, because we were at Danny Leake's house, and you know Danny Leake is the producer of Poison.
JK: I've seen his name on all the Ian Levine disco-era records, and I didn't realize he was the guy who did Poison too.
ET: He's a huge producer now. Danny Leake is the one who told Ian, "Sit down and listen to her" because he didn't want to listen to me. He said, "Sit down and listen to her. You never know. So, I sang a song called 'Neither One Of Us' by Gladys Knight and the Pips and he jumped up off the couch, and he said, "Oh, you are wonderful! I've never heard such an angelic voice! Oh my God, would you like to be in the music industry?" So, that's how it happened (laughs).
JK: So, it was within a pretty quick time frame?
ET: Yes. It happened real fast, and the next thing I knew, I was in London.
JK: And you did the recording there for those first singles, 'Weak Spot' and 'Doomsday'. Had you ever been overseas at that point, when you went over there? What was it like for you?
ET: No, and it was probably a culture shock, if anything (laughs).
JK: I remember seeing the performance of 'Weak Spot' on Top of the Pops, when you were in your cute little cap and all that, so you seemed to fit right in with the fashion sense.
ET: That was so funny, because I really wasn't ready for television, and I said, "Oh my God! What will I wear?" so I put on my little blue jean outfit with my little cap and I had some boots on, so it worked.
JK: I liked it. I thought it was very clever.
ET: Actually, the thing that really did excite me about that is the fact that Andy Williams was on the same show, and he had always been an idol of mine. Oh, I love the way that man sings. He is so smooth. I liked his vocals. Everything he's ever done from movies, tracks that he's done, well I got a chance to meet him! It was wonderful. That was the highlight of the whole thing for me.
JK: Meeting an idol, definitely. Speaking of that, who were some of your influences growing up? I know obviously the church was a big influence, but what artists did you listen to, and who, if anybody did you want to emulate?
ET: Well, one was Nancy Wilson, that's for sure. She was the first. Classic. Then there was Gladys Knight and the Pips, and we had Dionne Warwick, and I liked a lot of the male groups, too.
JK: Okay, like who?
ET: The Four Tops, The Temptations, and people like that.
JK: A lot of the Motown artists?
ET: Yes, Motown for sure, and I love Diana Ross.
JK: So, you did really well for yourself with 'Weak Spot' and obviously you recorded a few other singles, maybe not quite as successful, but that definitely at least became favourites of people who are into Northern Soul with 'Love is Not An Illusion', and 'My Head's In The Stars'. Those are some of my favourites. I read that in that period of time, you had some contractual difficulties with another manager that you had previously?
ET: I had this guy named Vinnie Coleman, who used to be with Earth, Wind & Fire, very good friends with them and we all knew each other. Vinnie Coleman was a very good manager. What happened was, when Ian and I signed with each other, we signed a Recording Agreement, and it didn't have anything to do with management. My manager asked him "Well, do you want Evelyn all the way, or what do you want to do?" So, Ian paid him some money, and I didn't know I was being bought. He had paid him money to take me. My manager let me know. He said, "Look, this is what we did, and you'll be better off with Ian because I really can't do anything with you now.
JK: So, tell me about the recording process back then on those early singles. What was that like? Obviously those songs have full orchestration and a really great sound, which you rarely get these days in R&B music. What was it like, working with Ian and the other musicians in the studio?
ET: In the studio, it was a lot different than the way it is today. In the studio, of course we had all the musicians to come in. It's not like today, where you can have this keyboard sound and that keyboard sound. We actually had the violinists come in. It was wonderful. We had one violin section come in, it was actually 10 to 15 violinists in the studio at one time, and we had the keyboardist come in, the bass player, and sometimes they would all be together playing. It was like doing a concert inside the studio, really.
JK: It sounds like it on the records.
ET: Oh yes, and Fiachra Trench who was a wonderful arranger and composer. Without "Fi," I don't think there would be 'High Energy'. Also Hans Zimmer. Hans Zimmer is the one that came in and actually pumped 'High Energy' to put a certain sound on it, and that's what gave 'High Energy' its sound. That is from Hans Zimmer. That guy is brilliant.
JK: So you've had the opportunity to work with some pretty cool people who have went on to do a lot of other projects.
ET: Oh, absolutely. I wish I could catch up with Hans right now (laughs).
JK: That's a good connection to have. So, after your initial success in England, did you feel that this was something that you wanted to be involved with on an ongoing basis with the music industry, or did you have doubts about it? How did you feel about it?
ET: Ever since I was 7 years old, that was what I was going for, to be an entertainer and to sing.
JK: So you were always sticking to the plan.
ET: Yes, sticking to the plan. That was always my aspiration. Always.
JK: Like you said, you moved over to England during this time period, around the late 70's or sometime thereabout, and you did an album which was picked up by Casablanca, with 'I Wanna Make It On My Own'. I know you were still relatively new to the industry at that point, but do you know anything about how that whole deal came about, being with Casablanca as opposed to 20th Century Records, which you had been signed to before?
ET: Well, Ian was making all the deals, which I knew nothing about. Like I said, [oftentimes] you're young and you don't understand the industry.So I didn't have any control over the deals he was making or how he was making them or what he was making them for.
JK: One thing I've read about that album is how they apparently didn't release a single from it, in the US at least, which is kind of unusual. I know in the UK that a label called Pye had licensed one of the songs for a single, which was 'Thanks for Being There' but in the US, from what I understand, Casablanca just put the album out there without any promotion, so I didn't know if you knew anything about that.
ET: I have no idea what happened with that. I don't know what kind of money was transferred or passed or what. I never got a penny for it.
JK: Then there was the album on AVI, Have a Little Faith In Me, which was short but an excellent album. I like all the songs on there a lot. From what I read, I know you recorded a few songs that were supposed to come out on Salsoul that weren't released until a few years later. I'm talking about 'Sleeze' and 'Summer on The Beach' and 'Love In The First Degree'.
ET: That's Ian Levine again, making all the deals. Nobody knows anything. I'm going to be honest with you here. I never got paid for 'High Energy'.
JK: Are you serious?
ET: It sold 20 million copies. Let me tell you something, man. I never got paid. Ian Levine got paid, but he didn't pay Fiachra Trench, he didn't pay myself, or anybody, but he got paid.
JK: That's unbelievable. That record, to this day, is always being remixed, and it's just an anthem.
ET: Almighty Records just brought it out again, and here I am again, it gets me nothing. It's one of the biggest records ever. I got my money through my shows, I'm also a fashion designer, and I do things outside.
JK: I was thinking, since you design fashion, maybe we saw some in the video you did recently for YouTube?
ET: Oh, yes.
JK: Speaking of 'High Energy', that has been a defining song for you, so how does it feel to be associated with such an impactful song for dance music? It's made its mark and continues to. It's been a favourite of gay fans worldwide and audiences in general, when it comes to good music to dance to. What are your thoughts about the song, and the legacy it's helped to create for you?
ET: I'll say this: That song really helped my career just soar. Monetarily, as far as the song was concerned, I wasn't so happy, but the fans, and the things that the song actually did for me as an entertainer, it kept me alive. I appreciate each and every one of my fans. I really, really do, because without those fans, I really couldn't have made it. The fans are the ones that kept me alive and kept me going.
JK: So it's kind of like the moral fiber, or spiritual support.
ET: Oh, absolutely. When you see 20,000 heads going up and down at one time, that's pretty high energy. It's a big rush.
JK: Well, it showed in your performances, because that was one of the things that really struck me when I've seen the different performances you did of that song in particular. You were high energy. You could really tell that you were into what you were doing, and singing. It was really convincing. It wasn't like "Oh, it's just another singer, singing a song that they were given". You might not have been crazy about all the material, but whenever I've seen you performing your songs, you just seem to be really into it and really enjoying yourself.
ET: Oh, I do. With every song that I sing, I enjoy myself. Most of the songs that I had were leftover songs that nobody wanted to do. They were all the hits.
JK: Like 'Masquerade'?
ET: Not exactly 'Masquerade'. 'Masquerade' was designed especially for me, but 'High Energy' and 'Weak Spot' were leftover songs.
JK: Oh, that they were going to use for someone else or something?
ET: No, they had Barbara Pennington, L.J. Johnson and a couple more people that had already picked all the songs they wanted, and 'Weak Spot' was the song that was left over. That's when I first came in, and 'Weak Spot' is the only song that did anything. That was the biggest song, and nobody said they wanted it. It was a very simple song, but it was cute, and people loved it. 'High Energy' was one of those songs that was offered to a couple of singers and nobody wanted it.
JK: Interesting. You said that 'Masquerade' was designed especially for you, and that brings me to a question I was going to ask you. With a lot of those songs from that era that you were doing, the lyrics were almost like a fantasy world. Listening to 'Masquerade' or 'High Energy', they have a very dramatic and out-there feel. What was your take on the songs, as far as the lyrics and all that?
ET: Well, that's Ian Levine's lyrics, so he's like that. That's just the way he is.
JK: When I listen to 'Masquerade' and hear you singing "When I'm giving interviews, and they ask me how I became the star", it's not your every day lyrics, so I just wondered, when you were singing it, if you were thinking "Yeah, I really relate to this", or "This is a little bit out there".
ET: All of those are Ian Levine's lyrics, so all the singers used to get on him about his lyrics, because he was kind of out to left field as far as we were concerned. He had a few songs where the lyrics were pretty cool, but some of them we were like "What are you saying?" The last 3 songs we did together, Ian and I wrote the lyrics together.
JK: 'I Can't Give You The World'; wasn't that one of the songs?
ET: Right.
JK: I saw that on YouTube. It was a really nice song.
ET: Yeah, and we wrote a song called 'Million To One', and we wrote another song called 'Pounding the Pavement'. It's a very good song. I think that's the strongest. I think it's his follow-up to 'High Energy'.
JK: It has a title that grabs you, so that's good.
ET: It's heavy. It's probably one of the best songs he's written in a long time. We wrote that song together, we collaborated. I wouldn't come back with him unless he said, "Let's do collaboration", because you grow up in the industry and you find out that all the money is in the writing. You're not going to do that to me this time.
JK: You learned the hard way.
ET: Yes, my dear.
JK: There was one song on the 'High Energy' album that you co-wrote, 'Shy Guy'.
ET: Yes. I loved that song.
JK: On a different note, I wanted to ask you, and a friend of mine, when I told him I was interviewing you, he also said to ask you about this. I think it was actually done shortly before 'High Energy', but you had some involvement with the band Fatback.
ET: Oh yes, Fatback. 'Spread Love'.
JK: And you wrote that song. I saw the name Jerry Thomas in the credits, now was that a relative of yours?
ET: No, and everybody asked me, "Is that your brother?" but no we just happen to have the same last name. And I get paid very well from that.
JK: That song was somewhat popular here on the R&B charts, as well as 'Is This The Future' you sang on that. So, how did you hook up with them? How did that come about? You were living in England at that point, right?
ET: Bill Curtis, I used to sing with his orchestra, and they were a sister-band of Fatback. Fatback used to get so many gigs, that they had to give gigs away, so I used to sing with the orchestra that would go on these corporate gigs.
JK: Was there a name for this group?
ET: It was called Fatback. Fatback Band. It was just another Fatback band. He had 2 bands, and I was with that particular band. That's how I met him, but I met him through another guy named Warren Daniels, and Warren introduced me to Bill Curtis. Bill Curtis is the owner of Fatback, and he's been very good to me. 'Spread Love… there's a couple of other artists overseas that have done it. Quite a few people have re-done it and I'm quite happy. I hope they keep doing it.
JK: Did you re-record the vocals for the remixes? It sounded like it was updated.
ET: I did, and I plan on doing it again.
JK: Hopefully that's bringing you in a little bit of money, because I saw that's for sale via download on a lot of stores.
ET: Well also, I am going to re-record 'High Energy' with new vocals. Since I can't get paid that way, I'll get paid this way (laughs).
JK:That's smart. You've got to be enterprising, that's good.
ET: Well, I have my own company now as well. I have an entertainment incorporated company.
JK: What's that called?
ET: It's called Eljopan Entertainment Incorporated.
JK: Is that a combination of names?
ET: Oh, you're smart!
JK: Well, I read that your real first name is Ellen.
ET: Yes. There are 4 people inside the corporation.
JK: I wanted to ask you: I guess it was around the late-80's when you moved to Florida, because there was a record that you did there with a label called Paris International Records, called High Voltage.
ET: Yeah, stick your fingers down your throat. That guy. Hmmmm. You know, he never paid me a dime for that, and I was real sick when I did that record. I had the flu or something, and I couldn't sing how I wanted to.
JK: I noticed you sounded a little different on it.
ET: Yes. I was very, very sick that day, and I really didn't want to record that day.
JK: I don't know if it's something that had been recorded before it actually came out, but I think after you moved back to the States, there was one other single that came out that you did with Ian, which is 'This is Madness'.
ET: Yeah, that's exactly what it was.
JK: So, when you moved to Florida, was it your plan to lay low for a little while, or what did you have in mind when you moved back to the States?
ET: When I moved back to the States, I thought, "I have to get back to a place where I can re-invent myself and collect myself, because this is the industry that I want to be in. This is what I want to do." Being a fashion designer at the same time, I came back and started doing my prototypes with fashion, really getting into the business end of it, so putting together a company. My husband, by the way I've been married for 18 years this year, he's a musician and an engineer, and we had been doing nothing but recording music, and holding it, and now we're ready to release some things. We got fantastic backers, investors helping us, and we're getting ready to do a tour. Things are working out.
JK: Speaking of that, leads to several questions. One is: I've heard some of the music online from the 'Witness' CD that you did, which I really enjoyed, songs like 'Take Me Home' and I was wondering, is that something that you have an actual CD of it for sale, or what's the deal with that?
ET: We're putting that together, and it will be for sale soon. We are re-recording a lot of that stuff, and having mixers doing some remixes of it. We're also doing a jazz album, because that's really where I came from. I was doing a lot of jazz before I ever met Ian. I've always loved dance music, so it was the two genres I loved. You notice I said Nancy Wilson.
JK: I did see on one of the profiles that you put on-line, that you mentioned jazz was the main style on the Soundclick website, where I heard some of those Witness tracks. I really enjoyed that song 'Take Me home' and also 'Do What Cha Gotta Do'.
ET: (singing) Do what cha gotta do!
JK: Did you actually tour at some point with 'The Witness' musical? I had heard about it, and this is going back 7 years.
ET: I did, here in the States, and it went over really well.
JK: Did you do a national tour of it?
ET: I have some people who want to invest in it, and it will probably end up that way. It's a great show.
JK: Where did you perform it before, when you got the good reception?
ET: We did it here in Miami, and another place called Fort Myers, and Sarasota. We were doing previews, just to see if people would like it, and they loved it! The house was packed, and they loved it.
JK: Tell me about the play. What would you like to say about it?
ET: It's just the story of my life, never getting paid! (laughs)
JK: So it's a first-witness account.
ET: It's a story about perseverance, you know?
JK: What made you decide to return to doing the type of music that you became famous with? You've been doing a lot recently. You've got the songs on The Plan album, and I know you have a couple of other tracks that haven't been released yet, and you've been doing the stuff with Ian again. Was there a certain opportunity that came along that started it?
ET: When I did the tour, the RTL tour, which was last June…
JK: Is that Return to Love?
ET: RTL is a tour that's done overseas, in France. Well, a lot of different producers had asked me for some single deals, and since I was in business for myself, why not?
JK: Do you license the songs to them, or how does that work?
ET: If I have a song that I have written, I license the song to them. If they want to do something different, I license my voice to them.
JK: Like an independent contractor.
ET: Absolutely, and you know the music industry is bad for some, but good for others. It depends on how you perceive it, because for me, it's good. I don't have to depend on companies per se, to do certain things for me, because I have my own record label now. I don't have to worry about that, and I can do my own single deals or what have you.
JK: Even though, unfortunately with the illegal downloading, that's a downside, but a real positive side is that artists who might not necessarily have a major label deal or be the commercial thing right now, I think it's easier to carve your own niche, and you managed to find your fans online. I myself, I've rediscovered a lot of artists that I loved growing up, that I found out are still doing things, and they sell their product on CDBaby or iTunes or any number of these websites, and like you said, you can get paid for them.
ET: Personally, what I think is happening to the industry, what's happening with everything including the economy, is that technology has changed, and then everything had to change. Because of the change, we all have to change. Even in the industry, most of everything is downloads. Some people thought that the computer was something that was a want and not a need, but now they're going to find out that the computer is a necessity, just like the telephone. You've got to have it to do business. You can't do business without it, so technology has changed, the music industry has changed, even the grocery store has changed. Everything has changed. Jobs have changed, so we have to change with the times. We have to go back to school and re-educate ourselves, because some of us technically don't know what the heck is going on. You need to catch up the people you've left behind.
JK: It's a whole new way of life in certain ways.
ET: Yes. I don't like to get into politics, but a lot of these problems we're having are because of bad decisions and wrong decisions, but at the same time, technology has definitely changed all of our lives.
JK: Oh, absolutely. You're right. There were two other songs that you had mentioned, and I was wondering if they're still coming out. One was 'Prove It' with Evolusound?
ET: Yes, that's Frank Savannah. I spoke to Frank, and he said he was waiting for some re-mixes to come back. That is a very powerful song.
JK: I like the name itself, so it was interesting to hear it.
ET: It's about a young lady saying, "If you want me, you need to prove it."
JK: That sounds good. There was another one called 'Another Night'?
ET: Yes, that's by Tony Powers.
JK: Is that something that's going to be released? Do you know anything about that?
ET: Yes, it's going to be released on Energise Records.
JK: Is it under a certain name that we'll have to look for?
ET: Evelyn Thomas. It's a single.
JK: Because there were all these groups, I know even back in the 90's, there was Groove Box, featuring Evelyn Thomas on a couple of songs. Okay, well I look forward to hearing those. Was it while you were in France that you hooked up with Soren Jensen for The Plan?
ET: Oh, God that's a funny story. When I came over from the RTL tour, I was in France, and Ian Levine says "Evelyn, since you're going to be in France a while, why don't you fly over, or take the train over to London?" I said, "Okay". He introduced me to Soren. He said, "I have a friend, his name is Soren Jensen, and he's doing one of his first albums. He would love for you to sing on this album." Since I was doing my own deals and stuff, I said, "Okay, just give me his number." So, he gave me his number reluctantly, and we talked, and that's how I met Soren. When I came over to London, Soren was there working with Ian at the time, but he and Ian had differences of opinion later, and Soren ended up with his own company, and him and Ian sort of parted. It was the best thing he could have done for himself, really, and that's how 'Stick To The Plan' came about.
JK: Since you wrote that with Soren, what inspired that song?
ET: Well, Soren and I wanted to write something together. I told him that the only way I would do any business with him, is that I had to be in on the writing. So, we came up with this song, and he called it 'Stick To Your Guns'. I said, "There's a lot of guns going around lately. People are walking into places, shooting folks. You don't want to do that. Why don't we just say Stick To The Plan?" and that's how the title came around. We started writing and corresponding back and forth over the Internet before I met him, so the song was written by Clive Scott. Clive Scott wrote all the music. Soren's whole album is Clive Scott, and for the last 16 years of Ian Levine's music, that's Clive Scott.
JK: I heard that he was very instrumental in his career.
ET: Clive Scott also wrote 'Pounding the Pavement', which I'm telling you right now, it is another 'High Energy'. That thing is powerful.
JK: 'Stick to the Plan' is a great song, great re-mixes.
ET: 'Infidelity' is doing pretty good too. JK: I saw that he's starting to get it out to more people. There are some retailers in the U.S. now that are carrying it online, and I was informing him about some specialty stores here in the States that might want to carry it as well. I know initially, it was just through his site, and a couple others.
ET: Soren is a very nice person. I like him a lot. He's honest in business, keeps everything above-board, and I like his ethics, I like the way he treats people, and he's a good guy in the business. That's hard to find.
JK: What music do you like these days?
ET: I've been listening to a little bit of everything. I'm very interested in the Trance scene. It's interesting, how they take different music and slow it down a little bit, put it in these different mixes. I like it. I love music, period. I like R&B, I love me some good dance music! I like something that'll make you move. I kind of like the new R&B that's coming out too, and I like that music that's overseas. It's a new type of music, and I'm trying to think of the name of it right now. It's very interesting, kind of slowed-down R&B-ish.
JK: Like Duffy?
ET: Duffy, there it is! Yes, I like Duffy. All she does is cry, but I like her. (laughs)
JK: I'm going to have to listen to more of her music, because I didn't know that she was crying all the time.
ET: She's in a limousine, or some ride she's in, and all she's doing is crying, and the darn thing's not going anywhere, but she's so theatrical, that you can watch her cry for a whole 7 minutes, it's cool. I like her. I like her a lot.
JK: She seems very talented. That first song she had that was really big had a real classic kind of feel to it.
ET: It's a new music that's coming out. To be honest, I've written quite a bit of that type of music and held it.
JK: I was going to ask if you planned on doing any of that when you mentioned that you were enjoying it.
ET: Yes, we've already written some. We did that way before it came out, but that's the way it goes sometimes.
JK: What about your fashion company? Are you selling stuff now?
ET: I have a line of fashion. When it's coming out, I have no idea at this particular time, but I'm working on it, I have all my prototypes, I have everything I need to work with. I'm working on some prints.
JK: Is it something you plan to sell online?
ET: I'm going to sell online, and in the stores. I've got quite a few people interested in it; some big money people that love what I do, so we have to take it one step at a time with that. You know when you step out on that one, you had better step out good!
JK: Step out on the runway in full force.
ET: If you step out wrong, you can forget it.
JK: A lot of famous singers have started lines, and they are disasters because it's not well planned or executed.
ET: Well, I've been sewing since I was 7, so I'm really hands-on in everything. I actually make the garments myself for the samples.
JK: There is one other thing that I wanted to ask you. Have you ever kept in touch with any of those artists who were in that initial stable of artists that you went overseas with, like Barbara Pennington or L.J. Johnson?
ET: Barbara and I speak at least once a week. As a matter of fact, I spoke to Barbara earlier.
JK: How is she doing these days?
ET: She's doing fine! Barbara is just as funny as she wanna be. She's as pretty as ever. That girl can sing! Oh my goodness. She's working on some things herself; she picked herself back up, so she's doing some things of her own. She'll be doing some things with my company.
JK: Is she there in Florida as well?
ET: No, Barbara is in St. Louis. JK: She's closer to the home turf. What about L.J. Johnson?
ET: She stays in touch with L.J. I spoke to L.J. a coupe of months ago. He's doing fine. He just retired from being a postman.
JK: He still did that all those years?
ET: Yes, he just retired, so he's cool. He's doing some music now. We plan to get together, the three of us.
JK: That would be great, a triple threat.
ET: I have a studio at my house, so they are going to come down and we're going to record together.
JK: That would be awesome! I know a lot of people will love that. These recent songs you've been doing, have they been recorded in your studio?
ET: Absolutely.
JK: The ones we were talking about, like 'Prove It', 'Another Night' and all those?
ET: No, 'Prove It' was recorded in London at Laurent Schark's studio.
JK: Wasn't there one song, 'Why Must The Sun Rise' that you did in your studio?
ET: 'Why Must The Sun Rise' was recorded in my studio. That's a beautiful song.
JK: It is really nice. You were talking about the slowed-down stuff, and there was a re-mix on that bonus disc that I really liked. It's neat to hear a slow song like that re-mixed, but it's not done like dance, but still it's a really good re-mix. What is your studio like? Is it computer-based, a big console, or what kind of setup do you have?
ET: I use ProTools and computers. Everything is digital. It's a digital world.
JK: Are you going to be doing any touring or performing in the near future?
ET: Yes, we are putting together a new tour right now as a matter of fact. I have a few investors who want to make sure that my tour goes well. It won't take off until next year, but we're putting everything together. It takes a while to put that together.
JK: Will there be any of it in the States, or is it just going to be overseas?
ET: It's going to be both. We may do Statewide first, and then come overseas.
JK: I would love to see a show of yours. I've never had the opportunity, so that would be great.
ET: We have 3 backup singers now, we have a couple of dancers; we have an 11-piece band. It's a live show.
JK: Okay, so not just track dates, it will be a band.
ET: No, but some would be tracked, it depends where we are.
JK: I guess it's a matter of space sometimes.
ET: Right.
JK: Well that sounds exciting! I'm so glad I got to talk with you. It's been a real pleasure. You're so sweet.
ET: Well, thank you so much for calling!
Justin Kantor is a freelance journalist based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He has published his own magazine, The Hip Key, as well as contributing prolifically to the All-Music Guide and Berklee College of Music's The Groove. He can be reached by e-mail at email@example.com
About the Writer
Justin Kantor is a freelance music journalist with published works in Wax Poetics and the All-Music Guide. A graduate of Berklee College of Music's Business and Management program, he regularly writes liner notes for reissue labels.
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NHL HomeGrown
|New York Rangers
|Henrik Lundqvist (Getty Images)
Line 1: Ryan Callahan-Brandon Dubinsky-Carl Hagelin
The Rangers have spent a lot of money in free agency over the years, but they've done a pretty good job developing their own players within the organization, especially when it comes to some of the forward spots. Callahan and Dubinsky were second and fourth round selections in 2004, while Hagelin was a sixth round pick in '07.
Line 2: Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Chris Kreider
They're young (and cheap) but you could certainly do worse for a No. 2 scoring line, at least when it comes to potential. All three players were at one time or another mentioned in trade rumors with Columbus to get Rick Nash, and in the end it was Anisimov that ended up going the other way.
Line 3: Lauri Korpioski-Dominic Moore-Nigel Dawes
This line might be a little better than people might realize at first glance. Moore has always been a strong checking line center that can win a lot of face-offs, and Dawes seems like the type of player that could help somebody on its bottom six if he would just get a chance.
Offensive scratch: Manny Malhotra
Defense pairing 1: Marc Staal - Michael Del Zotto
Things are certainly interesting when Michael Del Zotto is on the ice because he's either going to do something that results in a Rangers goale … or do something that results in the Rangers giving up a goal. Marc Staal is coming off a bit of a down year, but he's still a very good top-four NHL defenseman.
Defense pairing 2: Fedor Tyutin - Marek Zidlicky
Both players came out of the 2001 draft. Tyutin was sent to Columbus in the trade that resulted in the forgettable Nikolai Zherdev experience in New York. Zidlicky never had a chance to play for the Rangers as he was traded to Nashville for Tomas Kloucek and Mike Dunham.
Defensive scratch: Michael Sauer
Goaltenders: Henrik Lundqvist - Al Montoya
A nice look at just how crazy and unpredictble it is when you try to draft a goalie. Al Montoya was the No. 6 overall pick in 2004. He would make an OK backup today. Henrik Lundqvist went 205th overall in the 2000 draft. He's one of the best goalies in the league.
For more hockey news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnHockey and @AGretz on Twitter and like us on Facebook.


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well honestly
i wasn't going to put this out since its obviously so retarded
and i was told to edit some threads, i didnt, suck it
basically what happened is i pwned Laura's account and saved all their super duper top secret shit
so basically, here you go.. its a good way to kill like 20 min
p.s: thanks to this breach, the dg chicks absolutely hate me. because of me getting into their precious forum.. bitches like dawna got crazy heated and threw temper tantrums. im sure the cunts will be up in this thread trolling it or w/e.
but whatever > http://la.gg/v/dg_chicks.rar/
gorilla pimp slappin niggas fresh out the zoo


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UPDATE: "The Flash" Hasn't Cast Savitar, Says Berlanti
TV, Comic Books
Welcome to Best of 7, where we talk about "The best in comics from the last seven days" — which could be anything from an exciting piece of news to a cool publisher's announcement to an awesome comic that came out. So let's take a look at the last seven days in comics …
I was supremely dismayed earlier in the week when some people responded to Janelle Asselin's Teen Titans #1 cover assessment by issuing rape threats.
But that dismay was quickly eased when the groundswell of defense and support for Asselin moved to the forefront. In particular, my hopes for a change were buoyed by the collective response that an ongoing conversation must be pursued to eradicate the culture that seemingly makes rape threats and overall misogyny acceptable on any level.
Lines do not need to be drawn, but many tire of what Marjorie Liu characterizes as "a collective male amnesia" that greets stories like this that happen all too often and frequently. I am guilty as charged in terms of being shocked, when stories of harassment against women have gone on for years and I have covered them in the past.
Liu is one of many to offer a constructive path forward:
"It doesn't mean that any one individual is evil. It doesn't mean that all men are terrible. But the larger culture of misogyny, in all its forms — from the obvious to the subtle — that is evil, and it must be recognized, and fought. Because things will not get better unless we name this, and see it. And so the conversation continues."
I respect that in the wake of the harassment of Asselin–for merely expressing her opinion–has allowed the industry to show it can be better in the face of discrimination.
Another note in support of the importance of an ongoing dialogue to erase ignorance and effect change was made by the folks at Retcon:
"So how do we change? The comics community is far from monolithic, making it difficult to address any community-wide problems, especially those that have happened in secret for so long. But that doesn't leave us without hope. We believe that keeping the spotlight on the issue — in all corners of comicdom — is the only way to eradicate it everywhere. Twitter will do it Twitter's way (presumably, lot's of hashtags), CBR will do it CBR's way, and we will do it our way. Our way will take the form of several pieces over the next week deconstructing the facets of the problem as we see it: the representation of female characters in comics, the marginalization of women in the comics community, and the tone of internet discussion within the community. What are the problems? What are their causes? What solutions would we like to see?"
The industry needs to shine a light on its shortcomings. And this week it did. No one is perfect. When we fall short of an ideal level playing field, no one should view a call for equality as a negative or a threat to comics.
We have a chance for a dialogue and to become a better industry, a more fair industry (in terms of tolerance). I hope we make the most of it. We had a good start this week. (Tim O'Shea)
Dynamite announced this week that Warren Ellis will "take control" of the Project Superpowers universe later this year.
"I have actually been fascinated by those old characters for a great many years," Elli said in his Orbital Operations email. "Golden Age comics, as they're called, are strange things. This is something I'll get into with you at a later date, once the thing's up and running, I think. There's a haunted nature to many of them: like the pulps, some of them are a window for pure id to stream through."
Ellis also noted that his take on the characters won't be anything like Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's take on the characters — "At all." This is another great move by Dynamite, much like recruiting Joe Casey and a bunch of great artists to work on Captain Victory. (JK Parkin)
It's one of those projects I was starting to think we might not ever see, which would be too bad because it sounds fairly ambitious — Grant Morrison's Multiversity," first announced four years ago. But this week we learned something about we didn't know — the release date. CBR revealed that the limited series will debut in August 2014. Each issue will be 40 pages in length, featuring art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, Chris Sprouse and Karl Story, Ben Oliver, Frank Quitely, Cameron Stewart and others.
"Prepare to meet the Vampire Justice League of Earth-43, the Justice Riders of Earth-18, Superdemon, Doc Fate, the super-sons of Superman and Batman, the rampaging Retaliators of Earth-8, the Atomic Knights of Justice, Dino-Cop, Sister Miracle, Lady Quark, the legion of Sivanas, the Nazi New Reichsmen of Earth-10 and the LATEST, greatest superhero of Earth-Prime — YOU!" Morrison said in a statement. If indeed I'm in it, that explains the delay — I've been very busy lately. (JK Parkin)
If you thought the wait for Multiversity was long, well, let me introduce you to Groo vs. Conan. The project by Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragonés and Thomas Yeates has been 11 years in the making, but at WonderCon this weekend Evanier and Aragonés announced the project will be out … um, later this year. I'm not sure if the panel report actually clarified when it would arrive, but Aragonés said it would be out in time for the San Diego Comic-Con, so let's just say "summer." The duo also announced a brand new Groo project, the 12-issue "Friends and Foes." More Groo is always a good thing, and it's been a long time since we've seen new stories starring the cheese dip-loving barbarian. (JK Parkin)
In terms of archival comics, we live in fortunate times with an abundance of archival riches to buy. And thanks to folks like Denis Kitchen, John Lind and Mike Richardson, this week saw the release of Crime Does Not Pay Archives Volume 7.
It's hard to say what I enjoyed most about this collection of 1946-1947 stories. First off there's the intro written by novelist Lorenzo Carcaterra, which opens with this insight framing the stories contextually:
"The stories in this collection of Crime Does Not Pay touch so many important bases. They tell of a time when criminals ran rampant through the streets and towns of this country, each eventually brought down by determined lawmen never giving up the hot pursuit. The tales are vivid and well told, the color images true to life and violent, and the sense of time and place as real as a morning headline."
Another source of joy? Ads from that era with marketing phrases like "Genuine Pre-War Quality Banner Fireworks! Oh boy!" Finally one can delight in the covers done by original series editor Charles Biro. I cannot get enough of this material. (Tim O'shea)
My issue with Asselin's critique was that it wasn't particularly insightful. But any intelligent discourse certainly got lost in the jostle.
Sorry, Asselin. I see nothing offensive on the cover itself. It's the artist's prerogative (with the blessings of the DC editorial unit) to allow that cover art to be printed and distributed in the first place. But on the other hand, I feel sick on dudes making nonsense comments on her "critique." Her comment is as good as one of us.
Asselin's analysis of the cover was critical of the cover and, by association, the artist who drew it.
Why do some people regard it as a personal attack on THEM just because they like it?
If they disagree they may ignore her or express their defence of the cover.
Insults and threats are WRONG.
Those who would threaten rape should get psychiatric treatment
I'm still going to read Teen Titans, as I like Will Pfeifer and Kenneth Rocafort, and I think the cover treats the female form a lot better than anything J. Scott Campbell's ever drawn.
That said, Asselin is entitled to her opinion, the right to state said opinion in a public forum, and the right to not be harassed and threatened by neckbearded, developmentally-arrested toolbags for having said opinion. This is why comics are seen as a boys club, especially the kind of boys club that has the stigma of creepy, socially repugnant trolls that the mass media can treat as stereotypes in shows like the Big Bang Theory – because this kind of horrible behavior is not only tolerated, but has become the norm. This is why I hate mentioning to new people, especially women, that I like comics. Thank god this behavior isn't being tolerated anymore and people are finally giving these douchebags the treatment they deserve. I shouldn't have to be ashamed of my community and of being a male comicbook fan because I'm one of the few exceptions in a mostly sexist audience. Here's hoping members of Anonymous track the worst offenders down and gives them what-for.
Though I concur with all the above sentiments regarding the unacceptability and unjustifiable nature of the threats to Asselin, I think the construction of her argument is confused:
"The problem is not that she's a teen girl with large breasts, because those certainly exist. The main problem is that this is not the natural chest of a large-breasted woman. Those are implants. On a teenaged superheroine."
So are we to suppose from these sentences that Asselin would be totally OK with the cover if it had simply been an accurate rendering of "a teen girl with large breasts?" Sorry, I think that had the cover been drawn with all the accuracy of the best Adam Hughes, many female critics– including Asselin– would still have problems with sexualizing an "underaged teen girl"– though on a side point, I don't know that most TITANS fans could tell you whether or not Wonder Girl is under the age of consent or not, given the frequent fluctuations of comics-book continuity.


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Visits: 256
Bio: I've always been "out there." The way I dress, my hairstyle, my sense of humor, my style. New, different, fresh, exciting, fun. Never boring. That's what makes me great at booking and managing bands and talent. It's always different, always exciting. As a student that attended McNally Smith Colle... See Full Bio


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The Warriors signed three undrafted free agents _ guard DeMarcus Nelson of Duke, swingman Dion Dowell of Houston and forward Rob Kurz of Notre Dame. Terms weren't announced.
More Warriors News
Nelson, 22, played three seasons at Vallejo High School before transferring to Sheldon-Sacramento for his senior season. He holds the California prep scoring record with 3,462 points.
The Warriors now have 18 players under contract.


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The Monkey's Paw
by W.W. Jacobs
The Monkey's Paw The Supernatural Quotes
How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Monkey's paw?" said Mrs. White, curiously.
"Well, it's just a bit of what you might call magic, perhaps," said the sergeant-major, offhandedly. (1.21)
Does Morris actually believe in magic, or is he just playing with the Whites?
Quote #2
"It had a spell put on it by an old fakir," said the sergeant-major, "a very holy man. [...] He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it." (1.26)
Why would a holy man make something evil? To teach people a lesson? In some ways this passage can be seen as a reflection of misconceptions about India in the early 1900s, and the public's fascination with stories of magic and mysticism from afar.
Quote #3
The soldier shook his head. "Fancy, I suppose," he said, slowly. "I did have some idea of selling it, but I don't think I will. It has caused enough mischief already. Besides, people won't buy. They think it's a fairy tale; some of them, and those who do think anything of it want to try it first and pay me afterward." (1.36)
The paw is closely associated with money. Morris wants to sell it. Mr. White, it seems, does actually pay him for it. And Mr. White's first wish is for money. Still, it's hard to say this is a story warning against greed, since all Mr. White wants to do is pay off his debt. Why stop at 200 pounds, after all?


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Movoto, a real estate site, released its list of the 10 Worst Cities for Food Lovers.
Five(!) of the 10 were Texas cities. Luckily, but not surprisingly, Houston was not among them.
Texas' five culinary quagmires, according to Movoto, are Garland, El Paso, Laredo, Fort Worth and Corpus Christi.
Movoto's No. 1 foodie hell: San Bernardino, Calif.
Movoto claims to have "cooked up" its list by looking at restaurant per capita, as well as each city's number of bakeries, food trucks, ice cream shops, candy shops, food and wine festivals, caterers and gourmet grocers.
Find the entire list here.