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It's no secret that Chicago is a great place for music. Pretty much any touring band of note — and no doubt many a musical outfit that need not be noted — is sure to include a Chicago stop, and the city's local scene remains rich and diverse, aided by a host of nurturing venues and an eager, uncommonly discerning base of listeners. That it's only a five-hour drive from Cincinnati makes it an enticing destination for those of us who yearn to catch shows that skip the Queen City.
Chicago's embarrassment of musical riches has only grown in recent years with the addition of two high-profile three-day summer festivals: Lollapalooza and Pitchfork. The former needs little introduction — Perry Farrell's unexpectedly fruitful brainchild is, almost undeniably, the inspiration for the explosion of summer fests over the last two decades, a trend that has grown even more robust since the turn of the century. Every weekend each summer now features at least one festival worthy of audiences' ears. The trend has even reached Cincinnati, where Bunbury just finished its second successful year — and shared a headliner with Pitchfork. (Whether outdoor settings, marked by often difficult weather conditions and bright sunlight, is the best way to experience the type of music offered at such festivals is a different question.)
Lollapalooza is, alongside behemoths Coachella and Boonaroo, one of America's biggest and best-attended summer fests, boasting more than 130 artists and an audience in excess of 150,000. Pitchfork, meanwhile, has quickly established itself as a singular presence on the summer circuit, a discerningly curated endeavor that's an extension of the influential, taste-making webzine that runs it. (Chicago-based Pitchfork.com took over the business side of the fest in 2006 after curating 2005's initial gathering, which was then called the Intonation Festival). Set in Union Park — a modest city-block space just west of downtown Chicago — Pitchfork now features nearly 50 artists, many of which are still unfamiliar to all but the most plugged-in Indie music connoisseurs. (Ironically, as a champion of cutting-edge acts on the way up, Pitchfork also serves as an early snapshot of future Lollapalooza lineups.)
This year's Pitchfork, which ran July 19-21, offered one of its most curious lineups to date, especially as it pertains to the headliners, which included Bjork, Belle and Sebastian and, somewhat controversially, R. Kelly. Sure, there were several typically lesser-known acts on the bill, but almost all of them graced the Blue Stage, the smallest of the fest's three stages. Whether this year's more accessible bill might have been a reaction to last year's fest, which gave relatively high-profile slots to such interesting but largely faceless artists as AraabMuzik, Purity Ring, The Field, Big K.R.I.T., Hot Chip and Chavez, among others, is anyone's guess, but a realignment of sorts from Pitchfork's powers that be seems plausible.
More proof of a possible shift in booking philosophy: There were more veteran acts than ever this year. Beyond the headliners, each of which has been making music for more than two decades, there was Wire, The Breeders, Swans, … And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Low and Yo La Tengo. The only comparable 2012 act in terms of longevity — admittedly not the best gauge when it comes to creative vitality, but we're talking audience-drawers here — was Godspeed You Black Emperor, which headlined along with Feist and Vampire Weekend. All are solid acts, but none of them are likely to perk the senses of those looking for a little "star power." Enter Kelly, one of the era's preeminent hit-makers (more on that later).
As usual, many of Pitchfork 2013's most interesting artists emanated from the Blue Stage, which is the most intimate of the fest's three stages — the larger Green and Red stages (note the refreshing lack of corporate branding, another sign of Pitchfork's discerning nature), which are but 50 yards (or so) apart, alternate acts at the north end of Union Park, while Blue's lineup overlaps with the other two. Tucked into a tree-laden area of the park's southwest corner, the Blue Stage is something of a festival unto itself, its cozy confines offering a break from the spacious, open-air spots where the Green and Red reside.
Multiple Blue Stage artists delivered strong sets, including Frankie Rose, a former Dum Dum Girl whose latest album, Interstellar, is a Synth Pop gem that wouldn't sound out place alongside Beach House; Mikal Cronin, a little ragamuffin of a guy whose latest album, MCII, is a Power Pop keeper; Angel Olsen, whose Americana-flavored songs and swoon-worthy voice and visage compelled much of the audience during her late-afternoon slot; Metz, a Canadian trio coming to Cincy for this year's MidPoint Music Festival in late September, whose terse songs roared even more righteously in a live setting (think Nirvana on fast-forward); Minnesota mainstays Low, who seemed oddly out of place but still effective in the early evening light; and Trash Talk, a Hardcore crew from Sacramento, Calif., whose long-haired frontman delivered the funniest line of the fest after noticing a number of "old people" in the relatively sparse Friday-afternoon crowd: "I like old people. Old people make the world go around. They fucking had us and shit."
Best of all — or at least the biggest surprise — was Brooklyn-based Post Punk quartet Parquet Courts, whose playful, twisty tunes recall everyone from early Pavement to the Minutemen to a far less trashed Guided by Voices. Frontman Andrew Savage's voice is thin but endearing, and his dynamic guitar interplay with fellow frontguy Austin Brown had more than one rapt audience member shaking their ass in the Saturday-afternoon sun.
One got the sense that the Parquet Courts dudes would have been just as happy performing on the street corner just beyond the fence behind them. The fact that they had a much bigger platform to deliver their slanted gospel is just one example of what has made Pitchfork so vital for those looking to experience something rawer and less polished than the acts that dominate other festivals. (Go get Parquet Court's recent full-length, Light Up Gold, as soon as possible.)
Even the Blue Stage's less successful performances were compelling in one way or another: while Julia Holter, Ryan Hemsworth, Andy Stott and Evian Christ — the latter three DJs who essentially stand behind a table — have issues in the area of crowd interaction and sometimes suffered from spotty sound mixes, each was able to convey its mood-altering music in ways that, at the very least, provided sonic respites from the relatively more conventional acts at the bigger stages, whose roar often bled into the Blue's.
On to the two main stages, which drew large, unusually enthusiastic crowds all weekend. Long a champion of adventurous Hip Hop, Pitchfork again featured some intriguing purveyors of the form, most notably Sunday sets by Killer Mike and El-P. The pair released two of the best albums of 2012, and their stellar recent collaboration, dubbed Run the Jewels, dropped as a free download in June. After a sweaty set in which Mike ran through songs from his R.A.P. Music — including strong versions of the title track and the politically cutting "Reagan" — he joined his buddy El-P for a batch of Run the Jewels cuts that mixed verbal dexterity with a healthy dose of levity. Their record, simply titled Run the Jewels, is something of a break from the duo's doomsday aesthetic as solo artists — Jewels is an exuberant, sonically diverse fun-ride that makes light of Hip Hop's silly preoccupation with bling (the two performed with fake gold chains around their necks), among other Pop-culture oddities. (El-P later tweeted, "I'll just go ahead and say @pitchforkfest is the most chill, fun ass festival around right now.)
Run the Jewels was an interesting transition into a set from the ever-vital Yo La Tengo, which mixed choice cuts from its vast back-catalog (including sweet reworked versions of "Autumn Sweater," "Tom Courtney" and "The Hour Grows Late") with several tunes from the New Jersey trio's latest record, Fade. As usual, they didn't interact much with the crowd, though frontman Ira Kaplan, who dropped in several impressive guitar freak-outs, did joke that it was "good to be opening for R. Kelly again."
The fest's most curious social-media-stirring moment occurred Sunday evening as M.I.A., amid a garishly colorful backdrop of spinning wheels and neon lights, unveiled songs from her forthcoming album, Matangi. A sea of cell phones rose to record her entrance; many stayed aloft throughout. It was a departure in audience etiquette — somewhat unexpectedly, much of the festival was free of such ubiquitous use of technological interference.
Clad in a flashy gold top and orange short-shorts, M.I.A. stalked the stage, often with dancers at her side, as bass-heavy Dance-Rap arrangements thundered through the ample soundsystem with almost netherworldly force. The ceaseless sonic assault pretty much drowned out whatever she might have been trying to convey in her new songs — which, based on the spottiness of her previous record and the delayed release of Matangi, might be a good thing. Only when her set was interrupted by technical glitches did she seem spontaneous or even all that engaged. It was a weird, disjointed set, the kind of whiz-bang spectacle that rarely rears its head at Pitchfork.
In contrast, Savages Saturday afternoon appearance was a model of lacerating intensity. The buzzed-about British quartet — whose recent debut Silence Yourself is a satisfying blast of atmospheric Post Punk — was one of the most anticipated acts of fest. They didn't disappoint, delivering blistering versions of "I Am Here," "She Will" and "Fuckers," a new song about not letting the "fuckers get you down."
Jehnny Beth is a captivating frontlady, her no-bullshit stare and frequent high-pitched yelps lifting the music's familiar elements — everyone from Gang of Four and Patti Smith to Siouxsie Sioux and PJ Harvey come immediately to mind — to uncharted heights. More unexpected was the band's tendency to evoke '80s-era U2, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Even more curious was Beth's evocation of Ian Curtis, both in terms of her appearance (lean with close-cropped hair) and in some of her mannerisms (as if the music were transporting her somewhere beyond the stage).
Michael Gira, Swans' longtime ringleader, was impressed,
asking the audience, "How about them lady Savages?" before clapping in
appreciation. Gira's band immediately followed Savages, and it was an
apt pairing, like opposite sides of the same coin. His crew of gifted
Post Punk vets — which includes a hairy multi-instrumentalist named Thor
and a suave German slide-guitar player who looks as though he'd be
right a home in a David Lynch flick — conjured an unholy racket during a
truncated version of "The Seer" and offered an inspired take on
"Oxygen," which featured Gira doing a spooky Indian-like dance
throughout. While it was odd to witness Swans' menacing, ebb-and-flow
soundscapes in broad daylight, the outdoor setting still left those in
attendance vibrating long after the band's final drone leaked from the
That brings us to the three headliners. The festival's mission — it attempts to highlight the most adventurous, zeitgeist-channeling acts on the current landscape — makes choosing an anchor to each day's events a challenging dilemma for Pitchfork organizers. Given the esoteric nature of many such music-makers, there are only so many high-profile acts that fit the typical "headliner" criteria. Past choices have included such Alt-Rock mainstays as Flaming Lips, Spoon and Sonic Youth to more contemporary entries in the canon like TV on the Radio, Animal Collective and LCD Soundsystem.
Pitchfork even had Yoko Ono headline one year, which makes the choice of R. Kelly as Sunday night's festival-closer even odder one on multiple levels. First, there's the fact that Kelly — no doubt one of the most important R&B artists of the era, and a Chicago native to boot — is the most mainstream artist the festival has ever booked. Second, and far more troubling for many, is Kelly's reputation as a serial misogynist who never got the legal reprimand he deserved.
The most vociferous critic has been longtime music writer Jim DeRogatis, who broke the story of Kelly's indiscretions while working at the Chicago Sun-Times in 2002. DeRogatis called Pitchfork's decision to book Kelly and the subsequent excitement from "some (not all) paying customers" as being "fueled by irony."
No doubt there are legitimate questions about how an artist's personal issues should impact the way in which we experience their music, but, for better or worse, those knotty questions were not going to be answered during Kelly's Pitchfork set.
In fact, based on the reaction of those in the massive crowd — probably the festival's largest ever — irony was not as prevalent as DeRogatis wanted to profess. The overwhelming majority of those in attendance, which ranged from fortysomething African-American couples to teenage hipsters, seemed genuinely excited to be taking in Kelly's sextastic jams. The performance itself, meanwhile, was largely standard-issue R&B stagecraft, as Kelly ran through much of his extensive songbook medley-style (38 songs!). Not even a steady drizzle of rain could dampen the mood, as many swayed and sang along straight through to a set-closing version of "I Believe I Can Fly," which was accompanied by the release of dove-shaped balloons.
If Kelly's presentation was fairly straightforward, Bjork's closing set on Friday was anything but. Or so it seemed — unless one was within 75 yards of the stage, it was hard to see what was going on besides fleeting glimpses of Bjork's elaborate headgear, which looked like a porcupine lit up from within. Worse, the two video boards that flanked the Green Stage were mounted too low, rendering them almost useless to those they should intend to aid.
No matter: Bjork's expressive voice was just as fluid and otherworldly as one would expect on slightly reconfigured versions of "Hunter," "Joga" "Pagan Poetry" and "Army of Me." When rain and pending lightening and thunder prompted festival organizers to pull the plug after an hour, Bjork responded with this curio: "It's calm. I don't know. This wouldn't be much in Iceland, I can tell you that much."
It also rained on Belle and Sebastian Saturday night, but not enough to cut short what was the festival's most overt nod to nostalgia. The Scottish crew ran through a career-spanning set that crested early with rousing versions of "I'm a Cuckoo" and "The Stars of Track and Field," which had more than one thirtysomething couple embracing amid all the tuneful sweetness.
If you happened to have checked out this past Saturday's Beats Summer Concert Series event (the popular Hip Hop/Dance/DJ night presented by Self Diploma every Saturday this summer) on Fountain Square, you probably got a taste of the skills of Cincinnati native Santino Corleon, who performed right before headliner DJ Clockwork.
This week, you have another chance to sample Corleon's goods as the head-turning MC has released his latest track and accompanying music video, "Tats."
Corleon has already become a "name to watch" around the region. Upon returning to Cincinnati after a stint studying (both at college and in the Hip Hop community) in Brooklyn, Corleon stepped up his game and has been invited to perform with artists like Big Sean, Method Man and Redman, J. Cole and Gucci Mane (among other big-timers) and performing at various music festivals around the region. He's also built his buzz up by releasing several widely distributed mixtapes, including his most recent, The Hangover, hosted by DJ E-V (who works with Machine Gun Kelly and Mike Posner) and featured on Hip Hop/mixtape sites like TheOneMic.com, Live Mixtapes and LeakJones.
You can listen and download The Hangover and its predecessor — the more freestyle-oriented Where's the Love? — right here for free through Corleon's site.
Corleon is also giving away free downloads of "Tats," which will be a part of his next full release, Keep the Change. Check the video (directed by Dan Gotti) below, then click here if you'd like your very own download. The track has a cool sparse/ambient quality, with some great, tricky beats and a bass-rumble that could wake the dead. (Note: The track is also pretty non-PC and probably NSFW for most of you reading this at your job, due to language. But if your boss is cool with it, so are we.)
Tonight at the 20th Century Theatre in Oakley, two MidPoint Music Festival alumni team up for an 8 p.m. show, opened by Brooklyn duo and Secretly Canadian recording artists Exitmusic. Tickets are $17.
Welsh-bred, London-based AltRock trio The Joy Formidable were one of the big attractions at last year's MPMF, headlining the big tent stage at Grammer's. Like a lot of MPMFers, the band was on the brink of breaking through in the States and has since been doing pretty damn well — the band's current cross-country tour of America kicked off with four sold out shows (Cincy is the eighth stop on the jaunt). The trio is still doing dates in support of last year's debut LP, The Big Roar, which notched a No. 8 chart position on Billboard's Top Heatseekers charts. Here's a clip of the threesome performing its single "Whirring" at South By Southwest last year.
Another trio that played MidPoint (in 2010) holds down the middle slot tonight. Brooklyn's Post Punk/Noisegaze group A Place to Bury Strangers were also a highly anticipated band at the MidPoint at which they performed. Though their show didn't go exactly as planned (playing the Contemporary Arts Center, the band's light display and legendary volume kept knocking the power out during their set), the group still ended up putting on a stellar performance and didn't lose their cool. In this week's CityBeat, Reyan Ali talks to Oliver Ackermann, singer/guitarist for APTBS, about that CAC show and whether he thinks his band's violent, aggressive sound has helped him release any violence or aggression that may lurk within him. Check it out here. The band is currently working on its third full-length.
Check out the clip for "Keep Slipping Away" from APTBS's last album, 2009's Exploding Head:
• Even more MidPoint vets are playing together at downtown's Mainstay Rock Bar tonight. My absolute favorite show at last year's MPMF was a relatively small gathering at the Main Event club featuring tour-pals Vanity Theft (who originally hail from Springboro, Ohio) and Canada's Hunter Valentine. While some of the other MPMF shows might have had better sound or a dazzling light show, these two all-female groups put on a brilliant display of Rock & Roll, with an impassioned Punk drive, slanted Indie Rock riffs and some New Wave/Post Punk undertones. Both groups were funny, charming and incredibly fun to watch and rock out with, even though they were at the tail-end of a massive North American tour. If Sleater Kinney, The Buzzcocks and Blondie got together for a timewarped jam in 1979, it might have sounded like what you'll hear tonight at Mainstay. Like-minded Indy Pop Punk band Neon Love Life opens the show.
Showtime is 9 p.m. Cover is just $5. Here's Vanity Theft's video for the song "Trainwreck":
• I'd never heard of "Christian Crunk Rock" before I started reading about Atlanta's Family Force 5, but it is definitely now in my Top 10 list of all-time favorite favorite genre hybrids, just behind the Dance/Electronic/Emo mesh EmoDM but a few slots ahead of Doom Jazzcore. Like a good Christian band name, there's honesty in their moniker — there are five members, they are certainly a force in AltChristian music circles and the band contains three brothers. The Olds bros (Solomon Jerome, Jacob and Joshua) are the son of Jerome Olds, who was a popular Christian music performer in the '80s.
FF5 transcended the Christian tag by experiencing success in the mainstream with their first full-length, Business Up Front/Party in the Back, and the group didn't do a lot of the things many Christian acts go through when trying to appeal to a wider chunk of the populace. There were no denials and vagueness about their religious beliefs, nor have they ever gone out of their way to specifically target a Christian audience that might want "The Message" a bit more prominent in FF5's music and at live shows. The band wears crazy, colorful outfits, makes songs about partying and having a good time and has a sound that's a blend of Hip Hop's Crunk stylings (as popularized by Lil Jon), Dance-demanding beats and an Emo-y vibe to the melodies and hooks. It's what EMF would be doing if they came out today.
Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on your opinion of Crunkcore, I suppose), tonight's show in Corryville is an acoustic one. The band's Rise Up! Acoustic Tour invades The 86 Club in Corryville, the youth-friendly club on Short Vine (where Top Cat's used to be) that has been presenting modern Christian acts (as well as others) for the past year. The all-ages show starts at 8:30 p.m. (SameState opens) and tickets are $15.
FF5 is premiering an uplifting documentary film on this tour, screening Isaac Deitz's Vital Sign short about FF5 bassist Joshua Olds' battle with kidney failure during a holiday tour in 2009 that almost killed him. Here's the trailer for the flick:
• Always excellent local Rock foursome Messerly and Ewing are playing tonight at The Avenue Lounge in Covington with a pair of cool special guests. New band Hello Mayday has begun kicking around the local club scene in recent months. The group features a quartet of veteran local players — Brian Halloran (formerly of Clabbergirl) joins ex-Crosley members Paul DeNu (also a Clabbergirl for a spell) and Vince and Joel Knueven in the band. The group is currently working on its first recordings with former Moth and The Virgins guitarist Bobby Gayol. Halloran says they hope to have an album this summer and a teaser EP this spring. Opening things up will be a solo acoustic set from singer/songwriter Kevin Nolan, former frontman for the awesome local group Saving Ray.
The show is free and starts at 10 p.m. Click the arrow below to hear M&E's "Living on Lies" from the recent full-length, Every Bitter Thing.
• Great French Jazz guitarist (and Woody Allen collaborator) Stephane Wremble is at the Blue Wisp Jazz Club downtown tonight for two shows — at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Admission is $15-$20 (and, don't forget, you can now have a great dinner at the Wisp, as well). Read more here. Here's some of Wremble's work on the score for Woody Allen's acclaimed Midnight in Paris:
While not necessarily "weird," when fans discovered that bad-ass, longtime local Blues artist Kelly Richey had started a side-business as a "life coach," undoubtedly a few thought they misheard or misread. It's not really a logical step from stunning Blues guitarist and vocalist to personal life coach for hire.
Likewise, when I first got an email about the new lineup of Richey's band, I did a double take. Again, not that it was particularly unusual news — I just didn't see it coming. (The music world could use a lot more moments like that.)
Joining Richey in the new version of KRB is experienced drummer Jyn Yates from Kentucky and Chris Sherman, the guiding force behind popular local Funk group Freekbass (and his new duo project, Freekbot).
While Sherman (who goes by his stage name, Freekbass) is best known for his huge Funk grooves, dabbling in modern EDM and rather flamboyant stage outfits at times, Richey's sound skates the line between hard Blues and Rock; the most flash from her live shows come from out of her fingers as she plays and mouth as she sings.
On the surface, the pairing seems on par with Buckethead joining Bonnie Raitt's band or Flea sitting in with Stevie Ray Vaughan. In other words, it should be quite interesting to hear what the trio comes up with. The first single, "Fast Drivin' Mama," offers a hint — the song is a rocking slice of riffing Blues Funk. It's not drastically different from Richey's usual sound, but the groove is appropriately huge.
Here's the debut single/video for "Mama":
The new KRB trio was assembled to record the next Kelly Richey Band album, which the musicians have been working on at Shangri-La Studios in Lexington, Ky. The album — Sweet Spirit — is scheduled for release March 1, followed by tour dates that will take them from Florida to Canada.
The trio's debut show is Saturday in Northern Illinois (Mishawaka, to be exact), but local fans won't have to wait long to check out the new KRB. The group performs on Jan. 11 at Legends Nightclub in Cheviot. Showtime is 8 p.m. and there is a $10 cover at the door.
Australian Dance Rock trio Art Vs. Science headlines the free MidPoint Indie Summer concert on Fountain Square tonight at 7 p.m. Also on the bill is Electro duo You, You're Awesome and unique Indie Rock group SHADOWRAPTR.
AvS keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Dan McNamee spoke with CityBeat this week about the band's "conversion mission"/U.S. tour and how they borrow elements from various Dance music styles to create their own distinctive sound. Read Brian Baker's interview with McNamee here.
Below, check out a live video from Art Vs. Science, a recent clip from Shadowraptr and You, You're Awesome's cover of Gary Numan's "Metal."
• It's a night of Doom, Sludge and Crust as rising underground Metal locals Beneath Oblivion headline a free hometown show tonight at Baba Budan's in Clifton Heights. BO has been continuing to tour behind its latest From Man to Dust album, which was released by former local label The Mylene Sheath and has been receiving glowing reviews from outlets like Decibel Magazine and MetalSucks.com. The band will be hitting the road again in August.
Performing with Beneath Oblivion at its 8 p.m show will be Grass (Sludge band from Philadelphia), Before the Eyewall (Sludge from Columbus) and Cincy Crust Punk crew Coelacanth.
• The new group DAAP Girls makes its live debut tonight, opening for solid Detroit rockers The Sights at MOTR Pub in Over-the-Rhine.The Girls consists of members of local Rock band The Lions Rampant and NoKy Ska/Reggae crew The Newport Secret Six. Lions/DAAP Girls member Stuart MacKenzie describes the band as a "dance-oriented mix of early Stones' guitars, Funk breakbeats, three-part harmonies and Reggae bass." Tonight's free show kicks off at 10 p.m.
Headliners The Sights begin touring with Tenacious D tomorrow (playing Nashville's Ryman Auditorium) and are promoting their latest release, Left Over Right. Here's the Garage Pop band playing the title track at a show in Ypsilanti last month.
• Fans of Americana/Roots/Folk music can catch some of the area's finest tonight at Paddlefest out at Coney Island, as WNKU presents the Roots on the River Music Festival. The fest (and parking) are free. Artists scheduled to appear (5-11:30 p.m.) include Jake Speed & The Freddies, Tex Schramm & the Radio King Cowboys, The Lewis Brothers, Magnolia Mountain and Brown County, Ind., Country Blues faves Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band. Full details on Paddlefest can be found here; click here for the music schedule.
• The Jam band kings of Phish return to Cincinnati tonight for a 7 p.m. concert at Riverbend. Tickets are $41.50-$56.50.
Perhaps because Cincinnati is becoming such a cool city to hang out in lately, like the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (who hung out at the Radiohead concert and took batting practice with the Reds the night before their show in Cincy recently), the Phish phellas spent an off day in the Queen City yesterday. Singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio and bassist Mike Gordon spent at least part of the day shopping for and/or playing with gear at Mike's Music in Corryville. Check out the pics below of Trey and Mike noodling about in the store (from the Mike's Music Facebook page here).
Click here for even more live music events tonight in Greater Cincinnati.
The Cincinnati natives of hugely popular Brooklyn-based Indie Rock band The National have recorded a song for the upcoming soundtrack for the second season of HBO's critically-acclaimed series, Game of Thrones. The soundtrack is due June 19. The National is the only group featured; the rest of the soundtrack album is the instrumental score, written by Ramin Djawadi and recorded by the Czech Film Orchestra and Choir.
According to Spin, the band members took the words from Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin's 2000 novel, A Storm of Swords. Check it out below.
First let me say that I'm not what you would call a huge Olympics fan. This isn't an essay on sports. I'll tune in occasionally for things like basketball, soccer and Brazilian women's beach volleyball (LOTS of Brazilian women's beach volleyball), but it's hardly Must-See-TV for me every four years. If I had more patience, I'd probably watch more — but researching how the scoring works in water polo (and where they hide their horses) kind of takes the fun out of things.
I do love the drama of sports. I grew up the music nerd who didn't like sports because it was for jocks. My stance softened thanks to the 1999 Cincinnati Reds. Living just a few blocks away from the old Cinergy Field, I probably went to 50 home games that year — paid five bucks for a cheap "Top 6" seat (before they'd stop you from moving closer if there were open seats, which there usually were). Some of the dramatics of that season (cut short by a devastating one game playoff loss to the Mets) re-made me into the sports fan I was as a 10 year old.
The way drama in sports moved me reminded me (and still does) of the way music moves me. Though quite different experiences (sports is "thrill of victory/agony of defeat" exciting, while music moves me to my very core, caresses my heart, soothes my pain, gets me pumped up, etc.), they both give me a somewhat similar tingle in my brain.
As this year's Olympics progressed, I began to notice a lot of complaints about NBC's "tape delayed" coverage, whereby the network would hold back all the key, shining (mostly American athlete-oriented) moments for its prime-time broadcast. Of course, as pretty much every person with the ability to communicate online noted, this meant hearing that, say, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt just made Olympic history … then turning on NBC to hear "tune in at 9 p.m. to find out how!"
Anyone with access to a radio, TV with channels other than NBC, a computer, smartphone or an excitable Olympics superfan BFF usually found out what happened up to 10 hours ahead of time. In some ways, I felt bad for the piling-on of NBC's Olympic events coverage. I mean, they did broadcast hours upon hours of live footage from London on their multiple Olympics platforms (iPad apps, Android apps, websites, additional channels, etc.).
But some people are busy, work strenuous jobs (without access to the aforementioned fancy devices) and want to come home, have some dinner, maybe smoke a doobie and THEN see what happened earlier at the Olympics. I'd be curious if anyone was actually able to avoid all spoilers — every time someone won a medal, I received a "news update" alert on my smartphone or would find out instantly on a British news website or within my Twitter or Facebook feed.
So I cut NBC the slightest of slack for fouling up some of the tape-delayed broadcast decisions (but there was no excuse for promoting Today show interviews with "new gold medalists" right before viewers actually saw said gold medalist win the top prize, something NBC did multiple times). If you really wanted to see an event live, you could do so.
The same can be said for the Closing Ceremonies, which streamed live on the Olympics many media platforms. But when it came time for editing it all down to a tight two-and-a-half hour or so prime-time broadcast, NBC had to cut some material out of the Closing Ceremony to make it fit and leave room for McDonald's and Coke commercials.
During the Opening Ceremonies, NBC shamefully cut away to show Ryan Seacrest interview Michael Phelps instead of airing the ceremony's tribute to the 52 victims of the July 7, 2005, terrorist attacks in London.
There's editing for time and then there's just rude ethnocentrism. If New York City hosted the Olympics and the BBC cut away from the broadcast to show Simon Cowell interview legendary British track cyclist Chris Hoy, I wouldn't be shocked if the U.S. immediately began discussions about when to start the bombing of London.
Thankfully, nothing quite that insensitive occurred during the Closing Ceremonies.
The Closing Ceremonies piqued my interest the most of all of the Olympic happenings, mostly because I'm a proud Anglophile when it comes to music. Of my favorite artists ever, I'd be shocked if half weren't from the U.K. (if not more).
So I was fairly excited when I heard that the Closing Ceremonies would be titled "A Symphony of British Music" (look, you can already buy a CD) and focus primarily on England's greatest export, alongside comedy (which was spotlighted cleverly in both the opening and closing events) and Cadbury Creme Eggs. (I was only "fairly" excited because these things can often be cheesier than a Super Bowl halftime show with Up With People)
I had a slightly busy Sunday (well, busy enough that I couldn't watch stuff on TV or online all day), so I checked a handful of performances from the Olympics live stream, figuring I'd be able to catch the whole thing later.
There were some great moments. The John Lennon/"Imagine" salute was touching in a pure, unforced and restrained manner (not much else was, but that's not what ceremonial, once-in-the-lifetime, music-driven ragers should be about, especially in London).
It was interesting to see athletes from other countries singing along to Oasis' biggest hit, "Wonderwall," in seemingly their own languages (not sure how Noel Gallagher felt about his little bro's band Beady Eye playing it, though; Noel did turn down a chance to participate).
The unfussy cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" was serviceable, but gets bonus points for bridging a generational gap by bringing together hot new singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran and RIchard Jones from young Brit band The Feeling with PInk Floyd drummer Nick Mason and Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford.
Meanwhile, the only thing missing from Eric Idle's perfectly nonsensical performance of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" was a chorus line of singers nailed to crucifixes (a la Monty Python's Life of Brian, the film in which it first appeared).
And, cheesy as it may have been, Freddie Mercury (in video projection/hologram-ish form) leading the stadium through a chant proved he is STILL the best frontman in Rock, even in death.
There were also, as is to be excepted, several cringe worthy moments.
The Spice Girls were a big deal for a few minutes, but did they deserve to perform more than one song at a global event like the Olympics? What exactly did they give the world besides a lady-friend for one of the planet's (former) greatest soccer players? I know, I know — it was a "rare" reunion (though it feels like they have "rare reunions" ever six months or so). I kept hoping for a five-olde-timey-taxi pile-up as they zoomed around the performance area at seemingly dangerous speeds.
Singer Jessie J must now be bigger than Princess Diana in the U.K., because she was able to perform multiple songs as well, like her big hit "Price Tag," showing the U.K.'s contribution to crappy Pop music, and "We Will Rock You" with Roger Taylor and Brian May, presumably because Paul Rodgers either wasn't available, passed away recently or refused to wear a nude, bedazzled unitard.
Ms. J also jammed with the artists during the segment where the London Olympics showed the world that there are indeed black people in the U.K., though Taio Cruz and Tinie Tempah are essentially carbon-copies of crappy American R&B/Pop singer/rappers. They did do a fun, mercifully short cover of the Bee Gees's "You Should Be Dancing," which probably pumped up views of the Bee Gees' Wikipedia page thanks to all of us who could have sworn the trio was from Australia (they were born in the U.K., moved to Australia, then back to the England where their career kicked off in earnest … in case you don't get Wikipedia).
There were a few glaring omissions from the parade of British Music stars, but the ceremony director gets a pass for that. How do you fit a century of music into three hours? Still, I could have done with seeing The Cure play (anything but "Killing an Arab") or New Order do a Joy Division/New Order mini-set or even Def Leppard (at least!) representing the influential New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement in lieu of Russell Brand singing a Willy Wonka tune and miming "I Am the Walrus."
And, hey, remember how Britain co-invented Punk Rock? Beside awkwardly copping "London Calling" as a sort of unofficial anthem (before people apparently listened to the lyrics) and a mention of designer Vivienne Westwood, Punk Rock wasn't very big in the U.K., I guess. And Fatboy Slim apparently invented the British rave scene and U.K. dance music (while living inside a giant inflatable octopus).
Finally, in the spirit of mixing British humor and music, it would have been hilarious if George Michael would have appeared with former Wham! mate Andrew Ridgeley clasped around his leg ("I let go once — never again!").
The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Sex Pistols, Kate Bush and others reportedly turned down invites to be involved in the ceremony, though at least most were given props during the ceremony (Bowie's "Fashion" soundtracked the tribute to British fashion through the years, while a remix of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" was used as the music for a dazzling dance number spotlighting the tune).
The biggest blunder of the Closing Ceremonies, though, came once again courtesy of NBC's prime time broadcast.
I'm an editor and I understand that sometimes you can't fit every single thing you want into the tiny box given to you; tough calls must be made sometimes.
But what network exec's 14-year-old niece was given control over the U.S. broadcast's final cut on NBC? Whoever made the tough decisions made a few seriously bad ones and the internet has been screaming about how much it SUCKED ever since.
The Kate Bush-soundtracked performance was cut, but I get that. Kate's not a household name in the States. I caught rockers Muse — who wrote and recorded the official song of this year's Olympics, "Survival" — and can forgive that one too — their performance was a bit lackluster and the song has an oddly ominous tone, like something Mussolini would have commissioned had the Olympics ever come to Italy during his reign.
Ray Davies' performance might have been spared if he'd playing "You Really Got Me" or some other U.S. FM radio staple. But Davies could play nothing but his gorgeous ode to London, "Waterloo Sunset," because it was the perfect time and place for the beloved British hit to be performed.
(Click ahead to the 1:35 mark to see it, until NBC removes it)
When I realized NBC cut "Waterloo Sunset," that's when my head-cocked bemusement turned to "WTF!" annoyance. A peek at the internet revealed I was not alone (I think the Davies cut was the hardest for most true Rock fans to take).
That is, until the end of the broadcast.
The absolute worst cut from NBC's primetime broadcast was the deletion of The Who, the perfect British band to provide a grand finale. If you were watching live, you saw the extinguishing of the Olympic flame and then, while Bob Costas was allowed to blather on about nothing over the allotted air time a day or two earlier, causing the show to "run over," Costas signed off with a very quick, "We'll be back from Olympic Stadium in about an hour for the London closing party featuring The Who. But stay tuned now for a full episode of Animal Practice, the new NBC comedy presented commercial free."
The network switched over to Monkey Doctor (or whatever it's called) and then followed it with local news.
THEN The Who's impressive eight-minute medley — touching on proudly anthemic and quite British tunes like "My Generation" — was allegedly aired, an hour after prime-time programming had ended. Pete, Roger and their ringers kicked things off with "Baba O'Reily," with its perfectly dramatic, almost always spine-tingling opening keyboard riff, which would have made a perfect segue way from the flame being put out. Instead — Hospitals for Monkeys (or whatever it was called), commercial free!
I left NBC as soon as Marcus Monkeypants MD started and ultimately fell asleep, mumbling to myself about how I'll never watch another episode of America's Got Talent or something like that. Then I spent today looking up what I missed on YouTube and other sites … when available. There was some good footage posted for a few minutes, but NBC and the Olympics yanked them faster than Fred Willard in a movie theater.
The nbcolympics.com site DID have The Who segment up by this evening. But they called "Baba O'Riley" by its not-actual-title, "Teenage Wasteland."
See — 14-year-olds are running NBC!
Ultimately, it's not that big of a deal — today there was another sad, tragic, inexplicable shooting in public near Texas A&M University. We STILL have not seen what Paul Ryan's abs look like. And NBC says the Olympic games were the most watched in history; one ad exec went so far as to suggest the high ratings in the U.S. were BECAUSE of the weird tape-delay approach. It created excitement (not hair-pulling-out frustration?).
So keep it in perspective and start getting ready for the 2016 Olympic games in Brazil. I'm already plotting how to watch it all as it should be watched — on a live stream, on Brazilian TV or in person (CityBeat, I'm volunteering my services). Because you just know NBC is going to shoot 90% of it from "above the waist." Some of those amazing booties over there are definitely NSF-NBC.
The first time I heard Yo-Yo Ma was on the episode of West Wing when his White House performance triggered Josh Lyman's PTSD. Obviously, this was a horrible first impression. It tainted my opinion of the cellist for nearly a decade. Recently, though, I've become rather fond of Mr. Ma. That fondness only multiplied when his new album, The Goat Rodeo Sessions, found its way into my hands. A "goat rodeo" is a situation where a thousand things must come together and go perfectly in order for it to work. The album, a collection of Americana/Bluegrass works, must have felt like exactly that when Ma sat down and began collaborating with bassist Edgar Meyer, mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile (Punch Brothers, Nickle Creek), and fiddler Stuart Duncan. The album contains only one song with vocals, sung by vocalist Aoife O'Donovan (who sounds a lot like Alison Krauss).
The Goat Rodeo Sessions is available for purchase now, but on Jan. 31, music fans across the country will have the chance to see it performed live.


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Logo: Cardinal Enterprises, ID: 94480
, Posted: Fri, 05/11/2012 - 15:44
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Cooking On The Weekends - For The Love of Food!
by cookingontheweekends Want to spend some lovely time cooking beautiful food on the weekend? Invite friends to help, to eat, to talk. The reci..Cost: FREE
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by jewelsnz Mossburn is in the heart of northern southland, a area rich in agriculture and industry and an area where families and ..Cost: $4.99


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I am designing a shop with floor joists and a crawl space. The dust collector will be in an adjacent room. Has anyone had experience with running the ducting under the wood floor, and if access is good, what is the down side?
It's a nice way to get the ducts out of site, but most woodworkers eventually rework their layout as they add or move equipment and working in a crawl space can be a hassle. Either way, make sure to check the building codes for your areas.


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Category: Tastes
Great Brew And Bites At St. Agnes
With St. Matthews, Shively, the East End and Portland all under the belt, the Fryars took the 2013 Challenge to the Highlands to visit St. Agnes. In a neighborhood known for – among other things – great brew and great bites, expectations were high as the Fryars rolled in. And St. Agnes lived up to the hype!
March Madness At Holy Trinity
For the Fryars, there's no better time than March, when we get to enjoy fish, beer and hoops. This past weekend we hit the trifecta with our favorite teams and favorite foods all featured at Holy Trinity, where the Fryars celebrated March Madness with some great grub and cold beers.
Mike Linnig's Place: A Living Legacy Of Family Tradition
Stepping into Mike Linnig's Place – a welcoming building filled with inviting smells and friendly faces – felt, for me, like going to see family.
DiOrio's Earns Its Place On Pizza Row
When DiOrio's pizza first settled into the former home of Karem's Meats in St. Matthews, it already seemed that this booming nightspot zone was attracting more pizzerias than it could reasonably handle – and that was before Coal's or Mellow Mushroom came to town.
Cold Beer And A Warm Welcome At St. Margaret Mary
The Fryars were treated to a long night of fish and beer at St. Margaret Mary, where a Fry party never stops.
Caymus Vineyards Wine Dinner
BLU Italian Grille has partnered with the Wagner Family of Wine to present a Caymus Vineyards Wine Dinner.
Napa River Grill To Serve Lunch On Saturdays
Beginning March 2, 2013, Napa River Grill at Westport Village will be serving lunch, each Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. "We want to accommodate the folks who shop at Westport Village on Saturdays, this is something we are very excited about at the restaurant," says Ned Anderson, general manager at Napa.
Fish-Fry House Flatters The Competition
When the Fish-Fry House opened in the Highlands last year, it generated a lot of excitement among local fried-fish lovers (who, of course, are legion), but not entirely for the right reasons.
Friendliness Reigns At Good Shepherd
The second week of the 2013 Fish Fry Challenge is in the books, and the Fryars are 2 for 2. Last Friday we visited Good Shepherd, formerly known as Our Lady before its merger with St. Cecilia and St. Anthony, and one of the most historic parishes in Louisville. Located on Rudd Avenue in Portland, it's one of the last remaining Catholic parishes in this friendly, celebrated neighborhood.


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* Fixed some Planar Attunement abilities not showing descriptions in tooltips.
* Also fixed a related issue causing tooltips for Mace and Dagger Mastery to have incorrect displayed values, even though correct values were granted.
* Ranger NPCs no longer use Feral Instincts. Bard NPCs no longer cast Anthem of Glory.


text: Franziska, 27 years old from Germany. Mostly you will find cute animals pics on here and Supernatural and Dragon Ball related stuff and random things I like. I wish I could provide some original content but I can´t draw or do anything special. I wish could legally change my name to Cle. I need a Pug in my life. And I like Michael Cera.


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June 4, 2012 – As you make plans to attend this year's Annual National Conference (ANC), remember that Denver is also a great vacation destination. This charming city, known for its breathtaking views and sunny climate, is the perfect place to relax and take in many sightseeing adventures.
Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is nicknamed the Mile High City because it is exactly 5,280 feet above sea level – or one mile high. You can even stand on the "mile high" step at the State Capitol Building.
Denver is a unique place -- where urban sophistication meets the great outdoors. It includes world-class museums, one of the nation's most popular zoos, a wide-variety of outdoor adventures and a trendy downtown area with a shops and restaurants for everyone's tastes.
Plus, there are plenty of great things to see and do just a short drive from Denver, with everything from Rocky Mountain National Park to a steam train ride or even gambling in an old west Victorian town.
You can also find all sorts of fun within walking distance of the ANC conference hotels and convention center. In fact, Denver is ranked as the fourth most walkable downtown in the nation. Or, perhaps you prefer taking in the sights by bicycle. It's easy, using Denver's bike sharing program (called Denver B-cycle), with over 50 bike stations around the city. And with over 850 miles of paved, off street bike trails the possibilities are endless.
Be sure to check out all that Colorado's state capital has to offer by visiting www.denver.org/visitdenver/SNA. Wherever your travels take you in Denver, we are certain you'll enjoy all that this exciting city has to offer.
ANC 2012 Videos
Denver's Convention & Visitors Bureau
50 Free Summer Activities in Denver
June 4, 2012 – It's not too late to sign your team up to perform in the School Nutrition Foundation's (SNF) annual lip-syncing competition: Puttin' on the Glitz. But hurry—the deadline is July 2nd, with the event set to take place Tuesday, July 17, during SNA's 2012 Annual National Conference (ANC) in Denver.
Why participate in this evening of entertainment? Because it's a fun event filled with great music, enthusiastic participants and lots of laughs! Plus, it's your chance to get creative and show the school nutrition community in attendance why you and your team are deserving of the "Puttin' on the Glitz" title. If you performed last year and didn't win, or wanted to perform but didn't have the opportunity—now is the time to gather your group of performers, take your place on stage and get ready to wow the crowd! This event will take place at Tuesday at 7:30-9:30 pm in the Hyatt Regency (ANC's Headquarters Hotel) and team registration is $500. To register your team or to learn more about Puttin' on the Glitz, visit www.schoolnutrition.org/glitz.
SNF's annual Puttin' on the Glitz event helps support the Foundation's valuable education programs and is truly one of the highlights of ANC. We hope you will enter a team and spend a memorable evening with us!
Puttin' on the Glitz
Register for ANC
ANC Videos


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Jurassic 5
Though there's actually six of them, Jurassic 5 got everything else right on their self-titled debut EP. Part of the new rap underground of the late '90s (along with Company Flow, Mos Def, Dr. Octagon, and Sir Menelik), the sextet -- rappers Marc 7even, Chali 2na, Zaakir, and Akil, plus producers Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark -- came together in 1993 at the Los Angeles café/venue named the Good Life. The six members were part of two different crews, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee; after collaborating on a track, they combined into Jurassic 5 and debuted in 1995 with the "Unified Rebellion" single for TVT Records. At the tail end of 1997, the Jurassic 5 EP appeared and was hailed by critics as one of the freshest debuts of the year (if not the decade). Both Cut Chemist and Chali 2na are also part of the Latin hip-hop collective Ozomatli, while Chemist himself recorded several mixtapes plus the wide-issue album Future Primitive Soundsession (with Shortkut from Invisibl Skratch Piklz). The year 2000 found the group on tour with Fiona Apple and on the Warped Tour, just in time for the release of Quality Control that summer. Live work continued during 2000-2001, and a second record (Power in Numbers) appeared by the end of 2002. Jurassic 5 earned new fans -- many outside of hip-hop -- by playing some unconventional venues, including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and the Warped Tour. By 2006, Cut Chemist had left the group to pursue his production and DJ ambitions; the remaining quintet enlisted producers including Salaam Remi, Scott Storch, and Exile (as well as in-house talent DJ Nu-Mark) to record their third full LP, Feedback, released in July 2006. Less than a year later, however, the group called it quits, citing "musical differences." They reunited in spring 2013, playing Coachella and later announcing a full summer tour. ~ John Bush, Rovi
Selected Discography
Track List: Power In Numbers
Track List: Quality Control (Explicit)
Track List: Jurassic 5 [Ep]
I only own Power In Numbers because a former boss gave it to me, love that album. Hearing more of this on Pandora is making me consider buying others.
1.kiss your hand 2.say your crushes Name 3. Say a school day 4. Close your hand 5.say your name 6.open your hand and look at it 7. Post this on at least 15. Different songs and your crush will tell you that he/she likes you and ask you out on a date on the day you said.
Excited for their upcoming tour hopefully I'll get to see them at the squamish music festival in BC.
I wonder if exile is the same person that has done some music work with blu? Check out blu and exile is it the same exile we are talking about here?
i eat beef stew
J 5 please grace presence again much love yall
Became a Fan 2 years Ago. Great Positive Vibes.
This is real hip hop right here. A fan since the 90's and have seen them live. They're the sh*t!!!
good hip hop great stuff tired of purple drank in da club bull s**t why dont people who do something original like this get recognition and the ones buying lyrics get paid millions. f**k capitalism it ruins art and just about everything else
Love some J5, saw them live @ bonnaroo several years ago been a fan ever since. Everything these guys ever touched was DA HOT-NESS, one of my favorite groups of all time.
@jmgrandis that is dave.
I will ruin this song for everyone. Do you hear the Popping sound in the background? Bet you didnt. Idk why they thought it was a good idea...
I will ruin this song for everyone. Do you hear the Popping sound in the background? Bet you didnt. Idk why they thought it was a good idea...
one of those voices sure does sound like the Dave--I'd put $ on it
one of the best hip-hop groups out of LA...I hope all 6 reunite in the new year...hip-h o p and rap needs them!
I always admired how they kept themselves grounded in old school and chastised the bastardizati o n of what rap has become today. It's a shame they aren't together. We need more artists like these at the forefront of the rap game.
one of those voices sounds like dave matthews
Does anyone know if the individual members are doing any projects? I hear Chali 2na on occasion...
This guy made similar music, but the video is soo stupid! http://youtu . b e / 5 w t O q 0 8 W _ L w
the 1st time they were on tour w/ fiona apple was in 1997 not in 2000. Such an eclectic mix!
This sounds very familiar to the song A Million and One Things to Do by Time Machine. Do you agree?
Got introduced to them by the video game Jet Set Radio on Dreamcast. The song "Improvise" is so sick
sirkillianja m e s
Dope a** Group. Mad Props
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Syrian Conflict: The Spillover Effect in Lebanon (AMERICAN THINKER) By Khaled Nasir 06/02/12)
Source: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/06/syrian_conflict_the_spillover_effect_in_lebanon.html
AMERICAN THINKER Articles-Index-Top
There are clear indications that the Syrian internal conflict is now spilling over into neighboring Lebanon. The clashes there between Sunni pro- and anti-Syrian groups followed the shooting death of two anti-Syrian clerics recently.
The violence is the first in Beirut since the conflict began in neighboring Syria in March last year. Syrian and Lebanese politics have been deeply intertwined throughout the history of the two states.
The Syrian conflict is now opening up wounds of the past in Lebanon. The fighting in Beirut has raised fears of a repeat of the sectarian clashes in 2008 that pitted Sunnis against Shi´ites and brought the country close to civil war. The spillover effects have already claimed the life of important political leaders. The cleric Sheikh Ahmad Abdel-Wahid was shot dead at night by Lebanese troops when his convoy failed to stop at a checkpoint in north Lebanon as tensions simmered after Sunnis attacked Alawites, who support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Media reports and interviews with relatives of the 50 pilgrims from Lebanon abducted by armed rebels in Syria have been airing. Female pilgrims in the group were let go and arrived back in Lebanon. The kidnap ordeal has further heightened tensions in Lebanon, which has witnessed clashes between groups opposing and supporting Assad over the last several days.
Syria, the dominant partner, had a large military presence in Lebanon for 29 years, finally withdrawing soldiers in 2005 but maintaining a strong influence. Political factions in Lebanon have often defined themselves as pro- or anti-Syrian.
Many experts are fearing the worst, as Lebanon is a country with history of bloodshed fueled by the sectarian conflict. The latest bad blood between the religious sects accumulated in 2008, when the political sphere of Lebanon changed as Hezb´allah began to dominate in the Lebanese parliament, forming as they the pro-Syrian March 8 alliance.
The spillover effect in Lebanon might have long-lasting implications on the region. Lebanon was a flash point in the recent past. Given the geographical location of Lebanon, the violence, if unchecked, would also make others nervous. Israel battled Hezb´allah in 2006 when Israel entered Lebanon in order to end attacks from Hezb´allah, backed by Syria.
The situation in Syria is not encouraging. More than 5,000 Syrians, mostly women and children from the scene of a weekend massacre, have been found without food or water by a joint team of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. The international community has been vocal on the massacre of the innocent civilians in cities in Syria, and the latest form of protest comes in the form of Syrian diplomats being expelled from countries across the globe.
Japan and Turkey yesterday joined allies around the world in expelling Syrian diplomats and expressing revulsion at the massacre. The USA is joining in the act, expelling Syria´s most senior envoy in Washington over what it says is the Syrian government´s responsibility for last week´s massacre in the village of Houla. While President Bashar al-Assad and opposition forces last month agreed to the peace plan proposed by United Nations envoy Kofi Annan, violence in the 14-month-old conflict is still continuing. Russia and China, longstanding allies of Syria, still opposed military intervention as the war drags on.
The chain of events suggests that the anti-Assad fighters, known as the Free Syrian Army, are here to stay, though still not enough strong to stop Assad´s forces. Clashes in the cities of Homs, Dara, and Houla signify a level of violence massive with civilian casualties.
One possible action by the international community might include greater support of the opposition within Syria. The level of assistance could be extended openly to all opposition forces, including sharing vital intelligence about regime security and military formations headed for towns and cities. This could drastically reduce the number of civilian casualties. Another approach might be creating safe zones that could serve as staging areas for the training and equipping of all aspects of the Syrian opposition, including military assistance. With U.S. backing, both Turkey and Jordan might agree on that, as Sunni and Kurdish areas of Iraq could serve as future buffer zones as well.
As Kofi Annan reaches out to the Syrian regime, the violence continues in the cities across Syria. According to a Britain-based watchdog, more than 13,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians, since the uprising against Assad´s regime erupted in March last year. The future will be shaped by Shia-Sunni dynamics, the elite Alawi minorities both in Syria and Lebanon, and the level of support from Russia and China for the regime.
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Judd Apatow's This Is 40 – Trailer
27.04.12 # Trailers # 4 Comments
Whatever happened to Debbie and Pete? Whaddya mean "Who?"?! Debbie and Pete! Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's characters from Knocked Up, that's who! Yeah! Haven't we all spent the five years since Knocked Up wondering just what those guys have been up to? On second thoughts, don't answer that… well, asked for or not, a new movie about those characters is on the way, This Is 40, and a trailer has just been released for it.
This Is 40 has, like Knocked Up, been written and directed by Judd Apatow, for what is his first outing behind the camera since 2009's Funny People. And there is, at this juncture, not a great deal more to say about Apatow's new movie which cannot be infinitely better communicated by wrapping your peepers round the trailer. So do that then.
This Is 40 is out on December 21st in the US and UK.


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Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Live in London
Original Release Date: May 15, 2012
Track Listing
1. Overture
2. Fanfare/I'm Comin' Back
3. Riders to the Stars
4. Opening Medley: Daybreak/Somewhere in the Night/Looks Like We Made It
5. Can't Smile Without You
6. Even Now
7. New York City Rhythm
8. Studio Musician
9. Bring on Tomorrow
10. Best Seat in the House
11. Talk to Me
12. Mandy
13. Copacabana (At the Copa)
14. I Write the Songs
15. One Voice/It's a Miracle (Tag)
16. Old Friends [From the Broadway Musical Merrily We Roll Along]/Forever a
Stephen Sondheim: Composer, Lyricist
Barry Manilow: Arranger, Composer, Lyricist, Producer
Rupert Holmes: Composer, Lyricist
Bruce Johnston: Composer, Lyricist
Richard Kerr: Composer, Lyricist
Adrienne Anderson: Composer, Lyricist
Chris Arnold: Composer, Lyricist
Alan Bergman: Composer, Lyricist
Marilyn Bergman: Composer, Lyricist
Dave Grusin: Composer
Scott English: Composer
Jack Feldman: Composer, Lyricist
Brandon Fields: Woodwind
Sharon Hendrix: Vocals (Background)
Marc Hulett: Associate Producer, Personal Assistant
Will Jennings: Composer, Lyricist
Garry Kief: Executive Producer
Mike Lent: Guitar, Vocals
Michael Lloyd: Producer, Mixing
Joe Melotti: Keyboards, Vocals
Geoff Morrow: Composer, Lyricist
Marty Panzer: Composer, Lyricist
Ron Pedley: Keyboards
Doug Sax: Mastering
Bruce Sussman: Composer, Lyricist
Nigel Lundemo: Digital Editing
Russ McKinnon: Drums
Enoch Anderson: Composer, Lyricist
Chris Walters: Project Manager
Davis Martin: Composer, Lyricist
Dale Voelker: Art Direction
John Adams: Project Manager
Kye Brackett: Vocals (Background), Choreographer, Staging
Jenny Bryant: Wardrobe
Sanwook "Sunny" Nam: Mastering
Tom Davis: Engineer
Keely Vasquez: Vocals (Background)
Chris Grey: Trumpet
Stan Sargeant: Bass, Vocals
Stephen Baxter: Trombone
Josh Harrison: Photography
Melanie Nyema: Vocals (Background)
Seth Jackson: Creative Director
Amber Jones: Stage Manager
Sacha Bambadji: Production Manager
Ron Walters Jr.: Conductor, Keyboards, Vocals, Music Direction
Jonathan Seti: Make-Up, Wardrobe
George Legeri III: Digital Editing
Adam Kief: Company Manager
Teresa a. Qunta: Photography, Cover Photo


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Dark CurseBorn into evil and ice, Dragonseeker Lara Calladine longs to find the source of her nightmares. The only man who can help her is Nicolas De La Cruz who, for centuries, has longed to feel the sensual love of a woman without a hunger for blood. He�s found the perfect mate in Lara. But their mysterious pasts share a secret that could destroy them both. |
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Christine Feehan has a knack for storytelling. - Goodreads
Sometimes the writing is awkward. - Goodreads
Good story, good mystery, good plot. - Goodreads
However, I hated the ending. - Goodreads
They sang of a great love story. - Goodreads
Ms. Feehan is known for her long-winded sex scenes. - Goodreads
Review: Dark Curse (Dark Carpathian #19)
User Review - Diana Lea - GoodreadsGood of course Lara is whiny and mouthy but he hangs in there of course. I love these guys, their such assailed to the world but such sweeties to their women. There should be one for every women we'd be happy little campers. The book, in fact the while series is worth a read. Read full review
Review: Dark Curse (Dark Carpathian #19)
User Review - Gisele Thomson - GoodreadsThis is the first book I read in Christine Feehan's "Dark" series. A long-time fantasy reader, I was fascinated by how she threaded together the an imaginative and interesting story world with an ... Read full review


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A spotlight report on four successful paralegals from across the country who LOVE their jobs. The Paralegal Voice, co-hosts Lynne DeVenny and Vicki Voisin welcome Brian Haberly, Corporate and Securities Paralegal with Clearwire Corporation; Patricia F. Clapper ACP, NCCP, a paralegal from the firm, Levine & Stewart; Ruth Conley, a litigation paralegal at Andrews Kurth LLP; and Carl H. Morrison, II, AACP, a paralegal at Rhodes, Hieronymus, Jones, Tucker & Gable, PLLC. They share their diverse backgrounds, discuss career highlights, and offer ways to stay relevant and enjoy long careers in the paralegal profession.
Special thanks to our sponsors, the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and SunTrust.
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SOURCE Saputo
RICHFIELD, Wis., Oct. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- One lucky consumer will be rewarded with a cooking adventure for two in Tuscany, Italy, as part of Stella® cheeses' November/December enter-to-win contest. The winner's holiday will include round-trip airfare and participation in "A Classic Tuscan Table with Chef Claudio," an authentic, hands-on cooking course featuring simple yet refined Tuscan dishes. Complimentary lodging at Chef Claudio's charming cottages, a series of guided wine tastings and cultural excursions to the surrounding area are also included in the prize package.
"Stella® cheeses are perfect in a wide variety of dishes, but even with these great flavors to work with, it's easy to fall into a culinary rut," says Katie Jury, Marketing Manager for Saputo Cheese USA Inc.'s specialty cheese brands. "We couldn't think of a better way to re-energize one lucky contestant's love of cooking than an immersive cooking vacation. Who wouldn't want to learn how to make classic Italian recipes from a world-famous professional chef in the midst of the breathtaking meadows, vineyards and olive groves of Tuscany?"
In-store shelf talkers with tear pads featuring a coupon can be found in participating retailers throughout the contest. Additionally, consumers with smart phones can connect directly to the contest website (StellaCheese.com) to access the online entry form and contest rules. Full contest details, including an entry form, will also be available on the brand's Facebook page: Facebook.com/StellaCheeses.
Details about the Stella® "Win a Cooking Vacation in Italy!" promotion will be available on the contest website throughout the promotion. Additionally, contest information and product serving suggestions can be found on the brand's Pinterest page: Pinterest.com/StellaCheese. The contest winner will be announced on the brand's Facebook page. Retailers interested in purchasing Stella® cheeses can contact a Saputo sales representative by e-mail at email@example.com or by phone at 1.800.782.0741.
About Stella® Cheeses
The Stella® brand of award-winning Italian-style specialty cheeses combines old world craftsmanship with rich dairy heritage, dating back to 1923. This world-class brand offers a wide range of traditional flavors that infuse meals with a hint of the Italian countryside, making each day in the kitchen an exciting new adventure.
About Saputo
Saputo produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products of the utmost quality, including cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk and cream products, cultured products and dairy ingredients. Saputo is one of the top ten dairy processors in the world, the largest in Canada, the third largest in Argentina and among the top three cheese producers in the United States. Our products are sold in more than 40 countries under well-known brand names such as Saputo, Alexis de Portneuf, Armstrong, Baxter, Dairyland, Dragone, DuVillage 1860, Friendship, Frigo Cheese Heads, Great Midwest, King's Choice, Kingsey, La Paulina, Milk2Go, Neilson, Nutrilait, Ricrem, Salemville, Stella and Treasure Cave. Saputo Inc. is a publicly traded company whose shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "SAP".
©2012 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.


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New York Life Foundation
Henry E. Niles Foundation, Inc.
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Bob and Karen Jones Foundation City of Yonkers, N.Y. Ernst & Young, LLP General Electric Capital Corporation |
Sam's Club Ms. Audrey Weil Michael & Jill Weinstein |
Bank of America Charitable Foundation Council for Economic Education Degna Spoldi Private Family Foundation First County Bank Foundation Ellen & Michael Funck Mr. Peter B. Goldsmith Mr. Alistair Jessiman Mr. and Mrs. William R. Knobloch Near and Far Aid People's United Community Foundation The Inner-City Foundation for Charity & Education, Inc. |
The Jerold J. and Marjorie N. Principato Foundation, Inc. The Northern Trust Company Starbucks The Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation Thomson Reuters Corporation Weisfeld Family Foundation Xerox Foundation Yonkers Industrial Development Agency |
BET Networks The Jeff and Barbara Erdmann Fund Lone Pine Foundation, Inc. |
Eugenia M. Vecchio, Esq. The Walsh Family Foundation Webster Bank |
Mr. Robert Cenci Ms. Lisa DeBois Megan & Mark French Mr. Paul DeF. Hicks, Jr. KeyBank Foundation Mr. C. James MacGregor |
Mr. William W. McCutchen, Jr. Mr. David Pinchin TD Charitable Foundation The Westchester Bank The United Illuminating Company Vanessa & Mark Voorham |
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Michael D. Armstrong Alesia & Alan Bosko Mr. David D. Burrows Mr. Raiford C. Cockfield Creative Sense, Inc. Mr. Brian C. Donovan Mr. Otis Ellis Mr. Ron Garrow GE United Way Campaign |
Mr. and Mrs. Duane Hill Mr. Louis C. Kirven , III Mr. Bernhard Klein Wassink James & Eleanor Lisher Ms. Ellen Lynch Mr. Stephen Perry Joanne Taylor & Clarence G. Williams Ms. Rose Velez-Smith Mr. George H. Webb, Jr. |


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RSU 25 Adult & Community Education(formerly Bucksport Adult & Community Education)Bucksport, Orland, Prospect, Verona Island
King's Bucksport Driving School 1/10, 2/7, 3/13, 4/10 or 5/9
Taught by a certified Class A driving instructor, this ten class, comprehensive program effectively prepares beginning drivers to receive their driving permit. Program includes 30 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of behind the wheel driving instruction, as well as all class handouts, testing materials, Maine Motorist Handbook, and Course Completion Certificate. Provided that all driving hours are completed and permit test passed, permits are issued on last day of class! Most students receive their permit within 30 days. Student References provided upon request.T/W/TH 2:30-5:30pm with Danny King at BHS $400


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SYRACUSE -- A local woman has been sentenced to probation for her role in a deadly crash last fall.
Katharine Webb was in Onondaga County Court Friday morning as she was handed down a sentence of 5 years probation and 300 hours of community service.
Webb was behind the wheel on November 5th, 2011, when she lost control of her car on Interstate 81 near Syracuse.
29-year-old Jerry Brown from Tully was thrown from the vehicle and killed.
Webb will have to use an interlocking ignition if she's able to get her license back.
She was originally charged with second-degree vehicular manslaughter and DWI, but prosecutors agreed to criminally negligent homicide because the evidence didn't prove she was drunk.


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Customer Reviews for Scubamax Dive Flag Beach Towel: See the top 20 most helpful scuba gear reviews
Average Customer Review: based on 2 reviews. Rating: Love my dive towel Reviewer: crystal moreau, Got the towels in on time for our vacation and they were just what i was looking for. Thanks! Did this Review help? No Yes 48 out of 97 people found this review helpful. Rating: Debbie Riflle Reviewer: deb r., Very impressive nice quality and looks real cool. Did this Review help? No Yes 53 out of 108 people found this review helpful.
Average Customer Review: based on 2 reviews.
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A Canadian TV and film production company has pulled up stakes from the Prairies and is coming to Langley Township, bringing potentially hundreds of jobs.
Partners in Motion/Harmony Entertainment, which primarily makes documentary, reality, and educational TV shows, has been based in Regina for years.
We needed to find a new home for our long form productions, said Partners executive vice president Ron Goetz.
The decision is driven by taxes. Saskatchewan announced earlier this year that it was eliminating a tax break for film and TV production. Thats sent Partners into B.C., where it can still find such breaks.
Add to that the additional break that firms get for filming east of 200th Street, and the production company took a long look at Langley.
The company met with Township representatives, and Goetz said they were great to work with.
They took us out and showed locations, he said.
The size of the film industry in Langley, Goetz noted, is actually only a little smaller than the entire Saskatchewan film industry.
The move from the Prairies will allow some different types of filming.
We dont have mountains in Saskatchewan, Goetz noted. They also need fields, quaint buildings, and office towers. Either here or in surrounding communities, they can find all those things.
We do all of our shooting locally, said Goetz.
Then there are the crew needed, which are plentiful thanks to Vancouvers status as Hollywood North for the last two decades.
It solved a couple of production problems for us, as well, Goetz said.
Partners in Motion primarily makes TV programs, mostly for cable channels, including programs about unusual jobs, Canadian Victoria Cross winners, and true crime stories.
We call it real life stories, said Goetz.
Partners has also been looking to expand, and has joined up with another firm to add original dramas to Partners offerings of fact-based shows.
After the transition, the firm will base its actual filming in Langley, with offices in Winnipeg and Toronto as well, said Goetz.
The number of people based in Langley at first will be just five to six executive positions, Goetz said.
Whether some of their existing employees will move from Saskatchewan or be hired locally has yet to be determined.
Eventually, they expect to see about 100 full-time positions created for local productions, with up to 600 part time jobs.
The executives will arrive in the Township in November and are expected to have found a home for the company by then.
Township Mayor Jack Froese welcomed the addition of the new film production company.
The Township of Langley has the depth of understanding of the film industry, the staff and ability to accommodate productions, the location diversity with beautiful rural, village, and urban settings, and the desire for partnerships, Froese said in a statement. Weve got it all, and we are open for business.
Langley has seen a higher than usual number of film projects here over the past year. Over the years, a few films and TV projects have caused friction with neighbours, through loud noises and special effects explosions or through traffic issues. Most productions come and go without serious disruption.
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I enrolled in a class when my daughter was 8 and creating big messes with yarn, mostly finger-woven, skinny tubular fabric. I suggested we take a class so we could make something useful. She ran around the store for three Saturday mornings, and I learned to knit. Fast forward a decade. My girl finally figured out sticks and string, and I work at Craftsy ... which is like a Saturday morning class that never ends.


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Grapevine: Jane Fonda to portray Nancy Reagan
Casting choice sparks critics on the right
Mar 27, 2012
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Casting choice sparks critics on the right
Mar 27, 2012
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Fresh pickings from the political great sign.
-- city's public schools are dating dozens of words and topics deemed too sensitive for school tests because they could -- unpleasant emotions in students.
-- words include dinosaur birthday and Halloween.
Dancing and junk food words that -- just wealth are excluded too along with poverty divorce and disease.
Officials say the topics may be finding other contexts that they don't belong in city it was statewide assessments.
When education -- -- the irony is by eliminating some of those topics schools cut -- subjects many kids know a lot of mountains.
And national atheist group is suing Pennsylvania lawmakers for passing a resolution earlier this year declaring Tony twelve.
The year of the Bible.
The lawsuit by the freedom from religion foundation says the declaration is unconstitutional.
Because it's tantamount to the state endorsing religion.
The group takes issue with biblical context it dean's quote violent sexist and racist models of behavior that FF RF numbers find personally repugnant.
The resolution's sponsor says it's only meant to recognize the impact the -- -- -- on the country in the state and does not stop anyone from believing or not believing in any faith.
Tech testing it is not -- in an upcoming film called the Butler actress an outspoken political activist Jane Fonda is reportedly going to play former Republican First Lady Nancy Reagan.
The casting choices already getting criticized by many on the right since Fonda is best known for her opposition to the Vietnam War entertaining.
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3 Meetup Groups match "Ponies" near Woodinville, WA
Are you a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic? Are you an adult? Do you live in the Greater Seattle Area? Do you want to meet up with other pony fans to hang out, chat, and just have fun? This is the group for you!
There are no upcoming Meetups.
Are you different? So are we! Come hang out with the Bronies. We are but a fraction of a world wide community of artists, musicians, writers, story tellers, humanitarians, gamers, cosplayers, nerds, and all-around supportive, positive people who encourage individuality and creativity. As broad and diverse a group as we are the one thing we agree on is our taste in a certain cartoon. :) We also have a desire to improve the public image of Bronies by helping others through volunteering, charity ev …
Meetup details are available only to members.
There have been times when I wished that I knew other single parents in the same situation, so we could offer each other support , advice and encouragement, growing a real community. It is out of this desire, that this group is born. In this group, will be many fun things to do; coffee dates, playdates, hiking, clothes swap, pony rides, potlocks, dancing to fun music, getting muddy- or dressed up, anything you can think of.. you can plan events too. The group will be full of happy times, of let …
Get an alert email when new Meetup Groups like this start near you.
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