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Fans have been clamoring for years, and it looks like those efforts paid off: The E Street Band will be given the Award for Musical Excellence by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its induction ceremonies this April. Some have balked that this doesn't sound like they're really being inducted, but make no mistake – the ESB will be card-carrying members of the Rock Hall just like all the other inductees. (Well, we don't know if there's a card, but if there isn't there should be.)
Just to clarify, this is how the Rock Hall describes the award: "This category was introduced in 2000. It honors those musicians, producers and others who have spent their careers out of the spotlight working with major artists on various parts of their recording and live careers. Though they often play a key role in the creation of memorable music, the public rarely knows them by name. A separate committee selects the inductees in this category."
The ESB members are probably a little better known than most who come up for this award, given the presence of two bona fide TV stars and The Biggest Man in the World, but as a group that's never recorded on its own, this is definitely the right category for them. (See past winners here.)
You'll see them listed on the official list of 2014 inductees, along with their bio:
Bruce Springsteen formed the E Street Band in 1973, after he landed a recording contract with Columbia Records. Springsteen played with the musicians who became the E Street Band in various Asbury Park–based groups in the late 1960s and early 70s. The first lineup of the band – Garry Tallent on bass, Danny Federici on organ, David Sancious on piano, Vini Lopez on drums and Clarence "Big Man" Clemons on saxophone – logged many miles on the road, helping to establish Springsteen's legendary reputation as one of the greatest performers in the history of rock and roll. In 1974, drummer Max Weinberg and pianist Roy Bittan replaced Lopez and Sancious, and in 1975, during the recording of Springsteen's breakout album Born to Run, "Miami" Steve Van Zandt, who Springsteen had known since he was a teenager and who had been in a number of bands with Springsteen, joined the fold on guitar. That lineup of the band backed Springsteen on three of his most critically acclaimed and beloved albums: Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River, and backed him live as he moved from clubs to stadiums.
When Steve Van Zandt left to pursue a solo career in the early 1980s, singer Patti Scialfa joined on vocals and Nils Lofgren, one of rock's greatest guitarists, joined on guitar, and the band backed Springsteen on his explosive worldwide tour in support of Born in the U.S.A. in 1984-85. Springsteen did not work with the band for much of the 1990s, but reunited them in 1999 in a version that included both Van Zandt and Lofgren. The band has been together ever since, and despite the loss of Federici and Clemons, retains a distinctive sound and unparalleled reputation for live shows.
Through various incarnations, the "mighty men and women" of the E Street Band, as Springsteen calls them, have provided a unique and powerful sonic template for Springsteen's music, combining British invasion guitar-driven rock, the joy of 1950s rock and roll and the drama and dynamics of soul music. They are showmen of the first order, and have more stamina than any rock band in the history of the music.
More stamina — we'll buy that! Meanwhile, for the first time ever, the ceremonies — scheduled for April 10 at Barclay Center in Brooklyn — will sell tickets to the public. That's at least ONE guaranteed Springsteen performance on American soil next year, so you may want to pony up.
Bruce may be laying (somewhat) low as he prepares for the release of "High Hopes" next month, but that doesn't mean his sidemen are resting on their laurels. In particular, Stevie Van Zandt (it's his world, we just live in it) has been ubiquitous, even for him — between Season 2 of "Lilyhammer," debuting Friday on Netflix, and the passing of Nelson Mandela sparking renewed interest in his all-star protest song "Sun City," Stevie has been in high demand. And the other E Streeters haven't been idle either.
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Of course, there's some Bruce news to be had out there — check out the below:
It can't be easy being Bruce Springsteen. Plenty of respected artists of his generation — Neil Young, Elvis Costello and Eric Clapton come to mind — get to travel down whatever creative alley they feel like with nary a blip on their fan base radar. As long as it's a new release, great! Album of covers? Songs written years or decades ago? An album called "Old Sock"? All's fair in love and music, and if it's a noble failure, there's always next time.
Springsteen, though, gets no such leeway — just take a look at the reaction to news of "High Hopes," which will come out in January and feature a mix of re-recorded outtakes, covers and new versions of songs previously released elsewhere. There's been no shortage of grousing, including (but not limited to) the following complaints:
1) This is all old stuff — is he out of ideas?
2) Tom Morello on eight tracks? What about Stevie and Nils?
3) Oh my God, COVERS?
4) The album cover art is stupid.
And while I'm usually the first one to dismiss complaints issued before an album is released (or even leaked, er, not that I'd know anything about that), I have to admit I get it, especially about the covers. Bruce Springsteen doesn't include covers on his albums! He does original, finely honed material that he labors over for months to ensure the synthesis of musical and thematic perfection! He yells "stick!" for hours on end when he hears imaginary drumstick noises on the playback! HE'S NOT LIKE THE OTHER GUYS!
And there is where Springsteen's perfectionist past comes back to haunt him. We've all heard the stories of the marathon sessions for "Born to Run" and "Darkness," the retakes, the winnowing down, the thematic scrutiny. He hasn't worked that way in years — not really — and yet he carries with him this reputation as a singular perfectionist for whom every release must be a potential masterpiece. How he lives with those expectations is, frankly, beyond me — I don't think I could get out of bed in the morning. I have enough trouble as it is, and nobody expects anything of me.
I'd argue, though, that it's fortunate for us that it doesn't seem to faze him. I'd love for every album to be brilliantly conceived and executed as much as the next fan — but not if it means three years between releases. That's a much longer time when you're 63 than when you're 27, and Bruce seems to be working with that in mind: If he doesn't put out his albums of big-band folk songs, homages to '60s melodic pop or interpretations of obscure covers now, then when? Even if it's not entirely original material, he's shown in his concerts that his take on old songs and genres is always worth hearing — why not in the studio too?
I still say that Springsteen has more to say about the way we live today than most artists working, and did so ingeniously as recently as 2012 with "Wrecking Ball." I also thought 2007's "Magic," as a stinging indictment of the Bush years, was one of the best and most important works of the decade. I wouldn't classify "Working on a Dream" the same way, and probably won't for "High Hopes" either — but I'm also not prepared to start wailing and rending my garments over it. Instead I'll appreciate them for whatever pleasures they do offer; I'd actually argue that "WOAD" had more than its share, contrary to popular opinion, and I bet "High Hopes" will too.
Generally, I lean toward being grateful that Springsteen, wading toward the mid-way point of his seventh decade on the planet, is proving more willing to take unexpected detours down unexplored alleyways. It may mean we'll never see another "Born to Run," but we've already got the first one, which is more than enough. I'd rather see Bruce permanently removed from the pedestal his fans tend to place him on, so he can wrestle his various muses to the ground and see what it yields — brilliant cohesive works and offbeat side trips both. And yes, even the noble failures.
Like those album covers. Gotta concede that one.
What are your thoughts on "High Hopes" — looking forward to it like any Springsteen release, or does the mix of old songs and covers leave you cold? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
By now you know Springsteen's 18th studio album High Hopes is coming Jan. 14, just weeks before he kicks off another set of tour dates in Australia and New Zealand.
In typical Springsteen fashion – which is anything but typical – confirmation of the long-rumored album came late last night from Springsteen's Twitter account, and more details have emerged this morning. Our friends at Backstreets have a good rundown of the origins of the tracks, which includes covers, reworkings of older songs and some new tunes. We'd heard all along that Bruce was recording in Australia with Morello, who plays on the majority of the album, but it also includes tracks recorded in New Jersey, New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta. He and Ron Aniello co-produced the album, with Brendan O'Brien co-producing a couple of tracks.
Of those songs unfamiliar to fans, "Harry's Place," an outtake from The Rising, is one that has drawn more than a few giggles when you consider "Mary's Place" made the cut for that album. But if you missed this 2002 "Nightline Up Close" segment (thank you, @sanjivapersad) in which Bruce sat down with Ted Koppel to discuss, among other topics, his notebook from The Rising era, it's worth checking out. In it, he reads the lyrics to "Harry's Place."
Amazon is also offering a limited edition bonus DVD of the E Street Band performing the entirety of Born in the U.S.A. in London during the Wrecking Ball tour, which is available for pre-order.
Perhaps most interesting to me is that Springsteen's mantra since the Big Man Clarence Clemon's death in 2011, "Clarence doesn't leave the E Street Band when he dies. He leaves when we die," seems truer than ever. According to the press release, both Clemons and organist Danny Federici, who passed away in 2008, appear on several songs.
It certainly doesn't sound like a typical Bruce Springsteen album, but on the heels of officially announcing his new single, the Havalinas cover "High Hopes" — out officially today, along with a downloadable version of his recently recorded studio take on "Dream Baby Dream" — comes word of High Hopes, his 18th studio album, due out Jan. 14 and now available for pre-order on iTunes.
Following several weeks of rumor and speculation, and more than one supposed "leaked" track list, here's the track listing for Bruce's latest release, an unusual mix of songs written years ago — studio versions of songs previously played live, or in some cases outtakes that have never seen the light of day – obscure covers, and some new originals.
Judging from the already vociferous reaction in some quarters, there's no shortage of fans upset, or at least concerned, about the apparent mish-moshy nature of the contents of High Hopes – once again Bruce seems cursed by his now-ancient reputation for laboring over an album until it's a potential masterpiece. If a notoriously eclectic and prolific artist like Elvis Costello put out an album with this kind of mix, people wouldn't bat an eye, and would probably be psyched to hear it. But Bruce Springsteen apparently isn't allowed to put out quirky little albums without everyone getting all uptight about it. Harumph.
Anyway, it's probably not a bad idea to listen to it before passing judgment. Check back here for news, previews and reviews as the release date approaches!
Note: Blogness correspondent Kim Tschida Petters took in the Jake Clemons/Garland Jeffreys show in Minneapolis Nov. 15, and was nice enough to file this report.
"Hail Hail Rock and Roll" seemed to be the mantra Friday night at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis: a double bill with Jake Clemons opening for Garland Jeffreys.
I was excited to see Jake perform songs from his new EP, "It's On." As he toggled among the guitar, the saxophone and the keyboard I was happy to see a young artist and his band making their way. The songs are powerful and engaging and his stage presence welcomes you.
I couldn't help but think what it must be like going from a stage that faces 60,000 people who scream at your moves to a room of maybe 200 people who are sitting in folding chairs as though they are watching a movie. Perhaps this is what impressed me the most – Jake and his band still gave us all of their energy. They were excited and that was obvious.
The alt/rock songs are strong and a bit edgier when performed live, and this 45-minute set was the perfect rock sneak peak into what is to come from Clemons. Not to mention the perfect opening to a night with Garland Jeffreys.
From the moment Jeffreys, the 69-year-old NY-based rocker, stepped on stage he commanded and delivered his song, and his anthem. Styled in black pants and a black sequined shirt, Jeffreys played songs from his new album, "Truth Serum," as well as favorites from his long and prolific career.
His energy is inspiring and his voice is mesmerizing and strong. As he sang "I used to be a contortionist" and moved about the stage, I had to wonder if it might be true. He jumps into the audience, engaging them as he goes along. Then back to the stage for more.
Garland's star began to rise after the release of the single "Wild In The Streets" and its follow up album, "Ghost Writer." Although there have been no major hits for him, he has continued to release critically acclaimed records like "American Boy & Girl" and "One Eyed Jack." At the Cedar he performed like a star, playing many songs from his album "Escape Artist."
I must confess I'm rather new to the music of Garland Jeffreys but knew somehow that a transformation was about to take place. That somehow in that room of 200 people and a rock and roll band – I became the lucky one. The new one in the know. "Rock and Roll saved my life and saved my soul!" Jeffreys belts out – that is what this night is about as he conveys tales of race, of growing up in New York, and his long friendship with Lou Reed.
Tireless and energized, he brings the streets of New York into this Minneapolis night. There is no refrain as he delivers "Coney Island Winter," "Modern Lovers" and "Mystery Kids." Not to mention the power of "'Til John Lee Hooker Calls Me."
Something magical happens when an artist like Jeffreys performs and "Rock and Roll Music!" transforms.
For more on Garland Jeffrey's tour, visit garlandjeffreys.com. For info on Jake Clemons' appearances and new EP, visit jakeclemons.com.
Your read earlier about the rampant speculation that tends to take the place of a targeted public relations campaign when Bruce Springsteen prepares to release new material — and with the recent rollout of "Dream Baby Dream" and "High Hopes," speculation has turned to the idea of a Bruce Springsteen covers album.
Whether this is a good idea or not is a subject for debate: Personally, after hearing "High Hopes" (posted earlier today to MOG before being summarily withdrawn, no doubt after the firing of an unfortunate intern), I'm warming to it. After all, the current incarnation of the E Street Band has shown it can inject new life into pretty much anything on the concert stage, and "High Hopes" suggests they could do it just as well in the studio. If a new original album isn't in the cards at the moment, a covers disc would be a fine souvenir of the band's latest lineup.
But what songs to include? There's the rub. Our poll below lists 21 songs Springsteen has fooled around with in concert to great effect, and you can choose up to three you'd like to see get the studio treatment. And if your favorite is missing, or you have a dream song you'd love to hear by the ESB, add those in the "Other" field at the end. Results later this week!
Take Our PollAren't you glad Bruce Springsteen isn't one of those artists who announces everything months in advance? You know, those artists listed in the "Fall Music Preview" of Entertainment Weekly, with neat little release dates for their albums that you can mark with a big "X" on your calendar? That's so everybody-else-in-the-music-industry, but not our boy Bruce. He likes to keep us guessing.
Hence our current (all too familiar) situation, where we have one precious scrap of information — a new single coming next week, a cover of the Havalinas song "High Hopes," already recorded once by Springsteen in 1996 — and lots and lots of speculation. Is it the first single off a new album? Part of a "Tracks 2″ compilation? A digital only release? Did someone hack into the Danish music service Wimp and plant it there as a ruse? Is our existence actually a simulated reality created by sentient machines to subdue the human population? I say: All of the above!
I don't blame this on an incompetent publicity machine (although granted, somebody at Springsteen Inc. was responsible for this), but rather on Bruce's I-will-sell-no-wine-before-its-time attitude to his new releases — the music isn't ready until it is, and when it is he gets it out there, well-orchestrated publicity campaign be damned. (Hence the official "announcement," which is basically just the cover art.) Meanwhile, intentional or not, the frenzied social media rumor fest certainly doesn't hurt in terms of drumming up anticipation, even if we do get the occasional Arcade at Night fiasco as a result.
So what of "High Hopes"? First of all, I can't be the only one who thought of this when I first saw it pop up on the setlist from Australia last March:
Fast Tube by Casper
You can thank me later for putting that in your head. Of course, the actual song is a bit bouncier, and perfectly suited for the new XXL version of the E Street Band — Springsteen's interaction with Everett Bradley in the Australia clip is priceless:
Fast Tube by Casper
No denying it's a fun number. But that said, if the new single — likely recorded with Tom Morello during the much-mentioned Australia recording sessions this year, but of course we have no idea — is in fact the harbinger of a new studio album, it would be the first time a regular Springsteen release (his Seeger Sessions work excepted) featured a cover. Combine that with the fact that it's a previously recorded cover and it's reasonable to fear we might be in store for a quickie release to justify future touring — maybe a covers-only effort. Good for those of us eager to see him again, maybe not so good for people who feel like every Springsteen album should at least make an attempt at being a perfectly crafted, original masterpiece.
If it's part of a "Tracks 2," though, that's potentially a better option — Springsteen's archive material is always fascinating, and it would buy him time to let a new album percolate a little longer.
In the end, though, let's face it — we love to keep guessing. And as I've said many times, given his track record I'll trust the man to make the right decisions regarding his music and how and when he decides to get it to us. After all, would you want him to be like U2, announcing their album six months ahead of time and even announcing the first commercial for the album with months to spare?
UPDATE: Now Billboard is speculating about a new album, citing the ever-reliable "sources."
UPDATE UPDATE: If you're in the USA you can (for some reason) listen to Springsteen's new single "High Hopes" on MOG. Spoiler alert: It's good! (Lots of horns and drums and Morello guitar.)
After a day of rumors, it's finally official! Bruce Springsteen's newest single, High Hopes, will be released on November 25, 2013. High Hopes was originally released by Scott McConnell's band The Havalinas in 1990, and Springsteen covered it for the B-side of his 1996 EP Blood Brothers.
The song was resurrected in March 2013 during the Wrecking Ball tour in Australia. Now the question remains: Will the new album be Tracks 2 or a collection of covers? Only time will tell! In the mean time here's High Hopes from March 20, 2013 in Sydney, Australia.
It's that time again — the tour's behind him, and Bruce Springsteen will start showing up in various and sundry locations strumming his guitar and looking generally ready to hit the road again. And tomorrow, you'll be able to watch him do it — there's a live stream coming for the annual Stand Up For Heroes fundraiser in NYC, where Bruce breaks out a new dirty joke every year.
And we're not saying he'll show up — because who knows? — but tickets are on sale now for New Jersey's Light of Day shows in January as well.
There's also been some interesting movement on the part of Springsteen Inc. in terms of getting new music out to his hungry fans — Springsteen's cover of "Dream Baby Dream," used with his memorable fan thank-you video, is now on Spotify (although a downloadable version would be nice, hint hint), and other pro-shot official videos from the Wrecking Ball tour continue to trickle out, including a killer version of "Local Hero" from Leeds.
Maybe a sign that something (anything?) new might hit the shelves soon … Or maybe not. (He does have a South African tour to get ready for, after all.) But keep 'em coming at any rate, Bruce — and in the meantime we'll keep ourselves occupied with other important Springsteen links from around the web:
It's a cycle that has replayed itself since time immemorial, or at least since the invention of the Internet: You're browsing along, minding your own business viewing funny cat gifs and naughty celebrity videos that have been leaked by their publicists, and suddenly you're inundated with rumors of a new Bruce Springsteen album.
And here we are again: The Web is abuzz this morning with talk of a new Springsteen album due out this January. Where this information is coming from is a little (OK, a lot) sketchy — cited most often are the ever-popular "reliable sources" and "rumor mill," which are generally not nearly as reliable as Bernie Horowitz, who according to Gary Larson is the "they" in "that's what they say." (And if anybody has a scan of that old Far Side cartoon, please post it on our Facebook page.)
My big fear is that this all started with this post over at fake news site en.mediamass.net. (Other recent headlines: "Bruce Springsteen to Be a Dad?" and "Bruce Springsteen's Dog Recovering from Surgery.") It's not really a satire site so much as a site where they just make sh*t up.
Regardless, if you'd like to weigh in on the rumor-mongering, you might want to try this thread on The Circuit at Greasy Lake. The buzz there is for the album in January and a European tour in the spring, although if there are no U.S. dates first I can think of a few stateside fans whose heads might explode directly off the tops of their bodies. (You know who you are.) Most of what's on the thread is probably a bunch of hooey, but they're so nice and polite about it at Greasy Lake that it's worth a visit anyway.
As for reasons for hope, there are actually a few: Springsteen's own comments about recording in Australia with Tom Morello, for one, and of course the already announced 2014 tour dates in Australia and New Zealand that seem positioned as a post-Wrecking Ball stint. Given those, the January timetable (same as Working on a Dream) would make sense. So maybe if we believe hard enough and clap our hands, it will actually happen.
Nothing warms our hearts more than hearing about young people with a love for Bruce Springsteen. Not necessarily those 8-year-olds who get pulled up onstage for "Waitin' on a Sunny Day," who we're afraid may suffer trauma flashbacks later in life, but older teenagers and college students. They could be listening to whoever's topping the charts these days (not Miley, we hope), but instead they look to the Boss — as well they should.
Into this category we'd place Marissa Grinstead, a New York film major who's using Bruce as an inspiration for a short film. And she needs your help — check out her note below to see how you can record yourself reciting a Springsteen lyric that will be woven into the movie.
And feel free to send your snippets our way as well (email@example.com)! We have very short attention spans so this is perfect for us.
Take it away, Marissa:
I am a film major in college and I have an idea for a short film I want to make incorporating the tramps. All of Springsteen's songs have an inspirational quote or a deep meaning to them. Everyone has his or her favorite quote or line from a song. What I want to do is create a story from everyone's favorite Bruce lyric.
What to do: pick your favorite line or quote from any Springsteen song he has written. Record yourself saying this quote; please do not sing it. I will take the audio from the video sent to me and the video will not be seen at all. All I want is your voice saying the quote.
Please make sure the area around you is quiet when recording your quote. Say it naturally, however you feel. Try to pick a short line or two because I wish to create a story with them all together.
The end result will be a fan-made video incorporating the fans.
For the credits you may leave your first and last name in the email if you wish, just first name is fine too. If you wish to remain unnamed your quote will remain anonymous.
PLEASE PLEASE share this so all Bruce Springsteen fans on tumblr can be a part of this video!
As of now I only plan to use the video for class and I will post the finished product online for all to see. If I decide to do more with the video everyone will be notified.
If there are any questions of concerns please feel free to send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com
As to what the actual video will consist of: I am going to use the Atlantic City music video as inspiration for what I film.
SEND ALL VIDEOS TO: email@example.com
Marissa Grinstead
This weekend, Bruce Springsteen will be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the country's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies. The academy brings together each generation's most influential thinkers and leaders, and conducts nonpartisan policy research in response to society's needs.
Society has spoken: We need rock 'n' roll.
For anyone who fails to take the genre seriously, may I present to you the list of 198 inductees. Like the Kennedy Center Honors, this accolade probably falls into "I'd have to explain it to my father" category for Bruce, but I'm sure he's delighting in yet another way to prove the nuns back in his Jersey Catholic school were wrong about him. This is, after all, an organization whose first class of inductees included Benjamin Franklin and George Washington!
This year's inductees in the performing arts category also include fellow Kennedy Center honoree Robert DeNiro, as well as Herbie Hancock and Sally Field. But given how greatly his career has been influenced by the music and politics of his friend Pete Seeger, I'd guess it's a special honor to be inducted alongside the folk legend. The pair have performed together a number of times, including at Seeger's 90th birthday party, President Barrack Obama's inauguration, and, above, at a Woody Guthrie tribute. Perhaps they will again?
Of course, we don't know if Bruce or Pete will even show up for this invite-only event, which will be held Saturday at the organization's headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. If you're in the area this weekend, keep your eyes peeled, and make sure you know "all the verses," just in case.
Fast Tube by Casper
Fast Tube by Casper
Fast Tube by Casper
It's worth noting right off the bat that Bruce Springsteen in Focus 1980-2012 (Turn The Page Publishing) isn't just a photographic achievement, although it's certainly that. It's also physical evidence of one photographer's amazing tenacity and devotion to her subject. For Debra Rothenberg, her lenses have been the lifeline between her and her musical hero, and it's a connection that comes through in every frame.
Rothenberg's work is more than worthy of a collection, and it's refreshing to see that In Focus doesn't skimp; printed in hardcover on glossy stock, the photos seem to pop from the page. It's tempting to call it a coffee table book, but the energy in these images defy classification in that staid format — this is a book you want to leave out on the bar, or better yet on top of a beat-up old amp.
One of the great pleasures of In Focus, not surprisingly, is seeing Springsteen's changing looks and styles over the years. Rothenberg — now a N.Y. Daily News shooter — missed the scraggly biker period of the 1970s; she starts her collection with Springsteen on the River tour at age 31, bushy-haired and sideburned but clean-shaven and muscular, a look he'd hone further during his bandana-wearing Born in the USA years.
She religiously records tour after tour, from his bolo-tied Tunnel of Love outings through his "Other Band" excursion in the early '90s, and then into his reunion with the E Street Band. Notably (and surprisingly) absent are the Seeger Sessions, Magic and Working on a Dream tours, but Rothenberg picks up again with the start of the Wrecking Ball shows last year, offering a peek at Springsteen's current, post-Clarence rebirth. The shots of Bruce and Jake Clemons, contrasted with the shots with Clarence earlier in the book, are both joyous and melancholy.
In each instance along the way, Rothenberg finds the dynamic essence of Springsteen's live shows — the raucous physicality, the drive, the frenetic joy are all captured in her sweeping frames. Granted, she has a photogenic subject — a Springsteen concert would probably look compelling on a convenience store security camera. But Rothenberg clearly has a tremendous feel for the special moments that typify the Springsteen experience, no doubt honed through years of training her lens on him from deep in the crowd.
As for the prose, most people don't buy photo books for the writing, and in this case that's probably a good thing. Rothenberg lined up a bunch of Jersey Shore stalwarts to contribute, but their efforts seem oddly aimed at the non-fan who'd need to be told which tour was which — they steer away from analysis in favor of an "And then the Tunnel of Love tour happened" style of basic reportage.
Still, there are some standouts — Chris Rotolo, Bob Benjamin and Joe D'Urso do a fine job laying out Springsteen's graciousness and fervor in supporting the Light of Day charity, and Holly Cara Price compellingly nails the musical tightrope Springsteen has walked in his Wrecking Ball shows: "The music takes a 180-degree turn from deep sadness to celebrating the life of the one who has left us, to dancing, to joy, to purifying catharsis," she explains. Appropriately the photos, notably a wild, red-lit crowd-surf shot from Newark, bear out the description.
Rothenberg's own words, meanwhile, are a little too breathless-fan for my tastes — one gets the sense that if she ever got to sit down to interview her idol it would wind up like one of Chris Farley's "Saturday Night Live" sketches. ("Remember that time you played RIT in 1980? That was awesome!" etc.) At least a little professional insight would have been nice — I imagine that shooting a Springsteen concert, or any rock concert, presents technical challenges, but you wouldn't know it from Rothenberg's breezy reminiscences.
Still, her obvious love of Springsteen as a fan just as much as a photographer helps keeps In Focus grounded and relatable — Rothenberg's pictures are the ones we all would want to take, if we had her lenses, her skills, and her tenacity. We should be grateful she was there, and that we have Bruce Springsteen in Focus to show for it.
See a slideshow of Rothenberg's images from the book at nydailynews.com.
At 428 pages containing primarily words that originated in Bruce Springsteen's head, "Talk About a Dream" (review here) is about as close as you're going to get to the man's psyche without being his actual therapist. (And you can only imagine the book THAT guy could write.) It's impossible to narrow down all of the highlights, but here are just a few Springsteen bon mots that help define the man in the book's pages.
On putting together his setlists: "You can't conform to the formula of always giving the audience what it wants or you're killing yourself and you're killing the audience. Because they don't really want it either. Just because they respond to something doesn't mean they want it. I think it has come to the point where they respond automatically to things that they think they should respond to. You've got to give them more than that." (To Robert Hilburn, 1974)
On his pre-fame gigs: "I can remember staying up all night learning 'Moon River' because the bride requested it — 'Moon River!'" (The Lost Interviews, 1975)
On talking about his music: "… It's unnecessary for me to talk about any of this stuff, because the music speaks for itself. There's nothing I can possibly say that could add or give any insight to it." (The Lost Interviews, 1975)
On what he'd do if he were "terrifically rich": "Get my mother to quit working …. My mother's been working since she was 18 — she's 50 now. It's too LONG to work." (To Ray Coleman, 1975)
On what he would have done if he didn't go into music: "Probably done something crazy. Maybe robbed stores or something! That always appealed to me, robbing things." (To Ray Coleman, 1975)
On building an audience: "… You don't inherit an audience, and they don't run over to your door and knock on your door and sit in your lap." (To Dave Herman, 1978)
On his responsibility to his audience: "I don't think if I don't play good tonight, I'll play good tomorrow. I don't think that if I didn't play good tonight, that, well, I played good last night. It's like there's no tomorrows and there's no yesterdays. There's only right now." (To Dave DiMartino, 1980)
On pre-show malaise: "I always look terrible before the show. That's when I feel worst. And after the show it's like a million bucks." (To Dave Marsh, 1981)
On Patti: "She had a very sure eye for all of my bullshit." (To James Henke, 1992)
On fame and fortune: "I truly don't know how some big stars do it. I could make a commitment to it for a certain amount of time, but after that I just had to get my feet back into what felt like real life. I always come back to the same thing: It's about work — the work, working, working." (To Ken Tucker, 2003)
On expressing political beliefs: "I believe that my ideas and the beliefs that our band has stood for over the years are an integral part of our work, and we have a duty to make those ideas as clear as possible. I think that's part of what people look to us for, that's a part of what we have provided to a portion of our audience … You also figure, these are the times we're working in. And I think you've got to take your stand in them." (To Chris Phillips, 2004)
On Europe: "The openness I've found outside the United States contrasted a bit to some of the closedness that we have here. And it's not intentional – it's cultural." (To Chris Phillips, 2004)
On "Shut up and sing": "I think any time somebody in this country is telling somebody else to shut up, they're going in the wrong direction. No, no, no, you're supposed to be promoting speech. You may not like it, you may not like it — I hear a lot of things don't like either, but hey." [laughs] (To Chris Phillips, 2004)
On trying to influence the electorate: "In the course of your lifetime how your country steers itself is under your stewardship. So what did you do? That was an interesting idea to me in terms of how to look at your life, your work and your place." (To Phil Sutcliffe, 2006)
On songwriting: "… There's no cheap way to get to it! You gotta pay. The way you pay your dues on every song is by digging up the piece of you that has felt that frightened, that uncomfortable, that disempowered, that scared, that lonely, and that angry. That's the price of admission if you want things to fly." (To Dave Marsh, 2006)
On being an artist: "So the idea is: How do you manage that thing that's eating at you, without letting it eat you?" (To Mark Hagen, 2009)
On the Time and Newsweek covers: "Steve had a lot of fun with it, because of course it wasn't him on the cover." (To James Henke, 2010)
On his early guitars: "I had Tex [Vinyard] co-sign for me and I paid them off week-by-week, month-by-month. For quite a few years all I did was pay off guitars." (To James Henke, 2010)
On "replacing" E Street band members who've passed on or had to take a break: "I'm working on replacing myself now, and I'm gonna stay home. I will be home, and somebody else can do it." [laughs] (At press conference in Paris, 2012)
When it comes to Springsteen pedigrees, you don't get much more, well, pedigree-able: Christopher Phillips is the editor of Backstreets magazine and webmaster of go-to fansite Backstreets.com, and his collaborator Louis P. Masur is an American Studies professor at Rutgers (that's in Jersey!) and author of Runaway Dream, one of the best of the recent slew of Springsteen books.
If only they'd collaborated a little faster: Talk About A Dream, their collection of interviews with Bruce Springsteen drawn from throughout his four-decade career, arrives on the heels of Jeff Burger's Springsteen on Springsteen, which has a similar (well, OK, identical) concept. Does the world really need two Springsteen interview collections in the same year?
Turns out, well, yes. Even though the two overlap a bit — notably including Springsteen's daring 1996 interview with the Advocate, in which he made an argument for marriage equality 15 years before it was fashionable — most of Talk's 428 pages contain material unique to the new volume, all of revealing, much of it absolutely essential.
You don't have to get further than page 30 for evidence: That's where you'll find "The Lost Interviews" from 1975, a series of sit-downs with European press that were locked in a vault for years; they were excerpted in Backstreets magazine in the '90s but never published in full, until now. It's a loss that needed to be rectified: Catching Springsteen on the cusp of his first major success, it cements themes and attitudes he would go back to again and again during his career.
In particular, he's candid about the almost pathological drive that propels him to the stage night after night. "I don't know if it's fate or what it is, but I go out there every night feeling that way: 'Tonight, I gotta prove myself'," he says. "It never was to anybody, it was always to myself."
The voice of Bruce
Phillips and Masur stay mostly focused on Q&A's and direct transcripts, bringing Springsteen's own words to the fore — a wise choice, since the prose pieces tend to seem dated or downright cheesy. ("The chance of a meal at the hotel was as unlikely as a Reagan insight," writes Roger Scott in a 1984 Hot Press feature, apropos of nothing.)
Using primarily Springsteen's own words pays big dividends, and not just because fans will be able to hear his Jersey cadences and full-throated laugh in their heads as they go. He's remarkably open and thoughtful, and you can see him gradually building and shaping the themes and concerns that have marked his career: his responsibility to the audience, the forces that drive his writing — from the psychological to the sociological — and the fact that he takes his job deadly seriously, no matter how much fun it is.
"I could make a commitment to [a luxurious lifestyle] for a certain amount of time, but after that I just had to get my feet back into what felt like real life," he tells Ken Tucker in a 2003 Entertainment Weekly interview. "I always come back to the same thing: It's about work — the work, working, working."
Talk also has an edge over Springsteen on Springsteen with its inclusion of higher-profile pieces like Tucker's and an incisive 1992 Rolling Stone interview by James Henke, which shed light on what many fans considered a fallow period for Springsteen as a songwriter. It may have been Springsteen's most candid interview up until that time as far as laying out his own personal foibles, and how wife Patti pulled him up by his black-leather bootstraps: "She had a very sure eye for all of my bullshit," he tells Henke.
Springsteen's political world
The book also has Springsteen's 2000s interviews with Backstreets, which helped define the motivations behind his late-career forays into electoral politics. "I believe that my ideas and the beliefs that our band has stood for over the years are an integral part of our work, and we have a duty to make those ideas as clear as possible," he told Phillips in 2004. "You also figure, these are the times we're working in. And I think you've got to take your stand in them."
It's an idea that threads itself through several of Springsteen's later interviews. "In the course of your lifetime how your country steers itself is under your stewardship. So what did you do?" he asks Phil Sutcliffe of Mojo in 2006. "That was an interesting idea to me in terms of how to look at your life, your work and your place." If there's a more eloquent smackdown of the "shut up and sing" faction, I haven't heard it.
And with this many interviews collected, there are bound to be tidbits new to even the most ardent fans — like the one about Springsteen's aborted plan to put out a series of 4-song EPs in the late '70s, or his call, while writing "Nebraska," to a reporter who had originally covered the Starkweather murders 25 years earlier. (You can imagine the conversation: "No, who is this, really?")
It also features this telling reveal made to EW's Tucker: Asked about his current cultural hero, Springsteen points to the author Philip Roth. "To be [in his 60s] making work that strong and so full of revelations about love and emotional pain," Springsteen says. "Man, that's the way to live your artistic life: Sustain, sustain, sustain."
It's nuggets like that which help Talk About a Dream build a three-dimensional picture of Springsteen as an artist, a performer and as a man: Complex, intensely devoted to his craft and his country, and — despite some early protestations to the contrary — eager to explain what music, his and others', has meant to him, to his audience and to the world around him. It's an impressive portrait of an important, devoted artist who's lived up to Roth's example, and then some.
Coming up: Notable Springsteen quotes from Talk About A Dream.
Well, we finally really did it. YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! OH, DAMN YOU! GODDAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!
Fast Tube by Casper
OK, maybe that's a slight overreaction. But while we might not quite have a Planet of the Apes moment on our hands, the government shutdown is certainly not a good thing — for instance, we can't access the Panda Cam. Oh, and we have incontrovertible evidence of our goverment's total dysfunction along with a complete breakdown of the legislative process. But mostly, the panda!
So what can you do, especially if you're a non-essential government worker? Best to just sit yourself down in front of the blank screen where the Panda Cam used to be and listen to our Government Shutdown Playlist. It won't put you back to work, but it probably won't make things any worse either. (Full Spotify playlist here.)
Shut Down, The Beach Boys
Shut Out The Light, Bruce Springsteen
Baby, Let Me Follow You Down, Bob Dylan
Fast Tube by Casper
Shut 'Em Down, Gil Scott Heron
Down Under, Men At Work
Sunday Morning Coming Down, Johnny Cash
Fast Tube by Casper
Breaking Down, Florence + The Machine
Burning Down the House, Talking Heads
Out of Work, Gary U.S. Bonds
Look Down, from Les Miserables
Fast Tube by Casper
Shut Up and Kiss Me, Mary Chapin Carpenter
You'll Be Comin' Down, Bruce Springsteen
Stop Breaking Down, Rolling Stones
Down in a Hole, Jason Isbell
Shakedown, Bob Seger
Shut Us Down, Camper Van Beethoven
Fast Tube by Casper
Don't Shut 'Em Down, Flogging Molly
You Bowed Down, Elvis Costello
I'm Not Down, The Clash
Fast Tube by Casper
We know what you're thinking: If Bruce Springsteen is 64, how old does that make us? But even if we all may be getting up in years, it's comforting to know — as his stop in Rio Saturday proves — that Bruce is somehow rocking with the same ferocity that he has for decades. (Even if the rest of us are exhausted.) And beyond that, he's still creating vital new music that has something to say about our country, our relationships and the world we live in.
So if anyone deserves a party, it's Bruce — and we're here to help you celebrate. Blogness correspondent Leann has created a series of free downloadable Springsteen party printables, expressly for your Bruceday Bash. Click below and get 'em while you can!
• Bruce Springsteen Party Hats
• Bruce Springsteen Cupcake Toppers
• Pin The Hat On Bruce Springsteen's Butt
Meanwhile, here are 20 ways the true Springsteen fan can honor the Boss on his 64th:
Wear a white v-neck undershirt, aviator sunglasses and look 20 years younger than your actual age. (Orange swim-trunks optional.)
Make love in the dirt singin' your birthday songs. (Warning: Illegal in most municipalities.)
Ride that tilt-a-whirl down on the south beach drag. (Warning: May cause nausea.)
Chase something in the night. (Warning: May cause burns, blindness.)
Wear your Kennedy Center Honors medal to the mall and see if anybody comments on it.
Go on a ride down to the river in a stolen car and never come back.
Lean on a large black man and see what happens.
Make crosses from your lovers and throw roses in the rain, whatever that means.
Get the band back together.
Sit barefoot on the hood of a Dodge drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain. Please be sure to put the Dodge in park first. Boy, did we find that out the hard way.
Go out to Highway 31, find a stick and poke a dead one-legged dog that's been beat too much. On second thought, don't do that.
Get your girlfriend pregnant and a) get a union job and a wedding coat; or b) run away to south Texas in a dirty oil patch and swear you're never goin' back. On second thought, don't get your girlfriend pregnant.
Grab a child you don't know to sing the chorus of "Waitin' on a Sunny Day." (Warning: Illegal in most municipalities.)
Yeah, that checkout girl you've been eyeing down at the supermarket for the last year and a half? Just ask her out already.
Take a long walk home, ideally from the edge of town. But if you live near the edge of town, start in the center of town and work your way out. Whichever it is, it should be dark by the time you get there.
Go out to your barn and, if there's a tuba player there, jam with him.
Stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive, not necessarily in that order.
Dance with Courtney Cox. If Courtney Cox is not available, dance across the porch as the radio plays. If a porch is not available, dance with your shirt open like Latin lovers along the shore. If you don't have a shirt, we recommend getting a white, v-neck undershirt (see No. 1).
One word: RAMROD.
"Open your ears and open your hearts. Don't take yourself too seriously, and take yourself as seriously as death itself. Don't worry. Worry your ass off. Have ironclad confidence, but doubt – it keeps you awake and alert. Believe you are the baddest ass in town, and, you suck!" (Words to live by from the birthday boy himself.)
Happy Birthday, Bruce — and thanks.
Add your ways to celebrate Bruce's birthday in the comments!
Start Time: 12:17 am
1. Sociedade Alternativa (Raul Seixas Cover)
2. Badlands
3. Death To My Hometown
4. Spirit In The Night
5. Hungry Heart
Born In The USA – full Album
6. Born In The USA
7. Cover Me
8. Darlington County
9. Working On The Highway
10. Downbound Train
11. I'm On Fire
12. No Surrender
13. Bobby Jean
14. I'm Goin' Down
15. Glory Days
16. Dancing In The Dark
17. My Hometown
Start Time: 9:16 pm
1. Sociedade Alternativa (by Raul Seixas)
2. We Take Care of Our Own
3. Badlands
4. Death to My Hometown
5. Spirit in the Night
6. Darkness on the Edge of Town
7. Prove it (78 intro)
8. No Surrender (sign request)
9. Bobby Jean (sign request)
10. Hungry Heart
11. The River
12. American Skin (41 shots)
13. Because the Night
14. She's the One
15. Darlington County
16. Working on the Highway
17. Shackled and Drawn
18. Waiting on a Sunny Day
19. The Rising
20. Thunder Road
21. Land Of Hope And Dreams
22. We Are Alive
23. Born In The USA
24. Born To Run
25. Dancing In The Dark
26. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
27. Shout
28. This Little Light Of Mine
29. This Hard Land (solo acoustic)
End Time: 12:30 am


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Hidden City Crime Files: San Francisco
Marcus travels to San Francisco to explore the Committee of Vigilance in the time of the California Gold Rush, the Zodiac serial killer and the assassination of the first openly gay politician Harvey Milk. Discover more about each of these stories that played a role in the Golden Gate city's history.
The Assassination of Harvey Milk
Who: Harvey Bernard Milk was born on May 22, 1930. He grew up in Woodmere, NY. In school he was known as a class clown. Milk knew his sexuality in high school, but kept it a secret. He attended college at New York State College for Teachers and majored in math. None of Milk's friends ever suspected he was gay. After graduation, Milk joined the Navy and served aboard the USS Kittiwake. Once he was discharged Milk held various jobs, including teaching, investment banking and actuarial work. He ultimately ended up in San Francisco and opened a camera shop on Castro Street.What: While San Francisco had a large population of homosexuals, there was still discrimination and harassment. Milk decided to pursue politics after realizing that he had to take action to try to change things, not just complain. After several failed attempts to win office, Milk was elected as the city supervisor for District 5. His swearing-in made headlines as he was the first openly gay individual in the US to win election to public office. Also sworn in with Milk were Carol Ruth Silver, Gordon Lau, Ella Hill Hutch and Daniel White. Milk and White went head-to-head on various issues and hostility grew between them. Throughout his time in office, Milk worked on gay rights issues in the city along with child care and transportation concerns.
After serving as a supervisor for 10 months, Dan White resigned his position due to financial concerns. A few days after his announcement he asked Mayor George Moscone to reinstate him. At first he agreed, but after some pressure from the other supervisors, including Milk, Moscone changed his mind. He decided to appoint someone else to the position. On Nov. 27, 1978, before the press conference to announce White's replacement, Dan White broke into City Hall and shot and killed both Moscone and Milk. White eventually turned himself in.
Where: The murders took place at San Francisco's City Hall. The City Hall was also the location of the riots that broke out after Dan White was acquitted on first-degree murder charges.
When: The double assassination took place on Nov. 27, 1978 and the riots occurred on May 21, 1979. Dan White served 5 years for the murders. Then on Oct. 21, 1985, he committed suicide after losing his family due to his prison time.
In the Media: There have been many tributes to Harvey Milk, including a plaza in San Francisco and a high school in New York that serves gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, both named after him. In 2009, President Obama posthumously awarded Milk the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to the gay rights movement. His nephew accepted the award in his honor.
In the media, Milk's story has been the subject of books, a musical production and a documentary The Times of Harvey Milk, based on the book The Mayor of Castro Street by Randy Shilts. The 2008 film Milk earned 2 Oscars, including 1 for actor Sean Penn who portrayed Milk.
The Zodiac Killer
Who: The who still remains a mystery in this story. While there have been many suspects, no conclusive evidence has ever surfaced and therefore no one has ever been charged.What: It has been confirmed that the Zodiac Killer had 7 victims – 5 died and 2 survived. Most of the attacks were on couples who were either shot or stabbed. The last death was a cab driver. It is suspected that an additional 4 deaths are tied to the serial killer. A lady who was kidnapped, but escaped alive, is also suspected to be tied to the case.
The Zodiac Killer taunted authorities and the public by sending a series of letters to the press. The letters included cryptograms that were said to reveal his identity. Only 1 was solved; the resulting message gave insight into why the Zodiac was committing the murders.
Where: The killer struck in Northern California, with victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa and San Francisco.
When: The Zodiac Killer attacked and murdered people starting in the late 1960s and ended in the early '70s. It is hard to give exact dates since many of the murders have not been conclusively tied to the Zodiac Killer.
The Latest: In the last 4 years several people have come forward claiming to know who the Zodiac Killer was. Authorities have looked into the claims but nothing has been confirmed and the case remains open.
In the Media: There have been many books and movies about the case. The 2007 movie, Zodiac, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. is probably the highest profile film. In addition, there are several websites focused on the Zodiac Killer. On these sites you will find his letters and a wealth of information on the victims and suspects. Zodiackiller.com is well-known and its webmaster has appeared on many shows to discuss his views on the case.
The Committee of Vigilance
Who/What: The 1851 Committee of Vigilance had 700 members who came together because they believed that current laws and authorities were not doing enough to maintain order in the city. The committee would police the city, investigate disreputable businesses and deport immigrants. Along the way, people were hanged, whipped, deported and turned over to the authorities. This was all done without any due process. The committee dissolved, but reorganized again in 1856 with more than 6,000 members. They again hanged people, but also began going after political officials, including the chief justice of the California Supreme Court.Where: San Francisco had grown in population due to the California Gold Rush and this brought about an increase in crime.
When: The San Francisco Committee of Vigilance was first formed on June 9, 1851, and then again on May 14, 1856.
In the Media: Several books have been written about the Committee of Vigilance and The Bancroft Library at University of California at Berkeley has documents such as meeting minutes, letters and press clippings about the group's activities.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
The views below are submitted by registered users of evertonfc.com and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton Football Club. View the Blueroom acceptable usage policy.
himwill said:Holds a club record for number of clean sheets in a season so he never used to be that rubbish but now he is.
Irony said:Howard has lost a step no doubt but to say he's rubbish is just non sense. Tim loves the club, he represents the club properly on/off the pitch, he is an international (even if it is for the US), and he has saved his fair share of games for us. Funny how people tend to only remember the bad, glad to have Tim around but I hope we find some competition for him, if anything he may have become to complacent by being an automatic selection week in week out.
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text:
Jemaine Clement in first-look photo as MIB 3 Baddie
A set pic of Jemaine Clement as the evil Boris in the Men In Black 3 has popped up online. Presumably, this is his human disguise or whatever. We don't know much about what specific sort of antagonizin' Clement will be doing in the film, but anyone who has seen the other two films in the series can probably make a guess.
It also appears that the Men in Black III trailer may have also featured a brief shot of Boris in all his nasty, unhidden alien glory.


text:
Hi, i'm Mat Cyruss from Hamburg/Germany. This blog is mainly about Fashion/Photography/Style, sexy Men & everything about it. Unless it's a preview picture, i only post HQ pictures here. I hope you enjoy my this & feel free to reblog. xoxo Mat
The content on this blog is not mine unless otherwise stated, all rights belong to the respected owners.
Ralph Lauren Fall 2012 Fashion Show/NY
(Source: nowfashion.com)


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The Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter was formally launched today.
Welcoming the initiative, Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, pledged the authority's continuing support for the initiative, saying, "Sometimes dreams become reality. But who would have thought that the meeting I had just a matter of months ago with Sarah Crawley — when she first suggested the idea of the Quarter — would be turned into reality in such a short time?"
Over 100 people thronged into the marketplace area in front of iSE and neighbouring Health Exchange to listen to the speeches of welcome, visit stalls, talk to social entrepreneurs, meet old and new friends and network.
"The marketplace has been such a success," Sarah Crawley said, "and local social enterprises were so enthusiastic about the opportunity to sell their wares and showcase what they do, that we're thinking of running the market every month. Watch out for more details."
Helga Edstrom from the Office for Civil Society singled out women in the sector for particular praise: "Let's hear it for women in social enterprise, because they are well represented in the sector and are responsible for driving forward many of the new initiatives that are helping to raise the profile of the sector."
For the first time ever Birmingham had a social enterprise market — a social alternative to the well-established German Market.
Amongst the stallholders were:
♥ Made by Young People, the socially responsible printing and promotional items manufacturer. I especially liked their Born in the NHS mugs.
♥ The Energy Saving Co-op, an innovative new membership co-op for energy deals.
♥ Co-Wheels Birmingham, the city's newest pay-as-you-go car club — cutting fuel bills, car running costs and environmental impact.
♥ Devenish Girl Bakery, the social enterprise with a passion for baking and a talent for training and supporting young people into employment.
♥ Ubuntu bread and street food — South African food from Albert Smith, ex-nurse turned micro-baker, street food entrepreneur and stand-up comic!
♥ Birmingham's secret garden — Martineau Gardens, connecting horticulture, education, wellbeing and a love for the natural environment.
♥ The Shelanu Women's craft collective – an extraordinary group of migrant women who recently made what one paper called "jewels for Birmingham's crown": a jewelled artwork and visitor workshop specially for the opening of the new Library of Birmingham.
♥ Change Kitchen, ethical vegan and vegetarian caterer.
♥ Park Lane Garden Centre — one of Aston's best kept secrets — Garden Pathway pickles and chutneys, Garden Pathway Gardening Services, and Textiles by St Anne's, all social enterprises that help make a positive contribution to mental health, and all developed by long-established Birmingham charity BITA Pathways as ways of delivering new opportunities for the people who use its services.
♥ Bicycle Deli — bitingly fresh sandwiches made from local produce and fresh locally baked bread, delivered to the door. By bicycle.
♥ Loaf — bringing back real food (and the skills to make and bake it) one loaf at a time…
The BBC were on-hand to film the events, and Indi Deal from award-winning social enterprise Aidem Digital took care of still photography. Sally Edwards from community interest company Spot On Marketing & Communication handled PR and press. This really was the social enterprise sector in action — by social enterprises, for social enterprises, with social enterprises!
Sir Albert — with some prompting from the crowd — looked forward to 999 social enterprises in Digbeth within five years. "Well, there we are," he said, "that's it — we've launched the number so there's no turning back."
And who knows? If the Quarter continues developing at this pace, perhaps 999 isn't such a tall order.
→ Read more – Introducing the Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter.
UPDATE: The launch was covered on Midlands Today (12/12/13), currently available here on the BBC iPlayer for a limited period (see 15:54 into the broadcast).
Take a look at Inde Deal's pictures from the event (© Aidem Digital).
If anyone thinks they have stopped receiving the regular email forwards and updates that we send out to subscribers, friends and supporters, it may be because you have!
We recently lost (i.e. stupidly deleted) the email group to which regular news and updates are sent out and have had to rebuild this from memory (the computer's memory and my memory!).
We may not have included everyone.
If you think your flow of email news and announcements has stopped and you want it to restart then send me mail saying SUBSCRIBE and I'll fix it. Thanks.
The Big Lottery has just announced a new £150m fund called Power to Change, which will open in 2014, supporting "community-led enterprises" and community action.
BIG says:
The economic climate has meant that many communities are experiencing challenges, at a local level, to the vitality of their neighbourhoods, prosperity of their high streets and resilience of their social assets. Empty shop premises and the closures of pubs, libraries, community centres and sports facilities affect rural and urban communities alike, and in particular those who need them most.
In response, many communities are coming together using creative approaches that involve local people and resources to improve their local neighbourhoods, villages and town centres. These have taken many different forms from small-scale enterprise to large-scale asset management and ownership. Solutions have included pop-up shops, transferring resources into the ownership of local residents, and using former commercial spaces to incubate social enterprises and cultural activities.
In short, community enterprises provide sustainable solutions to some of the most pressing social and economic issues of our time, and particularly benefit people most in need. We want to help more people respond to local need and opportunity, and change the places in which they live for the better.
The National Lottery funding will be delivered through an independent grant-making Trust from autumn 2014.
The story is also covered in Third Sector Online here.
Update: As soon as this post hit our automated Twitter feed I had a phone call from Martin Hogg at Citizen Coaching who was making his way from the Manchester venue at which the launch of Power to Change was held today, to the office of a client. I'm hoping he'll post something here in the comments about what he heard and saw at the launch event…
Start Again Project CIC — a community interest company whose mission is to enable young people's personal and social development and help them lead fuller lives in their communities — is seeking to recruit a Sports Coach: Football & Wellbeing.
To find out more download the job description; to apply, download the (MS Word) application form.
Business in the community would like to extend an invitation to social enterprises, third sector organisations and charities to participate in one or more of three 'Your Future, Your Choice' events being held at:
BITC is inviting businesses to provide interactive displays and one of more of the events to demonstrate what your organisation does and what career opportunities there are in your industry. Approximately 600 Year 8 and Year 9 students from "Business Class" schools will attend each event throughout the day (ages 12-14).
Business Class is Business in the Community's flagship education programme partnering businesses with schools in socially disadvantaged areas in long term strategic partnerships, working together in local clusters to enable collaborative action.
Read more (PDF opens in new window).
Send mail to Frances Kenwrick.
Not-for-personal-profit organisations can benefit from free management development opportunities, launched to mark Social Enterprise Day by twice-shortlisted consultancy of the year Roots HR CIC.
Now approaching its fifth year of reinvesting trading surpluses in the development of managers, Roots HR is offering courses, webinars and coaching for social enterprises and civil society organisations as part of its GROW service.
In response to its research into the pressing priorities in people management, Roots HR will deliver an Essential HR course and safer recruitment webinar, and one manager will win a series of free coaching sessions. To take advantage of these free opportunities go here.
Delivered as part of the company's social mission and funded from trading surpluses, Roots HR is now open to receive applications for:
Many social enterprises and third sector organisations are likely to be interested in this….
You are asked to confirm attendance and state any access requirements by email to the Service Review Team — send mail.
As part of its Smart Network, Smarter Choices project, Centro has funding through until March 2015 to offer a range of cycling activities including: adult cycle training (from learning to ride to improving confidence for riding on roads); adult cycle maintenance sessions; Dr Bike safety checks, and repairs advice and much more. For bookings and more information go here.
Centro's WorkWise project also provides a reconditioned bike or public transport passes to people who have been unemployed and are starting a job.
For more information about Centro's sustainable travel initiatives send mail to Alison Kennedy, Sustainable Travel Officer.
And of course, Centro also sponsors the Christmas Santa ride…
A new national bidding consortium called the National Consortium of Social Enterprises was launched in July 2013.
Its aim is to offer a membership consortium for social enterprises that want to be part of joint bids for public service contracts. The consortium is supported by 3SC, Social Firms UK and SEUK.
It will receive financial support totalling over £218,000 between now and December 2014 from the National Offender Management Service Co-financing Organisation and the European Social Fund. Third Sector Online carries more about this story today.
Regional launch and sign-up events are also happening — the West Midlands event, in partnership with SEWM, will take place at the Signing Tree conference centre on 4th December — book here.
The consortium aims to recruit 1,000 social enterprises by January of the new year and become the 'go to' provider for public service delivery contractors.
To become a member of the NCSE applicants must support the employability or employment of people furthest from the labour market.
Further to this post… There can be few who don't know that Birmingham has one of the largest concentrations of social enterprises in the country – over 300 at the last count and now probably nearer 500. What is less well known is that this concentration is greatest in Digbeth and the surrounding area. And this is why, led by iSE and The Digbeth Trust, organisations and enterprises in the area have come together to set up the Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter.
At the last count there were 47 social enterprises trading in Digbeth and the surrounding area. Some are new-start and still small, others are more established; others are charities that have seen social enterprise as a new way of creating opportunities for their client groups. Together they illustrate some important new trends in social enterprise:
These and the many people like them are the new face of grassroots social enterprise.
The Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter has already received official recognition from Social Enterprise UK, the national body that is awarding Social Enterprise 'Place' status as part of its national project.
Almost twenty organisations have come forward to be part of the steering group which will help the continuing development of the Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter.
While the idea of business 'clusters' is an old one in mainstream economic development circles it has rarely been tested in social enterprise – especially in such circumstances, where there is an organic grouping of social enterprises already clustered together in a particular locality. The aim of the Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter is to build on the opportunities offered by this natural clustering – helping the businesses there get to know what each can do and what they can do for each other, helping them build alliances and new trading models and work in partnership.
The Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter is being formally launched on the 12th December from 10.30am until 3.30pm, with a Christmas social enterprise market, street food, entertainment and social enterprise walks and visits. I'm told that the walks (which start from 12.30) are bookable, please — send mail to Dawn Griffiths to book a place.
Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, will be give a keynote speech and open the Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter.
If you want to find out more about the Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter, want to get involved in the launch, or are keen to be part of the longer-term development of this exciting new initiative send mail to Sarah Crawley or send mail to Emma Nugent.
We'll be watching what the Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter does – and how it does it – with great interest, because there will be lessons here not just for Digbeth, and not just for Birmingham, but for social enterprises everywhere.
News just in from iSE about the latest development in social enterprise in Birmingham — more news will follow….
If you are a social enterprise in Digbeth/Highgate or surrounding area and would like a stall please send mail to Dawn Griffiths.
I am indebted to Tony Clabby at the Digbeth Trust for unearthing this in a LinkedIn discussion thread…
Social Enterprise UK is currently claiming that its recent report, Out of the Shadows, has prompted consideration of dramatic reforms to EU procurement laws that could see certain kinds of contracts 'reserved' for social enterprises for a time-limited period (possibly as long as three years).
SEUK's report says that if enacted the new rules would "enable public bodies to reserve the award of many health, social and cultural services contracts exclusively to social enterprises for a time-limited period. This could potentially be the most significant change to procurement practice in decades (p.9/10)."
Speaking about the campaign, SEUK chief exec Peter Holbrook has said, "These new EU rules…recognise that public service markets don't always put people first. The laws could make a positive contribution at a critical time – currently the UK's public sector markets and contracts are too heavily weighted in favour of private companies who are on a money mission and the consequences are being felt by ordinary people – the taxpayer, workers and service users – who are being short changed."
The story is covered here in Public Sector Executive News and here on the SEUK website.
The proposed changes are contained in this EU Proposal for a Directive.
Autism Birmingham CIC has just signed a lease to become the new tenants of Rubery Market.
It will re-open the market in readiness for Christmas and is looking for anyone who would be interested in hiring a stall or a glass display cabinet for the sale of items or for advertising purposes.
The market houses 24 individually lit glass cabinets, 12 indoor market stalls, extensive free car parking , on site café & CCTV.
Anyone interested should email Autism Birmingham at autismbirmingham<at>gmail<dot>com or click here to send mail.
I'm delighted to say that further to this post (in which I was moaning that too few Birmingham social enterprises were getting themselves in the RBS SE Index), the finalists for the RBS social enterprise 100 awards 2013 have just been announced (download press release here) — and in the Trailblazing Newcomer category, three out of six finalists are from Birmingham.
The Brum finalists, in addition to our own Dave Lane's Development in Social Enterprise CIC, are Bidgley Power Foundation and the John Taylor Hospice.
A specialist business support provider, a community empowerment organisation that brings together young, old and disabled, and the only social enterprise hospice in the UK. Never mind a showcase for Birmingham — this is a showcase of the diversity and determination of the social enterprise sector.
We wish all the finalists well, in whatever category they have been listed.
It's enough to make you want to…complete our social enterprise survey! Which fortunately is right here. (C'mon, a hook is a hook — the first law of blogging.)
Summit House Support is recruiting to two new senior management posts
Summit House Support provides a safe environment for people affected by and living with HIV/AIDS, its services available to anyone who lives in the Dudley or Sandwell areas.
It is seeking…
Further information here.
Apply here.
Closing date for both posts: 13 Nov 2013.
Further to this earlier post, the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership social enterprise survey is NOW LIVE!
Survey link here.
The results of this survey will be used by the GBSLEP to inform its investment plans for the future, including ERDF/ESF priorities, and it is therefore important that the survey reaches the widest possible audience.
If you want social enterprise to be on the GBSLEP's investment agenda now and in the future, please help strengthen the evidence-base by taking part in the survey.
UPDATE: You can download all of the questions in advance for reference – PDF here.
Also linked here on the GBSLEP website with a bit more context explaining LEP's interest in social enterprise.
The Digbeth Trust and partners have been commissioned by the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) to conduct a 'snapshot' survey of social enterprises operating in the GBSLEP area (i.e. Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Redditch, Solihull, Tamworth, and Wyre Forest).
The aim of the survey is to:
→ Gather information which will strengthen the evidence-base regarding the economic and social contribution of social enterprises, and
→ Clarify social enterprise business support needs and barriers to growth.
The results of this survey will be used by the GBSLEP to inform its investment plans for the future, including ERDF/ESF priorities, and it is therefore important that the survey reaches the widest possible audience.
If you want social enterprise to be on the GBSLEP's investment agenda now and in the future, help us strengthen the evidence-base by taking part in the survey. It will be launched in the next few days and the link will be widely publicised here, through partners and intermediaries and through emailing to networks across the GBSLEP area.


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Richard Handler, chairman and chief executive officer of Jefferies Group Inc., speaks at the Milken Scholars Alumni Symposium in New York, U.S., on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The Milken Scholars Program provides support for talented young leaders in college and after they graduate. Photographer: Peter Foley/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Richard Handler
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You're watching...
Presidential Race Focuses on Women's Vote
FNC contributors Angela McGlowan and Santita Jackson on the candidates competing for women's votes in the Presidential election.
Aug 10, 2012
You're watching...
FNC contributors Angela McGlowan and Santita Jackson on the candidates competing for women's votes in the Presidential election.
Aug 10, 2012
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-- President Obama on the campaign trail this week and -- scare tactics aimed at dividing women.
-- when it comes to wait while.
Have a right to make her own healthcare choices.
I did but these bad.
-- -- How the latest fox poll shows President Obama in a comfortable lead 51% of women voters supported.
-- man's 39% support here to talk about all of that.
-- and other developments on the campaign trail Republican strategist Fox News political analyst Angela McGlowan.
Fox News contributor radio talk show hosts and Peter Jackson.
Good to see you -- them Angela I mean the governor here is in real trouble with women.
Yeah -- look and is managed to gain an absolute -- no question but.
Obama does not have this voting -- tied -- in 2010.
It was women who actually gave Republicans the majority.
And the house and a slim margin in the senate in 2008 Obama -- the women's voting -- overwhelmingly.
Against McCain so it's up for grabs but I have to say.
My Brothers in the Republican Party need to work and that message and -- this advocacy campaign and women are not -- We just don't care about reproductive rights policy who's gonna give us free birth control.
-- in the.
President sounds like that's that's the principal concern I don't think that the principal concern but any time governor Romney says that his plan is to eliminate Planned Parenthood women ought to be worried -- Because 97%.
Of what Planned Parenthood does have nothing to do with a portion.
Three quarters of those people they serve are below the poverty line I want to hear.
Governor Romney President Obama both of them and independents talk about the median wealth employment which for black women is 100 dollars Hispanic women.
120 dollars but for white women it's 41000 dollars which is far less than their white male counterparts.
Women have some real issues you write that go beyond reproductive health but that is central -- But I find that yes that that has not changed.
Over the course democratic congresses Republican congresses Republican presidents and Democrats in fact under this democratic president.
-- you know women have been absolutely.
They've been shall locked.
They've lost jobs virus at remarkable march and -- -- on a war on on women.
The true war on women who was attacked we have lots lost -- it's the fact that home foreclosures.
-- -- -- education school system.
-- spelling -- in the inner city.
That's the true war on women not the fact that Planned Parenthood all Mitt Romney might give bit of that.
The bottom lines as who's gonna -- policies.
Or -- help create a more prosperous America women Obama hasn't done.
We don't take umbrage with that because if you cannot afford to go to the doctor Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood -- for -- but that's not the only issue.
The fact we have to Medicaid saying we had no but that's not happen next is that it is not enough -- and you and I want you look no you know I expect this we know this because you and.
-- -- don't want my government dollars going for abortion I don't want my government dollars going by the morning after -- -- -- big deals with birth control to help -- health.
Of women dealing wit their monthly cycle then that's something else but -- it deals with an abortion.
Money going to that.
It's more than abortion pill and let me tell you something abortion is not that's not only occur in the -- We abort people we have four children every day after they're born when we abort their choice there options to a good public school system -- -- so when we push forward ST yeah when we do not know it is not yet know it is not -- on full disclosure I'm part of a union to I've I support unions but.
I think that we do need to -- reforms that's off the table.
What I want to look at are these home foreclosures more and more women are heading up their households and they're being thrown out to the streets even more.
Luring women too and I'm delighted that figure -- there -- children -- Yeah.
Or women are being left with their children to rates and single family.
More and more children born out of wedlock yeah.
We have your -- about abortions.
Broadly and metaphorically.
We are right now in signing as collateral damage millions of America.
In part -- rising dependency that seems to sustain and perpetuate itself.
In part because of policies that are absolutely.
And and seemingly unaware.
-- Of the consequences undertaken and by that I'm talking about education and I'm talking about trouble here I'm talking about the idea that.
You mentioned Medicaid.
But why in the world as a Planned Parenthood or any number of these non profits why are they necessary when we are spending trillions of dollars at the state.
Federal local wobble and -- and that and when we talk about these as women's issues my god should Hannity talking about them is our issues.
Look at what they are our issues and women are -- You don't look we are spending trillions of dollars on -- -- we do not want when we talk about appropriations.
We've got to talk about that somehow or -- that never makes it to the table there's study from Brown University that just came out -- shows that Afghanistan Iraq cost us more than four trillion dollar.
It will widely Ali Mohamed one of the little always we be O'Donnell -- let's talk about black women when you have seven baptists black women in debt are working twenty Johnson -- their kids to -- Had a Catholic schools.
Act education system can't spell and you know what we don't -- a -- -- -- -- little -- education we want to -- that's a -- education system and Italy record sent to thank you very.
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"Since we decided to call our son by his middle name, I was looking for a layout that allowed space for the full name, but also a place to feature his common name/nickname. This was one of the few layout across companies that allowed for this space in a layout I liked."
"This card is so beautiful! I didn't realize, at first, how the shading at te top was part of the card and not the photo that was imported, it made my picture evening amazing :) I recorded sooooo many compliments on it."
"We found this card perfect for the announcement of my granddaughter Averey. It allows for photos on the back as well. It is super adorable and current for today. Love!"
"We ordered this announcement after the birth of our son. It was perfect...simple and classic. I was looking for an announcement that did not say "introducing" since we were a little late get these out. The "say hello to" was exactly what I was looking for. I picked a picture with a lighter background so the white font was a little difficult to see, but that was my own choosing. Overall, highly recommend this announcement."
"The card was a THANK YOU sent to folks who contributed to a fund raising walk for a fatal disease. My friend, who suffers from this disease, was pictured on the front with her husband. The card captured her positive spirit and in a bright color which matched the t-shirts color for our team, the words THANK YOU, were written. A personal message from me was on the back. I heard rave reviews from those who received them and many said they would frame the card."


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Aluminum foil steam table pans are great for remote catered events. They're both durable and disposable! Just throw them out at the end of your event - no messy clean up or heavy pans to lug back with you!
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text: PublicationsInternational Activity Report 2009HAITI: The 2010 earthquake responseAs the first reports came in about the destruction caused by the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, within hours its consequences became devastatingly clear, and MSF, who was already in the country, launched its largest emergency effort in the organization's history. MSF has been working in Haiti since 1991. Immediately prior to January 12, MSF was running three programs - a maternity project, a trauma and rehabilitation center, and an emergency stabilization programme - all necessitated by the cumulative impact of decades of violence and instability in a place with limited medical and governmental capacity. In the best of times, life in Haiti was precarious, but the earthquake brought unprecedented conditions. In a matter of moments, hundreds of thousands of people were killed or injured and millions were rendered homeless. The organizations that would usually coordinate a disaster response - the Haitian government and the UN - were badly hit themselves. At the same time there were hundreds of thousands of people in desperate need of help. As Dr. Jeanne Cabeza, a medical coordinator for MSF in Haiti wrote, "Five minutes after the quake, people were banging on our door." A trickle of patients quickly became a deluge. "Within a few hours, there were hundreds of people in need of surgery," Cabeza recounted. She and her colleagues worked through the night, attending to crush wounds, fractures, concussions, and other injuries. Care was given in courtyards or in the streets in front of MSF structures which had all partially collapsed. Car headlights were used to illuminate procedures. Sheeting was hung from trees and an old shipping container that had served as a pharmacy was cleared out to create adhoc operating theaters. Veteran MSF staff likened it to doing surgery in a war zone when everyone is injured at the same time. Simultaneously, MSF offices around the world mobilized, launching what Dr. Greg Elder, deputy operations manager for Haiti, later described as "the single most concentrated response by MSF." Personnel, medication, medical supplies, and even an inflatable hospital were soon on its way. When congestion at the Port-au-Prince airport delayed arrival, MSF re-routed cargo through the Dominican Republic and lobbied coordinating bodies to give priority to aircraft carrying lifesaving emergency medical equipment which they did after some days. Within a week, MSF sent more than 250 metric tonnes of medical and material equipment to Haiti. The next week another 260 tonnes arrived. In total, over the first seven weeks, nearly 1,200 tonnes of supplies were flown, driven, and carried by boat into Haiti. Putting it to use were waves of medical and logistics personnel. Before the earthquake, there were some 800 people working in MSF's projects in Haiti, the vast majority of them Haitian. By the end of the February, that number was above 3,300. Collectively, four months after the earthquake struck, MSF was running approximately 20 medical facilities and several mobile clinics and 15 operating theaters. Teams had assisted some 137,000 patients, performed more than 7,600 surgeries, distributed roughly 28,000 tents and 40,000 hygiene and kitchen kits, and carried out nearly 70,000 mental health consultations. The national healthcare system before the earthquake was very weak, and now it's worse off. Estimates put the number of wounded between 200,000 and 300,000. MSF must therefore continue to respond to immediate needs while also planning for the future. "More than one million people are still living in deplorable conditions, beneath tents or plastic sheeting, without a clear sense of what's ahead in the coming months," Stefano Zannini, MSF's head of mission in Haiti, said in May. "In the meantime, the rains are intensifying, flooding the sites several times a week where earthquake victims live." It is already clear that MSF will be making a very substantial commitment to Haiti for at least the next 18 months. Beyond that there are still likely to be more specific gaps in provision that require a longer term presence. This ongoing commitment is very large by MSF's global standards. As a rough guide, MSF multiplied its activities by a factor of five after the earthquake. And in 2011 the work will still be around three times more than it was before the disaster. MSF would like to pay tribute to the seven Haitian staff who were killed in the earthquake, and to those staff who were injured or lost relatives. Their bravery and commitment will not be forgotten. |


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8 hrs ago | Patch.com
Has Kings Park Been Divided By the Barrett Fundraiser Controversy?
After Kings Park Board of Education Trustee Liz Barrett has handed in her resignation to the school district on Tuesday, Kings Park Patch readers are attempting to rally for the unifications of a community seemingly split in two following than 12 months of controversy.
Should we change our lifestyles to help reduce global warming?
Would same-sex marriage undermine traditional marriage?
12 hrs ago | Newsday
16 hrs ago | Patch.com
Park View Seeks Donations to Help Kings Park Family After Fire
The Park View community is hoping to pull together to help give a Kings Park family a happy holiday season after losing their home to fire.
Liz Barrett Resigns From Kings Park Board of Education
Kings Park Board of Education Trustee Liz Barett has given her resignation to the school district after standing at the center of a community controversy for the past four months.
Early Dismissal for Kings Park Students on Tuesday
Kings Park students will be dismissed from school early on Tuesday as snow falls across the area.
Tree Lighting Full of Holiday Spirit in Veterans Plaza
Hot cocoa kept off the cold as holiday carols rang through the air, as all Kings Park children waited anxiously to see when Santa Claus would arrive.
Fast-moving home fire injures two in Kings Park
The Kings Park Fire Department responded to a working house fire at 17 Eugene Drive in Kings Park.
Last Chance to See The Nutcracker in Kings Park
If you have visions of sugar plums dancing in your head, don't miss the opportunity to catch a local performance of The Nutcracker.
Paving of Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail Extension Moves Forward
The Kings Park Hike & Bike extension should be getting the gift of new concrete this year as work to pave the extension to Main Street moves forward.
Smithtown awards bid for road-widening project
Smithtown town officials have awarded a contract for more than $200,000 in road improvements at Edgewood and Landing avenues in the hamlet of Smithtown.
Kings Park Board of Ed Looks to Take Stand on High-Stakes Testing
Kings Park Board of Education is willing to consider joining a growing number of school districts in making a public statement against "high-stakes testing" and other educational mandates under the state's new Common Core curriculum.
Kings Park Agenda: Breakfast with Santa, Tough Cookie Trail Race
The gymnasium at The Children's Center at United Cerebral Palsy of Suffolk will be transformed into a winter wonderland for a Breakfast with Santa event Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon.
School Board Pres: 'Enough, Kings Park' Over Barrett Fundraiser Controversy
Kings Park Board of Education's latest efforts to resolve ethical questions raised by a community fundraiser for trustee Liz Barrett dissolved into a yelling contest in front of students and parents on Tuesday night.
Here's How to See International Space Station Flying Over Kings Park
Written by Todd Richissin Not all that long ago, anything like the International Space Station was reserved for science fiction and drug highs.
Petition Calls for Increased Bullying Awareness in Kings Park Schools
An online petition is hoping to catch the attention of Kings Park school district administrators and focus it on bullying within local schools.
Where to Get a Christmas Tree in Kings Park
It's the holiday season, and time to start thinking about putting up a Christmas tree.
The Nutcracker Comes to Kings Park
Celebrate the start of the holiday season with visions of sugar plums dancing, on stage, in Kings Park this Sunday.
Kings Park Board of Ed, Holiday Party this Week in Kings Park
Smithtown Library Adult Writers Group Writers are welcome to read samples of works in progress to receive feedback and support from fellow writers in the community on Tuesday, 7 p.m at the main branch of the Smithtown Public Library.
Petition for More Parking, Creamery Closes
Kings Park Residents Petition Town for More Parking Kings Park residents have started a grassroots effort to get Town of Smithtown officials to create more parking in the downtown area.
Kings Park Block by Block: Areas With Poverty and Homes Without Heat
Newscruncher is a daily series that breaks down the characteristics of your town by the numbers.


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Glenmorangie's New Finealta To Help Open London's Savoy
The century-old recipe was uncovered in the distillery's archives. Dr Bill Lumsden, head of distilling and whisky creation, said: "Glenmorangie decided to recreate this recipe so that we, and whisky connoisseurs, could have a taste of this historic Glenmorangie expression. We followed the recipe meticulously, which included marrying whiskies of different ages and from different cask types. The final result is a whisky of such depth and distinction that we selected it as the second release in Glenmorangie's exclusive Private Edition."
Archives show that this Glenmorangie expression was served in the American Bar of The Savoy, London, during La Belle Époque and at the height of Art Nouveau, the first modern art movement of the 20th century. The packaging design for Glenmorangie Finealta, not surprisingly, is inspired by Art Nouveau, which had a style for incorporating elements from nature such as floral and plant motifs into artwork. And, unusual for Glenmorangie, the taste profile involves a bit of peat.
The release of the whisky coincides nicely with the The Savoy's reopening on October 10, 2010. Bottled at a strength of 46% ABV, and non chill-filtered, Glenmorangie Finealta will be made available to global travel retail from early September, and in fine whisky shops in North America in early 2011. Price $85.00.


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Resistance Speed Training
March 24, 2009 by Admin: Joe Hashey, CSCS
Filed under Strength Training
ShareHere is a good explanation of the the purpose and function of resistant sprints. I have experimented with overspeed training, as mentioned in the video, and it has been "okay" at best. Resistant sprints on the other hand have yielded better results. The issue with overspeed training (a bungee pulling you faster than you would [...]