text:
Statement of Michael J. Astrue
Commissioner of Social Security Administration
Before the House Ways ands Means
Subcommittee on Social Security
February 14, 2007
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:
I am pleased to be here today to discuss the impact of past years' budget allocations on Social Security beneficiaries, and on applicants for disability benefits in particular. I want to thank you for holding this hearing and giving us the opportunity to tell you of our accomplishments and our challenges in this era of constrained resources and growth in SSA's workloads. This is my first appearance before the Subcommittee, and I appreciate your unflagging support for the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the programs entrusted to our Agency. The members of this Subcommittee know well the importance of these programs to virtually every American family.
I am honored to serve as Commissioner of Social Security. SSA has a proud history of excellent service to the public, and I promise to do everything in my power to continue that tradition. I also am looking forward to working with this Subcommittee during my term.
As I said at my confirmation hearing, my goal is to be a good steward of the program for both current and future beneficiaries. For current beneficiaries, this role means setting high standards for management, performance, public service, and program integrity, and committing to meeting those standards. It also means being scrupulous and painstaking to make sure the Agency adheres to the law and employs best-demonstrated practices of accounting, efficiency, and compassion.
For future beneficiaries, good stewardship means engaging with others in the Agency and the Executive branch, with members of the Subcommittee and other members of Congress and outside groups and experts to provide unbiased data about all the options for safeguarding the financial stability of the program. It is part of our
obligation to the American public that we must strive to continue the best possible support for older Americans and people with disabilities and their families in the coming decades.
Core Workloads
SSA's priority is to deliver high-quality, citizen-centered service to every claimant, beneficiary, and the American taxpayer. In FY 2006, SSA maintained individual payment records for more than 53 million people who received Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) each month. During this time those payments exceeded $586 billion. Social Security employees processed nearly 3.8 million Retirement and Survivors Insurance benefits claims; 2.5 million disability claims; over 2.5 million SSI claims, and conducted 559,000 hearings. To conduct these and other workloads, SSA served approximately 42 million visitors to its nearly 1,300 field offices in communities across America .
These are SSA's core workloads, but we do much more than pay cash benefits. Among other things, in FY 2006, SSA issued over 17 million original and replacement Social Security cards; processed 265 million earnings items to maintain workers' lifelong earnings records; handled nearly 60 million transactions through SSA's 800-number; issued over 145 million Social Security Statements; and participated in over 84 million SSN verifications for employers.
In addition, other workloads are also growing because of new legislation requiring SSA to undertake additional work. The Social Security Protection Act of 2004, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, and the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, or MMA, have all added new and non-traditional workloads.
For example , the MMA, enacted in December 2003, established the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. The new Medicare prescription drug coverage was designed to allow all people with Medicare an opportunity to voluntarily enroll in prescription drug coverage. MMA also provided for an additional level of assistance, "extra help," for people with Medicare prescription drug coverage who have limited incomes and resources. SSA, along with State Medicaid programs, was given the responsibility to take applications and to make eligibility determinations for this "extra help."
In addition, Congress is considering several immigration related bills that could have a significant impact on SSA workloads. For example, there are several bills that would require employers to verify the employment eligibility of all new hires. Depending on the details of these proposals, the impact on SSA workloads could be significant.
Since 2001, SSA has improved productivity on average by 2.5 percent per year for a cumulative improvement of 13.1 percent. These increases have been possible through the efforts of an outstanding workforce aided by technology, and despite appropriations that each year were significantly below that proposed in the President's budget. Since the President's budget requests for SSA have assumed the Agency would achieve a two percent productivity gain each year, even these impressive gains cannot compensate for the funding reductions the Agency has faced over this period.
We are moving forward with additional electronic enhancements. We offer safe and convenient online systems for individuals to file claims, submit changes of address or direct deposit information, request replacement Medicare cards, and verify benefits. In FY 2006, 335,000 people applied for benefits online, up 27 percent from the previous fiscal year. In addition, 75 percent of 265 million wage reports in FY 2006 were filed electronically online, compared to only 27 percent in FY 2001. We are also continuing to implement the electronic disability system, known as eDib, to move from a paper to an electronic case process. We believe this will significantly reduce processing times and improve the quality of the disability determination process.
Despite budget constraints, SSA has still been able to handle more work in a shorter period of time. We have seen a reduction in processing time for initial disability claims, from 106 days in FY 2001 to 88 days in FY 2006. We have seen a significant reduction in processing time for appeals of hearing decisions, from 447 days in FY 2001 to 203 days in FY 2006, and in FY 2006 we processed over 365,000 more initial disability claims, conducted approximately 163,000 additional SSA hearings, and nearly 700,000 more retirement and survivors claims than in FY 2001.
We are also taking steps to improve the overall disability claims process. As a result of a review conducted under former Commissioner Barnhart, we developed a disability approach that focuses on making the right decision as early in the process as possible. The new initiative will be gradually implemented so that we can carefully monitor the effects of the changes on the entire disability process.
These achievements are especially noteworthy in light of the fact that our administrative expenses are less than two percent of total outlays administered by SSA.
Agency Efforts to Balance Workloads and Resources
Despite this record, we are keenly aware of how much more we could have accomplished had we received the President's budget requests in past years. In the last five years, reductions to the President's budget request have totaled $720 million, equivalent to approximately 8,000 workyears. These numbers are not just statistics, and I share your concern about the impact this has on applicants who file for disability benefits. These numbers represent real effects on the service that people receive from our Agency, and place increasing pressure on our ability to maintain our physical and electronic infrastructure.
And the outlook for FY 2007 is even more challenging. It appears that funding for SSA's administrative expenses in FY 2007 will be $200 million below the President's budget request. For a time, it appeared that the shortfall would be much greater and we appreciate the significant increase from FY 2006 levels that was included in H.J. Res. 20 as it was approved by the House. And we are greatly relieved that we will not have to resort to employee furloughs.
But I must tell you that we expect the level of service we are able to provide the American people to diminish during FY 2007. It is no secret that our backlogs are growing. As of December 2006, we have nearly 718,000 hearings pending, over 568,000 initial disability claims pending, as well as millions of post-entitlement actions to be processed. The number of initial disability claims and hearing requests received has remained above FY 2001 levels.
Since FY 2002, Congress has reduced SSA's budget from that requested by the President, and our funding needs have not been met. As a result, we have had to concentrate our resources on handling initial claims. Consequently, the number of hearings pending as well as processing times at the hearings level has continued to increase since FY 2001.
Even if we had received the President's budget request for FY 2007, we would still have to deal with staffing shortages. With funding at the requested level, we would have been able to fill only one out of three vacancies in our offices. With the expected funding level, we likely will have limited hiring flexibility during the remainder of the year to replace the estimated 4,000 SSA and Disability Determination Service employees who will be retiring or resigning. Since vacancies rarely are distributed evenly across offices, some places will be harder hit than others. And the overtime hours that we traditionally rely on to accomplish a number of important workloads will be cut by at least half.
FY 2008 and Program Integrity
And so we face some increasingly difficult decisions. Over time, as we worked to keep pace with initial claims and hearings, we reduced spending for program integrity work, such as continuing disability reviews, or CDRs, which determine whether an individual may still be considered disabled, and SSI redeterminations, which review non-disability eligibility criteria. SSA's actuaries estimate that CDRs save $10 in program benefits for every dollar spent in conducting the review; SSI redeterminations an estimated $7 in savings.
Accordingly, the President's budget for FY 2008 includes $213 million for increased program integrity work and proposes a comparable adjustment to the discretionary spending caps. This would enable SSA to increase the number of full medical CDRs from 198,000 in FY
2007 to 398,000 in FY 2008, and the number of SSI non-medical eligibility redeterminations from 1,026,000 in FY 2007 to 1,526,000 in FY 2008.
SSA's progress towards accomplishing its mission is directly linked to the level of resources it receives. If we had received the President's budget each year from FY 2002 through FY 2006, SSA would have been able to reduce the backlogs for initial disability claims and hearings. Funding at the President's budget level would also have allowed the Agency to fund program integrity activities at a more appropriate level. These activities permit SSA to ensure that recipients of disability insurance benefits continue to be eligible and that SSI recipients continue to meet income and resource criteria for program eligibility.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, I assure you that SSA will do the best it can to provide the American people with the service they need, and I know firsthand how important the program can be to a family facing catastrophic illness or the loss of a family member. It is clear that we are stretching our ability to balance funding realities with the quality service the
American people have come to expect from our Agency, but I know that our employees have a deep commitment to finding better ways to be more responsive to those who depend on our service and fiscal stewardship.
Thank you and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.


text:
Jennifer Aniston Admits: 'I'm Not A Big Fan Of Dating!'
Jen, you may have found your problem: You don't like dating! At least you haven't given up hope. But BFFs, do YOU think Jen will ever find her dream man?
Jennifer Aniston hasn't exactly been lucky in the love department. In fact after a failed marriage to Brad Pitt, and dating men like player John Mayer and now-married Vince Vaughn, the 42-year-old actress now embraces the single life.
"But no, I'm not a big fan of dating," Jen tells the U.K.'s Red magazine. "You have to normalize it! You would die otherwise."
"I have dinner with male friends and it's instantly, 'That's the new man,'" Jen explains. "The phone is ringing off the hook from your publicist saying, 'Did you have dinner with so and so?' — and it's 'Yes, I did and no, I'm not.' So you sort of just meet people."
But Jen hasn't given up hope. She's still hoping to meet "the love of her life."
And Jen has a reasonable outlook on love. "The truth is, you can't just have the love, either," she says. "You have to have a balance in life. You also have to have your own personal love: what inspires you, what excites you when you wake up in the morning."
Most of all, though, Jen knows that friends are the most important assets in a gal's life.
"Where would you be without friends?" Jen asks. "Where would you be without people to pick you up when you need lifting? Your own chosen family. There's nothing like a really loyal, dependable, good friend. Nothing."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Add formulas & functions
You can perform many different types of calculations by using functions to create formulas in Google Sheets. Here's a list of all the functions available.
Use a formula
- Open a spreadsheet.
- Type an equal sign (=) in a cell and type in the function you want to use. Note: You may see suggested formulas and ranges based on your data.
- A function help box will be visible throughout the editing process to provide you with a definition of the function and its syntax, as well as an example for reference. If you need more information, click the "Learn more" link at the bottom of the help box to open a full article.
Additional features for creating formulasSimple ways to select and edit ranges
Range-selection mode
- When editing a formula, the range-selection signal (a grey bracket) will appear next to your cursor where you're likely to need a range in the formula. When you see the signal, you can move the keyboard arrows around your sheet to select a range.
- Toggle this mode on and off using the keyboard shortcuts F2 or Ctrl + e. If range-selection mode is turned off, use the arrow keys to move your cursor inside the input box instead of selecting a range.
- You can also click within the sheet to select a range when editing a formula.
Range replacement
- When you have the text of a range highlighted in your formula, use F2 or Ctrl + e to enter range-selection mode and easily make adjustments to the range.
- If you press Shift + F2 or Shift + Ctrl + e while editing the text of a range, you can easily make adjustments to all occurrences of that range in the formula.
Note: You can also select ranges for your formula that are non-adjacent. To select multiple cells, click and hold Ctrl on your keyboard (Cmd on a Mac) as you select the cells you want to include in the formula.
A function used in the same cell with another function is called a nested function. When functions are combined, Google Sheets will calculate the innermost function first. The nested function is contained in parentheses and is used as one of the components of the surrounding function.
For example, let's say you want to calculate the absolute value of a sum of several numbers in the cell range A1:A7. To calculate the sum of these numbers, you would enter '=SUM(A1:A7)' into a cell.
To calculate the absolute value of this sum, you need to nest the sum formula within absolute value formula. To calculate both formulas in a single cell, enter '=ABS(SUM(A1:A7))' into the cell. Note that the =SUM() function is performed first and is used as a component in the =ABS() function.
When you reference other cells in a formula, those cells will be highlighted in contrasting colors to help you more easily build a formula. When you click on a cell that contains a completed formula, you'll also see these cells highlighted.
To make the formula bar bigger or smaller, click the bottom of it, then drag it up or down.
Note: You can also use keyboard shortcuts to change the size. Click the formula bar, then click:
- PC: Ctrl + Up and Ctrl + Down
- Mac: Ctrl + Option + Up and Ctrl + Option + Down


text:
- Publish date:
- Updated on
- Year
- 1598
Playwright Ben Jonson is indicted for manslaughter
On this day in 1598, playwright Ben Jonson is indicted for manslaughter after a duel.
Jonson's father, a clergyman, died before Jonson was born, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, a master bricklayer at Westminster. Jonson attended Westminster school, where he was educated by great classical scholars. He tried his hand at bricklaying, then joined the army and traveled to Flanders, where he killed a man in single combat.
Back in England by 1594, he became an actor and playwright. In the fall of 1598, he killed another actor in a duel and was arrested. He was very nearly hanged, but his ability to read and write saved him. He claimed "benefit of clergy," which allowed him to be sentenced by the lenient ecclesiastical courts.
Jonson was also jailed twice for his writing and viewed with some suspicion for his conversion to Catholicism. However, he became a successful playwright with his comedy Every Man in His Humor, which was performed in 1598 by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, featuring William
Shakespeare in a leading role. After several less successful plays, he again scored a hit with Volpone (performed in 1605 or 1606), a comedy about a wealthy Venetian who falsely informs several greedy relations and associates that each is sole heir.
In 1605, Jonson wrote the first of his many masques, a popular form of court entertainment involving elaborate and elegant spectacle. He won favor at court and in 1616 was given a royal pension, becoming England's first unofficial poet laureate. Jonson was friends with William Shakespeare, John Donne, Francis Bacon, tutor to the son of Sir Walter Raleigh, and acquainted
with most of the important court figures of 17th-century England. His poetry was much admired by younger writers, including Robert Herrick and Thomas Carew, who called themselves "sons of Ben." Known for his clever remarks and witty verbal battles at pubs like the Mermaid Tavern, Jonson was as famous in his time as Shakespeare. He died in 1637.


text:
Galaxy beat Club Tijuana 1-0 in CL quarters
CARSON, Calif. (AP) Samuel scored in the 11th minute and the Los Angeles Galaxy held off Club Tijuana's frantic late push for a 1-0 victory Wednesday night in the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series.
Samuel tallied after Marcelo Sarvas' chip into the Club Tijuana box caromed to him off Galaxy captain Robbie Keane's midsection, and goalkeeper Jamie Penedo and midfielder Sarvas made big stops in the second half of the first game of the two-match, total-goals series that will resume Tuesday in Tijuana.
"Obviously, another goal would have benefited our team," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "It's still nice going there with an advantage, not giving up a road goal is important, and we're well aware of the fact that Tuesday will be a difficult game, but we're ready for it."
The Galaxy need only a draw or a one-goal loss in Tuesday's second leg to advance to a semifinal next month against Sporting Kansas City or Mexico City-based Cruz Azul. A 1-0 Tijuana win would force overtime.
"I think we should have had a little more fortune (in the second half)," Tijuana manager Cesar Farias said. "Now we're going home, where we're strong. This is not an ideal result for us, but it's not a bad result. And I think we can overturn this result in Tijuana."
Samuel, a Brazilian forward acquired on loan in January from Fluminense, netted his first goal with the Galaxy, pouncing when Keane couldn't bring down the ball and it bounced past defender Javier Gandolfi.
"(Samuel) is very opportunistic around the goal," Arena said. "We've seen it in preseason, and tonight a similar kind of goal. He's got a good nose for the goal."
Tijuana came closest to scoring in the 61st minute, when Penedo scrambled to knock away a ball rolling toward his net after he misplayed a cross that bounced off Galaxy backline leader Omar Gonzalez, and in the 68th, when Sarvas deflected Gandolfi's header at the right post.
Herculez Gomez, a U.S. national team forward who played from 2002 to 2006 with the Galaxy, almost tied the score in the 85th minute, but his diving header from fellow American Greg Garza's cross sailed just wide of the left post.
Penedo turned away a long drive from Dario Benedetto in stoppage time to end Tijuana's chances.


text:
Some text in the modal.
Working outdoors in the heat and sun can result in serious illness, and even death, if the proper precautions are not taken.
From heat stroke and heat exhaustion, to skin cancer, outdoor workers are particularly vulnerable to the health and safety hazards presented by an often-unpredictable work environment.
This training resource is suitable for personnel at all levels and highlights the fundamental concepts that enable outdoor workers to safely manage their exposure to heat, UV radiation and other hazards.
Running Time: 16 mins
whs harmonisation compliant


text:
|Search Results (87 videos found)
|NASAKSNN - Why Do Astronauts Float Inside The Space Shuttle
Why Do Astronauts Float Inside The Space Shuttle? This segments explains how weightlessness in space is similar to free fall.
Genre: Educational
Keywords: NASA Kids Science News Network; KSNN; Grant; Free fall; Weightlessness; Floating; Elevator;
Duration: 00:00:30
Popularity (downloads): 486
|NASASciFiles - Forces of Motion
NASA Sci Files segment explaining the different forces of motion including weightlessness, free fall, acceleration, and inertia and how they relate to space travel.
Genre: Educational
Keywords: NASA Sci Files; Forces of Motion; Free Fall; Weightlessness; Inertia; Acceleration; Parabola; Accelerometer; Space Travel; Roller Coaster;
Duration: 00:04:12
Popularity (downloads): 1708
|NASAKSN - Flotando en el Espacio
Por que flotan los astronautas en el espacio?
Genre: Educational
Keywords: Alejandra; Flotar; Floating; Gravidad; Gravity; Caida Libre; Free Fall; Noventa Por Ciento; Ninety Percent; Astronautas; Astronauts; Tierra; Earth; Noticiencias; Noticias Cientificas; Kids' Science News Network;
Duration: 00:00:58
Popularity (downloads): 922
A group of young men videotape their skydiving trip. Includes footage shot in the airplane with a nice view of the mountains, footage taken during free-fall and footage taken of...
Genre: Other
Keywords: Skydiving;Airplane;New Zealand;
Duration: 00:03:50
Popularity (downloads): 3797
|NASAWhy?Files - Astronauts In Space
NASA Why? Files segment explaining how astronauts train to work and live in space where there is zero gravity.
Genre: Educational
Keywords: NASA Why? Files; Astronauts; Training; Altitude; Weightlessness; Free Fall; Parabola; Weightless Wonder; Airplane; Simulate; Zero Gravity; Vomit Comet;
Duration: 00:01:49
Popularity (downloads): 1899
|NASADestinationTomorrow - DT3 - Microgravity
NASA Destination Tomorrow Segment describing a microgravity environment and how this environment allows for research on all types of matter.
Genre: Educational
Keywords: NASA Destination Tomorrow; Microgravity; Environment; Free Fall; Gravity; International Space Station; Research;
Duration: 00:05:44
Popularity (downloads): 1353
|Your Town: A Story of America
Tribute to the strengths of the American system of free enterprise, funded by large manufacturers' association.
Genre: Ephemeral
Keywords: Free enterprise;Economics;
Duration: 00:10:12
Popularity (downloads): 149
|NASA Connect - FoF - Launch Gravity
NASA Connect Segment explaining how launch vehicles overcome the force of gravity through the force of thrust.
Genre: Educational
Keywords: NASA Connect; Jennifer Pulley; Dan Geroe; Zach; Cassie; Jen; Seema; Robert Goddard; Rocket; Shuttle; Launch; Gravity; Mass; Force; Newton; Newton's First Law; Balanced Forces; Action; Reaction; Thrust; Free Fall; Microgravity; Ratio; SLI; Space Launch Ini
Duration: 00:07:31
Popularity (downloads): 1740
|Challenge at Glen Canyon, segment 02 of 11
In 1983 the Colorado River overflowed with heavy snowmelt
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 00:03:00
Popularity (downloads): 778
|NASA Connect - AO - Archeoastronomy
First segment of NASA Connect Ancient Observatories explaining the foundations of astronomy and the how the Earth moves relative to the sun. This segment explains how the Earth's tilt creates...
Genre: Educational
Keywords: NASA Connect; Archaeoastronomy; Geometry; Angles; Obtuse; Acute; Right; Sun; Earth; Four Seasons; Summer; Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer Solstice; Fall Equinox; Winter Solstice; Spring Equinox; Gnomon; Sundials; Ancient Observatories; AO;
Duration: 00:07:50
Popularity (downloads): 1688


text: The 2010 Vermont election cycle will feature competitive races for many statewide offices, including secretary of state. After 12 years as secretary of state, Deb Markowitz is stepping down to run for governor. In recent years, several secretaries of state have gone on to become candidates for higher offices, including Markowitz, Jim Douglas (secretary of state from 1980 to 1992), and, for those with longer memories, Jim Guest (secretary of state from 1976 to 1980).


text:
Company ProfileSoftware Engineering EXcellence (SEEX) was founded in 1989 to provide software engineering training and consulting to high-tech companies, especially those using object technology and Ada or C++. The technical staff of SEEX has worked with or for such companies as Boeing, General Dynamics, Hewlett-Packard, Hughes, Intel, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, Magnavox, McDonnell Douglas, Motorola, Northrop Grumman, and Rational.
Contact InformationSEEX is located in beautiful Tempe, Arizona (but don't move hereit's just too hot).
Technical books at big discounts (and possibly free shipping):
Send mail to email@example.com with questions or comments about this web site.


text:
|Dmitri Popov and Mohamed Malik write blogs about using Digikam, and have given us permission to reproduce them. Please remember that the images used are still copyright. This list is likely to be extended regularly.
You, the user, can help to improve digikam. Dmitry Popov tells you how to report bugs or wishes
|This section is about other software that handles complimentary features, such as monitor and printer management
A collection of PDF's of Mohamed Malik's Digikam tutorials is available from this site.
Dmitri Popov's eBook "digiKam Tricks" is available from his web site


text:
Major Section: PROGRAMMING
Cond is the construct for IF, THEN, ELSE IF, ... The test is
nil. The argument list for
cond is a list of
``clauses'', each of which is a list. In ACL2, clauses must have
length 1 or 2.
Cond is a Common Lisp macro. See any Common Lisp
documentation for more information.


text:
We are looking for a green woodworker for our annual Wild craft and Creativity Camp 1-6th June on the edge of our village near Malton. Please take a look at our website
http://www.thegaiatribe.co.uk/ to find out more about what we offer. The Guardian referred to us as 'the U.K's friendliest Family Festival" in 2011.
I am contacting this site to see if there might be a green woodworker out there that may be may be interested in coming to our camp this year. Our usual green worker isn't able to make it so we have a real gap in this very popular activity.We need someone with a pole lathe, plus other equipment to offer basic green woodworking for about 2-3 hours each day over four days.
Hoping you can help us out. Many thanks
With kind regards,
Selma Khan
01653 693690


text:
The end of March and start of April at the Museum marks the end of our reporting year so I thought I'd report on the news from the micropalaeontology collections over the past year. This includes details of national press coverage, exhibitions, loans, acquisitions, disposals, visitors, university teaching, projects by artists and answers to big questions about past climates.
Our most iconic specimen as advertising for the Treasures Gallery as 'hair to a Neanderthal with Darwin's beard'!
Microfossils are not the easiest display subjects. However, this year has seen several microfossil themed displays, both in the Museum and galleries elsewhere, that feature or have been inspired by our collections.
The highlight of the year has to be the display of one of our Blaschka glass models of radiolarians in the new Treasures Exhibition in the main hall of the Museum. The radiolarian scale model, multiplied by about 500 times, was a centrepiece of the display and featured heavily in the advertising for the gallery. The gallery has a public voting panel at the end and last time I looked, the Blaschka items were second favourite behind Guy the Gorilla!
The radiolarian model received a large amount of press coverage as part of the advertising of the gallery, including an image in the colour supplement of the Financial Times. I am told that a giant image of the model was projected onto the wall behind the Duchess of Cambridge as she opened the exhibition. A Blaschka video also featured on the Museum's YouTube channel including some additional radiolarian models that are yet to be put on display.
The year started with the the exhibition at the Gasworks Gallery of Irene Kopelman's images inspired by our collection of Antarctic Ocean radiolarians and ended with Gemma Anderson's exhibition of art at the Ebb and Flow Gallery, inspired partly by the loan of some radiolarian specimens from our collections.
Images of coccolithophores from our archives have been on display at the British Museum. Closer to home, Tom, Steve and I used a portable scanning electron microscope to display our microfossil zoo during the Science Uncovered public event in the galleries at the Museum in September.
Microfossil Christmas cards featured in the national media.
Other national press coverage
Our collections of Foraminifera hit the national press at Christmas when the story behind the microfossil Christmas cards was published by the Independent and a gallery of images from the collection were included on the BBC Focus web site.
The cabinet of foraminiferal slides loaned to the University of Birmingham for teaching on the Applied and Petroleum Micropalaeontology course.
Loans to support micropalaeontology teaching
The main loan of the year was to the University of Birmingham who borrowed 730 slides and over 2,500 countable specimens for use in the teaching of the new MSc course in Applied and Petroleum Micropalaeontology. Another loan of 180 slides from the former British Petroleum Collection was sent to support a student project on the same course that will be co-supervised by my colleague Steve Stukins.
Other loans have supported undergraduate projects at the University of Manchester and a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh. A total of 500 images of our specimens or surrogate loans have also been sent out this year.
Tom Hill transporting part of the Modern Pollen and Spores collection past the giant sequoia in the main hall.
Collection enhancements and disposals
In January we transferred over 30,000 slides of modern pollen and spores from the former Botany Department. A good start has been made with rehousing some of the slides that are currently stored in less than adequate conditions. Other major donations have included 5 slide cabinets of Recent Foraminifera donated by Prof Jo Haynes to accompany the former Aberystwyth University Micropalaeontology Collection that arrived in 2000.
Space for these new collections was created by donating a large number of duplicate foraminiferal reprints to the Gryzbowski Library in Poland and a large collection of duplicate ostracod reprints to the University of Brasilia in Brazil.
Some acritarch images taken by Associate Tim Potter that were released on-line database this year.
Details of our collections on-line
About 8,900 microfossil specimen records were added to the museum on-line database this year and completed the transfer of records from our paper fossil foraminiferal registers. Details of about 90,000 microfossil slides are now available on-line covering most of our type and figured collection of fossil foraminifera.
Records from the Richard Dingle Collection of 90,000 ostracods on 2,500 slides were also added to the database this year and a paper detailing the collection published in the Journal of Micropalaeontology. The collection underpins Richard's work on ostracods that has helped illuminate some major questions in evolution, detailed the movements of ancient continents and shown patterns of migration of ostracods across oceans.
1,776 microfossil images from our collection have been posted on-line this year. Images of acritarchs from Tim Potter's collection have been added (see above). Images and videos relating to the Duxbury collection of Cretaceous Dinoflagellates are now available with the specimen details on-line.
A cabinet of former staff member Dr Ray Bate's correspondence relating to the ostracod collection has been transferred to the Museum archive and details of these documents added to the on-line archive search.
Temperature ranges of non marine ostracod species identified by Horton et al. (1992) from a Hoxnian site about 400,000 years old at Woodston, Peterborough. The mutual temperature range for the month of January is calculated and shows slightly lower mean temperatures than the present day (courtesy of Dr David Horne). New records of non-marine ostracod occurrences from our collections have been added to Dr Horne's database this year.
We hosted in excess of 200 scientific visitors again this year and welcomed student groups from the University of Birmingham, Imperial College, King's College and the British Science Academy. Academic visitors from universities continue to make up the majority of our visitor numbers with a visit from a post doctoral student from Turkey a highlight. She used the distribution of ostracod species in our collections to add to a database which helps estimate past climatic conditions.
John Williams with part of the Index of Palaeopalynology.
Publications on our collections
This is a harder question to answer as we usually rely heavily on our collection users to provide details of their publications that cite or figure our collections. I know of at least three major mongraphs in preparation/press and this year a book proposal submitted by Micropalaeontology staff and associates on the Museum Iraq Petroleum Microfossil Collection was accepted by Wiley Blackwell.
A short article on the John Williams Index of Palaeopalynology was also published in the journal Palynology and we continue to welcome palynologists to use the index for their research.
I hope this does not sound like I am soley responsible for carrying out all of these tasks relating to visits, loans, donations, collections moves and exhibitions. It has very much been a team effort with so many collaborators that is would be impossible to list them all here. I would particularly like to thank Museum Scientists Tom Hill, Steve Stukins and our volunteers Daryl, Johanna, Freya, Heather and Stephanie without whose support this extremely successful year for the collections would not have been possible.
And finally ...
Keep in touch with what we're doing in Micropalaeontology with our @NHM_Micropalaeo Twitter feed that we also launched this year, which is where you'll hear about new positions in the labs and about our recent activities like this podcast from Palaeocast in which I featured.


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A WilcoHess Travel Plaza off Interstate 95 at Exit 5 is beginning to take shape after about a year since plans were approved by the city of Hardeeville.
The proposed 12,000-square-foot travel plaza includes a Subway, Dairy Queen and a Hess store. The project could be finished by June.
The plaza will bring 60 new jobs, half of which will be full-time positions. Paying $70,000 per year in property taxes and $147,000 in business license fees, the plaza will impact the economy of the city.
J.H. Hiers Construction of Walterboro was hired in December to undertake the project. Owner Jeff Hiers said Tuesday there will be six to 10 people from his company involved with construction.
Allen Miller of J.H. Hiers Construction, LLC is project manager coordinating the day-to-day operations of the construction.
Miller said they have received the demolition permits and it could take two days before the site is cleared.
Two existing buildings on the property include a Citgo gas station and a 24,000-square-foot abandoned building.
"We're meeting with the owners the week of Feb. 21 and construction will probably begin that week," Miller said. "We're hoping to finish by some time in June if the weather permits."
Based on traffic counts at other WilcoHess locations, there could be 350 cars and 145 trucks per day stopping at the plaza in Hardeeville. The plaza will offer overnight parking for trucks, despite city ordinances prohibiting parking elsewhere.
Justin Patel, owner of Days Inn, the Sleep Inn and the Gulf gas station, continues to have concerns about noise from the trucks.
"Until they open and 40 trucks are parked outside, I am still worried. We won't know until the action is in place," Patel said.
Patel said it would only bring little revenue in if truckers decide to stay in his nearby hotel.
The WilcoHess Travel Plaza project went before City Council in December 2011 by Bob Weaver of Weaver Engineering. A decision to rezone the property as highway commercial was passed by council in January 2012.
"WilcoHess will be an anchor for Exit 5 and I hope with that, we're going to have more expansion," Councilman Sal Arzillo said. "It's a big project, bringing in a quarter of million tax revenue for the city."
The WilcoHess Travel Plaza in Hardeeville will add to the eight other plazas in South Carolina.


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The Commonwealth War Graves Commission are once again asking for the public's views on the horticulture of their Cemeteries.
Despite stating that there are no pre-conceived agendas, the questions in the survey are very leading. Namely, how would you feel about their being less flowers and shrubs, grass that isn't green or isn't mown so regularly, or no grass at all?
It points in two directions for me – one, a desire to cut costs. This is kind of understandable in the current economic climate, but surely there are better ways of cutting deficits than cheapening war cemeteries? Secondly, the CWGC has in recent years had a climate change agenda that it can't seem to let go of. Try as they might – and they have – gravel in war cemeteries looks bloody awful. It's a cemetery, not a car park.
If you want to protect that traditional CWGC cemetery – commonly regarded as the most moving and well-kept war cemeteries in the world – follow the link below:


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Industries › Insurance
'Voluntary' benefits
Companies give employees access to services they request
- October 1, 2012
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Wellness programs are hands-down the main development in benefit packages among Virginia's businesses and nonprofits, but they jibe with a trend toward more employee empowerment, too.
Although the economy has improved enough for some employers to begin restoring benefits they cut during the downturn, such as matching contributions for 401(k) plans, expensive new benefits are rare. Instead, employers are giving workers more say in shaping benefits important to them.
Take the Richmond-based international law firm Hunton & Williams. Jacob Kerkhoff, the firm's human resources director, says it recently switched medical carriers after a detailed survey of employees showed that access to care was a big issue for them. "That was the key decision point" for the change, he says.
The survey also allowed Hunton & Williams to see that demand was high for "voluntary benefits," so it began offering access to long-term-care insurance and liability coverage.
With voluntary benefits, employers generally pay startup and administrative costs, but employees pay for the coverage itself. Being part of a group, however, usually means a discounted price for the participants, who also have the convenience of paying their premiums through payroll deduction.
Voluntary programs, which can include benefits as diverse as dental care and pet insurance, are popular with employees, says Jackie Jackson, who runs Jack Consulting in Richmond. Offerings that facilitate charitable contributions resonate especially with younger workers.
"Folks in their 20s and 30s really like organizations that support causes," Jackson says. One reason that Edward Jones Investments was the large-business winner of Virginia Business magazine's Best Places to Work this year was its employees' appreciation for the financial firm's community involvement.
As an improving economy leads to a more fluid employment situation, Jackson predicts that more companies will use moderately priced perks such as voluntary benefits and support for charitable deeds to keep good, productive employees engaged with their particular organization. "It just makes the relationship a little stickier," she says.


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Author Notes: This is my own creation and comes from always having leftover chicken. I remember the first time I made it: we were all going to friends for the weekend and I promised to bring "soup" for Sunday lunch--4 adults and 4 little children. Both generations cleaned their bowls. I've never before written out the recipe so, this is its debut in the written word.
Also, there is no reason not to use leftover chicken from some other meal--even a store bought rotisserie chicken. —Veronica
Food52 Review: Tasting this chowder, we were reminded how combining lemon and cream somehow makes the cream seem creamier, and the lemon more fragrant. With the dill, the broth is surprisingly delicate and is a lovely counterpoint to the large, rustic chunks of sweet carrot, chicken and potato. - A&M —The Editors
Serves: 6 adults or 4 adults & 4 children
The Chicken
4-5 lb. chicken
tablespoons butter
yellow onion, peeled and halved
lemon, halved
The soup
medium yellow onions
large carrots
large stalks celery
very small new red potatoes or 4 large ones
tablespoons unsalted butter
tablespoons all purpose flour
quart homemade or organic chicken broth
cups 1%, 2% or whole milk OR light cream
tablespoons creme fraiche (if you use 1% or 2% milk)
tablespoon fresh minced dill or 1 tsp. of dried dill
teaspoon grated lemon rind
salt and pepper
The Chicken
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Sprinkle cavity with salt & pepper. Squeeze both halves of the lemon into the chicken cavity, then insert the remains and the onion. Sew up the cavity with skewers and cooking twine, dragging the twine around the "ankles" of the bird, making a secure little bundle.
- Place chicken in a roasting pan OR on a rack in a roasting pan. Smear with the butter, sprinkle with more salt and pepper and put into oven. Cook for 20 minutes, baste and cook for another 20 minutes. Baste and then start checking and basting after every 10 minutes until the juice of the pierced thigh to body joint runs clear ie: no pink in the juice. (Because you will not be "presenting" the chicken it's not necessary that the skim browns.) Place chicken on a platter to cool. When it is cool enough to handle, remove all the meat from the bones, tearing it into bite size pieces. Discard the skin and if you wish to make your own chicken stock, save the bones.
The soup
- Peel onions and chop into bite size pieces.
- Scrape carrots and cut lengthwise into at last 4 strips. Then cut the strips into 1 1/2-2 inch sticks.
- Slice celery stalks in half and then cut, on the diagonal, into sticks similar in length to the carrot sticks.
- Wash and scrub potatoes. Cut little ones in half, alternately cut large ones into quarters.
- In a large saucepan (4 qt.) melt the butter and add the prepared vegetables. Over low/medium heat, gently cook (sweat) for approximately 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and stir well for another 5 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth/stock stirring the whole while. Simmer while stirring for another 5 minutes. You should have an only slightly thickened (but chunky with the vegetables) soup at this point.
- Add the milk (and the creme fraiche if you're using 1% or 2% milk), the dill and the lemon rind. Cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
- Add chicken to the pot and stir well. Turn off the heat and let sit for an hour or longer. Reheat before serving.
- Your Best Chowder Contest Finalist!
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
More Great Recipes:
Soup|Stew|Celery|Chicken|Dill|Potato|Vegetable|Milk/Cream|Carrot|Make Ahead|Serves a Crowd|Fall


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With a 'Traditional Goldsmiths Apprenticeship' and a 'Freeman of the City', Jos Skeates and his highly-skilled Goldsmiths craft beautiful bespoke rings with an exciting palette of precious coloured stones or individually selected conflict-free diamonds; allowing you to design your own engagement ring. Alongside the in house workshop, EC One showcases a range of contemporary Tension Set diamond rings by Niessing and vintage inspired styles from selected fine jewellery designers.
Rings of this sort have been used for thousands of years as a visual marker of marital status. In various areas of Europe, especially amongst the German-speaking areas, as well as Norway and Bulgaria, the wedding ring is worn on the ring finger of the right hand whilst the left ring finger is traditionally the place for the engagement rings to be worn (if there is one). It is common for a ring to be switched from the left hand to the right as part of the marriage ceremony in these cultures.


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Story highlights
- Sen. Leahy to propose measure to help same-sex couples get green cards, group says
- Measure threatens to undermine bipartisan support for immigration reform
- Leahy's amendment could be introduced this month
A prominent gay rights advocacy group says a key congressional Democrat will push for new rights for same-sex couples in the Senate's immigration reform bill -- a move which could undermine the legislation's bipartisan support.
According to a spokesman for Immigration Equality, Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy intends to offer an amendment later this month allowing foreign-born individuals in committed same-sex relationships with Americans to apply for green cards.
Currently, such rights apply to only to foreign-born men or women in heterosexual marriages with U.S. citizens.
"That's our expectation," said Steve Ralls, a spokesman for the group, which promotes equality in immigration laws for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. "After the meetings we've had with Leahy and his staff, the message is pretty clear."
A spokeswoman for Leahy refused to confirm Ralls' assertion. The senator is an outspoken proponent of expanded rights for same-sex couples, and proposed similar legislation in the past.
Under the plan, according to Ralls, gays and lesbians requesting green cards for foreign-born partners would have to be married if their states currently recognize same-sex marriages.
If their states do not recognize same-sex marriage, they would have to meet a series of requirements proving major emotional and financial commitments.
The list of requirements could include jointly owned property, shared child custody, joint bank accounts, joint credit cards, proof of a commitment ceremony and photographs of shared vacations and holidays with extended family, among other things.
Leahy, head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will likely propose the change at some point after his panel starts considering amendments on May 9, Ralls said.
If Leahy moves forward with the amendment, it could destroy hopes for any significant GOP backing of the sweeping legislation. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, one of Republican architects of the 844-page bill, said Tuesday that adding such a provision would not be politically feasible in the ideologically polarized Congress.
The bill "was not intended to cover everybody in every situation," Rubio told conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt. "This immigration bill is difficult enough as it is. ... If you inject something like this in the bill, it will die. The coalition behind it will fall apart."
Rubio, a potential presidential candidate and one of four Republicans in the Senate's so-called "Gang of Eight" that authored the bill, stressed that he would withdraw his own support.
"I hope we can avoid this," he said. "This is not the issue to engage this in, or you will threaten the entire product."
It is significantly easier for Leahy to add the amendment to the bill while it is being considered by his panel.
Democrats hold a 10-8 majority on the Judiciary Committee, and can approve changes on a strict majority basis. Controversial amendments taken up by the full Senate will almost certainly be required to garner a 60-vote supermajority.
Members of the Democratic caucus only control 55 seats in the 100-member chamber.
Backers of the bill have been hoping to win as many as 70 votes in the Senate, in order to give the bill major momentum heading into the more skeptical, GOP-controlled House.


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Additional Information
Additional Information
|Bergen Blonde


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Olathe Community Center
Design of a 71,000 SF multipurpose community recreation center and outdoor recreation amenities within the 41-acre Stagecoach Park
Create a destination for indoor and outdoor recreation within Stagecoach Park for the Olathe community.
After winning a national design competition, the team of SFS and Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture worked closely with the City of Olathe to create a multipurpose community center and park that supports a multitude of physical fitness, athletic, aquatic, lifestyle and outdoor recreation programs offered by the City.
The 71,000 SF community center, designed by the BRS Architecture/SFS Architecture team, was designed to anchor the 41-acre Stagecoach Park. The architecture complements the existing fabric of the Olathe community and the natural beauty of the park as a composition of wood, stone, and glass under a sweeping curved roof. Indoor recreation components include a gymnasium, running/jogging track, fitness center, aerobics and spinning studios, locker rooms, and a natatorium that includes a beach-style leisure pool, flume slides, lap swimming, rope climbing, and bouldering walls. The center also includes a divisible community room with a patio and catering prep kitchen, children's party rooms, a child watch area with indoor play, and a spacious lobby social space overlooking the park. Park amenities include an amphitheater, outdoor classrooms, public art, loop trails, boardwalks, the "Great Lawn", and park shelters overlooking restored prairie and ponds.
Developments of Distinction Award,Urban Land Institute - Kansas City
Capstone Award for Achievements in Real Estate - Community Impact, Kansas City Business Journal
Athletic Business Magazine -
Architectural Showcase, 28th Annual , June 2015
Dream Designs 2015:
Leisure Pool / Family Aquatics Center
Aquatics International
Athletic Business Magazine - Aquatic Design Portfolio 2nd Annual,January/February 2016


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Jan 20 – Mar 23 all-day
12:00 am
WATER Puerto Rico……Flint a Human Right Exhibition Reception A solo exhibition featuring Karen Hampton, MSU Artist-in-Residence: Critical Race Studies. JANUARY 19 – MARCH 23, 2018 RECEPTION JANUARY 19, 5-7PM, REMARKS AT 6:15PM Join us Friday,[...]
Mar 13 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
4:30 pm
Lecture by Tanja Petrovich, Institute for Culture and Memory Studies, Slovenia "Military Service in Socialist Yugoslavia: Making Sense of (Post)Yugoslav Masculinity." This lecture is part of GSAH's "Rethinking State Socialism" speaker series organized by Dr.[...]
Apr 6 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
4:00 pm
This workshop aims to create a collaborative space in which we will discuss feminist, queer, and transgender approaches to literature and culture. This year, we will act as reading group, publication workshop, and pedagogy/praxis collective.[...]
Apr 12 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
4:30 pm
This workshop aims to create a collaborative space in which we will discuss feminist, queer, and transgender approaches to literature and culture. This year, we will act as reading group, publication workshop, and pedagogy/praxis collective.[...]
Apr 27 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
12:00 pm
Dr. Phillips will discuss 3 ongoing research projects at the Digital Humanities and Literary Cognition Lab (DHLC), and reflect on lessons learned from interdisciplinarity.
Jul 27 – Aug 31 all-day
12:00 am
DRAWN TO PRINT A national juried exhibition of drawning and printmaking and everything inbetween. July 27 – August 31, 2018 Reception July 27, 6-8PM This exhibition is the result of a national call and features[...]
Aug 3 – Oct 5 all-day
12:00 am
THEN NOW Featuring Dianne Wolter's paintings and sculptures. August 3- October 5, 2018 Reception September 8, 3-5PM ARTIST STATEMENT Painting provides me a process driven opportunity to experiment, discover, manipulate, play, and sometimes even[...]
Aug 31 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
5:00 pm
A Place at the Table is in many ways an MSU project because it features interviews with MSU graduate students, faculty, and staff who attended the 2017 Women's March. The 17-minute film attempts to unpack[...]
Sep 14 @ 1:00 pm – Oct 28 @ 5:00 pm
1:00 pm
Please stop into (SCENE) Metrospace to see our latest exhibition traveling to us from Bloomington, Indiana where it was recently on view at I Fell Gallery. COMMAND + N was co-curated by Anna Buckner and[...]
Sep 25 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
6:00 pm
JESSE REED / SEPTEMBER 25 / 109 S KEDZIE / 6PM Jesse Reed is a graphic designer living and working in New York City. He co-founded the independent publishing imprint, Standards Manual, in 2014 and[...]
Oct 3 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
5:00 pm
Please join us in welcoming our Fall 2018 Artist-in-Residence, Nanibah Chacon! Chacon is bringing her talent as a painter, muralist, and art educator to shine a spotlight on Indigenous voices, traditions, and ecology. The Welcome Reception will[...]
Oct 8 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
7:30 pm
ZIG JACKSON / OCTOBER 8 / B310 WELLS / 7PM Photographer and Professor at SCAD, Zig Jackson identifies and tackles issues that sometimes radically different Native American tribes have in common such as how to[...]
Oct 10 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
6:00 pm
Oct 12 – Oct 13 all-day
12:00 am
The 17th TROPOS Graduate Conference will take place October 12-13, 2018 with the topic "Whose Reality? Representing and Represented Identities in Arts and Politics".The conference will welcome Alison James, Associate Professor of French Literature (University of Chicago) as[...]
Oct 12 @ 1:00 pm
1:00 pm
Oct 15 @ 5:13 pm – Oct 19 @ 11:59 pm
5:13 pm
The Social Justice Art Festival is a collaboration between MSU colleges and units to provide a space for MSU students to utilize art as a tool to engage in topics related to social justice. Submit[...]
Oct 16 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
6:00 pm
DEL HARROW/ OCTOBER 16 / 109 S KEDZIE / 6PM Spanning the genres of sculpture, ceramics and design, Del Harrow is an Associate Professor at CSU. His art practice integrates traditional manual and skill-based forming[...]
Oct 16 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
6:30 pm
Oct 18 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
6:00 pm
For more than 20 years, Sol Sender has been honing the expertise required to be just such a partner—and has put it into practice shaping, strengthening and transforming some of the world's leading brands. With[...]
Oct 25 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
6:00 pm
RENEE MUSSAI / OCTOBER 25 / 107 S KEDZIE / 6PM London-based curator, writer, and art historian, Renée Mussai is Curator and head of Archive at Autograph ABP, an arts charity that works internationally in[...]
12:00 am
Oct 28 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
1:00 pm
Nov 1 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
4:00 pm
Don't miss the opening reception for this exhibit on Thursday, November 1 from 4-6 p.m. The Residential College in the Arts and Humantities presents the RCAH LookOut! Art Gallery exhibition Nanibah Chacon: Ni' hoosdzáán (The Female[...]
Nov 2 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
2:00 pm
Join the Department of Art, Art History, and Design on Friday, November 2 from 2-4pm in the MSU Main Library 4th Floor Green Room for the Biennial Art History and Visual Culture Alumni Symposium. This[...]
Nov 5 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
6:00 pm
TITUS KAPHAR / NOVEMBER 5 / MSU Union Ball Room /6PM Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Titus Kaphar lives and works on the east coast. Kaphar's mixed media work, speaks to the most vital discussions happening[...]
Nov 12 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
6:00 pm
OLIVIA GUDE / NOVEMBER 12 / 107 S KEDZIE / 6PM Olivia Gude is a Professor of Art Education at SAIC and a Professor Emerita at UIC. Gude is a member of the Council for[...]
Nov 15 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
6:00 pm
A Fellow of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Maria's talent and achievements as a designer over the last 25 years have been recognized by some of the profession's most notable organizations and publications: Communication Arts, Graphis[...]
Nov 29 @ 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
12:00 pm
About the speaker: Kellie Rae Carter leads user research for the Customer 360 product at Salesforce, the world's #1 relationship management (CRM) platform.
Subscribe to filtered calendar


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Cincinnati Inc. Appoints Canadian Distributor
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Sunday, April 1, 2012
Elliott Matsuura Canada, Inc., Oakville, Ontario, is the new exclusive Canadian distributor for Cincinnati Inc. press brakes, shears and laser-cutting systems. The new agreement between the two companies expands the distribution rights for Elliott Matsuura to all of Canada; the machine-tool distributor previously represented Cincinnati in the six Eastern Canadian provinces.
See also: Cincinnati Inc.
Related Enterprise Zones: Fabrication
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Loyola at a Glance
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Montage series presents free masterclasses by world-renowned musicians
February 8, 2013
|Jose Franch-Ballester
An award-winning clarinetist and an internationally recognized opera star will present free masterclasses at Loyola University New Orleans this spring. Jose Franch-Ballester will present a clarinet masterclass Saturday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. in Room 240. Loyola alumnus and bass baritone Greer Grimsley '76 will give an opera masterclass Friday, March 1 at 4:30 p.m. in Room 230. Both events are free, open to the public and take place in the Communications/Music Complex on Loyola's main campus.
A native of Moncofa, Spain, Franch-Ballester is heralded as one of the most promising clarinetists of his generation. In 2008, he received the highly coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant, and in 2007 he was one of a handful of participants selected for a Carnegie Hall Professional Training Workshop with Emmanuel Ax and Richard Stoltzman. A regular guest artist with internationally acclaimed artists and orchestras, Franch-Ballester is in demand at festivals throughout the world. He will perform Aaron Copland's "Clarinet Concerto" with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the First Baptist Church in New Orleans Feb. 21.
With a career spanning three decades, Grimsley is a celebrated opera star and one of the most prominent Wagnerian singers today. A New Orleans native, he has sung leading roles with America's premier opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the San Francisco Opera and the Houston Grand Opera. He has also performed on the stages of many prestigious European opera houses. Grimsley will perform the role of High Priest in the New Orleans Opera Association's production of "Samson and Delilah" March 15 and 17.
The Franch-Ballester masterclass is part of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Masterclass Series at Loyola, which in the fall featured Yo-Yo Ma on cello, Christopher Martin on trumpet and Jay Friedman on trombone. Violist Roberto Diaz will present a class in April. The series offers live webcasts of several of these events, all of which are free and open to the public.
Loyola's College of Music and Fine Arts has a vast music program, with more than 500 undergraduate majors in the School of Music and Department of Music Industry Studies.
For more information, contact Jess Brown in Loyola's Office of Public Affairs at 504-861-5882.
For the latest updates about Loyola University New Orleans, follow us on Twitter @LoyolaNOLANews or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/loyno.
Loyola at a Glance is written and distributed for the faculty, staff, students and friends of Loyola University New Orleans. It is published by the Office of Public Affairs, Greenville Hall, Box 909, 7214 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118. (504) 861-5888.
Information to be included in Loyola at a Glance must be received 2-3 weeks in advance of the publication date. Send us your news here.