Santa Barbara is such a vibrant community — this weekend has an organic food festival, an art exhibit by people with mental health issues, an AIDS walk, two provoking talks and a visit of “The Moving Wall” – a replica of the Vietnam Memorial.
Be moved
“The Moving Wall” is a replica of Washington's Vietnam memorial and contains the names of over 58,000 men and women who lost their lives during that conflict. Saturday's dedication at Chase Palm Park starts at noon with a keynote address by Major General Joseph Franklin, former Commandant of West Point; a flyby by military aircraft is at 1 p.m. On Sunday, a non-denominational candlelight ceremony is at 6:30 p.m.
Have some heart
Since the first AIDS Walk in 1992, the local community has helped raise nearly $3 million for the men, women and children living with, affected by, or at risk for HIV/AIDS in Santa Barbara county. Saturday's walk continues this vital work. Check in for the Heart & Sole AIDS Walk is at 9 a.m. and the walk starts at 10 a.m., departing from Leadbetter Beach.
Mental Health Arts Festival
Artists with mental health disabilities showcase their works at the 18th Annual Mental Health Arts Festival in the De La Guerra Plaza from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. There are paintings, sculptures, jewelry, plus music and poetry, and a lot of support for these creative community members.
Make it organic
SOL stands for Sustainable, Organic and Local – which is how SOL Food Festival organizers want people to select their food. Meet local farmers, and join in discussions about backyard chickens, worm composting, container gardening, seed saving and canning, to name a few. Come hungry – food vendors offer delicious dishes made from local bounty. Come thirsty – the Beer and Wine Garden has fermented fun in the form of tastings and talks about wine, beer, mead and more. Admission is free at Plaza Vera Cruz, across from the Farmers Market on Cota and Santa Barbara streets, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m..
Be inspired
Two talks sponsored UCSB Arts & Lectures should inspire. Entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie (TOMS Shoes) shares his visionary ideas about “conscious capitalism” and social responsibility at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Arlington Theatre; tickets are $28. On Sunday, African peace activist Leymah Gbowee discusses how she started a women-led peace movement in Liberia and how the movement continues today.
Laugh
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater returns to the Lobero by popular demand with shows at 4 and 7 p.m. Sunday and at 7 p.m. Monday. His animal cast features more than 30 performing pets including housecats, dogs, parrots and even geese and mice.
2011年9月30日星期五
2011年9月29日星期四
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2011年9月28日星期三
Balenciaga Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection
Some key pieces in the collection include a selection of leather and shearling jackets but becomes well rounded with wool and cable knit sweaters, sporty and fitted pants, turtlenecks, boots, shoes and t-shirts for those occasional warm days. See and cop some pieces from the whole collection featured here and visit Balenciaga.com for more outstanding luxury wear.
2011年9月27日星期二
Reality TV Star for a Day!
Reality TV Star for a Day! Even the title belies the truth. When I asked why we were taking a second 'take' for a reality TV show I was aptly told, "its not reality TV but unscripted TV!" And so my illustrious 3 day career started during the recent taping of the yet to be nationally aired, MY RIDE RULES.
MY RIDE RULES is a half hour reality TV show that premiered on Wed 8/3/11 and airs every week. It is the lead show into Adam Carolla's new, "The Car Show." There are 13 shows and I was privileged to be one of the contestants on show #9. You can search YouTube for the 30 second premise of the show, but in a nutshell, MY RIDE RULES, lets four ultra-competitive, very different people, who think their car is best, take a spin together in each other’s rides. Let’s face it… Everyone thinks their car is the best. At the end of each test drive, the other owners award points for appearance, performance and overall vehicle personality. The driver with the most points at the end of the show wins the MY RIDE RULES Trophy and $1,000 in cash. MY RIDE RULES! It’s the ultimate test drive!
My episode pitted my 2010 TESLA Roadster Sport vs. a 1996 FERRARI F355 Spider vs. a 1963 LINCOLN Continental vs. a 1934 AUBURN Replica. It is slated to air on WEDNESDAY 9/28/11 (subject to change) and after that in reruns.
Being a reality TV star dates back to an inquiry I got in May through the guys who 'Xtremed my ride' at Al & Ed's Autosound. They were approached looking for some exotic cars owners that might be interested. They especially were looking for Ferrari/Lambo, but Tesla had recently come across their radar. I wasn't sure if I wanted to make the 3 day time commitment (oops, did I just release a reality TV secret that the one-day shoot was actually over 3 days?), but a piece of advice my Mom gave my sisters years ago rang true: If you like a pair of shoes try them on so you're not left saying 'what if.' The shoes may not fit or may not look good on you so then you can move on. If you want the shoes even more, well that's where the advice fell short on explanation. So I replied that I was interested.
I drove to a place in Burbank where I had my audition. Just me, my car and my enthusiasm being filmed by a camcorder, the results of which were shipped off to the producers of the working titled show, "Come Drive With Me" who would make the final cut. My friend, Elie Rothstein, in his Yellow Lamborghini SuperLeggera, similarly auditioned but ultimately didn't make it! Then there came the back and forth e-mail negotiations. They wanted 3 full days (7 AM - 7 PM) in a 7 day period. Hey, I work for a living & wasn't banking on this new career paying the bills! We finally settled on a Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday shoot to minimize the work conflict. I was told that I would have to wear the same clothes each day, but I could wash them in between.
The format was to have 1/2 day for each car on the first two days and the final day we'd all meet at a studio lot in downtown LA near the Staples Center. If we drove our cars to each location on the 1st 2 days it was coordinated that none of the other contestants would park in the same neighborhood so as not to accidentally see the other person's car before the "reveal." They had a miniVan come around to pick us up and keep us sequestered. We had no idea what the cars were that we were going to see at each reveal. They wanted to truly capture the reality of the first impressions.
Other than the cars, MY RIDE RULES was about the personalities and it was the directors job to bring out what they had seen in those audition tapes. Esther, the Auburn owner, was in her early 30s & a mother of 5; that was the back story. Her front story was a bombshell bad girl model for low rider magazine covers and hired for cocktail parties for the rich and famous rock stars! Keith, the Ferrari owner, was a mid 30s entrepreneur who rented out exotics for the movies and also was in the movie-making business. He lives in the Hollywood Hills and frequented Playboy mansion parties. Jason, the Lincoln owner, was a 28 yo 'kid' from the barrio working his way up and out. He embodies the American dream that you can make something of yourself with honest hard work ethic! Lastly there's me, Dr. T, the Tesla owner. Just a dumb gynecologist working in Woodland Hills who thinks his fiscal Conservatism can mesh well with the Liberal Green party values to try and clean up the air but more importantly kick our addiction to foreign oil and thus decrease terrorism... and go rocket-fast doing it!
Reality TV includes the drama both in front and behind the camera! Hats off to the crew of about 20 on site who mitigated whatever was thrown their way. This included a producer, director, camera & audio guys and gals as well as people behind the scenes who were firemen; not literally, but figuratively to put out the fires from the 'what now' category. One of them was working up to the last minute with me securing permits for the shoot in my home town of Agoura Hills. Between city hall, HOA & even getting each of my 10 neighbors to sign-off on the deal, it was a down to the wire event. Oops, forgot to inform the police that they would be filming along side the cars from a retro-fitted open miniVan and so the Sheriffs put an end to that test drive which was basically over anyway. The Ferrari broke down on the 405 on the way to the day one shoot; go figure. Luckily the owner had a second Ferrari (must be nice) which he slotted in seamlessly. The Auburn owner, from Carson, woke up to drive to Granada Hills (site of the 1st reveal though her reveal was not until day 2) only to find that her Mom had borrowed her car leaving her with no way to get to the set! Nearly 3 hours sequestered in a miniVan (waiting for the crew to go pick her up) I thought was on a hidden-camera show trying to catch me swearing! The Lincoln owner had no drama if you don't count the fact that he was closing escrow on his first home purchase during the day 2 shoot. He was often seen talking on his cell phone with varied facial expressions in between takes.
The crew was fun yet professional. They made the most of their camera angles and audio to make it a larger than life experience. At one point the large camera lens would be in your face, almost up your nostrils and next you were driving in the car with suction cup cameras mounted on the windshield and the chase miniVan following close behind. There was each contestant with their car giving a tour, then the reveal with the other 3 walking up to the car. Next was the discussion over the car on the driveway then the test drive. Finally they would sequester 3 people and one by one swap us out for on-camera private ratings and comments. We never did find out the ratings that the others gave, nor were we allowed to ask. More non-reality TV factoids? Other than my car, the driveways where the cars were shot were not those of the owners, but simply secured to vary up the background. At the end of the morning segments, we'd break for lunch, which the show had provided for everyone and then in the afternoon we'd do it all over again. It was surreal to feel like I was on vacation yet all these people were there working hard!
The final day was more about an assembly line of getting glamour shots of the contestants, the cars and the contestants with their cars. There was of course the finale which pitted the four cars at a four-lane stop light. The winner would get the green light and drive into the winners circle to collect the trophy and the trophy girl! The dozen or so hours of film footage now goes to the editing department to distill it down to 22 minutes which is the actual time of a half-hour TV show allowing for commercials. I hope they got my good side!
MY RIDE RULES is a half hour reality TV show that premiered on Wed 8/3/11 and airs every week. It is the lead show into Adam Carolla's new, "The Car Show." There are 13 shows and I was privileged to be one of the contestants on show #9. You can search YouTube for the 30 second premise of the show, but in a nutshell, MY RIDE RULES, lets four ultra-competitive, very different people, who think their car is best, take a spin together in each other’s rides. Let’s face it… Everyone thinks their car is the best. At the end of each test drive, the other owners award points for appearance, performance and overall vehicle personality. The driver with the most points at the end of the show wins the MY RIDE RULES Trophy and $1,000 in cash. MY RIDE RULES! It’s the ultimate test drive!
My episode pitted my 2010 TESLA Roadster Sport vs. a 1996 FERRARI F355 Spider vs. a 1963 LINCOLN Continental vs. a 1934 AUBURN Replica. It is slated to air on WEDNESDAY 9/28/11 (subject to change) and after that in reruns.
Being a reality TV star dates back to an inquiry I got in May through the guys who 'Xtremed my ride' at Al & Ed's Autosound. They were approached looking for some exotic cars owners that might be interested. They especially were looking for Ferrari/Lambo, but Tesla had recently come across their radar. I wasn't sure if I wanted to make the 3 day time commitment (oops, did I just release a reality TV secret that the one-day shoot was actually over 3 days?), but a piece of advice my Mom gave my sisters years ago rang true: If you like a pair of shoes try them on so you're not left saying 'what if.' The shoes may not fit or may not look good on you so then you can move on. If you want the shoes even more, well that's where the advice fell short on explanation. So I replied that I was interested.
I drove to a place in Burbank where I had my audition. Just me, my car and my enthusiasm being filmed by a camcorder, the results of which were shipped off to the producers of the working titled show, "Come Drive With Me" who would make the final cut. My friend, Elie Rothstein, in his Yellow Lamborghini SuperLeggera, similarly auditioned but ultimately didn't make it! Then there came the back and forth e-mail negotiations. They wanted 3 full days (7 AM - 7 PM) in a 7 day period. Hey, I work for a living & wasn't banking on this new career paying the bills! We finally settled on a Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday shoot to minimize the work conflict. I was told that I would have to wear the same clothes each day, but I could wash them in between.
The format was to have 1/2 day for each car on the first two days and the final day we'd all meet at a studio lot in downtown LA near the Staples Center. If we drove our cars to each location on the 1st 2 days it was coordinated that none of the other contestants would park in the same neighborhood so as not to accidentally see the other person's car before the "reveal." They had a miniVan come around to pick us up and keep us sequestered. We had no idea what the cars were that we were going to see at each reveal. They wanted to truly capture the reality of the first impressions.
Other than the cars, MY RIDE RULES was about the personalities and it was the directors job to bring out what they had seen in those audition tapes. Esther, the Auburn owner, was in her early 30s & a mother of 5; that was the back story. Her front story was a bombshell bad girl model for low rider magazine covers and hired for cocktail parties for the rich and famous rock stars! Keith, the Ferrari owner, was a mid 30s entrepreneur who rented out exotics for the movies and also was in the movie-making business. He lives in the Hollywood Hills and frequented Playboy mansion parties. Jason, the Lincoln owner, was a 28 yo 'kid' from the barrio working his way up and out. He embodies the American dream that you can make something of yourself with honest hard work ethic! Lastly there's me, Dr. T, the Tesla owner. Just a dumb gynecologist working in Woodland Hills who thinks his fiscal Conservatism can mesh well with the Liberal Green party values to try and clean up the air but more importantly kick our addiction to foreign oil and thus decrease terrorism... and go rocket-fast doing it!
Reality TV includes the drama both in front and behind the camera! Hats off to the crew of about 20 on site who mitigated whatever was thrown their way. This included a producer, director, camera & audio guys and gals as well as people behind the scenes who were firemen; not literally, but figuratively to put out the fires from the 'what now' category. One of them was working up to the last minute with me securing permits for the shoot in my home town of Agoura Hills. Between city hall, HOA & even getting each of my 10 neighbors to sign-off on the deal, it was a down to the wire event. Oops, forgot to inform the police that they would be filming along side the cars from a retro-fitted open miniVan and so the Sheriffs put an end to that test drive which was basically over anyway. The Ferrari broke down on the 405 on the way to the day one shoot; go figure. Luckily the owner had a second Ferrari (must be nice) which he slotted in seamlessly. The Auburn owner, from Carson, woke up to drive to Granada Hills (site of the 1st reveal though her reveal was not until day 2) only to find that her Mom had borrowed her car leaving her with no way to get to the set! Nearly 3 hours sequestered in a miniVan (waiting for the crew to go pick her up) I thought was on a hidden-camera show trying to catch me swearing! The Lincoln owner had no drama if you don't count the fact that he was closing escrow on his first home purchase during the day 2 shoot. He was often seen talking on his cell phone with varied facial expressions in between takes.
The crew was fun yet professional. They made the most of their camera angles and audio to make it a larger than life experience. At one point the large camera lens would be in your face, almost up your nostrils and next you were driving in the car with suction cup cameras mounted on the windshield and the chase miniVan following close behind. There was each contestant with their car giving a tour, then the reveal with the other 3 walking up to the car. Next was the discussion over the car on the driveway then the test drive. Finally they would sequester 3 people and one by one swap us out for on-camera private ratings and comments. We never did find out the ratings that the others gave, nor were we allowed to ask. More non-reality TV factoids? Other than my car, the driveways where the cars were shot were not those of the owners, but simply secured to vary up the background. At the end of the morning segments, we'd break for lunch, which the show had provided for everyone and then in the afternoon we'd do it all over again. It was surreal to feel like I was on vacation yet all these people were there working hard!
The final day was more about an assembly line of getting glamour shots of the contestants, the cars and the contestants with their cars. There was of course the finale which pitted the four cars at a four-lane stop light. The winner would get the green light and drive into the winners circle to collect the trophy and the trophy girl! The dozen or so hours of film footage now goes to the editing department to distill it down to 22 minutes which is the actual time of a half-hour TV show allowing for commercials. I hope they got my good side!
2011年9月26日星期一
Observations: Building a memorial quite the undertaking
I never met John J. Kelley, but in reading and writing stories about him after his death, I’ve begun to develop a sense of just how much he meant to certain members of the local community.
For that reason, it didn’t surprise me in the least when James Roy told the Groton Town Council during the public comment portion of its Sept. 6 meeting that he and a group of friends and admirers of the late runner would like to build a statue of him in town.
At the meeting, I thought it sounded like a great idea, and I still think it’s worth doing if there’s a real groundswell of support for it. But in the time between hearing Roy’s comments and sitting down to write this column, I’ve been thinking a lot about statues and who and what we choose to memorialize with them.
In the abstract, constructing a life-sized replica of a person out of stone or metal seems like a strange thing to do. There’s certainly no practical purpose for it. And yet, since ancient times, statues have been a major component of humanity’s monumental art.
Ancient cultures tended to build as many statues of gods and goddesses as they did of actual people.
Today, we seem to have largely abandoned this practice, though sculptures of saints still abound in certain churches.
That’s not to say that all of our statues depict people who actually lived. Two of the most iconic statues in the country – the Statue of Liberty and the bull on Wall Street in Manhattan – depict fictional characters (I’m considering the bull fictional because I highly doubt one ever walked down modern Wall Street).
Closer to home, there is the statue of an unnamed Union soldier that stands atop the Civil War memorial in the rotary at the intersection of East Main Street and Broadway in Mystic. While the Union soldier isn’t a fictional character, in this case it’s a generic symbol of something larger. Some of the nonspecific statues we make are less poignant in their symbolism. The whale statue outside of Bank Square Books comes to mind, as do the larger-than-life sculptures of Mr. Potato Head on display in several towns in my home state of Rhode Island.
When we build statues of real people, it seems to be for one of two main reasons: Either A) they founded something, or B) they were great athletes.
Any liberal arts college worth its degree has a statue – or at least a bust – of its founder somewhere on campus. Towns and cities build statues to their founders as well.
In Mystic, we had the John Mason statue, though what he did could hardly be described as “founding” the village.
There are exceptions, of course, to the “founders” rule, but for the most part, everyone who gets a statue for a social or political achievement is long dead. If you want to see your likeness cast in bronze in your lifetime, your best bet is to become an athlete.
In Boston, there are statues of Ted Williams, Bobby Orr, Larry Bird’s shoes, and soon – though for many not soon enough – Bill Russell. The latter three are all still alive.
The former got his statue shortly after his death in 2002. He also has a tunnel named after him.
In that tradition, John Kelley is certainly deserving of a statue as a monument to his athletic prowess.
But Groton is not Boston, and Kelley’s legacy, while significant, is much less well known than those of Boston’s sports legends.
Surely, the town has other heroes whose political or athletic achievements merit the construction of a statue, but there doesn’t seem to be a movement afoot to cast any of them in bronze.
That brings us to perhaps the most important deciding factor in who gets a statue: money. When he spoke at the Town Council meeting, Roy said people he had spoken to about the idea of a Kelley statue had been enthusiastic about it and willing to donate funds to see it constructed.
As far as I’m concerned, that’s as good a reason as any to build a statue. Though I can’t help but see the irony in memorializing someone known for running with a bronze likeness that will, by definition, never move.
For that reason, it didn’t surprise me in the least when James Roy told the Groton Town Council during the public comment portion of its Sept. 6 meeting that he and a group of friends and admirers of the late runner would like to build a statue of him in town.
At the meeting, I thought it sounded like a great idea, and I still think it’s worth doing if there’s a real groundswell of support for it. But in the time between hearing Roy’s comments and sitting down to write this column, I’ve been thinking a lot about statues and who and what we choose to memorialize with them.
In the abstract, constructing a life-sized replica of a person out of stone or metal seems like a strange thing to do. There’s certainly no practical purpose for it. And yet, since ancient times, statues have been a major component of humanity’s monumental art.
Ancient cultures tended to build as many statues of gods and goddesses as they did of actual people.
Today, we seem to have largely abandoned this practice, though sculptures of saints still abound in certain churches.
That’s not to say that all of our statues depict people who actually lived. Two of the most iconic statues in the country – the Statue of Liberty and the bull on Wall Street in Manhattan – depict fictional characters (I’m considering the bull fictional because I highly doubt one ever walked down modern Wall Street).
Closer to home, there is the statue of an unnamed Union soldier that stands atop the Civil War memorial in the rotary at the intersection of East Main Street and Broadway in Mystic. While the Union soldier isn’t a fictional character, in this case it’s a generic symbol of something larger. Some of the nonspecific statues we make are less poignant in their symbolism. The whale statue outside of Bank Square Books comes to mind, as do the larger-than-life sculptures of Mr. Potato Head on display in several towns in my home state of Rhode Island.
When we build statues of real people, it seems to be for one of two main reasons: Either A) they founded something, or B) they were great athletes.
Any liberal arts college worth its degree has a statue – or at least a bust – of its founder somewhere on campus. Towns and cities build statues to their founders as well.
In Mystic, we had the John Mason statue, though what he did could hardly be described as “founding” the village.
There are exceptions, of course, to the “founders” rule, but for the most part, everyone who gets a statue for a social or political achievement is long dead. If you want to see your likeness cast in bronze in your lifetime, your best bet is to become an athlete.
In Boston, there are statues of Ted Williams, Bobby Orr, Larry Bird’s shoes, and soon – though for many not soon enough – Bill Russell. The latter three are all still alive.
The former got his statue shortly after his death in 2002. He also has a tunnel named after him.
In that tradition, John Kelley is certainly deserving of a statue as a monument to his athletic prowess.
But Groton is not Boston, and Kelley’s legacy, while significant, is much less well known than those of Boston’s sports legends.
Surely, the town has other heroes whose political or athletic achievements merit the construction of a statue, but there doesn’t seem to be a movement afoot to cast any of them in bronze.
That brings us to perhaps the most important deciding factor in who gets a statue: money. When he spoke at the Town Council meeting, Roy said people he had spoken to about the idea of a Kelley statue had been enthusiastic about it and willing to donate funds to see it constructed.
As far as I’m concerned, that’s as good a reason as any to build a statue. Though I can’t help but see the irony in memorializing someone known for running with a bronze likeness that will, by definition, never move.
2011年9月23日星期五
Return of 'Millie'
Don't let the word “modern” fool you in “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
This is an old-fashioned musical with lots of tap-dancing, elaborate production numbers and – in the Spokane Civic Theatre's season-opening presentation – 26 cast members and a 12-piece pit orchestra.
The title character is thoroughly modern only by the standards of the 1920s, when it was considered oh-so-daring for a woman to bob her hair, dance the Charleston and boldly announce her plan to marry her boss for money, not for love.
That's the central plot theme of “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” which people of a certain age will remember from the 1967 movie with Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore.
Local audiences might also remember it from a 2007 production by the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre, in which Kathie Doyle-Lipe stole a few scenes as the repressed head of the office steno pool.
We mention Doyle-Lipe because she's back in this production, doing triple-duty. She's the co-director and co-choreographer with Greg Pschirrer, and she also plays Mrs. Meers, one of the show's big comedic roles.
The advance word is: She'll be stealing a few scenes this time, too.
Millie Dillmount will be played by Ashley Cooper, who memorably portrayed another flapper in the Civic's “No, No, Nanette.” Other key roles will be played by Alyssa Day, Jeremy Trigsted, Mark Pleasant and Christina Coty.
This production marks the debut of Benjamin Bentler as the Civic's full-time music director. He arrived from Iowa this summer and he'll be directing one of the largest Civic pit orchestras ever.
The show also features 1,200 costume pieces, including lots of tap shoes.
“Our audience loves a good toe-tapping musical comedy,” said the Civic's executive artistic director, Yvonne A.K. Johnson.
The word “modern” in the title is apt in at least one sense: The musical dates only to 2002, when it opened on Broadway with a score by Jeanine Tesori, Dick Scanlan and a book by Scanlan and Richard Morris.
So it's not exactly a true old-fashioned musical; more like a replica of one, played partly for campy fun and partly to revel in the exuberant pleasures and corny comedy of Roaring '20s musicals.
It was not designed to please New York Times critic Ben Brantley, who savaged it on opening night. He said it was like “being stampeded by circus ponies” and guaranteed to “leave you either grinning like an idiot or with a migraine the size of Alaska.”
Audiences disagreed and flocked to “Millie” for more than two years. Tony voters loved it: The show swept the 2002 Tonys, winning six awards, including Best Musical. It has since become a popular choice for regional, community and college theaters.
This is an old-fashioned musical with lots of tap-dancing, elaborate production numbers and – in the Spokane Civic Theatre's season-opening presentation – 26 cast members and a 12-piece pit orchestra.
The title character is thoroughly modern only by the standards of the 1920s, when it was considered oh-so-daring for a woman to bob her hair, dance the Charleston and boldly announce her plan to marry her boss for money, not for love.
That's the central plot theme of “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” which people of a certain age will remember from the 1967 movie with Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore.
Local audiences might also remember it from a 2007 production by the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre, in which Kathie Doyle-Lipe stole a few scenes as the repressed head of the office steno pool.
We mention Doyle-Lipe because she's back in this production, doing triple-duty. She's the co-director and co-choreographer with Greg Pschirrer, and she also plays Mrs. Meers, one of the show's big comedic roles.
The advance word is: She'll be stealing a few scenes this time, too.
Millie Dillmount will be played by Ashley Cooper, who memorably portrayed another flapper in the Civic's “No, No, Nanette.” Other key roles will be played by Alyssa Day, Jeremy Trigsted, Mark Pleasant and Christina Coty.
This production marks the debut of Benjamin Bentler as the Civic's full-time music director. He arrived from Iowa this summer and he'll be directing one of the largest Civic pit orchestras ever.
The show also features 1,200 costume pieces, including lots of tap shoes.
“Our audience loves a good toe-tapping musical comedy,” said the Civic's executive artistic director, Yvonne A.K. Johnson.
The word “modern” in the title is apt in at least one sense: The musical dates only to 2002, when it opened on Broadway with a score by Jeanine Tesori, Dick Scanlan and a book by Scanlan and Richard Morris.
So it's not exactly a true old-fashioned musical; more like a replica of one, played partly for campy fun and partly to revel in the exuberant pleasures and corny comedy of Roaring '20s musicals.
It was not designed to please New York Times critic Ben Brantley, who savaged it on opening night. He said it was like “being stampeded by circus ponies” and guaranteed to “leave you either grinning like an idiot or with a migraine the size of Alaska.”
Audiences disagreed and flocked to “Millie” for more than two years. Tony voters loved it: The show swept the 2002 Tonys, winning six awards, including Best Musical. It has since become a popular choice for regional, community and college theaters.
2011年9月22日星期四
For Nike, the future is now
The mythical Nike Mag -- the futuristic, light-up, athletic shoe from 2015 that has captured the fascination of sneakerheads and movie fans ever since Marty McFly donned a pair in "Back to the Future, Part II" in 1989 -- is finally a reality.
The footwear, which was unveiled recently by Nike in Los Angeles, comes with a couple of caveats. First, the shoes lack the self-lacing mechanism depicted in the film. Second, there are only 1,500 pairs in existence. Third, they can be bought only via auction through eBay.
But the good news is that the auction of the shoes will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to fund Parkinson's disease research. That will amount to no small chunk of change given that a small ceramic replica in a box signed by Tinker Hatfield, designer of the shoes that appeared in the original film, brought in $3,500. And a pair of the Nike Mags packaged in a bright yellow packing case (which will be personally signed by Michael J. Fox) fetched $37,500 in just eight minutes of frenzied bidding at a recent live auction in Hollywood.
The centerpiece of that event -- which included appearances by actor Christopher "Doc Brown" Lloyd and Hatfield (Nike's vice president of innovation, design and special projects) -- was the reveal of the shoes themselves in all their glowing LED and electroluminescent glory.
The shoes were designed to be precise replicas of the film version, right down to the contour of the gray fabric upper, the speckled Zolatone sole and glowing Nike logo strap. The astonishingly light 2011 Nike Mag (the name refers to "magnetic levitation") is the company's first rechargeable shoe, and can glow for five hours between charges.
While technology hasn't advanced far enough to satisfy the most hard-core movie fans and sneakerheads who've long hoped for the self-lacing feature depicted in the movie, Hatfield dangled a shoelace of hope.
"We've got some prototypes that work but they're not ready for prime time yet," he said.
So, if a self-lacing version is in the works, why release a non-lacing version now? Nike's Chief Executive Mark Palmer and Michael J. Fox Foundation co-founder and executive vice president Debi Brooks point to the opportunity to leverage the enthusiasm for the Nike Mag in hopes of doubling the amount of money raised.
"Google co-founder Sergey Brin and his wife, Anne Wojcicki, have pledged a matching grant of up to $50 million to the Michael J. Fox Foundation through the end of 2012," Brooks said. "That's the kind of thing that can really help us envision a future without Parkinson's."
Each day, for 10 days (through last Saturday), 150 pairs of the 2011 Nike Mag shoes were put up for auction at nikemag.ebay.com. Bids for the first round of shoes ranged from $4,000 to $8,100.
The footwear, which was unveiled recently by Nike in Los Angeles, comes with a couple of caveats. First, the shoes lack the self-lacing mechanism depicted in the film. Second, there are only 1,500 pairs in existence. Third, they can be bought only via auction through eBay.
But the good news is that the auction of the shoes will go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation to fund Parkinson's disease research. That will amount to no small chunk of change given that a small ceramic replica in a box signed by Tinker Hatfield, designer of the shoes that appeared in the original film, brought in $3,500. And a pair of the Nike Mags packaged in a bright yellow packing case (which will be personally signed by Michael J. Fox) fetched $37,500 in just eight minutes of frenzied bidding at a recent live auction in Hollywood.
The centerpiece of that event -- which included appearances by actor Christopher "Doc Brown" Lloyd and Hatfield (Nike's vice president of innovation, design and special projects) -- was the reveal of the shoes themselves in all their glowing LED and electroluminescent glory.
The shoes were designed to be precise replicas of the film version, right down to the contour of the gray fabric upper, the speckled Zolatone sole and glowing Nike logo strap. The astonishingly light 2011 Nike Mag (the name refers to "magnetic levitation") is the company's first rechargeable shoe, and can glow for five hours between charges.
While technology hasn't advanced far enough to satisfy the most hard-core movie fans and sneakerheads who've long hoped for the self-lacing feature depicted in the movie, Hatfield dangled a shoelace of hope.
"We've got some prototypes that work but they're not ready for prime time yet," he said.
So, if a self-lacing version is in the works, why release a non-lacing version now? Nike's Chief Executive Mark Palmer and Michael J. Fox Foundation co-founder and executive vice president Debi Brooks point to the opportunity to leverage the enthusiasm for the Nike Mag in hopes of doubling the amount of money raised.
"Google co-founder Sergey Brin and his wife, Anne Wojcicki, have pledged a matching grant of up to $50 million to the Michael J. Fox Foundation through the end of 2012," Brooks said. "That's the kind of thing that can really help us envision a future without Parkinson's."
Each day, for 10 days (through last Saturday), 150 pairs of the 2011 Nike Mag shoes were put up for auction at nikemag.ebay.com. Bids for the first round of shoes ranged from $4,000 to $8,100.
2011年9月21日星期三
Library unveils historical exhibits
Two rare historical exhibits were unveiled at the University of Louisiana at Monroe's library on Tuesday.
The new exhibits, which were placed in the library's special collections, include a custom-made display housing an original manuscript of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and a display showcasing an exact replica of The Louisiana Window that is housed at Westminster Abbey.
Both exhibits were donated by Linda Noe Laine of New York, a long-time supporter of ULM and daughter of former Louisiana Gov. James E. Noe.
Laine said she was thrilled to see the displays housed at ULM — an institution she has been involved with since childhood.
"I think it's remarkable," she said. "My dream came true."
The authenticated manuscript of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," written in Julia Ward Howe's own handwriting, is encased in a wooden display alongside a rare photograph of Howe.
The case is accompanied by a state-of-the-art sound dome that plays the song while a video monitor shows the ULM Concert Choir and ULM Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Deborah Chandler, as they perform it.
Laine donated the manuscript to the university in 2008.
"I thought it was so special to own such a historic document, and I didn't want to keep it to myself," she said. "I wanted to share it with the community in which I was raised."
The second exhibit features an exact replica of The Louisiana Window, the stained-glass window designed and placed at Westminster Abbey.
Laine donated the original window to the Abbey in memory of her parents, and it was dedicated in 1995.
Laine said the window was created in honor of the men, women and children who helped settle the heartland of the United States and to those individuals of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales who made it possible. It features the Louisiana state seal, the Monroe city seal and the Westminster Abbey seal.
Cyndy Robertson, ULM's coordinator of library special collections, said this donation provides the Monroe community with a rare opportunity to see The Louisiana Window.
"This is something that I am so pleased about," she said. "Very few of our students and residents here in this area will get to go see the stained-glass window, but because of what [Laine] has done, they can see a replica right here in our library."
ULM President Nick Bruno said Laine and her family have made numerous contributions to the university over the years, all of which are vital to attracting top-level students and qualified faculty.
"The university is really blessed to have individuals who have supported this university over the years, and of course [Laine] is one of those," said ULM President Nick Bruno. "It's not an overstatement to say these gifts are the types of gifts that enrich us and enrich this community in which we all live."
Both displays were designed by Jeffrey Bank, Andy Davenport and Paul Stapp of Adler Display Inc. of Maryland.
The new exhibits, which were placed in the library's special collections, include a custom-made display housing an original manuscript of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and a display showcasing an exact replica of The Louisiana Window that is housed at Westminster Abbey.
Both exhibits were donated by Linda Noe Laine of New York, a long-time supporter of ULM and daughter of former Louisiana Gov. James E. Noe.
Laine said she was thrilled to see the displays housed at ULM — an institution she has been involved with since childhood.
"I think it's remarkable," she said. "My dream came true."
The authenticated manuscript of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," written in Julia Ward Howe's own handwriting, is encased in a wooden display alongside a rare photograph of Howe.
The case is accompanied by a state-of-the-art sound dome that plays the song while a video monitor shows the ULM Concert Choir and ULM Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Deborah Chandler, as they perform it.
Laine donated the manuscript to the university in 2008.
"I thought it was so special to own such a historic document, and I didn't want to keep it to myself," she said. "I wanted to share it with the community in which I was raised."
The second exhibit features an exact replica of The Louisiana Window, the stained-glass window designed and placed at Westminster Abbey.
Laine donated the original window to the Abbey in memory of her parents, and it was dedicated in 1995.
Laine said the window was created in honor of the men, women and children who helped settle the heartland of the United States and to those individuals of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales who made it possible. It features the Louisiana state seal, the Monroe city seal and the Westminster Abbey seal.
Cyndy Robertson, ULM's coordinator of library special collections, said this donation provides the Monroe community with a rare opportunity to see The Louisiana Window.
"This is something that I am so pleased about," she said. "Very few of our students and residents here in this area will get to go see the stained-glass window, but because of what [Laine] has done, they can see a replica right here in our library."
ULM President Nick Bruno said Laine and her family have made numerous contributions to the university over the years, all of which are vital to attracting top-level students and qualified faculty.
"The university is really blessed to have individuals who have supported this university over the years, and of course [Laine] is one of those," said ULM President Nick Bruno. "It's not an overstatement to say these gifts are the types of gifts that enrich us and enrich this community in which we all live."
Both displays were designed by Jeffrey Bank, Andy Davenport and Paul Stapp of Adler Display Inc. of Maryland.
2011年9月20日星期二
About 400 people attend annual charity event at Eger Health Care and Rehabilitation Center
he owner of the Alor Cafe, the Taste of Staten Island celebration isn't just a chance to shine competitively, it's a way to keep up with the borough's culinary trends.
"The secret is staying fresh, creative – and unique presentation," said Alexsandr Orman, who's both owner and executive chef of the Grant City restaurant. "The food industry is like the fashion industry."
Sage words, it turns out: Alor won big at the annual charity competition, and took home Best in Show for the second straight year.
The celebration, held under a massive tent on the grounds of the Eger Health Care and Rehabilitation Center in Egbertville, drew about 400 people to sample from some 26 restaurants, 16 bakeries and 10 pizza cafes, said Vienna Profeta, Eger's senior vice president for development. Proceeds go to resident programs at the center, she said.
"What can I tell you, it becomes overwhelming. The best part of it all is the competition. We love honoring people," Ms. Profeta said. "The serious restaurant owner, the serious pastry chefs and the serious pizza cafes, they take it seriously."
And the attendees had an array of pasta, dishes, deserts, wines and exotic tastes to choose from.
"There was so much. It was all good," said Louis Leonini, of Annadale. "The deserts were outrageous."
Sweet, Sweet Sue's, an Annadale bakery and newcomer to the event, picked up best in show for bakeries and best special occasion cake, for a towering sugar-coated celebration of the borough's 350th birthday.
"It's gotta be, I would say, definitely over three feet tall," said Sue Ognibene of Rossville, who co-owns the store with her husband, Dominic.
The store specializes in theme cakes – purses and shoes for Sweet 16 parties, cars, and in one instance, a life-sized replica of Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter from the "Alice in Wonderland" movie, from the chest up.
The event also honored Borough President James P. Molinaro, Assemblyman Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore), Assemblyman Matthew Titone (D-North Shore), and Carol Dunn, executive director of the Staten Island Inter-Agency Council for Aging since 1997.
Molinaro said he sampled "a little of everything, most desserts."
"It's a huge success for a very good cause," Molinaro said. "The success today goes back to the community."
"The secret is staying fresh, creative – and unique presentation," said Alexsandr Orman, who's both owner and executive chef of the Grant City restaurant. "The food industry is like the fashion industry."
Sage words, it turns out: Alor won big at the annual charity competition, and took home Best in Show for the second straight year.
The celebration, held under a massive tent on the grounds of the Eger Health Care and Rehabilitation Center in Egbertville, drew about 400 people to sample from some 26 restaurants, 16 bakeries and 10 pizza cafes, said Vienna Profeta, Eger's senior vice president for development. Proceeds go to resident programs at the center, she said.
"What can I tell you, it becomes overwhelming. The best part of it all is the competition. We love honoring people," Ms. Profeta said. "The serious restaurant owner, the serious pastry chefs and the serious pizza cafes, they take it seriously."
And the attendees had an array of pasta, dishes, deserts, wines and exotic tastes to choose from.
"There was so much. It was all good," said Louis Leonini, of Annadale. "The deserts were outrageous."
Sweet, Sweet Sue's, an Annadale bakery and newcomer to the event, picked up best in show for bakeries and best special occasion cake, for a towering sugar-coated celebration of the borough's 350th birthday.
"It's gotta be, I would say, definitely over three feet tall," said Sue Ognibene of Rossville, who co-owns the store with her husband, Dominic.
The store specializes in theme cakes – purses and shoes for Sweet 16 parties, cars, and in one instance, a life-sized replica of Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter from the "Alice in Wonderland" movie, from the chest up.
The event also honored Borough President James P. Molinaro, Assemblyman Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore), Assemblyman Matthew Titone (D-North Shore), and Carol Dunn, executive director of the Staten Island Inter-Agency Council for Aging since 1997.
Molinaro said he sampled "a little of everything, most desserts."
"It's a huge success for a very good cause," Molinaro said. "The success today goes back to the community."
2011年9月19日星期一
Fender guitar factory in Corona to open for tours
Corona's famed Fender guitar factory will open for public tours, starting Monday.
For guitar fans, the plant is a kind of rock 'n' roll mecca, where Fender's highest quality, trademark Stratocasters and Telecasters are put together.
From now until the end of the year, tours will be free on Mondays and Tuesdays and Thursdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
An 8,600-square-foot visitor center, open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. all weekdays but Wednesday, is filled with memorabilia from the company Leo Fender started in Fullerton in 1938.
With the introduction of the Stratocaster in 1954, he would eventually grow the privately held company into the only U.S. electric guitar maker to rival Tennessee-based Gibson.
The dozens of guitars covering the walls tell a virtual rock 'n' roll history from the instrument's point of view, ranging from Dick Dale's surf guitar to a replica of Eddie Van Halen's “Frankenstein” guitar, created with odd parts on Stratocaster body.
For the first time, customers can select parts — necks, electronics, finishes — for their own custom guitars.
The plant is at 301 Cessna Circle. Visitors need to be at least 9 years old, and those taking tours need to wear closed-toe shoes.
For guitar fans, the plant is a kind of rock 'n' roll mecca, where Fender's highest quality, trademark Stratocasters and Telecasters are put together.
From now until the end of the year, tours will be free on Mondays and Tuesdays and Thursdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
An 8,600-square-foot visitor center, open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. all weekdays but Wednesday, is filled with memorabilia from the company Leo Fender started in Fullerton in 1938.
With the introduction of the Stratocaster in 1954, he would eventually grow the privately held company into the only U.S. electric guitar maker to rival Tennessee-based Gibson.
The dozens of guitars covering the walls tell a virtual rock 'n' roll history from the instrument's point of view, ranging from Dick Dale's surf guitar to a replica of Eddie Van Halen's “Frankenstein” guitar, created with odd parts on Stratocaster body.
For the first time, customers can select parts — necks, electronics, finishes — for their own custom guitars.
The plant is at 301 Cessna Circle. Visitors need to be at least 9 years old, and those taking tours need to wear closed-toe shoes.
2011年9月16日星期五
Diocesan parishes, schools remember 9-11
Just as churchgoers throughout the country and world observed the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, through prayer services, in homilies and moments of silence, special observances were made in the Diocese of Sioux City.
Here is a sampling of a few special events held in diocesan parishes and Catholic schools.
Recognizing today's heroes
Gehlen Catholic School of Le Mars held a 9/11 Prayer Service on Sept. 9 titled “Honoring Our Living Heroes, As We Remember September 11, 2001."
Organizers of the event, Lisa Sitzmann, director of campus ministries, and Richard Seivert, 7-12 guidance counselor, said the 9/11 prayer service was three-fold.
First, the prayer service began with a flashback and remembrance for the victims and their families of 9/11. Second, the prayer service was designed to educate Gehlen Catholic students, many of whom were not born or too little to understand the tragic events that transpired 10 years ago. Finally, the service expressed the school's admiration and gratitude for the courage and service of the local law enforcement, fire and emergency personnel.
Gehlen Catholic fourth graders, under the direction of technology coordinator Lori Schuch led a blessing for the local law enforcement, medical and emergency personnel.
Bill Rosacker, a member of the Le Mars Rescue Department and St. James parishioner, after the service told Seivert that he cried during the blessing and he noted that he rarely cries. He was so touched and moved by the blessing and the prayer service.
During the service Sitzmann shared a story from her cousin, Kathy Sitzmann, whose father died on 9/11. Kathy's dad was a fireman for the New York City Fire Department. The story reinforced this year's Gehlen Catholic Gospel value – “In Christ Alone…my hope is found."
Gehlen has a PowerPoint presentation available for viewing on their school website.
Healing service
In Kingsley, St. Michael Church organized an ecumenical healing service.
Father Mark Stoll, pastor, estimated that about 200 people were present for the outdoor portion of the service that drew parishioners from St. Michael and Immaculate Conception of Moville as well as members of other denominations. This portion of the service included a bonfire, presentation of a prayer paper chain to Nick Rogers, a military 21-gun salute, recognition of members of the police, fire and ambulance and military services. B.J. Mulder, director of Leadership of Christian Athletes at Kingsley-Pierson School gave a talk about seeking joy.
“This was followed by participants writing down on a piece of paper their burdens which were then thrown into the bonfire and participants received a small rock with the cross painted on it to remind us of the foundation of our faith," Father Stoll said.
A procession with the statute of St. Francis led participants into the church where adoration was held with live music while the monstrance was processed through the people. Benediction concluded the evening.
Afterwards, the Sacrament of Reconciliation was offered and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy was prayed. About 125 attended the Adoration/Benediction.
Barb Sitzmann, a member of the committee that helped to plan this service, said she was amazed at the number of people who showed up.
“I have heard many positive comments from community members about the service and I also thought it was amazing," she said. “The part of the service that stood out the most was seeing how many people were willing to write down their burdens on paper and burn them in the bonfire."
She had wondered if people would come forward.
Sitzmann said she was also excited about the many positive comments about adoration and how it was so much more effective with the monstrance moving around the room rather than sitting on the altar the entire service. Parishioners found this portion of the service to be very meaningful.
“I decided to be on this committee because I thought it was important to do something to honor our local military and EMS personnel on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Both of our communities, Kingsley and Moville, have been in need of physical and spiritual healing," Sitzmann said. “We have had many tragedies in both our towns and parishes and thought this would be a great way to help those involved, deal with their issues."
Father Stoll said they offered this healing liturgy/service to give people the opportunity to experience Christ's joy and healing for all the pain experienced in life, from the tragedy of the attacks on the country on Sept. 11, 2001; to the loss of loved ones due to illness; to those who have suffered serious accidents, to those who have experienced other losses including divorce and abuse.
Matthew Putze, CICC team member and parishioner at Moville, said the evening was a blessing to all.
“During adoration, Father Mark brought the monstrance right in front of each person in attendance, close enough to touch. Every third pew had been blocked off prior to people being seated to allow the procession to walk down through those pews during adoration. I heard one person refer to this as ‘Steubenville style'."
Jordan Hunter, director of faith formation at Moville, said he was very humbled in adoration.
“I had been so focused on making sure everything was going smoothly, I forgot to be a part of the experience, but when Father Mark processed by with the Eucharist in the monstrance I froze and I saw God, I physically had the air knocked out of me for that moment," he said. “After Father Mark and Jesus had processed on, I fell to my knees and worked on catching my breath."
Remembering history
At Spalding Catholic students reflected on all the people affected by 9-11 at a prayer service on Sept. 9. Senior Christian Leadership Team members planned the service.
Local firemen and paramedics were invited to attend. They were seated in a place of honor for the ceremony.
When students entered the darkened gym, they walked past a candle-lit path next to a replica of the fence at Ground Zero that firemen hung their own shoes on before they dressed in their firemen's uniforms and entered the towers.
Students and Father Richard Ball read Scripture and led prayers. The CLT also presented two slide shows and led the assembly in song.
Granville paramedic Steve Christensen spoke on behalf of all the volunteer firemen. He reminded the students that the local first responders will always be ready to help them.
Spiritual Life Director Mary Arens said, “The day was to show appreciation, respect, remembrance, honor and freedom. It's a part of history, and we have to know God is always in our midst through the good and bad."
Educational project
At Holy Cross School in Sioux City, they not only used the anniversary as a time to offer prayers but the seventh and eighth grade social studies teacher, Gina Stukenholtz, decided to focus on it for educational purposes as well.
With the help of the English teacher Jackie Yaneff and the school's technology coordinator, Cindy Spenner, the social studies teacher was able to make it a bigger project than what she had originally planned.
“I realize that this is the last group of kids I will teach that will have any recollection of that day because they were 2, 3 and 4 years old," Stukenholtz said. “Even though we have talked about this being a major part of U.S. history, I wanted them to really understand what a big moment this was."
Through various projects, she said she believes it helped them comprehend the significance of the terrorist attacks. The students were to review two sources of news coverage, conduct interviews with family, friends or staff members related to what they remember about the day, watch oral histories of 9/11 survivors and view an online photo gallery taken by onlookers that day and offered at a site called Here is New York.
“They had to interview three people and no matter who they asked, they remembered where they were that day, what they are feeling, how they found out," Stukenholtz said. “After having those conversations with people at home or relatives in New York, they could start to see that it really was a big deal."
Many students discovered they had some connection to relatives or family friends who lived or worked in New York or Washington, DC.
Here is a sampling of a few special events held in diocesan parishes and Catholic schools.
Recognizing today's heroes
Gehlen Catholic School of Le Mars held a 9/11 Prayer Service on Sept. 9 titled “Honoring Our Living Heroes, As We Remember September 11, 2001."
Organizers of the event, Lisa Sitzmann, director of campus ministries, and Richard Seivert, 7-12 guidance counselor, said the 9/11 prayer service was three-fold.
First, the prayer service began with a flashback and remembrance for the victims and their families of 9/11. Second, the prayer service was designed to educate Gehlen Catholic students, many of whom were not born or too little to understand the tragic events that transpired 10 years ago. Finally, the service expressed the school's admiration and gratitude for the courage and service of the local law enforcement, fire and emergency personnel.
Gehlen Catholic fourth graders, under the direction of technology coordinator Lori Schuch led a blessing for the local law enforcement, medical and emergency personnel.
Bill Rosacker, a member of the Le Mars Rescue Department and St. James parishioner, after the service told Seivert that he cried during the blessing and he noted that he rarely cries. He was so touched and moved by the blessing and the prayer service.
During the service Sitzmann shared a story from her cousin, Kathy Sitzmann, whose father died on 9/11. Kathy's dad was a fireman for the New York City Fire Department. The story reinforced this year's Gehlen Catholic Gospel value – “In Christ Alone…my hope is found."
Gehlen has a PowerPoint presentation available for viewing on their school website.
Healing service
In Kingsley, St. Michael Church organized an ecumenical healing service.
Father Mark Stoll, pastor, estimated that about 200 people were present for the outdoor portion of the service that drew parishioners from St. Michael and Immaculate Conception of Moville as well as members of other denominations. This portion of the service included a bonfire, presentation of a prayer paper chain to Nick Rogers, a military 21-gun salute, recognition of members of the police, fire and ambulance and military services. B.J. Mulder, director of Leadership of Christian Athletes at Kingsley-Pierson School gave a talk about seeking joy.
“This was followed by participants writing down on a piece of paper their burdens which were then thrown into the bonfire and participants received a small rock with the cross painted on it to remind us of the foundation of our faith," Father Stoll said.
A procession with the statute of St. Francis led participants into the church where adoration was held with live music while the monstrance was processed through the people. Benediction concluded the evening.
Afterwards, the Sacrament of Reconciliation was offered and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy was prayed. About 125 attended the Adoration/Benediction.
Barb Sitzmann, a member of the committee that helped to plan this service, said she was amazed at the number of people who showed up.
“I have heard many positive comments from community members about the service and I also thought it was amazing," she said. “The part of the service that stood out the most was seeing how many people were willing to write down their burdens on paper and burn them in the bonfire."
She had wondered if people would come forward.
Sitzmann said she was also excited about the many positive comments about adoration and how it was so much more effective with the monstrance moving around the room rather than sitting on the altar the entire service. Parishioners found this portion of the service to be very meaningful.
“I decided to be on this committee because I thought it was important to do something to honor our local military and EMS personnel on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Both of our communities, Kingsley and Moville, have been in need of physical and spiritual healing," Sitzmann said. “We have had many tragedies in both our towns and parishes and thought this would be a great way to help those involved, deal with their issues."
Father Stoll said they offered this healing liturgy/service to give people the opportunity to experience Christ's joy and healing for all the pain experienced in life, from the tragedy of the attacks on the country on Sept. 11, 2001; to the loss of loved ones due to illness; to those who have suffered serious accidents, to those who have experienced other losses including divorce and abuse.
Matthew Putze, CICC team member and parishioner at Moville, said the evening was a blessing to all.
“During adoration, Father Mark brought the monstrance right in front of each person in attendance, close enough to touch. Every third pew had been blocked off prior to people being seated to allow the procession to walk down through those pews during adoration. I heard one person refer to this as ‘Steubenville style'."
Jordan Hunter, director of faith formation at Moville, said he was very humbled in adoration.
“I had been so focused on making sure everything was going smoothly, I forgot to be a part of the experience, but when Father Mark processed by with the Eucharist in the monstrance I froze and I saw God, I physically had the air knocked out of me for that moment," he said. “After Father Mark and Jesus had processed on, I fell to my knees and worked on catching my breath."
Remembering history
At Spalding Catholic students reflected on all the people affected by 9-11 at a prayer service on Sept. 9. Senior Christian Leadership Team members planned the service.
Local firemen and paramedics were invited to attend. They were seated in a place of honor for the ceremony.
When students entered the darkened gym, they walked past a candle-lit path next to a replica of the fence at Ground Zero that firemen hung their own shoes on before they dressed in their firemen's uniforms and entered the towers.
Students and Father Richard Ball read Scripture and led prayers. The CLT also presented two slide shows and led the assembly in song.
Granville paramedic Steve Christensen spoke on behalf of all the volunteer firemen. He reminded the students that the local first responders will always be ready to help them.
Spiritual Life Director Mary Arens said, “The day was to show appreciation, respect, remembrance, honor and freedom. It's a part of history, and we have to know God is always in our midst through the good and bad."
Educational project
At Holy Cross School in Sioux City, they not only used the anniversary as a time to offer prayers but the seventh and eighth grade social studies teacher, Gina Stukenholtz, decided to focus on it for educational purposes as well.
With the help of the English teacher Jackie Yaneff and the school's technology coordinator, Cindy Spenner, the social studies teacher was able to make it a bigger project than what she had originally planned.
“I realize that this is the last group of kids I will teach that will have any recollection of that day because they were 2, 3 and 4 years old," Stukenholtz said. “Even though we have talked about this being a major part of U.S. history, I wanted them to really understand what a big moment this was."
Through various projects, she said she believes it helped them comprehend the significance of the terrorist attacks. The students were to review two sources of news coverage, conduct interviews with family, friends or staff members related to what they remember about the day, watch oral histories of 9/11 survivors and view an online photo gallery taken by onlookers that day and offered at a site called Here is New York.
“They had to interview three people and no matter who they asked, they remembered where they were that day, what they are feeling, how they found out," Stukenholtz said. “After having those conversations with people at home or relatives in New York, they could start to see that it really was a big deal."
Many students discovered they had some connection to relatives or family friends who lived or worked in New York or Washington, DC.
2011年9月15日星期四
Students re-enact Constitution signing
Students at Moore Middle School got a jump start on celebrating Constitution Day by signing a replica of the historic document Wednesday.
With markers in hand, students from Jennifer Janiskee's eighth-grade social- studies class took turns putting their John Hancocks on a blue banner strung up in the school's library.
The signing was a chance for students in each of the school's grade levels to spend a few minutes in the shoes of those who signed the important piece of America's history.
The Constitution will be taught to students in Janiskee's classroom next month, but the teacher said she felt it would be proper to recognize the significance of Constitution Week - and its 224th birthday - with the activity.
Along with the signing, students in her classroom were working on protesting what she feels are unfair school policies, she said. The lesson will flow into her plans to discuss the document with her students.
"We are starting a unit on `our road to revolution,' so I'm giving the kids the background as to why we were protesting British rule," she said. "I think the most important thing about teaching history is making it come alive for the kids. So much of it seems irrelevant to them. They feel like it was so long ago, and it doesn't matter to them. But I think when you give people a chance to connect it with their real lives, they're able to understand what it really all means."
The school is celebrating Constitution Day - which is set for this Saturday - all week. Along with the signing of the document, students will be encouraged to wear red, white and blue on Friday.
"We want students to learn and recognize the Constitution and the need to celebrate and honor America," Moore Vice Principal Heidi VanDeventer said. "We encourage (teachers) to use hands-on activities for social studies because it gives students a chance to bring real life to a (subject), and it helps them remember what the event is about and why it is important."
With markers in hand, students from Jennifer Janiskee's eighth-grade social- studies class took turns putting their John Hancocks on a blue banner strung up in the school's library.
The signing was a chance for students in each of the school's grade levels to spend a few minutes in the shoes of those who signed the important piece of America's history.
The Constitution will be taught to students in Janiskee's classroom next month, but the teacher said she felt it would be proper to recognize the significance of Constitution Week - and its 224th birthday - with the activity.
Along with the signing, students in her classroom were working on protesting what she feels are unfair school policies, she said. The lesson will flow into her plans to discuss the document with her students.
"We are starting a unit on `our road to revolution,' so I'm giving the kids the background as to why we were protesting British rule," she said. "I think the most important thing about teaching history is making it come alive for the kids. So much of it seems irrelevant to them. They feel like it was so long ago, and it doesn't matter to them. But I think when you give people a chance to connect it with their real lives, they're able to understand what it really all means."
The school is celebrating Constitution Day - which is set for this Saturday - all week. Along with the signing of the document, students will be encouraged to wear red, white and blue on Friday.
"We want students to learn and recognize the Constitution and the need to celebrate and honor America," Moore Vice Principal Heidi VanDeventer said. "We encourage (teachers) to use hands-on activities for social studies because it gives students a chance to bring real life to a (subject), and it helps them remember what the event is about and why it is important."
2011年9月14日星期三
Michael J. Fox Returning to The Good Wife
Michael J. Fox will reprise his role as Alicia's rival on The Good Wife, TVGuide.com has confirmed.
Fox, who portrayed rival defense attorney Louis Canning, will return for a multi-episode arc, according to TVLine.com, who first reported the news. Louis was last seen offering Alicia (Julianna Margulies) a partnership in his new law firm, but she turned it down.
Fall Preview: Get scoop on your favorite returning shows
Fox made headlines last week when Nike introduced the 2012 Nike Mag, a replica of the self-lacing shoes Fox wore as Marty McFly in Back to the Future II. Proceeds from the eBay auction of the shoes go directly to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Fox, who portrayed rival defense attorney Louis Canning, will return for a multi-episode arc, according to TVLine.com, who first reported the news. Louis was last seen offering Alicia (Julianna Margulies) a partnership in his new law firm, but she turned it down.
Fall Preview: Get scoop on your favorite returning shows
Fox made headlines last week when Nike introduced the 2012 Nike Mag, a replica of the self-lacing shoes Fox wore as Marty McFly in Back to the Future II. Proceeds from the eBay auction of the shoes go directly to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
2011年9月13日星期二
Nike Auctioning off 150 Pairs of Its MAG trainers from ‘Back to the Future II’
Nike is auctioning off 150 pairs of character Marty McFly’s Nike on eBay for the next ten days. The America’s favorite sportswear brand has recreated the self-fastening glowing trainers worn by Michael J Fox in the 1989 film ‘Back to the Future II’ with an illuminating logo glowing for five hours per charge.
Auctions for the shoes began at 4.30am on September 9 and bids have already reached more than $5,000. All proceeds from the auctions will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, says High Snobiety.
According to Tinker Hatfield, Vice President of Design at Nike, the development of the Nike MAG for the ‘Back to the Future’ film allowed for the company to “do anything… try anything… it opens up your mind and in our case, it gave us a lot of freedom to do things we wouldn’t normally do.”
The original Nike MAG design and the production pair which were used in the film involved illuminating the shoe and the Michael J. Fox carried a heavy battery pack clipped to his back to power the Nike MAG. The new version has it all built on the inside.
Nike also offers in select stores a Nike MAG ceramic replica and a Nike MAG pin. The ceramic replica goes for $88 and the pin for $10. The net proceeds of these items will also go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research.
Auctions for the shoes began at 4.30am on September 9 and bids have already reached more than $5,000. All proceeds from the auctions will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, says High Snobiety.
According to Tinker Hatfield, Vice President of Design at Nike, the development of the Nike MAG for the ‘Back to the Future’ film allowed for the company to “do anything… try anything… it opens up your mind and in our case, it gave us a lot of freedom to do things we wouldn’t normally do.”
The original Nike MAG design and the production pair which were used in the film involved illuminating the shoe and the Michael J. Fox carried a heavy battery pack clipped to his back to power the Nike MAG. The new version has it all built on the inside.
Nike also offers in select stores a Nike MAG ceramic replica and a Nike MAG pin. The ceramic replica goes for $88 and the pin for $10. The net proceeds of these items will also go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research.
2011年9月9日星期五
Nike Auctions Off 1,500 Glowing 'Back to the Future' Shoes for a Cause
Trust Nike to go back to the future when it chooses to do so, and for a good cause at that.
Nike has created the 2011 Nike Mag, a limited-edition pair of sneakers, which is almost the exact replica of a glowing pair of shoes in the 1989 film "Back to the Future II."
As a replica, the 2011 Nike Mag features on its strap a glowing Nike name, which can illuminate up to five hours. The only thing missing, however, is the modern sneakers' ability to lace themselves.
Nike will release 1,500 pairs of the 2011 Nike Mag for auction on eBay. All proceeds will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease research. Fox earned fame as Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" time-travel films. Fox himself wore the glowing shoes during a time travel to the year 2015.
"It hasn't gone unnoted by us that there is something special about that shoe and, of course, the movie," said famed Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield, who helped design the original shoe and worked on the latest version.
"This is the biggest thing that has happened to sneakers since Michael Jordan, hands down," said Matt Halfill, an avid shoe collector who runs the website nicekicks.com and flew from Austin, Texas, to Los Angeles for the unveiling of the shoe on Thursday.
Halfill told the press Nike had contacted him about the release, and he did not think twice about flying.
"Other than the birth of one of my children, I wouldn't have missed this for anything," he said.
Nike decided more than four years ago to create the shoe, but unlike the shoes in the movie, the real-life versions had to be designed for day-to-day use by ordinary humans. Given the technology in the past, the design used in the film required Fox to wear a battery pack with wires running down his pants.
Illuminating Shoes Gained Support
Hatfield told the Associated Press the Nike Mag has been difficult to develop and the electrical systems, which illuminate the shoe for up to five hours, have been one of the most challenging things the company has ever done in footwear.
Nike has also gained support from Google co-founder Sergey Brin and his wife Anne Wojcicki, who have offered to match all donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation up to $50 million through the end of 2012.
"The project is exciting to me because it brings together three very passionate audiences: the Parkinson's community, sneakerheads and 'Back to the Future' fans," Fox said in a statement. "With their support we can accelerate our objective of finding a cure for Parkinson's."
Nike has created the 2011 Nike Mag, a limited-edition pair of sneakers, which is almost the exact replica of a glowing pair of shoes in the 1989 film "Back to the Future II."
As a replica, the 2011 Nike Mag features on its strap a glowing Nike name, which can illuminate up to five hours. The only thing missing, however, is the modern sneakers' ability to lace themselves.
Nike will release 1,500 pairs of the 2011 Nike Mag for auction on eBay. All proceeds will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease research. Fox earned fame as Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" time-travel films. Fox himself wore the glowing shoes during a time travel to the year 2015.
"It hasn't gone unnoted by us that there is something special about that shoe and, of course, the movie," said famed Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield, who helped design the original shoe and worked on the latest version.
"This is the biggest thing that has happened to sneakers since Michael Jordan, hands down," said Matt Halfill, an avid shoe collector who runs the website nicekicks.com and flew from Austin, Texas, to Los Angeles for the unveiling of the shoe on Thursday.
Halfill told the press Nike had contacted him about the release, and he did not think twice about flying.
"Other than the birth of one of my children, I wouldn't have missed this for anything," he said.
Nike decided more than four years ago to create the shoe, but unlike the shoes in the movie, the real-life versions had to be designed for day-to-day use by ordinary humans. Given the technology in the past, the design used in the film required Fox to wear a battery pack with wires running down his pants.
Illuminating Shoes Gained Support
Hatfield told the Associated Press the Nike Mag has been difficult to develop and the electrical systems, which illuminate the shoe for up to five hours, have been one of the most challenging things the company has ever done in footwear.
Nike has also gained support from Google co-founder Sergey Brin and his wife Anne Wojcicki, who have offered to match all donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation up to $50 million through the end of 2012.
"The project is exciting to me because it brings together three very passionate audiences: the Parkinson's community, sneakerheads and 'Back to the Future' fans," Fox said in a statement. "With their support we can accelerate our objective of finding a cure for Parkinson's."
2011年9月8日星期四
At the Old Capitol: Muster at the Museum
In its continuing focus on the Civil War this year, the 150th anniversary of its start, the Old Capitol Museum presents the family- and kids-oriented Muster at the Museum.
It's a chance for children to step into a soldier's shoes and back in time. About 25 Civil War reenactors will be set up on the Old Capitol Green in different stations. Visitors can "enlist" in the Mississippi Militia, be issued a wooden weapon, shown how to set up a tent, how to march and how to fire the gun, and learn campfire games.
"The idea is to give them a feel of what it was like to be a Civil War soldier," museum director Clay Williams said.
There's no age target, or limit. "Anybody who wants to go through this, from a 5-year-old to a 45-year-old, is more than welcome.
"We're looking for any able-bodied person to sign up" at the come-and-go event.
Ready, aim: A couple of cannons will be onsite but they won't be fired. "We don't want to blow out any windows in downtown," Williams said, "but at least they'll be able to see how they were fired."
Some reenactors will fire fake rounds from their weapons.
At the end, visitors will be out of the Army, issued their payment in replica early Mississippi money and mustered out, Williams said.
The event's time frame is right after Mississippi seceded but before the Confederacy began, under the Magnolia flag.
It's a chance for children to step into a soldier's shoes and back in time. About 25 Civil War reenactors will be set up on the Old Capitol Green in different stations. Visitors can "enlist" in the Mississippi Militia, be issued a wooden weapon, shown how to set up a tent, how to march and how to fire the gun, and learn campfire games.
"The idea is to give them a feel of what it was like to be a Civil War soldier," museum director Clay Williams said.
There's no age target, or limit. "Anybody who wants to go through this, from a 5-year-old to a 45-year-old, is more than welcome.
"We're looking for any able-bodied person to sign up" at the come-and-go event.
Ready, aim: A couple of cannons will be onsite but they won't be fired. "We don't want to blow out any windows in downtown," Williams said, "but at least they'll be able to see how they were fired."
Some reenactors will fire fake rounds from their weapons.
At the end, visitors will be out of the Army, issued their payment in replica early Mississippi money and mustered out, Williams said.
The event's time frame is right after Mississippi seceded but before the Confederacy began, under the Magnolia flag.
2011年9月7日星期三
The Prophet’s history at Maimun Palace
The Prophet's history at Maimun Palace
A youth from Aceh, Sayed Ahmad Sabiq, 32, waited for almost a half an hour at the ticket counter of an exhibition in Medan, North Sumatra, recently.With a ticket costing Rp 15,000 (US$1.75), he entered a display room where replicas of various objects used by the Prophet Muhammad were being exhibited.
Display field coordinator Agus Maulidin said the exhibition of replicas of items owned by the Prophet from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, Turkey, was being held in Indonesia's major cities. In Medan, it was held at the Maimun Palace of the Deli Sultanate from Aug. 2 to 29. The exhibition will move to Aceh in October.
In the 20-by-40-meter room, Ahmad Sabiq and other visitors studied duplicates of heirlooms and two replicas that attracted considerable public attention: the sword of the Prophet called Al Qadib and the sword of the Prophet's father, called Al Ma'thur. Both swords were displayed in a glass case in the middle of the room.
After looking around for about an hour, Ahmad Sabiq said he was satisfied. “I'm deeply moved to see the relics of the Prophet Muhammad. I thought such valuable objects could no longer be found. I'm quite satisfied though they're only replicas,” he told The Jakarta Post in mid-August.
Exhibition guide Rio Prasetyo said the display, organized by Pyramid Communication in cooperation with the Indonesian government and the Turkish government, had been held in 22 cities in the country since 2010. “Indonesia has contracted the replicas from the Topkapi Museum of Istanbul to be shown in 30 cities,” Rio said.
Rio said the copies of the items had been made with the permission of three countries: Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq. Of the hundreds of duplicates produced, only 12 replicas were allowed to be displayed in Indonesia.
The 12 comprise six swords of the Prophet Muhammad, a bow and arrows, a pair of sandals of the Prophet, the footprints of the Prophet, a cane of the Prophet and a rod of the Prophet Moses. Rio indicated that of the nine of the Prophet's swords in the Topkapi Museum, only six copies were permitted to be brought to Indonesia, including Al Battar, Al Qadib and Al Ma'thur.
Al Battar is very special because the middle of the sword bears the names of the Prophets who are believed to have held the weapon. Al Battar was first held by the Prophet David, followed later by the Prophets Solomon, Moses, Aaron, Jesus, Zachariah, John and lastly, the Prophet Muhammad. Rio referred to a story saying Al Battar would later be used by Jesus to conquer Dajjal (a being tempting humans to do evil) at the end of times.
Al Qadib was the personal possession of the Prophet Muhammad. The 100-centimeter-long sword was never used by the Prophet for war. Made of titanium, it was the Prophet's sword of grandeur and only used in welcoming guests. Two creeds are written its side.
Al Ma'thur belonged to the Prophet Muhammad's father, Abdullah. The 99-centimeter-long sword was turned over by Abdullah to his son before his designation by Allah SWT as the Rasul or Messenger.
Rio motioned to Moses' 2-meter rod, made from the pukkaha tree. This rod, with the consent of Allah SWT, once turned into a serpent in facing the sorcerers of the Pharaoh. The same rod was later of great service in saving Moses' followers as they were pursued by the Pharoah's army into the Red Sea.
Besides the Moses rod, there was a replica of the Prophet Muhammad’s cane made of date palm wood. This stick, 120 centimeters long, served as a supporting rod when the Prophet departed from Mecca to Medina.
The other exhibits were duplicates of the Prophet Muhammad’s sandals made of camel hide. According to certain histories, the Prophet owned three pairs of sandals his entire life. A copy of the Prophet’s footprints taken from Masjid Aqsa were also on display.
Agus Maulidin pointed out the exhibition was intended to disseminate the idea of the greatness of the Prophet Muhammad’s historic course. He also noted that the event had drawn considerable public interest so far.
“Thank God, 250 to 2,000 people have visited the display on average every month,” Agus said, adding that the largest number of guests was recorded in Bandung, West Java.
A youth from Aceh, Sayed Ahmad Sabiq, 32, waited for almost a half an hour at the ticket counter of an exhibition in Medan, North Sumatra, recently.With a ticket costing Rp 15,000 (US$1.75), he entered a display room where replicas of various objects used by the Prophet Muhammad were being exhibited.
Display field coordinator Agus Maulidin said the exhibition of replicas of items owned by the Prophet from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, Turkey, was being held in Indonesia's major cities. In Medan, it was held at the Maimun Palace of the Deli Sultanate from Aug. 2 to 29. The exhibition will move to Aceh in October.
In the 20-by-40-meter room, Ahmad Sabiq and other visitors studied duplicates of heirlooms and two replicas that attracted considerable public attention: the sword of the Prophet called Al Qadib and the sword of the Prophet's father, called Al Ma'thur. Both swords were displayed in a glass case in the middle of the room.
After looking around for about an hour, Ahmad Sabiq said he was satisfied. “I'm deeply moved to see the relics of the Prophet Muhammad. I thought such valuable objects could no longer be found. I'm quite satisfied though they're only replicas,” he told The Jakarta Post in mid-August.
Exhibition guide Rio Prasetyo said the display, organized by Pyramid Communication in cooperation with the Indonesian government and the Turkish government, had been held in 22 cities in the country since 2010. “Indonesia has contracted the replicas from the Topkapi Museum of Istanbul to be shown in 30 cities,” Rio said.
Rio said the copies of the items had been made with the permission of three countries: Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq. Of the hundreds of duplicates produced, only 12 replicas were allowed to be displayed in Indonesia.
The 12 comprise six swords of the Prophet Muhammad, a bow and arrows, a pair of sandals of the Prophet, the footprints of the Prophet, a cane of the Prophet and a rod of the Prophet Moses. Rio indicated that of the nine of the Prophet's swords in the Topkapi Museum, only six copies were permitted to be brought to Indonesia, including Al Battar, Al Qadib and Al Ma'thur.
Al Battar is very special because the middle of the sword bears the names of the Prophets who are believed to have held the weapon. Al Battar was first held by the Prophet David, followed later by the Prophets Solomon, Moses, Aaron, Jesus, Zachariah, John and lastly, the Prophet Muhammad. Rio referred to a story saying Al Battar would later be used by Jesus to conquer Dajjal (a being tempting humans to do evil) at the end of times.
Al Qadib was the personal possession of the Prophet Muhammad. The 100-centimeter-long sword was never used by the Prophet for war. Made of titanium, it was the Prophet's sword of grandeur and only used in welcoming guests. Two creeds are written its side.
Al Ma'thur belonged to the Prophet Muhammad's father, Abdullah. The 99-centimeter-long sword was turned over by Abdullah to his son before his designation by Allah SWT as the Rasul or Messenger.
Rio motioned to Moses' 2-meter rod, made from the pukkaha tree. This rod, with the consent of Allah SWT, once turned into a serpent in facing the sorcerers of the Pharaoh. The same rod was later of great service in saving Moses' followers as they were pursued by the Pharoah's army into the Red Sea.
Besides the Moses rod, there was a replica of the Prophet Muhammad’s cane made of date palm wood. This stick, 120 centimeters long, served as a supporting rod when the Prophet departed from Mecca to Medina.
The other exhibits were duplicates of the Prophet Muhammad’s sandals made of camel hide. According to certain histories, the Prophet owned three pairs of sandals his entire life. A copy of the Prophet’s footprints taken from Masjid Aqsa were also on display.
Agus Maulidin pointed out the exhibition was intended to disseminate the idea of the greatness of the Prophet Muhammad’s historic course. He also noted that the event had drawn considerable public interest so far.
“Thank God, 250 to 2,000 people have visited the display on average every month,” Agus said, adding that the largest number of guests was recorded in Bandung, West Java.
2011年9月6日星期二
Male order: style swaps.
The woman in your life is colonising large parts of your wardrobe. I don't mean just borrowing your T-shirts and making your jumpers go baggy round the backside (how do they manage it?). I mean actually wearing the sorts of things that were once the preserve of us chaps – only in smaller sizes, sillier colours and, if you're gentlemen's shoemaker Grenson, fashioned on narrower lasts.
The venerable British footwear company makes those chunky brogues which are all the rage with people who roll up their trouser legs too far. In fact they've proved so popular that Grenson has broken with 150 years of tradition and is now making shoes for women. The collection has just launched and is called The Fem Brogue. It even features the Goodyear Welted Soles our grandfathers speak of so lovingly as they watch re-runs of All Creatures Great And Small. Is nothing sacred?
Clearly not. Of course it's decades since we men handed over our trousers to the women, so we should be used to this pilfering by now. After our breeks came our belted macs, our fedoras, our suits and our ties. Marlene Dietrich sported most of those at one time or another. More recently the flat cap (guilty party: Madonna) and even the replica football kit (think of Parminder Nagra in Bend It Like Beckham) have gone the way of the women.
So what's left to us? What hasn't yet been co-opted for use by the distaff side? There's the beard, I suppose. Women like them, on the whole, but not enough to want to grow their own. Same way I feel about runner beans, come to think of it. Other than that, there isn't much.
It's not like we've been given anything in return, either. Sure, we're allowed to use moisturiser these days and for a brief moment in the 1990s it was vaguely acceptable to wear a skirt/sarong on holiday. But I still call this one-way fashion traffic. I still call this being on the losing side.
Or maybe not. Perhaps there is a way of putting a positive spin on all this. After all, while women seem to want the clothes men wear, it doesn't generally work the other way round. Even if I had no fingers on either hand I'd still have enough to count the times I've cast envious glances at a female colleague's cap-sleeved M&S blouse. Perhaps, despite all evidence to the contrary, the balance of fashion power does lie with us. If that's the case, who's wearing the trousers now girls, eh?
The venerable British footwear company makes those chunky brogues which are all the rage with people who roll up their trouser legs too far. In fact they've proved so popular that Grenson has broken with 150 years of tradition and is now making shoes for women. The collection has just launched and is called The Fem Brogue. It even features the Goodyear Welted Soles our grandfathers speak of so lovingly as they watch re-runs of All Creatures Great And Small. Is nothing sacred?
Clearly not. Of course it's decades since we men handed over our trousers to the women, so we should be used to this pilfering by now. After our breeks came our belted macs, our fedoras, our suits and our ties. Marlene Dietrich sported most of those at one time or another. More recently the flat cap (guilty party: Madonna) and even the replica football kit (think of Parminder Nagra in Bend It Like Beckham) have gone the way of the women.
So what's left to us? What hasn't yet been co-opted for use by the distaff side? There's the beard, I suppose. Women like them, on the whole, but not enough to want to grow their own. Same way I feel about runner beans, come to think of it. Other than that, there isn't much.
It's not like we've been given anything in return, either. Sure, we're allowed to use moisturiser these days and for a brief moment in the 1990s it was vaguely acceptable to wear a skirt/sarong on holiday. But I still call this one-way fashion traffic. I still call this being on the losing side.
Or maybe not. Perhaps there is a way of putting a positive spin on all this. After all, while women seem to want the clothes men wear, it doesn't generally work the other way round. Even if I had no fingers on either hand I'd still have enough to count the times I've cast envious glances at a female colleague's cap-sleeved M&S blouse. Perhaps, despite all evidence to the contrary, the balance of fashion power does lie with us. If that's the case, who's wearing the trousers now girls, eh?
2011年9月5日星期一
KATE’S WEDDING DRESS FEVER SET TO RAKE IN £8M
Sales of tickets from fans wanting to get a close-up glimpse of the silk gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen will also give a boost to the charities supported by Prince William and Kate, now the Duchess of Cambridge.
More than 354,000 visitors have flocked to the palace since it opened to the public this year on July 23.
This is up by 20 per cent on last year and a record for the period, said the Royal Collection.
With a month left before the palace closes to visitors on October 3, more than 500,000 are still set to pass through its doors – bringing in a bumper £8million.
Entry for adults is £17.50 and £10 for children under 17.
The star attractions are “that frock” and the Royal Faberge collection.
Also on display is the Cartier “Halo” tiara, lent by The Queen to The Duchess on her wedding day; the wedding shoes, hand-made by the team at Alexander McQueen; the diamond earrings commissioned by the Middleton family as a personal gift to the bride from her parents and a replica of the bridal bouquet.
The display also includes a special exhibition film in which 37-year-old Ms Burton discusses for the first time the creation of the dress.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Collection said: “This year has been our highest to date. The wedding dress has proved very popular.” The wedding cake and three large-scale reproductions of the official wedding photographs have also been a big hit.
Usually all the money from the summer opening goes to the Royal Collection for the maintenance and conservation of the collection.
But this summer’s takings will include a donation to William and Catherine’s wedding charity fund – which has already topped £1million – and will benefit 26 good causes.
The palace was first opened to the public in 1993 to help pay for the £40million restoration costs of Windsor Castle, ravaged by fire in 1992.
It is only open during the summer when The Queen is at her Scottish residence, Balmoral.
The Collection, which charges the public to visit the palace and Windsor Castle and runs the Queen’s gift shops, saw its income rise by £7.3million to £41.7million in the year to April.
Ranges of bone china and tea towels commemorating the wedding on April 29 raised £1,047,000.
A total of 413,000 people visited the palace last summer, surpassed only by the 420,000 in 1994.
2011年9月1日星期四
Area public gardens are beautiful destinations for an early fall getaway
Public gardens are beautiful, educational and the perfect destinations for late summer and early fall trips -- and Northwest Indiana is just the right distance away from some spectacular examples.
Near Buchanan, Michigan, Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve offers glorious gardens surrounded by forest on 105 acres along the scenic St. Joseph River valley. Its trails, art gallery, fern conservatory, nature center, café and gift shop are all enriched by regular classes, workshops, lectures, concerts, trips and special events. Fernwood will be open on Labor Day weekend, and will feature the Railway Garden with its new Roadside Attractions exhibit, Sculpture Fernwood, and Larry Jensen's hand-carved Turning Timbers exhibit. On September 10, live monarchs will be on display, and a local expert will discuss the monarch life cycle and the Monarch Watch tagging program, followed by a Botanical Plant Names program on Sunday, September 11.
The extensive grounds at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island are also worth the trip, with their topiary of galloping horses, an icon of this island where cars have been banned since 1897. It is here that each fall one ton of bulbs are planted -- including 25,000 tulips and 15,000 daffodils. In the spring, more than 125,000 bedding plants are used in creating the many gardens on the Grand Hotel grounds, which includes a fountain and the 500,000-gallon swimming pool used by Esther Williams when filming at the hotel in 1947.
Bordered by the White River which flows through downtown Indianapolis, 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, part of the Indianapolis Art Museum (IMA), is one of the largest museum art parks in the U.S. Designed to present art projects, exhibitions and discussions that will strengthen public knowledge of the reciprocal relationships between contemporary art and the natural world, the park features site-responsive art works. Landscape Journeys, networks of pedestrian paths, lead from its entrance to the inaugural artworks, the Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion and the 100 Acres' many natural features such as a lake, marsh and meadow. 100 Acres abuts to the 54-acre grounds of the IMA, which also features lovely gardens such as the formal and historic gardens centered around the Oldfields-Lilly House & Gardens, a National Historic Landmark. The Oldfields gardens were designed in the 1920s by Perceval Gallagher of Olmsted Brothers, the famed firm that created Central Park in New York.
Cantigny, the 500-acre estate of Colonel Robert McCormick, has something for everyone including a golf course, two restaurants and the 38,000-square-foot First Division Museum at Cantigny, as well as a wonderful mansion filled with antiques. But it's the gardens that most amaze. Given the task of creating an important American garden in 1967, Franz Lipp created the 40-acre Formal Garden, a compilation of 20 plant specific garden areas that give both amateur and professional gardeners creative landscaping ideas. The sites, such as the rose garden and prairie/savannah garden, are so lush and well planted with meandering pathways that Cantigny is often on professional garden tours. But there's plenty for kids to do here too, such as learning activities, family backpack activities and play areas.
Tulip Time in mid-spring, when more than five million tulips bloom, is a popular event in Holland, Michigan. But even after the tulips' bright colors fade away, garden aficionados will still want to visit Windmill Island Gardens, just blocks from the city's historic downtown. A 36-acre delight of blooms, canals and dikes, the island also features costumed interpreters following the pathways that connect the Dutch-style shops selling such goods as wooden shoes, clocks, foods and fudge, and the 249-year-old DeZwaan windmill, one of the few wind-powered gristmills in the country. Alisa Crawford, certified as a journeyman miller from the Netherlands' Professional Cornmillers Association, grinds flour available for purchase. Other attractions include klompen dance performed by girls dressed in folk costumes, layers of socks and wooden shoes, a vintage Amsterdam street organ and an exact replica of a 14th-century wayside inn.
Near Buchanan, Michigan, Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve offers glorious gardens surrounded by forest on 105 acres along the scenic St. Joseph River valley. Its trails, art gallery, fern conservatory, nature center, café and gift shop are all enriched by regular classes, workshops, lectures, concerts, trips and special events. Fernwood will be open on Labor Day weekend, and will feature the Railway Garden with its new Roadside Attractions exhibit, Sculpture Fernwood, and Larry Jensen's hand-carved Turning Timbers exhibit. On September 10, live monarchs will be on display, and a local expert will discuss the monarch life cycle and the Monarch Watch tagging program, followed by a Botanical Plant Names program on Sunday, September 11.
The extensive grounds at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island are also worth the trip, with their topiary of galloping horses, an icon of this island where cars have been banned since 1897. It is here that each fall one ton of bulbs are planted -- including 25,000 tulips and 15,000 daffodils. In the spring, more than 125,000 bedding plants are used in creating the many gardens on the Grand Hotel grounds, which includes a fountain and the 500,000-gallon swimming pool used by Esther Williams when filming at the hotel in 1947.
Bordered by the White River which flows through downtown Indianapolis, 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, part of the Indianapolis Art Museum (IMA), is one of the largest museum art parks in the U.S. Designed to present art projects, exhibitions and discussions that will strengthen public knowledge of the reciprocal relationships between contemporary art and the natural world, the park features site-responsive art works. Landscape Journeys, networks of pedestrian paths, lead from its entrance to the inaugural artworks, the Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion and the 100 Acres' many natural features such as a lake, marsh and meadow. 100 Acres abuts to the 54-acre grounds of the IMA, which also features lovely gardens such as the formal and historic gardens centered around the Oldfields-Lilly House & Gardens, a National Historic Landmark. The Oldfields gardens were designed in the 1920s by Perceval Gallagher of Olmsted Brothers, the famed firm that created Central Park in New York.
Cantigny, the 500-acre estate of Colonel Robert McCormick, has something for everyone including a golf course, two restaurants and the 38,000-square-foot First Division Museum at Cantigny, as well as a wonderful mansion filled with antiques. But it's the gardens that most amaze. Given the task of creating an important American garden in 1967, Franz Lipp created the 40-acre Formal Garden, a compilation of 20 plant specific garden areas that give both amateur and professional gardeners creative landscaping ideas. The sites, such as the rose garden and prairie/savannah garden, are so lush and well planted with meandering pathways that Cantigny is often on professional garden tours. But there's plenty for kids to do here too, such as learning activities, family backpack activities and play areas.
Tulip Time in mid-spring, when more than five million tulips bloom, is a popular event in Holland, Michigan. But even after the tulips' bright colors fade away, garden aficionados will still want to visit Windmill Island Gardens, just blocks from the city's historic downtown. A 36-acre delight of blooms, canals and dikes, the island also features costumed interpreters following the pathways that connect the Dutch-style shops selling such goods as wooden shoes, clocks, foods and fudge, and the 249-year-old DeZwaan windmill, one of the few wind-powered gristmills in the country. Alisa Crawford, certified as a journeyman miller from the Netherlands' Professional Cornmillers Association, grinds flour available for purchase. Other attractions include klompen dance performed by girls dressed in folk costumes, layers of socks and wooden shoes, a vintage Amsterdam street organ and an exact replica of a 14th-century wayside inn.
Area public gardens are beautiful destinations for an early fall getaway
Public gardens are beautiful, educational and the perfect destinations for late summer and early fall trips -- and Northwest Indiana is just the right distance away from some spectacular examples.
Near Buchanan, Michigan, Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve offers glorious gardens surrounded by forest on 105 acres along the scenic St. Joseph River valley. Its trails, art gallery, fern conservatory, nature center, café and gift shop are all enriched by regular classes, workshops, lectures, concerts, trips and special events. Fernwood will be open on Labor Day weekend, and will feature the Railway Garden with its new Roadside Attractions exhibit, Sculpture Fernwood, and Larry Jensen's hand-carved Turning Timbers exhibit. On September 10, live monarchs will be on display, and a local expert will discuss the monarch life cycle and the Monarch Watch tagging program, followed by a Botanical Plant Names program on Sunday, September 11.
The extensive grounds at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island are also worth the trip, with their topiary of galloping horses, an icon of this island where cars have been banned since 1897. It is here that each fall one ton of bulbs are planted -- including 25,000 tulips and 15,000 daffodils. In the spring, more than 125,000 bedding plants are used in creating the many gardens on the Grand Hotel grounds, which includes a fountain and the 500,000-gallon swimming pool used by Esther Williams when filming at the hotel in 1947.
Bordered by the White River which flows through downtown Indianapolis, 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, part of the Indianapolis Art Museum (IMA), is one of the largest museum art parks in the U.S. Designed to present art projects, exhibitions and discussions that will strengthen public knowledge of the reciprocal relationships between contemporary art and the natural world, the park features site-responsive art works. Landscape Journeys, networks of pedestrian paths, lead from its entrance to the inaugural artworks, the Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion and the 100 Acres' many natural features such as a lake, marsh and meadow. 100 Acres abuts to the 54-acre grounds of the IMA, which also features lovely gardens such as the formal and historic gardens centered around the Oldfields-Lilly House & Gardens, a National Historic Landmark. The Oldfields gardens were designed in the 1920s by Perceval Gallagher of Olmsted Brothers, the famed firm that created Central Park in New York.
Cantigny, the 500-acre estate of Colonel Robert McCormick, has something for everyone including a golf course, two restaurants and the 38,000-square-foot First Division Museum at Cantigny, as well as a wonderful mansion filled with antiques. But it's the gardens that most amaze. Given the task of creating an important American garden in 1967, Franz Lipp created the 40-acre Formal Garden, a compilation of 20 plant specific garden areas that give both amateur and professional gardeners creative landscaping ideas. The sites, such as the rose garden and prairie/savannah garden, are so lush and well planted with meandering pathways that Cantigny is often on professional garden tours. But there's plenty for kids to do here too, such as learning activities, family backpack activities and play areas.
Tulip Time in mid-spring, when more than five million tulips bloom, is a popular event in Holland, Michigan. But even after the tulips' bright colors fade away, garden aficionados will still want to visit Windmill Island Gardens, just blocks from the city's historic downtown. A 36-acre delight of blooms, canals and dikes, the island also features costumed interpreters following the pathways that connect the Dutch-style shops selling such goods as wooden shoes, clocks, foods and fudge, and the 249-year-old DeZwaan windmill, one of the few wind-powered gristmills in the country. Alisa Crawford, certified as a journeyman miller from the Netherlands' Professional Cornmillers Association, grinds flour available for purchase. Other attractions include klompen dance performed by girls dressed in folk costumes, layers of socks and wooden shoes, a vintage Amsterdam street organ and an exact replica of a 14th-century wayside inn.
Near Buchanan, Michigan, Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve offers glorious gardens surrounded by forest on 105 acres along the scenic St. Joseph River valley. Its trails, art gallery, fern conservatory, nature center, café and gift shop are all enriched by regular classes, workshops, lectures, concerts, trips and special events. Fernwood will be open on Labor Day weekend, and will feature the Railway Garden with its new Roadside Attractions exhibit, Sculpture Fernwood, and Larry Jensen's hand-carved Turning Timbers exhibit. On September 10, live monarchs will be on display, and a local expert will discuss the monarch life cycle and the Monarch Watch tagging program, followed by a Botanical Plant Names program on Sunday, September 11.
The extensive grounds at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island are also worth the trip, with their topiary of galloping horses, an icon of this island where cars have been banned since 1897. It is here that each fall one ton of bulbs are planted -- including 25,000 tulips and 15,000 daffodils. In the spring, more than 125,000 bedding plants are used in creating the many gardens on the Grand Hotel grounds, which includes a fountain and the 500,000-gallon swimming pool used by Esther Williams when filming at the hotel in 1947.
Bordered by the White River which flows through downtown Indianapolis, 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, part of the Indianapolis Art Museum (IMA), is one of the largest museum art parks in the U.S. Designed to present art projects, exhibitions and discussions that will strengthen public knowledge of the reciprocal relationships between contemporary art and the natural world, the park features site-responsive art works. Landscape Journeys, networks of pedestrian paths, lead from its entrance to the inaugural artworks, the Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion and the 100 Acres' many natural features such as a lake, marsh and meadow. 100 Acres abuts to the 54-acre grounds of the IMA, which also features lovely gardens such as the formal and historic gardens centered around the Oldfields-Lilly House & Gardens, a National Historic Landmark. The Oldfields gardens were designed in the 1920s by Perceval Gallagher of Olmsted Brothers, the famed firm that created Central Park in New York.
Cantigny, the 500-acre estate of Colonel Robert McCormick, has something for everyone including a golf course, two restaurants and the 38,000-square-foot First Division Museum at Cantigny, as well as a wonderful mansion filled with antiques. But it's the gardens that most amaze. Given the task of creating an important American garden in 1967, Franz Lipp created the 40-acre Formal Garden, a compilation of 20 plant specific garden areas that give both amateur and professional gardeners creative landscaping ideas. The sites, such as the rose garden and prairie/savannah garden, are so lush and well planted with meandering pathways that Cantigny is often on professional garden tours. But there's plenty for kids to do here too, such as learning activities, family backpack activities and play areas.
Tulip Time in mid-spring, when more than five million tulips bloom, is a popular event in Holland, Michigan. But even after the tulips' bright colors fade away, garden aficionados will still want to visit Windmill Island Gardens, just blocks from the city's historic downtown. A 36-acre delight of blooms, canals and dikes, the island also features costumed interpreters following the pathways that connect the Dutch-style shops selling such goods as wooden shoes, clocks, foods and fudge, and the 249-year-old DeZwaan windmill, one of the few wind-powered gristmills in the country. Alisa Crawford, certified as a journeyman miller from the Netherlands' Professional Cornmillers Association, grinds flour available for purchase. Other attractions include klompen dance performed by girls dressed in folk costumes, layers of socks and wooden shoes, a vintage Amsterdam street organ and an exact replica of a 14th-century wayside inn.
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