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Hospice patients in Staffordshire went on virtual trips to the countryside, both in Britain and abroad
“What I can see is something I’m never going to do in real life again, I’m never going to go to the Peak District again, I’m never going up a mountain. So this helps me to feel like I am.” Patient at Katharine House Hospice
A project to provide terminally ill patients with virtual reality (VR) field outings to places like the Peak District, Scotland and Thailand has been a “huge success”, with all participants reporting that the experience made them feel happier.
Ben Malone wanted to provide evidence that a virtual field trip could have “a positive effect on mental health and wellbeing”, so he teamed up with Keele University and the NHS Midlands Partnership NHS to create Project Vae. It received £9,960 from the National Lottery Community Fund, which was used to purchase equipment and to create some of the experiences.
During the pilot project, which ran for seven weeks, eight patients and three partners at the Katharine House Hospice (KHH) in Staffordshire wore VR headsets to pay virtual visits to six different locations: Germany, Scotland, Cornwall, the Peak District, Liverpool Albert Dock and Thailand. The participants filled out a question at the beginning and end of the study, and all reported improved feelings of wellness and happiness.
Malone told Health Tech World that one couple were so excited about their virtual trip to Cornwall, that they showed up in summer hats, sunglasses and even towels: “This for me, was such a wholesome and heartwarming moment, to see two people so excited to experience one of the videos that they made the effort to get dressed up, meant a great deal to me.”
Comments from the patients were overwhelmingly positive. One said: “What I can see is something I’m never going to do in real life again, I’m never going to go to the Peak District again, I’m never going up a mountain. So this helps me to feel like I am.”
He added that Malone had “brought something into my life that I never had. I’ve been touched by the happiness of being up there, and being in those places.”
Malone himself described the project as “one of the best seven weeks of my life, to have something I had worked towards for so long, not only work, but have such a profound effect on the participants, meant everything to me.”
He plans to make the VR platform commercially available in 2023. Care institutions will be able to purchase a hardware bundle and then pay a monthly or annual fee to access the VAE app, with its library of VR experiences. Care staff will be able to control the VR headsets remotely. It also allows for simultaneous and synchronised playback across multiple devices.
Malone said he thought VR could help people in “loads of different ways”, adding: “There are so many potential use cases for VR with elderly and vulnerable people. Genuinely, the opportunities are endless.”
Although this is a small study, the results were overwhelmingly positive. Virtual reality is a technology that shows a lot of untapped potential for therapeutic use with people experiencing mental ill-health, and research has shown that it can alleviate symptoms in patients with conditions such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. As with all new technologies, we have to be careful not to be carried away by the hype, and recognise that VR cannot completely replace traditional treatment such as medication and talking therapies. But it certainly seems likely that the technology can offer benefits when used alongside those treatments.


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It’s hard to budget. Adulting in general is tough and when you’re in a partnership, transitioning from two people each with their own income into parents, it’s not an easy transition. The maternity leave in the United States is terrible, most people will tell you, And unpaid mat leave makes it even more challenging. You need time to be able to rest and heal from pregnancy, labor and birth. And to bond with your baby takes time too and the last thing you need to be worried about is your job and paying bills. Going back to work before you’re even physically ready (some people get more time off for other ailments) is not cool.
Well, hopefully while you are doing the planning and making those decisions your partner is in your corner. That they will help ease the transition into motherhood for you — as you do for them. And on top of that, that they are supportive and insistent on you healing, resting, and bonding with your baby.
Hopefully — that is what is going on. But it’s not always as we discovered.
One dad has come under fire as his wife shared details on their maternity leave problem. He, who according to her, makes enough money to cover her unpaid mat leave… but he is still insisting she cover her half.

domain: sociology


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WASHINGTON, June 9, 2014 – In a blog post on Friday, AT&T gave its assurance that paid prioritization was not part of the telecommnications gianits plans. “Not a single [internet service provider] has asserted a desire or right to engage in any of these practices to create ‘fast lanes and slow lanes.’ AT&T certainly has…
WASHINGTON, November 25, 2009 – The rhetoric surrounding whether the Federal Communications Commission should move forward with rules to regulate internet access to support the principle of network neutrality took on new legs this week when a government official – a former top policy official at Google – conflated net neutrality, free speech and anti-government censorship in the same discussion.
It comes at a time that the FCC has already moved away from the controversial term “network neutrality” to focus instead on the importance of ensuring that an “open internet” exists going forward.
SAN JOSE, November 7 – Emboldened by their summertime victory against Comcast, advocates of network neutrality said Thursday that the next front in battle for the principle would be against wireless carriers who make “unreasonable” network management decisions.
WASHINGTON, August 1 – The Federal Communication Commission’s enforcement action against Comcast can be seen either as a limited response to a company’s deceptive practices, or a sweeping new venture by the agency into regulating internet policy.
June 24 – Communications Workers of America has claimed credit for the Federal Communications Commission’s recent order requiring broadband companies to provide the FCC with more information — but it has ignored the fact that consumers won’t be able to make use of this information.
Question and answer from the Broadband Policy Summit IV about congressional consideration of various broadband data mapping bill, including the Broadband Census of America Act by Rep. Ed. Markey, D-Mass.

domain: politics


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Baked Peanut Butter Banana Donuts with Chocolate Peanut Butter Glaze (Gluten Free + Vegan)
These Peanut Butter Banana Donuts have a dark chocolate glaze topped with a drizzle of peanut butter! They’re baked instead of fried, and they are gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan, making them way healthier than your average donut.
It’s donut time!!! But first: I have a little confession to make. Not to rain on the donut parade or anything….but donuts aren’t really my favorite thing.
They definitely used to be though. When I was a kid, I was a firm believer in junk food. My parents divorced when I was four, and let’s just say my dad didn’t exactly feed my sister and I the healthiest of foods, opting to buy us pretty much whatever we wanted from the grocery store. It usually ended with a lot of candy (like, two of those big Red Vines containers at a time) and Smart Ones frozen dinners.
One day, on a mission to get me to eat anything healthy, my dad inquired about my favorite nut, presumably hoping to get a little protein in me. My serious six year old response after a moment of deep thought? “Donuts!!!”
But of course. The only nut of choice for a sugar-loving 6 year old. I had a particular favorite though, from the donut shop down the street. It was HUUUGE, like definitely bigger than my child-sized head…in fact, it’s probably bigger than my current-sized head. I would usually opt for the chocolate glazed, and end up with more of it on my face than in my mouth. Oh, childhood.
Maybe it was binging on those huge donuts for so many years, but somewhere along the way, I stopped being a big fan. Most days, I’ll pick a croissant or muffin over a donut, craving something a little less sweet and less deep-fried for my breakfast pastry.
Baked donuts, though? They’re starting to change my tune. I have a few donut recipes on the site – like these majorly swoon-worthy Pumpkin Baked Donuts that are FILLED WITH DULCE DE LECHE and the cutest little baked chocolate donuts you ever did see. So, when I spotted my donut pan and mini donut pan hiding in my pile of pans, I decided it was time to rekindle my love of donuts – but a little healthier this time.
Bananas and peanut butter are one of my favorite combos in the food world (mostly because peanut butter has my heart), and so it seemed only natural to make peanut butter banana donuts! Bonus: they’re also gluten-free and vegan and have NO refined sugars.
The banana does a wonderful job of replacing the moisture and binding power an egg would typically bring to a recipe, similarly to how it does in my favorite vegan blueberry muffins. It also adds some sweetness, so you only need a couple tablespoons of maple syrup to make these sweet enough. Honey can also be used, if you’re not worried about keeping these vegan.
Coconut flour is the flour of choice here because it plays really nicely with the loads of peanut butter used, and you just need a little bit to tighten up the batter. Unfortunately, since coconut flour is so uniquely absorbent, it’s the only flour I’d recommend using in this recipe.
I baked some of the donuts in my bigger donut pan and they were totally good, but I definitely preferred the ones baked in the mini donut pan…mostly because the glaze:donut ratio was on point. The glaze is super simple – just a little dark chocolate melted with some coconut oil, and the peanut butter drizzle is just peanut butter and coconut oil. The coconut oil helps the chocolate and peanut butter set into a glaze at cooler temps.
The mini donuts were also easier to dip and deal with, which is also a bonus. And they’re mini, so they’re automatically cuter. Win win win! Time to get some peanut butter banana donuts in your mouth – happy baking, my friends!
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Remember to #bakerita if you try the recipe!Print
Peanut Butter Banana Donuts with Chocolate Peanut Butter Glaze (Gluten Free + Vegan)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 large donuts 1x
- Category: Dessert
- ⅓ cup coconut oil (melted)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 large banana (mashed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (192g) creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons (24g) coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the glaze
- 3 oz. dark chocolate (either chunks or chips (make sure it’s dairy-free to keep vegan))
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil (divided)
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a donut pan or mini donut pan with coconut oil.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the coconut oil, maple syrup, banana, vanilla extract, and creamy peanut butter and whisk until smooth. Add in the coconut flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until completely combined. Let the batter sit for a minute or two to let the coconut flour absorb.
- Spoon the batter into a zipper bag. Snip the corner and pipe the batter into the donut molds in the prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 10-12 minutes for large donuts, or 5 minutes for the mini donuts. Let cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
- For the chocolate glaze, combine the dark chocolate and 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a small microwavable bowl, large enough to dip the donuts in. Heat in 20 second increments, stirring between each, until completely smooth and melted. Carefully dip the smooth side of the donut into the chocolate and remove from the chocolate using two forks – be very careful they don’t crumble! Place on a cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath to catch drips.
- For the peanut butter drizzle, melt together the peanut butter and 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a microwaveable bowl for about 30 seconds or until the oil is melted. Whisk together and then scrape the peanut butter into a small zipper bag. Snip the corner and drizzle over the chocolate glazed donuts. Let stand for at least 30 minutes to let the chocolate and peanut butter set.
- These taste best the day they are made. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you are without a donut pan and don’t want to buy one for these, use a mini muffin pan instead!
Recipe adapted from RachLmansfield‘s Almond Butter Cup Donuts
Craving more peanut butter banana goodness? Check out these recipes:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (Gluten Free + Refined Sugar Free)
- Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bake (Gluten Free)
- Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Pancakes
- Peanut Butter + Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches (Gluten Free + Vegan)
They look absolutely amazing, I love homemade donuts:)
These look soooo good AND they’re vegan! I need to get me a doughnut pan!
Yes you do! Thanks so much, Kelly.
Wow these look amazing, and so impressed with the ingredients list too!
Peanut butter donuts? Oh yes, please! I’ll trade you some of my chickpea donuts for these!
Sounds like a good deal to me! ;)
The best donuts for me are baked because I feel so much better about eating them! These look delicious with the peanut butter, chocolate, AND banana! Everyone in my house would love these. :)
Baked is definitely better – because you can have two! Haha :D thanks, Marcie!
That certainly sounds like something my 6-year old sister would say too! Too funny and I love it. ;) ALMOST as much as I love these donuts. I mean, that GLAZE and the fact that they’re healthified?? So down for these!!
Haha, thanks Sarah!!
The most perfect combo! These look divine. And I think they would be perfect with coffee !
They definitely would be! Thanks, Ann.
Hi Rachel! These look amazing. I am always on the hunt for recipes that use coconut flour! I have a huge stash in my pantry, but never quite know what to do with it. Thanks for the recipe :)
Thanks so much – I hope you love them, Laurel! A little bit of coconut flour goes a loooong way, so I definitely know what you mean, haha.
These donuts are GORGEOUS-I lovelovelooooove ’em!
Oh wow!! I made these and as usual with Rachel’s recipes, they are absolutely fantastic!! My boyfriend and father, who both complain about anything ‘healthy’, loved these and were genuinely shocked that they did :) These are amazing when warm but I noticed they crumbled very easily. After sitting in the fridge for a few hours, the texture firmed up and they can be easily held and eaten that way. The flavor is also wonderful even when cold! There is none of that gross after-taste you get when eating store bought or chain donuts, because there are no disgusting chemical ingredients in these. Make these donuts, they are easy and so worth it!! Thank you again Rachel!
I’m so happy to hear you and your family all loved the donuts, SK! Thanks for your kind words and sharing your experience with me. :)
Donuts are so fun!! And of course you couldn’t have gone with a better flavor combo. These look absolutely amazing. I bought a donut pan last year and I’ve used it like crazy ever since!
Holy Moly those look amazing!!
Can I use regular flour instead of coconut?
Hi Danielle, unfortunately coconut flour is super unique because it’s much more absorbent than other flours, and no other flour performs the same way. You can’t substitute any other flour in this recipe and have it work the same way. Thankfully…coconut flour is pretty cheap and a little bit goes a LONG way. I’d say it’s worth the investment :)
These look amazing! I can’t wait to try them! Do you, or can you, use natural peanut butter?
Hi Laura – I always use 100% natural peanut butter.
Hi Rachel, stumbled upon your recipe and tried making it. Wound up getting it out of the oven but every time I tried to take the donuts out of the pan, they would break or crumble, they didn’t stay together at all. I followed the instructions and ingredients exactly, would you have anything in mind that went wrong?
Hi Elizabeth, sorry you’re having trouble! The donuts are fairly fragile, but they shouldn’t be falling apart so much – did you make sure the pan was well-greased? They also need to be completely cool before taking them out, or they’ll definitely fall apart. Hope they’re still tasty, sorry for your troubles!
My dough ended up separating like crazy when I put it in the bag to pipe it into the pan. There was oil squirting out all over the place! I wonder if it’s because my peanut butter is the kind that needs refrigerated or the oil will separate? It was a mess! It also meant I couldn’t pipe it in one circle, which meant they fell apart easily because they had breaks in the circle, too. Second batch I did press it into the pan after piping it in, which meant they were more dense and flat, but they held together better without the big cracks. Loved the idea but it definitely didn’t work!
Hi Kristine, did you make sure your peanut butter was super smooth and not too oily? The batter definitely shouldn’t have been separated to begin with – it sounds like it was too oily for some reason. If you used the super oily peanut butter that wasn’t adequately stirred, that could’ve caused the problem. Not sure what you mean by the batter “breaking” either – was it because of the oil too? Let me know if there are any questions I can help answer – without having all the info or being in the kitchen with you, it’s hard for me to know what went wrong.
I am so excited that I found a recipe using coconut flour!
I made these today and they are delicious. The inside of the donut is still a little raw, but it isn’t unpleasant. I baked them for at least 12 minutes (mini donut pan). I used a crunchy peanut butter, and I’ll try them again with a smooth and see if that makes any difference to the texture. Also, my banana wasn’t over-ripe – i just couldn’t wait a few days to try this recipe – and the banana flavour is overpowered by the peanuts.
Hi Keira, glad you’re enjoying them! Having a ripe banana definitely makes the banana flavor come through more and makes a pretty big difference.

domain: food


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U.S. Small Business Administration
Guaranteed 3.215% Debenture
Participation Certificates, Series SBIC 2010-10 B
Small Business Investment Companies
The Certificates represent fractional undivided interests in a pool of debentures which will be issued, simultaneously with the Certificates, by small business investment companies licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, an independent agency of the United States.
The Certificates are issued by SBA, through its agent The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee.
acceptable for purchase by and as security for advances to member banks of the Federal Reserve System; and
eligible as security for the deposit of public monies of the United States and as collateral for Treasury Tax and Loan Accounts.
Each debenture in the Pool is subject to Optional Prepayment, in whole but not in part, at the option of an SBIC on any Payment Date on or after March 1, 2011, at a prepayment price of 100% of the principal amount of the debenture, together with accrued interest. See “Optional Prepayment of Debentures.”
An Acceleration Event with respect to a debenture in the Pool will occur upon an event of default and transfer of the SBIC into liquidation status by SBA. Upon an Acceleration Event, pursuant to its Guarantee, SBA will make a payment of 100% of the principal amount of a debenture in the Pool, together with interest accrued to the Payment Date next following an Acceleration Event. See “Acceleration of Debentures.”

domain: law


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Atlantis saving power in case of longer stay
CAPE CANAVERAL - Cameras, computer laptops and some lights on space shuttle Atlantis were turned off Thursday to save energy in case it needs to stay an extra day at the international space station to help maintain the outpost's orientation.
Engineers continued to study why the Russian computers which control orientation and oxygen production at the space station failed Tuesday.
While Atlantis is still docked, its thrusters can help, if needed, to maintain the station's position while computers are down. Gyroscopes on the U.S. side of the space station also were helping maintain orientation, but they can't do the job full time.
Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, called the chances of abandoning the space station because of the computer problem "remote."
"We're still a long way from where we would have to de-man the space station," Gerstenmaier said.
Currently, there are seven visiting space shuttle astronauts and three crew members living at the space station, which is operated primarily by the Russian and U.S. space agencies, with contributions from the Canada, Europe and Japan.
Atlantis and its seven astronauts are slated to leave Tuesday, but NASA managers were considering adding a day at the space station to give engineers more time to figure out the problem with the Russian computers. The mission had already been extended from 11 to 13 days to repair a thermal blanket that peeled during launch.
"It will not be quick, unless we get lucky right away and find the problem," Gerstenmaier said.
This type of massive computer failure had never been seen before on the space station, although individual computers do fail periodically.
"These sorts of things happen," said astronaut Ed Lu, who lived at the space station for six months in 2003. "I don't think it's that serious."
The addition of a solar array to the space station might be a cause, Gerstenmaier said. Other possibilities include electromagnetic interference and a software problem.
A new array was unfolded outside the station Tuesday to help provide power, and astronauts spent Wednesday hooking up a joint that will let the arrays track the sun.
Flight controller and astronauts continued Thursday to fold an old solar wing which will be relocated later this year.
Astronauts going on the mission's third spacewalk today may try to help shake loose some of the stuck wires on the 115-foot solar wing.
The spacewalking astronauts also will repair a torn thermal blanket on Atlantis, located over an engine pod near the shuttle's tail.
NASA has focused intensely on any problems that could jeopardize a shuttle's re-entry into Earth's atmosphere since shuttle damage resulted in the 2003 Columbia disaster that killed seven astronauts.

domain: news


Bruce Willis' Wife Tells Paparazzi to "Give Him His Space" in Emotional Plea
The star's family recently revealed that he's been diagnosed with dementia.
His family recently revealed that he has been diagnosed with dementia, and now, Bruce Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, is pleading with paparazzi to give him some privacy during this difficult time. In a video posted to Instagram on Saturday, March 4, Heming Willis explains that the actor has to be given space when he is out in public, not just because he deserves privacy, but also because she fears for his safety and wellbeing. Read on to see what else she shared about her husband and what she had to say to the paparazzi and fans who accost him in the emotional message.
Willis has frontotemporal dementia.
On Feb. 16, Willis' family—Heming Willis, ex-wife Demi Moore, and his five daughters—released a statement in which they shared with the public that the actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
"Frontotemporal dementia is an umbrella term for a group of brain disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain," explains the Mayo Clinic. "These areas of the brain are generally associated with personality, behavior and language."
In March 2022, the family had shared that Willis was diagnosed with aphasia, which affects how one communicates.
"Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces," the family's latest statement reads. "While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis."
Heming Willis opened up about being a caregiver.
In her Instagram video, Heming Willis says that she aims to spread awareness about the condition and about the struggles of being a caregiver for someone with the disorder.
"In service of raising awareness around dementia, because that is my goal, if you are someone that is looking after someone with dementia, you know how difficult and stressful it can be to get someone out into the world and just to navigate them safely—even just to get a cup of coffee," Heming Willis says.
In the caption of the video, she also asks those with experience for "any tips or advice on how to get your loved ones out in the world safely."
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She asked paparazzi for space.
Heming Willis gets choked up in the Instagram post when she mentions seeing headlines and a video of Willis out getting coffee with friends, who she says "did a stand-up job with protecting him."
The model and entrepreneur continues, "It's clear that there's still a lot of education that needs to be put forth. So this one is going out to the photographers and the video people that are trying to get those exclusives of my husband out and about: Just keep your space. I know this is your job, but maybe just keep your space."
Heming Willis also asks that the "video people" don't yell at Willis. "Please don't be yelling at my husband asking him how he's doing or whatever, the woohoo-ing and the yippee ki-yays, just don't do it, OK?" she continues. "Give him his space. Allow for our family or whoever's with him that day to be able to get him from point A to point B safely. That's my PSA."
The family are getting help from a dementia expert.
Following the announcement of Willis' diagnosis, Heming Willis shared another post in which she talked about getting support from dementia specialist Teepa Snow.
"I'm grateful I had the opportunity to work with @teepasnows_pac who has helped me add to my dementia care toolbox," Heming Willis wrote on Instagram. "She's a loving, compassionate and skilled leader in this space who navigates herself with pure empathy. She's a gift." The 44-year-old also shared a link to more information about Snow for other caregivers who might be interested in her expertise.
Snow commented on the post, "@emmahemingwillis has done an absolutely remarkable job of providing the right support for Bruce as his abilities have changed and created a place space and life that continues to provide him with what he needs to live well. Frontal temporal dementia is never easy but with the right programming and support, it truly is possible to continue living life."


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September 30, 2022
Out Now: Richard Marx’s 4-Part New LP ‘Songwriter’ — ft. Burt Bacharach, Taylor Hawkins and More (Listen)
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Out Now: Sammy Hagar & the Circle Howl for Rock and Roll with Energetic New Album, ‘Crazy Times’ (Listen/Buy)
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Out Now: Stream The Cowsills’ ‘Rhythm of the World,’ Singing Group’s First New Album in Nearly 30 Years
September 30, 2022
Out Now: Classically Quirky and Adventurous, Pixies Strike a Compelling Chord with New Album ‘Doggerel’ (Listen)
September 30, 2022
Out Now: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Shake Off the Dust with ‘Cool It Down,’ First New Album Since 2013 (Listen/Tour)
September 30, 2022
Out Now: Daryl Hall & John Oates Revisit 2003’s ‘Do It For Love’ for First Vinyl Release (Pick Up a Copy)
September 29, 2022
Recap: Gorillaz’ Fall Tour is a Must-See for Anyone Ever Enraptured with Damon Albarn’s ‘Visual Band’ Project
September 29, 2022
Muse Details ‘Will of the People’ 2023 North American Tour with Special Guest Evanescence; New Album Out Now
September 29, 2022
Arctic Monkeys Share “Body Paint” from New Album ‘The Car’ Coming 10/21 (Watch Video/Pre-Order)
September 29, 2022
Rest in Peace, Hip-Hop Star and 1990s Pop Culture Icon Coolio: 1963-2022
‘Bleeding Audio: The Rise and Fall of the Matches’: Filmmaker Chelsea Christer and Bassist Justin SanSouci on Revealing New Doc About the Mid-2000s Music Industry
The Matches are a four-piece band out of Northern California that emerged in the early 2000s with an offbeat style of pop/punk that landed them a deal with Epitaph Records and numerous tours around the world.
After catching the attention of the Vans Warped Tour scene of the era, the band’s momentum seemed unstoppable. The quartet pounded the pavement on national tours supporting major acts, attaining the respect of A-list icons in the music world and a passionate throng of fans reaching as far to Australia.
Surely Shawn Harris (vox/guitars), Jon Devoto (guitars), Justin SanSouci (bass) and Matt Whalen (drums) were destined to become “More Than Local Boys” on their path to superstardom … right?
As you can probably guess, that’s not quite what happened.
Bleeding Audio: The Rise and Fall of the Matches is a new documentary film from director Chelsea Christer that pulls no punches in detailing why and how the Matches were unable to attain those lofty ambitions, despite a unique creative arc and the respect of several big-name luminaries in the then-exploding emo/punk scene. It’s a bittersweet look at a band that can definitely be considered a “success,” despite their full potential being limited due to various road blocks put in place both internally and because of the music industry as a whole.
Whether you cut your teeth in the sweaty intimacy of iMusicast in Oakland with the Matches in the early days, caught an attention-grabbing Warped Tour set or maybe even never heard of them before stumbling upon Bleeding Audio on a streaming service, the doc does a masterful job contextualizing everything about the group. Theirs is a story of the mid-2000s music industry and its pitfalls, a cautionary tale of a hungry young band with their eyes on the prize … but missing the proper tools in place to make those dreams fully realized.
Get an inside look at the film in an interview with Christer and SanSouci about Bleeding Audio and what the documentary seeks to reveal to audiences with its honest, open and, at times, frustrating look at the Matches’ journey.
The film will be released on Blu-ray on June 21, and is available to rent or purchase via various streaming services now.
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Rock Cellar: Feedback about the film I’ve seen so far is a lot of that, “I’d never heard of the Matches before seeing this movie, and now I can’t get enough of their music!” That seems perfect, because I imagine part of what made the process of making this movie take as long as it did was crafting a story that would appeal to those familiar with the Matches, but also those who’d never heard of them.
Chelsea Christer: Yeah. When I started working on this film and I was trying to find people to invest in it, people were like, “Who are the Matches, and why do I care?” That was a lot of the pushback I got. “Why are you making a feature doc about a band nobody’s heard of?”
And I’d try and detail more about their story and explain that this is, one, a tried-and-true story, but two, something that is compelling. They’re great characters. That was my challenge early on, just trying to get the film any kind of funding. In the storytelling process, I knew that no matter what we’d have Matches fans clued-in because they’re so loyal and dedicated, but also because they are genuinely interested. And so for me, the thought was, “How do I construct this narrative in a way that allows a general audience to meet these guys for the first time and fall in love with them, like their fans did?” When I filled out my crew, who helped edit the film and produce the film, I made sure that they were all not Matches fans or had no idea who the Matches were, because I thought if I can get these collaborators to fall in love with this band and want to tell their story, and be my objective participants, then I’ll be able to have a film that’s more interesting for a general audience. And that’s what I feel we succeeded at.
Rock Cellar: It probably was a benefit, like you said, to have people that weren’t necessarily from the Bay Area and not necessarily aware of the music scene of the era. I’ve never made a feature-length documentary, but I imagine having the objectivity there is crucial. Even if you’re trying to paint a picture like … “this band kind of got a raw deal, it was partly due to their own decisions, partly not. Some parts of the music industry kind of sucked back then,” it shows what happened and how it went off the rails in certain ways, but from the perspective of a bigger picture.
Chelsea Christer: Oh, absolutely. And what was great about the objective tone is I got to have people push back on me when they’d say things like, “Hey, that’s too inside baseball. That’s something that’s a little too niche. I don’t know, I’m not interested by it.” Alternatively, on the other side, I’d be like, “Oh, I think the fact that they make their own artwork is a critical part of the story,” something that was originally pushed back against. It was like, “Oh, well why does that matter?” And then I’d be able to say, “Well, especially in that DIY scene, you know, most bands make their own artwork in the early days and then eventually develop and collaborate. The Matches did collaborate with people like Emilee Seymour and a few other artists, but for the most part it was always Shawn and Justin at the core, Shawn in particular. Inside knowledge like that was something that I was able to bring to life in the film.
Rock Cellar: The mix of musicians and industry icons interviewed for the film is especially noteworthy, especially if you consider how it might affect anybody who stumbles upon Bleeding Audio on streaming and doesn’t know who the Matches were. “Wait a minute, I’m not too familiar with this band, but if these guys like them, maybe I will too.” From the musicians and key people involved with the Matches you guys interviewed for the doc, were they mostly enthusiastic to share their memories of working with the Matches and the roles they may have had in their careers back during the mid-2000s?
[Editorial note: music figures interviewed for the film include Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, Nick Hexum of 311, Simon Neil & James Johnston of Biffy Clyro, Cassadee Pope from The Voice, Tom Higgenson of Plain White T’s, and more).
Chelsea Christer: Honestly, the people in the film were all thrilled to be involved. There was no convincing. As soon as I said, “Hey, I’m making a documentary about the Matches. Would you be interested in imparting your experience, as well as some of your insight to how the industry has changed?” Everybody was just like, “Yeah, absolutely. I love those guys.” And I think honestly, Biffy Clyro, they were, I think one of the first big ones that … they were just so excited to even speak about the Matches. Their interview, I only got like 30 minutes with them before their show at the Fillmore, and all they did was gush about how great the Matches were. I couldn’t get them to shut up about it.
With Mark Hoppus and Nick Hexum, I knew that in selecting people to be in this film, I wanted people who would have wonderful things to say about the Matches, but I also wanted to have an air of credibility. In pre-production, I asked the Matches to send me a list of people who they had toured with over the years, collaborated with, several I obviously knew myself, just knowing who produced the records and everything. And I created these two Venn diagrams. There were people who knew and worked with the Matches and loved them, and then there were music industry people. People who know and love the Matches includes family, fans and musicians. And then there’s the music industry people who know how to reflect on the industry itself. And then what I did is overlap those Venn diagrams, and anybody who is in the center ended up in the film.
There were a lot of music industry people I interviewed that just didn’t make the final cut. A big reason was because they didn’t have a one-to-one connection with the Matches, and couldn’t speak about them authentically. There’s so much stuff on the cutting-room floor about the music industry that was just fascinating. But the people who brought the most weight are people like Mark Hoppus, Nick Hexum, you know, Cassadee Pope, Eric Valentine, Tom Higgenson, all these people who experienced the Matches at different stages in their career, and were able to also bring an insight to what they were going through from a very authentic place. It was a very conscious decision who we picked, but also, the enthusiasm was there.
Which is a testament to the Matches themselves, I don’t think anybody’s chomping at the bit to talk about a band that kind of, unfortunately, faded away very early, unless the band is comprised of really wonderful talented guys.
Justin SanSouci: I think when we passed on the list of some of these people, we really figured that there was gonna be like a long shot that nobody would show up and do an interview. To have, like, Mark Hoppus and Nick Hexum and some really like big names in the industry come on board and give all their time and conduct these interviews, it really meant a lot to us. Reflecting back on the whole situation, it was, in a way, validating. Some of the things they said, I thought, like, “Oh, that made me feel a lot better.” Because when you work with Mark Hoppus, you think, like, “He meets a million people. He’s not gonna remember me,” and but then you see and hear him say really nice things. Being a band member in the band the documentary is about, you don’t necessarily get to see the whole picture. So it’s actually kind of nice to be able to, like, sit down and see that.
Rock Cellar And it’s a great storytelling device to help tell the story. Speaking of, Tom from the Plain White T’s and that visual breakdown of, like, “So you had a hit song? Here’s why you made no money.” I think that’s the most singularly effective part of the entire documentary that anybody should watch. I hope people that watch the documentary get to that part, because Tom obviously had no problem going into a lot of detail on his experience with all of that.
Chelsea Christer: We had to cut him down, too, he went into immense detail. It’s one of those things where yeah, that fucking sucks, but it’s also like this label is investing all this money in you to get you out there at the hope of making more money. It is an investment risk. I have to give my animator, Marisa Cruz, credit for those animations, because we sat down and talked long and hard about how we wanted to represent that because it was such a critical component of telling the story and explaining how record deals work, since the average person doesn’t understand it.
And a lot of bands who are signing these deals don’t fully understand how it works, either. That’s no fault of their own, you know, it’s just a very complicated industry, as I’ve learned. Marissa and I, we come from the Bay Area and a lot of our work is corporate video work, breaking down this kind of information into bite-sized animations. She and I were like, “Well, this is gonna be an easy one,” because we’re so used to kind of distilling data in this way. But we got to do it in a really fun way, and she had awesome creative ideas. To me, it was, it was one of the most important graphics to get right, because what I wanted people to understand is this is what your artists are facing.
Rock Cellar: There’s an undercurrent in the doc, which was unavoidable in order to tell the story accurately, of the bittersweet nature of the Matches’ career and how they didn’t truly take off like they could (and probably should) have. I’ve always thought about how My Chemical Romance played before the Matches at the Oakland Art and Soul Festival in 2004 at, like, one in the afternoon. And then like two years later, MCR exploded all over MTV, TRL and the whole scene. And I remember thinking — not that the bands sound the same, because they don’t — but they did share a similar aesthetic, the emo-goth-esque, visual-heavy style of irreverent, avant-garde approach to their music. The way that the Matches’ career arc is broached in the doc is also effective, because you can’t tell the story of what the Matches went through without talking about how they didn’t really come to an end, so to speak, in the way they thought they might after the first few years.
Justin SanSouci: Yeah, I mean, you always hope that the thing you’re working on goes to the top, but at the time it really kind of felt like there was an insurmountable roadblock in our way toward the end. It was pretty crazy seeing some bands blow up. But you’ve gotta just take your own path and do your best. There’s a time when you’re like, “This is as far as we can take it, it’s time to maybe take take a different approach.” So I think the doc does a good job navigating that, and some of the things that we dealt with.
Chelsea Christer: I think, too, the Matches really did stick to their creative guns, you know, they wanted to maintain a lot of control. And unfortunately, wanting a lot of creative control can omit you from the big machine, right? I can, myself, attest to this from making this film. A lot of people thought that I shouldn’t make a film just about the Matches and should make it more about the music industry. But when it started coming together, everyone was like, “Oh God, the music industry story feels like a lecture. We want to know more about these guys,” because people love emotional stories, they love connecting with human beings. And the thing about the Matches and their trajectory is, yeah, it wasn’t what I think anyone hoped for them, but at the same time, what they did get was very special, and very rare. That is something that I wanted to express with the film.
And this whole My Chemical Romance and the Matches thing, I do feel like in some people’s minds it was almost like these bands were competing. They were so creatively and musically different, you know? But what I do think is that whoever handled My Chemical Romance knew exactly what they were and how to approach it. And I don’t feel like the Matches had that same treatment. I feel like the Matches were this outside-of-the-box band, similar to My Chem, but they’re this outside-the-box band, and people kept trying to fit them in other boxes instead of giving them their own. There were so many things going on behind the scenes, I’m sure, that were inhibiting that.
But at the end of the day, while they could never really be lifted in that way by the people who were putting them out there, I still think that they got the community that they wanted. If you think about bands that were doing as well, if not better than the Matches around that time, their reunion shows didn’t sell out in seconds. You know what I mean? And I’m not saying it’s a competition, I’m just saying there’s this staying power of this feeling of community that the Matches held on to so dearly that I think would have been lost if they became a My Chemical Romance. Not that they wouldn’t have maintained it, but just because it would have been taken out of their hands and out of their control. I also have a very goofy and silly joke theory that there’s a multiverse where My Chem and the Matches have switched places. [laughs]
Rock Cellar: You mentioned the people in charge of the Matches who weren’t as equipped to handle them, and that is a very important part of the doc. I have to admit, from somebody who thought he was relatively aware of the band’s goings on back then, I had no clue about any of that. Looking back, I put pieces together once I saw it, and I was like, “Okay, shit. Yeah. Now, now, some of these other things I remember made sense.” That had to have been not necessarily awkward, but a very delicate storyline to weave, right?
Chelsea Christer: Yeah, I wanted the film to be an honest portrayal, but also a celebration, you know? If you dwell too much in every single misstep, and you lose the celebratory nature of what this film is supposed to be about. The key part of telling that story was giving credit where credit was due, but also being transparent about what wasn’t handled properly. There was a lot that we chose not to put in the film, because that’s not the movie. That’s not the story we wanted to tell, you know? I think that it was very challenging to find the balance for that story. But we stand by it as just being an honest and genuine portrayal, you know, of what happened.
Justin SanSouci: I think for the band, as well, like, yeah, there’s definitely some very difficult topics to talk about, and some of the issues we dealt with were really emotionally difficult. I do really appreciate the way that the film handled those issues because it wasn’t necessarily finger-pointing. It presented these issues and we talked about the difficulties, the thing I never wanted to do was point fingers and blame other people for any missteps, like, “Well, we could have been huge except for this person.” That’s just not what we wanted or what we feel because we always felt that it was a group effort. We’re all gonna do it, we’re gonna do it together, or it’s not gonna happen. It was nice to see how the film navigated a lot of those issues.
Rock Cellar: And I thought it was very interesting of Mark Hoppus to reflect on that specific aspect, and recall how he took the band aside and asked, “Is this really what you guys want right now?” when he was working with you during the Decomposer album sessions.
Chelsea Christer: The truth is, artists want to create art, you know, we seek the support and guidance of more experienced people in our industries to help us through it. Especially when you’re young — these guys were teenagers, so eager and excited for guidance. I think we all hope that the people we surround ourselves with are more experienced and have our best interests at heart. But sometimes, that’s just not the case. It’s the challenging thing about having an industry that is getting more democratized, both in film and music. Where you have a lot more agency to create things outside of the system, you need to become better at managing your business. It sucks, because as a creative, you don’t want to do this business stuff. We inherently make ourselves, especially super talented bands like the Matches, we make ourselves vulnerable to people who see that talent, and maybe not necessarily want to take advantage of it, but maybe see the opportunity without having a path forward.
I think that’s definitely something that I ran into a couple of times making Bleeding Audio. It’s something that I think a lot of creatives need to be very conscious of, it’s not a matter of just being distrustful of people in the industry, I think it’s a matter of understanding that what you’re creating is inherently a product. The people you surround yourself with are your employees. Your friends can become your employees, and you need to hire and fire them if they are not doing their job. And that’s something that I think is difficult for creatives to stomach.
Justin SanSouci: I totally agree. That was obviously something we struggled with, you know, transitioning from that garage band into a business. Once you get a label deal, you’re trying to manage your merch, you’re trying to manage travel, you are a business because you have all these expenses coming in, you have all this money flowing through the band, you’ve gotta make sure you’re managing your taxes and paying your crew. All that boring stuff. That stuff can really cripple a band, if you don’t get a good plan down. That was definitely something that did really hurt us.
We have since done much better figuring that out, but it’s a big hump to get over from, you know, being the garage band playing local shows where you’re splitting 50 bucks after a show to figuring out how to finance an entire three-month tour or traveling to England or something — because it gets really complicated.
Rock Cellar: What was the most surprising thing you took away from the experience of either watching the doc or putting it all together?
Justin SanSouci: When first making the movie, doing the interview, I was super guarded. I really didn’t want to do it. It was dragging up a lot of trauma, difficult personal situations. Going through the different interviews, seeing the film get developed, over time each time I watched it it helped me process it a little bit more. It really helped me make sense of, like, my entire 20s. It was almost like going to therapy. At the time I left the band, I had a lot of really hard feelings, it was very emotional for me. But now that I’m able to process a lot of that stuff, I can look back and really see the good and the positive that came out of it. It was quite an entire journey for me.
Chelsea Christer: There was a lot that I learned, but I think it in terms of surprises, I learned fully just how difficult it is to really make a film. It really is. It’s such a challenge, especially making a music documentary about a band nobody’s heard of, you know. We didn’t get a single grant, I applied for all of them multiple times. We did Kickstarters. I learned a lot of difficult things. I learned a lot about film business, and unfortunately maybe a little too late in the game, but there’s just so much that I learned about this process. I think like what I learned most is that a lot of people who went through what I did to make films like this quit or didn’t finish or are never going to make another film, you know, and frankly, I don’t blame them.
Rock Cellar: It’s been like, what, six or seven years since you started making Bleeding Audio?
Chelsea Christer: It’s been eight years, technically. It’ll be eight years in October.
Justin SanSouci: It parallels our journey, really well. [laughs]
Chelsea Christer: Yeah. But if there’s anything I learned is that, you know, I’ve come to the end of this journey burned out, broken down a little bit, but I can’t wait to make another one. So I’ve at least learned for myself that I’m resilient, and that I’m doing what I’ve should be doing. Sometimes you really have to reflect inward before you decide to do another one of these. And for me, this is where I belong. So that feels nice. And it’s a nice little Matches theme to be like, “Oh, hey, at the end of making a Matches film, I found out that I belong.” Their band mantra is “You Belong,” so that’s pretty cool. And if there’s any other little thing that I can add, it’s just that the Matches’ community and the fans that they have are some of the most wonderful, kind, thoughtful humans on this planet. They’ve been instrumental in getting this film made.
Rock Cellar: Now that this is finally getting distribution, it’s finally hitting Blu-ray, streaming and all that, do you have any other plans attached to the release and the promotion? What are your goals now that the product is finally out, so to speak?
Chelsea Christer: Well, I’m really hoping to do some limited theatrical screenings. I’d love to bring the Matches into that, but But Shawn is incredibly busy with his super successful children’s book career, so we’ll see. But for me, yeah, most of my film festival run was digital. I want to get into theaters and be with audiences while they watch it. I think, too, there’s been whispers of a VHS release, which is kind of nerdy and cool.
Rock Cellar: Justin, last question for you. For people who come across this documentary having not known the Matches in the beginning or being unfamiliar with the story, what do you hope they take away from it?
Justin SanSouci: I think maybe if they’re not really familiar with how bands work, or how difficult it can be to be a band, to maybe make sure that they support their smaller bands and go see shows. That’s gonna be a big one, all these bands that haven’t had the opportunity to tour the last couple of years, they’re all going to be trying to hit the road. Some of them are going to be in a pretty rough financial spot. Get out to the shows, buy merch, try and support the bands you love, make sure they will like keep making music.
We’re people trying to make music, it’s a tough life, and you’ve got to support the artists you care about.
September 22, 2022
August 25, 2022

domain: entertainment


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UPDATE: Hey everyone! Thanks for supporting your favorite pumpkin. There are two more days left for voting, and the winner will be announced this THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 by 4:00pm. Send your friends over to vote before then! Have a great day. josh
Every year, as Halloween approaches, Carla and I carve a pumpkin together. However, last year we began a new tradition…we both carved our own pumpkin, and tried to decide whose was the best. This year, I thought we would leave it to those of you who are part of the “Intersections” community to decide whose pumpkin carving skills should reign supreme this year. Below are the pics of our pumpkins. Which one is mine and which is hers will remain a secret until voting is over. I will announce the winner next Thursday right here at “Intersections”.
If you have never commented on a post before…this would be a great opportunity to start!
Do you like…
pumpkin #1 the best?
or pumpkin #2?
Hope you pick mine,

domain: artistic


If you are lucky enough to have a Garage you need to make sure that you are caring for it in the same way that you do your house. You should regular inspect the roofing and guttering to make sure that you do not have any slates lifting and that your gutters are not overflowing with leaves and other materials that will eventually clog up the guttering completely. Other than the structural items there is one key component that you really need to give a bit of tender loving care and that is the garage door. Biggleswade Garage Door Repairs company http://garagedoorsrus.co.uk/garage-door-repairs-biggleswade/ can help with any repair issues that you may have with your door and you should keep an eye out for the door become heavy and difficult to move, perhaps a little noisier than usual and maybe a little bit wonky. These are all signs that you should give a garage door expert a ring to some and fix the issues and give your door a new lease of life.
Here are a few ways that you can maintain your door:
- Every time you open the door try to make a mental note of how easy or difficult it was so that you can identify any time that perhaps this changes as it will be an indicator of something being not quite right with the mechanism. Garage doors are not intended to take you much effort to open and you should be able to do so with great ease if not you may have a problem.
- There are many moving parts to a garage door and just like any other joint this needs to be regularly lubricated. Using a spray lubricant is the best for the springs and a solid grease for the opening and joints areas. You should look to lubricate your garage workings every few months to keep them in tip top working condition.
- It is important that you check the balance of your door, this means how quickly or not the door starts to roll back towards you once you have pushed it up. When your door is fully open it shouldn’t move anywhere. If partially open it should move slowly enough back to a closed position that you can manoeuvre yourself out of the way.
By regularly taking care of all of these areas you will help to maintain a good working condition and hopefully increase the life of your door.


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Although published just five years ago, Paying for the Party: How College Maintains Inequality (Harvard University Press, 2013), already has had a major influence on how we think about higher education and its complicated relationship to social mobility and a bleaker cousin, social reproduction. Beautifully written, knitting together themes of social class, gender, sexuality, organizations, and education, the book is destined to be a classic. Indeed, it has won several awards, and its authors have cemented their status as experts on higher education.
Written by the sociologists Elizabeth Armstrong and Laura Hamilton, the book is an ethnographic account of the lives of first-year women college students living on a “party floor” at a selective public university they call Midwest U. Varied in their social-class backgrounds, the students have profoundly different pathways through college. Poor and working-class young women face formidable obstacles to completing their degrees, while the children of upper middle class professionals pursue meaningful majors and vocations. At the same time, the daughters of the wealthiest, socialite families join sororities, and party their way through easy majors, graduation, and, beyond that, socially connected jobs.

domain: library


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CHICAGO (CBS) Kenya’s Moses Mosop set the record for fastest debut marathon when he completed the 2011 Boston Marathon in 2:03:06. Now Mosop will look to top that time when he competes in the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
“I was very pleased with my performance at the Boston Marathon, especially since it was my first marathon,” Mosop said in a statement. “In my second marathon, I want to run even faster. I feel that the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is where I have the best opportunity to do that.”
Mosop’s debut run broke fellow Kenyan Evans Rutto’s 2:05:50 debut mark in the 2003 Chicago Marathon, it was also the second fastest marathon of all-time, behind the 2:03:02 mark set by Geoffrey Mutai in the 2011 Boston Marathon.
After taking a tour of the Chicago course, Mosop is confident that he can take advantage of the flat and fast route during the October race.
“I like the course,” he said. “I feel strong in my training and I am looking forward to coming back to Chicago for this great event.”

domain: sports


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On Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 July, over 200 buildings around Melbourne will open their doors to the public. 84 new buildings have been added to the program this year and Open House’s footprint has been extended further into new suburbs Beaumaris, Bangholme, Brighton, Dandenong, Essendon, La Trobe, Mill Park and Ringwood.
Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Robert Doyle AC, encourages Melburnians and visitors to attend this unique event. “Melbourne’s contemporary and heritage architecture gives our city its unique character and the stories behind our buildings are important chapters in our history,” said the Lord Mayor. “Each year thousands of visitors have the opportunity to explore some of Melbourne’s most magnificent buildings and enjoy rare access to the nooks and crannies that are not usually accessible to the public.
“The City of Melbourne has been a proud partner of Open House since the first event 10 years ago. Of almost 200 buildings open to the public this year, 87 are in the City of Melbourne. I encourage you to visit as many as you can including our environmentally progressive Council House 2, to Library at the Dock, Melbourne City Baths and Melbourne Town Hall.”
A notable tour in the program includes the RMIT New Academic Street (CBD) project, where visitors will be guided by the NAS Project Team and RMIT Students around the new facilities. RMIT Acting Vice-Chancellor and President, Dionne Higgins said “as a global university of technology, design and enterprise, we are proud to be showcasing the New Academic Street precinct.”
“Four iconic Swanston Street buildings have been re-imagined, creating some of the most dynamic and exciting student spaces in the heart of the city. From the cutting-edge media precinct and expanded library to light-filled lane-ways and garden terraces, five different architects – each RMIT alumni – have collaborated to transform the student experience.”
In 2017, Open House Melbourne has evolved into a public architecture organisation that empowers citizens to be active participants in the building of their city. An annual program of talks, tours, workshops and interviews explore issues, challenges and success stories of Melbourne’s built environment.
The Open House Melbourne 2017 Printed Program is now available to purchase exclusively through Readings, either online or in-store at Readings locations in Carlton, Hawthorn, Malvern, St Kilda and the State Library. The printed program is a popular asset for any Open House fan.
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary, Open House has worked with design partner Cornwell and 10 Melbourne artists to reimagine some of the city’s most iconic buildings. This year, you can check out the artworks and choose your favourite cover before you purchase your program.
The 2017 Open House Melbourne Weekend runs Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 July. For more information and complete program, visit: www.openhousemelbourne.org.au for details.
Image: New Academic Street, RMIT University – photo by Justin Westwood

domain: design


Published: Jan 27, 2022
"I would say the committee is of a mind to raise the federal funds rate at the March meeting assuming that conditions are appropriate for doing so," Fed Chair Jerome Powell said, adding inflation risks are "still to the upside" in the views of most Fed officials.
Published: Jan 22, 2022
The West's withdrawal from Afghanistan and subsequent decisions of the U.S. government have plunged the Afghan population into a humanitarian crisis, according to historian and author Paul Nuttall.
Published: Jan 20, 2022
The test-and-mask moves show that the Biden administration "is trying to step up its coronavirus response as the highly infectious Omicron variant drives a spike in cases across the nation," says The New York Times.


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Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.
This week we are featuring Tracie Peterson! To enter to win a copy of her book, A Sensible Arrangement (Bethany House), leave a comment on this post.
Tell us a little about your new book . . .
A Sensible Arrangement is a story that brings together characters from two previous series. The story is set in 1893 and starts in Texas and moves to Colorado. This is book 1 in a 3-book Lone Star Bride series, which will end up in Texas. Marty is a widow who just wants out of Texas and when she sees an ad for a mail order bride from a Colorado banker, she answers it. Her hope is that this will take her away from Texas forever. Jake is the banker who wants to return to Texas ranch life and thinks that if he marries a Texas bride she will eventually help him leave banking behind and return to ranching in Texas. With two very different life goals, the conflicts will drive a wedge between them and create problems they didn’t expect.
How can readers find you and your books?
My website is www.traciepeterson.com, and I’m on facebook as well. My books can be found just about everywhere online and in the major bookstores
Anything new for you on the book horizon?
Hoping to do a booktour in Alaska this fall. It’s still in the planning phase, but that’s what I hope to do. Book 2, A Moment in Time, is due out in June 2014 and book 3, A Matter of Heart, is due out in October 2014.
Why do you write?
My writing is a ministry for me. I believe God has given me this gift of storytelling in order to entertain, educate, and encourage for Him.
What are you best known for . . . writing or otherwise?
Writing and somewhat for teaching new authors.
Best author moment?
A letter from a runaway who told me that my book sent her back to her family and God.
Worst author moment?
Every time weather or health or anything else interferes to keep me from being able to share my heart, sign books, or honor appearances.
If you weren’t able to write, what would you do?
Probably become a professional Bible study student. I’m really loving Precept studies and Bible Study Fellowship studies.
Describe your ideal circumstances to write.
A quiet house, bills paid, my health good, my office in order, a glass of ice water and chocolate on the desk, and my weight down another 20 lbs.
Right this moment, what does your office look like?
Funny you should ask. I just redid my office and here’s what it looks like—new acacia wood floors, cherry desk, and new curtains.
How would you describe your writing style to a reader?
Character-driven adventure plots with strong setting influence on the content.
If you could write any book–on any topic–and be guaranteed a publishing contract, what topic would it be?
I’m writing them. 🙂
Ever had a bad review? How did you handle it?
I really pay little attention to reviews. I’m grateful that people like to do them—bad or good, but I find them distracting and pretty much avoid them. I do pay attention to fan letters and their thoughts, but again I try to take it in stride and give the good and bad to God.
I think the biggest thing has been the attraction and demands for ebooks and self-publishing. I appreciate the desire for writers to be published, but truly pray they will do what they can to make their work the best it can be. I don’t want new authors to get bad reputations and ruined careers because they didn’t bother to get their work edited. I also don’t want to see authors get into bad situations where they pay out big bucks for self-published books and then have no means to distribute.
How do you solve a grammar dilemma?
Ask my editor.
Are you an introvert? Extrovert? In between?
Introverted, except when I’m talking about Jesus.
Do you enjoy public speaking as an author? Why or why not?
It’s not what I would pick for my first choice in jobs, but when God brings those events to me, I honor Him and take them because I feel confident that He has brought me to this place for a purpose.
Can a person make a living as a writer?
Absolutely. It’s not the norm, but I’ve been the sole support of my family since 1996 on a writer’s salary alone. It requires discipline and budgeting, but it can be done.
What are you working on now? Newest release?
Right now I’m working on a new series that is set in Seattle during the late 1880’s. It will deal with the fire that destroyed most of downtown.
Any last thoughts to share?
For writers, I would encourage that they constantly put themselves in a position to learn. I still find I learn things every time I teach beginning writing. We should never think that “we’ve arrived and have no need of review” just because we’re published. For readers, keep reading and holding publishers accountable for quality books. If there are things you would like to see in print–let the publishing houses know it. It doesn’t mean that they will necessarily take up the idea, but they won’t know your thoughts if you don’t tell them. For non-readers—you don’t know what you’re missing, so start reading.
[Tweet “Tracie Peterson gives advice for writers, readers, & non-readers on @suzannewfisher’s blog!”]

domain: literature


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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Angel Pagan said that the World Baseball Classic is about the country he represents, Puerto Rico, and not about himself.However, should Pagan thrive in the international tournament that begins for his team on Friday (against Venezuela, live on MLB.TV and MLB Network at 9 p.m. ET/6 PT),
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Angel Pagan said that the World Baseball Classic is about the country he represents, Puerto Rico, and not about himself.
However, should Pagan thrive in the international tournament that begins for his team on Friday (against Venezuela, live on MLB.TV and MLB Network at 9 p.m. ET/6 PT), he'll obviously improve his chances of latching onto a Major League ballclub -- which has yet to happen for the free-agent outfielder.
:: 2017 World Baseball Classic ::
Citing the debt crisis that has gripped Puerto Rico, Pagan said Wednesday, "This tournament's important for my country. It's not important for me. ... Right now, my head is with Team Puerto Rico. My soul is with Team Puerto Rico."
The World Baseball Classic runs through March 22. In the U.S., games air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premium subscribers in the U.S. have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. The tournament is being distributed internationally across all forms of television, internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games at Marlins Park, Tokyo Dome, Estadio Charros de Jalisco in Mexico, Petco Park, as well as the Championship Round at Dodger Stadium, while complete coverage -- including schedules, video, stats and gear -- is available at WorldBaseballClassic.com.
Pagan, who spent the previous five seasons with the Giants, started in left field and went 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot in Puerto Rico's 6-5 exhibition loss to San Francisco. He drew warm applause in each plate appearance, as the Scottsdale Stadium patrons acknowledged Pagan's role in helping San Francisco win the 2012 and '14 World Series.
"He looks good. He's healthy," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "I thought he got some good swings off."
Pagan, 35, acknowledged receiving offers from multiple clubs. He has been linked to the Orioles, Nationals and Braves. But all Pagan reportedly could command from each club was a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League camp. Pagan, who's coming off a four-year, $40 million deal with San Francisco, believes that he has outperformed such offers.
"I feel like I had a pretty good year," said Pagan, who recorded a .277/.331/.418 slash line in 2016 with 15 stolen bases and 12 home runs -- exceeding the number of round-trippers he hit from '13-15.
"I have a good resume as a player," Pagan said. "I think I can help a team. I just don't feel that I need to be fighting for a job. I'm in a position that if a team wants me to help a team win, they know I can help them win because I've been in that situation. I'm a winning player. I'm healthy. They'll see it in the [World] Baseball Classic. I just want to earn the respect that I deserve. That's all."
As Pagan's former teammates took batting practice, he visited with or acknowledged several of them, including Bochy, third baseman Eduardo Nunez and first baseman Brandon Belt.
"Five beautiful years," said Pagan, who particularly excelled in 2012 (.288/.338/.440, 38 doubles, 29 stolen bases and 15 triples, a San Francisco-era franchise record).
Pagan's Giants tenure ended amid some confusion. Instead of being at AT&T Park for Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Cubs, Pagan was at home under sedation due to receiving a shot for his formerly troublesome back.
"My back never gave me any problems throughout the year, but I guess I was a little bit tired," Pagan said.
Pagan said that he was heading for the ballpark to join the team for its flight to Chicago for Game 5. Then the Cubs' four-run uprising in the ninth inning made that trip unnecessary. Meanwhile, some concern about Pagan's whereabouts were raised. Yet Bochy never questioned his resolve.
"He had some setbacks with injuries," Bochy said, "but it wasn't because of work ethic."
Chris Haft has covered the Giants since 2005, and for MLB.com since 2007. Follow him on Twitter at @sfgiantsbeat and listen to his podcast.


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We've all had the experience of someone who is just too old to be out trick-or-treating showing up at our door on Halloween, but do we have rules in place that make that illegal in Illinois? Well, in some places the answer is definitely yes.
When it comes to elbow-bending with a beverage in our hands, Midwesterners can pretty much drink with anyone in the country. However, when it comes to drinking, which Midwestern state's residents are pounding more than their neighboring states? You probably have a good guess for this one.
This is one bug that is not supposed to be in Illinois and up until now has never been. It's a bug that is deadly to trees and Illinois officials have confirmed that it has been spotted in the Land of Lincoln for the first time ever.
2023's allotment of Super Moons is about to run out. We've already had three of them this year, including two in a single month, but this week's Harvest Moon Super Moon is the last one we get until 2024.
Having seven high schools ranked in the top 50 high schools in the entire country is pretty cool, but in order to send your kid to one of Illinois' top ranked high schools, you might have to call a realtor and moving company.
There's no shortage of small towns scattered throughout the state of Illinois. Some are vibrant, some are rundown, but of all the small towns in the Land of Lincoln, one particular place gets the title of Illinois' most charming small town.


text: A survey we carried out suggests that the ingestion of veterinary drug residues in edible animal parts constitutes a potential health hazard for its consumers, including, specifically, the possibility of developing multidrug resistance, carcinogenicity, and disruption of intestinal normal microflora. known to influence decreases in cloxacillin and oxacillin levels, reportedly enhanced the dissolution of antimicrobial drug residues. Pressure cooking also reduced aldrin, dieldrin, and endosulfan in animal products. Therefore, this review provides updated information on the control of drug residues in animal products, which is of significance to veterinarians, livestock Batimastat inhibitor producers, and consumer health. biodegradation products in the diet may decrease aflatoxins residue levels, causing specific toxin biotransformation and aiding inhibition of toxin absorption via the gastrointestinal tract; hence, decreasing the toxin residues in eggs (Jia et al., 2016). However, heating milk and dairy products with this quantity of aflatoxins M1 (AFM1) is obscure, and some treatments such as pasteurization and sterilization have very little effects on their concentration in the processed animal product. Conversely, milk processing such as evaporation, concentration, or drying, largely affect AFM1 concentration (Flores-Flores et al., 2015). Summary – Thermal treatments: reduced enrofloxacin and tetracycline residues by 52% and 47% and ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and sulfanilamide residues by 87%, 93%, and 89%-91%, respectively, and chlorpyriphos residue by 38%. – Storage: sulfanilamide reduced by 44%-49%, chlortetracycline by 20%-22%, and enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin by 44%-50%. – pH treatments: pH enhances the dissolution of antibiotic residues in egg components. Reduction of Drug Residues in Meat Uncontrolled usage of veterinary drugs and poor biosafety measures for drug withdrawal may result in drug residues, as well as decrease meat quality (Mehtabuddin et al., 2012). A majority of meat and meat products may possibly not be an obvious area of the human being food string but are generally stored or prepared. Before consuming uncooked edible pet byproducts and items, some heat therapy or cooking is necessary. These processes result in protein denaturation, drinking water and weight loss, and modification in the pH, therefore, help in changing residue concentration, chemical substance structure, or solubility. Doxycycline residue concentrations have already been shown to decrease after meat cooking food, and residues had been excreted from muscle groups into cooking liquid (Javadi, 2011). The natural activity of oxytetracycline, ampicillin, and chloramphenicol in meat also reduced by 12% to 50% after roasting at 50C-90C for 20 min. Furthermore, beef cooking added to a considerable lower (35% to 94%) in oxytetracyclines online focus (Gratacos-Cubars et al., 2007). Different cooking food strategies with different pH amounts possess a potential decrease influence on oxytetracycline. For example, the muscle tissue concentration of oxytetracycline was reduced after roasting and boiling by 53 Batimastat inhibitor significantly.6% and 69.6%, respectively, and roasting, microwaving, and boiling at pH 6.0 and 7.2, decreased oxytetracycline amounts by 34.3%, 53.2%, and 67.7%, respectively (Vivienne et al., 2018). In pork and chicken, different thermal remedies have powerful degradation results on oxytetracycline and make oxytetracycline degradation items. Residual concentrations of oxytetracycline degrade as the amount of the related epimeric forms (OTCs=OTC+4epi-OTC and apo-OTCs=-apo-OTC+-apo-OTC). After cells thermal treatment, the concentrations of apo-OTCs improved whereas the OTC residues reduced (Nguyen et al., 2015). Consequently, the four epimers and anhydro types of tetracycline might degrade under different conditions. The pathways connected with Batimastat inhibitor degradation of different tetracycline isoforms are pH reliant primarily, using the degradation of anhydro-TCs and 4eTCs becoming preferred in dilute acidic moderate, whereas in solid acidic moderate, anhydro-TCs obtain cleaved and lactonized to create apo derivatives (Xuan et al., 2009). Poultry meats boiling and roasting for 12 min reduced sulfonamide residues by 45%-61% and 38%-40%, respectively (Furusawa and Hanabusa, 2002). pressure cooking food accelerate pesticide degradation (aldrin; 93.75%, dieldrin; 93.77%, and endosulfan; 78.70%) in meat (Singh, 2017). Chemical substance and natural degradation happen during fermentation, and help lower pesticide levels considerably (Azizi, 2011). For example, the pesticide residues of DDT and lindane had been reduced by around 10% and 18%, Batimastat inhibitor respectively, 72 h post-fermentation in fermented sausage (Abou-Arab, 2002). Nevertheless, thermal treatment also helped to lessen antihelmintic residues: nitroxynil, by 78% and 96% in fried and roasted muscle tissue; levamisole, by 11% and 42% in fried muscle tissue and Rabbit Polyclonal to Collagen II liver organ; rafoxanide, by.

domain: chemistry


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Friday, November 5, 2010
YoN is clearly getting a little obsessed with WAH NAILS since I've blogged about them three times in the last month or so but I finally got the chance to get some nail art of my very own at the Dalston salon last night!
The event was to promote the new Model's Own and WAH NAILS collaboration on lovely new nail art pens. The pens are available in black and white and mean it will now be a lot easier to recreate the WAH look in your own home! In particular they make writing and fiddly squiggles a whole lot easier.
YoN got the chance to chat with the blooming Sharmadean Reid who founded WAH NAILS last August. She reckons leopard print is still the most popular style but classy finishes like the classic half-moon tip are going to be the next big thing. "Because everyone has had such a hard year, after the recession, people want to let their hair down a bit with lots of glitter, metallic pinks and golds and most of all to just have fun with their nails."
I got pale blue POWs that have had me running around shouting POW POW at people all day!
Check out the Models Own and WAH NAILS blogs here...
Posted by Yay or Nay at 8:15 AM


I think we need a lawyer to explain this one to us, but my understanding is it would expand the castle-doctrine and lessen the punishment for gun offenses.Title: (3rd New Title) relative to physical force in defense of a person, relative to producing or displaying a firearm or other means of self-defense, and relative to eliminating minimum sentencing and adding civil immunity for certain firearm use.
The Union Leader reports on the struggle expected this week by the NH Senate to over-ride the governor's veto.
Gov. John Lynch faces his toughest fight on his veto of Senate Bill 88, which expands the legal use of deadly force and includes the so-called Ward Bird provision adding flexibility in sentencing for criminal threatening.The sickness of partisan politics and voting along party lines irrespective of what's right or wrong or what a particular voting politician really believes, practically dooms this one to failure. Four Republicans would have to defect, which to me sounds unlikely. What do you think?
SB 88 passed 19-5 along party lines in the Senate. That is more than enough for a two-thirds vote to override the veto. It would take four defections from Republican ranks to sustain Lynch.
Senators have been under intense pressure from law enforcement at all levels. All 10 county attorneys, sheriffs, chiefs and police associations have urged senators to sustain the veto.
Please leave a comment.


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The project was announced at TechCrunch Battlefield in Lagos, Nigeria.
In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 60 percent of crops are managed manually, with less than 20 percent managed by tractors and other machinery, an unsustainable model as food demand increases due to population growth averaging 11 million per year. In addition, up to 50 percent of farmers suffer post-harvest losses annually due to poor planting practices.
This was the motivation behind startup Hello Tractor, a mobile platform that enables farmers to access tractor services on demand. Using a mobile app, the service aggregates tractor service requests and pairs them with recommended tractors and operators, while simultaneously tracking how many hours each piece of equipment is in the field and area serviced.
Hello Tractor partners with companies like John Deere to increase mechanization access in small farming communities and plans to add additional services including predictive fleet utilization and maintenance; operator and tractor scoring; financing; and crop yield forecasting. This is where IBM Research – Africa comes in.
Scientists at our lab in Kenya are working with Hello Tractor’s developers to apply several technologies including the Watson Decision Platform for Agriculture, blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT) and IBM Cloud, to the app.
The magic behind the idea is what we call an agriculture digital wallet, a blockchain-enabled and AI-based decision support platform that enables capturing, tracking, and instant sharing of data, while creating end-to-end trust and transparency for all the parties involved across the agribusiness value chain.
More specifically, the pilot will address a broad cross-section of the agriculture industry:
- Farmers: Machine learning will help farmers predict crop yields. The data, combined with advanced analytics and blockchain, can be mined to develop a credit score for loans by predicting the value of a harvest. Forecasted weather data from The Weather Company (an IBM business), remote sensing data (e.g., satellite) and IoT data from tractors will also be incorporated into the app to help small farmers know when to cultivate, the quality of their farm cultivation, what to plant, and what fertilizer to use. In the future, IBM AgroPad technology, developed at our lab in Brazil, could also be incorporated to determine soil quality.
- Tractor Fleet Owners: Using machine learning and the IoT, fleet owners will be able to view and manage fleet utilization and predictive maintenance as well as forecast future tractor utilizations based on history, real-time weather data, and remote sensing satellite data. Using a five-star rating system, tractor operators will be ranked and utilized based on their training (e.g., plowing, deep ripping, harrowing, fertilizing). Owners will also have financing opportunities for maintenance and for buying new tractors and implements based on historical data.
- Tractor Dealers: Dealers can benefit from improved tractor repair and servicing, after-sales support, spare part inventory planning and credit administration.
- Banks and Financial Institutions: Banks and financial institutions can view and track utilization of tractors to determine a credit portfolio for farmers and tractor owners, while also evaluating forecasted utilization to make credit decisions for tractor owners based on verified and trusted data on the blockchain.
- Governments: Governments can utilize data and actionable insights for various decision support capabilities including structuring incentives, enforcing regulations, prioritizing investments and making policy decisions.
Our vision is to leverage AI, blockchain and the IoT to digitize, optimize and streamline agricultural business processes, creating efficiencies and new services from farm to fork around the world. More specifically, the blockchain will provide a tamper-proof definition of demand-side and supply-side workflows from tractor request to fulfillment, payment for services, and distribution of proceeds, authorized access to services and documents within the workflow, logging of all workflow-related approvals including booking, invoicing, etc.).
For the next phase of the project, IBM researchers and Hello Tractor engineers are looking to use machine learning with image recognition to predict the quality of cultivation. For example, remote sensing data combined with weather data could be used to predict the next harvest. Plans are also underway to expand the platform beyond Nigeria to Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The new services will be tested in a pilot starting in the first half of 2019.

domain: geography


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Why do some people keep voting for the same parties or candidates even after they repeatedly lie to them or waste their tax dollars? This sorry state of affairs can be explained in part by a) voter apathy and ignorance; b) discomfort with or fear of the unknown (hence the saying, “better the devil you know”); c) severe dislike for the alternative choices; or d) the rigid and narrow-minded tradition of automatically endorsing the same party or candidate no matter what.
However, another fascinating psychological phenomenon can help account for many types of seemingly irrational decisions: cognitive dissonance reduction (CDR). This theory has undergone several revisions since its introduction in the 1950s but the most relevant aspects of CDR with respect to the current discussion are:
- Typical North Americans or people from other individualistic cultures such as the UK and Germany, but not collectivist cultures such as traditional Japan and India, want to maintain a positive self-image.
- Their positive self-image includes the beliefs that they are “good” and “smart.”
- When they do something that could contradict these beliefs or otherwise challenge their positive self-image, they feel an inner tension, conflict or “dissonance.”
- This cognitive dissonance can be very psychologically uncomfortable.
- People in this state of cognitive dissonance are highly motivated to reduce their unpleasant feelings.
- Because they cannot deny to themselves that they committed the act that is making them feel not so good or smart, they need to convince themselves that what they did was not really “bad” or “foolish” at all. Other related ways people can reduce their cognitive dissonance is by telling themselves that they had no choice in the matter and/or some other person or factor outside of their control was responsible for what they did or for the outcome of their actions.
CDR theory is not perfect and does not apply to everyone. Also, it is really just a slightly reformulated version of the Freudian defence mechanism, rationalization. However, a lot of research on CDR has turned some common assumptions on their head: namely, instead of acting rationally in line with their beliefs or opinions, many people will actually modify their beliefs of opinions after the fact in order to conform to their decisions and actions.
How cognitive dissonance reduction can be applied to voting
One can apply this concept to seemingly irrational voting choices: people overlook or downplay unrealistic election promises for a variety of reasons, particularly those mentioned above. When the politicians or party do things that disrespect or hurt the electorate, those who voted for them are faced with having to admit that they made a bad choice. Or, they can unconsciously and somewhat consciously modify their opinions, belief systems, or perceptions of what the politicians or party did so that they don’t feel so foolish for having voted for them.
When the next election comes around, voters often choose the same politicians or party because otherwise they would need to admit to themselves that they had made a bad decision during the previous election—why else would they change their vote? This process continues until the politician or party’s actions are so obviously egregious that no amount of spin can reduce the voter’s cognitive dissonance.
The best way to prevent CDR from enabling politicians or parties to maintain their reign of ineffectiveness, incompetence and/or corruption is for voters to find the intellectual or psychological strength to realize that making a bad decision does not make the person bad. Research shows that, in certain countries, admitting to and reflecting on one’s shortcomings is more likely to lead to self-improvement rather than the distress, depression or anxiety that many North Americans fear will accompany such honesty. In those same countries, acknowledging one’s mistakes is seen as a way to help create a stronger and better populace, not weaker. It is no coincidence that CDR does not seem to occur in countries with such an adaptive mindset, even if their political systems might still leave a lot to be desired.

domain: psychology


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- This is a frame-up build with handpicked top of the line components.
- New front & rear brake pads & rear rotor for more stopping power.
- New shifter cable & housing, pro-tuned to optimize crisp shifting.
- Tuned front & rear brakes, firming up lever pull & creating consistent grab.
Master Mechanic's Notes:
- Moderate paint chip on the drive side bottom bracket area.
- Small scratches on the head tube & drive side chainstay.
- Small paint chip & scratches on the non-drive side seatstay.

domain: hobby


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Join in and get involved. We’ve got a recreation programme to suit you – from social sports to gymnastics and from preschoolers to seniors, we’ve got you covered.
Your recreation options at Howick include gymnastics for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and school age children, trampolining, Kiwee sports, preschool ball handling skills, basketball, volleyball, badminton and table tennis for all ages, and senior activities, including Never2Old fitness.
Please note: no term classes scheduled for Monday 28 October (Labour Day)
Calling everyone over the age of 40! Whether you’re already super sporty or you’re keen to be, you’ll want to check out our Senior Sports programme. On every Monday from 1-3pm, during term time only, you can come down and join in badminton, short tennis and table tennis games with your peers! Super fun, super social and super sporty – get into it!
Super Sporty Seniors is now FREE for Howick Leisure Centre fitness members, or $4.50 a session for non-members. See our recreation programme for more information!
School holiday programmes
Keep the kids safe and entertained during the school holidays with our school holiday programmes! Based out of Howick Leisure Centre, our experienced staff keep your kids having fun, learning new things, making new friends and growing their confidence – all in their local community.
Buy more and save! Not ready for a full membership? Buy a 10-session concession card to access our group fitness classes or recreation activities and you’ll save on the regular casual price. Please note that concession cards expire 12 months after purchase.


Since I’m not officially reviewing the National Ballet of Canada’s performances of Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland I’ll just say this (after seeing it last night): I think it’s a great show. What I appreciate the most, I think, is the rare combination of lack of pretense and directness with a very very high level of craft and taste and execution. It’s something we don’t see nearly enough of: very high quality (and sophisticated) popular entertainment. That goes for the music (by Joby Talbot), the designs (by Bob Crowley), and the dance. Also, it works so well as a whole, with each element balanced against the others. It’s a little long, a little frenetic at times, and sure, it’s not Ashton’s Cinderella, but it’s very good, and that’s already a lot.
As American Ballet Theatre’s fall season at the State Theatre comes to an end, I put together some thoughts for DanceTabs about some of the seasons’ high points, especially a dramatic performance of José Limon’s Moor’s Pavane (with Roman Zhurbin in the role of the Moor), a very touching Month in the Country, and the return of Piano Concerto #1 from last season.
Here’s a short excerpt: “The Nov. 7 cast of Month in the Country was particularly felicitous. Julie Kent’s portrayal of Natalia Petrovna is touching, unstinting in both her vulnerability – her heart seems to literally skip a beat as Guillaume Côté, the handsome tutor, takes her hands in his – and her histrionic, conniving nature….Gemma Bond, as young Vera, is equally multi-hued, if not quite so profound: sweet and eager in the opening scene, desperate and determined to get her way in her pas de deux with Beliaev, and furiously righteous – as only an adolescent wronged can be – when she discovers Petrovna’s dalliance with Beliaev. Côté, on loan from the National Ballet of Canada, was débuting in the role of the tutor, and yet he seemed to instinctually capture the character’s mix of innocence, heedless sensuality, and ardor.”
I had a brief chat with ABT’s music director, Ormsby Wilkins, about the recently rediscovered Benjamin Britten orchestration of Les Sylphides that the company is using this season. How is it different from the one they were using before, by Roy Douglas? On first hearing I found it lighter, more classical, with more detailed voices. But I wondered whether the differences went deeper. You can link to the conversation here.
Christopher Wheeldon’s new “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” will be performed at the Kennedy Center Jan. 18-23, by the National Ballet of Canada. In this interview in the Washington Post, he talks about his career, his return to storytelling, and the importance of entertaining people.
Here’s an excerpt:
“I have a lot to learn still, with storytelling and with dance,” he said. “I had been making a lot of work, and a lot of abstract work. . . . Describing characters through movement was something that I hadn’t done very much of. It was refreshing, like throwing all the windows open and airing out just a bit.”