text:
The original 1979 production of Evita was a landmark success, launching the careers of Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin and solidifying composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice as Broadway titans. While the musical was made into a movie in the ’90s starring Madonna and features the epically crowd-pleasing "Don’t Cry for Me Argentina," the show had a 29-year absence on the Broadway stage. In a dazzling new production directed by Michael Grandage, pop star Ricky Martin steps into the role originated by Patinkin. But it’s the two other lead actors who truly shine in the revival—Elena Roger and Michael Cerveris as Eva and Juan Perón, respectively.
Roger, who starred in the 2006 West End production of the show, makes her Broadway debut. The Argentinian actress, who seems at first too small and polite to portray the power-hungry icon, transforms into the larger-than-life Evita on stage. Cerveris, who has played the title characters in Broadway productions such as The Who’s Tommy and Sweeney Todd, delivers a powerful yet subtle performance as the Argentinian politician. I sat down with Roger and Cerveris last week before a performance. As the actors sipped tea in Cerveris’s dressing room while incense burned and a tango record softly played on the stereo, the pair talked about the daunting task of starring in a musical so associated with its original stars.
Can you tell me what is different in this revival? Is it more sympathetic toward Eva Perón?
Elena Roger: What I tried to do with Eva was to find why this girl behaved the way she did. What was the society giving to her to make her behave like that? I tried to understand why she hated aristocrats and helped poor people while also trying to be in power. It’s definitely not black or white—it’s complex human behavior.
Michael Cerveris: Elena has the advantage of having grown up in Argentina and knowing people who are very Perónist and very anti-Perónist. As an American, I had only mostly heard the negative sides of the Peróns. My research has really been filling in the alternative interpretation. It seems like there’s a lot of reason to believe there were a lot of positive motivations for much of what they did, and you can argue about the methods they used. But from a dramatic standpoint, it’s not interesting to have someone that’s simply a villain. Because nobody believes they’re a villain anyway. But I found plenty of material that makes me feel like we aren’t…I don’t think we do anything that isn’t potentially true. I don’t think we are trying to make anything look better than it was or trying to disguise the negative parts.
I knew nothing about Eva Perón until I listened to the original album and saw the movie. Was the show a big deal in Argentina, where you grew up?
ER: It was big when it opened on Broadway, but in Argentina, everyone was like, Oh they did a musical about Evita. Some hated it, and some loved it. But still, it was not Argentina. That’s why I believe in this production—even Andrew Lloyd Webber now says the arrangements have a more Argentinian flavor. The orchestration before…
It was more of a ’70s rock opera.
ER: Yes, yes. The only song I knew from Evita was “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”—it’s very famous. But I didn’t know the show at all until I watched the movie for my audition.
MC: Because it’s never been done in Argentina.
ER: It’s never been done there. We have a musical called Eva, which is a little bit more Perónist than this one.
Can you tell me what you bring to the role being from Argentina? Do you think that gives you a different perspective, as opposed to the major actresses that people identify with the role?
ER: Well, the thing I have that is easy for me was that I was born there and spent my whole life there. I know the behavior of people from Argentina, and I know the history and have seen those that suffered in these political situations. I remember being seven, eight years old when we had democracy again. In Argentina, you meet with your family for dinner on Sundays, and everyone talks politics. I didn’t see Evita, and I didn’t meet Evita, but I know these stories. It’s in my blood.
This is the first major revival of the show, and it’s associated with such big, iconic names. Michael, you’ve originated roles on Broadway, and you’ve also been in revivals. Is it difficult to step into a role that is so identified with another famous actor?
MC: I think it absolutely can be. I know with Sweeney Todd, the idea of it was very daunting because that had been the first Broadway show I ever saw, and I knew every note of that cast recording and had seen it maybe seven times. I never imaged that I would ever play that part. I was so thankful for the production because it was so completely reconceived. I was able to not compete with my own memory of the original, but rather treat it like this completely new thing we’re doing here. In a way, the film version of Evita took a bit of pressure off of us; there has been another extremely widely seen version of this musical. But even the people who did saw the original—it was 30 years ago. I don’t really accurately remember things I saw a few weeks ago! Memory plays a lot of tricks. You know, people have been doing Hamlet for hundreds of years. We have to treat it as if it’s a new piece. I did see the original production of Evita, but we’re not trying to say that we got it right this time.
ER: If we try to think how the audience is going to think, it’s going to be a problem. I think what we are doing is giving everything we can, and you can see research and things and believe what we are doing. We don’t want to copy anything or compete; we just want to enjoy this production as it is and people will have that—our love for this production.
Evita is a musical based on real people. Do you approach your characters the same way you would approach a fictional character, or do you research the person who actually lived and try to mimic how they acted?
ER: I find it easier to portray a person that really existed. There were so many books, so many things on YouTube to watch. I’m not trying to copy Eva, but we have so many images of her, and it’s easier to use that to imagine what she was thinking.
MC: This play is not called “Juan”—it’s not even called “Eva.” There’s only so much that’s going to be relevant and useful to the actual thing at hand. I did research and looked at that time period and culture; you just sort of put all this stuff in a bag and then you end up only hanging on to a couple of key things that actually make it into the production. I found this Perón on eBay, so I wear that on my costume. I love physical stuff; theater is so ephemeral, but anything that roots you in fact is really like gold.
Did Andrew Lloyd Webber or Tim Rice have any sort of hands-on experience with this production?
ER: When we rehearsed before the original production in London, the director kept in touch with them. I didn’t see them in rehearsals until the end; they’d come and watch a little bit. I kept in touch with Tim Rice, and he told me the story about why he wanted to write about this woman. He used to collect stamps, and one of the stamps had the face of Evita. That sparked the interest.
MC: With Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway, there’s another reason for them to come to see the New York production.
It’s funny—last year there were barely any revivals on Broadway. There are a lot this year! Michael, have you seen trends like that on Broadway?
MC: I would be a millionaire if I could anticipate these things and produce accordingly, but it doesn’t seem to be the result of anything concrete. Some years it’s just that there’s an open theatre and some production that’s expected to come in doesn’t and another one does. That sort of a happened with Jesus Christ Superstar. It’s like some great movement of the planets that results in these things, that then we all talk about and comment on as if they were all somehow predestined. I don’t know what to make of it. What it kind of says to me and what it reminds me about is the arbitrariness of what happens in awards season. If you happen to be in one of those years when there are tons of revivals, it’s just a harder road to bat. And then there are years where shows waltz into the winner’s circle. It kind of reminds you what a big grain of a salt to take all of that with.
Elena, have you had the chance to see a lot of theater while you’ve been in New York?
ER: I saw Follies and The Fantasticks. Once we started rehearsing I stopped going to the theater; I needed to concentrate. But now I’m going to have my Wednesdays off and can see more shows. I’m looking forward to it!
Michael, do you still try to be active as a theatre goer as well?
MC: I’ve been sort of working our block—you could spend a few months with your days off on our block alone. But I do like to se everything: I tend to have friends in a lot of shows or am a fan of the playwright or director. I like to go to shows to be inspired, and it doesn’t have to be in any way similar to the work I’m doing. Sometimes it’s even better the more different it is; you sort of empty the well eight times a week, and you just need to kind of refill it sometimes.
ER: You need to enjoy and be part of the audience again.
MC: You need to know what it’s like to be on the other side.
ER: And how beautiful it is to see a show.


OPINION | Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those held by Sarah Palin.
Democrat incumbent Senator Bill Nelson has called Republican candidate Rick Scott and conceded their race, ending a lengthy recount effort by the Democrat Party.
The senatorial race made national headlines after an Election Day voter tally showed a massive lead for Scott. But, over the ensuing days, new votes diminished his lead, ultimately triggering an automatic recount.
“I just spoke with Senator Bill Nelson, who graciously conceded, and I thanked him for his years of public service,” Scott said, as the Washinton Examiner reports. “Now the campaign truly is behind us, and that’s where we need to leave it. We must do what Americans have always done: come together for the good of our state and our country. My focus will not be on looking backward, but on doing exactly what I ran on: Making Washington Work.”
According to the report, despite a machine recount and a hand recount effort which concluded on Sunday, Nelson was still 10,033 votes down to Scott.
From the Washington Examiner:
The manual tabulation had been triggered by the closeness of Scott’s slim vote count advantage over Scott following a machine recount, which concluded Thursday.
In a recorded address, Nelson thanked his constituents, which he has served since 2001.
“Well, things turned out a little differently than we had hoped, but I by no means feel defeated,” Nelson wrote on Twitter. “It’s been a rewarding journey and a very humbling experience. No one could be more blessed.”
Check it out:
Undoubtedly, the election was surrounded in controversy.
Two counties—Broward and Palm Beach, which ABC News calls “both large, Democratic strongholds in South Florida”—were subject to criticisms from Republicans and President Trump who claimed the counties broke state and federal laws when they withheld their results past voting deadlines.
From ABC News:
In Broward, Election Supervisor Brenda Snipes was sued successfully by Scott’s campaign over her failure to provide results on time after Election Day. Her office reportedly intermingled 22 provisional ballots that shouldn’t have been counted, within a batch of 205. On Thursday, the county failed to upload results to a state website after the first round of recounting, missing the deadline by minutes.
Over the weekend, after Snipes’s office had completed recounting in the Senate race on Friday but continued recounting in the state’s agriculture commissioner race, she acknowledged her staff may have misplaced more than 2,000 ballots as it sought to finalize totals in that state-level race. Senate tallies had already been completed.
In Palm Beach, Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher said her counting machines overheated and stopped working multiple times, as the county raced to meet the state’s 3 p.m. Thursday deadline in the machine recount. Palm Beach missed that deadline on Thursday and had to continue running the machines afterward. The manufacturer of the machines pushed back, suggesting county officials were running the machines in an unusual way, in comments to The Palm Beach Post.
Palm Beach made Sunday’s deadline by one second, Palm Beach Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher told ABC affiliate WPBF, showing a readout of her office’s upload of results to the state website reading 11:59:59.
President Trump congratulated Scott on his election victory and a “a courageous and successful campaign.”
“From day one Rick Scott never wavered. He was a great Governor and will be even a greater Senator in representing the People of Florida. Congratulations to Rick on having waged such a courageous and successful campaign!” Trump tweeted.


text:
Hi there, blog friends! Today starts a new challenge at Addicted to CAS ~ The wonderful Stephanie is our Hostess, and she is challenging everyone to create a card using the Code Word ‘Berry’.
I went through my stash and found these lovely strawberries...I colored them with Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils, then die-cut this one-piece cluster of images and popped it up with foam tape. The scalloped panel is an old die from Mama Elephant, and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink (retired).
We would love to see how the code word ‘Berry’ inspires you! If you would like to see inspiration from the Design Team, and play along with us, come on over and check out the ATCAS Blog ~
Thanks so much for stopping by,
Stamps: Hello Bluebird - Bee Happy; Papertrey Ink - Keep It Simple - Just Because
Dies: Hello Bluebird - Bee Happy; Mama Elephant - All Prettied Up
Misc: My Mind's Eye - Enamel Dot; Copic Markers; Prismacolor Pencils

domain: design


text:
(1922 - 2013)
George Varlamos was active/lived in Greece. George Varlamos is known for Landscape and botanical painting.
Biography George Varlamos
George Varlamos was born in Paros in 1922 and died at the Athens School of Fine Arts in 2013. He studied painting and engraving from 1942-1947. He continued his studies in Paris at the ''Ecole des Beaux-Arts" and ''College Technique Estiene''.
Painting gave series works wi
... Displaying 750 of 1953 characters.

domain: artistic


text:
Depends on whether they have pooling rights under the lease. Typically, if there are no pooling rights and no wells have been drilled on the land, the lease will expire pursuant to its terms and you can then lease again to another outfit (or the same outfit) at current market rates. If the lease allows the driller to pool, they have you land tied up indefinetely because all they have to do is pool your property with another parcel with a well -- doesn't need to be a marcellus well, any old producing shallow well will do -- and the term of the lease will be extended so long as the well is producing gas. If it looks like that well will not be producing, they typically reserve the right to change the property you are pooled with to include a parcel that has a producing well. Long and the short of it is, if you did not delete the pooling provisions of their standard leases, you may never see a producing well on your land and will receive chump change in royalties possibly forever.
Regarding the Clean and Green question. My understanding is if you are part of a unit producing gas then your C&G status will be revoked. My lease says the gas company will pay any rollback and future tax increases.

domain: law


text:
Rio Tinto has completed a 10-hole bulk sample at Star Diamonds’ Star-Orion South project in Saskatchewan using a Bauer trench butter rig. Credit: Rio Tinto
SASKATOON – Rio Tinto has completed its 2019 bulk sampling program at Star Diamond’s Star-Orion South diamond project, 60 km east of Prince Albert, in central Saskatchewan.
Using novel technology – a trench cutter sampling rig normally used in civil engineering projects that has been adapted for use at the project – the company has collected 8,271 wet tonnes of material. Each trench took between 9 to 17 days to complete, and reached a depth of up to 251.1 metres.
George Read, Star Diamond’s senior vice-president exploration and development, said in a press release that the new sampling technology has the potential to revolutionize future bulk sampling and mining of kimberlites like those at Star-Orion South.
“This ambitious sampling program required significant time to assemble all the components on site, but once it commenced the trench cutter has operated efficiently and successfully, recovering a large bulk sample from the Star kimberlite,” Read said.
An onsite bulk sample processing plant is in the final stages of construction. Once completed, it will be commissioned using kimberlite from Orion South in a 2009 underground bulk sample program. Final diamond recovery will be done off site at a secure facility.
Rio Tinto is earning up to a 60% interest in the project under an agreement signed in 2017. The major will earn its first 51% in Star-Orion South once it completes the first two phases of work: a 10-hole bulk sampling program within the first three years, and then another 10-hole program (or $18.5 million in spending) within the following 18 months.
The Star and Orion-South kimberlites contain global resources of 66 million carats (193 million indicated tonnes grading 15 carats per hundred tonnes and 57 million inferred tonnes grading 11 cpht in Star; and 200 million indicated tonnes grading 14 cpht and 72 million inferred tonnes grading 7 cpht in Orion South).
Although they are very low grade, the kimberlites are known to host high-value, rare, Type IIa diamonds, as well as large stones.

domain: news


The People have been blamed for this calamity. Yet The People are not to blame. The People have been fed lies and trash by the political parties whose only interest is patronage. It never was about governance for The People. The political parties played their roles well. They would kick one person in the shins to stymie their agenda because it spoke to The People and not the party bosses. As they stumbled, the “ Family and Friends Network” stand-in was moved forward to become the anointed one. The one The People did not find credible; the one whose baggage was laden with bad karma. But The People were never part of the equation. They were easily dismissed and shunned; kicked to the curb without regard.
Those that would grovel at the taskmaster’s feet would soon learn they were not welcomed. A kick in the face, and a second in the derriere was often not enough to dissuade the leeches that so wanted to suckle on the city’s teets. The more they were shunned, the more they were determined to demean themselves before Mayor Amicone, the leader of the “Friends and Family Network.”
By being the largest employer in Yonkers, City Hall could disregard the overall concerns of the populace. Those that worked for City Hall, counting their spouse as a second vote, and many times more their adult voting children, and relatives of the same, together they were sufficient in number to elect a titular head to maintain a moat of disregard for The People.
Today, as in the past, Mayor Amicone concocts another circus act to diminish the public from fully conceptualizing the Transitional Financial Authority (TFA) for what it is. It is nothing more than a one-shot instrument that guts the future power of the checks and balances ordained to be functional, and proven to be so, by the Founding Fathers, for a Trojan Horse that is the last required invitation for the third Control Board to rule over Yonkers’ fiscal affairs. A Control Board would have solved much if it were adopted under more propitious times, perhaps a year ago. Not now, when the $20 million bond would not meet the “goals” set by the mayor, and would further demand repayment that will cost the city taxpayer even more.
Yonkers is bankrupt. Mayor Amicone knows it. Yonkersites know it. Yet, Mayor Amicone will not admit his failure. He can not say he is sorry. He does not have the strength of character to say he made a mistake. He cannot apologize for his “inside” team of misfits, liars, and law breaking enablers. It works if you are a “Friends and Family Network” cohort. It’s all about the money.
The only imprint Yonkers has is The Westchester Bank. Nothing else is functioning, The nValley Technology Center is a failure, The Roosevelt Ballroon and the Phillipsburgh Performing Art Center are failed. The Chicken Island Ballpark has lost its feathers, the Yonkers Waterfront is barren or in default to its creditors. Lawsuit after lawsuit have failed in getting our “fair share” of funding from Albany. The Yonkers Parking Authority is bankrupt but it still gives benefits to the “Family and Friends Network” without batting an eye. Those that rob the city of services rendered skirt the law with claimed references to being made to pay but do not. Their penalties are not made public. It is one cover-up story after another. There is no accounting from the Yonkers Board of Education despite the court ruling demanding it be handed over.
The Inspector General, Dan Schorr is a tool of Mayor Amicone. The Yonkers City Council has also for too long gotten along to get along with Mayor Amicone.
The Yonkers City Council will likely NOT vote in favor of Mayor Amicone’s FY2011-2012 Proposed Budget in the first round. When it is returned after a few line items get finagled, the whole lock, stock and barrel, including the kitchen sink will be approved by a majority of enabling Yonkers City Council Members;The People be damned. And so we will. So it will be written, and so it will be done.
The political establishment have not changed to reflect the post-crash demeanor that engulfs us. Are those standing in the wings to succeed these misfits up to the task?


David Struffolino, who captured Joe Perry and Aerosmith at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Mass., on June 24, 2004, with his Nokia 3600, was ”so close I could touch him…and did!”
Posted November 5 2004 — 12:00 AM EST
- Michael B. Jordan: Why I’m Torching the color line in 'Fantastic Four'
- Jon Bon Jovi wrote a new song for the Rutgers' class of 2015
- Nicki Minaj drops 'The Night Is Still Young' video on Tidal
- TLC yanks '19 Kids and Counting' reruns
- Kanye West's 'All Day' gets misheard lyrics video from Joe Mande
- Robert De Niro to grads: 'You're f---ed'
- Kurt Sutter's new series a go at FX
- 'Fear the Walking Dead' First Look: 7 photos from the set
- Cannes 2015: What's buzzing in film and fashion (so far)
- 'Survivor': Meet 20 alums you picked for a 'Second Chance'
- Ellie Kemper, more faces of the 2015 Webby Awards
- Summer Music Preview 2015: 10 hottest tours
- George Clooney, Meghan Trainor, Pharrell & Zoë and More!


text:
Rubio Sounds the Alarm: Palm Beach Elections Supervisor Bans Media Cameras From Public Ballot Counting – THREATENS THEM WITH ARRESTS
Palm Beach elections supervisor Susan Bucher, screen image via WPBF
Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio sounded the alarm Friday night after Palm Beach elections supervisor Susan Bucher banned cameras from public ballot counting and threatened them with arrests.
The Palm Beach Post reported:
RIVIERA BEACH — Breaking from normal practice, the Palm Beach County elections supervisor banned media from filming and photographing the high-profile midterm election ballot review process amid allegations of “incompetence” by Gov. Rick Scott.
Tensions flared Friday morning when Bucher threatened to have camera operators and newspaper reporters arrested for filming ballot tabulation as Palm Beach County. The meeting at least half a dozen television cameras and even more reporters as Palm Beach County is one of the last in Florida to report unofficial results in an election with three tight statewide races. Bucher accused several reporters of illegally taking pictures and videos of signatures on the envelopes of mail ballots.
Reporters repeatedly assured Bucher that they were filming the board members from a safe distance as they examined ballots and decided whether to toss or count them. Signatures were not visible in any Palm Beach Post photos.
Still, Bucher insisted that she’d bring officers to forcibly remove any member of the media who filmed the process.
Despite objections from reporters, the canvassing board insisted that the meeting not be filmed or photographed.
“There is no way the canvassing board can determine or ascertain what those cameras, those recording devices are recording,” said Judge August Bonavita, chair of the canvassing board. “We have to focus exclusively on what’s in front of us. We can’t pay attention to your cameras.”
Five Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies watched the meeting both from inside the room and behind the glass windows lead inside. Under threat of arrest and removal from the meeting, reporters shut down their cameras.
According to the Palm Beach Post, an NBC attorney objected to Susan Bucher’s camera ban, calling it “illegal.”
Senator Rubio once again sounded the alarm Friday night after cameras were banned from public ballot counting.
RUBIO: #PalmBeachCounty elections supervisor bans media cameras from public ballot counting & threatens them with arrest.
How much more will it take to convince skeptics that what is happening in Palm Beach & #BrowardCounty is not a normal elections process?
#PalmBeachCounty elections supervisor bans media cameras from public ballot counting & threatens them with arrest.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 10, 2018
Also, according to WPBF reporter, Terri Parker, Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher says it will be impossible to meet court ordered deadline to turn over ballots that her staff made decisions on – asking for emergency reconsideration hearing.
EXCLUSIVE – Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher says it will be impossible to meet court ordered deadline to turn over ballots that her staff made decisions on – asking for emergency reconsideration hearing. @WPBF25News pic.twitter.com/MX3P9Gp16I
— Terri Parker (@wpbf_terri) November 9, 2018


Monitoring and System Connection
NeTKeY, the Monitoring Service will maintain the maximum efficiency of your equipment by constantly monitoring it, thus ensuring a smooth operation.
Supervision & Control
Connectivity has revolutionized every industry and created an ever-increasing demand for reliable and easy-to-use remote access services. We provide connected services, with the ability to proactively monitor the system, minimizing downtime by detecting problems before they become a real issue.
Different user profiles, for use and definition of all functions. Information of all values, defining events, programs, reports and values in a simple way.
The data can be transformed into Graphical Representations, having different screens dynamically structured to show the data we need to have available from the equipment. This allows a very simple and clear access with PC, tablet or smartphone.
• The values are automatically updated on the display
• Display of all measured values
• Manual operation of individual drives of defined variables
• Acknowledgement of errors with the respective operating authorization
• Alarm signal
Trend monitoring for analysis and optimization of equipment performance. Both “live data” and “historical data” can be displayed. Selectable sensor values and functional changes during certain selectable time periods are monitored and saved.
This allows to improve efficiency, anticipate failures, perform more effective assistance knowing in real time the operation of the equipment, in short, HVAC system monitoring saves us time and money in the life of the equipment.
ENJOY A WELL-MAINTAINED INSTALLATION
An optimal installation with minimal costs
Higher energy efficiency
Longer life span
In accordance with the latest legal requirements
MORE ABOUT KEYTER


text:
We are so excited have our friend Astreya on our next installment of our DJ mix series. If you’re from the Reno/Tahoe Basin, chances are you have caught a live set from her. Providing support for acts such as Esseks, Buku, Prophet, Khiva, and Mad Zach, to name a few, she has quickly proven she is up to the task of delivering heavy hitters that keep you on the dance floor wanting more. We have been lucky to have her mix for some of our events and we are never let down. From the start of this mix you start with a head bopper and the entertainment continues through the whole mix. She played some of my personal favorite tunes that had me wanting more as the mix was coming to the end. Major props to one of my favorite Reno DJ's on this great selection of tunes. Make sure to give her a follow.
top of page
bottom of page


text:
Garchomp - 5/147 (Cracked Ice Holo)
Out of stock
Set: Deck Exclusives Type: Colorless Rarity: Rare Retreate Cost: 0 Guard Claw (40)
During your opponent's next turn, any damage done to Garchomp by attacks is reduced by 20 (after applying Weakness and Resistance). Speed Impact (120-)
Does 120 damage minus 20 damage for each Energy attached to the Defending Pokemon.

domain: game


T.e.s.o. is an electronic music duo composed by Matteo Castiglioni & Jacopo Biffi.
Their musical research has its roots in the musical and artistic aesthetics of the early twentieth century with particular attention to avant-garde movements, up to the contemporary forms of jazz and electronic research.
Their first single was released on FatCat Records in autumn 2014 followed by their first self-produced album “Over a Neutral Landscape” followed by the EP “PLATO” released in March 2015 by the independent Milanese label Rxsntz.
On 11 December 2015, the English label Aperture Records founded by Andrea Parker releases their second album “No.3. Obliate ”on double LP.
This latest work is a journey made with profound humanism between sound architectures and brutalist sound-design.
In parallel with the musical production, the duo presented in the summer of 2015 the audiovisual installation “neMachine” which investigates the relationship between the architecture of Le Corbusier and Erik Satie.
In 2016 they collaborated with the video artist Andrew Quinn to create the multimedia show “Martellato”.
The live performances of the duo represent events in their own right and always different in which their idea of music is condensed thanks to the use of hardware and software machines that they have programmed themselves.


text:
Open Access Journals gaining more Readers and Citations
700 Journals and 15,000,000 Readers Each Journal is getting 25,000+ Readers
Dr. Olea-Popelka's research philosophy is an integrated multidisciplinary approach in which environmental, socio-economical, cultural, and political components are considered in conjunction with the disease causal agent and the host when addressing different health issues.
Research Article: J Infect Dis Ther 2013, 1:114
Make the best use of Scientific Research and information from our 700 + peer reviewed, Open Access Journals

domain: literature


We invite you to attend a Low Impact Development (LID) Ordinance Stakeholder Meeting. The meeting details are as follows:
Date: Thursday, November 4, 2010 Time: 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Location: City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation, Media Technical Center, 2714 Media Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90065, Upstairs Training Rooms A & B
At this meeting, City of Los Angeles representatives will provide information on the following:
- An update on the status of the proposed Low Impact Development Ordinance - An update from the LID Ordinance Handbook Development Technical Committee on the development of the handbook - Next steps for the proposed LID Ordinance
For nearly half a century, the North Atwater Creek has been all but forgotten. Set in the Glendale-Narrows portion of the Los Angeles River, this natural creek has become overgrown with non-native grasses and invasive exotic species such as the Mediterranean Castor oil plant. A man-made creek, the soil in its unstable banks is contaminated from decades of toxic runoff draining from an urban area. For decades, this polluted water has collected in stagnant pools at the base of the creek before being discharged into the LA River through four massive graffiti-ridden culverts.
Not exactly the image of a creek that will lead the Los Angeles River revitalization effort – or is it?
As the lead project for the City of Los Angeles’ proposed Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, the restoration of North Atwater Creek and expansion of North Atwater Park perfectly embodies the objectives of Los Angeles’ renewal of the river and is a microcosm of what the City hopes to achieve up and down the LA River’s 51 miles in years to come. Funded in part by Proposition 50 and undertaken in connection with the settlement of two Clean Water Act enforcement actions (Santa Monica Baykeeper v. City of Los Angeles and United States, and the State of California ex Rel. California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region v. City of Los Angeles), the North Atwater Park Expansion and Creek Restoration project will use both structural and natural solutions to restore this natural creek and expand its park, simultaneously improving water quality and creating welcome green space for local residents and habitat for wildlife.
Polluted runoff flowing from the 40 acres of urban residential neighborhoods north of the creek is a major concern and to address that ongoing issue, the City will install a capturing device at the top of the creek to intercept trash and bacteria. Another issue that plagues the water quality in North Atwater Creek is the horse waste from equestrian facilities adjacent to the site. The project will work to develop site plans to better address the proper disposal of horse manure.
In addition to structural best management practices that will remove trash and bacteria, the project will also restore the creek and expand the adjacent park, which will improve the quality of life for both the local residents and native wildlife living close to North Atwater Creek. Birds like Black Phoebes and Blue Heron have always called the Los Angeles River their home and the renovation of North Atwater Creek, which will create additional habitat, will encourage these feathered friends to stop and rest a while along its banks. Likewise, the expansion of the park will encourage local residents to stop and enjoy the sights and sounds of North Atwater Creek. Recognizing that the renaissance of this creek provides the perfect opportunity to teach local residents about the Los Angeles River, watersheds and the manner in which structural best management practices and constructed wetlands work together here to improve water quality, the project will include an outdoor classroom gathering space and native demonstration garden providing educational opportunities. Interpretive signage dotting the park will further enhance visits by park goers.
So, while North Atwater Creek may not have not received much attention over the last few decades, that’s about to change. This coming winter, construction crews will begin working on North Atwater Creek, and the City forecasts having this project finished within a year, by winter 2011. And, in the process, a forgotten creek will lead the way – towards cleaner water, increased habitat for native birds and wildlife, new educational and recreational opportunities for local residents and a renaissance for the Los Angeles River.
Please join Councilman Tom LaBonge and officials from the Departments of Public Works, Recreation and Parks and Water and Power at the North Atwater Park Expansion and Creek Restoration Ground Breaking Ceremony, 2:00 p.m., Thursday, October 28, 2010, 3900 Chevy Chase Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90039.
Shelly Backlar is the executive director of the not-for-profit Friends of the LA River (FoLAR), an advocacy group that promotes the restoration and revitalization of the river. She recently spoke with LA Stormwater about FoLAR and some of the issues they are currently tackling. When and why was the Friends of the LA River (FoLAR) founded?
Friends of the Los Angeles River was founded back in 1986 as a 40-year Art Work to bring the Los Angeles River back to life. FoLAR’s founder, Lewis MacAdams and two friends, Patt Patterson and Roger Wong, cut the chain-link fence in downtown Los Angeles near First Street and walked upstream to the Arroyo Seco / Los Angeles River Confluence – the birthplace of Los Angeles. They decided that someone had to speak on behalf of the River and it would be them. Lewis envisioned the gospel tune, “Let’s All Gather at the River” as his inspiration for the organization. When he started he thought his job would be to convince people that the River had the potential to unite and inspire communities but he soon realized that he had to convince people that there IS a River in Los Angeles. Next year FoLAR will celebrate its 25th anniversary as the original voice of the River. Look how far we’ve come!
What do you currently see as FoLAR’s biggest challenge?
FoLAR’s biggest challenge right now is making sure that we continue to increase our organizational capacity to accomplish everything we want to accomplish with a very small staff. A lot of our success can be attributed to collaborating with other like-minded organizations as we did with the campaigns to transform both the Cornfield and Taylor Yard into state parks – Los Angeles State Historic and Rio de Los Angeles State Parks. We also work very closely with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps’ L.A. River Keepers to implement our outdoor education program, River School, as well as our Great Los Angeles River CleanUp, La Gran Limpieza. We are getting better and better at fundraising, securing grants for programmatic expenses, but can always use general operating funds to keep us moving forward in more and more creative ways.
How about its biggest success?
FoLAR’s biggest success is reflected in the number of stakeholders that are working to make the River and its watershed a better place for us all. The fact that Los Angeles County adopted its Los Angeles River Master Plan back in the ‘90s paved the way for improvements along the River from pocket parks to the Dominguez Gap Wetlands project. The City of Long Beach adopted a vision plan for the River, the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan focuses on a vision for transforming the 32 miles of River within Los Angeles’ jurisdiction and groups like Save L.A. River Open Space are developing plans for restoring wetland habitat in communities like Studio City. Most recently when Lisa Jackson, the EPA’s Administrative Deputy, announced that the Los Angeles River is “a traditionally navigable waterway” she also said "A clean, vibrant L.A. River system can help revitalize struggling communities, promoting growth and jobs for residents of Los Angeles. We want the L.A. River to demonstrate how urban waterways across the country can serve as assets in building stronger neighborhoods, attracting new businesses and creating new jobs." This is what FoLAR and others have echoed for years so to hear the head of the EPA say these words with such enthusiasm, it made me realize that anything is possible.
If you could tell people in LA two things about how they can best help protect and improve the LA River, what would those be?
When it comes to protecting and improving the Los Angeles River I would ask people to think about the things they do on a daily basis and how their actions can affect the River. For example, if you walk your dog make sure that you pick up after him or her. Animal waste is a source of bacteria and if it washes into the storm drains, through the River and out into the ocean it can cause disease. You can cut down on the number of plastic bags that end up in our neighborhoods and waterways by bringing reusable bags to the market with you and, if you use a plastic water bottle make sure that you recycle it. Little things like that go a long way to keeping the River and ocean ecosystems cleaner and healthier.
What kind of wildlife will you find in and along the LA River?
The Los Angeles River is teeming with bird life and I always feel like a little girl when I spot a great blue heron or an egret or even an osprey. While one would expect to see more birds in the natural-bottom portions of the River, shorebirds can be found along the concrete sections where algae provides a food source. In addition to several different bird species the River also has several fish species such as tilapia, catfish and carp that can be seen spawning at the end of March and early April. You can also see turtles, crawfish, coyotes, raccoons, bullfrogs and even an occasional mountain lion near Griffith Park.
What do you like best about your job?
I love being out on the River listening to the water, seeing the birds and knowing that all of this exists in our urban environment. Being able to share the River with people of all ages is such a thrill. I also really enjoy speaking to groups of all ages about the River’s past, present and future. It is so exciting to think about being able to fish and kayak and even swim in the River. That’s what FoLAR is working for, a swimmable, fishable, boatable Los Angeles River.
Shelly Backlar joined Friends of the Los Angeles River as the Executive Director in 2003. As a member of the Los Angeles River Plastics Industry Task Force, initiated by Ad-Hoc Los Angeles River Committee Chair Ed Reyes, she collaborated with executives and city staff to ensure that plastic bags and fast-food waste do not wind up in the River. Shelly is one of 32 people asked by Councilmember Reyes to join an Advisory Committee to provide review, critique and advice to the City’s Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan. Shelly is a member of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee for the Sixth Street Viaduct Seismic Retrofit project, and an Advisory Committee Member for the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council. She was just invited to join the Recycled Water Advisory Group, convened by the Department of Water and Power and the Bureau of Sanitation. Shelly speaks frequently at conferences, with the media and with myriad others about FoLAR’s vision and the issues affecting the future of the Los Angeles River. *Photo courtesy of the LA Times.
We all know what it is, where it is and most of us even know what it does. It’s in the background of our city, but in many ways it’s the heart of LA. It flows through our communities and to the ocean we all enjoy and love. It’s none other than the Los Angeles River.
So what do we really know about the river aside from it being a concrete channel leading runoff to the ocean? Below is a handful of fun and interesting tidbits we thought you’d enjoy.
1. The Gabrielino Indians first inhabited the area near the river. They did so for hundreds of years prior to the arrival of the Spanish. Gabrielino villages numbered over 45 and were located near the Los Angeles River, mostly in the San Fernando Valley.(1)
2. The LA River was at one time our city’s sole water supply.(2)
3. The LA River is the longest paved waterway in the world, running 51 miles out of the San Gabriel Mountains, through municipal jurisdictions (which includes 16 cities), and then flows into Long Beach Harbor. Click here to read about why impermeable surfaces are bad news for water quality.(3)
4. There are more than 120 crossings along the LA River’s entire reach.(4)
5. In 2008, the Friends of the Los Angeles River (FOLAR) documented eight types of fish living within the river: largemouth bass, green sunfish, tilapia, black bullhead, Amazon sailfish catfish, carp, fathead minnow and mosquitofish. Read our interview with FOLAR’s President, Shelly Backlar.(5)
What has been your experience with the LA River? Non-existent? Fond? Mixed? Let us know by scribbling your thoughts below and sharing your pics on our Facebook page.
The USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies and Quiksilver, Inc have teamed up for a new science education program that is sure to make a splash!
It is the QuikScience Challenge 2011 and is described as a multi-faceted competition for student teams to spark their interest in science and the ocean. The Challenge will also foster leadership, environmental awareness and stewardship. There are two Challenges, one for middle school teams as well as one for high school teams.
QuikScience Challenge projects will include an ocean science lesson, a community service project, a solution to an environmental problem, a portfolio and a creative presentation of the team’s work.
If you live in California or Hawaii you are eligible to enter the Challenge. First place winners will travel to USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island for an entire week for education and fun! Second place teams will receive a 4 day trip to the same location.
But every team is a winner with many prizes and drawings for all. Who knew science education could be so much fun?
Are you thinking about installing rain barrels around your house? Or do you just want to learn more about rainwater harvesting, like how to reuse the water or a few safety tips? Well, the City of Los Angeles, along with the Cities of Pasadena and Santa Monica are having a few events that are right for you!
To be presented at the Santa Monica Rainwater Fair on Sunday, October 17, the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) will be hosting a one-day course on general rainwater harvesting. The session will provide an overview of rainwater harvesting history, methods of applications, including concepts and techniques for uses such as landscape irrigation and wildlife management. This event will be free of charge.
If you are busy on Sunday, there are also two advanced rainwater harvesting events (at a cost of $295 per workshop) to be held on October 18 & 19 by ARCSA at the Santa Monica Library. These courses will provide more in depth harvesting design and installation tips, out-door and in-home rainwater use ideas, as well as rules, regulations and much more!
To register for any of the aforementioned events, please visit: www.arcsa.org
The heat wave is behind us. That means one less excuse for not getting out into the sunshine for a day of eco volunteering. Below are a few great opportunities to build community and help make our city a bit more green.
>On Thursday, October 7th, come out to Park Work Day in Beverly Hills where Tree People and volunteers will be getting rid of unwanted, invasive plants as well as working to reduce slopes from erosion at an area park.
>CicLAvia will be going strong on Sunday, October 10th. Haven't heard of CicLAvia? Well, come out on Sunday to find out! (Hint: Streets are opened all, and so are our public spaces from Boyle Heights to Downtown, MacArthur Park to East Hollywood!)
Who among us hasn’t experienced the joy of planting a seed, nurturing the seedling and proudly watching it blossom into a young tree or flowering shrub. And so it goes with ideas. An idea is planted, nurtured and supported, and in time, that idea grows into a movement that positively changes lives and neighborhoods.
The City’s Stormwater Program is undergoing a similar transformation with new ideas for how to responsibly manage rain flows at the neighborhood level. So come join us as we unveil one of these projects that embody this new vision and approach.
For decades, runoff from storms was viewed as a liability; a community danger that needed to be diverted to storm drains as quickly as possible to avoid flooding and damage. Sadly, the runoff was often times contaminated with a wide array of pollutants ranging from pet waste to trash to used motor oil, and this runoff flowed untreated through our creeks and rivers, sending a toxic stew to area beaches.
Now, in this era of mandatory water conservation and economic challenges, the idea of rethinking the management of rainwater and using that water for irrigation purposes or infiltrating it back into diminishing ground water supplies is taking root. And with that new way of thinking, came the Riverdale Avenue Green Street Project.
The Riverdale Green Street Project, initiated by the City of Los Angeles and whose major funding source is the California Coastal Conservancy, utilizes stormwater parkway planters to treat and infiltrate polluted urban runoff.
Completed in early August 2010, the primary goal of this project is to create a model for a new standard of residential street design. The project retrofited the existing parkways on both sides of Riverdale Avenue, between Crystal Street and its terminus at the west side of the Los Angeles River, with infiltration units that will capture and treat stormwater runoff from 14 acres of residential land. Parkway landscaping featuring drought-tolerant natives will be planted above these buried devices.
This new way of constructing city streets and parkways will serve the dual purpose of treating contaminated urban runoff while simultaneously irrigating the parkway vegetation. Lauded by the environmental community and residents alike, this project will provide improved water quality in the Los Angeles River and, ultimately, San Pedro Bay. The City plans to monitor the quality of water flowing into the LA River from this project with the hope that it will provide a very real model in developing sustainable standards for future street design.
So join us on celebrating the Riverdale Green Street’s completion. It’s literally a road to a green future. *Photo courtesy of LA Creek Freak
All across America, the idea of “going green” has taken off. Everywhere people are beginning to understand that our day-to-day actions have had a cumulative impact on Earth. And, with that understanding comes the desire to reduce that effect with a greener lifestyle. “Green” has become the new gold standard for how we live our lives to ensure the future health and sustainability of our world.
It won’t be too long before the term “green streets” will join the ranks of household ideas promoting environmental consciousness. When we speak of “green streets,” some may think that we’re talking about ripping up streets and reverting back to the days of dusty country roads. Here in LA, the second largest city in the US, we’ll never be able to go back to those days of yesteryear. Instead, the term “green streets” refers to a new way of thinking, a new and sustainable way of constructing streets to promote the management of polluted stormwater runoff.
Two streets in the Elysian Valley community are paving the way towards creating a new green streets standard here in LA. Three years ago, the City of Los Angeles and community group North East Trees partnered together to build the Oros Green Street Project with funding from the California Water Quality Control Board and Proposition O, LA’s Clean Water Bond. Using cutting edge technology, this model project constructed five stormwater gardens in Oros Street’s parkway to capture and infiltrate storm water runoff. Today, this project continues to demonstrate that green streets will help Los Angeles reach its goal of reducing pollutants in our local rivers, creeks, lakes and beaches.
The Oros Green Street Project proved that stormwater management within our city streets was possible. The next project – the Riverdale Avenue Green Street Project – works towards establishing the City standard. The Riverdale Avenue Green Street pilot project, initiated by the City of Los Angeles and whose major funding source is the California Coastal Conservancy, utilizes stormwater parkway planters to treat and infiltrate polluted urban runoff. Completed in early August 2010, the primary goal of this project is to create a model for a new standard of residential street design. The project retrofits the existing parkways on both sides of Riverdale Avenue, between Crystal Street and its terminus at the south side of the Los Angeles River, with infiltration units that will capture and treat stormwater runoff from 14 acres of residential land. Parkway landscaping featuring drought-tolerant natives will be planted above these buried devices.
This new way of constructing city streets and parkways will serve the dual purpose of treating contaminated urban runoff and simultaneously irrigate the parkway vegetation. Lauded by the environmental community and residents alike, this project will provide improved water quality in the Los Angeles River and, ultimately, San Pedro Bay. The City plans to monitor the quality of water flowing into the LA River from this project with the hope that this demonstration project will provide a very real model in developing sustainable standards for future street design.
Since the beginning of time, roads have provided humanity with a means to get to a new destination. It’s appropriate then that green streets are providing Angelenos with cleaner communities and water ways – paving the way towards a more sustainable future for all of Los Angeles.
On Saturday September 25, 2010 the 26th Annual Coastal Cleanup Day will be held across California. Last year’s turn out for the largest marine environment event in the country was enormous here in the Golden State. Over 80,600 great volunteers collected over 1.3 million pounds of trash and recyclables.
This year promises to be just as successful!
California Coastal Cleanup Day is made possible by the California Coastal Commission's Adopt-A-Beach program. From 9 a.m. to Noon this coming Saturday, volunteers will be congregating at over 50 locations in LA County alone. And it’s not too late to join in the cause to pick up unwanted litter before it makes its way into our waterways!
Heal the Bay along with the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors are the LA County coordinators for the cleanup events. Check out Heal the Bay’s webpage to find a location near you and help make 2010 as successful as 2009.
The City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program would not be successful if it weren’t for our gracious, committed partners. Our work’s outcome is enhanced due to the amount of talent and knowledge we are privileged to work with every single day.
That’s why we are pleased to announce that Sherri Akers, a community environmental advocate and supporter of the Stormwater Program who lives in Mar Vista, was recently awarded the 2010 Pioneer Woman of the Year in Council District 11 by Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl.
“I am truly honored to accept this award as it recognizes that each of us can make a difference. I feel very lucky to be part of a community that is dedicated to public service and shares my passion for conservation and environmental change,” said Akers after she received the award. “We have the perfect ingredients n strong civic support from Councilman Rosendahl, the Mar Vista Community Council and an engaged community with an environmental focus. It’s exciting to see our efforts seeding action in other communities.”
To read more about Sherri’s great work and the award she worked so hard to earn, please check out this great piece in The Argonaut.
The Stormwater Program congratulates you Sherri Akers!
The City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program, on behalf of the Ballona Creek watershed, invites you to participate in the third workshop for the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) Implementation Plans for the Ballona Creek watershed on Tuesday, September 21st.
The two previous workshops discussed the identification and prioritization of pollutant hotspots and opportunities for water quality improvement projects in the Ballona Creek watershed. With your great input, this resulted in two Implementation Plans for the Ballona Creek Bacteria and Metals TMDLs. The third workshop will be dedicated to the development of the third Implementation Plan for the Ballona Estuary Toxics TMDL.
The workshop topics will include:
•Multi-pollutant and sustainable, green approach to water quality improvement and TMDL compliance
• Proposed distributed and regional projects for implementation in the Ballona Creek watershed
• Results of Toxicity Identification Evaluation special study
• Proposed strategy to address the specific requirements of the Ballona Estuary Toxics TMDL
In addition, Stormwater Program staff will present preliminary concepts of several stormwater projects identified in the Implementation Plans.
We look forward to meeting with you at this workshop!
When: September 21, 2010 from 10:00am to 11:30 am
Where: Hyperion Treatment Plant, Conference Room 116 12000 Vista Del Mar, Playa Del Rey, CA, 90293
For more information and to RSVP, please contact Ida Meisami at Ida.Meisami.Fard@lacity.org or (213) 485-3999 with your name and the names of any additional guests.
What better way to welcome the change in seasons than with a volunteer or community event this month? If you didn’t have a chance to lend a hand for the environment this past summer, it’s not too late to jump right in to help green L.A. this fall. And if you did volunteer, we’re sure you are all rested up and ready to go again! Here’s a taste of what’s in store for September!
>Saturday, September 11th is packed full of green goodness. Two tree care projects spearheaded by TreePeople will be taking place in Altadena and El Monte. There will also be a fabulously fun Environmentalist rendezvous including a picnic and film in Pasadena.
>It’s not exactly a volunteer event, but that’s okay, it’s still great for the community. On Sunday, September 12th LA Streets Blog will be closing down streets in L.A. for a cool street fair. Bring bikes, skateboards or just your walking shoes. No cars allowed!
>Do you like the famous Santa Monica Pier? How about pets? Well, there will be a great pet festival hosted by Best Friends on Sunday, September 19th, at the Santa Monica Pier. The event is being held to help raise awareness for homeless pets in our area.
>On Tuesday, September 21 the cities that make up the Ballona Creek watershed are holding a workshop with the City of L.A. at Hyperion Water Treatment to educate the public about cool stuff like water pollution and sustainable, green approaches to water quality improvements. You should come on out!
>Saturday, September 25 will be a fun one. It is Coastal Clean Up Day! Do you know what that means? Well, we’ll tell you. Heal the Bay will be coordinating over 50 cleanup locations throughout L.A. County! Yep, that’s a lot and there is sure to be one near you.


text:
As I mentioned yesterday, the Rangers only had two short practices today before heading to Old Oaks Country Club for their annual golf tournament.
Tomorrow is a far more important day since the team will have its annual Blue and White game, with the roster expected to be trimmed down afterward.
The team isn’t saying how many players will be cut tomorrow, but my guess is it will be around a dozen or so. Although Tom Renney said he wanted to have fewer players in camp than last year — when they essentially fielded two different teams for exhibition games — the team does have an odd pre-season schedule this year, with the six games coming in three back-to-back waves.
Since I’m assuming the coach doesn’t want to wear down too many players by having them play on consecutive nights, chances are he’ll err on the side of keeping more prospects around than less.
This is at least how I would run the team. Of course if I ran the team, I’d also put Jagr at defense and Malik in net. Hey, it’d at least be worth a laugh.
Meanwhile, in a related note, I’m working on a story for tomorrow about the experience of prospects in training camp, and specifically the importance of them making an impression in these first couple of days. The best example is Ryan Callahan, who last year had a miserable camp and was sent down to Hartford before the start of the pre-season. You wonder if there’s another example like that this year.


Thanks for visiting our Job Board. Please review our open positions and apply to the positions that match your qualifications.
*Must be U.S. Citizen and clearable to Public Trust*
Provides journeyman-level technical IT expertise in the analysis, design, development, integration, documentation, and implementation assistance on problems which require a thorough knowledge of the related technical subject matter for effective system deployment
Participates in all phases of systems development
Designs and prepares technical reports and related documentation, and makes charts and graphs to record results
Coordinate and/or perform additions and changes to network hardware and operating systems, and attached devices; includes investigation, analysis, recommendation, configuration, installation, and testing of new network hardware and software.
Provide direct support in the day-to-day operations on network hardware and operating systems, including the evaluation of system utilization, monitoring response time and primary support for detection and correction of operational problems.
Troubleshoot at the physical level of the network, working with network measurement hardware and software, as well as physical checking and testing of hardware devices at the logical level working with communication protocols.
Maintain network infrastructure standards including network communication protocols such as TCP/IP.
Provide technical consultation, training and support to IT staff as designated by the government.
US Citizen with the ability to obtain a Public Trust Clearance
Bachelor’s degree in systems engineering or related discipline (4-year)
Location/ Travel: 60% in our Tysons’ or Prime’s Merrifield, VA office; 40% at Client’s location in DC & MD conducting meetings/presentations and network configuration/setup. 5-10 CONUS travel days included to setup network on remote client sites.


Somewhere between a Bertolucci interior (think The Dreamers and Last Tango) and the worst kind of corporate job (think failed gimmicks and lifestyle companies from the 90s) via Chernobyl or The Road, Dreamthinkspeak’s latest sell-out, site-responsive theatre performance stakes its territory. In the beginning was the end takes over the hidden corners of Somerset House, transporting you from one side of the grand courtyard to the other, through windy, dripping tunnels and dilapidated Georgian corridors. It is this extraordinary setting that ultimately makes the performance worth seeing.
(I’m going to talk details, so this contains spoilers.)
Allegedly inspired by the cross-disciplinary engineering marvels Leonardo of Da Vinci, this production actually seems to resonate more soundly with contemporary stereotypes of corporate culture and the desire to predict, even provoke, its inevitable collapse. The lofty inspirations for the piece – Renaissance science, the Book of Revelation – are realised more through further references to 80s geekery and nuclear meltdown. In my personal mythology, Da Vinci does not wear a white coat, and an empty telephone box that barks insults in broken English is not something that sits happily alongside the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Whilst I recognise that such sources are open for interpretation and naturally need not correspond directly to my interpretation, I can’t help feeling that this kind of literary name-dropping was a way to claw gravitas back into something that is, essentially, distinguished by its other remarkable features.
Nonetheless, if you forget the ‘sources’, the story successfully catapults us straight into the action by inviting (coercing?) us to sit round a table in a bland conference room without any windows. A screen at one end plays a silent CCTV film of an identical room, in which three ’employees’ are discussing heatedly. A woman enters and begins to read from an ancient book – but she’s speaking in facts and figures, not literary tropes or letters of faith. We settle in, suppressing our glee, but just as we’re getting comfortable, the woman stops, apologises and leaves awkwardly. We wait. And then she is replaced by a man ostensibly with the same book who begins to chant in a language completely unrecognisable to myself or others. As his voice gets louder and louder, the fire alarm sounds, a wall rolls back (the fourth wall? But of course) and we are pushed rapidly through a series of workshop spaces, evacuating not just the meeting room but also our sense of self and ordinary expectation.
The plot – if it can be called that: many who attend will miss the spoon feeding of a traditional narrative – divides roughly into three parts. First, a sequence of rooms that present messages of mathematics and machines in which white-coated ‘experts’ attempted to teach us formulae in languages that were familiar enough to feel European, but obviously not one that we might have learnt at school. Next, we were welcomed into the central vortex of the corporate heart – an open day at Fusion International, complete with ‘petbot’ demonstrations and a creepy French compere. Watching this break apart was one of the more successful pieces of the show: in a room not unlike a student IT suite, employees of Fusion International start shouting at their colleagues in turn, plaintively, aggressively, agitatedly. As they work themselves up (again, not speaking in English) they start to take off their clothes until, completely naked, they smile, relax and walk out of the room. The full cycle for all 15 of the cast takes around half an hour, but it is well worth the wait. Finally, the pace slows, the rooms empty out. Figures outside the windows fall slowly to their end. Abandoned media pieces play on and on into the abyss.
For some, the aesthetics of the performance will not hang together; for others, the quick moves between the dark tunnels and the bright lights will energise the show. For myself, the action was thrilling, the cast extraordinarily convincing and dynamic, and the setting beyond magnificent, engaging the audience in a tangible, bodily fashion. There was never a glitch in the set: no glimpses of backstage clutter despite the fact that the action ranged through easily twenty or so spaces and some extraordinary moments of spectacle such as the illuminated alphabet art that fizzed and jostled as you walked towards it, and the lemon grove that concluded the sequence. Even the security attendants sat suitably subdued raising the occasional arm to direct us like a friendly zombie. Yet the experience was let down by its plot. With nothing very new to say and largely dependent on out of date corporate stereotypes and post-apocalyptic culture, the action dipped its feet in the present of 2013, but only fleetingly. If theatre is, as David Edgar has said in various iterations, a place where the actual can explore its furthest limits, In the beginning was the end has missed the mark.
But do go, if only for the lemons.


text:
Celsius crypto lending platform has 20 billion USD in crypto assets
Celsius is adding 1 billion USD a month in new crypto assets
Celsius, crypto lending and borrowing platform confirms $20,366,621,718 in cryptocurrency assets as of August 13. Celsius based its results on Chainalysis audit.
In less than one year, Celsius has grown its total asset holdings from $1 billion to over $20 billion. As part of its Proof Of Community (POC) and rewards explorer, Celsius provides real-time data about its assets, loans, users and rewards paid. This asset growth trajectory continues with Celsius confirming it is adding close to $1B a month in new assets, as the company trends towards the number one position in total asset holdings in the crypto industry.
Celsius crypto lending and borrowing platform, attributes its exponential growth to its community-centric model by putting its users first instead of shareholders. Through the Celsius platform, customers can earn yield on their crypto at rates of up to 17% APY on 43 cryptocurrencies, paid out weekly. Users can also use their crypto as collateral to borrow dollars or stablecoins at rates as low as 0% and can earn rewards in-kind or in CEL token.


text:
Hispanics will make up 21 percent of Chicago`s population by 1990, and the city needs to create three new Latino wards to reflect this growth, a research organization said Tuesday.
``Our increased numbers call for additional elected Hispanic officials,`` said Jose Matos-Real, executive director of the Latino Institute, which conducted the study.
To achieve greater political representation, the nonprofit research organization`s study proposed realigning the boundaries of the 32d and 33d Wards on the North Side to create two wards that would have Hispanic majorities and redrawing the 11th, 12th and 14th Wards on the South Side to create a new 12th Ward that would be 66 percent Latino. The four wards now represented by Latino aldermen would be largely unaffected.
Chicago`s Latino population will increase by 193,000, or 46 percent, between 1980 and 1990 and should account for 21 percent of the city`s population, which should remain at about 3 million, Matos-Real said.
Little Village, West Town, Logan Square and Pilsen should continue to be Chicago`s four largest Latino neighborhoods, according to the report. But as Hispanics move north, west and south, the Latino population is expected to shift to Albany Park, Irving Park, Avondale and Chicago`s Southwest Side, as well as the western suburbs of Cicero and Berwyn.
Josue Gonzalez, president of the Latino Institute`s board, said an equitable goal should be to have 10 of the 50 aldermen in the City Council representing Hispanics. ``But that`s wishful thinking,`` he said.
A growing concentration of Hispanics in the Back of the Yards community, which spills into the 11th, 12th and 14th Wards, could be unified to create a ward that would be 66 percent Hispanic in 1990 from 18 percent in 1980, said John Attinasi, the Lation Institute`s research director.
Ald. Patrick Huels (11th), whose ward would be affected by the suggested realignment, said the Latino Institute ``is advocating gerrymandering the wards`` so they can increase Hispanic representation in the City Council.
``That`s not right,`` he said.
Ald. Mark Fary (12th) said he would wait until 1990 census figures became available, but he doubted his ward would be the one to have a Hispanic majority. ``I don`t think there`s any chance at all that the 12th Ward will be a Hispanic ward`` he said. ``The City Council will ultimately determine which ward, if any, will be Hispanic.``
Ald. Edward Burke (14th) could not be reached for comment.
On the North Side, slight shifts in the boundaries in the 32d and 33d Wards may enable two more Latino aldermen to be elected. Aldermen Terry Gabinski (32d) and Richard Mell (33d) also could not be reached.
``I think they`re (the Latino Institute) right on target,`` Ald. Luis Gutierrez (26th) said. ``The difficulty is going to be whether (the City Council) will be voting for fairness. You need a majority, 26 votes. Right now, it doesn`t seem like those votes are there. The City Council wasn`t fair last time. We had to sue them.``
Blacks and Hispanic groups sued the city charging that a ward map drafted by aides to Mayor Jane Byrne in 1981 violated the federal Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. Certain wards were redistricted in 1985 and special elections were held in 1986.
Latino Institute officials stressed that voter registration, participation and an accurate census count in 1990 are essential if Hispanic representation is to increase.
Matos-Real said the Latino Institute has already started discussions with the U.S. Bureau of the Census and is planning major voter- registration drives. He conceded that Hispanic registration and voter participation rates are lower than those of the general population, but ``if something is at stake for the Hispanic population, they`re going to come out and be a part of the political process,`` he said.
The study`s projections are based on Chicago public school ethnic surveys from 1980 to 1986 applied to 1980 census tracts.

domain: politics


text:
The lines between the Internet and television are blurring, as illustrated by two occurrences this week. The DAVETV Internet-to-TV broadcast system launched and AOL expanded its deal with VOD movie download service Movielink.
DAVETV — Distributed Audio Video Entertainment — is a television broadcast network offering both traditional programming and original self-published content distributed over DAVETV’s secure peer-to-peer network. DAVE Media Center (DMC) software is used to download and catalog rights-secured video and audio content for playback on a user’s PC or TV via DAVETV’s set-top digital media receiver, the Xport.
The DMC application allows publishers to set business and DRM rules to publish, protect and monetize their content. “Publishers can set their own price or serve their own market-targeted ads, it’s up to them,” said Oliver Eberle, DAVETV’s EVP and CIO.
The Xport is a Windows CE-based device with an 80-gigabyte hard drive which connects the television with an existing broadband connection. It uses a secure peer-to-peer network to deliver on-demand content. The Xport can store up to 200 hours of TV-quality video. The service will offer more than 30,000 hours of content upon release in January, Eberle said. There will not be a monthly service fees, instead all content will be available a la carte, he said.
Meanwhile, AOL this week extended its existing alliance with Movielink to offer AOL for Broadband members free downloads of 5 classic titles each month and discounts on recent releases. Since the AOL-Movielink partnership began earlier this year, Movielink’s downloads increased by 15 percent, according to AOL.
AOL’s broadband members can download movies and store them on their hard drive for up to 30 days. Movies can be watched starting a few minutes after beginning the download, while the remainder is loaded to the PC while the movie is playing. A movie can be viewed an unlimited number of times in a 24-hour period — on a PC, laptop or a television connected to the PC.
A lot of cool stuff is happening with email today. As an email marketer doing your job day in and day out, ... read more
Despite the fact that it faces growing competition from Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, Google-owned YouTube is still one of the most popular ... read more


text:
Another week, another drug industry-funded consultant attempting to divert attention away from the high and rising costs of prescription drugs by attacking the 340B drug pricing program. Such efforts are intended to not only shift attention away from manufacturers’ bad pricing behavior, but also to reduce the size of the program. A smaller 340B program means manufacturers get to put more dollars in their own pockets.
Congress created the 340B program so that providers serving vulnerable populations would have additional resources to improve access to care in their communities. Specifically, drug manufacturers are required to provide 340B entities with discounts on certain outpatient drugs. These discounts allow hospitals to spend the money they save to expand access to care. To be clear: drug companies, not taxpayers, finance these discounts. Federal law and guidance permits participating providers, which include hospitals and community clinics, to determine how best to use these savings to serve their communities. 340B providers use the savings to expand access to a wide range of health care services, including immunizations, community outreach programs, home visits, transportation to appointments, and increasing access to pharmacists in primary care and specialty clinics to help patients manage their chronic diseases. And, in many instances, they use the savings to provide free or reduced-cost prescriptions for lower-income individuals
Recent commentary from a drug manufacturer consultant (Drug Channel’s Adam Fein, Ph.D., “Market Distortions from the 340B Drug Pricing Program”) attempts, once again, to direct attention away from high drug prices by raising questions about the 340B program (a program that, by the way, accounts for a very small percent of total U.S. drug sales – roughly 3.6 percent). The industry consultant’s recycled claims have all been heard and debunked before -- particularly as they relate to growth in the program and the role of 340B in driving mergers and acquisitions among hospitals and oncology practices.
The consultant is right that the 340B program has grown in recent years; he simply fails to acknowledge a likely driver of that growth: high and rising drug prices. While the percentage 340B discount may remain the same, the total dollar value of the program grows as manufacturers raise drug prices. For example, cancer pills approved in 2000 cost an average of $1,869 per month compared to $11,325 for those approved in 2014. The 340B discount for an $11,325 drug is going to be bigger than the discount off a $1,869 drug. It’s simple math: a larger denominator results in a larger numerator. With drug costs rising faster than any other component of the health care system, failure to acknowledge or examine the relationship between drug prices and 340B program growth underscores the consultant’s bias.
The consultant attempts to obfuscate this point by suggesting that overall net revenues for drug manufacturers have grown much more slowly than the 340B program. However, he fails to fully disclose what constitutes “net revenue,” except to note that he did not consider drugs that providers directly purchase from manufacturers (as opposed to through a group purchasing organization (GPO)). Such an exclusion undoubtedly skewed the results. Providers use GPOs for most drug purchases. There are a few scenarios when they don’t, including when a manufacturer is unwilling to negotiate a discount with the GPO. By excluding direct sales, the consultant excludes drugs for which the manufacturer provided no rebates or other discounts and which would, presumably, result in higher margins for the manufacturer.
In other apparently compelling data points, he points to evidence that hospital charity care costs have dropped between 2012 and 2016. This should surprise no one. Since implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more than 20 million individuals gained health coverage, resulting in a decrease in uncompensated care. Despite these coverage gains, however, approximately 10 percent of the population still lacks coverage, and in 2016, hospitals and health systems provided more than $38 billion in charity care. In addition, an American Hospital Association analysis released in March spotlighted that 340B tax-exempt hospitals provided more than $50 billion in total benefits to their communities in 2015 alone, the most recent year for which data is available. This figure far outstrips drug manufacturers’ approximate $6 billion in contributions to the social safety net through the 340B program. Again, this should surprise no one. Hospitals play a unique role in the health care system, and federal law requires hospitals to care for everyone who comes through their emergency department doors. Drug manufacturers have no such obligation to make sure that everyone who needs their therapies can access them.
Finally, the industry consultant draws a huge leap suggesting that expansion of the 340B program is what has driven closer integration between hospitals and health systems and oncologists citing a study published in Health Affairs. The leap is so large that the industry consultant does not even land in the same place as the study’s authors. The authors concluded that the expansion in eligibility for the 340B program under the ACA as well as Medicare payment policy for chemotherapy drugs were not the primary causes for recent oncology practice consolidation with hospital and health systems. In fact, they conclude that vertical integration in the oncology market is more likely explained by broad market trends in medical specialties. Other economists have echoed this point: mergers in the oncology industry are not driven primarily as a way for hospitals to get access to discounted drugs.
The 340B program is too important to improving access to care in vulnerable communities across the nation to let this “fake news” commentary discredit it. Instead, we need to focus on the real problem at hand: high and rising drug prices that threaten patients’ ability to heal and manage their health.
 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees; Health Resources and Services Administration; Fiscal Year 2019,” Accessed at: https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/about/budget/budget-justification-fy2019.pdf
 Dusetzina, S., “Drug Pricing Trends for Orally Administered Anticancer Medications Reimbursed by Commercial Health Plans, 2000-2014,” JAMA Oncology, July 2016.
 2. Alpert, A; His, H; and Jacobson, M; “Evaluating The Role of Payment Policy in Driving Vertical Integration in the Oncology Market;” Health Affairs, April 2017. No.4. p. 686

domain: medical


text:
Jennifer Lopez Crashed Maluma's Sold-Out Show, and Whew, Their Fiery Duet Is Too Good
Jennifer Lopez lit up the Madison Square Garden stage with Maluma on Friday night in New York City. The 50-year-old entertainer joined her Marry Me costar at his sold-out show to belt out her hit "No Me Ames," which she originally recorded with ex-husband Marc Anthony. Lopez looked glamorous in a glittering gold Versace ensemble, with a matching headpiece and matching jewelry.
This stunning duet likely doubles as a pivotal scene in their rom-com together. According to Entertainment Tonight, Lopez will play a celebrated entertainer in Marry Me opposite Maluma's rock star character. Before they're married at Madison Square Garden, Lopez's character finds out Maluma has been cheating on her with her assistant, and she chooses to marry a random crowd member — played by Owen Wilson — instead.
"The art of collaboration...it's what I love about this business!!!" Lopez captioned a photo of herself and Maluma on Thursday. "True magic happens when inspiration meets the absence of ego. It's so much fun when different artists come together and everyone contributes to create something special and true and real for everyone to experience and enjoy!! Issa flow... Here we go!"
Ahead, see clips and photos of their exciting NYC performance. We can't wait to see Marry Me in theaters!

domain: celebrity


text:
AUBURNDALE, Fla. - A bloodhound recently rescued by a woman in Polk County has quite the story, and the latest chapter began with a phone call from his former owner.
Boone is up in years and has several health issues like skin tags, ingrown eyelids, but he's actually in pretty amazing shape given what he has been through. A previous story mentioned he was overweight, but he was actually underweight when he was found.
Miles Christian-Hart could hardly believe it when he got a call from Sarasota Animal Services that they had his dog.
Boone had disappeared more than four years ago, into the Myakka River State Park forest. Miles never expected to see him again.
He was in Tennessee when he got that call and his circumstances had changed since Boone ran away. Miles and his wife are caring for her mother and can't have any pets right now.
Boone before going missing in Myakka River State Park
His heart sank when they told him Boone wasn't a candidate for adoption.
"I was so concerned they were going to euthanize a perfectly great dog," he said.
He started calling local rescue groups, but it was actually a wrong number that saved Boone.
Stefanie Badillo was the one who answered.
"I said 'OK, I'll go get him,' and I went to Sarasota and I got him because they said he was unadoptable," Stefanie recalled.
Stefanie Badillo of Crossed Paws Pet Rescue with Boone
To her, no dog is unadoptable. She founded and runs Crossed Paws Pet Rescue in Auburndale, which operates solely on donations.
She and four volunteers have rescued and found homes for about a thousand dogs since 2018.
Says Stefanie, "I take in the sick, the unwanted, the injured. If they're half dead, I bring 'em back to life.
Stephanie picked up Boone and took him straight to the vet. He was anemic and could hardly walk. But after four years lost in the Florida forest, he was surprisingly heartworm-free.
Boone after being rescued
When Stefanie sent photos to Miles, he filled her in on Boone's past. There was more to this old hound than saggy skin and graying fur.
"He was pretty shocked by how he looked, then he told us he had been in the movies and been to Haiti," Stefanie said. "He was a hero! He was a hero dog!"
Boone with Miles, appearing in the TV show "Dry Creek"
Boone is a trained bloodhound with a particularly good nose for tracking. He went to Haiti after the earthquake of 2010, which killed more than 200,000 people. Miles said Boone saved several people from the rubble.
He was also a TV star for a short time.
Miles played the character of Marshal Jeremiah Nix in the show "Dry Creek," which was filmed in Parrish, Florida. He says Boone was his sidekick, sort of like his deputy. He also says Boone was a natural in front of the cameras.
"He was great. He took directions very well. He would sit when he was supposed to. Lay down when he was supposed to. Turn his head when he was supposed to. Somebody made the comment, 'Wow, he's even better than the one on 'Hee Haw!' At least this one moves."
Boone living his best life
Miles said he is overjoyed and grateful that Badillo rescued Boone and found him a new home. A local family had stepped up to adopt him, but Boone had already bonded with his foster mom, so Badillo said that's where he'll live out his golden years.
CONNECT WITH FOX 13:


text:
Self-employed mortgages – the key stats
Around 4.5 million people are now self-employed (15% of the workforce) – almost twice the level of 40 years ago.
However, when it comes to helping you buy your own home, the financial system has not kept up: only around 10 per cent of home loans since 2010 have been offered to the self-employed.
There are fewer options for finding a self-employed mortgage, and the cost is liable to be higher than if you are an employee.
Don’t worry we’re here to help!
The benefit of using a broker is that we can do the shopping around for you. In fact, we already know what lenders are more likely to lend to people who are self-employed.
If you are accepted, you should be offered the full product range, including fixed, variable rate and tracker mortgages. Not sure what these are? Then have a read here on the different types of mortgages.
How is self-employed defined?
If you are a sole trader, or hold a stake of 25% or more in a company, you will be treated as self-employed.
If two of a lender’s customers own 25% or more of a business between them, they may both be treated as self-employed.
The following may also be treated as self-employed:
- Sub-contractor with income from more than one contract
- Partner in a business
- A franchise owner
- Anyone employed by a limited company or limited liability partnership whose rewards package includes dividends and/or profit share.
If, as a sole trader, you are considering setting up a limited company, be careful. Lenders will tend to ignore your record as a sole trader and start from scratch by examining your limited company records, probably requiring at least two years’ accounts.
The income conundrum
When working for yourself, you have a big incentive to pay as little tax as possible. For anyone filing under self-assessment, the less you declare, the less tax you will pay. You or your accountant will know about a range of perfectly legitimate tax allowances and deductions which can be used to offset income and minimise the total. When thinking about your ability to borrow, however, remember that a mortgage lender will want that total to be as large, not as small, as possible. The higher your declared earnings, the more you can borrow.
The track record
The system has been tightened up in recent years. Like any employed applicant for a mortgage, you now need bank statements and details of debt repayments and outgoings such as childcare costs, holiday spending and pension contributions. But for the self-employed, the standard requirement is a verified record of the past three years of earnings.
Many businesses do not have a smooth upward trend in profits. You may have good and bad months or years, or you may be retaining equity in the business. Some lenders are put off by any downward trend; others may be more flexible. Many lenders will take an average of the past three years’ profits, while some may base their assessment on your worst year.
If you are a contractor and have formal contracts in place, with paperwork to show fixed earnings, you may not need several years of accounts. Lenders will normally run a full credit check on you and your score will form part of the assessment.
What about new businesses?
Some lenders may accept a two-year record, and some such are prepared to take your first year’s earnings as your income.
You could be asked to pay a higher mortgage rate than for a borrower with more track record and a higher deposit too. A typical deposit might be 20%.
The SA302 form, which declares income and profit to the taxman, will probably be needed, as lenders like to see exactly what is being declared.
Lenders may also require Tax Year Overviews produced by accountants and insist that the figures for tax due match up.
If you are self employed and are looking to get a mortgage, let The Mortgage Hut help you! Contact our team today.

domain: economics


text:
Inuit leaders remember Nelson Mandela
Canadian Inuit leaders are remembering Nelson Mandela today, saying his battles against racism, inequality and poverty had deep meaning among Inuit.
The anti-apartheid activist was released from prison in South Africa in February 1990. He began travelling through Europe and North America and on July 1, 1990 his plane stopped in Iqaluit to refuel while en route to Ottawa from Ireland. Residents of Iqaluit turned out in the middle of the night to catch a glimpse of him. (Click on 'Listen' on the left the hear archival tape from that event.)
On Twitter, Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq wrote "The world has suffered a great loss. Nelson Mandela was a visionary leader and inspiration to all."
In a news release, Terry Audla, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, said Mandela taught people to stand up for their rights.
“Perhaps just as importantly, he taught us the true meaning of forgiveness. His lessons on reconciliation have been an inspiration to Inuit during our own process of truth and reconciliation,” said Audla.
Cathy Towtongie, President of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, thanked Mandela for his passion and commitment.
“Mandela’s lifelong struggle to achieve equality has resonated with oppressed peoples around the world for so many years. His work began in a time when it was dangerous to rebel against apartheid, when fighting the oppressor was truly life threatening. His unwavering courage has inspired so many people, including many Inuit,” said Towtongie.
In December 2000, Mandela met with Inuit representatives in Johannesburg, South Africa, during intergovernmental negotiations on a global convention to eliminate persistent organic pollutants.
“He modelled such integrity, strength, and resilience in the face of such public persecution for his leadership in the apartheid movement,” said Sheila Watt-Cloutier, president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference Canada at the time.
"When he came out of prison, his calm, wise and inclusive leadership style resonated with Inuit as our own culture reveres the same attributes in our elders.”


text:
Shoulder pain is a common complaint encountered in the primary care setting, and the majority of the time this is due to strain involving one or more of the four muscles comprising the rotator cuff. Typically this type of strain occurs in the setting of a change in exercise habits or after straining to lift a heavy object. Fortunately, most of these injuries resolve with conservative treatment, such as rest, ice/heat application, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as Ibuprofen). Muscular pain or rotator cuff tendonitis that is refractory to conservative treatment may be treated with injection of steroids into the joint space.
Warning signs of more serious pathology than a simple strain include redness or swelling around the shoulder joint, weakness/numbness/tingling in the shoulder or arm, or fevers. In your case, the new routine of playing tennis is the most likely culprit, and cessation/reduction of playing time would most likely accelerate the healing process. If you are adamant about continuing the tennis, then stretching before/after playing and the other conservative measures listed above may help alleviate your pain.
Please set up an appointment with your primary care physician
to discuss your shoulder pain. Good luck.


text:
An American Journey 1908-1945
By Richard Lingeman
544 pages. Illustrated. G. P. Putnam's Sons. $39.95.
In 1914 Theodore Dreiser wrote to his friend and supporter H. L. Mencken: ''I have just finished one book - Jennie Gerhardt - and am half through with another. I expect to try out this book game for about four or five books after which unless I am enjoying a good income from them I will quit.''
Fortunately for American literature, Dreiser kept going. He could no more stop playing the game of writing, with all its risks and burdens in a publishing world unaccustomed to the thematic frankness of his novels, than he could stop pursuing women, the other main compulsion in his life.
Both preoccupations are present in abundance - the realistic background behind his books and the balancing act of keeping several women on a string simultaneously - in Richard Lingeman's thorough biography, ''Theodore Dreiser: An American Journey.'' This second volume covers Dreiser's most productive years, from 1908 until his death in 1945, and skillfully interweaves a good deal of social, literary and political history. Mr. Lingeman's first volume, ''At the Gates of the City, 1871-1907,'' carried Dreiser's story from his Indiana boyhood to his beginnings as a writer and editor in Chicago and New York. In 1900, when Dreiser was a journalist, he published his first novel, ''Sister Carrie,'' which brought him fame and anguish and led to his lifelong battle against censorship. Only in 1981 was ''Sister Carrie'' published for the first time just as he wrote it; 36,000 words had been cut out of the manuscript because the novel was once considered too sexually explicit, too rough in its language and too pessimistic in its philosophy.
The second volume covers all of Dreiser's significant writing and all of his publishing trials and tribulations: ''Jennie Gerhardt,'' ''The Financier,'' ''The Titan,'' ''The 'Genius' '' and, of course, ''An American Tragedy.'' The biography is especially revealing in its research into ''An American Tragedy,'' showing how many different strands and personal experiences were combined in the novelist's greatest creation. There is an implied lesson here for readers and litigants who, laboring under the impression that novels deal mainly with real people, fail to realize that a narrative creates its own inner force that compels a serious author to follow the path and nature of his fictional characters.
Mr. Lingeman delves into the origins of ''An American Tragedy'' from its first glimmerings in various newspaper stories about suicide and murder, to an abortive start on a different novel that Dreiser called ''The Rake,'' and to the drafts from the well of Dreiser's own life in the Midwest. A character in ''The Rake'' obtains a job in a factory, where he ogles the female workers; Dreiser did the same thing at a Chicago laundry where he worked in his youth. A specific newspaper account of a murder in upstate New York, in which a young woman was struck with a tennis racket and pushed overboard from a boat on Big Moose Lake in the Adirondacks, sparked Dreiser's mind. Mr. Lingeman risks making a connection: Dreiser had a subconscious fear of drowning that could be traced back to a childhood experience in a boat on the Wabash River. ''An American Journey'' doggedly pursues Dreiser's footsteps - sometimes a little too closely - from Greenwich Village to Hollywood to Europe and back to New York. Along the way, the reader encounters many of the famous literary personalities between the two World Wars: Sinclair Lewis, Sherwood Anderson, Dorothy Thompson, Edgar Lee Masters, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos. Mencken plays an important role in the biography; he and Dreiser shared strong opinions about the need for boldness in literature. Although they disagreed about American politics, both authors had extensive F.B.I. dossiers and were considered security risks in the reign of J. Edgar Hoover.
Mr. Lingeman describes Dreiser's affiliation with leftist causes and his good-hearted but woolly headed thinking about the Soviet Union and world affairs. He joined the Communist Party in the last year of his life, but only in a formal sense. Mr. Lingeman writes that Dreiser saw ''no conflict between religion and the ideals of communism, just as he saw none between undogmatic religion and science''; he adds that Dreiser regarded communism as ''a practical social program.'' ''To the end, Dreiser made no compromises with popular taste, and wrote as honestly, if not as well, as he always had,'' Mr. Lingeman writes. ''But his search for philosophical answers and his advocacy of social change had carried him beyond the novel to a more urgent vision of science and politics. . . . He had an enormous influence on American literature during the first quarter of the century - and for a time he was American literature, the only writer worth talking about in the same breath with the European masters. Out of his passions, contradictions, and sufferings, he wrenched the art that was his salvation from the hungers and depressions that racked him. It was no wonder that he elevated the creative principle to a godhead and encouraged by word and example truthful expression in others.''Continue reading the main story
As a fellow Hoosier, Mr. Lingeman, who is executive editor of The Nation, brings to his subject a keen understanding of Dreiser's feelings for the people and attitudes of small-town America, themes that recur from ''Sister Carrie'' to ''An American Tragedy.'' In his two-volume biography of Dreiser and his times (which might well be compressed into one solid book in the future), Mr. Lingeman makes his own useful contribution to American letters.Continue reading the main story