blue man group chicago: Şubat 2013

25 Şubat 2013 Pazartesi

Broadway's 'Mamma Mia!' tops Concert Association offerings

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Bill Cosby, Sept., 18 Chic Gamine, a vocal quartet from Montreal, Sept. 24 Calo Flamenco, Spanish dance, Oct. 1-2 Concertante, classical chamber ensemble, Oct. 9 "Mamma Mia!," Oct. 14-23 Amstel Saxophone Quartet, from Holland, Oct. 29 American Bluegrass Masters, roots music virtuosos, Nov. 6 Alpin Hong, classical pianist, Nov. 12 The Lost Fingers, acoustic gypsy jazz, Nov. 13 "Nutcracker", Tchaikovsky's holiday ballet, Nov. 26-28 Preservation Hall Jazz Band, returning to present "A Creole Christmas," Dec. 4-5 "Avenue Q," musical with wild puppetry, Jan. 21-27 Bill Charlap, jazz pianist, Jan. 29 Suzanne Vega, folk/pop songstress, Feb. 4 Solas, Irish traditional music, Feb. 18 Calder Quartet, adventurous string quartet, March 5 Chicago City Limits, improv comedy, March 11-12 Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard, jazz, March 12 Portland Cello Project, progressive cello band, March 19 Acoustic Africa, world music, April 1 PC Bentley, lecturer and award-winning Time photojournalist, April 27 Blue Man Group

Mar. 22--"Mamma Mia!," the hit Broadway musical based on songs by ABBA, and a return visit by veteran comedian Bill Cosby highlight the 2010-11 schedule of events to presented by the Anchorage Concert Association.

The list, released Sunday night, also features songstress Suzanne Vega, performance artists Blue Man Group, "Avenue Q," another Broadway musical featuring "Sesame Street" style puppets, comedy improv troupe Chicago City Limits and jazz men Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard.

Season ticket packages can be purchased at the ACA office, 430 W. Seventh Ave., Suite 200, or by calling 272-1471 during business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. They will be available for purchase online around April 5. Individual ticket sales will start in the summer.

The 2010-2011 Anchorage Concert Association season:

Bill Cosby, Sept., 18

Chic Gamine, a vocal quartet from Montreal, Sept. 24

Calo Flamenco, Spanish dance, Oct. 1-2

Concertante, classical chamber ensemble, Oct. 9

"Mamma Mia!," Oct. 14-23

Amstel Saxophone Quartet, from Holland, Oct. 29

American Bluegrass Masters, roots music virtuosos, Nov. 6

Alpin Hong, classical pianist, Nov. 12

The Lost Fingers, acoustic gypsy jazz, Nov. 13

"Nutcracker", Tchaikovsky's holiday ballet, Nov. 26-28

Preservation Hall Jazz Band, returning to present "A Creole Christmas," Dec. 4-5

"Avenue Q," musical with wild puppetry, Jan. 21-27

Bill Charlap, jazz pianist, Jan. 29

Suzanne Vega, folk/pop songstress, Feb. 4

Solas, Irish traditional music, Feb. 18

Calder Quartet, adventurous string quartet, March 5

Chicago City Limits, improv comedy, March 11-12

Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard, jazz, March 12

Portland Cello Project, progressive cello band, March 19

Acoustic Africa, world music, April 1

PC Bentley, lecturer and award-winning Time photojournalist, April 27

Blue Man Group, May 10-15.

Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.

Credit: Anchorage Daily News, Alaska

The Dallas Morning News Lawson Taitte column: 'Billy Elliot' to dance his way to Dallas

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Mar. 22--Young boys will be donning ballet slippers and flying through the air at the Winspear Opera House next season as Billy Elliot The Musical headlines the 2010-11 Lexus Broadway Season, announced today.

The British extravaganza about a British blue-collar kid who wants to dance cleaned up at last year's Tony Awards, winning in 10 categories. Director Stephen Daldry and writer Lee Hall adapted their film for the stage, and Elton John provided the score.

The four-show subscription series includes two other Broadway musicals new to Dallas, plus the first national tour of the Blue Man Group to play theatrical venues rather than arena, and large music facilities.

Rock of Ages, which has been running on Broadway for a year, uses songs by such 1980s groups as Journey, Styx and Twisted Sister to tell a story about a romance between a small-town girl and a big-city rocker. Young Frankenstein was Mel Brooks' 2007 follow-up to The Producers but only ran for 485 performances on the Great White Way.

For its special, nonsubscription holiday show, the Lexus series will present Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on Dec. 7-12. This musical adaptation was a seasonal hit on Broadway in 2007 and 2008.

It's not really much of a surprise that Billy Elliot will be in the Lexus series at the Winspear rather than the rival Dallas Summer Musicals at Fair Park Music Hall, because one of the Tony-winning boys who play the title role appeared in Winspear's inaugural Broadway gala in October.

The one mystery in both the Lexus and Summer Musicals seasons is why the 2008 Tony winner for best musical, In the Heights, isn't playing either series, although both Houston and Austin will see it next month.

Plan your life: Subscriptions run from $100 to $1,000 and can be purchased at 214-880-0202 or www.attpac.org. Seats for Grinch, currently only available to subscribers, are $30 to $150.Lexus Broadway Series lineup for 2010-11

Mamma mia! Look what's coming to Anchorage stages

The 2010-2011 Anchorage Concert Association season:

Bill Cosby, Sept., 18

Chic Gamine, a vocal quartet from Montreal, Sept. 24

Calo Flamenco, Spanish dance, Oct. 1-2

Concertante, classical chamber ensemble, Oct. 9

"Mamma Mia!," Oct. 14-23

Amstel Saxophone Quartet, from Holland, Oct. 29

American Bluegrass Masters, roots music virtuosos, Nov. 6

Alpin Hong, classical pianist, Nov. 12

The Lost Fingers, acoustic gypsy jazz, Nov. 13

"Nutcracker", Tchaikovsky's holiday ballet, Nov. 26-28

Preservation Hall Jazz Band, returning to present "A Creole Christmas," Dec. 4-5

"Avenue Q," musical with wild puppetry, Jan. 21-27

Bill Charlap, jazz pianist, Jan. 29

Suzanne Vega, folk/pop songstress, Feb. 4

Solas, Irish traditional music, Feb. 18

Calder Quartet, adventurous string quartet, March 5

Chicago City Limits, improv comedy, March 11-12

Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard, jazz, March 12

Portland Cello Project, progressive cello band, March 19

Acoustic Africa, world music, April 1

PC Bentley, lecturer and award-winning Time photojournalist, April 27

Blue Man Group, May 10-15.

Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.

Credit: Anchorage Daily News, Alaska

Blue Man Group denies patron's story of abuse

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His voice cracking with emotion, James Srodon recounted Thursday how a camera had been shoved down his throat during a Blue Man Group performance in Chicago, injuring his esophagus and resulting in nightmares.

The Blue Man Group, famous for its actors who don't utter a word, was forced to respond to Srodon's lawsuit, saying it was all just an illusion -- a camera never even entered his throat. In a bit of sleight of hand, as the camera is held near an audience member's mouth, a jumbo video screen switches to a pre-recorded medical video, leading the audience to think it is peering down the individual's throat, the production said.

"We are disappointed that this false claim forces us to reveal the truth behind one of our most popular theatrical devices," Blue Man Productions said in its brief statement.

The producers referred to the comedic bit as the "Esophagus Video" and said it had played out in more than 50,000 performances over the last 15 years.

Srodon's lawyer, Antonio Romanucci, refused to back off the lawsuit's allegations, insisting that while the act might usually be a harmless illusion, it was a "stunt that went too far" for his client.

On Wednesday Srodon, 65, filed the suit in Cook County Circuit Court, seeking unspecified damages for battery, negligence and infliction of emotional stress.

At a news conference Thursday at his lawyer's Loop office, Srodon spoke by telephone from his Los Angeles residence and called the incident a "surprise attack."

On Oct. 8, 2006, Srodon and his 8-year-old grandson were sitting in Row D of the Briar Street Theatre on Chicago's North Side when the room suddenly went dark during the Blue Man Group performance. As two cast members stepped from the stage and entered the audience, he saw one carrying a device with a small light, Srodon said.

One cast member grabbed him from behind and pulled his head back, Srodon said. As his head snapped back, his mouth opened, and the other cast member shoved the camera down his throat, he said.

Srodon said he bit down on the cord holding the camera and slumped in his seat in a bid to escape. But his feet slipped on the floor, still wet from liquids splashed into the audience from earlier during the show. The ordeal was over in less than a minute, he said.

"I was really in a state of shock," Srodon said. "I really actually did not know what had just happened because it was so bizarre."

Srodon said his grandson was visibly shaken, so he later took him to an ice cream shop to calm the boy. There, Srodon said his throat burned as he drank a glass of water.

Srodon said the camera was filthy, covered in "food, liquid and grime," and that he later had his blood tested to ensure he hadn't contracted a disease.

After returning to Los Angeles a few days later, he started to choke and gag as he drove. Doctors determined he had suffered "a traumatic contusion" to the esophagus, his lawyer said.

"It was a very unsettling feeling," Srodon said. "I couldn't eat. I couldn't swallow anything. ... It was just awful."

Srodon's lawyer said he tried unsuccessfully to settle the dispute out of court. Srodon said he decided to file the suit to warn and protect other theatergoers.

But in its statement, Blue Man Group said it was "shocked and surprised" to learn of the lawsuit. The production said it had not yet been served with any legal papers.

Blue Man Group called the "Esophagus Video" a "hilarious and absurd illusion."

"Because the camera never enters the mouth, the execution of this illusion could not possibly put anyone at risk of injury," the statement said.

Relm worth watching: Club hoppin'

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Blue Man Group wants to teach you how to be a megastar in the 2.1 version of its current Megatour.

But the opening act, Mike Relm, is the rising star to keep an eye on.

When Mike Relm first came to Spokane in 2005, he played The B-Side.

Last year the San Francisco video turntablist came through as the opening act for Blue Man Group.

And on Sunday, Relm and the blue boys are back at the Spokane Arena.

The Blue Man Group are unmistakable, but Relm made popular the DVDJ technology where he manipulates video on the screen by scratching a record, taking the art of deejaying to a whole new level by cleverly juggling "Napoleon Dynamite" and AC/DC, or "Reservoir Dogs" and N.W.A., or "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" and Beastie Boys, or "Office Space" and Jimi Hendrix.

It's the kind of candy for the senses that leaves you anticipating where he's going to go next on two levels -- visually and aurally -- spinning within endless loops of cultural clash.

Since last year's Megastar stint with the blue men, Relm has been making penetrating strikes into the mainstream with his pointed pop-culture precision through mixing music with video.

In addition to his run with Blue Man Group, Relm played high profile gigs at Coachella, Bonnaroo, a San Francisco Giants versus Oakland A's game and the closing ceremonies at the Pan Am Games.

Relm produced remixes for Adult Swim in conjunction with the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie, scored a short film for the Disney Channel series "Too Many Robots," and created a four-song mega mix for an episode of Nickelodeon's Yo Gabba Gabba.

He's also doing some international TV acting.

When Relm came to The B-Side the cover was, like, $5.

Tickets for Blue Man Group and Mike Relm are $49, and $85, through TicketsWest, www.ticketswest.com, (509) 325-SEAT.

Club hoppin'

- Find out what sort of chaos ensues when Jamie Maker (The Makers, Burns Like Hellfire) unleashes his brand new experimental project on Saturday at Prago, 201 W. Riverside Ave. DJ Orange is also on the bill. There is a suggested donation of $3.

- Idaho all-ages keytar-rock favorite Unison returns on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to Empyrean Coffee House, 154 S. Madison St., with a slew of support for area songwriter-types and friends Austin Davis, Hillary Susz, A Cryptic, Ending and Billy Versus. Cover to be announced.

- Pour Soi is a new-ish band with veteran members, including ex-players in Six State Bender and Chinese Sky Candy. Given that history, it will be worth checking out when Pour Soi plays at The Blvd., 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. with locals Level and new headturner Oil of Angels. Cover is $5.

24 Şubat 2013 Pazar

Sarah Churman's book "Powered On" is Number One on Amazon

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How impressive. Sarah Churman's book "Powered On" has hit the number one spot on Amazon's best "mover and shaker."

Sarah and I just wanted to shoot out another e-mail saying THANK YOU to all who participated in yesterday's best seller launch on Amazon. By 8pm last night, 'Powered On' earned the best seller title! Sarah's book started out the day ranked #381,773 out of all books on Amazon. She went all the way to spot #361! She got 'best selling biography/memoir' coming in at #64 out of the top 100 best sellers, and eventually earned #1 'mover and shaker' on Amazon books. We are so excited, but more importantly, so grateful for everyone who helped make this happen. We hope everyone who ordered books will enjoy them and return to Amazon to leave a review.

If you want to order Sarah Churman's book, "Powered On", go to Amazon and get one today.

What are the reviews saying in Amazon?

Sarah Churman does an incredible job of taking us into her world of silence along with the challenges of living in a hearing world, bullying, and simple day to day activities that the hearing community takes for granted. She is transparant in sharing her feelings and her journey. It is a beautiful book not just for those effected by deafness but also those facing other serious challenges in life. Thank you Sarah for sharing such a beautiful story.

And that is just one of 29 reviews for a total 5 stars out of 5. Not bad.

Day 22 (Wed): Bird's eye view of Berlin

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We start our first full day in Berlin by catching a train to a nearby major station, Hauptbahnhof. It looks big enough that it will have nearby sights to see. These train stations are just massive. Anyone would think they're going to add another three train lines above the highest most platform. It may just be the local history kicking in but the large stations instill a feeling of grandiose power and authority.

There's not much to see either side of the station but we notice a tourist bureau. I don't want to know the tourist destinations per se; I simply want a map of the city with circles around different districts, such as museums, shopping districts, and some major tourist attractions. I like finding my own way around.

Before we go anywhere, we're both hungry and decide to sit down for some lunch by the river. The head waiter is immensely funny. We can't understand most of what he says but he has such charisma that we hardly need to. Everyone is laughing and having a great time. Cruise ship after cruise ship glides by while we eat our woodfired pizzas.

We come across an photography exhibition along Friedrichstraße. Would you believe it is a exhibition of Australia? No photos allowed. Within the same building is a car display for a very hot and sexy Bugatti, a Bentley, and a Volks Wagen. They're not three brands I would usally put together but to be fair the VW is in a different display. In fact, its display is much more interesting! It showcases renewable energy and their new electric car. I jump on a power-generating bicycle that makes a slot-car drive around a circuit. Fun! Now I'm hot and my calf muscles are tightening. Oops.

We continue around the city and take pictures of some interesting buildings. We also come across a group of dancers, possibly ballet dancers, who are practising outside the Koncert Hall. It's like coming across a practice session of Fame!

One of the most notable tourist attractions in Berlin would have to be the TV tower at Alexanderplatz, which is just around the corner from where we're staying. We find our way to the tower and line up for the quick elevator ride to the top viewing deck. There doesn't seem to be any real city centre or layout. The city is very spread out. It should be interesting tomorrow when we try to find our way around tomorrow.

The hotel is only a few blocks away so we jump in the tram. It's an unlimited ticket, right? I check out the gym and jacuzzi area to compare with the hotel in Copenhagen.

Although this one doesn't have a lap pool, it does have two jacuzzis and a sauna! It's all quite nicely decked out with fairy lights in the ceiling and mood lighting all
around. I hope to use at least one of the jacuzzis while I'm here. Mum and I both agree that this chain of apartment hotels, Adina Apartments, is excellent and we'd both recommend them.

Pics of the day

Don't miss the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade

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2011 McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade

Where:		The VIP Experience is located on State Street, between Washington and Randolph. Entrances are on the NE Corner of State & Washington and on the SE Corner of State & Randolph.
When:		Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 24th from 8am to 11am.

Thursday, November 24, 2011 - 8am to 11am CST

Getting to the Parade by Public Transportation:

CTA Red Line subway to any stop along the parade route -- Jackson, Monroe or Washington stops. Alternately, CTA Brown/Orange/Green line to the Library/State/Van Buren stop.

About the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade:

Chicago puts on its own pretty great turkey day spectacular, thank you very much, and has done so since 1934. The State Street Thanksgiving Parade is attended by over 400,000 spectators and features over 100 participating "units", including marching bands, floats, horses, drill teams, circus performers, and more.

The parade also features huge character balloons, some topping out at 50 feet tall. Previous years' cast of balloon characters have included Elmo, the Pink Panther, the Cookie Monster, Popeye, Kermit the Frog, Bear in the Big Blue House, Strawberry Shortcake, Tom Turkey, Rudolph, The Nutcracker, Big Bird, Animal and Billy Blazes. Trust me that the people holding on to the long ropes tethering the balloons hope that the Windy City does not live up to its name on that day...

So if you're fretting being in Chicago instead of NYC on Thanksgiving, head on down to the State Street Thanksgiving Parade, stand in front of the Macy's, and you'll never know the difference.

Benefits of Renter's Insurance

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Renters insurance offers coverage for fire-damaged, stolen and lost property items. Insurance companies ask you to figure out if your kitchen, bedroom and dining room have inexpensive property items under $1500, moderately expensive property items between $1,501 and $5,000 or luxury property items over $5,001. This information is placed in your file and used as a barometer later on how much to pay for any claims. Therefore, with renters insurance you can rest easy in your rental knowing that if something happens to your computer, you'll be covered and able to get a replacement.

Assistance with law suits is another benefit of renters insurance. Under the coverage of liability, this insurance offers you legal aid against any lawsuits you might incur. So, if your dog bites the neighbor and they sue you, you get an attorney who will help you fight or negotiate a settlement. It's also important to note that liability coverage is worldwide. As a result, no matter where you go, you will be covered by it.

A lesser known benefit of renters insurance is medical coverage. No, it's not coverage for you or anyone who lives in your household. This coverage extends to your guests regardless of liability. It means that if your great aunt comes for a visit and falls down the stairs because she's wearing slippery shoes, your renters insurance will pay for her doctor's bills. This aspect of renters insurance not only helps you care for your guests, but also helps maintain your relationships.

Peace of mind is the last benefit of renters insurance. Whether you use it or not, the fact that you know it is there will help take a load off your mind. You won't have to spend hours worrying what will happen if you get robbed or involved in a fire. Everything you own will be replaced, which is a comforting thought for anyone. So if you are a worry wart by nature, you'll enjoy this benefit because it'll allow you to get the sleep you need at night or at least give you one less thing to worry about.

Renters insurance is the kind of coverage that can give you a safety net in different areas of your life. For those of you who are on a budget, you will be happy to know that renters insurance is affordable. You can get it for under $600 annually, which translates into around $50 per month or less. This figure is probably less than what you spend every month on your morning coffee. Therefore, renters insurance is definitely an expense you should consider getting if you rent the place you live in.

Chicago's St. Patricks Day 2012

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Dyeing the Chicago River

Scheduled for 10:00 am, Saturday March 17th 2012. Turning the Chicago river green has been a unique to Chicago for the past 40 years.

The dyeing can be best viewed from the East side of the Michigan Avenue bridge, the West side of the Columbus Drive bridge or upper and lower Wacker Drive between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.

St. Patrick's Day Parade- 300 E. Balbo Drive

Scheduled for 12:00pm Saturday, March 17th 2012. Gear up for a festive event as the 57th annual parade takes place on the actual holiday. From the stepping off point at Columbus Drive and Balbo Avenue, the parade continues north along Columbus to Monroe Drive.

23 Şubat 2013 Cumartesi

Special Message from Mark Wood of ASL Films about Michael Hubbs

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Get the word out about Michael Hubbs on helping him make the U.S. Olympic team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Soichi, Russia. Mark Wood has some choice words for people who would rather wait until hearing people recognize Michael Hubbs his achievement before they support him. Why on Earth wait until then? That does not make any sense at all. Michael Hubbs need our financial support....NOW!

Donation to help Michael Hubbs began a few days ago with 58 days left to go to raise $60,000 to help pay for his training and travel expenses with the goal to make the U.S. Olympic team this December's Olympic tryout. So far the amount donated has surpassed $4,200. Let's shoot for a goal of more than $60,000. Let's go for the $100,000 magic mark!

Mystery Colleague at Gallaudet Univ uses the "N" word in Hate Letter

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Mystery Colleague at Gallaudet Univ uses the "N" word in Hate Letter. Yeah. You heard it right. An overly immature if not wholly unprofessional letter was directed at Dr. Angela McCaskill who was recently re-instated as Chief Diversity Officer at Gallaudet University. The source of the letter was found in Facebook under The Intersection: Deaf/People of Color Forum which is a closed group (private). The letter was procured from that Facebook group in an excellent blog piece called Diversity: Holding the Chief Diversity Officer and office accountable – epilogue written by Kojo Amissah (note: the offending words have been partially redacted in my blog).

Dear Angela,

I am a colleague of yours at the University and it was with great dismay that I heard the news that the University has reinstated to you to your position. The University is a chicken-shit organization for re-instating you, Angela. Your signing the petition against gay marriage shows that you are a bigoted, religious freak, out of touch with the majority of citizens in your state and in the country.

In fact, your signing the petition shows that you are just a stupid, ignorant nig*** b itch. There, Angela – how do you like being called names? You are a nig*** bitch. I said it again. By signing the petition showing that you are against marriage for a gay person such as myself you show your ignorance and stupidity. I frankly don’t care if it is your religious faith – your religious faith has NO business in politics.

You are not wanted here at the University, Angela – you should pack your bags and leave – why don’t you get a job working for some right-wing, anti-gay organization – you’d be much, much more comfortable in such a position. You performance here at the University, frankly, wasn’t that great anyway. Stupid nig*** – see, again, how does it feel? It hurts, doesn’t it? I hopes it hurts you as much as your position has hurt me.

When you see me smiling at you on campus you won’t know it was me who wrote the letter. But I’ll be there, watching you, you hypocrite.

Signed,

A former friendly colleague

I don't know the situation behind this letter or how the letter arrived, or whether there's any truth that the letter did in fact come from one of the teachers or professors at Gallaudet University since this "mystery colleague" signed the letter as "A former friendly colleague." Let's assume this letter did come from one of the staff members at Gallaudet University.

First off.

Whoever wrote this letter is a coward, possibly a racist, possibly against diversity, and certainly a person full of hate against Dr. McCaskill, That much is obvious. This "mystery colleague" is not the sole arbitrator deciding who is not worthy to stay at Gallaudet University. It's the tried and tired "agree with me or else" political correctness attitude just because somebody doesn't fit your own ideological purity test. It's people like "former friendly colleague" who gives Gallaudet University a bad name. A person who refuses to allow true diversity on campus. A person who twist the words of Dr. McCaskill. A letter that is perhaps just as bad as instigating a witch hunt against her in the name of political correctness. And yet this "former friendly colleague" forgot the fact that even those in the gay community supported Dr. McCaskill. She has not used hate words against people in that manner like "former friendly college" either directly or indirectly. There is no justification to write that letter in that manner.

And now you have this "mystery colleague" walking somewhere in the midst of the Gallaudet University campus. Each student will now sit down in class and wonder, "Is this the teacher who wrote that racist letter." Or perhaps a staff member will be thinking in the back of his or head while speaking to another staff member, "Could this be the letter writer?" A ghost walking amongst them.

Maybe teachers and professors at Gallaudet University ought to stand up and identify themselves and condemn that hate letter written.

Open vs Closed Societies

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President Hurwitz made it clear on the danger of practicing exclusion in his his February 19, 2013 State of the University address "Open the Gates Wide: Diversity and Inclusion at Gallaudet" speech.

Hurwitz warned against the destruction that exclusion can bring. "The wider the gates of acceptance open, the more room there is for all. Sadly, the community that excludes shrinks and dies," he said. He encouraged members of the audience to expand their circle of friends and colleagues to include those whose background is different from their own, and to embrace them "in the common cause of advancing our community and humanity."

It's the same warning that Deafhood? No Thanks Facebook group have told people for years, even before when the group became established, that it's better to accept people for who they are rather than to exclude them just because they do not pass your ideological purity test or don't believe in open thought or diversity.

Symbolically, in American Sign Language, the sign for diversity is to reach out, while the sign for inclusion is to draw in. "All of us at Gallaudet ... must reach out and must draw in," he said. As members of a university community-traditionally a haven for open thought and respect for differing opinions-people who live, study, and work at Gallaudet don't need to be convinced of the benefits of diversity and inclusion, said Hurwitz. However, he acknowledged unresolved conflicts between groups on campus.

Those "unresolved conflicts" would be the whole McCaskill/Gallaudet/Hurwtiz/Bienvenu snafu and the seemingly racist hate letter aimed at McCaskill by a "former friendly colleague" at Gallaudet University.

Will Gallaudet University ever become a recognized university known for its inclusion, diversity, and open thought? An institution with the goal of being diverse in its language and communication approaches without resorting to gutter politics and political correctness? Only time will tell.

Sarah Churman's book "Powered On" is Number One on Amazon

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How impressive. Sarah Churman's book "Powered On" has hit the number one spot on Amazon's best "mover and shaker."

Sarah and I just wanted to shoot out another e-mail saying THANK YOU to all who participated in yesterday's best seller launch on Amazon. By 8pm last night, 'Powered On' earned the best seller title! Sarah's book started out the day ranked #381,773 out of all books on Amazon. She went all the way to spot #361! She got 'best selling biography/memoir' coming in at #64 out of the top 100 best sellers, and eventually earned #1 'mover and shaker' on Amazon books. We are so excited, but more importantly, so grateful for everyone who helped make this happen. We hope everyone who ordered books will enjoy them and return to Amazon to leave a review.

If you want to order Sarah Churman's book, "Powered On", go to Amazon and get one today.

What are the reviews saying in Amazon?

Sarah Churman does an incredible job of taking us into her world of silence along with the challenges of living in a hearing world, bullying, and simple day to day activities that the hearing community takes for granted. She is transparant in sharing her feelings and her journey. It is a beautiful book not just for those effected by deafness but also those facing other serious challenges in life. Thank you Sarah for sharing such a beautiful story.

And that is just one of 29 reviews for a total 5 stars out of 5. Not bad.

Crab Theory on a Pedestal

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You know, after all these years I've seen it happen again and again and again in the cultural deaf community. For some reason or another you get a group of people who would target certain deaf individuals because he or she has gained a bit of recognizance for his or her successful efforts. That negative exercise is called "Crab Theory."

The definition of "Crab Theory" is described in a report called “Review of Deaf Mental Health Services in British Columbia” by Linda D. Hill, Ph.D.and Patricia Nelson, MA.

The tendency of members of an oppressed group to use criticism, pressure, gossip, and in-fighting against group members who appear to be too successful or who appear to be becoming too much like the members of the dominant group.(pg 41).

A better definition seen in Wikipedia is more accurate on what has been happening lately:

The analogy in human behavior is that members of a group will attempt to "pull down" (negate or diminish the importance of) any member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy,[4] conspiracy or competitive feelings.

The funny thing is that whenever one is accused of "Crab Theory" the person will provide the usual response proclaiming it's really about a person's "character" as a justification to heap scorn, hate, half truths and lies instead of applauding and supporting a deaf person's hard work in his or her rise to success. Often they'll tell stories of year's past as anecdotal evidences without any shred of proof with the intention of targeting the successful individual to fail in his or her quest. That's the number one motive and that is to get the person to fail. Other methods would be to use a series of negative comments in quotes that was supposedly said by the so-called "guilty person" as if they're solid proof that he or she actually said those things. Of course, all without offering any links to the actual source of those comments. Their motive is to drag the rising star down at all cost. Sometimes you have people who pretend to be neutral about the whole thing yet continues to heap negative comments. Those are examples of Crab Theory.

Why Crab Theory? Had the person not been successful in his or her efforts while gaining more name recognition in the public, better fund raising efforts or more public support then this whole effort to discredit the successful person would not have happened in the first place. That tells you one thing and that's they are practicing Crab Theory by putting out stories and unfounded and unsupported damaging claims against the successful deaf person without any shred of proof. No links to sources or videos that would have captured what he or she has said or done. Just stories. As far as I'm concerned they're fictional stories. Just because somebody shared that story does not make it true. Petty stories make for a petty person.

It's funny how some people in the deaf community behave like that. Here you have an opportunity for the deaf community to help a deaf person become successful by recognizing his or her hard work and successes while climbing the ladder to his or her goal. People do have the right to not support a person. However, there's a difference between saying that you do not want to support the person versus writing a 4 or 5 page public rant on a website of something that happened 10 or 15 years ago what the person supposedly said or done with an obvious goal to make sure the person would fail. Doing so makes the Crab Theory practitioner look petty and little.

Which ones are living in the past and have grudges or hate vs people looking to the future in the hope that this deaf person will succeed while supporting him or her in such a positive manner that would benefit the deaf community once the person reaches his or her goal?

Crab Theory. That need to stop. People need to stop acting childish by focusing so much on the past of unfounded accusations with no shred of proof. People over time do change into something better. Past is past. No one is perfect. Unless you are perfect in life in everyway then I suppose you would have the right to judge people. But you're not perfect. Might as well step down from that soap box of hate. Now is the time to focus on the present for a better future.

22 Şubat 2013 Cuma

Diet sodas are safe for kids: Challenging conventional wisdom at the Coca-Cola Balanced Living Workshop

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Listening and learning

It doesn't take a marketing background to understand that an event called the "Coca-Cola Balanced Living Workshop" might be designed to publicize the company's healthy living efforts and counteract the backlash against super-sized sugary sodas.

But while I do try to limit my and my family's consumption of full-calorie sodas, I'm no purist. I like Coke Zero, Cherry Coke (Zero and the regular stuff) and Honest Tea, and I've been known to let my kids enjoy the occasional Sprite or Sprite Zero when we're out to eat.

I attended the workshop with an open mind, ready to listen to the red, white and black-clad Coke employees share their point of view on high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and carbonation (apparently in some cultures it is blamed for cellulite) before we got to the good stuff-- one-on-one consultations with a dietitian and personal trainer and a workout session with Megan Fox's trainer, Harley Pasternak. Look for the smartwater product placement in his upcoming workouts on Xbox Kinect and Wii.

On the mats with Harley

Here's what surprised me: There's an abundance of research into the safety of all of the no-calorie sweeteners used by The Coca-Cola Company, but particularly aspartame, which the dietitians who spoke to us claimed was the most researched food ingredient on earth. According to the science, all are completely safe, even for children. The only concern parents should have with regard to artificially sweetened beverages is that they may end up taking the place of milk, which is important for kids' health.

I was also pleased to learn that The Coca-Cola Company has changed the offerings in their vending machines at schools. My elementary school had a Coke machine in the cafeteria (I still remember seeing the teachers grabbing a Tab before heading off to the teachers' lounge for a cigarette), but in 2006, Coke removed all full-calorie beverages from elementary schools. Today grammar school machines sell water, 8 oz juices (with no added sweeteners) and milk. Middle schools offer the same items at slightly larger sizes, and high schools add in no-calorie and low-calorie drinks. At least half of the available beverages in high schools are to be water, no-calorie, and low-calorie selections.There was also some conversation about high fructose corn syrup and how it is nutritionally equivalent to cane sugar. But my issue with HFCS has less to do with its health implications and more to do with the evils associated with big corn and the risks of monoculture to our environment.

But enough about Coca-Cola. I also learned a few healthy living tips that had nothing to do with carbonated beverages and bottled teas. My dietitian advised me to drink a glass of chocolate milk immediately after my late evening workouts. She said it has the right refueling mix of protein and carbs so I don't break down my muscles for energy. I had my first glass after roller derby last Thursday night, and it tasted good too.

She had another great suggestion for fitting in a little calorie-burning activity for those days when I am stuck at my desk from 9 to 5: drink a lot of water and walk 2-3 floors up to use the bathroom. It's genius, really!

Dinner at Boka was a treat

So, in addition to derby and climbing and tracking my weekday diet on a calorie-counting app, I'm drinking more water, wearing a pedometer (a freebie in my Coke goodie bag), taking the stairs more often and filling half my plate with veggies and fruits, as recommended by the USDA's sequel to the Food Pyramid, Choose My Plate. I'm hoping that by starting what could be New Year's resolutions early, I'll make them permanent habits.

I was compensated for my participation in Coca-Cola's Balanced Living Workshop, but my thoughts and views are my own.

All Photos are courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company and Bruce Powell Photography.

Australia Part 1: The Farm

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My apologies for getting these posts up so late. We returned to the U.S. late Saturday night, I co-hosted a pizza party at the synagogue on Sunday and we all returned to work and school on Monday. Between severe jet-lag, book club, roller derby and the girls' activities, there wasn't a moment to spare.

We left for Australia right after school let out on Friday, December 21st. I'd taken the day off work, and in the morning we attended Zoe's elementary school holiday sing. We got to the airport around 4pm for our 6pm flight and sailed through security.

Then our flight was delayed and our gate changed. And changed again. I was anxious about making our connection to Sydney as we only had a one hour layover at LAX. It was tight, but we made it.

Our luggage didn't. But kudos to QANTAS, which not only boasts the nicest, newest jumbo jets ever (complete with free wine and liquor, decent food, nice flight attendants and more TV and movies than we could ever watch!), but a luggage service that cheerfully coordinated the delivery of our two checked bags to a farm four hours south of Sydney 24 hours after we did.

Untitled

My sister and her family share a weekend farm with her mother-in-law Sally and her brother and sister-in-law (who, incidentally, also live downstairs from them in the city). It's near a popular vacation area halfway between Sydney and Melbourne, so Eleanor was anxious for us to hit the road ahead of the Christmas traffic. Even though we left Chicago on December 21st, it was the morning of the 23rd when we arrived, so we split into two cars (they have a Volvo station wagon and a 4-door Toyota pickup truck) and hit the road right away.

It was cool and raining lightly when we arrived, but the farm still wowed me. So pretty and pastoral with its trees, paddocks, pond and creek. They keep a flock of sheep, a small herd of cows and two alpacas (whose job it is to keep the sheep safe from predators). In addition to the farm animals, we saw plenty of wild wallabies, a snake and a couple of wombats. And lots of poop. Cow patties, sheep pellets and wombat poo everywhere. The farm is off the grid, with solar power providing the electricity (although there is a generator for running the dishwasher on cloudy days) and a rainwater collection system for the taps. The pond near the house is man made and there in case of bush fire (although the animals seemed to enjoy drinking from it).

Trimming the "tree"

We've never celebrated Christmas with the girls, but they quickly got into the spirit, helping decorate a tree my brother in law Simon felled and oohing and ahhing over the items "Santa" left for them in their stockings. Even Zoe, who is fairly certain Santa Claus isn't real, let herself get swept up in her cousin Eliza's fantasy, saying "How can Santa be our parents? You and Eleanor would never buy us Coco-Pops cereal!"

My favorite part of any celebration is the food, and the Aussies didn't disappoint. We had two Christmas meals, Sally's giant glazed ham for lunch and Eleanor's roast turkey for dinner.

While in the Milton/Ulladulla area, we visited a number of beaches, ate more than a few fish and chips (balking at the $2 surcharge for ketchup, which they call "tomato sauce"), and had a cookout and picnic in one of the farm's paddocks (complete with a swing that Simon jerry-rigged for the kids).

No booster seats or seat belts back here!

But the highlight of our trip was probably the day that--after clearing the road of some trees Simon had cut down--the 9 of us piled into the truck and drove on the most hair-raisingly steep and bumpy dirt track. All Kleins were in the back of the pickup, hanging on for dear life as two wet dogs and a chain saw slid back and forth against our feet and legs. We also got to climb through a crystal clear stream, which my kids fjorded naked except for their Keens. If travel is about getting away from your regular life, I think we were successful.

Picnicking in the paddock

I tried paddle boarding

Up next: Sydney!

Not another soul on this beach

Australia Part 2: The City

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Previously, Australia Part 1: The Farm

We left my sister's family's farm on December 29th, Eleanor's 35th birthday. We got into Maroubra (a diverse beach suburb to the south of Sydney) in the afternoon, picking up a wholly inadequate birthday cake at the local Greek bakery on the way. (This chocolate-vanilla layer cake was literally the only disappointing food we ate during our entire trip--too bad it cost a whopping $50!) The kids immediately ran outside to play with my sister's Australian niece and nephew, Sylvie and Finn.

Eleanor and her family live in a two flat above Simon's twin sister Kate and her family (her two children are about the same age as mine), which makes for very close, happy cousins. Kate offered to babysit that first night so that we could celebrate Eleanor's birthday in style.

At Icebergs for Eleanor's birthday

Simon took us all to a super swanky restaurant overlooking Bondi Beach, where we had delicious food, craft cocktails and two memorable views: the stunning beach and the happening Saturday night crowd looking to see and be seen.

Tom and Ada

The next day Kate took her family to the farm, so we moved downstairs into their unit, which came with their very affectionate cat Tom. Although there was enough room for us in Eleanor's apartment so long as two kids slept on the floor, it was more comfortable spreading out a bit.

The highlight of our visit was probably our trip to Sydney's northernmost beach, Palm Beach. Eleanor and Simon's friends invited us all up for the day, as they were finishing up a weeklong rental in a beautiful vacation home accessible via an inclinator (yes, that blew the kids' minds). It was chilly when we set off from Maroubra, but by the time we'd eaten a lovely lunch, the sun was up and it was hot enough to hit the beach. Our superb hosts (one of whom is the grandson of the Danish architect who designed the Sydney Opera House) dug out swimsuits and sunblock for everyone.

Yep, all borrowed swimsuits

Another memorable day was the Wednesday we dropped off Zoe, Ada and Eliza at a one-day gymnastics summer camp and headed to the inner west suburb of Newtown, a sort of hipster mecca with the arty grit of Wicker Park. Imagine a long street full of Thai restaurants, record shops, vintage clothing stores and gelato stands. Eleanor took her youngest to Wreck-It Ralph, freeing Josh and I up to stroll around and eat (Thai food and gelato, naturally).

We had two Klein-only days when we left my sister and her family in peace and took the bus into town to do touristy things. We visited the The Rocks Discovery museum, Hyde Park Barracks Museum and took pictures of the Sydney Opera House from the roof of the MCA. We also spent a staggering $150 on tickets to the zoo (including the cost of the ferry boat and sky tram ride there). Yes, it's a very nice zoo with astonishing views, but our entry fee was nearly 50% more than the cost of a year's membership to the Brookfield Zoo near our home. When they say Sydney's expensive, they're not kidding.

This is the view from the zoo

Although seeing the New Year's Eve fireworks a day before North America rang in the New Year was pretty thrilling, the grand finale, on the very last day, was a bar hopping excursion that Simon planned. We started at the Sydney Opera House, where we had VIP tickets to the opening night of a new Mexican pop-up bar that Simon's construction firm built. Eating tacos, and sipping margaritas in the shadow of the Sydney Opera House, with the Harbour Bridge in the background is surreal enough, but add in a mariachi band and faux Mexicans wearing ponchos and fake mustaches while they walked around on stilts? It was beyond weird, and that was before Eleanor and I spotted a group of plastic surgery enhanced women whose bottoms were literally spilling out of their sequined short-shorts.

Eleanor at El Loco at the House

From the Opera House, we headed to a handful of bars and restaurants that Simon built for a prominent developer. My favorite was an underground joint that channeled a 1930's American speakeasy.

Things fall into place

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Earlier this week I was in no mood to blog. I was working until 9:30pm on a high profile project, Ada was coughing through the night, and both girls were waking up cranky and fighting through breakfast. I was pissy and tired had no energy to tidy the clutter overtaking the house. I was also PMSing.

But the winds shifted, as they always do. Of course, this time the shifting winds brought an arctic chill to Chicago (I'm talking a windchill of -14F), but they also brought amazing client feedback at work, glowing reports from my kids' teachers (emails from Ada's directress and a parent-teacher conference with Zoe's teacher), and a corresponding lift to my mood. Which was then further improved by a 2 hour Derby Lite practice last night and a free lunch at work today.

Ada, finger knitting a scarf for her teacher.

Ada, finger knitting a scarf for her teacher.

In other news, Ada has suddenly grown up! She lost all her baby fat, learned to read, add and subtract and bravely got her ears pierced. Now I'm getting photos from her teacher of her writing stories and teaching her classmates about Pablo Picasso. At home she was still a little wild and annoying (what is with the whiny voice), so I taught her finger knitting, which she quickly picked up. It gives her something quiet to focus on and doesn't leave her manic like the TV does.

My new hair cut and other things I've forgotten to blog

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Last Saturday I went to get my hair cut and my highlights touched up and I felt like doing something drastic. I'd pinned this picture of a young Meg Ryan and I asked Sonya if it would be crazy to go that short.

She applauded my nerve and assured me it would be cute. And if not? Hair grows back.

Despite all the compliments I received from my friends (my children hated it), it took me a couple of days to feel comfortable in my new do. But by Thursday I was really feeling it and I updated my profile pic on all my social networks. This--for those of you who haven't seen it yet--is me now.

One of the fun things about short hair is how much emphasis I can put on accessories. Here I'm wearing a silk scarf my Grandma Lorraine gave me, dangly earrings that used to get tangled in my hair, and a cut little barrette that the girls somehow haven't stolen and lost (yet).

What else haven't I blogged? I went out for cocktails at Hala Kahiki (also known as the mysterious tiki bar on the way to O'Hare) with some girlfriends Saturday night, followed by cosmic bowling at Mont Clare Lanes.

We celebrated Josh's birthday on Monday with 3 other families at Gaetano's. It was family night, which means 8 adults got to enjoy each other's company, great food and half-price wine in the front room while our combined 9 children were fed and entertained in the back.

Ada lost another tooth and Zoe revealed her utter disbelief in the tooth fairy by authoring a tiny note from the fairy and adding one of her own Littlest Pet Shop figurines to the dollar I was putting under Ada's pillow.

The girls made all their own valentines for their classmates using virtually the exact same craft supplies I did back in the day--heart-shaped doilies, construction paper, glitter, glue and stickers. Because of the size of her Montessori class, Ada had to make over 30 valentines--each one featuring a different design and sentiment. None, however, in any way resembled the high design of the valentines I was seeing on Pinterest. I love this one Whitney made with her kindergartener, but candy's forbidden so glitter, glue and lace it is.

21 Şubat 2013 Perşembe