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HB, Don King and Calvin Woodland
Don King Day in DC
Inside Sports studio / L-R Sugar Ray Leonard–HB–Don King–Larry Holmes–
Don King & Crew / L-R Nat Williams, Cora Barry, Don King, Dave Jacobs and HB
I remember it was in Cleveland against almost everyone's wishes including Wallace Muhammad (Nation of Islam) begging Ali not to open the door and give Don King his first opportunity to be a black promoter. But it was popular R & B singer Lloyd Price who introduced King and convinced Ali to do the right thing and give a brother a break.
Lloyd would be one of the first King would kick to the curve when success came knocking. He thanked Ali the same way he did most of the fighters he promoted, he took their money (Ali 1.5 million). When Ali threatened to take King to court and sue him, King told the champ "I will have you in court for years and really break you." Ali settled for $50,000. King thought his promoter's license gave him a license to steal. He would go on to create a boxing empire unmatched in the history of boxing but not without controversy. There were many kissing his ring and his ass, I refused to kiss either.
In 1971 I was fresh on the sports talk radio scene. I jumped at the opportunity to ride to Cleveland with the late Washington Star sports writer and columnist J. D. Beathea and Atty. Harry Barnett to see my main man, Muhammad Ali. Harry represented future heavyweight champion, George Foreman. In Cleveland Ali would be fighting an exhibition for a Children's Hospital. The promoter for this charitable event, Don King. His credentials, a numbers runner and backer who served time in prison for manslaughter.
J. D. would also invite me to have breakfast with him and King the next morning after the fight. He was writing a story on King becoming Black America's first big time boxing promoter. It was during this breakfast King would say, "Harold stick with me baby we are going places" forty plus years and broken promises later, he is the only one that has gone some place.
We all make mistakes in life but Don King was one of Ali's biggest. The champ was just trying to network and saw an opportunity to pull another black brother along. But King was one of those brothers, "You could take out of the ghetto but you could not take the ghetto out him." Don King is not comfortable in his own skin unless he is trying to scam or use someone. The proof is in the pudding (the fighters) and I was an eye witness.
Mike Tyson described King best when he said, "Don King is a ruthless wretched, slimy, reptilian Mother F—–. This is supposed to be my black brother' right? He's just a bad man, a really bad man. He would kill his mother for a dollar. He's deplorable he doesn't know how to love anybody but himself."
Tyson told some friends, "I would kill that black son of a bitch if I thought I could get away with it."
When Ali gave Don King an opportunity to become the country's first black major boxing promoter in the 70s he didn't expect business as usual–the plantation and gangster mentality, but that is exactly what he got.
The biggest benefactor in the Muhammad Ali era was Don King. There is little doubt Don King is the greatest boxing promoter of all-time, but he carried a lot of baggage into the Boxing Hall of Fame.
Major media was a thorn in King's side because of his dark and shady criminal past. There was a "Honeymoon" period with the media when he first arrived in New York to sit up shop. But the honeymoon didn't last long, the sharks in sports media repeatedly wrote and broadcast stories to remind boxing fans that Don had served time for murder and was an unscrupulous numbers backer. This was definitely a media double standard because boxing has always had mob and small time gangster ties. Don King was right at home under the category "Small time gangster."
I was one of a few in a tiny minority black sports media circle who consistently supported King's position as a black boxing promoter. It was the American way—second chances. I also thought that Don King's success would mean my sports media success, I really dialed a wrong number.
Ali's business manager Gene Kilroy once said, "Harold if you were white you would be a millionaire." The late Hymie Perlo, Community Relations Director for the NBA Washington Bullets/Wizards said, 'Harold if you had played the game they would be calling Howard Cosell the white Harold Bell.'
In the meantime, in Washington, DC Washington Post sports columnist Michael Wilbon called and asked me if I would be willing to go on television "Geraldo Live?" The topic, Don King's role in professional boxing. He said, 'Harold this is perfect for you, no one in media has been tooting the horn of Don King louder then you.' He was right.
Wilbon had been a regular on my sports talk show 'Inside Sports' and he was familiar with my history with King.
This is the same Michael Wilbon who would often cry the blues to me about George Solomon his sports editor looking over his shoulder and changing his column. He was still writing for the Washington Post and serving as a co-host with the overrated Tony Korheisner on ESPN's PTI and as a color analyst on NBA Sunday and he had a radio talk show on ESPN. It looks like he was a media success story, but at what cost (a heart attack)? If he allowed George Solomon to change his column at the Washington Post who is to say ESP is not currently writing his script.
I now find it hard to believe anything that Michael writes or says, but what do I know and when did I know it? Ebony Magazine in its December 2009 issue picked him one of "The Power Players" in sports media!!
Wilbon during a Black History Month tribute to Gary Mays
Wilbon was playing both sides of the fence. He knew he could not go on the show and defend King and be a member in good standing with the Washington Post. He could not take a stand against King because he was scared of him and his gangster background. I had a choice of choosing between major media and Don King. I choose King, I had nothing in common with major media and I grew in a community of Don Kings. My mother had her own number book in our housing project.
The man who Don King most resembled in my community was a slick talking street hustler by the name of James Dudley. He was Don King long before Don King.
Mr. James Dudley was the first black inducted into World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1994 the WWE is now a two billion dollar enterprise
The World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment was born and first open its doors on 14th & W Streets in NW DC in the early 60s. Its home was Turner's Arena and the Godfather of the neighborhood was James Dudley who ran the arena. The "Under Cover Boss" was the late James Vincent McMahon a small time promoter whose son now owns the WWE. McMahon Sr. hired Mr. Dudley to run the day to day operations of the arena. Mr. Dudley was never late for work he lived directly across the street from the arena. On the weekends it was like a Who's Who of entertainers and sporting events performing at the arena. The great jazz artist, boxing and wrestling shows held there were the talk of the town and Mr. Dudley was the Godfather of the community and the arena. When I started the Hillcrest Saturday Program in the building in (Hillcrest Children's Center an affiliate of Children's Hospital) 1968 he had my back. The building was off limits during the riots and sacred ground on Monday thru Friday for the outpatient residents. Mr. Dudley was the Sheriff on the block and I was his deputy.
In the meantime, once I saw the line-up for the Geraldo show I clearly understood why Wilbon wanted no part of the program. First there was my homeboy and friend by way of New York City, Boxing Publisher and author, Bert Randolph Sugar. And the man who was responsible for the movie "The Life, Lies and Crimes of Don King" New York Times writer Pulitzer Prize winner, Jack Newfield, plus the host Geraldo. Three anti-Don King media personalities, Wilbon had thrown me into "The Lion's Den."
Bert and I often shared hotel rooms and he sometimes had the same problem applying for press credentials with King as I did. I remember one title fight my credentials were at ringside and Burt's were in the nose bleed section of the arena. I traded my credential seat with Bert, but I expected no mercy from him tonight on the subject of Don King.
I knew I was red meat when Rivera introduced the segment with, "Don King is a petty thief and numbers runner who has served time in jail for murder and has stolen money from the likes of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson."
I could not call him a liar because it was all true. I took the hits from Newfield and Sugar but I defended King regardless—it was all about loyalty a word you will never hear King mention in his extensive vocabulary or something you would in the black community today.
My radio and print media commentaries defended Don King despite the lawsuits brought against him in courts all over America for thief from the various fighters he represented. When heavyweight champion Larry Holmes threaten to take Don to court, he called Larry into his office and threaten to do bodily harm to him and his family–case closed.
Ali and Mike had hearts as big as Las Vegas and were very charitable when it came to their money. All you had to do was ask them for it, but Don King decided he would rather steal from them. I think the thing that hurt Mike more then anything else were the guys that he grew up with, his homeboys, Roy Horn and John Holloway were a part of the heist. Roy was on such an ego trip he took his part of the heist from King and tried to become a movie star. I smelled a rat because I would often see Don and John huddled together in dark corners of restaurants.
In the early 70s King invited me to New York to meet with him. We were to meet in his office at 3: 00 pm. I spend three hours waiting for him. The time served me well thanks to his "Girl Friday" Connie Bennett. Connie ran King's New York office and was an old and trusted friend from his days in Cleveland. During that three hour wait she gave me a 101 Boxing Lesson Plan on how to deal with her boss. The best advice "Don't ever take any money from him you have not earned."
When Don finally arrived he took me out for dinner and we were joined by "The Hands of Stone" the legendary Roberto Duran and his interpreter Luis Hernandez. Luis was one of the good guys and a class act in the seedy world of boxing. During dinner I discovered that Duran did speak English it was not fluent but it was sufficient enough for him to be my guest later on Inside Sports.
I stayed with Luis at his home in upstate New York that night it was a little late for me to be heading back to DC. Luis had a son who was an outstanding high school basketball player and I stayed over for a couple of days to watch him play. He scored 27 points in a lost but he lived up to the advanced billing of his proud dad.
My first assignment with Don King, he asked me to use my influence to get Sugar Ray Leonard to sign a promotional contract with him. I knew going in that was "Mission Impossible." Ray had already signed an agreement with a group of white businessmen recruited by his trainer Janks Morton.
The group was led by an ambulance chasing lawyer by the name of Mike Trainer. He was a softball teammate of Janks.
Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard met for the second time in New Orleans. It rained the whole dam weekend and the only thing I got to see was the fight. I remember trying to get some asleep in Don's hotel suite in another room when I overheard Don telling Duran's handlers "Just remind Roberto all he has to do is to be on his feet at the end of the fight and he will still be the champion. The only way he can lose this fight is Ray will have to knock him out."
This all made sense to me Duran had never been knocked off of his feet in his career. In their first fight in Montreal, Canada Duran manhandled and frustrated Ray and won a unanimous decision. I thought, "There is no way Ray was going to knock Duran out." I had already gone out on a limb on my radio show 'Inside Sports' and I was quoted in the Washington Post that Ray would lose the fight. I thought he was taking the fight too soon after his defeat in Montreal—wrong again.
One of my female listeners on my sports talk show challenged me, that if Ray beat Duran I would walk on the U Street corridor in front of Ben's Chilli Bowl wearing nothing but a pair of bikini swimming trunks after the fight. I accepted her challenge.
Duran, was a headstrong and proud warrior of the ring. His pride cost him the fight in New Orleans. I was sitting ringside when Duran uttered the now famous "No Mas." Many of us at the press table could not figure out why the fight had been stopped. When we heard the reason why we still could not believe what we had just heard "No Mas?"
Duran had quit in round eight while defending his titled. I am sure he cost Don King a bundle of cash. All he had to do was stay on his feet and he would have retained his welterweight title. There is still a mystery that still surrounds the fight. The bottom line Sugar Ray outsmarted Duran with his now you see and now you don't style. Duran could not hit what he could not see and he quit in frustration.
I returned home from New Orleans and donned my bikini bathing suit in front of Ben's Chilli Bowl on the coldest day of the month (November 30, 1980) and kept my word.
I watched closely how King treated those around him who borrowed money or those who would take money they had not earned. He treated them like hoes with no respect. Some of the things he would say out his mouth to grown men made me cringe. Connie's advice served me well.
Connie, was loyal to a fault but I guess the price was right. In the 90s the IRS was closing in on King for income tax fraud, she took the fall for him. She served several years in jail for income tax evasion and lived financially happy and wealthy after her release from prison.
I grew up in a housing project in Northeast DC in a single parent home. My mother was the neighborhood bookie, sold bootleg liquor and cut poker games on the weekends to help make ends meet. I watched as the local cops raided our home taking my mom out in handcuffs. I evidently felt some misplaced kinship to Don King.
I remember Mike Tyson fought-Buster Mathis in Philadelphia in 1995 and several members of the media kept complimenting me about a commentary that was written in the boxing program for the fight. Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Elmer Smith said to no one in particular, "Harold Bell is the most courageous sports journalist on the planet." I had no idea what they were talking about and decided to go to the media room to get a program. There in the program was a commentary I had written for the Washington Afro-American Newspaper. The commentary spoke to the double standard major media use in judging black folks like Don King titled "Justice & Just Us." Someone at Don King Productions had decided to publish my commentary in the program without my permission. It was easy to figure out who—Don King.
I encountered King on the elevator and asked him why would he publish my story without my permission? His response was typical of a street hustler "Harold baby, I didn't know you could write like that—brilliant." As we parted company he got the last word, I said, "Don, your problem, you think you are smarter then everyone else." His response, 'I know.'
Don King took the high road with me while Ali was still active but once Ali retired he acted like I was suddenly a pain in the ass. I would travel to Las Vegas paying my own expenses (airfare) to cover Don King Production fights. Bert Sugar or New Amsterdam Newspaper columnist Howie Evans would share a hotel room with me. My problem would be getting press credentials. Don was usually hiding out on site and his son Carl or some other member of the team would tell me his location. I would walk up on him and challenge him about my credentials. He would then get an attitude claiming he had nothing to do with credential assignments. His press relations office had all white faces running the show with a token go-fer black face on hand.
I will never forget the Larry Holmes and "Bone Crusher" Smith fight in Las Vegas. I stayed in my hotel room because I was denied credentials. I could not locate his hideout. The second Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield fight in Las Vegas. I was assigned a seat in the AUXILIARY section of the arena to watch the fight on close circuit television (low blow). It gets worst, Don promoted a fight card here in DC in my hometown and told the PR man Charlie Brotman to deny me credentials. Brotman later apologized. Thanks to the likes of Don King and Don King wannabes the battle for equal access at media press tables (Boxing, NBA, NFL, MLB, etc) continues to be an on-going battle.
Bernard Hopkins' savior trainer the late Bowie Fisher. He kicked Bowie to the curb in a money dispute–it never ends.
It really was a low blow when legendary boxer Bernard Hopkins hires white trash like Kelley Swanson to run his press relations office. Bernard and I have had several conversations as it relates to the two faces and the deceit of Don King. He brags about putting Don King out of business (boxing) and turns around and follows his lead. Swanson is a protege of Rock Newman another Don King wannabe. Rock claims Swanson has a great a Head on her shoulders and attributes that for her rapid rise to PR success in the boxing world!
Head Lady Swanson and Rock Newman
Don is one of the best examples, of Sam Greenlee's best selling book The Spook That Sit by the Door. Unlike Greenlee's character, King's goal has always been to keep the brothers out. He has never been Black & Proud, only "Green & Greedy." He is truly one those brothers that you can take out of the ghetto but you can't take the ghetto out of him. My problem, I never kissed his ass or his ring like other media types–it was not my style.
Don King came back to DC in 1995 to promote a boxing show at the Capitol Centre in Landover, Maryland. I cut him back after the charade in Philadelphia after the Mike Tyson and Buster Mathis fight. I finally reached the conclusion that he was about nothing other then using any and everybody.
I was sitting at ring side talking shop after the conclusion of the card and King called me to join him in the ring. He welcomed me with his signature "shout out" what's up my man? The next words out of his mouth almost floored me, he said "I owe you and I got your back. Meet me at the Hilton Hotel in downtown DC tomorrow around 11:00 a. m. and lets talk."
Adrian Davis a local DC boxer and now a successful trainer approaches me as I exit the ring. He wants to know if he could have a word with me and I say why not! The conversation revolves around Don King. He claimed King owed him $10,000 and since I had his ear would I please ask King to pay him. I got my own problems with Don and here comes another brother who wants me to plea his case. I said if the opportunity presented itself I would ask King what was the problem and I did. Don broke it down to me how Adrian had borrowed advance money from him ($10,000) and he took it out of his purse. Many make the mistake of borrowing money from Don and because they don't see him write it down they think he has forgotten, but nothing could be further from the truth. Remember, he was a numbers runner and backer and they are good at keeping numbers in their head.
When I explained to Adrian Davis what Don had told me, he stopped speaking to me, I am still trying to figure that one out?
Things would go down hill for me and Don after that meeting in Washington, DC. He made promises he never kept after telling me "I owe you my brother." I chased him in boxing circles for two years trying to make him keep the promises made to me but I was like a dog chasing my tail. My last try, I showed up in Las Vegas at one of his fights and as soon as he spotted he started yelling "Harold Bell don't nobody owe you anything. I don't know what your problem is." I just looked at him and didn't say a word.
On Sunday after the fight I waited for him in the lobby and as he headed for his limo I stepped in front of him. He was surprise to see me and said, "Harold Bell what's happening baby, give me those figures for the sponsorship of your show again." He then called his secretary over to write down the figures that were needed.
Don as is his way hollered "I will be in touch soon, love you my brother." Three months later I would receive my divorce papers and a Dear John letter from him. The two thousand dollars he mentions in the letter was the money he gave me to give to my wife Hattie as a "House Warming Gift." We had just moved into our first house (see letter below). Only in America—black America, where a man's word means absolutely nothing!
Via Federal Express
Harold Bell
H.B. Sports Promotions and Marketing, Inc.
Re: "Promises Made, Promises Kept"
Dear Harold:
I received your acerbic letter and I do apologize for my tardiness in fulfilling my promise of sending you a check for eight thousand dollars in addition to the two thousand dollars ($8, 000) I gave you in Washington, D. C.
Enclosed you will find my check in the amount of eight thousand dollars ($8,000) representing the remainder of my commitment to you. This check fulfills my promise to you and ends our beautiful relationship. I deeply regret this, but you are absolutely correct that you should not have to kiss my black ass for anything."
I am sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you. It certainly was not my intention to disrespect or hurt you in any way. While I do not agree with what you wrote about me, I do respect your right to express yourself.
God bless you Harold. I wish you well in all your endeavors.
Good luck and best wishes,
Don King
Copy of letter on King's stationary and me returning his $10,000 back to him via cashier's check
The above photo was taken by my late brother Tyrik Bell aka Puddin, Billy and William. Don hired him as his photographer and Tyrik moved to Florida to work for him. I tried to explain to my brother this was just a ploy by King for me telling him to kiss my ass for the past two decades. I understood he could not turn the job down but I warned him to keep his bags packed. He lasted two years in Florida, longer than I had anticipated.
Photographer Tyrik Bell
I don't know Al Hayman but it is rumored he is the brains behind Floyd Mayweather, the richest and best boxer on the planet (pending on his disposal of the Pac Man). It is also rumored that Hayman controls a stable of some 40 to 50 boxers and he just closed a deal that would bring FREE boxing back to television (NBC). If all these things hold true he is on his way to surpassing Don King as the Greatest promoter ever. I hope the rumors that he has a plantation mentality when it comes to pro boxing and today's fighters. I hope this is just "He say she say!" Another King we don't need—Don King.
A RENAISSANCE MAN: GARY MAYS THE ONE ARM BANDIT!


Mulu Mini is an interactive sponsorable page for publishers to have Mulu directly on their page, with UGC collections and themed picks.
Each Mulu Mini required working with the publisher to choose a theme and celebrity to kick things off.
Users could browse, vote, and shop on products all in support of the charity chosen by the publisher.
We aimed to help bring more engagement to publishers' sites with the gamification elements and drive sales to earn money for their selected charities.
Each Mulu Mini could be customized to match the publisher's brand. I created just shy of 23893124 (give or take) of them.
Elle, Seventeen, Esquire, Real Simple, Martha Stewart, goop, and Good Housekeeping were among them.


text:
WOBURN, Mass., Jan. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Texthelp, a global leader in literacy and accessibility technology, today announced that they will acquire the Education Technology Division of Don Johnston Inc., a leading assistive technology and special education curriculum company based outside of Chicago, IL. Don Johnston Inc. is the latest Assistive Technology provider to join the Texthelp Group. Following Five Arrows' investment in December 2020, Texthelp acquired Lingit Group and Wizkids in 2021, expanding the company's reach in the Nordics and the UK. Texthelp's goal is to use its assistive technology to help 1 billion people with reading, writing, and numeracy by 2030. Together with Don Johnston Inc.'s leading SaaS-based products, the Texthelp Group will become the global leader in assistive technology tools for classrooms and workplaces. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
One in ten people have dyslexia, and in the US, 12% of students are in special education, 15% of children at school are learning their 2nd language, and the average reading age is 7th to 8th grade. Using assistive tools has been proven to help students overcome these barriers and harness their unique strengths. Both Texthelp and Don Johnston Inc. have made it their mission to support equality and inclusion of all people, especially individuals with dyslexia and other learning needs. Together, Texthelp and Don Johnston Inc. will continue to offer their full suite of products, and customers will see the benefit of collaborative technology innovation between the companies within the first few weeks. Don Johnston Inc.'s curriculum division will form a new company, named Building Wings™, which includes the products Readtopia® and First Author®.
"Texthelp and Don Johnston Inc. share a common vision of a world where every student can feel what it is like to learn and succeed," said Martin McKay, CEO and founder of Texthelp. "Don and I founded our organizations for deeply personal reasons. We have an incredibly similar mission to elevate as many students as possible, helping them both understand and be understood. We are so excited to have Don Johnston Inc. join the Texthelp Group, and to have Don as an investor and board member. Our combined teams and expanded portfolio of products will allow us to give millions more students in the US and across the globe the best possible start in life and help them fulfill their full potential. Along with the Don Johnston team, we will continue to innovate and develop our suite of products to create the best assistive technology tools available."…Read More
Categories Newsline
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts across the country have seen an influx of funding for student devices, internet access, and a variety of edtech tools. While equity of access is still a challenge in many communities, this new funding has advanced a unique opportunity for schools to create pathways to computer science education, overcoming some of the challenges that made it inaccessible to many students in the past.
When combined with many states' adopting new computer science standards, the pandemic has the potential to accelerate K-12 computer science education across the country. Some schools will find it difficult to fit new computer science into an already busy daily schedule.
But there's a fix! Educators across the country are working on curriculum to integrate computer science into core content areas, alleviating the problem of where to fit a new computer science course into the busy school day. Computer science education is also being used as a tool for gauging social emotional learning. When computing devices become available to all students, it becomes equally important for districts to have a plan for the types of programming environments and platforms students will use as they build CS skills across the grades. Computer science is quickly becoming another tool, like the pencil and paper, that students use to express themselves and to demonstrate mastery of content in unique ways. Here's where I see these trends going in the new year.…Read More
Categories Equity, Featured on eSchool News, STEM, Teaching & Learning
2022 Edtech Predictions—New Year, New Promises
In this edition of Getting There: Innovations in Education, sponsored by Adobe Sign:
Seven ways education can change for the better
64 bets on how tech will benefit students, parents, and teachers this year
How asynchronous video provides special complements to in-person instruction
Categories COVID-19 Update, District Management, Getting There: Innovation in Education, Teaching & Learning
65 predictions about edtech, equity, and learning in 2022
As we wrapped up 2020, we thought for sure that 2021 might bring us a reprieve from pandemic learning. Well, it did–but it also didn't. Virtual and hybrid learning continued into the spring, but then classrooms welcomed back students for full-time in-person learning in the fall. Many silver linings emerged and digital learning cemented itself as a "must have" in schools. Equity remained front and center, too, raising issues of inequitable technology access, along with racial and socioeconomic disparities and discrimination.
2021 brought with it new COVID-19 variants, the dreaded school COVID quarantine, and renewed calls to support the nation's educators, who have worked tirelessly (and constantly) to support students' learning, social and emotional needs, and more.
And now, we head into our third year of learning during a global pandemic. We asked edtech executives, stakeholders, and experts to share some of their thoughts and predictions about where they think edtech is headed in 2022.…Read More
Categories COVID-19 Update, District Management, eSchool Media, Featured on eSchool News, IT Management, SEL, Teaching & Learning
How to create engaging active learning environments
Technology plays a pivotal role in classrooms, and as it becomes more sophisticated, educators realize that creating active learning environments can help them effectively and efficiently use technology engage students in their learning.
What's your edtech plan post-COVID? Join this eSchool News webinar to learn how to assess your classrooms and ensure they are immersive, engaging, and embracing active learning practices.
You'll learn from a team of experts and educators who can share important insights on the practices and components of active learning. Join today!…Read More
Categories District Management, Featured on eSchool News, Teaching & Learning, Video
What did 2021 bring to K-12 edtech?
Each year, we share our 10 most-read stories. Not surprisingly, many of this year's Top 10 focused on student engagement and online or hybrid learning strategies related to pandemic teaching. This year's 2nd most-read story focuses on the K-12 edtech predictions educators and experts had for 2021–were they right?
When we posted our 2020 predictions on January 1 last year, we–along with the majority of the world–definitely didn't anticipate the curveball that was (and continues to be) the global COVID-19 pandemic.
2020 has been called a dumpster fire, the worst year in recent memory, and more. Abrupt shifts to virtual and hybrid learning laid bare the vast inequities that exist in the U.S. education system. The move to online learning also made people wonder: Are there practices we can continue when the pandemic abates? What can we take from this when we return to our classrooms? And will we return to our classrooms to teach in the same manner as we did before COVID?…Read More
Categories Featured on eSchool News
6 reasons to use edtech tools to save valuable classroom time
According to the National Council on Teacher Quality (2012), the average teacher in the United States gets 45 minutes of planning time per day. If a teacher has five classes, that gives them just 9 minutes per class to create an engaging lesson that meets the needs of every student in the room.
Needless to say, educators don't have nearly enough time to plan lessons. The easiest solution to this problem would be to give teachers more prep time. However, as that seems unlikely to happen, here are six ways that teachers can use edtech tools to save time.
1. Find a learning management system that works for you
Learning management systems such as Google Classroom, Schoology, or Seesaw can drastically cut down on the time needed to assign in-class work or homework. With just a few clicks, a teacher can push out an assignment to all of their students instead of having to waste time at the printer. Each learning management system operates a little differently, so you should experiment with a couple of them to see which one works for
you.…Read More
Categories Featured on eSchool News, Teaching & Learning
How edtech discoveries during the pandemic can turn into innovations after
In this episode of Getting There: Innovations in Education, sponsored by Adobe Sign:
Nine 2021 takeaways to improve edtech going forward
How personalized learning can help improve digital equity issues
What social-emotional learning (SEL) really means
Categories COVID-19 Update, District Management, Equity, Featured on eSchool News, Getting There: Innovation in Education, IT Management
Discovery Education and Social Impact Partners Offer All Educators New, No-Cost Professional Learning Resources
Silver Spring, MD (Thursday, December 16, 2021) — As school systems nationwide begin to look towards Winter Break, Discovery Education and select social impact partners present curated professional learning resources at no cost to support educators' continued professional learning. Spanning critical topics such as social-emotional learning (SEL), computational thinking, and STEM, this new professional learning content inspires educators to reimagine teaching and more deeply engage students. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.
Designed to support educators' work to create immersive learning experiences every day, the curated content strengthens teacher effectiveness, empowers school leaders, and increases student engagement. Among the SEL and STEM professional learning resources from Discovery Education and educational initiatives created in collaboration with leading social impact partners are:
Social-Emotional Professional Learning Resources…Read More
When it comes to edtech, it's not about the tools, but how you use them
In this week's Getting There: Innovations in Education, Editor at Large Kevin Hogan explores how to get the most impact out of the edtech tools in your district.
Also in this podcast:
New cyber security standards attempt to help secure district networks through awareness.
Dr. Matthew X. Joseph, Executive Director of Learning, Providence Public Schools on the power of human networks.
How video creation tools can improve parental relations.
Categories District Management, Getting There: Innovation in Education, IT Management, Teaching & Learning
e-Book: How Cloud-Based Infrastructure Can Save the Day in K-12
Improving Equity: One Step, One Goal at a Time
Case Study: A Closer Look at How 3 Schools Adopted UV Disinfection Technology
An emerging threat to educational transformations
Leveraging online resources to support students' learning and teacher effectiveness

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The current AUD/GIP exchange rate is 0.543. (Last updated on April 25, 2019 23:45:02 UTC).
It means you will get GIP 0.5434 for 1 AUD or AUD 1.8402 for 1 GIP.
GIP exchange rate was last updated on April 25, 2019 20:00:00 UTC.


text:
Syzygium pseudocrenulatum är en myrtenväxtart som först beskrevs av Murray Ross Henderson, och fick sitt nu gällande namn av Ian Mark Turner. Syzygium pseudocrenulatum ingår i släktet Syzygium och familjen myrtenväxter. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

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pseudocrenulatum

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Ray Eugene Parsons
Recommend Ray's obituary to your friends
Plant a tree in memory of Ray
Obituary of Ray Eugene Parsons
Please share a memory of Ray to include in a keepsake book for family and friends.
Ray Eugene Parsons, Sr.
WELLSVILLE - Ray Eugene Parsons, Sr., 74, of Wellsville, passed away Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at UPMC Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh.
He was born August 11, 1945, at Wetzel County Hospital in New Martinsville, WV, the first born child of the late Charles Ray and Lucille (Noland) Parsons. In addition to his parents, Ray was preceded in death on September 28, 2011, by his younger sister, Becky Kerr.
Ray served in the United States Army from 1969-1972 during the Vietnam War. He was employed as a truck driver.
Survivors include two sisters: Linda Sue Parsons-Mease and her companion, Chuck Gulley, of Moundsville, WV, and Dixie Parsons of Wellsville; and two brothers: Charles "Bob" Parsons and his wife, Elaine, of Zanesville, OH, and Larry Parsons and his wife, Mary, of New Martinsville, WV; and Ray's long-time companion and a great help to the family, Paula Gillen. Also surviving are two daughters: Samantha Travis and her husband, Chris, and Tammy Sabo; and two sons: Ray Parsons, Jr. and Patrick Parsons; eleven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Ray will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a private family service will be held at the Roberts Funeral Home in Wellsville with Pastor Mark Blakeley of the Wellsville First Christian Church officiating.
Burial will be in Columbiana County Memorial Park where full military honors will be accorded.
A Memorial Tree was planted for Ray
Ray Parsons
Services for Ray Parsons
There are no events scheduled. You can still show your support by planting a tree in memory of Ray Parsons.


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Under the law, "the government shall establish a system of progressive realization or implementation to provide the requirements, conditions, and opportunities for the full enjoyment or realization of the following rights of the poor, which are essential requirements towards poverty alleviation."
As a vow to the Filipino people to fight poverty and lessen the number of those living below the poverty threshold set by the National Economic Development Authority or NEDA, Republic Act 11291 or 'Magna Carta for the Poor' was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Under the law, concerned government agencies should ensure that Filipinos' rights are protected and that they are getting the adequate government services they need.
The law mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Agriculture must work hand in hand to minimize or mitigate hunger.
The Labor Department must ensure that there will be equal opportunities for jobseekers. National and public works projects must fill the 30% of their manpower from the poor sector.
The Health Department is mandated to provide quality and universal healthcare services.
The government should continue socialized housing programs and relocating those who are living in danger zones.
Access to free tertiary education and expand programs for technical and vocational courses.
The beneficiaries will be determined by NEDA and DSWD and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).
It also states that there will be a non-diminution of the rights of the poor or that "all other rights of the poor provided under existing laws shall remain in full force and effect."
Within six months from the effectivity of this act, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) shall, in coordination with the government departments and agencies, with the participation of the local government units and the basic sectors, promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.
This Act was passed by the Senate of the Philippines as Senate Bill 2121 on January 29, 2019 and adopted by the House of Representatives as an amendment to House Bill 5811 on January 30, 2019.
The full implementation of the law shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
On April 17, Duterte also signed into law an act institutionalizing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
The said magna carta was proposed six years ago during the term of the former administration but later vetoed due to insufficient fundings.
Tags DSWD, Magna Carta for the Poor, NAPC, NEDA, President Duterte


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Recently retired figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond skates into Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame
Terry Jones, Postmedia News (tjones@postmedia.com)
Published: Jun 05 at 6 a.m.
Kaetlyn Osmond, originally from Marystown,N.L., shows off the gold medal she won at the 2018 world figure skating championship. Osmond recently announced her retirement from competitive figure skating at the age of 23. - File
Osmond: 'My hometown will always be Marystown'
EDMONTON, Alta. —
The battle to be known as "The Home of Kaitlyn Osmond" has escalated.
Kaetlyn Osmond of Edmonton, a.k.a. Kaetlyn Osmond of Marystown, N.L., was last year's world figure-skating champion and took gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals during her career.
She will be inducted into the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame on Monday.
Osmond left Newfoundland at the age of eight when her parents Jeff and Jackie relocated to Fort McMurray prior to putting down roots in Sherwood Park when she was 10 and beginning her figure skating rise to fame out of West Edmonton Mall's Ice Palace Figure Skating Club under coach Ravi Walia.
The recently retired Osmond has been well honoured by Marystown, population 5,436, a town with a history in fishing and as a shipyard located 316 km west of St. John's.
Marystown, to this point, has renamed the town rink the Kaetlyn Osmond Arena, named a street after her and presented her with a symbolic key to the town.
In January, Osmond received the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, the top civilian honour in the province.
"It's where I started skating when I was two and where a lot of my family still live. It was the beginning of my sports career and the beginning of my entire life so I've always wanted to recognize that," she said.
"It's a very small town and to be able to feel that connection has always been something that I strongly believe in. My hometown will always be Marystown."
That said, she claims to be thrilled with the selection to the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame with the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Kurt Browning, Mike Slipchuk, Jamie Sale & David Pelletier, Jackie Parker, Rollie Miles, Normie Kwong, Johnny Bright, Hugh Campbell, Johnny Bucyk, Glenn Hall, Clarence Campbell, Bill Hunter, Clare Drake, Matt Baldwin, Randy Ferbey, Kevin Martin, Graham Smith, Dianne Jones-Konihowski, Pierre Lueders, Susan Nattrass, Red Pollard, and J. Percy Page and the Edmonton Grads, etc.
"It's exciting. I trained and competed for Edmonton for 13 years, so it feels to be great to be part of that and recognized here," said the now 23-year-old. "Other than my first nationals, everything else in my figure-skating career has been in Edmonton.
She says she didn't realize until she moved here that figure-skating in Edmonton had such a high profile, fostered during the years when the Royal Glenora Club was Canada's figure-skating factory, producing the likes of Browning, Slipchuk, Sale & Pelletier, Kristi Yamaguchi, Lisa Sargeant and so many others including her own coach Walia before her.
"It's pretty incredible to me that I kind of turned out to be part of that," Osmond said. "Edmonton has been such an amazing place for me. Being able to train at West Edmonton Mall was always incredible. I don't know if my career would have gone the way that it did if I didn't have Ravi."
Last fall, after winning a team gold and an individual bronze at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, and capturing in the spring Canada's first women's world championship since Karen Magnussen in 1973, Osmond announced that she intended to take a year off from competitive skating and undertook a heavy show schedule.
She announced her official retirement from competitive skating a few weeks ago.
"I pretty much knew immediately, but I didn't want to rush any decisions because it was for the rest of my life," Osmond said. "I didn't want to be too impulsive when it was that kind of decision that I was making, so I took the entire year to fully decide. But I was pretty sure that was the route I was going to be taking.
"I was participating in shows pretty much from September until two weeks ago," she said of winding up with the Canadian Stars On Ice tour that played Rogers Place on Mother's Day. "That's the path I now hope to continue on for as long as I can."
Osmond will be joined by builders Bryan Anderson, Gary Meadus and Wen Wang in the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Winspear Centre. The event is open to the public with no admission charge.
Kaetlyn Osmond speaking with young skaters in Yarmouth, N.S. - Tina Comeau/SaltWire Network File
Portraits of the sports honourees will hang on the walls of City Hall — one way of keeping Anderson in City Hall.
The fifth-longest serving councillor in Edmonton's history, serving from 1998-2017, Anderson advocated for many sports and recreation facility initiatives that included 12 artificial turf fields. Before becoming a councillor, Anderson had a 29-year career coaching football and basketball teams to numerous city titles and four provincial championships at Harry Ainlay High School, where he coached current Ottawa Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell.
Meadus created the athletic program at NAIT and coached its first team, the 1963 Ookpiks basketball team. He was also instrumental in creating the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference in 1964.
Wang was a former junior national badminton champion in China and immigrated to Canada in 1988 and attended Grant MacEwan College, where he became the best player in North America while a student-athlete at the Edmonton school.
tjones@postmedia.com
Marystown native Kaetlyn Osmond goes out a champ
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Updated Jun 21, 2019 at 7:37 p.m.
Belanger Memorial student is Newfoundland and Labrador 2A Male Athlete of the Year
Warriors bounce back by playing like champs, series with Raptors tied 1-1
RAPTORS PARADE DAY: Jump for joy for the NBA champs
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True team effort by Raptors defeats Golden State's dynasty
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The food we eat should be a feast for our eyes as well as our taste buds. In this program, children will investigate the colorful side of fresh foods and view the natural rainbow of food hues on display in artwork in The Value of Food. Be amazed by the power of healthy, colorful foods while exploring often-missed corners of the Cathedral. Open to participants ages 7 – 12, with an accompanying adult – no children under age 7 will be allowed in restricted areas of the tour. $10 per child with accompanying adult.
For more information, you may call the Cathedral at 212-316-7540 or visit this webpage .


The last time you heard from Britton on our blog she was anxiously awaiting the birth of her first child. Now, 5 years later, she's returned to Everywhere Agency as our new Director of Client Relations and has 10 facts she'd like to share about herself! Read more.
Hi everyone! My name is Maya, and I'm extremely excited to start this new chapter with Everywhere Agency as an account manager!
Hi there! My name is Trisha, and I'm thrilled to be joining the Everywhere Agency team as an account manager.
Will Everywhere Agency Go Five For Five At The AMY Awards? Fingers Crossed!


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Home Business Saudi domestic worker market gets regulated
Saudi domestic worker market gets regulated
Muhammad Waqas
A worker at a construction site in the Middle East. Saudi government sources reveal that a team of recruitment companies will propose ways to formalise the domestic worker recruitment market. (photo used for illustrative purposes only)
Saudi government sources reveal that the Ministry of Labor has formed a team of recruitment companies to propose ways to formalise the domestic worker recruitment market.
The team has been tasked to devise a mechanism for negotiations for domestic workers and promote the role of recruitment companies in their hiring. The team will closely work with the Ministry of Labor to outline details of the negotiation process, and official channels in other countries to understand special contracts for domestic recruitment. By gaining better insights into global practices, the team will help recruitment companies understand the local labor market and to write more suitable agreements.
Saudi domestic worker market
The Saudi domestic labour market is mainly based on workers from Indonesia, the Philippines and other South Asian countries. While the country has shown its readiness to open up new markets for labour recruitment, the idea has not yet won wide acceptance. The government expects to achieve a breakthrough in its negotiations with Indonesia and the Philippines over the obstacles facing importation of domestic workers. Till then, the authorities are focusing on other Asian markets like Nepal to meet the labour requirements.
Often criticised for poor treatment of foreign domestic workers, Saudi Arabia recently passed landmark legislation to ensure the protection of their rights. In the absence of labour market regulations, Sri Lanka had banned some of it's (domestic labour pool) citizens from traveling to Saudi Arabia, in an attempt to protest the abuse and murder of Sri Lankan maids in the kingdom.
The new law, which has already been approved by the Council of Ministers, sets nine hours of free time for each worker per day, while also allowing them one day leave from work, per week. Further, domestic workers will also be entitled to a one month paid vacation every two years and medical leaves.
Under the new law, domestic servants will have a probationary period of three months. The workers will be entitled to receive their salary at month end without delay, and receive accommodation and end-of-service benefits after four years.
Photo: BASF/Flickr
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Sometimes the different DC Sports teams all come together to provide worthy (or non-worthy) fun and excitement. Instead of just posting it a zillion times, this segment will just link you over to the main story.
You just saw G-Wiz deliver the flying clothesline to Teddy of the Nats. Now watch as an inflatable version of the giant blue wizard thing dances to Drake, Pitbull, and of course, as all mascot bits end, to Gangnam Style. Do we really have to keep ending our mascot bits with that?


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Fu decorato con due medaglie d'argento al Valor Militare.

Biografia
Figlio di Francesco, avvocato e magistrato, e di Adele Fanchiotti, Eugenio Angeloni nacque a Monte San Savino (Arezzo). Dopo aver studiato al convitto Cavour di Firenze entrò per vittoria concorsuale al Collegio militare di Roma e quindi all'Accademia militare di Modena, dove divenne sottotenente dei bersaglieri. Dopo aver frequentato la scuola centrale di tiro a Parma e l'Istituto geografico militare di Firenze, svolse una missione in Libia – in particolare nella zona di Misurata – al seguito di una commissione incaricata di rilievi trigonometrici e topografici. Tornato ammalato in Italia nel luglio 1914 e posto in aspettativa per motivi di salute, allo scoppio della prima guerra mondiale chiese di essere mandato al fronte e venne inviato in Cadore. Promosso capitano, fu impegnato in varie operazioni militari nella zona del Pal Piccolo e in Carnia (1916). In seguito partecipò col 21º battaglione bersaglieri all'avanzata sull'altopiano della Bainsizza. Fu decorato sul campo a San Grado di Merna, sul Carso, il 3 novembre dello stesso anno. Morì colpito da un proiettile di mitragliatrice il 19 agosto 1917. Pochi giorni dopo la morte, fu pubblicata la sua nomina a maggiore.

Archivio
Il fondo di Eugenio Angeloni è conservato presso la Biblioteca comunale degli Intronati di Siena, alla quale fu donato dal padre Francesco Angeloni nel 1934 insieme alla biblioteca personale. La documentazione va dalla seconda metà dell'Ottocento all'inizio del Novecento.

Note

Bibliografia

Collegamenti esterni

Medaglie d'argento al valor militare


Your child joins Cheeky Monkey as the star in this personalized book as they travel around Australia in search of their friend Kanga Jack. An exciting, adventure filled story full of fabulous friends, new and interesting places and lots of fun facts about Australia. Great for developing an understanding of Australian landmarks, native animals, cultural foods and geography (not to mention a fondness for friendly inanimate objects).
The Australian Adventure storybook is suitable for kids from pre-school to early primary. Get ready for 28 colorful pages of extremely cute, slightly loopy, educational fun!
Your professionally printed soft cover book is just like you get from the bookshop and comes in 2 sizes: Small (7.6" x 6") and Large (10.6"x 8.2").
• Professionally printed and bound soft cover book.
• Suitable for kids from pre-school up to elementary.


Don't blame yourselves, give yourselves permission to be human and remind yourselves that we did the best we could with the information we had at that time. Those teen days and lemme tell you that teenagers are one of the most misunderstood people, but now when we think of it, we wonder "ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!! later we tell our self "HOW STUPID". Over a long period of time we start regretting. We think of all uncertainties and missed opportunities, other possibilities and the road not taken….
ITS NOT JUST LIVING FOREVER, THE TRICK IS LIVING WITH YOURSELF FOREVER..


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President's Order Annoucement on 11 New Laws
In the afternoon of December 16, the President's Office held a press conference to announce the President's Order Annoucement on 11 new Laws passed by the 14th National Assembly at the 8th session.
The government wants people and businesses to activate National Public Service accounts
Minister, Head of Government Office Mai Tien Dung has just sent an open letter to individuals, organizations and the business community on the use of the National Public Service Portal. The Minister wanted the people and businesses to create accounts and use the National Public Service Portal.
The launching of the children protection application "Switchboard 111"
On December 13, 2019, in Hanoi, the Department of Children, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs in collaboration with Childfund Vietnam and Microsoft Vietnam Corporation officially announced the children protection application "Switchboard 111" on two popular phone platforms, IOS and Android.
Thousands of driver's licenses and health insurance cards have been renewed through the National Public Service Portal
After 4 days of opening the National Public Service Portal, there were 2.3 million visitors and 1358 administrative procedures files were processed online.
The National Committee for Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination established
The Prime Minister has approved the establishment of the National Committee for Tuberculosis Elimination (The National Committee) and appointed Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam to be the committee head.
National public service portal supports reissuance of health insurance card due to loss or damage
On the morning of December 7, the Minister and Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung chaired a press conference to introduce the National Public Service Portal and said that the Portal was opened on December 9, 2019. At the time of opening, the Portal will provide 5 public services including reissuance of health insurance cards due to loss or damage.
Building e-Government: renewing ways and methods of working and serving people and businesses
The Ministry of Information and Communication reported that to build e-Government, relevant ministries, sectors and localities have actively sped up the development of information systems in order to improve operational efficiency of State agencies, renewing their working methods.
Vietnam builds new national strategy on gender equality
More than 80 experts from governmental agencies, domestic and international organizations, and academia attended "The launching workshop on the review of the National Strategy on Gender Equality and the development of the new National Strategy on Gender Equality 2021-2030" in Hanoi on December 6.


TCG Goksu photographed in Liverpool on 25 April 2015. She was visiting the city after a NATO exercise and was moored behind the USS Vicksburg.
Previously she was the Oliver Hazard Perry Guided Missile Frigate USS Estocin (FFG 15) but was disposed through the Security Assistance Programme to the Turkish navy in April 2003.
She was ordered in February 1976 and built by the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Launched on 3 November 1979 she was commissioned into the fleet on 10 January 1981.
Overall she is 136m long with a 14m beam and 6.8m draught. Propulsion comprises General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines generating 41,000 shp through a single shaft and variable pitch propeller giving a top speed in excess of 29 knots. She also has retractable 260kW retractable Azimuth thrusters for manoeuvring and docking.
Complement is 226 including pilots and aircraft maintainers.
Armament includes a OTO Melara Mk 75 76mm/62 calibre naval gun, a single Vulcan phalanx CIWS, 4 No. 50 calibre machine guns and a Mk 13 Mod 4 single arm launcher for Harpoon Anti-ship missiles and SM-1MR Ant-Ship anti-Aircraft missiles.
Mk 13 Mod 4 single arm launcher for Harpoon Anti-ship missiles and SM-1MR Ant-Ship anti-Aircraft missiles.
Vulcan phalanx Close in Weapon System.
Goksu's badge and timber name plate.
Turkish flag at the stern.
Gothic revival style drinking fountain photographed in Sefton Park, Liverpool on 5 March 2016.
The fountain is located within the park near the South end of the lake and was designed by Lewis HornBlower and Edouard Andre who were responsible for the design of the park.
The fountain has a sandstone base and canopy supported by granite or marble pillars with four iron water basins, under the canopy are entwined dolphins.
The controls for the fountain are now blanked off and the feature sadly no longer works.
The fountain dates to 1872 when the park was opened by Prince Arthur.
Judging from the wear to the sandstone base this has in the past been a popular feature and has been used by countless visitors to the park.
A painting by Parker Greenwood of the Cunard Liner Campania at the review of the fleet at Spithead on 26 June 1897 for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
Built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at Goven, Scotland she was 189.6m,long with a 19.9m beam and 9m draft. She was laid down in September 1891, launched in September 1892 and undertook her maiden voyage on 22 April 1893.
Installed power was 12 double ended Scotch boilers, two five cylinder triple expansion engines (31,000shp) with propulsion provided by twin triple blade propellers. Service speed was 22 knots and she had a a top speed of 23.5 knots.
She could carry 2000 passengers and 424 crew.
Campania served as one of Cunard's major passenger liners until she was superseded in both speed and size by a succession of four-funnelled German liners. The German competition necessitated the construction of replacements for the Campania and her sister ship which came to fruition in 1907 with the appearance of the RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauretania. With the appearance of a third Cunard giant in 1914 the RMS Aquitania Campania was no longer required and her 250th and last planned voyage for Cunard commenced on 25 April 1914. On her return to Liverpool she was chartered by the Anchor Line to undertake voyages from Glasgow to New York but with the outbreak of the First World War she was called up for war duty but proved too old and managed only three voyages before being sold for scrap. Her last voyage as a passenger liner was on 26 September 1914.
Whilst awaiting demolition the Admiralty stepped in and bought her with a view of converting her to an armed merchant cruiser that could carry seaplanes. The conversion was carried out at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead. Her interior was completely gutted, and room made inside to store up to 14 aircraft. She was also equipped with eight 4.7" guns.The conversion was completed in 1915 and two weeks later she joined the fleet at Scapa Flow as HMS Campania her task being to send aeroplanes ahead to scout for the German fleet.
After a short period a 49m flight was added to the front of the ship to enable aircraft to take off directly from the ship without being lowered into the water.
Trials following this conversion indicated that the deck was too short, so it was extended to 67m. The alterations required the removal of the forward part of the superstructure, and the first funnel which was replaced by two narrower funnels on each side. The aft deck was also cleared with the aft mast removed so that she could also serve as an Observation Balloon Ship.
She served in the Royal Navy up until 5 November 1918 which was just six days before the armistice was signed, when she was involved in an accident in the Firth of Forth during high winds. Campania dragged her anchor in a sudden squall and at 03:45 struck the bow of the battleship Royal Oak and then dragged along the side of the battle cruiser HMS Glorious. She then began to sink stern first. A few hours later an explosion (presumed to be a boiler) sent her to the bottom.
Twin decked river cruiser Tideway photographed on the Thames on 10 March 2016.
I spent two days in London last week on a training course and walked to the river during my lunch break on both days.
She was built in 1973, can carry 85 people and is 19m long.
Painting by Burmell Poole dated London June, 1919.
Ship depicted is the RMS Mauretania in her dazzle camouflage which she carried in the later stages of the First World War.
During the war she operated as a troop ship and hospital ship.
She was ordered in 1904 and built by Swan Hunter, Tyne & Wear, UK. She was laid down in August 1904, launched September 1906 and her maiden voyage was on 16 November 1907. Retiring from service in 1934 she was scrapped at Rosyth in 1935.
GRT was 31,938 and she was 240.8m long with a 26.8m beam and 10.1m draft.
Propulsion was via Parsons steam turbines and initially triple bladed propellers which were later changed to four bladed versions.
She could carry 2,165 passengers.
Holy Trinity Church in Skipton photographed on 12 November 2015 when I was visiting the town for a meeting.
The first church on site was built in the early 12th Century and was probably constructed from wood.
The current church dates from about 1300 and was extended to the East in the late 15th Century. The church was damaged during the siege of Skipton in the English Civil War but was repaired and restored in the 1650's with the financial assistance of Lady Anne Clifford of nearby Skipton Castle who's fathers tomb was in the church.
In the 1853 the tower was struck by lightning.
In 1909 it was restored by Lancaster Architects Austin & Paley who had the galleries removed, a North Transept and new vestries added and new seating installed.
The church was struck again by lightning in 1925 causing a fire that destroyed the organ and damaged the roof.
In 1979 the lady Chapel was bult in the South East corner of the church and more recently a prayer corner was built in a corresponding position at the North East corner of the church.
Seatruck Power photographed on 25 April 2015.
She is a Seatruck FSG 746 series Ro-Ro ferry and was built in Germany at the FSG Flensburg Yard as Yard number 747 in 2011.
Overall she is 142m long with a 25m beam and 5.7m draft.
GT = 18,920 DWT = 5,300 and NT = 5,680.
She can carry 151 trailers in 2,166 lane metres.
Machinery comprises two marine diesel engines (8,000kW approx each) giving a service speed of 21 Knots.
Accommodation on board comprises 2 senior officer cabins, 5 officer single cabins and 14 crew single cabins in addition to 6 double driver cabins and a spare cabin giving a complement of 22 crew and a maximum of 12 drivers.
Liverpool Pilot Sloop No.6 'Irlam' in Liverpool Bay, this was painted by Samuel Walters (1811-1882) in 1824.
Irlam was built in Liverpool in 1831 and served as a pilot sloop until 1852 when she was sold.
She was lost near Warren Point, Northern Ireland later in 1852.


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The Year I Was Grateful for the Homeless
The first interaction I ever had with someone living with homelessness happened when I was ten years old. My grandparents and I were walking through downtown Salt Lake City after seeing a touring production of The Secret Garden. (Musical Theatre Nerds, feel free to do the math...)
As we strolled back to the parking garage, I noticed a man in rags parked on the sidewalk looking around as if he were lost. To my young self, it was like seeing a tattered old blanket. Not your blanket, of course. Not the one from childhood that smells the way it did when it brought you unfathomable security. He was like someone else's blanket. One you don't have a connection to and wonder how on earth it got so dirty.
I had never seen anyone like this man before, so I stared, thinking perhaps the longer I looked the more I'd understand. Suddenly, the man jutted his arm toward me and mumbled something in an injured tone. I jumped! Did he know me? Was he trying to take me? Did he need help?
My grandparents stepped in and anonymously shook their heads at him. I was grateful. They could see I was afraid, and they took control of the situation. As we continued walking, my grandma leaned over and said in a gentle tone, "Just keep your head down. If you don't look at them, they won't talk to you."
That singular experience was essentially my philosophy on homelessness for almost 15 years. Don't get me wrong, I still volunteered at food banks; I organized food and clothing drives; I gave money to panhandlers. But even though I worked to treat my fellow beings with compassion, there was still a separation defined by the discomfort of that first encounter. "We're all human, but sometimes it's less scary to keep your head down."
I finally recognized that quietly hidden pathology the moment I left it behind. In my 20's, I was cast in a production of the musical Rent. Guess what I played? A homeless person.
As an actor, it's not effective to judge your character, so I didn't even think twice about playing the role. On the contrary, I was excited for the challenge. It never even occurred to me that doing so would have real life implications.
Then one day I was walking around Los Angeles and saw a woman on the streets. Immediately I thought "Oh, that's me." And that's when I realized my reaction hadn't been "Poor lady." Gone was the separation. As make believe as my acting in a musical was, it had built a bridge that connected me to this woman's experience. We were the same. From that day on, I started looking at everyone suffering from homelessness in the eye...and smiling.
Fast forward to 2014, at which point I was preparing the next update for my charity website www.theroadbackhome.com. Some of you might know that besides bringing awareness to different causes and charitable organizations, we encourage the idea that everyone deserves to feel "at home" in their lives.
Well obviously with a mission statement like that, I knew at some point we'd have to tackle homelessness, but figuring out how to approach the issue on a public platform had always been intimidating.
Having no real answers as to how to proceed, this year I started talking to other people. As often as I could, I brought up homelessness in conversations to hear what others had to say. And in this very unscientific social experiment, I found that 9 out of 10 people I spoke with began their side of the conversation with doubt.
They told me about dishonest panhandlers they'd met or heard of, addicts that just want money for drugs, homeless people wearing nice watches, individuals who basically want to be homeless anyway, and so on...
Despite my empathy toward the discomfort of this issue, I was still very surprised by these findings. 9 out of 10 means the public roughly perceives 90% of the homeless population to be either completely hopeless or simply outside their social responsibilities. 90%?! That's impossible, and quite frankly, a little bit silly.
This caused me to once again look at my own views on homelessness and wonder, "How did we become so skewed?
Un-Skew You
I'm going to be brutally honest here. In our philanthropic efforts, it's a lot easier to surround ourselves with causes that lend themselves to beauty: the smile of a sick child, the beautification of a city park, the education of our youth.
But there's very little beauty in homelessness. It's one of the few nightmares in life that actually looks as bad as it feels.
And that's when it hit me. We're not all skewed, horrible people. We just want to feel better about a very ugly problem! That's why many of us convince ourselves homeless people somehow deserve their circumstances. That's why many of us selflessly give money to people on the side of the freeway exit. Unfortunately, neither of these things do anything to solve the real problem.
That's why I started the #whatishomecampaign. It was time to take a different look at how we define "home," and subsequently "homeless"
If I could sum up the incredible experience I had during this year's #whatishomecampaign, I'd break it down into three main points:
Homeless people are on Facebook. Think you don't know somebody that's dealt with homelessness? Think again. How about somebody that's moved in with family members because it was their only choice? Transitional Homelessness makes up the biggest percentage of the homeless population, while "skid row" or Chronic Homelessness makes up the smallest.
We can end Homelessness. There are fantastic organizations thinking outside the box to not only stop the growing Homeless crisis, but eradicate it altogether. Check out my favorite: Community Solutions
Homelessness is beautiful. Sounds strange, I know, but we must find the beauty in things we truly want to change. Otherwise, the change we make is usually superficial, and only makes us feel better temporarily. The truth is Hope is found in Homelessness, therefore it's beautiful.
This year I'm grateful for the homeless. It's a journey that started a long time ago, and I'm proud to say I'm leaving 2014 with more than just a new perspective. In many ways I feel free. I'm at peace with the discomfort I've perpetually tried to soothe since childhood. I welcome 2015 with a full tank of hope, compassion, and knowledge that with my help (and hopefully yours) things will change.
Check out the 2014 #whatishomecampaign on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at www.theroadbackhome.com
Labels: family, home, musicals, theroadbackhome.com, utah
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Now!
Lately I've been thinking a lot about "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." You may have heard of it; it's a song, kinda popular this time of year…
Anyway, I love it because it's a classic that's brave enough to be sad. And by "sad" I mean in an honest, subtle way, not a "manipulate you with a children's chorus at the final key change type thing." Take a look for yourself:
Let your heart be light
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight.
This lyric, matched by that gorgeous melody, implies that the person being sung to isn't quite "there" yet. The ideal Christmas merriment hasn't taken hold because their troubles are just too big to ignore. And you know what? It happens! Especially when we all know what our "golden days of yore" are "supposed" to look like…
That nostalgic view of the past, however, presents a problem. If time marches on with us changing right alongside it, then sometimes the expectation to recreate our Christmas joys can seem like "a bough" much too high to reach.
What's beautiful about "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," though, is that despite all its troubles and "muddling through somehow," it still manages to deliver a graceful message of hope. And it does so through one word, it's final lyric: "now."
The wonder of the Holiday Season is we don't have to wait for things to get better to enjoy it. The hope and light it's founded on are strong enough to help us see beyond what our eyes can behold. Peace on earth may seem like a far away dream, but decorating that same earth with colored lights reminds us it's a glorious possibility.
So let those troubles come. Life can be life, and Christmas will still be Christmas. All it takes is faith, hope, and maybe a ladder to reach that highest bough. So, my wonderful friends, have yourself a merry little Christmas now.
With Love to You and Your Faithful Friends
(both dear and near if the fates allow)
Posted by JSP at 12:35 PM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: holidays, modern life, music, musicals
ROMANCE ROMANCE @ North Coast Repertory Theatre
Have you ever bought JELL-O Cook & Serve Butterscotch Pudding at a local grocery store in Los Angeles?
The answer is, "No, you haven't." Because it's nowhere to be found!
I don't know what Angelenos have against my beloved childhood dessert, but for some reason, you have to drive all the way to Ventura County to get it. And don't tell me just to buy the instant kind. It's NOT the same. It's either Cook & Serve or forget it!
This kind of frustration is how I imagine theatre companies feel about getting people to come see their shows. Finding an audience is sometimes like looking for JELL-O Cook & Serve Butterscotch Pudding in the middle of LA. It's not easy.
Interestingly enough, the same can't be said for Cook & Serve Chocolate and Vanilla Puddings. They're all over the place! Of course I'm sure it's a simple supply and demand issue. It's the same reason larger theatres have to produce Oklahoma, The Music Man, and Annie every few years or so to bring in the crowds.
That's why when I heard North Coast Repertory Theatre was doing a very "Butterscotch" production of the little known and even less seen musical Romance Romance, I was immediately interested.
There is something so satisfying to me about presenting a piece of musical theatre that audiences don't already know forwards and backwards.
In fact, it's a real test for modern day audiences to hear a musical for the first time in the theatre-- to truly listen to the melodies and lyrics, and allow themselves to go on a journey with the characters without the benefits of nostalgia and prior exposure. It's a test, I'm afraid to say, not all audiences are willing to take.
I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I admire and respect everyone that supports local theatre. They are the benefactors and cultivators of their own culture.
Romance Romance starring (l to r)
Melissa WolfKlain, Lance Arthur Smith,
Jill Townsend, and Jeffrey Scott Parsons
But while it may be risky for a theatre to produce a show that's not well known, it has grown ever apparent to me that it's even riskier for audiences to watch it. After all, isn't it a safer bet to go see a musical you've already seen or heard? Well that's why I want you to come see our little show.
The truth is Romance Romance might not be your favorite thing you've ever seen. But the greater truth is every show doesn't have to be "your favorite thing you've ever seen." Setting that kind of expectation prohibits us from taking art in for what it is, and instead, encourages us to only see what it's not. I can already tell you Romance Romance isn't going to be The Music Man simply because it's not The Music Man! What it is, however, is a show that might make you 'hum,' a show that might make you smile, and a show that might make you think. It's a proposition that forces you into new, unknown territory, and I'm really proud to be a part of it with three other actors I love dearly.
So regardless of whether or not you prefer Chocolate to Butterscotch, wouldn't you still rather have the choice? :)
Come see the frothy and fun
Romance Romance at North Coast Rep
http://northcoastrep.org/
Posted by JSP at 11:18 AM No comments: Links to this post
Labels: California, creativity, desserts, favorite, home, musicals
Leave Your Mark
A week or so ago, I packed up a rental car with some clothes, a fully loaded iPod, and a box of Claritin, and I drove to my motherland... also known as my mother's house in Utah.
It had been a few years since I'd visited the old Beehive State. It'd been even longer since I'd been there without snow- which is why I brought the Claritin. For the first time in at least five years, I toured our old farm property, side stepping cow pies and trying to remember how the irrigation system worked.
But while walking past one of my grandpa's old sheds, I suddenly got memory smacked. I knelt down and cleared away the dirt to see if my memory was accurate, and sure enough...
When I was little, my grandpa, cousin, brother, and I poured this cement that helped, among other things, to keep rodents from tunneling into the shed. As partial payment, and in keeping with tradition, Grandpa wrote our names in the cement before it dried. I always felt like such a celebrity when he did that. Seeing my name immortalized in a batch of quick dry satisfied some deep desire I had to be like the stars that kinda did the same thing in Hollywood.
It's funny, though, seeing the memories of your past through the eyes of an adult. Looking down at my name in that cement, I wasn't seeing a childhood thrill anymore. Instead, I was seeing an extension of everything around me.
That farm! Its fences and sheds, the gate systems, everything down to its very foundation was planted by the hands of those that came before me. People who, alive and not, are still around when I see their handiwork. What surprised me, though, was when I saw my own name in the cement, I realized I'm still around there too.
Even though my grandpa is gone, he is still all over that farm. And as an adult now striving in my own way to leave something of worth to this world, I feel like we met that day. I finally realized what he was teaching me. With the precious time we have on Earth, together we can leave our mark. Surely every life is important enough to leave this place a little better than we found it.
As it turns out, I don't need to write my name in the cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. I'm a farm boy, so that's already been taken care of.
Thanks Gramps.
Labels: family, home, memories, utah
CATS at San Diego Musical Theatre
If you had asked me three months ago to vote for the musical most unlikely to appear on my resume, I would have said Cats. It's true. I would have pictured myself playing Effie White in Dreamgirls before wearing a kitty unitard.
It's not because I don't like Cats. I remember seeing it with my family when I was in the 5th grade. I don't recall a lot of details from that production, partially because I had failed to bring my new prescription eyewear, and I spent most of the evening stealing my Mom's off her head. I apparently enjoyed myself, though, because I convinced my dad to buy me a Cats t-shirt as well as the double cassette cast album.
I listened to those cassettes a lot in my basement, re-imagining the cat choreography. I learned very quickly, though, that a lot of theatre people didn't like the show. I didn't understand why. It was just about cats. Many criticized it for the lack of plot, but I always figured that had more to do with their expectations of what they thought the show should be, rather than what it was.
Ten years later, however, I too began rolling my eyes when Cats was still on Broadway, and some of my favorite shows couldn't stay open long enough for me to see them. Those eye rolls continued a few years later when I managed to see three different productions of Cats in the space of six months. (Thank you working theatre friends.) By that point, I had decided I probably would never do the show.
Was I developing a Cats allergy? No. Simply put, I had weighed the pros and cons, and the whole thing looked like too much work! The makeup, the wigs, the movement that makes your joints quiver with fear... It just didn't seem worth it!
So spoiler alert, I'm doing a production of Cats. How? Well, I went to an audition, and much to my surprise, I had a lot of fun.
There is a specificity to this show that is very addicting. At first it's daunting to look at yourself in a mirror and think, "So... I'm a cat? I guess I'm a cat." But then the music, the choreography, the ensemble nature of the show really begins to "cat-ivate" you, and before you know it, you're immersed. Believe me, no one is more surprised than this guy.
But that's not all. To me, Cats isn't just about cats anymore. And of course it's not! T.S. Eliot was a pretty intelligent man. When we look closely, his poems that make up the material for the musical carry a lot of themes.
In "The Naming of Cats," we learn that a cat must have three different names: one that the family uses, one that the cats call each other, and a third that nobody knows except for the cat that bears it.
"If you notice a cat in profound meditation, the answer I tell you is always the same. Their mind is caught up in the rapt contemplation of the thought of the thought of the thought of his name."
What better way to teach the sacred nature of honoring who you truly are than through this creature that is infamously both lovable and fiercely independent? Cats aren't needy because they don't like you, Eliot teaches us, rather they don't need your validation to know who they are.
I think it's this moment in the show that we can start learning from Cats. And if we can learn from the kitties, then we can start to see ourselves in them, too.
So come out and see Cats at San Diego Musical Theatre! Here's hoping it will be a "Memory" that will have at least nine lives...
March 22nd - April 6th
www.sdmt.org
Labels: dance, family, memories, musicals
Building Zion & Singing Sondheim
There are a few things I accomplished during my college years that to this day I'm really proud of: #1- graduating. #2- performing Eugene O'Neil. #3- not killing anyone. Another of those choice accomplishments was a paper I wrote for my Musical Theatre History class.
This required paper was to be turned in at the end of the semester. I was to pick a relevant musical theatre topic and write about it for as long as I could. In other words, it was a dream come true!
As a student at BYU, I decided to write academically about something that wouldn't and couldn't be written on any other campus in America. I titled my paper, "You Can Build Zion and Still Sing Sondheim: 3 Musicals That Would Never Be Performed at BYU But Still Teach Gospel Principles."
Reading back through this paper, I think I was a little harsh on my alma mater. Nevertheless, it was true to how I was feeling at the time.
I was upset because I felt that, as a student at a religious university like BYU, I was constantly compelled to apologize for everything I did, beginning with wanting a career as a performer in the first place. I sensed a degree of illegitimacy towards our field of study, as if musical theatre didn't deserve to be part of the academic institution. And if that wasn't enough, the opportunities to prove otherwise, through performing the more complex literature of the art form, were often impossible due to codes and standards of the school and church.
Looking back now, I see that when I wrote my paper, I wasn't upset at BYU as much as I was just passionate about art, or more specifically, what I had learned about it. I'd realized that when art is a reflection of reality, truth will always be found in the details, regardless of whether or not those reflections follow the commandments of God. This principle is why I'm still proud of my paper from all those years ago.
It's a principle that I think we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints are reminded time and time again even if we choose not to notice. Take The Book of Mormon, for example. (The actual book, not the musical.) The Fourth Book of Nephi, found in The Book of Mormon, is comprised of only one chapter. That chapter is broken down into 49 verses, and of those verses, the first 22 account the formation of a pure society of Zion in the ancient Americas following the Savior's visitation around 34 A.D. The final 28 record the destruction of that same society due to the choices of the people.
So, for those keeping track, that's 22 verses about everything being perfect, and 28 about it not, proving that perhaps we can find just as much truth and light in the representation of imperfect realities as we can in the more unrelatable ideals. Maybe even a little more...
The Dark and Hungry God
Take Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as an example. With a score and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, it's quite possibly the darkest story to ever be musicalized. That is, of course, unless you can think of a story more upsetting than a vengeful barber slitting throats to avenge his past, and then grinding them up for meat pies.
Sondheim has always had a knack for stretching the musical theatre art form to new territory, but what sets him apart is that his musicals are often so experimental AND masterful. It's no small feat. It's also no stretch of the imagination to foresee the kind of reluctance a more conservative audience would have to warmly welcome this bloody masterpiece. Why would anyone striving to live the Christ-like attributes of love and forgiveness subject themselves to witness the horror of Sweeney Todd? The same could be asked of a more familiar character.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, we meet David, from "David and Goliath" fame. This meek and faithful shepherd boy found himself admired by an entire nation, and soon, became ruler over it. A life of such potential, however, was never fulfilled. Before he knew it, King David fell "from his exaltation," loving power more than life, and committing both adultery and murder. When we read how easily a man, like David, in all his righteousness was still capable of such acts, we, ourselves, become more wary of our own pitfalls.
Such is the case with Sweeney Todd. The true terror of this musical does not lie in its gratuitous bloodshed, but in the question that if we were faced with Sweeney's unjust circumstances, would we lose ourselves in a similar demise?
This musical asks its audience, just like the scriptures of old, "What god are you serving?" In Sweeney's case, Sondheim tells us it was "a dark and a vengeful god." Likewise, if our answer is revenge or greed, then we, like Mr Todd, will find that it only grows more powerful through our own emulation. "The more he bleeds, the more he lives. He never forgets and he never forgives."
What Sweeney learned too late was the power he wanted to heal his wounds wasn't found in creating more of them.
Get a Gimmick, Not a Child
In 1995, LDS General Authorities released a single-paged proclamation that has since become a staple of Mormon doctrine. Among other things, it declares the importance "to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."
So why this "Proclamation to the World?" I'll answer that in two words: Mama Rose.
Gypsy is a musical with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim that tells the story of Gypsy Rose Lee, a famous burlesque stripper from the 1920s and 30s. While she is the show's namesake, it is her infamous stage mother, Rose, that has become one of the most formidable characters to ever grace the stage.
"I had a dream," Rose sings early in the show. Right away, Sondheim lets us know that the dream to get her children into show business is her dream, and possibly, one that was born out of being abandoned by her mother as a child and left to an emotionally unattached father.
As the musical continues, Rose is abandoned yet again, this time by her own child, June, and Mama Rose rebounds by pushing the shy Louise into the spotlight. Louise struggles to find her place in the loud, confrontational world of entertainment until one night, out of desperation, Rose forces the now older Louise into stripping at a dumpy burlesque house. Louise becomes Gypsy Rose Lee, the "classy" stripper, and with new found confidence stands up to her overbearing mother once and for all.
I still remember my own mother's look of disappointment upon realizing the show that gave birth to "Everything's Comin' Up Roses" was about a mother who forces her daughter to take off her clothes. I maintain, however, that Gypsy holds an essential message for all Latter day Saint families.
The ingenious title of this musical, "Gypsy," is not only Louise's future name-to-fame, but also makes an intriguing commentary on Rose's life. She, like a nomadic gypsy, has no home. Instead she weathers life's scars by relying on dreams to raise her children. She assumes that her own insecurities about life will be best conquered if she can give her children all she ever wanted. What she doesn't realize is her children don't want it.
Thus we see a vicious familial cycle in Gypsy. Rose was left with a void as a child. As an adult, she seeks to fill it with public attention, all the while withholding personal affection from her own daughters. They, in turn, run away to the public to make up for it. They're surprised to have followed their mother's and grandmother's footsteps, and Rose is surprised to end up alone.
In a culture that promotes family as the fundamental unit of society, Gypsy provides an important warning. Family is not a gimmick. Regardless of societal pressures, rearing a noble family should only proceed when the parents recognize the responsibility of creating new life. If children are only meant to complete a portrait, fill a void, or be in show business, the consequences echo for generations to come.
Is This What You Call Love?
The house lights dim, the orchestra swells, and the curtain rises to reveal a bed filled by two lovers recovering from their latest round of love-making. One of them is married, but not to the other. The first five minutes of Stephen Sondheim's Passion are probably why I thought a BYU production was highly unlikely.
The script follows Georgio, a young, romantic soldier in love with the beautiful, but married, Clara. When Georgio is reassigned to a smaller post, he meets his Captain's cousin, Fosca, an ugly woman depressed by her constant state of illness and pain. Showing compassion, Georgio is kind to her, and Fosca is immediately smitten.
As Fosca's desire to gain Georgio's love turns to despair, Clara continues in her adulterous affair with him until she suddenly ends it. Georgio is devastated and recognizes how shallow Clara's love has been. He likewise recognizes the unbridled love that Fosca has, and it changes him forever. This show doesn't have a traditionally happy ending, but it deals with love in a way never before explored in a musical, and led me to one of the great spiritual awakenings I've ever had.
The ancient prophet Isaiah said of Jesus Christ's initial coming, "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." In the same way, Fosca, has no great aesthetic to her form. Rather, her beauty lives in her vulnerability.
"Loving you is not a choice; it's who I am," she declares to Georgio. "It gives me purpose, gives me voice to say to the world: This is why I live. You are why I live." This woman's heart is wide open, and yet she confesses that standing in that terrifyingly exposed place is why she lives. She, who spends the entire show struggling to find the will to live beyond her illness finds the motivation to do so through love.
This is what lead me to my great epiphany: Love always leads to life!
The physical expression of making love, for example, creates life. Emotionally speaking, feeling loved can bring us back to life when all seems lost. Then think about the scripture, "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son..."
I've often struggled to comprehend how and why Jesus Christ could suffer so in the Garden of Gethsemane, and later, at Calvary, only to then resurrect three days later. In the past, I've simply regarded it as some godly power I couldn't understand. But if love really leads to life, then perfect love (like that of a deity) contains the power over life, that is, to lay it down and take it up again.
I believe the divine power held by Jesus Christ to conquer death stems directly from the perfect and infinite love he held for every living thing. No wonder his mission has often been called "the passion." Like Fosca's journey, it was selfless and, ultimately, transformative.
To be fair, I do understand. From movies to music to musicals, our world seems to be full of "challenging material." But that's because the world we live in is one ruled by contrast. Our desire for peace is stronger during times of war. Our need for love is more fervent in times of sorrow. The lessons of humility are gained among consequences of selfishness. Does it have to be that way? No. But since repentance is a divine principle, it's definitely expected.
The three musicals above are additional testaments to that principle of contrast. In fact, they're a safer route to the same conclusion. There's nothing that says wisdom can't be earned by witnessing someone else's choices. So why not spend an evening with Sweeney Todd, or Momma Rose, or Georgio? They can provide us with a greater understanding of the the complexities of reality, which in turn, make the faithful stronger, but only if Christ is their reality.
Now I'm not saying that all artistic expressions are made with the singular goal of helping me think about Jesus. In fact, I'm sure Mr Sondheim might find it rather amusing that this is what I've taken from his works. But the point, my friends, brothers, and sisters, is while we often put a lot of energy on deciding what to support, we also need to be careful of what we avoid. If we don't take advantage of that which teaches, we are not using art as God intended. We'll just be reading the first 22 verses of The Fourth Book of Nephi.
And as far as the argument that "it's just a musical," I'll remind you that Jesus Christ himself taught through theatre. He told stories; he used props, and he had a lot of special effects.
So go ahead: sing Sondheim and build Zion! And when that finally leads to the first stake production of A Little Night Music, be sure to invite me to audition. I'd love to play Henrik.
"For Goooooooooooosh Sake."
Labels: creativity, LDS, musicals, school, utah
FOREVER PLAID at Cabrillo Music Theatre
Roger Befeler, Kurtis Simmons, Me, and Scott Dreier in Forever Plaid at Cabrillo Music Theatre.
It was towards the end of 2010 when I received my first phone call from Kevin Traxler.
I was already scheduled to spend the holidays that year performing in The 2010 Cabrillo Holiday Spectactular starring Shirley Jones, and who wouldn't be perfectly content spending their Christmas with Momma Partridge and Marian the Librarian?! Cue Kevin's phone call...
He told me he was putting together a mini tour of Plaid Tidings, the holiday version of the now classic Forever Plaid. I had previously learned two of the four roles in that show, and he asked if I'd be willing to learn the role of Sparky this time around.
Since it's almost impossible for me to say "no" to work, I took the offer very seriously. I sat down with my calendar to see if I could somehow pull off Plaid AND The Holiday Spectacular at the same time. As it turned out, the few Plaid rehearsals would be done before the other show even started, and the mini tour dates were on Fridays, which just so happened to be my days off during The Holiday Spectacular rehearsals. It would be hectic, but it was absolutely possible.
I started learning as much of "Sparky" as I could by myself since the other three Plaids had all done their roles in previous productions of Plaid Tidings. I eventually felt prepared enough to show up to our first rehearsal at the director's house right before Thanksgiving. I knocked on the door and was immediately greeted by Kevin, who answered wearing an apron. The house smelled wonderful, filled with a sweet and spicy aroma of slow cooked meat. Kevin asked if I would like some wine. I politely declined. Then we started rehearsal.
David Humphrey, David Engle, Me, and Stan Chandler
in Plaid Tidings, with Kevin Traxler behind the scenes,
as always, taking the picture.
The three Plaids and I stood around the piano and sang through the score. Every once in a while I'd ask if we could do something again, and everyone would graciously oblige.
Every know and then we'd hear Kevin holler from the kitchen, "Sounds great!"
After about two hours of rehearsing, Kevin suddenly came into the living room and announced it was time to eat. We all went outside into a beautiful Southern California evening and took our seats at a table lit with candles and filled with gourmet worthy entrees. Along with Kevin and his wife, we ate and laughed hysterically at each others' stories from previous Plaid-encounters. I truly felt part of the family.
That night was pretty much the only rehearsal I ever got for Plaid Tidings. The day before our first performance, we reviewed, this time in front of a mirror, and though I felt safe, I was terrified I'd mess things up. Kevin wasn't.
The subsequent mini tour of Plaid Tidings turned out a lot of memories: The show in Palm Desert where two old ladies said we talk too much, despite the 20 something songs we had just sung. The time in New Mexico where our van got stopped at Immigration because our piano player had an English accent. The show in Arizona where the bass player and I had to drive to the airport in the middle of the night to get back to rehearse The Holiday Spectacular. I wouldn't have had it any other way.
Last year, towards the end of 2013, I was happy enough to get another phone call from Kevin Traxler. This time it was to do Sparky in a production of Forever Plaid that he was producing, funny enough, at Cabrillo Music Theatre, where I had sashayed with Shirley Jones all those years before. The offer was a no brainer. I accepted immediately. I couldn't wait to have a family reunion.
Then, about a month before we were to begin rehearsals, I learned that Kevin passed away. As Sparky says in Forever Plaid, "Funny thing...death."
It's strange, preparing this delicious experience of a show without Kevin around to season it. It's even stranger to be doing a show about mortality while knowing the person who brought you there to do it isn't here anymore. But I love being a Plaid. And I'm proud to be a Plaid. And I know I wouldn't feel that way without having known and loved Kevin Traxler.
So this one's for him, and I sincerely hope you will all come and enjoy our show. That is, after all, exactly what Kevin would've wanted.
Forever Plaid at Cabrillo Music Theatre Jan 31-Feb 9
www.cabrillomusictheatre.com
Labels: memories, musicals