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Life on the Open Ocean Pt.1
The idea of living on a sailboat may seem like a simple life, full of free time and romance. In reality, it is more complex and intricate than life ashore. Celeste Brooke-Landon reveals the realities and practicalities of the "live-aboard lifestyle" in part one of her series.
I grew up on the B.C. coast, running barefoot along the sandstone and driftwood shores of the southern Gulf Islands, but my sailing adventures actually began in Alberta's southern foothills…. of all places.
It was there—after over a decade of living a happily landlocked life of horseback riding and ranching—that one evening over beers, talk turned to sailing. My roommate's best friend, Conlee, whom I'd only ever met in passing, had recently fulfilled a long-held dream of buying a sailboat, which now waited for him in a boatyard down in Ensenada, Mexico.
Christened 'Akhlut', the boat was a Reinke S11; a German-built aluminum boat with a practical bluewater design and a history of world sailing.
My roommate and Conlee suggested that I come and visit them on the boat over the holidays later that year—a previously planned 'guys' trip. At that point I simply laughed it off assuming the invitation was more courteous than genuine. It wasn't until a few days later when Conlee got in touch that our real story began.
Conlee and I began chatting regularly and within a couple weeks he had invited me to Mexico to help him get his boat in the water. Despite knowing essentially nothing about sailboats, I was intrigued by the idea of such a new adventure and I could feel my wild wanderlust-afflicted soul stirring.
It's said that travel is the best way to figure out whether two people are compatible…well, off we went on our first official date—a ten-day road-trip from Alberta to Mexico.
We spent the trip laughing ourselves to tears, eating way too many tacos, and exploring every nook and cranny of the new boat.
The previous owner had bought her specifically to navigate the northwest passage for which she had been thoroughly equipped. Not only was every compartment chock-full of supplies and equipment, but everything was still in German and required careful translation.
We tackled the seemingly insurmountable task with gumption and by the end of the week, and with the last coat of bottom paint dry, the Marine Travelift was picking us up in preparation for our first launch.
With mild trepidation we motored Akhlut from her place at the boat yard to a marina about half a mile away. Our first docking experience was nerve-wracking to say the least, but we finally found a slip and tied our lines.
We were floating!!
It didn't take long before I fell in love with the boat; the simplicity of the space, the feeling of being gently rocked to sleep, and the new sounds—like those of snapping shrimp at night in the calm waters below the hull.
After that trip to Mexico it was decided; I would move onto the boat with Conlee for the winter, beginning in just one month's time
Suddenly, I found myself faced with needing to consolidate my life on land into a 38ft space… on the water. But I was thrilled by the challenge and lost no time in planning, shopping, organizing, packing…and convincing my family that this was all a really good idea!
Somehow, I made it all work and before I knew it, my mother and I were beginning a 2400 kilometer drive south, and explaining to the border officer why there was a solar panel in the back seat and a surfboard strapped to the roof.
We arrived at the Mexican border at dark the day after leaving Canada. In a new country, and without knowledge of the language or area, my mother and I navigated our way through mad traffic and along dodgy streets only to find ourselves—a couple hours later—unlocking the cabin door of Akhlut.
Conlee was still at work and I had agreed to go down early and get the boat prepared for our true maiden voyage. He and his friend Joel planned to fly down to San Diego a few days after my arrival.
Over the next few days, I took full responsibility of stocking the boat with everything I could think of—still without knowing much about sailboat life.
I made multiple trips to Costco and other stores around Ensenada; and a few solo trips back across the border at Tijuana, for anything that had to be acquired stateside, which included a new anchor and a few additional boat parts.
On the evening of November 1st, 2018, we finally cast off our lines and began our first passage—an overnight sail to a small island off the coast.
We spent the first hours of our maiden voyage on Akhlut under motor; the hum of which quickly lulling me to sleep as I succumbed to the exhaustion of my busy week.
As I slept on the double bunk, I could hear the rhythmic whoosh of the water over the hull as my body shifted with every wave. When I awoke, I felt groggy and disoriented, as though I had just stepped out of a washing machine. All was dark, save for the red glow of the cabin light and I had to brace myself as I moved about.
I peered, bleary eyed, into the cockpit and watched Conlee and Joel setting up the wind vane, a pendulum self-steering device run on the direction of the wind. Once in place, it waved slightly, to and fro, holding us steady on our course.
The seas were undulating astern and I was a bit unsettled by the newness of it all. The surrounding darkness only heightened my sense of vulnerability as I looked at the wild unknown that lay ahead.
Yet, with the sound of the motor gone, I could hear the wind as it coaxed Akhlut forward and in turn began to propel me away from shore to a new life beyond land.
Words and photos - Celeste Brooke-Landon
Sign up for the next installment in Celeste's series of life aboard and to keep up to date an all things Mustang Survival.
© 2021, Mustang Survival CDN ULC.


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Cinema in Paradise
For All Your Cinematic Dreams
May 30, 2021 May 30, 2021 by Abby Sheaffer
Robert Mulligan's 1963 film, Love with the Proper Stranger, still emits a bold and timeless prescience
Love with the Proper Stranger is a film that doesn't receive enough recognition.
Released in 1963, it stars Natalie Wood as Angie Rossini, a Macy's salesgirl, and Steve McQueen as Rocky Papasano, a part-time musician. Directed by Paul Mulligan of To Kill a Mockingbird fame, it's a film that has an uncanny prescience in today's world that I feel needs more of a deep dive.
We begin in media res—Rocky is searching for another gig, even going so far as to ask his crony to make a call to amplify his résumé. He does get a call, but not for the reason he thinks. Instead, Angie approaches him. Her brown eyes gaze deeply into him, two dark chocolate pools. McQueen and Wood's chemistry is instant—a clap of thunder.
But it gets better. The stakes get higher. Angie discloses to him that she's pregnant.
"Congratulations," he murmurs.
"Don't worry," she replies, "I won't make any trouble for you…"
Again: this is 1963. Love with the Proper Stranger is one of the earliest mainstream films to acknowledge abortion as well as the terrifying practices that happens when abortion is illegal.
Natalie Wood should have won an Academy Award for her role as Angie. She is at once humorous, complex, and tragic as Angie Rossini. This film is one of my favorite romantic comedies and dramas because Wood doesn't shy away from her character. One could argue, Wood is at one with Angie—the blend into each other. She also amplifies the other actors she works with.
When they are above an abandoned flat, waiting for Angie's back-alley abortion, they get to know each other more. Angie, somehow, pries into Rocky's soul. She says she finds it funny, considering him linked to family. Rock is a man, an immigrant kid, who's compulsively rebelled against his orthodox upbringing. He's so far departed from himself, he too finds the idea of his life united with his family—let alone, a new family—somewhat alien.
"That's what makes it rough," he mumbles, "when they love you."
Automatically, something registers between Angie and Rocky's eyes. What does it mean to be found when you've been searching for forever? And they both look so cynical. How will their family help or hurt a world in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War?
Steve McQueen and Natalie Wood's chemistry is magnetic, you can't tear your eyes away. Angie and Rocky's eventual decision to keep their baby and raise it together does more for me than any romantic movie I've seen.
One of the most endearing scenes is the one of Rocky and Angie in the cab. Angie has cried herself to sleep on Rocky's shoulder. Rocky, an avowed playboy, tenderly caresses her hand as they travel across New York City in the middle of the night. He puts her up in his apartment and watches her sleep through the night.
The next morning, he confronts the men in her family and tells them that he got her pregnant. Rocky gets a black eye from Angie's older brother, Dominick.
Angie, when confronted with it all, decides to raise the child independently, without the help of Rocky or her family. What I most appreciate the film is the cast and crew's decision to make it Angie's choice. Angie is terrified of raising a child out of wedlock. She's terrified of raising a child at how young she is. Yet, she's more terrified of what happens if she dies during an abortion. She is moved by Rocky's love and care for her. She's amazed at her decision to face motherhood, seemingly alone. Then—the beautiful and yet imperfect ending.
For me? My favorite Natalie Wood film of all time is Love with the Proper Stranger. This is a very human film. It doesn't sugar coat things, it just exists. It's perfect.
Abby Sheaffer is a columnist for Cinema in Paradise.
Love with the Proper Stranger is available to stream for $2.99 on Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Google Play.
Previous In the Mood for Love: Interiors
Next Announcing: The Marilyn Monroe Issue
"If I have been feeling worried or sad during the day, I have a habit of recalling scenes from childhood to calm me. So it was this evening." -Victor Sjöström, Wild Strawberries
Cleopatra to this day is one of the most expensive films ever made, with a budget of $44 million which is approximately equal to $344 million today

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Papo Brachiosaurus dinosaur model has been delayed once more. The model, the largest dinosaur model that the French manufacturer has attempted to date was due to be launched in July of this year, but it has been subjected to a number of delays. Everything Dinosaur team members had been assured by Papo that their shipment would be with them perhaps late September or at worst early October, however, there has been more slippage in the schedule.
Stocks are not expected in until sometime in October, perhaps towards the end of the month, although a more precise date could not be obtained.
We will do, drop you an email to confirm that we will reserve a model for you and contact you when they arrive.


The suite of Star Hill JAWZ Grabbing Tools comes in three different sizes. Compare below and find the one that best suits your land management needs.
Our Mini Jawz Grabbing tool, the A1700QA, fits compact utility loaders, compact farm tractors, smaller skid steer and mini excavators. This powerful workhorse is perfect for the smaller plant, brush and sapling removal. Great for landscapers and landowners where space and access are a concern. Carefully picking and placing rocks has never been easier. The A1700MQA is an indispensable tool for many jobs. Our Standard JAWZ fits skid steers, farm tractors, larger mini excavators. The robust gripping force of the JAWZ allows you to remove plants, brush, smaller trees, posts, stakes and rocks with ease. Finally there is a tool that allows for a complete eradication of unwanted plants and trees and their roots. Put away that bucket and chain. the stout construction of JAWZ is unmatched. Combined with it's precise grabbing features is a durable work tool that will serve your varied needs. The Super JAWZ fits larger loaders and excavators. Precision engineered, this nearly one-ton attachment has a lifting capacity of 10,000 pounds and is designed for those heavy jobs that require larger machines. Same range of uses as the smaller models, only bigger. Pulling trees, large invasive plants, big rocks and grabbing unwieldly objects puts Super JAWZ into a class all by itself.
Cylinders: 2 1/2" x 4" Welded tube const.
Cylinders: 3 1/2" x 5" Welded tube const.
Standard Jawz models now include a brush guard at no extra charge.


Technology is the signifier of our times, with people checking smartphones every 12 minutes. The 2018 Aesthetica Art Prize responds to this.
The deadline for the Aesthetica Art Prize has been extended for one day. A celebration of excellence in art from across the world, the Prize offers artists the opportunity to showcase their work.


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Memorial honors former Arizona Gov. Raul Castro
Alexa N. D'Angelo
Raul Hector Castro, Arizona's first Latino governor, who passed away last month, was remembered Saturday at a memorial service at the state Capitol, where family, friends, colleagues and Gov. Doug Ducey spoke about the trailblazing politician.
"Arizona was the home he left behind," Castro's grandson Donald Daley III said during the service. "We thank you Arizona for sharing him with us; our memories with him from the last few months meant everything."
Daley choked back tears as family members on stage patted his back.
"Grandpa always talked about coming home," Daley said. "Here we are now in your final resting place. Rest in peace, Grandpa."
Castro died April 10 surrounded by loved ones at their home in San Diego. He had been receiving in-home hospice care and died in his sleep. He was 98.
Castro was born in Mexico and rose from dire poverty to the state's highest elected office. He entered politics to combat discrimination against Latinos and served as Pima County attorney, a Superior Court judge and as a U.S. ambassador in Latin America before running for governor.
He served two years as governor, from 1975 to 1977, before being asked by President Jimmy Carter to serve as ambassador to Argentina.
The ceremony Saturday took place in the state Capitol, where about 40 members of the Castro family and 100 members of the community and Congress gathered. Mariachi music flooded the building as family members trickled in, stopping to admire photos of their patriarch.
Ducey addressed the family, saying that everyone was gathered to celebrate Castro's life, not to mourn his death.
"Raul Castro epitomized the triumph of the human spirit," Ducey said. "He was the American dream; what others saw as adversity, he saw as opportunity."
Ducey talked about Castro's ascent into the governor's office and said that he wanted to serve as many people as possible.
"For Raul, public service was not a career, but a calling," Ducey said.
The common theme of the service was something Castro felt strongly about: respect. Speaker after speaker talked about the wisdom Castro imparted to them, and every single message was about respecting others.
"He never wanted to be popular, he wanted to be respected," said the emcee of the event, James Garcia, the spokesman for the Castro family.
Many people talked about Castro's dedication to the community and to education. Several speakers reminisced on his high hopes for students and the importance of the state's education system.
For many in the audience, Castro was not just Arizona's 14th governor - he was a friend.
Lois Pfau worked on Castro's 1974 campaign for governor and said he was a very kind and considerate man. She also described him as a "snappy dresser."
"I never saw him in jeans or anything less than a suit," Pfau said, laughing. "You just knew he could get up on a stage and give a speech at the drop of a hat."
Speakers ranged from Arizona politicians, such as state Sen. Catherine Miranda, to the consul of El Salvador, Enrique Melendez. They all highlighted the impact Castro had on the state.
"His life spanned almost the entire existence of Arizona," Garcia said.
Following the ceremony, the family was to attend a private memorial service at a Phoenix cemetery.
Castro's ashes were interred earlier in Sedona in a private ceremony.


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Shameless Promotion of Local Artists: Bay Area Recordings in 2021
Paul Kotapish on December 14, 2021.
Welcome to SFCV's 2021 year-end roundup of recordings released this year by Bay Area artists. Every year we're amazed at the musical riches in our own back yard, and this year more so than ever. Despite the strictures of the lockdown, artists managed to create a lot of brand-new music and find creative ways to record it, while many organizations scoured their archives for great, unreleased music that deserved a fresh release.
Our list isn't limited to classical music: We have a little bit of everything to offer. We can't claim that our roster is comprehensive, but we tried to provide a solid sample of the area's musical wealth. There is so much great music here that we aren't able to hear or review over the year, and this is one way for us to catch up.
We offer this listing with no editorializing or reviews: Blurbs are drawn primarily from artist and label promotional materials. Album titles and cover images are linked to sites with more information and purchasing options. We hope you find something new and interesting as you peruse the listing. Take a chance and enjoy the diversity of sounds available here. Feel free to add your comments and suggestions via Disqus (below) or on our Facebook page, and please share this with your musical friends.
Agave Baroque and Reginald L. Mobley
American Originals: A New World, A New Canon
Agave Baroque, a Bay Area string chamber music group featuring collaborated with countertenor Reginald Mobley on American Originals: A New World, A New Canon. The recording celebrates the overlooked works of American composers of color in an effort to rectify the racial imbalance that has existed within classical music over the last four centuries. Some of the composers included on the album are Florence Price, Esteban Salas y Castro, Scott Joplin, Manuel de Zumaya, José Mauricio Nuñes Garcia, and Justin Holland.
Kyle Alden
Triple Foxes
Marin County singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kyle Alden's latest release is a collection of 11 original songs. He recorded the often poetic, sometimes topical and, at times, funny rock, pop, and Americana tunes in his basement studio during the enforced isolation of the pandemic. Alden handles lead vocals and plays guitars and most of the other instruments on the record. He's joined on some tracks by the versatile Marin drummer Rob Hooper, former Frank Zappa bassist Scott Thunes, and Eamon Flynn, once a member of Ireland's the Commitments, on piano, organ, and backing vocals.
Alexander String Quartet
Brahms String Quartets
The San Francisco-based Alexander String Quartet has completed a "Brahms Compendium" with its release of Brahms String Quartets. Previous recordings in the series include Brahms's Clarinet Quintets (with Eli Eban) and Piano Quintets (with Joyce Yang), both named MusicWeb International recordings of the year; and Brahms's String Quintets and Sextets (with Toby Appel and David Requiro), hailed as a "life-enhancing set" by The Arts Desk. The new release includes Brahms's Intermezzo, transcribed for string quartet by ASQ's Zakarias Grafilo. InfoDad's review of the quartets notes the group's "subtlety and mutuality of purpose ... there is purity, warmth, richness and elegance throughout." Visit the ASQ website for upcoming performances (Herbst Theater, Mondavi Center, Gualala Arts Center).
Charles Amirkhanian
Miatsoom
Charles Amirkanian's latest comprises four previously unreleased electroacoustic works investigating the composer's Armenian heritage — central to his identity but until now unexplored in his discography. The CD begins with a minimalist text-sound composition "Dzarin Bess Ga Khorim" (I think like the tree), based on an Armenian language text recited by the composer. The centerpiece of the album is the 30-minute title track, "Miatsoom" which means "Reunion" in Armenian. A long form radio play of sorts, the work's source material comes from recordings made during the course of a trip the composer took to Armenia with his father. "Three Armenians" has its roots in Amirkhanian's childhood: The composer uses two 78rpm records his father brought home as the piece's only source material.
Arterik
Recorded at a live performance at Berkeley's Hillside Club, this CD captures the first time Art Lande's "West Coast" Trio was joined by trumpeter/composer Erik Jekabson. Playing to a packed house, the group rises to the occasion, playing adventurously and with great subtlety. The first set features music brought in by Jekabson, the second set features music brought in by Lande.
Yang Bao and Kenneth Renshaw
Yang Bao plays the piano. Kenneth Renshaw plays the violin. According to them, "The three pieces of music featured on this album were written a couple of centuries ago, in a very different world from our current one. Yet in playing them we felt a deeply personal connection to the sense of struggle, reckoning with the forces of light and dark within ourselves, and search for cathartic expression that each piece conveys, independent from any time or place."
Gary Bartz
Gary Bartz JID 006
From the Jazz Is Dead Label: "The shadow that Gary Bartz casts over the last six decades of progressive Black music, and his continued dedication to same, makes him a logical and very welcome contributor to the Jazz Is Dead label. An alto saxophonist steeped in the history and tradition of his instrument who is also restlessly experimental and not prone to purism of any kind, he enjoys both the respect and admiration of his peers and the hero worship of several generations after him – including Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, which inevitably led to Gary Bartz JID 006."
Keshav Batish
Binaries in Cycle
Leading with clarity of purpose from the drumkit, Keshav Batish hones a personal, multifaceted sound as a player and composer on his debut album, which features alto saxophonist Shay Salhov, pianist Lucas Hahn, and bassist Aron Caceres. When the group gathered to record Binaries in Cycle at Kuumbwa Jazz Center, in Batish's current home city of Santa Cruz, the beloved performance space was empty. The recording features stirring performances of five original pieces, plus inventive readings of Ornette Coleman's "Police People" and Thelonious Monk's "We See."
Steve Baughman
Once Upon a Harp
Guitarist Steve Baughman is one of the leading fingerstyle guitarists on the scene. With chops to spare and a commanding grasp of traditional American and Irish tunes and songs, Baughman crafts beautiful solo arrangement for the steel-string acoustic guitar. His latest outing is a deep dive into the classic repertory of the blind Celtic harper and composer Turlough O'Carolan.
Dahveed Behroozi
Trained in both jazz and classical music, West Coast-based pianist Davheed Behroozi is the uncommon musician to earn endorsements from icons in both disciplines. The best presentation yet of Behroozi's artistry as a jazz musician now comes with this sophomore album. Showcasing Behroozi's richly atmospheric, even hypnotic compositions, the new disc features Behroozi in league with two of New York's finest: bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Billy Mintz, both master improvisers known for their subtle, individual sounds. They are an ideal complement to Behroozi's rhapsodic, wide-screen pianism.
Bobby Black
70 Years of Swinging Steel
Best-known for gracing the pedal steel chair in Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, Asleep at the Wheel, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage, Bobby Black is one of the greats at his chosen instrument and one of the last members of the first generation of players to introduce it to American music. And he is definitely the only member of that club who spent most of his life in Northern California — San Mateo to be specific. This new sampler was culled from a large collection of Black's unreleased tapes, cassettes, and CDs that studio wizard Myles Boisen cleaned up and compiled into a retrospective of the beloved steel guitarist's career.
Charles Boone
Solar One
Solar One is an EP of two archival works from Bay Area composer Charles Boone. Both pieces take their inspiration and titles from man-made landmarks across California, a collection of sonic landscapes that are simultaneously static and dynamic. The title track comes from a monumental power station near the desert city of Barstow, The Watts Towers from Simon Rodia's outsider art masterpiece in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts. Performers include Janet Ketchum on flute, Mario Guarneri on trumpet, and Louis Siu on drums.
Crying Uncle
Till I Dance Again with You
Brothers Miles and Teo Quale are joined by bassist Andrew Osborn and guitarist John Gooding on this latest offering. As they describe it, "Like everyone else, we spent our pandemic days indoors and quarantined, but managed to write a few tunes because of it." The EP includes four originals recorded during live performances in the Quale's backyard, which became their makeshift stage during the lockdown. Red-hot picking and singing from some of the most gifted kids playing bluegrass today.
The Last Days of Studio A
Ten new songs from Throttle Elevator Music with Kamasi Washington members Erik Jekabson and Gregory Howe. Taking off from Throttle's Final Floor released in 2020, Daggerboard's Last Days of Studio A lands closer to a main vein of jazz. The album includes many of the same players as Throttle Elevator Music featuring Kamasi Washington: Mike Hughes on drums, Mike Blankenship on keys and featuring Roger Glenn on vibes and Kasey Knudsen on saxophone. Recorded at Fantasy Studios Studio A one week before it closed, the music has a dreamy landscaped that wanders down eerie back streets.
Del Sol Quartet
Dust in Time
The Del Sol Quartet's world-premiere recording of Huang Ruo's A Dust in Time traces a meditative journey inspired by Tibetan Buddhist sand mandalas. The album-length palindromic passacaglia grows toward ecstasy from silence before returning to its source. The physical copies come with Felicia Lee's hand-drawn coloring book, which invites the listener to create their own mandalas in real-time along with Del Sol's euphoric performance.
Dillbilly
On Chaparral, the tenth studio recording from genre-queer songwriter Dillbilly, soulful countryfied rock, mournful resonant ballads, and Rust-Belt bluegrass join hands and waltz around the bonfire. Dillbilly crafts songs laden with lyrics that investigate gender, queerness, class, privilege, and shame, taking a deep dive into the complexity and responsibility of being a white working-class queer from a red state. Winding tenderly through these introspective tales is an elegant voice that warbles like a jay, world-weary and vulnerable, yet glowing gently with a palpable inner strength. Featuring performances by a coterie of gifted artists, Chaparral is masterfully arranged and recorded; pristine, soft-edged, and utterly enchanting.
Rebecca DuMaine and the Dave Miller Trio
Someday, Someday
Singer Rebecca DuMaine is accompanied by her father, Dave Miller, and his trio. DuMaine says the pandemic period has been a hard slog. "I found myself gravitating more toward singing melancholy songs and I also started writing. We decided to do an album that deviated a little from our typical sunny upbeat and hopeful mood and looked into songs that were a little bit darker but still ultimately hopeful. It was a cathartic experience for us."
Bryan Dyer
A veteran of acappella music for over 30 years, Bryan Dyer is a performer and educator who has worked in all aspects of the business from stage to film, and radio to recording. He describes his latest outing as "a collection of songs and arrangements designed to show the possibilities of the human voice. The power of one voice."
Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas
The latest from the dynamic Scottish fiddle-and-cello duo features 15 brand-new tracks. The title means "the joining of any two entities without losing the individual characteristics of either one," which is an apt description of their music. As they describe it, "This album showcases our continuing compositional direction toward the ultimate combination of minimalism and richness, seeking moments of both sophistication and vigor while relishing the ancient and modern."
Free Dive
Free Dive has been performing and recording together since 2003. All the band members contribute original compositions and collaborate on arrangements. The absence of a chordal instrument gives Free Dive their evocative sound — open, transparent, cinematic. The band's broad musical backgrounds allow Free Dive to explore many styles including jazz, popular song, and Latin American and African-influenced musics. This is their first release. Members are Jeff Cressman (trombone, percussion), Bryan Dyer (voice, percussion), Cecilia Engelhart (voice, percussion), Steve Hogan (bass, beat box), and Keith Terry (drums, percussion).
Raffi Garabedian
Melodies in Silence
Melodies in Silence is a pandemic project. In a time of overwhelming unknown, Garabedian started recording solo improvisations wherever he felt safe — outside among redwood trees in the Oakland Hills, or under fluorescent lights at his music studio in West Berkeley. The end result is a manifestation of dreams and melodies from a place where everything felt distant and nothing felt possible. It is a meditation on the surrealism of time, day, and night. It is a reflection on grief, loneliness, fear, anger, and hope.
Aaron Germain
Bell Projections
Aaron Germain is best know as a bassist, but on this album he arranged the 17 pieces guitar quartet, and he played all four parts. Germain says his interest was in creating a compositional challenge: "I was downloading tons of classical guitar quartet music, sorting through all of it and listening to it like crazy, looking for holes in the repertoire." he recalls. When he had trouble finding guitarists to play the parts, he did it himself, using a variety of instruments, including acoustic, soprano and bass guitar, electric and upright bass. He also enlisted a 15 musicians to embellish his work throughout the album.
Eeyahdi
The Goggle Saxophone Quartet is four accomplished composer/performers — Chris Jones, Dan Plonsey, Randy McKean, and Cory Wright — who have worked together for years, inspiring and challenging one another deeply in terms of innovation of compositional structure, and instrumental technique. The resulting music is unique, heartfelt, quirky and complex, drawing from a wide array of musical styles and ideas.
Ben Goldberg
Everything Happens to Be
Nine new compositions from Ben Goldberg along with a tune from William Monk. Goldberg plays the clarinet, joined by Mary Halvorson (electric guitar), Ellery Eskelin (tenor saxophone), Michael Formanek (bass), and Tomas Fujiwara (drums).
Mak Grgic
Mak|Bach
Grammy-nominated guitarist Mak Grgic (GER-gich) brings three beloved solo masterworks to a classical guitar refretted in Baroque well-temperament, where each key has its own unique character or affect. Alternating with exquisite chorale arrangements, these works gain a depth and vibrancy that has been missing for over 200 years, and will thrill audiences that were so captivated by his recording of the Bach on MAKrotonal. Composer/critic Kyle Gann has said, "Playing Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier in today's equal temperament is like exhibiting Rembrandt paintings with wax paper taped over them." The same may well be said of Bach played on the modern equal-tempered guitar.
Othello Jerfferson
Good News - African American Spirituals and Art Songs
Tenor Othello Jefferson is featured in performances recorded live at African American Composer Initiative concerts. The CD includes historic and contemporary spiritual settings, art songs, and concert and jazz ensemble pieces. Jefferson is accompanied by pianists LaDoris Cordell and Josephine Gandolfi, and joined by other Bay Area musicians: Susan C. Brown, Tod Dickow, Victoria Ehrlich, Jim Kassis, Stephanie McNab, John Monroe, Rufus Olivier III, Oscar Pangilinan, Eithne Pardini, Yolanda Rhodes, Carol Somersille, Deanne Tucker, and John Worley.
Aron Kallay
Beyond 12, Vol. 2
Grammy-nominated pianist Aron Kallay plays music by Robert Carl, Veronika Krausas, Eric Moe, and others on a state-of-the-art physically modeled piano where left to right doesn't necessarily equal low to high, and 12 equal steps per octave no longer applies. Fanfare wrote about the artist, "Kallay is a multiple threat: a great pianist, brainy tech wizard, and visionary promoter of a new musical practice. Beyond highly recommended."
Left Coast Chamber Ensemble
Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time; Kurt Rohde: One Wing
Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, a transcendent work described by the critic Alex Ross as "the most ethereally beautiful music of the 20th century," was written while the composer was in a WWII prisoner of war camp. Its eight movements are mesmerizing, with their sounds of bird song, angels, love, God, despair, and dread. Kurt Rohde's beguiling one wing, for violin and piano, was inspired by Messiaen and complements the quartet. This release on the Avie label features four members of the LCCE: clarinetist Jerome Simas, violinist Anna Presler, cellist Tanya Tomkins, and pianist Eric Zivian.
Norma and Richard Mayer
In the Studio – 2021
Norma and Richard Mayer play a fiery brand of chamber music not often associated with their rare musical blend - music for unaccompanied voice and flute. Their operatic arrangements have been acclaimed as a groundbreaking direction in modern music. The Mayers have performed to great acclaim from Russia to Germany to France to California, and points in between, with a vast repertory encompassing early music, classical music, African-American spirituals, show tunes, and jazz.
Hafez Modirzadeh
Facets is saxophonist/composer Hafez Modirzadeh's latest radical entreaty against the cultural hegemony of the Western notion of equal temperament and his argument that musicians should be free to explore a variety of tonal possibilities, even on piano. On his new release, Modirzadeh performs in duets with three towering musicians in contemporary improvised music: Kris Davis, Tyshawn Sorey, and Craig Taborn, each interrogating the piano's new possibilities with imagination and ingenuity. Modirzadeh himself utilizes alternate fingerings and embouchure adjustments on his instrument to achieve intervals between major and minor, and the pieces sway with an elasticity reminiscent of Persian poetic meter. With eight keys re-tuned and the remainder left in equal temperament, the music explores the coexistence of familiar with unfamiliar, and in the process, discovers new logic and mysterious beauty within.
Jacqui Naylor
Acclaimed jazz vocalist and songwriter Naylor's 11th album, The Long Game, is filled with both original and timeless love songs. The recording highlights the singer's magnificent songwriting and deeply rich and soulful voice on thoughtfully arranged songs, all selected by Naylor's fans via ballots distributed at her performances, a process she used for her prior four albums. The title of the album was born from one of Naylor's philosophies of life: "Keep going, stay hopeful and enjoy your life. If you continue to make positive efforts, happiness is sure to emerge. We have to play life for the long game, never give up, and win in life and in love."
Every Migrant Is My Fellow
Marla Fibish and Bruce Victor are Noctambule. They play traditional and original music in a variety of forms — traditional Irish tunes and songs, their own tunes written in traditional forms, and compelling musical settings of a broad array of poetry. Their music is rendered with lush beauty, sensitivity, and humor on an unusual array of strings: guitars in varied tunings, mandola, mandolin, bouzouki, cittern, tenor guitar, along with their blended voices. As they describe the new recording, "All the music on the album depicts, celebrates, or mourns for those who are in life-altering transit: vagabonds of all sorts, migrants, refugees, those newly born, those departing this life."
Ray Obiedo
Latin Jazz Project Vol. 2
The 10th release by the Bay Area guitarist and composer, this project is a collection of Obiedo's original Latin jazz compositions, along with one jazz standard by arranger Gerald Wilson. Obiedo enlisted some of the music industry's top musicians and longtime cohorts, including Yellowjackets' reed man Bob Mintzer, percussionist extraordinaire Sheila E., flutist Norbert Stachel, trumpeter Mike Olmos, and percussionist Peter Michael Escovedo. Santana members David K. Mathews (keyboards), trombonist and arranger Jeff Cressman, and percussionist Karl Perazzo also contribute their expertise.
Larry Ochs and Donald Robinson
A Civil Right
According to Ochs and Robinson, this latest duet project features pieces "honed over many years from multiple free and structured improvisations, as well as time taken for composing, rehearsing and conversations. The new CD has been released on ESP-Disk' — the legendary free jazz label where Albert Ayler released his breakthrough recording in 1964, the first jazz recording on ESP. A lot has changed since 1964, but a lot — and perhaps too much — remains virtually the same. So our 'free-jazz' music, while influenced by many musical discoveries and sociological developments that have become part of the firmament over the past 60-plus years, still celebrates and revels in the spirit of '60s free jazz."
Alban Berg: Violin Concerto, Seven Early Songs, and Three Pieces for Orchestra
Music Director Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony illuminate the gorgeously evocative world of Alban Berg in the newest release from the Grammy Award-winning SFS Media label. Hear the heartbreaking pathos of Berg's Violin Concerto brought to life by brilliant violinist Gil Shaham; the soaring, multicolored Seven Early Songs performed by acclaimed soprano Susanna Phillips; and the spellbinding Three Pieces for Orchestra, in which the composer solidified his reputation as a master of spacious expression. Read our review.
Stephen Schultz and Jory Vinikour with Alexa Haynes-Pilon and Mindy Rosenfeld
François Couperin: Concerts Royaux
Following on the success of their widely acclaimed Music & Arts release J.S. Bach: Sonatas for Flute and Harpsichord, Stephen Schultz (Baroque flute) and Jory Vinikour (harpsichord) are joined by Alexa Haynes-Pilon (viola da gamba), and Mindy Rosenfeld (Baroque flute) in superlative performances of François Couperin's four Concerts Royaux, works which stand among the pinnacles of the golden age that was French music during the reign of Louis XIV. This state-of-the-art recording was produced and engineered at Skywalker Sound by two-time Grammy Award winner Jack Vad (2012, 2021).
Skillet Licorice
Allsorts Orchestra
San Francisco Bay Area roots-music luminaries Elise Engelberg and Matt Knoth, aka Skillet Licorice, have created a new type of "old-time" album with their first disc on Tiki Parlour Recordings. It focuses on the lush, beautiful side of traditional American repertory. They are joined by a veritable orchestra that includes some of the West Coast's finest old time musicians including string legends Suzy Thompson, Meredith Axelrod, Craig Ventresco, and the Kentucky-born and raised folk music wunderkind Clinton Ross Davis. Half the album is a fantastic deep dive into the revered pre-war string band the East Texas Serenaders, whose penchant for dreamy waltzes and buttery-smooth fiddle rags are perfect fodder for the Skillet Licorice gang. The rest of the album is full of surprises lovingly reimagined for today's listeners.
William Susman
A Quiet Madness
A Quiet Madness features violinist Karen Bentley Pollick, pianist Francesco Di Fiore, flutist Patricia Zuber and, Bayan accordionist Stas Venglevski performing music by William Susman. The recording unfolds across six pieces that were composed between 2006 and 2013. Susman assembled the order of these pieces on the album into a unified sonic trajectory that builds from its serene opening, the violin/piano duo Aria, to the propulsive Zydeco Madness and the driving chords of the concluding piece Quiet Rhythms No. 7. Spellbinding Music described the album as "an astute and contemporary sonic expression of the quiet madness playing out on 24-hour news TV channels or as an infinite scroll on our smartphone screens."
David Tanenbaum
Double Echo
This album of guitar concertos from the Americas features pieces composed for David Tanenbaum. Building on a tradition of prominent guitarists generating repertoire through new commissions, these works present the guitar in a variety of settings. Aaron Jay Kernis's concerto dips with ease into the world of pop music, whereas his Lullaby and Soliloquy are reflective, lyrical and romantic. Roberto Sierra's concerto asserts a rhythmic and percussive character, while Astor Piazzolla's dark and sentimental double concerto is one of his least-known works.
Valley of the Moon Music Festival
Gabriel Fauré - Piano Quartet No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 45
At the height of the pandemic in 2020-21, VMMF produced many high-quality audio and video recordings for a remote audience. The Fauré Piano Quartet was recorded in May 2021 and presented virtually in video format during our July 2021 Festival. The video was awarded Best Streaming Instrumental Ensemble Performance in the 2021 SFCV Audience Choice Awards. The high-definition audio recording will be released on December 25, 2021. The artists are Lisa Lee, violin; Liana Bérubé, viola; Tanya Tomkins, cello; Eric Zivian, piano. All the performers are local Bay Area musicians playing on gut strings and a period piano.
Mendelssohn String Quartet no. 2 in A Minor, Op. 13
At the height of the pandemic in 2020–2021, VMMF produced many high-quality audio and video recordings for a remote audience. The Mendelssohn String Quartet was recorded in June 2021 and presented virtually in video format during the July 2021 Festival. The high-definition audio recording will be released on December 25, 2021. The artists are Anna Presler and Liana Bérubé, violins; Phyllis Kamrin, viola; Tanya Tomkins, cello. All the performers are local Bay Area musicians playing on gut strings.
Homeroom: Music From and Inspired by a Hulu Documentary
The film Homeroom powerfully documents the tenacity of Oakland High's class of 2020 as they confront an unprecedented year derailed by COVID-19 while also rocked by the national trauma of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others. Nine tracks featuring Oakland artists such as Goapele, Rexx Life Raj, Dame D.O.L.L.A., White Dave, DJ D Sharp and more contribute to the soundtrack. "Youth power" is the core theme of this collection of powerful music destined to reflect and inspire today's generation of young people.
This 2021 Brass Tonic Records release features Sarah Wilson (trumpet/vocals), Charles Burnham (violin), John Schott (guitar), Myra Melford (piano), Jerome Harris (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums). The music reflects the people who lifted and inspired Sarah to be an artist. She envisions their web of support like a kaleidoscope, awakening the eye and inspiring joy.
Ariana Wyatt, Brian Thorsett, and Tracy Cowden
Rapture and Regret: Music of Daron Hagen
Rapture and Regret is a collection of music for soprano, tenor, and piano by Daron Hagen, one of America's most prolific composers, boasting a distinguished body of work that includes more than 300 songs. Commissions from the New York Philharmonic, Seattle Opera, Curtis, and other musical institutions highlight a catalog that also includes symphonies, concertos, chamber music, opera, and music for ballet and film. The featured artists are Ariana Wyatt, Brian Thorsett, and Tracy Cowden, highly accomplished artists who unite in a sum greater than that of its parts. The performances are inspired, refined, and convincing. Hagen's attractive, thought-provoking music could not receive advocacy greater than what is heard here, captured in demonstration class audio by David Bowles.
Pamela Z
Echolocation
The release is actually a reissue of Pamela Z's debut recording. Written and recorded over three years, and self-released and distributed on cassette in 1988, Echolocation is a genre-defying document of Z's earliest experiments with live voice and delay, and the impetus of an artist's three-decade search for sounds yet unfelt. The recording documents the earliest efforts of an artist's lifelong commitment to an exploration of sound, and the individualism inherent within.
A Secret Code
Everyday experience is never far from Pamela Z's musical world. Whether it be a typewriter, birdcall, checking in at the airport, or a mess on the street, her creatively quirky imagination transforms it into a moment of profound questioning and wonder. From sonic trifles to complex numbers, the works on A Secret Code — only her third solo album after Echolocation (1988), and A Delay is Better (2004) — span two decades of redefining song. Including works made for dance, for Kronos Quartet, as well as for Z's own live-sampled concert performance with bel canto, bubblewrap, and tuning fork options, A Secret Code is not as esoteric as it may sound. Besides, as the ever-philosophical TSA so often asks, "What is the purpose of your travel?"
Denny Zeitlin and George Marsh
True improvisers always seek new avenues and vehicles to inspire themselves in their art. Keyboard master Denny Zeitlin and percussion guru George Marsh have continued to push their musical dialogs to near telepathic levels utilizing their long-honed rapport and technological advancements to propel their music into new, enlivening places. Their new recording continues their journey into the endless world of improvisation. The two have worked alongside of each other since the 1960s, and have explored the farthest reaches of numerous musical styles, from jazz and classical to rock, electronics, and free improvisation. These decades of working together have cemented a bond and musical language that is unbreakable, but also one that continues to evolve.
Paul Kotapish is the managing editor for SFCV. You can learn more here or at guitarfish.net.
MTT and SF Symphony Pay Tribute to Alban Berg's Evocative Music on a New Disc
Steven Winn - February 22, 2021
Violinist Gil Shaham and soprano Susanna Phillips are featured soloists in this new release from concerts recorded in 2015 and 2018.
Paul Kotapish - December 15, 2020
Offered without critique, a smorgasbord of recorded music released this year.
Shameless Promotion of Local Artists: Los Angeles Area Recordings in 2020
Peter Feher - December 15, 2020
More From Paul Kotapish
Downhome Streaming on the Folk Side
Music Doodles Just for Fun
Serenading From a Safe Distance in Alameda


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This St Kitts-born Lawyer Achieved A First in the 155-Year History of A Canadian Law Firm
Frank Walwyn was born in St Kitts and Nevis and comes from an upper middle class family. His parents were professional educators.
But his parents decision to migrate to Canada in 1974 changed the family's economic well being. Like many new immigrants to Canada, they simply had to start over. They no longer had the comfort of the upper middle class life that they were accustomed to in St Kitts and Nevis. Frank and his six siblings had to now adjust to a new life in Canada.
Perhaps that could be one of the reason why Frank wanted to become a mechanic after leaving high school, what better way to earn a quick living. But when his high school principal found out that Frank did not apply for university, Frank's parents were notified. They were also unaware of Frank's decision.
That intervention by Frank's high school principal, changed the course of Frank's career. Today Frank Walwyn, from the small twin island nation of St Kitts and Nevis, is now a partner in WeirFoulds, a Toronto law firm located in Bay Street. He also have the distinction of being one of the few black partners at a major law firm in Canada.
Frank was a 2012 Ryerson Alumni Achievement Award recipient. In the video below he shares his thoughts on his achievements.
Frank Walwyn has been named one of Canada's top lawyers in the area of corporate and commercial litigation by The Best Lawyers in Canada. He serves as counsel on high-stakes and complex litigation matters in Canada and the Caribbean, and has been involved in many cases that have led to important or precedent-setting judgments in constitutional rights and freedoms.
An active member of several legal or community boards and initiatives, he is the past president of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, and a member of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee for the Ontario Provincial Court. A sought-after speaker in Canada and the Caribbean, he is also frequently quoted in the legal press and general media.
Moses Jameson
Moses is a Jamaican and loves Reggae Music. He loves sharing his experiences about the Caribbean Culture.
Sentenced to Death, Linda Carty From St Kitts and Nevis Says She is INNOCENT
"It is everybody's worst nightmare to be executed for a crime that they did not commit" says Linda…
Meet Wilmot, The Shepherd from Saint Kitts and Nevis
St Kitts and Nevis is one of the smallest countries in the Caribbean but that doesn't mean that…
An Interview with Hashim Ruan "My Limit Is Not the 68 Square Miles of St Kitts"
Where in St Kitts and Nevis are you from? I was born in the JNF hospital, in the…
byMyCaribbeanScoop
At 14 Her Life Had Just Begun But Was Taken, No Time to Find Her Place in The Caribbean Sun
It is difficult to know what to say when someone is murdered, but it is even more difficult…


His and Her Time, Adventure Time was established with the aim of taking people all over South Australia, Australia and the world to participate in team events, running events, hikes and marathons. His and Her Time, Adventure Time's goal is to turn participants' goals into reality.
Participate with His and Her Time in the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon and have the TIME OF YOUR LIFE!
By travelling with His and Her Time you will be travelling with the marathon experts, who will provide you with personalised service and expert advice.
Tickets are only available for purchase as part of a "travel package". The "travel packages" available include pre-booked accommodation, tours and special events. Travel Packages offered are detailed below.
1. Prices quoted are in $AUD, based on the present official AUD/USD Exchange Rate of 0.7569. Sums payable, or sums outstanding at some time in the future, will be adjusted in accordance with the Official Exchange Rate published at that time. On committing to purchase a "package", or "packages" as described above, you acknowledge that you are aware that the price/s may change with variations of the Exchange Rate and that you agree to pay outstanding sums (if any) accordingly.
Fully Escorted by His and Her Time over the Marathon period.
Meet and Greet Event Thursday Evening, including dinner (drinks not included)– let's get to know each other.
SUMS SHOWN BELOW INCLUDE ALL THE ABOVE AND ACCOMMODATION AS DETAILED AT THE BEACON HOTEL, OR EQUIVALENT.
Cost to sole Runner: $5259.
Comes with two Double Beds, private Bathroom.
Max. Occupancy: 2 Adults & 2 Children (u/12y.o.) (Children free sharing bedding provided).
One Bedroom with King Bed; Living Room with pull-out Sofa Bed; Kitchenette; private Bathroom.
One Bedroom with Two Double Beds; Living Room with pull-out Sofa Bed; Kitchenette; Private Bathroom.
Two Bedrooms, one with King Bed; second Bedroom with Two Double Beds; Living Room with pull-out Sofa Bed; fully equipped S/S Kitchen; Two Private Bathrooms.
To secure your Guaranteed Entry into the TCS New York City Marathon, return the Booking Form, which will be provided on receipt of $1100 deposit ($600 payable by Non-Runners). Full balance is required, on, or before, Friday 2nd March 2018. (Payments can be made in instalments, if more convenient).
Once lodged, all payments are non-refundable and non-transferrable. This condition applies to all circumstances, including to, but not limited to, the cancellation of the event, or to your cancellation. It is recommended that travel insurance be arranged immediately after making the booking.
Entry to the TCS New York City Marathon is available only by way of purchasing a travel package. Entry only, is not available.
Travellers to the US require an ETSA Visa, which can be applied for online. Your passport must be valid for a period of at least of six months, calculated from the date of departure from the USA.
Your Itinerary and Final Instructions will be issued approximately 3 weeks prior to your departure.
An amendment/change to a confirmed booking will incur a fee of $55 per change, plus fees levied by other suppliers.
Prices are subject to change, due to currency fluctuations, operator hotel charges or services by suppliers.
Flights – A group booking has been made for Saturday 27th October 2018. If of interest, please enquire directly by email (refer below).
Healthy Habit Challenges throughout 2018 to get you ready physically and mentally for the marathon.
The TCS New York City Marathon course runs through the five boroughs of New York City and is 42.16 kilometres long (26.2 miles).
As an official International Travel Partner for the TCS New York City Marathon, when you purchase a package with His and Her Time, Adventure Time you are not required to run a qualifying time however, you must be at least 18 years old to be eligible to compete.
The first wave starts at 9.50am. The last wave (4) starts at 11am.
Transfers to the race start are operated by New York Road Runners (NYRR). These services are for RUNNERS only. Location of the departure transfer is expected to be from Midtown Manhattan (New York Public Library, Fifth Ave at 42nd Street).
All runners must attend the TCS New York City Marathon Health and Wellness Expo on the Thursday, Friday or Saturday prior to the Marathon to pick up their race numbers in person. Another person is not allowed to pick up your race pack on your behalf. The expo will be held at Jacob Javits Convention Centre located at Halls 3B and 3E, 11th Avenue at West 35th Street, Manhattan.
Showcasing the diversity of the race, the TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony is a spectacular parade at the start of the TCS New York City Marathon weekend. The festivities which are free and open to everyone celebrates all the runners from around the world and includes a firework display.
The day before the TCS New York City Marathon, the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K sees more than 10,000 runner's line-up at 8:30am outside the United Nations to race through Midtown Manhattan.
Bookings to be made with His and Her Time.


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Fiona and Kara take on The Great York Walk 2021!
Getting some exercise and fundraising for mental health research and initiatives
pledged of £100
By Fiona & Kara Jackson/Potts
This project received pledges on Sat 31 Jul 2021
After a year of sitting about at home, we wanted an incentive to get off the sofa and get some exercise. This walking challenge lets us do both while raising money to benefit someone else - and makes sure we act on our good intentions after the first week has passed!
We're aiming to cover 350 miles between us during 10th May and 31st July to contribute to the The Great York Walk, a challenge walking event which raises funds for Mentally Fit York at the University of York.
THE GREAT YORK WALK'S Goal
Mental ill-health doesn't discriminate and right now, mental health has never been more important as the social implications of coronavirus begin to unravel. So together with loads of other people - some with a connection to York, some with no connection - we're going to contribute to a 25,000 mile walking goal. That's the equivalent of a walk around the Earth!
Please donate anything you can to help improve mental health in York and beyond! :)
about mentally fit york
Our walk will be in aid of Mentally Fit York, which will promote good mental health on a local, national and international scale. Your support will be used to fund initiatives such as 24/7 mental health support for York students and research projects to further our understanding of mental health issues and the barriers to accessing support services.
Your support may also go towards providing suicide prevention training, Mental Health Nursing Scholarships or it could contribute to a range of other initiatives which are decided by an expert panel of mental health and wellbeing researchers, practitioners and advocates. Find out more about what Mentally Fit York has supported here.


On this occasion the lack of blogging has been down to holidays (where the only gig seen was Paul McCartney bizarrely enough) rather than laziness. Will try to get down to some more soon.
In the meantime a blog from a friend, blogging away in a pub in Devon. It's a tough job etc..


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The other night I went for a walk to look at the cherry blossoms right before they peaked. I like to go once slightly before when there are still some buds, when they are peaked, and then just past peak when the petals have begun to fall. The cherry blossoms are undeniably one of the most beautiful parts of DC, although the crowds they attract are not my favorite!


text:
Asia Pacific|A Miniature World Magnifies Dwarf Life
Asia Pacific | Kunming Journal
A Miniature World Magnifies Dwarf Life
By SHARON LaFRANIERE MARCH 3, 2010
Employees at Kingdom of the Little People, a theme park in Kunming, China. Credit Shiho Fukada for The New York Times
KUNMING, China — Chen Mingjing's entrepreneurial instincts vaulted him from a peasant upbringing to undreamed-of wealth, acquired in ventures ranging from making electric meters to investing in real estate. But when he was 44, the allure of making money for money's sake began to wane. He wanted to run a business that accomplished some good.
And so last September, Mr. Chen did what any socially aware entrepreneur might do: He opened a theme park of dwarfs, charging tourists about $9 a head to watch dozens of dwarfs in pink tutus perform a slapstick version of "Swan Lake" along with other skits.
Mr. Chen has big plans for his Kingdom of the Little People. Imagine a $115 million universe in miniature, set amid 13,000 acres of rolling hills and peaceful lakes in southern China's Yunnan Province, with tiny dogs, tiny fruit trees, a 230-foot-high performance hall that looks like the stump of a prehistoric tree and standard-size guest cabins.
Also, a black BMW modified to resemble a flying saucer, from which dwarfs will spill forth to begin their performances.
"It will be like a fairy tale," Mr. Chen said. "Everything here I have designed myself."
The site is far from complete. So far, it mainly consists of the tree, 33 Dr. Seuss-style cottages with crooked chimneys where kingdom residents pretend to live and specially equipped dormitories where they actually reside. But it is already drawing its share of detractors.
Critics say displaying dwarfs is at best misguided and at worst immoral, a throwback to times when freak shows pandered to people's morbid curiosity.
"Are they just going there to look at curious objects?" asked Yu Haibo, who leads a volunteer organization for the disabled in Jilin Province in the northeast.
"I think it is horrible," said Gary Arnold, the spokesman for Little People of America Inc., a dwarfism support group based in California. "What is the difference between it and a zoo?" Even the term "dwarf" is offensive to some; his organization prefers "person of short stature."
Jean Van Wetter, the China director for Handicap International, a London-based nonprofit organization that helps the disabled, argues that integration diminishes prejudice; isolation reinforces it. "This is the kind of thing you see in China," he said.
But there is another view, and Mr. Chen and some of his short-statured workers present it forcefully. One hundred permanently employed dwarfs, they contend, is better than 100 dwarfs scrounging for odd jobs. They insist that the audiences who see the dwarfs sing, dance and perform comic routines leave impressed by their skills and courage.
Many performers said they enjoyed being part of a community where everyone shares the same challenges, like the height of a sink. "Before, when we were at home, we didn't know anyone our size. When we hang out together with normal-size people, we can not really do the same things," said Wu Zhihong, 20. "So I really felt lonely sometimes."
Mr. Chen asserts he has won support from no less than the United Nations World Peace Foundation. He displays a certificate designating his company, Yunnan Jiucai Yundie Biotech Ltd., as the "Charity Base Camp" for Kunming, the nearest city.
Supporters and critics agree on one point: the fact that the park is awash in job applications shows the disturbing dearth of opportunities for the disabled in China. Cao Yu, Mr. Chen's assistant, says she receives three or four job inquiries a week.
The park has 100 employees, who live and unwind in specially equipped dormitories. Credit The New York Times
"Under the current social situation in China, they really will not be able to find a better employment situation," she said.
The notion that people with disabilities should be mainstreamed into education and ordinary jobs is still new in China, which is home to an estimated 83 million people with disabilities. The disabled seem strangely absent from the streets of Beijing or Shanghai.
Better than two in five disabled adults in China are illiterate, according to a 2006 survey by the China Disabled Persons' Federation, a government agency. The average salary of a disabled worker is less than half that of a non-disabled worker. Only one-third of disabled people who need rehabilitation services have access to them, the survey found.
Professionals trained to aid the disabled are desperately scarce: Europe has 185 times as many physiotherapists per person as China, according to a 2008 study by Renmin University in Beijing.
Still, some indicators are improving. The number of disabled people receiving low-income benefits jumped to more than seven million in 2008 from fewer than four million in 2005.
Nearly three in four children with disabilities attended school in 2008, compared with about three in five just two years earlier. The number of disabled students in universities and technical colleges in 2008 increased by 50 percent over 2006. Still, they amounted to a mere handful, just one out of every 5,000 students.
"There is a clear instruction from the government to do more," said Mr. Van Wetter of Handicap International. "The problem is implementation."
Mr. Chen said his employees had gained self-respect and self-sufficiency. "It doesn't really matter to me what other people say," he said. "The question is whether meeting me has changed their lives."
Ms. Wu said it had. Nicknamed Itty Bitty, she is just 3 feet, 9 inches tall. Before Mr. Chen hired her, she developed photos and worked as a telephone operator, jobs she said deliberately kept her out of public view.
Now, she said, she sometimes see spectators tear up during the performances. If they laugh, she said, it is because the routine is funny, not out of ridicule.
One theme of the show is the need to overcome hardships — a lesson Mr. Chen says he believes is too often forgotten as Chinese families grow richer. And there is the Swan Lake parody, a crowd pleaser in which male dwarfs dress up in pink tights and tutus and wiggle their derrières.
"The first time I wore that, I felt really awkward," said Chen Ruan, 20, who used to collect refuse with his parents. "But then I got up on stage and people liked it. People were applauding and I felt proud."
The park, 40 minutes by car from Kunming, is not yet profitable. One recent chilly afternoon, only a few dozen spectators showed up. Performers hope for bigger crowds.
"At first I thought it was surreal," Zhang Furong, 38, a lead actor. "But the strongest emotion I felt was here, we are among equals."
Xiyun Yang and Li Bibo contributed research.
A version of this article appears in print on March 4, 2010, on Page A10 of the New York edition with the headline: A Miniature World Magnifies Dwarf Life. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
Fairy-Tale Land MARCH 4, 2010


The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers has long nurtured and promoted independent cinema in Calgary and its flagship $100 Film Festival can claim the title of being the longest-running film festival in town. Entering its 22nd year, the festival continues to provide an exceptional environment for both filmmakers and film lovers alike to appreciate the art and craft of experimental movie making.
Originally started in 1992, the $100 aspect of the name came from the average price of four rolls of Super 8 film and all movies that were submitted into the festival were required to be shot on these four rolls. Since then, the festival has expanded so that the only requirement for submission is for the movie to be shot and presented on either Super 8 or 16mm film.
CSIF's festival programming director, Nicola Waugh, now in her second year with the organization, offers an insightful approach to these changing dynamics.
One crazy portion of the festival is the Film/Music Explosion! program. Started in 2003, the program calls for a local filmmaker to make a short film based off a song from a local band, during a certain night of the festival the band will play a short set at the theatre before their inspired film plays. This year, the local bands and filmmakers will include: Go For The Eyes/Alex Mitchell, Burro/Neal Moignard and Mark Mills/Cameron McGowan.
The emphasis isn't just on the Calgary community. The festival collects entries from all over the world and from various backgrounds.
This year, CSIF is bringing in world-renowned filmmaker, Louise Bourque, who will be giving a workshop at Emmedia on March 8, as well as hosting an artist talk on various experimental techniques, such as multiple exposure and optical printing. It will take place at the Stanford Perrott Lecture Theatre at ACAD on March 13, completely free to the public. Several of Bourque's notable films are also included in this year's festival lineup.
Another dedicated filmmaker involved in the festivities this year is Newfoundlander Joe Kelly. Kelly migrated to Calgary in the early '90s and quickly journeyed through the halls of Emmedia, Quickdraw Animation Society and CSIF before submitting his first film in the $100 film festival in the late '90s. Kelly's film this year is called MSG (named after the tasty stuff they put in food) and utilizes camera-less animation, as Kelly explains.
This form of experimentation and the festivals that accompany them do come with various strains when it comes to appealing to the average Bob coming off the street.
"I think it's really difficult for people to sit down and watch [an experimental film] and understand that there is no plot arc, there is no climax, there are no characters. These are moving images and you need to just sit with it. It's approaching film from a fine arts perspective," says Waugh.
CSIF's $100 Film Festival runs March 6-8 at The Globe Cinema. MSG screens Saturday March 8. More info and festival schedule available at 100dollarfilmfestival.org.


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	}).validator(),
	run({ followUserId }) {
		if (!this.userId) {
			throw new Meteor.Error('Necesita iniciar sesión para realizar esta operación.');
		}

		if (this.userId === followUserId) {
			throw new Meteor.Error('Solo puedes seguir a usuarios distintos al tuyo.');
		}

		const userFollowsObj = UserFollows.findOne({
			owner: this.userId,
			follows: followUserId,
		});

		const isAlreadyFollowing = userFollowsObj !== undefined;

		if (isAlreadyFollowing === true) {
			throw new Meteor.Error('Ya esta siguiendo a este usuario!');
		}

		if (!userFollowsObj) {
			UserFollows.insert({
				owner: this.userId,
				follows: followUserId,
			}, (error) => {
				if (error) {
					throw new Meteor.Error(unknownError);
				}
			});
		}
	},
});

export const removeFollow = new ValidatedMethod({
	name: 'userFollows.removeFollow',
	validate: new SimpleSchema({
		followUserId: { type: String },
	}).validator(),
	run({ followUserId }) {
		 if (!this.userId) {
			throw new Meteor.Error('Necesita iniciar sesión para realizar esta operación.');
		}

		if (this.userId === followUserId) {
			throw new Meteor.Error('Solo puedes dejar de seguir a usuarios distintos al tuyo.');
		}

		const userFollowsObj = UserFollows.findOne({
			owner: this.userId,
			follows: followUserId,
		});

		if (!userFollowsObj) {
			throw new Meteor.Error('Usuario no encontrado');
		}

		UserFollows.remove(userFollowsObj._id);
	},
});


How to Study in New Zealand?
The excellent universities of Auckland and Dunedin welcome foreign students. But the organization of such a stay requires an excellent organization on site. We have prepared the ground for you.


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Corporate Decentralization
The trend all over seems to be decentralization of the corporation. This is certainly true of software development here in the US, where more and more of the work is farmed out to lower cost workers in India, China, Russia, or just about anywhere else. But offshoring is just one particular aspect of a general decentralization. Institutions are attempting to become leaner, faster, more responsive. They use technology to farm traditionally internal functions out to external consultants, and they use technology to dissolve the internal hierarchy. The elimination of middle management and bureaucracy in general has called for new tools to support the organization. Traditional ERP and CRM systems fall flat here. Those tools were mostly made to support the old processes, they never enabled the major changes that technology reallyrepresents.
A new set of tools is needed. One that allows for fluid communication between any members of the organization, not only communications along the lines of traditional power hierarchy. The tools have to be able to cross organization boundaries and extend to outside consultants, customers, service providers, partners, and sometimes even competitors. The corporate world has a great model to look at in determining the possible avenues of progress here. The open source community has organized huge groups of people to collaborate on projects, frequently with what seems like no organizational overseeing at all. This community hasproduced, among other things, the most popular web server in use on the Internet today. It's a process which definitely works, and I think a deeper understanding of why it works would benefit current executives immensely. Many business people look at open source as an anomaly. They see a group of radicals who don't really hold any relation to "the real world". But an understanding of the open source motivation actually leads to a further argument in favor of decentralization.
There is a misconception held by those outside the open source community that the major motivations of programmers working on these projects are pride, humanitarian interests, social interaction, or a number of other marginal feelings. Throw out that misconception. The major motivation is the direct need of the programmer for quality software. There might be professional need for a good embedded system on which to build, need for a good image manipulation program, need for a desktop which can present text in Arabic, or any other of a number of requirements. But the major motivation for the group taken as a whole is the production of software that they can use. It's the free market effect at work, something that every business person should be able to realize once they see it. It doesn't matter that traditional learning says that corporations should be able to build better software, cause that's not the way that it has been working. That traditional learning needs to be thrown out, cause there's an error in there.
If this could be done for the software production business, I think it's possible for other industries as well. Maybe even inevitable. I think we'll eventually find that a dispersed group of highly involved and highly motivated people, loosely connected, can be applied to any number of problems which traditional thinking says are best served by a highly structured organization. As this realization starts to work it's way into other industries, I think the tools currently supporting open source programmers will migrate out with it. Corporate intranets will start to look more like community special interest sites like rootprompt.org, mozillazine.org, kernelnotes.org, or handhelds.org. Personal status updates will look more like blogs. There's excellent information about one possible configuration of Internet collaboration technology used in helping to realize the corporate goal of decentralization. I've been looking very hard at applying blogs and similar technology to the issues also. I expect there will probably be a number of updates here revolving around that issue. If you have an idea you're thinking about applying within your organization, and you're looking for help getting it running, contact us. We're always on the lookout for groundbreaking solutions to participate in.


A specialist team of officers has been set up to crackdown on motorcycle disorder - and they've already arrested 26 people in just two months.
Officers across the Force receive complaints every single day about persistent and nuisance motorcycle riding that makes their lives hell.
Investigations have found that a large number of the motorcycles involved are actually stolen and linked to other types of criminal behaviour.
A number of different tactics have been used to reduce the problem and put those responsible for the anti-social behaviour before the courts.
But now a special task force has been set up to bring an end to motorcycle disorder in some of the most badly affected areas.
In the eight weeks since their formation they have already seen a significant fall in reports - and 26 people have also been arrested.
Detective Inspector Mal Stratton, who oversees the work of the team, said the task force has been set up in response to community concerns.
He said: "One of the biggest complaints we get from our local communities is for anti-social behaviour involving motorcycles.
"They can be noisy, intimidating and are often ridden in a dangerous and aggressive manner. This can ruin the lives of those who live in an area where this is a problem.
"Often these 125cc-type motorcycles have been stolen and are linked to other types of criminal activity that has a negative impact on the local community.
"We know that this is not something that is happening in one specific area and requires action across the board to support effected residents.
"That is why we have set up a dedicated task-force and the work they have been doing is already beginning to have an impact.
"However, their success can only continue with the support of the public as you are the eyes and ears where you live.
"We want you to report issues with motorcycle disorder directly to this team. If it safe to do so then take pictures, take videos and send it to our detectives so we can help make your community a better place to live."
Detective Inspector Stratton hopes that their good work can continue and said it is not as simple as just pursuing those riding illegally.
He said: "Those involved in this type of disorder are not just bored teenagers. Often the bikes are stolen and the riders are involved in serious criminality.
"Our officers are not always able to pursue these offenders as they are being driven in heavily residential areas where it would not be safe for us to stop them.
"However, there are a number of different tactics we have been using to identify who they are and a number of people have already been put before the courts.
"If you know anyone who has stolen a motorcycle or is riding in an anti-social manner then we need you to do the right thing and inform the police."
The team have seized dozens of motorcycles linked to crime and disorder while 16 people have already been charged with in excess of 26 offences.


Niantic officially introduced the first Legendary Pokémon to Pokémon Go a month ago with special raid battles at gyms, and today the game maker shared plans for the next wave of Legendary Pokémon.
The next three Legendary Pokémon will move to new locations on September 30, then make one last jump on October 31 giving players a chance to catch all three without traveling the globe.
Niantic is also renaming Exclusive Raid Battles as EX Raid Battles and kicking off a new field-testing phase for these invite-based group gym battles.
The first EX Raid Passes will be sent out soon, and those invited will have an opportunity to try out the new system as early as September 6.
Pokémon Go players should also expect Mewtwo to debut sometime soon through the new EX Raid Battles following Niantic's announcement a couple weeks back as well.


Yo! What's the haps?: Always read the fine print.
I went to the movies on Saturday to see Reign Over Me... but it was totally sold out! So then we decided to watch Zodiac instead, because it only started about 15 mins after. I was totally down with seeing Zodiac, cause I thought it looked pretty okay.
The movie started at 10:05. So I'm sitting there, watching the movie and really enjoying it... but then I started to think, "Wow, I feel like I've been sitting here for a really long time." The movie didn't seem to be wrapping up any time soon. Finally, at 12:50am it ended.
I seriously had NO IDEA that it was 3 hours long. Hence why you should always read the fine print.


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Looking to save some cash on the new Samsung Galaxy S5? Then you're in luck if you've been wanting it on Verizon. Head to Amazon where you'll be able to save over $100 off the on-contract price. Verizon offers the Galaxy S5 for $199 with a contract, while Amazon is has the same device for just $99. But you'll have to wait for it — details after the break.


"We are confident VANOC and its partners will deliver unique and inspiring Games next February." This was the message from IOC Coordination Commission Chairman René Fasel during his presentation to the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen today. Presenting to the Session for the last time before it convenes in Vancouver ahead of the Games, which will begin on 12 February 2010, Fasel was joined by John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver 2010 Organising Committee (VANOC), as they both updated the IOC membership on Vancouver's progress.
On 19 February 2009, Vancouver officially completed its sports venue programme, with the completion of the last competition venue – the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre, which will host curling at Games time. Since then, the last two training venues have recently been opened, and the non-competition venues, such as the Olympic Villages and Main Media Centre, are well on their way to being ready for the Games. All these facilities and upgrades have been planned to leave a lasting legacy to the communities where they are situated. The competition venues have also been fully tested, as VANOC has conducted operational testing in the venues at 17 sports events (international competitions, such as World Cups or World Championships) over the last year.
Public interest is high around the Vancouver Games, with ticket sales seeing high levels of demand within Canada and abroad. The final phase of ticket sales in Canada will be launched in autumn 2009. This interest is also increasing, as the start of the Olympic Torch Relay draws closer. The Olympic flame will be lit in Olympia on 22 October 2009 and will arrive on Canadian soil on 30 October, where it will begin its 106-day tour across Canada.
VANOC has also instituted a comprehensive education programme - /EDU – which gives students across Canada the opportunity to learn about the Olympic and Paralympic values, as well as to discover the 2010 Winter Games. This educational legacy will be joined by many other sustainable legacies, which will range from new community recreational facilities to affordable housing to increased sports participation.


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Freeport Rep. Andrew Chesney On The New FOID Bill
Riley O'Neil Published: June 18, 2021
89th District State Representative Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) is not a fan of the Illinois Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card at all, and the latest incarnation of the FOID card hasn't changed his mind one bit.
The FOID card, for those who don't know, is something an Illinois resident who wishes to own a firearm, buy a firearm, or purchase firearm ammunition must have. The FOID card is separate from the Illinois CCL (Concealed Carry License), which Illinois residents must have in order to carry a weapon concealed on their person.
Earlier in the year, Representative Chesney introduced House Bill 1770 (HB1770), which would have repealed the Illinois FOID Card Act. However, Mr. Chesney's bill was never allowed an opportunity to be voted on by the House Rules Committee during the regular Spring session of the Illinois General Assembly.
Instead, House Bill 562 (HB562) took the place of HB1770, and was passed by the Illinois House this week by a vote of 75-40.
Representative Chesney was kind enough to take a few minutes out of his day to join the WROK Morning Show on Friday morning, and I asked him about the transformation of his original idea of getting rid of the FOID card into the new form that was voted on this week and awaits Governor Pritzker's signature.
Representative Chesney:
I filed legislation to fix the FOID problems by eliminating the unconstitutional FOID system. Instead, gun-grabbing politicians are doubling down on bloated bureaucracies that serve no one well-- especially the unprecedented number of innocent Chicago residents hunted down by freed felons in gun-free zones.
According to the language of HB562, the changes being made to the FOID card would incentivize FOID card applicants to voluntarily submit fingerprints to Illinois State Police by offering automatic card renewals when they go through a firearm purchase background check. It would also make electronic copies of FOID cards and concealed carry licenses available, making it easier for lawful gun owners to always carry their license.
Other changes include having the Illinois State Police keep track of state and federal crime databases and then compare them with FOID and concealed carry license holders to start the revocation process. The Illinois State Police will also have to set up a stolen firearm database so officials can compare them to gun transfer records.
Here's more on the FOID card changes, and an update on the Puppy Mills legislation that Representative Chesney introduced earlier in the year:
How Many in America: From Guns to Ghost Towns
Can you take a guess as to how many public schools are in the U.S.? Do you have any clue as to how many billionaires might be residing there? Read on to find out—and learn a thing or two about each of these selection's cultural significance and legacy along the way.
Filed Under: 89th District, Andrew Chesney, changes, FOID, FOID card, freeport, illinois, illinois house, rockford, State Representative
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