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Professional cycling's viewership has consistently declined over the past 20 years, even though the sport has retained its traditional fanbase in Western Europe. Whilst there are regular reports of increased audience numbers for prestige events, particularly the Tour de France, there is little evidence that the global rise in cycling participation has been matched with meaningful engagement with the professional sport, especially beyond its most well-known races. Several high profile event organisers have complained of the poor value of television broadcast rights and cited the parallel challenge of maintaining in-person attendance at bike races as a major challenge for growth. In the women's side of the sport, these problems are even more pronounced despite a general uptick in the fanbase from an extremely small base at the start of the 21st century. This trend highlights one of the sport's key strategic weaknesses: cycling has simply not done enough to become more understandable, exciting and accessible to a wider and younger fan base.
Where the sport has been successful in growing its audience, it has failed to document that success. As a result of the extremely fractured organisation and governance of professional cycling (discussed above and below), there is a lack of reliable data on which to judge performance in terms of audience growth. The information poverty even amongst the most senior stakeholders in the sport was cited in numerous interviews for this research as a significant problem. But taken as a whole, the below changes to the structure, focus and marketing of professional cycling could start to revitalise the sport, positioning it as a leader in forging strong links between fans, participants and the racing community. As we discuss in this section, by increasing the entertainment value of broadcast content, presenting this content in newer and more compelling ways, more strongly promoting diversity in racing and creating real-life opportunities for access and participation, we can enhance the chance for growth in the global popularity of cycling.
Numerous examples pepper sports business literature as to the organic growth in popularity of team sports. The obvious example of soccer set aside, volleyball, basketball, cricket, baseball, and field hockey are among the most recognisable team sports played globally; each grew out of a regional version of the sport originating in a nation and spreading to the rest of the world. In many cases, a sport's popularity in a satellite region can overshadow the region in which the sport was first incorporated, which is true of cricket (developed in England, but most popular in the Indian subcontinent). Each of these sports offers lessons from which cycling can learn when seeking to develop a more exciting and easy-to-understand offering. Throughout the research conducted for this work, there was a near universal acceptance that the sport had failed to capitalise on its potential in this regard. Teams, event organisers, governors and sponsors have all experimented with better models for fan engagement, some of which have been successful. But many interviewees agreed a more holistic, systematic and global approach was needed, aligning those stakeholders around one plan for growth. Fundamentally, the sport must refocus on an audience-first strategy, judging its success by how it enhances a fan's connection to cycling. In so doing, each of those stakeholders could capitalise on the above structural reforms to build more and more reliable revenue streams based on monetising that engagement.
Professional cycling's viewership has consistently declined over the past 20 years, even though the sport has retained its traditional fanbase in Western Europe. Whilst there are regular reports of increased audience numbers for prestige events, particularly the Tour de France, there is little evidence that the global rise in cycling participation has been matched with meaningful engagement with the professional sport, especially beyond its most well-known races. Several high profile event organisers have complained of the poor value of television broadcast rights and cited the parallel challenge of maintaining in-person attendance at bike races as a major challenge for growth. In the women's side of the sport, these problems are even more pronounced despite a general uptick in the fanbase from an extremely small base at the start of the 21st century. This trend highlights one of the sport's key strategic weaknesses: cycling has simply not done enough to become more understandable, exciting and accessible to a wider and younger fan base.
The Viewers at a glance
Outside of the Tour de France, professional cycling does not draw many fans to their TV sets or the roadside. Media revenues for other 'prestige' races, such as the Critérium du Dauphiné or Paris-Nice, are limited - to sell media rights to these races, the rights owner often bundles them in with the rights to broadcast the Tour de France, thereby ensuring that they make the airwaves. In the US, the Tour averages a Nielsen Rating of 0.3 to 0.5 - meaning only +/-300,000 tune in to the race each day. The highest daily Nielsen ratings in the US were 1.2, at the height of the Lance Armstrong years - about the same rating expected of a weekday afternoon baseball game. US-based TV executives tend to view any race before July as a warm-up for the Tour, and post-July races as second chances for riders who failed to impress during the big event - while this may be an exaggerated characterisation of their views, the Tour does hold an outsized importance for broadcasters, often at the expense of smaller races.
The Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO), owners of the Tour, claims that 10-15 million people see the Tour in person every year, roughly 500,000 to 700,000 per stage. Belgian media researcher Prof. Daam van Reeth puts the per-stage TV viewership of the Tour between 20-30 million, and from these numbers we can infer that around 98% exposed to the Tour de France each year do so through TV coverage. A complicating factor in these calculations is the availability, or lack thereof, of the Tour on TV outside of its traditional heartlands. Free- to-air broadcasters cover the Tour in Europe, but fans in the US have had to negotiate hard-to-access programming on niche channels, and the demise of the much-bemoaned online race-streaming channel Cycling. TV has further contributed to this. In light of Eurosport's 26% increase in Grand Tour viewership in 2017, the question remains as to what the state of cycling viewership in the States would be if the market was served by a high quality, reliable broadcaster. The former Coors Classic race organiser, Michael Aisner - who experienced notable success in broadcasting his race in the 80s - stresses the importance of human interest stories and behind the scenes footage in interesting US-based fans.
Just as teams could do more to promote the most appealing characters in the sport, so too can those involved in the broader presentation of professional cycling. There are countless examples of compelling storytelling throughout the history of cycling. But the combination of under-resourced and funded media organisations, overly-managed athletes incentivised to prioritise performance over engagement and a generally sluggish response to the challenges of new content platforms and formats has seen much of that storytelling disappear. Save for noteworthy innovations in podcasting, prestige publishing and a handful of YouTube content creators, the media around professional cycling does little to promote the sport.
The reform of that promotion must therefore be based in better broadcasting the personalities and characters in the sport, creating and reporting more habitually on the "human interest" stories of racing. It should seek narratives across a season, building an entire entertainment package around the sport and its stars with an ambition for cycling to break beyond its traditional confines. The collective ambition should be for cycling's biggest riders to transcend the sport, engaging new fans on new platforms, and media and athletes should seek to forge season-long partnerships to achieve this. Organisers, teams and brands should work to build the media around major events and races themselves, recognising the power to self-publish allotted by digital innovations and prioritising mobile content. Ultimately, it should be possible to be a fan of the sport on any platform and at any time - before, during and after events, during the on and off-season. Cycling should further seek paths to broader cultural relevance, including partnerships with non-traditional entertainment formats such as E-sports and gamified training platforms, both of which can already be seen around the fringes of the professional peloton. Finally, in seeking greater diversity in media offerings, organisers/ license holders should operate on the principle of a more relaxed usage rights model, sowing the seeds of a more profitable product by subsidising the creation of digital content that caters to modern viewing habits. Under such a system, highlights and short, pre-approved clips of race footage could be made available with free-usage rights with a requirement to credit or link to the event or teams main channels. Riders themselves should create more content to build the value of their personal brands and reforms at team and broadcast level should be based on monetising that content. A fundamental refocus on the marketing of professional cycling should see a major commitment across the sport to creating far more engaging media content.
Enhance the coverage
It's not just live racing itself that needs to be more exciting. Much of the coverage of professional cycling has proven not to be very interesting or inspiring. Whilst there are instances of compelling content in live coverage, and a clear appetite to innovate as emerged from interviews for this research, live cycling media as a whole lags behind most other major sports in the 21st century. Beyond traditional television broadcast coverage and some basic internet streaming services in established cycling markets, live presentation of the sport is often prohibitively difficult to find. Where coverage can be easily accessed, it remains overly traditional in its format and styles. As a result, there is an overall failure to reap the potential value of the media and access rights around the live sport and opportunities for more sophisticated monetisation of content are not being exploited.
Television remains how about 98% of fans watch cycling and yet despite the popularity of the Tour de France and certain other events, overall cycling TV ratings have been going down. Many stages in multi-day races are four or five hours long, often with little drama until the last few kilometres and the sheer length of the broadcast, with relatively little intrigue for the vast majority of it, is regularly cited by fans as a disincentive to watch. Hence, we suggest that the sport refocus one of its greatest untapped assets to revitalise race broadcasting – the personalities and experiences of its riders. An emotional connection to the individual athletes could better capture the imagination of viewers, particularly casual ones, helping them to identify with the sport's personalities and encouraging a deeper interest in the sport. At the same time, it could help to create sporting celebrities that transcend cycling, finding new audiences and offering riders new sources of income. Television has thus far largely failed to bring the personalities of cycling to the viewer. By and large, there are very few human interest stories produced in television coverage of cycling. Opportunities are frequently missed during incidents, for example the Chris Froome vs. Bradley Wiggins controversy in 2012's Tour de France; or emotionally charged episodes like Alberto Contador's recovery from a broken kneecap to win the Vuelta a Espanã in 2014; reality segments which follow the experiences of several first-time Grand Tour riders over the course of the Tour; or similar stories from inside women's professional cycling.
The most compelling moments of cycling's biggest events, when the sport is covered more widely by the non-cycling press, often give rise to human interest stories that are carried by character rather than performance. Punishing defeats or moments of triumph, shock results or flared tempers, should be times when the sport capitalises on its wider exposure. But too often these opportunities are managed away from media engagement. These moments of more compelling dramatisation of characters within the sport was promoted in the majority of interviews for this work as a key way to connect with more fans. Journalists and broadcasters in the field, as well as athletes and organisers, regularly reiterated the importance of personality and celebrity in sports promotion and two common themes emerged in conversation. First, non-endemic media has inadvertently created and compounds a narrative around professional cycling that overwhelmingly focuses on rule violations, chiefly the use of performance enhancing drugs. They have not struggled to find stories to maintain that narrative and there is a significant challenge ahead in attempting to break free of that media cycle. Beyond the emergence of particularly impactful athletes, such as Lance Armstrong or Bradley Wiggins, coverage of professional cycling in the mainstream press looks destined to focus on doping unless a major shift in tone within the sport is promoted universally. Second, access for media to riders is already remarkably good compared to most other major sports. Most interviewees involved in covering major events said access to riders for the generation of content was not a problem. Rather, the content gathered once access was granted was so carefully curated it regularly became uncompelling. That second phenomenon makes the first more likely. For as long as athletes and teams fail to tell compelling stories around the sport, the vacuum will be filled with content that already has a proven pull with audiences; allegations around specific and general use of drugs to improve rider performance. The sport must reckon with that reality, and work to create a more exciting media package to shift focus back to the character of professional cycling.
There are many new and existing technologies that can be better exploited to make televised racing more exciting and much can be learned from digital innovations pursued by other major sports. In the world of motorsports, NASCAR has done a commendable job of incorporating in-car cameras, pit cameras, audio feeds, and car data to paint a dynamic view of the action for fans. At any given moment, the broadcaster can switch between multiple views inside the action as it happens, overlain on a backdrop of the current race standings for each driver. More importantly, this view is consistent in every televised race, with no variations of the data or its display from race to race. In professional cycling, aspects of these innovations, including biometrics, have been incorporated in some race broadcasts but not in a consistent way. Each race organiser's production team has the leeway to build its own version of a sports entertainment show, making it difficult to stage a consistent experience for the fans. On-board cameras, power meters, physiological monitors and GPS tracking units to follow individual athletes during the race are widely used in other sports, but cycling has not uniformly integrated these existing technologies to present viewers with a compelling "racer's point-of-view" experience.
The recent efforts by both Velon and ASO to deliver on-bike video streams should be celebrated, but only demonstrate how far behind the sport really is. None of these approaches are new; on-board digital cameras have been used around races since the start of the 21st century, and Computer Sciences Corporation developed a true GPS tracking service for the 2007 Tour of California. There were similar technological opportunities made available during European races at a similar time, but these were not - and have not been - exploited to a great enough extent. No consistent version of enhanced and integrated live content has been presented to television viewers to date. Broadcasters presenting other sports have moved vastly further considerably more quickly. Critically, the sport needs to learn from others in creating a consistent standard for the viewing experience – specifically the kinds of camera shots and the display of enhanced data such as dynamic time splits and performance metrics that other sports, like NASCAR and MotoGP, have already exploited and perfected.
Cycling can better connect with an increasingly diverse, young and digitally-savvy sports entertainment audience by making better use of these kinds of technologies — one which increasingly has less time to watch a full bike race, but which demands more engaging options while viewing the most important content. It is unclear why these steps have not been taken, but it may be partly due to the limited value found in cycling broadcast rights. Event organisers and broadcasters are not incentivised to invest in improving the viewing experience of live bike racing provided the value of the product is low and the cost of improvement high. The fractured racing calendar, the lack of cooperation between event organisers and the dearth of highly-technological skill sets in the sport all contribute to that reality.
NBA and the faces of the sport
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is adept at supplementing coverage of its games with human interest programming. This content takes the form of short segments broadcast during breaks in the game, and longform programmes on NBATV, the league's affiliated channel, all with the aim of retaining fan engagement, build audiences for future broadcasts, and creating a deeper bond between fans and players. According to media researcher John A. Fortunato, the NBA segments its audience on variables that express the fans' level of interest in the sport, as well as traditional demographic variables - the result is a slate of programming that includes the lighthearted and comical Shaqtin' a Fool, airings of classic games for diehard fans, and recap programme NBA Inside Stuff for casual viewers. Since 2016, the NBA has partnered with Twitter to create content specifically designed for integration into Twitter conversations, with timely delivery of highlight and reaction clips. This strategy developed as a way to legitimise and capitalise on behaviour that fans were already exhibiting.
Both Amazon and Netflix have achieved success with sports content, and each are set to invest heavily in both live sports and supporting content for their streaming services. The cult success of cycling-based internet shows such as Beyond the Peloton, focusing on the Cervelo Test Team, and Jeremy Powers' Behind the Barriers highlights the appetite for behind-the-scenes storytelling among cycling fans.
Continue the conversation

subset: commoncrawl


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FriXion Erasable Ink Pens Categories
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After World War II the ballpoint pen started to replace the pencil as the writing instrument for the masses. People were using ink to quickly jot notes, write letters and even draft documents. But alas, any mistake of the handwritten word had to be colored over leaving an unsightly blemish that distracted the reader's eye. Following a decade of research and development failures, in the early 80s the first erasable ink pens reached the marketplace. What made these new ballpoints so different from traditional pens was the ink. Instead of being made from oils and dyes, it was made with a liquid rubber component that had to be slightly pressurized to ensure a continuous flow. A positive consequence that made writing at a wider range of pen angles possible. However, some care has to be taken in protecting the written message (and the pen) from excessive heat that can cause the ink to fade. Thanks for visiting the Pilot Pen website. Please continue to browse and let us know how we can improve your online experience.


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8:05 Late start tonight. Sorry. But had to get the beer out of the freezer. (Miller Lite as the intro beer.)
I'm watching CNN. And what do you know – Callista Speaks!
She introduces the Newtster. He's going to give his speech to his Georgia supporters, which is his must win state next Tuesday. (He's up big in the polls there now, but who knows what will happen if Santorum wins Michigan. right now Mitt is in danger of getting shut out entirely in Georgia.
sidestory – I taught Nelson Polsby's classic work on the How Congress Evolves today in my seminar. Polsby explains how the Republicans rose to prominence in the South – (hint: it had a lot to do with demographic changes, but air conditioning played a role). Polsby bases his argument in part on conversations with Newt Gingrich. When you read Gingrich's comments, you understand perfectly why he does so well in debates: he's pithy, comprehensive and entertaining. (He was also a bit thinner I'm guessing).
But I digress. Meanwhile, back at the speech – what is Newt's point —- who was that laughing? Porky Pig? – Quick! $10,000 what the point of Professor Gingrich's lecture is! It's like listening to one of my lectures….
ah, and here's the point! There's always a point, isn't there? He says the tree felling incident proves that a lot of people like him, even though he's not too smart! He's playing the humble Newt role before his home base. Newt is a lumberjack, and he's ok!
Ok, back to the exit poll data. It looks like Democrats constitute about 10% of the voters – more than the 7% that turned out in 2008, but less than the 17% from 2000. Keep in mind that we wouldn't be talking about Democratic turnout if this wasn't so close – it's a function of Mitt's weakness.
Which reminds me. I can't use Operation Hilarity. It's a stupid title. A free "It's the Fundamentals, Stupid" t-shirt to someone who can come up with the best descriptive phrase for my plan to set up a brokered Republican convention. It needs to be short and imaginative – but accurate too.
By the way, CNN is playing up what a disaster it will be if Romney loses his home state. I disagree, mainly because I think he's already a weak candidate and he's not likely to do well next week no matter what the outcome in Michigan. Again, there's what actually happens tonight, and what the media will say happened tonight. They are not necessarily the same thing.
We should probably mention what Chris noted in the comments: Olympia Snowe, one of the few remaining moderates in the Senate, has announced she is stepping down, in large part because of the increasing polarization in Congress. Remember that Snowe was one of few Republicans to actually engage Obama on both the stimulus and health care bills. Her departure will only widen the gulf between the two parties.
Chris asks about Snowe as a potential V.P. candidate? Back in 2008, heading into the Republican Convention, I predicted that McCain would choose a woman as his vice presidential candidate, and was widely ridiculed for saying so. Did I know he was going to pick Palin? Of course not – I had never heard of her! I had Olympia Snowe or Kay Bailey Hutchison in mind. But Chris – why not Olympia for president coming out of the brokered Republican convention?
Anna Esten says Newt's new "fight" song is one used by Hulk Hogan, of WWE fame. I'm waiting for Newt to rip his shirt off and tell all those Newtomaniacs to eat their vitamins and remember the 1o demandments, brother!
Wolf is going to have a heart attack on CNN as he tries to keep up with the vote totals. Meanwhile, John King's magic wall has been acting up all night.
Keep in mind that the exit numbers that are being bandied about on various sites are not the final ones – they get adjusted based on overall turnout figures. For what it's worth, the number of self-described conservatives who voted is actually higher than in 2008, despite the slight uptick in Democrats.
CNN switched to Ron Paul just as he was haranguing the Fed – great timing. For the life of me, I can't figure out how he gets his supporters to get so revved up when they've heard this speech a gazillon times. At least Newt switched it up tonight and talked about logging. Heck, Ron's supporters are shouting out his lines before he even speaks them.
Note that Paul's recital of the events of the Cuban Missile crisis only tells part of the story. In fact, JFK used carrots (trading the missiles) but he also threatened the stick (the illegal blockade).
Keep in mind that we haven't seen the final exit polls as yet – the results that have been leaked have not yet been adjusted for turnout. so be cautious with these numbers.
We should get Arizona called in a few seconds. Note that as I blogged earlier today we shouldn't be certain that in the end Romney will in fact get all of Arizona's 29 delegates – I'm pretty sure there will be a rules challenge at the convention. for now, however, we put them in Mitt's column.
Jeff Greenfield tweets that while Mitt gets 29 delegates, it won't matter at all if he loses Michigan. That is typical media nonsense. It's about the delegates, not the media spin. Assuming he gets to keep those delegates this is a big win, if not unexpected. The problem the media is having is that they set the bar unrealistically high for Mitt because this is his "home state", and now they are punishing him from not reaching their outlandish expectations. The reality is Mitt is doing as well in Michigan this time around as he did in 2008. This has been the story for Mitt all year long – he pretty much is reprising his 2008 performance, but he hasn't expanded his coalition at all.
Meanwhile, not a lot of talk by the talking heads about what a loss here means for Santorum. He really needs to do well in the rust belt area and Michigan was expected to be one of his better states.
Let me touch on a few of the exit poll numbers in Arizona. Interestingly, Romney wins a third of the Hispanic/Latino vote which was only 8% of the total Arizona vote. Still, that is pretty impressive. Meanwhile, Santorum actually does better among women, winning 31% of their vote, but only 24% of men. So much for his social issues turning women voters off. Once again, as we go up the income ladder, Romney's support increases while Santorum's support decreases. Mitt wins 64% of those earning more than $200,000, but only 34% of those earning less than $30,000 – about the same as Santorum among this income group. So, he gets the Cadillac vote. 35% of Arizona voters are "strong" supporters of the Tea Party – Santorum beats Romney 39%-35%. Again, I see no evidence in Arizona at least that Romney has dispelled any of the weaknesses in his candidacy that we've cited before. No broadening of the coalition. However, if you add in "somewhat" support Tea Party Romney gains support. Similarly, 37% of Arizona vote are evangelicals – Romney loses them as well to Santorum, 38% to 33%. Again, this does not bode well for SuperTuesday for Mitt. biggest support for Mitt? 14% of Arizona vote is Mormon – they go for Mitt with 91% support! More than half of the Arizona electorate decided for whom they would support in January or earlier – in other words, long before Mitt's vulnerabilities were apparent.
When we look at Michigan, we see a similar pattern in exit polls. Mitt's support increases in almost linear fashion as we go up the income ladder. According to exit polls Romney loses the under $100,000 voters, but wins the 33% who earn more than $100,o00 by 12% over Santorum.
(By the way, is it me or does it seem like the CNN pundits have grown subdued now that Mitt is pulling away in Michigan? There's goes the horse race!)
Once again, Santorum doesn't seem to suffer from a gender gap in support in Michigan. It's a reminder that the women's vote turns largely on social welfare issues – not so-called "women's" issues related to contraception, abortion, etc.
Several tweeters have noted the exit polls "discrepancy" which show Santorum winning both strong Tea Party supporters and those who strongly oppose the Tea Party in Michigan. Of course, that likely reflects the Democratic crossover vote.
Eyeballing turnout figures, it doesn't look like an increase over 2008, but that's projecting tonight's total based on preliminary figures.
Santorum easily wins the 39% of self-identified evangelicals in Michigan, beating Mitt in this group 50-35%.
Biggest story of the night so far: Santorum misses the chance to win his best primary state so far. Already the talking heads are blaming his defeat on tactical moves in the last days of the campaign, but frankly I don't see any evidence that they are right. Gloria Borger says Rick forfeited populist economic message, but in fact Rick won low income voters. Media always goes back to campaign tactics, but that's usually not the story.
Santorum is on for his concession speech. Great opening music!
More on media missing the story here: Borger says Rick went off message in last few days, cost him support. Maybe, but among voters who made up mind in last few days (24%), Rick wins over Mitt 42-34%. Even among the 30% who thought the debate was important, Rick lost to Mitt by only 3%.
CNN is now projecting Mitt to win Michigan tonight. Cue media spin – Mitt rescued his candidacy tonight! Sigh.
Biggest news tonight? My winning streak when it comes to predictions is broken! Let the critics descend!
Not much evidence of a gender gap in Rick's support, but that's not stopping the pundits from saying there is one. Repeat after me: so-called "women's issues" – abortion, contraception, etc. do not drive the women's vote as much as support for social welfare programs and ability to keep the peace.
Interestingly, the Democrat CNN talking head just said Rick lost working women – he actually won working women in Michigan, based on exit polls. The pundits are fixated on this gender issue, but there's just no evidence that it mattered. …
I've got an early teaching time tomorrow so I'm going to have to cut this short tonight. But there's three things to keep in mind.
1. Rick may yet win more delegates in Michigan than does Mitt – remember, delegates are largely allocated to by congressional district. Because much of Mitt's support is more concentrated in Detroit area, it is possible that he will win the popular vote but won't quite win the delegate race. However, Mitt will exceed his 2008 total vote in Michigan. Still waiting to calculate overall turnout. It would be nice if a Mitt victory was accompanied by an increase in voter turnout!
2. Once again Rick has failed to win the popular vote in a big primary state.
3. It bears repeating – Mitt has once again shown little ability to attract support from lower income voters or Tea Party supporters. He just can't seem to broaden his coalition.
Bottom line: the race remains where it was before tonight. Mitt is slogging his way to victory, delegate by delegate, but without generating much enthusiasm among rank and file Republican voters. And I suspect next Tuesday will not be his strongest day of the race. There's a long way to go… .
If I'm a Republican, I'm still angling for a brokered convention….meanwhile, it's on to Super Tuesday! Let's do it all again a week from now.
More tomorrow….let's break out the scotch. It's a wrap.


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CAP-funded forestry consulting in Germany's eastern Brandenburg.
CAP-funded forestry consulting in Germany's eastern Brandenburg.
A project that combines research, environmental education and forestry practice and is aimed at small and medium-sized private forest owners who are severely affected by climate change.
Organising a series of educational events to raise awareness and interest about the environmental functions of the peatlands in Brandenburg.
Restoring the production potential of damaged forests through clearing, afforestation and preservation of young forest stands.
Restoration of a deteriorating forest road and the construction of a wooden lookout tower in order to protect 1500 ha of forest from forest fires.
The construction of a treetop path that enhances visitors' experience in one of the oldest oak forests in Europe.
The project aimed to develop local participatory activities within the Natura 2000 sites of Andalusia.


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Story highlights
Downtown Disney will become Disney Springs over the next three years
The number of establishments will more than double
The four "neighborhoods' will be connected by a spring and lakefront
Downtown Disney is set to fade into history, making way for a bigger new community.
Over the next three years, the entertainment district at Florida's Walt Disney World will be transformed into Disney Springs, a new shopping, dining and entertainment area that will double the size of the existing complex.
"Disney Springs will be a timeless, vibrant place where Walt Disney World guests and local residents can relax, shop, dine and be entertained in an imaginative setting where they'll instantly feel at home," said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, in a Thursday press release.
The new area will feature "distinctive brands, world-class restaurants and unforgettable entertainment," Staggs said, "with the same focus on storytelling and attention to detail that goes into our theme parks, resorts and cruise ships."
Disney Springs, which will be modeled on Florida's waterfront communities, will feature four outdoor neighborhoods with more than 150 shops, restaurants and other establishments. The four areas will be connected by a spring and lakefront.
Construction is scheduled to start in April and sections will open in phases. The project is expected to be finished by 2016. The largest private single-site employer in central Florida, Disney estimates it will add 1,200 construction jobs and 4,000 operations jobs.


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Not eating enough whole grains? Incorporating whole grains into your diet can be challenging when you have a busy schedule and no time to cook. Because they contain intact fiber, whole grains provide complex carbohydrates for energy while keeping blood glucose levels steady throughout the day.
Polished grains, like white rice, are digested very quickly and absorbed immediately into the bloodstream, spiking your blood glucose level, which then falls suddenly, leading to a "crash." These erratic highs and lows of blood glucose levels contribute to diabetes, weight gain, depression, and a host of other conditions.
Traditional cultures used healing whole grains everyday in stews, soups, and salads. You can balance your diet by adding whole grains to your recipes in one week with the 7 Day Whole Grain Challenge.
Day 1: Shopping Day
Choose 2-3 whole grain recipes, make a list of ingredients, and shop! When you get home, soak grains overnight as prep for the next day's recipe. Experiment with a variety of grains besides the staple brown rice: barley, quinoa, oat groats, amaranth, etc.
Day 2: Prep 'n Cook Day
Cook grains and chop veggies while grains are cooking. Boil water and blanch veggies for a quick meal.
Day 3: Leftovers
Want an easy way to eat whole grains at work? Turn leftover grain into a delicious grain salad. Stir in umeboshi vinegar, olive oil, chopped scallions, and grated carrot. Take your salad to work for a healthy lunch. Before you leave, prepare another grain for soaking while you are at work. When you return home, your grain is ready to be cooked.
Day 4: Whole Grains on the Go
No time to make a whole grain lunch? Find Asian restaurants near your work and call to see which one serves brown rice. Order a delicious lunch of brown rice and sautéed veggies…and ta da! A fast and easy way to have a whole grain lunch.
Day 5: Quick Cooking Quinoa
Quick-cooking, protein-packed quinoa takes 15 minutes to cook. Keep in the fridge and mix with chopped blanched veggies for easy lunches and dinners (cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water or broth, season with shoyu soy sauce).
Want to take whole grains on trips? Make your own healthy "happy" meals! Stuff nori sheets with seasoned grains and blanched veggies and roll up to make sushi. Or roll seasoned grains into balls, stuff with a little umeboshi plum, and cover with nori sheets.
Day 7: Chewing Experiment
Have a sweet tooth? Chew each bite at least 20 times. You'll be surprised at how sweet your whole grains become. Added benefits include better digestion and a relaxing and satisfying feeling!
Healthy Relationship Tip
Widen your definition of food. Think about this: Food includes more than just what you eat. Loving relationships, satisfying careers, spiritual growth, and exercise feed you in more ways than whole grains and veggies alone. This wholistic way of living is your primary food.


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Washington (CNN) – "Reprehensible." "Irresponsible." "Hard to stomach."
White House senior adviser David Plouffe did not mince words Sunday when talking about the reaction by Republican presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich to President Barack Obama's comments on the Trayvon Martin shooting.
- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
"Those two comments are really irresponsible. I would consider them reprehensible," Plouffe said on CNN's "State of the Union." "I think those comments were really hard to stomach, really, and I guess trying to appeal to people's worst instincts."
While the GOP presidential candidates said the incident was a tragedy, Santorum and Gingrich were particularly critical of the president's response to the shooting in which Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, was shot and killed by a George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer. Zimmerman claimed he shot Martin in self-defense.
A somber Obama on Friday commiserated with the Martin family and urged authorities to fully investigate the shooting.
"If I had a son he would look like Trayvon," Obama said. "I think (his parents) are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves and we will get to the bottom of exactly what happened."
Santorum said the president politicized the events, while Gingrich characterized Obama's comments as "nonsense."
"What the president of the United States should do is try to bring people together, not use these types of horrible and tragic individual cases to try to drive a wedge in America," Santorum said Friday on "The Hugh Hewitt Show," a radio program.
"Is the president suggesting if it had been a white who had been shot, that would be OK because it wouldn't look like him? That's just nonsense," Gingrich said Friday on conservative host Sean Hannity's radio show, "The Hannity Show." "I mean dividing this country up, it is a tragedy this young man was shot."
But Plouffe, who served as Obama's 2008 campaign manager, said the Republican reaction is evidence of a circus-like primary.
"I don't think there's very many people in America that would share that reaction. You know, this Republican primary at some points has been more of a circus show and a clown show," Plouffe told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley.
Although he indicated the Obama campaign expects Romney to be the Republican nominee, Plouffe also predicted an aggressive election come fall.
"Romney has a big delegate lead so we've always felt you know because Romney's won a couple of big states lately, the fundamentals kind of support him," Plouffe said. "But it's going to be a close competitive race no matter who come out the other side."
Also see:
Santorum's Louisiana win does little to change the game of delegate math
'Math isn't adding up,' Gingrich delegate says
Santorum video: 'Obamaville' is a house of horrors
Watch State of the Union with Candy Crowley Sundays at 9am ET. For the latest from State of the Union click here.
President Obama is very selective about when he enters these local incidents. Where was he (and where has he been) as the deaths and injuries resulting from the hazing practices Florida A&M continue to occur? I guess it must be a "white on black" incident before this president becomes involved. Frankly, most of us have become tired of this man's inability to focus on the problems of all citizens and of the problems of this Nation specifically. As this Nation suffers, Obama continues to politicize race as one of his techniques to be re-elected. Hopefully this November all Americans will say, "enough is enough" and elect another President so we can begin to focus on solving the great number of National problems. Once out of office, Obama can then focus on having a beer with people in an effort to solve their immediate issues.
Pres Obama must be a slow learner after his "the police acted stupidly" statement a couple of years ago.
Why doesn't obama come out and say something about the 2 black teenagers that followed a white tennager and poured gas over him and set him on fire this last week. Why isn't it in the media?, Why isn't the FBI and Justice Dept all over this? Why isn't this a hate crime. Oh thats right if it's black on white it alright. The reason obama should'nt have went on national tv and said "if I had a son he would look like trayvon" just fuels the fire. Why dos'nt obama come out and denounce the New black partys call for violence. putting out dead or alive posters and a $10,000 bounty on this guy. Why isn't the FBI and Justice dept investigating these guys. who are the real racist?
The Political battle lines have been drawn. Progressive left wing liberals support the family of the wrongfully slain innocent child Trayvon and the Right Wing regressive Republicans support the cold blooded murderer Zimmerman and his slaughter of people of color. It's that simple.
@1twinsfan//"The President could saw he has two daughters and the GOP buffoons would say the President has two black daughters."
The problem with your statement is that PRES OBAMA would be the one to say he has two black daughters.


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Tapscott's Copy Desk Has Moved to Examiner.com!
Tapscott's Copy Desk bowed in the Blogosphere to somewhat less than unanimous and thundering acclaim Nov. 16, 2004. Many posts later, what might be called the "Blogger phase" of Tapscott's Copy Desk - because I've stayed with the Google program despite much frustration - ends tomorrow, Dec. 4, 2006, with a move to Examiner.com.
Go here to see the new digs.
Examiner.com is the web site of Clarity Media, which publishes The Washington Examiner where I toil happily as editorial page editor, as well as editions in Baltimore and San Francisco. More editions will be coming online in various cities across the nation in years to come.
The three hard-copy editions collectively reach more than a million readers six days a week, while Examiner.com is drawing more than a million visitors a month. Numbers like those should make it clear why I am so enthusiastic about moving from an independent blog to a publishing platform with vastly more circulation and immense potential for awesome growth.
This original incarnation of Tapscott's Copy Desk will remain here as an archive. Thank you so much to everybody who has spent time at this site, posted comments, emailed suggestions or otherwise contributed to the modest success I enjoyed with this humble site.
See ya at Examiner.com.


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Music is part of our everyday lives. Even in the world of today where changing times in which audio meets vision, music is the defining ingredient. It brings emotion to vision and puts the passion into our experiences. For us, the realistic reproduction of music is our essential goal.
The philosophy behind the unique Marantz sound
We know that true hi-fi is about being able to reproduce the magic of a performance. It's about experiencing music just as the artist intended, even in the cinema. It is music that delivers the ecstasy and agony of a film's story. To Marantz, perfect specifications and technical accomplishment count for nothing unless a product can unlock the power, the excitement and the emotion of music.
Our heritage of technical excellence means we can create components with the ability to communicate the scale, timbre, pitch and dynamics in fact, the very essence of a recording.
Music is enchanting, and we strive to ensure that the carrier of the music looks and feels as good as it sounds. Every component we produce is technically and cosmetically designed to complement the lifestyle of the listener.
We pride ourselves on applying these principles to all of our products. Each and every one of our home entertainment components is capable of reproducing the purest, most realistic music in your home.
We know that true hi-fi is about being able to reproduce the magic of a performance – it's about experiencing music just as the artist intended.
Because music matters!


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National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
Reproduced from Archaeological Method and Theory: An Encyclopedia,
edited by Linda Ellis, Garland Publishing Co., New York and London, 2000.
Francis P. McManamon
The National Historic Preservation Act (Public Law 89-665 and amendments thereto; 16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) was enacted in 1966. It has had major amendments, primarily additions to expand the effect of the law or to clarify its implementation, in 1980 and 1992. The law contains a strong policy statement supporting historic preservation activities and programs. Section 2 of the statute calls for the Federal government
in partnership with States, local governments, Indian tribes, and private organizations and individuals to...use measures, including financial and technical assistance, to foster conditions under which our modern society and our prehistoric and historic resources can exist in productive harmony and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations (Section 2 (1)).
This subsection of the statute highlights two important aspects of historic preservation national policy in the United States. First, historic preservation, including public archeology and archeological preservation, is an activity that occurs at all levels of government, Federal, State, and local, and that also involves private organizations and individuals. It is not the provence of a single national government agency or national museum. This multitude of involved public and private parties can sometimes make a comprehensive description of archeological and historic preservation in the United States complicated, but it also has the value of giving many organizations and individuals some responsibility for preserving archeological and historic sites, structures, and other kinds of historic properties.
Another key aspect of United States preservation embodied by this subsection text is that preservation is to be considered as one aspect of modern life, that is, contemporary development and economic activities. This can be seen as a double-edged sword. Archeological and historic properties often must be considered when plans are made for modern development or economic activity, however, their preservation is not an assured part of the outcome of these activities.
Title I of the statute established the National Register of Historic Places as a national listing of "historic properties", that is, districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The statutory language and the regulations and procedures that implement the National Register of Historic Places have been written to include historic and prehistoric archeological sites within the definition of "historic properties". This inclusive approach and broad definition have enabled those concerned with public archeology and archeological preservation to work within the general umbrella of the national historic preservation program.
Title I also expanded the level of Federal concern to include the preservation of historic properties of local or State significance, an expansion of the concern with nationally significant resources expressed in the 1935 Historic Sites Act. This title also established State Historic Preservation Officers as partners in the national historic preservation program. It also describes how the SHPO function, or portions of this function, can be assumed by local governments or Indian tribes in certain circumstances.
Section 106 of the statute also is contained in Title I. Implementation of this short, one-paragraph long section has had a major impact on the structure and functioning of archeology and archeological preservation in the United States. Section 106 requires that all Federal agencies provide the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, which is established in Title II of the statute, an opportunity to comment on any undertaking for which an agency has direct or indirect jurisdiction when the undertaking has an effect on a historic property listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In practice this has meant that Federal agencies, or State, local, and private organizations that are involved in Federal undertakings, have been required to identify and assess archeological sites that their planned actions might affect. This has required tens of thousands of archeological investigations since the mid-1970s when the procedures for implementing Section 106 were established in regulations (36 CFR 800). These investigations have been undertaken in a variety of ways. In some cases, Federal agencies responsible for complying with the NHPA have hired archeologists, creating their own professional staffs to meet these requirements. In other cases, Federal agencies have contracted with consulting firms or with universities to undertake studies necessary to meet their requirements.
Over the past 20 years, one result has been that professional archeologists have come to be employed as frequently by public agencies or private consulting and engineering firms as by academic institutions. During this period, hundreds of millions of dollars in government funds have paid for tens of thousands of archeological investigations, including general archeological overviews, site discovery and evaluation studies, and extensive excavation of individual or groups of sites that would have been subject to destruction by public undertakings (e.g., see McManamon, et al. 1993).
The statute also envisions that all Federal agencies should develop their own programs to care for historic resources under their jurisdiction or control, or that are affected by their undertakings. Section 110, which was expanded and enhanced by the 1992 amendments, describes the responsibilities as including the identification, evaluation, nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, and protection of historic resources. In the past, agencies have been far more active in complying with Section 106 of the statute than with Section 110. Perhaps the newly amended text of this section will provoke greater attention to the responsibilities that it describes.
Title II of the statute establishes the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, an independent Federal agency composed of 20 members, including the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture and four other departments. Also on the Council are elected officials and citizens appointed by the President. The Council and its staff play an important role in the national historic preservation program, especially in the day-to-day implementation of Section 106, but also in providing programmatic advice to Federal agencies and training in historic preservation methods, techniques, and procedures.
Title IV of the statute, newly added in the 1992 amendments, established the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. In so doing, Congress recognized "...the complexity of technical problems encountered in preserving historic properties and the lack of adequate distribution of technical information to preserve such properties (Section 401)." The Center was established to "...coordinate and promote research [in historic preservation], distribute information, and provide training about preservation skills and technologies...(Section 401)."
Further Readings and Links
- National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S. Code 470 et seq.), statute text.
- National Register of Historic Places (36 CFR 60), regulation text.
- Procedures for State, Tribal, and Local Government Historic Preservation Programs (36 CFR 61), regulation text.
- Determinations of Eligibility for Inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (36 CFR 63), regulation text.
- Protection of Historic Properties (36 CFR 800), regulation text.
Glass, James A.
- 1990 The Beginnings of a New National Historic Preservation Program, 1957 to 1969. American Association for State and Local History, Nashville, Tennessee.
McManamon, Francis P., Patricia C. Knoll, Ruthann Knudson, George S. Smith,
and Richard C. Waldbauer
- 1993 Federal Archeological Programs and Activities: The Secretary of the Interior's Report to Congress. National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC.


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About this Business
In the late 1970s, career educators Eileen and Raymond Huntington opened the first Huntington Learning Center in Oradell, New Jersey. Their goal was to take an individualized approach to education, adjusting instructional tactics according to each student's particular set of needs. Their success in helping K–12 students prepare for exams and improve grades and study skills quickly spawned franchises across New York and New Jersey.
Today, the certified Huntington tutoring staff utilizes testing and rubrics for assessing each child's skills, academic needs and potential for growth. The teachers even note the student's behavior in different testing and academic situations to craft a methodology sensitive to each child's learning style. Teachers also adhere to the company's code of ethics that stresses professionalism and confidentiality, encouraging pupils to improve their grades honestly through dedicated study rather than shortcuts.


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Reviews Sourced from Lovingly and Google


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Last month we took a look at Digsby, a new communication app that unites chat, e-mail, and social networking in one fairly customizable dashboard. Digsby was an early private beta back then, but now it's back with a major new beta release for the public (Windows-only at this point), built to incorporate the most significant feature requests private beta testers had.
At its core functionality and design, Digsby is a chat app. It is primarily set up with a buddy-list format akin to just about any chat app you'll use, but this design also lends itself to the other social networking and e-mail features. For its launch, Digsby had support for adding Facebook and MySpace accounts to stay on top of what friends are doing. It also integrated pretty well with e-mail, allowing users to add webmail, POP, or even IMAP accounts to keep tabs on those messages with the rest of their communications.
The popular webmail accounts that allow external access were supported, with services like Gmail and Hotmail allowing users to click to be taken directly to read the rest of a message in a browser. Support for IMAP was also a welcome surprise, though clicking to open a message for IMAP services that don't support message URLs simply did nothing, and it still doesn't (though clicking to mark an IMAP message as read is still a nice touch).
New in today's public beta release are a number of core chat and social networking features, as well as better integration with other software. Features at the top of the list include A/V chat for the networks that support it, as well as Twitter support for both following friends and posting your own updates. Unfortunately, posting an update to Twitter doesn't seem to change one's chat network status—a convenient, sought-after feature that would be great to see in an app like this.
Other new features include in-line spell checking (English-only, for now), and the ability to block chat buddies. Digsby now also plays better with the rest of Windows, as it now has a new "listening to" status message option for showing what song is playing in Winamp or iTunes. It also has preferences for hiding new conversations or pop-up updates when you're running full screen apps like games. Considering Digsby's very active role in alerting you to new e-mails, chats, and social network updates, this full screen compatibility is most welcome for the times when Digsby should be neither seen nor heard.
Naturally, a number of bug fixes are also included in this release, the details of which can be read in the full changelog. Now that Digsby for Windows has gone public beta, the company told Ars Technica that it's spending more time on finishing the Mac OS X and Linux clients. We'll keep you posted on when Digsby leaps to these other platforms.


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Emerald Coast was a super fun beachy read.
At Wave's End was a great beachy read with depth.
This is basically a love letter to Karin Slaughter.
Little Gray Dress was a super cute read.
Still Missing was my Throwback Thursday pick, I loved it!
The Girls in the Water is the first book in a new series, it was really good!
Emma in the Night was a great thriller.
If You Could See Me Now was a hilarious and fun read.
Are You Sleeping was a really cool and unique read.
The Address was another stunner from Davis.
Wedding Bells at Butterfly Cove was an adorable read!
My throwback Thursday pick was You, what a unique, original read.
The Room by the Lake was a read about cults which always intrigues me.
The Silent Girls was a creepy, atmospheric read.
Blind Side was a very different type of thriller.
I loved The Awkward Path to Getting Lucky it was so fun!
Unraveling Oliver was a unique psychological thriller.
The Queen of New Beginnings was a really fun read.
The Goddesses left me wanting more.
Dark Matter was my TBT pick and I was totally blown away!
Buried Secrets was a different type of thriller.
The Other Girl was a highly entertaining thriller.
The Cosy Canal Boat Dream was another great read from Barlow.
Dead to Me was a creepy thriller.
All The Wicked Girls is one of my favorite reads of the year, it's amazing.
The Big Dreams Beach Hotel was a delightful little book.
Bolt Action Remedy was a really cool thriller.
Working Fire was a mystery with an emotional component.
All The Little Children was a good read but I did have some issues.
Find Her was another fabulous read from Gardner.
Despite August being one of my busiest months EVER I still managed to read 30 books! It's been a huge adjustment for me getting back into the swing of things as far as my kids schedules. They have school, dance, therapy, it's a constant balancing act. I feel like we're finally getting a good routine down now so hopefully next month will feel a little smoother and won't be such a mess!
I'm starting to put together a Fall reading list so stay tuned..
How was your month?


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I can't stand zombies. Zombie movies are boring, and games with zombie antagonists are a dime a dozen. Between Plants vs. Zombies and Left 4 Dead, I think we've hit our zombie quota for the foreseeable future. I'm ready for something new.
I know that's tantamount to geek heresy, but I want you to understand where I'm coming from when I tell you that despite my zombie fatigue I loved the first episode of The Walking Dead game, and I think you really ought to play it. Regardless of whether you're a fan of the AMC television series, the comics or completely unfamiliar with either, this game is worth playing if you love a good harrowing adventure.
And adventure is exactly what you're in for if you shell out $5 for the first episode, titled A New Day. See, Telltale Games (of Sam & Max fame) developed The Walking Dead as a game spanning five monthly episodes that tells a new story in the Walking Dead universe while staying true to the grim tone of the comic books. But don't let Telltale's history of creating point-and-click adventure games like Tales of Monkey Island and Puzzle Agent fool you into thinking The Walking Dead is just a series of logic puzzles. You'll spend some time fixing radios and finding keys, but the constant pressure of surviving in a post-apocalyptic Georgia makes even simple problems feel challenging and meaningful to overcome.
While you must solve simple puzzles in order to progress through the game, you'll spend the lion's share of your time guiding protagonist Lee Everett through tense verbal exchanges with other survivors. Naturally, these conversations are interspersed with frenetic attempts to fend off undead attackers by quickly clicking them before they can take a bite out of Lee or someone he cares about. These action sequences are easy to complete successfully, but the time limits (smash the zombie before it gets you!) make every encounter feel tense and thrilling to play.
But zombie attacks aren't the only reason to think fast in the world of The Walking Dead. Lee Everett has a complicated past, and you choose how much he shares with other characters by selecting his responses from dialogue trees that sprout up throughout every conversation. Most of these choices have timers, and if you run out time Lee is left speechless, so playing through tense conversations really feels stressful because you risk slipping up and saying the wrong thing. Let another character catch you in a lie, and they'll hold it against you throughout the rest of the episode (and presumably the series). Choose to save one character's life at the expense of another, and the survivor will support you throughout the rest of the episodes while the dead character disappears from your game.
Watching your choices change how the story plays out is the best part about playing The Walking Dead games, but know that no matter what choices you make, bad things will happen. The world of The Walking Dead is grim, and you will have to make decisions about which characters live and which characters die. Diehard Walking Dead fans will recognize a few characters that Lee meets along the way (Glenn makes a cameo in A New Day) and explore a few landmarks from the comic series, including Hershel's farm in the first episode.
The Walking Dead game pays further tribute to Kirkman's comics by emulating the pencilwork of Charlie Adlard, the current artist of the Walking Dead comics. But where the comics are stark black-and-white affairs, the Walking Dead game is full of colorful characters and lush, vibrant landscapes. The game's camera is fixed in place during every scene, and while that occasionally makes for some frustrating navigation problems it also ensures that Lee navigates through scenes like a protagonist pacing through panels of a comic book. Playing through The Walking Dead feels like flipping through the pages of an action-packed Choose Your Own Adventure comic book, and I think fans of Kirkman's work shouldn't miss this experience. But even if you've never seen an episode of The Walking Dead television series or flipped through one of Kirkman's books, you should check out The Walking Dead game because it features an engaging cast of characters and a geniunely emotional narrative. The worst thing I can say about this game is that we have to wait a month to play the next episode, and five months to see how the story ends.


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"What's your name?" the woman at the front door mouthed to each guest entering the Silence Is Golden party for the HBO documentary Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present. Some mouthed their names back; others flashed Sundance credentials. The woman nodded solemnly, checked them off the list, and motioned to the sign reminding everyone not to talk or use their cell phones. At the coat check, more non-speaking, non-whispering employees waited to trade each guest's parka for a white lab coat and a pair of white over-the-ear headphones.
The party, held at Park City's Julie Nester Gallery and hosted by HBO and Veuve Clicquot, was an extension of Abramovic's MoMA retrospective, where the performance artist clocked 700 hours of sitting silently seven hours a day, six days a week in a plain chair in the museum's atrium, opposite a rotating cast of some 1,400 visiting sitters. On one wall of the gallery was a slide projection of Abramovic's face on various days at MoMA, staring across the room to a slide projection of people who'd come to sit with her, many of them crying. The only sounds were the click of camera shutters and a loud metronome ticking off seconds.
It's unsettling at first to be at a party where you cannot mingle, at least with words. How do you order at the bar? Make an introduction? Tell your friend about your day? Helpfully, the passed hors d'oeuvres had very descriptive signs on their trays (e.g., "petite corn bleu made with Utah raspberry chutney"), and it was relatively easy to discern why some of the people in lab coats were walking around with bottles of Champagne. Guests, though, seemed most comfortable taking to text and Twitter to tell the world how weird and weirdly wonderful this party was.
Forty minutes in, the room began to migrate toward something. The artist was present! Abramovic walked through the room Mother Teresa–like, dispensing hugs and writing words out with her finger on tabletops. Eight minutes later, the room migrated again, this time following Sundance founder Robert Redford, who'd dutifully suited up in his lab coat and headphones. Redford rarely goes to events, so his presence was a big deal. He'd also brought his entire family along; you could identify them by playing Spot the Redhead. Photographers snapped away at Redford and Abramovic, until the Sundance Kid made a cut-the-throat gesture.
At exactly 8:07 p.m., Abramovic took the stage for an anticipated performance-art surprise. Instead, she merely smiled and said, "Ladies and gentlemens [sic]! You can take your headphones off and shake your experience of the silent party!" Everyone applauded and the room buzzed with talk. "Thank God," said a man next to me. "That was the longest hour of my life."
This was Abramovic's first silent party, but not her first requiring guests to wear lab coats. At the 2011 MOCA gala, she handed out 850 lab coats. "All Hollywood was in lab coats!" she enthused. Guests ate dinner at tables with holes in the center, out of which protruded a person's head. "So when you're eating, the people are turning, watching you silently," Abramovic said. "It was amazing. This was also changing the idea of spectator and viewer."
Lab coats, Abramovic says, "are interesting to me because they create the situation of equality. Everyone is democratic and the same, then also become experimenters — this kind of mischieving [sic] element, which is beautiful. And I really like to change the kind of chemistry of the parties. It's always the same." The silent element was important because, she said, the MoMA exhibit "was all about gaze. And I wanted to transport this kind of experience to the party situation. People have to look at each other in the eyes. They have to communicate in different ways."
Lauren Greenfield, whose documentary about extreme wealth and the financial collapse, The Queen of Versailles, sold to Magnolia Pictures, said she found the party to be a relief from talking to press all day every day. But once the headphones were off, she said, "I kept forgetting I could talk. I was trying to get by these people, and finally I was like, Oh, I can say 'excuse me.'"
Redford, too, found the party a nice respite from interviews and giving motivational speeches to indie filmmakers. "It was fabulous," he said. "I loved the fact that some of the people didn't know what to do with the silence. Really, people were coming up to me and trying to talk!" He gave offending talkers a zip-the-lips gesture. "Then they got nervous," he said, grinning.
Redford had been plotting to get Abramovic to Sundance ever since seeing the MoMA show. "I was there the whole day," he said. "I sat. I stood. And I just thought, Boy, we have to get her here. To me, what was impressive was the physical and mental discipline it took for her to sit there for that amount of time, to force people to just watch what it's like to not do anything but look." He was also struck by the power of silence, he said, "and forcing people to really look at each other rather than this and that," he mimed punching away at a cell phone. The two didn't meet until the week before Sundance, though, when they both happened to be at the same restaurant in Santa Fe. (Redford has a place there, where he was editing The Company You Keep, about Weather Underground activists.) "Suddenly she was at the restaurant and I said, 'What are you doing here?' And she said, 'I've never been here. I came here to rest before going to Sundance.' I said, 'Me, too.'" His first act upon taking off the headphones was to turn to Abramovic and suggest they get together while she's in town.
Looking upon the room of people in lab coats happily talking away, Abramovic seemed overjoyed. "At the beginning, it is very intimidating," she said of the guests. "Then they start to slow down. The metronome helps. Then they start getting more and more connecting. And look at them now! They're out of control! There would never be this kind of friendliness and excitement if not before was silence." And with that, she walked away to talk … to someone else.


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Teachers Teaching Teachers 247 High School-College Transition and the "Framework for Success in Post-secondary Writing" 5.18.11
On this week's Teachers Teaching Teachers, we have some of our current and former students on the podcast to talk about the high school-college transition. We are also joined by a couple of National Writing Project teachers who have been involved with the "Framework for Success in Post-secondary Writing" that came out a few months ago. These frameworks include this amazing list that we invite you to explore:
Habits of Mind
The Framework identifies eight habits of mind essential for success in college writing—ways of approaching learning that are both intellectual and practical and will support students' success in a variety of fields and disciplines:
- Curiosity: the desire to know more about the world.
- Openness: the willingness to consider new ways of being and thinking in the world.
- Engagement: a sense of investment and involvement in learning.
- Creativity: the ability to use novel approaches for generating, investigating, and representing ideas.
- Persistence: the ability to sustain interest in and attention to short- and long-term projects.
- Responsibility: the ability to take ownership of one's actions and
understand the consequences of those actions for oneself and others.
- Flexibility: the ability to adapt to situations, expectations, or demands.
- Metacognition: the ability to reflect on one's own thinking as well
as on the individual and cultural processes used to structure knowledge.
Our guests on this podcast include:
- Lennie Irvin (who recently completed his PhD), is the Co-Director of the San Antonio Writing Project. In addition to working with the above
frameworks, for the past four summers, Lennie has facilitated an open
institute, Crossing2College where they've been asking:
Every year, we have far too many students like Ian. They aren't the AP kids (though they might be), and they aren't the students who fail our classes. They do OK, even sometimes receiving excellent grades in our high school classrooms. But when they get to college, they place into Developmental English classes, or worse (like Ian) they crash and burn and drop out of college. They fall off the bridge between high school and college. This site is devoted to local efforts to help more students graduating from high school place directly into college level writing classes, and importantly—do well in freshman composition. It is meant both as a resource and a professional community of practice dedicated to doing more to prepare our students for college and for helping these students do well once they are in college, for "college readiness" and "student success" in college are really two sides of the same coin.
- Kirsten Jamsen whose affiliations include being the co-director of the Minnesota Writing Project.
Kirsten presented on the "Frameworks for Success in Postsecondary Writing" at the National Writing Project's Annual Meeting in November, where she discussed the statement's purpose, and recounted the process of composing it. We'll ask her do some of that again. We'll also use some of her questions from that session to guide our discussion on Wednesday evening: "What is your response to the statement? How might you use it to promote effective writing instruction at your school? How could this statement help you design thoughtful professional development?"
- David Pulling whose students at Louisiana State University, Eunice, have been posting on Voices on the Gulf this year. David is the Director of Continuing Education at LSU Eunice, and will share his insights into what it takes to be a successful college writer as well. David is also an active member of the The National Writing Project of Acadiana.
Click Read more to see a copy of the chat that was happening during the webcast.


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"When I won the ESPN Main Event Competition this past April it was just so surreal to me. I wrote this song ("Solemnly") for my EP Album Sometime in New York City Vol 1 at a really rough time in my life. My mother was suffering from breast cancer and I was just so distraught emotionally about my mom's condition. I wrote the song to lift me up emotionally and mentally, so for this very song to be recognized by ESPN and them getting the meaning of my song is satisfying to me artistically. It made me feel like this is why I decided to pursue a career in music, to really reach people with my words, and having your song played and picture on ESPN on the same weekend as the Mayweather/Cotto fight doesn't hurt either. I'm very grateful to OurStage for providing me the opportunity, I'm currently working on the follow up to my EP, collaborating with other artists on their projects, just staying busy. Again, big thanks to OurStage for all that they do. They are really looking out for independent artists who put out quality music by giving them a serious platform to be heard and offering life changing opportunities. You have to respect that."
Ciph Boogie, Reached 19th in the Best of the Best Urban, April ESPN Main Event Winner
"Since winning the OurStage.com National Warped Tour Competition, life in one word has been crazy. One of the many things OurStage has given my music is platform to be seen and heard. To win a national spot on a tour like Warped is a great example of the many opportunities OurStage offers independent artists who are looking for that chance to succeed. I'm ready put my stamp on that OurStage.com stage. It's going to be special...each and everyday."
Larry g(EE), OurStage "Warped" Competition Winner
"I just wanted to take a few moments and thank the wonderful folks at OurStage.com for everything they've done for me and my music career (and fellow indie artists all over the planet). OurStage gave me a bunch of exposure and prizes when I released my debut record in 2009 - but really the last few months have just been unbelievable. Songs from my upcoming release "Empty Seat On A Plane" have won the Finals in February and April, I won the Ernie Ball Folk competition and I've been selected to showcase for OurStage.com during the esteemed New Music Seminar in June! Since these wins in 2012 I've been selected as one of the Top 100 "Artists on the Verge" by the New Music Seminar and one of my tunes is being featured on a worldwide Tommy Boy Records release (June 19th release date). I've also accepted two incredible endorsement deals in the last few months (Stonebridge Guitars and LR Baggs Pickups). I have a feeling that the great recognition and exposure I've been given by OurStage has a lot to do with my recent successes. For that, I'm extremely and eternally grateful. :) Thank you for having a legit site where voting is fair and unbiased. Because of that fact, you are regarded as a trusted taste-maker in the music business and your recognition means something. And of course, thank you for the prizes. Let's face it, this music stuff costs a lot of money. Because of OurStage I'm able to afford a top notch PR Campaign for my upcoming record release. Thank you so much! Cheers to you, Jesse."
Jesse Terry, 3x Grand Prize Winner, 7x Channel Winner, Ernie Ball Folk Winner
"The Columbia Records experience was priceless. I arrived at the Sony building and sat down with four execs, lead by Kathy Baker, Senior Director. When they played the first song feet were tapping and heads was nodding. Columbia was impressed with how much I had going on and they gave me advice about digital marketing and Internet buzz. It was a blessing to have a major label impressed by my work. They are going to give their A&R department and Roc Nation (a joint ventured with Columbia) my CD. I thank OurStage and Alison for giving artists like me a chance to further my career."
TAMPPA, 3x Top 10 Finisher, CLIPSE sponsored Columbia Records mentoring session winner
"Opening for John Mayer was incredible in so many ways. I'm a huge John Mayer fan... I love the way he writes songs, and how witty his lyrics are. Getting to open for someone who's so talented was really an honor. The whole experience was surreal, from showing up and sound-checking to performing and then to watching Train and John Mayer perform after me. The audience seemed to respond really well to my set, so that was exciting. Overall, the show left me incredibly inspired. Hopefully I'll be the one selling out arenas one day! I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to my OurStage supporters. You guys made possible something I'd been dreaming about for years, and it means the world to me. I love you guys!"
Sarah Solovay, 4x Top 10 Finisher, John Mayer Winner, Winamp Radio Feature


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The big question is, do we have that time? Could someone exploit a disclosed vulnerability, one in software that is commonly used in medical devices and systems, due to the inherent delays of updating and revalidating the software? The answer is yes.
Additional measures must be taken to ensure the integrity of these systems until the patch can be safely applied with a high degree of confidence in the operation of the device or system. This is what DHS was referring to as a "robust security program" to be sure.
Software bugs and security vulnerabilities are inevitable. Missing patches and updates are a reality -- and one that has implications far beyond the healthcare industry. Organizations across many industries are now struggling with vulnerability management and the problem of patching specialized devices in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks.
Interestingly, I could not find any guidance from Occupational Safety and Health Administration addressing software safety risks for industrial SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems, but it is likely they will arrive very soon.
Similarly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will probably have to weigh in on software vulnerabilities for transportation vehicles, especially after Richard Clarke's recent comments. The former U.S. national coordinator for security infrastructure protection and counter-terrorism said that university researchers have now shown "it's relatively easy to hack your way into the control system of a car."
There are those skeptics who believe this is not really an issue and that current cybersecurity experts are up to the challenge of addressing these problems. I would suggest that they read "The Seven Deadly Myths of Software Security."
What many also don't see coming is the increasing legal risks executives face from the threat of cyber attacks. While researching this article, I had a couple of discussions with lawyers. What started out as a product liability conversation turned into a discussion about the risks of civil negligence charges. Could a manufacturer, CIO or CISO be charged with criminal negligence if they fail to apply patches and properly secure and maintain their systems, in the event a cyber attack that exploits those factors results in the death of an individual or individuals?
That is one hell of a question and a glimpse of what lies ahead for those who don't take the new world of cyber threats seriously.


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(CNN) - In a rare moment on Monday, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley shared publicly her experience being abused as a child.
Speaking at a press conference in Greenville on the state's efforts to combat child abuse, the Republican governor relayed her story, saying violence against children can happen in any community.
"It doesn't matter your background, it doesn't matter your education, it doesn't matter the wealth of your family," Haley said, according to The State newspaper. "Every child is subject to child abuse."
While Haley has previously disclosed her story in her book, "Can't Is Not an Option: My American Story," it's rare for the first-term governor to talk openly about it in a public setting.
When Haley was young, her mother asked a nearby couple living in a trailer to care of Haley in the morning while she worked. However, after a few days, her mother sensed Haley was uncomfortable.
"I never wanted to go," Haley said Monday. "But she didn't know quite what it was and didn't think anything of it."
"One day I came home and I had a lot of bruises and a lot of issues," she added.
The couple quickly packed up and left after Haley's mother confronted them about her concerns. "They packed up and they left," Haley said. "We never got to deal with it."
Monday's press conference was held to promote a study called Silent Tears, which provides South Carolina with a number of recommendations for improving child abuse prevention and response, according to The State.
"When it happened to me, my parents didn't know what to do," she said. "They didn't know who to go to. No one knew how to handle it."
- CNN's Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
Virginia, you made the massive generalization " liberals do seem to care to put a stop to the women getting raped, now hopefully and i wouldn't understand why would they not care equally for the well being of children"
I assure you that a great many liberals like me, care just as much about children, women, and men who are abused, bullied, assaulted, or otherwise mistreated. Please don't generalize about people, or lump them into one basket.
Anne, How convenient Gov Haley!!! I guess thats why you hate women!! "; that is just plain mean and hateful.
Things could be worse. Many of the liberal trolls in this comment section are happy about the murder of children.
They justify it by arguing about the point it becomes murder. Child abuse does not move them if the child grows up and becomes a governer.
Typical Democraps taking about and acting like they know all about abuse or anything for that fact.
Try being one of those people and living with it for the rest of your life every time you see or hear something that triggers you back in time. It isn't a grand way to live but we do for the most part survive.
Unless we hear stupid people like MAMA spewing her rhetoric. Then we wonder why it was us and not them.
Liberals love to use the word 'hate' when they talk about anybody but themselves...
but listen to the way they spew it.
So I'm betting Haley's solution to combatting child abuse will be to cut corporate taxes and defund public programs designed to assist the victims.
musta been desperate
I survived seventeen years in an abusive adoptive family before I walked away with the clothes on my back.
Governor Haley is another story, full of self pity while ignoring the same problems in her own state.
I have no sympathy for the self serving.
Her tears? Drowning out the cries of others just like us.
Go to hell.
My prediction is Haley will run for president. If Hillary wins, Haley will have it in the bag.
Child abuse takes many forms, and it happens - quietly - in families from all socioeconomic levels. I grew up in an affluent family, with well-educated, church going, socially active parents who were considered to be admirable people. Yet one was an abusive alcoholic, and the other ignored the addiction, and the damage being done to the children. The abuse was verbal (except for a few slaps here and there) and psychological, but it was deeply harmful. A child can recover from a punch, but not from having his or her spirit pounded down every day.
Every chick on the planet claims she was abused as a child. So tired of hearing this garbage.
For some reason I don't feel sorry for her. Actually I think she is lying.
Another confession. This seems to be the theme for politicians these days. They all have "something" in their pasts. It would be nice if they just wanted the legislation to pass because it is the right thing to do. Governor Haley should have great sympathy for single parents who need help finding day care or after school care and need some assistance to do so. They want to work and they want to know their children are safe. Their salaries tend to be low which make it all the more difficult. What will the Governor put forth to help these women and other families where the income level is under the poverty level. Will they get help with healthcare, food, childcare or rent or will they be left to live on their own? Helping others does not seem to be in fashion right now. Will the Governor change that idea in her state and by her leadership for this cause?