Kate Upton is not afraid to play with the boys -- in 5 1/2 inch heels, no less. The swimsuit model stopped by FOX and worked on her football throws with Jason Pierre-Paul of the New York Giants. And we must say, she has a pretty good arm.
Though Upton didn't land any of her passes in the tiny hole in the net, she did succeed in showing off her athletic abilities
in a white tweed jacket, black skinny jeans and Christian Louboutin pumps.
You've got to give it to her. The Sports Illustrated model showed that she doesn't just have the looks, but can actually toss a football around with a FOX sportscaster and a Giants defensive end.
Maybe she's been practicing her spiral with Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.
Watch the clip above to see Kate's huge heels and don't miss the creepy sportscaster -- you'll know the one.
Video, Kate Upton, Jets Quarterback Mark Sanchez, Kate Upton 2012, Kate Upton Jason Pierre-Paul, Kate Upton Fox, Kate Upton Heels, Kate Upton Hot, Kate Upton Pumps, Kate Upton Sports Illustrated, Kate Upton Video, Photo Galleries, Sports Illustrated Model, Style News
2012年4月26日星期四
2012年4月25日星期三
Zoe Saldana: I Was "Dying Inside" as a Teenage Dancer
Zoe Saldana has the honor of being the first woman to grace the cover of Cosmopolitan for Latinas -- a major accomplishment for the 33-year-old actress.
"People think of Latina women as being fiery and fierce, which is usually true. But I think the quality that so many Latinas possess is strength," the Avatar actress says in the magazine's premiere issue. "I'm very proud to have Latin blood."
PHOTOS: Zoe Saldana and 12 other style stars to watch in 2012
A beaming Saldana models a $2,295 Dolce & Gabbana dress and $1,245 Christian Louboutin shoes on the cover, in addition to a $120 Gerard Yosca cuff and $240 Alex Monroe earrings. The actress -- who split with Bradley Cooper in March after a three-month courtship -- also opens up to the magazine about why she gave up dance in her teens.
"I had to quit ballet because it felt like a part of me was dying inside. It takes a lot of courage to face up to things you can't do because we feed ourselves so much denial," she tells Cosmopolitan for Latinas. "In dance, you use every part of your body except your voice. I wanted to start acting because I wanted to use my voice."
VIDEO: How Zoe Saldana helped provide Haiti relief
Saldana -- who is currently filming the untitled Star Trek sequel -- next appears in The Words, alongside her ex Cooper, 37, and Olivia Wilde, 28.
"People think of Latina women as being fiery and fierce, which is usually true. But I think the quality that so many Latinas possess is strength," the Avatar actress says in the magazine's premiere issue. "I'm very proud to have Latin blood."
PHOTOS: Zoe Saldana and 12 other style stars to watch in 2012
A beaming Saldana models a $2,295 Dolce & Gabbana dress and $1,245 Christian Louboutin shoes on the cover, in addition to a $120 Gerard Yosca cuff and $240 Alex Monroe earrings. The actress -- who split with Bradley Cooper in March after a three-month courtship -- also opens up to the magazine about why she gave up dance in her teens.
"I had to quit ballet because it felt like a part of me was dying inside. It takes a lot of courage to face up to things you can't do because we feed ourselves so much denial," she tells Cosmopolitan for Latinas. "In dance, you use every part of your body except your voice. I wanted to start acting because I wanted to use my voice."
VIDEO: How Zoe Saldana helped provide Haiti relief
Saldana -- who is currently filming the untitled Star Trek sequel -- next appears in The Words, alongside her ex Cooper, 37, and Olivia Wilde, 28.
2012年4月24日星期二
Fake Primark store in Dubai rattles UK retailer
Knock-off Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton are usually the most common counterfeit luxury brands found in numerous bazaars across the UAE, but one of the biggest budget retailer names from Europe is now to be seen in Dubai.
A fake Primark store opened this week in Bur Dubai on Bank Street, selling goods under the Primark label and masquerading as the budget brand from the United Kingdom.
The new store has two floors and is packed with clothing that looks like Primark's signature cheap T-shirts, socks and a underwear.
Primark denied opening a store in the UAE and sent a statement to The National explaining it was seeking legal action against the company running the fake store.
"We are aware that there is a store in Dubai that purports to be part of our group," the UK retailer said. "Primark does not operate any stores there and this is not, therefore, a legitimate Primark store. The company is considering its legal options as a matter of urgency."
The people behind the fake store could not be reached for comment, but staff at the store confirmed the clothing on sale and the look of the brand had both been modelled on the budget retailer from the UK.
After the store opened on Monday, shoppers began to excitedly talk about the brand on fashion blogs and Twitter.
"Primark is opening in Dubai!!! Yay, hope its as inexpensive as England lol," said one Twitter user.
"BREAKING NEWS: just found out Primani a.k.a #Primark has opened in Dubai!!! #Fashion #UAE," wrote another user.
Primark is one of the biggest retailers in Europe and has a total of 235 stores in the UK, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal and Belgium.
The brand sells a wide variety of fashion for ladies, men and children, as well as home products such as duvets and bedding.
Primark is part of Associated British Foods, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and yesterday announced a 3 per cent increase in profits for the first half of the year due to a strong performance by Primark.
The brand achieved a 15 per cent increase in sales as hard-hit consumers have turned to discount fashion stores in the wake of harsh austerity measures imposed by governments across Europe.
A fake Primark store opened this week in Bur Dubai on Bank Street, selling goods under the Primark label and masquerading as the budget brand from the United Kingdom.
The new store has two floors and is packed with clothing that looks like Primark's signature cheap T-shirts, socks and a underwear.
Primark denied opening a store in the UAE and sent a statement to The National explaining it was seeking legal action against the company running the fake store.
"We are aware that there is a store in Dubai that purports to be part of our group," the UK retailer said. "Primark does not operate any stores there and this is not, therefore, a legitimate Primark store. The company is considering its legal options as a matter of urgency."
The people behind the fake store could not be reached for comment, but staff at the store confirmed the clothing on sale and the look of the brand had both been modelled on the budget retailer from the UK.
After the store opened on Monday, shoppers began to excitedly talk about the brand on fashion blogs and Twitter.
"Primark is opening in Dubai!!! Yay, hope its as inexpensive as England lol," said one Twitter user.
"BREAKING NEWS: just found out Primani a.k.a #Primark has opened in Dubai!!! #Fashion #UAE," wrote another user.
Primark is one of the biggest retailers in Europe and has a total of 235 stores in the UK, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal and Belgium.
The brand sells a wide variety of fashion for ladies, men and children, as well as home products such as duvets and bedding.
Primark is part of Associated British Foods, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and yesterday announced a 3 per cent increase in profits for the first half of the year due to a strong performance by Primark.
The brand achieved a 15 per cent increase in sales as hard-hit consumers have turned to discount fashion stores in the wake of harsh austerity measures imposed by governments across Europe.
2012年4月23日星期一
The Venetian(R) and The Palazzo(R) Las Vegas Celebrate Italian-Inspired Summer Festival "Carnevale"
LAS VEGAS, NV, Apr 23, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas will celebrate the magic and fantasy of Carnevale this summer, featuring three months of classic Italian festivities, including new experiences, entertainment, art, music and wine beginning June 2.
A celebration of discovery, taste and fun, Carnevale is themed on the myriad of summer festivals that grace the small villages and towns of Italy throughout summer. Wonderment and revelry surround guests from the moment they enter the resorts through an elaborate, oversized masquerade mask and see the colorful banners and streamers. Carnevale will mark the debut of The Venetian's spectacular outdoor light show on the iconic clock tower and a colorful parade, the core of all Italian festivals, will wind its way through the property each night.
From these visual spectacles, to the themed characters and the unexpected surprises around every corner, guests will be wrapped up in the pageantry and magic that is Carnevale. In addition, each month will portray a different theme representing a various aspect of Italy, inviting guests to come back to experience all the new experiences and magic throughout Carnevale.
"The magic of Carnevale is never knowing what unexpected surprise is around the corner and the distinctively themed months offer a unique and special experience every time you visit," said John Caparella, president and chief operating officer of The Venetian, The Palazzo and Sands Expo. "Summer is always a fun and joyous time and Carnevale offers the perfect place to spend time and make lasting memories with friends and family."
A "Passaporto di Carnevale" will be included with select suite packages offered throughout Carnevale with special discounts and entertainment specials as well as retail offers from The Grand Canal Shoppes and The Shoppes at The Palazzo. The Passaporto will be an exclusive benefit to resort guests and Grazie members, The Venetian and The Palazzo's premier loyalty program. During Carnevale, Grazie members can continue to earn valued Status Points with all suite charges by linking a Grazie account to suite reservations.
Mese di Arte - Art Month (June 1-30) Throughout Mese di Arte, the resorts will be transformed into an art gallery with unbelievable 3-D chalk artists creating seemingly impossible masterpieces. Glassblowers will demonstrate their intricate art with demonstrations and guests can meander through the resort admiring one-of-a-kind pieces with an interactive Art Walk or take photos with living art installations.
Mese di Musica - Music Month (July 1-31) Guests will delight in the sound of music resonating throughout the resort during Mese di Musica with a concert series featuring musicians and vocalists in The Venetian Showroom and outdoor stage near the outside gondola areas.
Mese di Vino y Cucina - Wine and Food Month (August 1-31) Mese di Vino y Cucina will offer savory wine tastings from top winemakers while children relish the experience of learning to make spaghetti or pizza in cooking classes. In addition, chefs will show their craft in cooking demonstrations and meet and greets.
Doge's Palace and Carnevale Light Show Guests will enter The Venetian through an enormous, ornate Venetian masquerade mask spanning the width of the main bridge and standing 75 feet high. Representing "day" on one side and "night" on the other, the mask is made of molded hard coated epoxy and weighs 14 tons.
The front of Doge's Palace will be transformed into an Italian-style street piazza with small cafe tables and waiters offering candied apples, refreshing fruit sorbets and traditional Italian favorites including prosciutto and caprese paninis. In addition, street vendors will be set up offering caricature drawings or whimsical green screen photography to purchase.
Guests can take a romantic glide down the outdoor canal and enjoy a delicious dessert experience featuring a duo of lemon and orange Italian sorbets.
Each night, the facade of the Clock Tower will illuminate in a spectacular light performance with a distinct, complimentary five-minute show at 9, 10, 11 p.m. and midnight. Designed by The Projection Studio, the same company that designed groundbreaking shows for Buckingham Palace and the World Cup, the show took approximately two months to create and build in the 3D model. Designers started by digitally mapping and scanning the entire building to create the virtual prototype used as the projection base, then artwork and themed shows were designed to work with the architecture of the building and music was created to complement each individual show. Once the performance was designed, an animation consultant created the astonishing 3D movement.
Carnevale Festival Parade Each evening, an exciting electric light parade will wind its way throughout the resort. Starting from The Palazzo Theater and winding through The Palazzo casino floor, past the Waterfall Atrium & Gardens into The Venetian casino and the Grand Colonnade onto Doge's Palace, the electric gondoliers and courtesans, stilt walkers and jugglers will create a visual spectacle. The parade will start at 8 p.m. daily and is complimentary to the public.
Carnevale Nights Every Saturday starting at 9 p.m., adults will head into Azure for a night of revelry reminiscent of Carnevale nights. The one-of-a-kind rotunda will feature sophisticated and sexy events including body painting, jazz bands and wine tastings. Admission is complimentary with daybeds and cabanas available to rent (food and beverage minimums apply). Must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Please call Azure at 702.767.3724 for more information or for reservations.
Food & Beverage A seasonal Carnevale cocktail menu will be available throughout the resort lounges including Zebra Lounge, La Scena, Oculus, Fusion Mixology Bar and Laguna Champagne Bar featuring festive, colorful cocktails such as Piazza prosecco with campari, Grand Marnier, prosecco, raspberry; Carnevale Bellini with choice of strawberry, passion fruit or mango puree topped with prosecco; Festivale with clove-infused Bacardi peach, limoncello, fresh lemon juice; Tarantella with Romano Sambuca, pisco, house made falernum, fresh lemon juice, peychauds bitters, topped with Pellegrino and chilled grappa.
Prix fixe menus and specials will be offered at select restaurants throughout the resorts and specialty Carnevale dining offerings can be ordered in-suite including Cavatappi pasta with sweet peas, morels, and pancetta and grilled marinated rib-eye, asparagus sauteed with garlic and chili flakes paired with fingerling potatoes.
Guests can also enjoy Sweet Surrender's limited-time raspberry white cake with chocolate ganache cupcakes.
Wedding Packages Those looking for a unique way to commemorate their nuptials will have a variety of whimsical wedding packages to choose from including "Carnevale of Love" with a white gondola wedding along the Grand Canal; "Viva Carnevale" with an accordion player and cotton candy and jumbo lollipop treats for their guests; "Step Right Up" with a live musical trio and festive Carnevale decor; or the "Cotton Candy Kisses" with an assortment of Carnevale jewelry and masks presented to guests and souvenir mask for the bride and groom.
Canyon Ranch SpaClub(R) The famed Canyon Ranch SpaClub will offer Carnevale-inspired summer seasonal services including the Limoncello Scrub fragranced with a synergy of tart Italian lemon and sweet vanilla to leave skin baby soft; Grape Seed Body Oil Massage to revitalize and rehydrate the skin with copious amounts of vitamins C,D,E and Beta Carotene; and the Fresh Squeezed Lemon Facial, designed to maximize the skin's ability to slough off the wear and tear of summer sun damage and encourage it to hold on to its own natural moisture.
In addition, Canyon Ranch Grill will offer healthy, organic cocktails including the Portafino with Crusoe spiced rum, pomegranate juice, cinnamon-infused simple syrup, Canyon Ranch sour mix, fresh squeezed lime and apple juice; Capri Breeze with Crusoe rum, Fruitlab orange liqueur, Canyon Ranch sour mix; Capri Cooler with Crusoe rum, muddled lime, Canyon Ranch simple syrup; and the Sorrento Sunrise with Crusoe spiced rum, Fruitlab orange liqueur, Amaretto syrup, lime and pineapple juice.
Children's Activities Parents can enjoy a moment of quiet with each other while their children's imaginations and creativity run wild as they decorate Venetian masks with feathers and sequins or have airbrush tattoo artists draw fun designs. Petite artists can create pottery masterpieces or try their luck at the carnival-inspired game booth. Complimentary from 2-11 p.m. daily.
A celebration of discovery, taste and fun, Carnevale is themed on the myriad of summer festivals that grace the small villages and towns of Italy throughout summer. Wonderment and revelry surround guests from the moment they enter the resorts through an elaborate, oversized masquerade mask and see the colorful banners and streamers. Carnevale will mark the debut of The Venetian's spectacular outdoor light show on the iconic clock tower and a colorful parade, the core of all Italian festivals, will wind its way through the property each night.
From these visual spectacles, to the themed characters and the unexpected surprises around every corner, guests will be wrapped up in the pageantry and magic that is Carnevale. In addition, each month will portray a different theme representing a various aspect of Italy, inviting guests to come back to experience all the new experiences and magic throughout Carnevale.
"The magic of Carnevale is never knowing what unexpected surprise is around the corner and the distinctively themed months offer a unique and special experience every time you visit," said John Caparella, president and chief operating officer of The Venetian, The Palazzo and Sands Expo. "Summer is always a fun and joyous time and Carnevale offers the perfect place to spend time and make lasting memories with friends and family."
A "Passaporto di Carnevale" will be included with select suite packages offered throughout Carnevale with special discounts and entertainment specials as well as retail offers from The Grand Canal Shoppes and The Shoppes at The Palazzo. The Passaporto will be an exclusive benefit to resort guests and Grazie members, The Venetian and The Palazzo's premier loyalty program. During Carnevale, Grazie members can continue to earn valued Status Points with all suite charges by linking a Grazie account to suite reservations.
Mese di Arte - Art Month (June 1-30) Throughout Mese di Arte, the resorts will be transformed into an art gallery with unbelievable 3-D chalk artists creating seemingly impossible masterpieces. Glassblowers will demonstrate their intricate art with demonstrations and guests can meander through the resort admiring one-of-a-kind pieces with an interactive Art Walk or take photos with living art installations.
Mese di Musica - Music Month (July 1-31) Guests will delight in the sound of music resonating throughout the resort during Mese di Musica with a concert series featuring musicians and vocalists in The Venetian Showroom and outdoor stage near the outside gondola areas.
Mese di Vino y Cucina - Wine and Food Month (August 1-31) Mese di Vino y Cucina will offer savory wine tastings from top winemakers while children relish the experience of learning to make spaghetti or pizza in cooking classes. In addition, chefs will show their craft in cooking demonstrations and meet and greets.
Doge's Palace and Carnevale Light Show Guests will enter The Venetian through an enormous, ornate Venetian masquerade mask spanning the width of the main bridge and standing 75 feet high. Representing "day" on one side and "night" on the other, the mask is made of molded hard coated epoxy and weighs 14 tons.
The front of Doge's Palace will be transformed into an Italian-style street piazza with small cafe tables and waiters offering candied apples, refreshing fruit sorbets and traditional Italian favorites including prosciutto and caprese paninis. In addition, street vendors will be set up offering caricature drawings or whimsical green screen photography to purchase.
Guests can take a romantic glide down the outdoor canal and enjoy a delicious dessert experience featuring a duo of lemon and orange Italian sorbets.
Each night, the facade of the Clock Tower will illuminate in a spectacular light performance with a distinct, complimentary five-minute show at 9, 10, 11 p.m. and midnight. Designed by The Projection Studio, the same company that designed groundbreaking shows for Buckingham Palace and the World Cup, the show took approximately two months to create and build in the 3D model. Designers started by digitally mapping and scanning the entire building to create the virtual prototype used as the projection base, then artwork and themed shows were designed to work with the architecture of the building and music was created to complement each individual show. Once the performance was designed, an animation consultant created the astonishing 3D movement.
Carnevale Festival Parade Each evening, an exciting electric light parade will wind its way throughout the resort. Starting from The Palazzo Theater and winding through The Palazzo casino floor, past the Waterfall Atrium & Gardens into The Venetian casino and the Grand Colonnade onto Doge's Palace, the electric gondoliers and courtesans, stilt walkers and jugglers will create a visual spectacle. The parade will start at 8 p.m. daily and is complimentary to the public.
Carnevale Nights Every Saturday starting at 9 p.m., adults will head into Azure for a night of revelry reminiscent of Carnevale nights. The one-of-a-kind rotunda will feature sophisticated and sexy events including body painting, jazz bands and wine tastings. Admission is complimentary with daybeds and cabanas available to rent (food and beverage minimums apply). Must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Please call Azure at 702.767.3724 for more information or for reservations.
Food & Beverage A seasonal Carnevale cocktail menu will be available throughout the resort lounges including Zebra Lounge, La Scena, Oculus, Fusion Mixology Bar and Laguna Champagne Bar featuring festive, colorful cocktails such as Piazza prosecco with campari, Grand Marnier, prosecco, raspberry; Carnevale Bellini with choice of strawberry, passion fruit or mango puree topped with prosecco; Festivale with clove-infused Bacardi peach, limoncello, fresh lemon juice; Tarantella with Romano Sambuca, pisco, house made falernum, fresh lemon juice, peychauds bitters, topped with Pellegrino and chilled grappa.
Prix fixe menus and specials will be offered at select restaurants throughout the resorts and specialty Carnevale dining offerings can be ordered in-suite including Cavatappi pasta with sweet peas, morels, and pancetta and grilled marinated rib-eye, asparagus sauteed with garlic and chili flakes paired with fingerling potatoes.
Guests can also enjoy Sweet Surrender's limited-time raspberry white cake with chocolate ganache cupcakes.
Wedding Packages Those looking for a unique way to commemorate their nuptials will have a variety of whimsical wedding packages to choose from including "Carnevale of Love" with a white gondola wedding along the Grand Canal; "Viva Carnevale" with an accordion player and cotton candy and jumbo lollipop treats for their guests; "Step Right Up" with a live musical trio and festive Carnevale decor; or the "Cotton Candy Kisses" with an assortment of Carnevale jewelry and masks presented to guests and souvenir mask for the bride and groom.
Canyon Ranch SpaClub(R) The famed Canyon Ranch SpaClub will offer Carnevale-inspired summer seasonal services including the Limoncello Scrub fragranced with a synergy of tart Italian lemon and sweet vanilla to leave skin baby soft; Grape Seed Body Oil Massage to revitalize and rehydrate the skin with copious amounts of vitamins C,D,E and Beta Carotene; and the Fresh Squeezed Lemon Facial, designed to maximize the skin's ability to slough off the wear and tear of summer sun damage and encourage it to hold on to its own natural moisture.
In addition, Canyon Ranch Grill will offer healthy, organic cocktails including the Portafino with Crusoe spiced rum, pomegranate juice, cinnamon-infused simple syrup, Canyon Ranch sour mix, fresh squeezed lime and apple juice; Capri Breeze with Crusoe rum, Fruitlab orange liqueur, Canyon Ranch sour mix; Capri Cooler with Crusoe rum, muddled lime, Canyon Ranch simple syrup; and the Sorrento Sunrise with Crusoe spiced rum, Fruitlab orange liqueur, Amaretto syrup, lime and pineapple juice.
Children's Activities Parents can enjoy a moment of quiet with each other while their children's imaginations and creativity run wild as they decorate Venetian masks with feathers and sequins or have airbrush tattoo artists draw fun designs. Petite artists can create pottery masterpieces or try their luck at the carnival-inspired game booth. Complimentary from 2-11 p.m. daily.
The Girlfriend Bond: A reason, a season or a lifetime for friends
Turn on the television, and you are likely to see a circle of close-knit gal-pals, all with varying talents and interests, whose close bond is predicated on a mutual respect for one another (and, of course, a mutual love of all things Manolo Blahnik or Christian Louboutin), or the image of “besties” since childhood who have navigated through all things (good and bad) only to come out stronger and closer than ever.
Friendships can be for a reason, a season or a lifetime, but they all require time, energy and a heap of patience. The deeper the friendship, the more compassion and forgiveness is required. More than the number of friends in the circle or the length of time they have been there — it is commitment to one another and demonstrated selflessness that is the truest measure of the relationship’s merit.
Kerrin Kostelic, a local Realtor, and Kelly Leigh Bousquet, a recently engaged world-traveling mortgage origination specialist, help navigate the topic of friendships between women.
Friendships can be for a reason, a season or a lifetime, but they all require time, energy and a heap of patience. The deeper the friendship, the more compassion and forgiveness is required. More than the number of friends in the circle or the length of time they have been there — it is commitment to one another and demonstrated selflessness that is the truest measure of the relationship’s merit.
Kerrin Kostelic, a local Realtor, and Kelly Leigh Bousquet, a recently engaged world-traveling mortgage origination specialist, help navigate the topic of friendships between women.
2012年4月22日星期日
Baddourah plans to become a middle-roader on city spending habits
The new shoe leather District 3 representative on Columbia City Council plans to be a moderate on the city’s spending practices, or, as he puts it, “just a good balance.”
Restaurateur Moe Baddourah said he sees himself as being fiscally somewhere between departing Councilman Daniel Rickenmann and former Councilwoman Anne Sinclair. Rickenmann is viewed as having been more hawkish on spending cuts while Sinclair, who stepped down in 2008, more pragmatic.
“I’m more in the middle … more of a moderate fiscal conservative,” Baddourah, who stressed his business experience during the campaign, said Friday. “I’m not going to tell you I’m conservative and am going to vote to cut services to save money.”
One absolute on which Baddourah said he is unwilling to budge is voting to use revenue from the city’s water and sewer system for anything other than improving its crumbling pipes and pumps.
Answering with the one word, “no,” he was adamant that he would not vote to divert money from upkeep and replacement into other city functions such as police and firefighters, as council has for years.
In a runoff last week, Baddourah trounced Daniel Coble, son of former longtime mayor Bob Coble, by 14 percentage points, or 440 votes. Baddourah seized 14 of 22 precincts, doing especially well in the more conservative ones that were newly redrawn by council into District 3 from Columbia’s eastern edge.
Baddourah said he was surprised by the size of his victory. “I really fought hard for this race; a lot of hours; three pairs of shoes,” he said of the estimated 6,000 doors he said he knocked on along every street in the district that stretches from the USC area and Shandon and dips south and east into portions of what until this year was District 4. Some doors he returned to two or even three times, bring the total to 8,000, by his count.
Baddourah acknowledged that he largely will be an observer his first months in office, seeking to understand the intricacies of municipal finance as council prepares to adopt the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 – the date he and new at-large Councilman Cameron Runyan, who’s replacing Rickenmann, take office.
“I really want to learn,” Baddourah said. Starting in January when the city begins grappling with the 2013-2014 budget, “I’m really going to get my hands dirty.” In the interim, he said he will not be a no-way, no-how councilman on increases in city spending.
“Ask me in a year and I’ll tell you if I’m Daniel Rickenmann or Anne Sinclair,” he said, chuckling.
Rickenmann, twice elected citywide, could not be reached Friday.
Former District 3 representative Sinclair said Rickenmann’s “hardline” approach to fiscal conservatism has “mellowed” in his time on council.
“If you take how Daniel is now and compare him to me, I think there would be a lot of similarities,” Sinclair said.
Learning and understanding how the city spends money and handles its finances is a slow process because of the complexities. The political reality of working with six other council members also tends to temper campaign rhetoric that offers simple solutions, she said.
“The new representatives are going to have to do a lot of listening to their fellow council members as well as to the staff,” Sinclair said, citing her experience during five terms on council.
Critics such as former Councilman Kirkman Finlay III say council is tilting back toward spending habits that once saw spending grow to the point that Columbia had two years of operating in the red before it corrected its course. Last year, council authorized a 2 percentage point increase in a franchise fee that all utility customers pay as a way of buoying the struggling bus system. Now, council is considering the size of its next increase in water and sewer rates.
Finlay, who supported Baddourah’s race and gave the candidate’s staff political advice, said the nation’s sluggish recovery also helped Baddourah. “I think the times are his ally.”
“I think his win is massively impressive,” Finlay said. “The fact that he overcame the ‘Legacy Bob Coble Machine’ is amazing.” Finlay, who lost a 2010 race for mayor and now is a candidate for the S.C. House 75 seat, said he did not realize how much the change in the district’s boundaries would help Baddourah. “I completely underestimated that.”
Restaurateur Moe Baddourah said he sees himself as being fiscally somewhere between departing Councilman Daniel Rickenmann and former Councilwoman Anne Sinclair. Rickenmann is viewed as having been more hawkish on spending cuts while Sinclair, who stepped down in 2008, more pragmatic.
“I’m more in the middle … more of a moderate fiscal conservative,” Baddourah, who stressed his business experience during the campaign, said Friday. “I’m not going to tell you I’m conservative and am going to vote to cut services to save money.”
One absolute on which Baddourah said he is unwilling to budge is voting to use revenue from the city’s water and sewer system for anything other than improving its crumbling pipes and pumps.
Answering with the one word, “no,” he was adamant that he would not vote to divert money from upkeep and replacement into other city functions such as police and firefighters, as council has for years.
In a runoff last week, Baddourah trounced Daniel Coble, son of former longtime mayor Bob Coble, by 14 percentage points, or 440 votes. Baddourah seized 14 of 22 precincts, doing especially well in the more conservative ones that were newly redrawn by council into District 3 from Columbia’s eastern edge.
Baddourah said he was surprised by the size of his victory. “I really fought hard for this race; a lot of hours; three pairs of shoes,” he said of the estimated 6,000 doors he said he knocked on along every street in the district that stretches from the USC area and Shandon and dips south and east into portions of what until this year was District 4. Some doors he returned to two or even three times, bring the total to 8,000, by his count.
Baddourah acknowledged that he largely will be an observer his first months in office, seeking to understand the intricacies of municipal finance as council prepares to adopt the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 – the date he and new at-large Councilman Cameron Runyan, who’s replacing Rickenmann, take office.
“I really want to learn,” Baddourah said. Starting in January when the city begins grappling with the 2013-2014 budget, “I’m really going to get my hands dirty.” In the interim, he said he will not be a no-way, no-how councilman on increases in city spending.
“Ask me in a year and I’ll tell you if I’m Daniel Rickenmann or Anne Sinclair,” he said, chuckling.
Rickenmann, twice elected citywide, could not be reached Friday.
Former District 3 representative Sinclair said Rickenmann’s “hardline” approach to fiscal conservatism has “mellowed” in his time on council.
“If you take how Daniel is now and compare him to me, I think there would be a lot of similarities,” Sinclair said.
Learning and understanding how the city spends money and handles its finances is a slow process because of the complexities. The political reality of working with six other council members also tends to temper campaign rhetoric that offers simple solutions, she said.
“The new representatives are going to have to do a lot of listening to their fellow council members as well as to the staff,” Sinclair said, citing her experience during five terms on council.
Critics such as former Councilman Kirkman Finlay III say council is tilting back toward spending habits that once saw spending grow to the point that Columbia had two years of operating in the red before it corrected its course. Last year, council authorized a 2 percentage point increase in a franchise fee that all utility customers pay as a way of buoying the struggling bus system. Now, council is considering the size of its next increase in water and sewer rates.
Finlay, who supported Baddourah’s race and gave the candidate’s staff political advice, said the nation’s sluggish recovery also helped Baddourah. “I think the times are his ally.”
“I think his win is massively impressive,” Finlay said. “The fact that he overcame the ‘Legacy Bob Coble Machine’ is amazing.” Finlay, who lost a 2010 race for mayor and now is a candidate for the S.C. House 75 seat, said he did not realize how much the change in the district’s boundaries would help Baddourah. “I completely underestimated that.”
2012年4月19日星期四
Life after Yoculan tough for UGA, coach Jay Clark
Suzanne Yoculan reflects on her early years as Georgia’s gymnastics coach and laughs. She is best-known today for her 10 national championships at UGA, but she was known for a lot of other things when she started out in the mid-1980s.
“I used to throw shoes across the room,” Yoculan said incredulously. “I would take my shoe off and wing it across the room at a girl because I was mad at her for something. I’m not kidding. I learned a lot those first few years.”
Yoculan shared that experience to illustrate how much there is for young coaches to learn. Yoculan points out that her successor, Jay Clark, also is a young coach and is having to learn on the job. For that reason, she said, fans need to be patient with him.
“He hasn’t taken his shoe off and thrown it across the room,” Yoculan quipped, “so already he’s doing better than I did.”
Clark, Yoculan’s lead assistant for 17 years, Clark took over as head coach three years ago. In that span, the Bulldogs had the gall not only to fail to win a national championship — they won five in a row before Yoculan stepped away — but they didn’t qualify for the NCAA championships that first year.
But this year the team is back in the hunt. Georgia (17-5) is ranked No. 5 in the nation and is one of 12 teams that will compete for the national title at Gwinnett Arena.
The Bulldogs are seeded fifth and will compete in the second semifinal session with six other teams at 6 p.m. Friday. Georgia, No. 1 Florida, No. 4 Alabama, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9 Oregon State and No. 12 Ohio will compete for three of the six spots in Saturday’s championship meet (4 p.m.).
No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Utah, No. 10 Stanford and No. 11 LSU will compete in the first session at noon. The individual competition will be held Sunday.
“We feel really good about our situation,” said Clark, whose team won the Auburn regional to advance to the championship meet. “We’re not going to ‘out-difficulty’ anybody; we know that. We’re not going to do some of the crazy big skills you’ll see some of the other teams do. But we’re going to concentrate on being a super-clean team. Hit every handstand; stick all our landings. Every year that’s what decides championships.”
Florida and UCLA are favored. Georgia has competed with seven of the other 11 teams in the field and went 6-5 against them. The losses came against Florida, Alabama and Utah.
Georgia is led by senior Kat Ding, the reigning NCAA uneven-bars champion who ranks 15th in vault. Chelsea Davis (ninth) and Gina Nuccio (16th) are nationally ranked on bars, Shayla Worley is fourth on balance beam and 21st in all-around.
Yoculan, who led Georgia to the championship rounds in 23 of her 26 seasons, likes what she sees in this team.
“I used to throw shoes across the room,” Yoculan said incredulously. “I would take my shoe off and wing it across the room at a girl because I was mad at her for something. I’m not kidding. I learned a lot those first few years.”
Yoculan shared that experience to illustrate how much there is for young coaches to learn. Yoculan points out that her successor, Jay Clark, also is a young coach and is having to learn on the job. For that reason, she said, fans need to be patient with him.
“He hasn’t taken his shoe off and thrown it across the room,” Yoculan quipped, “so already he’s doing better than I did.”
Clark, Yoculan’s lead assistant for 17 years, Clark took over as head coach three years ago. In that span, the Bulldogs had the gall not only to fail to win a national championship — they won five in a row before Yoculan stepped away — but they didn’t qualify for the NCAA championships that first year.
But this year the team is back in the hunt. Georgia (17-5) is ranked No. 5 in the nation and is one of 12 teams that will compete for the national title at Gwinnett Arena.
The Bulldogs are seeded fifth and will compete in the second semifinal session with six other teams at 6 p.m. Friday. Georgia, No. 1 Florida, No. 4 Alabama, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9 Oregon State and No. 12 Ohio will compete for three of the six spots in Saturday’s championship meet (4 p.m.).
No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Utah, No. 10 Stanford and No. 11 LSU will compete in the first session at noon. The individual competition will be held Sunday.
“We feel really good about our situation,” said Clark, whose team won the Auburn regional to advance to the championship meet. “We’re not going to ‘out-difficulty’ anybody; we know that. We’re not going to do some of the crazy big skills you’ll see some of the other teams do. But we’re going to concentrate on being a super-clean team. Hit every handstand; stick all our landings. Every year that’s what decides championships.”
Florida and UCLA are favored. Georgia has competed with seven of the other 11 teams in the field and went 6-5 against them. The losses came against Florida, Alabama and Utah.
Georgia is led by senior Kat Ding, the reigning NCAA uneven-bars champion who ranks 15th in vault. Chelsea Davis (ninth) and Gina Nuccio (16th) are nationally ranked on bars, Shayla Worley is fourth on balance beam and 21st in all-around.
Yoculan, who led Georgia to the championship rounds in 23 of her 26 seasons, likes what she sees in this team.
2012年4月18日星期三
International shoe designer Guy West speaks about Jeffery West’s 25 anniversary
“WE have tried to be different,” says international designer Guy West of his footwear brand Jeffery West, reflecting on its milestone anniversary.
It is now 25 years since shoemakers and childhood friends Mark Jeffery and Guy West began what has turned into an iconic British footwear brand, donned by celebrities across the globe, including Mickey Rourke, Nick Cave, David Beckham and Rio Ferdinand to name but a few.
In other interesting recent projects the classic with a twist brand, has also been involved in designing shoes for the staff of Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant and designing shoes for bands like the Rival Sons.
But it all started from humble beginnings and a childhood friendship.
“We were childhood friends we met through our parents. Guy’s parents ran the Sywell Airport Motel and my parents went there for meals, so we have grown up from the age of 10 knowing each other,” said Mark, now aged 47, who grew up in Earls Barton.
“My father owned a shoe factory there, TC Partridge.
“When we started off we were getting rejects from my father’s factory and reviving end of the line shoes to sell on the market.
“Guy was working for a local footwear importer and we were selling onto the market and customising it a little bit.
“So that took off a bit and my father’s business closed in 1986, a year later, and we started Jeffery West.
“We were 21 and 22 at the time so we didn’t have enough money to open our own factory, so we used the spare capacity of other factories.
“The Northampton factories have always been more traditional in design and we wanted to do something different...we were in our early 20s and the city Oxford just wasn’t what we wanted to do.
“Our designs have always been fashionable but still using the traditional technique of the local industry.”
Although there is an element of the traditional in the shoes, it is clear as we are shown around the stock at Jeffery West in Northampton, that it has very much its own style, with subtle details, stamps and cuts making them stand out. Much of this is down to designer Guy, now aged 46, who heads up the creative side of the business.
“There’s quite a lot of Victorian influence and that sort of Edwardian steam pump look in our collection. They feel quite fashionable but in a traditional way.
“It is very elegant, an almost bespoke antique look.
“We have shoes which have the St John’s Cross Medal on them or we use a lot of different punctures and different shines. Like having skulls punched into the leathers.
“Then we have the famously pointed toe...it’s the details that make us stand out.
“But you can still see a lot of the traditional Northamptonshire footwear in our designs and I spend a lot of time in the Northampton Museum’s archives for research.
“In 25 years a lot of music from when we were growing up has found its way into the names and designs of shoes.
“We saw a lot of changes in music from the end of punk and disco to mod revival amongst others.
“The majority of our shoes will run for 10 years maybe more. The best seller is Moon named after Keith Moon.”
The brand has spread across the country and now the globe; it has stores in London, Leeds, Northampton and now in Taipei, as well as being stocked in numerous boutiques.
But its roots still come back to Northampton, where around 65 per cent of its shoes are manufactured and the brand remains involved in the local community.
“We have always tried to support the local industry as much as we can and we have been influenced by local history, “ said Guy.
It is now 25 years since shoemakers and childhood friends Mark Jeffery and Guy West began what has turned into an iconic British footwear brand, donned by celebrities across the globe, including Mickey Rourke, Nick Cave, David Beckham and Rio Ferdinand to name but a few.
In other interesting recent projects the classic with a twist brand, has also been involved in designing shoes for the staff of Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant and designing shoes for bands like the Rival Sons.
But it all started from humble beginnings and a childhood friendship.
“We were childhood friends we met through our parents. Guy’s parents ran the Sywell Airport Motel and my parents went there for meals, so we have grown up from the age of 10 knowing each other,” said Mark, now aged 47, who grew up in Earls Barton.
“My father owned a shoe factory there, TC Partridge.
“When we started off we were getting rejects from my father’s factory and reviving end of the line shoes to sell on the market.
“Guy was working for a local footwear importer and we were selling onto the market and customising it a little bit.
“So that took off a bit and my father’s business closed in 1986, a year later, and we started Jeffery West.
“We were 21 and 22 at the time so we didn’t have enough money to open our own factory, so we used the spare capacity of other factories.
“The Northampton factories have always been more traditional in design and we wanted to do something different...we were in our early 20s and the city Oxford just wasn’t what we wanted to do.
“Our designs have always been fashionable but still using the traditional technique of the local industry.”
Although there is an element of the traditional in the shoes, it is clear as we are shown around the stock at Jeffery West in Northampton, that it has very much its own style, with subtle details, stamps and cuts making them stand out. Much of this is down to designer Guy, now aged 46, who heads up the creative side of the business.
“There’s quite a lot of Victorian influence and that sort of Edwardian steam pump look in our collection. They feel quite fashionable but in a traditional way.
“It is very elegant, an almost bespoke antique look.
“We have shoes which have the St John’s Cross Medal on them or we use a lot of different punctures and different shines. Like having skulls punched into the leathers.
“Then we have the famously pointed toe...it’s the details that make us stand out.
“But you can still see a lot of the traditional Northamptonshire footwear in our designs and I spend a lot of time in the Northampton Museum’s archives for research.
“In 25 years a lot of music from when we were growing up has found its way into the names and designs of shoes.
“We saw a lot of changes in music from the end of punk and disco to mod revival amongst others.
“The majority of our shoes will run for 10 years maybe more. The best seller is Moon named after Keith Moon.”
The brand has spread across the country and now the globe; it has stores in London, Leeds, Northampton and now in Taipei, as well as being stocked in numerous boutiques.
But its roots still come back to Northampton, where around 65 per cent of its shoes are manufactured and the brand remains involved in the local community.
“We have always tried to support the local industry as much as we can and we have been influenced by local history, “ said Guy.
2012年4月17日星期二
Infratil boss filling big pair of shoes at new HQ
Should Marko Bogoievski ever start to forget whose shoes he is filling, arriving at the Morrison & Co offices will serve as a daily reminder of the bold personality of its founder.
Best known for its management of utility investment vehicle Infratil (holder of controlling interests including Trustpower, Wellington Airport and Z Energy), Morrison & Co recently moved into the refurbished John Chambers building on Market Lane near Wellington's waterfront.
While most of the office is off limits to the media, it has a dark foyer, the wall opposite the lifts embossed just visibly with Morrison & Co's crab-like logo.
Hidden doors lead into meeting rooms adorned with bold artwork, hung over designer wallpaper or domino-like leather cushioning.
An intercom system, reputed to cost $40,000, was part of a project said to have run twice over budget, every detail directed by Lloyd Morrison, industrialist and philanthropist, who died of leukaemia in March.
Morrison spent two decades building Morrison & Co, the final year of which he worked on guiding the new office design.
Bogoievski, a former chief financial officer of Telecom, who became chief executive of Infratil shortly after Morrison's diagnosis, dismissed the suggestion the office was a magnum opus, but acknowledged it was designed "to make the place more than an office building".
"One of the great pities was he [Lloyd] never got to see the place. He saw some photos, but never got to properly open it, talk to people about it."
Bogoievski was clearly not hired because his personality was similar to that of his boss. While Morrison was known for stylish dress, slightly-too-long hair and bold public statements, Bogoievski was forced to admit during the eulogy (Morrison having demanded staff dress with some colour at the funeral) that he struggled to find a colourful tie.
It was, though, Morrison's style of business which attracted him to the job, the unusual ability to comfortably "pursue commercial outcomes and be a good corporate citizen".
"That was quite special and unique. I've not seen that anywhere. That's why I joined this place. That's probably why half of the organisation joined, they saw that. Genuinely, that is an ethos in this business," Bogoievski says.
"We're really conscious of just not letting the culture change by accident ... How can you still do the right thing and make a buck at the same time?"
Infratil has been at pains to play down any change of direction, post-Lloyd Morrison. His brother Rob, a successful investment banker, has been installed as chairman of Morrison & Co, and Bogoievski insists that while the structure of decision-making may have changed over time "you've still got the same senior people making the same contribution" as in the past.
Best known for its management of utility investment vehicle Infratil (holder of controlling interests including Trustpower, Wellington Airport and Z Energy), Morrison & Co recently moved into the refurbished John Chambers building on Market Lane near Wellington's waterfront.
While most of the office is off limits to the media, it has a dark foyer, the wall opposite the lifts embossed just visibly with Morrison & Co's crab-like logo.
Hidden doors lead into meeting rooms adorned with bold artwork, hung over designer wallpaper or domino-like leather cushioning.
An intercom system, reputed to cost $40,000, was part of a project said to have run twice over budget, every detail directed by Lloyd Morrison, industrialist and philanthropist, who died of leukaemia in March.
Morrison spent two decades building Morrison & Co, the final year of which he worked on guiding the new office design.
Bogoievski, a former chief financial officer of Telecom, who became chief executive of Infratil shortly after Morrison's diagnosis, dismissed the suggestion the office was a magnum opus, but acknowledged it was designed "to make the place more than an office building".
"One of the great pities was he [Lloyd] never got to see the place. He saw some photos, but never got to properly open it, talk to people about it."
Bogoievski was clearly not hired because his personality was similar to that of his boss. While Morrison was known for stylish dress, slightly-too-long hair and bold public statements, Bogoievski was forced to admit during the eulogy (Morrison having demanded staff dress with some colour at the funeral) that he struggled to find a colourful tie.
It was, though, Morrison's style of business which attracted him to the job, the unusual ability to comfortably "pursue commercial outcomes and be a good corporate citizen".
"That was quite special and unique. I've not seen that anywhere. That's why I joined this place. That's probably why half of the organisation joined, they saw that. Genuinely, that is an ethos in this business," Bogoievski says.
"We're really conscious of just not letting the culture change by accident ... How can you still do the right thing and make a buck at the same time?"
Infratil has been at pains to play down any change of direction, post-Lloyd Morrison. His brother Rob, a successful investment banker, has been installed as chairman of Morrison & Co, and Bogoievski insists that while the structure of decision-making may have changed over time "you've still got the same senior people making the same contribution" as in the past.
2012年4月16日星期一
Office shoes, snacks and bullet casings at scene of last stand
Three bodies lay close together on the fifth-floor staircase, scene of the final stand of an 18-hour siege. Slight and dressed in shalwar kameez, without body armour or ammunition vest, one clean-shaven fighter had worn black office shoes for his role defending a half-built high-rise against Afghan and Norwegian commando units backed by Apache attack helicopters.
An unexploded rocket dangled from the half-finished concrete ceiling nearby, testament to the ferocity of the morning assault that ended the suicide mission.
The five men who had commandeered and then died in the construction site were part of perhaps the most ambitious insurgent offensive in more than a decade of war. Co-ordinated assaults on high-profile military, government and diplomatic targets in the east, west and centre of Kabul came as three other insurgent teams attacked cities in eastern Afghanistan. A total of 36 insurgents were killed during battles that ended after dawn broke on Monday.
The fighting was a reminder of the insurgent threat at a time when foreign troops are already drawing down. Combat troops are due to be home by the end of 2014. But it was also a display of the growing ability and confidence of Afghan security forces, who handled the majority of the fighting without western support.
The president, Hamid Karzai, said the attack showed a "failure" by Afghan and Nato intelligence. "The fact terrorists were able to enter Kabul and other provinces was an intelligence failure for us and especially for Nato," Karzai's office said in a statement.
The Taliban fighters kept swaths of the capital awake with rattling gunfire and loud explosions through the night, but the civilian and security forces toll was relatively low. Eight policemen and three civilians were killed, according to the interior minister, Bismillah Mohammadi. The rapid security response and the militants' choice of very well-defended targets may have played a role in limiting the number of casualties.
Among buildings that took direct and indirect fire were the US, German and British embassies, and some coalition and Afghan government buildings, a spokesman for the Nato-led coalition said.
Mohammadi said one militant arrested in the east had confessed that the fighters had ties to the Haqqani network, a ruthless Taliban-linked insurgent group based in Pakistan, and blamed for most high-profile assaults in the Afghan capital.
A Taliban spokesman said the Haqqani network had played no role in the attack. Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters that the insurgents had planned the offensives for months, creating model replicas of targeted buildings so that fighters could rehearse their attacks.
Bystanders outside the high-rise at the edge of the diplomatic district swore the fighters were Pakistani, although there was no evidence. "You can tell he was Pakistani, he is so thin," said a teenager, Najibullah, after peering into the guard cabin of a nearby compound belonging to the intelligence services, where a sixth insurgent's body was stowed.
The insurgent had been shot dead in an apparent diversionary attack that launched the fighting. As the militants drove up to the building site in an SUV, one fighter jumped down into the street and ran to attack the heavily defended gate of the National Directorate of Security complex, said Major Sayed Abdullah, a National Directorate of Security (NDS) commando who was at the gate.
He said the fighter was killed almost immediately, but the attack gave his comrades time to take up their positions. After a grenade bounced without exploding, they rammed the site gate open with their car.
Guards dropped their weapons and ran to join unarmed construction workers when they saw the militants pull up. They spent several hours cowering in the basement, and were taken into police custody, Abdullah said.
There are strong suspicions that the fighters must have stashed weapons and other supplies in the building in preparation for the attack, because their ammunition held out so long, another intelligence official said. Bullet casings were scattered throughout the building, and empty water bottles and cartons of cream lay near a grenade and a tangle of wires that soldiers warned could be a booby trap.
Hours after the attack ended, US troops with sniffer dogs checked the building for undetonated explosives, as security officials inured to violence snapped pictures of the bodies and discussed the support the fighters must have received.
An unexploded rocket dangled from the half-finished concrete ceiling nearby, testament to the ferocity of the morning assault that ended the suicide mission.
The five men who had commandeered and then died in the construction site were part of perhaps the most ambitious insurgent offensive in more than a decade of war. Co-ordinated assaults on high-profile military, government and diplomatic targets in the east, west and centre of Kabul came as three other insurgent teams attacked cities in eastern Afghanistan. A total of 36 insurgents were killed during battles that ended after dawn broke on Monday.
The fighting was a reminder of the insurgent threat at a time when foreign troops are already drawing down. Combat troops are due to be home by the end of 2014. But it was also a display of the growing ability and confidence of Afghan security forces, who handled the majority of the fighting without western support.
The president, Hamid Karzai, said the attack showed a "failure" by Afghan and Nato intelligence. "The fact terrorists were able to enter Kabul and other provinces was an intelligence failure for us and especially for Nato," Karzai's office said in a statement.
The Taliban fighters kept swaths of the capital awake with rattling gunfire and loud explosions through the night, but the civilian and security forces toll was relatively low. Eight policemen and three civilians were killed, according to the interior minister, Bismillah Mohammadi. The rapid security response and the militants' choice of very well-defended targets may have played a role in limiting the number of casualties.
Among buildings that took direct and indirect fire were the US, German and British embassies, and some coalition and Afghan government buildings, a spokesman for the Nato-led coalition said.
Mohammadi said one militant arrested in the east had confessed that the fighters had ties to the Haqqani network, a ruthless Taliban-linked insurgent group based in Pakistan, and blamed for most high-profile assaults in the Afghan capital.
A Taliban spokesman said the Haqqani network had played no role in the attack. Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters that the insurgents had planned the offensives for months, creating model replicas of targeted buildings so that fighters could rehearse their attacks.
Bystanders outside the high-rise at the edge of the diplomatic district swore the fighters were Pakistani, although there was no evidence. "You can tell he was Pakistani, he is so thin," said a teenager, Najibullah, after peering into the guard cabin of a nearby compound belonging to the intelligence services, where a sixth insurgent's body was stowed.
The insurgent had been shot dead in an apparent diversionary attack that launched the fighting. As the militants drove up to the building site in an SUV, one fighter jumped down into the street and ran to attack the heavily defended gate of the National Directorate of Security complex, said Major Sayed Abdullah, a National Directorate of Security (NDS) commando who was at the gate.
He said the fighter was killed almost immediately, but the attack gave his comrades time to take up their positions. After a grenade bounced without exploding, they rammed the site gate open with their car.
Guards dropped their weapons and ran to join unarmed construction workers when they saw the militants pull up. They spent several hours cowering in the basement, and were taken into police custody, Abdullah said.
There are strong suspicions that the fighters must have stashed weapons and other supplies in the building in preparation for the attack, because their ammunition held out so long, another intelligence official said. Bullet casings were scattered throughout the building, and empty water bottles and cartons of cream lay near a grenade and a tangle of wires that soldiers warned could be a booby trap.
Hours after the attack ended, US troops with sniffer dogs checked the building for undetonated explosives, as security officials inured to violence snapped pictures of the bodies and discussed the support the fighters must have received.
Artist Adrian Wong’s Orange Peel, Harbor Seal
This spring, the Chinese Culture Center (CCC) of San Francisco continues its annual Xian Rui (‘fresh’ and ‘sharp’) exhibition series with Orange Peel, Harbor Seal, Hyperreal, the first solo exhibition in the Bay Area of the work of critically-acclaimed American artist Adrian Wong. The six new sculptural works, created specifically for the exhibition, excavate the similarities and parallels between the present architecture and design of San Francisco’s Chinatown and that of Hong Kong circa 1970.
Wong, also selected as one of 31 international artists to participate in the Asian Art Museum’s concurrent Phantoms of Asia contemporary art exhibition , relies heavily on a research-based method to explore the intricacies of his relationship to his environment — experientially, historically, culturally, and through the filter of fantastical or fictionalized narratives.
Wong made three separate trips to San Francisco in preparation for the exhibition at the CCC, spending countless hours wandering the streets of Chinatown. Based part time in Hong Kong, he was struck by the closely related, but distinct sense of nostalgia that asserts itself visually in both places.
While the Cultural Revolution raged in China in the 1960s and 1970s, British-ruled Hong Kong experienced a vibrant and often idiosyncratic commingling of western psychedelic and traditional Chinese design cultures. References to Taoist cosmology in decorative motifs and staid patterns were suddenly re-presented in colorful abstractions of their original ceremonial counterparts. This now iconic heyday of design, made mythic during the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema, was burned into the collective consciousness of not only the Chinese Diaspora but also of the world at large as representative of the “exotic East.”
Across Hong Kong, the products of this period became ubiquitous and remain distinctive to this day—though most have fallen into disrepair. Carrying the markers of decades of use, they nevertheless continue to catch the eye, making appearances in unexpected places: in alleyways, beneath layers of dust in Chinese medical dispensaries, well-worn countertops in local eateries, and in piles of detritus generated by the unending urban renewal projects initiated by the tourism board.
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, on the other hand, Wong found this aesthetic alive and well – a shiny and new version of elegance borrowed from another era. From the color palette of the mosaic tiled exteriors to the low-cost chandeliers, Chinatown looked to him like a living, but distorted simulacrum of Hong Kong in the 1970s – one that, according to him, “produced an analogous but fundamentally different kind of nostalgia for the period—sanitized, artificial, but still potent as if the simple act of simulation had become authentic despite its inaccuracies.”
Wong, also selected as one of 31 international artists to participate in the Asian Art Museum’s concurrent Phantoms of Asia contemporary art exhibition , relies heavily on a research-based method to explore the intricacies of his relationship to his environment — experientially, historically, culturally, and through the filter of fantastical or fictionalized narratives.
Wong made three separate trips to San Francisco in preparation for the exhibition at the CCC, spending countless hours wandering the streets of Chinatown. Based part time in Hong Kong, he was struck by the closely related, but distinct sense of nostalgia that asserts itself visually in both places.
While the Cultural Revolution raged in China in the 1960s and 1970s, British-ruled Hong Kong experienced a vibrant and often idiosyncratic commingling of western psychedelic and traditional Chinese design cultures. References to Taoist cosmology in decorative motifs and staid patterns were suddenly re-presented in colorful abstractions of their original ceremonial counterparts. This now iconic heyday of design, made mythic during the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema, was burned into the collective consciousness of not only the Chinese Diaspora but also of the world at large as representative of the “exotic East.”
Across Hong Kong, the products of this period became ubiquitous and remain distinctive to this day—though most have fallen into disrepair. Carrying the markers of decades of use, they nevertheless continue to catch the eye, making appearances in unexpected places: in alleyways, beneath layers of dust in Chinese medical dispensaries, well-worn countertops in local eateries, and in piles of detritus generated by the unending urban renewal projects initiated by the tourism board.
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, on the other hand, Wong found this aesthetic alive and well – a shiny and new version of elegance borrowed from another era. From the color palette of the mosaic tiled exteriors to the low-cost chandeliers, Chinatown looked to him like a living, but distorted simulacrum of Hong Kong in the 1970s – one that, according to him, “produced an analogous but fundamentally different kind of nostalgia for the period—sanitized, artificial, but still potent as if the simple act of simulation had become authentic despite its inaccuracies.”
2012年4月15日星期日
Artist Adrian Wong’s Orange Peel, Harbor Seal
This spring, the Chinese Culture Center (CCC) of San Francisco continues its annual Xian Rui (‘fresh’ and ‘sharp’) exhibition series with Orange Peel, Harbor Seal, Hyperreal, the first solo exhibition in the Bay Area of the work of critically-acclaimed American artist Adrian Wong. The six new sculptural works, created specifically for the exhibition, excavate the similarities and parallels between the present architecture and design of San Francisco’s Chinatown and that of Hong Kong circa 1970.
Wong, also selected as one of 31 international artists to participate in the Asian Art Museum’s concurrent Phantoms of Asia contemporary art exhibition , relies heavily on a research-based method to explore the intricacies of his relationship to his environment — experientially, historically, culturally, and through the filter of fantastical or fictionalized narratives.
Wong made three separate trips to San Francisco in preparation for the exhibition at the CCC, spending countless hours wandering the streets of Chinatown. Based part time in Hong Kong, he was struck by the closely related, but distinct sense of nostalgia that asserts itself visually in both places.
While the Cultural Revolution raged in China in the 1960s and 1970s, British-ruled Hong Kong experienced a vibrant and often idiosyncratic commingling of western psychedelic and traditional Chinese design cultures. References to Taoist cosmology in decorative motifs and staid patterns were suddenly re-presented in colorful abstractions of their original ceremonial counterparts. This now iconic heyday of design, made mythic during the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema, was burned into the collective consciousness of not only the Chinese Diaspora but also of the world at large as representative of the “exotic East.”
Across Hong Kong, the products of this period became ubiquitous and remain distinctive to this day—though most have fallen into disrepair. Carrying the markers of decades of use, they nevertheless continue to catch the eye, making appearances in unexpected places: in alleyways, beneath layers of dust in Chinese medical dispensaries, well-worn countertops in local eateries, and in piles of detritus generated by the unending urban renewal projects initiated by the tourism board.
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, on the other hand, Wong found this aesthetic alive and well – a shiny and new version of elegance borrowed from another era. From the color palette of the mosaic tiled exteriors to the low-cost chandeliers, Chinatown looked to him like a living, but distorted simulacrum of Hong Kong in the 1970s – one that, according to him, “produced an analogous but fundamentally different kind of nostalgia for the period—sanitized, artificial, but still potent as if the simple act of simulation had become authentic despite its inaccuracies.”
Wong, also selected as one of 31 international artists to participate in the Asian Art Museum’s concurrent Phantoms of Asia contemporary art exhibition , relies heavily on a research-based method to explore the intricacies of his relationship to his environment — experientially, historically, culturally, and through the filter of fantastical or fictionalized narratives.
Wong made three separate trips to San Francisco in preparation for the exhibition at the CCC, spending countless hours wandering the streets of Chinatown. Based part time in Hong Kong, he was struck by the closely related, but distinct sense of nostalgia that asserts itself visually in both places.
While the Cultural Revolution raged in China in the 1960s and 1970s, British-ruled Hong Kong experienced a vibrant and often idiosyncratic commingling of western psychedelic and traditional Chinese design cultures. References to Taoist cosmology in decorative motifs and staid patterns were suddenly re-presented in colorful abstractions of their original ceremonial counterparts. This now iconic heyday of design, made mythic during the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema, was burned into the collective consciousness of not only the Chinese Diaspora but also of the world at large as representative of the “exotic East.”
Across Hong Kong, the products of this period became ubiquitous and remain distinctive to this day—though most have fallen into disrepair. Carrying the markers of decades of use, they nevertheless continue to catch the eye, making appearances in unexpected places: in alleyways, beneath layers of dust in Chinese medical dispensaries, well-worn countertops in local eateries, and in piles of detritus generated by the unending urban renewal projects initiated by the tourism board.
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, on the other hand, Wong found this aesthetic alive and well – a shiny and new version of elegance borrowed from another era. From the color palette of the mosaic tiled exteriors to the low-cost chandeliers, Chinatown looked to him like a living, but distorted simulacrum of Hong Kong in the 1970s – one that, according to him, “produced an analogous but fundamentally different kind of nostalgia for the period—sanitized, artificial, but still potent as if the simple act of simulation had become authentic despite its inaccuracies.”
2012年4月12日星期四
Pressure ramps up on lawmakers as Senate oil-tax vote nears
JUNEAU -- Outside of the Alaska state capitol building on Wednesday, a group of legislators and citizens waved signs, sang songs, and demanded justice for the botched prosecution of former Alaska U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens. Gov. Sean Parnell, among others, gave a speech about Stevens, the longest-serving Republican U.S. senator in history. Wearing a replica of the famous "Incredible Hulk" tie given to Parnell by Stevens's daughter Lily, the governor promised to, like Stevens, fight for Alaska, and see justice done.
Because a straight line can be drawn between the prosecution of Stevens and the oil tax debate in Juneau in 2005-06, that the rally took place during the thick of yet another heated oil tax debate might have struck some as ironic. Particularly since the current debate, the third in seven years, is an indirect spawn of that Murkowski-era one, one that will live in infamy.
Acknowledging the irony, however, wouldn't bode well for Parnell's agenda. And irony wouldn't fit the mood inside the state capitol Wednesday, anyway, where another oil tax bill -- one that doesn't enjoy the governor's blessing -- was in the process of jump-scotching from one Senate committee to the next.
As details were hashed out that would at long last move Senate Bill 192 -- the Senate's answer to Parnell's demand for state oil-tax reform -- to a full vote on that chamber's floor, groups hovered in the capitol's halls, oil executives and lobbyists huddled and harried senators walked around, whispering to their aides.
To the dismay of some, senators aren't debating whether Alaska should cut taxes on its oil producers. Rather, the debate revolves around how much of a break to give some of the most profitable businesses in the world.
Parnell has pushed hard for tax breaks of up to $2 billion a year when oil is priced at $120 barrel, which is where its hovered recently. If oil rises to $150, that tax break would increase to nearly $3 billion a year under Parnell's plan.
Parnell has repeatedly said the tax break means more investment by industry in Alaska, a state where more than 85 percent of state government is funded by oil taxes and royalties.
Others, who are more skeptical of the oil companies, want these commitments in writing before giving away so much.
Under the current structure, Alaska's oil industry -- dominated by Exxon Mobil Corp., BP and ConocoPhillips -- makes a combined annual profit of about $4.8 billion off of Alaska's reserves when oil is priced at $110 a barrel. When it's $120, that total is more than $5 billion.
The state's take is roughly double that.
Because a straight line can be drawn between the prosecution of Stevens and the oil tax debate in Juneau in 2005-06, that the rally took place during the thick of yet another heated oil tax debate might have struck some as ironic. Particularly since the current debate, the third in seven years, is an indirect spawn of that Murkowski-era one, one that will live in infamy.
Acknowledging the irony, however, wouldn't bode well for Parnell's agenda. And irony wouldn't fit the mood inside the state capitol Wednesday, anyway, where another oil tax bill -- one that doesn't enjoy the governor's blessing -- was in the process of jump-scotching from one Senate committee to the next.
As details were hashed out that would at long last move Senate Bill 192 -- the Senate's answer to Parnell's demand for state oil-tax reform -- to a full vote on that chamber's floor, groups hovered in the capitol's halls, oil executives and lobbyists huddled and harried senators walked around, whispering to their aides.
To the dismay of some, senators aren't debating whether Alaska should cut taxes on its oil producers. Rather, the debate revolves around how much of a break to give some of the most profitable businesses in the world.
Parnell has pushed hard for tax breaks of up to $2 billion a year when oil is priced at $120 barrel, which is where its hovered recently. If oil rises to $150, that tax break would increase to nearly $3 billion a year under Parnell's plan.
Parnell has repeatedly said the tax break means more investment by industry in Alaska, a state where more than 85 percent of state government is funded by oil taxes and royalties.
Others, who are more skeptical of the oil companies, want these commitments in writing before giving away so much.
Under the current structure, Alaska's oil industry -- dominated by Exxon Mobil Corp., BP and ConocoPhillips -- makes a combined annual profit of about $4.8 billion off of Alaska's reserves when oil is priced at $110 a barrel. When it's $120, that total is more than $5 billion.
The state's take is roughly double that.
Lindsay Lohan is no clothes: no more money and the wardrobe goes up for auction
Even the rich are crying . It never seems more appropriate phrase these days for Lindsay Lohan . The former child prodigy of Disney, including legal fees and court, bills and fines, would be in serious financial difficulties. In recent years the actress has spent more time in jail and rehab rather than in September and the film are the major revenue got some photo shoots (such as nude for Playboy ) and to be ambassador for various products.
The actress until a few years ago it was considered the true rising star in Hollywood, but now seems to only twenty-five who is practically broke and forced to face an economic emergency not indifferent. For this reason he decided to sell part of her wardrobe , which includes shoes, clothes and bags are all completely signed. According to the usual well-informed Lindsay would have even filled a truck directly to Crossroads Trading Company in Los Angeles who would buy all for $ 14,000. Not a staggering amount, but enough to pay off the debts of the first young star , who just completed his period of compulsory social services: fifty hours spent in a morgue.
It seems that Lindsay has finally learned the lesson and is willing to take up his career , starting next role, that of Elizabeth Taylor in the film, Liz and Dick . His goal now seems to plunge headlong into work on winning back the trust of the people, according to him, now seem afraid of her.
The actress until a few years ago it was considered the true rising star in Hollywood, but now seems to only twenty-five who is practically broke and forced to face an economic emergency not indifferent. For this reason he decided to sell part of her wardrobe , which includes shoes, clothes and bags are all completely signed. According to the usual well-informed Lindsay would have even filled a truck directly to Crossroads Trading Company in Los Angeles who would buy all for $ 14,000. Not a staggering amount, but enough to pay off the debts of the first young star , who just completed his period of compulsory social services: fifty hours spent in a morgue.
It seems that Lindsay has finally learned the lesson and is willing to take up his career , starting next role, that of Elizabeth Taylor in the film, Liz and Dick . His goal now seems to plunge headlong into work on winning back the trust of the people, according to him, now seem afraid of her.
2012年4月10日星期二
Dr. Emanuel Sergi Develops Slimline Bunion Surgery for Beautiful, Scarless, Bunion-free Feet in Time to Hang Ten
Dr. Emanuel Sergi of Park Avenue Podiatric Carein New York City has pioneered an innovative bunion removaltechnique known as Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) to provide patientswith an aesthetic solution to bunion removal. Patients who receiveSlimline Bunion Surgery(tm) can enjoy the physical relief ofbunion removal with less scaring than can be expected duringtraditional bunion surgery. When bunions prevent your favoriteboots from walking, Dr. EmanuelSergi provides a cosmetic solution for a functionalproblem.
Women are more likely to develop bunions, and those who weartight-fitted, pointy heals, such as stilettos, in combination withgenetics, increase their risk of bunions. Unfortunately, women whocare the most about flashing their feet from inside their Manolowedges and Prada peep toes are most susceptible to bunions and mostlikely to need bunion removal surgery, which until recently, wouldinvolve a lasting scar on the top of the foot. Scars and bunionsare not desired accents to your strappy, open-toed sandals thissummer. Luckily for women interested in hanging ten out of theirsandals for the warmer weather, Dr. Emanuel Sergi offers Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) in NYC to remove painful, unsightlybunions with less to no scarring.
As seen on NBC and the American Health Front, Dr. Sergiuses a combination of a medial incision and a technique similar toliposuction during Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) to provide patientswith as scarless a bunion removal as possible. A medial incision,as opposed to the traditional top dorsal incision, is performed onthe side of the foot near the big toe. This strategic incisionplacement minimizes the scar's visibility. Once the excess bone ofthe bunion is removed and the other misaligned bones of your footand toe are corrected, Dr. Sergi will used a technique similar toliposuction to remove any redundant tissue remaining from thebunion or created during the procedure. These specializedtechniques which expand upon the traditional bunion removalprocedure allow Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) to produce both functionaland cosmetic improvement to the patient's foot.
Some women may hesitate while considering bunion removal surgerybecause of their hectic schedules. Who has the time to take offtheir Christian Louboutin pumps between business meetings, flights,hair appointments, lunches, and benefits? The world does not stopjust because your bunions are revolting against your favoriteheels, but thanks to Dr. EmanuelSergi's innovative bunion removal procedure, Slimline BunionSurgery(tm), you can keep up with the world and leave your bunionsbehind. The recovery from Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) in NY is significantly reducedcompared to traditional bunion removal surgery. Patients may bareweight immediately after receiving Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) andwalk regularly in sneakers by the third to fourth week of recovery.After Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm), your Gucci boots are only six toeight weeks away from fitting more comfortably and finally, onceagain made for walking.
Anyone suffering from bunions may finally have a means toembrace the approaching heat this summer without agonizing over theproper shoes to both support their bunions and enjoy the weather.Wear sandals all summer without revealing any unsightly accentsalong with your footwear except individual style and beautiful,smoothly curved toes. Walk away from bunions and any indicationthey were ever there thanks to Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) in New York City.
Women are more likely to develop bunions, and those who weartight-fitted, pointy heals, such as stilettos, in combination withgenetics, increase their risk of bunions. Unfortunately, women whocare the most about flashing their feet from inside their Manolowedges and Prada peep toes are most susceptible to bunions and mostlikely to need bunion removal surgery, which until recently, wouldinvolve a lasting scar on the top of the foot. Scars and bunionsare not desired accents to your strappy, open-toed sandals thissummer. Luckily for women interested in hanging ten out of theirsandals for the warmer weather, Dr. Emanuel Sergi offers Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) in NYC to remove painful, unsightlybunions with less to no scarring.
As seen on NBC and the American Health Front, Dr. Sergiuses a combination of a medial incision and a technique similar toliposuction during Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) to provide patientswith as scarless a bunion removal as possible. A medial incision,as opposed to the traditional top dorsal incision, is performed onthe side of the foot near the big toe. This strategic incisionplacement minimizes the scar's visibility. Once the excess bone ofthe bunion is removed and the other misaligned bones of your footand toe are corrected, Dr. Sergi will used a technique similar toliposuction to remove any redundant tissue remaining from thebunion or created during the procedure. These specializedtechniques which expand upon the traditional bunion removalprocedure allow Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) to produce both functionaland cosmetic improvement to the patient's foot.
Some women may hesitate while considering bunion removal surgerybecause of their hectic schedules. Who has the time to take offtheir Christian Louboutin pumps between business meetings, flights,hair appointments, lunches, and benefits? The world does not stopjust because your bunions are revolting against your favoriteheels, but thanks to Dr. EmanuelSergi's innovative bunion removal procedure, Slimline BunionSurgery(tm), you can keep up with the world and leave your bunionsbehind. The recovery from Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) in NY is significantly reducedcompared to traditional bunion removal surgery. Patients may bareweight immediately after receiving Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) andwalk regularly in sneakers by the third to fourth week of recovery.After Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm), your Gucci boots are only six toeight weeks away from fitting more comfortably and finally, onceagain made for walking.
Anyone suffering from bunions may finally have a means toembrace the approaching heat this summer without agonizing over theproper shoes to both support their bunions and enjoy the weather.Wear sandals all summer without revealing any unsightly accentsalong with your footwear except individual style and beautiful,smoothly curved toes. Walk away from bunions and any indicationthey were ever there thanks to Slimline Bunion Surgery(tm) in New York City.
2012年4月9日星期一
The Invaders
It wasn't anything new for Curtis to smack Linda June around, especially when he'd been drinking. This seemed like too much, Eric thought, even for them. Eric came up behind Curtis as he stood over Linda June all balled up on the couch. When Curtis cocked his hand back, Eric grabbed it. Curtis spun around and landed a haymaker on Eric's temple that sent him flying into the kitchen table. The sounds of Linda June's screaming prompted the neighbors in the trailer park to call the police. They wouldn't get there soon enough to stop what would happen next.
"I'm going back to that bedroom to get my pistol." Eric picked himself up off the floor. "When I come back you better not be here."
"If you bring that pistol in here, by God, you damn well better use it." Curtis didn't have to say "or else." Everybody in the room knew what he meant. And they knew that he meant it.
Eric staggered back to the bedroom. When he came back through the hall with his pearl-handled .38 revolver, he hoped Curtis would be gone. He wasn't surprised when he saw Curtis standing in front of the couch with his hands balled up at his sides, his nostrils flaring. "Get out of here, Curtis." Eric had the gun pointed right at Curtis's chest. Curtis didn't say a word. He lunged for the gun.
When the police finally arrived at the trailer on Vineyard Street, Eric was sitting peacefully at his kitchen table. In one hand he held the telephone to his ear. With his other thick, red hand he gripped a nearly empty glass. On the table next to the pearl-handled pistol was a bottle of Wild Turkey.
"The police are here. I need to go," Eric said into the receiver.
"What do I do, Eric?" my father asked on the other end of the line. Not much had changed since Eric and my grandmother had split up. He still looked after her with whatever little money he had. He still bought my sister and I birthday and Christmas gifts. And he still called my dad first whenever he got in a pinch.
"Just call Don," Eric replied. "Tell him to give you a horse. He'll understand."
Eric hung up the phone, knocked back what was left in the glass, then stepped over Curtis's body as he made his way to open the door for the police. The year was 1983. Eric Boatright was 59 years old. He was about to be arrested on a charge of murder in the first degree.
I visited my hometown of Hot Springs, Arkansas, for the Grade III $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The Southwest is an important prep race for April's Grade I $1 million Arkansas Derby, which itself is an important prep for the Kentucky Derby.
Hot Springs, a town Garrison Keillor called the "loose buckle on the Bible Belt," has a colorful history. On the Friday before the race, I took in some of that history at the Gangster Museum of America on Central Avenue. The folks who work there wear fedoras and pinstripes but have accents like Cooter from The Dukes of Hazzard. It was jarring at first, but once I finished the tour it was easy to imagine all of Bathhouse Row in downtown Hot Springs bustling with redneck wise guys — the way it was from Al Capone's first trip there in 1920 until 1967, when the Arkansas State Police shut the doors on the last of the town's illegal casinos.
The first thing they tell you on the Gangster Museum of America tour is that Hot Springs has always been neutral territory. The Native Americans originally used the "valley of the vapors" as a place where warring tribes could fish, trade, and bathe in the hot waters without conflict. Gangsters, too, used Hot Springs as a refuge from violence. A popular vacation spot for hoods from New York to New Orleans, the unwritten rule was that when mobsters visited Hot Springs, everyone left their beefs behind. Rival gangsters could fish, bathe, and shoot dice side-by-side without fear of catching a bullet in the head.
For nearly a century, Hot Springs, Arkansas, was what they called a "wide-open town." There had been out-in-the-open illegal gambling in Hot Springs in one form or another for nearly a hundred years. Free-flowing booze and a half dozen major casinos made Hot Springs a larger gambling destination than Las Vegas, and a popular spot for mobsters to lam it. When the FBI finally caught Charles "Lucky" Luciano in 1936, after a nationwide manhunt, they found him taking a stroll down Bathhouse Row with the chief detective of the Hot Springs Police Department.
"I'm going back to that bedroom to get my pistol." Eric picked himself up off the floor. "When I come back you better not be here."
"If you bring that pistol in here, by God, you damn well better use it." Curtis didn't have to say "or else." Everybody in the room knew what he meant. And they knew that he meant it.
Eric staggered back to the bedroom. When he came back through the hall with his pearl-handled .38 revolver, he hoped Curtis would be gone. He wasn't surprised when he saw Curtis standing in front of the couch with his hands balled up at his sides, his nostrils flaring. "Get out of here, Curtis." Eric had the gun pointed right at Curtis's chest. Curtis didn't say a word. He lunged for the gun.
When the police finally arrived at the trailer on Vineyard Street, Eric was sitting peacefully at his kitchen table. In one hand he held the telephone to his ear. With his other thick, red hand he gripped a nearly empty glass. On the table next to the pearl-handled pistol was a bottle of Wild Turkey.
"The police are here. I need to go," Eric said into the receiver.
"What do I do, Eric?" my father asked on the other end of the line. Not much had changed since Eric and my grandmother had split up. He still looked after her with whatever little money he had. He still bought my sister and I birthday and Christmas gifts. And he still called my dad first whenever he got in a pinch.
"Just call Don," Eric replied. "Tell him to give you a horse. He'll understand."
Eric hung up the phone, knocked back what was left in the glass, then stepped over Curtis's body as he made his way to open the door for the police. The year was 1983. Eric Boatright was 59 years old. He was about to be arrested on a charge of murder in the first degree.
I visited my hometown of Hot Springs, Arkansas, for the Grade III $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The Southwest is an important prep race for April's Grade I $1 million Arkansas Derby, which itself is an important prep for the Kentucky Derby.
Hot Springs, a town Garrison Keillor called the "loose buckle on the Bible Belt," has a colorful history. On the Friday before the race, I took in some of that history at the Gangster Museum of America on Central Avenue. The folks who work there wear fedoras and pinstripes but have accents like Cooter from The Dukes of Hazzard. It was jarring at first, but once I finished the tour it was easy to imagine all of Bathhouse Row in downtown Hot Springs bustling with redneck wise guys — the way it was from Al Capone's first trip there in 1920 until 1967, when the Arkansas State Police shut the doors on the last of the town's illegal casinos.
The first thing they tell you on the Gangster Museum of America tour is that Hot Springs has always been neutral territory. The Native Americans originally used the "valley of the vapors" as a place where warring tribes could fish, trade, and bathe in the hot waters without conflict. Gangsters, too, used Hot Springs as a refuge from violence. A popular vacation spot for hoods from New York to New Orleans, the unwritten rule was that when mobsters visited Hot Springs, everyone left their beefs behind. Rival gangsters could fish, bathe, and shoot dice side-by-side without fear of catching a bullet in the head.
For nearly a century, Hot Springs, Arkansas, was what they called a "wide-open town." There had been out-in-the-open illegal gambling in Hot Springs in one form or another for nearly a hundred years. Free-flowing booze and a half dozen major casinos made Hot Springs a larger gambling destination than Las Vegas, and a popular spot for mobsters to lam it. When the FBI finally caught Charles "Lucky" Luciano in 1936, after a nationwide manhunt, they found him taking a stroll down Bathhouse Row with the chief detective of the Hot Springs Police Department.
2012年4月8日星期日
'Stepping Out' at the Barefoot Gallery
Barefoot and shoes. Two words that shouldn't technically make an appearance in one sentence, but they can certainly be in one place. How does this make sense? With an exhibition of shoe paintings at the Barefoot Gallery, of course! Kay Beadman's collection of paintings based on the intricacies and nuances of the shoe, Stepping Out, is on show at the Gallery till April 22, and is a treat not to be missed.
From strappy sandals to towering jewelled stilettos that appear capable of handicapping you for life, shoes from all walks of life are part of the series of paintings that are a mix of the two and three dimensional.
Kay Mei Ling Beadman, an English born half-Chinese with a half Sri Lankan partner (international artist indeed!), admits to a fascination with shoes. And it's not just because she has an X chromosome. “Shoes can tell you such a story,” she points at a shoe with a towering heel and an impossible strap.
“For example, I got this from a friend who borrowed it from another friend just so I could paint it, and just looking at the shoe I could tell the owner was not very given to practicality and sense.” She laughs. “But those two words never really go with shoes, do they?”
The exhibit is almost a homage to the different makes of shoes that women fall in love with all over the world. For example, there are beaded sandals from Hong Kong, which she admits to being terrified of using as a model to paint as she was scared of getting paint on them-they cost over 10000 USD! A well worn leather slipper has the lighter mark of a footprint on it.
Again, a story. 'Dorothy Grew Up' is a trio of paintings in vibrant red; strappy red shoes reminiscent of the ruby slippers but somehow more adult and sophisticated, a wine glass, and a miniature wooden toy captured in still life. It seems almost timeless; a quality the artist stresses is what makes a shoe so fascinating.
“ I realize that I may be accused of being sexist with the theme!” she laughs, “but I can assure you that was the last thing on my mind. It's just that women's shoes are always so fascinating, and there are a great many details to capture, whereas with men's footwear-well they're great, but you can't really paint them to the same effect, now can you?”
The paintings capture footwear that are owned and worn by real people. “I bought, borrowed, begged! These shoes all exist and they all have character-which is what I tried to capture here.” The artist currently lives in Hong Kong, which she admits made things easier when it came to finding the right fit of shoe, so to speak. “Hong Kong is a fashion capital. So it was very easy for me to find shoes that I wanted to paint. Sometimes friends would bring shoes to my studio and command me to paint them! They didn't always make the cut, but some of them have and they're some of the best pieces.”
The paintings are up for sale as well. Kay grins as she recalls an instance when a friend wanted to buy a painting solely because the shoe in question was a depiction of a Louis Vuitton. “There are some of us who do buy shoes for practicality, but that's very rare. For women, shoes are like a status symbol.
They can show your social standing, and they can determine exactly how confident you are!” For Kay herself, shoes are not something she wants to be painting for the rest of her life. She painted these especially for Barefoot, a location she fondly calls the “perfect place for my work”.
The exhibits are vibrant in colour, and Kay thanks Sri Lanka for changing her visual perspective. She worked mainly with darker colours before, an attribute she pinpoints to having grown up in England.
She started visiting the island almost a decade ago, when she met her partner, and says that her colour palette was transformed. Nowadays, vibrant colours are what Kay is known for.
'Stepping Out' is certainly good enough reason to step out of your home this weekend-or any day of the week, and head over to the Barefoot Gallery. The exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
From strappy sandals to towering jewelled stilettos that appear capable of handicapping you for life, shoes from all walks of life are part of the series of paintings that are a mix of the two and three dimensional.
Kay Mei Ling Beadman, an English born half-Chinese with a half Sri Lankan partner (international artist indeed!), admits to a fascination with shoes. And it's not just because she has an X chromosome. “Shoes can tell you such a story,” she points at a shoe with a towering heel and an impossible strap.
“For example, I got this from a friend who borrowed it from another friend just so I could paint it, and just looking at the shoe I could tell the owner was not very given to practicality and sense.” She laughs. “But those two words never really go with shoes, do they?”
The exhibit is almost a homage to the different makes of shoes that women fall in love with all over the world. For example, there are beaded sandals from Hong Kong, which she admits to being terrified of using as a model to paint as she was scared of getting paint on them-they cost over 10000 USD! A well worn leather slipper has the lighter mark of a footprint on it.
Again, a story. 'Dorothy Grew Up' is a trio of paintings in vibrant red; strappy red shoes reminiscent of the ruby slippers but somehow more adult and sophisticated, a wine glass, and a miniature wooden toy captured in still life. It seems almost timeless; a quality the artist stresses is what makes a shoe so fascinating.
“ I realize that I may be accused of being sexist with the theme!” she laughs, “but I can assure you that was the last thing on my mind. It's just that women's shoes are always so fascinating, and there are a great many details to capture, whereas with men's footwear-well they're great, but you can't really paint them to the same effect, now can you?”
The paintings capture footwear that are owned and worn by real people. “I bought, borrowed, begged! These shoes all exist and they all have character-which is what I tried to capture here.” The artist currently lives in Hong Kong, which she admits made things easier when it came to finding the right fit of shoe, so to speak. “Hong Kong is a fashion capital. So it was very easy for me to find shoes that I wanted to paint. Sometimes friends would bring shoes to my studio and command me to paint them! They didn't always make the cut, but some of them have and they're some of the best pieces.”
The paintings are up for sale as well. Kay grins as she recalls an instance when a friend wanted to buy a painting solely because the shoe in question was a depiction of a Louis Vuitton. “There are some of us who do buy shoes for practicality, but that's very rare. For women, shoes are like a status symbol.
They can show your social standing, and they can determine exactly how confident you are!” For Kay herself, shoes are not something she wants to be painting for the rest of her life. She painted these especially for Barefoot, a location she fondly calls the “perfect place for my work”.
The exhibits are vibrant in colour, and Kay thanks Sri Lanka for changing her visual perspective. She worked mainly with darker colours before, an attribute she pinpoints to having grown up in England.
She started visiting the island almost a decade ago, when she met her partner, and says that her colour palette was transformed. Nowadays, vibrant colours are what Kay is known for.
'Stepping Out' is certainly good enough reason to step out of your home this weekend-or any day of the week, and head over to the Barefoot Gallery. The exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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