It’s been a week since the release, and I’ve been doing a lot of listening. John Mayer is an artist that I have always casually enjoyed. That all changed this year when I was turned on to the “trio” side of John Mayer. It represents everything I love about music–groove, improvisation, interplay between band members, etc. Steve Jordan is an amazing pocket player, like Steve Gadd. I just know he’s one of those guys that practices grooves for extended periods of time. He probably sits down at the kit, picks a certain groove/beat and just play it non-stop for a half hour, stopping only when it “feels” good. This is how he can make the simple 1 and 3 bass drum rock beat feel sooooo tasty. No superfluous flair, just groove, (although I recently heard some of his earlier work with a band called Eyewitness. He’s got crazy solo and technical chops too, it’s just cool how he demonstrates restraint nowadays and focuses on groove). As John himself says, you could easily mute the rest of the music and people would still come to hear just Steve play. With the equally groove-oriented Pino Palladino on bass, this makes a rock-solid foundation for musical genius to flourish. The thing I love about Pino is that, although he plays so well in the pocket and lays back most of the time, the man’s runs, hooks, bends and turn-arounds are beautifully executed with precision. You look at the guy playing and you just know he’s the real deal. In another life, I would be a bassist. A reincarnated Pino.

Every once in a while, amidst the more cosmetic and impulse spending, I make an excellent investment. This is the case for my copy of “Where the Light Is: Live in Los Angelos.” In it, we get to see the three incarnations of John Mayer’s music–his acoustic sensibilities, the trio work and his full-band pop-megahits. It is the marriage of these three incarnations that draws me to John Mayer. He is extremely versatile. He is truly virtuosic on the guitar, spot on on vocals and a superb song-writer. He is also a really, really intelligent guy, and funny. Follow him on twitter. You won’t be disappointed: johncmayer.

This brings me to Battle Studies, which came out last Tuesday. People might ask, how could he ever follow Continuum?? I don’t think his intent was to “follow” Continuum. Instead, I feel like Battle Studies is a step to the side, or even slightly forward. I think Battle Studies is something fresh and new from John Mayer, the next step. If you try to fit Battle Studies into the guise of Continuum, you’re setting yourself up for a disappointment. The same goes for Where the Light Is or TRY! Although Steve and Pino play on the album, this is not a John Mayer Trio, jam-filled album. Don’t try to make it something it isn’t. It’s the next step in John’s journey as a musician and song-writer.

That all said, this is a really chill album. Some might scoff at the overwhelming sentimentality throughout much of the album, but I am not turned off by music driven by emotion, inner contemplation and struggle. I feel like that’s what music addresses best, just as poetry does. One of the reasons I like Damien Rice so much is that he has the ability to evoke an incredible amount of emotion in his songs and performances, most about failed or flawed love. Don’t dismiss this as a sappy pop album. It is much more than that. I think John is being really honest in this album. It is where he’s at in his life right now, and right now he’s battling, hence the battle-themed songs, titles and lyrics: Heartbreak Warfare, Assassin, War of my Life, Battle Studies, “Bombs of sulfur in the air, bombs are falling everywhere,” etc.

Favorites (In order):

Assassin (groove…enough said)

Heartbreak Warfare (U2 meets JM)

Crossroads (pays homage to the blues great)

Edge of Desire (just love it)

Half of My Heart (i have a crush on Taylor Swift..)

Who Says (this has grown on me since the single came out. it’s actually something i’d turn on at the end of the night)

November 25, 2009

Dear readers,

Most of you will be feasting away this weekend, but I’ll be packing the junkyard that is my room into select boxes, because we’re moving. It’s been surreal up to this point, when the books on my shelf are disappearing into nondescript cardboard containers, because the situation is so bizarre. I can’t quite believe my mom went out and bought a condo in some other city.

I’ve been here since I was seven. That’s nine years of my life in cow town. I’ll still be around, but it’s not the same. I don’t feel like I belong to this city anymore. I hope I can deal with this, on top of the mountain of work I have this year. On top of tackling the Got Milk? competition in three weeks.

This feels like the final step away from childhood. Not sure how to explain that, but there it is.

The chosen soundtrack for this moment in time: “Continuum”. Maybe I’ll change it later. Haven’t listened to “All the Pretty Girls” in a while.

Love,
Katherine

There are certain male musicians who while they seemingly have a unisex audience, it’s mainly women who are openly proud fans. Key examples: Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban.

Then there are those male musicians who seemingly have a feminine audience, yet they also earn the genuine respect of men who recognize their talent despite their charm. Key examples: Michael Buble and Jason Mraz. But the epitome of this category is none other than the 6’ 3”, tattoo-sleeved Connecticut native, John Mayer.

His most romantic songs are typically my least favorite- “Your Body is a Wonderland” and “Come Back to Bed”. What draws me most to his music is a quality found in his lesser hits like “83” and “Something’s Missing”. Half nostalgic, half philosophical.

In reviewing any genre of entertainment, I can’t say any one thing is the best. I can only say what is my personal favorite. Because my favorite is simply an opinion; I am not qualified to declare what is best- that would go beyond a matter of opinion.

That being said, my favorite John Mayer album is his 2003 Heavier Things. It features the hits “Bigger than My Body”, “Daughters”, and “Clarity” (“ah whoo-ew… ah whoo-ew”). Along with its less featured songs “New Deep”, “Home Life”, “Split Screen Sadness” and “Wheel”.

The cover of this album itself perfectly captures the style and direction of the music. It represents a simple sense of timelessness, yet at the same time somehow reminds of me of Eric Clapton and/or Sting between 1988 and 1993.

I say that to say this. John Mayer’s newest album, Battle Studies, is a hybrid of two of my favorite things of his: 1) The album Heavier Things and 2) his very much underappreciated song “I Don’t Trust Myself with Loving You” from his 2006 album Continuum.

Very bluesy: “Fell down on my knees, asked the Lord for mercy, said ‘help me if you please’” (“Crossroads”).

Very jazzy: “Who says I can’t get stoned?” (“Who Says”)

Very soft rock: “I’ve got a hammer and a heart of glass- I gotta know right now which walls to smash” (War of My Life).

I decided half-way through this decade that John Mayer is incapable of releasing an album that isn’t good. I stand by that. Battle Studies is completely up to par with all his other recordings. But just like how Dave Matthews Band will never be able to top their Crash album, in my mind John Mayer will never be able to top Heavier Things.

Actually I see Battle Studies as a direct sequel (yet not necessarily a continuation) of Heavier Things. So in other words, I love it.

A year ago I posted a review of my favorite albums of 2008, and in a prophetic moment, I praised the then unknown song “People are Crazy” by Billy Currington. A few months later it was released as a single and went to #1.

Therefore, I will predict the soon-to-be hits from Battle Studies. The most obvious is the industrial-infused groovy tune “Assassins”. John has never sounded more like an African-American lead singer of an alternative rock band than he does in this song. Maybe it’s because this song has so many Michael Jackson qualities about it.

Like it was written with “Smooth Criminal”, “Dirty Diana” and “Give in to Me” in mind: “I work in the dead of night when the roads are quiet and no one is around… I’m an assassin and I had a job to do… Little did I know that girl was an assassin too.”

Another song destined to be a radio favorite is “Half of My Heart”. Perfect catchy melody. Perfect opening line: “I was born in the arms of imaginary friends.” Perfect choice of a female vocalist to do a song with: Taylor Swift.

The only downfall is that there’s not enough Taylor Swift in this song. She just does background vocals towards the end. Every time I hear it, I keep hoping the song has magically changed since the last time I heard it and that the song has become a true duet like the immaculately crafted “Lucky I’m in Love” by Jason Mraz with Colbie Caillat. Great song though: “Half of my heart is a shotgun wedding to a bride with a paper ring.”

Often when a musician or actor becomes a superstar, showing up in the tabloid magazines, the authenticity of their art suffers. Despite dating Jennifer Anniston and Jessica Simpson (to name a few) and being a Twitter slut, his art hasn’t suffered (just his personal reputation). He’s still got the talent. Just as much as ever. Going beyond the rut of “the same three chords” compositions and “I miss you baby” lyrics.

And not that this takes away from his music at all, but this lifestyle definitely shows up in his song content. Like in “Perfectly Lonely”- “Had a little love but I spread it thin. Falling in her arms and out again. Made a bad name for my game ‘round town.” It’s also evident in the future hit which will inevitably be featured on several romantic comedy soundtracks, “Heartbreak Warfare”.

Gone is the charming, mysterious John Mayer from the beginning of the decade. Gone is the gentleman. Apathy and aimlessness are starting to show up in his attitude and lyrics. I don’t like his music any less because of it. But I do recognize the change.

Though this may actually be hurting him with his current single, “Who Says”, which is his lowest charting single, breaking his string of 5 consecutive Top 10 singles. This song much departs from his former classy charm, containing douchebagery lyrics like this: “Call up a girl I used to know, fake love for an hour or so” and “I don’t remember you looking any better. Then again I don’t remember you”.

Not to mention the song’s constant references to marijuana use. (Around 90% of marijuana users are male, according to Pot Planet, a book written by a “marijuana journalist”.) Like a Playstation 3 or a Hardee’s Thickburger, pot is a female repellant.

John Mayer is suffering from what I call “King Solomon Syndrome”. King Solomon had it all: Extreme wealth, fame, and wisdom. And 700 wives. And 300 concubines (sex slaves). But by the end of his life when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, he said it was all meaningless. None of it made him happy.

At least at an early age, John Mayer recognizes something’s missing.

November 25, 2009

Dear readers,

Sometimes, the best part about doing homework at midnight is the combination of fatigue, procrastination, and John Mayer’s “Continuum”. Makes me a bit homesick, this album does.

Ironic, considering I am at home doing homework. But that’s the worst kind of homesick – unreasonable and without a cure. At least when you’re away from home you can retreat to your home and get rid of your sickness.

Love,
Katherine

P.S. We got into the film festival! Although our name is a last minute hastily pasted on “Nightmare Before Christmas”. Urgh. Hate ripping off other film’s titles, but it was really last minute.

Who?

Dude, it’s John Mayer, bro. He’s the guy with the guitar that does that whisper-singing stuff, you know? It’s like he’s singing, but he’s actually breathing words at you melodically. Whatever it is, it works, especially for the ladies. But that was a given since he’s made the Twilight look popular before the Twilight look existed, regardless of his singing abilities. (Look at the album cover, he’s so pale and brooding and loves to wear all sorts of jackets and such. Fawn.)

This is his fourth studio album, and his first since Continuum, which was an excellent collection of songs. I’m not going to call Continuum blues, because that genre doesn’t really exist in the mainstream anymore (think of it as more of songs with blues elements to them), but Continuum is about as close to blues as you’re going to get on the Billboard Hot 100.

Battle Studies

Oh John, tell me who hurt you so? Battle Studies I assume is a play off of when people compare love to war, or call love a battlefield, or say that love is like a Panzer tank flanking your platoon to the north. They don’t say that? Are you sure? Either way, nearly every song on here has some sort of somber, woe is me, “why doth my lady haveth to leaveth me” feel to it.

It’s a little tedious. Honestly, I don’t really want to listen to an hour of John Mayer feeling his own feelings in all of his songs. I want to feel my own feelings John! I don’t have time for yours. But even with his whisper-whining, that isn’t what ultimately is what makes this album forgettable. John Mayer subjected himself to the Evolver Mistake.

The Evolver Mistake comes from John Legend’s album Evolver. Coming off the heels of his most well-received album Once Again, Legend essentially took everything that made that album successful and ditched it for a new sound. That new sound, the one heard on Evolver, was exponentially worse than what he had done before. Thus the Evolver Mistake was born.

There’s nothing wrong with re-inventing yourself as a musician. It’s a gamble, but if it pays off it often has huge critical and commercial benefits for said musician. HOWEVER, it’s also extremely risky, because you could end up making a turd of an album when comparing it to your previous catalog. Not to say that Evolver was a turd, it just was a turd when compared to Once Again. And guess what Mr. Mayer, Battle Studies is a turd compared to Continuum.

Sure, there are some decent tracks. “Heartbreak Warfare” is straight. “Friends, Lovers or Nothing” is a good concept. Everyone loves Taylor Swift, so “Half of my Heart” will probably be well-received, especially with people who watch CMT. But the album’s sound just isn’t really working for me. You’ve got electronic elements, country elements, you’re all over the map here Johnny boy. That was the beauty of Continuum, you picked a sonic theme and you stuck with it. It was good. This? Not so much.

So Now What?

Great question. I have no idea. In my loose social circles, you’re name was a very polarizing one. Some people loved you, but more often than not most people either were of neutral opinion or thought you were all sorts of busted. This isn’t going to help you gain fans.

Considering that Room For Squares and Heavier Things weren’t anywhere near the quality of Continuum, and Battle Studies sounds more like those two albums, it’s time to start wondering how good of a musician you really are. Sure, you can knock out some hits, but consistency is what separates the best from the rest.

The good from the bad and the ugly.

The zeroes from the heroes.

I’ll be here all week.

John Mayer – Battle Studies

1. Heartbreak Warfare – ★★★
2. All We Ever Do is Say Goodbye – ★★★
3. Half of my Heart (with Taylor Swift) – ★★★
4. Who Says – ★★★
5. Perfectly Lonely – ★★★
6. Assassin -
7. Crossroads -
8. War of my Life -
9. Edge of Desire – ★★★
10. Do You Know Me – ★★★
11. Friends, Lovers or Nothing – ★★★★

Battle Studies Total ★: 24
Battle Studies ★ Ration: 2.18

Its been a long time since we have had a new album from John Mayer. While still releasing both the song Say and the live dvd Where the Light Is in 2008, fans have not seen a new complete album from John Mayer since 2006. While recording in California and New York, he came up with the new title of the album from the studio in Calabasas, California, Battle Studies. Battle Studies was released this Tuesday with 11 brand new tracks that were all produced and written by John Mayer with the exception of the song Crossroads. After not being able to stop listening to it since buying it on Tuesday, I believe that this will go down as one of the best albums of the year. The stand out tracks for me are Heartbreak Warfare, Half of My Heart, Perfectly Lonely, and War of My Life. There is only one song that stands out as the weakest on the album titled All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye. It is the slowest song on the album and never really catches your attention but after listening to it a couple times, it definitely could be a great acoustic song when listening to it live in concert. With his genius song writing that creates imagery that compares a relationship with a war that is going on, John Mayer has really crafted a great album. While being up for so many Grammys in 2006 for his last album Continuum, I was intrigued to see if he could create another phenomenal album like he has done time and time again. With Battle Studies, I think he has done just that and added another great album to his catalog of music that I think will be looked at for a long time to come. While this latest album has been released a little too late to be recognized for the 2010 Grammys, I think this album will have a lot of critical acclaim in the near future.

I often hear that home-school kids—multi-culture kids in particular–though high achievers in many areas tend to be deficient in their writing skills.  Recently, a co-worker gave me a writing continuum chart (http://www.middleboro.k12.ma.us/ReportCardWeb/ReportCard/Teacher/Writing/Continuum%20Support/W_CHARTS.pdf) by Christopher-Gordon publishers, which shows stages and ages of writing ability.  Below is a compilation of that chart with activities supplied by Johnston County schools.  This link actually provides details for each school grade and provides four steps within each grade level.  This site is also a great place to find suggestions for writing resources by grade level.

Pre-conventional ages 3-5

q       Relies primarily on pictures to convey meaning.

q       Begins to label and add “words” to pictures.

q       Writes first name.

q       Demonstrates awareness that print conveys meaning.

q       Makes marks other than drawing on paper (scribbles).

q       Writes random recognizable letters to represent words.

q       Tells about own pictures and writing.

Activities:  Trace highlighted name, draw picture depicting activity you did, cut and paste, use magnetic or wooden letters to make name, self portraits, label centers/rooms, letter chart, label objects in room, poems or songs posted on walls, simple journals, family or class rules posted, shared  writing.

Explanations of Strategies/Activities

Journals: reading response journals, science journals, math journals, personal journals, center journals

Sign-up sheets: students sign in at stations, when entering the classroom, choosing lunch, restrooms

Spacers: tongue depressors, craft sticks, pennies, fingers, die-cuts

Labeling: label different items in the classroom

Read the Room: students walk around the room with a pointer and read all written material (word wall, labeled items, posters, charts, etc.)

Shared writing: teacher writes information provided by students

Interactive writing: teacher and students share the pen during writing

Turn and Talk: students sit knee to knee with a partner and tell their story BEFORE writing

Five senses method: students use their five senses to brainstorm and describe items before writing

Think, Draw, Write: students think about the topic, then draw a picture, then use their picture to write

Review the day chart: at the end of the day the class reviews the day’s activities using interactive or shared writing

Emerging ages 4-6

q       Uses pictures and print to convey meaning.

q       Writes words to describe or support pictures.

q       Copies signs, labels, names, and words (environmental print).

q       Demonstrates understanding of letter/sound relationship.

q       Prints with upper case letters.

q       Matches letters to sounds.

q       Uses beginning consonants to make words.

q       Uses beginning and ending consonants to make words.

q       Pretends to read own writing.

q       Sees self as writer.

q       Takes risks with writing.

Activities: Use beginning handwriting paper, simple letter writing, notes, weather report, journal, sentences cut apart and pieced together like a puzzle, sentence about a picture.

Developing ages 5-7

q       Writes 1-2 sentences about a topic.

q       Writes names and familiar words.

q       Generates own ideas for writing.

q       Writes from top to bottom, left to right, and front to back.

q       Intermixes upper and lower case letters.

q       Experiments with capitals.

q       Experiments with punctuation.

q       Begins to use spacing between words.

q       Uses growing awareness of sound segments (e.g., phonemes, syllables, rhymes) to write words.

q       Spells words on the basis of sounds without regard for conventional spelling patterns.

q       Uses beginning, middle, and ending sounds to make words.

q       Begins to read own writing.

Activities: Editing, story maps/webs, story starter prompts, graphs, weather reports, charts, lists, surveys, posters, recipes, making words, author’s chair, descriptive writing, writing about five senses, think/draw/write, making words, highlight beginning letters of sentences, written conversations, unscrambled sentences, handwriting stationery, word family charts.

Conference logs: while monitoring writing the teacher conferences with students and keeps a log with brief comments about their writing

Synonym cards: cards containing synonyms for frequently overused words (happy, sad, good, bad, etc)

Book Talks: students share and discuss the different components of stories read (setting, characters, problem, solution, events, beginning, middle, end, etc)

Making words: students manipulate given letters to make words of various letter counts

Author’s chair: students sit front and center to share their story with the class as the audience (microphones may be used)

Author Tea: students share published work with classmates, parents, and various visitors

Writer’s workshop: writing process involving mini-lessons, teacher conferences, editing and publishing

Beginning ages 6-8

q       Writes several sentences about a topic.

q       Writes about observations and experiences.

q       Writes short nonfiction pieces (simple facts about a topic) with guidance.

q       Chooses own writing topics.

q       Reads own writing and notices mistakes with guidance.

q       Revises by adding details with guidance.

q       Uses spacing between words consistently.

q       Forms most letters legibly.

q       Writes pieces that self and others can read.

q       Uses phonetic spelling to write independently.

q       Spells simple words and some high frequency words correctly.

q       Begins to use periods and capital letters correctly.

q       Shares own writing with others.

Activities:  making books about me, expository writing, instructions, letters, editing, five senses, writer’s workshop, narrative writing, response journals, writing rubrics, book talks, early publishing of work, re-writing, vocabulary notebooks, copying homework assignments, interactive writing, highlighting high frequency words, synonym cards, making a dictionary, using a dictionary, poetry writing, mobiles, dioramas, surveys, graphs, brochures (travel, products, etc.).

Expanding ages 7-9

q       Writes short fiction and poetry with guidance.

q       Writes a variety of short nonfiction pieces (e.g., facts about a topic, letters, lists) with guidance.

q       Writes with a central idea.

q       Writes using complete sentences.

q       Organizes ideas in a logical sequence in fiction and nonfiction writing with guidance.

q       Begins to recognize and use interesting language.

q       Uses several prewriting strategies (e.g., web, brainstorm) with guidance.

q       Listens to others’ writing and offers feedback.

q       Begins to consider suggestions from others about own writing.

q       Adds description and detail with guidance.

q       Edits for capitals and punctuation with guidance.

q       Publishes own writing with guidance.

q       Writes legibly.

q       Spells most high frequency words correctly and moves toward conventional spelling.

q       Identifies own writing strategies and sets goals with guidance.

Activities: simple narratives, short reports, friendly letters, directions, instructions, poems, learning logs, notes, use of writing process elements (Prewriting, Draft, Revision, Editing, Sharing/Publishing), writing for different audiences, explore technology as a tool to create a written product.

Bridging ages 8-10

q       Writes about feelings and opinions.

q       Writes fiction with clear beginning, middle, and end.

q       Writes poetry using carefully chosen language with guidance.

q       Writes organized nonfiction pieces (e.g., reports, letters, and lists) with guidance.

q       Begins to use paragraphs to organize ideas.

q       Uses strong verbs, interesting language, and dialogue with guidance.

q       Seeks feedback on writing.

q       Revises for clarity with guidance.

q       Revises to enhance ideas by adding description and detail.

q       Uses resources (e.g., thesaurus and word lists) to make writing more effective with guidance.

q       Edits for punctuation, spelling, and grammar.

q       Publishes writing in polished format with guidance.

q       Increases use of visual strategies, spelling rules, and knowledge of word parts to spell correctly.

q       Uses commas and apostrophes correctly with guidance.

q       Uses criteria for effective writing to set own writing goals with guidance.

Activities: personal narratives, imaginative narratives, research reports, logs, diaries, journals, rules, instructions, letters (friendly, request, complaint), planning strategies (brainstorming, mapping, webbing), focused revision, continued use of technology to gather, organize and present information.

Fluent ages 9-11

q       Begins to write organized fiction and nonfiction (e.g., reports, letters, biographies, and autobiographies).

q       Develops stories with plots that include problems and solutions with guidance.

q       Creates characters in stories with guidance.

q       Writes poetry using carefully chosen language.

q       Begins to experiment with sentence length and complex sentence structure.

q       Varies leads and endings with guidance.

q       Uses description, details, and similes with guidance.

q       Uses dialogue with guidance.

q       Uses a range of strategies for planning writing.

q       Adapts writing for purpose and audience with guidance.

q       Revises for specific writing traits (e.g., ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, and conventions) with guidance.

q       Incorporates suggestions from others about own writing with guidance.

q       Edits for punctuation, spelling, and grammar with greater precision.

q       Uses tools (e.g., dictionaries, word lists, and spell checkers) to edit with guidance.

q       Develops criteria for effective writing in different genres with guidance.

Activities: clarification (evaluation), research reports, news articles, business letters, letters to the editor, poetry, essays, feature

stories, use of writing process, develop a lead/character/mood, edit conventions and spelling, publish.

************************************************************************************

Sample Expressive Prompt:

Narrate a single remembered incident and tell why it was important to you.

As you write your essay, be sure to:

• Focus on a single remembered incident.

• Choose words that are well-suited to the purpose, audience, and

context of your essay.

• Organize your essay so that your ideas progress logically.

• Include relevant details that clearly develop your essay.

• Edit your essay for standard grammar and language usage.

Write the final copy of your essay.

**************************************************************************

Proficient ages 10-13

q       Writes persuasively about ideas, feelings, and opinions.

q       Creates plots with problems and solutions.

q       Begins to develop the main characters and describe detailed settings.

q       Begins to write organized and fluent nonfiction, including simple bibliographies.

q       Writes cohesive paragraphs including reasons and examples with guidance.

q       Uses transitional sentences to connect paragraphs.

q       Varies sentence structure, leads, and endings.

q       Begins to use descriptive language, details, and similes.

q       Uses voice to evoke emotional response from readers.

q       Begins to integrate information on a topic from a variety of sources.

q       Begins to revise for specific writing traits (e.g., ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, and conventions).

q       Uses tools (e.g., dictionaries, word lists, spell checkers) to edit independently.

q       Selects and publishes writing in polished format independently.

q       Begins to use complex punctuation (e.g., commas, colons, semicolons, quotation marks) appropriately.

q       Begins to set goals and identify strategies to improve writing in different genres.

Activities: Expressive writing includes memoir, narrative poetry, self-evaluation, autobiography, reflection, and editorial. Evaluative writing—states a judgment with logical, relevant reasons and clear examples, includes supporting details and is appropriate for purpose, audience, and context.  Students must make a choice and analyze that choice. Problem-Solution—students are presented with a problem and must explore the problem and solve it by proposing one or more solutions.  They may utilize three types of appeals: ethical, emotional, and logical.  Examples are editorials, speeches, ads, commercials, song lyrics, and court scenes. Persuasive writing is used to convince a reader. Student must establish a viewpoint supporting or refuting a position with convincing arguments.  This style should conclude with a call to action.  Literary Analysis—is an essay which analyzes the author’s use of some literary element (such as setting, conflict, characterization, dynamic/static characters, or theme.

Connecting ages 11-14

q       Writes in a variety of genres and forms for different audiences and purposes independently.

q       Creates plots with a climax.

q       Creates detailed, believable settings and characters in stories.

q       Writes organized, fluent, and detailed nonfiction independently, including bibliographies with correct format.

q       Writes cohesive paragraphs including supportive reasons and examples.

q       Uses descriptive language, details, similes, and imagery to enhance ideas independently.

q       Begins to use dialogue to enhance character development.

q       Incorporates personal voice in writing with increasing frequency.

q       Integrates information on a topic from a variety of sources independently.

q       Constructs charts, graphs, and tables to convey information when appropriate.

q       Uses prewriting strategies effectively to organize and strengthen writing.

q       Revises for specific writing traits (e.g., ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, and conventions) independently.

q       Includes deletion in revision strategies.

q       Incorporates suggestions from others on own writing independently.

q       Uses complex punctuation (e.g., commas, colons, semicolons, quotation marks) with increasing accuracy.

Activities:  Activities are the same as above, yet the ability varies.

*******************************************************************************

Sample Evaluative Prompt:

Write a movie review for your local newspaper. Your review may include a

recommended audience as well as evaluations of the plot, actors, music, or

special effects.

As you write your review, be sure to:

• Focus on one movie.

• Choose words that are well-suited to the purpose, audience, and

context of your review.

• Organize your review so that your ideas progress logically.

• Include relevant details that clearly develop your review.

• Edit your review for standard grammar and language usage.

Use the blank sheet of paper given to you by your teacher to plan your

review. Anything you write on the blank sheet will not be scored. You must

write the final copy of your review on the next page.

Write the final copy of your review on the next page.

************************************************************************************

Independent

q       Writes organized, fluent, accurate, and in-depth nonfiction, including references with correct bibliographic format.

q       Writes cohesive, fluent, and effective poetry and fiction.

q       Uses a clear sequence of paragraphs with effective transitions.

q       Begins to incorporate literary devices (e.g., imagery, metaphors, personification, and foreshadowing).

q       Weaves dialogue effectively into stories.

q       Develops plots, characters, setting, and mood (literary elements) effectively.

q       Begins to develop personal voice and style of writing.

q       Revises through multiple drafts independently.

q       Seeks feedback from others and incorporates suggestions in order to strengthen own writing.

q       Publishes writing for different audiences and purposes in polished format independently.

q       Internalizes writing process.

q       Uses correct grammar (e.g., subject/verb agreement and verb tense) consistently.

q       Writes with confidence and competence on a range of topics independently.

q       Perseveres through complex or challenging writing projects independently.

q       Sets writing goals independently by analyzing and evaluating own writing.

Activities: SAT practice prompts, MLA format, current issues, college application essays, research papers, article analysis, business letters, resume, interdisciplinary articles, abstracts.

Si soy tu bebé, Tócame. Necesito tanto que me toques. No te limites a lavarme, cambiarme los pañales y alimentarme, Acúname cerca de tu cuerpo, besa mi carita y acaricia mi cuerpo. Tu caricia relajante y suave expresa seguridad y amor.

Si soy tu niño, Tócame. Aunque yo me resista y te aleje persiste, encuentra la manera de satisfacer mis necesidades. El abrazo que me das por las noches, ilumina mis sueños. Las formas en que me tocas durante el día, me dicen como te sientes.

Si soy tu adolescente, Tócame. No creas que, porque sea casi adulto, no necesito saber que aún me cuidas. Necesito tus brazos cariñosos y tu voz llena de ternura. Cuando el camino se vuelve duro, el niño que hay en mí te necesita.

Si soy tu amigo, Tócame. No hay nada que me comunique mejor tu cariño que un abrazo tierno. Una caricia curativa cuando estoy deprimido me asegura que me quieres, y me informa que no estoy solo. Tu contacto pudiera ser el único que logre.

Si soy tu compañero sexual, Tócame. Podrías creer que basta la pasión, pero sólo tus brazos rechazan mis temores. Necesito tu toque de ternura que me da fe, y me recuerda que soy amado, porque soy como soy.

Si soy tu hijo adulto, Tócame. Aunque tenga mi propia familia para tocar aún necesito que me abracen mamá y papá, cuando me siento triste. Como padre yo mismo, mi visión ha cambiado y los valoro aún más.

Si soy tu padre anciano, Tócame. Como me acariciaban cuando era pequeño. Coge mi mano, siéntate cerca de mí, dame tu fuerza y calienta mi cuerpo cansado con tu proximidad. Mi piel está arrugada, pero goza cuando es acariciada. No tengas temor. Sólo tócame.

Michel Bourdeau : “L’horizon de la ville n’est pas un mirage d’architecte”

L’architecte et urbaniste répond point par point aux récentes prises de position de ses confrères Paul Chemetov et Jean Nouvel au sujet du Grand Paris.

Le Moniteur

Since the first film of the franchise was released in 1994, Stargate has captured the imagination of sci-fi fans the world over. Each incarnation of the franchise – including the mega-successful Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis – carries the hefty responsibility of steering the massive fan base to a new cast of characters and set of circumstances.

Film Production grad John G. Lenic is one of the key players doing just that for the franchise’s newest series, Stargate Universe. The series debuts on Space on October 2, 2009.

John recently took some time out of his schedule to shed some light on how he contributes to the Stargate world.

Hi, John. Could you start off by explaining your role in Stargate Universe, and what kinds of responsibilities it entails?

JGL:   My role at Stargate Universe is that of the Producer.  That means that along with my showrunners, Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, I am responsible for the financial well-being of the series.  That includes the budget, management of the cast and crew, making sure we can bring in the series on budget and on schedule after shooting 20 episodes per season.  We spend approximately $50 million per year and employ approximately 250 people during the course of our shooting season, which runs from February until October.

You’ve been with Stargate for a while now. How has the franchise changed?

JGL:   I have been with the Stargate franchise since December of 1996.  It has changed so much yet so little over the past 13 years.  In my opinion the biggest thing to change over the course of the 3 series has been the cast.  The cast really set the tone for how well a show can work.  We have been so lucky, for the most part, to have a wonderful cast to work with everyday.  Folks like Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Chris Judge, David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell, Robert Carlyle, Louis Ferreira, and Ming-Na are a few of the people that have made the last 13 years such an amazing experience for me… such a pleasure to be around them and see them everyday.

The stories on Stargate Universe are also so different then the last two shows.  The scripts this year have been more about relationships and the people as opposed to fighting the bad guy of the week.  The dilemmas are much more internal and far deeper.  I have to applaud the writers for the job they have done on the scripts thus far. The episodes are nothing short of ingenious.

For those who love Stargate, you are going to love this reinvention of the franchise, and for those of you who have never watched an episode, please watch the pilot as you will see that this show really is something new, and Robert Carlyle is phenomenal.  I am personally very proud of the work we have done this year.

For the benefit of current students and recent grads, could you describe your start in the industry? How did you make the transition from VFS grad to Producer?

JGL:  After VFS, my start in the industry came when a Canadian producer, Raymond Massey, came to scout my parents’ house for use in the feature film Whale Music.  I told him that if he needed any help, I would do anything. He told me to come to his office the following week and he would buy me lunch. Well, after that lunch, I never left his office.  I worked with his other assistant, Shauna Bryan (another VFS Film Production grad),  except I did it for free for a while, just absorbing anything I could – from budgeting to scheduling – he showed it all to me.  When we started prepping the movie, the company was able to pay me $25/week.  I learned so much, and with the other friends and VFS grads that were hired on the show, I loved every minute of it and made some great life long friendships.

After that, I went on to be Tracey Jeffrey’s assistant on several TV movies of the week.  I worked with her on 11 of these ultra low budget ($1,650,000 — 16 day shoot) movies.  This was all about being creative, as we didn’t have much money.

In September/October of 1996, I remember hearing that Stargate was going to be shooting in Vancouver and wanting to work on it, because I knew it would give me the opportunity to learn so much about working with everything from special effects explosions to visual effects and green screens.  I got a meeting with Michael Greenburg and Richard Dean Anderson and they hired me to run the day-to-day workings of their personal production company (Gekko Film Corp.) and take care of them on Stargate as well as development for their company, and all the other projects they had on the go at that time.  As Gekko had a financial interest in the show, and with my knowledge of budgets and numbers, Mike and Rick relied on me to stay on top of the budgets and cost reports with their interest in mind.

From there, MGM announced during the first season that the show was going for four seasons, and we decided that development for Gekko should be put on hold while Stargate was still happening.  At that point Brad Wright and MGM offered to get me a DGC membership and move me into a Unit Manager role, as I was performing that role already.

From that point on, I worked under N. John Smith and Brad Wright and they groomed me to take over as a Production Manager in Season 3 and so on and so forth, until they moved me into a Producer/Production Manager role in Season 8 of SG-1.  After that, I went on to Atlantis as the Producer/Production Manager, and then into the position of Producer on Stargate Universe.

It was while working on Atlantis that David Hewlett and I became friends, and went on to produce a low-budget movie between seasons.  We made A Dog’s Breakfast for $120,000, and MGM distributed it.  We decided in October that, come hell or high water, we were going to make a feature in January and set that as the start date.  David wrote the script, cast his sister and some Stargate alumni, and that was that. We did it. We set our minds to it and just made it happen.

What do you think is the most common mistake young film professionals make?

JGL:  I know it will sound cliché, but it’s not truly believing in yourself.  Never lose focus of what your end goal is, but know that it is going to take baby steps to get there.  Make sure you really take the time to enjoy, learn, and focus on each step you take along the way.

Stargate has a large, vocal fan base. How does that affect your job?

JGL:  The fans are fantastic and for as much as they are vocal about things that they don’t like, they applaud and are even more vocal and supportive about the things they like.

It has been hard with the new cast recently because they read everything and often get down on themselves when they read that people aren’t even going to give the new show a chance if Chris Judge or David Hewlett aren’t on it.

I feel bad for this new cast because they shouldn’t be made to feel that way.  It isn’t fair when people knock something before even giving it a chance. The new cast is doing such a fantastic job, it is amazing how these fans affect their mood just by writing those sorts of things.  It happened on Atlantis when SG-1 ended too, but it has been the topic of conversation several times in the last few months.

It looks like you’ve recently joined fellow Stargate alum David Hewlett on Twitter (twitter.com/jglenic). Why did you sign up?

JGL:  Hewlett has been on there for a year or two, and I never really cared about telling people what I was up to, but now, most of the cast from Universe are on there, and I have had so much fun hearing and listening to the things they have written about on a daily basis.  I guess you could say that I gave into the peer pressure to try it out.  So far my favorites are David Hewlett, Ming-Na and David Blue. They always have something interesting to say.  If my perspective can help people, or if I can answer questions that help others on their career path, then I am glad to be a part of it.

After one look at your IMDB page, it’s clear that there’s been a steady upward progression in your career. What do you hope to do next?

JGL:  For now, I love the show I am working on and the people I work with.  It is important to me to focus on working with people that I want to be around and developing projects that I would want to see.  I have a few things in development, and I think it is time to make another feature.  I will keep you posted.

Please do!

Best of luck with Stargate Universe, John!

Source:  Vancouver Film School Blog

…..and as always….

Have A Very Stargate Day!

 Richard Dean Anderson

The working title for the next Stargate SG-1 movie has been revealed.  Stargate: Revolution will reunite the cast of the long-running show, including former lead Richard Dean Anderson.

The title has announced at Stargate writer-producer Joseph Mallozzi’s blog.

Revolution will be the third DVD movie for the SG-1 team — if it gets made, that is.  After reportedly giving the production a green light this past spring (story), MGM placed it back in drydocks along with the Atlantis movie, Stargate: Extinction.

As of last spring, the intention was to shoot one or both of the movies this fall, with the SG-1 film apparently taking priority in the production schedule.  But continuing economic pressures have prevented MGM from committing just yet (story).

Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum filmed in 2007 and were released in 2008.

The script for the SG-1 movie has been written by Brad Wright and Carl Binder, who are currently serving as executive producers on Stargate Universe, with a story reportedly set sometime between Continuum and the start of SGU.  Wright told fans at this year’s Vancouver Stargate convention that “I had a story idea that really worked with O’Neill.  And it’s not just his character, by any means. It’s a Stargate story that brings O’Neill back in a big way.”

Keep your browser locked on GateWorld for the very latest on Stargate: Revolution has news develops!  We’ll be adding it to our Stargate Movies guide this week, where you can find everything we know about the film at a glance.

Source:  Gateworld & Joseph Malozzi’s Blog

….and as always….

Have A Very Stargate Day!

All related posts: Reference Page – GP/QTP Automation 

Documentation 

Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains Dexterity Programmer’s Guide: http://mbs.microsoft.com/downloads/public/GP90Docs/Prgv2.pdf

Refer to ”Part 7: Software Engineering, Chapter 34: “Testing Your Application”.

Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains DexterityMacro System in “Recording Test Cases” document: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7544609d-425a-4dfb-a5be-0937d8a63c50

Application setup 

The following configuration changes have to be made to fully enable Dexterity Macro support.

1. Dex.ini file

Locate this file in “./Data” subfolder.

Add the following line:

ShowAdvancedMacroMenu=TRUE

This will enable “Tools/Macro/Advanced” submenu.

2. Execution Log folder

Dexterity Macro produces all the output to text file.

Make sure you define log file by adding the following line in your macros:

Logging file ‘:c:GP/Log/maclog.txt’

Note that non-windows syntax is used defining the path.

For the full list of available options refer to “Setting up the Microsoft Dynamics GP Environment” paragraph in “Recording Test Cases” document.

Available macro commands

CommandExec
ClearAllVars
ClearVar
IfDefined…EndIf
IfNotDefined…EndIf
SetVar
TNT_Event
Macros
DField
DWin
DumpField
DumpFieldBegin…DumpFieldEnd
DMenu
DMenuAll
Logging
Pause
MenuSelect
FileOpen
FileSave
FileSaveAs
PrintDialog
OpenForm
ScrollByLine
ScrollByPage
ScrollToEnd
TransLinePrepare
ActivateWindow
CheckActiveWin
CloseWindow
NewActiveWin
WindowMove
WindowSize
CheckFocusSpring
ClickCancel
ClickHit
ClickHitMS
ColSortAsc
ColSortDes
ContNatTypeTo
ContTypeTo
DoubleClickHit
MoveTo
NatTypeTo
SelChanged
SelectAccel
SelectChars
StateClick
ToggleNode
TypeTo

Commands I used

Identified Issues 

1) No parameterization

Dexterity Macro is GUI interaction oriented language. It does not support data retrieval operations like reading from a file. Therefore, all values are hard-coded. 

The one possible solution is to generate macro command file dynamically on the run-time by using predefined template. Master code (i.e. VBScript in QTP) substitutes values by finding tokens contained in a template. 

2) Synchronization issues

A recorded script almost never works. Every command expects GUI to be available immediately and in case of failure execution immediately stops. 

Recorded scripts should be modified manually with the following recommendations. 

Window synchronization 

Close windows you no longer need. Save or discard before closing. 

Use NewActiveWin in pair with ActivateWindow. If “window is not active” error still occurred use multiple ActivateWindow lines. Each line adds an approximately 1 second synchronization.

Example.

NewActiveWin dictionary ‘default’  form ‘PM_Vendor_Maintenance’ window ‘PM_Vendor_Maintenance’

ActivateWindow dictionary ‘default’  form ‘PM_Vendor_Maintenance’ window ‘PM_Vendor_Maintenance’

ActivateWindow dictionary ‘default’  form ‘PM_Vendor_Maintenance’ window ‘PM_Vendor_Maintenance’

ActivateWindow dictionary ‘default’  form ‘PM_Vendor_Maintenance’ window ‘PM_Vendor_Maintenance’ 

Field synchronization 

Use MoveTo command before interacting with a field. Duplicate this line to add synchronization.

Combine it with ActivateWindow command.

Move focus to buttons to trigger event handlers in text boxes you previously populated.

We are close to finalizing our cast.  Looking forward to announcing them soon. If you’ve followed any of our previous work you’ll know some of them…

All related posts: Reference Page – GP/QTP Automation 

The problem 

Those who tried sanScript code examples on their windows/objects probably noticed that Great Plains refuses to execute some instructions referring to certain objects even if they were successfully mapped with Dexterity GUI Mapping Script or with GUI Capture Script.

And while  highlighting  window controls you may see that some were “omitted”.

The reason is that those GUI objects do not belong to the base product package or dictionary as it is named (filename: Dynamics.dic).

Those who are interested in researching the problem from the application development side might find useful the following articles. 

Understanding Cross Dictionary Dexterity Development 

Cross Dictionary Dexterity Development 

There is no solution for the cross-dictionary scripting issue but modification of source code of the application’s dictionaries and this way is not really applicable for the functional test automation.

However Dexterity Macros could be used as a workaround.

See detailed examples in the next blog posts.

Morphoses in Christopher Wheeldon’s Rhapsody Fantaisie, photo by Erin Baiano

During its third season at City Center last week, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company offered six ballets over two programs, along with behind-the-scenes videos of the dancers rehearsing at Martha’s Vineyard, live music, and a pre-curtain greeting from Christopher Wheeldon himself.  There always seems to be a lot of fuss (both good and bad) over this three-year-old company – the “Ballet=Sexy” motto sparked interest in its first season, high-profile costume designers and dancers got attention in 2008, and this year’s uninspiring videos received criticism for focusing on butterflies and blueberries instead of on the choreographic process – along with speculation about how Wheeldon’s choices shape The Future of Ballet.  Once all of the excess is stripped away and the expectations about Wheeldon filling Balanchine’s shoes are set aside, Morphoses appears to be a struggling dance company with flawed programs and inconsistent choreography – not unlike many other contemporary ballet troupes.

Last Friday evening’s program started out strongly with Continuum (2002), part of Wheeldon’s trilogy of works set to music by Gyorgy Ligeti.  Featuring four couples, a thornily intriguing piano score, upside down scissoring legs and spidery hands, the work was structurally and choreographically similar to Wheeldon’s 2001 ballet Polyphonia.  The geometric partnering was set within a meditative atmosphere that felt otherworldly yet grounded.

Morphoses in Wheeldon’s Continuum, photo by Erin Baiano

Paul Lightfoot and Sol León’s Softly as I Leave You, second on the program, was an insincere, angst-filled portrayal of the end of a relationship.  Drew Jacoby and Rubinald Pronk are talented dancers, but this work, which used the unusual pairing of Bach and Arvo Pärt, mainly featured their high extensions and flexible torsos as they struggled in and around a coffin.  They deserved better, and so did the audience.

Unfortunately, Wheeldon’s newest work, Rhapsody Fantaisie, was a lackluster close to the program.  Set to a lush piano score by Rachmaninoff with a bizarre backdrop of windsocks by Los Carpinteros, six couples in deep red costumes swept through movement that combined ballet vocabulary with folk dance influences and imaginative lifts.  But it was all a blur, rushing by so quickly with nothing and nobody catching the eye, except for the radiant Wendy Whelan in a duet with Andrew Crawford.  Their pas de deux demonstrated how Wheeldon’s movement is most enlightening when it slows down and allows both the audience and dancers to pause and sink their teeth into his choreographic cornucopia.

Wheeldon recently confessed that he’s uncertain about the future of Morphoses, citing fundraising obstacles and the stress of managing a dance company while also choreographing for it.  These are challenges faced by many choreographers who start their own companies, except that Wheeldon was already in the spotlight and gaining plenty of publicity when he founded Morphoses because of his time as a New York City Ballet dancer and resident choreographer.  For Wheeldon to abandon Morphoses after such a short amount of time would be cowardly.  There are countless other struggling companies – many of which have been around for much longer than three years – that have persisted with fewer resources and smaller budgets than that of Morphoses.  The company has been extremely fortunate to have performed at Sadler’s Wells, the Vail International Dance Festival, and City Center over the past three years, and there are plans to tour to several cities internationally in 2010.  Performing worldwide is impressive for such a young company, but perhaps Morphoses should focus on smaller, local projects before calling it quits so that Wheeldon can devote his energies to the choreographic process.

John Mayer is back with a brand new record!

John Mayer

The american guitarist, singer, songwriter announced his upcoming (fourth) studio album, “Battle Studies” to be released on the 17th of November 2009.

I’m extremely looking forward to hear the new record, especially, since I gather Mayer is like good wine… he matures as time elapses. The main reason why I got into what he does, was the third full-lenght album of his, “Continuum” (2006). Although both the debut and the follow up John Mayer albums, “Room for Squares” (2001), and “Heavier Things” (2003) were really successful, especially the first one.

The main difference in terms of the first two albums and Continuum for me was the basic approach of songwriting and composing. On Continuum Mayer introduces a new sound, a lot more “bluesy” one than ever before.  After I came to know the album better, I listened to the other two as well. I found them really entertaining, with loads of singles and “single-like” tracks, but the whole concept was too “pop-rock” for me. I still put them on, once in a while, for one simple cause, the unique guitar style and obvious virtuosity he’s been gifted with.

Mixing this “JM guitar” factor with the blues – rock and roll taste is the best I could ask for. On his third album, Mayer worked together with Pino Palladino (bass) and Steve Jordan (drums) for the first time on a studio album, and later they formed the “John Mayer Trio”. From then on, the Trio became a separate act to play the “more serious-elegant part” within John Mayer live performances. To sum up my thoughts, I would like to say, that regarding his recent works, no one should be afraid of dissapointment, from the group of fans who like what he does for the same reasons I do. 

Here’s the first official music video featuring the song “Who Says”, one of the tracks from the new album. (Lot of people said, that it resembles “Stop This Train” from Continuum, or more like a sequel of it. I agree with them perfectly, by the way Stop This Train is my favorite John Mayer song.)

Go Johnny! (Official Website: http://www.johnmayer.com)

Por: Ana Carolina Marinho

O cantor e compositor China também conversou com a equipe do Movimenta Recife.

O músico fala sobre o I Festival de Arte e Teconologia do Recife – Continuum e como anda o mercado da música diante da gratuidade da internet.

Confira!!!
Entrevista: Ana Carolina Marinho
Filmagens: Cecília Guerra
Produção: Elayne Bezerra

Áudio:

http://soundcloud.com/aninhamarinho/entrevista-com-china

Vídeo:

The sequel to the successful HD 2d fighting game BlazBlue has been announced and now confirmed. It is scheduled to go out on Japanese arcade store this coming Christmas. I’m so into BlazBlue right now I’d buy anything BB from ArsSys. Nerfs and buffs for everyone except of course for Nu, who in this sequel is replaced by lambda 11, a much more defective and toned down long range attacker. Changes made me cry, and some of them look awful especially Arakune’s bugs that became ginormous and that’ll make you feel like you’re in an insect horror film. A few scans of the sequel below:

This afternoon, I heard Tlingit artist Nicholas Galanin speak at the Bill Reid Gallery. His talk was my first prolonged exposure to concept art applied to Northwest Coast art. I came away stimulated, but not particularly sympathetic to the effort.

Galanin is the latest of several generations of artists, and has done some jewelry in the traditional style. However, at least for the time being, he is not especially interested in traditional art or culture. He talked about traditional art as being confined by the stereotypes imposed by a romantic view of first nations, and – rather tellingly – could not tell where he obtained a traditional song he used in a video, even though in coast cultures, rights in songs and their performance can be important pieces of property. [Note: Both Galanin and Sonny Assu tell me that it was not the traditional song whose source Galanin didn't know, but a hiphop song that was part of the same work. See the comments below. I apologize for the error].

Instead, Galanin is more interested in exploring the First Nations as another ethnic minority within the dominant culture – in particular, how coastal images are bastardized and exploited by cheap imitations made in Asia for the tourist trade in the Northwest Coast. He discussed, for example, a series of masks he made out of pages of the Bible, talking about how he found it appropriate that the holy book of Christians, who suppressed shamanism, should be converted into a shaman mask. Galanin also talked other paper masks he had made and how they were masks by a first nations person that showed no signs of first nations culture.

Other projects he discussed involved embedding tourist-trade masks in a wall covered with wallpaper that depicted idealized pictures of 19th century life and another in which the same type of masks were covered in Chinoserie. In a pair of videos, he had a traditional dancer (or an approximation of one) and a modern dancer moving to the same traditional song. In yet another series of work, he gave his version of the highly idealized photos of Edward Curtis: naked women with masks added in a graphics editor.

Meanwhile, ten meters from the podium where he stood was his contribution to the Bill Reid Gallery’s Continuum show: A version of Bill Reid’s “Raven and First Men” rendered by a chainsaw. Galanin was seeing his version of the famous sculpture for the first time, because he had outsourced the work – as he does much of his work.

The outsourcing is a commentary on commercialism, but I also had the sense that for Galanin what matters is not the actual work so much as the concept. Apparently, he sees his role as that of impresario, rather than as an artist who necessarily creates works with his own hand.

Having been a grad student in an English department of a major university, I am tolerably well-versed in such approaches to art. Nor do I find anything in Galanin’s social commentary with which I disagree.

But I wonder if I am missing something, because I have never found this kind of concept art very compelling.

For one thing, it seems to have little room for something that is central to my own appreciation of art – the enjoyment of craft, of sheer artistic excellence. Part of this lack may be that it does not delve deeply into tradition, so it has no standards to judge skill by. But the major reason for the lack seems to be that, when you are making a comment, craft becomes unimportant or perhaps a distraction.

Moreover, when you are commenting on commercialism, too much craft is probably out of place. If anything, your message is stronger if an object shows a lack of craft.

This situation helps create another problem: most concept art, including Galanin’s, is like a symphony of a single note. If your ideal is the “well-made object” of Bill Reid’s aesthetics, then viewers can return to it many times, and even discover something new after the first viewing. In comparison, concept art seems simple and to offer few reasons to return to it. Once you have grasped the message – which is often simple enough that you can reduce it to a single sentence, or at least a rather short paragraph – nothing is left to appreciate. Concept art seems to unambiguous and unsubtle by nature, and, consequently, not very interesting.

In this respect, it is interesting to compare Galanin’s chainsaw Bill Reid knockoff with Mike Dangeli’s ridicule mask, which is also in the Continuum show. Where Galanin’s “Raven and the First Immigrants” seems one-dimensional, Galanin has reached into his cultural history to bring an old concept into the future: just as the ridicule masks of the past were public announcements of a wrong, so Dangeli’s is a declaration of the wrongs suffered from the first nations. Dangeli’s mask is every bit as social or political as Galanin’s sculpture, but where Galanin’s sculpture seems facile, Dangeli’s mask is ambiguous and complex. And I doubt it is a coincidence that Dangeli is throughly involved in preserving and reviving his culture while Galanin sounds like a typical deracinated intellectual.

But such issues are a matter of taste. Regardless of what I think of Galanin’s work, I have to admit that the very fact that it takes the form that it does illustrates the diversity of Northwest Coast art and proves it a living tradition. And that by itself, I suspect, is something of value.

Everytime I think about how I missed this show, I get sad.  Imagine: John Mayer @ The Mod Club – my absolute most favourite venue in all of Toronto -it’s up close, intimate…….ughhhhh.  Anyway, I love this song.

Too many shadows in my room
Too many hours in this midnight
Too many corners in my mind
So much to do to set my heart right
Oh it’s taking so long i could be wrong, i could be ready
Oh but if i take my heart’s advice
I should assume it’s still unsteady
I am in repair, i am in repair

Stood on the corner for a while
To wait for the wind to blow down on me
Hoping it takes with it my old ways
And brings some brand new look upon me
Oh it’s taking so long i could be wrong, i could be ready
Oh but if i take my heart’s advice
I should assume it’s still unsteady
I am in repair, i am in repair

And now i’m walking in a park
All of the birds they dance below me
Maybe when things turn green again
It will be good to say you know me

Oh it’s taking so long i could be wrong, i could be ready
Oh but if i take my heart’s advice
I should assume it’s still unready
Oh i’m never really ready, i’m never really ready
I’m in repair, i’m not together but i’m getting there
I’m in repair, i’m not together but i’m getting there

Rolfing is a manual therapy that focuses on releasing connective tissue such as tendons, ligaments and fascia. The main goal is to establish order and alignment so that the body can naturally find ease and support in gravity as opposed to fighting it.

In particular, Rolfing frees restrictions that form as we age and compensate for the injuries that might have happened long ago but didn’t quite resolve. These restrictions are often adhesions or fibrous scar tissue that feels denser, less innervated and dehydrated. They prevent full range of motion and thus spreading the adaptation pattern to other parts of the body.

Some Rolfers and Structural Integrators including me, believe that aging is basically dehydration of tissue. It means that fluids cannot get to the particular tissue. One of the causes is often chronic tightness of the area that restricts the blood and lymph flow that is so important in bringing the nutrients and flushing out the toxins. Over the decades of such restrictions, muscles, connective tissue, nerves and organs function sub-optimally. Tissue is no longer elastic and flexible. We become rigid, often both physically as well as psychologically.

As one of my instructors at the Rolf Institute said, the body IS movement. That is what we do every second of our lives; be it playing tennis or just breathing while we sleep. There are many ways to encourage the body moving. I personally find several things helpful:

1. Body awareness
2. Walking
3. Getting rolfed
4. Rolling on a ball and working “the kinks” out myself
5. Hot tubbing
6. Continuum movement
7. Gyrokinesis

All of them help me connect with my body in a deeper way. When I am connected with my body, I am able to recognize when a part of me isn’t “happy.” It becomes intuitive to adjust and adapt myself to the circumstances. I align my body with my life. Life truly becomes effortless and joyful.