(BOSTON, MA) – Laz & Cat (aka Crosby “Catipus” Tatum and Jay “Lazurus” Holland will appear LIVE tonight on THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH Talk show, hosted by Charlie Alejandro at 7:00pm as they chat about everything going on with Triceptus Studios. You can check out the show EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ordinarywmn. Make sure to call in at 7:00pm at: 347-989-1473, to talk LIVE with Crosby & Laz on anything that comes to mind.  We wanna hear you guys on here with us.

(BOSTON, MA) – Production Live Online (www.productionliveonline.com) recently did an interview with Triceptus Studios Co-Executive Producer/CEO – Crosby “Catipus” Tatum, on the recent developments in Triceptus Studios.  Check out this interview, RIGHT HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtsG2mbesmM

Cowboy Church Cowboy Christmas Ball Committee

Michael Martin Murphey’s Cowboy Christmas (TM) at Belcher Performing Arts Center in Longview, Texas(12/11/09), and Michael Martin Murphey’s Bar-None Cowboy Christmas Ball (TM) at the Bar-None Cowboy Church of Tatum, Texas(12/12/09) raised $240,000 for Heartlight Ministries for troubled teens(www.heartlightministries.org). Murphey has been presenting Cowboy Christmas Concerts that benefit Heartlight in the Longview area for five years, but this is the first time there have been two events.

Mark Gregston, Director of Heartlight Ministries, said, “We are thrilled to be able to work with Michael Martin Murphey’s Cowboy Christmas (TM) production team to create the synergy to raise money for Heartlight Ministries for troubled teens ! It certainly worked out as we raised $240,000 through this event!  We’re already planning for 3 days next year- a Cowboy Christmas Festival!”

The Bar-None Cowboy Church in Tatum, Texas asked Suanne Holtzman, committee member of the “Texas Cowboys’ Christmas Ball” in Anson, Texas to consult with their church to learn how to put on a Cowboy Christmas Ball within the time-honored traditions of the Anson community. A committee of couples was formed to create the food, decorations, matching ball dresses and organization for the public. Like the Anson dance, the Bar-None Cowboy Christmas Ball(TM) features no smoking, no alcohol, “Western outfits encouraged (not required), a dress-code of “no pants, short skirts above the knee or shorts for the ladies” (though formal ball dresses are not required), and a respect for the true meaning of Christmas- a wedding reception-like celebration of the Birth of Jesus. Traditional dances of Texas and the American West were presented- the “Paul Jones”, “Schottische”, “Cotton-Eyed Joe”, “Two-Step”, “Western Swing”, and “Waltz”. The food for the Bar-None Cowboy Christmas Ball consists of traditional Texas ranch-style food – just as in Anson.

Michael Martin Murphey has been producing his Cowboy Christmas (TM) Concerts and Cowboy Christmas Ball (TM) for many years across the U.S and Canada, earning him a Federal Trademark on the phrase “Cowboy Christmas” and “Cowboy Christmas Ball“. In 1991, Murphey produced a best-selling recording, “Cowboy Christmas- Cowboy Songs II.” His foray into Western music began with his certified Gold Album “Cowboy Songs” in 1989, making Murphey the contemporary No.1 Best-Selling Cowboy Music Singer. He was inducted into the Western Music Hall of Fame in 2004. His 2009 release, “Buckaroo Blue Grass” on Rural Rhythm Records received the GRAMMY  nomination for BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM.

Michael Martin Murphey’s Wildfire Productions team is already planning the 2010 Cowboy Christmas Tour. “My family, friends and band members look forward to the Cowboy Christmas Tour every year. Thank the Lord for all the wonderful years of this event!”

If you happened to be channel surfing early Saturday morning (on the East Coast of the US, anyhow), you might’ve caught Miss World 2009, broadcast live from South Africa.

Or was that just me?

I’m not into beauty pageants, but I stopped and watched, eager to hear contestants’ names.  Except they kept referring to them as Miss Colombia and Miss Poland.  So off to Google I went, and here are the international appellations that graced the stage.

Miss Gibraltar – Kaiane Aldorino – won the title.  (True confession: I did not know that Gibraltar was an autonomous nation.  Arthur, I hope you’re not reading this.)

Omitting the Annas and Marias, as well as those that don’t translate well into English, like Belgium’s Zeynep:

• Jesinalda (Angola);
• Evelyn Lucia (Argentina);
• Norma Leticia (Belize);
• Flavia (Bolivia);
• Luciana (Brazil);
• Antonia (Bulgaria);
• Lena (Canada);
• Rosine (Cote d’Ivoire);
• Ivana (Croatia);
• Chantalle (Curacao);
• Christalla (Cyprus);
• Aneta (Czech Republic);
• Nadia (Denmark);
• Elena (El Salvador);
• Katrina (England);
• Lula (Ethiopia);
• Sanna (Finland);
• Tsira (Georgia);
• Alkisti (Greece);
• Béatrice (Guadeloupe);
• Imarah (Guyana);
• Blaise (Honduras);
• Adi (Israel);
• Alice (Italy);
• Eruza (Japan);
• Dina (Kazakhstan);
• Fiona (Kenya);
• Martine (Lebanon);
• Vaida (Lithuania);
• Diana (Luxembourg);
• Suzana (Macedonia);
• Shanel (Malta);
• Ingrid (Martinique);
• Anaïs (Mauritius);
• Perla (Mexico);
• Happie (Namibia);
• Zenisha (Nepal);
• Avalon-Chanel (Netherlands);
• Magdalena (New Zealand);
• Glory (Nigeria);
• Nadege (Panama);
• Claudia (Peru);
• Marta (Portugal);
• Loredana Violeta (Romania);
• Ksenia (Russia);
• Katharine (Scotland);
• Jelena (Serbia);
• Pilar Carmelita (Singapore);
• Tatum (South Africa);
• Carmen Laura (Spain);
• Zoureena (Suriname);
• Claudia (Uruguay);
• Lucy (Wales);
• Vanessa (Zimbabwe)

One of the most striking things about the list is that I’d stand little chance of linking the name to the nation – to me, Alice in English, Marta is Polish and surely Pilar is from South America.

But no.

I’m particularly taken with Glory and the double Claudia appearance.  And nope, I can’t pronounce most of these – including Kaiane. (Sebastiane, paging Sebastiane.)

Thoughts?

The primary connection between Scholes’ text and Tatum’s is the overlying search for truth. Both authors blame popular culture in part for muddying the waters in the search. Scholes believes English is in decline due to language changing to a persuasive one. Tatum feels that “we” believe we live in a diverse society through popular culture, however, she points to research showing otherwise.

Finally, both offer solutions for how their respective subjects should be addressed in the classroom. In Scholes’ “trivial proposal,” he envisions a curriculum using new technology and injecting more philosophical themes into the discipline. Tatum also acknowledges the importance of technology, though she questions whether younger generations have enough wisdom to use such information for the common good.

WELCOME TO THE BRAND NEW “PRODUCER’S CHAIR BLOG”, here on the Triceptus News Now Page.  Make sure that you click on the SUBSCRIBE link in the right hand corner to get instant news and updates and new stories coming from Triceptus Studios, we love and cherish your support in our endeavors as we continue to persevere to being one of the premiere entertainment companies in the world.

We have been steadily busy with creating new music under the Triceptus Studios Music banner as we get ready to release our first EP – “TRICEPTUS STUDIOS PRESENTS: TRICITY VOL. I.”  Needless to say, our distributor, Wiggens Music Group Worldwide (http://www.wmgw.net) is eagerly anticipating release this album, and us producing this album as we got many more projects in the works.  That’s why you need to subscribe to this news blog and stay informed cause we are moving, man.  Now, enough with the salutes – ACTION:

INTERVIEWS ARE HAPPENING

Triceptus Studios work is finally getting recognized by the local and regional media, to which we are simply ecstatic over our hard work paying off for this year.  I never thought in my wildest dreams that I personally, would be the center of attention sometimes, or rather our company would be at the center of attention at times when we produce a program or project and people respond to it and other people promote it.  We recently did an Interview with TTN-HD, who are a local podcasting company, spotlighting all of the up & coming artist in the Massachusetts Film & Entertainment community.  Now, us being featured was a great shot in the arm.  And I know I got a lil more work to do with my interviewing skills and for me, who doesn’t like being in the public eye a lot, it was a tall order.  Laz critiqued me on it and said it was a bad interview, ‘to which’ I agree after seeing it.  But as time goes on, we learn from our mistakes and we prosper in the long run.  See what you think about this interview with the lovely – Princess Santiago of TTN-HD:

BACK UP YOUR WORK

We’re (or I, should say) am making this public because everyone makes mistakes and we are not oblivious to it.  But earlier this week, one of our Hard Drives that contain our HD footage was corrupted, in which we have to put it in service in hopes of retrieving our data.  Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, EXCEPT, we have an important deadline we have to make, and we DO NOT intend to miss it for anything, even if we have to spend a lil more to get the results we need.  Which is why I want to stress to aspiring producers/directors/writors/editors/collaborators, and anyone in the creative process to just – BACK UP YOUR WORK.  Every piece of it.  Every nook, every cranny, just back it up.  Trust me, headaches are not worth the trouble of making sure your work is safe and secure.  Just back it up.  Not sexually, but you know what I mean.  BACK UP YOUR WORK.

THE MUSIC MAKING PROCESS

2009 has had a lot of gifts presented to the Studio, particularly myself, as I learned so much about who I am, and what I am capable of, I just don’t want to turn off the dial and slow down, cause I want more for this thing we have.  Like any man woman or child, I love music, and music to me is the single most important communication and emotional tool ever created by mankind, for it can influence, it can change, it can make or break whatever it touches.  Now when it comes to making music, I was a novice at first, trying to figure out what I wanted to do and why.  I give Laz a lot of credit for helping me to stick with it knowing, it was something I wanted to do and accomplish, and at least try to be a modest beatmaker with a unique sound.  When you try to make music, just LOOSE YOURSELF to what you are thinking, come up with a simple structure, and get crazy with it.  The best part is going through the journey of music making rather than completing it.  And it’s even better if you have someone along for the ride as well.  Take it from me.

KEEP CHECKING OUT “FEEL”

FEEL was our first in studio music video, and it was the first video that featured me & Laz as recording artist.  It’s a hot music video and trust me, we got plenty more where that came from.  So check it out when you can.  In fact – Check it out here:

BOSTON MUSIC AWARDS

Wednesday December 2nd 2009, I will be at the Boston Music Awards and showing love to our fellow artists and promoting our work.  We will be there in full force letting everyone know what Triceptus Studios is all about.  Just putting it out there.

Well that was our Producer’s Chair blog on a POST-Thanksgiving weekday.  Make sure you guys leave a comment on our blog here and let us know what you think about it either on here or on our facebook fan page.  We really appreciate your feedback on our projects.  I’m Crosby Tatum…

– AND THAT’S A RAP!!!

On behalf of the Triceptus Studios Family.  We want to wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving.  Please remember to look after your loved ones and just remember to give thanks for the things you have and cherish the moments you experience, all the days of your life.   Please continue to support us.  Thank you. 

– Crosby Tatum

Co-Executive Producer/CEO, Triceptus Studios

Tatum discusses cross-racial friendships and their impact on society. There is a different dynamic involved in such friendships. Tatum notes that such friendships add empowerment, confidence, and the willingness to build further relationships.

With regard to education, Tatum offers lessons from the examples in the text, even though relationships can be as individual as the individuals within it. The first lesson is that human connection requires familiarity and contact. One common thread among all successful teachers, regardless of their race, is that the educator took the time to get to know the community. The second is that educators from different races enter the “cross-racial connection” with individual perspectives. This leads to the final lesson: In today’s environment of resegregation, Tatum feels that honesty and willingness is crucial in introducing meaningful dialogue between cross-racial friends.

Tatum suggests that school administrators take a broader view of race in schools, finding the connection between race and intelligence, minority student performance, and diversity training as a way to replace the current dysfunctional model.

She then discusses the psychological problems behind the “stereotype threat,” which triggers performance anxiety during times of high pressure. She offers six suggestions to reduce instances of stereotype threat. One is to set high standards. Second is to avoid too much toleration of subpar work. Third is to remove the stigma of seeking help outside of class by making it compulsory. Fourth is to include diverse perspectives. Fifth is to use diverse, assigned work. And lastly, Tatum recommends that both teacher and student revise their views of what intelligence is and could be.

In the introductory chapter, Tatum discusses the effects of segregation since Brown v. Board of Education, which mandated integration into public schools but not equal resources. Tatum cites statistics showing that Black schools lagged behind in building quality, experience of faculty, and type of courses offered.

Students should be able to see themselves and others without feelings of marginalization, realize communal links of “shared norms and values,” and be prepared for an engaged, educated role in society.

Microsoft and Tatum, LLC are proud to announce that Peter A.S. Pfeiffer, Managing Partner of Tatum’s Mid-Atlantic practice, has been named as a new member of Microsoft’s Government Contractor Executive Forum. “It is an honor to be asked to support such an important program at Microsoft, one that parallels Microsoft’s objectives with Tatum’s value proposition in the Government contracting space”, said Peter A.S. Pfeiffer.

The Microsoft Government Contractor Executive Forum is comprised of senior level executives from the government contractor industry. The Forum provides insight into key business challenges relative to high growth government contractors. A one day Government Contractor Summit will be held on November 17, 2009. The Summit will expose interested government contractors to Microsoft Dynamic DCAA Compliant Financial Management solutions and CRM solutions in addition to networking with peers and gaining access to best practices.

“Government Contracting is a very specialized industry with ever evolving compliance needs. As we service the needs of forward thinking CEOS, having Peter Pfeiffer of Tatum, LLC take a board position was a very natural next step. Through their deep industry expertise, Tatum, LLC is about unveiling possibilities and delivering operational expertise to the contracting community. This marries up well to what Microsoft Dynamics offers the contractor marketplace. This collaboration becomes a real winning combination,” said Christine Zmuda, Strategic Engagement Manager for Microsoft.

Oct. 14th 20 percent of your food bill can go to helping the organization Horses Help.

Horses Help (HH) is an organization off of Cave Creek and Rose Garden Lane that utilizes therapeutic horse rides to help children and adults with special needs. HH volunteer and PVCC student Amber Wilkinson (featured in the October issue of the Puma Press) has found a way to combine her on campus activity with her off campus volunteer work. With the help of her service learning group on campus Amber has helped to organize a fundraiser through local Italian Eatery Babbo.

The Babbo on the corner of Tatum and Cave Creek will be donating 20% of all of Wed’s bills to HH. For more information about how you can help HH simply subscribe for their mailing list: Horses Help Mailing List.

Photo Courtesy of HorsesHelp.org

What is EB? EB stands for Epidermolysis Bullosa – a very rare genetic disease. The disease causes one’s skin to be extremely fragile and blisters easily to the slightest rub or touch. An estimated 50 in 1 million newborns are diagnosed with EB. Most children with this disease do not survive into adulthood. There is no cure for this disease.

A special little girl named Tatum Blackwell suffers from this extremely rare disease. She deals with blisters, tears, scars and various other injuries everyday. Unfortunately, it is not only through contact that her skin can blister; extremely hot conditions can also cause the skin to tear.

Not many people know about this disease. I know I had no clue until I met a new friend this summer. Although the disease is horrible, what’s worse is that the necessities that are required to deal with the scars and blisters are not covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan).

That is why her friends and family are attempting to create an EB Awareness Week in Canada through Tatum’s Walk for Hope! The U.S.A. already has an awareness week – yet Canada does not. This week occurs during October 25-31.The purpose of this week is to create awareness of EB, and let people know what it is and attempt to find a cure for it.

For more information on Epidermolysis Bullosa, check out the following website:

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1062939-overview

To help with EB Awareness and find out more about Tatum Blackwell, visit this site:

http://www.tatumebhope.org/

Let us all work together in letting everyone know about EB – and find a cure for it!

A scintillating discussion began in my journalism class the other day, and I felt like this would be the perfect opportunity to expand upon it. The question we asked unto ourselves is whether or not we think the heat Obama is getting is race related or not. Jimmy Carter said it is, but what did we say? Well, here’s what I said. Skim it over and let me know your thoughts – I’d love to know if you agree or disagree. My teacher, who just so happens to be a brilliant journalist and an excellent professor, told me it was a first rate paper. Now I’d love to see what you have to tell me.

              Although we like to consider ourselves largely a colorblind society, many of us know that is not truly the case. Not to say we haven’t come a long way since slavery, or even Jim Crow Laws for that matter, but to deny that racism still lives, breathes, and dare I say thrives in our society is simply naïve. There’s no denying, therefore, that at least some of the political heat President Obama has been receiving of late is due to his race, or even more specifically what it may mean, in terms of race, to have someone of color is such a significant position of influence.

            First and foremost, before any good racial debate can ever begin, the definition one is using to describe racism must be laid out. Because race is an ambiguous, socially created categorization (e.g. black, white, asian), as opposed to ethnicity (e.g. Egyptian, El Savadoran), it’s clear it must have been created for social purposes – those purposes being success, power, and ultimately money. Given that this is the case, I find the best definition of racism comes from Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, which states that racism is “a system of advantage based on race”. With this definition in mind, there’s no arguing that having a president of color in the White House has huge racial implications, which many who are on top of the racial ladder, may not like, policies aside.

            No president has ever been unanimously loved by the population in the past, so it’s no surprise that the current president isn’t either. It has, though, been quite a surprise to see some of our social lines recess while we coincidientally have our first black president. Nothing to the likes of the “You lie!” outburst by Republican Representative Joe Wilson or the “We Want Our Country Back” marches has ever been seen during any previous presidency, even with controversial leaders such as Bill Clinton and George Bush preceding him. So why now? It’s easy for us to say it’s all about politics, and it has nothing to do with race. It makes many feel better about themselves to state that their feelings are purely because they don’t agree with his healthcare reform or are not on board with tax changes. What it really boils down to though is power. If black people are going up, where are white people going?

            For the longest time, our social norm has been the White, Christian male – an easy backdrop for us to tint in order to get the “others”. When a black man entered a position of power, though, it was apparent to all a shift in society had begun – especially when he followed up his inauguration by appointing numerous people of color to help him in his success. With such dramatic changes, it’s clear that minorities are clearly not as “on the bottom” as once believed. So what’s the fear? If racism is defined as a system of power based on advantage, white people feel as though they are losing the advantage, or the edge they get, just by being white.

            A lot of people don’t even think of the natural systemic advantage they receive based on things they can’t control as long as it doesn’t hinder them (like their gender, or the color of their skin). For the longest time, white people didn’t have to ever worry about their personal views being upheld in politics because the person in charge was always like them and therefore always worked in their benefit. Of late, though, it’s obvious that politics is no longer for the white man, but instead every man. The fact that our current president is half black and half white should give him some leeway in the white community, given that he’s just as white as black, but it doesn’t. Why is that? It’s because he’s simply not fighting for their cause. He’s not fighting to keep the poor, systemically disadvantaged minorities poor and the rich, systemically advantaged whites rich. Instead, he’s looking to help raise up those without opportunities, which just so happens to more often than not be people of color.

            In essence, the Joe Wilson outburst, or the “We Want Our Country Back” protests are just fearful grasps. No president has even been so openly disrespected or torn apart and it’s easy to see it is fear – fear of losing position and advantage, fear of change, and fear of not being able to keep the wealth to themselves.

            Much has changed: slavery has been outlawed, segregation no longer exists in our country, and we’ve even allowed ourselves to put a black president in office. In truth though, much is just now changing. White people before slaves and after them have always maintained the advantage, the privilege associated just with being light-skinned. It’s clear, though, that the advantage is beginning to dissipate, colors aren’t becoming so clear, and changes are nigh, which work in favor of those who need it most.

            Obama may not be for everyone, but his opposition isn’t just simply based on politics. Presidents have been opposed or disagreed with before, but never has one been so disrespected or such a catalyst for racial change. Healthcare reform, no healthcare reform, tax change, or no tax change, opinions about Obama will not be changing any day soon. Race, which was aptly named, was socially created for a reason. Whites created the game and put themselves in the lead, holding their position until now by leaving hurdles in the way of minority groups. It’s easy to see, though, that people of color are quickly coming up the rear – and with Obama encouraging and removing the hurdles before them, white people are truly in fear for the first time of losing the race.