seajudge70-blog

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10 Latin-American Artists Driving Chiptune’s Next Big Wave

In today’s pop culture-obsessed world, most people are at least tangentially familiar with the nostalgic kitsch of chiptune, a colorful and whimsical universe of electronic music that has remained an underground niche throughout most of its brief history. Characterized by energetic, high-pitched melodies, chip music was born out of the Japanese video game boom of the 1970s, later becoming a DIY favorite at small demoscenes across Europe where hacking outdated tech evolved into a glitchy new art form. However, as chip music’s cultural significance has expanded globally, Latin America has remained largely omitted from the conversation, despite its chiptune scene’s wealth of perspectives and fusions.

Two major factors have kept Latin American chiptune from fully combusting. First, high import tariffs and weak buying power made tech a luxury in the global south for decades. For a genre that is predicated on an artist’s relationship to technology, hardware can be an integral but expensive investment, even if developed economies take for granted the cost of a new computer or getting your hands on sound chips from old video game consoles. Second, the unyielding framework of Latin America’s often homogenous music industry can be terribly difficult to circumvent for emerging experimental musicians. Certainly, countless genres and innovative artists exist throughout the region, but industry infrastructure overwhelmingly favors regional music and pop markets.

A major turning point came in 2004 when a series of free trade agreements between Asia and Latin America began taking effect, making international commerce more competitive and reducing the cost of electronics across the region. The advent of the Internet in the late 1990s also opened the floodgates of opportunity, making software plug-ins more affordable and accessible while also paving new avenues for networking and music distribution.

Speaking with Bandcamp last year, chiptune promoter and Colectivo Chipotle co-founder Estuardo Rendón vented his frustrations with Mexico’s music industry, particularly its constant resistance to new creative perspectives. “There is little support from the government,” he said, “and the private entrepreneurs are hardly interested in any form of expression that won’t turn the audience into passive consumers.” With limited labels on which to release their music, and even fewer spaces for live performances, the Internet became the surest way for chiptune experimentalists to reach audiences with a taste for the unconventional, and connect with artists on similar wavelengths.

“Chiptune has a very special place in our heart, since it was one of the first netlabel-related genres we discovered back in Puerto Rico,” reflects José Ángel Olivares of the tropical dreampop ensemble Balún, whose 2010 EP Memoria Textil incorporates elements of Caribbean folklore and chip music. They’d just gotten broadband Internet for the first time, and spent hours and hours going through the discographies of labels like 8bitpeoples and micromusic. “For a genre that felt so isolated from the rest of what was going on in Puerto Rico,” Olivares adds, “it brought us closer to other scenes and musicians.”

So what makes Latin American chiptune different from its sibling strains scattered about the world? For starters, there’s a unique historical convergence of indigenous identity, European colonization, and African traditions that unfold across 33 countries on the continental mainland and the Caribbean. Despite many commonalities between these nations, the creative outlook of each artist varies widely from city to city, region to region. Some artists fuse chip music with the bevy of traditional rhythms at their disposal, while others derive inspiration from chiptune’s more streamlined sonic trends, applying their own creative speculation as they go. It should also be noted that Latin American chiptune enthusiasts are as inspired and technically able as their Asian and Anglo-European peers—an affirmation that cannot be overstated, given that their work is continuously ignored by media, bookers and industry gatekeepers.

All said, the world of chiptune is dizzying in its depth and variety. To guide you through the adventure, we’ve selected 10 essential releases by Latin-American artists who bring fresh new perspectives to the genre. Be they collectives or bands, solo artists and bedroom producers, the musicians below are all set to take the world by storm—and that’s just the tip of the colorful 8-bit iceberg.

Colectivo Chipotle (Mexico) Chipfolk

Counting 68 official indigenous languages and complex pre- and post-colonial histories, Mexico’s vibrant cultural heritage is a vital catalyst at the heart of Chipfolk, a futuristic reimagining of national roots music from eclectic production crew Colectivo Chipotle. Released in 2013, the anthology finds 10 of the collective’s over two-dozen members dipping into Mexico’s vast repertoire of folkloric music and paying tribute to multitude facets of native and mestizo identity. From collective founder Chema64’s “Tlacotalpan,” which morphs cheerful Veracruzan son jarocho into digital dancefloor rapture, to “Adoración al Sol,” which finds producer Atoms or Faeries honoring Aztec deities and percussion, Chipfolk is the 8-bit musical equivalent of a José María Velasco painting, an album which gorgeously highlights the vastness of Mexican culture, with all its regional peculiarities.

RRayen (Argentina) Dont Panic!

Argentine producer Maia Koenig—better known as RRayen—has no interest in cutesy chiptune archetypes. Instead, she crafts chaotic dancefloor bangers that can breed a mosh pit in the blink of an eye: asymmetrical, conceptual diatribes tempered with just enough melody to keep the productions tiptoeing between noise and familiar arcade camp. This year’s album Don’t Panic! provides an excellent introduction to the producer’s world of thumping basslines and unnerving micro-sequencing. Armed with a Game Boy, a Casio PT80, and a plethora of DIY synths, RRayen has poured her jittery madness into tracks like “Black,” a lugubrious bop that will get any goth to sweat out their eyeliner. The up-tempo whirlwind of “Coma” sounds like a pillow fight that rapidly escalated into full on rumble.

Una Niña Malvada (Chile) Mataquito Top Hives

Multidisciplinary abilities are not unprecedented among DIY artists, but only in rare instances are all those skills channeled into one project. Enter Marco Aliste, the Chilean graphic designer and music producer who, under his Una Niña Malvada alias, churns out bonkers sonic collages of blips, samples, and found sounds. Aliste’s creations are usually accompanied by one of his many colorful illustrations, as in 2012’s Mataquito Top Hives LP which features a collection of wild experiments recorded between 2006 and 2012 and conceptualized as the soundtrack to a particularly stifling summer in Chile’s South Central Maule Region. Playing out like a PC rave, Mataquito jumps from a psychedelic visit to the circus on “Pista 02” to drum & bass seizures on “Pista 08,” resulting in a cerebral musical experience that is challenging and highly enjoyable.

Balún (Puerto Rico) Memoria Textil

Puerto Rico has no shortage of inventive and surprising talent, whether bred on the island or flourishing in the continental U.S. diaspora, and for over a decade Balún have been at the forefront of the Boricua indie wave. The sometimes-quartet, sometimes-sextet group made headlines this year with their highly anticipated sophomore album Prisma Tropical. But back in 2010, they dug deep into their dreampop, synthwave, and chiptune influences to craft Memoria Textil, an audacious nine-track EP that is simultaneously Caribbean dreamscape and orchestral nerdgasm. From Angelica Negrón’s ethereal vocals and quirky accordion to José Ángel Olivares’s reggaeton-rooted beatmaking, the ensemble (most of whom are based in Brooklyn) deliver an imaginative emotional rollercoaster ride of joyful highs, sorrowful dips, and thrilling twists.

Dinosaur 88 (Guatemala) Giant Ghosts

Dinosaur 88 have emerged as one of the most promising acts in Guatemala’s fledgling indie scene by pushing the boundaries between synthpop band and ambitious chiptune explorers. Conceived in 2016 by guitarist Luis Alonso, later enlisting drummer and his Los Tiros bandmate Sebastián Méndez, Dinosaur 88 made a splash with the gargantuan sound of their prehistoric-themed debut, Giant Ghosts. Tracks “Bone Wars” and “Giants” sound larger than life, swaying between conventional pop structures and supercharged video game excess. On the flip side, “305092 Years” is a delightfully sweet ballad, a vulnerable alternative to the epic walls of sound and a glimpse into the duo’s refined musical prowess.

Gors (Brazil) Brave New World

Part of what makes chiptune so endearing is its ability to momentarily placate the dreariness of everyday life and thrust us into a world of nostalgic fantasy. On Brave New World, Brazilian producer Gors accomplishes just that—taking us on a swashbuckling adventure inspired by Earth’s four cardinal points and the alluring promise of mysterious foreign lands. From the rapidly dissipating timidity of “Eastern Mists of Ananke” to the cowboy-inspired galloping of “Western Wilderness of Calamity Jane,” Gors builds on our knowledge of global mythology, however informed or spotty it may be, and adds musical conjecture to lead us on a journey to the farthest reaches of our imagination.

Magiobus (Mexico) Mis Exitos de Nintendo

Boasting over 1,800 song credits, dozens of cherished hits and a career nearly half a century long, few people would contest Mexican pop icon Juan Gabriel’s place as a pillar of the Latin-American musical pantheon. His staggering impact made his untimely passing in August 2016 all the more shocking, and while fans around the world mourned El Divo de Juarez, Chihuahua native Magiobus turned to childhood memories and pop culture savvy for a startling reimagining of the fallen star’s legacy. In Mis Exitos de Nintendo, Magiobus eulogizes Juan Gabriel by covering four of his most beloved classics. Between the haunting, lovelorn epic “Hasta Que Te Conocí,” which receives a tenebrous facelift in the the vein of the soundtrack to the classic horror game Castlevania, to the Super Mario-esque rework of “Querida,” one of Spanish language pop’s great romantic anthems, Mis Exitos de Nintendo is a loving and refreshing send-off to Mexico’s most revered singer and songwriter.

Blipblop (Argentina) El Paraíso del Niño Morita Vol. 1

The Argentine label and artist collective Blipblop have been throwing raucous underground parties across Buenos Aires for years, creating spaces for innovation and networking at a time when draconian government regulation is suffocating nightlife and live music venues out of existence. Linking much of their international roster through these parties has bred a strong collaborative spirit within the team, which was best synthesized in 2017’s tropical-dance explosion of an EP, El Paraíso del Niño Morita Vol. 1. Described by the label as a “three-headed EuroLatin animal,” the release was conceived by Spain’s Sultán Paraíso, Mexico’s Niño Virtual, and Argentina’s Los Pat Moritas using LittleGPTracker software that allowed the trio to emulate real world basslines and synthesizers on a PlayStation Portable gaming console. The result is an unrelenting barrage of chiptune-laced cumbia and moombahton bangers where movement becomes a non-negotiable demand of a dance revolution.

Sintecoraz (Venezuela) Sintecoraz EP

Like an errant super star, Venezuela’s Sintecoraz entered into and vanished from our lives in what felt like an instant, leaving behind only his beautiful 2007 self-titled EP. On “Y Johnny?” and “May,” Sintecoraz fuses the cartoonish whimsy of chiptune with the delicate melancholy of acoustic guitar, making a moving statement that grounds his futuristic ambitions in the folkloric humility and gravitas of a weathered troubadour. The mini-album’s overall breezy earnestness has the effect of sweeping one away to a secluded digital oasis of crystal clear waters and pixelated palm trees.

La Loca de Hojalata (Peru) Vomitemos Ya!

La Loca de Hojalata are a Peruvian duo bringing punk sensibilities to chiptune, colliding software-fueled brutality with repurposed cell phones, toy drills, and electric lighters. 2013’s Vomitemos Ya! is a great introduction to their mind-bending world of grinding mutant sounds, delivering absurdity with a healthy dose of humor in tracks like “Impetu Adolescente (Star)” where fuzzy feedback gives way to an obnoxious hair metal-style guitar solo. As the record progresses, the madness begins to coalesce into more digestible—dare we say danceable?—territory with closers “Chaos Chaos Chaosing With a Chaoser” and “Un Bit Loco Bien Prendido” offering a slightly more streamlined respite from the pummeling noise.

-Richard Villegas

Source: https://daily.bandcamp.com/2018/12/05/latin-american-chiptune-guide/

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CBS’ Moonves Exits As More Allegations Hit

CBS Corp. is reportedly preparing to announce the departure of chief executive officer Les Moonves as the media mogul faces a fresh round of allegations of sexual harassment.

Six additional women have come forward to accuse Moonves of harassment or assault, with claims stretching back decades, in a new report by Ronan Farrow in The New Yorker. This follows on from the previous allegations from six other women regarding Moonves during his CBS tenure.

The latest reported incidents occurred in the 1980s and early 2000s and include claims that the executive forced women to perform oral sex on him, exposed himself, and used intimidation and physical violence. One of the women, veteran TV exec Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, filed a complaint late last year with the Los Angeles Police Department. The publication reports that their law enforcement sources found her “allegations credible and consistent” but prosecutors declined to pursue charges because the statute of limitations had expired.

The revelations add pressure to exit talks that were already underway at the network with the announcement of his exit expected imminently. It’s unclear what financial impact they will have, but these fresh allegations could make a dent in Moonves’ settlement package which was originally expected to total more than $US100 million.

Moonves, in a statement to the New Yorker, acknowledged three of the encounters while maintaining that they were consensual. Moonves is expected to be succeeded as CEO by Chief Operating Officer Joseph Ianniello temporarily as the board would then begin a search for a full-time replacement.

CBS and controlling shareholder National Amusements Inc., who has been battling for board control with Moonves, didn’t have immediate comments on Sunday. As part of separate negotiations, CBS would end efforts to dilute the Redstone family’s 80% voting stake through National Amusements Inc. and potentially dismiss board members who staged an attempted coup. In exchange, National Amusements would agree to honor the independence of a new board and vow it won’t mount a new effort to merge CBS with Viacom Inc. for at least 18 months.

As the story continues to unfold, new wrinkles are cropping up. A new report at The Huffington Post details a source claiming Moonves was obsessed for years with ruining Janet Jackson’s career following the infamous Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction because “Jackson, in his mind, was not sufficiently repentant.”

Update: That was fast. Only three hours after the publication of the original New Yorker story and Moonves is now officially out as chairman and CEO of CBS. As part of the settlement, he and CBS are both donating $20 million to one or more organizations that support the #MeToo movement.

The charitable donations have been deducted from any severance benefits Moonves would receive, pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct. National Amusements will appoint six new independent directors to the CBS board, including former Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner, former Barclays bank vice chairman Barbara Byrne, former Fox & Sony Pictures exec Strauss Zelnick, SyPartners CEO Susan Schuman, and attorney Candace Beinecke.

They join the following independent directors who remain: Bruce Gordon, William Cohen, Gary Countryman, Linda Griego and Martha Minow.

Source: Deadline, SMH

Source: http://www.darkhorizons.com/cbs-moonves-preps-exit-as-more-allegations-hit/

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How to Ease Your Students’ Nerves Before a Performance

We all have felt it before a performance: the jitters, the knocking knees, the slight panic that sets in prior to walking out on stage. Whether with a group or solo, musicians feel nervous before performances to varying degrees, and this is especially true of students. As instructors, directors, and teachers know all too well, some students can pull it together and appear calm, cool, and collected – even at an early age. Others, however, are just the opposite and start sweating, pacing, panicking, and can even experience heart palpitations and shortness of breath because of pre-performance anxiety.

As teachers and mentors, it is our obligation to help students calm down and regain their composure before a performance. Encouraging effective coping mechanisms can make a world of difference not just in how they feel pre-performance, but also during the performance and long afterwards, too. Following are some of the best tips we can use to help students ease anxiety before performances at any age:

The importance of practice

1. You know the importance of practice, but does your student? Seriously, think about it for a minute. Teachers tell students that practicing is important, but do your students realize that with practice, not only will they become better players, but they will also become better musicians and face much less stress before performances? Have you told them that the more they practice, the better they’ll be able to recover if they make a mistake, and the fewer jitters they’ll have beforehand? If they practice enough to almost play it in their sleep, students will feel more confident and less nervous. Encourage students to run through their pieces a few times each day before a performance.

Arrive early

2. Encourage your students to arrive early to the venue whenever there is a performance. The last thing a performer needs is to take on additional stress from running behind schedule on performance day. When your student has time to prepare and can take his or her time tuning and warming up, frazzled nerves will be calmed and jitters can more easily be soothed. Having to rush can cause undue stress on top of a lot of stress that is already present.

Visualization techniques

3. Many teachers find that teaching their students visualization techniques, which have been proven to help with performance anxiety in many ways, is one of the best ways to help with performance nerves. Professional performers use these techniques in a variety of applications, from public speakers to athletes to musicians. This is a type of meditation that has students visualizing his or her perfect performance. The more details that the student can include in the visualization, the better. They should visualize their breaths, the notes they will play, the audience, and their fingers moving. They can consider visualization as mental rehearsal, which over time can improve performances because the brain won’t tell the difference between the visualization and the real thing.

The importance of breathing

4. Breathing techniques involve controlled breathing that is a natural, effective way to reduce stress and anxiety. Students can sit in a comfortable position, whatever they may choose. With their chin pointed down as close to the chest as possible, they should close their eyes and inhale to a count of five, then exhale for five. Then, the chin movement should be repeated but this time, the count both times should be extended to 10. Many students find it helpful if they also visualize something positive, like the audience giving them a standing ovation or a peaceful waterfall.

Anxiety? get help.

5. Some students may continue to struggle with anxiety on performance day despite trying these techniques. If your student continues to suffer from a level of anxiety that is strong enough to consider further intervention, it may be best to instruct him or her to talk to their doctor. He or she might be able to begin taking a natural supplement, over-the-counter medication, or prescription drug to help, although the risk of side effects from medications may pose additional issues.

Your students will be able to overcome their jittery nerves before performances with your guidance, encouragement, and instruction. Mental rehearsals, controlled breathing, making good time, and conscientious preparation are all healthy ways for the student to cope and if all else fails, his or her doctor may be able to assist further; your student will be able to cope with various levels of stress in a variety of settings and circumstances, with your help.

Source: https://blog.musicteachershelper.com/how-to-ease-your-students-nerves-before-a-performance/

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Final Potter Party Update: Witches Get Snitches, A Niffler Repaint, & Our Goblet of Fire

So last night John and I filled the whole house with grease smoke from the banger we were test cooking, this morning John's foot went through the outside deck from a rotten board, and just now the garage door spring snapped (AAAAA), locking us out.

TWO DAYS TO GO!

It's times like these I most love being married to John; the man is unflappable. He's a rock. He's an unflappable married rock with a cute Superman curl. Calamity strikes, and John just tilts his head, says, "Huh," and then sets about fixing every thing.

So, we have a garage repairman coming tomorrow (even we don't miss around with garage springs; they can kill you), John's already replaced the rotten board (mercifully a fluke from a pile of wet dirt underneath; the rest of the deck is sound), and the house, well, it may smell a little like sausages on Saturday. But that's OK, because we're serving sausages.

Speaking of our sausages (heyooo), quick shout-out to Whole Foods, of all places, where this fabulous meat department guy named Mark custom-made gluten-free Bangers for us - on all the properly cleaned equipment and everything, AT NO EXTRA CHARGE. Wha whaaaaaaaaat? They taste amazing, too - probably even better when you eat them in a house NOT filled with grease smoke.

Now let me show you more party crafts! Our final Big Build is in the Puzzle Room, so that's staying under wraps for now, but I have a ton of small silly stuff to share:

The second I spotted these gold ornaments at Dollar Tree I knew exactly what they were:

Giant Snitches! They even have the swirly design! 

All I needed were some of those silver glittery leaves/feathers you see everywhere at Christmas... until you start LOOKING for them, at which point they evaporate into the ether. I finally gave up searching and cut some thrift store leaves instead, which John spray-painted silver. Drilled two small holes, a little hot glue, and bam:

Giant snitches!

I even had the perfect place to put my big balls. (Oh, like I wasn't going to use THAT joke):

 Right over the Kitty Quidditch Tower! Which you can see I decked out with a little garland wreath around the window. (And you get a bonus kitty action shot.)

Eva says hi.

I hope to have better photos for the official party post, btw; these are all phone pics taken at night.

I assumed the cats would try to destroy the snitch garland, but amazingly, not a single nibble. They're too busy eating every other piece of garland and greenery I have out.

I'll walk you through all the Puzzle Room builds in a separate post, since there are a lot and I don't want to spoil it for the guests, but here are two small things:

Remember my $3 thrift store cage? I suspended my Soot Sprite (by the amazing Monster Cafe, go follow them!) from a bit of fishing line inside, so it's floating. This made me unexpectedly and ridiculously happy. :D I think it'll be staying out year-round in the Game Room after this.

And a slightly more complex craft:

I made all these rune markers from rolled out clay, which I cut with a bottle top. I used a straw to poke holes for the leather cords, pressed the symbols in with a wooden stick, textured with a stiff paintbrush, then painted & dry-brushed with craft paint. I already had the clay, tools, and paint, so this was a freebie craft. Love those. Plus I think they turned out really looking like stone!

The runes are attached to various potion bottles around the room, and are part of my favorite puzzle. You'll see all of that later, promise.

Not my craft at all, but I think you'll like this:

"Beware the Nargles" mistletoe, hanging over the doorway to the deck! This was a gift from one of you readers a few years ago (I'm sorry I don't remember which one!), and I love having the perfect spot for it this year.

The weekend after Thanksgiving - when I was still so weak from being sick - my one and only outing was to stagger to Box Lunch with John to buy this Niffler game:

   It was $20, down from $30. Honestly it's barely worth that much, but it's a ridiculously easy game for parties (you stack coins 'til the plate tips) and super cute, so, SOLD.

All the plain plastic pieces were making my eye twitch, though:

So... plasticky.

You know the drill: I slapped a bunch of black paint on everything, then quickly wiped it off again. Annnd:

 Look what a difference! Aaaaaa, bliss.

The coins took a teensy bit longer (HA), because I aged both sides of all 64 coins, then Rub N' Buffed both sides of all 64 coins. My hands looked like they'd been tarred and gilded by the time I was done.

Now you can see the designs in the coins, though, which look surprisingly cool!

This is mostly a game of dexterity; it's VERY HARD to pick up the coins with the little wand shovels:

I also aged the base, but the Niffler didn't need anything; he's great as-is:

And I found the perfect plastic tray at Walmart for $2! This way I can move the whole game around while keeping the pieces together. (It'll be on the coffee table in the Common Room.) 

 I have so much more, you guys, but let me end with the one that's made us laugh the hardest:

A few weeks ago we found the most incredible urn/vase thing at a thrift store for $8:

The inner jewel thing is orange swirly resin. I didn't realize before this, but WOW does that look cool in photos! It's actually a little less impressive in real life, ha.

Anyway, at first I thought it would go in the Common Room, since it looks like a trophy, but I never found the right spot for it. Then, as John and I were brainstorming ways to give out some door prizes, a FLASH OF INSPIRATION.

(Brace yourselves.)

We are hilarious, you guys.

(When I texted this photo to John he reported back that half the aisle at Walmart now thought he was insane, he laughed so hard.)

I should mention John has a long-standing, much vocalized dislike for Michael Gambon's portrayal of Dumbledore (#NotMyDumbledore), so a lot of our friends have sent this meme his way, and love to bring up the famously "calm" Goblet of Fire scene. (If you're lost, a quick Google will give you all you need to know - plus some laughs.)

We've also determined that, during the drawing, John will wear a long fake beard and attempt to body-slam the winners into the wall. You know, for authenticity.

And on that note, I'm off to try to finish this baby:

We won't stop thinking of new things to make 'til the moment the party starts. It's a sickness. A beautiful, stressful sickness. :D

Stay tuned for so much more. Just... just so much.  

Love you guys. TTFN!

Source: https://www.epbot.com/2018/12/final-potter-party-update-witches-get.html

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‘Game Of Thrones’ Star Bella Ramsey Used Her Soccer Skills For Good

HBO

Bella Ramsey is a woman of many talents. The actress literally slayed as Lady Mormont on Game of Thrones, though we won’t describe that until we very clearly state there is a Season 8, Episode 3 spoiler in the next paragraph. She was known as a strong voice of reason in the North, and gained fans for her ferocious approach to, well, everything.

The Lady of Bear Island had a significant role in the show’s final season, killing a zombie giant as her final act as a living Lady. It was a pretty heroic moment for who had become a fan favorite over the last few seasons, and seeing Ramsey’s character rise with blue eyes and intent on destroying humanity was too much for some.

Thankfully, that was put to rest before she could actually do some damage as a White Walker, but if you miss Ramsey’s character on screen doing cool things you might want to check her out on social media, where she’s using her soccer skills for good. Ramsey posted a video as part of the #KickUpChallenge hashtag, which is basically the soccer version of the ALS Hot Pepper Challenge in basketball or, perhaps more notably, the Ice Bucket Challenge.

It seemed like Ramsey may have also shared some of her other talents online as well, as a video appearing to be Ramsey breakdancing also surfaced. She later denied it was her, but this one is the genuine article. And all for a very good cause to boot.

Source: https://uproxx.com/sports/game-of-thrones-lady-mormot-bella-ramsey-soccer-challenge/

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Two Guys Decided To Have a Classic Instagram Girls Day Out, And The Pics Are Hilarious

With the popularity of Instagram at an all-time high, people are beginning to notice the clichés and set formulas that many people follow when taking pictures. There are certain “guy” and certain “girl” stereotypes too, which these guys trolled to hilarious effect, hashtags and all. So, when presented with the chance for a road trip, buddies Stevey and Doug decided to take it to the next level and create the classic, Instagram-inspired stereotypical girls day out. Scroll down below to check it out for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Source: https://www.sadanduseless.com/girl-photo-parody/

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Why 'National School Lunch money' is so important to poor kids in Arkansas

I've written about the noise that followed Sen. Alan Clark's introduction of a bill to punish school districts with low reading scores by taking their state "school lunch money." As I explained from the beginning, this isn't food money but money important to help improve the education of the poorest, most at-risk kids in Arkansas. And an educator has stepped forward to explain just how important.

Confusion about the bill, on account of the name of the categorical funding (awarded to schools based on their percentage of poor students qualifying for subsidized lunches), has allowed Clark to dodge the real story — how damaging it would be to require a 70 percent achievement rate on reading scores to qualify for full additional education money. (Clark would take it all after three years of a district's failing to improve. Dozens and dozens of schools don't meet that standard and have struggled to improve under the state's new testing regimen.)

Into the issue steps Glen Fenter, a former community college president who's now superintendent of the Marion School District in a part of the state, the Delta, that knows the needs of poor students and how hard it is to reach them. He wrote to me and we later talked. He said in an initial e-mail:

It would be impossible to overstate the importance of NSL [National School Lunch] funding to our efforts to break the cycle of poverty in our region. I wish that every legislator would take the time to spend just one day in an eastern or southern Arkansas poverty-laced classroom. I am confident that most would have a number of profound epiphanies prior to the conclusion of their day.

Fenter also put together a paper on the subject. I'd recommend it to any legislator  inclined to take away money meant to lift the performance of at-risk students. Yes, the categorical funding program needs some improvement to make sure it's used for what it's intended to do. But the solution is NOT to take it away from those who need it most. I'd particularly urge Fenter's paper on those who are inclined to make complicated decisions about difficult education situations guided by the false god of performance on a single high-stakes test.

Fenter's paper explains the national move to school standards and how the oversimplification of assessing schools to a single letter grade is short on important information, including student demographics. He notes that Arkansas's system accounts for "improvement" of students during the year, as well as a test score. But he notes that even the test-friendly academics at the Walton's "school reform" unit at their Fayetteville university think it could stand improvement. Fenter:

Academic growth is what a student learns from one year to another; however, academic achievement can be an extension of what students come to school with in terms of readiness and home experiences  and certainly represents a huge variable that must be accounted for when properly assigning value to school efforts. 

Alan Clark wants to deprive help based only on the reading score, never mind where those kids started or what impossible situations they might face at home.

The Arkansas school grades, with demographics overlaid, tell the story. The whiter the school the higher the grade. The poorer the school the lower the grade (see chart at top).

There are no A or B-rated high schools in the state with a majority low-income and majority black population, and only four (4) in the entire state of Arkansas received a C rating. All others received a D or F rating

Clearly, children raised in generational poverty can lack intellectual stimulation, emotional support, a literate environment, and physical safety.

Research also concludes that children from single-parent homes have lower graduation rates and lower grade point averages; however, some do go on to have academic success. When controlling for economic and racial differences of the family, students from two-parent homes outperform students from single parent homes across various measures

When Arkansas adopted a grading system in 2015, Fenter writes, schools were assured rewards or penalties wouldn't attach. That's now changed, with substantial rewards for "achievement."

Guess what? The schools with fewer poor students tend to reap greater rewards. Clark's plan would magnify that unfairness.

In Marion, kindergarten students are screened for fundamental skills to identify where instructional support is needed. More than half aren't ready for kindergarten, as measured by the screening. When you start behind, catching up takes a long time. And it gets harder as the student gets older.

This means districts that enroll high numbers of students who start behind are operating at a "distinct disadvantage" when compared to districts with dissimilar demographics, Fenter says.

Any school rating system that does not account for such differences in student population must be categorized as clearly and indefensibly flawed.

Starting behind isn't the only obstacle. Poor kids move a lot. This affects graduation rates and "on-time" credits, both factors in the grading system. Student attendance, another grading factor, is affected by lack of transportation and poor health. There's also a factor for community service in grading schools. Seems benign. Not to Fenter:

Schools are rewarded according to the number of volunteer hours that students earn from 9th to 12th grade. Many students living in poverty must work after school to supplement family income and cannot commit those hours to volunteer work. Moreover, schools in poorer communities may well not have sufficient appropriate placement opportunities for their students and/or the resources to meet the new unfunded staffing requirements of the program.

The Lakeview school decision, which required adequate and equal education, is no longer a source of hope for struggling districts, Fenter writes. The Arkansas Supreme Court's new view of sovereign immunity raises the question of whether another challenge of state funding could even be brought. Many think the time would otherwise be ripe. The legislature regularly falls short in meeting the adequacy standard in financing.

There also has been inconsistent funding for programs that have proven worth in ending the cycle of poverty, Fenter contends.

We have manufactured a strategy to create a testing and grading model that appears to be intentional in efforts to reward schools based primarily on the affluence of their parents and students. 

Fenter has taken his case to education officials. They dismiss him. They think money doesn't count. If only there were enough competition — enough Covenant Keepers charter schools, say (sarcasm about this woebegone school intended) — all would be well. Or so the "reformers" think.

Some arithmetic should help, if facts and not faith mattered. The figures show the poor are getting poorer while the rich prosper.

Fenter sees a return to the conditions that fostered the Lakeview case. The problem now is the fear the Arkansas Supreme Court today would be more responsive to Alan Clark than the thousands of poor kids in Arkansas.

Source: https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2019/02/21/why-national-school-lunch-money-is-so-important-to-poor-kids-in-arkansas

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The Good Place season 3 review – a fiendishly smart sitcom salvation

The Good Place has returned – *pauses to gaze around at the dauntingly hellish nature of the real world* – not a moment too soon.

At the end of the second series about Eleanor Shellstrop who finds herself wrongly allocated to an idyllic afterlife that is never quite called heaven and which is gradually revealed to be anything but, our quartet of oddballs had just been saved from banishment to the real Bad Place by capricious judge Gen (Maya Rudolph) thanks to demon-naif Michael (Ted Danson, whose career renaissance since Damages has been a joy to witness and will doubtless, thanks to syndication, remain a joy forever).

We open with Michael heading down to Earth (“Oh Janet!” he cries on his return, “I saw this place that was a Pizza Hut and a Taco Bell! The mind reels!”) and saving Team Cockroach – trashbag Eleanor, neurotic Chidi, egocentric Tahani and simpleton Jason – from the accidents that killed them first time round. Alas, this fails to bring about the self-reflection and better living he had counted on, so he has to keep returning until his flock is safely gathered together – as the subjects of an experiment run by Chidi and neuroscientist Simone (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), his almost-girlfriend – so that they can unwittingly reproduce the group dynamic that helped them become better people while they were in the Good (Bad) Place.

From the off, it is full of the ethical conundrums; philosophical points and counterpoints; nimble leaps in time, narrative and dimensions; and, above all, jokes. Visual, verbal, one-liners, standalones or purely character-driven, intra-show gags for devotees only, there is never a moment wasted. From Tahani’s interview with International Sophisticate Magazine for their “582 Questions” feature – later nominated for a Bafta – to Jason’s wrestling with basic human constructs (“I’ve had a bad year. It started about a year ago”) to Eleanor’s conviction that Aristotle is pronounced the same way as Chipotle, they come at a rate that can only belong to the age of instant pause and rewind. I’d say four full viewings will be needed to catch all of them.

Beyond all else, creator Michael Schur and his writing team display a consummate mastery of detail. The absurdity of the celeb interview is nailed with Tahini’s insistence – expected from all modern female stars – that she was “such a tomboy!” growing up, just as they pass a picture of her holding a basketball and beaming, in full floral summer dress and straw hat. The blurbs on the back of her bestselling self-help book are from Malcolm Gladwell – “I’ve decided to quit writing. I’ll never top it” – and Cormac McCarthy: “Ditto.” In episodes to come there is a running gag about a fourth Hemsworth brother that I won’t spoil. It’s precision engineering all the way.

The ensemble playing remains flawless and Howell-Baptiste with her immaculate delivery (glimpsed in Killing Eve, here given full rein) only adds to the fun. How you slot so seamlessly into such an off-kilter, idiosyncratic show will remain a thing of wonder to me – I am in awe even as I bark with laughter.

And then in the closing scenes, glory of glories – Trevor turns up! There may be people who can have enough Adam Scott in their lives, but I am not one of them. Trevor inveigles his way into the experimental cohort and looks set to wreak his customary form of devilish havoc.

The only slight worry was that there wasn’t quite enough of ambulant database Janet (the majestic D’Arcy Carden, whose performance is sui generis), but I’ve looked ahead and order is restored soon. In the meantime, enjoy being back in The Good Place. It is the Best Time.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/28/the-good-place-season-3-review

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Only 1% Of Users Pay For Music In India, says Spotify's Amarjit Singh Batra

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Source: https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2019/03/only-1-of-users-pay-for-music-in-india-says-spotifys-amarjit-singh-batra.html

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The dishwasher strikes back, for once (14 GIFs)

We can see you're using Adblocker. Block everybody else, but we thought we were friends. Please click Yes below to whitelist us, so we can keep doing our best to show you half-naked ladies and funny Internet memes. It's what any friend would do.

No, thank you

Source: https://thechive.com/2019/05/27/the-dishwasher-strikes-back-for-once/

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DEPUTY: First Look at Fox’s New Cop Drama Series

Photo: Erika Doss / FOX

DEPUTY is a modern-day twist on a typical Western drama. The LA County Sheriff’s Department is one of the world’s largest policy forces. In DEPTY, the elected Sherrif dies and an old rule (created back in the Wild West) means that an unlikely replacement must step up to fill the roll. That man is Bill Hollister, a fifth-generation lawman who serves as a white hat. Under Bill’s command is Deputy Cade Ward (a former Marine stationed in Afghanistan, eight years sober and one of Bill’s few confidantes), Deputy Rachel Delgado (a meticulous officer who is going through a messy divorce), Deputy Breanna Bishop (the sarcastic driver in charge of Bill’s security detail), and Deputy Joseph Blair.

Read TheTVAddict’s full 2019 Upfronts coverage

DEPUTY stars Stephen Dorff as Bill Hollister, Yara Martinez as Dr. Paula Reyes, Brian Van Holt as Cade Ward, Siena Goines as Rachel Delgado, Bex Taylor-Klaus as Breanna Bishop, Shane Paul McGhie as Joseph Blair, and Mark Moses as Jerry London. Will Beall, David Ayer, Chris Long and Barry Schindel serve as executive producers.

DEPUTY will air midseason on Fox (see Fox’s full fall schedule).

Source: https://www.thetvaddict.com/2019/05/13/deputy-first-look-at-foxs-new-cop-drama-series/

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Missing The Mania

I just read in MusicAlly that Fortnite has 200 million registered users.

It almost made me want to play. Because I want to check out every phenomenon, and I want to belong. Never underestimate the power of membership. We are social animals, and we feel best when interacting, when in the flow of life, not sure what is going to happen next.

But Fortnite is truly a phenomenon. Kinda like “Game of Thrones” or “Black Panther.” Where is our phenomenon in the music business?

The last one we had was in 2002, when Kelly Clarkson won “American Idol.” Insiders, aficionados, excoriated the show, but the public tuned in in droves, and anointed Kelly and Simon Cowell stars.

Simon was different from network TV, he had an edge and he was honest. And he didn’t seem to be bothered by disdain. He was an exotic animal, and he’s worked this personality for over fifteen years, in a world of too much me-too, especially in music.

As for Kelly Clarkson… She could SING!

Sure, oldsters pooh-poohed this, they wanted someone who could write, but it turned out she could do this too. And when she hooked up with Max Martin and Dr. Luke she produced a track so powerful that it became iconic, ruling the world at the end of 2004 into 2005. That’s the power of a hit single, that’s the power of “Since U Been Gone.”

Since then?

We used to have phenomena in the music business on a regular basis. Genres changed every three years. But no more. We’ve got new acts, but to a great degree they’re doing the same old thing. It’s not exciting.

And the public is not involved.

I know, I know, the concert business is booming. But so much of that has to do with the social media era. Going is an event unto itself. Hanging with your friends, demonstrating you were there. Which is why festivals have burgeoned.

But as for the talent on stage…

We always had a medium to push the message further. FM paved the way for album rock. MTV paved the way for English new wave. And the internet paved the way for hip-hop.

But that was eighteen years ago.

What now?

This business is driven by talent. Outsiders who do it a little bit differently. Who plot their own course. Isn’t it funny in 2018 we’re still talking about “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Is it because we haven’t come up with a replacement?

It’s kind of like the Dark Ages, we’ve lost the plot.

I know everybody’s bitching about recording revenues, but if you’re a hit artist you’re making more money in adjusted dollars than ever.

Is the bar to entry too low? Is there too much product? Is the creative community demoralized?

Music was always the most immediate medium.

I think it’s about the song. We’re too far from the garden. We need more melody, more you can sing along with. There’s your participation right there. Way back when we got together and strummed guitars as we sang the hits of the day. Nobody does that anymore. Is it that they can’t play guitar or the songs just aren’t worth singing?

Country’s been sanitized.

Hip-hop is only about the bleeding edge. If you don’t have face tattoos and get arrested you can’t gain any attention. What’s next, dismemberment?

For every adolescent who thinks facial mutilation is cool, many more people think these “performers” are freaks who have lost the plot. You want to bring everybody along.

This is the opportunity.

Song camps should be doing just that, writing songs.

The breakthrough is gonna come from outside the major label system. Because the major labels are moribund, running on fumes, they’re GM in a world of Tesla, they don’t believe in risk.

We’re talking about art, we’re talking about conception. Devo couldn’t play that well, but they came up with a hit concept. Frank Zappa could play very well, but couldn’t resist commenting on society and its foibles.

And then there were the Doors and Queen and Led Zeppelin, who didn’t sound quite like anybody else, who the establishment pooh-poohed upon release, before these acts became icons.

Maybe Simon Cowell had it right. Maybe it’s not about a competition show, which both Apple and Spotify have tried and failed with, but edge, tension, music.

Music should be the great unifier, music should be pushing the envelope. This is our game, we invented it!

But somehow we’ve lost the formula.

Source: https://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2018/11/28/missing-the-mania/

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Maren Morris Previews New Song From Upcoming Sophomore Album

Maren Morris has shared a video of herself performing a new song, reportedly called "To Hell and Back."

"You say a pearl without the pressure wouldn't be a pearl at all," she sings in the clip, which she shared on Twitter Friday (Oct. 26). "When my demons come calling, you don't even bat an eye/ I don't scare you and I guess that's why you didn't save me/ You didn't think I needed saving/ You didn't change me/ You didn't think I needed changing/ My wings are frayed and what's left of my halo is black/ Lucky for me, your kind of loving's been to hell and back."

"Went and played a new song from album 2 tonight," Morris wrote, indicating it will appear on her second studio album. The new album will follow 2016's Hero, the first she released on a major label.

Morris was performing at Mohegan Sun's Wolf Den in Uncasville, Conn., as part of a charity concert to benefit MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).

Check out the video below.

Source: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/8482007/maren-morris-to-hell-and-back-new-song-video

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Oscar(R) Nominee Bruce Dern, Melissa Rauch and Horatio Sanz Join New Showtime(R) Comedy Series "Black Monday"

OSCAR(R) NOMINEE BRUCE DERN, MELISSA RAUCH AND HORATIO SANZ JOIN NEW SHOWTIME(R) COMEDY SERIES "BLACK MONDAY"

Julie Hagerty And Vanessa Bell Calloway Also To Guest Star On Comedy Series Premiering In January

NEW YORK - October 16, 2018 - The new SHOWTIME comedy BLACK MONDAY is adding to its guest star lineup with Emmy(R) and two-time Oscar(R) nominee Bruce Dern (Big Love), Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) and Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live, Glow) signing on, along with Julie Hagerty (Airplane, Instant Family), Vanessa Bell Calloway (SHAMELESS, Saints & Sinners), Tim Russ (iCarly) and Jason Michael Snow (Book of Mormon). The 10-episode series is executive produced and stars Emmy(R) nominated and Golden Globe(R) winning actor Don Cheadle and stars two-time Tony(R) Award nominee and Grammy(R) winner Andrew Rannells (Girls) and Regina Hall (Girls Trip). Paul Scheer (The League) also stars. Creators David Caspe (Happy Endings) and Jordan Cahan (My Best Friend's Girl) serve as executive producers and showrunners. Emmy nominees Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Preacher, Superbad) are executive producers and directed the pilot. Currently in production, BLACK MONDAY will premiere in January.

Dern will play Rod, a legendary trader, while Sanz will play Wayne, a Wall Street wild man who works at Mo's (Cheadle) Jammer Group. Rauch will play Shira, the loving wife of trader Keith (Scheer). Hagerty is Jackie Georgina, the matriarch of a designer denim empire. Bell Calloway and Russ will play Dawn's (Hall) artist mother Ruth and professor father Walter. Finally, Snow is playing Mike, a Broadway actor. Previously announced guest star Kadeem Hardison (A Different World) will play Spencer, Dawn's husband.

A co-production between SHOWTIME and Sony Pictures Television, BLACK MONDAY guest stars also include Yassir Lester (Making History), Michael James Scott (Aladdin on Broadway) and Eugene Cordero (Kong: Skull Island), with recurring guest stars Casey Wilson (Happy Endings), Ken Marino (Wet Hot American Summer), and Kurt Braunohler (Bunk).

BLACK MONDAY takes viewers back to October 19, 1987 - aka Black Monday, the worst stock market crash in the history of Wall Street. To this day, no one knows who caused it ... until now. It's the story of how a group of outsiders took on the blue-blood, old-boys club of Wall Street and ended up crashing the world's largest financial system, a Lamborghini limousine and the glass ceiling.

Source: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2018/10/16/oscar-nominee-bruce-dern-melissa-rauch-and-horatio-sanz-join-new-showtime-comedy-series-black-monday-458314/20181016showtime01/

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Lana Condor Steals the Show in Deadly Class

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Watch Syfy's Deadly Class: Official Trailer #2

We all had homicidal thoughts about our annoying classmates in high school. If you didn't, rest assured that someone had them about you. Well, Deadly Class takes that teenage aggression to a whole new level by training the next generation of assassins in every subject they need to know to be able to kill effectively. The Syfy adaptation of Wes Craig and Rick Remender's graphic novel of the same name is a vivid and sometimes disturbing take on your typical high school story with literally killer stakes.

Set during the Reagan administration — apparently during an explosion of goth and punk, according to the kick-ass soundtrack and wardrobe — Deadly Class follows Marcus (Benjamin Wadsworth), a homeless teen being hunted down by the police for allegedly burning his former boys home down to the ground. He's living on the streets when he gets recruited by King's Dominion, an underground private school teaching the sons and daughters of warlords, gang leaders and mob bosses how to kill. If Marcus thought that surviving on the streets was tough, he reaches a whole new level of fight or flight within the walls of his new school and discovers an aptitude for revenge he never knew existed.

Discover your new favorite show: Watch This Now!

While the first episode is quick to introduce you to the various gangs and squads that make up the King's Dominion student body, it takes a few more to figure out where your allegiances lie within the various groups. You'll like Deadly Class from the beginning, but it takes a beat for you to actually fall in love.

There is one exception to that statement. Lana Condor, who became an internet sensation last summer as Lara-Jean Covey in Netflix's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, is an immediate stand-out from this remarkable cast. Full sleeve tattoos and a lethal ability with a katana make her Saya almost completely unrecognizable from Lara-Jean, which is what makes her character so great. She's mysterious and still endearing without being soft. And she's clearly a head above her fellow students when it comes to balancing her killer skills with her teenage angst. Her cool demeanor makes you anxious to know what she's going to do next. It's no wonder the boys are in love with her and the girls want to be just like her. She's the legacy of a Japanese crime family who left Tokyo under mysterious circumstances after the death of her father, and if every episode was about how she became the badass she is, I wouldn't complain.

Watch Lana Condor in the Deadly Class Premiere One Month Early

That's not to say there's nothing special about the rest of Marcus' other classmates. Each character is well-defined from the get-go, representing their pre-determined groups. It's only as Marcus begins to navigate through the cliques in later episodes that you begin to see the deeper levels to these characters, like Willie (Luke Tennie) and Maria (Maria Gabriela de Faria), whose fronts almost end Marcus' life but inevitably break your heart and endear you to them.

The fractured groups and racially divided dynamics of Deadly Class is actually the meatiest part of the show, more so than the violent curriculum. Despite the premise, Deadly Class is less gruesome than what you'd see in the Marvel Netflix shows. Yes, there's a lot of blood but it doesn't feel gratuitous within the context of the show, and Deadly Class is at its best when it explores which students use which methods of violence and for what reasons. They are training kids to be killers, but they aren't doing it without conscience.

Deadly Class is a medium burn that takes a few episodes to get hot, but if you give in you'll find yourself seduced by the mysterious world of King's Dominion and anxious to see which of its brightest pupils will have the stamina and gall to survive to graduation.

Deadly Class premieres Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 10/9c on Syfy.

Lana Condor and Benjamin Wadsworth, Deadly ClassPhoto: SYFY, Katie Yu/SYFY

Source: https://www.tvguide.com/news/deadly-class-review-syfy-lana-condor/?rss=breakingnews

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Woods sentenced

Quote of the week

"That's just bizarre." — Sen. Missy Irvin (R-Mountain View), the chair of the legislative Joint Performance Review Committee, responding to a representative from Everytown for Gun Safety's mention of statistics about youth suicide in a discussion of school safety. The response was that red flag laws — allowing judicial intervention on gun access for dangerous people — could have a positive effect on school shooting incidents and also on suicide rate. Irvin later suggested that efforts to address youth suicide with gun safety laws were targeting rural America.

Former senator, co-defendant sentenced

Federal Judge Timothy Brooks sentenced former state Sen. Jon Woods (R-Springdale) to 220 months, or more than 18 years, in prison and ordered him to make restitution of $1.6 million for masterminding kickback schemes from state money.

He must report to prison by 1 p.m. Sept. 26.

Woods' attorney has said he would appeal. He'll likely seek to postpone prison for Woods, but typically a defendant must show a chance of prevailing on appeal to avoid immediate imprisonment. Woods likely will focus on the fact that an FBI agent was not allowed to testify because of his mishandling of computer files. The government will say it wasn't relevant because the agent didn't testify and the material at issue wasn't prejudicial.

Brooks spoke at length about the severity of the crime. He called Woods' behavior "depraved." He said he'd received many letters from Woods' supporters, but they didn't overcome a record of habitual stealing of money. "Your entire way of thinking about what your job was, was to put money in your pocket, and I find that grotesque," Brooks said.

Defense lawyers tell the Arkansas Times they can't recall a stiffer white-collar crime sentence in Arkansas in years. There's scant "good time" in the federal system. If he isn't successful in a reversal or a reduction of the sentence (such as by contesting use of his participation in an unrelated crime in the sentencing), Woods could be facing 15 years in prison before release to a halfway house. He just turned 41.

Meanwhile, political consultant Randell Shelton, Woods' co-defendant, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison. Under sentencing guidelines, he could have gotten more than 10 years.

Brooks set Shelton's restitution at $660,698, the loss in state money. He also imposed a civil forfeiture of $664,000, which allows the taking of any assets Shelton might have. His prison time will be followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to report to prison Oct. 8.

Brooks faulted Shelton for speaking with pride about his work for Ecclesia College, which paid kickbacks to Shelton, Woods and former Rep. Micah Neal (R-Springdale) for state money it received. Shelton was paid by Ecclesia through a firm he set up called Paradigm Strategic Consulting.

Issue 1 deemed unconstitutional

Circuit Judge Mackie Pierce has ruled that Issue 1, the proposed limit on lawsuits and legislative takeover of court-rulemaking, unconstitutionally rolled up multiple issues in one proposal and should be removed from the ballot.

The decision came in a lawsuit brought by retired Judge Marion Humphrey. A committee backed by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and major health interests intervened to keep it on the ballot.

The decision will be appealed to the Arkansas Supreme Court.

The amendment caps noneconomic damages in lawsuits at $500,000 and also caps punitive damages, limits attorney fees to a third of judgments and in a couple of ways effectively transfers court rule-making authority from the Arkansas Supreme Court to the legislature. It gives the legislature rule-making review and also reduces the legislative vote requirement to amend or annul court rules. Past legislative efforts to make corporate-friendly changes to court rules have been struck down by the court as unconstitutional.

Pierce said amendments may have multiple parts so long as they are "reasonably germane." He adopted the plaintiffs' view that these four provisions are not. The state said it was enough to be generally about courts.

Work requirement kicks thousands to curb

More than 4,500 recipients of Medicaid in Arkansas lost their health coverage last week for failing to report on their work hours for three months. Enrollees were required to visit a state website to detail spending 80 hours a month on work or other approved activities or an exemption. Those who lost coverage will be locked out of receiving coverage for the rest of the year. Some 26,000 Medicaid recipients are subject to the work requirement rules, approved by the Trump administration earlier this year after Governor Hutchinson requested the change. A federal lawsuit has been filed in Washington, D.C., to block the work requirements from continuing. The same court blocked a similar work requirement from taking effect in Kentucky.

Source: https://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/woods-sentenced/Content?oid=23009519

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If You Teach Teen (or Tween) Piano Students This Will Be Your Go-To Resource Hub

Much of what is discussed in the world of piano pedagogy is targeted at our youngest students. Trevor and I are guilty of this too… take a look back at many of our Teach Piano Today posts and you will find no shortage of piano teaching ideas for kids under the age of ten.

It’s not that we’ve been ignoring teens. Certainly, almost half of the music we compose is targeted toward teen piano students. But teachers with pre-teens, teens, and adults also need advice, ideas and printables to accompany this music.

This is why we’re thrilled to introduce the WunderKeys Piano For Teens Facebook group by Teach Piano Today: a community where we will be showcasing our teen music, sharing free piano printables and collaborating with other piano teachers with advice for teaching tweens and teens.

Many of you are probably very familiar with our WunderKeys Preschool and Primer method books and are probably already a member of the Wunderkeys Teacher’s Facebook Group.

And now we’re getting ready to bring the creativity and originality that people associate with WunderKeys to the world of teen piano music.

We’d love for you to join the WunderKeys Teen Piano Music Facebook Group by clicking here or on the image below. Oh… and we have a little “welcome to the group gift” – the sheet music that you can hear in the video at the bottom of this post.

Our Facebook Groups are happy piano teaching places where community members are quick to offer positive suggestions and share their successes. Join our new WunderKeys Piano Music For Teens group and you’ll have instant access to our uber-popular intermediate piano solo, “Wolf” (listen below). Inspired by the story of Little Red Riding Hood this dramatic piece will keep your teens on the edge of their bench until the dramatic finale!

P. S. And while you’re joining Facebook Groups don’t forget to join WunderKeys For Piano Teachers where over 4500 members help to make teaching preschool and primer students delightful 🙂

Source: https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2018/08/20/if-you-teach-teen-or-tween-piano-students-this-will-be-your-go-to-resource-hub/