#rachel kolb

[no-side-us]

While more has been done in recent years in the U.S. and other countries to increase accessibility for deaf people, these efforts often have focused on the use of professional sign language interpreters. But how do deaf people navigate the many informal spaces of their lives, with friends, family, and acquaintances who may be a mix of hearing and deaf people?

[quotesfrommyreading]

Herein lies the concern that many others in the disability community have with so-called "positive stereotyping." "More than being inaccurate," the disabled scholar David Bolt writes in "The Metanarrative of Blindness," "cultural representations of extraordinary senses serve, at best, to render magical the talent and achievements of people who have visual impairments and, at worst, to justify the ascription of various animalike characteristics" to them.

"This cultural expectation to be a 'super-crip,' or to turn some experience of disability into a superpower, circulates in a lot of the narratives we tell ourselves," Kolb says. She tells me, "I used to make jokes about becoming 'bionic woman,' like I was getting access to a new superpower or a new range of sounds and sensations after getting my cochlear implant several years ago."

Ultimately, Kolb came to believe this resulted from societal pressures for disability to be "an experience that in some way must transcend itself, or lead to 'overcoming' technological interfaces or superpowers of some kind, rather than being just an ordinary part of life and ordinary human experience." She insists that "we need to learn more ways to talk about it in an ordinary, everyday way" — largely so that people can take pride in their identities as disabled, rather than feeling like they're doing something wrong if they can't cure it.

  —  Where are all the superheroes with disabilities?

[jules-has-notes]

The Disney Showman (Unexpected Musical) — PattyCake Productions music video

Nostalgia can be a powerful force. The Greatest Showman portrays P.T. Barnum as a dreamer who wanted to entertain people above all else. There is a very similar air to the general perception of Walt Disney. Both men were, of course, much more complicated than their public personas, but the parallels were too strong for the PattyCake guys to resist. Especially since both Tony and Layne had worked at Disney World, performed on Disney cruises, and collaborated on projects with the company at large. So combining the Showman music with a visual retrospective of Walt's life was a perfect fit.

Details:

title: Unexpected Musicals — The Disney Showman

performers: D.J. Muto, Paul Kaleka, & James Keaton (Walt Disney); Eli Jacobson (Roy Disney / featured vocals); Jonathan Timpanelli & Joey D'Angelo-LaJoie (Robert & Richard Sherman); Olivia Adkins (Snow White model); Amy Garton (Julie Andrews); Isabella Muto (Shirley Temple); Jacob McAlister, David Kotary, James Berkley, Domenic Servidio, Chadd Winston, & Eduardo Marques de Oliveria (animators); Alexander Browne (animator / Mouseketeer); Rachel Copeland Evans, Gizelle Pagan, & Darlene Chudinski Henry (Mouseketeers); Brad Pettit (Mouseketeer / chimney sweep); Jason Tibbs, Michael Rundy, Matt Hudson (chimney sweeps); Lauriel Marques de Oliveria, Grace Flaherty, & Sonia Roman (inkers & painters); Hannah Laird, Tony Wakim, Layne Stein, & Lilly Kolb (featured vocals)

original songs / performers: "Rewrite the Stars", "A Million Dreams", & "Come Alive" by the cast of The Greatest Showman (2017); "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" by James Baskett in Song of the South (1946); "I Got No Strings" by Dickie Jones in Pinocchio (1940); "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" by Bobby Driscoll, the cast of Peter Pan (1953), & The Jud Conlon Chorus; "Mickey Mouse Club March" by the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club (1955)

written by: "Rewrite the Stars", "A Million Dreams", & "Come Alive" by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul; "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" by Allie Wrubel & Ray Gilbert; "I Got No Strings" by Leigh Harline & Ned Washington; "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" by Sammy Cahn & Sammy Fain; "Mickey Mouse Club March" by Jimmie Dodd

arranged by: Layne Stein & Tony Wakim

release date: 2 March 2018

My favorite bits:

combining the Disney fanfare with instrumentation from "Rewrite the Stars"

young Walt sketching Oswald the rabbit, followed by adult Walt creating Mortimer Mickey Mouse

the newspaper headline noting that Disney's first studio failed at the start of "Come Alive"

those extremely perky Mouseketeers

Tony and Layne doing their best faux-Cockney accents for the chimney sweeps' vocals

showing footage from the actual parks

elder Walt coughing as he walks away, a somber sign of the lung cancer that took his life

returning to young Walt still dreaming of ♫ "the world I'm gonna make" ♫ that we've just seen

Trivia:

The actors playing young Walt Disney and Shirley Temple are siblings.

James is yet another of Tony's fellow alumni from the "Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue" show at Universal Studios, having played BJ himself for many years.

The subtle special effects makeup that transformed James into Walt was created by Andy Wright at Makeup and Creative Arts, and was applied by Rick Underwood.

This video was filmed on location at the MBS Equipment Company warehouse space in Orlando, using some of their lighting equipment. There is also additional footage from both Disneyland and Disney World.

PattyCake garnered some praise from several of their fellow former theme park cast members in the YouTube comments for both the accuracy of the behind-the-scenes imagery and the celebration of the Disney legacy.

As they did with their "La La Land" video, PattyCake highlighted their attention to detail with a series of "Double Take" posts on social media, comparing shots from the video with the iconic moments they had recreated.

As a bonus, the thumbnail for the video itself is a recreation of a photo of Disney that was also used as the cover art for PBS's episode of American Experience about him.

[singeratlarge]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Shirley Bassey, Melvin Carter III, Graham Chapman, C.P. Ellis (ex-segregationist turned civil rights activist), Cynthia Erivo, Bob Eubanks, Jose Ferrer, Angie Gilbert, Bill Graham, Handel’s 1705 opera ALMIRA, Stephen Hawking, Marcus Hutson (The Whispers), Mattel’s Intellivision (1980), Lee Jackson (The Nice), the brave Maximilian Kolbe, Robby Krieger, Rachel Lampa, Cristy Lane, Gypsy Rose Lee, Jenny Lewis, Little Anthony, disc jockey Bob Longman (thank you for playing my music), Yvette Mimieux, actor/singer-songwriter Ron Moody, the 1981 musical PIRATES OF PENZANCE, John Peterson (Beau Brummels), Elvis Presley + his 1993 postage stamp, Soupy Sales, Shostakovich’s 15th Symphony (1972), pianist Abbey Simon, Larry Storch (pleased to have met you), Terry Sylvester (The Hollies), Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone), Ted Yoder, and the hugely influential, innovative, and inspirational English actor/singer-songwriter David Bowie. His music has brought me 1000s of hours of joy and insight, and tributes to him will abound this week. For my part I am listing 12 Bowie songs that resonate with me at this moment:

Aladdin Sane (1973) All the Madmen (1970)

Days (2003) Everyone Says ‘Hi’ (2002)

Fame (1975) ‘Heroes’ (1977) Jump They Say (1993)

Life on Mars (1971)

Space Oddity (1969)

Starman (1972)

Stay (1976)

+ (one I aim to cover someday) the powerful “techno spiritual” Dead Man Walking (1997):

“Let me dance away [Till I swivel back round then I fly fly fly] Now I'm wiser than dreams 

[Losing breath from the water when I'm gone gone gone] Let me fly fly fly [Spinning slack through reality] While I'm touching tomorrow [Deadens my brain falling up through the years] And I know Who's there [Till I swivel back round then I fly fly fly] [Losing breath from the water when I'm gone gone gone] When silhouettes fall [Spinning slack through reality]

And I'm gone, Like I'm dancing on angels And I'm gone through a crack in the past

Like a dead man walking…”

...and check out my cover of “Space Oddity” https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/track/space-oddity-album-version

...Meanwhile, HB DB!

#davidbowie #singersongwriter #actor #mikegarson #bowiecelebration #bowiealumni #deadmanwalking #birthday #johnnyjblair

[arpov-blog-blog]

...."Clark has already lost his initial skirmish in federal court — and he is likely to lose the war. He first filed an emergency motion to stay the Fulton County prosecution and avoid being arrested by Willis’ Friday deadline. Clark complained that he did not have time to make travel arrangements to be booked and asked the federal court to halt the proceedings. Defendants are entitled to that kind of relief in civil cases but not in criminal ones. Clark contended that this plainly criminal prosecution was actually a “civil-criminal hybrid action,” an argument Willis said “misunderstands fundamental tenets of criminal law and procedure.”

The problem for Clark is that, to remove the case, federal law requires him to prove that writing the letter was part of his official duties enforcing federal law. But all the evidence points to Clark’s actions’ being far outside the scope of his official responsibilities — and instead being part of a political ploy orchestrated by Donald Trump to hang on to power and overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

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Opinion

Why Jeffrey Clark’s increasingly zany legal shenanigans are doomed to fail

Clark has already lost his initial skirmish in federal court — and he is likely to lose the war.

00:00 /03:44

TAP TO UNMUTE

Trump co-defendants Meadows, Clark lose bid to delay arrests in Georgia

Aug. 25, 2023, 6:00 AM EDT / Updated Aug. 25, 2023, 9:19 AM EDT

By Norman Eisen, former impeachment counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, Joshua Kolb, former law clerk on the Senate Judiciary Committee and Fred Wertheimer, founder and president of Democracy 21

Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis has set a deadline of 12 p.m. Friday for all 19 defendants to surrender in Atlanta in her case regarding interference in the 2020 election. Most have complied, yielding the astonishing spectacle of national and state GOP notables turning themselves in for mug shots, culminating in Thursday’s surrender of the former president. A few defendants have not and are instead asking the federal court to interfere in the case. But of those opting for that legal long shot, no other stands out like former Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Clark.

Clark has already lost his initial skirmish in federal court — and he is likely to lose the war. He first filed an emergency motion to stay the Fulton County prosecution and avoid being arrested by Willis’ Friday deadline. Clark complained that he did not have time to make travel arrangements to be booked and asked the federal court to halt the proceedings. Defendants are entitled to that kind of relief in civil cases but not in criminal ones. Clark contended that this plainly criminal prosecution was actually a “civil-criminal hybrid action,” an argument Willis said “misunderstands fundamental tenets of criminal law and procedure.”

Federal law requires Clark to prove that writing the letter was part of his official duties enforcing federal law.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Steve Jones rejected Clark’s initial effort, along with a request on different (but similarly shaky) grounds for the same relief by one of Clark’s co-defendants, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Clark turned himself in at the Fulton County jail early Friday morning.

But Judge's initial ruling is merely a prologue to the main event for Clark: an evidentiary hearing on Sept. 18 regarding his underlying petition that his case be wrested out of the hands of the courts in Fulton County — where the alleged crimes occurred — and into Judge Jones’ federal courtroom. This, too, is likely to fail. 

Willis’ indictment charges Clark with two crimes: first, the same overarching RICO conspiracy to overturn the election in Georgia that names the 18 other defendants, and second, an additional count of attempting to make false statements and writings. Both charges stem from a letter Clark drafted and circulated within the Justice Department, which was intended to be sent to Georgia officials asking them to consider appointing a false set of electors in light of fabricated “significant concerns” about the election. 

The problem for Clark is that, to remove the case, federal law requires him to prove that writing the letter was part of his official duties enforcing federal law. But all the evidence points to Clark’s actions’ being far outside the scope of his official responsibilities — and instead being part of a political ploy orchestrated by Donald Trump to hang on to power and overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

Indeed, Clark was told as much by a chorus of his Justice Department bosses and White House lawyers. Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue responded to Clark’s emailed draft letter by stating it “was not based on fact.” He later told Clark that what he was “proposing is nothing less than the United States Justice Department meddling in the outcome of a presidential election.” Clark responded: “I think a lot of people have meddled in this election” — essentially admitting what he was up to."

[improvemyhome24]

Testbeds recycles mock-ups into investments in public space

Architectural mock-ups are curious creatures. Peeking over construction fences, the isolated chunks of facade often appear like sculptures. However, unlike a Rachel Whiteread cast, once the assemblies have been tested for durability or visual cohesion they are typically thrown away rather than sold at the Gagosian. Designers of the project Testbeds—New Affiliates cofounders Jaffer Kolb and Ivi…

[allthingslinguistic]

The baby sign language phenomenon connects to what culturally deaf people celebrate as “Deaf Gain:” the notion that all of humanity can gain significant benefits and insights from Deaf visual-spatial contributions to the world, including A.S.L. and all its rich linguistic possibilities. Deaf friends I talk with applaud hearing parents for learning some signs with their children, and express hope that, someday, more people will use a signed language on an everyday basis, making communication easier for all of us. But the developers and users of baby sign language don’t necessarily see A.S.L. fluency as a goal. Many of the books and websites actually assure parents that they don’t need to learn full A.S.L., and also that using baby signs won’t impede a child’s spoken language acquisition. [...] Finally, there is one more reason I feel ambivalent when my hearing acquaintances tell me they are using baby signs with their children. Often, I notice that these acquaintances are people who have never attempted to use any sign language with me — even though I am deaf, even though I am the one person they know who could most benefit from visual communication. This omission strikes me as a huge loss, even a huge injustice. [...] For decades, medical and educational professionals have discouraged hearing parents from signing with their deaf children. My own parents were told not to sign with me when I was a baby — and then proceeded to disregard that advice, for which I am exceedingly grateful. Some of these professionals believe that speech is superior and signing is only a crutch for spoken language acquisition, despite the fact that A.S.L. has been recognized as a full language since the 1960s. The consequences of this philosophy of enforced speech for deaf education, literacy and language development have been disastrous: It has meant that many deaf children never acquire a fluent native language that will enable them to reach their potential. This is starting to change, but most deaf children still do not receive full A.S.L. exposure in their early years, which are critical for language acquisition. The fundamental injustice of the baby sign-language trend is that our culture touts the benefits of signing for hearing children, but disregards A.S.L. for the deaf children who need it the most.

Rachel Kolb, Sign Language Isn’t Just for Babies

[concerningwolves]

Hiya, I'd like some advice with this deaf character I'm writing. He's a young boy who loses his hearing in an accident. He has superpowers and does a bunch of things so he never really learns sign language. What I'm thinking is since his powers are more about air, he feels vibrations in the air, but can't hear, so if someone is talking to him he lip reads. He loses his hearing at 13 then meets the main character and is introduced to the story when he's 15, 2 years of deafness.

So, how long does it take to be good atlip reading? I saw all your pet peeves and I fell a bit glad hedoesn’t fall under any of them. He’s a normal boy with some anger issuesand a pretty impulsive character but that’s because of his backstory.since he was raised hearing he can talk fine and such, but if hehasn’t heard another voice in 2 years would he also somehow lose some abilityto enunciate words? Any advice on this would be amazing!! Thank you!!

(I am so sorry ittook me such a long time to answer you! I started this and then it got buriedin the depths of my drafts for months.)

1) “How long does it take to be good at lip-reading?”

Lip reading isn’t anexact science. A lot of it depends on how well the other person enunciateswords, their accent, or any other factors such as a speech impediment ortalking speed. The rest depends on how long you’ve known the speaker; howfamiliar you are with their speech patterns, whether it’s dark or light,whether you know which lip-shapes mean what sounds. I’ve been lip-reading mywhole life – albeit with no formal training – and it’s stilldifficult. 

Rachel Kolb, the writer and narrator of this video, also wrote apersonal article, Seeing and the Speed of Sound,which I highly recommend reading if you want to understand howbewildering it is to rely on lip-reading. My favourite quote is: 

He proceedsto say something that looks like,“Would you graawl blub blub vhoom mwarr hreet twizzolt,please?” I haven’t the faintest idea what he said.

because, yeah,that’s…. that’s what it’s like. Exactly. No wall of text will describe what lip-reading is like more perfectly than one mangled quote. 

So, to answer your question: there’sno linear progress you can make to become good at lip-reading. Every singleconversation is a hit-or-miss scenario with the potential to throw a newlearning curve, whether or not you’re ready for it. I think the only time I’ve everseen this really accurately shown is in BrooklynNine Nine when Amy tries to lip-read and comes up with something wildlyinaccurate. That isn’t done just for comedic effect – it’s also anaccurate portrayal of lip-reading. 

2) “Would my character lose the ability toenunciate speech?”

Here’s a Quora thread with different people discussing their experiences.From what I can tell, it depends on how old your character was when they losttheir hearing. If the character had fully developed speech, their enunciationabilities wouldn’t change (or change very little). I’d say to do some researchon your own about that, because I can’t answer from personal experience. 

It hasalso been the case that those who lose hearing speak more clearly than before,as deaf vlogger Jessica Kellgren-Fozard talks about in this video. IfI’m in a clear state of mind and well-rested, I apparently have a superformal way of talking (which people just loved topoint out and question. ugh). This is likely because I’m hyper-aware that I canslur and sound “weird”,and so overcompensate for that when I’m talking in large groups where I might bejudged. 

Generallythough, your character’s volume is more likely to change than their speechclarity. You might notice that older relatives shout, even if it’sunnecessary. This is because we rely on our hearing to moderate our volumein different situations. Without hearing,volume moderation becomes really difficult.  

[chaotic-weevil]

3 arrested as students walk out over 'I Resolve' reversal

(Daily Courier article on GP school walkout in support of transgender students’ rights, de-paywalled for free access)

By Lauren Bishop and Adam Robertson of the Daily Courier Front Page News Last Update Wednesday, November 17th, 2021

Photos by BEA AHBECK/Daily Courier

Student protesters wave goodbye to an anti-abortion counterprotester after they escorted her down the street and away from Grants Pass High School on Tuesday afternoon. As many as 300 students walked out of class at the high school to protest the Grants Pass School Board's reinstatement of North Middle School assistant principal Rachel Damiano and science teacher Katie Medart.

A week after the Grants Pass School Board voted to reinstate the two "I Resolve" educators, students walked out of school Tuesday to support those whose rights Rachel Damiano and Katie Medart have lobbied against.

Students at Grants Pass High School, Gladiola High School, North Middle School and South Middle School left classes to rally in protest of the school board's reinstatement of Damiano, a North assistant principal, and Medart, a science teacher. Both had been terminated for violating district policies while crafting a video campaign lobbying against the rights of transgender students.

During the protest, police estimated 200 to 300 students and community members gathered outside Grants Pass High School, many wearing purple to show support for people who identify as transgender.

While it started out as peaceful, the demonstration turned raucous when counterprotesters holding signs saying "LGBTQ ... earn death and hell" and opposing abortions arrived.

Demonstrators quickly swarmed the counterprotesters, yelling "Go home" and "No one wants you here," along with some other choice phrases and expletives.

Jim Hamilton, deputy chief of the Grants Pass Police Department, said afterward that he was sitting down with his officers to get a better picture of what took place during the walkout.

"We're going to figure out what happened," he said. "There were people on multiple sides of that thing. It was kind of a mess."

Police released a statement later Tuesday evening that two juveniles and one adult were arrested during the protests.

According to police, a 15-year-old student spit in a man's face who was counterprotesting. The teen was escorted away from the demonstration, with criminal charges pending.

Police said they arrested a 14-year-old student who began swinging a broomstick at the same counterprotester. The student was taken to the juvenile justice center, cited and released to a parent.

A third person, whom police identified as a 19-year-old from Medford, allegedly attempted to prevent officers from arresting the 14-year-old. Police say the protester then attempted to block officers and an officer's vehicle. The teen was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for riot, second-degree disorderly conduct and interfering with police, and was released from custody this morning.

As protesters were being detained, groups of students encircled the police vehicles and at one point locked arms in an attempt to stop a car from driving away.

Walkouts were held at Grants Pass High School, Gladiola High School and North and South middle schools, Grants Pass Superintendent Kirk Kolb said.

Student organizers were up front with the district about plans for the walkout, Kolb said. Many students followed the plan to return to class after 20 minutes of protest, but at about that time, the counterprotesters arrived.

"We were very disappointed in the antagonist protesters from the community that showed up, which incited students to act inappropriately," Kolb said, adding, "It's unfortunate we had a few who felt the need to grandstand or take the stage from our students."

Kolb confirmed that the two juveniles who were detained during the protest were students from Grants Pass High School. He said he is meeting with Police Chief Warren Hensman today to debrief on the walkout.

Protesters at the high school held handmade signs: "Protect Trans Rights" and "Give Us a Vote." Others wore transgender and LGBTQ pride flags around their shoulders or waved them on flagpoles.

Grants Pass freshman Aralyah Bigley and many others cheered as more and more students exited the school building around 1:45 p.m.

"It's screwed up that schools are putting gender identity in front of education," Bigley said. "It's nobody's business but your own."

Damiano and Medart were fired in July after an external investigation conducted by a former Grants Pass police chief found that they violated district policies while creating the video with assistance from Edgewater Christian Fellowship. The video caught the community's attention after it was posted to YouTube over spring break earlier this year.

Their "I Resolve Movement" sought to restrict use of school restrooms to "anatomically male" and "anatomically female," put limits on student name changes, and mandate that neither staff nor classmates had to call transgender students by their preferred names or their preferred pronouns. Medart also was accused of violating a student's confidentiality when she spoke in the video about a student who is transitioning.

After a contentious vote in July to accept district Kolb's recommendation that they be fired, the school board last week voted to reinstate the two educators, though it's not clear if Damiano and Medart will return to their former positions.

Grants Pass High junior Deenie Bulyalert helped organize the walkout at the high school, and began the protest with a few words welcoming the students who chose to support their peers by leaving school.

"For all of the LGBTQ+ students at our school that feel you don't belong, you do," she said into a megaphone at the outset of the walkout.

After the dust-ups between students, counterprotesters and police, Bulyalert said she was speechless, both in a good and bad way.

"This showed students there is a community out there for people, but then ... things got out of hand," Bulyalert said.

Jaycie Smith, a freshman, was near the front of a group of protesters telling the counterprotesters to leave. Smith said students should have a right to be who they are at school and not be in a situation where it may be unsafe.

"We need staff who really care for us," Smith said. "We're just people, students who want an education."

And freshman Hannah Denton Gauss, who identifies as nonbinary, said being safe in school should be a priority.

"It shouldn't be a thing that we're still oppressed," Denton Gauss said. "People say it's 2021, but there hasn't been as much change as there should be."

Skyler Westra, who graduated from Grants Pass High in 2012, said transgender students are often treated with hostility, and schools are one of the last places for them to feel safe and welcomed.

"Letting trans kids and others be accepted wholeheartedly is the true spirit of academia," Westra said. "People coming into schools who are not respecting and accepting of students ... their job is to build people up not break them down."

The scene was more tranquil during the walkout at North Middle School, where Damiano and Medart had worked prior to being put on leave and then terminated. Dozens of students gathered, holding signs and waving flags like their high school counterparts.

North Middle School student Hank Rood said the school board's decision to reverse Damiano and Medart's termination will only hurt students at the school and around the district.

Rood said he believed the "I Resolve Movement" puts transgender students in danger, which could prompt trouble at home and even attempts at self harm.

"The policies that [the educators] are trying to instate are bringing harm to trans youth," Rood said.

He said that if the district cares about its students, the board would reverse its decision to reinstate the educators.

Parents, too, turned out to support the students in their walkout. Analila Rodriguez, who said she was the parent of an LGBTQ student at North Middle School, stayed back from the core protest, but carried a rainbow parasol to show her support.

She said she supports her child's involvement in the walkout and that it's not fair for the school district to employ teachers who have had problems with the LGBTQ community.

"We are in the 21st century, so if you don't have an open mind, I don't know how you can deal with this. And you're a teacher, you went to school to protect those kids," Rodriguez said. "We're all equal, we're all the same; it doesn't matter if you're part of the LGBTQ community. ... In God's eyes we're all the same."

To finish the protest, the middle school students silently circled the North campus.

———

Reach reporter Lauren Bishop at 541-474-3806 or lbishop@thedailycourier.com.

Reach reporter Adam Robertson at 541-474-3813 or arobertson@thedailycourier.com.

[lightgreyartgallery]

We just announced all of the creatives that will be a part of the Foodies Exhibition coming this spring! Join us on April 27th for a show all about our family recipes, tastes, smells, and senses of the kitchen! It is a celebration of food, home cooking and sharing the experience. It is an illustrated postcard swap and exhibition!

More details about the opening reception and events coming soon! lightgreyartlab.com

Foodies Artists: Alyssa Nassner, Alyssa Scott, Alyssa VanHulle, Anissa Espinosa, Andrew Kolb, Angela Hsieh, Angela Rizza, Anika Starmer, Ann Ryan, Anne Passchier, Anne Ulku, Araya Jensen, Ashley Diers, Ashley Nicole DeLeon, Bailey Watro, Benjamin Mills, Bianca Bautista, Brett Martin,  Cai Tse, Carmen Chow, Charis Loke, Chelsea Harper, Cheryl Kook, Cleonique Hilsaca, Corinne Caro, Crystal Chang, Darcy Guenterberg, Devon Bragg, Diigii Daguna, Dingding Hu, Dream Chen, Elena Resko, Elise Hatheway, Emily Whang, Gica Tam, Hanna Lee Joshi, Hari Conner, Ileana Soon, Jasmin Dreyer, Jenny Wells, Jen Taylor, Jessica Roux, Jez Tuya, Jo Yeh, Joy Ho, Judit Neubauer, Julie Van Grol, Justine Raymond, Kara Somberg, Katie Putt, Kayla Stark, Kelly Koay, Kelly Leigh Miller, Kelly Smith, Kendall Quack, Kris Easler, Kytana Le, Liam Andrew Cura, Linda Liu, Lindsay Nohl, Lindsay Dale, Lisa Wiley, Lydia Guadagnoli, Maddy Angstreich, Maria Rose Adams, Marisa Seguin, Marya Vidal, Meera Lee Patel, Meg Hunt, Megan Phonesavanh, Meredith Miotke, Mia Lagos, Mike Jasnowski, Natalie Shaw, Olga Chicherova, Olivia Shetler, Patricia Mafra, Patricia Thomasson, Rachel Idzerda, Rebecca Green, Redcruiser, Renee Arabia, Robert Young, Rodrigo Aviles, Sam Michaels, Samuel Shumway, Sebastian Koch, Shafer Brown, Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn, Sherry He, Siyin Tse, Soojin Lim, Tidawan Thaipinnarong, Trisha Previte, Veronica Stone, Victoria Skellen, and Xiao Qing Chen

[jules-has-notes]

Will.of.Oz (Unexpected Musical) — PattyCake Productions music video

For the third offering in their Unexpected Musicals series, the PattyCake guys got even more ambitious. Combining the club jams of the Black Eyed Peas with the spectacle of The Wizard of Oz required a bigger cast and more locations than their first two videos. Not to mention all the costumes, props, set pieces, and visual effects. But they pulled all of it off with their own unique flair.

Details:

title: Unexpected Musicals – Will.of.Oz

performers: Rachel Copeland (Dorothy); Alexander Browne (Scarecrow / coronor / Winkie guard); E. Michael Evans (Tin Man); Earl Elkins, Jr. (Cowardly Lion); Olivia Adkins (Glinda); Kathy Castellucci (Wicked Witch); Fletcher Wakim (Toto); Eli Jacobson (Lollipop Guild); Annesley Kolb, Kelsey Kolb, & Lilly Kolb (Lullaby League); Charlie Crook, Blanca Rosero, Savannah Simerly, Annabel Rosario, Danielle Peronto, Fred Ramos, Nick Perez, Britt Nicole, Richard Bianco, Polly Pocket, & Jonathan Shane Ferrell (munchkins)

original songs / performers: [0:20] "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas; [1:46] "Don't Phunk with My Heart" by the Black Eyed Peas; [2:10] "Don't Lie" by the Black Eyed Peas; [2:40] "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas; [3:10] "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas; [3:28] "Scream and Shout" by will.i.am, featuring Britney Spears; [3:54] "The Time (I've Had the Time of My Life)" by the Black Eyed Peas

written by: all songs by William "will.i.am" Adams in collaboration — "Let's Get It Started" with Allan "apl.de.ap" Pineda, Jaime "Taboo" Gomez, Terence Yoshiaki, Michael Fratantuno, & George Pajon, Jr.; "Don't Phunk with My Heart" with Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson, Priese "Printz" Board, George Pajon, Jr., Full Force, Kalyanji–Anandji, & Shyamalal Babu "Indeevar" Rai; "Don't Lie" with Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson, Jaime "Taboo" Gomez, Allan "apl.de.ap" Pineda, Chris Peters, Drew Peters, & Richard "Slick Rick" Walters; "I Gotta Feeling" with Allan "apl.de.ap" Pineda, Jaime "Taboo" Gomez, & Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson, David Guetta, & Frédéric Riesterer; "Boom Boom Pow" with Allan "apl.de.ap" Pineda, Jaime "Taboo" Gomez, & Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson; "Scream and Shout" with Jean Baptiste Kouame, Tula "Tulisa" Contostavlos, & Jef Martens; "The Time (I've Had the Time of My Life)" by John DeNicola, Donald Markowitz, & Franke Previte

arranged by: Tony Wakim & Layne Stein

release date: 5 December 2016

My favorite bits:

the munchkins' various entertaining entrances

Eli recreating the Lollipop Guild's expressions and herky-jerky dance moves

the Scarecrow saying ♫ "lose control of body and soul" ♫ as he's gangling about

the "Ding Dong" instrumental melody playing underneath Dorothy and the Scarecrow's exit

and "If I Only Had…" under the Tin Man's introduction

including the iconic "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" as a counterpoint to "Don't Phunk With My Heart"

Earl's fantastic lion growl and melodramatic wailing (and poor little Fletcher getting confused by it)

the lovely harmonized ♫ "no no no no" ♫ section in "Don't Lie"

the bombast of "Boom Boom Pow" being delivered by the illusory visage of Oz the Great and Powerful

Kathy's pitch-perfect Margaret Hamilton witch cackle

the layered melodies in the coda section

all those incredible costumes (Tony was busy!)

Trivia:

According to PattyCake's Instagram teasers, it took 68 yards of fabric to make Glinda's voluminous gown, 2500 hand-stiched sequins to cover each pair of ruby slippers, and 57 pounds of actual tin to make the Tin Man's armor.

The Lullabye League is portrayed by Layne's step-daughters.

Jonathan Shane Ferrell isn't just one of the munchins. He's also one of the artists from Makeup & Creative Arts who provided the incredible character prosthetics.

PattyCake released their first public blooper reel for this project, and it is very fun.

The team at Makeup & Creative Arts released a time lapse prosthetics demo video for their Oz collection a couple years later with Dan Varnum donning the Lion's mane, Kathy Castellucci reprising her Wicked Witch role, Geoff Castellucci going gray silver as the Tin Man, & Paul Kaleka getting stuffed into the Scarecrow's burlap.

Rachel slipped back into Dorothy's gingham dress the following year to play Judy Garland in PattyCake's "La La Land" video.

Tony had performed "Let's Get It Started" many, many times during his decade as Dracula in the "Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue" at Universal Studios.

"Let's Get It Started" was also part of the opening medley for VoicePlay's second episode of The Sing-Off, though not the section the guys were featured in.

Layne had previously created a remix of "I Gotta Feeling" back in 2010 through his studio, Rayne's Room.

[singeratlarge]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Shirley Bassey, Melvin Carter III, Graham Chapman, C.P. Ellis (ex-segregationist turned civil rights activist), Cynthia Erivo, Bob Eubanks, Jose Ferrer, Angie Gilbert, Bill Graham, Handel’s 1705 opera ALMIRA, Stephen Hawking, Marcus Hutson (The Whispers), Mattel’s Intellivision (1980), Lee Jackson (The Nice), the brave Maximilian Kolbe, Robby Krieger, Rachel Lampa, Cristy Lane, Gypsy Rose Lee, Jenny Lewis, Little Anthony, disc jockey Bob Longman (thank you for playing my music), Yvette Mimieux, actor/singer-songwriter Ron Moody, the 1981 musical PIRATES OF PENZANCE, John Peterson (Beau Brummels), Elvis Presley + his 1993 postage stamp, Soupy Sales, Shostakovich’s 15th Symphony (1972), pianist Abbey Simon, Larry Storch (pleased to have met you), Terry Sylvester (The Hollies), Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone), Ted Yoder, and the hugely influential, innovative, and inspirational English actor/singer-songwriter David Bowie. His music has brought me 1000s of hours of joy and insight, and tributes to him will abound this week. For my part I am listing 12 Bowie songs that resonate with me at this moment:

Aladdin Sane (1973) All the Madmen (1970)

Days (2003) Everyone Says ‘Hi’ (2002)

Fame (1975) ‘Heroes’ (1977) Jump They Say (1993)

Life on Mars (1971)

Space Oddity (1969)

Starman (1972)

Stay (1976)

+ (one I aim to cover someday) the powerful “techno spiritual” Dead Man Walking (1997):

“Let me dance away [Till I swivel back round then I fly fly fly] Now I'm wiser than dreams

[Losing breath from the water when I'm gone gone gone] Let me fly fly fly [Spinning slack through reality] While I'm touching tomorrow [Deadens my brain falling up through the years] And I know Who's there [Till I swivel back round then I fly fly fly] [Losing breath from the water when I'm gone gone gone] When silhouettes fall [Spinning slack through reality]

And I'm gone, Like I'm dancing on angels And I'm gone through a crack in the past

Like a dead man walking…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlL_4CupuLo

...and check out my cover of “Space Oddity” https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/track/space-oddity-album-version

...Meanwhile, HB DB!

#davidbowie #singersongwriter #actor #mikegarson #bowiecelebration #bowiealumni #deadmanwalking #birthday #johnnyjblair

[allthingslinguistic]

The problems with all of those sign language translation gloves that keep getting media hype. Excerpt: 

[A]ll the sign-language translation gloves invented so far misconstrue the nature of ASL (and other sign languages) by focusing on what the hands do. Key parts of the grammar of ASL include “raised or lowered eyebrows, a shift in the orientation of the signer’s torso, or a movement of the mouth,” reads the letter. “Even perfectly functioning gloves would not have access to facial expressions.” ASL consists of thousands of signs presented in sophisticated ways that have, so far, confounded reliable machine recognition. One challenge for machines is the complexity of ASL and other sign languages. Signs don’t appear like clearly delineated beads on a string; they bleed into one another in a process that linguists call “coarticulation” (where, for instance, a hand shape in one sign anticipates the shape or location of the following sign; this happens in words in spoken languages, too, where sounds can take on characteristics of adjacent ones). Another problem is the lack of large data sets of people signing that can be used to train machine-learning algorithms.

And while signers do use the American Manual Alphabet, it plays a narrow role within ASL. Signers use it “to maintain a contrast of two types of vocabulary—the everyday, familiar, and intimate vocabulary of signs, and the distant, foreign, and scientific vocabulary of words of English origin,” wrote Carol Padden and Darline Clark Gunsauls, who heads Deaf studies at Ohlone College, in a paper on the subject.

[...]

Also, though the gloves are often presented as devices to improve accessibility for the Deaf, it’s the signers, not the hearing people, who must wear the gloves, carry the computers, or modify their rate of signing. “This is a manifestation of audist beliefs,” the UW letter states, “the idea that the Deaf person must expend the effort to accommodate to the standards of communication of the hearing person.”

That sentiment is widely echoed. “ASL gloves are mainly created/designed to serve hearing people,” said Rachel Kolb, a Rhodes Scholar and Ph.D. student at Emory University who has been deaf from birth. “The concept of the gloves is to render ASL intelligible to hearing people who don’t know how to sign, but this misses and utterly overlooks so many of the communication difficulties and frustrations that Deaf people can already face.”

[...]

That’s not to say that Deaf people don’t have futuristic fantasies that involve technology. For example, Kolb says a dominant fantasy among her friends is for glasses that would auto-caption everything that hearing people say. Several teams of researchers are working on algorithms to make signing videos on YouTube searchable. Even more thorough, higher-quality captioning and better interpreting services would improve the lives of many.

Read the whole thing.

[collectorscorner]

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[virginiaprelawland]

The Impact Of The “Pink Tax”

By Jenna Shifflett, James Madison University, Class of 2021

July 21, 2020

Often, there is no discernible quality difference between products that are marketed specifically towards men or women. Instead, the only noticeable difference is in the varying price of each version of the product. On average, products marketed towards women cost a significantly higher amount than those marketed towards men. A classic example of this phenomenon are cheap, single blade razors. When the only difference is in the color, the “men’s” version is blue and the “women’s” version is pink, the razor marketed towards women is frequently sold for a more expensive price [1]. This gender-based pricing discrepancy has been coined the “pink tax.” The pink tax refers to the previously mentioned premium pricing tactic used by retailers, which imposes a higher price for gender-based products so female consumers are forced to pay more for certain goods or services [2]. In 2015, the New York Department of Consumer Affairs found that women’s products averagely cost 7% more than similar products marketed to men, with the figure rising to 13% for personal care products [3].

In July of 2019, plaintiff Karen Schulte filed a class action petition in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Missouri, against Unilever, the makers of Dove personal hygiene products. In addition to Unilever, the lawsuit singles out retailers that sell Dove products, such as Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, and Target. The lawsuit claims that Dove charges considerably more for its products marketed to women than for its products marketed to men, despite the items being virtually the same. Specifically, the plaintiff claims she had previously purchased Dove Advanced Care products from multiple retailers, when she noticed that the Advanced Care line -- a subset of the brand marketed towards women -- was priced higher than Dove + Men products. According to the lawsuit, products from both lines have almost identical ingredient lists and use purposes [4].

This pink tax class action asserts that Dove’s, and the brand’s retailers, pricing is an example of gender discrimination against women. The lawsuit also states that Dove’s actions are a representation of a larger issue in society, in which manufacturers and retailers band together to purposefully target women with higher prices. Subsequently, this makes it so women have no affordable options to choose from in some categories. Either they are forced to pay more for the product they desire, or forced to shop for men’s products simply because they are less expensive. Due to this, Schulte believes that she and other female customers have been injured financially. As of now, no change has occurred as a result of this petition [5].

Along with other goods and services, the pink tax currently impacts American women in a crucial way; menstrual products. In many states, local governments have implemented what is known as the “tampon tax.” Citizens of the United States pay sales taxes on different items as a source of state revenue [6]. Items that are considered necessary to survival, such as food and water, are not subject to sales tax [7]. Other items not subjected to taxes include medicines -- aspirin, DayQuil, and even Viagra-- and medical equipment, which can include products ranging from gauze to ChapStick [8]. Unlike these items, tampons, pads, cups, and all menstrual hygiene products are not considered to be medical supplies. So, under the tampon tax, tampons and other menstrual products are subject to sales tax because they are considered non-essential -- or “luxury” -- items [9]. Because of the tax, women in the United States are estimated to spend an additional $150 million every year on menstrual products [10].

Advocates against the tampon tax argue that a sales tax on tampons, pads, and cups is a form of gender discrimination, and highly damaging to low income individuals that struggle to afford menstrual care. The tampon tax magnifies period poverty, or the limited access to menstrual products many women face due to a lack of income or resources [11]. For those that can not afford menstrual supplies, the damaging effects could be long term. Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, author of Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity, explained to Vox that women are sometimes forced to miss work or school due to the lack of access to affordable menstrual supplies [12]. In the United States, 1 in 5 teenagers have struggled to afford period products. In addition, 1 in 4 of these teenagers have missed class because they did not have access to period products [13]. As of July of 2020, thirty-five U.S. states still tax tampons and other feminine hygiene products as non-essential goods.

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[1] Elliott, Candice. “The Pink Tax: What's the Cost of Being a Female Consumer in 2020?” Listen Money Matters, 25 Jan. 2020, www.listenmoneymatters.com/the-pink-tax/.

[2] Schubert, Noah. “Consumer Product Companies Under Investigation for Charging ‘Pink Tax.’” Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe, Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe, 17 Apr. 2019, www.classactionlawyers.com/blog/pinktax.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Karen Schulte v. Conopco Inc., et al., Case No. 4:19-cv-02546-RWS.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Smith, Stacey Vanek, and Constanza Gollardo. “'Tampon Tax' Repeal Benefits Women But Comes At A Cost To States.” NPR, NPR, 15 Mar. 2019, www.npr.org/2019/03/15/703687071/tampon-tax-repeal-benefits-women-but-comes-at-a-cost-to-states.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9]  Elliott, Candice. “The Pink Tax: What's the Cost of Being a Female Consumer in 2020?” Listen Money Matters, 25 Jan. 2020, www.listenmoneymatters.com/the-pink-tax/.

[10] Epstein Associate Digital Editor Rachel Epstein is the associate editor at Marie Claire, Rachel. “Does Your State Have a Tampon Tax? This Map Will Show You.” Marie Claire, 21 Jan. 2020, www.marieclaire.com/politics/a29490059/tampon-tax-state-guide/.

[11] Days, Janice. How We Can Take Down the Tampon Tax and End Period Poverty. 1 Apr. 2020, rewire.news/article/2020/04/01/how-we-can-take-down-the-tampon-tax-and-end-period-poverty/.

[12] North, Anna. “A Male Lawmaker Worries Women Will Abuse a Tax Break to Hoard Tampons.” Vox, Vox, 13 Feb. 2020, www.vox.com/2020/2/13/21136212/tampon-tax-tennessee-period-menstrual-equity-menstruation.

[13] Days, Janice. How We Can Take Down the Tampon Tax and End Period Poverty. 1 Apr. 2020, rewire.news/article/2020/04/01/how-we-can-take-down-the-tampon-tax-and-end-period-poverty/.

[Photo Credit] WhisperToMe

[saja-star]

In my view, the more people who sign in this world, the better. And I defy you to suppress a smile when a baby signs “more” by bouncing her chubby little fingertips together.

But part of me also objects when baby signs are marketed in a vacuum, isolated from their origins in the full, rich American Sign Language that I know. The increasingly mainstream trend — driven by parenting books and how-to videos — is largely being pushed by hearing people, for the benefit of hearing children. It seems like a major missed opportunity to take advantage of the contributions that deaf people — the primary users (and originators) of signed languages — can offer to the world

...

Most striking for me, when I browsed top-hitting baby sign videos on YouTube, I found several that featured stretches of verbal speaking and singalong, without any captions. I was watching visual fragments of my own language, framed by spoken English, which excludes me. I felt disjointed, oddly erased. 

...

We need to provide more access to signed language for the people who really need it. As a path toward mainstream acceptance why not give fluent deaf users of A.S.L. more leadership and visibility to usher in the widespread use of their language? (The Baby Einstein signing videos, which star the deaf actress Marlee Matlin, are a good model.) Families who find themselves interested in baby signs may be intrigued by the contributions of deaf storytellers, like Leala Holcomb and her partners at Hands Land or Sheena McFeely and Manny Johnson of ASL Nook, who have put together children’s tales and visual nursery rhymes in A.S.L. And why not invite more people to use A.S.L. throughout their lives?

This article by Rachel Kolb is great and I encourage you to read it in full.