To contact us Click HERE
Spread the word about these Americorps Positions.
GROW YOUR SKILLS WHILE GROWING A HEALTHIER CITY!
If you are looking for an opportunity to get involved in Detroit’s urban agriculture community, build your skills as an organizer, grower and educator and participate in transforming the food system in the city, an AmeriCorps position with the Greening of Detroit’s Urban Agriculture and Openspace Department might be for you! HIRING NOW FOR THESE POSITIONS! Applications due August 17th, 2012 The following two positions start in September 2012 and go through August 2013.· Urban Garden Development and Support Associate: Assist with seed and plant distributions and community events for family, community, and school vegetable gardens throughout Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park participating in the Garden Resource Program.· Urban Garden Outreach and Service Learning Associate: Assist with coordination of community engagement activities and volunteer opportunities for urban gardeners and farmers.HIRING IN NOVEMBER FOR THESE POSITIONS! Applications due November 30th, 2012The following three positions start in January 2013 and go through August 2013.· Urban Agriculture and Openspace Outreach and New Garden Support Associate: Assist with outreach, communication and support of new urban gardens and farms in the city.· Adult Urban Agriculture Apprentice: Learn basic principles of urban organic farming while assisting our Farm Team in managing farm sites operated by The Greening of Detroit.· Grown in Detroit Farmersʼ Market Associate: Provide support to urban gardeners and farmers participating in the Grown in Detroit cooperative, an effort to increase residentʼs access to fresh fruits and vegetables while creating opportunities for growers to participate in the marketplace.For full position descriptions, please contact Ashley Atkinson at 313-237-8736, ashley@greeningofdetroit.com, or download at www.detroitagriculture.net. Full position descriptions are also attached!https://www.dropbox.com/s/h0m4y93951jow8v/2012-2013_UAO_AmeriCorps_Postings_All_update_aug.pdf
13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
Seeking Volunteers, August 17 - 19th
To contact us Click HERE
Event Dates: August 17-19, 2012
Volunteer Positions & Shifts: Please refer to the link below for details.
Location: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E. Warren, Detroit, Michigan
Attire: Casual with comfortable shoes.
Volunteer t-shirts are mandatory (there is a $5.00 fee for the t-shirts)
Age Requirement: Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Special Requirements: Depending on your volunteer assignment, there may be extensive standing involved.
Food/Beverage: Light snacks and water will be provided.
Parking: Parking is on your on until further notice.
Check-In: Volunteers should check-in at the Charles H. Wright Museum (Room 108); enter through the Latimer Café.
If you are interested in reviewing more details and volunteering for this event, please click on the link below to obtain the volunteer application. Look for the link that says “Click Here to Download the 2012 Volunteer Application”.
http://www.thewright.org/component/eventlist/details/451-30th-annual-african-world-festival
If you have any questions about this event, you may contact the African World Festival hotline
at 313-494-5824 or contact Lee King at awfvolunteers@yahoo.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Yolanda Michaux
The African World Festival (30th Anniversary) is seeking volunteer support.
Please review the details below to determine your availability.Event Dates: August 17-19, 2012
Volunteer Positions & Shifts: Please refer to the link below for details.
Location: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E. Warren, Detroit, Michigan
Attire: Casual with comfortable shoes.
Volunteer t-shirts are mandatory (there is a $5.00 fee for the t-shirts)
Age Requirement: Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Special Requirements: Depending on your volunteer assignment, there may be extensive standing involved.
Food/Beverage: Light snacks and water will be provided.
Parking: Parking is on your on until further notice.
Check-In: Volunteers should check-in at the Charles H. Wright Museum (Room 108); enter through the Latimer Café.
If you are interested in reviewing more details and volunteering for this event, please click on the link below to obtain the volunteer application. Look for the link that says “Click Here to Download the 2012 Volunteer Application”.
http://www.thewright.org/component/eventlist/details/451-30th-annual-african-world-festival
If you have any questions about this event, you may contact the African World Festival hotline
at 313-494-5824 or contact Lee King at awfvolunteers@yahoo.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
Yolanda Michaux
Kid's Nite Out - August 17
To contact us Click HERE
YOUR CHILD IS INVITED TOA Healthy Night of FUN!
Kid’s Nite OutFriday August 17, 2012Also Friday November 17th, 20125:30-9:30pm
Friends – Food - Fun for the Children
Parents, this is a Great Time to Catch a Movie, Dine Out or Spend an Evening Shopping While Your Children are being supervised…Ages 4-12 years
$15 each…Don’t Wait, Sign Up Now! Fun Includes but is not limited to:
Team Games *Relay Races * Trampoline Fun *Karaoke Fun * Spelling Bee * Wii Fun * Movies (G) * And More
Safety Certified Staff to insure your child has safe FunSign Your Child Up at Skills Ville AdvancedRegistration Required, sign up at Front Counter313-341-330017609 Livernois Corner of ThatcherVisit our Web Site www.skillsvilledetroit.com
Since 1995
Kid’s Nite OutFriday August 17, 2012Also Friday November 17th, 20125:30-9:30pm
Friends – Food - Fun for the Children
Parents, this is a Great Time to Catch a Movie, Dine Out or Spend an Evening Shopping While Your Children are being supervised…Ages 4-12 years
$15 each…Don’t Wait, Sign Up Now! Fun Includes but is not limited to:
Team Games *Relay Races * Trampoline Fun *Karaoke Fun * Spelling Bee * Wii Fun * Movies (G) * And More
Safety Certified Staff to insure your child has safe FunSign Your Child Up at Skills Ville AdvancedRegistration Required, sign up at Front Counter313-341-330017609 Livernois Corner of ThatcherVisit our Web Site www.skillsvilledetroit.com
Since 1995
DAPCEP invites you to... Invest in 'Our' Youth!
To contact us Click HERE
Invest in Our Youth!
Tuesday, September 18th
Coffee, breakfast and good conversation about the importance of investing in our youth. Find out more about how DAPCEP is making an impact and how your organization can become involved!
Location: DAPCEP Office, 100 Farnsworth, Suite 249, Detroit 48202
Time: 8:30 am – 9:30 am
Program Orientation Event
Saturday, October 13th
Over 1,200 students and their parents gather to kick off the start of Fall 2012 programming. Join us to find out more about DAPCEP, meet our students and parents, and enjoy a special presentation by spoken word artist team, Kinetic Affect! There is also an opportunity to have an informational table at this event.
Location: Second Ebenezer Church, 14601 Dequindre Road, Detroit 48212
Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Youth In-Action!
Saturday, November 3rd
Come see our kids in action – we’ll tour classes and talk with the students about their current projects and goals. Get a chance to see hands-on STEMM activities!
Location: University of Detroit Mercy
Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Invest in Our Youth!
As a vibrant technology incubator and manufacturing hub, metropolitan Detroit is poised to be a global leader in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM). We must develop a home-grown skilled workforce to enhance our competitive edge in the global economy, and to ensure promising and secure futures for our youth.
"Our Youth: A Good Investment"Tuesday, September 18th
Coffee, breakfast and good conversation about the importance of investing in our youth. Find out more about how DAPCEP is making an impact and how your organization can become involved!
Location: DAPCEP Office, 100 Farnsworth, Suite 249, Detroit 48202
Time: 8:30 am – 9:30 am
Program Orientation Event
Saturday, October 13th
Over 1,200 students and their parents gather to kick off the start of Fall 2012 programming. Join us to find out more about DAPCEP, meet our students and parents, and enjoy a special presentation by spoken word artist team, Kinetic Affect! There is also an opportunity to have an informational table at this event.
Location: Second Ebenezer Church, 14601 Dequindre Road, Detroit 48212
Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Youth In-Action!
Saturday, November 3rd
Come see our kids in action – we’ll tour classes and talk with the students about their current projects and goals. Get a chance to see hands-on STEMM activities!
Location: University of Detroit Mercy
Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am
FREE Computer Training & Customer Service Program for ages 18 - 24
To contact us Click HERE
Focus: HOPE ITC department is still recruiting young adults (18-24 years) for FREE Computer Literacy and Customer Service training program.
A grant was extended; but time is running out to get 150+ new students enrolled to ensure they don’t lose their governmental funding. The timeline is to get prospects in the door and through the registration process by the first week of November. This is an awesome opportunity for young adults to get top quality training that will allow them the opportunity to obtain future careers!
New classes have been scheduled to begin the following dates:
· October 15th – 1:00-5:00 (afternoon session M-F)
· November 5th – 8:00-12:00 (morning session M-F)
· December 3rd – 1:00-5:00 (afternoon session M-F)
Please pass this information along to those you know who will benefit from this type of training.
Job placement coordinators are diligent in getting students placed in full-time jobs with a starting salary of $10-$15 /hr.
Please pass it on!!!
Focus: HOPE ITC department is still recruiting young adults (18-24 years) for FREE Computer Literacy and Customer Service training program.
A grant was extended; but time is running out to get 150+ new students enrolled to ensure they don’t lose their governmental funding. The timeline is to get prospects in the door and through the registration process by the first week of November. This is an awesome opportunity for young adults to get top quality training that will allow them the opportunity to obtain future careers!
New classes have been scheduled to begin the following dates:
· October 15th – 1:00-5:00 (afternoon session M-F)
· November 5th – 8:00-12:00 (morning session M-F)
· December 3rd – 1:00-5:00 (afternoon session M-F)
Please pass this information along to those you know who will benefit from this type of training.
Job placement coordinators are diligent in getting students placed in full-time jobs with a starting salary of $10-$15 /hr.
Please pass it on!!!
12 Ekim 2012 Cuma
Eric Conway: 'The Morgan Touch: Reflecting on Influence, Identity and Purpose' James E. Lewis Museum of Art 5:30-8:30 PM
To contact us Click HERE
Dr. Eric Conway writes from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland:
Hello everyone,
Tomorrow, Thursday, October 11, 2012 the Fine and Performing Arts Department at Morgan will host a reception and symposium entitled "The Morgan Touch: Reflecting on Influence, Identity and Purpose" at the James E. Lewis Museum of Art from 5:30-8:30. The symposium will feature a discussion of the impact that Morgan has had on students and faculty members in the Arts. Works of current and former faculty and alumni will be featured in the exhibition. I hope to see you at the exhibit and symposium tomorrow.
Best,
Eric Conway, D.M.A.
Color of Music Master Class Series at Westminster Choir College
To contact us Click HERE
Prof. Taione Martinez of Westminster Choir College writes:
Hello Mr. Zick,My name is Taione Martinez and I serve on the faculty of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Your name was mentioned to me by Prof. Richard Alston and he suggested I contact you regarding the new Master Class series at Westminster. I created this series so the students of Westminster could expand their knowledge beyond the scope of "standard rep" and become better prepared andknowledgeable musicians. Westminster is the only major conservatory that hasa series such as this (that I know of) and if successful, will be presented on an annual basis. Respectfully,Prof. Taione Martinez
COLOR OF MUSIC MASTER CLASS SERIES This series of master classes, forums and recitals offers students and faculty in all disciplines the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the music within the African-American tradition. With input from faculty, each event is tailored to the educational and artistic growth of the students. Students will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with the artists and perform music that is at the heart of the Black music experience.2012 Fall ProgramsGEORGE SHIRLEY, tenorGrammy Award winner George Shirley has performed more than 80 operatic roles in major opera houses around the globe. He was the first African-Americanto be appointed to a music teaching post in Detroit, the first African-American member of the U.S. Army Chorus, and the first African-American tenor and second African-American male to sing leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera.Wednesday, October 33:20 – 4:20 p.m. Bristol ChapelMaster Class: The Interpretations of the African-American Art SongThursday, October 4 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Bristol ChapelForum: Reflections on 49 years as a musicianOpen to the public. RICHARD ALSTON, pianoA masterful pianist who performs as a soloist and with orchestras throughout the United States and Europe, Richard Alston is committed to enriching lives through music. Professor Alston earned two degrees from The Juilliard School and hasreceived several awards including the Award for Excellence from the New JerseyEducation Association and Musician of the Year from the National Association of Negro Musicians.Wednesday, October 24 3:20 – 4:20 Williamson HallMaster Class: Classically Black: Works by African American ComposersWednesday, October 247:30 p.m. Bristol ChapelRecital: Classically Black: Works by African American ComposersOpen to the publicMARVIN MILLS, organOrganist at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Kensington, Md., Marvin Mills isalso the music director of the acclaimed National Spiritual Ensemble. He has also served as Associate Minister of Music at National City Christian Church, Director of Music at All Souls Church and University Organist at Howard University. Mr. Mills has performed for numerous chapters of the American Guild of Organists, in recital at the Washington National Cathedral and in churches, universities and concert halls throughout the United States.Wednesday, November 14 3:20 – 4:20 Scheide HallMaster Class: Exploring the Organ Works of African-American Composers -- Prof. Taione MartinezAsst. Professor of MusicConductor, Jubilee SingersDepartment of Sacred MusicWestminster Choir College - Princeton
First Birthday of R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943) Since Premiere Recording of 'Cinnamon Grove' (15:20) by Phoenix Park-Kim & Merwin Siu
To contact us Click HERE
R. Nathaniel Dett (1882-1943)
[DeepRiver: Music for Violin and Piano by Composers of African Descent;Phoenix Park-Kim, piano; Merwin Siu, violin; MSR MS 1372 (2011)]
[Merwin Siu, violin; Phoenix Park-Kim, piano]
October 11, 2012 is the first birth anniversary of R. Nathaniel Dett following the 2011 release of the first recording of his 1928 composition for solo piano, Cinnamon Grove - Suite for piano (15:20). This late-Romantic piece sounds absolutely delightful on the recording by pianist Phoenix Park-Kim and violinist Merwin Siu, Deep River: Music for Violin and Piano by Composers of African Descent; MSR MS 1372 (2011). Prof. Phoenix Park-Kim spent years researching neglected works of composers of African descent. Cinnamon Grove is the longest work on the CD and our favorite. The artists have made a significant contribution to the musical legacy of R. Nathaniel Dett.
R. Nathaniel Dett was an African American composer and pianist whose tenure as Choral Director at Hampton Institute was legendary. He was born in Drummondville, now part of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com, has kindly made his research file on R. Nathaniel Dett available to AfriClassical.com. At age five, Dett was playing pieces by ear. He then began piano lessons. Dett and his family immigrated to the U.S. in 1893, settling in Niagara Falls, New York, where they ran a tourist home.
In 1903 Dett began his studies at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. We learn from Prof. De Lerma that Dett majored in both piano and composition. It was at Oberlin that he first heard Dvorak's use of Bohemian folk song in classical music. Dr. De Lerma writes: “From this time, he was resolved to participate in the preservation of the spirituals although he had originally looked on them, as did others, as reminders of slavery times.”
“When Dett completed his five-year course at Oberlin in 1908, he became the first African American to earn a B.A. in Music there with a major in composition and piano.” “He immediately began teaching, first at Lane College (Jackson, Tennessee) until 1911, when he moved to Lincoln Institute (now University) in Jefferson City, Missouri, and then in 1913 to Hampton Institute (now University) as director of the music program. Dett died in Battle Creek, Michigan while touring with a Women's Army Corps chorus as a member of the U.S.O. As a composer, Dett is remembered chiefly for the choral works he based on African American spirituals, and for the works for solo piano he composed in the Romantic style, such as Cinnamon Grove.
BritishBlackMusic.com: ‘How To Regain Our African Identity And Self-Confidence’ 5 PM Oct. 24, 2012 Accra, Ghana
To contact us Click HERE
[Prof. J. H. Kwabena Nketia]
J. H. Kwabena Nketia is the renowned musicologist from Ghana who celebrated his 90th birthday this year. In the above photo he addressed a presentation and workshop, "What Does It Mean To Be A Global African?" The Oct. 24 workshop is a follow-up event. Sankusem, led by the concert pianist Dr. George François, has announced a January 2013 release for a CD on the Con Brio label, Piano and String Works of Kwabena Nketia. Notes by the composer have been adapted for the CD.
BritishBlackMusic.com‘How To Regain Our African Identity And Self-Confidence’Free workshopWednesday Oct. 24. 5-7pmInternational Press Centre on Gamel Abdul Nasser Avenue, Accra (near British Embassy, Institute Of Journalism)To book or for more information: Awula Serwah, wheatsmst@gmail.com, www.africanidentity.eventbrite.com, 0302 774344This workshop is by popular request and is a follow up to the What Does It Mean To Be A Global African? presentation & workshopHistory consultant and TAOBQ (The African Or Black Question)co-ordinator Kwaku facilitates a workshop aimed at highlighting strategies to regain our African identity and self-confidence. It's a participants-driven workshop, and your contribution is welcome.
SCTF.org: 'Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: A Free Talk With Music' Tuesday 16th October 2012 at 6.30 pm 2nd Floor Holborn Library
To contact us Click HERE
At Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre 2nd Floor, Holborn Library, 32-38 Theobalds Road London WC1X 8PA
Presented by Richard Gordon-Smith (composer) and Martin Anthony Burrage (violin, piano) of the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Foundation to mark the centenary of the composer's death in the street of his birth.
Holborn Voice
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Tue 16 October 2012
doors open at 6 pm
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, known as the \"African Mahler\", was born in a house on Theobald\'s Road. 100 years later Richard Gordon-Smith (composer) and Martin Anthony Burrage (violin, piano) of the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Foundation mark the centenary of the composer’s death in the street of his birth.At Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre 2nd Floor, Holborn Library, 32-38 Theobalds Road London WC1X 8PA
[SamuelColeridge-Taylor (1875-1912) is profiled at AfriClassical.com,which features a comprehensive Works List and a Bibliography by Prof.Dominique-René de Lerma, www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com. Weare collaborating with the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Foundation of theU.K., www.SCTF.org.uk]11 Ekim 2012 Perşembe
McCain Not Playing Politics With Gustav? Yeah, Not So Much
To contact us Click HERE
John McCain has gotten a lot of credit in recent days, and deservedly so, for choosing to curtail part of the Republican National Convention in deference to the people of New Orleans the related areas who at this time are being hammered by the remnants of Hurricane Gustav. Good for McCain. He absolutely deserves credit for that. While it's also the right thing to do politically (attacking Obama and celebrating while a hurricane is punishing part of America doesn't work) McCain is paying a price for this decision, as his party will not get the chance to get their message out on an equal basis like the Democrats did last week.
But, let's not kid ourselves, the McCain campaign absolutely is playing politics with the hurricane. And in many ways, what they accomplished today, and the news they buried today, by making it public on the same day all the newspapers, cable news networks, and evening newscasts are focused on the hurricane, was worth so much more than anything they could have gained from tonight's scheduled convention speeches from the vastly unpopular Dick Cheney and George W. Bush.
What news did the McCain campaign release today that each could have been big stories, and could have been very damaging to the campaign? Three dings to the Vice President nobody (including, apparently, the McCain campaign) knows anything about. First was word that Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. And, I agree with what Barack Obama said earlier today that families should be off-limit in Presidential campaigns. The story here isn't that Palin's daughter is pregnant, that's a private family matter. It's how McCain could trust somebody with the future of the country that he knows so little about, and that he's still learning about.
One thing perhaps he didn't know, which was also very quietly released today, was news that Palin's husband was arrested for DUI in 1986. Now does a candidate's husband's mistake as a 22-year-old disqualify that candidate from seeking higher office? Of course not. But there's no coincidence the news was released today when it would get absolutely zero attention because of the hurricane.
And then there was the late breaking news that Palin has hired a private attorney for herself and her staff related to allegations she fired an Alaska Public Safety Comissioner who refused to fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law. As Dan Abrams said on MSNBC this afternoon, it makes a lot of sense that Palin would hire a lawyer (especially since her deposition is likely to be taken in the next few weeks) and there's nothing inherently suspicious about doing so (in fact, it's the right and smart thing to do). But, again, politically, it won't look good. And there's no question the release of the news late this afternoon was done purposefully as to be buried by the hurricane coverage.
Was the McCain campaign smart to release these news items today? Absolutely. No question. But let's not pretend that the timing was simply coincidental or that the McCain campaign wasn't trying to take advantage of the news dead zone the hurricane provided them to release these stories.
But, let's not kid ourselves, the McCain campaign absolutely is playing politics with the hurricane. And in many ways, what they accomplished today, and the news they buried today, by making it public on the same day all the newspapers, cable news networks, and evening newscasts are focused on the hurricane, was worth so much more than anything they could have gained from tonight's scheduled convention speeches from the vastly unpopular Dick Cheney and George W. Bush.
What news did the McCain campaign release today that each could have been big stories, and could have been very damaging to the campaign? Three dings to the Vice President nobody (including, apparently, the McCain campaign) knows anything about. First was word that Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. And, I agree with what Barack Obama said earlier today that families should be off-limit in Presidential campaigns. The story here isn't that Palin's daughter is pregnant, that's a private family matter. It's how McCain could trust somebody with the future of the country that he knows so little about, and that he's still learning about.
One thing perhaps he didn't know, which was also very quietly released today, was news that Palin's husband was arrested for DUI in 1986. Now does a candidate's husband's mistake as a 22-year-old disqualify that candidate from seeking higher office? Of course not. But there's no coincidence the news was released today when it would get absolutely zero attention because of the hurricane.
And then there was the late breaking news that Palin has hired a private attorney for herself and her staff related to allegations she fired an Alaska Public Safety Comissioner who refused to fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law. As Dan Abrams said on MSNBC this afternoon, it makes a lot of sense that Palin would hire a lawyer (especially since her deposition is likely to be taken in the next few weeks) and there's nothing inherently suspicious about doing so (in fact, it's the right and smart thing to do). But, again, politically, it won't look good. And there's no question the release of the news late this afternoon was done purposefully as to be buried by the hurricane coverage.
Was the McCain campaign smart to release these news items today? Absolutely. No question. But let's not pretend that the timing was simply coincidental or that the McCain campaign wasn't trying to take advantage of the news dead zone the hurricane provided them to release these stories.
Protecting Palin Too Much Plus: Palin's Jews for Jesus Problem
To contact us Click HERE
...If you even dare ask about Governor Sarah Palin's foreign policy experience (or lackthereof) the question is so out-of-bounds, so sexist (even when it comes from a woman, Campbell Brown) that John McCain was so offended that he jilted Larry King of all people, canceling a scheduled interview on Larry King Live after Campbell Brown dared ask the question. Give me a break. A few months after Sarah Palin called Hillary Clinton a "whiner" because her campaign was complaining about sexism (saying such comments did women a disservice), the McCain-Palin campaign has decided that any criticism of Palin, no matter how substantive, is sexism.
The fact that she was for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it? Can't bring that up, that's sexism. The fact that her town of 6,500 people received almost $30 million in earmarks? Can't go there. How about her abuse of power in firing a public safety commissioner after he refused to fire her brother in law? Or her and her husband's support of the Alaska Independence Party, which wants a vote on succeeding from the Union and whose founder has damned America and said he would refuse to be buried in the US flag? Or, today's news that Palin's church, while Palin was present, allowed an anti-Jewish group to preach. In August, while Palin was in the pews, Palin's pastor turned over the pulpit to the founder of "Jews for Jesus" which aims to covert those of the Jewish faith, and who said, in front of Palin, that terror attacks on Israel were God's wrath against uncoverted Jews. I can't make this up.
Why do I think that Sean Hannity, who spent months railing against Barack Obama (even demanding that he resign from the Senate) because of his association with Jerimiah Wright, won't be talking about how Palin should have walked out of her church, and how Palin should have stood up to her pastor. And worse than Obama, she was there that day in August when the Jews for Jesus founder spoke about how those who are Jewish have a "difficult time understanding the reality" that they need to convert to Christianity.
But, I'm sure bringing this up just makes me sexist. Just one question then before I go. Does questioning Barack Obama's relationship with Reverend Wright or his lack of experience make Republicans racist?
The fact that she was for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it? Can't bring that up, that's sexism. The fact that her town of 6,500 people received almost $30 million in earmarks? Can't go there. How about her abuse of power in firing a public safety commissioner after he refused to fire her brother in law? Or her and her husband's support of the Alaska Independence Party, which wants a vote on succeeding from the Union and whose founder has damned America and said he would refuse to be buried in the US flag? Or, today's news that Palin's church, while Palin was present, allowed an anti-Jewish group to preach. In August, while Palin was in the pews, Palin's pastor turned over the pulpit to the founder of "Jews for Jesus" which aims to covert those of the Jewish faith, and who said, in front of Palin, that terror attacks on Israel were God's wrath against uncoverted Jews. I can't make this up.
An illustration of that gap came just two weeks ago, when Palin’s church, the Wasilla Bible Church, gave its pulpit over to a figure viewed with deep hostility by many Jewish organizations: David Brickner, the founder of Jews for Jesus.
Palin’s pastor, Larry Kroon, introduced Brickner on Aug. 17, according to a transcript of the sermon on the church’s website.
“He’s a leader of Jews for Jesus, a ministry that is out on the leading edge in a pressing, demanding area of witnessing and evangelism,” Kroon said.
[ . . . . ] Brickner also described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God's "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity.
Why do I think that Sean Hannity, who spent months railing against Barack Obama (even demanding that he resign from the Senate) because of his association with Jerimiah Wright, won't be talking about how Palin should have walked out of her church, and how Palin should have stood up to her pastor. And worse than Obama, she was there that day in August when the Jews for Jesus founder spoke about how those who are Jewish have a "difficult time understanding the reality" that they need to convert to Christianity.
But, I'm sure bringing this up just makes me sexist. Just one question then before I go. Does questioning Barack Obama's relationship with Reverend Wright or his lack of experience make Republicans racist?
What I'm Watching -- USA Network (More specifically, House and NCIS repeats)
To contact us Click HERE
Ed Note: Yes, I'm back. I missed blogging. Too much to talk about I guess.
Little did I appreciate syndication until, oh, about two months ago. Most of the time, when a television show had gone into syndication, it didn't really affect my life any. Sure, I'd catch a Seinfeld episode when nothing else was on, but most shows in syndication that I'd flip to I'd already seen every episode of.
That's until I started watching House. Yes, I know I'm late to the party. I don't know why I didn't watch the show from the start, but I have a very vague recollection of seeing previews for the show when it first started, and for some reason, I thought it was a science-fiction show. Probably because it was sold as a doctor solving impossible-to-solve (read, or at least I believed,: other-wordly) cases. Ironically, basically, I thought House was Fringe. I don't think it helped that the one episode I later did see, probably a year later or so, was when Omar Epps' Dr. Foreman was going insane due to contracting a rare disease from a patient (which somehow confirmed in my mind that the show was not anything I'd be interested in watching). And besides, I had a dozen other shows I watched, no problem.
Well, with most of those shows (West Wing, The Practice, Las Vegas, Jack & Boddy, Ed, and Alias, among others) going off the air, I gave House a shot last year (the addition of Olivia Wilde to the cast probably didn't hurt either). And, like most others, I was hooked almost immediately. And, luckily, this fall is exactaly when the USA Network started airing House episodes in syndication, every day. With House marathons practically every weekend. At one point, I had over 25 episodes of House on my DVR. And then, thanks to a week of DirecTV outages (don't ask), I caught up faster than I thought. Having now seen almost every House episode (or, at least, every old episode USA Network has aired, which is most all of them), I'm a true believer. I don't know what I've been missing for all these years. And with House now on Monday's before 24, I never need to leave my couch. House, 24, the 10:00 Countdown with Keith Olbermann repeat, How I Met Your Mother on my DVR from 11 to 11:30, watch the Leno monologue and Headlines, and then fall asleep. That's a great night of television right there.
So, given how the USA Network came through with House, I decided to give another show a chance that I've never seen but everyone else seems to love. Over the Christmas holiday, in between two days of House marathons, the cable network aired a full day of NCIS episodes. I didn't know much about NCIS other than it was a spin-off of another show I never watched (JAG), it was sort-of-like CSI, and it starred Mark Harmon, who not only had a great four-episode run as a secret service agent on The West Wing, but who is married to Pam Dauber, who was Mindy on Mork and Mindy, and more importantly, went to North Farmington High School, of which I am also a proud alum (Ed Note: Wow, that was a long sentence, even for me. I'm a bit rusty at blogging obviously.) And I'm hooked. Now that I've watched all of House that USA has to offer, DVRing multiple episodes of NCIS a day should give me plenty to watch in case my satellite ever goes out again.
Of course, it would probably be better if instead of watching House and NCIS I got back to reading the numerous books I have on my list to read (I started Team of Rivals after finishing my first Lincoln biography, Lincoln, and need to get back to it) but I'm enjoying what USA Network has to offer for the time being. And with 24, LOST, and Damages set to make returns in the next three weeks, something tells me my TV will continue to get a workout. Thank God for HD.
Little did I appreciate syndication until, oh, about two months ago. Most of the time, when a television show had gone into syndication, it didn't really affect my life any. Sure, I'd catch a Seinfeld episode when nothing else was on, but most shows in syndication that I'd flip to I'd already seen every episode of.
That's until I started watching House. Yes, I know I'm late to the party. I don't know why I didn't watch the show from the start, but I have a very vague recollection of seeing previews for the show when it first started, and for some reason, I thought it was a science-fiction show. Probably because it was sold as a doctor solving impossible-to-solve (read, or at least I believed,: other-wordly) cases. Ironically, basically, I thought House was Fringe. I don't think it helped that the one episode I later did see, probably a year later or so, was when Omar Epps' Dr. Foreman was going insane due to contracting a rare disease from a patient (which somehow confirmed in my mind that the show was not anything I'd be interested in watching). And besides, I had a dozen other shows I watched, no problem.
Well, with most of those shows (West Wing, The Practice, Las Vegas, Jack & Boddy, Ed, and Alias, among others) going off the air, I gave House a shot last year (the addition of Olivia Wilde to the cast probably didn't hurt either). And, like most others, I was hooked almost immediately. And, luckily, this fall is exactaly when the USA Network started airing House episodes in syndication, every day. With House marathons practically every weekend. At one point, I had over 25 episodes of House on my DVR. And then, thanks to a week of DirecTV outages (don't ask), I caught up faster than I thought. Having now seen almost every House episode (or, at least, every old episode USA Network has aired, which is most all of them), I'm a true believer. I don't know what I've been missing for all these years. And with House now on Monday's before 24, I never need to leave my couch. House, 24, the 10:00 Countdown with Keith Olbermann repeat, How I Met Your Mother on my DVR from 11 to 11:30, watch the Leno monologue and Headlines, and then fall asleep. That's a great night of television right there.
So, given how the USA Network came through with House, I decided to give another show a chance that I've never seen but everyone else seems to love. Over the Christmas holiday, in between two days of House marathons, the cable network aired a full day of NCIS episodes. I didn't know much about NCIS other than it was a spin-off of another show I never watched (JAG), it was sort-of-like CSI, and it starred Mark Harmon, who not only had a great four-episode run as a secret service agent on The West Wing, but who is married to Pam Dauber, who was Mindy on Mork and Mindy, and more importantly, went to North Farmington High School, of which I am also a proud alum (Ed Note: Wow, that was a long sentence, even for me. I'm a bit rusty at blogging obviously.) And I'm hooked. Now that I've watched all of House that USA has to offer, DVRing multiple episodes of NCIS a day should give me plenty to watch in case my satellite ever goes out again.
Of course, it would probably be better if instead of watching House and NCIS I got back to reading the numerous books I have on my list to read (I started Team of Rivals after finishing my first Lincoln biography, Lincoln, and need to get back to it) but I'm enjoying what USA Network has to offer for the time being. And with 24, LOST, and Damages set to make returns in the next three weeks, something tells me my TV will continue to get a workout. Thank God for HD.
What I'm Reading - The Know It All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
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I've always wanted to write a book. Back, years ago, when I was a teenage sports columnist for The Oakland Press and the Detroit News I had a vision of writing some kind of a sports book. Not sure on what exactaly, but something interesting. I never got very far though. I convinced my parents one summer that instead of getting one of those summer jobs most kids get (like the one I had at Staples or Sam Goody the year before -- As an aside, working at Sam Goody, the mall CD store which may not even exist anymore, when you know next to nothing about music, really doesn't work) I'd write a book instead. I'm still working on that.
In 2002 (or 2003, my computer isn't quite sure, and neither am I) I started on "Sterling Sharpe, Wide Open in the Endzone -- One Superfans Journal of the Lovable Losers Known As The Detroit Football Lions." Who knew that six (or seven) years later, they'd really become losers. I got through an introduction (which, ironically, as I look back at it now, started with "I’ve always wanted to write a book", which shows how little has changed with me, or the Lions, in six years) which explained my passion for the Lions, and why I felt qualified at such a young age to write a book about the failings of a franchise which had been a laughingstock for more years than I had been alive. I also got about a page into a prologue, which I titled "The Draft." Maybe one day I'll pick it back up again.
But this blog entry isn't about my writing as much as it is about A.J. Jacobs bestseller The Know It All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. As those long-time blog readers know, I don't read a lot (or, any, really) fiction, so this kind of book is what qualifies for me as "light reading." Over the summer and early fall of 2008 I was on an American History kick, mainly focused around the Revolutionary period. And after two John Adams biographies, a Jefferson biography, and two Joseph Ellis bestsellers on stories from the American founding, I moved on to the 1800s, and 1812: The War That Forged a Nation (good, but too battle intensive and full of military strategy for my tastes) and Lincoln. I was going to start Team of Rivals, but following the 2008 general election ate up a lot of my time, and then I watched the entire first season of Mad Men on Blu-Ray, then got obsessed with House repeats (as I wrote about last week) so I haven't read much in a while. And getting back into the swing of things with something entertaining and fun seemed like a good start.
The book is about magazine columnist and editor A.J. Jacobs' quest to become the smartest person in the world by reading the entire contents of the Encyclopedia Britannica from start to finish. And what may sound dry in description is anything but in print. Jacobs has a very conversational writing style (very similar to what I hope the writing style of this blog is, and very similar to what I would imagine a book I would write would read like). Aside from learning some of the more humorous tidbits Jacobs picked up through his quest (so the book is educational, and like a shorter, punchier, wittier version of Cliff Notes) you can also read about the puzzled and mystified reactions of Jacobs' friends, family, and co-workers to his new found knowledge. So far it's been a very entertaining book, and I should make a decent amount of progress on it before the NFL games start in about an hour and a half.
And because I'm enjoying it, it likely means the purchase of Jacobs follow-up book, "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible." Because just what I need are more books. Hey. Maybe that's an idea for my book. "One Man's Humble Quest to Read All of the Books He Bought Foolishly Believing He'd Ever Have Time to Read Them All." Nah.
In 2002 (or 2003, my computer isn't quite sure, and neither am I) I started on "Sterling Sharpe, Wide Open in the Endzone -- One Superfans Journal of the Lovable Losers Known As The Detroit Football Lions." Who knew that six (or seven) years later, they'd really become losers. I got through an introduction (which, ironically, as I look back at it now, started with "I’ve always wanted to write a book", which shows how little has changed with me, or the Lions, in six years) which explained my passion for the Lions, and why I felt qualified at such a young age to write a book about the failings of a franchise which had been a laughingstock for more years than I had been alive. I also got about a page into a prologue, which I titled "The Draft." Maybe one day I'll pick it back up again.
But this blog entry isn't about my writing as much as it is about A.J. Jacobs bestseller The Know It All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. As those long-time blog readers know, I don't read a lot (or, any, really) fiction, so this kind of book is what qualifies for me as "light reading." Over the summer and early fall of 2008 I was on an American History kick, mainly focused around the Revolutionary period. And after two John Adams biographies, a Jefferson biography, and two Joseph Ellis bestsellers on stories from the American founding, I moved on to the 1800s, and 1812: The War That Forged a Nation (good, but too battle intensive and full of military strategy for my tastes) and Lincoln. I was going to start Team of Rivals, but following the 2008 general election ate up a lot of my time, and then I watched the entire first season of Mad Men on Blu-Ray, then got obsessed with House repeats (as I wrote about last week) so I haven't read much in a while. And getting back into the swing of things with something entertaining and fun seemed like a good start.
The book is about magazine columnist and editor A.J. Jacobs' quest to become the smartest person in the world by reading the entire contents of the Encyclopedia Britannica from start to finish. And what may sound dry in description is anything but in print. Jacobs has a very conversational writing style (very similar to what I hope the writing style of this blog is, and very similar to what I would imagine a book I would write would read like). Aside from learning some of the more humorous tidbits Jacobs picked up through his quest (so the book is educational, and like a shorter, punchier, wittier version of Cliff Notes) you can also read about the puzzled and mystified reactions of Jacobs' friends, family, and co-workers to his new found knowledge. So far it's been a very entertaining book, and I should make a decent amount of progress on it before the NFL games start in about an hour and a half.
And because I'm enjoying it, it likely means the purchase of Jacobs follow-up book, "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible." Because just what I need are more books. Hey. Maybe that's an idea for my book. "One Man's Humble Quest to Read All of the Books He Bought Foolishly Believing He'd Ever Have Time to Read Them All." Nah.
Lions Struggle in Free Agency, But Its Not Mayhew's Fault
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Despite having almost $40 million to spend in cap room, and more starting positions to fill than almost any team in football, the Detroit Lions have had a quiet start to free agency. Sure, they've signed a backup running back (Maurice Morris, a solid pickup, sure), a second or third option at wide receiver (the talented, but always seemingly disappointing Bryant Johnson), and picked up a couple of cornerbacks (aging veteran Anthony Henry from Dallas in a trade for Jon Kitna, and former Tennessee Titan backup Eric King) but certainly, for a team that went 0-16, these signings aren't going to instantly make the Lions a contender for much of anything.
Yet, I'm not upset, nor do I even remotely blame new Lions general manger Martin Mayhew. In fact, I give Mayhew high marks for how he's handled this off-season so far. Why? Because had things gone according to plan, the Lions would be in a much different position right now, and for once, the plan was not foiled by the Lions ineptitude, but by that of other teams.
First, the Lions had finally filled the left guard spot vacated when Matt Millen, in his first season as general manager, balked at paying Pro Bowl guard Jeff Hartings a few hundred thousand dollars more to stay in the Detroit. Instead, Hartings continued to visit Pro Bowls as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Millen regime was off and running in the wrong direction (little did we know at the time just how much the Hartings decision was a foreshadowing of things to come). This time, though, the Lions had lined up a trade with Buffalo for guard Derrick Dockery. Dockery is in the prime of his career and would have been the first real replacement for Hartings in almost a decade. He would have solidified the offensive line and would have instantly improved the Lions team. So what happened? The Bills screwed up the paperwork and failed to get it to the league office in time before Dockery was due a roster bonus. They chose to cut him instead, and the Lions were left with nothing. And despite offering Dockery more money than he later received from the Washington Redskins, Dockery chose D.C., his previous home before he went to Buffalo two seasons ago. Mayhew tried, but forces beyond his control kept the Lions without a starting offensive lineman.
An even larger disappointment perhaps was when Denver backed out of a potential trade for Jay Cutler. The Lions were trying to use their second round pick to trade for New England QB Matt Cassel, who the Lions would have then shipped to Denver in exchange for Cutler, who would instantly become the best quarterback the Lions have had in at least four decades. Denver, though, ultimately decided against moving Cutler, and the Patriots sent Cassel to Kansas City.
So, had Mayhew had his way, the Lions, along with the signings of Johnson, Morris, and King, would have added a top LG and one of the league's best quarterbacks to the Lions. And both were very close to happening, and both failed due to no fault of the Lions. And yet, Mayhew didn't get discouraged, and instead, went back to work. He somehow was able to get something for Jon Kitna, the quarterback the Lions would have cut in the next 48-hours before a roster bonus came due, sending him to Dallas for Henry, who, while aging, was a starter on one of the league's best defenses last season.
Would I have liked to see the Lions acquire more talent so far in free agency? Absolutely. But, it hasn't been for a lack of effort. And I like how Mayhew's mind seems to be working, as he is trying everything possible, and considering every option, to improve the Lions. Let's just hope in the next few days, if the Lions have another blockbuster move lined up, he's actually able to pull it off.
Yet, I'm not upset, nor do I even remotely blame new Lions general manger Martin Mayhew. In fact, I give Mayhew high marks for how he's handled this off-season so far. Why? Because had things gone according to plan, the Lions would be in a much different position right now, and for once, the plan was not foiled by the Lions ineptitude, but by that of other teams.
First, the Lions had finally filled the left guard spot vacated when Matt Millen, in his first season as general manager, balked at paying Pro Bowl guard Jeff Hartings a few hundred thousand dollars more to stay in the Detroit. Instead, Hartings continued to visit Pro Bowls as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Millen regime was off and running in the wrong direction (little did we know at the time just how much the Hartings decision was a foreshadowing of things to come). This time, though, the Lions had lined up a trade with Buffalo for guard Derrick Dockery. Dockery is in the prime of his career and would have been the first real replacement for Hartings in almost a decade. He would have solidified the offensive line and would have instantly improved the Lions team. So what happened? The Bills screwed up the paperwork and failed to get it to the league office in time before Dockery was due a roster bonus. They chose to cut him instead, and the Lions were left with nothing. And despite offering Dockery more money than he later received from the Washington Redskins, Dockery chose D.C., his previous home before he went to Buffalo two seasons ago. Mayhew tried, but forces beyond his control kept the Lions without a starting offensive lineman.
An even larger disappointment perhaps was when Denver backed out of a potential trade for Jay Cutler. The Lions were trying to use their second round pick to trade for New England QB Matt Cassel, who the Lions would have then shipped to Denver in exchange for Cutler, who would instantly become the best quarterback the Lions have had in at least four decades. Denver, though, ultimately decided against moving Cutler, and the Patriots sent Cassel to Kansas City.
So, had Mayhew had his way, the Lions, along with the signings of Johnson, Morris, and King, would have added a top LG and one of the league's best quarterbacks to the Lions. And both were very close to happening, and both failed due to no fault of the Lions. And yet, Mayhew didn't get discouraged, and instead, went back to work. He somehow was able to get something for Jon Kitna, the quarterback the Lions would have cut in the next 48-hours before a roster bonus came due, sending him to Dallas for Henry, who, while aging, was a starter on one of the league's best defenses last season.
Would I have liked to see the Lions acquire more talent so far in free agency? Absolutely. But, it hasn't been for a lack of effort. And I like how Mayhew's mind seems to be working, as he is trying everything possible, and considering every option, to improve the Lions. Let's just hope in the next few days, if the Lions have another blockbuster move lined up, he's actually able to pull it off.
10 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba
Police Civilian Staffers Steals to Feed Addiction
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Edmonton police civilian staffer admits to stealing for gambling
- October 9th, 2012
Edmonton Police Headquarters
Credits: TOM BRAID/QMI AGENCY EDMONTON - A former civilian employee with the Edmonton Police Service has admitted to stealing nearly $85,000 from the community cadet program to fuel his gambling addiction.John Alvin Jerke, 36, pleaded guilty Tuesday in provincial court to one count of fraud over $5,000. According to agreed facts, Jerke was hired in 2003 as the youth programs co-ordinator and was responsible for the recruitment, selection and training, of the not-for-profit volunteer cadets. He was terminated on May 27, 2011. In early 2009, parent support for the cadets had waned and some volunteer positions with the 189th Parent Group were left vacant for significant periods of time. As a result, financial controls had been eroded and Jerke took on the responsibility of receiving the bank statements for the group and advising them that he had reconciled the statements and the books were in good order. In June 2009, Jerke began taking advantage of the trust placed in him and was not following the earlier financial rule of submitting receipts for items purchased before getting a reimbursement cheque. Over the next two years, Jerke requested 55 reimbursements for $147,000 worth of goods and services using falsified receipts. Of the 55 requests, 39 of them, for a total of $84,619, were reimbursed to Jerke. The frauds were uncovered when a new group treasurer began insisting on receipts being provided before reimbursements and Jerke submitted further bogus receipts she suspected were forgeries. She then went to police. Jerke initially admitted that some of the receipts were fake, but pegged the value at about $7,000. He later bumped it up to $20,000, but never the actual amount. No restitution has yet been made. A review of Jerke's financial records and his personal life suggests that he "spent the money at casinos and VLTs." Jerke has admitted having a gambling problem and was seen several times playing VLTs with a wad of $100 bills. As a result of the fraud, the group was struck from the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission's list of charitable companies which could receive gaming revenues. The group was also struck from a list of charitable organizations by Service Alberta. As well, the cadet program's insurance was cancelled due to non-payment, leaving the group exposed to loss in event of an insurable incident, and vendors began using collection agencies to recoup losses as Jerke had left the group with about $20,000 in outstanding debt to vendors. The police cadets program, established more than 50 years ago, is a joint venture between city cops and a group of parent volunteers. The cadets are between the ages of 14 and 20. A pre-sentence report was ordered on Jerke, who remains free on bail, and a sentencing hearing was scheduled for Jan. 7. http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2012/10/20121009-173825.htmlCheating Gambling Addicts
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The proposal would begin to rectify decisions by the Kansas Legislature and a series of governors to reallocate more than 90 percent of the Problem Gambling and Addictions Grant Fund, perhaps in violation of state statute, to general government services.
In 2010, the state invested 5 cents per capita in problem gambling services in Kansas. The current state budget stripped $6.5 million from the fund financed by a 2 percent surcharge on legal gaming revenue. Revenue flowing into the account has grown quickly with opening of casinos in Wyandotte and Sumner counties.
"Stakeholders were concerned that the fund had been historically allocated in a manner that was inconsistent with legislative intent," said Gary Haulmark, commissioner of community services and programs at the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services.
"A relatively small portion of these funds have been invested in developing a problem gambling service infrastructure," he said. "Rather large portions of the (fund) were used to substitute for Kansas general fund allocations without creating a net increase in addiction services."
Haulmark told a House-Senate budget committee the budget request pending before Brownback, who will issue his spending blueprint in January, would increase to $4.2 million the amount dedicated to enhancing addiction treatment.
Under the state agency's proposal on the governor's desk, $3.5 million raised by the gambling fund still would be funneled to state programs unrelated to issues of gambling or addiction.
Sen. John Vratil, a Republican from Johnson County, said legislators and governors had been "intellectually dishonest" by collecting gambling revenue earmarked for people struggling with additions and spending that cash elsewhere.
He said mistakes of the past didn't justify continuation of the practice of stripping gambling fund dollars for alternative uses.
"It is time for us to be honest with ourselves and with our constituents," Vratil said. "This is just embarrassing to me."
Haulmark said the decision to reduce by half the diversion of problem gambling and addiction funding should be viewed as a step in the right direction.
"I don't think we've gone whole hog," he said. "We've asked for an appropriate amount. There will be those who say that will not be enough of a jump. We want to build a problem gambling infrastructure that is responsible and judicious."
Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, said the state should be careful to invest newly available resources in programs proven to be effective.
"I just worry about plopping programs in place and measuring effectiveness later," she said.
Haulmark said the state hadn't previously conducted sufficient research to evaluate effectiveness of programs to help Kansans with problems with gambling and other addictions. He indicated comprehensive analysis would be done in the future.
The House-Senate committee took no action but discussed the issue along with other budget issues likely to come to the foreground in the 2013 session.
Les Sperling, chief executive officer of the Central Kansas Foundation in Salina, said the organization that provides addiction treatment in central and western Kansas supported the budget proposal to claw back state funding.
"I want the members to be aware that the need exists now in Kansas for substances abuse treatment and prevention programs," Sperling said.
http://cjonline.com/news/2012-10-09/proposal-curtails-diversion-problem-gambling-funds
Proposal would curtail diversion of problem gambling money, add $3.5M to ...
KWCH
The proposal still would allow $3.5 million raised by the gambling fund to be funneled to state programs unrelated to gambling or addiction problems. ___. Information from: The Topeka Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com. sns-ap-ks--problem ...
Proposal curtails diversion of problem gambling funds
Reform before governor adds $3.5M to treatment assistance
Posted: October 9, 2012 By Tim Carpenter THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL Proposal curtails diversion of problem gambling fundsTim CarpenterOctober 9, 2012 4:31 PM EDT Copyright 2012 CJ Online. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A budget recommendation submitted to Gov. Sam Brownback would dedicate more than four times the current $740,000 allocated by state government to help people with gambling, alcohol and other addiction problems, officials said Tuesday.The proposal would begin to rectify decisions by the Kansas Legislature and a series of governors to reallocate more than 90 percent of the Problem Gambling and Addictions Grant Fund, perhaps in violation of state statute, to general government services.
In 2010, the state invested 5 cents per capita in problem gambling services in Kansas. The current state budget stripped $6.5 million from the fund financed by a 2 percent surcharge on legal gaming revenue. Revenue flowing into the account has grown quickly with opening of casinos in Wyandotte and Sumner counties.
"Stakeholders were concerned that the fund had been historically allocated in a manner that was inconsistent with legislative intent," said Gary Haulmark, commissioner of community services and programs at the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services.
"A relatively small portion of these funds have been invested in developing a problem gambling service infrastructure," he said. "Rather large portions of the (fund) were used to substitute for Kansas general fund allocations without creating a net increase in addiction services."
Haulmark told a House-Senate budget committee the budget request pending before Brownback, who will issue his spending blueprint in January, would increase to $4.2 million the amount dedicated to enhancing addiction treatment.
Under the state agency's proposal on the governor's desk, $3.5 million raised by the gambling fund still would be funneled to state programs unrelated to issues of gambling or addiction.
Sen. John Vratil, a Republican from Johnson County, said legislators and governors had been "intellectually dishonest" by collecting gambling revenue earmarked for people struggling with additions and spending that cash elsewhere.
He said mistakes of the past didn't justify continuation of the practice of stripping gambling fund dollars for alternative uses.
"It is time for us to be honest with ourselves and with our constituents," Vratil said. "This is just embarrassing to me."
Haulmark said the decision to reduce by half the diversion of problem gambling and addiction funding should be viewed as a step in the right direction.
"I don't think we've gone whole hog," he said. "We've asked for an appropriate amount. There will be those who say that will not be enough of a jump. We want to build a problem gambling infrastructure that is responsible and judicious."
Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, said the state should be careful to invest newly available resources in programs proven to be effective.
"I just worry about plopping programs in place and measuring effectiveness later," she said.
Haulmark said the state hadn't previously conducted sufficient research to evaluate effectiveness of programs to help Kansans with problems with gambling and other addictions. He indicated comprehensive analysis would be done in the future.
The House-Senate committee took no action but discussed the issue along with other budget issues likely to come to the foreground in the 2013 session.
Les Sperling, chief executive officer of the Central Kansas Foundation in Salina, said the organization that provides addiction treatment in central and western Kansas supported the budget proposal to claw back state funding.
"I want the members to be aware that the need exists now in Kansas for substances abuse treatment and prevention programs," Sperling said.
http://cjonline.com/news/2012-10-09/proposal-curtails-diversion-problem-gambling-funds
Proposal would curtail diversion of problem gambling money, add $3.5M to ...
KWCH
The proposal still would allow $3.5 million raised by the gambling fund to be funneled to state programs unrelated to gambling or addiction problems. ___. Information from: The Topeka Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com. sns-ap-ks--problem ...
Caesers' Horseshoe Fails to Keep TX Patron Safe
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BCPD seeks casino purse snatching suspect
Posted: Tuesday, October 9, 2012
WANTED: Anthony Antonio Scott, Jr. (Source: Bossier City Police Department)
BOSSIER CITY, LA (KSLA) - The Bossier City Police Department and Bossier Crimes Stoppers are asking the public for help in finding the suspect they say is responsible for a purse snatching that left the victim with a broken hip. Bossier Crimes Stoppers is offering a $435 reward for information that leads to the arrest Anthony Antonio Scott Jr., 24, of Bossier City. Detectives with the Violent Crimes Unit have secured a warrant for Scott's arrest on charges of purse snatching and second degree battery in connection with an assault that occurred in the lobby of the Horseshoe Casino Hotel shortly after midnight on September 28, 2012. The incident was caught on security camera video.* It shows a man police have identified as Scott coming up behind the victim and grabbing her purse, causing the 66-year old woman from Garland, Texas to violently fall to the floor. As a result, the victim suffered a broken hip. Police say Scott then dragged the victim across the floor as she continued to hold on to her purse. They say Scott eventually pulled the purse from the victim's grasp and ran out of the lobby to the front parking lot where he got into a newer model white 4-door Chevrolet Malibu and drove off. Scott is a black male, 6' tall, and weighs 170 pounds. Anyone with information that can help police locate him is asked to call Bossier Crime Stoppers at (318) 424-4100. They can also submit a web or text tip via the Bossier Crime Stoppers website at www.bossiercrimestoppers.org. Persons who contact Crime Stoppers are reminded they may remain totally anonymous. *Editor's note: Ceasar's Entertainment has asked that the video originally posted with this story not be published without their permission, as the woman in the video has not signed a release. http://www.ksla.com/story/19776236/violent-purse-snatching-caught-on-camera-suspect-at-large
BCPD seeks casino purse snatching suspect
Posted: Tuesday, October 9, 2012
WANTED: Anthony Antonio Scott, Jr. (Source: Bossier City Police Department)
BOSSIER CITY, LA (KSLA) - The Bossier City Police Department and Bossier Crimes Stoppers are asking the public for help in finding the suspect they say is responsible for a purse snatching that left the victim with a broken hip. Bossier Crimes Stoppers is offering a $435 reward for information that leads to the arrest Anthony Antonio Scott Jr., 24, of Bossier City. Detectives with the Violent Crimes Unit have secured a warrant for Scott's arrest on charges of purse snatching and second degree battery in connection with an assault that occurred in the lobby of the Horseshoe Casino Hotel shortly after midnight on September 28, 2012. The incident was caught on security camera video.* It shows a man police have identified as Scott coming up behind the victim and grabbing her purse, causing the 66-year old woman from Garland, Texas to violently fall to the floor. As a result, the victim suffered a broken hip. Police say Scott then dragged the victim across the floor as she continued to hold on to her purse. They say Scott eventually pulled the purse from the victim's grasp and ran out of the lobby to the front parking lot where he got into a newer model white 4-door Chevrolet Malibu and drove off. Scott is a black male, 6' tall, and weighs 170 pounds. Anyone with information that can help police locate him is asked to call Bossier Crime Stoppers at (318) 424-4100. They can also submit a web or text tip via the Bossier Crime Stoppers website at www.bossiercrimestoppers.org. Persons who contact Crime Stoppers are reminded they may remain totally anonymous. *Editor's note: Ceasar's Entertainment has asked that the video originally posted with this story not be published without their permission, as the woman in the video has not signed a release. http://www.ksla.com/story/19776236/violent-purse-snatching-caught-on-camera-suspect-at-large
Gambling Revenue Promises Rarely Met
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Great article that has compiled the facts about ovestated revenue projections, just as in Massachusetts --
February 23, 2012
Gambling Revenue Promises Rarely Met
By Ben Wieder, Staff Writer
ThinkstockMore than two-thirds of states that legalized casinos, lotteries or racetrack casinos in the past 10 years have yet to see the state and local revenue that political and industry champions of legalization had promised.
No state helped the gambling industry come out of a two-year recessionary slump more than Pennsylvania, which has seen more than a $1 billion increase in revenue during the past two fiscal years.
That growth has catapulted the state's industry to near the front of the pack nationally, with some experts speculating that it could soon overtake New Jersey, home to Atlantic City, as second only to Nevada in overall gambling revenue. With state and local tax rates on those profits significantly higher in Pennsylvania than Nevada, the Keystone state already sees more of a revenue bump from gambling than any other state in the nation.
But while those tax revenues have risen steadily over the past few years, they have yet to achieve the goal promised by former Governor Ed Rendell when he first stumped for the legalization of slot machines eight years ago: $1 billion in property tax relief for Pennsylvanians.
The state was more than $200 million short of that target last year, and though the state still expects up to four new gambling facilities to open at some point, officials aren't sure when — or if — they'll meet Rendell's promise. "We'll have to wait and see," says Richard McGarvey, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
This fall, Massachusetts became the 16th state to legalize commercial casinos, with Governor Deval Patrick and other backers of the law estimating that it would ultimately bring the state about $400 million a year. But Massachusetts and other states, such as Florida and New York, that are considering legalizing commercial casinos might rethink their estimates based on the track record of other states that recently legalized gambling.
A Stateline analysis of 13 states that have legalized casinos, racetrack casinos, known as racinos, or lotteries in the past 10 years found that more than two-thirds of them failed to live up to the initial promises or projections made by political and industry champions of legalizing gambling. That doesn't account for inflation or the cost of any of the potential negative consequences of gambling, such as increased addiction or crime, that are often cited by opponents of legalization.
Explanations for the missed targets vary. Some officials and experts say the recession is to blame, while others cite a gambling market that is nearing saturation as more states see gambling as a revenue fix rather than a tool to drum up tourism or development.
"The people who made the initial estimates weren't very good at it," says Jim Scroggins, executive director of the Oklahoma Lottery Commission. "The numbers didn't really make much sense."
Scroggins says the initial projections included video lottery, which was stripped from the authorizing legislation before it passed. He says the projection also took an overly optimistic look at well-established lotteries in other states.
The Oklahoma lottery is further limited, Scroggins says, by a mandate requiring that 35 percent of its profits go to the state, limiting large jackpots and expansion.
Another state with ambitious projections was Arkansas, where the lottery hasn't yet provided $100 million for college scholarships in either of its first two years, as was promised by former Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter. That still remains the goal, says Julie Baldridge, director of public affairs and legislative relations for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. But she doesn't see it growing too much beyond that.
"We have what I would describe as a plain vanilla lottery in Arkansas," Baldridge says, citing the lack of video lottery or keno as factors that limit revenue. "We're going to make less money than a lottery that has all the bells and whistles."
They don't have bells and whistles in South Carolina, either, but the state's lottery has exceeded initial projections every year since 2003, its first full fiscal year. Former Governor Jim Hodges championed the lottery when he ran for office in 1998, saying it would yield the state $150 million a year. It's actually brought the state about $270 million a year, most of which goes to education.
Paula Harper Bethea, executive director of the South Carolina Education Lottery, says the state's success in part is due to the popularity of the big jackpots in the multi-state Powerball and Mega Millions games, which draw a wider range of customers, but also because of frequent market testing. Her agency conducts focus groups three times a year with customers across the state to determine what appeals to them most about different games and formats. "Colors really matter," she says.
South Carolina's early success, however, is an anomaly. Even among other states that have met expectations, success hasn't been immediate. New York has exceeded the $300 million to $400 million annual target for racino tax revenues promised by legislators in 2001, but that mark was met three years later than expected. North Carolina didn't collect an anticipated $400 million from its state lottery until the lottery's third full year — four years after the legislation passed.
Stephen Martino has seen first-hand its impact on two states in the past few years. He was executive director of the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission when the state legalized casinos in 2007 and then became director of the Maryland State Lottery Agency, which oversees casinos, in April 2010, months before the state's first casino opened.
In Kansas, he says, three of the four initial casino plans fell apart because of changed conditions during the recession. "People had bid based on one set of expectations in 2007," he says, "that was no longer the case in the fourth quarter of 2008." It took nearly two and a half years for the state's first casino, in Dodge City, to open, in December of 2009. The state's second and third casinos, in Mulvane and Kansas City, opened only this winter.
The recession slowed construction on Maryland sites, but there have been other hurdles as well. Progress on one of of the state's largest planned facilities, Maryland Live! Casino, at the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, was delayed by an unsuccessful effort by gambling opponents and horse racing interests in Anne Arundel County to block the casino's approval. It's now scheduled to open this spring.
Already, the state has revised downward its initial $660 million estimate of tax benefits to the state. Part of the reason is that casino operators so far aren't going for the maximum number of slots allowable at each location. Maryland has the country's second highest tax rate on slot revenue, according to the American Gaming Association, with the state getting two-thirds of profits. "Some companies said it's not even worth it to bid on these licenses," says Holly Wetzel, a spokeswoman for the American Gaming Association. "Companies have to feel like they're going to get a return on their investment."
Lucy Dadayan, a senior policy analyst at the Rockefeller Institute of Government who studies state gambling revenues, expects that trend to continue. She cautions, though, that the industry may be near a saturation point. Pennsylvania's growth, for example, has come largely at the expense of New Jersey. It can be risky to rely too heavily on gambling revenue, she says. The Garden State is one of seven states that continued to show a decline in revenue in the last fiscal year. "States shouldn't think of gambling revenue as recession-proof," she says.
That states would rely heavily on gambling revenue is itself a relatively new idea, says David G. Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. When gambling in Atlantic City was legalized in the 1970s, he said discussion was more about the prospect of urban renewal than it was about tax revenue.
He thinks states would be wiser to also emphasize economic development when looking to legalize gambling, rather than merely focusing on revenue. "At the end of the day, the state's always going to need more money," he says. "If you're looking at casinos as a way to solve the revenue problem, then you're never going to be happy."
http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/gambling-revenue-promises-rarely-met-85899375405
Great article that has compiled the facts about ovestated revenue projections, just as in Massachusetts --
February 23, 2012
Gambling Revenue Promises Rarely Met
By Ben Wieder, Staff Writer
ThinkstockMore than two-thirds of states that legalized casinos, lotteries or racetrack casinos in the past 10 years have yet to see the state and local revenue that political and industry champions of legalization had promised.No state helped the gambling industry come out of a two-year recessionary slump more than Pennsylvania, which has seen more than a $1 billion increase in revenue during the past two fiscal years.
That growth has catapulted the state's industry to near the front of the pack nationally, with some experts speculating that it could soon overtake New Jersey, home to Atlantic City, as second only to Nevada in overall gambling revenue. With state and local tax rates on those profits significantly higher in Pennsylvania than Nevada, the Keystone state already sees more of a revenue bump from gambling than any other state in the nation.
But while those tax revenues have risen steadily over the past few years, they have yet to achieve the goal promised by former Governor Ed Rendell when he first stumped for the legalization of slot machines eight years ago: $1 billion in property tax relief for Pennsylvanians.
The state was more than $200 million short of that target last year, and though the state still expects up to four new gambling facilities to open at some point, officials aren't sure when — or if — they'll meet Rendell's promise. "We'll have to wait and see," says Richard McGarvey, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
This fall, Massachusetts became the 16th state to legalize commercial casinos, with Governor Deval Patrick and other backers of the law estimating that it would ultimately bring the state about $400 million a year. But Massachusetts and other states, such as Florida and New York, that are considering legalizing commercial casinos might rethink their estimates based on the track record of other states that recently legalized gambling.
A Stateline analysis of 13 states that have legalized casinos, racetrack casinos, known as racinos, or lotteries in the past 10 years found that more than two-thirds of them failed to live up to the initial promises or projections made by political and industry champions of legalizing gambling. That doesn't account for inflation or the cost of any of the potential negative consequences of gambling, such as increased addiction or crime, that are often cited by opponents of legalization.
Explanations for the missed targets vary. Some officials and experts say the recession is to blame, while others cite a gambling market that is nearing saturation as more states see gambling as a revenue fix rather than a tool to drum up tourism or development.
Lotteries without the 'bells and whistles'
While on the campaign trail in 2002, former Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry predicted that a lottery could bring the state $300 million a year to help education. The Democrat later revised those numbers down to $150 million, but the actual return has been more like $70 million."The people who made the initial estimates weren't very good at it," says Jim Scroggins, executive director of the Oklahoma Lottery Commission. "The numbers didn't really make much sense."
Scroggins says the initial projections included video lottery, which was stripped from the authorizing legislation before it passed. He says the projection also took an overly optimistic look at well-established lotteries in other states.
The Oklahoma lottery is further limited, Scroggins says, by a mandate requiring that 35 percent of its profits go to the state, limiting large jackpots and expansion.
Another state with ambitious projections was Arkansas, where the lottery hasn't yet provided $100 million for college scholarships in either of its first two years, as was promised by former Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter. That still remains the goal, says Julie Baldridge, director of public affairs and legislative relations for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. But she doesn't see it growing too much beyond that.
"We have what I would describe as a plain vanilla lottery in Arkansas," Baldridge says, citing the lack of video lottery or keno as factors that limit revenue. "We're going to make less money than a lottery that has all the bells and whistles."
They don't have bells and whistles in South Carolina, either, but the state's lottery has exceeded initial projections every year since 2003, its first full fiscal year. Former Governor Jim Hodges championed the lottery when he ran for office in 1998, saying it would yield the state $150 million a year. It's actually brought the state about $270 million a year, most of which goes to education.
Paula Harper Bethea, executive director of the South Carolina Education Lottery, says the state's success in part is due to the popularity of the big jackpots in the multi-state Powerball and Mega Millions games, which draw a wider range of customers, but also because of frequent market testing. Her agency conducts focus groups three times a year with customers across the state to determine what appeals to them most about different games and formats. "Colors really matter," she says.
South Carolina's early success, however, is an anomaly. Even among other states that have met expectations, success hasn't been immediate. New York has exceeded the $300 million to $400 million annual target for racino tax revenues promised by legislators in 2001, but that mark was met three years later than expected. North Carolina didn't collect an anticipated $400 million from its state lottery until the lottery's third full year — four years after the legislation passed.
The impact of the recession
The recession, which caused the gambling industry to post negative growth numbers in 2008 and 2009, has been to blame for some of the delays in states that have missed expectations so far.Stephen Martino has seen first-hand its impact on two states in the past few years. He was executive director of the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission when the state legalized casinos in 2007 and then became director of the Maryland State Lottery Agency, which oversees casinos, in April 2010, months before the state's first casino opened.
In Kansas, he says, three of the four initial casino plans fell apart because of changed conditions during the recession. "People had bid based on one set of expectations in 2007," he says, "that was no longer the case in the fourth quarter of 2008." It took nearly two and a half years for the state's first casino, in Dodge City, to open, in December of 2009. The state's second and third casinos, in Mulvane and Kansas City, opened only this winter.
The recession slowed construction on Maryland sites, but there have been other hurdles as well. Progress on one of of the state's largest planned facilities, Maryland Live! Casino, at the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, was delayed by an unsuccessful effort by gambling opponents and horse racing interests in Anne Arundel County to block the casino's approval. It's now scheduled to open this spring.
Already, the state has revised downward its initial $660 million estimate of tax benefits to the state. Part of the reason is that casino operators so far aren't going for the maximum number of slots allowable at each location. Maryland has the country's second highest tax rate on slot revenue, according to the American Gaming Association, with the state getting two-thirds of profits. "Some companies said it's not even worth it to bid on these licenses," says Holly Wetzel, a spokeswoman for the American Gaming Association. "Companies have to feel like they're going to get a return on their investment."
States gamble for more revenue
There's no rule of thumb on how much tax is too much, but tax rates are generally higher among states that more recently legalized gambling than some of the first states, such as Nevada and New Jersey, which have tax rates in the single digits.Lucy Dadayan, a senior policy analyst at the Rockefeller Institute of Government who studies state gambling revenues, expects that trend to continue. She cautions, though, that the industry may be near a saturation point. Pennsylvania's growth, for example, has come largely at the expense of New Jersey. It can be risky to rely too heavily on gambling revenue, she says. The Garden State is one of seven states that continued to show a decline in revenue in the last fiscal year. "States shouldn't think of gambling revenue as recession-proof," she says.
That states would rely heavily on gambling revenue is itself a relatively new idea, says David G. Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. When gambling in Atlantic City was legalized in the 1970s, he said discussion was more about the prospect of urban renewal than it was about tax revenue.
He thinks states would be wiser to also emphasize economic development when looking to legalize gambling, rather than merely focusing on revenue. "At the end of the day, the state's always going to need more money," he says. "If you're looking at casinos as a way to solve the revenue problem, then you're never going to be happy."
http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/gambling-revenue-promises-rarely-met-85899375405
DGE fines Borgata $80,000
To contact us Click HERE
From Bill Kearney:
Massachusetts ‘GAMING’ Future
Here’s another reason why casinos should not have ‘INTEREST-FREE’ credit.
The Atlantic Press - September 17, 2012 - DGE fines Borgata $80,000 for credit violations
...
The Division of Gaming Enforcement has levied an $80,000 fine against the Borgata Hotel Casino on allegations that the casino improperly operated its credit department and that clerks falsified signatures on credit applications.
The casino did not contest the DGE’s allegations, according to a civil order action signed last month
DGE fines Borgata $80,000 for credit violations
Posted: Monday, September 17, 2012
pressofAtlanticCity.com
The Division of Gaming Enforcement has levied a $80,000 fine against the Borgata Hotel Casino on allegations the casino improperly operated its credit department and that clerks falsified signatures on credit applications.
The casino did not contest the DGE’s allegations, according to a civil order action signed last month.
The casino employee named in the complaint, according to the order, did not profit from the falsifications, which involved signatures of clerks who were not on duty the day the applications were signed.
In addition to the fine against the casino, the employee must serve a 10 day suspension, with credit for the time-served for being previously suspended on the matter.
Among the allegations in the DGE complaint were that the credit executives illegally performed the additional duties of a credit clerk by obtaining and verifying account information for those seeking a credit line at the casino. The state requires a separation between the duties of verifying and approving credit.
According to the civil order, the practices began shortly after the casino opened in 2003 due to high demand, but as demand slowed, Director of Credit Gary Martin did not correct the practices.
Additionally, in 2010, credit executives scheduled for overnight shifts occasionally did not have a credit clerk working alongside, due to clerks not being scheduled to work or those that were scheduled were out on leave, the order stated.
Clerks also occasionally read information via phone to executives and completed the transactions via verbal approval, stored passwords and stored license numbers on company computers, which violated state law.
The Borgata, according to the order, imposed internal discipline and counseling for members of the credit department in response to an internal audit, which discovered many of the ongoing violations.
Additionally, Martin certified to the state that the practice of leaving credit executive license numbers available for clerks on computers did not compromise passwords, but rather allowed clerks to complete the transactions using executive telephone approval.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/dge-fines-borgata-against-borgata-for-credit-violations/article_b9629858-00e1-11e2-a59e-0019bb2963f4.html
From Bill Kearney:
Massachusetts ‘GAMING’ Future
Here’s another reason why casinos should not have ‘INTEREST-FREE’ credit.
The Atlantic Press - September 17, 2012 - DGE fines Borgata $80,000 for credit violations
...
The Division of Gaming Enforcement has levied an $80,000 fine against the Borgata Hotel Casino on allegations that the casino improperly operated its credit department and that clerks falsified signatures on credit applications.
The casino did not contest the DGE’s allegations, according to a civil order action signed last month
DGE fines Borgata $80,000 for credit violations
Posted: Monday, September 17, 2012
pressofAtlanticCity.com
The Division of Gaming Enforcement has levied a $80,000 fine against the Borgata Hotel Casino on allegations the casino improperly operated its credit department and that clerks falsified signatures on credit applications.
The casino did not contest the DGE’s allegations, according to a civil order action signed last month.
The casino employee named in the complaint, according to the order, did not profit from the falsifications, which involved signatures of clerks who were not on duty the day the applications were signed.
In addition to the fine against the casino, the employee must serve a 10 day suspension, with credit for the time-served for being previously suspended on the matter.
Among the allegations in the DGE complaint were that the credit executives illegally performed the additional duties of a credit clerk by obtaining and verifying account information for those seeking a credit line at the casino. The state requires a separation between the duties of verifying and approving credit.
According to the civil order, the practices began shortly after the casino opened in 2003 due to high demand, but as demand slowed, Director of Credit Gary Martin did not correct the practices.
Additionally, in 2010, credit executives scheduled for overnight shifts occasionally did not have a credit clerk working alongside, due to clerks not being scheduled to work or those that were scheduled were out on leave, the order stated.
Clerks also occasionally read information via phone to executives and completed the transactions via verbal approval, stored passwords and stored license numbers on company computers, which violated state law.
The Borgata, according to the order, imposed internal discipline and counseling for members of the credit department in response to an internal audit, which discovered many of the ongoing violations.
Additionally, Martin certified to the state that the practice of leaving credit executive license numbers available for clerks on computers did not compromise passwords, but rather allowed clerks to complete the transactions using executive telephone approval.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/dge-fines-borgata-against-borgata-for-credit-violations/article_b9629858-00e1-11e2-a59e-0019bb2963f4.html
9 Ekim 2012 Salı
Eric Conway: Ntozake Shange's 'for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf' Oct. 26-28 & Nov. 1-4
To contact us Click HERE
Dr. Eric Conway of Morgan State University writes:
Hello everyone,
Once again, the Morgan State Univeristy Fine and Performing Arts department presents another stellar production - Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf. The department is still celebrating ten years in the new Murphy Fine Arts Center with productions that are more extraordinary in scope than normal. In that regard, we are indeed fortunate to have Trezana Beverley, tony-award winner of the original Broadway production, direct this play. The dates of the production are October 26-28 and November 1-4. I believe that this production is well worth your time. Tickets can be purchased at the Murphy Fine Arts Center Box office and Ticketmaster. See attached flyer with dates and times of each show. Hope to see you at Murphy's Turpin-Lamb Theatre for our production!
Eric Conway, D.M.A.Fine and Performing Arts Department, ChairpersonMorgan State University
Center for Black Music Research Hospitality Reception Nov. 2, 5-7 PM, ACP Grand Crowne Plaza, New Orleans
To contact us Click HERE
ACP Grand Crowne Plaza
New OrleansFrench Quarter
739 Canal Street, New Orleans
Allattendees of the November 1–4 joint conferences in New Orleans ofthe American Musicological Society, the Society for Ethnomusicology,and the Society for Music Theory are invited to a CBMR HospitalityReception. Please show your support for the CBMR by joining yourcolleagues, friends, and students at this informal event.
Friday,November 2, 5 to 7p.m. Please show your support for the CBMR byjoining your colleagues, friends, and students at this informalevent.
Youare invited...
Centerfor Black Music Research
HOSPITALITYRECEPTION
Friday,November 2, 5–7 p.m.ACP Grand Crowne Plaza
New OrleansFrench Quarter
739 Canal Street, New Orleans
Allattendees of the November 1–4 joint conferences in New Orleans ofthe American Musicological Society, the Society for Ethnomusicology,and the Society for Music Theory are invited to a CBMR HospitalityReception. Please show your support for the CBMR by joining yourcolleagues, friends, and students at this informal event.
Morgan State University Choir in Community Concerts at Second, 3:30 PM Sunday October 21, 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Under the direction of Dr. Eric Conway, the Morgan State University Choir is one of the nation’s most prestigious university choral ensembles. While classical, gospel, and contemporary popular music comprise the choir’s repertoire, it is noted for its emphasis on preserving the heritage of the spiritual. An upbeat, family-friendly concert, this is one your kids and grandkids won’t want to miss!
SPONSORED BY LEN & CINDY LEVERING, in honor of Mary Nickerson
Dr. Eric Conway, Director of the Morgan State University Choir, www.msuchoir.org, sends this announcement:
Community Concerts at Second
Afternoon Concerts
Sunday 3:30 PM - FREE
Morgan State University Choir
Oct 21, 2012
Under the direction of Dr. Eric Conway, the Morgan State University Choir is one of the nation’s most prestigious university choral ensembles. While classical, gospel, and contemporary popular music comprise the choir’s repertoire, it is noted for its emphasis on preserving the heritage of the spiritual. An upbeat, family-friendly concert, this is one your kids and grandkids won’t want to miss!
SPONSORED BY LEN & CINDY LEVERING, in honor of Mary Nickerson
Community MusicWorks: CMW Players Perform Works of Beethoven 3 PM Sunday, October 21, Westport, MA
To contact us Click HERE
[In its fourth year, the CMW Players roster includes members of the Providence String Quartet, participants in our Fellowship Program, our other resident musicians, and guest artists. This flexibility allows CMW to present more varied repertoire, include more musicians, and provide additional concerts for audiences in Providence and beyond.]
Community MusicWorksSunday, October 21,
3:00-4:30 pm
CMW Players
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Trio in E-flat Major, Opus 3
Canciones Populares (arranged by Gabriela Frank)
Beethoven: String Quartet in F Minor, Opus 95
Deedee Shattuck Gallery
One Partners Lane, off 865 Main Road (Westport, MA)
Admission: suggested donation
BelmontShorePatch.com: Musical 'Ain't Misbehavin' Stars Amber Mercomes; Previews Begin October 9, 2012
To contact us Click HERE
[Ain't Misbehavin's Amber MercomesJohnMalveauxof www.MusicUNTOLD.comwrites:
Long time MusicUNTOLD affiliate singer Amber Mercomes who has performed with San Francisco and Los Angeles Opera will perform in Long Beach ICT Theater's production of Ain't Misbehavin'. Amber wrote to John Malveaux: "Armelia McQueen (the soprano). But it's a totally new concept... I don't want to give it all away, but it'll definitely be unlike any production of Ain't Misbehavin' you've ever seen! Please come!" Belmont Shore PatchI watched cast members Jennifer Shelton and Amber Mercomes, boas wrapped around them, practise a number under the eye of choreographer Steve Semien for the upcoming opening of Ain't Misbehavin' at the International City Theatre (ICT).
Amber holds a degree in Fine Arts with emphasis on Opera from Pepperdine University. She has performed operas in the U.S., as well as Rome (Italy), Heidelberg (Germany) and Salzburg (Austria).
You may have seen Amber in the Long Beach Opera's production of The Difficulty of Crossing a Field, or at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) where she performed several works of operatic composers Carlos Chavez and William Grant Still. These are just a couple of her local performances. Other musicals she has to her credit include: Sweeney Todd, Rent, West Side Story, 42nd Street, and Little Shop of Horrors.
You can most often find Amber at her full time job at Disneyland, in Aladdin, A Musical Spectaular. Amber speaks highly of the edgy productions of the Long Beach Opera.
...Previews for Tony award winning musical Ain't Misbehavin' begin on October 9th at International City Theatre (300 E. Ocean Blvd.). Performances run from October 12th - November 4th.
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