Boston Common

Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a central public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as the Boston Commons. Dating from 1634, it is the oldest city park in the United States. The Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beacon Street, Charles Street, and Boylston Street. The Common is part of the Emerald Necklace of parks and parkways that extend from the Common south to Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Dorchester. A visitors' center for all of Boston is located on the Tremont Street side of the park.
The Central Burying Ground is located on the Boylston Street side of Boston Common and contains the burial sites of the artist Gilbert Stuart and the composer William Billings. Also buried there are Samuel Sprague and his son, Charles Sprague, one of America's earliest poets. Samuel Sprague was a participant in the Boston Tea Party and fought in the Revolutionary War. The Common was designated as a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 1977.
History.
Boston Common originally included the entire block northeast of where Park Street is now, bounded by Beacon Street and Tremont Street. What is now called the Granary Burying Ground was established on this land in 1660, as part of the Common. In 1662, the land was separated from the Common; the southwest portion of the block was taken for public buildings including the Granary and a house of correction, and the north portion of the block was used for housing.
The Common's purpose has changed over the years. It was once owned by William Blaxton (often given the modernized spelling "Blackstone"), the first European settler of Boston, until it was bought from him in 1634 by the Puritan founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. During the 1630s, it was used by many families as a cow pasture. However, this only lasted for a few years, as affluent families bought additional cows, which led to overgrazing, a real-life example of the "tragedy of the commons". After grazing was limited in 1646 to 70 cows at a time, the Boston Common continued to host cows until they were formally banned from it in 1830 by Mayor Harrison Gray Otis.
The Common was used as a camp by the British before the American Revolutionary War, from which they left for the Battle of Lexington and Concord. It was used for public hangings up until 1817, most of which were from a large oak which was replaced with a gallows in 1769. On June 1, 1660, Quaker Mary Dyer was hanged there by the Puritans for repeatedly defying a law that banned Quakers from the Colony. Dyer was one of the four Quakers executed on the Common and known as the Boston martyrs.
On May 19, 1713, two hundred citizens rioted on the Common in reaction to a food shortage in the city. They later attacked the ships and warehouses of wealthy merchant Andrew Belcher, who was exporting grain to the Caribbean for higher profits. The lieutenant governor was shot during the riot.
True park status seems to have emerged no later than 1830, when the grazing of cows was ended and renaming the Common as Washington Park was proposed. Renaming the bordering Sentry Street to Park Place (later to be called Park Street) in 1804 already acknowledged the reality. By 1836, an ornamental iron fence fully enclosed the Common and its five perimeter malls or recreational promenades, the first of which, Tremont Mall, had been in place since 1728, in imitation of St. James's Park in London. Given these improvements dating back to 1728, a case could be made that Boston Common is in fact the world's first public urban park, since these developments precede the establishment of the earliest public urban parks in England—Derby Arboretum (1840), Peel Park, Salford (1846), and Birkenhead Park (1847)—which are often considered the first.
Originally, the Charles Street side of Boston Common, along with the adjacent portions of the Public Garden, were used as an unofficial dumping ground, due to being the lowest-lying portions of the two parks; this, along with the Garden's originally having been a salt marsh, resulted in the portions of the two parks being "a moist stew that reeked and that was a mess to walk over", driving visitors away from these areas. Although plans had long been in place to regrade the Charles Street-facing portions of Boston Common and the Public Garden, the cost of moving the amount of soil necessary (approximately , weighing , for the Common, plus an additional , weighing , for the adjoining portions of the Public Garden) prevented the work from being undertaken. This finally changed in the summer of 1895, when the required quantity of soil was made available as a result of the excavation of the Tremont Street subway, and was used to regrade the Charles Street sides of both Boston Common and the Public Garden.
A hundred people gathered on the Common in early 1965 to protest the Vietnam War. A second protest happened on October 15, 1969, this time with 100,000 people protesting.
Today, the Common serves as a public park for all to use for formal or informal gatherings. Events such as concerts, protests, softball games, and ice skating (on Frog Pond) often take place in the park. Famous individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Pope John Paul II have made speeches there. Judy Garland gave her largest concert ever (100,000+) on the Common, on August 31, 1967.
It was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987. The Boston Common is a public park managed by the Boston Park Department and cared for by Friends of the Public Garden, a private advocacy group, which also provides additional funding for maintenance and special events.
Mikhail Gorbachev gave a speech in the Common on May 31, 1990 on his way to Washington D.C. to sign agreements with U.S. President George H.W. Bush.
On October 21, 2006, the Common became the site of a new world record, when 30,128 Jack-o'-lanterns were lit simultaneously around the park at the Life is good Pumpkin Festival. The previous record, held by Keene, New Hampshire since 2003, was 28,952.
On August 27, 2007, two teenagers were shot on the Common. One of the bullets fired during the shooting struck the Massachusetts State House. A strict curfew has since been enforced, which has been protested by the homeless population of Boston.
On January 21, 2017, approximately 175,000 people marched from the common to the Back Bay vicinity to profess resistance to the perceived anti-women viewpoints held by president Donald Trump.
On August 19, 2017, approximately 40,000 people marched from Roxbury Crossing to Boston Common to protest hate speech and white supremacy, in the wake of events in Charlottesville, VA the week before. A right-wing "Free Speech" rally had been planned on Boston Common, which some feared would draw members of the KKK, Neo Nazis and other hate groups. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh deemed the "Fight Supremacy" counter protest a great success.
Notable features.
Grounds.
The Common forms the southern foot of Beacon Hill. Boston Common is the southern end of Boston's Freedom Trail.
The Boston Common Frog Pond sits at the heart of Boston Common. Managed by The Skating Club of Boston in partnership with the City of Boston, Frog Pond is home to a winter ice skating rink and learn-to-skate school, a reflecting pool in the spring and fall, and a summer spray pool and children's carousel.
The softball fields lie in the southwest corner of the Common. A grassy area forms the western part of the park and is most commonly used for the park's largest events. A parking garage lies under this part of the Common. A granite slab there commemorates Pope John Paul II's October 1, 1979 visit to Boston. The Pope said mass that day to an estimated 400,000 people.
In 1913 and 1986, prehistoric sites were discovered on the Common indicating Native American presence in the area as far back as 8,500 years ago.
Since 1971, the Province of Nova Scotia has donated the annual Christmas Tree to the City of Boston as an enduring thank-you for the relief efforts of the Boston Red Cross and the Massachusetts Public Safety Committee following the Halifax Explosion of 1917.


Peter Criss

Peter George John Criscuola (born December 20, 1945), better known by his stage name Peter Criss, is a retired American musician and actor, best known as a co-founder, original drummer, and vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. Criss established the Catman character for his Kiss persona. Criss possesses a powerful, raspy voice. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Kiss.
Early years.
Criss was born in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest of five children of Loretta and Joseph Criscuola. His father's family came from Scafati, Salerno, Italy. Criss grew up in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn and was a childhood friend of Jerry Nolan, who would later find success as the drummer of the New York Dolls.
Criss was an avid art student and a swing aficionado. While playing with bandleader Joey Greco, Criss ended up studying under his idol, Gene Krupa, at the Metropole Club in New York.
Chelsea.
Criss was involved with several bands throughout the mid-to-late 1960s. It was during this time that Criss joined Chelsea, who had a two-album deal with Decca Records; the group released a self-titled album in 1970. They never recorded a second album and in August 1971 became Lips (a trio consisting of Criss and his Chelsea bandmates Michael Benvenga and Stan Penridge). By the spring of 1972, Lips was just the duo of Criss and Penridge.
In 1973, Pete Shepley and Mike Brand recorded an unreleased album which included post-Chelsea Michael Benvenga, and pre-Kiss Peter Criss and Gene Simmons as session musicians. It was titled "Captain Sanity".
Kiss.
After the demise of his band Lips, Criss placed an advertisement in the East Coast edition of "Rolling Stone" "Magazine", which read:
The advertisement was answered by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, who were looking for new members for their band. Ace Frehley was added to the lineup in December 1972, and the band was named Kiss later that month. However, Simmons describes first meeting Criss in his book "Kiss And Make-Up" thus:
Simmons later in the chapter describes going to a small Italian Club in Brooklyn to meet the drummer: "The drummer started to sing, and this Wilson Pickett-style voice came out of him. Paul and I said 'That's it, that's our drummer.' His name was Peter Criscuola."
Kiss released their self-titled debut in February 1974. Throughout his Kiss career, Criss was the lead singer on several songs including "Black Diamond", "Hard Luck Woman", and their breakthrough hit "Beth".
Criss co-wrote the ballad "Beth", a Top 10 hit for Kiss on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #7 in 1976. The song remains the highest-charting song for Kiss in the United States and it earned them a People's Choice Award for "Young People's Favorite New Song" in 1977, tied with "Disco Duck". The song was written before Criss had joined Kiss, while he was still a member of Chelsea. Criss came up with the melody for the song while on a train to New York City from New Jersey where the band practiced. He and Penridge wrote the song together.
A demo exists of the song from 1971.
Departure from Kiss.
On the 1979 release "Dynasty", he only played on his own composition, "Dirty Livin, and did not play at all on "Unmasked" (1980). Anton Fig, who also played on Ace Frehley's 1978 solo album, was hired as session drummer for "Dynasty" and "Unmasked". The reasons why Criss was fired from Kiss were never known, although it was obvious that his relationship with his bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley was not good at the time.
Gene Simmons has said Criss was fired; Paul Stanley discussed Criss' departure in several interviews, including the commentary on "". Ace Frehley in his 2011 book, "No Regrets", also stated that Criss was fired during a band meeting in which Frehley, Simmons, Stanley and manager Bill Aucoin voted Criss out of the band. A spoken word CD released in 1999 titled "13 Classic Kiss Stories", features Bill Aucoin (Kiss' first manager) where he also discusses Criss being "let go". Criss, however, has maintained that he quit the band. The video for "Shandi" was shot in one day, and Peter was out of the band at that time; Stanley said of the shoot, "We shot a video for the song 'Shandi' after the decision to let Peter go had been confirmed. He came to the video shoot knowing it was the last time he would appear with KISS. At the end of the day, he took his makeup case with him and left. It wasn't tearful, but it was a big moment. Peter was leaving. We had fired him, and this was the last time we were going to see him in the band".
Criss officially left Kiss on May 18, 1980. As a result, Kiss postponed the European tour until the end of August, thus giving the band enough time to find a replacement drummer, who they found in Brooklyn-born Eric Carr.
Solo career.
In March 1980, Criss began recording his second solo album, "Out of Control". Released later in the year, the album was a commercial failure, despite remaining a favorite with Criss fans. The follow-up album, 1982's "Let Me Rock You", which contained one song written by Gene Simmons, was a similar failure. The album cover featured Criss without his Kiss makeup, but was not released in the U.S. at the time.
For the rest of the 1980s and early 1990s, Criss was involved with a number of bands, each usually lasting less than a year. One of them was The Keep, which featured ex-Kiss guitarist Mark St. John. Criss also played with Balls of Fire from the spring of 1986 to December 1986, with Jane Booke on lead vocals, Bob Raylove on bass and JP (John Pakalenka) on guitar, who currently plays for Buckner Funken Jazz in Denver, Colorado. Balls of Fire played only 7 shows before Criss left the band to enjoy his daughter Jenilee growing up. Another was the Criss Penridge Alliance, essentially Peter Criss and Stan Penridge with the 1970s jazz rock fusion band Montage (Mike Hutchens - guitar, Allen Woody - bass (Govt Mule, Allman Brothers Band), John Moss - drums and Tony Crow - keyboards) who rehearsed 39 songs including from the first 3 Peter Criss solo albums, and played around 10 shows in total.
While Kiss was promoting their upcoming release "Crazy Nights", Criss appeared on the syndicated radio program "Metal Shop" and discussed his time in Kiss from a more positive perspective than before; he promoted the book he was writing at the time, an autobiography to be titled "A Face without a Kiss". He also mentioned his dream of one day opening up his own recording studio and starting his own record label, to be called Catman Records.
In the early 1990s, Criss assembled a band named "Criss", which would feature future Queensrÿche guitarist Mike Stone. This band released the "Criss" EP in December 1993 and the "Cat #1" album in August 1994. He performed his last solo show on June 17, 2017 in New York City at the Cutting Room.
Return to Kiss.
In 1995, Criss appeared at the official Kiss Konvention in Los Angeles that led to the Kiss live performance that was recorded for "MTV Unplugged". In April 1996, Kiss held a press conference to announce a reunion tour with all four original members. The 1996–97 Alive/Worldwide Tour was an enormous success, and the reunited Kiss released a studio album, 1998's "Psycho Circus".
Criss only played drums on one track on the album ("Into the Void", Ace Frehley's one lead vocal track), although Criss did have one lead vocal (a track called "I Finally Found My Way", written by guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley and Bob Ezrin) and a co-vocal taking turns in the verses with the rest of the band for the song "You Wanted the Best".
Second and third departures.
Criss left over a contract dispute and was replaced by Eric Singer in 2001. He rejoined the band in late 2002 and appeared on the "" DVD and CD before departing from Kiss again in March 2004. The band had opted not to renew his contract following the Rocksimus Maximus Tour. He was once again replaced by Singer, who assumed the "Catman" persona.
He said of Kiss performing with replacements for Ace Frehley and himself:
Personal life.
In 1991, a man named Christopher Dickinson became an impostor of the real Peter Criss. Dickinson went on to do an interview with the tabloid Star magazine, impersonating Criss, stating that he was now a "homeless alcoholic panhandling for change". Phil Donahue had both men on his show where the real Criss confronted the impostor.
Since 2004, Criss has kept his public appearances to a minimum. Criss now resides in Wall Township, New Jersey. He released a solo album, titled "One for All" July 23, 2007, on Silvercat Records.
As of November 2008, Criss has been married three times: Lydia Di Leonardo (1970–79), former Playboy Playmate and Coppertone model Debra Jensen (1979–94) and Gigi Criss (since May 1998). Criss has a daughter, Jenilee, born in 1981.
Criss was diagnosed with male breast cancer in 2008. While working out, he noticed a lump on his chest that prompted him to visit a doctor. He was successfully treated with a lumpectomy.
Criss released his autobiography, "Makeup to Breakup: My Life In and Out of Kiss", co-written with author Larry Sloman, in late 2012. In 2017, Criss made the decision to retire from touring at the age of 71.
Acting.
In addition to playing himself in 1978's "Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park" and 1999's "Detroit Rock City", Criss has appeared on two television programs in minor roles. In 1998 he appeared as "Nice Cop" on the "...Thirteen Years Later" episode of "Millennium".
In 2002, he appeared in two episodes of the HBO prison drama "Oz" as inmate Martin Montgomery. He also plays the role of Mike in the motion picture about the JFK assassination, "Frame of Mind".


Helga the Fair

Helga the Fair was an Icelandic woman whose life and relationships are described in Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu. She is the daughter of Þorsteinn Egilsson and his wife Jofrid and is the granddaughter of Egill Skallagrímsson. Helga is trapped in a love triangle with Gunnlaugr Ormstunga and Hrafn Önundarson, which eventually leads to the men’s deaths.
Life.
Before Helga’s birth, her father has a dream in which two eagles fight and kill each other over a swan. A hawk then comes to the swan and the two fly off together. Thorstein recounts this dream to a Norwegian and the Norwegian interprets the dream to mean that two noble men will come to fight for the hand of Thorstein’s future daughter, killing each other in the process. His daughter will then eventually remarry. Thorstein decides that if his wife has a baby girl, she must leave the child to die of exposure, so this prophecy does not come to pass. Thorstein then travels to the Althing and Jofrid has a shepherd girl, Thorvard, take the baby to Egil’s daughter, and Helga’s aunt, Thorgerd at Hjardarholt.
Six years later, Thorstein is at Hjardarholt for a feast and Thorgerd reveals that one of the girls at the feast is in fact his daughter, Helga. She receives the name Helga the Fair for her exceptional beauty. Thorstein then takes Helga home to his farm at Borg and she was “cherished by her father and mother and all her relatives.”
Six years after this, Gunnlaug comes to Thorstein’s farm after an argument with his father, where he stays for one year, becoming Helga’s playmate and friend. Helga was said to have been the most beautiful woman there had ever been in Iceland. “She had such long hair that it could cover her completely, and it was radiant as beaten gold.” Gunnlaug eventually seeks Helga’s hand in marriage, and has his father Illugi request Helga’s hand for him from Thorstein. Thorstein agrees to promise – but not formally betroth – Helga to Gunnlaug for three years while Gunnlaug goes abroad. After those three years, both Helga and Thorstein would be freed from any obligation regarding the marriage. Gunnlaug travels abroad, and Helga waits for him.
At the Althing, Hrafn requests Helga’s hand, and Thorstein decides that if Gunnlaug has not return by the summer, Hrafn and Helga would be married at Borg at the Winter Nights, but neither Thorstein nor Helga would be obligated to Hrafn if Gunnlaug returned before then. “Helga did not like the arrangement at all.” Gunnlaug, meanwhile, is forced by honor to stay at the court of King Ethelred, which costs him Helga to his rival Hrafn. Because Gunnlaug has not returned, Hrafn and Helga are married, but “most people say that the bride was rather gloomy”. Hrafn and Helga then move to Mosfell.
One night, Hrafn has a dream and describes it to Helga, as it depicts his murder. Helga says she would not be upset if it were to come true, as she had been tricked into this marriage. Gunnlaug returns to Iceland, and Helga and Hrafn’s marriage become strained. The two do not enjoy intimacy after that. At a wedding, Helga gives meaningful looks to Gunnlaug, and Gunnlaug gives Helga a cloak that King Ethelred gave him as a gift to Helga. Gunnlaug and Hrafn get into an argument and decide to duel for Helga. Each rival kills one another.
After some time has passed, Thorstein marries Helga to Thorkel Hallkelsson, but she does not love him, although they had several children together. She truly loved Gunnlaug and spent the rest of her life mourning him. “Helga’s greatest pleasure was to unfold the cloak which Gunnlaug had given her and stare at it for a long time.” Helga becomes ill, and sits with her head on Thorkel’s lap with Gunnlaug’s cloak spread in front of her, staring at it. She then died in Thorkel’s arms. Helga was taken to the church to be buried, and Thorkel was very grieved by her death.


Rosie Lee Tompkins

Rosie Lee Tompkins (1936–2006) is the art pseudonym of Effie Mae Martin Howard, a widely-acclaimed African-American quiltmaker and fiber artist of Richmond, California. "The New York Times" called her "one of the great American artists," and her work "one of the century’s major artistic accomplishments." More than 500 works by Tompkins reside at the Berkeley Art Museum.
Early life.
Born Effie Mae Martin, she was born September 6, 1936 to a sharecropping family in southeastern Arkansas.
Work.
Tompkins, who had helped her mother make quilts as a child, began to quilt seriously about 1980, while making a living as a practical nurse. She said she believed God directed her hand and her art. Her abstract, improvisational compositions often had a personal significance: one of her more well-known works, "Three Sixes," involves three relatives whose birthdays include the number 6. Despite the fact that she was a deeply private person and rarely sold her quilts, her work was discovered in 1985 by Eli Leon, an Oakland-based collector specializing in African-American quilts. Leon featured her work on the cover of the catalog for an exhibition he organized, "Who'd A Thought It: Improvisation in African-American Quiltmaking", which debuted at the San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum in 1987 and traveled for several years. Tompkins' quilts were featured in a solo exhibition at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) in 1997, at Peter Blum Gallery in New York City in 2003, and at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont in 2007. They were also included in the 2002 Biennial of the Whitney Museum of American Art and have been shown at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC; one image is available on their web site. In 2016, her quilts were featured in an exhibition of five quilt artists at the Oakland Museum of California.
The curator of the Berkeley show, Lawrence Rinder, wrote:
In front of Tompkins's work I feel that certain Modernist ambitions may in fact be achievable. Here are feelings of awe, elation, and sublimity; here is an absolute mastery of color, texture and composition; here is inventiveness and originality so palpable and intense that each work seems like a new and total risk, a risk so extreme that only utter faith in the power of the creative spirit could have engendered it."
Critics were equal in their praise: "Tompkins' textile art [works] ... demolish the category"; "These quilts are works of such distinction and devotion that they supersede established art-historical categories, forcing reviewers to retreat to that dumbfounded admiration that attracted us to art in the first place".
The works.
Works pieced by Tompkins include "Tents of Armageddon Four Patch" (1986), "Three Sixes" (1987), "Half-Squares Put-Together" (1988), "Half-Squares Medallion" (1986), "Half-squares Four-patch" (1986), and "Put Together with Letter "F"" (1985).
Style and materials.
Tompkins's quilts were not made from old clothes or other scraps but from fabrics she purchased for their textures and light-reflecting qualities, including velvet, fake fur, wool, silk and Lurex. She worked with the convention of the quilt block but with enormous variation in size, free distortions of shape and vivid color contrasts that have been described as "geometric anarchy" and "riotous mosaics."
Tompkins' work at BAMPFA.
In 2019, as a bequest, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) acquired the Eli Leon Collection of almost 3,000 works by African-American quilt makers, including more than 500 works by Tompkins, which will find a permanent home at the museum. Drawing from the Eli Leon Collection, BAMPFA organized the exhibit "Rosie Lee Tompkins: A Retrospective" (opened February 19, 2020; closed due to COVID-19 shut-down; re-opens September through December 20, 2020); "The New York Times" called it "a triumphal retrospective" that "confirms her standing as one of the great American artists–transcending craft, challenging painting and reshaping the canon."
Personal life.
She was married and divorced twice. "Howard" was a married name. She was reclusive and fiercely protective of her privacy and the right to privacy of family. Family included her mother; several children and stepchildren; and many siblings, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who survived her.
Death.
Tompkins was found dead at her home in Richmond, California on Friday December 1, 2006. She died aged 70.


Robert Chapin

Robert Chapin (born April 3, 1964 in Miami, Florida) is a stunt, fight and swordplay choreographer, visual effects artist and supervisor, actor, writer, director, and producer. He is popularly known for acting in and creating the longest running action horror web series called The Hunted. He is also known for creating visual effects for American Beauty, Crouching Tiger, The Big Lebowski and X-Men. Chapin first starred in a film called "Ring of Steel", of which he also wrote. As a fight choreographer and instructor, he is certified with the Societies of American, British, and Canadian Fight Directors. He has trained with stars such as Plácido Domingo, Robin Williams, David Hasselhoff, John Saxon, Marc Singer, Richard Grieco, Richard Lynch, Mike Norris, James Lew, Olivier Gruner, Jeff Conaway, Raye Hollitt, Tessie Santiago, and Angelica Bridges.
Early life, background and career.
Robert Chapin was born on April 3, 1964 in Miami, Florida to a family of puppeteers, Leonora and Gerald Chapin. Chapin grew up making movies with brother, Stuart Chapin. Throughout his junior high and high school years, he attended drama and musical classes. In 1982, he received a music scholarship in Miami Dade Community College where he also took a course in Computer Science. At that same time, he also began training in stage combat and swordplay with a group that performed living chessgames called "The Royal Chessmen" at local fairs. Later on, he joined a jousting troupe called "The Knights Arrant", and a small troupe called "Ring of Steel", which performed sword fights at local theme park called "Pirates". It was in this time that he met "Matthew Gratzner", and "Shannon Gans" who created "New Deal Studios" in Los Angeles.
In 1985, he moved to Orlando, Florida. There, Chapin worked his way through college at the University of Central Florida by performing sword fights at a local dinner theater known as "Shakespeare's Taevern". In 1986, Chapin's father died, but he continued his college until he graduated in 1987. Also at this time, he continued to take drama classes and choreographed sword fights for Romeo and Juliet.
Convinced by his brother, Chapin moved to Los Angeles where he worked as a swordsman on feature films such as Hook and Army of Darkness. In 1991, Chapin's mother died, two years before Bob wrote and starred in his first film, "Ring of Steel", which was distributed by MCA Universal. Over the years, Chapin went on to star in several action films while building his credentials as an actor, stuntman, and fight coordinator. Also in this time, he began a career as a visual effects artist, using his skills and knowledge in computer science. He started with Pacific Data Images in Los Angeles, and then moved from one company to another. Chapin also worked with critically and widely acclaimed award-winning films such as "X-Men", "Fantastic Four", "Armageddon", and "American Beauty". He also headed several indie films before he became an in-house visual effects supervisor at New Deal Studios.
Chapin continuously kept up his acting and sword fighting skills. He trained for years with the infamous acting coach, Larry Moss, and was certified in six weapons as an actor-combatant in 1995 with the Societies of American, British, and Canadian Fight Directors at the First International Stage Combat Workshop in London, England.
In 2001, he co-created The Hunted with writer/actor Andrew Helm. The Hunted is one of the longest running web shows online.
Filmography.
The following are the films and TV series or shows participated by Chapin as a visual effects artist or animator, actor, director, producer, and stunt and swordplay choreographer:
Awards and recognition.
Awards
Recognition


The Machine Girl

 is a 2008 Japanese action shock/gore film written and directed by Noboru Iguchi with special effects by Yoshihiro Nishimura (who went on to direct "Tokyo Gore Police"). The film stars Minase Yashiro as Ami, Asami as Miki, Kentarō Shimazu as Ryūgi Kimura and Honoka as his wife. It is about an orphaned Japanese schoolgirl whose life is destroyed when her brother is killed by a son of a Ninja-Yakuza clan. When her hand is cut off, she replaces it with a makeshift machine gun and seeks revenge.
Plot.
Ami Hyūga is an average high school girl whose world comes crashing down when her brother Yu and his friend Takeshi Sugihara are killed by bullies, led by Sho Kimura. As Ami tracks down Sho, she discovers that the bullies are associated with a ninja-yakuza family. She goes after the clan for revenge, but they brutally overpower her, cutting off her left arm. Ami escapes and seeks shelter with Takeshi's parents, Suguru and Miki Sugihara, two kindly mechanics who fit her with a multi-barrelled machine gun prosthetic. Ami and Miki (who uses a chainsaw) pursue the clan, massacring them one by one. Their victims' families, meanwhile, band together to get revenge.
Eventually, they reach the yakuza's hiding place. As the fight continues, Miki loses her right foot and eventually dies. Ami loses her machine gun during her fight with Sho's father Ryūgi Kimura, but gets Miki's chainsaw. Finding Sho with hostages to keep Ami at bay, his mother Violet Kimura manages to disarm Ami while attempting to kill her with her drill bra. Noticing one of the hostages wet himself, Ami takes advantage and trips Violet onto the urine, electrocuting her. She then kills Sho. Feeling she has nothing left to live for, she attempts to commit suicide. At that moment, Ami hears noise behind her and turns, sword at the ready.
Production.
According to writer and director Iguchi, the idea for "The Machine Girl" went back to a simple idea he had about a one-armed girl in a bikini looking for revenge. The idea for the machine gun arm came later.
Cast.
English dub Version.
The English dubbed version was dubbed at NYAV Post in the United States and Philippines.
Release.
The movie premiered at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in March 2008. It was released theatrically in the United States on May 23, 2008 and on DVD June 3, 2008, and in Japan on August 2, 2008. The Japanese DVD from Nikkatsu came out January 23, 2009 as a 2 disc set including the short . Tokyo Shock, the Media Blaster label which released the original US DVD, announced that they were bringing out a two-disc special titled "The Machine Girl Remix" on August 4, 2009. The set includes the "Shyness Machine Girl" short, renamed "Machine Girlite".
Reception.
The film's reception has been mixed to positive. It currently holds a 63% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes from eight reviews.
Rating.
The film was rated 18 in countries such as Chile, Peru and Spain because of nonstop gore, bloody action sequences and a rape scene with suggested necrophiliac overtones.
Legacy.
A direct-to-video sequel called was released on January 23, 2009 along with the Japanese DVD of "The Machine Girl".
The American electronic music project Machine Girl was named after the film


9780 Bandersnatch


Ita Aber

 Ita H. Aber (born 1932) is an American feminist multimedia textile artist, art conservator and curator.
Early life and career.
Ita Aber was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1932. Her first exposure to feminism was by her grandmother, an early suffragette in Canada, and her mother, who founded the Milk Fund of Canada.
Aber took courses in Jewish history, archaeology, art and textile conservation at Queen's College, Columbia University, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and New York University. She completed a bachelor's degree in Cultural Studies from Empire State College and carried out graduate-level studies at The Valentine Museum (Richmond, Virginia) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, earning a master's degree equivalent in Jewish Art.
In 1964, Aber became politically active, specifically in the Reform Democratic movement. Through her early political involvement, she sought to abolish laws in New York restricting abortion. She helped found Women Strike for Peace, and also became active in the environmental movement, speaking out against the pollution in the Hudson River. At this time, she also became active in equal rights activism, minority and elder rights.
Aber was a founding member of the New York Feminist Art Institute and the founder of the Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework. Starting in 1972, she taught needlework at the Jewish Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and other venues throughout the eastern United States. With her teaching and the founding of the Pomegranate Guild, Aber has sought to encourage women to show their womanhood through their artwork, and to learn how to respect themselves through their artistic efforts.
Today.
Aber's artistic-related archives are held at the Archives of American Art, with other archival collections being held by the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Her family's papers are held at Yeshiva University.


Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival

The Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival is an alternative theatre festival held each year for twelve days in July in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The History.
Founded in 1988 by the Manitoba Theatre Centre with Larry Desrochers as the first Executive Producer, the festival has three key principles: 1. Festival is non-juried; 2. Artists have freedom to present whatever they want on stage; and 3. 100% of the box office goes directly to the artists.(though artists must pay a flat fee to enter)
In its first year ticket sales were 14,000 across nine days of performances. That figure was 26,000 in 1989 - year two of the festival. It climbed to 44,709 in 1999 and was over 60,000 in 2001.
Chuck McEwen, former director of the Toronto Fringe Festival, is the current executive producer, and has been in charge since 2008. The festival's venues are centred in Winnipeg's historic Exchange District with the Old Market Square serving as the outdoor stage location. But as the festival has grown there are venues outside that district but still close to Winnipeg's downtown.
The Winnipeg Fringe Festival is modelled on the Edmonton Fringe Festival and provides several venues for performing companies, but some companies arrange their own venues, which is more like what occurs at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. Regardless, all venues have paid technicians and volunteer ticket sellers and ushers.
The performing companies at the festival are both local and from across Canada and around the world. For example, the 2005 festival featured performers from France, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and South Africa as well as across Canada and the United States.
Paid attendance briefly set a record high for North America in 2009 with 81,565 tickets sold, surpassing the then previous record of 77,700 set at the 2006 Edmonton Fringe. However, the Edmonton Fringe festival currently holds the North American record for 2011 with 104,142 tickets sold.
The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre cancelled the 2020 Winnipeg Fringe Festival as a safety precaution in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 festival was scheduled to take place from July 15 to 26. RMTC considered rescheduling the event to late Summer or Fall but ultimately decided to cancel the physical event. Instead, the RMTC offered free online programming from July 14 to 17 beginning at 7PM nightly. The online festival featured local, national, and international programming including performances from Mike Delamont, Frances Koncan, the Coldhearts, Outside Joke, and Anjali Sandhu. Online festival programming was streamed on YouTube and Facebook.
Annual theme.
The festival has a different theme each year. The theme in 2015 was "We're all <blank> here," where the blank was filled in variously. On the program, it was "mad," but on the website for Volunteers it was "friends." In 2014, "We like when you watch" was the theme. The Big Top was the theme in 2010, and other previous themes have been the F word, meaning "fringe," and James Bond. In 2012 there was no theme, as that was the 25th anniversary edition of the festival.
Harry S. Rintoul Memorial Award.
The Harry S. Rintoul Memorial Award was established by the Manitoba Association of Playwrights to recognize the best play written by a Manitoban and performed at the festival. The award was named in memory of Harry Rintoul, a noted playwright from Winnipeg who died in 2002.


Luetta Elmina Braumuller

Luetta Elmina (Bumstead) Braumuller (December 4, 1856 – December 13, 1898) was an artist and publisher who founded the periodical "The China Decorator".
Biography.
Luetta Elmina Bumstead was born in Monson, Massachusetts, in 1856, the fourth of six children of Colonel Arnold Bumstead and Elmina M. Bumstead. Developing an early interest in art, she made several trips to Europe to study art, in 1880 (Berlin), 1882 (Berlin, Paris, and Sèvres), 1889 (Dresden), and 1890 (Paris). She studied drawing and painting, especially painting on porcelain and glass painting.
She married Otto L. Braumuller, a New York piano manufacturer; they had two children, Herman and Bertha.
In the United States, she taught ceramic art and in 1882 published a handbook entitled "Lessons in China Painting". Feeling that a periodical would find a wider readership, in 1887 she founded "The China Decorator", a monthly magazine devoted to the art of china painting. A success from its first issue, it had a large circulation in both the United States and Europe. Braumuller developed a reputation of one of the country's experts in modern porcelain and pottery, and her magazine spurred a surge of interest in china painting in the United States.
After her death at the age of 42 in 1898, the magazine continued for a year under the direction of her husband and son. It was then sold to the publisher George Thiell Long, whose wife, Adelaide Husted Long, became the magazine's editor. It ceased publication with the May/June 1901 issue, amid rumors that it had been sold to Adelaïde Alsop Robineau and her husband, Samuel, who had founded "Keramic Studio" magazine two years earlier.


Only You (Starlight Express)

"Only You" is the love duet from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Starlight Express". It is performed by the protagonist, Rusty, a young steam locomotive and his true love, the observation car, Pearl.
Overview.
"Only You" is the second version of the show-stopping love song at the key moment in "Starlight Express". In the Original London production, Pearl sang a solo "Only He", a passionate power ballad originally performed by Stephanie Lawrence. At the end of this solo Rusty came to find Pearl, and together they sang a very short reprise of the song, "Only You". "Only He" proved to be a highly demanding song, coming shortly after the performers have raced at up to 30mph on roller skates, and it was found this song in this context was too demanding for most performers to sing.
"Only You" is essentially Pearl's solo "Only He", as opposed to the reprise version in the original, re-arranged as a duet between Pearl and Rusty, with the most demanding octave leap passages removed. It replaced "Only He" in London in 1987. This simplified duet version was used in all productions from Broadway until the 1992 London re-vamp. This version is in nature sweet and reflective, less of a show-stopper but more in keeping with the character's journeys.
Only You was, in turn, replaced by "Next Time You Fall in Love", a new song written as part of the 1992 London production revamp, then used in following productions. "Next Time" is a re-working of Lloyd Webber's song "The Ballad of Billy Macaw" from Cats. Musically it is near identical, with replacement lyrics by Don Black. The lyrics of "Next Time" make very little sense within the context of the show, however at the time it was released as a chart single.
"Next time" was added to the German production in 2003, replacing "Du Allein" (direct translation of "Only You"). The German lyrics resolved the issue of lacking context, the song was titled "Allein im Licht der Sterne" (Alone, in the Starlight). At the same time the 2003 US Tour replaced "Next Time" with the second version of "Only He", a duet version that included the octave leaps from the original song, in a very rich, dramatic arrangement, aided by the use of pre-recorded instrumentation. This version has now found its way to the 2009 New Zealand tour.
In 2008 the second version of "Only He" was included in the German production, now titled "Nur Mit Ihm" (Only with Him) to distinguish from the earlier "Du Allein".
Context.
Rusty's journey through the story of Starlight Express shows him, in his darkest hour, calling to the Starlight Express for help. The Starlight Express answers telling him "Only You have the power within you...". Rusty gains belief in himself, and goes on to race in the final. During the race, Pearl, who is racing with Greaseball, is injured by Electra and disconnected at full speed. She is sure to crash when Rusty leaves the race to rescue her. He then goes on to win the race, but has lost Pearl. He wants to declare his love openly to her, but first he must find her. Meanwhile, Pearl, injured and alone far from the finish line, realises how she has been blind to her own love for the little Steam Train who would do anything for her. Only He actually cares for her, the other engines left her to die.
The song is used for the moment when Pearl realises that Rusty is her true love, and when Rusty reiterates for the umpteenth time his love for her.
Music.
The music was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The key is dependent on the production;, in London it was D major (Only he was in C Major); Germany, A major, later B major; Broadway, C Major; Australia/Japan, A major; and in the UK tour B Major. It later transposes up a tone twice in all versions but London.
The tune is also used in the 'Starlight Sequence', along with the Starlight Express theme. The "Only You" theme represents discovery; of Rusty's self belief, of Pearl's love.
Underneath the tune is a very simple chord sequence. Variations on the sequence have been used within songs such as Our Last Summer by ABBA, Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft by Klaatu, Don't Walk Away from Xanadu and Easy Like Sunday Morning by Lionel Richie (similar to 'Poppa's Blues', which uses a traditional blues chord sequence and bassline). The sequence (in Roman Numerals) is as follows;
Lyrics.
The Lyrics for "Only He" and "Only You" are by Richard Stilgoe.
The commonly known opening verse of "Only He" – "look at me, a woman, calm and in control/ No silly girl whose head's always turning" is in fact from the single release version of the song, and are obviously out of context when sung by Pearl, who is exactly a silly girl whose head is turned by each attractive male that passes her. The stage production used significantly different lyrics, more appropriate to the context: "known him for a lifetime, known him not at all/ Thought there was nothing special about him". "Only You" cuts this first verse, Pearl starting at the chorus "Only You/ have the power to move me"
The second version of "Only He" has lyrics re-worked from the original. The alterations are not credited to David Yazbek, who worked on re-vamping the show for the 2003 US tour. The lyrics are predominantly Richard Stilgoe's original work altered slightly, but include lyrics such as Rusty's singing "You are my Starlight" to Pearl. Earlier on, Rusty looked for 'the Starlight Express'. For romantic purposes of this number, he suggests that Pearl is 'his Starlight', 'Starlight' being a metaphor of Rusty's motivation.
Obviously he cannot mean it literally, as the Starlight Express, heard onstage a few scenes previously, was definitely not Pearl! The most glaring contextual nonsensities in the show have appeared at this point in the plot, including Don Black's "Back then was when we touched the Starlight". Rusty and Pearl have a minimal relationship at the beginning of the show, they have no significant past other than a tentative agreement to race together. And while (in the London staging) Rusty did touch the Starlight Express, Pearl was clearly not with him.
Spoken Lines.
This song is one of the few from Starlight Express to have spoken lines, acting as a bridge passage in the music between Rusty's first verse and the first chorus sung as a duet:
Choreography/Blocking.
Choreography and blocking is, of course, entirely dependent on production and the capabilities of the set. In London, as the other characters cleared the stage to follow Poppa looking for Rusty and Pearl, a scene change was suggested by Pearl, sat on a railway buffer, pushed onstage behind them. From this perch she started singing. As the passion in the song built, she stood and skated around. In other productions without mobile set pieces, Pearl kneels to start her song. At Rusty's entrance, Pearl turns away from him, she can't immediately face him from shame at how she's hurt him. But the spoken lines give her the confidence to turn to face him, and to skate with him, before finishing with their fisted hands touching, to show that they are 'coupled'. This gesture is also used by Pearl and Dinah in the coaches dialogue in the beginning of 'Freight', as the coaches are teaming up against the Trucks. Volta and Joule also use this gesture after the final race, though sometimes they high-five. Rusty and Pearl's edition involves a hug, and sometimes a kiss, resulting in a more romantic suggestion.


TVB Star Awards Malaysia

The TVB Star Awards Malaysia () is an annual awards ceremony honoring Cantonese programming achievements in Malaysia. It is produced by TVB Entertainment News, with Astro and MY FM as media partners. The ceremony was previously known as the My AOD Favourites Awards (), which succeeded the Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards ().
The Malaysian television channel Astro Wah Lai Toi, presented by Astro, airs Hong Kong television programmes produced by TVB. In 2005, Astro organised its first awards ceremony, the 2004 Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards, presenting awards to Hong Kong actors and actresses for their acting achievements in TVB television dramas. TVB Entertainment News took over the production of the awards series in 2013, renaming it The TVB Star Awards. It has since become an annual event, and is regarded as a prelude to Hong Kong's TVB Anniversary Awards.
The nominations for the TVB Star Awards are jointly determined by Astro and TVB for TVB programmes shown on Astro Wah Lai Toi throughout the designated year. Winners are decided by the Malaysian public. Presently, voting is done through a mobile app produced by TVB and Astro.
Categories.
Current categories.
Current award categories include: My Favourite TVB Drama Series...Actor and ...Actress in a Leading Role, ...Actor and ...Actress in a Supporting Role, ...Drama Characters, ...On Screen Couple, and ...Drama Theme Song. These categories have been awarded since 2004. In 2011, My Favourite Most Improved TVB Actor and Actress categories were added. In 2013, My Favourite TVB Host In a Variety Program, ...Variety Program, and ...Enrichment Program awards were added bringing the total to thirteen My Favourite TVB awards.
Discontinued or special categories.
Discontinued or special categories include: Most Unforgettable Slap in 2004. In 2005, categories included: My Favourite Gunshot, My Favourite Beauty, My Favourite Father-figure, and My Favourite Mother-figure. Most Unforgettable Kiss category was awarded in 2004 and 2008. My Favourite Supporting Character and My Favourite Extreme Appearance were awarded between 2006 and 2008 inclusive. Most Unforgettable Scene was awarded for the years 2004–2008. Most Unforgettable Villain was awarded in 2004, 2008 and 2009. My Favourite Legendary Character and My Favourite Outstanding Popularity King were awarded in 2012. Rising TVB Star in Malaysia was awarded in 2014 and Astro MY FM’s Special Pick for TVB Drama Theme Song was awarded in 2015.
Honorary awards.
The TVB Star Achievement Award was first awarded in 2014.


Maxwell Street

Maxwell Street is an east-west street in Chicago, Illinois that intersects with Halsted Street just south of Roosevelt Road. It runs at 1330 South in the numbering system running from 500 West to 1126 West. The Maxwell Street neighborhood is considered part of the Near West Side and is one of the city's oldest residential districts. It is notable as the location of the celebrated Maxwell Street Market and the birthplace of Chicago blues and the "Maxwell Street Polish", a sausage sandwich. A large portion of the area is now part of the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and a private housing development sponsored by the university.
History.
Maxwell Street first appears on a Chicago map in 1847. It was named for Dr. Philip Maxwell. It was originally a wooden plank road that ran from the south branch of the Chicago River west to Blue Island Avenue. The earliest housing was built by and for Irish immigrants who were brought to Chicago to construct the first railroads. It continued to be a "gateway" neighborhood for immigrants and others, including Greeks, Bohemians, Russians, Germans, Italians, Poles, African Americans and Mexicans.
Hull House, the largest and most famous of the 19th-century settlement houses, was established by Jane Addams here to help immigrants transition to their lives in Chicago. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 started only a few blocks away, but it burned north and east, sparing Maxwell Street and the rest of the Near West Side.
A few blocks north of the Maxwell Street are the city's historic Greek and Italian communities. Taylor Street is Chicago's Little Italy, and one can still find Italian cuisine, including pastries and lemon ice. Pilsen, the neighborhood to the south, was originally Bohemian but today is Mexican.
The historic church is St. Francis of Assisi, which has evolved through the years with the surrounding community. It originally was German Catholic, then became Italian, and now is Mexican, with almost all its masses conducted in Spanish.
Beginning in the 1880s, Eastern European Jews became the dominant ethnic group in the neighborhood, which remained predominantly Jewish until the 1920s. This was the heyday of the open-air pushcart market the neighborhood is famous for.
After 1920, most of the residents were African Americans who came North in the Great Migration (African American), although most businesses continued to be Jewish-owned. In the 1980s and 1990s, the neighborhood and market became predominantly Mexican-American. Most of the older Jewish merchant families had by then moved to the suburbs.
During the period when it was predominantly African American, and especially in the decades after World War II, the area became famous for its street musicians, mostly playing the blues, but also gospel and other styles.
Ira Berkow, in his "Maxwell Street", heads each chapter with a newspaper quotation showing a prevailing belief that the city was about to abolish the Maxwell market. The street itself began to shrink in 1926, when the Chicago River was straightened and new railroad tracks on its west bank pushed the east end of Maxwell Street further west. In 1957 the construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway cut Maxwell Street in two and pushed the market west of Union Street. In the 1990s the University of Illinois at Chicago began to expand south of Roosevelt Road, into the Maxwell Street area. A subsidized housing development called the Barbara Jean Wright Courts Apartments chopped off Maxwell's western end at Morgan Street (1000 west).
In October 2008, Maxwell Street Market moved to the intersection of Roosevelt Rd. and S. Des Plaines Avenue.
The Maxwell Street Market.
The Original Maxwell Street Market was an impromptu ghetto market established in the late 19th century by newly arrived Jewish residents from Eastern Europe. A Sunday-only affair, it was a precursor to the flea market scene in Chicago. The market was officially recognized by the city in 1912. By the time of its demise (1994) it occupied approximately nine square blocks which was centered at Maxwell and Halsted Streets and stretched from Roosevelt Road to 16th Street. Although there were many fine stationary department stores located in the area, the most notable feature was its open-air market. There one could buy almost anything, new or secondhand, legal and illegal, even though the old Chicago Police Academy on O'Brien Street was adjacent to it.
In need of jobs and quick cash, fledgling entrepreneurs came to Maxwell Street to earn their livelihood. Many say it was the largest open-air market in the country. From clothes, to produce, to cars, appliances, tools, and virtually anything anyone might want, Maxwell Street offered discount items to consumers and was an economic hub for poor people looking to get ahead. Merchandise was often considered to have originated from hijacked or pirated railcars/railyards and transport rigs for quick resale and dissemination of articles. Few questions were asked about the origin of a vendor's items for sale, particularly if the price was "right."
Maxwell Street Market also represented a fundamental change in American retail and economic history. The market was a response to and rejection of stand-alone retail establishments and their price structures. This microcosm of commerce recognized the availability and influx of Asian and world imports and markets (Taiwan, Japan, China, Mexico) priced dramatically lower than American produced goods. Wholesalers lined Roosevelt Road with goods from all over the world; savvy vendors would buy from them to resell on the market at a profit, usually at a 100% markup. The resulting price(s) fell well below goods available elsewhere, due to low overhead. The market also responded to the spending power of immigrants and minorities; they could take their cash where they were welcome, accepted, and could shop. This transition and market did not go unnoticed; subsequent retailers such as Kmart and Walmart built upon these opportunities. The economic impact and spending dollars of Maxwell Street Market were not unnoticed. It may have become obvious to corporate interests that "cash was green," regardless of clientele.
In an era of civil unrest and political change, Maxwell Street Market thrived as a multicultural phenomenon. Each culture and "group" respected and honored the other and mostly interacted outside what were then current national issues. This milieu of culture and ethnicity was a distinctly American phenomenon; Maxwell Street has been called the Ellis Island of the Midwest. Local politics had an interest in the market's audience. Election time often brought many placards and signs (some billboard-like). Everything seemed to work and run as a well-oiled machine. "Spot-holders" (allegedly of mob influence) roamed the streets and interacted with vendors to maintain regular vending sites for which unobtrusive cash payments were accepted. Those not being gratuitous often arrived only to find their "spot" taken by another vendor.
In 1994, the Maxwell Street Market was moved by the City of Chicago to accommodate expansion of the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was relocated a few blocks east to Canal Street and renamed the New Maxwell Street Market. It was moved again to Des Plaines Avenue in September 2008.
The documentary film "", by award-winning filmmaker Phil Ranstrom and narrated by actor Joe Mantegna, was first shown at the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival in April, 2007; at The Sundance Film Festival in January 2008; and in Belgium and Poland. The film details the rise and fall of the Maxwell Street and examines the history of the market, the development of the electric urban blues, the fight to save the market, and the gentrification of the Maxwell Street neighborhood. Cheat You Fair includes the last recorded interview by Bo Diddley and is considered by many to be the definitive work on Maxwell Street. Chicago journalist Rick Kogan called it "One of the most remarkable pieces of work I've ever seen."
Blues on Maxwell Street.
In the 1930s and 1940s, when many black musicians came to Chicago from the segregated South, they brought with them outdoor music.
But when the early blues musicians began playing outside on Maxwell Street – the place where they could be heard by the greatest number of people – they realized they needed either a louder than standard Resonator guitar (e.g. Arvella Gray) or amplifiers and electrical instruments (e.g. Jim Brewer) in order to be heard. Over several decades, the use of these new instruments, and the interaction between established city musicians such as Big Bill Broonzy and new arrivals from the South, produced a new musical genre – electrified, urban blues, later coined, "Chicago Blues."
This amplified, new sound was different from the acoustic country blues played in the South. It was popularized by blues giants such as Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley and Howlin' Wolf and evolved into rock & roll. From the first, the blues signified a lament or elegy for hard times, though it outgrew that limitation. When economic decline in the American South after World War I caused many Delta Blues and Jazz musicians - notably Louis Armstrong – to migrate north to Chicago, the first economically secure class willing to help them was the mostly Jewish merchants of the area around Maxwell Street, who by that time were able to rent or own store buildings. These merchants encouraged blues players to set up near their storefronts and provided them with electric extension cords to run the new high-tech instruments. Shoppers lured by the chance to hear blues music could be grabbed and hauled into the store where they were sold a suit of clothes, shoes, etc. One of the regular performers was the self-styled Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis, who played in the area for over 40 years.
The last blues performances on Maxwell Street occurred in 1999-2000, on a bandstand erected by Frank "Little Sonny" Scott, Jr., near the north-east corner of Maxwell and Halsted Streets, on land recently vacated by the demolition of a historic building. The extension cord ran from the last remaining building in use, the Maxworks Cooperative headquarters, east, at 716 Maxwell Street. One day a University crew arrived and erected a chain-link fence between the bandstand and the sidewalk, effectively banning the performances though they continued a few weeks longer on the too-narrow sidewalk.
Expansion of the University of Illinois at Chicago into Maxwell Street.
The University of Illinois at Chicago was established at the Harrison/Halsted area in 1965, the location chosen by Mayor Richard J. Daley. This was unpopular with the locals, who had been promised more low-income housing by the city, and there were numerous protests, especially by the Italian-American and Mexican-American communities. The University had little interaction with the surrounding community and decided against keeping local businesses in its plans for expansion in the 1980s. The university slowly began buying land in the Maxwell area and demolishing buildings. It had been rumored that the University never officially announced its plans in the 1980s, but circulated speculation that it would exercise eminent domain, which was backed by state legislation. This strategy may have saved the school millions of dollars, not only because people slowly moved out and did not have to be compensated, but also because real estate prices continued to drop in the area through the 1980s and early 1990s, because of the rumors.
When the school finally made public its plans to move the Maxwell Street Market and demolish the buildings, the community petitioned to list the Maxwell Street Market area on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, in 1994, and again in 2000. This effort was spearheaded by the Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition, a nonprofit group based in Chicago. The proposal was eventually turned down as a result of efforts by the University, backed by Mayor Richard M. Daley (son of Richard J. Daley). In 2004 the Maxwell Street Historic Preservation Coalition was renamed the Maxwell Street Foundation, reflecting its current mission to preserve the history of the Market through its website and other outreach efforts. The Foundation also serves as an advocate for the New Maxwell Street Market, a downsized version of the original, located on Desplaines Street from Roosevelt Road north to Harrison Street.


Couching (knitting)


Mallammana Pavaada

Mallammana Pavaada (Meaning: The miracle of Mallamma) is a 1969 Kannada film, directed by Puttanna Kanagal.
The film is based on the novel "Mallammana Pavaada", written by B. Puttaswamayya. The screenplay was by P. Pullaiah based on his 1955 Telugu movie with similar story titled "Ardhangi", which itself was based on Maddipatla Suri's Telugu translation of the Bengali novel "Swayamsidda", written by Manilal Banerjee. "Swayamsiddha" went on to be made into a 1975 Bengali movie of the same name. "Ardhangi" was remade in Tamil as "Pennin Perumai" and in Hindi twice as "Bahurani" in 1963 and as "Jyoti" in 1981. The Kannada novel "Mallammana Pavaada" also inspired the 1987 Tamil movie "Enga Chinna Rasa", which went on to be remade in Telugu as "Abbaigaru", in Hindi as "Beta", in Kannada as "Annayya" and in Odia as "Santana" (1998).
Plot details.
The female lead of the film, Mallamma (B. Saroja Devi) is married to a dullard by her parents. While at her in-laws house, Mallamma realises that her husband has been made a dullard by his scheming stepmother, who wants to appropriate the vast property. She educates her husband and frees him from the clutches of his stepmother and makes him realise the value of life.
Other versions.
The story line has been inspiration for various movies and has had various remakes in Indian film industry.


Susan Hoffman

Susan Hoffman (b.) is a quilt artist. She began quilting while still in high school, and with her friend and fellow quilt artist Molly Upton, opened a small shop to sell artwork in her hometown in Vermont. Hoffman attended college at the University of Denver.
Hoffman and Upton lived as roommates in Canridge, Massachusetts after college, and began quilting together, making related quilts that they eventually termed "the pair collection." In 1975, their "Third Pair"--Hoffman's "Moonlit" and Upton's "Greek"--were selected for inclusion in a Japan installation of the seminal 1971 Whitney Museum exhibition curated by Jonathan Holstein, "Abstract Design in American Quilts".
Beginning in the mid-1970s, Hoffman and Upton were represented by the Kornblee Gallery, known in the 1960s and 1970s for representing young artists who went on to great prominence. They were the first quilt artists to be represented by a New York gallery. Their 1975 exhibition received favorable reviews, including one by Ann-Sargent Wooster in "Artforum", who noted Hoffman's "concern with subtleties of color" and her use of "units of cloth for chromatic abstractions similar to those of the German expressionists and Kupka."
Exhibitions.
"Abstract Design in American Quilts", Japan, 1975
"The New American Quilt", Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York,1976
"Quilts by Radka Donnell, Susan Hoffman, and Molly Upton", Carpenter Center for the Arts, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 1975
Joint show with Molly Upton, Kornblee Gallery, New York, NY, 1976
Solo Exhibition, Kornblee Gallery, New York, NY, 1980
Peter Hoffman & Susan Hoffman, Southern Vermont Art Center, 2018
"The Quilted Canvas II", New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, MA 2018


Nettie Young

Nettie Pettway Young (1916–2010) was an American artist. She is associated with the Gee's Bend quilting collective and was an assistant manager of the Freedom Quilting Bee. Her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Frist Art Museum, and is included in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Nasher Museum of Art.
Life.
Nettie Pettway Young's paternal grandfather and father were enslaved in Alberta, Alabama. Her grandfather was born to the Irby Plantation, but was sold to the Pettway Plantation. There he raised Nettie's father. Thus, his last name was Pettway until he gained his freedom when he was an adult and moved to the Young Plantation to sharecrop. Nettie was raised on the Young Plantation after sharecropping when her father and her step-mother, Deborah Pettway Young, rented land from the Young Plantation.
Nettie married Clint Young and together they bought a house from their landlord, the Wilkinson family. It was an original 1930's "project house," which they later received an FHA loan to afford. Nettie lived in that house and tended to the surrounding land until she died.
Work.
Young worked with a keen intuition for construction that she learned from her step-mother, Deborah Pettway Young. She made all of her children's clothes and did not use patterns for sewing clothes or quilts. When she joined the Freedom Quilting Bee, she began to use patterns common among her peers, and this, she said, stifled her creativity. "It broke the ideas I had in my head. I should have stayed with my own ideas."


Marguerite Zorach

Marguerite Zorach (née Thompson; September 25, 1887 – June 27, 1968) was an American Fauvist painter, textile artist, and graphic designer, and was an early exponent of modernism in America. She won the 1920 Logan Medal of the Arts.
Early life.
Marguerite Thompson was born in Santa Rosa, California. Her father, a lawyer for Napa Valley vineyards, and mother were descended from New England seafarers and Pennsylvania Quakers. While she was young, the family moved to Fresno and it was there that she began her education. She started to draw at a very young age and her parents provided her with an education that was heavily influenced by the liberal arts, including music lessons in elementary school, and four years of Latin at Fresno High School. She was one of a small group of women admitted to Stanford University in 1908.
Career.
Paris and travel.
While at Stanford, Thompson continued to show aptitude for art, and rather than completing her degree, she traveled to France at the invitation of her aunt, Harriet Adelaide Harris. Marguerite visited the Salon d'Automne the very day that she arrived in Paris. Here, she saw many works by Henri Matisse and André Derain, known as the Fauvists, or Wild Beasts. The Fauvists became known for their use of arbitrary colors and spontaneous, instinctive brushwork. Thompson's encounters with these works had a strong impact on her. It was the intention of her aunt that Thompson attend the École des Beaux-Arts, but Thompson was turned away as she had never drawn a nude from life. Harris then attempted to have Thompson enrolled at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, to study under the academic painter Francis Auburtin. Thompson had no interest in the formulas of academic painting and instead she chose to attend the post-impressionist school Académie de La Palette, where she studied under John Duncan Fergusson and Jacques-Emile Blanche. The academy encouraged her to pursue her own interests and paint in a style that was uniquely her own. She exhibited at the 1910 Société des Artistes Indépendants, and the 1911 Salon d'Automne, both renowned for their modernist themes.
While in Paris, she socialized with Pablo Picasso, ex-patriate Gertrude Stein, Henri Rousseau, and Henri Matisse through her "Aunt Addie's" connections. At the Académie de La Palette, she first met her future husband and artistic collaborator, William Zorach. William admired her passionate individuality, and he said of her modernist Fauvist artwork "I just couldn't understand why such a nice girl would paint such wild pictures."
After Paris, she took a lengthy tour of the world with her aunt in 1911–12. They visited Jerusalem, Egypt, India, Burma, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Hawaii. Impressed with the foreign places she had seen and eager to write about her experiences, she sent articles to her childhood newspaper, the "Fresno Morning Republican". This trip would also have a huge effect on her art, influencing her to paint even more abstractly than she had in the past, sometimes even completely flat. She also began to produce brightly colored Fauvist landscapes with thick black outlines. The trip ended with a return to California in 1912.
Return to the US and marriage.
After Thompson returned to Fresno, she spent July and August in the mountains to the north-east of Fresno around Big Creek and Shaver Lake. The lower Sierra Nevada mountains appealed to her because of their immensity and natural beauty. Ultimately, her parents' disapproval of her artistic pursuits would end her time there and cause her to destroy a large amount of her work. Upon her return to the US, she exhibited in Fresno and Los Angeles. Soon, she moved to New York City and married William Zorach the same day, December 24, 1912. The couple immediately began to collaborate artistically. Both entered artwork in the 1913 Armory Show. Their success continued as both were invited to participate in the 1916 Forum Exhibition of Modern American Painters. It was at this time that William and Marguerite began to experiment with other art forms such as poetry.
Marguerite gave birth to a son, Tessim Zorach, in 1915, and a daughter, Dahlov Zorach, in 1917. Eventually, the pair settled in Greenwich Village and fondly called their house the "Post-Impressionist" studio. It became a meeting place of sorts, reminiscent of small salons in Paris for artists to collaborate and share ideas. At Marguerite's insistence the family spent the summers in the countryside of New England. In 1922, they visited Gaston Lachaise at Georgetown, Maine, and later bought a house. They were friends with Marsden Hartley, F. Holland Day, Gertrude Kasebier, and Paul Strand.
Marguerite also served as the president of the modernist New York Society of Women Artists in the mid-1920s.
Summer in Yosemite.
One of Marguerite and William's most influential summers was in 1920 when they spent the summer in Yosemite Valley, painting the landscape. The couple, with their family, hiked, sketched, and painted the beautiful national park in the Fauvist style. The trip greatly moved the two, and themes from the trip would appear in many of their later works, including Marguerite's works "Memories of my California Childhood" (1921) and "Nevada Falls, Yosemite Valley, California" (1920).
Textile art.
After the birth of their daughter, Marguerite found that working with textiles would allow her to give more attention to her children. While both William and Marguerite experimented with textile art, Marguerite was more prolific and better-known for her work. She created mainly embroideries or batiks that stylistically resembled her Fauvist paintings. Her embroideries were first shown in New York in 1918, to a positive response. Using textiles as a medium followed the modernist patterns of the turn of the century as new art became increasingly less narrative. It broke down the barriers between crafts and fine art, and William and Marguerite's collaboration broke down gender barriers. Her works were popular and interesting to the public, but art critics gave them mixed reviews because of the low status of embroidery within the fine arts. Today they are celebrated for their feminist subjects and innovative style. Zorach's first exhibition was at Charles David's gallery in New York. Many times the sales of Marguerite's textiles are what kept the family from poverty. Zorach also took great delight in making clothes for her husband and children, although they were not always the conventional style of the times.
Later years and death.
Marguerite Zorach continued to be a prolific artist until the end of her life. In later years, she worked for the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. Her 1938 oil-on-canvas mural in the lobby at the Peterborough, New Hampshire post office, entitled "New England Post in Winter," showed her modernist talent. In 1940, she completed the mural "Autumn" for the WPA in Ripley, Tennessee. Marguerite also taught at Columbia University.
Later in life, she suffered from macular degeneration in her eyes. This greatly inhibited her ability to produce textiles, however she was able to continue painting.
She died in New York in 1968.
While Zorach was an impressive and prolific artist, it was not until after her death that she received the same recognition as her husband. She was a talented painter who was influential in progressing artistic Modernism in the United States. Many art historians consider her the "First Woman Artist of California."
Museum holdings and public works.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum has over two hundred pieces of Zorach's in their collection. The collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art has several Zorach oils and watercolors.
The Monticello, Indiana post office contains her 1942 Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Hay Making".
Honors and retrospectives.
In 1964, Zorach received a D.F.A. from Bates College. In 2007, the Gerald Peters Gallery held a retrospective exhibition of her work. In 2010, her watercolors were exhibited at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. In 2011, a retrospective was held at Franklin & Marshall College.
A 2012 review by Kate Valentine of "Hollywood News" called it "by far the crappiest piece of crap I have ever had the misfortune to watch", and a 2013 article from "The New York Times" was similarly scathing, saying, "The animation appears unfinished [...] And the plot [...] is impenetrable and even offensive." The New York Times article also reported that "Foodfight!" has been "seized upon by Internet purveyors of bad cinema".
Describing the film as "one of those fall-of-civilization moments", Nathan Rabin of "The A.V. Club" wrote in 2013 that: "the grotesque ugliness of the animation alone would be a deal-breaker even if the film weren't also glaringly inappropriate in its sexuality, nightmare-inducing in its animation, and filled with Nazi overtones and iconography even more egregiously unfit for children than the script's wall-to-wall gauntlet of crude double entendres and weird intimations of inter-species sex". Rabin revisited "Foodfight!" in a 2019 article, stating that it "was the kind of bad movie I live for. This is the kind of movie so unbelievably, surreally and exquisitely terrible that you want to share it with the rest of the world. I was put on earth to suffer through abominations like "Foodfight!" so that society as a whole might benefit from my Christ-like sacrifice."
In 2020, "Esquire"s Tom Nicholson wrote that the film was ""The Room", rendered in horribly sharp polygons" and that it was "easily the most horrifically ugly, confusing and unsettling animated film ever made."
Merchandise.
Associated "Foodfight!" merchandise was produced and was sold in stores and online, with at least some being released several years prior to the film.


Polymelus

Polymelus (1902–1924) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who was the leading sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland for five years (1914, 1915, 1916, 1920, 1921). Among his most famous descendants are Secretariat and Northern Dancer. However, it was through his son Phalaris that he will forever be remembered. His great grandsire was Bend Or.
Background.
Polymelus was a bay horse bred by Lord Crewe. He was sired by Cyllene, an Ascot Gold Cup winner, who went on to become a highly successful stallion. In addition to Polymelus, he sired The Derby winners Cicero, Minoru, Tagalie and Lemberg and was champion sire in 1909 and 1910.
Polymelus's dam Maid Marian was a half-sister to the outstanding racemare La Fleche and later became an influential broodmare in her own right, being the foundation mare of Thoroughbred family 3-f. Her other descendants have included Big Red Mike, Mioland, Mont Tremblant, Pont l'Eveque, Right Royal and Saint Estephe.
Racing career.
Poymelus showed great promise as a two-year-old, winning both the Criterion Stakes and the Richmond Stakes.
As a three-year-old in 1905 he showed form over a wide variety of distances, winning the Duke of York Stakes over six furlong and finishing second in the St Leger.
In 1906 Polymelus was offered for sale at Newmarket and bought for 4,200 Guineas by Solomon Joel. The colt reached his peak later that year when he recorded victories in the Duke of York Handicap, Cambridgeshire Handicap and Champion Stakes. He added a win in the Princess of Wales's Stakes in 1907 before being retired to stud.
Stud record.
Polymelus stood at stud at Solomon Joel's Maiden Erlegh Stud near Reading, Berkshire where he died in 1924. Among his progeny, Polymelus sired:
The skeleton of Polymelus is now on display in the entrance lobby of the University of Cambridge Museum of Zoology, where it is an example of the specialised adaptations to high-speed running.


Irandaam Ulagam

Irandaam Ulagam () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romantic fantasy film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. Starring Arya and Anushka Shetty, the film's soundtrack was composed by Harris Jayaraj, with a score composed by Anirudh Ravichander and cinematography handled by Ramji. After several months of production, the film was released worldwide on 22 November 2013.
Plot.
"Irandam Ulagam" is about two stories which unfold concurrently in two different planets – our Earth and an unnamed exoplanet. On earth a timid medical student Ramya who has a crush on an academic mathematician Madhu Balakrishnan, asks him out. He initially refuses her proposal for marriage as his father has a disability, needing his full attention and care. Later, Madhu gradually reciprocates Ramya's love seeing her caring nature and proposes marriage. But, she reluctantly rejects his proposal as her family has already arranged her marriage. While on a trip to Goa, Madhu wins Ramya's heart while her fiancé abruptly cancels the marriage citing dowry as the reason. She suddenly dies in a freak accident, and this is followed by Madhu's paralysed father's death too. Depressed by the sudden twin tragedies, Madhu becomes a vagabond in Goa. He sees an apparition of his dead father that tells him death is an illusion. Later, at a local tourist spot, he follows an empty car to a hilltop and tries to commit suicide. He gets injured and faints while trying to drive the car.
The story moves parallel in the alternate world in a relatively primitive kingdom which protects the immortal "Amma". The son of a noble military commander, Maravan, falls in love with a working class orphan, Varna. Maravan, though fearless, does not take an interest in martial arts and roams around the kingdom drinking with his friends. Varna, on the other hand, is interested in a military career though she picks and packs wild mushrooms to eke out a living. She also has the desire to protect "Amma" from the enemies of the kingdom. While gatecrashing a military admissions exam for Amma's protection, the tyrant king condemns Varna to his harem. Maravan pleads with the king to release Varna, and the king, in return, challenges Maravan to get hold of a lion's skin within three days. Maravan, though inexperienced, fights with the lion that has never been conquered until then and gets Varna released. At the behest of the king, Varna is forced to marry Maravan, which goes against her free will. So, she tries to commit suicide after assaulting the king. But "Amma" saves her, and the riled king exiles her to the forest. Depressed, Maravan tries to commit suicide in vain. Taunted by new military recruits, Maravan climbs a sacred mountain called Swamimalai.
Meanwhile, with the special powers of "Amma", an inter-planetary portal opens briefly between Maravan in Swamimalai and Madhu in Goa. Maravan rescues the fainted Madhu from the car and takes him to "Amma" for treatment. People of the kingdom celebrate Madhu mistake him for an angel. Enemies lay siege to the kingdom and try to kidnap "Amma", but intoxicated Maravan fights them off with the help of Varna, who returns from the forest. When Madhu looks at Varna (who looks like Ramya), flowers begin to bloom in the kingdom for the first time. But the timid people force Varna back into the forests. Later Maravan's bravery is rewarded by his father and king, who admits him into military service. Maravan, with new-found confidence, goes into the forest to meet Varna with food and blankets. But she rejects him again. Madhu, too goes into the forest to meet Varna. This time, Varna accepts his friendship. Marvan gets jealous of Madhu. A stormy night forces Varna to eventually return to the kingdom from the forest. The enemies of the kingdom capture "Amma" while the irate king sends Maravan for execution for illegally housing Varna. Maravan is captured by the enemy troops while abducting "Amma". Madhu and Varna set out through the forest to find Maravan and "Amma". Varna eventually realises that she had fallen in love with her husband Maravan after hearing about Ramya. Maravan bravely wipes out the entire army of the enemy and escapes with "Amma" on a boat. But Madhu is drowned in combat. "Amma" stops Varna and Maravan from saving him. Then an inter-planetary portal opens briefly again, and Madhu lands in another unnamed exoplanet where he finally meets his soulmate Ramya look-alike again. He earnestly asks her if she is single. Finally, he realises that it is his true destiny.
Production.
Development.
After deciding to shelve another project titled "Idhu Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam" featuring Dhanush and Andrea, Selvaraghavan began shooting with the same cast in June 2010, for a film titled "Maravan". Filming was held at Jeppiaar Engineering College in Chennai. The title later was changed to "Irandaam Ulagam" and in a turn of events, Yuvan Shankar Raja replaced Prakash Kumar as music composer. However, in a sensational turn, Prakash Kumar was assigned again as composer after Yuvan Shankar Raja moved out of the project. The film ran into trouble yet again after lead actress Andrea Jeremiah pulled out of the film.
Meanwhile, Harris Jayaraj was confirmed to be a part of the project as the music director, again replacing Prakash Kumar. Sivakarthikeyan also briefly shot for the film in a supporting role, but was replaced by Venkatesh Harinathan after having creative differences with Selvaraghavan.
Filming.
The film shooting took off on 24 December 2011, in Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad. The next schedule was filmed in Goa, inside the BITS-Pilani, Goa Campus, following which the team shot few scenes in Rio de Janeiro and the forests of Brazil. It was reported that Arya and Anushka will play double roles. Selvaraghavan reported that the film will have CGI scenes. Some portions were shot in Hyderabad. Arya worked out to build a huge frame and six-pack abs to fit the muscular lead role. The team returned from Georgia after almost two months of continuous shoot under extreme conditions. Chinmayi dubbed in Tamil for Anushka. The unit after shooting at Ramoji Film City moved to the holy town of Srisailam situated in Nallamala Hills of Kurnool district. Scenes crucial for the story were shot in this last and final schedule. The talkie portions of the project were completed by April 2013.
In October 2013, all post-production work including computer generated imagery work lasting several weeks was finally over and the content was locked. The film cost an estimated 55 crore.
Soundtrack.
Harris Jayaraj was hired to compose the soundtrack of "Irandaam Ulagam". All the songs in the soundtrack were written by Vairamuthu. Jayaraj said that the songs would feature breezy romantic and situation based tracks as per the film's central theme. The song "En Kaadhal Thee" sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam was recorded in late October 2012.
A single track sung by Dhanush, titled "Pazhangkalla" was released on 2 September 2013. The soundtrack was released at a launch event held at Sathyam Cinemas in Chennai on 18 September 2013. Behindwoods rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stating, "Two creative worlds collide resulting in a beautiful explosion of sounds." The album was mastered and made available for iTunes on 26 September 2013 and within one week of its release, the album topped at the iTunes India charts.
"Irandaam Ulagam" (Tamil soundtrack).
"Irandaam Ulagam" (Additionals).
Initially the album features ten tracks, with all of them being composed by Harris Jayaraj, but he left the project composing 7 songs, due to other commitments. Anirudh Ravichander composed the other three songs, and also the background score. The songs were released as an additional soundtrack on 14 October 2013.
"Varna" (Telugu soundtrack).
The album of the Telugu version "Varna" features seven songs composed by Harris Jayaraj, but the additional tracks were not included in the dubbed version. A single track titled "Paalalle" was released on 10 October 2013. The song was sung by Karthik and Vijay Prakash, is a Telugu version of the song "Pazhangkalla", which sung by Dhanush. Except for this track, the other songs have the same set of vocalists. The soundtrack was released on 26 October 2013.
Marketing.
A 70-feet cut-out of Anushka was erected at Shilpa Kala Vedika in Madhapur on the eve of the audio launch.
Release.
The satellite rights of the film were secured by STAR Vijay. The film was initially announced to release in Diwali 2013, but was later postponed to 22 November along with its dubbed versions in Hindi, Georgian, Russian, Uzbek, and Turkish, placing it among the highly anticipated films of the year. The film was given a clean "U" certificate by the Indian Censor Board with no cuts and the film runs for 2 hours 40 minutes and 9 seconds. The censor board members are reportedly in awe after watching the final product of the film which is directed by Selvaraghavan. According to reports the film's producers, PVP Cinema, will release the fantasy thriller in more than 1,200 screens worldwide which is biggest release ever in Arya's career. Apart from India, "Irandam Ulagam" will release in overseas markets including US, UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland and France
The advance bookings for the film, which started on Wednesday (20 November), has received a good response. Bookings were high in Chennai city, particularly in multiplexes, said entertainment industry tracker Sreedhar Pillai . As there was a good pre-talk for the Tamil movie, multiplexes in the city decided to open the counters to sell tickets of the movie two days before its release. The bookings had a slow start, and till the afternoon, the response was not high. But post noon, tickets started selling like hot cakes. According to reports, the multiplexes have sold over 15,000 tickets for the first weekend.
The film had a grand worldwide premiere on 21 November all over the USA, where it was released in more than 100 screens.
Box office.
The Tamil version earned around 16.46 crore in its opening weekend in Chennai. The film witnessed average theatre occupancy of 79 percent during the first weekend, reported Behindwoods. In the UK, in the opening weekend, "Irandam Ulagam" earned 19,024 £ (19.28 lacs) at the box office. It got released on 14 screens.
Critical reception.
The film received mixed reviews from critics. The Hindu wrote, "With just a handful of movies, Selvaraghavan has announced himself a major filmmaker, and it falls on us to look at his latest venture, "Irandaam Ulagam", as the (worthy) next instalment in a thematically connected oeuvre as well as a (problematic) standalone film. It’s a love story without a shred of genuine passion". The Times of India gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "The disjointed way in which the scenes play out in this world at times makes one wonder if we are seeing the film version of a feverish dream Selvaraghavan might have had". "Behindwoods" rated it 3 out of 5 and stated "If you do not question the concept and enjoy the fantasy you will like "Irandam Ulagam"". Oneindia gave 2.5 out of 5 stated "Full marks to the technical brilliance of "Irandam Ulagam". But the decision to watch Irandam Ulagam lies between whether you love watching abstruse movies or purely entertainment flick. If you love to see the former, don't miss it". Sify wrote, ""Irandam Ulagam" is not everybody’s cup of tea, but the film is made with a lot of passion and sincerity. However, like all his previous films, this one too is ahead of its time". Rediff gave 3 out of 5 and wrote, ""Irandam Ulagam" is a visually stunning fantasy story set in an imaginary world that describes a love that transcends the human understanding of time and space. (It) is an ambitious project by a director who always strives to give a different and unique experience to his audience".
IANS gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Selva complicates a simple love story in his attempt to merge romance and fantasy genres, only to give the audience an unbearable experience. The film is ruined by an abstract and complicated screenplay". "India Glitz" rated 2.75/5 stated "'Irandam Ulagam' is a complete experience. It doesn't have the usual high amounts of action, romance, comedy and masala as a normal Kollywood film would have; though it has all of it, everything is in moderation. A love story beyond one this world, the film is not a thoroughbred strictly Indian flavour, but is meant for the world audience at large. Savouring tastes of global interests, the film is a fair choice of being a multilingual international movie. In all 'Irandam Ulagam' is for the wise audience". Bangalore Mirror wrote, "Selva needs to be commended for having chosen such a challenging theme, though he should have taken a little more care to distinguish between the behavioral traits and life styles of the inhabitants of the two worlds". Deccan Herald gave 2 out of 5 and wrote, ""Irandam Ulagam", twin worlds, both of which disappoint given that the narrative makes the audience totally disoriented and disinterested in its dour, dull drama that unfolds in spectacular fashion". The New Indian Express wrote, "Brilliantly conceived, the film, however, falls short on execution".


Lorenzo the cat

Lorenzo the cat is a feline model, and has appeared in the Miami Herald, New York Daily News, Boston Globe, Seattle Times, Times of India, Yahoo! News, Univision and several talk shows. Lorenzo the cat has his own YouTube channel and Facebook. Lorenzo modeling has been featured on the "Today Show" website and Associated Press.
Overview and history.
Lorenzo was abandoned at birth and left in a trash can. Four weeks later, he was adopted by Joann Biondi, a writer and photographer. It was shortly after that when Lorenzo began making his first appearances on news channels and fashion shows. Lorenzo's abilities were discovered purely by accident when Biondi made him wear a tank top one day as a punishment for stealing dirty clothes from the laundry basket and dragging them all around the apartment. In an interview with CNN, Biondi said, "As it turned out, this was not a very effective punishment because Lorenzo was not fazed by the shirt. Quite to the contrary, he loved it! And thus, his modelling career was born".
According to Biondi, Lorenzo is "an international feline sensation". He has pages on MySpace and Facebook, maintains active accounts on both YouTube and Twitter, and has an online fan base consisting of thousands of followers from all over the world. His outfits often engage in both social and political commentaries as well as humor and fashion. These people regularly "cheer him on, ask his advice, and laugh at his wise guy antics" Also, Lorenzo's tastes have expanded beyond just tank tops. These days, he has his own personal tailor—Mr. Luigi of Tuscany—who hand sews all the clothes that the cat wears during his photo shoots.
Career.
Biondi claims that despite Lorenzo's sweet personality and his eagerness to please, sometimes Lorenzo's natural feline habits make the photography sessions more challenging, and according to Lorenzo's website, which Biondi maintains, the shoots can last a few days or take up to a few weeks depending on Lorenzo's level of cooperation. As Biondi acknowledges: "Although Lorenzo enjoys posing, he is still a cat, which means that during a shoot he often wants to chase lizards, tear down backdrops, groom his tail, or take a nap".
Recognition.
Biondi's work has been displayed in several galleries and art museums up and down the East Coast.
Lorenzo has been recognized in several different forms of media, from local papers to international television networks. Some publication credits include: