This is a blog about the arts in New York City and the rest of America, written by Terry Teachout. Terry is a critic, biographer, playwright, librettist, recovering musician, and inveterate blogger. In addition to theater, he writes here and elsewhere about all of the other arts--books, ballet, [Read More...]

Terry's first play, Satchmo at the Waldorf, currently running off Broadway at the Westside Theatre, will closeon June 29 after 18 previews and 136 performances.The production is directed by Gordon Edelstein, with John Douglas Thompson appearing in the triple role of Louis Armstrong, Joe Glaser, [Read More...]

Terry's latest book is Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington, published by Gotham Books in the U.S. and the Robson Press in England. He has also published biographies of Louis Armstrong, George Balanchine, and H.L. Mencken, as well as a volume of his collected essays called A Terry Teachout Reader and a [Read More...]

To read all three installments of "The Long Goodbye," a multi-part posting about the experience of watching a parent die, go here. [Read More...]

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Just because: James Earl Jones in Fences

BRASLIA - Liliana Ayalde couldn't have picked a worse time to start her job as U.S. ambassador to Brazil.

Ayalde, a career diplomat who spent most of her 30 years focused on Latin America, was excited about her first opportunity to serve in Brazil, the biggest country - both geographically and economically - in the region. But she arrived in the capital of Braslia on Sept. 16, just days after documents released by Edward Snowden revealed that the National Security Agency had monitored the communications of several heads of state, including Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

Ayalde hadn't even left the airport in Braslia when she was confronted by reporters asking about the scandal. The next day, she helped coordinate the phone call between President Obama and Rousseff that ended with the cancellation of Brazil's planned state visit to Washington.

"When I first was offered the opportunity, I was delighted and very honored because we were at the height of our partnership on a broad array of different dialogues - anything from energy, education, commercial matters. Just an amazing variety of common interests," Ayalde said last week. "Little did I know."

Monday marks a key moment toward mending that tattered relationship, when Vice President Biden visits Brazil to watch the U.S. national team's first World Cup match in Natal. Biden will use the trip to meet with Rousseff, marking the highest-level meeting between the two countries since September's NSA revelations.

Given how difficult the past nine months have been, it will take more than one meeting to set things straight.

The United States and Brazil have long had a complicated relationship. As the two biggest economies in the Western Hemisphere, their governments have worked closely on a wide array of economic and political issues. That relationship has been strained frequently in recent years, given Brazil's close relationship with American adversaries Cuba and Venezuela, Brazil's refusal to assist in the U.S. war in Iraq, and other issues.

As Brazil's economy and influence have continued to grow, some think the country has positioned itself as more of a competitor to the U.S., not a close ally.

"It's very clear that they see their influence in the region inversely proportional to U.S. interests," said Frank Mora, who was the Defense Department's assistant secretary for the Western Hemisphere until last year. "In their minds, if U.S. influence in the region is increasing, that means they're decreasing."

That could help explain why Brazil reacted so forcefully to the Snowden disclosures while other countries, such as Mexico, quickly moved past it, said Mora, who's now the director of the Latin American and Caribbean Center at Florida International University. Not only did Rousseff call off the state visit to Washington, but she took to the podium at the United Nations and accused the U.S. of a "violation of human rights."

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Mending fences in Brazil after Snowden leaks

Red Wings #39; Florimon clears the fences
6/10/14: Rochester #39;s Pedro Florimon hits a solo homer in the Red Wings #39; 7-4 win over the Gwinnett Braves Check out http://www.MiLB.com/video for more! MiLB.com is the official site of Minor...

By: minorleaguebaseball

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Red Wings' Florimon clears the fences - Video

METRO VANCOUVER They say good fences may make good neighbours but a decision by Transport Canada isn't making White Rock residents feel very neighbourly.

On Tuesday, work began to install a two-metre locked gate at the west beach boat launch near Bay Street on Marine Drive.

The city received an order from the federal ministry on June 6 to close public access to the boat launch immediately.

"It's what I would term, on my better day, as being a kneejerk bureaucratic reaction," said White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin who is strongly opposed to the decision.

This was the first in a series of safety measures that Transport Canada ordered the city and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., which owns the rail line, to take after a review spurred by the death of 42-year-old Anita Lewis in July 2013. Lewis died after being hit by a train while jogging on east beach near Finlay Street.

In February an elderly man with dementia was also hit and suffered head injuries.

Additional sections of fencing are set to be installed along the rail line at the bottom of Coldicutt Ravine and running east of Finlay Street by the end of June - effectively closing access at these points along the beach.

Trains will also be required to blow their whistles more frequently while passing pedestrian areas.

According to Baldwin, a railroad inspector came to White Rock a few weeks ago to assess the situation. In that assessment the inspector reported seeing huge numbers of people illegally on the tracks, cars parked on the crossing at the boat launch and even a baby carriage left on the rails - claims which Baldwin feels are unfair and inaccurate.

"I cannot see a mother doing that. I've never seen that in my life. I don't know what he's talking about," he said.

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Fences go up at White Rock waterfront as Transport Canada makes safety moves

This undated file photo provided by the New Mexico Game and Fish Department shows a New Mexican meadow jumping mouse at a marsh near Espanola, N.M. ASSOCIATED PRESS

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A rare mouse found in New Mexico and two other western states now has protection under the Endangered Species Act, and that's expected to aggravate ongoing battles between the federal government and ranchers over water and property rights in drought-stricken areas.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued an order Monday listing the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse as endangered.

The tiny mouse lives along streams and in wet areas in parts of New Mexico, southern Colorado and eastern Arizona. Biologists say the biggest threats are grazing and water use and management.

Regional officials with the U.S. Forest Service have acknowledged they will have to put up fences or take other action to protect water sources for the mouse. Ranchers say that could force them to abandon their grazing allotments.

Officials say they will try to consider all options before they set up more fences, CBS affiliate KRQE reported.

The federal government has already installed metal fences and locked gates to keep cattle out of a small spring-fed stream in the mountains of southern New Mexico.

The move has enraged one rural county, where the sheriff has been ordered by the county commission to cut the locks. The U.S. attorney for the district of New Mexico was hoping to ease tensions enough to avoid an escalation like the armed standoff last month over grazing rights in Nevada.

2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Feds declare western mouse endangered amid land dispute

Luna flat over fences
Luna, 2000 welsh cross 14 #39;2 #39; #39; dappled bay mare.

By: edeschamps90

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Luna flat & over fences - Video

Hunger Games: Fences by Paramore
I made this music video for phoenix comicon and I won!!!

By: ravenrachalroth

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Hunger Games: Fences by Paramore - Video

The rock fences that line Paris Pike are rife with historical significance. Some of the rock fences date to the 19th century, when Irish immigrants found work building the enclosures for plantation owners in the Bluegrass region who wanted to emulate the beauty of English country estates.

The state went to a lot of effort to preserve, move and protect the fences as part of a nearly $7.5 million-per-mile Paris Pike renovation that was designed to blend into, rather than consume, the landscape. At $93 million, the Paris Pike makeover was one of the most expensive road projects of its time and kind when it opened in 2003.

Eleven years later, significant chunks of the fences have crumbled, and there isn't money set aside for repairs.

Henry Alexander said he has noticed increasing portions of the historic rock wall fences deteriorating in recent months.

"It's kind of bad in spots," said Alexander, retired general manager of Sterling Stud Farm in Lexington and past chairman of the Paris Pike Corridor Commission. "I don't know whether somebody hit them or if it's the weather. Some of the old fences in the median in the middle are getting in rough shape."

The freeze-thaw cycle of winter and automobile impacts are likely culprits, said Natasha Lacy, public information officer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The state is responsible for repairing the fences in the median of the 12.5-mile route between Paris and Lexington.

Those median rock fences previously were on the road frontage of farms on either side of the road. If the fences couldn't be avoided during the renovation, they were dismantled and reconstructed, said Phil Logsdon, assistant director of Environmental Analysis for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and former environmental coordinator for the Paris Pike project. About 2 miles of fences were rebuilt, he said.

Most of the rock fences affected during the widening were in Fayette County near Elmendorf and Normandy farms, Logsdon said.

Alexander said Millennium Farm and other property on the western side of the project also were affected.

Horse farm owners are much quicker at performing needed repairs to their rock fences, which line either side of Paris Pike, Alexander said.

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Historic fences saved in remodeling of Paris Pike are crumbling

GAMES bosses have confirmed that controversial security fences in Glagsow's East End will stay up until at least August.

And there will be no financial compensation for residents in Dalmarnock who say they have put up with "five years of hell."

The Evening Times can also reveal similar fences have been erected at Hampden Park and Celtic Park, and will be installed at other venues including the lawn bowls centre at Kelvingrove and Cathkin Braes mountain biking track.

Paul Main, Chief Superintendent in charge of community engagement for the Games, said the need for the fencing will become clearer as the event start date nears, when it will become a "transport mall" for athletes and deliveries.

Mr Main said: "I think when people start visiting this venue, as well as others including for the lawn bowls, badminton and squash, they will see the same thing.

"There is no difference to the fence in Springfield Road and the fences at any other venues - Cathkin Braes, the Royal Commonwealth pool in Edinburgh, for example.

"The difference is that it's up so early because it's one of the first venues to become live. It's also in such close proximity to well-established residential communities.

"As the Games progress it could be they realise it's not just them, it will be happening across the city."

Speaking to the Evening Times, Paul Zealey, head of legacy and engagement on the Commonwealth Games organising committee, said he recognises there have been "isolated cases" where residents were not given adequate communication.

Mr Zealey said letters were issued to members of the community informing them of the work due to take place and what the impact would be for them.

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The Commonwealth Games

By Nicole Gerspacher

ngerspacher@paradisepost.com @nbgerspacher on Twitter

Graywater, gates and fences, the preliminary budget and animal control will be the topics of the Paradise Town Council's regular June meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

A public hearing will be held regarding the use of graywater systems, so residents can use washing machine water for irrigating their landscaping, Town Manager Lauren Gill said.

"In light of the drought situation and in light of our water savings effort with PID, we are looking at our grey water ordinance so we can make it easier for citizens to install grey water systems," Gill said, adding that the grey water systems will save water and money.

The council will also hold a public hearing to consider a zoning code amendment relating to the installation of gates and fences on private easements. The proposed amendment would regulate gates, fences and other barriers the same in regard to the zoning code, and would require all neighboring parties to be in agreement with the installation of a gate across a private easement.

The planning commission considered the amendment at its last meeting, but did not make a recommendation to the council as to whether they should adopt the amendments. Three of the four commissioners said they wanted a separate definition in the code for gates and fences.

Commissioner Stephanie Neumann made a motion to recommend the council adopt the amendments, saying that a closed gate and a fence are both barriers and should be considered the same in regard to the zoning code. The motion died without a second.

The council will also consider the preliminary budget at the meeting, as well as placing a general use sales tax increase on the November ballot. The sales tax increase will be a half-cent increase for six years.

Gill said the council has received budget updates at every meeting during the last year, so the council already is aware of the financial situation.

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Paradise Town Council to meet on graywater, animal control and budgets