Malcolm Gladwell brings 'David and Goliath' to Michigan Theater

Malcolm Gladwell, the author of David and Goliath Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants, will read from and answer questions about his book during an event at the Michigan Theater.

The book is really about how being big doesnt guarantee that youll win, and how sometimes being small and nimble counts for more than having a large presence, said Nicola Rooney, owner of Nicolas Books, which is presenting the event at the Michigan Theater. Its classic Malcolm Gladwell in that it doesnt have a lot of statistics, but rather examples and anecdotes to illustrate points.

Gladwell will also be signing books.

7 p.m. Monday, Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor. Nicola's Books: 734-662-0600 or http://www.nicolasbooks.com. $35 main floor; $150 for VIP, which includes copy of the book, main floor seating, first-in-line book-signing access and a meet-and-greet with the author; $85 for Gold Circle, which includes copy of the book, main floor seating and second-in-line book-signing access. The $15 balcony tickets are sold out.

More than 100 international, regional and local craft beers will be served at the Royal Oak Music Theatres Annual Craft Beer Fest.

There also will be food and music by Yorg and Sheehanm. Proceeds will benefit Camp Casey, a nonprofit that offers horseback-riding programs and therapy for children with cancer.

7 p.m. Saturday, Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth, Royal Oak. 248-399-2980 or http://www.royaloakmusictheatre.com. General admission tickets, which include 20 drink samples, cost $40 in advance and $45 at the door; VIP tickets, which include entry at 6 p.m., VIP balcony access, rare and specialty brews and 20 drink samples, cost $60 in advance and $65 at the door. $5 tickets for designated drivers at the door.

The Wayne State University Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance will offera staged readings of Fences on Saturday.

August Wilsons play exploring the African-American experience is set in the 1950s.

Read this article:
Best bets: Malcolm Gladwell, Craft Beer Fest, 'Fences'

By Andrew Clarke

Last updated at 12:08, Thursday, 23 January 2014

A HERD of deer is set to be culled after being trapped between two fences at Sellafield.

The wild roe deer are to be shot after it emerged that their habitat has been enclosed in a large area between two newly-erected security fences at the sites south perimeter.

Sellafield Ltd is acting on the advice of experts from the Deer Initiative Partnership (DIP), who say that the most humane and practical course of action is to cull the animals, thought to be between five and 15 in number. The cull will take place between February and April.

However, neighbouring Seascale Parish Council has strongly objected to the unnecessary move.

Coun David Ritson said: This seems a quick, convenient and cheap fix for a problem for which there is another solution.

Would it not be a better and more humane solution to temporarily remove one section of fence and herd the offending animals back into the natural environment where they could live a free life, continuing to provide pleasure for those who seem and to enhance our beautiful Cumbrian landscape?

Sellafield Ltd says that this option had been considered by its own wildlife team and the DIP experts on whose advice it is acting.

A spokesperson said: Their advice to us was that deer are not animals which are easy to round up, as they tend to run and hide when spooked.

Go here to read the rest:
Deer to be culled at Sellafield

Tearing through the fences of a Pearl neighborhood -an Wednesday afternoon grass fire is just one of many burning in the Greater-Jackson area.

Charles Fairley, who lives on Pearl's Lanell Street, said his garden hose could not control the spread of flames in his grass.

"I thought I had a safe burning place in an old stump so I dumped some ashes in there the other night and yesterday the wind had come up real strong and thrown some leaves in it and it caught afire," Fairley said.

Not far away only an hour later Pearl firefighter battled quarter-acre wide flames at the East Magnolia Place neighborhood.

And in Jackson around 4:30 p.m. fire crews needed to pull over on I-220 near the Metro Center Mall to stop a spreading fire off the exit.

Hinds county was still under a burn ban on Wednesday. It was set to expire at the end of the day.

The Mississippi Forestry Commission reported online that Rankin County burn ban is in effect until further notice.

"If we see somebody burning maybe ask them to put it out. If that's a problem then call the fire department and we'd be glad to come out there and ask them to extinguish any open fires they might have," Pearl Assistant Fire Chief Brad Thornton said.

Read the original here:
Wild Fire Blackens Lawns, Destroys Shed in Pearl

CARSON (CBSLA.com) Some Carson residents are against a new city Planning Commission proposal that would prohibit the use of chain-link fences in residential neighborhoods and business areas.

If passed, people would have three years to comply to the new rules.

Residents Penny Subiate and Douglas Chaney are concerned about how people are going to come up with the money to replace their current fences.

I can understand the beautification that they want to do, but I think they are creating a hardship on some of the residents, Chaney said.

Im retired. My husband is retired. There are only so many dollars coming in. Do I have to make a loan I cant afford because the city doesnt like my fence? Subiate said.

In addition, residents are alarmed because its easier to tag certain kinds of fences with graffiti.

We border right up against big-time gangs, and they just love to come and write. They write on the sidewalks, they write on the fences, they write on the side of your house. Its ugly, Subiate said.

Carson Mayor Jim Dear said while he supports the ban on some business fencing, he said there was a mix-up and residential fences were not supposed to be part of the discussion.

That was not my initiative, it was never part of the initiative from the mayors office, so there is a little disconnect there, he said.

Subiate and Chaney plan to circulate a petition in opposition of the ban. They will present it to the Planning Commission at a Feb. 11 meeting.

Go here to see the original:
Some Carson Residents Oppose Proposed Ban On Chain-Link Fences

Alex Massey, Phoebe Wearne and Angela Pownall The West Australian January 22, 2014, 4:47 am

Angry Northam residents say they do not feel safe after another escape from the Serco-staffed Yongah Hill immigration detention centre yesterday.

Four detainees broke out, sparking a big manhunt and calls for the "unscalable" perimeter fence to be upgraded.

Three were soon captured after climbing at least three fences about 3pm. The other man was found later.

It was the fourth breakout since August and two of the 14 escapees are still on the run.

In a statement through a spokesman, Immigration and Border Protection Minister Scott Morrison expressed strong dissatisfaction at the performance of the Yongah Hill centre.

He had asked the department to review detainee placements there to ensure those at a higher risk of absconding were in more secure facilities.

Northam Shire president Steven Pollard said the escapes proved people could climb the fences "relatively easily".

It seemed the fences could be scaled in a minute or less, which made it difficult for Serco staff to respond fast enough.

Mr Pollard said the main perimeter fence was meant to be "unscalable", which meant it had no hand holds or attachment points and the top leant inwards.

See more here:
Anger at another Serco escape

TV Watch

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

By Wade Rouse

01/21/2014 at 07:00 AM EST

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills certainly were Monday night, as the ladies got into a boxing ring to learn self-defense while Brandi Glanville took the gloves off with her own father.

"I love that man like crazy," Glanville, 40, said of her father, whom she had upset by wearing a very revealing Oscar dress and also referencing his days as a hippie in her memoir Drinking and Tweeting. "I said he was a drug dealer. He was a marijuana grower."

Continued Glanville: "I haven't talked to him in months. He won't even answer my texts."

But she got the chance when her father and family attended a book signing at a gay pride event in her hometown of Sacramento, where Glanville was the featured speaker.

"I've never seen Brandi this vulnerable and nervous," said Yolanda Foster, who accompanied Glanville and served as mediator, therapist and friend.

Glanville, 40, had the crowd wish her father, Guy, happy birthday and shared the story of how her parents invited the son of their best friends to move into their home after he came out and was kicked out of his family's house.

Go here to read the rest:
RHOBH's Brandi Glanville Reunites with Her Estranged Dad

Theres a steely gleam in Esau Pritchetts eyes as he tells harrowing childhood stories. He keeps his cool, but theres a chilling sense of torture as his voice rises and tenses but never reaches a full outcry.

As Troy Maxson in Fences at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, Pritchett simmers, stretching to endure, until he has lost all he has cared about and only then do we see the full extent of his rage and his pain.

As the nucleus of director Phylicia Rashads perceptive production of August Wilsons Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning classic, Pritchett is emblematic of the powerful characters portrayed in finely calibrated performances by the full cast.

Set in Pittsburghs Hill District in 1957, the action takes place largely on the Maxsons porch, where Wilson probes family ties, economic hardship and racism endured to different degrees by different generations in a time of social change. Set design by John Iacovelli and costumes ESOSA vibrantly evoke the period.

The title refers most explicitly to a fence Troy and Cory have promised to build for Rose. As their friend Bono (a dynamic Phil McGlaston) says, some people build fences to keep people out and others, to keep people in. Rose wants to hold her family tightly close, Troy to keep out the threat of an enemy, in his mind, death.

Rose (played by the single-named actress Portia) has reason for concern. Troy wants his son Cory (Chris Myers) to be as different from him as possible with the exception of a having a loving wife and his approach to parenting can be brutal.

Once a Negro League baseball star born too early for the majors Troy is now a garbage collector. As played by Pritchett, he still has his old charm and bravado, which peek out from beneath a hardened, weary exterior.

Sharing his fathers athleticism, Cory has attracted the attention of a recruiter who has offered him a football scholarship which Troy refuses to let him accept, thinking he will be similarly shut out from professional opportunities.

Throughout the play, both swat at a makeshift baseball substitute hung from a tree they can swing for the fences, so to speak, with flawless aim, but their efforts go nowhere.

Myers physically embodies Corys early tentativeness, his shoulders slumping, intimidated at the sight of his father. In one of the most memorable scenes, he asks Troy, How come you aint never liked me?, a question met with what seems like cold puzzlement. Later, we see that the response comes from Troys desire to help his son to develop calluses, like his own, against harsh realities.

See the original post:
Powerful 'Fences' opens at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton directed by Phylicia Rashad

Verdict

DICK DUNDEE has improved over fences and is now a massive 29lb lower in the ratings over hurdles so looks the one to be on despite his big weight. Might Be Magic scored here in November but couldn't quite get to the in-form Luke's Benefit on a return visit last month and has gone up another 5lb. Tidy Zag won easily at Cork then defied a 6lb rise with a battling success at Tramore for which a 9lb hike looks excessive. The four-year-old Windsor Queen makes her handicap debut after her maiden success on heavy ground at Limerick but this is tougher. Hurricane Sky is gradually getting his act together over timber and should be thereabouts.

Dick Dundee 9-1 (11-5) Prominent early, soon chased leaders, 5th halfway, ridden before straight, no impression in 4th before 2 out, kept on one pace, left moderate 3rd last, 3rd of 16, 16l behind Make A Track (11-0) at Limerick 2m 3f hcp chs 0-145 hvy in Dec.

Speed Dial 33-1 (10-5) Soon mid-division, 8th before straight, no impression 2 out, 9th of 16, 19l behind Hop In (10-8) at Navan 2m hcp hdl 8Evens23 in Dec.

Fire Belt (IRE) 12-1 (11-6) Soon chased leaders, moderate 4th 2 out, soon no impression, kept on one pace, 4th of 16, 11l behind Luke's Benefit (10-12) at Fairyhouse 2m hcp hdl 80-109 in Dec.

Masterofdeception (IRE) 10-1 (11-12) Led, bad mistake 4 out, ridden and headed 2 out, no extra before last, 6th of 7, 40l behind Shanahan's Turn (11-12) at Leopardstown 2m 4f mdn hdl sft in Dec.

Shesonlyahorse (IRE) 40-1 (11-7) Tracked leaders, reminder after 2nd, weakened from 6 out, soon behind, 9th of 13, well behind Aibrean (11-7) at Naas 2m 3f mrs beg chs sft.

Mad For Road (IRE) 12-1 (10-12) Mid-division, ridden in 8th 3 out, no impression and kept on one pace, 9th of 17, 18l behind Royal Flight (11-7) at Down Royal 2m cond hcp hdl 80-102 sft in Dec.

Firethorn (IRE) 6-1 (10-9) Held up towards rear, progress into 9th 3 out, ridden into 3rd before 2 out, no extra before last, kept on one pace, 5th of 17, 8l behind Royal Flight (11-7) at Down Royal 2m cond hcp hdl 80-102 sft in Dec.

Windsor Queen (IRE) 9-4fav (10-7) Made all, went clear from before 2 out, reduced lead but always holding on closing stages,, won at Limerick 2m 3yo mdn hdl hvy in Dec beating Cassells Rock (11-0) by 1 1/2l, 13 ran.

Visit link:
Fairyhouse For Fundraisers Handicap Hurdle (80-109) 2m

Verdict

Hit The Headlines hasn't been consistent over fences though his close second to King Massini in a Cheltenham handicap last month would probably be good enough. After a narrow defeat by Los Amigos here in November, Grand Jesture was well beaten by the winner at Thurles which was disappointing. VINO VINO CAVO scored twice over hurdles and has improved with each run over fences, catching the eye with a late run at Thurles last time. He could be good enough in what looks a moderate contest. Hidden Horizons looks best of the remainder as he overcame a couple of errors to finish close up at Downpatrick last month.

Grand Jesture (IRE) 11-4 (11-3) Tracked leaders in 4th, pushed along after 3 out and no impression in 6th entering straight, moderate 5th before last and kept on one pace run-in,, 4th of 8, 12l behind Los Amigos (11-3) at Thurles 2m 6f nh nov hdl sft in Dec.

Hit The Headlines (IRE) 5-1 (11-12) Soon chased leaders, 5th halfway, ridden entering straight, 4th 3 out, under pressure and no impression when fell 2 out, in a race won by Leish Oscar (11-2) at Down Royal 2m 4f beg chs sft in Dec, 10 ran.

Hidden Horizons (IRE) 8-1 (11-5) Mid-division early, progress into 5th at 5th, 3rd before 4 out, 2nd next, ridden to challenge before 2 out, no extra in 3rd run-in, kept on same pace, 3rd of 11, 4 1/2l behind Kylecrue (11-5) at Downpatrick 2m 2f beg chs gd in Dec.

Town Pond (IRE) 33-1 (11-4) Rear of mid-division, pushed along in rear approaching 4 out, behind when pulled up after 3 out,, in a race won by Thunder And Roses (11-12) at Thurles 2m 6f mdn hdl sft in Dec, 18 ran.

Presenting Beara (IRE) 10-1 (9-13) Tracked leaders, 3rd 3 out, soon ridden, weakened after next, 6th of 12, 22l behind Gilgamboa (11-0) at Punchestown 2m 4f hcp hdl hvy in Dec.

Pipe Down (IRE) 20-1 (11-10) In rear, some progress on outer after 3 out, never a factor, 9th of 14, 27l behind Authorization (11-10) at Naas 2m 3f mdn hdl sft.

Vino Vino Cavo (IRE) 14-1 (11-12) Soon chased leaders, moderate 6th early straight, ridden to chase 1st 2 but no impression from before last where 5th, kept on same pace run-in,, 3rd of 12, 7l behind Sitcom (11-5) at Thurles 2m 2f beg chs gd in Nov.

Read this article:
Follow Fairyhouse On Facebook Beginners Chase 2m 5f 100y

STACY SQUIRES/Fairfax NZ

TOUGH THREE YEARS: David Ayers, the Waimakariri District Mayor, in Rangioras town centre which still has areas fenced off because of earthquake damage.

Every parking space not blocked by fences is full during Rangiora's rush hour.

There is no unhindered path down the main street and pedestrians cross the road several times to avoid cordons around earthquake-prone buildings.

For a town with little damage compared to its neighbour, Kaiapoi, the perceived lack of progress is hard to understand.

Waimakariri Mayor David Ayers has lived in the North Canterbury since the late 1970s. He and his wife live in the only home left on High St - "the most central house in Rangiora".

"I look at fences, so I'm very conscious of our town centre," he says.

Buildings council has "total control over" are being fixed, like the Town Hall.

Most businesses in Rangiora pre-quake are still trading, but many still battle with insurance companies.

Department store Farmers closed its doors in March 2012, after its building was deemed quake-prone. Fences remain around the prime and central spot, which Ayers says has been "certainly significant for the town".

Continued here:
Lack of progress takes town's toll