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Hello, Dragon!

by amy

Word is out that martial arts superstar Bruce Lee will be the subject of a new Broadway musical featuring music by David Bowie. Director Matthew Warchus (who is currently about to unveil The Lord of the Rings musical) is also attached to the project. To prepare yourself for this side-splitting East Side Story, check out Enter the Dragon or The Bruce Lee Ultimate Collection recently added to the aadl collection.

Also in the works is a musical version of the hit martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

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An American Story

by sstonez

National Public Radio's Story Corps seeks oral histories from ordinary folks "as a record of the way we live today--and how we got here." In the case of Blanca Alvarez this is very literally a story of how she got here. In the Story Corps interview with her daughter, Connie, Alvarez describes crossing the border from Mexico to the United States over thirty years ago and the jobs she held to support her family in those difficult early years. Connie goes on to talk about how her mother's example inspired her to achieve her dream of graduating from college. The pictures and stories of both famous and ordinary Mexican-Americans in the Mexican Family Album illuminate the histories and culture around the Alvarez family. Theirs is just one family story, but as in the Mexican Family Album, it is a story that speaks to the experiences of millions. In addition, their stories might spark conversations about your own family--how do you live now? And how did you get here?

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A Great Resource for Women's History Month

by amy

In celebration of Women's History Month, Thompson Gale has launched a free website of information on the history of women--biographies, a historical timeline, a downloadable calendar, quizzes and activities to facilitate classroom discussion. Also included is Women's Rights on Trial, which includes information on 101 key trials of historical importance to American women since the settlement of the colonies.

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Puffer Fish

by Amanda

Last night on Survivor, the La Mina tribe attempted to catch fish to eat, but all they could catch were poisonous puffer fish.
However, there was a close-up shot of a porcupine puffer in the water that could have been Porky's cousin.
You don't know who Porky is? He's our friendly resident porcupine puffer in the Downtown Youth Department.
Anyone else see this episode and can back me up?

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Dangerous Mining

by sstonez

Mining and mining accidents have been very much in the news lately, with four separate accidents claiming lives in the past weeks. As NPR’s Morning Edition discussed this morning, some critics of mining industry regulations are beginning to wonder about the industry regulators’ efficacy. The Federal Mining Safety and Health Administration is charged both with ongoing industry regulation and supervision as well as rescue efforts in mine emergencies. However, as the film Salt of the Earth explores, it takes a lot more than a federal agency to make real changes in miners’ lives.

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2006 Grammy Winners

by amy

U2 won big last night at the 48th Grammy Awards, taking home an award in every category for which they were shortlisted, including best album (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb) and best song ("Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own"). Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi won best contemporary R&B album. Kanye West protege John Legend won best new artist, and American Idol Kelly Clarkson won best female pop vocal and pop vocal album. So who gets your vote for favorite performance of the evening? McCartney, with his ripping rendition of "Helter Skelter"? Or Sly Stone, just for showing up in that blond mohawk...?

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Video Art

by sstonez

Fluxus member and collaborative video, electronics, and performance artist Nam June Paik passed away January 29th, so it seems appropriate that University of Michigan art, dance, ethnomusicology, and electrical engineering professors are collaborating on "vidGod" February 10 & 11. Billed as an "electronic opera," this twenty-first century piece fuses the immediacy of live human performers with the possibilities of electronics and computer-generated sound and images. Two free performances on Friday, February 10th and Saturday the 11th at 8 PM. "vidGod" will be performed at the Duderstadt Center Video Studio, 2281 Bonisteel Boulevard at Murfin, North Campus. For more information please call (734) 615-3726 or see this news article from the Duderstadt Center.

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Two Great American Women Died Last Week

by amy

Last Monday, Coretta Scott King died. The widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was also a noted civil and human rights advocate in her own right. In 1994, King published a memoir titled My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr. On Saturday, feminist author and activist Betty Friedan died. Friedan, founder and first president of the National Organization for Women, helped spark the Women's Movement in the 1960s with the publication of her book The Feminine Mystique in 1963.

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Music in the Future

by sstonez

You may have heard about Best Buy's new partnership with independent online music source CDBaby. What else will shape the future of music and the music industry? David Kusek's new book The Future of Music explores the cluster of issues around music and the recording industry as we move into the 21st century, as does the PBS Frontline documentary The Way the Music Died. I certainly don't know where music is heading, but I bet the future will sound something like this...

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Oscar Nominations are in!

by amy

Crash was the big surprise this morning earning several key nominations including best picture, along with Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Munich, and Good Night, and Good Luck. Other surprises: George Clooney is now officially a serious actor and filmmaker and King Kong was left out in the cold.

See the complete list of Oscar nominations and tell us what you think.