Tile Redinow offers Redi Trench, an incredibly exciting marriage of design and function for the commercial construction sector, in particular for the hospitality industry.

Propex will promote Isis, the company’s innovative platform of backings made with woven PCR PET, at FloorTek Expo.

Codeless Platforms has revealed that Meridian Farm Market, a Canadian-based retailer of meat and farm produce, has automated its sales orders and data transfers between SYSPRO, Shopify and its POS system using BPA Platform.

The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) calls on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Undersecretary for Health, Shereef Elnahal, to correct his inaccurate statement made under oath about Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) practice during a House Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing.

A small clinical trial shows promising results for patients with triple-negative breast cancer who received an investigational vaccine designed to prevent recurrence of tumors. Conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis with a therapy designed by WashU Medicine researchers, the trial is the first to report results for this type of vaccine -- known as a neoantigen DNA vaccine -- for breast cancer patients.

A small clinical trial shows promising results for patients with triple-negative breast cancer who received an investigational vaccine designed to prevent recurrence of tumors. Conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis with a therapy designed by WashU Medicine researchers, the trial is the first to report results for this type of vaccine -- known as a neoantigen DNA vaccine -- for breast cancer patients.

[Politics] :
Four candidates have been shortlisted to succeed Supreme Court Justice Kim Sang-hwan who will retire on December 27. The top court’s committee on recommending candidates held a meeting on Thursday and decided to put forth four candidates out of a total 37 to Chief Justice Jo Hee-de.  The four ...

[more...]

An image from a teaser for Marvel Comics' 2015 "Civil War," part of crossover "Secret Wars." Could Spidey appear in the new Captain America: Civil War film now that Marvel and Sony have worked out a deal?; Credit: Marvel

Spider-Man is coming home to join the rest of the Marvel movie family (um, except for the Fantastic Four and the X-Men) in upcoming films under a new deal struck between Sony, the home for Spider-Man movies, and Disney's Marvel Studios, home of Iron Man and the Avengers

It's been a bumpy road for Spidey for almost a decade, but now he's set to be part of the largely critically and financially successful Marvel Cinematic Universe films. He's already made history, and he could make more history soon. 

Here's a brief history of cinematic Spider-Man, looking ahead to his new adventures with Marvel's large and growing stable of movie superheroes.

Coming out of the superhero dark ages

Spider-Man was one of the catalysts for the current superhero movie boom. Superhero films were seen as potentially dead following the bomb of "Batman & Robin" with George Clooney, a critical failure and a mixed bag commercially.

Marvel dipped its toes in superhero movies with 1998's "Blade," which was a big hit, followed by 2000's "X-Men," but they both tried to distance themselves from their comic book source material (and the Joel Schumacher Batman movies) by putting their heroes in black leather and grounding them as much as possible in real-life aesthetics.

Sony's first "Spider-Man" movie came out in 2002 and showed that there was still room for an optimistic comic book take. The Sam Raimi-directed film also had a huge cultural impact as one of the first big summer movies following 9/11 — an early teaser that showed Spidey trapping bad guys between the two towers had to be pulled following the disaster.

Spider-Man 9/11 trailer

The movie ended up pulling in almost $822 million at the box office, including almost $404 million domestically, helmed by genre director Raimi, who had previously been best known for the horror-comedy "Evil Dead" films.

Spider-Man trailer

Tobey Maguire surprised as the star, pulling off the nerdy, earnest Peter Parker while also being believable enough as an action star in the Spider-Man suit. Maguire starred alongside Kirsten Dunst as love interest Mary Jane and Willem Dafoe as the villainous Green Goblin, and the film included the not-yet-a-superstar James Franco as Harry Osborn and now-Oscar-nominated J.K. Simmons as Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson.

A sequel, 2004's "Spider-Man 2," continued the success of the first, with only a slight dip in overall box office while proving that the first film's success wasn't just a flash in the pan, that there was room for a relatively bright superhero in a dark time.

Spider-Man 2 trailer

Maguire almost ducked out of filming during negotiations, complaining of back pains following injuries while filming "Seabiscuit," and Jake Gyllenhaal almost stepped into the role — but Maguire recovered and held onto his spot. The escapist entertainment of superhero movies was starting to take hold in a growing way, but the superhero train was about to come off the rails for a few years.

The twilight of Tobey Maguire

As "Spider-Man 2" was hitting theaters, 2004 also brought "The Punisher," "Blade: Trinity" and "Catwoman," none of which showed superheroes as particularly promising movie saviors.

Marvel turned out more superhero movies that weren't loved by critics, including "Elektra," "Fantastic Four" and "X-Men: The Last Stand," though the latter two still did well at the box office (all were released by 20th Century Fox). DC Comics made the critical and commercial hit "Batman Begins" in 2005, but stumbled in 2006 with the underperforming "Superman Returns."

In 2007, "Spider-Man 3" dropped, and while it did great at the box office — it was the series' most popular film worldwide, though it dipped domestically — it was slammed by fans and critics. They took that Spider-Man optimism and tried making him emo, while overstuffing the bad guys — going from one villain in the previous films and upping it to three — and turning the campy dialogue up to 11.

Spider-Man 3 trailer

Trying to be 'Amazing' in a new superhero era

While Spidey stumbled, the next year Marvel released its first film from its own studio, the groundbreaking "Iron Man." It showed that you could make a franchise from a hero who was big in the comics but didn't have the same mainstream recognition.

It revitalized Robert Downey Jr.'s career and put Marvel Studios on the map, with a post-credits sequence laying the seeds for completely tying the films together in a way that hadn't been done on this scale ever before.

While Marvel started to crank up their self-produced film, Spider-Man lay dormant. Eventually, it was decided to reboot the character with Andrew Garfield taking over the role in 2012's "The Amazing Spider-Man." It scored the lowest domestic take of the series, while still excelling overseas.

Amazing Spider-Man 2 trailer 1

Sony quickly followed up with a sequel, while announcing their own plans to ape Marvel and try to create their own cinematic universe.

Amazing Spider-Man 2 villains trailer

The second "Amazing Spider-Man" movie set up other potential villains, and holding off the payoff of what exactly happened to Peter Parker's parents as Marvel tried to stretch Spider-Man into a female-led film, one focused on the villains, a movie led by Spidey character Venom and more.

Amazing Spider-Man first 10 minutes

The sequel showed diminishing returns, though, and plans for further sequels and spinoffs began to seem up in the air.

Hacked

In the midst of the Sony hack, documents revealed that Sony and Marvel had been negotiating over Marvel using Spider-Man in its own films — despite Sony having the rights to the character in perpetuity as long as they kept producing films, a deal worked out before Marvel had the resources and the belief in their own filmmaking capabilities. Still, the documents also showed that the talks had fallen apart, and hopes for Spider-Man appearing with Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the rest of his Marvel friends appeared dim.

Then, Monday, Marvel shocked everyone by announcing that Spider-Man was coming home and would be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe after all. There had been reports that they'd wanted Spider-Man for the third Captain America film, and with that film set for 2016, that may still happen. They also pushed back four of their "Phase Three" movies to make room in 2017 for a new "Spider-Man" movie, with reports indicating that the movie will feature a new actor taking over and Andrew Garfield getting pushed aside.

Spider-Man comes home

Andrew Garfield will likely go down in comics movie history as the right guy at the wrong time. He was a likable lead with a strong supporting cast, but Marvel looks ready to turn the page. Those on the Marvel side have previously indicated they'd avoid doing another origin story, so we'll probably skip seeing Uncle Ben killed to inspire Peter Parker once again.

"The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man – who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books – could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen," Marvel said in the announcement of the new deal.

Fans online have been largely ecstatic over the announcement of Marvel getting control of the character. Reports indicate that Sony still gets final say over Spider-Man, but that they're letting Marvel take the creative lead. Marvel also announced the possibility that other Marvel characters could appear in future Spider-Man films.

While Sony's Amy Pascal stepped down as the motion picture head of Sony following the hacking scandal and its associated public embarrassments, she's staying on as a producer — including co-producing the next Spider-Man film with Marvel creative film leader Kevin Feige.

Some fans have also asked for an even bigger step away from the traditional Spider-Man by introducing Miles Morales, the popular half-black/half-hispanic Spider-Man from an alternate universe in the comics, but the official Marvel press release does mention Peter Parker, and Marvel executives have previously taken a strong stance against moving away from Parker as the secret identity.

Still, as Badass Digest's Devin Faraci notes, the executive who'd taken the strongest stance against Miles Morales — Avi Arad — isn't mentioned in the press release about the new film, so maybe Marvel will surprise fans once again. Also, relations have apparently been icier between Marvel and Fox, with fans speculating that Marvel is trying to ice out the X-Men and the Fantastic Four from their comics — but if the companies could work out a deal to use those heroes in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, it could prove to be an even bigger surprise.

The new Spider-Man film is set for July 28, 2017, and he may appear in another Marvel film sooner.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Host Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" watches a video while taping "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Restoring Honor & Dignity to the White House" at the McNally Smith College of Music Sept. 5, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota.; Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Comedy Central

Host Jon Stewart announced at Tuesday's "The Daily Show" taping that he is leaving the show.

Comedy Central confirmed the news in a statement, saying that Stewart will be leaving later this year:

"For the better part of the last two decades, we have had the incredible honor and privilege of working with Jon Stewart. His comedic brilliance is second to none. Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera. Through his unique voice and vision, ‘The Daily Show’ has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come. Jon will remain at the helm of ‘The Daily Show’ until later this year. He is a comic genius, generous with his time and talent, and will always be a part of the Comedy Central family."

The news comes less than two months after Stephen Colbert brought "The Colbert Report" to an end in order to prepare for hosting CBS's "Late Show," replacing David Letterman after he leaves later this year.

"The Daily Show" existed before Jon Stewart, hosted from 1996 until 1998 by Craig Kilborn, but Stewart took the show into a bolder political direction and made it a cultural landmark, becoming the go-to news source for numerous young people. Polls started to show Jon Stewart as being one of the most trusted newsmen in America.

It's just over three weeks after Comedy Central launched "The Nightly Show" with Larry Wilmore and details have yet to be announced about the future of Comedy Central's late night lineup.

The show has created hosts for other networks, with Colbert leaving for CBS after getting his start as a "Daily Show" correspondent and John Oliver, who served as a fill-in host while Stewart shot the film "Rosewater," left for his own weekly rundown of the news "Last Week Tonight" at HBO. The show's starmaking power also includes actors such as Steve Carell, Ed Helms and more, and new "Saturday Night Live" Weekend Update anchor Michael Che.

Stewart didn't announce his plans for what comes next. He directed the 2014 film "Rosewater," based on journalist Maziar Bahari's memoir detailing his imprisonment in Iran following an interview with "The Daily Show's" Jason Jones.

Stewart previously talked about "Rosewater" with KPCC's "The Frame," saying at the time that "The Daily Show" isn't all fun.

"As sad as it sounds, people might say, 'Man, working at 'The Daily Show,' that's gotta be a blast. You just sit around and laugh all day,'" Stewart said. "And you're like, 'No, we have a meeting at 9, and the 9 meeting has to be over by 9:30, and the scripts have to be in by 11, because if they're not, then we miss this deadline.'"

He also told the Hollywood Reporter last summer that he didn't know how much longer he would stay with the show.

"I mean, like anything else, you do it long enough, you will take it for granted, or there will be aspects of it that are grinding. I can't say that following the news cycle as closely as we do and trying to convert that into something either joyful or important to us doesn't have its fraught moments," Stewart said.

The show, one of Comedy Central's top franchises, will likely continue. John Oliver and Stephen Colbert would have seemed like the heirs apparent before they left; of the current staff, Samantha Bee, Jason Jones and Aaasif Mandvi are the longest-running correspondents, with Bee starting all the way back in 2003. Jones filled in for Stewart as anchor last fall, assisted by his wife Samantha Bee, when Stewart was out sick.

The show has also pushed for expanded diversity in its own cast, along with launching "The Nightly Show" with a black host and a minority panel, so that could point to a more diverse host in the future. The show has also recently expanded its international perspective, with Trevor Noah covering international news, Hasan Minhaj as the new Indian correspondent and Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef joining as a Middle East correspondent.

Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to "Rosewater" as a documentary; it is a drama, based on Maziar Bahari's memoir. KPCC regrets the error.

This story has been updated.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A cosplay gathering in the Anaheim Convention Center's Grand Plaza during WonderCon Anaheim 2014.; Credit: Kevin Green/SDCC

For all the sad comic book and pop culture fans who weren't able to get tickets to San Diego Comic-Con, we've got good news for you: They run another convention, and it's closer to Los Angeles. Their little brother WonderCon Anaheim has been growing, with some comparing it to the Comic-Con of old — before it got way too crowded. It's this Friday through Sunday, April 3-5. They're starting to have big stars and lots of great panels, so if you want to get your geek heart sated, here are some of the events you won't want to miss.

Warner Bros. Presentation: San Andreas, Mad Max: Fury Road

San Andreas trailer

The most highly anticipated event at this weekend's convention, Warner Brothers is putting on a special presentation with footage from these two upcoming action films. They haven't announced which stars will be on hand, but these panels often surprise with star power, so you may get a visit from stars like "San Andreas's" Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson or "Mad Max: Fury Road's" Tom Hardy or Charlize Theron. At the Comic-Con panel last year for the "Mad Max" flick, the director talked in detail about the film, so you'll probably at least get his take on the franchise and its resurrection.

DC Comics TV shows: The Flash, Gotham, iZombie

The Flash trailer

While Marvel has been dominant on the big screen, DC has put out a diverse slate of TV shows, with "The Flash" being the biggest hit among them. It's among those getting a spotlight at WonderCon, with creators and stars dishing on the programs that have captured the imaginations of TV fans and comic fans alike. All three shows are also getting special video presentations, likely showing clips of what you can expect the rest of this season. And in case you didn't already know, "iZombie" comes from "Veronica Mars" creator Rob Thomas, so come find out about his latest project.

World Premiere: Batman vs. Robin

Batman vs. Robin trailer

It's become a tradition at both WonderCon and San Diego Comic-Con for DC Comics to debut their latest animated movie, and the new one is based on the critically acclaimed "Court of Owls" storyline by writer Scott Snyder. (Be sure to check out our previous interviews with Snyder — he's even an NPR fan.) The original story is based on how Batman thinks he knows everything there is to know about Gotham City and faces the discovery that there are deep secrets about the city that he had no idea about, and the film also emphasizes him fighting his son Damian.

Sing-alongs: Dr. Horrible & Batman's The Music Meister

Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Drives Us Bats

People go to comic conventions to geek out, and what's geekier than a good old-fashioned singalong? In addition to one for geek god Joss Whedon's much loved Web series "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," they're also doing one for the musical episode of animated series "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" — which, just like "Dr. Horrible," features singing by the one and only Neil Patrick Harris. In the Batman cartoon, he plays the Music Meister, a Batman villain who makes both heroes and villains sing, as he drops some tunes of his own.

Superman: The Richard Donner Years Celebrity Super Reunion

Superman: The flying sequence

There's a reunion of stars from the first two of the classic Christopher Reeve Superman movies, including Lois Lane herself, Margot Kidder. You can also see the actors who played characters like Jimmy Olsen, several of the villains and more, as well as two of the producers. Find out what you don't know about the movie that broke ground when it came to depicting flight on-screen and, like the ads promised, made you believe a man could fly.

TV writing panels

Two panels will give you a peek into the world of the writers who write some of the hottest shows on TV: "TV Guide Magazine's Fan Favorites Showrunners" and "Inside The Writers' Room: Earth's Mightiest Writers Re-Assemble Redux." The first of those includes legendary TV showrunners like Dan Harmon of "Community" and the minds behind shows including "Orphan Black," "The Goldbergs" and more. Meanwhile, at the writers room panel, you'll get writers who've worked on shows like "Lost," "Firefly," "Heroes," "The Big Bang Theory," "Agent Carter" and more.

Fan culture programming track

This includes a lot of different panels, but it's a sign of the way fandom is shifting — it's a lifestyle that's far more diverse than it used to be, with a lot more gender parity. This track includes panels on topics like body confidence in cosplay, fashion, fitness, race and more. See what sparks your interest and might invite you into having an identity as a fan being a bigger part of your life while not letting anyone make you feel excluded.

There's so much more, like Will Forte doing a panel promoting his new show "The Last Man On Earth," the annual cosplay masquerade and so much more. Tickets are sold out for Saturday, but at press time, tickets were still available for both Friday and Sunday at WonderCon.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Police say TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez was shot and killed last Friday at the base of the escalators of LAX Terminal 3, and not at the checkpoint gates.  Paul Ciancia is accused of killing Hernandez and wounding several others.  Ciancia remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Steve Julian: Business analyst Mark Lacter, how did the airlines respond to shooting and its aftermath?

Mark Lacter: Generally pretty well, Steve, considering that the airport was effectively closed for several hours on Friday, and most of Terminal 3 was out of commission until Saturday afternoon.  You know, there's always this precarious balance in operating airlines and airports, even in the best of circumstances.  Just so many flights coming in and going out, and so many thousands people using the facility at any given time - and it really doesn't take much to upset the balance.  So, when you have something horrific take place and you see all those travelers stranded outside the terminals, the ripple effects are enormous - not just at LAX but all over the country.

Julian: More than a thousand flights were either canceled or delayed on Friday.

Lacter: And, there was a further complication because the airlines flying out of Terminal 3 are not the legacy carriers like United, American, and Delta that have all kinds of resources, but smaller operations with less flexibility.  It's not like there's an empty aircraft just sitting in a hangar waiting to take passengers wherever they want to go.  Actually, the airlines have gotten better at arranging re-bookings when there's a snowstorm or some other emergency that gives them advance warning.  But obviously, there was no advance warning last Friday, so the carriers needed to improvise in handling passengers whose flights were cancelled.

Julian: What did they do?

Lacter: One step was waiving the fees normally charged to re-book flights (and that's gotten to be a pretty penny).  Another was waiving the difference in the price of the original ticket and the re-booked ticket.  But, the policies varied according to the airline, and we heard about travelers not receiving hotel or food vouchers, or having to buy a brand new ticket on another airline if they wanted to avoid the wait - and that can be expensive.  Which raises another issue: planes tend to be completely full these days because airlines have been cutting back on the number of flights.  And that can be a problem if you're taking a route that doesn't have too many flights in the first place.  So, it gets really complicated.

Julian: Why do you think we haven't we heard more horror stories from passengers?

Lacter: Well, look at the cities that the airlines in Terminal 3 fly to - New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas.  They're all served by several other carriers.  L.A. to New York, in particular, is one of the busiest routes in the world, which means that it's also one of the most competitive.  So, even if your flight was cancelled, there's a good chance you'd be able to find space by Saturday (which is normally a slower day for air travel).  This is a big reason, in general, why people like LAX.

Julian: Why don't other local airports handle more of the load?

Lacter: You might remember a few years ago local officials were promoting something called "regionalization" - the idea was that as LAX maxed out on the number of passengers it was allowed to handle each year, then other airports would make up the difference - places like Ontario, Bob Hope in Burbank, and John Wayne in Orange County.

Julian: Right, and they talked about easing traffic congestion by spreading around the flights.

Lacter: Well, regionalization never happened because, first of all, passenger levels at L.A. International didn't come close to maxing out.  But, more importantly, because the airlines decided that using LAX was more efficient for everything from handling baggage to arranging international connections.  So, through the first nine months of the year, passenger traffic at LAX is up 4.2 percent from a year earlier, while at Ontario traffic was down 9.3 percent.  And, we've seen that John Wayne, Bob Hope, and Long Beach are all struggling.  Of course, the challenge at a busy place like LAX is making it as safe as possible, and that will no doubt become a priority in the weeks ahead.

Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

His expression said it all.  KPCC Director of On-Air Fundraising Rob Risko walked into my studio about 10:45 a.m. to update me on where we stood with our Fall member drive.  I knew we had a $10,000 challenge that had started first thing in the morning, but didn't have any idea how far behind we had fallen in reaching the required 1,000 member threshold.

 Rob gave it to me straight -- we had to attract well over 500 members during "AirTalk" to meet the challenge.  I knew that was nearly impossible during a full two-hour show, let alone one that would be significantly pre-empted by the President's news conference.  Regardless, I knew we had to do our best and hope our listeners would contribute in a record-setting way.  Boy, did they.

We didn't start our show until 11:25 a.m., following the news conference.  Right off the bat the phones started ringing and the KPCC website starting humming.  The volume of member contributions stayed high with only a few exceptions.  There were times we could barely keep track of how many members were coming in.  It was one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences I've had in all my years hosting "AirTalk."

I've been on a high all afternoon thinking about how commited our listeners are to the mission of KPCC.  You've made me very happy, and very proud of our audience.  Thank you for a wonderful show of support.  I will long remember this day.

By the way, we set a fundraising record for "AirTalk" with today's show.  We're still tallying it all up.  I'll have the totals for you tomorrow morning at 11.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Frank Romero with one of his French paintings, in his home in the South of France. But every year, he and his wife Sharon throw a big studio sale for Christmas, and you're invited.; Credit: John Rabe

"Live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!" - Auntie Mame.

Your calendar is filling up, but here are four holiday events you'll want to make room for:

Every year, pioneering Chicano artist Frank Romero and his wife Sharon throw a big studio sale that includes works by a wide group of artists, and a lot of food and drink. It's just as much a party as a sales event, and Frank and the other artists are always there to meet and greet. And now that the couple is spending more time at their home in France, it's a chance for their old friends to catch up with them, so who knows who you'll see from L.A.'s arts community.

RELATED: See Frank's new works - French scenes with an East LA flavor

The Romero Studio annual Christmas party and sale is Saturday, Dec. 6, 6-10pm; and Sunday, Dec. 7, 1-5pm, at Plaza de la Raza, Boathouse Gallery, 3540 North Mission Rd., LA CA 90031 (in Lincoln Park across from the DMV — which BTW is a very good DMV).

Then, on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4:30pm,  it's the Advent Procession of Lessons and Carols, at St. James Episcopal Church, which a friend describes as "one of the truly beautiful choral events of the season," and the highlight of the Choir of St. James' season. It's free and it's at St. James' Episcopal Church in Koreatown (3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010).
 

"Auntie Mame," the 1958 Rosalind Russell movie with more quotable quips than a weekend getaway with Oscar Wilde, has become something of a Christmas tradition. It's screening at the American Cinematheque's Egyptian Theatre on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 7:30. As delightful as this movie is any day of the week on your TV at home, this is a film to be seen in 35mm with a theater full of people reacting to every bon mot and heart-touching moment.

GO INSIDE: The Disney Hall organ, "Hurricane Mama," turns 10

Last year, my husband and I blindly went to Disney Hall for the Holiday Organ Spectacular. We expected some music and a little fun. But it really was spectacular. It's back this year, on Friday, Dec. 19, with organist David Higgs leading the evening from the console of Hurricane Mama.

If you've never seen or heard the organ in person, this is a great evening because Higgs — a teacher as well as master organist — gives you a guided tour of every stop, and every mood the organ can produce, from cathedral-loud to country-church-quiet. At the end of the night, he breaks the audience into parts to sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and you may sing as loud as you like.

These are just a few curated selections, but they're just the tip of the iceberg in Southern California; please make your own holiday event recommendations in the comments below. 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Screengrab from video on XY Lee's YouTube channel.; Credit: via YouTube

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Mike Okamoto poses as Shogun Santa with visitors to Japanese Village. ; Credit: Chava Sanchez/KPCC

LA’s Asian Santa tradition is back. Shogun Santa has returned to Little Tokyo after a big loss in the community last year.  

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Patt Morrison's outfit from her June 5, 2013 Patt's Hats entry. ; Credit: Michelle Lanz/KPCC

There are so many things  I like about this dress – the sleeve length, the boat neck, the fact that it’s navy and not black, and the fact that it wasn’t made in Bangladesh – but mostly it’s the gaily asymmetrical floral design that caught my eye.

The pattern is front and back, and I’m a stickler about those things. It looks like I have been loaded down with festive leis, but also loaded with one too many Mai Tais, so the flower garlands are askew as if I were listing a little bit.

There’s more of my current yellow shoe madness with these very Michelle Obama kitten-heel slingbacks in two different tones of yellow, one a more acid shade and the other more canary, or perhaps chrome yellow. That’s not to be confused with “Crome Yellow,” a very sardonic Aldous Huxley novel parodying the artsy intelligentsia set of 1920s England.

I hope you can see this bracelet. It’s a piece of Victorian mourning jewelry. The Victorians went way, way over the top on this stuff; some of it borders on the ghoulish, with lockets containing elaborately braided locks or even portraits or scenes made entirely from the hair of the deceased. I can admire the artistry but the sentiment can seem excessive. This piece, though, has a black and white enamel border around a tiny fly. Why a fly, I wondered. Then I read the inscription inside:

“From JR to AHR [clearly a husband to a wife] in loving memory of our darling little May Queen, died 7th August 1880, age 14 Mos.”

That inscription made the fly make sense. It’s a mayfly, a creature that lives a few days, or even just a few minutes, and here was this little girl, born in May – hence the May Queen reference to the mythical springtime queen of antiquity -- and died barely a year thereafter. So sweet, so sad, so human, all from an inscription on a bracelet. The girl’s parents are long dead, and so too are any siblings she may have had, but it can touch us more than 130 years later.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Patt Morrison's ensemble for Aug 8, 2013.; Credit: Dave Coelho/KPCC

What shall we call this color scheme? How about ‘Manhattan Mermaid’?

The petrel blues, the turquoises, the aquas – and then that uptown/downtown black, in this case a black linen duster over a Peter Max-style splashy-print silk dress. The way the hem pools at the sides a bit reminds me of the cut of Pre-Raphaelite ladies’ tunics; I’d love to dress “period” for a week to see whether I’d like it.

Imagine, a week of hoop skirts … a week of 1950s tailleurs … a week of bustles … a week of hobble skirts … a week of liberated Pre-Raphaelite velvet gowns!

The hat is so unmistakably summer in fabric and color that it doesn’t get out of the hatbox as much as it should, poor thing. And the shoes – I did not get them together, honest, but even though the prints don’t match, it’s the dissonance that makes them work better together than if they had.

The fabric is a very textured canvas and printed like batik. [They are not the soul of comfort – oh what a dreadful pun, but is there any other kind of pun? – but they look smart hooked over the railing of a chair in a chic bistro, which is where I intend to take them!]

And the bracelets, one from a great-aunt who had a fine eye for jewelry – the turquoise is almost Persian, it’s so green, but it’s more likely to be American. The cuff is definitely Southwest, with the rope-pattern trim and the irregularly shaped bezels, although the turquoises themselves are symmetrical.

Because I’m left-handed, my right arm bears the singular honor of being “ornamental,” and bearing the burden of the bling.

Summer on, ladies!

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

; Credit: Michelle Lanz/KPCC

Someone just told me that pink and gray were Vassar’s colors. I would say, “Go Vassarettes!” but, one, Vassarette is a line of brassieres, and, two, the Vassar mascot is The Brewer, for the profession of its founder, Matthew Vassar. You go, Seven Sisters girls and guys!

The scarf is one of two I picked up on vacation – for some reason insect themes are big just now. This one has little gray ants marching over a pink field, a reminder of – what? Teamwork? Conformity? Time to call the exterminator? The other scarf, which I’ll wear presently, is the color of a ripe nectarine, with a pattern of vividly colored beetles. Scarabus chic. Dashing, no?

The glittery pink shirt is one more example of that contrast that I like, against the matte gray knit of the sweater (indoor-outdoor wear for L.A. summers, going from AC to Fahrenheit in a flash). Which explains the vast and shady hat – like a veranda on my head!

I was surprised at myself for buying these shoes – silver and bright pink; when would I ever be wearing that? But there they are, slingbacks made by “Emma Hope’s shoes, Regalia for feet,” an irresistible name.

The oval seal with the maker’s name reminded me of the oval seal on shoes made by Rayne, the 19th-century London shoemaker that had shod the women of the royal family for decades (but not the last two generations of those chic ladies: Diana, Princess of Wales, and Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge).

Please don’t blame Rayne for the Queen’s inordinate fondness for platform peeptoe shoes – her mother made her do it. Literally. Those royal ladies – the Queen, her late mother and late sister, Margaret – were quite short, and those shoes boosted their height. But still …

Here is Rayne’s website for a look at some of the glamorous and glorious shoes for feet past and present – including Anna Pavlova’s, prima ballerina assoluta. Mary Quant designed for Rayne. And before you look, that old caution:  If you have to ask how much …  

A pair of Rayne shoes is on my fantasy list for thrift-store finds, along with a Fortuny dress and a wild Schiaparelli hat. I believe, I believe...

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Enjoy a festive and relaxing holiday shopping experience at the Garden’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop. Browse a curated selection of unique nature-themed gifts in the charming, historic Julia Morgan Hall. Find the perfect gift for everyone on your list from these vendors and more!Bird vs Bird: Whimsical bird theme gifts from Oakland artist, Pess Petty Coyote Brush Studios: California native plants + wildlife prints, cards and stickers Dana Gardner: Original paintings and ceramics featuring birds Inna Jam: Emeryville based artisanal jams + cocktail mixers Juniper Ridge: Natural fragrance products + teas Oaktown Spice Shop: Delicious spice mixtures + gift sets Young America Creative: Posters featuring seasonal fruits, vegetables + wildflowers

Enjoy a festive and relaxing holiday shopping experience at the Garden’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop. Browse a curated selection of unique nature-themed gifts in the charming, historic Julia Morgan Hall. Find the perfect gift for everyone on your list from these vendors and more!Bird vs Bird: Whimsical bird theme gifts from Oakland artist, Pess Petty Coyote Brush Studios: California native plants + wildlife prints, cards and stickers Dana Gardner: Original paintings and ceramics featuring birds Inna Jam: Emeryville based artisanal jams + cocktail mixers Juniper Ridge: Natural fragrance products + teas Oaktown Spice Shop: Delicious spice mixtures + gift sets Young America Creative: Posters featuring seasonal fruits, vegetables + wildflowers

Enjoy a festive and relaxing holiday shopping experience at the Garden’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop. Browse a curated selection of unique nature-themed gifts in the charming, historic Julia Morgan Hall. Find the perfect gift for everyone on your list from these vendors and more!Bird vs Bird: Whimsical bird theme gifts from Oakland artist, Pess Petty Coyote Brush Studios: California native plants + wildlife prints, cards and stickers Dana Gardner: Original paintings and ceramics featuring birds Inna Jam: Emeryville based artisanal jams + cocktail mixers Juniper Ridge: Natural fragrance products + teas Oaktown Spice Shop: Delicious spice mixtures + gift sets Young America Creative: Posters featuring seasonal fruits, vegetables + wildflowers

Enjoy a festive and relaxing holiday shopping experience at the Garden’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop. Browse a curated selection of unique nature-themed gifts in the charming, historic Julia Morgan Hall. Find the perfect gift for everyone on your list from these vendors and more!Bird vs Bird: Whimsical bird theme gifts from Oakland artist, Pess Petty Coyote Brush Studios: California native plants + wildlife prints, cards and stickers Dana Gardner: Original paintings and ceramics featuring birds Inna Jam: Emeryville based artisanal jams + cocktail mixers Juniper Ridge: Natural fragrance products + teas Oaktown Spice Shop: Delicious spice mixtures + gift sets Young America Creative: Posters featuring seasonal fruits, vegetables + wildflowers

Enjoy a festive and relaxing holiday shopping experience at the Garden’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop. Browse a curated selection of unique nature-themed gifts in the charming, historic Julia Morgan Hall. Find the perfect gift for everyone on your list from these vendors and more!Bird vs Bird: Whimsical bird theme gifts from Oakland artist, Pess Petty Coyote Brush Studios: California native plants + wildlife prints, cards and stickers Dana Gardner: Original paintings and ceramics featuring birds Inna Jam: Emeryville based artisanal jams + cocktail mixers Juniper Ridge: Natural fragrance products + teas Oaktown Spice Shop: Delicious spice mixtures + gift sets Young America Creative: Posters featuring seasonal fruits, vegetables + wildflowers

Garden Members enjoy a special evening preview shopping experience including light nibbles and refreshments. Enjoy a festive and relaxing holiday shopping experience at the Garden’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop. Browse a curated selection of unique nature-themed gifts in the charming, historic Julia Morgan Hall.  (Registration required for timed entry beginning at either 4:00 pm or 5:30 pm) We currently have 2 arrival time windows to choose from: 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm and 5:30 pm - 7:00pm. Please enter the number of people in your group for selected entry time and plan on arriving during that timeframe. Each member is allowed two additional non-members.Special Event Give-Away!If you register and attend, you will be entered into our $50 Garden Shop gift certificate give-away!Learn more and register here

Last year was the second straight year the poverty rate stayed flat after four years of going up in the United States.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Income in greater Los Angeles is rising – slightly - according to new American Community Survey numbers released Thursday from the Census Bureau, but greater L.A. still ranks as one of the poorest major metropolitan areas in the nation.

The L.A. area (defined as L.A., Long Beach and Anaheim) had a median household income of $58,869 last year, which is $804 more than the year before, but still $1540 under the 2010 level, during the first full year after the recession.

"These numbers paint a bleak picture for California,” said Marybeth Mattingly, a researcher at Stanford University’s Center on Poverty and Inequality.

Mattingly is particularly troubled by the child poverty rate, which was 25.3 percent in 2013, up from 22.6 percent in 2010.

“In the West, Hispanics have the highest poverty with nearly one in three Hispanic kids poor, and it's even a little higher for blacks” she said.

Nationally, last year was the second straight year the poverty rate stayed flat after four years of going up. Among big metro areas, the L.A. area had the highest poverty rate in the nation, tying Phoenix, Miami, and the Inland Empire. But that’s based upon a national poverty line of $23,550 for a family of four; When you take into account how much it really costs to live here, L.A. fares even worse.

“We find that Los Angeles stands out even more, unfortunately," said Sarah Bohn, a researcher at the Public Policy Institute of California. "Housing costs are really playing a big role in family budgets and being able to make ends meet.”

Bohn says these new numbers suggest we’re going in the right direction, but she wishes we’d move at a faster pace.

Working displays educate dealers and consumers.

RPA-sponsored programs at AHR focused on radiant technology.

Bradley’s stainless steel enclosed safety shower model is ideal for indoor applications such as data centers, chip manufacturing and other high-tech facilities, laboratories, pharmaceutical and chemical processing facilities, and other clean room applications.

The title of one Thursday session at ASSE’s Safety 2013: “Why Every Safety Professional/Manager Must Understand the Ideas of Peter F. Drucker,” presented by Jay C. Brakensiek, CSP, MSIH, EMBA, Claremont University Consortium, Claremont, CA. Brakensiek was a former student of Professor Drucker, considered the “Father of Management.”

State of the EHS Nation- Exclusive results from ISHN’s 28^th annual White Paper Reader Survey.

Hampton Inn & Suites Atlanta Airport Hotel (North I-85) provides affordable accommodations to guests attending the Atlanta Camping and RV Show at Atlanta Expo Center South from January 25-27, 2013.

Atlantic Tire & Service is pleased to announce two new Service Advisors who will be responsible for handling customer service needs and advising customers on recommended services when appropriate.

Close to 4,000 SF of elegance and ambiance in one of the State's wealthiest zip codes and minutes to downtown Portland

Web Industries will showcase its nonwoven materials solutions for medical, personal care, and home care markets at Hygienix 2024, held November 18-21 in Nashville. The company will highlight its slitting, spooling, printing, and modular converting capabilities, offering precision converting for flexible packaging, films, and medical-grade materials.

A New York appellate court ruled that a worker injured in an accident caused by a falling pipe should have been granted summary judgment on his Labor Law claim. Case: Jara-Salazar…

I’ve shot at this location a few times but for some reason I’ve never seen it from the other side. Literal proof that shooting with other creatives gives you new perspective. ???? (at Toronto, Ontario)

I like the philosophy behind shooting with primes; that a photographer shouldn’t stand still but instead, continuously move closer, further, lower, or higher relative to his/her subject as a means of establishing a deeper connection. ????????
—
Save 50% on my custom Lightroom presets with HOLIDAY50. Link in profile. (at Toronto, Ontario)

This is from my favourite shoot/photoset of all time. It was spontaneous, serendipitous, and simply beautiful. ☂️
.
The edit: After applying my preset (I used Clean for this one), I bumped up the exposure and desaturated the yellows/oranges a bit. As a finishing touch, I used a graduated filter to brighten the top a bit and a radial filter on @sllychn to brighten and sharpen the focal point. That’s it! ✨ (at Toronto, Ontario)

Trying to straighten all the lines on this shot is a sure fire way to go blind. ???? (at London, United Kingdom)

I took this shot about a year ago when I had a very different editing style. A ton of faded blacks and, believe it or not, a subtle green tint (unknowingly inherited from the preset I was using at the time). Re-editing it now, I’m happy with the way my style has evolved, though I can already sense that I’m on the brink of evolving it again. And I’m okay with that. ???? (at London, United Kingdom)

President-elect Donald Trump has only begun to fill out the ranks of his incoming administration. His first choices confirm that his son Donald Jr. and the former Fox TV personality Tucker Carlson have emerged as major influences over his picks.

The "Call for speakers and workshop facilitators" page has been created. [21 Jan 2008]

The "Call for speakers and workshop facilitators" was sent to the web-support JISCMail list. [22 Jan 2008]

The "Call for speakers and workshop facilitators" was sent to the website-info-mgt JISCMail list. [22 Jan 2008]

A reminder of the "Call for speakers and workshop facilitators" was sent to the web-support JISCMail list. [21 Feb 2008]

A reminder of the "Call for speakers and workshop facilitators" was sent to the website-info-mgt JISCMail list. [21 Feb 2008]

The "Call for speakers and workshop facilitators" was sent to the lis-link JISCMail list. [21 Feb 2008]

Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 4:00pm
Location: Lorch Hall
Organized By: Department of Political Science

*The Ford School's International Policy Center is a co-sponsor of the 2024-2025 Political Economy Workshop events.*

Tuesdays, 1:00 - 2:20 pm

Eldersveld Room, 5670 Haven Hall

Faculty Coordinators: Hoyt Bleakley, Edgar Franco-Vivanco, Mark Dincecco, Iain Osgood

Graduate Student Coordinators: Jun Fang and Pedro Luz de Castro

Fall 2024

9/26: Christopher Blattman, University of Chicago (Thursday, 4-5:20pm, 201 Lorch) (joint with Economic Development Seminar) (note different time and place)

10/22: Volha Charnysh, MIT

11/5: Hoyt Bleakley and Paul Rhode, UM Economics

11/14: Ceren Baysan, University of Toronto (Thursday, 4-5:20pm, 201 Lorch) (joint with Economic Development Seminar) (note different time and place)

11/21: Saumitra Jha, Stanford University (Thursday, 4-5:20pm, 201 Lorch) (joint with Economic Development Seminar) (note different time and place)

12/3: Cristina Bodea, Michigan State University

Winter 2025

2/4: Amy Pond, Washington University in St. Louis

2/11: Megan Stewart, UM Ford School of Public Policy

2/25: Luis Schenoni, UCL

3/11: Hye Young You, Princeton University

4/8: Layna Mosley, Princeton University

4/15: Aditya Dasgupta, UC Merced

4/22: Christopher Paik, NYU Abu Dhabi

Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 4:00pm
Location: North Quad
Organized By: Figma Learning for User Experience (FLUX)

In this first workshop session, we learn the basics of colors and typography, and by the end you’ll have a useable fully functional styles set up in Figma that you can use in any project.

All FLUX workshops ensure you walk away with something you can use for your own projects.

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FLUX stands for Figma Learning for User Experience. We are a group of students passionate about user experience design and Figma.

Our mission is to create events and activities that support the learning of Figma and UX for students of all levels of expertise and backgrounds across the University of Michigan.