One of the more troubling patent rulings in the past year involved a Canadian company, i4i, that held a patent (5,787,449) that appears to broadly (very broadly) cover editing a custom XML document, separate from the presentation layer of a document. Microsoft included such functionality in Word, and i4i sued. Amazingly, the court not only found the patent to be valid and that Microsoft infringed, but somehow decided that the functionality was worth $98 in each copy of Word where this product was used (estimated to be 1.8 million users). Of course, Word itself doesn’t cost much more than that (in reality), and this is a tiny feature of Word that was very unlikely to be a key buying point for most users of the program. But the courts were having none of it, and even issued an injunction against selling Word, along with a huge fine. At the end of the last year, the appeals court (CAFC) upheld the ruling and the potential injunction.

Microsoft appealed to have the case reheard by the full panel of judges at CAFC, but that’s now been rejected as well. Microsoft can (and may) still appeal to the Supreme Court, but I doubt there’s enough of a core issue at play in this lawsuit to have the Supreme Court bother with it.

Of course, this is just one more reminder why Microsoft might want to reconsider its strongly pro-patent position. It seems like it can come back to bite you.

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The concept of visualization as a medium is great, but how far can information graphics be pushed until it falls off the cliff? The Fusion 41 Competition [fusion41.com] is a recent example of the world of advertising focusing on the visual attraction of data visualization. The competition “amassed a wealth of raw data generated from all of the teams and activities“, which were then “brought to life” in poster-size infographics.

The mass of raw numbers mentioned before include things as “Most water balloon tosses lengthwise over a car in 1 minute“, “Refrigerator magnets stuck to a Ford Fusion” and “Fastest time to finish a big gulp“, and several others.

Your opinion?

Earlier this year, we wrote about a ruling in Israel that protected the anonymity of an online commenter on free speech grounds, with the judge noting:

“The good of online anonymity outweighs the bad, and it must be seen as a byproduct of freedom of speech and the right to privacy.”

Michael Scott now points us to another ruling in Israel, this time in the country’s Supreme Court that appears to go further (unless I’m misunderstanding Israeli law — which is entirely possible) in saying that there isn’t even a legal procedure to unveil anonymous commenters:

Hon. Justice Eliezer Rivlin dismissed Mor’s petition and analysed the procedure to reveal anonymous posters. According to his ruling “it is an attempt to harness, prior to a legal proceeding, the justice system and a third party in order to conduct an inquiry which will lead to the revealing of a person committing a tort so that a civil suit could be filed against him. It is, de facto, an investigative-like procedure that the court is drafted to in a preliminary procedure in this way or another. This procedure is not trivial, it involves policy consideration and requires legislative regulation”. His decision rules, actually, that until a procedure will be legislated, petitions to reveal anonymous users may not be granted (and according to estimations, there is at least one daily request per ISP).

As the analysis at the link above suggests, this likely means that politicians will quickly draft legislation to create a procedure for unveiling anonymous commenters, but the court did warn that any such procedure should tread carefully:

Shattering the ‘illusion of anonymity’, in a reality where a user’s privacy feeling is a myth, may raise associations of a “big brother”. Such violation of privacy should be minimized. In adequate boundaries the anonymity shelters should be preserved as a part of the Internet Culture. You may say that anonymity makes the internet what it is, and without it the virtual freedom may be reduced.

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The big energy news in the U.S. this week was the Obama administration’s announcement that it plans to expand offshore oil and gas exploration and development. According to the U.S. Department of Interior press release heralding the policy change, “The Administration’s strategy calls for: developing oil and gas resources in new areas, such as the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, more than 125 miles from Florida’s coast; increasing oil and gas exploration in frontier areas, such as the Arctic Ocean and the Mid and South Atlantic Ocean; and protecting ocean areas that are simply too special to drill, such as Alaska’s Bristol Bay.”

Many environmental groups condemned the Obama administration’s proposal. For example, Mike Brune, the new executive director of the Sierra Club, a key member of the Apollo Alliance, said in a statement posted to the group’s website, “We’re very disappointed to see important areas like the Arctic coast and the Mid and South Atlantic stay open to oil drilling. What we need is bold, decisive steps towards clean energy, like the new clean cars regulations announced this week–not more dirty, expensive offshore drilling. The oil industry already has access to drilling on millions of acres of America’s public lands and water. We don’t need to hand over our last protected pristine coastal areas just so oil companies can break more profit records.”

However, the Environmental Defense Fund, another key Apollo ally, released a statement saying that additional offshore drilling is necessary to win political support in the Senate for a bipartisan climate and clean energy bill. EDF’s National Climate Campaign Director Steve Cochran said, “Without comprehensive climate and energy legislation, the failed, narrow energy policies of the past will continue. We believe the President’s announcement demonstrates his continued commitment to work towards the bi-partisan majority that will be necessary to pass climate legislation in the Senate. The President has put forward his plans on offshore drilling after hearing from key Senators that it’s a necessary step to succeed in passing climate and energy legislation in the Senate. Now it’s time for the supporters of new drilling and an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy policy to step forward and support comprehensive legislation, including a limit on carbon pollution.”

For additional discussion of the offshore oil and gas announcement, we recommend a New York Times blog post that features a debate over the proposal (What’s Behind Obama’s Drilling Plan?) and the ever-informative Climate Progress blog.

But What About Offshore Wind Energy?

As Weekly Update readers know, the Apollo Alliance has been paying close attention to recent developments that raise concerns about where our country’s wind turbines, solar panels and other renewable energy systems will be manufactured. On Wednesday, Cape Wind, the Massachusetts firm that is hoping to win approval for a wind farm in Nantucket Sound, announced that it would purchase 130 of its wind turbines from the German company Siemens Energy. Some parts of the turbines, like the foundations, will be manufactured in the United States, but most will be manufactured in Europe.

Europe is far ahead of the United States in the area of offshore wind energy. In fact, eight European countries have already installed wind turbines off their shores, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Meanwhile, no offshore wind projects have yet been built in the United States, and it appears that the glacial speed at which U.S. policymakers have been moving on clean energy will soon impact whether the U.S. wins the manufacturing jobs that will be associated with offshore wind turbines.

“Right now there isn’t anybody manufacturing offshore wind turbines in the United States,” said Mark Rodgers, Cape Wind’s communications director. “The problem is, there’s been no market here. What we’re going to have to do to attract manufacturers to the U.S. is show that there’s a market and have some of the first projects move forward.”

Meanwhile, last week, GE, one of America’s top wind manufacturers,  announced plans to invest more than $512 million to manufacture and engineer its next generation of wind turbines—turbines specifically designed for offshore deployment—not in the U.S., where such investments and the jobs they bring are desperately needed, but in Norway, Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The recent announcements by GE and Cape Wind are yet another reason why the U.S. Senate needs to quickly pass comprehensive federal clean energy and climate legislation that ramps up domestic clean energy demand and signals to businesses America’s long-term commitment to cleaner technologies. They also show why we need the Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act, Sen. Sherrod Brown’s bill to support domestic clean energy manufacturing.

While oil drilling off the U.S. coast got most of the media attention this week, the future of offshore wind energy—and the manufacturing jobs that will be associated with it—is an issue we can’t afford to ignore. Stay tuned for a decision by the end of April on whether the federal government will allow the Cape Wind project to move forward.

In other news …

*This week Apollo sponsored a clean energy business roundtable in Kansas City, Missouri with U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver and clean energy business leaders. “Policies that drive clean energy demand are the key to getting our economy back on track and creating jobs for the people of Missouri,” Rep. Cleaver said. Apollo also released a new poll at the event which showed that Missourians are strong believers in the opportunity for economic recovery posed by boosting investment in clean energy manufacturing. Fifty-seven percent of poll respondents said that investments in clean technologies will help revive the state’s economy, while only 24 percent disagreed. Click here to read a press release about the event and poll.

*The Pew Charitable Trusts has published another excellent report about the clean energy economy. Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race? documents the phenomenal growth of the global clean energy economy and analyzes the competitive positions of the G-20 countries in terms of their clean energy investments, installed renewable energy capacity and other factors. The report finds that China led the world in overall clean energy finance and investment in 2009, and, although the U.S. came in second, ten G-20 member nations devoted a greater percentage of their gross domestic product to clean energy than did the United States in 2009.

*Join the U.S. Climate Action Network in its “I (heart) clean air” campaign by posting photos and sharing stories about why you (heart) clean air. You can post photos and stories to the Clean Air Act Facebook fan page between now and Earth Day. Then U.S. CAN will send them to Congress to demonstrate that Americans everywhere appreciate how the Clean Air Act protects the air we breathe and improves our daily lives through better air quality and a healthier environment.

Oh, what terrible woes have rained down upon the beknighted chairman of the Republican National Committee. Why, no one ever could have anticipated the self-righteous indignation issuing from the usual quarters because of a brief foray into the world of $2,000/night, simulated girl-on-girl bondage sex theater! Let the sanctimonious piling on commence:

Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, just delivered a blow to the already teetering kinship of the religious right and the Republican Party. This blow is aimed squarely at the wallet. In an e-newsletter, . . . Perkins urges his members to stop donating to the Republican National Committee, the fundraising arm of the GOP. “I’ve hinted at this before,” Perkins writes, “but now I am saying it: Don’t give money to the RNC.”

Yes, in case you were wondering, that is the same pure-of-heart, unconflicted Tony Perkins who, when presented with the opportunity to unseat the personification of sexual deviancy, chose not to wage a potential Senate race against the prostitute-paying incumbent, Diaper Dave Vitter (R-Huggies):

“I am grateful for those who’ve encouraged me to consider returning to elected office, but this is not the right time,” wrote Perkins in a letter to state party chairman Roger Villere. “Along those lines, I would like members of the State Central Committee to know that I support Senator David Vitter’s bid for reelection in 2010.”

But the poutrage doesn’t stop there. The High Priestess of the Quittites, bedecked in black leather, nipple zippers, and stiletto heels, strode forth from her temple and held aloft her left hand, upon which was written, “I SHALL HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR BONDAGE-THEMED PARTIES!” (unless you pay the $100,000 speaking fee, of course):

Palin’s staff has twice told the RNC to remove her name from an invitation sent to donors, obtained by POLITICO on Wednesday, showing her as an “invited” speaker at the four-day fundraiser in New Orleans, timed to coincide with the SRLC event in Louisiana.

Palin, who will appear at the SRLC, “will not take part in any RNC fundraiser in New Orleans,” an aide said.

She then withdrew to provide counsel to her daughter on the art of tying up loose ends after hosting spontaneous social gatherings in vacant homes for sale. I do love it so when some of the loudest Republican voices complaining about adhering to rigid codes of morality are the ones that are the most ethically challenged. Does anyone really wonder why the hard-core family values types love authority? After all, it’s only one step removed from ball gags, nipple clamps and dog collars.

 

Well this year was definitely one of the very best April Fools year I have noticed so far, so I thought I should look at some of the great pranks. I for one had a great day… getting over 40,000 people with my great jokes. I think I should list the top five pranks that I found online today.

1) XDA Core– XDA Branded phone manufactured by HTC
I have to give this number one. You might ask why I name this number one. Well I wrote it, and a lot of people fell for it. I checked out XDA’s homepage just a little before we were done with our joke, and noticed they had not done a joke, and since I write for them as a editor.. I had to do something. I talked to Flar, and 10min later I wrote about the device, and we posted it. People fell for it, and people were mad that this would not be a real device. Sorry guys, but I had to do it.

P.S how do you like that name… XDA Core. I like the name, and thought of it because XDA is the core of all WM ROMs, Apps, and more.

2) Iphone Dual booting– The Verizon Iphone that dual boots Android and MacOSX
This one was very good. I was at the verge of posting it on WMPoweruser, before I was told by Surur(who is untrickable) that its a fake and a April fools joke. I give props to the guys at Phandroid for that one, but the only problem with that is… Steve Jobs is just too danm proud to have his OS sit second behind something else on his own made phone.

3) Google becomes Topeka– Google changes its name to something weird
This one was a little surprising to me. I did not notice this until it was pointed out to me that its a joke and nothing more. This one is number 3 because a huge company like Google doing a joke is quite outstanding.

4) WMPoweruser becomes AndroidPowerUser– Windows Mobile’s best site leaves for Android
This one was also pretty weird for me, but we did it. Last night Surur IM’ed me with a plan on how to get the readers today. He wanted a day that we did all Android news and pretend that nothing happened and that we liked Android phones. To go to the next level we changed the theme to the one on my site, and added a Android based background. This joke was pretty obvious to most people, but we actually got some bitter, which was no surprise… after all the work we put into it.

I hope you guys enjoyed it. I sure did. Surur most likely did not since we had to pretend do like Android and Iphones…. Haha(I felt weird saying that.)

5) WP7S will be open sourced– MS will make WP7S a little like Android
This final one was a little emmm…. not funny but something. It was a joke that said Windows Phones 7 Series will become open sources like Android. This one was pretty good because it could be true, but had a few holes in the plot. The first problem is… MS loves money. That is all I can think of.

Well, those are the top 5 April Fools jokes that I noticed. If you have something that you think I should have included comment below and tell me. Also comment and tell us your experience on this fine prank filled day.

 

10 Things I Can Do To Help My World  is written by Melanie Walsh and is a fantastic resource for teaching students about resources and conservation.  Each page of this book provides a message about conservation such as turning off the tap while brushing your teeth will save eighteen glasses of water.  This book reminds students to unplug the television when they are not using it and to sort their recycling.  A great aspect of 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World is it’s simplicity because each of the ten actions it discusses and be easily performed by children.  Perhaps the greatest element of the book is that it is made from one hundred percent recycled material.

Curriculum Connections
This book is perfect for teaching students about how limited resources require people to make choices about producing and consuming goods and services.(2.9)  It can be used as an opener to a lesson about recycling or to explain the ecological responsibilities we have to our planet.  10 Things I Can Do To Help My World instructs students about the effect their actions can have on the world and how to make that effect more eco-friendly.

Additional Resources

• Recycling this is the EPA website on recycling.
• Origami Garbage Bin this site provides instructions on how to make a newspaper garbage bin fold-able.
• Why We Recycle this is a lesson plan about recycling but it requires the user to sign up for a free trial.

Book: 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World
Author: Melanie Walsh
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 20
Grade Range: 1-3
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4144-3

Republicans have a bad track record of fulfilling their promises of limited government and personal liberty. Will they finally live up to their rhetoric if they win the 2010 midterm elections?

Show: Dylan Ratigan Show
Host: Dylan Ratigan
Channel: MSNBC
Date: 4/1/2010

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1. Ron Paul: Bringing People Together Ron Paul appeared on the Dylan Ratigan Show today to…
2. Ron Paul on MSNBC: Audit the Federal Reserve! Show: Morning Meeting Channel: MSNBC Date: 7/22/2009 Transcript Dylan…
3. Ron Paul on MSNBC’s Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan Show: Morning Meeting Host: Dylan Ratigan Channel: MSNBC Date:…

Earlier this year, we wrote about the rise of patent marking lawsuits after a court clarified how damages were calculated, making the potential haul much, much, much larger in many cases. Patent marking cases involve lawsuits against anyone who falsely claims a patent over something — whether it’s just a false claim or a situation where the patent has expired. If you recognize how patents can hold back innovation, a fake patent claim can be even worse, actively discouraging competition or research and development, even in situations where there is no government granted monopoly. Where this gets a little tricky, is that the law lets anyone bring false marking lawsuits and keep half the resulting award if they win. So the fear is that this has created a new batch of lawyers just roaming around filing such lawsuits. But is that really such a problem? Falsely claiming a monopoly over something can have serious consequences. In fact, it would be great if there were a similar law for copyfraud situations as well.

Unfortunately, though, it looks like the already troubling patent reform bill also is looking to cut back on the ability to file false marking suits. Daniel Ravicher, who has been really active in these kinds of lawsuits — and, incidentally, was also a major player in the Myriad gene patent case — helping to get gene patents invalidated — has an article up trashing the patent reform bill for “protecting patent lying.”

The Senators held no hearings and didn’t seek any comment from the public. To anyone with knowledge of U.S. patent law, the move is clearly the result of back room dealings with lobbyists completely hidden from public scrutiny. Allowing patent lying not only denies citizens a traditional consumer protection, but it also deprives the federal government of an important source of revenue….

A patent gives its owner the right to exclude anyone else from making, using, or selling the patented thing for a limited period of time. Patents are very powerful; just ask your neighborhood pharmaceutical company. To protect the public from misinformation about patents, section 292 of the Patent Act forbids false markings done “for the purpose of deceiving the public.” The law is aimed at companies who intentionally make untrue statements with the hope of deceiving the public, not those who make good faith mistakes. Patent lying is harmful to the public for many reasons. It misleads consumers into thinking the product is better than others, it scares away competitors, and it robs legitimate patentees of the marketplace distinction they deserve.

Once again, it looks like the patent reform bill isn’t about fixing the problems of the patent system, but about making things worse. It’s difficult to see why anyone could, with a straight face, claim that the law shouldn’t punish those who falsely claim a patent over something.

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General Motors announced today that the first pre-production Chevrolet Volt rolled off the company’s assembly line in Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant.

“These pre-production versions of the Volt will not be sold at dealerships, but will be used to assure all steps in the production system will meet the quality targets set by the Volt engineering team,” GM said in a statement.

“We have a very experienced workforce at this plant and through all of their preparation and training workers here have been given the privilege to take GM into the future with this car,” said Detroit-Hamtramck plant manager Teri Quigley.

GM said that assembly line workers will build more pre-production Volts in the coming months. The pre-production models will examined by manufacturing engineers as the plant prepares to build retail models later this year.

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

2011 Chevrolet Volt:

– By: Omar Rana

Congratulations to sophomore Peggie Parhas who was named to the 2009-2010 N4C Women’s Basketball All-Conference Team.

Contact:
Colleen Flanigan
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
312.704.8420 ext. 225
[email protected]

RELEASE DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2010

CHICAGO OPERA THEATER ANNOUNCES THEIR
2011 SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON!

Featuring the Midwest Premiere of Tod Machover’s Death and the Powers,
The Chicago Premiere of Charpentier’s Medea,
And “HE/SHE” Featuring
Janáček’s The Diary of One Who Disappeared
and Schumann’s A Woman’s Love and Life.

CHICAGO, IL – On March 25, 2010, General Director Brian Dickie announced Chicago Opera Theater’s (COT) 2011 Spring Festival Season:  the Midwest Premiere of Tod Machover’s Death and the Powers , the Chicago Premiere of Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Medea (Médée), and “HE/SHE” featuring Leoš Janáček’s The Diary of One Who Disappeared (Zápisník zmizelého) and Robert Schumann’s A Woman’s Love and Life (Frauenliebe und Leben).

Chicago Opera Theater’s 2011 Spring Festival Season runs April 2 through May 13 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park.

Death and the Powers is a new opera by Tod Machover, premiering in Monaco the fall of this year.  Developed at the MIT Media Lab in creative partnership with Chicago Opera Theater and Harvard’s American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.), and with the support of Futurum Association (Monaco), this groundbreaking production will use specially designed technology including a chorus of robots, a Musical Chandelier, and a set that expressively “comes alive.”

The libretto by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, from a story by Randy Weiner, explores what we leave behind for the world and our loved ones, as told through an eccentric patriarch, Simon Powers (who “downloads” himself into The System), and his family and friends. 

The music is by Tod Machover, whose genre-bending work is celebrated for its arching melodic lines, richly nuanced textures, and propulsive rhythms. He is also a pioneer in inventing new technologies for music, including Hyperinstruments that have been used by artists from Yo-Yo Ma to Prince, and for videogames Guitar Hero and Rock Band, which grew out of his Lab.  His most recent opera was the acclaimed Skellig – based on the famous children’s novel by David Almond – which premiered at The Sage Gateshead (UK) in 2008.  Mr. Machover is also the composer of the stunning Resurrection, which premiered in 1999 at Houston Grand Opera.

“It is always enormously exciting to be involved in the creation of a brand new work.” said COT General Director Brian Dickie.  “And it is a huge joy for the company to be working with someone with the genius and charisma possessed by Tod Machover.”

Diane Paulus returns to Chicago Opera Theater, after staging the hugely successful Broadway production of Hair, which won the Tony Award® for Best Musical Revival, and earned Ms. Paulus her first Tony nomination for Best Direction of a Musical.  Conductor Gil Rose makes his Chicago Opera Theater debut.  In 1996, he founded the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), the foremost professional orchestra dedicated exclusively to performing and recording music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Death and the Powers will be designed by Alex McDowell, production designer of such films as Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride, and Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report. 

For more on Death in the Powers go to:
http://opera.media.mit.edu/projects/deathandthepowers/
 
Next in Chicago Opera Theater’s 2011 Spring Festival Season is the Chicago premiere of Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Medea (Médée).  This marks the second opera in COT’s baroque “trilogy” that is devoted to the exploration of three operas with Medea as a central character.  COT presents Cavalli’s Jason (Giasone) next month, and will present Teseo by George Frideric Handel in 2012. 

“Surprisingly no opera by Marc-Antoine Charpentier has ever been produced by a Chicago company.  We are happy to remedy that with Medea, a defining opera by a great French composer of the baroque period,” said Brian Dickie. 

Never has there been such a complicated figure as Medea, whose emotions run the gamut from passion to rage to vengeance.  Watch her evil unfold during the telling of this love quadrangle between Medea, her husband Jason, Princess Cruesa, and Prince Oronte of Argos.  Her fury reaches its climax in the final scene, where she commits the ultimate revenge against Jason, ensuring he will die a lonely and heartbroken man.

Christian Curnyn, a rising star in the field of early music, will conduct all three operas of the baroque “trilogy.”  In April of last year he conducted performances of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the English National Opera.  Mr. Curnyn makes his New York City Opera debut on April 3rd with Handel’s Partenope.  

Chicago’s own Baroque Band will be the orchestra for Medea.  This period-instrument orchestra has been hailed by critics and audiences and has gained a reputation as one of the most exciting period-instrument ensembles in the United States.

Justin Way, who is directing Jason, returns to COT in 2011 to direct Medea.  His other work with COT was the critically triumphant Orlando in 2008 and the audience favorite Abduction from the Seraglio in 2006.  Mr. Way just finished a run of La bohème at the Minnesota Opera and earlier this year directed Carmen at the Canadian Opera Company. 

The final production of the 2011 Spring Festival Season is called “HE/SHE” and includes two dramatic song cycles about obsessive love:  Leoš Janáček’s The Diary of One Who Disappeared (Zápisník zmizelého) and Robert Schumann’s A Woman’s Love and Life (Frauenliebe und Leben).

The 2011 People’s Opera winner, Shostakovitch’s Moscow, Cheryomushki, will be postponed to the fall of 2011, and will be a part of Chicago Opera Theater’s 2011-12 Season, which will include one opera in the fall and two operas in the spring.

“COT, in common with so many performing arts companies, must adjust to some harsh economic realities.  We are therefore postponing the production of Shostakovich’s Moscow, Cheryomushki to September of 2011.  It will be replaced in the spring of 2011 with a fascinating double header,” said General Director Brian Dickie.  “I believe that it will be most intriguing for music lovers to see these two masterpieces of the song repertoire fully staged.  The evening promises to be a passionate night at the theatre.”

The Diary of the One Who Disappeared will star Joseph Kaiser, last seen to rave reviews in Chicago Opera Theater’s Béatrice et Bénédict.   The New York Times observed of his Metropolitan Opera debut in Roméo et Juliette that, “Mr. Kaiser has an ardent, youthful and warm tenor voice. His performance was enriched by his keen musical intelligence and elegantly stylish phrasing. Tall, handsome and agile, he has an appealing stage presence.”  This summer he will be singing Admete in Gluck’s Alceste at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.

The production will be directed by Lillian Groag, returning to Chicago Opera Theater after acclaimed productions of Dido and Aenas (2006), La Resurrezione (2005), and Agrippina (2003).  The Chicago Tribune said of Dido and Aeneas, “Lillian Groag is back at Chicago Opera Theater, once more proving that old opera can, in the right hands, deliver a bracing shock of the new.”

The pianist for both pieces is the distinguished accompanist Craig Terry.   He has performed with such esteemed vocalists as Sir Thomas Allen, Christine Brewer, Eric Cutler, Joyce DiDonato, and Patricia Racette.

Designer Peter Harrison returns to COT after his acclaimed work on Owen Wingrave in 2008.  He also designed the exquisite Death in Venice for Chicago Opera Theater in 2005.

Chicago Opera Theater performs at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park – 205 East Randolph Drive.

Season Subscriptions for the 2011 Spring Festival Season, which include a ticket to all three operas, range from $85-$310 for new Subscribers and $76-$295 for current 2010 Subscribers who renew by July 30, 2010.  COT also offers a 50% discounted student rate in most sections.  

Subscriptions are available now by phone at 312.704.8414.  They will be available online at ChicagoOperaTheater.org starting in mid-April. Individual tickets to each production will go on sale in early 2011.

2011 Spring Festival Season

Tod Machover
DEATH AND THE POWERS
April 2, 6, 8 at 7:30pm; April 10 at 3pm

Conductor:	Gil Rose
Director:	Diane Paulus
Designer:	Alex McDowell

Sung in English.

 

Marc-Antoine Charpentier
MEDEA (Médée)
April 23, 27, 29 at 7:30pm; May 1 at 3pm

Conductor:	Christian Curnyn
Director:	Justin Way

Sung in French with English supertitles.

 

HE/SHE
May 7, 11, 13 at 7:30pm; May 8 at 3pm

Leoš Janáček’s
The Diary of One Who Disappeared (Zápisník zmizelého)
Sung in Czech with English supertitles.

Robert Schumann’s 
A Woman’s Love and Life (Frauenliebe und Leben)
Sung in German with English supertitles.

Piano:	Craig Terry
Director:	Lillian Groag
Designer:	Peter Harrison

Death and the Powers is a creative partnership with MIT Media Lab and the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) with generous support provided by the Monaco-based Futurum Association.

###

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

 Contact:
Colleen Flanigan
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
312.704.8420, x225
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Chicago Opera Theater Announces
THE 3rd ANNUAL “PEOPLE’S OPERA”

VOTING STARTS ON MONDAY, April 5th!
Opera Fans Vote With Their Dollars to Select an Upcoming Opera in the 2012-2013 Season!

CHICAGO (April 1, 2010)—Voting begins Monday April 5th for Chicago Opera Theater’s “People’s Opera” in which the public picks one of the three operas to be produced by Chicago Opera Theater (COT) in the 2012-2013 Season.  One vote equals one dollar—so the people not only get to be involved in COT’s artistic decision making, but they also are making a significant contribution to the company’s operating budget.  Voting lasts only through June 11, 2010 at 5pm.  The winner of the People’s Opera will be announced later that month.

As in the previous two “People’s Opera” contest, an anonymous donor has generously offered to match contributions from this campaign up to $16,000 which doubles the people’s voting power!

For our 2012-2013 Season, we are thrilled to announce that the “People’s Opera” will mark the Bicentenary of Giuseppe Verdi’s birth. General Director Brian Dickie has picked three Verdi operas for which the public may cast their vote:

“Verdi’s work has endured the test of time and has been appreciated by every culture that has encountered it.  Could there be a better way to commemorate his achievements than to have the people choose?” said Brian Dickie, “Each of these Verdi operas has so much potential at COT.  I look forward to seeing what the fans decide!”

The first “People’s Opera,” launched during COT’s 2008 Spring Season, raised over $47,000 for the company – and the winner, Rossini’s Moses in Egypt, will open COT’s 2010 Spring Festival Season on April 17th.  The 2009 winner, Shostakovich’s Moscow, Cheryomushki, will open Chicago Opera Theater’s 2011-12 Season.

The People’s Opera campaign begins April 5, 2010 with votes being accepted online at ChicagoOperaTheater.org and at the Harris Theater during performances of the 2010 Spring Festival Season, April 17-May 16.

Click here to vote for the People’s Opera, beginning April 5, 2010.

###

 

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

 

 Contact:
Colleen Flanigan
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
                                                                   312.704.8420, x225
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CHICAGO, IL (March 16, 2010) — Chicago Opera Theater (COT) presents the second production of their 2010 Spring Festival Season – Cavalli’s Jason (Giasone) on April 24, 28, 30 and May 2 at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park.  

This will mark the first time a Cavalli opera has been performed by a professional company in Chicago.

“Many people in Chicago are going to make a miraculous discovery after they have seen Giasone, and they’ll wonder how it is possible that Cavalli was overlooked  in this city for so many years,” said COT General Director Brian Dickie. 

Jason is the first opera in Chicago Opera Theater’s presentation of three baroque masterpieces in the next three seasons.  This baroque “trilogy” will be devoted to the exploration of three operas with Medea as a central character.  In addition to Jason, COT will present Medea (Médée) by Marc-Antoine Charpentier in 2011, and Teseo by George Frideric Handel in 2012.

This will mark the first collaboration between Chicago Opera Theater and Baroque Band, the orchestra for Jason.  Founded in 2007 by British baroque violinist Garry Clarke, Baroque Band has rapidly established itself as an important member of Chicago’s musical community. As Chicago’s period-instrument orchestra, it has been hailed by critics and audiences and has gained a reputation as one of the most exciting period-instrument ensembles in the United States.

“Baroque Band is delighted to be working with COT on this exciting project,” said Mr. Clarke.  “Using period instruments adds a vitality and articulation that can be lacking using modern equivalents. Whilst Cavalli, Bach, and Handel would undoubtedly have written very differently if they were alive today we must remember we are bringing the piece to an audience many of whom will be hearing it for the very first time.”

This comic opera cleverly mixes the myth of “Jason and the Argonauts” with bawdy humor centered around the love triangle of Jason, Medea and Isifile.  The look of the production will be inspired by the classic James Bond films of the 1960s.

Jason will be led by conductor Christian Curnyn, a rising star in the field of early music.  Mr. Curnyn founded the Early Opera Company, an ensemble dedicated to the performance of baroque opera using period instruments.  In the fall of 2008 he made his English National Opera debut conducting a new production of Handel’s Partenope—which won the Olivier Award (UK) for Best New Opera Production.  In April of last year, he conducted performances of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, also at the English National Opera.  Mr. Curnyn makes his New York City Opera debut on April 3 with Partenope.  

Directing Jason is Justin Way.  This will be his third production with Chicago Opera Theater after his triumphant Orlando in 2008 and the audience favorite Abduction from the Seraglio in 2006.  Mr. Way just finished a run of La bohème at the Minnesota Opera and earlier this year directed Carmen at the Canadian Opera Company.  He works regularly at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opera Australia, Center City Opera, and Pinchgut Opera. 

The set designer is Anka Lupes, who will make her Chicago Opera Theater debut with the first opera of the 2010 Season, Moses in Egypt.  The costume designer is Kimm Kovac, who has worked with Justin Way on both Orlando and Abduction from the Seraglio.  Returning to Chicago Opera Theater from 2009 is lighting designer Keith Parham.  He is a company member of TUTA Theatre, and has worked at The Public Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, and the Writers’ Theatre, among many others.

Cavalli’s Jason stars Franco Fagioli (countertenor) making his North American debut in the title role. General Director Brian Dickie discovered Fagioli when traveling to Argentina during auditions of the Bertelsmann Foundation’s Neue Stimmen Competition. It marked the first time a countertenor made the finals of this prestigious singing contest, and Mr. Fagioli went on to win the top prize. Since then, he has begun an international career, most notably at the Bonn Opera, Teatro Colon, and Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, as well as in the title role in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Zurich, Oslo and Karlsruhe.

Singing the role of Medea is Sasha Cooke (mezzo-soprano).  Ms. Cooke starred as Kitty Oppenheimer in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of John Adams’ Doctor Atomic, and sang this past November in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  Grazia Doronzio (soprano), who sings Isifile, made her Metropolitan Opera debut last season as Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto, and recently sang with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the Mozart Requiem.   Ms. Cooke and Ms. Doronzio are recent graduates of the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Program.   The role of Egeo will be sung by Vale Rideout (tenor), whose engagements in 2010 included Boston Lyric Opera (Turn of the Screw), Nashville Opera (The Fall of the House of Usher) and the upcoming Elmer Gantry at the Florentine Opera.

Returning to Chicago Opera Theater this season is Andriana Chuchman (soprano) as Alinda and Andrew Funk (bass) as Besso.  Ms. Chuchman sang Dorinda in COT’s 2008 production of Orlando.  The Chicago Tribune said she “sang with winning freshness, sparkle and charm; you didn’t want to take your eyes off her.” Mr. Funk returns to COT after singing Commendatore in COT’s 2008 production of Don Giovanni.  His previous COT appearances were in Noah’s Flood (2002) and Orfeo (2000), which went on to the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2003.

Jason runs for four performances only on April 24, 28, 30, and May 2, 2010 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, 205 East Randolph Drive.

Season Subscriptions for the 2010 Spring Festival Season range from $90-$345 and include a ticket to Jason (Giasone), as well as Rossini’s Moses in Egypt and Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers.   Single tickets are also on sale, and range from $30-$120.  COT also offers a half-off discounted student rate in most sections. 

Tickets may be purchased at Chicago Opera Theater: ChicagoOperaTheater.org or 312.704.8414.    Tickets may also be purchased at the Harris Theater:  HarrisTheaterChicago.org or 312.334.7777.

Jason is generously supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Suzanne L. Wagner.

Francesco Cavalli

JASON (Giasone)

April 24, 28, 30 at 7:30pm; May 2 at 3pm

Conductor:	CHRISTIAN CURNYN
Director:	JUSTIN WAY
Set Designer:	ANKA LUPES
Costume Designer:	KIMM KOVAC
Lighting Designer:	KEITH PARHAM

CAST (Alphabetical):

Demo	JULIUS AHN
Oreste	EVAN BOYER
Alinda	ANDRIANA CHUCHMAN
Medea	SASHA COOKE
Isifile	GRAZIA DORONZIO
Giasone	FRANCO FAGIOLI
Besso	ANDREW FUNK
Delfa	TYLER NELSON
Egeo	VALE RIDEOUT

Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

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Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Contact:
Daniel Jackman
Marketing Associate
312.704.8420 x213
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CHICAGO OPERA THEATER ANNOUNCES
"CHICAGO’S SPRING OPERA PACKAGE"
FOR THE 2010 SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON

Chicago Opera Theater partners with theWit Hotel to present
an overnight package that includes two premier tickets
to the opera!

CHICAGO, IL (March 29, 2010)—Chicago Opera Theater (COT) is partnering with theWit Hotel to present "Chicago’s Spring Opera Package." The package includes an overnight stay and two premier tickets to any opera in COT’s 2010 Spring Festival Season! This opportunity offers out-of-town opera fans the opportunity to come and visit Chicago and experience Chicago Opera Theater’s critically acclaimed productions.

The partnership allows guests to enjoy accommodations at Chicago’s hottest hotel theWit, recently named one of the "Trendiest Hotels" by TripAdvisor. And then guests attend Chicago Opera Theater, the company that the Chicago Tribune praised saying "No self-respecting opera lover could fail to appreciate what a world-class treasure Chicago has in this company." And the Chicago Reader calls COT "Chicago’s most interesting opera company."

Guests can book there package reservation online at thewithotel.com/COT or call 312.467.0200 and mention "Chicago’s Spring Opera Package."

Chicago Opera Theater’s 2010 Spring Festival Season runs from April 17 through May 16 at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. The three operas of the season are: Gioachino Rossini’s Moses in Egypt (Mosè in Egitto) on April 17, 21, 23, and 25; Francesco Cavalli’s Jason (Giasone) on April 24, 28, 30, and May 2; and Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers May 8, 12, 14, and 16.

Moses in Egypt is a serious Rossini opera that tells the Biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Chicago Opera Theater will present the U.S. premiere of the edition by Charles Brauner for Philip Gossett’s critical edition of Rossini’s complete works. The opera contains what some consider Rossini’s most glorious music which will be supported by a haunting chorus.

Jason is a baroque masterpiece that tells the story of Jason, Medea and his Argonauts – James Bond style. This comic opera will be led by Christian Curnyn, one of the most heralded young conductors today. The Guardian called his 2008 production of Jason at Opera of Iford (UK) one of "great panache," and credited Curnyn with ensuring "that the sheer variety and power of Cavalli’s score comes across." The opera is also the anchor of City of Chicago’s first annual Early Music Festival.   

Three Decembers stars the legendary Frederica von Stade reprising her role as Maddy in this opera written especially for her by Heggie. Frederica von Stade is described by the New York Times as "one of America’s finest artists and singers." These performances will be Ms. von Stade’s final stage performances in Chicago before retirement!  Jake Heggie, a skilled pianist, will be playing piano with the orchestra for this production.

Guests interested in purchasing only tickets to the opera(s) can buy online at ChicagoOperaTheater.org or by phone at 312.704.8414.

CHICAGO OPERA THEATER
Founded in 1974, Chicago Opera Theater has carved a significant place for itself in the operatic life of Chicago and has reached an audience of hundreds of thousands through its main stage performances, outreach, education and young artist programs. Since Brian Dickie’s appointment as General Director in 1999, COT has evolved as an opera company that is young, fresh, and colorful – an image well suited to its surroundings at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park.

theWit Hotel
Chicago Opera Theater’s Preferred Hotel Partner theWit Hotel is Chicago’s hottest hotel and was recently named Trip Advisor’s #1 "Travelers’ Choice" Hotel and prides itself on being "More Experience Than Hotel." theWit is the ideal location for out-of-town guests and is home to ROOF, one of the Top 10 Roof Bars in the US! Guests can also enjoy fine dining at cibo matto which specializes in Northern Italian cuisine or savor American Gastro Pub specials at State and Lake.

 

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Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

We’ve written a few times about the UK libel lawsuit brought by the British Chriropractor’s Association (BCA) against writer/scientist Simon Singh, because he called some of the BCA’s claims (concerning what chiropractic work can do) “bogus.” The courts had originally determined that the word “bogus” meant being deliberately dishonest and found him guilty of libel in a determination of how that word usage would be viewed at trial. In response, a large group of people have been ripping apart claims by the BCA with detailed analyses (stuff many in the press won’t touch for fear of being sued as well). The case had become so involved that Singh stopped writing his column to focus on the lawsuit.



Thankfully, there’s some good news, as the court has now decided that the original ruling was a mistake and Singh can use a defense of “fair comment” as the basis for his column. As such the trial will continue, but Singh is in a better position. Amazingly, despite all of this the BCA still wants to fight. At some point you wonder why they don’t just back down. The more they fight, the more people expose them for making, yes, bogus claims. Singh and others aren’t claiming that chiropractors don’t do any good — they’re just questioning some of the more extreme, and scientifically unsupported, claims made by the BCA. If the BCA were smart, they’d focus on improving their messaging, not fighting back.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, New York Auto Show, Coupe, Budget, Scion

Yesterday, Scion revealed their brand spankin’ new 2011 tC to the world’s automotive press here at the New York Auto Show. We happen to think the car looks just fine, but will admit that for a youth oriented brand such as Scion, a little bit more aggression might have been nice. Meet the Five Axis tuned Scion tC, a car that couldn’t get much more aggressive unless it was holding a gun. A really big one. \ If you don’t know, Five Axis is mostly known for their show car offerings.

The “Blood Shot Red” paint is slathered over a four-inch wide body kit. The lower grill is just plain nuts. Sadly the doors of this concept were locked, but we could see (but not really photograph) that the interior’s stuffed with all sorts of customized good stuff, with lots of what appears to be leather and suede. The suspension is made up of Tein adjustable coil-overs. The brakes are ginormous (especially for a 180-horsepower tC), measuring 14-inches in front and 13-inches in the rear. But the brakes aren’t the crazy part.

The crazy part consists of the wheels. Ready? The front wheels are so big they require 245/30/20 rubber. The rear? 295/30/20. That’s right, the rear wheels are 10.5-inches wide. Remember this car’s a front-wheel driver. Sort of gives new meaning to the phrase, “all show and no go,” eh?

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

New York 2010: Five Axis mods the 2011 Scion tC originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want a free PSP Go? Get your creative juices flowing and fire up Gravity Crash’s level editor on your PS3. Sony is giving away a branded PSP Go to the best community-created levels hand-picked by the game’s developers

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Lamborghini, Design/Style

Remember Holger Schubert? He’s the Brentwood, California resident who won awards from Maserati and Architecture Digest magazine for his innovative garage set-up that placed his classic Ferrari 512BB in a living room-style garage. Unfortunately, his myopic neighbors put the architectural feat at risk with their disapproval of his driveway ramp. But another homeowner across the Pacific has commissioned a similar arrangement that is drawing attention.

Renowned Japanese architect Takuya Tsuchida was approached by a client to build a house on a 2,000-square-foot plot in suburban Tokyo with some very specific instructions. One, there had to be an atrium running up the middle of the house with a potted tree occupying the center. Two, there had to be a nine-car garage on premises to house the owner’s car collection. And three, he had to be able to see his prized ponies from the living room.

Sounds complicated enough, but Tsuchida didn’t disappoint. His solution was to fit the garage with an elevator platform that can raise one of the cars right into the living space: in this case, a Lamborghini Countach Anniversary Edition, although we can spy what looks like a Diablo GT peering through the opening as well. Sure beats the knickknacks we’ve got piling up in our fantasy living room. Oh, and the rest of the house looks pretty nice, too. Thanks for the tip, Pat!

[Source: What We Do Is Secret via today and tomorrow]

How Uplifting: Tokyo home elevates Lamborghini Countach right into living room originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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