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Laoqiang Opera Experiences a Revival in China

Added 02/03/12
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Activists Rally at UN for Chinese Lawyer Gao Zhisheng

Added 01/23/12
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On "If I were a poor Black kid"...

Added 12/28/11
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On "If I were a poor Black kid"...

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 07:41:54 12/28/11
[ VIDEO ] Joe Hicks discusses the controversy over Gene Marks' blog post at Forbes entitled " If I were a poor Black kid ". Basically he asks, "Why can't white people contribute to the national dialogue on race and racism?" It does seem like a cop out to just tell someone that they have nothing to say because they're not a poor Black child so they can't relate in any way. I've had a white geography teacher in high school - GO FALCONS - who said that he could relate because he was poor. Of course the conclusion could be that he thinks all Blacks are poor, but that's only a thought and not necessarily based on reality. All the same Marks bounces off of a recent speech by President Obama in Kansas where he discussed the gap between the rich and the poor: > The President’s speech got me thinking. My kids are no smarter than similar kids their age from the inner city. My kids have it much easier than their counterparts from West Philadelphia . The world is not fair to those kids mainly because they had the misfortune of being born two miles away into a more difficult part of the world and with a skin color that makes realizing the opportunities that the President spoke about that much harder. This is a fact. In 2011. I am not a poor black kid. I am a middle aged white guy who comes from a middle class white background. So life was easier for me. But that doesn’t mean that the prospects are impossible for those kids from the inner city. It doesn’t mean that there are no opportunities for them. Or that the 1% control the world and the rest of us have to fight over the scraps left behind. I don’t believe that. I believe that everyone in this country has a chance to succeed. Still. In 2011. Even a poor black kid in West Philadelphia. It takes brains. It takes hard work. It takes a little luck. And a little help from others. It takes the ability and the know-how to use the resources that are available. Like technology. As a person who sells and has worked with technology all my life I also know this. If I was a poor black kid I would first and most importantly work to make sure I got the best grades possible. I would make it my #1 priority to be able to read sufficiently. I wouldn’t care if I was a student at the worst public middle school in the worst inner city. Even the worst have their best. And the very best students, even at the worst schools, have more opportunities. Getting good grades is the key to having more options. With good grades you can choose different, better paths. If you do poorly in school, particularly in a lousy school, you’re severely limiting the limited opportunities you have. And I would use the technology available to me as a student. I know a few school teachers and they tell me that many inner city parents usually have or can afford cheap computers and internet service nowadays. That because (and sadly) it’s oftentimes a necessary thing to keep their kids safe at home than on the streets. And libraries and schools have computers available too. Computers can be purchased cheaply at outlets like TigerDirect and Dell’s Outlet . Professional organizations like accountants and architects often offer used computers from their members, sometimes at no cost at all. You will see at the end of this posting links to several rebuts to Marks' comments. I will add my two cents just as Hicks and those other links have. I didn't go to the very best schools in Chicago. I'd say my old elementary school was an average at best school and my old high school - when I attended - was one of the worst. My marks weren't that great in elementary school but for some reason my marks in high school were often in the honor roll range. With that in mind though I consider that a fluke today. My time in high school wasn't a time to seek out options. I never thought of my grades as a ticket mainly because they were had too easy. It was never a challenge academically and who knows how that would've been weathered. The serious challenge was in college where I struggled to keep up. If only I had the tools back then that the young people have today to help me study and understand the various subjects. I wouldn't just be ahead of my peers but it would be light years ahead of them. But when I was in public school most of those tools did not yet exist. In spite of the nay sayers - and I will get to one in a moment - Marks isn't wrong. Make the best grades you can where you are take advantage of all the tools you can. Don't have a PC at home go somewhere to use one, especially the library. At that there are people at your school who if you establish a relationship with them will help you move forward. This nay sayer, well is making more of this than he realizes: > No believer in Bell Curv-ish nonsense about black intellectual inferiority, Marks makes clear that the children about whom he speaks are no less capable than his own kids. Of course, one wonders just how much of a compliment Marks really intends for this to be, given his strange habit of dissing his offspring, on more than one occasion, as rather unintelligent, unmotivated, promiscuous and even inclined to petty criminality. Not sure what kind of asshole says things like this about his children in print, but I suppose we can leave that discussion for another day. No doubt Marks would say that he was simply encouraging poor African American kids to take personal responsibility for their success. He might even say that by acknowledging unfair and unjust structural inequity (and even, indirectly, white privilege), he was doing so in a politically ecumenical way. Certainly Marks would perceive his words and intentions as quite different from those of right-wingers whose hectoring of the poor so often involves blaming those at the bottom of the nation’s economic hierarchy for their station in life. To Marks, poor black kids are not to blame for the position in which they find themselves, but they nonetheless hold the keys to their own liberation, and if they would simply follow his sage counsel they could surely make it, like anyone else: even the cerebrally challenged and oversexed spawn who slumber each night just down the hall from he and his wife. There is much one could say about Marks’s advice — rather typical bootstrapping fare about studying hard, coupled with a more modern emphasis on becoming a techie like him, and thereby, presumably, an irresistible college or job applicant — and most of it has been said already. Like, for instance, this piece , or this one , or this one , or maybe this one , all of which eloquently critique the privileged and naive mindset displayed by Marks, and explain how even when poor kids of color do everything right, the structures of society are too often set up to help them fail anyway. ... And it’s this last point that we might do well to explore further. Fact is, Gene Marks knows his readership at Forbes . He knows that it includes virtually none of the people to whom he is ostensibly offering advice, which means that he isn’t really giving them advice at all; rather, he is inviting his mostly white, mostly affluent audience to engage in a perverse moralistic voyeurism at the expense of impoverished African American youth, almost none of whom that readership will ever meet, and whom they will, in fact, go out of their way to avoid. He is offering a kind of secret white-male handshake to others in the club, assuring them that the problems of urban poverty are not theirs to fix, that they are off the hook as it were, and isn’t that a relief? That Marks may not be as vile in his desire to blame the poor for their status as some, hardly acquits him of the charge that by pandering to the biases of his readership, he has, with some 700-odd simple (and simplistic) words, managed to reinscribe all the worst of their prejudices, many of which one can see on grand display in the readers’ comments section of the original article. Make no mistake, Gene Marks’s column is contempt cloaked as compassion and bigotry dressed up as benevolence. And it can do nothing but contribute to the indifference and even antipathy towards the poor that those who rely on Forbes for insights already possess in ample supply. Starting with that last paragraph it's true, Forbes may not have a significant audience in poor inner city communities. Without having to purchase a subscription you can always go to a library to access past issues of magazines. Also with internet access you can access magazines as well and blog posts such as this one which surely don't require a subscription. As for Mr. Tim Wise who wrote the above excerpts, how is he going to call that man out for what he refers to his kids. Yeah it may be wrong to say your kids are very bright, but somewhere out there some parent is doing it. I also recognize that Marks is merely a commentator who is definitely using his platform to say what he wants to say. The main point surely Marks is making is that his children are not much different than poor inner city children. Just that they have different opportunities living in a different part of the Philadelphia area than the inner city children. Perhaps even different expectations from parents, perhaps different staff and different schools. He didn't write the "poor black kid" piece to denigrate his children. I think what he wrote was real. It shouldn't be impeached merely for that reason. That alone is weak! Although to Mr. Wise's credit he is at least has some suggestions for Marks to put his money where his mouth is. Marks could always help get the information out aside from using his platform at Forbes.

Mosaic News - 12/13/11: World News From The Middle East [VIDEO]

Added 12/13/11
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Mosaic News - 12/13/11: World News From The Middle East [VIDEO]

Added 12/13/11
52 Views

Marketing Update:Social Objects & Marketing with @GapingVoid

Added 11/11/11
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Marketing Update:Social Objects & Marketing with @GapingVoid

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 22:48:12 11/11/11
Episode #174 - November 11th, 2011 Intro How to interact on Twtter: Include #HubSpotTV in your tweet! On the show today is Mike Volpe (@mvolpe), Karen Rubin (@KarenRubin) and special guest Hugh MacLeod (@gapingvoid) As always, all the old episodes are in iTunes. If you like the show, please leave a 5-star review! Anyone is welcome to come by the show to watch as part of the live studio audience - 4pm Friday Special Guest: Hugh MacLeod Your Twitter bio says you are a "Cartoonist, bestselling author and marketing apostate." I had to go look up apostate and it's defined as "a person who abandons his religion, party, or cause." So have you abandoned marketing? Tell us about social objects? what is a social object and how do they relate to social networks? How should marketers think about social objects? Marketing Automation: Doing It Right http://www.hubspot.com/marketing-automation-examples/bid/28757/Great-Marketing-Automation-Ontolo-s-New-Version-Announcement I've been doing a poor job of giving you what you really, truly need as a link builder. For some reason, I thought I knew what you wanted better than you did. Because of that, we've built some of the most complex link building tools in the industry. In this letter (reprinted in part uncensored with their permission), the CEO of Ontolo, Ben Wills, apologizes for having led their product in a bad direction over their last version and explains the thought process and decisions that spurred the newest version of their product, which they are releasing next week. Ben ends the letter with a note that he will be sending a follow-up email with more product specific information on Friday morning to follow up, and thanks the community for being involved. The email never directly asks for anything except the reader's forgiveness for being subjected to sub-par software. They used this letter in other channels besides email, by publishing it on their blog and social media accounts as well. Ben sets clear expectations for his follow-up - After sending this message on Wednesday, he notes that you'll receive another email on Friday with more information about the next version of their product. On Friday morning when the next email went out, the people who received it were excited to do so: Ontolo had built up some suspense and excitement for the next version of their software. Imagine if your leads were actually EXCITED to receive their next piece of email marketing from you. Marketing Takeaway: You don't have to kill kittens when you automate your marketing efforts. Headlines Vsnap Celebrate our Vetrans http://vthankyou.com/ http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2011/10/30/south-boston-start-arranges-social-media-tribute-veterans/5aexQZLtAAcAkTnOsglb0N/story.html Vsnap allows users to exchange brief video messages and attachments. The company, which is planning to launch a beta site in mid-November, is hoping to take advantage of the increasing capability of smartphones and computers to record and send video easily. started brainstorming about how it could be used to pay tribute to American veterans on Veterans Day, Nov. 11 and came up with the Vthankyou Each video message posted on the group’s Twitter and Facebook sites will unlock a $1 donation to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that creates programs to help injured members of the military. Seen an increase from 10-100 impressions up to 500 impressions per post on Facebook. Having trouble measuring Twitter, since not everyone uses the hashtag, however impressions have have ranged from 6,000 towards the beginning of the campaign last week to 57,000 over the past couple days or so. Vsnap.com is seeing about 54% new visitors 46% returning with an average site time 5+ minutes. Coverage in the Globe, Boston Magazine, BostInno as well as others. Marketing Takeaway: Create unique social objects FTW! Google+ Launches Business Pages http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/28618/Google-Finally-Launches-Business-Pages.aspx Google+ Pages have a similar look and feel to Facebook Pages, allowing businesses to leverage the social network to connect with their audience, spread their messages, promote their content, and generate leads. http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/28624/How-to-Create-a-Google-Business-Page-in-5-Simple-Steps.aspx With a network of more than 40 million members, Google+ is indeed deserving of your marketing attention, so smart marketers should set up their Google+ Pages as soon as possible. Avoid creating your business page through just any old account, such as a personal gmail account. Instead, choose a gmail account that is accessible to multiple members of your marketing team (e.g. companymarketingteam@gmail.com), and use that account to create your page. Promoting a blank page isn't a great way to convince people that your Page is valuable enough to add to their Circles. So invest some time into optimizing your page and sharing a few links to valuable content before you start promoting it to the masses. Marketing Takeaway: Haven't set up your Google+ Business page? What are you waiting for?!?! Google Launches Think Insights for Marketers http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2011/11/googles-think-insights-gives-marketers-plenty-to-think-about.html As if there wasn’t enough data flying around these days now Google has opened up a veritable information maniac’s fantasy land with their just out of beta Think Insights offering. Some things you can find on Think Insights Based on search history, consumer demand for pretzels peaks in what month of the year? How much (in $) does search add to the world’s GDP? In 2011, what percent of people dreamed and brainstormed about their next vacation? What percent of the daily queries on Google.com have never been seen before? A mobile example, 85% of mobile devices will be web enabled by next year. Mobile search has grown 4x in the past year. 1 in 3 mobile searches have local intent. 30% of restaurant searches are from mobile devices. Followed by related studies, articles, tools, videos & infographics Marketing Takeaway: Find interesting data and share it with everyone! Marketing Tip of the Week

Michelle Duggar Expecting Baby Number 20

Added 11/08/11
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Michelle Duggar Expecting Baby Number 20

Added 11/08/11
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New Hampshire Haunted by Alinsky Ghost - BOO!

Added 10/31/11
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New Hampshire Haunted by Alinsky Ghost - BOO!

[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 20:00:16 10/31/11
Wow, keep it up tea partiers. This is really stunning. A 15-year old student asks a legitimate question about voting rights and is completely ripped on by Bill O'Brien, New Hampshire's Speaker of the House. Way to alienate young people from conservatism there, Billy-boy. Here's the backstory, from "michael" on Blue Hampshire : > However, this is when I lifted my hand and asked my question. I asked him about the aforementioned quote about students and whether or not he believed that there should be a litmus test based on ideology determining who gets to vote easily and conveniently. His response was not to answer the question I quite politely posed, but to start speaking in a rather untoward, declamatory manner about how I "demonized" him and how liberals "demonize" conservatives instead of talking about the important issues of the day- namely, supporting business, lowering taxes, cutting spending and family values. He then went on to distemperately rant about Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals", bitterly implying that I, a flipping fifteen year old, am a Communist subversive, sandwiched between lines about me demonizing Republicans. I think it's worth reading the transcript of Michael's question: > First, you mentioned in a conversation with several Tea Party members at a Tea Party meeting that you wanted a law passed that would stop out-of-state students from voting in New Hampshire because, quote -- Students, when they're in college -- I'm paraphrasing here -- Students, when they're in college, they're sitting around, they're voting their feelings, they're being foolish, they're voting liberal. What is the threshold for when someone can actually exercise their Constitutional right to vote? Is someone's ideology supposed to be a litmus test? Or age, when it's Constitutionally allowed, intended on being a litmus test on who can vote? I mean -- OBRIEN: No, no, no. What's your second question? There's a series of questions. What's your second question? What do you think, C%L readers? Fair question? I think so, particularly in light of the ongoing war on voting happening around this country, courtesy of the Tea Party and conservatives. But the answer is just...well, it's like Glenn Beck's more-evil twin was sitting at the front of the room. > OBRIEN: You know there's a [unintelligible] thread in all of this. Namely Saul Alinsky. And Saul Alinsky realized that something -- you know, he was a Marxist back in the 40s, 50s and 60s. He realized something. He realized that the United States would never, never turn socialist. And so he thought to himself, how do I get socialism? And so he wrote this book that still [unintelligible]...he operated out of Chicago and he wrote this book and it's called "Rules for Radicals." And the Rules for Radical work never taught any substantive issues with conservative politicians. Try to demonize them, try to marginalize them, try to radicalize them, make them something strange and different and exotic. And so we see among conservative Republican leaders in this country a constant effort to try to marginalize them. You know, Sarah Palin's, not a leader, she's not educated well, and Newt Gingrich is kind of a fat guy, and Herman Cain is -- you know. What we find is that people want to talk about issues like that, rather than issues that are important to our state. In fact, I was joking around with some people talking about voter ID and voter laws and having a joke with people, and that's all they want to talk about. Marginalize this guy, make sure that his conservative agenda isn't being talked about. Let's not talk about the substantive issues of overtaxing. Let's not talk about the issues of bringing jobs and affordable government back here. Let's see if we can just marginalize him. And that's what you're doing. Yes, Alice, you've fallen down the conservative rabbit hole into that other place where they do what they say others do. That would be the conservative rabbit hole with the unending assault on anyone who disagrees, the turning-around of a substantive question by conjuring forth Saul Alinsky from the corridors of the dead to distract, deflect, and otherwise ignore a reasonable question by a soon-to-be voting citizen of this great country. Let me see if I can actually pull the substance away from the fiction. Evidently Mr. O'Brien was heard to say that he didn't think students should vote because they vote liberal. Mr. O'Brien doesn't like liberals very much. Therefore, he feels that it's his duty to remove their constitutionally guaranteed voting rights from them. Do watch the video past the transcription, where another student stands up, outraged that Mr. O'Brien is marginalizing him and his right to vote coming up in a few years. It will restore your faith in humanity, at least, a little bit. This video is a remarkable sleight-of-hand on Mr. O'Brien's part. Even when confronted with the vote in New Hampshire's House of Representatives which would have disenfranchised student voters there, O'Brien ducks the real question and chooses instead to launch an attack on the person asking it, as though the question itself were simply justification to trash liberals rather than actually address a legitimate concern. In fact, that concern is more than well-founded. The first version of New Hampshire's Voter ID bill was vetoed by the Governor, prompting a second version to be put forward in the House of Representatives. This is the bill michael is asking about. Via PeoplesWorld : > According to their detractors, New Hampshire Republican leaders are part of what is called a corporate-driven Republican national agenda. The American Legislative Exchange Council, which, according to the American Association for Justice, operates as " the ultimate smoke-filled back room ," is seen to have its hands in New Hampshire politics. In August, Granite State Progress called on New Hampshire House Speaker Bill O'Brien to release a list of state legislators who had attended ALEC's recent conference. The voter ID drive in New Hampshire is itself far from dead, however. Republicans in the state's House of Representatives plan to revive it, possibly entering a new bill as early as Weds. The original bill was drafted in the State Senate, more right leaning than the House, and did not include the provision allowing people those without photo ID to cast provisional ballots. However, the House, in passing its version of the bill, added the rule. Fortunately it sounds as though the Governor will backstop any bill that's more to the right than the one he already vetoed, but given the push by O'Brien and his House of Representatives, it sounds like Michael asked a question regarding a substantial and far-reaching policy issue, only to be demonized, Alinsky-style. Shame on Speaker O'Brien, and kudos to Michael and his friends for standing up for their rights and putting up with that barrage of verbal abuse. [h/t Daily Kos ]

New Hampshire Haunted by Alinsky Ghost - BOO!

Added 10/31/11
14 Views

New Hampshire Haunted by Alinsky Ghost - BOO!

[LESS INFO] 14 VIEWS | ADDED 20:00:16 10/31/11
Wow, keep it up tea partiers. This is really stunning. A 15-year old student asks a legitimate question about voting rights and is completely ripped on by Bill O'Brien, New Hampshire's Speaker of the House. Way to alienate young people from conservatism there, Billy-boy. Here's the backstory, from "michael" on Blue Hampshire : > However, this is when I lifted my hand and asked my question. I asked him about the aforementioned quote about students and whether or not he believed that there should be a litmus test based on ideology determining who gets to vote easily and conveniently. His response was not to answer the question I quite politely posed, but to start speaking in a rather untoward, declamatory manner about how I "demonized" him and how liberals "demonize" conservatives instead of talking about the important issues of the day- namely, supporting business, lowering taxes, cutting spending and family values. He then went on to distemperately rant about Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals", bitterly implying that I, a flipping fifteen year old, am a Communist subversive, sandwiched between lines about me demonizing Republicans. I think it's worth reading the transcript of Michael's question: > First, you mentioned in a conversation with several Tea Party members at a Tea Party meeting that you wanted a law passed that would stop out-of-state students from voting in New Hampshire because, quote -- Students, when they're in college -- I'm paraphrasing here -- Students, when they're in college, they're sitting around, they're voting their feelings, they're being foolish, they're voting liberal. What is the threshold for when someone can actually exercise their Constitutional right to vote? Is someone's ideology supposed to be a litmus test? Or age, when it's Constitutionally allowed, intended on being a litmus test on who can vote? I mean -- OBRIEN: No, no, no. What's your second question? There's a series of questions. What's your second question? What do you think, C%L readers? Fair question? I think so, particularly in light of the ongoing war on voting happening around this country, courtesy of the Tea Party and conservatives. But the answer is just...well, it's like Glenn Beck's more-evil twin was sitting at the front of the room. > OBRIEN: You know there's a [unintelligible] thread in all of this. Namely Saul Alinsky. And Saul Alinsky realized that something -- you know, he was a Marxist back in the 40s, 50s and 60s. He realized something. He realized that the United States would never, never turn socialist. And so he thought to himself, how do I get socialism? And so he wrote this book that still [unintelligible]...he operated out of Chicago and he wrote this book and it's called "Rules for Radicals." And the Rules for Radical work never taught any substantive issues with conservative politicians. Try to demonize them, try to marginalize them, try to radicalize them, make them something strange and different and exotic. And so we see among conservative Republican leaders in this country a constant effort to try to marginalize them. You know, Sarah Palin's, not a leader, she's not educated well, and Newt Gingrich is kind of a fat guy, and Herman Cain is -- you know. What we find is that people want to talk about issues like that, rather than issues that are important to our state. In fact, I was joking around with some people talking about voter ID and voter laws and having a joke with people, and that's all they want to talk about. Marginalize this guy, make sure that his conservative agenda isn't being talked about. Let's not talk about the substantive issues of overtaxing. Let's not talk about the issues of bringing jobs and affordable government back here. Let's see if we can just marginalize him. And that's what you're doing. Yes, Alice, you've fallen down the conservative rabbit hole into that other place where they do what they say others do. That would be the conservative rabbit hole with the unending assault on anyone who disagrees, the turning-around of a substantive question by conjuring forth Saul Alinsky from the corridors of the dead to distract, deflect, and otherwise ignore a reasonable question by a soon-to-be voting citizen of this great country. Let me see if I can actually pull the substance away from the fiction. Evidently Mr. O'Brien was heard to say that he didn't think students should vote because they vote liberal. Mr. O'Brien doesn't like liberals very much. Therefore, he feels that it's his duty to remove their constitutionally guaranteed voting rights from them. Do watch the video past the transcription, where another student stands up, outraged that Mr. O'Brien is marginalizing him and his right to vote coming up in a few years. It will restore your faith in humanity, at least, a little bit. This video is a remarkable sleight-of-hand on Mr. O'Brien's part. Even when confronted with the vote in New Hampshire's House of Representatives which would have disenfranchised student voters there, O'Brien ducks the real question and chooses instead to launch an attack on the person asking it, as though the question itself were simply justification to trash liberals rather than actually address a legitimate concern. In fact, that concern is more than well-founded. The first version of New Hampshire's Voter ID bill was vetoed by the Governor, prompting a second version to be put forward in the House of Representatives. This is the bill michael is asking about. Via PeoplesWorld : > According to their detractors, New Hampshire Republican leaders are part of what is called a corporate-driven Republican national agenda. The American Legislative Exchange Council, which, according to the American Association for Justice, operates as " the ultimate smoke-filled back room ," is seen to have its hands in New Hampshire politics. In August, Granite State Progress called on New Hampshire House Speaker Bill O'Brien to release a list of state legislators who had attended ALEC's recent conference. The voter ID drive in New Hampshire is itself far from dead, however. Republicans in the state's House of Representatives plan to revive it, possibly entering a new bill as early as Weds. The original bill was drafted in the State Senate, more right leaning than the House, and did not include the provision allowing people those without photo ID to cast provisional ballots. However, the House, in passing its version of the bill, added the rule. Fortunately it sounds as though the Governor will backstop any bill that's more to the right than the one he already vetoed, but given the push by O'Brien and his House of Representatives, it sounds like Michael asked a question regarding a substantial and far-reaching policy issue, only to be demonized, Alinsky-style. Shame on Speaker O'Brien, and kudos to Michael and his friends for standing up for their rights and putting up with that barrage of verbal abuse. [h/t Daily Kos ]

Turbid North Live in Studio B

Added 10/12/11
11 Views

Turbid North Live in Studio B

[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 21:22:58 10/12/11
Turbid North performs live in Studio B of Mevio in San Francisco About Turbid North: “I was reading a book of Alaskan survival stories and one of the stories struck me as an inspiration” Nick Forkel (guitar/vocal) of Turbid North relates the inspiration to the band’s new album “Orogeny.” “It was the story of this hunter who was trapped in the wilderness at the height of winter and things got worse and worse for him. His will to survive and his hunter’s instinct helped him to overcome this hell and the album follows that. It’s about overcoming the odds no matter how grim and the survival instinct we all have.” Self-proclaimed Alaskan mountain metal Turbid North’s sound retains the galloping thrash of early 80’s period of bands like Metallica and Kreator, the technical and abrasive shredding of modern death metal and even moments of bluesy and flowing solos reminiscient of Randy Rhoades period Ozzy. The songs are as epic as the storyline of the hunter and the fully painted artwork that adorns each page reflects the story. The artwork was done by Alex Rydlinski (guitar) and even contains a lost touchstone of metal, the bad-ass mascot (see pic above) “We call him Snow Death” says Forkel, “he represents old man winter throwing everything he can to make the hunter fail.” The story of Turbid North parallels the hunter as they both have a strong drive to survive and meet challenges. The band started in North Pole, Alaska back in 2001 right near Fairbanks. Original members Forkel, Rydlinski and his brother Adam Rydlinski (drums) were accomplished musicians with Adam even spending time in the Alaskan Symphony Orchestra. “We quickly made it to the top of the Fairbanks metal scene” says Forkel “but there was really no where to go from there.” Though big acts in the world of heavy music rarely came, when they did come Turbid North were selected as the opening band. The group opened for Darkest Hour, Godsmack (twice), Adema and their show with Drowning Pool changed their lives. “The guys in Drowning Pool watched us and said you guys are great but you’ll never make it if you stay here. They told us that the scene in their home area of Dallas/Ft Worth Texas was great and that we could really make a name out there.” The band worked full time as Lumber Jacks saving up all their money and a little over three years ago picked up and moved to Fort Worth, Texas. The band entrenched themselves in the live music scene, making a sizeable dent in the Texas metal scene building a respectable audience. Leaving their original bassist in Alaska, the band came to the attention of Chris O’Toole, who recently moved from the UK to Texas strangely enough. O’Toole sent audition videos from the UK to the band and joined their ranks. In 2009 the original vocalist left to return to Alaska and his replacement was Brian McCoy, ex vocalist of Debri, who won the Ozzfest Battle Of The Bands in 2008. Today the band lives together in the same house where they recorded Orogeny in their home studio by Forkel. They have done multiple regional tours through the Texas and surrounding areas playing with such artists as Goatwhore and Skeletonwitch. The band plans to embark on another tour this fall and a video paralleling the album’s story is in the works. Members: Chris O’Toole – Bass Nick Forkel – Guitar Brian McCoy – Vocals Alex Rydlinksi – Guitar Adam Rydlinski – Drums Discography “Under the Eight” (2008) “Orogeny” (2010) Links http://www.myspace.com/turbidnorth MySpace Facebook Last.fm Twitter

Turbid North - Live in Studio B - Part 1 - Kodiak

Added 10/12/11
11 Views

Turbid North - Live in Studio B - Part 1 - Kodiak

[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 21:12:30 10/12/11
Part 2 of Turbid North performing live in Studio B of Mevio in San Francisco For the full performance CLICK HERE About Turbid North: “I was reading a book of Alaskan survival stories and one of the stories struck me as an inspiration” Nick Forkel (guitar/vocal) of Turbid North relates the inspiration to the band’s new album “Orogeny.” “It was the story of this hunter who was trapped in the wilderness at the height of winter and things got worse and worse for him. His will to survive and his hunter’s instinct helped him to overcome this hell and the album follows that. It’s about overcoming the odds no matter how grim and the survival instinct we all have.” Self-proclaimed Alaskan mountain metal Turbid North’s sound retains the galloping thrash of early 80’s period of bands like Metallica and Kreator, the technical and abrasive shredding of modern death metal and even moments of bluesy and flowing solos reminiscient of Randy Rhoades period Ozzy. The songs are as epic as the storyline of the hunter and the fully painted artwork that adorns each page reflects the story. The artwork was done by Alex Rydlinski (guitar) and even contains a lost touchstone of metal, the bad-ass mascot (see pic above) “We call him Snow Death” says Forkel, “he represents old man winter throwing everything he can to make the hunter fail.” The story of Turbid North parallels the hunter as they both have a strong drive to survive and meet challenges. The band started in North Pole, Alaska back in 2001 right near Fairbanks. Original members Forkel, Rydlinski and his brother Adam Rydlinski (drums) were accomplished musicians with Adam even spending time in the Alaskan Symphony Orchestra. “We quickly made it to the top of the Fairbanks metal scene” says Forkel “but there was really no where to go from there.” Though big acts in the world of heavy music rarely came, when they did come Turbid North were selected as the opening band. The group opened for Darkest Hour, Godsmack (twice), Adema and their show with Drowning Pool changed their lives. “The guys in Drowning Pool watched us and said you guys are great but you’ll never make it if you stay here. They told us that the scene in their home area of Dallas/Ft Worth Texas was great and that we could really make a name out there.” The band worked full time as Lumber Jacks saving up all their money and a little over three years ago picked up and moved to Fort Worth, Texas. The band entrenched themselves in the live music scene, making a sizeable dent in the Texas metal scene building a respectable audience. Leaving their original bassist in Alaska, the band came to the attention of Chris O’Toole, who recently moved from the UK to Texas strangely enough. O’Toole sent audition videos from the UK to the band and joined their ranks. In 2009 the original vocalist left to return to Alaska and his replacement was Brian McCoy, ex vocalist of Debri, who won the Ozzfest Battle Of The Bands in 2008. Today the band lives together in the same house where they recorded Orogeny in their home studio by Forkel. They have done multiple regional tours through the Texas and surrounding areas playing with such artists as Goatwhore and Skeletonwitch. The band plans to embark on another tour this fall and a video paralleling the album’s story is in the works. Members: Chris O’Toole – Bass Nick Forkel – Guitar Brian McCoy – Vocals Alex Rydlinksi – Guitar Adam Rydlinski – Drums Discography “Under the Eight” (2008) “Orogeny” (2010) Links http://www.myspace.com/turbidnorth MySpace Facebook Last.fm Twitter

Turbid North - Live in Studio B of Mevio - Part 2 - The Hunter

Added 10/12/11
11 Views

Turbid North - Live in Studio B of Mevio - Part 2 - The Hunter

[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 20:57:57 10/12/11
Part 2 of Turbid North performing live in Studio B of Mevio in San Francisco For the full performance CLICK HERE About Turbid North: “I was reading a book of Alaskan survival stories and one of the stories struck me as an inspiration” Nick Forkel (guitar/vocal) of Turbid North relates the inspiration to the band’s new album “Orogeny.” “It was the story of this hunter who was trapped in the wilderness at the height of winter and things got worse and worse for him. His will to survive and his hunter’s instinct helped him to overcome this hell and the album follows that. It’s about overcoming the odds no matter how grim and the survival instinct we all have.” Self-proclaimed Alaskan mountain metal Turbid North’s sound retains the galloping thrash of early 80’s period of bands like Metallica and Kreator, the technical and abrasive shredding of modern death metal and even moments of bluesy and flowing solos reminiscient of Randy Rhoades period Ozzy. The songs are as epic as the storyline of the hunter and the fully painted artwork that adorns each page reflects the story. The artwork was done by Alex Rydlinski (guitar) and even contains a lost touchstone of metal, the bad-ass mascot (see pic above) “We call him Snow Death” says Forkel, “he represents old man winter throwing everything he can to make the hunter fail.” The story of Turbid North parallels the hunter as they both have a strong drive to survive and meet challenges. The band started in North Pole, Alaska back in 2001 right near Fairbanks. Original members Forkel, Rydlinski and his brother Adam Rydlinski (drums) were accomplished musicians with Adam even spending time in the Alaskan Symphony Orchestra. “We quickly made it to the top of the Fairbanks metal scene” says Forkel “but there was really no where to go from there.” Though big acts in the world of heavy music rarely came, when they did come Turbid North were selected as the opening band. The group opened for Darkest Hour, Godsmack (twice), Adema and their show with Drowning Pool changed their lives. “The guys in Drowning Pool watched us and said you guys are great but you’ll never make it if you stay here. They told us that the scene in their home area of Dallas/Ft Worth Texas was great and that we could really make a name out there.” The band worked full time as Lumber Jacks saving up all their money and a little over three years ago picked up and moved to Fort Worth, Texas. The band entrenched themselves in the live music scene, making a sizeable dent in the Texas metal scene building a respectable audience. Leaving their original bassist in Alaska, the band came to the attention of Chris O’Toole, who recently moved from the UK to Texas strangely enough. O’Toole sent audition videos from the UK to the band and joined their ranks. In 2009 the original vocalist left to return to Alaska and his replacement was Brian McCoy, ex vocalist of Debri, who won the Ozzfest Battle Of The Bands in 2008. Today the band lives together in the same house where they recorded Orogeny in their home studio by Forkel. They have done multiple regional tours through the Texas and surrounding areas playing with such artists as Goatwhore and Skeletonwitch. The band plans to embark on another tour this fall and a video paralleling the album’s story is in the works. Members: Chris O’Toole – Bass Nick Forkel – Guitar Brian McCoy – Vocals Alex Rydlinksi – Guitar Adam Rydlinski – Drums Discography “Under the Eight” (2008) “Orogeny” (2010) Links http://www.myspace.com/turbidnorth MySpace Facebook Last.fm Twitter