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The king si dead

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VOSS2001 2.jpg VOSS2001 1.jpg Irere SS03.jpg Last week I had to write the saddest feature of my life, the one I was only supposed to write 35 or 40 years later : a single page about Lee Alexander McQueen. He was more than just another fashion designer, he was an artist and one of the very first reasons I am working in this industry.

 have often heard he didn’t care about reviews. Great. Because I didn’t really write one. Every single words I ‘ve ever written about him was from a fan point of view. And I am very proud of it.

 My very first encounter with his genius was in London, on a grim night of September, ten years ago. I had to walk in the rain and the dark, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, looking for a warehouse that I ended up finding only by chance. Then I entered a cold room, filled with tiered seats around a dark glass box. Out of the speakerphones a heart beating sound made my breathing difficult. But a few minutes later the room went totally dark, the box lighted up and the spell was cast. I saw girls with banded head run around with owls clawing at their shoulders, 3D puzzle castles collapsing from the tops of dresses, pearls rolling from trees perched on fragile looking model , feathers and shells dresses sweeping the floors in a magical and beautiful frenzy. The box got dark again. And lighted up again. With all the girls behind the glass starring at us. In the middle, a mysterious smaller box which everyone had almost forgotten broke open …to reveal a very fat and white woman, naked, surrounded by moths, with a leather mask attached to the ceiling…. Dark, strange, nightmarish? Not so much for me. It was “it”, the reason I was going to make a career in fashion: I wanted to witness that kind of miracles as often as I could…

So I did it: I saw the clowns on a merry go round with the latex covered horse, I saw the furious flamenco dancers pierced with bloody arrows, I saw the conquistadors emerging from the sea and meeting with Aztek civilization, I saw neo-Victorian women running in the basement of La Conciergerie (the oldest prison of Paris where Marie-Antoinette was detained) and that same night I felt a wolf’s fur on my knee. I saw the corseted fairies posing on a chess game, and I saw his very last creations, the hybrids females floating around in surreal shoes dressed in elaborate pieces with the most striking reptilian prints…..

 Yeah, the shows have the “waow” factor, they are a big part of the “McQueen” thing. But, contrary to what stupid people said, there is much more to him than the genius for staging his shows. This man is (sorry was) one of the very few designers able to translate his shows pieces into real clothes , just as powerful and striking. Well, I should know because I actually collect them. I am the proud owner of at least ten of his jackets. Don’t forget the guy was a tailor first, and the best of them. Don’t listen to the idiots who think he didn’t like women. At least he’s not one of this guys whose ideal woman looks like a twelve year old boy. I ’ve seen very different kinds of women wearing his clothes: no matter how old or “fat” they were, they all look good and fierce. There’s that thing with his creations: they make you look and feel better. Each time I wear one of my “Jackets” I feel my self esteem coming back, I feel like I have a backbone. It does what no anti-depressant can do: they cheer me up, I am less scared of the world….

 Well, I am aware this is a very personal story, but I think every person who’s ever learnt to know his work had a personal relationship with it. You feel attracted by his style, his world because it has a soul. Now that he’s gone, fashion has lost a part of its soul. It has also left more room for average, ready-to-forget fashion, that generates more money than dream. We are going to have to go on without him, and his genius, and it’s a hard work….

All I have to say now is: thank you very much for everything and R.I.P. Ps: please have a thought with me for his family and friends who are suffering more than anyone else 41.jpg MCQU_0004.jpg mcq16.JPG mcq7.JPGmcq1.JPG mcq3.JPG mcq8.JPG

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Yesterday in Milan I attended (and was part of) a CodeGear presentation, the first of a European tour (along with Rotterdam, I was told). Jason Vokes introduced the status of CodeGear, which claims to be "World Largest Indepentent Developer Tools Provider". The company, according to Jason, has financial strength, a growing community, and global operations. CodeGear aims to cover a broad spectrum of development tools, languages, platforms. He also underlines the speed of product delivery in 2007: truly there have been many releases on the Delphi and Java sides, plus the entry into two new languages, PHP and (soon) Ruby.

The second speaker was Pawel Glowacki, who introduced the soon-to-be-released Ruby on Rails IDE, called 3rdRail. It is one of the first few RAD IDEs for Ruby on Rails, with the aims of (quoting Pawel):
- accelerate development
- increase productivity of expert developers
- help new programmers learn
- merge best command-line and IDE features
Pawel showed a very interesting preview of 3rdRail, which is an IDE based on Eclipse. I hope to have some free time to play with it ASAP.

I was the third speaker and introduced RAD Studio 2007 to the audience, focusing on the new .NET features (ASP.NET in particular) and also on the BlackFish SQL, which is also available to the Delphi Win32 personality. There is also an enhanced Data Explorer for dbExpress with a nice Query Builder I haven't seen referenced on the web. It is a small but useful addition to the Delphi for Win32 personality in RAD Studio 2007. Differently from Jason and Pawel, I'm speaking only at the Milan event, and won't be joining the rest of the tour.

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Goodbye Social Media—Hello SoMo

Posted by Kate Jurras on Tue, Jan 18, 2011

Guest post by Barbara Goose. As Executive Director for Digitas Boston and Detroit, Barbara is responsible for operational and client leadership in those offices. Follow @Digitas on Twitter! This is one of several guest posts in the MITX 2011 Perspectives Blog Series. Stay tuned for more posts by Boston's most influential thought leaders.

Being social has evolved since the dawn of time. We are, at our core, very social beings—it’s the way we live, and it’s the air we breathe. People want to connect with other people. And now, we have technology that enables our human connection and takes it to new levels.

Enter social media. Has there been a bigger marketing buzzword in the last few years? Probably not. It’s a term that’s taken on a life of its own. But social media isn’t what it once was. It’s becoming something bigger—something more meaningful: “social marketing.”

What’s the difference?  While social media broadcasts foursquare check-ins and product announcements, social marketing asks consumers what they want and works with them to get it, whether it’s a new use for a household product or an unbiased review for a car they want to buy. Social media is the guy at the party who won’t stop talking; social marketing is the friend who wants to hear what you have to say.

Seventy four percent of consumers rely on social networks to guide purchase decisions (source).  But they’re not only relying on a Facebook page that says “buy me.” They’re listening to one another online—consumer reviews are trusted nearly 12 times more than descriptions that come from manufacturers (source).

However in 2011, social marketing won’t stand alone. Its innate partner, mobility, will be right alongside.  Mobility, the newest muscle in digital, is quickly becoming our primary connection to friends, family, work, and overall culture. The launch of the Verizon iPhone last week and the “year of the tablet” in full swing are examples of where we’re headed.

This social-mobile connection (SoMo) gives people personal, instant access everywhere at anytime. Whether it’s chatting, learning, sharing, or shopping, connecting has never been easier. SoMo opens up a world of opportunities.

For example, no longer is a consumer reliant on the salesman in a store. If you can’t decide what 3DTV is right for you, you can post a poll on Facebook to your friends.  In minutes, you have feedback from 15 people. Now that you’ve decided on Samsung, the question is where to get the best price. Using RedLaser and the iPhone’s camera, you can scan the TV’s UPC code and instantly have access to the lowest price, often times lower than the store you’re standing in.

buick resized 600Another great example of where we are headed in 2011 is the Google Goggles technology. Brands like Buick are embracing the functionality to create a custom mobile experience for print campaigns. These interactive mobile experiences give consumers an opportunity to get a deeper, richer experience with the brand. As the off-line and online worlds converge, Buick is able to showcase video content and imagery, as well as “locate a dealer” and “sign-up” options on the spot.

SoMo changes the marketing landscape and yields new opportunities for brands. It allows marketers to stay out in front of consumers both figuratively and literally, as consumers are moving faster than ever.  It helps us create what we at Digitas call “Active Brands.” Brands that inspire people to take action, brands that are active and relevant in people’s lives and deliver value in real time.

Active Brands use SoMo to weave into consumers’ daily lives. They add value and utility for people.

What’s really coming in 2011? It’s not something new. Instead, it’s a marketing revitalization—back to marketing as a service. It’s capitalizing on the new technology that’s on the horizon (aka launching next week). It’s about delivering relevant content—activating and engaging consumers. It’s embracing the mobile cultural revolution.

Did you just discover this series? Don't worry! You can check out our last post, by Sarah Fay, here!


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Look for sexy S.A. singer on ‘America’s Got Talent’

JENNAADORASOMAR.jpgMake a date with your TVs tonight! I’m told a gorgeous San Antonio singer/model is among hopefuls you’ll see performing for the judges when Texas takes the spotlight on “America’s Got Talent.”

According to producer Jason Raff, Jenna Adora Somar of the Alamo City “definitely left an impression on the judges, especially our newest judge Howie Mandel.”

It’s easy to see why; flip through her Website’s photo gallery here.

It would be cool to see her go as far as S.A.’s Donald Braswell, who made it into the Top 5 in 2008.

“Deal or No Deal’s” Mandel, by the way, has done a bang-up job so far succeeding David Hasselhoff who left to pursue other opportunities. On Tuesday’s premiere, consisting of L.A. auditions, he made us laugh but also had many a savvy thing to say about the contestants. He fit right in with the sometimes surly Piers Morgan and the much sweeter Sharon Osbourne.

Michael Grimm, who grew up poor and hopes to win so he can help out his grandma in Mississippi who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, was the singing standout Tuesday night. He played acoustic guitar while delivering the most heartfelt version of Ray Charles’ “You Don’t Know Me” that I’ve ever heard. Naturally, the judges were impressed. See why here.

Also fun was a dancer/mime from France named Haspop who was truly entertaining. In the wow-'em department, a statuesque, leather-clad kitten with a whip named Maricar displayed an unusual way of painting a portrait. At the end, hard-to-please Piers gave her a standing ovation. See it for yourself here.

I can’t wait to take in tonight’s Dallas auditions – 8 p.m. on NBC — which will present acts from S.A., Austin, Bryan, Dallas and other Texas cities. “All in all it was our 5th visit to Texas in 5 years, and we saw some amazing talent,” Raff said in an e-mail. “Everything from singers and dancers, to an animal act and a man who plays the turkey baster.”

Turkey baster? Uh, OK.

Raff even gave us something closer to home to look forward to next year.

“San Antonio is possibly on our list” of auditions cities next year, he wrote. People can pre-register at AGTauditions.com.

Meantime, he said it isn’t too late to audition for this year’s show. “We are running a special contest/opportunity with YouTube this year — see Youtube.com/agt for details,” Raff advised.

Photo of Jenna by Austin Portfolio at jennaadorasomar.com

Photo of judges courtesy of NBC

Jeanne Jakle


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Ten mysteries surrounding Operation Fast and Furious

Hearst Survey top 10 guns

Century Arms WASR-10 AK-47 rifle
Bushmaster .223 rifle (AR-15)
Beretta 9 mm pistol
Romarm WASR-10 AK-47 rifle
FN Herstal Five-Seven pistol
Colt Super .38 pistol
American Tactical 9 mm pistol
Century Arms Draco AK-47 pistol
Century Arms GP 1975 rifle
FN Herstal PS90 rifle

? ? ?

You could be forgiven for finding the Operation Fast and Furious controversy to be more than a little confusing.

Straw purchasers?

You need more than a scorecard to follow this Washington tourney; you need a glossary.

One thing Attorney General Eric Holder and Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill leading the Fast and Furious investigation agree upon: The 2009-2010 operation by Phoenix-based agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives used ill-advised tactics in efforts to stem the tide of U.S.-purchased weapons destined for ultra-violent Mexican drug cartels.

Instead of arresting straw purchasers — cartel surrogates who bought military-style weapons in Phoenix-area gun stores — ATF agents followed instructions to let the buyers go so the weapons could be tracked to Mexican cartel kingpins.

As a result, 2,000 or more weapons — powerful AK-47s, FN Herstal Five-SeveN handguns, and .50 caliber sniper rifles among them — were smuggled into Mexico while ATF agents watched and waited.

When two of those weapons were found at the site in Southern Arizona where Border Patrol agent Brian Terry was shot and killed in December 2010, Fast and Furious began percolating into a full-throated Washington brouhaha.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is leading the investigation along with Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, may have lit the fuse when he called the gun-walking tactics used in Fast and Furious “felony stupid.’’

As is the case with so many Washington firestorms dating back to Watergate, the focus has shifted from the original misdeed to the alleged cover-up –“what did (insert name of public official) know and when did he know it,’’ to paraphrase former Sen. Howard Baker’s famous 1970s-vintage Watergate paradigm.

Right now, Republican lawmakers and the Obama administration are in a stand-off over Fast and Furious. The GOP-led House voted to hold Holder in contempt for not fully complying with subpoenas for documents. For his part, Holder insists the Justice Department has been forthcoming with 7,600 pages of documents, but full disclosure would jeopardize on-going investigations. He has ordered a probe of Fast and Furious by the Justice Department Inspector General, whose report could be released soon.

The White House has claimed “executive privilege’’ in denying Issa’s committee a host of documents on how the Justice Department formulated responses to the congressional probe.

So while we cannot say how or where this will all end up, we can help chart the murky terrain through which it has traveled so far. Herewith the answers to the Top 10 mysteries surrounding Fast and Furious.

How much of Fast & Furious is politics? How much is substance?

The uproar over Fast and Furious started when a cadre of ATF agents in Phoenix turned whistleblowers, complaining to Grassley about the gun-walking tactics that indirectly contributed to Agent Terry’s death. After initially denying that gun-walking — tracking cartel-linked gun purchases instead of interdicting them — took place, Holder decried the tactic and ordered that it not be used again. But although “there’s a `there’ there,’’ as one Justice official put it to congressional investigators, Republicans and their gun-rights allies have used Fast and Furious to bash Holder, President Obama and ATF, a long-time target. Democratic lawmakers in turn have taken aim at the GOP probe, accusing Republicans of ginning up a controversy to fight changes in gun laws that they say would thwart cartels’ easy access to military-type semi-automatic weaponry. Since 2006, there have been 50,000 or more deaths in drug violence plaguing Mexico.

What were ATF agents thinking when they allowed guns to “walk’’ to Mexico?

As cartel middlemen ramped up gun purchases in border states over the past decade, ATF got dinged by Justice Department overseers for focusing on small-potato straw purchasers. Instead of seeking wrist-slap jail time for these cartel-linked surrogates, officials said ATF should join forces with DEA and FBI agents in Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force cases that take down entire trafficking gangs, top to bottom, with significant prison sentences for all convicted. Fast and Furious had its roots in tips from Phoenix-area gun dealers about a suspicious ring of 15 or so purchasers. Dubbed Fast and Furious because the suspects’ love of drag racing paralleled the 2009 movie starring Vin Diesel, the investigation won elite OCDETF status and funding in early 2010. For ATF, this amounted to playing with the big boys. No one but the whistleblower agents seemed bothered that the investigation revolved around recording serial numbers of guns bought by straw purchasers, letting the guns get transported to Mexico, and then matching the numbers to those off guns recovered by Mexican authorities at crime scenes. ATF supervisors were excited by the prospect of linking weapons bought in U.S. gun stores to Mexican drug kingpins. But agents feared they were enabling mayhem in Mexico, and possibly putting the lives of U.S. law enforcement personnel at risk.

Didn’t “gun-walking’’ tactic start under President George W. Bush?

Yes, the same Phoenix-based ATF career supervisors had overseen three gun-walking cases in the Bush era. One of them involved a promise by Mexican officials to help intercept the guns once they got into Mexico, an offer that never materialized. Another, designated Wide Receiver, was a carbon copy of Fast and Furious only it involved far fewer weapons and started in gun stores in Tucson. The U.S. attorney’s office in Arizona declined to prosecute Wide Receiver for fear it might reveal gun-walking. But Justice officials appointed by President Obama dusted off Wide Receiver as part of green-lighting a new law enforcement offensive on cartel gun trafficking. This was how officials in Holder’s hierarchy say they first became aware of gun-walking. And this is also the time period when Fast and Furious began to gain altitude.

Is there a problem of U.S.-purchased guns winding up in the hands of the Mexican drug cartel, or is that all about politics too?

Cartel-linked gun purchasing in Southwest border states is more about geography and economics than politics. AK-47s, capable of discharging a 30-round magazine in less than a minute, are widely available in gun stores just a short distance from a nation convulsed by drug gang killing. With AK-47s and other similar weaponry, traffickers have firepower that equals _ if not exceeds _ that of Mexican police and military personnel. The middlemen who organize the straw purchasers can resell the weapons for three times or more what they paid for them in the U.S. With strict gun laws in Mexico, Mexican traffickers have long looked to the U.S. as a source of weaponry. ATF data shows a sharp uptick between 2007 and 2011 of trace requests submitted by Mexico for rifles.

Overall, the ATF reported nearly 100,000 guns submitted by Mexican authorities to the ATF for tracing between 2007 and 2011. Of the 100,000, ATF concluded about 68,000 were “U.S. sourced,’’ meaning they were manufactured in or imported into the U.S. Of those 68,000, about 28,000 were traced to an initial U.S. purchaser.

Who authorized Fast & Furious?

This may be hard to pin down since the investigation that developed into Fast and Furious was ongoing when Obama Justice Department officials ramped up focus on gun trafficking to Mexico. Although gun-walking tactics in Fast and Furious were detailed in wiretap affidavits in 2010 that had to be cleared by the Justice Department in Washington, the official who reviewed them _ Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein _ said he looked only at the summary memos and not the affidavits themselves that spelled out the gun-walking. Justice Department officials have insisted they never connected gun-walking in Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious until after Fast and Furious started getting media attention.

What did Attorney General Eric Holder know and when did he know it?

Holder has said that he became aware of gun-walking allegations in Fast and Furious early in 2011 after it was discussed in news accounts. In February 2011, he ordered the Justice Department Inspector General to investigate. Holder has stuck to that formulation and it now appears unlikely anything will emerge to show the attorney general had earlier knowledge of the tactics, much less authorized them. Late last month, Issa acknowledged in congressional testimony that he harbors no “strong suspicion’’ that Holder knew of or authorized gun-walking.

Who’s the most senior Justice Department official who had the earliest knowledge of Fast & Furious?

Likely that would be Lanny Breuer, assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s criminal division, the man with his fingers on the dials of all criminal prosecutions and investigations nationwide. It was Breuer who expressed enthusiasm about resurrecting Wide Receiver and sent a prosecutor from D.C. to Tucson to help the process along. And he assigned another prosecutor to help ATF with Fast and Furious. Grassley has said that Breuer knew of gun-walking in Wide Receiver in April 2010, but somehow never connected the dots to Fast and Furious. While there is no smoking gun that shows Breuer knew of gun-walking in Fast and Furious prior to last year when it broke in the news, Grassley and Issa and their investigative teams argue that he should have known. Breuer said in congressional testimony that division lawyers review wiretap affidavits to make sure they’re legal rather than to sanction particular investigative techniques. Grassley and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have called for Breuer’s resignation.

Why did Holder and the Justice Department at first deny gun-walking and then, nine months later, admit it?

On Feb. 4, 2011, the Justice Department responded to Grassley’s inquiry about alleged use of gun-walking in Fast and Furious by denying that ATF agents had used such tactics. “ATF makes every effort to interdict weapons that have been purchased illegally,’’ said the letter, signed by Ronald Weich, then assistant attorney general for legislative affairs. For Grassley and the other Republicans, the letter came to crystallize what they saw as a pattern of deceit on Fast and Furious _ the classic Washington conundrum of compounding original errors by trying to cover them up. Among the contributors to the Feb. 4 letter was Weinstein, who has acknowledged that he knew gun-walking had been used in Wide Receiver. Weinstein told congressional investigators that he and others had relied on assurances from the ATF and the U.S. attorney’s office in Phoenix that guns had not been walked _ assurances that proved inaccurate. Breuer was in Mexico in February 2011 when he received a draft of the Feb. 4 letter. He forwarded the letter to his private email account but claimed not to have read it. It took the Justice Department until December 2011 to acknowledge the February letter was inaccurate. In the battle with Republicans over documents, the White House has claimed executive privilege on everything written after Feb. 4. They argue privilege traditionally extends to administration internal policy deliberations. Grassley, Issa and the other Republicans counter that documents generated after Feb. 4 likely go to the heart of the Fast and Furious investigation _ what did individual Justice officials know and when did they know it.

Has gun walking been used in other cases? Is it routine?

The only known ATF gun-walking cases are Fast and Furious and the three cases from the Bush era. ATF regulations from 1989 permit agents to avoid “immediate intervention’’ when they encounter illegal firearms transactions “in order to further an investigation and allow for identification of additional co-conspirators.’’ An ATF briefing paper from January 2010 cited this regulation in justifying the tactics used in Fast and Furious.

Much like counterparts in the Drug Enforcement Administration, ATF agents routinely engage in “controlled delivery.’’ This tactic, a distant relation of gun-walking, involves arresting small players in trafficking organizations and persuading them to work undercover against kingpins in exchange for favorable treatment by prosecutors. Current and former ATF and DEA agents say the idea of letting low-level criminals continue transporting guns or drugs is a valuable way to identify higher ups. ATF uses it against trafficking rings that ferry weapons from states with easy-purchase gun laws such as Virginia, North Carolina, or Nevada and Arizona to states with strict gun laws such as New York and California. But controlled delivery is distinct from gun-walking in that agents are supposed to bust kingpins after low-level transporters are “flipped’’ and delivers the goods.

ATF agents are at something of a disadvantage because unlike drugs, guns are a legal commodity. Since there is no firearms trafficking statute, ATF agents must be able to prove a straw purchaser knowingly bought a gun for someone else. Middlemen are prosecuted for dealing firearms without a license. Neither crime entails significant jail time, and Congress has shown little appetite for stiffening penalties.

What happens now that the House has held Holder in contempt?

It’s in a holding pattern for now. Holder’s No.2, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, has said prosecutors will not present the House contempt citation to a grand jury. When the Republican-dominated House approved a contempt resolution last month, it also approved a second resolution directing the House general counsel to file suit in federal court in Washington to enforce the subpoena. That hasn’t happened yet, so stay tuned.

Daniel Freedman


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Stripping Cloth Diapers in the Dishwasher

Lately, I have been seeing many posts about stripping cloth diapers in the dishwasher and hearing stories of success. There are a few reasons that stripping your cloth diapers in the dishwasher is not a good idea.

  • Should any of the inserts, doublers or etc fall onto the heating element there will be at least burn marks, possibly a fire, or a dead dishwasher as a result. If you decide to use the dishwasher make certain that you have used diaper pins or some other fastener to secure the diapers or liners to the the top rack.
  • Dishwashers are specially designed to wash dishes and not clothes. Your little one poops or pees in their diapers, would you want to eat off of plates that smell like ammonia and may be contaminated?
  • Many manufacturers of cloth diapers and appliances will void their warranty as soon as they have determined you have put your cloth diapers in the dishwasher.
  • Snaps may melt, Elastics may degrade, and PUL/TPU may start to delaminate if your dishwasher uses very hot water.
  • Some dishwashers do not heat the water any better than your washing machine does. Much better results may be achievable by turning up your water heater some, or adding boiling water to the washer.

Always remember, that you should contact the store that has sold you your cloth diapers if you are needing assistance with problems. Here at Nature Bumz, we are more than happy to assist our customers that are having problems with their cloth diapers.

  • shannon baka

    If you are careful and keep an eye on things the dishwasher is the easiest way to strip your inserts. Why add harsh chemicals to your diapers and the environment for that matter, if a few runs through the dishwasher will take care of your ammonia problems? The hot water temperature and the forced water pressure is what gets them so clean. If you are worried about your plates smelling like ammonia and being contaminated then you need to get your dishwasher fixed. Ecoli from the raw chicken on a plate will make you sick before washing diapers in your dishwasher would.

    • Crystal Cline

      I would be careful though of voiding manufacturer warranty’s on both your dishwasher as well as the diapers you are using in your dishwasher.

      We’re just saying in the interest of many who do cloth diaper it’s generally not a good practice to be putting them in the dishwasher.

      There are many other ways to get rid of ammonia problems without using harsh chemicals or a dishwasher for that matter. My suggestion is that if you have issues with ammonia.. there is something that may be wrong with a wash routine which can be rectified sometimes as simple as adding more detergent / etc… Personally I think that ecoli from raw chicken is completely different than fecal matter or urine running through before/after plates you actually eat off of go through – realistically sanitize cycles on dishwashers still only catch 99.8% of germs… I would hate for my child to be that .2% getting sick from putting my diapers in the dishwasher:(

  • Melanie

    Why not save energy *and* water? If this is your method, just switch to stovetop boiling.


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native americans – The National Wildlife Federation Blog The National Wildlife Federation's blog Thu, 08 Dec 2016 18:09:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Bringing Tribes Back to National Parks Wed, 24 Aug 2016 16:00:16 +0000 On August 25th, the National Park Service commemorates its 100th birthday. It is a time for celebration, a time for reflection, and time to look to the future. It is also a time for deeper consideration of the connection between Native Americans and the National Parks.

Lands such as Yellowstone National Park were tribal homelands for millennia. Photo by Abby Barber/ NWF

Native peoples have deep ties to our greatest known parks – Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Olympic, Mesa Verde, Everglades – and many, many others. Indeed, it must be acknowledged that the federal government created many of our parks by removing tribes from their ancestral territories and pushing them onto much smaller reservations. Today, this is made most apparent by the fact that many national parks such as the Grand Canyon are on national public land adjacent to tribal reservations. Tribes utilized these ancestral lands for seasonal homes, subsistence hunting and gathering, and cultural purposes.

Currently, many of our national parks are marked by the historic presence of Native Americans, from origin stories to literal markings – petroglyphs and park names such as Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone, Two Medicine in Glacier, Tuckup Trail in Grand Canyon, Tenaya Lake in Yosemite and the newly-renamed Mount Denali in Denali National Park in Alaska to mention a few.

Coalition to Improve Tribal Connection

What are we to make of this tribal connection to parks as we celebrate the Park Service centennial? Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis has said the centennial goal is “to create the next generation of visitors, supporters, and advocates for our national parks and our public lands.” Achieving this goal will be vital in protecting the historic, cultural, natural, spiritual, economic and recreational resources that our national public lands currently provide and creating opportunities to identify and conserve other valuable resources for our children and future generations.

A Morning Council on the Merced, Yosemite

A Morning Council on the Merced, Yosemite. Photo by NPS

The Next 100 Coalition, including the National Wildlife Federation, is a first-of-its-kind group of diverse leaders from civil rights, environmental justice, conservation and community organizations that has come together to develop a vision and policy recommendations for a more inclusive system of national parks and other public lands. Their work includes establishing steps to honor and recognize the historic and cultural connection of tribes to national public lands.

President Obama has already shown great leadership recognizing the history of Native Americans and other diverse populations by designating places such as Chimney Rock National Monument in Colorado, the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains National Monuments in California, and the Rio Grande and Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monuments in New Mexico, all of which were supported by tribes. The Administration too, acted on one of the Next 100 Coalition’s recommendations when the Park Service released its final rule on the “Gathering of Certain Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional Purposes,” recognizing the significance of many national parks as places for traditional gathering of plants and authorizing tribes to resume these traditions.

Some of the coalition’s policy recommendations to better recognize the history and heritage of Native Americans and engage them in the national public lands management process include:

  • Chief Lemee Dancing, Yosemite. Photo by NPS

    Chief Lemee Dancing, Yosemite. Photo by NPS

    Drawing upon Native American knowledge, traditions, values, and attitudes toward the Earth as guidance for how federal land managers might interpret natural and cultural resources on public lands for the public.

  • Enlisting tribes in the interpretation or protection of key tribal resources in national parks and other public lands, and using Native stories and languages in interpretation where appropriate.
  • Removing unnecessary barriers in tribal relations with agencies.

It’s time to take a hard look at how we go about achieving the goal Director Jarvis lays out, especially in how we engage culturally-diverse communities to shape the direction of conservation and public land policies for the future. A new vision needs to be created and implemented for the next century of conservation that focuses on the importance of national parks and other public lands for all people.

Going forward, President Obama should build on this legacy of inclusion by issuing a Presidential Memorandum that directs federal land management agencies to engage, reflect and honor all families in our system of public lands for the next 100 years of conservation in this nation.

Learn MoreTo find out more, go to The Next 100 Coalition page and sign the petition to President Obama.

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Yellowstone, Tribes Offer Bison a Better Future Thu, 04 Feb 2016 15:45:05 +0000
Yellowstone bison. Photo by Steve Woodruff

Yellowstone bison faces winter – and perhaps a better future. Photo by Steve Woodruff

Year after year, many of the bison forced by deep snows to migrate out of Yellowstone National Park are trapped by government employees, herded into trucks and sent to slaughterhouses. It’s an appalling betrayal of modern wildlife-management principles virtually without parallel in our country today.

Park Service officials set a goal of killing as many as 900 Yellowstone bison in just the first few months of 2016 – some through more socially acceptable traditional hunting, but the rest through capture and slaughter. Yellowstone “culls” bison under an interagency population-control agreement rooted in Montana’s unproven assertion that bison could be a threat to cattle ranching. That’s a longstanding and contentious issue.

A Better Alternative

But there’s good news: This could be the last winter that Yellowstone sends bison to slaughter en masse.

The Park Service in January rolled out a new, NWF-supported proposal for sending hundreds of bison a year to a Montana Indian reservation as an alternative to shipping them to slaughterhouses. It’s a hugely positive development that promises not only to reduce the Yellowstone slaughter, but also provide bison for restoration elsewhere.

Yellowstone bison are no ordinary wild animals. They are part of the only genetically and ecologically viable, continuously wild herd of bison in America. Numbering fewer than 5,000, Yellowstone’s bison represent the last vestige of the vast herds of bison that once roamed North America by the tens of millions.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park. Photo donated by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Sandy Sisti

As ecologically important as they are, many Yellowstone bison – along with many elk – are carriers of brucellosis, a disease originally contracted from cattle. Yet, not all bison carry the disease which is a crucial point. Brucellosis causes cattle to abort their first calves, and outbreaks in cattle herds require costly countermeasures. The cattle industry has effectively eradicated brucellosis from U.S. cattle herds, but the disease remains in some Yellowstone bison and elk herds.

No case of brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle has ever been documented in the wild, although several brucellosis outbreaks have been traced to elk. Nevertheless, many ranchers regard Yellowstone’s bison as a threat, and the cattle industry has used its clout to shape government policies of intolerance for bison. These policies include rounding up and slaughtering Yellowstone bison to keep the population in check.

Expanded Habitat Helps

The National Wildlife Federation has taken a pragmatic approach to the issue. NWF has negotiated agreements with the ranchers who are permitted to graze cattle on public lands adjacent to the national park to pay fair-market prices to retire those grazing allotments. NWF made deals that helped create some 400,000 acres of habitat on public lands outside the park that are virtually free of potential conflicts with cattle.

Bison in Montana. Photo by Steve Woodruff

Recently, the governor of Montana proposed allowing bison to roam free over hundreds of thousands of acres outside the park – a significant step forward in bison conservation. Yet this proposal is contingent upon meeting the official bison-population objectives for the park. The current objective is about 3,000 bison, but the population is more than 4,500 at present.

In the long term, NWF hopes to see Yellowstone’s bison-population objectives revised upward. However, pressure to reduce Yellowstone’s bison number will likely continue for years to come.

That brings us back to the recent proposal from the Park Service.

New Lease on Life Through Quarantine

Instead of shipping so many bison off to slaughterhouses, the Park Service proposes sending hundreds of captured bison a year to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana.

When captured, Yellowstone’s bison will be tested for brucellosis. Those testing negative will go to the Fort Peck Reservation. The Sioux and Assiniboine Tribes of Fort Peck have established a quarantine facility where they can hold, test and retest the bison over the several-year-long period necessary to proving and certifying the animals brucellosis-free.

The quarantine approach was proved effective at a facility adjacent to Yellowstone, and bison that emerged from that quarantine process have already become seed stock for new bison herds on the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap reservations in Montana. NWF worked in partnership with Tribes to establish those herds.

Bison for New and Expanded Herds

We’re making progress for bison restoration. Photo by Steve Woodruff

Bison cleared through quarantine under the new proposal could provide hundreds of bison a year to expand existing tribal bison herds or create new herds on other reservations and beyond. This is something NWF has advocated for years, working closely with the InterTribal Buffalo Council. These new herds could be powerful agents of grassland restoration, help sustain Native American culture, provide sustainable hunting and help Americans create a better future for one of the nation’s most-abused animals.

Yellowstone National Park played an essential role in the survival of wild bison in America. With the proposal to run bison through a tribal quarantine facility as an alternative to slaughtering animals to meet population objectives, Yellowstone could take on a significant new role in bison restoration.

Adopt a Wildlife Acre

Adopt a wildlife acre now to help raise conservation funds for bison!

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Wild Bison’s Long-Awaited Homecoming Continues Wed, 22 Oct 2014 20:01:04 +0000
Yellowstone Bison grazing on the Fort Peck Reservation in southeastern Montana. Photo by Alexis Bonogofsky

Yellowstone Bison grazing on the Fort Peck Reservation in southeastern Montana. Photo by Alexis Bonogofsky, NWF Staff.

Two decades of work to restore wild bison across landscapes they once dominated continues to pay off.

The latest good news is that Fort Peck in northeast Montana is getting more Yellowstone bison. The state Fish and Wildlife Commission has decided to transfer 146 bison from Ted Turner’s Montana ranch to the reservation. The animals will join the 50-some already at home on the rolling prairies on Fort Peck land.

The commission’s decision to send all the bison to Fort Peck instead of three or four separate locations follows the transfer of 64 genetically pure bison from Yellowstone National Park in 2012. Last year, Fort Peck shipped 34 of the animals to the Fort Belknap reservation, also in northeast Montana. The bison that will be relocated from Turner’s ranch were originally intended for the Wind River tribes, which have renewed efforts to return wild bison to their lands.

A major milestone in the campaign to return this iconic species to its historic range was the recent approval of the Northern Tribes Buffalo Treaty, signed by 10 tribes in the U.S. and Canada to the 6.3 million acres of grasslands under their collective control. The National Wildlife Federation, one of the signatories, has worked with the tribes and other conservation groups for more than 12 years to bring wild bison home.

“With the decision to relocate the 146 bison to the Fort Peck Tribes, we have taken yet another positive step forward in bringing bison back to western landscapes,” said Garrit Voggesser, NWF’s tribal partnerships director.  “Doubters have become believers, opponents have become supporters. People now recognize that Tribes are leading the way forward in wild bison conservation.”

More Than a Century’s Wait

Two centuries ago, more than 30 million bison streamed across North America. The massive herds fundamentally shaped the prairie ecosystems as well as indigenous people’s lifestyles, culture and spirituality. Since bison were slaughtered en masse in the 19th Century, their absence has been felt in the ecosystem and Native American culture.

Photo by Ted Wood/The Story Group

Photo by Ted Wood/The Story Group

Yellowstone bison are special to the tribes because they are the last wild, genetically pure free-ranging herd. For years, the tribes, NWF and other advocates have urged that bison wandering out of Yellowstone be transferred to tribal and federal lands rather than be gunned down out of fear they’ll spread disease to livestock. Some of the bison carry brucellosis, which can cause pregnant animals to abort.

There have been no confirmed cases of bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle, but to be safe and to ease fears, the bison were tested and held for five years in a quarantine facility outside Yellowstone before they were transferred to Turner. The bison on Turner’s ranch and on the reservations, all brucellosis-free, continue to be tested.

At Fort Peck, the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes have set aside 25,000 acres for Yellowstone bison. Special fencing has been installed. The first shipment of bison was greeted by songs, ceremonies and excitement for days. Since then, the reception has been more quiet — but even more profound. Robbie Magnan, manager of the Fort Peck Tribes Game and Fish Department, has said the bison’s return has helped restore balance to the land. Tribal members have witnessed the return of songbirds. Native grasses and wildflowers are thriving.

Last year, Magnan told Alexis Bonogofsky, NWF’s tribal lands manager, that he has seen pronghorn following the bison in the winter. Bison use their massive heads to push through the snow, clearing the way to forage that pronghorn and other wildlife can eat during the harsh winters.

“These last two years have been exciting. After years of hard work and commitment, we’ve seen so much progress. On the surface, it seems quick, but it’s been a long time coming. The tribes have been waiting about 150 years,” Voggesser said.

Bison on Cheyenne River Stephen C. Torbit

Bison on Cheyenne River. Photo credit: Stephen C. Torbit

Please join us in thanking Montana Governor Bullock and Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission:

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Tribes Cross the Border to Unite for Bison Protection Wed, 24 Sep 2014 13:54:07 +0000
Bison on Cheyenne River Stephen C. Torbit

Bison on Cheyenne River. Photo credit: Stephen C. Torbit

U.S. Tribes and Canadian First Nations Sign First Treaty in Over 150 Years to Restore Bison and Renew Cultural and Spiritual Connections to Buffalo

Yesterday afternoon,  I witnessed leaders from U.S. Tribes and Canadian First Nations sign a treaty—the first among them in more than 150 years—to establish an international alliance to restore wild bison.  This unprecedented alliance comes on the heels of the restoration of wild bison to the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap Reservations in the last two years after the absence of bison for more than 100 years.

The historic signing of the Medicine Line Northern Tribes Buffalo Treaty occurred on the Blackfeet Nation in Browning, Montana, and brought together members of the Blackfeet Nation, Blood Tribe, Siksika Nation, Piikani Nation, the Assinboine and Gros Ventre Tribes of the Fort Belknap Reservation, the Assinboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck Reservation, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and the Tsuu T’ina Nation.

The Tribes and First Nations own and manage a vast amount of grassland and prairie habitats-about 6.3 million acres; almost three times the size of Yellowstone National Park – throughout the United States and Canada.

In solidarity, the Tribes’ goal is to achieve ecological restoration of the buffalo on their lands to re-affirm and strengthen ties that formed the basis for traditions thousands of years old. Along with agreeing to work together for bison restoration and grassland conservation on tribal lands, the treaty encourages youth education and cultural restoration among the tribes.

Chief Earl Old Person of the Blackfeet Nation signs the Buffalo Treaty.  Photo: Amanda Hardy/WCS.

Chief Earl Old Person of the Blackfeet Nation signs the Buffalo Treaty. Photo: Amanda Hardy/WCS.

An intertribal peace treaty of this nature has not been signed among these tribes since The Lame Bull Treaty of 1855, which established a large common hunting ground and focused on preserving their cultures and ways of life.

Bison Have Shaped America

For tens of thousands of years, buffalo fundamentally shaped North American prairie ecosystems and linked Native peoples to the land. Following their great slaughter in the 19th Century, buffalo have been largely missing from these lands, resulting in ecological change as well as cultural loss to Native peoples. Settlement of the Great Plains by Euro-Americans resulted in more than a century of habitat fragmentation and disruption and relegated bison to small parcels of protected lands.

To ecologically restore this species, large native prairies that can support far-ranging buffalo are needed. Preserving the few remaining large intact prairies, many of which are tribally managed, is key to restoring bison as wildlife. Leroy Little Bear, a member of the Blood Tribe in Alberta and Professor Emeritus at the University of Lethbridge, explains, “The Initiative is an endeavor on the part of a large group of traditional elders to steer the younger generation back to a path of ecological balance. Sustainability, leaving the land as pristine as possible, and having humans fit themselves into the ecological balance are fundamental to the life-ways of Indian peoples. The buffalo is a major player in this ecological scenario. The near extinction of the buffalo left a major gap. The treaty on buffalo restoration aims to begin to fill that gap and once again partner with the buffalo to bring about cultural and ecological balance.”

Yesterday’s treaty was a landmark event, with the Tribes uniting to bring back to their rightful places on tribal lands and to tribal cultures. In the early 1900s, fewer than 100 wild bison existed in the U.S. Today, bison number in the hundreds of thousands in North America, and are found in state and national parks, wildlife refuges, and on tribal lands, but most reside on private lands as livestock.

Tribes have managed bison herds for years and worked collaboratively to restore wild bison to the Plains. With the transfer of Yellowstone bison to the Fort Peck Reservation in 2012 and to the Fort Belknap Reservation in 2013 – an achievement reached in partnership among the Tribes, National Wildlife Federation, and other organizations – important first steps were taken to return wild bison to western landscapes. Tribal leadership can not only bring bison back to tribal lands, but can also foster bison restoration to large public landscapes across the West. This treaty will foster and expand the process of restoring a vital part of the prairie ecosystem and crucial part of tribal culture and history.

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Reject and Protect: Native Tribes and Ranchers rally against the Keystone Pipeline Mon, 28 Apr 2014 16:00:59 +0000
The NWF team speaking up for wildlife at the Reject and Protect rally

The NWF team speaking up for wildlife at the Reject and Protect rally

This Saturday, thousands of cowboys, Native Americans, environmental activists and concerned citizens took to the streets of D.C. in protest of the Keystone XL pipeline. This rally and march was the culmination of a weeklong “Reject and Protect” encampment on the National Mall, a project led by the brave and bold Cowboy Indian Alliance, a group of ranchers, farmers and tribal communities from along the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline route. They came to D.C. to deliver a message to President Obama: reject the Keystone XL pipeline and protect our nation’s people and wildlife from the significant environmental, health, social and cultural costs of the tar sands pipeline.

Saturday kicked off with energizing speeches by some of those most directly impacted by this proposed pipeline. We then marched from the National Mall to the American Indian Museum, to deliver a symbolic tipi in honor of President Obama. Thousands of those at the rally had put their thumbprint on the tipi, showing President Obama the vast support he has for rejecting the pipeline project.

Check out this video that shows some of the truly moving speeches and events from this week of action:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Jane Becker. Whooping cranes are one of the many bird species threatened by tar sands production.

Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Jane Becker. Whooping cranes are one of the many bird species threatened by tar sands production.

Disastrous for Wildlife

NWF was at the rally to bring the wildlife voice to the table. Approval of the Keystone XL pipeline would drive production of tar sands oil in Canada. Tar sands oil has three to four times the carbon impact of other oils, making it a huge contributor to climate change. Climate change is the number one threat to our beloved wildlife species and to our own communities.

Along with it’s climate impact, tar sands and the Keystone pipeline are a threat to wildlife habitat. Tar sands extraction is impacting caribou and pushing them out of their forest habitats. Migratory birds, which often travel between the U.S. and Canada, are being threatened by tar sands tailing ponds, pools of toxic waste created by tar sands production. Birds are too often being caught in these deadly pools, mistaking them for a clean and safe habitat. Bird species like the whooping crane, which is already a critically endangered species, are having a hard time fighting back against tar sands.

Take Action

Even if you weren’t able to make it to last weekend’s rally, you can still speak up for wildlife and communities by calling for the rejection of this polluting pipeline.

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Restoring Buffalo to their Home on the Range Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:08:00 +0000 Yesterday, I drove a thousand miles across the Great Plains and saw not a single buffalo. I did see domestic cows and sheep, coal-fired power plants and wind farms, miles of power lines and fences. I saw immense open prairie; grass-covered, wind-scoured, treeless hills tumbling out to the horizon. But in a land where 30 million American bison once roamed in herds that would rival the wildebeest of the African Serengeti, we now have to go out of our way to find one.

Great Plains

The Great Plains spread eastward from the foothills of Wyoming (Photo by Sarah Pizzo)

If you want to know where all the bison went, ask Jason Baldes. Jason is an expert on the history of the bison, and as a Shoshone tribal member, he understands this history in a way most of us can’t.

Jason explains that the plants, animals and humans of the American prairie have been evolving together for millennia. Bison were an integral part of the prairie ecosystem: their hooves broke up the soil so seeds could germinate and their wallows – the depressions left when they rolled in the dirt – gathered rain which fed medicinal plants.

The lives of Native Americans were also inextricably tied to the bison. They followed the herds across the plains, relying on the great creatures for food, shelter and tools. They worshipped bison, performing religious ceremonies to promote its abundance and express gratitude for its ultimate sacrifice to them in the hunt.

The U.S. Army recognized this reliance in the late 19th century, when the westward movement of miners and homesteaders led to clashes with the resident Sioux, Cheyenne, Shoshone, and Arapaho. To defeat the tribes and clear the way for “Manifest Destiny,” the U.S. Army used the following tactic: eliminate the tribes’ main food source.

Yellowstone Bison Herd

A herd of wild bison approach the author’s car in Yellowstone National Park (Photo by Sarah Pizzo)

A few hundred bison survived the slaughter. Some took shelter in what later became Yellowstone National Park, where they thrive today as the last source of free-roaming, genetically pure bison (i.e. not interbred with domestic cattle). When I visited the Park on a crisp autumn day last week, a small herd sauntered along the road through a flat valley of steaming geysers. I was thrilled to see a healthy group with many young. As the herd slowly swarmed my car and I rolled down the window, sounds and smells wafted in: musky damp fur, the clip-clop of hooves on pavement, grunting males and bleating calves. The raw power in their thick, swinging necks sent chills down my spine and I felt blessed to be in the presence of these rare and wonderful beings.

NWF has been working for two decades to transfer some of these Yellowstone bison – whose numbers now overwhelm the Park’s capacity – back to their native lands. Our first major victory came last spring when we helped the Fort Peck Tribes move 61 Yellowstone bison to their reservation in northeast Montana. The tribes are thrilled to have these “tatanka” home. The bison and their 21 new calves are enjoying thousands of acres of wild prairie.

Today, NWF is working with Jason and other members of the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes to move a herd of Yellowstone bison to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. A group of bison awaits transfer on a Montana ranch. The land and the tribes are ready to receive them. Standing in the way is a complex web of legal and political hurdles that we are working to overcome.

Late in the day on my visit to Yellowstone, I came upon a lone buffalo walking the center line of the Park’s loop road. I pulled to the shoulder to give him space to pass and he paused long enough to make eye contact. I stared with a sense of wonder and respect. His return gaze was fearless and unconcerned. And at that moment I knew: we are beginning to restore the balance.

Lone Yellowstone Bison

A Yellowstone bison wanders along the Park road (Photo by Sarah Pizzo)

Donate NowPlease donate to the National Wildlife Federation Tribal Lands Partnerships Program to help return bison back to tribal lands.

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Wind River Tribes Unite to Return Yellowstone Bison to Their Native Homeland Fri, 14 Sep 2012 19:54:22 +0000 This is a guest post by Jason Baldes, a member of NWF’s Tribal Lands Advisory Council.

Bison in the quarantine pasture in Gardiner, Montana

Yellowstone Bison in the quarantine pasture in Gardiner, Montana – Photo by Ted Wood

This week, a huge step was taken in the decades-long effort to restore Yellowstone bison to tribal lands. On the heels of the recent success of the restoration of 61 Yellowstone bison to the Fort Peck Reservation in north central Montana earlier this year, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes passed a joint tribal council resolution calling for restoration of wild, genetically pure bison to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. As an Eastern Shoshone tribal member, I am extremely proud that the Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes have united in requesting the return of Yellowstone bison back to our reservation.

Over the past few decades, the tribes have restored six of the seven ungulate species that were historically present on our tribal lands. With today’s resolution, we are taking a huge step to restoring the last of those seven species, the bison. The resolution and an accompanying letter have been delivered to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar requesting that Yellowstone bison, currently being held on Ted Turner’s Green Ranch in Montana, be relocated to Wind River and formally asking for government-to-government consultation to make their request a reality.

Priority landscapes for bison

Yellowstone bison return to Fort Peck Reservation in Montana

Yellowstone bison return to Fort Peck Reservation in Montana – Photo by Ted Wood

In May, Salazar issued a directive to Interior Department agencies instructing them to identify the priority landscapes where the bison could be restored, and it highlighted Wind River as a top option. Since the mid-1980s, we have had the opportunity to work with the National Wildlife Federation’s Tribal Lands Partnerships Program (NWF) on a variety of natural resource and wildlife conservation efforts.“The Wind River Tribes have a vast land base well-suited for bison, and they have deep historical, cultural, and ecological connections to bison,” said Garrit Voggesser, National Director of Tribal Partnerships for NWF. “They are now expressing to those that have authority over Yellowstone bison that they are ready to employ their wildlife management expertise to welcome the bison home.”

The Yellowstone bison are among the few in North America with no cattle genes. The Yellowstone area is the only place where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. Two centuries ago, there were more than thirty million buffalo roaming North American, but by the turn of the 19th-century, less than one hundred remained. Tribal peoples rounded up some of those bison to save them, and some of those bison became seed animals for the Yellowstone herd. Today’s decision by the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes provides an opportunity for the historical relationship between buffalo and American Indians to come full circle, and is a huge stride toward achieving the return of bison to their Wind River homeland.

Help us get the Yellowstone Bison to Wind River

Donate NowPlease donate to the National Wildlife Federation Tribal Lands Partnerships Program to help get these 140 bison back to tribal lands.

For more information on NWF’s efforts to restore Yellowstone bison to tribal lands, please check out NWF’s Tribal Lands Partnerships webpage.

Shoshone Tribal Bison Representative, Jason Baldes

Shoshone Tribal Bison Representative – Jason Baldes – Photo courtesy Kelly Gorham, Montana State University

Jason Baldes is an Eastern Shoshone member, Bison Spokesperson for the Shoshone Tribe and Montana State University-Bozeman graduate student in Land Resource Sciences. Jason is a member of NWF’s Tribal Lands Advisory Council. His efforts focus on restoring genetically reputable, disease-free buffalo, managed as wildlife by tribes to tribal lands. Baldes earned a bachelor of science degree in Land Resource Analysis and Management from MSU, 2010. In addition, he is recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation scholarship; STAR Fellowship, 2011 to 2013; and Native Science Fellowship, Hopa Mountain, 2011, and has been recognized by the American Indian Research Opportunities Consortium. In 2010, he was researcher for the U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman.

Baldes, a sought after speaker, is currently an officer of the Society of American Indian Graduate Students.

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Largest Young Professional Track to Date Hosted by Society for American Indian Government Employees Mon, 11 Jun 2012 22:16:51 +0000 As part of its 10th anniversary conference last week (June 4–8, 2012) just outside of Denver, Colorado, the Society for American Indian Government Employees (SAIGE), hosted its largest youth convening ever. The fifty-five students and young professionals hailing from more than two dozen colleges and universities (including many tribal colleges and universities) explored a range of career and other professional development issues over five days, networking with senior government leaders in nearly every branch of the US government, including the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency.

NWF Board Member Forges Link

SAIGE 2012 encourages young professionals, copyright Jeff Barehand

As part of SAIGE’s science track, the majority of young leaders opted to participate in NWF’s workshop on how “Ecologically Literate Students are Leading for Sustainability: Research, Reflection, and Intention.” NWF board member, Tahlia Bear, forged this link with NWF’s Campus Ecology Program, inviting me to design and facilitate the program.

Clean Energy, Sustainable Water Top List of Concerns

When asked, “What green campus issues matter to you?” students identified three priority topics: sustainable use of water, clean energy and reducing waste. For each of the three topics, at least one student rated his or her campus as making an excellent effort in that area, allowing students to identify and partner with one another to strengthen projects. We placed ourselves physically along an imaginary “sustainability continuum” to help visualize the status of various efforts, to encourage movement and diversify the workshop format.

The workshop aimed to give SAIGE student leaders a deeper understanding of:

  1. The national scope of the higher education for sustainability movement and how Native American young people as well as tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are leading the movement;
  2. Why environmental (or sustainability) education makes a difference in academic success and student well being; and
  3. An especially effective approach to peer-to-peer coaching (GROW) that can help identify and further personal and professional goals.

Tribal Colleges and Universities Leading Provide Green Campus Models

Judging from the discussion, most of the student participants were unaware of just how boldly some of their peers are leading.  For example, they learned about clean energy innovation at Blackfeet Community College in Browning, MT, which is generating 50% of its electricity from wind and efforts at College of Menominee Nation, where all students take a course on sustainable development (See: Kuslikis and Beau Mitchell for additional information) as part of their general education requirement and where a position is dedicated to facilitating cross-campus sustainability initiatives.

(A note:  This workshop was an offering of NWF’s Campus Ecology Program which empowers student leaders to green their curricula, campuses and communities).

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Wild Bison Homecoming for Indian Tribes Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:44 +0000

Bison on the Fort Peck Reservation, credit: Ted Wood/The Story Group for NWF

By the turn of the 19th-century, less than one hundred of the original 30 million bison remained in North America. This iconic American species, it seemed, was doomed to extinction at the hands of over-hunting and the westward migration of European-Americans. While the American cavalry engaged tribal warriors in epic battles throughout the Great Plains and American West, so too did Americans wage war on bison.

As American Indians battled to protect their lives and cultures, they also fought to preserve their historical and cultural connections to buffalo. A pair of Indians from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in northwest Montana rounded up some of those bison to save them, and by the early 20th century the bison had grown to a herd of several hundred animals.

These bison were transferred to Canadian national parks and to ranchers in the U.S. Some eventually became seed animals for the Yellowstone herd. American Indians had saved bison from the precipice and contributed to the creation of what would become America’s only wild, genetically pure, free-roaming herd of bison. Today, the historical relationship between buffalo and American Indians comes full circle, as the bison return home to their brethren that saved them.

NWF is proud to have served alongside our tribal partners to protect and restore bison over the last couple of decades. This week, we are gratified to see the wild bison’s homecoming for Indian tribes at Fort Peck and Fort Belknap in northeastern Montana. We hope this is just the beginning of restoration of the creature know as the monarch of the plains to tribal and public lands across the West.

As a tribal partner told us:

You’ve been working to save the bison for the last twenty years, we’ve been praying for this for 120.

It is only fitting that during the very week of their return to tribal lands, NWF is also celebrating bison as one of the extraordinary species of it’s 74th annual National Wildlife Week. We know that a a better understanding and appreciation of these iconic creatures will help us continue to preserve them for our children’s future.

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Women Conservationists, Always Ahead of the Curve Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:04:25 +0000 I’ll admit it: when I think of American conservationists, old guys like Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir spring to mind. I’m sure I’m not the only one to sometimes overlook the enormous role women have played, and continue to play, in the protection of wildlife and the environment. March is International Women’s Month and the perfect time to take a look at the important contributions women have made to the field of conservation. The following women each pioneered innovative ways to address the environmental challenges facing their generations and stepped up to meet the needs of their individual communities.

Rachel Carson

I wouldn’t feel right about starting with anyone other than Rachel Carson. This extraordinary woman and author brought environmental awareness to mainstream America in 1962 with her book Silent Spring, which exposed the hazards of pesticide use. The book introduced the idea that science and industry could pose a serious threat to the environment and public health. Her work also pointed out the need for environmental regulation — the EPA calls itself the extended shadow of Rachel Carson.

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”

 Margaret “Mardy” Murie

Considered the “grandmother of conservation,” Margaret “Mardy” Murie grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, where her love of wilderness began. She married naturalist and biologist Olaus Murie in 1924, and their outdoor adventures led her to a life dedicated to the preservation of wild places. Her tireless advocacy led to the the protection of some of the most important wilderness areas left on the planet, including Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Her testimony was instrumental in the passage of the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, legislation that set aside 104 million acres of land in Alaska and doubled the size of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In 2003, at age 100, Murie received the National Wildlife Federation’s highest honor, J.N. “Ding” Darling Conservationist of the Year.

“I am testifying as an emotional woman and I would like to ask you, gentlemen, what’s wrong with emotion? Beauty is a resource in and of itself. Alaska must be allowed to be Alaska, that is her greatest economy. I hope the United States of America is not so rich that she can afford to let these wildernesses pass by, or so poor she cannot afford to keep them.”

Winona LaDuke

An Anishinaabekwe enrolled member of the Mississippi Band Anishinaabeg, Winona LaDuke is a Native American environmentalist, activist, writer, and orator who advocates on issues of climate change, renewable energy, sustainable development, food systems, and environmental justice. She co-founded the Native American-led organization, Honor the Earth, that works to raise public awareness and increase financial resources for the Native environmental movement. She lives on the White Earth Ojibwe Reservation in Minnesota where she works to help land-based communities protect their cultures and traditions. LaDuke also joined Ralph Nadar on the Green Party ticket in 1996 and 2000. Watch her present comedian Stephen Colbert with an Ojibwe nickname in this clip from The Colbert Report in 2008.

“Power is not brute force and money; power is in your spirit. Power is in your soul. It is what your ancestors, your old people gave you. Power is in the earth; it is in your relationship to the earth.”

Majora Carter

In an incredibly compelling, emotionally-charged TED talk, Majora Carter defines environmental justice with the statement: “No community should be saddled with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits than any other.” This amazing activist works to transform under-served communities into sustainable places to live, something she calls “greening the ghetto.” She started with her own neighborhood by founding the non-profit Sustainable South Bronx and continues to help communities throughout the country solve challenges with environmentally sustainable solutions.

“We need to work together to embrace and repair our land, repair our power systems and repair ourselves.”

Maya Lin

She may be best known for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, but Maya Lin is also a conservationist whose art aims to bring awareness to pressing environmental issues. She has collaborated with Pacific Northwest tribes, civic groups, and other artists on the Confluence Project, a series of seven installations along the Columbia River Basin that explore the intersection of environment, cultures, and regional history. Her memorial entitled “What is Missing” features a webpage and multiple installations that focus on biodiversity and habitat loss. Visit her MAYA LIN STUDIO to find out more about her art, architecture, and memorials.

“I think the natural environment is beautiful; nothing I can do is going to be better than what nature has done. So when I approach a site, I want to do it with a lot of respect, with a gentle touch, and whatever buildings I put down, I want them to frame and give you views out to the landscape — to have you be a part of and connected to the landscape. I really believe you can teach people that way. They may not be aware of what is going on with the architecture, but you can make them feel a part of nature — not above it, not superior to it, and not conquering it.”

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Children in Need already setting records

November 15, 2007 by
Filed under News

Record amounts of money are already being raised as this year’s Children in Need activities get underway, it has been revealed.

A range of celebrities have agreed to get involved in the name of a good cause and businessman Martin Ainscough has already agreed to pay £250,000 to have singers Katie Melua and Aled Jones perform at an event to be staged by the Prince’s Trust. The figure represents a record bid for Children in Need and Mr Ainscough, who made his money through a successful crane-hire business, is hoping the Melua and Jones will help raise a further £250,000 when they perform in Manchester.

It was on Terry Wogan’s BBC Radio Two Breakfast Show that the unprecedented bid was made and the veteran broadcaster is quoted as saying: “It was the most amazing, the most wonderful day I’ve ever had on radio.” Children in Need’s official appeal night will be tomorrow (November 15th) and the events, which will include performances from the Spice Girls, Sugababes and Kylie Minogue, are to be broadcast on the BBC.

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Professor Christopher Ball to lead Connecticut business delegation to New York for meeting with Polish entrepreneurs

Christopher Ball, director of the István Széchenyi Institute at Quinnipiac University, will lead a delegation of Connecticut business leaders to New York City on Friday, Sept. 21, to meet with visiting Polish entrepreneurs in an attempt to further strengthen ties with Central Europe.

Ball, of Middletown, an associate professor of economics in the School of Business at Quinnipiac, will be joined by representatives of Charter Oak Communities of Stamford; Subo International of Woodbury; the Metro Hartford Alliance’s International Business Council of Hartford; the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business; The Entrepreneurial Center at the University of Hartford; Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, PC of Hartford, Middletown and New Haven; and Mission ID of New Canaan.

They will meet with representatives from a variety of Polish companies, including ones that specialize in finance, venture capitalism, media, training, business accounting and tax law and staff recruitment.

“We will sign a partnership agreement that will call for us to work more closely together to support each other’s efforts to expand our business interests,” said Ball, who also is president of the Central and Eastern European Network (CEENET), which is sponsored by the István Széchenyi Institute.

The two groups will agree to work together to: better understand best international business practices; promote high standards in the global economy; and plan joint conferences and training sessions where entrepreneurship, business responsibility and problem solving in the national and global economies will be stressed.

“People always think of international trade as competition,” Ball said. “Certainly companies compete, but really international business relations are all about cooperation and finding ways to support further partnerships. The more these kinds of opportunities are opened for Connecticut businesses, the more they can grow and expand here at home. It really benefits everyone.”

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Three new studies focusing on senior health show evidence that moderate physical activity every day—even in your 70s and 80s—can keep help aging adults maintain their mobility and independence as well as a healthy heart.

Researchers from the University of Florida recently found several reasons for seniors to stay active. With the help of remote field centers set up at universities throughout the country, they conducted the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders, or LIFE, study, which involved more than 1,600 sedentary men and women between the ages of 70 and 89. They found that elderly adults who exercise daily are 18 percent more likely to maintain their ability to walk than those who don’t. In addition, those who participate in moderate daily physical activity are less likely to experience long-term mobility loss.

“The fact that we had an even bigger impact on persistent disability is very good,” said co-principal investigator Jack Guralnik in a recent interview. “It implies that a greater percentage of the adults who had physical activity intervention recovered when they did develop mobility disability.” Results of the LIFE study were published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A similar study conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK recruited more than 200 seniors averaging 78 years of age. Researchers found that those who included at least 25 minutes of moderate exercise in their daily routine had fewer health problems and were prescribed fewer medications. Further, the most active participants in the study—those who exercised an average of 39 minutes daily—cut their emergency room visits in half when compared to those were not as active.

Finally, scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health recently found that maintaining or increasing physical activity after age 65 helps seniors improve heart health and reduces the risk of having a heart attack. The Cardiovascular Health Study looked at heart monitor recordings for nearly a thousand seniors over a five-year period and found that those who walked more and were generally more active on a daily basis lowered their risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest by 11 percent. “Do not slow down as you get older,” said Dr. Luisa Soares-Miranda, lead author of the study. “Try to walk an extra block or at a faster pace.”

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Barolo Briccolina 2009: the great pleasantness

It was very warm year of cold September nights, rainy in the right moments. The result is a Barolo characterized by the smells of fruit and spices, with powerful tannins typical for rich opulent structured wines. During the ripening many sugars formed which created higher alcohol levels. All of this without impeding the Briccolina from expressing its principle characteristic: finesse. Although 2009 was a year which made Barolos more rounded and soft, the Briccolina always maintains a great (and ever evolving) aging potential.

I am particularly happy to show off the 2009 Barolo Briccolina during the Vinexpo fair in Hong Kong. It is very important to present one of the high level cru of Serralunga d’Alba during the most famous exhibition of the far East. For the first time we have decided to sell this wine in Magnum and double Magnum sizes. You will still find the unmistakable turquoise tissue paper inside.


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Introducing the Business Section of the Rosetta Stone Blog

Over the past 20 years Rosetta Stone Business has partnered with over 8,000 businesses worldwide to help them build a multilingual workforce. Through those engagements, we’ve learned a lot from our clients – and we hope we’ve taught them a few things along the way as well. We want to share with you some of the things we’ve learned over the years, and help you see the business world in a new light.

The borders between nations and economies are being erased, and it’s becoming equally likely that your next customer will speak Mandarin or Spanish, as they will English. Our goal is to provide regular, targeted information that helps our readers to learn, grow and adapt to today’s dynamic business environment. We understand that your time is valuable, and our mission is to provide you valuable information in short, consumable bites. In fact, if you won’t have time visit us frequently, we encourage you to sign up on the right-hand side of this page to have our blog delivered directly to your email.

In the coming weeks, we hope you follow the discussions, provide comments, share these concepts with your team, and pick up some ideas to help improve your organization. So let’s get started!

Also, if you haven’t already make sure to connect with us on our social media channels:

Connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Trouble for Obama: Portland thinks he’s not a leader

Portland – where young people go to be disappointed in Barack Obama?

The messy debate over raising the debt ceiling of the United States has left political bruises on many.

However there’s a poll out of Oregon’s largest community that should give the White House pause. Fifty seven percent of people in the Rose City say President Obama was “not leading” during the debt ceiling kerfuffle. The same survey found 49 percent feeling that GOP Speaker of the House John Boehner was “not leading.”

Besides Republicans, where did Obama score poorly? With independents, the very people he’ll need to win re-election next year. And more young people (18-34) thought Boehner did a better job than Obama. The SurveyUSA/KUTA poll of 600 people was taken Aug. 1. The margin of error was 4.6 percent.

I’ll keep an eye out for any similar polling of Seattle.


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Microsoft Pri0

Welcome to Microsoft Pri0: That's Microspeak for top priority, and that's the news and observations you'll find here from Seattle Times reporter Sharon Chan.

E-mail Sharon| RSS feeds Subscribe | Blog Home| Brier Dudley's Blog

August 27, 2008 12:00 PM

Microsoft releases beta 2 of IE8; more from Firefox maker Mozilla

Posted by Benjamin J. Romano

Read my story about Microsoft releasing a second test version of its next Web browser, Internet Explorer 8, here. Get it and try it yourself here.

For some added perspective, I talked with Mike Shaver, a founding member of Mozilla, maker of Firefox. He's currently interim vice president of engineering. Rather than gloating about the success of the browser and the 15-plus points of market share Firefox has taken from IE in the last four years, he was glad to see Microsoft speeding up improvements to its own browser:

"When we talk about Mozilla's achievements, obviously Firefox and its incredible growth in market share and so forth is a major one. But another major one is that IE7 happened. Microsoft really felt pressure through the marketplace and through Firefox to come back to the table and improve their browser.

"We're very glad that it wasn't a one-trick thing and that they're continuing to and increasingly investing in their browser, both in standards support and in user experience. That's a great thing for the Web. We dont want to have a monopoly ourselves. They've got a ton of users who can certainly have a better browser than IE7 and we're both working on that."

In its first beta release of IE8 back in March, Microsoft focused more on standards support, as Shaver mentioned, and other tools for Web designers and developers.

The batch of new features with this beta is targeted more toward users. Privacy protection is a big one. From my story:

To help ease concerns with privacy and security on the Internet, Microsoft is introducing "InPrivate Browsing."

It allows a user to start a browsing session during which the history of sites they view, temporary Internet files and so-called cookies - small pieces of code added to a browser for tracking purposes - will not be recorded.

"An example might be you're searching for a surprise gift for a loved one, you're using a shared PC in an Internet cafe," said James Pratt, Internet Explorer product manager.

Some bloggers have nicknamed the feature "porn mode."

A complementary feature is "InPrivate Blocking." It allows a user to see when a third-party content provider might be tracking their activities on the Web. Many sites include content, such as stock prices, advertisements or weather information, from third-parties.

"That's the business model for the Web. That's how the Web is funded today in many cases," Pratt said.

I asked Mozilla's Shaver whether similar features would be baked-in to subsequent versions of Firefox. Private browsing functionality is already part of Safari and can be added to Firefox as one of several extensions developed by the broad community of individuals who work on the open-source browser.

"We really want to make sure that what we do there fits how users think about their privacy," Shaver said. "We want to make sure that if a user wants to be able to sort of retroactively clear, then they shouldn't have to necessarily decide upfront that they're going to have a private browsing session."

He said people are working on it and it will certainly be part of some future version. Mozilla hasn't decided whether it will be part of the next version, Firefox 3.1.

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The look of ‘Mad Men’

It’s not giving too much away to let you know that season 6 of “Mad Men” takes place in the increasingly mod late 1960s. But like any era, it’s not just about one over-riding trend, as can be seen in our gallery.
In the two-hour season opener, svelte young women are still rocking mini-dresses and tunics with go-go boots, while the Ladies of Means (see: the Betty Draper) favor a more conservative look. The colors orange and blue are ubiquitous, f rom Roger Sterling’s blue sport coat to orange tunics to the office furniture at Sterling Cooper Draper Price.
Joan Holloway continues to dazzle in jewel-tone satin and brocade dresses with a very ’50s figure-flattering silhouette. Peggy Olson has kept up with the times and now sports a softer short haircut and simpler, single-color ensembles. While all business during the day, at night she tries out a more boho look that reflects her age and lifestyle.
Yet wild, Pucci-like prints are only as far away as vacation wardrobes donned by Megan Draper. A citrus fruit printed coat and white hat looks oddly contemporary, and out of place in Hawaii. But she still hasn’t found a personal style: The gray belted pant suit ensemble she wears for New Year’s Eve feels like a costume.
Our favorite fashion moment may have been the chic black dress and hat worn by Jane, Roger’s most recent ex-wife. It evokes Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic looks for Catherine Deneuve in “Belle de Jour.” With the severe hat and contrast white collar, it defined Jane instantly. That’s the genius of the choices Janie Bryant makes for the characters of “Mad Men.”

For more  on Season 6, see SFGate’s “Mad Men returns” page here.

Laura Compton


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Pioneer One

A little while ago I wrote about how a TV series could be released on bittorrent and paid for by fans. Well, somebody’s done it – check out Pioneer One.

I read about this last week on TechDirt, but it took me a few days to get around to downloading and watching it. My impression – absolutely brilliant. More please – I’ve donated already. I frankly don’t care how much this cost to make, the pilot reminded me of a good episode of X-files – great TV. If it only takes a few thousand of us to put our hands in our pockets for less than the cost of a DVD, and that gets us away from the mass produced tripe of ‘reality’ TV then this is my future of TV.

Now then… I don’t really want theme tunes or deleted scenes (I never really bother with DVD extras type stuff). Some cool merch would be a different matter altogether though.

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Monthly Archive for September, 2010

: September, 2010

NYISO says that dangers loom in for power grid

Image by Tony the Misfit via Flickr The New York Independent System Operator, the North Greenbush nonprofit that oversees the state’s high-voltage transmission system, says the state will have enough

State Senate to hold National Grid hearings

State Sen. George Maziarz, who is chairman of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, is planning to hold hearings on the accounting scandal that has threatened to detail National Grid’s

Goodbye Capital Region. Hello Seattle

Image via Wikipedia Barry Stoner is going home. Stoner is a senior vice president and chief content officer at WMHT Educational Telecommunications. He’s been with the North Greenbush-based public

Report: Sematech employees have offers to move to Albany

Image via Wikipedia The Austin American-Statesman is reporting that officials from the Sematech computer chip research consortium in Austin have offers on the table to either be transferred to the

No more direct flights to Buffalo

Image by wbaiv via Flickr From today’s newspaper: The seating chart tells the story. On Tuesday afternoon’s flight to Buffalo, just eight of the airplane’s 34 seats were reserved as of

Silhouette Eye Studio closes in Colonie

The Silhouette Eye Studio on Ulenski Drive in Colonie is no more. The retail store, operated by the Austrian-based company, which has its U.S. headquarters in Green Island, closed on Friday, according

Canandaigua tech center to merge with NanoCollege center

Image via Wikipedia The state is merging its Infotonics Technology Center outside Rochester with the Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology at the College of Nanoscale Science and

Bridge fire not affecting Amtrak service to Capital Region

A bridge fire on the rail line out of Grand Central station likely will cause problems tonight for Metro-North commuter train riders. But an Amtrak spokesman said Empire Service trains, which use a

National Grid, NYSERDA team to help hospitals

National Grid and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority have launched a new program called Energy Efficiency for Health that is designed to save hospitals in National Grid’s

WGY launches FM simulcast

The Capital Region’s most popular AM radio station has launched an FM simulcast. Talk radio station WGY 810 AM, a consistent ratings leader, today began broadcasting at 103.1 FM, a frequency that had


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Monthly Archive for January, 2012

: January, 2012

The Link Between Human and Animal Cruelty

It’s not uncommon for puppies to go to the bathroom inside the house. They’re puppies, it’s expected. After properly training them these problems can usually be resolved. Those who don’t understand


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Rich Tehrani : Communications and Technology Blog -
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| Communications and Technology Blog - Latest news in IP communications, telecom, VoIP, call center & CRM space

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Avocent's Solutions Help Companies Save

Avocent headquarters in Huntsville, AlAs budgets tighten, companies are looking for ways to do more with less. They are cutting heads and spending, and as a result they have fewer people to get the job done. In this environment we...
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Tom Keating : VoIP & Gadgets Blog
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R2-D2 Webcam & VoIP Phone

I got my Christmas edition of the Sharper Image catalog over the Black Friday/Thanksgiving weekend and saw some cool gadgets. One of my favorites was a 8" tall Star Wars R2-D2 droid that is a roving webcam transmitting real-time video...
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Home / Film / Movie Review: Hannah Montana – The Movie

Movie Review: Hannah Montana – The Movie

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Miley Cyrus juggles her real life and her alternate pop persona in this G-rated family comedy filled with solid music. This entertaining 102-minute movie continues showcasing the dual personas of Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana from the previous Best of Both Worlds concert movie.

Miley Cyrus has been a Disney Channel mainstay since 2006 when she was 13. The new screen story moves from Hannah’s Beverly Hills-type exploits, including a tiff with Tyra Banks, to Miley’s fun-loving personality. Predictably, most conflict in the story relates to Miley’s life, but you know things are not really that bad if the movie uses paparazzi as the villains.

Billy Ray Cyrus gets to play his real life role as Miley’s father, Robby Ray. He’s a typically protective yet caring dad who’s neglected his personal life. When this family duo returns to their home town, Crowley Corners, Tennessee, they reconnect with their roots, making a dramatic touchstone for their futures.

The music is strong enough for a recommendation due to the quality and solid integration into the story. The daddy/daughter duet, "Butterfly Fly Away," is a tender ballad that capstones a very relatable relationship, but not necessarily from character development in the story. Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift also make music performance appearances.

On the television series, Brooke Shields played Miley’s mom in short remembrance scenes and only appears in a photo during the film. Screenwriters expand that void a bit with Melora Hardin who plays Lorelai, Robby Ray’s friend/love interest.

Emily Osment plays Miley’s best friend Lilly while Lucas Till, who plays childhood friend Travis, vies for that position when Miley revisits her roots in Tennessee. Margo Martindale plays the wise, no-nonsense matriarchal character Ruby.

The young male stars who migrate from the television series to the big screen include Jason Earles, who plays Jackson Stewart, Miley’s older brother. Earles also features his hosting potential in the entertaining "I Should Have Gone to Film School" featurette. Osment and Cyrus also get a featurette where they tour their hometowns of Nashville and Hollywood.

Mitchel Musso also stars as Oliver/Mike while Moises Arias, who plays Rico, has also recently branched out beyond acting as a commentator at the Little League World Series. Vanessa Williams has a prominent role as Miley/Hannah’s publicist Vita while Peter Gunn plays British paparazzo Oswald Granger, who’s featured more in the deleted scenes than the actual movie. The iconic Beatles-like fan chasing scenarios still appear, but this movie focuses on avoiding Oswald to protect Miley’s real identity and create several sight gags and comedy.

British director Peter Chelsom could have added even more slapstick and originality to boost appeal. The wide angle shot on a ladder sight gag would have been better, and riskier, with a point-of-view shot instead.

This home video set includes the standard DVD, Blu-ray, and a digital copy plus a Surround Sound and widescreen option with Spanish and French spoken language/subtitle options.

The "Hoedown Throwdown” Dance Along, seven music videos and cast dance feature shows audiences some moves and gets those toes tapping. The standard bloopers, audio commentary, and deleted scenes entertain and inform audiences about film production details.

The movie soundtrack is the only thing missing for fans, which presents an interesting point – the music videos work well, but will studios start packaging movie soundtracks with the home video version? Record companies could find a new way to boost sales/chart position (remember Prince packaging Musicology with his concert tickets?).

The 18 feature songs provide sizable appeal with obvious references to the Hannah persona ("The Good Life," "Everything I Want") and Miley ("Back to Tennessee," "You'll Always Find Your Way Back") plus some simple, fun numbers like "Let's Get Crazy" and "Crazier."

This movie definitely hit the target audience mark with the best opening day for a live action, G-rated movie. The predictable ending strays from the fun tone to address drama from the two main character arcs. Some stereotypes and commercialism weaken the movie, but target and general audiences can find a wide variety of appealing elements here while Hannah fans won’t be disappointed.

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  • tessa

    i loved the movie…
    it was great.
    my favorite part was when miley sang the climb….

  • katie

    it wasawesome…
    i loved it.
    when i went to the theatrs to see it..
    and here shortly im going to get the movie..
    hell yeahhh..

  • Cat

    I didnot see it but i like mily