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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Street artist dubbed "Russian Banksy" dies

MOSCOW (AP) ? Pasha P183, a prominent Russian graffiti artist who hid his identity and has been compared to Britain's Banksy, has died. He was 29.

The Teatralnoye Delo theatrical production company, which recently commissioned Pasha P183 to create scenery for the musical "Todd," said the artist died Monday in Moscow. It wouldn't elaborate.

Teatralnoye Delo's spokeswoman Regina Vartsan, who knew the artist personally, described him Wednesday as a "sincere and open person of remarkable talent and unique vision."

Like Banksy, and late U.S. artist Keith Haring, Pasha P183 started out painting graffiti in the dead of night, and recalled being detained numerous times by Moscow police.

One of his most famous works was painted on the ground in a snow-covered yard and features a huge pair of glasses, with a lamppost serving as one arm. Another piece showed chocolate bars painted on a panel of concrete, an image he said reflected his abhorrence of the commercialization of art and life.

"I wanted that work to carry the most important message ... that a person mustn't sell himself," he said in a rare interview posted on adme.ru last year. "I made a chocolate bar that can't be bought, using a giant panel of concrete."

He said the work provided a more optimistic ending for a film he made ? the original one had the hero jumping out of the window to his death, while the alternative had him landing safely in front of the chocolate bar.

Little was known about the artist, who carefully protected his identity. In the same interview, he described himself as an "anarchist" and spoke with contempt about the "constant run for money" in Moscow.

Many of his street works had political undertones and carried an apparent reference to a recent wave of massive street protests in Moscow against President Vladimir Putin's rule. One showed a protester lighting a flare and another work had shield-carrying riot police on a subway station's glass doors.

"Put simply, I want to teach people in this country to tell lies from the truth and to tell bad from good," he said in an interview with Russia Today television, wearing a black ski mask that covered most of his face. "This is what our people still cannot do."

Despite all that, he said he didn't consider himself a political artist and hated politics just as much as he hated advertising.

The artist has claimed to have had many professions since graduating from a university, working as a computer expert, photographer, cameraman, film director and even child psychiatrist. He scoffed at comparisons to Banksy, saying they belittled his own style.

The rock musical "Todd" is currently showing in Moscow.

"It was a colossal work," Pasha P183 wrote on his Facebook page of the production of the scenery. "If I die tomorrow, I can at least feel that I have left something real behind."

___

Pasha P183's personal web site: http://www.183art.ru

His blog: http://183.livejournal.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/street-artist-dubbed-russian-banksy-dies-141056718.html

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Circuit Playground Is Adafruit's Educational Series For Helping Kids Learn About Electronics

Adafruit, the DIY electronics website and marketplace, is espousing the popular strategy of "get em' young" with a new live action short video series broadcast on YouTube. The series, called Circuit Playground, takes an alphabetical approach to teaching kids about the basics of circuits, components and concepts that will come in handy if the tots watching have aspirations of becoming electrical engineers, or just of building their own hobby projects at home.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/khEcnSKX694/

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Fans mark 10th anniversary of Leslie Cheung death

A tearful fan, center, along with others sings a song of the late Hong Kong actor-singer Leslie Cheung outside a hotel where Cheung jumped to his death, in Hong Kong Monday, April 1, 2013. Cheung's fans placed flowers to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Hong Kong screen and singing legend Cheung. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

A fan takes picture of herself with a poster of the late Hong Kong actor-singer Leslie Cheung on an altar set up outside a hotel where Cheung jumped to his death, in Hong Kong Monday, April 1, 2013. Cheung's fans placed flowers to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Hong Kong screen and singing legend Cheung. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

A tearful fan along with others sings a song of the late Hong Kong actor-singer Leslie Cheung outside a hotel where Cheung jumped to his death, in Hong Kong Monday, April 1, 2013. Cheung's fans placed flowers to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Hong Kong screen and singing legend Cheung. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

A fan poses besides a wax figure of the late actor-singer Leslie Cheung at Hong Kong's Madame Tussauds Monday, April 1, 2013. Cheung's fans placed flowers to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Hong Kong screen and singing legend Cheung. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

A fan touches a picture of the late Hong Kong actor-singer Leslie Cheung on an altar set up outside a hotel where Cheung jumped to his death in Hong Kong Monday, April 1, 2013. Cheung's fans placed flowers to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Hong Kong screen and singing legend Cheung. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

HONG KONG (AP) ? Almost 2 million origami made by fans in memory of singer-actor Leslie Cheung are being displayed in Hong Kong at an exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of his death.

The "Miss You Much Leslie Exhibition" at the Times Square shopping mall is one of many memorial events in his hometown.

Many fans discovered Cheung after his passing. "I really miss him, and I regret that I did not get to know him until 2009," said Kang Lizhen, a mainland Chinese who was born in 1990.

Those who discovered him after his death feel like they lost a friend, said one such fan, Marie A. Jost. "There will be no new works, no new events, no news of Leslie ... It really does feel that we've lost a dear, dear friend," said Jost.

Cheung killed himself by jumping off the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in central Hong Kong on April 1, 2003. His death came at a dark time for his hometown as Hong Kong was hit with the SARS epidemic (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). Hundreds died in the illness outbreak that also crippled the Hong Kong economy and cast a gloomy pall on the normally vibrant and energetic city.

Cheung, who was 46 when he died, made several hit albums and starred in classic films including 1987's "A Chinese Ghost Story," director John Woo's "A Better Tomorrow" and Chinese director Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine."

A memorial concert was held Sunday, and Cheung's fans mark his death anniversary each year by visiting the hotel where he committed suicide. One wall of the hotel is covered in flowers, candles and posters of the singer and actor.

Fans sent in volumes of crafted paper this year to try to set a Guinness record for most origami made for a cause. Organizers said 1,900,119 were collected.

The memorial origami are displayed in a transparent archway above a large statue of Cheung at the "Miss You Much Leslie Exhibition" entrance, and one large, red origami sits in the statue's open palm. The exhibition showcases costumes from his concerts, and a mini-theater plays films and interview clips.

The fans' effort and the origami display were encouraged by Florence Chan Suk-Fun, the former agent for the performer, said Vernon Ma, promotions manager for Times Square.

"Ms. Chan thought it might be good to gather all the origami together and put them in a nice display, and to showcase to the public that Leslie fans' love is so powerful. After 10 years' time, they still remember Leslie, and they still want to do something for Leslie," Ma said.

Hundreds of fans held a candlelight vigil at a nearby park at 18:41 p.m. marking the time of his death.

The concert in his memory included performances by Cheung's friends like canto pop singer Jacky Cheung, Karen Mok and Leo Ku.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-02-Hong%20Kong-Leslie%20Cheung/id-ab072245bdeb48b0acc03234bf8ceb6d

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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

U.S. signals strength on North Korea, but speaks softly

As North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has issued increasingly belligerent statements toward South Korea and the United States in recent weeks, many North Asia analysts have concluded that the young Mr. Kim is acting to establish his tough-guy credentials with key audiences: the North Korean public, but also the military and other North Korean elites.

But in response, the Obama administration ? while actually saying little ? has also been acting to reassure the American public and key allies like South Korea and Japan, even as it tries to figure out what Kim Jong-un is really up to and the best way to deal with him, some regional experts say.

?The early superficial take-away on [Kim] is that he?s not afraid to be out front, not afraid to take risks.... He speaks more directly to the public than his father did, and after he?s established his military credentials he can then turn his focus to the economy,? says Jim Walsh, an expert in international security at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology?s Security Studies Program.

RECOMMENDED: North Korea abandons armistice: 4 key questions answered

?But the US is also sending its own messages? by responding to Kim?s rhetoric ? which has included a vow to attack the US ? with the inclusion of nuclear-capable B-52s in US-South Korea military exercises and a reinforcing of missile defense batteries in Alaska, he says.

The Obama administration ?is sending a message of reassurance to South Korea and the American public in particular,? Dr. Walsh says, ?but [it is] also telling a leader who is really breaking new ground with direct and specific threats, ?If you keep talking like that, this is what you have to look forward to.? ?

But besides such messaging, the US has had very little to say in response to Kim?s actions ? which have included tearing up the Korean War armistice, severing a security communications line with Seoul, and publicly reviewing military planning for attacks on a number of US sites including Hawaii and Austin, Texas.

Want your top political issues explained? Get customized DC Decoder updates.

Secretary of State John Kerry will certainly have more to say when he visits Japan, South Korea, and China in mid-April, but in the meantime the administration is speaking softly as it brandishes its big sticks. A White House spokesman said that the North is further isolating itself with its ?bellicose rhetoric? (last Friday) and Secretary Kerry has called on North Korea to ?engage in legitimate dialogue? instead of issuing threats (early last month).

The US has also been working to impose new sanctions and to reinforce international implementation of existing measures against North Korea since the United Nations Security Council approved a new round of sanctions last month in response to the North?s February nuclear test.

Some security analysts accuse the US of needlessly provoking Kim with a string of military measures at a delicate moment in the new leader?s consolidation of power. (At 29 or 30 years of age, Kim is the world?s youngest head of state, having assumed power at the death of his father in December 2011.)

But many other experts say the US has acted prudently as the unknown quantity in charge in Pyongyang ? who has already overseen a worrisome nuclear test and long-range missile launch ? has recently issued increasingly incendiary threats.

The US is simply covering its security bases, the latter reasoning goes, while it tries to figure out who Kim is and how best to approach him.

No one can even be certain that Kim is the guy in charge in North Korea, some analysts say. ?You can conclude that as a leader he seems to be quite risk-acceptant, but there?s also reason to be cautious and ask questions like, ?Is he really in charge, or is it a family clique or council?? ? says Walsh. ?Certainly the US government is still asking, ?What are his relations with the military?? ?

Given the deep uncertainties about North Korea, the US public seems to be broadly supportive of the Obama administration?s approach ? taking precautions militarily even as it imposes new sanctions to try to influence the North?s behavior ? according to a new Monitor/TIPP poll.

But the poll also suggests that the public may be out in front of the administration by strongly favoring the kind of ?dialogue? the White House is pursuing with Iran over its nuclear program but has not yet proposed with North Korea.

More than two-thirds of Americans ? 68 percent ? say they favor opening direct talks with the North Korean regime, according to the poll conducted March 25-30. Only 24 percent disagree with the idea of dialogue.

Even more popular is the imposition of economic sanctions. Nearly three-quarters of Americans ? 74 percent ? support exerting economic pressure and even increasing it with additional measures.

Much less popular among a war-weary populace is the idea of military intervention to ?remove? North Korea?s nuclear installations. Still, a sizable minority of 40 percent would support such action, while 53 percent oppose.

And among self-identified Republicans, military action against the North has the support of a small majority ? 51 percent.

MIT?s Walsh says he sees very little chance of US military action against the North, because he says no one involved in the current ratcheting-up of tensions wants a military confrontation ? neither the US nor the North, nor South Korea.

The danger, he says, is that someone makes a mistake that gets the military ball rolling.

And more long term, Walsh worries there will be repercussions from the precautionary actions the US has taken that the Obama administration may not wish to see. President Obama could see his nonproliferation and disarmament goals set back by the US ?brandishing? of its nuclear-ready aircraft, and not all of North Korea?s neighbors will interpret the US measures as a reassuring display of the US nuclear umbrella.

?Clearly one of [the US] goals is to reassure states like South Korea and Japan, ?You don?t have to go nuclear because we can protect you,? ? he says. ?But on the other hand, my guess is that the Russians and the Chinese aren?t too happy about the US flying nuclear-capable [aircraft] near their borders.?

RECOMMENDED: North Korea abandons armistice: 4 key questions answered

Monday, April 1, 2013

Careers: What Does It Take to Become a Real Estate Agent? Part 6 ...

What is it really like to be a real estate agent, and what does it take to become one? We interviewed six Redfin Agents to find out why they chose real estate as a career and how they came to work at Redfin. Yesterday we profiled Chad Pluid, who managed a restaurant and worked in banking before joining Redfin. Today you?ll hear from?Bree Al-Rashid, a Redfin listing agent who worked as horse trainer, financial planner, and a real estate agent at another brokerage before joining the company.

If you?re looking for more agent info, be sure to check our entire series of real estate agent profiles and don?t hesitate to investigate open real estate jobs at Redfin.

Bree Al-Rashid ? Listing Agent

Before joining Redfin, Bree worked as horse trainer, financial planner, and a real estate agent at another brokerage.

What did you do before you joined Redfin?

In college I ran a riding school and summer camp for kids to help pay for my tuition. One of my riding students ended up being a high level VP of a financial planning firm. She tried to hook me up with her son, but when that didn?t work out she said I should work for her firm. I did that for about two years, and stayed in the financial planning industry for six years.

What made you want to pursue your real estate license, and what was the process like?

I was tired of being stuck inside an office. My husband worked in real estate and was looking for help, so I decided to become licensed. We built a business together at Keller Williams, and then worked at RE/MAX for awhile.

Coming from an industry where there was a lot of licensing that you had to obtain, getting my license was pretty easy. You have to plan it out and do the classes, but if you?re a good test taker it?s fine. For most people who are interested in the industry, it?s totally feasible. You don?t have to have achieved high levels of math or analysis to be a licensed real estate professional.

How did you hear about Redfin, and why did you decide to apply?

A colleague at RE/MAX became a Redfin partner agent, and he introduced me to it. I was a partner agent for awhile, but when I decided I needed more balance in my life, I applied to Redfin. I started as a listing specialist, which provides the opportunity to keep regular hours. It has afforded a much more balanced life, especially with vacation time.

Do you worry about the market going up and down?

It hasn?t been a problem. I was always very lucky; I had as much or more business than I wanted.

What?s the best part of your job?

Redfin has a team of people that you can count on for support, so you can create balance in your life. Working on your own as an agent is a challenge; it?s hard to be a graphic designer, HR manager and bookkeeper all in one day and be successful. Now my day is spent marketing houses, negotiating contracts, and solving real estate-related problems. Redfin offers a chance to get your life back.

I love Redfin?s feel, the corporate culture. I love its weirdness ? how we?re thinking out of the box ? it?s super progressive, not stale and stodgy. I?m sick of it sounding like real estate is only for people who are over sixty. Redfin is really fresh. There?s also a lot of room for growth. If you want to work in other parts of the company, there are options. You?re not stuck being an agent for the rest of your life.

What skills do you think are important to be successful as a real estate agent?

People who come from a liberal arts background are often successful in real estate. 90% of what we do is good communications, reading into subtext, connecting the dots for human beings. People who are overly analytical struggle in this industry because they lose sight of the human component. There?s so much that can?t be measured in real estate; you can?t measure human emotions or the layout of a house.? It takes people skills and good communicators to be successful. Organization, problem solving, and the ability to be calm during stressful situations are also important.

What would you tell people who are thinking about becoming an agent?

If you?re getting into real estate as an independent broker and you have no background in the industry or a natural market to find business, it?s a tough business to get into. I came from financial planning, which has a similar struggle. It?s very difficult to find clients right off the bat. That?s what is unique about Redfin; if you have interest in the agency and you?re 22 years old, you can get into it right away. Or if you?re 50 and coming back for a second or third career, you can do the same thing. There are so many great built-in systems, and there?s an opportunity for mentorships. We don?t let people fail at Redfin.

At Redfin our motto is ?keep it weird.? What?s something ?weird? about you?

My pig won ?Grand Champion Market Hog? at the 1994 Oakhurst Fair. I didn?t get chicken pox until I was 14.? Then I gave them to my mom who was 41.?I can throw a Frisbee with my feet.

To get in touch with Bree or read her reviews from Redfin clients, check out her profile page on Redfin.com.

Source: http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2013/03/careers-what-does-it-take-to-become-a-real-estate-agent-part-6.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=careers-what-does-it-take-to-become-a-real-estate-agent-part-6

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Christians in the Holy Land celebrate Easter

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Catholics and Protestants in the Holy Land are celebrating Easter with prayers and services.

Worshippers prayed Sunday in the ancient church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, built on the site where tradition holds Jesus was crucified, briefly entombed and then resurrected.

Christians believe Jesus was resurrected on Easter. Roman Catholics and Protestants, who follow the new, Gregorian calendar, celebrate Easter on Sunday. Orthodox Christians, who follow the old, Julian calendar, will mark it in May.

Protestants held Easter ceremonies outside Jerusalem's walled Old City at the Garden Tomb, which some identify as the site of Jesus' burial. Another service was held at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Jesus' traditional birthplace.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/christians-holy-land-celebrate-easter-093736545.html

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Tunable app shows musicians what pitch-perfect means as they play (video)

Musicians who've had some degree of practice will know the lack of sophistication involved in getting an instrument in tune and on time: a light-up tuning box and a swinging metronome may be their only real resources. Affinity Blue knows that mobile apps allow better, and recently unveiled Tunable as a one-stop shop for more exacting performers. The Android and iOS release provides a live graph that shows where the sweet spot is for pitch, and how closely the music has followed along for the past few seconds -- a boon for brass players, vocalists and others who need to sustain a note for more than a moment. There's also a simple tone generator and a customizable metronome that's easily seen from a distance. While it's $1 to try Tunable, that might be a pittance for anyone who'd rather spend time mastering a riff than rehashing the basics.

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