Anatomy of a farce: rights and the wrongs of a DJ dalliance

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The withdrawal of a $1.65 billion takeover bid for national retailer David Jones has bought to a close one of the most bizarre chapters in the companys 174-year history.

In our step-by-step analysis of the bidmade by little-known private equity company EB Private Equitywe unravel the complexities facing David Jones chair Bob Savage, his board and management.

The takeover bid

On May 28, the David Jones board received an email, dated May 22, with an unconditional but incomplete bid for the company. According to The Australian Financial Review, David Jones chairman Bob Savage thought the deal didnt feel right. He emailed the bidder asking for more information. It would be a month before he received any response.

The bidder was John Edgar, representing EB Private Equity, a private equity group that claims to have a focus on property.

The David Jones board was faced with three possibilities: saying nothing until further details were forthcoming; making an announcement; or going into a trading halt.Usually, you would expect the board to quickly make an announcement about a bid, says the chief executive of Chartered Secretaries Australia, Tim Sheehy.

My hunch is that they hesitated because they had doubts about the legitimacy of the bid, he told LeadingCompany. In a perfect world where a bid came through a well-known, recognised investment bank, and was legitimate, they would have to disclose relatively quickly. This one didnt seem bona fide from the start, and they set about investigating.

The David Jones board was under no obligation to reveal the bid by EB Private Equity, says professor Ian Ramsay, director of the centre for corporate law and securities regulation at Melbourne University. Ramsay was responsible for the review that led to changes in corporate law in 2004 in the wake of corporate collapses such as HIH insurance in 2001.

The ASX requires under listing rules disclosure of material information [that will affect the share price], but there is a carve out and that includes an incomplete proposal, he said.

On June 28, a day before David Jones finally revealed the offer, EB Private Equity responded to Savages request for more information. The email contained few new details about the bidder, but did update the offer to $1.65 billiona 40% premium on the companys then market value.

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Anatomy of a farce: rights and the wrongs of a DJ dalliance

Anatomy of a fireworks show

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A typical fireworks show, which lasts about 20-25 minutes, takes about one year for preparation and procurement of products from China and Europe.

The company starts placing orders in July with the expectation of receiving the goods from November to April the following year.

Pyro Spectaculars is usually fully booked for Independence Day by April.

Then the show production team works with the sponsors, city planners, and fire departments in site selection for the shows.

Show design begins, with story-boards, choreographed to music.

From May 1 to the middle of June the shows are assembled, processed and packaged, ready for shipment.

In the last two weeks leading up to July 4, crews are loading hundreds of trucks, heaving firing equipment into them for every show.

On the morning of July 4, the crews arrive at 5:30 a.m. - eat hot dogs at 6 a.m. - to pick up their respective trucks loaded with fireworks, heading out to their shows.

Some shows set up several days before the show. On the Fourth of July, it will take all day to set up fireworks.

By 5 p.m., the shows are ready to fire. At 9 p.m. shows are launched.

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Anatomy of a fireworks show

Tomorrow Night: Resurrection! A Gala Benefit to Rebuild the Morbid Anatomy Library! Silent Auction Items Now on View!

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A final gentle reminder: tomorrow night at 8:00 at Observatory, we hope very much to see you at RESURRECTION! A Gala Benefit to Rebuild The Morbid Anatomy Library!

The full schedule of the evening's festivities follows, but here are a few highlights listed for your convenience:

The party begins at 8, and the performance begins at 9; tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Full details for the event follow. Hope very much to see you there!

RESURRECTION! A Gala Benefit to Rebuild The Morbid Anatomy Library
Date: Saturday, June 30
Time: 8:00
Admission: $25
Location: Observatory (543 Union Street at Nevins, Brooklyn; Enter via Proteus Gowanus) (DIRECTIONS)

8:00: Doors, drinks, and music

9:00: Introductory remarks by our MCs Evan Michelson of The Science Channel's "Oddities" and cult writer and luminary Mark Dery

9:10: World Premiere of Morbid Anatomy and Evan Michelson episodes of The Midnight Archive, directed by Ronni Thomas

9:20: A Series of 5-minute "Odes to Material Culture:"

Following will be complimentary cocktails, music by Friese Undine,  performances by Jonny Clockworks, and droll giveaways from the design firm Kikkerland. Attendees are encouraged to dress "Obscurely."

Throughout the night, you will also be invited to bid on objects in our silent auction which included works by such amazing artists and makers as:

And, if you can not join us at the benefit and are interested in aiding in rebuilding efforts, here are a few things you can do:

  • Make a monetary donation; to do so, simply click on the black "Donate Here" button on the top right hand side of this blog

  • Sponsor a book; Click hereto see a list of damaged books; books purchased here will automatically ship directly to The Library and populate our sadly empty shelves.

  • Help spread the word!

  • Donate new books or artifacts for the collection: Mailing Address: Joanna Ebenstein, c/o The Morbid Anatomy Library, 543 Union Street #1E, Brooklyn, NY 1121 To see more artworks available in the silent auction, click here.

You can find out more here. Hope very, very much to see you there!

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Stelarc’s Third Ear

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Stelarc third ear left forearm

I was sitting in GV Art Gallery, London last week when this sweet-looking older man walked in.  The gallery director introduced him as Stelarc and urged him to show us his art.  Stelarc humbly agreed and proceeded to tell us who he was while he started to remove his coat.  As he slipped his left arm out, he lifted up his forearm and revealed to us his third ear.  My jaw dropped.

Stelarc Ear on Arm photo by Nina Sellars
Photography by the very talented Nina Sellars

Stelarc is a legendary Australian performance artist who has, for over four decades, used his body as his art medium, using everything from robotic third arms to full body hook suspensions.  His Ear on Arm project began in 2006 by using a skin expander to create excess skin on his left forearm.  A biocompatible scaffold was then surgically inserted into his left forearm and the skin suctioned around it to create the shape of the ear.  After all of these years he’s still perfecting the shape using stem cells and surgery to make the ear more prominent. Eventually Stelarc wants to insert a Wi-Fi enabled microphone in the ear of which he says, “if you’re in San Francisco and I’m in London, you’ll be able to listen in to what my ear is hearing, wherever you are and wherever I am.”

Stelarc put his coat back on.  It was his birthday and he was off to dinner with the gallery.  I was left thinking, “did that really just happen?”

View more of Stelarc’s work via stelarc.org.  Read more about him in a recent WIRED article.

 

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"A History of Mourning" Richard Davey, 1890

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“The body of Inez was lifted from the grave, placed on a magnificent throne, and crowned Queen of Portugal. The clergy, the nobility, and the people did homage to her corpse, and kissed the bones of her hands. There sat the dead Queen, with her yellow hair hanging like a veil round her ghastly form. One fleshless hand held the sceptre, and the other the orb of royalty. At night, after the coronation ceremony, a procession was formed of all the clergy and nobility, the religious orders and confraternities which extended over many miles each person holding a flaring torch in his hand, and thus walked from Coimbra to Alcobaga, escorting the crowned corpse to that royal abbey for interment. The dead Queen lay in her rich robes upon a chariot drawn by black mules and lighted up by hundreds of lights.”

Text and images drawn from A History of Mourning, by Richard Davey, 1890, as found on the wonderful Public Domain Review website.

Click on images to larger, more detailed images. Click here to peruse the entire book. And thanks so very much to Aaron Beebe for sending this along.

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"Obsessed: Taxidermy," Rachel Poliquin, The Huffington Post

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...There is something sufficiently peculiar (read unexpected, off-putting, or downright disturbing) about the lively posturing of animal skins that suggests only an aficionada could possibly write a book on the subject. If I had written a history of slavery, no one would assume any such thing. I don't love taxidermy. I don't collect taxidermy. But for six years of my life, I found it irresistible.

My taxidermy years didn't grow from love, but they did begin with an unsettling sort of fascination. Like a moth irresistibly drawn towards a bare bulb, I have been all-consumed. Some might say obsessed. I've visited natural history museums and private collections across the western world. I've written about taxidermy, curated exhibits about taxidermy, photographed, blogged and talked about taxidermy. I've seen the beautiful, the devastating and the repugnant from haunting works of contemporary art to ancient animal remains lost in almost-forgotten museums. Through my website Ravishing Beasts, I've corresponded with lovers, haters, activists, and kooks (one reader let me know he had smoked the ashes of his dead cat), all because of the unnerving charisma of long dead animals. For me, obsession and fascination don't equate with love and adoration, and a thing can only fascinate for as long as it retains its inexplicable magnetism.

I'm sure you've all had an encounter with taxidermy, whether it was with a museum specimen, a hunting trophy, or a piece of contemporary art. If you gave the animal more than a passing glance, you know something of taxidermy's uncanny mesmeric presence, the way it draws your eyes and demands attention. You can't ignore a stuffed parrot on the mantelpiece in the way you might overlook a ceramic vase, and my fascination with taxidermy was really an obsessive quest to explain why. Why does the artistic recreation of an animal using the animal's own skin (undeniably a very odd practice) create such eerie animal-things? 

--"Obsessed: Taxidermy," Rachel Poliquin, The Huffington Post

You can read the whole article--in today's Huffington Post by Rachel Poliquin, proprieter of the fantastic Ravishing Beasts blog and author of the new book The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing--by clicking here. If this is of interest and you are in the New York area, come see Poliquin speak--and purchase signed copies of her brand new book!--at Observatory on Friday, August 17th; more details on that can be found here.

All images are from her book, and found on the Huffington Post Slideshow; you can find out more about them by clicking here.

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Final Lineup and Schedule for "RESURRECTION! A Gala Benefit to Rebuild The Morbid Anatomy Library," This Saturday, June 30th, at 8:00 PM!

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As most of you have no doubt already heard, on Good Friday of this year, The Morbid Anatomy Library suffered a mighty and devastating deluge. This Saturday, June 30th, Morbid Anatomy and Observatory will host an epic and underground-star-studded rebuilding gala, and we would love to see you there.

Following is a somewhat finalized schedule. The party begins at 8, and the performance begins at 9; tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Hope to see you there!

RESURRECTION! A Gala Benefit to Rebuild The Morbid Anatomy Library
Date: Saturday, June 30
Time: 8:00
Admission: $25
Location: Observatory (543 Union Street at Nevins, Brooklyn; Enter via Proteus Gowanus) (DIRECTIONS)

8:00: Doors, drinks, and music
9:00: Introductory remarks by our MCs Evan Michelson of The Science Channel's "Oddities" and cult writer and luminary Mark Dery
9:10: World Premiere of Morbid Anatomy episode of The Midnight Archive, directed by Ronni Thomas
9:20: A Series of 5-minute "Odes to Material Culture:"

Following will be complimentary cocktails, music by Friese Undine, screenings of The Midnight Archive, performances by Jonny Clockworks, and droll giveaways from the design firm Kikkerland. Attendees are encouraged to dress "Obscurely."

Throughout the night, you will also be invited to bid on objects in our silent auction which included works by such amazing artists and makers as:

You can find out more here. Hope very, very much to see you there!

And, if you can not join us at the benefit and are interested in aiding in rebuilding efforts, here are a few things you can do:

  • Make a monetary donation; to do so, simply click on the black "Donate Here" button on the top right hand side of this blog
  • Sponsor a book; Click hereto see a list of damaged books; books purchased here will automatically ship directly to The Library and populate our sadly empty shelves.
  • Help spread the word!
  • Donate new books or artifacts for the collection: Mailing Address: Joanna Ebenstein, c/o The Morbid Anatomy Library, 543 Union Street #1E, Brooklyn, NY 1121

Thanks so much! And hope to see you soon at a bigger, better Morbid Anatomy Library very very s
oon!

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‘Magnificent and Unrivaled Exhibition of Illuminated Chemical Dioramas’, a 19th Century ‘Optical Entertainment’: Lecture with Suzanne Wray at The Coney Island Museum, Thursday, June 28

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This Thursday at The Coney Island Museum:

Ask the Experts - Suzane Wray on Magnificent and Unrivaled Exhibition of Illuminated Chemical Dioramas
Date: This Thursday, June 28th
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: The Coney Island Museum, 1208 Surf Ave.
Admission: $5 General Public, Free for Coney Island USA Members.
Advance tickets here

Showman Robert Winter painted chemical dioramas “in the style of Daguerre.” He came to New York in 1843, showing his “chemical paintings” in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and for the next 20 years he traveled widely, eventually adding a magic lantern to his show. Historian Suzanne Wray has been researching Mr. Winter's show for several years and the Coney Island Museum is thrilled to finally be able to share her work with the public. 

You can find out more--and purchase advance tickets--by clicking here.

Image: Le Dyorama, an engraving by Marlet of Daguerre’s Diorama, 1824 found at dwellstudio.com.

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"Bone," The Florence Nightingale Museum, London, July 19th thorugh August 31

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Exiting upcoming exhibit alert just in from my friend Natasha McEnroe at the Florence Nightingale Museum:

BONE?
19 July – 31 August 2012
Florence Nightingale Museum
2 Lambeth Palace Road London SE1 7EW

This summer, the Florence Nightingale Museum will host an eclectic exhibition of around 60 objects that explores the rich history and substance of bone, across cultures, throughout time and between disciplines.

Mobile Studio Architects will transform part of the museum allowing visitors to explore objects including an x-ray of Sigmund Freud's head, a cat skeleton to ward off evil spirits, a skull shaped candle made for Marilyn Manson's wedding, a contemporary apothecary jar showing the effects of syphilis on bone, cutting edge medical bone imaging and Florence Nightingale’s pet tortoise ‘Jimmy’.

The exhibition will reflect bone’s intriguing and multi-faceted story in its objects as well as through live performances and demonstrations by biomedical researchers and clinicians, forensic archaeologists, bone carvers, dancers, historians, artists and other professional bone users.

Simon Gould, BONE Curator says:
“I am so excited to be bringing together some of the most extraordinary objects from more than a dozen of London’s museums and collections along with remarkable medical expertise and acclaimed contemporary artists. Bone is an astonishing material and this exhibition promises to bring this to life for the visitor.”

Natasha McEnroe, Director of the Florence Nightingale Museum says:
“In the heart of London’s Southbank in this Olympic year, we are thrilled to be hosting BONE and to offer our visitors an even more inspiring experience. Following the museum’s hugely successful refurbishment in 2010, this multi-disciplinary exhibition will further establish the Florence Nightingale Museum’s position on London’s cultural and scientific map”.

More can be found here.

Images, top to bottom:

  1. It is 19th bone china, that has been “up-cycled” by Melody Rose to add the skull image. “Reproduced by Courtesy of Melody Rose.”  
  2. 1908 x-ray of Parissien woman in a whalebone corset.

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Saint Victoria and Saint Wittoria in Rome, or The Difficulties of Researching Catholic Artifacts

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A few of the most wonderful things I saw on my recent trip to Italy with Evan Michelson were the two saints seen above, both to be found in Rome, the last stop on our tour. The first is Saint Vittoria, or Victoria, on view in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, directly across from that Bernini's masterwork The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa (top 3); The second is a wonderful reliquary preparation of "S. Wittoria, Martire" fantastically posed and costumed, and showcased in a gold and glass coffin in the Basilica of Saint Mary Sopra Minerva (bottom 2 images).

I am not sure if these two representations might possibly depict the same saint (Wittoria being an alternate/old fashioned spelling for Vittoria?), or two separate ones. I have been able to find nothing official on the Internet about a Saint Wittoria, though Vittoria seems to be a depiction of the Roman Saint Victoria, "virgin and martyr of the catacombs." I also am not sure if there are human bones embedded in the wax of St. Victoria, though Marina Warner asserts this is the case in her wonderful book Phantasmagoria, and the close-up photo above of her hand seems to support this assertion.

Regardless of the problems with research, I hope you agree with me that these are astoundingly amazing and fascinating artifacts. These Saints--and many more, both sacred and profane--will be featured in my upcoming exhibition at Viktor Wynde's Fine Arts in London this September. They will also feature in a book I am working on with friend, Morbid Anatomy Library Scholar in Residence and co-star of The Science Channel's "Oddities" Evan Michelson. Stay tuned for more on that!

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Old Machines–The Tim Mullen Collection: An All New Episode of The Midnight Archive

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The first episode of Season 2 of The Midnight Archive--that wonderful web-based documentary series centered around Brooklyn's Observatory--has just gone live! It features friend of Morbid Anatomy Tim Muller--whose collection you might remember from my recent exhibition Private Cabinets--and his amazing collection of quirky, arcane, and often terrifying machines.

To watch the episode, simply press play in the viewer above. More on Tim and his collection, in the words of director/creator Ronni Thomas:

Old Machines: The Tim Mullen Collection - This episode takes a look at the collection of NYC's Tim Mullen, an engineer with a soft spot for Antique Machinery... His amazing apartment is LITTERED with Machines from before the turn of the century and onwards. The scope of it was pretty hard to capture on film but i hope we did a good job of it. X-Ray Machines, Victorian hospital devices, Old TVs and Radios, and my favorite - a funeral fan (complete with burning Jesus lighting) are just a few of the many amazing items in this electrifying collection. Tim is always on the lookout for 'new' old stuff so if you have anything in your basement - drop him a line!

For more on the series, to see any of the episodes, or to sign up for the mailing list and thus be alerted to future uploads, visit The Midnight Archive website by clicking here. You can also "like" it on Facebook--and be alerted in this way--by clicking here.

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'Grey's Anatomy' star Sarah Drew: 'I'll miss Chyler Leigh, Kim Raver'

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Grey's Anatomy star Sarah Drew has admitted that she will miss her co-stars Chyler Leigh and Kim Raver.

Leigh's character Lexie Grey was killed off in the show's eighth-season finale, while Raver's Teddy Altman also departed the series.

PA Images / Tony DiMaio

"Chyler is a very dear friend - she and I have always been such good buddies," Drew told TVLine.

"And Kim has been an unbelievable support as I went through pregnancy and early parenthood. She went out of her way to care for me and give advice, so I was tragically sad to see her go."

Drew admitted that the loss of Leigh and Raver makes her feel "trepidation" that her own character April Kepner could also be written out.

"Anybody can go at any time, especially on Grey's," she said. "But I'm really glad I didn't get killed off."

Grey's Anatomy will return to CBS with new episodes in late 2012. The series airs on Sky Living in the UK.

More here:
'Grey's Anatomy' star Sarah Drew: 'I'll miss Chyler Leigh, Kim Raver'

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: Anatomy of a Split

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April 2005: Cruise and Holmes begin dating and make their first public appearance as a couple in Rome.

May 2005: Cruise enthusiastically declares his love for Holmes by famously jumping on a couch on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

October 2005: Cruise and Holmes happily announce they are expecting their first child together.

April 2006: The couple welcomes a daughter. They name her Suri.

October 2006: Cruise and Holmes give the world its first glimpse of Suri by proudly posing with her on the cover of Vanity Fair.

Nov. 18, 2006: Cruise and Holmes tie the knot in a lavish ceremony at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Italy. Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and 7-month-old Suri are among those in attendance.

November 2007: Cruise cheers on Holmes as she runs in the New York City marathon.

January 2009: Holmes accompanies Cruise to the London premiere of Valkyrie.

February 2009: Cruise and Holmes enjoy a family vacation to Disney World.

June 2011: Cruise, Holmes and Suri celebrate Father's Day on a yacht in Miami.

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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: Anatomy of a Split

Just a Few More Slots Left: "Drawing from the Bestiary: Animal Anatomy of Real and Imagined Creatures," Class with Artist Saul Chernick, Observatory, June 25-July 16

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We still have a few more slots available for the class "Drawing from the Bestiary: Animal Anatomy of Real and Imagined Creatures" with one of our favorite artists, Saul Chernick. This class will teach students--via illustrated lectures and in-class projects including paper puppets and the creation of bestiary pages--"to use observational and imaginative drawing skills in tandem to capture the essential qualities of their subject" and "learn to draw animals (real, mythic, and otherwise) with greater skill and sensitivity."

You can see some of Chernick's wonderful artworks above; you can see more of them by clicking here. The class will take place on 4 consecutive Mondays, starting tomorrow night June 25 and running until July 16th. The full class description follows. Also, please note that the class size is limited to 15, so if you are interested, please RSVP as soon as possible to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com.

Drawing from the Bestiary: Animal Anatomy of Real and Imagined Creatures with Saul Chernick
A 4-part class with Artist Saul Chernick, M.F.A., Rutgers University
Dates: Mondays June 25, July 2, July 9 and July 16th (4 consecutive Mondays)
Time: 6:30-9:00 PM
Class Fee: $120
***Class size limited to 15; Must RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

Contemporary artist and arts educator Saul Chernickis renowned for gorgeous artworks featuring convincingly corporeal depictions of imaginary or mythical creatures rendered in the style of Medieval and early Renaissance woodcuts from Northern Europe. Observatory is very pleased to announce a new workshop developed by Saul Chernick specially for the Morbid Anatomy Art Academy. In this class, Chernick will teach students--via illustrated lectures and in-class projects including paper puppets and bestiary pages--"to use observational and imaginative drawing skills in tandem to capture the essential qualities of their subject" and "learn to draw animals (real, mythic, and otherwise) with greater skill and sensitivity."

Full class description follows; you can see more of Chernick's fantastic work by clicking here. Class size limited to 15; Please RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com.

Course Description
Open to artists of all levels, the goal of this workshop is help participants learn to draw animals (real, mythic, and otherwise) with greater skill and sensitivity. Through exercises in drawing and paper puppetry, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the skeletal/muscular structures of most mammals, reptiles, and birds. Participants will also learn to use observational and imaginative drawing skills in tandem to capture the essential qualities of their subject and create works of convincing visual fiction!
What to expect

  • Participants will cull images from the web to create a dossier on the animal(s) that interest them
  • Participants will fashion movable paper puppets to understand how their chosen animal moves
  • Participants will draw studies of the skeletal and muscular structures of animals
  • Participants will use the medium of their choice to create a Bestiary page entry that depicts an animal situated in an environment

Materials
What to bring to the first class:

  • Choose 1-3 animals and gather pictures on the web. Be sure to get images of their skeletons in profile. Please print these as they may be hard to use on a phone screen.
  • 3-5 sheets of Bristol Board Paper 9" x 12" or larger
  • Pencils & erasers
  • Scissors
  • Xacto or utility knife
  • Glue

What to bring for subsequent classes:

  • White or tinted drawing paper 16" x 20" or 18" x 24"
  • Tracing paper (same size as drawing paper)
  • Mechanical and/or regular pencils (2h, hb, 2b, 4b)

Optional:

  • Markers, watercolors, gouache, ink, brushes, chalk/oil pastels, colored pencils, Caran D’Ache, collage papers, etc (we’ll discuss further in detail!)

Saul Chernick, M.F.A., Rutgers University, is a visual artist and educator. Chernick has exhibited internationally in galleries and museums including the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, the Bronx Museum of Art, the Jewish Museum of Art, as well as Max Protetch and Meulensteen Galleries in New York City. He has taught art for the public school system, the 92nd Street Y, Cooper Union, Parson's School of Design, and the Museum of Modern Art. He is currently the Professional Development Coordinator for the Joan Mitchell Foundation where he coaches New York artists in teaching art to young people throughout city. His work can be seen at http://www.saulchernick.com.

All images are by Saul Chernick and include, top to bottom:

  1. Field Urchin, 2011, from a series of studies in which he attempted to impose the proportions of cherubs onto horses.
  2. Desktop 2013, 2010, Ink, Watercolor, & Opaque White on Paper
  3. Heavenly Touch , 2009, Ink, Watercolor, & Opaque White on Paper
  4. Guilty Pleasures, 2010, Ink, Watercolor, & Opaque White on Paper
  5. Ars Gratia Artis, 2010, Ink on Paper

You can found out more here. As mentioned above, class size is limited to 15, so if you are interested, please RSVP as soon as you are able to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com.

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Crash for Cash: Anatomy of an Insurance Fraud

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On the streets of Philadelphia, Wallace Pop Morris Sr. ran a limousine service. It was a lucrative business carting patients to and from medical appointments. However, his real money was made with a tow truck and a scheme that landed him in prison for being the mastermind of a million-dollar insurance fraud conspiracy.

Morris would race to car accidents to be the first to arrive. He then towed the cars to a body shop for repairs and received a commission for bringing in the damaged vehicles. He typically made about 20 percent of the repair bill.

Once the vehicle was in the garage, the body shop owner would inflict more damage before repairing the car. This practice, known as damage enhancement, allowed the auto shop to bill insurance companies for more money.

However, Morris didnt stop there. When he wasnt making enough money off car accidents, he created his own. Working with a partner, he staged accidents and found people to pose as crash victims. After intentionally damaging the cars and creating false accident reports, Morris would file fraudulent claims with insurance companies in the victims names.

Crimes like Morris are hitting Americans in the wallet. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the total cost of non-health insurance fraud is estimated to be more than $40 billion per year thats $400 to $700 a year per family due to increased premiums.

A runner or wreck chaser like Wallace Morris looks for car accidents and encourages those involved to seek medical treatment whether they need it or not.

If a runner comes and finds you and says no, no, no, you need treatment and you go get $100,000 worth of unnecessary medical treatment, someone is paying for that, New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said. That is the pool of money that the insurance company has to pay for that treatment. The people that are in that pool with you, with the insurance company trying to determine its risk, are going to have to, at some point, account for that additional money."

They are pushing up the price of auto coverage at a time when people are paying more for gas, and now we have to pay more for auto insurance so that really hurts, said Dennis Jay, executive director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.

If an accident occurs, consumers should be vigilant to avoid being scammed. Jay said its important to get the names of everyone involved in the accident and to pay attention to details.

Take photographs because often times the injuries reported are not consistent with the amount of damage on the car. Thats a huge red flag, Jay said. Sometimes we see cars get into accidents that have a lot of existing damage, so if you see the car is beat up already you might be a little hesitant.

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Crash for Cash: Anatomy of an Insurance Fraud

Anatomy of an upset: How Jim Bridenstine beat Rep. John Sullivan

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Read all the election coverage.

Sullivan, according to aides, had returned to Washington, D.C.

Bridenstine was reporting for duty in the Navy Reserve, said campaign manager Erik Zoellner.

Zoellner said the Bridenstine camp went into election day thinking their candidate would probably win. If so, they were about the only ones who saw the eight-point victory coming.

"We all missed this," said University of Oklahoma political science professor Keith Gaddie.

"You could see something like this happening to Sullivan eventually, but nobody saw this time. If they say they did, they're lying."

Any loss by a congressional incumbent is rare. It last happened in Oklahoma in 1994, when retired school administrator Virgil Cooper defeated 2nd District U.S. Rep. Mike Synar in the Democratic primary and in so doing helped launch the political career of Tom Coburn.

Cooper, a protest candidate, did not really contest the general election and even encouraged people to vote for Coburn, who became the first Republican in 70 years to represent the 2nd District.

In that instance, voters had become discontented with what was perceived, at least, as Synar's increasingly liberal voting record at a time when conservatives were seizing control of Congress.

Long-time state political observer Bill Shapard said Sullivan had no similar ideological break with the electorate.

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Anatomy of an upset: How Jim Bridenstine beat Rep. John Sullivan

Vesagas: The cultural anatomy of RH bill

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Monday, June 25, 2012

SINCE its conception as House Bill 4224 or an Act providing for a Comprehensive Policy on Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development during the 15thcongress, the so-called RH Bill has been a topic among Filipinos that is approached with much controversy. It was so polemical that it has divided the nation at proximate proportions into Pro and Anti - RH bill.

Anthropologically speaking, the nature of the topic itself or the RH bill has so many implications as far as culture is concerned. And this may explain among the many reasons why the resolution on the said bill is tardy. According to social scientists, culture is the expression or subtotal of mans behavior. They maintain that it is a design for living that guides the behaviors of members of the society. Furthermore, culture, experts claim, has both tangible and intangible components. Tangible components are those that are palpable or that are material in nature like the acceptable manner of clothing, the gadgets, computers and technology people of a society use, the architecture of homes, buildings, among others. On the other hand, intangible components are those that are non-material in nature that include the words people use, the habits they follow, the ideas, customs, values and behaviors that they strive to conform in the society where they live in. In sum, culture defines the social norms that serve as ideal models of behaviors that tell an individual what is appropriate or inappropriate. It is the total way of life. It works as a regulatory mechanism that sets the societys standards of propriety, morality, ethics and legality. Any violations of the norms will result in a strong disapproval and severe punishments. The Philippines, being the only predominantly Catholic country in Asia, has a long established conservative culture to the extent that any topic relating to sexuality is considered taboo. This may explain, at least in my personal assumption, why there are people who oppose the enactment into law of the RH bill no matter how scientific the advantages of such a would-be law has been presented. Anthropologists share that there are at least five theories about culture. I suggest that lawmakers may want to consider them in their understanding the division between the pros and antis RH bill. First, culture is learned. The habits, behaviors, belief systems of a person are learned primarily through the parents or primary caregiver. A person born and raised in a conservative family will learn the ways of living a conservative life by their parents and ancestors. Another example would be an Anti-RH bill parent of a child would naturally teach or influence his child of the negativity of the said bill. Second, culture is shared by and transmitted among the members of a social group. In this process, the common culture that is shared by the members of a society will prevail as the dominant culture representative of such a society. Let us say for example in the Philippines where majority of the citizenry are still conservative in thinking. Naturally, the larger proportion of people sharing this culture will mirror the kind of society they live in and thus, our country becomes or is identified as a conservative one. Third, culture is adaptive. By this, anthropologists mean that culture is dynamic and adjusts to the needs of the society in terms of the physical environment and bio-social environment. Customs that derive benefits for the society are generally adapted. Else, the culture is said to be maladaptive. For example, if RH bill, when enacted into law, will solve issues pertaining to poverty, economic crises and population, then generally it will be adapted easily by the people. On the contrary, if there are no actual benefits derived from the said would-be law, yet it has been acculturated by the society, then such a culture is said to be maladaptive. Conversely when there is an actual benefit that can be derived yet no changes has been made for the realization of the gains, then such a culture is also said to be maladaptive. Fourth, culture is integrated. Anthropologists claim that culture and its elements are consistent and are not mutually exclusive and thus it affects all institutions of the society at once. Going back to RH bill, such an issue does not just concern the polity or religion but rather it also involves other social institutions like the family, the economy and health sector. If lawmakers want to approve or disapprove the RH bill, they must understand that either way, their decision will affect these other social institutions or sectors as they are all integrated together, creating a domino-like effect. Fifth, culture is always changing. If one may notice, the belief systems in the past, especially superstitions, are no longer common in the present. Some may have been modified, while others have been completely eradicated. Social scientists claim that since culture is a mental abstraction of man, the latter creates, discovers, and invents new ways of doing things that if proven to be beneficial, will replace the old familiar ways creating a new culture. Example, in the 80s and earlier on, most, if not all, Filipino parents do not discuss matters relating to sex to their children as it had been very effective as a social regulation in keeping their children from engaging into premarital sex and experimentation that would lead teen and unwanted pregnancies at that time. If such custom of conservatism is no longer effective in regulating the behaviors of our teens today, then by this theory or assumption, such a culture will have to be modified to answer to the emerging needs of the present time. If lawmakers want to make grand changes -- including the passing of the RH bill -- that involves the society, they should not forget to deal with the culture first above anything else. (Comments may be sent to polo.journalist@gmail.comor follow me on twitter @ polo_socio)

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Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on June 26, 2012.

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Vesagas: The cultural anatomy of RH bill

Anatomy of a scorecard: Pacquiao vs. Bradley

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Express-News boxing writer John Whisler breaks down the three scorecards from the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley fight on June 9. Bradley won in a controversial split-decision. Bradley won 115-113 on two scorecards, while losing by the same margin on the third:

- Most rounds in boxing are scored 10-9, meaning the fighter winning a round receives a 10 from judges while the loser of the round gets a 9. In rounds with a knockdown, a point is deducted every time a fighter is knocked down. Note that all rounds in Pacquiao-Bradley were 10-9, as there were no knockdowns in the fight.

- According to CompuBox statistics, Pacquiao landed more punches than Bradley in every round but one, the 9th (26-25). Note that all three judges awarded that round to Bradley, even though Pacquiao was busier and landed more power shots (22-21). One round, the 10th, was even in punches landed with 14 apiece.

- The scoring in Round 5 was highly questionable. Note that C.J. Ross and Duane Ford both scored it for Bradley even though Pacquiao outlanded Bradley 22-8 in the round, including 18-4 in power punches. Pacquiao landed a clean left in the final 35 seconds and Bradley had to hold on.

- The fact that all three judges scored Round 7 for Bradley seems unfathomable. According to CompuBox, Pacquiao outlanded Bradley 27-11 in the round, 22-9 in power punches. Pacquiao clearly won an exchange at the end of the second minute and drilled Bradley clean on the chin repeatedly in the final 30 seconds.

- In Round 8, Ross and Ford favored Bradley, despite CompuBox statistics showing Pacquiao landed more punches, 15-9, including 12-7 in power shots. What were Ross and Ford watching? One plausible explanation although flawed could be activity. Bradley was busier in the round, throwing 70 punches to Pacquiao's 59. But a round should be scored on punches landed, not punches thrown.

- In Round 12, all three judges scored it for Bradley, even though Pacquiao landed 20 punches in the round to 15 for Bradley. Is this plausible? Yes. CompuBox statistics show Pacquiao landed just one more power shot (11-10) than Bradley. But Pacquiao appeared to land the more significant punches, including a right hook flush on the jaw of Bradley in mid-round and a straight left with 10 seconds left, which seemed enough to carry the round.

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Anatomy of a scorecard: Pacquiao vs. Bradley

Anatomy of a scam: One couple's losses and hard lessons

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RALEIGH, N.C. -- With their elderly parents seated across the octagonal oak table, Donna and Jim Parker were back in the kitchen they knew so well -- the hutch along one wall crammed with plates, bells and salt-and-pepper shakers picked up during family trips; at the table's corner, the spindly wooden high chair where a 7-year-old Jim had tearfully confessed to setting a neighbor's woods ablaze.

It was Christmastime, but this was no holiday gathering. Now, it was the parents who were in deep trouble, and this was an intervention.

For the past year, Charles and Miriam Parker, both 81, had been in the thrall of an international sweepstakes scam. The retired educators, with a half-dozen college degrees between them, had lost tens of thousands of dollars.

But money wasn't just leaving the Parker house. Strangely, large sums were now coming in, too.

Their four children were worried, but had been powerless to open their parents' eyes. Maybe, Donna thought, they'd listen to people with badges.

And so, joining them at the family table that late-December day in 2005 were Special Agent Joan Fleming of the FBI and David Evers, an investigator from the North Carolina attorney general's telemarketing fraud unit.

The home was littered with sweepstakes mailers and claim forms, the cupboards bare of just about everything but canned soup, bread and crackers. Charles Parker acknowledged that he'd lost a lot of money, but expressed confidence that

Evers and Fleming showed the couple a video of other elderly scam victims, then played a taped interview of a former con man describing how he operated. Charles was alarmed by what he was seeing and hearing, but his wife seemed to be barely paying attention.

With the couple's permission, Evers installed a mooch line on the kitchen phone so they could capture incoming calls. The Parkers pledged their cooperation.

After gathering up some of the mailings for evidence, the officers left, encouraged by what seemed a few hours well spent.

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Anatomy of a scam: One couple's losses and hard lessons

Kevin McKidd talks 'Brave,' 'mooning' scene, Scotland & 'Grey's Anatomy' future (Video)

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Kevin McKidd of "Grey's Anatomy" fame was happy to return to his roots with Disney-Pixar's new animated film, "Brave," which is set in the Scottish kingdom of DunBroch.

In the movie, the 38-year-old actor and native of Scotland plays two characters - Lord MacGuffin and his son, Young MacGuffin. The lord and two others, Craig Ferguson's character, Lord Macintosh, and Robbie Coltrane's Lord Dingwall, present their boys to compete for the hand of Princess Merida, the film's heroine, played by Kelly MacDonald. Billy Connolly plays her father, King Fergus.

McKidd disguises his Scottish accent when he plays former US Army trauma surgeon Dr. Owen Hunt on "Grey's Anatomy," ABC's it medical drama series.

"In 'Grey's, I have to be American, I have to be quite controlled. Owen Hunt's a tortured guy and he's very serious a character," McKidd told OnTheRedCarpet.com, while talking about "Brave." "It's nice to be kind of wild and zany and Scottish for a while."

In the animated film, the male characters wear traditional kilts. In one scene, Lord Dingwall moons Lord MacGuffin and others by lifting his up in front of them, yelling: "Feast your eyes!"

"They just kind of said, 'Now he's gonna show his [butt] to you,'" McKidd said. "And I was like, 'What?' That was a lot of fun. The shame is none of us got to really hang out together, you know, Craig [Ferguson] and Billy Connolly. We're all doing separate sessions. I would have loved to have been doing all that together."

McKidd says he owns two kilts in real life and that he was taught to dance traditional Scottish dances when he was a child.

"We were taught that in PE, physical education, in Scottish school," he said. "Every boy and girl [is] taught those dances for kind of like a month and a half, at Christmas time, when it's so cold you can't go outside. You're in the gym hall and you get taught all those dances. So it's like riding a bicycle for me."

"It's so much fun, I can't tell you how much fun that dancing is for me," he added. "It's such a social thing. It breaks down so many barriers. I'm very proud of my heritage."

McKidd began his on-screen career in the 1990s. He and Macdonald both starred in the 1996 movie "Trainspotting," which deals with the drug scene in Edinburgh. The film helped launch the Hollywood career of main star and fellow Scotland native Ewan McGregor.

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Kevin McKidd talks 'Brave,' 'mooning' scene, Scotland & 'Grey's Anatomy' future (Video)