My Mind Is My Own Church - Music Is My Religion - Existence Is My God

2009 December 24 |

Archive for 10:53 am

Charleston Ballet Theater presents “The Nutcracker”

Merry Christmas Chicago!

Charleston Ballet Theatre, since 1987 South Carolina’s world-class ballet company, is directed by Don and Patricia Cantwell and boasts the award-winning choreography of resident choreographer, Jill Eathorne Bahr. This video presents the full-length holiday ballet, “The Nutcracker,” choreographed by Jill Eathorne Bahr to the music of Tchaikovsky. This performance was recorded in December, 2006. In addition to “The Nutcracker,” CBT tours such other full-length ballets as “Camelot” and “Carmen,” and several one-act works including Twyla Tharp’s “Baker’s Dozen,” George Balanchine’s “Who Cares?,” and Jill Bahr’s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Sisters of Swing – The Andrews Sisters,” and “The Great Gatsby.”

Medvedev said the new missiles would be developed in full accordance with arms agreements made with the United States.

“Of course, we will develop new systems, including delivery systems, that is, missiles,” Medvedev said in an end-of-year interview with state-controlled television channels.

via Russia to work on new nuclear missiles: Medvedev | Reuters.

SINGAPORE (AP) – Oil prices extended gains above $77 a barrel Thursday in Asia as a larger than expected drop in U.S. crude supplies fueled investor optimism that consumer demand is improving.

Benchmark crude for February delivery was up 65 cents to $77.32 at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange amid light volume Christmas Eve holiday trading.

via Oil rises above $77 after US crude supply drop.

The announcement by Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith that he is switching to the Republican Party is just the latest warning sign that the Democratic Party — my lifelong political home — has a critical decision to make: Either we plot a more moderate, centrist course or risk electoral disaster not just in the upcoming midterms but in many elections to come.

Rep. Griffith's decision makes him the fifth centrist Democrat to either switch parties or announce plans to retire rather than stand for reelection in 2010. These announcements are a sharp reversal from the progress the Democratic Party made starting in 2006 and continuing in 2008, when it reestablished itself as the nation's majority party for the first time in more than a decade. That success happened for one major reason: Democrats made inroads in geographies and constituencies that had trended Republican since the 1960s. In these two elections, a majority of independents and a sizable number of moderate Republicans joined the traditional Democratic base to sweep Democrats to commanding majorities in Congress and to bring Barack Obama to the White House.

via William M. Daley – Keep the Big Tent big.

2 wounded in separate Woodlawn shootings

Two people were wounded overnight in separate shootings in the South Side's Woodlawn community, according to Chicago police.

The victims were a 17-year-old boy and a 34-year-old man. Neither of their wounds appeared life-threatening.

The teen told police he was driving near his home in the 6200 block of South Kimbark Avenue about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday when a gunman approached and fired 10 shots, striking him twice in the back. The teen then drove to the University of Chicago Medical Center before being transferred to Mt. Sinai Hospital.

via 2 wounded in separate Woodlawn shootings – Chicago Breaking News.

Man beaten to death on Northwest Side

A 29-year-old man was found apparently beaten to death Wednesday night in the Montclare neighborhood on the Northwest Side, Chicago police said.

Michael DeFilippis Jr. was found dead with blunt trauma to his head in his residence in the 7000 block of West Grand Avenue about 9:45 p.m.

via Man beaten to death on Northwest Side – Chicago Breaking News.

Man charged in fatal shooting of 11-year-old boy

A 31-year-old man was charged today with killing an 11-year-old boy who was sitting in a car with his father earlier this month in the South Shore neighborhood.

Timothy Dockery of the 7800 block of South Kingston Avenue was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and four counts of delivery of a controlled substance, Chicago police said in a news release.

via Man charged in fatal shooting of 11-year-old boy – Chicago Breaking News.