People Like Us 2005 - Articles Page 18

This week's episode moves the Dunphys from their house to “the last room at a hotel nearby”; as Claire explains in the opening confessional, they have to vacate the house — for one night — as it's treated for mold. Claire's thinking positively about the family-of-five sharing a room — again, it's only for one night — though a cut to the hotel shows us their stay's been delayed; it's day five, and it's looking anything but the positive experience Claire was hoping for: Luke and Alex butt heads when he interferes with her cello practice, while Claire and Haley quarrel about sharing WiFi usage; Luke then turns on a blender which sets off the dogs in the room next door (which they can hear due to the ever-cliché paper-thin walls). Oh, yes. And in the middle of all this, Phil's found a Charleston Chew, which — to give you a clearer idea of the state of the motel (if you couldn't already tell) — advertises a contest from 2005. The night doesn't get any better, wherein the various members of the family have to climb over each other to exit the bed; except for Luke, who sleeps in the tub. With the single flush of a toilet, the neighboring dogs begin to bark, and the cycle begins again. Yes, the humor here is a bit forced, but it does set up a good storyline, which I'm interested to see played out.

Tate Publishing is proud to announce the signing of local author Robert Branham and his soon-to-be-published book, 'A Matter of Truth.' 'A Matter of Truth' takes four ordinary people, whose lives would have never intersected otherwise, out of their comfortable environment and places them into a cold and unfamiliar city without explanation, without recourse, without anything. 'A Muslim from Turkey and a Baptist Preacher from Oklahoma head the list of characters that are thrown into the mix,' shares Branham. 'People who would otherwise be at odds must decide if they should or can work together to survive in their unforeseen predicament.' 'A Matter of Truth' will put you on the edge as a search for truth, in religion. Robert spent roughly nine years living abroad in Istanbul Turkey. His life experiences magnifies curiosity while uncovering deep issues we have all questioned at one time or another,' said Mireille Mistkowski, the acquisitions editor for the book. Branham's personal experiences living in Turkey served as the inspiration for the book. 'I first moved to Turkey from Waco, TX in 2005. Ever since we moved it has been an ongoing curiosity to observe and make note of the cultural differences,' says Branham. 'There are many differences that distinguish our two cultures but also there are similarities. I sometimes imagine what it would be like if I could instantaneously transport someone from central Texas over to Istanbul, Turkey (and vice versa).' Branham's cultural surroundings also color the book in a vivid, illustrative manner. '100% of the book was written in the country of Turkey, with 90% was written a stone's throw from my neighborhood mosque. The sights, sounds and smells from the crowded streets of Istanbul flavored the story line,' says Branham. 'I wrote while the 'call to prayer' blared throughout the day from speakers at the Mosque across the street alerting all passersby that it was time to come inside and pray. There were countless glasses of Turkish chai set before me in those distinctive figure 8 shape glasses amidst the cloud of cigarette smoke that often hovered where I drank, sat and wrote at my favorite cafe. All of this helped to flavor the writing so that hopefully the reader will gain a unique experience from this part of the world.' Branham expresses that the gut-wrenching awareness/mystery of the afterlife deeply influences and uses the word 'scary' to describe this theme in the book, sharing 'somewhere deep inside of each of us, no matter where we live or what language we speak or what religion we say we have, deep down inside is an idea that we hold to in the very center of our soul that explains the meaning of life, death, heaven and hell. The more people that I have talked to around the world, the more I see that it is the same regardless of culture and religion. People want to believe in a heaven and hell.' 'But,' Branham questions, 'why do we believe what we do? Is it something we heard from a parent, teacher, or preacher? Maybe it was something we read in a book? What if that teacher was wrong? What if the church got it wrong? What if the best selling author that we read was incorrect? Where does that leave us...for eternity?... Perhaps even more interestingly almost everyone seems to live with the notion that they are going to heaven and that it will be the 'other' guys that are going to hell. This is the scary part, unless truly everyone around the world is going to heaven. But if we are wrong, how do we know?' Branham hopes this overarching themes will 'cause readers to reexamine what they believe and why. Hopefully it will be scary enough to cause readers to reevaluate their core beliefs... David Hume said that errors in philosophy are just ridiculous but errors in religion are dangerous. We can afford to be sloppy in our convictions about some things but not about religion.' Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book will be available upon its release through bookstores nationwide, from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, or by visiting barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com. Robert Branham is married to Joni Branham. They have been married for 24 years and have four children. They moved from Waco, Texas to Turkey in 2005. Robert left a position with Baylor University in the Information Systems Group where he was Senior Systems Analyst at that time to teach in a private Turkish school. For more information or interview requests please contact Michelle Whitman, publicist, at (405) 458-5642 or send an email to michelle@keymgc.com.

TOKIO HOTEL is back in a big and bold way. The international superstars have sold 7 million records worldwide, performed for 500,000 people in front of the Eiffel Tower and gone platinum in 68 countries...and all before their 25th birthdays. In the midst of this enormous success, the band needed to take some time away from the spotlight. Now they're exploding back onto the scene with their new full-length album KINGS OF SUBURBIA, available on all digital platforms in the U.S. today, October 7, as well as physically in-stores on November 11 via Los Angeles-based De-Code LTD, distributed through Caroline.

The Celtic Tenors have captivated audiences throughout the UK, Europe, and US since their arrival on the music scene in 2000. What began as three very talented friends gathering on the operatic stage has since exploded into an international recording and touring phenomenon that transcends the trio's classical roots and embraces folk, pop, and various other dimensions of the musical spectrum. An evening with The Celtic Tenors guarantees a professional, sparkling, and good-humored performance featuring gorgeous Celtic songs like the haunting 'Danny Boy' and exhilarating classics like 'Nessun Dorma.'

TOKIO HOTEL is back in a big and bold way. The international superstars have sold 7 million records worldwide, performed for 500,000 people in front of the Eiffel Tower and gone platinum in 68 countries

Sat in Scealta Mora's spacious rehearsal room overlooking Vauxhall Park, Warde Street's director Jenny Eastop is partaking in an animated discussion with the show's cast on the role of terrorism in politics, one of the play's themes. Set in the aftermath of the 2005 London Bombings, Warde Street looks at what happens when you are unable to forgive and instead seek revenge, and at how politics and terrorism have become intrinsically linked in particular when it comes to election time.

David Yazbek has shown himself to be a Broadway composer-lyricist to be reckoned with, after a splashy debut with 2000's "The Full Monty," and a meaningful follow-up with 2005's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." Both film adaptations, they won Drama Desk Awards for him, as well as Tony nominations. 2010's "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", also a film adaptation, was Tony-nominated for its score as well, though it suffered a truncated run of only 69 performances. Theatre at the Center in the Chicago suburb of Munster, Indiana, is the location for the show's world regional premiere.

The Celtic Tenors have captivated audiences throughout the UK, Europe, and US since their arrival on the music scene in 2000. What began as three very talented friends gathering on the operatic stage has since exploded into an international recording and touring phenomenon that transcends the trio's classical roots and embraces folk, pop, and various other dimensions of the musical spectrum. An evening with The Celtic Tenors guarantees a professional, sparkling, and good-humored performance featuring gorgeous Celtic songs like the haunting "Danny Boy" and exhilarating classics like "Nessun Dorma."

Casting is announced for Our Town at the Almeida Theatre. Award-winning US actor-director David Cromer will direct and perform in this intimate version of Thornton Wilder's iconic American play. The cast will also include Michael Ajao, Paul Bigley, Arthur Byrne, Sidney Cole, Kate Dickie, Laura Elsworthy, Anna Francolini, Matthew Jacobs-Morgan, Daniel Kendrick, Simon Lennon, Jessica Lester, Richard Lumsden, Annette McLaughlin, Christopher Staines, Rhashan Stoneand David Walmsley.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association presents The Big Picture: Hitchcock!, a thrilling tribute to the groundbreaking films of Alfred Hitchcock, at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, August 31, 2014 at 7:30 PM. Hosted by Academy award-winning actress Eva Marie Saint (On the Waterfront, North by Northwest), the evening will feature mesmerizing, haunting and psychologically gripping scores by Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Alfred Newman, Franz Waxman, Miklos Rozsa and more. Iconic scenes from such Hitchcock classics as Vertigo, Psycho, Dial M for Murder, Rebecca, Spellbound, North by Northwest and more will be projected in HD on the Hollywood Bowl's big screens while the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by David Newman, performs selections from the films' magnificent scores.

A great, big Broadway season is on its way, with fourteen productions already slated to open in the next few months. The craziness is almost upon us, but there is still plenty of time to catch up on what's been going on at Broadway's already occupied theaters . BroadwayWorld will be profiling the hits of the Great White Way that continue to draw crowds after months, years, and (in some cases) decades. Meet the current cast of Broadway's JERSEY BOYS below!

JERSEY BOYS is one of Broadway's hottest properties. Why? Well, who doesn't love the music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons? In 2005, this rags to riches story took Broadway by storm. Almost a decade later, the Clint Eastwood directed film adaptation was released. As a companion to the film Rhino Records released JERSEY BOYS (Music From the Motion Picture and Broadway Musical).

In the feature story, the 22-year-old actress shares that she'd love to portray Stevie Nicks and star in a musical film such as 'Once.'

Musician/composer/lyricist Michael Patrick Walker is world premiering a new musical Dog and Pony at the Old Globe in San Diego. Walker is best known as one of the composers of the hit musical Altar Boyz. He was nominated for a 2005 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and for two 2005 Drama Desk Awards for Best Music and for Best Lyrics for Altar Boyz. The show also won the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. In our chat, Walker talks in depth about Dog and Pony and working with the cast and creative team at the Old Globe.

We are quickly approaching summertime in the city, and Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is gearing up to provide Houstonians a cool opportunity to catch a fun, family show, Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID. Like the beloved film, this production is sure to delight with familiar songs and all of our favorite characters.

Asia Society, PEN World Voices Festival and Performance Space 122 present the New York City premiere of 33 RPM and a Few Seconds, a brave new work by Lebanese theater artists Rabih Mroue and Lina Saneh, as part of the 10th Annual PEN World Voices Festival. A multi-media theater performance devoid of actors, 33 RPM and a Few Seconds reconstructs the final moments of a life after the suicide of a young Lebanese man.

With Broadway's 2014 season now in full swing, there's a solid group of performers making their Broadway debuts this Spring. Meet all of the Great White Way's newest stars below, and be sure to let us know who you're most looking forward to seeing onstage!

'In Thrive, Arianna urges all of us to get in touch with who we really are so that we can live life on our own terms. From the importance of sleep to the imperative to listen to our own inner voice for ways to deal with the daily time crunches we all feel, this book lays out a path for each of us to look within and make our lives more authentic and fulfilling.' -Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO and author of Lean In

Asia Society, PEN World Voices Festival and Performance Space 122 present the New York City premiere of 33 RPM and a Few Seconds, a brave new work by Lebanese theater artists Rabih Mroue and Lina Saneh, as part of the 10th Annual PEN World Voices Festival. A multi-media theater performance devoid of actors, 33 RPM and a Few Seconds reconstructs the final moments of a life after the suicide of a young Lebanese man.

Shah Peerally is more than a just a renowned lawyer. He is a humanitarian and an expert in United States immigration. Being himself an immigrant, he understands the hardship faced by new immigrants aka arriving aliens. At an early stage Shah realized that most new immigrants aren't fully aware of their legal rights which render them vulnerable to abuses. As a result, Shah spent much of the beginning of his career speaking about 'Know Your Rights' in mosques, churches and temples. After working for two prestigious law firms, in 2005, he opened the Law Offices of Shah Peerally which will ultimately become the Shah Peerally Law Group PC. In 2010, Shah started a radio show on AM radio KLOK 1170 AM and an online radio at www.AttorneyOnAir.com. His radio shows are a praised for helping thousands understand the law and making a good decision on their cases. In the same spirit of helping the community, in 2011 Shah started a small production company (Shah Peerally Productions Inc). The company gained momentum by releasing three movies including one full feature film and two short dramas, two of which were selected for the movie festivals. All the movies tackle immigration law problems and other socially sensitive issues such as domestic violence, INA 221g Administrative Processing and Immigration Fraud. Today Shah is considered one of the most respected attorneys of his time. He has been featured as an expert on major TV networks such as NDTV, Times now and his work published several major newspapers. He has been rated by Avvo.com as a Superb attorney with a perfect 10/10 score, and in 2013 was selected as a Rising Star by Superlawyers.com. With his social activism, Shah hopes to better the lives of the immigrants through education and advocacy. Recently Shah has been focusing on writing books as a means to educate the community. Shah's new book, "The Immigration Lawyer Asylum," seems to have all the ingredients to keep the reader captivated including how a US immigration court functions. Being an attorney author, he wants to use his book to assist the average US citizen and immigrants to understand the realities of being a new immigrant. In this book, he covers immigration law, hate crimes and other sensitive issues and their implication on society. Reading this book will fascinate you, especially because it has realistic law notions embedded into a fiction novel. "The Immigration Lawyer Asylum" was written from the attorney author's perspective, and all the US immigration issues found between the lines have been experienced by Shah Peerally. From his immigration and visa lawyer experience, he managed to create an amazing work of fiction which will guide many who plan to go to America. The American dream is not the same for everybody, and the land of opportunities comes with its difficulties and can sometimes be an American nightmare. The situation is worse when there is nobody to explain the law and most of the things one should know about the United States of America. This book is recommended to all the American natives who are unaware of the struggle of the immigrants. It also gives an overview of the operations of agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security including its subdivisions such as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) and the Custom Border Patrol (CBP). Immigration lawyer Shah Peerally is definitely a person with substantial experience. In his eagerness to educate the public, he wrote the book which is both entertaining and useful. Inspired by his real experiences, he created an amazing educational work of fiction which is not only captivating but illustrates the process of present US immigration system. The main character in the book is Sarah, a corporate lawyer turning into an immigration lawyer. She is married to a Caucasian Muslim immigrant from Bosnia. Not happy with the corporate world, she decides to become an immigration lawyer and decides to fight for immigrants' equal rights to justice. As a result, she joins SPLG, an immigration law firm in California and ultimately ends up with the case of Ahmad. Ahmad is a visitor from Iraq, who despite having a valid entry visa is apprehended at that San Francisco airport on pretext of immigration violations. In fact, the actual motive of his arrest was that he was suspected of being a terrorist. While Ahmad's tale is not the usual situation of most immigrants, it is still a reflection of the misfortune of many Muslims and Middle Easterners trying to enter the US post September 11, 2001. The book not only shows the hardship of these individuals and their lawyers but also the challenges faced by American Muslims or people who look like Muslims. On a positive note the book praises the triumph of the American legal system and the US Constitution over arbitrary and capricious abuses of power. So one might think that Shah Peerally is trying to put all his hopes and dreams about a better world into a work of fiction. But in fact, through this he is actually trying to depict an a lesser known unique facet of the post 9/11 US immigration system including its strength and its flaws. The editorial reviews of the book say it all: Simon Barett From Blogger News review: "...I will however make some general observations. The author clearly understands the subject, and that makes this a great, if too short read. What I enjoyed are some of the nuances, the minor asides. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the life of being a refugee is not an easy one. Ahmad is lucky, he has people to help him, even better, people from other cultures that join for the common good..." ; and Jack Magnus from Readers' Favorites gives it a 5 Stars: "...I am so impressed by The Immigration Lawyer. This legal thriller by Shah Peerally is entertaining and highly inspirational and not only for young adults. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to make a difference, especially law students and young lawyers who aren't quite sure about their career plans. Peerally sets out the procedural steps by which Sarah helps Ahmad simply and eloquently, and he makes accessible what has always seemed to me to be a very complicated branch of law. 'The Immigration Lawyer' also explores the all-too-real plight of immigrants in the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks who have been the victims of hate-crimes, and it does all this in an entertaining graphic novel format. The Immigration Lawyer is remarkable and a definite must-read." For those who want to curl up with a good book, "The Immigration Lawyer Asylum" has something for everyone including romance, suspense, and drama while keeping its educational nature. This makes "The Immigration Lawyer Asylum" a book which is a "definite must-read" or it can be listened to on audio. Series: The Immigration Lawyer Paperback: 72 pages Kindle Version: 74 pages Publisher: Shah Peerally Productions Inc.; 1 edition (February 7, 2014) Language: English ISBN-10: 0615783783 ISBN-13: 978-0615783789 Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches "The Immigration Lawyer: Asylum" is available in print priced just $9.99 from http://www.amazon.com/The-Immigration-Lawyer-Asylum-Volume/dp/0615783783/ and is also available as a Kindle download priced $3.07 (Free on KDP Select on specific days) An audio version will soon be available on www.audible.com.

It's been four years since much heralded British folk-rock band, Turin Brakes, who have been described by the UK's Daily Mail as 'one of the finest Indie bands of the last decade', released a new record and went on the road in the US.

Internationally known biologist and writer Dr. Ana Isabel Ordonez is constantly embarking on new projects. Educated in Europe and a self-taught Victorian patchwork maker since the early 90s, Ordonez has presented her work in France and Luxembourg. As a scientist she holds Masters and PhDs in Genetics, Forestry and Animal Biology and has lectured extensively throughout Europe, Africa, Japan, China, New Zealand and South America on insect-plant pathology and biological control research. She has also written several articles on the value of nature. Ordonez, however, has not confined her interests to the world of science. A true Renaissance woman, she is also a reputed jazz editor, independent filmmaker, music/art promoter and producer. In 2012 she contributed tirelessly to the Dizzy Gillespie Memorial tribute with Christopher Kennedy Lawford, because she believes in her heart that true valuable art of any kind must never be forgotten. Five years earlier, in 2005 with trumpeter Herb Robertson she had founded Ruby Flower Records with the plan to produce avant-garde music, exclusively for connoisseurs and purist audiophiles with the slogan 'Creatively speaking...Where the talents blossom'. Only recently she decided to expand the company's offerings to also include poetry and literature for children. Her children's books have been so popular, she has written a new one, continuing the joy of her Musical Forest. Her nephew Geronimo is doing the rest of the illustrations, but Ana still paints every day. The book will be available on Amazon.com in about a month. It will be distributed worldwide.

Triple threat Broadway legend Chita Rivera will bring her iconic class and showmanship to the Valley Performing Arts Center January 25 for one performance only at 8 pm. In our chat she tells us a little bit about the new show and talks in great detail about the joys of her career.

Morgan Freeman will present the SAG 50th Life Achievement Award to Rita Moreno at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

Ben Affleck, Sasha Alexander, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Garner, Clark Gregg, Tom Hanks, Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey, Kerry Washington, Forest Whitaker, and Oprah Winfrey will be presenters at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards