Calls from Eastside cities and companies for a replacement bridge intensified.

(meta data) TITLE: Business | Highway 520: Going Nowhere Fast | Seattle Times Newspaper

(meta data) AUTHOR: Keith Ervin, Peyton Whitely, Sarah Lopez Williams

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Sunday, March 16, 1997 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

By Keith Ervin, Peyton Whitely, Sarah Lopez Williams

Between I-5 and I-405, Highway 520 is woefully overburdened and getting worse.

But arguments abound about how to address the problem - so much so that a solution may not be achieved for years.

Meanwhile, for thousands and thousands, the trip across Lake Washington has become a daily trial by traffic.

Dan Piraino, a 16-year veteran of what has become the daily crawl along Highway 520, can vouch that there was a time when the highway was as clear as August in Seattle and the commute was an easy 15-mile trip.

Today, the research scientist must roll out of bed by 5:30 a.m. to beat traffic and has joined a van pool to capitalize on car-pool lanes.

If he were to drive his own car, he would be in congestion for an hour or more.

"The backups start earlier and earlier," said Piraino, who commutes from Seattle to Physio-Control in Redmond.

"One of these days, it's not going to be tolerable anymore."

Built to standards of the 1950s, the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge routinely carries twice as many vehicles as it was designed to handle.

Traffic backs up to Interstate 5 and east of I-405 almost daily.

Bad as it is, there's no assurance anything will be done about the 520 mess before Piraino's 6-year-old daughter graduates from college.

Yet, despite a long history of failed attempts to improve 520, a new effort to find a solution is raising hopes of proponents.

There are new concerns about the soundness of the bridge and a growing fear that traffic is getting so bad it will strangle economic growth.

-- The state's chief bridge engineer says some $88 million in immediate and long-term repairs are needed if the bridge is to remain safe and usable for another 20 years.

That's about enough time to plan, fund and build a new bridge.

-- An informal coalition of Eastside business leaders, backed by the city of Bellevue, has been meeting with legislators, and Seattle and Eastside residents to drum up support for a $3 million study of how best to move people and freight across the north end of Lake Washington.

Support for the study seems to be growing and includes endorsements last week from the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Montlake Community Club.

-- A new Bellevue Transportation Department study shows that cross-lake drivers are overwhelming city streets as they head to Interstate 90 trying to avoid Highway 520 backups.

One thing is sure: A new bridge or bridge improvements won't be built quickly or without a battle.

It took 14 years of planning and argument to build the first 520 bridge.

Thirty years of debate preceded completion of I-90 across the lake.

Among the objections to a larger bridge: concerns of residents at each end that it would add traffic through their neighborhoods, the high cost of construction, and beliefs that expanding capacity isn't a smart way to deal with worsening congestion.

At least seven major studies have looked at ways to cut congestion on 520, the first just nine years after the bridge opened.

Adding rail service or making changes to inspire car pooling were among the ideas studied.

But no proposal from any of these studies was implemented.

The last study, in 1993, by Washington Transportation Partners (WTP), a public-private partnership, suggested spending $550 million to $900 million to either replace the bridge or build a parallel structure with bus and car-pool lanes.

The proposal to finance the job with tolls so angered residents on both sides of the bridge that it was abandoned.

Meanwhile, traffic jams worsened as Microsoft led an employment boom that put thousands more commuters on the road.

Almost as many of Microsoft's 9,000 Redmond employees commute to work from Seattle as from the Eastside.

Last spring, representatives from Boeing, Weyerhaeuser, Bellevue Square and other economic powerhouses met quietly on the Microsoft campus to discuss concerns that the region's economic vitality would wither should highways become so clogged employees couldn't get to work and freight couldn't get to market.

They urged the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) to include a $3 million study of Highway 520 and possible construction of new transit lanes across the lake in last fall's (successful) $3.9 billion ballot issue.

But the RTA board refused on grounds that a bridge study would doom its transit plan a second time.

Business leaders are again pushing for a $3 million study of the "520 corridor."

Half of the money would come from the state through a transportation-revenue package that hasn't yet been funded.

The Puget Sound Regional Council is applying for federal matching funds to pay for the rest.

There's too much growth on the Eastside to ignore it," said Barry Murphy, Microsoft's regional government-affairs manager.

But choosing which options to study is a political hot potato.

John Okamoto, the Department of Transportation's regional administrator, proposes that a broad-based advisory committee decide.

Some ideas already making the rounds: better roads around the north end of the lake; a new bridge farther north; a wider 520 bridge; restricting some lanes to car pools, buses or light rail; and discouraging auto use by imposing tolls or work-site parking fees.

Many activists, including members of "No Expansion of 520," say bigger freeways aren't the answer.

"The era of the single-occupant vehicle, I think, is coming to an end.

It's plain we can't keep on building highways so everyone can go to work in his or her own car and return home in his or her own car," said Cornelius Peck, former UW law professor and co-founder of the Seattle-based group.

Peck's view is supported by a recent state Department of Transportation (DOT) analysis of possible improvements to Interstate 405, which says that even if the state spent $2 billion to add as many as three lanes in each direction, average traffic speeds would still fall to 28 miles per hour by 2020.

Even if a study of 520 were to be done, there's no money in state coffers to carry out its recommendations.

With gas-tax revenue outpaced by construction costs, DOT has only enough money to maintain existing highways.

Highway advocates in the Legislature already face an uphill battle to pass a revenue package that would generate $647 million in new highway funds over the next two years and $869 million the following two years.

DOT's most recent estimates for adding two new transit lanes and making other fixes to the 520 bridge range from $710 million to $890 million.

Winning Eastern Washington legislators' support for using the state's entire highway-building budget on a Seattle-area project would be difficult, to say the least.

It isn't clear whether - or when - the 520 bridge will rise to the top of DOT's priority list.

Unless it were funded with tolls, it would have to compete with other projects such as adding more high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to the state's freeways, expanding the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and completing Highway 509 through SeaTac.

Just finishing the high-priority HOV system would cost $1.5 billion.

"Highway 520 fits into the highly congested category, but so do numerous other corridors throughout the state," said Randy Hain, DOT's highway-construction manager.

Rep. Karen Schmidt, R-Bainbridge Island, chairwoman of the Legislative Transportation Committee, questions whether it's even worth studying the 520 corridor when there's no money for construction.

Which brings the discussion back to the dreaded subject of tolls.

"People have short memories," notes Jared Smith, project manager of the ill-fated WTP toll proposal.

"There isn't a bridge in the state that wasn't federally funded that wasn't built without tolls."

The I-90 bridge is toll-free, but it was built as part of the interstate highway system.

The original Mercer Island and 520 bridges were both built with tolls.

Alternatively, a 520-bridge project could be funded through a special taxing district, suggests Microsoft's Murphy.

And Senate Majority Leader Dan McDonald notes that a transportation district already exists - the Regional Transit Authority.

For now, advocates of a better bridge believe the first step is a comprehensive study of transportation needs on the north end of Lake Washington.

"Residents along the corridor are really going to need to talk to one another," said Bruce Nurse, vice president of Kemper Development, whose president, Kemper Freeman Jr., has long advocated more freeway lanes.

"We (the business community) feel the initiative needs to come from that level rather than the DOT or the business community."

In the meantime, Piraino gets up before the sun rises to beat the heavy traffic.

He may have to give up the fight and move his family near his job on the Eastside, he said.

As for the future bridge, he has an idea of his own.

"One of my wishes is that we'd turn 520 into transit-only," he said.

"It would probably go over like a lead balloon."

It's expected state road needs will exceed revenues by more than $15 billion over the next 20 years.

Here are some possible sources of additional money and how much they might generate each year:

-- Increase gas tax 1 cent per gallon: $32 million

-- Extend 6.5 percent state sales tax to gasoline: $271 million

-- Raise gas tax in accord with Initiative 601 growth factor: $49 million (reaches $98 million by 2002)

-- Redirect motor-vehicle excise-tax revenues from state general fund: $208 million

-- Increase motor-vehicle excise tax by 0.1 percent: $39 million

-- Exempt the state Department of Transportation from having to pay sales tax on highway contracts: $27 million

-- Impose a $1 toll each way on Evergreen Point Floating Bridge: $36.5 million

Numbers are 1997-2003 averages except for toll revenue (based on approximate 1995 traffic volume).

Source: State Department of Transportation

First bridge across Lake Washington, the Mercer Island Floating Bridge, opens.

Lake Washington Good Roads Association asks State Toll Bridge Authority to survey locations for a second Lake Washington bridge.

Traffic on Mercer Island Bridge approaches its capacity of 20,000 cars per day.

Legislature authorizes study on financing a $13.7 million bridge.

April 1953: Nine hundred Montlake-area residents sign petition opposing a bridge through their neighborhood.

July 1953: Study begins on six alternative alignments, between Juanita on the north and Mercer Island on the south.

Toll Bridge Authority selects Montlake-to-Evergreen Point route.

Construction is scheduled to start in eight months.

Defenders of the UW Arboretum and proponents of a Kirkland-to-Sand Point bridge attack the plan.

State sells $30 million in bonds to finance a floating bridge between Evergreen Point and Montlake.

Gov. Al Rosellini cuts a ribbon on the $34 million bridge.

Rosellini says planning has begun on a toll-free third bridge.

Construction bonds are paid off, and toll is lifted.

A second Mercer Island bridge opens, extending I-90 westward to Seattle and adding three general-purpose lanes and two carpool lanes.

The original Mercer Island floating bridge sinks in a storm during reconstruction.

Montlake-based group, "No Expansion of 520," opposes public-private partnership to fund car-pool and bike lanes through a $1 toll on Evergreen Point Bridge.

Eastside residents join opposition to toll bridge.

Gov. Mike Lowry signs law requiring public vote on toll-bridge proposal.

Representatives of Boeing, Microsoft, Weyerhaeuser and other businesses ask the Regional Transit Authority to fund a study on expanding the 520 bridge.

RTA Board rejects the suggestion for fear it will lose votes on transit plan.

State Transportation Commission asks the Legislature to appropriate $1.5 million to study the Highway 520 corridor between Seattle and Redmond.

-- Sid Morrison - As state transportation secretary, his top priority is to boost the Department of Transportation's depleted funding base.

He doubts the state will be able to afford a major construction project on Highway 520 unless it imposes tolls.

-- Aubrey Davis - King County's representative to the state Transportation Commission isn't sure what to do about Highway 520.

But with a history as regional highway administrator for the federal government and a broker of the deal that built the Interstate 90 bridge, he knows what it takes to get the support and funds for a major project.

He could be an important friend - or obstacle - to advocates of a new Evergreen Point bridge.

-- Sarah Skoglund - The energetic new director of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce has emerged as a leader of the Eastside's effort to find a solution.

She's won the support of other Eastside business groups and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and has opened discussions with bridge neighbors on both sides of the lake.

-- Seattle Mayor Norm Rice - He's convinced that the Mount Baker neighborhood was not well treated when Interstate 90 went through.

The mayor wants to make sure the city and Montlake-area neighborhoods have seats at the table before a study is conducted.

Seattle is not promoting or discouraging a corridor study, but insists that any new lanes across the lake be reserved for transit only.

-- Cornelius Peck - A Portage Bay resident, he helped form the activist group "No Expansion of 520," mobilizing opponents from Madison Park to Ravenna-Bryant to kill the 1993 toll-bridge proposal.

-- Daniel Becker - Elected to the Medina City Council after opposing toll-financed bridge expansion, he has been named "point man" on the Highway 520 issue by the cities of Medina, Clyde Hill and Hunts Point.

He supports a study, but not if it focuses only on the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge.

-- Karen Schmidt - Highway 520 isn't high on the radar screen of the chairwoman of the House and joint legislative transportation committees.

But the Bainbridge Island Republican is fighting for new funding sources that could build more highways.

-- Dan McDonald - The Senate majority leader hails from Bellevue and is a strong supporter of a 520 corridor study, but cool to new gas taxes.

He proposes funding construction of a new or improved bridge by levying taxes through the Regional Transit Authority.

-- Bill Gates - Microsoft's co-founder and chief executive officer hasn't personally come out swinging on the issue, but the software giant, along with Boeing and other businesses, supports a corridor study.

Don't be surprised if Gates exerts his personal influence at some point.

Microsoft has a huge stake in improving transportation between Seattle and the Eastside.

On March 18, residents from Medina, Yarrow Point and Clyde Hill will meet with Department of Transportation officials at 7 p.m. at the Clyde Hill Town Hall, 9605 N.E. 24th St. to discuss 520 options.

On April 16, the state Transportation Commission will gather in Bellevue for a meeting that is expected to include a tour of the 520 bridge.

The meeting begins at 8 a.m. at the West Coast Bellevue Hotel, 625 116th Ave. N.E.

What do you think should be done about growing cross-lake traffic congestion?

What else would you like to know about regional traffic trouble spots and possible alternatives?

We'd like to hear your ideas and questions.

Leave a message on our Gridlock Hotline at 464-8473, fax us at 453-0449 or send e-mail to east@seatimes.com.

Letters should be addressed to Gridlock, Seattle Times Eastside Bureau, 10777 Main St., Suite 100, Bellevue, WA 98004.

Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved.

Since the opening of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge in 1963, several proposals from local governments have requested the construction of a parallel span or additional pontoons to increase capacity and add infrastructure for rapid transit and bicyclists. Daily traffic crossing the bridge rose from 17,400 cars in 1964 to nearly 100,000 in 1987, making the bridge the worst traffic bottleneck in the state of Washington. By the late 1990s, the bridge was carrying twice as much traffic as it was designed to handle.


The film was praised for its visual style, acting, and cinematography.

(meta data) TITLE: DreamWorks accused of 'whitewashing' Ghost in the Shell by casting Scarlett Johansson | Film | The Guardian

(meta data) AUTHOR: http://www.theguardian.com/profile/benchild

(meta data) PUBLISHER: https://www.facebook.com/theguardian

(meta data) PUBLISHED DATETIME: 2015-01-16T07:23:14-0500

Focused crawls are collections of frequently-updated webcrawl data from narrow (as opposed to broad or wide) web crawls, often focused on a single domain or subdomain.

# DreamWorks accused of 'whitewashing' Ghost in the Shell by casting Scarlett Johansson

More than 15,000 sign petition demanding an Asian actor is cast in the live action remake of the anime classic

Rising star … Scarlett Johansson in Lucy.

Last modified on Friday 16 January 2015 07.27 EST

Campaigners angered at the paucity of roles for east Asian actors in Hollywood have launched a petition calling for Scarlett Johansson to be dismissed from the forthcoming US remake of classic anime Ghost in the Shell.

The campaign on thepetitionsite.com, which has picked up more than 15,000 signatures, calls for studio DreamWorks to replace her with an actor of Asian origin, and accuses Hollywood of "whitewashing".

"The original film is set in Japan, and the major cast members are Japanese," reads the petition.

"So why would the American remake star a white actress?

The industry is already unfriendly to Asian actors without roles in major films being changed to exclude them.

"DreamWorks could be using this film to help provide opportunities for Asian-American actors in a market with few opportunities for them to shine.

Please sign the petition asking them to reconsider casting Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell and select actors who are truer to the cast of the original film!"

Petition organiser Julie Rodriguez also cites a recent survey that suggests in 2013, Asian characters made up only 4.4% of speaking roles in top-grossing Hollywood films.

Johansson looks likely to play a character based on the cyborg detective, Major Motoko Kusanagi, a key figure in the original 1995 Ghost in the Shell film and the comic book series on which it is based.

The US actor, whose star has risen following standout turns in Lucy and Marvel Studios' Avengers series of superhero films, was reportedly offered $10m to take the role.

The original Ghost in the Shell anime film

It is not yet clear how far DreamWorks plans to alter the original, Japanese-set storyline of Ghost in the Shell, though Johansson's inclusion hints that the action could be transferred to North America.

Hollywood has been criticised in the past for casting white actors in east Asian roles, with M Night Shyamalan's misfiring 2010 film The Last Airbender a notable recent example.

The dubious tradition runs all the way back to 1956 epic The Conqueror, in which John Wayne starred as a suspiciously midwestern accented Genghis Khan, and 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's, with a bucktoothed Mickey Rooney as the shamefully offensive Japanese caricature, IY Yunioshi.

More recently, Ridley Scott biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings was accused of whitewashing following the decision to cast famous white actors such as Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton in the lead roles, despite depicting events taking place in the Middle East and north Africa.

(meta data) TITLE: Petition Calls For Recast Of Scarlett Johansson's Role In 'Ghost In The Shell'

(meta data) PUBLISHER: https://www.facebook.com/HuffPostEntertainment

# Petition Calls For Recast Of Scarlett Johansson's Role In 'Ghost In The Shell'

Actress Scarlett Johansson attends the 24th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on December 1, 2014 in New York City.

(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) | Cindy Ord via Getty Images

A recent petition is calling for Scarlett Johansson's role in "Ghost in the Shell" to be recast on the grounds of whitewashing.

Earlier this month, Variety reported that Johansson had signed on to star in DreamWorks' big-screen adaptation of the anime adventure, focusing on the story of a covert operations unit in the Japanese National Public Safety Commission and following the lead protagonist, Major Motoko Kusanagi.

While the 30-year-old certainly has had box office success starring in action films, like Marvel's "Avengers" series and "Lucy," after the announcement was made critics called the casting "whitewashing" due to the comic's Japanese origins.

Now, there is a Care2 petition requesting DreamWorks consider recasting the role.

"What concerns me is the fact that minority actors are so rarely given opportunities in big-budget leading roles," petition author Julie Rodriguez said in a press release sent to The Huffington Post.

"It's a self-defeating cycle: Hollywood insists viewers won't be drawn unknown minority actors, but they're never given the chance to break out of a narrow set of background roles to prove themselves.

'Ghost in the Shell' could have been a perfect opportunity to buck this trend, but instead promising actresses are being passed over."

The petition has a goal of 14,000 signatures and has already collected more than 13,000.

Others have voiced issue with the fact that an Asian-American actress was not chosen.

Marissa Lee, co-founder of the entertainment equality group Racebending, wrote a blog post in response to DreamWorks' decision, explaining that it's a missed opportunity for inclusive representation.

"Ultimately, 'Ghost in the Shell' is a story about what makes us human.

Having access to powerful media representation is key for minorities to be seen as human.

As a successful white actress, Scarlett Johansson has been privileged to play powerful women characters in action films.

'Ghost in the Shell' was a chance for an actress of Asian descent to have that same opportunity."

DreamWorks had no comment when contacted by The Huffington Post.

Scarlett Johansson will star in an upcoming live-action Ghost in the…

'Ghost in the Shell': Scarlett Johansson Signs On to Star ... - Variety

Scarlett Johansson to Star in Ghost in the Shell - IGN

Scarlett Johansson and Ghost in the Shell - thenerdsofcolor

What can Obama really do for net neutrality?

Scarlett Johansson Might Portray Lead Role In "Ghost In The Shell"

Please check the checkbox to indicate your consent

Get top stories and blog posts emailed to me each day..

Acting career.:Action and superhero films (2014–present).

In 2015 and 2016, Johansson again played Black Widow in the MCU films "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Captain America: Civil War". During filming of the former, a mixture of close-ups, concealing costumes, stunt doubles and visual effects were used to hide her pregnancy. Both films earned more than $1.1 billion, ranking among the highest-grossing films of all time. For "Captain America: Civil War", Johansson earned her second nomination for Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in an Action Movie and her fourth for Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. Earlier in 2016, Johansson had featured in the Coen brothers' well-received comedy film "Hail, Caesar!" about a "fixer" working in the classical Hollywood cinema, trying to discover what happened to a cast member who vanished during the filming of a biblical epic; Johansson plays an actress who becomes pregnant while her film is in production. She also voiced the character Kaa in Disney's live-action remake of "The Jungle Book", and Ash in the animated musical comedy film "Sing" (both 2016). Johansson played Motoko Kusanagi in Rupert Sanders's 2017 film adaptation of the "Ghost in the Shell" franchise.


The film was controversial for whitewashing the cast, particularly Johansson's character.

(meta data) TITLE: DreamWorks accused of 'whitewashing' Ghost in the Shell by casting Scarlett Johansson | Film | The Guardian

(meta data) AUTHOR: http://www.theguardian.com/profile/benchild

(meta data) PUBLISHER: https://www.facebook.com/theguardian

(meta data) PUBLISHED DATETIME: 2015-01-16T07:23:14-0500

Focused crawls are collections of frequently-updated webcrawl data from narrow (as opposed to broad or wide) web crawls, often focused on a single domain or subdomain.

# DreamWorks accused of 'whitewashing' Ghost in the Shell by casting Scarlett Johansson

More than 15,000 sign petition demanding an Asian actor is cast in the live action remake of the anime classic

Rising star … Scarlett Johansson in Lucy.

Last modified on Friday 16 January 2015 07.27 EST

Campaigners angered at the paucity of roles for east Asian actors in Hollywood have launched a petition calling for Scarlett Johansson to be dismissed from the forthcoming US remake of classic anime Ghost in the Shell.

The campaign on thepetitionsite.com, which has picked up more than 15,000 signatures, calls for studio DreamWorks to replace her with an actor of Asian origin, and accuses Hollywood of "whitewashing".

"The original film is set in Japan, and the major cast members are Japanese," reads the petition.

"So why would the American remake star a white actress?

The industry is already unfriendly to Asian actors without roles in major films being changed to exclude them.

"DreamWorks could be using this film to help provide opportunities for Asian-American actors in a market with few opportunities for them to shine.

Please sign the petition asking them to reconsider casting Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell and select actors who are truer to the cast of the original film!"

Petition organiser Julie Rodriguez also cites a recent survey that suggests in 2013, Asian characters made up only 4.4% of speaking roles in top-grossing Hollywood films.

Johansson looks likely to play a character based on the cyborg detective, Major Motoko Kusanagi, a key figure in the original 1995 Ghost in the Shell film and the comic book series on which it is based.

The US actor, whose star has risen following standout turns in Lucy and Marvel Studios' Avengers series of superhero films, was reportedly offered $10m to take the role.

The original Ghost in the Shell anime film

It is not yet clear how far DreamWorks plans to alter the original, Japanese-set storyline of Ghost in the Shell, though Johansson's inclusion hints that the action could be transferred to North America.

Hollywood has been criticised in the past for casting white actors in east Asian roles, with M Night Shyamalan's misfiring 2010 film The Last Airbender a notable recent example.

The dubious tradition runs all the way back to 1956 epic The Conqueror, in which John Wayne starred as a suspiciously midwestern accented Genghis Khan, and 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's, with a bucktoothed Mickey Rooney as the shamefully offensive Japanese caricature, IY Yunioshi.

More recently, Ridley Scott biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings was accused of whitewashing following the decision to cast famous white actors such as Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton in the lead roles, despite depicting events taking place in the Middle East and north Africa.

(meta data) TITLE: Petition Calls For Recast Of Scarlett Johansson's Role In 'Ghost In The Shell'

(meta data) PUBLISHER: https://www.facebook.com/HuffPostEntertainment

# Petition Calls For Recast Of Scarlett Johansson's Role In 'Ghost In The Shell'

Actress Scarlett Johansson attends the 24th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on December 1, 2014 in New York City.

(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) | Cindy Ord via Getty Images

A recent petition is calling for Scarlett Johansson's role in "Ghost in the Shell" to be recast on the grounds of whitewashing.

Earlier this month, Variety reported that Johansson had signed on to star in DreamWorks' big-screen adaptation of the anime adventure, focusing on the story of a covert operations unit in the Japanese National Public Safety Commission and following the lead protagonist, Major Motoko Kusanagi.

While the 30-year-old certainly has had box office success starring in action films, like Marvel's "Avengers" series and "Lucy," after the announcement was made critics called the casting "whitewashing" due to the comic's Japanese origins.

Now, there is a Care2 petition requesting DreamWorks consider recasting the role.

"What concerns me is the fact that minority actors are so rarely given opportunities in big-budget leading roles," petition author Julie Rodriguez said in a press release sent to The Huffington Post.

"It's a self-defeating cycle: Hollywood insists viewers won't be drawn unknown minority actors, but they're never given the chance to break out of a narrow set of background roles to prove themselves.

'Ghost in the Shell' could have been a perfect opportunity to buck this trend, but instead promising actresses are being passed over."

The petition has a goal of 14,000 signatures and has already collected more than 13,000.

Others have voiced issue with the fact that an Asian-American actress was not chosen.

Marissa Lee, co-founder of the entertainment equality group Racebending, wrote a blog post in response to DreamWorks' decision, explaining that it's a missed opportunity for inclusive representation.

"Ultimately, 'Ghost in the Shell' is a story about what makes us human.

Having access to powerful media representation is key for minorities to be seen as human.

As a successful white actress, Scarlett Johansson has been privileged to play powerful women characters in action films.

'Ghost in the Shell' was a chance for an actress of Asian descent to have that same opportunity."

DreamWorks had no comment when contacted by The Huffington Post.

Scarlett Johansson will star in an upcoming live-action Ghost in the…

'Ghost in the Shell': Scarlett Johansson Signs On to Star ... - Variety

Scarlett Johansson to Star in Ghost in the Shell - IGN

Scarlett Johansson and Ghost in the Shell - thenerdsofcolor

What can Obama really do for net neutrality?

Scarlett Johansson Might Portray Lead Role In "Ghost In The Shell"

Please check the checkbox to indicate your consent

Get top stories and blog posts emailed to me each day..

In 2015 and 2016, Johansson again played Black Widow in the MCU films "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Captain America: Civil War". During filming of the former, a mixture of close-ups, concealing costumes, stunt doubles and visual effects were used to hide her pregnancy. Both films earned more than $1.1 billion, ranking among the highest-grossing films of all time. For "Captain America: Civil War", Johansson earned her second nomination for Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in an Action Movie and her fourth for Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. Earlier in 2016, Johansson had featured in the Coen brothers' well-received comedy film "Hail, Caesar!" about a "fixer" working in the classical Hollywood cinema, trying to discover what happened to a cast member who vanished during the filming of a biblical epic; Johansson plays an actress who becomes pregnant while her film is in production. She also voiced the character Kaa in Disney's live-action remake of "The Jungle Book", and Ash in the animated musical comedy film "Sing" (both 2016). Johansson played Motoko Kusanagi in Rupert Sanders's 2017 film adaptation of the "Ghost in the Shell" franchise. The film was praised for its visual style, acting, and cinematography.


Johansson's character is a cyborg who was meant to hold the memories of a Japanese woman.

(meta data) TITLE: DreamWorks accused of 'whitewashing' Ghost in the Shell by casting Scarlett Johansson | Film | The Guardian

(meta data) AUTHOR: http://www.theguardian.com/profile/benchild

(meta data) PUBLISHER: https://www.facebook.com/theguardian

(meta data) PUBLISHED DATETIME: 2015-01-16T07:23:14-0500

Focused crawls are collections of frequently-updated webcrawl data from narrow (as opposed to broad or wide) web crawls, often focused on a single domain or subdomain.

# DreamWorks accused of 'whitewashing' Ghost in the Shell by casting Scarlett Johansson

More than 15,000 sign petition demanding an Asian actor is cast in the live action remake of the anime classic

Rising star … Scarlett Johansson in Lucy.

Last modified on Friday 16 January 2015 07.27 EST

Campaigners angered at the paucity of roles for east Asian actors in Hollywood have launched a petition calling for Scarlett Johansson to be dismissed from the forthcoming US remake of classic anime Ghost in the Shell.

The campaign on thepetitionsite.com, which has picked up more than 15,000 signatures, calls for studio DreamWorks to replace her with an actor of Asian origin, and accuses Hollywood of "whitewashing".

"The original film is set in Japan, and the major cast members are Japanese," reads the petition.

"So why would the American remake star a white actress?

The industry is already unfriendly to Asian actors without roles in major films being changed to exclude them.

"DreamWorks could be using this film to help provide opportunities for Asian-American actors in a market with few opportunities for them to shine.

Please sign the petition asking them to reconsider casting Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell and select actors who are truer to the cast of the original film!"

Petition organiser Julie Rodriguez also cites a recent survey that suggests in 2013, Asian characters made up only 4.4% of speaking roles in top-grossing Hollywood films.

Johansson looks likely to play a character based on the cyborg detective, Major Motoko Kusanagi, a key figure in the original 1995 Ghost in the Shell film and the comic book series on which it is based.

The US actor, whose star has risen following standout turns in Lucy and Marvel Studios' Avengers series of superhero films, was reportedly offered $10m to take the role.

The original Ghost in the Shell anime film

It is not yet clear how far DreamWorks plans to alter the original, Japanese-set storyline of Ghost in the Shell, though Johansson's inclusion hints that the action could be transferred to North America.

Hollywood has been criticised in the past for casting white actors in east Asian roles, with M Night Shyamalan's misfiring 2010 film The Last Airbender a notable recent example.

The dubious tradition runs all the way back to 1956 epic The Conqueror, in which John Wayne starred as a suspiciously midwestern accented Genghis Khan, and 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's, with a bucktoothed Mickey Rooney as the shamefully offensive Japanese caricature, IY Yunioshi.

More recently, Ridley Scott biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings was accused of whitewashing following the decision to cast famous white actors such as Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton in the lead roles, despite depicting events taking place in the Middle East and north Africa.

(meta data) TITLE: Petition Calls For Recast Of Scarlett Johansson's Role In 'Ghost In The Shell'

(meta data) PUBLISHER: https://www.facebook.com/HuffPostEntertainment

# Petition Calls For Recast Of Scarlett Johansson's Role In 'Ghost In The Shell'

Actress Scarlett Johansson attends the 24th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on December 1, 2014 in New York City.

(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) | Cindy Ord via Getty Images

A recent petition is calling for Scarlett Johansson's role in "Ghost in the Shell" to be recast on the grounds of whitewashing.

Earlier this month, Variety reported that Johansson had signed on to star in DreamWorks' big-screen adaptation of the anime adventure, focusing on the story of a covert operations unit in the Japanese National Public Safety Commission and following the lead protagonist, Major Motoko Kusanagi.

While the 30-year-old certainly has had box office success starring in action films, like Marvel's "Avengers" series and "Lucy," after the announcement was made critics called the casting "whitewashing" due to the comic's Japanese origins.

Now, there is a Care2 petition requesting DreamWorks consider recasting the role.

"What concerns me is the fact that minority actors are so rarely given opportunities in big-budget leading roles," petition author Julie Rodriguez said in a press release sent to The Huffington Post.

"It's a self-defeating cycle: Hollywood insists viewers won't be drawn unknown minority actors, but they're never given the chance to break out of a narrow set of background roles to prove themselves.

'Ghost in the Shell' could have been a perfect opportunity to buck this trend, but instead promising actresses are being passed over."

The petition has a goal of 14,000 signatures and has already collected more than 13,000.

Others have voiced issue with the fact that an Asian-American actress was not chosen.

Marissa Lee, co-founder of the entertainment equality group Racebending, wrote a blog post in response to DreamWorks' decision, explaining that it's a missed opportunity for inclusive representation.

"Ultimately, 'Ghost in the Shell' is a story about what makes us human.

Having access to powerful media representation is key for minorities to be seen as human.

As a successful white actress, Scarlett Johansson has been privileged to play powerful women characters in action films.

'Ghost in the Shell' was a chance for an actress of Asian descent to have that same opportunity."

DreamWorks had no comment when contacted by The Huffington Post.

Scarlett Johansson will star in an upcoming live-action Ghost in the…

'Ghost in the Shell': Scarlett Johansson Signs On to Star ... - Variety

Scarlett Johansson to Star in Ghost in the Shell - IGN

Scarlett Johansson and Ghost in the Shell - thenerdsofcolor

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In 2015 and 2016, Johansson again played Black Widow in the MCU films "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Captain America: Civil War". During filming of the former, a mixture of close-ups, concealing costumes, stunt doubles and visual effects were used to hide her pregnancy. Both films earned more than $1.1 billion, ranking among the highest-grossing films of all time. For "Captain America: Civil War", Johansson earned her second nomination for Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in an Action Movie and her fourth for Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. Earlier in 2016, Johansson had featured in the Coen brothers' well-received comedy film "Hail, Caesar!" about a "fixer" working in the classical Hollywood cinema, trying to discover what happened to a cast member who vanished during the filming of a biblical epic; Johansson plays an actress who becomes pregnant while her film is in production. She also voiced the character Kaa in Disney's live-action remake of "The Jungle Book", and Ash in the animated musical comedy film "Sing" (both 2016). Johansson played Motoko Kusanagi in Rupert Sanders's 2017 film adaptation of the "Ghost in the Shell" franchise. The film was praised for its visual style, acting, and cinematography. The film was controversial for whitewashing the cast, particularly Johansson's character.


There is another Torah commandment known as "onah" (Heb: עונה).

(meta data) TITLE: Ba'alei Ha-Nefesh | Jewish Women's Archive

Tel Aviv: 1995; Cohen, J. "Rationales for Conjugal Sex in Rabad's Ba'alei ha-Nefesh."

Jewish History 6 (1992), 65–78; Feldman, David.

Marital Relations, Birth Control, and Abortion in Jewish Law.

Encyclopedia Article: Divorce: The Halakhic PerspectiveBiography: Rachel AdlerEncyclopedia Article: Abraham GeigerEncyclopedia Article: Rashi

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(Viewed on August 21, 2019) <https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/baalei-ha-nefesh>.

Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women.

In Judaism, sexuality is viewed as having both positive and negative potential, depending on the context in which it is expressed. According to medieval Rabbinical enumerations of the 613 commandments, the commandment to procreate is the first mitzvah in the Torah: "And God blessed them; and God said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply ["peru urevu" (פרו ורבו)], and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth" (Genesis, 1:28). This commandment was understood by the early rabbis to be only binding on men; women are exempt because childbirth puts them in physical danger, though a dissenting opinion is recorded in the mishnah Yevamot 6:6. This commandment was originally binding on all of humanity, as it was given to Adam, the progenitor of all mankind. However, after the giving of the Torah, it became obligatory on Jews only.
 There are many passages in the Babylonian Talmud that relate to the Jewish attitude toward sexuality. In one passage (BT Berakhot 62a), a rabbi named Kahana hides underneath the bed of his teacher Rav as Rav was having sex. Rav scolded Kahana for his behavior, but Kahana countered that sex is part of the Torah, and therefore he must learn about it from his teacher.
 According to the Sefer haChinnuch, the central nature of this mitzvah is due to the fact that God desires for the world to be populated.


The commandment obligates a man to provide sexual intercourse to his wife on a regular basis.

In Judaism, sexuality is viewed as having both positive and negative potential, depending on the context in which it is expressed. According to medieval Rabbinical enumerations of the 613 commandments, the commandment to procreate is the first mitzvah in the Torah: "And God blessed them; and God said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply ["peru urevu" (פרו ורבו)], and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth" (Genesis, 1:28). This commandment was understood by the early rabbis to be only binding on men; women are exempt because childbirth puts them in physical danger, though a dissenting opinion is recorded in the mishnah Yevamot 6:6. This commandment was originally binding on all of humanity, as it was given to Adam, the progenitor of all mankind. However, after the giving of the Torah, it became obligatory on Jews only.
 There are many passages in the Babylonian Talmud that relate to the Jewish attitude toward sexuality. In one passage (BT Berakhot 62a), a rabbi named Kahana hides underneath the bed of his teacher Rav as Rav was having sex. Rav scolded Kahana for his behavior, but Kahana countered that sex is part of the Torah, and therefore he must learn about it from his teacher.
 According to the Sefer haChinnuch, the central nature of this mitzvah is due to the fact that God desires for the world to be populated. There is another Torah commandment known as "onah" (Heb: עונה).


The commandment applies regardless of whether they have already had children.

In Judaism, sexuality is viewed as having both positive and negative potential, depending on the context in which it is expressed. According to medieval Rabbinical enumerations of the 613 commandments, the commandment to procreate is the first mitzvah in the Torah: "And God blessed them; and God said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply ["peru urevu" (פרו ורבו)], and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth" (Genesis, 1:28). This commandment was understood by the early rabbis to be only binding on men; women are exempt because childbirth puts them in physical danger, though a dissenting opinion is recorded in the mishnah Yevamot 6:6. This commandment was originally binding on all of humanity, as it was given to Adam, the progenitor of all mankind. However, after the giving of the Torah, it became obligatory on Jews only.
 There are many passages in the Babylonian Talmud that relate to the Jewish attitude toward sexuality. In one passage (BT Berakhot 62a), a rabbi named Kahana hides underneath the bed of his teacher Rav as Rav was having sex. Rav scolded Kahana for his behavior, but Kahana countered that sex is part of the Torah, and therefore he must learn about it from his teacher.
 According to the Sefer haChinnuch, the central nature of this mitzvah is due to the fact that God desires for the world to be populated. There is another Torah commandment known as "onah" (Heb: עונה). The commandment obligates a man to provide sexual intercourse to his wife on a regular basis.


In 2014, McCord and Mikael Jorgensen formed the duo Prism Break.

(meta data) TITLE: ESMZ 2014 Year in Review | Janglin Souls

(meta data) AUTHOR: http://janglinsouls.com/author/davidwexler/

2014 was a monumental year for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, both collectively and individually — culminating this month in the recording of the band's fourth studio album in Alex Ebert's new recording studio in New Orleans.

Ebert told Rolling Stone Magazine that new album would be a collaborative effort, much different than ESMZ's three previous albums.

"I'm always writing a bunch, and yet I've made a resolution to not write any more for Edward Sharpe when I'm alone, to only make it a group effort," Ebert told Rolling Stone in June.

"Usually it's been a solo process and I've written most of everything, so it'll be really nice to just go around in a circle and do it together."

The recording wrapped up in mid December, with Ebert taking his excitement to Facebook:

"I love Songwriting as celestial archaeology – each song a starry animal to be uncovered, arranged, and reintroduced to the world, alive."

Here's a look back at some of the top ESMZ stories of 2014.

On Jan. 13, ESMZ frontman Alex Ebert shocked the world when he captured his first Golden Globe for his score in the J.C. Chandor film, "All is Lost."

Sean Combs and Usher presented the award to Ebert, who thanked Chandor for "having the faith to see into what I had done before and thought I could do this."

"Even the most deft pen is a clumsy tool, and yet we still try for magic," Ebert said.

"Thanks for letting me try — all over the movie."

(Read more about his award-winning score)

Chandor's latest film, "A Most Violent Year," premieres in select theatres on Dec. 31, and Ebert once again wrote and composed the score.

The soundtrack was released through Community Music on Dec. 16, and features nine original tracks, including two different versions of the song "Garden Shadows," as well as the movie's closing song, America For Me.

When ESMZ kicked off their summer tour in June, it was their first without vocalist Jade Castrinos.

"Jade has spoken out about not being on this tour.

Her statement left a lot of things to the imagination," Ebert wrote on Facebook.

"Out of respect for Jade, I will keep it that way. …

We must now explain that simply and sadly, we did not feel right doing this tour with Jade.

That fact breaks my heart in ways I don't want to describe.

With hope with all of ourselves that we reunite with Jade again, free-spirited, and with that daring love that is our only foundation."

(For the record, the forthcoming ESMZ album will be the first without Jade.)

Crash hit the road this summer and fall to promote the release of his debut solo album, "Hardly Criminal," including a performance on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman in late July and a return to his native New Orleans in November for the city's "This is NOLA" event.

"Hardly Criminal" also features fellow ESMZ bandmates Seth Ford-Young, Josh Collazo, Stewart Cole, Orpheo McCord and Nosewsorthy, as well as former ESMZ member Tay Strathairn.

BestNewsBand.com described the solo album as "a tidal wave of emotion that appropriately crashes with a perfect balance of groove, shake, heartache, and soul."

"I can't help but draw from my own life experiences," Crash told Janglin Souls, before a performance in Kansas City, Mo. "

A lot of the material is about something that I feel, or maybe only thought I had, or of something that someone else feels.

In the case of "High Wall," it's a pretty brief explanation of how I ended up in L.A.

What I don't say in the song is that move was responsible for so many other things — me getting more involved in music and pursuing that, and me meeting the guys that would form Deadly Syndrome and me meeting all the Magnetic Zeros at the time of the "Up From Below" album coming together.

It was one of those remarkably pivotal moments in my life."

(Read Janglin Souls' full interview with Crash)

Crash wasn't the only Magnetic Zero working on a solo project.

London-born guitarist Christian Letts released two singles (Charles de Gaulle and Matches) from first LP.

"Hold Fast" will be released on Feb. 17, via Community Music/Vagrant Records, and is produced by his friend Marcus Mumford.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performed a series of European gigs in January and February that culminated in an appearance at London's Brixton Academy on Feb. 11.

The tour also included stops in Brussels, Den Haag, Cologne, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Glasgow and Dublin.

ESMZ percussionist Orpheo McCord and Rachel Kolar (of the band He's My Brother She's My Sister) welcomed their first child, Mateus McCord, to the world on March 14.

"He was born on Einstein's birthday – that is a good sign," said Joe McCord, Orpheo's father.

In addition to being a new father, Orpheo joined forces with Mikael Jorgenson of Wilco in a new project called "Prism Break."

Their music is described as an "inspiration in early 70s German experimental music."

ESMZ opened for Jack Johnson for four summer shows in 2014 – in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Toronto; Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; and Chicago.

The shows ended with both bands sharing the stage, covering the Beatles' Rocky Raccoon and Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released.

(Read more about ESMZ's tour with Jack Johnson)

In July, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros announced that they were in "deep in the process of assembling a live record compiled from songs we've played all over the world these past few years."

Joe McCord, father of ESMZ percussionist Orpheo McCord, wrote a short film called "Butterfuly, The Harp & The Timepiece," which stars Academy Award winner Melissa Leo and ESMZ members Alex Ebert, Stewart Cole and Orpheo McCord.

The film was directed by Rodney Vance and scored by Grammy winner Alex Geringas.

The film is described by IMDB as "three stories about treasured objects and their impact on the people who use them to connect to their inmost desires."

The film has been entered into the Palm Springs Short Festival, one of the most prestigious short festivals in the United States and a prerequisite to the Academy awards.

(Read more about Joe McCord, also known as Joe Daddy.)

starred in the TV Land sitcom "Jennifer Falls," which debuted in 2014 and stars Jaime Pressley and Ethan Suplee.

Kirkpatrick played the role Stephanie Doyle, the passive aggressive, know-it-all sister-in-law of Jennifer Doyle (Pressley), a former high-powered executive who loses her job and hits rock bottom.

2014 was also a big year for former ESMZ pianist Aaron Embry, who released new music via SoundCloud.

(Check out this video of one Embry's Wannabe King).

Embry's Raven Song (off of the 2012 ablum "Tiny Prayers") was featured at the end of Zach Braff's 2014 comedy-drama, "Wish I Was Here."

Braff said to Entertainment Weekly: "I knew the second I heard that it was the song for the end of the movie.

I actually, the second I heard it I almost started restructuring the end of the movie around it.

I just though it was elegant and beautiful and it was short.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

McCord was a member of Cass McCombs' band starting in 2007 and has played on four of his albums. He was formerly the drummer and percussion leader in Fool's Gold, an LA pop band whose music incorporates African rhythms. In 2010, he played with Harper Simon as a duo at the Festival au Désert in Mali, outside of Timbuktu. They also performed there with the Tuareg band Tinariwen.


Prism Break was inspired by early 1970s German experimental rock.

(meta data) TITLE: ESMZ 2014 Year in Review | Janglin Souls

(meta data) AUTHOR: http://janglinsouls.com/author/davidwexler/

2014 was a monumental year for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, both collectively and individually — culminating this month in the recording of the band's fourth studio album in Alex Ebert's new recording studio in New Orleans.

Ebert told Rolling Stone Magazine that new album would be a collaborative effort, much different than ESMZ's three previous albums.

"I'm always writing a bunch, and yet I've made a resolution to not write any more for Edward Sharpe when I'm alone, to only make it a group effort," Ebert told Rolling Stone in June.

"Usually it's been a solo process and I've written most of everything, so it'll be really nice to just go around in a circle and do it together."

The recording wrapped up in mid December, with Ebert taking his excitement to Facebook:

"I love Songwriting as celestial archaeology – each song a starry animal to be uncovered, arranged, and reintroduced to the world, alive."

Here's a look back at some of the top ESMZ stories of 2014.

On Jan. 13, ESMZ frontman Alex Ebert shocked the world when he captured his first Golden Globe for his score in the J.C. Chandor film, "All is Lost."

Sean Combs and Usher presented the award to Ebert, who thanked Chandor for "having the faith to see into what I had done before and thought I could do this."

"Even the most deft pen is a clumsy tool, and yet we still try for magic," Ebert said.

"Thanks for letting me try — all over the movie."

(Read more about his award-winning score)

Chandor's latest film, "A Most Violent Year," premieres in select theatres on Dec. 31, and Ebert once again wrote and composed the score.

The soundtrack was released through Community Music on Dec. 16, and features nine original tracks, including two different versions of the song "Garden Shadows," as well as the movie's closing song, America For Me.

When ESMZ kicked off their summer tour in June, it was their first without vocalist Jade Castrinos.

"Jade has spoken out about not being on this tour.

Her statement left a lot of things to the imagination," Ebert wrote on Facebook.

"Out of respect for Jade, I will keep it that way. …

We must now explain that simply and sadly, we did not feel right doing this tour with Jade.

That fact breaks my heart in ways I don't want to describe.

With hope with all of ourselves that we reunite with Jade again, free-spirited, and with that daring love that is our only foundation."

(For the record, the forthcoming ESMZ album will be the first without Jade.)

Crash hit the road this summer and fall to promote the release of his debut solo album, "Hardly Criminal," including a performance on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman in late July and a return to his native New Orleans in November for the city's "This is NOLA" event.

"Hardly Criminal" also features fellow ESMZ bandmates Seth Ford-Young, Josh Collazo, Stewart Cole, Orpheo McCord and Nosewsorthy, as well as former ESMZ member Tay Strathairn.

BestNewsBand.com described the solo album as "a tidal wave of emotion that appropriately crashes with a perfect balance of groove, shake, heartache, and soul."

"I can't help but draw from my own life experiences," Crash told Janglin Souls, before a performance in Kansas City, Mo. "

A lot of the material is about something that I feel, or maybe only thought I had, or of something that someone else feels.

In the case of "High Wall," it's a pretty brief explanation of how I ended up in L.A.

What I don't say in the song is that move was responsible for so many other things — me getting more involved in music and pursuing that, and me meeting the guys that would form Deadly Syndrome and me meeting all the Magnetic Zeros at the time of the "Up From Below" album coming together.

It was one of those remarkably pivotal moments in my life."

(Read Janglin Souls' full interview with Crash)

Crash wasn't the only Magnetic Zero working on a solo project.

London-born guitarist Christian Letts released two singles (Charles de Gaulle and Matches) from first LP.

"Hold Fast" will be released on Feb. 17, via Community Music/Vagrant Records, and is produced by his friend Marcus Mumford.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performed a series of European gigs in January and February that culminated in an appearance at London's Brixton Academy on Feb. 11.

The tour also included stops in Brussels, Den Haag, Cologne, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Glasgow and Dublin.

ESMZ percussionist Orpheo McCord and Rachel Kolar (of the band He's My Brother She's My Sister) welcomed their first child, Mateus McCord, to the world on March 14.

"He was born on Einstein's birthday – that is a good sign," said Joe McCord, Orpheo's father.

In addition to being a new father, Orpheo joined forces with Mikael Jorgenson of Wilco in a new project called "Prism Break."

Their music is described as an "inspiration in early 70s German experimental music."

ESMZ opened for Jack Johnson for four summer shows in 2014 – in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Toronto; Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; and Chicago.

The shows ended with both bands sharing the stage, covering the Beatles' Rocky Raccoon and Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released.

(Read more about ESMZ's tour with Jack Johnson)

In July, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros announced that they were in "deep in the process of assembling a live record compiled from songs we've played all over the world these past few years."

Joe McCord, father of ESMZ percussionist Orpheo McCord, wrote a short film called "Butterfuly, The Harp & The Timepiece," which stars Academy Award winner Melissa Leo and ESMZ members Alex Ebert, Stewart Cole and Orpheo McCord.

The film was directed by Rodney Vance and scored by Grammy winner Alex Geringas.

The film is described by IMDB as "three stories about treasured objects and their impact on the people who use them to connect to their inmost desires."

The film has been entered into the Palm Springs Short Festival, one of the most prestigious short festivals in the United States and a prerequisite to the Academy awards.

(Read more about Joe McCord, also known as Joe Daddy.)

starred in the TV Land sitcom "Jennifer Falls," which debuted in 2014 and stars Jaime Pressley and Ethan Suplee.

Kirkpatrick played the role Stephanie Doyle, the passive aggressive, know-it-all sister-in-law of Jennifer Doyle (Pressley), a former high-powered executive who loses her job and hits rock bottom.

2014 was also a big year for former ESMZ pianist Aaron Embry, who released new music via SoundCloud.

(Check out this video of one Embry's Wannabe King).

Embry's Raven Song (off of the 2012 ablum "Tiny Prayers") was featured at the end of Zach Braff's 2014 comedy-drama, "Wish I Was Here."

Braff said to Entertainment Weekly: "I knew the second I heard that it was the song for the end of the movie.

I actually, the second I heard it I almost started restructuring the end of the movie around it.

I just though it was elegant and beautiful and it was short.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

McCord was a member of Cass McCombs' band starting in 2007 and has played on four of his albums. He was formerly the drummer and percussion leader in Fool's Gold, an LA pop band whose music incorporates African rhythms. In 2010, he played with Harper Simon as a duo at the Festival au Désert in Mali, outside of Timbuktu. They also performed there with the Tuareg band Tinariwen. In 2014, McCord and Mikael Jorgensen formed the duo Prism Break.


Mikael Jorgensen is a pianist/keyboardist for Wilco.

(meta data) TITLE: ESMZ 2014 Year in Review | Janglin Souls

(meta data) AUTHOR: http://janglinsouls.com/author/davidwexler/

2014 was a monumental year for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, both collectively and individually — culminating this month in the recording of the band's fourth studio album in Alex Ebert's new recording studio in New Orleans.

Ebert told Rolling Stone Magazine that new album would be a collaborative effort, much different than ESMZ's three previous albums.

"I'm always writing a bunch, and yet I've made a resolution to not write any more for Edward Sharpe when I'm alone, to only make it a group effort," Ebert told Rolling Stone in June.

"Usually it's been a solo process and I've written most of everything, so it'll be really nice to just go around in a circle and do it together."

The recording wrapped up in mid December, with Ebert taking his excitement to Facebook:

"I love Songwriting as celestial archaeology – each song a starry animal to be uncovered, arranged, and reintroduced to the world, alive."

Here's a look back at some of the top ESMZ stories of 2014.

On Jan. 13, ESMZ frontman Alex Ebert shocked the world when he captured his first Golden Globe for his score in the J.C. Chandor film, "All is Lost."

Sean Combs and Usher presented the award to Ebert, who thanked Chandor for "having the faith to see into what I had done before and thought I could do this."

"Even the most deft pen is a clumsy tool, and yet we still try for magic," Ebert said.

"Thanks for letting me try — all over the movie."

(Read more about his award-winning score)

Chandor's latest film, "A Most Violent Year," premieres in select theatres on Dec. 31, and Ebert once again wrote and composed the score.

The soundtrack was released through Community Music on Dec. 16, and features nine original tracks, including two different versions of the song "Garden Shadows," as well as the movie's closing song, America For Me.

When ESMZ kicked off their summer tour in June, it was their first without vocalist Jade Castrinos.

"Jade has spoken out about not being on this tour.

Her statement left a lot of things to the imagination," Ebert wrote on Facebook.

"Out of respect for Jade, I will keep it that way. …

We must now explain that simply and sadly, we did not feel right doing this tour with Jade.

That fact breaks my heart in ways I don't want to describe.

With hope with all of ourselves that we reunite with Jade again, free-spirited, and with that daring love that is our only foundation."

(For the record, the forthcoming ESMZ album will be the first without Jade.)

Crash hit the road this summer and fall to promote the release of his debut solo album, "Hardly Criminal," including a performance on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman in late July and a return to his native New Orleans in November for the city's "This is NOLA" event.

"Hardly Criminal" also features fellow ESMZ bandmates Seth Ford-Young, Josh Collazo, Stewart Cole, Orpheo McCord and Nosewsorthy, as well as former ESMZ member Tay Strathairn.

BestNewsBand.com described the solo album as "a tidal wave of emotion that appropriately crashes with a perfect balance of groove, shake, heartache, and soul."

"I can't help but draw from my own life experiences," Crash told Janglin Souls, before a performance in Kansas City, Mo. "

A lot of the material is about something that I feel, or maybe only thought I had, or of something that someone else feels.

In the case of "High Wall," it's a pretty brief explanation of how I ended up in L.A.

What I don't say in the song is that move was responsible for so many other things — me getting more involved in music and pursuing that, and me meeting the guys that would form Deadly Syndrome and me meeting all the Magnetic Zeros at the time of the "Up From Below" album coming together.

It was one of those remarkably pivotal moments in my life."

(Read Janglin Souls' full interview with Crash)

Crash wasn't the only Magnetic Zero working on a solo project.

London-born guitarist Christian Letts released two singles (Charles de Gaulle and Matches) from first LP.

"Hold Fast" will be released on Feb. 17, via Community Music/Vagrant Records, and is produced by his friend Marcus Mumford.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performed a series of European gigs in January and February that culminated in an appearance at London's Brixton Academy on Feb. 11.

The tour also included stops in Brussels, Den Haag, Cologne, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Glasgow and Dublin.

ESMZ percussionist Orpheo McCord and Rachel Kolar (of the band He's My Brother She's My Sister) welcomed their first child, Mateus McCord, to the world on March 14.

"He was born on Einstein's birthday – that is a good sign," said Joe McCord, Orpheo's father.

In addition to being a new father, Orpheo joined forces with Mikael Jorgenson of Wilco in a new project called "Prism Break."

Their music is described as an "inspiration in early 70s German experimental music."

ESMZ opened for Jack Johnson for four summer shows in 2014 – in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Toronto; Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; and Chicago.

The shows ended with both bands sharing the stage, covering the Beatles' Rocky Raccoon and Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released.

(Read more about ESMZ's tour with Jack Johnson)

In July, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros announced that they were in "deep in the process of assembling a live record compiled from songs we've played all over the world these past few years."

Joe McCord, father of ESMZ percussionist Orpheo McCord, wrote a short film called "Butterfuly, The Harp & The Timepiece," which stars Academy Award winner Melissa Leo and ESMZ members Alex Ebert, Stewart Cole and Orpheo McCord.

The film was directed by Rodney Vance and scored by Grammy winner Alex Geringas.

The film is described by IMDB as "three stories about treasured objects and their impact on the people who use them to connect to their inmost desires."

The film has been entered into the Palm Springs Short Festival, one of the most prestigious short festivals in the United States and a prerequisite to the Academy awards.

(Read more about Joe McCord, also known as Joe Daddy.)

starred in the TV Land sitcom "Jennifer Falls," which debuted in 2014 and stars Jaime Pressley and Ethan Suplee.

Kirkpatrick played the role Stephanie Doyle, the passive aggressive, know-it-all sister-in-law of Jennifer Doyle (Pressley), a former high-powered executive who loses her job and hits rock bottom.

2014 was also a big year for former ESMZ pianist Aaron Embry, who released new music via SoundCloud.

(Check out this video of one Embry's Wannabe King).

Embry's Raven Song (off of the 2012 ablum "Tiny Prayers") was featured at the end of Zach Braff's 2014 comedy-drama, "Wish I Was Here."

Braff said to Entertainment Weekly: "I knew the second I heard that it was the song for the end of the movie.

I actually, the second I heard it I almost started restructuring the end of the movie around it.

I just though it was elegant and beautiful and it was short.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

McCord was a member of Cass McCombs' band starting in 2007 and has played on four of his albums. He was formerly the drummer and percussion leader in Fool's Gold, an LA pop band whose music incorporates African rhythms. In 2010, he played with Harper Simon as a duo at the Festival au Désert in Mali, outside of Timbuktu. They also performed there with the Tuareg band Tinariwen. In 2014, McCord and Mikael Jorgensen formed the duo Prism Break. Prism Break was inspired by early 1970s German experimental rock.


The diving beetle swims by thrusting its hind legs simultaneously.

(meta data) TITLE: Sunburst Diving Beetle | Insectarium

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Animal's BehaviorWhen swimming, sunburst diving beetles (Thermonectus marmoratus) and other members of the family (predaceous diving beetles) kick their hind legs simultaneously.

Eating HabitsThey require at least a temporary water source.

If the one they inhabited dries up, these diving beetles will fly until another water source is located.

These beetles feed on other aquatic invertebrates including mosquito larvae and pupae.

Range Ponds and lakes from California to Texas

They are powerful swimmers, and are able to stay under water for extended periods of time because they collect an air bubble under their wings that can be seen at the tip of their abdomen when they dive.

Sunburst diving beetles live in water and swim well.


The diving beetle can remain underwater for extended periods of time.

Sunburst diving beetles live in water and swim well. The diving beetle swims by thrusting its hind legs simultaneously.


The diving beetle stores an air bubble beneath its wings.

Sunburst diving beetles live in water and swim well. The diving beetle swims by thrusting its hind legs simultaneously. The diving beetle can remain underwater for extended periods of time.


In addition to scripted content, Basch produced the documentary film "Life Itself".

(meta data) TITLE: 'Birdman' Wins Producers Guild Award for Best Movie – Variety

Read Next: Peter Fonda, Star of 'Easy Rider,' Dies at 79

# 'Birdman' Wins Producers Guild Award for Best Movie

"Birdman" has won the Producers Guild of America's Darryl F. Zanuck Award for best movie — elevating its status as an awards-season front-runner since the last seven PGA winners have gone on to win the Best Picture Oscar.

Fox Searchlight's dark comedy, starring Michael Keaton as a washed-up film star, topped "American Sniper,' "Boyhood," "Foxcatcher," "Gone Girl," "Grand Budapest Hotel," "The Imitation Game," "Nightcrawler," "The Theory of Everything" and "Whiplash."

"Boyhood" had been the consensus favorite to win the PGA trophy — based on voting by more than 6,700 PGA members — with "American Sniper," "Birdman" and "Imitation Game" pegged as the most likely to score an upset.

See More: Analysis: 'Birdman' Adds Plot Twist at PGA Awards

The award went to director Alejandro G. Inarritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole.

"They want me to talk so that I make you laugh with my bad English," Inarritu said.

"On behalf of all of us, our only ambition was to make a risky and experimental exploration of the cinematic language, of an artist's complexity played by the incredible Michael Keaton."

"I feel humbled by this," Inarritu added.

"All the films that are nominated have such an individual voice, the expression behind them, only the people who made them, could have made them."

"Gravity" and "12 Years a Slave" wound up in a dead heat last year as both won the Zanuck award — the first tie in the PGA's 25-year history for the trophy.

The PGA uses the preferential balloting system employed for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Oscars.

The PGA's Zanuck award has become a strong indicator of Oscar sentiment in recent years, matching the Oscar for best picture in 18 of its 25 years — including the last seven, with "12 Years a Slave," "Argo," "The Artist," "The King's Speech," "The Hurt Locker," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "No Country for Old Men."

The PGA winner last diverged from the Oscar best picture in 2006, when "Little Miss Sunshine" won the Zanuck while the Academy opted for "The Departed."

The producers branch of AMPAS constitutes about 8% of the AMPAS membership.

When the Academy expanded the best-picture Oscar category to 10 nominations in 2010, the PGA followed suit with an expansion of the Zanuck nominations to 10.

The top TV awards went to the final season of AMC's "Breaking Bad," Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" and FX's "Fargo."

"Breaking Bad" won the Norman Felton Award for top drama series for the second year in a row, topping "Downton Abbey," "Game of Thrones," "House of Cards" and "True Detective."

"You only know that your show is a big hit when the location signs are stolen," Bryan Cranston said.

"Life Itself," the biographical film about the late Roger Ebert, won the PGA documentary award for director Steve James, Zak Piper and Garrett Basch.

Magnolia's "Life Itself," based on Ebert's 2011 autobiography, topped "The Green Prince," "Merchants of Doubt," "Particle Fever" and "Virunga" — which was the only PGA nominee to also receive an Oscar nod

FX's "Fargo" won the David L. Wolper Award for longform TV.

The drama — based on the 1996 film of the same name by the Coen brothers — topped "American Horror Story," "The Normal Heart," "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History " and "Sherlock."

Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" won the Danny Thomas award for top comedy series.

The win by the groundbreaking prison-set series denied ABC's "Modern Family" its fifth consecutive award in the category.

"Orange is the New Black" also topped "The Big Bang Theory," "Louis" and "Veep."

Earlier, "The Lego Movie" took the PGA's top animated movie award — nine days after it was overlooked in the Oscar nominations.

"Lego" producer Dan Lin accepted the trophy from Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea.

He gave extensive thanks, concluding with co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller and his family, and made no mention of the Oscar snub.

Warner Bros.' "Lego" topped "Big Hero 6," "The Book of Life," "The Boxtrolls" and "How to Train Your Dragon 2″ in the first award of the evening ceremonies for the 26th Annual PGA Awards at the Century Plaza.

"Frozen" won the PGA award and the Oscar last year.

"The Tonght Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" won the Live Entertainment and Talk Television award.

NBC's "The Voice" took the competition TV award.

Previously announced awards included HBO's AIDS drama "The Normal Heart" as recipient of the Stanley Kramer Award, which honors raising awareness of important social issues; Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer for the Milestone Award, and "The Walking Dead" producer Gale Ann Hurd for the David O. Selznick Achievement Award.

Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner's Plan B Entertainment received the Visionary Award presented by Norman Lear.

Mark Gordon, producer of "Criminal Minds," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Ray Donovan," received the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television.

Jennifer Lawrence received the biggest laughs of the night with her intro of Feltheimer.

"Jon has been in this business for longer than I've been alive – I love saying that," she said at one point.

The nominations list (winners are boldfaced):

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:

Producers: Bradley Cooper, p.g.a., Clint Eastwood, p.g.a., Andrew Lazar, p.g.a., Robert Lorenz, p.g.a., Peter Morgan, p.g.a.

Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole WINNER

Producers: Richard Linklater, p.g.a., Cathleen Sutherland, p.g.a. WINNER

Producers: Megan Ellison, p.g.a., Jon Kilik, p.g.a., Bennett Miller, p.g.a.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Producers: Wes Anderson & Scott Rudin, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales

The Imitation Game (The Weinstein Company)

Producers: Nora Grossman, p.g.a., Ido Ostrowsky, p.g.a., Teddy Schwarzman, p.g.a.

The Theory of Everything (Focus Features)

Producers: Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten

Producers: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Producers: Brad Booker, p.g.a., Guillermo del Toro, p.g.a.

Producers: David Bleiman Ichioka, p.g.a., Travis Knight, p.g.a.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 (20th Century Fox)

The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television:

The Long-Form Television category encompasses both movies of the week and mini-series.

American Horror Story: Coven & Freak Show (FX)

Producers: Brad Buecker, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk, Joseph Incaprera, Alexis Martin Woodall, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Jennifer Salt, Robert M. Williams Jr., James Wong

Producers: Adam Bernstein, John Cameron, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Michael Frislev, Noah Hawley, Warren Littlefield, Chad Oakes, Kim Todd WINNER

Producers: Jason Blum, Dante Di Loreto, Scott Ferguson, Dede Gardner, Alexis Martin Woodall, Ryan Murphy, Brad Pitt, Mark Ruffalo

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (PBS)

Producers: Paul Barnes, Pam Baucom, Ken Burns

Producers: Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Beryl Vertue, Sue Vertue

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:

Producers: John Battsek, Simon Chinn, Nadav Schirman

Producers: Garrett Basch, Steve James, Zak Piper WINNER

Merchants of Doubt (Sony Pictures Classics)

Producers: Robert Kenner, Melissa Robledo

Producers: David E. Kaplan, Mark A. Levinson, Andrea Miller, Carla Solomon

Producers: Joanna Natasegara, Orlando von Einsiedel

The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:

Producers: Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett WINNER

Producers: Julian Fellowes, Nigel Marchant, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge

Producers: David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Chris Newman, Greg Spence, Carolyn Strauss, D.B. Weiss

Producers: Dana Brunetti, Joshua Donen, David Fincher, David Manson, Iain Paterson, Eric Roth, Kevin Spacey, Beau Willimon

Producers: Richard Brown, Carol Cuddy, Steve Golin, Woody Harrelson, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Matthew McConaughey, Nic Pizzolatto, Scott Stephens

The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:

Producers: Faye Oshima Belyeu, Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro, Bill Prady

Producers: Pamela Adlon, Dave Becky, M. Blair Breard, Louis C.K., Vernon Chatman, Adam Escott, Steven Wright

Producers: Paul Corrigan, Megan Ganz, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morton, Dan O'Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Chris Smirnoff, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Sally Young, Danny Zuker

Producers: Mark A. Burley, Sara Hess, Jenji Kohan, Gary Lennon, Neri Tannenbaum, Michael Trim, Lisa I. Vinnecour WINNER

Producers: Chris Addison, Simon Blackwell, Christopher Godsick, Armando Iannucci, Stephanie Laing, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Frank Rich, Tony Roche

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:

Producers: Andy Billman, John Dahl, Erin Leyden, Connor Schell, Bill Simmons

Producers: Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks, Junko Tsunashima

Producers: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandra Zweig

COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey (FOX/NatGeo) Producers: Brannon Braga, Mitchell Cannold, Jason Clark, Ann Druyan, Livia Hanich, Steve Holtzman, Seth MacFarlane WINNER

Producers: Becky Blitz, Mark Burnett, Bill Gaudsmith, Phil Gurin, Yun Lingner, Clay Newbill, Jim Roush, Laura Roush, Max Swedlow

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television:

Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Elise Doganieri, Jonathan Littman, Bertram van Munster, Mark Vertullo

Producers: Ashley Edens Shaffer, Conrad Green, Joe Sungkur

Producers: Jane Cha Cutler, Desiree Gruber, Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Jonathan Murray, Sara Rea, Teri Weideman

Producers: Doneen Arquines, Daniel Cutforth, Casey Kriley, Jane Lipsitz, Hillary Olsen, Erica Ross, Tara Siener, Shealan Spencer

Producers: Stijn Bakkers, Mark Burnett, John De Mol, Chad Hines, Lee Metzger, Audrey Morrissey, Jim Roush, Kyra Thompson, Mike Yurchuk, Amanda Zucker WINNER

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television:

Producers: Meredith Bennett, Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Barry Julien, Matt Lappin, Emily Lazar, Tom Purcell, Jon Stewart

Producers: David Craig, Ken Crosby, Doug DeLuca, Gary Greenberg, Erin Irwin, Jimmy Kimmel, Jill Leiderman, Molly McNearney, Tony Romero, Jason Schrift, Jennifer Sharron, Seth Weidner, Josh Weintraub

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)

Producers: Tim Carvell, John Oliver, Liz Stanton

Producers: Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, Matt Wood

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)

Producers: Rob Crabbe, Jamie Granet Bederman, Katie Hockmeyer, Jim Juvonen, Josh Lieb, Brian McDonald, Lorne Michaels, Gavin Purcell WINNER

The Award for Outstanding Sports Program:

Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Atlanta Falcons (HBO)

Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Cincinnati Bengals (HBO)

Inside: U.S. Soccer's March To Brazil (ESPN)

Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel (HBO) WINNER

The Award for Outstanding Children's Program:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon)

Wynton Marsalis: A YoungArts Masterclass (HBO)

The Award for Outstanding Digital Series:

30 For 30 Shorts (http://espn.go.com/30for30/shorts)

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee (http://www.crackle.com/c/comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee) WINNER

COSMOS: A National Geographic Deeper Dive (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkiFfAEB5M8)

Epic Rap Battles Of History (http://youtube.com/erb)

Video Game High School Season 3 (https://www.youtube.com/user/freddiew)

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UFC matches will return to FX – but not on a permanent basis.

ESPN has been showing preliminary bouts to UFC pay-per-view events for the last while on ESPN and ESPN2, and then showing the main card on its ESPN+ subscription video service.

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While attending Tulane University, Basch was hired by writer/director Steven Zaillian as his assistant. The pair later formed Film Rites, a production company based at 20th Century Fox.   Their films together include "Moneyball" and "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo".