Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Braaaaaaains!

Are you a zombie fan? Are you a Jane Austen fan? If you can answer “yes” to either of these questions, there’s a treat in store for you! Philly publisher Quirk Books has a new take on a classic read, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Yes, you heard me correctly. Author Seth Grahame-Smith (see also Big Book of Porn, Pardon My President, and How to Survive a Horror Movie) has injected zombie mayhem into the original work, a totally legal maneuver allowed by public domain law.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a blurb hit the internet a few weeks ago, and spread like wildfire through Austen blogs and zombie blogs to places like Entertainment Weekly’s Pop Watch and the London Sunday Times. Rumors of movie deals abound. Ah, the power of the internet. Isn’t it perfect for film?

Quirk featured the title last week at NYC’s Comic Con, besieged equally by Austen and zombie fans, and quickly ran out of promotional postcards. All this, and the book is not even available yet. The publication date of April 1 approaches, as do those brain-thirsty zombies. Some say Jane Austen would be rolling in her grave, while others say she would approve of the parody, and is just trying to get out! (Perhaps she would like to read it!)

An elementary school cafeteria worker and playground monitor, who had an extensive career in the adult entertainment industry, is becoming a New Jersey school district’s legal nightmare.

“We have no real legal stance or legal right to do anything for two reasons — one, it’s not illegal, and two, it’s not on school time,” Superintendent Charles Ottinger told the newspaper.

Really? People are angry about this? Now people have to worry that their outside-of-work-and-previous-to-work-non-illegal-activities will catch up with them?!

“Hey, Joe, we heard that you were a huge drug addict when you were a teenager. Even though you’re 35 years old and have got a college degree and cleaned up your life, we’re gonna have to let you go.”

I call shenangians. The one guy who was interviewed on the Fox 29 Ten O’ Clock News last night sounded like he was waiting to pick up his kids at 4:20 and not 3:00, if you catch my drift.

The chick’s obviously trying to better her life – although I’m certain she could make far more money in the previous trade she plied instead of working for any public school.

Man, calm down South Jersey. Yeah, like half the parents who are upset don’t work for “legitimiate” “tow truck” or “concrete” businesses.

At least she was on Jenny Jones….

I didn’t even have to use one beef stroganoff joke.

Be seeing you,

- AP

Princeton University is the #1 national school school in the country. The University of Pennsylvania is #5. Also ranked are Lehigh at #31, Penn State #48, Rutgers #59 tied with University of Pittsburgh #59, University of Delaware #71, Drexel at #108.

In the category of best Liberal Arts School, Swathmore College placed 3rd and Haverford College 10th.

To see the entire list click on above link

Welcome to the first AIDS Education Month youth summit! This summit will explore HIV testing, transmission, prevention, and treatment issues relevant to reaching and to empowering youth. Leaders from the youth and HIV/AIDS communities will discuss current challenges in providing community-appropriate outreach, education, advocacy, and HIV care to a population facing rising HIV rates. This summit is youth-friendly and includes a youth fashion show and artistic performances. Come check it out! Let your voice be heard.
Yo! breakfast and lunch will be served. Register online in confidence.

Performing at the concert will be Tanya Limosnero, Dan Collins, Wayne Hsu, Oud Blues, Naeemah,
John Swana and friends.

Donate an instrument, a violin, guitar, keyboard, conga, music stand or microphone and you get in FREE.
Cover Charge is just $10 .

Before coming to Philadelphia, Vallas was the superintendent of Chicago Schools which were widely considered the worst in the nation before his six years there. His accomplishments, according to Education Next:

The budget was quickly put in order. Vallas rehabbed old schools and built attractive new ones. Test scores reported to the public rose nearly every year, two union contracts were negotiated without any strikes, and a host of new programs–summer school, afterschool programs, alternative schools, new magnet programs–were all created, Most important, for perhaps the first time in Chicago’s history, low-performing schools were pressured to do better, and students and their parents encountered a system that did not just pass everyone through regardless of what they learned.

Why, then, the lack of similar impact in Philadelphia? According to The Inquirer, the last five years have seen “a substantial rise in standardized test scores, a proliferation of smaller, theme-based high schools, and a more cohesive, standardized curriculum. But a majority of students fail to meet proficiency levels in reading and math, students fail or drop out in alarming numbers, an ambitious capital building program has hit snags, and a rise in teacher assaults this year has exasperated educators.”

He has experienced high tension with the School Reform Commission recently, when he pointed out a $73.3 million deficit in the budget and called for cutbacks. The commission did not like this, so they took some of his power away and turned the budget over to their own people.

In light of that, I would quit too if I were Vallas. It seems to tried to address a huge issue holding back our current system and instead of cooperation, he had his hands tied. I think New Orleans may represent a fresh start, and hope they’re able to make a better team.

From what I’ve heard and experienced myself with the district, this is no surprise. In my opinion, they need to hire an outside consulting firm to come in and slough off about 1/3 of district employees and contractors. It’s a ridiculously outdated, slow and corrupt bureaucracy.

An informal buffet and a sit where you want format seemed to have everyone in a relaxed mood. Up on a small stage was a trio lead by Philly born pianist, Eric Reed, along with David Wong on bass and Obed Calvaire on drums.

I took a seat off to the side at an empty table where I could see the band and not be in anyone’s way, as I was the guest of a friend.

By the time the table was nearly full I was sitting with Mrs. Jennings, Stanley Crouch and Todd Brewster. My friend introduced me to each of them. I got the impression these were good people. I thought about Peter Jennings and how he was fortunate to have such lovely people around him as friends.

As Jane Eisner from the Constitution Center is talking about how the first Peter Jennings Project went, I am thinking, ‘how am I going to write about this?’ I was mainly there to hear the music, the jazz. So I am thinking, Constitution/Jazz indigenous American music, this noble experiment. And I knew I would write a rift on the ever changing American use of its constitution and the similarity it has to
jazz music.

Then, Stanley Crouch, of the New York Daily News, literally took the ideas in my head and stood before the gathered. He eloquently spoke about our jazz like constitution. His words were much better thought out then my inclination of an idea.

The trio went back into action as the room listened from a different perspective. They started with a Thelonious Monk, Twelve Bar Blues. The talented and well educated Mr. Reed explained some of the process of the music just played, relating it back to the words and ideas of Mr. Crouch. The band then did a rendition of Stablemates, a Benny Golson composition, followed by a fantastic Rogers and Hart standard, Easy to Remember.

We have all heard ‘Easy to Remember’ many times. Mr. Reed brought a clarity and tenderness to each note. There was no slurring of musical phrases and the bass and drums added to this stunning presentation. I just love when you can hear a song you have heard hundreds of times and then hear it again for the first time.

And that to me is what this afternoon was about. Our constitution, though an old composition, when played with all of our humanity and goodness, can be made to sing and swing in ways we never thought possible.

As if to punctuate this point The Eric Reed Trio ended with Duke Ellington’s, “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing”

To be completely honest, we are at a little bit of a loss to understand why the union leadership has authorized a strike this evening. The facts are that our final and best offer, which we put forward earlier today and which was rejected a short while ago, continues to provide free health care for all of our employees and their families (that is, it requires no employee contributions toward premiums) and a salary increase that averages 3.62 percent annually for the life of the five-year contract.

A guaranteed annual 3.62% raise over five years and free healthcare? Free?! That’s unheard of in most industries, as are pensions. CCP employees contribute 5% and the employer 10% to their pension plan. This all sounds quite cushy to me.

No matter how much reading I do I can’t seem to find a clear statement from the union about what they want aside from a contract. Can anyone shed some light on this?