India Fails Female Victims of Sex Crimes

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In India, female victims of sexual violence during social unrest have little chance of retribution. Authors of a new report found that most politicians, judges, police officers, and state officials sabotage women seeking justice. Access to Justice for Women: India’s Response to Sexual Violence in Conflict and Social Upheaval looks at India’s failed responses to these women and calls for legal reforms.

The underlying causes of conflict in areas of India are complex, but stem in part from the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. That split exacerbated conflicts between Hindu and Muslim communities—and inflamed deeply rooted cultural and political tensions.

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Michele Roberts: An inspiration

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On a fall day at UC Berkeley, I left campus utterly inspired, and it wasn’t from class. It was from talks by Michele Roberts, a respected litigator and the first woman to lead the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). She spoke candidly at a morning coffee with law students about her tough childhood, her youthful aspirations, and a legal career that proved her mettle.

Accepting a citation award later that day, she shared a story about one of her early criminal cases: a young prostitute she helped get off the street and go back to school. It’s a tale that, in the telling, moved her to tears, reminding her of her own hardscrabble road to the top.

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Law School Offers ‘Anti-MOOC’ Online Course

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UC Berkeley School of Law is offering its first official online ed course for practicing attorneys worldwide.  Here’s a shortened version of a story I wrote about the program:
Bill Fernholz stares into a video camera a few feet away as an assistant dabs powder on his face to blunt the harsh light. It wasn’t how he’d imagined himself teaching when he joined the UC Berkeley Law School faculty 14 years ago, but it’s become second nature to him now. Welcome to the world of online education.
Fernholz teaches Fundamentals of U.S. Law, the school’s first official online course. It reflects a carefully planned move to offer select courses online—initially for foreign attorneys with international caseloads.Why the leap online? Approximately 6.7 million higher education students were taking at least one online course in fall 2011, an increase of 570,000 students from the previous year.
 

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Ballet: Behind the Scenes

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Injuries are a part of life for endurance trainers at any age. For mature athletes, it can be a ritual of daily exercise, stretches, massage, and more, just to stay in the game. One way to salvage sore muscles is to roll out on a foam roller.

Now the NYT shows us in beautiful photos by New York City corps de ballet dancer Devin Alberda that even principal ballerinas find relief with foam. In these captivating series of shots, dancer Janie Taylor rolls out her quads; dancer Ashley Laracey rubs her neck; and Jenelle Manzi gets a massage.

It’s a world we rarely see. We don’t see the years of training and grueling work-outs these dancers must endure; we don’t see the physical sacrifices. Most of us only see the stunning performances of these athletes as they dance across stage—and into our hearts. For balletomanes, dance is the universal expression of emotion and awe.

Watch NYC ballet dancers Maria Kowroski and Ask la Cour dance “After the Rain,” choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. The company calls it a “testament to the resilience of the human spirit.”

Team Raises Money for Cancer Research

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“It’s a cure from hell,” my aunt said, as she described her son Tim’s bone marrow transplant. “No, it’s worse than that,” she added. Tim was diagnosed with leukemia some 15 years ago. He survived after surgery on “true grit.”

But it takes more than courage to survive. It takes medical care and therapy. It takes scientists, doctors, and research labs to find the cures and treatments for blood cancers. It takes financial support.

Enter Team in Traning, an endurance sports charity program under the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). It’s dedicated to raising money for blood cancer research and patient care.

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West Coast Swing Jack & Jill Dance Competition

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The West Coast Swing dance community is so rich in talent, it’s hard to showcase just one signature dancer. Amateur competitions are held up and down the California coast, from novice to advanced. One of my favorites is called “Jack & Jill”: dancers put their names in a hat and compete on the spot with a randomly chosen partner.

The results are delightful, creative, and unexpected. The top couples are in sync with each other and the music, while the choreography often takes a surprising turn.

Here are Jack & Jill Champions Patty Vo and Kyle Redd at the Reno Dance Sensation in 2007. It takes them :30 seconds to get started—but it’s worth the wait.

Hero: A Sheriff’s Volunteer

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Armed robbers shot my friend’s brother-in-law, a volunteer with a sheriff’s dept., as he rushed to the aid of a fellow cop.  Sixty-three year old Philip Grigg a father and grandfather, now clings to life in a Phoenix hospital.

On December 31, a gray and cold day, Grigg, a tractor-trailer driver, hopped into his truck — probably on his way to a local market, according to his wife.

But on the way, a car driven by armed robbers fleeing a patrol car crashed into Grigg’s pickup. Grigg watched as Officer Scott Sefranka pulled up to arrest the men. But when Sefranka struggled, Grigg jumped out to help. In a flash, one of the alleged suspects, Roger Sharp, grabbed Sefranka’s gun and fired. He hit both men—at close range.

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Artists Face a Faustian Choice

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An artist’s life is difficult, nigh impossible.

Creative art alone can rarely support a budding painter, dancer, or singer. Artists are often forced to choose between raising a family or the possessive zeal to create.

Wealthy patrons spend multiple millions of dollars at lavish art markets such as the Venice Biennale and Art Basel on a few “superstar” artists. But the vast majority of artists struggle to make a living. Just read this RAND study.

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A Tango Tale

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Tango is an elegant dance with close, intricate footwork. The dance’s romantic style belies its difficulty. As the music builds, intimacy is played out in fluid movement. Danced in close or open embrace, the Tango reveals more about a couple’s relationship than words alone.

Film directors are captivated by Tango’s storytelling power: Think of Scent of a Woman, The Tango Lesson, and Strictly Ballroom.

Here’s a clip of Argentina’s best: Maximiliano Cristiani and Jesica Arfenonia, the 2013 Tango Salon World Champions.

Dance Rebels

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In the world of ballet, it’s the ballerinas who shine the brightest, with an occasional break-out male lead such as Baryshnikov or Godunov. Female dancers with their spirited, emotional, and graceful movements are the ones to watch. The men are the ones who lift and twirl the women.

Not any more.

The Bad Boys of Dance emerged on the scene with a roar in 2007 at Jacob’s Pillow. The troupe is founded by the classically-trained dancer, Rasta Thomas, a self-described bad boy who wanted to step out of the shadows. His pedigree is impressive: he’s danced with the American Ballet Theater, the Joffrey and Kirov Ballet companies, the Dance Theater of Harlem, and more.

The company’s choreography taps into modern, ballet, jazz, and hip hop for inspiration. In 2008, Rasta Thomas created Rock the Ballet with his wife and award-winning dancer, Adrienne Canterna. The show has sold out worldwide.

The power, agility, and sheer talent of these dancers is astonishing. The ferocity, passion, and athleticism of the men has wowed audiences across the globe. Take a look:

Philippines Typhoon Link to Climate Change

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The destruction in the Philippines from Typhoon Haiyan is unfathomable. Walls of water, winds of fury, mudslides. Desolation. Death count is in the thousands and still rising.

It was the worst storm on record to hit the islands. The cause? Scientists argue that greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming are partly to blame, a by-product of a highly civilized, fossil-fueled world.The worst offenders: the U.S. and China.

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