Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Apartment Therapy - Durham, Duplex Style

"When faced with a move from a 1,000 square foot house to an apartment nearly half the size — and over a thousand miles away — Liz took the opportunity to pare down her collection of vintage and thrifted possessions (as seen in House Call: Liz's Durham Digs). Her skillful editing has resulted in a home that is interesting but clutter-free and put-together but comfortable."

- Liz's Well-Edited Half of a Durham Duplex, Apartment Therapy

Thursday, December 22, 2011

A.V. Club - The Mountain Goats cover "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

"The Mountain Goats--a.k.a. John Darnielle and band--visited the round room earlier this year for one of the more memorable Undercover sessions yet... we figured he would be perfect for a little holiday chestnut. He chose the classic "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," delivered directly to you, the viewer."

- The Mountain Goats cover "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", A.V. Club

Friday, December 16, 2011

Food & Wine - Big Spoon Roasters

"These North Carolina nut butters are ground with local wildflower honey and nuts. $7 for an 8-oz jar."

- Editor's Pick, Food & Wine


Thursday, December 15, 2011

CitiesSpeak - Northeast Central Durham Livability Initiative

"Over the last couple years, the definition of livability created by the HUD-DOT-EPA’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities has become well known to those of us in the “city business.” ... They’re hard at work in cities like Durham, N.C., building livable communities from the bottom up, with support from the Partnership, of course.  The Northeast Central Durham (NECD) Livability Initiative is adding value to the livability discussion by placing citizens right where they belong—at the foundation of the community’s livability planning efforts.  In doing so, the initiative is using livability planning as a vehicle with which to establish a more engaged citizenry and a more inclusive community."

- The Northeast Central Durham Livability Initiative Populates the Livability Discussion, CitiesSpeak

Forbes - Semprius

"As other solar start-up companies chase the economies scale provided by mega-projects, Durham, NC-based Semprius is scrambling to stay small. Semprius’ triple-junction solar cells are about 600 microns wide, which is roughly equivalent to the diameter of a dot made by a ballpoint pen. The gallium-arsenide cells use low-cost lenses to concentrate sunlight on tiny cells"

- Semprius Bets on Super-Small Cells, Forbes

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Los Angeles Times - ReverbNation

"ReverbNation, a do-it-yourself online marketing service used by 1.8 million bands, is throwing open its doors to concert venues Tuesday... a service called Promote It,  lets them create Facebook marketing campaigns for as little as $25... Some clubs in Los Angeles have already taken advantage of the service, designed specifically to promote concerts, in the past few months on a trial basis as ReverbNation ironned out the kinks to prepare it for launch this week. The reviews so far have been good. Tonya Cooke, Roxy Theatre's social media manager, gave it a thumbs up, saying Promote It's campaigns have boosted attendance in concerts where she used the service."

- ReverbNation throws its doors open to clubs, venues, Los Angeles Times

Monday, December 12, 2011

The State of Things - Gary Kueber, Open Durham

"Dr. Gary Kueber first came to Durham, NC as a student at Duke University. After graduating, then moving back many years later, he started looking into the history of physical Durham. His discoveries inspired the blog Endangered Durham that detailed which buildings in the city were at risk of demolition. Recently he launched Open Durham, an interactive website that maps Durham's past and present with an eye toward informing the future."

- Open Durham, The State of Things (NPR)

Friday, December 9, 2011

Destinations Magazine - Durham Film Festivals

"Film festivals, once largely limited to major U.S. cities or international destinations like Cannes, have sprouted up in countless communities of all sizes, bringing thousands of visitors and, sometimes, millions of dollars to the host locales... Durham, NC, for example, hosts about 10 film festivals each year. The largest, the documentary festival Full Frame "is a great way to raise the profile of Durham," says Shelly Green, president and CEO of the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It's a festival of a size that has some billboard ability, The New York Times is a sponsor, so they're always writing about it." Full Frame drew 29,000 attendees over four days this year and generated $1.8 in visitor spending, Green says. The CVB offered attendees a mobile gaming platform called Scavenger which used visitors' smart phones to send them on a scavenger hunt through the city. Participants could win prizes and offer feedback on the festival's films as they explored Durham. The Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina awarded the Durham CVB a platinum award for the game."

- Film Exposure, Destinations Magazine

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Metro Pulse - Carolina Chocolate Drops

"Most bands who win the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album do not turn around and hire a beatboxer as their newest member. And most bands who top the Billboard Bluegrass chart for seven straight weeks are not likely to break out a 2001 R&B hit as a staple of their live show. But Carolina Chocolate Drops are not most bands."

- Carolina Chocolate Drops Add a Beatboxer and a Cellist, But Keep Playing That Old-Time Music, Metro Pulse

Woman's Day - Durham Bulls

"What makes America such an extraordinary place to live? The fun, surprising and sometimes strange visiting spots you’ll find all across the country, like the eight below. 1. Batter Up! Join the boys of summer for a day of laidback, low-cost fun at a Triple-A Durham Bulls minor league game in Durham, NC. After Sunday games, kids get to run the bases. Tickets start at $7; season runs April 7–September 17; Triple-A Durham Bulls, 919-956-2855, DurhamBulls.com."

- 8 Quirky U.S. Attractions, Woman's Day

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Treehugger - Bountiful Backyards

"Designing and implementing your own edible landscape can be an intimidating business, especially if you have little or no training in the matter. Luckily residents of the Triangle region of North Carolina can take advantage of Bountiful Backyards, an "edible landscaping collective" based in Durham that designs gardens, provides ongoing training, and organizes workshops on everything from vermiculture (worm composting) to mushroom cultivation..."

- Bountiful Backyards: Edible, Urban Landscaping, Treehugger

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Sports Illustrated - Coach K

"The career victory numbers -- 1,075 for her, 907 for him, totals that leave every other male and female coach in Division I basketball behind -- only hint at why Sports Illustrated has chosen Mike Krzyzewski and Pat Summitt as its 2011 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year... As for Krzyzewski, with four more seasons he will complete 40 years as a collegiate head coach. He won his fourth and unlikeliest national title in 2010, and -- oh, by the way -- sandwiched around it two almost criminally underappreciated international gold medals, at the 2008 Olympics and 2010 World Championships, as head coach of a U.S. national team program that had been in steady decline. No other coach has ever won the Olympics, the NCAAs and the Worlds -- and Coach K did so in a span of 26 months."


- Krzyzewski, Summitt named SI Sportsman, Sportswoman of year, Sports Illustrated

Foursquare Blog - Duke Innovation

"Over in North Carolina, Duke University has been doing a bunch of innovative things with foursquare, from creating a time machine with historic campus images to saving their students from last minute printer woes."

Paper jam prevention, time machines, and more! – the Blue Devils bring foursquare to campus!, Foursquare

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Voices of America - The Duke Campus Farm

"Duke University’s new campus farm in Durham, North Carolina celebrated its first-ever harvest festival recently... In just its first year, the farm has provided the campus dining halls with more than two tonnes of fresh produce... The Duke Campus Farm is celebrating its first season in business. Many of its growing pains lie ahead. The same can be said for the movement it represents. These are exciting but difficult times for young farmers getting their first taste of farming life."

New Farmers Confront Realities of Local Food Movement, Voices of America