Belmont Beacon
MONDAY, AUGUST 11 2014 - AUGUST 17, 2014
belmontbeacon.com
Audiojack: A breakthrough in education which takes our imagination to another level by jennifer schlueter When my friend invited me to an event at the Sonos Studio in LA to experience a sound movie, I didn’t know what to expect. After some welcoming drinks and snacks, we, approximately 40(?) guests, chose our seats in a semi-circle around Audiojack creator and founder David Tobin. Each chair was equipped with a blindfold, a pen, and a notepad. David then gave us a short introduction of what was about to happen, asked us to turn our phones off, relax, put the blindfolds on, and focus on our imagination Audiojack event at Sonos Studio, Los Angeles. -Courtesy Photo so we could create a story along refine our stories. I had thought he has his own stories in mind, with the sound movie. As soon as the room got about a girl in 19th century but always keeps them comquiet, I listened to my first France watching a guy running pletely secret, even from his Audiojack - an “audio-based away from someone. Secretly, parents. Thus, there is no right movie with no words, no mu- she followed him into a cave, or wrong answer, people are sic, no video, only sounds,” as where an unknown creature eager to share, and surprised the website describes it. I heard tried to harm the intruders; how their creativity just flows. This method has proven esperain, doors squeaking, foot- however, they got away. “Is anyone willing to share cially valuable for students and steps, horses trotting over cobble stones, someone running their story?” David wanted to the blind community. They are through grass, etc. - at least, know. Several people raised not afraid anymore to share these were images my mind their hands. All of the sharers their thoughts, and happily enproduced according to these stories differed, but some simi- gage in class. Before Audiojack had sounds. After a second play of lar aspects could be found. The variety of people’s ac- become popular, its creator the Audiojack, we were asked to write down the story our counts is the exact point of an wanted to make sure it would imagination had sparked, and Audiojack, according to David. Please see page 2 after the third, we had time to Designing the sound movies,
been two WNV-related deaths this year in northern California. WNV is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Signs and symptoms of WNV may include fever, body aches, rash, nausea, vomiting and headache. Most people infected have no symptoms; approximately one in 150 may develop more serious disease, such as brain in-
Kids’ dance contest emcee pleads guilty to federal child pornography charge
flammation or paralysis. Persons with these symptoms should seek immediate care. Summer weather and drought conditions create an ideal environment for mosquito breeding. Dr. Mitchell Kushner, City Health Officer, encourages all residents to protect them-
A Long Beach man who emceed children’s dance contests nationwide is facing a minimum five-year prison term after pleading guilty in federal court Tuesday to receiving child pornography. Paul Michael Barbour, 33, who previously worked for Cypress-based Kids Artistic Review (KAR), is scheduled to be sentenced October 20, 2014. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. The Long Beach man initially fell under suspicion in June after a digital video camera belonging to the defendant was discovered in a dressing room used by young girls taking part in a dance contest at Cypress College. Barbour was originally taken into custody June 1 by detectives with the Cypress Police Department on state charges filed by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office accusing him of possession of child pornography and possession of a controlled substance. On June 26, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint against Barbour charging him with a federal child pornography violation. The Orange County District Attorney agreed to dismiss the existing state charges to facilitate the federal prosecution and Barbour was remanded to federal custody. “The mandatory mini-
Please see page 4
Please see page 4
Public urged to take precautions against West Nile Virus; First human case in Long Beach announced The first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) this year in Long Beach has been confirmed. The 61-year-old East Long Beach resident has no known underlying health issues and is currently recovering well. As of August 6, 2014, 35 human cases have been reported in 10 California counties, including Los Angeles (1) and Orange (6). There have
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