Rob Hardy

“Rob Hardy is a shining example of the caliber of leaders produced by the black college experience,” said Monique Brackett, chapter president. “He has a degree in engineering from Florida A&M, yet was confident enough in himself and the foundation he received in college to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. The level of artistry Rainforest Films produces is a positive reflection of the African American community, and we’re proud to have him share our stories with the world.”

Hardy is co-founder of the Atlanta-based production company, Rainforest Films, where he is responsible for producing the company’s studio financed and self-financed films and distribution projects. Additionally, he has directed several projects for television, including ER, Criminal Minds, and Vampire Diaries. Hardy co-founded the company with his partner Will Packer in the summer of 1994 while both were engineering students at Florida A & M University. After graduating magna cum laude from Florida A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1996, Hardy decided to forego lucrative job offers in the field of engineering to capitalize on his entrepreneurial instincts and his passion for filmmaking.
Rainforest Films has produced four films for theatrical release, three of which have opened at #1, including Takers (2010), Obsessed (2009) and the beloved college experience film, Stomp The Yard (2007). Hardy was named by Black Enterprise as one of their “Top 40 Entertainers Under 40,” and HBO honored him with the “Director to Watch” Award.

The black history luncheon kicks off with a jazz mimosa hour at 11 a.m. followed by the program, hosted by Comedian Roy Wood Jr. (Last Comic Standing, BET’s Comic View). The FAMU SoCal Alumni Chapter recognizes outstanding leaders in the African American community with the Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Award during the event. This year’s honorees are Laphonza Butler, president of the Service Employees International Union – United Long Term Care Worker’s Union (SEIU-ULTCW) and Noel Massie, president of the UPS Central California District. Additionally, the 2012 FAMU Distinguished Alumni Awards will be presented to Rob Hardy, Will Packer and Juresha Maples.

Proceeds from the luncheon will provide scholarships to California students attending FAMU. Due to the success of previous luncheons, the alumni chapter has been able to provide academic or book scholarships to every student who applies.

For more information, please contact Monique Brackett at (310) 295-4791 or moebrackett@aol.com.

UNCF An Evening of Stars first aired in 1979, and since that time has become one of the longest running and most successful televised events in U.S. history.

The organization has raised more than $200 million that has helped hundreds of thousands of students attend college and graduate.

“This year’s event is filled with high energy performances, combining the hottest talent with inspirational stories of young students who are beating the odds because they can receive a good education,” said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., UNCF president and CEO. “We are grateful for the support of all our celebrities, sponsors and contributors, who understand the importance of ‘Educating our Future’ and giving students the opportunity to earn college degrees that will enable them to lead successful and fulfilling lives.”

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country by advocating for the importance of minority education.

UNCF An Evening of Stars will air on Saturday, January 28th and January 29th and on BET Networks at 11 p.m. EST/PST and 10 p.m. CST on Sunday, January 29th.

With several albums to his credit, Flame, aka Marcus Gray is slated to perform at the Dry Dock in Bridgetown, Barbados from 10pm – 12am on New Year’s Eve.

A musical maestro in the holy hip hop game, this Grammy nominated artist who delivers a unique blend of soulful funk, rock and hip-hop has released five albums to date  including the  self-titled “Flame, Rewind, Our World Fallen,” and “Our World Redeemed,” which was  nominated for a Grammy Award.

The St. Louis native who has a passion for biblical counseling and applied theology has also been nominated for Dove and Stellar awards throughout his music career.

His latest album “Captured,” released under his own record label, Clear Sight Music, debuted at #1 on Billboard Gospel, #5 on Billboard Christian, and #152 on Billboard Top 200.

In 2004, he released his debut album with Cross Movement Records and now reigns amongst the forefront runners in the Christian Rap industry known to challenge and encourage its audience with an unwavering clear presentation of the Gospel.

He’s a contemporary Gospel singer and an actor who can be seen on the upcoming drama “The Family Guardian”

Sixteen year-old Matthew J. will star in “The Family Guardian” which is produced and directed by Lee H. Jordan. The inspirational drama, which was screened at the Black Twin Cities Film follows 17 year-old Elizabeth, played by Lexee Crystal Harris, who finds herself pregnant and alone. Matthew J. Johnson plays the young teen father.

The talented singer/actor has also performed in the Minneapolis stage play “Revelation Judgment Day,” where he played Thomas – a singing angel and will be performing on Saturday December 31, 2011 at the Glendale SDA Church for their New Years Eve service.

ADAAWE, an all-women’s African music ensemble

Three-hour cultural extravaganza on December 24 performed at the Music Center broadcast live on KCET and KPFK-FM streamed live at www.kcet.org

WHAT:
Bring the whole family to L.A.’s biggest Emmy-nominated holiday show, the 52nd Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration, hosted by Suzanna Guzman and Tia Carrere at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. More than 20 choirs, music ensembles and dance companies from the many neighborhoods and cultures of L.A. celebrate the season during this free three-hour extravaganza. Even the parking under the Music Center is free! See it live from 3-6 pm at the Music Center downtown. Watch it live on KCET from 3-6, and again from 8-11 pm. Hear it live on 90.7 FM KPFK. Stream it live at www.kcet.org. The L.A. Holiday Celebration is a gift to the community from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Click here to view the video trailer.

Highlights of this year’s show include:

• Liturgical Afro-Cuban drumming and song from ADAAWE, an all-women’s African music ensemble
• Traditional dance from the Mexican state of Zacatecas from the Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company
• The Jazz Tap Ensemble with a holiday-inspired tap dance and an ensemble of live jazz musicians
• A modern interpretation of the traditional Korean fan dance from Kwan Gyu Lim Dance Company
• Classic Hanukkah songs – Klezmer style – with The Shpil
• Prime Note Ensemble, an all-male Filipino choir singing in English & Kinaray-a (a Filipino dialect)
• GRAMMY® nominated Lisa Haley and the Zydekats celebrate the holidays Americana/Cajun/Zydeco style
• Current Latin GRAMMY® award nominee La Santa Cecilia with a holiday hybrid of Latin culture, rock and world music
• Mandrill, one of Funk and R&B’s most progressive bands and an important pioneer on the world music scene, will perform a holiday-themed selection
• Holiday hip hop from Versa-Style Dance Company
• Pop culture humorist and author Charles Phoenix returns as HC’s holiday reporter, hosting videos that feature holiday traditions celebrated in L.A. County

Please scroll down for a complete list of performers
and links to downloadable, high-resolution photos.

WHEN:
Saturday, December 24, 2011 from 3 pm to 6 pm

• Doors open at 2:30 pm
• Patrons may come and go throughout the three hour performance
• Reservations for tickets to the show or parking are not necessary; no wristbands required.
• Those who can’t make it to the Music Center can watch the live broadcast from 3 pm-6 pm on KCET, stream it at www.kcet.org, or listen live at 90.7 FM KPFK. The KCET broadcast repeats again from 8 pm-11 pm

WHO:

• 24 performing artists (scroll down for full list) from across L.A. County
• Sponsored by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
• Produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission as part of the Free Concerts in Public Sites program
• Live telecast on KCET is produced by CDK Productions

WHERE:
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center
135 N. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles 90012

HOW:
Information hotline: (213) 972-3099 or www.HolidayCelebration.org

ADMISSION:
FREE

PARKING:
FREE in the Music Center parking garage

OTHER:
Since 1964, the Arts Commission has produced a holiday celebration in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center every year on December 24th. The program honors the spirit of many cultures and holiday traditions through music, song and dance.

The L.A. County Holiday Celebration is a gift to the community from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Artists performing in 52nd Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration:

• ADAAWE, an all-women’s African music ensemble, will perform liturgical Afro-Cuban drumming and song – Click here to download a high resolution photo of ADAAWE.
• Agape Love Ensemble, members of the Agape International Spiritual Center, will perform “Love is the Light” and “O Holy Night” – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Agape Love Ensemble.
• The Bricks*, comprised of young musicians dedicated to making music that delivers positive social messages, will perform classic holiday selections – Click here to download a high resolution photo of The Bricks.
• Charles Dickens Carolers*, a 24-person a cappella choir dressed in festive attire, will present classic Christmas repertoire – Click here to download a high resolution photo of the Charles Dickens Carolers.
• City of Angels Children’s Community Chorus* will premiere on the Holiday Celebration with classic holiday repertoire – Click here to download a high resolution photo of City of Angels Chorus.
• Colburn Children’s Choir and the Young Men’s Chorus will perform a Nigerian holiday folk song and a classic Christmas selection – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Colburn Children’s Choir.
• Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles will return to this year’s program with holiday repertoire – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Gay Men’s Chorus.
• Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company will perform a traditional dance from the Mexican state of Zacatecas – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Grandeza Mexican Folk Ballet Ensemble.
• Harmonic Bronze Handbell Ensemble, a 20-person music ensemble of 11 to 18-year olds from Antelope Valley, will perform a festive rendition of “Hava Nagila” – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Harmonic Bronze Handbell Ensemble.
• Jazz Tap Ensemble will perform an upbeat holiday-inspired tap dance that interacts with an ensemble of live jazz musicians – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Jazz Tap Ensemble.
• Kwan Gyu Lim Dance Company* will perform a modern interpretation of the traditional Korean fan dance – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Kwan Gyu Lim Dance Co.
• La Santa Cecilia* will premiere on this year’s program with dance-able holiday selections fusing contemporary and traditional Latin and South American sounds – Click here to download a high resolution photo of La Santa Cecilia.
• Lisa Haley and the Zydekats will return to this year’s program with a Zydeco-inspired holiday performance – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Lisa Haley.
• Mandrill*, one of Funk and R&B’s most progressive bands and an important pioneer on the world music scene, will perform a holiday-themed selection – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Mandrill.
• Mariachi Sol de Mexico will perform classic Mariachi holiday favorites – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Mariachi Sol de Mexico.
• Mt. Rubidoux Seventh Day Adventist Church Choir, winner of the People’s Choice, Best Large Choir, and overall first place in the LA Region How Sweet The Sound Choir Competition, will perform gospel holiday selections – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Mt. Rubidoux Choir.
• Palmdale High School Choral Union, a 40-person chorus from the Antelope Valley, will present a spiritual hymn and a swing-style holiday song – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Palmdale HS Choral Union.
• Prime Note Ensemble*, an all-male Filipino choir singing in English & Kinaray-a (a Filipino dialect) – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Prime Note Ensemble.
• Salvation Army Tabernacle Children’s Chorus, the largest and youngest choir on the program, is known for their “choralography” and light-hearted holiday songs – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Salvation Army Tabernacle Children’s Chorus.
• The Shpil* will perform a medley of classic Hanukkah songs in their Klezmer style – Click here to download a high resolution photo of The Shpil.
• Trumpetology* will premiere on the Holiday Celebration with a brass-centered jazz interpretation of “What Child is This” – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Trumpetology.
• Versa-Style Dance Company*, a Hip Hop ensemble representing the diversity of Los Angeles – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Versa-Style.

• Voices of Destiny*, a 45-member gospel chorus and national winner of the Verizon Wireless How Sweet the Sound Competition, will premiere with a spiritual holiday offering. Click here to download a high resolution photo of Voices of Destiny.

• Young Angels Choir, a Korean-American youth choir, will return to Holiday Celebration with holiday repertoire – Click here to download a high resolution photo of Young Angel’s Choir.

* indicates groups new to the Holiday Celebration this year.

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Laura Zucker, Executive Director, provides leadership in cultural services of all disciplines for the largest county in the United States, encompassing 88 municipalities. The Arts Commission provides leadership and staffing to support the County-wide collaboration for arts education, Arts for All; administers a grants program that funds more than 350 nonprofit arts organizations annually; oversees the County’s Civic Art Program for capital projects; programs the John Anson Ford Theatres and co-produces Live @ the Ford on KCET; funds the largest arts internship program in the country in conjunction with the Getty Foundation; and supports the Los Angeles County Cultural Calendar on ExperienceLA.com and SpacefinderLA.org, a site connecting artists and arts organizations. The Commission also produces free community programs, including the L.A. County Holiday Celebration and a year-round music program that funds free concerts in public sites.The 2011-12 President of the Arts Commission is Ollie Blanning. For more information please consult the Arts Commission online press kit: http://lacountyarts.org/page/pubnewspress

###

“With Bob, Annette, and Tom’s leadership, our dream of finally opening a world-class film museum in Los Angeles will become a reality,” Sherak said.

As Academy CEO Dawn Hudson noted, “The momentum has been building for a long time, and with the enthusiasm Bob, Annette, and Tom all bring—and the respect they are accorded throughout the industry—we have marked the beginning of a new chapter for this project.”

Earlier this fall, the Academy and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced their intention to work together in establishing the Academy-run museum in the historic May Co. building, currently known as LACMA West. With permanent and rotating exhibitions, the museum is intended to provide an interactive experience that will explore how motion pictures have evolved and how they continue to change.

“The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures represents a bold new way of saving and presenting film history,” said Iger. “It will innovate not only the museum experience, but also the public’s relationship to the art form.”

The museum, to occupy a 300,000 square-foot space, is expected to be the first in the nation dedicated to the art, craft, business, and history of film on such a large scale. The Academy anticipates that the museum will represent a significant addition to the cultural landscape of the city most associated with motion pictures.

A bandmate says Barry Llewellyn of the Heptones died Wednesday at age 64. Lead singer Leroy Sibbles said Friday that Llewellyn died of unknown causes at Kingston Public Hospital.

Llewellyn founded the Heptones with Earl Morgan in the late 1950s. The group was considered highly influential during the island’s rocksteady era in the 1960s.

The Heptones reunited in the 1990s after a nearly 20-year absence during a worldwide ska and rocksteady revival.

The group comprising Llewellyn, Morgan and Leroy Sibbles produced a number of hit songs throughout the 1960s and 1970s which included: Fattie Fattie (1966); I’ve Got a Feeling (1966); Get In the Groove (1967); Equal Rights (1968); Ain’t Nobody Else (1968); Party Time (1966); Pretty Looks (1969); Our Day Will Come (1972); Mistry Babylon (1977); and, Sufferers’ Time (1978).

Leroy Sibbles left the trio in 1979 and migrated to Canada where he began a solo career. Sibbles was replaced with Naggo Morris and group continued to make music producing their last album — Rainbow Valley — in 2007.

Llewellyn is survived by his wife, Monica, and several children.

The Spirit Awakening Foundation will present its 4th Annual Voices of the Unheard: Epiphany benefit performance at 3 p.m., Sat., Dec. 3, at The Lost Studio Theater in Los Angeles.

The show will highlight inspiring works written by people, who live or formerly resided in probation camps within the juvenile justice system.

The mission of the organization is to assist teens and youth in the fulfillment of their spiritual identity, and to generate inspirational stories of transformation for the screen, stage and television.

Graham, who has appeared in numerous television shows including “Picket Fences,” “Chicago Hope,” “General Hospital,” and movie “American Pie,” also went through challenging times as a teen trying to find her own voice and wrote the one woman play titled “Spirit Awakening.”

“That was the vehicle I used to come back to myself,” says Graham. “During my teenage years, my challenge was more internalized about liking myself.”

Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards satellite writing programs in Culver City, East LA, South Central and Lancaster.

“Formerly detained youth or foster youth in the juvenile and justice system – will have a place to go for mentoring, self growth and self awareness, writing courses, job referrals, peer mentorships,” says Graham.

The evening’s special guests include: Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith (Founder and Spiritual Director of Agape International Spiritual Center), Frances Fisher (Titanic), Stephani Victor (actress/athlete) and Debra Wilson (Mad TV).

For tickets vist www.brownpapertickets.com or www. Spiritawakening.org.

The honor will be awarded at the fifth annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony on Australia’s Gold Coast on November 24.

One of the world’s most acclaimed filmmakers, Zhang’s many international film festival awards include the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Silver and Golden Lions at Venice and Berlin’s Silver and Golden Bear.

Zhang began work as a cinematographer shooting Chen Kaige’s landmark film, “Yellow Earth,” which was widely seen as the start of a new era in Chinese film making. He is a leading member of the renowned Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, which brought increased popularity of Chinese cinema abroad and was the creative genius behind the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

As the recipient of the FIAPF Award, Zhang Yimou will be inducted into the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, joining fellow Fifth Generation filmmakers Tian Zhuangzhuang and Chen Kaige.

Zhang Yimou’s directorial debut “Red Sorghum,” starring legendary Chinese actress Gong Li in her first leading role, achieved international acclaim and box office success. It won a Golden Bear for Best Picture at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival in 1988 and moved Zhang Yimou to the forefront of the world’s cinema directors.

In 1990, Zhang’s film “Ju Dou” became China’s first Academy Awards nomination in the Best Foreign Film category. His next film, “Raise the Red Lantern,” was nominated the year after. Its outstanding use of colour captivated audiences and critics around the world. Such rich use of colour has become Zhang Yimou’s hallmark across films including To Live, Hero and The House of Flying Daggers.

His films are also famed for their portrayal of the Chinese people’s resilience in the face of adversity and hardship. His current project, “The Flowers of War,” set for a December release in China is considered one of the most ambitious films ever made in China and stars Christian Bale and Shigeo Kobayashi.

This will mark Crystal’s ninth time as host. Only Bob Hope has hosted more Academy Awards presentations, with 19 ceremonies between 1940 and 1978. Crystal last hosted the Academy Awards in 2004.

“Some of the best moments of my career have happened on the Oscar stage. I am thrilled to be back there. Actually, I am doing this so that the young woman in my pharmacy will stop asking me my name when I pick up my prescriptions,” said Crystal.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

John Lasseter with his star at the John Lasseter Star Ceremony in front of the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages

Owen Wilson, Cheech Marin, John Ratzenberger and Don Rickles were all on hand to support Academy Award®-winning director John Lasseter who received a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame today.

Lasseter made his feature directorial debut in 1995 with “Toy Story,” the first-ever feature-length computer-animated film and, since then, has gone on to direct “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2″ and “Cars.” He returned to the driver’s seat this year, directing “Cars 2.”

His executive-producing credits include “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “WALL*E,” “Bolt” and “Up,” the first animated film ever to open the Cannes Film Festival and the recipient of two Academy Awards® for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score.

Lasseter also served as executive producer for Disney’s Oscar®-nominated films “The Princess and the Frog” and “Tangled” as well as Pixar’s most recent Academy Award-winner for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, “Toy Story 3,” which is based on a story written by Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

While unable to expound upon his upcoming business endeavors, Avent did say he is working on finalizing plans for an exciting, new project that is sure to capture the attention of African-American audiences. “Trust me, it’s gonna be big,” said Avent, “and I look forward to being able to share it with the public very shortly.”

During his tenure with Heart & Soul, Avent grew the magazine’s subscriber base and advertising sales. He also directed its online portal heartandsoul.com and this year produced the magazine’s 2nd Annual Heart & Soul Awards.

An active community leader, Avent is also the co-founder of Black Professional Men, Inc., a non-profit organization which exists to stimulate an awareness of social, economic, and political issues impacting African-American men and their families. The organization has mentored more than 2,000 young Black males in Baltimore over the past 20 years. Additionally, he is a member of the Greater Baltimore Committee’s Leadership Program.

Directed and produced by Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon, “Strangers No More” introduces the students from 48 countries attending the Bialik-Rogozin School in Tel Aviv, many of whom are refugees from war, as they learn to deal with the diversity of their new environment. The film received an Academy Award® for Documentary Short Subject.

“Precious Life” tells the story of a Palestinian infant with a life-threatening immune disorder awaiting a bone marrow transplant in an Israeli hospital during the 2008–09 blockade of Gaza. As filmmaker Shlomi Eldar uses his influence to seek financial help for the family, the complexities of life in the volatile area give rise to troubling exchanges between Eldar and the baby’s mother. The film was directed by Eldar and produced by Ehud Bleiberg and Yoav Ze’evi.

The 30th annual “Contemporary Documentaries” series continues through December 7, showcasing feature-length and short documentaries drawn from the 2010 Academy Award nominations, including the winners, as well as other important and innovative films considered by the Academy that year.

“This same fear was present at the end of our first millennium and it was also palpable at the end of our second millennium,” he writes. “What if we, in looking toward the future, actually saw a wonderful event coming – a New Age of Vision?”

Instead of death and destruction, we can look forward to an epoch of world peace, an end to greed and poverty, says Woods, a Dallas computer engineer and former mental health-care worker. That’s possible, in part, because humanity is ripe for it, he writes in A New Age of Vision (www.anewageofvision.com). And the path to solving our problems, he’s discovered, is remarkably simple.

With the pragmatic precision of an engineer and insights into the workings of the human mind derived from an academic background in psychology and philosophy, Woods spent years researching the history and development of Christian theology and how it applies in today’s world. His goal was to find the truth – the basic tenets of the wisdom shared by Jesus of Nazareth, “the real founder of Christianity.”

His message of hope for a beleaguered planet stands in stark contrast to the myriad doomsday books hitting store shelves. Woods finds no evidence to suggest that the Mayan calendar’s end signifies anything more than the end of another cycle of time. Rather, he views it as a beginning, a spiritual awakening in an era of global preoccupation with cell phones, news feeds and acquiring – or hanging onto — wealth.

Jesus’ original message, he concludes, has been lost in the “din of orthodoxy.” And the truth can set us free.

“We have not been able to reach an understanding of his message. We have been misdirected by our religious institutions, which have been mainly interested in ecclesiastical power,” he says. “The words of Jesus Christ have been buried under 2000 years of obfuscation. We now need to dig out the truth, and arrive at a new understanding of what His message means for us today.

Woods is neither an evangelist nor a church pastor. He does not believe there is only one path to understanding, nor that church is necessarily the place to find that understanding. “Our path…may lead us through the teachings of the Buddha, or through Lao Tzu, or through Plato,” he writes. “It does not matter which path you take – as long as you arrive at the ultimate truth…

“The spiritual mind is a mind that is unencumbered by the need or desire to prove that its truth is the only truth required by all people. We all walk our own existential path – and we alone are responsible for making sense of our world.”

A New Age of Vision is Woods’ journey of discovery as he methodically strips away the trappings of Christian doctrine in search of the evidence that reveals Jesus’ original message: Love God; love your neighbor.

Turning doomsday predictions to world harmony can start by simply changing how we think, he says. Think love; think compassion; think empathy. And then act on it.

About J. Craig Woods

J. Craig Woods has worked in information technology for 25 years, including 20 years as a UNIX system engineer. He graduated from the University of California, majoring in psychology with a minor in philosophy, following several years in the U.S. Navy. He worked in mental health until economic pressures prompted a career change. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Verdelle. Having accomplished most of his personal goals, his aim in recent years has been spiritual growth.