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Sunday, February 19, 2012
Classrooms Become Next Battleground for Climate Change Skeptics (LiveScience.com)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]LiveScience.com - For years, science classrooms have been a battleground for supporters of teaching evolution versus creationism or intelligent design. Now, teachers may be once again caught in the crossfire as a new controversial topic makes its way into education: climate change.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
PFT: Tirico makes some intriguing MNF remarks
APOn Thursday, Lions defensive end Cliff Avril strongly hinted during a SiriusXM NFL Radio interview that tampering is happening as he prepares to hit the free-agency market.
?I kind of think the Lions will try to do the right thing, I guess,? Avril said. ?A lot of teams don?t think the Lions will let me hit free agency. But a few teams have called.?
On Friday, Avril tried to put the toothpaste back in the tampering tube.
?No other teams, per se, like general managers or anybody has called me or anything like that,? Avril told the Detroit Free Press.? ?But I know a lot of guys that I?ve played with or guys that have seen me play have told me that their coaches have brought me up in a sense of, ?Dang, that guy can play; wouldn?t mind having him-type thing.?? Never official-type things or anything like that.?
Um.? Yeah.
Look, if that?s what he meant, that?s what he should have said.? When he says ?a few teams have called,? the message is that, well, a few teams have called.? As in they?ve called his agent to find out things like whether Avril would be interested in that team and, more importantly, how much money he wants.
It?s easy to be skeptical of Avril?s clarification because anyone who follows the NFL even remotely closely knows that teams are calling agents of players who will be free agents on March 13.? It happens every year.
How else do guys get onto planes to visit new teams at five minutes after the moment free agency opens?? How else do multi-multi-multi-million-dollar deals get negotiated ? from scratch ? in a matter of a few hours?? The agent know where to focus once the green flag is waved because the race begins long before the green flag even shows up at the track.
But Avril?s ?clarification? apparently is good enough for the league office.? NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Free Press that the comments are ?hearsay? and do not constitute tampering.
Fine, but the first comments constitute clear evidence of tampering.? But the league office is reluctant to investigate matters of these nature because:? (1) everyone tampers; and (2) nailing someone for tampering requires the league to admit that one or more of its teams is cheating.
That?s why the NFL only enforces the tampering rules when a team essentially is caught with one hand in the cookie jar and with the other is giving the league office the finger.? (Yeah, I?ve used that one before.? But only because I continue to be as cool as the other side of the pillow.)? Nearly nine years ago, former NFL safety Lawyer Milloy inadvertently blew the whistle on the Redskins for making an offer before the Patriots cut him, in an interview with Peter King of SI.com.? Once Milloy ?clarified? his comments, the league looked the other way.
And so it continues to make sense for the league to change the rules to create a window in which teams can call before a player can sign.? Without that change, cheating technically is happening on a rampant basis, and the league office comes off as toothless, incompetent, and/or apathetic.? I babbled a bit about the dynamic during Friday?s PFT Live, and this is as good a place as any to drop in the code for the video.
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Vince Vaughn And Tony Scott Bowl A 'Lucky Strike'
Vince Vaughn could be landing a starring role in Tony Scott's next action drama. Meanwhile, the Joss Whedon-written film "In Your Eyes" lands its two romantic leads, Hugh Grant explains his role roles in "Cloud Atlas" and Laurence Fishburne heads to Canada for a new sci-fi flick. It's February 16, and you're tuning in for [...]
Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/02/16/vince-vaughn-tony-scott-lucky-strike/
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Friday, February 17, 2012
Sneakers More than 200 Years Old And Going Sturdy
You almost certainly didn't know it but sneakers are more than 200 years old. The very first sneakers, canvas shoes with rubber soles, exactly where produced inside the late Georgian occasions, that's the late 18th century. These sneakers exactly where quite crude but whenever you would see a single now you'd absolutely say that they exactly where sneakers. Till 1917 nothing at all genuinely occurred using the sneakers. Then the US rubber organization came up having a new sort of sneaker much more comfy then just before. The referred to as those Keds. These exactly where the initial sneakers that went into mass production. The identical year the Marquis converse business created the very first sneaker just for basketball, they known as them Converse All-Stars.
At 1920 a German referred to as Adi Dassler develop the subsequent innovation he produced a sneaker known as Adidas. This sneaker was largely utilized for track and field. Track star Jessie Owens won 4 gold medals within the Olympics on Adidas sneakers. A good twist is the fact that the brother of Adi Dassler (Rudi) began yet another well-known sport shoe firm known as Puma.
Till the 1950 the sneaker was predominantly a shoe that was utilised in sports, like track and field, tennis, basketball, and so on but within the 1950's the younger generation began wearing the sneaker as a fashion statement. The trend setter for that generation was James Dean who wore sneakers inside the film Rebel without having a Lead to. This really is also the time exactly where you get the far more outrageous styles printed on the canvas.
Inside the 1980's the business Nike came using a sneaker referred to as Air Jordans. These sneakers exactly where named right after Micheal Jordan a well-known Basketball player that had signed a contract with Nike to only exactly where there sneakers when he was playing. This sneaker continues to be the most effective promoting sneaker ever. The firms generating sneakers began to compete for the very best athletes to endorse there sneakers. The athletes exactly where paid so significantly that it had a impact on the value in the sneaker themselves. The organization that weren't in a position to spend the high rates for these athletes began searching for distinct arena's to sell the sneakers. They located the new up and coming sports like, skateboarding, cross instruction, fitness, and so on.
Inside the final ten years a few of the sneaker makers have embraced new technologies. These new technologies consist of much more spring inside the heel trough air or true springs. But they also produced sneakers that fit far better and help your foot greater. This all came about due to the fact from the input of those very paid athletes. If they had to put on these sneakers they wanted also to acquire excellent efficiency out of them. The draw back of all these new technologies will be the cost a great sport's sneaker now can expense more than 150 dollars.
Fortunately for the individuals who like the old types they may be nevertheless there, even the starter in the modern day sneaker Keds nonetheless tends to make sneakers. They've the old style but with contemporary styles and supplies. Folks just appreciate wearing them new or old style.This was brought to you by Artattack2go this internet site sells Keds sneakers have a look at all of our items on artattack2go .
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Source: http://www.valuedsource.com/valuable-info/sneakers-more-than-200-years-old-and-going-sturdy/
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Thursday, February 16, 2012
Circadian clock governs highs and lows of immune response
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Public release date: 16-Feb-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Elisabeth (Lisa) Lyons
elyons@cell.com
617-386-2121
Cell Press
It's been said that timing is everything, and that may be particularly true when it comes to the ability to fight off disease. New research published by Cell Press in the February issue of the journal Immunity shows that the success of host immune defense depends in part on an organism's "body clock." The study may lead to therapeutic strategies designed to optimize the immune response and to protect patients at the time when they are most vulnerable.
Many organisms have evolved an endogenous timing system called a circadian clock that regulates a wide variety of metabolic activities over a twenty-four hour cycle. "It is becoming increasingly evident that disruption of daily rhythms, such as from sleep deprivation, affects the immune response," explains senior study author, Dr. Erol Fikrig from Yale University School of Medicine. "In our study, we were interested in investigating whether the ability of the immune system to detect a pathogen is under circadian control and whether there are timing-associated consequences for the subsequent immune response."
Dr. Fikrig and colleagues examined the expression and function of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), an immune system protein that can sense bacterial and viral DNA. The researchers demonstrated that the circadian clock controlled TLR9 expression and function and that mice immunized when TLR9 was most responsive exhibited an enhanced immune response. Importantly, in a mouse model of sepsis, disease severity was dependent on the timing of sepsis induction, which directly correlated with cyclical changes in TLR9. The authors suggest that this observation may be clinically significant as septic human patients are known to be at increased risk of mortality between 2 and 6 am.
"These findings not only unveil a novel, direct molecular link between circadian rhythms and the immune system, but also open a new paradigm in the biology of the overall immune response with important implications for the prevention and treatment of disease," concludes Dr. Fikrig. "Furthermore, patients in the ICU often have disturbed sleep patterns, due to noise, nocturnal light exposure and medications; it will be important to investigate how these factors influence TLR9 expression levels and immune responses."
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 16-Feb-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Elisabeth (Lisa) Lyons
elyons@cell.com
617-386-2121
Cell Press
It's been said that timing is everything, and that may be particularly true when it comes to the ability to fight off disease. New research published by Cell Press in the February issue of the journal Immunity shows that the success of host immune defense depends in part on an organism's "body clock." The study may lead to therapeutic strategies designed to optimize the immune response and to protect patients at the time when they are most vulnerable.
Many organisms have evolved an endogenous timing system called a circadian clock that regulates a wide variety of metabolic activities over a twenty-four hour cycle. "It is becoming increasingly evident that disruption of daily rhythms, such as from sleep deprivation, affects the immune response," explains senior study author, Dr. Erol Fikrig from Yale University School of Medicine. "In our study, we were interested in investigating whether the ability of the immune system to detect a pathogen is under circadian control and whether there are timing-associated consequences for the subsequent immune response."
Dr. Fikrig and colleagues examined the expression and function of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), an immune system protein that can sense bacterial and viral DNA. The researchers demonstrated that the circadian clock controlled TLR9 expression and function and that mice immunized when TLR9 was most responsive exhibited an enhanced immune response. Importantly, in a mouse model of sepsis, disease severity was dependent on the timing of sepsis induction, which directly correlated with cyclical changes in TLR9. The authors suggest that this observation may be clinically significant as septic human patients are known to be at increased risk of mortality between 2 and 6 am.
"These findings not only unveil a novel, direct molecular link between circadian rhythms and the immune system, but also open a new paradigm in the biology of the overall immune response with important implications for the prevention and treatment of disease," concludes Dr. Fikrig. "Furthermore, patients in the ICU often have disturbed sleep patterns, due to noise, nocturnal light exposure and medications; it will be important to investigate how these factors influence TLR9 expression levels and immune responses."
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/cp-ccg021012.php
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Legal Unknowns Cloud Lender Processing Services Outlook
The fallout of the housing bubble and crash is still sorting out, but it looks like we're now at the point where regulators are going hunting for trophies to display to their still-angry voting constituents. While major banks continue to seek settlements for their part in the wrong-doing, Lender Processing Services (NYSE:LPS) is also finding itself in the crosshairs. Although this company's strong data and service offerings is likely to survive this mess on an operational basis, the legal liabilities and regulatory uncertainties could well weigh on the shares for some time to come.
Investopedia Markets: Explore the best one-stop source for financial news, quotes and insights.
Underlying Business Conditions Are Tough
Absent some charges and adjustments, it was pretty clear from LPS's fourth quarter that operating conditions are still difficult. Revenue was down 14% this quarter, as transactions services revenue plunged 21% on lower default and loan facilitation service revenue. The company's data and analytics business fared reasonably well, though, and saw roughly 5% growth.
Reported gross margin actually ticked up a bit (about one point), but adjusted operating income dropped 22%. All of that said, the company fared better than analysts expected and the company saw some scale benefits in re-fi volumes.
Legal and Regulatory Uncertainties Abound
LPS stock is prone to getting batted around these days by various legal announcements and developments. The stock got a lift a little while ago when the company succeeded in having a major claim in a $155 million filed by the FDIC tossed out, leaving the company with a much more easily digestible breach of contract claim in play. (For more on the FIDC, see Who Backs Up The FDIC?)
On the flip side, Nevada recently filed suit against LPS alleging "widespread" document execution fraud and other wrongdoing tied to the servicing of defaulted Nevada mortgages. According to RealtyTrac, there could be around 200,000 mortgages in play and the state of Nevada is seeking $5,000 per violation. Unfortunately, there just isn't much information out there as to how many violations could be found per defaulted mortgage, the extent of LPS's culpability (or if they were at fault at all), and so on.
Regulation is likewise a so-called developing story. Major LPS customers like Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) have already had to adapt to new rules regarding the fees it can charge and the process it must use when processing loans, and this filters through to LPS. Financial companies are nothing if not clever and they will find new ways around the rules, but the reality is that nobody really knows today what the future profitability of the services business is going to look like.
There's Money in Data
None of this is to say that there won't be money left to be made in mortgage/default servicing. LPS has close to 50% share in this market and major banks like Wells Fargo outsource to LPS for valid reasons. So, LPS and Fiserv (Nasdaq:FISV) are not going to see the servicing business just go away.
That said, data and analysis may be an increasingly important part of LPS's future business. Although there's more competition here (companies like CoreLogic (Nasdaq:CLGX), First American (NYSE:FAF) and Fidelity National (NYSE:FIS)), there's also less regulation. Moreover, it stands to reason that banks are going to be "once bitten, twice shy" when it comes to underwriting and arguably more interested in paying for more advanced analytics to fuel their underwriting process and de-risk the lending process, particularly in an environment where lending is not especially profitable.
The Bottom Line
Even though Lender Processing Services has quite a bit of debt and the mortgage market is likely to be weak for some time, it's quite clear that there are significant expectations for legal settlements/judgments baked into the valuation today.
Even if LPS can only grow free cash flow at a rate of 1% a year for the next decade (below even pessimistic/bearish analyst expectations), the stock should be worth considerably more than today's price. Comparing the suggested discounted cash flow valuation with present valuation, the gap is about $1 billion. (For related reading, see Top 3 Pitfalls Of Discounted Cash Flow Analysis.)
With LPS having had a hand in about half of the mortgages that went bad and being a popular target for regulators looking to follow up on the abuses of the foreclosure process, there is definitely some legal liability here. Unfortunately, I don't know any way for an investor to assess that liability today and that makes the stock temptingly cheap, but very risky.
Use the Investopedia Stock Simulator to trade the stocks mentioned in this stock analysis, risk free!
At the time of writing, Stephen Simpson did not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this article.
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Billy Bob Thornton Says Bad Santa 2 Will Film This Fall
While not many films necessarily warrant a sequel, you?d be hard pressed to find someone not excited for a follow-up to 2003?s Bad Santa. The dark comedy did pretty great business at the box office and grew an even larger fanbase when it hit DVD. A sequel to the pic has been rumored for a while now, but things picked up last summer when Billy Bob Thornton signed on to reprise his role as the worst Santa Claus ever. Last summer we learned that Dimension Films had commissioned two different scripts for the sequel, separately by Johnny Rosenthal and John Phillips. Now it appears the studio has picked the winning script, as Thornton recently revealed that they?re on track to shoot the sequel this fall. Hit the jump for more.
Thornton is currently at the Berlin Film Festival with his latest directorial effort Jayne Mansfield?s Car, and he recently gave an update on Bad Santa 2 to the good folks over at The Playlist:
?The writer is still working on the script, he?s doing his rewrite right now. We saw the first draft and we just had a few little things we wanted to take away or add and he?s doing that. The plan is to shoot that in the fall?
Thornton went on to add that they?re eyeing a Christmas 2013 release for the film. This is excellent news for fans of Bad Santa, and I?m intrigued to find out what the angle on the sequel is (fingers crossed for a Thurman Murman return). Before he moves on to Bad Santa 2, Thornton will first shoot his next directorial project And Then We Drove this summer. The road trip movie is partially inspired by Thornton?s relationship with Angelina Jolie.
Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924538/news/1924538/
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
International Development - Business Infrastructure Finance Specialist
Top malaria control donors for 2011-2013
With the Global Fund and its major donors under some duress, there are perceptions and risks that sufficient anti-malaria funding may not be secured in the longer term to sustain the remarkable progress over the last decade. However, Devex found that overall support for malaria control should remain stable through 2013 ? if donor governments can live up to their pledges.
Source: http://www.devex.com/en/jobs/business-infrastructure-finance-specialist-2786
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Monday, February 13, 2012
Apartment Careers: Real Estate/Property Management jobs, Seattle ...
About Pinnacle. Quality people
Strong customer service
Solid market knowledge
Superior systems and support capabilities Generate interest in the community by touring the property with prospects as you answer questions about the numerous amenities, local community and beautiful grounds.
Drive the sale by highlighting the quality of the community and the lifestyle available Pinnacle apartment home.
Assist prospects in qualifying for an apartment home by collecting appropriate information and initiating background checks.
Ensure apartments are prepared for move-in.
Deliver unmatched service to residents to exceed their expectations, while maintaining resident retention.
You will also use your attention to detail, planning and organizing skills to perform required office activities and coordinate paperwork related to apartment home rentals. Articulate
Organized/Detail Oriented
Customer oriented
Persuasive
Enthusiastic
Team player
Goal oriented High School or equivalent, Bachelor's Degree is preferred.
Minimum of one year experience in a customer service or sales position
Basic computer skills in a Windows environment.
Effective communication and customer service skills.
Ability to interact with others in a team environment.
We invest in great people. That's why clients trust us with their real estate investments!
At Pinnacle, we consider our employees our most valuable asset. In fact, our number one key business objective is to attract and retain the best talent in the industry! At Pinnacle, the key to our continued success and competitive advantage is our people.
We offer a total compensation and benefits package to help with your needs today and build for your future tomorrow. We recognize that each employee is an individual with individual needs, lifestyles, and interests. Our benefits package was created with the flexibility to support employees who are at different places in their lives and careers.
Pinnacle values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity in employment. We offer a safe, healthy work environment for employees through a commitment to maintaining a drug-free workplace.
Pinnacle has ongoing employment opportunities at our headquarters in Seattle, our more than 40 branch office locations nationally and our many managed communities throughout the country.
Pinnacle is the national leader in third-party fee management of investment real estate encompassing multi-family, commercial space, affordable housing and military housing. Pinnacle is built on four basic principles:
At Pinnacle, success is about more than having a healthy bottom line. Guided by our principles and values, we are committed to making Pinnacle an amazing and unique place to work for each member of our team.
About the job..
As a Leasing Consultant at Pinnacle you will play an important role with the onsite management team. Our Leasing Consultants look forward to working with an exceptionally skilled and highly trained team, geared to support your efforts to be successful. Our Leasing Consultants are people who make a big impact in many small ways - a friendly smile, a welcoming handshake, a genuine interest in the people walking through the property office door. Our Leasing Consultants create a positive and lasting influence on visitors, prospects and residents, and understand the importance of first impressions.
As a Leasing Consultant, you manage your own success by attaining leasing goals, such as occupancy and rent growth, and by building rapport with prospects and residents.
Essential Responsibilities:
Personal Competencies:
Qualifications:
Pinnacle has grown to become America's largest apartment manager through many different successes. Yet, in today's ultra-competitive market, each success must fuel the next and speed is essential in the ongoing race to lead the industry.
If you are ready to work hard and be empowered and encouraged to innovate, contribute ideas and discover solution to provide current and potential residents with unparalleled, world class customer service please click Apply Online.
Source: http://jobs.apartmentcareers.com/jobs/4667766/leasing-consultant
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Legal Sense of Personal Injury | Community Pharmacy of Sarasota
An accident may be one of the most traumatic experiences that face by people today. It is not only cost suffer in term of body condition but also financial impact. It is make genuine compensation which pursues legally through an attorney service sound reliable and dependable to apply. The related attorney is appeared to help you pursue your right as victim toward general compensation that deserves. It is important since you loss much than expected while dealing within the process.
Since accident is quite complex to handle alone, it is better to find professional help that knows what to do before too late. It si clearly define those attorney services which potentially lead you of valuable compensation that deserves on time. There are many potential lawyers who available to ask for guidance while dealing to various cases of personal injury. Each is usually define their specialty as customer?s care and support. Here, you need to be selective while finding a perfect service of lawyer. It is function to accommodate your case toward better compensation that pursues legally. The car accident lawyer Houston may be one of the perfect choices to apply. The service is specifically made to relieve your traumatic which involves mental anguish, medical expenses, loss of income, physical pain, and suffering. It is needed to cover your life of normal condition although it takes a long process of healing.
So if you are facing a trouble while fighting your right against personal injury case, don?t wait any longer to ask approval of related attorney service that locates near you. The professional help is flexible to custom based on your personal need on budget. The rusted commitment won?t cost you much to earn more as result. It is included Houston personal injury lawyer which made to help local citizen earn their winning solution legally.
Source: http://www.communitypharmacyofsarasota.org/350/legal-sense-of-personal-injury
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Viral link to colorectal cancer: do not eat undersooked meat ...
13th Feb 2012
Danny Rose ? all articles by this author
Viral link to colorectal cancer
A NEW theory is emerging that bovine viruses could be driving the global surge in colorectal cancer (CRC).
These viruses may survive mild cooking and then exert a silent but otherwise oncogenic effect on the human gut, researchers say.
German virologist Harald zur Hausen, who received a Nobel Prize in 2008 for discovering the link between HPV and cervical cancer, has reviewed the available evidence.
He points to the overlap between countries with rising beef consumption and CRC incidence ? particularly Japan and Korea, where ?undercooked? beef dishes are now popular and CRC rates have doubled since 1975.
Countries with rising consumption of well-cooked beef, such as Saudi Arabia, have not seen the same gains in CRC risk, he found.
?The global epidemiological pattern of CRC incidence justifies the consideration of a specific bovine factor as an important contributor,? Professor zur Hausen writes. ?Infectious agents, which upon transmission to humans, are likely to be replication-incompetent but potentially carcinogenic.?
Latent bovine infections may increase CRC risk in tandem with chemical carcinogens produced during beef processing and cooking, he said.
Meanwhile, in a separate study, researchers claim there is now more evidence to support a controversial link between Helicobacter pylori infection and elevated risk of CRC.
German researchers tested for H. pylori antibodies, plus another marker for the infection, in more than 1700 patients with incident CRC from 2003 to 2007. They found almost half (46.1%) showed signs of the infection compared to 40.1% in a control group.
However, gastroenterologist Clinical Associate Professor Peter Katelaris, from the University of Sydney, described the association as ?weak?.
Int J Cancer 2012; Am J Epidemiol 2012; online 31 Jan
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Sunday, February 12, 2012
Rural residents strike back at Lucas film empire (AP)
NICASIO, Calif. ? Luke Skywalker would be proud. A rebel alliance has formed in the hills north of San Francisco to fight a perceived Evil Empire.
The alliance is a group of Marin County homeowners. Their phantom menace is George Lucas, the world-renowned filmmaker whose Star Wars Trilogy sky-rocketed him to acclaim and fortune.
The plot is simple: Lucas wants to expand his filmmaking empire in the quiet valley that has been home to his Skywalker Ranch for three decades, building a 270,000-square-foot digital media production compound on historic farmland known as Grady Ranch. Neighbors say the massive structure will constrain their lifestyle with additional noise, traffic and harmful environmental impacts on the pristine countryside.
But the plot thickens. Other neighbors say Lucas has been a stellar neighbor and a steward of the land who has protected massive swaths of agricultural acreage from housing developments, while bringing jobs and tax-paying residents to the community.
It will all play out before what is likely to be a wide audience at the Marin County Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 27.
Residents of Lucas Valley Estates, a subdivision of 174 midsize to upscale homes about a half-hour drive north of the Golden Gate Bridge, are leading the charge against Grady Ranch. They believe the latest Lucas compound is simply too big for Lucas Valley, named for a 19th century rancher and no relation to the 67-year-old filmmaker.
"This is really the last gateway of historic farmland up here," said Liz Dale, an economist who specializes in land policy. "This is a nonsensical location."
The neighbors say Lucasfilms Ltd. pulled a stealth move on them, quietly taking a master plan that was passed in 1996 by the county supervisors, and then presenting a revised plan before the planning commission in December with what they say was little public notice.
That plan includes a 51-foot-tall, mission-style compound with two 85-foot towers, two indoor sound stages as well as an outdoor stage of nearly 7,000 square feet. There will be screening rooms, guest housing for visiting production teams, a general store and cafeteria for employees, as well as a 4,000-square-foot wine cave for private tastings and storage of the wine and olive oil produced on the working ranches.
Lucasfilm hopes to have the necessary permits in place and break ground by next year, with construction taking 18 months to two years.
"When the plan was passed in 1996, everybody had George Lucas stars in their eyes and whatever he wanted, they were happy to give," said Rachel Kamman, a water resources engineer who lives in another nearby subdivision.
"They wanted him to stay in Marin County," she said. "We still want him to stay in Marin County; people value his job, we value his industry, the creativity, and people think it's reflective of this county. But this is a big-boxed, outsourcing facility with significant unmitigated environmental impact."
Lucas' other projects include Skywalker Ranch and Big Rock, all adjoining the Grady compound. Combined, they comprise some 6,100 acres of grassy knolls, valleys and steep hillsides. Yet 95 percent of that land remains undeveloped and protected.
Skywalker houses sound and recording studios used for film and television scores and sound effects. Big Rock houses Lucasfilm Animation, multimedia office space and the George Lucas Educational Foundation.
Both have a working fire brigade with fire trucks and full-time firefighters who have helped other communities in Northern California.
Neighbors acknowledge that Skywalker and Big Rock have fit quietly into the community, but worry the bigger structure at Grady Ranch could one day morph into anything from a theme park to a casino, a winery or hotel.
"This is a way to get in, and then it's too big to fail," said Carl Fricke, an environmental scientist who lives down the winding, two-lane road that runs past all the Lucas ranches and the homeowners of Lucas Valley Estates.
Tom Forster, director of communications at Skywalker, insists the digital production facility at Grady will be no temple of doom. It will eventually be screened from view when the trees mature, there will be minimal noise and they will spend millions to mitigate traffic concerns.
"We're a really strong film company, in fact the only one in the Bay Area, and we have such a good and strong history of employing thousands and doing good work ? with no history of these various fears of tremendous noise and ugly traffic," Forster said.
There will be an 11-mile public hiking and biking trail; they've devoted 800 acres to Marin County open space that will never be developed, power lines will be underground and new bridges and water tanks will be installed to protect the creek and offset water use.
The Grady Ranch digital production facility will employ 340 people and most of the parking will be underground.
"We've been good stewards of the land; we cleaned up all the old farm dumps and rusted cars and trash and old refrigerators that were discarded in the creek beds," Forster said, as he drives by a covered wooden bridge and ancient tractor equipment on display in the fields.
Emilie Nicks, director of corporate communications for Lucasfilm, said she's frustrated none of the Lucas Valley Estates homeowners has approached them to talk about the plan.
She wants them to know that digital filmmaking no longer requires the crash-bang of the old film sets and that their sound stages are so well insulated with acoustical walls that noise does not carry outside; the outdoor stage will be used mainly to capture natural lighting.
"It's important to us to be good neighbors and respectful of their concerns," she said.
The neighborhood association said they'd like to work with Lucasfilm to help them find other locations in Marin County, closer to the commercial corridor along Highway 101.
"I think that he could be a hero if he did a sensitive project in this location," said Tom Taylor, an architect and Lucas Valley Estates resident. "It could be something that makes a statement about what he's created in his career, rather than slapping something the size of two football fields out there. It looks like a casino or a theme park, any shopping mall in any place."
John Newman, president of a small wine business who lives in Marinwood, two subdivisions down from Lucas Valley Estates, believes it's "disingenuous" for his neighbors to complain about the Lucas ranches. He said it's a textbook case of not-in-my-backyard mentality.
"Skywalker has been an excellent neighbor," Newman said. "They've kept a low profile and they've had 30 years of demonstrating that they'll do anything possible to accommodate the community."
He noted that many Lucasfilm employees live in the community and that the alternative might have been more houses on Grady Ranch.
"That's a gift and a blessing to the community that seems to be forgotten by the homeowner's association," Newman said.
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Direct Sales Time Management and Your Business Plan | Inbound ...
Web-based-sales-and-marketing-service
www.JackieUlmer.com ? Direct Sales success requires time management and an action plan. 3 Keys I learned from the Last Lecture Book. How are you managing your time, your plan, your business and your life?
Video Rating: 5 / 5
www.bplans.com ? Presented by business plan expert Tim Berry, this 7-part series, ?What You Need to Know About Financials,? defines the six key financial building blocks, explains some often misunderstood concepts, provides examples, and shows how they come together in the three main statements the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
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Source: http://stress-management-products.com/?p=6430
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Saturday, February 11, 2012
Organizational Change Management: What It Is and What It Entails ...
February 10th, 2012 Filed under: Business Change Management ? Business Management Author
This is a term that has been used or many occasions to refer to certain aspects in an organization?s operation methodology. So, what is organizational change management?
To understand one has to first have some little knowledge on how an organization functions. Organizations usually strive to be as productive as possible and make maximum use of their capitals to give out a reasonably large output. To achieve this, organizations or companies usually employ different strategies to meet their goals.
Most of the organizations are usually profit organizations, hence businesses. These are the busiest types of organizations since they always strive to meet the needs of the market and get ahead of the competitors. To execute this perfectly, the organizations have to employ a lot of wise strategical methodologies to achieve their goals.
The strategizing and planning is a dynamic and continuous process. It never stops since organizations always look forward to expanding and growing. Therefore the organizations strategies are constantly reviewed to assess their ability to meet the growing market needs.
The revision of the strategies often requires the implementation of certain changes. Some of the common changes may include hiring new employees, reducing the number of employees, partnering with other organizations etc.
The implementation of any changes cannot be done abruptly. There has to be a systematic introduction and implementation of these changes. This is to ensure a smooth adaptation of the organization to the changes.
For the organization to adapt perfectly, all the elements affected by the change have to be strategized in such a way that they smoothly adjust to the changes. This is what is called organizational change management.
There are different aspects of change in an organization, however small or big they are. And change is inevitable in an organization. This means organizational change management is something that has to be taken seriously within a company or organization.
There are several aspects that are necessary in adjusting to change in an organization. One of these is the funding. An organization has to have all necessary finances to smoothly effect a change and this depends on the exact type of change.
Along with the funding, an organization needs the relevant man power and leadership to smoothly effect the change. This means that all the proposed changes have to fall in line with the organization?s employee expertise and number. If the expertise is unavailable or insufficient among the current employees, then new professionals have to be hired.
It is also vital to inform all the affected individuals on the proposed change and train them on how to smoothly adjust to the changes. The training depends on the exact type of change proposed. Some changes may even require some employees to leave work for some further studies while minor changes may even involve a few minutes of training.
The facilities within an organization also need to be sufficient to accommodate the change. An organization cannot for example, hire more employees without creating more office space. In addition to the office space, there also has to be enough equipment like desks and computers.
One the most common types of changes are the leadership change. Organizations often introduce new executives to head different departments. The executives in turn introduce new policies that govern the new implementation of certain aspects of the department.
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Finance & Investment: The Future of Automation - Commercial ...
By Keat Foong
In the airline industry, consumers can begin and complete the ticketing process entirely online. But the commercial real estate industry has long lagged behind when it comes to employment of such electronic automation. Ultimately, it may not be practical, or even desirable, for the industry?s loan processing to be as advanced, but automation continues to progress, with several successes on the horizon.
?We are on the verge of the technological issues being solved. Once that happens, it will become more interesting for everyone to participate (in the new systems),? predicted Jim Flaherty, president of CMBS.com. Flaherty thinks the commercial property industry is close to the universal adoption of XML, a computer language that renders the data contained in scanned documents, formerly incorporated in, say, pdf or Microsoft Word files, machine readable and automatically transferable into back-office storage systems.
One concern specific to the commercial real estate industry is the question of how to avoid the repeated input of data at various stages of the mortgage loan cycle. As CMBS.com explains, ?origination data reaches the lenders in a wide range of formats and levels of completeness.? As data is input throughout the mortgage financing life cycle?from origination through underwriting, closing, servicing and even disposition?it can eat up significant human labor hours, with potential for typing errors or lost information. For example, the mortgage originators receive third-party re- ports in a variety of files. The transfer of information to their computer systems often involves copying and pasting.
To automate the data transfer process in the commercial real estate sector, the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization, or MISMO, a ?technology standards development? organization for the real estate industries, has identified a need for a common XML language and a data dictionary that ascertains and defines the common terms used in the industry, such as ?loan amount? or ?credit risk.? With the achievement of these two requirements, data could then be easily transferable from system to system. ?MISMO has gone through all the property types and identified key data to understand in each of the sectors,? said Flaherty, who is also a governance member of MISMO?s commercial workgroup.
Currently, in the commercial real estate world, electronic commerce is most matured on the back end?in the loan servicing stages of the loan life cycle?and least advanced on the loan originations side, according to Flaherty. ?I think where we are in the cycle is very early,? he said. However, ?when the lender takes the application and moves through commitment, closing, servicing and disposition, all that part of e-commerce?that is mature. It is way better than it has been.?
One reason that processing on the loan servicing side is more technologically advanced than on the originations side lies in the nature of loan servicing. The repetitiveness of the loan servicing process lends itself well to, and creates a greater need for, automation, suggested Stacey Berger, executive vice president of Midland Loan Services. ?Origination is a one-time event, (but) servicing on a 10-year loan entails hundreds of processing, asset management and payoff events. There are hundreds of discrete actions in servicing over the life of the loan. Originations, by contrast, though by no means simple and easy, is a one-time process,? Berger pointed out.
In the area of loan originations, it appears that Freddie Mac may be among those that are most advanced in placing the system online at the pre-application, application and underwriting stages. At the other end of the spectrum, life insurance applications are still submitted in the form of paper packages that are Fedexed, emailed and ?pdf?ed,? noted Larry Stephenson, executive vice president & regional manager for NorthMarq. Falling in between the two groups in technology utilization, CMBS loan originations today employ technology to a greater extent than life insurance companies but less so than Freddie Mac.
There may be several reasons that certain financing sectors are less automated than others. ?Multi-family properties can be complicated, but even the most complicated multi-family property transaction is not as complicated as a mall transaction that has 50 leases for 50 tenants. Each individual mall lease differs and displays its own tweaks,? said Stephenson. Indeed, NorthMarq had attempted to develop an automated underwriting system but ran into difficulty in handling the large number of variables in the commercial mortgage loan.
Next Steps for XML, MISMO
In order for the commercial real estate industry to advance computerization further, XML needs to be more universally adopted and the data dictionary completed. CMBS.com?s Flaherty explained that an XML spreadsheet can, for example, incorporate more information by allowing for more than the two dimensions possible in an Excel spreadsheet. MISMO is in fact currently working on developing standards for commercial real estate loan originations that would allow the borrower to submit property information in XML files to the lender. ?We are trying to make it as basic and fundamental as possible. MISMO has not been as successful so far because of the massive dictionary. However, the loan originations standard is not as massive.?
MISMO is about halfway through the development of these standards for loan originations, and the standards should be completed in the next few months, reported Flaherty. Meanwhile, at the servicing end, the Dodd-Frank financial reform law requires the adoption of XML for all CMBS investor reporting. ?By the spring of 2013, 2014, all back-end investor reporting for CMBS will be in XML,? he said.
At the loan originations end, however, it remains to be seen how many lenders will take advantage of the borrower-input XML technology that will be made available. ?Companies may be using (these) tools to underwrite financial statements wherever that is available,? said Mark McCool, executive vice president & head of servicing at Berkadia. ?But loan originations is more borrower- than technology-focused. We are on the phone with the borrowers, walking them through the approvals process. That is a more personal relationship, and it is a differentiator and important to us. Additionally, at the end of the day, the originator needs to know every aspect of the loan they are recommending.?
In this regard, commercial real estate financing at the application stage may by choice never reach the automation level achieved by the airlines and many other industries.
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Friday, February 10, 2012
Foursquare Adds NFC Support To Its Android App
In addition to the updated "Explore" feature that rolled out to Foursquare's Android and iPhone applications this week, the social discovery service also added a special feature to its Android app that sort of flew under the radar: support for NFC. NFC, or near field communication, allows devices to exchange data over short distances, typically with a wave or a tap. In Foursquare's Android update, NFC support has been added for the app's Venue, Lists and Me pages.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/wjmD2YauKEI/
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Armstrong says he's happy investigation over (AP)
AUSTIN, Texas ? As far as Lance Armstrong is concerned, it's all over.
The stress, the waiting, the whispers about whether he doped during his stellar cycling career, all of it ended when ? after nearly two years ? federal prosecutors closed an investigation of him last week without bringing any charges.
"I'm happy. I'm glad it's behind me," Armstrong told The Associated Press on Thursday in his first interview since prosecutors announced they were dropping the case.
The seven-time Tour de France winner said he remained confident he would not be indicted, but admitted the weight of the long investigation took a toll on him personally.
"It's not a pleasant experience ... It was difficult at times," he said. "But I was confident that we would always end up in this place."
After speaking with the AP, Armstrong participated in a teleconference with media covering this weekend's triathlon in Panama City, Panama, where he is scheduled to compete.
For the now 40-year-old Armstrong, the federal government's decision should put a stop to any allegations or rumors about performance-enhancing drug use during his career.
"It's over," he said. "I'm moving on."
Armstrong maintains he has never failed a drug test, but he nonetheless became the focus of investigators' attention after former teammates Floyd Landis accused him in 2010 of participating in a doping program.
Landis was stripped of his 2006 Tour title after failing a drug test. Armstrong won every Tour from 1999-2005.
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles looked at whether a doping program was established for Armstrong's team while, at least part of the time, it received government sponsorship from the U.S. Postal Service.
U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. announced last Friday his office had closed the case but did not give a reason.
The World Anti-Doping Agency followed up this week by urging the U.S. government to quickly hand over evidence collected in the investigation. Meanwhile, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's investigation into doping in cycling is continuing. When Armstrong's case was closed last week, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said he looked forward to obtaining the information developed during the federal probe.
"I don't want to get bogged down with that. I'm not concerned with that. I'm not going to worry about that," Armstrong said.
Armstrong, who has been known to attack his critics in the media and on Twitter, had only issued a muted written statement in response to the end of the investigation when the decision was first announced.
He was reluctant to talk much more about it on Thursday, but said he had a quiet celebration with his family when the investigation was closed.
"I hugged my kids, hugged my girlfriend and went and opened a cold beer," Armstrong said.
Although Armstrong was convinced that he would not be indicted, the cyclist said he was ready to fight a costly legal battle if he was.
"You had to consider all possibilities," he said.
Armstrong said he'll turn his attention in 2012 to competing in Ironman triathlons and supporting the California Cancer Research Act, a proposal to increase taxes on cigarettes by $1 a pack to raise more than $500 million a year.
He also is the founder of the cancer charity Livestrong.
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No Child Left Behind loses bite as Obama issues waivers (The Christian Science Monitor)
For 10 states, the chance to get No Child Left Behind off their backs has finally arrived, with President Obama announcing long-awaited waivers from some aspects of the federal education law Thursday.
The George W. Bush-era bipartisan law has widely been credited with bringing to light achievement gaps in which racial minority, low-income, disabled, and non-native English speaking students have been the most left behind. But it?s also been widely criticized for a one-size-fits all approach to accountability, with many states saying it?s an albatross.
?With the waivers, Obama has changed the landscape of accountability under No Child Left behind,? says Diane Stark Rentner, interim director of the Center on Education Policy in Washington.
RECOMMENDED: Six takeaways from the persistent achievement gap
The states that have so far received waivers through the US Department of Education are Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
They will now have flexibility to target resources on the lowest-performing schools. They will still be expected to test and report achievement data, but will no longer have to require all schools to improve at a certain rate to reach 100 percent proficiency in reading and math by 2014, as NCLB required.
That deadline ?was a wonderful goal but really impossible to attain with an education system that is structured the way it is,? says Cynthia Brown, vice president for education policy at the Center for American Progress in Washington. ?We?ve had so much reform momentum throughout the country over the last five or six years that it?s really important to adapt the law to ? the willingness of states and districts to take on new ways of doing things.?
New Mexico has also applied for a waiver and is in discussions with the US Department of Education, and 28 other states have said they intend to apply for a second round of waivers later this month.
In exchange for flexibility, the states have to set standards to prepare students for college and careers and create plans to improve the effectiveness of teachers and principals.
In addition, their accountability systems must reward schools with high performance or significant gains in closing achievement gaps. By contrast, NCLB?s requirements were largely seen as punitive.
The waivers couldn?t have happened without the backdrop of the Common Core State Standards, which 45 states have voluntarily adopted, Ms. Rentner says. Partly through incentives from the federal government, such as the Education Department's Race to the Top grants, states have been agreeing to these more-rigorous standards designed to keep students globally competitive in the 21st century. This will make it easier to compare student performance across states, Rentner says.
?If we?re serious about helping our children reach their potential, the best ideas aren?t going to come from Washington alone,? Obama is expected to say Thursday, according to a White House press release. ?Our job is to harness those ideas, and to hold states and schools accountable for making them work.?
Some concerns have been raised ? particularly by civil rights groups -- about how the waivers will play out in practice, and whether the states will truly be held accountable for the performance of some of the most disadvantaged students.
Another critique, from conservative observers and some Republican lawmakers, is that the Obama administration is overstepping its bounds by starting to dismantle NCLB through the waiver process.
?NCLB, for all its flaws, was crafted by the US Congress ? [but] these waivers impose a a raft of new federal requirements that were never endorsed by the legislative branch,? says Frederick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in Washington. ?Once this administration opens this door, it?s hard to imagine future administrations not building on this precedent.?
The chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, Rep. John Kline (R) of Minnesota, said Thursday morning at an AEI event, ?This notion that Congress is sort of an impediment to be bypassed, I find very, very troubling in many, many ways.?
Congressman Kline also introduced on Thursday two Republican-written education bills designed to give more flexibility to states and school districts. Some Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. George Miller of California, the top Democrat on the education committee, have said Kline?s approach is a troubling departure from bipartisan attempts in recent years to rewrite the education law.
Many observers say that this year it?s unlikely Congress will be able to agree on a such a rewrite ? already 5 years overdue.
? Associated Press material was used in this report.
RECOMMENDED: Six takeaways from the persistent achievement gap
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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20120209/ts_csm/464368
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Thursday, February 9, 2012
Insurance Marketing Strategies ? Social Media Marketing In Your ...
Why you must utilize social media advertising agency, social media agencies, social media firm and what is social media marketing
Did you know that a lot of companies these days rely on their social media marketing agencies to take care of all their marketing needs on the internet? All great social media marketing agencies know who their target market is actually. Since they have ventured into internet marketing, they should be prepared to face all the competition that this specific market presents.
Social Media (SM) agencies are often hybrid businesses whose talents and capabilities range from social media strategy to online pr. It seems every single day there?s a hot new method to use Twitter, Foursquare, YouTube, you name it, to engage your customers and market your brand. Even when many sources would openly claim that anybody could begin a social network web site campaign without spending a single buck.
Although a person may find an advert memorable, once they choose to follow a brand name on a social networking they are prone to view brand-specific content material on a daily basis, a process that is prone to prove much more memorable compared to an advert. Social media agencies specialize in promotion of manufacturers in the numerous social media platforms like blogs, social networks, Q&A sites, discussion forums, microblogs etc. It offers web analytic support through tools which monitor website customer behavior in order to improve the cumulative performance of the website as well as detect significant trends in customer dealings.
The most popular Internet marketing strategy that is available in the world today is referred to as social media marketing. With the proliferation of so-called ?social media (SM) experts? practically outnumbering phone users, many in the marketing profession are starting to wonder if it is wise for a business to utilize a social media agency. You must produce content which sends it well to the homeland ? your site.
As you consider your most important agency web marketing initiatives, there might be higher priorities on your things you can do list, such as the creation as well as maintenance of an internet 2.Zero website, running a blog, ePublishing, eMarketing, and social media marketing (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter). Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, you name it, social media marketing agencies utilize them to increase their publicity and expand their system beyond the very first level recommendations. With time and patience, companies can make sure that whenever a person thinks of a certain product or service, their company name is the first you think of.
Social media marketing is relatively a new tool that business people use to market their products as well as services via the web. Review the crucial insurance agency web marketing actions below, and find out if your agency receives a passing grade. Folksonomy is a classification program created to handle tags to categorize content material derived from the consensus associated with users.
People also value when a clients are willing to provide free info and are more likely to purchase from these organizations when they?re ready to buy. In fact, the internet has now been known to be user-friendly particularly those who are still starting out in becoming a member of social media platforms especially social networking sites. The right listing is very a lot dependent on the company itself, along with a good SEO agency knows where the greatest directories to link to are.
Making profiles and looking after blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Digg, as well as dozens of additional social networking accounts can be time consuming tasks which drain your organization?s as well as employee?s time for additional important duties. However, it is going beyond the internet technology to achieve out to non-internet users through other elements such as MMS, Text and outdoor digital advertisements. However, this again must be property titled, tagged and classified prior to submission.
Social bookmarking allows Internet users (as well as insurance agencies) to organize, store as well as manage online learning resources, akin to tagging pages in a book to be used at a later date. For many SEO companies, think fish tanks are organized to ensure the best strategy for the particular client could be formulated. This is when an agency that specializes in SMO can come to your rescue.
Professionals who understand the ins and outs from the system have a fraction of the time that you would require and not to mention the huge experience and knowledge they have.
Do you wish to understand more regarding seo agency software, seo agency, agency seo and seo sem agency look into the hyperlink provided.
For additional information regarding small business seo, seo, affordable seo and top seo companies remember to click the link.
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Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Equity release loan offers financial support especially during ...
Pros of equity release loan
People who are above 55 prefer this kind of loans. Equity release loan helps to draw cash against a property, which has a definite capital value and the borrower obtains a fixed income via such loans. The lender pays this value on the present value of the property. Various arrangements are made before getting into such types of loan and it is always smart to depend on equity release advice. The necessary arrangements that take place are-
The equity release business is bit down these days due to the present recession market. However, it is a highly demanding program for the retired house owners, as millions are struggling to acquire the benefits of the loan. However, it is advisable to sought equity loan advice prior to signing the agreement for better understanding of the terms and conditions. |
Article Tags : equity release advice, equity release loan, equity loan
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Chris Brown To Perform At The Grammys: Report
NEW YORK -- Chris Brown will perform at this year's Grammy Awards, the event where his career almost ended three years ago.
Brown admitted to assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna at a pre-Grammy party in 2009 and is serving five years of probation for the felony attack. A source told The Associated Press on Monday that Brown will hit the stage at Sunday's show. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because Brown's performance has not been officially announced.
After the attack, Brown's reputation plummeted, but he has since bounced back, releasing multiple mixtapes and the multi-hit album, "F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies)." The CD is nominated for three Grammys, including best R&B album.
Rihanna also will perform at the show. She's nominated for four awards, including the top prize ? album of the year ? for her platinum effort "Loud."
Brown and Rihanna were supposed to perform at the 2009 Grammys, but that changed after Brown attacked the pop singer in the early morning hours before the awards show. Since then, Brown has not attended the Grammys, although he was nominated for three awards last year.
A judge eased a restraining order last February after an attorney for Rihanna said she didn't object to removing the stay-away provisions. The former order required Brown to stay 50 yards away from 23-year-old Rihanna, but the restriction was reduced to 10 yards if they were at a music industry event.
Brown, 22, has been nominated for Grammys in five of the last six years, though he has never picked up the top prize in music. His song "Look at Me Now," which features Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, is nominated for best rap song and best rap performance.
Rihanna is the owner of four Grammys, three with Jay-Z. She alone won a Grammy last year for her No. 1 smash, "Only Girl (In the World)" for best dance recording. In addition to album of the year, her fifth CD "Loud" is up for best pop vocal album. Rihanna is also nominated twice for best rap/sung collaboration for another No.1 jam ? the Drake-assisted "What's My Name?" ? and for her guest appearance on Kanye West's "All of the Lights."
The Grammys will air live on CBS from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2012
There's Much More To Modelling Than Just Having A Gorgeous ...
New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use
There?s way more to modelling than just having a beautiful face ? genuine beauty doesn?t necessarily equate to breathtaking photographs. The perfect model has that certain something that causes someone to take a second look; a striking face, interesting figure, and the ability to draw someone in with one-of-a-kind photographs. There is a demand for many different types of models today ? either male or female, young or old. Plus size models are becoming extremely popular, with a shifting interest in the industry towards a ?real? figure.
People want a model who stands out from the crowd. It?s up to you to establish a distinct look ? there are plenty of stunning individuals on the planet, but it?s much more than that. The most sought after model is able to adapt to any situation, with a changeable beauty. The basis of a good advertising campaign is a recognizable brand, and this applies to more than just the product that is being advertised. If a company happens upon that one in a million model, they will tend to hire that person repeatedly, as a distinctive face that is instantly linked to the brand.
Learn the perfect pose. There are specific ways to pose, and you need to be aware of how to improvise throughout a photo shoot. Be expressive and learn how to use your body to create a an out of the ordinary pose with every camera shot. Draw attention to the positive ? be aware of your finest assets and utilize them to the utmost effect. Use a combination of head and neck poses, and don?t forget that you don?t have to constantly look straight ahead at the camera. It?s often much more interesting to keep your face at an angle, slightly tilted, and try to learn which angle is most flattering to your face. Not looking directly at the camera is an excellent way to create an alluring photograph. Take into consideration that asymmetrical poses are hugely popular in the current market. If one arm or leg is straight, the other should be held in a pose that is at an angle. This forms an exciting silhouette, producing a dramatic image. Bear in mind though, the best photograph is one that seems to be completely effortless.
If you are inexperienced at modelling, you may find that you are very nervous, but confidence is the key to a fantastic photograph. When you are tense or jumpy, it will show in your picture. Don?t be under the impression that you have to smile in each shot ? variation is extremely important, so try to change things up every so often. The principal thing to remember when you when you are new to modelling ? have faith in the photographer. He or she will let you know if something works or not, because what you think you look like might not necessarily be the image they are seeing through the camera lens. Remember that they can offer guidance such as moving in a particular way to achieve the best shot, so always listen to them.
Behave appropriately at all times. Modelling is a business, and the people that you are working for will not want to deal with an attitude. Always be prompt and don?t waste a photographer or casting director?s valuable time. Do what is required of you; they are aware of what the job entails, and you need to deliver the goods. This industry is smaller than you think, and if you get a reputation as someone who is difficult to work with, word of this will spread like wildfire, and no-one will want to deal with you. You also should toughen up; be ready to receive criticism and remember that it has nothing to do with you personally ? you simply may be unsuitable for the job. Take any comments as helpful advice, and don?t forget to be polite; you don?t know if you will work with them in the future. A professional photographer is likely to hire you again when you have a positive attitude. A top model is constantly working ? it makes no difference where you are, take into account that somebody in the industry could see you and possibly want to work with you, so you need to look your best all the time. Many of today?s top models were originally found just walking down the street.
You can only succeed as a model if you have an tremendous amount of resolve. It?s hard work, and exceedingly trying at times. A photo shoot may take as much as 12 hours, and you have to be on your toes the entire time. In addition have to be motivated. Make sure you have a collection of head shots, and your portfolio needs to be constantly updated. Get ready to drop everything when you get a call for a go-see. If you are yet to be signed by a model agency, you will need to do the rounds! Introduce yourself in person, when you drop off your portfolio, and if you can, try to speak with an owner of the agency (or at least someone in management). This is the best time to show them your ?model? personality. Just remember that making it in the modelling business can be quite difficult, so just have faith in yourself, and don?t give up!
Imogen J Martin has worked within the modelling industry for lots of years providing tips and suggestions on the subject of what is required to be a model from our web site Source Modelling Agency
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