text:
Why IT Stakeholder Management Fails: Blame Mindset Mismatches
Fact: You know how critical stakeholder management is to your personal career success and to the overall success of your IT group.
Fact: You spend a great deal of time coaching and reminding your people about the importance of stakeholder management.
Fact: You go home at night frustrated by the absence of critical stakeholder management activities that have cost you your reputation, your time and your political capital with your peers.
Where's the problem?
Ask around and the answers you typically hear fall into one (or more) of the following categories:
Blame the staff - Stakeholder management is mostly about communications and you know how it is with IT professionals, they're just not good communicators.
Blame the boss - IT leaders may be saying what to do but they aren't really teaching their people how to do it. Besides, most of them are pretty bad communicators themselves, so how are they supposed to teach their people?
Blame the stakeholders - They think they know it all. They hate IT and never listen anyway. So it doesn't really matter what IT does.
IT Stakeholder Management Fail: Conflicting Mindsets
It's convenient to blame one or more of the parties to the problem, but this doesn't yield much progress. So, for today I'd like to suggest a different approach. Instead of blaming people, I'll point out three fundamentally conflicting mindsets (between IT and stakeholders) that are quietly sabotaging your stakeholder management activities. And, since each mindset is totally justified in its own right, it's no surprise that stakeholder management is in such a sorry state. Of course once these mindset differentials are recognized, they can be addressed and overcome. More on that in a later column.
Mindset Conflict No. 1: IT wants to be "understood" (and appreciated). Stakeholders couldn't care less.
In my line of work, I get to help IT execs at all levels prepare stakeholder management presentations. Without fail, the No. 1 most common approach used by IT managers (even experienced ones) is to explain to stakeholders what's going on in hopes of educating them about the challenges of the project so that they understand.
To achieve this understanding, they provide great amounts of detailed information so their stakeholders can see for themselves what's going on. (Read - so they don't get yelled at for the project being late or whatever.)
For the vast majority of IT professionals, the key goal of stakeholder management activities is to get stakeholders to see the complexity and appreciate the difficulty of what they are doing. In other words, to give stakeholders knowledge so they can appreciate how hard IT is working. As a fundamental approach, this is flawed.
That's because your stakeholders are not in a learning mindset. They have little interest in learning about your problems. Their mindset is simply this: Why are you here? Is there a problem? Do I really need to care? When's it going to be fixed? Will it cost me time or money?
Your stakeholders don't have the time, desire or ability to comprehend the complexity of what you want to tell them, let alone appreciate it. All they hear is that you are trying to make them understand something by burying them in details.
Mindset Conflict No. 2: IT thinks process. Stakeholders think results.
Let's say you're the IT executive charged with managing a complex multi-vendor, multi-platform e-commerce project that is supposed to enable major revenue growth by driving an increase in direct-to-consumer sales of your company's products.
You know that it's going to take time to get it right and that there are a number of steps to be followed. You spare your stakeholders the technical details (see Conflict No. 1) yet all you hear is "I don't care about what you have to do, just make it happen."
All you can do as the IT guy (or gal) is take responsibility for managing the process correctly. Your stakeholders couldn't care less about "the process," all they want to hear you say is that you will take responsibility for the results. But how can you? So many of the issues are out of your hands.
Mindset Conflict #3: When IT thinks a project is nearly finished, stakeholders are just getting started.
You made it through the project. Along the way you somehow managed to keep stakeholders informed, aware, and engaged. The system goes live. No crashes. You breathe a sigh of relief. And then, as if out of nowhere, the complaints come streaming in.
"This isn't what we expected at all."
"How are we supposed to work in this system, it's nothing like what we are used to."
"We have a major problem here."
"What???" you say. "But you and your team signed off on the designs months ago. Your people all went to training. Your people all signed off on the user acceptance test." (I'll spare you the rest of the conversation. You've had it 100x already.)
The answer once again lies in conflicting mindsets. Your stakeholders may indeed have gone along with the program and followed your process but, at best, they were only 50 percent present. For them, the system isn't real until they have to use it on a daily basis to do their job. Then, and only then, do you they really experience the system. No extrapolations, no prototypes, but the real thing up and running and working with their real live data. That's day one. And boy-o-boy will they need some serious day-one stakeholder management in light of their out-of-this-world expectations.
Meanwhile, the IT team is cracking open the champagne to celebrate the go-live and the on-time, on-budget delivery. Oops. That's a big mindset mismatch.
So, there you have it: The three big mindset mismatches that are at the root of stakeholder management problems. In the next column, we'll dig into what you can do to address these problems.
About the Author
Marc J. Schiller, author of "The 11 Secrets of Highly Influential IT Leaders," is a speaker, strategic facilitator, and an advisor on the implementation of influential analytics. He splits his time between the front lines of client work and evangelizing to IT leaders and professionals about what it takes to achieve influence, respect and career success. Download a free excerpt of his book at http://11secretsforitleaders.com
This article was originally published on 07-02-2012


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(somebody better tell me if this topic is too explicit for this forum)
I've heard many times..
"the preferred sanchin elbow position is to have the elbow one fist distance away from the chest."
My question is, how do you define chest on a woman?
I am a woman and I can say that personally having my elbow one fist distance from my chest puts my elbow against the front of my breast and the inside of my bicep directly against the side. Which means to perform a proper circle block I have to...er...well...um...squish things a little bit (for lack of a better phrase).
Putting my elbow one fist distance from my breast I can do a proper circle block, but it pulls my shoulder too far forward.
(i can see you all smiling - - and I'm serious about this)
Lori et al, what is the answer? Keep the shoulders back and the lats locked in and lose range of motion in the block or cheat the elbow out and sacrifice focus in the lats?
[This message has been edited by dmsdc (edited October 13, 2000).]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Item Specification
Upper Material: Genuine Leather
Lining Material: Microfiber
Heel Height: 4''
Platform: 1''
Toe: Pointed Toe
Closure: Slip on
Out Sole: Rubber
Insole: Sheepskin
Size Guide
*Please choose the correct size according to your feet length. Please don't select the size as per your Euro/US/UK/BR shoe size.
*If your measurement is between two sizes, always move up to the larger size.
Our mission is to provide stylish and comfortable shoes for women who are shoe addicts like us. We strive to offer the best shoes at the most reasonable price.
If you don't have a positive experience for ANY reason, we will do WHATEVER it takes to make sure you are 100% satisfied with your purchase.
Buying items online can be a daunting task, so we want you to realize that there is absolute ZERO risk in buying something and trying it out. If you don't like it, no hard feelings we'll make it right.
We have 24/7/365 Ticket and Email Support. Please contact us if you need assistance.


text:
Back to the crushing black deep,
Curtain shadow and starless black
Oil well swelled swirling black
Frost bitten dead toe black, cruelest of cruel cursing soul black
Crushing bastard black, rage thrashing sea.
Pass me the blade I will end this quick,
No more sinking from this sinking ship,
Leave the noose; pay the hangman's tip,
Tie the boulders to this lead brick,
I am jumping from this revolving ship,
Throw me no more lines.
Further into deaths cloak black I sink,
Further deep into the dead man's drink,
Passed the unforgiving Jack Frost brink,
Heavy iron binds the chains that link,
That pulls me to floor.
Let my lungs fill and sleep my mind away,
Away from quotes and all there meaningless bile,
Come into my mind for a day, then quote me a smile.
You keep scratching your hollow scrawl,
And I will remain dead eared upon the floor.
Pass me your hand; I will put it under the kettle,
Let's test your resolve your inner metal,
And see if you can carry on,
Too much too soon?
Here is a broom, to sweep up your meaningless words.
Let me sink down further still,
To the black sacked cat sleeping drown
Seashell sounding whooshing drown
Dead patch eyed sipping sailor drown,
And on milky-way grains leave me to lie.
Where were you all years ago?
Before the acceptance, the circus show.
You have found your voice, along with your spine,
Well done for joining in at the correct and proper time,
And speaking from such a caring heart.
As I lay I look up through the black,
Tar beach sludge black
Oil glued winged bird black
Cancer lung black
Smoker's death black, smoking black sea.
And in the dark of my pitiful demise,
I look to the heavens at broken skies,
I see a pair of marble pendulums looking down at me.
Golden rich deep brown eyes
Stab my heart with a lightning bolt jolt.
Eyes that hold with cobra stare,
Break down the dark, supply the air,
And lift my heart from its coal-black pit,
Gives me the strength, supplies my grit,
And from the grain I rise.
Her hair of raging black flames,
Wild burning bright illuminates blackest night,
All hell takes flight, vineyard soil of blackest sight,
Blackest, black hair.
I rise further still.
A smile that would make the ungodly pray,
Singing hallelujah, armies of trumpets play,
Pearl gates open to welcome coming day,
I want to reclaim my soul I say,
And so furthermore, I rise.
Passed the patch eyed sipping sailor,
Passed all the wing glued birds,
Passed Jack and his frosty brink,
Passed the ships of past times sink,
And all the forgotten souls. I rise.
And back to her arms I will always return
Back to her embrace, her heavenly burn,
I will always find the strength through my sinking demise,
To swim up towards broken bluer skies and meet her loving arms,
And so always, I shall rise.
Copyright © 2017 Charlie Hasler.


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Nicole Antoinette Allen, daughter of Robert J. and Debbie Allen of Stamford, married Shawn Burroughs, son of Cheryl Whitfield of St. Louis and Michael and Linda Burroughs of Dallas.
The June 6 wedding was performed by the Rev. Stephen M. DiGiovanni at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Stamford. A dinner reception followed at Great River Golf Club in Milford.
Matron of honor was Kishka Ford McClain of New Canaan; maid of honor was Danielle Turnipseed of Suffern, N.Y. Bridesmaids were Keisha Holley of Houston; Meryle Davie-Newton of Chicago; and Ashley Martinez of Norwalk, cousin of the bride.
Best men were Randy Elliott Jr., cousin of the groom, and Ravi Seeram, both of St. Louis. Groomsmen were Rodney Carthans of St. Louis, cousin of the groom; Bradley Minniefield of Chicago; and Shawn Granger of Houston. Ushers were Darren Keith Martinez Jr. of Norwalk, cousin of the bride; Jonathan Allen of Raleigh, N.C., and Robert J. Allen Jr. of Norfolk, Va., brothers of the bride.
The bride graduated from Westhill High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Duke University in Durham, N.C., and a master's degree in speech and language pathology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. She is a speech-language pathologist in Chicago.
The groom, a native of St. Louis, earned a business degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta and is pursuing a master's degree in business administration from Loyola University in Chicago. He is director of multi-media sales at Black Enterprise magazine.
The couple, who reside in Chicago, honeymooned in Hawaii.


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My intrigue with the hotel's blooms started with Oprah when she interviewed the hotel's artistic director Jeff Leatham about how he found his dream job. This was my first introduction to his awe-inspiring floral displays. I was instantly hooked.
At the hotel, guests are lured in by Leatham's display of hundreds of pale green hydrangeas and bamboo standing tall in green-tinted vases of varying heights. The bold and modern centerpiece seems to be right at home among the property's classic furnishings and decor.
Around every corner there is another imaginative vignette to discover. But, one glimpse of the hotel's courtyard reveals the show-stopper. Bejeweled purple orchids, with their roots exposed, hang still from tall metal stands.
The designer started his career at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. Leatham also produced events and designed spaces for Versailles, the Shilla Seoul Hotel, and the MoMa New York's re-opening. He is the star of the TLC show Flowers UnCut and author of Flowers by Design: Jeff Leatham of the Four Seasons Hotel George V-Paris. For more on Leatham, go to his website. Or, visit his Facebook page for more photos of his work.


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Hourglass Nebula
The Hourglass Nebula, also known as the Engraved Hourglass Nebula or MyCn18, is a young planetary nebula in Musca constellation. The nebula lies at a distance of 8,000 light years from Earth. Its unusual appearance, with two large outer rings and a small central one, has earned the nebula the nickname the Eye of God, … [Read more…]


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Normally I post amusing PowerShell-related content on Fridays as part of my Friday Fun series. These are light-hearted articles about using PowerShell. Almost always they are not practical but they serve as a learning vehicle. My topic this week seems extra silly so I'm moving it to Saturday. I'm a pushover for alliteration.
Last week I came across a comment on Facebook that involved palindromes. A palindrome is a word that is spelled the same backwards and forwards. Names like Otto and ABBA are palindromes. So are words like madam, civic, and redder. I thought it would be fun to use PowerShell to test if a string was a palindrome. To figure this out I would need to find the midpoint of the string, get the first part of the string and then compare it to the last part of the string, but in reverse order.
PS C:\> $mid=[math]::Truncate($t.length/2)
PS C:\> $mid
I'm using the Truncate method from the [Math] class so that when I divide the string length by 2, the value is rounded down. This will be important in a moment. Getting the first half of the string is pretty simple.
PS C:\> $start
I'm getting characters in $t by their index number. In this case going from 0 to the midpoint minus 1. This would give me an array of characters so I regroup them using the -join operator. As an alternative, I could also have done this:
Now to get the last half. Remember, I need to get the end of the string in reverse order until I reach the midpoint again. I can use the same technique I used for the front, except this time starting at the end and going backwards.
PS C:\> $end
Now to compare $start and $end.
You may be wondering, "What about the 'd'?" Well, in this case it is irrelevant because going backwards or forwards the 'd' is in the same place. I think of these as pivot letters. But this technique also works for strings without a pivot point.
PS C:\> $mid=[math]::Truncate($t.length/2)
PS C:\> $start = -join ($t[0..($mid-1)])
PS C:\> $end = -join ($t[-1..-($mid)])
PS C:\> $start -eq $end
PS C:\> $start
PS C:\> $end
So how about a simple function to test if a string is a palindrome?
Process {
Write-Verbose "Testing $Text"
if ($IgnoreSpace) {
Write-Verbose "Removing spaces from text"
$text = $text.Replace(" ","")
Write-Verbose $text
$l = $text.length
Write-Verbose "Length is $l"
$mid = [math]::Truncate($l/2)
Write-Verbose "Midpoint is $mid"
#could also use Substring()
$start = –join ($text[0..($mid–1)]) #$text.Substring(0,($mid))
$end = –join ($text[–1..–($mid)])
Write-Verbose "Start: $start"
Write-Verbose "Pivot: $($Text[$mid])"
Write-Verbose "End : $end"
if ($start -eq $end) {
else {
} #process
} #end Test-IsPalindrome
This is an advanced function so I could add some verbose messages, which is great for troubleshooting and debugging. I also wanted to be able to pipe strings to the function. The intent is to test a string and return True or False. The code is essentially the same thing I showed you, except now it is a little easier to use.
I added an extra feature to strip out spaces.
VERBOSE: Testing Madam Im Adam
VERBOSE: Removing spaces from text
VERBOSE: MadamImAdam
VERBOSE: Length is 11
VERBOSE: Midpoint is 5
VERBOSE: Start: Madam
VERBOSE: Pivot: I
VERBOSE: End : madAm
PS C:\> Test-IsPalindrome "A nut for a jar of tuna" -IgnoreSpace
Yes, this is a silly application of PowerShell. But I hope it gives you an idea of how to use the -Join operator and to work with strings. By the way, I could use these techniques to turn a string into a palindrome.
PS C:\> -join ($Text, -join $Text[-1..-($Text.length)])
Ok, perhaps not a valid word in English but see if you can follow what the -Join operators are doing and how this snippet works. If you'd like to play with this, you can download Test-IsPalindrome.


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ip.access has launched a consumer-friendly 3G cell, called Oyster, that's designed to be plugged into the internet. Oyster routes normal 3G calls over the customer's broadband connection; supplying all the advantages of a VoIP solution with none of the complexity.
Simplicity of deployment is paramount with applications like this, so users just connect an Ethernet wire to the back of the box, which then configures itself to suit the local radio conditions and connects to the normal cellular network (via a management server, also supplied by ip.access).
The customer's handset connects to the femtocell, and the user makes calls as normal. Up to four simultaneous calls can be routed through the Oyster, which also supports HSDPA data connections.
The idea is that a network operator will offer the Oyster to customers, perhaps locked to one family's handsets, to reduce the load on their network and improve coverage. The box costs less than £150, and the operator might decide to give it away or subsidise the price.
It also negates the need for handsets to be equipped with Wi-Fi, which has never been an ideal network for mobile voice applications. ®


text:
Season 3: Film School Shorts 300s
Watch well-crafted films with high production values, strong dialogue and riveting drama. Films are grouped together around a central theme or topic, and featuring production values that rival their indie film counterparts.
In Mexico, a treacherous game of power and pride unfolds between two boys.
"Un Mundo para Raúl"
A faithful dog must journey through the zombie apocalypse to save his best friend.
"Steadfast Stanley"
An imaginary friend is forced to consider retirement when his creator starts to grow up.
"So You've Grown Attached"
A curmudgeonly owl must fight his nature when he has to watch over a mouse for a night.
"Owl and Mouse"
In this delightful animation, a single leaf morphs from clay to pencil to paper.
"Little Favour"
A woman travels to Ireland to meet the father who left her before she was born.
"Lambing Season"
David has autism and comes to reevaluate "normal" when he meets a new love interest.
"Keep the Change"
A father-to-be revisits an old high school experiment.
A hurricane pulls a couple out of their comfort zone.
"Disaster Preparedness"
"A Series of Kinetic Sets Tells a Story"
An astonishing voyage of immigration, love, and World War II in a single take.
"A Series of Kinetic Sets Tells a Story"
An arrogant day-trader is delayed at an airport during the Boston Marathon bombings.


text:
| 8.7°C Belfast
Top-performing students could have some of their tuition fees paid off by the taxpayer in return for becoming teachers in deprived areas of the country under plans being drawn up by Labour.
The incentive scheme is part of a package of reforms described by shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg as a "New Deal for Teachers", including a doubling in size of the Teach First scheme.
In an echo of Ed Miliband's bid to highlight his state comprehensive education in his party conference speech, Mr Twigg will praise the teacher who inspired him to be the first from his school to go to Oxford University.
And he will say that in order to apply the Opposition leader's newly-adopted "One Nation" philosophy to education requires a reversal of the Government's "out of date and backward looking" policies.
Addressing the final day of the Manchester gathering, he will warn that if the Government introduces regional pay in public services, it could result in teachers in the "toughest schools in the toughest neighbourhoods" getting lower pay.
That would undermine the need to make teaching - as in Finland and South Korea -"an elite profession for top graduates".
Instead graduates should be offered financial rewards to take on those jobs, he will say, such as the debt write-off scheme.
With the party desperate not to be seen to be making unaffordable spending promises however - and with Nick Clegg's apology for doing so to students over not raising tuition fees still fresh in the mind - the idea remains an aspiration.
Mr Twigg wants to pilot the project, perhaps even before the general election via Labour-run councils, but admits there is "a lot of work to do" to draw up detailed figures on how much debt would be covered or how many schools would be included.
Teacher numbers have fallen by 10,000 in one year under Education Secretary Michael Gove, he will tell delegates, as he outlines a range of ideas to raise both the number and quality of entrants to the profession and to improve classroom standards.


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The "state secrets privilege" has been around for over half a century, but has never enjoyed the level of public prominence it enjoyed in recent years, thanks to the Bush administration's record-shattering reliance on it to block litigation targeting controverisal programs of warrantless surveillance and "enhanced" interrogation. The Obama administration has committed itself to a narrower view of the privilege, but—to the consternation of progressives—has thus far declined to walk back from the previous administration's broad assertions of privilege in any pending court cases. Now, Congress is proposing to take matters into its own hands with the reintroduction of the State Secrets Protection Act.
The aggressive invocation of state secrecy during the Bush era was raised during confirmation hearings for Attorney General Eric Holder, who has since made good on his pledge to order a review of cases in which the privilege has been asserted. But civil libertarians were incensed when Justice Department lawyers announced that the new administration would endorse their predecessors' argument that state secrecy foreclosed litigation in the case of Mohamed v. Jeppesen Dataplan, a suit brought against the company alleged to have flights for the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" of terror suspects to countries where they were subject to torture.
Members of Congress aren't waiting to see which way the new attorney general will jump in other pending cases. The State Secrets Protection Act, which stalled after being reported out of committee in 2008, has been reintroduced in both the House and Senate, and would provide guidelines for judges considering claims of state secrets designed to introduce heightened judicial scrutiny in an area where courts have traditionally been highly deferential to executive branch determinations.
Though the language in the House bill seems slightly more restrictive on its face, the two versions are broadly parallel. They urge courts to directly review in camera any material asserted to be shielded by national security and make its own determination of whether the privilege is validly invoked with respect to that material. When appropriate, courts are directed to request redacted versions of sensitive material that would enable a suit to proceed when full disclosure is not possible. Judges are also encouraged to require the government to process security clearances for litigants' attorneys in order to enable them to participate in closed hearings.
The traditional deference afforded the executive in national security cases is often justified by the argument that courts lack the competence to properly evaluate national security claims. The rejoinder of civil libertarians has long been: Then make them competent. Both bills suggest that courts "may appoint" (in the Senate version) or "shall consider" whether to appoint (in the House version) a "special master" qualified to determine the potential harm that would flow from the disclosure of information.
The Supreme Court first recognized the state secrets privilege in a 1953 case, United States v. Reynolds, in which the widows of military personnel sought infromation about the plane crash in which their husbands were killed. When the crash reports were finally declassified and released almost 50 years later, they appeared to contain precious little truly sensitive information. Had the Court then exercised the sort of review contemplated in the State Secrets Protection Act, the legal landscape of the past eight years might have looked very different indeed.


text:
Legacy Leisure is a non-profit charitable organisation committed to providing a diverse and meaningful range of leisure and culture related activities for the local communities we serve.
As a charity, Legacy Leisure is able to reinvest generated surplus funds back into the facilities for developments and improvements. Upon application, Legacy Leisure is also able to make grants available to individuals for specific community based activities that will improve quality of life or assist with the attainment of personal goals within sport and leisure.
How much can be applied for?
Legacy Leisure currently offers a fund of up to £500 per applicant. Final funds allocated are subject to application and will be based on the selection criteria outlined on our website.


text:
1) Script Title:
Simple Image Panner and Zoomer v1.1
2) Script URL (on DD): http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamici...magepanner.htm
3) Describe problem:
I have a page with one main image being displayed. The displayed content image changes when a thumbnail of another image is clicked. The image panner and zoomer allows me to zoom in and pan the image and it does change the image when the thumbnails are clicked. The issue is if I am zoomed in and then change the image by clicking a thumbnail the new image is also zoomed in and I have to zoom out.
I would like the image to reset to zoom level 1 when you click a thumbnail and a new image is displayed.


text:
Video: Shared Expertise to Support Your Drug Research
Through research partnerships, training workshops, scientific publications and our virtual visits program, our scientists share their expertise – helping you and your lab effectively utilize our assays, reagents and services.
Training Opportunities
|Drug Discovery Virtual Visits
Connect with our scientists in cell engineering, assay development, stem cells and more through private, one-hour "virtual" meetings. Choose from one of six drug discovery topics, and…
Drug Discovery & Development Resources
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.


text:
Sometimes, music websites ask up-and-coming musicians to comment on music. It's become quite a normal thing to do, as the nostalgia-bait means traffic and the anniversary-industry of re-promoting products means that editor's are offered easy hooks to hang coverage around. However, you can't always expect everyone to love everything, no matter how much of a sacred cow you might believe it to be. Kiran Leonard was going to send this back to a rival publication, instead his sent it to us, but we didn't dare ask him if we could call it an Open Letter....
Dear A-Certain-Music Publication,
Last week I received an invitation from you to write a couple of paragraphs on Green Day's seminal punk-pop record Dookie, which I understand approaches its 20th anniversary this year. Unfortunately, I hate that album, and it would take the darkest of magic to convince me otherwise. And whilst I appreciate that revisiting and reevaluating critics'-circle-approved Classic Records is important in trying to develop a deeper understanding of the influence a record has had in the years following its release, and also in introducing a new, younger audience to older records, you are doing nothing but irreparable, horrifying damage by giving this record MORE publicity. Have we not just recovered from the generation of insufferable shopping centre pseudo-punks that was spawned by this record? And how is it that I know every word to the chorus of 'Basket Case' without ever having listened to it all the way through?
Really you should write about what is indisputably the greatest record of 1994: the Gerogerigegege's Life Documents EP.
For those of you who aren't aware, the Gerogerigegege were a Japanese band that arose from the Tokyo gay S&M scene in the mid 80s, and for me Life Documents represents some of their finest work. Infectious house beats repeat incessantly, bongo strikes and handclaps topple over one another in a kinetic frenzy, and frontman Juntaro Yamanouchi howls and groans with the vigour of a stallion in the throes of ecstatic virility. According to the liner notes, it's just him on the record, though he was often known to collaborate with a 'Gero 56', who enjoyed using his cock as a vacuum cleaner extension: and on stage! The Gerogerigegege make Serge Gainsbourg look like Mary Whitehouse (point of reference: their debut record 'Showa', which is 40 minutes of fucking. No drum machines), and their aforementioned live spectacle was a more unique and interesting experience than Green Day's stadium-filling LEDs-and-fireworks travelling nausea theatre could ever hope to be.
Why do I think Life Documents is the best record of the 90s? For one thing, the beats are great, especially the second one (Juntaro's low moans on that B side really compliment the force of the jungle-esque rhythms). But you can't deny its raw expression either. Juntaro is Japanoise's Jean Genet; his work is a brutally honest and often deeply moving exploration of his fetishistic sexual desires. I'm not saying that you're going to ENJOY hearing a man in his mid-30s masturbate to an Aphex Twin Z-side; I'm just saying that Green Day probably haven't done anything this bare and brave in their entire careers. Juntaro trounces them in 7 minutes! [REDACTED], WHY are you writing about fucking Green Day???
Essentially, Dookie and Life Documents sit at opposite ends on two spectrums. Firstly, it can be commended to Green Day that Dookie, unlike their later efforts, is never self-indulgent, and very stripped down, whilst Juntaro is literally masturbating for the entirety of Life Documents. Secondly, Dookie is shit, and Life Documents is the greatest record ever made. It's just a shame that Juntaro's life was supposedly cut short (actually, we don't really know if he either killed himself, was admitted to a mental asylum, or just re-integrated himself into society and became a stockbroker; I recommend listening to their final record, the haunting 'Saturday Night Big Cock Salaryman', to draw your own conclusion).
And I can't believe this was recorded just four months after the release of Dookie, Green Day's seminal pop-punk extravaganza!
Sincerely yours,
-Kiran "Tréss" Leonard
p.s here are some other great records from 1994 you should write about:
-shellac - at action park
-ali farka touré & ry cooder - taking timbuktu
-boredoms - chocolate synthesiser
-aphex twin - selected ambient works, vol. 2
-dj screw - old school
-jeff buckley - grace
-lync - these are not fall colors
-sun city girls - midnight cowboys from ipanema
-thomas newman - the shawshank redemption OST
Kiran Leonard just turned 18, is from Oldham, and his debut (double) album Bowler Hat Soup is out now. He's playing 6 Music's festival next month, and his first ever headline show on 5th April at The Castle, Manchester and 11th April at The Waiting Room, London. This is his new single:


text:
The Green Island Project asks the question "what would Tokyo look like if all its pavement were grass instead?" and answers it with an amazing series of pictures.
The project is a collaboration between creative director Tag (Ryo Taguchi), photo retoucher IMKW (Imakawa), and contemporary artist Immr (Yuichiro Imamura). Doesn't the ultra-modern Tokyo skyline look a little insane behind all that well-manicured green? [006600 via Cscout Japan]


text:
Northwestern Regional Middle School students pack baskets with donated food for Thanksgiving
WINSTED >> Helping to feed the needy during the holiday season takes a total team effort, from community organizations to Northwestern Regional Middle School.
Rachel's Challenge Club, based at the School, led the way for the annual turkey basket drive as the school's students donated enough food and turkeys to fill 41 baskets. The baskets, which will be distributed to needy families in the area, consisted of canned goods and turkeys collected by students and clubs at the school. Collecting the food, said Northwestern Regional Middle School principal Candy Perez, has been a perennial endeavor.
"It's been a tradition for a long time at Northwestern to do this," said Perez.
According to Perez, the school collected not only the food, but also $495. Various homerooms competed to collect the most items, with science teacher Paul Kostak's homeroom collecting the most items at 306. Students and faculty helped assemble the baskets on Tuesday morning in the cafeteria before donating the baskets to families in the area. Winchester Town Hall handled the distribution of the baskets, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The turkey basket drive is just one of a number of initiatives in Winsted to help feed the needy during the holiday season. Resident Jay Budahazy held a successful food drive at Stop and Shop on Nov. 17, and the Economic Development Commission, Friends of Main Street and other organizations are sponsoring a food drive during Christmas on Main Street Dec. 1. During the EDC's Tuesday night meeting, the commission discussed Budahazy's successful drive -- Budahazy filled a van with the donated food, then was able to contribute another $1,211 in food thanks to monetary donations -- but the need will still be present.
"I guarantee you," said EDC chairman Dick Labich, "we won't have too much."
The Christmas on Main Street food drive will benefit the Open Door Soup Kitchen, which serves breakfast and lunch for over 50 people every weekday.
Budahazy donated his collected food to the Open Door Soup Kitchen and Salvation Army food pantry, but there is no shortage of organizations in need of help, or community members willing to offer that help.
"Any time we can get all of these organizations pulling together for a project," Labich said, "it's great."


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Myotubular Myopathy Genetic Testing Study
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01817946
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : March 26, 2013
Last Update Posted : March 7, 2018
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) is an X-linked disorder caused by mutations in the myotubularin gene (MTM1). The clinical spectrum is variable and ranges from individuals who require a wheelchair and full time breathing support to those who are able to walk and breathe on their own. Symptoms of myotubular myopathy include long faces, facial weakness with eye muscle weakness, breathing support with a muscle biopsy demonstrating central nucleated fibers. These symptoms may be caused by mutations or changes in the MTM1, BIN1 (bridging integrator 1), DNM2 (dynamin 2) and RYR1 (ryanodine receptor 1) genes. However, the majority are caused by mutations in the MTM1 gene. Some patients with symptoms consistent with myotubular myopathy who initially have negative testing of the MTM1 gene were later found to have a unique type of change in the MTM1 gene. This unique change, called a deletion or duplication, can be found with a different type of genetic test called a CGH (comparative genomic hybridization) array.
Investigators do not know how frequent deletions and duplications are in patients with X-linked myotubular myopathy. Recently, there have been advances in identifying potential treatments for XLMTM. The next step will be to proceed with clinical trials of potential treatments. In order to be ready for clinical trials, it is important that investigators find the specific genetic change that is causing XLMTM in people with this diagnosis. This study will attempt to find changes in the MTM1 gene in individuals who have clinical symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of XLMTM. Participants will be asked to enroll in the CMDIR (Congenital Muscle Disease International Registry), complete a brief clinical survey, provide access to medical records, and provide a saliva or blood sample for genetic testing. Results of genetic testing will be communicated to participants by the physician specified in the consent by the signing person.
Study Hypothesis:
Not all individuals with a clinical diagnosis of XLMTM have access to genetic testing. Investigators know that deletions and duplications of the MTM1 gene can cause XLMTM. Investigators will find more individuals with XLMTM by performing genetic testing of the MTM1 gene, including CGH array for deletions and duplications.
|Condition or disease
|Myotubular Myopathy
|Other: Genetic Testing
- Prospective participants will complete registration in the CMDIR.
- The CMDIR genetic curator will review CMDIR data for study eligibility.
- If eligible, participant will be called and consented to participate in the study.
- Sequencing can be done with a saliva sample. However, if this method does not detect a mutation or change in the MTM1 gene, a further test, called CGH Array, has to be performed. For the CGH Array test, a saliva sample may deliver a clear result in terms of a deletion/duplication mutation. In the event, CGH Array with the saliva sample does not provide a result, a the blood sample is necessary to repeat CGH Array.
- The study participant will receive a kit and instructions for saliva specimen collection for genetic testing from the CMDIR in the mail.
- If a mutation or change in the MTM1 gene could not be found by genetic testing and CGH Array with a saliva sample, the study participant will receive a second kit in the mail from the CMDIR with instructions for a blood draw to be used for CGH Array.
- The family will coordinate collection of the saliva specimen or a local blood draw, if necessary, and will be responsible for mailing the specimen in a pre-paid parcel to the University of Chicago. There will be a $40 reimbursement for the cost of the blood draw. Mailing the specimen to the testing site is at no cost for the participant. A two-week turn-around from receipt of the kit to sending it to the testing laboratory is requested.
- Genetic testing will start with standard sequencing of the MTM1 gene, isolated from the saliva specimen, followed by CGH Array if sequencing of the MTM1 gene isolated from the saliva sample or further from a blood sample if a variant consistent with the symptoms could not be detected using the saliva sample.
- Test results will be 1) reported to a physician specified by the study participant and 2) uploaded into the study participant's profile in the CMDIR and 3) if concurrently enrolled in the Beggs Laboratory or other IRB-approved clinical study, test results will also be made available to that study provided appropriate informed consent has been given.
|Study Type :
|Actual Enrollment :
|23 participants
|Observational Model:
|Time Perspective:
|Official Title:
|Myotubular Myopathy Genetic Testing Study
|Actual Study Start Date :
|March 2013
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|March 2017
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|March 2017
Genetic testing
All participants determined eligible for the study will be placed into genetic testing arm.
Other: Genetic Testing
Genetic testing services will be provided by the University of Chicago under the guidance of Dr. Soma Das, PhD. Services will be coordinated by Rachel Alvarez, CMDIR Associate Director. Genetic testing will include standard sequencing of the MTM1 gene followed by CGH array for deletion/duplication in cases where no pathologic variant is identified by standard sequencing.
Other Name: Sequencing
- Description of Mutations in the MTM1 Gene by Complete Genetic Sequencing [ Time Frame: 1 year ]To confirm presence, locations and frequencies of mutations in the MTM1 gene in study participants presenting with symptoms as listed in the Brief Summary and muscle biopsy and/or family history typical for myotubular myopathy or prior confirmation of a mutation in the MTM1 gene by research sequencing.
- Frequency of Deletion/Duplication Mutations in the MTM1 Gene by CGH Array Testing [ Time Frame: 1 year ]To establish the frequency of deletions/duplications in the MTM1 gene for patients who have negative sequencing but have clinical history/muscle biopsy/family history.
- To Examine the Relation of the Mutation in the MTM1 Gene to the Phenotype [ Time Frame: 2 years ]Investigators will compare mutations characterized by sequencing and CGH array (if necessary) with the following data in the study participant's CMDIR profile: age of onset, ventilatory support needed post-natal and ongoing, maximal motor function achieved, current motor function, need for gastrostomy tube and rate of ER visits and hospitalizations. The individual genotype - phenotype relation will then be compared to that of other study participants. In the event that a genotype-phenotype pattern can be established, this may help predict the course of the disease and prepare for appropriate care.
Biospecimen Retention: Samples With DNA
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|Child, Adult, Older Adult
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria: Patient eligibility will be determined by the CMDIR genetic curator using the following prioritization protocol.
- Males and females in the US and Canada who have a known mutation in the MTM1 gene identified in a research lab and never confirmed in a clinical CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) -certified laboratory.
- Male and female patients in the US and Canada who meet 2 of 3 of the following criteria: + clinical history, + family history, + centronucleation on muscle biopsy (no signs of nemaline rods or cores). Clinical history includes: post-natal breathing support (not necessarily continued after first month), length above 90% for EGA (estimated gestational age), facial characteristics (narrow facies), facial weakness (ophthalmoplegia, excessive saliva with need for suctioning).
- Males and females in the US and Canada who present with XLMTM symptoms and no genetic mutation in the MTM1 gene found with conventional sequencing, requiring CGH array deletion/duplication testing.
- Age range: One month - no maximum age.
- Individual is registered with the CMDIR.
- Written study consent provided by parent/caregiver (affected individual's age less than 18 years or for those individuals greater than 18 years with learning disabilities or inability to physically access consent) or affected individual (age greater than 18 years)
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Carrier testing for asymptomatic mothers.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01817946
|United States, California
|Congenital Muscle Disease International Registry
|Torrance, California, United States, 90502
|Principal Investigator:
|Sabine de Chastonay, PhD
|Principal Investigator:
|Elizabeth DeChene, MS, GCG
|Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
|Principal Investigator:
|Soma Das, PhD
|University of Chicago Genetic Testing Services Laboratory
Publications of Results:
Other Publications:
|Responsible Party:
|Cure CMD
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|March 26, 2013 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|March 7, 2018
|Last Verified:
|March 2018
Congenital Myopathy
Centronuclear Myopathy
Myotubular Myopathy
MTM1 Gene
Genetic testing
Deletion/Duplication Mutation
CGH array
Muscular Diseases
Myopathies, Structural, Congenital
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Neuromuscular Diseases
Nervous System Diseases


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Monday, October 31, 2011
Yappy Growl-O'-Ween!!!
Posted by erin garrison studio at 9:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: english bulldogs in costume, halloween 2011, thing 1 thing 2
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
paul + patty | olathe, kansas family photographer
Remember Colin? Well, he has since graduated from high school and is now enjoying college life! So, needless to say I was very excited to be asked to take portraits of the family when he was home for the weekend a couple of weeks ago! I've know this group for several years now, and it's always nice to spend some time with them!
I LOVE this!
Posted by erin garrison studio at 6:22 PM 0 comments
Labels: erin garrison studio kansas city lifestyle family photographer
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Happy Birthday, Chloe & Dexter!
The furry loves of my life and the subject of MANY of my photos, Chloe and Dexter, turned 5 this weekend! The English DO like a fancy hat for special occasions...
Posted by erin garrison studio at 4:59 PM 0 comments
Labels: chloe dexter 5th birthday 2011
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— When Efrain Hernandez couldn't seal a deal before the first-time home buyer tax credit expired this year, he lost faith that he would ever own a house in this real estate climate.
But the enforced wait got him more than the $8,000 federal tax credit.
Hernandez negotiated a contract on a five-bedroom, three-bath home in a development near Homestead, Fla., talking homebuilder Lennar into $40,000 off the list price, getting it to pay $18,000 in closing costs and scoring a $7,500 no-interest loan from Miami-Dade County to lighten his down payment.
"I was finally able to buy the house of my dreams," Hernandez said.
Though cash is now king, new homeowners such as Hernandez are finding ways to buy homes — well-kept ones with current mortgages.
After a long drought, money is becoming available to buy homes. Take Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Andre Brooks, vice president and regional sales manager for the bank's Florida operation, said his company has made more than $3 billion in mortgages this year in Florida, nearly 20 percent more than last year.
But lending guidelines remain restrictive, said Terry H. Francisco, spokesman with Bank of America, so making purchases often requires creativity and calculation.
Among the options:
Loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration can require a down payment of just 3.5 percent compared with 20 percent many banks typically require.
But there are limits. For one, like other loans with a down payment less than 20 percent, the buyer must get mortgage insurance.
FHA loans also have a maximum and are available only to people who don't have an FHA loan and plan to make the property their primary residence.
Private loan
Made by a noninstitutional investor who does not advertise as a mortgage lender, this requires networking and personal relationships.
Grant S. Stern, president of Morningside Mortgage Corp., brokered a loan this summer for a condo buyer.
The borrower had made a preconstruction down payment of $90,000 on a two-bedroom, two-bath $300,000 condo. He had another $65,000 cash to close, but Fannie Mae's approval for the project expired with the the developer on the verge of default. With no time to get a conventional bank loan, so Stern arranged for a real estate investor to fund a five-year, fixed-rate loan.
"They said, 'Close in one week.' We closed in one week," he said.
Nondistressed properties
Part of real estate agent Gene Mastro's strategy for buyers is avoiding foreclosures and short sales — especially by buyers who intend to live in the home they buy.
Owners of nondistressed properties are "more ready to correct problems, any minor deficiencies," said Mastro, who works for Coldwell Banker.
And they may be willing to pay all or part of closing costs, which can range from 2 to 7 percent of the purchase price.
Short-term loan
Another way to cover closing costs is a fast, short-term loan that doesn't show up on credit reports.
Todd Hills noticed that some users of his company, Boomerang Lending, wanted fast cash to pay closing costs. His Colorado-based business works like a pawn shop for those with pricier assets, including paintings and fine jewelry. A recent borrower offered a 1955 Picasso sketch.
"It's not something we've experienced before the last six months," said Hills, company CEO, but "it makes absolutely perfect sense. This is a way this consumer can get the cash that they need."
Lease to own
"It's a purchase agreement with a very delayed closing — three months or three years," Manausa said.
Tom Nisbet and fiancee, Greta Leber, have just such a contract on their condo. They are living in the 1,600-square-foot unit they hope to buy. It comes with two parking spaces, a pool and a gym, and it's close to the University of Miami, where Leber is working on her Ph.D.
After watching others' experiences with short sales and foreclosures, they steered clear. "This is by far the best place we saw on the market," Nisbet said.
State and local aid
While the federal first-time home buyer's tax credit ended months ago, it's not too late for house hunters to get government home-buying help.
Many city or county governments offer their own home buyer subsidies.
Government agencies with home-buying assistance programs say they are fielding lots of calls.


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Heidi is a textile artist, weaving at two very different scales: Heidi makes delicate, fine silk scarves, and also large-scale wall hangings, some up to 30 feet tall. Both use abstract images, usually inspired by the arrangement of colours and space of a natural scene.
Heidi's wall-hangings are suitable for public spaces, and hang in galleries and corporate buildings around the globe.
all of Heidi's silk scarves are wearable works of art. Each is unique and a signed piece.
If you would like to commission Heidi please contact the Sable & Ox team using the "Commission This Artist" Button
All of our products come with free delivery to mainland UK.
If you live outside the UK mainland and would like to make a purchase, please contact us using the Ask a Question" tab for details on additional delivery costs.
You have 14 days from receiving the product to notify Sable & Ox if you wish to return an item. Please note that pieces commissioned to your specific requirements, or items with a broken hygiene seal cannot be returned unless found to be faulty.
Take note that all of our products are packaged and shipped by the artist and not by Sable & Ox.
Read our full deliveries and returns policy here.
Please submit a few details of your outline
requirements and ideas for a commission based on this kind of work


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|Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai invites you to cultural rich northern city of Chiang Mai. The
northern capital of the Lanna kingdom founded in the 13th century by
king mengrai who established a cultural, religious and political
center of northern kingdom known as Lanna Thai. Today, Chiang Mai is
known throughout the world for its fine traditional crafts and a
wealth of tourist attractions for all. Shopping at the famous Night
Bazaar, visit Chiang Mai Zoo, Night Safari, play a round on a
championship golf courses or take a leisurely jungle trek by
elephant. what ever your pleasure, Chiang Mai has it all.
Veranda Chiang Mai the high resort and spa, located outside the city of Chiang Mai and away from the hustle and bustle. Veranda Chiang Mai high resort is a total Zen experience from the moment of arrival. Divided into two zones, on one side representing the cultural heritage of the north and the other the contemporary veranda style. A boutique northern retreat of just 69 rooms, all guest are ensured of the best personal service, 24 hours a day from our warm and friendly staff.
|A choice of 5 categories, set on the valley slope
all with stunning views over the landscape with natural mountain
streams, rice and tea terraces, and the most inventive fun water
features. Rooms have either king or twin beds, covered with comfort
duvets, open style bathrooms and a large private balcony with day
beds ideal for those special moments.
Comfy Studio
Room size: 43.51 sq.m. with private balcony, mountain view
Valley Deluxe
Room size: 43 sq.m. + balcony 15 sq.m.
An open plan living space, plus 15 Sq.m of valley view over-sized canopy bed or Hollywood twin beds.
Valley Deluxe
Room size: 43 sq.m. + balcony 15 sq.m.
An open plan living space, plus 15 Sq.m of valley view over-sized canopy bed or Hollywood twin beds.
Jacuzzi Pavilion
Room size: 78 sq.m. + balcony 32 sq.m.
A private sanctuary also has 32 Sq.m of balcony and sunken spa Jacuzzi.
Plunge Pool Pavilion
Room size: 88 sq.m. + balcony 45 sq.m.
The luxurious haven with 45 Sq.m of balcony and plunge pool overlooking rice terraces.
Luxury 1 Bedrooms Suite
Room size: 82.76 sq.m.
Luxury 2 Bedroom Suite
Room size: 124-136 sq.m.
Luxury Pool Villa
3 Bedroom
Room size: 420 sq.m.
This exclusive over the top life style statement with 3 bedrooms, private study, living room with dining area and swimming pool.
The Higher Room
All day dining restaurant set high above our private valley, offers fine European menu with extensive wine choice from the old and new world with a choice of seating arrangements. with indoor air condition set in modern settings or outdoor al fresco with views over the infinity edged pool and the valley beyond.
Open from: 06.30 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.
Rabiang Cha Restaurant
Located on the lower plains of the valley with views of rice and tea terraces. the restaurant is modern version of a traditional northern rice granary each private room has air conditioned comfort and glass sky light. outdoor terrace dining is also available. the menu is a fusion of Lanna Thai cuisine with a modern touch.
Open from: 04.30 p.m. - 11.00 p.m.
Private Dining
At the veranda high resort and spa, we strive to provide individual services for each guest. private dinner or cocktail parties can be arranged in a variety of locations throughout the resort to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries or a memorable moment.
|The Higher Room
|Rabiang Cha Restaurant
|Private Dinning
Veranda Resort's Conference room is the perfect venue for meetings, seminars, conferences, conventions, private dinners or cocktails. Our Location is well suited for groups wishing to do business without distractions and allowing time for the participants to relax.
|Conference Room
Veranda Spa
Be pampered with our own signature spa treatments whilst enjoying the relaxing ambience of the forest setting. each private cottage is a self contained spa with large sunken bath, steam shower and twin treatment beds ideal for couples. all products used for treatments have been developed by our own experienced therapist.
Kids club
Nursery school trained staff are dedicated to make your child's holiday a happy and fun experience. a range of educational toys and daily programs of indoor and outdoor activities to entertain your child, giving parents peace of mind for a shopping trip in town or enjoy a spa treatment.
Fitness room
Air conditioned room, equipped with the latest modern work out gear perfect to pump those muscles or to work off a few pounds.
Swimming pool
Veranda high infinity edged pool is on the roof terrace of the main building over looking the valley. a swim with the ultimate view. sun lounges provide a perfect place to enjoy a cool cocktail or a quiet nap. a children's pool is also available for our young guest for safe wet fun.
Cultural pavilion
Join in daily fun activities, learn the art of Thai cooking, basket weaving, flower garland making or fruit carving. private tuition in traditional Thai music can also be arranged.
|Swimming Pool
|Fitness Center
|Kid's Club
|Chiang Mai, is a city built on the roots of a traditional heritage that dig deep into the soil of time, It's a city with a beautiful cultural personality of it's own. in addition, it's been blessed with much majestic beauty in nature the people themselves are an unforgettable part of Chiang Mai. handicrafts of silk, silver and wood are timeless souvenirs for visitors from all over the globe.


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The bombs that exploded at the Boston Marathon finish line don't appear to be part of a coordinated attack or have any direct connection to Maine, so Maine authorities have not ratcheted up security.
However, behind the scenes, investigators and analysts are combing through intelligence and reaching out to community contacts looking for anything that might help the Boston investigation.
Beyond that, police say they remain alert — particularly with respect to critical infrastructure such as telecommunications equipment. They are urging residents to practice that same sense of vigilance.
"The one thing it reminds us is we cannot let our guard down and we need to make sure if you see something that's not right – it isn't, so call," said South Portland Police Chief Ed Googins.
Police reported no change in security posture, in part because of systematic changes implemented after Sept. 11, 2001, when two of the terrorists came through Portland en route to the World Trade Center attack.
For example, Portland police already have a beefed-up presence at the jetport and South Portland has regular contact with the operators of the bulk oil storage facility there, one of the most visible targets.
"We're giving special attention to critical infrastructure and transportation hubs," Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck said Tuesday morning. "And I think that's a stance that we certainly have locally and what we'll see nationally, as well, in response to a tragedy such as the Boston bombings."
"We know of no threats, credible or otherwise, locally," Sauschuck said. "We are in active conversations with our federal partners, so we're up to speed with what's going on from an investigative standpoint."
Law enforcement and other government agencies, as well as private companies, are sharing information much more than they did before Sept. 11, when a lack of openness among agencies was one reason the conspiracy was not uncovered before the attack.
One of the vehicles for that interaction is the Maine Information and Analysis Center, created after the Sept. 11 attacks to facilitate exchange of security information within the state and with federal authorities.
"They obviously have been on the go since this happened yesterday," said Col. Robert Williams, chief of the Maine State Police, "not only analyzing what information we have come across that might be relative to the investigation but gathering information from media reports and law enforcement sources so we can stay apprised so if we need to make decisions on security issues we can make them based on information that is valid."
Williams said some Maine-based federal authorities have been summoned to Boston to help with the mammoth investigation there.
"There's a lot to be done and the days get long," Williams said.
The FBI also coordinates the state's Joint Terrorism Task Force, which helps serve as a conduit for information between federal authorities and those at the local and state level.
Williams said state police, the National Guard and the Maine Emergency Management Agency also have been involved in meetings preparing for different contingencies.
"We haven't jumped yet because as far as we know, there is no nexus between that event and the state of Maine," he said, referring to the bombings Monday in Boston.
Williams said the biggest problem authorities would face if a similar event happened here would be limited hospital resources.
"The best we can hope for, in Portland or Bangor, is two major hospitals," he said. Boston has eight.
Josh Frances, director of emergency management for Maine Medical Center in Portland, said local hospitals do train, not for an attack like this specifically, but for a major disaster with a similar number of injured people, such as a plane crash at the jetport.
"We can't think of every possible scenario, but surely blast injuries associated with mass gatherings is something we always think about," Frances said.
Portland hospitals exchange information with the Boston Medical Intelligence Center, not only about epidemiology, but threats to health care facilities, he said.
"The important thing to stress is in the post-9/11 world we live in, … now we have an extremely tight-knit group of professionals sharing vital critical information very fast," Frances said. "Just after this coordinated attack occurred, I was in contact with senior leaders from the state homeland security division and the director of our critical infrastructure protection program."
Authorities say they are sharing intelligence and devising security measures better than they ever did, but their efforts are not foolproof.
"We're vulnerable, no matter how you cut it," said Googins. "I just don't know at this point, as a police chief, what people would like to hear to make them feel better. I don't feel better. I go to Boston all the time."
Boston may be outside Maine, but so many people had friends at the marathon, and so many Mainers identify with Boston, the attacks feel very close to home.
"Crate and Barrel? My wife loves that place," Googins said, referring to the popular store just a couple of doors down from one of the blast sites. "I've been in Boston twice in the past week, … had lunch at the Copley Plaza," which is near the marathon finish line.
Googins does draw some comfort from the absolute confidence he has that authorities will identify whoever is responsible.
Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:
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Kurt Nimmo
March 12, 2009
Roger Rufe, Homeland Security's head of operations, wants to further erode the Second Amendment. Rufe told lawmakers more restrictive gun control and law enforcement may be needed in the Southwest United States in response to the drug war in Mexico, according to the Associated Press.
|According to Congress and the DHS, the Second Amendent and the right to gun ownership is at the root of Mexican drug cartel violence.
Rufe also said protecting border may require "deploying military personnel and equipment to the region if other agencies are overwhelmed." He did not specify what circumstances would trigger a call for troops. "We would take all resources short of DoD (Defense Department) and National Guard troops before we reach that tipping point," Rufe told lawmakers on a House homeland security subcommittee. "We very much do not want to militarize our border."
Democrats joined the chorus rallying against the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
In order to solve the problem of violence associated with the drug cartel war in Mexico, Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass) said during a House subcommittee hearing on Thursday that the government should think about imposing further restrictions on the Second Amendment. "Let's examine our gun laws, let's cut down on U.S. drug consumption, let's ask there to be more resources to root out drug money laundering," said Tierney.
Instead, we should examine the role of the U.S. government in the illegal drug trade. As former DEA agent Cele Castillo has told Alex Jones on numerous occasions, the DEA and CIA are intimately involved in drug smuggling. Castillo has "personally witnessed CIA drug smuggling operations funneled through terrorists that were also involved in kidnappings and the training of death squads on behalf of the U.S. government," writes Michael Webster for the American Chronicle.
Evidence of this surfaced on September 24, 2008, when a Grumman Gulfstream II jet crashed near Cancun, Mexico with 4 tons of cocaine onboard. The plane had the same registration number as a CIA transport plane used to ferry prisoners to Guantanamo Bay between 2003 and 2005.
CIA involvement in cocaine trafficking in partnership with the Contras was so rampant in the 1980s that the CIA's Inspector General Fred Hitz was obliged to testify before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence admitting as much.
In 1999, it was estimated by the Department of Justice that that $100 billion in drug funds were laundered in the U.S. each year. Catherine Austin Fitts, the former Assistant Secretary of Housing under Bush Senior, placed the figure at $250 to $300 billion (see Fitts' Narco-Dollars for Beginners:
How the Money Works in the Illicit Drug Trade). Others place the figure closer to $1 trillion annually.
|In this clip from Kevin Booth's American Drug War, the former head of the DEA, Robert Bonner, admits the CIA smuggles drugs into the United States.
So important are illicit drug profits for Wall Street and the banksters, Richard Grasso, Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, to flew to Colombia in 1999 to meet with a spokesperson for Raul Reyes of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC), the supposed "narco terrorists." It was explained at the time that Grasso was dispatched "to bring a message of cooperation from U.S. financial services" and discuss foreign investment and the future role of U.S. businesses in Colombia. In fact, as a Wall Street mob boss, Grasso was talking with the Marxist FARC in order to keep to the circulation of cocaine bucks surging through Wall Street financial institutions.
In February, the United Nation's Office on Drugs and Crime Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa told an Austrian magazine that drug money has been the only thing that has kept many major banks in business. "In many instances, drug money is currently the only liquid investment capital," said Costa.
In 2008, the U.S. Justice Department opened an investigation into money transfers conducted by Wachovia bank. It is alleged that Wachovia transferred funds from drug deals in the United States to Mexican and Columbian money-exchange houses, or casas de cambio.
It is not only Wachovia, however, that is suspected of laundering money for the drug cartels. American Express International Bank, Bank Atlantic, the Union Bank of California, the Sigue Corp. and others, according to the Justice Department, have resolved cases of money laundering to avoid federal prosecution.
The Mexican Attorney General's office says many of the casas de cambio are part of an elaborate system which funnels drug money through U.S. banks, on to European banks and then back to the U.S. and Latin America (see The Banking Industry's Dirty Little Secret: Money Laundering For The Drug Cartels).
[efoods]If Rep. John Tierney was sincerely interested in ending drug money laundering, he would take his investigation to Wall Street. Of course, if he did that, he would likely be the victim of an unfortunate accident.
But then the idea here is not to put an end to the lucrative Mexican drug business. Instead, it is a cynical effort to contrive yet another excuse to chip away at the Second Amendment and take guns away from law-abiding American citizens that have nothing to do with the problem-reaction-solution drug war in Mexico.
Roger Rufe and the Ministry of Homeland Security will eventually call for the deployment of troops but this has nothing to do with ending the violence along the border – or ending illegal immigration for that matter.
"The State Department recently estimated U.S.-originated guns were used in 95% of Mexico's drug-related killings," the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week. "Ms. Napolitano has promised a total of $45 million more for border protection next year, but it's unclear how much of that would be directed toward stemming the flow of guns and money to Mexico."
In other words, the problem is not illegal immigration or the bankster spawned drug cartel war in Mexico – the problem for the government and the global elite is the American people, their guns, and archaic belief in the Second Amendment and the Constitution.
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Objects in the shade of Olive Green
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Highlights / General details
Discover the true essence of Arabia, when your four-wheel drive leaves the bustling city of Dubai, heading towards Hatta. The Fossil Rock is a monolith towering over the surrounding desert landscape and is embedded with fossils more than 80 million years old. The silhouette of the rugged mountain range invites drivers to an off-road adventure through the steep passes. The journey takes you through a wild landscape of dramatic canyons, deep gorges filled with natural spring water and rocky valleys. Even though the Hatta Pools are situated in Oman, they are accessible for visitors from the Emirates for a day's stay. The drive ends in the village of Hatta where we visit the Heritage Village to visit the restored fort converted to a museum which provides fascinating historical information about the area. We then have lunch at the beautiful Hatta Fort Hotel, still overwhelmed and impressed by the incomparable landscape.
Hotel pick up, English Speaking Guide and Lunch.
Items of a personal nature and Gratuities.
Hours of operation
Tour is available Monday and Wednesday only and Pick up between 07:00am-08:00am.
Approximately 8 hours.
Participant restrictions
As Safaris involve off-road driving through rugged country, pregnant women and passengers aged less than 6 or over 65 are not accepted, or at clients own will & risk.
Additional Information
Photography of military and government installations is prohibited. It is recommended to ask before photographing local ladies.
All off-road vehicles are fitted with safety belts and A/C and licensed to carry up to six passengers, excluding driver.
Some of the tours and Safaris may not operate during the summer due to climatic conditions. It is also not always possible to serve food in the desert during summer.
This tour is conducted in English only
Minimum number of persons for the excursion is 4 persons.
Excursions operated from Hotels outside the City Limits are subject to surcharge and the supplement will be advised on a case to case basis.
You will be advised of redemption instructions & pick up time after confirmation is received by the supplier.
Complete information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, will be included on your Confirmation Voucher.
**All information requested must be supplied or booking is subject to automatic cancellation**


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DSOGaming writes: "As we've already stated, Vigil Games is no more. However, we just found out that the company was preparing a new game that was going to blow people away."
Hope this pans out and Platinum Games is able to save Vigil Games.
Oh god not Platinum games they are the most overrated developer this gen. The Metal gear revengeance demo is shit combat sucks so bad, no skill required just button mashing. They get a free pass for past success as cloverfield studios at Capcom
I would like to see a western dev/publisher pick up the franchise.
OMG Platinum Games are one of the best developers in the world at the moment. MGR looks amazing, and judging from their previous work on Bayonetta and how amazing Vanquish was, it's going to be to the same quality. With them doing Darksiders, it could become an amazing franchise. Fingers well and truly crossed on this one.
i want to see god of war team work on darksiders 3 just to see what their vision could be, but this is more of a fan dream than anything else. i don't think sony will buy the IP but i do see one of the console makers buy this
platinum please buy it, please darksiders is an ip that deserves to be continued, i really want to play as fury, and then strife.


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- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Kobayashi's points 'extremely valuable' for Sauber
- Race:
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
- Drivers:
- Kamui Kobayashi
- Teams:
- Alfa Romeo
Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn said Kamui Kobayashi's points for sixth place in Abu Dhabi are "very valuable" for the team in its battle with Mercedes.
Kobayashi scored eight points while neither Mercedes managed to score, leaving the teams just 12 points apart in the battle for fifth place in the constructors' championship. It had been far from a smooth race for Kobayashi as he dealt with a technical issue and Kaltenborn described his performance as "fantastic".
"Kamui had a fantastic race," Kaltenborn told ESPN exclusively. "First of all he stayed out of all these kind of trouble and secondly he himself had a technical trouble pretty much from the beginning of the race. He coped very well with it because he had an issue with his downshift and that resulted eventually in not having the full power in his recovery system.
"He had a bit of a handicap and still towards the end could keep the cars which were coming at quite a fast rate close to him behind him. I think he fought once again very well and gave us extremely valuable points."
Kobayashi himself admitted that it had been tough for him to deal with the problem, but said he was looking forward to fighting Mercedes in the final two races of the season.
"It was a very tough race and I am really happy I was able to get those eight points for the team," Kobayashi said. "To fight for fifth place in the constructors' championship in the remaining two races will be very exciting.
"Unfortunately today I could not use the full performance of the car. There was a problem with downshifting, which meant I could not recharge the KERS properly and didn't have full boost. Otherwise my race went well. I had a good start, while the team did a great job in terms of timing, strategy and the pit stop."


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Adventure Rider Print Magazine! We're doing a print magazine this November - 128 pages of high quality adventure riding stories, photography and interviews! Click here to purchase a copy for $9. Limited copies still available.Dismiss Notice
Discussion in 'Latin America' started by bananaman, Mar 25, 2008.
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text: News & Events / News print News View All Faculty Alumni Students General RSS Feeds YEAR 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 « Back 12.28.13 Paul A. Gangsei Named Executive Director of CUBE Brooklyn Law School is proud to announce that Paul A. Gangsei has been named Executive Director of the Law School's new Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship (CUBE), a hub for exploring legal issues surrounding entrepreneurship and the provision of effective legal representation and support for new commercial and not-for-profit businesses. Over the course of his career, Gangsei has built a reputation representing not-for-profit educational, healthcare, social service and cultural institutions and public entities in real estate and development transactions. His roster of projects includes developments for MoMA, the South Street Seaport Museum, The New School, the Manhattan School of Music and numerous healthcare providers. "Paul Gangsei comes to CUBE with a wealth of experience in entrepreneurial real estate transactions who understands the way deals come together and the pieces of the puzzle — both public and commercial — that must align to create a new venture," said Dean Allard. "We are fortunate to welcome a leader of his caliber to the Law School." As the Executive Director of CUBE, Gangsei has been charged with developing a new model for putting Brooklyn Law students on the front lines of entrepreneurship. He will work with the faculty on developing the Center's core curriculum, a combination of foundational coursework, in-house clinics, and industry-specific courses and workshops that promote substantive knowledge and skills training for entrepreneurial attorneys. As an entrepreneurial insider, he will continue to raise the profile of CUBE as a home for the next generation of pioneers in business, media, energy, technology, the creative arts and social enterprise and the lawyers who represent them. "I am honored and excited to be a part of CUBE," said Gangsei. "My role brings together many of the various pieces of my background and encompasses a broad range of experiences from my professional and volunteer life —in education, in real estate development, in start-up financing and in working with new ventures. I am sincerely grateful to Dean Allard for this opportunity and I share his vision for this new Center." Gangsei's first professional experience in education was as a member of The Teachers, Inc. (TTI), a start-up not-for-profit attracting recent college graduates to public school teaching. Through TTI, he became an English teacher at Westbury Junior High School. He then continued his work with TTI as Executive Assistant to the President acting as the company's "COO" — working with foundations, applying for grants, and building the company's presence in new locations along the East coast. He also served on the organization's Board of Directors. Following his work at TTI, Gangsei attended the Wagner School and studied Urban Planning. While there, he came to realize that the people behind the deals that interested him most — developing projects for communities — were lawyers. "I was interested in innovative individual projects that changed communities and institutions, particularly not-for-profits," he recalled. "The Chairman of the New York City Planning Commission was Donald Elliott, a Brooklynite who was a trained lawyer, and I wanted to do what he was doing." Gangsei attended New York University School of Law, where he was an Associate Editor of the Law Review. Following graduation, he clerked for Judge Lawrence Pierce of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He then joined Elliott and former Mayor John Lindsay at the law firm of Webster & Sheffield where his training in real estate development and entrepreneurship began in earnest. There, Gangsei represented not-for-profit educational, social service and cultural institutions, and public entities, as well as financial and commercial institutional clients, in innovative transactional real estate and development projects. Fourteen year later in 1990, Gangsei moved his real estate practice to the offices of Kalkines, Arky, Zall & Bernstein LLP, which merged with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP in 2003 to become the firm's New York City office. During this chapter of his career, he focused on higher education through development of noteworthy projects for institutions such as The New School and The Manhattan School of Music, as well as representing e-commerce start-ups through multiple rounds of financing. In his "spare time," as a member and then Chair of the Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Children's Museum, he spearheaded the Museum's noteworthy expansion, making it New York City's first green museum. Gangsei traces his entrepreneurial spirit back to his parents. His mother was an English teacher and his father a Lutheran minister who started churches and then became one of the founders of California Lutheran University. His parents also started and ran two different businesses of their own — one an off-campus travel-study program for public school teachers to earn academic credit for documenting their travel and integrating it into their curriculum (they eventually sold the program to Goddard College) and the other an antiques business focusing on private clients and high-end shows throughout Southern California. "My parents were in the habit of starting something from nothing and then doing it again," he said. "I guess I know where I get this interest." Gangsei sees CUBE as a portal to entrepreneurship — a door through which law students can become a part of the vast array of entrepreneurial activity happening in the not-for-profit, public, and commercial sectors in Brooklyn and beyond. "Brooklyn Law School is Brooklyn's law school," he said. "We are at the center of this hot bed of creativity, and thanks to CUBE our students can be an integral part of all that is going on here. Nick and I believe that lawyers can be facilitators and problem solvers. Our goal at CUBE is to train students to be the kind of lawyers that will make new ventures a success." Email this article Share Read the latest issue of Brooklyn Law Notes


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2017-12-01 - When HAMMERFALL released their debut album »Glory To The Brave« in 1997, the five Swedes launched a true heavy metal revival overnight. While the mainstream was saturated with grunge and the metal scene was dominated by black and gothic acts, this traditional metal record was like a godsend and heralded a new era. Now, 20 years later, Nuclear Blast releases a fan must have: a »20 Year Anniversary Edition« of the cult album with brand-new cover artwork - just in time for christmas!
Get »Glory To The Brave - 20 Year Anniversary Edition« on vinyl (in gold or black) OUT NOW, here: http://nblast.de/HammerfallGTTB20Years
Or get the digital version: http://nblast.de/HammerfallDigital
If you'd like to wait for the extensive fan box set, get ready for December 15th (the box set release was postponed!)
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HAMMERFALL - Boxset is OUT NOW!
2018-12-07 10:00 - Today, the swedish Heavy Metal Templars, HAMMERFALL, release the 20 year anniversary reissue of their second album "Legacy Of Kings". It is now available via Nuclear Blast. Détails
HAMMERFALL - to release boxset!
2018-10-26 14:30 - The swedish Heavy Metal Templars, HAMMERFALL, today announce the 20 year anniversary reissue of their second album Legacy Of Kings as 2-CD/DVD boxset, out on December, 7th. Détails
HAMMERFALL - fan box set OUT NOW!
2017-12-15 10:00 - Nuclear Blast releases »Glory To The Brave - 20 Year Anniversary Edition« with brand-new cover artwork - just in time for christmas! The extensive fan box set is OUT NOW! Détails
HAMMERFALL - release video trailer!
2017-11-21 15:00 - Today, HAMMERFALL unveil the official trailer for the upcoming release, which can be viewed here. Détails
HAMMERFALL - release 2-CD/DVD!
2017-10-06 13:30 - »Glory To The Brave - 20 Year Anniversary Edition« will be released with brand-new cover artwork and is now available for pre-order! Détails
HAMMERFALL - unbox "The Vinyl Collection"!
2017-04-12 16:30 - On April 14th, legendary Swedish power metallers HAMMERFALL will release their highly-anticipated, colossal vinyl box set! Détails
NUCLEAR BLAST - artists at OUT AND LOUD
2015-05-29 14:30 - Next week, June, 04th to 06th, OUT AND LOUD FESTIVAL (ex-BEASTIVAL) will take place in Geiselwind, Germany, for the 3rd time. Bands of NUCLEAR BLAST will be high in number ... Détails
HAMMERFALL – team up with NHL Hockey team ...
2014-10-22 18:00 - Swedish heavy metal pioneers HAMMERFALL announce their unique journey into the world of professional Hockey, as the players of the NHL team Minnesota Wild will be ... Détails
HAMMERFALL – Member turmoil!
2014-10-09 11:00 - Swedish heavy metal pioneers HAMMERFALL are still enjoying the success of their latest record »(r)Evolution«, which has reached a.o. the world charts on #24. But for ... Détails
HAMMERFALL – Making of 'Hector's Hymn' ...
2014-09-23 15:00 - Swedish Metal pioneers HAMMERFALL recently released their brand-new masterpiece entitled »(r)Evolution« featuring 11 glorious hymns. Today the band unveils the making of ... Détails


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With 6118 rooms on offer, the First World Hotel is the largest hotel in the world by room counts. First World Hotel is adjoined to the First World Plaza, which boasts 500,000 sq feet of indoor theme park, shopping centre and food galore. First World remains one of the favourite hotel among holiday makers in Genting Highlands. Its grand concept of all things under one roof is the main catalyst of its attraction among visitors.
And when you check into a Superior Deluxe or World Club room in the new tower, you'll encounter exclusively designed spaces enhanced by all the comforts you may need. After all, no expense should be spared for a little extra luxury.
A lush, grand tropical rainforest greets guests at the main entrance of the First World Hotel, followed by a spacious Spanish courtyard lobby. All rooms are comfortably furnished with modern amenities.


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Insatiable means can never be satisfied, sort of like a sink that can never be filled.
Whats the word for a never-ending source? For example:
My source of funding is [Missing word goes here].
While we are at it, what word should I have used in place of opposite?. (Since the opposite of insatiable is of course satiable).


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F96T8 4100 KELVIN 96 INCH FLUORESCENT TUBE - SEE SHIPPING INFORMATION BELOW - Bulborama Industrial Grade energy-efficient linear fluorescent lamps are built stronger to last longer than standard grade fluorescents. Unique Krypton/Argon gas mixtures reduce energy consumption, and heavy duty triple-wound cathode guards provide burning life of up to five years and 24,000 hours. Extended life phosphors allow Industrial Grade lamps to retain consistent lumen output levels and outlast standard fluorescents up to 5 times!
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Whitney Houston was staging a comeback before her death with a remake of the movie "Sparkle" -- and today, we're getting our first look at the trailer.
According to the official synopsis, "Musical prodigy Sparkle (Sparks) struggles to become a star while overcoming issues that are tearing her family apart. From an affluent Detroit area and daughter to a single mother (Whitney Houston), she tries to balance a new romance with music manager, Stix (Derek Luke) while dealing with the unexpected challenges her new life will bring as she and her two sisters (Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter) strive to become a dynamic singing group during the Motown-era."
The film is a remake of the 1976 flick starring Irene Cara.
According to producers, Whitney was a complete professional on set during filming.
Check out some promo pictures from the movie below.


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The economic downturn, steep health-care costs and longer lives may mean less money being left to boomers by their parents—but boomers are unlikely to complain about that.
Why? It turns out it's not about the money. Instead, baby boomers say personal keepsakes, family stories and last wishes are a far more important bequest than money.
Fully 86% of baby boomers and 74% of Americans aged 72 and older said family stories and keeping their family history alive is the most important piece of their legacy, according to a 2012 survey conducted for Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America.
And 64% of boomers and 58% of elders said family mementos and heirlooms are a key inheritance. Just 9% of boomers said they're eager to inherit money, and 14% of elders said financial assets are an important legacy to leave. The findings closely matched a similar Allianz survey in 2005.
"The things that make your family unique — not money, but stories and personal possessions — those are most important in the legacy discussion," says Katie Libbe, vice president of consumer insights for Allianz Life, in Minneapolis.
But there are two problems: Families often fail to record their histories, so those stories tend to die with aging relatives, and family mementos are among the most common causes of conflict after a relative dies.
"It's never about the money. It's always about the tangible personal property," says Mary Jane Olsavsky, a manager of PNC Wealth Management's Pittsburgh estate settlement group, who for almost 25 years has worked with families to distribute estates.
"Money can be divided pretty evenly, but the teacup that grandma always used? Maybe there's only a $2 value associated with that teacup, but because of the sentimental value and the emotions around it, that causes the controversy."
To avoid problems, consider the following steps.
1. Start talking
As you develop your estate plan, find out who among your family members might like specific keepsakes. If you have an aging parent, consider broaching the topic: What items would your parents like to give to whom?
Parents who create a mechanism for disposing of keepsakes go a long way to prevent conflict later, says Malcolm Greenhill, a certified financial planner and president of Sterling Futures in San Francisco.
"The parent has to take responsibility and realize there's a very high likelihood of arguments and disputes. There's something about death that polarizes — it either brings families together or splits them apart," he says.
He described a situation where parents left a treasured vacation home to their children to share. One sibling, in need of cash, wanted to sell the property; the others wanted to keep it. The dispute resulted in professional mediation.
To avoid that situation, the parents should have talked with their children individually and as a group, Greenhill says. "You sort this all out beforehand and then you make it public. 'This is what we're going to do and here are the reasons for it.'"
Also, take time to tell — and record — family stories. Olsavsky says she often encounters people who regret not finding out more about family photos. Write on the backs of photos who it is and how they are related, she suggests.
2. Create a memorandum
To ensure your financial wishes are carried out, your estate plan should include a will, possibly a trust, a power of attorney in case you're incapacitated a health-care power of attorney and a living will that clarifies your wishes with regard to end-of-life care.
But given that family heirlooms can spark fiery conflicts, create a memorandum that details how you want to divvy up your personal property.
"Most people's wills, the language is very general," says Kate Byrne, a Pittsburgh-based senior wealth planner at PNC Wealth Management. "'I give my tangible personal property to my wife and kids.' The best thing to do is to have a memorandum with your will."
The memorandum describes who shall receive specific items. The will then references the memorandum; for example, "I direct my executor to distribute my tangible personal property in accordance with a signed and dated memorandum to be found with this will."
Relatives may be unhappy with your decisions, but they're less likely to be angry at each other.
Make sure your executor knows where to find the memorandum, and be specific about items. In one example, a woman said her diamond ring should go to a daughter, but she didn't clarify which diamond ring, says Olsavsky. Attaching photos of the item and referencing each photo in your memorandum can help.
Another way to prevent arguments after you're gone: Give items away before you die. But be wary of gift taxes, warns Byrne.
In the memorandum, you aren't likely to list all of your possessions. A common approach to deal with the remaining items is that each relative, starting with the oldest child, gets to pick one item, and then they go around the room again.
In family disputes, Olsavsky says, one option is to have all the items be put up for auction. Family members can bid on what they want. The money goes back to the estate to be divided equally.
3. Avoid fomenting discord
Got a favorite niece or grandson? Consider demonstrating that affection before you die — and make your post-death division of property more equitable.
"If your legacy is that you'd like your family to remain a harmonious unit, then plan to treat them equally, so you don't cause that discord that can occur if one of the children thinks they've been slighted by a parent," Olsavsky says.
4. Consider hiring a professional executor
Choosing your estate's executor is tricky business. You're giving power to one family member — that can lead to arguments.
To keep things fair, some people name co-executors, but that gets complicated, too. For example, they may all need to appear in court or show up to sign documents, Byrne says. Remarriages are another source of complications: a stepsibling's actions may not be viewed as fair by family from a previous or later marriage.
In such cases, hiring a corporate fiduciary as executor through your bank or trust company may make sense. You can name a professional executor in your will, or your chosen executors may opt to hire a professional after your death.
5. Share your values
Sharing family values can be among the most treasured of bequests. An ethical will, which might be a one-page document or a bound book and is not legally binding, lets you pass along your life story and values.
For Greenhill, his ethical will — that is, the document detailing his values — is his online blog, where he writes about wide-ranging subjects. (One recent post is titled "What's Your Legacy?" Read more at MalcolmsCorner.wordpress.com.)
Referring to his now-teenage daughter, he says, "There is nothing else I want to her to do one day than refer to that."
While an ethical will can take many forms, often it's a letter tucked in with the will. These can be tough to write. The frequently-asked-questions page at PersonalLegacyAdvisors.com, a website that sells related products and services, can help you figure out how to create an ethical will.
Another idea: A journal that prompts you to write down information such as the location of important financial documents and your wishes for your family. Check out the "When I'm Gone" journals sold at JournalsUnlimited.com.