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|God of War
The logo for God of War, the first game in the series. Subsequent titles and merchandise use a similar logo.
|Action-adventure, hack and slash
|SCE Santa Monica Studio (main)
Ready at Dawn (PSP games)
Javaground/SOE-LA (Betrayal)
Bluepoint Games (port for God of War Collection)
|Sony Computer Entertainment
Capcom (in Japan)
Sony Pictures Digital (Betrayal)
|David Jaffe
|Marianne Krawczyk
|PlayStation 2, Java ME,
PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3
|Platform of origin
|PlayStation 2
|First release
|God of War
|Latest release
|God of War: Ascension
NA March 12, 2013[1]
|Official website
|God of War
The logo for God of War, the first game in the series. Subsequent titles and merchandise use a similar logo.
|Action-adventure, hack and slash
|SCE Santa Monica Studio (main)
Ready at Dawn (PSP games)
Javaground/SOE-LA (Betrayal)
Bluepoint Games (port for God of War Collection)
|Sony Computer Entertainment
Capcom (in Japan)
Sony Pictures Digital (Betrayal)
|David Jaffe
|Marianne Krawczyk
|PlayStation 2, Java ME,
PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3
|Platform of origin
|PlayStation 2
|First release
|God of War
|Latest release
|God of War: Ascension
NA March 12, 2013[1]
|Official website
God of War is an award-winning, critically acclaimed, and best-selling action-adventure video game series loosely based on Greek mythology. Debuting in 2005, the series has become a flagship title for the PlayStation brand, consisting of seven games across multiple platforms. The main trilogy and its prequel—God of War I, II, III, and Ascension—were developed by Sony's Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) and PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game consoles. Ready at Dawn developed the PlayStation Portable (PSP) installments—Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta—which were also published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Capcom published both PS2 installments and Chains of Olympus in Japan. The mobile phone Java ME installment—Betrayal—was developed by Javaground and Sony Online Entertainment's Los Angeles division, and published by Sony Pictures Digital.
In addition to the individual games, two collections featuring remastered versions of both PS2 installments—God of War Collection—and both PSP installments—God of War: Origins Collection—have been released on the PS3 by Bluepoint Games and Ready at Dawn, respectively. Another collection—God of War Saga—was released on August 28, 2012, for the PS3 and features God of War I, II, III, Chains of Olympus, and Ghost of Sparta. With the exception of the mobile phone game, God of War: Betrayal, every installment in the series has been released on the PlayStation 3 and each main installment was released in the month of March. As of June 2012, the series has sold more than 21 million copies worldwide. The series has also expanded into a franchise and now includes other media, including a comic book series—God of War (2010–11)—and two novels—God of War (2010) and God of War II (2013). A film adaptation of the original installment has been in development since 2005. Merchandise promoting the series has also been produced, including artwork, clothing, and toys.
The central character of the series is Kratos, a Spartan warrior tricked into killing his wife and child by his former master, the God of War Ares. Kratos eventually kills Ares at the behest of the goddess Athena and takes his place as the new God of War, but is still haunted by the nightmares of his past. Kratos is eventually betrayed by Zeus, the King of the Olympian Gods. Revealed to be a demigod and the son of Zeus, Kratos now seeks revenge against the gods for their machinations. What follows is a series of attempts to free himself from the influence of the gods and the Titans and exact revenge. Each game chapter forms part of a saga with vengeance as a central theme.
The series consists of six single-player only games, and a seventh that includes multiplayer. Each game typically features a third-person, fixed cinematic camera. The player controls the character Kratos in a combination of combat, platforming, and puzzle game elements to achieve goals and complete the story.[2][3] A first-person camera is featured in God of War III[4] and God of War: Ascension, and God of War: Betrayal features a 2D side-scrolling view.
Kratos' main weapons throughout the series are a pair of double-chained blades; other weapons (such as the Blade of Artemis in God of War) can be obtained during the games.[5] Magic is also used, and four abilities, (such as Poseidon's Rage, Medusa's Gaze, Zeus' Fury, and Army of Hades in God of War) are typically acquired.[6] God of War III differs in that instead of separate abilities, there are four primary weapons, each possessing its own magic offensive. The game also featured "Items"—additional secondary weapons with limited usage, such as the Bow of Apollo.[4] With each new game, most weapons and magic are lost via a plot device, and a new arsenal of weapons and abilities are acquired during gameplay.[7] God of War: Ascension differed in that instead of acquiring new weapons that are kept throughout the entire game, the player collects up to five World Weapons (such as a sword or a javelin) that have limited usage.
Relics, which the player can use in successive games (such as Poseidon's Trident obtained in God of War allowing Kratos to swim underwater for extended periods) are also found and necessary for game progression.[2] Kratos often has a special ability, which provides temporary invulnerability and increased attack damage. This ability has become an ongoing feature of gameplay throughout the series—Rage of the Gods in God of War and Ascension, Rage of the Titans in God of War II, Rage of Sparta in God of War III, and Thera's Bane in God of War: Ghost of Sparta.[4] This ability can be recharged by building hits on foes in combat, and gaining game-specific orbs. Thera's Bane, however, is recharged automatically.[2][4][8]
Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers, found throughout the game in uncolored chests (white chests in Ascension), increase the maximum amount of health and magic respectively .[5][9] Minotaur Horns, which increase the Items and Fire meter's maximum length, are available in God of War III and Ghost of Sparta, respectively. The Items meter allows the use of secondary weapons, called Items, and the Fire meter allows the use of Thera's Bane. The meters are increased in increments and reach their maximum once a certain number of Eyes, Feathers, and Horns are found. Other chests contain green, blue or red orbs.[10] Green orbs replenish the player's health, blue orbs replenish magic allowing further usage, and red orbs provide experience for upgrading weapons and magic for new, more powerful attacks, and replenish the Rage meter in God of War. Gold orbs can also be found in some episodes, which again replenish the rage meter. Chests with changing colors, which allow players to choose which meter to replenish, have also been available.[11] Red orbs can also be collected by killing foes and destroying certain inanimate objects. Bosses and more powerful opponents release a combination of colored orbs when killed via the quick-time feature.[5]
The series offers combo-based combat, and includes a quick time event (QTE) feature, also called context sensitive attacks, which is initiated when the player has weakened a foe. It allows limited control of Kratos during the QTE cinematic sequence; success ends the battle while failure usually results in damage.[4][12] In addition to the QTE system, God of War: Ascension features a prompt-less free-form system, allowing players the choice of when to attack or dodge based on the enemy's actions.[13] A grab maneuver can be used on minor foes.[8]
Each installment (except Ascension) offers a challenge mode, which yields extra red orbs, secret costumes, and behind-the-scenes videos.[14] Bonus content can be unlocked by defeating the game's difficulty levels.[15] Battle arenas, which allow players to set difficulty levels and choose their own opponents, are included in each installment except God of War, God of War: Chains of Olympus, and Ascension.[16] A quick-time sex mini-game is also included in each installment except Betrayal and Ascension.[17]
God of War: Ascension introduced online multiplayer to the series for both competitive and cooperative play. Up to eight players on two teams of two to four players (or a 4 to 8 player deathmatch) battle for control of a map in order to earn rewards from the gods. Players can also fight each other in one-on-one matches. Players must sell their champion's soul to either Zeus, Hades, Ares, or Poseidon, which allows players to try different weapons, armor sets, and powers inspired by the god of their choice, and extras can be unlocked.[18]
God of War[19] was first released in North America on March 22, 2005, for the PlayStation 2. After ten years in the service of the Olympian gods, Spartan soldier Kratos is tasked by Athena to find Pandora's Box; the key to defeating Ares, the God of War. A series of flashbacks reveals that Kratos was once the servant of Ares, who saved the Spartan and his army from annihilation in battle, tricked him into killing his family, and forced his metamorphosis into the "Ghost of Sparta". Kratos eventually finds Pandora's Box, and after finally killing Ares, ascends to Mount Olympus to become the new God of War.
God of War II[20] was first released in North America on March 13, 2007, for the PlayStation 2. Betrayed by Zeus, Kratos is saved by the Titan Gaia, who tells him he must now find the Sisters of Fate, who can change his fate and prevent his death at the hands of Zeus. Kratos is ultimately successful, Athena sacrifices herself to save Zeus and preserve Olympus, and tells Kratos that he is the son of Zeus. Kratos then joins forces with Gaia and the Titans to attack Olympus.
God of War: Betrayal[21] was released on June 20, 2007, for mobile phones. It is the only game in the series to be released as a 2D side-scroller and released on a non-PlayStation platform. The game's narrative takes place between the events of God of War: Ghost of Sparta and God of War II. Kratos is framed for murder, and rampages across Greece seeking the true assassin. Kratos succumbs to bloodlust and kills Ceryx, the son of the god Hermes—an act that alienates him from his fellow gods.[22]
God of War: Chains of Olympus[23] was first released in North America on March 4, 2008, for the PlayStation Portable, and a limited edition PSP bundle pack was released in June 2008. Its narrative takes place during Kratos' ten years of service to the gods. Kratos halts a Persian invasion of the Greek city of Attica, and learns that the world has been plunged into darkness by the god Morpheus. Kratos investigates the abduction of the sun god Helios, and prevents the Machiavellian plan of the goddess Persephone to use the Titan Atlas to destroy the world.
God of War III[24] was first released in North America on March 16, 2010, for the PlayStation 3; an "Ultimate Edition" with exclusive content was available for pre-order. Reigniting the Great War, Kratos is soon abandoned by the Titans. Kratos, helped by the spirit of the revived Athena, seeks the Flame of Olympus. He engages the gods and his former allies the Titans in an epic series of battles across the Underworld and Olympus. He discovers that Pandora herself is the key to pacifying the Flame and allowing him to open Pandora's Box. Kratos defeats the gods and opposing Titans. After killing Zeus, Kratos refuses to help Athena assume the role of new patron of mankind and disappears, his final fate unknown.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta[25] was first released in North America on November 2, 2010, for the PlayStation Portable with a limited edition PSP bundle and an exclusive pre-order offer released simultaneously. Set between the events of God of War and God of War: Betrayal, Kratos, the God of War, is still haunted by visions of his mortal past and embarks on a quest to discover his origins by finding his mother, Callisto. He learns that his brother Deimos was taken by the gods and imprisoned by the God of Death, Thanatos, and decides to find and save his sibling. Although successful, Thanatos engages the brothers in combat, and kills Deimos. Kratos then kills Thanatos and returns to Olympus, now enraged at the gods.
God of War: Ascension[26] was first released in North America on March 12, 2013, for the PlayStation 3 with a "Collector's Edition" available for pre-order with exclusive content. The game is a prequel to the entire God of War series.[27] Set six months after Kratos killed his wife and child, Kratos has been imprisoned by the three Furies for breaking his blood oath to Ares. With the help of the oath keeper Orkos, Kratos learns that Ares and the Furies plan to overthrow Mount Olympus. The Spartan escapes his imprisonment, subsequently killing the Furies, and Orkos, who begs for release. Although free of Ares' bond, Kratos begins to suffer the nightmares that will plague him for years.[28] God of War: Ascension is the first game in the series to feature multiplayer (up to eight players) for both competitive and cooperative play.[18]
God of War Collection was first released in North America on November 17, 2009. It is a remastered port[29] of God of War and God of War II for the PlayStation 3 on a single Blu-ray Disc. God of War and God of War II were ported by Bluepoint Games and feature high-definition 720p anti-aliased graphics at 60 frames per second and Trophies.[30]
God of War: Origins Collection was first released in North America on September 13, 2011. It is a remastered port of the two PlayStation Portable installments in the series—God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta—for the PlayStation 3 on a single Blu-ray Disc. God of War Origins was ported by Ready at Dawn and features 720p high-definition video, anti-aliased graphics at 60 frames per second, DualShock 3 rumble features, Trophies,[31] and it is the first God of War release to feature Stereoscopic 3D.
God of War Saga was released in North America on August 28, 2012. It is a collection of five of the God of War games for the PlayStation 3 released as part of Sony's PlayStation Collections line. The collection includes God of War, God of War II, God of War III, God of War: Chains of Olympus, and God of War: Ghost of Sparta. It features two Blu-ray Discs—God of War I and II on the first and III on the second—and a voucher to download Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta. The games retain the same features as their first PS3 releases.
A film adaptation of the first game was announced in 2005.[47] Creator David Jaffe confirmed that a completed script had been written by David Self and would be sent to an unspecified director and that Universal Studios is behind the making of the God of War movie but was unaware of its current status,[48] and eventually said, "it's doubtful that the film will even be made." [49] In September 2010, Jaffe said that the "script went out a year and a half ago to Daniel Craig who plays [James] Bond, but he turned it down." He also said that another actor had since been cast as Kratos; he said, "this new person is pretty good, if that ends up true."[50] In July 2012, The Hollywood Reporter said that the writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, had been hired to adapt the God of War film.[51] On August 30, 2012, the writers told IGN that they intend to "humanize" Kratos and explore his past. Melton said that they are emotionally invested and it could become a series of films, and that Ares "will become a more proactive villain". As of 2012[update], the movie is without a director and has a budget of $150 million.[52]
God of War: Unearthing the Legend (75 minutes, 2010)[53] is a documentary about the God of War franchise and is hosted by Peter Weller. The production discusses the relationship between the God of War games and Greek mythology, and features members of the God of War III development team and professional historians. It was released as part of the God of War III: Ultimate Edition (North America) and Ultimate Trilogy Edition (Europe, Australia, and New Zealand). On March 25, 2010, it was released on the PlayStation Store to purchase.[54]
God of War – Game Directors Live (80 minutes, 2010)[55] is a documentary featuring five game directors of the God of War series: David Jaffe (God of War), Cory Barlog (God of War II), Ru Weerasuriya (Chains of Olympus), Stig Asmussen (God of War III), and Dana Jan (Ghost of Sparta). The documentary takes the form of an interview panel hosted by G4's Alison Haislip, with the five game directors, 150 members of PlayStation.Blog and members of GodofWar.com and SpartansStandTall.com. It was filmed at the El Portal theater in Los Angeles on September 1, 2010, and was released as a pre-order bonus for God of War: Ghost of Sparta in North America on November 2, 2010, and was included with the God of War: Origins Collection and on the PlayStation Store.[56]
A six-issue comic book series titled God of War, written by Marv Wolfman with art by Andrea Sorrentino, was published by WildStorm and DC Comics between March 2010 and January 2011.[57] The narrative switches between Kratos' past and present; it occurs while he is a soldier of Sparta and involves his search for the Ambrosia of Asclepius, which has legendary healing properties and eventually saved his plague-ridden daughter, Calliope. Kratos also embarks upon a quest to destroy the same elixir to deny it to the worshippers of the slain god Ares, who wish to resurrect him.[58]
God of War, the official novelization of the first game of the series, was written by Matthew Stover and Robert E. Vardeman. It was published on May 25, 2010, by Del Rey Books.[59] God of War II, the second novelization of the series, was written by Vardeman alone and was published by Del Rey Books on February 12, 2013.[60] Both novels recount the events of the games and offer deeper insights into their stories.
On March 1, 2005, God of War: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game was released on CD by SCEI as an exclusive product for the Sony Connect Music Store. It has been praised for its well-developed orchestral themes, and the creative use of ancient and ethnic instrumentation The composers were also praised for avoiding the production of never ending action themes.[61] God of War II: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game was released on CD by SCEI on April 10, 2007. Praised as strong, the album features ominous orchestral pieces, and each composer's contributions are slightly more distinctive than the previous soundtrack.[62] The soundtrack of God of War: Chains of Olympus, composed by Gerard K. Marino, has not been commercially released.[63] Marino composed about thirteen minutes of new music for the game and re-worked music from the previous titles.[64]
God of War III: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game was released as downloadable content through the God of War III Ultimate Edition and Ultimate Trilogy Edition collections in March and April 2010.[65] It was also released on CD on March 30, 2010.[66] The soundtrack was praised as an orchestral success and the best score in the series.[67] The original scores for God of War, God of War II, and God of War III were nominated for Best Original Score at the 2005,[68] 2007,[69] and 2010[70] Spike Video Game Awards, respectively. The God of War Trilogy Soundtrack was included with the God of War III Ultimate Edition and Ultimate Trilogy Edition collections as downloadable content. The Trilogy Soundtrack consists of the God of War, God of War II and God of War III scores. God of War Trilogy Soundtrack was praised by critics as the best way to experience the series' musical development, and allows the listener to note the development of the composers during the series.[71]
On November 2, 2010, God of War: Ghost of Sparta – Original Soundtrack from the Video Game was released as downloadable content by SCEI as part of the God of War: Ghost of Sparta pre-order package and includes three bonus tracks from God of War: Chains of Olympus.[64] It can also be purchased from iTunes.[72] Several tracks were cited as being intended for purely contextual purposes, and the remaining tracks rated well in comparison to the soundtracks of the main installments in the series.[73] God of War: Ascension (Original Soundtrack) was composed by Tyler Bates and released on March 5, 2013, on iTunes.[74] It was included as downloadable content in the God of War: Ascension – Collector's Edition and Special Edition.[75]
|God of War: Blood & Metal
|EP by Various artist
|March 2, 2010
|Heavy Metal
|29:24 (6 track version)
36:56 (7 track version)
|Roadrunner Records
The God of War: Blood & Metal EP is a heavy metal homage by various bands on the Roadrunner Records label, and features original music inspired by the God of War video game series. The EP was released for purchase on March 2, 2010, and is available from ShockHound[76] and from the iTunes Store.[77] The EP was also released as downloadable content via the God of War III Ultimate Edition (North America) and Ultimate Trilogy Edition (Europe, Australia, and New Zealand) collections and included a bonus track.[65][78] The second track, "Shattering the Skies Above" by Trivium,[76] and the bonus track, "Even Gods Cry" by The Turtlenecks,[79] were made into music videos.
1UP.com (2.5/5) said, "it's not offensive to [the] ears" and "mainstream listeners may enjoy [the album]".[80] Square Enix Music Online (8/10) stated the album is a "good selection of metal music" and listeners will be "surprised with the variety of music".[81]
|Track listing
|"My Obsession"
|Killswitch Engage
|"Shattering the Skies Above"
|"Raw Dog"
|Dream Theater
|"This Is Madness"
|Taking Dawn
|"Throat of Winter"
|"The End"
|Mutiny Within
Total length:
|God of War III Ultimate Edition/Ultimate Trilogy Edition bonus track
|"Even Gods Cry"
|The Turtlenecks
Total length:
|God of War
|God of War II
|God of War: Betrayal
|God of War: Chains of Olympus
|God of War Collection
|God of War III
|God of War: Ghost of Sparta
|God of War: Origins Collection
|God of War Saga
|God of War: Ascension
As of June 2012[update], the series, including God of War Collection and God of War: Origins Collection (but not including God of War Saga and Ascension), has sold more than 21.65 million copies worldwide.[102] God of War, God of War II, God of War: Chains of Olympus, God of War Collection, and God of War III have each received universal critical acclaim from several reviewers as compiled by review aggregates GameRankings (GR) and Metacritic (MC). Although God of War: Betrayal did not receive this level of positive feedback, it has been critically acclaimed for its fidelity to the series in terms of gameplay, art style, and graphics.[22] Similarly, God of War: Ghost of Sparta did not receive universal acclaim, but has been praised for its graphics and story. 1UP said it is "a more personal story than the other GOW games..."[103] God of War: Ascension also did not receive universal acclaim and with the exception of God of War: Betrayal, it has the lowest score in the series from both GameRankings (79.45%)[100] and Metacritic (80/100).[101]
Raymond Padilla of GameSpy wrote that God of War is the "best action game ever to grace the PS2"[104] and one of the best action games of all time, having received over a dozen "Game of the Year" awards.[105] In 2009 it was named the "seventh best" PlayStation 2 game of all time on IGN's "Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time" list.[106] God of War II was also on IGN's list, and was named the "second best" PlayStation 2 game of all time.[107] God of War II has similarly been called one of the best action games of all time and is considered the swan song of the PlayStation 2 era.[108] In November 2012, Complex.com named God of War II the best PlayStation 2 game of all time—where God of War was named the 11th best—and consider it better than its successor, God of War III.[109]
God of War: Chains of Olympus has been praised for "fantastic" graphics and "tight and responsive" controls.[110] In 2008, Chains of Olympus was awarded the "Best PSP Action Game",[111] and in September 2010, it was listed as the best PSP game by GamePro.[112] God of War III received praise for its graphics, in particular of Kratos; IGN stated that Kratos is "perhaps the single most impressive-looking character ever in videogames." IGN also said that God of War III "redefines what the word 'scale' means with regards to videogames, as it throws you into scenes with Titans that are larger than entire levels in some other games."[113] God of War III received awards for "Most Anticipated Game of 2010" [114] and "Best PS3 Game".[114] The game also won the "Artistic Achievement" award at the 2011 BAFTA awards.[115] God of War: Ghost of Sparta received several awards at E3 2010 including "Best Handheld Game", "Best PSP Game", and "PSP Game of Show",[116] and won "Best Handheld Game" at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards.[114]
The series also received criticism because of problems with puzzles, weapons, and technical problems. God of War: Chains of Olympus was criticized by G4, who stated that the game "occasionally suffers from screen tearing and framerate drops", and that some of the puzzles "are so maddeningly difficult to solve".[117] The game was also criticized for its lack of variety in enemies, players still having to move boxes to solve puzzles,[110] and its relatively short story.[118] God of War III was criticized for one of its mini-games; X-Play said it was "particularly inappropriate."[119] IGN complained about the game's weapons, and said "that two of the three additional weapons that you'll earn are extremely similar to your blades. They have unique powers and slightly different moves, but by and large, they're more of the same."[113] Gamestyle criticized the script, and said it "gets downright hokey at times".[120] God of War: Ghost of Sparta received criticism from Eurogamer, which said that the "game's primary problem ... is in its in-built focus" and that "there is a sense that Ghost of Sparta is a step back for the series if you've played [God of War III]." [121] Some reviewers stated that God of War: Ascension's story was not as compelling as previous installments, with IGN stating that in comparison to Zeus and Ares, "the Furies don't quite cut it".[122] The multiplayer received a mixed response. Although reviewers claimed gameplay translated well into the multiplayer, they were critical towards the balance and depth of combat. Edge magazine, however, approved of the multiplayer, stating it is an "evolutionary step" with "some fine ideas ... that will form part of this genre's future template."[123]
The collections have also received praise. IGN (9.4/10) awarded God of War Collection the "Editor's Choice" Award and praised the enhanced resolutions, lower price point and smoother frame rates, and stated it was the "definitive way to play the game[s]".[124] Due to the success of the God of War Collection, Sony announced that further titles would receive similar treatment for release under its new "Classics HD" brand.[29] God of War: Origins Collection was similarly well received. IGN (9/10) stated "Sony succeeded at making good games better."[125] Although GamePro criticized it for its lack of new bonus content.[126] God of War Saga also received praise. Ryan Fleming of Digital Trends wrote that the collection "is perhaps the best value buy for any console available," although the collection is not likely for fans of the series, but rather inexperienced players or newcomers.[127]


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From The Print Section :: Page 53
Council leader looks back, ahead
A few months into her first term on Village Council, Judith Hempfling sat down at her computer and typed a resignation letter.
Elected in 2006, Hempfling saw herself as a lone progressive voice on a more conservative Council, and said she felt pressured to go along with the Council majority, while her attempts to get legislation on the agenda were constantly blocked.
Millicent Danita Walker-Jones
Millicent Danita Walker-Jones died November 25. She was 51.
Elvish impersonators
At Friday night's downtown Yellow Friday events, Santa's Elves performed as a crowd of adults and children gathered for the tree lighting in Kings Yard.
2013 Community Thanksgiving Dinner
The ninth year of Yellow Springs community Thanksgiving dinner was a huge success, thanks to the combined efforts of many people.
Whooping cough in town
Whooping cough is on the rise in Ohio, and the disease has made its way to Yellow Springs, according to local medical professionals
Making of a business park
How do business parks get developed in today's still-troubled economy? Who pays for what?
Those questions are timely to Yellow Springs, as Village Council will soon decide whether to provide $700,000 to fund the infrastructure for the Center for Business and Education, or CBE, as requested by Community Resources.
A world of homebrew, wort and all
Steam billowed from a six-gallon pot of boiling hot liquid on Chris Wyatt's Elm Street back porch on a chilly Saturday morning recently. He hunched over a brew kettle of malted barley, water and hops, stirring every so often to admire the color and aroma of his budding brew. In three months, after aging, Wyatt would have a strong, dark British ale, but on that day he could only imagine the flavors that his timing, techniques and ingredients would impart.
Street poets come inside to jam
There are many types of poems you might hear if you stumble into the Yellow Springs Community Poetry Jam on Friday night, where four local street poets are moving their acts inside for a "free-flowing evening" of poetry, music, improvisation and more.
A mixed first year for Yellow Springs Police chief
With just about a year under his belt as Yellow Springs police chief, Anthony Pettiford has made some strides and suffered a few setbacks.
How much tech should be in Yellow Springs schools?
The Yellow Springs community needs to have a serious discussion about the technology that local students need to keep up with today's educational demands, Yellow Springs Superintendent Mario Basora said at the November school board meeting last week.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
(Updates with judge's decision in second paragraph.)
Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. won dismissal of an appeal by so-called minibond investors who tried to overturn a bankruptcy judge's ruling in the defunct firm's favor.
In April, Ka Kin Wong and other investors appealed U.S. Bankruptcy Judge James Peck's decision to let the defunct firm settle derivatives transactions in a way that affected their effort to get more money for the minibonds, a type of structured note issued by Lehman. The appeal can't be heard until Peck writes a final order, a U.S. District judge Naomi Reice Buchwald said in a court filing today.
Hong Kong investors bought the securities from various sellers before New York-based Lehman filed for bankruptcy in 2008. Lehman's request to Peck to dismiss the suit filed by Ka Kin Wong is still pending, the district judge said.
The bankruptcy court case is In re Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., 08-13555, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
--With assistance from Bob Van Voris in New York. Editors: John Pickering
To contact the reporters on this story: Linda Sandler in New York at email@example.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: John Pickering at firstname.lastname@example.com


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... usare un rullino e scoprire di averlo già utilizzato, per ben due volte, e trovare immagini... particolari, NON ha prezzo!!!Taken by azotolina with a Minox 35 GT loaded with Lomography Redscale XR 50-200 (35mm) film in Palermo, Italy. These tags describe this photo: sanpietro, montagna, fallavecchia, mondadori, mostra, double, salvo, palermofoto, palermo, redscale, minoxgt-e, flashstalker, and azotolina. Date: 2012-12-02. Time: Morning. This photo can also be found in the album PALERMO +..., +....
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Tech Industry Asks for Government Help
At a March 15 hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel, and John Kelly, senior vice president for technology and intellectual property at IBM, urged lawmakers to enact legislation to improve math and science education, encourage broadband deployment and increase the budgets of key research agencies, including the National Science Foundation.
The worry is that the United States is not producing enough scientists and engineers. By 2010, 90 percent of the worlds scientists and engineers will live in Asia, said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who is sponsoring a bill with Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., to address the concerns raised by industry.
Click here to read more about industry attempts to lobby for more R&D spending.
Later this year, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., will introduce an alternative package of legislative proposals focusing on education, energy reform and health care reform to ensure that Americans can sustain their standard of living, he said.
"India, China and other nations are on the rise," Baucus said. "They have plans in those countries. We must make policy changes now."
Comparing the United States competitive position to a "frog thats being slowly boiled," Norman Augustine, retired CEO and chairman of Lockheed Martin, told the committee that the looming crisis in innovation took decades to create and will take decades to resolve.
One of the forces driving the problem is a change in the character of research investment, Augustine said. In the past, industry supported one-third of basic research, but with todays focus on quarterly returns, industry puts most of its research funds into development.
"Industry is abandoning slowly the R part of R&D," Augustine said, adding that the government must fill the void.
With obligations to shareholders, private sector companies cannot afford to direct a great percentage of resources to basic research, Intels Barrett told the committee in his testimony.
Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, views and analysis of technologys impact on government and politics.


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Hi all,
I'm new to home brewing having completed my third batch with not a whole lot of problems or issues (because of the help I have gotten on here from the members). For some time I have been wanting to make my own brew, with some help, more or less from "scratch", or about as much scrap as a new guy is comfortable with.
I'm a huge fan of Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale and was hoping to brew up an orange summer ale for my son's upcoming first birthday(for the guests, not him). I was hoping for a nice, crisp, smooth and refreshing summer style ale with a detectable orange taste.
As usual, I'm turning to the group for assistance and direction. Could anyone please offer some advice as to a recipe or direction of sorts regarding grains, hops, yeast, spices, flavors, etc?
Any advice will be GREATLY appreciated. I'm also looking into a custom label for his first birthday celebration, which I think would be a nice touch (unless I totally screw the pooch on the batch).
As always, you guys are the absolute best and the FIRST place I look to for assistance.
Assuming you're planning on sticking to a low alcohol, session Cream Ale style. You can add an ounce or two of sweet orange peal with 10 minutes left in the boil. Cascade hops will prop up the citrus flavors too. Ferment it with a clean yeast. Do you have a target OG, FG, IBU, color, etc?
I guess if it was my beer I might go with a wit recipe, swap out the majority of the wheat for a mix of base grain and adjunct and up the orange peel at the end. I (and most people I'd guess) use fresh citrus peels at the end of the boil, getting as much of the orange peel as I can while avoiding the white pith, just like in cooking. It smells great and has always been a nice flavor in the finished beer. For a comparison, my last beer used 8 small lemons' zest for 5 gallons.
I wish I had more experience with the beer you're talking about, this is just an idea.
As for labels, printing on Avery Stick on Labels is a popular, easy way to get your mark on a bottle. Also popular is printing on regular old paper and using plain milk of all things to stick it on the bottle. Sounds crazy, but the advantage is that the labels stay on when dry but slip off with a little hot water.
Lastly, I've seen guys use says-it to make some simple labels. Sort of Q&D but also an option.
I've tried it too to mark gluten free bottles I was serving once...


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I know... I just was having some fun with them. Not even sure I got it exactly correct but ... A little background
I saw an auciton for an AR Bolt assembly, a carry handle and a scope mount on eBay the other night for $125 buy it now. So bought it. Good seller. Lady that was selling it for her Son. Perfect feedback and lots of it. Well... a couple hours after I had bought it and paid her and she and I had conversed we get a email from eBay telling us the Auction was cancelled for illegal item listed. So... I and the lady agreed that we were going with the deal and screw eBay. But I decided to harrass them a bit. Here is the exchange. If it amuses you to do so.
I am replying to the automatic message canceling the Auction (now remember I already bought it and paid for it and the seller has shipped it today by the way):
My first reply
Subject:Listing Ended Prohibited Item
Message: Auction# 110082299008
There is nothing prohibited by eBay nor any federal or State law (including California) that was listed in this auction. All three items are within the rules of eBay and parts of a firearm that are legal to sell in all 50 states. They are not regulated parts in any way. Even under the Assault weapons ban states there three parts do not make up any of the restricted parts. So whomever you have reviewing these things needs to go back to school. These are totaly legal parts within the regulations of California, all other states and within the rules of eBay. You owe this seller an appology.
eBay's "Nash" replies
On 1/23/07 8:06 PM, "eBay Customer Support" <email@example.com>
wrote: Dear eBay Member,
Thank you for writing eBay in regard to the AR-15 parts auction that you are concerned about.
Firearm-related items and weapons may cause harm to the eBay Community. Additionally, the sale of these items may be regulated by the
government. For these reasons, eBay restricts the sale of
firearm-related items and weapons to a very few types. Sellers can list
these types of items on eBay under very specific conditions only.
The AR-15 is considered an assault weapon under the California Penal Code, section 12276:
"12276. As used in this chapter, "assault weapon" shall mean the
following designated semiautomatic firearms: (5) Colt AR-15 series."
The sale of any assault weapon-related parts or accessories is not
permitted on eBay because selling these items is highly regulated by the government or may be illegal in some areas. The prohibited items include
stocks, grips, slings, sights, or any part or accessory that is described as an assault weapon by either federal or California state
As these were parts for an assault weapon, they are prohibited under
eBay's Firearms, Weapons and Knives policy and the auction was removed
For more information on the eBay Firearms, Weapons, and Knives policy,
please visit:
If you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reply to this
email and let us know.
eBay Customer Support
Me again:
Thanks the response.
But... It does no good to point to a definition if you do not read the law as to why they had to define it. What that definition is then used to do is important.
California allows sales of AR-15's as long as they are constructed with a fixed magazine of no more 10 rounds and proper permits are obtained. That is the ENTIRE GUN that is the Firearm defined, not parts. California "restricts them". It does not ban them. It puts forth specific regulations to own and possess them. You are confusing Ban with Restrict. And you are then quoting ONLY the definition section of the law. Your not reading far enough. And I think your concluding that they are banned? No... Not the case.
Your definition of them as Assault Rifles is correct for California. And a few other states. But not by most. And not by the Federal Law. You see there really is no such thing as an Assault Rifle. All Rifles "could be used to assault". Or could be used to hunt or target shoot. But for the purposes of this discussion lets just get past that.
They are not banned. They are "restricted". But parts are not a "firearm". Most components of them are within the law and legal to sell in California. Everything that you list is perfectly legal to sell anywhere. By federal and state law.
The part that is the "firearm" of an AR is the lower receiver. It can be bought in California, but must ship to an Federal Firearms Licensee and be properly transferred to the owner who has obtained a permit.
California exempts the owners prior to 1992 from the restrictions. California then defines what components a AR can have or not have to be legally owned. It is the owners responsibility to comply with the law. California then goes on to define what permit will be needed to obtain one. You see they are not "Banned" in any way. They are restricted. And the part that is covered, in the case of the AR, is the receiver. Not all the other parts and pieces because that receiver IS the firearm.
And there is no Federal Assault Weapons restrictions in place anymore. They were allowed to expire because they had no value. It became evident that the only people that were affected were reasonable law abiding citizens and not crooks. Because crooks don't obey laws. Which is typical of such laws. They end up affected the wrong people. The law abiding.
Parts of firearms, including the items in this persons auction ARE NOT illegal to sell in any state (including California) and are not in violation of eBay policy which DOES NOT say that parts cannot be sold of any kind. It says "firearms" cannot be sold. And under all state and federal laws the parts do not make up a firearm. Only one key component is the Firearm by definition. It is the receiver or frame that contains the serial number. Those definitions are Federally mandated. And California defines them the same way.
Your attempting to oversimplify something. And so your conclusions are wrong. There are a bunch of Auctions on eBay at this very minute selling perfectly legitimate Firearm related items which are both legal and within eBay's policy. If you wish to change your policy to make it simpler for you then you will have to just come out and say that nothing even firearm related can be sold. Would that be simple enough to just clearly say it? Is there some reason you have to be misleading about it?
So in conclusion: You are incorrectly defining "firearm" and misinterpreting California Law as well. And you are then attempting to apply your erroneous interpretation of California law to the rest of the Nation.
I don't expect to sway you as it appears your of the mindset that you know what's best. However I aim to at least point out to you the error of your ways and why many people innocently are being accused of selling things that are perfectly legal to sell. If you wish to look more carefully into the laws then do so. If you wish to clearly make anything firearm related against your policy then do so. But do it clearly and completely one way or another.


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Zoo Miami Attempts To Create Pride
A group of lion cubs and their mother will be united with a male lion in hopes of creating the first, complete pride at Zoo Miami on Sunday.
Lion Pride Makes Public Debut At Zoo Miami
There was a coming out party of sorts for a lioness and her five cubs, including an adopted son, at Zoo Miami.
Former UM Tackle Signs One-Year Contract With Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are still looking for starters on the offensive line, but have signed a free agent tackle who might provide valuable depth.
Delmas Signs One-Year Contract, Patterson Released
Safety Louis Delmas has signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins that's worth up to $3.5 million.
Dolphins Spend 2 Days On Interview With Lions Executive
Until Wednesday, the Miami Dolphins haven't tipped their hand on who they may hire as the new general manager. But that may have changed with the interview of Detroit Lions senior personnel executive Brian Xanders.
Penn State Begins Coaching Search
Penn State University is searching for a new head coach after Bill O'Brien was named the new head coach of the Houston Texans late Tuesday night. The move by O'Brien could open the door for University of Miami head coach Al Golden to head to Happy Valley.
Newborn Lion Cubs Pride Of Zoo Miami
Zoo Miami is roaring with pride over the birth of three lion cubs, the zoo's first in its 33-year history.
TTYM: Watch Tom Brady Get Caught Looking And A Streaker Get Leveled By Security
by @TaraLipinskyMore Columns here. In this week's That Thing You Missed, a Spartan prank, A streaker is leveled by Browns security, meet baseball's "Swag Daddy." He's not what you think he is and Tom Brady gets caught […]
Tebow Legend Failing Quickly
The Tim Tebow legend is quickly fading in Denver after a second-straight putrid performance as the the Broncos' starting quarterback.


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Category Archives: Just Creative Design
Just Creative Design Goes MobilePosted on 22
'09 May
Thanks to the generosity and help from Mobify, Just Creative Design now has a mobile version. This means you can read JCD's articles on your iPhone or mobile device while having the pages & images load up to 7 times [..]
The Past, Present & The FuturePosted on 10
'09 May
This post is a general overview of what I have been up to, where I am at and where I am going in the short future. agIdeas 2009 This past week I have been down in Melbourne for the 3 [..]
"Jacob, Our Top Twit"Posted on 26
'09 Apr
A journalist from The Herald (Newcastle's local newspaper) contacted me earlier this week and asked me a few questions (find below) for an article based on Twitter (follow me). The next day a photographer came around and took a few [..]
April Fools! (No more Comic Sans!)Posted on 01
'09 Apr
Of course I would never swap Just Creative Design to Comic Sans (see original post here)! It was an April Fools Joke! Comic Sans is one of the world's most hated (and loved) fonts of all time. Ensure you refresh [..]
Just Creative Design Switches To Comic SansPosted on 01
'09 Apr
UPDATE: This was an April Fools Joke… see this post in case you missed it! I thought 6 hours was enough! You may have noticed some small changes to Just Creative Design, we've swapped from using Helvetica as our main [..]
Just Creative Design's 2008 Round UpPosted on 30
'08 Dec
This is a round up of the past year's articles along with some other interesting trivia, goals and future plans. 2008 Statistics 6778 Comments / Trackbacks 197 Posts 34 Comments / Trackbacks per article on average 15 Posts written per [..]
Last Chance To Win $800 Worth Of Prizes! Enter Now!Posted on 16
'08 Dec
A few weeks a go I launched my new website Logo Of The Day and when I did so I held a competition with $800 worth of prizes to help promote the site. This is just a quick post to [..]


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Bollywood Dance Party!
Presented by Peabody Essex Museum at Peabody Essex Museum
April 6, 2013
DJ Yogz and DJ D-Xtreme of Boston Sound and Light Company transform PEM's soaring Atrium into a nightclub by spinning the latest Bollywood, Bhangra and Western remixed music.
161 Essex St
East India Square
Salem, MA 01970-3783
Facebook Comments
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Steps in Becoming a RN in Alberta as a IEN
- 0Hello friends! I'm an RN here in the Philippines and will be going in Alberta, Canada this August as an immigrant. I want to get a job immediately but of course, as I have read from the forums, and having read the application for CRNE, I've realized that I have to go through a lot of things before I become an a Canadian Nurse. I'm confused as of the moment and I definitely need guidance regarding this very important matter to me.
Here are my concerns:
1) So while I'm here in the Philippines, I've taken my IELTS exam in Manila, and much to my disappointment, I lacked 0.5 grades on the areas of writing and speaking (imagine the frustration). I really don't want to blame the IELTS examiner for giving me scores like that, but just imagine the frustration of lacking 0.5 grades. I know this will slow down my application for CARNA 'cause I don't think CARNA will reconsider my grades even if I have good grades in listening and reading. I've researched that CELBAN is an alternative to IELTS and I find this more advantageous as this can prepare me in the Canadian way of working and communicating with patients. Now my problems are: I can't find any CELBAN review centers in Red Deer (where I'll be living) and I have no idea how much I'll pay for the review center and the test fee.
I've been thinking if I can just tick on "English is my first language" box as English is the language of instruction in UST and besides, textbooks, lectures, and quizzes are always in English. But I don't think that'll do but I'm hoping for a slight chance.
2) Regarding my application for CARNA. I've already requested my school and PRC (Professional Regulatory Commission) to fill up on the required parts. I'm stressing on the date on when I should send it to Canada because as I've said, I have to take CELBAN first and indicate in the application form that I will request the testing center to give CARNA a copy of the results. Is it really needed to be within 6 weeks? And is it okay to call them up and ask if I can extend the period for my english proficiency exam result?
3) I am also interested in working as an LPN while waiting for my application to be processed. I heard that it takes a long time for CARNA to process application forms. I'm thinking that being an LPN will orient me in the health setting of Canada before I become a CRN. I looked on the how to apply as an LPN page and I saw that I just need to go to the board of LPN in Alberta. They don't have online application form available. Does becoming an LPN in Alberta still require me to take classes and a board exam?
These are the things that I'm worrying for now. I hope to hear and get good guidance from here. Recommendations and suggestions are very welcome! If there's a better/fast way to approach this problem please tell! Hoping to hear from you guys soon!
- 1You will still need to meet PN requirements and pass their exam and like the CRNE it is sat 3 times a year. Suggest you contact the college not board for LPN and request application. You can also start your application for RN the college will not review it until complete so less worry about the English exam however there may be a time limit on getting everything to them
- 0Also changing title of threads applying to be a RN not CRNE
- 0Hello! is it the same with the RN application? I have to contact a school of nursing before I apply for the CRNE? or I just have to pass the application form to CARNA?
- 0What does the college website state? I know some provincial colleges request you contact them for application and some you can download online
- 0oh so that's why! thanks juli!
- 2Jul 31, '12 by NotReady4PrimeTime, RN Senior ModeratorCARNA = College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta
There is no "better/fast" way of gaining registration in Canada either as an RN or a PN. You're planning to arrive right as every member in the province is renewing their registration and all of the successful June CRNE writers are obtaining initial registration. Your paperwork will be put at the bottom of the pile. As silverdragon102 said, your application won't even be looked at until it is complete, meaning that all of the documentation required has been received. Credentials assessments cannot be 'fast-tracked' because the stakes are just too high. The safety of patients and their personal health care information are the ultimate goal of registration in the first place. Gaining registration as an LPN won't be any faster and it may be an easier path for you if you work first as a nursing assistant to gain local experience and practice your English.
The possibility that you would enter false information on your application sets off a lot of alarm bells. ( "I've been thinking if I can just tick on "English is my first language" box as English is the language of instruction in UST and besides, textbooks, lectures, and quizzes are always in English. But I don't think that'll do but I'm hoping for a slight chance." )
CARNA would be highly suspicious of that due to the huge number of Filipino nurses they've assessed over the past 5 years. There are only 8 CELBAN testing centres in the entire country. Calgary and Edmonton both have one and both are close to Red Deer, about an hour's drive in either direction. The earliest Calgary could test you would be the end of October, and for Edmonton it would be mid-November. The date on your CELBAN assessment cannot be more than 6 months prior to CARNA receiving your completed application. You must take the basic CELBAN test, and not the institutional version. You cannot combine test scores from IELTS and CELBAN. The fee for the test is $320. The practice test is available online and is free; a paper version is also available for $67.50. There are no review centres; CELAS wants to ensure that candidates are linguistically functional in the workplace and not just preparing to pass the test. Speaking and writing are perhaps the most essential areas for nurses when it comes to communicating with their coworkers and with their patients. If a person is unable to clearly communicate their concerns regarding a patient's condition or adequately document their findings and interventions in the legal chart, it makes it difficult for those who come after to know what's happening with the patient and what their ongoing needs are. I work with individuals from all over the globe. When I tell you that language barriers are a significant concern, I'm being quite honest. Understanding what is being said is vital to both the patient's well-being and the nurse's career. CARNA is very big on accountability. We all are 100% accountable for our actions and if we don't accept responsibility for our continuing competence, we stand to lose our registration and our livelihoods. And this extends to language skills.
You have to be prepared for this process to take you at least 6 months. You left it rather late to be looking into these details if you're arriving here in a matter of a couple of weeks. You need to be prepared to take any job that will allow you to survive while you work through the assessment process. Best wishes.
Last edit by NotReady4PrimeTime on Jun 14, '14 : Reason: formatting
- 0Jul 31, '12 by Fiona59Working as an LPN isn't any easier than working as an LPN. The line between the two is very fine in most facilities.
Along with Jan, I cannot stress how important the use of spoken English is. We have several nurses from the Phillipines on my services and their English is often hit and miss. It's on the one area our patients express their concerns about the most. They don't understand what the nurse has said to them. In report many of our overseas nurses get the sex of the patient wrong. Honest, everyone they report on is "he" or "she" when they are talking about prostate surgery it's a bit off to be saying "she had a quiet night and she voided".
Working as an LPN shouldn't be regarded as a stepping stone while waiting for CARNA to approve you. LPNs in Alberta are responsible for their own practice just as RNs are. Communication skills are just as important.
- 0Aug 13, '12 by ianmiyoh11Thanks everyone! Your comments have greatly helped me. I've already arranged all necessary documents that needs to be submitted. Will just mail it from here while I'm still in the country. Thank you , thank you, thank you


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5 Ingredients, 15 Minutes
When you need a fresh, homemade dinner on the table ASAP, we've got you covered. With these sample recipes from Good Housekeeping's bookazine, meal prep's a snap. Chicken on the Double, Pasta Presto, Speedy Seafood, Meat in Minutes and Salads in a Snap this collection has all that and more. Plus, time-saving supermarket shopping shortcuts, and kitchen organizing tips. Your family will love what you make, and you'll love how fast supper is served!
Arugula & Olive Salad
This salad couldn\'t be simpler just combine ingredients the veggies, toss with dressing, and top with paper-thin slices of Parmesan cheese!\r\n


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love the description with your own stylish piece... good things take time.. really enjoyed this... thumbs up!
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Dear All
I am looking to purchase a NAS box for home and i have been looking around and cant seem to make my mind up whether to buy a nas with a HD or one of those caddy and then use one of my old SATA or IDE drives.
One question I had was I noticed a lot of them cannot be formatted with NTFS. Is this common on all or are they NAS boxes available which can take NTFS.
I am only looking for a small home based solution, I aware that with the enterprise NAS boxes all the features are available.
If anyone has one can they offer any recommendation. A printer server would be very useful as well. I noticed a few which have this feature.


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Search results for : Business Corporate Consultants
Showing 1 to 10 of 106 results
'No excuse' for inaction over BEC generation shortfall
Asserting that Bahamians are now feeling the brunt of the current government's "inaction" and "paralysis" over the state of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC), a former government minister has claimed that there is "no excuse" for the level of inaction seen with respect to the monopoly power producer.
Phenton Neymour, former minister of state for the environment with responsibility for BEC, said: "I predicted that we would have blackouts because of the failure of the PLP government to institute certain action plans that we already had in place; on that basis I predicted everything for this summer. I was also saying that BEC is in a crisis position for the upcoming summer (2015).
"It is clear from what you have seen that there was an action plan which we had initiated. [The government] should've moved quicker for privatization and quicker for the installation of additional generation at BEC; both of those could've run concurrently," said Neymour.
He commented after BEC Executive Chairman Leslie Miller suggested that a lack of funds available to move ahead with new generation installation was behind the decision not to proceed with upgrades of power generation capacity at BEC, identified in 2012 as necessary to meet shortfalls at that time and prepare for the onset of Baha Mar.
The generation equipment upgrades were called for in a board memorandum obtained by Guardian Business on generation equipment replacement at the country's sole power producer.
Miller said he "was not aware" of the specific upgrades called for in the document by the board which had responsibility for the corporation prior to June 2012, before adding that "money" was most likely the reason why further installations did not proceed. The corporation is in a financially-stricken condition, with over $185 million in accounts receivable.
Guardian Business reported Monday that of 54 megawatts (MW) of power called for by the board to be installed between 2012 and 2015, leading up to Baha Mar's opening, less than 50 percent was implemented. A proposed 24 MW gas turbine was installed in November 2013, having been contracted for by the previous board in May 2012.
Miller confirmed that no other new generation capacity was installed at BEC, but stated that negotiations were underway to install 15 MW of additional power generation capacity at a cost of $5 million to $6 million to "satisfy Baha Mar". Speaking with The Tribune in August 2013, Miller denied that BEC would have any issue meeting Baha Mar's power demands when it comes on stream.
"We are already doing so. We will have no problem providing Baha Mar with all of its electricity needs, no problem at all," said Miller.
Neymour said that the recommendations made by the board in 2012 were supported by evidence from international consultants.
"One point I want to make very clear is that the action plan we had in place also was supported by the study conducted by (Germany energy consultants) Fichtner under the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) and by (engineering consultants) Mott McDonald. It is clear that the PLP and BEC failed to research the documentation that is at BEC and the action plan; by Miller admitting that he was not aware it is clear he did not read board minutes. And that's why I say (the power supply) is going to get worse."
The former minister added that notwithstanding the financial position of the government and the corporation, the government had a responsibility to find a way to finance new generation equipment being installed to ensure capacity is sufficient to meet demand and to support Baha Mar when it comes on stream. He accused those responsible of failing to properly assess the challenges faced by BEC, or acting to address them.
On Friday, Miller initially stated that BEC has enough capacity to meet present demand, before going on to add that if one generator is not functioning this causes production to slip below demand levels.
Neymour said: "At the end of the day the Bahamian people are suffering because of the inactivity of the government and we clearly are in a crisis position moving forward."
He pointed out that it can take over a year to order and have installed a major piece of generation equipment.
Robert Myers, chairman of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation, questioned what would have happened had Baha Mar come on stream in December 2015 as planned.
Myers said that the memo and Miller's response highlights evidence that BEC has a problem meeting "base load" power demand, let alone peak demand.
"You need to make sure that when something goes down your base load is maintained but we're not even at the 2015 base load. The base load plus some margin of error is not being met and so clearly there's a shortfall, a significant capacity issue. You don't need to be an engineer to work that out."
In response to Miller's comments indicating that the corporation is simply not in a position financially to move ahead with upgrades to generation capacity, Myers added: "If they were holding off in the expectation that someone would take over, that's a risky game. There's no capacity to change things overnight as we well know. Even if they bring someone in tomorrow, you're looking at 18 to 24 months before you can get that capacity online. There may be ways to crisis manage the way out of it, but that doesn't help our costs."
KPMG stated last week that it expects to make an announcement this week on how the government intends to reform the BEC to ensure more affordable and reliable power. Five to six international entities are believed to still be in the running for generation and transmission and distribution contracts.
Myers said: "The country's problems go well beyond Leslie Miller. I think he's between a rock and a hard place. He and the government have some very difficult decisions to make and they need to make them nonetheless. Finding a quality power producer that can generate electricity at a consistently lower price is of significant importance to Bahamians if we intend to remain competitive. The current situation is a shambles."
2010/2011 Budget Debate Contribution - Health Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis
I rise on behalf of the Ministry of Health to make my contribution to this 2010/2011 budget presentation and thank the great constituency of Killarney for the opportunity to present this, my third health budget to this honorable chamber.
I wish to congratulate the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham, for his courage in presenting a Budget that is reflective of the realities of the national economic situation and that refused to defer difficult decisions for future generation of leaders.
25 bil. impact projected from LNG power overhaul
International consultants commissioned by the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation have projected an increase in gross economic output in the Bahamian economy of between $10.1 billion and $25.2 billion over a 27-year period through the implementation of new power production facilities by a U.S. energy consortium.
A report by U.K.-based consultants Oxford Economics finds that under three possible power project scenarios involving the Bahamas Generation and Utilities Corporation (BGUC), the country stands to benefit in a major way, experiencing increased economic growth and employment levels as a result of the direct and indirect effects of lower energy costs expected to flow from the power projects over an extended period.
At the request of the BCCEC, Oxford Economics analyzed the economic impact of an initial proposal put forward by BGUC to the government in September 2013 under a Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) request for proposal, along with two additional proposals added in July 2014.
BGUC is, according to the BCCEC, one of the bidders currently involved in the BEC request for proposal.
In the extensive 50-plus page report produced in July 2014, Oxford Economics looks at the economic impact, both direct, indirect and induced, of BGUC developing and constructing at its own cost either a diesel-fired power plant, a plant fueled by liquified natural gas (LNG) shipped to The Bahamas, or a plant fueled by LNG entering the country via a specially-constructed pipeline from the U.S.
In doing so, the report, titled "Economic impact of the Bahamas Generation and Utilities Corporation (BGUC) proposed power plant facilities in The Bahamas", provides forecasts based on what was the original proposal put forward by BGUC to the government in 2013 as part of the BEC request for proposal, in addition to two other proposals made when the company was invited to collaborate with the BCCEC and Oxford Economics on a project to look at the impact of other scenarios.
The BCCEC has stated that its collaboration with BGUC on the project does not represent an endorsement of the company specifically, but rather a means of highlighting the potential impact of a given set of energy reform proposals.
U.S. Embassy support
The company already has the support of the U.S. Embassy. In a September 27, 2013 letter from the U.S. Embassy to the government, then U.S. Embassy (Nassau) Charge d'Affaires John Dinkelman recommends the Bahamas General and Utilities Corporation to the government. He describes it as a consortium of U.S. companies "with over 100 years of combined experience developing and implementing innovative solutions for complex projects".
The diplomat said he was "confident [of] the technical and commercial merits" of BGUC's proposal.
Via a purpose-built input-output model that looks at the impact of construction spending, additional spending by households and businesses driven by savings in power costs, as well as incremental visitor spending, as "direct" effects of the various proposals, Oxford Economics reaches the conclusion that the total economic impact of the BGUC project would be "significant and positive, and distributed over time".
However, the economic impact becomes increasingly more positive under the shipped-LNG scenario, and in particular, the scenario in which LNG is piped to The Bahamas.
Under the original diesel-fueled generation scenario, BGUC had put forward plans to construct, at its own cost, a $200 million diesel-fueled power generation facility in early 2015 that would replace roughly 40 percent of the current power generation in the country.
Looking at this proposal, Oxford Economics finds that in its 27-year project gross economic output in the country would increase by $10.1 billion. Additionally, the contribution of value-added production (total output less the cost of inputs) to GDP would be boosted by $6.8 billion, and an additional $2.8 billion in income would be earned by workers. A range of roughly 1,200 to 6,200 full-time equivalent jobs would be generated per year.
"The proposed power purchase agreement (between BGUC and BEC) would average more than 32 percent less than the price BEC would likely offer absent the BGUC project over the time horizon of the analysis, and approximately 41 percent less than what BEC charges today," the analysis states.
Oxford Economics projects that the lower power prices would increase The Bahamas' regional competitiveness and its share of tourism; add to visitor spending; create extra employment between 2.5 and 3.4 percent higher than the baseline forecast, and boost growth by around 0.1 percent year-on-year. Other impacts would be higher levels of investment by Bahamians, keeping capital in the country.
"The benefits of lower power costs would likely extend beyond the tourism industry to other sectors not captured in the analysis, such as transportation and manufacturing, which rely heavily on energy inputs," it adds.
Government tax revenues would rise by $1.1 billion over the 27-year project horizon of the diesel plant, averaging out to $41.1 million per year.
In the second scenario, which involves the construction of a plant that would produce power from liquified natural gas (LNG), and would involve additional capital expenditures and greater power generation, the total economic output generated by the energy overhaul is again forecast to grow.
Gross output would now be increased by $13.2 billion; value-added production by $8.5 billion, and an additional $3.4 billion in income for workers would be earned. Between 5,100 and 6,400 full-time jobs would be generated during the two-year construction period, while between 5,400 and 7,500 full-time jobs would be generated per year during the 25-year power purchase agreement period, during which BGUC will be providing power to BEC.
National GDP would rise by 2.4 percent to 3.2 percent per year versus baseline forecasts, year-on-year growth would rise by 0.1 percent and employment levels would be increase by 2.7 to 3.9 percent over baseline, net of any employment reduction that may come about at BEC.
The cumulative boost to government tax revenues is estimated to be $1.4 billion over the 27-year horizon, or $51.6 million per year on average.
"The use of LNG is the primary driver of the greater benefits reported here and would have impacts through two conduits," states Oxford Economics.
LNG would be associated with a lower cost of fuel and more efficient power production. The overall price of electricity would be around 31 percent less than what would have been the case in a baseline scenario.
Further benefit would arise from the relief of $450 million of existing government debt by BGUC under the scenario, about 10 percent of national debt, the consultants found. While this benefit is not quantified in the report, Oxford Economics says it "could be substantial in the context of broader fiscal reform".
"A reduction of 10 percent in the national debt, along with other meaningful and credible changes, could lower borrowing costs faced directly by the government, and indirectly, borrowing costs in the private sector as well," states the report.
With lower interest rates for government, there could be a savings passed on by government through lower taxes and boosts in spending by the private sector in the economy, along with stronger growth in output, income and employment, Oxford Economics adds.
Under the final scenario - the implementation of an LNG pipeline as the fuel input for the plant - economic benefits would include an increase in gross output by $25.2 billion; a boost in value-added production by $15.9 billion; an additional $6.5 billion in income earned by workers in the economy; and between 5,100 to 6,400 jobs generated in the two-year construction period along with 12,400 to 13,500 jobs during the 25-year power purchase agreement period. This would equate to employment that is between 5.9 and 7.1 percent higher than the baseline forecast, year-on-year growth that is 0.2 percent higher, and a national GDP increase of 5.5 to 5.9 percent versus the baseline forecast.
Construction costs would rise to $744 million, $536 million more than in the original analysis. An additional $330 million would go to the construction of the pipeline from Florida to The Bahamas, however, because most of the benefits of this part of the project would likely accrue in the U.S., Oxford Economics did not include it in its analysis as local spending.
Electricity costs are projected to be, on average, 57 percent less than what would be the case in the baseline scenario. Government revenue, meanwhile, is expected to be boosted by $2.6 billion over the 27-year period, or $97 million per year.
Describing the current state of power generation in The Bahamas, Oxford Economics calls it "challenging", with production facilities "aging" and limited funds available to maintain equipment. As a result, overall production is "at times inefficient" and the high cost of production has caused Bahamians to pay "some of the highest rates for electricity in the region". Simply producing power costs just under $0.20 per kwh, while at one station the rate for production alone is $0.40 per kwh, according to the report. Reliability is also a major issue, with outages causing equipment damage and some businesses subsequently choosing to simply run their operations off generators alone.
Paying for power accounts for around 10 percent of total spending in the economy, and likely depresses business investment, tourism market share and consumer spending, states Oxford Economics.
800 small and medium-sized businesses to be surveyed
A local consultancy firm is conducting a 'needs analysis' survey on 800 small and medium-sized businesses throughout the country, as the government seeks to develop and introduce the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDA) sometime next year...
Atlantis president calls for VAT delay
As the government moves full speed ahead with its intention to implement value-added tax (VAT), a leading hotelier said he would have preferred a sales tax and is urging the government to delay the implementation date for VAT.
In an interview with Guardian Business, Atlantis President and Managing Director George Markantonis said for the Paradise Island property, implementing a sales tax would be "easier" than implementing VAT. He made this suggestion as uncertainty still looms about the latter form of taxation.
"We all understand it and the whole world has done it (sales tax). And more importantly for us, our computer systems would be able to take those changes," he said.
While the government has proposed a general VAT rate of 15 percent, the hotel sector will be subject to a lower rate of 10 percent. Markantonis has estimated that his company will have to spend at least $500,000 on technology to implement VAT.
Markantonis is not the only one suggesting that a sales tax be implemented instead of VAT.
Numerous members of the business community, such as President of the Bahamas Motor Dealers Association Fred Albury, and Super Value President Rupert Roberts, have also touted such an alternative as a simpler alternative to VAT.
Meanwhile, Pedro Delaney, a chartered accountant and chief financial officer at Societe Generale Private Banking (Bahamas) Ltd. and SG Hambros Bank and Trust (Bahamas) Ltd., recently said the government should consider other forms of taxation such as a corporate income tax, which he believes would be easier to implement.
"When you consider income taxes, there are personal income taxes as well as corporate income taxes. Corporate taxes may be an easier measure to implement if we are going to address income taxes. The government may in considering that want to consider a flat rate for corporations on their net income," he noted.
The government, however, has pointed to the more "regressive" nature of a sales tax, which does not allow for credits for tax paid on inputs, and therefore becomes "a tax on a tax". Officials have also suggested the credit mechanism under VAT would increase compliance with the tax regime.
Atlantis' top executive is urging the government to postpone the July 2014 implementation to allow for more preparation time. In the meantime, Markantonis confirmed that Atlantis plans to hire consultants to help it understand the ins and outs of VAT and the impact it could have. He maintains that his biggest concern is the possibility of The Bahamas outpricing itself as a destination.
"We're not sure how it's going to impact us spread across our campus because we have multiple business units and revenue streams. They're not all what it would be in a typical hotel. Is Marina Village, which has four of our restaurants, part of the hotel or not? How do the dolphins fall into this picture? There are a lot of factors you have to look at," he told Guardian Business.
"We're not going to eat the costs, that's for sure. So the issue is going to be if there is going to be an added cost, and if we're not going to be reimbursed for it in another manner, which is trackable, that's the key, then obviously we are going to have to pass that on to the consumer. Do we like it? Well, no. I hope it doesn't get to that because we certainly don't want to outprice our destination because we are already fairly pricey."
Officials at the Ministry of Finance estimate that VAT can generate approximately $200 million in revenue in the first year alone, which the government has suggested is key to reducing national debt levels.
Auditors Prepared to Delay NIB Report
Auditors hired by the government to audit the accounts of the National Insurance Board (NIB) are prepared to delay their report to give NIB Director Algernon Cargill and former NIB Chairman Gregory Moss an opportunity to come...
BAIC: BAMSI delays will not 'increase cost'
The Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) will need to offer temporary accommodations for members of its staff and students due to construction delays and reported payment disputes.
Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) Executive Chairman Arnold Forbes insisted yesterday that the North Andros BAMSI project will meet its slated September opening date, but revealed that the institute will likely require temporary housing and educational facilities until construction of the main campus is completed.
"The school will be open in September, [but] it may not be open at that site... There are some activities that will probably take place on-site, [but] the school will be open on schedule," said Forbes.
The executive chairman also denied that the construction delays and need for temporary housing would increase the cost of the project, stating: "It has not increased the cost per se... We are on course basically to finish the construction part of it in short order."
Forbes added that BAMSI officials are currently arranging accommodations for its students, claiming that they "will be well cared for at the substitute for the campus until it's finished".
Last week, Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary Rena Glinton assured Guardian Business that the dormitories are complete and the institute will welcome its first class of students this week.
A recent NB12 report revealed that the construction of many of the institute's facilities, including student dormitories, labs and roads, was severely behind schedule and would likely miss the government's September deadline.
Speaking with NB12, Leader of the Opposition Dr. Hubert Minnis criticized BAMSI's slow progress, fearing that it is months off schedule, and demanded greater accountability from the government over accusations that political affiliations played a role in awarding BAMSI contracts.
"From what we've seen, you know that we will need millions more to complete this project... The public accounts committee will aggressively pursue how this money was spent. We need accountability," stated Minnis.
Bahamas Contractors Association President Godfrey Forbes pointed to BAMSI this week as an example of how the government should be more "transparent" with its contract awards, to enable more in the construction industry to potentially benefit.
The government hired 14 contractors to construct the estimated $20 million institute. One worker suggested that nearly 70 employees had quit after continued payment issues with a contractor.
However, Arnold Forbes argued that the government could not be held accountable for the reported payment issues.
"We are not responsible after we gave those contracts...I believe, unfortunately, that there are some contractors that are slow in paying their individuals, but it will not delay the opening," said the BAIC chairman, calling on all BAMSI contractors to pay their workers and end the pay disputes.
Minster of Agriculture V. Alfred Gray confirmed that the government was aware of the payment issue, and had directed the construction workers to the Ministry of Labour.
Following the reports, BAMSI President Godfrey Eneas issued a press statement, announcing that the institute would receive its first class of 50 students on September 29. The statement further
claimed that BAMSI's first international course with foreign students would commence in January 2015
The government had previously suggested that BAMSI could reduce the country's dependence on foreign produce imports, potentially slashing import costs by $210 million by BAMSI's third year of operation.
While many members of the Bahamian agricultural sector have supported the government's efforts to revitalize the country's farming industry, some have questioned the packaging and shipping logistics of the project, due to its North Andros location, and expressed concerns over its increasing budget.
In June, Guardian Business revealed that one of the government's top consultants on the BAMSI project had resigned from a senior post in Jamaica over questions regarding the legitimacy of his academic qualifications.
The hiring of Jamaican Omer Thomas in place of a Bahamian and in spite of his controversial past was defended by various Cabinet ministers.
BEC 'misused' from political interference
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
Political interference has resulted in "low operating efficiency" and "misuse" of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC), a consultant's report has confirmed, urging that it be allowed to operate as a commercial, profit-driven business supervised by an independent regulator.
Fichtner, the German consultants hired to perform an overview of the Bahamian energy sector's ownership and regulatory structure as part of an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded project, recommended that there be "a basic change in the institutional set-up and the existing framework of the regulatory sector".
Noting that BEC was curre ...
BEC 'will be privatised'
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
The Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) "will in the medium to long run be privatised", joining its Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) counterpart, a consultant's report recommending that competition be introduced into the Bahamian power sector through Independent Power Producers (IPPs) supplying a mix of renewable and conventional energies.
A report on strengthening the Bahamian energy sector, produced by German consultants Fichtner, suggested that competition be created by separating electricity production from its transmission and distribution to end-consumers, given that the latter was likely to be a 'natural monopoly' ...
BEC Workers in Clash with Police
The Bahamas Electricity Corporation's (BEC) line staff union staged an emotionally charged protest at BEC's main office that shut down operations and eventually led to a shoving match with police yesterday. The protest, led by the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) and supported by the Bahamas...


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Some of my earliest memories are of my mother, Rose Beebe, 88, singing to me: nursery rhymes, patriotic songs, Christmas carols, church hymns, advertising jingles.Mom wasn't always on key, but her enthusiasm was infectious and I followed her lead. I cherished snuggling up on the couch next to her to devour each episode of Lawrence Welk, Dean Martin and Dinah Shore's TV shows.Because of Mom's melodic madness, music has always been an important part of my life and I passed that gene onto my daughter, Jazlyn, 17, serenading her with an eclectic repertoire that spanned from Broadway showtunes to heavy metal to rhythm and blues.Today, the three of us are still singing, crooning songs that were popular during Mom's earlier years.Mom has Alzheimer's and the lyrics to songs from her past are some of the few memories she has from days gone by. As her Alzheimer's has progressed to the late stages, music has proven to be excellent medicine. It calms her down when she's agitated, perks her up when she is sad and brings joy when there isn't much to be happy about.According to The Alzheimer's Association, music therapy has been proven to help cognitive functions, social skills and agitation in dementia patients. It can ease anxiety and depression, improve sleep and mood and coordinate motor movements, thus enhancing the quality of life for patients and caregivers.Tom Sharp, the healthy generation activity director at Legacy Heights Memory Care, has worked with dementia patients for 10 years. He engages Mom and her friends with concerts and "name that tune" contests and also uses selected songs to remind residents of mealtimes and to help some with their activities of daily living, like dressing and grooming."Music had been proven to be one of the last memories dementia patients lose," he said.This is because rhythmic responses require little to no mental processing and are influenced by the motor center of the brain that responds to auditory rhythmic cues.A person's ability to engage in music remains intact late into the disease.Jazlyn and I regularly attend the sing-a-longs at Legacy Heights and enjoy interacting with Mom and her buddies.It isn't long after Sharp starts banging out tunes on the piano that the haze of Alzheimer's starts to lift - toes tap, arthritic hands clap, heads bob and lips move, perfectly reciting lyrics to "Blue Moon" and "You Are My Sunshine."I can almost imagine my senior friends as the vibrant, young men and women they once were.No matter what mood Mom is in, she comes alive and into the present moment. She is precious, confidently belting out each tune as she sings off key and claps off the beat. (I don't know where I got my sense of rhythm from because it sure didn't come from her.)Jazlyn and I dance with our beloved friends, waltzing with those that can walk and holding hands and swaying with residents in wheelchairs. The room fills up with smiles and joy.Mom has always been a bit obsessed with Sharp and somewhat of a groupie. When she was able to walk, she'd get out of her chair and stand at the piano, performing for her friends like they were a lounge act. He's always been a sport, allowing Mom to be his sidekick.Now the staff puts her wheelchair right beside him and she continues to relish the spotlight.After their shows are over, she is always exhilarated and for a brief time I feel like I have my mother back.Singing with Mom brings the three of us comfort as we manage the challenges of her Alzheimer's. I still curl up with her sometimes like I did when I was a child, only now I'm rubbing her back and singing lullabies to her."Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are," I whisper into her ear. She replies back, her voice as feeble as her body now, "Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.""Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are." I embrace her as we finish our song together and pray that we continue to get through the long goodbye one sweet note at a time.Editor's note: In Lisa Moore's column, "Generations," she writes about the challenges and healing she experiences as a member of the Sandwich Generation: those caring for a parent and a child.
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011
Generations: My mom's long journey is full of singing
In the face of Alzheimer's, music therapy lifts her spirits and mine
Lisa Moore is a freelance writer for South Charlotte News. Have a story idea for Lisa? Email her at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Dr. Rocio T. Moran, MD
Medical Genetics, Cleveland Clinic
- 9500 Euclid Ave Ne50
Cleveland, OH 44195
- 1 Office Location
- (216) 445-5686
Dr. Rocio T. Moran graduated from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in 2000. She works in Cleveland, OH and specializes in Medical Genetics. Dr. Moran speaks English and Spanish.
Gender: Female
Years in Practice: 14 Years
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Graduation Date: 2000
Hospital Affiliations: Not Available
Specialties: Medical Genetics


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How to Write a Resume Summary Statement. A resume summary statement is a brief list of the highlights of your qualifications.
It gives the hiring manager, at a glance, a synopsis of your professional qualifications. If you opt to use a resume summary statement what should you include and what's the best way to write it?' Here are tips on how to write a summary statement plus resume statement examples from Dana Leavy, founder of Aspyre Solutions career coaching in New York. How to Write a Resume Summary Statement A Summary Statement to introduce your resume can quickly and effectively brand yourself to a prospective employer.
What Job Seekers Need to Know in Today's Digital Market. Jindrich Liska is founder and CEO of Jobmagic, a leading social recruiting platform which enables employers to hire candidates on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Jindrich has pioneered many social recruiting approaches which are now used worldwide by brands such as Disney, J.Crew and Compuware. The 2011 job market is ending on a positive note. With unemployment shrinking to a mere 8.6% — its lowest level since May 2008 — and a steadily growing economy, businesses are planning on hiring and recruiting even more as their confidence in customer demand builds. In this new, growing market, those seeking their next dream job should cultivate their presence and contacts strategically in places where employers will be on the lookout for the best talent. Job Choices 2012 - Business. The 5 Biggest Wastes Of My Time When I Was Unemployed. Emploi - Toutes les offres d'emploi sur JobiJoba : moteur de recherche d'emplois.
Stages. Réseaux. Identité numérique. Influence digitale. VIE.


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How Young Thug Got Trapped By A $15,000 Advance From A Major Label
360 degree deals and the music industry's new hostages.
360 degree deals and the music industry's new hostages.
Migos, a young Atlanta rap trio, has decamped to a mansion outside of town to avoid trouble, ride Go-Karts, shop for $2300 backpacks, and continue their streak of red-hot singles.
"Like they said in Step Brothers: Never lose your dinosaur. This is the ultimate example of a person never losing his dinosaur. Meaning that even as I grew in cultural awareness and respect and was put higher in the class system in some way for being this musician, I never lost my dinosaur."
The business of being Pitbull.
The postscript of a viral hit.
Making vision boards with rap's strangest fallen star.
A profile of rapper Bun B, "the unofficial mayor of Houston."
An oral history of Sir Mix-a-Lot's 'Baby Got Back.'
On the sudden death of an up-and-coming rapper.
Three days on road with former chef and current rap eccentric Action Bronson.
On the murder of Jam Master Jay.
"If I had been a straight-A student my whole life and had rapped about Jesus coming back to save us all, I wouldn't get no media. The motherfuckers wouldn't give a fuck about me. But since I'm telling the truth, and been through what I'm stressing and know what I'm talking about, I'm a threat."
With flash, hip-hop echoes rock's golden age.
When rock was at its peak in 1972, Americans earning the equivalent of $1m a year took just over 1 per cent of national income. In 2010, this group's share of national income had grown to almost 10 per cent. At the same time, the average tax paid by these top earners almost halved. The rise of Jay-Z's "new black elite" reflects the growth in numbers of the super-wealthy. But the opulence that he and West flaunt also reflects the growing estrangement of those at the top from the rest.
As the hip-hop group Odd Future rose to fame, their sixteen-year-old breakout star Earl Sweatshirt mysteriously disappeared.
(After a stretch at a school in Samoa, he seems to have reappeared yesterday.)
The tiny, insular Tehran rap scene.
GQ: Your relationship with your biological father seems complicated. Lil Wayne: He don't give a shit about me. And I don't give a shit about him. I know his friends be like, "Damn, nigga. That is not your son. Stop lying. Nigga, you could be living in a motherfucking ranch right now, nigga." You know, whatever your father's into, if you're rich, you're gonna get him that shit. I would've got that nigga all kinda harnesses, ranches—you know what I mean? I saw the nigga recently—I had a show in New Orleans. And I ain't afraid to put this out there, 'cause this is just how much I don't give a fuck about a nigga, and I want people to see how you're not supposed to be. I was parked at the hotel, and I saw him walking outside the hotel. Just walking back and forth. I'm like, "Look at this nigga! You gotta be looking for me." If Lil Wayne got a show in New Orleans, the whole of New Orleans knows. Basically, you're not there for nothing else but me. So I call my man on the bus. I'm like, "Nigga, that's my daddy." He's like, "Word? Oh shit. That nigga looks just like you!" So I tell my man, "Go see what's up." So my man goes to holla at him. He tells my man, "Oh. I didn't know y'all was here. I'm here waiting for this little ho to get o¬ff. Get off¬ work from the hotel." For real? That's when I was like, "Typical Dwayne Carter." So that's what's up with me and my real father. I don't want to look like his ass, but I do.
Rick Ross was born William Leonard Roberts II in 1976, and he borrowed his stage name (and the associated big-time cocaine-selling hustler persona) from the legendary L.A. drug lord Freeway Ricky Ross. But the website MediaTakeout uncovered a photograph of William Leonard Roberts II when he was a Florida corrections officer. Most people thought that'd be the end of his career. Freeway Ricky Ross then sued him for stealing his name. None of it mattered. Rick Ross the rapper just sold more records.
The birth of the Beastie Boys—an oral history on the 25th anniversary of Licensed to Ill.
A review/interview/profile:
Let's settle on the bald facts: Eminem has secured his place in the rap pantheon.