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Marina and the Diamonds On Nervous Breakdown, Gay Following & Being One of the 'Greats'
By Chris Azzopardi
Originally printed 7/19/2012 (Issue 2029 - Between The Lines News)
With that trademark heart on her cheek and songs that boom with chirpy beats, Marina Diamandis appears to have walked out of a Saturday morning cartoon. Except she's not that innocent.
The persona the Welsh-born Londoner presents with "Electra Heart," the follow-up to her debut, "The Family Jewels," is a prissy, sinfully sexual diva who aspires to be a "bottle blonde."
In our interview, Marina chatted about how the character has more to do with her than you think, being the "only gay in the village" and not talking about the dirty title pun of her first album ... until now.
I don't know if you've heard, but some of your fans are gay.
(Laughs) About 97 percent of my shows' audience! It's so fantastic. Truthfully, I'd say 60 percent gay, 40 percent teen girls. And 2 percent 50-year-old creepy man in the back!
When did your relationship start with the gay audience?
On the first album I definitely did have a gay fan base, but it was much smaller, because I'm a very flamboyant character and the shows are really theatrical. But I don't really talk about the whole gay community thing, because I don't want to be a cliche pop star saying like, "I love my gays!" But the truth is it's a really supportive fan base and they're making this tour so special.
How about just going the bisexual route?
That's on the way! (Laughs)
What was the gay scene like where you're from in Wales?
Are you joking? I lived in a village of 200 people! (Laughs) I didn't really see any kind of gay scene until I moved to London when I was 19. I was the only gay in the village!
You've said that you relate to your gay fans, and obviously they relate back to you. Can you talk about that?
Again, I think it's part of the camp nature of my first (album), but I think with this album in particular, it lends itself to that more. On a lyrical level, with the first album I wrote a lot about feeling like an outsider and like I wasn't accepted for who I was, and that upset me very much - so perhaps that's why. If you've dealt with discrimination in your life, you probably really connect to some of those feelings. Also, on this album, a lot of the humor has really caught the gay community's attention. You're very humorous.
As far as the whole cartoon persona goes, do you think your gay audience appreciates your flamboyant look and fashion more than your mainstream audience?
No, but gay people pick up on things a little bit quicker and sense stuff that is potentially underground or quite cultish and is going to become bigger before a mainstream audience will. But everyone likes a pretty picture.
What was your reaction to seeing Cazwell and Amanda Lepore do a video for "Primadonna"?
Oh my god, I died! I love Amanda Lepore so much. I was just like, "Is this real?" Because Amanda Lepore really isn't real, obviously. I actually love Amanda Lepore so much. I listen to her quite a lot. There's a song called "Cotton Candy" and it's just fantastic.
Have you seen a drag queen do one of your songs before?
I haven't ... yet.
What tips do you have for Marina drag queens?
You have to have gigantic roots, paint the heart on your face with some eyeliner and then cut a strip of lashes from MAC and put four on each lower lash. Then use a nice bubblegum pink lipstick.
Tell me you named the first album "The Family Jewels" because of the pun.
That was the sole reason for it. But I was so lily-white skinned that when I began I absolutely couldn't admit it to the press in case my family heard or my dad heard and thought, "How rude! You can't be making those dirty puns." So I never really explained the meaning of it, but I just quite liked that my album title was basically bollocks.
After the first album was released, you admitted to being bummed that it didn't live up to your expectations commercially. What were your expectations with "The Family Jewels," and are you feeling more positive about "Electra Heart"?
Looking back on all of those interviews from that era, I look like I'm on the edge of a nervous breakdown. (Laughs) So I think that might have influenced my promotional duties at the time. I was really stuck in a rut, and I think I was ambitiously disappointed.
It wasn't that it didn't do well. Looking back, I can't actually believe that I sold that many records on an album that was pretty alternative except for two of the songs. I guess I am really ambitious and I want to be one of the greats - and there's nothing wrong with being honest about that. With this album, I didn't really have any of those expectations. I've let go of a lot of that baggage while writing the album. I've just changed my perspective completely.
When did you realize that you wanted to be famous?
I didn't really interpret it in that way. At 9 or 10 years old, I knew from the bottom of my heart I was going to be an entertainer, in that I wanted to perform in some way - but I didn't really know if I would be dancer or an actress. I definitely didn't really think about being a singer until I was 15, and then I knew what I was going to do with my life.
Fame and the media's effect on us come up a lot in your songs. Why are you so interested in exploring those topics?
To be honest, it's less about fame and more about praise and performance. If you look at all of the lyrical themes that are connected with that subject, it's more about theatrical terms - like primadonna or the starring role in theater - so it's not about being famous or being known. It's more about feeling like you're No. 1.
I was in a relationship where I felt like I was second best and I just thought, 'I'm not going to stick around.' I was completely in love with him, but I just walked away. You're the only person who can look out for you, and no one should really settle for second best. It almost seems like it's an obnoxious thing to say for some reason. But I don't think it is. (Laughs)
Who inspired "Teen Idle"? Did you have any one in mind for that song or the rest of the album?
There's a bit of Brit-Brit on the album. I mean, "Bubblegum Bitch" is basically Britney Spears peeled inside out. Britney is our teen idol, so that's what we all relate that term with. It's just so strange how everyone relates to that song ("Teen Idle") - that's been the biggest shock of the album, and I'm so happy about that.
You didn't expect that?
No, I just thought the lyrics were too specific and obscure. But that's the nicest surprise as a writer sometimes, when people come to you and you realize that everyone just goes through the same shit in one way or another.
You were looking to Marilyn Monroe and Marie Antoinette for this album, too. How did they work into it?
That was more of a visual thing. I've been looking for people who have always been portrayed with a certain duality to them in public. I'm really interested in that for some reason. I think villains are interesting. I wanted Electra Heart to have a villainous side to her.
Electra Heart is an alter ego?
I don't know. I always think "alter ego" means something completely different. I think it's a character that I formulated in order to be able to talk about things that I was too embarrassed to talk about.
How much of that character is actually you?
Quite a lot. It has to be. If you made it, then it's real. If you've created it, it has to come from somewhere. I think people make stories up, but it has to evolve from some truth somewhere along the lines. It's just like "Primadonna" - there are parts of my personality that are like that. I am kind of precocious, but it's not exactly something that you would market yourself as being, because it's not a very likable character. Maybe Electra Heart allows me to act or to write in a certain way and to write about universal truths.
Without seeming too narcissistic?
Exactly. Because "Primadonna" is a fun song, and people see the irony in it but also the truth: that we all know sometimes we can be like that or we know someone who can be.
Is Electra Heart more sexually adventurous than you? Would she have a lesbian encounter?
(Laughs) No, I don't think she would. But I do portray her as a bit slutty, and I don't really know why! Maybe I'm trying to live through her because I've never been one-night stand-y or anything. I'm a stage mom trying to live through her daughter.
Coldplay with Marina and the Diamonds
7 p.m. Aug. 1
Palace of Auburn Hills
6 Championship Drive
http://www.marinaandthediamonds.comChris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. Reach him via his website at http://www.chris-azzopardi.com.
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Hot off Season 7 of the LOGO channel's "Ru Paul's Drag Race" phenomenon, Darienne Lake of Season 6 spoke with Between the Lines about her upcoming hosting gig at Motor City Pride June 6.View More Pride Guide
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text: The Best Breakfast Cereals Facebook Pinterest Twitter Print Mail Save Left Arrow Right Arrow Photo by General Mills Left Arrow Right Arrow 16 of 19 Grid View See All The Best Honey-Nut O's Honey Nut Cheerios "Drinking the flavored milk is the best part," one tester proclaimed after sampling this honey-and-almond classic made with whole-grain oats. To buy: $3.80 for 12.25 ounces. Start

subset: commoncrawl


text: Conrad Black looks likely to avoid a jail sentence over allegations that he gave false evidence about his finances to a Chicago court when settling bail. Lawyers for Black, the former media mogul who owned the Telegraph group in Britain, will argue in court on Monday that a transaction involving Black's stake in a company called Horizon Operations will sort out the supposed shortfall in his bail bond. (Via cbc.ca)


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In a vast expanse of ocean that measures over several million square miles, there lies a stretch of sea known as the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, aka the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Plastic trash flushed into the ocean from Asia and the Americas swirls here for decades, turning this area of open ocean the size of Texas into an open dump for an estimated 300 million tons of garbage.
Morgan Hoesterey and Jenny Kalmbach, a pair of world-class waterwomen, paddled their SUPs across Hawaii's seven inter-island channels. Their goal: raise awareness and money for the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, which is dedicated to cleaning up the patch. The duo hopes their mission hits home with people everywhere. "The plastics problem isn't just something that is made up, or is being blown out of proportion," says Kalmbach. "If you are at the store and are debating about whether or not you need a plastic bag, don't."
The duo are touring their movie all over the Hawaiian islands at the moment. "This weekend (Dec. 3-5) we're doing a showing at the Kona Surf Film Festival here on the Big Island and on the 11th & 12th we'll have screenings on Oahu," Kalmbach says. "It's been really exciting and I'm stoked on the response from people."
Learn more here.


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Professional Counseling
At Northern Colorado you will make the most of your future by expanding your mind and advancing your career. You'll gain an education for life through relevant courses that help you reach your career goals.
Our graduate programs in School Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Marriage, Couples and Family Counseling/Therapy are fully accredited. We prioritize excellence and assure that our graduates are fully prepared to work as professional counselors. Our alumni have become leaders in agencies, schools, and private practices.
- All Professional Counseling Programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
- The faculty has been recognized with the UNC Academic Excellence Award.
- Faculty members have been recognized for excellence in teaching at the College and University levels.
- Faculty members are scholars as well as teachers.
- Students see clients under live supervision in our state-of-the-art clinic.


text: Posted December 20, 2012 Just finished the last major thing due before we left... got a major proposal done (and even well before the UPS deadline) :) I'm taking suggestions for what I should do the rest of today and tomorrow. Have to pretty much hang around the office in case a client or the other offices need something... What do you lazy fugers do to goof off at the office? Be original... I'm pretty good at goofing off already. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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BABY .:Sep 06 10:.
World Of Dance SD 8.28.10 .:Aug 31 10:.
I didn't expect myself to be attending this event. But shout out to Samath, World Famous, and Kidragon for being able to hook it up with a pass. Another thing I didn't expect was seeing such dope battles. Which in return, caused me to run out of space on my memory card. So I basically said eff it and drove home to pick up my other cards. I was also hyped to have two fresh crews go out. Calamaties and Freakshow. They most definitely know how to please the crowd. Be sure to check out the video. The battle was pretty RAW.
!!!! .:Aug 31 10:.
BLACK KEYS .:Aug 30 10:.
From one of my favorite albums of 2010:
Exile .:Aug 24 10:.
Exile - Your Summer Song (Remix Ft. J. Mitchell) from Dirty Science on Vimeo.
New Cee-Lo .:Aug 24 10:.
Hella Funny.


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Kids 4 Truth eNewsletter | February 2008
Posted: 16 February 2009 7:31 PM GMT-05:00
What We Did on Darwin's 200th Birthday
This past February 12th, the Kids 4 Truth team spent Charles Darwin's birthday putting the finishing touches on our newest dynamation! Lady Lucy – http://kids4truth.com/ladylucy
In the 150 years since Charles Darwin's Origin of Species was published, his theories about the origin of mankind have greatly influenced not only the scientific world but all of society, as well. While Darwin's "Special Theory" (sometimes called "Microevolution") was largely correct, his "General Theory" that all life shares a single common ancestor is unverifiable and goes against much of the available scientific evidence we have. As such, Darwinism has become a philosophy, a worldview in its own right, almost a religion, and not a scientific theory.
Kids 4 Truth's new dynamation "Lady Lucy" challenges the Darwinian worldview with more questions it cannot answer and demonstrates the ultimate emptiness of this erroneous philosophy. We hope Christians will be exhorted by "Lady Lucy" to stand strong on the authority of the Scriptures which have proven themselves to be the very Word of the Creator to mankind, the pinnacle of His Creation. On the other hand, we hope Darwinists will be challenged to consider what their authority really is (and what Darwin's authority really was) – the fallible word of a man.
Watch Lady Lucy here: http://kids4truth.com/ladylucy
The Kids 4 Truth team
© Copyright
Kids 4 Truth International. All Rights Reserved.


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Green Lantern 8 clips from the new Green Lantern movie totalling 8 minutes long! The film stars Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, a gifted and cocky test pilot who is the first human to become a Green Lantern. The Green Lantern Corps is a brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order. Each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers.
Copyright 2010 R3LOAD


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So, why are the winds howling this week in southern California called "Santa Anas?"
The origin and even the original spelling of the term "Santa Ana winds" are unclear, according to meteorologist Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services. Null said that during the past century both Santa Ana and Santana winds have been used, adding that the term "Santana winds" is said to have originated in Spanish California when the hot, dry winds were called "devil winds."
Other sources credit the persistence and ferocity of these winds through the Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County as the reason for their being called Santa Anas, he says. A third reasoning has an Associated Press correspondent mistakenly identifying Santana winds as Santa Ana winds in a 1901 dispatch.
They're also a part of popular culture in Los Angeles: In Raymond Chandler's 1938 short story Red Wind (another name for the winds), the Santa Anas were described as "those hot dry [winds] that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch.
"On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen."
An article that Null wrote for Weatherwise magazine several years ago has more about the names of winds around the world.
Visit Science Fair for your daily dose of scientific news, from dinosaurs to distant galaxies. Science Fair is written by science reporters Dan Vergano and Elizabeth Weise and weather reporter Doyle Rice. Their subjects are often controversial -- and always fascinating -- be they stem-cell research, slime mold, or underground slush on Mars. More about the team


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Five D-Day veterans from Swanage are being recognised by volunteers at the town's steam railway today.
Marking the 70th anniversary of their crossing to Normandy, Ray Wiseman, Brian Guy, Peter Lovett, Lee Wrake and Cliff Brown will be taking a trip on a steam train from Swanage to Corfe Castle station, on the relaid Purbeck line, to view a new Purbeck at War exhibition.
The trip has been organised by the Swanage Railway Company.


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This step is voluntary but will greatly enhance your chances of getting interest from other over 50s members on the site. Tell people about yourself, your hobbies and attach any nice photographs of yourself.
Use our website's state-of-the-art search to find over 50s members who match your criteria. Or just browse through listings and find members that you find interesting.
Located someone who you find interesting? Send them a few words or just a wink and see what comes of it. With a little luck you'll be on your way to uncover your ideal match.
You won't regret it


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AN APPEAL has been made for witnesses to an incident in Cheltenham yesterday in which a woman threatened a man with a knife.
The woman was reported to have left The Brewery restaurant without paying at around 10.40pm last night after consuming a number of alcoholic drinks.
She was followed to Henrietta Street by an 18-year-old male member of staff.
When he tried to talk to her she pulled a knife from her handbag and pointed at him before running away.
The man was not hurt in the incident.
The woman is described as white, around 35 years old and was wearing a black dress with a white throw over her shoulders and black tights. She had a piercing below her bottom lip.
Anyone with any information can contact Gloucestershire police on 101, quoting incident number 649 of January 1.
Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org and you may receive a reward if someone is arrested and charged.


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Detroit Free Press News Services
WORCESTER, Mass. — The family of former Detroit Tigers phenomenon Mark "The Bird" Fidrych has filed a lawsuit in connection with his accidental death in 2009.
Fidrych, at the age of 54, was working on his Mack truck at his home in Northborough, Mass., when his clothing became caught in the vehicle's power takeoff shaft and he died from accidental asphyxia by suffocation.
The Telegram and Gazette reports that Fidrych's widow, Ann Pantazis, recently filed a civil suit in Worcester Superior Court. It names Greensboro, N.C.-based Mack Trucks, along with two Worcester companies, Morse Mack Sales and Ballard Mack Sales & Service.
The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, alleges that the truck was in a "dangerous and defective condition" when sold.
The defendants have denied the allegations in responses filed to the lawsuit.
No hearing dates have been scheduled.
Fidrych was the 1976 American League Rookie of the Year after he went 19-9 with a league-leading 2.34 ERA. He went on to pitch five seasons for the Tigers but was limited to due to injuries. He retired in 1983.
Daily Pitch is a baseball fan's destination for breaking news, emerging trends and enlightening banter. With a veteran group of reporters positioned in three time zones, we provide a balanced, comprehensive glimpse at our national pastime, with a nod to both the passion and complexities that make the sport irresistible to many. More about our reporters


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and he is right
First Mallya allowed Fisi to drive for Ferrari & stating that he won't stand in Fisi's way. Now he making an honest assessment about the ability of his own countrymen. This Mallya guy is really cool & honest. He's going to be good for F1.


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One way to unlock value in real estate is to invest in companies that own properties leased to corporate occupiers. Generally defined, sale/leaseback transactions involve the sale of property and a lease of all or part of the property, for all or part of the property's remaining economic life, back to the seller (source: ASC 840-40). Over the past three decades, corporations have been increasingly executing sale/leaseback transactions - usually to better allocate capital, but also in many cases to manage residual real estate risk.
In a sale/leaseback transaction, the owner-occupant of a commercial property sells the asset it owns and occupies by executing a long-term lease with a real estate investor. This structured financing alternative has evolved into an attractive strategy for many corporations to unlock the value of their real estate assets.
Many corporations earn a higher return on their core business as compared to investing their capital in owned real estate. This off-balance sheet alternative provides the occupier 100 percent of the value of the property compared to traditional mortgage financing, which is usually around 65 percent loan-to-value. In addition, the gain realized from a sale/leaseback transaction can be amortized on the corporation's income statement, increasing reported earnings (this earnings impact can potentially improve the firm's financial ratios and margins).
Other benefits for sale/leaseback occupiers include premium pricing and tax considerations. Empirical evidence shows that a sale/leaseback property sells for a premium of 13 percent relative to comparable non-sale/leaseback properties. In addition, under a sale/leaseback structure, rental payments are 100 percent deductible against the company's taxable income, versus only the interest portion of a mortgage payment.
Some Bloomin' Good REITs
National Retail Properties (NYSE:NNN) and Cole Real Estate Investments recently acquired 67 Bloomin' Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLMN) restaurant properties for net proceeds of around $192.9 million (source S-1). The sale/leaseback transaction was arranged under nine separate master leases (on March 14, 2012) and the portfolio was leased to all five of the founder-inspired restaurant concepts. Bloomin' Brands has considerable debt ($1.8 billion as March 31, 2012), and by monetizing the core restaurant holdings, National Retail Properties and Cole Capital were able to capture accretive shareholder spreads. As explained by National Retail Properties' Chairman and CEO, Craig MacNab:
The largest transaction that we completed in the quarter was the acquisition of 34 properties leased to Outback Steakhouse and their various brands, where we invested just shy of $100 million. In this transaction, we acquired mature restaurant locations at a very stable and have a rent coverage ratio that's comfortably in excess of two times. Outback is performing very well as a company and you may have seen recent press reports that they are considering going public.
Another company that has demonstrated the capacity to unleash substantial sale/leaseback capital is Pep Boys - Manny, Moe, and Jack (NYSE:PBY). As of January 28, 2012, the Philadelphia-based chain operated 562 Supercenters, 169 Service & Tire Centers, and 7 Pep Express stores located in 35 states of the United States, and in Puerto Rico. Founded in 1921, Pep Boys acquired 99 Service & Tire Centers and opened 21 new stores in 2011-20 Service & Tire Centers and one Supercenter. The company plans to open 75 new Service & Tire and 10 Supercenter locations in 2012.
The Company owns its five-story (approximately 300,000 square foot) corporate headquarters in Philadelphia and a 60,000 square foot office building in Los Angeles. The company also owns the following administrative regional offices—approximately 4,000 square feet of space in each of Melrose Park, Illinois, and Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Of the 738 store locations operated by the company (at January 28, 2012), 232 are owned and 506 are leased. As of January 28, 2012, 126 of the 232 stores owned by the company are currently used as collateral under our Senior Secured Term Loan, due October 2013 (source: PBY 10-K).
As fellow Seeking Alpha contributor, Christopher Pavese, wrote in a recent article (Manny, Moe & Jack's Competitive Advantage):
We believe the company's real estate portfolio provides investors with a healthy margin of safety. Pep Boys' most recent real estate appraisal in June 2011 valued the company's owned real estate at about $690 million. After the stock's recent decline, PBY's market capitalization is around $500 million today. We think this is a temporary overreaction and represents a very attractive entry point into a high quality service business with strong brand recognition. It's unlikely Amazon will find a way to effectively compete with Manny Moe & Jack anytime soon.
National Retail Properties has 17 leases with Pep Boys, and the REIT's annual base rent composition (of Pep Boys) is around 2.2 percent. In addition, National Retail Properties has 34 leases with Bloomin' Brands (representing 2.4 percent of the REIT's concentration with BLMN).
Last week, Jonathan Heller, contributor for TheStreet, wrote an article, Profiting from the Cracker Barrel Feud, in which he revealed some interesting sale/leaseback options related to unlocking considerable value for Cracker Barrel (NASDAQ:CBRL) investors. As Heller explains,
Sweetening the deal was the real estate owned by the company; namely more than 400 of its locations. That's a potentially compelling portfolio of real estate and gives the company some options. Three years ago, a sale and leaseback transaction on one distribution center and 14 stores netted $57.6 million: $12.4 million for the distribution center and about $3.23 million per store. While you can't jump to the conclusion that every owned location is worth in excess of $3 million, it does give you an idea of potential value.
Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation (NYSE:MNR) owns a 381,240 square foot retail distribution center in Lebanon, New Jersey. The industrial sector REIT acquired the facility for $14.5 million from United Trust Fund, a Miami-based REIT that specializes in sale/leaseback transactions.
United Trust Fund has a 40-year track record of originating sale/leaseback transactions and the following quote was contained in the company's website brochure:
The sale-leaseback often begins with companies recognizing that assets frozen in concrete and steel are neither good for the balance sheet nor a productive utilization of capital. Old economy or new, boom times or downturn, the demands of adjusting to shifting economic realities are exacting. Managing balance sheets must be done at the speed of business today. This requires efficiency and creativity. Now more than ever, businesses have a need to convert existing real estate assets into cash and find cost effective and efficient alternatives to traditional debt to fund the costs of expansion, acquisitions, special investment opportunities, and construction of new facilities.
By monetizing the 400 plus locations (66 percent of portfolio) owned by Cracker Barrel, the company could unlock considerable capital that could be deployed at a higher return and in their core business, as compared to investing in company-owned real estate.
Other "Best in Class" Brands Focus on Operations, Not Real Estate
Family Dollar (NYSE:FDO) recently tapped the sale/leaseback market by generating over $357 million. In two separate transactions, the company was able to combine these sale/leaseback transactions to monetize the new stores as a source of capital for the company's ongoing fee development program. Earlier this year, Family Dollar created a new fee development program whereby the company works with developers to build stores using the company's capital and thereby lowering its occupancy costs. As Family Dollar's CFO, CAO, and Executive Vice President, Mary A. Winston explains (Q3-12 earnings call):
Upon completion of construction, we own the stores. While we are expanding our fee development program, our goal is not to own more stores. We prefer the flexibility of operating leases and do not believe that investing in real estate is an optimal use of our capital. Our goal is to convert these owned assets into leased assess through a series of sale-leaseback transactions.
Walgreen (WAG) and Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) are also in the market to monetize select free-standing properties. According to the Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) website, both high-traffic investment-grade rated companies are looking to rearrange their capital structures by utilizing sale/leaseback strategies.
Historically, Walgreen has utilized sale-leaseback cash to pay off short-term debt accumulated against long-term real estate assets. This rationale is the primary motive for most sale/leaseback candidates as their returns on investments in real estate are not nearly as good as the returns they get from operating their core businesses.
While real estate returns typically range between 5 percent and 7 percent, Walgreen's shareholders expect returns of about 18 percent after taxes and by owning real estate, the returns are dilutive.
W. P. Carey: The Pioneer of Sale/Leaseback Investing
W. P. Carey & Company (NYSE:WPC), founded in 1973 by William Polk Carey, is focused on financing sale/leaseback opportunities and providing companies with capital to invest in growth or balance sheet efficiencies. As a global net lease pioneer, Carey has maintained a stalwart platform of providing sustainable net lease income for 40 years. The globally diverse asset portfolio, combined with its sustainably innovative operating platform, has made W. P. Carey one of the safest and reliable real estate investment platforms in the world.
W. P. Carey & Company is also growing closer to merging its Corporate Property Associates 15 Inc. (CPA®: 15) non-traded REIT into W. P. Carey & Co., LLC. Upon merging these two entities, the merged company (expected to close around Q3-12) will become a publicly listed REIT. By owning over 75 percent of its combined (merged) assets, W. P. Carey will qualify as a REIT and the benefits of the planned merger will provide further risk-alignment for current and future investors.
Earlier this year, Carey announced that its non-traded REIT affiliate (CPA®:17) had closed on a sale/leaseback with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. The properties acquire included six buildings in suburban Minneapolis/St. Paul as well as individual properties locates in the cities of Aurora and Virginia, also in Minnesota.
W. P. Carey pioneered the sale/leaseback as a mainstream form of financing in the U.S. and has been a leader in introducing sale-leasebacks to corporations and governmental entities throughout Europe and now in Asia. Over nearly a 40-year history, Carey has provided long-term financing solutions to more than 284 companies. In 2011, Carey structured investments totaling approximately $1.2 billion (source: WPC website).
Advantages to Investing in Sale/Leaseback Transactions
One of the primary advantages for investing in sale/leaseback transactions is to reduce portfolio volatility. Given the broader unpredictability in the equity markets and rich pricing across fixed-income instruments, sale/leaseback investors have gravitated to the "flight to quality" that make the asset sector attractive. In addition, sale/leasebacks provide investors with an immediate return on equity since leases are in place. The essence of the sale/leaseback investment strategy is that the leases behave much like a corporate bond, but they also include a hedge against inflation.
The sale/leaseback investor has minimal expenses since the property is acquired with a long-term lease in place. Uncertainty associated with operating expenses and vacancy is muted, increasing the investment value to the buyer. Accordingly, premium pricing on sale/leaseback assets is justified because of the lack of anticipated periodic vacancy.
National Retail Properties, Realty Income (NYSE:O), Monmouth REIT, W.P. Carey, Lexington Realty Trust (NYSE:LXP) and Cole Real Estate Investments (non-traded REIT sponsor) have all tapped the sale-leaseback space in order to originate "organic" long-term leases. Given the benefits of sale/leaseback transactions, there should be a continued trend of a larger number of firms to sell their facilities to investors, unlocking the value of the underlying properties. Accordingly, the sale/leaseback industry will continue to provide a meaningful balance of value for originators and investors alike.
Related Article: Last week, I wrote an article (The Conundrum Of Triple Net Lease Valuation) in which I explained that the triple-net conundrum is cheap is truly great…if it comes with a cost of capital that is competitive over the long term.
The Author in Action: I plan on attending the France Media 3rd annual InterFace Net Lease conference on September 11, 2012, in New York City at the New York City Bar Association. This industry-leading information and networking conference will bring together all of the leading players in the net lease, 1031 and sale leaseback markets. Last year's event attracted over 250 attendees and an audience of over 300 are expected in New York for this year's conference.
I will be moderating the sale/leaseback panel that will include industry experts Sidney Domb, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of United Trust Fund; Teddy Kaplan, Managing Director of Angelo, Gordon & Co.; Guy Ponticiello, Managing Director, Capital Markets Group of Jones Lang LaSalle; and Camille Renshaw, CCIM, Director, Investment Sales of Stan Johnson Company.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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|Specific References
|Related Products
|Recombinant Human Cadherin-12 / CDH12 protein (Catalog#10317-H08H)
|Mouse IgG1
|10 μl/Test, 0.1 mg/ml
|Aqueous solution containing 0.5% BSA and 0.09% sodium azide
|This antibody was produced from a hybridoma resulting from the fusion of a mouse myeloma with B cells obtained from a mouse immunized with purified, recombinant Human Cadherin-12 / CDH12 (rh Cadherin-12 / CDH12; Catalog#10317-H08H; NP_001783.2; Met 1-Ala 605) and conjugated with FITC under optimum conditions, the unreacted FITC was removed.
|Human Cadherin-12 / CDH12
|This antibody is stable for 12 months from date of receipt when stored at 2℃-8℃. Protected from prolonged exposure to light. Do not freeze !
Sodium azide is toxic to cells and should be disposed of properly. Flush with large volumes of water during disposal.
Classic Cadherins represent a family of calcium-dependent homophilic cell-cell adhesion molecules. They confer strong adhesiveness to animal cells when they are anchored to the actin cytoskeleton via their cytoplasmic binding partners, catenins. The cadherin/catenin adhesion system plays key roles in the morphogenesis and function of the vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems. Furthermore, this system is involved in synaptic plasticity. Recent studies on the role of individual cadherin subtypes at synapses indicate that individual cadherin subtypes play their own unique role to regulate synaptic activities. Type II (atypical) cadherins are defined based on their lack of an HAV cell adhesion recognition sequence specific to type I cadherins. It has been observed that cells containing a specific cadherin subtype tend to cluster together to the exclusion of other types, both in cell culture and during development. Cadherin-12 also known as CDH12, is a type II classical cadherin from the cadherin superfamily of integral membrane proteins that mediate calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion. Cadherin-12 appears to be expressed specifically in the brain and its temporal pattern of expression would be consistent with a role during a critical period of neuronal development, perhaps specifically during synaptogenesis.
|Product name
|Product name


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Casa De Mi Padre is the bold spoof on telenovelas in which Will Ferrell plays Armando Alvarez. Click thru for our roundtable interview with Will Ferrell.
Will Ferrell Interview9 03 2012
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: Adrian Martinez, Andrew Steele, Casa De Mi Padre, Diego Luna, Efren Ramirez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Genesis Rodriguez, Lionsgate, Matt Piedmont, Nick Offerman, Pantelion Films, Will Ferrell
Categories : Comedy, Dallas, Film, Interview, Pearl Snap Friday, Soccer, Trailers
Exclusive Interview with Director Jeremy Konner4 02 2011
Director Jeremy Konner photo by Eric Haase.
Critically acclaimed Director Jeremy Konner has made us rethink history with his hysterical series Drunk History that he created with Derek Waters. He's also helped showcase the real side of Tenacious D and even recently has given us the newest look of the band She and Him. Overall this bold funny man is reinventing the way we look at the world around us. Jeremy was kind enough to have a nice long chat about his career and I hope you enjoy the candid look inside.
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Tags: American Dreams, Be Kind ReWind, Bob Odenkirk, Comedy, Danny McBride, Derek Waters, Documentary, Don Cheadle, Don't Look Back, Groundhog Day, Harold Ramis, Jack Black, Jen Kirkman, Jeremy Irons, Jeremy Konner, John C Reilly, Kyle Gass, LA, LA KID, Michael Cera, Michelle Gondry, Partizan, Planet Earth, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, She and Him, Simon Helberg, Sir David Attenborough, Sundance, Tenacious D, The Majestic Plastic Bag, Todd Solondz, Tour, Will Ferrell, Year One, Yorkie, Zooey Deschanel
Categories : Comedy, Film, Funny, Internet, Interview, Pearl Snap Friday, Television


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Brand Management
Course Description:
A business thrives or withers as a function of the health and success of its brands. This course will give students the tools to develop and execute effective brand strategies in the aim of building and maintaining strong brands that endure over time, and that can withstand competitive threats. Emphasis will be given to category management, and students will learn how to develop and position product lines, when (and when not) to pursue brand extensions, and the principles of creating, preserving, and leveraging brand equity. Prerequisite: MGT 361. [2]
2 Credit(s)
Please Note: Not all courses are scheduled each semester. Complete class schedules are available upon enrollment.


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Herbal plants are such types of plants, which are used in make medicine. These plants are useful and important plants in society of plants. Any parts of herbal plants can be used in medicine and its have many properties of medicinal. There have variety of herbal plant in environment and variable uses of herbal plant. Herbal plants grown in any of places or regions. Herbal plants are use for every creature being of our environment circle through few many years. In old days, this plant was used directly by the being and now it is use indirectly through the medicine. Every parts of herbal plants like root, branch, leaf, stems, seed, fruit and flower etc are used for medicine. Herbal plants are like Gooseberry or Emblic Myrobalan (amla), Ashoka Tree (ashoka), Winter cherry (Ashwagandha), Bengal quince or Stone apple (Bael), Country gooseberry (Bhumi Amla), Thyme leaved gratiola (Brahmi), Chiretta Plant (Chirata), Sugar destroyer (gurmar/Mera-singi) etc.
A popular herbal plant Amla plant is a deciduous plant that is commonly known as "Indian gooseberry", "Bhumi amla"
Ashok plant is a herbal plant that is also a flowering plant and this plant is called "Sita Ashok" in Bengali
A medicinal or Herbal Plant Bael plant is a fruit plant. Fruit of this plant is known as "Bael" and in Bengali it is known as "Bael" plant.
Brahmi plant is a type of herbal plant that belongs from family of "Plantaginaceae" and scientific name of this plant is "Bacopa monnieri".Available
Chirata plantis a herbal plant that is a flowering plant and this plant is popular in India. Belongs from family of "Gentianaceae"
In Sankrit, Madhunashini plant is commonly known as "Gudmar", "Gurmari", "periploca of the woods" and "gymnema"


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FROG Home - Academic Conduct - Disciplinary Review Process
Disciplinary Review Process
Most cases of cheating are resolved at the instructor, college, or school level in an agreed resolution between the instructor and student or through an informal hearing with a Dean's Representative within a couple of weeks. Occasionally, however, cases are appealed and require additional disciplinary review. These cases may take several months to resolve.
Step 1: Informal Hearing
In charge: Dean of school or college or the Vice Provost for Student Life
Timeline: Usually less than two weeks
The student is allowed to defend himself/herself against allegations. The faculty member and student need not meet with the person in charge of the informal hearing at the same time. The student is advised of a final decision and may accept that decision or appeal the case to the next level. Cases involving suspension, expulsion, hazing, or restitution of over $300 are automatically forwarded to the Faculty Appeal Board for administrative review.
- Most complaints are resolved at this level.
- This administrator (the dean's representative) schedules an informal hearing which provides an opportunity for the student to respond to the allegations made against him or her.
- The person initiating the complaint against the student (e.g., the instructor) provides a written account of the incident, and may meet with the dean's representative to provide additional information.
- The student meets face-to-face with the dean's representative to respond to the charges.
- The instructor and the student need not meet with the dean at the same time.
- Everyone involved at this point must represent themselves.
- A student who fails to attend the informal hearing waives his or her right to an informal hearing.
- The student may at any point request a hearing by the University Disciplinary Committee.
- The student has 21 days to appeal any decision reached within the informal hearing.
Step 2: Formal Hearing
In charge: University Disciplinary Committee
Timeline: Usually not less than three weeks
Most of the cases heard by the University Disciplinary Committee are appeals of informal hearings. All parties are allowed to present evidence and argument before the committee. The student is entitled to hear all testimony and examine all evidence that is presented. The student is advised of a final decision and may accept that decision or take the case to the next level. Cases involving suspension, expulsion, hazing, or restitution of over $300 are automatically referred to the Faculty Appeal Board for additional administrative review or a formal hearing. The hearing should be carried out as quickly as possible but because of procedural rules and scheduling conflicts, the process may take several weeks to conclude.
Few complaints reach this level. Usually when they do it is because:
- a student requests a formal hearing.
- the student has appealed the dean representative's decision and/or sanctions.
The University Disciplinary Committee:
- is made up of three faculty members, three students, and a chair appointed by the President of the University; and
- is responsible for carrying out a formal hearing according to WAC 478-120-095 of Washington State Law and the Student Code.
Step 3: Formal Hearing and/or Administrative Review
In charge: Faculty Appeal Board
Timeline: Months
The Faculty Appeal Board conducts administrative reviews of the procedures and content of cases referred directly by the dean's representative or cases that come forward on appeal from the University Disciplinary Committee. The Faculty Appeal Board also conducts formal hearings in response to student appeals in cases where exceptional circumstances are involved, such as suspension, expulsion, hazing, or restitution of over $300. After receiving the final order of the Faculty Appeal Board a student has 21 days to appeal.
Very few complaints reach this level. Complaints reach this level because:
- the student requests a formal re-hearing and sets forth the exceptional circumstances that exist (e.g., suspension, expulsion, hazing, or restitution of over $300); in addition, the Faculty Appeal Board must agree and grant the request.
- based on exceptional circumstances, the Faculty Appeal Board chooses to conduct an administrative review of an earlier decision; this action need not be initiated by the student and involves a review of the written record.
- the chair of the University Disciplinary Committee requests the case go before the Faculty Appeal Board.
The Faculty Appeal Board:
- is made up of seven members of the faculty appointed by the chair of the Faculty Senate in consultation with the Faculty Council on Student Affairs;
- completes an administrative review of the cases referred to them, looking both at procedure and content; and
- may conduct a formal hearing with legal counsel and testimony made under oath.
Step 4: Presidential Review
In charge: President of the University
Timeline: Varies
The President of the University reviews all decisions for dismissal from the university, and cases from the Faculty Appeal Board that have been appealed to this level.
After receiving the final order from the President, the student has ten days to file a request for reconsideration.


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A man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly brandished a gun and threatened to kill his former roommate with whom he had a dispute, Pasadena Police said.
Matthew Periego, 32, surrendered to police without incident after they searched for him for more than four hours in the area of Eloise Street north of Colorado Boulevard and south of Walnut Street, Lt. Tracey Ibarra said.
The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. when the victim called police to tell them the man had threatened him and brandished a firearm, Ibarra said.
Police used canine units and a helicopter to look for Periego.
Numerous people called while Periego was being sought, including people on Euclid Avenue, just north of Colorado Boulevard, where he was finally located, Ibarra said.


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I'm having a Nina Simone moment. Last week, while visiting a friend whose iPod is permanently set to 'shuffle', I was caught unawares by her version of Dylan's 'Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues'. I had not heard the song in a while and it's drowsy, jazzy swirl took me by surprise all over again. I went home and dug out all her old records and I've been immersed ever since.
That's when I realised I have one problem with Nina Simone right now, a problem I would not have had, say, five years ago. A problem that has nothing to do with Nina per se. It concerns the provenance - and the meaning - of one of her best-known and stirring songs, a song from that troubled time when she, like many black artists, embraced the cause of civil rights. In the late Sixties, she wrote the anthemic 'Young, Gifted and Black' and the angry 'Mississippi Goddam'. She sang the stirring 'Backlash Blues', written by her friend, author Langston Hughes, and turned another song, 'Ain't Got No/I Got Life', originally written for Hair, into a stirring celebration of black pride and defiance.
The latter song was not strictly hers, but as soon as she sang it, she claimed it. If you doubt this, click on YouTube and witness her performance at the Harlem Music Festival in 1969. It is one of those heartstopping moments that YouTube was made for, a slice of musical history, but, more important, a glimpse of a time when a song could really mean something, could carry the weight of a people's hopes and dreams, its aspirations and anger. A time, too, when a singer could echo the activism of the streets, could galvanise the consciousness-raising radicalism of an era. Nearly 40 years on, that song is being used in a TV ad to sell yoghurt.
Call me old-fashioned, but I have always had a problem with pop songs and advertising. It's not just the issue of selling-out that concerns me, it's the strange things that happen to a song when it is used to sell a product. In the case of Nina Simone's 'Ain't Got No/I Got Life', the song has been remixed by dance producers Groovefinder in a way that suits the happy-clappy message of Muller dairy products.
In the process, it has been stripped of context and of meaning, rendered whiter than white. It has become not just an advertising jingle but an integral part of Muller's brand identity. Indeed, if you click on the Muller website, you may be surprised, like me, to find out that you can, just by consuming a jar of yoghurt, 'live a Muller life'.
The Muller life is somehow summed up in those adverts that feature Nina Simone's songs, but has nothing to do with anything as vulgar as political activism or consciousness-raising. Unless you are the kind of person who believes that eating the right kind of yoghurt is one of those crucial lifestyle choices that defines you as much as the labels you wear or the postcode you live in. If so, you probably deserve to be patronised by smug German yoghurt capitalists.
My problem is that I'm not sure Simone deserves such a fate. We've been down this slippery slope before. I still remember the disbelief and distaste that came over me when I first heard the Velvet Underground's S&M opus 'Venus in Furs' unfolding over a TV advert for Dunlop tyres. The same reaction occurred more recently when I heard Joanna Newsom, perhaps the strangest and most out-there artist of the last few years, over an ad for Orange mobile phones.
What possessed her? What possessed them? Who decided that a quietly odd little song that begins with the words: 'Svetlana sucks lemons...' might be the perfect theme tune for teenagers of all ages who aggravate their fellow humans with shouted phone conversations and terminally dumb, insanely loud ringtones.
There seems to be some kind of artist-advertising disjuncture going on, but neither side in this Faustian pact seems even vaguely aware of it. No doubt both Joanna and Orange have benefited from their, erm, collaboration, but it has left this potential customer-fan distinctly dissatisfied. 'This Side of the Blue' was never my favourite Joanna Newsom song, but now it makes me want to throw up and is perhaps the single defining reason why I will never purchase a mobile phone from Orange.
In my book, great songs are debased when they are used to shift product. I don't care that the music of the late Nick Drake supposedly reached a whole new audience after his song 'Pink Moon' was used to flog Volkswagens. He wrote it during a very troubled time in his short life and sung it to keep the demons at bay. He did not write it to sell German cars. Like Simone, Drake is not around to see his art traduced by those who think that everything, including a piece of a person's very soul, has a price.
Would that the late, great prince of righteous anger, Bill Hicks, were around to speak up on their behalf. 'Quit putting a goddam dollar sign on every fucking thing on this planet!' he fumed in one of his now celebrated anti-advertising rants. That was way before Jack White of the White Stripes wrote a song for Coca-Cola, before Dylan did that Victoria's Secret advert. I hesitate to write the next bit, lest it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, but how long before a Woody Guthrie dustbowl ballad is used to sell real estate? 'This Land Is Your Land' anyone?


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Ok gang, here is my situation, bad asci art included, lol
Client has new fractional t1 to replace dsl circuit in MI office. There is
an office in IL as well running a satellite connection. Before they got the
frac t1, the MI office connection came in the dsl, pppoe, and lan side of
that router was 192.168.3.254 which was plugged into a Cisco 1711 Lan
interface. The IL office has another Cisco 1711 with static IP on WAN. There
is a VLAN setup on both Ciscos that runs a VPN between the offices. The only
thing I have done is to replace the dsl router with a m0n0wall on the new
frac t1 with a static WAN IP. I gave the LAN on m0n0 the same 3.254 address.
I know that the IL cisco needs to be reconfigured with the new ip address of
the frac t1 and there is a tech heading there now to do that for me. I have
setup a m0n0wall ipsec vpn between the MI office and my home m0n0wall but I
cannot access their internal network, I can only get to the monowall gui. I
do have both cisco configs exported if they will be needed by someone to
help. I am not a cisco pro, I can manage them fine and understand most of
them but I am far from fluent with IOS. Both units run IOS 12.3. Initial
question is what ports need forwarded to allow the vpn to function thru
m0n0wall? Bad asci art next...
Illinois Cisco - internet - M0n0wall - Michigan Cisco
WAN 209.x.x.85 69.x.x.98 192.169..3.1
Do I need static route in m0n0wall to the 192.168.2.x network? I cannot
connect to their W2K server via terminal session from my home as my vpn is
to the 3.x network, my network is 192.168.15.x. This is entirely different
problem but one I found this morning. I really need to first get the VPN
open thru m0n0wall so the 1.x and 2.x networks can see each other. The DHCP
is run in IL on the cisco and in MI its on the W2K server for what thats
worth. The client ultimately would like to have vpn ability from laptops for
their sales people when they are on the raod. I hoped to do that on m0n0wall
but since my vpn cant see the 2.x network I assume those later vpns will
need to be configured on the cisco? Ugh!


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Wed 10th Apr 2013, by Paul Hellard | Peoplestudios
CGSociety is proud to republish part of an interview with the EXPOSÉ 5 Grand Master Award winner, John Berkey. The complete interview and pages of this iconic artist's work is available in Ballistic Publishing's very special Digital Art Annual EXPOSÉ 5 from the Ballistic site and all good book stores.
Berkey had a long and distinguished career during which he avoided computers. However, John's futuristic space images have almost single-handedly defined the look of modern, hi-tech space craft. Whether you know it or not John Berkey was the pioneer who has defined a lot of what we now accept as modern space design. So although John is not a digital artist there was no question in the minds of the jury when they voted unanimously for John to be EXPOSÉ 5's Grand Master. Digital artists creating science fiction works owe a huge debt of thanks to the inspiring art of John Berkey.
John Berkey's stellar career included book covers, magazines, movie posters for 'Star Wars' and many others. His work is seen in international galleries, and has won many awards, including the Grand Master award from 'Spectrum'. In 2004 Berkey was inducted into The Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame (NY). By his own admission, Berkey is a guy who just happens to have painted space ships for the past 40 years. Berkey is generous to allow a look at his other varied works, but what stands out is his spaceships because he does them so well. In his work, he uses no physical models, no photographic references. No historic or prehistorical artifacts existed to enable him to imbue the most speculative of futuristic scenes with a sense of familiarity.
The fact is, John can render the exemplar of the American farmhouse replete with small garden and silo, with the same ease with which he lured readers into wanting to read speculative articles dealing with unknown futures in 'Science Fiction Age' magazine. But there's a good reason for his being able to produce paintings of such immense variety, yet high quality. He had tremendous talent, he started early, and he painted hard.
John worked at Brown & Bigelow—then the world's largest publisher of commercial calendars—for nine years, after getting out of a local art school. It was an easy commute; the company was based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Few opportunities of the like exist today, for artists 'coming up'—even if today's artists were willing to produce art on such a back-bending schedule, "for hire" (the artist does not own the copyright). And, Berkey was in good company working for Brown & Bigelow; to their credit so had Maxfield Parrish and Norman Rockwell before him. In his tenure there, he estimates he produced hundreds of paintings, over 100 paintings a year. That would be, on average, two per week—and of a kind and quality rarely seen today.
John Berkey also shares with other artists of his stature, historically, the absolute conviction that he has always done what he was meant to do. And a career as a commercial illustrator was a perfectly acceptable part of that picture.
Like Norman Rockwell, who called himself an 'illustrator', Berkey has always enjoyed being a working professional, and never concerned himself very much with what galleries or critics might think of his work. Indeed, his few and rare forays into that parallel universe we call Fine Art convinced him that it was a world as much, if not more, based on client-dictates for subject matter and style as commercial illustration.
John began his painting career in the mid 1950s, at a turning point in history—a time separating what we consider the rough beginnings of science fiction, inspired by dreams of far-reaching technological progress, and the true flowering of the genre. While Berkey was tackling assignments that compelled him to polish his skills through a wide variety of scenes of known American life, both contemporary and historical, feature articles in major American magazines such as 'Life' and 'Colliers' were pushing the envelope, illustrating the unknown.
"In truth, fear is an element of every picture I have ever painted," says Berkey. "Being fearful of failure or having little confidence just becomes something to climb over."
Soon, technological advances were providing the impetus for 'new futures' in science fictional literature, much as early flight in the beginning of the 19th century provided an experimental framework for jet and supersonic flight. "There are hazards in knowing too much about engineering or technology," Berkey says. "They can limit the imagination."
Berkey's long-time commissioning agent in New York responded to the siren song of a burgeoning marketplace for 'futuristic' imagery with an artist who was very much up to the task. To fans weary of static depictions of rockets and saucers, John's impressionist renderings seemed more real than any photograph, and more romantic and mysterious than any airbrush could make them.
"The few artists I see succeed these days," says Berkey, "are simply the ones who can draw and mentally picture where they're going. I don't know what it would take to succeed today, but drawing would be somewhere at the beginning."
John Berkey has been creating some of America's greatest illustrative art, and some of science fiction's greatest cover art, for the past 35 years.
A longer interview and pages of Berkey's incredible artwork is in the Ballistic Publishing EXPOSÉ 5 publication, available from the Ballistic site.


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Speaking with reporters for the final time before the game against the Hurricanes (3:40 p.m., ESPN), Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel said the test now is to see how Williams' healing knee responds to the increased workload he has experienced this week.
"Nathan looked real positive yesterday," the coach said. "The thing that you need to find out after a guy practices and he hasn't practiced is if there is any residual soreness and you take a half-step back. I was really pleased with the way Nathan looked yesterday."
The only other injury concern is with redshirt freshman center Corey Linsley, who injured his foot during the victory against Marshall. If the Miami game were today, Tressel said Linsley would not be available. Expected to fill his spot on the depth chart is fifth-year-senior and walk-on Scott Sika.
The Buckeyes have also welcomed in two newish members of their squad. Freshman running back Roderick Smith is in uniform and practicing after solidifying his academic status while Tressel confirmed that former Florida State cornerback and OSU recruit Dionte Allen has transferred into the program.
Allen will sit out this season and have one season of eligibility with the Buckeyes, Tressel said. A graduate of Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary's, Allen has two teammates – Aaron Gant and Taurian Washington – on the roster this season.
"We tried to recruit him out of high school, so we had a relationship (with him)," Tressel said of Allen. "He would pop up here occasionally. When he decided that he wanted to get back closer to home, that was the No. 1 factor. Can he come in and help us? Ask me after I've seen him for 10 or 11 weeks on the scout team.
"His attitude is great. He's a fine young guy. He did a good job academically at Florida State so he transfers right in and he'll be on target and maybe get beyond his bachelor's. It's a positive thing."
As for Smith, Tressel said, "We haven't really done a whole bunch of conditioning things but he seems very attentive. He's really glued into watching and learning. He's chewing (running backs coach Dick Tressel)'s ear off the whole time. Catches the ball well. Willing to do whatever you ask of him, so I've been pleased with him."
After defeating Marshall by a 45-7 count Sept. 2, the Buckeyes got back to work with that Tressel termed "a good step" with Sunday's practice because the mistakes made in the game were still fresh in the minds of the players and coaching staff.
The Buckeyes had Monday off, and although Tuesday's practice was not as smooth Tressel said that was to be expected.
"Tuesdays are difficult days for us because you're shifting gears, you're facing a new look, you're trying to look at a couple things," he said. "My perspective is Tuesdays have never been one of those days where you say, 'Boy, we're improving.' I thought yesterday you could see that we were improving a little bit on some things we're going to need to do. Obviously we need a good one today.
"The mental work that you do is as important between now and game time. I do hope we learn some lessons."
Wednesday's practice was moved up by about 45 minutes because without class in session Tressel said he simply wanted to get the players going.
Playing a high-profile opponent in the early going is nothing new for the Buckeyes, who have had recent home-and-home series with Texas, USC and now the Hurricanes.
"The thing that outweighs everything is that this is an experience that our guys will remember forever and it's an experience I think our fans will (too)," Tressel said. "I still hear from people who say 'I was at the Texas game at home' or 'I was down in Austin' or 'I was out at USC' or whatever. A big part of athletics are memories, and they're going to have memories."


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Here's Kim Kardashian at some Midori event last night where her ginormous ass broke the back of her dress which you'd just assume she'd have a small army of seamstress on hand for when this happens every single minute of every single day. That said, while this looks like a pretty open and shut case, keep in mind we're talking about the most manipulative whore-family on whore-Earth and not even two days ago Sofia Vergara got a shitload of Internet attention for splitting her dress, also green, at the Emmys. So am I saying Kim Kardashian did this on purpose instead of her ass just being fat? Nope, but only because this is America so I'm saying it's both. Both those things happened. And Space Jesus.
Photos: Bauer-Griffin, Fame/Flynet, Pacific Coast News, Splash News


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Dopmah postman answer key 2017 Cut Off (Expected), Result:
Dopmah Department of posts of Maharashtra will conduct exam for the recruitment of Postman/mail guard and MTS. This exam will be conducted soon. Many candidates are going to appear for the exam and these aspirants giving start desperately searching for answer key of DOPMAH 2017 and will be waiting for the results of DOPMAH 2017. Candidates who are interested to know more about the declaration of results, cut off marks of DOPMAH 2017 and Answer keys can check below once the exam is successfully conducted as we are providing you the needed information on our website here.
Answer keys for the DOPMAH Postman Exam 2017
Candidates who appeared for the postman exam conducted by dopmah, now all these aspirants are eager to know their performance in the exam that is they are waiting for answers of DOPMAH 2017. Here we would inform all the candidates that Dopmah is going to release the answer keys of this exam as it takes some more time for the department to release results.
Hence answer keys of DOPMAH postman 2017 are the main key for the candidates for guessing their result of the exam. candidates have to reach the official web and have to follow some steps for checking answer keys. Here we are giving you those steps for checking the answer keys for your convenience only.
How to check answer keys of Maharashtra Postman exam 2017
- First, o to the official web portal of DOPMAH by clicking below link
- Here search for the Answer keys of the Dopmah Postman/mail guard and MTS exam 2017
- Once you find it hit on the link for opening.
- After this you have to choose the set of answer key which you have written in the exam.
- Open it and then match it with your answers.
Expected cut off marks of DOPMAH 2017 Section wise
For open Category (UR):
40% (10 marks in each section) and 40% aggregate.
Other Backward Class:
37% (9 Marks in each section) and 37% aggregate..
For SC / ST:
33% (8 Marks in each section) and 33% in aggregate.
Note: There will be overall cutof of DOPMAH 2015 which can be judged exactly once the exam is completed.
Results of DOPMAH post man 2017:- Result will be declared soon. The exact date has not yet been released
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4414 28th
Lubbock, Texas 79410
By Gene McCarty
The book of Proverbs is unusual in
comparison to the other books of the Bible. This is a book full of
wise sayings, and is generally credited to Solomon. Few of these
proverbs are written in such a way that they appear to have come
thru divine revelation. On the other hand we suppose that the basis
for the book is that Solomon received great wisdom from God as he
began to rule his kingdom.
Solomon had a great interest in learning
and this book is sort of a textbook of wisdom. The book may not
appear to be organized as we begin to read it, however as we look
more carefully we see that it is organized into a number of
sections. We will look at the book in five sections.
The first section consists of chapters
1 thru 9. This section of the book contrasts folly and wisdom,
and includes many statements that are very thought provoking.
Perhaps the key to the whole book is Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and
discipline." This concept is enlarged in the 2nd chapter as the
statement is made that those who search for wisdom will find
knowledge of God, and wisdom will save your from the ways of
wickedness. Proverbs 5:3 says "Let love and faithfulness never
leave you". The 7th. verse charges us, "Do not be wise in your own
eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil." Verse 27 directs us "Do not
withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power
to act." Much that remains of this section contains warnings
against adultery.
The second section begins in chapter
10 and concludes with chapter 24. This section of the book
is considered to have been written and edited by Solomon. These
proverbs seem general in nature. There is not one subject that
seems to be emphasized more that another. One of the statements
often repeated in the book is included in Proverbs 11:1 "The Lord
abhors dishonest scales, but accurate scales are his delight."
Another statement that is often quoted is, "There is a way that
seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs
14:12 Another statement that is thought provoking to me is in
Proverbs 14:31 "He who oppressed the poor shows contempt for their
Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." Another
powerful statement is Proverbs 17:28 "Even a fool is thought wise
if he keeps silent". Another statement that is sure to catch
attention is, "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a
house with a quarrelsome wife." Proverbs 21:9. I challenge you to
note the seven lives of the righteous as explained in Proverbs
The third section begins with chapter
25 and includes chapter 29. This section is a
collection of the sayings of Solomon collected by the men of
Hezekiah. This section of the book is special in that it provides
some of the teachings of the parables of Jesus in an old testament
setting. Compare Proverbs 25:6-7 with Luke 14:7-11. Proverbs 29:3
compares with Luke 15:11-32. Proverbs 25:21 is quoted directly in
Rom. 12:20. Chapter twenty six includes a section that deals with
the fool, then the sluggard, and finally the gossip. In about the
middle of chapter 29 there is a section on the need for
discipline for our children. These are a few of the interesting
areas of this part of Proverbs.
Chapter 30 is credited to Agur who may
have been a friend of Solomon. This chapter is very different from
earlier chapters of Proverbs. It uses listings by number as the
form or outline, and makes a number of moral points.
Chapter 31 is credited to King
Lemuel. It is suggested by some that Lemuel is the name Bathsheba
gave to Solomon, so this may be a proverb from Bathsheba. The
chapter begins by discouraging the use of strong drink, and
continues by describing the perfect wife.
Copyright © 2000,
Charles Valentine


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Published: September 17, 2007 at 3:15 AMI was there on Friday for Mickey's Not So Scarry Halloween. Despite it down pouring for half the time it was still fun. Disney gave us all comp tickets to come back to another night for Not So Scarry. Or, guests could redeem their Not So Scarry ticket for a free day in the Magic Kingdom within three months. We were annual pass holders so we are going back to another Not So Scarry event.
The Haunted Mansion is wonderful and the updates stated above were done so well. Couple of additions I thought were new were; the hallway with the pictures (after you get on the ride) and when you first enter the mansion the picture of the man on the wall changes. GREAT RIDE!!!
Published: September 17, 2007 at 5:06 AMI went to Magic Kingdom last night for the sole purpose of riding Haunted Mansion, and I just have to say WOW! There are no significant ride changes, but the updates are just incredible. The updated soundtracks really make the ride a lot more fun. For example, in the pre-show the voice travels around the room and jumps, and you can hear background noises a lot clearer than before. The new paintings watching you go by are also incredible, especially with the lightning.
Definitely be get to the Magic Kingdom if you can.
Published: September 17, 2007 at 6:01 AMSounds like a job well done at HM.
I can't wait for my next visit.
Published: September 17, 2007 at 7:29 AMWonderful news! Reviews have been across-the-board favorable. We rode HM a couple of years back and winced at how badly the attraction needed to be rehabbed. Looking forward to visiting the ride during our next visit.
Now, let's send that same rehab crew over to the Country Bear Jamboree (an attraction that looks like something you'd see at Chuckie Cheese).
Published: September 17, 2007 at 9:14 AMWow, I wonder when the same will happen at Disneyland, considering ours is even older.
Published: September 17, 2007 at 9:57 AMLOL! Chuck-E-Cheese - you are so right! That's hilarious - I watched the CBJ for the first time a year ago. I was really wondering what all of the fuss has been about - the show sucks severely. I felt like I had stepped into a demented Peyote induced Chuck-E-Cheese show. Bizarre, really bizarre...
Published: September 17, 2007 at 1:28 PMEven though Disneyland's is older, it sounds like DLR already had some of these additions-- the floating head and table, the bride, sounds from different directions in the stretching room. I'm a fairly new Disney enthusiast so I don't know when those were added exactly. I would like to see this Escher stair thing, though.
Our Haunted Mansion is in rehab right now for Halloween. I hope to see some new things over here in the West.
Published: September 17, 2007 at 2:25 PMAlthough quite a few spoilers have been shared, I'm going to try and avoid passing on anymore. Instead, I will tell you where you need to pay attention, and what to pay attention to:
Wait Time: During AP preview, it was 20 minutes... max.
Stretching Room: As a former sound engineer, the work done to this room made me a very happy camper. Yes, the room has been cleaned up, and lots of attention was given to the coward. However, if you get multiple visits, use one of those visits to close your eyes and listen to all the details that the engineers have added to the show. Listen to the motion of the sounds, and the errie manner in which the ghost-host enters your head. Chilling.
Doombuggies: Another sound engineer tweak here... The buggies are in stereo... WOOT!
Art Gallery: Cross your fingers that you get enough time in the hallway for two lightning strikes.
Old Spider Room: WDW didn't get Harry Potter, so they tease you with what the Hogwarts stairways might have been. Keep a close eye on the stair treads.
Hall of Doors: Speaking of keeping a close eye on things, in here, the wallpaper is now keeping a close eye on you. Simply amazing.
Séance Room: Leota...my, but you get around these days.
Attic: Who knew that the attic in Gracy Manor was so huge! Don't get carried away looking at the old photos.. the bride wants your attention. Why do the buggies have to move so fast... going to need multiple trips to fully appreciate this new sfx.
Graveyard: Lots more spooks, lots more music and noise. See if you can spot the ghost on the runaway bicycle.
Have fun.. and play nice while waiting in line. The mansion isn't going anywhere. We've all got plenty of time to see it.
Published: September 17, 2007 at 5:23 PMI created a thread with a link to a site that has great pics, especially of the escher stairs. For whatever reason it hasn't popped up. Maybe the linked site isn't approved. The pics were amazing. I'm psyched!
Published: September 18, 2007 at 3:20 PMWent on it today and all I can say is WOW, so awesome to see new things. The stairs room was phenominal. The attic looks great, even though i still need another ride on it to see if I can finally understand the bride's story. Madame Liota's room is great, i like the instruments shown in the background, definetely helps to tie it in with the movie. My daughters(which are 1 and 2 years old seemed to enjoy it more than before. I noticed they took out a part that had this ghost popped up and screamed loudly(it would've been right before the new attic scene), used to freak the girls out and this time it was not there...boy was I grateful. And the most beautful part of it all was the wait, almost a walk on, 5 minutes max(even though the sign said 10). The whole day at Disney World today was great, cooler weather and the wait times were freakin awesome. Overall two thumbs way up for the Haunted Mansion...i just wish they'd slow down the doom buggies a tad bit.
Published: September 18, 2007 at 9:11 PMI think the most telling comments so far have been that the Doom Buggies need to be slowed down. Did anyone ever think that back before this rehab?
Also, has Disney done any active advertising to let people know about this rehab (like they did with the great "good news - we've made it worse" ads for Tower if Terror)?
Published: September 19, 2007 at 4:37 AMMaybe it's just me, but I was underwhelmed. While I admit they spruced up the ride, the fact is that it NEEDED it. The changes are really good but they weren't mind-blowing and we only went once, though we had the AP line available to us on Saturday morning.
The speakers on our doom buggy didn't work at all, and they did seem to move faster; we really had to look quick to take in the changes. Don't get me wrong, I liked the ride, but then it has always been one of my favorites. I guess I was expecting more and was disappointed in the outcome.
Published: September 20, 2007 at 10:58 PMFor those who've been wondering, Disneyland has already received most of the updates recently installed in Disney World's version. The effects not found in Disneyland's are the Staircase scene, the updated Stretching Room audio, Bride 2.0, and Madame Leota 2.0. Both the Bride & Madame Leota's effects were reworked for FL, whereas CA still has the original versions of those effects (original meaning from the last refurb we had).
Also, though our Stretching Room audio is still the "old" version, all of the speakers throughout the Mansion were converted to digital speakers quite a while ago (whereas Disney World's just got that upgrade). So a revamp of our Stretching Room would be much easier to undertake.
Finally, though the "changing portraits" is a new effect in Florida, here in California it's been around for a while. The difference is that this effect takes place in the queue before you board your Doombuggy, instead of while you're on the ride portion. And, as an added geek bonus, the "Oh I didn't mean to frighten you..." line added at the end of the Stretching Room in FL is *not* new contrary to what some people are reporting (Paul Frees is deceased, after all ;)). That line was actually taken from Disneyland, where it plays as you're walking past the changing portraits.
That being said, I really enjoyed Florida's version. I hadn't been on it pre-refurb so I never got to see how "bad" it got. What I saw on the 13th, though, was very promising and I look forward to seeing some of the new technology eventually make its way out to California. When I rode it opening day, though, the effect wasn't working properly in the attic. The bride's husband's heads are actually supposed to disappear and reappear with the sound of the axe (at least that's what happens in Disneyland). All you saw was the faint outline of the head, but no changing back-and-forth. Anyone know if this has been fixed?
As for the Doombuggies seeming to move faster, when I rode it on the 13th I noticed that the Omnimover seemed to be moving slightly faster than the moving ramp aside it, which is *never* the case with any other Omnimover I've seen. Also, the Hitchhiking Ghosts weren't aligned correctly with the buggies at the end of the attraction....coincidence?


text:
An employer must allow each employee adequate time from work within each four consecutive hours of work to utilize the nearest convenient restroom.
Nothing in this section prohibits employers and employees from establishing rest breaks different from those provided in this section pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement.
Copyright © 2016 by the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
700 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 ♦ Phone: (651) 296-2868 ♦ TTY: 1-800-627-3529 ♦ Fax: (651) 296-0569


text:
(1st Add: Includes information about Assembly debate.)
(CNSNews.com) - Parental rights advocates in California are claiming victory for stalling an Assembly bill that would allow schools to survey students on topics like sex and religion without written parental permission.
Although the legislation would simply require parents to "opt out" rather than "opt in" where the questionnaires are concerned, a pro-family group is warning that the bill opens the door for homosexual activists to leave their mark on students from kindergarten to high school.
The bill's sponsor, the California Safe Schools Coalition, argues that it's needed to get a better sampling of students on a wide range of issues. The measure, introduced by Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) in February, was stalled Thursday after Assembly Republicans opposed the bill.
The Campaign for California Families, which opposes the bill, is asking California families to write their legislators about the bill. The group's executive director, Randy Thomasson, said parents should be outraged.
"It's a very deceptive bill that destroys parental rights, puts the burden on the parents and pushes invasive sex surveys on little kids," he said. "The Democrats don't believe in parental rights. They believe children are sexual creatures, and they want to unleash the homosexual 'desires' of little children."
The biggest change resulting from the bill would come with anonymous questionnaires. Under current law, schools need to inform parents in writing and obtain written permission when asking about sex, family life, morality or religion.
But under Hancock's bill, schools could administer questionnaires anonymously as long as they informed parents in writing, allowed them to review the material and gave parents an option to decline participation. The bill also deletes the reference to "family life."
In addition, schools would be permitted to survey students on the topics of school safety, school violence and "prohibited discrimination" without having to notify parents.
According to an Assembly analysis of the bill, the tough opt-in language was added in 1994 after a controversy related to a standardized test.
Calls to Hancock's office and the California Safe Schools Coalition were not returned. But Christopher Daley, co-director of the Transgender Law Center, said his organization supports the bill because it would identify schools with students who are in need of help.
"A bill like this is going make it much easier to collect accurate data from a broad range of students," Daley said. "It's going to make sure that everyone's experiences are being included."
The Transgender Law Center assists students in many urban districts but is unable to reach rural schools, Daley said. Students in those schools would benefit if the organization had better data from surveys, he added.
For example, the California Healthy Kids Survey - a questionnaire focusing on topics from alcohol and drug use to sexual behavior and school violence - only has a 52 percent participation rate across the state, according to the Assembly analysis.
Thomasson warns that while these surveys might appear harmless, interest groups distributing them often have ulterior motives. If the bill passes, he said groups like the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Teachers Network could ask questions such as, "If you have never slept with someone of the same sex, how do you know you wouldn't prefer that?" or "Is it possible you merely need a good gay experience?"
"When kids can't even read, write or compute properly, the schools shouldn't be pushing social engineering of any type," Thomasson said. "These children belong to their parents, they do not belong to the state. And the state has no right to invade the sanctity of the home and push the parents off of their throne."
Daley said he sympathizes with parents who worry about surveys given to their children, but he also cautioned parents to look beyond the parental rights issues and recognize the anti-homosexual agenda of groups like the Campaign for California Families.
He speculated that Thomasson simply didn't want to face the truth about students' feelings on homosexuality.
"I have some fears that their concerns are motivated by something other than parental control. They really don't want effective research that may run counter to some of their beliefs," Daley said. "Local control is easily preserved with this bill. All it does is remove inefficient administrative barriers."
E-mail a news tip to Robert B. Bluey.
Send a Letter to the Editor about this article.


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- Layered foam
- Easy arrow removal
- Stops broadheads (fixed and mechanical) and field points
The original Block Target revolutionized archery targets because the layered design stopped arrows with friction rather than force. This technology is still available today with a higher contrast shooting face in the new line of Block Classic archery targets. These targets feature the original open layered design which easily stops broadheads, field points, and even mechanical broadheads.
Technical Information
- 18: 18" x 18" x 14"
- 20: 20" x 20" x 14"
- 22: 22" x 22" x 14"
Target Type: Layered Foam
Broadhead/Field Point: Both
Material: Polyethylene foam