Uncategorized

The Aviator and Vera Drake scoop top prizes at the 2005 Orange BAFTA Film Awards

Sunday, February 13, 2005

LONDON – The big-budget Hollywood movie The Aviator and the low-budget Brit flick Vera Drake have scooped the main prizes at the 2005 Orange BAFTA Film Awards. Four gongs went to The Aviator with the top ones being Best Film and Cate Blanchett for Best Supporting Actress. Vera Drake got three gongs with Best Director, Best Actress & Costume Design. Jamie Foxx got Best Actor with Ray and Clive Owen got Best Supporting Actor with Closer.

Loan Agreements

Low Interest Payday Loans Convenience Of No Credit Check Personal Loans

By Carrie Reeder

When urgent situations arise and money is tight, a payday cash advance loan may provide you with enough funds until your next payday. There are many advantages and disadvantages to applying for quick personal loans. If used responsibly, payday loans can be a lifesaver. As long as an applicant is in a financial position to repay the loan, high fees and additional interest are avoided.

What are Payday and Cash Advance Loans?

Cash advance loans are very different from loans obtained from credit unions, banks, etc. Cash advance companies offer personal loans during a financial crunch. However, the process is much quicker than other lending institutions, the loan term shorter, and the loan requirements are simpler.

Because cash advance companies offer loans to a variety of people with all types of credit, they must establish certain loan requirements. Nonetheless, their primary objective is to offer financial assistance, thus credit scores are never considered.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX35gKtVQ6g[/youtube]

Payday Loan Company Loan Amounts

Each cash advance company has a different maximum payout. Most companies offer short term loans up to $500. On the other hand, several online cash advance companies approved loans with higher amounts. Be aware that the more money borrowed, the higher the loan fees. Loan companies charge a flat fee per $100 borrowed.

For the most part, you may get a loan up to $1500 with no credit check or collateral. Loan companies that offer funds up to $3000 may request a vehicle title or other form of collateral.

General Requirements for Cash Advance Approval

Payday loan companies do not care about credit scores, income, or occupation. They simply want applicants who are capable of repaying the loan. Thus, those applying for a cash advance loan must have verifiable employment. Typically, employer needs to be the same for 90 days.

All loan companies establish a minimum monthly salary, which ranges from $1000 to $1500. Because most cash advance companies deposit and withdraw funds, an active checking or savings account is necessary to receive funds.

The entire loan process is completed electronically. Therefore, the loan company will automatically deduct the loan, plus fees, on the due date. To avoid paying additional fees, the funds should be available for withdrawal within two weeks.

About the Author: GGo to abcloanguide.com/paydayloans.shtml for information on Low Interest Payday Loans online. ABC Loan Guide’s lenders are reputable and competitive in their rates.

Source: isnare.com

Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=67705&ca=Finances

Uncategorized

Dove’s Real Beauty looks at photoshoot techniques in commercial

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Dove soaps continues their North American “Campaign for Real Beauty” advertising with a television commercial that explores the alterations that can be done on models.

Labeled “a Dove film”, the commercial is entitled “evolution”. Beginning with a woman walking into a photo shoot. From there, she is primped and plucked by hair and makeup artists, then tweaked on a Photoshop-like program.

The photo-manipulation is then posted on a billboard for the fictional “Easel Foundation Makeup” brand. Two young, teenage girls walk past, glancing at the board.

“No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted” ends the ad in text, “Every girl deserves to feel beautiful just the way she is.”

Dove runs the Dove Self-Esteem Fund as a part of their Campaign for Real Beauty. In the marketing campaign, Dove uses “real” women, instead of professional models, in an attempt to instill self-esteem in their customers.

This continuing promotion, launched in 2004, was on the forefront of a current trend in Western culture to abandon the overly idealised images the media portrays of women. Recently some fashion capitals have mandated minimum body mass indexes for runway models. The top rated comedy in the United States and Canada is Ugly Betty, a series that stars an average girl coping at a fashion magazine. The series is based on Betty la Fea, an extremely popular Colombian telenovela, which has been reproduced internationally.

Only two percent of women surveyed worldwide consider themselves beautiful, according to ABC Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts, whose program debuted the commercial this morning at 8:07 am EST.

The ad is currently playing on the Campaign for Real Beauty’s homepage.

Uncategorized

Law center helps defend open source

Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Eben Moglen, Columbia University Law Professor, will head the newSoftware Freedom Law Center (SFLC). An initial 4 million dollars has been provided by Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) to fund the project.

The law center will provide free legal service for open source projects and developers. In 2004 OSDL established a separate $10 million Linux Legal Defense Fund providing legal support for Linus Torvalds, Linux kernel creator and end user companies subjected to Linux-related litigation by the SCO Group. The new law center will not be affiliated with the OSDL.

“This is about taking care of the goose that laid the golden egg and not letting wolves come in the middle of the night and steal it away,” Moglen said during a press conference. “This is a legal firm not involved so much in litigating and defending as it will be for counseling and advising and nurturing non-profits and to prevent millions of dollars in litigation.”

Moglen will serve as chairman and director-counsel of the non-profit organization. Also on board as directors are: Lawrence Lessig, law professor at Stanford Law School; Daniel Weitzner, director of the World Wide Web Consortium‘s technology and society activities; and Diane Peters, general counsel at the OSDL. Daniel Ravicher, executive director of the Public Patent Foundation, will help manage as legal director.

Moglen, one of the world.s leading experts on copyright law as applied to software, will run the new Law Center from its headquarters in New York City. The Law Center will initially have two full-time intellectual property attorneys on staff and expects to expand to four attorneys later this year. Initial clients for the Law Center include the Free Software Foundation and the Samba Project.

Other services provided by the SFLC include: asset stewardship, to avoid intellectual property claim conflict; license review and compatibility analysis; legal consulting and lawyer training.

Hair Transplant Surgeons

Gucci Sunglasses: Are These For Eye Protection Or For Fashion Only?

Perhaps you view sunglasses as mere fashion accessory that enhances your look when you spend your typical day outdoors especially on summer vacation. The item is entirely popular all year round. Aside from its functionality as eyewear that brings comfort and fashion, the benefits exceeds beyond what you can comprehend. Although it looks just a small thing, it is extremely operational with every use.

The popularity of sunglass wear could be partly attributed to the cited usage of celebrities. It became an icon that reminds of certain stars as well as their movies. With its numerous brands available in the market, choosing what suits you best could be somewhat confusing. Granted, who ever want to wear such contrary to your goal, which is to accentuate your appearance? Why not consider Gucci sunglasses (the Danish term is Gucci solbriller). It is widely acclaimed both in local and international market. In fact, several Hollywood stars are cited wearing such sunglasses in their movies as well as on their casual day appearances. It immediately creates trendy images showcasing style which looks good as well as function even better. Here are some tips in buying the best sunglasses for you.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br52PfoE27M[/youtube]
  • Keep in mind that in selecting sunglasses, opt for the one made with Ultraviolet protection. These harmful rays could create lasting damage on your eyes and skin. Research shows that prolong exposure could greatly cause the development of cataracts. Several sunglass manufacturers affix the labels of UV protection, so always search for such label in purchasing sunglasses.
  • If you already wearing prescription glasses, it may be ideal to opt for transition glasses. Such eyewears are perhaps advertised on magazine or television. This eyewear’s are clear upon viewing inside but gradually darkens in going outdoors. The advantages of wearing such eyewear’s are obvious in a way that your vision is at its best whether you stay outdoors or indoors.
  • Several people head for sunglasses that are wraparound. This eyewear not only provides protection on your eyes affront, but also side by side. It may not be favorable to you considering its appearance yet it gives your eyes extra coverage in protecting against UV rays.
  • Upon purchasing sunglasses, ensure its comfort ability in wearing them. Remember that you are wearing such not only on summer days but all the time even on winter season. The shinning whiteness of snow could affect your vision and hurt the eyes that are why it is vital that you wear sunglasses once you indulge in winter activities like skiing and other winter sports.
  • Above all, do not forget to provide eye protection for your children. Experts strongly advised that children should also wear sunglasses as UV rays protection and aid them used in wearing sunglasses all lifelong.

As possible, have extra sunglasses to have spare elsewhere either on your car, at home, or in your work place. Doing such not only assures you have the item whenever you forgot wearing such in leaving at home or at work as well as ascertain you never miss out wearing one.

Article Source: sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/eye-vision-articles/gucci-sunglasses-these-eye-protection-fashion-only-148779.html

About Author:

For more information on: sunglasses – solbrille Gucci sunglasses – Gucci solbrille Author: Petar Genchev

Uncategorized

Gay Talese on the state of journalism, Iraq and his life

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Gay Talese wants to go to Iraq. “It so happens there is someone that’s working on such a thing right now for me,” the 75-year-old legendary journalist and author told David Shankbone. “Even if I was on Al-Jazeera with a gun to my head, I wouldn’t be pleading with those bastards! I’d say, ‘Go ahead. Make my day.'”

Few reporters will ever reach the stature of Talese. His 1966 profile of Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra Has a Cold, was not only cited by The Economist as the greatest profile of Sinatra ever written, but is considered the greatest of any celebrity profile ever written. In the 70th anniversary issue of Esquire in October 2003, the editors declared the piece the “Best Story Esquire Ever Published.”

Talese helped create and define a new style of literary reporting called New Journalism. Talese himself told National Public Radio he rejects this label (“The term new journalism became very fashionable on college campuses in the 1970s and some of its practitioners tended to be a little loose with the facts. And that’s where I wanted to part company.”)

He is not bothered by the Bancrofts selling The Wall Street Journal—”It’s not like we should lament the passing of some noble dynasty!”—to Rupert Murdoch, but he is bothered by how the press supported and sold the Iraq War to the American people. “The press in Washington got us into this war as much as the people that are controlling it,” said Talese. “They took information that was second-hand information, and they went along with it.” He wants to see the Washington press corp disbanded and sent around the country to get back in touch with the people it covers; that the press should not be so focused on–and in bed with–the federal government.

Augusten Burroughs once said that writers are experience junkies, and Talese fits the bill. Talese–who has been married to Nan Talese (she edited James Frey‘s Million Little Piece) for fifty years–can be found at baseball games in Cuba or the gay bars of Beijing, wanting to see humanity in all its experience.

Below is Wikinews reporter David Shankbone’s interview with Gay Talese.

Uncategorized

New Zealand runs low on 20 cent coins

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand wrote to retails banks warning them that there will be a shortage on 20 cent coins (NZ$0.20) leading up to Christmas. They have now announced that they have distributed 4.75 million new twenty cent coins in the past week alone “…close to the number issued in a typical year.”

Ten million new coins are expected to arrive in the next few days.

The Reserve Bank is wondering where all the new coins went, just five weeks after the new design was first introduced. Brian Lang, currency manager for the Reserve Bank, said: “The pattern of demand for new coins has been markedly different to that for the old coins.” He suggests that people are keeping them in jars, like the old design coins.

Some stores are already unable to give out twenty cent coins as they don’t have any according to the Newmarket Business Association.

Mr Lang said: “To put this into perspective, by 30 November, the Bank had issued almost as many 20c coins (49.6m) as 10c coins (53.0m). In the past issue of 20 cent coins would normally have been about half the amount of 10 cent coins.”

The head of Newmarket Business Association, Cameron Brewer, said: “…the Reserve Bank told us that they’d done a lot of work and that everything was going to be just fine. Well here we are just five weeks into the new coins and only days away from the Christmas rush, and the country’s running out of its own currency.”

Mr Lang said: “The Bank has sufficient supplies of 10c and 50c coins for several years’ normal issues.”

“…tens of millions of the old 20 cent pieces sit idle because they are no longer legal tender,” Mr Brewer said referring to the old ‘silver’ coins that were used before the introduction of new coins.

The Reserve Bank still doesn’t know why the pattern of demand of twenty cent coins has changed.

“… such a staggering miscalculation by the Reserve Bank should never have happened,” Mr Brewer said.

Public Relations

One Size Fits All Is Never A Good Buy}

Submitted by: JV Barrow

With all the hype and song and dance that everyone should have a website and can make massive amounts of money overnight you can expect that there are a large number of very disappointed people around the world sitting and staring at their computer screens wondering when it will all fall into place.

Eventually it will sink in that the one size fits all theory does not work in online business and lets face it, it doesnt really work in other aspects of our daily lives either. So, the facts of the matter is that when it comes to internet or any business you need to buckle down and plot your course taking care to start in a systematic manner so you dont lose too much time going down the wrong path. There is no guarantee that everything you try will work out the way you want it to, but by the same token, by planning you start with a very good idea of the possible outcomesrealistic outcomes that is!

So, having learnt to our benefit and sometimes our detriment that the one size fits all theory can lead to a very uncomfortable experience we need to stand up and state that we want internet tools and online marketing resources that are the best fit and suit our business. We want more than an online presence. We want to earn and yes, large amounts overnight would be great, but we will take growing increments over time once we can be assured we are moving in the right direction. So remember, with your internet business you need to start with a marketing plan.

Start by asking yourself some questions on your goals and objectives, the cost of rolling out or improving your website business and of course your strategies to achieve your projected results. Can you easily answer the following question?

What do you want to achieve with your internet business?

Once you get past the, earn lots of money overnight reflex response and cant come up with any other you may want to then review these options and see if there is anything you could not articulate or identify. This is just a sample of what could lead you to a good fit.

more sales

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78tjdIq2P10[/youtube]

better conversion rates

increased product awareness

wider market reach

better and faster customer response time

brand building

Could it be that you just want an avenue to express your thoughts and opinions globally on your business niche and want these to be easily accessible?

Whatever your motivation, ensure your plan has suitable strategies to match your goals and objectives. Your strategies will make or break you in the internet business so make sure you research the options available to you. Do you know what you are getting into? Remember your website can be the best looking one on the internet with incredible WOW! factor with all the bells and whistles and win every award for presentation there is, but if you are getting no traffic, you might as well not waste your time. Good quality traffic arriving at your website is what will result in conversions and ultimately your continued business success. Otherwise your website may just become the albatross around your neck. So, once again ask yourself do you have enough information on website marketing such as:

1. Driving traffic to your website

2. SEO- Search Engine Optimization

3. Link exchanges

4. Public relations

Then here is crunch time as you have to look at your commitment in terms of both human and financial resources especially if you are the only one doing the work on your internet business. Have you thought of the answers to the following questions?

1. How do you plan to get there? In other words, what strategies are you going to use?

2. How much will it cost you to reach?

For some of us these are easy questions, for others, not so much.

This is the basic review to get you thinking on what fit best suits you. So once you have clarified your goals, decided on your strategies including having selected your internet tools and detailed your budget its time to get down to the real business. Getting your website to work for you.

There are lots more details that we can look into at another time but always remember, taking the plunge to do some initial planning is what makes for a good start to getting a comfortable fit.

About the Author: J V Barrow (JVB) of

jvbglobal.com

is a marketing and management specialist within the services sector for over fifteen years having lived and worked in 6 countries across 2 continents. Firmly believes that the time is right to position for great results from global outreach.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=260022&ca=Internet}

Uncategorized

Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal delayed further

Buffalo, N.Y. Hotel Proposal Controversy
Recent Developments
  • “Old deeds threaten Buffalo, NY hotel development” — Wikinews, November 21, 2006
  • “Proposal for Buffalo, N.Y. hotel reportedly dead: parcels for sale “by owner”” — Wikinews, November 16, 2006
  • “Contract to buy properties on site of Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal extended” — Wikinews, October 2, 2006
  • “Court date “as needed” for lawsuit against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal” — Wikinews, August 14, 2006
  • “Preliminary hearing for lawsuit against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal rescheduled” — Wikinews, July 26, 2006
  • “Elmwood Village Hotel proposal in Buffalo, N.Y. withdrawn” — Wikinews, July 13, 2006
  • “Preliminary hearing against Buffalo, N.Y. hotel proposal delayed” — Wikinews, June 2, 2006
Original Story
  • “Hotel development proposal could displace Buffalo, NY business owners” — Wikinews, February 17, 2006

Friday, March 10, 2006

Buffalo, New York —The Common Council of Buffalo voted on Tuesday to send the Elmwood Village Hotel proposal “to committee for further discussion”, after citing the need for more public involvement.

The Elmwood Village Hotel is a development proposal by the Savarino Construction Services Corporation, a project designed by the architect Karl Frizlen of The Frizlen Group. The hotel would be placed on the southeast corner of Elmwood and Forest Avenues in Buffalo.

To make way for the project, at least five buildings located at 1109 to 1121 Elmwood Ave would be demolished. At least two properties on Forest Avenue could also be demolished. The Elmwood properties, according to Eva Hassett, Vice President of Savarion Construction, are “under contract”, but it is unclear if Savarino Construction actually owns the Elmwood properties. Hans Mobius, a former mayorial candidate, is still believed to be the current owner the properties. Mobius also owns 607 Forest Avenue.

The properties 605 and 607 Forest Avenue could also be included in the proposal according to Hassett.

“We would use a Special Development Plan to rezone 1119-1121 Elmwood and 605 Forest to a C-2 zoning category,” stated Hassett. It is possible that Savarino Construction may try to obtain a variance for 605 Forest, which would allow them to enforce eminent domain, should the hotel be allowed to go forward.

The building at 607 Forest was also discussed to be rezoned, but it is unclear what the plans would be for that property. During the February 28 Common Council meeting, Hassett stated that the properties 605 and 607 were “now off the agenda”.

Pano Georgiadis, owner of Pano’s Restaurant at 1081 Elmwood, owns the property at 605 Forest and attended Tuesday’s Common Council meeting.

“Having a hotel is a bright idea. We all love the idea of a hotel, but the way that it is presented, is wishful thinking. This hotel does not fit. It’s like putting two gallons of water in a gallon jug, it does not fit. At the last meeting, the architect admitted that they are planning to put the undergound parking lot and the hotel, right at the property line. If I open my window, I will be able to touch the wall, that goes fifty feet high”, said Georgiadis.

“There is a problem having a seventy-two room hotel and fifty-five parking spaces. That means that all the other cars will spill all over the neighborhood. The footprint is simply too small. If you have a bigger [parking] lot, and a smaller hotel, I will welcome a hotel. I have a parking lot at my own business, and I am chasing people all day long. Remember, the city says it has ‘zero tolerance [for illegal parking]’. Try telling that to the guy from Albany who came to see his kids, that are going to Buffalo State, who would get tickets totaling over a hundred dollars”, added Georgiadis.

The city’s Planning Board is scheduled to meet on March 14, 2006 at 9:00 a.m. about the proposal. Although a discussion will take place, no vote is expected to be taken.

At the moment, none of the properties are zoned for a hotel. Savarino Construction plans on asking for a C2 zoning permit. If that does not work, they plan to implement a new zoning plan called a “special development plan” which would allow for only a hotel on the site. That zone would not be able to be changed.

“This [project] justifies Mobius’s refusal to invest in any maitenance[sic] or improvements”, on the properties said Clarence Carnahan, a local resident. “Where were the Council persons over the years? Where were the city inspectors over the years, to make sure that he maintained and improved his properties? The government was supposed to be protecting, not being preditorial. I see a predatorial issue here when it comes to this hotel. Over the years: Why has the local government been disfunctional when it came to Mobius’s properties? Refusal to invest in improvements, doesn’t that sound like a slumlord? Maybe I am missing a point here, but what kind of messages does this send to other slumlords that havn’t[sic] been jailed or fined? It’s [the hotel] trying to be pushed through.”

Carnahan also presented signs for residents and or business owners who are opposed to the hotel, that could be placed in windows or on stakes in the yard. Some of the signs said, ‘No tell hotel’, ‘Hans off, no hotel’, ‘It takes more than a hotel to make a village’. and ‘Keep Elmwood free, no hotel’. Carnahan plans on making more signs for a protest to be held on Saturday March 18, at 2:00 p.m. (EST) on Elmwood and Forest. Some signs were given to individuals after the meeting.

“First things first, Hans is the problem, and I don’t think it has been addressed. Let’s roll back the clock on this project. What can we do with Hans? There is such thing as eminent domain, which could be of greater interest to the community, to seize the property at its lowest assessed value”, said Nancy Pollina, co-owner of Don Apparel with Patty Morris at 1119 Elmwood. “There are so many ideas that have not been explored and we are about to give this parcel away, to a big developer.”

Mobius has not returned any calls by Wikinews regarding the situation.

A freelance journalist writing for Wikinews has obtained a letter, exclusively, addressed to one of the five business owners from Hans Mobius stating:

There is a proposal to develop my property which you are currently renting. Because of opposition to this development, it does not look like it will happen. I will let you know if there any changes.

Despite the letter, there have been no plans or decisions made to end the proposal.

To date, none of the business owners or residents of 1119-1121 Elmwood have received an eviction notice.

Business owners and residents gave an indication of what they would like to see happen at the corner; a project similar to one done locally last year. There, developers renovated two buildings on Auburn and Elmwood Avenues, merging the buildings into one thus allowing for more shop space. Among some of the shops to move in after the development were Cone Five Pottery, The Ruby Slipper, and Abraham’s Jewelers. Prior to the renovation work, the left building in the picture was boarded up for several years. Many of the concerned locals would like to see a similar development on Forest and Elmwood.

Rocco Termini, a developer in Buffalo, proposed a similar design at the February 28 community meeting

In an interview after the February 28 meeting, Termini stated, “I will be willing to take a look at this myself, or I would be more than happy to be partners with Sam, Sam Savarino”, who is President and Chief Executive Officer of Savarino Construction Services Corp.

So far Savarino Construction has no plans to team up with Termini.

Uncategorized

Glasgow cannabis enthusiasts celebrate ‘green’ on city green

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Coinciding with Easter Sunday, Glasgow Cannabis Social Club’s annual 420 event was held on Glasgow Green, under sunny blue skies, and overlooking the river Clyde. Despite the city’s council attempting to revoke permission for the gathering at the last minute, police were happy for it to go-ahead with approximately a dozen officers attending in high-visibility vests.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21

The Daily Record reported five arrests were made for minor offences, likely smoking and possession of small quantities of cannabis. Taking a less-sensational — and more accurate — line of reporting, the Monday edition of Glasgow’s Evening News stated five were referred to the Procurator Fiscal who is responsible for deciding if charges should be brought.

Official figures provided by the police were that 150 attended. With people coming and going, Wikinews reporters estimated upwards of 200 attended, compared to nearly 700 who had signed up for the event on Facebook. Hemp goods were advertised and on sale at the event, and some attendees were seen drinking cannabis-themed energy drinks.

“I was searched and charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act (which is a lot of bollocks)” one attendee noted online, adding “not fair to happen on a brilliant day like it was, other than that I had a great day!” A second said they were openly smoking and ignored by police, who “were only really focusing on people who looked particularly young”.

Cannabis seeds were openly and legally sold at the event and a hydroponics supplier brought a motortrike towing an advertising trailer. Actually growing cannabis is, however, illegal in the UK.

With the event openly advocating the legalisation of cannabis, speakers put their arguments for this to a receptive crowd. Retired police officer James Duffy, of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, spoke of the failed United States alcohol prohibition policy; stressing such policies needlessly bring people into contact with criminal elements. Highlighting other countries where legalisation has been implemented, he pointed out such led to lower crime, and lower drug use overall.

One speaker, who produced a bottle of cannabis oil he had received through the post, asserted this cured his prostate cancer. Others highlighted the current use of Sativex by the National Health Service, with a cost in-excess of £150 for a single bottle of GW Pharmaceuticals patented spray — as-compared to the oil shown to the crowd, with a manufacturing cost of approximately £10.

Similar ‘420’ pro-cannabis events were held globally.