existing franchises for sale , franchises for sale
Deus Ex: Human Revolution spotted <b>News</b> | Eurogamer
Read our Deus Ex: Human Revolution spotted <b>News</b> for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.
GelaSkins now offering Marvel Comics designs | iLounge <b>News</b>
iLounge <b>news</b> discussing GelaSkins now offering Marvel Comics designs. Find more iPod Accessories <b>news</b> from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.
MetsBlog.com – <b>News</b>: Jose Reyes scratched from Lineup
“I'm fine,” Reyes told Adam Rubin of the Daily <b>News</b>. “Nothing serious.” Does that mean that there is something bothering him? Man, with the Mets you can never tell whats up. Log in to Reply. MetsIsHotChief March 4, 2010 at 9:28 am …
The bad news is that most reform comes when the existing system collpases rather than when it becomes clear that the math predicts insolvency. The good news is that reforms can work well. They change the game more quickly than expected because a savings base is formed and a huge part of the population are active capitalists. Chile is center-left politically but pretty conservative with economic policy because everyone loses when politicians start attacking private sector players or draining resources.
The actuarial reality is not liberal or conservative. The whole basis for our particular system hinged on ever expanding demographic growth in the working age category (from births, from adding work force participants and/or by moving up the retirement age.) What saved SS in the 1980's wasn't tweaking some payments or adding to retirement age, it was massive inflow of women into the workforce. Massive inflows of immigrants in the 1990's have helped FICA. There are non FICA costs to school districts, healthcare, law enforcement, etc. but FICA has benefited.
Increasing the defined benefit has been magic wand stuff - you assume that wealth will grow and productivity will increase. Social Security has played the magic game a bit through COLA and turning a blind eye to rampant fraud allowing ineligible recipients and criminals to tap payments. State and local governments have completely abdicated fiduciary responsibility and made defined benefit promises that are untethered to the tax base or common sense.It's heads I win, tail you lose for public sector employees. Stock market falls, tough luck, raise taxes and give my dough. In the private sector, companies go bankrupt and defined benefits end.
Part of the Chile story involved allowing people to choose to opt in or opt out of a private system if you were above a certain age. I think it was around 50. If you opted in, you kept the promised payments and the payments had to budgeted into the government budget. If you opted out, you received a credit based on past contributions but went to defined contribution and private accounts. Many more people opted in than pure actuarial analysis would have predicted largely because people don't trust politicians and want their own accounts.People decide if they want to retire early or work more, they can be frugal and pass savings on to their estate.
There is a safety net payment for the destitute but that is welfare not "retirement" and must be funded in each budget. You have to deal with larger reported deficits when making the move to allowing people to have their own accounts and the government is no longer robbing the funds to pay current bills. It is not as bad as it sounds and the system starts with indiviudal accounts having to allocate a percentage of investment to government bonds - something that is prudent anyway in a diversified portfolio.
Over time, most restrictions on where the investments go have been lifted and riskier investments allowed.People have separate broker accounts and could always allocate other savings to whatever level of risk they wanted.
It is not perfect but it is better than what we have and young and old pull together.
“Cutting them off of dentures, hearing-aid services and diapers … I don't know how we look the elderly in the eye,” she said.
Most of the tax and fee increases approved in 2009 are scheduled to sunset at the end of the year.
Gibbons' spokesman Daniel Burns said in response that legislators “raised taxes and they raised spending.”
The governor in his speech “was merely reviewing the facts that got Nevada's budget where it is today,” he said. “But that is history.”
Burns said the governor, legislators and citizens “must work together to keep Nevada afloat.”
In Las Vegas, several hundred university students boycotted classes Tuesday to rally against plans for deep cuts to funding for Nevada colleges. Higher education officials have said the proposed cuts of $147 million could force them to close colleges and campuses, lay off staff and increase tuition.
Many boarded buses and carpooled to the Grant Sawyer State Office Building, where they chanted “no more cuts” while the Finance Committee met inside.
Lawmakers are holding hearings before a special legislative session Feb. 23, when they will try to reconcile with Gibbons on how to balance the state's budget.
Mike Willden, state health and human services director, said the 10 percent cuts the governor is calling for would have totaled $132 million, but some measure were considered too onerous, so the administration reduced the agency's target reduction to $109 million.
Reducing the number of incontinence products that Medicaid will pay for to 186 from 300 per month will save $829,000 a year, the agency said. Eliminating reimbursements for disposable gloves can save $834,000.
About 4,400 people received dentures or had their dentures relined in 2009. Eliminating that benefit is projected to save $2.5 million. Ending adult day care, used by 367 Medicaid recipients last year, will save about $2.1 million.
Cutting reimbursement rates for personal care services by $1.50 per hour to $15.50 would save nearly $3 million, and reducing hospital reimbursement rates by 5 percent would save $5.3 million.
Willden said there are no easy answers.
“I'm giving you the best of the worst choices,” he said.
He conceded that with proposed cuts so far totaling only half the state deficit, deeper cuts may be necessary.
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When you think personal finance software, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Quicken. While Quicken has been a mainstay on Windows desktops for years, its Mac presence has been less than stellar. That changes today, with the release of Quicken Essentials for Mac. Re-built from the ground up and integrating lots of features from Mint.com, Quicken Essentials is a great addition to the Mac software space.
Quicken has always treated the Mac platform as kind of an also-ran. Although new versions of the tool appeared yearly (at least until 2006) alongside the WindowsWindows variants, the Mac editions always lagged behind in features, stability and even pricing options. Quicken Essentials for Mac, previously known as Quicken Financial Life for Mac, has been promised since Macworld 2008. After two years, it’s finally here.
Rebuilding Quicken for the Mac
Quicken Essentials for Mac is a native Cocoa app. This in itself wouldn’t be that noteworthy, except that previous versions of Quicken for Mac have not been built on Cocoa (or even optimized for Intel Macs), which has meant that there were user interface quirks and behavioral differences that made Quicken feel like less of a real Mac app.
With Quicken Essentials for Mac, the interface and program have been designed to use Mac OS X’sMac OS X core features and strengths. This is a really good thing, and it shows a commitment to the Mac platform. This is important because it has been nearly four years since a Quicken app was released for the Mac. QuickBooks has had more frequent updates, but for home users who want to manage their finances, this is a long time coming.
A Dose of Mint (.com)
In September, Intuit, the makers of Quicken, acquired the money management web app, Mint.com. The acquisition was controversial among some MintMint users, out of fear that Intuit would end up changing Mint into something different.
It’s still too early to assess how the acquisition has affected both product groups (Mint.com continues as a separate product), but consumers did get something out of the deal: Aaron Patzer, the founder of Mint.com, is now Intuit’s vice president and general manager of the company’s Personal Finance Group. That means that Aaron and the Mint team are now working on both Quicken and Mint.com.
I spoke with Aaron at the Future of Web Apps in Miami on Monday night, and he offered me some insight into his new role and the changes on the new Mac product.
Aaron described Quicken Essentials for Mac as “the closest thing to Mint on the desktop as you are going to get.” From a personal money management perspective, that’s really great, because it means that not only is it easier to visualize where money is going, but you can connect to more financial institutions through the program than ever before. More than 12,000 institutions are supported now, and a total of more than 18,000 is expected by the end of the year.
Categorization is also much easier in Quicken Essentials for Mac, which is again, a hat-tip to Mint.com
A Few Notes For Users
Quicken Essentials for Mac is designed for home users and while it supports basic investment tracking, it isn’t as robust as the Quicken for Windows offerings or the old Quicken Mac 2007. Better support for investments is planned for future versions of Quicken Essentials for Mac, but for right now, this isn’t really designed for users with heavy portfolios.
Because only 6% of Quicken users used the built-in Bill Pay option in Quicken, this was removed from Quicken Essentials for Mac. You can still track your bills and make sure you have the money to pay them, but you can’t pay directly from the app unless you sign up for Intuit’s Bill Pay service.
If you’re a TurboTax user, Quicken Essentials for Mac doesn’t integrate or export to TurboTax, although again, that type of support might be added to the future. If you rely on getting your Quicken info into TurboTax, you’ll need to use Quicken Mac 2007.
A Nice Start
This is a great rebirth of sorts for Quicken for Mac. After being virtually abandoned for such a long time, it’s nice that the most popular money management tool is finally back on the Mac and in style. Quicken Essentials for Mac is $69.99 and requires Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Mac users — what do you think about Intuit’s new commitment to Mac? What are your favorite Mac-based financial management apps? Let us know!
After missing numerous deadlines, Intuit has finally shipped a new, modern version of Quicken for Mac OS X, dubbed Quicken Essentials for Mac. Long-time Quicken users may be disappointed that many features, in particular stock tracking and online bill pay, are missing after waiting four years for a new version. However, the company says this release is just a first step in a major overhaul of its personal finance software.
Quicken Essentials for Mac tosses aside the user interface from older versions of Quicken, opting for a cleaner, Cocoa-based, more “Mac-like” interface designed to be more intuitive and easy to use. It simplifies the process of connecting to your bank and credit card companies for automatic importing of transaction data from over 12,000 institutions, with another 6,000 expected to add compatibility in the coming months. The new version will also import data from Quicken for Mac 2005, 2006, and 2007; Quicken for Windows 2007, 2008, and 2009; and Microsoft Money. The latter is especially handy for switchers.
Despite the much nicer looking graphs and tag clouds showing you where your money is going, though, there isn't much here for users with needs beyond the basics of tracking bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and spending habits. Quicken Essentials for Mac doesn't include integrated online bill paying, nor does it allowing detailed tracking of stocks and other investments. The latter is probably not a need of a majority of users, but the former has certainly become commonplace. Quicken Essentials for Mac also lacks the ability to export data to Intuit's own TurboTax software.
Aaron Patzer, who became the new VP and general manager of Intuit's personal finance group after the acquisition of his online financial site Mint.com, agrees that Quicken Essentials for Mac isn't going to appeal to all users. “It's called 'Mac Essentials' because it's got the essential features used by 80 percent of the users we've surveyed and talked to,” he told Macworld. “So we had to decide, do we want to put a product out that serves 80 percent of the market and is a vast improvement in so many ways, or do we delay it again?”
A new version of Quicken for Mac was first demoed at Macworld Expo 2008, but it suffered a number of delays over the last two years. The long absence of an update of Quicken for Mac opened up an opportunity for a number of shareware tools to gain in popularity, including iBank, Cha-ching, and Money, to name a few. Quicken has an advantage with having support for the de facto standard format for financial data, but Intuit may have its work cut out for it to keep Mac users interested in its products.
Patzer told Macworld that next year we can expect an updated version of Essentials as well as Quicken Deluxe for Mac, which is expected to include the missing functionality from the Essentials. Users that need those features now can either stick with Quicken for Mac 2007, or run a newer Windows version in Boot Camp or a virtual machine.
Quicken Essentials for Mac is $70, and can be downloaded directly from Intuit's website. You'll need an Intel-based Mac and either Leopard or Snow Leopard to run it. Quicken for Mac 2007 is still available (also $70) for those running Tiger and/or PowerPC-based Macs. We'll be posting a more in-depth look at the new software as soon as we have a chance to spend some quality time with it.
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This one’s tricky.
Half Guard is sort of the purgatory of ground maneuvering.
Randy Couture once told Joe Rogan he prefers half guard to side control because he feels like he has somewhat of a base to drive off of with one leg pinned underneath.
Compared to side control, it also is a position that is less susceptible to opponents bucking or rolling out of. With a smaller opportunity to scramble out of, fighters like GSP employ this tactic to methodically maintain top position while doing just enough to “stay busy”.
This is the most popular tactic of Lay-N-Pray artists due to the knowledge that the referee is less prone to stand the fight up since this is technically a dominant position.
In football terms, this is the 3 yards and a pile of dust maneuver. This is also where Jake Shields and Jon Fitch feed their families.
This one’s tricky.
Half Guard is sort of the purgatory of ground maneuvering.
Randy Couture once told Joe Rogan he prefers half guard to side control because he feels like he has somewhat of a base to drive off of with one leg pinned underneath.
Compared to side control, it also is a position that is less susceptible to opponents bucking or rolling out of. With a smaller opportunity to scramble out of, fighters like GSP employ this tactic to methodically maintain top position while doing just enough to “stay busy”.
This is the most popular tactic of Lay-N-Pray artists due to the knowledge that the referee is less prone to stand the fight up since this is technically a dominant position.
In football terms, this is the 3 yards and a pile of dust maneuver. This is also where Jake Shields and Jon Fitch feed their families.
The first Krispy Kreme doughnut shop opened in Salem N.C. on July 13, 1937. The huge welcome sign beckoned potential customers, like a giant neon doughnut announcing the arrival of sugar heaven. Over the years, the franchise has grown to include shops worldwide. From coast to coast, including Indonesia, Australia, and Mexico. But if you ask for this lil ole southern girls opinion, I'd be more than happy to tell ya. The best Krispy Kreme doughnut shop can be found right here in our great state of South Carolina. And I'm sure loyal patrons are enjoying the new, hugely expanded and modern building on North Church street in Spartanburg.
Locals choose the long sleek Krispy Kreme counters to sit and enjoy there favorite confections, while conversing with friends over there morning coffee. Its become the favorite hang out spot of Spartanburgs finest. On a typical morning dozens of law enforcement officers are huddled over steaming cups of specially ground, freshly brewed, signature coffees. Stuffing themselves with delicious, hot, melt in your mouth sugar glazed doughnuts. Or lemon filled glazed yeast doughnuts. Just bursting with tons of tangy, fruity lemon filling. Trying desperately not to drop any on there freshly pressed, starched blue uniforms. Its also where area teenagers achieve there sugar high. With everything from the original, which is absolute pure melt in your mouth sugary perfection, to chocolate iced. A combination of the original, dipped in some chocolate and sprinkled with tons of colored sprinkles, to give it that festive look. During the holidays you can even get color coordinated sprinkles. Red and green during Christmas, pink and red on valentines day, etc. Which is a really cool concept to the local kids and teenagers.
Other wonderful items to be tried at Krispy Kreme are there chillers. In kremey milk shake flavors like berries and kreme, orange and kreme and mocha dream. Or shaved ice favorites, Orange you glad and very berry. Of course, if your in the mood for something hot try any one of there espressos. Want to take something home to remember your little trip to the greatest doughnut shop on earth. Visit the collectable section where you'll find everything from coffee mugs to toys and hats. So all in all, Krispy Kreme has something for everyone. From there original glazed doughnuts to the cruellers and doughnut holes. From hot piping coffees to shaved ice drinks. One visit to this lil ole southern shop and you'll be hooked. Move over dunkin doughnuts you ain't got nothing on us.
This one’s tricky.
Half Guard is sort of the purgatory of ground maneuvering.
Randy Couture once told Joe Rogan he prefers half guard to side control because he feels like he has somewhat of a base to drive off of with one leg pinned underneath.
Compared to side control, it also is a position that is less susceptible to opponents bucking or rolling out of. With a smaller opportunity to scramble out of, fighters like GSP employ this tactic to methodically maintain top position while doing just enough to “stay busy”.
This is the most popular tactic of Lay-N-Pray artists due to the knowledge that the referee is less prone to stand the fight up since this is technically a dominant position.
In football terms, this is the 3 yards and a pile of dust maneuver. This is also where Jake Shields and Jon Fitch feed their families.
This one’s tricky.
Half Guard is sort of the purgatory of ground maneuvering.
Randy Couture once told Joe Rogan he prefers half guard to side control because he feels like he has somewhat of a base to drive off of with one leg pinned underneath.
Compared to side control, it also is a position that is less susceptible to opponents bucking or rolling out of. With a smaller opportunity to scramble out of, fighters like GSP employ this tactic to methodically maintain top position while doing just enough to “stay busy”.
This is the most popular tactic of Lay-N-Pray artists due to the knowledge that the referee is less prone to stand the fight up since this is technically a dominant position.
In football terms, this is the 3 yards and a pile of dust maneuver. This is also where Jake Shields and Jon Fitch feed their families.
bill bartmann on making mortgage audit established franchises for sale, existing franchises for sale, low cost franchises sale franchises for sale online stock trading
OK, the good news is that Warner Bros. is obviously very happy with Christopher Nolan's Inception. And the equally good news is that the Chris and John Nolan and David Goyer seem to be off and running with a third Batman picture, one that will be made on their schedule and at their discretion. But really, is Warner that stupid to presume that the work Nolan did on Batman makes him appropriate for Superman? Does anyone think that Superman Returns disappointed (in relation to expectations and its $270 million-budget) because it wasn't dark and gritty enough? Superman Returns underwhelmed because it was a confused film, unsure whether to be its own thing or a direct sequel to the Richard Donner Superman (and arguably, the Richard Donner cut of Superman II). It also had, at its core, a fatally flawed concept (that Superman vanished for five years and was mortified to learn that his friends and family had the gall to move on with their lives). Someone made a bad movie, period. These things happen. Just because Chris Nolan's filmography (which deals with moral men plunging into immoral waters with seemingly just cause) works so well for the film noir world of Gotham City doesn't mean he has any business hanging out in Metropolis.
Christopher Nolan is arguably my favorite current working director. But there are a dozen other directors (or 'shepherds') who are better suited to revitalizing the big screen Superman franchise. Michael Bay, if he gets a good screenplay and a short leash, would be pitch-perfect for an insanely huge, thunderously patriotic ode to 'truth, justice, and the American way'. David Fincher would be great for a film that deals with the overwhelming responsibility of having godlike powers on a war-torn planet like ours. Kathryn Bigelow or Michael Mann could craft epics dealing with Clark Kent's heroics as his profession and how it shapes him as a man. Heck, Aaron Sorkin's rapid-fire dialogue, overwhelming sense of importance, and downright corny idealism would be a great match for the property. Point being, I've already seen Christopher Nolan's take on Batman. I'd much prefer to see someone else make Superman their own. Frankly, this was the same reason I wasn't thrilled when Bryan Singer jumped into Superman Returns. Singer's playground was (and now is again) the X-Men franchise. He should have let someone else make their mark with the Man of Steel. Same goes for Nolan.
Some of you might agree with me, some of you might not, but in this reporter’s humble opinion “Terminator Salvation” was the saddest movie of 2009. Not because it packed powerful emotional depth, mind you. Quite the opposite. The sadness was in watching the continued tumble of what was once the epitome of science fiction cinema, and the fact that by the end of the movie you didn’t care who lived or died– you just wanted it to end.
In my imagination, the great white knight is James Cameron, riding in someday on his noble steed and returning “Terminator” to the glory of the first two films. With all the movement of the last few weeks, some have speculated that the selling of the franchise could potentially bring The King of the World back into the fold. But when we caught up with his producing partner recently, he had a message for people like me: Don’t hold your breath.
“He made an emotional disconnect from the 'Terminator' series after ‘Terminator 2,’” explained Cameron’s longtime friend, collaborator and “Avatar” producer Jon Landau. “And it’s not something he follows in the news.”
Landau stopped by the MTV studios recently to talk about “Avatar,” Cameron’s plans to write a prequel novel based on the movie and their other upcoming projects. But with the filmmaker in his mid-50s and booked up for several years with various projects, Landau said that the sad state of the “Terminator” franchise is the last thing on his mind.
“I was not a part of the Terminators,” explained Landau, who joined forces with Cameron during his “Titanic” period. “It’s not something [he thinks about]; it was something he created. For a number of circumstances, it wasn’t his any longer, and he broke that attachment.”
In the years since Cameron oversaw 1984’s “Terminator” and 1991’s “T2,” fans have been hit with 2003’s revisionist “Rise of the Machines,” 2009’s Marcus Wright-centered “Salvation” and 2008’s heavily flawed “Sarah Connor Chronicles” TV series. Now, the rights have bounced once again – to hedge fund Pacificor – but as they begin shopping new movie possibilities around to studios, Landau said they’d better not be counting on Cameron’s participation.
“What I look forward to Jim doing is taking us to new places,” Landau explained. “With ‘Avatar,’ we’ve only scratched the surface of Pandora - no pun intended. Jim has some other great ideas of other stories and other worlds that he wants to take people to.”
What do you think? Is the Terminator franchise damaged beyond repair? Could even James Cameron right the ship?
If you're a new Mom, then exercise may be the last thing on your mind even if it's one of the best things for your body, mind and soul. Taking care of a baby or toddler is difficult enough but then if you add on the extra hassle of finding the time for someone to watch your child while you go to the gym, you may never get there. For those of you who are ready to get back in the saddle, then check out all that StrollerFit has to offer. StrollerFit is a great way to incorporate exercise with your child (ages 4 weeks to 4 years) and since you're utilizing your baby's stroller, they are always easily accessible to you. StrollerFit makes it fun for both you and your baby as you move and groove along with their energetic instructors.
StrollerFit is a national franchise and we are lucky enough to have our very own StrollerFit representative living in Mason, Ohio, Denyce Holley . Denyce has been the owner and instructor of the Northeast Cincinnati territory (Mason & Loveland) for three years and recently purchased the North Central territory (Sharonville & West Chester). Denyce has been happily married for 10 years and is the proud Mom of two boys, ages 6 & 8 years. Before her StrollerFit adventure began she worked for twelve years at Procter & Gamble. After having a second baby and with a toddler at home, a friend introduced her to StrollerFit and she started taking classes. When the previous owner put her franchise up for sale, Denyce realized she loved the “concept of the program, the complete workout it offered, and the friendships I made because of it”. This was the catalyst she needed to take the plunge and open her own franchise. Denyce was committed to making exercise part of her life since she knew the positive benefits of exercise would help her be a better wife and mother. “I liked the shape I was getting in, had more energy for my day and got better sleep.” Owning StrollerFit was the perfect way to meet her exercise goals while having her children close by.
After being overweight for most of her life, Denyce credits StrollerFit for helping her reach and maintain her fitness goals. This is a wonderful testimonial to the positive benefits that StrollerFit can have in your life. The best part of owning her own business is “being able to incorporate my family into it…Dads come free to StrollerFit on Saturdays! Not only am I expanding my personal horizons of learning new skills: marketing, accounting, teaching clients, training employees…my kids have learned that “healthy living” can be fun and a part of everyday life. You should see how their pushups have progressed, and their V-sit and Downward Dog bring many smiles!”
In addition to the classes that involve strollers, Denyce teaches a Restore The Core class that focuses on getting the core back in shape with a mat-Pilates style class. Its main focus is to reverse the effects of childbirth on women's body and maintaining proper breathing techniques while targeting that “low belly sag”. You can exercise with your baby in this class until they are mobile and they'll enjoy helping you use the mommymuscle Fit-n-Fun balls. All the classes can be targeted for any fitness level and they all involve lots of fun for your child with the use of children's' songs, finger plays, bubbles, train whistles and more. It's a great way to show your little one that exercising can be fun and teaches them the importance of keeping your body fit at an early age. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to enjoy “Tick Tock, I'm a Cuckoo Clock” strength training or do some “Where is Thumpkin” plies. Another benefit of participating in StrollerFit is the friendships you can make with other Moms while finding playmates and/or play dates for your kids.
The classes are all reasonably priced. They range from $6-$8 depending on the number of classes purchased (10, 15 or 25 class pass) or you can pay as you go for $12 a class. There is a one-time enrollment fee of $40 but this includes a free equipment kit. Denyce is AFFA Certified, StrollerFit Certified Instructor, Restore the Core (core mat Pilates) Certified, IDEA Member, and Adult/Infant/Toddler CPR Certified. If you'd like more information on all that StrollerFit has to offer then please visit the website or contact Denyce via email at denyce.holley@strollerfit.com or by phone (513) 754-2280.
OK, the good news is that Warner Bros. is obviously very happy with Christopher Nolan's Inception. And the equally good news is that the Chris and John Nolan and David Goyer seem to be off and running with a third Batman picture, one that will be made on their schedule and at their discretion. But really, is Warner that stupid to presume that the work Nolan did on Batman makes him appropriate for Superman? Does anyone think that Superman Returns disappointed (in relation to expectations and its $270 million-budget) because it wasn't dark and gritty enough? Superman Returns underwhelmed because it was a confused film, unsure whether to be its own thing or a direct sequel to the Richard Donner Superman (and arguably, the Richard Donner cut of Superman II). It also had, at its core, a fatally flawed concept (that Superman vanished for five years and was mortified to learn that his friends and family had the gall to move on with their lives). Someone made a bad movie, period. These things happen. Just because Chris Nolan's filmography (which deals with moral men plunging into immoral waters with seemingly just cause) works so well for the film noir world of Gotham City doesn't mean he has any business hanging out in Metropolis.
Christopher Nolan is arguably my favorite current working director. But there are a dozen other directors (or 'shepherds') who are better suited to revitalizing the big screen Superman franchise. Michael Bay, if he gets a good screenplay and a short leash, would be pitch-perfect for an insanely huge, thunderously patriotic ode to 'truth, justice, and the American way'. David Fincher would be great for a film that deals with the overwhelming responsibility of having godlike powers on a war-torn planet like ours. Kathryn Bigelow or Michael Mann could craft epics dealing with Clark Kent's heroics as his profession and how it shapes him as a man. Heck, Aaron Sorkin's rapid-fire dialogue, overwhelming sense of importance, and downright corny idealism would be a great match for the property. Point being, I've already seen Christopher Nolan's take on Batman. I'd much prefer to see someone else make Superman their own. Frankly, this was the same reason I wasn't thrilled when Bryan Singer jumped into Superman Returns. Singer's playground was (and now is again) the X-Men franchise. He should have let someone else make their mark with the Man of Steel. Same goes for Nolan.
Some of you might agree with me, some of you might not, but in this reporter’s humble opinion “Terminator Salvation” was the saddest movie of 2009. Not because it packed powerful emotional depth, mind you. Quite the opposite. The sadness was in watching the continued tumble of what was once the epitome of science fiction cinema, and the fact that by the end of the movie you didn’t care who lived or died– you just wanted it to end.
In my imagination, the great white knight is James Cameron, riding in someday on his noble steed and returning “Terminator” to the glory of the first two films. With all the movement of the last few weeks, some have speculated that the selling of the franchise could potentially bring The King of the World back into the fold. But when we caught up with his producing partner recently, he had a message for people like me: Don’t hold your breath.
“He made an emotional disconnect from the 'Terminator' series after ‘Terminator 2,’” explained Cameron’s longtime friend, collaborator and “Avatar” producer Jon Landau. “And it’s not something he follows in the news.”
Landau stopped by the MTV studios recently to talk about “Avatar,” Cameron’s plans to write a prequel novel based on the movie and their other upcoming projects. But with the filmmaker in his mid-50s and booked up for several years with various projects, Landau said that the sad state of the “Terminator” franchise is the last thing on his mind.
“I was not a part of the Terminators,” explained Landau, who joined forces with Cameron during his “Titanic” period. “It’s not something [he thinks about]; it was something he created. For a number of circumstances, it wasn’t his any longer, and he broke that attachment.”
In the years since Cameron oversaw 1984’s “Terminator” and 1991’s “T2,” fans have been hit with 2003’s revisionist “Rise of the Machines,” 2009’s Marcus Wright-centered “Salvation” and 2008’s heavily flawed “Sarah Connor Chronicles” TV series. Now, the rights have bounced once again – to hedge fund Pacificor – but as they begin shopping new movie possibilities around to studios, Landau said they’d better not be counting on Cameron’s participation.
“What I look forward to Jim doing is taking us to new places,” Landau explained. “With ‘Avatar,’ we’ve only scratched the surface of Pandora - no pun intended. Jim has some other great ideas of other stories and other worlds that he wants to take people to.”
What do you think? Is the Terminator franchise damaged beyond repair? Could even James Cameron right the ship?
bill bartmann on making forensic mortgage audit established franchises for sale, existing franchises for sale, low cost franchises sale franchises for sale
vcrha, hiacy, tpkrwsm, anghmri
Old <b>News</b>: Tricky Newspaper Laptop Sleeve - Geekologie
Old <b>News</b>: Tricky Newspaper Laptop Sleeve.
Wired Magazine's Days Are Numbered » Podcasting <b>News</b>
Audio Podcasting · Corporate Podcasts · Educational Podcasts · How to Podcast · Making Money with Podcasts · Mobile Podcasting · <b>News</b> Podcasts · Podcast Directory Sites · Podcast Distribution · Podcast Hosting · Podcast Quickies …
Fox <b>News</b>' Sarah Palin Blasts Fox Show Family Guy, 'When Is Enough <b>…</b>
Palin responds to the a Family Guy episode that mocked her son, Trig, who has Down syndrome.
The Internet is a place for reinvention, and there are few who understand that quite so well as Steve Woolf and Zadi Diaz, who last night relaunched their groundbreaking web series Epic Fu — making this the fourth iteration of the show since its launch in June 2006, when it was known as The Jetset Show and targeted towards 8-to-10 year olds. Since then, Fu has had deals with both Next New Networks and Revision 3, nearly made a TV show and continued to push the possibilities of interactivity inherent to
As opposed to earlier incarnations, which celebrated the Internet’s wacky breadth, Fu’s new format features greater focus on specific areas, with two new episodes every week focusing on music on Mondays and film on Thursdays. However, in the first episode, the definition of film in this case has been broadened to include discussion of Conan O’Brien’s online possibilities and other more memeish projects, such as Tumblr-famous fiance Justin Johnson’s Film Fights project.
Diaz’s signature high-octane editing style remains constant, however, as well as Woolf’s sharply-worded, self-deprecating scripting — the episode is soaked with frank acknowledgment of the fact that producing content for the web isn’t exactly a path to fame and fortune, with jokes focusing on the joys of the unemployment line and YouTube commenters.
The irony is that Woolf and Diaz stand out as some of the community’s most successful creators, which shone out clearly at last night’s Tubefilter-organized event in Los Angeles. There, Woolf and Diaz discussed the ups and downs of the show’s history, including why they left Next New to join Revision 3 — a decision due in part to the fact that NNN “wasn’t on the same page” with them in regards to factors like a potential television deal, while Rev3 “didn’t care.”
Fu’s secrets to success, according to the pair, are two-fold: One, they worked hard early on to champion interesting bands and videos, and as a result developed a reputation for being tastemakers that made brands excited to be associated with them (HP and Intel are currently sponsoring the new season). Two, they created and nurtured a community around the show, and the Ning-based Mix forum not only gives the Fu audience a chance to interact directly with Woolf and Diaz, but enables them to influence the direction of the show. The plan in future weeks is to build this out even further with a new blogging project, created in partnership with the British Council, which will help give Fu a truly international flavor while also bringing new voices onto the site.
They also spoke publicly on why their TV deal with a “cable news network” didn’t end up happening — the factors being that the money wasn’t quite enough to justify the amount of work that would have been involved, and that the contract was far too restrictive, keeping Diaz from being involved with any other projects beyond the web show for a period of two years. They admitted that in the early years of their career, their neighbors — after seeing the camera setups in their apartment and hearing that they “made a video show for the internet” — thought they did porn. “If we did porn, we’d be driving a better car,” Woolf joked.
The death toll in Haiti is surging towards a frightening figure. A massive tragedy that has shaken the world just like the quake that left ruins in its wake.
But the sunshine factor has been the massive show of solidarity and support from all corners of the globe. Millions are being raised. It will not dispel the gloom but may help to lessen it.
New age media is chipping in and doing it by the bits and bytes. A recent news item in the Washington Post says that U.S cell phone users raised $22 million via a text campaign. Twitter updates are spreading the news. That’s social media lending a hand to humanity.
Make a Difference: Donate To The Haitian Earthquake Victims – Here’s How.
The money may be peanuts compared to the lot that will be required, but it is true that social media is not only making people aware but also helping them to loosen their purse strings. The amount though takes the second spot behind the greater impact of generating awareness for a cause. The ‘here – there – everywhere’ nature of social media is taking the hitherto local cause to global eyes and ears.
You can’t escape from it. And if you don’t want to, let me give you five websites that can help to keep social issues on your radar and provide you with opportunities to make a difference.
AlertNet
AlertNet brings you the latest in humanitarian news from around the world. What gives it top billing is that it’s a Reuters site. So you can expect the same up-to-datedness and accuracy of news reporting.
AlertNet draws ten million users a year. It has a network of 400 contributing humanitarian organizations and its weekly email digest is received by more than 26,000 readers. A couple of mapping tools also give a graphical picture of emergencies and relief work around the world. And if you want to jump in, the Job Search tool is a help.
Visit the site’s About Us page – it is definitely one of the most informative I have read. Some features are open to only aid workers and organizations but the site is free as a whole.
Causecast (Beta)
A TechCrunch website, Causecast is a meeting place for nonprofits, community leaders, activists, celebrities, brands, and the common man. You can use the site to find volunteer opportunities, post articles, connect to community leaders and celebrities, learn about causes and of course, make donations.
Just like any online forum, Causecast encourages activities. You can also log your offline humanitarian activities in your account. The sum total of achievements can help you earn ‘Kudos’ (a digital Thank You). The Kudos can be exchanged for tangible gifts when the Causecast Marketplace opens up.
Changeants
Read this as ‘Agents of Change’ and you will get what they are all about. Changeants is a social networking site for learning about the causes around us. The mission is powered by a community of dynamic individuals and their activities for social/environmental good. These change agents are socially connected to their network of friends and backers who are helping them to achieve their cause and make a difference.
The inspiration for a cause comes from stories (i.e. blog posts) that get swapped across this social network. Change agents send out volunteer requests and you can join up and contribute in small or big ways. But if you want to lead rather than follow, become a change agent yourself.
Care2
We have featured Care2 before as a site which supports green living. But the site is not only about that or their well designed free ecards. Environmental issues are not the only thing on their agenda. Apart from watching the causes that are on around the world, you can also read up a lot on it. You can also as free members spread the word out about things that are interesting and important to you, by sharing and rating news stories.
Any activity on the website can earn you credits. These credits are redeemable as cash which goes to a non-profit of your choice. Care2 calls it the ‘Butterfly Rewards’. The easiest way to earn credits is to set Care2 as your browser’s home page and use Care2’s web search for all of your web searches. The Care2 community numbers nearly 12 million – a very large company for goodness.
Idealist
The organization behind Idealist.org is the nicely named non-profit called Action Without Borders (AWB). Idealist is like a common platform which connects those who need volunteer services with those who can offer them. It is a large web directory of non-profit projects, non-profit organizations, fundraising events, socially relevant issues, humanitarian jobs etc.
If you are really looking to give your two cents worth of time (or money), this is a place where you can log on. The site has blogs, podcasts, email alerts and also a social community that helps to connect with the larger world picture.
The site presently lists about 93,000 organizations from across the globe and 17,000 jobs in its index. The site also holds career fairs and graduate degree fairs for the inclined.
These five sites are just the tip of the iceberg as far as social and philanthropy websites go. What I have tried to present is the variety that’s on offer for the serious volunteer. So you have a news site like AlertNet to begin with and then a web directory like the Idealist.
To paraphrase Admiral Nelson’s words, let’s say that the world expects every man to do his duty. Whether big or tiny, a little effort goes a long way.
Maybe you have already participated in a social project through social media. Share it with us in the comments.
Image Credit: woodleywonderworks
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When I first got my debit card about 10 years ago, I thought this was going to be the missing link to my money management. After all, the whole point of having a debit card is that you can't spend money you don't have since the money comes directly out of your checking account.
But in these times of banks making more money from our misuse of money than our good use of money, I shouldn't have been surprised at what I began to notice over the past couple of years. (And if you've already noticed this, well, take heart in that you're not alone.)
In the case of credit cards, banks and credit card companies have made over $30 billion in late fees and over the limit fees this year (http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/08/10/am-overdraft-fees/). That's a lot of money. Not only that, but the cardholders are probably not making a dent in their revolving debt. Think you're safe if you have a debit card? Not really. You see, that comfort we had in not being able to spend more than what we have is gone.
With a credit card, usually when you hit the limit or go over, then you cannot charge anymore. I haven't used a credit card in a long time but I will tell you that if I make a mistake with my debit card and there aren't enough funds, then these banks will still approve the charge. Why? The money is not there. So now a charge has occurred you did not have the funds for and now you will be hit with an overdraft fee.
If that happens to you every once in awhile, then it's probably just annoying to you. If you aren't so good with your money, then you are going to see that overdraft fee again and again as the bank continues to let your checking account go into the negative. And if you aren't checking your account like a hawk, then you could look up and be short $500 or more from your direct deposited paycheck, $500 you needed for bills, because the bank approved things it had no business approving.
Not don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we should not be held responsible for our indescretions with money. We should all strive to be better stewards of the money entrusted to us. But this business with the overdraft fees remind me of the mortgages loans that certain banks shouldn't have made because the customer was not really able to pay it back. If the purpose of the debit card is to only allow you, as the customer, to use the money you have, then why are there overdraft fees after the account has already gone negative? Shouldn't there be a mechanism or something that prevents your account from being charged when you have a negative balance?
So then why would a bank continue to charge $29-$35 overdraft fees that go on top of the charge you didn't have the money for in the first place? One word - greed. I'm not anti-bank, but I am anti-greed.
Greed is the only way I can explain why banks would continue to really rob you of your money like that. If the credit card companies are making more than $30 billion from late fees and over the limit fees, then imagine how much the banks are making from these overdraft fees.
So what can you do about all of this?
1. Be sure you are balancing your checkbook everyday. I know that sounds like common sense, but I assure you that it is not common practice. If you kept the books at a business, then you would have to do it anyway. It only makes sense that you should keep the books for your own household. Don't give away your money because you didn't balance the books.
2. Leave your debit card at home. You don't need it to pay for gas. You don't need it to pay for groceries. You can write a check to pay for larger ticket items. And one of the great things about checks is that you can get them with the carbon copy so that you still have a copy of the check for you to record later. Using good old cash will help keep your checking account in line.
3. Be sure to leave a cushion in your checking account for the “oops” moments. The “oops” moments are when you forget you needed some money for your child's pictures or you scheduled a payment from your checking account and forgot to record it. The “oops” moment should be a rarity, but it's still good to keep a cushion. Everyone's cushion will be different, but if you want a number, then start with $100.
Starting with those three tips should help you from handing over more of your hard-earned money than necessary. Stop paying the banks for their misbehavior and your mismanagement of money. Get a hold of your money and make it work for you to help you and your family to live a better life.
NBC's Todd: Fox <b>News</b> Trying To 'Undermine' MSM | NewsBusters.org
Now that the public has genuine choices in <b>news</b> programing, they have begun abandoning NBC and other MSm outlets, and turning on Fox <b>News</b>. And the inheritors of the sinking ships — like Todd — not only can't figure out why, …
Some Good <b>News</b>, and Some Bad <b>News</b>, About Adobe Flash 10.1 - Adobe <b>…</b>
The good <b>news</b> first: Adobe's promising Flash 10.1 is going to hit smartphones—Android, WebOS, Windows Mobile—and desktops in the "first half" of this year, a slightly less squishy date. And it'll come over the air. The bad part?
WH: Some Critics 'Serving the Goals of al Qaeda'* - Political Punch
In an oped in USA Today, John Brennan — Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism — responds to critics of the Obama administration's counterterrorism policies by …
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NBC's Todd: Fox <b>News</b> Trying To 'Undermine' MSM | NewsBusters.org
Now that the public has genuine choices in <b>news</b> programing, they have begun abandoning NBC and other MSm outlets, and turning on Fox <b>News</b>. And the inheritors of the sinking ships — like Todd — not only can't figure out why, …
Some Good <b>News</b>, and Some Bad <b>News</b>, About Adobe Flash 10.1 - Adobe <b>…</b>
The good <b>news</b> first: Adobe's promising Flash 10.1 is going to hit smartphones—Android, WebOS, Windows Mobile—and desktops in the "first half" of this year, a slightly less squishy date. And it'll come over the air. The bad part?
WH: Some Critics 'Serving the Goals of al Qaeda'* - Political Punch
In an oped in USA Today, John Brennan — Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism — responds to critics of the Obama administration's counterterrorism policies by …
NBC's Todd: Fox <b>News</b> Trying To 'Undermine' MSM | NewsBusters.org
Now that the public has genuine choices in <b>news</b> programing, they have begun abandoning NBC and other MSm outlets, and turning on Fox <b>News</b>. And the inheritors of the sinking ships — like Todd — not only can't figure out why, …
Some Good <b>News</b>, and Some Bad <b>News</b>, About Adobe Flash 10.1 - Adobe <b>…</b>
The good <b>news</b> first: Adobe's promising Flash 10.1 is going to hit smartphones—Android, WebOS, Windows Mobile—and desktops in the "first half" of this year, a slightly less squishy date. And it'll come over the air. The bad part?
WH: Some Critics 'Serving the Goals of al Qaeda'* - Political Punch
In an oped in USA Today, John Brennan — Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism — responds to critics of the Obama administration's counterterrorism policies by …
