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The New Majority, a California PAC of business leaders with chapters in Orange County, San Diego, the Inland Empire and LA, harshly criticized Governor Jerry Brown and Democrats in the State Legislature for passing a budget that will unleash a flurry of new taxes on businesses and residents of the state. Their statement was released last night:
Tonight, Democrats in the Legislature passed a second budget to be sent to Governor Brown after he vetoed a budget passed unilaterally by Democrats two weeks ago.
Many elements of their first budget remain intact in this second deal. This plan, however, assumes an additional four billion dollars in revenue. Should actual revenues fall short of the projections in the revised budget, automatic triggers will institute further cuts. The cuts, organized into three tiers, are dependent upon the disparity between projected and realized revenues.
While Republicans held strong against taxes increases on the budget, Democrats are now preparing for an all-out assault on taxpayers and business at the ballot box next year.. These measures could include a split roll property tax on commercial and business properties, a high-income earners tax and a measure that makes it easier for local governments to raise taxes.
We are grateful for the Republicans' leadership during the budget process. And we are disappointed that Democrats were unwilling to compromise on the long-term, structural budget reforms that New Majority advocated, including a permanent spending cap and meaningful pension reform.
We will continue to keep you updated while we work with coalition partners to defend taxpayers from the barrage of tax measures that will likely appear on next year's ballot.


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Enjoy the fun, and from our little pumpkins to yours...
Thanks for stopping in!
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Get over the guilt of feeling perpetually behind! Catch Up with Project Life will reconnect you to feelings of accomplishment and gratitude—both for the hobby you love and your life in general. Instructors Annette, Megan, and Trish are here to help you tackle common trouble areas, so you can make real progress with your Project Life albums.

subset: commoncrawl


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The humble souvenir. Everybody buys them, and it doesn't matter where you travel in the world every country has them.
Whilst people may scoff at the idea of buying these plastic monstrosities, there is a kind of guilty pleasure in bringing home an Eiffel Tower key ring or snowglobe from New York just to prove you have been there.
Tim Webster speaks to Ben Groundwater from traveller.com.au to find 10 tacky souvenirs that you'll want to collect anyway


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The award-winning story of Britain, from the arrival of Julius Caesar in 55 BC to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.Christopher Lee's history of Britain provides the definitive radio account of the events and personalities that have shaped our nation. From foreign invasions and war to economic crises and social revolution, this is a compelling journey through centuries of dramatic change.Volume 5, covering the years 1660 to 1702, is about great change: the restoration of the monarchy, the Great Plague and the Great Fire in the nation's capital, and, following the immense unpopularity of James II's Catholicism, a ruler from a different country on the throne, William of Orange.More
"Wonderful....This Sceptred Isle has provided one of the greatest treats for listeners in recent years." (Sunday Times)
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contains a glitch
One of these contains a glitch, where some of the chapters appear out of sequence. It's confusing when it happens, because the story suddenly jumps forward a few decades. Then, about an hour later, it jumps back to get the missing chapters. The first time I listened to it, I actually didn't catch what had happened. I was just left with a feeling of having been very confused about that period of time. I am not positive that it was in Volume 5 that it happened, but it seems like it was right around this point in the story.
Don't let that dissuade you from buying this book, because the story truly is brilliant. Just be alert when it happens, and jump around as necessary so that you are listening to the chapters in chronological sequence.
- Mark


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Visible refinement! Pevonia Power Repair Intensifier - D.N.A & Diacetyl Boldine precisely blends with Gardenia oil to deliver intensive benefits. Easily absorbed, this potent bio-microemulsified gel tightens dilated pores and smoothes uneven skin texture. Benefits -Refines the epidermal surface -Tightens dilated pores -Smoothes light scarring -Excellent post-acne treatment -Deeply hydrates
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Gwen Stefani Flaunts her Legs in a Sexy Fishnet at The Voice Show
She was wearing sexy fishnets under her glamorous show outfit which looked like Gwen is offering Blake all the reasons to be feel tempted enough.
Gwen Stefani, 46, is showing off her sexy side to her boyfriend Blake Shelton, 39. The Voice coach did a sultry tease of her fishnet stockings via her Instagram and posted a pic prior to the show which clearly indicates she is feeling confident and desirable. We are sure that Blake must have enjoyed the view from his chair.
What do you think of Gwen's fishnet stockings?


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Butterfly craft projects can be made to decorate for parties, to wear in your hair, to add to a costume or simply used to decorate your house. A simple yet beautiful butterfly can be made using a few feathers and a bit of creativity. Fun for adults and children alike, a few tips will help to get you started on this unique craft project.
Things You'll Need
- Feathers in multiple sizes and colors
- Flat-backed safety pin
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun and glue
- Craft supplies (puff paint, glitter paint, sequence, gems, beads, leather, etc.)
Select a large number of feathers in a variety of sizes and colors to create your custom butterflies. Feathers can be purchased in dyed and natural colors in your local craft supply store.
Create your top wings using the tips of large feathers. Find two feathers which match in size and color and carefully line them up against a flat-backed safety pin, also available in your local craft store. Decide how large you would like the upper wings and the snip off the excess feather, trimming the edges as needed.
Apply a drop of hot glue to the end of the feathers and place onto the flat backing of your pin. Allow the glue to dry completely.
Select two matching feathers for the bottom wings which are slightly smaller than the top wings. Again, place them onto the backing to measure size and then trim as needed. Glue and allow to dry.
Decide how you will decorate the body of your butterfly. You can simply apply a thick line of puff paint or use your hot glue gun to apply sequence, gems, beads, leather or anything you like. Additionally, you can use glitter glue and paints to further decorate the feathers if desired.
Finish your butterfly by adding two tiny feathers to the top of the head for antennae.
Tips & Warnings
- Instead of flat backed safety pins, try popsicle sticks to place butterflies in your potted plants or barrettes to wear a handmade butterfly in your hair.
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With First Tutors: Music you can find a Turriff trombone teacher. Trombone tuition are a brilliant way to learn a fun new hobby, acquire a new talent and gain confidence in trombone. Please use our site to search for Turriff trombone tutors and determine which matches your requirements so you can enjoy your trombone lessons in Turriff straight away!
First Tutors: Music is the best place to find Turriff trombone tutors in the UK, helping you find Turriff trombone lessons close to you and Turriff tutors to help with any instrument such as piano, violin or guitar. We can help you find Turriff trombone tuition or a one-to-one Turriff trombone teacher to prepare for trombone exams and develop your trombone skills! We order Turriff trombone teachers in your area by their tuition charges and proximity to you.
If you are a trombone tutor and would like to offer your trombone tuition services in Turriff or anywhere else across the UK, please register with First Tutors: Music or find out more about us here. Becoming a Turriff trombone tutor is a wonderful way to re-affirm your own knowledge by providing trombone lessons while assisting someone else, all in the Turriff area!


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Positive side : Close to the beach Very spacious room Value for money Wonderful And friendly staff Definitely coming back again ! Accessible to many places around. Only Downside : No Wi-Fi in rooms, only available at the restaurant.
Getting you more information on this room
Getting you more information on this room
"Stayed in room 10 second floor, balcony faced the built in pool hotel at near end of beach so less crowded..."
"Get a room on the higher floors if you want a quieter room and a view although there no lift so plenty of..."


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Liverpool go head-to-head against Manchester City on Sunday at Wembley in the Capital One Cup final and Jürgen Klopp says he's hoping to get his first piece of silverware at the club.
Speaking the day after the Reds' 1-0 second-leg win over FC Augsburg to put them into the next round of the Europa League, the German believes the cup will not be easily won and that his players will have to work very hard to get their just reward.
Klopp dreaming of cup glory but says it won't be easy
"I don't know what [winning the cup] will mean to me" admitted Klopp, who said that in "professional football" managers do it "only to win things."
The manager was keen to mention that lots of teams do not get an opportunity to play in big games like this one and emphasised how lucky he was because "after a very short time, we have the chance" to play in a final and win a trophy.
He is looking forward to the occasion and described how he has already thought about winning the cup saying he had "a few nice pictures" in his mind, "being in Wembley with the fans" and having "a real reason to celebrate together."
However, he understands there is a lot to do before Liverpool can even think about lifting the trophy down in the national stadium in London, sharply stating that "it's all about work, nothing else."
Klopp reacts to Gerrard praise
Former Reds skipper Steven Gerrard, with his vast experience in this competition, earlier this week said that Klopp would be the man to make the differnce and get Liverpool over the line in this encounter.
On Friday morning, Klopp was quite humble in his response to these comments by the Liverpool legend, joking that he "gave him £100 for [saying] this."
He then repaid the favour to Gerrard saying that "so often in his life", the influential midfielder had "said the right things" and "made the right decisions", such as shooting from "big distances" and "always hitting [the goal]."
Klopp stated that "hopefully this time it's the truth too" and following this up, stated: "I'm not sure I'm the difference but I know the way, that's the truth. "
Up to the players, insists the manager
Klopp still felt that what happens on Sunday is down to the players. They have pulled off some wonderful results to reach Wembley and it is now up to them to deliver on the big day.
Klopp said that "there is absolutely no reason to have a doubt" because "everybody knows nothing is safe, nothing is sure in this situation."
He continued saying that "everything is possible" and that he "loves this in sport." The German likes the way you can "take and use the pressure" and "set the level of intensity" in big games such as this one.
Klopp on the previous Man City encounter
Klopp declined to talk about tactics, with several journalists referencing his squad's 4-1 win at City a few months ago, sarcastically joking that "even in Manchester they have televisions" but reassured everyone that his side "will have a plan."
He said that "you need to respect the development since then" of their opponents, describing it as a "different situation." He continued stating that "[Vincent] Kompany is back" so "they can rotate or change."
He did not deny how dangerous a final opponent they are, conveying that "you cannot ignore the football quality of Man City" and calling "defending really good" a "very important issue in a final", to "stay in the game" for "as long as possible" to give his side the better chance of coming out on top.


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The vehicle in your driveway is head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to all the cars, trucks, and SUVs in today's marketplace. Obviously, you bought your X5 because you understood you would be getting best-in-class service and dependability both impeccably combined into one vehicle. While it's not hard to buy replacement parts for BMW vehicles, these days only the absolute best are required to maintain your car or truck. When your BMW X5 was born, it was destined for a driver who prioritizes German engineering in their automobile.
Imagine having to crank your engine in order to get it going. The starter motor attached to your engine makes turning it over infinitely more pleasant than having to crank it. Your BMW X5 starter has a solenoid on it that receives a signal from your ignition switch, and harnesses the power of the battery to engage the starter and spin the flywheel. An inoperable starter motor means your BMW X5 won't turn on... and that's no good for anyone.
Don't let a Starter repair bring about the demise of your car, truck, or SUV, and don't gamble with its condition by installing anything but the best repair parts. Trust in the value of the parts you get from carpartsdiscount.com and save time and money on all your upcoming repairs. Procuring new BMW parts from www.carpartsdiscount.com means you are getting the best deal on the highest quality original and aftermarket replacement X5 parts on the internet. Just choose your year from the list below to find the right BMW X5 Starter for your 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 model.


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Sold Out
Our lives are pretty complicated, but one thing will always be black or white: you're cold or you're not. Hence, this monochromatic snuggly cowl scarf for those chilly days when the snow is blowing sideways. It's sourced from the Andes, so it's no stranger the weather dipping below freezing.
Alpaca thread in its true form, is a naturally hypoallergenic material that can be compared to feel and quality of cashmere. Each piece is hand knitted or created on a manually threaded and operated weaving machine.
Greenola works directly with artisan entrepreneurs in Bolivia and Kenya, each unique and talented in their own way. They respect the cultural heritage of their artisans by fostering their time-honored craftsmanship and paying fair wages as guided by the Fair Trade Federation
Be the first to ask a question about this.


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The residence is an all suites, luxury hotel designed with an adult focus, offering guests spacious and well equipped suites, some with private pools, coupled with superb hotel and spa facilities in an impressive beachside setting. The air-conditioned hotel offers 121 suites, a lobby with 24-hour reception and check-out service, currency exchange facilities and lift access. Guests may also make use of the hairdressing salon, caf�, bar, restaurant and WLAN Internet access.
This beachfront resort is close to historical sites. It is 3 km from the picturesque harbour of Paphos and 2 km from the resort centre. Paphos International Airport is situated roughly 15 km from the resort.
The spacious and luxuriously appointed suites come with an en suite deluxe marble bathroom with shower, bath and hairdryer. The comfortable living room areas have a flat screen LCD 32-inch TV with satellite channels, a radio, a DVD player, a direct dial telephone and free WLAN Internet connection. Further standard amenities include a safe, a minibar, tea and coffee making facilities, espresso machine, scales, make-up/shaving mirrors, floor to ceiling windows, individually regulated air conditioning, central heating and a balcony or terrace.
The hotel offers guests use of an indoor heated swimming pool and two outdoor swimming pools, a poolside snack bar, solarium and sun terrace with sun loungers and parasols laid out for use. Also provided are a gym, a hot tub, a sauna, a steam room and a massage service. Spa treatments are available for a fee. There is a golf course some 20 km from the hotel.
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and VISA are accepted as methods of payment.
As you exit from the Paphos airport road to the main road you turn left for Paphos. Approximately 1km down the road you will see a sign pointing to the high way A1, turn right. As you approach the high way turn left before the fly-over bridge to enter the high way going to Paphos. Drive on until the high way finishes. There is a big round-about. Take the first left.Go all the way down until you see another round-about. You will see the shops Debenhams/Next on your left. Continue straight on the round about (2nd exit) and further on until you find another small round-about.Keep on going straight. You will reach a T-junction. Turn left. Follow the road straight on until you reach a mini round-about, pass that, (2nd exit) and you will see on your right hand side the Asimina Suites Hotel.
Room Facilities:
Direct dial telephone
Satellite cable TV
Internet access
Tea Coffee
Iron and board
Double bed
King size bed
Central airconditioned
Individual airconditioned
Central heating


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"EPA: North Texas Earthquakes Likely Linked to Oil and Gas Drilling"
"Federal regulators believe "there is a significant possibility" that recent earthquakes in North Texas are linked to oil and gas activity, even if state regulators won't say so."
Jump to navigation
"Federal regulators believe "there is a significant possibility" that recent earthquakes in North Texas are linked to oil and gas activity, even if state regulators won't say so."
"With little more than a promise, the Texas Railroad Commission is trusting a struggling coal industry to pay for the cost of cleaning up old mines."
"A state appeals court has struck down a plastic bag ban in Laredo in a high-profile fight over local control that could ultimately impact similar laws in other Texas cities."
"Think of Mesa Verde National Park and you probably imagine iconic cliff dwellings sketched in sandstone. Those homes were built by the Ancestral Pueblo before they left the area in the late 13th Century. Climate change may be putting some of those dwellings in jeopardy."
"A puzzling concentration of the greenhouse gas methane over the Southwestern United States appears to come mostly from leaks in natural gas production, scientists said Monday."
"Negotiators for two Native American tribes and the state of Oklahoma said Wednesday they have reached a settlement that would end a modern-day water rights and tribal sovereignty dispute that has its roots in the 19th century."
"A Texas baby born with Zika-related birth defects has died, officials said Tuesday, the first death related to the virus in the state."
"The Ogallala aquifer turned the region into America's breadbasket. Now it, and a way of life, are being drained away."
"A tiny South Texas town is continuing to fight plans for an oil and gas waste site half its size, even after state regulators gave developers the go-ahead to build it."
"In Texas, there were more than 2,700 spills at oil and gas sites last year. But the state tracked only about half of those."


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IMech Online Gameplay 1 iOS / Android
IMech Online
By: Mobula
Genre: Action
Video Tips
Let's play IMech Online! This is part 1 of my walkthrough guide for the iOS game, IMech Online by Mobula Inc.
I will update this post with more tips and tricks, so please bookmark this page and keep on checking in!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask for extra help in the comments section.
Hit like if this helped you!
Visit IMech Online walkthrough page for level videos, tutorials, cheats and more.
Gameplay Questions
Questions related to gameplay of IMech Online iPhone game.


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Harald Hacks GmbH is your reliable partner and specialist when it comes to the repair of neck rings.
Along with a strong focus on service and competent advice, Harald Hacks also stands out for his in-house developed, innovative and unique repair technology, which has been adopted by more than 20 workshops across Europe since 2007 and is offered exclusively to our business clients.
Reliability and quality are our trademarks. It goes without saying that each repaired neck ring is rigorously checked before it leaves our workshop. That way we live up to our promise of consistently good quality that is made to last.


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if you and your lover are having probs in your relationship... would you be upset if she/he instead of talking to you talk to someone else, especially if that someone is from the opposite gender, or you wouldn't care? Would you break up or just wait until things cool down?
Most Helpful Girl
No, sometimes the best advice comes from the people that are close to you.
Obviously, he can't go to you about the problems you two have because you both aren't able to sort them out. If you were, then they wouldn't be "problems".
Sometimes you need another ear to listen to you so you know what steps to take. Or
someone to speak with to shed some light on the situation or make you feel better.
Its perfectly normal. Friends are there for that reason, I wouldn't be mad unless the person was giving him bullsh*t advice.11|00|0


text: Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresSee Non-GAAP Financial Measures for definitions of Adjusted Earnings Per Share, Adjusted Pre-Tax Contribution, Proportional Gross Margin, Adjusted Gross Margin, Proportional Adjusted Gross Margin, Proportional Cash Flow From Operating Activities, Consolidated Free Cash Flow, Proportional Free Cash Flow, as well as reconciliations to the most comparable GAAP financial measure. Attachments Consolidated Statements of Operations, Consolidated Balance Sheets, Segment Information, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, Non-GAAP Financial Measures, Parent Financial Information and 2012 Financial Guidance Elements. Conference Call Information AES will host a conference call on Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Interested parties may listen to the teleconference by dialing 1-800-857-6557 at least ten minutes before the start of the call. International callers should dial +1-415-228-4653. The participant passcode for this call is 11712. Internet access to the presentation materials will be available on the AES website at www.aes.com by selecting "Investor Information" and then "Quarterly Financial Reports." A telephonic replay of the call will be available from approximately 12:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 7, 2012 through Wednesday, November 28, 2012. Callers in the U.S. please dial 1-800-385-2567. International callers should dial +1-203-369-3264. The system will ask for a passcode; please enter 11712. A webcast replay, as well as a replay in downloadable MP3 format, will be accessible at www.aes.com beginning shortly after the completion of the call. About AES The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is a Fortune 200 global power company. We provide affordable, sustainable energy to 27 countries through our diverse portfolio of distribution businesses as well as thermal and renewable generation facilities. Our workforce of 27,000 people is committed to operational excellence and meeting the world's changing power needs. Our 2011 revenues were $17 billion and we own and manage $45 billion in total assets. To learn more, please visit www.aes.com. Safe Harbor Disclosure This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those related to future earnings, growth and financial and operating performance. Forward-looking statements are not intended to be a guarantee of future results, but instead constitute AES' current expectations based on reasonable assumptions. Forecasted financial information is based on certain material assumptions. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, our accurate projections of future interest rates, commodity price and foreign currency pricing, continued normal levels of operating performance and electricity volume at our distribution companies and operational performance at our generation businesses consistent with historical levels, as well as achievements of planned productivity improvements and incremental growth investments at normalized investment levels and rates of return consistent with prior experience.


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Medicare Part D offered prescription drug coverage starting in 2006. Before that, Americans over 65 years old and those who were disabled had fewer options. While Medicare Part B covers some outpatient medications, it generally does not pay for many of the pills people need.

Although Medicare Part D provides more options to beneficiaries, it comes at a cost and is not all-inclusive. One of the most important decisions you make in choosing a Part D plan is finding one that covers the medications you need. Understanding what Medicare covers and what it doesn't will help you to plan for the future.

Requirements for Medicare to Pay for Your Medications

First, the medication must be prescribed to you by a healthcare provider. Over-the-counter medications are not covered by Part D.

Second, any medication prescribed to you by a healthcare provider needs to have a medical indication. Medicare refuses to pay for anything that is not medically necessary. If you are prescribed a drug, say for multiple sclerosis, but there is no diagnosis pertaining to this condition in your medical record, Medicare may deny coverage.

Third, any medications prescribed to you must be approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use.

Fourth, any medications prescribed must be purchased within the United States. Drugs purchased from foreign countries, even if they are the same medications available in the United States, will not be covered by Part D.

Fifth, Medicare does not want to pay for things more than once. If a medication is covered by Part A or Part B, Part D will not pay.

Types of Medications Part D Plans Cover

Though Part D plans are run by private insurance companies, the federal government sets guidelines for what will be covered. There are six protected classes of medications that insurance companies are obligated to provide near complete coverage.

Anticonvulsants

Antidepressants

Anti-psychotics

Cancer drugs

HIV/AIDS drugs

Immunosuppressants

Part D plans are also required to cover at least two medications in each of the other major classes of medications.

Types of Medications Part D Does Not Cover

Medicare excludes the following medications from Part D coverage. Though some private insurance companies may opt to include some of them as a supplemental benefit, money spent on these medications will not count towards your donut hole requirement. Also, you cannot appeal to Medicare to cover an excluded drug, even if it is on the Part D formulary. You will have to look closely at individual plans before you sign up for one.

The following medications are excluded for the reasons listed but some of them could be approved for other medically approved indications. Many of these medications are not considered medically necessary in Medicare's eyes or do not have adequate data to show they have clinical benefit.

 Barbiturates not used for treatment of epilepsy, cancer or a chronic mental health disorder

Cough and cold medications not used for treatment of an underlying medical condition such as allergies

Drugs used for cosmetic reasons not used for treatment of acne, psoriasis, rosacea or vitiligo

 Erectile dysfunction drugs

Fertility drugs

Hair growth drugs

Prescription vitamins and minerals with the exception of fluoride preparations, niacin, prenatal vitamins and Vitamin D analogs for approved indications

 Sexual dysfunction drugs

Weight control drugs not used for treatment of wasting from AIDS or another medical condition such as cancer


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The hardest thing about this shoot was how easy it was to become a whore.
As I recovered from my last shoot and began contemplating ideas for the next one, I thought it would be an interesting challenge to attempt something more overtly sensual after so many sessions that were more about using composition or pose to evoke emotion and meaning, reducing the body to landscape, motif, idealized image or merely a woman upon whom the viewer is discreetly eavesdropping in a private vulnerable moment.
Odalisque by Ingres
The odalisque portrait, which runs (or reclines) rampant through art history, is unabashed in its representation of the female body as sexually available object. It's about as close to pornography as you can get and still be believed that you are actually creating art. There is in fact a whole genre of erotic photographs that feature women in this attitude of exposed repose, with a few props to establish a bordello or harem setting and a somewhat disdainful "come hither" look to make it clear what's on offer. As a photograph, it's a purely sexual calling card. As a painting, thoughtful presentation makes it art.
Odalisque by Delacroix
How to keep such an image on the proper side of the often fuzzy erotica line wasn't my concern. There are technical ways to soften realism. How to find sufficient luxurious textiles and draperies and accessories to convincingly portray a lady of idle pleasure on her couch of indulgences or her attitude of unapologetic indolence wasn't that difficult either.
My biggest worry was that I, a modern woman accustomed to a more liberal and less libertine view and experience of sex, would be incapable of staring down the camera with that convincing look of mixed pride and vulnerability, hauteur and hunger, amusement and boredom, control and submission those odalisque ladies did so well.
Then I remembered every man who has ever made me feel like a temptation visited, enjoyed, and abandoned. An availability made use of and once used up, devalued. The ones whose beds and tales of sorrow I shared while their hearts belonged to someone else. I remembered that love is something I have too often felt for men who couldn't or wouldn't love me as they did other women, the ones in other kinds of paintings, princesses and goddesses, remote figures on distant cliffs, weeping into rivers, looking away, looking beautiful while breaking hearts, the ones they couldn't have or had and lost, those unforgettables, those timeless, elusive, immortalized in song women, those women so very much not me.
This shoot stirred all that up for me. Years of anger and grief. Years of pride and scorn. And the love. All that love wasted on men for whom sex was all that was required, for whom I was a little bit more than a pornographic snapshot, but way less than a work of art. Years of guilt that I had been a willing participant in, even a seeker of, this less than ideal arrangement, because a beggar at the table of love must either make do or starve. And ultimately, years of recognizing that not one of these men diminished me in any way by their comings and goings, that no matter how many lovers made use of me only briefly and incompletely, this said more about their limitations than mine, and where are they now? Gone. But I remain, complete, and timeless, and yes, a work of art.
And I wrote a poem too. Here it is.
Take me I'm yours
said the eyes of the whore
from her languid repose
in the comfortable chaos
of lace and cut velvet
covering her loosely
lightly briefly
like lovers that come and go
come and go
come and go
followed by eyes
so weary of saying
I know you I love you
I'm waiting and watching
your longed for approach
while solitude hangs
like dark silk keeping
the sunlight from hurting
my eyes as they see
in the way you arrive
that hot path
cleared by hunger
the cold road
by which you'll depart
you who are all the one I needed
you who are all the same
when retreating
so take me I'm yours
do your best
do your worst
but take me already
my body my heart
unbreakably naked
receiving impressions
that leave me unchanged
or leave me.


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Main-Bet.Com » Bookies bonuses » Ladbrokes - $/€ 50 Free Bet Offer
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Houses of Parliament -- Summer Opening review
Visit London Drum's YouTube channel for more videos
The Houses of Parliament is #5 in my London Bucket List
I love this place. I even love the politicians inside it (well, most of them). If you come to London and don't go to the Summer Opening at the Houses of Parliament then you're basically nuts. It will have been a wasted trip. It's like going to Rome and not seeing the Vatican. Or going to Amsterdam and not getting stoned. A tour of this place will make your holiday. This is the one you'll be talking about for months afterwards.
They open it up to the public every summer when the MPs have their holidays, so we get to see inside the Commons, the House of Lords and all the Royal rooms as well. But first of all you have to negotiate the tight security at the entrance. As you can probably imagine, they don't mess about at the Houses of Parliament. They take your photo, snap x-rays of your skeleton, peer into your handbag, make you take your belt off, buzz you with a handheld metal detector... If they could take your teeth out and shake them, they would. The frisk that I received today was most thorough that I've ever experienced -- it felt like he was counting my bones with his fingers.
Once you've negotiated all of that you head into Westminster Hall where you'll wait for the guide. This is without a doubt the best waiting room in London, and dates back to the 11th-century. These heavy stone walls witnessed the trials of William Wallace, Charles I and Guy Fawkes. Unfortunately they've decided to hide them behind two huge yellow curtains at the moment. Apparently it's supposed to be an artwork but it looks more like a giant dust sheet.
I've been on this tour a few times now and you usually end up with a friendly granny-like lady who knows all there is to know about absolutely everything. That's who we had today. I didn't quite catch her name, but I'm guessing that it was something like Gladys or Marge. I bought myself an early morning ticket so our group only had ten people in it (I've been in groups that were double that). She walks you from room to room and sticks you in a quiet corner, then you all huddle round and switch your ears on, and she starts swivelling around pointing at all the paintings and statues and tells you who they are, etc, but she doesn't go overboard. Put it this way: there's enough there to interest you, but not enough to bore you. But it's the rooms you've really come to see anyway... and they definitely don't disappoint.
Some of them are quite dark and intimate, with deep reds and chestnut browns, whilst the bigger ones are pure theatre. If you've never been to Parliament before then you're in for a treat. The decorations in this place rival Buckingham Palace, and that is not an exaggeration. You'll still be thinking about this place on the plane back home. This is the one you'll tell your friends about. This is the highlight of your holiday.
You begin at the far end of the building, by the Norman Porch. If you've ever seen the State Opening of Parliament on TV then you will have seen a glimpse of the Norman Porch when the Queen enters the building. When she climbs up that first flight of stairs that is where she ends up. The tour then follows her journey all the way through to the House of Lords.
The second room is a blinder, and it's called the Robing Room. This is where the Queen puts on her garbs of State ready for the ceremony. This room is usually out of bounds to the TV cameras so you're getting a privileged peek here. I always find this room amusing because it's full of fake history -- the walls are decorated with pictures of Merlin, King Arthur and his knights, and their search for the Holy Grail. If there was a picture of Indiana Jones in here then it wouldn't look out of place. After that you head into the Royal Gallery and the Prince's Chamber.
It's tough to say which is the best room in the building, but if I had to plump for one then it would probably be the Royal Gallery. It's a long room in red and gold, and has two monumental paintings on each side. One depicts Nelson's moment of triumph at the Battle of Trafalgar (at the exact same moment he got shot), whilst the other shows the Duke of Wellington's meeting with Marshal Blucher at the Battle of Waterloo. If there are any French people in your group then they might want to look away -- these are the two battles which put paid to Napoleon. Looking down and around the rest of the walls are portraits of our most modern monarchs, from George I to our very own Queen.
The Prince's Chamber is another beauty, and depicts the Tudor monarchs, Henry VIII's wives, and a series of paintings about the Spanish Armada.
The House of Lords comes next, and you get to go right up to the golden throne and stand amongst the red leather seats. You guide is very careful to warn you about sitting down here -- only the peers are worthy of parking their bums on the seats and one lady in our group got told off for resting her weary feet. In fact, that is something that I should warn you about -- the tour is very heavy on your feet. The whole thing lasts for about 75 minutes and you can only sit down twice (for about two minutes each). So if you've got dodgy knees like me then be prepared for some aching bones at the end.
After the Lords you head into the Central Lobby where they conduct all of the interviews on the news. If you're a UK citizen then you're technically allowed to come here and demand to see your MP (as long as you have a genuine reason, of course). If you present yourself at the desk then he is duty bound to come down and say hello. If he's not in the building then he has to write you a letter to find out what's up. I wonder if that actually works in practice? I quite like the idea of getting my MP out of bed for some dopey problem that I could quite easily solve myself. We are the ones who pay their wages, after all!
Central Lobby is where the focus of the building changes from monarchs to politicians. Up until this point the paintings and statues have all been of kings and queens, but now you're looking at Prime Ministers. The best ones are reserved for the next room -- Members Lobby. Here you'll find big statues of Churchill, Lloyd George, Atlee and Thatcher, with little busts of everyone else up to John Major. They haven't got around to doing Blair, Brown or Cameron yet (no great loss, methinks).
After that you head into the House of Commons from the back, so you enter from behind the Speakers Chair where John Bercow sits. Then you get herded into the back benches amongst the green leather seats. Once again, if you dare to sit down then you will probably be shot -- so stay standing up. The big surprise about this chamber is its size: it's tiny! I have actually sat in the public gallery upstairs and watched them debating, and I've been to see Prime Minister's Questions as well, and when you are standing amongst the back benches it is very easy to imagine the opposition screaming at you from just metres away -- it must be very intimidating.
After that it's back to Westminster Hall and into a little shop selling all the usual books, cups and chocolates, and you can have a cup of tea in the cafe as well.
And thats it!
So now you're wondering whether it's actually worth doing... well... after my visit today I have decided to change my advice a little bit. In previous years I have recommend it without hesitation, but I'm going to suggest an alternative this time because there was a hell of a lot of restoration work going on today. And when I say a lot, I really do mean a lot. Practically every room either had some floor tiles up, benches out, statues missing, blank walls where pictures and paintings had been taken down... some of the rooms were like a building site. And the reason they choose to repair it all over the summer is obviously because all the MPs have gone away. This process is likely to continue for five years at least (they're even talking about closing the building down for a couple of years to get everything fixed). So whilst I still definitely recommend a visit, I'm now recommending that you skip the Summer Opening and go during 'term time' instead, on one of the Saturday tours (when the MPs are still there) -- because there's less likely to be building work going on. But don't let this put you off, because it's still a fantastic place to visit! Check out my separate review of a Saturday tour to see what it's like.
What do you think?Please leave a comment
I've been here more than once…
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Useful information with opening times, prices, photos, maps
Listen to MPs in the Houses of Commons
Visitors can enter the Houses of Parliament for free, and watch MPs debating in the House of Lords and House of Commons.
Attend PMQs (Prime Minister's Questions)
You can watch the Prime Minister get grilled by the House of Commons every Wednesday, at Prime Minister's Questions.
Saturday tour of the Houses of Parliament
The Houses of Parliament opens guided tours on most Saturdays of the year, when the MPs return to their constituencies.
Houses of Parliament tour -- with afternoon tea
Enjoy a Saturday tour of Parliament, and then enjoy a special afternoon tea on the Terrace Pavilion overlooking the Thames.
Summer Opening at the Houses of Parliament
Have a nose around Parliament during the Summer Opening, and step inside the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Fri 18th Aug, 2017Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed the review. Clarence House is going to be closed in October, by the way, if you were... more
Thu 10th Aug, 2017I emailed them to ask, and got this reply back: You are more than welcome to bring your dog on our boat trip. Not only... more
Tue 8th Aug, 2017Cheers Jim, I hope your enjoy your visit. I've been to Sydney a few times so I'm almost an Aussie. Never got... more
Re: Royal Courts of Justice Watching a trial
Wed 19th Jul, 2017It's a beautiful building to visit and well worth seeing inside, but I agree that the court cases themselves can be... more
Sat 15th Jul, 2017I can not think about your review, I am still laughing ... thanks. I plan to visit the Jewel Tower in August. The... more
Mon 10th Jul, 2017it's funny that you posted your comment today because I've just been thinking about going again (it's... more
Tue 27th Jun, 2017Not sure I can really help with a visa mate, but I hope you enjoy your visit


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libicq2000 is an opensource C++ library being developed to support the icq2000/2001 protocol. It is easy for developers to use as the backbone for their clients' connection to the ICQ network--all the protocol work is abstracted away in one nice object-oriented interface.
|Software Development Libraries Communications Chat ICQ
|Operating Systems
|POSIX Unix
Release Notes: This is a minor bugfix release, mainly for the benefit of the new release of ickle. Lots of tidying up was done for gcc 3.1.
Release Notes: This is mainly a bugfix release. It is more firewall friendly, and a 'TODO' has been added.
Release Notes: This is the first release of libicq2000, the library that was once part of the ickle client.
A Fluent OpenStack client API for Java.
A TWiki appliance that is easy to use and lightweight.


text:
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Peter Filardi
Day 1
Today me and my sister made a lego house. It was are best shot at a representation of are house. We decided to make are house because we wanted to show it and its details. if I could redo it what I would change is to build it on a bigger scale so I could show more details like the patio in the back or the street in the front. this project took pretty much the entire time because we tried to fit in every detail we could. Some of the challenge in this project was the porch in the back but we improvised. another challenge was having enough legos to finish the house.
Day 2
Today we remixed chess pawns. I made mine have a base made of 3 cycles with a cylinder on top then, I made the rest of the pawn on top of of that as you see below. I started to make another pawn but ran out of time.We talked for about an hour about how to use some of the websites we were working on.
Day 3
Today we made famous structures I picked the pantheon it was complicated but with some help I came through. Now Im working on an elephant I've finished the body and the legs and Im working on the ears I'll include a picture below.
Day 4
today we made theme parks. ours was batman themed I made the roller coster it turned out ok but it wasn't very fun to make.The hardest part was focusing on my work because the people around me were being distracting.I did a lot of copying and pasting and angling the blocks to shape them the way I wanted them to be.Today I also printed my chess pawn it's a little small but what are you going to do?
Day 5
Today we pared up with someone and built there idea in ether clay or legos. I built Ella's design of a house he wasn't sure how she wanted it so I based it off of Doctor Who's Tardas. She built my idea, devil panda's out of clay and it looked really cool.The hardest part was getting it to stay together.After that we built them in tinker cad (pictured below). The hardest part of that was downloading the claws from thingiverse.
Today I finished my devil panda's in tinker cad. The hardest part was editing the head because I had to make a lot of changes to make it able to print right.I also had to shrink the panda's to fit them in the space we had. One of the other things I did is make the bamboo on a platform that I printed separately from the panda's.I also added to the setting with a stream wrapping around part of the panda's.
Day 7
Today we built in tinkercad. I worked with caylan to make a castle. I worked on the outside and she worked on the inside building the tables,lamps,etc...I also did some editing on my panda's because they were not printing right.I printed the bamboo on the background but they were to thin so I reprinted them thicker.
Day 8
Today I was told my panda's couldn't print so I had to download from thingiverse and add some horns and spikes. The looked okay but it wasn't really my work. Then I went on minecraft and built a house with caelyn. Tomorrow is the last day and i'm not sure if i'm going to be doing a tackk.


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Ahh yes, the second season. A time when wins, losses and, yes, even shootout losses don't matter.
A time when games start to take on a new intensity, a new sense of urgency and a greater sense of importance. It's a time when enemies meet, where feuds start and rivalries are reborn.
Which is exactly what these NHL playoffs should bring.
The last, and perhaps the strongest, of the old original six rivalries is set to start once again this week when the number one seeded Montreal Canadiens take on the eighth seeded Boston Bruins.
But first, a little history.
As far back as the 1950s, the Bruins faced the Habs in heated series. They met in the finals three times that decade, with the Habs winning all three.
In 1971 they played an epic seven-game series that went right down to the wire. Led by Bobby Orr, the Bruins were clear favourites to win the Cup that season, posting a 57-14-7 season, by far the best in the league. However, the Canadiens, backstopped by a young Ken Dryden, would win in seven games, the last a 4-2 thriller. They would go on to beat Chicago and win the Cup that season.
In 1977 the two teams met again, the first of two consecutive Finals meetings. The Canadiens would roll over them, sweeping the series. The next year, the Canadiens would win again, this time in six games, two of which went into overtime.
But an alignment in the playoff format would lead to them meeting Stanley Cup Semifinal the next season. This series would go the distance, with neither team taking a stronghold in the series. Neither team lost on home ice for the first six games of the series, forcing a climatic game seven in the Montreal Forum.
And was it ever a classic. All night it was back and forth, with neither team taking a strong lead. But s goal by Rick Middleton gave the Bruins a lead of 4-3 late in the third and the Bruins looked to upset the Canadiens.
However, with victory looking imminent, the Bruins fouled up a line change and took a too many men on the ice penalty in the final minutes of play.
The Canadiens would score on the ensuing power play, forcing overtime, and would score again, putting a dramatic cap on the series. The Canadiens would beat the New York Rangers in the next round, winnng their fourth Cup in a row and their sixth of the decade.
It was the fourteenth time that the Bruins had lost to the Canadiens, and the rivalry increasingly looked one-sided. After all, the Bruins had been a great team in the 1970s. Eight times they had finished with 100 points or more and had won their division seven times. They had won two Stanley Cups and had hall of fame players like Orr, Phil Esposito, Terry O'Reilly and Brad Park. Yet still, they couldn't past the Canadiens in the playoffs, who dominated the decade.
They wouldn't meet in the playoffs again until 1984, when they met for the first of four first-round meetings. While the Canadiens would win all four, the Bruins forced a game five in 1985 and lost 1-0.
However, 1988 was a turning point. Meeting in the Adams final – then the second round of the playoffs – they beat the Canadiens in five games. It was the first time they had beaten the Canadiens in the playoffs since 1943 and was the first of four series wins they would have over the next five seasons, including their first ever seventh-game win in 1991.
They met only once more that decade, in a 1994 series that again went seven games.
Since then they have met twice, in 2002 and 2004, with Montreal winning both times.
So, what then of this series? The Bruins sneaked into the playoffs finishing just one win above Carolina for the final spot. Their record, 41-29-12, puts them basically at .500, and they were outscored this season – the only playoff team to have been so.
But in most statistics, their goalie, Tim Thomas ranks higher then Carey Price, the Habs netminder. Thomas won 28 games this season, three of them shutouts, and his save percentage of .921 is the fourth-best in the league. His GAA is lower then Price's and he's stopped over 400 more shots, too.
And he'll need to keep that up against a greay Canadiens offense. Right-winger Alex Kovalev led the team with 35 goals and 84 points. Four players scored 25 or more goals and six had fifty or more points. As a team they scored 262 goals, the most in the league.
However, injuries have taken their toll on them. Saku Koivu is out and Mike Komisarek is questionable. They're two players the Habs will miss.
If this analysis sounds a little one-sided, that's because the series mostly will be. It'll come down to how well Boston's defence and goaltending can handle the onslaught of Montreal's multi-tiered offence, not the other way around. If Boston wants to win, they'll have to keep Montreal on the defensive, where they're not as sharp.
It'll be tough, but it's possible. Still, it's hard to shake the feeling of a Montreal victory as anything but inevitable, especially given the history involved.


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About: Luton & Dunstable Hospital Luton & Dunstable Hospital Luton LU4 0DZ
Posted by Dennis humphreys
I was admitted to hospital through a@ e on the 19th December , the paramedics, and the fast response lady, were brilliant , they told me everything that was happening to me , when in a@e the doctors were good , I was transferred to ward 4 once again I was treated with kindness and respect , I was moved to ward 10 again treated with respect , I was then moved to ward 23 again treated with respect even though the nurses where busy they always had time to tell me about my treatment etc. I would just like to express my thanks to everyone at the hospital as my condition means I spend a lot time visiting different doctors and clinic,s once again many thanks
Response from Luton & Dunstable Hospital 2 years ago
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. We are pleased your experience was a positive one and will pass on your comments.


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Lost Security Holders:
SEC Should Use Data to Evaluate Its 1997 Rule
GAO-01-978: Published: Sep 28, 2001. Publicly Released: Sep 28, 2001.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
(202) 512-5431
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
One in eight Americans are entitled to unclaimed and abandoned assets, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. These unclaimed and abandoned assets include savings and checking accounts, securities, paychecks, insurance settlements, and utility and rental deposits. Most of this money is unclaimed because the owner moved and simply forgot about the account, changed his or her name, or died. After a period of dormancy, the funds are turned over to state unclaimed property offices. To protect investors, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a rule in 1997 requiring transfer agents to search for lost security holders, maintain written procedures for searching for lost security holders, and annually report to SEC on the accounts of lost security holders. However, the rule excluded the broker-dealers that are involved in the buying and selling of securities and that hold the vast majority of owners' assets. Legislation was introduced in Congress in 2000 that would have expanded the SEC rule to cover broker-dealers. GAO surveyed broker-dealer and transfer agents survey respondents and found that the number of lost accounts was about two percent of total accounts. Survey respondents said that they believe the number of lost security holders has remained steady since 1998. Transfer agents and broker-dealers said that the main reason for lost accounts was that owners forgot to send a change of address when they moved. Both transfer agents and broker-dealers generally resorted to telephone calls and mailings to locate lost security holders, using each method at least 75 percent of the time. Transfer agents and broker-dealers used credit bureaus and professional search firms the least and found these methods to be the least effective. About 40 percent of the responding transfer agents and broker-agents spent less than $10 trying to locate each lost customer. SEC has been unable to use data provided by transfer agents to assess the operation of the 1997 rule because of differences in the way agents interpreted the questions. In addition, the requested information was insufficient for SEC staff to review the operation of the rule after three years as they were directed when the Commission adopted the rule. SEC relies primarily on its general inspections of transfer agents to ensure that these firms comply with the 1997 rule. SEC found violations in compliance with the 1997 rule's reporting and procedural requirements in about one quarter of the inspections it made between 1998 and 2000. Given that only transfer agents are covered by the 1997 rule, the extent of the lost security holder issue may be small.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: SEC has a transfer agent database that it enters the filings that the 800 registered transfer agents make annually, including these entities' descriptions of their efforts and results from searches for lost security holders. What this data has shown is that no need to change the rule exists. The SEC staff hope to one day have the agents file electronically and in a set format that would improve the comparability of the data received, but no schedule for implementing such a system exists given all other priorities. Instead, SEC staff continue to use the examination process to analyze the extent to which agents comply with the 1997 rule requiring they search for lost security holders.
Recommendation: To better determine the usefulness of the 1997 rule and to help ensure compliance with the rule, the Chairman of SEC should analyze the data submitted by transfer agents in conjunction with inspection results and GAO's survey data to assess the need for and scope of the 1997 rule.
Agency Affected: United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: SEC said that its staff are currently in the process of reviewing the data collected in the transfer agent database to assist in preparing for a series of examinations of transfer agents for compliance with the 1997 rule. In addition, SEC said that when examiners find serious deficiencies in a transfer agent examination, or if a transfer agent's response to a deficiency letter issued following an examination fails to indicate that adequate corrective action will be taken, SEC staff will conduct a follow-up examination.
Recommendation: To better determine the usefulness of the 1997 rule and to help ensure compliance with the rule, the Chairman of SEC should use the data submitted by transfer agents along with inspection results to target future transfer agent inspections.
Agency Affected: United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Explore the full database of GAO's Open Recommendations »
Apr 19, 2017
Financial Technology:Information on Subsectors and Regulatory OversightGAO-17-361: Published: Apr 19, 2017. Publicly Released: Apr 19, 2017.
Mar 29, 2017
Troubled Asset Relief Program:Few Participants Remain as Treasury Continues to Wind Down Capital Purchase ProgramGAO-17-422: Published: Mar 29, 2017. Publicly Released: Mar 29, 2017.
Feb 24, 2017
Federal Reserve System:Potential Implications of Modifying the Capital Surplus Account and Stock Ownership RequirementGAO-17-243: Published: Feb 24, 2017. Publicly Released: Feb 24, 2017.
Revenue Collections and Payments:Treasury Has Used Financial Agents in Evolving Ways but Could Improve TransparencyGAO-17-176: Published: Jan 25, 2017. Publicly Released: Feb 24, 2017.
Dec 29, 2016
Dodd-Frank Regulations:Agencies' Efforts to Analyze and Coordinate Their Recent Final RulesGAO-17-188: Published: Dec 29, 2016. Publicly Released: Dec 29, 2016.
Dec 15, 2016
Mortgage-Related Assets:Capital Requirements Vary Depending on Type of AssetGAO-17-93: Published: Dec 15, 2016. Publicly Released: Dec 15, 2016.
Nov 15, 2016
Corporate Shareholder Meetings:Proxy Advisory Firms' Role in Voting and Corporate Governance PracticesGAO-17-47: Published: Nov 15, 2016. Publicly Released: Nov 15, 2016.
Federal Reserve:Additional Actions Could Help Ensure the Achievement of Stress Test GoalsGAO-17-48: Published: Nov 15, 2016. Publicly Released: Nov 15, 2016.
Nov 10, 2016
Financial Institutions:Penalty and Settlement Payments for Mortgage-Related Violations in Selected CasesGAO-17-11R: Published: Nov 10, 2016. Publicly Released: Nov 10, 2016.
Nov 4, 2016
Troubled Asset Relief Program:New Effort to Wind Down the Community Development Capital InitiativeGAO-17-96: Published: Nov 4, 2016. Publicly Released: Nov 4, 2016.
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ISO Training Courses in Doha
Doha is the epicenter of most industries in Qatar. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is present in this vibrant city. With the intent to standardize common practices along more than 150 nations (the official members), ISO courses in Doha are provided for working professionals.
There are currently 24 courses from where you take ISO training in Doha. If you want to look at options on a national level, please check our ISO Training Courses in Qatar. If you see an ISO training as an asset to your professional career, check our ISO Jobs in Doha.
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text: When I was 18, I had dinner at my boyfriend's house for the first time, with the family that would become my in-laws. His mom, who is Italian, served lasagna. It bore little resemblance to the Americanized version I'd eaten throughout my childhood at parties and potlucks. Rossana's homemade sauce was bright red and just tangy enough to offset the sweetness of the "goodies" … [Read more...]


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3702 Grape Avenue, Grand Rapids 49525
See more homes for sale in Grand Rapids, MI
This property has been Sold!
09/13/2016 at $154,000
Northview Schools! 3 bedroom, 1.5 baths, 2 stall attached garage, fenced back yard, and in-ground pool. Beautiful hardwood floors. Extensively remodeled! Recent updates include: kitchen cabinets, countertop, flooring, faucets, lighting, appliances, updated bathrooms, replacement windows, new trim, new interior doors, and fresh paint. Basement is clean and offers a workshop, plenty of storage, laundry, and potential for a rec room. Back yard is fenced and tastefully landscaped.....a great retreat on those hot summer days!
Property Information
- Status
- Sold
- Address
- 3702 Grape Avenue
- City
- Grand Rapids
- Zip
- 49525
- County
- Kent
- Township
- Plainfield Twp
- Possession
- Close Plus 30 D
- Zoning
- res
- Total Finished SqFt
- 1,062
- Above Grade SqFt
- 1,062
- Garage
- 2.0
- Garage Desc.
- 2, Attached
- Water
- Public
- Sewer
- Public
- Year Built
- 1953
- Taxes
- $1,582
Rooms and Land
- MasterBedroom
- 1st Floor
- Bedroom2
- 1st Floor
- Bedroom3
- 1st Floor
- Bath
- 1st Floor
- Dining
- 1st Floor
- Kitchen
- 1st Floor
- Laundry
- Lower Floor
- Living
- 1st Floor
- Basement
- Full Basement
- Cooling
- Central
- Heating
- Forced Air, Natural Gas
- Acreage
- 0.18
- Lot Dimensions
- 71 x 110
- Appliances
- Dishwasher, Dryer, Microwave, Range, Refrigerator, Washer
- Features
- All Window Treatments, Attic Fan, Garage Door Opener, Wood Floor
- Exterior Materials
- Vinyl
- Exterior Features
- Fenced Back, Patio
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UK: SMMT raises UK car market forecasts
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has raised its forecasts for the UK car market this year and next.
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- Svengali syzygy hegemon repugnant white nationalist, white supremacist
American columbo
Definition of American columbo
1 : a perennial herb (Frasera caroliniensis) —called also American gentian, columbo — see deer's-ear
2 : the dried root of the American columbo formerly used as a bitter tonic
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Question: Given the sales data from Problem 23 generate forecasts for
Given the sales data from Problem 23, generate forecasts for months 7–24 using a six-period and a three-period moving average. Use MAD to compare the forecasts. Which forecast is more stable? Which is more responsive and why?
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View Solution:
Answer to relevant QuestionsThe following data were collected on the study of the relationship between a company's retail sales and advertising dollars:Retails Sales ($) .... Advertising ($)29,789 ........ 16,89335,434 ........ 18,39838,732 ........ ...Demand has grown at Dairy May Farms, and it is considering expanding. One option is to expand by purchasing a very large farm that will be able to meet expected future demand. Another option is to expand the current facility ...Gator Office Systems is comparing two layouts for the design of its office building. It has interviewed managers in order to develop the form–to matrix shown in Table 10-12. The two layouts considered are shown in Figure ...Using the following information, determine the sample size needed if the standard time estimate is to be within 5 percent of the true mean 95 percent of thetime.Elyssa's Elegant Eveningwear (EEE) needs to ship finished goods from its manufacturing facility to its distribution warehouse. Annual demand for EEE is 2400 gowns. EEE can ship the gowns via regular parcel service (3 days ...
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text:
Recruited MessageEdit
Special Operations - Eclipse Phase: Mission 1 - Opening GambitEdit
|Agent Coulson:
|Agent, Medusa was one of our first field assets to encounter a vampire. She's got it wrapped up in her hair. Get it to a secure facility so we can interrogate it.
|This was hardly the way I anticipated joining this battle.
|Tony Stark:
|No, it's great. I wish we had more people who could hair-cuff vampires.
|I have released it into the custody of... what did you call them?
|Agent Coulson:
|Our Occult Debriefing and Interrogation Unit.
Special Operations - Inhumans: Mission 1 - Anger of the Mad TitanEdit
Boss - NebulaEdit
|Tony Stark:
|Nebula has dropped by to give the Black Order a hand.
|Maria Hill:
|Let's escort her off-planet, shall we?
|I will see to it myself.
|Queen of the Inhumans. Thanos sends his regards.
|The regard of Thanos is something I avoid.
|Turn over your husband's thieving brother, and Thanos will look in another direction.
|For a little while, perhaps. Until he has another pretext for invasion. I'd prefer to settle things now.
|As you wish.
|Thanos will have his way, Medusa. He was only after Maximus at first, but if you anger him you too will be targets of his vengeance.
|If not for this, for another reason. It makes no difference to me.
|Not yet. But it will.
|She's gone. Can we track her? She might lead us to Thanos.
|Agent Coulson:
|Trying... no. She slipped our surveillance.
|Nick Fury:
|Any sign of Thanos anywhere?
|Agent Coulson:
|Negative, Boss. We'll keep looking.
Special Operations - Inhumans: Mission 2 - Insanity DefenseEdit
Mission StartEdit
|Tony Stark:
|Maximus is still dodging the Black Order. How much longer are we going to hide him?
|Maria Hill:
|As long as Black Bolt and Medusa want us to. Medusa?
|We can't let the Black Order get hold of him. I don't think he's telling the entire truth, but neither do I believe what Nebula said.
|Tony Stark:
|He knows more about these Test Subjects than he's telling us. They've had Terrigen exposure.
Hmmm. Who do we know that has access to Terrigen Mists and is loony enough to help someone create an army of homicidal mutants?
|Nick Fury:
|You don't seem to be on board with our strategy, Tony. Do we need to iron this out?
Boss - RonanEdit
|I withdraw... but the accusation against Maximus stands. Have a care lest you be accused yourselves, for interfering.
|Tony Stark:
|Maximus sure did make us look like Mayberry RFD, didn't he? We've been had. Ronan has a lot of negative personal qualities, but he doesn't lie.
|No. He doesn't. Maximus has run to Thanos, begging for his life. I cannot decipher the words, but the nature of his emotion is clear.
|Nick Fury:
|Where are they?
|I don't know. They are moving, growing more distant...
|Nick Fury:
|Uh uh. We are not going to harbor the mastermind of this new Test Subject army and then just let him walk away. Coulson. Find them.
|Agent Coulson:
|Roger that, Boss.
Epic Boss - ThanosEdit
|Maria Hill:
|But now we have to take on Thanos.
|Tony Stark:
|No biggie. Was going to happen sooner or later. Let's get to it.
|Blackagar is already moving to intercept him.
Special Operations - Inhumans: Mission 3 - Driven to MadnessEdit
Mini-Boss - Proxima Midnight/Black DwarfEdit
|It is our turn now to demand Maximus.
|He is quite in demand.
|Proxima Midnight:
|We refuse. Will you bind us with your hair?
|Black Dwarf:
|When we have defeated you, before you die, we will cut those lovely tresses.
|Proxima Midnight:
|The path is clear... or at least this portion of it.
|Maria Hill:
|Proceed with caution, Medusa.
|Tony Stark:
|But not too much caution. Maximus is a-tinkering.
Boss - Maximus the MadEdit
|Agent Coulson:
|We've got a lock on Maximus. He's in the final stages of creating the Terrigenesis Bomb.
|Tony Stark:
|If that thing goes off, Terrigen Mists will spread over Wakanda... and from there, they'll get into wind patterns and spread all over the world.
|Maria Hill:
|We're talking millions of people potentially affected.
|Blackagar will stop it, but we must isolate Maximus if we can.
|Agent Coulson:
|Maximus is down. Cordon off this entire area and evacuate everyone but the containment team.
Is the bomb finished?
|It appears he was able to finish one... and it's not here. There's an empty space between two other bomb assemblies.
There are capsules of Terrigen Mist lined up next to those. It doesn't appear he had the chance to affix them.
|Agent Coulson:
|Even so, the bombs is dangerous. Essential personnel only. Everyone else out. I'll be right there.
|Blackagar will take his brother back to your Helicarrier for now. Is there a place to hold him?
|Tony Stark:
|You bet there is. I'll meet Black Bolt on the flight deck.
Mission CompleteEdit
|To me, Cull Obsidian. Earth will be ours in due time. For now, let Maximus face whatever weak justice his brother will mete out.
We will return, Blackagar Boltagon. Your human allies cannot protect you forever.
|Black Bolt:
|Tony Stark:
|That's telling him.
|Nick Fury:
|Coulson. Status. Do we have Maximus' lab cordoned off? Even if he hasn't loaded the Terrigen Mists into those two bombs, they could still make a hell of a boom.
And he apparently was able to transfer it to Thanos before we arrived.
|Nick Fury:
|Tony Stark:
|Thanos has a Terrigen Bomb. Suddenly Test Subjects don't seem so bad.
|Maria Hill:
|Medusa, Maximus is our only lead about where that bomb might be.
|We will hold Maximus and conduct his interrogation. Blackagar will consult with you about how to proceed.
|Tony Stark:
|This is a hell of a time for squabbling over jurisdiction.
|Nick Fury:
|Squeeze him hard. Find out where Thanos might have gone with that bomb. No patting yourselves on the back, people. We've got a Mad Titan loose with a weapon of mass destruction.
Anything else we did right doesn't measure up to that.


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In 2009, I reviewed Frank Martin's monumental three-part/six hour documentary, MGM: When The Lion Roars (1992) as an ambitious, behind-the-scenes, backstage pass into the magic and majesty that was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. I find since a need to revise this feeble assessment and reconsider Mr. Martin's efforts, not simply as Herculean, but of such an exquisite and rarified ilk, that to label them the finest exploration into any Hollywood film studio's history isn't so much my clumsy attempt at hyperbole as an exercise in summarizing such well-deserved praise. Hosted by Patrick Stewart, MGM: When The Lion Roars is perhaps the most comprehensive look at a Hollywood dynasty yet conceived. Few studios can boast a history as rich in lore, legend and legacy as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; the studio once home to "more stars than there are in heaven." But Martin's unravelling of this complex and intricately woven tapestry of talents and temperaments is a marvel in concise writing, even as it remains densely packed with interviews from – then – surviving talents, both in front of and behind the camera.
Herein, Martin has also incorporated a myriad of vintage interviews, press junkets, and excerpts from virtually every major movie made at the studio; all of it tied to an riveting commentary, also written by Martin, and even more eloquently expressed with emphasis and feeling by Patrick Stewart. MGM: When The Lion Roars is a documentary that goes well beyond those 'artifacts of quality' the studio created; delving more deeply into the real back story, political intrigues, rumors and legends to deconstruct the mystique that was MGM; gleaning insight from such luminaries as June Allyson, Samuel Marx, Lew Ayres, Helen Hayes, Ricardo Montalban, Maureen Sullivan and Richard Chamberlain, to name but a handful of the incredible talents on tap. I have seen far too many glossed over 'histories' about other Hollywood studios that barely scratch the surface of the movies, much less probe into the lives of the artistic personnel toiling behind the scenes or inviting the casual viewer – novice and film buff alike – to dig for the hidden treasures in an untapped archive.
MGM: When The Lion Roars covers the girth of the studio's formidable heritage and its cultural impact on mass entertainment. You are going to see a lot of great scenes from some thought-numbingly professional examples in movie-making – and not simply the iconic bits that made the studio great, gave it class and entertained us for more than a century (although, these too are very well represented). But MGM: When The Lion Roars also reveals the oft' tempestuous corporate alliances between founding father, Louis B. Mayer and boy genius, Irving G. Thalberg; along the way, touching upon Mayer's scorn for New York boss, Nicholas Schenck, and Thalberg's marriage to MGM star – and queen of the back lot – Norma Shearer. Inside these hallowed walls we are also privy to the great romances that happened after the cameras stopped rolling; Garbo and silent legend, John Gilbert; Jean Harlow (dead from eremic poisoning at the tender age of twenty-six) and Clark Gable, and later, William Powell; Kate Hepburn's chance meeting with Spencer Tracy on the steps of the Executive Building, eventually leading to an affair truly meant to be remembered.
I am not exactly certain by what enchanted properties of osmosis Frank Martin is functioning, but in the relatively brief span of six hours he manages to convey comprehensiveness par excellence, straddling six decades of production and virtually introducing us to hundreds of lives and thousands of films. And they're all here, not merely referenced, but vividly brought to life in reflections put forth by historians and old timers alike, illustrated with rare and occasionally unseen footage, snippets and sound bites from the stars and directors, and famous sequences from the movies too. As the audience, privy to these time-travelogues, we vicariously walk the concourse and byways of MGM's fabled backlot, peak inside those cavernous soundstages, and sneak into the 'iron lung' executive suites of the Thalberg Building; enjoying the experience, not simply as a trek into antiquity, but as a past regression into this vibrant netherworld of make-believe; celebrated and resurrected by someone who truly recalls what all the excitement was about. And Martin is unafraid to meander away from this central narrative on occasion, if always with a grand plan to bring us full circle and back to these legendary stomping grounds where prancing unicorns and wishing wells intermingled, and, where the dreams they all dared to dream really did come true.
Dividing the girth of Metro's real estate and heritage into three, 2 hr. installments affords Frank Martin the luxury of indulging in a wealth of unearthed material, interviews archived and nearly forgotten, many given renewed life to the creative personnel long since deceased. Even more fascinating are the candid outtakes and newsreels, stitched together to provide a cohesive living/moving tableau of what life must have been like behind these studio gates. Part One: The Lion's Roar, takes us inside the Irving Thalberg era. We witness the amalgam of the studio's fledgling assets, accrued on the west coast by Mayer and Thalberg, managed by Marcus Loewe, and arguably, later mismanaged by the likes of Nicholas Schenck in New York; men responsible for infusing MGM with its frothy excesses, stardom and glamour.
We learn about Samuel Goldwyn, whose name is neatly sandwiched between the call letters of Metro Pictures Corp. and Louis B. Mayer Productions; unceremoniously ousted from this merger and basically barred from participating in the triumphs that followed. Maureen Sullivan, Samuel Marx, Helen Hayes and a host of others expound upon the virtues and vices of the studio system. We relive the real-life backstage romance between Thalberg and Norma Shearer, learn new truths about producer, Paul Bern's untimely suicide/murder scandal, and, relish in the virtual creation and transformation of Teflon-coated personalities like Lucille LeSeur, remade as Joan Crawford. Finally, Frank Martin has corralled a veritable stadium-full of character studies attesting to the conflict between Thalberg and Mayer and, perhaps more importantly, Mayer and his New York boss, Nicholas Schenk. Between these compelling private intrigues we are treated to the real reason most consider MGM's legacy peerless and irreproachable: its movie heritage. Johnny Weissmuller swings into action from vines as Tarzan, Norma Shearer denounces her husband's philandering in The Divorcee, Clark Gable forces Mary Astor to shoot him in Red Dust, Garbo utters her trademark "I want to be alone" in Grand Hotel and the pigmies make mincemeat of white explorers in Trader Horn.
Part One concludes with the sudden and very tragic death of Irving Thalberg; a sickly youth, who stubbornly rose like a phoenix to accomplish feats in the industry still being talked about with hushed reverence today; Thalberg – dead at the age of thirty-six. Here was the real 'man behind the curtain'; the real genius whom even Mayer leaned upon and entrusted with the day-to-day operations of the studio; Thalberg - who devoted a whole portion of his considerable efforts to ensure his wife's movie career remained an enviable cornerstone within the yearly output of MGM's classic movies, while juggling so many outstanding literary adaptations and newly created projects. Thalberg was, as Grand Hotel's authoress, Vicki Baum, once labeled him: "The little dynamo." "He died of genius," actress and close friend, Helen Hayes declares with bittersweet remembrance. Hayes, of course, had her impressions of Mayer too, "He wasn't a bully…on the surface. He wasn't anything bad…on the surface. But he was evil."
Part II of Martin's epic - The Lion Reigns Supreme is a glittering homage to MGM's unmatched supremacy as purveyors of popular entertainment throughout those terrible years of WWII. With Thalberg's demise, Mayer assumes absolute control and sets about to shift the studio's focus from literary adaptations to more congenial – and less expensively produced - family films. Younger, more malleable talent comes in: Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Freddie Bartholomew and Jackie Cooper among them. Garbo retires after the disappointing performance of her second comedy – Two-Faced Woman (1940), leaving behind an aura of greatness unparalleled to this day. The exodus continues as Norma Shearer realizes her supremacy at the studio is at an end following her husband's death. She is no longer considered 'queen of the lot'. Joan Crawford negotiates a new contract to retain a toe-hold in her future at Metro. But even this is short-lived. Under Mayer's aegis, the studio basks in the afterglow of its most costly super-production to date: The Wizard of Oz (1939); Mayer, also reveling in his 'deal of the decade': distribution of the independently-produced zeitgeist, Gone With The Wind (1939). Metro in the 1940s was an untouchable paradise, its movies and stars the envy of the world; its box office clout rivalling all the other studios' combined revenues.
In this age of Andy Hardy, Mayer's kingdom reigned uppermost and herein, Mickey Rooney waxes affectionately about those halcyon years and the homespun father and son movies; also, his relationship with L.B. and Judy Garland – the great love of his life. Ricardo Montelbaum reminds us of Metro's commitments to Latin America and the studio's zest for ultra-chic good taste: a fictitious glamour that, as Van Johnson admits, he "hated to leave behind each night…because what I was leaving – to me – was the real (reel) world!" Johnson's career is one of the most celebrated of the war years; his destiny, to become the male pinup in absence of Gable, James Stewart and other male talent who joined the war effort and made their contributions abroad – perhaps, to the detriment of their enduring popularity back home.
The lion's share of memorable movie moments fondly recalled today makes up the bulk of the references in Part II. MGM's musicals are in vogue: the elephantine 'A Pretty Girl is Like A Melody' number from The Great Ziegfeld; Gene Kelly dancing with Jerry the Mouse in Anchors Aweigh and Judy Garland making her pilgrimage down the yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz. At war's end, L.B. Mayer believes MGM is headed toward a return to the even more profitable years before it began. But the ground beneath his feet is about to shift in a most unexpected way, leading to all sorts of shake-ups in the executive boardroom and the eventual, slow demise of this legendary Camelot. Part III: The Lion In Winter begins in earnest with a celebration of producer, Arthur Freed's career at MGM. Freed, who was embraced by Mayer and made an untouchable during the early talkies; whose contributions to the movie musical – first, as a composer of some very popular songs (Singin' in the Rain, and, Wedding of the Paper Doll, among them) – then, later, as a full-fledged producer of the musicals themselves, is given carte blanche under Mayer's auspices. Freed is likely the individual one thinks of when movie musicals in general are discussed. His itinerary of mega successes is, frankly, humbling: Meet Me In St. Louis, Cabin in the Sky, Babes on Broadway, The Barkleys of Broadway, Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, Brigadoon, Gigi among them. Metro's pioneering ingenuity in this genre is also explored, particularly in its celebrated showcase of Esther Williams' aquacades; Williams also lending her inimitably glib commentary to these reflections.
Alas, the overall tenor in this third installment begins to turn sour. Mayer is ousted from power by Nicholas Schenck; his replacement, Dore Schary – ambitious, though miscast, rocking the creative boat with B-budgeted 'message pictures' clashing against MGM's ultra-sophistication. Vintage interviews with directors, Vincente Minnelli and Richard Brooks, also, actress Katharine Hepburn, as well as retrospective critiques provided by Roger Mayer take us through Metro's 'silver age'. As television eats away at badly needed profits, we witness MGM's mad dash to outdo that little black box in everyone's living room with a final flourish of lavishly appointed spectacles. A pair of Biblical epics - Quo Vadis (1950) and Ben-Hur (1959) – bookend the fabulous fifties: a decade that sees the likes of Hitchcock, John Frankenheimer and Stanley Kubrick making indelible imprints on the studio's history. Tragically, even their formidable contributions are unable to stave off the studio's decline, as is David Lean's superbly realized and perfectly timed Russian epic, Doctor Zhivago.
As MGM enters the 1960's it falls victim to an ever-revolving roster of New York appointed exec's, who understand the film-making industry only a little and MGM's particular place in it even less; all of them bent on producing fewer movies, dubbed 'landmark' pictures: over-produced and terribly expensive. The strain of their losses will eventually deplete the studio's coffers. The star system ends and Schary is relieved of his command. Without a strong mogul to helm Metro, the studio founders badly; rife for a corporate takeover. In 1974, Las Vegas financier, Kirk Kerkorian digs in to stay, buying up and selling off all of MGM's assets in order to raise capital for his casino/hotel on the strip. In his wake, MGM becomes 'a hotel company, and a relatively insignificant maker of motion pictures'.
Ted Turner attempts damage control, but is only successful at acquiring Metro's formidable library of movies to help propel his newly inaugurated cable TV empire. The studio is sold back to Kerkorian, who liquidates its props and costumes in an epic sell-off; then bulldozes the back lot acreage to make room for residential development. Lorimar buys up the production facilities and the MGM trademark is removed from the back lot. Interestingly, Frank Martin's documentary skirts through these sad final days. He makes no reference to the pictures MGM acquired after the mid-1960s and continued to distribute and occasionally finance; nor does he bother to touch upon the tragic fire in Vegas that destroyed Kerkorian's MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in 1980, killing 174 guests and making it the third most tragic hotel blaze in U.S. history. Arguably, there is a fourth part – as yet to be made – about this sad last act.
Mercifully, Martin ends his documentary on a high note; a montage of Metro's most celebrated faces and films set to the semi-romanticized strains of 'Over the Rainbow'. In these penultimate moments, Martin's documentary reminds us of several tragedies all at once: chiefly, that MGM – the studio Mayer and Thalberg co-founded - exists no more; also, how much of the studio's incredible output of classic movies remains MIA on Blu-ray since having been acquired under Warner Home Video's umbrella. But MGM: When the Lion Roars is a potent reminder of Metro's importance in shaping what we laughingly refer to today as 'movie culture'. I have the deepest respect and admiration for those ole-time industry titans who came to a little known and seemingly uninhabitable hot spot on the California landscape, known then as 'Hollywoodland', transforming it into this starlit mecca and, in the process, creating iconic and indelible moments of screen magic that have remained cultural touchstones in an industry since too far gone and self-absorbed in the present to astutely pay well-deserved homage to its past.
Martin's documentary is jam packed with nostalgic; it is a stroll, bursting at the seams with secret tales, memorable movies and the just deification of its legendary personnel who gave Hollywood its luster and made certain the magic endures to this day with a mind-boggling amount of professionalism. Watching MGM: When The Lion Roars reminds us all of this era of quality. It also serves as something of a terrible, inescapable reality: that the stunning compendium of talent and genius – the men who made the movies – no longer exists. In their stead, have come a line of MBA graduates, bean counters and advertising boys who know only of the 'bottom line' and how best to exploit it for instant returns. The movies showcased in Martin's documentary are not disposable relics of their time, but timeless and enduring works of art meant for all time – alas, too few of them readily made available to the viewing public today. Happily, a good many of Metro's byproducts – the movies – remain a part of our collective consciousness. As Charlton Heston comments in the final moments of Part III: "I'm glad of that." I'll second the notion, Chuck. Me too!
Warner Home Video has really bastardized Frank Martin's monumental documentary on DVD. They haven't even bothered to release it as three separate discs, properly divided according to episode. Instead, they've managed to cram the entire documentary on a DVD-18 flipper disc; dividing Part II down the middle so that half plays on Side A, the other half on Side B. Ugh! Would it have broken the bank to spend another ten to twenty cents per DVD to effectively separate and restore these episodes to their original broadcast length? Really, Warner? Would it have?!? Personally, I'd like an answer. To make matters worse, the powers that be seem to think Martin's contribution to documentarian film-making ought to be handed out like PEZ candy. To date, MGM: When The Lion Roars has appeared as a virtual appendage to every Blu-ray box set put out by the studio; albeit, still slapped to a flipper disc and presented in squalid 720i, without the benefit of any clean-up for preservation. MGM: When The Lion Roars is a testament, chocked so full of history and art it remains an embarrassment of riches to be mined over and over again by film scholars and casual movie fans alike. And yet, both the image and sound quality on this disc is abysmal.
As many of the clips incorporated into this documentary have since been restored, it would have behooved Warner to go back and do a refreshed image harvest, because even the newly recorded 'interviews' exhibit chronic video noise and color bleeding. The entire image could also do with some basic video stabilization. Of course, Warner has given none of the aforementioned consideration to these elements. So, what we have here is an Award-winning documentary, arguably, the best archival compendium of MGM's luminous history, presented to us looking like VHS quality dreck. Badly done! Very badly done, indeed! I strongly endorse this documentary. I cannot stand behind this DVD incarnation of it, however. Regrets.
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)