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Update: Calgary set for third turn as Champions Tour hostAugust 26, 2013
By Champions Tour staff
News and notes from around the Champions Tour for the week of Aug. 26, 2013.
• John Riegger won his first Champions Tour event at the Boeing Classic, shooting 15-under 201 to win by two strokes over John Cook. Fred Couples was third at 11-under. Seven players finished T4. It was Riegger's fifth official start and he became the fifth rookie and fifth first-time winner on the Tour this year, equaling the record for most rookies to triumph in a season. There were also five rookie winners in 2007, 1999 and 1989.
• Riegger joined the Champions Tour at the Encompass Championship in Chicago after turning 50 on June 13 and his previous best finish among his four career appearances was a T14 at the 3M Championship.
• It was recently announced that Michael Allen will be inducted into the University of Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame in September. Allen is a four-time winner on the Champions Tour, including victory at this year's Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic.
• Hal Sutton has surgery scheduled for next month to replace his right hip and will be out for the rest of the season. Sutton, who had a left-hip-replacement surgery last October, completed 14 tournaments this season with a best finish of T4 at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf when teamed with Larry Mize. Sutton's best individual performance was T14 at the Insperity Championship.
• The Shaw Charity Classic, a new Champions Tour event with a $2,000,000 purse, takes place this week at Canyon Meadows G&CC in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The field includes five World Golf Hall of Fame members (Hale Irwin, Fred Couples, Nick Price, Tom Kite and Sandy Lyle). The 81 players scheduled to participate in the event have combined for more than 370 PGA TOUR wins, including 16 major championships.
• This week's Shaw Charity Classic will see the Champions Tour compete in Calgary for the first time in 15 years. This will be the Champions Tour's third event in Calgary. The first was 30 years ago when Don January won the 1983 Peter Jackson Champions at Earl Grey CC. Fifteen years later, Brian Barnes won the 1998 AT&T Canada Senior Open Championship at Glencoe G&C.
• Two Canadian natives, Jim Rutledge and Rod Spittle, are in the top-50 on this year's Champions Tour money list and both will compete in the Shaw Charity Classic. Rutledge recently won the Canadian Senior PGA Championship, defeating Spittle in a playoff. Dave Barr, a two-time PGA TOUR winner, will also play at Canyon Meadows after receiving a sponsor invite.
• Participants at Hockey Canada's men's orientation camp visited Canyon Meadows G&CC on Monday, Aug. 26. Before playing in a private outing, a handful of hockey stars such as Sidney Crosby and Martin St. Louis, were scheduled to join Champions Tour professionals and youth-based southern Alberta charitable beneficiaries of the Shaw Charity Classic to launch tournament week.
Bernhard Langer finished T4 at the Boeing Classic and closed the previous 866-point gap by 77 points and now trails leader Kenny Perry by 789 points in the race for the Charles Schwab Cup. John Riegger earned 300 points for his win at the Boeing Classic – his first points since joining the Champions Tour.
9 - Mark Calcavecchia set a PGA TOUR record in 2009 when he reeled off nine consecutive birdies in the second round of the RBC Canadian Open. Calcavecchia has won in Canada on both the PGA TOUR (1997 Greater Vancouver Open, 2005 Bell Canadian Open) and the Champions Tour (2012 Montreal Championship).
8/27/89 -- David Frost's third of 10 career wins on the PGA TOUR is his most significant. Frost claims the NEC World Series of Golf and earns a 10-year exemption into all PGA TOUR co-sponsored events.
8/28/11 – Forty-nine year-old Kirk Triplett becomes the oldest winner ever on the Web.com Tour at the News Sentinel Open in Knoxville, Tenn.
9/1/02 – Gene Sauers ends a 13-year victory drought to win the Air Canada Championship near Vancouver by one stroke over Steve Lowery.
The Shaw Charity Classic is one of three new events on the Champions Tour in 2013. Earlier this year, the Champions Tour visited Duluth, Ga. for the inaugural Greater Gwinnett Championship won by Bernhard Langer. In June, the Encompass Championship took place in Glenview, Ill. and Craig Stadler claimed the win to end a nine-year victory drought.
"It's not going to do anyone any good to worry about what someone else is doing"- John Riegger comments on why he is not a leaderboard watcher.
''That was as big a bummer as I've ever had because I was playing really, really well. It was a touch embarrassing, coming up here ready to play and people are driving in and I'm driving away. It was a little weird.'' – Fred Couples reflects on having to withdraw from last year's Boeing Classic following his opening tee-shot which hurt his back.
BritneyCalcavecchia (@B_Calcavecchia): @ChampionsTour @SIRIUSXM @PearlJamRadio @BoeingClassic: @MarkCalc is "expert" on guitar hero. Clearly rockstar status.


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Sunday, October 14, 2012
Why I sunbathe and other good things...
You remember last week I was telling you about the snow flurries? Well now we are enjoying some 70 degree days with sunshine. My goodness, the pendulum swings when it comes to weather on the northern prairies. On days like this, I really try to get out in the sun and sunbathe for a good half hour. I bare as much skin as I possibly can because honestly, you can't soak up enough vitamin D without some skin showing. And just like we did back in the 70s, I like to grease up! D is produced in the oils in your skin. I don't know about you, but this old hide of mine can use all the grease it can get. Anyway, why sunbathe? Because first, it feels good to soak up the warm sun, doesn't it? Secondly, my body gets to soak in some much-needed vitamin D. Did you know that most Americans (about 70%) are deficient in D? We need it to keep our immune systems strong to fight everyday colds and flu, to ward off seasonal depression, to keep pregnant moms and babies healthy, and also to fight diseases like cancer. A study was presented to the Swedish Society of Medicine that showed women who sunbathe tend to live longer. Sounds good to me! It's not that we need to be out in the sun for hours on end, but we do need about 10-20 minutes a day without sunscreen in full sun with as much skin exposed as possible. If the skin starts to flush pink, you've had enough.
Bee Balm Bar (or Lip Balm)
1/4 c. oil (your choice of oil: olive, coconut, mango, almond, grapeseed or any combination)
1/4 c. beeswax (grated or in pellet form)
1 tsp. honey or glycerin (humectant)
2-3 vitamin E capsules (pierced and squeezed in)
Melt beeswax in oil in a double boiler. When melted, stir and remove from heat. Add honey or glycerin and the E oil. Stir well. If you want to add essential oils for fragrance, you can. Pour into tins, lip tubes, or glass jars. Cool and cover. *Add more oil if you want it creamier.
I made several "Oat Floats" by sewing cheese cloth pouches, filling them with oats, then labeled and bundled them for giving. I gave them as Christmas gifts to some of the women I know and made several for my own winter bath nights. I like keeping it natural as much as possible.
5 comments:
I sat out in the sun today, too! We also went to the park and saw a Red Tailed Hawk. I tried to call him with my phone, but he didn't respond!ReplyDelete
I like the sound of your balm and I LOVE British Country Living!
Love your home made potions. I haven't had an oatmeal bath since I was a child and contracted chickenpox!ReplyDelete
I would love to make my own balm.I wonder if you could melt the ingredients in the microwave? I don't have a double-boiler.ReplyDelete
I've never enjoyed sitting in the direct sun, but I do take walks every day sans sunscreen in hopes of getting a little vitamin D.
It's so hard to remember that we should get some sunscreen free rays because we're bombarded with skin cancer warnings. Thanks for the reminder!ReplyDelete
Pom Pom,ReplyDelete
Isn't it fun to be out in nature enjoying the sun and the birds? My DIL shares her British CL with me. She's nice.
You should try an oatmeal bath now. You'll enjoy it.
Left-handed Housewife,
You CAN make the balm without a double boiler. I've done it in the microwave, but my Pyrex gets SO HOT. What I do is take a quart mason jar and stick it into a pot of hot water and keep it on the stove on low. I sometimes put a jar ring in the bottom of the pan to keep the jar from getting too hot. Save the same jar for making your balms so you don't need to get all that oil and wax out of it every time.
I'm thinking that most of us need more sun since we are a people who work and play indoors and drive everywhere. I hardly ever wear sunscreen unless I'm going to be outside for several hours.
I love reading your comments. Thanks for stopping in. Sorry, but due to spam, only registered users can comment.

subset: commoncrawl


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STRAT PETROLEUM IS A DISSOLVED ENTITY WITH NO BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND NO CURRENT INCORPORATION. THIS "SHELL" IS NON VIABLE, HAS NO TRANSFER AGENT AND CANNOT BE TAKEN OVER. WARNING! THE CEO HAS ABANDONED STRAT PETROLEUM AND IS SOLELY FOCUSED ON HIS OTHER BUSINESS VENTURES AS CONFIRMED BY HIM TO SEVERAL SHAREHOLDERS . SPRL STOCK MOVEMENT IS NOT BECAUSE OF STRAT PETROLEUM BUSINESS AND MOVES ONLY FROM 100% FALSE HYPE AND UNSCRUPULOUS PUMPS. All sincere comments and opinions concerning this company are welcome. Lively discussions are permitted as long as they remain non-personal. Name calling is not allowed. This board is for information purposes only and in no way a recommendation to invest or not in this stock. The mods are not a representative of this company or any stock company so any investment decisions should be based on your own DD and decision. We are not liable in any way for your choices to buy or sell. This is a disclaimer and in no way holds us legally liable for your investment decisions.
Share Structure:
Shares Outstanding 860,870,592 last reported in 2012, however now may be in the billions. No way to verify as the last T/A is uncooperative and management is AWOL. Currently no active Transfer Agent
Float unknown as of May 6, 2014
Authorized unlimited as of May 6, 2014 MANAGEMENT: CEO: H. SAMUEL HYAMS


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post to UNC Press Blog, 10 March 2011
The popular uprisings of the sort now spreading across North Africa to the Persian Gulf were hard to anticipate—but the American response wasn't. U.S. history is filled with moments like the present one when upheavals abroad generated great hopes for the advance of freedom. Those moments have also evoked deep anxieties rooted in a suspicion that most peoples reaching for freedom, especially those outside the North Atlantic world, lacked the "maturity" to manage it. Read More


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May 22 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
Ex-London mayor Ken Livingstone quits Labour party on.ft.com/2KJBdvR
UK likely to clear way for Comcast to bid for Sky on.ft.com/2IDOuph
FCA demands higher standards in "robo advice" for investors on.ft.com/2KLAxq2
Former London mayor Ken Livingstone resigned from Britain's opposition Labour Party on Monday, saying that a row over anti-Semitism allegations against him had become a distraction for the party's leadership.
Britain said it was unlikely to refer Comcast Corp's bid for Sky Plc for a full investigation after deciding that the deal did not raise public concerns about media ownership.
Automated financial advisers must provide more clarity on their fees and gather more information on a customer's financial circumstances to ensure they receive the appropriate service, Britain's markets regulator said on Monday. Advice doled out online or via smartphone apps, referred to in the industry as "robo advice", aims to cut costs for customers looking to save or invest.
Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; editing by Diane Craft


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GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), one of the world's leading research based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. GSK employs over 97,000 employees in over 100 countries worldwide.
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc is one of Africa's largest consumer healthcare companies, producing leading brands such as Lucozade, Ribena and Panadol.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Marketing Activation Manager (Horlicks, Andrews and Otrivin)
Location: Lagos
Basic Qualifications
Interested candidates should;
Click here to apply online
Application Deadline Date
Not stated
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc is one of Africa's largest consumer healthcare companies, producing leading brands such as Lucozade, Ribena and Panadol.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Marketing Activation Manager (Horlicks, Andrews and Otrivin)
Location: Lagos
Basic Qualifications
- Minimum 6 years experience in FMCG marketing
- Candidates must be able to operate effectively and efficiently with an FMCG mindset from day 1.
- Must have the ability operate independently within a flat structure
- Accountable for accelerated share, sales and profit delivery for year 1 of 3>1 plan for all 3 categories- Nutritional, Digestive Health and Respiratory.
- Execute highly effective marketing activation programmes for all brands within the portfolio to deliver commercial goals aligned to Winning Formula
- Actively champion brand initiatives cross functionally through project team meetings and PMB process to ensure timely and excellent market implementation
- Provide brand data and analytics to input into the core commercial cycle and S&OP processes in market to support delivery of agreed forecasting and service levels
- Accountable for brand performance tracking and recommending remedial action
- Ensure all activity is compliant with global category guidelines and local regulatory/medical/legal requirements
- Lead LOC Market Activation Plan development for brand and provide rigorous data input into 3-1 Financial planning process
- Partner with Area Marketing team to deliver winning marketing and innovation plans for LOC based on actionable commercial, competitor and consumer insight to drive LOC brand share and equity ahead of competition
- Drive brand consumption ahead of Category across portfolio
- Develop actionable local insights (consumer, shopper, expert and competitor) that build on global insight to generate locally relevant Task Maps
- Work effectively with LOC agency partners to deliver world class activation
- Ensure the Brand Heart is brought to life and consistently activated across all touch points to build long term brand equity
- Plan, manage and deploy working media to optimize return on investment
- Win in digital locally through driving local digital insight and delivering locally relevant digital campaigns
- Deliver excellence in commercial delivery to become first choice for shoppers, customers and experts:
- Develop winning Market Activation Brand Plans (MAPs) in the context of the consumer, expert, trade and competitor
- Deliver winning trade execution including optimal channel focus and mix in partnership with sales organization to drive availability
- Win the war in the store with powerful visibility for our brands in the 'last metre' across modern, traditional and pharmacy channels that builds brand equity
- Execute in-market new product launches brilliantly leveraging global/area launch models
- Responsible for implementation and achievement of agreed innovation ratios
- Activate and consistently deploy winning claims working closely with area, regulatory, medical and activation teams
- Deliver world class forecast accuracy as agreed in the winning formula
- Deliver complexity reduction and value engineering initiatives to simplify supply chain and remove cost
- Build one Africa mind-set and cross functional team for brand
- Utilize the Marketing Way as "the way GSK does marketing", building best practice case studies where relevant, to share within LOC and Africa
- Develop understanding of importance external stakeholders (key customers, government & regulatory agencies, KOLs, industry bodies)
- Drive external focus including regular field visits across customer, consumer, shopper and expert
- Model GSK values & behaviours and compliance with all GSK codes of practice.
- Responsible for tracking brand equity and recommending remedial action
- Drive innovation implementation, tracking and learning
- Achievement of all metrics as agreed in the PDP and Winning Formula documents
Interested candidates should;
Click here to apply online
Application Deadline Date
Not stated


text:
See the list of exciting chapters in this course.
*All materials are subject to change and may be available on a limited basis.
Enroll in this course individually for only $399.00 per student per year.
Get this course and 5 more when you enroll in our academy!
*Course also incurrs a $4.95 per course multimedia access fee.


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Former India captain Ravi Shastri will continue on as the national team's director of cricket until the end of the 2015 World Cup.
The decision to extend Shastri's role was taken at the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) working committee meeting on Friday.
Related Articles
- Rohit Sharma should open batting for India during the World Cup - Laxman
- Sachin Tendulkar the ideal man to help Virat Kohli
Impressive turnaround
Shastri was initially made India's director of cricket prior to the start of the five-match ODI series against England. According to numerous players, Shastri was one of the main reasons why the national team ended up winning the series 3-1 since he constantly had one-on-one chats to help players with their problems.
It has also been announced that Duncan Fletcher will carry on as head coach, while Sanjay Bangar, B Arun and R Sridhar will continue to be India's support staff until the end of the World Cup as well.
India's bowling coach Joe Dawes and fielding coach Trevor Penney, who were given a break following the national team's 3-1 thrashing at the hands of England in the recent five-Test series, will complete their terms at the National Cricket Academy.
Official announcement
"Mr. Ravi Shastri will oversee the activities of the Indian Team as a Director during the West Indies Home Series and the Test Series in Australia," a BCCI release said. "He will be with the Indian Team on a full-time basis during the Triangular series in Australia and also for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015."
The working committee also decided that the board's annual general meeting (AGM) will be held on November 20.
According to their own regulations, the BCCI's AGM is supposed to take place on September 30 every year. But, it will be held at a later date this year since the board's president, Narayanaswami Srinivasan, has been asked to step aside by the Supreme Court until the investigation into the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) match-fixing and corruption scandal is completed.


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Introduction And Conclusion For Compare And Contrast Essay Format
It's paralyzing. Moving forward seems impossible, and self-doubt creeps in. You feel like a lost puppy, unsure of what to do next.
When writer's block strikes, it can be doggone demoralizing. But the good news is that an outline is your best friend for getting organized and ready to write.
In this post, I'll show you how to develop a compare and contrast essay outline that lets you kick writer's block to the curb and craft a structurally sound essay about anything.
Let's start with making sure everyone's on the same page about what makes up a compare and contrast essay. Ready?
What Is a Compare and Contrast Essay?In the simplest terms, a compare and contrast essay takes two subjects (i.e., objects, events, people, or places)—closely related or vastly different—and focuses on what about them is the same or what's different or focuses on a combination of similarities and differences.
It's not, however, just a simple comparison – that'd be too easy, right?
It must serve a larger purpose by doing one of the following:
- State something unknown.
- Clear up a misunderstanding.
- Show that one thing is superior to another.
- Lead to a new way of doing/seeing/understanding something.
- Argue a point with supported facts.
There are several formats for writing a compare and contrast essay, but I'll use point-by-point organization to make my outline.
Compare and Contrast Essay Outline: Point-by-Point Organization
The point-by-point comparison focuses on comparing and contrasting one aspect about both subjects at the same time.
It's typically easier for readers to follow this structure. It provides a clear, easy-to-follow structure. To keep things simple, I'll use a 5-paragraph essay structure to create a compare and contrast essay outline.
The outline consists of three parts:
- Introduction
- Body Paragraphs
- The first difference between subjects
- The second difference between subjects
- The third difference between subjects
- Conclusion
Now that you have the basic structure down, let's break down the components using my two favorite four-legged beasts: Molly and Morgan.
Compare and Contrast Essay Outline: Introduction
The introduction is where you introduce your topic both in broad and specific terms. It's also where make your thesis statement. The thesis statement provides the main point of or ideas within your essay.
The introduction has three key elements. I'll go through each separately.
1. Introduction to the main topic
To introduce your main topic, you ideally want to start with a hook sentence and then detail the specifics of the topic itself.
Comparing and contrasting Morgan and Molly, my opening lines to introduce the topic might read something like this:
"Do opposites really attract? The law of attraction says they do, but is this phenomenon limited to humans? It's definitely not, nor is it limited to romantic relationships. Dogs with drastically different personalities and habits form close attachments all the time."
2.Specific subjects to compare and contrast
Next you need to identify who or what you're comparing and contrasting specifically under the main topic and theme.
The next lines in my introduction might look something like this:
"The dogs in my household, while similar in many ways simply because they're dogs, are vastly different creatures. Molly is a 70-pound bully who likes to pounce, lick, and paw at canines and humans until she gets her way. Morgan, on the other hand, is a 50-pound sweetheart who is content with whatever is going on. Despite their differences, the two dogs are strongly attached to one another."
3. Thesis statement
Finally, to wrap up your intro, you want to express the specific aspects you're comparing and contrasting. This provides a clear idea of where your essay is going.
My thesis statement focuses on three specific habits/characteristics of my rambunctious dogs. It might be something like this:
"Most notably, Molly and Morgan differ in how they accessorize, what their favorite toys are, and how they deal with downtime, yet the two have a strong bond as 'sisters' who cuddle at every opportunity."
Whew! The introduction is often the toughest part. It's where you'll lay out the structure of your essay. (For this reason, it's usually a good idea to write the introduction last.) Since that's done, we'll move on to Part B, the body paragraphs.
Compare and Contrast Essay Outline: The Body Paragraphs
Since I'm focusing on just three aspects about Molly and Morgan, I'll have three body paragraphs. Under the point-by-point organization for a compare and contrast essay outline, you'll need as many paragraphs as the number of aspects you're comparing and contrasting.
Each paragraph will have a topic sentence focused on the aspect you're comparing and contrasting. Each paragraph will also have two details about each subject as they relate to the aspect:
Body paragraph #1
The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. The topic sentence of my first paragraph might look like this:
Aspect #1 – Topic sentence: "The first difference between Molly and Morgan is the way they accessorize; while both are budding fashionistas, each of the girls has her own personal style."
If you can ignore their cuteness (yup, I'm biased, but you have to admit they're pretty adorable, right?), we'll dive into the two details for each dog. My detail sentences might look like this:
Subject #1: Molly
- Detail #1: "Molly takes the sporty approach and is perfectly content with her owner's baseball cap firmly on her head."
- Detail #2: "Her choice in headwear is indicative of the brute, in-your-face interactions with her sister and owners."
Subject #2: Morgan
- Detail #1: "On the other hand, Morgan prefers the downhome, classic country look of a bandana."
- Detail #2: "Her accessory preference speaks to her humble, attention-loving and passive demeanor."
See how easy crafting a paragraph is when you break it down?
You could write paragraphs in your sleep now, right? No? Okay, let's do the same thing for the second and third body paragraphs.
Body paragraph #2
Aspect #2 – Topic sentence: "Another difference between the girls is their favorite toys; even though they are both equally protective of their favorites, their choices contradict their personalities."
Subject #1: Molly
- Detail #1: "Molly prefers to cuddle up with her favorite stuffed animal (which changes over time as she eats them)."
- Detail #2: "She often can be found protectively cuddling the stuffed animal in her sleep and making sure her owners give it plenty of love, too, by pushing the drool-covered plush in their faces at any opportunity."
Subject #2: Morgan
- Detail #1: "Conversely, Morgan prefers the traditional rawhide bone."
- Detail #2: "She will growl, snarl, and bare teeth to protect it from anyone (even her owners!)."
Two body paragraphs down – only one to go. If you're struggling, just take a breather.
Take your time, and work through the outline one section at a time if you need to.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and your compare and contrast essay outline doesn't have to be either (unless you're a procrastinator).
Body paragraph #3:
Now we'll look at my third body paragraph. The final body paragraph wraps up the last aspect identified in the thesis. Mine might be constructed something like this:
Aspect #3 – Topic Sentence: "The final difference between the two pups is how they deal with downtime, more specifically, their ability to just chill while ignoring (or not ignoring) distractions."
Subject #1: Molly
- Detail #1: "Molly isn't content unless she's getting attention, even if that attention is simply having a warm human body next to her; she's frequently found flopping on the couch looking pensive and bored out of her pay-attention-to-me-now-or-I-will-lick-your face-endlessly mind.
- Detail #2: "While it's sometimes possible to catch a photo-op with her sandwiched between pillows wearing a pleading look, breaking out the camera usually produces a face-licking attack before the shot is even focused."
Subject #2: Morgan
- Detail #1: "Morgan, however, handles downtime differently. Perfectly content without constant attention, Morgan takes it as an opportunity to curl up and catch some ZZZs."
- Detail #2: "A heavy sleeper who snores and runs in her sleep while dreaming of chasing squirrels, Morgan is happy sleeping for hours and is undisturbed by camera flashes and clicks."
That's it. The body paragraphs are complete. Not so bad, was it?
While I had three body paragraphs, your outline might have only two. Or it might have five. It depends on the number of points you're comparing and contrasting.
Now we're ready to wrap things up with the conclusion.
Compare and Contrast Essay Outline: ConclusionHot diggity dog! If you've made it this far, you're in the home stretch—developing the conclusion of your compare and contrast essay outline.
The conclusion is the easiest part. You've already set the stage for it with your thesis statement and body paragraphs. It's just a matter of putting it all together while focusing on three areas:
1. Summary of main points
First, you want to summarize your main points. It's more than a simple summary, though. You want to synthesize your thesis with the information in your body paragraphs.
I might summarize with a few sentences like this:
"In conclusion, these three aspects clearly show how Molly and Morgan go about their doggy lives in different ways. While Molly likes to accessorize with baseball caps, cuddle with stuffed animals, and sit around looking bored, Morgan prefers rawhide bones, relaxing solo, and sleeping contently whenever she can."
2. Evaluation
Next, you want to evaluate what you've discussed or talk about possible future developments.
This is where you show the greater purpose of your topic. Your conclusion should answer one question: What does it all mean?
As you work on this part, keep in mind that your conclusion should bring things full circle to your introduction.
My compare and contrast essay outline requires just focusing on an evaluation.
My evaluation sentences might look something like this:
"In some ways, the differences parallel their personalities—Molly as a brute and Morgan as a sweetheart. The differences also show how both dogs sometimes stray from their normal behavior, notably through how they interact with their favorite toys. Taken collectively, however, their differences don't stop the law of attraction from coming into play. Though they like a different look, like to play with different toys, and like to relax differently, they adore each other and cuddle up together at every opportunity."
3. Significance
Finally, you need to show the significance of the differences. What was your end goal in showing the differences? (Hint: Refer back to your introduction and thesis statement if you're stuck here.)
I might use one sentence to show the significance, tie everything back to the intro, and create finality all in one swoop by writing something like this:
"This shows that opposites really do attract—even among canines."
Download Template for Your Own Compare and Contrast Outline
Have your own compare and contrast essay to write? Make the process easier, and banish writer's block by downloading this compare and contrast essay outline in MS Word or PDF format to get started.
Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Template (.doc)
Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Template (PDF)
Whether you're ready to write or still flushing out your topic, using an outline keeps you on-task. It keeps you on-topic to create a logical, easy-to-follow format.
Additional Help for Your Compare and Contrast Essay Outline
Still struggling? Try reading some completed example compare and contrast essays. If that doesn't work or you're still feeling a bit unsure, read more about this type of essay.
Finally, don't forget about editing and proofreading! Even the best writers make mistakes or have difficulty recognizing weak points in their own writing.
If you're aiming to put your best paw—err draft—forward, have one of our talented Kibin editors edit your essay for grammar, logic, clarity, and flow.
Write on, and best of luck!
Psst... 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays.
It is always a big question for beginner writers how to write a compare and contrast essay.
Briefly talking, you just need to learn that classic five-paragraph essay format and compare two subjects in the body section of your paper.
If you want to learn more, just proceed reading and get few interesting compare and contrast essay topics as a bonus.
7 Tips on How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay
Compare and contrast essay is, as we said before, a simple and interesting paper format to deal with. The main idea lies right on the surface and its name talks for itself. You need to compare two subjects that sometimes are absolutely unrelated to each other. You need to analyze both things and come up with a conclusion. Your text may be a search for some solution of a broader problem or just describe a particular aspect. Compare and contrast essay writing can be divided into seven main stages:
- Stage 1: Get yourself a topic
- Stage 2: Create an outline
- Stage 3: Introduce the topic
- Stage 4: Start with the body paragraphs
- Stage 5: Identify the main contrast between subjects
- Stage 6: The conclusion
- Stage 7: Editing and revising
One of the most important stages of your writing would be the introduction where you should present your clear thesis statement. You should come with few thesis statements at once and then choose the best one you can handle. And just after that part is done you can start with the real comparison and composition.
If you would ever ask an experienced writer about successful writing tips, he will tell you that the deal is about your experience and knowledge. Our experts will tell you absolutely the same, but after teaching you how to write a compare and contrast essay. Let's start with five paragraph paper.
How to Write Compare and Contrast Essay Outline
Any paper should have its outline. It is a must if you want your writing process to be easier and clear. It is great to be able to write from scratch the whole paper, but the working process will flow easier if you create an outline. Compare and contrast essay outline is nothing different from any other outlines people write for another type of articles.
If the topic you are working with is exciting for you, we are sure it is absolutely easy to work with it. But you should note that it is still important to be competent on the topic you are writing about. Or you are risking of getting blocked by bad knowledge of your topic and inability to develop the idea as it should be.
Here is how a typical outline should look for subject by subject comparison:
- Presentation of the general topic
- Your specific topic and clue
- Your main goals you're trying to reach in this very essay
- Subject 1 – three or more aspects with detailed descriptions.
- Subject 2 – three or more aspects with detailed descriptions.
- A short list of main results.
- Possible future development, solution or evaluation.
And for the outline, try to feel free with your writing. Just get those marks you want to include into your paper with no doubt. There can be lots of those ideas and while writing and editing some of them may fall off. It is normal and even necessary if too many ideas you have. And remember that organization is a key to your comfortable working process. And the good organization is the key to your successful work.
A compare and contrast essay example:
How to Write Compare and Contrast Essay Introduction
Compare and contrast essay introduction is no different from any other introduction you may have already done or read before. The principles you used for your definition essay are absolutely the same for your compare and contrast paper. It should be just one paragraph long.
- Do it brief and striking.
- Identify the main idea behind your theme.
- Synchronize it with your outline.
- You may write this part the last one to get a good connection with a conclusion.
Any good introduction is just a perfect start. And it means you need to make it convincing and strong no matter how conflicting your topic is. It should be clear and understandable for any type of a reader. You can get some interesting info on the topic you are writing about. Some writers prefer asking questions that make their readers involved from the start. If you decide to ask a question, don't forget to hint at the answer in the next part of your paper.
Writing of Compare and Contrast Essay Example of Body Paragraphs
The next part is the body. Those paragraphs are the main place for the comparison and the story you are going to tell. And with your starting draft, you need to list and describe all the ideas you have in your outline. Just use everything you can remember from the topic you are working with.
Each paragraph of the body gives the reader exact description and analysis of the subject. And then it offers a comparison of those two subjects based on those previously described features. Here is how the body section may look like if you use a classic three paragraphs in body section style:
Similar marks vs. Difference
- 1st paragraph in the body section is going to tell about similar marks of both your topic masters.
- 2nd paragraph of the body will talk about all those parts that are different.
- 3rd paragraph talks about the place both subjects get in the field covered by the topic.
A subject vs. B subject
- 1st describes the A subject and tells about its features
- 2nd paragraph of the body tells about the B subject of your paper and gives a strong analysis of its features.
- 3rd paragraph compares and analyzes both subjects.
Each paragraph and we have three of them in this part, should be researched separately and consciously. Don't pay too much attention to the difference between the facts, but the topic you are writing about. And to make your paper absolutely high level, you need to get even deeper than you can and another writer usually so. Try to find something that is completely unknown and make discoveries if it is possible.
How to Write Compare and Contrast Essay Conclusion
Some students make their writing mistakes just at the very end of their papers. Compare and contrast essay conclusion is the place where you may just get into a serious trouble, and it is great to keep it in mind before subscribing your work as the finished one. Some experts say that this final paragraph is even more important than the introduction. We must say that this is totally true.
In your introduction, you present the subject and make the first impression. And here you need to make the final strike and convince your reader that you are right. And it will be the last words you can write about the entire thing. Don't make it sound just like a simple summary, but convincing and ripe position. Don't forget to make few references to the body paragraphs of your text. Here are few basic tips you need to keep in mind:
- Answer the question "So What?"
- Synthesize, don't summarize
- Redirect your readers
- Create a new meaning
Winning Compare and Contrast Essay Topics
You need to understand that well-written compare and contrast essay example is just a half of your way to success. Correct and interesting compare and contrast essay topics are another part you need to reckon with. Here is the list of topics you can suggest for the start:
Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for College Students
- Apple vs. Microsoft
- Christianity vs. Islam
- Trump vs. Obama
- North Korea vs. South Korea
- Analog vs. Digital
- Electricity vs. Petroleum
- Communism vs. Capitalism
- Hydropower stations vs. Solar power stations
- Nuclear Power vs. Solar Power
- Red wine vs. Beer
Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for High School
- Contemporary art vs. Classic art
- Rome Empire vs. Nazi Germany
- Monarchy vs. Democracy
- Meat eater vs. Vegans
- Jesus vs. Buddha
- England Colonies vs. French or Spanish Colonies
- Game of Thrones vs. Lord of the rings
- Ancient China vs. Japan
- Saltwater life vs. Freshwater life
- Greek Mythology vs. Roman Mythology
- 1914 vs. 1939
- Godfather vs. The Sopranos
- Rock vs. Pop
Compare and Contrast Topics for Middle School
- Pacific ocean vs. Atlantic ocean
- Plastic vs. Wood
- School vs. College
- Mozart vs. Bach
- Comedy vs. Drama
- Chinese language vs. Korean language
- Rap vs. Metal
- English vs. German
- Daytona vs. F-1
- Theatre vs. Classical Music
- Children vs. Adults
- Math vs. Literature
- Physics vs. Chemistry
Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for 6th Grade
- Fanta vs. Sprite
- Father vs. Mother
- Dogs vs. Cats
- Darth Vader vs. Sauron
- Medieval knights vs. Samurais
- Shark vs. Orca
- Mammals vs. Birds
- Lions vs. Tigers
- Watercolor vs. Oil
- Airplanes vs. Cars
- Subway vs. Railway
- Apples vs. Pears
- Batman vs. Shadow
- Football vs. Basketball
How to Write a 5 Paragraph Compare and Contrast Essay
If you don't know how to write a 5 paragraph compare and contrast essay, we should calm you down, it is simpler than it seems. The format of five paragraph paper considers 1 to 3 to 1 scheme where intro and conclusion have one paragraph and the body has three. But with this type of articles, you are free to experiment and to get something really unique.
Five paragraph format is a classic way to deal with most essays out there. No matter what topic do you have, this format will fit it perfectly. Writers often call it a subject to subject style. Its scheme would look like this:
- 1 paragraph – to present the topic
- 3 paragraphs – to identify and describe features of the subjects
- 1 paragraph – to make a summary
You can create an article with four or six paragraphs just using the proper scheme of mixing those paragraphs. It also depends on the outline you have created before starting writing. And we will tell you how to write a proper article with just two or three paragraphs in the body section.
Every good paper should start somewhere. And to start, you need to understand that this type of essays is about similarities and differences of two sometimes absolutely unrelated things. And don't let the word comparison confuse you. It is not just about listing similar and different features of two subjects. It is more about discovering new aspects and revealing information that can be new to your reader.
And at the end of it all here are few great tips you should keep in your mind:
- Make your title encouraging
A successful paper always has a good title. It is sharp, brief, and to the core. It can be a question or complex type of a sentence, but it should strike and hit all the aspects of your topic and the problem you are going to define in your paper.
Don't be afraid to stop and reload. It is important if you write a big paper and your thoughts are already messed around. It would give you a chance to see your work with a fresh eye even if you were resting for an hour.
Both of these things are crucial. A successful article can't be completed without editing reviewing. Check every aspect of its grammar and structure. Make it flow smoothly. This makes the entire paper sound more diverse and interesting. But don't just compare two subjects. Get few convincing contrasts between them. Yes, don't forget that it is not just a compare essay but contrast also.
Students often get confused because of this type of papers. There are lots of other hard to deal with tasks, but this one makes you feel like it is simple from the start. But it may fool you around with that fake simplicity. Sometimes it gets very difficult to compare two unrelated subjects and find those not so obvious contrasts between them. Start writing and you see that ides don't come easy. It is challenging, and you should be prepared for this. And if you still have any doubts about any aspects of this task, our professional team is here to help you 24/7. Just place an order or ask for help in any other comfortable way and we will be there with our skills, experience, and respect.


text: The Under Armour Flow RN Sweater Running shoes are the perfect lightweight runner. The UA Flow Grid has a smooth, soft, breathable ballistic nylon upper that is light but very durable when it is put to the test. The synthetic overlays provide structure for a nice midfoot lockdown to keep you propped up and secure. You will be sure to get maximum cushioning with the full length Micro G foam that is perfect for when you come down and want to take off in an explosive way. Under Armour strategically placed rubber traction covers on the high impact zones to provide better durability with less weight to hold you down. Be sure to blow the competition away on your next run in the Under Armour Flow RN Twist Running shoes!


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Full Speed Ahead announced that it decided to extend the warranty of a number of its carbon products, from 2 to 4 years. Included in the program are all the products from the K-Force and SL-K Series, and it will be available for customers in UK, Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Benelux.
So, if you're going to buy a new FSA product, you'll find in its package a card that has "2 to 4" written on it, and which contains a serial number. The number must be registered on this page, where you can also find out more about FSA's new programme.
Via FSA


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Follow workers.org on
It was nearly midnight on Sept. 16 when negotiators for General Motors and the United Auto Workers reportedly reached agreement on a new four-year contract.
With only rough details made public, the deal is being hailed as "a win for all" that "is likely to be embraced by Wall Street." (Detroit Free Press, Sept. 18) It looks like it is a win-win — for the banksters and the auto bosses, that is!
The UAW website quotes their vice president, Joe Ashton, "The wages and benefits we negotiated in this tentative agreement reflect the fact that it was UAW members who helped turn this company around."
In fact, workers are getting a raw deal. Concessions given during the 2009 Chapter 13 bankruptcy "which workers agreed to under coercion and with the assumption that givebacks would be restored when GM returned to profitability" are continued.
The 2009 concessions were made to the 2007 contract that — for the first time — introduced a divisive two-tier pay structure. New hires were to start at half the pay of "traditional" employees, with a top rate of about $12 less per hour. Annual lump sum payments replaced raises, reducing potential earnings by thousands of dollars. Retiree health care costs were turned over to a "Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association," to which GM would make a fixed contribution, relieving the company of "legacy costs."
GM hailed the 2007 agreement, predicting that over a four-year period labor costs would be cut in half. Before the concessions, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger estimated these costs at only 8 percent of the price of a car or truck.
This was a huge transfer of wealth from labor to capital, but when the current Great Recession caused a worldwide collapse of vehicle sales, GM and Chrysler used their weak cash position to squeeze even more givebacks from UAW members in 2009.
The U.S. Treasury then loaned billions of dollars with the stipulation that workers make additional sacrifices. The only alternative presented to workers was a liquidation of the two companies. The White House Auto Task Force, whose members were from Wall Street and capitalist think tanks, drafted the final loan terms.
The 2009 takebacks turned back the clock on gains won decades ago. The bonuses — a poor substitute for annual pay increases — were eliminated. With mass unemployment today — when demands for a shorter workweek are in order — the union actually gave up 33 hours per year in paid break time and holiday pay. The Cost of Living Allowance was "suspended."
As in nonunion shops, time-and-a-half after an eight-hour day was ended with the premium only kicking in after a 40-hour week. Supplemental Unemployment Benefits were curtailed. The jobs bank, which paid workers on indefinite layoff for 40 hours of charitable work outside the plant, was dropped.
Limitations on second-tier hiring, which might have eventually allowed "entry level" workers to move into "traditional" positions, were cancelled. So were incremental raises; second-tier pay was frozen at around $14.50 an hour.
A dozen plants were selected to be closed. The promise of the 2007 contract — job security — was trashed in 2009. The number of hourly employees at GM fell from 73,000 to 48,500.
The union also agreed that with the next contract — the one to be voted on — all "unresolved issues" would automatically be sent to arbitration. In other words, the UAW agreed two years ahead of time not to strike over this new contract!
So far, the only known improvements include a modest pay increase for second-tier workers that will still — by the end of the new four-year agreement — leave a gap of $9 to $12 between them and higher seniority workers.
What is, "likely to be embraced" by finance capital is an enticing "signing bonus" of $5,000 per worker. At one point JPMorgan Chase predicted it would be $7,500. Coming from a major GM shareholder and GM's longtime lender of choice, this "prediction" was what this Wall Street titan was willing to pay up front to make the 2009 concessions more permanent. Wall Street also welcomes the "enhanced" profit-sharing formula that might "share" $1,000 to $2,000 more with hourly workers — or leave them with nothing if car sales and profits take another nosedive.
The UAW statement promised that new jobs were being created. Reportedly, at least one closed plant may reopen. The halving of production wages has made it affordable for GM to move work back into the U.S. from lower-wage countries, saving transportation costs. To call that job creation, when the company is just laying off workers somewhere else in the world, is to make a mockery of "cross-border solidarity."
Workers feel that they deserve to get back what they gave up under duress. GM made $4.7 billion in net profits last year and $5.7 billion in the first two quarters of this year. Second-tier workers are tired of making half the wages of someone next to them doing the exact same work.
Many workers at all pay levels are angry and plan to vote "no." Rank-and-file activists, including Autoworkers Caravan, have campaigned since negotiations began for a rejection of any contract that retains tiered wages. Should they succeed, or even muster up a sizable opposition vote, it will be an important psychological victory and a first step towards building a fightback movement to assert working-class power on the shop floor.


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The Atlas Story.
In 1986, Atlas Travel began when Elaine Osgood decided to make a career change after a decade of serving children as an elementary school teacher and social worker. Osgood bought a travel agency franchise, opened an office in Milford with one employee, no customers and travel experience that included only personal vacations.
In 1997, after winning every franchise award, Osgood discarded the training wheels and jumped into the arena as Atlas Travel International, ready to compete with the country's largest travel agencies. Her perseverance, innovation and unyielding dedication to customer service have catapulted the agency into an award-winning corporation with multiple locations and a list of 50,000 satisfied customers traveling on business and vacation worldwide.
Now as one of an elite group of leading independent agencies chosen to represent BCD Travel, Atlas Travel is an exclusive Northeast Regional Affiliate for this $13 billion travel network. The Atlas Travel team personifies international travel expertise. Osgood has always believed that the way to best serve travelers is to hire travel professionals with unique skills, knowledge and 100% dedication to customer service. Atlas now has more than 150 employees and an expanding footprint, but this Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year is still dedicated to winning business one customer at a time.


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Franche-Comte Rivers & Waterways
Franche-Comte, above all, has 5,500 km (3,438 miles) of streams, rivers and waterways, 320 km (200 miles) are navigable. Some can be enjoyed in canoe or kayak, while others offer river cruises.
A few have been labelled the most beautiful rivers in France. They are teeming with all freshwater fish species. Fishing is therefore very diversified, fly-fishing especially. The Loue, Doubs and Dessoubre rivers are a fisherman's paradise.
At Villers-le-Lac, the Doubs spreads out in large pools and soon turns into an impressive 27 meters waterfall, called Saut du Doubs (the Doubs Sault). Boat cruises are available from Villers-le-Lac.
The river gave its name to the Haute-Saône department and is considered one of the most easily navigable, especially at the city of Gray, a major center. From its source in the Vosges mountains to Lyon (where it flows into the Rhone river), it provides 356 km (222 miles) of navigable water of which 110 (69 miles) of it flows through the Haute-Saone with only 17 locks. It becomes navigable at Corre. While modest in size until it reaches Port-sur-Saone, the Saone keeps gaining strength and widening until it becomes a major river at Gray.
The Ain is a beautiful and powerful river. It springs up on the Nozeroy plateau (alt. 750 m) in a beautiful forestry setting. It forms a huge funnel whose water level varies with the seasons. It soon rushes into a deep, narrow gorge and disappears under a chaos of boulders. This is called the "Perte de l'Ain" (Loss of the Ain). It resurfaces further down as an attractive waterfall and begins its 190 km (120 miles) course.
It flows through the Jura department over 114 km (71 miles), hemmed in by steep hills, and passes by only one city, Champagnole. It cascades, foams over rapids and edges its way through masses of rocks.
Since the Vouglans Dam was built (1968), the Ain Gorges are submerged over 35 km (22 miles). The Ain river and its tributaries supply over 15 hydroelectric power stations.
A tributary of the Ain River, the Bienne, follows a very picturesque course, mostly through gorges (canyons). It springs up as a torrent near the town of Les Rousses (alt. 1,100 m) and flows through the cities of Morez and Saint-Claude, where it comes together with the Tacon river.
One of the most beautiful rivers in France. It springs up near the village of Ouhans, leaps from the rock and forms a waterfall. The Loue course is very attractive and canoeing downstream is very easy, it looses 229 m (4,507 ft) of altitude over some 20 km (12 miles).
The Loue Valley is probably one of the most beautiful sites of the region, specially the stretch between its source and its capital, Ornans. From lookouts to blind valleys, it offers a succession of surprising panoramic views and shelters numerous picturesque villages.
Ornans is a privileged fishing site. This little burg houses the "Maison Nationale de l'Eau et de la Pêche" (National House of Water and Fishing), which is a meeting center, a professional training center and a unique museum in France with a collection of over 4,000 fishing-related objects.
Dessoubre River
It springs up from a limestone rock face and turns into an abundant cascade. It joins the Doubs river at Saint-Hyppolyte, a town of beautiful medieval and Renaissance houses.
Ognon River
It has its source in the Ballon des Vosges regional natural Park (alt. 1,060 m). It exits a steep rocky gorge after overcoming hurdles, and scatters into a magnificient 14 m waterfall called the "Saut de l'Ognon" (Sault of the Ognon).


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Gap Loose, Boot Cut JeansReviewing: Gap Loose, Boot Cut Jeans | Rating:
I purchased a pair of Gap's Loose, Boot cut jeans in dark blue. The reason I purchase Gap brand jeans is because I am short and they come in lengths that fit me. In order to find these sizes I have to purchase them online. This also means I usually get them cheaper than in the store due to the less popularity of the size I get.
I generally like Gap jeans. They are durable and come in a variety of colors and sizes. They usually have a button fly or zipper fly option as well. They do tend to wear out on the cuff for me, probably due to dragging on the ground when I am not wearing shoes.
I feel the loose fit is a little to baggy for my tastes and the boot cut is a little to wide at the opening as well. If they were just a little less baggy and a little less wide, they'd be perfect.
Another problem I have with Gap jeans is they seem to fade quite easily. I do wash my clothes fairly often, but I would like to see them hold their original color longer.
Gap jeans are solid jeans and come in a variety of styles and colors. I would opt for the less baggy fit jeans.


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Teal Amalfi Dress
Teal Amalfi Dress
Product SKU:
Made from our flattering viscose, this dress easily transitions from day to night. The Amalfi Dress features a round neck, 3/4 sleeves and flaredåÊskirt.åÊ
Care instructions
- Machine wash cold with like colors.
- Lay flat to dry.
Size Guide
More in this Collection
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Vintage dress worn with Marais USA Hyde Pumps
A Claire McCardell shirtdress is something I've always wanted in my wardrobe. I snatched this one up at the Chelsea Flea for 45 smackers a few weeks ago and have been waiting for the perfect day to wear it. Then came terrible weather, so I donned it amidst the rain and fog yesterday. A piece of clothing like this puts you in a good mood! Love the black button-down front. Love the soft cotton candy pink color. And love that it's pretty worn in, so I don't have to wear it carefully and daintily. This dress was made for summer livin! Love!
x x H a l e y
May 10th, 2013 § 0


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Units of study
.....................................ELA / math
ontebello Unified School District - East Los Angeles College Collaborative sumission to the California Career Pathways Trust Grant
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Archives Posts
FINN Jewelry Goes Live
This week marked the end of a great project we did for FINN Jewelry here in New York.
EC was part of a great team assembled to give this hip jewelry company a fresh identity and new web digs.
I just wrapped development on the FINN Jewelry website. Checkout their beautiful products! The website includes some fun interactive elements that show the spirit of FINN's creators, Soraya Silchenstedt and Candice Pool. Photography is by Alexi Lubomirski, photographer from Future Digital, another EC branding and web project. Design by Epidemik Coalition and Black Rose NYC.


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This was sort of a beta test first episode so the sound quality isn't super amazing (it gets better!) but hopefully it's still interesting.
Kris, Ben & Jack sit down for their first weekly chat! Short introductions followed by Pyromaniac Ghosts setting people on fire and discussion of the 2012 Oscar nominations plus alot more!


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The feature documentary "Women At War: Forgotten Veterans of Desert Storm" takes an intimate look at women soldiers wartime experiences on the toxic battlefields of 1991's Operation Desert Storm and their heartbreaking battles with Gulf War illnesses since they've returned home. Carol Williams and three other female veterans fight the Veterans Administration for proper treatment and benefits in their search for answers to their mysterious Gulf War illnesses. They wonder why theyve been abandoned by the government theyve risked their lives to serve. Over twenty years later, their war isnt over.
Thanks to Christie and Dennis Davis for this film! This is an important commentary on the US war (otherwise known as the "Gulf War") against Iraq and of the treatment of our veterans after they came home.
Visit www.womenatwarmovie.com for more information.
See also:What I've Learned About U.S. Foreign Policy: The War Against the Third World


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Lap Dog (Shelter #2)
Dang you, Sherwood! I was supposed to quit this book halfway through in a boiling rage, ready to rip Simon a new one. Instead, I grudgingly liked him by 25% and was rooting for him about halfway through and just hoping everything would work out.
This still isn't perfect. Simom Yeung is the first prominent main character who is Chinese-American in any of Sherwood's books that I've read, and he's in a crime family. Really? And just because the characters call this out doesn't really take away from the problems of this, just as having them call out the old school family honor/respect stereotypes doesn't really mean she's not using those stereotypes.
Yet despite that, this was a great story. I don't know if I'd categorize it Romance (™) but Simon and Tristan do come to first respect each other, then kind of like each other, then warily admire each other and finally care for each other. I didn't think it was possible from the initial set up that opens the story, but their journeys and getting to know each other were well-paced and given the time to really breathe, despite all the chaos going on around them. The resolution was perhaps too easy and convenient, but I honestly don't care because I wanted these two to get their HEAs - not just with each other but for themselves as well. They still have things to figure out about their new lives though, so there's more room to tell more stories about them later. (And hopefully resolve a few more of those dangling threads that didn't get addressed here.)
It was also great seeing Shane and Noah again, and seeing glimpses of their relationship throughout. They even get a short story interlude at the end of the main story. It felt more like it was there to explain why Shane doesn't label himself asexual (though he is clearly on the spectrum) but whatever label someone wants to use or not use is up to them.


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Latest News
House panel OKs subpoena for Cheney aide
WASHINGTON — A House of Representatives committee voted Tuesday to compel vice presidential chief of staff David Addington to testify about controversial interrogation techniques used on terrorism suspects overseas.
Democrats want Addington to answer questions about interrogation methods permitted by secret administration memos and criticized as torture.
Addington, a chief architect of the legal justifications behind many of the administration's anti-terrorism policies, has refused to testify without a subpoena. A spokeswoman with Vice President Dick Cheney's office said she couldn't comment on how Addington would respond to any possible subpoena.
A House Judiciary subcommittee voted to subpoena Addington as former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former Defense Department Undersecretary Douglas Feith, former Assistant Attorney General Daniel Levin and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo have agreed to testify before the subcommittee. Yoo wrote several of the Justice Department's most controversial memos.
House lawyers are still in discussions with former CIA Director George Tenet about whether he'll testify.
Democrats are demanding that the administration explain its reasoning as outlined in the memos, including one that concluded that the president could authorize policies that violate U.S. and international laws banning torture.
After the memo was widely repudiated, a presidential executive order later set new limits on interrogation, but continued to allow harsh treatment that critics charge could include waterboarding, an interrogation technique used during the Spanish Inquisition that entails pouring water over a restrained prisoner's face to simulate the sensation of drowning.
Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York, the chairman of the House subcommittee, asserted that the legal opinions — authorized by top administration officials — condoned torture.
"Torture is un-American and yet it has been used by this government against those in our custody and control," said Nadler.
Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, could issue the subpoena for Addington as early as Wednesday.
While administration officials have said repeatedly that the United States doesn't torture, they've refused to say whether they consider waterboarding torture. Despite the lingering questions about current policies, an unknown number of memos remain secret.
CIA officials have acknowledged waterboarding three high-level terrorism suspects in 2002 and 2003. ABC News has reported that the agency banned the use of waterboarding in 2006.
Bush, however, vetoed legislation last month that would have explicitly banned the use of waterboarding and other techniques such as the electrocution, burning, hooding or stripping of prisoners as prohibited by the Army field manual.
The president said he opposed the legislation because it prohibited methods that had prevented terrorist attacks.


text: Auto Toyota issues new recall Ian Westcott - flickr user Toyota is recalling Sienna minivans. This is just the latest recall that Toyota has issued in the past year. The Associated Press reports: Toyota says it will recall nearly 100,000 Sienna minivans from the 2011 model year to replace a switch bracket on the brake lamp. The Japanese automaker says a driver's foot could hit the switch bracket and deform it while applying the parking brake pedal. Toyota says there have been no accidents or injuries related to this issue. Village of Baldwin hopes a prison contract can revive the area By Zoe Clark • Dec 11, 2010 Flickr user Still Burning / Flickr Creative Commons http://michrad.io/1LXrdJM The tiny village of Baldwin is hoping a private prison contract bringing thousands of inmates from California to Michigan will help revitalize the area. Baldwin is 65 miles north of Grand Rapids. UPDATE: Sunday morning liqour sales rules loosening UPDATE: 3:30pm The Michigan Liquor Control Commission is loosening up its interpretation of the state's new Sunday morning liquor sales law. The new law includes a provision allowing local governments to prohibit alcohol sales on Sunday mornings. But the commission had said that any town or city doing so would be outlawing liquor sales ALL DAY Sunday. That left many communities with a very uncomfortable choice. GM CEO says automaker has been humbled By Zoe Clark • Dec 10, 2010 Sarah Hulett / Michigan Radio Dan Akerson, General Motors' CEO, told the Economic Club of Washington D.C. this morning that his company was humbled by its "near-death experience" during its 2009 bankruptcy. Ford To Hire New Workers at Louisville Plant - At New (Lower) Wage By Steve Carmody • Dec 9, 2010 Ford Motor Company says it will add 1,800 workers at its Louisville Assembly Plant, once that plant is renovated. Ford is moving production of the Escape SUV to the plant.Ford already moved production of the Explorer SUV, the Louisville plant's former product, to Chicago. Now, the Louisville facility will undergo a complete renovation, resulting in what Ford's Jim Tetrault says will be the company's most flexible, high-volume plant in the world. Borders Books posts big 3rd quarter loss (courtesy of Borders Group/photo credit: Laszlo Regos) Borders Books reported the company lost $74 million dollars in the 3rd quarter. That's about twice as much as Borders lost in the 3rd quarter of 2009. The Ann Arbor based book seller continues to struggle in a competitive market. In a written statement, Borders Group CEO Mike Edwards conceded his company's struggles: Michigan left off the list of states getting more money for high speed rail Steven Vance - Flickr UPDATE 12/9/2010 3:33pm: Michigan's been left off the list of state getting more federal money for high speed rail projects. The New York Times reports: The biggest winners of Ohio and Wisconsin's money were California, which will receive another $624 million on top of the nearly $3 billion it has received so far toward the construction of a high-speed train from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and Florida, which will get another $342 million on top of the roughly $2 billion it has received to build a high-speed train between Orlando and Tampa. The other states that will get Ohio and Wisconsin's money will be Washington, which will get up to $161 million; Illinois, which will get $42.3 million; and Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Vermont, which will all get less than $10 million. Michigan home prices continue slide Michigan home prices continue their downward slide and the trend shows little sign of stopping. Home prices in Michigan declined about 9% in the third quarter, a downward trend that started in April as government buying incentives began to dry up. Lansing BW&L gets key state permit for new power plant (BWL) The Lansing Board of Water & Light has gotten a key state permit clearing the way for construction of a new $182 million cogeneration power plant. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment granted the permit. A Lansing BW&L spokesman says the utility will now move to issuing bonds to pay for the project. The utility hopes to begin operating the new power plant in 2013. The power plant will rely on natural gas to produce electricity. Lansing utility officials say it will eventually replace an aging coal-fired power plant. OOPS: Mistake in Sunday AM Liquor sales law may leave some communities 'dry' on Sundays A glitch in the new Sunday morning liquor sales law might be forcing Michigan communities to choose between opening the bars or going dry ALL DAY on Sundays. When state lawmakers passed the Sunday morning liquor sales bill in the waning days of the legislative session, they made a small mistake. Lawmakers allowed communities to ban the sales, but the bill didn't specify the time. So now, if a community says it wants to ban liquor sales between 7am and noon on Sundays, the state Liquor Control Commission says the local government is banning all Sunday liquor sales. Andrea Miller is with the Liquor Control Commission. She says the way the law is written it gives the commission no choice. "Basically if they send in the resolution stating that they are banning the Sunday sales (of alcohol), they are banning Sunday sales completely." Miller says the commission has heard from more than 30 communities confused about the new law and its implications. The Liquor Control Commission plans to put a hold license applications by businesses in those communities until the legislature has time to fix the law next year. Researcher sees some signs of hope in Michigan's economy By Lindsey Smith • Dec 8, 2010 Lindsey Smith / Michigan Radio Researchers at the Kalamazoo-based Upjohn Institute predict Michigan's economy is stabilizing, but caution it will be a long road to a full recovery. "We have to realize that what Michigan is coming out of is not a transformed economy, although all of us would like to think that's true. We're coming out a leaner economy, a little bit meaner and little bit more advanced but in fact just kind of a smaller version of what we were before, in my opinion." Senior Regional Analyst George Erickcek says full recovery will depend on the state' ability to meet the demand for trained workers in growing industries. In a presentation to leaders in Grand Rapids Wednesday, Erickcek said 25 to 34 year-olds are not achieving the same education levels as the generation before them. That's the case in Michigan and the nation. Increase in lending to car buyers with subprime credit By Mark Brush • Dec 7, 2010 Zelda Richardson / Flickr - http://michrad.io/1LXrdJM Perhaps another sign that the 'Great Recession' is thawing. Lending to people with a so-so credit score is on the uptick - at least in the car market. The Associated Press reports "the percentage of loans going to subprime buyers rose 8% in the third quarter, their first year-over-year increase since 2007, according to a report issued Tuesday by Experian, a credit reporting agency." Granholm hails economic recovery at Chrysler event By Sarah Cwiek • Dec 6, 2010 Governor Granholm says she's happy to leave office at a time when there's good news about Michigan's economy. The Governor celebrated the addition of a second shift at Chrysler's Sterling Heights Assembly Plant Monday. Granholm says the announcement shows the domestic auto industry "is back." She also cited recent economic data showing an uptick in manufacturing. The Governor did bemoan the State Legislatures' failure to approve a new international bridge crossing between Detroit and Ontario. Gov. Granholm makes announcement in Sterling Heights By Mark Brush • Dec 6, 2010 Barack Obama's Flickr photostream Update: 3:20pm: The Detroit Free Press reports on what we expected from the announcement at Chrysler's Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. Chrysler will add a second shift in early 2011 of about 900 additional workers. Many of those workers will be workers who are called back from temporary layoff. Borders buying Barnes & Noble? "Bonkers" By Mark Brush & Mark Brush • Dec 6, 2010 Ildar Sagdejev / creative commons Update: 2:12pm: Since we posted this story we found this analysis piece by Sarah Weinman of Daily Finance News. She also calls the notion that Borders Books could buy Barnes & Noble a story that has "entertainment value" not much more. Weinman says of Borders Books: "If a merger was its plan for saving itself, expect B&N's rejection of the deal to accelerate its downward spiral -- an end that, sadly for the publishing industry, is likely to come sooner rather than later." Kellogg CEO steps down Ben Alman I just spoke with a food industry analyst who says Kellogg's next CEO will face challenges right from the start. Erin Swanson is a food industry analyst with Morningstar Financial. She says the challenge is to speed up development of new Kellogg products. "Kellogg has been challenged over the past several months, or year by intense competitive pressures." Battle Creek's big employer is undergoing a big change. David Mackay is stepping down as Kelloggs CEO. The Associated Press reports: Legislature approves tax credits for Michigan "Aerotropolis" By Mark Brush • Dec 3, 2010 travelpod.com The current lame-duck Michigan legislature passed a tax incentive package this morning to encourage the development of a Michigan Aerotropolis. So what is it? Here's how the Detroit Region Aerotropolis explains the idea: An Aerotropolis is an emerging type of urban form comprised of aviation-intensive businesses and those businesses that need to be readily connected to their customers. These businesses, and related enterprises, extend outward from a major airport. Analyst: Auto sales could reach 17 million by 2015 By Zoe Clark • Dec 3, 2010 Lester Graham / Michigan Radio At a presentation to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit yesterday, Michael Robinet, director of global production forecasters at IHS Automotive, said U.S. auto sales could reach 17 million in 4 years. Robinet predicts sales will exceed 12.8 million next year and 16 million in 2013. As the Detroit Free Press reports: That would be a huge reversal from the historically low sales levels that brought the industry to its knees during the recent recession. The last time industry sales exceeded 17 million was in 2001. U.S. car sales were up by 17 percent last month. The country's most popular automakers in November were: General Motors Ford Toyota Honda (American) Chrysler An increase in strikes in the down economy? By Zoe Clark • Dec 3, 2010 Steve Rhodes/Flickr Michigan Radio has been covering stories from across the state regarding labor and contract disputes. From the strike of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to the dispute between the City of Flint and its Firefighters Union, it seems that workers and management are having a difficult time finding common ground these days. So, we wondered, do strikes increase during a down economy? We assumed they did. Well, as they say, that's we get for assuming. As it turns out, the struggling economy may have actually reduced the number of labor disputes resulting in strikes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were fewer work stoppages affecting 1,000 or more workers in 2009 than in any other year since 1947, when the collection of this data began. The end of jobless benefits has many Michigan unemployed saying "Now What?" One economist says the end of jobless benefits for thousands of Michiganders should not have a big effect on the number of jobs being filled. More than 180 thousand people in Michigan will see their unemployment benefits expire between now and April, unless Congress agrees to grant another extension. Kenneth Goldstein is with the Conference Board, a business research group. He says there are few real new job options, either full or part time for the 'hard-core' unemployed. White House pushes Congress for unemployment extension By Sarah Hulett • Dec 2, 2010 The White House is ramping up its efforts to get Congress to approve extended unemployment benefits for out-of-work Americans. Michigan's unemployment rate in October was the second-highest in the nation, at 12.8%. The president's Council of Economic Advisers released a report that touts the need for extending benefits. The report says for the typical person getting unemployment, the benefits make up a third of the household income. As Presidential adviser Cecilia Rouse noted: And in those 42% of households where the unemployed person was the sole wage earner, it's about 90 percent of the income. So it's quite an important source of income for these families. The report says about 620,000 people in Michigan received benefits through October. Republicans in Congress say the cost of extending the benefits is too high. They want to look at budget cuts and tax cut extensions first. Effort to OK new Detroit-Windsor bridge fails (photo by Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio) The push to build a new bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor appears dead. The Associated Press reports: A final effort to pass a measure this year that could have cleared the way for a second bridge connecting Detroit and Canada has failed. Democrats in the Michigan Senate wanted a vote on the issue Thursday, likely the final day of the Legislature's 2009-10 session. But a motion to discharge the legislation and send it to the Senate floor failed, getting only 11 votes in the 38-seat Senate dominated by Republicans. Michigan economy struggling flickr user Daniel Johnson / Flickr We all know Michigan has been going through tough times. An unemployment rate of nearly 13%. Jobless benefits expiring for tens of thousands of people. Deep spending cuts coming to state and local governments. But it may be tougher than you've thought. The Detroit New reports: Michigan's economy stumbled in October Michigan's economy stumbled in October. Comerica Bank's monthly gauge of Michigan's economic activity shows a slight dip in October. The state's economy spiked up in September. Comerica Bank chief economist Dana Johnson says Michigan's economy has essentially been flat for the past four months. Johnson says: As has been the case in the national economy over the second half of the year, growth in Michigan has been sluggish and uneven. Looking ahead, the Michigan economy is poised to make modest gains in coming months, against a background of gradually accelerating national growth. The Michigan Economic Activity Index weighs nine, seasonally-adjusted indicators of real economic activity. These indicators reflect activity in the construction, manufacturing and service sectors as well as job growth and consumer outlays. GM's Willow Run Plant on the auction block today By Mark Brush • Dec 2, 2010 U.S. Army Signal Corps It was ground zero for the "arsenal of democracy" in the 1940s. Henry Ford built the giant Willow Run factory to manufacture B-24 bombers in World War II. Later GM took over the building making everything from Chevy trucks, the Caprice, the Nova, Corvairs, and transmissions. Today, the materials inside the plant are being auctioned off as part of the "Old GM's" bankruptcy reorganization (old GM is now known as the Motors Liquidation Company). Foreclosed home sales slow in Michigan Fewer people bought formerly foreclosed homes in Michigan in the third quarter of the year. Federal home buyer tax credits spurred home sales in Michigan and the rest of the country during the first half of the year. Daren Bloomquist with Realty Trac says July through September home sales slumped without those incentives. He says Michigan's foreclosed home sales dipped 26%. Bloomquist says: Some of the sales you would have seen in the third quarter were pushed forward to the second quarter. So, there was a little artificial inflation in those numbers. These numbers in the third quarter are a little bit lower than normal. People who bought one of the 95 hundred formerly foreclosed homes that sold in Michigan in the third quarter of the year got a good deal. The average sale price was about 41% cheaper than similar homes sold at the same time. Pontiac closer to shutting down Police Department By Zoe Clark • Dec 2, 2010 Nikonmania/FLICKR The city of Pontiac is one step closer to shutting down its Police Department and having the Oakland County Sheriff's Office take over the city's patrols. Pontiac faces a projected $9 million budget deficit and Michael Stampfler, Pontiac's state-appointed emergency financial manager, has asked the Oakland County Sheriff Department to take over policing the city. The Detroit Free Press reports: A committee of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 Wednesday to approve the $10-million contract. The county's Finance Committee will consider the plan today, and the full board is to vote on it Dec. 9... Undersheriff Mike McCabe said the department is expected to hire more than 60 of the Pontiac department's 70 employees and operate out of the city's headquarters in downtown Pontiac. If approved, the Oakland County Sheriff Department would takeover on January 1st, 2011. Good numbers for U.S. car makers By Mark Brush • Dec 1, 2010 Lester Graham / Michigan Radio Ford sales are up 24%, Chrysler sales are up 17%, and GM's are up 11%. It's been a good news week for the "Big Three" (can we still call them that?). Chrysler and GM also announced they plan to hire more workers in Michigan, and the Brookings Institution says Metro Detroit is recovering. Here are some figures from a number-laden Detroit News article on auto sales: Sales for Chrysler's Jeep brand were up 58 % for November compared to a year ago Ford's year-to-date sales total 1.74 million vehicles - growing at a pace double the industry average Ford's F-Series trucks were up 26 % GM's big brand Chevrolet was up 18 % for the month compared to a year ago, its sales strengthened by the new compact Cruze and popular Equinox and Silverado Firefighters reject contract concessions, police sent layoff notices Steve Carmody / Michigan Radio A contract dispute between Flint's mayor and the city's public safety unions escalated Tuesday. Tuesday, the city of Flint sent layoff notices to 20 police officers. The city and the police unions have not been able to agree on major contract concessions to help reduce a projected budget deficit. Also on Tuesday, Flint firefighters rejected a proposal to slash their current contract by nearly 10 percent. Union president Raul Garcia says Flint firefighters were upset that agreeing the concessions would not protect them from future layoffs. Sparrow Hospital nurses approve new contract Nurses at Lansing's Sparrow Hospital overwhelmingly approved a new contract with the hospital.The contract approved Tuesday came after a sometimes contentious negotiations between the two sides."There was a very diverse opinion about the details of the contract about what was good and what was bad," says Robert Kolt, a spokesman for the nurses union, "They had to agree...that patient safety was a top priority."The contract contains a modest wage increase for the nurses and other support staff. Pages« first ‹ previous … 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 next › last »


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The role of French secret service agent Philippe Roache in Godzilla was tailor-made for Jean Reno. Killers are easy, he tells Charlie English
It is easy to spot Jean Reno's arrival in a film. The face, with its baggy-eyed, shagged-out look, is that of a man who has spent 25 years committing atrocities with the French Foreign Legion. He is probably walking too fast, silent-movie pace. He will be wearing a long trenchcoat and carrying a bag - a clown late for a birthday party, lugging his tricks with him. Only, when Reno opens his bag, it is full of acid or a huge, snap-together rifle.
It's a send-up: he swirls into Luc Besson's 1990 film Nikita, swiftly acid-baths somebody, gets shot, drives through a wall, delivers a few lines ("I never leave a job unfinished"), then dies. In Leon, again in the "cleaner" role that Tarantino borrowed straight for Pulp Fiction, he brings ruthless efficiency to the daily routine of moving a houseplant around in his flat. Eric Morecambe, licensed to kill.
You can do killers? "Yuh," he says.
Reno doesn't look like a killer now. His round glasses hide the baggy eyes. He is attractive, sometimes self-deprecating. He laughs a lot, often at things he has difficulty communicating in English. Women like him, he says, because he looks responsible: "Like I'm not a crazy guy who's going to do anything to be a star." He has just been in the bathroom, speaking on the mobile to his second wife, who is expecting his fourth child any day. He toys with a cigarette for 10 minutes before lighting it and occasionally dragging on it. His French accent is heavy, and when his English fails, he speaks a mixture of the two, painting in the idea, then turns for confirmation to Cameron, his dialogue coach, who sits in the corner of the room. "My wife called me to say, 'You forget me, huh? You don't call me?' I said we arrived at the weekend, we had a one-hour delay, then we took the train, then we start the interviews ... She's in Paris.
"Would you like a drink? Water? Wine? Some steak? With chips? Some salade?" Reno's father was 13 when he left Spain with his Republican parents, on the run from the civil war ("That," says Reno with distaste, "was a really dirty war"). They arrived in the French protectorate of Morocco, where his father found work as a linotypist on a newspaper, and Jean, the eldest of two children, was born in July 1948. He grew up there, in the calm time before the storms that would change colonial North Africa for good.
"Casablanca was the second port of Africa, after Dakar. One million and a half people. Americans, English people, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italians working there. And it was easy. There was no winter. Easy.
"There were five of us from Morocco - five very good friends. Two Jewish - Jacques and Yves. Vincent, he's Sicilian. Christian, he's French. The two Jewish were American. I was Spanish at that time. Strange group, huh? Completely different. Not the same likes, not the same taste." It was cheap to live, and for the five friends every day was hot, all the beaches were golden. Then, in 1967, the Six Day War came along. The movement of the Israelis into the Sinai and Old Jerusalem meant Reno and his friends had to move, too. The two Jews were forced to leave Morocco quickly. The Italian left because he had to join the army. Another one left when the bank he worked for moved away.
"That war moved old North Africa - Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia," says Reno, "because the Jewish were the middle class. And if you kick out the middle class, it's no longer the same country. Everybody ended up getting out." Reno left a year later. He wanted to become French, and national service was mandatory for French citizenship. So he signed up for the army, and arrived in Marseille on May 21 1968, the month that found France on the brink of civil war.
"I had no idea about the revolution. We were just looking for women, you know? And what happened we didn't know about. Okay. There was a black flag and a red flag on the railway station, and they put us on the military tracks to Germany. Wow!" When he got there, Reno set out to do as little as he could - to become a shadow, he says. The French army in Germany was full of professional soldiers who had come back from fighting in Algeria and Vietnam ("Commandos. Very cold. Terrible"), and his goal was to avoid them, to avoid the exercises, the shooting, the manoeuvres.
"They saw in my CV that I had been to the national drama school in Casablanca, so they put me by the officer ... I was in charge about the bands, about plays - about things like that. So I avoided most of the soldiering."
He served his term, a year, in which time he became French. He knew that because he began to argue with his father over olive oil - in Spain they use it for cooking, but in France they only use it raw, on salads. All the time he was thinking, "Paris. Theatre." So private first-class Reno went to live the bohemian life of the Parisian drama student. "Paris was fantastic at that time," he says. "Not to work - well, to work a little bit. But going to drama school, being with the women."
He got a few days' work a week, some TV, and in 1972 a part in Costa-Gavras's Clair De Femme, with Yves Montand. He toured Europe with Didier Flamand's theatre company, played in Bertrand Blier's Notre Histoire. "They said it takes 10 years to make it from the moment you arrive in Paris, if you are good. Bon." It took Reno a little longer. In 1981 he teamed up with Luc Besson, the director whose films - Subway, The Big Blue, Nikita, Leon - would take them both to fame and fortune.
"Why did it take off with Luc? Because he likes me and I like him. It's a very special relationship. It's not being gay, nothing sexual, nothing ... body. But I understand him. And I love his defects and I love his qualities, and I think it's the same for him. But we were three - because there was also the composer Eric Serra [who writes music for Besson's films]. We called it the molecule. Very strange, very strange.
"I don't think about who is the most successful now. I don't think like that. I look at him to see if he's becoming a better human being, and he look at me the same. He says to me, "Uh-oh, this is not good for you, huh? Don't do it, huh?" I say, 'Okay.' But maybe I'll do it anyway. Then we laugh. It's quite difficult to be a real friend and not be a weight on the shoulders. Between an actor and director, it's difficult."
In The Big Blue Reno played a free-diver, Jean-Marc Barr's comic rival for Roseanna Arquette's affection. It was his first big starring role, it won international acclaim, and he blew up. He left his first wife and two children to sleep around, to travel the world. He went on a bender for a year and a half.
"Surely but slowly, you go down," he says. "How can I say ... It's like having too much food, so you lose the taste. Too much food, too much fame, too much travel, too much bullshit. That's why, when they're young, most of them - actresses, actors, directors, producers - they go into drugs and they go into drink ... One day, by chance, I noticed a red light going tootootootootoot in my head. I was having a fantastic love story at the time. But it was a love story that was destroying me.
"It's like you find the most difficult way to change yourself, to make yourself to go up 10 levels." He demonstrates a career elevator with his hands. "Big Blue was here, yes? And after The Big Blue I was big box-office, in France and everywhere around the world. And you find something that will hit you, hurt you the maximum. It's like you have to change the shape of your mind. And at the end you are ready to start again. Because in fact your work is to give pleasure - to understand, to translate, to be somebody else. You have enough energy and it's clear, so you cut, finish the love story and you start working. Ouais.
"Then maybe you can accept yourself. Because nobody can understand what fame means." What does it mean? "Suddenly everybody listens to you. Before that, non. 'It's okay, Jean,' they would say, and continue talking when I speak. And now when I speak it's, 'Hohohoho, Jean, fantastique!' And you have to find the right balance. Voila."
Reno is a sex symbol in the slightly unlikely way that Gerard Depardieu is. One woman interviewer described him as "sex on legs". It is partly his openness, partly his ease. Depardieu, he says is different. "He is more an animal than me. More sexual, in fact. No, Gerard is completely different.
"I think women look at me and think, 'This one, he is responsible. This one's trustable.' It's like stability, you know. It's also loneliness. They're lonely. 'Okay,' I say, 'It's like, I'll try not to disappoint you'."
Reno describes Godzilla's director and producer, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, as children, and he likes them for it. They had sat down and watched all Reno's Besson movies, and told him they were going to write a script for him. The result was the part of the French secret service agent Philippe Roache. When he saw it, he thought it was humorous and unpretentious. Shooting, he says, was simple.
He says it is important for him to make a French film for every American one. He dislikes the American star system: "What is a star? You have a lot of secretaries. But you have loneliness. Drugs, wine, women, bof. I don't understand that. And I don't want to. For me it's an agent, a manager, a dialogue coach, who is a friend. I won't go inside that kind of system, you know? I'm too old." Yet he appreciates the actors the American system has made. French cinema is not bad, he says, but it is in a bad mood.
"It is not carrying enough hope. Of course, you need movies to talk about Aids and about anything you want. But sometimes you need hope and you need to make them laugh. When you see The Full Monty, they talk about the unemployed people, but they make them laugh, so it's accepted. But when you start out not wanting to do that from the beginning, it's bad.
"It's difficult for the young - they don't like to play the hero. If you lose what we call the jeune premier, the lover, you lose a big part of movie business. We have no Tom Cruise or Leonardo DiCaprio, which is wrong because you can tell stories through actors like that. The young people want to say, 'Look: I'm young, I'm suffering.' I say, 'No, the audience is suffering.'"
Next month, Reno will be 50, and the group of five Moroccan friends will be together again, in Annecy, by the lake, with their families. "We're gonna have a big feast. Wow! Ohmigod! We five from Casablanca are still together. One is in New York now, another in Milano, another one in the country in France and other one in Paris, and myself. Altogether there will be 50 people … Two days. A little promenade on the boat … things like that. Stupidity. And my sister will sing - because you can't stop my sister from singing."


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Ita fort, Itanagar: Ita Fort is a historical monument of Itanagar located in the heart of the city. The irregular shaped fort is built of bricks and that s how it was named as Ita fort (Ita means brick in local language). The brick work of the fort is about 16,200 cubic meters. The fort has three gates on three sides - East, west and south. The total stone work of the fort covers an area of 45 cubic meters and around 8 million bricks were used to build the structure of the fort.
The remains of the fort attract a number of tourists with historical interest.


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Executive Comitttee Member
Mario Gousse was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti where he is currently based. He is a qualified translator and interpreter of Haitian Creole and a founding member of the group United Haitians in the United Kingdom (UHUK). He taught General Science in the UK and has just completed his fourth year on the Haiti Support Group Executive Committee. He is a self-professed student of Haitian history, culture and politics.
This photo of Mario was taken as part of the "Uncovering the Invisible" project on behalf of the Haiti Support Group in London.