Friday, November 23, 2012

Crystals Feng Shui Bedroom | HouseofFengShui - oumtatovs Space ...

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In the bedroom

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Source: http://houseoffengshui.net/crystals-feng-shui-bedroom/

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Source: http://baldwin1975.posterous.com/crystals-feng-shui-bedroom-houseoffengshui-ou

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Where To Find Paid Online Surveys To Earn Quick Money? | Online ...

Those who are currently searching for paid online surveys have a variety of resources that they can use. There are many companies that offer paying opportunities like these. Following are a few tips that will help you to discern which programs will provide the best benefits.

It is first important to learn what the intentions of a legitimate company are. These businesses are simply attempting to know more about consumers and their needs. They can use the details that they acquire through their surveys to enhance their marketing campaigns and to deliver services and goods that are better suited to the needs of their target markets.

For this reason, you want to search around for companies that are asking questions that will truly help them to make these improvements to their endeavors. Businesses that invest a lot of effort into collecting consumer contact information only, tend to have entirely different intentions. These companies are less than legitimate, rarely pay well for the work that they supply and usually sell the personal contact info that they obtain from their participants to other businesses.

You should always look for a company that has the information concerning payment procedures clearly posted on its website. This should tell you how much you will be getting paid for your participation, how often you will be compensated and how these funds will be transferred to you. Another thing that these businesses should be upfront about is the way that the collected information will be used. As a participant, you definitely have a right to know these things.

If you do not have any idea of where to start searching for legitimate businesses to work with, you will be happy to know that there are many forums that are dedicated solely to helping people find paying work from home. People who have worked with a number of companies often use these forums to provide feedback on their experiences to other like-minded individuals. These forums are some of the best places to start collecting information.

When attempting to use paid online surveys as a way to generate extra income you must invest time into learning more about the companies that are hosting popular offers. If you simply supply your personal details without first asking questions or getting the answers that you need, you could fall prey to a number of common scams. Those who are diligent in their efforts to find real and worthwhile opportunities, however, are certain to make rapid cash with a very minimal amount of effort.

Get paid from the thousands of companies who give money to people everyday for taking paid surveys online. Get-Paid-Online-Surveys.net provides safe and reliable ways to earn money doing paid surveys online. Visit us today!

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Source: http://rechaskovo.org/where-to-find-paid-online-surveys-to-earn-quick-money/

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Silence of the Lambs: NPC

Silence of the Lambs

A majorly interactive story that focuses on the investigation and pursuit of a serial killer that has taken advantage of the quarantine due to a plague outbreak, turning the town in a killing playground what will these few individuals do to keep peace?

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Silence of the Lambs?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

Silence of the Lambs: NPC

This is a good place to learn about each character within the story, some are nothing more than cow fodder for the killer but some are pretty important and one of them is the killer. In order to unlock information on any character you must obtain information about them whether directly or indirectly, but until then this will only contain their profession. The only characters that you cannot gather information on is soldiers so do not even attempt to.

Important Links


Last edited by Toxica on Wed Nov 21, 2012 9:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Toxica
Member for 1 years



Wickersville: 85 Alive, 0 Dead
15 Police Officers
2 Stablemen
2 Blacksmiths
2 Tailors
2 Workers
2 Leather Makers
5 Vendors
5 Scholars
2 Town Officials
5 Doctors/Nurses
2 Grave Keepers
5 Guilds Men
3 Inn Keepers
3 Tavern Keepers
10 Farmers
20 Villagers

Woodland: 8 Alive, 0 Dead
8 Outsiders

Quarantine Line: 100 Alive, 0 Dead
1 Captain
2 Lieutenants
2 Specialists
95 Soldiers

User avatar
Toxica
Member for 1 years



Post a reply

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Novel therapeutic advancement in search for heart muscle progenitor cells: New hope for heart attack patients

ScienceDaily (Nov. 22, 2012) ? Breakthrough in heart research: The research team from Professor Katja Schenke-Layland of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart has discovered cell surface markers that enable the identification and isolation of living functional cardiovascular progenitor cells (CPCs). For the first time, therapeutically relevant CPCs can be derived from induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPS) cells. CPCs, which are typically only found in fetal development, can become all of the different cell types of the heart and can integrate into heart muscle tissue after injection.

An estimated 17 million people die from cardiovascular disease each year. Although mortality rates are declining, heart attacks are still among the most frequent causes of death in the developed world. Often, the cause of a heart attack is the closure of a coronary artery that supplies blood to the heart, which kills heart muscle cells. Cardiomyocytes, which are the heart muscle cells responsible for the contraction of the heart, are not able to regenerate after a heart attack. The massive loss of cells and tissue, and the highly restricted regeneration capacity of the adult heart, lead to an impaired blood supply throughout the body that drastically affects a patient's quality of life. To restore the heart's function after a major heart attack, clinicians require functionally mature cardiomyocytes that perform like the native cells in the adult heart to replace the cells that were killed.

The production of such functional cardiomyocytes from well-defined cardiovascular progenitor cells (CPCs) is the focus of the research team led by Prof. Dr. Katja Schenke-Layland from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart and her colleagues, Dr. Ali Nsair of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Prof. Dr. Robb MacLellan of the University of Washington in Seattle, who have now succeeded in identifying such cells in a mouse model. The work could revolutionize the treatment of heart disease.

Development of heart muscle cells from precursor cells

Myocardial cells -- as well as endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells -- develop from CPCs during the embryonic development of humans and other animals. There has been a significant amount of research effort towards discovering a path for the clinical application of these cells in patients. The reason for the lack of success is that the markers that help to identify CPCs, such as Islet1 or Nkx2.5, are located in the nucleus of the cells. The use of these cell markers modifies the cells rendering them therapeutically unusable, making the identification of safe cell-surface markers essential.

Surface markers identified for cardiovascular progenitor cells

On this task, the research team of Professor Katja Schenke-Layland from the Fraunhofer IGB in Stuttgart, Prof. Dr. Robb MacLellan and Dr. Ali Nsair of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), where Schenke-Layland previously worked before returning to Germany to join the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's Attract Program, focused their research. With success: They were able to identify two markers, the receptors Flt1 (VEGFR1) and Flt4 (VEGFR3), on the surface of CPCs with which these cells can be clearly identified while fully preserving their biological function. This discovery allows scientists to isolate clinically relevant cardiovascular progenitor cells that can be functionally matured.

In the search for surface markers, the researchers investigated the cardiovascular progenitor cells using microarray gene expression profiling. These studies show exactly which genes are active at a specific point in time. The resulting data from this analysis were compared to the sequencing data from existing databases of already known as cell markers.

From induced-pluripotent stem cells, cardiovascular progenitor cells are developed

Encouraged by the success of being able to identify and isolate living CPCs, the researchers sought out to derive the cells from induced-pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. For this purpose, they used a method for which the Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka was recently awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for Medicine. This work, published just six years ago, demonstrated that only four proteins are responsible for the embryonic state of cells (Takahashi K, Yamanaka S. Cell 2006, 126 (4): 663 -676). He brought those four genes into differentiated -- mature and specialized -- cells, which then returned them back to an embryonic state. From these cells, which he called iPS cells, scientists can develop all cells of the body, such as liver cells, nerve cells or heart muscle cells.

In their study, the researchers used cells from a mouse strain in which the cells are labeled with a visible green fluorescent protein (GFP) that can be identified with a fluorescence microscope. The cells from these mice were then reprogrammed with the same four genes discovered by Yamanka, resulting in iPS cells that could be easily identified.

In a next step, the researchers cultured the GFP-labeled iPS cells in the laboratory under different conditions with cell-influencing solutions such as growth factors. "Using our newly established cell surface markers, we could detect and isolate the Flt1 and Flt4 positive CPCs in culture," says Schenke-Layland. "When we cultured the isolated mouse CPCs then in vitro, they actually developed -- as well as the embryonic stem cell-derived progenitor cells -- into endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and more interestingly into functional heart muscle cells."

iPS cell-derived CPCs integrate into the living mouse heart

But how do the developed CPCs behave in living organisms? Can these cells really integrate into tissue and regenerate heart muscle? To answer these questions, the scientists injected the GFP-labeled CPCs into the hearts of living mice. After 28 days, the researchers analyzed the hearts and saw that the green fluorescent cells had developed into beating heart muscle cells and had fully integrated into the myocardial tissue of the mouse.

Enormous potential for heart research

Researchers have long tried to stimulate the regeneration of heart muscle cells. For this purpose, they inject stem cells or stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes into the heart. Although the majority of studies found a slight improvement in heart function, in most cases, neither long-term integration nor the differentiation of the cells into heart muscle has been demonstrated.

The result of the group from Schenke-Layland, Nsair and MacLellan provides the first opportunity to generate functioning heart muscle cells, which integrate into the heart muscle. "We are currently focusing on research with human iPS cells. If we can show that cardiovascular progenitor cells can be derived from human iPS cells that have the ability to mature into functional heart muscle, we will have discovered a truly therapeudic solution for heart attack patients," hopes the scientist.

The work of the research group has been funded by the German-American funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), as well as the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Attract Program), the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-W?rttemberg, and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Ali Nsair, Katja Schenke-Layland, Ben Van Handel, Denis Evseenko, Michael Kahn, Peng Zhao, Joseph Mendelis, Sanaz Heydarkhan, Obina Awaji, Miriam Vottler, Susanne Geist, Jennifer Chyu, Nuria Gago-Lopez, Gay M. Crooks, Kathrin Plath, Josh Goldhaber, Hanna K. A. Mikkola, W. Robb MacLellan. Characterization and Therapeutic Potential of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiovascular Progenitor Cells. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (10): e45603 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045603

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/BY4-eiieI8A/121122112833.htm

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Internal emails offer details on bin Laden burial

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Internal emails among U.S. military officers indicate that no sailors watched Osama bin Laden's burial at sea from the USS Carl Vinson and traditional Islamic procedures were followed during the ceremony.

The emails, obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act, are heavily blacked out, but are the first public disclosure of government information about the al-Qaida leader's death. The emails were released Wednesday by the Defense Department.

Bin Laden was killed on May 1, 2011, by a Navy SEAL team that assaulted his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

One email stamped secret and sent on May 2 by a senior Navy officer briefly describes how bin Laden's body was washed, wrapped in a white sheet, and then placed in a weighted bag.

According to another message from the Vinson's public affairs officer, only a small group of the ship's leadership was informed of the burial.

"Traditional procedures for Islamic burial was followed," the May 2 email from Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette reads. "The deceased's body was washed (ablution) then placed in a white sheet. The body was placed in a weighted bag. A military officer read prepared religious remarks, which were translated into Arabic by a native speaker. After the words were complete, the body was placed on a prepared flat board, tipped up, whereupon the deceased's body slid into the sea."

The email also included a cryptic reference to the intense secrecy surrounding the mission. "The paucity of documentary evidence in our possession is a reflection of the emphasis placed on operational security during the execution of this phase of the operation," Gaouette's message reads. Recipients of the email included Adm. Mike Mullen, then the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. James Mattis, the top officer at U.S. Central Command. Mullen retired from the military in September 2011.

Earlier, Gaouette, then the deputy commander of the Navy's Fifth Fleet, and another officer used code words to discuss whether the helicopters carrying the SEALs and bin Laden's body had arrived on the Vinson.

"Any news on the package for us?" he asked Rear Adm. Samuel Perez, commander of the carrier strike group that included the Vinson.

"FEDEX delivered the package," Perez responded. "Both trucks are safely enroute home base."

Although the Obama administration has pledged to be the most transparent in American history, it is keeping a tight hold on materials related to the bin Laden raid. In a response to separate requests from the AP for information about the mission, the Defense Department said in March that it could not locate any photographs or video taken during the raid or showing bin Laden's body. It also said it could not find any images of bin Laden's body on the Vinson.

The Pentagon also said it could not find any death certificate, autopsy report or results of DNA identification tests for bin Laden, or any pre-raid materials discussing how the government planned to dispose of bin Laden's body if he were killed.

The Defense Department also refused to confirm or deny the existence of helicopter maintenance logs and reports about the performance of military gear used in the raid. One of the stealth helicopters that carried the SEALs to Abbottabad crashed during the mission and its wreckage was left behind. People who lived near bin Laden's compound took photos of the disabled chopper.

The AP is appealing the Defense Department's decision. The CIA, which ran the bin Laden raid and has special legal authority to keep information from ever being made public, has not responded to AP's request for records about the mission.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/internal-emails-offer-details-bin-laden-burial-195713867--politics.html

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Land Registry Could 'Revolutionise' Real Estate Industry - Bahamas ...

Yesterday the Government was urged to ?revolutionise? the real estate industry in the Bahamas by approving a three-tier legislative package to establish a Land Registry.

The Land Adjudication Bill, the Registered Land Bill, and the Law of Property Bill could potentially give commercial and residential real estate owners a greater certainty knowing that their property had a good title.

Sharlyn Smith, an attorney with Sharon Wilson & Company, told Tribune Business that the prospective reforms are ?an engine for economic growth?.

The three Bills were originally devised under the Ingraham administration, but were sent to the Law Reform Committee for further review and to other government agonies for feedback and consultation.

The Christie administration promised in their 2012 campaign that moving towards a Land Registry system is ?a must?.

Ms. Smith told Tribune Business that moving to a proper Land Registry would eradicate the necessity for attorneys to conduct high-cost, time-consuming title searches that can be prone to error.

?The entire package was all designed to facilitate land registration and, done properly, a Land Registry would revolutionise the way land is dealt with in this country,? she told Tribune Business.

?I think it would provide greater assurance to persons purchasing property that they are, in fact, getting what they bargained for?. Land registration is something I think is critical. You have land all over the country that is not being developed due to title issues.?

Original News Article


Source: http://www.bahamasb2b.com/news/2012/11/land-registry-could-revolutionize-real-estate-industry-28444.html

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To Script 'Star Wars' Pics 2 and 3 -- Lawrence Kasdan, Simon ...

Mike Fleming

Simon Kinberg Star Wars ScriptLawrence Kasdan Star Wars WriterEXCLUSIVE: Here?s some tantalizing dish to chew on before the Thanksgiving turkey and trimmings. After hiring Michael Arndt to script the first installment of the relaunch of George Lucas? Star Wars franchise, I?ve heard Disney has approached Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg and I believe it is to get the ball rolling on the subsequent installments mapped out by Lucas. Both of the scribes in question have franchise experience.

Kasdan scripted two of the original Star Wars films in the 1980 The Empire Strikes Back and the 1983 follow-up Return of the Jedi. He also scripted?Raiders Of The Lost Ark for Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Kinberg?s franchise work: X-Men: The Last Stand, Sherlock Holmes and the upcoming X-Men: Days Of Future Past which Bryan Singer will direct.

Disney?s $4 billion buy of George Lucas? signature franchise certainly has stirred up passions from fans. I?m still feeling so let down by the last three films that I am not sure they can bring back the magic on the original trilogy, which was so groundbreaking for its time. But that time seems like a galaxy so far far away.

Back in the late 1970s, Star Wars set the bar for visual effects in science fiction. Doing that again is very difficult in the age of The Hobbit, The Dark Knight and Avatar. But Disney was certainly proven right when it spent the same money on Marvel, and already has made back much of that cash with The Avengers.

Disney plans to generate a film every other year starting in 2015. Getting great writers is the right way to relaunch Star Wars, and the studio got off to a good start hiring Star Wars fanatic Arndt to do the first installment. The studio has told me that they will not address speculation. Fair enough. But I?m going to go with my sources on this one and I would not be surprised if these guys sign on, or if they are already in the fold.

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Source: http://www.deadline.com/2012/11/star-wars-lawrence-kasdan-simon-kinberg-writers-script-disney/

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legal - Who owns the copyright of a picture taken of my construction ...

Generally speaking, the US Copyright Office's terse answer is a complete reply: the copyright of the photo belongs to the photographer. The owner of the property may also have some rights which could limit the photographer's commercial use of the material (including, for example, selling it to you).

I know one old photo seems like a little thing and it seems like the photographer could be more flexible, but consider that that's how he is making his living, and it's not really an easy way to stay afloat. The pricing reflects that. And, take a moment to consider the fact that you want this photograph demonstrates that it does have value.

If you need photographs of your work, you could hire your own photographer, or do it yourself (which, for great results, is harder than it looks). If that seems expensive or troublesome, that gives you an idea of what the existing photo might be worth. If, on the other hand, that'd actually be easier and cheaper than the offered price, then you can just solve the problem that way.

In general when approaching a deal with someone, you need to consider your best alternative to negotiation. If you can't get this picture for what you want, what will you do instead? How much will that cost you, and will it provide the same benefits? This will help you both know what you can offer, and give some perspective into what is reasonable. If it turns out that the photographer's idea of reasonable is still far from your alternate options, walk away happy.

Source: http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/29849/who-owns-the-copyright-of-a-picture-taken-of-my-construction-work

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Injured Matt Barkley isn't sorry he stayed at USC

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Whenever Matt Barkley thought about his final run down the Coliseum tunnel, the Southern California quarterback never imagined doing it with no helmet, no pads ? and his throwing arm in a sling.

Instead of facing Notre Dame for a shot at a national championship, the Trojans' star quarterback is sidelined with a sprained shoulder. Instead of playing for the nation's No. 1 team, Barkley's unranked teammates are playing against it.

If this is his storybook ending, Barkley would like to fire the author.

Yet a month of disappointment and discouragement culminating in an injured shoulder still isn't enough to shake Barkley's faith in his decision to return for one more season in the only uniform he ever dreamed of wearing.

"I took a chance," Barkley said Tuesday while a black sling supported his arm. "I don't think enough guys really go for it enough these days, and I did."

Barkley will watch the Trojans' regular-season finale Saturday from the sideline after getting hurt on a sack in last week in USC's loss to UCLA. He doesn't know whether he'll recover in time to play in the Trojans' bowl game, although coach Lane Kiffin is optimistic.

Optimism still isn't difficult to find at USC, even after three losses in four games ? and that's mostly due to Barkley's leadership. The Trojans (7-4, 5-4 Pac-12) plummeted out of the Top 25 after starting the season at No. 1, yet the furor over their performance is mostly confined to their fans and college football pundits.

Barkley and the Trojans thought they had a shot at the Heisman Trophy and the national title. They'll get neither, yet they're still having fun.

"It didn't turn out the way I planned," Barkley said. "But I think over these last four years, and especially this year, I've learned so much. (I've) grown, matured a lot since last year I really think, and that will prepare me for the next level and for later in life. I don't regret it one bit."

With the perspective of time, Barkley knows he'll feel even better about his achievements during his four seasons at USC. He rewrote the conference record book during a USC-record 47 starts over four seasons, becoming the Pac-12's leader in touchdown passes, yards passing, completions and total offense.

And Barkley looms as an important leader in USC's history, representing his teammates as their spokesman when the program was leveled by NCAA sanctions in 2010. He never wavered in his commitment during a two-year bowl ban, standing up for the school that first captured his imagination as a kid growing up in Orange County.

"I can't feel worse for a family and for a kid," Kiffin said. "The fact that he's not running down that tunnel in his last game, and now two times in a row he doesn't get to play Notre Dame, it's very unfortunate. We feel as bad as we can, but he'll be stronger for it. He'll come out of this thing, and we're going to go out and play great for him."

Kiffin had lobbied Barkley to stay at USC for his senior year since shortly after he took the job in 2010, and the former Oakland Raiders coach has consciously attempted to prepare Barkley for the NFL throughout his final two seasons. Kiffin is taking it a step further this week: While redshirt freshman Max Wittek studies defenses in preparation for his first career start, Barkley is attending game-planning meetings with Kiffin's coaching staff.

"Matt has been in some of our coaching meetings as far as preparation, how we break down the defense as coordinators and the different personnel, and how we attack everything," Kiffin said. "(We) just thought that would be good for him in a time that there's not much for him to do, to help prepare him on how to prepare for the next level."

Wittek and fellow freshman backup Cody Kessler have praised Barkley's generosity and instruction. The senior plans to be in Wittek's ear on the sideline with encouragement and instruction while facing the Irish's imposing defense.

Barkley should know soon whether he can play in his first postseason game since the 2009 Emerald Bowl in San Francisco. He's more focused on trying to finish a low season on a high note, even if he has to celebrate on the sideline.

"We're in a hungry mood right now to get a win, and I think it'll send us into December feeling great," Barkley said. "Nothing is always as it's supposed to be in life. Sometimes things go as planned, but a lot of the times, things go unaccording to plan. So it's just something you have to deal with, and I'll handle it and stay positive."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/injured-matt-barkley-isnt-sorry-stayed-usc-004221997--spt.html

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Sunday, November 18, 2012

In unusual CIA case, FBI detoured from usual path (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/263817441?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Canada's BCE, Astral plan new takeover application

By Euan Rocha and Randall Palmer

TORONTO/OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's BCE Inc and Astral Media Inc have decided to go ahead with a new, revised application for approval of their proposed combination after the first one was rejected, the country's broadcasting regulator said on Friday.

Earlier, Astral said it was in discussions with BCE, the parent of Bell Canada, over revisions to their agreement that would overcome regulatory opposition to their original.

Its statement came after a newspaper report saying the two sides had already worked out a fresh deal to submit to the regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

The CRTC blocked BCE's C$3 billion ($3 billion) proposed takeover of Astral last month, saying it would give too much power to BCE - already the country's biggest telecoms company and owner of numerous TV and radio assets.

On Friday, a CRTC spokesman said its chairman, Jean-Pierre Blais, had invited BCE Chief Executive George Cope and his Astral counterpart, Ian Greenberg, to explain the rationale behind its rejection. During the meeting, the two executives signaled their intention to try again.

"During those meetings they both indicated they would file a (new) application," said the spokesman, Denis Carmel, stressing that there was no pre-approval granted.

Even so, the explanation provided by Blais suggested they would understand clearly where the original plan went afoul - and, by implication, the kinds of changes that they would need to make to gain approval.

"The timing and details of any such application have not yet been determined. The company will keep its investors informed of any significant developments in this respect," Astral said in its statement.

Astral's Toronto-listed shares were temporarily halted after the newspaper report in the Globe and Mail. When the halt was lifted, the stock shot up and closed 5.1 percent higher at C$44.40. BCE closed up 1.5 percent at C$41.99.

Astral shares had closed 16 percent lower at C$39.51 on October 19, the day after BCE received the CRTC decision. BCE asked the federal government to intervene but was told the cabinet could not overrule the regulator. BCE's offer was for C$50 a share.

BCE is seeking to buy Astral, its largest content provider, mainly to strengthen its position in the Francophone province of Quebec, where rival Quebecor Inc has a much bigger presence.

Quebecor, Rogers Communications and other rivals of BCE had said the original deal would have let it lock up more programming for its vast media platform and would have given it too much heft and pricing power.

In addition to winning approval of the CRTC, it would also have to pass muster with Canada's antitrust watchdog the Competition Bureau, which has yet to disclose its views on the deal.

Last month, BCE extended the closing date on the proposed deal to December 16. The two companies have the right to further postpone the outside date by an additional 30 days to Jan 15, 2013.

"There is no assurance that any transaction will occur or occur with the terms and conditions currently contemplated," said Astral.

($1=$1.00 Canadian)

(Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Grant McCool; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Source: http://money.ca.msn.com/investing/news/breaking-news/canadas-bce-astral-plan-new-takeover-application

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Casual Innovation: Predicting the Nintendo Wii Legacy in 25 Years

Casual Innovation

Imagine with me: The year is 2037. Electronic gaming persists as full-immersion experiences derived from personal devices that the upper class will incorporate into their very bodies, never requiring batteries or a recharge, while the rest will maintain a grip on their datapads. The games will be purchased and downloaded in instantaneous micro-transactions. The idea of ?retro gaming? will be a near-laughable concept indicating any gaming system that uses a controller that is separate from the hardware, that antiquated ?console.?

At that point, looking back, what will gamers think of the Nintendo Wii?

Before we even address the unit itself, let us even examine the idea of predicting a console's legacy so far ahead. The fun consideration, for me, is that I plan on still being alive at that time. In order to forecast what people will think of Nintendo's seventh-generation machine, we even have a case study to examine: A Nintendo home video game console that, in the current time, is over 25 years old in age.

Skyward SwordThe 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released at a time of uncertainty for Nintendo. Shigeru Miyamoto, visionary in charge, essentially wanted to bring the arcade experience into the household to play such classic challenges as Donkey Kong. Players know the story: The American video game market was in a crash since 1983, largely due to the inundation of poor titles for the Atari 2600 console that saturated consumers, leading to a stark drop in demand. ?Video game? became a dirty word; thus, Nintendo's decision to not only daringly call its gaming system an ?Entertainment System,? but package it with items designed to seem like toys, such as a robot named R.O.B.

The result was an explosive success, reviving the industry and making Mario a household name. The legacy was that of equating the NES to an Ancient Hero, the memories steeped in legendary cartridges that still see play, and the ushering-in of the console wars, violence controversies, Sega's confrontational slogans, Sony's risky ploys, and the monumental entry of Microsoft. Discussing the NES today tends to bring tones of reverence, fond nostalgia, the citing of still-playable carts, and a few hipsters pointing out that the European computer gaming scene was doing just fine in the 1980's or that 8-bit gaming is over-regarded through the rose-color lenses of sentimentality.

20 years later...

The Nintendo Wii was released at a time of uncertainty for Nintendo. In the period around 2005, the first-person shooter genre was taking firm supremacy, online multiplayer was on the horizon as becoming the norm, and both Sony and Microsoft seemed possibly poised to make a firm move to drive Nintendo down on market share and doom its future business plans.

Nintendo already had a ?kiddie? reputation on hand with its Gamecube; and, although it sported some impressive first-party titles along with third-party as well, even contending with the PS2 in graphical presentation at times, those ?other two? companies were gunning for powerful third-party support and an appeal to those hardcore gamers ? the core customers.

But Nintendo seemed to be showings its cards in quite a different tactical direction. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) event of 2005, Nintendo unveiled its prototype console. Their president, Satoru Iwata, showed off a small, sleek, black little device. No controller or gameplay was shown yet, but Iwata made up for a lack of physical media with the presence of cryptic mentions: ?You say you want a Revolution? Well, we've got one.? ?The key here is not what you are playing, but how you will be playing.? ?We will even draw non-gamers to our Revolution.? These were intriguing portents, to say the least.

At a show in Tokyo later that year, Iwata unleashed the bombshell revelation of motion gaming upon the world. The console was also going to be called the Wii now, rather than the Revolution. Gamers were abuzz with mass speculation and countless questions: Can you play a serious video game on this? What new possibilities will motion controls allow? Is Nintendo alienating the hardcore crowd? Is the presence of the Virtual Console library going to make up for a weaker online play and generation-behind visuals?

Metroid: Other MWhat will we think of the Wii in 25 years?

Nintendo met some serious contention throughout the lifetime of the Wii. Third-party developers were turned off by the need to incorporate ?waggles? and turned to the PS3 and Xbox 360. The name ?Wii? was mocked and derided, unable to ever truly be taken seriously. Graphical limitations became more and more glaring. The much-heralded motion controls were completely abandoned for some titles, or used to a minimal extent. The audio coming out of the controller was a joke, they said, and Nintendo only survives because of its first-party brand recognition and clout. Arguably, even the addition of MotionPlus was only well-utilized with Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and even then with complaints.

However, despite all the contentions, the Wii emerged a spectacular success in monetary terms. Reading the sales charts of top titles by historical consoles makes the Wii seem like an outright bully on the system playground. The original Xbox? Halo 2 the best-seller at 8 million, a few others that sold over 2 million, a handful of 1+ million-sellers. How about the Super Nintendo? Super Mario World shipped 20 million copies, while cartridges such as Super Mario Kart, Street Fighter II, and Star Fox sold over 4 million, along with a handful of others. That old Sony Playstation? Gran Turismo and Final Fantasy VII cracked 10 million copies, and the eighth best total, Crash Bandicoot, over 6 million.

Then the Wii, and some astounding figures by comparison: Two different Wii Fit games that moved over 20 million copies. Mario Kart Wii? Over 30 millions discs out there. Super Mario Galaxy cracked 10 million. Even Wii Party (who plays Wii Party?!) clocks in at over 7.5 million, a figure that approximates Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64), Grand Theft Auto III (PS2), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360), or Super Smash Bros Melee (Gamecube).

And at the top of the heap is Wii Sports, with over 75 million copies sold or shipped (though mostly as a pack-in title, still far outclassing other contenders). This is a ridiculous, absurd, unfathomable, amazing, remarkable number. This makes Wii Sports one of the most recognizable video games ever, and in bridging the gap to grandma, provides a clue into the most telling focal point of the Wii's eventual legacy.

In an era where we debate the merits of DLC, the business model of selling $50 games for consoles when high-quality experiences are available for $1 on mobile devices, and the extent that old franchises can be milked or new flagships have any chance, gaming is evolving. This is undeniable. The conclusion is confident: Console gaming is on its way out.

Ultimately, when you honestly consider the matter, it is not difficult to see how the Nintendo Wii helped usher in whatever era is on its way next. Once grandpa swung that virtual bowling ball in Wii Sports, his idea of electronic gaming changed forever. Once the Wii caught on, even long-time gamers grew comfortable with the idea of always being consciously aware of a finger or an entire body during gameplay. Once the sales figures were released, there was room to declare the hardcore gamers to now be on the fringe of where gaming truly was.

In 25 years, I predict the legacy of the Nintendo Wii to be one of drastic dichotomy. The Wii was a boundary-stretcher, and by stretching boundaries, broke the barriers to open the floodgates of Angry Birds and Kickstarter and the mainstreamization of electronic games across all digitally competent human beings. Conversely, by choosing to emphasize accessibility over presentational depth, the Wii slowed the possibility of video games ever being perfected in a deep cinematic sense, and would disrupt the ability of console manufacturers to rely on the tried-and-proven plan of gradually advancing the art.

In a weird, crazy way, the original prototype title of the system, ?Revolution,? may have proven to be a self-fulfilling prophecy after all ? even if not in the way Nintendo intended. The NES saved the American video game industry, then the Wii was the first big nail in the console coffin. These are the bookends of Nintendo's significant gaming relevancy.

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Source: http://www.gameranx.com/features/id/10819/article/casual-innovation-predicting-the-nintendo-wii-legacy-in-25-years/

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Japan's Abe: economy, diplomacy top election issues

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's main opposition leader and possible next prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said on Friday that economic and diplomatic issues would be focal points in the general election set for December 16.

Speaking after the lower house of parliament was dissolved for a snap poll, Abe said the upcoming election would be about which party could boost a stagnant economy, rebuild the quake-stricken northeast and restore diplomacy.

Abe, a former prime minister who is leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said he was aiming to have all its candidates win in the general election and return the party to power.

The election is seen likely to return the long-dominant LDP to power with the conservative former prime minister at the helm.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Michael Watson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japans-abe-economy-diplomacy-top-election-issues-075444725--business.html

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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Online Marketing Position At K2L Marketing ? K2L Blog

An exciting opportunity exists to join the new Online Marketing division of the award winning Marketing Agency, K2L.

You will be a key member of a growing team of experts offering Online Marketing Solutions to existing and new clients.

We require a results driven, online specialist who can propose, manage and implement SEO, Social Media & PPC campaigns. ?You will have a proven track record and can demonstrate success in improving targeted web traffic and keyword rankings, as well as a knowledge of online marketing techniques.

A strategic thinker with a passion for innovation the successful candidate will be responsible for:

1. Providing Online Marketing proposal documents

2. Managing clients SEO, Social and PPC requirements

3. Ensuring all websites and internet properties under your influence have been technically optimised to attract and engage those visitors that closely match the agreed profile of the target audience

4. Managing the writing of relevant copy for Blogs and Articles

5. Building Quality Links

6. Building and developing internal protocols that ensure all content is optimised across all platforms and user experiences (websites, mobile, social, video, blogs, etc)

7. Both offsite and onsite activities and also the interactions that build ranking, profile and traffic.

8. The production and analysis of management reports for the purpose of monitoring and making recommendations.

We are K2L Marketing a full service agency, based in Salford Quays, Manchester. Created in 2009 we have seen our core business and client base grow over the last 4 years. We now require a dedicated SEO specialist to join our new venture K2L Online Marketing, a team player who can make the role their own and grow with us through the next phase of our business development plan.

If you are interested in this role please send your CV and covering letter to

careers@K2L.co.uk closing date 30th Nov 2012

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Source: http://blog.k2l.co.uk/online-marketing-position-at-k2l-marketing/

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Friday, November 16, 2012

3% pay raise the ?new normal? for 2013

7 hrs.

As the economy picks up, slightly higher pay raises are coming with it.

Many?U.S. workers can expect to bring home 3 percent more in 2013 than they did this year, according to forecasts from national compensation surveys .

That?s just over the average median pay raise of 2.7 percent to 2.8 percent in 2012. It's also more than the 2 percent to 2.5 percent raise most employees saw immediately after the recession, which started in late 2008, according to a 2013 salary report from Bucks Consultants.

Three percent raises are the new normal, says Ravin Jesuthasan, a compensation expert and managing director with management consultant Towers Watson. ?I don?t think anyone should expect merit increases to deviate that?much going forward, even if the economy does well,? he says.

Pay raises remain skimpy because unemployment is still high, and because companies continue to keep a lid on fixed costs, including labor, according to Jesuthasan and other compensation analysts.

As earnings at many businesses improve, however, they?re spending more on variable compensation. Put into plain English, that means next year workers can expect to see bigger bonuses or other monetary incentives, things that companies can choose to pay out or not depending on how they?re doing financially.

Top performers, people who do the best at going above and beyond their job descriptions, will see the biggest bonuses of all, roughly 50 percent more than the average worker, says Kerry Chou, a compensation practice leader for WorldatWork, the nonprofit human resources researcher.

During hard times when companies were asking fewer employees to do more for little or no change in compensation, promotions were few and far between. That?s changing, too, says David Van De Voort, a Buck Consultants principal. For 2013, he says,??we?re seeing a nice uptick in the percentage of people offered promotions, and also the size of the pay increase that people get for the promotion has gone up.??Promotions are double-edged swords, though, because more pay comes with more work and responsibility, he says.

Here are other trends compensation experts predict for 2013:

  • Energy industry employees will get the biggest pay bumps. Oil, gas and mining companies are expected to give average median pay raises of 3.8 percent to 3.9 percent in 2013, according to the WorldatWork 2012-2013 Salary Budget Survey. High gas prices and energy production make these ?booming? industries, Chou says.
  • Educators and government employees will miss out. Teachers at all levels and public-sector employees -- think postal workers -- will see the smallest raises, averaging 2.1 percent, Chou says.
  • Talent shortages in in-demand jobs will continue to drive up wages. Despite lingering high unemployment, companies will continue to have trouble filling openings for airline pilots and select white-collar jobs, as well as skilled laborers such as tool and die makers due to talent shortages in those fields. As a result, people with highly sought-after skills can expect to see pay raises ?much higher? than the average as companies try to keep them from jumping to the competition, Jesuthasan says.
  • Employees will pick up more of their own health insurance costs. Companies continue to ask workers to assume a higher share of health care premiums, negating some pay increases. ?We have the added complication of Obamacare and employers trying to figure out how to cope with that,? Van De Voort says. Some companies are cutting back hours so employees won?t be eligible, while others want to provide benefits ?but are struggling to figure out how to afford that,? he says.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/3-percent-pay-raise-new-normal-2013-1C7103235

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Citigroup shareholders push for break up - The Term Sheet ...

FORTUNE -- It's time for parts of Citigroup to be put to sleep.

That's the opinion of a group of shareholders that includes a fund managed for Benedictine nuns and a union pension plan. Recently, the two investment funds along with an asset manager Trillium Asset Management filed a proposal with Citi that calls for the bank to be broken up. The group said it asked Citi's board of directors to consider spinning off one or more of its business units. They want the board to form a special committee of independent directors to consider "strategic alternatives of the structure of the company."

Citi has struggled as of late. Last month, a boardroom drama resulted in the resignation of former CEO Vikram Pandit. Long-time Citi executive Michael Corbat took his place. The change in management has reignited speculation that the bank might decide to break itself up. Pandit had generally preferred a strategy of selling off units that got Citi into trouble in the financial crisis, like sub-prime lending, but for the most part keeping the firm intact.

MORE: Citigroup's new CEO has a lot to tackle

However, a number of former Citi leaders have recently said that it is time for the firm to be broken up. Sandy Weill, who is the former CEO and Chairman of Citigroup, and John Reed, who ran the bank before a merger with Travelers created the behemoth it is today, have both said that the U.S.'s large banks, including Citi, would be better broken up.

It appears the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica and the AFSCME Employees Pension Plan, which own a collective $9 million of Citi shares, are the first investors to back the break up route for Citi. The problem is the proposal lacks specifics, and at least in part seems to suffer from a lack of understanding of basic accounting.

As a reason for a break-up, Lee Sanders, chairman of the AFSCME Employees Pension Plan's Board of Trustees, cited a difference of "almost $50 billion between what Citi says its assets are worth and what the market is saying." But what Sanders is talking about is the value that Citi assigns certain assets on its balance sheet, which is based on accounting rules and not their actual value. Accounting values often don't match with reality.

"If there's not an appetite for our proposal, so be it," says Jonas Krons, who is vice president and director of shareholder advocacy of Trillium Asset Management. "But we think there should be a discussion."

What's more, it's not clear what Citi would spin off, and the proposal doesn't say. One option could be Citi's investment banking division. But selling off that unit might not generate a lot of value for shareholders. Citi's investment bank has generally been a laggard. What advantage it has comes from being tied to Citi's large bank and relatively cheap access to funds. Cut that tie, and it's not clear the unit would be worth that much. Plus there aren't a lot of buyers for global investment banks these days, since they have struggled since the financial crisis.

MORE: Jefferies flight to safety: Is this the future of Wall Street?

One business that could fetch a premium is Citi's global transaction processing unit. But that business is a consistent money maker for the bank, and didn't cause any problems in the financial crisis. What's more, it's not clear how you would separate that from the rest of its banking business. Helping people make payments around the world seems to be a core function of a bank.

Nonetheless, drum beat for break up of banks, and Citi, in particular is growing. And Corbat, inheriting a company that has consistently underperformed its peers for more than a half decade, needs to try something different. Just how a break up would happen and how successful it would be is unclear. It's messy out there.

Source: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/11/15/citigroup-break-up/

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Foreclosures Canada App Helps Home Buyers Find Real Estate ...

[prMac.com] Vancouver, Canada - Pro Code Media is proud to announce the Foreclosures Canada App for iOS. The Foreclosures Canada App, is a new innovative mobile application that helps Canadians find new homes for sale that are in foreclosure. Since foreclosures typically sell for below market value, this handy app makes it easy for real estate investors find the perfect investment opportunities. The application's headline states, "Find homes up to 50% OFF!". Effectively, the app does exactly that. In additional bank foreclosure real estate listings, users can also search for estate sales, probate sales, tax sales and many other types of properties that tend to sell at a discount.

Because these properties tend to sell so quickly, Foreclosures Canada App allows users to keep track of new listings that are on the market on a daily basis. Users can do preliminary searches for free and can access full property details including full contact info, property info, property color photos, street maps, satellite view, and street view once they subscribe to the app.

The application currently finds listings throughout Canada, in Provinces such as Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and a whole array of other areas. The user may also refine their search by city, postal code, price, building type, bedroom, bathrooms and many other parameters. The app can also detect the user's GPS location and find properties nearby. All types of properties can be found with this app. From single family homes, apartments, town homes, condos, duplexes and more!

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
* Requires iOS 4.0 or later
* Universal app optimized for display on all iOS devices
* 6.1 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Foreclosures Canada - Real Estate Listings 3.2.4 is Free to download and full access subscription ranges from $6.99 CAD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) for a 7 day trial to $99 for a 1 year membership. It is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Finance category.

Pro Code Media is establish in 2012 and located in Vancouver, Canada. They specialize in creating apps for real estate investors and business professionals that are simple, helpful and time saving. Copyright (C) 2012 Pro Code Media. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

###



Source: http://prmac.com/release-id-50686.htm

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Hollywood Home-wreckers: I?ll Have What She?s Having!

Hollywood Home-wreckers: I’ll Have What She’s Having!

Celebrities have fame, fortune, and many are blessed in the looks department. But does that make them think they can have whatever they desire…even another woman’s husband? Morals seem to go out the window in Hollywood, leading many married stars to go in search of greener pastures even when they are on another person’s property. ...

Hollywood Home-wreckers: I’ll Have What She’s Having! Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/11/hollywood-home-wreckers-ill-have-what-shes-having/

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Curiocity: Michael Birawer On His Iconic Skyline Paintings ? CBS ...

The jagged lines, the vibrant colors and the intimate details of a beloved neighborhood or skyline ? it doesn?t take much to positively identify a Michael Birawer painting.

His art is one of the most iconic to come out of the Twin Cities and can be found in several restaurants, businesses and homes across Minnesota.

Beyond his wide reach locally, Birawer has expanded his offerings to other popular city skylines, including Chicago, New York, Washington D.C. and more.

Birawer will be signing his incredible artwork in the coming weeks at the Mall of America and Rosedale Mall. But before he does, we chatted with the artist about his Minnesota roots, his inspiration and what keeps him motivated.

Tell us a little about your background ? you were born and raised in the Twin Cities?

I was born in St. Paul and I grew up in Cottage Grove. From there, I attended the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul. I majored in Illustration and came out of that with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with major Illustration and spent most of the 1990s working in graphic design, a little bit of illustration work and from there, I was kind of doing these ? strictly as a hobby ? local scenes and locations and neighborhoods I used to live by or places I would frequent as paintings. Probably about the year 2000, I took it more in that disciplined way of developing a series of paintings that dealt with Minneapolis and St. Paul. From there, I just kept building upon that scene and really, to this day I?m still connected to that idea and that concept.

 Curiocity: Michael Birawer On His Iconic Skyline Paintings

(credit: Michael Birawer)

When did you discover your love of art and of painting?

I think I always knew that as a kid. I was a pretty regular kid, loved sports, homework not so much and I think I just thought of myself as a highly imaginative kid and always kind of liked to use art as my means of escape. I think, at the point, growing up in the 80s, the idea of being an artist as a career wasn?t something that factored in, it didn?t seem like a plausible occupation. So it was one of those things where I really enjoyed art and had a passion for it but growing up in the Midwest, I sort of felt like I had to fit in with my peer group and what they were doing ? going off to four-year university, and I just felt like that was what you do. And then I discovered that there was such thing as a real, actual art school, which I really only thought that was fiction. I couldn?t believe that there was a place where you could actually go to an art school and study art. That was an incredible experience for me.

I just always kind of knew, no matter what my mood or emotional state, I always feel that art to me is something that is my grounder ? it keeps me grounded, it keeps me blissfully occupied, when I go through tougher times in life, it?s always there. It?s my friend, it?s something that I just have this really intimate connection with.

The skyline and neighborhood series are certainly what you?re known for ? how did that begin? What was your inspiration?

The skyline came a little bit later, I was really working on more individual locations ? St. Croix Broiler, Nye?s, Murray?s, you know, First Avenue. I think it just kind of came around to the fact that I enjoyed exploring different buildings and how they relate to each other and the first piece that really inspired me was a scene of downtown Minneapolis that has the Stone Arch Bridge in the foreground. I just thought that was such an incredible view. In order to get that view, it?s not really something you can just drive by, you really have to walk out there to see that and take that in. It?s just such an inspiring thought. ? I?d say that was the first for me. It sort of laid the footings for other skylines that would soon eventually follow.

How did you choose your locations after that?

Some of them are that I want to build upon a series of works, like a series of downtown skylines. I always thought St. Paul was an incredibly different skyline than Minneapolis ? they both have the Mississippi River going through them but they?re both so different. I?m just kind of looking for that ? things that are different than the previous one. There?s something unique about each skyline and there?s something that I really want to call out and play up. From there, I think I just take on cities like Chicago, Boston, D.C., New York, San Francisco, I kind of just get really excited when I see city skylines. It?s as though you can step back and see how the city operates ? when we?re in the city, we?re so engulfed and embedded and it?s a totally different experience. Really just stepping away, that?s what I really enjoy about painting a skyline.

 Curiocity: Michael Birawer On His Iconic Skyline Paintings

(credit: Michael Birawer)

The style of painting that you?ve created ? somewhat graffiti, somewhat abstract ? where did that come from?

That style came from my interest in cartooning and comic books and MAD Magazine, just characters just based on heavy line work. It sort of came out of that. Where a straight line doesn?t have to be a straight line ? it can take on a whole angular, geometric shape, it can take on a shape of nature. Buildings don?t have to sit on exact proportionality of a photograph and I just find that I really identify with that. I?ve been kind of developing it over the years. Some of the lines in the earlier days were a little smoother ? the Hennepin Avenue bridge was an earlier piece and the lines were smoother and the color blends were much more smooth. They just got a little more angular and evolved from there.

Did you have any idea that painting neighborhoods would bring you national acclaim and recognition?

No, I mean, no. I never ? I thought right away that there was a lot of luck that was involved with kind of how I began. I think the Twin Cities was the right place to do what I was doing. It was easy to get the work in front of people. Mall of America is the center point of shopping and consumerism, just having my work be in the mall, it really got a lot of people to notice it. I felt like I was really on to something when people were acting like they were. I was trying to figure out for a while what that was. The work in general has such a positive overtone, I think that?s the way it unconsciously happened. I think these works are accessible to people, picking out things that people really love and places they really love. They?re very personal to people and I think that?s where it started to connect. From that point, I think it was sort of a formula that developed that I think could work really anywhere. The most important part of these works are that I?m invested in each one of them ? that it?s not artificial. Each composition is really thought out and each one, when I?m working on it, it?s very special to me. I think that at the end of the day, that really shows through. At this point, I?m not trying to phone it in with these paintings ? there?s a lot of time and a lot of care that really goes into them.

What is it like for you to know so many restaurants, businesses and home owners have a piece of your art?

It?s amazing to me, really. I have such a connection to it, and I know exactly where it all came from. The fact that it?s being celebrated in different venues and restaurants so other people, the public, can enjoy it, it?s just an amazing feeling. It?s something that motivates me to keep going and keep creating. My work is never done. I still love it. I still love the process. I still love doing shows and connecting and talking with people and hearing about their experiences with the locations and places I?ve painted. I love that. It?s just really inspiring to me.

Michael Birawer will be doing a holiday signing at Deck The Walls at Mall of America on Saturday, Nov. 17 from 1-4 p.m., and Deck The Walls at Rosedale Center on Saturday, Dec. 15, from 1-4 p.m. For more information about his artwork, head to his website.

Source: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/11/14/curiocity-michael-birawer-on-his-iconic-skyline-paintings/

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