Tag Archives: urban

The Female Form- The most beautiful 2D Girls

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

ART- The most beautiful CG girls Gallery – 3DM3: Beautiful work. This selection IS excellent. LINK _ http://www.3dm3.com/cggirls/# /content/2d%2Dgirls/ http://www.3dm3.com/cggirls/content/2d-girls/Taj_Lotus_by_Mess_Studio.jpg added by: remanns

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Even in the Year 1076 Muslims Couldn’t Get Along with Their Neighbors

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The First Crusade played a very important part in Medieval England. The First Crusade was an attempt to re-capture Jerusalem. After the capture of Jerusalem by the Muslims in 1076, any Christian who wanted to pay a pilgrimage to the city faced a very hard time. Muslim soldiers made life very difficult for the Christians and trying to get to Jerusalem was filled with danger for a Christian. This greatly angered all Christians. One Christian – called Alexius I of Constantinople – feared that his country might also fall to the Muslims as it was very close to the territory captured by the Muslims. Constantinople is in modern day Turkey. Alexius called on the pope – Urban II – to give him help. In 1095, Urban spoke to a great crown at Clermont in France. He called for a war against the Muslims so that Jerusalem was regained for the Christian faith. In his speech he said: “Christians, hasten to help your brothers in the East, for they are being attacked. Arm for the rescue of Jerusalem under your captain Christ. Wear his cross as your badge. If you are killed your sins will be pardoned.” Those who volunteered to go to fight the Muslims cut out red crosses and sewed them on their tunics. The French word “croix” means cross and the word changed to “croisades” or crusades. The fight against the Muslims became a Holy War. Many people did volunteer to fight on the First Crusade. There were true Christians who wanted to reclaim Jerusalem for their belief and get the Muslims out of the city. There were those who knew they had committed sin and that by going on the Crusade they might be forgiven by God. They had also been told by the pope that if they were killed, they would automatically go to heaven as they were fighting for God. There were those who thought that they might get rich by taking the wealth that they thought existed in Jerusalem. Any crusader could claim to be going on a pilgrimage for God – pilgrims did not have to pay tax and they were protected by the Church. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/cru2.htm added by: congoboy

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Sewers as Sidewalks: Delhi Ups the Urban Reuse Ante

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

An artist’s rendition of a revamped “nullah.” Image via Delhi Nullahs . Urban planner and architect Manit Rastogi has an idea that makes the High Line look like child’s play: turning the 350 kilometers of storm water drains — now mostly filled with untreated

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‘So-called Gay Mafia’ Adding Bias to the New York Times

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The Times Business section Wednesday carried a press release of a story headlined “A Resort for Gays Rises in Manhattan: Similar Nightlife Complexes Are Springing Up in Several Cities.” Reporter Beth Greenfield talked to no one in this story except the gay entrepreneurs behind the forthcoming “Out NYC Urban Resort.” The text box was “Looking for ‘a concentrated feeling of community.'” There’s nothing in the story, for example, about the developers’ active support for Washington-based gay-left advocacy groups , as well as donations to liberal city pols and congressmen and the William J. Clinton Foundation.  Sympathy for the gay “community” is apparently growing by leaps and bounds, according to Reacttoyournews.org , the official blog of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. Michael Triplett wrote: We’ve talked about changes at the NYT before on this blog , but it’s important to remember that the last 20 years have seen a pretty amazing change at how the paper covers LGBT issues and treats its LGBT journalists.  There is still room for growth, especially in regards to promotion of lesbians and its treatment of transgender employees and issues, but the paper has come a remarkable distance in the time that NLGJA has been advocating for LGBT journalists and fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. After revisiting history, including some questionable comparisons of the AIDS epidemic with the Holocaust, Triplett concluded: Because of the work of NLGJA and pioneering LGBT journalists, things have changed dramatically at the paper. We are indebted to the journalists and activists who pushed for change at the paper. In a piece for Mediaite , Triplett was more explicit: Twenty years after [reporter Jeffrey] Schmalz feared telling anyone he was gay because it would harm his career, a gay man– Richard Berke –is now the national editor and a so-called gay mafia – which includes Ben Brantley, Frank Bruni, Stuart Elliot, Adam Nagourney, and Eric Wilson – hold key positions at the paper. Alas, the paper has no openly gay or lesbian voices on it editorial pages. Now, of course, gays are everywhere in the paper’s coverage and in the newsroom. Triplett also mentioned the top Times officials attending an event sympathizing with overturning the California Prop 8 vote to defend traditional marriage, which caused former Timesman Charles Kaiser to gush that the Times was now “one of the most gay-friendly institutions in the world.” Mysteriously, after all this touting of the staunchly pro-gay sympathies, Triplett thinks the question of liberal bias remains a puzzle that conservatives can’t seriously expose: Concluding “[w]hat a difference a new generation can make,” [former Timesman Charles] Kaiser said “Andy Rosenthal’s editorial page has published more brilliant editorials in defense of equal rights for gay people than any other editorial page in the world.” So does the NYT have a bias now in how it covers same-sex marriage and gays generally?  That’s probably something for the next public editor to explore. There’s no doubt that few papers cover the LGBT community  as extensively as the New York Times , but it is far from perfect. Some critics argue that gay people are much more likely to show up on the culture and arts pages than the news pages, and locals complain that the paper does a poor job of handling news that involves the local LGBT community. In addition,  lesbians still remain largely invisible in coverage (and in the newsroom). And, of course, conservative critics of the paper will always contend there is a strong pro-gay bias, not [sic] matter the facts on the ground.

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‘So-called Gay Mafia’ Adding Bias to the New York Times

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‘American Idol’ Champ Lee DeWyze Draws Cheers At L.A. Show

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Season-nine ‘Idol’ contestants rock the Staples Center. By Matt Elias Lee DeWyze performs at the American Idol Live! Tour in Los Angeles August 13 Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images LOS ANGELES — Friday night (August 13) at the Staples Center saw the return of all top 10 “American Idol” season-nine finalists to Los Angeles for the American Idols Live! Tour. While part of the center was closed, the arena was only a little over half full by the time the show started around 7:45 pm. However, despite the empty seats, die-hard “Idol” fans showed their enthusiasm with homemade signs and t-shirts. First to take the stage was Didi Benami, decked out in a shimmery top and blonde locks reminiscent of Taylor Swift. After her first song, “Lay It on Me,” Benami drew cheers when she shouted, “Los Angeles! Welcome to American Idol Live! How’s everyone doing tonight?” She then strapped on an acoustic guitar and really stretched her vocals on “Terrified.” Next in line was hometown hero, Andrew Garcia. The singer broke into his now-famous cover of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” and then got the crowd on its feet for “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. Katie Stevens followed suit with Demi Lovato’s “Here We Go Again.” Rocking a pair of black gloves and boots, Stevens commanded the stage with ease. With a nod to the amount of hurdles she overcame in the last year, she aptly chose Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter” as her next tune. While not as dirty as Xtina, Stevens’ vocal powers were on par. Female favorite, Tim Urban, hit the stage next. He kept things casual in Converse kicks and jeans as he belted the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Better Days.” But his next choice, Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida,” was a pale version of the original. In one of the most electric performances of the night, Siobhan Magnus tore through The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black,” a song that also scored her praise as an “Idol” contender. Wearing what could be described as a rock and roll French maid outfit, Magnus followed with No Doubt’s “Spiderwebs.” Then she turned things up with the addition of a new song to her set: Muse’s “Stockholm Syndrome.” While Magnus was a tough act to follow, Aaron Kelly held his own. Looking grown-up in his leather jacket, Kelly kept it country with Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You,” “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn and Rascal Flatts’ “Fast Cars and Freedom.” Five of the finalists returned to the stage for an ensemble rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” before an intermission. Michael Lynche kicked off the second half of the show in a dapper tux. Showing off his falsetto skills, Lynche crooned Maxwell’s “This Woman’s Work” and “Ready for Love” by India.Arie. He pulled double duty on his third song of the set, Justin Timberlake’s “My Love,” taking on both JT and T.I.’s verses. Lynche’s performance wasn’t all about soulful jams as the singer even squeezed in a shout-out to The Cheesecake Factory The night continued with Casey James, who shredded guitar on The Black Keys’ “I Got Mine” and Shania Twain’s “Don’t!” Lynche returned to the stage to join James on Bryan Adams’ “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” prompting the ladies in attendance to swoon. James closed his set with his version of the ’60s Stones hit “It’s All Over Now.” Season-nine runner-up Crystal Bowersox entered the stage next, declaring, “It’s good to be home!” Starting off her set with “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes, she elicited the most crowd participation of the night. After some playful banter with a roadie, Mama-Sox picked up a harmonica for Melissa Etheridge’s “Come to My Window.” She kept the fun-loving spirit going with songs such as the Janis Joplin classic, “Piece of My Heart,” playing to the fans pressed up against the front barriers. Next, “American Idol” winner, Lee DeWyze, hit the stage to a chorus of cheering fans. With most of the audience on its feet, DeWyze ripped a country version of U2’s “Beautiful Day.” “It’s good to be back here,” DeWyze proclaimed, and then told fans, “This next song is one of my favorite ones, I think you know it.” The singer then launched into a soaring rendition of Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” He rocked a range of songs and wrapped up with the Kings of Leon smash, “Use Somebody.” Closing out the night, the guys returned to the stage for Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life,” followed by the female finalists’ revamp of Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You.” Paying homage to the original “American Idol,” the fellas joined the ladies for the end of the Clarkson cover, giving fans almost three full hours of American Idols Live! Are you excited to see the “American Idol” singers hit the road? Who are you looking forward to seeing live? Let us know in the comments below! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos The American Idol Live! Tour At The Staples Center August 13 ‘American Idol’ Season-Nine Performances Related Artists Lee DeWyze

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Targeting TARGET

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Liberal groups push to exploit Target backlash ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Protesters have been rallying outside Target Corp. or its stores almost daily since the retailer angered gay rights supporters and progressives by giving money to help a conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota. Liberal groups are pushing to make an example of the company, hoping its woes will deter other businesses from putting their corporate funds into elections. A national gay rights group is negotiating with Target officials, demanding that the firm balance the scale by making comparable donations to benefit candidates it favors. Meanwhile, the controversy is threatening to complicate Target's business plans in other urban markets. Several city officials in San Francisco, one of the cities where Target hopes to expand, have begun criticizing the company. “Target is receiving criticism and frustration from their customers because they are doing something wrong, and that should serve absolutely as an example for other companies,” said Ilyse Hogue, director of political advocacy for the liberal group MoveOn.org, which is pressing Target to formally renounce involvement in election campaigns. But conservative organizations are likely to react harshly if Target makes significant concessions to the left-leaning groups. The flap has revealed new implications of a recent Supreme Court ruling that appeared to benefit corporations by clearing the way for them to spend company funds directly in elections. Link– http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Liberal-groups-push-to-apf-2321043209.html?x=0 http://www.bradofficer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/target-1024×818.jpg added by: remanns

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Zing! Paul Krugman Says Rep. Paul Ryan’s ‘Drenched in Flimflam Sauce’: But Own Source Disputes Him

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Paul Krugman’s Friday column in the New York Times attacked Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who has dared to present an intellectually honest budget, as ” The Flimflam Man .” Joseph Lawler at the American Spectator calls it ” unusually partisan even by Krugman’s standards ” and he’s right; Krugman calls Ryan’s efforts a “fraud,” Ryan himself “a flimflam man” whose work is (zing!) “drenched in flimflam sauce.” But Krugman’s attack backfired when his main source for his argument, the left-of-center Tax Policy Center, disputed his claim of bad faith on the part of Ryan. Krugman let his trademark petulance show, griping that the Washington Post was too nice to Ryan in a recent front-page article, and went further on his nytimes.com blog Friday morning , calling Post journalists economic ignoramuses: “One thing that has been overwhelmingly obvious in the discussion of Paul Ryan’s roadmap is that lots of people who should know better — including, alas, reporters at the Washington Post — don’t know how to read a CBO report.” (Incidentally, Krugman, feeling the heat from non-fawning blog commenters offering substantive challenges to his glib economic assumptions , now limits the length of those comments.) One depressing aspect of American politics is the susceptibility of the political and media establishment to charlatans. You might have thought, given past experience, that D.C. insiders would be on their guard against conservatives with grandiose plans. But no: as long as someone on the right claims to have bold new proposals, he’s hailed as an innovative thinker. And nobody checks his arithmetic. Which brings me to the innovative thinker du jour: Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Mr. Ryan has become the Republican Party’s poster child for new ideas thanks to his “Roadmap for America’s Future,” a plan for a major overhaul of federal spending and taxes. News media coverage has been overwhelmingly favorable; on Monday, The Washington Post put a glowing profile of Mr. Ryan on its front page, portraying him as the G.O.P.’s fiscal conscience . He’s often described with phrases like “intellectually audacious.” But it’s the audacity of dopes. Mr. Ryan isn’t offering fresh food for thought; he’s serving up leftovers from the 1990s, drenched in flimflam sauce. Krugman’s gripes about Ryan’s call for “steep cuts in both spending and taxes” include the arguments that Ryan’s proposed spending cuts aren’t feasible, wouldn’t reduce the deficit, and would “cut benefits for the middle class while slashing taxes on the rich” while claiming “the plan would raise taxes for 95 percent of the population” and cutting Medicare. He got most of his points from “the non-partisan Tax Policy Center,” which is affiliated with two left-of-center groups, the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute. Showing intellectual integrity, The Tax Policy Center actually came to Ryan’s defense this afternoon (hat tip Joseph Lawler at The American Spectator): Krugman alleges fraud because CBO did not score the revenue side of the Congressman’s plan.  (This is correct as the Joint Committee on Taxation is responsible for providing the official revenue score of tax legislation.) Instead, CBO assumed that total federal tax revenues will be equal to “those under CBO’s alternative fiscal scenario…until they reach 19 percent of gross domestic product in 2030, and to remain at that share of GDP thereafter.” Contrary to Krugman’s claims, this assumption is not unjustified . Ryan has explicitly stated that he is willing to work with the Treasury department to adjust the rates on his tax reform plan to “maintain approximately our historic levels of revenue as a share of GDP.” Since 1980 the federal tax revenue has been about 18 percent of GDP. Krugman pulled out his paranoia card at the end, insinuating that Washington is just so intimidated by the resurgent GOP (“deference to power” — what power?) that it’s afraid to call them out on their obvious intellectual fraud, a pretty laughable charge: So why have so many in Washington, especially in the news media, been taken in by this flimflam? It’s not just inability to do the math, although that’s part of it. There’s also the unwillingness of self-styled centrists to face up to the realities of the modern Republican Party; they want to pretend, in the teeth of overwhelming evidence, that there are still people in the G.O.P. making sense. And last but not least, there’s deference to power — the G.O.P. is a resurgent political force, so one mustn’t point out that its intellectual heroes have no clothes . But they don’t. The Ryan plan is a fraud that makes no useful contribution to the debate over America’s fiscal future. While Reason editor Peter Suderman admits that “flimflam sauce” is a “really devastating” comeback, he also has problems with Krugman’s analysis .

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Zing! Paul Krugman Says Rep. Paul Ryan’s ‘Drenched in Flimflam Sauce’: But Own Source Disputes Him

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In Toronto, a Backyard Transformed into an Urban Farm

Posted on July 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Image Credit: Vidafine via Flickr In New York, a group of twenty-somethings who live together make up a hit sitcom. In Toronto, they make up Trinity Reach Farm . Let’s call it The One Where the Gang Makes Their Backyard into an Urban Farm. An urban farm where they raise chickens, grow herbs and vegetables, smoke fish and meat, make cheese and brew beer and cider. Trinity Reach Farm, recently profiled by Vidafine , was founded in the spring of 2009 b… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Endless Urban Forest Made with Mirrors and a Single Tree

Posted on July 6, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Photo credit Pieter Kers, via Gizmodo In the middle of a city, finding a semblance of the wilderness is tough to do. Sitting yourself in a park is about the closest you can get. But DUS Architects have come up with a way for you to trick yourself into thinking you’re in a forest with no beginning and no end, using strategically placed mirrors and a single tree. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Leading Economist Projects Labor Shortages by 2018

Posted on July 3, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

WASHINGTON, March 22 /PRNewswire/ — As surprising as it sounds in the current employment market, a renowned labor economist projects that there will be more jobs than people to fill them in the United States by 2018. Assuming a return to healthy economic growth and no change in immigration or labor force participation rates, Barry Bluestone, Dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University, predicts that within the next eight years there could be at least 5 million potential job vacancies in the United States, nearly half of them (2.4 million) in social sector jobs in education, health care, government and nonprofit organizations. The loss in total output could limit the growth of needed services and cost the economy as much as $3 trillion over the five-year period beginning in 2018. “If the baby boom generation retires from the labor force at the same rate and age as current older workers, the baby bust generation that follows will likely be too small to fill many of the projected new jobs,” states Bluestone's report, After the Recovery: Help Needed – The Coming Labor Shortage and How People in Encore Careers Can Help Solve It. Bluestone's research is one of four papers written by independent experts and released today by MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leading-economist-forecasts-more-jobs-th… added by: thedirtman

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