GSM Handsets
is it the beginning of a new dark age?
AP: Muslim countries seek blasphemy ban
GENEVA (AP) — Islamic nations are mounting a campaign for an international treaty to protect religious symbols and beliefs from mockery — essentially, a ban on blasphemy.
Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Algeria and Pakistan have taken the lead in lobbying to bring the matter to a vote in the U.N. General Assembly.
Such a ban would face great resistance in Western nations that enshrine freedom of expression as a fundamental right.
The countries that form the 56-member Organization of the Islamic Conference are currently lobbying a Geneva-based U.N. committee to accept its plan, a first step for it to eventually be put before the General Assembly.
If that occurs, Muslim countries and their allies in the developing world would stand a decent chance of mustering the simple majority needed in the General Assembly to adopt such a treaty.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Yahoo! Buzz Mixx
Posted 44m ago
E-mail | Save | Print | Subscribe to stories like this
To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don’t attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Register
Post this comment to Facebook?
Comments: (13)
Showing: New: Most recommended!
User Image
Sidnee (4 friends, send message) wrote: 27m ago
Is this a joke? Haven’t Islamic "leaders" already banned EVERYTHING?
Recommend 8 | Report Abuse
User Image
demsoutnow (0 friends, send message) wrote: 21m ago
Sure. It’s OK for huge numbers of their populations to use their twisted religious teachings to chop off heads and blow babies up, but not OK for anyone to complain about it.
It makes sense to me. How about you? Geez…
These nations are a plaque upon the world.
Recommend 7 | Report Abuse
User Image
steelbird (20 friends, send message) wrote: 20m ago
GENEVA (AP) � Islamic nations are mounting a campaign for an international treaty to protect religious symbols and beliefs from mockery � essentially, a ban on blasphemy.
———————-
Does this mean that the Islamic nations want the Taliban prosecuted for destroying the two giant buddahs?
Recommend 5 | Report Abuse
User Image
steelbird (20 friends, send message) wrote: 19m ago
If that occurs, Muslim countries and their allies in the developing world would stand a decent chance of mustering the simple majority needed in the General Assembly to adopt such a treaty.
———————–
This is why the US needs to get out of the UN.
Recommend 2 | Report Abuse
User Image
Don R. Blue Dog (53 friends, send message) wrote: 13m ago
They can ban anything they want inside the borders of their own nations. We’ll still post pictures of Mohammed wearing a bomb shaped turban all we want here.
Recommend 1 | Report Abuse
User Image
Quilasdad (0 friends, send message) wrote: 8m ago
One more step towards DESTROYING the freedoms we all enjoy and the freedoms that others have dies for.
Recommend 1 | Report Abuse
User Image
kamas716 (0 friends, send message) wrote: 3m ago
The only way I could come close to supporting this is if at the same time freedom to worship any/all religions is enacted.
Recommend | Report Abuse
User Image
max wolfe (0 friends, send message) wrote: 4m ago
Islam is a religion that the world can do without.
Recommend | Report Abuse
User Image
Quilasdad (0 friends, send message) wrote: 6m ago
If the UN does approve this and WE in the USA remain as members of the UN, WE ARE THE FOOLS… It’s LONG PAST time that we drop out of the U.N. (Let them move to Iran)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-11-19-Muslim-countries_N.htm?csp=24&RM_Exclude=Juno
There aren’t very many Muslims in Europe. This tiny minority has already caused the rise of right-wing parties in Europe. Already, many European countries, such as Ireland, are paying foreigners, in particular Muslims, to repatriate back to their original countries.
You overestimate the extent of Islamic influence in the West. Even if Muslims had a considerable amount of influence in the West, it would inevitably collapse, because loads of fed up people would vote anti-Islamic, right-wing parties into office.
November 28th, 2009
Posted by admin in imaging associates phone | 15 Comments »
Custom check card image questions?
my bank will let me create my own check card but with these guidelines….but i want to put a pick of my fav sports team, how can i do it with out violating these guidelines if its possible?
· Any printing or process that interferes with the required security features of the card
· Phone numbers and/or URL addresses
· Use of copyrighted, trademarked or branded materials not already associated with Visa or its approved programs
· Depictions of celebrities, musicians, public figures, athletes, cartoons, etc. not already associated with Visa or its approved programs
· Political statements
· Socially unacceptable groups, such as a gang
· Culturally or religiously offensive materials
· Provocative/sexual content, violent/profane/obscene images or any depiction that may potentially denigrate the Visa brand.
ps. i had sent in a request but i had violated the guidelines, BUT i didnt know aobut it then they sent me this email
Any image that shows team logos will violate the guidelines because those must be licensed. The idea of choosing your own image is to allow you to use an image that you are free to use. Banks pay thousands to teams and athletes to be allowed to use their logos and images, so that’s why they won’t let you do it because you don’t have the rights.
If you alter the photo so it does not show any team logos or a recognizable athlete’s face, they might allow it. But that probably isn’t an image you want.
September 24th, 2009
Posted by admin in imaging associates phone | 1 Comment »
could you correct this essay, please?
It’s important to follow fashion. Discuss.
Fashion is a global phenomenon that influences most of us in a negative way. This is clearly reflected in the fact that, nowadays, the majority of people cannot wait to get the latest products in market so as to be not left behind. In my opinion, being “fashionable” implies waste of money and time because fashion changes constantly.
In the firs place, from the economical point of view, modern changes in fashion embody many of the negative aspects of capitalism which encourages consumers to buy things unnecessarily. According to some economists, the telephonic companies decrease the quality in the production of the mobile phones to make them last just two or three year and force people to purchase a new phone.
As a second view, canons of beauty established by the fashion world affect the image that adolescents can copy from them. The imposition of the canons can come from means of communication such as television and advertising. In these means of communication, some people appear with perfect bodies but in fact they are retouched by computer programmes.
From the healthy standpoint, the extremely thinness that top models offer can cause nutritious disorders to those who want to be like them. This fact is very well reflected in the fact that nowadays most of the adolescents in the world suffers from bulimia or anorexia. A fifteen year old girl declares that she had suffered from anorexia because she saw extremely thin top models on television and she thought it was the “right image.” Moreover, she declares that her self-esteem had decreased due to the fact that she did not look as them.
There are those who argue, on the other hand, that they enjoy the diversity that changing fashion can apparently provide. The constant change is a way to satisfy their desires and to experience “new and interesting things.”
To conclude, it is my believe that fashion houses and their associated fashion designers as well as high-statues consumers, including celebrities, appear to have some role in determining the rates and directions of fashion change. For these reason, the image of fashion leads negative attitudes towards society.
nowadays, the majority
I would substitute ‘currently’ for ‘nowadays’.
products in market so as to be not left behind
‘products in the market, so they will not be left behind.’
In the firs place….should be first, not firs.
the extremely thinness ?? Did you mean ‘extreme thinness’?
just two or three year ..plural, should be ‘years’.
telephonic….misspelled. Should be telephone, or substitute ‘communication companies’.
To conclude, it is my believe …belief, not believe.
From the healthy standpoint..Health, not healthy. Healthy implies a state of being (I’m healthy), health would refer to overall well-being.
Those are just the things I saw. There may be more.
September 22nd, 2009
Posted by admin in imaging associates phone | 3 Comments »
Is this any worse than photos of Iraqi babies with faces blown off? heads and arms severed? torsos cut in half?
Sept 4, 2009
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is objecting “in the strongest terms” to an Associated Press decision to transmit a photograph showing a mortally wounded 21-year-old Marine in his final moments of life, calling the decision “appalling” and a breach of “common decency.”
The AP reported that the Marine’s father had asked – in an interview and in a follow-up phone call — that the image, taken by an embedded photographer, not be published.
The photo shows Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard of New Portland, Maine, who was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in a Taliban ambush Aug. 14 in Helmand province of southern Afghanistan, according to The AP.
Gates wrote to Thomas Curley, AP’s president and chief executive officer. “Out of respect for his family’s wishes, I ask you in the strongest of terms to reconsider your decision. I do not make this request lightly. In one of my first public statements as Secretary of Defense, I stated that the media should not be treated as the enemy, and made it a point to thank journalists for revealing problems that need to be fixed – as was the case with Walter Reed. …
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
or was it okay for the babies because there was no one to speak for them?
Do you
really
want to see some photos?
Do you?
or are you afraid to see them because you are so accustomed to ‘sanitized’ covered bodies.
Google:
"Images – dead Iraqi babies"
Do so
If
you
date’
(and these photographs were taken of bodies rendered Dead as a result of bush unwinnable, illegal, heartless war on a people not his own on a land, not is own.
what goes around
comes around
remember that~
Like I said, the babies had no one to speak for them. I have volumes of history books from both WWI and WW2. All of them are full of photos of dead US soldiers and the dead bodies of whomever was the enemy at that time. Some show faces ~~ recognizeable.
This isnt propoganda.
It is reality and underscores the horrors of war and conflict. I will of course, exclude the family. But Gates does ot care about our soldfiers. At all. He is a war machine. A dead soldier is merely ne of the spoils.
Perhaps one day all mankind will come to realize that because wars always were, does not mean that they should always be.
I’m young, college educated, well traveled, etc. You oldsters deplore violence. Yet when someone deplores useless wars, you find such wars totally acceptable. Please don’t give that utter nonsense about my"freedom" because of those wars. Because you see there is always another way to solve conflicts.
Besides killing innocents.
Enough said.
Most of these images were taken during the first part of the was (2003). They were publicized, not on US television but on many many sites here on line.
Open your eyes.
oh please
these babies were alive, months old.
not aborted out of a womb.
but
yes
perhaps we should
publicize aborted babies from the US.
You know.
Images of abortions by the fastidious "moral" United States.
Please
Iraqi babies or aborted babies? Sounds like you described children that were cut up and removed from the womb in honor of a mothers choice
Anyways, I’ve not seen pics of Iraqi babies but I’m sure with a war going on there has been some horrible stuff. The Middle East is full of murder and violence. You can blame the US all you want but there was horrible violent crimes before we arrived
September 6th, 2009
Posted by admin in imaging associates phone | 14 Comments »
Ancestral DNA lab report? Is this real?
I had a ancestral DNA test done on me to either confirm or deny Native American heritage. The only problem is, I suspect that the lab report may be fake. Here’s the whole story….. I finally get the call from a very small local business that my ancestral DNA report had come in and that I could come for a results consultation the next day. So, when my girlfriend and I get there (she also had her ancestral DNA tested at the same time as I) the individual hands me my report and tells me that my Native American heritage is 5 % from the Seneca tribe, 2.5% Chippewa and 2% Shawnee. Obviously, I was very excited and started to ask more questions. However, as I began to think deeply about what was just handed to me I noticed that all the Haplogroups on my ACTUAL lab report were of the K variety. There were no A, B, C, D or X’s on the report whatsoever. The only piece of information that indicated Native American descent was a little map of the Eastern United States that had my alleged Native percentages and associated tribes below it (I’ve also included a link to a scaned image of both this paper and the actual lab report below). There were several misspellings and differences in text type in comparing my supposed lab report with my girlfriends. It gets more interesting. when I asked the individual at the business if I could have the phone number for the lab to ask them questions, she quickly told me that the lab doesn’t take calls from patients but that she would gladly answer any more of our questions. Can someone please help shine some light on this lab report and tell me if it’s legit or not. I would truly like to be able to believe them, but something deep down in me says I’ve been crocked.
Lab report page 1 – http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/chris_lisauckis/Ancestors/Page1.jpg?t=1250521636
Lab report page 2 – http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/chris_lisauckis/Ancestors/Page2.jpg?t=1250521845
Eastern U.S. Map with tribal percentages – http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/chris_lisauckis/Ancestors/img113.jpg?t=1250522161
I would say you have been scamed.
However every lab has different ways of writing things down, but this is unlike any system i have seen.
Also i presume this was expensive, but it wont make any difference to you at all. And the data that they are using to say what make su 2% whatever is highly inaccurate even in the best places.
Sorry to say it but yeah it does sound like a scam
September 4th, 2009
Posted by admin in imaging associates phone | 1 Comment »
"The 25 Things That Killed Hip Hop" list, What do you think of this list and how many do you agree with?
I did not create this list but what do you think about this list?…..source below…..
http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/2008/04/25_things_that_killed_urban_mu.php
25 Things That Killed (and are Still Killing) Urban Music
In the midst of everyone’s declarations that "Hip Hop is Dead" we somehow forgot the slow death that is spreading across all aspects of "urban" music, as the legacy of Soul and its close cousins has devolved into a writhing mass of commercialism, homogenization, thuggification and overall laziness. Now, in no particular order, we present to you the "25 Things That Killed (and are Still Killing) Urban Music" because you love lists and SoulBounce isn’t afraid to say what you’re thinking. Keep in mind that there will be some overlap, as certain items gave way to others that deserve their own spanking.
1. The End of the "Event" Album: There was a time when albums encompassed an era that included a look, a feel, and a style that informed an artist’s videos and live performances for as long as they (or the label) could squeeze revenue from a project by releasing singles. The "event" album can chiefly be credited to Jacksons Michael and Janet, who have entire timelines built around the idea of a "Thriller Era" or a "Rhythm Nation Era". Nowadays, instead of treating albums as what they are (a collection of songs with one unifying theme) artists are more likely to seek out the most ubiquitous Hip Hop beatmakers of the moment and record over a hundred songs from which to "pick" singles. Also, when you have artists that are too scared to release music with a healthy 3-5 year gap in between, the lines to between albums begin to blur, and the eras become indistinguishable, rendering them null.
2. Big Name Hip Hop Producers: With respect due to the beatmakers that introduce a track with the name of their production imprint, ad-lib all over it, and insert themselves as guest rappers 50% of the time, they overshadow the actual vocalist of a song. We certainly don’t begrudge any of them the right to employment, but when an artist has to do an inventory of who produced her project to qualifiy it instead of telling us what the album is about, we have to take exception. Reality check: If you’re trying to goad me into a purchasing your album because you have a Pharrell beat on it and I’m a Pharrell fan, then that’s the only song I’m buying. Your album has to have legs of its own.
3. Deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. & 2Pac: You can probably draw a direct line from the deaths of Biggie and ‘Pac to the current state of Hip Hop. The two of them cultivated a style that even a decade later is re- and misappropriated to the nth. Perhaps if they were still alive, they’d have pushed the genre forward. Or maybe they’d be wack and irrelevant. Hey, at least they died while they were still good.
4. "Neo-Soul": We understand the emergence of the "neo-soul" genre as a response to the growing commercialization of modern R&B. But even the artists lumped into this category began to the see that the term was as much a marketing ploy as the very things they eschewed. The language used to describe these artists ranged from "organic" to "avant garde" and any press materials would claim that he/she looks up to Stevie, Marvin and Donnie. And don’t stand too close to the stage lest you get burned by the candles and frankencense! Before long, the audience would be fooled and we would either grow to love or loathe this music, defending the art of its purveyors and loudly wondering why they couldn’t move as many units as their mainstream counterparts. Simply put, "neo-soul" has become a term used by people to describe music they respect but would never buy.
5. Reality TV: Aside from the manufactured Pop idols that are struggling to stay signed within their prize contracts, we have to question the motives of Sean Combs, Robin Antin and Missy Elliott, who have all aped the reality television format to generate acts for their own stable of artists. To be sure, reality TV has replaced proper Artist Development as a means for these entrepreneurs to cash in, stroke their egos and embarrass people who, 9 times out of 10, deserve it. Speaking of which, what’s O’so Krispie doing?
6. Lazy A&R Departments: Did you know that A&R people are also responsible for Artist Development? Probably not, since these days a newly-signed artist is more likely to be stripped of their identity and given one that falls in step with what’s popular or, even worse, none at all. Take Cheri Dennis for example. While her album has a respectable amount of solid R&B tracks, we still don’t know who Cheri Dennis is, what sets her apart from everyone else or even what she sounds like. But, she has earned the distinction of being signed to her label for nearly a decade with no album to speak of. Did the A&R department utilize that time by playing Spades? Probably.
7. Scarface and The Untouchables: Okay, rapper, we get it, Scarface and The Untouchables are the greatest movies ever made; your life in celluloid, even. But, if you look close enough, you’ll come to learn that you are neither Pacino or De Niro and should stop emulating them by using audio clips from the films in your interludes and the script in your lyrics. Too many of you are still doing this after all these years. Also, tell members of your crew to stop calling themselves "Ness" and "Nitti". Just, please, cut it out. Thank you.
8. Thugs: Not only do we have "Studio Thugs" that use de Palma films to inform their image (see above) but there’s the "Corporate Thug" (robs an artist of his publishing and signs him to a hellified contract he could never fulfill) and the questionable "R&B Thug", which happened somewhere between R. Kelly and Jodeci and continues to this day. Along the way, labels got the bright idea that the way to a woman’s heart was by selling drugs and beating up people. Sexy! This trend has also given rise to something else we’ll never understand: "R&B Beef", in which two singers talk trash about each other to the media. Unfortunately, this doesn’t result in a "sing-off" but pretty much makes everyone involved look kind of retarded.
9. Crime: Between violating probation, not paying child support, being pulled over and caught with an ounce of weed or cocaine, assaulting nail technicians, shooting people, tossing concertgoers off the stage, committing perjury, tax evasion, and urinating on minors, we have to wonder if being a good artist means being a bad citizen.
10. Ringtones: "Real Music Ringtones" were created as a way to distinguish your ringing cellular from someone else’s while also bringing you closer to your favorite artist. Unfortunately, the labels realized this was the only way to generate revenue and started making music for the sole purpose of selling ringtones. Now, we have stripped-down keyboard beats and grunts and "yaahhs" instead of lyrics. Is that my cellphone ringing or yours? We’ll never know, because we both downloaded Soulja Boy.
11. Lack of Music Programs in Schools: Programs like Garage Band have not only made producers lazy, but undercut the importance of immersing young would-be musicians in music history as well as basic composition. Unless a popular musician was trained in the church, they probably lucked into a contract without knowing how to write, play an instrument, or worse, sing a note.
12. BET (and by extension its corporate owner) is on a mission to not only destroy urban music, but poison the perception of Black people in the process. If we were to use this network as a guide (and people unfortunately do), we would believe that "drug dealer > rapper > pimp" is a logical career path, alcoholic beverages can be used as bodysplash, women of exotic or indeterminate race are the standard of beauty, darker-skinned women are only valuable if they have a big ass and a tiny waist, a person’s worth can only be determined by what they drive and what they wear, you ain’t sh*t if you’re over 30, and a week’s worth of debauchery and decadence can be undone with a Sunday marathon of religious programming. It’s funny because it’s true.
13. The Radio: Used to be, you would turn on the radio and hear a variety of artists with a variety of sounds. But due to the "Clear Channeling" of Urban Radio, you’ll hear a T-Pain song followed by 15 minutes of commercials, followed by a song featuring T-Pain, some shucking and jiving by unbearable radio personalities for five minutes, then something that resembles a T-Pain song, but isn’t because just about everyone sounds like T-Pain now. And it’s probably a commercial.
14. Spineless Club DJs: If you’re going out to a club, you might as well sit in the house and blast the radio instead of paying the inflated cover charge. Once upon a time, DJs were tastemakers, but now so many of them are afraid they’ll clear the floor by spinning something new that they just play album versions of songs people are tired of but are too drunk to notice. Then, they add insult to injury by showing off their "skills" with poorly-timed scratches, blends that don’t line up and screaming over the music. And consider yourself lucky if you happen upon a DJ with ACTUAL! VINYL! RECORDS!
15. Mainstream Hip Hop Publications: Back in the 90′s, holding one of these rags in your hands was like holding a monthly Bible to all things Hip Hop and R&B. Now, they’ve all been relegated to chasing blogs and reiterating things we already knew weeks ahead instead of properly utilizing the print medium to do something unique. Changes in personnel and ownership aside, they were already marching towards irrelevance. Even the covers suck now, but you probably won’t get the damn thing delivered on time in order to find out.
16. Bloggers: Guilty as charged! Trifle few of us are qualified to be writing about music with any authority, especially since most of the people behind blogs haven’t been alive long enough to have a healthy perspective on the subject. Although it can be argued that record companies rely on blogs for buzz, most of the music championed by popular websites is the same music that would’ve gotten attention anyway. Also, we have to point out that the commenting system has turned discussions about music into an unholy war of "haters" versus "stans", where everyone is an expert on what they hate or love, but have no concept of anything else including real life. Oh, and providing your readers with the URL to full album leaks doesn’t "help" the artist.
17. Youtube & Myspace: On the Internet, everyone is a star (thank you, thank you). But while sites like Myspace and Youtube can provide mainstream and indie musicians with a means of cultivating and connecting with an audience, it becomes a chore to sort through the muck of people with a webcam and a login classifying themselves as "artists". And damn you all to Hell for having the crap you made in Grandma’s basement on auto-play.
18. Singing Rappers, Acting Rappers & Rapping Athletes: We’ll keep this short. Every now and then you’ll happen upon someone that has been able to organically transition from one career to another. Will and Latifah come to mind. To everyone else (coughCurtiscough), stay in your lane. Again, we don’t begrudge anyone the chance to make some extra ends; it just shouldn’t be at the expense of the audience.
19. The End of Real Singing Groups: Once upon a time, you not only had singing groups that weren’t put together by a reality show, but wherein each member contributed a distinct voice or purpose to the group. Sometimes they had members that barely sang a note, but who actually produced or wrote the song. Point is, throwing a bunch of strangers in a house with one phone and giving them makeovers doesn’t create synergy. Also, name a recent singing group that wasn’t created for a television show or for the purpose of launching someone’s solo career. Exactly.
20. "Kanyitis" is a temporary, yet frequent, illness that afflicts singers and rappers alike, wherein an artist waits until the precise moment they are in front of a camera, microphone or reporter to say something shocking and stupid, which will then be quoted by bloggers and searched on Youtube ad nauseum. Then the artist has to explain what they "really" meant, but by that time everyone already thinks they’re nuts and doesn’t care about a retraction.
21. Death of Aaliyah: Not that Aaliyah took an entire genre of music with her to the grave, but it can be argued that her passing made way for a wave of young, pretty dancers with okay voices and no personality. Only difference between them and Aaliyah is, Aaliyah had personality along with talent, ideas and a willingness to experiment. Also, she wasn’t so full of herself.
22. Money: Even worse than artists releasing garbage because they know it sells is the audience’s obsession with how much an artist makes. Unfortunately, we’ve given lack of artistry a pass because someone’s "making that paper", which totally undermines the hard work of true creative talents that are constantly writing, recording, and performing. When I buy an album I don’t want to hear an entrepreneur, which brings us to–
23. Products & Brands: Whether rappers and singers are inserting the names of designer alcoholic beverages into their lyrics or cable companies are inserting rappers and singers in their ad campaigns, things come to a point where we need to start realizing how owned these artists are. There’s a thin line between businessperson and corporate slave. We’d also like to reiterate a fact that has been pointed out time and time again over the past 10 years: If you can’t pronounce it, why should we care that you’re wearing it, driving it, or drinking it?
24. People That Aren’t in Any Way Associated with Music: Opportunities in the industry are built on connections and there’s almost never been a time when someone didn’t rise to stardom on someone else’s coattails. But now, things have gotten way out of hand. Why be an actual artist when you can be someone that danced in videos, screwed a bunch of rappers and got a book deal? Or, you can be a butler or Executive In Charge of Umbrella-Carrying? Or, worse, be the "Fifth Mic" guy on stage and reliable instigator? Who needs a recording studio?
25. Teenagers: Young people have always had the power to determine trends in all genres of music, which is why corporations defer to them. However, today’s teenagers seem to be slightly more insipid than they were in previous generations and definitely have a shorter attention span. Whether it’s the teens themselves driving the garbage labels are releasing, or the labels that are leading teens down a path of ignorance, is totally up for debate. It’s the chicken/egg question in its purest form.
A lot of that list is right on point, I do agree with most things on this list, but I’m judging that by what I saw, not the details(too much of a read, haha)
But I especially agree with 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 22
September 2nd, 2009
Posted by admin in imaging associates phone | 17 Comments »
2009 NBA All Star Dunk and 3 Point Contests Completely Lacked Skill…Right?
Not according to the Associated Press article on ESPN.com this morning. According to the AP, the 2009 slam dunk contest was electrifying. "Electrifying," are you serious? Was the writer of this article watching the same slam dunk contest I was? I’m calling this writer out, I’m calling ESPN out too for irresponsible reporting. How in any way, was any part of Saturday night’s festivities "Electrifying?"
Following the recent NBA trend of the past ten or so years, this entire event was sub-par. Sub-par in regards to the participants, the skill of these participants, and even the skill of the announcers. Seriously, if I had to listen to five more minutes of the bickering going on between Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller (and background voice Mike Fratello), my head was going to explode.
The three point competition was an utter disappointment. First off, does anyone recognize any of these players (I can hear Stuart Scott right now saying, "Why don’t you ask these players who they are…blah, blah, blah, hippity hoopla). Who are these guys? Exactly, another example of how far the NBA has spiraled down the tubes. What has happened to players like Craig Hodges or Larry Bird competing in competitions like this? All sub-par. How can an NBA All-Star miss 7-10 three point shots in a row?
Now before I get into the disappointment that was the 2009 dunk contest, let me make note of how they transitioned into the contest.
Now we all know David Stern has been attempting to "re-brand" the NBA to feel more like the beloved days of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. It isn’t working and a perfect example was the opening musical circus they had on the court to open up the slam dunk competition. First off, who was the band playing on that stage? They were terrible. The lead singer looked like a wanna be Bon Scott back from the grave. He was complimented by a giant white ogre in a hooded sweat shirt who periodically spit out something that sounded human. Meanwhile you have all these Phoenix Suns cheerleaders attempting to look excited, but I was feeling their pain. How could anyone move to that music? In my opinion this was another David Stern style marketing attempt to change the image of the NBA. It didn’t work. Dwight Howard dancing to that band was one of the strangest things I have ever witnessed.
Finally we got to the dunk competition. I was debating whether or not staying up for this would be worth my time. It wasn’t. Again, who are these guys? What happened to the days of Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins? In those days, those guys came out and did their business. Last night I sat here and watched these guys try to do things on the fly. Watching Pau Gasol trying ten time to bounce a ball off the backboard to Fernandez was like watching paint dry. Dwight, last year was semi-interesting with the cape, "BUT YOU ALREADY DID THAT!" The 12 foot rim, wow, great, he jumped up really high. Who cares, it wasn’t entertaining. The jump from the foul line, "ITS BEEN DONE!" Now Robinson’s ability to jump is very impressive, but his dunks were all just "ok." After this competition was over, I was left with the same empty feeling I have come to expect when it comes to the NBA.
I think the NBA has a much bigger issue then just a lackluster All-Star weekend. I think you are looking at an organization that has lost relevancy with the public. It has changed dramatically. I hold David Stern and his cohorts 100% responsible. When David Stern set on a mission to bring classy back to the NBA, I think he had the right idea in regards to change, but he took steps backward. David Stern and his cohorts attempted to fix the image issues by looking to what worked in the past and trying to apply it to 2000 whatever and beyond. It isn’t working David. There is no relevancy here. You need to get someone from the WPP Group on the phone on Monday morning. Try Ogilvy & Mather, maybe they can help figure out a way to never again allow Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson to be dancing to the Bon Scott Reunion Band when in their heads they are thinking Crack A Bottle.
Stern, you just don’t get it, change has passed you by my friend, it is time to retire.
PS. – ESPN, this is your job, not mine, stop catering to special interests in sports.
my answer is try to check on this site http://www.youtube.com/ there you find it.
August 31st, 2009
Posted by admin in imaging associates phone | 4 Comments »
Ancestral DNA lab report? Is this real?
had a ancestral DNA test done on me to either confirm or deny Native American heritage. The only problem is, I suspect that the lab report may be fake. Here’s the whole story….. I finally get the call from a very small local business that my ancestral DNA report had come in and that I could come for a results consultation the next day. So, when my girlfriend and I get there (she also had her ancestral DNA tested at the same time as I) the individual hands me my report and tells me that my Native American heritage is 5 % from the Seneca tribe, 2.5% Chippewa and 2% Shawnee. Obviously, I was very excited and started to ask more questions. However, as I began to think deeply about what was just handed to me I noticed that all the Haplogroups on my ACTUAL lab report were of the K variety. There were no A, B, C, D or X’s on the report whatsoever. The only piece of information that indicated Native American descent was a little map of the Eastern United States that had my alleged Native percentages and associated tribes below it (I’ve also included a link to a scanned image of both this paper and the actual lab report below). There were several misspellings and differences in text type in comparing my supposed lab report with my girlfriends. It gets more interesting. when I asked the individual at the business if I could have the phone number for the lab to ask them questions, she quickly told me that the lab doesn’t take calls from patients but that she would gladly answer any more of our questions. Can someone please help shine some light on this lab report and tell me if it’s legit or not. I would truly like to be able to believe them, but something deep down in me says I’ve been crocked.
Lab report page 1 – http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/chris_lisauckis/Ancestors/Page1.jpg?t=1250521636
Lab report page 2 – http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/chris_lisauckis/Ancestors/Page2.jpg?t=1250521845
Eastern U.S. Map with tribal percentages – http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/chris_lisauckis/Ancestors/img113.jpg?t=1250522161
No DNA test can identify a tribe.
If you were an A, B, C, D or X. They may have been able to tell you the geographical area your ancestor may have lived.
Each testing company arbitrarily assigns the geographical areas. They are not standard across the industry.
This is a link to a site that lists their geographical area categories.
DNA Tribes® Global Population Database
http://www.dnatribes.com/populations.html
—————-
The company you used is a scam, and you should report them to the Better Business Bureaus in your state.
Better Business Bureau
http://www.bbb.org/us/bbb-faqs/#faq1
.
August 29th, 2009
Posted by admin in imaging associates phone | 3 Comments »
resume and what you think of it?
Name
Address
phone number
Email
Objective
Seeking an opportunity to work as a web developer and be able to use my skills to enhance different projects of the specified company.
Skills
Languages: HTML, XHTML, XML, DHTML, JavaScript, ActionScript, CSS, AJAX, PHP, ASP. NET, Visual Basic. Net, MySQL, SQL
Microsoft Software: Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint, FrontPage, Windows Share point Server, Visual Studio.NET
Graphics Software: Dreamweaver, Flash, Director, Fireworks, Cold Fusion
Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop
Systems: Windows XP; DOS and Linux, Windows Server 2003
Education
Web and Graphics Certificate present
Web Designer Certificate 5/07
Web Developer Certificate 7/07
Associate in Applied Science Internet Technologies 7/07
Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC
Work Experience
.Net Framework and Application Developer
Wake Technical Community College
Raleigh, NC 01/06- 07/07
Language: ASP. Net, Visual Basic. Net and MySQL
Software: Microsoft Visual Studio
·Used ASP. Net and Visual Basic. Net simultaneously to code various portions of the site that consisted of numerous functions and their properties. Worked with website navigation including validation, error handling as well data binding and data controls.
·Cached and performance tuned as well as enhanced web services using Windows business needs of the site and the company.
·Created tables and Indexes and performed Query optimization. Worked with different database models. Tested, operated and maintained databases.
Language: XML
·Validated as necessary, converted CDATA nodes into text nodes, modified nodes and their content, handled errors while parsing an XML file and tested entity references.
·Stored properties and transformed XML with XSL, created an XML tree, using DTD and schema syntax.
·Included the design portion of the project by incorporating CSS, using different Internet browsers for testing pages of XML code and their corresponding CSS.
Freelance Web Developer
Remote 07/07 – 07/08
Languages: ASP.Net, Visual Basic.Net, MySQL, JavaScript, AJAX and HTML
Software: Visual Studio
·Constructed different portions of site with many functions and numerous properties using ASP. Net and Visual Basic. Net.
·Used JavaScript, HTML and AJAX to assign different forms with their corresponding events.
·Used Crystal reports to incorporate various forms including calendars, tables, push buttons, etc.
·MySQL was used to store the necessary data within tables and relate information within the tables accordingly.
·Error handled each page along with their corresponding pages.
Freelance Flash web designer
DJCameyo
Raleigh, NC 08/07- present
Languages: HTML, ActionScript
Software: Flash MX, Photoshop, ImageReady and Fireworks
·Necessary images were manipulated in Photoshop, ImageReady, and Fireworks.
·ActionScript was used to manipulate the action of the images and certain fonts.
·Certain HTML was used to construct the title, keywords and meta tags.
·Maintenance of the site is done as necessary.
Freelance Web Designer
Allclearwire 07/08- 09/08
Gardner, NC
Language: HTML
Software: FrontPage
·Changed HTML code so that the appearance of the required data within each page appeared as instructed.
·Changed coding of about one hundred pages within FrontPage.
Freelance Web Designer
New Beginning Community Mission
Raleigh, NC
Language: HTML
Software: Photoshop 07/08 – 08/12
·Change events in the site and type out required information using HTML.
·Manipulate images as required using Photoshop.
References available upon request
Way to long to read – condense it! HR people don’t want to read a book, but something they can look through quickly at a glance.
August 27th, 2009
Posted by admin in imaging associates phone | 1 Comment »
vocabulary help PLEASE?
1) Intrapersonal
2) Mass media
3) Interpersonal
4) Small group
5)Public speaking
A) A news station transmits a story via satellite to several countries.
B) Two people talk on the phone about plans for dinner that evening.
C) A guitar teacher conducts a lecture to a group of 300 students.
D) A group of people share their ideas, some speaking more than others.
E) A woman remembers a past experience while sitting on a park bench.
1) Conflict
2)Third person point of view
3)Theme
4)Simile
A) a narrator has limited access to the character’s thoughts and feelings
B) A main idea or key message in a story
C) A figure of speech in which things different in kind or quality are compared using like or as
D) A struggle between two opposing forces
1) Logical fallacies
2) Bandwagon
3) Plain folks
4) Transfer
5) Glittering generalities
A) Identifies with common people from everyday walks of life
B) Uses a generally accepted virtue which is usually employed to stir up favorable emotions
C) Uses a premise which is generally understood to draw conclusions
D) uses symbols, quotes or the images of famous people to convey a message not necessarily associated with them
E) the idea that everyone is doing this, or everyone supports this person/cause, so should you.
Intrapersonal – E
Mass media – A
Interpersonal – B
Small group – D
Public speaking – C
Conflict – D
Third person POV – A
Theme – B
Simile – C
A – plain folks
B – Transfer
C – Logical fallacies
D – Glittering generalities
E – bandwagon
August 25th, 2009
Posted by admin in imaging associates phone | 2 Comments »