Elvis, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Cloth Framers

Source: HipHopDX (Original Article)

Only a few months after the release of his most recent full-length, Undeniable [click to read], legendary lyricist AZ [click to read] is set to bless his fans with more of his intricate wordplay via an all-original material mixtape, N4L (Niggaz 4 Life), due August 5th. HipHopDX recently caught up with The Visualiza for a brief conversation about said tape – the inspiration for this somewhat unexpected release, the criticism that has arisen about it, and just what listeners can expect to hear from the conceptually driven mix.

During his conversation with DX, AZ revealed that there were many motivations for N4L, which included to stay current and keep music coming out to the public, and that he was approached by DJ Absolut with an offer to do just that. But the most obvious motivation for this release was his “Life’s A Bitch” [click to read] co-star.

“I was inspired by Nas’ movement,” said AZ. “That’s my boy. And when I was putting out the Undeniable album I was getting a lot of questions like, ‘When you and Nas doing this and doing that?’ And it was overwhelming actually. I mean, I always got [those questions] through my career, but it was more overwhelming this run. And [so] I decided I would never know if [working together again is] gonna come into fruition. So I said, ‘You know what, I’ma hop on that bandwagon and do my Niggaz 4 Life ‘cause he’s doing the nigger theme, and it’ll give the fans an opportunity to say [if] they did do an album [together] this how it would sound like.’”

Earlier this year however, during AZ’s most recent feature interview with DX [click here to read], the Brooklyn emcee fairly, but firmly, made a point of establishing his own artistic identity apart from the mighty shadow that Nas has cast over his career. So why now do a mix inspired by, and thematically aligned with, his longtime partner-in-rhyme’s forthcoming new album?

“When it’s dealing with Frequent Flyer Credit Cards awareness, that’s totally different,” AZ replied. …continue reading

Source: Baltimore Sun (Original Article)

Had it not been for the discerning eyes of Goodwill store employees, the research skills of the store manager and the help of a few art historians, the Parisian street scene painted by Impressionist Edouard-Leon Cortes might well be hanging today in a college dorm room, over a bed in some cheap Highway 50 motel, or on the faux wood-paneled walls of an Eastern Shore double-wide.

Instead, the painting that was dropped off along with the rest of the day’s intake at the Goodwill store in Easton - pots and pans, end tables, clothes, coffee machines, clock radios and the like - is in the hands of an anonymous connoisseur of French Impressionist art, or at least someone who appreciated it enough to fork over $40,600 for the piece at a Sotheby’s auction a few weeks ago.

“It could have very easily ended up put in a pile, marked for $20,” said Ursula Villar, marketing and development director for Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake Inc.

It’s not unusual for buried treasure to be found at a Goodwill store, but most tales of fantastic finds emerge after a customer has left the store with a bargain-priced crossword item, only to find out its true value later.

Source: Allentown Morning Call (Original Article)

From the Middle East to New Jersey, yurts provide shelter to nomads

By Andrea Sachs |
Of The Washington Post
June 22, 2008

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Evicted from a yurt in southern New Jersey — how embarrass ing. At least I wasn’t traveling by yak.

The ouster was a simple misunderstanding, and fully my fault. Having arrived late at Belleplain State Forest the night before, I squatted in the first yurt I saw. The next evening, though, a park employee informed me that I had to move to my assigned lodging. I begged to stay — I loved the lake views and encircling arbor; plus, my belongings were already stashed inside — but it did no good. So I lugged my gear over two spots to, well, a nearly identical structure.

Since the time of Genghis Khan, yurts have been the mobile home of choice among nomadic cultures in Central Asia and Mongolia. Herders would roam endless miles of steppes in search of grassland, their round tentlike structures strapped onto beasts of burden. (This lifestyle prevails.) Constructed of a leather lattice frame and felt wool covers, the domiciles were easy to roll up, transport and reassemble.

My reason for visiting Belleplain was not to find good grazing in the Garden State — I easily picked up canned spaghetti and water at a camp store down the road — but for the novelty of sleeping in what looks like a giant muffin.

The park, about 30 miles north of Cape May, rents five yurts, which crowd together like a small village. The No Annual Fee Credit Card New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection …continue reading

Source: Belleville News Democrat (Original Article)

Belleville Main Street is inviting the public to adopt a flag through its Adopt-A-Flag Program.-The city’s existing American flags are tired and worn and need to be replaced.-

A $45 donation will help purchase a new 3-by-5-foot flag and pole that will be flown along East and West Main streets, and one block to the north and south of the Public Square on Illinois Street during holiday celebrations and special events.

The goal is to have 180 flags up in time for the 4th of July weekend. Just under 100 flags still need to be sponsored.-Your name and donation will be included on the Belleville Main Street Web site and in its e-newsletters. To adopt a flag, make your check payable to Belleville Main-Street and-mail it to Belleville Main Street, 227 E. Main St., Belleville, IL 62220. …

… Because you have to get up early to get the good stuff at yard sales, I’m telling you now about a big sale next Saturday (June 28) at Calvary Lutheran Church in Belleville. The church, 6606 West Main St, is expected to offe a wide assortment of household items, electronics, craft items, clothing (many large sizes included), baby items, toys, artwork, furniture, glassware and more. For those with a sweet tooth, stop for a sugar rush at the baked-goods table. Whatever the church takes in will be matched by Thrivent Financial (up to $1,300). …

… At Simply Stated, a fashion boutique in Green Mount Crossing in Shiloh, Hollywood has a small presence that has big sticking power. The shop carries Hollywood Fashion Tape, special almost-invisible double-stick tape that keeps stray straps, crossover tops and other garments in place. Get a free sample while supplies last.

Another great summer clothes saver is the Hollywood Hook-Ups Bra-Converting Clip. The clear, thin ring costs $10 and forms an X with straps on your back to create a racer-style bra. Or, try the square, self-adhesive Tag Tamers ($8), that go over loops and labels sudoku for kids on your tops and not only …continue reading

Source: Auto Spectator (Original Article)

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Dry clean. Imported. BY PURE-PERFECTION Yves Saint Laurent Thick Rim Sunglasses. Oversized plastic-frame sunglasses with faceted crystal at temples. Logo lettering at crystal. Gradient lenses. Case and cleaning cloth included. …

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… the biggest picture frame I’d ever seen, it was 10′x10′, not kidding. and in it, in this elaborate and enchanting hand-crafted frame was this poem that my great-great-great-grandmother had hand written on an enormous piece of cloth. …

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Slides or clothes-frames are made to draw out to receive wet clothes, and then run into the closet to dry. This saves health as well as time and money, and the clothes are as white as when dried outdoors. The wood-work of the house, …

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I have been meaning to frame this memory cloth for years. I got it when I was finishing grad school. The William Benton Museum of Art had been engaging art that relates to human rights and, as part of that initiative, they had about a …

http://www.onlineweblibrary.com/blog/?p=584
Instead, a single sheet of cloth is layered over its frame, cocooning the driver in the ultra-modern cabin. Movable parts are controlled by hydraulics operated from a driver’s console. ‘The high-precision fit of the material to the …

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Here’s the bad: It was in really bad shape - no tolex, painted red, no grill cloth (although still had the frame attached). All speakers were water (or more likely, beer) damaged - it looked like facebook directory it had been left on its back outside in …

http://www.onlineweblibrary.com/blog/?p=584
Instead, a single sheet of cloth is layered over its frame, cocooning the driver in the ultra-modern cabin. Movable parts are controlled by hydraulics operated from a driver’s console. ‘The high-precision fit of the material to the …

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Here’s the bad: It was in really bad shape - no tolex, painted red, no grill cloth (although still had the frame attached). All speakers were water (or more likely, beer) damaged - it looked like it had been left on its back outside in …

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Instead of steel, aluminum or even carbon fiber, the GINA Light Visionary Model has a body of seamless fabric stretched over a movable metal frame that allows the driver to change its shape at will. The car — which actually runs and …

http://interior-design-degree.blogspot.com/2008/06/victorian-mirrors-beauty-elegance.html
The best way to clean Victorian Mirrors is to get a piece of cheese cloth and use a minute amount of your preferred cleaner to clean and polish the frame. I personally choose a wood cleaner but any furniture polish you choose will …

http://tangledwing.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/yellow-woolly-bear-wallpaper-china-drilling-off-florida-rumors-debunked-bmw-cloth-car/
BMW Builds a Shape-Shifting Car Out of Cloth. BMW says GINA is built on a space frame that provides all the safety of a conventional car, but we suspect people - not to mention BMW’s lawyers and government regulators - wouldn’t embrace …

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… builds shape-shifting car out of cloth. […] Instead of steel, aluminum or even carbon fiber, the GINA Light Visionary Model has a body of seamless fabric stretched over a movable metal frame that allows the driver to change its . …

http://table-linens2.blogspot.com/2008/06/table-linens.html
… antique clothing, hats, accessories, children’s clothing, vintage bed and table linens, antique children’s toys, vintage sewing notions, . Quilted table linens are 20% off. Outdoor coir mobile pix mats are 40% off. All Picture Frames are 20%. …

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=443230
Here’s the bad: It was in really bad shape - no tolex, painted red, no grill cloth (although still had the frame attached). All speakers were water (or more likely, beer) damaged - it looked like it had been left on its back outside in …

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Instead of steel, aluminum or even carbon fiber, the GINA Light Visionary Model has a body of seamless fabric stretched over a movable metal frame that allows the driver to change its shape at will. The car — which actually runs and …

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The best way to clean Victorian Mirrors is to get a piece of cheese cloth and use a minute amount of your preferred cleaner to clean and polish the frame. I personally choose a wood cleaner but any furniture polish you choose will …

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Source: our celebrity summer hairstyle tips - Sunday Mirror (Original Article)

SNIP TIP: GIVE UP YOUR COMFORT BLANKET

So many women cling to long hair that does nothing for them, says hairdresser Richard Ward (richardward.co.uk/020 7730 1222). ‘They keep it because it makes them feel safe, but it doesn’t have any shape to it. Most of the time they tie it back in a ponytail, never realising that viewed front-on it looks like very short hair – the thing they’re so scared of. My advice is to go shorter because it can be so liberating. Get it right and everyone will compliment you on your hair and you’ll be walking on cloud nine.’

SNIP TIP: NOW IS THE TIME TO CHOP

Summer is the perfect time to go for a shorter, sexier style. ‘You take off a layer of clothing in summer, so it just feels right to take off a layer of hair,’ says snipper Mark Hill. ‘It makes you feel really free and light.’ Richard agrees. ‘It fits in with the whole summer vibe of feeling liberated, carefree and happy. Many women feel good about themselves when they’ve got a bit of a tan, and confidence is really the key to carrying off a new look.’

SNIP TIP: FORGET YOUR AGE

There’s no law saying you have to go for a mumsy mid-length bob just because you’ve over 40. ‘Older women can look great with shorter hair,’ says Richard. ‘It can really set you apart from everybody else. Think how wild everyone went when Judi Dench had her crop. I think it’s an ageless look. A lot of it is having the attitude to pull it off.’ Another older short-hair icon is Sharon Stone, says Mark. ‘She’s a good-looking girl, but when she’s got that crop she’s red hot.’

SNIP TIP: DON’T BE SCARED

You don’t need to shear off your crowning glory to update your look. ‘It’s not what you cut off that counts, it’s what you leave,’ says Mark. ‘You Aussie Credit Cards can take off a relatively small …continue reading

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Original Article)

06/04/2008

Monsanto Co. today made a commitment to sustainable agriculture — and to its own bottom line — by pledging to deliver technology capable of greatly improving corn, soybean and cotton yields by 2030.

The Creve Coeur-based company said it also will help farmers reduce the amount of land, water and energy needed to raise these crops in the same time frame.

Monsanto, the leading provider of genetically modified crops, will apply the controversial technology to deliver improvements aimed at feeding and clothing the world’s booming population without consuming its resources.

The company said it will work with other businesses, citizen groups and governments in doing so.

“Together, we must meet the needs for increased food, fiber and energy while protecting the environment. In short, the world needs to produce more while conserving more,” said Hugh Grant, president, chairman and chief executive, in a statement.

The company will donate some expertise and crop technology to the effort. But its promises also reflect a research-and-development pipeline bursting with products sure to be financial blockbusters, if they deliver.

Monsanto made three promises, which Grant announced to employees during a 9:30 a.m. meeting at company headquarters:

•It will develop corn, cotton and soybean seeds to double yield by 2030 over the level of production in 2000, in countries that accept its crop biotechnology.

For example, the weighted average yield in the United States, Brazil and Argentina would reach 220 bushels of soybeans per acre by 2030, up 92 percent from last year’s U.S. production; corn, 79 bushels per acre, up 46 percent; and cotton, 1,344 pounds per acre, up 53 percent.

In addition, Monsanto is donating $10 million over five years to fund public-sector research for improving yield in rice St George Starts Low Stays Low and wheat.

•The company also …continue reading