Archive for December, 2008
December 26, 2008 at 12:50 am · Filed under Movies Portal
One of the surprise comedies of 1995, Friday features the antics of two guys in Los Angeles who decide to spend a day hanging out on their porch and wasting away the day. With a well-selected cast, the characters in Friday are some of the most eccentric and outrageous persons that can be found in any movie. A lot can happen in the neighborhood on any given day, and best friends Craig and Smokey get to see it all. And along the way, they learn a few lessons about life…
When Craig Jones (Ice Cube) gets fired from his job, his dogcatcher father (John Witherspoon) pressures him to spend the day looking for a new job - “The word of the day, Craig is job - J-O-B. Job!” But Craig doesn’t feel like looking for a job just yet, and when his best friend Smokey (Chris Tucker) pays a visit to the house, a day of doing nothing becomes an absolute certainty. With both his parents away at work, Craig and Smokey hang out on the front porch of the Jones house where they observe the strange behavior of the various eccentric characters who live in their neighborhood.
Encouraging Craig to try some weed for the first time, Smokey involves Craig in a personal dispute with local drug dealer Big Worm (Faizon Love) who accuses Smokey (one of his dealers) of smoking up his product. Smokey denies the allegation and agrees to pay Big Worm $200 later that night. Big Worm says if he doesn’t get his money by then, he’ll kill Smokey and Craig…
When Craig finds out what happened, he’s furious. As he and Smokey attempt to figure out a way to get the $200, they get sidetracked by a number of different people. Among them are Deebo (Tom ‘Tiny’ Lister), the neighborhood bully who no one will challenge, Mrs. Parker (Kathleen Bradley), the exhibitionist neighbor who Craig and Smokey fantasize about, Felisha (Angela Means), a drug-addicted neighbor with no job, Ezal (Anthony Johnson), the neighborhood crack addict, and an assorted barrage of other characters and Janet Jackson look-alikes…
When Craig’s current girlfriend gets angry because he talks to another woman, he pursues Debbie (Nia Long), a much more desirable girl in his mother’s eyes. But as the end of the evening nears, Big Worm sends his minions after Craig and Smokey, and Craig ends up in a personal showdown with Deebo. Will Craig use a gun to get rid of Deebo, or will he fight it out like a man?
A hilarious comedy, Friday is a non-stop series of laughs. Chris Tucker’s overpowering screen presence literally makes this film. Without him, Friday would be little more than a humdrum bore. In fact, if one were to read the script alone, it’s extremely doubtful that any director or producer would bite. But when Tucker reads the lines, they take on a life of their own. Tucker is just plain funny - a hilarious comic who can draw an audience with his personality alone. Also of note - don’t watch Friday on basic cable or any other medium that will water down the dialogue and edit it down to nothing. One can’t experience the true film unless it’s watched uncut. Otherwise, it’s not funny at all, with or without Chris Tucker. Overall, this is a unique and different film. A comedy with its own personal identity. And for that reason, Friday is a must-see film. Try not to miss it…
About the Author
Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Friday (DVD).
December 25, 2008 at 9:04 pm · Filed under Software + More
Looking for inexpensive animation software? There are dozens of great titles on the internet. Here are the ones you should take a look at.
SWFText (Ants Soft)
SWF Text is an author tool of Flash text animation. It embraces 150+ text effects and 20+ background effects, and users may also customize all the properties of a Flash, including font, text color, and layout, etc. With SW FText, a user without any experience of Flash development can easily create a Flash banner or an introductory page within a few minutes. And all you need do is to input text, select font and animation effects. While a veteran Flash designer may use SWF Text for text animation in a project, which sure greatly saves your time and effort.
FantaMorph (Abrosoft)
Abrosoft FantaMorph is powerful and easy-to-use morphing software for the creation of fantastic image morphing pictures and sophisticated animation effects. FantaMorph empowers users with the tools to add unique and exciting visual effects to screen savers, web graphics, music videos, advertisements, movies, educational software, presentations, email, greeting cards, and various other electronic documents. You won’t be disappointed with the professional quality of your FantaMorph projects.
And yes it’s also a valuable and sophisticated toy for personal entertainment. You can do everything a professional animation director does to create amazing images and animations. FantaMorph supports most image formats including BMP, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, TGA, PCX, and even professinal 32bit with alpha formats.
CoffeeCup GIF Animator (CoffeeCup Software)
CoffeeCup GIF Animator allows you to create or edit Animated GIFs for your Web pages. Just open the software and it guides you through making great Animated GIFs in just a few simple steps. It’s so easy… anyone can do it. CoffeeCup GIF Animator can also convert JPEG and BMP graphics to GIFs automatically, as well as import AVI files. You can save your animations as Flash too. There is also a floating Preview Window so you can see your Animation and Edit at the same time! GIF Animator makes it easy to create professional GIF Animations, and even Export them to Flash SWF format… and the HTML code is generated automatically for easy insertion into any Web page.
CrazyTalk (Reallusion)
Now, without the use of any additional video hardware or software, CrazyTalk enables users to easily and quickly generate professional-grade output. Images are brought to life by displaying emotions and lip-synching with recordings of your own voice, imported audio files or text messages. Send your animated images as talking electronic greeting cards, as a talking messenger in e-mail or an EXE file attachment.
More Information:
http://www.deprice.com/swftext.htm
http://www.deprice.com/abrosoftfantamorph.htm
http://www.deprice.com/coffeecupgifanimator.htm
http://www.deprice.com/crazytalkhome.htm
John Deprice is an amateur animator. His library of animation software is available at http://www.deprice.com/design.htm
December 25, 2008 at 2:50 pm · Filed under Fashion, Shopping Info
Today a lot of people prefer to get their swimwear online; buying online is an unproblematic and proper way to shop in the calm of your own home.
It is fundamental to check whilst getting swimwear on the World Wide Web that it defiantly fits you perfectly. When you acquire swimwear on the World Wide Web always double check that the store offers a decent quality sizing diagram that highlights all of the measurements you may need. With the use of a sizing chart one can make sure to buy a swimsuit or bikini that fits precisely, as a result reducing the need to switch for an alternative size. The Majority of the online swimwear retail stores don’t agree to an exchange of goods so it’s usually always better to pick an online store where exchanges are allowed. Several online shops will allow the returns of swimwear if the tags & the original packaging are also returned along with it. Find eye-catching and sexy swim wear at great prices from designers such as StarBlu, Verde Veronica, Sunflair, Lola Luna, Seafolly and Continental Textile
Swimwear is a common aspect of the summer; despite this a large majority of full-figured females feel intimidated at the ideas of shopping for swimsuits & bikinis that fit properly. These women even ponder over wearing caftans by the swimming pool or at the beach instead of looking unattractive. Designers and shopkeepers are familiar with the fashion issues of the overweight woman, & are finally featuring a wide range of stylish bathing suit designs in bigger sizes, & one of the best places to discover such swimwear is to obtain swimwear on the Web.
December 24, 2008 at 11:00 am · Filed under Cash + Credit + More
Incredibly, since the changes in the bankruptcy law in April 2004, debtors are more likely to petition for their own bankruptcy rather than their creditors! You would think that most people who have been threatened with the prospect of being made Bankrupt would be riddled with fear of the possibility. It is more widely referred to as the “Big B” rather than the dreaded word itself. However, is this a thing of the past? Since the changes in The Enterprise Act 2002 took place in April 2004 it would appear a lot more people are inclined to petition for their own bankruptcy as a solution to their debt problems.
It appears that more people are choosing to go for Bankruptcy as they think that within one year of a Bankruptcy order being made, they could be debt free. Unfortunately, things might not be as simple as that and it would be wise to find out what options are available before taking the plunge.
In some circumstances, Bankruptcy is the best option, but that is only some circumstances, not all. Even in Bankruptcy, you are still required to make payments from your income for up to three years, if you have a reasonable surplus. The Official Receiver (OR) also has the period of three years (not one year) to stake his claim on your residential home and if there is any equity in your property within that time period, the Official Receiver is likely to claim it.
Considering Bankruptcy?
For some people, Bankruptcy really is the only way out. There are numerous reasons why people find themselves in this situation. If you know you are unable to repay your creditors; you have no assets and there is no prospect of you making reasonable offers of repayment to your creditors, then petitioning for Bankruptcy could be right for you.
What Happens when a Petition is made?
Petition for Bankruptcy is made in one of two ways. Either you will make a petition yourself at a cost of £450, or your creditor will make a petition against you. If a creditor decides to make a petition for Bankruptcy, they would be responsible for showing that you either could not or would not repay the debt owed to them. Unless the petition was significantly disputed, it is likely that a Bankruptcy Order will be made.
Before the legislation changes in April 2004, if a Court believed that you could afford to make reasonable offers of repayments to your creditors, an Insolvency Practitioner would be appointed to look into your affairs and make a report to see if you were willing to make proposals to repay your debt. Your creditors would then be requested to consider your proposals. This has now changed…
If you make a petition for Bankruptcy, the Court will assume you have taken advice and you know you cannot repay your creditors. Therefore, a Bankruptcy order will be made. However, once the order has been made, an Official Receiver will then look into your state of affairs, and if the Official Receiver believes you do have the facility to make reasonable offers of repayment, they may refer you for a Fast Track IVA.
The cost
In order for you to petition for your own bankruptcy, it will not only cost you £450, but, the process will take up a lot of your time and possibly cause you a great deal of stress. Even after the bankruptcy order has been made the Official Receiver (OR) could decide that a Fast Track IVA would be more suitable. If that happens you have basically lost £450 and caused yourself a lot of unnecessary stress.
So what should you do?
Before petitioning for your own bankruptcy, you should get an assessment of your financial situation. It is definitely advisable to get an assessment done before making a petition rather than an Official Receiver making the assessment after a Bankruptcy Order had been made. Companies such as FCL Debt Clinic can offer you this assessment with no charge! You will be informed of all options that are available and if a more suitable route can be taken in order to avoid the implications of Bankruptcy, this will be advised as another way to resolve your situation.
Nicola Bullimore has been working with people to resolve debt problems for a number of years. For more information regarding debt issues, please visit Debt Questions website.
December 23, 2008 at 5:45 pm · Filed under Cash + Credit + More
Personal debt consolidation loans can be a big help to a lot of people. The fact is debt is at an all time high in this country as people are trying to make up for some of the devastating losses they suffered during the big down turn in the economy. So more and more people turned to loans and such to make up for the income that they did not have. Now that the economy is turning around a bit you see that these very same people are also swimming in the debt they created and are not able to reap any benefits from the upswing because all of their extra income is going to pay off debts that they incurred during the lean times. This has created a certain amount of trouble when you consider that bankruptcy is no longer a viable option for most people since the change in laws.
Personal debt consolidation loans are one method people are using to find some relief and that is good news for the entire population. Using the personal debt consolidation loan means you will get a loan that will in turn pay off all of your debts leaving you with one single payment that will take care of everything. Now, the matter is whether or not you actually need to get a personal debt consolidation loan. That is really a question you will need to ask yourself and then look at the requirements the companies that offer the loans have. There is not a service for everyone. People who are looking to get out from underneath a single high interest bill will most likely not qualify for this type of service because it is not designed to take care of one particular loan. What it is designed for is those people who have no way of seeing their way clear in the foreseeable future thanks to a massive amount of high interest debt that is sucking up all of their income.
You should check with a credit counselor to determine if you are a candidate or not. Most often there is a work sheet these companies will use to make a determination. This work sheet will look at how much income you have plus the debt that is amassed. From there the company will make the determination. If it turns out that you are able to receive the help then you need to make sure you understand all that will go into such a process for a personal debt consolidation loan.
Connie Barker is the owner of several financial websites including Personal Debt Consolidation Loan
December 20, 2008 at 10:41 pm · Filed under Software + More
Spyware and Adware infest over 90 percent of computers in use today. Internet linked computers has made it easy for spybots, adware, and trojans to infiltrate and compromise online privacy. Installed toolbars can also contribute to browser hijacking and spyware related problems.
Spyware, malware, scumware, and trojans gather information about people and online activities. It is important to deny these “Internet Pests” the opportunity to infiltrate computers, so that computer privacy is intact. Everybody is entitled to enjoy online privacy and security.
There are serious consequences pertaining to unidentified spyware, which include identity theft, computer corruption, slow down of pc system, privacy issues, and annoying pop-up ads. Neglecting to stop spyware is a surefire way to invite computer infestations. Spyware removal software is a “must” for Internet privacy and security.
Spyware slips by anti-virus and firewall protection by piggybacking on seemingly legitimate downloads. These spyware files are stealthily installed on computer systems without anyone ever knowing it. Infestations often occur when people download freeware, shareware, file sharing or through email and instant messaging.
Spyware and adware are applications that intertwine with core computer functions and make manual removal, without system disruption, very difficult for most computer users. That is why it is important to have anti-spyware software installed.
A spyware scanner is a useful tool that protects computers at all times, so that people can enjoy surfing the net, without compromising privacy. Personal surfing habits, online chats and Internet activities are protected from those prying Internet eyes. Online identity theft is of great concern these days. Hence, it is a good idea to install spyware removal software, for online privacy. Protect yourself, from Internet snooping and stealing of personal information, for peace of mind.
Julian Pereira has researched Spyware and its many implications over the years. He brings to light the many problems that spyware can cause to unsuspecting computer users besides the loss of privacy and the risk of identity theft. Julian also has a website that offers a Free Spyware Scanner that can be found at http://www.DeleteSpyware.net
December 18, 2008 at 11:55 pm · Filed under Cash + Credit + More
The recently passed Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act was hailed as a breakthrough in bankruptcy law. Passed with bipartisan support in Congress and signed enthusiastically by President Bush, the law creates sweeping changes in debt law and will make it much more difficult for debtors to have their obligations swept away by the courts. A major requirement of the new law will require that anyone considering filing for bankruptcy to first undergo credit counseling. The idea is sound; anyone with problem debt can probably benefit from some discussions about money management. There’s just one problem - Congress failed to include any details in the bill about what, exactly, constitutes credit counseling.
The credit counseling industry, which includes for-profit as well as nonprofit organizations, has been through some hard times lately. The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating some firms that have claimed to be nonprofit but were actually steering their clients into pricey debt consolidation plans run by for-profit affiliates. These high-profile cases have left a dark cloud hanging over the industry. With the new legislation set to take effect this October, many consumers have questions about the nature of the counseling requirements. Who will pay for it, and what sorts of fees are acceptable? The bill doesn’t say whether the debtors themselves or their creditors will pay the counseling fees or how much the service should cost. The law only states that the fees must be “reasonable” and that the services should be available even if the debtor cannot afford to pay. The thought of being forced to provide counseling to customers who cannot pay has justifiably angered the counseling industry. Even nonprofit agencies have overhead and typically charge some sort of fee.
Who qualifies as a counselor? As “credit counselor” is a vague term with no real legal meaning, anyone might be able to place a sign on a building and call himself or herself a credit counselor. Is that what Congress had in mind? The US Trustee Program is in charge of making all of these determinations, and the department is said to be compiling a list of “approved” agencies. Presumably, the Trustees will also be examining these other issues and providing guidelines before the law takes effect. In the meantime, both debtors and counselors are concerned as thousands of Americans will be seeking advice for their debt problems come October. By then, with a little luck, consumers with problem debt will have some way of knowing whom they should call before filing for bankruptcy.
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to establishing credit, debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding mortgages and home equity lines of credit.
December 18, 2008 at 10:07 pm · Filed under Movies Portal
Video production is the process of producing a video for commercial purposes like movies, advertisement, music, and corporate promotions, though some production also takes place in the form of home videos. Video production companies are firms that are engaged in the commercial production of video.
Most video production companies offer all the services that are required from the pre-production stage to the production stage, and later, to the post-production stage. Video production companies handle the pre-production work of conceptualizing, scripting, and scheduling, together with the critical job of planning and organizing the entire process. Proper planning can help keep the costs down. During the production stage, the companies are involved in setting up the equipment at the location and directing the filming. In the post-production stage, video production companies are engaged in editing and duplication.
The growth of this industry has been helped by the tremendous development in digital video production technology. The ever-increasing pool of talented and highly skilled personnel has also provided the vital support from the supply side. The Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers is a membership organization that brings together domestic and international video makers.
Video production companies are moving from the traditional arena of plain video production to offering their expertise on the Internet. Future growth for these companies is envisioned in the areas of web design, streaming video services, and interactive television and CD-ROM development. While concentrating on video production helps in providing an image of a sound production company, the future revenues for this industry are seen coming from activities that are focused upon the Internet.
Video Production provides detailed information on Video Production, Music Video Production Companies, Video Production Companies, Film and Video Production and more. Video Production is affiliated with Funny Video Clips.
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December 18, 2008 at 1:54 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Inspire to be I Inspire to be The best Me that I can be Inspire to be To achieve To inspire to be Me To search For the answers I look for To always walk through Opportunities doors To uplift And never quit To follow my path Always being a realist Inspire to be What God has destined for me To be a positive voice Within today’s society Like the words Dr. King spoke Within my ears they still ring Never settling for less Always embrace the whole thing In-spire 2 syllables with hope Goal oriented, self worth When situation arise being strong and able to cope Inspire to be You Inspire to be what God has created Regardless of others views Be that beacon That shines Inspire to be a leader Always use your mind Inspire… ©2008-04-13 GC An EbonyPoetJoint All rights reserved
www.originalpoetry.com/inspiretobe
to guide or control by divine influence. 8. to prompt or instigate (utterances, acts, etc.) by influence, without avowal of responsibility. 9. to give rise to, bring about, cause, etc.: a philosophy that inspired a revolution. 10. to take (air, gases, etc.) into the lungs in breathing; inhale. 11. Archaic. a. to infuse (breath, life, etc.) by breathing (usually fol. by into). b. to breathe into or upon.
December 15, 2008 at 5:09 am · Filed under Cash + Credit + More
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away; yeah well so does having no medical
insurance. Many of you reading this right now may be thinking I’m only kidding but
the alarming fact is that 43.6 million American’s are walking around right now with
no medical coverage at all. That is nearly 16 percent of our nation who sacrifice
their annual physicals and rely on self-diagnosis of minor ailments, which may be
indicative of bigger problems. I only know this because I’m one of those who
haven’t been to the doctor since my college housing required it and I have yet to
jump through all the hoops it takes to obtain a reasonable coverage program.
Is this possibly the latest hobby for thrill seekers? The latest craze for those who
like to live on the edge? No, in fact I would emphasize the fact that with no medical
coverage I’ve become quite the germophobe and will rarely be found without my
two best friends instant hand sanitizer and my big ol’ can of Lysol. The time I spend
each week on WebMD and the money I lay down for my vitamins is a story for
another day. The sad thing is I was never like this prior to acknowledging the huge
out of pocket costs that accompany an uninsured visit to the doc. I was never afraid
of cutting my hand open on a piece of unbroken glass or to nervous to drive during
rush hour traffic in fear of risking an accident which would surely involve major
injuries.
So maybe I’m exaggerating a little on that last one but the point here is
with no medical insurance, you can either watch your back or pay the gianormous
fees that doctors are allowed to charge. Of course you will then have to watch your
back from all the creditors who will be out to get you and just might do things to
you that doctors can’t fix.
What is even more worrisome is the types of occupations that do not offer medical
coverage these days and the growing number of people being required to insure
themselves. A brief study (involving me walking around the mall with a clipboard-
and looking very official might I add) exposed that its not just part time retail
workers who have to scrounge the bottom of the bargain barrel for leftover HMOs.
The list included occupations ranging from a drycleaner’s store manager (who had
to buy her own coverage) to a fellow writer for a local newspaper. Respondents who
toped the list however included a pre-school teacher (I was under the impression
that a job of that service would most definitely merit some form of benefits) and a
construction worker (but as long as he never gets sick and only gets hurt on the job
he’s perfectly safe)!
We are so lucky to live in a country where all the best technology and medical
research are at our dispose; unfortunately the flip side of that coin makes these
resources virtually inaccessible to so many of us. Lets face it though, not all
ailments just “go away” and Nyquil may indeed help you get your Z’s but it certainly
won’t do the trick against any form of meningitis. Sometimes, you just have to
break down, throw up the white flag and make a visit to the doctor or even worse,
the dreaded emergency room. Now I’ve had my fair share of jaunts to the ER and
don’t get me wrong, I would never complain about the care and attention I received,
the doctors and nurses in those places put up with more than I could ever imagine.
But from my experiences I will say that the ER is one of the few places where even in
today’s politically correct atmosphere, judgments fly and assumptions are a way of
life.
Sure there are some alternatives such as a doc-in-the-box or free clinic but in the
absence of insurance even these can get pricy. For those out there who weren’t in
the mood to wait out that stabbing pain on the right side of your lower abdomen or
didn’t have enough chewing gum in the house to fashion your own cast when you
broke your ankle don’t be afraid to reach out and ask someone for some assistance.
Find someone to contact because aside from becoming Canadian citizens and
signing up for their free health insurance it looks like our only other option is to sit
tight and wait for Congress to come to our rescue with a bill forcing employers to
cover their employees (better not hold our breath on that one). For more
information on who you may contact, just follow the link and I wish you all the
health (and hand sanitizer) in the world.
Katie Spencer is a contributing writer for a number of international financial journals both online and in print. Katie has been delivering financial education to the public in a variety of areas to include budgeting, credit and debt management, and money saving tips. Recently, Katie has been in partnership with a national educational foundation to deliver financial advice to American consumers via the web.
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