zone reality

The ghost zone game

2012-01-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

The Ghost Zone is a fictional dimension from the Nickelodeonanimated television series Danny Phantom. Highlighted in season 3, the veryfabric of the Ghost Zone coexists with the physical world; their mutual anddual existences is interlinked; they are the proverbial 'flip-side-of-the-coin'to each other. The 'Ghost Zone' is a dimension composed of variations ofectoplasm where 'ghosts' exist and through naturally occurring portals cancross-over into the human world, hoping to make a scene or take over mankind. DannyPhantom's life was actually permanently changed by a portal into the Ghost Zonewhen he was involved in an accident in his parent's basement laboratory.Danny's parents, Jack and Maddie Fenton, constructed an artificial GhostPortal, a gateway into the Ghost Zone, which Danny accidentally activated whilestanding inside, fusing his DNA with ectoplasm and making him half ghost.

Croatian popular blog "Italian Lotto 6 / 90"

2010-11-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

Italian lotto - Croatian popular blog "Italian Lotto 6 / 90," conveyed the news of the biggest gains in the Italian lottery in history. 70 players of Italian lottery is divided between them more than 177 million euros. This win was coming to 133 draws. Croatian popular blog "Italian lotto" follows the events surrounding the Italian lotto game. Blog is the web address http://sreca-lotto.blogspot.com/ The Italian SuperEnalotto is a modified version of the glorious Enalotto of the 1950s. Re-launched in 1997, the formula's simplicity and number of record-breaking wins has made the lottery so popular that Italians Reportedly spend over U.S. $ 38 billion a year on lottery play. One of the biggest lottery game in Italy is the SuperEnalotto, Which can be thought of as Italy's answer to the Power Ball game that is played in the USA. Enalotto has been around for over half a century, and the modern SuperEnalotto game has been operated by Sisal since 1996th SuperEnalotto is played every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Players choose six numbers from 1 to 90th Players can also choose to play a "SuperStar" - not exactly a bonus ball but one that can help them to Achieve a consolation prize should they miss out on the jackpot. If you can not get to a superenalotto outlet, the best was to play is onoline via the banner link above

Pojava duhova u obliku kugle

2010-11-08T04:04:00.000-08:00

Kugle su najfotografiranije anomalije uhvaćene od lovaca na duhove. One su najčešće i prikazuju se kao prozirni ili poluprozirni krugovi ili kugle u svjetlećem lebdećem izdanju iznad tla. Nekada se smatralo da fotografija zaslužuje nagradu ako je fotografirana kugla koja se pojavljuje na filmu s unutarnjim stvarima i sl. Međutim sadašnje spoznaje i znanja da neke digitalne kamere proizvode lažne krugove sa tim karakteristikama one se više ne mogu računati kao vjerodostojne. Impresivna značajka je kada su uhvaćeni na film s dugotrajnim trajanjem. To znači da su putovali prilično brzo u trenutku bljeskalice, što dodatno ukazuje da je autentično. Neki stručnjaci kažu da je 85% snimljenih kugli stvoreno slučajno u okolnostima i vremenskim uvjetima bljeskalice. Na Ghoststudy-u vjerujuju da je to prevelik postotak.

Biokovo, opasnost od lavina

2010-02-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

Planinari, koji možda dođu na Biokovo, trebaju biti vrlo oprezni zbog mogućih snježnih lavina, koje inače nisu uobičajene na toj najvišoj primorskoj planini, upozorava Josip Samac. Na najvišem biokovskom vrhu Svetom Juri visina snijega je oko 1,5 metara, što i nije česta 'zimska slika' oko televizijskog odašiljača zbog vjetra što puše na vrhu Biokova, a temperatura je jutros bila minus 6 Celzijevih stupnjeva. U nanosima snijeg je visok oko 4,5 metara, a na ostalim planinskim predjelima viši od 2 metra, kazao je Samac.Biokovska cesta nije prohodna. Čišćenje te dvadesetak kilometara duge planinske prometnice od prijevoja Staza do vrha Biokova počet će u ponedjeljak kako bi bila obavljena smjena 'posade' na odašiljaču. Iz Gradskog centra Osejava u Makarskoj upozoravaju izletnike da automobilom ne kreću dalje od prijevoja Staza kako ne bi ostali u snijegu i na zaleđenoj cesti na kojoj, bez obzira na zimsku opremu, nema mogućnosti kretanja ni mimoilaženja automobila. Visoki snijeg na Biokovu, gdje ga je protekle noći palo novih petnaestak centimetara, prouzročio je snježne lavine koje su zamijećene na predjelu Troglav i na još nekoliko biokovskih vrhova i većih planinskih strmina, rekao je jutros dežurni tehničar na televizijskom odašiljaču na Biokovu Josip Samac.

US Police to Use Paraglider for Searches

2009-04-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

For the next six months, four men will suit up and take turns hovering in the skies above Brevard County's largest city, searching for the lost and looking for the out-of-place. They will be part of Palm Bay Police Department's "Operation Soar," a new pilot paragliding program. The mission: to use the long-established pastime of paragliding to carry out close-ground air searches for missing children or seniors amid the city's winding canals and heavily wooded areas. The ultra-light aircraft, funded with donations and funds from seized assets, also could be deployed for some above-ground patrols in neighborhoods plagued by burglars or other minor crimes, officials said. It's an ambitious step for a department already known for its innovation in being among the first to seek an unmanned drone for patrols. That plan -- which drew national attention and criticism from some local helicopter pilots -- failed to get off the ground after the Federal Aviation Administration stepped in. But officials at the county's second-largest police agency don't believe the motorized paraglider, which will not be flown above 400 feet, would run afoul of the federal agency. The craft, which will be flown for about 45 minutes at a time, also will not be used in pursuits. For that, Palm Bay police will still call on the Brevard County Sheriff's Office helicopter, officials said. The $25,000 paraglider -- produced by Dudek Paragliders manufacturers in Poland and emblazoned with the police department's insignia -- was donated to the agency by Ray McMahon, a Cocoa Beach distributor who operates Powered Para Gliding. The department used $7,000 in seized drug-related funds to install a bulletproof-lined seat, an extra safety chute and a special inflatable vest, officials said. One key concern was whether someone might fire a gun at the flying officers. "In law enforcement, there are all types of risks. They could snipe at us while we're in the patrol cars, as has happened in the past," said Joe Eakins, an administrator in the Palm Bay Police Department who helped oversee the paraglider initiative. "But with the distance and height, we'll be less apt to be hit." Police administrators are excited by the prospect of doing flying patrols.( Story by clickorlando.com )

12 milijardi eura za obnovu

2009-04-17T02:47:00.000-07:00

Za obnovu područja u Italiji koje je 6. travnja teško stradalo u potresu, u kojemu je poginulo gotovo tristo osoba, a uništeno je i oštećeno više od 10.000 kuća, trebat će 12 milijardi eura, rekao je talijanski ministar unutarnjih poslova, a prenio je u srijedu Corriere della Sera. Dvanaest milijarda eura: to je svota koju moramo pronaći za obnovu Abruzza, pokrajine razorene u strašnom potresu - ocijenio je Roberto Maroni. Sjednica talijanske vlade treba se održati idući tjedan u L'Aquili, gradu koji je najviše stradao, kako bi se izdvojila sredstva za pomoć stanovnicima i za početak obnove. Kako piše Corriere, sjednica će se održati 23. ili 24. travnja.
U potresom poharanom području, svaka treća kuća nije za stanovanje, a u samom gradu L'Aquili čak i svaka druga. Premijer Silvio Berlusconi izjavio je prošli tjedan da se nekoliko predsjednika država i vlada ponudilo da preuzmu financiranje obnove crkava i spomenika. L'Aquila, srednjovjekovni grad bogat baroknim spomenicima, jedan je od najvećih urbanističkih kompleksa iz srednjeg vijeka u Italiji. U potresu je oštećeno više povijesnih spomenika, većinom crkava. (javno.hr)

ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA

2009-01-09T23:54:00.001-08:00

Three Italian climbers were flown to safety and a third alpinist died Friday in Argentina following a blizzard on the highest mountain in the Americas. Mirko Affasio, 39, and Marina Attanasio, 38, were hospitalized with hypothermia, dehydration and severe bruising and could remain in the Mendoza facility for weeks, said Guido Loza, director of Department of Natural Resources for Mendoza province. Fellow climber Matteo Refrigerato, 35, also from Italy, was taken off the Aconcagua mountain later Friday. Severe hypothermia and loss of motion in his limbs had left him barely able to walk, but his condition stabilized and he was on his way to the hospital, said Flavio Costarelli, head of logistics for Aconcagua Park and part of the rescue operation.
The mountaineering party reached Aconcagua's 22,841-foot (6,962-meter) summit Wednesday afternoon but were then caught in a blinding snow storm. With visibility reduced to 30 feet (10 meters) and temperatures below minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 25 degrees Celsius), the alpinists lost their bearings and strayed from their route. Loza said an avalanche during the storm killed Italian Elena Senin, 38, on Wednesday. Argentine guide Federico Campanini, 31, was also injured in the slide and died the next day. Also Friday, a Mendoza police spokesman said a climber from a separate group died on the peak from an apparent heart attack. The spokesman was not allowed to be quoted by name, and the alpinist's identity and nationality could not be confirmed immediately. An 80-person rescue team located the survivors Thursday and helped them descend to Condor's Nest camp at nearly 17,800 feet (5,400 meters). Refrigerato was carried down in a stretcher.
"We did everything we could to get them out of there as soon as possible," Loza said.
Rescuers plan to retrieve the three bodies as soon as weather conditions permit.
Costarelli said there is typically one major rescue effort every summer during the climbing season in the Southern Hemisphere, and 200 smaller evacuations by helicopter for climbers suffering from injuries or altitude sickness.
Two to three people die every year climbing Aconcagua, according to Juan Pablo Marziane, head of logistics with a climbing expedition company in Mendoza, the usual point of departure. Stefan Geromin, a 42-year-old German climber, died Saturday.
Nearly 4,600 people attempted to summit the Andean peak during the 2007-2008 climbing season.

Alabama Sheriff Jailed Over Measly Meals

2009-01-08T22:21:00.000-08:00

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. By JAY REEVES. This time, somebody listened to prisoners' complaints over lousy jail food. A northern Alabama sheriff was in federal custody Thursday after a judge ruled he purposely fed inmates skimpy meals so he could make money from an unusual Alabama system that lets sheriffs turn a profit on their jail kitchens. Morgan County Sheriff Greg Bartlett testified at a Wednesday court hearing that he made $212,000 over three years feeding prisoners - every cent of it legal under a Depression-era state law and reported on his tax forms as income. But U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon ordered federal marshals to arrest Bartlett after hearing a string of skinny prisoners testify they were served paper-thin bologna, bloody chicken and cold grits in the north Alabama county's jail. "He makes money by failing to spend the allocated funds for food for the inmates," Clemon ruled after a daylong hearing in a lawsuit filed by prisoners over jail conditions. Clemon said Bartlett, who was found in contempt of court after more than six years as sheriff, would remain in custody until he submitted a plan to feed prisoners meals that are "nutritionally adequate," as required by a previous agreement in the lawsuit. Bartlett's lawyer, Donald Rhea, said he submitted a proposal to Clemon within a couple of hours of the sheriff's arrest. But the judge didn't immediately enter an order freeing Bartlett, who Rhea said would be taken to his own jail, at least initially. Bartlett looked stunned as Clemon ordered him into custody. A lawyer for prisoners called his arrest "extraordinary." "I was shocked by the amount of money he pocketed ... all while men and women in the jail go hungry," said Melanie Velez of the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights. Sheriffs in 55 of Alabama's 67 counties operate under a Depression-era system allowing them to make money operating their jail kitchens. The state pays sheriffs $1.75 a day for each prisoner they house and lets the elected officers keep any profits they can generate. Bartlett said he also received money from the county and the U.S. government for housing federal prisoners. Clemon's order dealt only with Morgan County, but the longtime head of the Alabama Sheriff's Association said its impact will be felt around the state since counties lack money to feed prisoners and state budgets are stretched thin. "It's going to be real far-reaching. It's going to affect a lot of counties other than this one," said association executive director Bobby Timmons.

Hezbollah denies firing rockets on Israel

2009-01-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

AP. BEIRUT, Lebanon – A Hezbollah minister in Lebanon's Cabinet is denying any involvement by the militant group in the firing of rockets from Lebanon into Israel.
At least three rockets were fired, and Israel responded with a few artillery shells into Lebanon, which borders the country to the north. The exchange threatened to open a second front as Israel continues its offensive against the militant group Hamas on its southern border, in the Gaza Strip.Labor Minister Mohammed Fneish tells The Associated Press that Hezbollah was not aware of the rockets targeting Israel Thursday.No serious injuries were reported.No group has claimed responsibility. The Lebanese government has condemned it and the retaliation.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.JERUSALEM (AP) — Lebanese militants fired at least three rockets into Israel early Thursday, threatening to open a new front for the Jewish state as it pushed forward with a bloody offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 700 people. Israel responded with mortar shells.Tthe rockets that exploded in Israel's north raised the specter of renewed hostilities with Hezbollah, just 2 1/2 years after Israel battled the guerrilla group to a 34-day stalemate. Hezbollah started the 2006 war as Israel was battling Palestinian militants in Gaza.
No group claimed responsibility and Lebanon's government, wary of conflict, quickly condemned the rocket fire, which lightly injured two Israelis.For a second straight day, Israel said it suspended is Gaza military operation for three hours to allow in humanitarian supplies. Shortly before the pause took effect, however, the U.N. said one of its aid trucks came under Israeli fire, killing the driver.U.N. spokesman Adnan Abu Hasna said the U.N. coordinated the delivery with Israel, and the vehicle was marked with a U.N. flag and insignia when it was shot in northern Gaza. The Israeli army said it was investigating.The allegation was sure to raise tensions with the United Nations, which has already demanded an investigation into Israel's shelling of a U.N. school in Gaza that killed nearly 40 people. At the time, Israel said it opened fire after militants hiding in the crowd shot mortar shells at Israeli troops.Before the lull on Thursday, Israel killed at least 11 people in Gaza, including five militants, raising the death toll from its 13-day offensive to 699 people, according to Palestinian medical officials. The offensive is meant to halt years of Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel, but with roughly half the dead believed to be civilians, international efforts to broker a cease-fire have been gaining steam.
One resident suffered a broken leg, another bruises, apparently from slipping on the floor after emergency sprinklers came on."The rocket entered through the roof, hurling the water heaters into the air. It went through bedrooms upstairs and then into the kitchen. There was a serious blast," said Henry Carmelli, the home's manager.Israel has repeatedly said it was prepared for a possible attack on the north since it launched its bruising campaign against Hamas militants in Gaza on Dec. 27. Israel has mobilized thousands of reserve troops for such a scenario, and leaders have warned Hezbollah of dire consequences if it enters the fighting."We are following what is happening in the north. We are prepared and will respond as necessary," Defense Minister Ehud Barak told reporters.Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora condemned both the attacks and Israel's retaliatory fire. The attacks are "the work of parties who stand to lose from the continued stability in Lebanon," Saniora said. Hezbollah, which did not comment, has said it does not want to draw Lebanon into a new war. Small Palestinian groups, who have rocketed Israel twice since the end of the 2006 war, have recently threatened to open a new front against Israel if the fighting in Gaza continued.
Israeli Cabinet minister, Meir Sheetrit, suggested that Lebanese splinter groups, not Hezbollah, were responsible. He said the government had no interest in renewing hostilities. "Even though we have the ability to respond with great force, the response needs to be carefully considered and responsible," Sheetrit told Army Radio. "We don't need to play into their hands."
Shortly after the first rockets fell around the town of Nahariya, five miles south of the Lebanese border, Lebanese TV stations reported Israeli mortar fire on open areas in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military confirmed it carried out "pinpoint fire" in response without elaborating.
Israeli defense commentators said they expected the rocket fire to be a one-time show of solidarity with the Palestinians, not a declaration of war. Still, police said public bomb shelters throughout the north were opened. Palestinians reported some two dozen airstrikes in Gaza on Thursday. One militant was killed and 10 wounded in Gaza City, while an airstrike in northern Gaza killed three members of a rocket-launching cell, Palestinian medical officials said. The attack took place about 150 yards from a hospital and wounded 12 bystanders. The Israeli army has repeatedly said militants use civilian areas for cover.
Seven other Palestinians were killed in separate incidents, including three civilians — en elderly man and two women — who were fleeing their homes in northern Gaza, officials said.
In Geneva, the international Red Cross said it found four small children alive next to their mothers' bodies in the rubble of a Gaza home hit by Israeli shelling. The neutral aid group says a total of 15 dead were recovered from two houses in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on Wednesday. A Red Cross spokesman says rescuers had been refused permission by Israeli forces to reach the site for four days. It said the delay in allowing rescue services access was "unacceptable." The Israeli offensive has reduced Palestinian rocket fire, but not stopped it altogether. Several barrages were reported Thursday, including one strike that damaged a school and sports center in the southern city of Ashkelon, police said. Both buildings were empty.
For a second day, Israel's Defense Ministry said the offensive was halted for three hours to allow Gaza residents to stock up on supplies and to allow aid shipments into the besieged area. Ministry spokesman Peter Lerner also said some 300 Palestinian holders of foreign passports would be allowed to leave. The lull appears to be in response to international pressure on Israel to try relieve civilian suffering in Gaza. U.N. spokesman Chris Gunness said three hours was "wholly inadequate" to relieve widespread food and water shortages. After Wednesday's lull, Israel quickly resumed its offensive, bombing suspected smuggling tunnels near the border with Egypt after Hamas responded with a rocket barrage. Israeli planes destroyed at least 16 empty houses.
The tunnels are Hamas' lifeline, used to bring in arms, money and basic goods. Israel says local homes are used to conceal the tunnels. Of the Palestinians killed since Dec. 27, some 350 were civilians, among them 130 children, according to Palestinian medical officials. Eleven Israelis have been killed, including three civilians, since the offensive began.
Growing international outrage over the human toll of Israel's offensive, which includes 3,000 Palestinians wounded — could work against continued fighting. So could President Bush's departure from office this month and a Feb. 10 election in Israel.
But Israel has a big interest in inflicting as much damage as possible on Hamas, both to stop militant rocket fire on southern Israeli towns and to diminish the group's ability to play a spoiler role in peace talks with Palestinian moderates.
Despite the heavy fighting, strides appeared to be made on the diplomatic front with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying the U.S. supported a deal being brokered by France and Egypt.
While the U.N. Security Council failed to reach agreement on a cease-fire resolution, Egypt's U.N. Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz said representatives of Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority agreed to meet separately with Egyptian officials in Cairo.
Israeli envoys arrived in Egypt on Thursday to discuss the proposal.
For Israel to accept a proposed cease-fire deal, "there has to be a total and complete cessation of all hostile fire from Gaza into Israel, and ... we have to see an arms embargo on Hamas that will receive international support," said government spokesman Mark Regev.
For its part, Hamas said it would not accept a truce deal unless it includes an end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza — something Israel says it is not willing to do. Israel and Egypt have maintained a stiff economic embargo on Gaza since the Hamas takeover.
The Palestinian Authority controls the West Bank while Hamas rules Gaza — two territories on opposite sides of Israel that are supposed to make up a future Palestinian state. Hamas took control of Gaza from forces loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007.

Israel Accused Of Massive War Crime Atrocities

2008-12-29T06:38:00.000-08:00

UN Professor Falk cites targeting of civilians, disproportionate military response as Obama and Pelosi express terse approval
Paul Joseph WatsonPrison Planet.comMonday, December 29, 2008
A new IAF cockpit video shows an air strike targeted against an alleged rocket launching site located between two civilian homes, as UN Professor Richard Falk accused Israel of massive violations of international humanitarian law. Falk, United Nations Special Investigator for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, listed numerous actions by Israel that clearly break the rules of engagement codified in the Geneva Conventions. These include; collective punishment of the 1.5 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip for the actions of relatively few militants; the indiscriminate targeting of civilians including school children and university students during air strikes, with hundreds now dead or injured; a disproportionate military response which has destroyed every police and security office of Gaza’s elected government.
Israel has also sealed off entry and exit points to the Gaza Strip, causing severe shortages of medicine, food and fuel and hampering efforts to treat victims of the bombing raids.
(ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW)
“Certainly the rocket attacks against civilian targets in Israel are unlawful. But that illegality does not give Israel any right, neither as the occupying power nor as a sovereign state, to violate international humanitarian law and commit war crimes or crimes against humanity in its response. I note that Israel’s escalating military assaults have not made Israeli civilians safer; on the contrary, the one Israeli killed today after the upsurge of Israeli violence is the first in over a year,” writes Falk. Reports of civilians being targeted on both sides continue to emerge. Hamas TV broadcast a video showing injured Israeli citizens being evacuated with the words “Let them taste violent death” superimposed over skulls dripping with blood. But the majority of war crimes have obviously been committed by the might of the Israeli military, with one report accusing the Israelis of targeting school children who were making their way home with air strikes. Meanwhile, President elect Barack Obama’s reaction to Israel’s biggest military assault on Gaza in 20 years was a nonchalant “no comment,” while Democratic leader of the House Nancy Pelosi expressed her support for the carnage by stating “When Israel is attacked, the United States must continue to stand strongly with its friend and democratic ally.”
With at least 285 dead and over 800 injured so far, Obama and Pelosi’s terse approval for the indiscriminate slaughter of innocents reminds us that 2009 is unlikely to offer “change” of any kind but is likely to guarantee more war and bloodshed.

Athens unrest having minimal effect on tourism

2008-12-17T00:07:00.001-08:00

Greek tourism leaders said Monday that a strike at the Acropolis was more damaging than the urban unrest scarring Athens - with the global economic downturn their greatest fear. "Let's be clear, the country is not in the grip of terrorists - so far there has been neither victims nor violence against people," Argyro Philli, the head of the Greek travel agents association, told AFP. The country's second industry after shipping, Greek tourism is seasonal and primarily coastal - well away from the riots directed at police and the right-wing government since 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos was shot dead by police on Dec. 6. An Athens hoteliers association lists 15 establishments damaged during the protests, most of which have been repaired with state and city aid offsetting cash losses. "Accelerated departures" have been restricted to small groups or lone travelers, with cancellations limited given the traditionally low pre-Christmas bookings, the head of the Greek tourist employers federation, Nikos Angelopoulos, told daily Kathimerini.But there are fears the wave of protests and unrest largely in Athens may compound the effects of the global economic crisis. Before these events, Greek tourism minister Aris Spiliotopoulos stuck to an upbeat assessment of long-term prospects, saying long-haul travel was worst hit and underlining that the Greek industry revolves mainly around an annual influx of some 5 million near neighbors, largely Germans and Britons. Tourism revenues for 2007 were pegged at EUR11.5 billion, roughly 18% of Greece's gross domestic product. Theodore Koumeli

UEFA Champions League

2008-10-12T06:07:00.001-07:00

The UEFA Champions League (European CUP, UCL, or CL) is a football competition of seasonal clubs. Champions League is organized by UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), the controlling force of European football. Football club, which wins the Champions League, receives the trophy European Champion Club’s Cup, which is considered the most prestigious club trophy. The tournament first started in 1955, when the teams played two matches, and the winning team started the next round of competition. Later, in 1997, the tournament was renamed to UEFA Champions League. The championship in its current format is open to the league champions of all UEFA member associations. Real Madrid FC and AC Milan have won the competition three times. In 1958, the Munich air disaster took lives of 23 of 44 passengers on board, players of the Manchester United football team, flying home from the European Cup match against Yugoslavia. After the tragedy the team finished the season, and reached the final of FA Cup. The Champions League tournament begins in mid-July, and the Champions League final match takes place the following May. An association rank in the UEFA coefficients table defines the number of positions each group receives in the competition, and also the stage at which the association enters the competition. Each association sends maximum four clubs each season to play in Champions League. The competition receives public and media attention: millions of viewers watch Champions League videos live on-line, read news articles and watch the matches on TV. Champions League has always been the center of public attention, being the most prestigious sport competition in Europe.

What is a Reality Show? by wiseGEEK

2008-08-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

A television reality show features talent culled from the ranks of 'ordinary' people, not professionally trained actors. Reality show producers typically shoot hundreds of hours of footage per episode and use creative editing to create a narrative thread. Subjects of a reality show may be given some rudimentary directions offscreen, but the point is to allow the performers to act and react as normally as possible. A reality show is not to be confused with a documentary, in which the subjects are asked to ignore the cameras and behave naturally. Many reality show producers encourage participants to play to the cameras as characters or use private taped conversations, called confessionals, as a form of narration.
For many years, the television industry favored scripted television programs over the unpredictable and potentially litigious reality show form. An early reality show called Candid Camera, hosted by the unassuming Allen Funt, demonstrated that carefully edited clips of ordinary people reacting to contrived situations could be a ratings success. Early game shows featuring contestants selected from the audience also provided moments of unscripted reality. Groucho Marx's game show You Bet Your Life! featured extended interviews with ordinary contestants, although Marx was thoroughly briefed on their backgrounds before the show started.
Television shows during the 1960s and 1970s were usually scripted, with a cast of professional actors creating the characters. It was believed that a reality show featuring untrained actors working without a guiding script would be virtually unwatchable. There would be no way to create a satisfying storyline ending precisely after the allotted half-hour or hour running time of a typical scripted show. The only network amenable to the idea of a true reality show in the 1970s was the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). A documentary called An American Family followed the real lives of the Loud family as they dealt with the parents' impending divorce.
During the late 1980s, a syndicated reality show called COPS began showing real policemen performing their duties as hand-held cameras rolled. The success of COPS spurred other production companies to create reality shows featuring real footage captured by amateur photographers, local news organizations, and police surveillance cameras. This documentary form of reality show proved to be quite popular, especially among the younger demographics sought by advertisers.
Meanwhile, another form of reality show began to take shape. Producers of The Real World recruited groups of twenty-somethings to live in a furnished apartment while cameras recorded every public moment of their lives together. The footage was carefully edited to create a satisfying arc of episodes, even if the participants appeared to be prodded into certain confrontations at times. Shows like The Real World proved that television audiences could enjoy watching unscripted performers reacting to somewhat scripted circumstances.
Perhaps the most groundbreaking reality show on American network television was CBS' Survivor, debuting in 1999. Survivor featured teams of non-professional actors culled from thousands of audition tapes. Its success prompted network executives to greenlight a number of other shows employing a cast of camera-ready civilians and armies of creative editors. Professional actors, directors, and writers have all voiced strong objections to this new form of reality programming, but a reality show is usually inexpensive to produce and consistently reaches its target audience. There is some evidence that the reality show format is losing some momentum, but finding successful replacement programming has also proven to be difficult.

To Have a Dream, Living Without a Goal

2008-01-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

This is our story how we change everything in live we had, bought a gypsy carriage and two horses and went away. We can recommend the choices we have made to everybody. Because it is possible to give a friendly goodbye to the boss, leave your house, to take beloved ones and belongings with you and follow your dream. We (John and Thea) are a married couple for two whole years now. We met each other, four years ago on the Internet. We made immediately “the click.” After three months, we already moved John’s computer to my house. Soon the computer followed by books and books, his son, and even more books. My own two kids really get along with John and his son. They are all above twenty and independent young people. At that time John was not working. Quit his Psychiatric nurse job looking for a different perspective on work in generally. He found this later when he starts up his own coaching practice. I worked with juvenile delinquencies, specifically with young dropouts from school. Nice jobs, good perspectives for both of us, no worries about that at all. In my free time, I was re-building my house, planning to live there for a couple of years. It changes for the better. Together we bought a house in Breda. A small town at the South of Holland. Beautiful place, nice surrounding. The house big enough for two out of three children. One was studying already. After a short break in the country, we start fantasizing about our dreams in the nearby future. We start to think about these questions: What do we REALLY want in our lives? What do we really NEED? What do we have and DON’T really want it ANYMORE? What are the subjects we want to EXPLORE in the future? Is there a GOAL to go for? Is there something in the past that we have done and want to do it AGAIN? Is there a reason TO WAIT till later? Is there any urgent reason not to DO IT NOW? Will that reason later also exist? Will we die and regret that we DIDN’T do THIS? Why work to pay for a car that you need for your work to pay the mortgage etc.? Is there no other way of living? Live is too beautiful to be limited in goals. John has a dream of working with horses again. In the past, he worked with them on an unusual way. One horse in front of a car, collecting leftovers and bring them to a cow farm. The ecological environment movement was booming business in Holland at that time. John got involved in that and had a good time for almost two years. His memories about that time are lively and inspiring. Thea, ready for a change in life with less responsibility more freedom in lifestyle, gets enthusiastic by the idea of working with horses. Full swing. We unmistakably go “the full swing”. To start a new life, we need “new space”, in our mind and thoughts in let go off all security. Somewhere along the line, we came up with the idea of applying our thoughts on the mainland. In a special way: resign from our jobs, cancel the practice, and buy two horses and a wagon. That means, sell our house, quit jobs and sell all we have or bring it to charity. Full freedom to do what we want or what will come up in the future. The money comes from the house we sell. That is for sure. About our jobs, we can be short. We both have the qualities, if necessary, to start al over again. The skills required for our jobs we still have and can only involve with the experiences we will meet. The so-called securities in life did not fall from the sky. We both work hard for that and will do so again if necessary. First, we looked in Ireland for a place where we could live and work, to fulfil our dream, further away from the busy life in Holland. We had the plan to settle here, life in the country, working with horses. Ireland is actually one of the most expensive countries to live in within Europe. Therefore, that was not quite it. Behold the ingredients for the Slow Express Journey, a project in which only the direction is set and not a goal. The goal will unfold itself and afterwards we might be able to formulate it. How this will end up in a world that is entirely submit to the regime of purpose?

People Are Our Greatest Wealth

2008-01-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

by: Gina Gardiner

I believe that the work force of any organization represent their true wealth for without them the organization is going nowhere. If you are the owner or Managing Director of any organization you will know what the assets of your company are worth. Your Financial Directors and accountants will no doubt provide you with balance sheets of your net worth, those assets which are depreciating and those investments which are growing in value. What value do you put on your staff? For many organizations the monthly staffing bill is the major expense of the organization and yet they appear to undervalue the amazing resource they have at their disposal. The collective intelligence, skills, expertise, energy and enthusiasm of your staff is so much bigger than the sum of the individual parts. Optimising the potential of your staff can lead to a competitive edge and a more settled contented workforce it is well worth the investment in time and money. Ten ways to ensure you maximise the staffing treasure you have at your disposal: 1) Have a clear strategic vision which is shared by everyone It is particularly important in times of change or difficulty. Uncertainty and lack of clarity creates huge amounts of stress for the majority of people. Having a shared strategic vision enables all staff to understand what the organisation wants to achieve. It works like a light house in stormy waters. 2) Create effective systems of communication which work at every level within the organization. This is vital as the “Chinese whispers” and “Rumour” style of leadership are ineffective and divisive. Involve staff in creating a system of communication which works for everyone. 3) Ensure your decision making process has integrity Where people have faith that decisions have been made for the right reasons they are much more likely to accept them willingly. There are still too many managers who opt for the easiest decision rather than the right one or they base their decision on the last person they spoke to. 4) Create a culture where everyone feels their ideas are welcomed and valued Encouraging everyone to do their best is good business. Giving credit for the contribution that they make is a great way of achieving a culture of contribution. 5) Have high and explicit expectations of yourself and your staff. These should be set out from the outset and provide the measure of performance. Where people are doing well ensure that this is noticed and that staff are made aware that their efforts are valued. Where people are found wanting they should be given constructive feedback and training if necessary. The “hard conversations” should take place in a professional and supportive way. 6) Encourage your staff to be solution finders rather than problem givers This has a number of incredibly positive spin offs. You minimise the role of the “victim”, and encourage everyone to take responsibility for their contribution, it shares the work load and encourages a positive approach to the future. 7) Train everyone in good team behaviour Leaders and managers should model the behaviour they want to encourage. The role of “ego” should be minimised and people encouraged to listen actively and contribute willingly. 8) Create a reward system which encourages collaboration and co-operation rather than competition Encouraging staff to see each other as competition rather than as a useful resource may have short term benefits but in the end encouraging everyone to engage the customer or client to provide the best possible service will protect your future market and enable you to grow consistently. 9) Look for ways to grow and retain your staff. The cost of recruiting Middle and Senior Managers is extremely high. Ongoing professional development leading to promotion will act as an incentive to improve performance and facilitate effective delegation and succession planning. Of course there will be times when you need fresh blood into the organization, then your track record for ongoing training and treating your staff well will become a great encouragement for others to join you. 10) Never take “good will” for granted. Staff will give their time and energy willingly when they feel that their efforts are appreciated and valued. Take them for granted and they quickly become resentful and start to think “Why should I bother?” A simple thank you for a task well done goes a long way but be aware the simply going through the motions of showing appreciation has the potential to do harm to relationships.