An accident involving a San Francisco MUNI streetcar with a SUV has left six people injured. The accident occurred on Monday during the evening commute. A streetcar rear-ended the sports utility vehicle, crushing it against the back of another streetcar that had stopped in traffic.

According to witnesses, the driver of a historic orange streetcar was talking to a passenger when the streetcar hit a Silver Nissan Pathfinder SUV. Several of the passengers in the streetcar were thrown to the floor of the MUNI. The SUV was crushed against another streetcar that had stopped in front. The front and back of the car were heavily crushed, but the middle section was undamaged. The driver of the SUV and the driver of streetcar were taken to the hospital for treatment. None of the injuries have been reported to be serious. Three other people in the MUNI streetcar suffered minor injuries, and received treatment at the scene.

According to witness reports, it seems that the driver of the MUNI was distracted just before the accident. This accident comes just two weeks after another serious accident involving a MUNI streetcar. In that particular accident, the driver told investigating officers that he blacked out just before the crash.

Accidents involving MUNI streetcars have become all too frequent. In fact, the safety problems involving MUNI streetcars have become so severe that top MUNI officials themselves are now expressing the urgent need for enhancements. MUNI chief Nathaniel Ford said, in a statement released soon after the accident, that he found the crash “intolerable and deeply frustrating”. He also says that the accident proves that on going efforts to enhance MUNI’s safety are “clearly more urgent than ever.”

The streetcar crash is the latest in a series of public transportation accidents involving distracted drivers. Earlier this year, 50 people were injured in an accident involving a trolley car in Boston. The trolley operator in that crash was apparently text messaging at the time of the accident.

Late last year, an accident involving a Metrolink train and a Union Pacific freight train killed 25 people and left dozens of people injured. That train accident has been traced to text messaging by the operators of both the trains.

Earlier this year, a Washington DC Metro train crash injured at least 60 people. That accident has, so far, not been linked to driver inattention, but the Metro has since then had several instances where train operators were texting at the controls. Several alert passengers have captured video footage of DC Metro train operators texting or using their cell phones at the controls of the train.

Distracted driving by public transportation operators is a more serious problem than we know, and we only seem to hear about this when there is an accident, like the one that occurred here. That the passengers in the SUV were able to walk away from the accident without life threatening injuries, is extremely fortunate. This could have been a far greater tragedy. If it is confirmed that the driver of the streetcar was distracted talking to a passenger at the time of the crash, then MUNI needs to look into its driver training, and figure out how operators can be properly trained to minimize the risk of accidents.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices in San Francisco dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims. Please visit our website at
trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

[tags]san Francisco personal injury lawyers, california accident attorney[/tags]

A panel of rail experts has made a series of recommendations for SoCal’s troubled commuter rail system, Metrolink, that are aimed at a complete overhaul of the current safety systems in the wake of the deadly Chatsworth train crash.

Metrolink’s safety record has come under intense scrutiny since the September 12th train crash in Chatsworth near Los Angeles, not only from the media, but also from rail safely experts and lawmakers. The cause of the accident was initially traced to the failure of engineer Robert Sanchez to stop at a red light just minutes before the head-on collision with a Union Pacific freight train. Since then, investigations which are still ongoing, have focused on the reasons for the missed signal, and have centered on text messages that Sanchez sent on his cell phone while he was on the train. New rules have come into force that prohibit essential crew on board a train to use their cell phones while the train is in operation.

There has also been scrutiny of the condition of the signal lights on the day of the fatal train accident. In recent weeks, new testimony has corroborated earlier witness allegations that the signal light that the Metrolink train went through before it collided with the fright train was green, and not red as claimed by the agency. There has also been concern that the signal lights were poorly visible, raising the possibility that Sanchez might not have seen the light at all, which would take the onus of responsibility off the dead engineer’s shoulders.

Now, a panel of experts has submitted a set of recommendations after a three-month review of the agency’s operations, and its suggestions have been made public. Among the panel’s many recommendations is the oversight of all contract employees, and the live video monitoring of train crews. The panel also drew attention to the agency’s old system of recordkeeping that made it hard to identify problems with equipment and machinery. Criticism has been leveled at almost every level of Metrolink’s functioning, including the inefficient methods used for testing employee performance records involving tons of paperwork. The panel has also recommended training for agency board members. Many board members at Metrolink have agreed that this was a much-needed measure. Currently, the board is composed of county representatives, who may or may not have any experience at all in rail-related matters. There has also been an interesting recommendation made regarding the availability of medical and psychiatric testing of employees in important positions on board trains, like engineers and conductors.

Unfortunately, most of what seems to be happening since the deadly train crash are recommendations, and not much else. The progress made towards enhancing safety measures at Metrolink is moving along at a slow pace. The agency has in the past shown a considerable reluctance to act fast on safety issues, and experts are wondering if these recommendations will be taken in a different light.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims Please visit our website at
trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

[tags]los angeles personal injury lawyers, california accident attorney[/tags]

Innumerous lawsuits are filed in U.S. courts every year. Many are settled out of court for astronomical amounts, others do or don’t award the plaintiff at the end of the trial and still others are dismissed for lack of evidence. Making the top five of those filed against U.S. companies are as follows:

1. Labor/Unemployment - One of the precipitators to this is the escalation of layoff numbers over the past several years. The national unemployment rate climbed to 8.1% in February of this year, the highest it’s been since 1984. This does not include the mass of individuals who have been laid off beyond the ability to receive unemployment. The layoff of high-level executives is not beyond the pale, either, which has sparked many of the lawsuits against companies today. The predominant lawsuits under this category, however, are wage and hour claims, discrimination (including age-related cases) and wrongful termination.

2. Contracts - Breach of contract lawsuits can be filed against companies when they do not fulfill their contractual obligations. Maybe the company did not deliver a product, or did not complete a service or did not fulfill something expressly documented in a signed contract you had with the company. In any situation where obligations of a contract are not fulfilled, a lawsuit may be the only way to resolve the dispute. These are particularly common in the services industry. Ralph the roofer committed to replace your entire roof for a specific amount of money to be paid upon completion. You paid Ralph upon the completion of the job. What you found out during the first rain, however, is that Ralph and his crew did a shoddy job. Ralph is elusive and non-responsive to your calls, so you hire another company to redo the job. You sue Ralph in attempts to collect your money back from him and his company. He breached the contract. He did not fulfill his contractual obligations.

3. Personal injury - There are innumerous frivolous lawsuits that occur in this category. Someone sees an opportunity to make some quick cash. They plan and execute a fake fall in the presence of witnesses, file a lawsuit and sometimes win hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation. Companies have wised up to these incidents and many of them have monitoring equipment in place to capture the fraudsters on camera. This has been a great deterrent in litigation for these types of cases. There are legitimate incidents, however, where the company is directly at fault. To collect punitive damages, though, the plaintiff has to not only prove gross negligence, but also malicious intent.

4. Product Liability - You’ve probably heard about all the problems experienced a few months ago with the toys imported from China. Lead based paint was one of the primary concerns. Mattel had to issue a recall on several of the toys. Less than one month later, unfortunately, Mattel had to issue another recall. Liability lawsuits started rolling in. Mattel doled out $12 million to settle with 39 states to pay for damages caused by the tainted toys.

5. Intellectual Property (IP)/Patents - The most common types of IP are trade secrets, industrial design rights, patents, copyrights and trademarks. A disgruntled employee decides to sell trade secrets to a competitor after being laid off or fired. A successful salesperson takes his customer list with him when he leaves the company and uses it to when selling similar services for another company. An IT technician develops a product that uses his former employer’s proprietary technology as the product’s foundation. These are all examples of violating IP/patent laws that result in IP/patent lawsuits.

Ki developed a website that acts as a resource on Austin real estate. On the site, buyers can search Austin MLS listings. In addition to the Austin real estate market his site also provides a few free mortgage calculators

[tags]lawsuits against companies, common lawsuits, austin mls, free mortgage calcualtors, legal, law, laws[/tags]

Global warming is something we’re all concerned about. We’ve seen the images of polar bears losing their habitats and experienced the fact that summer now consists of two weeks of unseasonable warmth in April then a miserable and grey June, July and August. Energy Performance Certificates have been brought in so that property owners can see where they are using too much energy and can make the appropriate alterations to their energy use in order to reduce emissions.

In 2007, Energy Performance Certificates were introduced as part of home information packs for houses with four or more bedrooms. In September of that year, this changed to houses with three or more bedrooms. These certificates are a result of the European Union Directive 2002/91/EC and commit the European Union to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 8% by 2010. In the United Kingdom, this directive was detailed in part 5 of the Housing Act 2004. They provide estimations about how much energy is being wasted in a building and highlight the problem areas.

Many of us produce excess carbon dioxide without realising it, and these Energy Performance Certificates indicate areas in houses that are wasting energy and suggest ways to save that energy and therefore reduce carbon emissions. There are simple ways to reduce energy waste by doing things like turning things off fully rather than leaving them on standby, not leaving mobile phone chargers plugged in when they aren’t being used and having shallow baths rather than deep ones.

From April 2008, buildings that are not residential with a floor area greater than 500 metres sqaured; it was decided that commercial buildings required Energy Performance Certificates as these properties account for almost 25 per cent of overall UK carbon emissions. As Energy Performance Certificates display the estimated energy waste rather than the actual waste, public domains are required to have a Display Energy Performance Certificate which show exactly how much energy is being wasted and where.

As energy is something we can’t necessarily see, we don’t realise that we’re wasting it until we see the effects of it; it’s like seeing a broken window but being unable to find the exact stone that was thrown at it. Energy Performance Certificates may not be completely exact, but they are a very good indicator of areas where we aren’t being particularly careful with our energy usage. Knowing this can cause homeowners to be a bit more thrifty with their water, or invest in energy saving or low wattage light bulbs.

Due to global warming becoming such a massive issue, it is unsurprising that Energy Performance Certificates were introduced as a strategy to cut carbon emissions. Provided people take note of what their certificate says, we will be able to reduce energy waste drastically.

Dominic Donaldson is an energy expert.
Find out more about Energy Performance Certificates .

[tags]Energy Performance Certificates, EPC[/tags]

The 30 year mortgage rate fell from 5.32 to 5.20 this week. This marks the fourth week in a row where the 30 year rate has fallen. The rate is not at the all time lows we saw earlier this year. To put it in perspective that 30 year mortgage rate is currently 5.20 and the most recent high was 5.59 (on June 18th, 2009) and the all time low was 4.78 (on April 30th 2009). So mortgage rates are down but not back to their all time lows. Historically though rates are pretty low. In fact rates today are lower than anything we saw before 2009.

The other three major mortgage products fell as well. The 15 year rate dropped from 4.77 to 4.69, the 5 year arm dropped from 4.88 to 4.82 and the 1 year arm dropped from 4.94 to 4.82. I tend to concentrate on the 30 year rate. The other 3 major mortgage products are less important today because they remain relatively close to the 30 year rate. And with rates so low it doesn’t really make sense to get a slightly lower rate and only be locked in for 1 to 5 years instead of paying a slight premium to lock in for 30 years. Below are rates for the major mortgage products for the last few weeks and for December 31, 2008 (6 months ago).

Jul 09, 2009
30-yr 5.20 15-yr 4.69 5-yr ARM 4.82 1-yr ARM 4.82

Jul 02, 2009
30-yr 5.32 15-yr 4.77 5-yr ARM 4.88 1-yr ARM 4.94

Jun 25, 2009
30-yr 5.42 15-yr 4.87 5-yr ARM 4.99 1-yr ARM 4.93

Jun 18, 2009
30-yr 5.38 15-yr 4.89 5-yr ARM 4.97 1-yr ARM 4.95

Jun 11, 2009
30-yr 5.59 15-yr 5.06 5-yr ARM 5.17 1-yr ARM 5.04

Dec 31, 2008
30-yr 5.10 15-yr 4.83 5-yr ARM 5.57 1-yr ARM 4.85

Mortgage rates are important but it’s also always good to look at actual mortgage payments. Using a mortgage calculator we took today’s rates and translated them into a mortgage payment on a 200k loan. We also did the same thing with rates from July 9th (last week) and from December 31 (6 months ago).

Jul 09
30-yr $1098.22
15-yr $1549.47
5-yr ARM $1051.74
1-yr ARM $1051.74

Jul 02
30-yr $1113.09
15-yr $1557.72
5-yr ARM $1059.02
1-yr ARM $1066.32

Dec 31
30-yr $1085.89
15-yr $1563.93
5-yr ARM $1144.37
1-yr ARM $1055.38

On a 200k house a mortgage payment is slightly higher ($12.32 or 1.13 percent) than it would have been 6 months ago. It’s interesting that people perceived rates to have been much lower back then. In December rates were at historic lows. But now, since rates bottomed out in April, people think rates are higher since they compare to the extraordinary low rates of April.

So why are rates dropping? There are a number of different factors but the economy seems to be weakening in the last few weeks. In fact the Dow Jones Industrial average hit its recent peak (8799) on June 12th and has fallen since then. The 30 year mortgage rate hit its peak around the same time June 11th and has fallen since then. It’s hard to know what will happen in the next few months but once the economy recovers it’s expected that mortgage rates will rise.

Ki lives in Austin Texas. He runs a site about the real estate market in Austin Texas http://www.escapesomewhere.com/ He also provides free mortgage rate widgets and mortgage calculator html.

[tags]mortgage rates, economics, mortgage rate widgets, government, mortgage calculator html, arms, 30 yea[/tags]

As the worst recession since World War II closes in on the two year mark, less people are losing their jobs, but unemployment is still rising. People who do have jobs are working fewer hours for less pay. According to the Associated Press, the national unemployment rate is 9.5 percent, the highest it’s been in 26 years. It’s predicted to hit 10 percent before the end of the year–a number President Obama hoped to avoid with his administration’s efforts to turn the economy around.

Layoffs have slowed down a bit across the country, but hiring has not picked up. While Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has been predicting that the recession will end this year, economists predict that it will take years for the job market to recover. Companies and individuals are spending cautiously and saving at record rates.

The picture continues to be brighter for the Austin area, where jobs were added in May. According to the Austin-American Statesman, over 4000 jobs were added in May, mostly in government and a wide range of service jobs. Industries like construction and manufacturing continue to shed jobs, making the local unemployment rate 6.1 percent. While this is slightly higher than it was a year ago, it’s still well below the national average and even below the Texas average of 7.1 percent. The Austin real estate market also seems to be showing signs of improvement with seasonally adjusted sales improving since December

“Layoffs seem to have leveled off in the area,” Alan Miller, executive director of Workforce Solutions-Capital Area, told the Statesman. However, the job market remains competitive with new graduates and those looking for seasonal work.

While jobs are one measure of the economy’s health, consumer confidence is another. The official Consumer Confidence Index comprises two parts, as explained by the Associated Press recently. There is the Present Situation index measuring how shoppers feel about the economy. Then there is the Expectations index, which looks at shoppers’ outlook for the next six months. Overall, consumer confidence is far below what is considered normal, with the Present Situation Index showing the larger decline.

What this means is that the Consumer Confidence index that is hovering in the 50s to 60s is nowhere near the number of 90 that indicates a healthy economy. However, the number has gone steadily up since its low mark in February. But analysts predict that this recession, much like the Great Depression, will markedly change consumer spending habits for years to come. While spending a little wiser and saving for a rainy day are not necessarily bad things, it does mean that getting the economy back on track is going to take some time.

Austin is fortunate to have a wide base of job sectors, from the universities to the state capital to the tech jobs. Austinites may be tightening the purse strings a little; fortunately it is faring far better than some of the harder hit areas of the country.

Ki is a real estate agent in Central Texas. His site is devoted to Austin real estate. It allows future buyers to search listings on the Austin MLS. He also keeps a blog with information and updated statistics on the Austin Texas real estate market.

[tags]unemployment rate, layoffs, economy, recession, austin, austin real estate, job growth, austinities,[/tags]

Michael Jackson was in the public eye from a young age as a part of the Jackson 5, and like him the stories started very early on.

Story Number 1i: Neverland

Neverland Valley Ranch, is situated in Santa Barbara County, California and was the home of Michael Jackson from 1988-2005. Neverland was named so after the make-believe land in Peter Pan - a figure or idea that Michael was thought to have idolized. He turned Neverland into his home and a private amusement park. There was a zoo, theme park, two railroads, a ferris wheel, carousel, zipper, spider, sea dragon, wave swinger, super slide, dragon wagon kiddie roller coaster and bumper cars.

Michael Jackson’s Neverland, it was initally reported, would be turned into “Foreverland” a permanent memorial to the King of Pop - a bit like Presley’s Graceland - so that fans and tourists from all over the world could travel to see the singers former home and a glimpse into his life.

Story Number 2i: The changing faces of Michael Jackson

The story of Michael Jackson’s plastic surgery is no secret and it has been incredibly well documented by the media.

Initially, Michael’s changing appearance was put down to puberty and adolescence, and weight loss. Michael first started to become slimmer in the early 1980’s following his desire to have a ‘dancers body’. After accusations of child abuse in 1993 and 2005 MJ underwent massive weight loss and was hospitalized on more than one occasion. However, eventually the press cottoned onto the idea that it was more than natural growth that was changing the way that he looked.

By the mid-1980’s it was noticeable that Jackson’s skin was gradually getting lighter his nose and his chin were changing and the shape of his body had changed. Some professionals suggest that Michael suffered from ‘body dysmorphic disorder’ as a result of the verbal ‘bullying’ and abuse that he had suffered at the hands of his father.

In 1986 Jackson was reportedly diagnosed with Vitiligo and Lupus. Jackson’s make-up artist suggested that initially Jackson tried to cover the lighter patches of his skin with make-up but eventually the condition became too extensive. Gradually, as a result of the treatment his skin lightened even further until he looked almost porcelain white.

However, it was not only Michael’s skin that appeared to be changing, it was also the shape of his face. Apparently, by 1990 sources close to the singer suggested that he had had 10 operations on his face in total. Michael had his first rhinoplasty in 1979 after damaging his nose in a dance routine. In his Biography MJ suggested that he had had two bits of plastic surgery on his nose and one on his chin. Any other changes to his face Michael insisted were due to adolescence, change of diet, weight loss, a change of hair style and performance lighting that was used and not extensive surgery.

Story 3i: Earth Song

Earthsong was the third single from the album HIStory and it was released on November 27, 1995. Although Jackson had written other songs that dealt with different issues this was the first that specifially dealt with the environment and animal welfare- which is what made it such an interesting record. It supported Jackson’s work as a humanitarian which was first noticed with the release of “We are the World” with Lionel Richie in 1985 and with the initiation of the “Heal the World Foundation” in 1992. He received the Genesis award for the song in 1995 which was an award given each year for animal sensitivity.

The song received a Grammy nomination in 1997 and was a top five hit in most European countries, while in the UK it still remains Jackson’s best selling single, having sold over 1 million copies. It debuted at number one where it stayed for six weeks in December 1995.

Story 4i: Child Abuse Allegations

1993 was the first time that Michael Jackson was accused of child abuse by the father of 13-year-old Jordan Chandler. Evan Chandler, had supposedly administered Jordan with a powerful sedative and under this influence his son reportedly admitted that the star and he had engaged in sexual acts. Experts later said, that the drug used makes patients highly susceptible to suggestion. Apparently, Jordan’s mother did not believe Jackson had molested her son and further investigations into his home found no evidence to support a criminal filing. Jordan refused to testify against Jackson after he had received an out of court settlement of 22 million pounds, Michael justified the pay out saying “I didn’t want to do a long drawn-out thing”.

Jackson was again accused of child abuse later in 2005 by Gavin Arvizo, a 13-year-old cancer survivor who had become close friends of Jackson. In a documentary both Michael and Gavin had spoken about sharing a room and bed which Michael had described as a “beautiful, charming and sweet thing”.

MJ was branded a ’serial child molester’ during the 16 week trial in 2005. Jackson was accused of four counts of molestation including molesting a minor, intoxicating a minor, abduction and kidnapping.

Further allegations were then brought up that proposed Jackson had been groping five other young boys in the 1990’s including Macaulay Culkin. However, Culkin defended Jackson on the stand denying all charges that were held against him.

The verdict of the case found Michael Jackson to be not guilty on all charges; after assessment the jurors had thought the brothers stories to ‘not add up’.

Story 5i: Death

On June 25 2009 at 2:26pm Michael Joseph Jackson was pronounced dead, after he was found in a coma at his Bel-Air mansion.

Exactly how Michael Jackson died and the circumstances in which he did are still unclear. Reportedly homicide investigations are being made into his death, although it is thought that at present there is no evidence of criminal wrong doing.

Several media sources have reported that Propofol, a powerful anesthesia, was found in Jackson’s house after he died. Apparently the drug is a prescription drug, only used in hospitals and administered by IV to send people to sleep before surgery. Several medical experts have suggested there was no reason for Jackson to have had this drug in his home; although he reportedly begged for such drugs to help him sleep having suffered chronic insomnia before his death.

Supposedly, a coroners report suggested that MJ was actually in surprisingly good health and despite scarring on his face, several injection sites all over his body and bruises on his chest (due to CPR) there seemed to be no signs of a heart attack but it looked more likely that drugs had caused the heart to stop beating or the lungs to stop breathing. However, reportedly, the coroners office has ordered more tests to determine the Jackson’s Cause of Death. The office won’t rule on his death until toxicology and other additional testing has been completed.

Sources suggest that a memorial service will be held for Michael Jackson on Tuesday at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles where he had been rehearsing for his O2 London concerts.

End:

There is no doubt that Michael Jackson was the King of Pop despite his controversial lifestyle and person. He, his music and performances will undoubtedly be remembered forever.

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in BCP Airport Parking, Gatwick Airport Parking and Heathrow Parking

[tags]Michael Jackson, Top Ten, MJ, Death, Stories, Jackson, Jackson’s, Thriller, Moonwalk, Neverland,[/tags]

Tensions are rising as the wait for the new Harry Potter movie, ‘The Half Blood Prince’, is finally coming to an end. It has been two years since the release of ‘The Order of the Phoenix’ which hit cinemas in UK and Ireland all the way back in July 2007, and fans have eagerly (and patiently) been awaiting the arrival of this sixth film.

The Harry Potter phenomenon started in June 1997, with the release of JK Rowling’s first installment of the seven books: ‘The Philosophers Stone’.

To this day, I remember picking the book from the shelf, reading the back cover intently and immediately wanting to take it home. I was eleven, and so the same age as Harry, Ron and Hermione - which obviously made the whole thing much more exciting! I instantly fell in love with it; the storyline, the characters, the magic and the idea of a school for witches and wizards - I literally couldn’t put the book down.

I wanted to be magic, I wanted a broomstick! (imagine that! Forget the car journey to the airport, the airport parking, the plane journey, the irritating coach trip on the other side - we’ll just take the broomstick!)

I wanted Ron and Hermione to be MY best friends and, of course, I wanted to be part of the Quidditch team. I even went to Waterstones for an evening with J.K Rowling, at which she said she would consider putting triplets in one of the books, because my younger siblings who are triplets were also in attendance, unfortunately, she never did.

It seemed that I, and my family, weren’t the only ones who caught the Harry Potter bug; from then on the book just seemed to spiral into a whole new world of popularity. Suddenly it was everywhere, and then came the films.

The first film, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone’ was released on 16 November 2001, was directed by Chris Columbus and in total generated $976,475,550. Four more films have followed the first, based on the books, in the same order, with changing directors and additional cast members as new characters are introduced. Statistically they have all proved to have been incredibly popular; although apparently not to everybody’s liking.

There has been some controversy over the films and how much they actually follow the the books. Critics and avid fans have suggested that, despite directors best efforts, the films do not stick rigidly enough to the book’s story lines and that too many details are left overlooked.

In fact, when I was at University, yes I still insisted on seeing the films even then. Two of my housemates, after seeing ‘The Goblet of Fire’ announced that they would not watch the remainder of the films due to their apparent inability to ‘be true’ to the books.

Like my housemates did, I love the books, they’re the kind that once you start reading them you just can’t put down. However, to go so far as to refuse to watch the remainder of the films just seems a ‘little’ over the top. I think that the films are well made and fun to watch, whether they follow the books entirely or not.

To a certain extent, you have to try and separate the film experience from the reading of a book. If you marry the two together too much it is easy to end up disliking most films made this way. When you read, you create your own images of the story in your head; of the characters, of the places, of the personalities etc. These will inevitably be, in your opinion, the best representation of the book as you are the one reading it.

Therefore, if you choose to watch a film based on a book, give the director, crew and cast some credit - their vision and the restraints a film puts on a it can’t appeal to everybody.

I find it easier to separate the films from the books and try to ignore the discrepancies, because I don’t think that they can match up perfectly.

You have to take the Potter films as they are; being aimed at the younger generation, they are fun to watch and simply based around the story lines of the books. Lets be honest, the books are all pretty exciting - so surely the films can’t go that wrong. Also, lets not forget, we wouldn’t have the films if they weren’t based on the books, so why not just enjoy them for what they are?

The sixth film, ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’ looks set to be a pretty good one; if the book is anything to go by. The trailer looks fast paced and even more edgy than the last. It appears that the films are getting darker and darker, just as the books did as the series progressed.

Something that is quite amazing about the films is that, where possible, the same core characters have been used throughout. The actors chosen when they were mere eleven year olds, have grown up on the screen giving the films that endearing edge. It makes the relationships portrayed by the films and the growth of the characters that little bit more believable, as the actors grow closer together and to their respective characters.

It is also be helpful to some (no names mentioned) that as the younger actors themselves have grown up the Harry Potter movies have ended up with, lets face it, not a bad looking cast.

The only worry about the growing darkness, relationship based story lines and, quite frankly fairly scary scenes is that the films may be being made less accessible to the younger audience, at which the films were initially aimed? Although, if this is the case, they always have something to look forward when they are old enough to watch them!

I, myself, already have my ticket to the opening night of ‘The Half Blood Prince’ and am very excited about seeing it, despite other’s fears that it will not stick precisely to the story line of the books. I’ll be the first in the queue, the first out of my hotel room next to the cinema (which was booked months in advance), the first to be parked in the car/broomstick park right next to the cinema ready to get in there first.

I’ll see the film no matter what, and maybe, if you’re lucky, I might even let you know what I think about it.

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Manchester Airport Parking and Bristol Airport Parking.

[tags]Harry Potter, The Half Blood Prince, Film, Manchester Airport Parking, Bristol Airport Parking[/tags]

Michael Jackson was in the public eye from a young age as a part of the Jackson 5, and like him the stories started very early on.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958. He had started performing at the age of 5 and by the age of 8 he was touring the Midwest extensively with the Jackson 5. He finally made his debut on the major music scene in 1968 as a member of the Jackson 5 at the age of 10.

Story Number 1: Childhood

It was in the first television interview that Michael Jackson had given since 1979 that he first spoke of the stories of his alleged childhood abuse. Michael Jackson admitted that he had often felt lonely and persecuted as a child and cried as a result of this. He revealed that he was physically and emotionally abused by his father in several different ways; enduring incessant rehearsals, beatings and verbal abuse.

On one occasion their father, had apparently, climbed into Michael’s room wearing a scary mask and proceeded to scream and shout. Their father’s reasoning for this behavior is that he wanted to teach his children not to leave their windows open whilst they were sleeping.

However, this quite obviously did more to damage Michael than teach him a simple lesson. The singer revealed in an interview that this incident resulted in nightmares centered around kidnapping for years after.

In an interview with Martin Bashir, which was released in 2003, Michael said: “i didn’t have it that hard, he used me as the example, “do it like Michael” … he practiced us with a belt in his hand and if you missed a step then expect to be hit…he would tear you up if you missed… really get you”. Although Michael did admit he had been abused by his father, in extra footage he suggested that ‘he hurt me with his love, be he is a genius, the man is a genius”.

Story Number 2: Thriller

On November 30 1982, Jackson released his sixth studio album produced by Epic Records; Thriller. Thriller was the follow up album to ‘Off the Wall’, 9 of the tracks were written by MJ himself and it explored several different genres including funk, disco, soul, soft rock, R&B and pop.

At its best the album was selling a million copies a week worldwide, and in just over a year it became, and still remains, the best selling album of all time. It is estimated that the album sold an excess of 60 million copies around the globe. Seven of the songs were released as singles and all reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The album broke records, winning eight Grammy Awards in 1984 in three different genres - pop, R&B and rock. It was Thriller that sent Jackson soaring into super-stardom and cemented him as one of, if not the, predominant pop star of the late 20th Century.

The album ranked number 20 in the Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003 and was also listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at number three in their ‘Definitive 200 Albums of All Time’.

Story Number 3: The Moonwalk

The ‘Moonwalk’ or ‘backslide’ is a dance technique that presents the illusion that the dancer is stepping forward while actually moving backward.

Michael Jackson’s first ever public moonwalk was supposedly in 1983 at the Motown 25th Anniversary whilst performing “Billie Jean”.

Jackson was not the first person to perform the moonwalk and older stars have claimed that they taught him the move, but there is no doubt that he popularized the moonwalk and the robot dance moves and made them his own. The dance gained worldwide popularity after Michael Jackson performed it and soon became considered his signature move. The moonwalk has since become one of the best known dance moves in the world.

Story Number 4: Bad

In his autobiography Jackson said that the song was about the street. A kid from a bad neighborhood who goes away to a private school. He comes back and the kids from the neighborhood start to tease him. He sings “I’m bad, you’re bad, who’s bad… etc”. Michael paradoxically suggests that when you are strong and good, you are bad.

Michael Jackson’s album ‘Bad’ was released on 31st August 1987 followed closely by the single ‘Bad’ which was released on September 7 1987, which was MJ’s seventh number one hit single over all. Bad remained in the top spot for two consecutive weeks from October 24th 1987.

Twenty years after the album was released it had sold over 30 million copies worldwide and shipped 8 million units in the United States. It was the first and currently only album ever to feature five songs in the Billboard Hot 100 number 1 singles.

In the late 80’s the album won two Grammy’s, one for Best Music Video for Leave Me Alone and one for Best Engineered Album. Bad was also ranked number 43 in the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV Generation in 2009 listed by VH1. It was also ranked number 202 on the Rolling Stone magazine 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Bad became the first of Jackson’s albums to debut at number-one on the Billboard 200 where it remained for the next six consecutive weeks. In the UK the album sold 500,000 copies in just five days and is currently certified 13x platinum, for sales of 3.9 million making it Jackson’s biggest-selling album in the UK.

Globally, it is Jackson’s overall third best-selling recording, with 30 million copies sold. Five of the album’s songs hit number one, which was a record in itself. Bad was the 9th best selling album in British History and this was announced in 2006.

Story Number 5: Bubbles and Pets

Bubbles is the name of the chimpanzee that became associated with Michael Jackson. He rescued the chimp from a Cancer research clinic in Texas in 1985.

Michael Jackson was reportedly quite close to the chimp but the media mocked this friendship; as they mocked many aspects of his life. The relationship was portrayed as weird and Jackson as a ‘bizarre eccentric’, obsessed with recapturing his lost childhood. It was this incident that lead the star to be named ‘Wacko Jacko’.

Bubbles sat in with Jackson when he recorded Bad, and was obviously a big part of his life for a while; Bubbles even made a cameo appearance in “Liberian Girl” a track from the album. The chimp was moved to the Neverland ranch with ‘Jacko’ in 1988 and he slept in a crib in his bedroom. Sometimes the Chimp wore a diaper and on other occasions he was allowed to use Michael Jackson’s private toilet - something which the star was also scrutinized for.

Jackson has been reported as once said “My chimp bubbles is a constant delight.” Kenny Rogers once said of Bubbles: “..[he] was so human it was almost frightening. He would take Christopher [Rogers’ son] by the hand, walk over to the refrigerator, open it, take out a banana, and hand it to him. Christopher was amazed…we all were.”

Bubbles is reported to still be alive today after he was removed to an animal century because there were fears he may attack Jackson’s newborn son, Prince Michael II.

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Gatwick Parking and Heathrow Parking

[tags]Michael Jackson, Top Ten, MJ, Death, Stories, Jackson, Jackson’s, Thriller, Moonwalk, Neverland,[/tags]

What did people do with their time 20 years ago? How did we ever manage without personal computers, the Internet, cell phones, iPods and 24 hour cable news? The technological landscape is vastly different these days and scientist are wondering just what that means for our brains.

According to research done last year by UCLA scientist Dr. Gary Small, daily doses of technology may be altering the way the brain functions, particularly in social skills. He suggests that all that screen time may weaken the brain circuits involved in face-to-face interactions. He is concerned that fundamental social skills like reading facial expressions during a conversation are being compromised.

Small is particularly concerned about what he calls the digital native, those in their twenties and younger who have been “digitally hard-wired since toddlerhood.” As he explained in an Associated Press article, the digital native runs the risk of being socially awkward and isolated by their inability to interpret non-verbal messages from people. He is afraid this may be particularly true in the classroom that still relies on traditional verbal instruction along with interaction with the teacher and other students.

Small argues his case in his book “iBrain: Surviving the Technological Altercation of the Modern Mind.” He admits that his research about whether or not all this technology is changing brain circuitry is new and ongoing.

Other studies, in fact, have taken the opposite tact by seeing positive outcomes for technology users. A MacArthur Foundation study found that teens feel very connected to each other through online social networking. The study allayed some parents’ fears that teenagers are vulnerable to online predators the more time they spend socially on the Internet. “The study found that most teenagers steer clear of dangerous sites and use the Web only for research or to communicate with established friends,” according to an article in the Austin-American Statesman.

Parents who are too protective and prohibit computer use for their teens may be keeping their kids out of the broader social loop. The study found that teenagers move between the online social world and the face-to-face interactions with relative ease, one building on the other.

Dr. Maryanne Wolf of Tufts University thinks technology may even affect how people learn to read. Technology requires users to gather information quickly, rather than the more methodical and sophisticated methods of comprehending regular reading material. She is studying if this rapid information gathering could be changing the normal brain pathways formed when reading. She is particularly curious about the affect on young children as technology becomes a more integral component of modern classrooms.

As with any new information technology, like 50 years ago with the inclusion of television to the average American home, there will be curiosity and controversy. It is certainly hard to imagine how our brains waited for the morning paper or the evening news to hear what was going on in the world around us. It seems like each generation has a quicker learning curve when it comes to the latest technology. That could just be human nature, or it could be the circuitry of the brain changing and adapting to the technologically saturated world in which we live.

Jill works with Inside San Antonio. Their site is devoted to the San Antonio Texas real estate market. Their site also has information on San Antonio schools along with a blog covering San Antonio real estate market statistics

[tags]technology, brain, brain circuitry, social networking, Internet, Web, san antonio real estate, compu[/tags]