Finding Nemo - Chock-Full of Color and Fun

By Steve Collins

When you consider that 71% of the planet is comprised of water, finding any one particular fish seems like a veritable needle in a haystack -- albeit a very wet, soggy haystack. Armed with this premise, Disney and Pixars FINDING NEMO soared to box office heights rarely enjoyed by an animated feature. To be sure, this little gem of a film remains the highest grossing animated film -- ever.

FINDING NEMO follows the same thematic arch that makes any coming-of-age story appealing: little fish yearns to see the world, is forced to survive, and yearns to come home, begin enriched by his experience and the friends he has made. Nemo, voiced by Alexander Gould, is tired of his overbearing father, Marlin, voiced by the incomparable and perennially dour, Albert Brooks. When a scuba diver scoops Nemo up, Marlin is beside himself with panic. So starts a fathers journey to find his clownfish son.

On cue a regal tang, Dory, voiced by the ever dry, ever humorous Ellen DeGeneres, joins Marlin. Though Dory suffers from chronic short-term memory loss, her effervescent optimism buoys the ever-dour, ever-worrying Marlin. They soon make way for Australia to find Nemo. Meanwhile, Nemo has found his way into a fish tank, where a Moorish Idol, Gill, voiced by Willem Dafoe, is intent on making a break for it. As they try to break free from the tank, Marlin and Dory make every effort to find the loveable clownfish.

One of the highest grossing films in 2003, FINDING NEMO still holds the box office record for being the highest earning animated film in history, with $864 million worldwide. It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was lauded by the American Film Institute as the tenth greatest animated film of all time.

By the by, tourism to Australia surged during the summer and autumn months of 2003. Whether or not FINDING NEMO was a direct influence, the Australian Tourism Commission was quick to use clips of the film to bombard American television audiences. Likewise, the demand for clownfish soared in 2003. The demand was so great many pet stores could not keep the colorful fish in stock. The power of popular perception should never be discounted.

About the Author:

Steve Collins is an author and journalist based in Los Angeles. A big Disney Fan, he buys his DVDs from the Disney Movie Club. Read his reviews of the Disney Movie Club here.

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Selling the Seen

By Grant Staple

We are creatures of habit. The forces that shape our daily interactions with both the culture at large and with fellow citizens and consumers is quietly shaped by unseen forces. Why is this product featured on this billboard or that product featured on this online banner ad? The placement of a product is the first step in marketing a product. We act upon that which we see, which is a very powerful insight into not only human behavior, but also selling goods.

How a product is marketed can mean the mercurial difference between success and failure. Moreover, who the product is marketed to can make or break a campaign. Structuring a campaign so that it appeals to specific cultures or ethnicities has proven highly effective for such products as pay-as-you-go cell phones, international calling cards, and even money transfer services.

The first step in a successfully marketing campaign is understanding who your target consumer group is. This kind of statistical information can be generated by certain algorithmic programs or by professional agencies that specialize in this kind of ethnic and behavioral profiling. Understanding what your target demographic buys and what they respond to can vastly improve your chances for selling your product.

Merely relying on traditional media (like billboards, magazine ads and fliers) is fighting a fight with one hand tied behind your back. Indeed, given the soaring marketing power of online media, it may be more like fighting with one arm and leg bound up. The speed and reach of online marketing strategies are phenomenal. An effective campaign should more eggs in the online basket than traditional media, something along the lines of a 60/40 split.

Selling is a gradual process. The first step towards selling is being seen. Being seen means being placed. Being placed requires a wise investment of capital and an appealing branding campaign. Trying to sell yesterday's soap to tomorrow's market is a sure-fire loss. Indeed, it may still be yesterday's soap, but if it is at least packaged in tomorrow's colors, it can be marketed successfully.

About the Author:

Get your product into position with an effective, shrewd brand positioning campaign. The key is utilizing a marketing firm that has proven successes in brand positioning campaigns.

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Consolidate to Avoid Bankruptcy

By James Pynn

Here is the bottom line: consolidate your debt and avoid bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is designed to be both disruptive and prohibitive. Securing a new line of credit can be agonizing and ultimately frustrating. Consolidation often entails taking out one loan to address you various debts. This new loan typically enjoys a lower, fixed interest rate and often proves more manageable for families and individuals alike.

Rarely will a consolidation service grant an unsecured loans. Most services require the loan be secured against some form of collateral, more often than not, a home or vehicle. The collateralization of the loan provides for a lower interest rate as the debt is secured against a profitable asset. Failing to pay off a collateralized loan often entitles the holder of the loan to take possession of said home or vehicle. In essence, since the risk of losing money is lower, so too, then, is the amount of interest on the loan.

Depending on the company, both the principal and interest rate can be significantly reduced. If a debtor is on the brink of bankruptcy, the loaner will often buy the loan at a considerable discount. It would behoove the smart debtor to shop around for the best offers. Though never mentioned, a consolidation agreement can seriously affect a debtors chances of having his or her debts dismissed by a bankruptcy judge. For this reason alone, it would behoove the potential debtor to think twice before jumping on the consolidation bandwagon.

Debt consolidation is generally accepted as the most viable solution for debtors who are over their heads with credit card debt. Credit cars notoriously carry high interest rates. To combat this, debtors with viable forms of collateral can borrow against this collateral, securing a second loan to pay off their credit cards. This second loan, secured against say a house, can e paid off sooner as it enjoys a significantly lower interest rate.

Unscrupulous consolidation companies move to charge exorbitant processing fees. Often these fees are close to the maximum allowed by state legislatures. Often, they are not directly disclosed. Some companies realize all too well that a client does not have the time he or she needs to shop his or her debt around. In these cases, the consolidation company can charge any ridiculous fee it wants, knowing that the client in backed into a corner. A sword of Damocles can be worth millions. It should be noted this form of last minute lending is also known as predatory lending.

About the Author:

Finding viable debt solutions is a matter of trial -- and effort. Do your homework and contact debt solution companies that are members of the Better Business Bureau.

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Test 'Article' for "Unique Article Wizard"

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About the Author:

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Great fight ends as first round horn sounds, Cyborg punches too much

By Steve Cofield

What an atmosphere and what a one-round fight. Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos slugged it out all over the cage for what seemed like the longest five-minute round in MMA history. Cyborg was slightly ahead in the round when she got the fight to the ground with less than 20 seconds left. Carano covered up and took 15 unanswered shots on her arms and to the face through her guard. When Carano wasn't moving or defending herself, referee Josh Rosenthal felt compelled to stop the fight. The crowd seemed to think he could've held off since there was just one second left in the round. Cyborg (8-1) wins the Strikeforce women's featherweight title at the 4:59 mark of the first.

Carano (7-1) was emotional in the cage as they announced the winner and handed the belt to Cyborg. It was the first loss of her career. She was more than competitive throughout withstanding multiple flurries and attacks from Cyborg. She actually powered out of a kimura attempt with less than 45 seconds left in the round. And at times she looked like the crisper striker. But the volume coming from Cyborg was eventually too much to deal with. Cyborg delivered as a minus-170 favorite on Las Vegas betting boards.

The HP Pavilion rocked before and during the fight. There wasn't a three second break in the action during the fight and much of the crowd was on it feet for the entire fight. It easily matched the atmosphere of any UFC or Strikeforce card featuring all male fighters.

Now the question is, can Strikeforce and women's fighting build the sport around someone who isn't a beauty queen. Whether that statement offends you or not, reality is there was a reason Carano was part of American Gladiators and did so many appearances on shows like Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Kimmel. That said, Carano is also far from finished. She proved even in a loss that she's a legitimate fighter. Maybe we see a rematch after both fighters get to test their skills against some of the other women as the sport grows.

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Gempa Padang, Tujuh Luka dan Satu rumah Roboh

Minggu, 16 Agustus 2009

Gempa berkekuatan 6,9 skala Richter yang terjadi di Kepulauan Mentawai mengakibatkan tujuh orang luka-luka.

"Di Padang yang juga merasakan getaran ada tujuh orang yang mengalami luka-luka," kata Kepala Pusat Penanggulangan Krisis Departemen Kesehatan Rustam S Pakaya kepada Tempo, Minggu (16/08).

Ketujuh orang tersebut adalah Ilham Wili (20) luka robek, Deni (47), Sarila (61), Yulia Indri (17), Yuci (18), Salsa Anugrah (11), dan Daus (30). Selain itu di Kampung Panurakan, kampung yang berada diperbatasan Padang dan Solok ada satu rumah yang roboh.

"Tembok belakang rumah ini roboh," ujar Rustam. Saat ini pihaknya, lanjut Rustam terus berkoordinasi dengan petugas lapangan dilokasi. Belum ada petugas dari Jakarta yang direncanakan akan dikirim. "Koordinasi saja, semoga semuanya baik".

Rustam juga mengatakan bahwa berdasarkan data yang diterimanya gempa tersebut juga dirasakan di Riau, Bengkulu, dan Sumatra Barat. "Tapi di Siberut aman," ujarnya.

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7 die, 91 wounded in blast near NATO HQ in Kabul

AP – The site of a suicide car bomb explosion which occurred near the main gate of NATO's headquarters in …

By RAHIM FAIEZ and JASON STRAZIUSO

KABUL – A suicide car bomb exploded Saturday outside the main gate of NATO's headquarters five days before Afghanistan's presidential election, killing seven and wounding 91 in the biggest attack in the Afghan capital in six months.

The bomber evaded several rings of Afghan police and detonated his explosives on the doorstep of the international military headquarters, an assault possibly aimed at sending the message that the Taliban can attack anywhere as Afghans gear up for their second-ever direct presidential election. Militants have warned Afghans not to vote and have threatened to attack voting sites.

The NATO headquarters — where top commander U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal is based — sits beside the U.S. Embassy and shares the same street as the presidential palace. The explosion was the first major attack in Kabul since February, when eight Taliban militants struck three government buildings simultaneously in the heart of the city, an assault that killed 20 people and the eight assailants.

Afghanistan has braced for attacks ahead of the election. International workers in the country were planning on working from home over the next week or had been encouraged to leave the country. U.S., NATO and Afghan troops were working to protect voting sites, particularly in regions where militants hold sway.

President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack and said Afghans knew the importance of Thursday's election.

"The enemies of Afghanistan, by conducting such attacks, are trying to create fear among the people as we get close to the election," Karzai said in a statement. He said Afghans "are not afraid of any threats, and they will go to cast their votes."

Bloodied and dazed Afghans wandered the street after Saturday's blast, which rattled the capital and sent a black plume of smoke skyward. Children — many of whom congregate outside the NATO gate to sell gum to Westerners — were among the wounded. Windows of nearby antique shops were shattered and blood smeared the ground.

The Taliban claimed responsibility and said the target was the NATO headquarters and the U.S. Embassy some 150 yards (meters) down the street. A top Kabul police official blamed al-Qaida.

Brig. Gen. E. Tremblay, the spokesman for the NATO-led force, said some soldiers in the International Security Assistance Force were wounded in the 8:35 a.m. blast. He did not say how many. The explosion occurred 30 yards (meters) from NATO's front gate, he said. Pointing to the civilian casualties, Tremblay said the Taliban were "indiscriminately killing civilians."

Afghan security forces stopped the vehicle in front of NATO headquarters, and then the bomber detonated the explosives, Tremblay said.

"The security measures in place have stopped cold the bombers as planned," he said, calling the latest attack an example of the "residual risk" that remained despite the safety measures taken. "It's very difficult to stop a suicide bomber."

The blast killed seven Afghans and wounded 91, Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, said.

Four Afghan soldiers and Awa Alam Nuristani, a member of parliament and President Hamid Karzai's campaign manager for women, were among the wounded, the ministry said.

"I was drinking tea in our office when a big explosion happened," said Abdul Fahim, an Afghan in his mid-20s who sustained leg injuries. "I lay on the ground and then I saw wounded victims everywhere, including police and civilians."

The chief of Kabul's criminal investigation department, Abdul Ghafar Sayadzada, said 600 pounds (272 kilograms) of explosives were used, and that because of the amount he suspected al-Qaida was involved. The attacker passed three police checkpoints, Sayadzada said.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the blast and said the bomb contained 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms) of explosives. Mujahid at first said the bomber was on foot, then later called back and said it was a suicide car bomb attack.

The attack falls in line with increasingly spectacular and sophisticated strikes carried out by Afghanistan militants. The Taliban have carried out several coordinated attacks in the last several months with multiple teams of insurgents assaulting government sites. Military analysts have said the increased sophistication comes from training by al-Qaida operatives.

NATO headquarters has several large, cement blocks and steel gates that prevent anyone from reaching the entrance, and the bomber was not able to breach those barriers. Afghanistan's Transportation Ministry lies across the street from NATO headquarters.

Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, said a suicide bomber named Ahmadullah from the Bagrami district of Kabul province carried out Saturday's attack.

A driver from the nearby Defense Ministry said he took at least 12 people to the hospital. Most were seriously wounded, said the driver, who spoke to an Associated Press reporter at the scene but didn't want to give his name because of safety concerns.

Kabul has been relatively quiet over the last half year, though militants have launched a barrage of rockets into the capital this month, most of which landed harmlessly in open spaces.

Security has increased over the last several weeks in preparation for Thursday's vote.

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