Santa Monica, U.S.A. – True Believers, get ready for spectacular news – Activision Publishing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard and Spider-Man Merchandising L.P, a subsidiary of Marvel announced some amazing pre-order exclusives for fans that reserve an early copy of The Amazing Spider-Man video game in North America.  Fans Can Take on the Rhino Challenge and For the First Time Ever – Play Stan Lee as Himself!

Planned to launch June 26, 2012 the game brings Spidey back to the thrill of free-roaming through Manhattan in an original epilogue story to Sony Picture Entertainment’s upcoming feature film.  The pre-order exclusives for The Amazing Spider-Man video game are available and include the Rhino Challenge from GameStop and a special mission featuring a fully playable Stan Lee from Amazon.com.

The Rhino Challenge

Take control of the massive, genetically engineered villain Rhino and rampage around Manhattan in an exclusive game play challenge of pure destruction!  As Rhino, players will be able to unleash his formidable powers to destroy anything and everything that gets in his way in a timed event full of speed, combo streaks, and of course, a ton of things to break!  Unlock able for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation3 system only.

Play as Stan Lee for the First Time Ever

All the rumors can officially be put to rest – for the first time ever, fans will be able to play Stan…Lee as himself in The Amazing Spider-Man.  Players will take on the role of Stan “The Man” Lee in his own special mission across Manhattan, borrowing abilities from his old pal Spider-Man as they help Stan collect pages of his latest script in a spectacular race around Manhattan.

Stan’s mission is punctuated with his witty banter that fans have come to know and love, and a special surprise waits for them at the end of the mission – after all, it is Spider-Man’s 50th anniversary this year!

Go beyond the feature film and find out what happens next in The Amazing Spider-Man video game, which brings Spider-Man’s free-roaming, web-slinging action back to New York City.

Players take on the role of a young Peter Parker discovering his new Spider-Man powers and added Super Hero responsibilities, using the game’s innovative Web Rush mechanic to swing freely around Manhattan, combat a variety of criminal activities and take on classic Marvel Super Villains.

Set against an original story crafted by Hollywood writer Seamus Kevin Fahey (episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and the re-imagined Battle star Galactica) that takes place entirely after the events of the upcoming feature film, The Amazing Spider-Man video game delivers a brand-new, immersive and cinematic adventure allowing players to truly harness the power of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

The article ‘Spidey’ Back to Free-roaming Through Manhattan appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

After a patient died last year at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Manhattan, federal inspectors discovered nurses in his unit had a startling gap in their skills: They didn’t understand how the monitors tracking vital signs worked.

None of the nurses interviewed could accurately explain what would happen if a patient became disconnected from a cardiac monitor — which allegedly occurred to the patient who died, according to an October 2011 report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ inspector general.

The incident followed two deaths in the cardiac monitoring unit at a VA hospital in Denver that raised similar questions about nurse competency.

Earlier this month, a broader review by the VA inspector general of 29 VA facilities found only half had adequately documented that their nurses had the needed skills. Some nurses “did not demonstrate competency in one or more required skills,” but there was no evidence of retraining, the report said.

An outside nursing expert who reviewed the reports at ProPublica’s request called them “troubling” and said the fact that the lapses weren’t caught and corrected “signified much broader problems.”

The inspector general’s findings reveal “a lack of oversight and adherence to accepted clinical and regulatory standards,” said Jane Hirsch, a clinical professor emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, who previously oversaw nursing at U.C. San Francisco Medical Center.

The April 20 IG report also noted that previous inspections had found nurse competency issues in “dialysis, mental health, long-term care, spinal cord injury, endoscopy procedure areas, the operating room and the cardiac catheterization laboratory and with reusable medical equipment.”

In a response to the inspector general, the VA pledged to create uniform competency standards for its 152 hospitals and to ensure that evaluations of every nurse’s skills are up-to-date. Nurses will not be able to work in areas in which they have not demonstrated competency.

A VA spokeswoman declined further comment.

Nurse competency has increasingly become an issue in medicine. Hospitals and clinics create their own procedures and tests for assessing the skills of nurses, but their adherence to these policies is spotty.

Outside regulators don’t test individual nurses, but simply check if a sampling of the nurses’ files have the appropriate paperwork certifying competency.

That’s what VA’s inspector general did for the April review. As such, officials acknowledged that they could not verify whether nurses at those hospitals, or others, are providing competent care.

“We did not look at actual care or actual competence,” Julie Watrous, director of the inspector general’s combined assessment program, which inspects each VA hospital every three years, told ProPublica.

Only half the 29 facilities included in the new report had complete nurse skill assessment records that met the hospitals’ standards, inspectors found. Of the 349 nurses whose files were examined, paperwork showed that 58 lacked skills in at least one area. And for 24 in that group, there was no evidence that anything was done in response.

In an interview, however, the IG official who coordinated the report said she was generally pleased with the findings. Although both the VA and its hospitals had room to improve, she said, all of the hospitals had policies in place and at least some proof of skills in each nurse’s file.

“We never found one single site or even person that didn’t have at least components of competency assessment and validation,” said Carol Torczon, associate director of the St. Petersburg, Fla., office of the inspector general. “Where we found the holes was in the paper process.”

Torczon said she believed that the problems identified in Denver and New York were not reflective on the care generally provided by VA nurses in cardiac monitoring units.

Inspectors in the New York and Colorado cases said they could not definitely tie the deaths of the patients to their nurses’ care. But they noted that their lack of training put patients at risk.

Registered nurses assigned to telemetry units typically place cardiac leads, set parameters for the monitors tracking each patient, verify heart rhythms and take appropriate actions if there is an irregularity. They also enter progress notes and inform doctors of any changes.

After the patient in New York died, inspectors quizzed nurses and a biomedical engineer about what would happen if a patient got disconnected. “According to some staff, a ‘red alarm’ would be triggered since a disconnected lead was considered critical,” the report said, “whereas other staff told us that a disconnected lead would trigger a yellow alarm or that it would not trigger any alarm at all.”

Inspectors also found no evidence that the nurses’ competence had been checked. Records showed that one of the patient’s nurses had last received training on the monitors 13 years earlier.

Two years earlier at a VA hospital in Denver, inspectors looked into the deaths of two patients on cardiac monitors. After the first death, the hospital gave nurses a basic test of their ability to interpret monitor readings: only one of 28 passed, according to a January 2010 report. The nurse in charge when both patients died had never received specialized training in cardiac monitors.

Even after the second patient died in 2009, inspectors found “it was unclear who was responsible for telemetry training, and staff were not aware that policies had been updated.”

Both facilities vowed extensive reforms in responses that were included in the IG reports.

Experts say up-to-date competency evaluations are important because they ensure that nurses, who provide the bulk of the frontline care in hospitals, have the skills for their position.

“It would appear that the old adage ‘inspect what you expect’ has most certainly not been taken very seriously in these environments,” said Hirsch, who was chief nursing officer at UCSF Medical Center for nine years.

After reading the New York and Denver reports, Hirsch said her concern wasn’t the incidents themselves as much as that the competency of the nurses hadn’t been documented or evaluated in a long time.

Had she been in charge, the findings would have caused her “to be really nervous and want to jump on it immediately,” she said.

by Tracy Weber and Charles Ornstein, ProPublica, April 30, 2012, 1:19 p.m.

The article VA Nurses Scrutinized After Patient Deaths in Two States appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Saturday, hundreds of protesters who have gathered in New York’s Zuccotti Park since September 17 marched through the streets. Over 700 protesters, including some members of the media, were arrested as Occupy Wall Street protesters blocked the Brooklyn Bridge, snarling traffic.

Police zip tied protesters and loaded them into city buses to transport them to police stations. The protesters received tickets and were released. The protests, which have been harshly criticized by much of American media for being unorganized without demands, are gaining traction.

The protests are spreading throughout the United States like wildfire. Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Seattle and San Francisco all have their own protests taking shape. On Wednesday, college students are organizing a mass student walkout on what is being deemed America’s “Day of Rage.”

On Sunday, Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Laureate economist and professor at Columbia University, visited the large group. During his informal teach-in, Stiglitz points out that New York City does not allow the use of a megaphone or microphone without a permit. “The fact that you are not allowed to use a megaphone on a Sunday is outrageous,” Stiglitz says.

“We have too many regulations stopping democracy, and not enough regulations stopping Wall Street from misbehaving.” Despite the growing noise from protesters, most politicians, including the President, have been silent on the discontent. White House spokesperson Jay Carney was asked on Monday about the president’s reaction to the protests.

“I’m sure he’s aware of it because he follows the news,” Carney said of Obama’s familiarity with the movement, during a briefing. “To the extent that people are frustrated with the economic situation, we understand.” The movement is getting some more support. Mainstream media devoted more serious news time to the protests, even interviewing some leaders of the group on Monday.

Union workers from all over the country are supporting the cause and plan to take part in a march with Occupy Wall Street on Wednesday. The New York City bus drivers, who helped to transport the arrested protesters to police stations, stated they would not help out with any future arrests.

Workhouse Publicity, a Chelsea-based public relations firm, sent unsolicited emails to members of Occupy Wall Street offering to spread the word about the ongoing protests, The New York Daily News reports.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/matmcdermott/

The article Occupy Wall Street Sees Mass Arrests appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

New York City is known for its fast paced lifestyle. New Yorkers have become accustomed to what seems like never ending traffic noise and construction sites. New Yorkers find places to unwind in relaxing and tranquil spaces. Brooklyn Bridge Park is a beautiful outdoor area on the edge of Brooklyn with a direct view of lower Manhattan’s skyline.

Located right on the East River, the newly opened Brooklyn Bridge Park is a perfect waterfront destination and a quiet location in New York City. Originally created in 1642 as the first ferry port that connected Brooklyn to Manhattan, the park has gone through extensive renovation in recent years to create an outdoor oasis for New Yorkers.

Pier 1 of the park is now open to the public and includes acres of grass to enjoy sporting activities or a lazy day out in the sun. Its location is away from busy streets. Brooklyn Bridge Park is a quieter area where all you’ll hear is children playing in the playground and the sounds of the East River lapping against the park’s foundation.

In upcoming years, the park will expand and will have a skating rink, waterfront areas for kayaking, as well as lacrosse, soccer, baseball, and football fields. The park offers stunning views of skyscrapers and the famous Brooklyn Bridge. It is a wonderful spot in New York City to relax and take in the beautiful city’s skyline.

In the heart of Manhattan is one of the largest and quietest areas throughout the city. Located at the crossroads of 42^nd Street and 5^th Avenue is the landmark New York Public Library. The library opened its doors in 1911 and is rich in history. Walking through the massive building is like stepping back in time as the intricate architectural details of the structure allow people to get lost in its old world style.

Over one million books sat on the library’s shelves on opening day and this library is still one of the most tranquil spots in the city. There are now over 65 million items in the library that are available to the public, including books, DVDs, and CDs. The New York Public Library is a perfect place to read a favorite book in one of its many reading rooms.

One of the most famous reading rooms in the library is the grand Rose Main Reading Room. This reading room is about the size of two city blocks, and offers people plenty of spots to sit and enjoy the overall peacefulness of the building. Heading uptown to the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City is the location of an often overlooked museum.

In the depths of Fort Tyron Park is the Cloisters Museum & Garden, which is a branch of the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum houses works of art from the medieval period, dating back from the 12^th to 15^th centuries. Located high atop the Hudson River, the Cloisters has an outdoor area with wonderful views of the river.

It is a spot where not many people go and is often quiet and relaxing. The courtyard garden is another highlight of the museum and allows visitors to forget they are in the middle of New York City.

Although New York City is often synonymous with being a loud and busy cosmopolitan area, there are plenty of beautiful and relaxing places throughout the five boroughs where people can get away from it all. Whether at the foot of panoramic waterfront views or tucked away behind a book in the legendary New York Public Library, quiet spots around the city are just waiting to be found.

The article Quiet Places in New York City appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Marilyn Monroe’s timeless white halter dress went on auction on Saturday June 18, 2011. The white dress was made famous in the 1955 film “The Seven Year Itch”.  It was made famously by that one scene, where Monroe stands over a subway grate, air flowing underneath her skirt. This iconic scene was shot in the middle of Manhattan and is still a recognizable image.

The dress was auctioned for $5.6 million, a price that may shock some. Her most famous dress has also been famously replicated throughout the years, by those such as Britney Spears on her Femme Fatale tour.  It is incredible that this image has held its fame, even after 50 years. The scene was filmed seven years before Monroe’s death in 1962.

The dress was designed by William Travilla, a designer with a career that spanned 40 years.  Throughout his career, white halter dress remained Travilla’s most famous dress design. It was inspired by the multiple folds of Greek robes, with a plunging neckline. The color white was chosen to portray innocence. The dress was made with lightweight fabric for its ease of movement allowing for that famous billowing effect, when she stood over the grate.

If it wasn’t for Marilyn Monroe wearing it, perhaps the dress wouldn’t have been so famous to begin with and wouldn’t have gathered
such a high price at auction.

Marilyn Monroe was born June 1, 1926 and became famous for her movies.  Among her most notable were Gentlemen Prefer Blondes which was made in the same year as How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Bus Stop (1956), and Some Like it Hot (1958) which she won a Golden Globe Award for.  After Some Like it Hot she got a bad reputation. It was said that she was hard to work with, perhaps caused by her personal and mental problems she battled. Her death came early in 1962 by barbituate overdose. Regardless, Monroe remains as one of the most prominent actresses, sex symbols and pop icons.

The timing of the film The Seven Year Itch helped to bring the dress into the limelight, giving it the fame it now has. The scene was shot on September 14, 1954, on Lexington and E52 Street in Manhattan. The scene was filmed at night, and the set was filled with onlookers.

At the time she was also married to New York Yankees player Joe DiMaggio. He was there that night, watching his wife act. The media circus ended in a screaming match between Dimaggio and Monroe, and the next day she filed for divorce.

Either way if that the reason why it so famous or why it so iconic it still gotten 5.6 million dollars, and the person who bought have theoriginal that only she wore and nothing like it.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/MarilynMonroe?sk=photos&closeTheater=1

The article Marilyn Monroe Dress Auctioned for $5.6 Million appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The sex assault accusations of attacking  a housekeeper in a hotel room in Manhattan were too harsh for Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn to handle. Therefore, on Wednesday he proceeded to resign his position as  head of the International Monetary Fund.

While leaving his position, Mr. Strauss-Kahn said, “I want to say that I deny with the greatest possible firmness all of the allegations that have been made against me.”

Early this morning, a statement released by the I.M.F, exposed some words from Mr. Strauss-Kahn, “It is with infinite sadness that I feel compelled today to present to the Executive Board my resignation from my post of managing director of the I.M.F.  I think at this time first of my wife — whom I love more than anything — of my children, of my family, of my friends.”

After Mr. Strauss Kahn’s resignation was announced, Ms. Le Pen claimed: that France needed to learn a lesson from his arrest, and guarantee “rich and poor are treated with an equal footing.”

He is being legally charged with severe accusations such as rape, forced oral sex and to force another person against her will. His arrest was conducted on Saturday, while he was in an Air France airplance. The action was taken, 10 minutes before his plane was due to depart, when two detectives of the Port Authority boarded the Air France Flight 23.

These accusations intervene with many plans ahead for MR. Straus Kahn. Not only he had a great position as a former French finance minister, but also he was a political figure that if enrolled in the presidential candidatures, he could have a great percentage to defeat President Nicolas Sarkozy.

On the other hand, the International Monetary Fund stated on Wednesday night that John Lipsky would stay as acting managing director

It is interesting to notice the reaction in France. On Wednesday, a poll conducted by CSA showed that 57 percent of people surveyed think he was “the victim of a plot.”

The article Dominique Strauss-Kahn Steps Out From The International Monetary Fund appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Love designer handbags but can’t afford to burn that big of a hole in your pocket every time a new line is released?

For all of those that answered yes to this question should immediately visit bagborroworsteal.com! The website where you can have that dream handbag (or even piece of jewelry) at a small fraction of the price for a limited time, or just until the newest must have bag is released.

A Louis Vuitton bag that, at retail price, will cost you over $3,000 can now be yours at only $94 for one week (or $275 for the month)! This is only the beginning of the savings you can get as long as you can return the bag in the perfect condition you received it in.

To go along with that new top-of-the-line handbag you can add a pair of Marc Jacobs sunglasses that normally, would cost you hundreds of dollars will now only cost $15 for the week (only $45 for the month!).

If you want to live the unrealistic life of a movie star or a billionaire you can spend about $300 to have a white gold diamond cuff for one week that at retail price would cost you over $72,000…! Who ever has that kind of money to spend on one bracelet (and actually can comfortably wear something that expensive) is a very impressive individual.  But at $300 you could be that person for the week, or just for one really special event!

If you’re like the majority of the rest of the female population and you absolutely love Carrie Bradshaw and her crew in the hit HBO television series Sex and the City then you will adore this feature. You can rent practically anything you’ve seen any of the city girls strutting with down 5th Avenue Manhattan! Simply click the ‘Hot Picks’ category and then Sex and the City, you can even pick which character you like the most! You can finally live the dream life of these so adored women, even if only for a week!

It’s easy enough to buy the knock-off designer items while walking down the streets in New York City, or practically any major city in the United States. But why not be able to carry around the real $3,000 Louis Vuitton handbag that will be a serious conversation starter at such an affordable price?!

Once you start renting, you’ll never go back!

The article Rent-a-Bag appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.