S: Is for Silo

What do you do with three abandoned sewage treatment silos? Amsterdam-based Arons en Gelauff,transformed the silos into an incredible set of climbing towers. In addition to the climbing areas, the project includes multi-purpose areas, offices, restaurants and other commercial spaces. Similar to the Denmark Water Tower Renovation,the Silo Project involves taking two of the towers and extending their roofs. Inside tower A is a 40 meter high climbing atrium that looks like an inverted funnel with various wall facets, and overhangs to challenge climbers. Below the climbing atrium is a cafe and boulder room while above is a hotel and training facility. Tower B houses a rooftop restaurant, office space, a salon, music studio, and a movie theater. The two towers are connected via a footbridge at the original rooftop height of the silos. The climbing tower bulges in a couple of spots to make the climbing area even more interesting and challenging. A number of routes are also accessible on the outside of the silo. Climbing silos are actually fairly common here in the US especially in the Midwest, like in downtown Oklahoma City at Rocktown, which is a former grain silo transformed into a 16 room climbing gym with 90 foot walls. Now that's using ingenuity and is a F.A.C.T.

T: Is for Taxes

Expect to pay .5 percent more in sales taxes. Bloomberg's plan includes $3.4 billion in closing city agencies. So homelessness and mental patients will abound. In the meantime we have a great new stadium. Why not tax the stadium to make back what it cost? What about the bottle bill? That brings in $55,000.000. What is the bottle tax? 5-cent deposit on soda and beer bottles and cans. The new bill hopes to expand to include water, juice, tea and sports drink containers as well. In the governor’s executive budget plan, an estimated $118 million could be raised from the 5-cent bottles that go unclaimed. From 2005 to 2006, New Yorkers redeemed 68 percent of bottles and cans, according to the Container Recycling Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research organization. The deposit money from the remaining 32 percent of unclaimed deposits totaled $144 million, all of which goes back to the beverage companies to handle and process the empty beverage containers. Not only does this little bit bring our city much needed cash but saves the environment. Toll the bridges. You don't live here and pay the taxes, then why the break? The cost $830,000.00. Same thing for the commuter tax. Another $755 million.

Wouldn't it be nice if New York City for once gave back to the people who live here? This city unlike any other city puts its residences last and that is a F.A.C.T.

C: Is for a comedian who is celebrated

Comedic actor Dom DeLuise, has died. Best known for his scene stealing roles in Mel Brooks and films with his close friend Burt Reynolds, DeLuise, 75, had been battling cancer for more than a year. In the 1974's "Blazing Saddles" in played a flamboyant musical director who led dancers in a number called "The French Mistake" and 1976 film "Silent Movie," he played the assistant to Brooks' director Mel Funn. In 1980 he took on the dark comedy "Fatso," in which he played an overweight man trying to wean himself from comfort food. The film was directed by Brooks' wife, Anne Bancroft. DeLuise, who struggled with his own weight, was also an author of cookbooks. He felt powerless over food. "You know, anybody who's an alcoholic or cocaine or something, that's what food was to me." Besides authoring cookbooks, DeLuise penned seven children's books. His voice was featured in the children's films as "An American Tail" and its sequels, "All Dogs Go to Heaven" with Burt Reynolds and its sequel, and "Oliver & Company." He started on Broadway in the musical The Student Gypsy and Here's Love and took on Neil Simon in Last of the Red Hot Lovers. On film he was in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." USA Top Model 2008 Mallory Snyder states "He was someone who made the world laugh, He will be missed." Frequent collaborator Burt Reynolds stated "I was thinking the other day about this. As you get older you think about this more and more, I was dreading this moment. Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. I will miss him very much." Like Mallory and Burt the world world says good-by to a great comedian and that is a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for awards...the Tony nominations are out

The American Theatre Wing's 63rd Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards were announced today by Tony Award Winners Cynthia Nixon and Lin-Manuel Miranda from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. The Tony is the most coveted award in the theatre world. The Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 7, 2009 (8-11pm, live EST, PT time delay) on CBS. And the nominations are:

Best Play
Dividing the Estate Author: Horton Foote
God of Carnage Author: Yasmina Reza
Reasons to Be Pretty Author: Neil LaBute
33 Variations Author: Moisés Kaufman

Best Musical
Billy Elliot, The Musical
Next to Normal
Rock of Ages
Shrek The Musical

Best Book of a Musical
Billy Elliot, The Musical Lee Hall
Next to Normal Brian Yorkey
Shrek The Musical David Lindsay-Abaire
[Title of Show] Hunter Bell

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Billy Elliot, The Musical
Music: Elton John
Lyrics: Lee Hall

Next to Normal
Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Brian Yorkey

9 to 5: The Musical
Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton


Shrek The Musical
Music: Jeanine Tesori
Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

Best Revival of a Play
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Mary Stuart - New Version: Peter Oswald
The Norman Conquests
Waiting for Godot

Best Revival of a Musical
Guys and Dolls
Hair
Pal Joey
West Side Story

Best Special Theatrical Event
Liza’s at The Palace
Slava’s Snowshow
Soul of Shaolin
You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Hope Davis, God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish – Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gavin Creel, Hair
Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
John Glover, Waiting for Godot
Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
Roger Robinson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
Marin Ireland, Reasons to Be Pretty
Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
Will Swenson, Hair

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Karen Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests
Derek McLane, 33 Variations
Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls
Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Scott Pask, Pal Joey
Mark Wendland, Next to Normal

Best Costume Design of a Play
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot
Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit
Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages
Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical
Michael McDonald, Hair

Best Lighting Design of a Play
David Hersey, Equus
David Lander, 33 Variations
Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Hair
Kevin Adams, Next to Normal
Howell Binkley, West Side Story
Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart
Gregory Clarke, Equus
Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King
Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Acme Sound Partners, Hair
Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages
Brian Ronan, Next to Normal

Best Direction of a Play
Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart
Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage
Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests

Best Direction of a Musical
Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Greif, Next to Normal
Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages
Diane Paulus, Hair

Best Choreography
Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas

Best Orchestrations
Larry Blank, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Martin Koch, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal
Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Jerry Herman

the things in bold are what I think will win not what I think should win and that is a F.A.C.T

F: is for a face that glows

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Glycerin boosts the skin’s natural moisture content. Grapeseed Extract acts as a skin-softening antioxidant. I also love the Tightening Serum with its silky texture that provides instant tightening and firming effect. 30 here I come.

Little Known Facts About Coffee

Coffee is the most popular drink in the world after water!
Coffee is the number one traded world commodity after oil!
Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the US diet!
CoffeeBerry is the trademark name for the unique fruit extract of the coffee tree fruit, or the coffee cherry.
Coffee health benefits from large scale consumer studies are emerging at a rapid pace worldwide!
CoffeeBerry extracts have three times more antioxidants than green tea and these are illuminating F.A.C.T.S