Yes, as the title says being fired from my job saved my life and this post is going to explain to you exactly why I believe that. You see it has been almost 2 years since that day that I heard the new GM say to me, "We are going to let you go " I was shocked, pissed, scared and probably every other emotion that we have when it happened. I mean how could this happen to me and what was my life going to be like now that the job and career I had worked hard for was now gone. Little did I know that I was on a new journey that I believe has saved my life and has given me a clear picture as to what my purpose in life is all about. My goal for telling you this story some two years later is if there is someone out there who might be struggling after losing there job don't lose hope because just maybe you too will be saved and found your true calling.
Now I am not going to go into all the details as to how and why I was fired but I do want to start with maybe a little foreshadowing event that happened when I first graduated from college. I have to admit I was not a big reader in college but soon after I graduated people who had created big companies and appeared to be successful fascinated me. So, one day I was at Barnes and Noble and picked up a book about the guys who started Home Depot. In it I found out that one of the founders of Home Depot was fired from his job. He said it was the best thing that had happened to him; little did I know that would be the case for me too.
So here is why I feel that way:
Probably the single most reason I have come to believe that being fired has saved my life I feel is because I have not spent enough time developing my spirituality. You see, for years I worked on building my career, my health, my wealth and my family, but the one area of my life that was out of balance was my spirituality. Now I had been attending church but wasn't really growing and maturing in my spirituality. What I came to realize is that I had been going at everything alone and was fighting what my true purpose here on earth is all about. Through reading Scripture and the "Purpose Driven Life" I have a renewed sense of trust in my faith and my savior, Jesus Christ. It is strange how the good Lord works but I now know that me being fired was his way of saying it is time to get closer to me and stop doing things on your own. Understanding and realizing this has brought a sense of calm and peace to my life. I now have a clear picture of what I am called to do and no matter have tough things get I know I am not alone.
Another reason I feel it has saved my life is because I am able to use this as a teaching moment. I know it sounds strange but being fired has given me the opportunity to show my kids that life is going to hit you and knock you down, but the important part is how you react to life's struggles that matters. Hopefully by me showing them that dad did not quit and had faith throughout will help make them stronger.
My final breakthrough and realization that my life has been changed comes from being an entrepreneur. For starters being an entrepreneur has taken me out of my comfort zone. I no longer have the luxury of having a paycheck delivered to my bank account any more, but making a sale and knowing that a person has trusted in one of my products or services gives me such pride and more personal satisfaction than any paycheck has ever brought me. Also, by being my own boss (Oh, the real boss is my wife J) I have had opportunities to do the things I like and take the chances on projects and ideas I am interested in.
As I wrap up my story I am going to admit to you that finally coming to this understanding has not been easy and I hope you don't have to go through tough times to find out your true purpose but if you do embrace the struggle and realize that the old cliché "Everything happens for a reason" is true. There is a plan for us and part of that plan is to learn from your struggles.
So, my goal moving forward is to use my blog and this platform to help and encourage others to live the life they always wanted. I will also begin to share more about my struggles and insights as I continue down this path of entrepreneurship. I hope you will join me on the journey.
To your success,
Dave McGarry
P.S. If you know someone who needs a little inspiration please share this with him or her. Also, I would love to get your feedback and learn your story by having you comment below.
David Mcgarry is online Entrepreneur. He has several businesses in different niches. He also helps local businesses with their online marketing needs. You can check that out at http://www.dotcomsecretstx.com
Friday, July 6, 2012
Chinese Dragon Boat Festival - A Commemoration of National Hero Qu Yuan
A significant festival celebrated in China with the longest history, the Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
Qu Yuan, a Chinese national hero who drowned himself into the Mi Luo River in 277 BC to react against the corrupt and incompetent rulers. Qu Yuan was a minister of the state Chu, which aligned with another state with increasing power named Qin. Qu Yuan was dubbed a trader and was expelled to the frontier region, and it was during that period he wrote what was considered as China's first great poetry. When Chu was gradually conquered by Qin, Qu Yuan waded into a river out of distress and patriotism for Qin. The legend goes that people beat drums to keep fishes away and throw dumplings to the sea to prevent the fishes from eating Qu Yuan's body, which accounts for the reason why Chinese eat Zongzi and hold dragon boat racing competitions as a day of mourning Qu Yuan's death.
Zongzi, a glutinous rice dumpling stuffed with various fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves, is a traditional Chinese food eaten on that day as a memorial to the great poet. Glutinous rice forms the main ingredient of Zongzi, then comes to bamboo leaves that distinguish Zongzi from other kinds of dumplings. The filling often consists of pork, mung bean, sweetened red bean paste, etc. In the ancient time, Zong zi is usually eaten only on Dragon Boat Festival, but now the situation is a little different. It is attainable at any time of the year, and the taste of Zongzi differs from place to place as locals have developed their own varieties of Zongzi. If you come to China, don't miss the national practice of eating Zongzi. You will surely be impressed by the delicacy of it.
Another highlighted part of Dragon Boat Festival is the fierce dragon boat racing in a vibrant spectacle. Different teams race the exquisitely ornamented dragon boasts to the beat of drums. The boasts, usually measured at a length of over 10 meters with carved and painted dragon heads and tails as well as a crew of about 20-22 paddlers.
During the dragon boat competition, participants sit two abreast with a drummer at the front and a steersman at the back. The paddlers compete to see which team reaches the finishing line first, urging by the roaring of the crowds and the beating drums.
Do as the Romans do -- It is essentially important for enterprises engaging in international business. Business in Guangzhou aims to provide relevant, resourceful and reliable information of wholesale market, China business practice, canton fairs, expat experience and many more for those who want to enter Chinese market in the fast growing economies.
Qu Yuan, a Chinese national hero who drowned himself into the Mi Luo River in 277 BC to react against the corrupt and incompetent rulers. Qu Yuan was a minister of the state Chu, which aligned with another state with increasing power named Qin. Qu Yuan was dubbed a trader and was expelled to the frontier region, and it was during that period he wrote what was considered as China's first great poetry. When Chu was gradually conquered by Qin, Qu Yuan waded into a river out of distress and patriotism for Qin. The legend goes that people beat drums to keep fishes away and throw dumplings to the sea to prevent the fishes from eating Qu Yuan's body, which accounts for the reason why Chinese eat Zongzi and hold dragon boat racing competitions as a day of mourning Qu Yuan's death.
Zongzi, a glutinous rice dumpling stuffed with various fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves, is a traditional Chinese food eaten on that day as a memorial to the great poet. Glutinous rice forms the main ingredient of Zongzi, then comes to bamboo leaves that distinguish Zongzi from other kinds of dumplings. The filling often consists of pork, mung bean, sweetened red bean paste, etc. In the ancient time, Zong zi is usually eaten only on Dragon Boat Festival, but now the situation is a little different. It is attainable at any time of the year, and the taste of Zongzi differs from place to place as locals have developed their own varieties of Zongzi. If you come to China, don't miss the national practice of eating Zongzi. You will surely be impressed by the delicacy of it.
Another highlighted part of Dragon Boat Festival is the fierce dragon boat racing in a vibrant spectacle. Different teams race the exquisitely ornamented dragon boasts to the beat of drums. The boasts, usually measured at a length of over 10 meters with carved and painted dragon heads and tails as well as a crew of about 20-22 paddlers.
During the dragon boat competition, participants sit two abreast with a drummer at the front and a steersman at the back. The paddlers compete to see which team reaches the finishing line first, urging by the roaring of the crowds and the beating drums.
Do as the Romans do -- It is essentially important for enterprises engaging in international business. Business in Guangzhou aims to provide relevant, resourceful and reliable information of wholesale market, China business practice, canton fairs, expat experience and many more for those who want to enter Chinese market in the fast growing economies.
TV Shop: Tips To Bring With You
Thinking of heading to your local TV shop sometime soon to upgrade your out-of-date entertainment center? It can be an exciting, yet overwhelming, thing to do. It wasn't always this complicated, as you probably remember. You went to the store, decided how big you wanted your television to be, and you picked something approximating that size. Easy choice. Today, you have many more decisions to make (and seemingly more every day). When spending this much money on something you're going to be using quite a lot, you don't want to make the wrong decision. Here are some tips that can steer you in the right direction.
3D:
The new wave in home entertainment is, of course, the trend of 3D. While this certainly isn't the first pass 3D has made at attracting viewers, it is probably the strongest volley we've seen from the technology since at least the 1950s. While you've certainly noticed the influx of 3D movies in theaters, you may not realize that your local TV shop has ways in which you can bring this technology to your living room. For those who don't want to spend a fortune, passive LCD televisions can offer you 3D on a budget. If you want a better experience, you might want to look into what active plasma technology can offer.
Plasma:
Your two primary choices when you start looking at the selection a TV shop can offer will be LCD and plasma. There are benefits and drawbacks to both, so you'll need to decide based on weighing the importance of each one. Of course, higher end televisions in both categories will mostly eliminate some of the drawbacks. With plasma, the primary benefit is the color. Plasma offers a better contrast and tends to give a more theatrical-type of picture. If you watch a lot of your programming in the dark, these televisions tend to give you the best experience. If there is a drawback to plasma, it is the "burn-in" scare. Though largely eliminated with newer models, manufacturers still recommend a break in period where the owner should be cautious about leaving any one thing on the screen for too long.
LCD:
When it comes to brightness of display, LCD usually wins out over plasma. If you want a picture that "pops", you might want to look at these televisions. Note: don't necessarily judge picture quality based on what you see in a TV shop. Those screens have usually been put on "torch" settings, with all of the brightness turned way up. You probably won't want to keep those settings at home. LCD is also offered in sizes below 42 inches, which may be a selling point, and is usually the go-to system for gaming.
A Pocatello tv shop has a variety of options. Find the right device for your entertainment needs and visit: http://www.merlinstv.com.
3D:
The new wave in home entertainment is, of course, the trend of 3D. While this certainly isn't the first pass 3D has made at attracting viewers, it is probably the strongest volley we've seen from the technology since at least the 1950s. While you've certainly noticed the influx of 3D movies in theaters, you may not realize that your local TV shop has ways in which you can bring this technology to your living room. For those who don't want to spend a fortune, passive LCD televisions can offer you 3D on a budget. If you want a better experience, you might want to look into what active plasma technology can offer.
Plasma:
Your two primary choices when you start looking at the selection a TV shop can offer will be LCD and plasma. There are benefits and drawbacks to both, so you'll need to decide based on weighing the importance of each one. Of course, higher end televisions in both categories will mostly eliminate some of the drawbacks. With plasma, the primary benefit is the color. Plasma offers a better contrast and tends to give a more theatrical-type of picture. If you watch a lot of your programming in the dark, these televisions tend to give you the best experience. If there is a drawback to plasma, it is the "burn-in" scare. Though largely eliminated with newer models, manufacturers still recommend a break in period where the owner should be cautious about leaving any one thing on the screen for too long.
LCD:
When it comes to brightness of display, LCD usually wins out over plasma. If you want a picture that "pops", you might want to look at these televisions. Note: don't necessarily judge picture quality based on what you see in a TV shop. Those screens have usually been put on "torch" settings, with all of the brightness turned way up. You probably won't want to keep those settings at home. LCD is also offered in sizes below 42 inches, which may be a selling point, and is usually the go-to system for gaming.
A Pocatello tv shop has a variety of options. Find the right device for your entertainment needs and visit: http://www.merlinstv.com.
A Big Week of Changes for Facebook
Not only were the financial officers of Facebook busy this week but so were the programmers. Three significant changes were launched to Facebook. While they may not be considered major by some, they are significant changes. Here's a recap of what changed.
Page Administrator Levels - Up till now it's been possible to have multiple administrators Facebook business page. You simply had to be a friend of the page and then the owner of the page (the first admin) could assign administrative privileges to you. Those permissions gave every admin full control of the page, including the ability to remove admins and make changes. While this is very convenient especially when employing a social media firm to manage your business page or assigning the task to a employee, it was not the most secure practice.
Now page owner can assign one of five different levels of admin privileges, ranging from full administrator privileges down to insights analyst. The chart below explains the different levels and the amount control given to each level.
To add or change his administrator, go to your admin panel, account settings select Admin Roles from the list on the left. You will see each person that has it admin privileges, with their default role of Manager. Click the down arrow beside manager and select the level you want to assign to that person. Remember, initially anyone with admin privileges can change anyone else's role so I would advise you, if you're the page owner, to set everyone else to Content Curator or lower.
Scheduling Page Posts - One of the most needed features in Facebook has been the ability to pages. While there are software programs like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck `give you the ability to schedule a post, Facebook did not always give those posts the same importance as a post made within Facebook.
But it was also important that your post you made during the times when more of your fans would see it. So that was not always possible with your schedule. Many of us opted to trade the potential penalty to our posts in favor of timeliness.
Now posts can be scheduled up to six months in advance from within Facebook. You now have the control of the day and time of the post and have it recognized in the Edgerank considerations.
From your status update, you will see a new clock icon in the lower left-hand corner. Clicking the icon, you will be prompted to add a year, then a month, date, and finally a time. The Post button turns into a Schedule button. Your schedule posts can be viewed in your activity log from your admin panel.
Individual Status Update Insights - While you have always had the ability to view the Insights for your business page, now each status update has its own insights displayed below the post.
This can be very helpful, especially since many people check their FB Page Insights infrequently. With this, now you can see how well each status update you make performs. This instant feedback should help you craft more engaging posts.
What do you think about the new changes and how will you use them?
Gary Wagnon, owner of 800biz Online Marketing Solutions, specializes in web site design, search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing. He is the co-founder of SocialMediaLab, an online social media education site designed to help business owners learn to use social media effectively and efficiently.
Page Administrator Levels - Up till now it's been possible to have multiple administrators Facebook business page. You simply had to be a friend of the page and then the owner of the page (the first admin) could assign administrative privileges to you. Those permissions gave every admin full control of the page, including the ability to remove admins and make changes. While this is very convenient especially when employing a social media firm to manage your business page or assigning the task to a employee, it was not the most secure practice.
Now page owner can assign one of five different levels of admin privileges, ranging from full administrator privileges down to insights analyst. The chart below explains the different levels and the amount control given to each level.
To add or change his administrator, go to your admin panel, account settings select Admin Roles from the list on the left. You will see each person that has it admin privileges, with their default role of Manager. Click the down arrow beside manager and select the level you want to assign to that person. Remember, initially anyone with admin privileges can change anyone else's role so I would advise you, if you're the page owner, to set everyone else to Content Curator or lower.
Scheduling Page Posts - One of the most needed features in Facebook has been the ability to pages. While there are software programs like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck `give you the ability to schedule a post, Facebook did not always give those posts the same importance as a post made within Facebook.
But it was also important that your post you made during the times when more of your fans would see it. So that was not always possible with your schedule. Many of us opted to trade the potential penalty to our posts in favor of timeliness.
Now posts can be scheduled up to six months in advance from within Facebook. You now have the control of the day and time of the post and have it recognized in the Edgerank considerations.
From your status update, you will see a new clock icon in the lower left-hand corner. Clicking the icon, you will be prompted to add a year, then a month, date, and finally a time. The Post button turns into a Schedule button. Your schedule posts can be viewed in your activity log from your admin panel.
Individual Status Update Insights - While you have always had the ability to view the Insights for your business page, now each status update has its own insights displayed below the post.
This can be very helpful, especially since many people check their FB Page Insights infrequently. With this, now you can see how well each status update you make performs. This instant feedback should help you craft more engaging posts.
What do you think about the new changes and how will you use them?
Gary Wagnon, owner of 800biz Online Marketing Solutions, specializes in web site design, search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing. He is the co-founder of SocialMediaLab, an online social media education site designed to help business owners learn to use social media effectively and efficiently.
Color Decals Add An Extra Special Touch
Color decals add a lot to the space that they are put into. Never mind if they are for your home or business. There are so many color decals to choose from!
If you want to add a little life to your kitchen, bright floral-colored decals can really perk up the cooking area. Your bathroom may be in need of a face lift, as well. With color decals, you can do so very easily and economically. Four or five cartoon characters in the shower stall or on the ceramic tile will add a whole new look and at the fraction of other home improvement options. A child's room may seem a little plain until you find the ideal colorful decal to bring life and meaning back into the area. If your daughter loves Barbie, one of the color stickers of her likeness will make it into a girls' paradise, transforming plain walls into a palace!
Your son may adore racing cars or some other active theme. A baby's room can be instantly transformed from boring to interesting with a balloon motif or teddy bear design. There are truly so many color decals to choose from. Even a garage can have new life with a black and white checkered flag design. There are new color stickers designs being invented every day. If you have an idea that's not available, by all means, write your idea down. Custom orders are welcome and in fact encouraged! Maybe you are on to something that needs to be created!
Be proud of your home and give it the extra pizzazz that will make it a one-of-a-kind showpiece. But don't let it stop there. Many offices use color decals to dress up their company environment without having to paint or remodel. It's truly amazing what a big impact and splash of color can result from the decals designs available.
Perhaps you would like a bamboo design in the corner wall of your waiting room. This will soothe the nerves of the customers who feel different in the ambiance that these decorative stickers provide. Many natural looking designs - trees of all varieties, like palm, evergreen, maple, plants, flowers, and much more. There is no comparison between sitting under a bamboo grove or beside a stark white wall!
Other natural type designs include clouds, a rainbow, sunburst, sunset and starscape. These and other color stickers are a great addition here to give your clients a major mood adjustment in waiting for your services.
There are subtle designs and patterns as well to check out! There are interesting shapes alternated by diagonal lines. This can provide an avante garde or otherwise polished look. It also increases your value as a service provider. You show that you value your customers and want them to feel comfortable and relaxed while in your care. As you value them, they will appreciate you more and the perceived level of quality of their product also increases. It's a win-win situation, to be sure.
Multi-colored decals even have a place in the executive offices and junior office suites. A Japanese cherry tree would look great in the executive suite, don't you think? Junior executives would appreciate a modest decal with a low-key presentation to dress up their environment where they work hard so many hours each day. It also shows their clients that upper management values their work enough to dress it up a little bit more than the average!
A long boring hallway can be livened up with a large red poppy or sunflower design. Color decals are also safety providing. The color decal may highlight an unexpected door or other area requiring their attention and care.
Barry Brown has been in the Sign, Banner, Decal and Display Business for over 20 years. It isn't what he thought he'd do with his life, but he says he knows too much now to do anything else!
He has been marketing these products online since 1998, and the company he was general manager of in 1998 was the first sign company to be listed on Yahoo!
Barry is a great resource for information regarding Signs, Banners, Decals, and Displays, and is also an outstanding source of information on how to shop online without getting ripped off.
He invites you to visit our website below, and call him if you have any questions regarding safely purchasing products from any site online, or regarding our company and product offerings.
http://www.visigraph.com
If you want to add a little life to your kitchen, bright floral-colored decals can really perk up the cooking area. Your bathroom may be in need of a face lift, as well. With color decals, you can do so very easily and economically. Four or five cartoon characters in the shower stall or on the ceramic tile will add a whole new look and at the fraction of other home improvement options. A child's room may seem a little plain until you find the ideal colorful decal to bring life and meaning back into the area. If your daughter loves Barbie, one of the color stickers of her likeness will make it into a girls' paradise, transforming plain walls into a palace!
Your son may adore racing cars or some other active theme. A baby's room can be instantly transformed from boring to interesting with a balloon motif or teddy bear design. There are truly so many color decals to choose from. Even a garage can have new life with a black and white checkered flag design. There are new color stickers designs being invented every day. If you have an idea that's not available, by all means, write your idea down. Custom orders are welcome and in fact encouraged! Maybe you are on to something that needs to be created!
Be proud of your home and give it the extra pizzazz that will make it a one-of-a-kind showpiece. But don't let it stop there. Many offices use color decals to dress up their company environment without having to paint or remodel. It's truly amazing what a big impact and splash of color can result from the decals designs available.
Perhaps you would like a bamboo design in the corner wall of your waiting room. This will soothe the nerves of the customers who feel different in the ambiance that these decorative stickers provide. Many natural looking designs - trees of all varieties, like palm, evergreen, maple, plants, flowers, and much more. There is no comparison between sitting under a bamboo grove or beside a stark white wall!
Other natural type designs include clouds, a rainbow, sunburst, sunset and starscape. These and other color stickers are a great addition here to give your clients a major mood adjustment in waiting for your services.
There are subtle designs and patterns as well to check out! There are interesting shapes alternated by diagonal lines. This can provide an avante garde or otherwise polished look. It also increases your value as a service provider. You show that you value your customers and want them to feel comfortable and relaxed while in your care. As you value them, they will appreciate you more and the perceived level of quality of their product also increases. It's a win-win situation, to be sure.
Multi-colored decals even have a place in the executive offices and junior office suites. A Japanese cherry tree would look great in the executive suite, don't you think? Junior executives would appreciate a modest decal with a low-key presentation to dress up their environment where they work hard so many hours each day. It also shows their clients that upper management values their work enough to dress it up a little bit more than the average!
A long boring hallway can be livened up with a large red poppy or sunflower design. Color decals are also safety providing. The color decal may highlight an unexpected door or other area requiring their attention and care.
Barry Brown has been in the Sign, Banner, Decal and Display Business for over 20 years. It isn't what he thought he'd do with his life, but he says he knows too much now to do anything else!
He has been marketing these products online since 1998, and the company he was general manager of in 1998 was the first sign company to be listed on Yahoo!
Barry is a great resource for information regarding Signs, Banners, Decals, and Displays, and is also an outstanding source of information on how to shop online without getting ripped off.
He invites you to visit our website below, and call him if you have any questions regarding safely purchasing products from any site online, or regarding our company and product offerings.
http://www.visigraph.com
Stay Focused To Get Rid Of Clutter!
Focus is extremely important to being successful in many areas of our lives. Unfortunately it is something that is getting hard to deal with as time goes on. How many of us find more and more distractions as time goes on? What you may not realize is that staying focused is also important to getting rid of clutter and working towards the goal of living a decluttered life.
When we want to get a report finished at work, a paper written for school, or an email typed up to a friend we generally make sure we do that one thing - so that we do it well and to ensure we finish the task at hand. Decluttering is no less important! The last thing you want to do is start in on your clutter, lose focus, and realize two hours later that you've been going through old magazines reading articles from years ago!
A good way to deal with staying focused is to remind yourself before you even begin that you need to stick to the job at hand. In your mind, go through the area you are going to declutter and step through the process. Remind yourself that this is what you want to get done and that everything else can wait for a little bit while you make your life better by cutting down your clutter. If you are going to work on decluttering, then work on decluttering and nothing else. Don't get sidetracked by talking on the phone or reading a book. If you know you are going to have interruptions, do your best to carve out a smaller period of time where you can safely ignore those distractions and deal with them afterward. Even if this is only 10 or 15 minutes at a time you will be much more productive and less prone to winding up where you started!
What this doesn't mean is that you can't look at those magazines we mentioned earlier. If you really want to look at them, or flip through those old photos, or maybe go through your old collection you just uncovered, then set them aside and do that after you have accomplished your main goal of decluttering your area. Not only will you get to enjoy those items that you have set aside, but you will get to do so knowing that you accomplished what you set out to do - decluttering success!
Do you have any tips, suggestions, or great ideas for staying motivated and focused? Share your ideas and help a fellow declutterer!
Want to know more about decluttering? Visit Get Rid Of Clutter Today for more articles on getting rid of clutter. Join our newsletter or membership for even more decluttering information!
When we want to get a report finished at work, a paper written for school, or an email typed up to a friend we generally make sure we do that one thing - so that we do it well and to ensure we finish the task at hand. Decluttering is no less important! The last thing you want to do is start in on your clutter, lose focus, and realize two hours later that you've been going through old magazines reading articles from years ago!
A good way to deal with staying focused is to remind yourself before you even begin that you need to stick to the job at hand. In your mind, go through the area you are going to declutter and step through the process. Remind yourself that this is what you want to get done and that everything else can wait for a little bit while you make your life better by cutting down your clutter. If you are going to work on decluttering, then work on decluttering and nothing else. Don't get sidetracked by talking on the phone or reading a book. If you know you are going to have interruptions, do your best to carve out a smaller period of time where you can safely ignore those distractions and deal with them afterward. Even if this is only 10 or 15 minutes at a time you will be much more productive and less prone to winding up where you started!
What this doesn't mean is that you can't look at those magazines we mentioned earlier. If you really want to look at them, or flip through those old photos, or maybe go through your old collection you just uncovered, then set them aside and do that after you have accomplished your main goal of decluttering your area. Not only will you get to enjoy those items that you have set aside, but you will get to do so knowing that you accomplished what you set out to do - decluttering success!
Do you have any tips, suggestions, or great ideas for staying motivated and focused? Share your ideas and help a fellow declutterer!
Want to know more about decluttering? Visit Get Rid Of Clutter Today for more articles on getting rid of clutter. Join our newsletter or membership for even more decluttering information!
Bar And Pub Trivia - Making Drinking Even More Fun!
For a person, a couple, or even a group of people, sometimes there needs to be a night out to break up the monotony of everyday life. People can get stuck in routines and sometimes they stop doing anything fun. Sometimes, even just going to the same old bars, restaurants, and even peoples' houses can get a little old. Sometimes people want something new, something different, to entertain them.
A lot of people don't think about it, but pub trivia can be an absolutely great activity to break up the usual routine. It's not something a lot of people think about doing on a regular basis, but it's something that everyone can have a good time playing. In fact, there's something for everyone in a friendly, competitive night out playing trivia. A person can be completely sober or be enjoying a few cocktails, but still be entertained playing pub trivia. That is one of the beautiful things about this game. Unlike going to a bar solely to drink, trivia offers something for everyone, even people who don't drink much. When a person is at a bar playing pub trivia, he or she is focused on that, so the things that normally take precedent in a bar take the sideline.
What makes playing trivia with a group of friends out in a bar or a pub so much more refreshing than simply sitting at home playing a game of Trivial Pursuit? Well, the most important thing about pub trivia is that it is really competitive, against people that do not know each other at all. Teams are often made of 4-6 friends and they compete against every other team in the pub that happens to be playing trivia. Pub trivia is also uniquely fun in that it's very likely that one person on a team won't dominate like it other types of trivia games. There are questions in every category, from pop culture, to music, to history, to current events, technology, and even local questions. The beautiful thing about pub trivia is that the guy asking the questions has control over the questions. He's often not reading them from a card or picking the questions out of a box, but he has taken the time to prepare the questions in advance.
Pub trivia can be a great way to pass time with friends. It is cheap (usually no more expensive than going to a bar without playing trivia), it is fun, and all people can play. People from young to old, people that drink, and people that don't even drink can all come together and just have a good time.
To learn more about trivia in your local pub please visit Pub Stumpers!
A lot of people don't think about it, but pub trivia can be an absolutely great activity to break up the usual routine. It's not something a lot of people think about doing on a regular basis, but it's something that everyone can have a good time playing. In fact, there's something for everyone in a friendly, competitive night out playing trivia. A person can be completely sober or be enjoying a few cocktails, but still be entertained playing pub trivia. That is one of the beautiful things about this game. Unlike going to a bar solely to drink, trivia offers something for everyone, even people who don't drink much. When a person is at a bar playing pub trivia, he or she is focused on that, so the things that normally take precedent in a bar take the sideline.
What makes playing trivia with a group of friends out in a bar or a pub so much more refreshing than simply sitting at home playing a game of Trivial Pursuit? Well, the most important thing about pub trivia is that it is really competitive, against people that do not know each other at all. Teams are often made of 4-6 friends and they compete against every other team in the pub that happens to be playing trivia. Pub trivia is also uniquely fun in that it's very likely that one person on a team won't dominate like it other types of trivia games. There are questions in every category, from pop culture, to music, to history, to current events, technology, and even local questions. The beautiful thing about pub trivia is that the guy asking the questions has control over the questions. He's often not reading them from a card or picking the questions out of a box, but he has taken the time to prepare the questions in advance.
Pub trivia can be a great way to pass time with friends. It is cheap (usually no more expensive than going to a bar without playing trivia), it is fun, and all people can play. People from young to old, people that drink, and people that don't even drink can all come together and just have a good time.
To learn more about trivia in your local pub please visit Pub Stumpers!
7 Steps to Starting on Your Own Endometriosis Healing Journey
I have so many new girls on the blog and on the Facebook Group, that I thought I would create an article to help out the new girls - I know some of these articles are probably really overwhelming!
So, you want to feel better, even though your endo has given you nothing but pain and problems? Well, that sounds all well and good but where do you start... right? Should your main focus be on diet? What about supplements? Which ones? Then you start reading something and it is either totally overwhelming or contradictory! Oh boy! All too hard right?
Not really. The answers you seek are all below:)
They are in the order that you should focus on. Do one per day or focus on one per week but do each one REALLY, really well and you will notice a change.
1. Get a Good Nights Sleep.
I know this is kinda obvious but most of us simply don't do it. We stay up late watching television or worrying about the next day or perhaps we just can't sleep.
I know when my endo was really bad, I struggled to sleep. The pain was unbearable and the only way I knew I would get a good nights sleep was to literally knock myself out with pain-killers or alcohol!
Earthing
One of the reasons we get sent this "pain signal" is because we have heaps of free radicals. Essentially, they tell the body to send guys down to your abdomen as there is a problem! They essentially cause inflammation to be more advanced. What we want to do is increase the anti-oxidants in the body to reduce this effect (this is really the simplified version). To get anti-oxidants we need to eat heaps of fruits that contain them - you know about the blueberries! The other major one is to earth yourself. It is a very simple thing but most of us just don't do it - stick your feet on the ground for at least an hour a day. I know it sounds silly but this technique is scientifically proven to reduce the negative charge and to increase the inflammatory response in our bodies.
2. Drink lots of water
Many diseases and conditions are immediately improved when we drink enough and the right kind of water. Water from the tap or out of plastic bottles is unfortunately not fabulous. The water from the tap has often been recycled, filled with chlorine and plastic bottles are unfortunately simply leaking toxins into the water. See, the plastic is a toxin and is especially bad for us endo girls. It contains Xenoestrogens. These Xenoestrogens mimick our own Oestrogen. This is not a good thing! Oestrogen of any kind will create more growth in the body - that means endo cells growing more! So, we want to avoid anything that contains Xenoestrogenic properties. The best water in my experience is Natural Spring Water. You would be amazed at how easy these are to find. Alternatively, get a filter on your tap and stop your body from doing all the cleansing for you!
Most of us simply don't drink enough water. It is one of the best ways of cleansing out these toxins from the body - through the kidneys and the bladder. Drink heaps of pure water and it will do wonders to how you feel.
3. Change your mindset
Do you wake up each morning with a thought like: "how much pain am I going to be in today?", "nothing works!" "I can't take it anymore!". I know, I did too... don't feel bad. Thing is, this way of thinking doesn't actually help your healing. It makes you feel defeated before you even try anything!
Change your thoughts to:"I am getting better, each day at a time!", "I can heal my body!" "There are so many ways of healing I can use and try!"
I found it really helped me to research stuff. Everyday I spent my time finding solutions, rather than focusing on what I didn't have.
4. Change your diet
This is number 4 for a reason! If you don't feel like you can really do things, then "trying" to diet, is not going to work either. You need to believe in it and make a commitment towards it. The changes recommended in the Endometriosis Diet are not easy but they do work! Many girls can vouch for it's effectiveness.
The foods you want to exclude are Gluten, Sugar, Meat, Refined oils and preservatives and Dairy. This seems like an impossible task at first but take one food group at a time and go slow. Find delicious replacements that are healthy for your body - I love Goji Berries and Smoothies. There are heaps of nourishing foods out there that will make you feel amazing! Find those and incorporate those:)
5. Get the stress out of your life
For some of us, this is a fairly easy thing to achieve and for others of us, this can mean a massive change of life! I know when I first got Endometriosis, I was working in the Advertising Industry and the stress of that was absolutely the worst thing for my endo. I changed careers because of it and it made a huge difference to my pain levels. Stress might be coming from your job, your family and even sometimes friends. Recognise the stresses, write them down and cross them off one at a time as they walk out the door!
Emotional stress is one of the worst things for Endometriosis. You want to eliminate any negativity from your life. I used to have heaps of "friends" that made me feel bad about myself and who I was. I soon learnt that, the negative energy they brought onto my life was not worth their friendship. You are worth more!
6. Incorporate certain Supplements
I am not a fan of recommending any particular supplement to you, as I really don't know you and well, we are all different. However, there are some supplements that I believe provide an all round solutions to our often nutrient poor bodies.
1. Moringa Leaf Powder. You can get these in capsules too. This plant provides amazing healing benefits and contains heaps of the Vitamin B group of vitamins.
2. Serrapeptase. This is an enteric coated enzyme that essentially "eats away" dead cells in the body. I cannot recommend this highly enough for Endometriosis sufferers.
7. Getting things moving
Your digestion should infact be your number 1 focus when it comes to Endometriosis. I know, you are totally focusing on your hormones right now but it is more important to focus on digestion. If toxins and excess hormones can't leave your body, they build up! This is not a good thing for Endometriosis.
To get your digestion working properly, you need fibre and probiotics. You can get fibre through your diet. You can get probiotics online or better yet, create your own probiotics by fermenting your own foods.
I hope this provides you with a starting point. Somewhere to focus on and then you can start to delve into other ideas, supplements, detoxes and ways of healing the body.
It is actually really simple. Feed the body good, nutrient dense foods, relax, enjoy life and exercise:)
My advice is all through my personal experience with Endometriosis. I want to help as many woman as I can who suffer from this debilitating condition. Everything I have learnt and discovered is through personal experience. You can read my full story and more articles on my blog site: http://www.cureendometriosis.com
So, you want to feel better, even though your endo has given you nothing but pain and problems? Well, that sounds all well and good but where do you start... right? Should your main focus be on diet? What about supplements? Which ones? Then you start reading something and it is either totally overwhelming or contradictory! Oh boy! All too hard right?
Not really. The answers you seek are all below:)
They are in the order that you should focus on. Do one per day or focus on one per week but do each one REALLY, really well and you will notice a change.
1. Get a Good Nights Sleep.
I know this is kinda obvious but most of us simply don't do it. We stay up late watching television or worrying about the next day or perhaps we just can't sleep.
I know when my endo was really bad, I struggled to sleep. The pain was unbearable and the only way I knew I would get a good nights sleep was to literally knock myself out with pain-killers or alcohol!
Earthing
One of the reasons we get sent this "pain signal" is because we have heaps of free radicals. Essentially, they tell the body to send guys down to your abdomen as there is a problem! They essentially cause inflammation to be more advanced. What we want to do is increase the anti-oxidants in the body to reduce this effect (this is really the simplified version). To get anti-oxidants we need to eat heaps of fruits that contain them - you know about the blueberries! The other major one is to earth yourself. It is a very simple thing but most of us just don't do it - stick your feet on the ground for at least an hour a day. I know it sounds silly but this technique is scientifically proven to reduce the negative charge and to increase the inflammatory response in our bodies.
2. Drink lots of water
Many diseases and conditions are immediately improved when we drink enough and the right kind of water. Water from the tap or out of plastic bottles is unfortunately not fabulous. The water from the tap has often been recycled, filled with chlorine and plastic bottles are unfortunately simply leaking toxins into the water. See, the plastic is a toxin and is especially bad for us endo girls. It contains Xenoestrogens. These Xenoestrogens mimick our own Oestrogen. This is not a good thing! Oestrogen of any kind will create more growth in the body - that means endo cells growing more! So, we want to avoid anything that contains Xenoestrogenic properties. The best water in my experience is Natural Spring Water. You would be amazed at how easy these are to find. Alternatively, get a filter on your tap and stop your body from doing all the cleansing for you!
Most of us simply don't drink enough water. It is one of the best ways of cleansing out these toxins from the body - through the kidneys and the bladder. Drink heaps of pure water and it will do wonders to how you feel.
3. Change your mindset
Do you wake up each morning with a thought like: "how much pain am I going to be in today?", "nothing works!" "I can't take it anymore!". I know, I did too... don't feel bad. Thing is, this way of thinking doesn't actually help your healing. It makes you feel defeated before you even try anything!
Change your thoughts to:"I am getting better, each day at a time!", "I can heal my body!" "There are so many ways of healing I can use and try!"
I found it really helped me to research stuff. Everyday I spent my time finding solutions, rather than focusing on what I didn't have.
4. Change your diet
This is number 4 for a reason! If you don't feel like you can really do things, then "trying" to diet, is not going to work either. You need to believe in it and make a commitment towards it. The changes recommended in the Endometriosis Diet are not easy but they do work! Many girls can vouch for it's effectiveness.
The foods you want to exclude are Gluten, Sugar, Meat, Refined oils and preservatives and Dairy. This seems like an impossible task at first but take one food group at a time and go slow. Find delicious replacements that are healthy for your body - I love Goji Berries and Smoothies. There are heaps of nourishing foods out there that will make you feel amazing! Find those and incorporate those:)
5. Get the stress out of your life
For some of us, this is a fairly easy thing to achieve and for others of us, this can mean a massive change of life! I know when I first got Endometriosis, I was working in the Advertising Industry and the stress of that was absolutely the worst thing for my endo. I changed careers because of it and it made a huge difference to my pain levels. Stress might be coming from your job, your family and even sometimes friends. Recognise the stresses, write them down and cross them off one at a time as they walk out the door!
Emotional stress is one of the worst things for Endometriosis. You want to eliminate any negativity from your life. I used to have heaps of "friends" that made me feel bad about myself and who I was. I soon learnt that, the negative energy they brought onto my life was not worth their friendship. You are worth more!
6. Incorporate certain Supplements
I am not a fan of recommending any particular supplement to you, as I really don't know you and well, we are all different. However, there are some supplements that I believe provide an all round solutions to our often nutrient poor bodies.
1. Moringa Leaf Powder. You can get these in capsules too. This plant provides amazing healing benefits and contains heaps of the Vitamin B group of vitamins.
2. Serrapeptase. This is an enteric coated enzyme that essentially "eats away" dead cells in the body. I cannot recommend this highly enough for Endometriosis sufferers.
7. Getting things moving
Your digestion should infact be your number 1 focus when it comes to Endometriosis. I know, you are totally focusing on your hormones right now but it is more important to focus on digestion. If toxins and excess hormones can't leave your body, they build up! This is not a good thing for Endometriosis.
To get your digestion working properly, you need fibre and probiotics. You can get fibre through your diet. You can get probiotics online or better yet, create your own probiotics by fermenting your own foods.
I hope this provides you with a starting point. Somewhere to focus on and then you can start to delve into other ideas, supplements, detoxes and ways of healing the body.
It is actually really simple. Feed the body good, nutrient dense foods, relax, enjoy life and exercise:)
My advice is all through my personal experience with Endometriosis. I want to help as many woman as I can who suffer from this debilitating condition. Everything I have learnt and discovered is through personal experience. You can read my full story and more articles on my blog site: http://www.cureendometriosis.com
T-Shirt Designing: How to Make Catchy Designs?
The name t-shirt originated from the tea and shirt. It was actually popularized by the 17th century workers working on tea boxes and downloading them from boats. They all wore short sleeve shirts with the print T-Shirt to identify them as the crew responsible for downloading tea boxes.
How do you transform ordinary shirts to catchy attention grabbing shirts? You need to construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct your t-shirt illustration to be able to transform even one. As a technical illustrator and t-shirt designer, I believe that in every work you do you are always putting your personal stamp on it. Even if you have a very simple white shirt with simple big print "Maine" spelled across it, you are already putting your personal stamp on it. Generally, any freelance illustrators t-shirt design is a reflection of his thoughts, creativity, and personality. Getting the attention of your target market would mean selecting the specific personality that connects to your target market in some ways. Designing a shirt is like a life-sized game that connects the dots between people who share the same passion and creative styles.
Most advertisers who are trying to really get a bigger slice of the market would love to experiment on designs and exploit a technical illustrator's creativity. T-shirts are by all means a walking billboard that any advertiser could sell and make money in two ways: selling the physical good and advertising. You could actually make live human beings into walking billboard by designing t-shirts that they would love to buy, wear, and show off. A digital graphic technical illustrator might see the t-shirt as another form of canvas where he or she can draw and make fabulous transformation on the shirt and of the person wearing it.
What is the secret to making catchy t-shirt designs? The only technique is to be who you are and just be inspired the way you already been. The innovative use of color, pattern, styles, and graphic personal statements is all you. Your personality has a personality match with your audience who would buy your t-shirt designs because they reflect a part of who they are. Do not imitate other artist but just be you. Fashion t-shirt is never about fashion. It is all about the digital graphic designer's concept and creativity that effectively connects with other people. What you are sharing is unique and it connects effectively with the enthusiasm of your market. Express your t-shirt idea, draw it, and test market response. Never trash any valuable concept. They do connect with some people in very special ways.
I am a professional illustrator and graphic designer, specializing in technical illustration, digital graphic design, apparel design, diagrams, charts and product illustration. For my portfolio, please visit David Herrick Illustration
How do you transform ordinary shirts to catchy attention grabbing shirts? You need to construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct your t-shirt illustration to be able to transform even one. As a technical illustrator and t-shirt designer, I believe that in every work you do you are always putting your personal stamp on it. Even if you have a very simple white shirt with simple big print "Maine" spelled across it, you are already putting your personal stamp on it. Generally, any freelance illustrators t-shirt design is a reflection of his thoughts, creativity, and personality. Getting the attention of your target market would mean selecting the specific personality that connects to your target market in some ways. Designing a shirt is like a life-sized game that connects the dots between people who share the same passion and creative styles.
Most advertisers who are trying to really get a bigger slice of the market would love to experiment on designs and exploit a technical illustrator's creativity. T-shirts are by all means a walking billboard that any advertiser could sell and make money in two ways: selling the physical good and advertising. You could actually make live human beings into walking billboard by designing t-shirts that they would love to buy, wear, and show off. A digital graphic technical illustrator might see the t-shirt as another form of canvas where he or she can draw and make fabulous transformation on the shirt and of the person wearing it.
What is the secret to making catchy t-shirt designs? The only technique is to be who you are and just be inspired the way you already been. The innovative use of color, pattern, styles, and graphic personal statements is all you. Your personality has a personality match with your audience who would buy your t-shirt designs because they reflect a part of who they are. Do not imitate other artist but just be you. Fashion t-shirt is never about fashion. It is all about the digital graphic designer's concept and creativity that effectively connects with other people. What you are sharing is unique and it connects effectively with the enthusiasm of your market. Express your t-shirt idea, draw it, and test market response. Never trash any valuable concept. They do connect with some people in very special ways.
I am a professional illustrator and graphic designer, specializing in technical illustration, digital graphic design, apparel design, diagrams, charts and product illustration. For my portfolio, please visit David Herrick Illustration
Quality Sound Systems From HK and Adamson Audio
Music is a universal art form everyone appreciates. Genres of all kinds cater to differing tastes and preferences, and continue to evolve every day. Relevant to this are the different ways you can enjoy your favourite tunes, whether you like classic hits or the latest singles from modern artists. Gone are the days when your only options were simple CD players or boom box systems. Big audio companies are working to improve the experience for everyone and the proof lies on the enhanced technologies for listening to music. This article is your guide to equipment like Adamson audio and other relevant components.
The audio equipment market is brimming with all kinds of technologies. There is a wide range of options, and the first thing you need to do is figure out precisely what you need. Do you need a simple home setup? Are you buying components for large-scale purposes like an entertainment venue? Do you need equipment for live playback and recording? Are you going to attach musical instruments like guitars, keyboards, or percussion? Answering these questions will help you figure out which pieces you need for an enhanced musical experience.
Headphones and Auxiliary Connectivity
These are the most basic audio pieces in the entire collection. Although simple enough, recent innovations make these items a lot more complex than you may have previously thought. Some products give users a better experience through high quality and defined audio. While earphones and headphones of the past sounded "boxy" and scattered, today's products are capable of giving you clearer sound because of better frequencies and sensitivity elements.
The same is true for auxiliary connectivity pieces like mono and stereo jacks from manufacturers like HK audio. These cables may not seem like much, but they actually contribute to better sounding audio. Cheap cords and jacks can disrupt flow and ruin the sound altogether. It is always better to invest in quality equipment if you use your iPod or laptop and connect it to speakers and amplifiers.
PA Systems
Relaying and delivering music to larger venues calls for more than just speakers. This is especially true for DJs and other live performances. The old way of going about it was to mix and match pieces to complete a sound system. This involves mixers, amplifiers, speakers, microphones and often, an endless amount of wires. Today, all you need to do is look for suppliers of portable PA systems.
This technology is all you need to match all the components of your sound system to project quality audio to larger groups and venues. These units have multiple channels to plug in all of your devices and work well with products like those from Adamson audio.
Sourcing Equipment
Many components go into putting together the appropriate sound system for your needs. While it seems easy enough to pick out items, it might be a good idea to work with a supplier who not only sells items, but helps you as well. Such services are useful especially if it is your first encounter with HK audio and other relevant components. Search for reliable companies to ensure the proper installation of sound system units, and for quality products and services like audio analysis.
Lincoln Schwartz is a music lover using equipment from HK audio and Adamson audio.
The audio equipment market is brimming with all kinds of technologies. There is a wide range of options, and the first thing you need to do is figure out precisely what you need. Do you need a simple home setup? Are you buying components for large-scale purposes like an entertainment venue? Do you need equipment for live playback and recording? Are you going to attach musical instruments like guitars, keyboards, or percussion? Answering these questions will help you figure out which pieces you need for an enhanced musical experience.
Headphones and Auxiliary Connectivity
These are the most basic audio pieces in the entire collection. Although simple enough, recent innovations make these items a lot more complex than you may have previously thought. Some products give users a better experience through high quality and defined audio. While earphones and headphones of the past sounded "boxy" and scattered, today's products are capable of giving you clearer sound because of better frequencies and sensitivity elements.
The same is true for auxiliary connectivity pieces like mono and stereo jacks from manufacturers like HK audio. These cables may not seem like much, but they actually contribute to better sounding audio. Cheap cords and jacks can disrupt flow and ruin the sound altogether. It is always better to invest in quality equipment if you use your iPod or laptop and connect it to speakers and amplifiers.
PA Systems
Relaying and delivering music to larger venues calls for more than just speakers. This is especially true for DJs and other live performances. The old way of going about it was to mix and match pieces to complete a sound system. This involves mixers, amplifiers, speakers, microphones and often, an endless amount of wires. Today, all you need to do is look for suppliers of portable PA systems.
This technology is all you need to match all the components of your sound system to project quality audio to larger groups and venues. These units have multiple channels to plug in all of your devices and work well with products like those from Adamson audio.
Sourcing Equipment
Many components go into putting together the appropriate sound system for your needs. While it seems easy enough to pick out items, it might be a good idea to work with a supplier who not only sells items, but helps you as well. Such services are useful especially if it is your first encounter with HK audio and other relevant components. Search for reliable companies to ensure the proper installation of sound system units, and for quality products and services like audio analysis.
Lincoln Schwartz is a music lover using equipment from HK audio and Adamson audio.
Summer Camp - 5 Reasons Your Child Should Attend
Whether you want your kids to get out and explore nature, or simply allow them to get a change of scenery, a summer camp is an ideal choice. Examine a few great reasons why your child should do something different while school's out:
Make New Friends
When your child is at summer camp, it's essential that he or she gets out of their comfort zone and makes new friends. Your kid is in a place where he or she is meeting new children from all over the state. In such an unfamiliar environment, they may find that they enjoy talking to other kids of different backgrounds, and might even make a few new friends.
Experience Nature
Some children who live in the city have never been to a park or on a camping trip. That's why going to summer camp can be a life-changing experience. There will be many things to do, such as exploring the water at the lakes, climbing trees, checking out butterflies-- you name it. Bottom line, your kids will be outdoors and immersed in Mother Nature for a few weeks.
Try New Activities
If your kids are more inclined to simply stay in the house and play video games, getting away can really give them a jolt. Many kids today don't even understand what it's like to play outside and run around. Therefore, when they're gone for a few weeks and have no choice to but try new activities, they may be in for a shock. Oftentimes it's a good shock, and your kids might want to get out and do different things more often.
Conquer a Few Fears
Summer camp not only allows kids to try new things, but they may even face a few fears. If your child is extremely shy or doesn't like challenges, being around other kids could help. In addition, there may be an activity that your child has shied away from in the past, yet overcomes while away for a few months. In the end, your child may come back happier and more confident.
Get a Change in Scenery
Your kids may feel like their life in the city is the center of the universe. However, when placed in a situation where they have no choice but embrace their environment, they may be amazed to find that they have an interest in nature. Your child may find that he or she really enjoys watching birds or insects, or may simply be in awe of all the natural beauty around them. A change in scenery can really open their eyes to the world.
If you are looking for activities for your kids while they are out of school, a summer camp new orleans might be a great option. Visit http://www.auduboninstitute.org for more information.
Make New Friends
When your child is at summer camp, it's essential that he or she gets out of their comfort zone and makes new friends. Your kid is in a place where he or she is meeting new children from all over the state. In such an unfamiliar environment, they may find that they enjoy talking to other kids of different backgrounds, and might even make a few new friends.
Experience Nature
Some children who live in the city have never been to a park or on a camping trip. That's why going to summer camp can be a life-changing experience. There will be many things to do, such as exploring the water at the lakes, climbing trees, checking out butterflies-- you name it. Bottom line, your kids will be outdoors and immersed in Mother Nature for a few weeks.
Try New Activities
If your kids are more inclined to simply stay in the house and play video games, getting away can really give them a jolt. Many kids today don't even understand what it's like to play outside and run around. Therefore, when they're gone for a few weeks and have no choice to but try new activities, they may be in for a shock. Oftentimes it's a good shock, and your kids might want to get out and do different things more often.
Conquer a Few Fears
Summer camp not only allows kids to try new things, but they may even face a few fears. If your child is extremely shy or doesn't like challenges, being around other kids could help. In addition, there may be an activity that your child has shied away from in the past, yet overcomes while away for a few months. In the end, your child may come back happier and more confident.
Get a Change in Scenery
Your kids may feel like their life in the city is the center of the universe. However, when placed in a situation where they have no choice but embrace their environment, they may be amazed to find that they have an interest in nature. Your child may find that he or she really enjoys watching birds or insects, or may simply be in awe of all the natural beauty around them. A change in scenery can really open their eyes to the world.
If you are looking for activities for your kids while they are out of school, a summer camp new orleans might be a great option. Visit http://www.auduboninstitute.org for more information.
Rene Lalique - A Famous French Artist And Glass Designer
Lalique is named after the French glass designer Rene Jules Lalique. He was one of the pioneers in designing perfume bottles, vases, jewelry, chandeliers, clocks etc. He was born on 06 April 1860 in a village in France named Ay and passed away from this world on 05 May 1945.
He started a firm of glassware that he had named after himself and is one of the iconic brands in the glassware department. He also specialized in designing hoods of the automobiles, and the experts are of the view that it was owing to his initiative that the hoods of the automobiles got a neat look.
Design and art form was his passion and he spent his childhood learning about them. The experience that he gathered by learning the design and art forms, he utilized them in production of glassware when he set up his own factory. His family had moved to Paris when he was two years of age from Ay, but they returned to the village during the summer holidays.
This trip from Paris to Ay and back was a valuable learning experience for him and by observing the forms of nature in the early nineteenth century around Paris, he used those forms in an innovative way in the glassware that he created. When he was fourteen years of age his father passed away, and Lalique started doing an apprenticeship with a goldsmith. It was the apprenticeship at the goldsmith that must have honed his skills to attain finesse in the glass forms as well. He also studied for two years in Sydenham Art College London, after attending evening classes at Ecole Des arts decoratifs in Paris.
It was while studying at the Sydenham Arts College that he was able to hone his skills in graphic design and it also further refined his approach to naturalistic art. After finishing his course in London when he returned to Paris, he became a freelance jewel designer for the French jewelers of the likes of Cartier, Boucheron and more of the ilk. As the nineteenth century started getting shape, he came into his own and emerged as the pioneer Art Nouveau jewelry designer from France. He could reach this point on account of the fact that from 1885 he had opened his own studio and had started working on his ideas and giving them a definite shape. When the new shop of Samuel Bing, Maison de l'Art Nouveau was opened in Paris, it was Lalique who was bestowed with the honor of adoring it with his innovative creation. After that he never looked back and his name became a brand identity, characterized by quality, aesthetics, creativity and beauty.
Lalique's pieces of creation were dominated by the forms of natural vegetation, which was an influence from his Ay days and it became his signature statement. His style was known as Art Deco style. It was through his magical work that even a frog became an item worth collecting and adoration. He was able to merge the craft of a jeweler, an artist and a glass maker into one comprehensive unit and create forms which were pulsating with energy. There was an element of dynamism in his design. His e-store is going to open shortly that would increase his outreach to different parts of the world.
Explore the latest collection of Lalique antiques and glass work.
He started a firm of glassware that he had named after himself and is one of the iconic brands in the glassware department. He also specialized in designing hoods of the automobiles, and the experts are of the view that it was owing to his initiative that the hoods of the automobiles got a neat look.
Design and art form was his passion and he spent his childhood learning about them. The experience that he gathered by learning the design and art forms, he utilized them in production of glassware when he set up his own factory. His family had moved to Paris when he was two years of age from Ay, but they returned to the village during the summer holidays.
This trip from Paris to Ay and back was a valuable learning experience for him and by observing the forms of nature in the early nineteenth century around Paris, he used those forms in an innovative way in the glassware that he created. When he was fourteen years of age his father passed away, and Lalique started doing an apprenticeship with a goldsmith. It was the apprenticeship at the goldsmith that must have honed his skills to attain finesse in the glass forms as well. He also studied for two years in Sydenham Art College London, after attending evening classes at Ecole Des arts decoratifs in Paris.
It was while studying at the Sydenham Arts College that he was able to hone his skills in graphic design and it also further refined his approach to naturalistic art. After finishing his course in London when he returned to Paris, he became a freelance jewel designer for the French jewelers of the likes of Cartier, Boucheron and more of the ilk. As the nineteenth century started getting shape, he came into his own and emerged as the pioneer Art Nouveau jewelry designer from France. He could reach this point on account of the fact that from 1885 he had opened his own studio and had started working on his ideas and giving them a definite shape. When the new shop of Samuel Bing, Maison de l'Art Nouveau was opened in Paris, it was Lalique who was bestowed with the honor of adoring it with his innovative creation. After that he never looked back and his name became a brand identity, characterized by quality, aesthetics, creativity and beauty.
Lalique's pieces of creation were dominated by the forms of natural vegetation, which was an influence from his Ay days and it became his signature statement. His style was known as Art Deco style. It was through his magical work that even a frog became an item worth collecting and adoration. He was able to merge the craft of a jeweler, an artist and a glass maker into one comprehensive unit and create forms which were pulsating with energy. There was an element of dynamism in his design. His e-store is going to open shortly that would increase his outreach to different parts of the world.
Explore the latest collection of Lalique antiques and glass work.
Reception Halls - Questions to Ask So You Know What to Expect From Your Venue
If you've set a wedding date and plan on having a large event, be sure to start shopping around for reception halls as soon as possible. There are many places to choose from, so be sure to check out all the fine details before securing a place to avoid any unexpected charges.
Can you have your ceremony at this location?
For some brides, the thought of getting married in a church and then driving to a reception hall does not seem like a good time. If this is the case, you may want to have everything at one location. During your search for the perfect place, find out if the facility can accommodate a wedding ceremony as well as the after party. Do a little investigating in this area, because some places may tell you that they can meet your needs, only for you to discover that the space is too small when you arrive for the actual wedding ceremony.
What kind of food do you want?
If your idea of a fantastic party after your wedding includes a sit-down dinner, you need to be 100% sure that the reception hall you consider offers this. There is also an assortment of possibilities to keep in mind when choosing your food. Some places offer certain meals that your guests can sit down and eat together, while others offer an array of light bites or hors d'oeuvres that people will nibble on throughout the night. Some locations may even allow you to bring in your own caterer for food. Bottom line, it just depends on what you want and what the place can offer.
Is it an open bar?
Some people don't have alcohol at their wedding. However, if you know that your friends and family will surely want champagne, beer, wine and liquor, then it's essential that you have a bar. Find out if the reception hall offers bartender services and supplies alcohol, or if you will have to deal with this matter yourself. For instance, some facilities have a full bar with a bartender all ready for you and your guests. You simply pay in advance, and on the day of the wedding, the bar will be open and your guests can drink as they please. If you don't want this expense, however, a cash bar should be set up, and your guests will need to pay for their own drinks.
What about music?
Depending on whether you want a live band or a deejay, your choice in reception halls can vary. For instance, some facilities encourage you to hire a deejay as opposed to a live band, simply because the facility is located near a residential area. If this is a huge issue for you, and you know you really want live music, choose your venue accordingly.
If you are looking for reception halls in new orleans to host your wedding, look no further than the beautiful venue of the Audubon zoo. Visit http://www.auduboninstitute.org to view images, or to get information on wedding packages, catering, and more.
Can you have your ceremony at this location?
For some brides, the thought of getting married in a church and then driving to a reception hall does not seem like a good time. If this is the case, you may want to have everything at one location. During your search for the perfect place, find out if the facility can accommodate a wedding ceremony as well as the after party. Do a little investigating in this area, because some places may tell you that they can meet your needs, only for you to discover that the space is too small when you arrive for the actual wedding ceremony.
What kind of food do you want?
If your idea of a fantastic party after your wedding includes a sit-down dinner, you need to be 100% sure that the reception hall you consider offers this. There is also an assortment of possibilities to keep in mind when choosing your food. Some places offer certain meals that your guests can sit down and eat together, while others offer an array of light bites or hors d'oeuvres that people will nibble on throughout the night. Some locations may even allow you to bring in your own caterer for food. Bottom line, it just depends on what you want and what the place can offer.
Is it an open bar?
Some people don't have alcohol at their wedding. However, if you know that your friends and family will surely want champagne, beer, wine and liquor, then it's essential that you have a bar. Find out if the reception hall offers bartender services and supplies alcohol, or if you will have to deal with this matter yourself. For instance, some facilities have a full bar with a bartender all ready for you and your guests. You simply pay in advance, and on the day of the wedding, the bar will be open and your guests can drink as they please. If you don't want this expense, however, a cash bar should be set up, and your guests will need to pay for their own drinks.
What about music?
Depending on whether you want a live band or a deejay, your choice in reception halls can vary. For instance, some facilities encourage you to hire a deejay as opposed to a live band, simply because the facility is located near a residential area. If this is a huge issue for you, and you know you really want live music, choose your venue accordingly.
If you are looking for reception halls in new orleans to host your wedding, look no further than the beautiful venue of the Audubon zoo. Visit http://www.auduboninstitute.org to view images, or to get information on wedding packages, catering, and more.
Worship Pastor or Worship Leader?
While speaking on the topic of worship once, I was asked the question by a panel - "what is the difference in a worship leader and a worship pastor". It is a good question - and one that some churches don't understand or fail to see the benefit of the difference. For that reason, I wanted to take a couple of days and look at the answer - and outline what I feel the makeup of a worship pastor should be.
What Is A Worship Leader?
We certainly can't differentiate one term without defining the other - so we first need to look at what a "Worship Leader" is. For the most part, "Worship Leaders" are those who lead in worship. In a vague sense - that would include those lead worshipers such as choir members, team members, etc... but we are specifically dealing with those tasked with leading a congregation in a worship setting.
One person - usually with guitar or piano - or with voice alone, who "leads" the congregation in song. This person may be a member of the congregation or may be visiting from another. Most times, the leader is tasked with hand-picking the songs for the service he/she will be leading but may or may not be charged with assembling the band or arranging the service.
The Community Difference
So what separates a worship leader from a worship pastor? One main difference - the responsibility of the community he serves. I have been a part of some spectacular services by some brilliant leaders. When the service was over - and life went on - and the leader (be it a traveling leader or a Christian music artist who leads in worship) leaves the church or gets back on the tour bus after a Spirit-filled night... the community remains. There is no deep emotional bond nor responsibility for that bond in a worship leader environment.
The main difference in a worship leader and a worship pastor is the level of pastoring done within the community. A worship pastor is involved with encouraging those within his community - raising up leaders, investing in others, determining the needs, evaluating the strengths, and acknowledging the weaknesses. He knows his community like his own family. He is a pastor. He is a shepherd. He brings more than a song - and his job responsibilities weigh moreso Monday through Saturday than they do on and given Sunday.
This - is a worship pastor - and in upcoming articles we will focus on the skills and skill-set that I feel a strong worship pastor should have.
This article, along with many others, can be found at http://www.gotworship.net. got worship? Media is an online resource for worship leaders/pastors, worship teams, musicians, and creatives across the globe. It's resources have earned the site the honor of becoming one of Worship Leader Magazine's "Top 10 Sites" in their "Best Of The Best" issue. Visit http://www.gotworship.net for more details.
What Is A Worship Leader?
We certainly can't differentiate one term without defining the other - so we first need to look at what a "Worship Leader" is. For the most part, "Worship Leaders" are those who lead in worship. In a vague sense - that would include those lead worshipers such as choir members, team members, etc... but we are specifically dealing with those tasked with leading a congregation in a worship setting.
One person - usually with guitar or piano - or with voice alone, who "leads" the congregation in song. This person may be a member of the congregation or may be visiting from another. Most times, the leader is tasked with hand-picking the songs for the service he/she will be leading but may or may not be charged with assembling the band or arranging the service.
The Community Difference
So what separates a worship leader from a worship pastor? One main difference - the responsibility of the community he serves. I have been a part of some spectacular services by some brilliant leaders. When the service was over - and life went on - and the leader (be it a traveling leader or a Christian music artist who leads in worship) leaves the church or gets back on the tour bus after a Spirit-filled night... the community remains. There is no deep emotional bond nor responsibility for that bond in a worship leader environment.
The main difference in a worship leader and a worship pastor is the level of pastoring done within the community. A worship pastor is involved with encouraging those within his community - raising up leaders, investing in others, determining the needs, evaluating the strengths, and acknowledging the weaknesses. He knows his community like his own family. He is a pastor. He is a shepherd. He brings more than a song - and his job responsibilities weigh moreso Monday through Saturday than they do on and given Sunday.
This - is a worship pastor - and in upcoming articles we will focus on the skills and skill-set that I feel a strong worship pastor should have.
This article, along with many others, can be found at http://www.gotworship.net. got worship? Media is an online resource for worship leaders/pastors, worship teams, musicians, and creatives across the globe. It's resources have earned the site the honor of becoming one of Worship Leader Magazine's "Top 10 Sites" in their "Best Of The Best" issue. Visit http://www.gotworship.net for more details.
Creating Art From the Heart! - Overcoming Artistic Blocks
Let's explore the process of creating artwork - fine art, graphic design, contemporary art, mixed media, photography, sculpture, or public art. Do you create art from the inside out? What is your motivation? What inspires you? How do you begin when you don't know where to start? Do you give yourself permission to create "bad art", while learning a new medium or technique? I will share with you techniques I've learned for overcoming artistic blocks, finding inspiration, and creating art as meditation.
Overcoming Artistic Blocks
How many times have you wanted to start an art project... you have this great idea, but just can't get started? Are you someone who loved to draw as a child, but the first time someone criticized you that was last the time you created your? Maybe you are a closet artist like I use to be--creating drawings and paintings, but no one knows you're an artist! Are you a perfectionist with the expectation that every piece of art "has to " be perfect? Or are you so busy that you don't leave time for your projects, and to think about them just makes you feel burnt out! Here are 5 ways I've found that help invigorate and restore creativity and reignite the passion to create art:
1. Rest! In this busy western society getting plenty of rest is under valued. Often the perception is lots of busyness is productivity. NOT! So rest, take care of your body, eat well, drink lots of water, and get 8 hours of sleep at night when you can. You'll be surprised at how your body will restore itself so that the mind can connect to inspiration.
2. Journal. Take 15 minutes to write about what's bugging you. Write about that incident that makes you afraid of expressing your artistic talent. Then write about why you love to do your art, why it makes you happy, do you experience while creating your art? Write about the time that someone encouraged, supported or praised your art; make that the dominating memory and reference point when you feel discouraged.
3. Go for a walk. Go outside, connect with nature; listen to the wind in the trees, appreciate the flowers, and the birds. Look into the faces of the people you pass by, and see them really see them. Let the ordinary things of everyday life inspire you. There is so much beauty in the ordinary let it be your guide.
4. Meditate. Sit quietly in your favourite spot or a quiet place outdoors or your favourite easy chair. Breathe deeply relax your body from head to toe. When you are relaxed begin to see yourself drawing or painting, whatever you do artistically. Let your imagination take you through the steps of completely that project, seeing it completely finished in your mind's eye. Stay with the meditation for as long as you can. It won't be long before you will realize that visualization.
5. Create "UGLY ART". Go ahead do it! Get out the canvas or the art paper and just make a mess! Enjoy, enjoy... liberate yourself!
The key to overcoming artistic blocks is to do something different than what you've been doing, because what you've been doing isn't working. Sometimes small changes to your routine, little tweaks here and there will be enough to set your course and rekindle your passion for creating art from the heart!
Overcoming Artistic Blocks
How many times have you wanted to start an art project... you have this great idea, but just can't get started? Are you someone who loved to draw as a child, but the first time someone criticized you that was last the time you created your? Maybe you are a closet artist like I use to be--creating drawings and paintings, but no one knows you're an artist! Are you a perfectionist with the expectation that every piece of art "has to " be perfect? Or are you so busy that you don't leave time for your projects, and to think about them just makes you feel burnt out! Here are 5 ways I've found that help invigorate and restore creativity and reignite the passion to create art:
1. Rest! In this busy western society getting plenty of rest is under valued. Often the perception is lots of busyness is productivity. NOT! So rest, take care of your body, eat well, drink lots of water, and get 8 hours of sleep at night when you can. You'll be surprised at how your body will restore itself so that the mind can connect to inspiration.
2. Journal. Take 15 minutes to write about what's bugging you. Write about that incident that makes you afraid of expressing your artistic talent. Then write about why you love to do your art, why it makes you happy, do you experience while creating your art? Write about the time that someone encouraged, supported or praised your art; make that the dominating memory and reference point when you feel discouraged.
3. Go for a walk. Go outside, connect with nature; listen to the wind in the trees, appreciate the flowers, and the birds. Look into the faces of the people you pass by, and see them really see them. Let the ordinary things of everyday life inspire you. There is so much beauty in the ordinary let it be your guide.
4. Meditate. Sit quietly in your favourite spot or a quiet place outdoors or your favourite easy chair. Breathe deeply relax your body from head to toe. When you are relaxed begin to see yourself drawing or painting, whatever you do artistically. Let your imagination take you through the steps of completely that project, seeing it completely finished in your mind's eye. Stay with the meditation for as long as you can. It won't be long before you will realize that visualization.
5. Create "UGLY ART". Go ahead do it! Get out the canvas or the art paper and just make a mess! Enjoy, enjoy... liberate yourself!
The key to overcoming artistic blocks is to do something different than what you've been doing, because what you've been doing isn't working. Sometimes small changes to your routine, little tweaks here and there will be enough to set your course and rekindle your passion for creating art from the heart!
5 Things To Do This Weekend With Your Kids
Having children can be a very rewarding experience, yet sometimes it can be difficult deciding how to entertain them. Fortunately, discovering things to do is easier than you may have imagined. The biggest point to remember is to keep it simple.
Visit the Zoo
No matter how young or old you are, there are always things to do at your neighborhood zoo. Especially if you and your kids haven't visited in a while, a trip to the zoo can be a rewarding experience. Many zoos not only have animals, but also a few rides your kids can enjoy.
Have a Picnic in the Park
Never underestimate the fun and excitement that can be had during a picnic in the park. Taking the time to pack a few sandwiches, drinks and a blanket can result in a great memory for your kids. Sitting outside under a large tree while enjoying all the natural beauty is a wonderful way to escape from it all. Even better, this is a free outing!
Visit a New Restaurant
Do you tend to go to the same fast-food places, or all-you-can-eat restaurants each weekend? If so, today's the time to try something new. Read your Sunday newspaper and find out some things to do, as well as what the critics are saying about some of the new eateries in town. Even if there aren't any new places opening up, you can still try out a place that's been around, but you simply haven't tried it yet. Maybe try a seafood place where your kids can see live crabs in a tank, or explore Asian cuisine and watch the Hibachi chef entertain everyone. Bottom line, think outside the box and you and your kids are likely to really experience a great time.
Explore the Museum
If you have a museum in your town but have never taken the time to check it out, now's the time. Museums have something for everyone, and can awaken the scientist, paleontologist, veterinarian or more in your children. There are so many things to do and see at the museum, plus there are often places to eat as well as a gift shop, which your kids will find exciting to say the least.
Go to a Local Water Park or Pool
Nothing says fun like splashing around in cool water during the summer. While you are considering things to do and aren't able to hit the beach, you could check out your local public swimming pool or water park. There is usually some type of facility that's open to the public, and your kids will enjoy hours of fun simply cooling off and playing in the water.
There are so many things to do new orleans for you and your kids this summer. Visit http://www.auduboninstitute.org to find out more.
Visit the Zoo
No matter how young or old you are, there are always things to do at your neighborhood zoo. Especially if you and your kids haven't visited in a while, a trip to the zoo can be a rewarding experience. Many zoos not only have animals, but also a few rides your kids can enjoy.
Have a Picnic in the Park
Never underestimate the fun and excitement that can be had during a picnic in the park. Taking the time to pack a few sandwiches, drinks and a blanket can result in a great memory for your kids. Sitting outside under a large tree while enjoying all the natural beauty is a wonderful way to escape from it all. Even better, this is a free outing!
Visit a New Restaurant
Do you tend to go to the same fast-food places, or all-you-can-eat restaurants each weekend? If so, today's the time to try something new. Read your Sunday newspaper and find out some things to do, as well as what the critics are saying about some of the new eateries in town. Even if there aren't any new places opening up, you can still try out a place that's been around, but you simply haven't tried it yet. Maybe try a seafood place where your kids can see live crabs in a tank, or explore Asian cuisine and watch the Hibachi chef entertain everyone. Bottom line, think outside the box and you and your kids are likely to really experience a great time.
Explore the Museum
If you have a museum in your town but have never taken the time to check it out, now's the time. Museums have something for everyone, and can awaken the scientist, paleontologist, veterinarian or more in your children. There are so many things to do and see at the museum, plus there are often places to eat as well as a gift shop, which your kids will find exciting to say the least.
Go to a Local Water Park or Pool
Nothing says fun like splashing around in cool water during the summer. While you are considering things to do and aren't able to hit the beach, you could check out your local public swimming pool or water park. There is usually some type of facility that's open to the public, and your kids will enjoy hours of fun simply cooling off and playing in the water.
There are so many things to do new orleans for you and your kids this summer. Visit http://www.auduboninstitute.org to find out more.
The Pakistani Media - Freedom With Responsibility?
From a government controlled TV channel and highly censored entertainment programs, to a modern day plethora of information and entertainment that stands up to international media, the Pakistani Media scene sprouted up in recent years as government pressure and censorship decreased and "Freedom of Expression" increased.
The last few years have been a turning point for the Pakistani Media. Changing trends and liberal mindsets have allowed the media to operate at such an open scale as never before seen in the country's history. From scantily dressed models in music videos to live discussions about taboo subjects, the Pakistani media has undergone a transformation and has now become a top notch competitor with foreign media. Needless to say, the media itself has played a pivotal role in changing the perceptions of the conservative masses. As conservative as it may be, cafes and clubs have sprouted up in all major cities with dance parties being common place now.
The media has grown tremendously, not only in the entertainment sector, but in the news and information sector as well. Several new news channels have been started up by the leading newspapers and they are broadcasting news as it breaks. From uncovering evils prevailing in a metropolis such as Karachi, to broadcasting live video feeds of violence erupting anywhere in the country. However, this freedom comes at a price. The media became a bit too comfortable showing graphic images on screen and in print, leading to new laws governing the showing of graphic imagery on-screen.
The question that comes to mind now is what's next? What's next for the Pakistani Media? From the looks of it, the media is expanding onto the next frontier of broadcasting. Recently, a leading cellular telecom company in Pakistan launched a service in which they are streaming TV channels through their GPRS or mobile internet service. Regardless of how successful this service is, it is a step in the right direction. Cellular telecom companies all over the world are broadcasting television content through their 3G networks. Webcasts or Online Telecasts of major events and news are also becoming increasingly popular among consumers.
In lieu of this, this is the next big thing for the Pakistani Media, as the concept of Web TV is already quite popular among the more tech savvy population. On the other side, the Government has started inserting some more red tape and regulations into the industry and its operation. This will no doubt hinder the development and freedom of the media but has also shrouded its future. Only time will tell where the media is headed now.
The last few years have been a turning point for the Pakistani Media. Changing trends and liberal mindsets have allowed the media to operate at such an open scale as never before seen in the country's history. From scantily dressed models in music videos to live discussions about taboo subjects, the Pakistani media has undergone a transformation and has now become a top notch competitor with foreign media. Needless to say, the media itself has played a pivotal role in changing the perceptions of the conservative masses. As conservative as it may be, cafes and clubs have sprouted up in all major cities with dance parties being common place now.
The media has grown tremendously, not only in the entertainment sector, but in the news and information sector as well. Several new news channels have been started up by the leading newspapers and they are broadcasting news as it breaks. From uncovering evils prevailing in a metropolis such as Karachi, to broadcasting live video feeds of violence erupting anywhere in the country. However, this freedom comes at a price. The media became a bit too comfortable showing graphic images on screen and in print, leading to new laws governing the showing of graphic imagery on-screen.
The question that comes to mind now is what's next? What's next for the Pakistani Media? From the looks of it, the media is expanding onto the next frontier of broadcasting. Recently, a leading cellular telecom company in Pakistan launched a service in which they are streaming TV channels through their GPRS or mobile internet service. Regardless of how successful this service is, it is a step in the right direction. Cellular telecom companies all over the world are broadcasting television content through their 3G networks. Webcasts or Online Telecasts of major events and news are also becoming increasingly popular among consumers.
In lieu of this, this is the next big thing for the Pakistani Media, as the concept of Web TV is already quite popular among the more tech savvy population. On the other side, the Government has started inserting some more red tape and regulations into the industry and its operation. This will no doubt hinder the development and freedom of the media but has also shrouded its future. Only time will tell where the media is headed now.
What Is a Tablet Computer? A Guide for Beginners
What Is a Tablet Computer? Clearing Up the Myths
Many computing beginners are being given a tough decision in 2012, whether or not to buy a tablet computer, Android Tablet or iPad, and many are not sure what is a tablet computer?! With sales tactics as brutal as ever lets try and clear up what you should be looking for in a tablet and what exactly is a tablet computer. Wikipedia defines a tablet as:
A a tablet, is a mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen rather than using a physical keyboard. It often uses an onscreen virtual keyboard, a passive stylus pen, or a digital pen.
So if you wish you can think of a tablet as a beefed up smartphone. A tablet typically has faster processors, more memory and a bigger screen than a smartphone, it is a computer on the move for most people. Another way to think of a tablet computer is as a smaller Laptop. If you find you do not need all the power a typical laptop can deliver than perhaps a tablet computer will have a good use for yourself.
Why buy a Tablet Computer?
There are many reasons for buying a tablet, but for most it will be the extreme portability and small form-factor. By the standards of 2012 most laptops are too bulky for us, so a tablet is the perfect space saving device. For others you may be convinced to buy a tablet to use as an eBook reader. This is a great alternative to carrying around bulky and heavy books, especially when travelling. Finally you may want to purchase a tablet for the great App Stores and gaming opportunities, which are only getting stronger.
In our opinion the best reason to own a tablet is for easy internet browsing. Since Tablets tend to turn on instantly, you can quickly check your email on the sofa, or the name of the actor in the film you're watching. A great deal of us in 2012 are connected to the internet by WiFi or 3G, and tablets offer both connection methods, making a tablet even better than most laptops for internet on the move.
How does a Tablet differ to my Desktop Computer?
Portability, portability, portability. None of us want to be tied to any desk by our computers. Consider using a cooking recipe on the internet, with a tablet you can take this straight into the kitchen with you. As for most laptops and all desktops this isn't the case, portability is the name of the game, and tablet computers deliver this.
In terms of architecture and processing power tablets have a much lower capability. However, the operating system loaded on a tablet (usually Android) requires much less power to run, and is designed to improve battery life. A decent tablet will have around 5 to 12 hours of battery life for constant use. Typical processor speeds of tablets are between 800mhz and 1.5ghz. Typical RAM memory for a tablet is around the 512mb mark, obviously seek for this number to be as high as possible. Typical memory of a tablet is anywhere between 2gb and 64gb, you should seek an amount which suits your needs. If you use a tablet only as a internet browser then lower (2gb) is fine. If you plan on watching films on your tablet aim for as high as possible (32gb - 64gb.)
What can I do with my Tablet Computer?
There's a huge list of what can be achieved with a tablet computer. This list is constantly growing as more apps are released, improving the capabilities of all android tablets. Lets cover the main points in the following list;
Browse the Internet
Use as an eBook reader
Create and edit office documents
Use as a personal media player
A digital photo frame
Use your tablet as a personal assistant with alarms, calendars and reminders
Send and receive email
Edit photographs
Take photographs (Built in camera required)
In summary when wondering what is a tablet computer? Just remind yourself, they're just like small laptops or large smartphones. With loads of capabilities and functions, they're lightweight and great for travelling. When buying remember to ask the right questions and always buy the best quality tablet you can afford, so it will last you years to come. Enjoy your new tablet computer, you'll love being able to get onto the internet whenever and wherever you like!
Many computing beginners are being given a tough decision in 2012, whether or not to buy a tablet computer, Android Tablet or iPad, and many are not sure what is a tablet computer?! With sales tactics as brutal as ever lets try and clear up what you should be looking for in a tablet and what exactly is a tablet computer. Wikipedia defines a tablet as:
A a tablet, is a mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen rather than using a physical keyboard. It often uses an onscreen virtual keyboard, a passive stylus pen, or a digital pen.
So if you wish you can think of a tablet as a beefed up smartphone. A tablet typically has faster processors, more memory and a bigger screen than a smartphone, it is a computer on the move for most people. Another way to think of a tablet computer is as a smaller Laptop. If you find you do not need all the power a typical laptop can deliver than perhaps a tablet computer will have a good use for yourself.
Why buy a Tablet Computer?
There are many reasons for buying a tablet, but for most it will be the extreme portability and small form-factor. By the standards of 2012 most laptops are too bulky for us, so a tablet is the perfect space saving device. For others you may be convinced to buy a tablet to use as an eBook reader. This is a great alternative to carrying around bulky and heavy books, especially when travelling. Finally you may want to purchase a tablet for the great App Stores and gaming opportunities, which are only getting stronger.
In our opinion the best reason to own a tablet is for easy internet browsing. Since Tablets tend to turn on instantly, you can quickly check your email on the sofa, or the name of the actor in the film you're watching. A great deal of us in 2012 are connected to the internet by WiFi or 3G, and tablets offer both connection methods, making a tablet even better than most laptops for internet on the move.
How does a Tablet differ to my Desktop Computer?
Portability, portability, portability. None of us want to be tied to any desk by our computers. Consider using a cooking recipe on the internet, with a tablet you can take this straight into the kitchen with you. As for most laptops and all desktops this isn't the case, portability is the name of the game, and tablet computers deliver this.
In terms of architecture and processing power tablets have a much lower capability. However, the operating system loaded on a tablet (usually Android) requires much less power to run, and is designed to improve battery life. A decent tablet will have around 5 to 12 hours of battery life for constant use. Typical processor speeds of tablets are between 800mhz and 1.5ghz. Typical RAM memory for a tablet is around the 512mb mark, obviously seek for this number to be as high as possible. Typical memory of a tablet is anywhere between 2gb and 64gb, you should seek an amount which suits your needs. If you use a tablet only as a internet browser then lower (2gb) is fine. If you plan on watching films on your tablet aim for as high as possible (32gb - 64gb.)
What can I do with my Tablet Computer?
There's a huge list of what can be achieved with a tablet computer. This list is constantly growing as more apps are released, improving the capabilities of all android tablets. Lets cover the main points in the following list;
Browse the Internet
Use as an eBook reader
Create and edit office documents
Use as a personal media player
A digital photo frame
Use your tablet as a personal assistant with alarms, calendars and reminders
Send and receive email
Edit photographs
Take photographs (Built in camera required)
In summary when wondering what is a tablet computer? Just remind yourself, they're just like small laptops or large smartphones. With loads of capabilities and functions, they're lightweight and great for travelling. When buying remember to ask the right questions and always buy the best quality tablet you can afford, so it will last you years to come. Enjoy your new tablet computer, you'll love being able to get onto the internet whenever and wherever you like!
Attending Strip Clubs: A Guide For Men
Your first exposure to strip clubs can be an eye-opening experience. If all you know of these establishments is what you've seen on television and countless action movies, you may be surprised at the atmosphere. Whether you visit an upscale place or a seedy dive, you'll soon see that actually being there is a lot different from watching it on a screen. The concept of nearly naked (or fully naked), beautiful women dancing for your entertainment can be intoxicating. Combine that with alcohol and it's not uncommon for men to lose their sense of place. That's why it's important to have an idea of some guidelines before you walk in the door. Here's a guide for those who aren't quite sure how to approach an evening of adult entertainment.
Dress Appropriately
You don't need to put on your best suit to go to strip clubs (although no one ever died from dressing too nicely). At the same time, however, meet some standards of decency. Some men like to get a cheap thrill by wearing the loosest, thinnest pants they can find. Some establishments will turn you away at the door for wearing this kind of attire. Others will throw you out on the street once the reason for your attire becomes obvious. Don't be that guy. Put on some jeans.
Tip Generously
You need to remember that the establishment does not pay the dancers at almost every strip clubs. In fact, more often than not they have to pay the club to have access to the stage. That means they are in the hole from the start. They can easily dig their way out of that hole and make some money, however, if guys will come off their wallet. If you think you can enjoy a night of cheap entertainment for just the price of a couple of drinks, you should consider doing something else with your night. In fact, management may insist that you do so.
Don't Take Liberties
There is probably the easiest way to get thrown out of strip clubs and placed on a blacklist. You may even have your face cosmetically adjusted for the trouble. Don't try to push your luck. If there are rules regarding what you can and can't do in terms of touching, follow those rules. One infraction may get you a warning, or it could be that you're in a zero tolerance environment. You'll find out quickly. And if the rules at one particular place are more liberal than most, they will almost certainly let you know.
Dress Appropriately
You don't need to put on your best suit to go to strip clubs (although no one ever died from dressing too nicely). At the same time, however, meet some standards of decency. Some men like to get a cheap thrill by wearing the loosest, thinnest pants they can find. Some establishments will turn you away at the door for wearing this kind of attire. Others will throw you out on the street once the reason for your attire becomes obvious. Don't be that guy. Put on some jeans.
Tip Generously
You need to remember that the establishment does not pay the dancers at almost every strip clubs. In fact, more often than not they have to pay the club to have access to the stage. That means they are in the hole from the start. They can easily dig their way out of that hole and make some money, however, if guys will come off their wallet. If you think you can enjoy a night of cheap entertainment for just the price of a couple of drinks, you should consider doing something else with your night. In fact, management may insist that you do so.
Don't Take Liberties
There is probably the easiest way to get thrown out of strip clubs and placed on a blacklist. You may even have your face cosmetically adjusted for the trouble. Don't try to push your luck. If there are rules regarding what you can and can't do in terms of touching, follow those rules. One infraction may get you a warning, or it could be that you're in a zero tolerance environment. You'll find out quickly. And if the rules at one particular place are more liberal than most, they will almost certainly let you know.
Birthday Banners Can Be A Lot Of Fun!
Birthday banners don't guarantee the success of your birthday party, but pretty close. When you want to add spirit and fun to a gathering of people, birthday banners give a reason for the party. Even if you happen to forget the name of the person whose birthday you are celebrating, all you have to do is glance over at the birthday banner, where their name is plainly listed. If you want to help them remember you were at the party, and it's appropriate, you might even sign your name on the birthday banner so they have a novelty memento to keep and reflect upon long after the birthday cake has been eaten and the event long finished.
You can use banners to help celebrate other parties, too. An anniversary party would hardly be complete without using an anniversary banner to honor the couple of the year who have reached an important landmark in their longevity as a couple. This type of banner is always in season. Graduation Banners, Bon Voyage Banners and other important festive messages using the birthday banner-type format are a classic way to show a loved one that you really care. Send them off with style and let them know you put enough time and energy into the event to pre-plan a little and have a custom banners printed up in their honor!
Birthday or other celebration banners can be plain or fancy. In the olden days, they were printed up on computerized paper with tiny dot matrix continuous form feeding sheets which passed along a printer with a print wheel. At the end of the printing, the holed edging was removed by hand, giving a somewhat informal and primitive look. Little x's could be joined together to make a design, like teddy bears, hamburgers, flowers, clowns and the like. Printing has come a long way since the 1980s. Nowadays, print techniques use fabric, vinyl, or other quality options that won't tear easily and will retain their colorful appearance long into the future.
Modern technology enables you to design the birthday banners of your dreams with just a little effort and consultation. In choosing the best firm to do business with, ask your friends and acquaintances for a good reference so you won't be disappointed with the result. If they don't know of anyone offhand, go ahead and verify a potential vendor's Better Business Bureau rating based on the firm's prior dealings with the often hard to please general public. If they have managed to create a reputation of excellent customer service, best to go with a winner than a company who is sullied with a long list of complaints and problems. An ideal firm stands behind their work and is willing to fix errors to the customer's express satisfaction. That means you can count on getting what you pay for, which is the aim and goal of every consumer.
Use vinyl banners for a child's birthday celebration, especially if they plan on celebrating at a public place or in school. The kids are known for rough-housing, so better to be safe than sorry. Colorful balloons, shapes and images will add a great input of positive energy to their ever so important birthday event.
If you want to add grace and charm to the lady of your life's birthday party, be sure to decorate the birthday banners with flowers, butterflies, and similarly feminine motifs. This will show that you have her best interests in mind and have summed up that she is a truly lady worthy of the honor of a first class birthday celebration.
Little boys love cars, mechanical things and other objects which show action, like robots and Superman. Your daughter may like Barbie or another cartoon character that suits her. What's so great about celebration banners is that you can personalize them. Printing costs have never been more affordable, so take advantage of both high quality and low prices and freely create the birthday banners of your dreams!
Discover and learn more about birthday banners: View Here
Barry Brown has been in the Sign, Banner, Decal and Display Business for over 20 years. It isn't what he thought he'd do with his life, but he says he knows too much now to do anything else!
He has been marketing these products online since 1998, and the company he was general manager of in 1998 was the first sign company to be listed on Yahoo!
Barry is a great resource for information regarding Signs, Banners, Decals, and Displays, and is also an outstanding source of information on how to shop online without getting ripped off.
He invites you to visit our website below, and call him if you have any questions regarding safely purchasing products from any site online, or regarding our company and product offerings.
http://www.visigraph.com
You can use banners to help celebrate other parties, too. An anniversary party would hardly be complete without using an anniversary banner to honor the couple of the year who have reached an important landmark in their longevity as a couple. This type of banner is always in season. Graduation Banners, Bon Voyage Banners and other important festive messages using the birthday banner-type format are a classic way to show a loved one that you really care. Send them off with style and let them know you put enough time and energy into the event to pre-plan a little and have a custom banners printed up in their honor!
Birthday or other celebration banners can be plain or fancy. In the olden days, they were printed up on computerized paper with tiny dot matrix continuous form feeding sheets which passed along a printer with a print wheel. At the end of the printing, the holed edging was removed by hand, giving a somewhat informal and primitive look. Little x's could be joined together to make a design, like teddy bears, hamburgers, flowers, clowns and the like. Printing has come a long way since the 1980s. Nowadays, print techniques use fabric, vinyl, or other quality options that won't tear easily and will retain their colorful appearance long into the future.
Modern technology enables you to design the birthday banners of your dreams with just a little effort and consultation. In choosing the best firm to do business with, ask your friends and acquaintances for a good reference so you won't be disappointed with the result. If they don't know of anyone offhand, go ahead and verify a potential vendor's Better Business Bureau rating based on the firm's prior dealings with the often hard to please general public. If they have managed to create a reputation of excellent customer service, best to go with a winner than a company who is sullied with a long list of complaints and problems. An ideal firm stands behind their work and is willing to fix errors to the customer's express satisfaction. That means you can count on getting what you pay for, which is the aim and goal of every consumer.
Use vinyl banners for a child's birthday celebration, especially if they plan on celebrating at a public place or in school. The kids are known for rough-housing, so better to be safe than sorry. Colorful balloons, shapes and images will add a great input of positive energy to their ever so important birthday event.
If you want to add grace and charm to the lady of your life's birthday party, be sure to decorate the birthday banners with flowers, butterflies, and similarly feminine motifs. This will show that you have her best interests in mind and have summed up that she is a truly lady worthy of the honor of a first class birthday celebration.
Little boys love cars, mechanical things and other objects which show action, like robots and Superman. Your daughter may like Barbie or another cartoon character that suits her. What's so great about celebration banners is that you can personalize them. Printing costs have never been more affordable, so take advantage of both high quality and low prices and freely create the birthday banners of your dreams!
Discover and learn more about birthday banners: View Here
Barry Brown has been in the Sign, Banner, Decal and Display Business for over 20 years. It isn't what he thought he'd do with his life, but he says he knows too much now to do anything else!
He has been marketing these products online since 1998, and the company he was general manager of in 1998 was the first sign company to be listed on Yahoo!
Barry is a great resource for information regarding Signs, Banners, Decals, and Displays, and is also an outstanding source of information on how to shop online without getting ripped off.
He invites you to visit our website below, and call him if you have any questions regarding safely purchasing products from any site online, or regarding our company and product offerings.
http://www.visigraph.com
Strip Clubs: The Laws in Your Area
Strip clubs are usually highly regulated by local laws. Some areas of the country are much more prudish with their laws than others, with many cities across the country refusing to host these businesses at all. Generally speaking, the larger your city, the more relaxed the legal status surrounding these establishments is going to be. If you're interested in knowing what laws apply to your local joints or you want to open such an establishment in the near future, you'll need to get in touch with your city government and get the scoop on the statutes. Here are some of the legal restrictions often placed on these businesses.
Rules on Nudity
While it may seem like a contradiction in terms, many strip clubs do have laws placed on them that disallow the women to get fully nude when performing. In fact, it's probably fair to say there are more cities with this rule than without. What level of nudity is permitted can get more or less strict from there. Some cities only insist that the women keep their bottoms on, while others have statutes on the books that require pasties be worn at all times. Sometimes whether the establishment sells food can play a role in determining the status, giving the owner something to mull when deciding how to move forward.
Hours
One might think strip clubs would be allowed to stay open as long as the owners wished to keep the doors unlocked. This is the case in some areas, but by no means all. Many cities have imposed curfews on nightclubs and the like, something which would extend to these businesses as well. The sale of alcohol is often prohibited beyond a certain time of night in many cities as well, which may discourage the owners from keeping the business open past that time. In some cities, having the establishment open on Sunday is against the law. Certain communities even place greater restrictions on the strip clubs than they do the bars regarding hours of operation.
Location
As with any business, there are often restrictions regarding location and zoning placed on strip clubs. These may or may not be more restrictive than those rules regarding any business in the community. More often than not, they will be. As an example, there may be laws regarding how close to schools and churches the businesses can be located. There may also be rules regarding how far they must be from residentially zoned districts. Due to overly restrictive zoning laws, some owners actually choose to move outside major city limits to take advantage of relaxed laws.
Learn more about the laws associated with strip clubs New Orleans at: http://penthouseclubneworleans.com.
Rules on Nudity
While it may seem like a contradiction in terms, many strip clubs do have laws placed on them that disallow the women to get fully nude when performing. In fact, it's probably fair to say there are more cities with this rule than without. What level of nudity is permitted can get more or less strict from there. Some cities only insist that the women keep their bottoms on, while others have statutes on the books that require pasties be worn at all times. Sometimes whether the establishment sells food can play a role in determining the status, giving the owner something to mull when deciding how to move forward.
Hours
One might think strip clubs would be allowed to stay open as long as the owners wished to keep the doors unlocked. This is the case in some areas, but by no means all. Many cities have imposed curfews on nightclubs and the like, something which would extend to these businesses as well. The sale of alcohol is often prohibited beyond a certain time of night in many cities as well, which may discourage the owners from keeping the business open past that time. In some cities, having the establishment open on Sunday is against the law. Certain communities even place greater restrictions on the strip clubs than they do the bars regarding hours of operation.
Location
As with any business, there are often restrictions regarding location and zoning placed on strip clubs. These may or may not be more restrictive than those rules regarding any business in the community. More often than not, they will be. As an example, there may be laws regarding how close to schools and churches the businesses can be located. There may also be rules regarding how far they must be from residentially zoned districts. Due to overly restrictive zoning laws, some owners actually choose to move outside major city limits to take advantage of relaxed laws.
Learn more about the laws associated with strip clubs New Orleans at: http://penthouseclubneworleans.com.
Strip Clubs: Performing As an Amateur
Occasionally, the strip clubs in your area may hold an amateur night, opening the floor to those who do not work as a dancer for a living. While rules regarding these nights will differ from place to place, there are typically no restrictions when it comes to talent. Visit on one of these nights and you'll often see talent range from highly proficient to dreadfully incompetent. Which, of course, removes much of the need for fear. As long as you have some sense of rhythm and a decent body, you're not going to get laughed off the stage. There will often be cash prizes offered to the winners (as determined, usually, by audience reaction). Here's how you can prepare to participate.
Get Mentally Prepared
There are probably few more important things you can do than get yourself mentally prepared for dancing at one of the strip clubs in your area. It's only natural to be hesitant about getting up in front of strangers and taking your clothes off. Even for the most exhibitionist-minded, the bright lights and staring faces can be extraordinarily intimidating. Fail to prepare yourself mentally, and it could be too much to overcome. When you practice your dancing, visualize this scenario and come up with tricks that can help you forget how out-of-the-box the scenario is.
Get an Outfit
Too many women-and this happens even to professional dancers-forget that strip clubs are about more than simply getting naked in front of strangers. Part of the entertainment factor is seduction, which isn't done by getting up on stage in mom jeans and a sweater. Put some time and effort into coming up with something sexy to wear. At the same time, practical considerations have to be remembered as well. You can come up with a smoking hot outfit, but if it takes five minutes to undo the buttons in the back, things are going to get awkward.
Confidence is Key
Your body, sense of rhythm, and even how good looking you are all take a backseat to your confidence level. If you are ridiculously shy and awkward on stage, you're not likely to meet a receptive audience. Unfortunately, the mere thought of being sexy on stage is enough to turn the life of the party into a shy wallflower. Overcome this natural sensation. If you can go out there for five or ten minutes with an attitude that says "I own this room", you will do well regardless of any other failings you might bring to the stage.
Get Mentally Prepared
There are probably few more important things you can do than get yourself mentally prepared for dancing at one of the strip clubs in your area. It's only natural to be hesitant about getting up in front of strangers and taking your clothes off. Even for the most exhibitionist-minded, the bright lights and staring faces can be extraordinarily intimidating. Fail to prepare yourself mentally, and it could be too much to overcome. When you practice your dancing, visualize this scenario and come up with tricks that can help you forget how out-of-the-box the scenario is.
Get an Outfit
Too many women-and this happens even to professional dancers-forget that strip clubs are about more than simply getting naked in front of strangers. Part of the entertainment factor is seduction, which isn't done by getting up on stage in mom jeans and a sweater. Put some time and effort into coming up with something sexy to wear. At the same time, practical considerations have to be remembered as well. You can come up with a smoking hot outfit, but if it takes five minutes to undo the buttons in the back, things are going to get awkward.
Confidence is Key
Your body, sense of rhythm, and even how good looking you are all take a backseat to your confidence level. If you are ridiculously shy and awkward on stage, you're not likely to meet a receptive audience. Unfortunately, the mere thought of being sexy on stage is enough to turn the life of the party into a shy wallflower. Overcome this natural sensation. If you can go out there for five or ten minutes with an attitude that says "I own this room", you will do well regardless of any other failings you might bring to the stage.
Strip Clubs: Have More Fun By Abiding By These Rules
When it comes to strip clubs, there are two sets of rules. There are the rules of the establishment, which change from place to place but are inflexible once you're inside the doors. Then there are the unwritten rules, which are known within the industry, familiar to frequent customers, but can be a mystery to first-timers. Since no owner or manager wants to make customers feel uncomfortable by placing a lot of rules and restrictions on their behavior, these rules remain shrouded in confusion. Here, we'll cut through that confusion and provide you with tips that will let you fit in and have more fun.
Spend Money
One of the worst things you can do is go out for a night at the strip clubs with a tight wallet. You don't need to drop half your savings on an evening of entertainment, but don't go into it thinking you'll save money by drinking water and sitting on your wallet. That is a surefire recipe for a bad night. Some establishments set a drink minimum to prevent this kind of stinginess, but even if no such minimum exists, you should set your own. Additionally, unless you're really uncomfortable with it, you should buy a couple of dances. And above everything, remember to tip. Not just the dancers, but the servers as well.
Money Talks
This is an addendum to the above tip, but it's important to explore in its own right. Too many customers go to strip clubs, tip a dollar to the dancers when they can, and then wonder why none of them ever hang around for very long. It's a simple matter of money. The guy in the corner booth who is generous in handing out the $5 bills is going to have girls swarming him. The only way you can compete is to come off your wallet. That is the only thing-repeat, the only thing-the dancers are interested in while working. It doesn't matter how good looking you are, how charismatic, or even how much money you earn. If you aren't spending, you aren't going to get noticed.
It's Fantasy
This is a line that some guys can deal with and others can't. Resolve yourself to be the type that can. Those who spend every waking moment working on their "pick-up artist" stylings often find themselves frustrated in strip clubs. The same goes for shy guys who aren't used to beautiful women paying attention to them. The girls aren't going to go home with you, they aren't going to date you, and they aren't going to give you their phone number or even their real name. Are there exceptions? There always are, but as a general rule, these are concepts you'll be better off remembering.
Spend Money
One of the worst things you can do is go out for a night at the strip clubs with a tight wallet. You don't need to drop half your savings on an evening of entertainment, but don't go into it thinking you'll save money by drinking water and sitting on your wallet. That is a surefire recipe for a bad night. Some establishments set a drink minimum to prevent this kind of stinginess, but even if no such minimum exists, you should set your own. Additionally, unless you're really uncomfortable with it, you should buy a couple of dances. And above everything, remember to tip. Not just the dancers, but the servers as well.
Money Talks
This is an addendum to the above tip, but it's important to explore in its own right. Too many customers go to strip clubs, tip a dollar to the dancers when they can, and then wonder why none of them ever hang around for very long. It's a simple matter of money. The guy in the corner booth who is generous in handing out the $5 bills is going to have girls swarming him. The only way you can compete is to come off your wallet. That is the only thing-repeat, the only thing-the dancers are interested in while working. It doesn't matter how good looking you are, how charismatic, or even how much money you earn. If you aren't spending, you aren't going to get noticed.
It's Fantasy
This is a line that some guys can deal with and others can't. Resolve yourself to be the type that can. Those who spend every waking moment working on their "pick-up artist" stylings often find themselves frustrated in strip clubs. The same goes for shy guys who aren't used to beautiful women paying attention to them. The girls aren't going to go home with you, they aren't going to date you, and they aren't going to give you their phone number or even their real name. Are there exceptions? There always are, but as a general rule, these are concepts you'll be better off remembering.
Why Artists Are Alienated And Rejected
Why are creative people so often in opposition to the world around them? Why do we feel alienated, out of step, even rejected?
For those of us who recognise these things, there are a series of interlocking answers, which are, I believe, affirming of who we are and what we do.
In every group, society and nation there is a set of accepted, tolerated, agreed upon ideas, dogmas, and archetypes that are considered acceptable to those in command of the society. Politicians and their police, their law courts, the media owners and the 'approved' and therefore celebrated artists all play a part in the construction of these things, which together may be called the 'cultural cannon'.
Adherence to and celebration of this cannon is deemed 'normal'. Normal means that the artist conforms to the attitudes of the dominant social, cultural and political ideas of the period. For instance: 'greed is good', 'regime change in distant countries is acceptable', 'non judicial killing of enemies is morally acceptable', profits are more important than employment', and so on. This means that questioning the status quo is unacceptable because the whole existences, rationale and best interest of those in power is to maintain things as they are. Questioning their authority, opening people's hearts to new feelings and their minds to new ideas is dangerous to the status quo.
What artist worth his/her salt does not question unfairness, injustice, inhumanity? What artist, worth being called an artist is insensitive to the needs of the people around them?
If the so-called artist is not concerned or caring, he/she probably produces entertainment as best and a kind of propaganda at worst because their work embraces the acceptable cultural cannon. By its very nature it is a celebration of the status quo.
Because film and television are such powerful forms of media, followed by the popular press, they are strictly controlled and regulated in terms of their political content. It is not that there is some sort of plot - at least in the West - but rather a chain of interlocking financial and political interests that create controlling and self-regulating hierarchies (for instance from reporter to sub-editor to editor to publisher to their advertisers, board members and political cronies) who, through control of job advancement and security, will subtly enforce what a reporter may or may not write about or with what opinion they inform their text. Art gallery owners will know the taste of their wealthy patrons, publishers will assume the taste and needs of their fiction readers and so on. Once they reduce, circumscribe, dumb down their audiences, this becomes the expected, the norm. When asked why they dumb down, they protest that this, which they have cultured in the audience, is what they now crave.
Art and artists who seek to represent the cultural cannon, to be a part of the zeitgeist, to subsume themselves in popular dumbed down culture are artists who can never rise to the full heights of art. They represent the given, the already acceptable, the known. They copy, rehash, they represent dead theatre, the divided self, a frozen understanding of the past. The paid for critics will admire them, translate them for us, explain why they are good and those who do not accept the cultural norms are bad.
When a real artist challenges the status quo, they are, in the West, scorned or ignored and isolated. In places like China and the ex Soviet Union, artists are and were sent to mental asylums and treated with drugs to make them comatose. After almost every coup, invasion or regime change the new authorities arrest the trade unionists, the intellectuals and the artists because they are seen as possible focal points for resistance or rebellion. The repressive sociopaths, fascists, martinets, racists, nationalists, religious or other ideological fundamentalists amongst us are right; art is about dreams, dreams demand change and change challenges the status quo. This is why real art is truly dangerous.
The combined social expression of each individual in society, called the collective unconscious - that which is alive in every individual of the group, maintains a constant exchange or interaction with the cultural cannon. It cannot be otherwise as we individually receive and interact with the assumptions of the cannon in our education, in the media, in other's opinions and in virtually everything we see and hear everyday.
In the beginning a victorious ruling establishment seek to overthrow the old culture with the new. Soon though, as the revolution, coup or whatever political change has occurred becomes established, their institutions, ideas, belief systems, morality becomes moribund, rotting from self-interest, corruption, exhaustion, conflicting ideological or financial. Their newly constructed culture, created to celebrate them turns into cant, superficial entertainment, dogma. The once heroic archetypes become rigidified.
But often repression, mediocrity and injustice create their own contradictions in society. People begin to wake up and consciousness becomes, in the hands of poets, intellectuals and artists, transformative. The unknown begins to have a shape and then a name and the dull collective consciousness and the repressive or unjust apparatus of control begins to seem less inevitable. Imagination leads to the possibility of imagining change.
The artist who is in opposition to the cannon is by necessity in opposition to its cultural values and is therefore often alone. In such a phase, their work is by necessity tragic. This defines the hero who knows he/she must attack and destroy the old to create the new. Artists are isolated from their society and united with their destiny as they create an image of the future. If the sensibility of the artist has remained alive, inquisitive and rebellious, a psyche which has not been suppressed or divided from itself or by the pressures of the surrounding society or by life, that artist, although alone, will sense the inner working of the collective unconscious and be amongst the first in society to make these invisible become visible. Artists, true artists are our moral weather vanes, turning in the winds of change long before the rest of society even sense a breeze.
This is why artists are alienated, out of step and feel rejection. But this is also why artists must continue to produce uncompromising work.
Much of this analysis is a result of my personal journey and the way I have seen my best work treated. I continually asked why it was that the most important work I have done in my life, I have had to do for free, unsupported and often ignored by the gatekeepers but admired by audiences. I am constantly asked things like 'but why is this not on TV' or 'why has this not been printed or published'. I believe this article answers some to those questions.
For those of us who recognise these things, there are a series of interlocking answers, which are, I believe, affirming of who we are and what we do.
In every group, society and nation there is a set of accepted, tolerated, agreed upon ideas, dogmas, and archetypes that are considered acceptable to those in command of the society. Politicians and their police, their law courts, the media owners and the 'approved' and therefore celebrated artists all play a part in the construction of these things, which together may be called the 'cultural cannon'.
Adherence to and celebration of this cannon is deemed 'normal'. Normal means that the artist conforms to the attitudes of the dominant social, cultural and political ideas of the period. For instance: 'greed is good', 'regime change in distant countries is acceptable', 'non judicial killing of enemies is morally acceptable', profits are more important than employment', and so on. This means that questioning the status quo is unacceptable because the whole existences, rationale and best interest of those in power is to maintain things as they are. Questioning their authority, opening people's hearts to new feelings and their minds to new ideas is dangerous to the status quo.
What artist worth his/her salt does not question unfairness, injustice, inhumanity? What artist, worth being called an artist is insensitive to the needs of the people around them?
If the so-called artist is not concerned or caring, he/she probably produces entertainment as best and a kind of propaganda at worst because their work embraces the acceptable cultural cannon. By its very nature it is a celebration of the status quo.
Because film and television are such powerful forms of media, followed by the popular press, they are strictly controlled and regulated in terms of their political content. It is not that there is some sort of plot - at least in the West - but rather a chain of interlocking financial and political interests that create controlling and self-regulating hierarchies (for instance from reporter to sub-editor to editor to publisher to their advertisers, board members and political cronies) who, through control of job advancement and security, will subtly enforce what a reporter may or may not write about or with what opinion they inform their text. Art gallery owners will know the taste of their wealthy patrons, publishers will assume the taste and needs of their fiction readers and so on. Once they reduce, circumscribe, dumb down their audiences, this becomes the expected, the norm. When asked why they dumb down, they protest that this, which they have cultured in the audience, is what they now crave.
Art and artists who seek to represent the cultural cannon, to be a part of the zeitgeist, to subsume themselves in popular dumbed down culture are artists who can never rise to the full heights of art. They represent the given, the already acceptable, the known. They copy, rehash, they represent dead theatre, the divided self, a frozen understanding of the past. The paid for critics will admire them, translate them for us, explain why they are good and those who do not accept the cultural norms are bad.
When a real artist challenges the status quo, they are, in the West, scorned or ignored and isolated. In places like China and the ex Soviet Union, artists are and were sent to mental asylums and treated with drugs to make them comatose. After almost every coup, invasion or regime change the new authorities arrest the trade unionists, the intellectuals and the artists because they are seen as possible focal points for resistance or rebellion. The repressive sociopaths, fascists, martinets, racists, nationalists, religious or other ideological fundamentalists amongst us are right; art is about dreams, dreams demand change and change challenges the status quo. This is why real art is truly dangerous.
The combined social expression of each individual in society, called the collective unconscious - that which is alive in every individual of the group, maintains a constant exchange or interaction with the cultural cannon. It cannot be otherwise as we individually receive and interact with the assumptions of the cannon in our education, in the media, in other's opinions and in virtually everything we see and hear everyday.
In the beginning a victorious ruling establishment seek to overthrow the old culture with the new. Soon though, as the revolution, coup or whatever political change has occurred becomes established, their institutions, ideas, belief systems, morality becomes moribund, rotting from self-interest, corruption, exhaustion, conflicting ideological or financial. Their newly constructed culture, created to celebrate them turns into cant, superficial entertainment, dogma. The once heroic archetypes become rigidified.
But often repression, mediocrity and injustice create their own contradictions in society. People begin to wake up and consciousness becomes, in the hands of poets, intellectuals and artists, transformative. The unknown begins to have a shape and then a name and the dull collective consciousness and the repressive or unjust apparatus of control begins to seem less inevitable. Imagination leads to the possibility of imagining change.
The artist who is in opposition to the cannon is by necessity in opposition to its cultural values and is therefore often alone. In such a phase, their work is by necessity tragic. This defines the hero who knows he/she must attack and destroy the old to create the new. Artists are isolated from their society and united with their destiny as they create an image of the future. If the sensibility of the artist has remained alive, inquisitive and rebellious, a psyche which has not been suppressed or divided from itself or by the pressures of the surrounding society or by life, that artist, although alone, will sense the inner working of the collective unconscious and be amongst the first in society to make these invisible become visible. Artists, true artists are our moral weather vanes, turning in the winds of change long before the rest of society even sense a breeze.
This is why artists are alienated, out of step and feel rejection. But this is also why artists must continue to produce uncompromising work.
Much of this analysis is a result of my personal journey and the way I have seen my best work treated. I continually asked why it was that the most important work I have done in my life, I have had to do for free, unsupported and often ignored by the gatekeepers but admired by audiences. I am constantly asked things like 'but why is this not on TV' or 'why has this not been printed or published'. I believe this article answers some to those questions.
A Tribute to Seafarers!
Somewhere around 1500 BC, the Lapita people (ancestors to the Polynesians) moved across the ocean carrying their plants of food and domestic animals. This marked the beginning of true seafaring skills in the Stone Age. The traditional craft used back then is what we now call a catamaran. These seafarers knew how to read wind and wave patterns, and navigated by the sun and stars. Once could say the Lapitas studied the flight pattern of birds as they headed towards landfall, the drift of vegetation, and even cloud formation; skills old salts still use today.
In the mid-14th century, European Sailors ventured out into the Atlantic. On August 2, 1492, sailing the Santa Maria, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue leaving the Canary Islands. Financed by the king and queen of Spain, Columbus sailed westward in search of silks and spices in Asia only to discover America instead.
In the 1600's:
--- 1620, December 21, wind-battered and weary, the Pilgrims anchored in Plymouth Harbor, MA after being at sea for approximately two months. They spent the winter on their crowded ship (Mayflower) and lost half the people due to disease. Over the next several years the population in Plymouth grew due to new arrivals from England.
--- 1659, the first homesteaders (two men, 1 woman, and six children), arrived on Nantucket Island traveling by open boat through seas churned high by winds of approaching winter. Farming and fishing were main activities till 1712 before whaling became popular.
--- 1675, Boston Harbor Islands had historically been places where society had set apart unwelcome institutions and people on the margins. American Indians were interned on Deer Island during King Philips' war.
--- 1684, the English purchased the Rumney Marsh and Pudding Point properties from the Native Americans. Then between 1753 and 1763, a fishing industry was located at Point Shirley and 300 people resided and worked there.
For millennium Northeast coastal Indians fished, farmed and hunted on the islands, and European settlers used them for much the same purposes. The large natural harbor and New England's transportation network have made Boston a thriving seaport since. The port had its share of sea tales, as ships plying the harbor's sea-lanes attracted pirates.
The pirates would ride up and down the Atlantic coast between Newburyport and Winthrop. It was here they would hide out at Pudding Point waiting for other ships to come down then attack and sink the boats. Before the boats would sink, though, the pirates would take the treasures of gold and jewelry off the boats, then sail back up towards Newburyport where they'd bury these rewards. Where exactly no on today really knows. However, if you come and visit Winthrop, be sure to walk the three-mile path around Deer Island and stop dead center at the tip. In front of you is a tiny island with a light on it called Nix's Mate. It is here where the pirates were actually imprisoned and some are believed to have died there. On a dark, windy day you can hear them cry revenge. Today boaters make it a point to stay clear of Nix's Mate. The actual structure is a ledge and meeting place for four different channels; Nubble, Narrows, South, and North. The tide swirls pretty strong there and if you get caught, you may end up with the pirates.
Boston was also a port of entry for early settlers and alter immigrants seeking a better life in a new world.
In the late 1960's Winthrop had lots of mud flats surrounding their three yacht clubs. There was a problem at that time with some of the overflow from Deer Island coming back into the harbor. This "fertilizer" was causing sea lettuce to grow. Unfortunately, the sea lettuce was covering all the clam-flats causing the clams to die off. The odor and pollution from the clams were permeating the neighborhoods and peeling paint off the houses. A doctor was brought in to find out what could be done and he recommended putting everything under water by dredging.
Clamming is a lively industry in Winthrop and supplies many restaurants in the area. In fact, Boston chefs have claimed the best clams are the ones from Winthrop.
Every week the biologists at Plum Island's Purification Plant sends out an email to all the clam diggers in Quincy, Boston, and Weymouth. This email notifies clam diggers where and when they can dig for soft shell clams. According to Massachusetts State Law, a clam digger is allotted five racks of soft shell clams per day. This really isn't a lot of clams in the scheme of things, but it's back breaking work all the same. Rules and regulations keep changing making it more difficult to support a family this way.
So, no matter if it's 110° or 20º below, a clam digger begins arriving at Winthrop's Public Landing ready to shove off one-half hour before sunrise. Armed with their buckets, boots, and trowels, they hop into the dinghies and set out for work before the next tide comes in.
Hunched over for hours with trowel in hand, the clam's fate is totally up to the clam digger as to whether it ends up on your plate or in a Seagull's belly. Clams are popular, but have to measure in at two inches in diameter otherwise be thrown back. Sometimes, if the diggers are in a hurry to finish before the tide comes in, the clams will end up being thrown up on the rocks. This is when the Seagulls get fed.
Once the five racks are filled, the diggers come back in. Here they'll meet up with the buyers and/or Environmental Police to check their clams. Because these clams are dug in Winthrop, they have to be transported to Plum Island's Purification Plant to be cleansed before being sold to restaurants and seafood stores.
At the purification plant the racks are put into long deep tubs filled with salt water from the ocean. Ultra violet lights are used to clean the clams. The clams stay in there for three days and every morning the tanks are cleaned, samples are taken and checked for bacteria. Air bubbles are pumped into PVC to help clams breathe while in the water. Once the clams are cleaned and the onsite biologists approve, then the racks go through a washer for the last step before getting a stamp of approval by the state before going out. Once approved, the clams will sit in a walk-in refrigerator till they are picked up. However, if there is any bacteria found in any of the tanks while the clams are being cleaned, all those clams are thrown out. This causes a financial loss to the diggers and could mean no clams for the restaurants.
Robin G. Coles is a passionate marine enthusiast and sailor who has interviewed countless industry experts as well as visited, interviewed personnel at, written about, and photographed hundreds of marine ports in the US and abroad. Coles has authored "Boating Secrets: 127 Top Tips To Help You Buy and Enjoy Your Boat", a newspaper column and a variety of articles, newsletters, case studies, reports, and technical documents about boating and non-boating topics. Coles' articles and photographs can be viewed at: http://TheNauticalLifestyle.com/TransientTalk
In the mid-14th century, European Sailors ventured out into the Atlantic. On August 2, 1492, sailing the Santa Maria, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue leaving the Canary Islands. Financed by the king and queen of Spain, Columbus sailed westward in search of silks and spices in Asia only to discover America instead.
In the 1600's:
--- 1620, December 21, wind-battered and weary, the Pilgrims anchored in Plymouth Harbor, MA after being at sea for approximately two months. They spent the winter on their crowded ship (Mayflower) and lost half the people due to disease. Over the next several years the population in Plymouth grew due to new arrivals from England.
--- 1659, the first homesteaders (two men, 1 woman, and six children), arrived on Nantucket Island traveling by open boat through seas churned high by winds of approaching winter. Farming and fishing were main activities till 1712 before whaling became popular.
--- 1675, Boston Harbor Islands had historically been places where society had set apart unwelcome institutions and people on the margins. American Indians were interned on Deer Island during King Philips' war.
--- 1684, the English purchased the Rumney Marsh and Pudding Point properties from the Native Americans. Then between 1753 and 1763, a fishing industry was located at Point Shirley and 300 people resided and worked there.
For millennium Northeast coastal Indians fished, farmed and hunted on the islands, and European settlers used them for much the same purposes. The large natural harbor and New England's transportation network have made Boston a thriving seaport since. The port had its share of sea tales, as ships plying the harbor's sea-lanes attracted pirates.
The pirates would ride up and down the Atlantic coast between Newburyport and Winthrop. It was here they would hide out at Pudding Point waiting for other ships to come down then attack and sink the boats. Before the boats would sink, though, the pirates would take the treasures of gold and jewelry off the boats, then sail back up towards Newburyport where they'd bury these rewards. Where exactly no on today really knows. However, if you come and visit Winthrop, be sure to walk the three-mile path around Deer Island and stop dead center at the tip. In front of you is a tiny island with a light on it called Nix's Mate. It is here where the pirates were actually imprisoned and some are believed to have died there. On a dark, windy day you can hear them cry revenge. Today boaters make it a point to stay clear of Nix's Mate. The actual structure is a ledge and meeting place for four different channels; Nubble, Narrows, South, and North. The tide swirls pretty strong there and if you get caught, you may end up with the pirates.
Boston was also a port of entry for early settlers and alter immigrants seeking a better life in a new world.
In the late 1960's Winthrop had lots of mud flats surrounding their three yacht clubs. There was a problem at that time with some of the overflow from Deer Island coming back into the harbor. This "fertilizer" was causing sea lettuce to grow. Unfortunately, the sea lettuce was covering all the clam-flats causing the clams to die off. The odor and pollution from the clams were permeating the neighborhoods and peeling paint off the houses. A doctor was brought in to find out what could be done and he recommended putting everything under water by dredging.
Clamming is a lively industry in Winthrop and supplies many restaurants in the area. In fact, Boston chefs have claimed the best clams are the ones from Winthrop.
Every week the biologists at Plum Island's Purification Plant sends out an email to all the clam diggers in Quincy, Boston, and Weymouth. This email notifies clam diggers where and when they can dig for soft shell clams. According to Massachusetts State Law, a clam digger is allotted five racks of soft shell clams per day. This really isn't a lot of clams in the scheme of things, but it's back breaking work all the same. Rules and regulations keep changing making it more difficult to support a family this way.
So, no matter if it's 110° or 20º below, a clam digger begins arriving at Winthrop's Public Landing ready to shove off one-half hour before sunrise. Armed with their buckets, boots, and trowels, they hop into the dinghies and set out for work before the next tide comes in.
Hunched over for hours with trowel in hand, the clam's fate is totally up to the clam digger as to whether it ends up on your plate or in a Seagull's belly. Clams are popular, but have to measure in at two inches in diameter otherwise be thrown back. Sometimes, if the diggers are in a hurry to finish before the tide comes in, the clams will end up being thrown up on the rocks. This is when the Seagulls get fed.
Once the five racks are filled, the diggers come back in. Here they'll meet up with the buyers and/or Environmental Police to check their clams. Because these clams are dug in Winthrop, they have to be transported to Plum Island's Purification Plant to be cleansed before being sold to restaurants and seafood stores.
At the purification plant the racks are put into long deep tubs filled with salt water from the ocean. Ultra violet lights are used to clean the clams. The clams stay in there for three days and every morning the tanks are cleaned, samples are taken and checked for bacteria. Air bubbles are pumped into PVC to help clams breathe while in the water. Once the clams are cleaned and the onsite biologists approve, then the racks go through a washer for the last step before getting a stamp of approval by the state before going out. Once approved, the clams will sit in a walk-in refrigerator till they are picked up. However, if there is any bacteria found in any of the tanks while the clams are being cleaned, all those clams are thrown out. This causes a financial loss to the diggers and could mean no clams for the restaurants.
Robin G. Coles is a passionate marine enthusiast and sailor who has interviewed countless industry experts as well as visited, interviewed personnel at, written about, and photographed hundreds of marine ports in the US and abroad. Coles has authored "Boating Secrets: 127 Top Tips To Help You Buy and Enjoy Your Boat", a newspaper column and a variety of articles, newsletters, case studies, reports, and technical documents about boating and non-boating topics. Coles' articles and photographs can be viewed at: http://TheNauticalLifestyle.com/TransientTalk
Sun Over Babenhausen
(Cody's Sun--1975)
We had been at the park in Babenhausen, West Germany, where we lived nearby, Cody was on the swings, as was his twin brother Shawn, and I was swinging them both, pushing the swings forward, as they few higher and higher.
There was a big bright ball in the sky Cody kept looking at it-he was four-years old, Shawn paid little attention to it. On the face of Cody, he was surely saying, "What does it mean?" So his expression told me. He put his face upward as the swing went higher, to see if it moved. It was as if two faces were looking at one another; by George, it came right out of the clouds. Right from the middle of the clouds; in time, as he got older he'd draw a picture of it with his box of crayons, but not yet, not today, today was a day for its discovery.
"It's the sun," I told him. It was a mysterious thing for sure, with its flaming yellow.
As he got down from the swings, surely his thoughts were: was it going to follow him? So his expressions inferred as he turned towards me, not having the words per se, but the look, just that look told me he needed more information on the subject. And as we walked home-towards the Old Babenhausen Tower, built in 1717, he was confirmed it was following him, now the question was: when would it stop following him, or us? Awe yes, such pondering thoughts, for a little mind.
As we neared our apartment door, he had come to the conclusion, it was big, real big this thing called the sun, that he accidentally discovered from the swings. It even had a name, like he had, not the same name, but a name nonetheless. Wherever he stood, walked, there it was overhead.
It made him think how very small his head was in comparison, he even looked a bit wearily and wonderingly at it, at me.
"It's not following us, Cody," I said, "we're moving and soon it will disappear, and reappear tomorrow. It keeps us warm down here on earth, nothing to fear, it won't fall on top of us."
He shivered and yawned, it was a long day, and he was tired. He felt the warm glow of the sun as we opened the outside door to our apartment. He yawned again, and headed up the staircase right on to his bedroom with his brother behind him: the bedroom darkly lit; soon all would be dark in sleeping.
#920 (6-14-2012)
We had been at the park in Babenhausen, West Germany, where we lived nearby, Cody was on the swings, as was his twin brother Shawn, and I was swinging them both, pushing the swings forward, as they few higher and higher.
There was a big bright ball in the sky Cody kept looking at it-he was four-years old, Shawn paid little attention to it. On the face of Cody, he was surely saying, "What does it mean?" So his expression told me. He put his face upward as the swing went higher, to see if it moved. It was as if two faces were looking at one another; by George, it came right out of the clouds. Right from the middle of the clouds; in time, as he got older he'd draw a picture of it with his box of crayons, but not yet, not today, today was a day for its discovery.
"It's the sun," I told him. It was a mysterious thing for sure, with its flaming yellow.
As he got down from the swings, surely his thoughts were: was it going to follow him? So his expressions inferred as he turned towards me, not having the words per se, but the look, just that look told me he needed more information on the subject. And as we walked home-towards the Old Babenhausen Tower, built in 1717, he was confirmed it was following him, now the question was: when would it stop following him, or us? Awe yes, such pondering thoughts, for a little mind.
As we neared our apartment door, he had come to the conclusion, it was big, real big this thing called the sun, that he accidentally discovered from the swings. It even had a name, like he had, not the same name, but a name nonetheless. Wherever he stood, walked, there it was overhead.
It made him think how very small his head was in comparison, he even looked a bit wearily and wonderingly at it, at me.
"It's not following us, Cody," I said, "we're moving and soon it will disappear, and reappear tomorrow. It keeps us warm down here on earth, nothing to fear, it won't fall on top of us."
He shivered and yawned, it was a long day, and he was tired. He felt the warm glow of the sun as we opened the outside door to our apartment. He yawned again, and headed up the staircase right on to his bedroom with his brother behind him: the bedroom darkly lit; soon all would be dark in sleeping.
#920 (6-14-2012)
Raul: The Taxi Motor-Cart Driver
((2005-2012, San Juan Miraflores, Lima, Peru))
The old man shook his head, right to left, from the rooftop patio of his home, in San Juan Miraflores, Peru, where he was doing his daily reading and writing. It was late summer in Lima, he was thinking about Raul, he had met him in 2005; he had then one child, one girl by the name of Gabriela, she was now seven years old, and since then, had a boy now five years old, just a young neighbor in the lower apartment across from him, of which his father had built for him. He was short in stature, for a man, rather short, or shorter than tall, that is. He had broad shoulders, well built like a bull, a young wife-named Lola, robust like him. The old man had often thought it strange Raul had the body of a bull-and was rather sluggish, perhaps laid-back is a better description, more so than ambitious; he had a thick neck, his forehead broad and bony and a short piggish nose, rather more pushed in than prominent; and normally wearing a light expression on his face. No rivals because he had no real friends, just family members, always a family member or two or three coming over, visiting, living for a week or month or two months at his apartment; above him in the other two apartments, his family members, those he didn't talk to, get along with-which must had been hard on him because he loved to talk, and talk and talk-God only knows what about, but talk he did, as did his family members, and his kids; there was no silence in that house, I'll tell you that. I mean, you knew when their lunch was, and when supper came, and when the kids wanted a snack, the only time the old man didn't hear them talking was when he fell to sleep. It wasn't the unpardonable sin, but it was character the old man took note of.
Raul had a motor-cart; one of those small carts attached onto a motorcycle, and drove people around San Juan Miraflores, the backstreets.
Raul was a good sort of fellow, that kind where your kids could nudge you with their elbows in church or a meeting and he'd not get mad. And if he saw you walking here or there, and he had time, he'd stop and greet you.
-Oh, by the way, how's your husband Rosa, haven't seen you in a month of Sundays. Something along that order he'd say. You know what I mean, one of those good ole fellows God talks about in the bible that is more sparrow than human I think.
Well, he was all of that, and did, more often, than not: stop work once he had enough food in the nest to talk and chew the fat with any and everyone in the house; one of them folks that might say to his wife:
-Call granny up, I want to talk, I'm bored to death.
#930 (6-20-2012)
The old man shook his head, right to left, from the rooftop patio of his home, in San Juan Miraflores, Peru, where he was doing his daily reading and writing. It was late summer in Lima, he was thinking about Raul, he had met him in 2005; he had then one child, one girl by the name of Gabriela, she was now seven years old, and since then, had a boy now five years old, just a young neighbor in the lower apartment across from him, of which his father had built for him. He was short in stature, for a man, rather short, or shorter than tall, that is. He had broad shoulders, well built like a bull, a young wife-named Lola, robust like him. The old man had often thought it strange Raul had the body of a bull-and was rather sluggish, perhaps laid-back is a better description, more so than ambitious; he had a thick neck, his forehead broad and bony and a short piggish nose, rather more pushed in than prominent; and normally wearing a light expression on his face. No rivals because he had no real friends, just family members, always a family member or two or three coming over, visiting, living for a week or month or two months at his apartment; above him in the other two apartments, his family members, those he didn't talk to, get along with-which must had been hard on him because he loved to talk, and talk and talk-God only knows what about, but talk he did, as did his family members, and his kids; there was no silence in that house, I'll tell you that. I mean, you knew when their lunch was, and when supper came, and when the kids wanted a snack, the only time the old man didn't hear them talking was when he fell to sleep. It wasn't the unpardonable sin, but it was character the old man took note of.
Raul had a motor-cart; one of those small carts attached onto a motorcycle, and drove people around San Juan Miraflores, the backstreets.
Raul was a good sort of fellow, that kind where your kids could nudge you with their elbows in church or a meeting and he'd not get mad. And if he saw you walking here or there, and he had time, he'd stop and greet you.
-Oh, by the way, how's your husband Rosa, haven't seen you in a month of Sundays. Something along that order he'd say. You know what I mean, one of those good ole fellows God talks about in the bible that is more sparrow than human I think.
Well, he was all of that, and did, more often, than not: stop work once he had enough food in the nest to talk and chew the fat with any and everyone in the house; one of them folks that might say to his wife:
-Call granny up, I want to talk, I'm bored to death.
#930 (6-20-2012)
How To Market Your Art
Art takes many forms. It can be in forms of the way people decorate their houses, dress, express themselves, paint and how someone talks. All these factors help to create the whole concept. A keen eye will definitely notice something unique. People interpret it differently and this brings about beauty and uniqueness.
For a very long period of time, it has given people a platform to make investments. Paintings and portraits that people acquired in the past have now gained a lot of value. It is a good idea to invest in these commodities since their value keep rising.
Exhibitions are good places to sell expensive art works. Their prices can even exceed many thousands of pounds. Sometimes the money acquired through their sale is donated to the needy in the community. Various organizations stage exhibitions in order to create awareness and for specialists to showcase their products. These are good opportunities for upcoming artists and also for those who have been in the business for a long period of time to meet potential customers. For example British Art works are regarded as being amongst some of the most influential in the world.
Most artists prefer to specialize in a particular style. Some clients prefer to collect different artworks over a long period of time, and keep them until the market can offer better prices. Demand and supply keeps on changing, and so do the prices of these products. Many clients prefer pieces that communicate certain messages and have not been very common in the market.
There are various categories of paintings. They are categorized by the period that they were made, the style of making, the artist and the kind of message being portrayed.
To produce a painting one can use different media. The most commonly used media involves acrylics, watercolor and oil. The style depends on the type of media the artist decides to use. Expressions include colour, lines and dots that are not easy to identify. Sometimes they are real life forms.
Limited editions made by well known artists are very marketable. Mostly they include signed prints from an artist who originally painted or drew the piece. This gives a form of authenticity making them very special. They are usually more expensive than limited edition prints that do not have signatures. This is a good way for them to authenticate their work and at the same time approve the reproduction.
To succeed in this business you need to come up with good marketing strategies that will attract more business opportunities. These specialists incorporate new ideas every now and then. They ensure market survival, by making their products more competitive.
Some people paint and draw for leisure while others do it as a business. Whichever the case, for one to create a desirable painting, one has to be visionary and optimistic. Most importantly, creativity has to be integrated in all aspects. Immersing yourself in the world of art brings you closer to your talent, passion and your target market. This is one industry that you can market yourself even in a recession.
David Tatham, fine picture dealer for more than quarter of a century, has an extensive knowledge of the biography L.S.Lowry. Signed, prints and originals can be seen and bought from the Lowry website.
For a very long period of time, it has given people a platform to make investments. Paintings and portraits that people acquired in the past have now gained a lot of value. It is a good idea to invest in these commodities since their value keep rising.
Exhibitions are good places to sell expensive art works. Their prices can even exceed many thousands of pounds. Sometimes the money acquired through their sale is donated to the needy in the community. Various organizations stage exhibitions in order to create awareness and for specialists to showcase their products. These are good opportunities for upcoming artists and also for those who have been in the business for a long period of time to meet potential customers. For example British Art works are regarded as being amongst some of the most influential in the world.
Most artists prefer to specialize in a particular style. Some clients prefer to collect different artworks over a long period of time, and keep them until the market can offer better prices. Demand and supply keeps on changing, and so do the prices of these products. Many clients prefer pieces that communicate certain messages and have not been very common in the market.
There are various categories of paintings. They are categorized by the period that they were made, the style of making, the artist and the kind of message being portrayed.
To produce a painting one can use different media. The most commonly used media involves acrylics, watercolor and oil. The style depends on the type of media the artist decides to use. Expressions include colour, lines and dots that are not easy to identify. Sometimes they are real life forms.
Limited editions made by well known artists are very marketable. Mostly they include signed prints from an artist who originally painted or drew the piece. This gives a form of authenticity making them very special. They are usually more expensive than limited edition prints that do not have signatures. This is a good way for them to authenticate their work and at the same time approve the reproduction.
To succeed in this business you need to come up with good marketing strategies that will attract more business opportunities. These specialists incorporate new ideas every now and then. They ensure market survival, by making their products more competitive.
Some people paint and draw for leisure while others do it as a business. Whichever the case, for one to create a desirable painting, one has to be visionary and optimistic. Most importantly, creativity has to be integrated in all aspects. Immersing yourself in the world of art brings you closer to your talent, passion and your target market. This is one industry that you can market yourself even in a recession.
David Tatham, fine picture dealer for more than quarter of a century, has an extensive knowledge of the biography L.S.Lowry. Signed, prints and originals can be seen and bought from the Lowry website.
Art: Wise Investments For All Incomes
Everywhere you look, art is all around us. Many people collect artwork as an investment. There are many different kinds of art to collect; paintings, signed prints, limited editions, sculpture and mixed media are just a few of the many offerings for collectors. Some people only collect one type of art (for example, British artwork) while others prefer a broad range in their collections. Whatever you decide, investing in the art world isn't just for the wealthy. Even those with average incomes can become serious collectors, if you know where to look.
It is best to remember when considering which pieces to add to your collection, what will sell the best should you decide to remove a piece? Some of the best-selling paintings are landscapes, abstracts, impressionist paintings and figural studies. It is wise to not purchase anything containing nudity or violence, as these pieces don't appeal to a mass-market and are therefore harder to sell. Portraits also don't tend to sell well, unless the portrait is of someone famous or historically important, as these can appeal to collectors of icon art or history buffs. Steer clear of politically provocative pieces as well; unless you are willing to try and find a niche market, you could be holding on to a piece like this for quite some time.
Visit galleries and shows regularly. Even if a gallery sells pieces that are far out of your price range, you will begin to get an eye for the valuation of different genres, which will help you in making selections that are within your price point. Spending time at museums is also helpful; pick the museum curator's brain for information on certain mediums or artists. The more knowledge you have of the subject, the more able you will be to haggle a price with the artists, gallery owners and potential buyers.
Many cities host "starving artist" sales, usually once or twice a year. These shows showcase local artists who are trying to make a name for themselves. These shows are very helpful to attend; not only do you get the chance to purchase some great work at very conservative prices, you also get to meet the creators of the pieces you are purchasing. The more you know about an artist, the better able you are to buy and sell his or her work later. The artist also may become a friend and give you opportunities to purchase previously undisplayed or new works, before the general public sees them.
In the parks of larger cities, annual art fairs are typically held. This is yet another opportunity to come face to face with local artists and see their works before they become a "name" in the art world. Prices vary greatly at these shows, but the offerings are of many different kinds of art and you can usually find something in your price range that will make a good investment for the future.
If you are truly a fiend for the gallery world, you can try to obtain a job as a "gallery slave". These people work in galleries, helping to display art, soliciting artists' to do shows with them, then putting the shows together for the public. Not only is it exciting and interesting work, but you get the chance to meet up and coming artists and are usually privy to a small discount if you find a piece you feel you can't live without.
When shopping for an investment piece, it is helpful to know as much as you can about the artist and his or her work. What kind of pieces do they typically produce? What did their last three or four works sell for? Are they planning to branch out into a different field of study; for if they are, their current works can jump in value, as there will be a limit on this style. Say an artist has painted landscapes all his career and is well-known for them; suddenly he decides to become an abstract artist. His landscape work will greatly increase in value because there is now a static number of pieces to choose from. It is also wise to try and purchase a few of his early abstracts if they show promise, as they too will likely increase in value due to the name recognition and the newness of the artist's work.
Don't be intimidated by the world of art investing. There is something for everyone in this vast and fascinating world. Get out there and start shopping; you'll be glad that you did.
David Tatham has been involved in the art world for over twenty five years and. His David Shepherd prints and paintings website contains a wealth of information, also many signed, limited edition prints and original works of art by world renowned wildlife artist, David Shepherd.
It is best to remember when considering which pieces to add to your collection, what will sell the best should you decide to remove a piece? Some of the best-selling paintings are landscapes, abstracts, impressionist paintings and figural studies. It is wise to not purchase anything containing nudity or violence, as these pieces don't appeal to a mass-market and are therefore harder to sell. Portraits also don't tend to sell well, unless the portrait is of someone famous or historically important, as these can appeal to collectors of icon art or history buffs. Steer clear of politically provocative pieces as well; unless you are willing to try and find a niche market, you could be holding on to a piece like this for quite some time.
Visit galleries and shows regularly. Even if a gallery sells pieces that are far out of your price range, you will begin to get an eye for the valuation of different genres, which will help you in making selections that are within your price point. Spending time at museums is also helpful; pick the museum curator's brain for information on certain mediums or artists. The more knowledge you have of the subject, the more able you will be to haggle a price with the artists, gallery owners and potential buyers.
Many cities host "starving artist" sales, usually once or twice a year. These shows showcase local artists who are trying to make a name for themselves. These shows are very helpful to attend; not only do you get the chance to purchase some great work at very conservative prices, you also get to meet the creators of the pieces you are purchasing. The more you know about an artist, the better able you are to buy and sell his or her work later. The artist also may become a friend and give you opportunities to purchase previously undisplayed or new works, before the general public sees them.
In the parks of larger cities, annual art fairs are typically held. This is yet another opportunity to come face to face with local artists and see their works before they become a "name" in the art world. Prices vary greatly at these shows, but the offerings are of many different kinds of art and you can usually find something in your price range that will make a good investment for the future.
If you are truly a fiend for the gallery world, you can try to obtain a job as a "gallery slave". These people work in galleries, helping to display art, soliciting artists' to do shows with them, then putting the shows together for the public. Not only is it exciting and interesting work, but you get the chance to meet up and coming artists and are usually privy to a small discount if you find a piece you feel you can't live without.
When shopping for an investment piece, it is helpful to know as much as you can about the artist and his or her work. What kind of pieces do they typically produce? What did their last three or four works sell for? Are they planning to branch out into a different field of study; for if they are, their current works can jump in value, as there will be a limit on this style. Say an artist has painted landscapes all his career and is well-known for them; suddenly he decides to become an abstract artist. His landscape work will greatly increase in value because there is now a static number of pieces to choose from. It is also wise to try and purchase a few of his early abstracts if they show promise, as they too will likely increase in value due to the name recognition and the newness of the artist's work.
Don't be intimidated by the world of art investing. There is something for everyone in this vast and fascinating world. Get out there and start shopping; you'll be glad that you did.
David Tatham has been involved in the art world for over twenty five years and. His David Shepherd prints and paintings website contains a wealth of information, also many signed, limited edition prints and original works of art by world renowned wildlife artist, David Shepherd.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)