Finance

Textile design can be defined, to mean the art of making patterns of various types on fabric materials. In a broader view, it as an area of discipline in applied or industrial art had been practised in different parts of the world at different times. For instance, it was reportedly practised in China around 618-906 AD, in Japan around 552-794 AD. It was also recorded by historians that, it was practised for centuries in South- East Asia, Indonesia, India, Peru and parts of Africa especially Nigeria to be specific. Additionally, it is an embodiment of professional disciplines that are open to different areas of specialization. For example, under it, are the following disciplines, viz; Tie- Dye, Batik, Print and Print making, Weaving and Embroidery.

Textile design has its own usefulness and purpose in mankind, and such usefulness cannot be underestimated in human daily endeavours. To start with, it can be used as a means of utility, that is, it can serve different purposes at a time. For example, it can be worn as cloth, can be used to make handbags, can be used as window blind or curtain for home and office, as table cover, as handkerchief and so on.

Textile design as an area of specialization can serve as a means of employment and source of income to individuals. This implies that, an artist or a designer can explore new motifs, techniques or styles in textile design and by so doing, make himself or herself self employed without depending on government or family member(s) for sustenance. This, on the other hand, tends to reduce, to some extent, the unemployment rate of a particular society. It is also very significant in our daily endeavours in the area of aesthetics.

Aesthetics is defined according to oxford advance learner dictionary as anything concerned with beauty and art, and the understanding of beautiful things. Based on this fact highlighted above, it can therefore be used as both interior and exterior decoration in public and private buildings like hotels, churches, mosque, banks, offices, to mention but just a few. The products of textile designs used for both interior and exterior decoration are usually made into various sizes, with beautiful patterns, framed and hung on the walls of the buildings.

Another vital area where it can play an important role in the daily endeavours of humans is in the area of being an agent or a means to communicate, address and as well, promote cultural values of a particular society. It shall be recalled at this instance that, dressing is one of the main tenets of culture. Fabric materials, to be worn as cloth, can be designed by an artist to portray some historical antecedents of a society so as to showcase such cultural values to the outside world. This can be achieved, through the use of stories and motifs, that are common or identified with such societies, as designs on textile materials. Citing an instance, common folktales of different versions of a society can be made on fabrics, anyone that comes across such works/cloths will be reminded or be acquainted with the cultural values of such society. Similarly, foreigners and those that are not very familiar with the cultural values of the communities involved, can use the works/fabrics as reference points or souvenirs for better understanding of the cultural heritage of the communities concerned.

Economic significance is yet another area, through which the exploration of textile design can be of paramount importance to human daily endeavour. This can be explained through the boost, the sales of textile design products will give to the economy of a nation. This means that, buying and selling of the products and the patronage given to them cannot only make individuals involved to be self- reliant, but also add to the gross domestic products of a nation. It should be emphasised that, on any products sold or bought, the personalities involved in the transactions has directly and indirectly paid some amount of money as tax while buying the products. The tax goes into the purse of the government, this therefore generates some money into the purse of the government, thus, adding a quota to the national development of the nation.

Conclusively, all the points discussed in this essay are just part of a whole of the usefulness of textile design to our daily endeavours as humans.

The following are a few of the best costumes for 2011, and most are still available if you shop online. They are made of good quality and comfortable to wear. The online stores seem to have the best choices in diversity of styles. Just go to your favorite search engine and type in the name of the costume you want and you will find just what you need.

Shopping online for costumes is nice and easy and you get a wider variety to choose from. Then you just click and wait for it to get there. No going out and shopping and hanging out in traffic and lines. You save time money and frustration.

Halloween is one of those holidays the slip up on you and by the time you decide you or your dog or kids needs a costume the stores have been pretty well picked over and there is nothing left that really looks like something that you want.

If you wait till the last minute, the chances of getting the captain sparrow, princess, raggedy or any other costume is better than if you go to the store. Then you would have to go to another store and another store until you are just exhausted and settling for whatever "they have". Worse you may decide to make an outfit yourself and you know that is always harder to do than you think it will be.

Some tips on Costumes

Buy quality once and you can reuse it time and time again; buy cheap and you wear and toss it awayIf you have a bet dress them up, they add a lot of laughter to any eventMake sure you buy for what you need, meaning if you are only inside don't over dress if you are outside then make sure you and yours dress warmlyDo not forget the accessories. They will make or break your costumeWear the character and not just the costume. Study up a bit to make your costume more realIf you cannot afford it, don't buy it. When my kids were young and money was short I made silly homemade costumes. They loved them. Just plug in your creativity and make it fun.

Raggedy Ann Costume

This is an old time favorite and never seems to go out of popularity. The character was created in 1915 by a man for his daughter and the book series came into being in 1918. The costume is cute and will have a hat, a bib dress and of course the red yarn hair. Want to see something funny then you should look up the Raggedy Ann costumes for a dog. This costume can be worn for Halloween or for playtime. The character inspires children to niceness and to be truthful and honest.

Captain Jack Sparrow

Yaaaaar Me Mateys - Who does not want to be a pirate? We all know the look and the lingo. It is a fun costume to wear for both adults and children. You can accessorize with swords and knives and bottles of wicked drinks. This costume is one of those that is high in demand, especially with all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies having been made.

Captain America

Captain America is a superhero character that first showed up in the comic books in 1941. This is a very old and popular costume as the character is well loved. He is not only patriotic and heroic but he stands for freedom. With times being tough and the moral decay seems lowered, wouldn't you like to put on the Captain America Costume and strut about proudly in the red white and blue?

Robber costume

A robber costume is simply fun to wear and the mischief you can get into! There are many styles and genre of the robber costume. It does not have to be the guy with a black face mask dressed in black anymore; you can be a cowboy robber, medieval or whatever the picture of a robber is in your head, add the props and your set to go.

Sexy wonder women costume

This is one of the top selling costumes around and it comes in all sizes from baby to toddler to adult and even has a costume for your pet dog. It is fun in bold red, white and blue. It's time to save the world.

Vegas Costume

Oh yeah, glitz and glamour as you step into the nightlife world of people like Elvis Presley. You can dress as Elvis in many styles or you can dress as a card girl, a dealer and any of the many characters that inhabit Vegas.

Alice in Wonderland

A beloved character all on her own, but in the theme of Alice in Wonderland you have many delightful characters to choose to portray if you want; Cheshire cat, mad hatter, white rabbit and the villainous queen.

Final Fantasy

Cosplay costumes are the "bomb" there is one great place to get any kind of Cosplay costume available with all the accessories you will ever need and that is Light in the box. They are simply superb in style and quality so would be wise to shop no place else for Cosplay costumes.

A few of the other high in demand costumes are: the ever sexy Arabian, butterfly, fantasy, football and baby animal costumes.

Want to be the shining star in a great costume this Halloween? Want to decorate your home and yard with super accessories that will have your neighbors envious, then check it all out here at CostumeCostumeCostume and get huge lists of costumes, decorations, ideas and more.

The internationally famous Brazilian model is regarded as one of the most gorgeous ladies in the world and these ladies are tops in the fashion world. There are other beautiful models all around the world, nevertheless, none are as beautiful or as gorgeous as those who have come from Brazil. Not only are the Brazilian models beautiful but they are the essence of sex appeal and sophistication. Brazilian women are also known for being confident and they value not only their looks but their brains as well.

Gisele Bundchen- This stunning model was named one of the most gorgeous women in the world and during 1999 grew to become one of the most needed wanted models in the entire modeling industry. Gisele's career took off in 1996 when she was chosen by Vogue to be the face of the re-launch with the sexy model. Gisele was discovered by a Brazilian modeling agency while on a school trip to Rio De Janiero. Even though her father didn't approve, Gisele moved away and two years later was living in New York.

Adriana Lima- Brazilian modeling agencies frequently discover beautiful girls in shopping malls, and that is precisely what happened with Adriana. At the young age of 13, Adriana began her modeling career, and by fifteen she had been voted the Ford supermodel of Brazil. As Adriana's career took off she located herself like many other models New York, where she signed with Elite model management. This stunning Brazil model has appeared on a number of leading designers catwalks such as Armani, Vera Wang and Valentino.

Alessandra Ambrosio- Enrolling in modeling classes is yet another way that prospective models are found. At the age of 12 Alessandra began her modeling profession and by 15 she was modeling for Dilson Stein. Alessandra went on to win Brazils Elite model look which launched her career. This amazing Brazilian beauty is in high demand and has been featured on several international magazine covers. In addition to being a famous model, Alessandria has appeared on a number of television shows and has even come out with her own swimwear line.

Ana Beatriz Barros- While hanging out on the beach with some friends, Ana was spotted by the Elite model agency and was asked to join their models. In 1996, Ana won the Elite model look and came in second in the international competition. Ana has modeled in numerous distinct marketing campaigns including Armani jeans, Naf Naf, Diesel and Victoria Secret. In 2004, Ana was selected by Jenifer Lopez to become the face of her new lingerie line.

Lilliane Ferrarezi- In 2002 Lilliane won the Brazilian round of the supermodel of the world competition, beating out 350,000 other models for the title. Lilliane went on to represent Brazil in the international competition and and was the runner up. This model has been featured in several different campaigns, modeling for leading fashion designers and their labels. Lilliane has also appeared in a television commercial and is also currently looking to expand her career in this direction.

The Brazilian model class gets more difficult every single year and when the modeling agencies look for new faces they really have a tough time. There so many amazingly beautiful girls in Brazil to choose from but only a small number actually make the cut to become the next new face on magazine covers internationally.

Joel Higginbotham currently lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and created his website http://www.brazilcultureandtravel.com/ to give everyone a taste of this amazing country. For more interesting Brazil facts click the following link to discover more about the different locations of the Brazil capital.

Learning about the German artist Joseph Beuys during my training as a tour guide at the Walker Art Center inspired me to examine art as a way of shamanistic practice.

Like shamans, artists have the ability to explore alternative realms. Artists can retrieve healing energies, knowledge, larger truths, and ancestral wisdom to give form to forces that can change our world.

It has always been my belief that art should have a practical purpose and researching Beuys' ideas about the artist-shaman encouraged me to open up to new possibilities in my own art practice and to explore the way of the shaman!

Beuys did indeed believe that art could serve as a mediator between this world and other realms of existence.

He believed that for us to evolve we must be open to receiving the invisible energies that can serve the useful purpose of educating and healing! Moreover, artists could use symbols as a way to affect those purposes. Great stuff!

Starting with the idea of art as an instrument for healing, I looked at the idea of cures or remedies in Feng Shui. To summarize, certain imagery can be placed in certain corners of your living space, or bagua, to effect cures or enhancements in certain corresponding areas of your life.

For example, in Feng Shui a dragon holding a pearl is a powerful symbol for good fortune. Those receiving this magical remedy need only to place their painting in the proper section of the bagua. The Feng Shui imagery that we place in our power spots helps to shift the energy of our homes and work places and are visual reminders of our intention to manifest our dreams!

My method for designing paintings that become personal symbolic healing remedies based on Feng Shui principals, utilizes the following simple process:

• Define the remedy needed
• Set the intention
• Create a color palette
• Create imagery reflecting a desire/need

As well, painting images of helpful saints as a way of shamanistic practice also intrigues me. After discussing my ideas of the artist as shaman with a friend who is a writer, she commissioned me to paint an image of the patron saint of writers. I realized that art has long been used as a mediator between this world and other worlds in the same magical way that Joseph Beuys was aware of. Think of religious art.

Think also of the cave walls at Lascaux and how images of animals were rendered by firelight on the walls of the caves on the evening before a hunt. One theory is that this art was sympathetic magic used to envision and thus facilitate a successful hunt.

Feng Shui imagery, images of helpful saints, and animal totems are the artist-shaman experiments I am exploring now. Does this great stuff really work?

Does art really have the power to communicate, heal and shift awareness?

Can the artist-shaman's connection to mystical energies, nature, dreams and visions, rendered in visual imagery, empower our consciousness with positive energies that promote progress and prosperity in our lives and in our world?

There may be other Beuys' inspired examples of the artist-shaman that you may have. Please email me at cwgoldenvilla@aol.com. I'd love to hear your stories!

I believe that nothing holds more quintessential charm than early 19th century, English, blue transfer ware, otherwise known as "blue and white".

Charm is a word we hear very little of these days, although it's something we naturally look for. We may not often hear the word, but there's a part of us that seeks it out. Charm can be defined in a number of ways: - to attract, or delight, to enchant. Charm is alluring, or pleasing, a particular quality that attracts and delights.

By charming I don't mean mawkish sentimentality. That, which charms, never stops giving; it remains delightful and pleasing to the eye and does not change with the vagaries of fashion, so beautifully defined by Oscar Wilde - "Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months". Or even people, again an Oscar Wilde quote - "It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious".

English, blue underglaze, transfer printing on pottery was at its peak from the late 18th century when Josiah Spode I, the Staffordshire potter, is credited with the introduction of blue transfer printing on earthenware (1781 - 1784) although printing on porcelain, in a small way, had had a much earlier introduction. The process was probably invented by John Brooks, an Irish, copper plate engraver employed at the Battersea enamel works in London in 1753

There is also an anecdotal story, from circa 1750, about a Liverpool printer, John Sadler, who stood fascinated, watching children at play. The children were pressing damp scraps of printed paper onto the surface of pieces of broken pottery leaving a print behind!

It is said that from this casual observation, the Staffordshire blue underglaze transfer printing industry eventually developed. However, after nearly seven years of trial and error, the earliest examples of printing on ceramics date to 1756 and were produced by Sadler and Green of Liverpool, who began by printing on tiles.

Just like so many industrial "secrets" Sadler and Green felt confident that their little printing secret was safe and had not bothered to patent their technique.

Either by sheer coincidence, or by workmen moving around the infant, mid 18th century, ceramics industry, we find not only early printing on Liverpool tiles, but the process promptly followed with experimental printing on porcelain at Worcester in 1757.

Like many processes, it's simple, after you know how and printing on earthenware was much the same in its development. The majority of the 18th and 19th century English, printed pottery manufacturers were centered in Staffordshire and by the early 19th century were producing inexpensive blue printed pottery in large quantities, both for the English and the export market, with vast quantities going to nearly all parts of the English speaking world, America, Canada, India, South Africa and Australia.

The process of transfer printing involved a series of steps with each completed step moving on to the next until the piece was ready to leave the factory. Of great importance was the "artist", or copper plate engraver. It was entirely due to his artistic expertise that produced the quality of the print. The engraver, with a sharp steel point, engraved the pattern on to the surface of a smooth copper plate.

This moved on to the inking shop, where the plate was inked until the ink had filled the engraved plate. Surplus ink was wiped off and the pattern, using a press, was printed on to fine sheets of tissue. The tissue was trimmed to a suitable shape and size and after being dampened, was transferred to the surface of the cream or white, fired, but unglazed, or bisque fired, earthenware shape.

A skillful practiced dabbing technique was used to print the tissue transfer to the surface; the tissue was then gently peeled off, leaving the pattern neatly printed behind. The next step was the glazing shop, where each newly printed piece, now dry, was plunged into a deep tub of glaze. The glaze was actually powdered glass suspended in water and looking a lot like a creamy white soup. The now printed and glazed shape, after drying off, went to the firing kiln. The high temperature kiln melted the powdered glass into a shiny smooth coat over the shape.

The final result was a beautiful sapphire blue image on a white or cream coloured pottery surface, named "creamware". During the final decade of the 18th century, it was discovered, that with the addition of a small amount of cobalt to the glaze, a fine, delicate blue lustre was produced, this became known as "pearlware".

Many of the prints can be seen to make social and political comment, humour, rural life and scenery, heroes of the day and royalty. Many were copied from illustrations of India, from hunting and farming. At this period, c1780 - 1830, society was principally rural and unlike today, the world was a much bigger place, with little opportunity to travel very far from home.

As the 19th century progressed, more and more industrial techniques were developed, eventually obliterating the beauty and all the charm of these 18th and early 19th century wares. The shapes lose all their refinement, becoming heavy and purely functional, in fact, the art had disappeared! By about 1850 colour printing had been introduced and although blue printed wares were still being made, the general quality has seriously declined. Just like all artistic forms, the further it gets from the original, the less identified it becomes with the original concept.

There are many "charming" aspects associated with early blue transfer ware, which could be referred to as naïve charm. If you look carefully at a blue and white shape, you will very often see where the transfer design ends and continues, leaving the pattern not quite matching. I have seen several pieces with the finger prints still visible, fired into the glassy glaze as left by the glazer 200 years ago.

A collection, small or large of early blue and white is a visual feast and the crowning compliment is the addition of an early blue and white lamp. Recall that these early pieces were glazed with a fine tight "skin" of glass and lamplight simply does the rest, with light twinkling, reflected from piece to piece and the lamp, of course, completely at home, the shape now being now reassigned as a perfectly appropriate lamp.

The traditional background colour for displaying blue and white is yellow, whether a yellow fabric or wall. Yellow toile printed fabric is very complimentary and can make a stunning accent for a kitchen or as a feature in a formal room. A beautiful big blue and white, flower filled jug in the middle of a small collection, really is a sight for sore eyes! Close to unbeatable is an antique corner cabinet, each shelf aglow with shapes and sizes of blue and white. The result will not only charm, but will certainly add its mystical quality to attract and delight, the early period being the most collectable, from around 1780 up until about 1830.

Antique English printed blue and white lamps can be seen by visiting the companies web site.

The Antique & Vintage Table Lamp Co specialize in antique lamps. Lamps are shipped to the U.S, the U.K and Australia http://www.antiquelampshop.com/

As the nationwide obesity epidemic peaks, many parents are looking for ways to keep their children in shape. Soccer, football, gymnastics and other sports are popular, but there's another option for parents and children alike. Dancing can help keep kids active, but if you're looking into dance classes for your children, you might be wondering which type of class is best for you. Here are three different options. Each type has its own personality and style so choose carefully to determine which one is right for your child.

Ballet Classes For Kids

Ballet classes are some of the most popular types of dance classes for children. Here, children will learn proper ballet positions, terminology and classroom etiquette. Ballet classes help instill confidence in students and they teach poise, grace and discipline. Although many people think of ballet classes as something that's strictly for girls, young boys can also benefit greatly from these dance lessons. Some boys who take ballet do so to improve their coordination and many parents remember hearing about the NFL teams whose members took ballet classes to help improve their performance on the football field. Boys typically need to wear a T-shirt and tights, while girls need a leotard and tights. Girls also need to have their hair pulled back in a bun. Both boys and girls need special shoes - regular street shoes or shoes designed for other forms won't do. As students become more advanced, girls may advance to using 'pointe' shoes, but it's fairly rare for boys to wear these special shoes.

Jazz Lessons For Kids

Jazz dance lessons are another option for parents looking to help their kids stay active. Jazz incorporates a number of different styles, such as ballet, and is influenced by popular jazz music. This type of dancing is energetic and is guaranteed to get children up and moving. The movements can be grand and exaggerated and oftentimes dancers are encouraged to add their own personality into the movements. Students usually need to wear body-hugging clothing, such as tight shorts or pants and shirts, so instructors can see the lines of the dancer's body. Special jazz shoes are required, but there are many different types, so talk to your child's instructor before purchasing a pair.

Hip Hop Lessons For Kids

Hip hop dance lessons are some of the newest dance lessons in the industry. Children will learn some of the hottest moves to current music. Hip hop dancers are laid back and students usually need to be a little older to participate in these dance lessons because they need to be able to pay attention to the instructor and focus on the movements. Students don't need any sort of special attire and instead can wear everyday loose fitting clothing and gym shoes.

Dancing is an excellent way for children to stay active. If you're looking for a way to keep your kids moving, but you want an alternative to traditional sports like football, basketball or soccer, dancing can be fun for kids of all ages.

A Step Above Dance Academy offers dance classes in Geneva, IL. The school offers a number of different dance lessons in Geneva for students of all ages. If you're interested in learning more about ballet lessons in Geneva or want to view a class schedule, visit http://www.astepaboveacademy.net/.

Wolverine is one of the greatest comic book characters ever created. He's headlined comic books, animated television shows and four major movies. He once brought an edge to comic books. His past was a mystery, and he wasn't afraid to cross boundaries if it meant getting the job done. He was the badass character everyone wanted to be. Yet over the years, Wolverine's extreme popularity has lead to Marvel including him in any comic book title they can. He is being overexposed.

Wolverine's overexposure is something that angers many comic book fans. Fans like a sense of continuity within the Marvel universe, so when Wolverine is able to jump back and fourth between the X-Men, X-Force, The Avengers, The New Avengers and his own solo series things can get pretty confusing. For one thing, Wolverine is at the centre of this year's X-Men event X-Men: Schism, which apparently occurs at the same time as Marvel's crossover event Fear Itself. For comic books to be treated with respect, they at least have to follow some sense of continuity, and when that is thrown out the widow to allow Marvel to generate some extra sales by throwing Logan on the front cover, it's bound to cause some angry faces.

With a level of uncertainty surrounding the comic industry in recent times, there is some logic as to why Marvel might stick Wolverine in anything they can. If the character truly does boost comic book sales, then it's slightly easier to accept why he stars in so many books. What I don't understand is that they stick him in any title they can, but don't give him any significance. For example, Wolverine could easily be removed from Fear Itself or the main Avengers series. Especially since the character's lost his edge. His origin has been explored and butchered over and over again, taking away the original appeal that went with the character. Why include him in two Avengers titles, if fan favourite characters like Bucky Barnes and Hawkeye are going to get pushed aside? It's frustrating.

It's also frustrating to see Wolverine continuously starring in X-Men movies when it's about time Marvel and Fox movie forward with projects for other characters. Fox have the rights for The Fantastic 4. It's about time they use them, instead of giving us more mediocre Wolverine origin movies. Or at least maybe expand on the Wolverine mythos, and give us a movie based on his son Daken, as some fans would argue Daken has become a far edgier, more compelling character than his father in recent years.

Wolverine's had his day. There are far more characters deserving of the attention and exposure Wolverine receives. Remove him from the Avengers and you might just see why Logan is more appealing when he's an X-Men exclusive. Perhaps now the Avengers movie draws near, we might see a more classic Avengers line up without Ol' Canucklehead.

"Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body" is one of the famous sayings of Oliver Wendell Holmes. Music is such a divine food to the soul that it even heals broken spirits and hearts. It has the magical power of transforming each and every moment in our life as interesting and sweet. But the years have gone when we used to listen to songs only in radios and gramophones. Rather, the trend has changed so much that this is the technological era where the present generation can compose music of their own and promote that music online by submitting into various websites. Thus, by music promotion and music submission, we can attract many music fans towards our composed music.

Basically, the first step to music promotion is to create a website of your music band and include all the elements of entertainment and allurement that can entice the music fanatics so that they get attracted and tempted to try on your music. With this as a simple key point in mind, work out with the following guidelines to promote and submit your music worldwide via internet.

• Music listeners will automatically turn into customers. Hence, it's mandatory to include a MP3 player in your website where people can first listen to your songs to get fascinated by it.

• It's necessary to categorize and fit your album into any of the kinds like rock, pop, folk, etc. After doing it, it can be propagated over the web by submitting to different music promotion websites.

• When something like a community is created, it's more likely that fans with similar tastes get to search your site and thus your music gets promoted.

• There is always an advantage in making use of business tactics like offering seasonal discounts on CDs, sending a free CD for fans' birthdays and so on.

• You can also engage in gigging by stating the events or kind of music you play or contact information to book you through the website.

• Keeping your site simple and user-friendly is also essential in attracting more and more fans towards your page.

• Another important matter to consider is to recognize the tastes of the people and focus specifically on persons who would be solely interested on your style of music.

• If you really consider your website as a hunting ground for propitious business, then it's time for you to diligently educate yourself more pertinent to the current music industry and craze among music addicts.

With these simple tips in mind, it becomes easier to promote your music online and henceforth music submission could also be initiated instantly through various promotion websites. Another valuable information is that if you want to submit your music online and desire that the world should listen to it instantly, KYHY is the only commercial radio station of US that does this job very efficiently.

A simple sequence of the essential tips and tricks that pave a great way to music promotion and submission. The author brings out some useful guidelines for promoting music online by which music submission becomes easier and quotes the example of KYHY radio station for this purpose.

All cameras, whether they are digital or film, point-and-shoots or digital SLR cameras, are merely tools in the hands of a photographer. If you want to take better pictures, no matter which type of pictures they are, we simply need to know some of the basic principles that apply. In landscape photography, there is a set of guidelines which, if you know them, will make your images so much better.

The fact is, with landscape photography, the rules or guidelines are fewer than in other types of photography. Basically, if you get a good composition and you know how to handle the lighting conditions, you will be much more successful.

Lighting is the most important aspect of any photographic endeavor. After all, the first part of the word, photo, refers to light. How the light hits the sensor, the quality of that light, and how much light hit the sensor, combine for the final outcome of that picture.

There are three aspects, or qualities of light that must be considered. They are light intensity, the direction of the light, and the color of the light.

Light intensity refers to the brightness or strength of the light. Undoubtedly, you have noticed that in the middle of the day the sun is much brighter than it is in the morning or late afternoon. The stronger the light, such as in the middle of the day, the stronger the shadows. This can make for a very unflattering picture. It is very difficult for most cameras to handle the wide range of light during that time of day. If you happen to catch a cloudy day, the light will be much softer, thus less intense, and taking a good landscape picture will be easier.

As mentioned, light intensity during the morning and late afternoon is less, and therefore, you will get much better pictures during those periods of time.

The second aspect of light is direction. When you're setting up your shot, you need to pay attention to which direction the light is coming from. There are three possibilities. The light could be coming from behind you, it could be in front of you, or could be him and him to one side or the other.

The best direction for lighting in a landscape photograph has something to do with the intensity, but in general, when the light comes from the side it tends to produce a nicer texture due to the mixture of light and shade. You'll probably want to avoid having the sun in front of you, because that lighting situation creates deeper shadows and lens flare, which is kind of like sunspots.

The third aspect of light is color. Many people are not aware that there are different colors for light depending on time of day. In the morning, the light is much warmer, which leads to a lot more depth of color, richness, and drama. You can have the same type of light in the evening, but most photographers prefer the morning light.

It is impossible to take a landscape photograph without lighting. Knowing a few basics about intensity and direction and color will help you to take better pictures of landscapes.

Wayne Rasku is an amateur photographer with an interest cameras and camera equipment. He uses digital SLR cameras as well as point-and-shoot cameras. Learn to take better pictures at http://photographyclassesatlanta.org/.

Life can definitely be a party when you supply a big bunch of brightly coloured balloons! Whether it's birthday time or an anniversary or even to advertise your new business, balloons create fun and grab attention no matter where they are found. You can guarantee extra fun at the next birthday party for a child with a large assortment of colours, sizes, and shapes of their favourite balloons. Just inflate them by using a rented tank full of helium or let the kids blow them up by themselves. So it's Jimmy's fifth birthday and the entire neighbourhood's kids are attending. Simply go buy a big bag of balloons and pass out a few dozen at a time. Watch as the children make up games and enjoy those brightly coloured orbs for hours.

The party supply store is tailor made for party givers!

Take a trip down to the local party supplier and you will be amazed at the vast assortment of balloons that are available. They not only come in an enormous selection of sizes and colours but they also can be found to be made with a wide variety of materials like Mylar, rubber, nylon, plastic, and even metal. Those large attractive Mylar balloons can have most any message or name printed on them to personalize them for the birthday child or all the party goers that attend. Add a colourful flair to a party and let the kids just have fun with them.

Rent a tank of compressed gas to inflate those brightly coloured balloons and you will most definitely make the party soar! Kids love to play with them, and if you are indoors they can let them go as long as they have strings attached.

Balloons are a very versatile "toy"!

Kids especially find fun in the most amazing places sometimes. They love to play with the box rather than the toy that came inside. Give them a large box (like a refrigerator box) and they will play "fort" for weeks! They have big imaginations and are always seeking new ways to have fun. Balloons can be shot off, either at one another or aimed towards a specific target. They can be used to make really strange noises as they slowly let the air out or big bang sound when punctured. Pin some to a wall and make it a contest (with prizes) for who ever breaks the most balloons with a dart. Let them blow up their own balloons and simply let them go! They shoot off like rockets!

Balloons can speak for you and save advertising pounds!

Those who go to conventions or trade shows to promote their business know how valuable balloons can truly be. They are used to promote and get the businesses name out there before the public, and not only do it quite well, they do it affordably... very affordably! Purchasing a dozen or more brightly coloured balloons that have your business logo imprinted on them is so cost effective that many business owners have decided to only use balloons to get their message out. Let balloons please and work for you for whatever purpose. They really get the job done!

If you want information on printed balloons then visit balloon printing to see your options.

For anyone who's ever considered learning a musical instrument in the past, this article explains to you exactly why you should think about it a little bit more seriously. You might know about a few opportunities you'll gain from doing this, but you might not know about some. Hopefully this will give you the determination you need to stop being lazy and start learning to play.

Join a band - I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to join a band. For a start, it's cool. Secondly, if you've got the stuff, there's a chance you'll be able to make yourself some good money. I'm not saying you'll be part of the next Coldplay or U2, but even if you're well known locally you'll be able to earn great money from performing. Third, even if you don't make a lot of money from it, just think of the buzz you get from people dancing around to your music.

Impress the opposite sex - Just think of all the girls who dig rock stars? Even ones who aren't particularly attractive - even ones who are 75 years old. Think of Mick Jagger - he's always been able to bag a supermodel despite his age. There's something about being more attractive if you have a musical talent.

Change of career - 9 to 5 might be taking a toll on your morale. Yeah, it pays, but you hate having to turn up every day and answer to someone you don't like. Just think, while you're photocopying for the 80th time in a day, get learning an instrument and the mundanity of your office job might soon seem like a lifetime away.

Improve employability - Although this might not be as big an opportunity as the rest, don't be surprised if it helps your chances at getting a job. Just think - you and another person are going for the same job. You both have identical degrees, identical interview answers and identical hands on experience. When the interviewer asks if you have any other skills, you mention that you're an excellent guitar player, where your rival has nothing to offer. You've showed your potential boss that you're capable of sticking at something and that's a fantastic ability to have in any job.

You need a hobby - Everybody's been stuck in a rut before. Even if you have a job, you might be in that routine where you get home from work, eat junk and go to sleep. Starting a new hobby will help you get your zest for life back.

Song writer - You might fancy your chances at writing - might have been great at poetry in your youth but never really thought about writing a song. If you learn music, there's a better chance of you being able to put your words into song.

If you're trying to learn an instrument, whatever the reason, with the evolution of the internet, you're able to learn through all kinds of different channels. It's easier than ever to learn, so don't waste your opportunity. You've been able to learn through YouTube and online music sites for a while now, but lately there's been a more effective way to learn.

Skype harp lessons
Skype music lessons are becoming more popular as more people learn how to use Skype for their everyday lives. Although it's been popular for phone and video calls for a while now, there's no reason whatsoever that you can't learn music through Skype. Whether you want to learn the guitar, piano or a more unique instrument such as the harp - there are many people out there who are willing to teach you.

HOW TO APPROACH AN ART GALLERY WITH YOUR ARTWORK:

So, now that you have built up a collection of artworks, you may be dreaming about being showcased in an art gallery. This might seem a little daunting because artists are usually humble people and often lack the marketing skills or confidence to approach a gallery director to represent themselves as a serious artist.

I am an artist who has shown in galleries but I'm a rare breed because I have also worked in art sales and I've been an art gallery director. I decided to write this editorial to offer perspectives from both the artist and the gallery with a view to offer useful advice and information to help artists successfully approach a gallery with their work.

I HOPE THE FOLLOWING TIPS WILL HELP YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY:

First though, let's think about this scenario from the perspective of the gallery director.

The roles of the director are broad but essentially they are to showcase artists that fit into the gallery's 'theme' and to promote and sell their work while building relationships with customers and to generate sales.

A potential customer can walk through the gallery's doors at any time without notice. Therefore it is imperative that the director and sales staff are always available to give their attention to those potential customers. This is why it is a very bad idea to just walk in with armfuls of artworks without an appointment because firstly it would be very disrespectful and unless it's a very quiet day, you will not get the time and attention that you seek.

BEFORE YOU APPROACH AN ART GALLERY ASK YOURSELF THIS:

Does my artistic style and subject matter fit within the style and direction of the gallery?

For example: If the gallery you are considering is showcasing only European figurative subjects by published artists and you paint local landscapes, your style and subject matter might not be easy to fit in with the 'style and direction' of the gallery. But don't be afraid to talk to the director because he/she will probably know of a gallery or outlet that will be better suited to showcase and hopefully sell your personal style.

Before we get to meeting with the Gallery director we should first:

GET PREPARED:

Write A Personal Biography And Print It On One Side Of Some High Quality Paper: Outline your history and anything relevant to your growth as an artist. Talk about why you paint. Try to describe your style. Refer to artists or other things that may have inspired or influenced you. Mention if you're self-taught or formally trained. Include your best photo at the top. Mention any art contests or awards you may have won. Make your bio easy to read, unique and honest because your bio is intended to make a 'personal connection' with the reader.

make a professional business card. Include a graphic of your art, your name, contact numbers, web site address and any social media link.

Print Quality Postcard Size Color Samples Of Your Finest Art.

Build A Web Site Or Link To An Online Portfolio.

Here Are Two Good Ways To Present Your Work To An Art Gallery:

1. Show your actual painted canvases or printed portfolio.
2. Offer your business card and marketing materials with a link to your web site.

FIRST OPTION: If you plan to show your actual canvases or printed portfolio, I recommend that you first call the gallery to introduce yourself and set up an appointment. You will benefit as much as the gallery because they will allot a convenient time to spend with you. Be yourself, be honest and always leave a quality print or prints of your best work, your bio and business card so that you may be contacted. I don't recommend asking for a critique unless you enjoy and can handle criticism. (Personally, I refused to give critiques)

SECOND OPTION: Is to briefly introduce yourself while you are already visiting the gallery without an appointment. Be brief in your introduction and show the gallery full respect by not distracting the staff from any potential customers and sales. Leave them your biography, business card with link to your web site and any postcard prints of your work. They can look at your web site at their convenience when the gallery is less busy and if they are impressed with your work and think there is a market for it they will be contacting you.

FINALLY:

As an artist I never enjoyed rejection from a gallery but doing the rejecting was equally unpleasant. Don't be pushy and hard sell your work. They know what sells and what they like so if they like you and your art they will tell you!

BELIEVE IN YOUR ART:

Even if you are not accepted it does not mean that you were not good enough. I hear artists telling themselves that they're just not good enough. I still do it myself sometimes but remember, there will always be people who will not get your art or they will dislike it for some very personal reason no matter how technically brilliant you become! Accept that your art is a constant evolving journey, so embrace every flaw and every brush stroke of genius because 'feeling' is what most of us want to convey and that doesn't always require perfection.

Good luck with your journey in paint.

Michael Rock.

Michael Rock is a self taught artist. He began painting when he was a very young child. His earliest subjects and inspiration came from the beautiful scenery that was abundant in Devon, England. Many years later Michael moved to the California Coast which has some similarities with the coast line of Devon. Michael loves nature but his art has ventured into a variety of themes and subjects. His first encounter with art was Alfonse Mucha. It was an instant appreciation. Today, Some of Michael's favorite artists include Svetlana Valueva and Felix Mas to name just two. Michael experiments with acrylics, oils and other pigments and powders to produce effects. It's not easy to place a style tag on his work but some have described it as serene, magical, with some fantasy themes.
Inspiration comes and goes and it can be sparked by something unexpected. Music greatly influences Michael's work. Sometimes an English symphony or a fantasia can inspire feeling in a painting. Michael has shown in venues and displayed in galleries and his art can be seen on his virtual online gallery at http://www.michaelrockart.com/

In an era where news is instant and more people are calling themselves journalists than ever before, the dozens of journalistic outlets that exist on television, the internet and in print vary wildly in their degrees of legitimacy. No so-called news outlet is less trustworthy or has a lower level of journalistic integrity than tabloid journalism.

The great Hunter S. Thompson once said, "Journalism is neither a profession nor a trade, it's a catch-all for misfits and screw-ups." While this may be an extreme interpretation of a typical writer, it seems to be an accurate assessment of the state of tabloid journalism. Here are three legitimate reasons that you should avoid tabloids at all costs.

It's Never True

Although they may be good for a few laughs while you're passing the time waiting for your turn to buy overpriced groceries, the truth is that tabloids almost never are. While it would be fun and a bit exciting to believe that a monkey boy is on the loose in New York City or a woman in rural Arkansas has lived in wedded matrimony to an alligator for 15 years, 99% of the stories are entirely implausible.

It Separates You from Reality

It's one thing to take an occasional glance at a tabloid cover while waiting in line, it's quite another to purchase a tabloid and read it cover to cover. While you may be entertained, you will be subconsciously filling your mind with things that a productive and level headed person should not be ingesting. Smart people steer clear of opening a tabloid much like marathon runners steer clear of drinking gravy before a race.

It Costs Way Too Much

Tabloid news is pretty much for entertainment purposes and so long as people really know that then if they wish to spend their money on nonsense that is their business. However, it is important to know the difference, as people do need to be aware that tabloid news is hardly real and is not a reliable source of news or real events happening in the world. People who buy one tabloid and end up enjoying what they see are bound to want to test the waters of other tabloid publications, which typically cost about three or four dollars each. Multiply four dollars times three or four major tabloids, and you have a person that is spending nearly twenty dollars a week on fake news.

Britney Fuller is a writer who enjoys sharing her knowledge and advice with readers. For more on tabloids, MFDL offers readers information on journalism.

Although beads have been strung together to make necklaces and bracelets for many hundreds of years,the concept of collectible, individual beads that can be customised to your own particular requirements, and added to or interchanged periodically, is relatively new.

The first silver caste beads strung together on a leather necklace were made by Soren Nielsen in 1976 in Copenhagen and were known as Trollpearls, named after the Troll faces depicted on the first beads. Eleven years later Lise Aagaard, his sister opened her own jewellery store in Copenhagen launched Troll beads in a collection of individually designed jewellery. From these humble beginnings, the company which is still creatively driven by Lise Aagaard and her family, markets Troll beads in the US Western Europe and Japan.

Trolls are creatures in Norse mythology, who are mischievious and unfriendly and said to live in caves, logs or under bridges. Troll beads therefore take their inspiration from fairy tales, animals, flowers, mythology and astrology.

They can be made from a variety of materials including sterling silver, gold, glass and precious stones, usually strung on a sterling silver or gold bracelet.The whole concept of a Troll bracelet or necklace is to customise it to your own individual personality using a variety of materials, colours and shapes and because the Trollbeads are interchangeable, your necklace or bracelet can be changed at will. Whatsmore you can start a bracelet with a chain and just one bead and add to your collection of beads over a period of time.

As such they make perfect gifts for family and close friends as they can reflect the development of your relationship with them and the milestones and personal achievements in their lives such as graduation or birth of a child.

Although the original Troll beads company manufacture beads that are uniquely made from expensive materials, there are now less expensive alternatives readily available in the marketplace so everyone can enjoy making Troll jewellery.

So what do you need to make a Troll bead bracelet?

a bracelet of silver, gold or leathera lock that is detachable so that you can swap beads at any timea number of charm beads made from Italian glass, gold, silver or precious stonesstoppers or spacers that are placed between beads in a pattern to keep them neatly arranged and at the end of the chain to stop them falling ofa safety chain to ensure your beads are secure

A less expensive option is to use jewellery wire and s-clasp, together with a selection of beads and stoppers to decorate the wire and jewellery pliers and wire cutters.

measure and cut a length of wire 2 inches longer than the circumference of your wristpinch one end of the wire with the pliers and twist in a circle to form a looparrange the beads and stoppers in the required order and thread onto the wiregrip the open end of the wire with the pliers and twist into a circle to form aloop securing the beads on the braceletinsert one end of the s-clasp through one of the loops at the end of the braceletsqueeze the side of the clasp with the pliers to form a closed loop around the original bracelet loopthread the other end of the s-clasp through the other loop at the end of the bracelet

You have now made yourself a beautiful Troll bracelet! You can add to the bracelet at any time or change the type of beads to suite your mood! Troll beads must be the most versatile of home made jewellery!

J. Cole is a rapper and producer from North Carolina. He released his first mix-tape in 2007. In the mist of recording his second mix-tape he was signed by Jay-Z. J. Cole had become the first artist to be signed to Roc Nation (Jay-Z's new label). In 2009 he released his second mix-tape (The Warm Up). Since then people have been gravitating towards this rising star. He released a third mix-tape in 2010. He had a hit record and later a video for his record "In The Morning" which featured another young star named Drake. Although J. Cole had never announced a release date for his project, his mix-tapes had his fans anxious to see what his first album would sound like. J. Cole's debut album ("Cole World") was set to drop September 27, 2011.

Sadly J. Cole's album was leaked and I was able to get my hands on it a bit early. I've heard the album several times now. Once again I have tried my best to think about this from both a fan's and an artist's perspective. First let's talk about the album's production. J. Cole produced most of the beats on this album. I for one think that's amazing! It excites me as a fan and as an artist. I think it's great that he can bring his ideas to life with beats that he himself created. It probably makes things a lot easier for him. I know one of my struggles as an artist is trying to match some of the beats I've been sent from producers to the ideas that I have. However if you make the beats yourself you can set things up exactly how you want them to be. Most of the beats are smooth melodies with hard drums and baselines. He definitely made sure that the beats and the lyrics mesh together on every track.

Lyrically J. Cole is different on this album. He is still very topical and "conscious" as the mainstream media would say. However he has incorporated what commercial artists discuss as well. Not to say that he didn't on his previous projects, but you can hear it a lot more now. Nonetheless, Cole delivers strong lyrics from start to finish on this album. On "Lost Ones" he discusses the hard decisions that must be made when a young lady is pregnant and the parents are not a couple. He also has a very catchy song called "Mr. Nice Watch" which features Jay-Z. He touches many topics; but whether serious, promiscuous, playful or braggadocios Cole's lyrics and delivery are strong. Still I feel many people won't gravitate to this album until much later on.

Cole switched his style so he can appeal to a bigger audience. However he is not a completely different artist. He has incorporated what more people want to hear yet still he has stayed himself for the most part. It can be difficult to give the people what they want yet still keep your style intact. He balanced both sides very well in my opinion. I feel that is what makes this project so dope. It's got something for everyone and it's balanced very well. He is still hungry but he's also flashy and speaking about the ladies. He didn't completely sell out like some other artists have done when they try to gain mainstream appeal. Cole balanced things very well and that's hard for many artists including myself to do. Some like Nas have decided to not be balanced and just stick to the fan base they already have. However Cole has the right mindset and is on the right path if he wants to show people the best of both worlds.

J. Cole's debut album ("Cole World") was a good. It's a great way for new fans to be introduced to his music and it definitely has what Cole's fan base wants as well. Day one Cole fans should be able to appreciate the evolution of Cole. New fans should be able to enjoy both the conscious and cocky style that he has presented with this album. If this album is promoted right it can be huge for J. Cole. With several videos out now Cole should definitely be able to reach the crowd he wants and deserves to reach. I hope the smoothness of the album doesn't push too many people away. I for one look forward to hearing more of J. Cole's music very soon.

For more of my thoughts check out: http://www.Youtube.com/jdner0

Global Warning - The Economy

It's the 1920's and the struggle to live is facing every man, woman and child - even before the great war. The poor become poorer and the rich become richer. Many live in squalid conditions and for most there seems no way out. Let's fast-forward to the present year 2011; the poor become poorer and the rich become richer it would seem. The global warning has begun.

For the last few years, many individuals have struggled to feed and the recession hits every facet of life. It's the worst the economy has been since the early 1900's and there seems to be no respite. Who is to blame? It certainly is not the person who goes to work every day and earns a living to live and tender lovingly to their families. It is not the police officer, teacher, or the nurse who cares for the public. I suppose you can't keep blaming every government in power, or can you? Are they a product of mere circumstance or are they the root cause?

I woke up this morning to the resounding panic of those who understand the world economy - hearing the tumble of the markets again and claiming it is the worst recession we have seen.
We are certainly in the middle of a 'Global Warning.' The truth is that greed is at the root of all the problems, the need for power and control, the need to have more than the next man and the bravado of power to control the week. How can a company that makes millions or even billions justify raising the cost of energy when it is hard enough for someone to pay the every day energy bills that are required? With the onset of winter, you can hear the sobbing of the pensioner who has no idea how they will heat the home this year. It truly is dark times we live in and I fear this path we are treading is the only road for our children of the future. It is easy for those in government to sit in judgement - send young men and women to the battlefield, increase the countries debt and then continually put the pressure on the everyday man and woman to pick up the slack whilst carrying a cheery disposition. Will they ever stand in judgment of themselves?

No one knows where the answers lie, and I for one am tired of hearing that it will only get worse before it get's better. Why should that be the case, and why, if we live in a world of abundance and enough for everyone - do we have to continually fight to survive. The cost of living continues to increase and crime is on the increase. Come on, think about it, perhaps crime is on the increase because everyone is finding it difficult to live. Yes I know there are career criminal's who hold no morals and care not for whom they hurt, but normal lay women and men are turning to scrupulous methods to live. You have to have compassion for them. I liken this to the scene in 'les miserable' when Valjean is singing about stealing a loaf of bread to feed a sick child, and this is the reason he was imprisoned.

I once read somewhere that when Gadhafi was removed from power, the cost of fuel would plummet; he has and it hasn't. Those that we have put in power, and one must consider that the global corporations are who are running the world, are duping us and causing much of the suffering. I don't know the answers and the only solace that I can offer is that mother nature in her infinite wisdom will react to balance what is out of balance, but I hope I am long gone when that happens. Can we continually keep a smile on our face when we are being robbed blind?

I for one am a great believer in natural energy and using the innate power that mother nature has given, but I often wonder how long it will take before we are taxed on the very air that we breathe to reduce the country deficit. I will wait to see what develops.

The power of the human spirit is great and we are spiritual beings that cannot be destroyed. I believe that all struggles are temporary and that we have the inner power to overcome the hurdles that we come up against in daily life. In the words of a great teacher "There is always a spiritual solution to every problem." It can start with you by offering help to someone who needs it, and it does not need to be in a financial way. There are many ways to help someone in need; it takes just that small offering in a compassionate way to help overcome struggles of every day life. We can pray that our leaders see sense and awaken to the injustice in the world. If all else fails in this life, understand that Karma will play its inevitable role.

Jock Brocas is a professional Psychic Medium - natural from birth and developed later in life. Jock has dedicated his later years to his own spiritual development and the professional development of his psychic gifts and his Mediumship. Being a professional Psychic Medium is very rewarding but also has its inherent problems. Nevertheless, Jock believes in the sanctity of mediumship and takes his work as a psychic medium very seriously.

Jock is known for giving irrefutable evidence and some of which can be validated much later. Jock is passionate about the science of psychic mediumship and works closely with many professionals in this field. He does not give general information that some psychics throw out and prefers the protocol of scientifically controlled telephone appointments. Jock very rarely gives psychic readings face-to-face.

Jock developed his psychic gifts and mediumship later in life when he was visited by a spirit. At first, this visitation shocked him and terrified him, which led him into the true vocation he was here for, a psychic medium's life. He learned from his past and recognized that he was being groomed to work for spirit all his life - from growing up with spiritual leaders and spending time with religious communities - the path was being prepared.

Jock Brocas (Psychic Medium) has studied many martial arts in the past and dedicated his later years to the study of Budo. He has amalgamated what he has learned in Budo and as a psychic medium to help change individuals lives for the better.

Life has been speeding along for decades with technology advancements leap frogging over each other at frightening rates; from faster cars to smarter phones, from producing food out of merely chemicals, to sticking those processed food-stuffs into individual 100 calorie packages in order to help curb the obesity epidemic, there seems to always be a more convenient way to accomplish anything and dag-nabbit we are not going to stop until we find it!

However, with all of this technology and advancement we've obviously neglected certain byproducts of our own genius, one of which is the amount of waste we've produced for the sake of convenience, or simply due to lack of attention, or too much ignorance. After these long decades of blind foresight, we've started to take a look into the past for reasons why our present kind of sucks, and to the future to figure out how we can make it brighter. We've taken a look around at the piles of trash we've amassed taking up perfectly good land throughout the country and said 'hmm, these landfills are getting full - perhaps we should do something about that.'

Leave it to the creative minds of our country, as opposed to the geniuses who invented the motorized ice cream cone (no, I'm not kidding),to come up with a solution that not only addresses the problem of waste disposal, but also to create something beautiful out of it. Groups and artists are sprouting up who are dedicated to taking waste products that would traditionally end up rotting the rest of their days away surrounded by the sad trash community, and using that 'waste' to express creativity and create socially responsible art.

Philadelphia's trash to treasure group is called RAIR (recycled artist-in-residency) and are committed to "connecting art and sustainability." After scouring around a local recycling company, Revolution Recovery in Northeast Philly for over a year, the group has completed their first full show at the University of the Arts called "The Waste Dream". Featuring recycled materials, the show's purpose is to draw attention to unorthodox uses of materials, and a connection between art and industry.

Revolution Recovery http://www.revolutionrecovery.com also donated their materials to another art show called "Constructing the Wissahickon" by Leah Frankel at the Germantown Academy, located outside of Philadelphia. In an ironic twist, Leah began scouring the material yard at Revolution Recovery without knowing that she was pillaging through materials recovered from the Germantown Academy's own construction site - kind of a stealing from Peter to feed Paul type of scenario where everybody wins! This experience of the young Frankel also provides an ironic example of how one person's trash can become another's (or even that same person's) conversation piece, and hopefully will inspire others to think twice before throwing materials away.

Another group of recycling artists is a little more defined, having 20 years of experience on the newly formed RAIR in Philly. Based out of the recycling company Recology in San Francisco, this artist-in-residency program actually inspired the creation and structure of RAIR, developed across the country. Recology's latest show in September showcases several different mediums of sculpture, including jewelry, sewing and embroidery, and painting as embellishment to the found materials used to create the unique sculptures of professional artists and students alike. Over 100 artists have completed 4 month long residencies, helping to fulfill the company's goals of "encouraging the conservation of natural resources and instill a greater appreciation for the environment and art in children and adults." http://www.recologysf.com/AIR/

These artists take reusing to a whole new level, and through the art they create they show that with a little creativity and dedication the landfills across America are not the only option for waste. Hopefully, this craze of recycled art can become as commonplace as those 100 calorie snack bags in the grocery store, and perhaps someday soon we'll see an exhibit built solely from those crinkly, plastic bags instead of simply throwing them on top of the pile and adding to the mess.

Rubi Wiswall is a copy writer for Web-Wis-dom, a design firm based out of Philadelphia. http://www.web-wis-dom.com/

This is an informative report to educate you on understanding how the event ticket market works and how to get the tickets that you want for the fairest price. The event ticket market consists of two parts, the primary ticket source and the secondary ticket source. The primary sellers are where the tickets first originate, the main ones being Ticketmaster and LiveNation. The secondary market consist of many different ticket websites, these are where ticket brokers and individual sellers list their tickets that they have gotten for resale.

You should always start your ticket search first at one of the primary seller websites that I mentioned earlier; there you will be able to get tickets at face value plus fees. First thing you need to do is find out the actual on sale to the public date of the event in which you want to go to. Do this by going to Ticketmaster and or LiveNation and search the name of the event that you want. There you will find out if the on sale date already happened or not. If you haven't missed it, on the day and time of the on sale you must get to your computer and also have a phone ready. One or Two minutes prior to the on sale time you can start the process of ordering your tickets online and at the same exact time you should be calling them on their 800 number, order from which ever gets through the process first.

A thing to remember is that at the primary seller you do not get to choose the section that you want as sections are given out on a first come first serve basis. That being said especially for really popular events there will be many people trying to secure the same tickets as you at the same time. The section and row that you want the most might very possibly and usually already sold out and then they will automatically assign you the next best section available. If the section they are offering is either too far from the action or just a bad section, you do not have to accept them. They will give you the option to throw the tickets back, you should do this, you do not have to buy the first ones they give so through them back and try again. Sometimes the next ones you get will be better but most of the time not! Abort the situation and this is when you want to turn to the secondary market as there you will get to choose the section you want, but at market value.

The secondary market is very large and there are many secondary market websites.

Prices will vary from site to site so check several for price differences. An Important thing to know is all secondary market websites will have virtually the same exact inventory as each other, but the initial ticket prices and fees will vary. Be aware that the "biggest" or most advertised ticket websites have the same inventory as the "smaller" less advertised sites and often have a higher final cost then the less advertised sites. Shop around and also do an internet search for promo codes as they are usually available and will help to drive down your final cost.

A great thing about the secondary market is that you get to pick the exact section that you want to sit in, even Front Row! But at market value of course. Another important thing to know is the pricing of tickets on the secondary market are driven by supply and demand just like all other commodities. If the supply is low and the demand is high, the tickets will rise in price and vice versa demand low supply high. The tickets will drop sometimes even below the face value of the primaries or rise above. One such example is, if your favorite Sports team has a bad win loss record and or also not in contention of a title, the tickets can drop drastically even below face value as the broker or seller of the tickets don't want to get stuck with the tickets. This can also happen with a concert or theater show that has not sold out. That was one example of why the secondary market is so great and why you might get your tickets there for less than the primary website. The primary sites will never lower their price even if the event is tanking bad!

Following up my point. If you decided for whatever reason that you want to go to the secondary market. Check several websites, search the internet for coupons, don't settle for the most advertised website as inventories are usually identical and prices vary, and then pick your favorite website!

I do hope that this lesson has educated you to understand how the event ticket market works and helped you to be a better informed and happier fan.

Joel Zoot - owner and manager of http://www.orderseats.com/
Here you will find the best deals on the concert, sports and theater tickets to the event that you want to be at. Now you have a Ticket Connection!

Although humans create these pieces, the idea behind Buddhist mandalas come directly from the gods, as they find their homes in the centers of these intricate circles. Every line, shape and color brings a person one step closer to total enlightenment. Each and every single mark is made for a reason, there are no accidents in the creation of mandalas. Instructions and patterns for many have been handed down with great care through many generations.

Individuals who create mandalas are said to have unparalleled peace as they are very privileged to have received instructions on how to make them. Although there are a lot of details to be explored if you want to be fully educated on Buddhist manuals, there are some basics that you can learn that will shed some light on them and make them a bit easier to understand.

Buddhist Cosmic mandalas are primarily those that are frequently used in meditation. They offer knowledge of the world system, the universe and beginning of time. This variety offers a three-footed spiral in the center that represents wind, which is one of the basic elements. The entire mandala is then contained in a circle of flames. Fire represents transformation, the gaseous state is symbolized by wind and air, Earth represents solid matter and water is liquid.

The sun, moon, seasons, heavenly bodies and emergence of continents are all symbolized on these types of mandalas as well. Mandalas of Medicine is an additional variety that represents power being offered by Buddha in all directions.

You may or may not be familiar with the term sku asun thug rten which refers to the Tibetan Buddhist traditions of observing religious works in art as one universal piece. Support is translated from rten where sku rten refers to body supports. On the Buddhist pantheon, this basically reflects images of saints, gods or even Buddha himself.

Sutras and trantras are translated from the scriptures as gsun rten, also referred to as the speech supporter. Tibetan Buddhism even offers translations to cover spiritual embodiment (mind supporters) as well as sacred geometry (center-circumstance).

This all basically means that reaching forth to become one with the gods is represented in the mandala's circumference while the essence of everything, including all desired answers, is housed in the center of the piece.

There are religious rites that are considered in the construction of Tibetan mandalas. A sand mandalas begin the very moment that a monk enters discernment and it continues to grow with him along his journey until he reaches total enlightenment. At this time, the sand mandala is then poured into a nearby body of water to be returned to the Earth to complete the Circle of Life.

One's place on Earth along with the enlightened Buddhist deity are represented in the Buddhist mandala. As mentioned, every portion of a mandala including lines and colors are chosen and created for a reason. If you want to find yourself closer to the heart of Buddha, make the time to meditate on one of these mandalas.

Epouna creates art and explores mandalas and their meaning at Meaning of Mandalas.

Cartoon drawing is really an inexpensive hobby where you do not need to invest big chunk of money just to get started. Have a piece of paper and a small pencil and you are ready to rock. But when you start feeling comfortable with the art form and begin to make drawings that can be shared with your friends then it is time to delve deep into it and make some purchases.

When you decide that you will invest some money to pick up some essentials for your hobby [that is drawing cartoons] you are facing the question what all things to buy that will offer maximum mileage.

Here in this article I will give you a roadmap that will help you decide what to buy for your hobby so that you can make quick progress in desired direction.

a. If till date you are drawing on your notebook paper using pencil from your geometry box then best thing you can buy is a copy that is meant for making drawings. Ensure that you get one that is made with good quality paper. After that buy a set of lead pencil with HB grade; do not go for any other grade and stay away from 0.5 mm clutch pencils as the pointed tip of this type of pencil is best suited for making engineering drawings or machine drawings, but for making freehand drawing they are sort of useless. When you start drawing on a good quality notebook with a HB grade lead pencil you will find your pencil is flying on paper with frictionless ease.

b. Though at this stage you may not require it but you may find a set of good tracing paper or grid paper handy for making complex drawings.

c. A low dust eraser goes really well with high quality paper and pencil set. But always keep in mind that your goal would be to use the eraser as little as possible while making your drawings.

d. If your funds permit the next logical thing to acquire would be a high quality cartoon drawing course that will open the door to the secrets of drawing really high quality professional level cartoons. Without a good course to hold your hand there is every chance that you will spend many difficult hours to polish your art to achieve the elusive level of mastery.

I have presented the bare minimum things as a serious enthusiast you will require to be a good cartoon maker. And here I will point out at the beginning you do not require fancy or expensive things like high-end computers or pricy software to hone your art. Once you achieve a certain level and start making money from your drawings you can go for those to even further your possibilities.

Want to make amazing cartoons fast and amaze your buddies? Visit how to draw cartoons to know how you can do that.

Monday 26th September - Preview of New Show.

It is common for Theatre shows do run preview events and performances before the formal run of dates begins...

It is common for comedians to try out material on a selected audience before going on tour...

I would assume therefore that Magicians would do the same...

For me this was the first time of running a dress rehearsal preview of a full two hour show in front of an invited audience and I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to do it!

OK, the downside is having to cover the costs of hiring the venue BUT the pluses far outweigh these costs.

It's almost impossible to rehearse a mentalism show without an audience, and despite the scripting, blocking, routining that needs to be done its not until there are real people watching what you do are you likely to get any sense of the 'effectiveness' of your show.

Seance: The Daisey Mae story is a two hour show ending in a seance. I spent ages on a back story linking the effects I wanted to use and hopefully creating a sense of realism to what, is in effect, a very surreal show.

On Monday a small audience  of around 30 people, including a couple of professional mediums, came to see the 'preview'. They were told it was a work in progress...

I can't begin to describe the valuable feedback I got from what they said; what I observed and how they reacted.

Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the second half of the show; but none of this was apparent from the audiences point of view as a quick re-think during the interval meant that I could cover for the things that were not going to do as they were told during the pre-round-2 set-up. A magician friend in the audience knew what I was 'going for' in the second act but said that what was used to cover about 20 minutes was in keeping with the rest of the show. In essence it was that old thing of the audience not knowing what to expect so not missing what they did not know...

The audience were very positive in their comments on the entertainment value of the show and all said they would come back to see the paying show booked for November.

So from this experience I have not only learned the value of doing such a live preview but also have some valuable insights on how to streamline the show and make the 'public performances' so much better... I've also created a bit of a buzz which I might be able to 'ride' into the local shows in November.

So now to sell the show to a broader market.

I guess this idea will not be new to many, especially those who regularly present full evening shows. But I suspect that many magicians faced with the challenge of creating a two hour stage show would look to their cabaret repertoire and mix and match from tried and tested routines. They will of course rehearse, have dress rehearsals and technical run throughts - but I wonder how many put their raw, untested material 'out there' in such a preview show?

Love to hear from those who do...

And if you don't then please do... you learn so much about the tweaks your show needs before it goes 'live' and of course, develops with continued performance.

Alan

Alan Jones is a performing Magician and Mentalist. He is a Member of the Magic Circle and is currently UK President of the International Magicians Society. You can find out more about him by visiting http://www.alanjonesmagic.com/

I was burnt but I rose from the ashes
he held my hand
I was drenched in the rain, yet he covered me
kept me warm in the cold

I may be thrown in the wilderness
bread and water I have none
but his words are a lamp unto my feet
a light unto my path

I've been hypnotized by the world's pleasures
but You accepted me anyway
showered me with mercy
I've fallen in the arms of slavery
but You freed me from the chains
redeemed me from death

Yes you are invincible
but never far from me
tempt me in the desert
but in Your pillars I'll never lose my grip

The crown of thorns in your head
the heavy cross you had
in streets of suffering you trudged 'cause of me
for in your love I'm saved

Am I living inside a sphere of glass?
All I can do is breathe
Am I walking in circles without You?
That even breathing is hard to do

Can I run wild and free
My heart beats slowly
Every beat is also pain
And in every breath I exhale

But I know, You are the God who heals
And each morning it reveals
You are my life support; make my heart beat as Yours
Restore to me my strength, You are my life

Just before I came to know you, all I have was emptiness
My life was without direction, no purpose to live
Every day is all the same, just like chasing the wind
Life to me was vanity, no security

But then I came to know you, you gave me happiness
My life now has direction and purpose to live
Day after day is fresh and new because I am with you
You take my hand, then lead me, and tell me that you love me

I love you, as you love me
I need you as you want me
I desire just to stay with you everyday
Every hour, every minute means joy
It means joy to me

There's nothing in this world that can ever take your place in my heart
Never will you and I separate
I want you, I need you, I want to be with you forevermore

With you I am free
With you I am healed
Nothing compares to your love
An unconditional love
that strengthens my soul

You mold me
You make me whole

Getting some good finance certifications is without a doubt very much recommended if you want to pursue a career as a stock broker or a financial analyst for a big company. Being a stock broker or a financial advisor can really be achieved by anyone who graduates with a degree in economy but being successful in these professions requires much more than that nowadays as there are some finance related certifications that you would need to get to be able to increase your salary base and get you to a higher level in the financial world, or at least inside your company structure. Getting these certifications would definitely be worth the trouble as some firms requires the possession of these certificates on their employees resume should they want to get into a higher position in the company.

Having an employee who has finance certifications from CFP is a plus for a company as people who acquired CFP certifications are those who already passed their exam and follow through an education phase required by the CFP before they are even eligible to take the exam. One of the requirements actually requires the participant to have at least 5 years experience in working as a financial planner of which a stock broker fits into the criteria.  The working experience requirement may be reduced to three years if the participant has a bachelor degree in finance. The kind of effort that one would need to show to even take a shot for the certification would greatly increase your desirability to your company, not to mention all of the priceless knowledge you would have as someone who qualified for finance certifications; you would be someone who is indispensable for your company.

The average of a stock broker salary without certifications is around $40,000. This may go up considerably if you are working in places with high salary average and if you have more than 5 years experience in the field, but you could never get to the top of the line without getting some of the finance certifications that you can get with further education. If you are already getting a decent amount by working more than 5 or even 10 years in the field, imagine how much money you would be getting if you spent some of that time taking basic courses every 2 or 3 years to get CFP finance certifications which by the end of the 5 years you would already have acquired. Hope this post was helpful in your endeavors.

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Trying to make improvements that will reflect on your credit score is a very wise decision, especially if you can do it early on enough for it to really make a big difference with your financial status. Throughout this article I want to discuss with you all some very important information regarding debt and how to get rid of it, so that hopefully you will be able to correct some of the mistakes that you have made over the years.

So many problems can be created because of ruining your debt and ofcourse your credit score, early on in your life. You do not want to have to deal with this kind of problem, really you don't. If any little change can be made that might provide you with some financial comfort or relief, then please start working on those things immediately because if you do not then your financial future might potentially have such an enormous strain on it that there really is nothing that you could possibly do to make anything any better financially.

Your credit score actually provides all of your credit history to any creditors checking into it. Anything that you decided not to pay or just simply could not pay, it will all definitely show up, reflecting very poorly on you at some point in time for whatever reasons you might be trying to get some sort of loan or establish yourself as a reliable, responsible adult who pays their bills in a timely manner and can be trusted completed when agreeing to pay some type of debt in the future.

Any sort of financial mishap or serious debt issue, can totally destroy your chances of having the ability to purchase certain things throughout life, which can really put a big damper on many different things. Your debt condition can cause so much stress that you end up with serious health issues, this is something else that you should most definitely consider right now, instead of later on in life. Debt does not have to be so terrifying because if handled properly there are many things that you can do to make simple corrections, which will relieve you from a large strain that you have accidentally gotten yourself into.

Improving your credit score can be done by many different means and you will find it to be most beneficial, after only working on it for just a short amount of time. Do not expect it to happen overnight because it does not work that way, however, it will not take as long as some of you might have first expected. Be patient and persistent, as well as consistent, when it comes to improving the way that you spend your money and save your monthly excess of cash flow coming in and it will work out for you.

Debt does not have to destroy your life but if you choose to just let things go, over a period of time, it can and will happen to you, nobody is safe from the debt monster.

Debt condition happens for many different reasons and for most people it can really turn out to be extremely overwhelming for them at times. Unfortunately too many of these accrued debts never end up getting paid off at all and the creditors eventually just take the huge loss and lose quite a bit of money or have to spend more time and money trying to file suit so that the debt can be collected, one way or another.

Debt problems come in all different sizes, and with all different types of people, nobody is beyond ending up in trouble with debt issues. It is definitely something that has taken over many peoples lives and has caused many families to lose everything that they have worked so very hard for their entire lives. It is difficult for some people to understand the importance of paying off their debts on time and always being consistent on their monthly payments, otherwise creditors are going to be pounding at your door, calling your house phone nonstop and sending threatening letters that will most definitely cause you a great deal of stress.

It is absolutely crucial that you all figure out different ways of finding the debt relief that you deserve, because if you do not figure things out quickly on into this then more than likely you are going to end up in so much debt that you will never possibly see the light at the end of the tunnel, which is extremely depressing. Debt is not something that you should be ashamed of because as I mentioned before, it can happen to the best of them and nobody is above ever running into any problems like that.

Debt conditions can come in many different ways, whether it be from credit cards, bank loans, mortgages, car loans, student loans and many many other things as well. Either way it goes, if you allow these stressful debts to continue collecting as they have, things are only going to get much worse for you at the end of the day. It is so sad that entirely too many people allow their debt condition to keep them down and turn them into people that ignore their responsibilities, that is not what you want for your financial future.

Online help can be found just by simply taken a few minutes out of your time and spending time doing a little bit of research. There are people online that can help you to figure out what your best options would be to try and straighten out your current debt condition. Debt does not have to worry you constantly and become so bothersome that you end up mad at the world. Gain back control of your life and your money, do not allow your debt to slow your pace down, preventing you from accomplishing the many things in life that you have made your goal throughout the years.

Getting rid of as much debt you possibly can is definitely the goal that you should begin trying to set for yourself. Some debt is acceptable but most debt is just unacceptable and totally unnecessary to be honest. Debt relief can change so many things within your life and can make living and waking up each day much easier. Any way of finding this relief that you deserve is ok, just do something before it all gets too bad. Debt consolidation is one option that many of you out there have but some of you really do not. Find out what works best for you, right now.

Your problem with money can get so out of hand that there will never be a time when you could possibly see the light at the end of the tunnel. So by working hard right now to try and alleviate a great deal of your debt irritants, you are going to be able to live a much happier and richer life, more so than you ever thought possible. Finding the debt corrections that change your life can truly be an amazing learning experience. Changing a few things around within your monthly budget can help with some debt corrections, so try that out for a little while just to see if it really can be beneficial to you as it has to so many others.

If you keep making your situation worse by taking out different types of loans and other things, then all you are going to do is dig yourself a much deeper hole than you have ever had before now. Digging yourself deeper in debt is definitely not the answer to all of your concerns, it is only going to make things much more stressful for you in the long run. Too much stress about your debt problems can lead to even more severe problems in your life, which is not at all what you are ever anticipating for your future, so try not to go there with it, do not create more problems within your life if you can keep from it.

Talk to a professional about what all you could possibly do to improve your debt situation and perhaps they could get your finances or budget straightened out for you appropriately. Once you start seeing signs of your debt problems getting a little bit better you will begin getting back the confidence that you once had, knowing that you were a very responsible adult who knew how to handle your finances each and every month that comes along.

Debt problems have split up too many families and if it is at all possible for you to salvage your family by trying to correct the financial crisis at home, you should indeed decide to work on fixing things for everyone. If there is a will, there is always a way, please remember that, no matter how serious of a debt problem you currently have. There is always hope, no matter how bad it seems at the moment, so please do not give up on that ok. Good luck.

Too many families know what it is like to be stressed out to the max because of worrying about all of the unpaid debts. Debt can be the number one reason why any married couple or relationship might end up going badly because sometimes the stress is more than can be handled by everyone. It is very unfortunate but even good relationships can be damaged or ruined due to debt stress that has increased over a period of time.

Some people choose to clear up their debt through something called, debt consolidation. This is a solution that I am certain many of you have heard a little something about. There are many people who are constantly finding themselves struggling paycheck to paycheck, never seeing the light completely. It can turn into some very serious issues at home and often times even cause depression to set in with many individuals.

Getting the help that you need and doing something positive that will help you to catch up all of your debts can be the answer you have been searching for. Imagine going a week or more, without having to stress out over several unpaid debts that you have obtained. It can happen, with the proper steps being taken. Debt consolidation could be something that would benefit you and your family.

Debt consolidation can make it possible for you to have many of your debts paid monthly in a lump sum payment. As long as you always keep these payments current and never allow yourself to fall behind, no matter what happens, you will eventually start to see the light just a little bit at a time. Once you can start noticing the difference in your financial status, you will begin sleeping better at night and getting through your days, without all that stress that you once had.

After you do start taking care of some of those debts you have collected over time, you will start getting more stuff in your mailbox offering you the opportunity to have your own credit cards, loans, etc. Your credit score will definitely start to improve, as well as your ability to appear much more reliable to any individual out there who might be considering giving you any sort of personal loan or whatever else.

Being rid of just one debt each month can honestly make a huge difference, when it comes to being better off financially, more so than you have been in a very long time. Get on the internet or go into any local branch in your area, to find out more about debt consolidation, so that you too can hopefully start finding some relief from all of the creditors that keep calling on you and harassing you daily.

Debt is something that most people will have to be concerned over at some point throughout their life and knowing how to find the help that you need to clear up any old debt, is very very important and will make all of the difference in the world, especially when it comes to being a little bit less stressed each and every month that passes you by.