tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27386105831435072742023-11-15T05:06:52.602-08:00Arts EntertainmentArts Entertainment is the web's most reliable source for high quality, interactive and entertaining media contentAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-7604948371644967942012-10-05T11:20:00.000-07:002012-10-05T11:20:00.188-07:00Thailand Martial Arts and Outdoor Adventure Travel - Long-Term Travel in Thailand on a Budget<div id="article-content"> <p><strong>1. Amazing Adventures in Thailand</strong></p><p>A few years ago, I decided to migrate the majority of my efforts, lifestyle and long-term ninja training programs to Thailand. This decision was based on number of pros as compared to our original California program. First, I like change and I like to stretch what we can offer to students. I have run programs in Europe, the United States and now Asia equally.</p><p>Does it mean that California or the United States does not have a lot to offer? No, it just means there are other options and I have a lot of pros to talk about for the Adventurer that can financially manage a long term trip to the U.S. or Europe.</p><p>Thailand has a lot to offer serious students and adventurers. Especially those participating in our long-term Martial Arts Training camps.</p><p>There is a popular commercial in Thailand called - Amazing Thailand. It highlights the plethora of adventure and fun that is available in one small location.</p><p>In Bangkok for example, you can spend time shopping in a 7 story mall (even purchase Ferrari in one of the stores), visit historical temples (feel like a king in the Grand Palace or say hello to the emerald Buddha), or perhaps enjoy an endless variety of nightlife (have a drink on top of the world overlooking the city). Bangkok is an internationally known pit-stop and great for students to spend some time adjusting to the Asia before heading out to see what else Thailand has to offer.</p><p>For me, the major draw to Thailand was the tropical outdoor options that are available. I have taken students to the mountains of Pai near Chiang Mai to the warm blue waters of the Andaman sea. We have trained on beautiful islands like Koh Samui and climbed some of the best rock climbing available in the world in Krabi province. When you are not training in the martial arts, there is plenty of adventure in Thailand.</p><p>Enjoy a fresh and extremely healthy coconut on the beach, or go snorkeling and diving for a price that you can feel great about. Feel like checking out the bridge over the river Kwai or exploring the Erawan Waterfall in Kanchanaburi? No problem. How about taking a trip to Hua Hin where the King lives and enjoy the long ocean strip. You name it, adventure is abundant and access to that adventure is made extremely accessible.</p><p>It might sound silly, but many of my students found that renting a moped and cruising around the islands to be one of the best experiences. Simple adventures like taking a long tail boat from one island to another can be quite thrilling. Adventure is often equated to new experiences and Thailand has plenty to offer.</p><p>I believe Thailand offers the best of Southeast Asia, but one of the added benefits to being in Thailand is that with a hop, skip and a jump you can be in experience new adventures in Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos, or Cambodia. You can stretch that just a bit to visit China, Singapore, Hong Kong or further to places like Taiwan and Japan. When you are in Thailand, other locations in Asia feel closer and you are more likely to explore.</p><p>What Thailand has to offer is of course amazing. However, the real benefits of Thailand hit when we get practical and this is determined by how much of a hole any trip will have on our pocket book.</p><p><strong>2. A big reason students love Thailand is financial</strong></p><p>As with any functional service - money is an important tool. Students that attend my programs, often do so for long periods. Many students prefer 1-12 months of training as opposed to weekend seminars or weekly courses that often cost far more.</p><p>Another benefit of a long-term program in Thailand is the students lower personal costs as compared to what they would pay in the States. There are too many discounts to list here, but here are a few to consider.</p><p><strong>3. Cheaper Food in Thailand</strong></p><p>You can pick up a decent healthy meal for about $2.00 in Thailand, and that is in a restaurant. On the street, you can get a filling bowl of noodles for 50 cents. In California, you are lucky to get a meal for $5.00 (though Subway helps with their $5.00 foot long sandwiches) and 50 cents might buy you a candy bar. I also tip a minimum of $5.00 in restaurants in the States. A tip like that in Thailand would be outrageous, even 20 Thai Baht is high and that is less than a $1.00</p><p><strong>4. Entertainment can be costly, but not in Thailand</strong></p><p>In Thailand, you can see a movie for about $5.00. In California, a movie ticket can cost you closer to $10.00. In addition, the quality of movie theaters in Thailand is often superior to what you find elsewhere. For example, you can choose to sit in a reclining mini couch, and choose your seats in advance (even pay less depending on where you want to sit). In the States, if you cannot choose your seat in advance you are forced to arrive early to get a good seat and also be forced to sit through previews and commercials.</p><p>This savings extends to almost every sector of entertainment, whether you want to rent a motorcycle, go to a nightclub or ride an elephant, the costs in comparison are outstanding.</p><p><strong>5. Shopping in Thailand</strong></p><p>Although students and adventures may not have shopping on their mind, it can still be a factor for those that like to buy and why not save some money in the process. Thailand is famous for getting a great deal on your purchase and has shopping streets all over the country. You can pick up designer jeans for $20 as opposed to $200 or invest in a work of art. I managed to buy gifts for Christmas for everyone in the family in Thailand and spend the same amount (including flight, hotel and gifts) as I would have spent just on the gifts themselves (judging from my normal spending habits) in California. I also am able to buy items that are unique and not just another gadget to clutter their closets. Many people have made their short term stay in Thailand into a business and fund their new lifestyle by purchasing items in Thailand to sell in the States.</p><p><strong>6. Travel in Thailand</strong></p><p>You can travel from the mountains of Pai (north of Chiang Mai) all the way south to the islands of Koh Phi Phi (where they filmed the movie the Beach) for about $60. This would cost you in the hundreds in the States. When I lived in Pai, I would fly to the city for only $30. The bus ride down the mountain is about $5 and takes 2 hours. This travel savings extends to almost every type of travel in Thailand. You can take a taxi anywhere you want for about $10 an hour or hop in a tuk tuk for $5.00 and take a scenic route. Students have rented mopeds for an entire month in Pai for only $50 or $150 in more expensive locations like Samui Thailand. If you want to jump on a short flight to Cambodia to see the Angkor Wat (a wonder of the world) or take a train to Malaysia - no problem, and it won't hurt your pocket book. I often fly to Singapore from Bangkok and it costs me less than it would to fly from city to city in California.</p><p><strong>7. Housing and accommodation in Thailand</strong></p><p>A great thing about Thailand is that you have a choice of stay that will meet every budget. In California, a typical hotel is $100 per night and for a month at a basic hotel you will pay about $3,000 or more. This is usually without Internet, without food and without additional benefits. In Bangkok for example, you can get a one-month stay in a great hotel that will include internet, give you a great breakfast buffet (usually for two), swimming pools, fitness gym, lounge use and daily maid service all for $1,000. Not to mention these locations can be found with a small kitchen area - much like Extended Stay of America only at half the cost. Now $1,000 a month may not be cheap to many, but this is for an upscale location. You can also stay in a small house for as low as $200 a month in many locations. I have stayed in a $2,000 a month location on a tropical island and I have stayed at a $300 a month location on the same island. Both locations were great and no, you do not have to live in the alley to get a great price.</p><p>All of this is very important to a long-term student of the martial arts. They often only have so much money to spare and they need it to last them a long time. Students that come to California programs often run out of money in a few weeks (going out to town to eat, seeing movies, buying ridiculously pricey popcorn and hanging out with friends). Whereas in Thailand, they can stretch that same money into months and actually get more entertainment - not to mention enjoy the splendors of a tropical island or globally famous city.</p><p><strong>8. Medical care</strong></p><p>One time flying to Thailand for another adventure I couldn't help overhearing the couple in front of me. They were not together but seated next to each other. One person asked the other why they were going to Thailand. His response at first startled me. He said he was going to Thailand to see a dentist as it was just too costly in the States by comparison.</p><p>I have not seen a dentist in Thailand however I do remember a student that had a cavity removed for only about 500 baht in a great location off of a main Soi in Bangkok. I also remember visiting the hospital in Chiang Mai and after visiting three doctors for three separate issues (thought I would try to get as much covered as possible at the same time) it only cost me about 1000 Thai baht (about $35 U.S. Dollars). Naturally, this person must be getting some major dental work done to spend $1,000 or close to it to fly to Thailand to see a dentist.</p><p>However, Thailand is famous for those looking for high quality medical care for a low price. I often catch myself saying, "I will wait till I am back in Thailand to get that checked out." Many people have a poor view of Thailand when it comes to health care. Yes, you don't have to get a prescription when you want some medicine to fight off a major virus and you don't have to get 5 screenings before you can see an expert. All of the facilities I have been to in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and even the island of Koh Samui have been top notch locations with modern equipment and English speaking doctors. I would wager that I received more attention and better care than I have in the States.</p><p>As a martial artists and adventurer - it is important to know that when I am traveling that there are up-to-date medical solutions in the event of an accident.</p><p><strong>9. Culture of new locations</strong></p><p>I once heard that there was more culture in Yoghurt than there was in the California. This might be why websites like EscapeAmerica.com are springing up supporting life outside our borders. Some people are looking for more than freedom of speech. Now I love California and I am proud to be an American, so I will not have much to say about negative concerns. However, having run adventure programs for the better part of 20 years and teaching students for the same amount of time, I know where they can get more for their money.</p><p>An exciting part of travel and adventure is meeting new people and learning new languages. Going to places like Thailand will offer a NEW approach and with that comes a benefit that is hard to measure. If you live in the United States already, traveling to another location in the U.S. will not offer much variety. It is hard to grow if you are not challenged to adapt to new locations, meet new people and learn new languages.</p><p><strong>10. Friends in Asia</strong></p><p>Naturally, you can meet friends almost anywhere you go, but there is something unique about traveling in a country with others of like mind. When you are abroad, you will meet others that have taken the time and have the time to spend - people from all over the world. In California, you are likely to meet more people just like you. This can be boring. My first trip to Thailand I made good friends with people from places like Holland, England, Norway, Australia and of course Thailand itself.</p><p><strong>11. Time to play in Thailand</strong></p><p>One of the reasons I created my long-term program was to offer a lifestyle that is against the grain of modern society. If, for example, you come to a typical city in the United States, you will meet people that are more than likely following a very specific path. They are working, going to school or busy with their family or business.</p><p>Long term students can however get together easily to take a road trip almost any time to either explore a new location, go rock climbing or take a road trip. The same ability to meet new people and adventure with them spontaneously is available in Thailand. This is because Thailand and places like Bangkok is an adventure hub of the world.</p><p>In a typical city in the U.S. you are more likely to be challenged with schedules and a tight work week. In Thailand and for students and adventurers alike, the weekend is whenever they want it to be.</p><p><strong>12. Moving to Thailand</strong></p><p>I ran my long-term martial arts program in California for more than 5 years. I have not had one student of hundreds, move to California (other than to train at our camp) for a new lifestyle. However, with only a few years in Thailand, I have had already three students that are trying or have tried to move and set up life in Thailand (outside of our program). Is it because their American dollar will go a lot further? Is it because they have additional freedoms they are excited about in a new country? Is it because they can escape the almost forced social strategy that is pushed in the U.S.? Any of these might be true, and they are a few reasons that so many foreigners attempt to set up life in Thailand. Even if it is just for a change of pace and a break from the typical norm. Many might head home in a year or two refreshed and ready to settle down in their home country.</p><p>My last visit I met a man that was to only be in Bangkok for a few weeks decide to move and live there. He was only there to organize shipments of gems to the U.S. and realized he could spread his wealth and live like a king as opposed to just getting by in the States.</p><p>One of my students made the comment the first week I introduced him to Thailand that he had seen enough to know he never wants to come back - that same person is now living in Thailand and has been for more than a year now. It only took another week to convince him that his typical Untied States views of Thailand were way off base.</p><p>Do students want to live in Thailand? Some might, but the point is that for a long-term program to be successful, you need to be able to survive in a location long term. As a child, living on a tropical island was a dream and a goal. Living on an island in Thailand is not as challenging as some might think.</p><p>Our program also serves as a stepping-stone for introducing students to a new life. I too am able to fully appreciate the good with the bad. As I am from California, I am spoiled with majestic mountains and National Parks like Yosemite. However, I have found that I appreciate the wealth the United States has to offer by living abroad.</p><p><strong>13. Freedom to be YOU</strong></p><p>As a U.S. citizen you truly have a lot of freedom, but you will only begin to respect your real freedoms when you travel to a country where you have even more opportunities to do what you want and how you want to live. In Thailand, for example, if you want to live in one location for a week or months, it is very easy to do so without the hassle of paperwork, credit checks and other headaches that limit you from actually feeling free. Naturally, every country has limitations and Thailand has many. However, for the long-term martial artist or adventurer - Thailand has plenty of options to make you smile.</p><p>Consider being able to pick up a moped in a matter of minutes, or rent a 1 month serviced apartment without anything other than your passport (and the ability to pay of course). In the States, most houses or apartments that you rent (other than outrageously expensive hotels) charge you first month's rent, last month's rent and a security deposit. Many only charge a security deposit, but this is usually the same as the rent.</p><p>In Thailand, there is a lot of flexibility with how you decide to use your rental space too. Usually you are not charged more if you have more people in your room. This is great for students that are looking to adventure with friends and get the best deal. If book a hotel in the States (including Extended Stay Hotels) and add another adult, you will most likely be charged more for the same room and service. If anything, they should be giving you an additional benefit, such as breakfast.</p><p>My point is to point out the positive benefits for long-term students to choose Thailand as their destination for growth. I expect everyone to return home with tales of adventure and eventually settle down where they are happy and can make a successful life for themselves. However, the truth is that jobs will always be there and family and friends will be waiting for you to return. Therefore, while you are focused on training and personal growth, you might as well get the best adventure and experience that your money can buy.</p><p><strong>14. Self-Power</strong></p><p>I remember something that I either read or heard from a public speaker more than 20 years ago. The quote or text was something like this:</p><p>If you want to be a success - leave home.</p><p>Thinking about my experiences over the last 20 years, I would have to agree that my time away from home has taught me some very important lessons. Thailand has a lot to teach any open minded individual, but the big lesson is already available as the student must leave their country and embark on a journey. This step alone is a big step for any adult and one that I believe will help to teach them more about who they are as a human being.</p><p>One of the major differences between our martial art system and others label based martial art styles is the fact that we really push self-powered training and personal growth. It is about creating a lifestyle that you love.</p><p>I remember traveling for the first time on the boat to Koh Phi Phi island from Phuket thinking how great it would be to share this experience with students. It reminded me of the feeling Bruce Lee's character might have felt on his island trip where he was headed to deal some kung-fu fighting in the film Enter the Dragon.</p><p>What about you? Have you ever been to Thailand? Have you ever dreamed of going to Thailand? Do you know anyone who had been to Thailand? Share your experience or thought with us!</p><p>Join NinjaGym <a target="_new" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.theninjacamp.com/programs/programs.html">Live-In Martial Arts and Adventure Camp</a> in Thailand and bring balance to your Mind (with the mental martial art of Winjitsu), Body (by teaching the Martial Arts and Ninjutsu) and Spirit (outdoor adventure - travel and climbing). Whether you want to learn how to become a Ninja, get in shape fast with our NinjaGym fitness boot camp, or be part of the an island adventure, we can help.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-81559183147191453322012-10-04T11:18:00.000-07:002012-10-04T11:18:00.280-07:00The Arts Scene at Esplandade Singapore<div id="article-content"> <p>Shakespeare and all the greats have been reborn in the remarkable silhouette that is the Esplanade Singapore. Built for the specific purpose for art and culture, the Esplanade is a hub for everything and everything to do with plays, performances and the artistic pulse. The calendar in the esplanade is choked full of local and international performances all year round, so your literary tastes will be fulfilled.</p><p>No square inch of the esplanade is wasted. First we move into the concert halls, which has been home and will be home to many magnificent performances. Seating close to 2, 000 people at any one time and designed with the best acoustics - the concert hall has seen many diverse range of music performances from budding local performers to international concerto's and full orchestra performances.</p><p>There is also a theatre and a theatre studio within the premises, also with a seating capacity of about 2, 000 people. Boasting the largest and most expansive performing stage in Singapore, the theatre is also a chameleon - able to adapt to any performance of any size, shape, form and orientation. With excellent lighting, state of the art staging equipment and acoustics that ensure you hear every shudder and whisper of the performer, the Esplanade theatre is a locale for live entertainment like you have never seen. A recital studio is also available within its durian like enclosure, for those intimate performances by speakers, poets and even cosy jazz recitals for crowds below 200.</p><p>The fun doesn't stop there. With more than 20 other locations indoors and outdoors against fantastic views of the bay, the Esplanade is just a promise of fun and entertainment for anyone - however innovative, creative or experimental.</p><p>A quick visit to the webpage and clicking the 'Whats on' icon will show you a whole list of current attractions, events, performances as well as upcoming slots in the future. Anything from visual arts, theatre, concerts as well as multi arts performances will be displayed with a short blurb describing the event and what you can expect from it. The website is highly detailed and they can narrow down your search by time, place, and type of event/performance - you don't have to run through the entire detailed list to find the sort of thing you would like to do. If you are in the mood for a Shakespearean sonnet or even a modern take on Jeffrey Chaucer, then all you have to do is key in the appropriate words and voila!, you will be taken to a page with your desires displayed in colourful icons.</p><p>Signing up for their weekly electronic newsletter is also highly recommended, as you get to be in the know of the latest happenings in esplanade and event highlights. You also get preferential treatment in some cases and access to special events and performances. The esplanade is the vindication of Singapore and the Arts Council efforts to raise the arts scene to another level and 20 years later after its initial planning is an epicentre of performance, a place where art thrives and flourish - all for the benefit for anyone who chooses to pass through its unique walls and grand performances.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-14161234513371107362012-10-03T11:17:00.000-07:002012-10-03T11:17:00.046-07:00Arts and Crafts for Kids<div id="article-content"> <p>Isn't it funny how times change?. In yesteryear, kids were really fascinated about all kinds of art and crafts. Nevertheless, in this day and age, most children are so into electronics like cellular phones, and iPods, and video games. It can be hard to get your nipper up and away from the television screen. Naturally this has an effect on their imaginations. If you do not use your brainpower and search for new things, you'll end up feeling bored and degenerated.</p><p>This is where childrens crafts and fun art come in conveniently handy. The fundamental thing is to acquaint your youngster to crafts and artwork projects at a young age. Because If you do so, you will have a beneficial chance of them sparking an interest in arts and crafts for the long-term. Whilst they are little, children will be occupied with whatever you have in mind to amuse them for fun. If you do a quick internet search for childrens arts and crafts you will find that there is a great number of websites that will help you with art and crafts for children. The crucial thing here is to make the experience fun for them. Because If your child is not having fun you'll have some difficulty getting them interested at all. With the complete flood of arts and craft information and products at your fingertips today, there has never been a better reason to get your children interested.</p><p>This is far more beneficial for your kids and their brains than playing computer games all day long. When your children just sit around and play with electronics, their imaginations go into a hypnotic, vegetative, trance-like state. This is of course, the last thing that you desire. Make the effort to spend some time introducing them to arts and crafts and it will pay off in the long run. This is also a good way for the whole family unit to have some fun together. You don't have to spend a lot of money keeping children entertained. If you visit a simple crafts shop, you can easily buy a few different items to get your kids started. Why not take them with you. This way they get more exposure and they are able to explore the store and witness all that they have to offer in respect to art and crafts for children. Sine there are numerous offshoots of arts and crafts, it is crucial to let your children explore them all. This is a cracking way to help them find something that genuinely interests them.</p><p>Whilst one child may enjoy picture painting or painting on canvas, another child could choose ceramics and creating things with clay. It merely depends on the child and his/her imagination. There is a whole new world to explore when it comes to arts and crafts for children.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-73400013884488812302012-10-02T11:16:00.000-07:002012-10-02T11:16:00.749-07:00Culture and Entertainment in Costa Rica<div id="article-content"> <p>Today, we bring you a step closer to the beautiful Costa Rican culture with our discussion of the diverse cultural activities you can partake in and the varied forms of entertainment you can enjoy year round. Costa Rica offers a wide range of cultural activities that rival those in the U.S. and Europe. You will find here some of the world's finest museums, art galleries, and theaters.</p><p>When you come to Costa Rica in the rainy season, it's best to spend your afternoons visiting Costa Rica's museums to avoid the afternoon rain showers. For $3, you can visit one of Costa Rica's most famous museums, The Gold Museum (Museo del Oro) located in downtown San José under the Plaza de la Cultura Park. It is famous for being home to thousands of invaluable, unique pieces of pre-Colombian gold, which date from 500 B.C. to 1600 A.D. The lighting in the museum is excellent, and the description of each gold piece is clear and available in both Spanish and English.</p><p>Another museum to visit is The Museum of Numismatics (Museo de Numismática), which houses more than 4,000 unique items including the early Costa Rican coins, bills, and financial documents, all displayed elegantly and beautifully.</p><p>An excellent spot for cultural and family entertainment is The Children's Museum (Museo de los Niños) located just north of downtown San José. You can take your family and children there to see the colorful exhibits at display.</p><p>Other museums you should consider visiting are: Museum of Art and Contemporary Design (Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo) - located in Barrio Amón, San José, -, The National Museum (Museo Nacional) - located in San José, Barrio La California, -, Costa Rica Museum of Art (Museo de Arte Costarricense) - located in Sabana Este, San José, -, and The National Archives (Archivo Nacional) - located in Barrio Pinto, between Zapote and Curridabat.</p><p>There are also snake museums that you can go to, one of which is The World of Snakes (Serpentario El Mundo de las Serpientes), an open-air snake exhibition that is located near the Red Metal Church in Grecia, where we live, and hosts snakes from all over the world. Serpentario Monteverde Costa Rica is another snake museum worth checking out that is located in Santa Elena, Monteverde, and offers guided tours all day long. A side note on the snake population is that they do not venture to El Cajon, because the elevation of our land is over 5,000 ft. and they are not known to thrive in the cool temperatures above 4,500 ft.</p><p>Not a museum person? No problem! If you're interested in ecology and bio-diversity, then you should visit Costa Rica's Earth University and INBioparque, the latter of which is a theme park that offers interactive experiences with nature with daily trips and tours and is located in Santo Domingo de Heredia. Another spot worth checking out is Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge, an 815-acre national wildlife preserve located on the Southern Pacific Coast near Dominical that is ideal for bird watching and eco-tours.</p><p>And if you really are into bird watching, you can be sure that Costa Rica is the right place for you. Costa Rica is famous for its diverse environmental conditions and factors, a reason why Costa Rica is home to over 850 species of birds (more than those in the United States and Canada combined). Eco-tourists and bird-watching enthusiasts come to Costa Rica from all over the world to watch and study the diverse species of birds. Bird watching is definitely an excellent way to spend both your early mornings and late afternoons here.</p><p>Selva Verde Lodge is a world-renowned bird sanctuary that is literally an eco-tourist dream with exotic bird watching, white water rafting, and very inexpensive tours of their property, which in itself is a botanical garden where you will likely see iguanas, sloths, and the list goes on and on. Their noon time buffet is also quite an over indulgence! We've been there 4 or more times and look forward to our next visit.</p><p>You can also go to Zoo Ave, a stunning zoo and a wildlife rescue center for injured wildlife located in La Garita, 30 minutes from San José. It is home to more than 100 Costa Rican bird species (the largest bird collection in Central America) including toucans, cranes, curassows, and parrots and is one of only two zoos in the world to display the splendid quetzals. Besides its huge bird collection, Zoo Ave houses numerous crocodiles, deer, turtles, ostriches, tapirs, peccaries, pumas, and indigenous monkeys. The price of admission is $15 for adult tourists.</p><p>If you enjoy fishing, then you should be in Costa Rica! Fishing tours and inland fishing trips are widely available and freshwater angling, fly fishing, eco-fishing, and whale watching are extremely popular here in Costa Rica. The prices of fishing trips vary widely with the highest prices paid in the tourist areas. If you go on fishing trips away from the tourist areas, you'll save a lot of money.</p><p>And here is another activity you can enjoy in Costa Rica: surfing. Surfers from all over the world come here to venture into the Costa Rican water. If you're just a beginner interested in surfing, you can go to any of Costa Rica's excellent surf camps and schools. And when you're better equipped, you can surf in Playa Hermosa, arguably one of the most popular surfing locations in Costa Rica. Other surfing locations to consider are Playa Dominical, Playa Tamarindo, Playa Nosara, Salsa Brava, Pavones, Playa Jacó (the closest surfing location to Grecia and San José), and Malpais.</p><p>You can also choose to go to the different types of spas available in Costa Rica. You can choose to go to a Report Spa if you want to enjoy a wide range of recreational activities, including golf, tennis, horseback riding, skiing, and dancing, in addition to a renewing spa experience. You can also choose to go to a Day Spa if you're busy and want to enjoy a spa that is designed to provide a relaxing and pampering experience that takes from as little as an hour to a whole day.</p><p>Up for some after-dark, nighttime entertainment? Dining out, dancing, and going to concerts, fairs, and movies are all available options. In the Central Valley, you will find excellent eateries serving some of the most delicious meals at very affordable prices. You can have Costa Rican food, Peruvian food, Italian food, French food, Chinese food, and Mexican food. Plus, you have a 100% chance of finding the large American restaurant chains here like T.G.I. Friday's, Tony Roma's, McDonald's, etc. And a real live Hagen Daz for the sweet tooth is available in Escazu.</p><p>Late-night dancing in Costa Rica is a very popular way to spend your nights, as Ticos love to dance. If you're into dancing but don't know how to dance, you can start taking dance lessons here in Costa Rica at very low prices. You can also go to concerts and watch world-class artists, live weekend bands, and Flamenco dancers from Spain perform. Going to fairs should also be on your top to-do list - the bullfights and street dances are a joy to behold.</p><p>You can also choose to spend your night watching a movie at the theater, something we used to do almost every week until we found you can rent first-run movies the same time they are released in the States. Still, movie-goers can watch first-run movies in the state-of-the-art theater here in Grecia the same day they are released in the States for $3 only, and they are all in English with Spanish subtitles.</p><p>Looking for a more sophisticated way to spend your evenings? The National Theatre (Teatro Nacional), located in the central section of San José, has a breathtaking symphony hall, where shows are scheduled throughout the year and world-famous artists and orchestras perform some of the most spectacular symphonies. Entering the theater and enjoying guided tours there are free, so just enjoy!</p><p>The Theater Melico Salazar (Teatro Popular Melico Salazar), located in Central San José on Paseo Colon, is also an important center for culture in Costa Rica. A wide variety of shows and performances is scheduled throughout the year including live theatre, art, and music.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-12863569986925424752012-10-01T11:14:00.000-07:002012-10-01T11:14:00.210-07:00Newark, NJ - A Revitalized City with Top Attractions and Entertainment<div id="article-content"> <p>In the shadows of New York City, just five miles and a seventeen minute train ride away, Newark, New Jersey has plenty to offer visitors, or the New York City tourist who chooses to visit or stay nearby at less expensive restaurants, and hotels.</p><p>This is not a city to spend a considerable amount of time in, but it's an excellent destination for a day trip or weekend getaway, or even for the budget conscious tourist looking for a place to stay when visiting NYC.</p><p>One of the nation's oldest cities, after Boston and New York, Newark was a thriving 19th-century industrial giant and at the turn of the century made huge investments in cathedrals, museums, parks, a major art deco train station, and other art deco architecture, that today stand as world class attractions.</p><p>Newark also has a good Subway system. The system is a subway-surface light rail line which runs underground downtown and above-ground in outlying areas. The line is 5.3 miles long and runs between Newark Penn Station and Grove Street in Bloomfield.</p><p>After World War II, similar to other urban U.S. cities where loss of manufacturing jobs and urban decay began to occur, Newark experienced similar decline that continued until it reached bottom with 1960s riots. Since then the city has been slowly climbing back.</p><p>While its churches, museums, schools and public buildings are certainly to be admired, they also are off the tax rolls and with brings an unusually high burden of tax exemption that has held back the pace Newark's revitalization programs.</p><p>Since the sixties, the city has made great strides forward with a major drop in street crime, a downtown that can be walked around, and the development of major downtown entertainment venues and hotels that bring to Newark an arena, a professional NHL Hockey team, a 6,200 seat minor league baseball stadium and a performing arts center with a concert hall and theatre that attracts the world's best performers. Coincident with the development of entertainment venues, office skyscrapers have risen as homes to corporate employers and jobs. These are all attractions that can be easily accessible by public transportation or car with plenty of safe, affordable downtown parking. The hub of rail transportation is the restored Penn Station, an art deco landmark, used by over 70,000 commuters per day.</p><p><b><u>Major Attractions</u> Cherry Blossom Festival</b> The second largest Cherry Blossom display in the Unites States with the National Cherry Blossom display in Washington, DC being the largest and usually occurs about two weeks earlier. Held in Branch Brook Park, there are over 2,700 cherry trees. The blossoms can be best enjoyed by a casual walk or picnic in the park. The cherry trees usually flower in the second and third weeks of April. This is a week long festival with many events including a 10K race, trolley bus tours, and family Day with Japanese cultural activities, including demonstrations on origami, bonsai, ikebana, and martial arts.</p><p>Contact: 973-268-2300</p><p><b>Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart</b></p><p>The fifth largest cathedral in North America. The French Gothic structure took more than fifty years to build and earned Basilica status from Pope John Paul in 1955. Located near Branch Brook Park on Ridge Street, the architecture closely resembles two of the world's great cathedrals at Cathedral Notre Dame at Chartres in France and the Cathedral of Rheims in Germany.</p><p>Contact: 973-484-2400</p><p><b>The New Jersey Performing Arts Center</b></p><p>Houses two venues that attract the world's best performers in Prudential Hall, one of the world's great concert halls, and the Victoria Theater. It is also home to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.</p><p>Contact: 888-GO-NJPAC</p><p><b>The Newark Museum</b> New Jersey's largest museum provides experiences in the arts and natural sciences. In operation since 1909, it includes an 1885 brick-and-limestone restored mansion, the Dreyfuss Planetarium, and a zoo with more than 100 animals. Take an inspirational journey through 80 galleries of world-class collections including American, Asian, African and Classical. Take a walk through the beautiful sculpture garden, visit the museum shops and enjoy a delicious lunch or snack at the cafe.</p><p>Contact: 973-596-6550</p><p><b>The Prudential Center</b> This new 18,000 seat arena is one of the finest in the country and home to the New Jersey Devils NHL hockey team and other college basketball, indoor soccer, concerts, family shows and special events.</p><p>Contact: (201) 507-8900</p><p><b>Riverfront Stadium</b> A new $30 million 6,200 seat, state of the art stadium, is the home of the Newark Bears minor league baseball team. Situated in the downtown area, the stadium enjoys a terrific urban setting surrounded on three sides by the city with a view of the Manhattan skyline off in the distance.</p><p>Contact<b>: </b><strong>1-866-55-4BEAR</strong></p><p><b><u>Hotels</u></b></p><p><b>Hilton Newark Gateway</b></p><p>The hotel is located in the heart of the downtown business district in the prestigious Gateway Center. The Hilton hotel is directly connected to Penn Station and the Gateway Center, which makes it very convenient for travelers to reach it via Amtrak, New Jersey Transit or PATH.</p><p>Contact: 1-973-622-5000</p><p><b>Robert Treat Hotel</b></p><p>The contemporary and elegant Robert Treat Hotel is located in the heart of the downtown district with views of New York and the city's skyline.</p><p>Contact: 1-800-637-7200</p><p><b><u>Restaurants</u></b></p><p>The Ironbound section, is a Portuguese neighborhood with Ferry Street, being its commercial hub, is noted for its moderately priced Portuguese, Spanish and Brazilian restaurants. In the mood for an ethnic lunch or snack? Try one of Ironbound's cafes and bakeries. Enjoy a sandwich or some pastry and a cup of dark South American coffee. With the revitalization of the city, new restaurants are beginning to emerge that offer the diner a variety of different dining choices.</p><p>Adega Grill - Spanish-Portuguese</p><p>130-132 Ferry St</p><p>973-589-8830</p><p>Casa Vasca - Spanish-Portuguese</p><p>141 Elm St.</p><p>973-465-1350</p><p>Maize Restaurant - Traditional American fare</p><p>Robert Treat Hotel, 50 Park Pl.</p><p>973-639-1200</p><p>Theater Square Grill - Creative American fare.</p><p>New Jersey Performing Arts Ctr.</p><p>1 Center St.</p><p>973-642-1226</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-32265052425362993492012-09-13T11:13:00.000-07:002012-09-13T11:13:00.047-07:00Hollywood - Martial Arts - And The World Of Hip Hop<div id="article-content"> <p>Now brewing beer for almost 250 years and served in some 150 countries, Guinness Stout was founded as a family-owned brewery in Dublin, Ireland by Arthur Guinness. Not only is Guinness a top beverage in its own country, but even down in Jamaica the dreads swear by it, serve it up, and sip it down; ice cold, or at room temperature. Lots of big business has come out of 'Sir Arthur's' product, which is known the world over, and spreading...</p><p>Truthfully, many affiliations between big business and the music industry have netted fruitful endeavors for all parties involved. And now, a university-level homework assignment: see if you can use a keen eye to find a few more examples of relationships between big business, government, or social organizations with the Rap community. Chances are, there's probably some right around you; you may not have even been aware of them before. Hint: Take a good look at those motion pictures hitting the big screen. Here's an interesting scenario for you to sink your teeth into...action!</p><p>Celebrity Will Smith laughed his way straight to the bank when many Rap fans wrote "DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince" off as lame. But before 'the show' was over, Smith got the starring role on TV sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," which debuted in 1990. The show had a long successful run, and continues running in syndication. Will Smith 'the rapper' performed the theme song, while Will Smith 'the actor' made sure his Rap music homey Jazzy Jeff was also cast in some shows; but Mr. Smith did not stop there. He went on to star in movies which earned him as much as $10 million a pop. There is no need to mention his list of credits; just go to Blockbuster Video or the Internet and type in the 'search.'</p><p>Finding a need to outdo 'himself,' Smith's fee went from $10 million to 20 big ones, then from 20 large to $25 million per, before he dived into the big 'M' and 'super-sized' his life by marrying Jada Pinkett. She paved her own way as an impressive actress on shows like "A Different World," "The Cosby Show," and in blockbuster films such as "Ali," "Jason's Lyric," "Menace To Society," "Woo," "Set It Off," the "Matrix" spinoffs, "The Nutty Professor," "Scream 2," "Collateral," and who knows what else by now. I heard a rumor that the pair might have to buy a continent to use as a tax shelter. Wow - that's big enough to get on the Oprah list! Combined, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith account for about two dozen top films of the 20th and now, 21st centuries. And these films usually came with hot music soundtracks, too. This is another example of the deepening relationship between Hollywood and the Rap/Hip-Hop world. For the purpose of fun, let's call their happy union "Holly-hood." Watch out--more fun's on the way!</p><p>But hold up and wait a minute: before we dig in any further, let's pull over at a local Asian restaurant for some grub--we'll need it for our next stop. My fingers tingle from all this typing action on the laptop, sitting here in the 'time out' corner of the classroom. Where's my Dragon voice recognition program when I need it? At home parked on the desktop computer - what a bummer!</p><p>Please note that things have changed with regards to technology, folks. Not only does my voice recognition program type as I talk into a microphone, it'll read it back to me, too. When my editorial consultant Ms. Melilli (also known as the infamous 'XoxoJean') sends e-mails to a friend with a text recognition program, it recognizes her name by saying "Socks-a-Jean." I'm just happy she likes my smoked turkeys. According to information obtained from my old friend B.Brown of Bar-Red Entertainment, my confidential Author Code Name is: 'Turkey Smoker of the Stars.' His mother Ms. Lydia works for the Atlanta Convention & Visitor's Bureau. Both she and Miss Jean can keep getting the big birds too, as long as their taste buds approve of the transaction.</p><p>Data: A new development has just occurred. I heard a growl; my tummy's empty from tapping into extra neurological cells to use a special, limited resource: my natural 'superior intellect.' I guess I owe my nephew Dez a fortune for this term--his invoice may be the death of me yet!</p><p>So what's your taste buds say? Anyone that knows me will tell you I get a little grumpy when I'm hungry. Chinese, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Thai, Vietnamese; whatever you want--it'll be on me. Plus, we're about to run into a whole bunch of people, and some of them may be hungry too. I'm not feeling like sharing plates today though, hence I'm buying with my per diem money. So go ahead and keep your 'cream' (dolla-dolla bills) in your pockets.</p><p>According to our itinerary, one colorful group that is listed as being capable of running circles around the proverbial 'viper's pit' has the letters "WTC" engraved in the minds of its constituents. This could mean trouble, 'cause the paperwork says they're some kinda 'clan.' But as long as there's no "K" up in the mix, I'm good. I wonder if they look alike; you know what some people can say without meeting someone first. Maybe we can all blend in and "just get along" if we're eating some food representing the region. We'll be having hot, buttered popcorn for desert, though. (You may see where I'm going with this in a minute - I'll remind you.) Both Asia and the Far East are known for their delectable dishes and many forms of cultural stimuli. On our next stop, you'll see that cultures from the Pacific Rim have plenty of interesting offerings with regards to the consumable entertainment they produce, too.</p><p>Similar to us westerners, Asian food and entertainment go well together, just like popcorn and movies. One American network calls it "Dinner And A Movie." Lots of popular flicks include what are known as 'action movies.' Many film buffs enjoy action movies about world destruction, extra-terrestrial invasions, espionage, crooked government officials, dirty cops, gun-slinging cliques, posses, gangsters and the mafia; in short, these subjects and characters make up good thematic content for stories about extinction-level events and the underworld. Film buffs take to action films that come loaded with explosions, chase scenes, aerial shots, fight sequences, hand-to-hand-combat, and cutting-edge weapons. I know I do. Speaking of cutting-edge weapons, New York's Wu Tang Clan uses one as a logo. What appears to be a rounded, sharply bladed, boomerang/disk is actually the "W" in Wu Tang. From looking at the weapon however, I don't think I'd be likely to wake up some morning with a notion of getting cut by one of those things. Ever.</p><p>There are those 'action movie heads' who would agree that some pretty exciting films feature martial arts. Back in the 70s, we called them "Kung Fu movies." After Carl Carlton busted out with the hit song "Kung Fu Fighting," I built myself a pair of chuck sticks. But after a few displaced pops to the back of the head, I retired them. Alas, my dreams of becoming a 'Samurai Ninja Martial Arts Fighter' were shattered; but that was better than having a self-inflicted busted cranium. I went on to other things; mainly, watching martial arts movies. By the way, that minute's 'bout up. If you know the deal, you can keep on reading. If you don't know, you might want to ask somebody, get a map, or keep on reading, too. Whatever's clever!</p><p>It's no secret that cultures like the Chinese have been known for their long-standing empires. They also developed a highly disciplined way to defend their 'valuable assets' that were stored in huge, heavily protected fortresses. Martial arts gave fighters an opportunity to go mano-a-mano in sometimes brutal displays of precision and brute strength. This Spanish term is also known as hand-to-hand, head-to-head, one-on-one, and single combat.</p><p>Historic teachings show that great forces were often referred to as being god-like. Some were also referenced through vicious man-killing beasts such as lions, tigers and bears. Oh my--did you know that ancient Chinese dynasties developed many institutions or schools of thought and defense? Some were based on a mystical creature known as the dragon. One group that acknowledged "the way of the dragon" broke ground by doing it all. Setting up a great and powerful Hip-Hop dynasty along the way, they've been long known for their tight embrace on the discipline of building rock-solid empires. Pioneering Hip-Hop supergroup Wu Tang Clan has built upon their image of being an invincible clan of talented MCs and producers. Chief knob-twister RZA orchestrated the rise of an original, three-man group; an entire planetary movement followed.</p><p>Originally synergized through a nucleus composed of RZA, GZA and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, the Wu Tang Clan produced sound recordings with themes based on Hong Kong's martial arts and Samurai movies. Along with references to the Five Percent Nation, strategic moves, chess and other thematic subject matter, the influence of ancient Chinese dynasties flowed through The Clan like a river.</p><p>Soon after the original members crunk up the machine, more warriors jumped on board. The Wu Tang Clan ended up with 9 MCS, to qualify for labeling as a Hip-Hop supergroup, just on G.P. (general principle). As a producer, RZA later got a bigger break by acting in, but more importantly, composing music for the soundtrack of Forrest Whitacker's "Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai" and "Kill Bill, Volume 1." (I wonder if he can hook me up with Lucy Liu and her friend from the Crazy 88's.) These movies have some great on-location scenes, and the fighting sequences are just what the doctor ordered. To kick off 2007, Spike TV offered up some new programming content. On New Year's Eve, they unveiled "Afro Samurai," featuring Samuel L. Jackson as a 'superior fighting intellect.' The great and powerful RZA popped up once again, doing the music. This concoction totally made sense to me, by this point. If you haven't seen these visual elixirs yet, what are you waiting for, a prescription?</p><p>Originating in the Far East, martial arts flicks somehow found a home in the world of American Rap music. It's no doubt that Bruce Lee is the #1 martial artist to affect the 70s film world. Americans like Chuck "Walker, Texas Ranger" Norris, John Saxon, and Karate-chop brother Jim "Black Belt Jones" Kelly became martial arts film stars; even basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar got a piece of the action in Bruce Lee's personal project, "Game Of Death." When Lee got offered crazy money to star in the first Hollywood-backed martial arts film ("Enter The Dragon"), he did what any red-blooded entrepreneur would have done: he put the brakes on his project and began production on the new movie.</p><p>It became the biggest budget film in this genre's history, and featured a young Jackie Chan as a stuntman. Bruce Lee's untimely death, however, closed out an important chapter of martial art's epic rise to fame, but Rap artists like the Wu Tang Clan used samples from "Enter The Dragon" on their debut album, opening up a whole new episode. Both of Bruce Lee's final martial arts films went on to spread the word about this growing faction of the movie and music (more simply put: entertainment) industries. Rap artists listened and responded; they would 'holla back' in their own unique, urban way.</p><p>On TV, David Carradine starred in the long-running, "Kung Fu." From Belgium, Jean Claude Van Damme made his mark in 'the arts,' too. While Jackie Chan headed into a 'funny-bone' crushing direction with comedian Chris Tucker in "Rush Hour," Jet Li got serious with Aaliyah and DMX in "Romeo Must Die" (2000). Li also teamed up again with DMX in "Cradle to the Grave" (2003). A multi-dimensional Jet Li film called "The One" blended sci-fi with martial arts. This would not be the only flick with such a combustible mixture. There's a long-awaited 2007 film featuring Jet Li and Jackie Chan now being completed. All of these urban-based action movies featured lots of martial arts moves; more were on the way.</p><p>Send requests for the conclusion of this story to me anytime.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-25327564985256319372012-09-12T11:11:00.000-07:002012-09-12T11:11:00.749-07:00Humor Can Be Entertaining When Exercising the Art of Entertainment<div id="article-content"> <p>In most groups, the art of entertainment points to a special person. It is indeed an honor to be labeled the entertainer. Entertainment should be directed toward good humor. The comedian, whether famous or a want-to-be, should never use ridicule as part of their message. The later can sometime be tragic; because no doubt, someone will eventually be hurt due to the fact: Loose lips can sink ships.</p><p>If you are an entertainer that enjoys the art of good humor, you should try to be certain that the jovial happening that you are spreading in not due to a negative incident. And I suggest that you must be aware as to how that individual will react if they learn that their antic is the subject of laughter. Sometime fun can become hilarious when it is approached with good taste, well meaning wit, and in the mode of decent pleasure. Yet, on the other hand, it can turn bad and become a disaster which may never heal, thus will leave hurt feelings.</p><p>It is best when one directs the laughter toward oneself, especially if ridicule, even in good taste, is involved. Everyone enjoys a good laugh with the person who is telling the story on them self, especially if they can laugh at them self with others. After all, often times comedians will get their material from a personal observation.</p><p>When offering good humor, the art of entertainment is often times best received when the entertainer projects them self as a different person while the laughter is being projected. Sometime a comedian will use a puppet, or they can dress-up as a clown, or maybe a man dressed as a woman, or an easy act is to change their voice for the moment. Whatever the presentation, the final result is in hopes of being funny.</p><p>It is not necessary to tell a comedian that he or she is funny, the reaction of the audience will depict the final judgment.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-72806116806694058522012-09-11T11:10:00.000-07:002012-09-11T11:10:00.310-07:00Music As an Art and an Entertainment<div id="article-content"> <p>When we were kids, our parents made it a point to expose us to a lot of things. They made us sing, dance ballet, act, play instruments, join art classes and many more. Our exposure to arts and entertainment deviate our attention from the structured lessons we learn in class. Aside from developing our cognitive abilities, it is important that we work in honing our creativity and motor skills. Being a well-rounded person is a good thing. It allows us to adjust to our environment and relate well to our peers.</p><p>Arts and entertainment covers a broad area, it includes music, literature, television, theater, visual arts and many more. It is everything that stimulates what we see, what we feel and what we hear. The people who came before us left beautiful masterpieces, which should inspire us to do better.</p><p>At present, modernization has paved the way of doing the impossible. People are driven to achieve more because things are one click away. Books are can be bought online, movies are available in DVD's and music updates are very accessible. Technology may have taken over, but it cannot be denied that everything that we have right now is a product of man's creativity. This is a good thing because a lot of young people are into it. They enjoy immersing themselves on what they see on TV and on listening to their favorite songs from their playlists. One of the artists that are loved by most of them is Jason Derulo.</p><p>A singer and a songwriter born in Miami, Jason Derulo has succeeded in making himself known in hit charts along with other famous performers. The songs that he released from his present album were a major hit that everyone is looking forward to his upcoming projects. His fans are excited to collect stuff like Jason Derulo "autographed" photos that they can keep as a memorabilia or post on their walls. In fact, most of them enjoy joining contests where they can show how much they love and enjoy his music. A big thanks to technology; these activities can be accessible to everyone who is willing to join in the craze.</p><p>So what's in stored for Jason Derulo for 2011? Lots! He will commence his year by going on tour internationally. He will begin in England on February 17, 2011 with a concert in Bournemouth which will be followed by a similar event in Wolverhampton on February 18, 2010. He will also be visiting Leeds, Derby, Manchester, Cardiff and London. I'm pretty sure the people in the United Kingdom are all excited to meet him. Ticket details and the schedule of his tours are readily available online. This way, fans who are interested to watch his concerts, will be kept updated. Attending his concerts will surely be fun and exciting, besides the fact that you get to see Jason Derulo in person, you will also hear him sing live!</p><p>The guy is just starting his career but everybody loves him already. The fans are hanging on to what he is going to offer in the near future and they don't doubt his capacity to exceed what he has already achieved.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-78104325410319633622012-09-10T11:09:00.001-07:002012-09-10T11:09:39.459-07:00Arts and Entertainment News from Hollywood North<div id="article-content"> <p>Boys Come... Boy's Co.</p><p>"John Lennon & Yoko Ono Bed-In for Peace"</p><p>Ask any girl. Those rules were bent Friday night when I happened upon old flame David Goldman still going strong at his Boy's Co exclusive opening of "All We Are Saying" - a fashionable evening featuring the original photographs of "John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Bed-In for Peace" by the late photojournalist Gerry Deiter.</p><p>These extraordinary photographs, providing the backdrop for the theme of the evening, were on display through the sagacity of the Elliott Louis Gallery's owner Ted Lederer - who single-handedly dragged them out of Deiter's vault for a first-time showing on May 26, 2004 - thirty-five years after John Lennon and Yoko Ono went to bed in a suite in Montreal's Queen Elizabeth Hotel, and invited the entire world to join them in seeking an alternative to violence and war in solving global political and social problems.</p><p>May 26, 1969. That month the battle of Dong Ap Bia, a.k.a. Hamburger Hill was exploding in the Vietnam War. Race riots occurred in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. French Foreign Legion paratroopers landed in Kolwezi, Zaire, to rescue Europeans caught in the middle of a civil war. U.S. National Guard helicopters sprayed skin-stinging powder on anti-war protesters in California. It was two years after the Summer of Love.</p><p>John and Yoko were in room 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. Early in the Bed-In, a reporter asked John what he was trying to do. John said, "All we are saying is give peace a chance." Putting sounds to the thought, he rented an 8-track tape machine from a local music store and, on May 31 while in bed, recorded the first solo by a single Beatle," Give Peace a Chance", - the recording was attended by dozens of journalists and various celebrities, including Timothy Leary, Petula Clark, Dick Gregory and Canada's Tommy Smothers.</p><p>Gerry Deiter was there for the entire eight days. He was assigned to photograph the Bed-In for Peace by Life Magazine but Life never ran the feature. Ironically, it fell victim to a bigger story - the death of Ho Chi Minh, leader of North Vietnam.</p><p>Deiter kept the negatives and transparencies locked away for more than 30 years. He had been living aboard a classic wooden motor yacht cruising the wilderness of the British Columbia coast photographing and writing when Ted Lederer, with the help of family and friends, prevailed on him to bring this archive to life and offer the work to the public at the Elliott Louis Gallery in 2004. This amazing work offers up 25 images in colour and black and white that celebrate John and Yoko's example of peace and love.</p><p>What brought the Boy's Co show together were Goldman and Lederer meeting up on the field where their sons play soccer. It was a confluence that allowed for a new generation to have a special glimpse of an older one.</p><p>Disenchanted fan, Mark David Chapman, murdered Lennon on December 8, 1980. The world is still at war. This retrospective clearly speaks to Lennon's prescience.</p><p>Good on Deiter, Goldman and Lederer for keeping his mission in our faces.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-47580411406617146292012-09-09T11:08:00.000-07:002012-09-10T11:08:28.966-07:00Craft Ideas For Kids That Are Both Cheap and Entertaining<div id="article-content"> <p>Does your child have a very short attention span? Are they predisposed to getting bored very quickly? Well, no need to worry because you are not alone. Because there is so much going on around them, children have the tendency to focus on one thing for a short period of time before moving on to something else of greater interest. The Key to holding their attention is two-fold. The first element you need is to have an activity or object that they find interesting. The second thing you need to keep your child's attention is to have them sit down and focus on the task or activity presented to them. Now how can you go about this without spending lots of money on expensive toys and games? Well we've compiled a list of do-it-yourself craft projects that can be created with simple, everyday household items. With these fun new craft projects, you won't need to worry about how to entertain your child without spending a lot of money.</p><p>Paper Mache - All you require for this craft project is some old newspaper cut into strips, water and flour for paste, and some cardboard or balloons to create a base shape to cover with the homemade glue. Once the paste has dried, the object you've created can be decorated!</p><p>Paper Dolls - You can easily locate a template online and simply print the pages out. Your child can cut, colour and decorate to their hearts content. All you'll need is a pair of scissors and some crayons or felt pens.</p><p>Dioramas - This timeless craft project is great for any type of child. Depending on their interests, the diorama can be made to showcase pretty much anything you child wants. From a miniature hockey rink to a dollhouse, the possibilities are endless. An open box, and a random assortment of buttons, figurines, cardboard, scissors, tape, felt-pens and other trinkets should be enough to build just about anything your child wants.</p><p>Rock Painting - Simply locate a few smooth, palm-size rocks from your backyard or local park. Be sure to scrub any dirt off of them so that decorating will be easier. Following this, all you'll require is some paint or nail polish and whatever items you desire for added effects. Pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and paper strips work quite well, just be sure to let the paint dry before attaching add-ons.</p><p>Cave Painting - Much like colouring pages but with an added effect, cave painting is meant to look as though your child's artwork is really old and unique. To do this craft, you'll need to crumple up a paper bag then spread it flat again. Then simply colour or paint an image on the bags surface with charcoal or other earthy tones such as red and orange. The finished product will look like the work of a caveman or cave-woman!</p><p>Homemade Chia-Pets - This craft project is a great one that lasts a long time! First, you'll need to hard-boil a couple of eggs. Once the eggs have cooled, you need to carefully cut the top of the egg off and empty the contents. If you're really thinking, you can incorporate an easy lunch into this craft! Then, let your child decorate the egg shell with a face. When they're done, place a cotton ball or two inside the shell, sprinkle some alfalfa seeds inside and pour some water on top. Place the egg in a holder on a windowsill and watch over the next few days as your child's egg sprouts some crazy green hair! Not only will your child love decorating the egg but wait till you see the joy on their faces as it grows and changes over the next few days!</p><p>With craft ideas like these, you'll have no need to spend your hard earned money on unnecessary toys and crafts at hobby stores. With a bit of creativity and some household items, you and your child can spend hours having fun and being entertained for on a very small budget!</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-4316154052277040222012-08-09T11:07:00.000-07:002012-09-10T11:07:17.960-07:00Cheap and Entertaining Craft Ideas For Kids - How to Make a Home-Made Guitar<div id="article-content"> <p>It is often quite difficult to keep your child entertained for any stretch of time if they aren't interested in the activity they're participating in. In order to keep your child's attention, you'll need to have a fun and interesting project that not only captures their attention but also requires them to focus on the task at hand. The best projects are ones that allow adults to participate, supervise, and lend a helping hand when necessary. One such project that is sure to please is making a home made guitar. Read on for the required items and directions on how easy it is to do.</p><p>Here's a list of what you'll need:</p><p>Box with lid (a shoe box is perfect) <br />Cardboard tube <br />Scissors <br />Tape <br />Long elastic bands <br />Two pencils <br />Aluminium foil <br />Art accessories</p><p>Here's how to go about making your child's very own guitar:</p><p>1 - Cut a hole in the lid of the box leaving about a 5cm strip at the sides and 3cm's at the top and bottom. Then on each side of the original hole, cut two thinner slots the same length as the first.</p><p>2 - Cut a hole in one end of the box large enough to fit the cardboard roll through.</p><p>3 - Cover the cardboard roll with foil, and place it through the hole in the box, then secure it into place with tape.</p><p>4 - Tape the lid to the box then cover the box with foil. Cut away the foil from the holes in the lid.</p><p>5 - String rubber bands from one end of the box to the other. To produce a better sound, wrap the pencils with foil and place them under all the elastic bands at each end of the box. To create different sounds with each string, use different size and length elastics or wrap some tighter than others.</p><p>6 - decorate your guitar with paint, stickers, magazine clippings, or any other paraphernalia you want.</p><p>By following these six simple steps, your child will have their very own homemade guitar! Your child will be able to produce unique sounds and may grow to appreciate music even more. Who knows, they may even want to take up the real thing after playing their new creation!</p><p>If after you've completed your guitar and are wondering if you've completed it correctly or if your interested in seeing a picture of what the finished product should look like, you can visit this link [http://blog.cackleberries.com/?p=881] to a page highlighting how to make your homemade guitar in greater detail.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-642680741809924582012-08-08T11:05:00.000-07:002012-09-10T11:06:06.796-07:00Events and Entertainment in Dublin<div id="article-content"> <p>Dublin is a cosmopolitan city having never-ending potentials for the provision of round the clock entertainment and fun to its tourist. The reason behind this is its electrifying entertaining attitude and a long list of events happening every next day. Dublin is the capital city and is the centre of entertainment and amusement in Ireland. The cheerful Dubliners believe in "If you're not having fun... what are you having". Entertainment is something they live for. Just think about any branch of entertainment and you will definitely find it in Dublin-Theatres, cinemas, festivals, exhibitions, bars, clubs, concerts, comedy, and sports. Let's talk about each one of these one by one:</p><p><b>Dublin Cinema</b></p><p>The cinema in Dublin is a fascinating instrument to entertain locals and visitors at low costs. The magic and magnetism of the silver screen inspires everyone. Cinema is not only a source of entertainment but it also plays an influential role in the education of children and teenagers. When in comes to building up a healthy society the cinema can offer and accomplish much in this regard. Dublin hosts its own international film festival every year. Dublin cinema gives its spectator a complete parcel of action, romance, thrill, adventure and fun.</p><p><b>Dublin Theatre</b></p><p>Dublin has a flourishing theatre scene. Theatre is a form of performing arts which benefits a city with the flair of creativity. The young Dubliners are interested to attend concerts and music events. Theater is a part of Irish culture. Theaters play the role of acting schools. The Irish actors make their money through movies, but earn reputations by working on the stage. <br />The theater has always been seen as a national amusement activity. Each year around October The Dublin Theater Festival and Fringe Festival are arranged to quench the thirst of drama and arts lovers. Dublin is an extraordinarily lively theater town; major names in Dublin Theatre include the world-famous Abbey Theater, the Gaeity Theater, Civic Theatre, The Liberty Hall Centre, The Pavilion and The Lambert Puppet Theatre. The Abbey is said to be the jewel in the crown of Dublin Theater, It presents productions of works by Irish playwrights in past and present.</p><p><b>Dublin Comedy</b></p><p>"Laughter is the best medicine." Laughter is exceptionally significant for a person's mental health. American cardiologist Dr. William Fry says a good laugh is like a mini workout and 100-200 laughs are equivalent to 10 minutes of jogging or rowing. It makes you feel good, gets your blood circulating, and makes you happy. It is a gift that you can pass it on to other people. Dublin has many offers of comedy shows that will make u laugh until your tummy gets tight.</p><p>Comedy in Dublin has grown to be a very well-liked type of entertainment over the last few years. You can find the best Irish comedic talent in Dublin. Dublin is also home to a number of big comedy clubs.</p><p><b>Dublin Sports</b></p><p>Dublin has a lot of stuff for sport lovers. Dublin presents a wealth of sports to its people and visitors. Dublin is recognized as the home of the world's best golf courses. Golf is an individual sport. . The golf courses in Dublin can surely be marked as magnificent places for golf lovers to spend their holidays with fun and etiquettes. Dublin offers a number of world famous golf courses to play. Almost all of these courses are appropriate for beginners and experts both. The ideal time to play and to enjoy golf on the soil of Ireland is in the summer season.</p><p>Dublin is fairly known for its high breed horses and thrilling race-courses. These world class race-courses provide entertainment and exercise to the riders and the spectators. Horse racing is a popular historical game of Dublin, now it has become a great business as well.</p><p>Greyhound racing is an electrifying spectator sport and a multi-million money industry. It was introduced in Ireland in 1927 and since the day it was started it is growing. Today, this sport has become an essential part of the lives of millions of people. In the world of Greyhound Racing, Dublin holds its own identity.</p><p>There are a lot of other games like Hurling, Rugby, soccer, Gaelic football, water sport, cycling, angling and hiking. The shoreline of Dublin Bay always welcomes visitors and locals for windsurfing, sailing and fishing. The lush green magnificent mountains around the city receive the hikers whole heartedly to enjoy their walks in tranquil atmosphere. This place also invites bicyclers. The attitude of this city is warm and friendly for those who are interested in work outs. This is why we see that Dublin's calendar is full of sporting events whole year round.</p><p><b>Dublin Casino</b></p><p>The heart beat of Dublin night life lays in casinos. Casinos can be found without difficulty all over the city, offering excitement, thrill, suspense and the passion to win. Casinos is Dublin can be called boxes of tricks presenting a diversity of gaming options, including slots, and video poker machines. The Casino Marino is the best known casino is Dublin. The interior of the Casino is entirely decorated with ornate plasterwork and richly decorated ornate floors. Casinos in Dublin ensure that you are going to have a night of absolute enthusiasm and amusement.</p><p><b>Dublin Clubbing</b></p><p>Lights, music, drink and dance is all what makes a club popular. Clubs come to life after dusk and these are associated with hanging out and high tones of music. Dublin club scene has everything you are looking for to spend a dynamic weekend; the perfect milieu, shacking music, rocking DJs and energetic crowd in the dark. There is a long queue of the clubs, bars, pubs and taverns in the electrifying city of Dublin with funky interiors, crazy lights, smoke machines and dance floors. So go to a nightclub, be a party animal and let the madness overcome you.</p><p><b>Dublin Exhibitions</b></p><p>Dublin is ready to entertain and electrify you with its resourceful exhibitions. Dublin hosts a number of exhibitions all year round. These exhibitions of great artistic work can surely mesmerize you with the quality of products and crafts displayed. Exhibitions are the best way to demonstrate and present any thing to its target audience. Dublin calendar is filled with the various exhibitions happening in the city including exhibition of paintings, book exhibitions, performing arts exhibitions, film exhibitions and flower exhibitions.</p><p><b>Dublin Festivals</b></p><p>Come and Get Rocked. Rhythmic melodies, enchanting fireworks, arty street theatres, joyful dances and the fancy parades are part of some of the festive activities in Dublin. The majestic capital city of Ireland, Dublin brings an extensive series of festivals to entertain its people and to glorify the environment like book fairs, fun fairs, food festivals, fashion festivals, film festivals and many more. If you want to treat yourself with a Christmas celebration, a New Year party, St. Patrick's Day or any other event, then come to Dublin next time. The electrifying celebrations will be there to amuse you.</p><p>Dublin has a never ending list of celebrations and joys. So if you are planning to spend your next holiday season in the wonderful city of Dublin just go to Dublin Events before you make a vacation plan. The Dublin Events team has categorized all the major entertainment spots and events in Dublin only for your comfort and convenience.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-33218802200500277052012-08-07T11:04:00.000-07:002012-09-10T11:04:43.276-07:00Performing Arts and Its Branches<div id="article-content"> <p>Dance, drama and music that are performed in front of many people or audiences are known to belong in performing arts. This type of art is different from plastic arts which only involve several artworks made from different type of materials like clay, paint, wood and metal. These artworks are often created by many artists and are displayed during exhibits but unlike performing arts, the presence of the artists is not required or is not necessary at all. When it comes to performing arts, the artists themselves together with their performances are the ones that the audiences are interested in. These people are then commonly known as performers.</p><p>This type of art is not new to the society because this has been around for so many years now. It actually started centuries ago. This type or art is even more common in schools all over the world and it often involves a number of people who all have the passion to please the crowd by showcasing their talents. By wearing a huge variety of costumes, wigs, masks, foot wears and other accessories, an artist becomes/transforms to a totally different person in front of the crowd and then performs.</p><p>As mentioned earlier, there are three branches of performing arts - the dance, drama and music. The first type of performing arts is dance which basically refers the movements of the human body using a particular rhythm. Performing a dance is not only intended to please the crowd but it is also a way to express the performer's sentiments. It is also a way of showing the people different types of cultures or telling them about the history of a certain place. A dance can be in several forms like folk dance, ballet and many more.</p><p>Another branch of performing arts is the drama which is mainly about acting in front of the people. In a drama, the performers act out a particular story in order to entertain their audience. Aside from acting, music, dance, sound, speeches and other elements of performing arts are used for the best performance.</p><p>And the last branch of performing arts is music. Music does not only refer to the musical instruments or the sounds that they make, it also involves the people who play the instruments and the voices of the people singing. Music basically started several years ago and from then it became one of the most popular ways to entertain people. Usually, there are four things which make music complete - the pitch, rhythm, dynamic and the timbre.</p><p>Each of the branches of performing arts plays a very important role in the entertainment world. All these things make performing arts complete and very interesting. Not only because it is a very good way to entertain people but because this is also a way for other people to see the skills and talents of the performers. It is also a very good way to let the whole world know on what are the things that the performers can do and offer.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-89182735688939754262012-08-06T11:03:00.000-07:002012-09-10T11:03:32.124-07:00Sevilla Art and Culture<div id="article-content"> <p>Sevilla is also referred to as Seville and it is a modern and industrial city in Spain with the old Spanish charm that most tourists are attracted to. The very friendly climate makes it a favorite tourist destination aside from the rich culture and history reflecting the festive and romantic ambiance particular for Spanish tourist destinations.</p><p>The Mediterranean coast contributes to the pleasing climate that does not make tourists choose the best season to visit. Regardless of the season, Sevilla has something to offer that will make locals and tourists enjoy.</p><p>Things to Do</p><p>Witness Ongoing Festivals</p><p>The festive spirit is alive with the many events that highlight religious occasions. These festivals are enjoyed with traditional music, dance with a show of beautiful Spanish clothes. The popular festival that people look forward to is the Festival of the Nations.</p><p>Strolling and Walk in Parks</p><p>Feel the beauty of gardens and parks as you stroll along the Parque Maria Luisa and the Gardens of Alcazar. You will see that the park is maintained with magnificent landscape and the garden is located near a palace. These parks and gardens are well-maintained for tourists' appreciation.</p><p>Shopping</p><p>Fill your shopping bags with affordable souvenir items that you can buy along the streets of Tetuan and Sierpes. You can buy shirts, crafts, artwork, antique items, dresses, embroidered clothes, trinkets and other souvenir items that you can bring home for your friends or family. Plates and ceramic work are also some of the things that you will normally see along the streets of Alfarera.</p><p>Appreciate Art and Culture</p><p>A visit to Sevilla will not be complete without stepping into the city's Fine Arts Museum with a great collection of paintings. You will also see exhibits in the Cathedral Museum with outstanding metalwork, religious items, jewels and antique items.</p><p>Nightlife</p><p>For the partygoer, Sevilla is a place for fun. There are nighttime activities that will make you enjoy. Dance and dine and drink as you enjoy the reception and entertainment in bars and restaurants. For better scenery, there are restaurants along the riverbank which will make you feel the breeze as you enjoy the food and music. Enjoy authentic Spanish and international cuisine in the many restaurant choices. You have to try the unique cuisine of Seville as this is one of the things that tourists do not forget when they leave the city. You will surely be delighted with the many dish choices and the unique Sevillan food taste that you will love.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-60101267513143237962012-08-05T11:02:00.000-07:002012-09-10T11:02:20.968-07:00ChixOs Arts and Crafts Toy Doll Review<div id="article-content"> <p>A popular arts and crafts creative toy over the last few years is the ChixOs line of toys. A ChixOs in and of itself is a plastic doll that you could say loosely resembles a chick. What makes this Barbie type doll so unique is that it is made to go along with the PixOs arts and crafts toy that you already have. PixOs are tiny round plastic beads that come in all sorts of colors. A child uses the beads along with a template to create all sorts of fun projects. The PixOs are made of plastic, and when you spray them with water and let them dry they stick together. So the ChixOs and PixOs compliment one another because you can make all sorts of fun accessories for you ChixOs dolls using the PixOs beads.</p><p>A typical ChixOs toy will come in a themed set and include two or more plastic dolls to play with, and some complimentary pieces that go along with the theme. The set will also include templates to make other accessories using the PixOs. The ChixOs dolls are dressed and the clothing can be mixed and matched with other dolls so your child can have fun with this. They can play with other little girl friends and share and trade clothing with one another as they play for hours with their ChixOs dolls. Each themed also comes with PixOs designer arts and crafts beads so that your child can make accessories for the ChixOs dolls. You child will be endlessly entertained as they use their imagination to make accessories for their ChixOs and for the other pieces that come with the play set.</p><p>I really struggled to understand what these play sets and dolls were all about as my nine year old daughter tried to explain it to me. Perhaps the best way to understand what the toy does is to talk about one of the themed plays sets. Let us go ahead and see what the Pet Shop set is all about so we can figure out how much fun ChixOs are.</p><p>The Design a Pet Shop themed ChixOs set comes with two plastic dolls, a pet shop backdrop theme, accessories for the pets, a cute doggie and kitty, one sprayer for the beads, and one hundred and fifty PixOs plastic art beads. The dolls come with outfits of their own with separate tops, pants, and shoes. Your little girl can mix and match the clothing and shoes between the two dolls to have several different clothing combinations. If your child finds a clothing combo that they particularly like they can spray it with the mister and the clothing will stay in place. The two pets come with their own bowls and one very cute looking pet bath. The pet shop backdrop sets the scene for a kids imagination to run wild with creativity as they have hours of fun enjoying their very own pet shop.</p><p>The included pet bad is dimpled as acts as a template so that any child can work with the PixOs beads and make accessories for the pets and the ChixOs dolls. Your child can make cute colored plastic bones for the little doggie, or a sweet collar and leash for the little cat. If they are very creative they could actually make a little dog house out of the beads. The beads can also be used to make accessories for the ChixOs like purses, bracelets, or a necklace. Really, what your child can make with the arts and crafts beads is almost endless, and if you run out of them you can buy a replacement pack.</p><p>The manufacturer recommends that this toy be used by children that are four years and older. Children that are three or less should not play with this toy as the beads and accessories are small parts and could potentially present a choking hazard.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-56421669845432044132012-07-05T11:00:00.000-07:002012-09-10T11:01:09.236-07:00Arts and Crafts With Christmas Lights<div id="article-content"> <p>Although it may not appeal to you at first, there are lots of good reasons to know how to make arts and crafts out of outdoor Christmas lights. The holidays are not just about you, but also your family. Along with family comes the opportunities to amuse younger children. You might also be from a family that has lots of individuals that are totally different. Besides board games, often crafting projects are a solution for family fun. Having a few tricks up your sleeves that involve outdoor Christmas lights can be extremely handy for days where you need to entertain them.</p><p><b>Crafting Traditions for The Holidays</b></p><p>In the past, most Christmas presents were handmade. As a matter of fact, in some families they still work very hard to maintain this tradition. It wasn't until the late 1800s that it became common to buy Christmas presents. For this reason, it can be a fun idea to make Christmas about making gifts for each other. Outdoor Christmas lights are a fun way to craft and are easy enough for small children to work with.</p><p><b>Crafting with Short Strings of Lights</b></p><p>Shorter strings of outdoor Christmas lights are perfect for decorating smaller objects. After they're finished, they can be used as outdoor decorations. Some popular ideas for shorter strands of outdoor Christmas lights are:</p><p>o Making snowmen decorations <br />o Making a wreath <br />o Making a message or shape (for example, spelling out Merry Christmas)</p><p><b>More Complicated Crafts</b></p><p>There was a popular children's toy in the 1970s that specifically dealt with lights. You can imitate this on a large scale as an exciting outdoor Christmas lights craft project. Basically, you will need a small drill, tons of Christmas lights, a hot glue gun, and a very large piece of plywood.</p><p>First, you'll need to paint the plywood. The second step will be to draw whatever you want to outline with lights. The next step is to drill holes that are far enough away from each other so the structure is not compromised. Put the lights through the holes and keep them in place with the hot glue. The end result is a personalized outdoor decoration.</p><p><b>Easy Decorations</b></p><p>Of course, everyone wants something elegant, beautiful, and unique for their outdoor home decorations during the Christmas season. An easy way to craft something that everyone will love is to make a wreath for the front door. This simply involves having some sort of round frame to attach the outdoor Christmas lights to. Of course, you might want to arrange and rearrange until you get what you want, but the idea is simple.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-92082137141711309602012-07-04T10:59:00.000-07:002012-09-10T10:59:55.263-07:00Arts and Crafts For Kids and the Painting Fascination of Children<div id="article-content"> <p>Children are born painters. Arts and crafts for kids are the source for them to pursue this activity. Kids love to paint at any time, may it be with watercolors, softened crayons paint or any other non-toxic paint specially designed to be used by children. They may paint on pre-printed figures, on just plain paper, on cardboard stock, on wood or even on fabrics. Children are always fascinated with painting and drawing.</p><p>I remember when I was in early grade school; I was the proud owner of a palette of beautiful bright watercolors and some thin brushes. At that time painting was very dear to me and all it took was dipping the brush into water, then into the paint and my wonderful works of art began. I was always captivated with my paintings and gave them as gifts to family members. Mother was always very supportive of my creative endeavours. Praising works wonders as it is vital for childrens' self-assurance. Building confidence is a significant component in raising children. It stays with them all their lives. Painting and drawing is one of those confidence builders, which is a very important step in early childhood education. Face painting, now that is real fun! Have you ever been at a childrens' party where face painting was part of the activity? I am sure you saw the wonderful and pleasurable enjoyment kids had. There maybe was a professional face painting entertainer hired, but the most fun was had when the kids painted each others faces or a child painted their own face creatively. Finger and sponge painting is great fun, in particular with smaller children as they enjoy the process of this kind of painting, rarely thinking of a finished product. They may wander of from the original place of painting and start paint themselves or the floor, or the walls, due to the bliss they are experiencing and their unspoiled freedom of expression.</p><p>With this type of childrens' fascination, parents are often very inventive. I remember my mother painting Easter eggs with us. She would boil onion skins and make a dark brown broth of it and she did the same thing with purple onions. She then would instruct us to soak the already hard boiled eggs in the broth overnight and the next day we could paint the tan and purple colored eggs to our hearts delight. Our imagination was flying and we painted birds, flowers, leaves, zigzag lines, anything we could think of. This work was also rewarding as we felt part of the preparing process for the holidays.</p><p>Keep your kids busy painting, let them discover themselves and allow them to experience the freedom of self-expression.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-27550929972103412592012-07-03T10:58:00.000-07:002012-09-10T10:58:43.095-07:00Florida Arts And Culture<div id="article-content"> <p>Florida is largely known for sunshine, theme parks and oranges. But one of the best kept secrets of the peninsula is its diverse culture and world-class museums. From the Keys up into the panhandle and every county in between, Florida has some of the most beautiful and unique museums in the United States. And its culture is more diverse than one would think. After all, it is the destination of hundreds of thousands of tourists and ten of thousands of Americans relocate to the Sunshine State each year.</p><p>Florida Culture <br />In an afternoon's drive, visitors and residents can go from the beach side subtropics to rustic rural locations. In the panhandle, its charming southern living, straight out of a magazine. In central Florida, fun awaits for visitors and residents of all kinds--with theme parks providing entertainment day and night. At the bottom of the peninsula, a laid back lifestyle awaits. And surfing, fishing, boating, scuba diving and sunbathing are available over 2,000 miles of coastline. Greek sponge docks, Cuban communities, dairy and fruit farms, southern charm and tropical lifestyles and much more can all be found here.</p><p>Florida Arts <br />The arts are alive and well in the Sunshine State. Award winning Broadway shows can be found in many metropolitan areas and museums which have to be seen to believe. Ringling, The Holocaust, National Museum of Naval Aviation, Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Salvador Dali, St. Augustine Lighthouse, Pirate and Treasure, Flagler Museum and the South Florida Science Museum are just a few on a list of many.</p><p>Florida Festivals <br />But Florida's arts and culture certainly don't end there. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival winds its way through the streets of Tampa every year. There's the Art Deco Weekend Festival in Miami, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Sunfest in West Palm Beach, the Pensacola Beach Air Show, the infamous Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach, the Space and Air Show at the Kennedy Space Center and Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival in Orlando right at Walt Disney World. There's no shortage of art and culture in Florida. From the Fine Arts Museum in Saint Petersburg to the island breezes of Key West to the Space Coast to the oldest city in the United States in St. Augustine, there's something for everyone and it's here year-round.</p><p>In conclusion If available Arts and Culture are important in your making a decision on Relocating to Florida, Florida has a tremendous wealth of options.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-26896497213433049452012-07-02T10:57:00.000-07:002012-09-10T10:57:30.809-07:00Recycling - How to Make Arts and Crafts From Recycled Materials<div id="article-content"> <p><strong>Green living is driven by the three "Rs": reduce, reuse, recycle. </strong>Producing arts and crafts is a great way to meet all three Rs and gain hours of entertainment. You can create decorated items for display at home and involve your children in the activity. You can even make a few holiday gifts at very low out-of-pocket cost.</p><p><strong>Decopauge is a great example.</strong> The only materials needed are old magazines, a pair of scissors, some white glue and something to decorate. I've seen people use this art form on every kind of article from wooden boxes up to bed headboards.</p><p>Once you have the item (or items) you want to decorate you can put them aside and start flipping through the magazines for pictures and words that jump up at you or help convey something you want to say. The great thing about decoupage is that there is no "wrong" way to do it. Some people will use an entire advertisement including the background in the ad. Others may cut out the person or object from the background. The idea is to have a piece of a page to be layered upon the object to be decorated.</p><p>After you have cut out enough pictures and words you can begin to decorate your object. Everything is driven from this point on by your ideas and creativity. You can, for example, use all cut outs of flowers and birds to decorate your project, or you could cut out every picture of a dog and see how many you can use as you decorate your recycled art project.</p><p>Arrange your clippings onto the surface of whatever it is you're going to reuse or decorate and put a layer of glue over the entire project. Using white glue or Mod Podge will give you a clear coating over your art. When the first layer is dry, coat it again. Continue recoating until you are happy with the appearance. The coatings of glue will protect your artwork, and if you use a gloss-finish, your art work will have a nice shine to it, as well.</p><p>My sister started making "Blessings Boxes" for the Christmas gifts that she would give to her children's teachers. She reuses an old shoe box, and covers the entire outside of it with cut out pictures from magazines. The main objective was to cover up the shoe brand on the outside of the box with the pictures and words that adhered to a central theme. Memorable items, maybe a ticket stub to a baseball game or a birthday card or party invitation can be placed into the box as reminders of these events. The recipient can then open their "Blessings Box" to be reminded of the events or occurrences whenever they wish.</p><p>Boxes can be made for many other purposes: treasure boxes for kids, storage boxes for photographs, birthday gifts for friends and family members. There are other similar ideas for reusing recycled materials for arts and crafts projects as well. The best part is that since all the materials are reused and recycled, no extra money is required to create these items. This is a great way to incorporate the three Rs into your green lifestyle.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-81535878267774071982012-07-01T10:56:00.000-07:002012-09-10T10:56:14.330-07:00A Wonder in Spain - Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences<div id="article-content"> <p>This futuristic confection of a city looks as though it must have been beamed down to earth from somewhere else entirely! Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences is a truly ambitious, space age cultural complex that aims not only to entertain and stimulate the minds of its visitors, but to fill people with enthusiasm for science, technology, nature, and art. This city within a city, most of it designed by the distinguished Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava, is composed of five great buildings in the midst of a space of greenery and clear water, which mirrors the architecture. Work on the sixth building, The Ágora (which will give the complex a multifunctional space) has just begun. The complex is set in the dried-up river bed of the Turia, midway between the coastal district of Nazaret and the old city of Valencia. The architect is proud that "people can walk through and around the main buildings without paying. It is a city to be discovered by promenading." There is, indeed, room to promenade more than seven miles around the complex!</p><p>There are 5 main elements in the City of Arts and Sciences:</p><p>· The Marine Park (Oceanográfico) is Europe's largest, and contains sections dedicated to each marine zone on earth. Plan to spend at least 3 hours marveling at a collection of thousands of species of marine flora and fauna, including dolphins and sharks. You could easily spend an entire day in this underwater city, which was designed by the late Spanish architect Felix Candela. Children love it!</p><p>· The Opera House (Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia), which contains 4 distinct auditoriums for different opera, theatre, and music shows, has exceptional acoustics and has become one of Europe's most important opera halls. Its mission is to promote a passion for dance, theatre, and classical music among a wide cross section of society, including children.</p><p>· L'Hemisferic, which looks like a huge eye floating above a pool of water, represents the eye of wisdom. You can spend an hour watching surprising audiovisual projections in the IMAX theatre or planetarium, where you must lie on the floor to see the hemispheric screen above. Several shows are presented each day. This is probably the most engaging part of the city for children!</p><p>· Príncipe Felipe Science Museum (Museo de Ciences Principe Felipe), the centerpiece of the complex, is an innovative centre of interactive science. Some people believe the museum resembles a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton from the outside, and it reminds others of the spine of a huge, prehistoric fish. Ultra-interactive exhibits focus on topics such as physical laws, electricity, sport sciences, sound, planetarium, human body, and more. The museum rules are simple: "pull, push, twist, touch." Some installations are challenging and require you to use your brain; others are just for fun!</p><p>· L'Umbracle, a landscaped vantage point and car park, is the access gateway to the city, and is free. Here, art and nature combine to create a welcoming, peaceful space in which to stroll, relax, and view plants from around the world as well as the "Parade of the Sculptures." Plan on taking 3 hours for a full visit.</p><p>When you visit Spain, make it a point to spend several days at Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences. You'll emerge filled not only with enthusiasm for science and the arts, but with special memories of the beauty and wonder of this extraordinary place.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-20528409286742426332012-06-17T10:54:00.000-07:002012-09-10T10:55:00.306-07:00Media Arts and Animation Degree Online Program<div id="article-content"> <p><b>What does Media Arts and Animation Degree Online Program have to Offer? </b></p><p>The presentation of any product is one of the key factors on which the sales ratio rely completely. Of course the product has to maintain the quality standards but other than that, to sell a product, it needs to be well presented. Apart from sales perspective, when it comes to entertainment, it's very important to make things look as real as possible on screen. For instance, a film is being shot and there is a stunt sequence in which the actor has to jump from a very tall building. Now in this sort of a scenario it's pretty likely that the actor will deny to shoot that scene (unless it's Tom Cruise) because of a lot of risks involved and the stunt sequence is also very necessary for the movie to progress. So instead of risking a human life, that stunt could be performed on a computer screen using a graphic designing software and thanks to so much of the hard work from the industry, its really not that hard to create stunts like that. Media Arts and Animation Design has traveled a long way. There were days when simple JPEGs and GIFs images were created on Corel Draw but now there are advance graphic designing software programs like 3D Studio Max, Adobe Photo-shop and Adobe Flash which creates high definition graphics. These software programs have unlimited possibilities and it all depends on the imagination and the creativity of the graphic designer that how he/she does that. The tools are there to create a perfect motion picture using nothing more than a computer system but it's very important to learn those tools first in order to be on the top of your game. For that matter, many top accredited online universities and top accredited online colleges are offering Media Arts and Animation Degree Online program. Media Arts and Animation Degree Online module is basically a branch of Visual Communication Degree programs. If you choose to get into any of the top accredited online university or top accredited online colleges to learn the art of animation and design then this degree could be the best option for you.</p><p>To learn animation and design, a lot of tolerance and skills are required. You might have to wait for months or years to gain the perfection you are trying to achieve but one thing's for sure that you will create that perfection. And after all, one of the benefits of getting into top accredited online universities or top accredited online colleges is that you learn everything with perfection and are given ample amount of time to develop an understanding of all the given tools and software programs to achieve what you want. You will be working with software programs like Adobe Photo-shop, Adobe After Effects, and 3D Studio Max.</p><p><b>Course Outline </b></p><p>Some of the courses offered by top accredited online universities and top accredited online colleges in Media Arts and Animation Degree Online program are:</p><p>· 2D Animation</p><p>· 3D Character Animation</p><p>· Acting/Movement</p><p>· Advanced 2D Animation</p><p>· Advanced 3D Modeling</p><p>· Advanced 3D Textures</p><p>· Advanced Life Drawing/Gesture</p><p>· Advanced Modeling/Animation Topics</p><p>· Camera and Lighting Techniques</p><p>· Character and Object Animation</p><p>· Color Theory</p><p>· Digital Composition</p><p>· Digital Editing-- Video, Audio</p><p>· Digital Imaging for Multimedia and Web</p><p>· Digital Ink and Paint</p><p>· Drawing and Anatomy</p><p>· Fundamentals of Design</p><p>· Intermediate 2D Animation</p><p>· Introduction to Digital Composition</p><p>· Life Drawing and Gesture</p><p>· Portfolio Presentation for Animation</p><p>· Pre-Portfolio Presentation for Animation</p><p>· Pre-Production Team</p><p>· Storyboard Rendering for Animation</p><p>· Visual Indication</p><p>· Web Animation</p><p><b>Career Opportunities and Salary Info</b></p><p>Once after completing Media Arts and Animation Degree Online program of top accredited online universities or top accredited online colleges, you would have to go for an internship after which you would be able to join a regular job. Internship could even be started before completing the degree program so this way you would be able to save some time. You could target jobs like Storyboard Artist, Texture Artist, Computer Modeler, Computer Generated Special Effects Artist, Creative Head, Media Consultant and a lot more. The salary depends on the sort of the job position you are on to and the experience. You would be able to earn around $80,000 or more per annum after successfully completing Media Arts and Animation Degree Online program from any of the top accredited online universities or top accredited online colleges.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-2190520304783448242012-06-16T10:53:00.000-07:002012-09-10T10:53:36.710-07:00Enjoy Arts and Crafts With Your Children<div id="article-content"> <p>Arts and crafts activities are one of the best ways to keep your children entertained. But rather than leave them to it, why not get involved with them.</p><p>Arts and crafts activities provide enjoyment and a learning experience for your children and for you as well. There are many crafts that you can do along with your children irrespective of their ages. It does not matter how old your kids are, they can still enjoy arts and crafts. By developing art and crafts skills, they could discover new natural abilities that they then take further through their studies. This could also have a life-changing impact and could affect their career.</p><p>The main benefit of being involved in craft-making along with your children is, apart from the obvious fact that everybody is having fun, your children and you are learning. You will learn to use your imagination, think through problems, make best use of the items you have available and improvise.</p><p>Many children will prefer to sit in front of the television or a computer these days, but with a bit of persuasion, they will soon discover that arts and crafts are a great way of spending time. The key is preparation. Although you don't need to buy too many arts and craft materials, a few essentials will help spark your children's interest. Even just a few felt shapes, pva glue and a piece of card can be used to create fantastic artwork. But using a simple kit such as a Build a Pom Pom Panda kit will give you a better way to introduce the concept of arts and crafts. It's always easier to convince a child to create a panda from a kit rather than just give them some shapes, but once they start their imagination will take over and even the simplest materials will create fantastic artwork.</p><p>Arts and Crafts activities are a great way of bonding with your children. While they are concentrating on the creative process, they are likely to be much more chatty. They will share things with you that you would never learn from just watching TV with them.</p><p>While the summer holidays are over in the United Kingdom for this year, Christmas will arrive soon, so for this reason, now this could be the perfect time to invest in arts and crafts for kids.</p><p>What to buy</p><p>• Glue for sticking <br />• Bumper packs of coloured paper and coloured card are ideal for creating great works of art. <br />• You can even buy blank cards and envelopes. These are useful for children to create their own cards. <br />• Colouring Pens allow your children to draw what they want first. Or you could get involved and draw a shape for them. <br />• Shapes - Whether they are made from felt, paper or card, shapes are very versatile and can be used to create many different things. <br />• Stickers - Children love stickers. From shapes to smiley faces to numbers there's something that all children will like. You can even get holographic stickers for that special artwork. <br />• Tissue paper - Children love scrunching up paper to create three dimensional art. Tissue paper is ideal. <br />• Paints and Brushes are a favourite with children but be careful about the mess! <br />• Save old newspaper - As well as using it in creating artworks, you can use it to protect surfaces and floors.</p><p>Getting your children started</p><p>Try to start with an idea of what they can do. A children's imagination is hard to get going, but once it kicks in then they will take over. A simple kit that they can create something from is better to start with than just random items. Alternatively, if you don't have a kit, give them an idea about what they could make, for example a pirate ship or a fairy wonderland. Once they have the idea they will create for hours. Have a look at our other articles for more ideas about this.</p><p>Don't forget that once they have created something, always praise them and make a fuss of them. If they think you like what they have created then they will create more.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-36976206976614654122012-06-15T10:51:00.000-07:002012-09-10T10:52:17.332-07:00Online Bachelor Degree in Art and Design<div id="article-content"> <p>A career in art and design is ideal if you have artistic talent and a flair for its practical applications. Nowadays, there has been an ever increasing demand for graphic artists and designers thanks to the computing, entertainment and related industries that have contributed to it. Also you need to be creative and have good visual and aesthetic sense. An online bachelor's degree in art and design can give a perfect boost to your career prospects while you continue to work or pursue other interests.</p><p>Some of the topics that are covered in the course include: fashion designing, animation and multimedia, interior designing, web designing, graphic designing, game designing etc. With the advancements in the technological field, these fields are becoming highly specialized. The successful completion of an online bachelor's degree in arts and design ensures that you get highly paid than the high school pass outs. It is very important that you have:</p><p></p><ul> <li>A knack for color, design, tones, and a visual sense.</li> <li> A knack for creativity, and also certain conceptual skills.</li> </ul><p></p><p>An online bachelor's degree in arts and design provides you with technical training and the practical skills required for meeting the challenges in the workplace. Some of the popular courses in arts and design include:</p><p></p><ul> <li>BSc. in Animation</li> <li> BSc. in Web Design and Multimedia</li> <li> BS in Visual Communications</li> <li> BS in Interior Design</li> <li> BS in Game Art and Design</li> <li> BS in Fashion and Retail Management</li> <li> BS in Media Arts and Animation</li> <li> BS in Multimedia and Animation</li> <li> BS in Web Development</li> <li> Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications</li> <li> Bachelor's in Web Design and Digital Design</li> </ul><p></p><p>After successfully completing your online bachelor's degree in arts and design you could find suitable work as:</p><p></p><ul> <li>Graphic artists</li> <li> Artists</li> <li> Art directors</li> <li> Fine artists</li> <li> Illustrators</li> <li> Medical and scientific illustrators</li> <li> Cartoonists</li> <li> Sketch artists</li> <li> Sculptors</li> <li> Printmakers</li> <li> Painting restorers</li> <li> Multimedia artists and design animators</li> </ul><p></p><p>List of Universities and Colleges Offering Online Bachelor's Degree in Arts and Design</p><p></p><ul> <li>Capella University</li> <li> Kaplan University</li> <li> Westwood College Online</li> <li> AIU Online</li> <li> Art Institute Online, Pittsburgh</li> <li> University of Phoenix</li> <li> University of Liverpool</li> <li> American Sentinel University</li> <li> Ashford University</li> <li> Baker College Online</li> <li> Ellis College</li> <li> Penn Foster Schools</li> <li> American Intercontinental University Online</li> </ul><p></p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-23098181564959317012012-06-14T10:50:00.000-07:002012-09-10T10:50:58.787-07:00Top Art and Design Careers<div id="article-content"> <p>We all are living in the dynamic and fast moving world where constant technological developments in communication and media has created new career opportunities in art and design industry. It won't be wrong to say that this current dynamism is standing firm on the pillars of ideas, creativity and imagination that have further broadened the scope of making career in art and design industry. Today if we carefully look at the present situation, many young students are looking forward to making their career in the art and design industry. These days many universities and colleges are offering art and design courses and helping students improve their creative skills through a 'hands on' approach using different materials. This study of art and design at different universities is surely a unique educational experience and can be very beneficial for you to explore artistic aptitude in the context of a wider cultural and creative arena. So, if you are thinking to develop your creativity and planning to act as a key person in order to contribute to this art and creative industry, here are some of the top art and design fields, you can choose from:</p><p><strong>Audio Production- </strong>Today the audio production career outlook is expanding and many firms and organizations are requiring a sound production related technician in order to fulfill sound effects and music seamlessly into the project. No doubt, the career outlook in audio production seems to offer a great potential to make great salaries. Offering higher salaries in comparison to the other common job, it is one of the few professions that even help you to work in the entertainment and other related creative fields. The opportunities are nonstop like you can be a game audio designer, a programmer or a key technical member of the sound production team.</p><p><strong>Photography-</strong> In recent times, with the growth of advertising along with fashion boom, photography has turn out to be a great profession with more commercial value. It is one of the few career options that offer a great way to enjoy your passion towards photography and earn a decent salary. The profession is not merely about liking to take snaps. In fact, it is a career that can offer you thrilling job prospects, with a diversity of opportunities in different areas like - fashion photography, sports photography, event photography or even studio photography.</p><p><strong>Fashion Design-</strong> Fashion designing is yet another one of the most exciting career options in today's art and design industry. If you have a deep affinity for creativity, originality along with unique style, this field can be ideal for you. The profession offers ample of opportunities to work in different areas like fashion management, fashion accessory design, fashion marketing and promotion of brands. However, it is important to note that the career in fashion design not just involves interacting with famous celebrities, but it even offers a drive to the creative elegance of the people who actually enjoy a sense of style.</p><p><strong>Graphic Design-</strong> An intense aptitude to study and know what customers require and the ability to transform those needs visually is the key role of graphic design. So, if you have a talent to play with colors, shapes, and create different & unique layouts then it is always better to use these skills in a graphic designing career. This is one of the few occupations that provide you with an opportunity to create a brand or idea through visual layout. Attaining a degree in art and design with specialization in graphic design can help work in corporations and advertising firms.</p><p><strong>Animation- </strong>Today animation is one of the fastest-growing and most rewarding career fields in art and design industry. Emphasizing on various styles and techniques of animation, the career provides the best platform to work as an animator in different sub-fields such as video game animation and video & television production.</p><p>The career options in art and design is very vibrant and endless, but these are just some of the best career fields that can help you enjoy the right career-path in art and design industry. Nevertheless, before you choose any of these fields, it is very important for you to select a program or a degree in art and design with specialization in that particular field. Earning an art and design degree with a specialization on particular field can actually help you make a decent earning.</p><p>Today definitely, art and design industry is very competitive yet rewarding. It is easily possible to follow various different career paths and earn a good income by performing a freelancing assignment of being employed by a company.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738610583143507274.post-70946144915618166352012-06-13T10:48:00.000-07:002012-09-10T10:48:45.488-07:00Arts and Design Schools Develop Professional Abilities<div id="article-content"> <p>Arts and Design Schools, colleges, and universities have post-secondary, undergraduate, and graduate programs that broaden and develop professional abilities and perspectives in their students. Arts and Design Schools offer certificates and degrees in the many subjects included in the discipline of art. Students can study for associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees in drawing and painting, print making, sculpture, graphic design, fabric design, architecture, interior design, illustration, animation, film, furniture, fashion, and others.</p><p>Arts and Design students will study basic liberal arts and sciences in addition to basic design principles through readings, discussions, lectures, and practice through creative inspiration, guided activities, and constructive criticism from instructors and classmates. A modern-day education in Arts and Design focuses primarily on computer aided drawing (CAD); however students will also be introduced to physical design media and textiles, such as: paint, wood, metal, fiber, clay, glass, and plastics.</p><p>Arts and Design Schools teach to develop skills in students that prepare for professions in all areas of studio arts, graphic design, education, performing arts, advertising, film production, architecture, digital imaging, fine art media, and others.</p><p>Arts and Design Schools can include in their curriculums courses that prepare for out of the ordinary arts and design, including such items as cars, appliances, entertainment modules, and interactive game products. Success in all arts requires intellectual understanding, creativity, and development as a professional provided through Arts and Design Schools.</p><p>If you are interested in learning more about <a target="_new" rel="nofollow" href="http://schoolsgalore.com/categories/2/arts_design_schools.html"><b>Arts and Design Schools</b></a>, please search our site for more information and resources.</p><p>DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.</p><p>Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved <br />Michael Bustamante, in association with <i>Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com</i></p><p><b>Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.</b></p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046675320719421928noreply@blogger.com