Concerning Paintball Games

. Thursday, December 31, 2009
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By Erich Wasfer

Paintball games are played by the players firing pellets crammed with paint on their opponents. It is a live action war and strategy game, the usual objective or winning move is to capture the flag of the enemy's camp. The primary paintball game was played on June 27, 1981 by a platoon of united states marines in basic training.

The first modern paintball games had players hurling paint balls at every alternative rather than shooting from a gun. The first balls conjointly contained oil-based paints that couldn't be washed off with water. Thus, once a paintball game, players would follow up with a turpentine party to scrub off the paint from their bodies.

Every paintball game player needs 3 pieces of game equipment:

1. The paintball marker or "gun," that is a shooter used to mark the foe throughout the game. A loader keeps the shooter loaded with ammo and a gas bottle propels the balls.

2. Paint balls, which are gelatinous capsules containing non-toxic polyethylene glycol and dye.

3. Masks, which provide protection for the head. They utterly cowl the organs of the head and generally a little of the throat.

The foundations for playing a paintball game are given by the players before commencing. There are a nice selection of rules for this game, but the one basic rule is that the players of each teams ought to strive to gain an objective that is pre-set before the sport starts. Players of one team strive to disqualify their opponents obtain shooting at them. Once a player is hit the pre-agreed range of times, he is taken into account dead and should leave the field. He might or might not come to the game relying on what was agreed upon.

A referee oversees the enjoying and calls out the names of players who are tagged. As a result of the paint balls may cause abrasions of the skin if fired from shut vary, some rules forbid the shooting of the paintball within a bound distance from the target. Overshooting is another apply that's forbidden. It refers back to the continued shooting of an eliminated player. This follow is harmful and is discouraged. Another no-no is firing balls at a rapid rate above ten balls per second using electronically boosted markers. Though if a player can fire more than that manually, he is tolerated. Wiping is that the act of removing paint from one's garments to pretend one wasn't hit. This is often conjointly prohibited.

Paintball could be played commercially, with an admission cost, or in private property. Paintball game sites are typically created up to copy a specific atmosphere that may be wooded or urban. The terrain can be natural or man-made and designed to evoke historical situations.

There may additionally be what is termed "renegade" games or "outlaw ball" whereby the site is not well prepared and the individuals need to pay less to play. But such varieties of paintball games have few formal rules and the prospect of obtaining injured is great.

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Wedding Event photography Tips

By Jessie Don

An event photographer is someone who you want to photograph your wedding. They should be motivated, have good experience and communication and most likely they will have their own style. Event photographers will only possess these qualities if they are well trained, so make sure they have experience so they can focus on what you want.

There are different styles for every event photographer. Your ideas about your wedding should coincide with the photographer's style. Otherwise, a horrible experience might be the end result. Every event photographer will have a different style. Some photographers like to be traditional and others like to be wild. Traditional pictures will consist of those of the bride herself, the groom himself, the bride and groom together, the wedding party, and everyone all together. Wild styles can be anywhere from being completely serious in all of the pictures to making funny faces.

An event photographer should be highly motivated, try to find one who is. You do not want to have someone who is inactive and sitting around missing all the good pictures they could be capturing. Motivation is not just about wanting to do the job, but finding a way to enjoy it and bring trust as well as good verbal communication to everyone as well.

Experience can only come to an event photographer over time. In some cases you should ask questions such as where they were previously employed and for how long. Asking these questions can help you make a clear decision when choosing an event photographer. Ask their previous employer what kind of work they produced if they are now in business for themselves. It may be a devious way of getting information but it is better to find out then to have horrible pictures produced.

It is a good idea to choose an event photographer who you comfortable around. And they should try to make you feel comfortable and relaxed when around them. This will help them in capturing the precious photos later on at your wedding. You will see the emotion in the wedding pictures if you are nervous around your event photographer.

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Event Photography Money Making Ideas

By Peter Wong

If you focus on event photography you can make quite a bit of money. It is a varied and widely sought after field of photography.

Here's how you can do it

Cover only events where it is hard for people to take the pics themselves and where they will want to keep their memories frozen in film.

One idea is to go to kids sports events. Get permission from the coach to click pics for the parents watching and then start clicking away. If you turn up with a great big telephoto lens like the ones used for pro coverage of events, you will be taken seriously. Make sure you get all the kids doing great action shots and then hand out flyers to all the parents watching with your web address. If you can get hold of the parents email address so you can email them the URL of you site then upload the pics to your web site that day and email everyone. If you have a simple shopping cart set up you can make money in a few hours as people pop in to see the pics and buy them for $20 or more a pop.

You can do a similar thing with weddings. Take all the regular pictures as part of the wedding coverage but then get your URL printed on the wedding invites and all the other wedding materials and also get an email list of all the wedding guests, offer the couple a nice 20% discount for doing this and then take lots of extra pics at the wedding of the guests doing all the things they do. Upload all the pics to your site and send the emails. You will then make a lot more money than the 20% discount it cost you because then 30 or 40 people will be also purchasing your pics at $20 or more a shot straight from your site. Charging a higher price for high res pics is also a great money spinner.

The trick is to find a niche where you can excel by being the best photographer in the room, and offering an easy way for people to buy your photos.

Dog shows, fashion shows, horse shows, car shows, livestock competitions, rock shows, - the list goes on. Keep your eye out in the events section of your local paper to see what is happening. Always ask for permission to shoot pics and if you need to offer the people 10% of the income if feel you need to so you can get easy access.

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How To Get More Customers To Your Photography Business

. Wednesday, December 30, 2009
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By Andy Acmond

If you own a photography business you are always looking for ways to get more customers.It would be ideal if all your customers are from other customers' referrals.But if you are just starting your photography business that would be a tall order.That would be the reason why in this article we are going to look at ways on how you can get customers in your business if you are just starting.

First thing you must accomplish is the promotion of your business and spread the word to your friends, family, and other people that you know and tell them to spread the word.All the network of your immediate circle of people know someone who will get married in the near future. By getting your name out there you increase your chances of landing a job. Of course this is mainly for getting wedding photography jobs but it could apply for other areas as well. In my San Diego wedding photographer business that is how I was able to generate my first clients.

The next thing you can do is try to establish more of an internet presence.Your commercial type of work will be the one that will have the most benefit from establishing your presence in the internet.Businesses will trust you more if you are established already in the internet. That is how I am able to land good commercial jobs for my San Diego commercial photographer service.

Knowing all the big events that will be happening in your city is the last tip I can give you in bringing more customers to your business.All these big events would have the need for a photographer that would cover the events itself.The earlier you get to know the schedule will be an advantage to your competitors.

This has helped me do a lot of different events for my San Diego event photography service. By letting people know you are available these events will help you get business.

So those are a couple of ways for you to try to find some more customers for your services.Just like in any kind of business you have to spread the word to get more customers.If you would just follow these instructions you can have more customers.

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G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra - The Biggest Hit of The Year.

By Saisha Jones

Were you anticipating yet another G.I JOE movie with all the action & the adventure? Have you been a G.I JOE fan all along?



You will be happy to know that the most anticipated film of the year is back with a bang. Directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing), G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra stars a hot young cast including Channing Tatum (Public Enemies), Sienna Miller (Factory Girl), Marlon Wayans (Dance Flick), Rachel Nichols ("Alias") , Joseph Gordon-Levitt ((500) Days of Summer), and Ray Park (X-Men), as well as veteran actors Christopher Eccleston (Gone in Sixty Seconds) and Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point).

The story of the movie follows two American soldiers, Duke and Ripcord, who join the G.I. Joe Team after being attacked by MARS troops. G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a 2009 American live-action film adaptation of the G.I. Joe toy franchise. Filming took place in Downey, California and Prague's Barrandov Studios, and six different companies handled the visual effects.

The plot of the movie starts with the Scotsman Klan McCullen being accused of selling weaponry to both the Scots and French. Rather than being executed for treason, the jury brands his face with a white-hot mask in order to humiliate him. In the near future, weapons expert James McCullen (Christopher Eccleston) creates a nanotechnology-based weapon capable of destroying an entire city. His company MARS sells four warheads to NATO, and the U.S. Army is tasked with delivering the warheads. Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) are delivering the warheads when they are ambushed by the Baroness (Sienna Miller), who Duke recognized to be his ex-fiance Ana Lewis. Duke and Ripcord are rescued by Scarlett (Rachel Nichols), Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). The warheads are taken to The Pit, G.I. Joe's command center in North Africa, and upon arriving rendezvous with General Hawk (Dennis Quaid), the head of the G.I. Joe Team. Hawk takes command of the war-heads and excuses Duke and Ripcord, only to be convinced to have them join his group after Duke reveals that he knows the Baroness.

Armed with the coolest hi-tech gadgets and weapons, including jaw-dropping accelerator and camouflage suits, G.I. JOE is the last line of defense against those intent on world domination. The G.I. Joe team travels the world from the Egyptian desert to the polar ice caps and the streets of Paris in a high stakes pursuit of COBRA, an evil international organization threatening to use a technology that could bring the world to its knees.

The filming of this movie began on February 11, 2008, in Los Angeles, California. The Downey sound-stage was chosen as Paramount needed a large stage to get production underway as soon as possible. The first two levels of the Pit were built there, to complement the rest of the building which would be done with special effects. Downey also housed Destro's MARS base in the Arctic, his legitimate weapons factory in an ex-Soviet state, as well as various submarines interiors, including a SHARC (Submersible High-speed Attack and Reconnaissance Craft) manned by two G.I. Joes.

Six different visual effects companies worked in The Rise of Cobra, the most prominent being Digital Domain, which handled the Paris action, sequences and the opening convoy sequence. For the Eiffel Tower destruction, a special code for depicting how the crumbling metal works was written. To create the digital Eiffel Tower, the technicians had access to the original building plans, and built a digital model so complex that could not fit in a single file.The nanomites used two different proprietary software for their depiction, one by Digital Domain, and another by, which also created tools to generate 3D cloud and sky environments for the aerial scenes. Many scenarios were almost fully developed by computer-generated imagery, such as the landing platform of the Pit, the Cobra ice caverns, and the final underwater battle.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a record-breaking movie with all the latest effects & adventures. G.I JOE was a mass enthralling movie which ruled the box office for years & its sequel is creating a widespread trend all over.

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How to Shop for Budgeted Christmas Gifts

By Daniel Wright

Christmas is a season to buy gifts for our dear ones. Since most of us want to purchase budget gifts, here are some options where we can get some good gifts our dear ones.

Sales Offers - Remember to take a look at departmental stores often, because some of them may be offering discounts for bulk purchases during this season. There may be a clearance sale going on and those looking for stuff like jewelry, toys, home dcor or beauty items can surely get great deals here.

Thrift Stores - This is the best place to get budget friendly home improvement products. Those looking for vintage furniture, ornaments or even small gifts for friends can take a look at these stores.

Dollar Stores - These stores are the cheapest way of purchasing last minute Christmas gifts for family and friends. They are always filled with everything that is economical and beautiful to gift. Personal accessories and beauty products are abounding in these stores, and customers can make full use of them this Christmas season.

Online Shopping - Internet savvy customers can always look for online deals and offers. Nowadays, monogrammed accessories are quite popular among youngsters and there are sites that offer excellent deals for them. Customers could purchase iPhone cases or iPod cases engraved with logos or symbols. They could come as great gift items for spouses, colleagues or even a nerdy brother.

Scholastic Books - These books are very affordable and come as great Christmas gifts for children. Customers can make use of scholastic book festivals that are held in schools or community centers very often, to purchase these books.

Thinking creative is the crux here. We can always combine a hand-made gift along with one of these to give a personal touch to the gift. Spread the joy of Christmas with these lovely gifts and make your family and friends feel special.

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NFL Preseason Handicapping Basics

. Tuesday, December 29, 2009
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By Ross Everett

Among the sports betting public there's a lot of conflicting opinions about betting NFL preseason games. That's not really surprising, since there doesn't seem to be much middle ground on the subject. Overly cautious handicappers would argue that preseason football is a poor wagering opportunity. Some of the more obnoxious tout services would have you believe that short of a fixed game there is no greater "lock" that preseason football. Like most things that produce such polarized opinions, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. Preseason NFL football is a unique proposition for the sports gambler, but when approached with caution, discipline and knowledge it can yield some profit.

The opponent of preseason wagering would suggest that its a bad wagering opportunity by its very nature alone--simply stated, the games don't count meaning that the motivation and focus of individual teams is always in question. It's hard enough to identify teams that are in a desirable 'spot' during the regular season, the often conflicting agendas of personnel evaluation, playbook testing, and injury prevention found in the preseason makes it impossible. All told, this uncertainty makes it very undesirable to get financially involved with preseason NFL games.

The proponent of preseason wagering would argue that this is the very reason that good opportunities frequently arise during preseason. First, additional value is frequently found with the underdog in preseason games by their very nature. To explain, in a hypothetical matchup between a Superbowl champion and an also-ran the "better" team by regular season standards would invariably be favored. However, by virtue of their success the "better" teams have not only more 'marquee names' to protect, but also valued guys in the trenches who could cause big problems if injured. Frequently, they'll have more depth and thus fewer personnel evaluation decisions to deal with. They'll have no need to "create a winning attitude", nor will they usually have wholesale changes in team composition, offensive or defensive strategy, or coaching philosophies to deal with. In short, the "better" teams often go into preseason situations with little to accomplish other than to get the games over with and stay healthy.

Now, lets look at the other side of the equation. A "lesser" team by regular season standards might have a number of starting spots or key backup spots up for grabs. They may have new coaches to impress, or new offensive or defensive coordinators whose schemes they'll have to implement. Certainly, winning any games"whether or not they count in the standings"are of utmost importance to losing teams trying to turn things around. Finally, a bad team can gain a lot more psychologically from beating a playoff team than the playoff team can from beating a doormat. A struggling team that is destined to lose a lot during the regular season won't have a lot of bright spots, so a preseason win against one of the league's elite can mean a lot more.

Even among teams that don't worry much about wins and losses during the preseason, they don't want to go into the season losing them all. For that reason, one of the most successful preseason situations over the past decade and a half have been teams that lost their first two preseason affairs. During that span, 0-2 teams have hit right around 60% against the spread.

Perhaps nothing determines a team's approach to the preseason more than the philosophy of the head coach. Some coaches simply hate to lose anytime they line 'em up to play football, and as a result their teams are usually good preseason bets. Bill Parcells was famous for the preseason focus of his teams. Not surprisingly, many who worked with Parcells earlier in their careers are now carving out their own records of preseason success. This sort of dominance isn't lost on the linesmaker and a coach like the Giants' Tom Coughlin (a former Parcells assistant) will have his ATS success will definitely been factored into the pointspread. Still, a motivated team that wants to win is always worthy of consideration.

The smart preseason handicapper makes use of the Internet, and more specifically uses it to follow the local sports media of NFL teams. During NFL preseasons, teams' beat writers are anxious to write stories and need to fill articles but have little in the way of "real" news to write about. As a result, a handicapper can frequently find valuable details like a coach's goals for the game, playing time for key players, and specific strategies that will be implemented. Occasionally, coaches will come out and say that they're more interested in evaluating certain players for certain positions than they are in the outcome of the game. A thorough evaluation of this type of media coverage can often produce not only teams to play "on", but teams with priorities other than winning to play "against".

In conclusion, there are certainly strong opportunities for profit in NFL preseason wagering but its essential to understand that it cannot be approached in the same manner as the regular season. And, as always, its important to remember that there will be more strong opportunities down the road and that discipline and rigor in handicapping is just as crucial in the preseason NFL as it is at any other time of the year.

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Raiders Upset Visiting Eagles

By Ross Everett

The Oakland Raiders scored the only touchdown of the game in the first quarter and then prevailed in the kicking duel that followed en route to a--9 upset of the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. Much maligned quarterback Jamarcus Russell played his best game of the season despite two interceptions, throwing for 224 yards and a touchdown. Oakland now stands at 2-4 while Philadelphia slid to 3-2.

NFL betting enthusiasts who backed the Raiders as a whopping +14 home underdog were never in any trouble as Oakland took the lead late in the first quarter and never relinquished it. Oakland evened their mark against the NFL pointspread at 3-3, while the Eagles dropped to 3-2 against the number. The 22 points scored went well UNDER the posted total of 40'. It was the Raiders' fourth UNDER in six outings, while it was the Eagles' first UNDER of the season against four OVER verdicts.

After the contest, Raiders' coach Tom Cable said for the first time all season his team focused their intensity in the right direction:

"We went out and threw a fight on somebody and said, 'Enough. Let's play. That's all you can say. There's no magic words or anything like that."

Last week's 44-7 loss to the New York Giants may have served a wakeup call to the Raiders. In particular, they were offended by comments made by Giants' linebacker Antonio Pierce that the game 'felt like playing a scrimmage'. Raiders' wide receiver Louis Murphy didn't dispute the comments but instead took them to heart:

"That gave me extra fuel. You have to look yourself in the mirror and man up. His comments were true. We played flat. We didn't play with any emotion. This game was totally different. We took those comments to heart."

The Raiders' defense received the bulk of the credit for the victory as they pressured Donovan McNabb all day, sacking him six times. The Eagles became the first team in three years to not score an offensive touchdown against the Raiders. Richard Seymour and Trevor Scott each had a pair of sacks, and Scott had the following observation:

"I'm sure they watched the Giants game and thought we were sorry. But all week coach Cable talked about persevering and forget the past and move forward so we can get to where we want to go."

After the game, McNabb had little to say:

"I'm embarrassed by the way we came out here and played. We're a much better football team."

The Raiders will try to put together an actual winning streak as they host the New York Jets next Sunday. Oakland is a +7 home underdog with the total set at 35. They'll play their hated rivals the San Diego Chargers on the road the following Sunday before a bye week. Philadelphia will play the Redskins at Washington next Monday night. The Eagles are a -6' road favorite with the total set at 38'.

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Boston Bruins' Scoring Legend Phil Esposito

By Ross Everett

Though his scoring records have been obliterated by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, former Boston Bruins/New York Rangers center Phil Esposito is still regarded by hockey cognoscenti as one of the greatest offensive players in the history of the game. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, as is his brother Tony Esposito who was a standout goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Esposito was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and his prodigious hockey talent quickly became apparent. He was signed by the Chicago Blackhawks as a teenager, and made his NHL debut in'64. In'67, Esposito was traded to the Boston Bruins along with Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield. Within a few years Hodge and Stanfield blossomed into All Stars, while Esposito quickly took his place alongside his former teammate Hull as the best scorer in the league.

Esposito began to shred the NHL record book in Boston, prompting Bruins fans to display car bumper stickers that read Jesus Saves; Esposito scores on the rebound. In'69, he became the first NHL player to top the 100 point mark (combined goals and assists) for the season"he obliterated the record with 126 points, which would be the first of six times that hed top the century mark. He topped 100 points in five straight seasons between'71 and'75, missing a sixth straight season by a single point with 99 in'70.

In the'70-71 season, Esposito scored 76 goals to smash the NHL's single season scoring record. That record stood for over a decade until Wayne Gretzky scored 79 for the Edmonton Oilers in'81-82. Gretzky also broke Espositos single season points record of 154. Perhaps the most amazing element of Espositos game was the frequency with which he put the puck on net"Espo had 550 shots on goal in'70-71. No one has since come close"in fact, just last Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals became the first player to come within 100 shots of Espositos mark.

In'75, Esposito was traded to the New York Rangers where his experience, intelligence for the game and nose for the puck made him a valuable component of the Broadway Blueshirts offense and he was named team captain. Until the very end of his career, he remained a dangerous scoring threat that all opposing teams were forced to reckon with.

After his retirement in'75, he remained active in hockey. He served as the GM of the Rangers before helping secure an expansion team for Tampa, Florida in'92. Esposito served as the President and GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning until'98. Esposito now hosts a daily hockey radio show on XM Radio, and has even done some acting appearing in a recurring role as a fire chief on the TV series Rescue Me.

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Mindpower Possibilities Explored

. Monday, December 28, 2009
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By Kevin B Shine

A portion of our entire potential of mindpower is only used. Scientists believe we only access ten percent of full potential. It's unthinkable of what it would be like if we could access that remaining ninety percent! The results would be incredible!

For a long time scientists thought that people with psychic powers, or extra sensory power could use these different parts of their mind. Whether they were born with these extra abilities of accessing this phenomenal mindpower, or they just managed to develop this power later on in life, nobody knows.

Even though it has never been totally comprehended, the advances we've made in quantum physics is starting to reveal the true link of what we experience in life, and what we think.

Studies are starting to confirm that the ancient religions that had been saying for thousands of years that reality is a product of your mind and that you can change the way you think has a lot of truth to it. Mindpower is really the only reality!

There have been films about mindpower. 'The Secret' explains the theory of the law of attraction. Through the powerful mindpower a person can view life in a certain way and attract anything they want to into their life.

If you haven't seen the movie, it is about how the law of attraction affects everyone, and that all our actions have cause and effects. No matter what you think, you can get. Learning to actually communicate with your subconscious mind is important or else your mind will think everything is exactly the way you want it to be. The scientific term for this is homeostasis.

The subconscious mind reacts with the 'universal consciousness' to manifest your desires, and give you esp power like telepathy, remote viewing, and precognition. Universal consciousness is when the subconscious mind reacts to the universe.

Developing your mindpower is through communication with your subconscious mind. There are several ways that you can do this.

By repeating and upbeat, optimistic phrase several times a day to yourself is called an affirmation. Through daily affirmations yoursubconscious mind will start to understand the message.

By repeating positive phrases is a way to break habits or change something you don't like. For instance someone who wants to be confident may tell your subconscious mind how beautiful you are, or that everyone wants to be just like you. This is the most positive way to change the way we think.

Affirmations really do work when you tell yourself to do something a certain way, you will start to do things that way. Daily affirmations can be powerful. Just repeat a positive phrase, several times a day and eventually yoursubconscious will get the message!

If you take it a step further and think a little differently. Realizing that whatever you want will change, not just behaviors that you don't like, but anything and everything! This is the power of mindpower!

Visualize the change to help you develop mindpower. Close your eyes and think about what you wish to see happen, happen. Soon your subconscious mind will believe it. Your mindpower can be powerful with the art of visualization. Pictures are stored into your subconscious, and will help you get what you want. You can find pictures of what you want, whether a new house or a new car. Cut them out, and use them to visualize what you want. Consistency in this area of mindpower, and it will really appear in your life.

Psychic powers, telepathy, and looking into the future can also be visualized and later attained. Exercising your mindpower will only make it that much more powerful!

Using hypnosis to communicate to your subconscious will help you to develop mindpower. You can visit a professional hypnotist or hypnotherapist and they will put you into a deep state of relaxation. Once in a deep state of relaxation you can get into that subconscious mind easier.

You can also try self hypnosis by listening to a recording of a hypnotherapists session. The advantages of doing self hypnosis is that it's cheaper, and you can repeat the sessions by rewinding the recording and doing it again. The more you do it the more effective it could become.

There is a new audio technology called brainwave entrainment. This is where your brainwaves are synchronized with certain frequencies. Each frequency can control different things. If you can tune into the right frequency you may be able to improve your memory or heal and alleviate pain through releasing certain endorphins into your body.

You can also tune into a certain frequency that controls the state of meditation and will allow you to communicate quickly with your subconscious mind and therefore develop your mindpower quickly.

Specific frequencies can stimulate a part of your body known as the chakra energy center. This chakra energy is in the center of your forehead where a third eye would be. That is why they call it the third eye chakra which is responsible for the psychic powers.

There is no need to develop these powers, they are inside you and just need to find a way out. People say mindpower is in you, but repressed and locked deep within your mind.

So developing mindpower is really just unlocking all your powers and true potential of being a human being.

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Past Life Regression, The Future And You

By Steve Bartlett

It is believed that only twenty-five percent of today's population believe in reincarnation. With a low percentage of believers, this does not mean that it is true. Haven't you ever felt pulled towards something, or a connection with something and you had no idea why? Ever have a talent you didn't know where it came from? You know what I'm talking about and the answer may be as simple as it was something that was once important to you in your past life.

Many people miss the opportunity or over look the validity and lose the chance to truly grow as a person. They never learn who they are today and why they are that way. You can hinder your own success or achievement by not getting in touch with who you were in those past lives.

Extensive research has shown that past life regression for people with emotional problems has been a very powerful tool in helping them overcome issues.

Clearing trauma and healing are one of the most common used benefits of past life regression. When trauma happens in life we are usually given two options. You can either run, or you can face the problem and change it. If you use past life regression, you add another option into the mix, and are able to go back to the past self and rescuing them to move forward and can be viewed by the higher self.

If you use past life regression you are given the option to go back to where the problem stemmed from. Which life the problem started in, fix it, and bring the attribute to act as an inner guide.

Karma is powerful, and always comes back to us. If we have an issue that points back to a past life contract or agreement we one made, we can go back into that past life and free ourselves. Through the help of an Inner Guide we can modify, change, or release ourselves from that contract which will help us with a current situation.

One of the best benefits we have through past life regression, is becoming a more grounded and affirming ourselves of who we are today.

Commonly people who go through past life regression feel more grounded, and know what makes them who they are today. This is because they learn where each attribute, talent, connection, characteristic, desires and passions stem from. This allows them to embrace who they are and gives them a more rounded life.

Experts agree in this field that if a person is serious about wanting to improve and enhance their life they need to practice past life regression. Knowing through past life regression about who you were in your past lives, helps you to be a person that more fulfilled during this lifetime.

You currently may think that your thoughts and feelings of events are just figments of your imagination. You need to open your mind, take down the walls that are blocking you from successfully reaching what you want out of this life.

Again, the benefit of using past life regression helps you to deal with traumatic events that took place in your past life, so that you can remove the bonds and push forward in your life today. Dealing with these past issues help you to be equipped with the ability to use those experiences to make the right decisions today.

As history likes to repeat itself, if you know your history you can change it. Perhaps in a past life you were very dishonest. With that knowledge and the knowledge of remembering the punishment you may have endured from being dishonest, can help you to change your ways and not be the same in this life.

Knowing who you are today, because of who you were in your past, is an important benefit of past life regression. You can live a more well rounded, balanced, and complete life when you are able to take advantage of your talents and skills that you once had giving you life's fullest potential. These may be talents and skills that you never knew you once had.

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How To Have A Special Wedding But Save On The Photography Cost

By Leslie Wong

Sometimes the cost of wedding photography can be high in price. Every bride wants that perfect picture that captures that special day, but can not afford to pay through the roof for it. Here are a few money saving tips when budgeting for wedding photography.

Advertising for the right person

Advertising and posting ads at a local college or university is a great place to find a photographer. New photographers will cost a lot less and they will have new ideas and skills that they can use.

Go digital

Go digital rather then getting prints done. This keeps your hard earned money in your pocket. Photographers now offer this as an alternative to choose from. You can get all of your photos on a CD rather then prints and proofs. After you receive your CD look at online photo developers to print to photos for you.

Create your own wedding album

A great way to personalize all your pages in your album is to try scrap booking. No one will know your wedding and guests like you do. This way you can go through all of your photos and reflect on the memories. You will enjoy creating your album and not only that but you will also save hundreds of dollars opposed to having your photographer design an album, and they may not include pictures that your friends sent you as well.

You can choose how long you need the photographer for

How long do you really need your photographer around you? Instead of having them come with you when you re getting your hair done, make up done, and dress sized just get them to come for the ceremony and a bit of the celebration afterwards. A great way to get pictures of the bride preparing for the wedding is to have the bridesmaids take the photos.

21st Century - use disposables!

Having disposable cameras at the reception is also an excellent idea. After everything is said and done all you have to do is drop them off at a photo development outlet, then go through the ones you really like and make larger prints for frames around your house. You will probably end up getting a few funny photos but a lot of wonderful ones as well. This will also give you a wide variety of pictures because your guests will be taking pictures of each other and not just at the bride and groom. This will add detail to your album.

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Cincinnati Rips Chicago

. Sunday, December 27, 2009
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By Ross Everett

Former Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson got revenge on the team that let him go in the best possible way. Benson amassed 189 yards rushing and led his new team, the Cincinnati Bengals, to a 45-10 rout over the visiting Bears on Sunday. Carson Palmer threw for five touchdowns with no interceptions in the blowout victory.

The Bengals also made short work of the NFL pointspread, easily covering as +1' home underdogs. Cincinnati improved to 4-3 against the number while Chicago evened their ATS mark at 3-3. The 55 combined points sailed OVER the posted total of 42'.

A smug Benson described his feelings after the win:

"Everybody knew it was going to be an emotional day. Everybody knew. What a wonderful day and a wonderful thing, to go out there and strut your stuff."

Despite the evidence to the contrary, Benson downplayed the motive of revenge:

"I continue to be as graceful as I can be. I'm not shoving anything in anybody's face. Like I say, it wasn't a revenge day for me. I just wanted to take advantage of the opportunities."

He said his biggest problem was trying to keep his emotions in check:

"There were a few times where I may have gotten a little too hyped up, a little too antsy. A couple of drives, I found myself having to calm myself down and gather my emotions to stay poised. Once I got past that, we were good to go. Keep it rolling."

Bengals' receiver Chad Ochocinco had 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He shared his thoughts postgame:

"I don't understand why it went this way today and why it didn't go that way last week or the week before that. The offensive line played unbelievable. For Ced to run the way he did today and for us to be able to throw, we could have done what we wanted to do."

Chicago gave up more points than in any game all season, a fact that left defensive end Alex Brown looking for answers:

"That was pretty embarrassing. It's embarrassing to come out and play like that. I tip my hat to their whole team. Cedric ran the ball like crazy. They did whatever they wanted to do."

The Bengals will enjoy a bye week before hosting the Baltimore Ravens on November 8. They'll then play two games on the road at Pittsburgh and Oakland. Chicago will try to get back on track this Sunday as they host the Cleveland Browns. They'll host the Arizona Cardinals the following Sunday before heading west for a Thursday night game against the San Francisco 49ers on November 12.

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Japan MMA Flashback: Aoki Dominates JZC At DREAM 2

By Ross Everett

After a controversial no contest in their first matchup, there was no doubt as to the winner of the DREAM 2 rematch between Shina Aoki and JZ Calvan. Aoki controlled the fight from the opening bell and used a wide repertoire of submission attempts to keep his opponent off balance and on the defensive.

Aoki scored early with a takedown and controlled Calvan on the ground, working a heel lock attempt before taking his opponents back and attempting a rear naked choke. In the second, Aoki put on a submission clinic and demonstrated his ungodly flexibility as he spun from an armbar to a triangle choke and back again. Calvan was able to counter or escape, but looked completely out of sync as he generated almost no offense whatsoever over the 15 minutes.

Aoki was very emotional in his postfight speech to the crowd, while JZC just looked disgusted with himself for losing such a one sided contest.

With the victory Aoki advances to the semifinals of the lightweight GP tournament. Thats the plan at least, as Aoki made some statements in the Japanese press leading up to the fight that win or lose there would be no way hed be ready for the next round with only half the preparation time as the rest of the field. Hopefully the impressive victory and the enthusiastic response from the holiday week Tokyo crowd will change his mind as hes now the man to beat even with the short prep time.

The rest of the card was devoted to the opening round of the middleweight GP tournament. Taiei Kin defeated Minowa-man Ikuhisa Minowa in a very closely contested and entertaining fight. Despite Kin taking a 3-0 unanimous decision (DREAM judges, like their PRIDE predecessors, judge the fight in its entirety) the first round could have gone either way. Minowa was clearly tired in the 2nd, and that likely sealed the deal for Kin.

Korean judoka Yoon Dong-Sik also advanced with a unanimous decision victory over Shungo Oyama. Most of the damage in this fight came from Yoons ground and pound from full mount, and he controlled the tempo from the outset. Two one sided contests followed, with Zeleg Galesic submitting Magomed Sultanakhmadov via arm bar in a minute and a half of the first round. That was followed by the MMA debut of former Pac 10 wrestling standout Ian Murphy, who had a worst case scenario draw against BJJ specialist Ronaldo Jacare.

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Helio Gracie: Father Of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

By Ross Everett

Helio Gracie--patriarch of the legendary Gracie MMA family--died earlier this year in Rio De Janeiro at age 95. His influence on martial arts, and even more so the sport that is known known as mixed martial arts, is staggering. The Gracie family name will forever be synonymous with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA and the UFC due to the accomplishments of Helio Gracie and his progeny.

Helio Gracie began studying martial arts early in life, and by the age of 16 had already begun to teach judo in his native Brazil. While Helio had no problem mastering the theoretical aspects of judo, he found that many of its techniques required a great deal of brute strength which made them less effective for a smaller fighter such as himself. Along with his brother Carlos, he began to adapt many of judos techniques to make them more reliant on leverage rather than strength. This experimentation led to the creation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) which is often referred to as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in his honor.

Gracie also had a professional fighting career of his own, taking on champions from other fighting disciplines in an early version of modern MMA. These bouts were arduous, unregulated affairs with arbitrary rules and no time limits. By his own recollection, Gracie fought 15 times against the top opponents of his time. He began his career in'32 by submitting professional boxer Antonio Portugal in just 32 seconds. Later that year, he fought American catch wrestler Frank Ebert to a draw after the ringside doctor ordered the bout stopped after an ungodly fourteen ten minute rounds.

His most famous battle was against Japanese judo legend Masahiko Kimura, resulting in a rare loss for Gracie. Despite the setback, he fought bravely and may have actually enhanced his legend after refusing to submit to a reverse arm bar (the same move that now bears Kimuras name). Only after his arm was broken did his brother Carlos throw in the towel.

Gracies influence on the Brazilian sports scene, and later the nascent sport of mixed martial arts, would continue through his family. Married twice, he had seven sons (Rickson, Royler, Rolker, Royce, Relson, Robin and Rorion) and two daughters (Rerika and Ricci), many of whom went on to make their own mark on the fight sport world. Royce Gracie is well known as the first UFC superstar, while sons Rickson Royler, Renzo have also achieved considerable fame in professional MMA. At the time of his death, Helio Gracie was a 6th Dan Judo black belt and the only living 10th degree master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The cause of Gracies death was officially given as natural causes. His last words will go down as a fitting envoi to a man who gave so much of himself to fighting:

"I created a flag from the sports dignity. I oversee the name of my family with affection and nerves of blood.

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Ways Sexy Lingerie Can Spice Up Your Sex Life

. Saturday, December 26, 2009
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By Rosa Lopez

Women that wear something sexy will feel gorgeous and confident. Women that wear sexy lingerie find that it makes them feel much more beautiful. There are many different types of lingerie to pick from and women can find the style that makes them feel sexy. There are several colors and many materials to pick from too.

If you and your partner are in a rut in the bedroom, sexy lingerie can spice things up. How many men do you know that can resist their woman in sexy lingerie? Not very many I'm guessing. By wearing lingerie for your partner you will definitely get your relationship out of the slump it is now in. Try buying lingerie that you know your partner will enjoy. You know what kind of things he likes so use that when shopping.

Linger even comes in costumes these days. If your spouse has a certain fantasy you can try fulfilling it with costume lingerie. You can also purchase Holiday themed sexy lingerie. For Christmas you can dress as a sexy Mrs. Clause as his special gift. He wont even be thinking about unwrapping gifts from under the tree because he will be too busy unwrapping you.

It is hard to keep sex new and interesting after many years of being with the same person. No one wants their sex life to become boring and routine. Sexy lingerie will ensure that does not happen. You can try sending your partner sexy emails or text messages all day while he is at work. When he gets home you can be waiting with the lights turned down low or maybe even with candle light. When he sees the new lingerie you are wearing things will no longer be boring and routine.

When you and your spouse go out for a special night you can try wearing sexy lingerie beneath your clothes. When the date is over and your back home you can do a seductive strip tease for him to show off the lingerie beneath. This will drive your spouse mad with desire.

Some women feel that they they can not be confident enough to do a sexy strip tease but you wait until you get that lingerie on. You will be more confident and feel more beautiful than you ever thought possible. Men are turned on by confident women and what could be better than doing a strip tease in lingerie for your husband to gain more confidence and feel more beautiful.

Women that do not have much experience with lingerie can find it intimidating to visit a lingerie shop because of all the choices available. It can be hard to know what to choose so ask the sales woman for help finding something to drive your spouse crazy with desire.

Women have different ideas about what makes them feel sexy so the choices in lingerie can be very different. If you don't feel comfortable in the lingerie you choose then you should choose something else. You can't feel sexy in something you don't feel completely comfortable in.

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Free Music Downloads - Try Your MP3 Before Buying

By Girish Jaju

If you are an ardent lover of music and want to be at pace with the latest trends in the market, you have the opportunity to do so. Get your desired free music downloads through internet. Fulfill your desire of musical numbers. You do not have to make any investment to get the lovely tunes that you have been aspiring since a long time. If you want to collect the music in CDs or cassettes from the store, you have to cough out some cash. Here by the courtesy of internet, it is absolutely free.

There are several websites who offer free downloads of music from their competent database so that visitors find it greatly exciting and get satisfaction from the services of those websites. They are very much admired by the young generation particularly, because they are the ones who go intensely after a special blockbuster number of band or solo music piece.

When they are satisfied they speak very highly of the particular website, as a result the website gets many more visitors and enjoys high traffic. It is catching up since last few years and young visitors are thronging the website in thousands of numbers each day. The free aspect of the website is more appealing and it is the main reason of such huge popularity.

You will find ample websites who are offering free downloads of different kinds of musical pieces. It is sure that you will find your choice from one of them easily. You must know that the original copy of the music is available only after a certain period, which the owner decides under the copyright provision and then he releases them for free circulation in any channel.

Normally latest introductions are scarcely available for free downloads from the original musical score, however, you may be fortunate to get one otherwise. With such small exceptions, the websites with free downloads are enjoying great popularity and it is growing day after day.

You should choose the better quality websites for your free downloads. You should shop around for competent sites who offer reliable and authentic recordings of your choicest music. Listen to the music news to remain updated about the latest happenings in the world of music.

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Glam Up Your Personal Checks with Vintage Pin-Up Girls

By Alan Plastin

Nothing speaks glamour like the 1940's pin-up girls of Hollywood. If you want to bring a little bit of glamour to your personal bank checks, then you should definitely consider purchasing vintage-inspired pin-up girls on your checks. Not only are they great looking, but everyone will remember the checks that you write to them.

In the 1940's, WWII was raging, but Hollywood was alive and kicking. The pin-up girls of that era graced magazines, calendars, and even playing cards. They were beautiful, glamorous, and sexy. With perfect hair and makeup, gorgeous clothing, and secret smiles, they were more than just sex symbols-they were icons. Men wanted to be with them, and women wanted to be them.

It took something special to be a pin-up girl during that era. Being a successful and beautiful movie star didn't necessarily mean that you could also be a successful pin-up girl. Indeed, it took more than good looks and sex appeal to have your face plastered on playing cards and posters. A woman had to have an allure that set her apart from other women. She also had to appear to be accessible. One of the reasons that pin-up girls became so popular is due to the fact that their images had wide appeal and were mass-produced.

Betty Grable was one of the earliest pin-up girls. Her poster was "pinned up" in lockers during the War. The Gibson girl, who was actually an illustration, was another popular pin-up girl. Other popular pin-up girls of the 1940s include Carmen Miranda, Jane Russell, Veronica Lake, Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, and Ava Gardner. Betty Page, in the 1950s, was one of the most popular pin-up girls of all time. In fact, merchandise containing her image can still be purchased today, despite the fact that many of her present-day fans were not alive during her heyday.

Even though pin-up girls still exist today, an argument exists that they no longer contain the allure and style of the women of the past. Although posters can be obtained of most of the popular female movie and televisions stars and supermodels, the sexy sirens of the past are gone.

If you would like your personal bank checks to have something a little different and you love the 1940s and 1950s, then the pin-up girls checks and their vintage feel might be right up your alley. They come in 4 rotating images so each lovely girl will be different from the one before her. Not only do these checks look great, but they can be conversation pieces, too, and they can say a lot about your personality and individuality.

If you buy your checks online from a site you can save as much as 50% off what your bank might charge you. You will also have a wide range to select from. You can anticipate receiving your checks in about 5 days. Don't forget to have your routing number and checking account number available when you place your order.

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Opera Glasses, A Great Manner To View All The Action On Stage From Far Away

. Friday, December 25, 2009
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By Jeff Bridges

Opera Glasses are similar to binoculars but they are made for being able to see performances on stage. In old opera houses seats placed in balconies that were subsequently cheaper were very far away from the stage. In some they were so far away on the figures could be seen from that distance but seeing facial features, and thus part of the acting, was impossible to make out. Opera glasses would enable those people in the peanut gallery to see on stage much better to the point of seeing the facial expressions of the actors or singers. They have been popular since the 50's.

Binoculars and Opera Glasses have several major differences including the fact that opera glasses are smaller and made to be unnoticed or be tucked away where no one could see them until the performance started. Today there are several types that look like a flat case easily carried in a women's bag or in a suit pocket, but touch a button and they pop up. There are some that fold up on each other and hard to notice unless they are fully pulled out and ready to use. Some manufactures make reproductions of older models that have a rod from which to hold them called lorgnettes enabling the view to hold with one hand. This rod folds and practically disappears when not in use.

Opera glasses can be found for purchase today. There are inexpensive ones that cost about $50 to $100 but there are others that can be more expensive. These kind are equipped with better optics and larger magnifications and may be unique in the way they look. You can also get vintage opera glasses that may cost much more merely because they are antique. Always try them out to make sure they are still in working order.

Some theaters give you the opportunity to rent opera glasses for a small fee. If you are an opera or theater enthusiast that attends regularly you may want to have a pair of your own, but if you one go once in awhile renting them is a good option. If you want to buy your own it is a good idea to try out the rented ones to see what you prefer. You may like the ones you hold one handed with the rod or you might like the ones you use like binoculars. You might find out you don't even want to use them.

Opera glasses are different in another way from binoculars. The optical system used is much simpler than that used in binoculars. It is known as the Galilean optical system and based on the system that was invented by Galileo. The view is not as sharp with opera glasses as it is with binoculars but it still enables you to see what is happening on the stage.

Most opera glasses today are made in China. Most of them have a magnification to 3 X which is adequate for a large auditorium or concert hall. Exceptions to the rule go to 5 X but they are quite expensive. Some will have a center focus and some don't have one at all. Usually the non focus glasses have a small red LED light that appears between the eye barrels. This will enable you to read the program in dim light without disturbing your neighbor. If you have good vision these will be the ones for you however, if you have a problem with vision and wish to use the opera glasses without your corrective lenses it is better to go with the ones that can be focused. Since there is a central focusing mechanism there is no room for the light so focused opera glasses will not have one.

Opera Glasses usually are accompanied by a case and especially look for this in the vintage ones. Some are soft sided and others hare hard and can be lined with velvet. Some antique glasses are made of ivory or enamel with cloisonne and they may be bejewelled or framed in gold or silver. Old ones were very beautiful and elegant. Either vintage or modern glasses make a great gift for those who love the ballet, opera or theater.

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Opera Glasses, Love, Racism, and Hairspray: A Review

By Jeff Bridges

Hairspray the musical is set in Baltimore, Maryland the year is 1962. Our hero in the musical is is a young overweight girl named Tracy. Tracy has always dreamed of becoming a big star, if and when you attend this musical, make sure you have a front row seat, if you don't you will want to be sure to bring your opera glasses, so as not to miss a moment of this fast-paced play.

Tracy hears on the television that The Corny Collins Show is having a dance contest and she excitedly wants to enter the contest. Her overweight mother frowns at the idea. (You may have heard actor John Travolta played this part in the movie Hairspray.) Tracy's mother is just trying to protect her dear daughter out of love as she does not want people to make her daughter a joke for being overweight. Plus, her mother thinks the show plays racist music.

With the good grace of her father Wilbur, Tracy finally gets permission to go on to the dance audition. During the audition, she meets with, and falls in love with a boy name Link Larkin. As the author I recommend, preparing for this moment, by making sure that you are using your opera glasses! You will surely want to catch the expression on Tracy's face as you see her fall hopelessly in love with Link. At this point, Tracy begins a beautiful song about love, and her dream of being with Link. Tracy is rudely awakened from her daydream, only to find out that due to her weight, she did not make the cut for the dance competition. Just as her mother suspected would happen from the beginning.

Poor Tracy then returns back to school. Her troubles do not end at school. Tracy is then given a detention once again due to her hair being so big that kids sitting behind her cannot even see the chalk board! Hence, you can tell a reason why the musical is given the name Hairspray.

As Tracy sits in detention, she meets a black boy named Seaweed who offers to teach her some dance moves, Tracy picks him up on the offer and is taught some amazing moves. Tracy also finds out that there is a dance scheduled, which she attends with Seaweed. While attending, Tracy shows off some of the amazing moves that she has learned, but it is not just those from her school who are watching, but the owner of the T.V. show that is featuring the big dance contest, the owner happens to catch Tracy's moves and is impressed, he then invites her to be on the show. Remember to use your opera glasses at this point to see Tracy's face as her dreams come true.

Again after all this Tracy finds more good news, Link Larkin, the love of her life is to sing a romantic song to her on the show! Amber, who is another girl that attends Tracy's school is also in love with Link, finds out, and decides to take her rage out on on Tracy, cruelty ensues, including knocking Tracy out with a volleyball.

More things ensue. Tracy and others are invited to Seaweed's mother's record shop. A party is planned for all to attend. The group goes to Seaweed's mother's record shop as blacks cannot go to The Corny Collins Show since blacks are only allowed on the show once a month on a specific day; that day being Negro Day. Tracy gets into fighting for blacks rights. For these intense acts you will want to wear your opera glasses.

Hairspray is a delight to attend, and a bigger delight to hear, it is no wonder it made such a run on Broadway, Remember to bring your opera glasses to catch every last expression, and the wonderful costumes. This is truly a performance to cherish.

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Wicked the Musical: A Review with Opera Glasses

By Jeff Bridges

Wicked is an amazing musical, and a storyline you are sure to love. The story is based off of the original movie of the 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz. Wicked is the story of how The Wicked Witch of the West got so wicked.

As I sat attended this performance, my thoughts were continually drawn back to the opera glasses I was using for the performance. The costumes through the glasses were delightful, the singing amazing, the characters entrancing, and stage props amazing. Without opera glasses I am sure that I would have missed out on much of the performance, so to full enjoy the experience when you attend, make sure you remember to bring them.

One of the aspects of this play that I truly have enjoyed is the discovery of the childhood lives of each of the witches, both the good witch, and the wicked witch. As you attend you will start to understand why each turned out the way they did.

I know that as you attend Wicked you will be shocked and awed at the twist in the original storyline that you did not expect, and you will find yourself sympathizing with the Wicked witch. You will begin to see the Glinda the good witch was not as you would have suspected. Glinda was really a popular spoiled girl, and the Wicked Witch, Elphaba had quite a traumatic childhood. Elphaba was born with green skin, as was made fun of constantly, she had no mother growing up, and was raised solely by her father. You will see that she was not wicked all along, and that she actually did good things. After you have attended this performance, you may find yourself purchasing the t-shirt, hat, or as I recommend the CD to this wonderful performance, you will find yourself listening to it over and over again.

If you would like to see one of the most popular musicals in years, Wicked is the performance to see, it has won many national and international awards including a Tony! If you don't believe me, simply find a friend or relative who has seen it, and listen to them rave. When you finally go, make sure you bring your opera glasses to make the show as wonderful as possible.

Of the calendar year of 2009, wicked has been hailed as the top production of this year. Many, many records have been set by this wicked musical, and as this is written, Wicked is on its second national tour, remember to buy tickets fast, when Wicked played in our town, tickets went on sale in late December and were sold out within 3 days, despite the fact that the play was not till May! This is a performance that will be around for years to come, as such, do not fret it you are not able to get tickets this time around, there will be many opportunities to come, and as we always always recommend, don't forget the opera glasses.

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The Magazine Subscriptions That Will Not Go Away

. Thursday, December 24, 2009
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By Patricia Connor

Holiday shopping is made easy by getting the gift of magazine subscriptions. You can use them for many people. You can even give as a family gift instead of buying individual gifts for indiviuals. The recipient can enjoy them all year long. They also make a great fundraising option for organization trying to raise money and are an added something special for any birthday.

Many times we won't splurge on a subscription for ourselves but love getting them as gifts guilt free. The new homeowner would enjoy the gift of a magazine for their new home as they decorate it. For the difficult to buy for they will also enjoy reading materials and they make great gifts for people out of town. You can order them and avoid shipping costs of mailing presents out of town.

The same is true for a birthday gift for the same reasons above. For the teenage girl a gift subscription to a teenage magazine is a great idea. For the guy the gift of a car magazine is good. You can use your imagination and what the person enjoys. It can be renewed every year and you have an instant gift for them for years to come.

For the person who loves to travel you can get them a travel magazine, or for the cook there are several different magazines out there for them too. You can even add a magazine to any gift basket for an added treat. Add a bunch of cooking supplies and a fun accessory and pop it into the basket. It can be a theme such as French cooking and get them a subscription to Bon Apetite'.

If you have a doctor or dentist with boring magazines in their office consider giving them the gift of a magazine subscription. They will thank you and so will the other patients who feel the same way as you. If you have your own office you can order them and most likely be able to deduct them from your taxes as a business expense.

The teachers in your life will appreciate a magazine subscription as a gift during the holidays or as an end of the year gift for you to remember them by. Teachers spend a lot of money of there own for their classrooms and will appreciate the gift even more as they can use that money on other items.

A great fundraising idea is to sell magazine subscriptions to raise funds for your organization. It is easy to do and especially during the holidays when there are so many gifts to buy for others. Companies offer profit incentives for the amount of subscriptions your organization sells which makes it even more fun for the people selling. Have a competition and see who can sell the most.

You can rest easy this holiday season and shop quickly for magazine subscriptions as gifts. Even the hard to buy for person will be glad to get a monthly gift of a magazine they normally would not subscribe to. You can enjoy the holidays knowing your list is covered and have money in your pocket from not spending all the money on shipping.

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Cheap Acoustic Guitars - What Choices

By Steve Murray

The main reason why a instrument will cost as much as they do is the materials from which they have been made. Certainly when it comes to stringed instruments like the guitar the better quality ones will have been used wood. But along with wood there are other materials such as graphite and plastic which can be used for making cheap acoustic guitars. The problem with these types is that they will not sound as good.

If you choose to buy a guitar not made from wood it will often not sound round and you may find that you give up the guitar because you become frustrated. Therefore, it is better if you can only afford to buy a cheap acoustic guitar you get one that is made from wood, rather than saving money on a guitar which you will not like playing.

When you begin your search for a cheap acoustic guitar it is best to look for those which come with a solid wooden top rather than being made from plywood. The reason for this being that those made using solid wood provide a much richer and fuller tone to the sound that they produce. Also when buying an acoustic guitar purchase one that has both a solid wood back and sides.

There are plenty of such guitars available and one that should be high on your list to consider is the Seagull S6. Although not cheap it is certainly value for money as you are unlikely to want to buy another acoustic guitar once you have this one. This particular guitar has a solid cedar top and the sides are made from solid mahogany and which is why it makes such a beautiful sound when played. The fact is that this guitar is of such high quality then many professional musicians will keep this guitar even though they may have several more expensive ones as well.

The Seagull S6 will cost around $400-$500, but if you are at all serious about being a good guitarist, you should seriously consider investing money in buying this guitar. Buy by taking a look online you may actually find that you can get some great deals on this particular guitar.

Along with the Seagull S6 another very good acoustic guitar to consider purchasing and which is costs less is the Yamaha F310. Rather than a solid wood cedar top this has a spruce one instead. But as with the Seagull S6 this guitar has a mahogany back and sides. On average you can expect to pay between $150 and $200 for this particular guitar and is a very common choice for those people who are serious about learning to play the guitar.

But as well as the Yamaha F310 there is also the Epiphone DR-100 which is slightly less in price than the Yamaha. On average you can expect to spend between $120 and $150 on this guitar. Just like the Yamaha this guitar is made using spruce and mahogany woods and is the ideal instrument for those first starting to learn how to play the guitar. However at some point in the future you will need to upgrade this one for something a little better, especially once you become a more accomplished guitarist.

Although there are plenty of guitars available that cost less than $100 these are not the sort you should consider buying when you are wanting to learn. As you will find the quality of the sound they produce is badly affected and people who choose to buy one of these will often give up learning because they just do not sound as good. The reason for this is that the guitars are not made very well and the materials used because they are poor quality and cheap to buy.

If you are serious when it comes to getting cheap acoustic guitars in order to learn how to play them then you can not go far wrong with getting one of those mentioned above. However, if you still find that you do not have sufficient funds to purchase a new one why not visit your local music or guitar store and see what second hand ones they have. Doing this you will be able to try a number of different ones out and see which one you like the feel of and which feels comfortable when you try to play it.

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Disney Princess Toys - 3 Reasons Disney LeapFrog Leapster Games Make Great Gifts

By Lily Adams

In this article, we will discuss Disney princess toys and 3 reasons LeapFrog Leapster learning games make great gifts. Even for those of us who don't like computer games and think they can't possibly be a good thing for your child, the fact remains that getting an education that is fun and will teach your child at the same time can't be a bad thing. Using the LeapFrog princess toy to help your daughter learn the things she needs to learn is a priceless gift. The 3 reasons below will tell you why LeapFrogs make such wonderful gifts.

1. Learning Made Fun: Little children are sponges, which is why it is a good idea to start your child's education early. There is no better way to do this than in the form of games. Leapster has created computer games that are not only fun for children, but are preparing children for the skills they will need later in their school years. While some children love to learn, some are reluctant to start the process, making learning a game is the best compromise.

2. Children Learn to Read and Write: Each game will challenge your child and develop their skills in reading, writing and shapes. While enjoying their favorite princesses, children will learn how to read, write, spell, distinguish shapes and more. The games will teach your child how to write their letters precisely and will develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

3. Encourages Them to Persevere: It's important to learn that making mistakes is okay and that one should always keep trying. Each game is designed to encourage your child through each mistake, will keep them going and won't make them feel bad about themselves if they do something incorrectly.

This article discussed Disney princess toys and 3 reasons why the LeapFrog Leapster makes a great gift. Learning is made fun, and they will learn how to read, write and so much more. Life lessons are taught within this little computer, as learning to never give up is such an important skill to have. Some children become very frustrated and give up easily, which is why these games are designed to keep their interest and encourage them to keep going no matter how many mistakes are made.

The LeapFrog Leapster is a great game to help your child prepare for school and beyond while allowing them to indulge in their favorite Disney princess worlds.

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Redskins Offense A Mess Under New Play Caller Lewis

. Wednesday, December 23, 2009
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By Ross Everett

The Washington Redskins are a mess right now. Head coach Jim Zorn has a tenuous hold on his job at best and after Sunday's---6 loss to Kansas City was stripped of his offensive play calling duties. Management installed newly hired 'offensive consultant' Sherman Lewis as the new offensive play caller and the team has set up an awkward arrangement for him to get the plays to the quarterbacks. For that reason, starting QB Jason Campbell has some serious misgivings about the efficacy of the setup.

Lewis has only been out of retirement and with the team for two weeks, and has spent this week trying to ingest a crash course on the Redskins' offensive schemes. While he was learning on the job, head coach Zorn was trying to put the best spin possible on the situation':

"I need to have composure. I need to understand what the reality of the situation is, and I think our players expect me to rise up. We expect them to play under adverse conditions. We expect them to risk it all. ... I'm conscious of what's going on. I'm not naive about what's going on, and yet I have to just hold back on any feelings and make the decisions."

Quarterback Campbell is more concerned about the convoluted system of getting plays from Lewis to him:

"There'll probably be a couple of plays I have in my head just in case if some reason it doesn't get in on time."

Here's how things are supposed to work-Lewis will sit in the coaches' box above the field and read the plays off a sheet. While Lewis has years of experience working in the so called 'West Coast Offense', Zorn left doubt that he really knows what he's doing at this point stressing that Lewis "doesn't know the protections" and "doesn't know the blitz schemes." Nevertheless, he'll be running the offense when the Redskins take on Philadelphia this Monday night.

Once Lewis figures out what to call, that's when it really gets tricky. He'll relay the plays via headset not to Zorn but to offensive coordinator Sherman Smith. Smith will then inform the quarterback what to run. Zorn is left in the role of a passive bystander on offense, though he will listen in to the playcalling on his headset.

Backup quarterback Todd Collins also shared his concern with the new arrangement:

"It is unsettling. I've never gone through this before. I've never had a play caller get changed in the middle of the season."

Lewis didn't exactly evoke a lot of confidence upon his hiring, where he revealed that he'd been calling bingo games at a seniors' center to kill time since his retirement in 2004. Still, Collins gave him a guarded vote of confidence;

"I know he's been studying last year's game against the Eagles and seems to have a pretty good idea how he wants to call the game this week. It's the same plays. He might coach them a little differently or highlight some different areas, but the offense hasn't gone under an overhaul or anything like that."

The Redskins haven't scored more than 17 points in a game this season, so maybe the thinking is that things can't get any worse.

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MMA Flashback: Kimbo Slice And Elite XC Debut On CBS

By Ross Everett

It wasnt the decisive blowout that EliteXC was hoping far to send Kimbo Slices stardom into the stratosphere but with some seriously tense moments for the former street fighter against a game James Thompson everyone concerned is likely happy with a victory of any sort. Kimbo at times displayed some surprising skill on the ground, while at other times looked amateurish and lost. Slice clearly had the edge in the standup exchanges, and appeared to have Thompson on the verge of going down for the count several times in the fight. To his credit, the British fighter--who developed a reputation for having one of the weakest chins in the sport during his tenure in PRIDE--took Kimbo's best shots and had a tactical answer every time he got in trouble by taking the bout to the mat.

Though "The Colossus" kept his feet through several punishing combinations, the beginning of the end came when a Slice punch nearly sheared his ear off. The bloody, grotesque ear was clearly at risk of being seriously damaged and Kimbo punctuated this with four or five uncontested power punches. Thompson by this point was out on his feet and the ref jumped in to bring the proceedings to a halt giving Kimbo a TKO victory. After the fight an exhausted and relieved Slice flopped onto the mat, clearly relieved to have survived the toughest test hes faced in his embryonic MMA career.

While Thompson and his corner complained of an early stoppage, given the severity of the ear injury and the four or five uncontested power shots by Kimbo its a tough case to make. Furthermore, it was consistent with the officiating all night which obviously was trying to err on the side of caution in the first MMA event on prime time major network television. The ref was quick to call several of the earlier bouts, and the ringside physician was involved. The fights on the card that ended by stoppage could have arguably been called a second or two early, but as the old saying goes better a second too early than a second too late.

Despite the tough test faced by Kimbo Slice, EliteXC overall has to be very happy with how the event came off. The presentation was highly professional all night, and the announcing was superb. There was no question that Gus Johnson and Mauro Ranallo are solid pros, and Frank Shamrock is obviously a well spoken and experienced expert commentator but the three meshed together exceptionally well.

The emphasis from the start was on selling the sport of MMA, with the promotion taking a secondary role. This was done via nicely produced and informative instructional videos, which would be helpful to a first time MMA viewer but didnt come off as sophomoric to the seasoned aficionado.

Overall, it was a professionally produced and entertaining night of action. With the exception of the less than decisive victory by Kimbo in the main event, it couldnt have gone better for EliteXC had it been scripted.

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NY Jets Rip Hapless Raiders

By Ross Everett

The New York Jets and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez found a sure fire cure to their recent struggles-a game against the lowly Oakland Raiders. Sanchez passed for--3 yards and a touchdown, plus added a rushing touchdown as New York thumped Oakland 38-0 in the largest regular season shutout win in franchise history. The Jets improved their record to 4-3 while the Raiders dropped to 2-5.

NFL football betting enthusiasts who took the Jets as -6 road favorites had smooth sailing throughout the game for an easy pointspread cover. The Jets improved to 4-3 against the spread while the Raiders fell to 3-5 against the number. The 38 points scored went OVER the posted total of 34. Oakland failed to score a touchdown for the 15th game in the past four seasons.

It was such an effortless game that the only thing that Sanchez had to apologize for was surreptitiously eating a hot dog near the end of the contest:

"I want to apologize for that. I wasn't feeling very good and didn't eat much before the game, so I was feeling a little queasy. Toward the end of the game, I probably should have eaten one of those bars or something, but someone offered a hot dog, so I grabbed it and tried to be discreet about it, but obviously not discreet enough. So I shouldn't have done that, and it won't happen again."

The Jets capitalized on three early Raiders' turnovers and started two of their first three drives inside the five yardline. Sanchez praised the defense for making his job easy:

"It makes it so easy on the offense when your defense is playing like that. Hats off to them, they had a heck of a game to shut that team out. I don't care who we're playing, that's a big-time accomplishment for our team."

Jets' coach Rex Ryan was very pleased with Sanchez's performance:

"Sanchez was great. He was just smart with the football. I think sometimes he could have put the ball on a receiver, but he was making sure the ball wasn't intercepted. It was great to see him respond."

Raiders' defensive lineman Richard Seymour, who boldly predicted the team would make the playoffs despite their slow start, was singing a different tune after the rout:

"I don't think we could have beaten an Oakland high school team today."

Despite Russell's struggles, Oakland coach Tom Cable remains committed to him as the team's starter:

"I thought he was really out of sorts early in the game. I just did not feel like at that point he gave us the best chance to have the success we needed to have offensively and made the move. JaMarcus will continue to be our starter. There is no issue there."

The Raiders will try to bounce back this weekend in a big rivalry game on the road against the San Diego Chargers. Oakland is +16' road underdogs with the total set at 42'. They'll then enjoy a bye week before back to back home games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets host Miami this Sunday, with New York a -3' home favorite and the total set at 40'.

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