Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Finding A Serious Talent Agency

By Sarah Jones

Observation

Do you need to find the best talent agency to help you when you've decided to really take your acting career or modeling career seriously?

Do the owners invest their industry talents and experience in evaluating, educating and promoting everyday people into the very best models and actors? Are you connected with all the best and top-notch production companies, casting directors and advertising companies that can utilize your best talents.

Top Talent Agencies

As far as acting goes, owner and staff background is quite extensive. One studied for four years at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and later worked as an agent for 4B Talent in NYC and later as head booking agent for the commercial print and fashion divisions of Foster Fell Model & Talent Agency. They have also appeared in many films, TV commercials and theatrical productions.

Another manager's career began in the 1970's in the fashion industry where they worked with department stores, public relations firms, talent and advertising agencies in the development of catalogues, brochures, editorials, print work, as well as magazine, television and newspaper ads. Later, figuring they'd use their talents within the talent agency and modeling fields.

Good Models and Actors

Over the years, these agents have been able to match up the best talent for the right movies, print/runway work, music videos, promotion, and television commercials and series. Deciding to unite their various entertainment industry talents was the best decision of their lives.

Avenue Productions Fort lauderdale is a commission-based agency with no registration fee. So if you'd like to have the opportunity to work with them, all you need to do is fill out their registration form and see if you're a good match. However, make sure you know that they expect you to have a positive mental attitude, a willingness to work long hours on casting calls without complaint and the ability to work flexible hours.

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Breaking Into Showbiz

By Lyn Hsu

Industry Success

Are you finally ready to take action on getting your modeling or acting career kicked into high gear? If so, then you need to align yourself with the best production companies, casting directors and advertising companies in the industry by aligning yourself with the very best talent agency in the business.

Find an agency that has developed a reputation as a top entertainment industry talent agency and you would do well to develop your career with them. They need the ability to work with everyday people, identify top talent and then go to work promoting that talent into the roles perfectly matched for it.

Encouraging Your Success

Being extremely influential in today's entertainment business is key and it's important that you understand this aspect. A talent agency that has placed its talent in some of the best roles in various music videos, promotions, print media, television commercials, and television series may be hard to find.

When it comes to movies, if an agency can claim the following list that its talent has worked on then they are top-notch: Adaptations, Any Given Sunday, Random Hearts, Out of Sight, Drop Zone, Big Trouble, Snow Dogs, Blood and Wine, Marley & Me, Chilled In Miami, Fool's Gold, Canvas, Hoot, Red Eye, Punisher, Stuck on You, Heartbreakers, The Other Side, Wild Things II, Ali, Out of Time, Daddy Day Care, The Bodyguard, Transporter II, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Analyze This, and many, many more.

Manifesting Success

And they should be able to name some commercials their talent has worked in like: Wrigley's, Pert Shampoo, Hagen Daaz, Bridgestone Golf, Penzoil, Fisher Price, Mastercard, Domino's Pizza, Neutrogena, Jeep, Chevrolet, Lunchables, Wendy's, Pepsi, Papa John's Pizza, Volvo-Nissan, Disney Cruise, Nike, Kellogg's, Oil of Olay, Hard Rock Hotel, Tropicana, Kraft, Visa, America Shopping Network, Ballpark Franks, Florida Panthers, Hasbro Ivory Soap, Diet Coke, Dodge, Chrysler, Princess Cruise Lines, etc.

With lists like that they are definitely worth your consideration, and the staff of Avenue Productions, are willing and able to bring their extensive entertainment field experience and background to the table so as to maximize your opportunities for career success. Having worked in the past as actors/actresses in theatrical productions, TV commercials, and films while along with a vast background in public relations and fashion.

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Rocket Piano Review

By Matthew Childs

Learning piano does not have to be boring anymore. I can remember the times when I had to get piano lessons from an old lady who carried a stick which she would use to strike the side of the piano every time I hit a wrong note. Now, there are so many ways to learn how to play the instrument with ease and so much fun.

Everything's changed now. Ruth Searle is a professional pianist who hails from New Zealand. As a recipient of the Australasian Award, it was no question that she was a great lover of fine music.

Her love for music has allowed her to become the recipient of the Australasian Award. Able to play classical ensembles to rock music, Searle now wants to teach other to discover the gift of music.

What is unique about Rocket Piano is that it can help anyone learn how to play the piano using different approach.

For instance, it uses e-books and audio files as a way to relay the different lessons. However, these books are great for learning because they contain illustrations with clear instructions.

What I really appreciate with Rocket Piano is the fact that it does not only include information that one has to take note of when playing the piano but also the mistakes that one ought to avoid.

The course being organized into novice, intermediate and pro levels are also set to make the learning more organized.

Rocket Piano also employs videos to help students learn the lessons. In these videos, step-by-step demonstrations are provided so that the student can clearly grasp all the lessons and principles.

This kind of approach works well for visual students but it can also be used in combination with other approach.

But what makes Rocket Piano different from all the others is the fact that it has different games to make learning more fun.

Jayde Music Pro is an example of such. This game was designed to help players know how to read piano sheets.

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Switzerland Pulls Huge World Cup Soccer Upset Of Spain

By Ross Everett

In arguably the biggest upset of the 2010 World Cup, Switzerland used a Gelson Fernandez goal to defeatSpain 1-0. Spain entered the competition as one of the favorites to win the entire tournament, but was shut down by a feisty Switzerland defense. Spain controlled possession throughout and outshot their opponents 25-9, but only 5 of their shots were 'on goal'. It was the 5th consecutive World Cup shutout for the Swiss team, who made it through the entire 2006 World Cup without conceding a goal before being eliminated on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals.

Not surprisingly, the Switzerland victory also produced a hefty soccer betting payday for their financial supporters. The Swiss were a +1100 underdog to take three points from their opening game. Spain had been installed as a -400 favorite, with the odds on the draw priced at +400.

Switzerland employs a 'bend but don't break' defensive style, which allowed Spain to control possession and play but yielded very few significant scoring chances. For the game, Spain held a 74% to 26% time of possession advantage and outshot Switzerland 25-9. More significantly, however, Spain managed only 5 shots on goal. Spain's passing game was beautiful-they completed 574 passes, which is the most so far in the 2010 tournament. That is small consolation to the Group H favorites who now find themselves without a point after one game.

After Gelson Fernandez scored on a rare Swiss counterattack, Spain wasn't able to recover. After the game Fernandez seemed as shocked by his second goal in International play as anyone:

"To be fair, I'm not used to scoring goals, so I was a bit surprised. It was a bit of luck."

Switzerland coach said that not playing Spain's preferred style was the key to victory:

"These were three unexpected points. If you play an attacking game against Spain, you'll lose and suffer one goal after the next."

Spanish coach Vincente del Bosque was philosophic about the loss:

"Today wasn't our day. We have two games ahead of us. We have to find a way to win them."

Despite Spain's #1 FIFA ranking and status as pre tournament favorites, they had a lot of history against them. Only two of the last eight reigning European champions have won their opening match in the World Cup, with the last being Germany in 1998. Furthermore, Spain has never advanced past the quarterfinals in World Cup play since its fourth place finish in 1950.

None of this will help Honduras, who'll have to face Spain in the second game of Group H play. Their undisciplined play combined with a formidable foe that needs to win will most likely produce a blowout result. Spain will have a more difficult time against a solid Chile side in their final Group H game.

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Accommodating Tips Regarding How To Watch Hatchet 2 Movie Online For Free

By Kathy Hollins

Movies that you download online don't always have to be from the same place. There are plenty of sites online that offer movies for download. But, you want to stick to the websites that are safe and legal. There are tips that can be used when learning how to Watch Hatchet 2 Movie Online Free. Most often, the well know paid services are the best to utilize.

In order to get your movies the fastest, it's important to have high speed internet. This can either be cable, or DSL. The faster the internet service, the faster you can download and watch your movies. Services like dial up may take forever. And, many of the satellite services tend to have a cap after so many Gigabytes of data. These will prove to be ineffective and you won't be able to download any movies.

Having plenty of hard drive space on your computer is essential. Typically, your PC will require 14 - 20GB of free space in order to just function properly. Additional space is used to keep whatever you want on it. If your internal hard drive doesn't have enough space, you may want to invest in an external drive. A good size to invest in is a 1 Terabyte drive.

Burning your movies onto disc may also be an option for you. This is important if you don't have enough space on your hard drive. Or, you'd rather not cram any drive with just movies. Computers come pre-packaged with DVD burners. This means you can burn your movies onto DVD for viewing on a DVD player.

Some internet sites don't allow their movies to be burned onto DVD. They are only to be watched on the computer authorized with the account. Many consumers are alright with this. They often have the space and desire to keep movies on their computers. There are companies that allow you to burn specific movies to DVD, but they're only playable on your PC and not your DVD player.

There are sites that allow you to download movies, and then burn them to DVD with special movie burning software. These are the better known movie sites that allow you to burn downloaded movies to DVD. More often, these services have an annual subscription that you pay in order to do so. Look into each service to see which the best is for you.

DVR's are another device that can be used to store movies. Certain cables you can buy allow you to download movies from your movie site and store them on your DVR. Some of those sites that may not allow DVD burning will often allow this. You can watch these movies on your TV from your DVR instead of your PC.

These are just some tips about how to Watch Hatchet 2 Movie Online Free. If downloading movies aren't your thing, streaming them is also another option. Depending on your internet speed, it can be faster to view movies rather than having to wait for a download. And, it's even more convenient than visiting the video store.

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A Straightforward Technique To Make Cash From Your Digital Camera

By Alan V. Kemp

Have you considered using digital photography to bring in some extra money? Digital photography is one of the world's fastest growing hobbies. If you just have a little bit of creativity digital photography can turn into a money making business. Actually, there are several ways that you can make some extra money with your digital camera. All you really need to be successful is drive and dedication to get work done, as well as a little bit of salesmanship.

Odds are that you already own the equipment needed to begin, if you already enjoy digital photography as a hobby. You will need a digital camera, ideally with features equivalent to an SLR film camera, a tripod or two for certain picture-taking occasions and a printer capable of printing excellent quality photographs, or a printing service.

You will also need good digital photo editing software. The best applications that you can use are Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Corel Paint Shop Pro X, and Adobe Photoshop Elemts 5.

Investing a few hundred dollars in marketing materials will get you off to a good start.

Before we move on, this is a good time to clear up one misconception. It is not impossible to make a good income from your photography, as many people think. Naysayers refer to the fact that pretty much everybody has a digital camera at their disposal, or at least one on their phone. People often wonder why anyone would purchase photos when they could simply take their own photographs.

You can do it this way. Sure, almost everybody has a digital camera or film camera of one kind or another. However, how many people can really use them?

You might want to take a look at how many pictures individuals take. Be honest with yourself. There is more to photography that point and shoot. There are usually motion blur pictures from holding the camera the wrong way. Bad color too. Awkwardly positioned objects. No or poor composition skills. Dark shadows obscuring a subject's face. Even if these people understood how to use digital photo editing software properly, many of their pictures are beyond help. After all, there is only so much any software can do when working with a bad photo.

And what do you suppose happens when these people try to print their photos? I am sure you have seen photos like this. The prints have bad, splotchy resolution. The person that takes the picture does not understand how camera settings can make pictures more suitable for printing.

This is where you come in. Use your extensive digital photography skills to work up a few samples that you can show to potential customers and reel them in.

Maybe you do not think this is likely. Let me tell you about a birthday party I attended recently. The hostess engaged the services of an experienced amateur photographer who was hoping to start her own business - just like you.

Just about all of the party guests had their own cameras, but most of them were enjoying the party too much to snap many shots. And those shots that we did take were unplanned and poorly positioned.

The photographer still got money for what she did. Two days later, she uploaded her photographs onto the web. The party guests were sent an email with a link to the page. The photos were then downloaded, printed, or saved to the computer of those that attended the party.

The photograph did not even have to print or develop the photos and they were paid for their services as well.

That is very cool!

Anyone can do this! So, learn all you can about photography and photo editing, create a marketing plan, and get out there!

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Monday, September 27, 2010

Disney Movie Club: Enjoy Your Favorites

By Michael Aitkens

Are you fond of watching Disney movies? Are you mad for such movies? Can you recall the last time when you watched the movie? How would you feel if somehow you can manage to refresh that magic once again and are provided with the facility of enjoying your favorite movie whenever you want? This simply sounds great. The thought of enjoying your favorite movie at the time of your will gives a lot of pleasure.

Now you can enjoy your favorite movie as many times as you want on the time of your will. Now these movies are available on VHS and DVDs. With the help of Disney movie club you can enjoy and watch out the movie in your home according to your convenience.

Disney has given various eye-catching and mind blowing films. You can enjoy any one of them. Various classics like Swiss Family Robinson, Mary Poppins and Alice in wonderland along with various latest hits like The Chronicles of Narnia, Chicken Little and the Pirates of the Caribbean. There are many and many films that you can enjoy. One of the best collections of family's entertainment is provided by Disney library of movies.

The famous character of Mickey Mouse came into existence due to Walt Disney, its creator. One day, he just picked up a pen and drew one character and named it as Mortimer mouse. He made Mortimer as a very cute and a happy living guy who possessed a sweet endearing voice. But, then slowly and gradually this carton character started witnessing changes for its improvement. The major change that was witnessed was the change of his name. His name changed to Mickey Mouse and he was no longer called as Mortimer.

Special thanks are deserved by Disney studios and movies of Walt Disney as they had provided us with incomparable entertainment with wonderful animation along with amazing world of fantasy.

Disney movies have provided ever lasting enjoyment and entertainment to many generations at a time. All the generations like to enjoy them. The great picture quality, values of the state of the art production have left a benchmark of their own.

With the help of Disney club you can choose to watch your favorite classic movie to enjoy again and again. You will find these movies right in your mail box. This is simply amazing and a totally new approach to experience your favorite movies.

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Television Is A Source Of Information

By Karri Owens

Numerous clients and concerned mothers and fathers have asked us on many occasions - Can TV really be beneficial for my family? Is it possible that we watch too much TV?

Well, Television nowadays has been very popular, and almost every family has access to it. By sitting ideally at home, watching TV, you can get a whole look all over the world. Television is a source of information and entertainment, and even fills a social need for some people.

Watching television is the favorite leisure activity or rather nonactivity for millions of people around the world. The average American, by the time he/she is sixty years old, will have spent fifteen years staring at the TV screen. Watching television is a sedentary and passive activity.

Watching television is an experience shared by the vast majority of children and adults. It is cheap, appealing, and within the reach of the general public. Watching television is not at all bad, and kids can learn many things by watching educational shows. A child may learn to associate things better, or he/she may be familiar with shapes, colors, numbers, animals, and many other everyday things.

Watching television is a passive event. Children and adults remain completely immobile while viewing televisions and it is always easy. The fun happens, it happens fast and you don't have to work to get it.

Watching television is the most popular ways to spend free time in North America. TV programs have different effects on human beings; it might be beneficial or dissatisfied.

Watching television is one of the most prominent pastimes in the world. While it is true that excessive television watching can lead to addiction and health problems such as lack of motivation to exercise, when watched in moderation, television can actually be beneficial in many ways.

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A Guide To Gauges For Model Trains

By Frank Keenan

Building model railroad layouts is a pastime that can provide many hours of enjoyment for those who love trains and who like paying attention to detail. There is a wide range of interest in the hobby all over the world with many websites and magazines and other publications dedicated to the subject.

Model railroading began in the 1800?s and took off in the 1900?s with the new and wide-spread availability of electricity in people's homes. The hobby has developed from the stages of running a replica of a train around a tree to complex layouts the can fill up entire buildings. The more detailed layouts will quit often represent scaled-down versions of actual places. A train yard in Chicago or Berlin or Tokyo, for example.

There are a wide variety of building materials for model railroad layouts ranging from prefabricated buildings, mountains and trees to hand-crafted objects made from sources around the house and at the hobby shop. In addition, the trains themselves have just as many facets to think about as do full-scale trains.

There are many manufacturers of model trains and multiple gauges. Some gauges have tracks that are barely wider than a fork and train cars and engines that aren?t much bigger than the handle of a screwdriver. Other model trains are big enough to carry a dozen people or so, usually set up in an outdoors layout.

Model railroaders will often present the most miniscule details they can in a layout. These will often include cars, trees, parks, rivers and lakes, and even people. Since it takes electricity to run the tracks, many have also included miniature streetlamps or lights inside of buildings that turn on and off at the operator's command.

There are museums that are dedicated to model railroading, and these places are where some of the most fantastic layouts are. A person might have to walk behind fabricated mountains and under bridges to follow one of the many trains progress on the tracks. Many people, though, simply build them in their homes in their spare time. Some work for years on their layouts, and since it is an individual's creation, a layout is never really done. Tracks can be switched, roads can be rerouted, new buildings constructed.

Model railroading is a great hobby for those who enjoy spending hours giving loving attention to details, and who have a love for and appreciation of trains. But there aren't any limits, and anybody can appreciate a wonderful layout!

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Sunday, September 26, 2010

The Advantages Of Using Human Resource Consulting For Your Business

By Socrates De Souza

No matter what type of business you are dealing with, a human resource consulting can help business owners manage their business is a much easier manner. You will spend much less time figuring out how to run the human resource sector and trying to figure out all of the regulations.

What Are Some Benefits of Using Human Resource Consulting?

The biggest benefit right off the bat is that you can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your business. The challenge for all business owners is that there are so many things to do from accounting, marketing, customer support, strategy, to product development. Managing human resources is just another task that needs to be worked on. By hiring a company to manage your human resource department, you can focus on your core skills that help your business move forward.

Another benefit of using human resource consulting is that you can save a lot of money. Coming up with your own management system can be time consuming costly. By outsourcing this aspect of your business, you can save a lot of money, including the cost of setting it up in the first place. You also save time on learning what needs to be done.

You will no longer have to worry about whether or not the job is getting done right because the human resource Canada company will be taking care of it. There is not trial and error process that you will have to endure. You simply work with the company and all will be fine.

Why Hire Human Resource Consultants In Order to Get Senior Members?

You could always hire senior members by placing ads online and running newspaper ads. You can also ask around for recommendations to see if you can find anyone who qualifies for the position. The thing is though, utilizing a company for this will be a much better option for you if you want to fill your staff quota quickly.

The reason why is because the companies have many connections and can get you more leads for the position. They have access to leads that are not available through newspapers and online ads. Another great thing is that you can keep the fact that you're hiring private.

Can't You Hire Yourself?

It takes hours upon hours to find the perfect person for the job. It requires going over resumes, conducting interviews, traveling, and setting up meetings. This can be daunting for the average business owner as it takes away from your work day where you could be spending time building your business.

When you are looking for the right human resource Canada consultants, you will want to make sure that you are asking if they have a lot of experience in helping to fill position for companies. If they say yes, then you will want to go ahead and move forward and start working with that company in order to make sure that you are getting the senior members that you need, all while taking care of your human resource department.

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A Synopsis Of The Movie For A Few Dollars More

By Lori Harmon

Everybody's seen The Good the Bad and the Ugly, but have you taken time to see the other films in the Dollars Trilogy, as well? Namely, For a Few Dollars More. Each film in the series has its own role to play in cinema history and in the trilogy. The Good the Bad and the Ugly is an all time classic and really broke spaghetti westerns through to an international audience, Fistful of Dollars, based on Yojimbo, was the one that really invented and defined the genre, and For a Few Dollars More was, without a doubt, the coolest film of the trilogy. If you still haven't seen it, put it on your queue the next time you login to your movie download service.

The movie is really all about the cool little details Leone packed into the film. It starts with a great sequence of Eastwood beating a bounty up with a single hand, and then goes on to Lee Van Cleef selecting one of his dozens of long barrel guns to take out a bad guy, and eventually we get to see one of the coolest western villains of all time.

See, he uses a pocket watch every time he kills someone. It's a musical pocket watch, so he winds it up and lets it play while staring down his adversary. When the music comes to a stop... He draws and fires. Definitely a great villainous ritual for any western baddie to commit to.

Cleef and Eastwood make a great team as the heroes. Cleef plays Colonel Mortimer, a former Civil War hero turned bounty hunter, while Eastwood plays, again, the Man With No Name. This film is, chronologically within the world of the film, the final act, even though it was released second (The Good the Bad and the Ugly serves as a prequel to Fistful of Dollars), and Eastwood has had enough violence and wants to retire, but still plays the Kid role to Cleef's older, wiser bounty hunter.

One great scene has the two shooting each other's hats off, and then shooting said hats down the street, as, essentially, a way of chest pounding, showboating, to impress the other. It begins with the two wanting the other to back off their bounty, and ends with the two building a strong partnership that's a lot of fun to watch develop.

The music really makes the film, primarily with some scenes revolving around the pocket watch. The simple, twinkly melody it plays is played again in an orchestrated, layered arrangement for the finale, where we have a duel not just with matching pistols, but with matching pocket watches. The tension in this scene is almost tangible, physical in nature.

Leone is without a doubt one of the all time greats, and this is one of his funnest films. It's only too bad that his career was cut short before he could finish Stalingrad, his epic WWII film he had plans to create.

The one thing missing is perhaps Eli Wallach. There aren't really any characters in the film with the depth and complex humanity of Tuco in The Good the Bad and the Ugly, but the film is certainly the most fun film of the trilogy.

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A Brief Synopsis Of The Spy Film Movie North By Northwest

By Cristina Hernandez

Alfred Hitchcock is typically remembered as the master of suspense, but in truth, he pioneered just about everything that would eventually become modern cinema. In Psycho, he invented the slasher film. With North by Northwest, he created the notion of the all-action film. While the film has the same sort of twisty-turny plot that we associate with the master, it is defined by its incredible action set pieces.

Everybody knows about the airplane chase with the crop duster chasing Cary Grant through the crops. It's a great scene, sure, but only one of several awesome set pieces in the film. The shootout on the face of Mt. Rushmore is an equally jaw dropping piece of film making, but one of the real crowning moments is the drunken chase. Cary Grant is fed glass after glass of booze and then put in a car with no brakes, so he has to flee the badguys while drunk in a car with a cut brake line!

Modern action films, for all their big budget and star power, rarely have the imagination of this one. There are certainly some exceptions, there are the Crank films, which pile weirdness on top of weirdness, and Shootemup, which had more than enough imagination, but North by Northwest is still a golden standard, and essentially ruins all those boring same-old same-old action flicks.

One thing this film has that most action flicks lack would be context. The climactic shootout isn't just a shootout, it's a shootout on the face of Mt. Rushmore. The chase scene with the biplane has Grant running into the crops only to have the plane dust him with pesticide. Layers of challenge were thrust at the hero and it only kept piling up.

It was never enough for Hitchcock to just put the hero up against some badguys with guns, he had to put his heroes between a rock and a hard place, into situations where anything they could do to solve one problem would only lead to other problems. This made for better stories and better action.

The legacy the master left behind has since been frequently copied, turned into a formula. So few directors have innovated upon it, though. It has so infrequently been re-imagined or reshaped, only repackaged. Of course, we always have Psycho, Vertigo and Rear Window to go back to and watch again and again, but still, if only modern filmmakers took Alfie's imagination, and not just his tropes.

The film also boasts one of the most direct love scenes of all time, depicting a train going into a tunnel. When X rated films got big in the seventies, Hitchcock said "I don't know what the big deal is, I already did this with North by Northwest!"

If you haven't already, you need to see it. If you have, you need to see it again. It's one of the all time great action films, and one of Hitchcock's very best, and of course, that's not something you say lightly. Without this film, you really wouldn't have the action genre that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stallone would go on to dominate. In Hong Kong, they've always had the action tradition of Kung Fu films, rooted in Peking Opera, but for the US, the modern action film was born of the western, and Hitchcock.

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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Cris Cyborg Mauls Gina Carano In Strikeforce Main Event

By Ross Everett

Gina Carano put women's MMA on the map, but Cris Cyborg Santos may have become the sports first dominant female champion by virtue of her overwhelming TKO victory in the main event of Saturdays STRIKEFORCE event. Cyborg simply was too physically strong and her punches too powerful for Carano, who fought valiantly before succumbing to a barrage of ground and pound punches at the end of the first round.

Before a near capacity crowd at San Jose's HP Pavilion, Carano and Cyborg made history as the first women to headline a major US mixed martial arts event. The crowd went nuts for Carano, who was accompanied into the arena by Randy Couture who trained her for the matchup.

Despite the fight being scheduled for five rounds of five minutes each, the women set a frantic pace from the opening horn. Cyborgs size and strength advantage was apparent from the outset, as she landed an immediate flurry of punches before taking Carano to the canvas. Carano landed in top position, but quickly found herself in trouble as Cyborg worked for a kneebar and then a heel hook. Carano was able to extricate herself, and get to her feet but Cyborg took her back and immediately took her down again. Carano landed in top mount, however, and was able to score with some big punches from the top. Inexplicably, she backed off and let Cyborg get to her feet instead of pressing what may have been her best opportunity to win the fight.

Carano was able to land a couple of effective jabs on the ensuing standup exchange, but Cyborg caught a body kick attempt and quickly closed the distance again. Cyborg once again took her opponent to the mat and after an unsuccessful armbar attempt mounted Carano and began a brutal punching assault that eventually forced the stoppage.

Despite Cyborgs triumph the most dominating performance of the evening belonged to former DREAM middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi. In his first fight at 205, Mousasi destroyed STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight champion Renato Babalu Sobral via TKO at the 1:00 mark of the first round. Mousasis victory wasnt a shocking outcome, but the utter ease with which he handled a tough, experienced and well rounded opponent in Sobral was stunning and evoked comparisons to recently signed heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.

Earlier in a card full of decisive finishes, Gilbert Melendez became STRIKEFORCE interim lightweight champion with a third round TKO victory over the double tough Mitsuhiro Ishida. Though Melendez dominated the fight, Ishida gained the respect of fans with his toughness and heart. Melendez will now face Josh Thompson to unify the belts once Thompson is medically cleared to resume fighting.

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The Best Your First Tattoo

By Rian Haswanda

Among the famous questions that most people ask themselves when considering tattooing is the sort of tattoo that you will have for your first tattoo. A few of the other questions that may include are how painful is the tattoo likely to be, which kind of care will be needed for the new tattoo and the tattoo shop where you will get it. The pains that be felt will greatly depend on the part of the body you'll have it placed. The tattoo shop, should have course, depend on picking the tattoo shop. Your first tattoo is basically a decision that you along should make. It ought to be the best tattoo for you because it'll be your first one, and it ought to be given enough and careful thought. When thinking about the right image for your first tattoo, make certain you have thought about it real hard and you've got considered all the various factors that will affect you. Your first tattoo should be something meaningful and something that will say something about you, so that you won't have to regret it soon.

This information will give some tips that will assist you come into a decision about your first tattoo. However, you will need to keep in mind with any specific design, make certain you place some twist to it to restore your own.

Different Tattoo Designs

There are plenty of pictures or images that you could decide among, you may also design it yourself, or make changes to a number of the pictures that you have now chosen at some tattoo shop or online designs so that it could be unique. You can decide on the different tattoos like tribal, Celtic, animal, sci-fi, geek or portrait tattoos.

You can even choose from the black light UV tattoo which will look prominent under black light. A number of the popular tattoos today are stars, wings, kanji, crosses, names, words, dragons, butterflies and skulls.

Choosing the right Tattoo for You

Here are a number of the factors that you must consider in selecting the most appropriate tattoo.

Precisely why You Want the Tattoo

Since it's going to be your first tattoo, it ought to be something that is filled with meaning. It could be something that may express time; your memorable experience in life that has change you or made a positive change in your lifetime. Don't simply get a tattoo because someone has just persuaded you to take action. Do not also do it just because you currently have reached the right age and you could easily get one without asking permission from your parents or guardians. Think of every reason why you need to have that particular tattoo before getting it inked on the skin.

How This Tattoo Could Possibly Affect Your Present or Future Job

Look at the Design

Is the design something you really want, did you design it or someone else just design it for you. Is the design something you got from a particular picture? Does the meaning say something about you or you think it is made for you?

The position of the Tattoo

With regards to the location, you must consider if the tattoo is something that you would like to show to people constantly. If you would like it to be private, then you can certainly place it in an area where clothing visible continuously. There is also to consider the body you have, your body and type and your body curves.

Deciding on the best Tattoo Artist

Choose the artist that specializes on the kind of tattoo you want. You can ask any recommendations from friends or relatives who already have tattoos. The price tag on the tattoo will also play an important role in having one. Make certain that the tattoo artist also is an experience one in relation to tattooing.

What you will need to do before Getting a Tattoo

Before having a tattoo done, you really sure that the procedure will be done safely. It might seem that your new tattoo is cool because it looks like a big scab, but still, it is considered a big wound. So just like any other wound, puncture, scrape, cut or penetration done to your skin, your tattoo will be prone to infection.

Get your immunizations up-to-date and decide where you should have your medical care done, if ever your tattoo gets infected.

Medical problem like heart disease, diabetes, allergies, skin disorders, immune system defects and other types of infections must be addressed to the doctor first so that he can provide proper precautions one which just has your tattoo.

In case you are susceptible to having colloids, you should avoid having a tattoo.

Actually need sure that the tattoo studio where you're going to get your tattoo is clean and safe, be sure that all equipments that will be used are disposable and sterilized first. Marketing and advertising if you have access to some recommendations on some licensed tattoo shops or try to research whether the tattoo shop has any complaints about them.

Tattoo shops which are professional will be proud of their cleanliness. Some of the matters you need to look out for in these tattoo shops are the autoclave, it is a device which utilizes steam, pressure and heat for the operation of sterilization. Make certain that the tattoo artist who provides the tattoo is licensed. The tattoo shop should follow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Universal Precautions.

Once you discover that the tattoo shop does not observe cleanliness, or if ever, you may not feel that comfortable, it's possible to have the choice to choose another tattoo shop.

One of the main things that may be holding you back from having your first tattoo would be the fact it is permanent, it stays onto the skin forever.

Yes, tattoos, may last forever, however, if you possess the resources to have laser tattoo removal done, then you could remove it.

It is crucial that if you select your first tattoo, it is something you really want and it says something about you, so you won't ever regret it.

With into considerations most of these factors, it will be possible to decide without any problem. Just remember that first tattoos should be something meaningful to you.

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Film Downloading Using The Internet Works

By Ivan Joyce

If you took a cross section of what people in the world love to do most of all in their spare time you will get a massive variety of different activities and hobbies to look through. However, something that will remain close to the top of the list for a large number of people would be watching films. Movies a enormous business and films all over the world will be bringing in billions and billions of dollars each and every year. Of course the best place to watch any film will be at the cinema with the enormous screen and amazing surround sound. Btu if you are watching at home you have a spend quite a bit of money continually buying and renting the films that you want to see. Well, not anymore, because movie downloads straight off different websites are now possible.

So what sort of advantages does this afford the common man? well, there are two main ones that we will take a quick look at and they are cost and convenience. When you go out to get a film you will often to have to go all the way to town to get one. Or perhaps you will order off the internet but you will still be required to wait several days to get the film. Well not anymore, as within only a few minutes you can have a film downloaded right onto your PC.

And in terms of the cost, you will not have to spend hundreds of dollars every year buying all of the DVD's that you want but will instead be able to simply pay for a one time fee and away you go.

Another great thing about all of this is the fact that is isn't even illegal. Now people might wonder why it should be illegal at all, but the truth is that there are lots of sites that are illegal. These sites will actually have permission to distribute these films and so there is no need to worry about that at all.

So, when you actually do go out and try to find the best possible sites you need to look for some particular features.. The first thing is that there are indeed all of these illegal sites and so you need to be sure that you avoiding these.

The second will be whether you want to go for a site that offers a flat fee or a monthly subscription. Now this is a no brainer really. You will save a lot of money either way but a flat fee site is a lot more cost effective than paying month after month and this will allow you to get unlimited downloads right after you have signed up.

You will also need to focus on those sites that will have a wide range of films for you to download. A lot of these websites will have a decent enough range but will not have all of the films that you might want to see.

The best thing that you can do is to make sure that you conduct all of the necessary research before you make any sort of decision.

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Friday, September 24, 2010

MLS Commissioner Says That Donovan Will Stay In USA

By Ross Everett

Landon Donovan raised his international stock with a spirited performance for the USA national team at the recently concluded World Cup. That doesn't mean he'll be shipping off to the Premier League or Serie A. On Thursday, Major League Soccer (MLS) commissioner Don Garber emphasized that the United States' top professional league wouldn't be accepting transfer offers for Donovan. Garber said that he'd be receptive to loan offers during the MLS off-season, but that his league plans to build around Donovan's higher profile in his native country.

Donovan has played in Europe on loan before with mixed results. He struggled during stints with Bundesliga sides Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, but was impressive during a 10 week loan to Everton of the English Premier League earlier this year. Donovan scored two goals in 13 matches with Everton and was instrumental in a couple of their best results of the season.

After scoring three goals for the USA in World Cup play, Donovan has become an even more attractive target for clubs in Europe but MLS commissioner Garber said he's too valuable of an asset for the league to lose:

"He's become a real soccer hero. MLS needs soccer heroes, and we have a great American soccer hero playing for us in LA, holding the torch for the sport in our country, and that's very important. I don't believe that it's something we can do without."

"Landon is in my view the greatest player of our generation and an incredibly valuable part of our history but also of our future. He proved in England last year on loan and he proved in South Africa that he's a world-class player and he's also proved that he loves our league and really has accepted the mantle of really being one of the leaders of the sport. It is my hope and my expectation that we have him for the rest of his career because I think the contributions that he makes are invaluable to our future success."

Donovan certainly left open the possibility of a move to Europe with this comment after the World Cup:

"Right now, I want to be in America. If there's something serious to look at, then I will. I never say never to anything. But for now, I'm very excited to be home."

The notion of a Donovan move to England became something of a hot topic last week when Everton boss Phil Neville commented that he'd spoken to him about a return:

"I've spoken to Landon and I know for a fact that he wants to come back here."

For the time being, however, Donovan will continue with the MLS' top team, the LA Galaxy. Donovan agreed in December to a four year deal with a base salary of $2.05 million per season. His agent, Richard Motzkin, had no comment on Garber's statements.

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Jets Thump Texans Behind Rookie QB Sanchez

By Ross Everett

New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez tracked down NFL legend Joe Namath before the game looking for a pep talk and some pointers. What the NFL Hall of Famer told him had a very beneficial effect. Sanchez looked very decidedly not like a rookie as he threw for 272 yards and a touchdown against one interception. More importantly, the Jets easily beat the host Houston Texans 24-7.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Jets as +4 road underdogs cashed their tickets with the outright win. New York improved to 10-8 ATS as an underdog over the past three NFL seasons. The combined 31 points scored went UNDER the posted total of 44.

After the game, Sanchez recounted what Namath had told him:

"What a pep talk. That was Joe Namath, just taking all the credit from himself and throwing it back to me and just saying, 'Good luck.' To hear that from a legend like that, it just kind of gives you the chills. It was something special to be a part of, an emotional start, an emotional little pep talk."

For his part, Namath said he wasnt surprised to see Sanchez have such a solid NFL debut:

"No, I was hopeful and I'm satisfied more than I thought I'd be. His offensive line did a hell of a job, but he did a great job of finding time with his feet, just to move subtly ... I don't doubt even a little bit that he doesn't have poise at this stage."

The Jets defense also had a great afternoon. New York outgained Houston 462-183, and the Texans made it past midfield only once in the first three quarters. The Jets run defense was particularly stifling, holding Steve Slaton to just 17 yards on the ground. Afterwards, Slaton was at a loss for an explanation:

"It's just insane. You work for six months leading up to this first game. You have all offseason to prepare for this game and then to come out and play like that is upsetting."

Texans coach Gary Kubiak took the blame for his teams poor showing:

"The offensive football team gave us no chance and that starts with me. There's nobody that can feel anything good coming out of this football game."

Houston will start from scratch on Sunday as they travel to Nashville to face the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are a -6 home favorite with the total set at 40. The Texans will return home for games the following two weeks against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders. The Jets will play their next two games at home, beginning this weekend against the New England Patriots. New York is +4 home underdog to the Pats, with the total set at 47. Theyll welcome the Tennessee Titans to the Meadowlands the following week.

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Helio Gracie: Father Of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

By Ross Everett

Gracie family patriarch and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu pioneer Helio Gracie died in early 2009 in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 95. Its impossible to overestimate his influence on martial arts, and particularly his pathbreaking role in what is now the sport of mixed martial arts. The Gracie family name will forever be synonymous with Brazilian sports, jiu-jitsu, MMA and the UFC--not only due to Helios own accomplishments but the legacy he created both by training others and through his family.

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 grueling, unregulated affairs with rules that were often made up as they went along and time limits that seem barbaric by todays standards. By his own recollection, he had 15 fights against the top fighters of his day. These included pro wrestlers, boxers and other martial arts specialists.

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.

Gracie's greatest impact, however, may have been through his progeny which is an important part of Brazilian sports and mixed martial arts even today. 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:

Gracie's last words are as follows:"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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Thursday, September 23, 2010

101 Tattoo Facts

By Rian Haswanda

1: An Ohio restaurant specializing in cheeseburgers offers a lifetime 25% discount for anybody who has a tattoo of a cheeseburger and at an unrelated tattoo studio in a nearby town, they're offering a 25% discount on cheeseburger tattoos- Sounds suspicious.

2: Tattoos are rarely done in ink, what is commonly called inks, are actually suspended solid color particles, mostly metal salts and plastics, but not vegetable dyes as commonly believed.

3: There aren't any reported cases of HIV infection from a tattoo in the U.S., but there are three from dentist's offices.

4: More women than men are getting tattooed today.

5: Tattoos are considered a minor medical procedure.

6. Until 2006 it was illegal to obtain a tattoo in Oklahoma

7: Lucky Diamond Rich of New Zealand is one of tattooed person in the world, and after running out of space, has started putting lighter tattoos along with the darker ones, and vice versa.

8: Robbie "the coon" Koch recently broke the world's record by inking 577 tattoos in 24 hrs. The old record was held by Kat Von D of the television show, "LA Ink." Update- Hollis Cantrell actually owns the record as of 2009 (801 tattoos) but Robbie the coon sounded better. Hollis's final tattoo was on his thigh.

9: The first recorded tattoo is believed to have been located on a mummified iceman in 3300 BC. He had 58 tattoos, mostly dots and lines.

10: In 1876 Thomas Edison invented a machine that ultimately became the tattoo machine, but it took modifications by Samuel O'Reilly in 1891 to adapt the device for tattooing.

11: The record for the longest tattoo session is 43 hours and 50 minutes and was completed by the very observant and talented artist Melanie Grieveson, of Australia. The tattooed was Stephen Grady.

12: In 2005 Kimberly Smith was paid $10,000 to have Golden Palace.Com tattooed on her forehead by the casino, to help pay for her daughter's education. The casino is noted for its outlandish promotions.

13: Thomas Edison had five dots tattooed on his left forearm, just like the dots on dice.

14: Lip tattoos only last 1 to 5 years and must be frequently retouched, the commonest a cosmetic lip liner.

15: The second most common reason for tattoo removal is mistranslation.

16: In 2010 Channel will unveil its new line of fashionable temporary tattoos. The set of 55 tattoos sells for $75.

17: Most Tattoo machines hold between 1 and 10 needles and some ancient methods using rakes deal with 27.

18: Anil Gupta is considered NYC's most expensive tattoo artist at over $350 per hour.

19: In virtually all cases, the outline of a tattoo shouldn't bleed at all, and the shading for only a few minutes.

20: As of 2006, 1 in 4 women aged 18 to 50 have a minimum of one tattoo.

21: U.S. President James Polk is said to be the first white man undertake a Chinese character as a tattoo.

22: A brothel in Cologne, Germany is offering any patron who gets a tattoo of the businesses logo, by their in house artist, free entrance for life ($6.25 US) and discounts on lap dances ($25.00 US. ea)

25: The word "tattoo" has been in the top ten searched terms since Lycos started tracking search engines.

26: Democrats are more likely to have a tattoo then republicans, 18% to 14%.

27: January 23, 2010. A new US Marine Corp directive prohibits anyone with a full sleeve tattoo from becoming an officer. It also prohibits tattoos on the hands, wrists, fingers, and the inside of the mouth.

28: July 17th, 2009. 18 year old Kimberly Vlaminck sues a Romanian tattoo artist over the 56 stars that she awoke to, scattered across her face, 53 more than see asked for. She later admitted that she lied in the lawsuit and had asked for all fifty six.

29: Blues singer Janis Joplin had a wrist let tattoo and a small heart on her left breast.

30: In Oregon, it's a felony to practice tattooing without a license or in an unlicensed shop.

31: Heiress and socialite Paris Hilton had one tattoo to her credit, the then boyfriend Nick Carter on her right butt cheek. It has since been removed by laser.

32: The traditional Samoan tattoo, pe'a, covering against mid torso to the knees, takes 3 months to complete and up to 1 year to fully heal. A typical session lasts from dawn till dusk, or until the pain becomes too great, and resumes the very next day unless the skin needs several days to heal.

33: In a 2002 survey, 8 of the top 10 voted, "most beautiful people in the world" had tattoos.

34: Tattoos done today don't turn blue when they age, unless they were originally blue, the inks are much more stable.

35: The first occurrence of the word tattoo in the Oxford English Dictionary came in 1769 and is credited to Captain John Cook.

36: A rooster tattooed on one leg and a pig on the other is said to protect a sailor from drowning. Neither animal can swim.

37: Queen Kamamalu of Hawaii (1808-1824) was the first woman to have her tongue tattooed.

38: Most tattoo artists will not tattoo a pregnant woman.

39: Some tattoo artists claim that if you shield a new tattoo from sunlight for the first two years it will remain brighter and clearer for decades.

40: Over 40 million people in the U.S. have tattoos.

41: 26% of Americans with a tattoo say they make them feel more attractive, with women voting that way almost 2 to 1 over men.

42: Tommy Lee of Motley Crue holds the record for highest altitude tattoo, having been inked in 2008 at 45,000 feet. The tattoo was said to cost $150,000 dollars.

43: 73 year old Isobel Valley, the world's most tattooed women, has every square inch of her body tattooed, except her face, and also has fifty piercings, 15 of which are visible. A lot of the piercings are below the belt because she wants to jingle when she walks, she says.

44: An increasing amount of people are having medical alerts tattooed to aid doctors in case of an emergency.

45: 43 year old former soldier Shawn Clark has the names of all 232 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan tattooed on his back.

46: Previously red ink was known to fade; not so with today' inks.

47: The title of The "Hardy Boys" #47 is "The Mystery of the Whale Tattoo."

48: When Cortez landed on the Mexican coast in 1519 he was horrified to get the natives practicing devil worshiping and had somehow permanently marked images of their idols on their skin. He called it the work of the devil.

49: A tattoo of an anchor on a sailor indicates they have sailed across the Atlantic.

50: One third of Americans with tattoos say they make them feel sexier.

51: Tattoo ink is injected into the second layer of your skin, the dermis, and become encapsulate by the body as a defense mechanism, leaving the image stable and intact.

52: Gabrial Carbona, an American teenage hit man for a Mexican cartel, has his eyelids tattooed so they never look closed. His idea is not working as well for him in prison.

53: Jimmy Buffet sings about tattoos in this song of the identical name, "It's a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling."

54: In the 1920's, American circuses employed more than 300 people with full body tattoos and paid them up to $200 a week, a lot of money during those times.

55: The percentage of men and women with tattoos is now statistically equal.

56: Tattoo equipment is sterilized in an autoclave, a high pressure steam machine, similar to a pressure cooker and how hospitals do theirs.

57: 57% of people without a tattoo feel that those with them are more rebellious and threatening.

58: 35 0f the first 43 U.S. Presidents reportedly have tattoos.

59: Tattoo inks are not regulated by the by any government agencies so there's no way of knowing exactly what's in them.

60: Winston Churchill's mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, had a tattoo of a snake on her wrist. They were popular for rich aristocrats during that period. She chose a snake because it could be easily covered by a bracelet.

61: U.S. President Andrew Jackson had a giant tattoo of a tomahawk that ran down along the inside of his thigh. No one knows exactly why.

62: Almost all U.S. corporations have some type of restrictions or policy regarding tattoos on the job.

63: As of Sept. 29th 2009, the 19 year old ban on tattooing was lifted in DeKalb, Illinois.

64: Actress Halle Berry has a tattoo of a sunflower on her rear end covering up the name of her ex, baseball player David Justice.

65: The popularity of tattooing during the latter part of the nineteenth century and first part of the twentieth century owed much to the circus sideshow.

66: People with antisocial personality disorder are more likely to have a higher number of tattoos in more visible locations, and covering a larger percentage of their bodies.

67: Ancient Egyptians used tattoos to differentiate between slaves and peasants.

68: During the late 18th century in Europe, collecting the tattooed heads of Maori people became so popular that many were murdered to meet the demand. The heads were commonly paid for in guns.

69: In the 1870s the Japanese government outlawed tattoos forcing the practice underground where it flourished.

70: 3% of Americans say having a tattoo makes them feel more athletic.

71: The world's most tattooed women, Isobel Varley got her first tattoo, a flower, at age 49.

72: 4% of consumers spend over $1000 on a tattoo.

73: When you see someone tattoo you are viewing it through the first layer on the skin, the epidermis.

74: 50% of all tattoos have no coverage up by clothing and are openly visible.

75: Tattoo machines can make upwards of 200 hits per second, that's up to 12,000 times a minute and 720,000 an hour.

76: In ancient Greece and Rome, tattoos were considered barbaric and were only used to mark slaves and criminals.

77: 52% of those in prison are tattooed.

78: In recent studies, memorial tattoos are said to overwhelmingly turn grief into joy and morning into celebration by creating a lasting memory.

79: A 2009 study conducted at Liverpool Hope University found that people with three or more tattoos had significantly lower levels of self esteem.

80: 4% of Americans say that their tattoos make them feel healthier.

81: It is untrue that white or lighter colored inks are more painful to use.

82: A tattoo is art, only, if the person doing the tattoo is an artist and a skilled technician.

83: President James Buchanon had a tattoo of a scantily clad woman on his chest with the initials BFL (bachelor for life).

84: In 2002, 18 year old hair dresser Lee Becks was shocked to find out the tattoo he thought said, "Love, honor, and obey" actually translated to, "at the end during the day, this is an ugly boy."

85: New york city outlawed tattoos from 1961 to 1997 due to a tattoo related outbreak of hepatitis "C".

86: In a 2002 study a small grouping of male high school and college students viewed pictures of models with and without tattoos, and graded them in 13 categories. The models with tattoos scored much lower in 9 of the 13 ratings.

87: Some people experience pain or a burning during sensation during an MRI due to the metallic particles in some inks.

88: The US Navy prohibited tattoos of naked women during World war ii, so many future sailors had to obtain their tattoos reworked to include cloths.

89: The first recorded instance of death following tattooing was reported in 1837 in France. The young woman, a prostitute, was covering up another unwanted tattoo and died from the infection that followed.

90: Apr. 30, 2009. To celebrate Barbie's 50th birthday Mattel comes out with the new "Totally Stlylin' Barbie, including a set of place able tattoos, one a lower back tattoo featuring the name Ken.

91: 35% of all NBA players have tattoos. Michael Jordan has none and teammate Dennis Rodman has at least 22.

92: Lorette Fulkerson was the last woman to work the circus sideshows, retiring in 1995 at the age of 80.

93: Eyeball tattoos are not done with a machine, but rather, the ink is directly injected into the eye with a syringe.

94: Urine was sometimes used in early ink mixtures.

95: 5% of Americans with a tattoo say they make them feel smarter.

96: The first case of a syphilis being transmitted by a tattoo came in 1853. The artists ink was drying up so he spit in it, transferring the disease.

97: Never get back to the person who gave you a bad tattoo to have it fixed, you won't get better.

98: The time to ask questions is before getting a tattoo.

99: Good tattoos aren't cheap and cheap tattoos aren't good.

100: Women are more than twice as likely to possess a tattoo removed as men.

101: Over 50% of the tattoos created today will be removed by laser at great expense, intense pain and permanent minor scaring. Think before you ink.

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Armband Tattoo Designs - How To Pick The Best Armband Tattoo?

By Rian Haswanda

Using tattoos has different meanings. Today it is considered a cosmetic fashion for status symbol. It is usually mark of status and rank, spiritual devotion, sexual lures and marks of fertility, decorations for bravery, pledges of love, amulets and talismans, protection or marks to distinguish. The symbolism and impact of tattoo varies on your travels and from perception to perception. Today there are different forms of tattoo designs which are inscribed in different places of your body. Of all these the armband tattoo designs are the most used form of tattoos which people go for with unintended consequences. This is particularly popular among young people and those who love to flaunt their tattoos.

Today tattoo has experienced some form of resurgence especially in North American, Europe and Japan. The growth of tattoo culture has an influx of new artists into this industry and people want more popular tattoos for themselves. The armband tattoo designs are in arguably typically the most popular tattoo designs that people seek. Just look around and you find the them everywhere, the bikers, the CEO's, the young women next door, the old man who is still youthful generation, the young school teens and even the wild crowds in the pub. Besides armband there are ankle tattoo designs, wrist tattoo designs which are equivalently popular.

Why are armband tattoos so popular?

For many people the armband tattoo makes a great first tattoo before they experiment somewhere else. The other reason for popular of armband tattoos is its variety and versatility. The available designs can make one feel unique and personal. You find plenty of armband tattoo designs which include intricate Organic tribal patters, feather motifs, Celtic knots, Hawaiian theme bands, feminine armband tattoos which include flower with vines which usually encircle the entire arm and others.

How can you choose the armband tattoo design?

Armband tattoo designs are there for everyone and all people. No matter whom you are - a college guy, a middle aged office executive or a rock star of your colony or a simple guy who has a fascination for armed tattoo. Here are few tips which you should take into account while you find a perfect armband tattoo design for you-

Are you searching for a tattoo design you are infatuated with? Do you wish your tattoo to speak about you personality and other feature? Then you must choose your tattoo very carefully. If you'd like your tattoo to tell rich stories and meaning of it the quest for such armband tattoo like the Celtic tattoos, the Japanese tattoos or like the Cross tattoos properly online.

While you choose to buy armband tattoo designs talk to your artist about the variety, size and color combination of your tattoos. Your skin color is critical to match the tattoo colors. Choose the colors which contrast well with your skin.

Do you would like to mix up themes? Then choose two different armbands which make proper armband designs. For instance you can choose Celtic knotting with a tribal horse at the centerpiece which makes a good combination of armband tattoo designing.

Your armband tattoo design is usually a great tattoo if you choose them correctly and visit a good artist to inscribe it. Make any difference you have biceps or normal arms an armband tattoo design would suit your arm very aptly.

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Understanding The Concept Of Mind Over Matter:

By Kerry Blanks

The ability of the human mind to influence matter is what is meant by the phrase 'mind over matter'. We have heard this phrase repeated several times perhaps by our parents and teachers while they motivated us to reach greater heights with studies and during examinations against all hindrances. But on a more serious note, the power of the mind is so strong that it can influence ay matter that it so desires, be it tangible or intangible.

The extreme situation where mind has complete control over an external physical matter and can influence it and physically move it, is known as psychokinesis. Considered as a rare psychic ability, this involves moving tables, chairs or other objects just by the sheer power of your thoughts.

Previously the phenomenon was known as Telekinesis when such movements of objects were thought to be the work of spirits or departed souls. But during the 19th century a lot of research upon this subject was undertaken and later on when the involvement of the human mind was predicted about, the new term of psychokinesis was coined.

This extreme form of mind over matter can be measured in two different ways. Firstly, the micro psychokinesis refers to minute atomic changes in matter that only a microscope or any such scientific instrument can pick up. Secondly, Macro psychokinesis involves the movement of large matter visible in the normal sense of sight.

Apart from this extreme paranormal aspect to the phrase 'mind over matter', it is also extensively used in a highly mind-centric interpretation in the fields of spirituality or philosophy. This can be corroborated by the significance it has in responsibility assumption.

An important aspect in the personal growth studies, responsibility assumption basically refers to taking responsibility for your own life and your own future. That is, it proposes that what comes off your own life or what you achieve is solely the function of your mind and its thoughts. Apart from this, concepts like the law of attraction or affirmations are also part of the new age spirituality that focuses around the concept of mind over matter.

The law of attraction states that if your mind focuses its attention on an object of desire and truly believes that it will come true with constant visualization of the final achieved state along with constant affirmation to the subconscious mind, then your mind power will affect the cosmos and ultimately result in the manifestation of the object of your want in reality.

It can be concluded that the power of mind is a vital force and if harnessed properly or unleashed altogether, it can influence and control any matter, be it tangible or intangible. Thus once you concentrate, connect your energy with that of the cosmos, make continuous affirmations in your mind's eye, charge up your future vision with your own emotions, you will realize the power of your mind over matter.

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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Learning About The Film Hot Tub Time Machine

By Rose Good

Major releases just are not quite bringing the funny as often as they used to be able to. While there has been a sort of comedy drought to speak of, that does not mean that some gems have been able to break through to the front lines. While it might not have done superbly in the theaters, you should certainly check out "Hot Tub Time Machine" if you like to laugh.

By reading through this particular article, you are committing to learn a little more about this film through a few different methods. More than anything though, you are going to get a breakdown of the plot and learn a little more about the sequence of events that made this film so epic in its own right. You will also get a brief introduction to some of the top names in this film and who they play.

This film opens up on what life is like right now for a group of middle aged men. Life has passed them by for the most part, and what is left of it does not seem to be shaping up that well for them. It chronicles the failing relationships of three of what are the main characters of the film: Adam (John Cusack), Nick (Craig Robinson), and Lou (Rob Corddry).

Lou has too much to drink one night and decides that there really is nothing else that will make life worthwhile. He attempts to kill himself through carbon monoxide inhalation while parked in his garage. Nick and Adam visit him in the hospital and decide that their friendship has gone by the wayside for too long. They all commit then and there to take another trip to Kodiak Valley Ski Resort, which lives in infamy in their minds from a former trip there in 1986.

However, time has not been kind to the resort, and it is all but a dump right now. Without many options, they decide to all get into the hot tub out back and through a strange sequence of events manage to turn that same hot tub into a time machine. Next thing they know, they are living in the eighties once again. They even look as they did, when they experienced this same Winterfest '86 decades before.

Committed to not messing up the future by altering anything about the past, they determine that they have to make all of the same decisions that they made back then all over again. Adam is going to have to break up with the girl that he always considered to be the one, Nick is going to have to play a show and have sex with a groupie (much to his own dismay now being happily married), and Lou is going to have to find himself on the wrong end of a beat down.

Winterfest '86 takes its toll on the characters, though, and they decide that maybe they can change things this time around. Through a little bit of dumb luck and chance, the group finds out a lot more about their lives, what could have been, and what they didn't even realize.

Hot Tub Time Machine is a movie that is ideal for anyone that can handle crude humor and a truckload of eighties references. Everything about the eighties all rolled up into one hilarious film.

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Evening Activities For A Stag Weekend In Bristol

By Christine Jackson

Ah, Bristol! If any city deserves the name of Home of Comedy, it must be Bristol. Home to Jongleurs and Jesters, a pair of world-class comedy clubs, and birthplace of Lee Evans, Justin Lee Collins and laughing gas, Bristol provides a few unique opportunities for stag weekend activities. A Bristol stag weekend can combine an afternoon of paintballing, quad biking or five a side with an evening of carousing and comedy at one of Bristol's rightfully famed comedy clubs.

The standard stag night of strippers and lap dances has much more recently been changed with an entire weekend's worth of 'guy fun', often outside of home as the scandalous naughty doings don't trickle back to those who may care. If you're planning a stag weekend for an approaching wedding, a Bristol stag weekend provides several opportunities for memorable, unique stag activities. Among the many Bristol stag weekend activities that you may include are:

:: Quad Biking at a Bristol course - An obstacle course run on quad bikes can start up a stag weekend in Bristol with a boom. Get grubby, have the blood pumping and have the testosterone set up for a night on the town later.

:: Assault Course - River rafting - upstream? A Bristol stag weekend favorite is an assault course that pits your team against the river - and other teams on a home-built raft created from articles purchased in a 'ship's store'. It's one more blood-elevating adventure that will prime the pumps for a hot night on the town later.

:: Bavarian Bierkellar - Instead of a nightclub, take the Stag out for a beer-loaded night at a mini-Munich Bierfest. With extra-large steins of the best brews in the world, and plenty of raucous fun, it is a Bristol stag weekend standard.

:: Comedy Club - Bristol is the home of comedy - and the comedians that play the Bristol comedy clubs are previous masters at pointing the finger at stags out celebrating their last nights of freedom. No Bristol stag weekend can be complete without a night of gut-busting howlers at a Bristol comedy club.

That's only a small few of the activities that a Bristol stag weekend may contain. You will discover much more ideas at the Bristol Board of Tourism web site, or from a UK tour operator and event organiser.

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A Brief Overview Of Godspeed You! Black Emperor

By Mark Floyd

Hailing from Montreal in Canada, Godspeed You! Black Emperor is post-rock music group. They are generally known for their visual and extensive live shows and lengthy instrumental songs. Their performances and recordings mostly consist of percussion instruments and electric guitars yet more obscure instruments such as glockenspiels and French horns have made appearances as well.

The group got its name from the "Black Emperors" biker gang, after they were the subject of an obscure documentary. The members of the band are never clearly defined and their numbers range anywhere from twenty to nine at any time. For several years, GYBE was on hiatus while various members worked on other musical projects but they have agreed to appear together at a music festival later this year.

The band's lack of a front man and ever changing line-up is partly explained by their consideration that their music is greater than the group. They also have a strict moratorium on personal interviews and group photos. Their desire for the listener to disregard trivial details and focus on the music is the motive behind their strange philosophy.

The more outspoken members of the group state in their few interviews that large corporations are what is at fault in the media industries and the whole economy in general. In fact, most of their CD and song notes refer to the criminal behaviors of corporate media. On the group's newest album, a picture was included in the notes that hinted at a link between several major record companies to the United State's military-industrial complex.

Fans of the group cite their live performances as exciting and random occurrences. Since the band has no singers they utilize a score of visual imageries in their shows. These films, which are usually recorded and produced by one of the group's mainstay members, are meant to tie the music and its message together for the audience.

In 2003, Godspeed's members were mistaken for a group of terrorists in a small Oklahoma town. The band and their crew was traveling through the states on tour when, at a gas station, the attendant became convinced that something was wrong. The local police were summoned after the worried employee convinced another customer to alert them.

When the local police arrived at the scene, they found anarchist papers in both of the bands' two vehicles. These items, added with the bands general appearance prompted the officers to alert the FBI. The group members were quickly held and personally questioned for a few hours before the investigators decided to release them. And although Godspeed made it to their next scheduled tour date in time, the event most likely fueled their anti-government ideologies.

They have officially released three albums since their debut in the 1990s. Since then, Godspeed You! Black Emperor has also put out several releases and EPs. Several of their songs have even come out without being on an album since GYBE encourages their fans to record their concerts. The band has even lent songs to a handful of television and movie soundtracks as well, although it happens very rarely.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Free Agent Quarterback Garcia Takes Oakland Raiders To Task

By Ross Everett

Veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia was released earlier this week by the Philadelphia Eagles, a victim of too many quarterbacks on the roster. Now that hes no longer under contract to a NFL team, hes letting his feelings be known about another one of his recent employers--the Oakland Raiders. There may be no team in the NFL more desperate for a quarterback than the Raiders, but Garcia quickly let it be known that he has no interest in returning to Oakland in an interview in which he slammed the teams management and suggested that current quarterback Jamarcus Russell was in over his head.

Garcia started his comments with an observation that the team is putting too much pressure on their young quarterback. He suggested that the team is putting their hopes on Russell's shoulders, and that hes simply not ready for that pressure mentally or emotionally:

"I have no problem going into a situation and helping a young guy out and really trying to help the team out overall more so than anything. I just feel like it's an unfortunate situation when the entire work ethic and the entire goal of the team is really put upon one guy's shoulder."

Garcia emphasized that Russell's talent wasn't the problem:

"When you put him on the field in a one-on-one workout session he'll make every throw for you. But when it comes down to making things happen in the heat of the battle and rallying the troops around you and making a case for the team, that's where maybe things aren't where they need to be."

Garcia went on to assert that the Raiders problems go much deeper than the inexperience of their quarterback:

"It was to a point where I felt like guys who walked through those doors that just were there to collect a check and not really interested in putting everything that they had within themselves on to the football field. And that was the frustrating thing for me to see.

"There were a lot of good young guys in that locker room who really want to do whatever it takes to win, but unfortunately it's not everybody. In order to compete at this level in this game, everybody needs to be on board."

"Maybe it's because how things have been for a number of years now out there and they just don't see the hope"

After his release from the Raiders, coach Tom Cable insinuated that Garcia had an issue with playing backup to Russell:

"There was some talk about how he would fit but the best way for me to approach it is the other two played so well and we are committed to JaMarcus as our starter. Whether or not Garcia was comfortable in a role as a backup, it is what it is."

Ultimately, Garcia got to the point where he simply wanted out:

"To see the reality of the situation and realize what I may be up against staying here for the entire year, it hurt me, it broke my heart to do that to step up. But I just felt like it was something I really didn't want to put myself through anymore."

The 39 year old Garcia has started 110 games in the NFL in ten seasons after a standout career in the Canadian Football League. There's a good chance you'll see him back in action before the end of the year--though the Raiders are clearly no longer an option.

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Pro Football Flashback: Favre Leads Minnesota To Rout Of Cowboys

By Ross Everett

When legendary quarterback Brett Favre announced his return to the NFL from what has become a seemingly annual flirtation with retirement, many second guessed the Minnesota Vikings' decision to sign "The Gunslinger". On Sunday, Favre and the Vikings answered those critics in the best way possible-with a lopsided 34-3 beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys. Favre threw 4 touchdown passes in the victory and the Vikings' defense sacked Dallas QB Tony Romo six times in the blowout.

NFL football betting fans also cashed tickets on the Vikings as -3 point home favorites. This was the shortest pointspread of the divisional playoff weekend and many thought that Dallas' momentum would carry them to victory. The 37 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 45. Minnesota had gone UNDER in four of six games to conclude the regular season.

After the contest, Favre boasted that a playoff run was a large part of his motivation to return to NFL action:

""This is what I came back for. Probably the most fatigued I got today was celebrating. I feel like I'm playing the same way. I have the same enthusiasm. As long as I'm out there, the enthusiasm and the passion that you see is real. And I know the guys feed off of that. Fans enjoy that, because it is real and genuine. Today was like this season: It's been wonderful."

Sidney Rice caught three of Favre's touchdown passes:

"Same ol' Brett. He's doing thing he's done since he first came in the league: moving around, getting the ball out, breaking tackles and even running down the field and throwing blocks. That just shows you how big of a heart he has."

Head coach Brad Childress mixed up a bunch of metaphors as he took a swipe at the prognosticators who picked Dallas to win:

"The Tasmanian devils were coming from Dallas that were about to bombard the state of Minnesota and run through us like Sherman through the South. All of us felt it quite palpably."

Cowboys' QB didn't have much to say in defeat:

"Any time you come in with the expectations and goals we set and don't accomplish them, No. 1, it's frustrating. Right now, it's just hard to think the season is over."

Cowboys' head coach Wade Phillips had a similar take:

"It's like the elevator falling from the top. It's tough when it's over. If you don't win it all, you have not reached your goal."

The Vikings will now head to New Orleans for Sunday's NFC Championship game against the Saints. Minnesota is a +3' point road underdog with the total set at 52'.

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