Tosca at the Garden - a True London Summer Experience

Tosca at the Garden - a True London Summer Experience

Author: Adam Singleton

London is well known for its vibrant arts scene and its year-round packed musical programme. From Camden's Roundhouse to the world famous Royal Albert Hall, the UK's capital is overflowing with eclectic musical venues that attract concert-goers from all corners of the globe. But amongst the giants of London's summer musical fixtures looms one well-known regular: the world-famous Puccini opera, Tosca.

Tosca has been played at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden every year since 1964, when Italian director Franco Zeffirelli famously adapted the opera for Maria Callas, a Greek-American soprano who is often referred to as the best-known opera singer of the post World War II period. In 2006, however, Tosca at the Garden (as it is now popularly known) received a revamp from the Almeida Theatre's Jonathan Kent - a bold move, given that Zeffirelli's version had been used for forty-two years.

The story of Tosca is set amidst the backdrop of revolutionary Rome in 1800, and sees Scarpia, a police chief, seeking an escaped prisoner called Angelotti. Scarpia arrests the artist Cavaradossi, whom he is certain has helped Angelotti escape, but also brings into the mix Cavaradossi's girlfriend - Tosca - who he thinks may have been an accomplice.

Scandalously, Scarpia agrees to save Cavaradossi's life if Tosca allows him to have his way with her. However, the tragic ending comes when Tosca, convinced that Scarpia has let Cavaradossi go, stabs the police chief before finding out that her lover has in fact been shot, and ultimately flings herself from the Castello d'Angelo's ramparts as Rome's police pursue her.

Puccini based Tosca upon a drama by French playwright Victorien Sardou and since its premier in Rome in 1900, it has become one of the world's most performed operas. Maria Callas, the original Tosca of Tosca at the Garden, is seen by many opera fans to have made the role her own and it's possible to find footage of her powerful performance as the tragic heroine on YouTube today.

Jonathan Kent's new production of Tosca sees Puccini's "shabby little shocker" with a whole new cast, including Finnish National Opera director Mikko Franck making his conducting debut. With a mix of established operatic talent and new voices taking part, this year's Tosca at the Garden is sure to be a success.

Moreover, with flights to London leaving most international airports daily, taking a trip to Britain's capital to see this momentous production of Tosca won't be hard if you're not a British resident. And with the Garden's 2007 season continuing with revivals of Rigoletto, Cosi fan tutte and all three of Wagner's Ring cycles, there's much more to come from London's centre of operatic art.

London's West End Theatre Heats Up for the Summer

London's West End Theatre Heats Up for the Summer

Author: Adam Singleton

London may have had a washout summer, but the West end is pumping with some great new shows as well as some of the old classics.

The Lord of the Rings musical, which was premiered in Toronto, has become the world's most spectacular, ambitious and expensive theatre show to date, taking more than four years to make and costing a total of £14.3 million. To create the different Middle Earth kingdoms, a 40 tonne rotating stage lifts and falls in 17 different sections, and 50 actors, 19 musicians and 60 stage hands work behind the scenes to ensure the 256 costume changes go smoothly as Elfin silk. The show has successfully condensed Tolkien's epic world into a three hour singing, dancing, flying and fighting extravaganza and will please musical and Middle Earth fans alike.

Billy Elliot first opened in London's West End at the Victoria Palace Theatre in March 2005 to huge critical acclaim, and since then has won a host of awards including Best Musical at the Oliver Awards, the Evening Standard Awards and at the Critics Circle. With music by Elton John, Billy Elliot tells the story of a young boy living in a traditional mining town in Northern England, who unlike the other boys, finds he has a talent for ballet rather than boxing. The show has gained fantastic reviews from the popular press, being haled as "beautifully uplifting", "hilarious" and "so exhilarating, the audience didn’t want it to end".

Dirty Dancing, a classic film from the 1980s first opened as a stage show in Australia in 2004. Since then it has achieved record breaking West End ticket sales. Just in case you've been living in the African outback for the last twenty years and are unfamiliar with the plot, the story is based on one of the most watched films of all time, which details the love story of a girl crossing into womanhood both physically and emotionally through a relationship with a dance instructor during a family summer vacation. Full of classic dance scenes and one of the best selling soundtracks of all time, the Dirty Dancing stage show is sure to fill you full of childhood nostalgia.

Those living outside of the capital can take a London theatre break, and there are many companies offering theatre break packages which include hotel accommodation near a theatre of your choice and tickets for your chosen performance.

So from Middle Earth to the summer of love, London's West End is well worth a visit for theatre fans - just be sure to book early as these shows sell out fast!

Unsigned Artists: Success Without a Record Label

Unsigned Artists: Success Without a Record Label

Author: Lathum

Unsigned artists have a greater chance of success today than ever before. On one hand, composing and performing songs without the shadow of a struggling record label hanging overhead leaves musicians free to express themselves instinctively from the soul. On the other, it requires a lot of work behind the scenes, but can offer can offer greater rewards in return.

Brooklyn-based band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah broke through in 2005 as a result of the commotion started online among a community of blogs and music sites, such as Pitchfork Media. As a result, their self-financed, self-released and self-titled debut album has sold more than 200,000 copies. Band bassist Tyler Sargent explained to Paste magazine (12/6/06) why the band has remained unsigned, despite their success: "Because there are so many new avenues opening up these days...if you have good songs and the right relationships you can just totally bypass this whole label system. Which is just great for independent music...and this way, we get 80 percent, or at least a larger chunk of (our earnings). And it just makes more sense."

The truth is, the major label end of the music industry is in "turmoil," as noted by CBS Evening News (5/28/07), as "CD sales plummeted 20 percent the first three months of this year." In the same piece, Wilco's lead singer Jeff Tweedy stated that "Technology has evened the playing field. If the artist can gain more power over the situation--over the economics of the situation--why wouldn't they take it?"

While the Internet has become the most vital and effective marketing tool, taking music to the streets has become the bread an butter for many acts. On a smaller scale, Heath & Jed have made a living off of the CD sales and tips they've received playing the streets and subways of New York City. In their Gothamist tour diary (8/14/06), they revealed: "We’ve sold over 10,000 CD’s this year. One fan at a time...We came and we conquered and we made some money to live another day as musicians, doing what we love."

Sony's Connect music site did a feature on unsigned Fullerton, CA band Cold War Kids who "have risen to the top of the hipster rock heap through their relentless touring." In the related interview, lead singer Nathan Willett talked about the process of peddling their homemade EPs during their non-stop tours: "Basically (the EPs) were available at our shows at best, and we ran out of them a lot, and it was kind of a bummer because we couldn't put the effort into being at home and getting more made. But it was cool because we had a limited amount of them and people seemed to want them, and we were surprised that people wanted them as much as they did."

There are no rules to follow when it comes to unsigned bands promoting their music. From utilizing their fan base to promote local live shows, new releases and merchandise, to reaching new fans outside via online communities like Facebook and social music sites such as Echoboost, the extra effort will only aid them along the way. As long as they have quality songs, the talent to perform them live and a dedicated work ethic to spread the music, nothing can stand in their way.

Gwen Stefani - La's Little L.a.m.b

Gwen Stefani - La's Little L.a.m.b

Author: Ron Berry

When Eric Stefani asked his then 17 year old sister Gwen to sing with his band No Doubt, a calypso/jazz/blues band, he couldn't have known he was watching history in the making. Watching as his little sister began what would for her become a launching pad to pop diva fame. For eight years, she was the lead singer for the band. Although she began a solo career in 2004, her association with No Doubt lasts to this day. Collaborating with artists like Linda Perry, The Neptunes and others, she styled her first album - L.A.M.B. after the '80s and 90's music she listened to in school. (L.A.M.B. is also the name of her fashion line)

Her albums include 2007's Sweet Escape and Love.Angel.Music.Baby.(L.A.M.B.), 2005's Maximum Gwen Stefani as well as re-releases of those albums in different formats.

Born to Patti and Dennis Stefani in Fullerton, California she was raised in Anaheim where she attended Loara High School and where she first performed onstage singing "I Have Confidence" from The Sound of Music. Oddly, she was discouraged from taking music lessons to train her voice. Her "loopy and unpredictable" style would eventually give her the unique and personal sound that has helped define her music.

Named after a flight attendant in the 1968 novel Airport, the name Gwen is Welsh and means "blessed". And if you asked her she'd probably agree. Besides her rising stardom and success in the fashion world, in May of 2006, she gave birth to Kingston James McGregor Rossdale at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She is married to Bush guitarist and lead singer Gavin Rossdale. Now that little Kingston is a litte over a year, Gwen says she can't wait to get pregnant again, but not while on tour.

Many of the women in Gwen's family are seamstresses so it's little surprise that we find she's also a talented fashion designer. Both she and her mother Patti, made much of Gwen's clothes when she was young. During her onstage debut back at Loara High, she wore a tweed dress she'd made herself taking inspiration from a dress worn in The Sound of Music. Her bold, sometimes brazen style of music is reflected in her designs, with realistic depictions and bold patterns, a technique called trompe l’oeil, French for "trick the eye".

L.A.M.B., which stands for Love, Angel, Music, Baby, is a fashion line created by Stefani and incudes elegant, flowing eveningwear and pants, tee shirts, jackets, and boots made with fabric and materials found in locations around the world including South America, Asia, and India. This 3-dimensional, vivid artwork is something you'd find Gwen wearing around the house chasing after little Kingston or in a mural on the side of a building in France.

Hers is a wrestless spirit though and her thirst for adventure not being satisfied with pop divadom and fashion design, Gwen tried her hand at acting. She auditioned for and got the role of Jean Harlow in Martin Scorsese's 2004 film The Aviator. Scorsese was struck by Stefani's resemblance to Harlow. It was the perfect role for the sassy, Platinum Blonde (since 9th grade) but she was extremely nervous. She tried to convince herself "It's only a small part..." (she couldn't even find it in the script). Says Gwen "Acting is a lot different than singing. It's not as theatrical, it's a lot more subtle, and that's a lot harder..." She got acting tips from the film's star, Leonardo DiCaprio, also a blonde since 9th grade (unconfirmed). She has numerous other film and television credits including Zoolander, where she played herself(Does that count?), and many movie soundtracks.

She may have started out playing little clubs in her big brother's band but Gwen Stefani has re-invented herself a number of times and with each transformation, a bright, shiny new butterfly emerges ready to fly and take on new challenges. A strong and independant spirit, she's not afraid to take the plunge, has an apparent distaste for convention and oh yea, she thinks being pregnant is romantic. More power to you, Miss Gwen!

Unlimited Movie Downloads – an Experience With Vongo and Netflix

Unlimited Movie Downloads – an Experience With Vongo and Netflix

Author: Nitin Verma

Like many others watching movies is my first hobby. I enjoy watching movies than any other thing. Here I am sharing my experience with two topmost movie providers - Vongo and Netflix. I have tried many online movie download services and DVD rental services, but sooner or later, all of them proved to be a piece of junk. Now I have subscribed only two unlimited movie providers - Vongo and Netflix.

I personally like Vongo among these two movie services. The main reason is because of its unlimited movie download service, picture and sound quality. Also like Netflix DVD rentals, you don't have to wait for your favourite movies to be shipped at your home. There is always some postal delay which I hate.

Vongo has following features because of which I like it most:

Excellent Movie Database: The Movie Database is Huge and they also keep adding 100's of new movies every week.

14 Days Free trial: When I joined Vongo, I was pretty firm that I am going to cancel it within 10 days of my subscription, and I did it too as decided, but within just few days we realized that Vongo was a part of our life and we started missing all those great online movies. Later we joined it back. By the way, I also want to mention that if you want to cancel Vongo movie download and watch service, its very easy to cancel. They don't ask any questions during cancellation.

Easy To Use: They provide a very nice and easy to use free software through which you can select movies of your choice, watch their previews, and then start downloading them.

Picture and Sound quality of movies is perfect and I feel its much better than DVD print quality.

Fast Download Speed: You can download as many movies as you want, all in parallel. You can also start watching a movie when its download is in progress.

I would recommend that you should definitely try 14 days trial version of Vongo and am sure that like me and my family, you will also start loving this movie downloads service.

Visit following like to learn more about the features provided by Vongo where Netflix lacks. Continue reading at this link:
Vongo Movies - Download & Watch Unlimited Movies Of High Picture & Sound Quality
http://elitereviews.blogspot.com/2007/09/vongo-movies-download-watch-unlimited.html

Copyright: Nitin Verma
http://elitereviews.blogspot.com

The Real Deal About Movie Downloading

The Real Deal About Movie Downloading

Author: Isaiah G. Henry

There are still a lot people that think that downloading movies are for mischievous kids. Yet movie download sites are both legal and open to the mature sophisticated person like yourself. But dont misunderstand; there are sites to watch out for.

With fans around the world interested in movies, the big bosses at the movie studios came to realized that download movies is the future, and began to create their own movie services with all the licenses to remain legal.

Downloading movies is still a little complicated, but like anything, once you have done it a few times, you will have no trouble at all.

You will need a high speed connection. If you are still on dial up, it is not recommended that you attempt to download movies because the file size is so large. Most movies are 600 MB or more. You will need a high speed cable or ADSL connection.

Movie Subscription sites

Be careful choosing a service. Many Internet sites offer access to a library of movies for a monthly fee. Be sure to check their library before signing up! Some services have dramatically better libraries than others. Most services have a free trial period as well so that you can test their service before you commit.

Movie services usually give you several extras with downloaded movies. To name a few, youll receive bonuses like extra scenes, commentaries, interviews & more. This is a lot more than the average video or movie rental store would offer.

In my opinion, there are too many movie services on the internet. So you will have to do some digging to guarantee that select the right service. You may be surprise in the range of prices from a one-time fee of $14.00 to $29.95 per monthly subscription service.

The upside is that nearly all movie services are increasing their selection weekly or even daily. This keeps the movie titles fresh for your viewing.

I am very impressed by the quality technical support from many of the movie sites online. This is very important for new comers in the arena. If you are new to downloading, you may want to join a site with phone support, not just email support.

Nearly all services will give you movie download software for you to search, download & view you favorite movies.

Below are frequently asked questions for downloading movies:

1) Is movie downloading illegal? Definitely not, but make sure to do your homework first. Do not download copyright material from p2p movie sites.

2) What is the quality of the movies? This all depends on the source of the movie downloads. Some sites hold nothing but DVD quality movies. Then there are others that have a range of quality with different formats.

3) Is file sharing legal? Yes, but downloading copyright movies is illegal. So, you may want to only join sites that charge a monthly fee to stay in the safe side.

4) Can I transfer movies to my iPod? Yes, some sites do provide video iPod converter software.

Exclusive Escorts – Relax Into a World of Pleasure

Exclusive Escorts – Relax Into a World of Pleasure

Author: Amelie Mag

If you ever find yourself in need of an escort, we should always resort to the services of Lifestyle models from Brussels. They are one of the most professional escort agencies in the field, being completely dedicated to serving their clients and having only the finest model available. Together, you will travel with them to anywhere in the world, the destination being completely your choice. No matter if you want to go to the South of France with one of our beautiful ladies or you pick out a city hotel, the choice is yours. All you have to do is to enjoy the company of a Brussels escort and remain with long lasting memories.

The Internet holds a wealth of information about this agency providing exclusive escorts and you can easily browse their website to find out more about them. You can browse their gallery for as long as you want and pick out someone that suits you. The lifestyle models hired by this company have a full time career as fashion models, flight attendants or secretaries but they all are of an extreme beauty, guaranteed to put a smile on your face. A professional escort agency knows how to provide what you need respecting three golden standard rules: privacy, superior service and luxurious accommodations.

After you decide which Brussels escort is the one you want, you have to determine whether a hotel arrangement or a lifestyle arrangement is more suitable for you. Just keep in mind what your needs and preferences are and feel free to browse the gallery holding those beautiful, bewitching lifestyle models. With exclusive escorts, you are ready to travel to any destination in the world, transforming the whole trip into a romantic escape, filled with luxury and passion. Anywhere around the globe, any city and any hotel you want, you can have one incredible Brussels escort with you. If you decide for the exclusive yachting experience, then you should know that the South of France is an unbelievable place to visit.

The first step after picking out one of the exclusive escorts (Anne, Daniela, Evelyn or Ingrid) is to mention the name of the hotel and the desired travel schedule. You will also have to provide the city and the country the hotel is situated, plus the arrival and departure time. You can book one of the lifestyle models for at least a night and you can ask her to accompany you for business trips, parties and receptions, plus various other events. No matter what you kind of event you might need her company for, you are guaranteed to have the time of our life, with a beautiful, intelligent and extravagant woman. Make reservations on the Internet and prepare yourself to dazzle everybody with your Brussels escort.

The exclusive escorts can also make sure that you have one of the most unbelievable yachting experiences you’ve ever dreamed of. Together with them, you can travel to Cannes, Monaco or Saint Tropez, visiting unexpected places and taste a little bit of the exotic and unknown. Cannes is well known as a famous city festival and you can have high-quality time strolling through the city where celebrities come to enjoy the same life full of luxury and pleasure. You will be treated as royalty, picked up by a limousine and boarded on what can only be called a deluxe yacht. The Mediterranean lifestyle will totally suit you and your lifestyle model, relaxing on the beach, drinking an exotic cocktail or swimming in the crystal clear water. This experience will defeat any limits of your imagination.

Monaco can offer you another taste of the Mediterranean lifestyle, attracting you with incredible surroundings and the possibility of residing on an exclusive yacht. Along with the model of your choice you will be experiencing the entire Cote d’Azur coastline, feeling pampered and excited every step of the way. The South of France will seem to you more than incredible, especially since you will visit elegant and refined destinations such as: Saint Tropez, Ste Maxime and Cannes. The company of a Brussels escort and the beauty of the places you are going to visit will represent a dynamite combination, making you feel incredibly relaxed and happy.

Saint Tropez is another sweet destination that can guarantee you the time of your life. You will be taken on board with our lifestyle model, the boat being made only of luxurious Mahogany wood, with stylish interiors, finely decorated and accommodated with all you need. At Saint Tropez, you will enter the high lifestyle, attend the coolest parties and visit those famous beaches you have always heard so much of like Tahiti Beach and Nikki Beach. You will certainly be excited by the sexy atmosphere and feel like in heaven. Saint Tropez is a medieval town that can offer a lot of great things, exclusive parties and you can also have a taste of the delicious French cuisine. The whole city exudes an air of mystery and you can enjoy it all with a Brussels escort. Plunge into the world of high lifestyle and let yourself drawn into the whirlpool of pleasure.

How Life Changes for a Commercial Photographer

How Life Changes for a Commercial Photographer

Author: Jack White

Commercial photography is yet another form of photography; only this time it gets more focussed and more critical. Commercial photography is more critical and focussed because here you are not clicking pictures to satisfy or enhance your creativity. Here, you click is meant for others, a bigger group of people. The commercial photographer has to understand that in order to do justice to his work.

Here you have a target audience whom you need to please, with the kind of photographs being clicked. And not just please, more often than not, you really have to have a picture that shouts out to grasp the attention of the right person. Therefore, what you need is a right commercial photographer, who understands the requirement and the competition that you are facing, in order to develop the right pictures that your advertisement campaign requires.

A commercial photographer is into a profession, where he can have fun by following a job after his own heart. However, the person has to understand the critical nature of the work and how each snap needs a good amount of homework before being shot. A passionate photographer would anyway do that before taking pictures. But for a commercial photographer, the scope narrows down, because he has to see things from the point of view of those who are going to see the ad.

Therefore, sometimes it becomes really imperative on the commercial photographer to go much beyond in understanding the target audience. One has to research about the demographics, the consumer behaviour, what stimulates the consumers of the particular product or service, what do they abhor, etc. Sometimes a photograph may have to be really repulsive in order to grasp customer attention. Again, it is very important to know if that would work. Yes a commercial photographer must know what would work and what would not in order to come up with high quality work.

Do you Believe in Fairies? Evidence From Cottingley Beck

Do you Believe in Fairies? Evidence From Cottingley Beck

Author: Robin Daniels

“Do you believe in fairies?” Peter Pan asked an auditorium full of British children in 1904, imploring them to save his pixie friend Tinker Bell. “If you believe, clap your hands!” Peter needn’t have feared For Tink, for England was the very kingdom of fairies, and believers abounded. The public’s belief in fairies was tried in a much more serious way a few years later in a small scenic village in the Aire Valley between Shipley and Bingley.

Frances Griffiths and her cousin Elsie Wright had been teased about their stories of playing with fairies, but in 1917 all this changed. In the Cottingley Beck, close to their home, the Yorkshire schoolgirls produced two of the oddest pictures anyone had ever seen. Borrowing her father’s camera, Elsie set out one afternoon with her younger cousin for a romp in the nearby woods. When Mr. Wright developed the picture later that evening he would get a shock. There in the frame, dancing around his ten-year-old niece were the forms of four female fairies! He confronted the girls, who claimed nonchalantly that they often played with fairies in the beck. A month later another slide produced a picture of sixteen-year-old Elsie sitting in conversation with a gnome.

Their nonplussed attitude toward the matter affected Mrs. Wright greatly, and the parents set to looking in the girls’ shared bedroom and the wastebaskets for scraps of paper or cut-outs. When nothing was found, the parents continued to look for evidence down in the beck. Still nothing turned up. Mrs. Wright was inclined to believe the girls, although her husband made the camera off-limits.

At first the photographs were only shared with close friends and family, but in 1919 Mrs. Wright attended a lecture on ‘fairy life,’ bringing the prints with her. By 1920 the prints had come to the attention of one of the leading Theosophists of the time, Edward Gardner, who examined them and had two new negatives made, clarifying the pictures.

The story of the Cottingley fairies gained more fame when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes) got wind of it. A fervent spiritualist, Doyle immediately championed the girls’ story and even wrote an article on the Cottingley fairies for the Christmas issue of The Strand Magazine. A second article in 1921 featured three new stills. Certainly, he conjectured, these photographs would end the debate about whether fairies existed!

Still, public opinion was split. Doyle published his book The Coming of Fairies in 1922, maintaining to his death that the fairies were real. Mrs. Wright insisted that such young girls could not have drawn the fairies, while baffled photograph experts at the time conceded that it did not seem possible that the fairies could have been made from cloth or paper. Furthermore, nothing could be seen propping the fairies up, additional evidence to their authenticity. When someone questioned a bump on the belly of the gnome, Doyle concluded that it was an umbilicus—proof that fairies were born in similar fashion to humans!

The girls held to their story, even as they aged. After the fairy affair Frances returned to her family in South Africa and later to Scarborough. She married a soldier and settled in Ramsgate. Elsie escaped the media hounding by going to America where she was married and had a successful artistic career. The couple moved to India, and finally returned to England in 1949. She repeatedly insisted that although fairies were wonderful, she needed to forget about them and move on with her life. In interview after interview the girls remained elusive, until 1983, when Elsie admitted in a letter of confession that the photographs were indeed a hoax. She explained that the girls had used Princess Mary’s Gift Book to make the cut-outs, using hatpins to stand them up. The bump on the gnomes belly, she confirmed had indeed been the head of a pin.

In her confession Elsie insisted the girls had never meant harm. Elsie had concocted the idea when her mother and father had scolded Frances for getting her clothes wet one day while playing in the beck. Frances had claimed to be playing with fairies when she’d fallen, and the elder Wrights had scoffed and shamed her. Elsie had come up with the idea of taking the first pictures to have the last laugh.

There are still a few unsolved mysteries concerning the Cottingley fairies, however. For example, while Elsie claimed all five photographs were fakes, Frances insisted that the last one was real. Furthermore, both girls insisted that there really were fairies in the beck. And they weren’t the only ones!

Former wrestler Ronnie Bennett was working as a forester, when in the 1980s he admitted to having seen fairies in the woods. He claimed he saw the elf-like figures while working in the Cottingley Estate Woods. "When they showed themselves about nine years ago there was a slight drizzle around. I saw three fairies in the woods and I have never seen them since. They were just about ten inches tall and just stared at me. There is no way the Cottingley Fairies is a hoax."

Do you believe in fairies? Perhaps a trip to Cottingley Woods would convince you…

How to Attract Fairies

How to Attract Fairies

Author: Robin Daniels

I often go out to the countryside to visit my mother. Her home is like a magnet; it draws you in from the street. Walking up to her porch, one cannot mistake how the air sparkles. Even the cares of the world, which have been weighing down your shoulders, seem to melt away into the earth along the pathway like rainwater. I am not the only one drawn to mother’s house. Several years ago mother came upon an old, out-of-print fairy book at a library book sale. Within these pages she learned how to attract fairies. Since then, her home has been the refuge of human and fairy alike. The following suggestions will help you create a fairy-welcoming atmosphere in your home:

The most effective way to invite fairies to your home is to plant their favorite flowers. Fairies share the same habitat as hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Flowers that attract these creatures will also attract fairies.Bluebells, foxglove, forget-me-nots, heather, hollyhocks, lilacs, lilies, marigolds, pansies, peonies, primrose, and roses are flowers beloved by the wee folk.

In addition to flowers, clover, ferns, and thyme are plants especially attractive to fairies. Oak trees hold special powers for fairies.

Since fairies are sensitive, it is best not to refer to them directly. They find the name “fairy” particularly offensive. If you must talk about them, you may use the terms: wee folk, good folk, or the gentry.

Fairies enjoy both well-manicured and wild areas in gardens. It is good idea to reserve a special corner in your garden for fairy use. Placing a special statue or a small fountain in such an area is much appreciated by the wee folk.

Leave out a food offering over night. Fairies especially love dairy products, bread, cakes, and cookies. Don’t despair if in the morning it doesn’t look like the meal has been eaten. Fairies are able to extract the essence of food without physically eating it. Food should be discarded after a day or two, since it will have little nutritional value left for the fairy. If an animal should approach the food don’t chase it away! Sometimes a shy fairy will assume the shape of an animal to accept its present.

Fairies love water. Fountains, bird baths, ponds, and streams will all attract fairies.

Abodes of various types are appreciated by fairies. Using rocks, caves can be made at the base of rose bushes. A bird-house can be easily adapted for fairy use by adding bright colors, dollhouse furniture, and glitter to the inside. Toadstools and mushrooms (real or fake) are also a favorite of the wee folk. Colored stones and crystals, especially in a water-filled bird-bath, will attract fairies.

Set aside a table top or a corner for an altar, where you can leave offerings for your fairy friends in a basket. Offerings may be food, flowers, herbs, pretty leaves, stones, or anything else you think your fairy might like.

Keep your home reasonably tidy, as fairies hate a mess.

Most important of all, you must cultivate a sense of reverence, wonder, and fun—as these are qualities necessary to befriend a fairy.

Bush, Jesus and War on Terror -american Propagandizing by Means of Religious Rhetoric and Narration

Bush, Jesus and War on Terror -american Propagandizing by Means of Religious Rhetoric and Narration

Author: Mitra Naeimi

We and others; this categorization isn't new, we hear and read about American history that different kinds of contrasts have existed in America during the different periods ;sometimes related to internal affairs and sometimes external affairs.

Sometimes it has been a conflict between America - as a nation with a white dominance - and Indians, or between America - again I mean white Americans- and blacks.

As I said this conflict has had an external version too, it had been a conflict between America as a capitalist country and communism, and now there is another external struggle which is a complicated one, thus it can be explained in four ways:

1- A struggle between America as a non-Muslim country and
' Islam ' - Although some believe that America is in conflict with fundamentalist Islam but I believe it is with Islam overall as Bush administration supports Israel toward Palestinians and Lebanese and it is against Iran and Syria too.

2- On the other hand we can define this recent conflict as a conflict between America and ' Middle East' as Iraq war and threats of Bush and his administration against Iran and Syria prove.

3- Also we can explain it in this term that America is in conflict with 'Arabs'.

4- And even we can define it as a conflict between America and 'each country that without Bush's permission has nuclear activities', the thing that America call it weapons of mass destruction. Through this latter explanation I can remind the notion of ''axis of evil'' that George W Bush used for Iran, Iraq and North Korea.(1)

However each time that America has had a struggle, both internal or external, have used a special and specific rhetoric;

savage Indians those who have no culture,
blacks who are inferior than white,
helping some communist countries throughout the stages of economic growth with a modernization model - that causes Vietnam War,
and now considering last conflict, which is also a cue and intimation of this above cartoon, having a mission to help those humans that don't have freedom and democracy.
Therefore for justifying some illegal and inhuman actions such as Iraq war, the dominant rhetoric of George W Bush has been a religious rhetoric.
Thus I can clarify that Bush's rhetoric about war on terror has three main characteristics:

 sometimes he rationalizes the strategy of war on terror innocently with such statements:

"Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment .Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom -- the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time -- now depends on us...." (2)

The keywords of his speech here is this: "human freedom now depends on us".
Therefore one important aspect of Bush's rhetoric is related to power and this power is empire.
And as he focuses in Middle East, the main concentration of this empire is on Middle East too:
"We also hear doubts that democracy is a realistic goal for the greater Middle East, where freedom is rare[….]God has planted in every human heart the desire to live in freedom. And even when that desire is crushed by tyranny for decades, it will rise again. "(3)
 And as he makes clear in below speech ,the main characteristic of this empire is that it is based on a mission:
"America is a nation with a mission, and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim is a democratic peace -- a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and woman. America acts in this cause with friends and allies at our side, yet we understand our special calling: This great republic will lead the cause of freedom." (4)
 And also the main characteristic of this mission is that it is the mission of America and her allies toward evils:
"our responsibility to history is already clear: to answer these attacks and rid the world of evil." (5)
This recent side of Bush 's rhetoric about war on terror after 9/11 completes with this sentences that Jesus Christ is the favorite political philosopher or thinker that Bush had identified himself with him in some speeches in the past.(6)
This rhetoric had been successful to such extent that has influenced broadly on some groups of Christians especially Evangelical Christians and other conservative Protestants as Richard Cizik who is vice president for governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals said:
"I sleep better at night knowing he is a man who isn't afraid to say he prays, [… ] I slept better at night during the recent war in Iraq, knowing that George Bush is in the White House." (7)
He also adds:
"I think the way a president, who is an evangelical, should respond to evil is characterized by how this president, George Bush, did. For example, at the National Cathedral Service of Remembrance for those who died in the Twin Towers attack, I think the president responded wonderfully, acting in a certain sense as presidents always have: as both prophet,[…], as priest. This president has responded similarly as sort of a priest who's comforting the nation […]in the attack on 9/11. That's an appropriate role for the president."
But in contrast to the followers of religious beliefs of Bush, there are those who believe Bush is an anti-Christ and they mostly use this above cartoon and similar ones. This cartoon is to criticize the figure of Bush that is under the false pretences. And it is to criticize his recent foreign policy that he believes he has a mission and a special calling.
The mission which causes nothing except war, loss of life and victims for the world. In fact this mission had been a military one, as he said that:
"This war on terror is the calling of a new generation; it is the calling of our generation. Success is essential to securing a future of peace for our children and grandchildren. And securing this peace for the future is going to require a sustained commitment from the American people and our military." (8)

However, putting all these analyses and interpretation of this cartoon aside, the main question is that what causes this ' cartoon making ' ?
According to imagology its reason is "the customer’s needs and desires".( Karvonen ,1997)
I don't mean that I like to encourage such cartoon makings or I 'm against it .I'd like only to say that audiences have realized that the religious rhetoric of Bush in his speeches about war on terror is not based on reality. They have found out that there is a long distance and huge difference between Jesus and Bush, and between their missions. There fore they have created this cartoon.


References:
(1)http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020129-11.html
(2)http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/21/gen.president.speech/
(3) http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040120-7.html
(4) http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040120-7.html
(5) http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss/2002/nss3.html
(6) http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec00/religion_9-1.html
(7)http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/interviews/cizik.html
(8) http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/12/20061220-1.html

Karvonen ,Erkki. Imaglogy: Some Theories of the Public Image Presented, Analysed and Criticized ,1997, University of Tampere, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication cited in http://www.uta.fi/~tierka/vaisum.htm

Balloon Figures for Fun and Parties

Balloon Figures for Fun and Parties

Author: Steve Knowles

Kids learn balloon twisting from balloon artists who use balloon twisting to entertain, they twist and tie inflated tubular balloons into cartoon like sculptures. The balloons that are used for balloon twisting are made of extra-stretchy rubber so that they can be twisted, tied and stressed without bursting. A pump is usually used to inflate these balloons as they are chosen by the balloon artist because they are stronger than normal balloons.

For instance, decorators of functions such as weddings and parties may use hundreds of helium balloons to create balloon sculptures to add interest to the event. Usually the round shape of the balloon restricts these to simple arches or walls, but on occasion more ambitious "themed sculptures" are attempted. It is not uncommon to use balloons as table decorations and gifts for celebratory events. Table decorations normally appear with 3 or 5 balloons on each bouquet. Ribbon is curled and added with an anchor weight to keep the balloons from floating away.

Kids learn balloon twisting with balloon modeling

This is the shaping of special modeling balloons into almost any given shape, often a balloon animal or stick figure. People who create balloon animals and other twisted balloon sculptures are known as Twisters. Twisters commonly work as buskers, restaurant entertainers or clowns.

Usually there are two primary design styles, single balloon modeling, which restricts itself to the use of one balloon per model, and multiple balloon modeling, which uses more than one balloon. Each style has its own set of challenges and skills, but few twisters who have reached an intermediate or advanced skill level limit themselves to one style or another. Depending on the needs of the moment, they might easily move between the one-balloon or multiple approaches, or they might even incorporate additional techniques such as "weaving" and "stuffing".

Modeling techniques have evolved to include a range of very complex moves, and a highly specialized vocabulary has emerged to describe the techniques involved and their resulting creations.
Some twisters inflate their balloons with their own lungs, and for many years this was a standard and necessary part of the act. But many now use a pump of some sort, whether it is a hand pump, an electric pump plugged in or run by a battery pack, or a compressed gas tank containing air or nitrogen. Twisters do not generally fill their creations with helium, as these designs will not usually float anyway. The balloons for twisting are too porous for helium and the designs are generally too heavy for helium to lift.