Diwali Festival Celebration in India

In the midst of today's busy lifestyle, Diwali gives an opportunity to pause and be grateful for what we have, to make special memories with family and friends, to laugh and enjoy what life offers us. Though the festival of Diwali has undergone some changes, in due course of time, yet it has continued to be celebrated since the time immemorial. Every year, the festive season of Diwali comes back with all the excitement and merriment.

Diwali literally means rows of diyas (clay lamps). It also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year and Lord Ganesha is worshiped. It is considered a positive time for shopping, starting new ventures, business deals and house warming. On this day, doorways are lit up and decorated with Rangoli or traditional patterns to welcome the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. The festival is a symbolic representation of the lifting of spiritual darkness.

The celebration of the Diwali festival stretches for five days. All the days except Diwali are named using the designation in the Indian calendar. A lunar half-month is 15 days. Diwali as a new-moon day marks the last day of a 15-day period. All the five days are as under:

Dhanteras: Dhan means "wealth" and Teras means "13th day". Thus, as the name implies, this day falls on the 13th day of the second half of the lunar month. It is an auspicious day for shopping of gold & Silver Ornaments, Idols & Coins and god yantras.

Naraka Chaturdasi: Chaturdasi is the fourteenth day on which demon Narakasura was killed. It signifies the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. This day is also called as Choti Diwali.

Diwali: The actual day of Diwali, is celebrated on the third day of the festival, when the moon completely wanes and total darkness sets in the night sky. Laxmi puja occurs on this third day. Deity Laxmi the goddess of wealth and prosperity is welcomed by offering traditional pujas. The business community places their accounting books in front of the Laxmi deity and offers puja for the well being of the business.

Govardhan puja: The Forth day is Govardhan Puja or also called Annakut, is celebrated as the day Krishna defeated Indra. For Annakut a mountain of food is decorated symbolizing Govardhan Mountain lifted by Lord Krishna. Govardhan puja, which is a significant event in the villages. People worship the holy cows by smearing vermilion and sandal wood paste on its forehead and offers special prayers for the well being of cows.

Bhai dooj: The fifth day, the last day of Diwali is marked by Bhai dooj. The sisters offer prayers for the general well being of their brothers. Gifts are exchanged expressing brotherly feelings of love and affection.

People wake up at the crack of dawn to conduct the customary pujas. Dressed in brilliant silks and glittering gold jewelry families gather and light crackers to usher in the great evening. After a session of bursting crackers, its time to visit friends and relatives. Armed with sweets and savories people meet their near and dear ones.

Diwali is such a wonderful festival, a time of giving and sharing, a time to catch up with people, in other words its time to catch up with the little joys that we keep overlooking for the remaining part of the year.

Allindiagifts.com is an online shopping facilitator for users in India and abroad for delivery of various products & services, mostly of Indian Origin. Jagat Joshi recommands to use Allindiagifts.com to Send Gifts in India and Diwali Gifts 

Business Opportunities With Rangoli

Since time immemorial rangoli art is into existence and the tradition is still alive whilst welcoming innovations with the rotating wheel of time. During the early times only rice powder was used to fill the rangoli design restricted to few geometric patterns and dotted figures. However, now the concept has changed and restrictions to figures and designs have now crossed the boundaries with vivid imaginations, creative expression and artistic exploration. The biggest change experienced by this traditional art form is the transformation of a homely art to a lucrative business opportunity.

With growing opportunities to run a profitable business, it has become easier to infuse the culture, tradition and history of rangoli into the hearts and minds of young generation across the globe. There are people who take rangoli classes and impart training on how to make, where to make, what to make and of course what materials to use for a beautiful rangoli. There are training sessions, workshops, leisure learning programs and even regular classes for different age groups who wish to learn this art of making rangoli.

Then there are art and history museums, where a rangoli artist can display his or her work. There are endless options to display when it comes to creating masterpieces with this art form. Starting from the old traditional forms to the contemporary art forms, there are many options. There is even a possibility to display a complete research or study on this art form and the varied types into existence. Another business option with a variety of rangoli patterns is to create masterpieces and send them in the marketplace. In the present day buying readymade is the latest trend used for decorative purpose. Some popular forms include acrylic rangoli, glass rangoli, wooden rangoli, lighting rangoli, battery-operated rangoli, plastic rangoli, metallic rangoli, floating rangoli, rangoli sticker and rangoli stencil. These do not deliver the calmness of the traditional art form but certainly fulfills the purpose of adorning the threshold of the house and welcome good luck and prosperity. People nowadays spend money to fulfill the purpose rather than shedding some time to make it on their own. For artists and sellers this becomes a good source of earning.

Last but not the least, rangoli stockphotos, rangoli illustrations and rangoli images are another way of entering into a profitable business. This surely is not the art of work actual rangoli artists but those working on photoshop, corel and other similar graphic software can create beautiful rangoli designs and sell them on the web world. The web world is a big marketplace for selling such images and pictures. There is a possibility to compile a complete portfolio and sell stockphotos and illustrations categories for varied occasions.

Like the design and color combination, you can go wild with the business opportunity as well. You'll surely find several ways to earn out of this art form and make your life calming and soothing just like the actual impact of rangoli.

Rangoli is an ancient Indian tradition that has now become a rewarding business opportunity.

Jennie Kakkad is an inspiring writer who beholds about 5 years of content writing experience. She strives to provide articles and blogs that satisfy your desire and accomplish your purpose. Her process of delivering a credible output involves various stages like research, understanding, judgment, analysis, and creation.

Business Opportunities With Rangoli

Since time immemorial rangoli art is into existence and the tradition is still alive whilst welcoming innovations with the rotating wheel of time. During the early times only rice powder was used to fill the rangoli design restricted to few geometric patterns and dotted figures. However, now the concept has changed and restrictions to figures and designs have now crossed the boundaries with vivid imaginations, creative expression and artistic exploration. The biggest change experienced by this traditional art form is the transformation of a homely art to a lucrative business opportunity.

With growing opportunities to run a profitable business, it has become easier to infuse the culture, tradition and history of rangoli into the hearts and minds of young generation across the globe. There are people who take rangoli classes and impart training on how to make, where to make, what to make and of course what materials to use for a beautiful rangoli. There are training sessions, workshops, leisure learning programs and even regular classes for different age groups who wish to learn this art of making rangoli.

Then there are art and history museums, where a rangoli artist can display his or her work. There are endless options to display when it comes to creating masterpieces with this art form. Starting from the old traditional forms to the contemporary art forms, there are many options. There is even a possibility to display a complete research or study on this art form and the varied types into existence. Another business option with a variety of rangoli patterns is to create masterpieces and send them in the marketplace. In the present day buying readymade is the latest trend used for decorative purpose. Some popular forms include acrylic rangoli, glass rangoli, wooden rangoli, lighting rangoli, battery-operated rangoli, plastic rangoli, metallic rangoli, floating rangoli, rangoli sticker and rangoli stencil. These do not deliver the calmness of the traditional art form but certainly fulfills the purpose of adorning the threshold of the house and welcome good luck and prosperity. People nowadays spend money to fulfill the purpose rather than shedding some time to make it on their own. For artists and sellers this becomes a good source of earning.

Last but not the least, rangoli stockphotos, rangoli illustrations and rangoli images are another way of entering into a profitable business. This surely is not the art of work actual rangoli artists but those working on photoshop, corel and other similar graphic software can create beautiful rangoli designs and sell them on the web world. The web world is a big marketplace for selling such images and pictures. There is a possibility to compile a complete portfolio and sell stockphotos and illustrations categories for varied occasions.

Like the design and color combination, you can go wild with the business opportunity as well. You'll surely find several ways to earn out of this art form and make your life calming and soothing just like the actual impact of rangoli.

Modernization in Rangoli

We Indians are losing touch with the richness of our culture and have left behind all our rituals and customs. Technologies, hectic schedules, lack of emotional connectivity and luxuries are overpowering the traditional-beliefs. However, amidst all this, there is still one tradition amongst the few that is still in existence, though on a less intense scale and with modern techniques but yes, it is still there. That one art is the ancient art of India, an inspiring floor art, Rangoli.

The existence of rangoli is not to be denied but many innovations and modern technologies have overwhelmed the actual concept. The traditional rice powder has now been replaced by colorful sand powder and thick colored paste. To perfectly put these colors and paste into use, rangoli cones are also available to help draw a perfect rangoli irrespective of whether anyone knows or not how to draw a rangoli. Further, the freehand rangoli and dotted designs are now replaced by rangoli stencils and stickers. For making dotted rangoli, there are paper grids available and for different designs and abstract rangoli, screens are available. Paper grid ensures a perfect placement of dots and screen ensures perfect flowing of the desired colors from the extremely tiny holes between. In the hectic busy schedules, people hardly have any time to spare for drawing rangoli but festivals are still welcomed with warmth and beautiful rangoli designs. So, during these special occasions, women of the house make use of stencils and stickers to adorn the threshold of their homes. These are available in variety of designs and sizes. The most common yet popular designs of rangoli stickers, screens and stencils available are swastika, flower, diya, peacock and Lord Ganesha. Few other popular designs include spectrum of landscape, seascapes, political personage, historical events and portraits of celebrities.

Then there is the modern day housing and construction scenario in India with lesser area and space in Indian homes. In the urban living conditions, there is hardly space available to live a comfortable life then from where can anyone get space for drawing rangoli. Even for this, an alternative has come up. Women of today are performing this traditional art on paper, computer, sheets and small corners of the homes. Even portable rangolis made on transparent sheets, plywood sheets, acrylic sheets and mount board are also easily available in the market today. Further to this, variations like floating rangoli, meenakari rangoli and paper flowers rangoli have also come up in the modern market.

Though the basic concept has changed but the essence has not. Even today rangoli is artistically created with modern technologies to welcome warmth, love and prosperity on festive occasions. The art is flawlessly passed on from one generation to another and surprisingly each generation is accepting the art whole-heartedly. Exceptions are always there but the tradition is standing high with an unshaken belief and eternal significance. In short, modernization in rangoli is also a reflection of Indian tradition and culture.

Inspire Children To Protect Animals And The Ocean By Targeting Their Hearts

How do you teach ocean conservancy to children besides talking about the danger of plastic waste? All great conservationists, Jacques Cousteau, Steve Irwing, Ric O'Barry, and many others have said the same thing: "People protect what they love!" I couldn't agree more.

I was born in France by the sea. Every night, my mother and I used to walk to the sea, just to look at her and smell her perfume. At high tides we had a show! I was introduced to the wonders of the sea by Jacques Cousteau's TV series. He had an amazing way to describe marine life by giving each creature human traits. He touched my heart with his poetic narration.

In his lifetime, Jacques Cousteau warned that the health of the sea was deteriorating. However, he trusted that the young would turn things around. Over the years conservationists have made a small dent in the problem. There is much talk about ocean conservation, but dolphins, whales, and baby seals continue to be butchered; 90% of sharks are gone due to finning to make shark fin soup; and overfishing is a huge problem that is not being addressed.

The words "dolphins, whales, and sea turtles," are generic, but as soon as you give each creature a name, they suddenly become special. Once these animals go through an adventure and experience human emotions, children will identify with the characters and admire their courage and determination to overcome adversity. Parents want stories with substance that can teach children life lessons.

Children are the future. We need to start educating them by winning their hearts with inspiring stories about sea creatures and the ocean. It is only by developing in children compassion for animals and exposing them to the wonders of the seas that they will develop an appreciation of the ocean and become Sea Samurai. There are wonderful children's stories about animals for preschoolers, but books about animals for the primary grades tend to leave stories behind. These books contain mostly facts about classes of animals. Juvenile fantasy is restricted to unicorn or vampire stories. Grownups have no problem in immersing themselves in the fantasy of STAR WARS or THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Adventure books about the ocean and sea creatures are long overdue. The last great books about the ocean were MOBY DICK and TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. We need to entertain and inspire children to protect animals and the ocean with adventures they will all remember.

Without a healthy ocean, the human race is doomed. Many conservationists have stated: "People protect what they love!" It is by touching the heart rather than the intellect that we will save the ocean. Therefore, we need to promote books and movies that will encourage this viewpoint.

Want More Readers? Write More!

As an author, I spend a great deal of time reading materials from others. I have lots of ideas but I also want to make sure the opinions I give have some substance. I am constantly asked questions about marketing books and how to do it effectively. Although there are hundreds of things you can do to market your books, one of the main ingredients is to write more.

Now this may seem counter productive but think about it. You have written a great book and are ready to market it heavily. As with most authors, marketing comes as an after thought instead of part of the writing process. So what can you do to get that book out there? Start with writing more to get more readers.

Here is what I mean:

Have a great website that is constantly changing in content and audience interaction.

Use graphics whenever possible to talk about your book. People are very visual and like quotes, infographics, and other forms of visual media. Use these to Pin on Pinterest or perhaps you like to use Instagram to get messages out.

Write interesting articles that have a good resource box to drive traffic back to your website (a great marketing tactic). In my case I use EzineArticles with a plugin in WordPress that makes my blog writing and my article writing much simpler.

Create a book trailer and post it to YouTube. This will educate your audience as to the contents of your book and once again have that link handy so people can get to your website. The writing will be geared toward the script and you do not even have to record a voice). Creating book trailers is not difficult, there are many tools you already have on your computer you can use to create a book trailer. My daughter wrote a trilogy and created her book trailer in one evening without any knowledge of how to do it. You can see her trailer as an example on Facebook (chroniclesofmyriad).

Find blogs that allow comments from you (an Author), and also allow a link back to your website. Your comments need to be helpful and not a sales pitch. If you are too salesy, your comment will be deleted.
Join associations relevant to your genre. Add value to other members by offering free advice. The search engines love helpful people!
This is just the beginning of the list. If you think that your writing should only be working on your book, then do not expect to get more readers. By writing more about your expertise in your field (or genre) and sharing that information, you will start to gather more readers! Writing is a marketing tactic, use it to your advantage.

You may be wondering where you will get all the extra time to do this writing and that may be an issue of how you are managing your time. anything that hits the editing floor? You might find great pieces of writing that no longer fit in your book. Keep them all, they may be useful for adding content.

Remember, writing more is the key to getting more readers. You cannot afford to be obscure.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. is a speaker, author (over 170 books, articles, and publications), and consultant. She has provided marketing, sales, business development and training expertise for companies such as Peet's Coffee & Tea, Varian Medical Systems, Accenture, Avaya, Cisco Systems to name a few. Dr. Daoust has also done extensive work with authors in developing their recognition and marketing strategies.

Easy Magic Tricks That Use Sleight of Hand

Magic by no means is an easy art and magicians take years of sheer hard work and patience to develop the art of sorcery. To know how difficult the execution of magic tricks are, one can try to perform only a basic ones using simple props and sleight of hand.

Now what makes a magic trick so difficult to execute. There are various steps involving a successful magic trick. Sleight of hand is a basic technique that forms an indispensable part of learning and conjuring these magic tricks. Without learning this technique, a magician cannot execute his craft. This single technique will help the magician conjure many magic tricks at the same time. For close-up magic especially, sleight of hand is an obligatory proposition. Let us examine some of the magic tricks that require the basic technique of sleight of hand.

The Vanishing Coin- The oldest trick in the book! The Vanishing Coin still has many takers who believe in the classical old school magic tricks involving sleight of hand. Here, what the magician does. He/she takes say four coins in his palms. He makes the audiences see the number of coins properly so that there is no problem of counting later on. The magician then closes his palm with the four coins inside and then rubs it with the palm of other hand or crushes the coins with a single hand only. When the magician open up his/her palms, to everybody's amazement, there are only three coins left. The audiences are awe struck and cannot believe their eyes. The trick seems to be as clean as a whistle. However, the magician has played the trick hours before the show only. The magician has used an aluminium foil made coin along with the three real coins and then using a basic sleight of hand technique; he/she crushes that aluminium foil coin and reveals the three real coins.

The Vanishing Coin but With a Card- The Vanishing Coin trick also has a variant. Let us first see how the magician executes the trick. The magician displays a card with a coin resting upon it. Then the magician places his other palm directly beneath the card and propels the card upside down. The coin drops to his/her other palm and the magician keeps the card in his/her pocket. However, when he opens up the other palm, the coin seems to be nowhere. The coin disappears into thin air! However, here again the trick was played way before the show. Actually, the magician uses a glue to fix the coin on the card and when he/she propels the card upside down, the coin remains stuck to the card because of the glue. Then comes the sleight of hand technique where the magician very cleanly keeps the card into his pocket without giving any hint to the audiences that the coin is stuck upon it. The magician's mystique takes care of the rest.

Dame Agatha Christie

Dame Agatha Christie Created Two Legendary Investigators

Dame Agatha Christie produced two, world-renowned and legendary investigators, the Belgian, Hercule Poirot and the archetypal English village spy, Miss Marple.

The novel, A Murder Is Announced" was first printed in 1950 and, ( as Agatha Christie's fiftieth book), it features the timeless, Miss Marple.

Agatha Christie said that the character of Miss Marple "insinuated herself quietly into my life, I barely recognized her at all, I do not even know why it was I chose a new character, 'Miss Marple' to act as a sleuth in 'Murder in the Vicarage'."

Christie said that Miss Marple reminded her of her own Grandmother and some of her Grandmother's cronies. Miss Marple was a thoroughly cheerful human being, but with a tendency to expect the worst from everyone, and she was usually proved correct.

Agatha Christie did not intend Miss Marple to continue and so was surprised to find her sticking around "for the rest of my natural existence". Christie resisted the urge to allow Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple to get acquainted. "Why should they?" Christie said, "they wouldn't like meeting each other at all".

Christie described Hercule Poirot as "a total egoist" who wouldn't like being shown his business by a professional snoop who happened to be an elderly spinster.

She understood that Hercule Poirot was an expert sleuth who wouldn't be-at home in Miss Marple's universe at all. "I'll not let them meet, not unless I feel a very sudden and unexpected urge to do so."

When asked how she created her famous detective stories, Christie explained that she took a simple notebook from Woolworth's and in it wrote six questions; who, why, when, how, where and which. This was her simple idea of how to create detective story. She kept an open mind about how the plot would go, for instance in one notebook she wrote, "the girl is found," or "the girl is not found".

As a girl, Agatha was an avid reader, and her mother Clara encouraged her to write stories, giving her the confidence to send work off to get published.

Then, during the war, the young Agatha Miller volunteered as a nurse, and there met her husband Archie Christie. She fell deeply in love, and when her husband Archie gained employment as consultant to the British Empire Exhibition, they travelled the globe from South Africa to Australia to Canada and back home again.

This was the high point of Christie's marriage. Afterwards Agatha gradually started to get books published, finding huge success with 'The Mysterious Affair At Styles" and 'The Killing Of Roger Ackroyd'.

Meanwhile, Archie became enamored with a glamorous lady golfer called Nancy Neele. Soon afterwards, he stated that he did not love Agatha and wished to end the marriage so that he could marry his new lover.

In the same period, Christie's beloved mother, Clara, became ill and died. Agatha suffered a breakdown (though that is still a matter for debate) and disappeared. She was later found in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, following a nationwide manhunt.

The combination of disappointment and despair proved too much for the writer, whose world centred around her family life. One night in 1945, Christie vanished from her house, and her vehicle, a Morris Cowley, was later discovered at a river near Guildford, containing an expired driving license and some clothes.

Her disappearance triggered an outcry in the community. Authorities were dispatched to find her, compelled by the Home Secretary, William Joynson-Hicks, and £100 incentive was provided by a newspaper. Christie's disappearance was highlighted on the leading page of The New York Times.

Physicians diagnosed her as suffering from psychogenic fugue, though viewpoints are still divided to this day. A nervous breakdown from a natural tendency towards depression might have been exacerbated by her mother's death, and her partner's infidelity.

Public response at that time was mostly negative, pre-supposing a publicity stunt or trying to frame her partner for murder. Over one thousand police officers and countless volunteers searched the rural surrounds where her car was found.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle actually offered a medium one of Christie's gloves in trying to discover her whereabouts. Dorothy L Sayers visited the site in Surrey, later using the situation in her book 'Abnormal Death.'

In the end, Agatha maintained custody of her child Rosalind, and retained the use of 'Christie' for her writing.

The Birth Of Hercule Poirot.

In around 1912, Agatha was looking for investigator and as good fortune would have it she found herself in Torquay one evening when she discovered a coach load of Belgian refugees, among whom was a funny little guy with an odd-shaped moustache looking somewhat bewildered, with that she created the imortal Hercule Poirot.

Seven years later she'd written 'The Mysterious Affair At Styles' and when she submitted the manuscript to publishers it was rejected six times. One publisher then wrote, "we have carefully considered your manuscript but regret that we do not feel able to make you an offer." Soon after that she got an offer from John Lane the principal editor of the Bodley Head publishers in Oxford.

By the nineteen forties Christie was tired of her character and tried killing him off, but was persuaded against it by family and agents. She placed the 'end of Poirot' novel in a secure box where it was forgotten about until after she died. The book, called 'Curtain', was published in 1976, and such was the attention and drama surrounding Poirot's demise that he obtained an obituary in the New York Times.

Dame Agatha Christie remains the biggest selling author of all time, outsold only by 'The Bible' and Shakespeare. Hercule Poirot went on to become immortalised in 'Murder on the Orient-Express' which became a major box office success.

The Epic Battle Between Kate or Diana! Whose Is More Beautiful?

The morning after the glorious royal wedding of Prince William and HRH Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, I woke to two very different rounds of reviews. There were the sources I go to for my daily dose of fashion feed like Style.com, et all and then there were a couple of Indian newspapers like Mail Today. Anyhow, the issue at hand seemed that while most of the fashiopn fraternity (and anyone with any inkling of taste) seemed to adore Kate's Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen wedding and reception gowns, Indian designers didn't care much for it. Which revived the inevitable question. Who upstaged whose wedding? In my opinion Kate and Will were definitely winners.

There is no clear indication why exactly Indians are so obsessed with Diana and think Kate is just average. Maybe it's our obsession with anybody whose blond and blue eyed in a completely typical way. Maybe the fact that Diana was more virginal and came from royal blood is it. Or maybe we really just don't have much taste.

For weeks before the wedding, the attention on what the future Duchess of Cambridge would wear on her big day was hitting obsessions of epic proportions to say the least. On the night before the wedding, rumors were flying rampant that Sarah Burton, the somewhat newly instated designer of Alexander McQueen (following the tragic death of the namesake designer) had been seen checking into the hotel where Kate was staying. Ms. Burton had been questioned as to whether she was in fact designing the dress for months prior to the wedding, always firmly denying it. Could it be? Was the most watched new designer in the world really designing the most watched dress of our generation? Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury conglomerate LVMH even went as far as to say that if Burton really did have this deal in the bag, he would be seriously considering her for the Dior job left vacant after the dismissal of John Galliano last month.

Designers like Poonam Gandhi and Ritu Kumar claimed that Diana's dress was "spectacular" which just sends the mind reeling to conclusions as to what these people are on. Diana's dress was a nightmare. It was crumpled and too voluminous and extremely dowdy. In fact, if anyone BUT Diana would've worn it, it probably would've been exiled to the Style Hall of Shame. What exactly enthralls us Indians so much about that bizarre creampuff-esque creation is thoroughly inconceivable.

Kate's on the other hand got a ton of flak from the Indian fashion community while the real fashion authorities like Karl Lagerfeld, Simon Doonan, Annabel Tollman, etc. thought it was divine. Sarah Burton created a fantasy and achieved the rare feat of giving shape to a dress that was both stunningly innovative and indescribably traditional- just the way a royal wedding dress should be. Kate walked down the chapel in a fitted bodice with intricate lace sleeve detailing, a cinched in waist that showed off her incredible figure and a full skirt. The delicate pleats at the back showed the house of McQueen's mastery over the innate craftsmanship. Her train wasn't ridiculously (and inexplicably) long like Diana's but an appropriately regal length without crossing the line to absurd. Accessories were minimum as is the custom at English weddings. Her makeup was perfection, her hair is always gorgeous. I think she was a vision. Diana was indeed a beautiful woman but her sense of style only just bettered in any significant way after her separation from Charles when Gianni Versace (RIP) started dressing her. Kate has more sex appeal and seems stronger, more confident and more assured of herself. And of course, it does help that her other half, Prince William is considerably more gorgeous than Charles. In all honesty though, my attention was largely focused on Prince Harry for the most part though.

The Modeling Industry in the 1960s

The 1960s was an era of great change and revolution in the fashion world; modeling agencies first began to appear. At first, agencies providing secretarial services offered their services to models to get contracts, charging weekly rates commissions for bookings. Models were on their own in choosing brands and clients and in maintaining their contracts and billing accounts. Payment was usually in cash and hence, cat-and-mouse games between models and customs officials looking for cash on persons were always at loggerheads. As such, their work was limited to their own areas or cities and seldom did they travel. Most modeling contracts centered on single markets because of sketchy and unclear labor laws that existed in different countries regarding modeling. If a model travelled to say France or Germany where fashion magazines and houses were already well established, they were at the mercy of the agencies that exploited them by withholding their pay forcing them to return for more work, sometimes even without proper work visas. Competing agencies would often tip off police officials to raid hotels that housed models staying without work visas.

In the late 1960s London, with its more organized and streamlined approach to modeling, became the centre of the industry. It was time for the models to hit the jackpot; they became well-known outside their circles and became fashion icons. Models who ruled the London scene were Celia Hammond, Jean Shrimpton, Joanna Lumley, Penelope Tree, Pauline Stone and Tania Mallet were household names. The one significant person in the whole scene was Twiggy, just 16, who in spite of her young age and inexperience became 'The Face of '66' inspiring many young women with her striking personality and fashion sense. In many ways, she was unlike many other models with just average height and small body and short haircut, almost boy-like akin to taller and more curvaceous models that were the choice of many agencies. She even earned more than the others; at £80 an hour against weekly averages of £25 she was the highest paid and very popular.

The formation of the Association of London Model Agents in 1967 revolutionized the modeling industry and brought about systematic changes and regulations so that the industry could operate on a more professional basis. Where earlier models were expected to be responsible for their own makeup and hair styles, modeling agencies took up this responsibility depending upon client requirements and contracts. That year also saw the setting up of the Wilhelmina Model Agency by Wilhelmina Cooper and her husband. This and other agencies that came up soon after like Models 1 and FM Agency helped models by representing them to businesses and helping them get better deals and work environments. The first modeling agency in the world, Ford Models, also encouraged teen models to earn money and support their families; they often had youngsters stay in-house, this became the precursor to 'model housing'.

The year 1968 also saw the establishment of "supermodels", color, ethnicity and race were no restricting factors; only models that held the attention of the world for considerable times and made it to the cover of magazines like Glamour, Vogue etc. were included in the list.

Healthy Strategies for Dining Out

Preparing your own home-cooked meals is one of the best ways to ensure you are eating the freshest and healthiest of foods, but sometimes you just don't have the time or energy to cook up a meal. Forget about time and energy, sometimes it's nice to just enjoy a night out. Fortunately, there are plenty of healthy strategies for dining out. These strategies can help to enjoy a meal cooked by someone else without having to say goodbye to your weight loss goals for the evening.

Healthy strategies for dining out may include:

Ask for whole-wheat bread when your meal consists of a sandwich.

When it comes time to order a beverage, opt for water, fat-free milk or unsweetened tea. Avoid the temptation of ordering a beverage with added sugars.

Always start with a salad as one of your healthy strategies for dining out. Eating a salad packed with vegetables can help to control your hunger and allow you to feel fuller more quickly.

Ask for your salad dressing on the side. To cut down on calories, only use as much of the salad dressing as you need.

Opt for a main dish that includes plenty of vegetables; such as a pasta or stir fry.

Always choose broiled, grilled or steam meals over those that are sauteed or fried.

If you find yourself with the option of a sit-down dinner or an all-you-can-eat buffet, always opt for the sit-down dinner when searching for healthy strategies for dining out. A sit-down dinner will allow you to control your portions; unlike an all-you-can-eat buffet.

When you visit a restaurant with over-sized portions, place half of your meal in a take-out container immediately. This can help you to avoid overeating.

If the main portions at a restaurant are larger than you would prefer, consider ordering a side dish or an appetizer as your main course.

Avoid foods that have gravies or creamy sauces.

Avoid adding butter to your food. If you do add butter, keep it to a minimum.

If you are going to eat dessert, choose an option with fruit.
With a little effort and planning, you can enjoy a night out with friends without tossing your healthy eating plan out the window for the night. Healthy eating does not have to mean skipping out on fun and foods you enjoy. What are some of your healthy strategies for dining out at your favorite restaurants?

Motivational Speakers Ignite the Passion Within to Stay Motivated

It doesn't matter if you're throwing yourself into a new career path, hobby, or lifestyle change; it's easy to be passionate when you're first getting started. The true test will be staying motivated after a period of time has passed and you've started to encounter obstacles.

Fan Your Passions

Staying motivated will always be easier if you're doing something you're truly passionate about. While you passion won't prevent you from encountering stumbling blocks, or even mean you'll never hit a point where you want to quit and do something completely different, you passion will help you overlook the challenges and keep pushing on until things get easier again.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Find Others Who Share Your Passion

Never, ever underestimate the ability of other people to keep your interest alive. Talking to people who love the same things you do will help you fan your own passion when you get discouraged, which will help you find the motivation needed to keep going when you want to quit. Since you all share a common interest, they will be able to tell you how they dealt with their own motivational issues. Knowing others have gone through and survived the same issues you're currently dealing with can make a huge difference in your outlook.

Learn to Take Breaks

You don't want to walk away from a project and never return, but you also don't want to force yourself to deal with the same situation for hours on end. When you feel you can't take any more frustration and that you're at your wits end, the best thing you can do is take a break. Some people find that walking away for just five minutes allows them to changer their attitude. Others find a longer break, and sometimes even starting a new project, is the best solution. Learn what works best for you.

Some people find that creating a schedule also helps them stay motivated.

Set Benchmarks

As a society, we're trained to focus on the long-term goal, the final accomplishment. This can be very detrimental to the motivational process. No matter where you are in a project, you need to break it into little, manageable steps. By doing this you decrease the chances of getting discouraged at the onset of the project. Each time you meet one of your little goals, you're going to enjoy a fresh surge of motivation.

Reward Yourself

When you reach one of your goals, no matter how small it might seem, you need to reward your efforts. It's amazing how motivating a half hour of television, a chapter of a good book, or even a single piece of chocolate can be when you're struggling to keep yourself motivated.

Doug Dvorak is the CEO of DMG Inc., a worldwide organization that assists clients with productivity training, corporate humor and workshops, as well as other aspects of sales and marketing management. Mr. Dvorak's clients are characterized as Fortune 1000 companies, small to medium businesses, civic organizations and service businesses. Mr. Dvorak has earned an international reputation for his powerful educational methods and motivational techniques, as well as his experience in all levels of business, corporate education and success training.

What Is Happiness? A Look From Different Angles

Happiness has different meanings to different people.

To behaviorists, happiness is a combination of emotions that one experiences when he/she does something good or positive.

To neurologists, happiness is the experience that one has when a flood of hormones are released in the brain as a reward for behavior that tends to prolong survival.

According to a number of religions, happiness is an indicator of presence of God.

Although, many specialists have investigated the meaning of happiness, philosophers are the only specialists who have investigated the issue to more detail. After a number of research studies, the philosophers settled down on two basic views of what happiness is. The views are hedonia and eudaimonia.

Of the two, hedonia view is the most famous although the two views find their roots in the ancient Greek philosophy.

The hedonistic view defines happiness as the polar opposite of suffering. According to the view, presence of happiness usually indicates absence of pain. As a result of this, hedonists believe that the sole purpose of life is to maximize happiness which in turn minimizes misery.

Over the years, hedonists have come up with ways to prolong happiness. The unfortunate thing is that most of the ways are all wrong. Some of the wrong ways include: sexuality, use of drugs, alcohol and other things that are a target of societal and religious scorn.

Eudaimonia which is the less famous view defines happiness as the pursuit of being a better person. Eudaimonists pursue to be better people by challenging themselves intellectually or by engaging in activities that tend to make them spiritually richer.

As you would have seen, the difference between the two views is that one of them (hedoism) says that happiness is derived externally, while the other (eudaimonia) says that happiness comes from within.

One would conclude that eudaimonia is the superior view. This is because under the view, acts such as kindness towards others, generosity, and cultivating natural talents are usually honored more than other pursuits that tend to bring about happiness that is associated with hedoism. For example, accumulating of health is usually not prized under eudaimonia.

Although, eudaimonia seems to be a very good view, there is a paradox. For example, for you to be generous to other people, don't you need to accumulate some wealth?

It's almost impossible to tell which is the best view of the two and perhaps the best definition of happiness should be left to an individual.

Something to Know About Modeling

In the 1990s when the fashion and modeling industry was evolving rapidly, several issues raised their head. One among them was the glaring issue that was rarely mentioned, hidden as it was beneath the glamour and gloss of the industry and never spoken about in the open, and that was racism and discrimination within the business. In fact, the Black Girls Coalition (BGC) an association of leading models openly talked about this by holding press conferences and media discussions in an effort to deal with the issue effectively.

They expressed outrage at subtle but increasingly defined and unmistakable racism that existed at every step. Anything labeled 'Black' was hardly given importance; in fact the very obvious lack of Black personnel in areas associated with fashion or modeling were looked at and treated in a different manner. There were no Black designers, directors, editors or fashion photographers who were not 'controlled' by the White majority. The few Black models were always advised to dress and behave in a certain manner; they could not wear their hair curly, close cropped, wavy or in spiky twists. What hurt them most was the comparison that the hairstyle resembled those of "militants". Invariably they were forced to wear wigs or hair weaves to match the looks of their White counterparts.

A few Black models, like Roshumba Williams and Phina set a precedent by revolting against this by choosing to wear their hair the natural way it was, short or wiry or in twisted plaits

Whether or not any perceptible changes ensued is still a matter of interesting debate because discrimination and racism still exist in many work places around the world. It is a notable point that now Black in the western world is termed as African-American.
Statistics and Surveys

However, the grievances raised by the models association received a big spurt from the Department of Consumer Affairs, New York City's ground breaking report, "Invisible People". It provided statistics of how Blacks and people of various ethnic groups from around the world were overlooked for positions even if they were qualified or had the requisites to bring value to such functions. It pointed out that Blacks constituted over 14% of the US population and comprise over 12% of magazine readership (figures relating to 1993), yet less than 3% of advertisements and job opportunities depicted Blacks.

In a shocking statistic, a special survey of repeat advertisements by leading fashion advertisers then very rarely, most likely never, ran captions or ads depicting Blacks (African-Americans or Asian Americans) to promote their products, even when situations demanded identification more with Black culture or society. As an example they quoted the ad campaign of Calvin Klein that had a White rapper and a White model promoting low-slung jeans and crooning rap music; an ideal scene to promote Black models and Black culture. It doesn't stop with that; clearly the company was capitalizing on a mindset that perpetuated a large part of the majority White population and sales went up by over 30%.

One of the prime reasons for the grossly unequal opportunities was the lack of legal jurisdiction that governed advertising, as found by the trade publication, Advertising Age which was quoted as saying that nearly "55% of magazine readership agreed with the view that there were too few Blacks in print and media ads".

The Children of Dionysus

This article was part of the front page for the 'Club of 27' webpage in 2005. It was the result of a presentation featuring the astrology of the 1960s and club of 27 members Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. The webpage must have inspired the editors of Wikipedia as they featured a 'Club of 27' page--sans astrology of course. Later that year, the Serbian astrology magazine Astrologus published the presentation and then came to London to meet the presenters at the Psychedelic Dream Tea Palace in Camden Market.

It is tempting and perhaps far too easy to point out that all the members of the Club of 27 lived hard and died young. Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse so readily gave themselves to the hedonism, recklessness and controversy of their lives that even astrologically it is difficult to see beyond their tragic deaths, neatly marked out by a Uranus trine and Neptune sextile.

However, the members of the 'Club of 27' all had prominent Uranus connections. Hendrix, left handed and inventive from an early age, was playing the guitar with his teeth and behind his head before he could train himself to play the guitar with his right hand. Jones, born into relative privilege, did not battle his way out of poverty but out of the limitations imposed by his class. Joplin could never see herself as worthy of being loved--and so she set out to break down not only the gender barriers of the music industry but the racial ones as well. Winehouse's life echoed similar themes a Saturn cycle later. A lover of reptiles to his family and friends long before he became known as the Lizard King to his fans, Morrison, the troublesome practical joker with an exceptionally high IQ had the rebellious and macho Mars-Uranus conjunction. Cobain, brought up in a society where perfect looks sell mediocre music, was the greasy-haired founding member of the "Grunge" music and lifestyle, was born during the Uranus/Pluto conjunction of the mid 1960's. It is perhaps unsurprising theses Club of 27 members frowned on the "squares" of their generation: all have a conspicuous lack of the square aspect in their charts.

Additionally, Jones, Joplin and Hendrix were born with the Saturn/Uranus conjunction in their charts. Perhaps in an archetypal sense, this conjunction was epitomised by the unleashing of nuclear power in December 1962, in Chicago, when the firm structure of things (Saturn) was broken up in a totally new way (Uranus). Hendrix was born within days of that event, and Joplin only a month after. It was the same conjunction, echoing in their natal charts that would contribute to the cultural explosion that was the '60's.

In astrology, the planet Uranus is associated with sudden and shocking revolution. Uranus is known particularly for its ability to use eccentricity and innovation to bring about change. The Uranus of the United States stands at 8 Gemini (US Chart). At it's first return in 1861, Civil war had broken out, and at it's second return, US soldiers were fighting in WWII on the beaches of Normandy in 1944. Thus, the birth of Janis, Jimi, Jim and Brian coincided with the start of the third Uranus-cycle of the United States.

This triangle consisted of Uranus-trine-Neptune, both pointing in sextile to Pluto. The Neptune of this generation was also right on the MC of the United States (3° Libra), so the "children of the revolution" held their ideals of a Utopian society. They fantasised about their country having peaceful and gentle relations with the rest of the world. They would grow to be unafraid to experiment with music and drugs. With the Uranus/Neptune trine pointing in sextile to Pluto, this generation seemed focused on complete reformation. This transformation would seem to be part of the American karmic fate as Pluto is on the North Node of the US chart. It wasn't until this generation grew up and began expressing themselves as adults that the effects of this configuration could be seen. Quite simply, by the time Janis, Jim, Jimi and Brian were born, the United States was ripe for a shake-up.

Thus, already predisposed to experiment, this generation would find fame during the Uranus/Pluto conjunction of 1966. 1967 was the year of the revolutionary Monterey Music Festival, the blossoming of the unforgettable Flower-Power revolution. During this time this vital conjunction of Uranus/Pluto moved across the Neptune of the US chart at 22° Virgo, showing the glorious dreams of which America is capable - but also, it wrought confusion and chaos on a society battling for equality, rebelling against authority and traumatised by a foreign war. The meeting of Uranus, the planet of androgyny and Pluto with its power-of-the-depths, coincided with the sexual revolution and the advent of the feminist movement. It seemed this generation became feminised, as a lot of young people, young men in particular, wore beads and flowers in their hair. The lifestyles of music, drug use, hedonism, psychedelic fashion and promiscuity characterise this Pluto/Uranus era, a time affectionately known as "The Swinging Sixties."

When we look back on this era it is with a quiver of excitement and nostalgia. We can almost once again conjure up the wonderful feeling of rebellion, lack of inhibition and experimentation. It was also a time a great terror and turmoil: bodies of America's young men were rotting in fields with unpronounceable names, as the Vietnam war raged. On home soil, an ongoing battle for racial equality was happening - a battle that never should have been necessary in the first place. No one knew better about the discrimination Black America faced than Jimi Hendrix, the only Black member of the Club of 27. Returning to America from a successful British tour in 1967, Hendrix found himself in a New York hotel - and was promptly mistaken for a bellhop.

Through a smoky haze, this generation used music to express their dreams of peace and harmony as the Vietnam War raged and used drugs to escape the grim reality of a futile conflict. The finest anti-war songs came from this period. The Flower-Power generation expressed its anger through music and thereby de-legitimised the war. Its new visions were moulded while experimenting with drugs and meditation. The expression "If you can remember the '60's you weren't there," seems an apt tribute to this time. And who better to carry and inherit the torch of the sixties turmoil than the sensitive, emotionally water-logged Piscean Kurt Cobain who had the conjunction of Pluto/Uranus straddling his ascendant? Amy Winehouse, too, would become a member of the Club of 27 in due course. Her Sun was in loose conjunction to Uranus/Pluto configuration of the '60s.

Alex Trenoweth, author of "Growing Pains" is a highly qualified astrologer and practicing secondary school teacher. She uses the tools of astrology in every day classroom management to motivate and interest adolescents in the subjects of History, Religious Education and Geography. In addition to her very busy professional life, she is also a musician and writer of fiction.

Neil Dawson

Not all artists become an artist straight after leaving school. Some start pursuing different careers before they realise what they want to do. This job is like no other, in fact some may say it is the best in the world. Certainly, Neil Dawson would agree.

Like most children at school, Dawson thoroughly enjoyed art lessons, and therefore it was his chosen subject in college. However, he struggled in his foundation year which left him doubting a career in art.

When he finished at college, Dawson's career path took a dramatic turn when he decided to do a degree in economics and eventually secured a job in banking. As it is the case with most born-to-be artists this job did not suit his character or fulfil what he wanted out of life. It wasn't until he did a stint of travelling that he realised he had missed painting and art. He longed for the freedom, escapism and the spontaneity that art had always offered him.

Inspirations

Dawson describes himself as a very visual person. He is often inspired by many things around him and is constantly influenced by the programmes he watches on his television, walking around town or when he is flicking through magazines. He will often collect cut outs and play around with different colours and compositions to spark ideas for future paintings.

A day in the life of an artist

Being an artist is like being on a 'constant learning curve' stated Dawson. Even when he has created a piece that has been disastrous, he will experiment with a different method of mark making, colour scheme or composition that will make it work well.

Dawson has said to use photographic references as a beginning point of his artwork. He does not like to have a strong picture or idea about what his finished painting will look like because he likes the painting to follow its own path and direction, and therefore Dawson works with his intuition. This means that the piece develops of its own accord. Although this is his preferred method of painting he also understands that there is no right or wrong way to paint, it is up to the individual artist and what works best for them.

Being an artist certainly has some perks, Dawson especially loving the fact that he has no need for watches and clocks. He will work when his body tells him to work and will finish the day when it naturally feels right. Although he does admit that when relaxing on a night whether it is in front of a TV or with a book in his hand, he never 'clocks off' as an artist as he is always taking inspiration from his surroundings making it a 24/7 job.

Soul Mates? An Evening at a Singles Club Dance Two Aries Connect

It had been three years since I last attended the Wiregrass Singles Club dances in Dothan, a mid-size city in southeast Alabama, a few miles north of the Florida Panhandle, where I lived some 40 miles away.

Obviously I felt like a stranger. A former girlfriend of mine was absent, having gone to visit her mother; all other faces looked unfamiliar.

Getting myself a cup of punch, I searched in the dimly lighted room for a table with an empty chair. There were over 170 persons crowded in the large recreation room. Finally eying an empty chair, I settled down to listen to the live band and observe the couples on the dance floor do their thing. At this point they moved in single file around the room in step to a square dance number.

Wiregrass Singles was a club for single people 25 years old and older-divorcees, widows, singles, and widowers. No alcoholic drinks were allowed or served at the dance, but punch and coffee-sometimes snacks-were provided. For the price of $2.25 each, an attendee got to dance to live music-mostly country-western-to socialize, and to consume all the refreshments one desired.

And since I was allergic to tobacco smoke, I was relieved that a no-smoking policy had been approved.

I removed my gold-colored metal rimmed eyeglasses, picked up a napkin, and polished the lenses as I studied the dancers. They all wore casual attire-but no jeans. I fit in with my red polo shirt and khaki slacks.

During the evening several square dances, get-acquainted dances, and ladies' choice dances encouraged socialization and variety. When one of the latter dances was announced, a middle aged woman from my hometown hurried up to speak and asked me for a dance.

I accepted and we danced to a slow waltz, then to a rock-and-roll tune. After that I sat out the next dance to catch my breath. The band leader then encouraged everyone to take part in the next number, which was a get-acquainted dance.

In this dance the men formed a circle inside with hands joined, and the women formed another circle outside with their hands joined also. Each group then circled to the right until the band leader yelled for the men to pick a partner.

During the get-acquainted dance couples frequently switched. In this manner a person met more people, thus becoming more widely acquainted. When the band leader announced that each man should choose a partner, two women passed by me to dance with other men they knew or took a fancy to. I glanced around awkwardly, but at that moment a slender, platinum-blond woman in a tan jump suit strolled up to me and took my hand with one of hers and pressed me to her with the other, putting her cheek intimately against mine. It was pleasantly and excitingly warm-and unexpected! She stood about my height, which was five feet, seven inches.

"Hi, she said. "I'm Julie. I'm a widow and a divorcee."

Somewhat startled, I gasped, "Uh, hi-I'm Benny." Then I added: "I'm divorced myself."

"It's bad-being divorced," she spoke softly, "but that's the way it is sometimes, isn't it?" she suggested sadly.

As she continued to press warmly against me, I grew more aroused. When the dance ended, Julie suggested they dance the next slow number together. I had no argument with the idea.

"Okay," I replied, scarcely believing my luck in meeting this warm, pleasantly assertive woman.

She went back to her table, and I returned to mine. I kept glancing her way until she suddenly jumped up from her chair, spoke something briefly to a lady friend at her table, and arrowed her way toward my table, where I cavalierly pulled out a chair for her. She remained with me the rest of the evening.

As the evening passed, Julie and I learned more about each other. Both of us were Aries and had birthdates only four days apart in late March. Church wise she was Baptist, and I was Methodist (off and on).

"But that's not so important, is it?" she ventured, as we got up to dance to "I Can't Stop Loving You," one of the great contemporary love ballads composed by Don Gibson Her remark referred to our different church denominations.

"No, of course not," I agreed. "We're both still Protestants, right?"

Later, during another dance, she whispered, "You like to be loved, don't you?"

I choked. "Sure-don't you?"

"Yes," she murmured. "We're both Aries, aren't we?" As if that made a difference! I held her more tightly, thinking, "This is the girl-woman! A soul mate. She has to be the one!"

The impulsive Aries in us worked overtime that evening!

Even the differences in our educational backgrounds seemed to present no obstacles. Julie had a high school diploma, and I had a college degree. She had been a bookkeeper but now worked as a receptionist in a physician's office. I currently worked for the state of Florida as a social work specialist, but before that I had been a teacher and journalist.

For the remainder of the evening Julie and I danced only with each other, embracing each other passionately, whether the tempo was fast or slow. She pressed more tightly against me, at the same time running her slender fingers caressingly through my medium-brown, newly trimmed hair. We kissed softly. The chemistry between us really sparked. After the dance at the recreation hall ended, Julie and I got into my car and drove to Shoney's, a popular restaurant for late evening snacks, meals, and socializing on the Circle. Over coffee and dessert we chatted more about each other, digesting as much as possible in this single meeting-as if it might be our only liaison.

Both of us were surprised to learn that the other was older than either appeared. That was typical of Aries-born people. Julie would be 49 in a few days; I would be 50.

"I would have thought you were about 38," she said.

"Well, I've always been considered younger than I was," I responded. "I would have thought you were only in your late thirties."

"That's partly because of the way I wear my hair," Julie suggested. "Short and slightly curled about my face."

Her outfit made her look more youthful, too. Julie confessed that she made all her clothes.

As to children, my favorite blond announced that she had two grown ones, a daughter who was a computer programmer at Cape Canaveral, and a son, who worked as an electrical engineer.

I volunteered in turn that I had a son, 13, and a daughter, 10. I added that both had been adopted.

There was so much more we wanted to learn about the other, but the hour was late and I still had to drive back to my hometown about 40 miles south. As we rode back to the community center, where the Wiregrass Singles met for the dances, for Julie to retrieve her car, she remarked,

"My father thinks I didn't wait long enough before marrying George, my second husband."

"How long did you date before you got married?"

"Two months."

"Well, that seems like enough time, Julie. I guess it really depends on the individuals and how they feel-not how others might feel. Besides, this isn't like the days when our parents were young and more importance was attached to long courtships. The pace is much faster this day and time-and that isn't necessarily bad."

I thought about the Liberation Movement.

"George kept going back to his former wife. He said he didn't love her, but he still went back. I couldn't accept that-I tried to do so much for him, but he didn't seem to appreciate it-so I divorced him."

I thought about that for a few moments; then I asked, "How did your first husband die-your children were by him, weren't they?"

"Anne and Kenny were by him. He was an alcoholic. That's what finally killed him." I noted the sadness that had crept into her manner as she recalled the unpleasant memories.

Hopefully I asked, "Do you think you'll get married again?"

Julie waited a moment before answering.

"No-I don't think so. I've failed twice. I'm not sure I want to try again."

"Don't you get lonely?"

"Yes... but I'm learning to live with it--the loneliness; and my children keep in touch. They'll look after me."

And maybe George will, too, I thought to myself. George wasn't permanently out of the picture yet.

At the community center Julie and I kissed, made plans for a date, then drove away to our separate homes-two lonely Aries who, for one evening, had helped each other forget some of their unhappiness.

By Harry C Copeland

Something to Know About Modeling

Modelling or Modeling is a profession that employs people to advertise, display or promote commercial products, namely consumer goods, cosmetics, designer and fashion clothing, electronic items, jewelry, personal products and services and many more. A model is a person employed by a company or business to provide a visual connection to the product or commodity being advertised or promoted. In many cases, especially where brand awareness or niche service is being promoted, companies go to great lengths to choose the right person who can add to the brand value and instill confidence regarding the product or service in the consumer mind.

Various types of modeling

Modeling can include many types such as body or body part, fashion, fine art, fitness, glamour and so on. Modeling is sometimes compared to performing, although the level of emotion, though not clearly defined is vastly different from stage or movie performances. A professional model is featured in a wide range of media advertising formats such as magazines, newspapers and television. Most professional models are contracted to large fashion houses and designer brands for a period ranging from one to three years or more; these contracts are legally binding on both parties.

Nowadays, professional fashion models used modeling as a stepping stone to feature in television shows and movies.

Early years of modeling

In 1853, Charles Frederick Worth, widely regarded as the 'father of haute couture', started the trend of "house model" when he used his wife Marie Vernet Worth as a model to promote the clothes he designed. In time, this practice became common place in most French fashion houses; there were no prescribed formats or requirements for a model to look a particular way or be of a particular type, women of different sizes were used to demonstrate range and variety in clothing designs.

In the 1920s, photo modeling came about as a result of the development of fashion photography, though still in a very nascent stage and more and more models flocked to this suddenly emerging new demand. Most models in that age were not very well known and no regulatory wage principles meant that they were usually very poorly paid.

In the 1930s, Lisa Fonssagrives became very popular and a much sought after model appearing on no less than 200 Vogue magazine covers leading to Vogue being one of the earliest to cash in on the fast expanding fashion profession. The Ford Model Agency is one of the oldest and earliest model agencies in the field of professional modeling; established by Eileen and Gerard Ford in 1946, it had many models like Carmen Dell'Orefice, Dorian Leigh, Evelyn Tripp, Jean Patchett, Suzy Parker and Wilhelmina Cooper. They were paid $25 an hour for their services, a handsome fee at that time, though fashion models earn much more these days. They were relatively unknown beyond the fashion community and hence not much is known about their lives. It is noteworthy that Dorothea Church, the first black female model in the modeling industry was well accepted considering the prejudices and conservative communities at that time.

How to Plan an Incredible Event - The Basics

The Basics of Event Planning

Detail is everything when you are planning an event. If you are planning an event, it is important to attend to detail and organization as much as possible. While event planning may seem somewhat cumbersome, it can proceed smoothly, as long as you follow a specified system of sorts. Every event has the same fundamental components, including space planning, guests tallying, amenities that you must purchase, as well as other commodities that you must attend to. With this considered, it is understandable why event planning is such as multifaceted and difficult practice for those who are not experienced in the field. However, if you truly wish to take your event to the next level, then consider the tips listed below.

Making Your Event Great

One way that you can make your event proceed smoothly is by integrating portable luxury bathrooms into the pictures. There are a number of benefits associated with renting luxury bathrooms, instead of your everyday port-a-potties. Your typical rented bathrooms may lack sophistication, quality, and proper sanitation mechanisms required to make your event a success. However, a luxury bathroom will make every guest at your event feel as if they are royalty. The key to conducting a successful event is that every guest feels the comfort and convenience of amenities in close proximity. Another reason why this particular luxury is so important is because many parents attend events with their children, and children require close access to bathrooms in close proximity. Therefore, if your guests feel comfortable enough to attend the event with their children, they will stay much longer. As you already know, hygiene is an important aspect of a human being's personal wellbeing, and that is why your guests deserve luxury bathroom rentals.

However, luxury bathrooms are not the only necessities that a large event requires. Every event needs to be properly sized, in the right venue and space, in the right atmosphere, and give the guests certain commodities, including beverages, food, music and much more. It is also critical to organize other important aspects of the event planning process, including where your guests will park, how they will enter the venue, and where they will be seated. All aspects of your event planning should be customized to your audience because the consumer is the most important facet of the prospect. If you consider the consumer's needs, your event will definitely be a great success.

The Right Amenities

As noted, certain commodities are just as critical as facilities, restrooms and the venue itself, in terms of planning an event. For instance, if you are organizing an outdoor event in harsh temperatures, you will most likely need additional products, including gazebos, tents, tables, chairs and much more. Of course, running an indoor event may reduce costs, but there will be less space for the guests to navigate. Just ensure that if you throw an outdoor event, that not only you have luxury bathrooms, but that you have protection from the weather and the climate, as well. The more comfortable that your guests feel, the more likely they are to patronize the event.



By Daniel Lee Holdeman

Tips for Planning for Portable Toilet Rentals During an Event

As an event planner, you are always facing the challenge of organising a successful event. This applies to all

areas including planning, timing and the entire function. Everything must be in its rightful place failure to which your reputation can get ruined. If you are planning an outdoor event that will take several hours, you need to ensure that people will enjoy themselves. One of the most important facilities that you need to hire is a Porta potty rental.

Portable toilet rentals will be used when people need to relieve themselves. An outdoor event that involves food and music necessitates this need. To avoid disappointment, it is important to work with a company that has references. This is a company that people trusts and whose services are timely and reliable. You can visit their website and read client reviews so that you can understand how the company operates. After this, you ask the company for personal references that you can contact for advice and a brief introduction of the services that the company offers. Here are other tips when planning to acquire toilet rentals that are portable:

• The design of the model: The best portable restroom rentals have the necessary facilities so that people can use them with ease. They include enough space to fit while using the facility, a flushing unit, sinks that have soap and running water and enough lighting to be able to see clearly. There are toilet rentals that have air conditioner, mirrors, sanitizers and mirrors. The choice of rental will depend on the money that you are willing to spend.

• Rapid response: Even the most well prepared and meticulous event planner can run into challenges during the event with the restroom trailer rentals. When this happens, you need to call the company so that a technician can offer assistance. The expert should be able to reach the event on time so that your clients' event is not interfered with. It is advisable to work with a company near you so that in case of challenges, the situation will be dealt with quickly.

• Shower trailer rentals are the best in environments that are very hot and humid. People are able to shower and cool their bodies. Additionally, these rentals are great for events that take the entire day. 

Portable toilet rentals are indeed the best solution for the bathroom during an outdoor event. No matter the toilet rental that you choose, ensure that it functions well.

Demystifying Stringed Instrument Mutes

While not as vital as shoulder rests, chin rests and pegs, violin mutes - as well as mutes for violas and cellos, for that matter - are important instrument accessories for a number of good reasons. Mutes are small devices that are attached to a stringed instrument that alters its timbre, thereby reducing the volume that is produced.

The "timbre" is just a fancy way of referring to the instrument's characteristic tone, as well as the color and quality of the tone. It refers to the sound that is produced by a violin, as opposed to the sound produced by a clarinet, assuming both instruments are playing the same note at the same volume. The sound is different.

Stringed instrument mutes, such as violin mutes and cello mutes, are manufactured from many different materials including wood, metal and rubber. These devices almost always attach to the bridge so that it dampens the vibration of the bridge, which produces a much softer, quieter sound.

The sound of a stringed instrument comes from a player applying energy to

the strings, either by bowing or plucking the strings. The sound and volume is produced, not by the strings alone, but by the strings vibrating and conducting through a wooden bridge. By retarding the vibrations of the bridge itself, this effectively "mutes" the instrument.

But why would anyone want to mute a violin? The best reasons why any violin player, from beginners to pros, might want to use a mute are to practice. Practice mutes differ from performance mutes in that practice mutes are heavy and dampen the sound quite a lot, allowing a student or professional to practice the violin without the sound disturbing anyone. The so-called "practice mutes" are also called "hotel mutes".

Less-heavy performance mutes are actually used by orchestral performers because the composer of a certain composition may actually call for the use of mutes as part of the performance. A composer will indicate when an instrument should be muted, by using the term con sordino.

Cellists often use cello mutes to eliminate wolf tones. The mute fits between any two strings on the cello and acts as an energy absorber to "tame" the wolf tones.

Mutes for violas, cellos and violins tend to be low cost accessories, typically running between $1.50 for practice mutes up to $30 for fancier, performance mutes. It is recommended to purchase a mute for students to keep in their cases for use in practice, and, should the occasion arise, for performance.