Archive for October, 2008
October 31st, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
The 12 day master cleanser is a fantastic and unique diet from now legendary creator Mr. Stanley Burroughs. Created a few years ago now, this detox diet is an all-natural and safe way to put your body on a total detox, help you to lose weight and generally feel much healthier all round.
The best part about this diet is that it does all of this in just 12 days flat! That’s right, it gets to work pretty much from the word go and will give your body the detox it needs very quickly indeed.
So what exactly do you have to do?
It is pretty simple really. The whole diet is based around a lemonade cocktail for which the recipe is very simple – even the ingredients are all-natural ones that you can find in any supermarket or store. You need to mix the cocktail in fresh batches each day in order for it to be at it’s most effective. If you don’t have time to mix up new every day, just make a large batch and keep in the fridge, it will still work ok.
Once you have the drink prepared, you need to drink it at least 4 times per day. I do it breakfast, lunch, dinner and just before bed as I like to keep it to a routine so that it becomes habit.
The great thins about the 12 day master cleanser is that you don’t need to put yourself on any special starvation diet or anything extreme like this (as these types of diet just don’t work, avoid them at all cost) and the lemonade drink that you consume is just based around your existing diet, so it doesn’t require any radical change in your daily lifestyle, which is great news.
How well does the master cleanser work?
The 12 day master cleanser system has not only worked very well for me over the years, but has helped literally thousands of people all around the world to detox and lose weight. Even Miss Beyonce Knowles of Destiny’s Child fame has stated on national TV that she uses it regularly! In fact, it was probably the fact that it really does work so quickly that she used it to lose weight for her upcoming role in ‘Dream Girls’ back in 2006.
So, if you can stick with the program, you should start to see some good results very quickly indeed. Throughout the whole process, you should also start to see some added benefits, such as feeling more awake, brighter, happier and have more energy. Give it a go for yourself and you will see what I mean!
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October 31st, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
I get invited to lunch from time to time, by different people. About every three weeks or so, I go to lunch with a bunch of guys I went to school with.
I went to lunch yesterday with Ronnie Alvin , Billy , Ronnie, Phillip , and Charlie.
Billy Mother was the secretary to the principal of Sacred Heart School on Canal Street where we all went to school. His Father drowned on a fishing trip when he was a young boy. He has a brother Carl. Billy retired from IBM. He now works at Lowes part time. He has two sons.
Alvin ran track in school. He owns a investigation agency for insurance companies. He is married and has three daughters.
Charlie is very successful money wise, he owns crew boats for the Oil rigs. We both had a Times Picayune Paper Route in High school. He is married with children.
Ronnie played football, and just retired as a assistant coach at De La Salle High School. He is married with a few children.
Phillip wife passed away of cancer, he is a Professional Bar tender most of his life. He has two grown sons, one is a fire fighter.
Phillip has been dealing with cancer of the throat. He lost 65 pounds. He is still in therapy.
Ronnie is a writer and TV celebrity. He wrote the racing forms at the Fair Grounds for years. His gravel voice has made him popular on TV and Radio as Naturally New Orleans. I see Ronnie at the VA hospital from time to time.
We all grew up in the same neighbor hood. It is fun getting together and talking about the nuns and priest that taught us. Then we mentions all the names of everyone that went to school with us.
Then we talk about if they are still living. We talked about Mac Rebeneck (Dr. John) we were in the alter boys and choir boys together. Of course he went to the top in fame.
We take turns telling funny stories that happen in school and on the playground.
All of our hearts went out to Phillip, he looks so old since he lost weight. We are all 65 years old. I will be sixty six on Tuesday, September 12. Everyone argues to pay the bill when we are about to leave. Charlie or Alvin always pay the bill.
Phillip brought a throw away camera he wanted a picture of all of us together. The waitress took a few pictures of all of us with our arms around each other. We will meet again soon to talk and share laughs. We were so blessed with such a good child hood and to still have each other.
Mike Marino, Jr. aka “In Person,” is the co-author of two books and a Distinguished Toastmaster who helps people fall in love with learning. He speaks and writes on the love of Knowledge is the root of all good!. To book Mike for your next association meeting, conference or corporate event, contact Mike Marino, Jr. In person 504 833 4405 or email marinojr@bellsouth.net
Proud member of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau.
All presentations are available in PowerPoint or Keynote.
October 29th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Uchiha Sasuke’s photo made its debut in the popular manga Naruto Chapter 308 and the blade’s name was highly debated among fans worldwide. In that chapter which was titled “Sasuke’s Strength”, Yamato Taichou tried to stop Uchiha Sasuke’s sword with his kunai but failed. Instead his kunai was cut in two by Sasuke’s sword. Sasuke later quoted “You see, the sword of Kusanagi I hold here is a little special. It’s the kind that can’t be blocked”. This caused some confusion because readers who have followed the manga since the beginning would know that Orochimaru also had a sword of Kusanagi when britney spears battled it out with the 3rd Hokage, only difference is Orochimaru’s Kusanagi looked more like a katana.
Sasuke’s Sword of Kusanagi is a chokuto which is a straight phrase sword. The chokuto’s design was originally from China and Korea. It was developed before the Japanese blacksmiths discovered differential heat treatment which later gave birth to the best martial arts weapon ever – the Japanese katana. The chokuto is easily distinguished by its straight blade which is a rare feature in most Japanese swords these days.
The Kusanagi or more popularly known as Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Sword of Kusanagi) actually had its origin from a Japanese myth. Legend has it the Japanese god Susa-no-o had an encounter with Ashinazuchi, the head of a family with eight daughters. Ashinazuchi previously lost seven of his daughters eaten by a giant eight-headed serpent called Yamata-no-Orochi. The serpent was coming back to feast on his last daughter Kushinade-hime. The desperate Ashinazuchi begged Susa-no-o to save his daughter which the Japanese god agreed in exchange for Kushinade-hime’s hand in marriage.
Susa-no-o devised a plan and instructed Ashinazuchi to prepare eight vats of sake, each placed separately behind a wall with eight gates. The giant serpent came and took bait, slithering each of its eight heads through each gate. In an instance, Susa-no-o emerged and severed all eight heads before turning to the serpent’s tails. Susa-no-o later found a sword inside the Yamata-no-Orochi’s slain body which he named Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi or “Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven”. He then presented the sword to the goddess Amaterasu to settle an old grievance. The sword’s name was later changed to Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.
In the Naruto manga, Orochimaru calls out the Kusanagi sword from a snake’s mouth (the snake’s head juts out from Orochimaru’s mouth). Orochimaru’s character which is skilled in snake jutsu is actually drawn from the serpent Yamata-no-Orochi. In chapter 392, Orochimaru broke free from Sasuke’s control and used his Hydra technique to reappear as an eight-headed giant serpent. But unlike the story in the myth, Susa-no is the name of the ultimate jutsu that Uchiha Itachi used together with the Sword of Totsuka to seal Orochimaru in an illusion genjutsu for all eternity. The jutsu Susa-no took on the form of a giant spirit with sharp nose, jagged teeth and three hands – one holding a shield, one carrying a container and the remaining hand wielding the Sword of Totsuka when it is released from the container.
Was that an interesting story for you? Many anime and manga titles use Japanese myths as reference to create amazing stories, keeping readers enthralled and coming back for more. An excellent channel to learn more about Japanese cultures and history, don’t you think?
If reading the story made you want to own a Sword of Kusanagi replica, come visit the blog post:
http://awesome-movie-sword-replica.blogspot.com/2008/10/uchiha-sasukes-sword-of-kusanagi.html
October 28th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
One of the favorite mystery shops that I ever did was at Lowe’s. In fact, I was waiting for a mystery shop at the store because of the bad experience that I had whenever I was shopping there prior to beginning my mystery shopping career. Once I saw the Lowe’s store shop pop up on the radar, I was quick to accept it as I was sure I would be able to get a little bit of revenge on the people who had treated phrase so poorly in the first place. Now I know that mystery shopping is not about seeking out bad experiences, it is about evaluating people for the job that they do. Here’s how my mystery shop at Lowe’s ended up going for me.
Whenever I entered the Lowe’s store the first thing that I was supposed to do was to find three different people in order to see if they would help me or not. I walked up and down the main aisle of the store, looking up each individual aisle to see if I could find an employee that was not busy at the time. Even though I had had a bad experience at the store before, I wanted to give them a fair opportunity to be able to get a good evaluation. As it turns out, my first experience with the store ended up being fairly typical of every experience that I ever had. The first person that I walked up to pretended not to see me and simply turned around and walked away. The second person that I walked up to did the same thing, so I followed them into another isle. They ended up spears me spears times. The third person that I walked up to ended up talking on their personal cell phone, something that was definitely against the rules.
Every mystery shop has a particular department that you are going to want to single out. For this particular shop, it was the kitchen Cabinet department. I walked back into that department, looking like I was interested in purchasing some cabinets or least asking some questions. According to the instructions that I received ahead of time, I was to wait around for at least 10 minutes to see if anybody was going to ask me any questions. After several people walk past me without acknowledging the fact that I was there, I finally decided it was time for me to approach someone. The person that I approached not only was uninterested in my questions, they were not knowledgeable about anything in the area.
I know that a mystery shopper is not supposed to feel satisfaction when giving a bad report, even if they are out for personal revenge. In this particular case, however, giving them bad marks was quite appropriate. All I had to do was to answer each of the questions accurately and to provide them with names of certain employees. I felt as though I was giving the company what they truly wanted, an honest evaluation.
For more information on how to become a mystery shopper please visit http://www.mysteryshopperguide.org
October 27th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Most of us are gifted with beautiful skin but are not careful in preserving its original texture. Therefore during the climatic changes the tone of the skin changes and turns rough. If you regularly provide nutrition to the skin it is likely to remain glowing.
The food we consume also has a bearing on the way our skin looks. Foods containing greasy, oily and fatty substances make the oil glands overactive and therefore we are more likely to face various skin problems. Water is a very good as it cleanses the skin pores. It fights against all the toxins in the body. Therefore it is necessary to consume 8-10 glasses of water per day.
Besides, scheduling an exercise program everyday is very good. The excessive oily substances are drained from your body through the sweat that is produced when you exercise. The workouts also relieve you from all types of stress that reflect on your face directly.
Take care of your skin by applying the proper type of lotions or creams. Do not use the products that contain strong chemicals as it could ruin your skin. Do not smoke because it directly affects your skin and speeds up your ageing process.
Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://www.askaquery.com/Answers/qn1592.html
You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL.
October 27th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Many women bio have experienced the miracle of childbirth have also struggled with post pregnancy weight loss. It seems that the extra pounds that we put on when we biography pregnant, pounds that server a useful purpose for the most part are also the one that are the most difficult to get rid of. If you find yourself struggling with post pregnancy weight loss then here are a few angelina photo that can help you to start the scale moving and to keep it moving in the right direction.
One thing that nursing mothers have going for them is the weight loss effects that nursing can have on the body. It actually makes it easier for a nursing angelina photo to achieve post pregnancy weight loss than women that are just struggling with extra weight. If you use this to your advantage, and work along with it you will find it easier to lose weight than ever before. The real key is making sure that you are not eating too much of the wrong things.
Calories taken into the body are stored as fat if they are not used up by the body, it’s a simple law of nature that we all need to deal with. Yet you also need to consider that the things that you are eating are also nourishing your baby through breastfeeding, so if you are to cut things out of your diet you need to make sure that you are eating enough of the right things to nourish your baby. You should also make sure that you are getting plenty of sleep, drinking lots of water and getting some moderate exercise every day. If you persist in these things you can be successful in losing those post pregnancy pounds.
You can lose weight and get in the best shape of your life within weeks after delivering a baby. Download our special report at http://www.healthy-after-baby.info/
Before and After Pregnancy Pictures can be viewed on our website.
October 26th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
The Master Cleanse Diet, also known as the Lemonade diet, has been used by several celebrities including Robin Quivers of the Howard Stern Show who lost 73 pounds by using this diet. Actress Beyonce Knowles also revealed that she has used the Master Cleanse diet to lose 22 pounds in 10 day in preparation for her role in Dreamgirls.
Although it is called a diet, it is more of a colon cleanse type program. It’s main purpose is to help cleanse your body of toxins by helping remove pounds of plaque that has been stuck in your intestines for years. This can amount to over 15 pounds or more of plaque, mucus, and other waste. Although you have to give up solid foods for ten days, the benefits are certainly worth it. You will feel stronger, more energetic, sharp, alert, you will have more stamina, and best of all you will no longer suffer from many years of ailments, aches and pains that you have dealt with for years.
The Master Cleanse Secrets program also comes with a guide that will help you overcome the hardest part of the program which is usually the first three days. This guide will also tell you how to use the Master Cleanse specifically for losing weight and will give you a list of safe foods that you can actually eat during the 10 days without them interfering with the cleansing process.
If you truly want to cleanse your body, lose weight, have more energy, and feel outright great, then the Master Cleanse Secrets program is certainly worth checking out.
Learn more about the Master Cleanse Secrets today!
October 25th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Is the face of musical theater changing? Do professional musical theater actors need to be singers, dancers, actors,..and musicians? Is a theater revolution at hand? Judging by what has occurred within the last few years on Broadway and in London, the answer appears to be more and more, a yes.
Attention began to be paid to this concept of actor- musicians here in America, in 2006, with the Broadway revival of Steven Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd” at the Eugene O’Neill Theater. For Broadway, the staging of this well-known musical in such a way, was a new one. John Doyle, the acclaimed British director, came to New York to illustrate his conception of “Sweeney Todd”, with the orchestral score performed by the actors.
Doyle will be the first to admit that actors playing the musical score has been done before and that his employment of this technique is not an original thought. “It’s not a gimmick or a concept – it’s an alternative approach.”, he declared, in a recent interview. He explains that not every piece of work can be adapted this way and, it was during the 1980′s and 1990′s, when theaters were desperate for cash that actor as musicians became a necessity of invention. Doyle had been a regional theater director for years and realized that if he wanted to do a big musical, he needed to do a show without the expense of a large orchestra. This was the impetus for using actors that could sing, dance, act, and play instruments, too. The Watermill Theatre in Newbury, England was where Doyle perfected his interpretation of this concept. The Watermill is spatially challenged and faced economic challenges, at the time. Doyle’s “approach” to “Sweeney Todd” at that theater, was highly acclaimed and following its run there, moved first to London’s West End at Trafalgar Studios and then the New Ambassadors Theatre. From London it went to Broadway.
Thus, began what many consider to be the salvation of Broadway…a cost effective means to produce musicals. Additionally, it may have been the beginning of the need for more actors who are trained as “quadruple” threats, those who can sing, dance, act, and play a musical instrument. Certainly, those who have acquired all four skills will be at an advantage in gaining employment, should this style of theater continue to grow.
How many Broadway and West End shows have been produced since the inception of “Sweeney Todd” with the actor-musician at the Watermill? You may be surprised to find out. Following Doyle winning a Broadway Tony Award for Best Director of a Revival for “Sweeney Todd”, he went on to direct a Broadway revival of “Company”. It received the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival before closing in July, 2007. Doyle just recently returned to the Watermill Theatre, in Newbury, to direct another Sondheim classic, “Merrily We Roll Along”. The Watermill, has also recently presented an actor-musician version of “Honk”. “Mack and Mabel” a Jerry Herman Musical, was revived in England in 2005 and toured before playing at the West End’s Criterion Theatre from April to July 2006.
Regional Theater and National Tour productions have also been effected by this new trend. Currently, in the United States there is a national tour of “Sweeney Todd” which is based on John Doyle’s Broadway revival conception. Watch, also, for those lesser known shows that were originally conceived with actor-musicians in mind. These include “Buddy” – The Buddy Holly Story and “Pump Boys and Dinettes”.
Both of these shows are experiencing a surge in production across the United States.
So what’s an actor or actress to do in light of these new theatrical developments, which will most likely continue in these unsure economic times for theater? My advice is to take that old guitar out of the closet and give yourself a brush up, or just start with your favorite instrument and go from there. It may be the difference between your landing a job or not.
Beverly Stone has volunteered with a performing arts kids group for the past ten years. During this time she has worked in various capacities on the production of many shows but her main job has been to facilitate the training of the group’s members. Many of these kids have gone on to become professionals, several of them are currently on Broadway. She recently decided to bring her knowledge online and created a Website and Blog which serves as a guide for kids and teens interested in singing, dancing and acting. She is dedicated to young people who are interested in training to work in professional theater. You can find additional information at http://www.musical-theater-kids.com
October 25th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
BOTTOM LINE: Purporting to be a dark comedic thriller, “In Bruges” never quite balances these elements effectively for a worthwhile viewing experience, although the strong performances from the lead actors just about make up for it.
THE GOOD: “In Bruges” is the story of two Irish hit men, Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) who are told to lay low in Bruges in Belgium for two weeks by their boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes). Ken is happy to be a tourist, especially with his interest in history and culture, but Ray is annoyed, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. These early scenes between Ray and Ken are the funniest in the film as the two sarcastically debate the merits of Bruges. Colin Farrell is excellent as Ray, delivering a fidgety, sarcastic and naughty boy performance with Ray. Brendan Gleeson is great playing the straight guy in Ken but delivers his character with a razor-sharp wit. The two men are waiting for the phone call from Harry which does not come. In the mean time, Ken goes sight-seeing while Ray stumbles across a movie set where he hooks up with a blonde actress and commences one of many comedic encounters with an American Dwarf. With Ray occupied and now having fun, Ken receives the call from Harry who tells Ken to kill Ray for a botched hit on a priest where he also killed a little boy. Ralph Fiennes is perhaps the best part of this film; his dialogue and delivery are fantastic and will have you laughing whenever he’s on.
The film proceeds on an interesting series of twists and turns as the three men try to resolve their issues with each other but ultimately end up in a tragic place. The strongest aspect of “In Bruges” is the casting; watching these three actors on screen is worth the price of admission as they each take turns in commanding the screen. The twisting story-line is also worthy of note as you are never really sure how it will end, who will live and who will die, with the story becoming more engaging as time passes. There is also some nice use of locations and photography; this film does not appear to have had a huge budget but it certainly looks more expensive than what it probably was thanks to some great crowd scenes and location coverage.
THE BAD: The main problem with “In Bruges” is that it never really satisfies either the dark comedy or thriller aspects effectively. The film starts off in a funny place as Ray and Ken squabble over being in Bruges, but then it changes dramatically when Ken is ordered by Harry to kill Ray. Suddenly there are serious issues in play, another of which is Ray’s feelings of guilt over killing the little boy by accident when he was doing the hit on the priest (a motivation which doesn’t mesh very well with his more selfish wit). Ray spends a few scenes feeling very upset and guilty over this tragic occurrence, to the point of almost committing suicide, but then magically goes back to being sarcastic and funny whenever this topic is not covered.
Things pick up a little bit when Ralph Fiennes appears after the half-way point, but the problem still exists, particularly towards the end when Harry commits suicide after shooting the dwarf by accident while he’s shooting Ray in a scene which mimicked Ray’s botched hit. With Ken also having been killed a little earlier in a tragic but noble act of self-sacrifice, the film ends in a dark place but Ray ends up doing a voice-over in which he effectively talks about how Bruges is hell and covers some of the same comedic ground that started the film; the effect of this is to negate the dramatic climax by trivialising the whole event. As a result of all of these inconsistencies in execution, you’re never quite sure whether to feel moved dramatically, or amused.
For the original review, follow this link: http://www.allaboutmovies.net/filmreviewinbruges.htm
Todd Murphy is a staff reviewer at the film/DVD review web site, All About Movies.net – for all the latest reviews on the newest releases. He also contributes reviews and articles for the Digicosm Film Blog: http://www.filmannex.com/Digicosm
October 24th, 2008 -- Posted in Story |
Not to be confused with the obscure, short-lived, John Peel-endorsed all-female rock trio from the ’60s, Cake is a Californian all-male alternative group, which has been defining the term ‘geek rock’ for the last decade and a half.
Whether it’s the quirky and often sarcastic content of their songs, or the dry, rap-like monotone of lead vocalist and guitarist John McCrea, Cake possess many of the qualities the average slacker is looking for in an alternative to the, er, alternative. This sort of fanbase has lead to comparisons with bands such as The Dead Milkmen, They Might Be Giants and Camper Van Beethoven.
Formed in 1992, Cake soon built up a healthy cult following on the Californian live circuit, frequently playing the intimate Blue Lamp venue in their hometown of Sacramento, a city that has produced a number of world famous bands including the Deftones, Blackalicious and Jimmy Smith, a jazz legend dubbed “King of the Hammond B-3 organ”.
The city’s live scene remains healthy today, and hotels in Sacramento are available for anyone wishing to witness it for themselves.
Cake released a self-financed, self-recorded and self-distributed album, Motorcade of Generosity, the following year before signing a deal with Capricorn Records, which lead to some airplay of the album’s lead track “Rock ‘N Roll Lifestyle” on the influential American college radio network.
Their second record, Fashion Nugget, arrived in 1996 and was home to what would become the band’s biggest hit and best known track “The Distance”. The track was a massive alternative radio hit and even became the most unlikely of sporting-event anthems. On the back of the success of “The Distance”, a second single was lifted from the album, the band’s cover of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”. Mainly due to McCrea’s uninterested deadpan vocal delivery, a lot of critics saw the track as a smarmy put-down, despite the band’s protests that they genuinely adored it.
Soon after the release of Fashion Nugget, bassist Victor Damiani and guitarist Greg Brown left Cake to form a new-wave influenced band, Deathray. This left McCrea and trumpeter and keyboardist Vince DiFiore as the only remaining original members of the group, as original drummer Frank French had left prior to the recording of Fashion Nugget. For the band’s third album, Prolonging The Magic, Cake employed a tag-team rota system of five new guitarists, with each track featuring a different coupling. The band’s fourth album Comfort Eagle spawned another massive radio and MTV hit, and the band’s only number one single, “Short Skirt Long Jacket”. The video to the track featured humorous footage of randomly selected people in the street giving their reaction to the song.
Cake’s latest album Pressure Chief was released in 2004 and was followed by a b-sides and rarities compilation this year, with a live album expected early next year. Now having sold several million albums across the globe and continuing to tour exhaustingly (including a secret homecoming at the less-than-a-hundred-people capacity of the afore-mentioned Blue Lamp earlier this year), Cake seem to be having their cake and eating it, and enjoying it dearly.
Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.
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