Steve McQueen The Humanitarian

Movie Legend. Super Star.

He was a Rebel, an Outsider, and The King of Cool, but beneath the bad boy image lay a heart of gold, as Steve McQueen supported needy children all over the world.

While in Taiwan in 1966 filming The Sand Pebbles, Steve and his first wife Neile came across an orphanage for young girls (most of whom were prostitutes). It was run by a catholic priest called Edward Wojniak. Steve donated $12,500 then and there, and continued to support the mission until Wojniak died in the late 1970's.

Over the years Steve constantly visited the boys home (Boys Republic) which he himself had spent time in while growing up. Each year in the holiday seasons (when their spirits could be lowest because they had no family to visit them) he appeared with Christmas toys, Easter baskets and Thanksgiving turkeys. So these boys without a family of their own got to see a real movie star each Christmas and on other festive occasions. It wasn't just a quick publicity walkthrough either. Steve would actually just sit with them and talk for long periods of time. On one occasion, when he heard that two teenage boys had been sent to an adult prison, he offered to pay for them to be sent to a less severe BOYS institution. Over the years Steve donated large amounts of money to Boys Republic.

He said, Somewhere, right now, there are kids going through what I went through. Maybe if they know I survived, they can find hope. I can't promise they'll ever forget what happened to them. But if they hold out, they'll get through okay and learn to live with the bad memories...and still learn to love.

During the filming of Le Mans in 1970, Steve made a brief stopover in London, where he toured the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, moving from bed to bed, talking with each child. At this time he also arranged an auction of one of his antique guns, with all the proceeds going to the French Childrens Fund for orpha ns.

Los Angeles Times columnist Joyce Haber wrote an article on Steve in 1971, in which she reported:
A few seasons ago the owners of Four Oakes, a local restaurant, invited fifty black orphans for a free Thanksgiving Day dinner. They also invited several celebrities. McQueen arrived promptly on his cycle. He was the only star to show. I call that the act of a good man.

When Nicaragua was devastated by a massive earthquake in the early 1970's he bought $50,000 worth of food and medical supplies and had it flown in to the victims.

While filming The Hunter in 1979, Steve was so struck by the poverty in some of the areas they were filming in that he asked close friend Pat Johnson to go down to the local catholic church and ask the priest what he (McQueen) could do to help. The priest made a list, and Steve pulled out a check book and paid for it all. According to Johnson it was a large amount of money. Steve also gave his stuntman and friend Lauren Janes s ome money, and sent him out to buy 100 baseballs, mitts and bats, and 100 footballs, and had him put them in a local field for all the kids to find. According to Janes, he did that many times, in many different areas.

Steve would eat with and talk to all the cast and crew on his films, and while talking to one of the extras on The Hunter (a young 15 year old girl named Karen) he discovered that her mother was in hospital and dying of alcoholic poisoning. Steve went to the hospital with her to meet her mother (who was a big fan). What can I do to help?, he asked. All my life I wanted my daughter to go to school. I could die a happy woman knowing my daughter had a way out of this slum, was her reply. Steve and his third wife Barbara took 15 year old Karen in, eventually enrolling her in a private boarding school close to where they lived, so that she could come and spend weekends with them. That young girl went from the ghetto to studying to become a veterinarian. She st ill remembers the McQueen's with a great deal of love.

Almost all of these things he did anonymously, and they were only made public after his death.

Sources

McQueen by William F Nolan,
Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel by Marshall Terrill,
McQueen: The Untold Story of a Bad Boy in Hollywood by Penina Spiegel and
My Husband, My Friend by Neile McQueen Toffel.

Darren Wright
Webmaster of http://www.Mcqueenonline.com

Author:: Darren Wright
Keywords:: Steve Mcqueen, STEVE MCQUEEN, Steve, Mcqueen, STEVE, MCQUEEN, Bullitt, Getaway, thomas crown affair
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Art Edouard Manet's Life

Edouard Manet was a revolutionary painter. His work changed art forever and inspired the impressionistic style of painting. His art is so inspirational that it even influences today's art!

Manet is a French painter that was born in Paris on January 23, 1832. He was the son of a government official. His uncle gave him his first drawing lessons. Manet studied at the Rollin College and met his lifelong best friend Antonin there. Manet's father wanted him to study law but he didn't want to so he went to sea instead. He was trained as a sea cadet but failed his naval examinations and switched to painting.

He first studied art in Paris under Thomas Couture, the French painter and soon after visited Italy, Germany and the Netherlands to study the art in these places. While traveling around, several artists greatly influenced him. These artists were the Dutch painter Frans Hals, the Spanish artist Francisco de Goya, the French painter Courbet and the Spanish a rtist Diego Velazquez.

Manet started paining genre paintings, which are paintings that depict everyday life, such as street urchins and old beggars. He developed a very bold brush technique in which he painted realistic subject matter. All of his paintings are very realistic.

In 1861 he submitted The Spanish Singer to the Salon and won an honorable mention for it. However, in 1863 he submitted The Picnic to the Salon and it was rejected. This became a scandal and was an outrage to the public. The Salon wouldn't accept it because of the subject matter. In the painting, there was a woman at a picnic naked with two men.

Manet's painting, Olympia, created even more of an outrage. The public was furious with the style and subject matter of the painting. The painting depicted a naked prostitute waiting for her customer. Today, this is one of Manet's most famous paintings and is admired.

On October 28, 1863, Manet married Suzanne Leenhoff. She was a musician that had been hired by Manet's father to give Edouard and his brother piano lessons. Edouard and Suzanne had a ten year relationship before they were finally married in 1863. During their ten year relationship, Suzanne gave birth to a son, Leon Koella. The father is most certainly Manet, but Leon was presented to other people as Suzanne's younger brother. Manet painted Leon in several of his paintings, including Luncheon in the Studio.

Manet frequently was seen in the company of the Impressionist group and was considered by them to be their leader. However, he did not want to join the group and his work is not known as impressionistic. Impressionists use lighter colors and focus on the effects of light. They are mostly interested in showing their impressions of different scenes.

Manet was the first painter to abandon traditional lighting and treatment of space in his works. He wanted people to see the true reality of a painting which is that a painting is just a painting, a flat, two dimensional surface. It shouldn't be an illusion of something else.

Manet did not get recognition until much later in his life. After that, everyone wanted his paintings. In 1882 he submitted one of his best pictures to the Salon, The Bar at the Folies-Bergere. This painting allowed him to be accepted into the Legion of Honor. Manet died on April 30, 1883 in Paris after a long illness. He painted 420 oil paintings and many other pastels and watercolors.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Arts

Author:: Michael Russell
Keywords:: Arts
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An Online Art Gallery Thrives a Momentum for an Artist

In the present era of Internet an Online Art Gallery is the best medium to exploit a talented artist. To be sure, no one aspires to be a

Starving artist so there has to be a medium, which makes positive effort to bring success in an artist's life. It is only Online Art Gallery, which features art of various kinds creating a platform for artists to expose their painting, sculpture etc. to the entire world.

It is of utmost importance for artists to have an online portfolio. This would certainly bring a momentum in an aspiring artist. An Online Art Gallery would enable an artist the threshold of success spreading the fame of his creativity throughout the world. There are certain ways through which one can exhibit his work in Online Art Gallery. The best way for the artists to establish an online presence is to join one of the many online art galleries. They begin with free online galleries providing artists with limited options through premium services charging a recurring fee to display and sell the best works online.

To those who have adopted art to be the only living the online art galleries can be utilised as a marketing tool. Online Art Gallery allow the artists to link to their websites from their gallery profiles. This in turn increases the attraction to have both a website and several online gallery profiles. An Online Art Gallery Takes effective initiatives to bring a rapid momentum in an artist's life. They allows to add paintings, biographical details, artist statement and contact details. For this, they range in price from a few dollars per month up to $200USD yearly or more depending on the service they offer. An Online Art Gallery is thus more beneficial to an artist in comparison to the traditional art galleries and is the best medium to create a momentum in an artist's career.

http://www.reynoldsgallery.co.uk/onlineartgalleries.htm

Author:: Moutushi Banerjee
Keywords:: An online art gallery t hrives a momentum for an artist
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Interview for "The World" author John Kearns

Today, Reader Views is talking with John Kearns, author of the Novel The World. John is talking with Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor for Reader Views.

Juanita: Hi John, thank you for talking with us today. Please tell us about the storyline in your Novel The World.

John: The first section of The World tells the story of a young mans experiences over a summer, with some memories of events that took place during the previous school year. He discovers his Irish heritage, gets fired from a summer job, receives an artistic vocation, and, after joining a new swim club, falls in love with a girl named, Claire. When he is rejected by Claire, his traditional worldview is destroyed. The second section of The World depicts that shattered worldview and the young mans efforts to piece a new one toget her. Toward the end of the following school year, he and his classmates take a school trip to Manhattan and the young man reflects upon the changes in his life since Claires rejection of him.

Juanita: What inspired you to write this book?

John: I was writing a journal in high school and, one spring, I got the idea of an artistic character and his experiences at a swim-club which could be a sort of microcosm for the world. I drafted some pages of the Novel at that time. Most of it was terrible but I held onto the idea and collected notes and drafts over the years before sitting down to write the Novel in earnest.

Juanita: Please tell us about the main character in your book - Who he is, what motivates him, etc.?

John: The main character is an Irish-American sixteen-year-old boy in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He is a good student and athlete, particularly skilled in swimming. He enjoys studying Latin and Greek in high school and wants to take p art in a school trip to Europe the following summer. He works as a lifeguard and hopes to save up some money for the trip. His most powerful motivation in the Novel is the passionate love he feels for Claire, a girl he meets after losing his lifeguarding job.

Juanita: Is there any of you in The Artist?

John: Some of the events and experiences are based on things that happened in my own life. Others are completely fabricated. The Artists perceptions and opinions are supposed to be nave. Im sure he has some qualities in common with me the writing ability, the sensitivity, the strong emotions but the qualities are less mature.

Juanita: What is the significance in calling your main character The Artist instead of giving him a name?

John: The idea first came to me when I wrote a short story called, Finding the Day. In that story, I called the main character The Artist to emphasize his role in society. In The World I expanded on this idea to inc lude the biblical device of name changing. In the bible, a change of a name signifies a great change in the persons life: Abram becomes Abraham, Simon becomes Peter, Saul becomes Paul In The World, when The Youth receives his vocation and crosses the bridge on which he is standing, he becomes The Artist. Later, The Artist becomes The Man. I think there is an implication that before the start of the Novel he might have been The Boy or Child.

Juanita: What thematic statements does The World make towards topics such as adolescent love, loss, and awakening consciousness?

John: Rather than making statements about them, I think the book provides a portrait of the experiences of adolescent love, loss, and awakening consciousness. The World depicts how a person learns, grows, and becomes more enlightened through emotional suffering and reflection.

Juanita: How do The Artists experiences change his view of the world?

John: Throughout most the Novel, The Artist understands the world in the way that has been taught to him. He has a linear view of history and tidy explanations for where everything came from and what everything means. He also equates beauty with goodness and cannot comprehend that someone as beautiful as Claire could also be lying, deceitful, and cruel. When he learns the truth about Claire, his worldview is shattered. He comes to understand that there are not neat explanations for everything and that events do not always flow in an orderly logical line. Because of the suffering that he goes through, he is able to sympathize with the sufferings of others and to be more forgiving. As an Artist, he also realizes that he is not at home in mainstream society.

Juanita: John, Your grandparents came to America from Ireland in the 1920s. How does your knowledge of Irish heritage weave into The World and your main characters own background?

John: Discovering his Irish heritage is an important pa rt of The Youths quest to understand himself. Many of his high school classmates are very proud of their Italian heritage and this makes The Youth want to find out about his own background. However, because much of his knowledge about Ireland comes from a couple of books he has read, The Youth/The Artist is somewhat nave about the subject. His newfound Irish identity colors his perceptions of the events and people in the Novel: the managers who fire him from his lifeguarding job, the girl he falls in love with, the new friends he makes. Also, what The Artist understands as Irish values literary art, loyalty, sexual purity, bravery gives him ammunition to use against the more shallow aspects of the American culture from which he feels alienated.

Juanita: Is the transition from adolescence to manhood typically this cataclysmic?

John: I think most people go through some traumatic incidents when they are becoming adults, some experience that helps them to los e their innocence and recognize that the world is not what they thought it was when they were children. Its usually a painful experience but ultimately a necessary and positive one that enables people to grow. I have had men and women from various walks of life come to me after reading the book and say that it reminded them of experiences they had had in their own lives and of feelings they might have forgotten that they once had.

Juanita: How important do you feel artistic exploration is for an adolescent boy?

John: Adolescence is obviously a time of great emotion and change. I think artistic outlets can help teenagers get through those years, to express their feelings, and to understand themselves. Not everyone is an artist, however. I think that point is made in The World: that The Artist is a person with a special vocation and a particular role to play in society.

Juanita: John, artists are typically very misunderstood in our society. Youve to uched on this but what role or contribution to society do you feel, is the gift of an artist?

John: Its a bit of a clich to say that artists reflect society and their times but I suppose there is some truth to it. One of the by-products (and perhaps the inspiration) of an artists work is a new way of seeing. The new way of seeing that an artist incorporates into his or her work, once introduced into society, can have an influence on the society and change the way the audience sees. This influence, as I said, is a by-product of the work, not the main purpose of it. (The artists new way of seeing can also lead to the misunderstandings you allude to in the question. Often the audience is not ready or willing to accept a new way of seeing.)

I think the artist adds beauty to society and can inspire others to do the same. Producing a great artist and great art can be the crowning achievements of a society. The artist shouldnt always have to be justifying his wor k to society. Art justifies our lives and experiences. Of course, there is a great responsibility that comes with being an artist: the duty to be true to ones own vision.

Juanita: John, what do you hope readers take away after reading your book?

John: I hope they have an aesthetic experience through reading the book. I hope they can see the world through the protagonists point of view and have real sympathy for this character. I hope readers come away with important ideas to think about and discuss and that they are encouraged to reread The World in order to gain a better understanding of its underlying themes and symbolism.

Juanita: What has been your writing background?

John: I have written stories since I was a little boy. I started writing more seriously as a teenager. I have Bachelors and Masters Degree in English. I have written a collection of short stories, Dreams and Dull Realities, as well as numerous poems and some songs. My Nov el-in-progress, Worlds, was named a finalist in the 2002 New Century Writers Awards. I have had three one-act plays and two full-length plays produced in Manhattan. My play In a Bucket of Blood will be in the Midtown International Theatre Festival this summer. I worked as a freelance writer in Washington, DC and have been a Technical Writer for ten years, mostly in Manhattan.

Juanita: Who have been your influences writing, or otherwise that have helped shape your pursuit of the literary arts?

John: The writing of James Joyce has been a big influence. Throughout my school days, I had teachers who encouraged me as a writer. In addition to Joyces works, The World was influenced by Somerset Maughams Of Human Bondage, Herman Hesses Beneath the Wheel and Steppenwolf, Thomas Manns Tonio Kroger, and other coming-of-age stories and Novels.

Juanita: From all Ive read, you are receiving very high remarks for The World with high credit given for your vision a nd naturally poetic storytelling. What is your personal experience with the writing process?

John: The World was gestating for a long time. (It took much longer than 6 days to create.) As I said, I came up with some of the ideas while still in high school and made drafts and notes over the years. Before I went to graduate school in 1992, I pushed myself to write a full first draft. Then over the years, I edited and rewrote. Being a Novelist is like being a sculptor, only you have to create the stone yourself.

Juanita: How can readers find out more about you and your endeavors?

John: They can visit my website: www.Kearnscafe.com. The website has a Bulletin Board page that lists my readings and play performances. The can also visit the website of Boann Books and Media: www.boannbo oksandmedia.com .

Juanita: John, Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us today. We truly wish you much success with The World and all of your pursuits. Do you have any last thoughts for your readers?

John: I am thrilled that people are captivated by the emotional upheaval that The Artist goes through in The World. However, I would urge people to dig below the surface. It is the story of a young man with the hots for a blonde in a bathing suit, but it is also more than that.

Juanita Watson is the Assistant Editor for Reader Views. http://www.readerviews.com

Author:: Juanita Watson
Keywords:: Fiction, Novel, Kearns
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Planning A Party With A 20s Theme

For a Party with a different flair, consider having a Party with a 20s theme. The age of prosperity known as The Roaring 20s has much to offer in terms of Decorations and attire. The 1920s are an era that most of us only know from history books and television, but a Party gives everyone a chance to experience a little bit of this period that only our grandparents remember.

Even if you didnt live during the 20s, a little research can help you plan your Party with the boas, headbands, and gangster hats that were typical of that period. Your Party is not complete unless your guests come dressed for the period in flapper dresses, boas, headbands, gangster outfits, and zoot suits. If you dont find anything locally, a search of the Internet will provide information on obtain music from the 1920s to complete your 20s theme Party. If you want to be really authentic, and Grandma is still around to provide some tips, let her help you decorate with the style of that era, and ma ybe she has some old records, and even still held onto her Victrola. If not, you will need to improvise to get the same effect.

For menus, there was a great deal of lamb and mutton appearing on restaurant menus in the 1920s, and though hamburger steak appeared frequently, no hamburger as we know it today overflowed on menus. In fact, hot dogs were not a big item on restaurants menus either, though after the introduction of Nathans in the later part of the decade, they may have gained popularity. The important thing to remember is that ready prepared foods did not arrive for some decades later, so if you want your Party to be authentic, you will need to do some down home cooking and no pre-packaged foods.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible Party Supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Over 100 adorable Party Themes to fit your birthday celebration , holiday event, or just because parties.

Author:: Gail Leino
Keywords:: Party,Themes,Supplies,Favors,Decorations,Gifts,Games,Kids,Children,Prizes,20's,Twenties,Invitations
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Build an Internet and Network Marketing Business by Cracking The Millionaire Code Part 7

How to become Psychologically Unemployable

People dont care about your opportunity. They just dont.

Let me explain.

They havent been waiting all their lives to be a rep in your business were you?

What they do care about, is finding a solution to their problem. That is probably money, or time with their family, relieving stress etc,..

Your job is to position your opportunity as the solution to the problem. Ok, sounds simple enough. But you have 3 major obstacles

* First up: You cant sell

* Second: People hate to be sold to.

* Lastly: Your positioning. They will see you as a stranger trying to get into their wallet.

So what is the answer?

Become Psychologically Unemployable.

If you want to sell Network Marketing you better advertise information about how your business will help them achieve their GOALS and solve their problems

In other words, you want to get your prospects to sell themselves on using yo ur opportunity as the tools to accomplish their goals and you do this by marketing.

Just image a total turnkey vehicle that creates traffic (prospects) sifts, selects, recruits, trains, motivates and gets new people producing in your Network Marketing business by providing the solution to their problemand you are the driver

Learn how to create a killer campaign and enjoy endless leads for you and your team for FREE!

The way we do it is to market information on how your business will solve their problems and achieve their goals and let them sell themselves on the opportunity.

Here Is the psychology behind the deal.

People would rather learn to do something than actually do it. Well, most people anyway.

The biggest issue for most people is the fear of failure right?

People just do not want to take the risk of looking foolish, so when most opportunities arrive that dont explain how but rely on glossy ads and hype, they will look but t he fear of failure will usually take over and theyll say No.

But if you position yourself and your opportunity as a Consultancy by marketing a how to guide you will take advantage of this aspect of human nature and increase the effectiveness of your prospecting immensely. You have taken the back door approach and you dont come over as the sales person. Remember people hate to be sold but love to buy.

Once you are trusted and people can see how they could do it, they will sell themselves. And you become Psychologically Unemployable.

Once you have mastered this, you will never need to be employed if you were then you would become a liability and a pain who knows too much!

Do you want to become Psychologically Unemployable?

Find out more about this ground-breaking, step-by-step instruction guide on how to run a successful MLM, Internet based, Online business in Gambling. It turns effort into profit and shows you how to do the 2 most important thin gs in this business - drive masses of Free Traffic to your site and build a huge down line that likes and admires you without one phone call, one meeting or a presentation. my888MlmPlan is both generic to the Mlm industry and specific to 888.biz, so even if you're already in business, this program will definitely help you. http://www.888theaces.biz Probably the best Network Marketing system on the Internet

Author:: John Astley
Keywords:: multilevel marketing,Mlm,work from home,home working,network marketing,Poker,internet marketing
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Peterhof the Imerial Summer Residence by the Sea

Peterhof, Russia is a small suburb of the former Imperial capitol of Russia. It is located a pleasant one hour hydro-foil ride across a portion of the Baltic Sea from St. Petersburg. In the winter one needs to go by electric train or by some sort of wheeled transport. It is a fact that Peterhof has literally thousands of sister city relationships across the world. Peter I started it all when he chose the spot on which his palace rests as a recreational spot when sailing the Baltic. It is for sure that once upon a time it was a favorite spot for him to use as a duck hunting spot. His interest in Peterhof began in 1705 and in 1714 he began to build his fabulous palace complex.

On 15 August, 1723, Peter celebrated the opening of the grand cascade and the sixteen fountains that to this day still dominate the landscape. In the last three hundred years ongoing work has made this one of the most famous in the world. The palace is a fantastic and beautiful example of Russian Baroque architecture filled with beautiful rooms and marvelous art. From the very beginning Peterhof was a source of amazement to both foreign visitors and Russian alike. I have been there on dozens of occasions and in all seasons of the year. I have never been disappointed and felt as i f I had seen enough of this spectacular setting.

As beautiful and endearing as the palace is what makes this one of the finite wonders of the world is the ingenuity and planning that went into the magnificent fountains and the grounds. The grounds are a marvelous combination of nature allowed to flourish and grow in a natural state mixed with the most beautifully groomed formal gardens one could hope to see. Peter and later Tsars were well served by some of the most talented architects that ever lived. The illustrious list includes Alexander Le Blond, Johann Braunstein, Niccolo Michetti, and Mikhail Zemstov. The grounds are sprinkled with the sculptors of Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli and one of the greatest fountain masters of all time, Paul Sualem. The fountains form a wonderful combination of whimsical and changing pattern of water jets and streams that culminate with the Samson Fountain and the Grand Cascade. The Grand Cascade consists of 241 statues and other forms o f world class sculpture. Even though German invaders stole some of the most famous originals they have been painstakingly recreated. The Neptune Fountain in front of the palace is a little like the German fountain at Ludwigsberg but larger and more grand.

The Monplaisir Complex consists of a number of small pavilions erected by Peter the Great and was one of his favorite recreational places. To be able to see this marvelous combination of architecture and nature in full bloom is a treat that makes the trip to Russia more than worth while. The same may be said of the brilliant fall colors and the stately white blanket of snow that covers everything in winter. There are several fish ponds built on the grounds as well as a small Hermitage. There are just too many beautiful features to list in this newsletter but believe me Peterhof must be seen to be believed! I only hope as many people that can go to Peterhof will take advantage of this marvelous opportunity.

Michael E. Donnelly, PhD
Find more at http://www.mmarttravel.com

Author:: Michael Donnelly
Keywords:: Russian travel, Russia, peter the great, Peterhof palace, hermitage museum, st. petersburg, Peterhof
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Sjorfaa! Sjorfaa! (Chapter 1 and 2 ((of Five Chapters Total))

The Long Solitary Journey of Tipi and Ursus arctos: The Great Tibetan Grizzly

Sjorfaa! Sjorfaa!,

Every time I kill a bear I morn, I dont really count the days, but no more than two, sometimes one, it is not a show of regret, the reason I do this, oh no, no, I have no regrets, or pleasure for the most part, I am a hunter, I eat to survive like all people do; wait a minute, I do have pleasure, for the moment, it is a recompense, yes, yes, that is what it is. Id rather kill a bear than a rabbit: no joy out of such a light kill as a rabbit, only meat: rabbit meat: but it tastes ok; not great, not like bear. But back to the bear, to survive you must be more powerful than the bear, or wiser. When I kill the bear he has a blue tongue that protrudes between his teeth, and he will collapse on the ice. I kill him noiselessly, and like a ghost and sadly I observe his outstretched body. I am one of the few, no, no: I am the only one now who kills the bears on the Grea t Solo Hunt. And the only one I know of who jumps onto the back of the bear and kills him: the old way, the way it should be done: the way it used to be done: it is a blood hunt often times.

I am not dark-skinned, lighter than my native kith and kin, but I have cold blood, and the bear is warm and hungry, and brown, the one I am looking for, as blinding as snow can be, I never miss him, when he is around, I can spot him, I always spot him: calm and starry he is; almost sleepy at times when I spot him. But again he is no match for me. I will kill him in many ways. This bear is strong and can take an animal or man and swing him like a bird and throw him far distances. I have seen this happen. The bear can take gigantic leaps, and can disengage himself: trembling and fear go with those who see this bear, he runs like the wind, but me, not me, I do not tremble or fear him: tell nobody but God, that is what I say. His claws are sharp and can dig many inches through ic e if need be to make an escape, or dig a hole and grab a seal for dinner. Yes, oh yes, he can do this in a matter of minutes, perhaps seconds if need be, in an utterly silent way; and if the ice is thin, quicker than seconds: one grab through the ice will do it. I have seen how some of the hunters have many dogs and they surround a bear who cannot escape, then, thenyet I tell them all, this is the time to be careful, for they have been bitten in such events, even a small bear can be dangerous. You should know the bear-spirit does not lie down and die because he sees dogs or a hunter, he explodes inside, he will not skedaddle: nor move over because you say so. He goes back and forth, back and forth, back and forth: makes you dizzy, makes you lose your way. Moreover, after roaming aimlessly you die not the bear, in a frozen stance, by a cliff, or plateau: in the blizzard you didnt notice was coming because the bear got you dizzy

my father was a white man, my mother an Eskimo. They are both dead now, he was an Arctic explorer: she, oh yes yes yes: she was a Thule woman; she was born to the Arctic, in Greenland. I am her only child: she carried me in her amaaq, this was me. I remember her well; she had long hair, thick to the skull. Wore a necklace made of walrus ivory. Many little things were on it, little figurines that represented her life: such as the igloo, the woman, kayak, walrus, the dog, salmon, the bear, and seal. She would say,

Tipi, are you ok back there? and as Id feel her back and the warmth of the fur around me, Id touch her shoulders to let her know I was, I was ok, alright, I was safe for her not to worry, or have her hand feeling for me, poking me in the eyes accidentally: you know, that kind of stuff.

This is my given name, --this is one thing the bear didnt know, the Great Grizzly. As I was raised like most in the Arctic, a native, I was never touched harmfully by my mother, or father, never disc iplined in a physical way. It is the native way, the Arctics way. Often times my tribe: the one I used to belong to, but I have left them since adulthood, would allow other tribes to take wives from other camps, or tribes, if you willno real husbands and for a while, well, for a while none really belonging to any certain person or forever, if that makes sense. It was the way it had to be. Or we would have no tribe, we would die out. And so a woman may end up with a stranger from another tribe. And children were very precious: indeed they were; I have slept with woman, I have never had a wife, or chose a special woman to remain with: and thus, I must assume I may have children in a few tribes. In their summer tents, I would make love to them. Listen to the drum song [Ingmerneq. I think a bear would like to sleep with a woman if he could steal her long away enough. They have secret spirits inside of them. I have not seen a bear harm a woman, no, not ever: maybe tha t is why. They are close to our ancestors you know: but I could be wrong, maybe a bad spirit makes me think that a bear would sleep with a woman.

But once I was learning how to make water, you put three great stones together and a heap of snow on top. Under the main top stone you put another one under that, make a fire, and slant the upper roof stone, so when the water drains, it will drain downward to the container, and fill it with water. A great white bear came: he stood no more than twenty feet from me: a flood of thoughts filled my brain: voices in my brain were muffled, as if I was in one room, a jail perhaps, and I couldnt think: muffled, yes, my brain was stifled: I was with, with my mother: I was but ten years of age. The bear lay down, eyes cast upon my mother, and she continued to show me the pail full of water. And she said:

Sjorfaa! and the bear left her. But my spirit doesnt connect with the bear like that. It wants to kill it. Conquer it. W hy? You tell me; it is who I am, that is the best I can say, or do, do for such a question:

bear, bear, which do you, think you are [? You are dead

I have killed many bears with furious hatches, knives, and used sharpened stones to keep them deadly. I learned from the Canadian Eskimos when I was young the many forms of hatches they had, therefore I could select which one I needed and which one would work best for me, that is the one Id select. They were what I called Polar Eskimos; --they knew very little about wood, but the whalers and the Thule traded information.

2

The Chain

Death to helplessness, to the born and the dying, the aged, for first you are born, --helpless, which is natural, are we not? and by way of instincts, we say to ourselves: we must smile, or cry to get our way, to survive You must learn who is your mother and father, for the bear can fool you and say he is, when he is hungry, and you do not know the difference, and yo u willingly go to him, and he devours you You have done this bear havent you? oh yes, he has

we dont even know what we look like, only what we see: tell nobody but God, and have no trembling or fear, he will not if you do: when they see you, the door swings shut inside their hearts So we think we are like the bear. Then you grow old and again you are like the old grizzly, the polar, the panda, the Russian bear-Tamens, they like to play; but in all cases, they grow old, weak, tired: like we do: the only think that can travel faster than a bear is the smell of deathor the blood hunt, the smell of a blood. And even the dremo the Tibetan Grizzly [also known as Ursus arctos, he may be the exception, for I have looked for him for twenty-years, but only oneit is he, the Great One

I have never known a person to have seen a Tibetan Grizzly other than my family, to include my father, grandfather, my uncle, my mother and myself, but that is the heritage of the Great Grizz ly; has in us, in his veins, he has chosen us to be his destroyer, as he has been ours, me. He is as tall as a mountain, and as strong as the ice. He has no equal, no fear of death, for he is death; Ursus arctos.

See Dennis' travels at Http://dennissiluk.tirpod.com

Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: Chaper Story
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Ancient Egyptian Art Timeless and Beautiful Today

Ancient Egyptian Art is one of the most recognized, admired and collected art in the history of the world. From delicate gold jewelry to vivid paintings to massive statues dozens of feet tall, for over 5,000 years Egyptian art has fascinated, delighted and awed generation after generation with its beauty, style and mystery. While genuine ancient pieces of art are rare and extremely valuable, modern Egyptian artists make beautiful art and jewelry that is inspired by some of the greatest recovered works from ancient sites, and which adheres strictly to the styles used by ancient artists. Jewelry in gold and silver with inlaid stones are fashioned after pieces of jewelry recovered from ancient tombs. Papyrus Paintings are painted in vivid color on genuine papyrus, made using the same principles developed thousands of years ago on the banks of the Nile, where the papyrus plant grows to this day. Paintings are executed in the style of Frontalism, one of the most striking characteristics of ancient Egyptian Art.

Frontalism

Frontalism is the style in which every known piece of ancient Egyptian art was produced. In paintings, the style of Frontalism means that the head of the character is drawn in profile, while the body is drawn f rom a front view. However, even though the face is in profile, the eye is drawn in full, as it would be seen from the front. The legs always face the same direction as the head, with one foot forward and one back.

Ancient Egyptian figures, especially of gods and pharaohs, are noticeable for their very formal, even rigid stance and posture, but their faces are always serene, regardless of the scene in which they are depicted. There were very strict rules about how a god or pharaoh could be represented, which even included a prohibition against anything being drawn in front of the face or body of the pharaoh, even when the scene depicted clearly required it for any kind of realism. Realism was simply not a goal of ancient Egyptian Art. It is these very formal and stylized rules that have made Egyptian Art one of the most widely recognized forms of art in the world. Over thousands of years Egyptian artists adhered to this one style, which is quite remarkable, especi ally as compared to the extreme differences in art expression that have occurred in the modern world in just the past 100 years or so. The only acknowledged variations are in the portrayals of animals and common people as compared to the more formal depictions of pharaohs and gods. As can be seen in many Egyptian paintings, animals and common people or slaves are represented in a more natural manner, though still within very strict and formulaic rules.

This frontalist style is the primary reason why ancient Egyptian art is so easily recognizable, and its appeal has lasted through many centuries to this day.

Ann M. Hession is the founder of Egyptian Artisans. A graduate of Harvard University, Ms. Hession has been fascinated by ancient Egyptian art and culture since high school. Egyptian Artisans is dedicated to sharing the beauty and mystery of ancient Egypt through making available fine Egyptian art and jewelry.

Author:: Ann M. Hession
Keywords:: egyptian art,egyptian jewelry,Frontalism,egyptian gold jewelry,ancient egyptian art
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Witchcraft and Magic

What is Magic?

Having been Wiccan now for several years and have had this same conversation with Wiccans, Pagans and many people of alternate religions the question always poses as a great discussion. What is Magic? Does it exist? And ultimately, can we use it to better our lives?

Magic, to Witchcraft, is like prayer to Christianity. When someone performs Magic in Witchcraft they are moving energy, forming energies around them and sending them on their way to their purpose. Each and every one of us are energy beings. Energies are abundant around us and they reside in almost anything that you see: rocks and crystals, Herbs and plants, animals, humans and every living thing. Wiccans, Pagans and anyone creating and performing Magic use energies around them to create a power that has been infused for a specific purpose. It is then molded and released towards its goal.

Many find it a helpful way to take control of certain aspects of their lives. Others find it comforting to be able to help others in healing exercises.

The art of making Magic is a very personal thing. From the actual idea of a spell or Ritual to candle color and which Herbs one will use and burn, the Magic is forming. Magic starts off as an idea and is formed and molded in the mind with the use of energies. The finale is the actual spell or Magic itself.

No one understands why Magic works, but ask thousands who have healed, fought off evil or protected their homes and families through the Magic of spell work and Ritual; it does work. If performed correctly, Magic can bring about exactly what it was created for. This in itself is a wonderful thing. I dont believe for a second that Magic should be used just in Witchcraft. In this time of struggle and strife in the world, should we leave our lives to chance and luck? I believe that pushing things to move in a certain direction can be a great benefit to us all be it a search for a new love, job, home, or to purify the body and heal. How can this be bad? We are ultimately striving to control our lives in a positive direction. We are using the energies around us and in us that many people ignore to protect and guide ourselves and our loved ones.

Maybe we should ponder more on these questions. Imagine if we all took such positive actions in our own lives. Maybe we could change the course of our lives for the better and move in a direction that would benefit us rather than sitting stagnant and not knowing which way to go.

Magic is not just for Wiccans, Witches and Pagans anymore, it is for all of you out there who believe you can have a say in which direction your life goes. Imagine where the Magic could lead you.

Happy Magic

Jacqueline S

Jacqueline S is proprietor of http://www.darkmoonMagick.com which carries Herbs for Magickal uses.

Jacqueline was born in the Uk in 1969, and moved to Canada when she was 20yrs old. She became intereste d in Wicca and Paganism many years ago and began a solitary practice along with taking several classes at a local metaphysical shop. The classes helped her gain friendships along the way and also to become more comfortable in herself. She began making her own Herb blends a few years ago and it escalated from there. She enjoys what she does and finds working with different Herbs and making Soaps and lotions from scratch very rewarding. She started sending off handmade Soaps to friends and family and they just loved them and she makes Herbal blends for people who ask. One feels very close to the earth when she deals with Herbs and such, much like gardening and watching things grow, its a very gratifying thing. The articles she writes are based on what she knows and what she does. She will be gratified if someone reads her articles and finds them helpful.

Author:: Jacqueline S
Keywords:: Wicca, Wicccan, Herbs, Herb, Magick, Magic, Witchcraft, Ritual, Goddess, Pagan, new age, Soap, Soaps
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Theme Park Master Planning

So you want to build a theme park?

What do you do? Where do you start? How about taking some cool rides, and putting them together with some good restaurants, fun stores and pretty landscaping? Well, you can do exactly that, and some people have, but if you want to make your theme park work youd better do some master planning.

The Numbers Game

If you want to build a theme park, the safest place to start is by doing a feasibility study. This study will tell you what kind of market your park will draw upon, what kind of attendance you can expect, and therefore how big to make the park. Now, this is sort of a Catch 22, because unless you have some idea of the type and quality level of the attraction you plan to build, you cant really pin down how many people will visit it. But given that you have some general idea of what you want to do, a good feasibility study can narrow down the parameters about what you should plan.

There are a million formulas we use when we do these studies, but at the end of the day, they all boil down to one number: The Design Day. To calculate the Design Day, you have to figure out how many people will be coming to the park during a day in peak season, and how many of them will actually be in park at the peak time of day. That number basically tells you how big to make everythingfrom the size of the walkways to the size of the parking lot. It tells you how many entertainment units (i.e. ride, show and game capacity per hour) you need to plan, how many restaurants and stores youll need, and just about everything else, except maybe how big to make Mickey Mouses ears.

The money guys will use this feasibility study to help them figure out if you are going to make a buck on the park, or go broke. There are two key factors here: your total attendance per year, and the per capita income you can expect from each guest. A lot of this depends on what kind of attractions you have, and how long you can entertain the guests. At a big theme park, like the Magic Kingdom or Universal Studios, theres more to experience than you can do in one day, so you can charge more for a ticket, and people will spend more on food and merchandise because they stay longer. At a small park, it works the other way.

Even considering all the science and statistical formulas we use, a feasibility study can only provide an educated guess at how big to make your park. For example, at Universal Studios, Florida, despite the fact that the park had a rough opening, it exceeded the highest feasibility study attendance projection in the first year, and just kept growing from there. That is to say, more people came than we projected in our wildest imagination! What that meant for the park guests is there were some long lines at first. These exceeded our wildest expectations as well. For example, I had designed the E.T. ride with a pleasant indoor queue themed like a pine forest, but the actual line s stretched well outside the building. Our quick response to that was to improve the queue line experiences with videos, bigger shade structures, and live entertainment, but from a master planning point of view, so long as you leave space for the queues, you are pretty well covered.

The Theme

A Real Theme Park needs a theme, which is a funny thing to say, but have you ever noticed that a lot of the places we call theme parks dont have much of a theme at all? Thats because a lot of them are not really theme parks, they are just amusement or thrill ride parks with some pretty scenery stuck in between giant iron rides that look like Martian machines from The War of The Worlds. For this discussion, we are going to stick to Real Theme Parks, a term which describes Disney, Universal, many of the Busch parks, and certain others such as De Efterling in Holland.

Sometimes you start with a theme, and sometimes you evolve one over time.

For example, at Universal Studios Florida, we started with the theme that we were a working movie studio. Thus, when you arrive at Universal, the first thing you do is walk through the studio gate. Now it so happens that the original Universal Studios in Los Angeles never had a studio gate. To get on to the Universal lot, you just drove past a guard shack and waved at a guard named Scotty. However, since Scotty passed away, we decided to borrow the Paramount Studio main gate for Universal, Florida, and a replica (somewhat improved) of that is what is there today.

The rest of Universal in Florida follows the layout of a standard studio. Once you enter, you are on the front lot, which looks like a bunch of sound stages. Some of them are real, and some happen to be rides cloaked in sound stage themed (i.e. concrete box) buildings. But if you turn right on to Hollywood Boulevard, like most people do when they enter a theme park, you find yourself on the Back Lot, an area themed to look like the ex terior shooting sets of a movie studio. If you walk behind a set, as you often do when you are standing in line for a ride, youll see the structure that holds it upunlike Disneylandbecause thats what you see when you walk behind the faade of a shooting set in Hollywood. Its all Movie Magic at Universal, and everything in the park flows from that theme.

In other cases, you might end up finding your theme after youve been in the design stage for awhile. One example of this is Disneys EPCOT. Walt wanted to build an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, that is, a working city showcasing future technology. But by the time I arrived at Disney in 1979, that theme had morphed into what it is today: a permanent Worlds Fair.

It doesnt matter how you get to the theme. It might evolve, like EPCOT or be someones brainchild, but however you get there the theme determines everything else that you do. And why? Because, as our Executive Art Director at Disney, John Hench , used to say, if you are a real theme park, you cannot have visual contradictions. What Mr. Hench meant, basically, is that if you are standing on a 19th century Main Street, you cant have Space Ships landing in front of you, it ruins the experience, and your theme provides you with the guidance to make these kinds of design decisions.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but we will get to that in our next section, park layout.

Park Layout

When people think of Master Planning, a lot of them think of how the park is arranged, which is what we call park layout.

There are as many ways to lay out a park as there are designers who do it, but a few have been used more often than not, so well touch on those first.

The Disney approach, seen in the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, is what could be called the Icon Design Philosophy. The big Icon for Disney is the Castle at the end of Main Street, and that is also the one visual contradiction in that parkas there arent a lot of fairytale castles at the end of most American Main Streets. That visual contradiction is designed to pull you down Main Street, and thats basically what the Icon Design Philosophy doesit provides you with big, visual landmarks that pull you through the park. Once you enter Tomorrowland, for example, youll see Space Mountain, which is located at the back of that land and pulls you to that point. The other Icons, the Matterhorn and Big Thunder Mountain work the same way, and they also help you figure out where you are in the park. If you see Big Thunder ahead of you, then Frontierland must be that way.

Probably the most popular park layout is the loop which was first developed by Randy Duell for Six Flags Over Texas, and can be found in more theme parks than any other kind of plan. The loop is exactly what it sounds like, a big promenade that circles the park. The good thing about it is that you never get lost, because you are always somewhere on the loop, so if you want to find the exit, just keep on walking. The bad part comes when you decide that the next ride you want to experience is on the other side of the park, and then you have a trek in store to reach it.

Beyond these layouts, there are dozens of others, notably the Universal Studios front lot/back lot plan, and then a whole lot of I kept growing and growing so this is how I turned out plans. Those are the places you get lost in, unless the directional graphics are really good.

But no matter what kind of plan you end up with, what really matters most to the guest is how much fun they are going to have, and that is determined by your attraction mix.

The Attraction Mix

This is your big decision: what kind of attractions are you going to offer, and at what level of quality and professionalism?

Part of this depends on your competition, and just how good you need to make the park to be the best in its area. For example, today, Universal Studios and particularly in Florida, is known for its high tech, story oriented rides. But, if the Disney company hadnt beaten Universal to the punch and opened their MGM Studio Tour before Universals in Orlando, none of those rides would have ever been there.

Universal had planned an upgraded version of their California tour, with a front lot walking tour with shows for entertainment, and a super-duper version of the Tram Tour on the back lot. In fact, before we opened Universal, Florida in 1990, the company had never before built a ride, and didnt much want to be in that business. But Disney got to Orlando first with their own improved version of the Universal Hollywood tour. The competition, Disney, had stolen Universals thunder, so the only way to compete was with high tech, state of the art rides like King Kong, and Back to the Future.

In the long run, it was good for both companies and good for the theme park business, because the state of the art of theme park attractions took a huge leap forward.

Now, everyone doesnt have a Disney park next door, so not everyone needs a Back to the Future Ride. But you are going to need something fresh and new, and you have to consider the big factor when you are picking your attraction mix: demographics.

Demographics, the age and income characteristics of the guests, follow attraction mix, and vice versa. If you want a lot of teenagers, you put in a lot of roller coasters. Keep in mind though: even though youre targeting coaster fans DOES NOT mean you sacrifice on theming and landscaping. Families like indoor shows, if for no other reason than they are air-conditioned and adults enjoy being able to sit for a while. Additionally sometimes, the theme park is the sole source of live shows/theatre in the vicinity, so this draws those people that dont feel like going to a big city to find that type of entertainment . And the whole family likes high tech, story-telli ng dark rides and simulators. So your attraction mix determines your demographics, or vice versa.

But probably the biggest factor in determining your Master Plan is the personality of the management. If they are ride guys who like those white knucklers, then at the end of the day you are going to end up with a park full of thrill rides. If they are from show business youll probably be exploiting some sort of intellectual properties (books, movies, films, etc), like we did at Six Flags with the Batman Stunt Show. If they are risk takers, your park will feature custom, one of a kind rides, or if they are more conservative, theyll guide you in the direction of selecting proven, off the shelf equipment. In theme park design, as in most other fields, you follow the Golden Rule: He Who Has The Gold Rules. But its essential that the theme park designer educate the management so they understand the downside of under cutting the theming, landscaping and ride variety---eventuall y it will catch up with you and guests will stop coming in DROVESthus the gold dwindles.

You will notice that I did not mention budget as a primary factor in determining the Master Plan of your park. Thats because budget follows the risk profile of the managementthe high rollers will go for the biggest budget they can justify, the more conservative managers will pinch the pennies. Theres no one answer, as both well funded, and very lightly funded parks can achieve success. For example, at Six Flags when they were owned by Time Warner in the mid nineties, all the Batman, Looney Tunes, Dennis The Menace, Police Academy and other movie themes were added, increasing both attendance and per capita income, while the capital budget was actually CUT.

When you put all these factors together, and your park is sized properly for the market, your attraction mix is right, you have just the right amount of food and merchandise, and the parking lot is big enough to handle your largest predicted crowd: look out! Its probably going to be a big hit, and the owner will be asking you why you didnt make the darn thing a little bigger!

And thats the last element of a good Master Plan: room for expansion. Given the fact that you are going to have to add new attractions after you open, having space for them without making the place so darn big that you exhaust the guests trying to walk the park, is quite a trick. But a good Master Plan allows plenty of space for new rides, shows or even whole lands. When you dont have enough potential for well-themed additions, you end up planting your new roller coaster over a parking lot, which can ruin the whole effect of adding a new ride.

There are a million factors that you need to take into account when developing a good master plan. For instance, food concessions need to be plentiful and located in the busy sections of the park, so that guests are not waiting in long lines. There are too many of these f actors to delve into in one short article, but there is one final design element that should be mentioned. Probably the most important factor in making sure your guests enjoy their day at the park is employee training, so dont forget to design a good cast center where your employees can learn what it takes to serve the guests. You can have the best attractions in the world, but if your staff is rude, indifferent, or incompetent, all the rest of your design goes right down the drain.

If you take all of these factors into account, however, youll have one heck of a park.

So, you want to design a theme park? Well, now you know a few tricks of the trade, so have at it!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To learn more about theme park master planning, or to inquire about a possible project, contact Peter Alexander of the Totally Fun Company.

Copyright 2003 Peter Alexander, All Rights Reserved.

Peter Alexander
President
Totally Fun Company
http://www.totallyfuncompany.com

Peter Alexander's combinating of aerospace engineering and Disney theme parks design skills have made him one of the leading innovators in the theme park business.

Author:: Peter Alexander
Keywords:: Theme Park Master Planning, Theme Park Masterplan, Theme Park MasterPlanning
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

First Knockout: Chick and Snipes Part II Donkeyland Cayuga Street Gang 1960

I really couldnt say, myself, but what I remember was we all stopped playing the baseball game and walked over to the new kid standing somewhat in the way of the players; he had moved in by Brandts house, called Snipes. He had a gray tea shirt on (muscle man shirt on), looked pressed even, clean. We were all dirty, and he looked too clean for us.

Anytime anyone of you guys want to fight me, Im ready, he said, I noticed a smirk on his face, and he looked ready, but he looked as if he was going to walk away, so everyone walked over to him and started saying: me, me, let me, meeehave him!

Jack, my close friend wanted to fight him bad, and he was always hyper, and he was real comfortable with the idea at first. The train of guys (or so it seemed), all were standing in that empty lot around him now, Indians Hill in the background of us: everyone was gambling for the right to beat his ass now.

Jack said, Let me kick his f*cken ass (Jack swore a lot), and the k id put up his fists and was ready to go, they only stopped because one of the other guys wanted him. Doug, and Roger, Larry (the tough guy of the neighborhood) and a few others and me all wanted him, but Larry was to big for the guy, and much older, and would have killed him, so he knew he couldnt afford to tangle with him.

Now there was a circle around him, and he stood quietly, stone-still, as everyone wagered for the right to fight him, punch him out, every body wanted the right to punch him out, and I looked, just stared at him. I had been weight lifting, had several fights before, but was no tough guy, not like Larry anyhow, but was getting a reputationsomewhat.

Cant I have him, I said, and everyone looked at me, I mean everyone, and they looked at one another, and Snipes looked at me, and he shook his head ok, as if it was ok for me to fight him, and when he did, I grabbed him and threw him on the ground, and I never stopped punching his face-in until some one grabbed me off of him (I think Jack): lest I make him hamburger. I suppose I was waiting to show the boys what I was made out of; this was a chance, perchance I was thinking that, I dont know; theyll tell me later how I was, I told myself. But I had lost control somehow, a light went off in my head, I didnt like that, it was dull youth telling me to fight I suppose, but I had won the fight, light on or off it didnt matter, to win was the main thing. But was it unfair? I mean I jumped the gun; didnt give him a chance. But I didnt look at the Golden Glove Rules, none of us did, I just punched, grabbed, and I didnt squander any time in the process.

It was a few weeks later Snipes came to my house, asked me if I wanted to fight him again, since I did not give him a chance. I said Id care to fight him, but I really didnt care not to either, I wasnt mad (and I knew I had to be mad, or take a few punches to get me made first, then I could fight). He said in his own wa y: Im not afraid of you; not sure if I can beat you, your pretty strong, but Im fast with my fists, and didnt get a chance to use them, but if youd rather leave it alone, I can but I need an apology for taking advantage of the moment. I said, sure, Im sorry, but thats the way I fight I suppose. Evidently he needed prep time; I needed to get mad time. I got to liking Snipes, but he suggested we stay a distance away from each other, lest someone get mad, and he didnt want his family to provoke anything if I went around his house. I accommodated him, why not, it saved his pride, and who knows, I might have lost the second fight.

See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: Short Story
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Top 10 Signs You Might Need An Artist Retreat Day

Chances are, if you're a creative Artist, you're longing for more time to create. Even when we're lucky enough to be surrounded by our art on a regular basis, there's always more we feel we could be doing. And for many of us, the idea of freely expressing our Creativity whether it's for one day or ANY day, feels like a far-away dream.

What would you love most about having an Artist Retreat Day? For most of us it's the thought of getting away from our normal routine, having our Creativity sparked by new surroundings and having the luxury of open time to work on our creative projects.

An Artist Retreat Day also gives us the opportunity to step outside the day-to-day and look at the big picture of our creative dreams. It gives us freedom from obligation and responsibilities and the opportunity to be surrounded by other Artists in a setting where we feel understood and accepted.

Here are the top 10 signs YOU might need an Artist Retreat Day.

1. You fee l resentful about the success that other Artists are enjoying.

2. You can't remember the last time you created something new.

3. You're bubbling over with new ideas and haven't had the time to develop any of them.

4. You've been staring at the same unfinished piece for longer than you can remember or care to admit.

5. You want to learn or improve a specific skill.

6. You have an approaching deadline for a contest entry, gallery submission or festival application.

7. You made a New Year's resolution about making more time for your creative work.

8. You feel like your flow of Creativity is Blocked.

9. You start to work on your creative projects but end up distracted by everyday life.

10. You always put yourself and your Creativity LAST on the to do list.

Linda Dessau, 2005

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps Artists enhance their Creativity by addressing their unique Self-care issues. To find out more abou t her Artist Retreat Day Guidebook, visit http://www.Artistretreatday.com

Author:: Linda Dessau
Keywords:: creative dream, Creativity, Self-care, Blocked, Artist, Artist, Musician, Writer, retreat day
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

RollsRoyce Progressive Dinner 2006

On Sunday, August 6, 2006 The Rolls-Royce Owners Club (Lake Michigan Region) had a very special event. They were hosting 75 members for a progressive dinner at the home of four of the clubs members and dinner at the Ivanhoe County Club in Mundelein, Illinois.

The event started at 1:30 PM at the home of David and Christine Seidman of Winnetka. The Seidmans started the event with finger sandwiches and refreshments. Just off of Willow Road all members that drove their Rolls-Royces or Bentleys parked on Willow road making for a wonderful display of these classic cars. As guests finished their refreshment they alighted to their cars and proceeded to the next home.

Station two was at the home of Mr. Robert Ritholz of Highland Park, Illinois. Mr. Ritholz has a lovely estate located right on Lake Michigan with a wonderful view of the lake from his back yard. All the guests arrived in their cars and parked along the road near the home. Once inside guests were tre ated to a wonderful assortment of Soups and pastries. Guests casually lingered to the beach from a private staircase in the back of the yard. After finishing their Soup the party continued to the next home for salad.

Salad was being served at the estate of Desmond and Jeanne LaPlace of Lake Forest, Illinois. The LaPlaces have a fabulous mansion with a 300 ft. private beach on Lake Michigan. The house and grounds are palatial in scope and grace. The large circle drive had Rolls-Royces and Bentleys parked in double file all around the drive, a truly festive site to see. The LaPlaces served Salad and refreshments to all the guests and gra ciously invited everyone to see the house and gardens.

After salad was served the club members went to the Ivanhoe County Club for a full meal. The club is located on a gated golf course community in Mundelein, Illinois. All of the guest arrived to be seated to a wonderful meal. The dinner was held in the Main Dining Room and there was a selection of every sort for dinner. After the dinner members left for the last station of the progressive which was dessert being served at the Manz estate.

Dessert was served at the gracious estate of Jim and Gail Manz of Long Grove. The Manzs have a wonderful estate build by Samuel Insul, the utilities magnate. The homes are charming like something out of Robin Hood. There is a large formal gate that members were escorted through by local police. Once inside the compound all the cars parked adjacent the museum. Jim and Gail greeted all guests personally as they entered the museum. Inside was a delight to the eyes, all sorts of vintage victrolas and antiques. Beyond the main dining room was a large salon that housed a large collection of antique cars. There was an endless supply of cheesecake and pie for all to enjoy. At the end everyone took to their cars and headed home to end a wonderful day.

I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago in Hyde Park Township, near the University of Chicago. As I child I was always drawing and painting. My father owned an art supply company, Favor Ruhl & Watson, where I was able to get all that I need to progress in my work.

I have always enjoyed portraiture and landscape. In High School (Naperville Central High School) I took Drafting from Mr. Pierce. I quickly grasped the principles of perspective and hence made a career with both Fine Art and Architectural Renderings.

In the mid 1970's I had joined the US Navy and was stationed on the USS Midway, CV-41. The Midway was home ported in Yokosuka, Japan (A suburb of Tokyo). While in service we traveled all over Asia including such countries as Korea, China, Philipines, Singapore, Pakistan, Hong Kong, and Japan.

While in Japan I learned Japanese. I speak German and Spanish as well.

I am a lover of Philosophy and Opera. I admire the works of Immanuel Kant and Fredrich Nietzsche. In music I admire the works of Mozart and Wagner.

Author:: Stephen Condren
Keywords:: Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Antique Cars, Automobiles, Food, Soup, Lake Forest
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Vincent van Gogh's Bedroom at Arles Painted in 1889

In Vincent's Room

In a word, looking at the picture ought to rest the brain, or rather the imagination.

Vincent van Gogh's Bedroom at Arles, painted in 1889, was intended to be symbolic of restful peace. A glance at this painting, buzzing with energy and filled with oddities, gives the viewer just the opposite sensation.

The room, though pleasant, all but reels with movement. Whether consciously or not, van Gogh painted the perspective, walls and decorations all atilt, so that we get the impression of a ship's cabin in a stormy sea. Strangely, the two chairs both face toward the bulky wooden bed, and the furniture blocks the two lilac doors. Paintings on the wall jut into the room as if almost ready to fall off, and the walls themselves are not square. The beveled ceiling and yellow double shutters are whacked off without mercy in the cropping of the canvas, and the whole room seems crowded into one clumsy area toward the window at the back. Yet somehow, the entire effect is somehow quite pleasing.

Before he left Paris in 1888 to go live in the south of France at Arles, Vincent met most of what are now considered the famous Impressionist artists of that period. Moved and excited by their work and ideas, he developed the dream of creating an artists' commune he labeled Studio of the South. The now famous Yellow House in Arles became the focal point for his dream. He readied the Yellow House for his guests, painting still lifes and decorating with the intensity reflected in his artwork.

The artist who became his greatest influencer, closest friend and eventually his downfall, Paul Gauguin, was the first and only member to join the Studio of the South. His visit with van Gogh was fraught with tension and he left after just over two months. The two artists disagreed to the point of violent arguments about almost every subject, but especially about painting. During one such argument at the end of Gauguin's stay, Vince nt, a mentally unstable epileptic, heard a voice in his ear saying, Kill him. Rather than obey, he cut off most of the offending ear. It was the denouement of an incident that placed him for all time among the ranks of the greats who were unable to cope with life, but nevertheless gifted the world with masterpiece after masterpiece.

Undoubtedly, Vincent's room did not really look the way he portrayed it. Yet in a letter to his brother Theo, his description of this picture includes no acknowledgment of intentionally conveying upheaval. On the contrary, he is at pains to talk about its restful mood, a symbol of relaxation and peace. The inescapable conclusion is that it was he, Vincent, who required the peace and he who never found it.

Visit the Life of Van Gogh website for more information on Van Gogh paintings, or to get out and own Biography of Vincent Van Gogh.

Author:: Elizabeth Harding
Keywords:: Bedroom at Arles, van Gogh
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Arizona Blue Gunfighter: Crazy Sam (The lost Episode)

[1884: Deadwood

The Barn

Yessam, said Crazy Sam you is tired, because I is. Dont let dhem white folks work you da death! Sam in the barn talking to a horse, moving a carriage away from Tasma.

Keep me wake up till I get ya fed ol girl, said Sam.

Sam jerked on the horses mouthpiece, to move Tasma away from the carriage, clutching her by the bridle.

Sam now paced the barn with his hands in his pockets, Tasma was not yet in her stall, which was open, You ant git no free er, Sam mumbled to Tasma.

The floor was dry, a few holes in the roof where you could see the sky, Sam looked up, and it was a star lit sky, a warm night.

Come back this way, Sam told the horse, but the horse was headed back outside. He walked the horse around the barn to slow her heartbeat, she was sweating (Lola had run the horse hard), and she still needed to cool down. The cow was in the back of the barn, she was making noise. The wind came through the open door, rat tled something, spooked the cow, and then Tasma, both were uneasy.

Sam looked over the horse to see if she was cooled down, Dhem foks hit you sho! Loa, she dhink ya can fly. You com her and et,

Crazy Sam, as he was known, started singing some old southern songs (he was originally from Alabama); said Sam as he fed Tasma again, I goes my way and lets white folks go dheirs; I reckon. Sam was born in 1823. Hed always tell folks he was born before the Alamo was shot up by the Mexicans.

Dhey still dhink dhey own us, Sam told the horse; now the barn door just shut, Cant nobody hear down here, from dhe house, no-ways and folks dhink I is crazy anyhow; taint no joke in it, cus I talks to myself all dhe time.

The cow was making noise again, as Sam put the horse in the stall, again; then all of a sudden, Lolas voice could be heard:

Sam, Sam!

I sho doneit now; I declare if I aint in trouble. Shut up that cow, said Crazy Sam, annoyed.

The Rocking Chair

Sam was sitting back in his rocking chair, on the porch of his small shack of a house, in back of the livery stable he worked; Lolas house, in the front, she owned the huge barn that was now used for a stable. It was in years past, a miners house, with a shaft, for streams of water to sort the gold from the dirt, with the water running down through the wooden shaft; now it was just horses, cows and whatever someone wanted to leave for a day or so, to be fed, bathed or rubbed down; or a combination of all.

Arizona Blue was in town and folks were talking about him, Crazy Sam had met him, a few years back, Lola had dated him. Lola owned a boarding house that was also connected onto the barn, and in back of it, fenced in corral, with a cow in it; and in back of that, Sams shack. She had done well for herself in the years past.

Sam was sitting back in his rocking chair, had finished most of his chores: his little shack was in back of the corral, he h ad two kids, older kids, one sixteen the other seventeen; it was Sunday and his wife and two children had just arrived back from church.

Hush up, said Sams wife, go fetch your papas whisky jug, by his rocker, hes had enough for Sunday morning, she told the older boy (Matter).

Said Sissy, Come on in the house Sam!

No, Im going to the creek.

Whys that? said Sissy.

dhey git company, Sam said.

Who is dhey!? said Sissy.

Dhe town got that gunman back, yous know, Arizona Blue, and when hes in town, theres no tellin what goin to happen. Best ya stay indoors to.

I reckon we can plan on Lola seeing him haw pa? said the younger boy.

I dont care, Sam replied.

Im hungry Sissy, said Sam, pausing to look at his old Negro wife, forgetting the creek.

She didnt say a word, she was tired, and then they both saw Blue and Lola walking up the walk; Blue smiled at them as he checked his back, as often he did, he liked Sam and Sissy, and the kids, it was something he would have liked to have, a family. Blues figure was a blur for the old Negro though.

Yah, thats him alright, said Sam, adding: Ill eit super out her tonight.

Whers my stew, my Sunday stew! yelped Sam (getting irritated).

Shhhh, said Sissy. And she brought out a bowel of steaming hot stew for her husband. Eit yor dinner now! she looked about, said (looking at Cotton, her younger boy): Git his spoon, the steam of the stew was going up his nostrils, and some dripping from his lips.

Stew

Crazy Sam now was humming and rocking back and forth in his chair by his wifes side, she in a stationary chair; then suddenly she got up and walked to the corral to check on the cow: normally Sam would do it, but he was half asleep.

Yall eat yor supper now, she commented, while in motion, to her kids inside of the shack sitting at the table.

Cotton mumbled in the kitchen, I dont want anymore, and pushed it back out of his bowl, and it broke the cast-iron cooking pot over the heath.

When Sissy came back, it was now dark, the air was cool: said Sam as he stood up, git yor nightie on, I wants to go to bed early, got to fix that wall clock in the moron. Then they both walked into the shack, together.

In side, Cotton was cleaning fish, and the older son, Matter was playing on a bingo, Dont ya come pesterin, ya hear me boys? Sam said as they went into the bedroom; both boys looking at one another; Sam never looking back to see if they heard.

Said the older boy to Cotton, yous got to tune up that bingo some!

Its too early to stop playing, said Cotton, adding, I thought I did tuned it up.

You is tonight, said Matter.

See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: Short Story
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Vietnam the Country

Much like any other country under the siege of war, South Vietnam back then in the early 70s was no different, that is, it was underdeveloped, lacked good healthy food for its population [yet its Army always seemed to be feed well, to include vegetables and dairy products, and so forth. That is to say, the cities, towns, villages all had shortages of everything, water, electrical power, you name it they had it under a shortage category, --but much like Germany, there was an ongoing black market, --where you could buy anything. If you couldnt find it at the PX, you could at the black market.

As far as we went, the Army that is, we never had hot water up to the 4th month I was there, and then when we got it, it was like a prize, yet in most cases the rain water was warmer, or warm enough, and many of us soldiers just got naked and grabbed a bar of soap and washed in the rain.

On another note, I was good friends with the cooks, and like anyone who had something to offer in trade, they would trade. And so, sometimes Id go in the back of the mess hall and do my bartering.

Ken the Cook

Ken was 19-year old; he was one of the four main cooks. He happened to have gotten a cute little Vietnamese girl pregnant, and had extended for six more months; it would be his ETS date [meaning, his date to get out of the Army. He did that for two reasons, one for his girlfriend, for he was confused on the matter of trying to marry her and take her home, and the second was, if he went back to the states with six months to go, where would he go. And so instead of battling the unknown, he stayed put, still as a statue, and when it was time to leave, hed simply go home.

He came up to me one night and was real puzzled. He brought a few letters from his mother and father, asked me to read them, and so I did. It implied he should not marry the girl of whom he had a child with and simply come home and start his life. That he was much too young to settle down. He asked for my opinion. It was hard to even want to give it, I liked him, but I also liked his small young girlfriend. She was always quite timid, and frail looking, but nice and friendly. Shed had made any man a good wife I think.

Asked Ken [on the verge of tears What should I do Chick, worrying of displeasing his parents.

Do you love her? I asked, or is she just a good time away from home, someone you got pregnant and, oh, well, things happen?

He said [wide-eyed and stunned, A little of all that, his voice tiring, as his mind seemed to have gone over it for the hundred time.

It sounds to me, I said [sarcastically, As if you have made up your mind to please your parents; or maybe they are making it easy for you to do what you all really want to do.

[Offended Ken asked,

And what is that, adding, would youwould you mind telling me?

A reason to leave her; tell her you will be back to get her and not real ly come back, or send for her. He looked at me strange,

Yaw that may be it, is that ok?

No, I said, That is not ok, unless you feel you are at least going to try; plus, youre in Vietnam, in the Army, your parents are not in charge of you anymore. You are not too young to die for your country, and therefore, you are not too young to make a decision. You cant have her waiting for you though, thinking you are coming and youre not. She can find someone else; youre not the only one in the world. Not sure if he liked that or not, but he responded well.

[Optimisticallyhis tone of voice sounded Ok, Im going to be up front with her and tell her I think it will not work out, that Im going home and try to figure things out. And no matter what I come up with, Ill always support my child. I smiled, nodded my head, and commented, Make sure its your decision, because youll have to pay for it all your life. He then stood up; we were sitting on the boardwalk across fro m the mess hall where the hutches were. He had the night shift and went back to work.

See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: Sketch
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Use of Vibrational Energy to Light Up Conveyor Belts

As warehousing becomes more fully robotic, with robotic forklifts, automated conveyor systems and RFID tracking technologies, there will be no more need for human warehouse workers. In fact the first completely robotic warehouse used in the automotive manufacturing industry in Japan seem to be working better than expected and there is quite a bit of savings going on. Think of it, no pension contribution, vacation pay, human resources departments and no 401Ks, no employee lawsuits, no lackadaisical workers, no sexual harassment suits; its perfect. Any business, which can cut payroll, which is usually one of the top major costs in any company or corporation is bucks ahead.

Since these robotic systems will be doing ALL the warehousing in the future, we can lay off all the people. Once we do that we can save a ton of money and in doing so there is not need for the expensive costs and high-energy requirements of industrial lighting. As a matter of fact these robotic syste ms are happy to work in the dark all the time. Of course there will be a need for human to monitor the facility, well until which time we can train an artificial intelligent system to do it. The human will want some amount of lighting.

I therefore propose to use the rumbling of robotic machinery and conveyor belts to power up LED lighting systems throughout the building without the use of or need for energy from the main power. The vibrational energy from moving machinery and robotic conveyor systems can power up these lights using electromagnetic induction technology to charge a capacitor instead of the headlights working off main power.

Currently there are some nifty micro-flashlights being used, which you can buy which use a similar technique and are available thanks to the Everlite Flashlight technology research lab. These smaller flashlights work by shaking them for about thirty seconds and shine for about 6 minutes and they shine quite bright since they use a very bright LED light. Here is a link to this home use flashlight:

http://www.yet2.com/app/insight/techofweek/319?sid=350

http://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/details/eeshakelight.html

If the lights get too dim from lack of activity and a human needs to inspect the facility or the power goes off due to outage and the robotic machinery stops, then the LED lighting system would revert back to the back-up power until everything is fully operational again. If we are talking about a 1-million square foot facility, the savings of lighting could be in excess of $50,000 per year or more, even with the most efficient of lighting systems. Perhaps this is a good way to save money and energy in robotic warehouses? Think on this.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Author:: Lance Winslow
Keywords:: fully robotic warehouse, led light ing, vibrational energy
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips

Wholesale Chess Sets

If you are looking for wholesale Chess pieces or discount Chess pieces in that case you will already appreciate that Chess is namely of the oldest known board games. People when it plays a part in almost any country on the planet enjoy it.

Growing popularity of the game has led to pieces being used that represent almost any theme imaginable. A search for wholesale Chess sets will beyond question result when it comes to numerous variations on the needed theme. You can locate wooden boards, glass boards, stone boards, plastic boards as well as many other discount Chess boards.

At that moment you embark on to seek at the Chess pieces as well as realize that your choice of discount Chess pieces is almost limitless. What seems to be the fact is that Chess sets are designed to stay pace with current trends and as these go out of fashion at that time the Chess sets also turn into less wide spread and are more no doubt to be offered by wholesale Chessboard outlets. If you are a predominant Chess collector as well as not subject to the latest movie themed board or other character set in that case you are no doubt to find some principal discount Chess sets on the Internet.

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Any time after the Christmas period is a fantastic time to seek for discount Chess sets from this type of website. It is usual for unwanted gifts are always offered at uncommonly cheap prices, merely to get rid of them as well as that includes Chess sets. Naturally, there are always those themed Chess sets that were received as a gift from a far-off relation and it turns out that the recipient is not a great Simpsons or Star Trek fan! Again, these are no doubt to be by the many discount Chess sets on sale.

It Is a little harder to find wholesale Chess sets. But it is not impossible to locate a provider who is willing to sell at wholesale prices, but you may find that the limited edition Chess sets do not fall into this category. However, if you effortlessly want to locate an more averaged priced wholesale Chess set up as well as are not above all un peaceful with the theme of the piece or the material that the board is used from, at that time these sets could well be ideal. In the finish, there are hundreds of websites that offer wholesale Chess sets as well as discount Chess items as well as you are sure to find something that suits both your taste as well as your pocket. No matter where you acquire the develop, you are sure to have many years of happy play.and ultimately reach your goal of achieving checkmate!

Chess part collecting is a great hobby, many ant ique Chess parts have proved to be a good investment for some. David Evermon is writing about Chess Collecting and Playing, find out more about Wholesale Chess sets on the Chess pages.

Author:: David Evermon
Keywords:: Chess, wholesale Chess, Chess set, Chess sets, wholesale Chess set
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