Archive for the 'Entertainment' Category

Wedding Bouquets

Every bride wants to look her best at her wedding. Choosing the right flowers is very important. The perfect floral arrangements affirm and enhance your choice of theme. Flowers are used in a number of ways at weddings, which means you will be spending a significant portion of your wedding budget on them, so get them right you must. You need to make important decisions on bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces, head-dresses, etc.

Here, is a quick look at the different types of wedding bouquets:

FORMAL HAND-TIED BOUQUET
The formal hand-tied bouquet is without doubt the most popular style at the moment. It normally consists of one type of flower, for example roses or lilies, and is tightly packed. It suits any wedding and dress shape. It can vary in shape and style but always creates a simple and stylish look.

SHOWER BOUQUET
The shower bouquet is a traditional bouquet, suited to both straight and full-skirted dresses. It is normally a wired cascading bouquet of mixed favorites such as roses, lilies, with lots of trailing foliage. This is great for creating a classic and elegant look.

TIED SHOWER BOUQUET
A tied shower bouquet looks great with contemporary style dresses. The top of the bouquet looks more like a posy which then consists of a trail of flowers.

SHEAF
A sheaf is carried over the arm. This is a great style for those brides planning a very individual style or theme to their wedding day – it’s the style to make a statement with.

TEARDROP BOUQUET
A teardrop bouquet is one of the most classic styles and is an inverted teardrop shape, slightly neater at the top and generally fuller with flowers that trail all the way down.

HAND-TIED POSY
A hand-tied posy can be anything from fairly neat mixed flowers to a loose informal garden-style bouquet. It is easily adapted to suit most weddings and is also a great choice for bridesmaids of all ages.

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submit on May 7th 2010 in Entertainment

The Best Zoos in the World

There’s a child in all of us, and part of that child shares a deep love for nature and its beasts. If you’re a frequent traveler, not only will you find yourself attracted to the man-made wonders of the world but will find that the uniqueness of any location that you are visiting is reflected in the flora, fauna and animals that are in that location. And for that purpose, zoos can be a lovely place to spend a bit of your time when on vacation.
According to the Forbes magazine, here are the top ten zoos in the world:

1. Animal Kingdom (Orlando, USA)
With a total area of 500 acres, this Disney ‘park’ is home to rhinoceros, antelopes and other species and of course, Mickey Mouse.

2. Basel Zoo (Basel, Switzerland)
With almost 6000 animals from 600 species are found at this zoo, and with almost a million visitors annually, this zoo is regarded the second most popular tourist spot to be visited in Switzerland.

3. Beauval Zoo (France)
Initially, as an open-air cage for birds, several other exotic animals have been added to this place since.

4. Berlin Zoological Garden (Berlin, Germany)
With an area of 86 acres, this is home to the largest collection of animal 13900 animals from 4000 species.

5. Bronx Zoo (New-York, the USA)
Known as the biggest city zoo in the country, it has about 4000 animals of which some are endangered species as well.
Some of the other popular zoos are Chester Zoo in Great Britain, Prague Zoological Garden in the Czech Republic, the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in the Republic of South Africa, the San Diego Zoo in the USA and the Schonbrunner Zoo in Austria.

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submit on March 27th 2010 in Entertainment

The Different Types of Latin Dances

The first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of ‘dance’ is the gracefulness and symmetry of its participants in its expression. Not only is it performed by humans but exists in Nature if one watches animals, bird, and insects and so on and so forth.

Of the various forms of dance that are a big part of performance exhibiting cultural variety whether ceremonial, competitive, erotic or just for having fun, Latin dance truly exemplifies this art form with a ‘stripped down’ yet freestyle approach requiring its participants to really ‘know’ their body.

Latin dance, or the term we have given it, refers to dances that have originated from Latin America and Cuba and are popular throughout the world. Most of these forms can be classified under folk dance as opposed to some of the popularized cosmopolitan counterparts as they have a strong relationship with folk music in this regard.

Here are the five most popular forms of Latin dance:

Cha-cha-cha – This dance is of Cuban origin, and is normally danced to Cuban music, Latin Pop or Rock.

Rumba – This dance finds its origins to the rumba form of dance from Afro-Cuban music, and is slowest of all the Latin dance forms.

Samba – This lively dance requiring nimble feet is what you will see if you catch a glimpse of the Carnival in Brazil, since the 20th century.

Salsa – The most well-known dance of the lot (from an international point of view) finds its roots in Cuba (yet again!!) while also being strongly influenced by Afro-Cuban beats.

Merengue – This dance is based on Latin American music with a two-step beat, where partners hold each other in a closed position.

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submit on February 28th 2010 in Entertainment

Tips for The Best Wedding Favors

Weddings always make beautiful memories not only for you and your spouse but also for your family, friends and the guests. Here are some different wedding favor tips that will add more color and jazz to make your wedding a very memorable event.

Customized Wedding favors
Consider gifting your guests and friends with a personalized wedding favor that will be truly unique and will make you stand out from the usual wedding favors. It will also show how much you cherish their relationship. Choose a good personalization expert to personalize your wedding favors.

Go Green!
Try out some of the eco-friendly wedding favors that are made of material that help keep the earth green. Products made of recycled material, renewable fibers and sustainable materials are some examples of an eco-friendly favor. This will show your friends and guests that you really care about them and the environment as well.

Make a charitable Favor
Break away from the old traditional wedding favors by donating money in each of your guest’s names to a charity organization of your choice. Some research before choosing a right charity organization will help you from being scammed. It would also help if you understood the charges and other deductions, so that you will actually know how much to donate.

Pick a seasonal Favor
You could consider giving a seasonal wedding favor based on the time of the year you get married. This will please your friends and guests and make them think how thoughtful you have been in choosing a gift that they could actually use.

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submit on February 5th 2010 in Entertainment

Baby Shower Ideas for the First Time Mom

Having a baby can be scary and exciting at the same time. Putting together a baby shower is one way of helping a new mom to get ready for the challenges that lie ahead of her. Baby showers are a lot of fun, even the planning part of it. Remember, the centre of attention is always the mom-to-be so focus on her needs. Have the baby shower a month or two prior to the due date, just as the new mommy is planning things for the new arrival. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

Theme – the theme could be anything you want it to be from smiley faces to butterflies, Winnie the Pooh, a tea party; you decide. Get a few close friends together and brainstorm about it. Try to stick with something the mom-to-be will like. Perhaps you could even have it in line with the new nursery planned for the baby.

Baby shower gifts – the list of things that new parents need to buy for their baby is endless. A good idea would be to get the expectant mother to register at a few retail shops – so that guests can get her whatever she needs. Things like changing table provisions, diapers, clothing for newborns, car seat and so on could be some of the gifts that guests could bring. When it comes to the gifts, tie them in with the theme of the party. A diaper cake would be a good idea – it includes rolled up diapers, pacifiers, teething rings, combs, bibs all made into the shape of a cake. You could also get together with other friends and present the mom-to-be with a hamper of ‘baby stuff’.

Baby shower invitations – get as creative as you can with the invitations. You can either make them yourselves or get them printed. If you want to send out an e-invite, that is also accepted in this day and age. If the baby shower is a surprise, make sure you mention it on the card with the time you expect everyone to be there included.

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submit on January 8th 2010 in Entertainment

Getting the Right Punch Fountain for your Event

When planning for a party that includes a punch fountain, it is important to look into the features and benefits that come with it. First, take your party decor into consideration, and ensure that the punch fountain you order goes nicely with it. The next factor to look into is the size of the punch fountain – which would of course depend on the number of guests at your party. You do not want thirsty guests at your party, and you do not want them bored and sober.

Remember that the punch fountain you order for your party should be cost effective. It would not be a practical choice to make if you go ahead and use up most of your budget on the fountain. The basics should be functional, like for instance a fountain that maintains a consistent flow, and one that does not break easily. Also, the beverage capacity of the fountain holds should match your guest list, and do not forget to keep a close eye on the levels of beverage and that it does not run out.

Keep in mind that most fountains come covered in way too many flowers. Choose one that goes with your party decor and theme. You should also consider renting a punch fountain – it is the cheaper option. However, you might also want to buy one for yourself, if you are a big fan. This way, you can keep using it at every party – it is a sure fire way of getting a party started!

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submit on January 1st 2010 in Entertainment

Learn to Play the Drums the Right Way – Three Easy Steps

When most people think about playing drums, they think about how complex and fast the drummers play. Contrary to popular belief, it is actually pretty easy and fun to learn how to play the drums when it is done the right way. In no time, this simple way of learning to drum will lead to performing those complicated looking techniques with absolute ease.

First and foremost, brand new drummers will want to figure out whether or not they want to play with a matched grip. A matched grip is when the drummer holds the sticks the same way in each hand, whereas a classical grip holds each stick uniquely. Matched grips have a tendency to make the drummer feel more in control, but it depends on the drummer.

Learn five basic rudiments of drumming. These are, in essence, building blocks for drumming and will later be used over and over again throughout playing. It is vital to know and play these rudiments well as they are the heart of many drum patterns. These should be practiced on a daily basis.

The third step is something that simply cannot be avoided: practice. It has been said many times before and will be said again: practice makes perfect. As mentioned earlier, it is necessary to practice rudiments for about half an hour a day or try practicing hand techniques on other days. In order to become a great drummer, one must have the time to practice and hit those milestones with great work.

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submit on December 18th 2009 in Entertainment

Choosing the right fly-fishing outfit

The temptation is strong when you go to the Outdoors store to buy the best looking fly-fishing rod you see. However, you must resist the temptation if you want to have the best experience when you go fishing.
Beginners, Saltwater anglers and Traveling anglers need different tackle to one another. Beginners are advised to start with a rod and reel combination that will allow them to focus on their casting techniques. Graphite composite rods are great for beginners as they are forgiving compared to fiberglass, baron, bamboo, and other types of rods. Using a rod with leave will allow the beginner to enjoy the sport until he or she eventually picks up the nuances.

Power is the key feature for Saltwater anglers, so a strong rod and proper technique are required in this discipline of the sport. The fish tend to be larger and can put up a fight for an hour or more. Therefore, the rod needs to have enough power to last this distance. This is especially important if you intend to release the fish after you have caught it. If the fish is completely exhausted then your efforts to release will be in vain, as it will most probably die. This is where your technique comes in to ensure the fish reeled in without major harm.

For Traveling anglers, a fly-fishing set that can be broken down is essential. They can generally be dismantled into a four or five piece set and come with a hard case. If you do not own a hard case, please make sure you get one to keep the rod in good condition.

Buying the right fly-fishing outfit is not so difficult as you can see. All it takes is a little common sense and practical thinking.

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submit on December 12th 2009 in Entertainment

The top 4 eBook readers

The Amazon Kindle

The Kindle, weighing in at just 10.2 ounces, is only 1/3 of an inch thick. Featuring wireless connectivity and a new technology that delivers magazines and newspapers immediately as well as downloading eBooks, The Kindle also comes equipped with the Oxford American dictionary and an in-built encyclopedia. This eBook reader also offers glare-free vertical page reading and an ergonomic design. Besides offering recommendations, access to Wikipedia and the capacity to store 1500 titles, the built in search feature allows you to search the entire Kindle Library, which comprises over 360,000 books. With a battery life of one week and a recharge time of less than 2 hours, the Kindle priced attractively at U$ 259.

JetBook by ECTACO

The Jetbook’s many features include Multilanguage eBook support, easy navigation, auto page turning, translating dictionaries and mp3 support. It also has a built in search engine which enables searching of the stored e-library as well as bookmarking and auto page turning. The search feature is useful, considering the Jetbook allows you to expand your storage space to a maximum of 2GB with an SD card. Priced at U$ 200 the Jetbook weighs only 7.5 ounces comes and with a free preinstalled book collection. It also features an excellent VGA screen that performs well even in lowlight areas. The battery has an active run time of 20 hours, but takes up to 5 hours to recharge, using AC, DC or USB power.

Sony Portable Reader (PRS 500)

At U$ 295, this eBook reader may be the most expensive of the four products reviewed here. The PRS 500 is viewable in direct sunlight, has a 166 dpi resolution and 8 levels of grayscale. With support for 7500 page-turns, this versatile device is usable in either portrait or landscape mode. Although the built in memory holds only 80 full-length eBooks, the PRS 500 supports memory cards up to 2GB and memory sticks up to 8GB. The device supports the Adobe PDF document standard among many other file formats and allows magnification of text to suit sight-impaired readers.

Franklin eBookMan (EBM911)

While not a dedicated eBook reader, the Franklin eBookMan, does have some nice features. These include music and an audio book player, an address book, a memo book, a calculator and voice memo. The bidirectional dictionary and its translating capabilities are impressive; however, the bad news is the EBM911’s touch screen with augmented polarizer is unusable in direct sunlight and does not feature rechargeable batteries. Despite these issues, the MP3 music features and personal organizer makes this eBook reader attractive at a low cost of U$ 165.

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submit on November 13th 2009 in Entertainment

New Dell laptop introduces wireless charging

While there’s nothing immediately obvious about the Dell Latitude Z that makes it unique, there is a rare first hidden inside; Wireless charging of the battery, no plugging in required. The wireless charging is an option though, and an expensive one at that. The special dock will cost around $200 and lining up the laptop on the dock to get it charging will take some getting used to.
The innovative system is somewhat similar to your electric toothbrush. A coil of wire is located on the bottom of the laptop, and another coil of wire is in the dock. Through induction, power is transferred when the two coils come in contact. Dell insists that charging the laptop this way is no slower than using standard plug-in power.

Apart from the industry-first wireless charging, the Latitude Z has wireless docking system which lets you connect to USB devices and an external monitor without plugging it in. Although the range of the wireless dock is only 12 feet, the technology behind it will only improve with time as will the wireless charging. The laptop also features a separate processor on its own motherboard, which gives the Latitude Z an instant-on mode with quick access to email, contact, calendars and a web browser. Dell claims that the low-power quick-boot could prolong battery life up to half a day or more.

The Latitude also comes with an SSD Hard Drive, ultra thin profile, a crisp screen and Smart Card reader which lets users simply swipe their cards over the palm rest to log in.

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submit on November 8th 2009 in Entertainment