Arts and Entertainment

Van Gogh's Sunflowers: The Haunting of Gauguin

2011-04-24T03:33:00.003+07:00

No other artists in the history of art have been so closely identified with each other as Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh. Their often volatile relationship has been dramatized in numerous books and movies, focusing particularly on their nine-week stay together in Arles in southern France during the final months of 1888. An experience that began positively, signaling the start of an artistic colony, the Studio of the South, but ended in tragedy in an incident universally known, whatever your background in art. For just a few days before Christmas, Van Gogh cut off his ear (actually his ear lobe) and started his long descent into mental illness.

We know the details from Gauguin, because he was there. According to his account, he was the original target of Van Gogh's frenzy, caused by the latter's realization that his friend Paul was leaving him. However, Van Gogh turned his anger upon himself. "Vincent had returned home after my departure," Gauguin related shortly afterward, "and cut his ear clean through. Then he put a big beret over his head and went to a brothel to take the ear to a wretched girl...."

Gauguin and Van Gogh never did see each other again. Vincent would commit suicide over a year and a half later, leaving to posterity some two thousand works of art.

Yet, there is a sequel to this story. Because Gauguin and Van Gogh continued their friendship at a distance, exchanging letters up to Vincent's death. Their mutual love and passion for art bonding the two, even during Vincent's sojourn in a mental institution, where he was allowed to keep painting, creating such masterpieces as Starry Night, often considered a symbol of our times.

A different subject, though, connected Gauguin to Van Gogh: the sunflowers, another icon of Vincent's vision of life. For Vincent painted them expressively for his friend Gauguin, back in August, 1888, in anticipation of Paul moving into the house that the two would share in Arles. "Now that I hope to live with Gauguin in a studio of our own, I want to make a decoration for our studio," Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo, "Nothing but big sunflowers."

Soon after, Vincent decided to decorate Gauguin's bedroom instead with the paintings of the sunflowers. And the beauty of that room haunted Gauguin during the thirteen years that he survived Vincent. Paul would write of the unforgettable sunflowers with purple eyes that shone golden in the sunlight passing through the curtains of his bedroom. "They bathe their stems in a yellow pot on a yellow table. In the corner of the painting, the signature of the painter: Vincent," Gauguin would remember long after, as if he could still see Van Gogh's extraordinary creations before him.

Even when Gauguin moved to the exotic world of Tahiti where he lived for most of the last decade of his life, he could not escape the memory of Vincent and the sunflowers. Sick, alone, and far from his native country of France, Gauguin probably spent his days dwelling on the past, especially his time with Vincent. For in October, 1898, close to ten years after first viewing the sunflower paintings that had filled the walls of his bedroom in Arles, Gauguin wrote to a friend asking him to send some sunflower seeds.

So in the midst of the tropical flowers of Tahiti, Gauguin tended his garden of imported sunflowers until 1901, when was he was ready to recreate them with his brush. Not one, but four canvases would result, as if Gauguin could not stop until he had fulfilled his own vision of the sunflowers. Two of them, both titled, Still Life with Sunflowers on an Armchair, are darker, more naturalistic in appearance, while Still Life with Sunflowers and Mangoes blooms with the dream-like colors of Gauguin's imagination. Sunflowers with Puvis de Chavannes's Hope overflows its wooden Tahitian vessel with the bounty of fertility and growth.

Soon after their completion, Gauguin would leave Tahiti for the Marquesas Islands, a remote island chain located 750 miles away. He would die a few years later, in 1903, ultimately becoming like his friend Vincent, one of the legends of art.

Why Do Cardboard Furniture Craft?

2011-04-24T03:33:00.000+07:00

I have often been asked: "Why do you deal in cardboard crafts?"

I must confess that it is cool. Imagine, having the ability to create, through your own efforts - easily and cheaply, any furniture you fancy. Whether it exists already, or comes from your own imagination. Whether it is something you need and can't find on the market -you can plan, design, and create it in a few days. Doesn't it sound like a dream? There is nothing like sitting back on an armchair and enjoying, it being your own creation.

I have discovered cardboard furniture several years ago, and on the same night - I created my first furniture.

Ok, I agree that not everyone can create furniture just by looking at it on the Internet. But for that very purpose, I am here - I undertake courses where I teach the whole Torah of cardboard crafts, and I deliver detailed designs for people to create and get similar satisfaction as I have. I supply schemas, videos and written description so every one can build their own cardboard furniture.

What is exceedingly charming is that anybody can design and create his own furniture. You just need to render your imagination it. The soft and light material (Cardboard) makes it an ideal craft for parents and kids to do at home. There is no need of heavy machinery to process it.

I have immense satisfaction to see the thousands of people that create their own furniture by themselves.

What do you need to start? Tools and materials value under 50$. The main raw material is cardboard which we can get freely from any cardboard recycle center. The rest are glue and some finishing material (like paint).

The benefits of using cardboard are:

a. Cardboard furniture is ecological furniture. Mainly because, cardboard is perishable raw material and also recyclable.

b. The furniture we create is ecological as we use reused cardboard. Instead of recycling it we use it as it is and use it in our furniture. Less paper waste, less cutting trees, less methane gas and many other benefits

c. Cheap raw material - Cardboard can be obtained freely most of the time. The furniture cost is determined by the finishing product we use.

d. Cardboard furniture is light-weight. Making it easily movable when doing house hold work.

e. Fed up with furniture look? Want to upgrade? Very easy, in a small amount of time you can paint, change, add or remove elements from existing furniture to get a whole new masterpiece!

f. Your imagination is the limit - you can do almost anything using cardboard: From simple frames to sofas, from bookcases to baby beds and desks.

g. The furniture created is rigid and loaded with heavy load, because of the cardboard structure and the processing technique.

h. The cardboard is soft and easy to process. This makes it very suitable to women who want to practice a "do it yourself" hand craft. This also eliminates the need to use heavy electrical machinery, make it a perfect craft to do at homes, and with the kids.

i. The cardboard is very forgiving to building mistakes. Mistakes can most often be covered by adhesive paper and painted.

Car-Less Places: Oaklavia

2011-04-24T03:32:00.002+07:00

Oakland, California - At 10 A.M. another "Ciclavia" session began. Oaklavia, as it is called in this instance, is a special metropolitan area in which a formerly car-dominated downtown district is temporarily transformed into blocks of wide open space where even toddlers play safely in the middle of the street.
Ciclavias have occurred in other cities such as New York and elsewhere. This is one of the first to happen in Oakland.

My wife and I have lived our whole lives in Oakland but we've never experienced it without cars in the streets, so we decided to check it out.

The car-less spaces weren't quite contiguous but the police and the event volunteers ensured that cyclists and pedestrians didn't wait long, or at all, to move between each car-less segment.

To be honest, even with police blocking oncoming traffic, it was still tough to relax in the middle of the street. Seeing a mother and child in the roadway was truly surreal. No fear of imminent death in these two: just joy at being out on a Sunday in a wide-open space.

Once the lack of car noise and the abundance of space set in, it truly was liberating and incredibly stimulating. Events like this and cycling in general flood you with so much more detail about your surroundings than you would normally get. Being in a steel and glass enclosure moving at high velocity (aka a car) robs you of so many parts of a place.

The smells of all the food alone made the trip worthwhile: like those from an outdoor café setup in the street in front of Ratto's Market & Deli, not to mention the Oaklavia barbecue.

Moving through downtown this way, you just plain notice things you didn't know were there. My wife (the gardener) found a little garden half of a block down from the city jail, with a nice view of the Federal Building in the background. Who knew? How would you know given that this one-lane boulevard (aka freeway) is what the garden sits along. Today, without the fear of imminent death by car, we could literally stop and smell the roses, or at least the tomatoes. Yum!

While we were investigating the garden, we met an event volunteer. His sweet cargo bike can haul up to 600 lbs. and cost $1,100. That's more than my friend Randall can haul on his Bilenky. Awesome.

All in all, Oaklavia was a huge success in giving people such great new perspectives and experiences on their city. Now, if this kind of car-less open space could just be made pervasive and permanent.

The cyclavía website specifies that these temporary spaces are purely for recreation. This essentially turns streets into a temporary park. This is a wonderful thing. However, removing cars from a business district like this is reminiscent of another type of space that has a more lasting and possibly more profound impact on one's life: the plaza.

Europe is full of these plazas, piazzas, and platzs, i.e. massive car-less spaces where people gather, not just on weekends but everyday, e.g. Trafalgar Square, St. Peter's Square, Marienplatz, etc. In these places, you feel safe from cars not just while you recreate but while you work, dine, shop, run errands, etc. In other words, you feel safe from cars virtually all the time. Living life without the fear of imminent death by car is a refreshing if not a profound shift in your mind's focus. Suddenly, brainpower currently spent on parking, driving, and dodging cars is available to ponder other things. Ponder the possibilities of that.

Europe is not necessarily more enlightened about public spaces. They've got their share of car-obsession, -dominance, and -congestion. These plazas are simply legacy spaces left over from the pre-car era. Since much of the U.S. was designed and built during the car-obsessed 20th century, we have relatively few car-less places. "Drive-through" everything seems to be our legacy in many cities. Fortunately, many in the U.S. feel this needs to change.

The sponsors of Oaklavia, for example, Walk Oakland, Bike Oakland are working hard to diversify our streets from cars. Another site representing proponents of this idea is the Livable Streets Initiative. There are, of course, many more. Nevertheless, as illustrated in Vegas, there's a lot more to do.

Three Types of Famous Unitards

2011-04-24T03:31:00.006+07:00

Traditionally, gymnasts, acrobats, circus performers and dancers wear the unitard. It is a one-piece garment that is basically a combination between a leotard and tights. The unitard covers all of a person's body, but does not restrict movement in anyway. Lycra is blended with either cotton or polyester to create a stretchable fabric. Now we know what unitards are, lets take a look at some famous pop culture icons that have worn them.

The Super Hero Unitard

The superhero is always seen fighting crime whilst wearing a unitard. Spiderman, Superman, Batman: they have all sported the tight fitting outfit. If you watch the re-runs of the 60's Batman episodes, you will notice that both hero and villain are wearing the tight-fitting costume.

The man responsible for superheroes dressing like this was Lee Falk, who created "The Phantom". This superhero first appeared in a newspaper cartoon in 1936 and in its prime was read by over a million readers ever day. Falk got his inspiration for the superhero unitard from the images of Robin Hood and thus, the superhero outfit was born.

The Rock Star Unitard

Freddy Mercury was the first of a new breed of rock star to sport the garment. He paved the way for other flamboyant musicians to express themselves on stage. The 1980's saw an influx of hair-sprayed rock stars scissor kicking their way across the stage wearing these outfits. Popular pop stars of today have shot promotional music videos wearing them as well. From the iconic Britney Spears videos to the new singles being released by Lady Gaga. Every pop siren knows the effect a stylish unitard can have on their fan base.

The Cinematic Unitard

The garment can be used for more than fashion or performance. The unitard has been used to make motion capture possible. The character Gollum in the Lord of The Rings films made possible by a unitard. The actor playing the part wore the tight fitting garment that had motion detectors attached to it. These sensors would be picked up by a special camera and then painstakingly digitally transformed into an animated character. The same process was used in the hit movie, Avatar.

As you can see, this garment has cemented its place into popular culture. Whether you are a contortionist, a theater performer or a professional dancer, the chances are that you have worn one and taken advantage of the unrestricted freedom of movement it gives you.

Grids and Zones: The Virtual Pokemon World

2011-04-24T03:31:00.003+07:00

Gaming can be odd. In space games, it seems logical that the virtual space of the game would be divided into quadrates, and in each of these 'territories' different races would live. We humans have done this to the earth with nation states and within those nations created states, prefectures, and counties. We also do it by putting up fences or walls around our houses in the suburbs.

But this is not true for nature. Swallows migrate regardless of national borders and grasshoppers could give a whit about the fence that separates your grass from mine. Not so though with the Pokemon game. In the game, as well as in Pokemon animation, only certain Pokemon live and can be caught in specific sectors. Why the game was designed like that I'm not sure. Obviously, fish don't live in trees and parrots don't nest with penguins. But nature is quite fuzzy and the Pokemon geography is anything but.

By the way, there has been a new release of the popular Pokemon video game called Pokemon Black and White. It is so popular that Webmasters are postings warnings of slow servers due to all the heavy traffic in response to the release. Spinoff merchandise like Pokemon Black and White stuffed toys (called plushies); Pokemon Black and White cards for the evermore-challenging Pokemon card game, and new Pokemon Black and White promo cards are selling like crazy. The new Pokemon Black and White plush toys inventories are hard to keep in stock as well.

Of course, for the new Pokemon Black and White game a new sector has been created as the place to go to catch the new Pokemon. All the other old Pokemon are still waiting for you trainers as well of course. What is never explained in the game though is why Pokemon do not wander out of their sectors like normal animals would. Are their fences around them keeping them in?

It's just as easy to design a 'random appearance' game as a 'contained' one. I think the game is designed to help the gamer keep sense of what Pokemon he has caught and if wants a particular new one, where to go to catch it. Dividing a game into sectors also ensures that the player will end up seeing all there is to see sooner or later. Like Mario, Pokemon is basically a maze game. You can design this in two ways. One, you can make the game linear like Mario so that each successive level is either more difficult or different in strategy, finishing out at a 'top.' Pokemon is more about winning battles in arenas though in a quest to becoming a Pokemon master. Does the fact that sectors are restricted in Pokemon take away from the game? I don't think so.

Locking Horns With the YouTube Crowd Over Pokemon

2011-04-24T03:31:00.000+07:00

On forums I do not get angry easily. Really, I am quite calm. I try to present my point of view moderately and reasonably. I maintain respect for people I disagree with, even if they don't with me. I'd make a good moderator. But I must admit my graciousness was tested to its limits when I got embroiled on YouTube with a gaggle of young high school or immature college age men the other day.

It all started out with Pokemon Black and White. As a mother, I'm not a big Pokemon player, but it did register to me quite clearly from my son that Pokemon Black and White was the big thing now and he was dying to have a new game. I did want him to have something- he's been really helpful lately, so I bought him a Pokemon stuffed toy (a 'pokedoll?') which he called a Pokemon Plush, whatever that means.

My son has been into Pokemon for quite a while so the other night I became curious as to this game he wants and how it is played. Obviously, YouTube would be the place to go, right? Well, you betcha! But, I was absolutely shocked at the abusive language that I heard on the Pokemon YouTube videos. Pokemon is supposed to be for young children. I understand that its difficult to control the massive amount of videos on the internet, but the fact that abusive language is so prevalent in videos that are supposed to be for children was shocking.

I flagged the guy for abuse of course and even went into the main forms. I realized that if I just randomly walked into this 'chamber' they must be all over YouTube. Of course I complained on the users comments section of the video and immediately got entangled with the crowd (I could tell by their writing that they were not kids). I didn't mind arguing with them, but after an hour I became sad at the fact that they didn't care that young children were watching. I know as a parent that this is partially my job to control what my child is watching, but how are we supposed to control what we think is harmless childrens content?

As a college student, we were still in the post Mario age. There were some Internet games around, mostly arcade type, and I even remember Pokemon coming onto the scene after I graduated. I remember PlayStation and all that, but I was a little old for that. Still, I've maintained some off and on interest in games. What bothers me is the idea of profanity that is easily accessible for children. Games are supposed to be fun and enjoyable for children. I really think this problem needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Children need to be protected from this.

Pokemon Tutorials on YouTube - What Else Are Your Children Learning?

2011-04-24T03:30:00.002+07:00

As a (young) middle-aged mother, I have little interest in video games. In fact, I have almost none at all. Watching my son, I've disapproved of some of the violence in these games but beyond the bloodshed, they have seemed to me for the most part to be pretty innocuous. About the worst I could say about them is that they were too absorbing and the overwhelmingly focus on hand-eye coordination rather than logical thought processes. They also keep kids from the physical world, which by the way, isn't going to go away any time soon. I forced my son to grow vegetables this year in our small Japanese garden and, you know, he's actually enjoying it.

Recently however a new Pokemon store opened at a mall near us and I got my son something called a Pokemon Plush, which is just another way of saying 'stuffed character.' He chose 'Ampharos,' which looked friendly and hardly seemed a 'monster' to me (the origin of the word 'pokemon' is hard to describe: technically it's Japanese but if comes from the Japanese transliterations of the two words 'pocket' and 'monster,' which is then abbreviated to 'pokemon' or 'pocket monster'). But most of these Pokemon Plush toys seem more like cute animals than monsters.

There are different facets to Pokemon playing, and a very popular one is from the original- the computer game. I must confess that I have become rather interested in Pokemon recently as they appeal to my curiosity for both science fiction and evolution. I also like computers and robotics. So I decided to have a gander at how to play a game and chose a tutorial from YouTube. I heard Black and White was the latest thing in Pokemon goods and playing and chose one of those. I must say though that as a parent I was shocked and appalled by the 22 year old narrator. His language was very obscene. For adults I have no problem with violence or profanity, but when its under the pretext of a children's video is where a line needs to be drawn.

I've watched hundreds if not thousands of YouTube videos, and I can't recall a more venomous narration than this. I was shocked and angry as I made a lengthy complaint to YouTube and I realized that this is not confined to Pokemon games but games across the board. As a mother, I thought was harmless children's content was not the case. I'm sure there are a lot of unsuspecting parents out there who also are unaware of this. I really think that something needs to be done to give these videos a warning label or at the least some sort of rating that would make it easier to identify which ones are suitable for young children.

I am happy to report that I checked out a lot of Pokemon web sites and found most of them innocent and cute. I picked up my son's plushie and will continue to monitor what my child watches. I urge all parents to do the same.

The Many Types Of Pokemon

2011-04-24T03:29:00.005+07:00

In case you didn't know, there are now over 17 types of Pokemon, with 495 individual species. This is a far cry from the few original 'Capsule Monsters' that Satoshi Tajiri invented less than twenty years ago. Unfortunately for some (some- most gamers just accept the new Pokemon with joyous enthusiasm), there is no real story or logic behind the proliferation of all these species over the years, but they keep growing. And the more there are, the more there are to be caught and trained!

The latest in the Pokemon craze is the Pokemon Black and White which has of course spawned new monsters, both the new Pokemon Black and White video games, and also a whole new line of Pokemon Black and White cards, Pokemon Black and White plush toys (stuffed toys) and Pokemon Zukan Tomy figures. Pokemon Black and White promo cards were very hot when they came out. In fact, Pokemon Black and White has been the most exciting release that the game has seen in a while.

Type 1 are called 'normal' Pokemon, though it's hard to see what's normal about them. Type 2 are Fire Pokemon and as the name implies, have some ability to make fire. Most do not look anything like dragons however. Type 3 is Type 2's opposite- the Water Pokemon. Presumably a Fire Pokemon will be doused in battle with one of these, or whoever has more of each will win. Type 4 are the Electric Pokemon. From this group comes the Pokemon mascot, Pikachu. These creatures are capable of generating huge electrical charges when they need to- that is, in battle, or in the hands of an inexperienced trainer. Type 5 are the Ice Pokemon, which are really good for slowing down an opponent in battle.

Technically, they should be able to keep a cooler chilled on a road trip to Vermillion City as well. Type 6 are the Grass Pokemon, which generally means that their DNA has been crossed with plant life. These leafy vestiges usually give the Pokemon powers like razors or intoxicating scents. Type 7 are the Fighting Pokemon, and as the name implies, they excel at punching, kicking, and the martial arts. Type 8 are the Poisonous Pokemon. Don't let these guys bite you, spit on you, or lick you. Many have poisonous skin or other body parts as well.

Type 9 are the Ground Pokemon. They hunker low and release a ferocious upward attack. They are hard to pin down as well. Type 10 are the Flying Pokemon. Their advantages are obvious but they are susceptible to fire, water, and poison attacks. Type 11 are the Physic Pokemon. They usually know what their opponent's next move will be. Type 12 are the Bug Pokemon. Their weakness in fragility they make up for in agility. Type 13 are the Rock Pokemon. They are very hard to defeat and deliver devastating blows. Type 14 are the Ghost Pokemon. If you can't see them, you can't hit them. Type 16 are the Dark Pokemon. They are very good at blending into the background for a sneak attack. Finally, Type 17 are the Steel Pokemon. Like the Rock Pokemon, they are very hard to defeat and deliver devastating blows.

Pokemon - Where Robots and Animals Fuse

2011-04-17T23:48:00.000+07:00

Not many are aware of this perhaps (or perhaps you are!) but almost every computer game we play is an application of robotic software technology. That is, the icons you see and maneuver are really program configurations with set parameters. It cannot go beyond those parameters simply because that is the limitation of its programming. Very often, in fact, 'upgrading' does not involve adding a new function to an existing entity, but rather simply replacing it in its entirety and downloading its memory from the game's database.

The original Pokemon game, ported to Game Boy as 'Pocket Monsters' was a fairly simple and standard 'fighting bot' game that became popular. The imagination is a funny thing. Geeks design and fight their 'bots' with a very strong ego: they designed the robot; they're pitting their skill against their opponent's. When a premise, or story, is put into a game that all changes. Pokemon are robots to be sure, but the user didn't design them- computer game geeks did. So it becomes a fantasy world in which the object is to obtain the best Pokemon that one can using it 'feature' to the best of one's ability. When losing, one can almost feel that the Pokemon let him down, was not strong enough, or whatever. He may blame himself partly, but not fully.

If the fantasy behind a game is strong enough, it can lead to spinoffs. Conversely, something that is popular like Ultraman can lead to a game. But games usually remain games and toys stay toys. Pokemon has seen very good spinoff (though it is not taking the world by storm) because of its intriguing concept. This is where the robot is left behind and the human imagination begins to reach out and explore.

The Pokemon card game is very popular with kids. You may not think that that has anything at all to do with robots, but if you let your logic go a little 'fuzzy' I think we can see robotic concepts in all life- that in fact machines were meant to replace things humans do and robot 'humanizes' the machine even more because of wider parameters. So we can speak of a baseball player as a robot (pitches this fast, had this many hits, weighs this much, is this tall, etc.) and trade cards. Similarly, we get the stats on a Pokemon and it's rather like a robot. But that's not so in the imagination. In the imagination it's something alive. And if we do something to it like make it shiny (shiny raikon cards), it becomes even more valuable and alive.

A Rare Glimpse Into The Pokemon Market

2011-04-17T23:46:00.002+07:00

Pokemon today is composed of four main sectors: digital games, playing cards, animation, and stuffed animals. Demographically, roughly speaking, gamers tend to be a little older as they have more resources, card playing is very popular among the elementary school crowd as it is accessible, social, and cheap, animation would seem to be popular among the younger crowd though it is a wild card, and surprisingly, Pokemon stuffed toys have become a hot collector's item as well as a snuggly toy.

While one vendor can and does sell all sorts of Pokemon goods (there are dedicated Pokemon shops) often a vendor will tend to specialize in a certain line, and right now the Pokemon figure (also known as the plush toy or pokedoll) is probably the most lucrative item. Vendors can be found on the Internet as well. Pokemon Cards can actually be very valuable if they are rare or very new and hard to get. My guess is that they will never receive baseball card status in price though. For the most part, kids buy cards in standard batches with their spare change and vendors who want to make money with cards must do so on volume and good outlet connections.

While Pokemon stuffed toys and Pokemon cards may be considered 'collectibles,' the computer game and animation occupy altogether different niches. The game, ported to Game Boy, is what first launched the Pokemon phenomena and is undoubtedly at the heart of what keeps the Pokemon spinoffs going. Like all other games, the graphics continue to get better and the story more interesting over time. Interest in Pokemon games shows no signs of abating, and it is new games like Pokemon Black and White and spread through all the other products. It is also in the games that the new 'monsters' evolve.

The Pokemon animation, in my mind, is controversial but market statistics belie my opinion. There have been a couple of popular Pokemon movies in facts, and loads of video translated into many languages. Undoubtedly Pokemon animation has made a lot of money and sales of DVD's continue to do well but for me they lack plot and character development, and like most Japanese animation, fall flat on their face in the dramatic sense. I also don't understand why Pokemon has not been produced into a non-animated version with SFX monsters and real actors. I'm sure they have the budget. Finally, what I have never understood about any of the spinoffs (the game an exception) is the sugary 'cuteness' of the Pokemon themselves. I would give them more ferocity in the animations.

History of the Oscar Statuette

2011-04-17T23:45:00.003+07:00

The Academy Award of Merit, or the Oscar Statuette, designed to symbolize film achievement, is constructed of gold-plated britannium on a black metal base, stands at over a foot tall, and weighs eight and a half pounds. It is designed as an Art Deco styled knight poised with a sword in hand, standing upon a film reel with five spokes, each of which symbolize the original five branches of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Producers, Directors, Writers, Actors, and Technicians. (Now the Academy is divided into fifteen branches: actors, directors, cinematographers, producers, executives, writers, art directors, musicians, sound, visual effects, make up artists and hairstylists, public relations, documentary, feature animation, and short film.)

The Academy did not officially nickname the trophy as the Oscar until 1939, but the beginnings of the statuette's nickname, Oscar, are dubious. Battling stories include:

• A biography of the actress Bette Davis which suggests that she named her 1936 Academy Award after her husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson.

• A 1934 Time magazine article by Sidney Skolsky referred to Katharine Hepburn's trophy for Best Actress that year as an "Oscar"

• Walt Disney thanking the Academy for his "Oscar" in 1932.

• Margaret Herrick, then Executive Secretary for the Academy, allegedly musing in 1931 that the award resembled her cousin Oscar Pierce, after which a newspaper columnist who had been present during the observation noted the nickname in a byline afterward.

• Louis B. Mayer's executive secretary, Eleanor Lilleberg, seeing the first statuette in 1928 and declaring that it looked like King Oscar, and referring to him by the name Oscar again later in the day.

Cedric Gibbons, MGM's art director, had developed the design on a scroll in 1927, using Mexican director and actor Emilio Fernandez as a model for the figure of the knight, and then supervised its progress from there. George Stanley, a sculptor, molded a clay sculpture of the design; then Sachin Smith cast the sculpture in tin and copper, and plated it in gold. Initially, the statuettes were made of solid bronze plated with gold, but eventually britannia metal replaced bronze in the making. As a pewter-like alloy, the britannia metal makes it easier to accomplish a smooth finish for the trophy. Finally, each nearly finished trophy is plated in copper, nickel, silver, and then 24-karat gold. From 1943-1945, the final years of World War II, to support America's war efforts during the metals shortage, the trophies were finished using painted plaster in place of gold. After the war ended, the Academy invited the winners of the plaster statuettes to trade their trophies in for the gold-plated ones. These amazing trophies take a bit more work than your average corporate crystal award.

Originally, C.W. Shumway & Sons Foundry in Batavia, Illinois cast the Oscar statuette mold each year; but since 1983, the awards have been made by R.S. Owens & Company in Chicago, Illinois. Each January, about fifty new statuettes are created for that year's honorees, although the makers never know for sure how many will actually be distributed until the sealed envelopes are opened and that year's winners are announced. Any awards that remain undistributed in a given year are locked away in the safety of the Academy's vault until the following year's ceremony.

During some early years, the delivery of the newly crafted Oscar statuettes from Chicago to Los Angeles was shaped into an event for Academy publicity. More commonly, however, they were delivered across the country by carrier - until the year 2000, when they shipment was stolen from the loading dock of the carrier a few weeks before they were to be presented. Although the stolen shipment was tracked down within a week, the Academy not only instituted the precautions of arranging delivery of the trophies by way of a special flight through United Airlines, but also keeps enough awards for a year's ceremony stored away in its vault at all times.

Since 1950, Oscar winners and their heirs have been prohibited from selling Oscar statuettes without having first offered to sell them back to the Academy for one dollar, at which point the statuette is returned to the Academy's treasury. In the absence of this stipulation, public auctions and private deals have resulted in the sale of Oscar statuettes for six-figure amounts. The Academy has won some legal battles to prohibit such sales on an individual basis, but still, some sale efforts have ended in success.

History of the NAACP Image Awards

2011-04-17T23:44:00.003+07:00

The NAACP Image Awards were created in 1967 in an effort to celebrate each year's achievements by notable people of color in the realms of service, social justice, and entertainment, as determined by votes among members of the NAACP. The 53 Image Awards categories lay out honors ranging across film, television, music, literature, and activism. Each year, the ceremony takes place in February or March, in the Los Angeles area.

Throughout the history of the organization, the mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has been dedication to the struggle for fairness, recognition, and opportunities for people of color, with emphasis on the African American community. Part of that struggle had been that against the limited opportunities available for Black entertainers, and their portrayal in the media. In 1915, the NAACP had led a national protest against D.W. Griffith's innovative yet controversial film, Birth of a Nation, which takes place in the aftermath of the Civil War and unfolds a plot that depicts criticism of the Reconstruction era that followed the war, and that relies heavily on the conveyance of the nation's newly freed slaves as savages.

By the time of the 1939 release of Gone with the Wind, which also failed to present Black characters especially favorably - albeit not nearly as offensively as 1915's Birth of a Nation - the NAACP was still disgruntled with the roles available to Blacks and the presentation of Black people that such films conveyed. Even when Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Oscar, Best Supporting Actress, for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Black entertainers and the NAACP believed there remained substantial room for progress.

In the aftermath of the protest targeting Birth of a Nation, a small group of Black filmmakers emerged during the years of 1915-1949 to release "race films," which were films starring Black actors in roles contrary to those more commonly depicted in the media and entertainment. These films depicted Black characters as doctors, lawyers, teachers, and romantic figures. By the 1950s, however, the challenges of limited finances and distribution caused production of these films to cease. With the onset of television, concern about role for Blacks and portrayals of Blacks grew into an even greater concern.

In 1951, the NAACP launched a campaign against producers, distributors, and sponsors of television series they felt presented Black people in manners that were stereotypical and degrading, such as 1951's Amos and Andy, a new series in which the antics of several black characters were the focus, and struck its critics not as an indication of progress, but as an offensive perpetuation of stereotypes. Though the show was the first series in the history of television with an all-black cast - and would be the only one having aired during primetime for about another twenty years - protest against the show led to its cancellation after only two seasons.

By 1963, the NAACP had also launched an active nationwide campaign to strengthen opportunities available to Black film and television actors, including negotiations between the organization's Labor Secretary and the Motion Picture Producers Association and AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, with support from the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America.

Finally, in 1960s, the NAACP's Hollywood branch developed the idea for the NAACP Awards, to promote excellence within the industry of Black entertainment, and to honor Black creators, artists, entertainers, and their supporters in a way that no other segment of the industry seemed willing to. The first awards ceremony took place in 1967. By 1980, studies still showed that despite advancements that the Civil Rights movement had achieved in the realms of suffrage, education, and employment, the progress made in the realm of entertainment were not significant.

During the NAACP Image Awards ceremony of the year 2000, Steven Spielberg acknowledged onstage that the film industry did have a need to recognize its faults and shortcomings when it came to such minimal diversity as still existed in every aspect of production - and furthermore, needed to take active measures to rectify those faults.

The awards ceremony was first nationally televised in 1974, becoming one of the first major crystal awards specifically honoring minorities. Beginning in 1981, the awards show broadcast in the place of Saturday Night Live, but since 1996 has been a major programming event during primetime hours on the Fox television network. Until 2007, the broadcast had aired on a delay, but beginning that year, the ceremony has broadcast live.

The author of this article is 10 year veteran in the crystal awards and recognition gifts industry.

The Beginnings of the Academy Awards

2011-04-17T23:44:00.000+07:00

The man behind the establishment of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927 was Louis B. Mayer, boss of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studios. The organization's goals were defined as developing a means of honoring notable achievements in film in order to encourage even greater efforts and achievements in the future of the industry.

The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, have been distributed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence and achievement within the film industry since 1929, making it the oldest awards ceremony in the history of all media. These awards established the paradigm upon which the Grammys, Emmys, and Tonys are based (its music, television, and theatre industry equivalents, respectively).

On May 16, 1929, the Academy Awards ceremony, honoring 15 statuette winners (who had already been announced three months in advance of the event) took place in the Blossom Room at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood, California during a private banquet for approximately 260 attendants. Director William C. deMille hosted the event, along with Douglas Fairbanks, actor and Academy president, who distributed all the awards himself that night. Emil Jannings was the recipient of the first Academy Award for Best Actor, for his roles in both The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. Best Picture that year was Wings, the only silent film to ever win the award for Best Picture in the entire history of the Academy Awards. The inaugural Academy Awards ceremony cost five dollars to attend, and an after party took place at the Mayfair Hotel.

From 1930 until 1943, the awards ceremony took place at either the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood or the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. However, by 1944, increased guest attendance rendered the usual banquet halls impractical, with theatres seeming to be more appropriate venues from that year on. Thus, from 1944-1946, the ceremony took place at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, then at the Shrine Auditorium from 1947-1948. The next year, they took place at the Academy Award Theater in Hollywood; then for the next ten years, they took place at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. From 1953-1957, Academy Award ceremonies were held on the East and West Coasts simultaneously, with one taking place in Hollywood, and one taking place in New York. Beginning with the 1958 Academy Awards, a single awards ceremony has been held on the West Coast each year, taking place that year and the next at the RKO Pantages Theatre. For the 1960 event, the ceremony moved to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. In 1969, the ceremony moved to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Los Angeles County Music Center. Since 2002, the awards ceremony has been broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

As of the last Academy Awards ceremony, in 2010, 1825 awards have been won, with 2,789 Oscar statuettes distributed since the very first in 1929. Since the early days of the awards, they have gone on to become one of the most highly anticipated events among film industry professionals and movie lovers alike. The most watched of any entertainment industry awards shows, Academy Awards ceremony broadcasts have received 195 Emmy nominations, and won 47 times. Various corporate and crystal awards are available for purchase online, for those companies or organizations who are inspired by the Oscars tradition of honoring excellence.

MTV Video Music Awards

2011-04-17T23:42:00.000+07:00

The Video Music Awards, also known as the VMAs, have been presented by the MTV network which has also broadcast the ceremony live each year, since 1984. They began as an alternative to the Grammy's intending to target the younger demographic of MTV viewers and focus its celebration and recognition more on pop culture contributions and achievements appealing to younger adults rather than artistic merit in the grand scheme of the music industry as appealed to industry professionals. At the debut of the Video Music Awards, Bette Midler and Dan Akroyd hosted, and Madonna performed a risque delivery of her hit Like A Virgin, clad in a bustier-wedding hybrid accented with lace tights and a belt that read "Boy Toy" as she rolled around onstage - setting the tone for the rest of her career as well as for the future controversy of the VMA awards show. Since then, she has appeared on the awards show many more times and been at the center of many more spectacles, such as performing Vogue in 1990 - clad in the likeness of Marie Antoinette in keeping with the performance's 18th century French theme, while performing a choreographed underwear-flashing, being fondled onstage by her male dancers, and giving one a peak up her dress - and french-kissing Britney Spears onstage in 2003. She had also taken home more MTV awards than any other of the show's winners, with a total of twenty thus far. Peter Gabriel holds the record for the most VMA's won in a single night, winning ten in 1987 for Sledgehammer.

Among other awe-striking moments in the history of the awards show, came from:

• 1989 - Andrew Dice Clay, a comedian who offended viewers with vulgar and profane nursery rhyme renditions, who found himself banned for life from the MTV network altogether as a result of his spectacle.

• 1992 - Nirvana begins their performance with their unreleased single, Rape Me, after having agreed not to - at the conclusion of which Krist Novoselic tossed his guitar in the air, which hit him in the face as he attempted to catch it.

• 1994 - The awkward, impromptu kiss between newly wed husband and wife Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley.

• 1999 - Diana Ross' jiggling of Lil' Kim's barely concealed pasty-covered breast.

• 2009 - Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video to issue a tirade in protest, insisting that Beyonce's Single Ladies deserved recognition instead, as the best music video of all time.

The ceremony has been held in various locales around the nation in past years, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, and New York.

The statues received by VMA Award winners are designed as an astronaut on the moon, which was often a backdrop for the MTV logo during its earliest years. Other awards commonly given by non-entertainment industries such as corporate and crystal awards can be found at wholesale prices online.

Its categories include honors such as Video of the Year, Best Male/Female Video, Best Video in varying genres, and Best Direction, Best Choreography, Best Special Effects, and Best Editing in a Video, among others. Several awards have been introduced and retired throughout the VMA Awards history, including: Most Experimental Video, Best Post-Modern Video, Viewer's Choice Video, Best Video Game Soundtrack, Ringtone of the Year, Quadruple Threat of the Year, and Monster Single of the Year.

The author of this article is 10 year veteran in the crystal awards and recognition gifts industry.

The Real Secret of the Rose

2011-04-14T00:08:00.002+07:00

Roses are one the primary gifts given all around the globe. They have been associated with love as well as war. There is even a war called "The War of the Roses" which was fought in England in the 1400's, but most associate the plant with the symbol of love. This idea goes back to 500 B.C. where Venus, the goddess of love, was associated with the plant and it was her sister, the goddess of flowers, who create the rose.

There are over one hundred species of this plant and the plant itself dates back to about 35 million years ago. It has even been noted that people on the Asian continent started to cultivate the rose about 5 thousand years ago.

During the times when the Romans ruled the world slaves where forced by their rulers to grow this flower instead of food. The Romans even used them in their baths and fountain's as decorations. And in the 1600's the plant was in such huge demand that the law even stated that they could be used as legal tender.

Rose perfume is made from the petals and then made into rose oil. This is also called rose Otto. Rose oil is used more than any other ingredient in perfumes around the world.

Roses are also used in art and the first known painter to paint it was in Crete about 3500 years ago. The Catholic Church said the rose was the highest honor and it was used in many paintings for the church.

The berry fruits from the rose bush can be used to make wide variety of culinary dishes. You can add them to jellies, breads and stews, for example. These are also rich in vitamin C and such rose mixtures where even given to children during World War to help them stay in good health.

Scientists also believe that Osteoarthritis can be helped by using the plants powder. The powder is made from the hips of the plant. The hips have a high level of antioxidant which can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent. Herbal tea can also be made out of the rose. Again, the rose hip will be used for this. You boil the dried rose hips to make his tea.

With modern technology you can even get your picture or text on live roses. These are called speaking roses, or printed roses. Imagine surprising a loved one with a picture of you both on your bouquet of roses!

Eating Habits in Astrology

2011-04-14T00:07:00.002+07:00

Eating habit is the specific eating pattern of a native, influenced by his social, cultural, religious, economical, environmental, and political factors. It refers to way and mannerism of eating along with the quantity and quality of food.

From astrology you can judge the eating habits of any person by carefully observing his horoscope.

Factors influencing eating habits are:

* Ascendant: indicates general likeness and inclinations.
* 2nd house/lord: indicates general food and drinking habits.
* 6th house/lord: indicates the quality of food.

Different patterns of eating habits:

Ascendant:

* Malefic aspects to ascendant/moon in natal chart indicate problematic eating patterns that may lead to weight issue.
* Jupiter placed in ascendant, indicates overeating tendencies.
* Mars having strong relation to ascendant and its lord indicates inclination for hot beverage like tea, coffee etc and likeness for spicy food.

2nd house:

* If the lord of the 2nd house is a benefic planet and placed in the auspicious place, the native will eat in lesser quantity.
* If lord of 2nd house is a malefic and influenced by a malefic, the native will indulge in overeating.
* If the lord of 2nd house is a benefic and aspected by a malefic or vice versa, the native will be a moderate eater.
* If lord of 2nd is in own sign/exaltation/aspected by benefic, the native will eat with comfort.
* Lord of 2nd is posited in Aries/Cancer/Libra/Capricorn or if the benefice planets aspects 2nd house, the native will eat very fast.
* Malefic placed/aspect 2nd house, the native will eat very slowly.
* Rahu influencing 2nd house, indicates non-vegetarian eating habits.

6th house:

* Jupiter/Mercury placed in 6th house, indicates inclination for salty food items.
* Strong Jupiter placed in 2nd/10th house, indicates fondness for sweet items.
* Venus/Mars posited in 6th house indicates likeness for sour foods.
* Venus and Mercury in association, indicates attraction for sweet food.
* Jupiter and Venus aspecting 6th house indicates inclination for sweet food items.
* Taurus being the sign of 6th indicates inclination for rice and potatoes.
* Leo as the 6th sign in the horoscope indicates love for non-vegetarian foods.
* Mercury associated with malefic, indicates dislikeness for sweet food items.

Eating habits according to ascendant's signs:

Aries: they are extremely impatient. They eat in hurry and in anxiety. They are very fond of hot beverages like tea, coffee etc. Generally they have irregular eating habits, which may affect their digestive system.

Taurus: the native born under this sign like traditional and energetic food. They love rice, potatoes, and other carbohydrate food items. They enjoy eating salads and other healthy foods.

Gemini: they eat in small portions of food. They love snacks and appetizers. Generally they do others works while eating, like watching TV, reading books, gossiping etc. They generally eat before going for the sleep. They drink plenty of water.

Cancer:due to their delicate stomach and digestive system they are very careful in selecting diet. They have weakness for alcohol and wine. They are very obsessive for sweet food; hence in later period of time they are conscious of weight gain. Their diet generally lacks calcium.

Leo: they have regular and disciplined eating habits. Due to their high metabolic rate they frequently required intake of food and plenty of water. Generally they eat very fast. They love company of colleagues or relatives while eating. They prefer hot soups and meals. They should check on fat and spicy items in their diet for health heart conditions.

Virgo: They are very health conscious. Their diet is full of nutritional values. Due to their slow metabolism rate they tend to gain weight very easily. If they should avoid overeating and use of fatty food items. They should include spicy and dairy products in their diet.

Libra: They are extremely conscious about their weight. They have weakness for sweet foods. Flavor and presentation of food is important for them. They love aromatic deliciously cooked foods. They include more vegetables in their diet. Their immunological system can be affected by bad eating habits.

Scorpio: being a water sign, they might indulge in overeating due to stress and anxiety. They should check their alcohol intake and prefer small meals rather than having large meals.

Sagittarius:they are very conscious about their health. Due to their hasty nature they eat very fast. They have tendency of being overweight. They should avoid excess alcohol products in order to prevent the damage of skin and liver. They should include water, high protein, and dairy products in their diet.

Capricorn: they are health conscious and do not compromise with their eating habits. They give attention to the quality of food rather than quantity. They always prefer simple food and do not experiment much with their diet. They do not like other activities while eating. They should include more protein and calcium in their diet for healthy bones, teeth and skin.

Aquarius:Generally they are light eaters and relay mostly on low calories meals. They have less interest in food. Throughout day they won't eat substantial meals and depends mostly on snacks. They are very fond of coffee and tea. They never fell ill due to their irregular and indiscretion dietary plans

Pisces: they have changeable eating habits according to situations. They like variety of food items in their menu. Usually they have lower metabolism and sluggish digestion; hence they should avoid excess salt and alcohol. They must drink excess water for detoxification and should include iron rich food in their diet.

Calling It Christian

2011-04-14T00:06:00.002+07:00

What are Christian artists supposed to create?

Is a Christian photographer supposed to take pictures of Jesus? (Highly improbable, though if anyone could do it it would be TMZ).
Is a Christian painter supposed to paint portraits of Jesus? (Wait what color was he?)
Is a Christian writer supposed to write about Jesus? (Done. Apostles did that already)
Is a Christian actor supposed to play Jesus? (Talk about starving for lack of work)
Is a Christian sculptor supposed to sculpt figures of Jesus? (Hey, buddy, what is this? I think Jesus wasn't as muscular as you made him there.)

What is a Christian artist?

We are humans. We are artists. We are Christians.

In that order. The first two you are born with, the latter you are born again with. If you try to flip that order, nobody will understand you except other Christians.

A Christian is a person. Just like any other person. Only they've chosen to believe they have a Savior, and exhibit Christ-like behavior. (Which is not exclusive, as there are many people who reflect this behavior who are not Christian.) The exhibiting Christ-like behavior part is much harder than it seems. We often fail miserably at it. And if we are honest with ourselves as well as others, it brings us back to being human, just like anyone else.

Freedom
As Christians we are free. And as artists, it is in that freedom we should create. We should create what we feel, and in that freedom we will be relevant, authentic, and transparent. As artists we need to be sure our work is top notch. Our standards are extremely high. Having the constant awareness that we can always be better. There is nothing wrong with calling yourself a Christian artist. For an artist who portrays/reflects Christ in their work, it's an extension of their new life.

There is, however, a growing segment of artists who are Christians separating themselves from the Christian label. Why are they doing this? For some, they don't want the baggage of what is viewed as Christian to influence other's opinions of their work. For others (myself included), it's a desire to be seen, heard, or read just as one would experience any other artist.

This is very similar to the cultural stance on Religion vs God. You will hear more complaints and accusations hurled at religion than you actually will hear about God. Religion is a flawed human system because we as humans are flawed.

Here's the real deal: the label, in this case the Christian label, is not the power. It's not what makes something good.

If you invite a friend to a Christian concert, and this friend has never been to church, there's a good chance Todd is going to say no. But if you simply asked Todd to check out a rock band you've heard good things about, well, you might just get Todd's attention.

If Todd goes and 1.) the band plays quality music, and 2.) there's something more to it that you can't put a finger on, then that's where the power is. It's not in the Christian label.

Unfortunately, we as humans feel comfortable with labels. If at your invitation Todd asked more about the band and what kind of music they play, you'd have to describe them in some way, indie, alternative, whatever. And by Todd knowing you, he might ask if they are a Christian band.Again with the labels making our simple invitation to check out a band more complex and exhaustive.

The cultural idea of what is Christian is often so far removed from Christ that anything with that label now hurts more than helps.

Take one of the popular chicken restaurants for example. The founder is a Christian. Truett Cathy. However, in the restaurant name, there is no reference to it being a Christian restaurant. No taglines under the logo that say Our Chickens are Baptized. It's just a franchise which has become very popular for the food they serve. Their customers go there because they like the food. Simple as that.

We must motivate ourselves to do our very best, and by our example lead others to do their best as well. -Truett Cathy

I never thought I'd quote a chicken salesmen, as I myself don't eat chicken. It is when we are creating and doing our best, maintaining high quality standards and constantly learning and growing that we make an impact, becoming relevant and influential.

Who Are You?
The key to relating to people is found in you. The key to people relating to your work is found in you. The more you know who you are, the more transparent you become. When you cultivate the characteristics that make you interesting as a person and impart them into your work, there becomes a oneness between who you are and what you create.

What you create is an extension of who you are. It doesn't always define who you are, but it does inform others about you.

It's time to strip the labels and show people who you really are. Share your opinion, speak through your work. As an artist, at the end of the day, your work should say more about you than any label ever could.

Clint Fisher is a bonafide Avocadophile and Music Geek Extraordinaire.
Clint is the original Mayor of Pinches Tacos, and aspires to be Eva Mendes' poolboy. He spends his days immersed in CSS and music, his nights in the Sons of Anarchy and Justified but is willing to put that all aside if Eva should call.

Special Event Flowers

2011-04-14T00:05:00.002+07:00

When you are in charge of organizing a "Special Event", you want to make a good impression. Don't forget the flowers to make your event memorable. Your local florist offers a wide variety of floral décor for any event!

Flowers can add a special touch to many events including;

Conventions & Trade Shows

Corporate & Private Celebrations

Fundraisers

Graduations

Reunions

School Functions (including dances)

Open House (Corporate & Residential)

Banquets

Mitzvahs

Seasonal Home & Office

Anniversary Parties

Weddings & Receptions

Baby Showers

Bridal Showers

Birthday Parties

Church Functions

Some of the many floral designs used for special events include;

Centerpieces-

Your local florist can assist you with centerpieces with or without candles. Be sure to have an accurate table count. It will also help your florist customize your floral centerpieces if you know the size and shape of the table. Centerpieces can add beautiful color to your special event. At the end of your event you can even hold a drawing for the centerpieces or give them away as a memorable keepsake.

Structure Floral Design-(Swags, Garlands, Custom Designs)

~for banister railings, doorways, stages, fireplace, etc.~
Flowers can be designed to compliment any structure for your special event. If possible, your florist may like to visit your event venue to take measurements and make the appropriate recommendations for floral designs customized for structures.

High Style Floral Design-

These unique designs can be in vases, urns or other special containers. They are commonly used on Foyer Tables, Pedestals, Stages and Head Tables for dramatic effect. A high style floral arrangement is blooming modern art, impressive for any special event.

Another Creative idea is to have corsages and/or boutonnières made for your guests of honor, hosts and speakers. They will compliment the other flowers at your event, and double as a token of appreciation for your distinguished guests. Call your local florist today for details. The possibilities are endless!

Diamond is April's Birthstone

2011-04-14T00:03:00.002+07:00

If you're still young enough to remember your birthday, you probably also remember the special birthstone assigned to it. But at your age, we bet you don't really know the SIGNIFICANCE of your birthstone and what power the ancients felt would be bestowed about you by wearing it.

April Birthstone: Diamond

Birthstone Properties: Enhances competence, trust and love

Alternative Birthstone: Opal

Formed deep within the earth where there is intense heat and pressure, diamonds are simply crystallized carbon. April's birthstone is the perennial first choice for engagement rings, but is it also the anniversary gem for the 10th and 60th years of marriage when eternity bands and other diamond-detailed rings replace original wedding bands.

The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to earth. It was even said by some that they were the tears of the Gods or perhaps crystallized lightning or hardened dew drops. In fact, the exact origin of diamonds is still something of a mystery, even to scientists and geologists.

India is thought to be the first river-bed source of diamond mining. The ancient Hindus called the diamond "Vajra," (lightening) because of the sparks of light that it emits as well as its invincible strength. Arguably the most beautiful gemstones on the planet, diamonds are also harder than any other substance on earth and found today in Australia, Botswana, Russia and South Africa.

Dr. Diamond

Diamonds have long been credited for having certain medicinal properties. During the middle ages, these gemstones were thought to heal illness, but only if the ailing person took the diamond into bed to warm it up first!

Of Kings and Queens, Archdukes and Duchesses

Legend has it that Cupid's arrows were tipped in diamonds and over the centuries, this magnificent gemstone has acquired a well-deserved reputation as the ultimate gift of love.

In less democratic times, diamonds were reserved for royalty...the only people "entitled" to their symbolism of strength, courage and invincibility. But in 1477, Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy and before long the tradition of diamond engagement rings was one embraced by even the most humble brides-to-be and their suitors.

The diamond's white hue signifies life, joy and innocence. But diamonds may be nearly any color in the rainbow plus a wide range of browns, grays, and white. Shades of yellow are most common, followed by colorless. Blue, black, reddish, and greenish are more valuable (some extremely so).

P.S. I Love You

It's interesting to note that a woman wears her diamond on the third finger of her left hand because early Egyptians believed the vena amoris (vein of love) ran directly from the heart to the top of the third finger, left hand

A gift of a Diamond is symbolic of everlasting love. There is no more convincing a promise of an enduring relationship than the brilliant gemstone that has endured in people's hearts throughout the history.

Animation Is Now For Anyone, And Any Budget

2011-04-14T00:01:00.000+07:00

Animation is a beloved and wonderful art form. Millions enjoy animated shorts, TV series, and full length movies. Animation also takes many forms. You have Stop Motion, Traditional Hand Drawn cell, Japanese and Japanese influenced Anime, 3d CGI, and more.

Even though many have loved and enjoyed watching animation over the years, creating animation has always been out of the reach of the majority. Think about traditional hand drawn or stop motion animation for a bit. Even with a large animating team and the proper audio and video equipment, a 30 minute show could take weeks, or even months to produce. One second of film would take 30 different hand drawn or repositioned frames!

Rumor has it that even the crude Short animated film, The Spirit of Christmas, that became South Park took creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone over a month to complete using construction paper.

Now, think about 3d animation. Not only did you need the artistic skills of traditional animation, but also the skills to model in 3d using complex software systems, and the powerful, expensive computer hardware to create the characters, 3d world, and the animation itself.

By now you may be wondering if the title of the article is wrong, and what I meant to write was animation is not for everyone and needs a tremendous budget. Stick with me for a bit more.

There are many reasons to get into animation. The creation of art, telling great stories, or even just creating shows for your own entertainment or kids to enjoy. Some of you may even be able to turn your animation into your work. And now, thanks to advances in software and computer power, animation is available in one form or another to anyone with a computer.

There are great software titles available now that can create just about any form of animation you like. From mimicking 2D cell animation to 3D CGI, there is a platform that can turn you into an animator. Other good news is that the price of some of these platforms is dropping to all time lows as ease of use is rising like never before.

Software for 2D animation, such as Anime Studio or Toon Boom, start at around $50 for lite versions, and go up to around $300 for full featured version used by many professional studios.

Software for 3D animation used to be very cost prohibitive. Industry standard programs like Auto Desk 3ds Max can run up to $4000! but, in the 3D world, there are now cost effective ways to create animation. Poser is a 3D character Creation tool and animator that runs around $200. Iclone by Reallusion gives user's the ability to create custom characters, sets, animations, and lip sync, building full featured movies and runs under $200. With Iclone, you also do not need any specific 3D modeling knowledge, just your imagination and some great stories to tell.

All these programs can be found by running a web search on the titles.

You may still be thinking that these are a bit pricey, especially if you are not sure whether animation is something you want to create on a regular basis. Well, I have good news on this front as well. How about Free?

There are several programs, in both 2D and 3D, that create movies and shorts almost up to the standards of the above programs. You can bu up and running, creating terrific animations with the equipment you already have, in no time and with no additional expense. If you decide animation is for you, you can then upgrade to more complex systems.

After creating your animated masterpieces, how do you get it out to the world to enjoy, or for a potential future partner or employer to see? The computer, or in this case, the Internet is here to help yet again. With the rise of Youtube.com, Viddler.com, Ustream.com, and so many more sites that are started almost daily, you can put your creations up on the Internet for all to see for no extra cost over your Internet connection fees!

So, have I got your attention? Are you ready to animate the stories in your head? Well, there is a lot to talk about in the animated world, so I will have to break this topic up.

In future articles, I will be touching on 2D software, 3D software, storytelling, animated scene and camera work, how to write killer animated movies, how to create storyboards for your masterpiece, how to render your work for best results, and more!

Animation Character Bible - What Goes Into It

2011-04-13T23:59:00.002+07:00

A character bible is the heart and soul of a cartoon series. Without a proper character bible you cannot even get started on talking to anyone about your concept. I have seen many character bibles from producers around the world in the past few years asking for co-production collaborations. I've seen really good ones and absolutely dreadful ones. Having received several questions asked regarding what goes into a character bible, I've written this entry to give some insight on this topic. Below are the various ingredients that should make up a good character bible.

It is absolutely important to have a synopsis in your character bible. This is the foundation which you build your entire story upon and it should be concise, but not verbose enough such that it can't be read or explained in 3 minutes or less. Try to make this a one-pager if possible. The shorter you can make this and still keep it interesting, the better.

Include the designs of the most important characters in your character bible. Be sure to spend considerable time to make them look good and ensure that they do justice to your concept. A character bible should be more visual than wordy, showcasing the character designs to its fullest - with various poses and expressions of the main characters. Props - if any - should also be showcased. These are very important to show the potential of the characters should they become animated or licensed for various reasons. People reading the character bible need to be able to feel the characters for who they are and get an idea of the show through these character designs.

Ideally text descriptions of the characters should not be verbose, because not many people would really read through all that text. The character descriptions should outline only the most important characteristics of the characters to keep things short and quick to read. The visuals should pre-sell, and the text do the selling.

It would be good to showcase certain key locations and also provide illustrations or storyboards of how the world of the property looks like.

Fundamentally, it would be good to leave as little guess-work to the perspective partners as possible, so that the brand identity and values of the property is not compromised.

Lastly - for a property that is being primed for animation - you may want to include something called an 'episodic synopsis' - which outlines the stories which could happen in an animated series. These are usually done by a 'script doctor' - who can also help out in refurbishing the whole story background and character descriptions.

8 Steps to Producing a Cartoon Series

2011-04-13T23:56:00.002+07:00

This article describes the process of getting the green light to produce a cartoon animated series from scratch. I am leaving out the details of raising funds for the project as that is an entire book by itself, but nevertheless this should give you a good idea of what it takes for a cartoon series to get produced.

1. Decide on a theme and the foundation of your cartoon series

2. Think of the different characters that would make up your cartoon series

3. Engage a good cartoon scriptwriter to develop a pilot script and a set of synopsis based on your theme and idea. You would also want him to describe your characters in detail and breathe life into them. An experienced writer would know exactly what broadcasters are looking for and deliver an ace. I won't advise you to do this yourself unless you are an experienced writer. I also would not recommend you to get a scriptwriter who writes for TV dramas as the genre is quite different.

4. Get a good design or animation house to design a set of characters for your cartoon series. Make sure that these characters are cute, unique, likeable and merchandisable - meaning that people would find them so cute that they want to make them into products! Alternatively, you can also go the edgy way, in which case the characters can look so cool that people just want to have them.

5. Compile the pilot script, synopsis, character designs, prop designs and various illustrations and you will have yourself what is called a character bible.

6. With a character bible, you can approach an animation house and ask them to produce a teaser or a pilot episode based on the series. A teaser is a 3-5 minute short of example how the cartoon series would likely run. A pilot episode is basically a sample episode from the series. For the pilot, never pick the first episode. Pick a middle episode because that will be more representative of how the cartoon series would usually look like. It would be better to engage an animation house who has done this before and make sure they explain their procedure to you.

7. From here, you can take two routes. The first route would be to approach a distribution company. The teaser or pilot would allow a distribution company to assess where they could sell your show and how marketable it is. They could gauge how confident they are in selling your show and if they want to distribute your show. If they do decide they want to represent your cartoon, they would provide a distribution plan and revenue projection. You should not sign any contract at this point because you can't guarantee production of the show yet. You should instead ask for a letter of interest from the distributor. With this letter of interest you can approach investors to show them that a distributor would take your show. It would help a lot if the distributor is well-known and reputable of course. This is an indication from an industry expert that your show is marketable. With investors on board you can approach an animation company to ask them to produce your show.

8. The second route you can take is to go to an animation company or a TV station to ask them if they would be interested to produce your show. If your concept is really good and they are in need of a show like yours, they might just decide to take on your concept and develop it. You could then negotiate for a royalty for the use of your concept, or even to be a producer or executive producer onboard the production team. This is all negotiable. It is also entirely possible for you to approach an animation company or TV station with just your character bible without your teaser, or even without a full bible. It has happened before, but the success rate declines dramatically with the lack of each marketing tool.

What Is the Difference Between Japanese Anime and American Cartoons?

2011-04-11T21:03:00.002+07:00

Japanese Anime and American cartoons are similar in the sense that they're both animated features. However, a lot of people argue that they are not at all the same. Let's cite the top XXX differences between these two.

The Storyline.

American cartoons are best described as targeting a younger demographic. They usually feature a relatively simple story that is easy for kids to follow. Even feature-length animated movies from media giants still feature relatively simple plots, as show by their biggest films like Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story" and Dreamworks' "Shrek" series.

Japanese Anime, on the other hand, caters not only to kids but also to an adult audience as well. Actually, there are some anime series that are not meant for a young audience at all. For example, the Isao Takahata's "Grave of the Fireflies" revolves around the life of two Japanese children caught in the middle of World War II Japan. The story involves the children's death from starvation.

The Characters.

Japanese Anime creators have the habit of endowing a real personality to an otherwise bland character. Usually, features of this genre are best described as having multiple protagonists who possess unique personas. For example, the series Masashi Kishimoto's "Naruto" and Tite Kubo's "Bleach" feature more than thirty protagonists each, without causing confusion among its viewers.

On the other hand, American cartoons usually center on just a few characters, possibly in keeping with their aim of avoiding confusion among its youthful audience. To illustrate, Disney's fairy tale films like "Sleeping Beauty", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Mulan", all center on a single character and whose other protagonists serve only as accessories to propagate the plot.

The Animation.

Japanese Anime uses more advanced techniques in the sense that only in Japanese anime will one see realistic illusions of fast and abrupt movements. For example, fighting anime features like Yoshihiro Togashi's "Yu Yu Hakusho (Ghost Files)" or even the Satoshi Tajiri's kid-centered "Pokemon" show fight scenes that provoke an illusion of real-life impact and speed.

On the other hand, American cartoons are increasingly becoming more reliant on computer-generated graphics that are, unfortunately, limited as of now. CG graphics are not very cost-efficient in showing quick character movements, as they focus more on fluid motion to counteract the computer's tendency to make the characters' moves look too robotic and unnatural.

All in all, this does not necessarily imply that American cartoons are inferior to Japanese anime. Instead, it just shows that the genre appeals to a wider market in Japan as compared to the US, which means that funding for the former is heftier than the latter.

Animation Industry and Training Institutes

2011-04-11T21:02:00.002+07:00

A majority of people are aware about Animation which is extensively used in the entertainment industry. This change has taken place only in the recent years. It is one of the booming sectors today, which has been possible because of the life that it infuses in the simplest of the objects. It is from the Latin word 'anima' that the word Animation has derived. It means soul, which is what exactly infused into a sketched character so that the unreal looks real and living. Taking this as a career would be the best for those who are really good at sketching or have brilliant drawing skills. Animation is one special form of industry and because it is doing so well, there is a need for more number of professionals. Texturing artist, digital artist, and much more could be the designation where you could be working. This technique is used in cartoon movies, clips, ads plus in product designing. Even websites, banners, tags, presentations have the animated content in them which is created by making use of the animation technology.

Every animation requires a smart thinking relating the concept upon which it is to be created. For any beginner, 2D and 3D animation training is vital. 2D drawings means they are two dimensional and 3D is three dimensional which definitely is the superior version of the same procedure. Apart from this, there is puppet animation, and with sand, vegetable and even with trash. 2D images are shallow when they appear whereas the other has much more depth which is why they look more real. Adept creativity, comprehension and time management skills are necessary to make it big in the industry. It is not only on the national but international level that you could get opportunities relating showcasing your animation talent. If you want to undergo a well-planned schedule then it is essential that the animation training institute is chosen wisely so that you get best training experience. The factors to consider before taking admission in a training center are faculty, infrastructure, training program, facilities offered plus post-course services.

Suitable Cosplay Characters

2011-04-11T21:01:00.000+07:00

Do you want to have fun with your peers? Do you want to keep pace with the fashion trend? If you are certain about these questions, you can really get yourself involved in cosplay. Although cosplay is known by people of different ages, it is played mostly by people of young generation. These youngsters want to have their own world while playing different characters, they want to have a different experience. If you are also interested in cosplay, then why not join in?

Cosplay is not as simple as other entertainment, you need to do a lot preparing work if you want to have a successful cosplay show. For most people, cosplay is a replay of the plots from anime movies and manga books, to some extent, it is true, but cosplayers just put more in these plots. They have to prepare their cosplay costumes, cosplay wigs and other cosplay accessories, they have to get themselves dressed up with these things.

Before you prepare these accessories, you should arrange these characters well. You should first choose the right person to play the specific character according to the figure, tallness, personality and so on. Only the most similar one is the best to play that character. After choosing the right characters for your cosplayers to play can you make your cosplay show wonderful.

If you are not certain about where to buy your cosplay needed things, you can search on the internet, there will be a wide range of choices, you can feel free to have a happy shopping for costumes, wigs and other accessories.