The geek test |
 My Quiz Result: You are a geek. |
Take this quiz: The geek test
Monday, April 5, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
What are you looking for in life?
What are you looking for in life? |
 My Quiz Result: You are looking for fun and adventure in life. |
Take this quiz: What are you looking for in life?
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Are you heart or mind?
Are you heart or mind? |
 My Quiz Result: You think with your mind. Your decisions are based on facts rather than emotions. You use your head more than your heart. |
Take this quiz: Are you heart or mind?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Know your goodness quotient
Know your goodness quotient |
 My Quiz Result: You are a person with a great heart. The world will become a better place with more people like you. |
Take this quiz: Know your goodness quotient
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
How well do you know your sweetheart?
How well do you know your sweetheart? |
 My Quiz Result: It is admirable that you know your sweetheart very well. Keep it up. |
Take this quiz: How well do you know your sweetheart?
Monday, March 29, 2010
Are you strong enough to bear being dumped?
Are you strong enough to bear being dumped? |
 My Quiz Result: You are an emotional person. Try to be more practical in life and you will avoid heart-breaks. |
Take this quiz: Are you strong enough to bear being dumped?
Friday, March 26, 2010
How sexy are you?
How sexy are you? |
 My Quiz Result: Wow, you are sexy. Not just by looks but also by your attitude. |
Take this quiz: How sexy are you?
Will you have a wonderful Valentine's day?
Will you have a wonderful Valentine's day? |
 My Quiz Result: You will have a wonderful Valentine's day. |
Take this quiz: Will you have a wonderful Valentine's day?
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Are you friends with your parents?
Are you friends with your parents? |
 My Quiz Result: You are very good friends with your parents. |
Take this quiz: Are you friends with your parents?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Are you a day or a night person?
Are you a day or a night person? |
 My Quiz Result: You are a typical day person. The brightness and activity of the day inspire you. |
Take this quiz: Are you a day or a night person?
Friday, March 19, 2010
Test your loyalty quotient
Test your loyalty quotient |
 My Quiz Result: You are loyal in your relationships. You expect your partner to be equally loyal. With the way, modern relationships are turning out, your thoughts may be considered old fashioned. |
Take this quiz: Test your loyalty quotient
How good is your grasping ability?
How good is your grasping ability? |
 My Quiz Result: Your grasping ability is not so good. Try to improve the same by reading books on the subject or talk to your elders about it. |
Take this quiz: How good is your grasping ability?
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Are you Gods gift to the world of blogs?
Are you Gods gift to the world of blogs? |
 My Quiz Result: You are God's gift to the blogging world. Writing blogs is your favorite hobby. |
Take this quiz: Are you Gods gift to the world of blogs?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Are you a cosmetics junkie?
Are you a cosmetics junkie? |
 My Quiz Result: You are a complete cosmetics junkie. You love to be a total glam doll. You wouldn't dream of stepping out without your make-up. |
Take this quiz: Are you a cosmetics junkie?
Monday, March 15, 2010
Are you success material?
Are you success material? |
 My Quiz Result: You are success material. Good luck. |
Take this quiz: Are you success material?
Friday, March 12, 2010
Are you fighting stress in the right way?
Are you fighting stress in the right way? |
 My Quiz Result: Try to know more about what is stress and fight it better for a happier life. That will also bring you peace of mind. |
Take this quiz: Are you fighting stress in the right way?
Are you addicted to portable music players?
Are you addicted to portable music players? |
 My Quiz Result: You are one of the reasons, the portable music players are doing so well. They are more than an obsession for you and you are proud of this fact. |
Take this quiz: Are you addicted to portable music players?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Can you live without movies?
Can you live without movies? |
 My Quiz Result: You are a die-hard movie fan. Life without movies is unimaginable for you. |
Take this quiz: Can you live without movies?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
How true are you to your friends?
How true are you to your friends? |
 My Quiz Result: You are truthful with your friends. You have idealistic thoughts and a clear conscience. |
Take this quiz: How true are you to your friends?
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Are you a tomboy?
Many girls are labeled as tomboys. What about you? Can one call you a tomboy or not? Find with this quiz.
Take this quiz: Are you a tomboy?
Are you a tomboy? |
 My Quiz Result: You are a tomboy. |
Take this quiz: Are you a tomboy?
Friday, March 5, 2010
Are you a high maintenance girl?
Are you a high maintenance girl? |
 My Quiz Result: You are a high maintenance girl. |
Take this quiz: Are you a high maintenance girl?
Which ice cream flavor are you?
Which ice cream flavor are you? |
 My Quiz Result: You are nutty and naughty like butter-scotch. You like to live life king size. You are bubbly and full of energy. |
Take this quiz: Which ice cream flavor are you?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Will you survive a relationship breakdown?
Will you survive a relationship breakdown? |
 My Quiz Result: Your responses indicate that you should be able to cope up with a relationship breakdown, better than others. You will be able to bear the stress, quite well. |
Take this quiz: Will you survive a relationship breakdown?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The useless pointless senseless test
The useless pointless senseless test |
 My Quiz Result: The very fact that you are reading this, certifies you as a bit insane. Go and spend your time on the other cool quizzes, which really make sense. By the way, you failed to pass the useless pointless senseless test. You can't pass it ever. |
Take this quiz: The useless pointless senseless test
Are you a girly girl?
Are you a girly girl? |
 My Quiz Result: You are totally a girly girl. |
Take this quiz: Are you a girly girl?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Are you making big mistakes in your relationship?
Are you making big mistakes in your relationship? |
 My Quiz Result: You are making big mistakes in your relationship. Try to give your partner some breathing space. Be frank about yourself. Give due attention to your partner but do not go overboard. And try to jazz up the romance. |
Take this quiz: Are you making big mistakes in your relationship?
What should the opposite sex do to attract you?
What should the opposite sex do to attract you? |
 My Quiz Result: If you are Pisces, to attract you, the opposite sex should be caring, ambitious, romantic and sensitive. |
Take this quiz: What should the opposite sex do to attract you?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Are you a weirdo?
This funny quiz will tell you if you are a weirdo.
Take this quiz: Are you a weirdo?
Are you a weirdo? |
 My Quiz Result: Whoa, you are a complete weirdo. Seriously, we are not joking ;-) Send this quiz to your friends, so that they can also check if they are like you! |
Take this quiz: Are you a weirdo?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Are you leading a healthy lifestyle
The title of this quiz says it all. Is the lifestyle you are leading, a healthy one? Find now with this health quiz.
Health Quizzes
Health Quizzes
Is this the right age to get married?
Is this the right age to get married? |
 My Quiz Result: This is the right age for you to get married. All the best. |
Take this quiz: Is this the right age to get married?
Monday, February 22, 2010
Christian Comments
Christian Myspace Comments
Also works in Tagged, Blogger, Orkut, Myyearbook, Wordpress, Multiply, LiveJournal, Ning, Xanga and social networking / blogging sites which allow flash. Works in profiles of Friendster and Hi5 but not in their comments.Myspace Comments, Christian Comments at WishAFriend.com
Friday, February 19, 2010
Friendship Thoughts
Welcome to CommentsBucket.com, we provide free comments graphics and tools for your Hi5 page. You are at the ultimate destination for free hi5 comments in all topics like birthday hi5 comments, sexy hi5 comments, funny hi5 comments, girly hi5 comments, romantic hi5 comments, etc. Comment your myspace friends with cool graphics. Keep in touch with friends with hi5 comments.
Hi5 Comments
Myspace Graphics
Hi5 Comments
Myspace Graphics
Thursday, February 18, 2010
You are an obsessive girlfriend.
Some girls have only their boyfriends on their minds. They are totally obsessed with their boyfriend. What about you?
Take this quiz: Are you an obsessive girlfriend?
Are you an obsessive girlfriend? |
 My Quiz Result: You are an obsessive girlfriend. |
Take this quiz: Are you an obsessive girlfriend?
Thanksgiving Myspace
Get Thanksgiving myspace comments from below. You can use these Myspace Thanksgiving comments to comment your family/friends or post the Thanksgiving comments in your profile.
Myspace Comments, Thanksgiving Comments at WishAFriend.com
Myspace Comments, Thanksgiving Comments at WishAFriend.com
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Typing Speed Test
Test will begin as soon as you start typing in the box indicated below. To get accurate results, press Space Bar after typing each word.
Typing Speed Test
Typing Speed Test
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Photo Effects
Have fun with your photos with online photo effects. Choose any fun photo effect and generate a new image out of it. Post the new pics in myspace, friendster, blogger, hi5, facebook, orkut, xanga, wordpress, ning, etc and your other favorite sites.
Photo Effects By WishAFriend.com
Photo Effects By WishAFriend.com
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Northeastern University
Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The university̢۪s distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions.Northeastern University is located in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, which occupied an area of 2030,000 square meters and an architectural area of 1000,000 square meters, is situated on the north bank of the Hun He River and close to the South Lake. The university is one of China"s high level universities designated for the state key construction of the "211 Project" and "985 Project".
Being a multi-discipline university focusing on engineering, while having kept the edge in traditional disciplines such as mining, material science, metallurgy and mechanical sciences, NEU has made headway in some of the newly rising and cross-disciplinary disciplines such as automation, computer science, and other high-tech disciplines. The discipline of Control Science and Engineering was ranked number one in this discipline in China in the first national first-level discipline assessment by National Academic Degree and Postgraduate Education Development Center.
NEU consists of Qinghuangdao Branch, Graduate School, 12 schools and Department of Physical Education. There are 2140 teachers and researchers, 6 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, 9 members of the Discipline Evaluation Board of the State Council, 218 tutors of ph. D student, 328 professors, and 629 associate professors. There are 2195 ph. D students, 7232 graduate students, 21333 undergraduate students. NEU has 53 majors; it has the right to confer Master Degrees in 170 subjects, besides MBA, MPA and Engineering Master; to confer Doctor Degree in 81 subjects. There are 3 national key disciplines of First Class Discipline and 15 national key disciplines of Second Class Discipline, 13 Post-Doctor Stations, 4 National Engineering (Technology) Research Centers, 1 key State-level laboratory and one state key laboratory cultivation base. There are 1 National base of College Student Quality-oriented Education and 1 national engineering and mechanical teaching base in engineering basic courses.
Since the 10th “five year plan”, NEU has taken on 1906 research projects of national natural fund, national key fundamental research, develop and planning (973project), national high-tech research develop planning (863 project), national technology research, war industry and the cooperation research with enterprises. In 2006, the number of national awards of scientific and technical payoffs of NEU were ranked 6th among the universities in China. NEU has won 180 awards of the state, province and ministry, among which there is one first prize of the national technology progress award and two second prizes. NEU has published over 9082 papers on national and international academic journals and conferences. There are 2001 papers of NEU in the world top three search systems.
NEU preserves in opening education facing the world. It has established academic exchange relationship with 84 universities and institutions in 20 countries and regions, and has invited over 2000 oversea experts to teach, give lectures and cooperative study in NEU.
Looking into the future, NEU will take the opportunity and keep its characteristic. It will strive to realize the goal that making NEU that is characteristic with “ multi-discipline, research oriented, internationalization ”, ranking among the top level nationwide and enjoying well recognition worldwide.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Music Production - Converting Analog Audio To Digital And Vice Versa
Music Production - Converting Analog Audio to Digital and Vice Versa by Lorabella
The various technical terms that are typical to the music industry can confuse beginners who aspire to make a successful career in music production. Take the commonly used terms like analog and digital audio, the former refers to the process of using magnetic particles for recording sound, while the latter refers to the process in which music is stored digitally. Before the advent of digital technology audio used to be stored in the analog form in magnetic tapes, but now digital storage is the preferred method. However audio is recorded and played back in the analog form, hence the need for analog/digital conversion persists. Earlier this kind of conversion could only be done in a studio which was equipped with expensive analog/digital converters. But the remarkable progress in computing technology has ensured that such conversions can now be carried out at home on a desktop computer. However, before we get into the details of the process of converting analog audio to digital audio it helps to be aware of terms like sampling rate and bit depth.
Sampling rate refers to the rate at which a digital recorder captures the audio signal it is receiving. The process can be likened to the way a digital video camera records moving objects by capturing multiple images of the object in a second. A digital sound recorder captures sound in the same way. The unit of sound captured is called a sample and sampling rate is the number of samples that is captured per second by the recorder. Sampling rates can be mentioned as 44,100 Hz, 48,000 Hz, 96,000 Hz, and 192,000 Hz. What this means is that when the sampling rate is mentioned as being 48,000 Hz, the digital recorder is recording 48,000 samples of the sound per second. When the recording is played back the samples are played at such a high speed that the listener hears a continuous audio stream, although in reality there are distinct samples of audio data that are being played at separate intervals of time. Higher sampling rate denotes better sound quality.
Sampling bit depth in combination with sampling rate constitutes the audio equivalent of a pixel which refers to a unit of color in digital photography. Just the way pixels have a length and breadth, sampling rate and bit depth together constitute the length and breadth of a unit of digitally recorded audio data. Bit depth is generally mentioned as 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit and 32-bit. Higher bit depth produces better quality sound. However the standard bit depth used in CDs is 16 bit, while DVD audio uses 24 bit.
In analog to digital conversion, sound picked up in the form of vibrations by a microphone makes for analog signals. These are converted into electric signals by the microphones and carried into the pre-amp of the recording interface. In the case of digital recording, the recording interface is already equipped with an Analog to Digital conversion element. This element converts the electric signal which was amplified through the pre-amp into digital data. When this data is to be played for listening it has to be converted back into analog. In this process, the digital data is again passed through the Analog/Digital converter. The digital bits are converted into electric signals which are then sent to the speakers where the signals are amplified and recorded audio can then be heard by human listeners.
Read more about lydproduksjon and musikkproduksjon at Noroff.no
Article Source: Fun Personality
The various technical terms that are typical to the music industry can confuse beginners who aspire to make a successful career in music production. Take the commonly used terms like analog and digital audio, the former refers to the process of using magnetic particles for recording sound, while the latter refers to the process in which music is stored digitally. Before the advent of digital technology audio used to be stored in the analog form in magnetic tapes, but now digital storage is the preferred method. However audio is recorded and played back in the analog form, hence the need for analog/digital conversion persists. Earlier this kind of conversion could only be done in a studio which was equipped with expensive analog/digital converters. But the remarkable progress in computing technology has ensured that such conversions can now be carried out at home on a desktop computer. However, before we get into the details of the process of converting analog audio to digital audio it helps to be aware of terms like sampling rate and bit depth.
Sampling rate refers to the rate at which a digital recorder captures the audio signal it is receiving. The process can be likened to the way a digital video camera records moving objects by capturing multiple images of the object in a second. A digital sound recorder captures sound in the same way. The unit of sound captured is called a sample and sampling rate is the number of samples that is captured per second by the recorder. Sampling rates can be mentioned as 44,100 Hz, 48,000 Hz, 96,000 Hz, and 192,000 Hz. What this means is that when the sampling rate is mentioned as being 48,000 Hz, the digital recorder is recording 48,000 samples of the sound per second. When the recording is played back the samples are played at such a high speed that the listener hears a continuous audio stream, although in reality there are distinct samples of audio data that are being played at separate intervals of time. Higher sampling rate denotes better sound quality.
Sampling bit depth in combination with sampling rate constitutes the audio equivalent of a pixel which refers to a unit of color in digital photography. Just the way pixels have a length and breadth, sampling rate and bit depth together constitute the length and breadth of a unit of digitally recorded audio data. Bit depth is generally mentioned as 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit and 32-bit. Higher bit depth produces better quality sound. However the standard bit depth used in CDs is 16 bit, while DVD audio uses 24 bit.
In analog to digital conversion, sound picked up in the form of vibrations by a microphone makes for analog signals. These are converted into electric signals by the microphones and carried into the pre-amp of the recording interface. In the case of digital recording, the recording interface is already equipped with an Analog to Digital conversion element. This element converts the electric signal which was amplified through the pre-amp into digital data. When this data is to be played for listening it has to be converted back into analog. In this process, the digital data is again passed through the Analog/Digital converter. The digital bits are converted into electric signals which are then sent to the speakers where the signals are amplified and recorded audio can then be heard by human listeners.
Read more about lydproduksjon and musikkproduksjon at Noroff.no
Article Source: Fun Personality
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Family Fun
Family Fun Park is a great place to spend the last weekends of Fall, with go-karts, batting cages, miniature golf and the golf driving range. The bumper boats and waterslides are closed for the season. The restaurant and arcade are also open. Try our new Lazer Runner Laser Tag. This new venue offers an exciting addition to the park and will be open even if the weather is rainy. Experience more choice and flexibility with our new wristband packages. Choose 4 attractions for $25 or 5 attractions for $30. The park will close for the winter on Sunday, October 11th.
Costa's Family Fun Park is operated by Recreation Management Corporation and offers bumper boats, go karts, miniature golf, water slides, laser tag, a golf driving range, batting cages, video games, dining, Hershey's ice cream and more during the summer months. We offer birthday parties and group rates. Go karts, miniature golf and the arcade are always crowd pleasers. Sign up for our email newsletter by clicking on the link to the right to always know what is happening at Costa's Family Fun Park. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Early pregnancy fetal tests showed no abnormalities. Mom is a nurse and was strictly following safe pregnancy practices. There were no warnings that this was a special needs pregnancy. Three days before Christmas, Monica was born with a life-threatening neural tube defect called an occipital encephalocele.
Within hours after birth, Monica was rushed by ambulance to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a large city hospital. After examination, the neurosurgeon gave us a dire prognosis - a short lifespan with multiple and severe disabilities. The encephalocele was "leaking" and chance of infection and death were imminent. Brain surgery with a 50/50 chance of survival was the only chance to save her life. Life or death - the choice was given to the parents. For me, there was only one option - do whatever could be done to save Monica's life.
Not knowing if she would live or die, family and friends quickly came to the NICU and visited Monica. With aching hearts, exhausted from days without sleep, their eyes red and faces swollen from crying, the parents bonded with their first born baby and gave her all their love.
Two days later, on Christmas Eve, after 6 hours of surgery, we were given the news - Monica survived the brain surgery - our own Christmas miracle!
The surgery removed a large part of her brain - dead gray matter inside the occipital encephalocele - presumed to be mostly from the occipital and parietal lobes. The missing portion of her occipital lobe would effect her eyesight and balance. Monica was subsequently diagnosed with multiple disabilities and disorders including cortical blindness, cerebral palsy and mental retardation. The neural tube defect had also caused malformation of the skull.
Amniotic band syndrome caused a constriction in the upper left arm and loss of middle and ring fingers on the left hand and deformity of her little finger. The constriction was so tight around her upper arm, that blood had to flow through the humerus to reach her lower arm and hand. Monica was fortunate not to have lost her left hand and forearm. Within the year, Monica had surgery to relieve the constriction and reconnect blood vessels to her left forearm.
Monica had more surgeries in the coming years, including hand surgeries and a spinal fusion, but after each one she recovered remarkably fast. As her early years passed, we did not see the bleak prognosis that had been given to us. Monica thrived. So, I decided to share Monica's success story to provide hope and help for other parents of special needs children. Thus was the concept and construction of the Family-friendly-fun website in 1997.
Monica has several disorders, including sensory, cognitive and motor impairments, blindness, mental retardation, and chronic complex partical seizures. While her cognitive and physical development is slow, it is steady and I am so delighted by what new thing she has learned and accomplished. For example, through her own determination and daily effort, she learned to walk at age 7.
We are not experts on raising a disabled child, but through this website and blog, we will share what we know and what others have taught about parenting a disabled child and disabled parenting. There is more work involved in effectively caring for and raising a developmentally disabled child, so we have to be aware of how to balance work, play, and leisure to maintain our own health.
Unfortunately for Monica, my father died when she was only 3 years old and my mother died in childbirth, so Monica missed growing up with both sets of grandparents. My father loved her so very much. I still feel his presence and know that his spirit is still with Monica and I.
Living in a rural community with a special needs child, we encountered obstacles that initially impaired our ability to participate in "normal" family activities. As we overcame these obstacles, we added this information to our website.
Family support is invaluable and is cherished. Support groups for parents with special needs children were non-existent at the time in our area, so we started an online community to provide a forum where special needs families can meet and share information, stories, questions, concerns and support. Here is some information on how to start a support group for parents.
Monica participated in early intervention programs from age 1 to 6. We wanted Monica to be integrated in the public schools so her peers would get to know her. She was delayed entry into elementary and middle school by two years as they prepared each school to accomodate her special needs. We are gratified to know that Monica has "paved the way" for future children with developmental delays and disabilities.
In her early years, we discovered she had a food allergy to red dye (found in many food products), and this made her metabolism hyperactive and often did not sleep at night. By her early teens, she no longer had this response.
Every year we celebrate Monica's birthday. I distinctly remember her first birthday. Monica was then a plump baby and she was seated at the head of the dining table with a birthday hat on, birthday cake lit, and her family around singing her "Happy Birthday"... and she fell sound asleep right in the middle of the party.
Originally, we considered homeschooling for Monica, but we thought it was more important that Monica socialize with her peers in public school, so that they would get to know her and and be accepted by the community. We wanted Monica to attend integrated classrooms as much as possible, as well as the special education classes. In the elementary school, she was integrated into all classes. When she reached middle school and high school, she attended less "regular" classes and spent more time in a special education class.
In addition to vocational training and special education, Monica received speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy at least once every week in school. We also considered massage therapy for her. All these services were facilliated in our iep meetings with teachers and therapists.
Ever since Monica was a baby, she enjoyed music. I will never forget one evening. Monica was sitting next to me on the sofa. I was channel surfing when suddenly she became very attentive when I tuned to a channel that was showing an orchestra playing classical music.
As time has gone by, we discovered new fun activities, including games, coloring, crafts, developmentally appropriate toys and some movies that Monica enjoys, including Raggedy Ann and Curious George. We have also started a scrapbooking project to display our family adventures. Monica loves to be read a variety of childrens books and poetry.
Although Monica does not participate in adapted sports, we do play some unique family fun sports and we faithfully watch together the UConn women's basketball games.
Monica has used a variety of adaptive equipment, including a spoon with a built-up handle and a plate with high sides (to scoop against). Monica continues to participate more with her care - dressing and undressing, soaping up in the shower, bringing food to her mouth with a spoon, and brushing her teeth and hair.
Because Monica is non-verbal, she is learning basic sign language, such as "shower", "all done", "bed", "more", and "dad." She also uses assistive technology and augmentative communication devices at day program and at home.
To assist other families, therapists and teachers, we have researched and compiled a report on where to find and apply for funding for assistive technology, also ADA Ramps and treatment of veterans of any/all disabilities.
Monica also benefits from sensory activities and sensory integration therapy, which can be facilliated by a sensory room.
Monica loves to explore her surroundings, whether it be school, a respite center, grocery store, restaurant, home or vacation condo. She will wheel herself around and want to look in every room. She has a good memory so when we visit the same place again, she is able to navigate to where she wants to go.
Travelling with Monica has gotten easier over the years as we have learned what to bring, vacation planning, and what to ask for when arranging accomodations. Her disposition in the car has much improved, from kicking the back of our seats and vocalizing to relative peace and quiet. Albeit a surprising sensation for her, Monica enjoyed air travel to the Bahamas.
For physical fitness, Monica often takes short walks (with someone holding her stability and direction). She has a scooter that she sits on and uses her legs to propel herself around the kitchen. She also has a 4 wheeled walker and only requires someone in the front to guide it. At day program she pedals around the corridors on her adapted tricycle.
We have to manually stretch her heal cords which tend to be high tone and do passive range of motion on her upper extremities.
Monica eats a healthy diet with proper nutrition every day. She basically tolerates and eats only pureed food. She starts the day with oatmeal with a banana and scrambled eggs, and orange juice with liquid vitamins and minerals added. Mid morning snack may be a fruit cup or yogurt. Lunch includes a pureed vegetable and fruit, yogurt, and a nutritional supplement drink. Afternoon snack is fruit. Dinner is often yogurt, cottage cheese, vegetables, fruits, and juice or nutritional drink.
Our first single-family home had a very steep driveway and when Monica went to school in the winter, my wife often had to bring Monica down and up our steep driveway (in a wheelchair) because the school bus could not make it up due to snow or ice. When Monica was 6, my wife fell on the driveway trying to push Monica in her wheelchair, so we sold the house. We bought a flat lot and designed a safe and secure, handicapped accessible home that served our family well for many years.
We lived in a small rural town and have a wildlife preserve across the street. In our yard, we created our own backyard wildlife habitat that encouraged birds and small animals to visit or live on our property. Monica enjoys sitting outside in the shade or in the enclosed porch and enjoys listening to the sounds of nature, while dad either mows the lawn or works in his accessible garden.
We had three indoor pets. Two of the older cats were starting to be more comfortable around Monica, and likewise, Monica had been more interested and become more tolerant of their presence.
Before we decided to have a second child, we had genetic testing performed to avoid birth defects due to chromosomal abnormalities, a review of our family history and counseling. An occipital encephalocele is a type of neural tube defect, and neither side of our families had any history of this. Don't rely on your doctors and specialists to maintain family medical records - get your own copies of your medical tests, keep your own records and organize them for future reference.
I had inherited PKD from my mother, but no history of neural tube defects on either side of the family. My wife always wondered if her train trip by the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant during its meltdown accident may have caused her some chromosomal damage.
Martha was born 3 years later - perfectly healthy. She now attends Wagner College in Staten Island and studies Arts Administration. She is Miss Bristol 2010.
When Monica turned 18, we went through the legal process of legal guardianship in the Probate Court. To plan for her care and enjoyment of life after we have departed, we set up a special needs trust.
Monica was employed by the high school cafeteria. Every morning she was responsible for taking frozen cookies out of large boxes and putting them on baking trays to be baked. She often did 5 to 7 large trays, making several hundred cookies for the hungry teenagers at lunch. We are unsure at this time if Monica will be able to continue to work after she graduates from school, but we have included some employment resources for people with disabilities, such as creating an effective resume , disability rights, disability insurance and networking.
As Monica approached her 21st birthday (when she will no longer be eligible to attend public school), I worked on transition planning with the school and the State Department of Developmental Services to find Monica a suitable day program. Monica now attends an Easter Seals day program.
Unlike my youngest daughter Martha, Monica did not have the same teenage stress, rebellion, and dating concerns. One of the most important things a parent can do is try to maintain open and honest communication during the turbulent teenage years.
One of my long-term concerns is what will happen to Monica when I can no longer take care of her, so I am looking into senior health care options. The possibility of turning our home into a group home is no longer possible so I will eventually have to look for a group home where she will live until death.
Despite some state assistance, family budgets are particularly important for family finances. I have a flexible job as a COTA so I can take Monica to medical appointments and care for her during the day when she is sick or a caregiver is not available. Here is my COTA resume. I also make money working at home part time.
While family relationships and roles often change as children get older, here are some basic family values that promote a healthy family life. Divorce is higher than it should be. If only parents of disabled children could learn and embrace what is truly valuable in this world, then self sacrifice would be a joy and not a duty.
Roll away the stone and let the love of Jesus shine in your heart. Spirituality, religion and faith have been an important part of my life. I have learned much about self sacrifice and values and what is most important in life from my daughters. Monica has been a big factor in my self actualization. Monica helped to refocus my career goals to helping other in a personally meaningful way as an occupational therapy assistant.
For families with special needs, here are some resources on dealing with fears and anxieties, how to better cope with stress and depression.
Here is some information on adopting a child with special needs. This website offers inspiring stories submitted by other families with special needs as well as links to other websites on a wide variety of family-related subjects.
Costa's Family Fun Park is operated by Recreation Management Corporation and offers bumper boats, go karts, miniature golf, water slides, laser tag, a golf driving range, batting cages, video games, dining, Hershey's ice cream and more during the summer months. We offer birthday parties and group rates. Go karts, miniature golf and the arcade are always crowd pleasers. Sign up for our email newsletter by clicking on the link to the right to always know what is happening at Costa's Family Fun Park. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Early pregnancy fetal tests showed no abnormalities. Mom is a nurse and was strictly following safe pregnancy practices. There were no warnings that this was a special needs pregnancy. Three days before Christmas, Monica was born with a life-threatening neural tube defect called an occipital encephalocele.
Within hours after birth, Monica was rushed by ambulance to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a large city hospital. After examination, the neurosurgeon gave us a dire prognosis - a short lifespan with multiple and severe disabilities. The encephalocele was "leaking" and chance of infection and death were imminent. Brain surgery with a 50/50 chance of survival was the only chance to save her life. Life or death - the choice was given to the parents. For me, there was only one option - do whatever could be done to save Monica's life.
Not knowing if she would live or die, family and friends quickly came to the NICU and visited Monica. With aching hearts, exhausted from days without sleep, their eyes red and faces swollen from crying, the parents bonded with their first born baby and gave her all their love.
Two days later, on Christmas Eve, after 6 hours of surgery, we were given the news - Monica survived the brain surgery - our own Christmas miracle!
The surgery removed a large part of her brain - dead gray matter inside the occipital encephalocele - presumed to be mostly from the occipital and parietal lobes. The missing portion of her occipital lobe would effect her eyesight and balance. Monica was subsequently diagnosed with multiple disabilities and disorders including cortical blindness, cerebral palsy and mental retardation. The neural tube defect had also caused malformation of the skull.
Amniotic band syndrome caused a constriction in the upper left arm and loss of middle and ring fingers on the left hand and deformity of her little finger. The constriction was so tight around her upper arm, that blood had to flow through the humerus to reach her lower arm and hand. Monica was fortunate not to have lost her left hand and forearm. Within the year, Monica had surgery to relieve the constriction and reconnect blood vessels to her left forearm.
Monica had more surgeries in the coming years, including hand surgeries and a spinal fusion, but after each one she recovered remarkably fast. As her early years passed, we did not see the bleak prognosis that had been given to us. Monica thrived. So, I decided to share Monica's success story to provide hope and help for other parents of special needs children. Thus was the concept and construction of the Family-friendly-fun website in 1997.
Monica has several disorders, including sensory, cognitive and motor impairments, blindness, mental retardation, and chronic complex partical seizures. While her cognitive and physical development is slow, it is steady and I am so delighted by what new thing she has learned and accomplished. For example, through her own determination and daily effort, she learned to walk at age 7.
We are not experts on raising a disabled child, but through this website and blog, we will share what we know and what others have taught about parenting a disabled child and disabled parenting. There is more work involved in effectively caring for and raising a developmentally disabled child, so we have to be aware of how to balance work, play, and leisure to maintain our own health.
Unfortunately for Monica, my father died when she was only 3 years old and my mother died in childbirth, so Monica missed growing up with both sets of grandparents. My father loved her so very much. I still feel his presence and know that his spirit is still with Monica and I.
Living in a rural community with a special needs child, we encountered obstacles that initially impaired our ability to participate in "normal" family activities. As we overcame these obstacles, we added this information to our website.
Family support is invaluable and is cherished. Support groups for parents with special needs children were non-existent at the time in our area, so we started an online community to provide a forum where special needs families can meet and share information, stories, questions, concerns and support. Here is some information on how to start a support group for parents.
Monica participated in early intervention programs from age 1 to 6. We wanted Monica to be integrated in the public schools so her peers would get to know her. She was delayed entry into elementary and middle school by two years as they prepared each school to accomodate her special needs. We are gratified to know that Monica has "paved the way" for future children with developmental delays and disabilities.
In her early years, we discovered she had a food allergy to red dye (found in many food products), and this made her metabolism hyperactive and often did not sleep at night. By her early teens, she no longer had this response.
Every year we celebrate Monica's birthday. I distinctly remember her first birthday. Monica was then a plump baby and she was seated at the head of the dining table with a birthday hat on, birthday cake lit, and her family around singing her "Happy Birthday"... and she fell sound asleep right in the middle of the party.
Originally, we considered homeschooling for Monica, but we thought it was more important that Monica socialize with her peers in public school, so that they would get to know her and and be accepted by the community. We wanted Monica to attend integrated classrooms as much as possible, as well as the special education classes. In the elementary school, she was integrated into all classes. When she reached middle school and high school, she attended less "regular" classes and spent more time in a special education class.
In addition to vocational training and special education, Monica received speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy at least once every week in school. We also considered massage therapy for her. All these services were facilliated in our iep meetings with teachers and therapists.
Ever since Monica was a baby, she enjoyed music. I will never forget one evening. Monica was sitting next to me on the sofa. I was channel surfing when suddenly she became very attentive when I tuned to a channel that was showing an orchestra playing classical music.
As time has gone by, we discovered new fun activities, including games, coloring, crafts, developmentally appropriate toys and some movies that Monica enjoys, including Raggedy Ann and Curious George. We have also started a scrapbooking project to display our family adventures. Monica loves to be read a variety of childrens books and poetry.
Although Monica does not participate in adapted sports, we do play some unique family fun sports and we faithfully watch together the UConn women's basketball games.
Monica has used a variety of adaptive equipment, including a spoon with a built-up handle and a plate with high sides (to scoop against). Monica continues to participate more with her care - dressing and undressing, soaping up in the shower, bringing food to her mouth with a spoon, and brushing her teeth and hair.
Because Monica is non-verbal, she is learning basic sign language, such as "shower", "all done", "bed", "more", and "dad." She also uses assistive technology and augmentative communication devices at day program and at home.
To assist other families, therapists and teachers, we have researched and compiled a report on where to find and apply for funding for assistive technology, also ADA Ramps and treatment of veterans of any/all disabilities.
Monica also benefits from sensory activities and sensory integration therapy, which can be facilliated by a sensory room.
Monica loves to explore her surroundings, whether it be school, a respite center, grocery store, restaurant, home or vacation condo. She will wheel herself around and want to look in every room. She has a good memory so when we visit the same place again, she is able to navigate to where she wants to go.
Travelling with Monica has gotten easier over the years as we have learned what to bring, vacation planning, and what to ask for when arranging accomodations. Her disposition in the car has much improved, from kicking the back of our seats and vocalizing to relative peace and quiet. Albeit a surprising sensation for her, Monica enjoyed air travel to the Bahamas.
For physical fitness, Monica often takes short walks (with someone holding her stability and direction). She has a scooter that she sits on and uses her legs to propel herself around the kitchen. She also has a 4 wheeled walker and only requires someone in the front to guide it. At day program she pedals around the corridors on her adapted tricycle.
We have to manually stretch her heal cords which tend to be high tone and do passive range of motion on her upper extremities.
Monica eats a healthy diet with proper nutrition every day. She basically tolerates and eats only pureed food. She starts the day with oatmeal with a banana and scrambled eggs, and orange juice with liquid vitamins and minerals added. Mid morning snack may be a fruit cup or yogurt. Lunch includes a pureed vegetable and fruit, yogurt, and a nutritional supplement drink. Afternoon snack is fruit. Dinner is often yogurt, cottage cheese, vegetables, fruits, and juice or nutritional drink.
Our first single-family home had a very steep driveway and when Monica went to school in the winter, my wife often had to bring Monica down and up our steep driveway (in a wheelchair) because the school bus could not make it up due to snow or ice. When Monica was 6, my wife fell on the driveway trying to push Monica in her wheelchair, so we sold the house. We bought a flat lot and designed a safe and secure, handicapped accessible home that served our family well for many years.
We lived in a small rural town and have a wildlife preserve across the street. In our yard, we created our own backyard wildlife habitat that encouraged birds and small animals to visit or live on our property. Monica enjoys sitting outside in the shade or in the enclosed porch and enjoys listening to the sounds of nature, while dad either mows the lawn or works in his accessible garden.
We had three indoor pets. Two of the older cats were starting to be more comfortable around Monica, and likewise, Monica had been more interested and become more tolerant of their presence.
Before we decided to have a second child, we had genetic testing performed to avoid birth defects due to chromosomal abnormalities, a review of our family history and counseling. An occipital encephalocele is a type of neural tube defect, and neither side of our families had any history of this. Don't rely on your doctors and specialists to maintain family medical records - get your own copies of your medical tests, keep your own records and organize them for future reference.
I had inherited PKD from my mother, but no history of neural tube defects on either side of the family. My wife always wondered if her train trip by the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant during its meltdown accident may have caused her some chromosomal damage.
Martha was born 3 years later - perfectly healthy. She now attends Wagner College in Staten Island and studies Arts Administration. She is Miss Bristol 2010.
When Monica turned 18, we went through the legal process of legal guardianship in the Probate Court. To plan for her care and enjoyment of life after we have departed, we set up a special needs trust.
Monica was employed by the high school cafeteria. Every morning she was responsible for taking frozen cookies out of large boxes and putting them on baking trays to be baked. She often did 5 to 7 large trays, making several hundred cookies for the hungry teenagers at lunch. We are unsure at this time if Monica will be able to continue to work after she graduates from school, but we have included some employment resources for people with disabilities, such as creating an effective resume , disability rights, disability insurance and networking.
As Monica approached her 21st birthday (when she will no longer be eligible to attend public school), I worked on transition planning with the school and the State Department of Developmental Services to find Monica a suitable day program. Monica now attends an Easter Seals day program.
Unlike my youngest daughter Martha, Monica did not have the same teenage stress, rebellion, and dating concerns. One of the most important things a parent can do is try to maintain open and honest communication during the turbulent teenage years.
One of my long-term concerns is what will happen to Monica when I can no longer take care of her, so I am looking into senior health care options. The possibility of turning our home into a group home is no longer possible so I will eventually have to look for a group home where she will live until death.
Despite some state assistance, family budgets are particularly important for family finances. I have a flexible job as a COTA so I can take Monica to medical appointments and care for her during the day when she is sick or a caregiver is not available. Here is my COTA resume. I also make money working at home part time.
While family relationships and roles often change as children get older, here are some basic family values that promote a healthy family life. Divorce is higher than it should be. If only parents of disabled children could learn and embrace what is truly valuable in this world, then self sacrifice would be a joy and not a duty.
Roll away the stone and let the love of Jesus shine in your heart. Spirituality, religion and faith have been an important part of my life. I have learned much about self sacrifice and values and what is most important in life from my daughters. Monica has been a big factor in my self actualization. Monica helped to refocus my career goals to helping other in a personally meaningful way as an occupational therapy assistant.
For families with special needs, here are some resources on dealing with fears and anxieties, how to better cope with stress and depression.
Here is some information on adopting a child with special needs. This website offers inspiring stories submitted by other families with special needs as well as links to other websites on a wide variety of family-related subjects.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Chicago
Chicago Weather
Chicago weather is nothing to sneeze about. It isn't called the Windy City for nothing! Wind, rain, heavy rain, heavier rain, thunderstorms, snow, sunshine, heat, humidity. This great city has it all and as a result there are beautiful trees, magnificent parks, umbrellas, galoshes, tennis courts, and swimming pools. What is clear, however, is that visitors should take care to inform themselves concerning both current conditions and the forecast. Both are contained on this page. They should be helpful when you plan your packing with one eye on high fashion, of course, and the other on the Chicago weather.Chicago Public Library
According to legend, the Chicago Public Library began with the donation of books by British citizens after the fire of 1871. In fact, efforts had been underway before that to augment private libraries with a public institution. These efforts reached fruition in 1872, when the city organized a board under the Illinois Library Act. The board's mandate was to provide service to the “common man.” The first librarian, William Poole, concentrated on building up the library's collections and on public access via delivery stations throughout the city. By 1909, two-thirds of the circulation took place through deposit stations.
In the 1890s the library's priorities shifted from service to uplift. This corresponded with Chicago's larger cultural renaissance, which included the creation of the Newberry and Crerar research libraries. The three libraries agreed to divide the areas of study among them—the humanities to the Newberry, the sciences to Crerar, and popular collections to the public library. In 1897, the new main branch opened in an opulent structure in the Loop. The architecture as well as the books were meant to influence and uplift patrons. At the same time, politicians drastically cut the budget for acquisitions and neighborhood services.
The ideals of progressive reformers soon returned the library to its mission of service, exemplified in librarian Henry Legler's 1916 proposal, “A Library Plan for the Whole City.” The plan, which called for an extensive network of neighborhood libraries and regional districts, was carried out by Legler's assistant, Carl Roden. During Roden's tenure as librarian (1918–1950), the branch library system grew by 50 percent and circulation reached stunning heights, though expenditures and book purchases were low in the wake of the Great Depression. During the three decades after 1950 the public library remained limited by its financial resources.
By 1969, 59 branch libraries were in operation, but they were overburdened. What caught the public's attention and dominated it for the next two decades, however, were the needed renovations to the library's central building. In 1977, the refurbished building reopened as Chicago's Cultural Center, also housing the library's new special collections unit. The rest of the collections, however, remained without a central building until 1991. In the meantime, the library's board debated plans for the new site while the budget, staff, and hours were cut and circulation dropped. Following strong support from Mayor Harold Washington, the new central library was built on the corner of Congress Parkway and State Street and was named in his honor. Its completion signaled a renewed emphasis on public service.
Mayor Richard M. Daley made branch libraries a priority and supported a special bond measure to rebuild them. In 1995, under the leadership of Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey, the library revised its mission statement and developed a Five-Year Strategy for growth that brought renewed vigor to the system. Between 1989 and 2002, it has built or renovated 41 libraries and begun construction on numerous others. Another 14 new neighborhood projects were scheduled for completion by 2004. A commitment to outreach, manifested in public programs, exhibits, and special events, has dramatically increased use of the library.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Indian Dance Reality Shows
Another great show from Asianet. During the initial stage thousands and thousands of Malayalee participants from all over world tried their luck,out of which 70 were selected. The first episode starts with these 70 contestants performing and based on their performance they would further be shortlisted to go to the next round.
THE MOTIVATING concept of ‘Dance India dance’ on Zee TV stands it out in countless dance reality show coming up every season. This show may not have TRP pulling charismatic stars but it has intentions of brushing up the raw talents from different corners of India.
Contestants are segregated into groups as Geeta ki gang, Remo ke rasiley and Terence ki toli wherein they are mentored rigorously by Geeta Kapur, Remo D’souza and Terence Lewis respectively to give their best shot on the platform of their lifetime. As of now Remo is leading with all his Rasileys alive in the show.
“At this stage I cannot pick any names for top three as promising performers have also been eliminated in the show earlier like Mandakini Jena and Shubo Das. Thomas Paulson from Geeta’s group had to leave the show due to injury. Right now each one is working hard and giving their best so nothing can be predicted,” explains Terence.
Recently Alisha Singh, a contestant who has never worn sandals before ‘Dance in dance’ happened to her, performed salsa flawlessly. Nonie Sachdev has been performing brilliantly besides her bulky physique. Other contestant Paulson Thomas, though he suffered from back inflammation, pleaded to the supreme judge Mithun for the permission to perform. Mithun refused to give him permission to perform to the cost of his life. It is evident from these facts and incidences that through such shows dancing has now become bigger.
Dance India dance is not the platform where only contestants learn and derive inspiration. In fact to see physically challenged people like Kamlesh performing on the show is inspirational and have also changed the mentor’s perception towards life. “I have always wished to die if I ever lose any of my body part in accident but am touched after seeing Kamlesh’s performance”, said Lewis, mentor on the show. We keep complaining about life but Kamlesh is truly an inspiration for all of us. “Keeping Kamlesh’s physical limitations in mind we evaluated him on basis of choreography, posture, energy and expressions and yes he is no less because he is not mentally challenged”.
Kamlesh is no more in the show; it would have been an unfair judgment, as it is purely a dance show, which will be evaluated technically for the genres of dances like Indian classical, folk, rumba, salsa or Bollywood.
Growing popularity of the show signifies the success of the organisers’ attempt to teach India all forms of dance beyond typical Bollywood dance.
Colors has announced the launch of a dance reality show 'Chak Dhoom Dhoom', that aims to identify the 'Best Junior Dancing Star' from across the country. The channel has not revealed the time slot or announced the exact date of the first episode's telecast, yet.
The show will be judged by Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan, dancer Ahmed Khan and winner of Bigg Boss season 3, Vindu Dara Singh. The show will be judged by Pravesh Rana, who was also a housemate in Bigg Boss 3.
Speaking about the show, Ashvini Yardi, head of programming, Colors says, "The young India is extremely talented and full of energy and exuberance. Chak Dhoom Dhoom will provide an opportunity to showcase their dancing skills before an eminent jury and the Indian audiences. We are pleased to bring on board stalwarts like Saroj ji, Ahmed Khan and the exuberant Vindu Dara Singh who will not only evaluate the performances of these talented kids but will also inspire, motivate and encourage them to excel."
A reality dance show for children aged between 5 and 14, Chak Dhoom Dhoom aims to be a platform for talented and aspiring children who dream to become dancing sensations. Children are given an opportunity to showcase a variety of dance forms like Indian, salsa, western, hip–hop and break dance, among others. They will be selected through nationwide auditions which will be held across six cities all over India starting this week.
Chak Dhoom Dhoom has been produced by Endemol India.
Who said reality TV is for publicity hungry starlets and hopeful actors greedy for attention? As of now two of Indian cinema’s most revered actresses, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit are at the threshold of hopping onto the reality TV bandwagon.
The beauties will be judging a dance reality show, after a TV channel approached the two. Inside sources suggested that the two lissome divas have more or less given their nod to the channel’s offer and if their dates work out, audiences will behold nothing but a savouring treat.
While Madhuri is juggling between LA and Mumbai, Ash is neck deep in a series of movies. The channel will definitely have to work wonders for getting the two divas together.
Considering the roaring applaud these gorgeous beauties received the last time they set the screen on fire with their blazing performance in Dola Re, we hope the duo are eventually able to set the screens on fire once again.
THE MOTIVATING concept of ‘Dance India dance’ on Zee TV stands it out in countless dance reality show coming up every season. This show may not have TRP pulling charismatic stars but it has intentions of brushing up the raw talents from different corners of India.
Contestants are segregated into groups as Geeta ki gang, Remo ke rasiley and Terence ki toli wherein they are mentored rigorously by Geeta Kapur, Remo D’souza and Terence Lewis respectively to give their best shot on the platform of their lifetime. As of now Remo is leading with all his Rasileys alive in the show.
“At this stage I cannot pick any names for top three as promising performers have also been eliminated in the show earlier like Mandakini Jena and Shubo Das. Thomas Paulson from Geeta’s group had to leave the show due to injury. Right now each one is working hard and giving their best so nothing can be predicted,” explains Terence.
Recently Alisha Singh, a contestant who has never worn sandals before ‘Dance in dance’ happened to her, performed salsa flawlessly. Nonie Sachdev has been performing brilliantly besides her bulky physique. Other contestant Paulson Thomas, though he suffered from back inflammation, pleaded to the supreme judge Mithun for the permission to perform. Mithun refused to give him permission to perform to the cost of his life. It is evident from these facts and incidences that through such shows dancing has now become bigger.
Dance India dance is not the platform where only contestants learn and derive inspiration. In fact to see physically challenged people like Kamlesh performing on the show is inspirational and have also changed the mentor’s perception towards life. “I have always wished to die if I ever lose any of my body part in accident but am touched after seeing Kamlesh’s performance”, said Lewis, mentor on the show. We keep complaining about life but Kamlesh is truly an inspiration for all of us. “Keeping Kamlesh’s physical limitations in mind we evaluated him on basis of choreography, posture, energy and expressions and yes he is no less because he is not mentally challenged”.
Kamlesh is no more in the show; it would have been an unfair judgment, as it is purely a dance show, which will be evaluated technically for the genres of dances like Indian classical, folk, rumba, salsa or Bollywood.
Growing popularity of the show signifies the success of the organisers’ attempt to teach India all forms of dance beyond typical Bollywood dance.
Colors has announced the launch of a dance reality show 'Chak Dhoom Dhoom', that aims to identify the 'Best Junior Dancing Star' from across the country. The channel has not revealed the time slot or announced the exact date of the first episode's telecast, yet.
The show will be judged by Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan, dancer Ahmed Khan and winner of Bigg Boss season 3, Vindu Dara Singh. The show will be judged by Pravesh Rana, who was also a housemate in Bigg Boss 3.
Speaking about the show, Ashvini Yardi, head of programming, Colors says, "The young India is extremely talented and full of energy and exuberance. Chak Dhoom Dhoom will provide an opportunity to showcase their dancing skills before an eminent jury and the Indian audiences. We are pleased to bring on board stalwarts like Saroj ji, Ahmed Khan and the exuberant Vindu Dara Singh who will not only evaluate the performances of these talented kids but will also inspire, motivate and encourage them to excel."
A reality dance show for children aged between 5 and 14, Chak Dhoom Dhoom aims to be a platform for talented and aspiring children who dream to become dancing sensations. Children are given an opportunity to showcase a variety of dance forms like Indian, salsa, western, hip–hop and break dance, among others. They will be selected through nationwide auditions which will be held across six cities all over India starting this week.
Chak Dhoom Dhoom has been produced by Endemol India.
Who said reality TV is for publicity hungry starlets and hopeful actors greedy for attention? As of now two of Indian cinema’s most revered actresses, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit are at the threshold of hopping onto the reality TV bandwagon.
The beauties will be judging a dance reality show, after a TV channel approached the two. Inside sources suggested that the two lissome divas have more or less given their nod to the channel’s offer and if their dates work out, audiences will behold nothing but a savouring treat.
While Madhuri is juggling between LA and Mumbai, Ash is neck deep in a series of movies. The channel will definitely have to work wonders for getting the two divas together.
Considering the roaring applaud these gorgeous beauties received the last time they set the screen on fire with their blazing performance in Dola Re, we hope the duo are eventually able to set the screens on fire once again.
India Famous Places
India has abundance of places with astonishing beauty, all natural and so bizarre that will leave you gaping; Whether it is monuments or sea beaches, forests or desserts, Mountain or green plans. Taken monuments into consideration, Taj Mahal is The most famous example, The symbol of love, That stands proudly in Seven wonders of the world. From kashmir to kanyakumari, There is so much, so much to explore! You will get tired exploring the places but the places will not end.
Well-Known North India Attractions: India lies in the south of Asia and is a subcontinent of Asia. The complete country is divided into four big areas, Northern India, South India, East India, and West India. However, you will find almost major tourist attractions in Northern India. Amongst the quite well-known Northern India tourist place is the Taj Mahal. This unique work of art was constructed by the infamous Mogul emperor Shan Jahan. The Taj Mahal was built in the year 1649 as a tribute to his wife. Other north Indian tourist attractions include (but are not limited to): Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar, Golden Temple
, Jaisalmer Fort, Jama Masjid, Hawa Mahal, and the Himalayan mountain range. North India is also home to a number of picturesque hill stations like Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. All these tourists attractions mentioned above indeed offer tranquility, peace, glorious and awe-inspiring sceneries . Most popular South India Attractions: South India is where a majority of India's natural attractions can be found. They contain the Rock Fort Temple, Kerala Backwaters, Golconda Fort, Ooty, Char Minar, and much more that as well comprise wide-spread hill stations in Kerala. Many of India's famous temples can also be found in southern India. A few of which are the Somnathpur Temple, Meenakshi Temple, Tirupati Balaji Temple, and many more. The region of Kerala is also home to many hill stations. These contain Chithirapuram Hill station, Munnar Hill Station, Devikulam Hill Station, Ponmudi Hill Station, Attappady Hill Station, and Nelliyampathy Hill Station The well-known backwaters of Kerala has indeed severed a s a great tourist place too. This is undoubtedly the most intriguing way to spend vacations in India. Kerala is truly the tourist capital of India. To Indians it is well-known as God's Own Country. Kerala offers extravagant beaches, refresing greens, and coconut canopy Most popular West India Attractions: Similar to north and south India, east and west India also offer very notable tourist attractions. While visiting India, one can find themselves in one of Western India's major states. Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Vadodara, and Maharashtra are the western states. Western India is also home to well-known beaches. The state of Goa, although it is the smallest state, contains famous beaches such as Anjuna Beach, Baga Beach, and much more. Most popular East India Attractions: Kolkatta, the ancient city of India is situated in the Eastern part. Situated within the town are the Victoria Memorial, Nandan, National Liberty, Maidan, For William, Race Course, Eden Gardens, Alipur Zoo, Botanical Garden, and several more. Most popular Indian Fairs and Festivals: Till you do not take part in traditional festivals and fairs of India, you haven't experienced this cultural country at all. The Indian people take immense delight in their festivals and think of them as an occasion. The most notable of these festivals are Diwali, Christmas, Holi, Eid, Easter, and Raksha Bandhan. In addition to the many festivals, Indian fairs like Pushkar Fair, Nagaur Fair, Beneshwar Fair, and Mata Fair are a must see for all tourists\visitors.
Well-Known North India Attractions: India lies in the south of Asia and is a subcontinent of Asia. The complete country is divided into four big areas, Northern India, South India, East India, and West India. However, you will find almost major tourist attractions in Northern India. Amongst the quite well-known Northern India tourist place is the Taj Mahal. This unique work of art was constructed by the infamous Mogul emperor Shan Jahan. The Taj Mahal was built in the year 1649 as a tribute to his wife. Other north Indian tourist attractions include (but are not limited to): Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar, Golden Temple
, Jaisalmer Fort, Jama Masjid, Hawa Mahal, and the Himalayan mountain range. North India is also home to a number of picturesque hill stations like Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. All these tourists attractions mentioned above indeed offer tranquility, peace, glorious and awe-inspiring sceneries . Most popular South India Attractions: South India is where a majority of India's natural attractions can be found. They contain the Rock Fort Temple, Kerala Backwaters, Golconda Fort, Ooty, Char Minar, and much more that as well comprise wide-spread hill stations in Kerala. Many of India's famous temples can also be found in southern India. A few of which are the Somnathpur Temple, Meenakshi Temple, Tirupati Balaji Temple, and many more. The region of Kerala is also home to many hill stations. These contain Chithirapuram Hill station, Munnar Hill Station, Devikulam Hill Station, Ponmudi Hill Station, Attappady Hill Station, and Nelliyampathy Hill Station The well-known backwaters of Kerala has indeed severed a s a great tourist place too. This is undoubtedly the most intriguing way to spend vacations in India. Kerala is truly the tourist capital of India. To Indians it is well-known as God's Own Country. Kerala offers extravagant beaches, refresing greens, and coconut canopy Most popular West India Attractions: Similar to north and south India, east and west India also offer very notable tourist attractions. While visiting India, one can find themselves in one of Western India's major states. Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Vadodara, and Maharashtra are the western states. Western India is also home to well-known beaches. The state of Goa, although it is the smallest state, contains famous beaches such as Anjuna Beach, Baga Beach, and much more. Most popular East India Attractions: Kolkatta, the ancient city of India is situated in the Eastern part. Situated within the town are the Victoria Memorial, Nandan, National Liberty, Maidan, For William, Race Course, Eden Gardens, Alipur Zoo, Botanical Garden, and several more. Most popular Indian Fairs and Festivals: Till you do not take part in traditional festivals and fairs of India, you haven't experienced this cultural country at all. The Indian people take immense delight in their festivals and think of them as an occasion. The most notable of these festivals are Diwali, Christmas, Holi, Eid, Easter, and Raksha Bandhan. In addition to the many festivals, Indian fairs like Pushkar Fair, Nagaur Fair, Beneshwar Fair, and Mata Fair are a must see for all tourists\visitors.
| Place | Location |
|---|---|
| Ajanta | Aurangabad (Maharashtra) |
| Amarnath Cave | Kashmir |
| Akbar's Tomb | Sikanara, Agra |
| Amber Palace | Jaipur (Rajasthan) |
| Anand Bhawan | Allahabad |
| Bhakra Dam | Punjab |
| Bibi Da Maqbra | Aurangabad |
| Birla Planetorium | Calcutta |
| Black Pagoda | Konark (Orissa) |
| Bodhisatva | Ajanta Caves |
| Brihadeeswara Temple | Tanjavur, Tanjor |
| Brindaban Gardens | Mysore |
| Buland Darwaza | Fatehpur Sikri |
| Charminar | Hyderabad |
| Cheena Kesava Temple | Belur |
| Chilka Lake | East Coast of India near Bhubaneshwar |
| Dal Lake | Srinagar |
| Dilwara Temple | Mt.Abu |
| Elephanta Caves | Bombay |
| Ellora Caves | Aurangabad |
| Gateway of India | Bombay |
| Golden Temple | Amritsar |
| Gol Gumbaz | Bijapur |
| Hanging Gardens | Bombay |
| Hawa Mahal (Place of winds) | Jaipur |
| Howrah Gridge | Calcutta |
| Island Palace | Udaipur |
| Itmaad-ud-Daulah's Tomb | Agra |
| Jagannath Temple | Puri |
| Jahaz Mahal | Mandu, M.P.(City of Joy) |
| Jai Stambha (Tower of Victory) | Chittorgarh |
| Jama Masjid | Delhi |
| Jantar Mantar | New Delhi |
| Jog (Gersoppa) Falls | Karnataka |
| Kailasa Temple | Ellora |
| Kanyakumari Temple | Kanyakumari |
| Khajuraho | M.P. |
| Kirti Stambha (Tower of victory) | Chittorgarh |
| Kornark | Orissa |
| Lakshmi Vilas Palace | Baroda |
| Lal Bagh Garden | Bangalore |
| Lalgarh Palace | Bikaner |
| Mahabaleshwar Temple | Ujjain (M.P.) |
| Maheshmuri (Trimurty) | Elephanta Caves |
| Malabar Hill | Bombay |
| Man Mandir Palace | Gwalior Fort |
| Marble Rocks | Jabalpur |
| Marina Beach | Madras |
| Minakshi Temple | Madurai |
| Mt. Girnar(Jain Temple) | Junagadh |
| Nagin Lake | Srinagar |
| Nishat Bagh | Srinagar |
| Padmanabha Temple | Trivandrum |
| Palitana | Junagadh |
| Panch Mahal | Fatehpur Sikri |
| Pichola Lake | Udaipur |
| Prince of Wales Muserm | Bombay |
| Qutab Minar | Delhi |
| Raj Ghat | New Delhi |
| Rashtrapati Bhawan | New Delhi |
| Red Fort | Delhi |
| Sanchi Stupa | Sanchi(Bhopal) |
| Sahar | Bombay |
| Sarnath Temple | Varanasi |
| Sidi Sayyid Mosque | Ahmedabad |
| Shalimar Bagh | Srinagar |
| Shahi Chashma | Srinagar |
| Shanti Vana | New Delhi |
| Shore Temple | Mahabalipuram |
| Somnath Temple | Gujarat |
| Statue of Gomateswars | Karnataka |
| Statue of Ugra Narasimha | Hampi |
| Sunderbans | West Bengal |
| Sun Temple | Konark |
| Taj Mahal | Agra |
| Tripati Temple | Andhra Pradesh |
| Tower of Silence | Bombay |
| Victoria Memorial | Calcutta |
| Victoria Garden | Bombay |
| Vijay Ghat | New Delhi |
India is probably the only country that offers various types of tourism such as history tourism, adventure tourism, medical tourism, spiritual tourism, beach tourism etc.
Being an ancient country, India is a country of monuments. All in all these monuments are the destination of the traveler to India. These monuments bring the true colors of India. The country offers an amazing range of adventure opportunities such as:
• Tracking, a perfect and balanced exercise for limbs, sheds excess body fat, keeps you agile and leaves you fitter than ever before by a trekking tour.
• The white water rafting on the Ganga
• Indus or Teesta to heli-skiing in the high Himalayas
• Hang-gliding and ballooning over the Indian plains to camel-safaris in the vast Thar Desert of Rajasthan;
• Chasing the elusive tiger on the backs of mighty elephants to trekking in the Himalayan ranges
Being an ancient country, India is a country of monuments. All in all these monuments are the destination of the traveler to India. These monuments bring the true colors of India.
These are just a few of the many options available to the traveler looking for a little more adventure. Keep your eyes and mind open to have new joys and you will be pleased with sweet memories.
Author is ardent traveller whose motto in life travelling
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Hollywood Love Story Movies
Every dog will have his day or in this case, wolf. With some heartbreak in store for our favorite man-transforming-to-wolf hero in the upcoming "New Moon,"were glad that Unique Features decided it was time for a morphing wolf-teen to get his own love story.
Step in "Shiver," the first book in a supernatural romance series by Maggie Stiefvater, which debuted in August and has been on the bestseller lists ever since. The novel tells the tale of a girl, Grace, whose life is saved by a wolf when she was young. Years later, she comes across an injured boy who she realizes is the same wolf who saved her, and a love develops. The boy, Sam, will change back to a wolf in the winter, however, and thus they must figure out how to make their relationship work.
"I'm not the biggest werewolf or vampire fan, but the author has a strong take on a young adult sensibility," Unique Features producer Bob Shaye said in an interview with Variety. "It's also a sexy love story that isn't too over the top."
Bob and his partner Michael Lynne acquired the screen rights for "Shiver" and its two planned sequels. The pair is far from uneducated when it comes to fantastical epics, as they also were the producers behind the "Lord of the Rings trilogy and "Blade." They plan to approach Warner Bros with the opportunity to buy the project first, the told Variety.
The American Film Institute (AFI) revealed the 100 greatest love stories of all time on June 11, 2002 during AFI's "100 Years...100 Passions," a three-hour special television event. Of all the films, "Casablanca" walked in the joint at number one. The 1942 classic starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman was followed by "Gone with the Wind" (#2), "West Side Story" (#3), "Roman Holiday" (#4) and "An Affair to Remember" (#5).
"Last year, AFI's '100 Years...100 Thrills' counted down America's most heart-pounding films and focused on how those films viscerally effect an audience," stated AFI Director and CEO Jean Picker Firstenberg. "This year, AFI's '100 Years...100 Passions' celebrates matters of the heart in a whole different way -- more heartbreaks, heartaches and hearts bursting with love, rather than heart attacks and hearts in the throat. It's a wonderful and broad list of films and I hope this fifth installment of AFI's centennial celebration of cinema will prompt people to watch these classics, either for the first time or the fortieth."
The 100 most passionate films of all time were selected by a blue-ribbon panel of leaders from the film community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers, etc.), critics, historians and film executives.
And the winners are...
1. "Casablanca" - 1942
2. "Gone with the Wind" - 1939
3. "West Side Story" - 1961
4. "Roman Holiday" - 1953
5. "An Affair to Remember" - 1957
6. "The Way We Were" - 1973
7. "Doctor Zhivago" - 1965
8. "It's a Wonderful Life" - 1946
9. "Love Story" - 1970
10. "City Lights" - 1931
11. "Annie Hall" - 1977
12. "My Fair Lady" - 1964
13. "Out of Africa" - 1985
14. "The African Queen" - 1951
15. "Wuthering Heights" - 1939
16. "Singing' in the Rain" - 1952
17. "Moonstruck" - 1987
18. "Vertigo" - 1958
19. "Ghost" - 1990
20. "From Here to Eternity" - 1953
21. "Pretty Woman" - 1990
22. "On Golden Pone" - 1981
23. "Now, Voyager" - 1942
24. "King Kong" - 1933
25. "When Harry Met Sally" - 1989
26. "The Lady Eve" - 1941
27. "The Sound of Music" - 1965
28. "The Shop Around the Corner" - 1940
29. "An Officer and a Gentleman" - 1982
30. "Swing Time" - 1936
31. "The King and I" - 1956
32. "Dark Victory" - 1939
33. "Camille" - 1937
34. "Beauty and the Beast" - 1991
35. "Gigi" - 1958
36. "Random Harvest" - 1942
37. "Titanic" - 1997
38. "It Happened One Night" - 1934
39. "An American in Paris" - 1951
40. "Ninotchka" - 1939
41. "Funny Girl" - 1968
42. "Anna Karenina" - 1935
43. "A Star is Born" - 1954
44. "The Philadelphia Story" - 1940
45. "Sleepless in Seattle" - 1993
46. "To Catch a Thief" - 1955
47. "Splendor in the Grass" - 1961
48. "Last Tango in Paris" - 1972
49. "The Postman Always Rings Twice" - 1946
50. "Shakespeare in Love" - 1998
51. "Bringing Up Baby" - 1938
52. "The Graduate" - 1967
53. "A Place in the Sun" - 1951
54. "Sabrina" - 1954
55. "Reds" - 1981
56. "The English Patient" - 1996
57. "Two for the Road" - 1967
58. "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" - 1967
59. "Picnic" - 1955
60. "To Have and Have Not" - 1944
61. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - 1961
62. "The Apartment" - 1960
63. "Sunrise" - 1927
64. "Marty" - 1955
65. "Bonnie and Clyde" - 1967
66. "Manhattan" - 1979
67. "A Streetcar Named Desire" - 1951
68. "What's Up, Doc?" - 1972
69. "Harold and Maude" - 1971
70. "Sense and Sensibility" - 1995
71. "Way Down East" - 1920
72. "Roxanne" - 1987
73. "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" - 1947
74. "Woman of the Year" - 1942
75. "The American President" - 1995
76. "The Quiet Man" - 1952
77. "The Awful Truth" - 1937
78. "Coming Home" - 1978
79. "Jezebel" - 1939
80. "The Sheik" - 1921
81. "The Goodbye Girl" - 1977
82. "Witness" - 1985
83. "Morocco" - 1930
84. "Double Indemnity" - 1944
85. "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" - 1955
86. "Notorious" - 1946
87. "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" - 1988
88. "The Princess Bride" - 1987
89. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" - 1966
90. "The Bridges of Madison County" - 1995
91. "Working Girl" - 1988
92. "Porgy and Bess" - 1959
93. "Dirty Dancing" - 1987
94. "Body Heat" - 1981
95. "Lady and the Tramp" - 1955
96. "Barefoot in the Park" - 1967
97. "Grease" - 1978
98. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" - 1939
99. "Pillow Talk" - 1959
100. "Jerry Maguire" - 1996
Step in "Shiver," the first book in a supernatural romance series by Maggie Stiefvater, which debuted in August and has been on the bestseller lists ever since. The novel tells the tale of a girl, Grace, whose life is saved by a wolf when she was young. Years later, she comes across an injured boy who she realizes is the same wolf who saved her, and a love develops. The boy, Sam, will change back to a wolf in the winter, however, and thus they must figure out how to make their relationship work.
"I'm not the biggest werewolf or vampire fan, but the author has a strong take on a young adult sensibility," Unique Features producer Bob Shaye said in an interview with Variety. "It's also a sexy love story that isn't too over the top."
Bob and his partner Michael Lynne acquired the screen rights for "Shiver" and its two planned sequels. The pair is far from uneducated when it comes to fantastical epics, as they also were the producers behind the "Lord of the Rings trilogy and "Blade." They plan to approach Warner Bros with the opportunity to buy the project first, the told Variety.
The American Film Institute (AFI) revealed the 100 greatest love stories of all time on June 11, 2002 during AFI's "100 Years...100 Passions," a three-hour special television event. Of all the films, "Casablanca" walked in the joint at number one. The 1942 classic starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman was followed by "Gone with the Wind" (#2), "West Side Story" (#3), "Roman Holiday" (#4) and "An Affair to Remember" (#5).
"Last year, AFI's '100 Years...100 Thrills' counted down America's most heart-pounding films and focused on how those films viscerally effect an audience," stated AFI Director and CEO Jean Picker Firstenberg. "This year, AFI's '100 Years...100 Passions' celebrates matters of the heart in a whole different way -- more heartbreaks, heartaches and hearts bursting with love, rather than heart attacks and hearts in the throat. It's a wonderful and broad list of films and I hope this fifth installment of AFI's centennial celebration of cinema will prompt people to watch these classics, either for the first time or the fortieth."
The 100 most passionate films of all time were selected by a blue-ribbon panel of leaders from the film community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers, etc.), critics, historians and film executives.
And the winners are...
1. "Casablanca" - 1942
2. "Gone with the Wind" - 1939
3. "West Side Story" - 1961
4. "Roman Holiday" - 1953
5. "An Affair to Remember" - 1957
6. "The Way We Were" - 1973
7. "Doctor Zhivago" - 1965
8. "It's a Wonderful Life" - 1946
9. "Love Story" - 1970
10. "City Lights" - 1931
11. "Annie Hall" - 1977
12. "My Fair Lady" - 1964
13. "Out of Africa" - 1985
14. "The African Queen" - 1951
15. "Wuthering Heights" - 1939
16. "Singing' in the Rain" - 1952
17. "Moonstruck" - 1987
18. "Vertigo" - 1958
19. "Ghost" - 1990
20. "From Here to Eternity" - 1953
21. "Pretty Woman" - 1990
22. "On Golden Pone" - 1981
23. "Now, Voyager" - 1942
24. "King Kong" - 1933
25. "When Harry Met Sally" - 1989
26. "The Lady Eve" - 1941
27. "The Sound of Music" - 1965
28. "The Shop Around the Corner" - 1940
29. "An Officer and a Gentleman" - 1982
30. "Swing Time" - 1936
31. "The King and I" - 1956
32. "Dark Victory" - 1939
33. "Camille" - 1937
34. "Beauty and the Beast" - 1991
35. "Gigi" - 1958
36. "Random Harvest" - 1942
37. "Titanic" - 1997
38. "It Happened One Night" - 1934
39. "An American in Paris" - 1951
40. "Ninotchka" - 1939
41. "Funny Girl" - 1968
42. "Anna Karenina" - 1935
43. "A Star is Born" - 1954
44. "The Philadelphia Story" - 1940
45. "Sleepless in Seattle" - 1993
46. "To Catch a Thief" - 1955
47. "Splendor in the Grass" - 1961
48. "Last Tango in Paris" - 1972
49. "The Postman Always Rings Twice" - 1946
50. "Shakespeare in Love" - 1998
51. "Bringing Up Baby" - 1938
52. "The Graduate" - 1967
53. "A Place in the Sun" - 1951
54. "Sabrina" - 1954
55. "Reds" - 1981
56. "The English Patient" - 1996
57. "Two for the Road" - 1967
58. "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" - 1967
59. "Picnic" - 1955
60. "To Have and Have Not" - 1944
61. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - 1961
62. "The Apartment" - 1960
63. "Sunrise" - 1927
64. "Marty" - 1955
65. "Bonnie and Clyde" - 1967
66. "Manhattan" - 1979
67. "A Streetcar Named Desire" - 1951
68. "What's Up, Doc?" - 1972
69. "Harold and Maude" - 1971
70. "Sense and Sensibility" - 1995
71. "Way Down East" - 1920
72. "Roxanne" - 1987
73. "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" - 1947
74. "Woman of the Year" - 1942
75. "The American President" - 1995
76. "The Quiet Man" - 1952
77. "The Awful Truth" - 1937
78. "Coming Home" - 1978
79. "Jezebel" - 1939
80. "The Sheik" - 1921
81. "The Goodbye Girl" - 1977
82. "Witness" - 1985
83. "Morocco" - 1930
84. "Double Indemnity" - 1944
85. "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" - 1955
86. "Notorious" - 1946
87. "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" - 1988
88. "The Princess Bride" - 1987
89. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" - 1966
90. "The Bridges of Madison County" - 1995
91. "Working Girl" - 1988
92. "Porgy and Bess" - 1959
93. "Dirty Dancing" - 1987
94. "Body Heat" - 1981
95. "Lady and the Tramp" - 1955
96. "Barefoot in the Park" - 1967
97. "Grease" - 1978
98. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" - 1939
99. "Pillow Talk" - 1959
100. "Jerry Maguire" - 1996
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Modeling Contests
The Anime Expo® Model Contest is a tradition that has been on going for over a decade. The model contest provides model builders a place to gather and compete with one another on any anime based model subject which includes but is not limited to Gundam, Macross, Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, Five Star Stories, Armored Core, and figures from various animes. Contestants will compete against each other in various categories for prizes, the prestigious Anime Expo® Model Contest Trophies, bragging rights, and most importantly, the fun and support for the hobby.
Every year, the model contest adds a different flavor to make it’s mark for that specific year. This year, in addition to the regular contest, there will be an additional “At Con” contest. More details about the contest will come as the count down to Anime Expo® approaches.
Modeling Contests
Land a modeling contract
Modeling contests can be a great way to break into a new career for you or your child. There are a number of baby modeling contests and child modeling contests being held around the country at any given time. Photo contests may also be offered that give you priceless exposure and an opportunity at a cash prize. Here are a few tips for maximizing your chances of winning your next modeling contest.
First Impressions
You only get a few minutes to catch the reviewer’s eye, so be sure to select the best photos from your portfolio when entering fashion modeling contests. For baby modeling contests, have a professional photographer update your child’s picture frequently so you have a variety of pictures to choose from. If your child is interested in a modeling career, simply updating their photo and entering child modeling contests or teenage modeling contests can help build their resume before they become adults.
Start Slow
This is especially important for child modeling contests that do not involve you personally. Many parents place undue pressure on their children by spending money on travel and auditions that they really cannot afford. Once your child shows a specific talent or interest for modeling, you may want to invest more cash into helping them achieve their goals. At first, however, start slow because children are known to change their interests frequently. Your son or daughter may just be testing the waters because it sounded glamorous to participate in a fashion modeling contest.
Free Modeling Contests
If you are just starting out, free modeling contests may be the best way to get a lot of exposure in a short amount of time. This works especially well for baby modeling contests, as your child will not be a baby for very long, and there is always a lot of demand for cute baby pictures. These free contests often pass on the photos entered to top executives at modeling agencies and fashion magazines who are looking for the latest fresh face. Exposure gained from modeling contests may also help you or your child springboard into a related career in acting, singing or theater.
Modeling Contests Online
The Internet has a variety of free photo and modeling contests you can enter. These often get more competition than offline competitions because they are open to so many entrants. Entering these contests can be as easy as simply uploading a photo and filling out an online form.
Model Contest details
First Step: Register as an OMW Model:
In order to enter our Modeling contest you must first have an active model account with OMW. It is FREE to register and your access is instant. Upon registration you will have access to your private OMW Model admin panel where you can create your Online Model Page. This process takes about 2 minutes and we have provided full video instructions on how to do this. After your model page is completed your account will be activated instantly!
Second Step: Enter the OMW Online Model Contest:
After your model account has been activated you will be able to enter the OMW Online Model Contest. To do this, simply log into your account and click on the red "Contest" button located at the top right in your list of admin links. You will then be able to select an image from your portfolio that you wish to enter into the contest. Each model can select only one image from their portfolio, however you can change this image at anytime. You can also create a title for your image and description.
Third Step: Getting Votes:
After you have completed the 2nd step by uploading your model contest image you will be given a unique code that can be used to gather votes. You can paste this code into your FaceBook, MySpace, or any other social networking webpage. This code will display a thumbnail of your model image. When someone clicks on your thumbnail they will have the option to vote for you in the contest. The model with the most votes at the end of the month wins!
***IMPORTANT***
All models under the age of 18 must have parental approval before registering as an OMW Model and entering the Online Model Contest.
All model images uploaded must be original content owned by you. Do not attempt to upload Copyrighted, commercial, or images of someone else.
No Adult content is allowed. Do not upload a model image consisting of Adult content. We do accept tasteful nude "glamour" styles from models over the age of 18, but anything considered pornographic will be removed immediately.
Build and Finish – 20 pts – This is the actual skill used in building the piece. This is visible seams, correcting of flaws in the kit, filling open areas that should be solid. The finish is a careful inspection of the actual painting, decals, weathering. Items to be judged: excessive brush strokes, over spray, decals that are peeling or silvering, stickers (if used) not showing signs of peeling or abuse. Sticker abuse is the sticker showing signs of being removed and reapplied and/or having creases and various other signs of poor carePoints are awarded for how well a model is built.
Technical – 15 pts – This area focuses on the technical difficulty of the kit. Points are awarded for various technical attributes such as building a very old kit, scratch building, modifications done to the kit to make it better (Lighting, new jointing, correcting joint issues, addition of conversion kit parts), intricate paint schemes, etc. Judges can award these additional points for increase difficulty.
Aesthetics – 10 pts – These points are awarded for the intangible aspects of an entry. This is the most subjective judging criteria, and is based on how the judges feel about the kit on a personal level. Judges will award points based on how they feel about the kit, about the color scheme used, and generally how the kit affects them on an aesthetic level.
Presentation – 5 pts – This is how the kit is displayed for judging. This includes: Base, pose, and a non-technical look at the piece which is a 2ft judgment of the piece. A 2ft judgment is at a distance how does the piece look. A piece can look incredible at 2ft but be technically flawed at close inspection. This is also any custom painting, decals, or other items that are added to the kit to add to the appearance of the piece away from its technical merits.
Every year, the model contest adds a different flavor to make it’s mark for that specific year. This year, in addition to the regular contest, there will be an additional “At Con” contest. More details about the contest will come as the count down to Anime Expo® approaches.
Modeling Contests
Land a modeling contract
Modeling contests can be a great way to break into a new career for you or your child. There are a number of baby modeling contests and child modeling contests being held around the country at any given time. Photo contests may also be offered that give you priceless exposure and an opportunity at a cash prize. Here are a few tips for maximizing your chances of winning your next modeling contest.
First Impressions
You only get a few minutes to catch the reviewer’s eye, so be sure to select the best photos from your portfolio when entering fashion modeling contests. For baby modeling contests, have a professional photographer update your child’s picture frequently so you have a variety of pictures to choose from. If your child is interested in a modeling career, simply updating their photo and entering child modeling contests or teenage modeling contests can help build their resume before they become adults.
Start Slow
This is especially important for child modeling contests that do not involve you personally. Many parents place undue pressure on their children by spending money on travel and auditions that they really cannot afford. Once your child shows a specific talent or interest for modeling, you may want to invest more cash into helping them achieve their goals. At first, however, start slow because children are known to change their interests frequently. Your son or daughter may just be testing the waters because it sounded glamorous to participate in a fashion modeling contest.
Free Modeling Contests
If you are just starting out, free modeling contests may be the best way to get a lot of exposure in a short amount of time. This works especially well for baby modeling contests, as your child will not be a baby for very long, and there is always a lot of demand for cute baby pictures. These free contests often pass on the photos entered to top executives at modeling agencies and fashion magazines who are looking for the latest fresh face. Exposure gained from modeling contests may also help you or your child springboard into a related career in acting, singing or theater.
Modeling Contests Online
The Internet has a variety of free photo and modeling contests you can enter. These often get more competition than offline competitions because they are open to so many entrants. Entering these contests can be as easy as simply uploading a photo and filling out an online form.
Model Contest details
First Step: Register as an OMW Model:
In order to enter our Modeling contest you must first have an active model account with OMW. It is FREE to register and your access is instant. Upon registration you will have access to your private OMW Model admin panel where you can create your Online Model Page. This process takes about 2 minutes and we have provided full video instructions on how to do this. After your model page is completed your account will be activated instantly!
Second Step: Enter the OMW Online Model Contest:
After your model account has been activated you will be able to enter the OMW Online Model Contest. To do this, simply log into your account and click on the red "Contest" button located at the top right in your list of admin links. You will then be able to select an image from your portfolio that you wish to enter into the contest. Each model can select only one image from their portfolio, however you can change this image at anytime. You can also create a title for your image and description.
Third Step: Getting Votes:
After you have completed the 2nd step by uploading your model contest image you will be given a unique code that can be used to gather votes. You can paste this code into your FaceBook, MySpace, or any other social networking webpage. This code will display a thumbnail of your model image. When someone clicks on your thumbnail they will have the option to vote for you in the contest. The model with the most votes at the end of the month wins!
***IMPORTANT***
All models under the age of 18 must have parental approval before registering as an OMW Model and entering the Online Model Contest.
All model images uploaded must be original content owned by you. Do not attempt to upload Copyrighted, commercial, or images of someone else.
No Adult content is allowed. Do not upload a model image consisting of Adult content. We do accept tasteful nude "glamour" styles from models over the age of 18, but anything considered pornographic will be removed immediately.
Build and Finish – 20 pts – This is the actual skill used in building the piece. This is visible seams, correcting of flaws in the kit, filling open areas that should be solid. The finish is a careful inspection of the actual painting, decals, weathering. Items to be judged: excessive brush strokes, over spray, decals that are peeling or silvering, stickers (if used) not showing signs of peeling or abuse. Sticker abuse is the sticker showing signs of being removed and reapplied and/or having creases and various other signs of poor carePoints are awarded for how well a model is built.
Technical – 15 pts – This area focuses on the technical difficulty of the kit. Points are awarded for various technical attributes such as building a very old kit, scratch building, modifications done to the kit to make it better (Lighting, new jointing, correcting joint issues, addition of conversion kit parts), intricate paint schemes, etc. Judges can award these additional points for increase difficulty.
Aesthetics – 10 pts – These points are awarded for the intangible aspects of an entry. This is the most subjective judging criteria, and is based on how the judges feel about the kit on a personal level. Judges will award points based on how they feel about the kit, about the color scheme used, and generally how the kit affects them on an aesthetic level.
Presentation – 5 pts – This is how the kit is displayed for judging. This includes: Base, pose, and a non-technical look at the piece which is a 2ft judgment of the piece. A 2ft judgment is at a distance how does the piece look. A piece can look incredible at 2ft but be technically flawed at close inspection. This is also any custom painting, decals, or other items that are added to the kit to add to the appearance of the piece away from its technical merits.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)