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The omnipresence of Disney is undeniable. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Some of what they make is actually entertaining. Films like THE SHAGGY DOG, FREAKY FRIDAY, and HOMEWARD BOUND all suddenly come to mind, and they’re only a handful of the live-action films. Listing the entirety of the animated Disney films would be as superfluous as it wold be time-consuming. That being said, THE PARENT TRAP offers predictable, fun Disney fare.

In the interests of full disclosure, it should be noted that Disney has produced two versions of this film. Moreover, both versions are based on Erik Kastner’s novel LOTTIE AND LISA. Though some particular plot points have been altered in the new version, the essential plot remains the same: children try to reunite and rekindle their parents’ marriage. Odd, and not at all the business of children, the premise does still provide a bevvy of humorous flash points. A laugh riot this is not — a warmhearted fuzzy-feeling family film it is. For the most part.

The original 1961 version featured Hayley Mills in the starring role, with Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith playing the parents. The separated “girls” (both played by Hayley) meet at summer camp and quickly discover the truth about one another. They were twins whose parents divorced at birth and each took one of the twins and never told the girls about the other. The rest of the film follows the girls as they switch places to meet the parent they did not know they had. The girls soon learn that their father is about to marry his gold-digging girlfriend — a plan they must stop. After a madcap race, and an ill-fated camping trip, it all comes together.

The latest version (shot in 1998), surprisingly, is remarkably faithful to the 1961 version. This version, however, places the mother in London, rather than Boston. Also, in this version she is unaware of the twins’ plans to sabotage their father’s wedding plans. The girls contrive to bring their parents back together by getting them both to the same hotel. Their mother has no idea their father is about to re-marry. They must race against time to get them back together before he says “I do” to the wrong woman.

Soon the twins hatch a plot to switch places, a secret their mother is not too thrilled to find out. When she backs out of the annual camping trip, the twins set about making their father’s fiance completely miserable. As in the original version, the girls sabotage their father’s fiance in the wild. Sugar-water mosquito repellent anyone? How about a trip down the river whilst taking a a nap? Either version of THE PARENT TRAP is sure to please — as long as your little ones are old enough to understand divorce and separation.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by James Pyn
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Halo has always been the Xbox’s flagship game, and so it’s comes as no surprise that after we “finished the fight” in Halo 3, Bungie and Microsoft have found a way to take us back to the Halo universe. The new game, Halo: ODST (Orbital Drop Shop Trooper, if you’re interested) does at least promise some new ideas.

First and foremost, Master Chief is missing from Halo: ODST. Not as in lost, as in, not in the game. Instead you play the part of a rookie soldier in a more experienced drop team. You start the game preparing for a drop onto a Covenant ship. It all goes wrong, and you appear to fall to your death. Fear not though, as you awake, albeit alone, several hours later and the game proper begins.

The story for Halo: ODST then unfolds via a series of flashbacks in which you can play your more experienced team mates as well as the rookie, as you seek to find out what has happened. It makes for a varied experience and an engaging storyline. One thing you will notice with all the characters though is that they don’t have the speed or agility of Master Chief, the super-charged Spartan, as they are all human.

The campaign mode for Halo: ODST also shows off another big change since Halo 3, namely the graphics. It’s a noticeable improvement, and one Bungie puts down to being able to use an existing engine and concentrate on the details rather than the technology. Whatever the reason, it’s one of Halo 3′s flaws rectified.

Halo: ODST wouldn’t be a Halo game without multiplayer though, and while it uses the Halo 3 mode for competitive games, Halo: ODST does have a new collaborative mode. Named Firefight, it will be familiar to gamers who have played Gears of War 2′s Horde mode, as it sees four of you taking on wave after wave of Covenant forces and just trying to stay alive for as long as possible.

Still, while Horde always felt like defensive play, Halo: ODST at least starts out with the feeling that you are on the attack, and you can rack up decent points by playing offensively.

Seven lives are shared among the team as you try and stay alive through increasingly difficult waves of Covenant. There’s no doubt, having played it, that the new Firefight mode is a great co-operative experience.

Going against the grain for Xbox 360 games, Bungie first said that there would be no add-ons for Halo: ODST, that what was on the disc was the entirety of the ODST game. Since then though, the box has been leaked and clearly states that downloadable content will be available, so the likelihood is that there will be some Halo: ODST map packs to come.

Halo: ODST is set for release exclusively on the Xbox 360 in September 2009. It has been developed by the original developers of Halo, Bungie and will be published by Microsoft. The anticipation is that it will be a worldwide success for the Xbox 360, and once you’ve played it, there’s no reason to believe otherwise.

Tags: Games by David Taylor
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Madonna’s Like a Prayer, condemned by Christian organizations as blasphemous upon its release in 1989, has topped a poll of videos which “broke the rules”. “Like a Prayer” was her most explicit artistic statement in 1984. She incorporated dance, pop rock soul and funk elements all in the album.

She chose the title track as the first single. When it came out, Pepsi intended to use it as part of their commercial campaign featuring Madonna as the spokesperson. In addition, they would sponsor a 1989 world tour. However, the release of the video for “Like A Prayer” caused much controversy. In it, Madonna witnesses a murder, makes love to a saint, displays stigmata after cutting her palms on a knife, and dances in a field of burning crosses.

Religious groups were furious and threatened to boycott Pepsi. Pepsi decided the risk was too great and they cancelled their contract with Madonna. The Pepsi clip featured the portion of the video which shows the singer dancing around the hill with burning crosses and kissing a black Christ-like figure in what is apparently a Catholic church. It came first in a survey of 10 thousand MTV viewers, with Madonna’s songs Ray of Light and Vogue also in the top five. Madonna, one of the icons of the MTV age – has been excluded from the network’s play list on more than one occasion because of the content of her videos and lyrics in her songs.

The following are parts of the the lyrics to Like A Prayer:

“just like a muse to me”, Definition: muse: a force or person, esp. a woman, that inspires a creative artist So just who or what that is giving her the inspiration (muse) to her? It’s clearly blasphemous so I’ll leave that for you to decide.

“no end and no beginning” – clearly Alpha and Omega … “no choice your voice can take me there” – good ole’ predestination …

“oh god I think I’m falling out of the sky I close my eyes, heaven help me”: Perhaps this feeling has been experienced in the past of falling out of the sky? Fallen? Angels. Hm.

The actual lyrics are as follows:

Like A Prayer – Madonna

Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone I hear you call my name And it feels like home

I hear your voice, it’s like an angel sighing I have no choice, I hear your voice Feels like flying I close my eyes, Oh God I think I’m falling Out of the sky, I close my eyes Heaven help me

I hear your voice, it’s like an angel sighing I have no choice, I hear your voice Feels like flying I close my eyes, Oh God I think I’m falling Out of the sky, I close my eyes Heaven help me

Like a child you whisper softly to me You’re in control just like a child Now I’m dancing It’s like a dream, no end and no beginning You’re here with me, it’s like a dream Let the choir sing

When you call my name it’s like a little prayer I’m down on my knees, I wanna take you there In the midnight hour I can feel your power Just like a prayer you know I’ll take you there

When you call my name it’s like a little prayer I’m down on my knees, I wanna take you there In the midnight hour I can feel your power Just like a prayer you know I’ll take you there

When you call my name it’s like a little prayer I’m down on my knees, I wanna take you there In the midnight hour I can feel your power Just like a prayer you know I’ll take you there

Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery Just like a dream, you are not what you seem Just like a prayer, no choice your voice can take me there

Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery Just like a dream, you are not what you seem Just like a prayer, no choice your voice can take me there

Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery Just like a dream, you are not what you seem Just like a prayer, no choice your voice can take me there

Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there It’s like a dream to me Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there It’s like a dream to me Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there It’s like a dream to me Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there It’s like a dream to me

Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there It’s like a dream to me Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there It’s like a dream to me Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there It’s like a dream to me Just like a prayer, I’ll take you there It’s like a dream to me

Yahshua is neither a muse nor a dream. Let’s not even start with the taking of His name in vain. At best, this song is a mix of incoherent mystical babble, at its worst, it’s a sensualised caricature of God of blasphemous proportions. My view is that there are bits of pop out there that are harmlessly fun – for example, her Caribbean-sounding “La Isla Bonita” was a fun song. Not spiritually uplifting per se, but not evil either.

Tags: Music by Samantha Whittel
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Learning salsa, this dance of passion, is a great way to learn Latin American dancing. Salsa is a very sensual and romantic dance and what’s equally important – fun and very easy to learn.

It can be learnt by anyone. As long as you can walk, you can Salsa, goes the well known saying. In this article we’re going to take a brief tour through the history of salsa.

The history of Salsa is not very well documented. It evolved and changed considerably over time from a mixture of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances. It’s not clearly known where it originated from. Some believe Cuba, others say Puerto Rico. It is, even today, one of the major dances in both of those countries.

The word Salsa comes from the Spanish language. It means sauce, a hot and spicy sauce. And why is a Spanish word for sauce used as the inspiration for a type of dance? Because of the Cuban composer Ignacio Pineiro’s composition Echale Salsita. In 1930s when Echale Salsita was written, Salsa became a common nickname for many Latin dances including rhumba, cha cha, mambo, cumbia, plena, festejo, merengue, danzon, son, and so on.

The dance style that we know today as Salsa was influenced by many other Cuban dances. Mambo, for example, is quite similar to Salsa (or maybe the other way around). Both of the dances have a pattern of 6 steps danced over 8 counts of music.

Over the years numerous styles of Salsa emerged: New York Style, LA Style, Puerto Rican style, Cuban Style, Colombian or Cumbia style, Rueda Style, Cali Style, and Miami style just to name a few. They may have different step patterns, movements, turns, timing and so on.

Today, Salsa is one of the most popular dances in the world. People of all walks of life enjoy it. And why shouldn’t they? It’s fun, romantic and easy to learn.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Samantha Rollins
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An amazing pastime or hobby that has been around for quite some time is the Renaissance Fair. This medieval theme has attracted so many different people from different lifestyles because it has so many appealing concepts involved.

One of most entertaining features that pull in so many people is the way everyone loses themselves in their character. The medieval theme that rules at the fairs and festivals is one that includes the detailed weapons of the period, the chivalrous language they used, and the appropriate Renaissance clothing.

Renaissance clothing is one of the crucial elements that maintain the authenticity and illusion of the fair. It is truly amazing how a simple peasant blouse or colorful tunic can help increase the historical authenticity of the fair and keep make it easier to escape into the Renaissance fantasy.

Renaissance clothing is also a means to denote the class and status of a character. The lower class peasants wore simple clothing that was appropriate to the hardworking lifestyle. The material was not as rich or fancy as the stuff the higher classes used, who used clothing made from high quality material that featured more elaborate handiwork and decorative additions. This is all reflected in the clothing worn at the festivals.

The influence of the renaissance clothing is seen at more than just a fair or two. Many modern day styles use influences from the period in many designs today. If you look you’ll see derivatives of the renaissance style with fitted bodices or long flowing sleeves. The style that drove champions to battle for these women, are being captured by designers today.

Renaissance clothing was extremely influential, carrying on into today’s fashion. It has found a place in many different eras and styles, with moderate adaptations. It is elegant, beautiful, sophisticated and integral with role playing into a major role-play event like the Renaissance Fair.

Romance and adventure is often what comes to mind when someone is wearing renaissance clothing. Whether it is battle, the Knights of the Round Table, or Romeo and Juliette, we have our depictions of bravery and love when dress for the renaissance.

With some many style, and roles, it is easy to find a costume to match your ideal renaissance personality. When participating at the fair, you should be able to find an outfit that works for you, whether it is classy, and elegant, or more basic and plain, you can find what works for you.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Sky Borg
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The violin, one of the category of stringed type instruments, has a large contribution in the history of the world. Although the historians are not exactly sure of its origins, many believe it to have been created as far back as the late eighth century in Asia. But, it is highly debated and nothing is confirmed 100%. Either way, the first of the type you notice these days was not created until the 15th century. Before this time, many hybrids were seen but not like the violin. Some of the older kinds of violin-type instruments were:

The Vielle – Europe 11th century

The Rote – Europe 11th century

The Ancient Vielle – France 13th century

The Viola de Gamba – Italy 16th century

Lira de Braccio – Italy 16th century

Viola de Braccio – Italy 16th century

Vyollon – France 16th century

Violino – Italy 16th century

By taking a look at the list included before, it is seems as thought the Italians were the pioneers of violin-type instruments before the today’s model of the violin. But, the first speaking of the word Violin was said in Great Britain during the 16th century. The Italians though took it further by building the closest form of today’s violin. By this time, Italy took the lead on building string instruments that closely resembled the violin. Also, it is vital to point out that these violins used to have only three strings and finally began being built with 4 but not until the later part of the 16th century.

After time, builders from Germany, Austria, Holland, England, Norway, and Spain jumped in the mix and by the sixteen hundreds, many European nations were involved in violin making. The construction of this gorgeous music maker declined in the 18th century as failures in design took place. In addition, the Baroque era, a time and era in music wherein the violin was the premier instrument, died. Therefore, many did not desire the harmonious sounds that violins offered. Many tests and trials were done to enhance the violin but keep the existing shape and sound quality. There were many failures and violin sales plummeted in the 19th century.

It was not until the first quarter of the 20th century that manufacturers perfected the design into the classical and traditional one we know of today. The signature f-holes were conceived and included on all new model violins during the 30′s. Today, they all have the f-holes and classical scroll at the top that makes them all unique. Even if this instrument played no music at all, you cannot deny the beauty of the construction. The violin is like no other instrument and is a well-known instrument today. The violin is a very popular instrument to be learned by students of elementary and grammar schools. Although it is considered a tricky one to learn, this instrument is practiced for years so one can perfect the sound.

No matter the origin, the violin is the perfect addition to musical groups, orchestras, and chamber groups. The sound that comes from this instrument is one in a million. Today, the violin is included in popular music and rock music at times with some songs. The violin is constantly tinkered with by manufacturers to come out with an even better violin!

Tags: Music by Jim Samposzi
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If you’re in the mood for throwing insults at your friends, family and neighbors, as well as being generally arrogant, then why not throw a French theme party? This is also your rare opportunity to indulge in other French stereotypes (of which there are many).

A French theme party is also your chance to listen to bad music, drink wine and eat cheese on French loaf. For some ideas to make your French theme party incredible, see below:

The costumes are usually very funny at a French theme party. Guys; get yourself a black and white horizontal stripy top, draw on a moustache and little beard with a marker pen. Fashion a necklace and try and cram as many onions as possible on there. Don’t forget your French beret also! To be more authentic, go a week without showering before the party.

For the ladies, you can dress similar if you wish, it will be very funny. Though you really should shower. You can go for a French maid or Marie Antoinette look for an alternative.

For decorations, get plenty of red, white and blue balloons to represent the 3 colors of the French tricolor. Also get a large French flag to hang on the wall. Set up a photo area in front of the flag so your guests can have their photos taken.

I would try and make your room look like a French cafe. So get plenty of wooden tables and chairs, put fresh flowers around the place etc. Get some models of the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysees. You can also make displays from your food around the room.

Consider hiring out a mime artist or a French artist to draw pictures of your guests. This will certainly make your party unique and memorable.

For food, you can have plenty of French hors d’oeuvres or you can concentrate on making it a wine and cheese party. Either way, consider hiring a French chef or a wine expert to make food or talk about fine wine.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Mario Del Sol
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Apple started introducing the MacBook laptops succeeding their iBook series. The first MacBook laptop was launched in 2006 and there have been several models instigated since then.

The MacBook runs on Intel based processors and have their own integrated operating system in them. ‘X Leopard’ is their latest operating system known for its easy usability and smooth functioning. The MacBooks laptops have come out in different variants like, MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook pro.

The MacBook is the lower-end version, aimed at regular consumers. The MacBook Air is a lightweight offering which is extremely portable. The MacBook Pro is a high-end offering which packs in more power and has array of features.

Another key difference, one that is point of contention for many Macbook users, is the display. Current generation Macbooks use a glossy display where as the previous generation of Macbooks used a matte display.

Glossy displays are suppose to give uses more vibrant colors and higher contrast ratios. However, many argue that glossy displays also reflect too much light, often to the point where it’s hard to read the screen. Thus a significant group of Mac users still prefer the old matte displays found in the polycarbonate Macbooks.

All MacBook Laptops are bundled with Apple’s software applications and have been well appreciated. The popular software applications are the iTunes software, Safari and DVD player. A security software named iAlertu can be installed which engages your laptop securely.

Macbook users will notice the biggest difference since the Intel graphics chips from the past generation offered so-so performance at best. Macbook Pro users should also see a performance boost in the 9600M GT but it’s still a far cry from the budget desktop SLI configurations that you can put together yourself.

The low price MacBook is the entry-level model which has packed in decent features for a regular consumer. You can buy Macbook laptops from the Apple store or even from popular online shopping based websites. You can get great deals and offers while shopping online.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Eric Johnson
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One of the most fun rooms to decorate is a child’s room. A way to add significant personality and fun to a child’s room is to use whimsical accessories. Whimsical accessories are typically described as fun, silly, crafty, colorful, and simply unexpected. Children love whimsical art due to its fun, imaginative, and colorful elements. Children are also quite familiar with this style of art as it is commonly used in children’s picture books as well as used to decorate areas where children frequently go in public such as doctors offices, children’s hospitals, classrooms, and libraries just to name a few.

There are no limits as to what can be used as a whimsical accessory or what room you can add whimsical accessories to. Most whimsical accessories involve taking something ordinary and transforming it into a fun, unusual, and totally unexpected piece of art. Whimsical accessories often display vibrant colors and are extremely creative and visually appealing.

The easiest whimsical accessory to incorporate in a room is wall art or artwork. Whimsical artwork is usually colorful, imaginative, and unusual with a sense of humor. Due to the lighthearted themes and often vibrant colors, whimsical artwork can easily be incorporated in a child’s room, bathroom, game room, or kitchen. However, the possibilities for uses of whimsical artwork are nearly endless.

Although whimsical artwork is the easiest to incorporate into your decor, there are many existing accessories already in your home that can be transformed into a whimsical accessory provided you have a little imagination and creativity. Take a moment to look around your home and determine which items could use a little color or embellishment to make them more fun to look at.

If you lack artistic talent, you can take existing pictures or whimsical character images from a book or other print material and simply glue or attach them to an existing accessory. A way to add depth and visual interest to a framed whimsical print it to buy an identical print, cut out some of the characters or objects, and adhere them to the inside of the glass of the frame of the original print. If the original print is framed with a mat, this will provide a fun 3 dimensional look to the artwork.

If you cannot find a whimsical character or image from print material, consider looking for removable wall decals that have whimsical characters that can be easily applied to your wall or any other hard surface. Using removable wall decals is a no brainer as they are inexpensive, easy to find, and easy to use ” just keep them out of reach of small children as they do pose a choking hazard and small children enjoy pealing decals off of objects.

Often overlooked whimsical accessories are throw rugs that include vibrant colors and designs and whimsical artwork. Throw rugs add depth to a room, provide visual interest, as well as help to protect the carpet from the extreme use of a young child. In addition to the rug, parents often forget to use whimsical artwork as whimsical accessories in a room should a particular piece of art not serve as inspiration of the design. You can easily find whimsical artwork at craft shows, home decorating stores, and online directly from professional whimsical artists.

Whichever whimsical accessories you choose to use, the key is to make it fun and unexpected. Use your imagination and sense of humor. If you are having difficulty coming up with ideas for whimsical accessories, go to a large local craft fair which will provide a huge inventory of whimsical accessories to choose from which will be of high quality made by whimsical artists that are professionals that have spent many years working on their artistic skills.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Charlotee Holder
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If you’re thinking about studying for an MCSE, you’re probably in 1 of 2 situations. You’re either just starting to come into the computer world, and you’ve discovered that the IT industry has many opportunities for qualified people. On the other hand you may be a knowledgeable person looking to gain accreditation with the MCSE qualification.

As you discover more about training colleges, make it a policy to steer clear of those that compromise their offerings by failing to provide the current Microsoft version. Such institutions will hold back the trainee due to the fact that they’ll have learned an out-of-date syllabus which isn’t in line with the current exam syllabus, so they’ll probably fail. Training companies ought to be completely focused on establishing the best direction for prospective students. Directing learning is as much about guiding people on establishing where to go, as it is helping to help them get there.

Full support is of the utmost importance – find a program that provides 24×7 direct access, as not obtaining this level of support will severely impede your ability to learn. Email support is too slow, and phone support is often to a call-centre which will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor – who will then call back sometime over the next 24hrs, when it suits them. This is not a lot of use if you’re lost and confused and only have a specific time you can study.

Keep looking and you’ll come across the very best companies which recommend and use online support 24×7 – including evenings, nights and weekends. Never make the mistake of compromise with the quality of your support. Many students that give up, are in that situation because of support (or the lack of).

Students often end up having issues because of a single training area which doesn’t even occur to them: The method used to ‘segment’ the courseware before being sent out to you. Individual deliveries for each training module piece by piece, taking into account your exam passes is the usual method of releasing your program. This sounds sensible, but you must understand the following: It’s not unusual for trainees to realise that their providers typical path to completion isn’t the easiest way for them. You may find that a slightly different order suits them better. And what if you don’t get to the end in the allotted time?

For maximum flexibility and safety, it’s not unusual for students to request that all their modules (now paid for) are posted to them in one go, with nothing held back. You can then decide at what speed and in which order you want to work.

If you’re considering a training school who is still pushing ‘in-centre workshop days’ as a feature of their programme, then consider these typical downsides experienced by most trainees:

* The amount of travel required – lots of journeys and normally hundreds of miles each time.

* Weekday only access for workshops is typically the case, and with 2-3 days to book off work, this is usually problematic for many working people.

* Holiday days lost – many employed people only get 4 weeks annual leave. If you give up at least half to your educational events, that doesn’t leave much holiday time left for the family as a whole.

* Because of the cost involved, a lot of schools fill the classes up to the brim – which isn’t ideal (and much less personal).

* Many students want to study at a somewhat more suitable pace – rather than be dictated to by the rest of the class. Often this can bring about classic classroom tension.

* A lot of attendees talk of the high costs involved with getting transport to and from the training centre while forking out for food and accommodation can get very high.

* Do you want to risk even a small chance of getting side-stepped for potential advancement or pay-rises because your employer knows you’re retraining.

* Every one of us must, at some time, have shied away from raising a hand in the air, because we didn’t want to look stupid?

* Typically, classes are simply unreachable, when you work away for part of your week or month.

Wouldn’t it be better to watch on-screen and study with instructors one-to-one from ready-made lessons, studying them at a time that’s convenient for you and you alone. You can train wherever you want. If you’ve got a laptop, why not take in some sunshine outside as you learn. If you have any difficulties then logon to the 24×7 support facility. Repeat any of the classes if you need to – repetition aids memory. And you can say goodbye to note-taking – it’s all done for you already. Could it be more straightforward: No wasted time or money, travelling is avoided; and you get a more stress-free study setting.

Tags: Games by Jason Kendall
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