Rapid Weight Loss

AZ Cardinals - free ipad for fans Arizona Cardinals http://on.fb.me/Cardinalsnews

2011-12-06T05:37:00.001-08:00

There is a new site for the latest news on the AZ Cardinals see Arizona cardinals Site for news and apparel http://on.fb.me/Cardinalsnews. There is also the chance to win a free Ipad and also some great Vintage Cardinal merchandise.

The speed of light is broken should we be steampunks or just Mario the plumber?

2011-09-23T03:03:00.001-07:00

I was sitting in my favourite coffee joint when I over heard a conversation about Victorian Steampunk Costume this made me curious I discovered that it was a genre involves a setting where steam power is still widely used. I found this quite interesting given they have just found out that faster than light travel is possible, well the guys at CERN are scrating their heads and saying we don't understand it…..

Maybe they just need a proper plumber to look at the way they have set it up…maybe I should appear as one of the

Super Mario Brothers –in my Mario Costume

Apparently they have published all their data as they have had the same result 15,000 times and don't understand why Einsteins law of nothing goes faster than the speed of light does't seem to be working.

Videos and Halloween Costumes -Cleopatra and Angelica

2011-09-21T02:34:00.001-07:00

I was out getting videos last night and they had a special on Cleopatra, of course in terms of suggestion if you lay Liz Taylor the Cleopatra Adult Costume is one of the first images that comes to mind

I suppose I'm a bit of a big kid really Because I just love Pirates of the Carribean Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow really appeals he is just so over the top…. Loved the latest Pirates Of The Caribbean – Angelica Costume but without Jack Sparrow would it be the same??

U-Boat Flightdeck

2011-08-19T04:50:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine who is a watch collector showed me the latest watch in his collection its a

U-Boat Men's 1844 Flightdeck Watch, its a nifty watch but really lost on me, as Einstein says – time is relative..Baboom

Sanat Animated Sleigh

2011-08-16T04:50:00.001-07:00

Here we go again nowhere near Halloween and I am thinking about the Christmas yard Illuminations. Browing through the net I found this

I thought this Holiday Santa's Animated Sleigh Scene was quite interesting and would certianly make a statement for the neighbours to look at.

Green Lantern Costumes for a Family Halloween

2011-07-15T09:18:00.001-07:00

I was thinking about Halloween , a little early I know but with Green Lantern Movie I thought that would have potential as a family costume - I could go as Sinestro

and Di could wear a Sexy Green Lantern outfit

There is still the Hal Jordan - Green Lantern outfit that Freddy could wear

There are quite a few options on the Hal Jordan outfit…..

I really fancy going as Kilowog with this rather nifty mask

As the Green Lantern Costume doesn't change all that much and if I keep my weight down all I have to do is swop masks and maybe get different hands .

What I was thinking was if I went as Toma Re all I need to do is just get a different Mask as the basic costume is still the same ……

Kara Ross Lizard Clutch Bags

2011-07-12T07:03:00.001-07:00

I was thinking about getting a Kara Ross Lizard Clutch Bags for Jenny as a birthday present. The one I was thinking of looked like this:

Then I saw this You Tuve video that ran through quite a few problem now is I am more confused than ever about which Lizard Clutch bag I should choose

Kara Ross Lizard Clutch Bags

Ah well I will just have to spin a coin....

Christmas In July

2011-07-11T06:28:00.001-07:00

Well it's getting towards the time when people start thinking about Christmas in July, in my house anyway. It started some time ago when we realise that not all the family could get up to us in the cold and snow.

As a result we get everyone together the last weekend in July and dare I say that we go the whole hog with me in my Santa Halloween Costumes and including my Santa Claus Hat, Wig and Beard. Dorothy takes the chance to go slightly over board because it is still warm and generally goes for a sexy Santa costume.

I know it's a slightly unusual approach but it gives us an excuse to throw a party that is full of Christmas celebrations and we have the whole Christmas atmosphere. For food, its normally cold Turkey or a barbecue with lots of ice cream. We sometimes set up a video link with my cousins in Australia, they are up in the Snowy Mountain Range and in July they live up to their name, Teddy is normally in full adult santa costume as he is slightly larger he goes for the Majestic Santa Suit Costume.

His son Brian is getting into Harry Potter and last time was wearing a Draco Malfoy costume. Judy his wife was wearing an Adult Batgirl Costume while not quite in the Christmas spirit certainly was unusual.

As they are up in the mountains and power can sometimes be erratic they make use of a Winco 75 kW dual fuel standby generator that has proved useful on a number of occasions. As we were pretending it was Christmas it was a reason to give some presents. I gave my wife a Badgley Mischka Couture - Tess Dome Satchel , though as it transpires she really wanted was a Menbur Crystal Clutch Bag.

While in turn I received a Marinemaster automatic chronograph Fortis Men's watch. While it is really snazzy, I was really hoping for was a Draper DiamondScreen Rear Projection Screen with 200 inch Diagonal

4th July Party Supplies – Don't panic if you order from http://bit.ly/4thJulyParty you will get them before the holiday weekend

2011-06-29T08:14:00.001-07:00

There is still time to get 4th of July Costumes if you order today – deliveries this week end are tricky http://bitly.com/4thjulycostumes

2011-06-29T05:01:00.001-07:00

Captain America, Firecracker costumes and 4th of July

2011-06-16T04:10:00.001-07:00

Well summer is just around the corner with the longest day only 5 days away, all the graduation parties are building up to the final commencement. I hope every one got their Graduation Party Supplies in time, my sister is going the smart way with her graduation cake, getting a standard cake from the store then adding agraduation cake topper herself.

Some folks might think thats mean but my nephweh was given the choice of an expensive cake or a contribution towards some Lucchese Classics Men's Western Boots You dont have to be a genius to work out why he settled for somegraduation caps balloons and a cheap cake.

Both he and his siter have already decided their 4th of July Costumes he is going with the new Captain America Costume- based on the 2011 movie while his siter is going in a Firecracker Costume. I just hope my sister remembers to order her 4th July Party Supplies in time this year.

Show your true colors celebrate in Red White and Blue this 4th July visit http://4thjulypartysupplies.blogspot.com/ for your party supplies

2011-06-14T10:05:00.001-07:00

Lucchese Classics Men's Western Boot Review Site Launches

2011-06-10T09:33:00.001-07:00

ESASISA, an Internet marketing company based out of BRIGHTON, has announced that they are launching a new review website that will feature information on Lucchese Classics Men's Western Boot. The new website can be found at http://luccheseclassicsmenswesternboot.blogspot.com/

"The goal of this website is to give interested customers the convenience to be able to find the information they want about these outstanding range of western boots manufactures by Lucchese" said Nick Johnson, founder. "These items are very popular and so we have set-up this review website that is an affiliate site."

He also wanted to point out that his company is in no way a part of Lucchese. It was added that this is strictly a review site set-up to refer potential, interested customers to the Lucchese range of men's Western Boots.

The website plans to feature each particular item in the extensive Lucchese Western Boot range. These boots have been designed for style comfort and exclusivity. All Lucchese Classics, Lucchese 2000 and Lucchese 1883 boots are made 100% in the Lucchese factory is in El Paso, Texas. Lucchese Classics are designed for the "ultimate" sophisticated customer who demands the best in what they wear. All of the Lucchese Classics are handmade by their skilled boot makers, using only the very best quality materials. Lucchese Classics come in a variety of silhouettes that include but not limited to shoe boots, traditional cowboy, horseman, roper and fashion for both men and ladies. Lucchese Classics are still made today, the way Sam Lucchese made them since 1883. Using their exclusive twisted cone last, Lucchese Classics fits like no other. The twisted cone last is contoured to mirror the human foot, taking into account the tendons and bone structure - a hallmark that no other boot can obtain

It was also pointed out that the Lucchese Classics Men's Western Boots are shipped for free with overnight delivery, which can be another reason for shopping online for the Lucchese Western Boots. We also offer an outstanding returns policy - if for any reason, clients are not completely satisfied with their purchase, they may return the goods free of charge for up to 365 days from the original purchase date -we'll even pay for the return shipping.

For more details on the Lucchese Classics Men's Western Boots visit http://luccheseclassicsmenswesternboot.blogspot.com/

Dolce & Gabbana Men''s Sneakers Review Site Launches

2011-06-09T03:54:00.001-07:00

ESASISA, an Internet marketing company based out of BRIGHTON, has announced that they are launching a new review website that will feature information on Dolce & Gabbana Men''s Sneakers. The new website can be found at http://dgdolcegabbanamenssneakers.blogspot.com/

"The goal of this website is to give interested customers the convenience to be able to find the information they want about these outstanding Italian designed sneakers put out by Dolce & Gabbana" said Nick Johnson, founder. "These items are very popular and so we have set-up this review website that is an affiliate site."

He also wanted to point out that his company is in no way a part of Dolce & Gabbana. It was added that this is strictly a review site set-up to refer potential, interested customers to the D&G range of sneakers.

The website plans to feature each particular item in the unique Dolce & Gabbana range. These sneakers have been designed for style comfort and exclusivity. The world of D&G is a mix of people, cultures, colors, music and countries, without borders or age. The inspiration behind the collections pays great attention to cuts and proportions, and to a balance between quality, style and price.

It was also pointed out that the Dolce & Gabbana Men''s Sneakers are shipped for free with overnight delivery, which can be another reason for shopping online for the D&G Sneakers. We also offer an outstaning returns policy - if for any reason, clients are not completely satisfied with your purchase, they may return the goods free of charge for up to 365 days from the original purchase date -we''ll even pay for the return shipping.

For more details on the Dolce & Gabbana Men''s Sneakers visit http://dgdolcegabbanamenssneakers.blogspot.com/

Vivienne Westwood, fancydress and outside dining

2011-05-26T09:08:00.001-07:00

Strange the weather we have been having recently, I ended up wearing a Vivienne Westwood - Men's Brown Pilot Leather Jacket at a recent event I went to. It was help out of doors and I must admit I was very taken with the Barlow Tyrie Stirling 270 Dining Set. It was a fancy dress party with a movie theme. I had gone in a Mischievous Mad Hatter Deluxe Adult Costume.

My friend Arizona had gone as Tony Stark in an Iron Man 2 Movie Light Up Costume which was an improvement over last years Buzz Lightyear - Toy Story – costume.. The host and hostess had gone with the theme from Avatar – Jane was in a Sexy Neytiri Adult Costume while Chris was wearing a Jake Sully Adult Costume.

They had quite a setup indoors as Chris had bought a Vinotemp 1450 Macau Oak Wine Cooler Cabinet. And it was in the movie room behind the Bass Ambassador Row of Five Home Theater Chair

Chris is a bit of a sports man and had recently plashed out on a Leupold Mark 4 LR/T Rifle Scope 8.5-25x50mm which apparently is very impressive. I found the fact that he had a Quantrex 650 Ultrasonic Cleaning and Lubrication System far more useful. I love target shooting but hated cleaning the guns afterwards but this did it a treat.

White GoGo Boots, HighSchool mascot costumes and a Baby car Seat

2011-05-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

We were at a tailgate party recently - our host Bob. W was showing of his skills as a chef on his new Fire Magic Echelon E660s Cabinet Gas Grill when we got into one of those remember when discussions. It was really started by some kids coming past going to the game and one was wearing the School Mascot Costume, It was a warm evening and I wore a College Mascot Costume once – never again I swear I lost about 5 pounds as it was so hot.

We were going to spend the evening star gazing as Jim H had invested in a Meade 8 inch Telescope apparently the LS 8" ACF (f/10) Advanced Coma-Free with UHT was the best thing ever and you could see induvidual rocks on the moon. But the mascot costume got us going on various costumes we had worn at various times – I still remember my Batman Dark Knight - Batman Grand Heritage Collection Costume but Bob said he thought the Harry Potter Gryffindor Costume that his son wore on his last Birthday was the best he had seen. Pete D started going on about the Roman Toga he used to wear made from a sheet and we teased him about his home made spartan costume, it wasn't anything like the 300 Spartans - Collector's Edition Adult Costume he could afford now.

That got us talking about old girl friends and how they used to go wild for white gogo boots and always wanted to dance on tables espcially when the power went out until some one could get the Winco RP55 20 HP Mobile Diesel Power Generator System started. This lead to a comment on Sue XX who used to go around in a Tea Party Alice Deluxe Adult Costume that could best be described as "Tres Chic" as it did lead to her having to get a Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat. Giver how cute she looked in it it was harly surprising.

At that stage the heavens opened and all thoughts of attending the game and the tailgate paties disapeared and we went over the road and invaded Pete's place and tried out his home theater with two Bass Diplomat Row of Five Home Theater Chairs That was definitely a better way of spending the evening.

Generators, mascot costumes and Starwars

2011-04-26T03:28:00.001-07:00

I know summer is coming and the weather where we are is amazing – been warm and bright all april so far but a little rain would be apreciated. I know there have been massive tonadoes in some states and you would be thankful if you had an emergency generator. The two that wouldn't be really useful would be the Winco 35PTOC-3 PTO Series Tractor Driven Single Phase 35 Kilowatt Generator or its bigger brother the Winco 50PTOC-3 PTO Series Tractor Driven Single Phase 50 Kilowatt Generator you would be using the tractor to help folks so I would go with the Winco EC55PSB4G-3 Emergen-C Series 55 Kilowatt Generator as 55 kilowatts of power can provide a lot of light.

With summer coming its time to dust of the mascot suits as well, I was looking at the Miner Mascot Costume and thinking its getting a little boring and maybe a Giraffe Mascot Costume

or a Bengal Tiger Mascot Costume would be more fun.

Speaking of fun, I've got a fancy dress party to go to and was thinking things Star Wars, my friend Geoff has a Clone Trooper Collectable Helmet and I was thinking about getting a Supreme Edition Boba Fett Costume or maybe a Supreme Edition Stormtrooper Costume. The people throwing the party know how to give a real shindig, last year they used a Drop Portrait Ghoul - Animated Halloween Prop that gave every one a fright. They are also big fans of artificial xmas trees using a Vickerman Balsam Fir 108" Artificial Christmas Tree as the main tree and another two Vickerman 7.5' Prelit Slim Country Pine Artificial Christmas Tree with Clear Lights on either side of the door. I thought that was a little excessive but who am I to judge.

Animated Halloween Props

2011-04-12T06:17:00.001-07:00

Once again in my search of the really odd and bizzarre I was looking at animated props for halloween and I came across these examples – For the older amongst us who remember The Exorcist – Really scary when it came out but pretty tame now there is the exobed animated prop complete with twisting girl.... On the slightly more hilarious side is Granny Agnes who chases you in her animated walker - Probably going to scare a few pre teens and older possible.

If you are looking for a fairly static evil pipe organ player there is one of those as well, this one has me thinking of Liberace just waiting for it to turn around with a wink before the fangs come out. There there is a burning bride twisting in the wind that swoops across and is gaurenteed to scare the local dogs and send them of howling into the distance.

Resending - Apologies if you get a double hit

2011-04-07T09:58:00.001-07:00

I was posting via the internal website on Posterous and thought it was forwarding but apparently you need to post via email...ah well no biggie

I was just wondering about the lengths some people go to for halloween, now my wife is really into it if she isn't trying to get into her Alice In Wonderland Costume Plus Size she will be looking at Plus Size Fairy Costumes. On the other hand I have an interest in Halloween Animated Props, "THE IMPALER is one I have been looking at but if you want Scary Halloween Animatronics- "Slayer Super Creature " is one to have a look at.

Of course I think that "Demon Knight " Scary Halloween Animatronic is the one to watch out for especially if it is being powered away from the house by aWINCO Home Power HPS12000HE Tri Fuel Portable Generator this is a dammed clever system being able to use one of three fuel types and beats the Winco 25 HP Mobile Diesel Power Generator System by a long way, in fact its almost as if it was being given the boot by a Womans Dark Stained Tooled Cowboy Boot from Lucches.

Lucchese Dark Stained Tooled Cowboy Boots for Woman

2011-02-27T06:47:00.001-08:00

Treat Yourself to LUCCHESE Western Boots OK, these are stupidly expensive, but oh my, once you see them in person you know why! Every time I wear these people stop to ask me about them. They are gorgeous and you will own them for a lifetime. Beautiful!

New Health and fitness site

2011-02-08T07:36:00.001-08:00

Just discovered a new site dealing with health, fitness and nutrition. The site owner apparently has a lot of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and will be providing data and information of new drugs that are moving through clinical trials.

At the moment it is just being pulled together but I've been assured drug information will start appearing shortly.

Seems interesting.

Real or Artificial? The Debate over Christmas Trees

2010-12-14T08:02:00.001-08:00

Which tree should you buy?

Artificial tree lovers perpetuate the argument that once-living  trees contribute to deforestation. Tree farmers, in turn, point out that the first artificial tree was made by a toilet brush manufacturer, thus making artificial trees nothing but big green toilet  brushes.

Now, the Farmington Hills Fire Department isn't about to tell you which tree to buy,  since that is a personal decision. But there are more than a few factors to consider when buying  a tree or before you set up the one you've already bought.

Here are some facts about both trees that you may find helpful in making  your decision:

Artificial Trees

Pros: Many are very durable lasting 6-10 years.   They're easy to set up. Some models are like an umbrella -- open it right up, and you're done.  Some models come with the lights already installed in the branches.   No maintenance. Water isn't required, and you never get that "Charlie Brown tree" look. Most of these trees look perfect.

Cons: Many models are initially expensive, costing over a $100 dollars and up. Although,  if you continue to use it for many years, it could save money.   Eighty-five percent are made in China – no supporting of local business here.   Most are made from PVC (polyvinylchloride), which is not bio- degradable. Branches are made from lead, which is a toxic metal that can cause  damage to the brain and nervous system. Most end up in a landfill.   With artificial trees, there is no natural scent, and as you will soon see, they are the worst choice with regards to fire safety.

Real Tree

Pros:   Environmentally friendly. As many as 45 million trees were planted last year in  North America, providing great habitat for wildlife, removing dust and pollen from   the air, and producing oxygen. Real trees can be recycled, and when decomposed,  provide nutrients to back into the earth.   They smell natural and great.   Because they are grown in all counties of the state, real trees help local businesses and farmers.   If properly maintained, they are the best choice with regards to fire safety  . You can make getting your tree a family tradition and cut your own  .

Cons:   Depending on the type and size, real trees can cost $20-$200  . Trees need to be watered daily, or needles start to fall, and the tree can present a  hazard  .

The definitive safety test

In 2004, the Farmington Hills Fire Department conducted a test of various Christmas trees to determine how they would fare in a house fire. The artificial tree, which was advertised as "flame retardant," did  resist flames for a few seconds, but once ignited, was engulfed in flames in under a minute. It filled  the room with thick black, toxic smoke and hydrogen chloride gas. Even with a smoke alarm to  give you an early warning, members of a household would be seriously challenged to get out  safely.

A "live" Christmas tree which was not maintained and allowed to dry, also ignited after about  a minute. It, too, produced smoke, but not nearly as thick or black as the artificial tree. A family  would have to have an escape plan in place, and react quickly to escape their home safely.

The "live" Christmas tree, which was maintained and watered daily, would not ignite. The boxes  around the tree ignited, but the tree itself would not burn. Early warning from a working smoke  alarm may notify a family long before the fire was able to grow, allowing for a quick, safe and  easy escape from the home.

From a fire safety standpoint, it was obvious that the Christmas tree providing families with the  best chance to escape a fire was the "live", well maintained tree.

Regardless of what you buy, always have working smoke alarms in your home. One should be  provided for each level. Also purchase a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is known  as the "silent killer", as it is odorless, colorless and tasteless.

Have an escape plan. Go over it  and practice it with each member of the family. Know where to go outside and dial 911 once safely  there. Never go back inside for any reason.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday season!

Lieutenant Denny Hughes is a fire and safety educator with the Farmington Hills Fire  Department

Everblades Christmas Decoration Jerseys

2010-12-14T07:54:00.001-08:00

Greg Wyshynski, otherwise known as Puck Daddy, questioned whether the jerseys the Blades wore last weekend - a lime-green, red and blue concoction with palm trees, Christmas decorations and the words 'Happy Holidays' - were the worst a hockey team donned in 2010. His description suggested he believed they were.

"Please do not adjust the contrast on your screen: The ECHL's Florida Everblades wore these adventures in color ... losing the game and their dignity."

The Florida Everblades' specialty holiday uniforms didn't put a popular Yahoo! Sports hockey blog in the Christmas spirit.

Blades public relations director Kevin Reiter said the club was led to believe the uniforms would be darker green. The team auctioned off the jerseys following Saturday's game, raising more than $12,000 for the Deb Kelsey Foundation, which helps underprivileged children play hockey.

While the jerseys made money for a good cause, there certainly were mixed reviews.

"We talked to a lot of people and most of the fans thought they were horrendous," long-time Blades fan Butch Goble said. "But my wife Michelle thought they were cute."

Goble's response when his wife got one in the auction? "Your money, dear. Not from my money, your money."

Everblades coach Greg Poss, who read Wyshynski's blog, admitted his players weren't that excited about wearing the jerseys.

"Well, they're definitely original," he said. "I wasn't quite sure what to make of them. It's definitely something I haven't seen before."

"Funky is a good word," added Everblades forward Drew Larman. "We were kind of joking when we saw them. It was, 'What, are you serious?'"

See the jerseys here - bilde

DOG TREAT JAR CHRISTMAS PRESENT

2010-12-14T07:47:00.001-08:00

Provide your best pal with their own Christmas present.... Why not give them a new dog treat jar this Christmas??

Gourmet Dog Treats as a reward?

2010-12-14T07:39:00.001-08:00

There are many choices when it comes to rewarding your dog with a treat for obeying your commands, and these treats make a big difference in your dog's attitude towards you in learning new tricks, and why wouldn't they? To get anything in life you have to give something back and dogs are no different, you help them and they'll help you. Simple.

But what are the best rewards and treats to give your dog in times of good behavior? Well for starters you won't be short of treats to try, the markets as it is now is full to the brim of all the fancy rewards and treats you could ever think of.

One of the favourite for dog owners is to treat their dog to homemade treats from recipes that can be found across the internet in many places, some of my favourites and personal recommendations are listed in the products page of www.dog-behavior-training.co.uk along with other tips on dog training there.

Consumer products are also a good choice when rewarding your dog; these include chewing toys which can be very rewarding for puppies and dogs alike. Saving one of their favourite toys for when they behave well makes everything more exciting for your dog and causes them to want to perform more for this reward.

If a chew toy is not to your dogs liking then they may instead enjoy a tug toy, tug toys are good for your dog's teeth the same as chew toys are and it enhances the relationship between you and your dog as you play with them. Be careful while using these toys as some dogs may think of this game as good behaviour and will start tugging on trousers or other annoying or destructive things.

The last toys I am going to talk about are the throwing toys; these are good to calm your dog down when they are over active or if you just want to reward your dog with quality playing time for their good behavior. These toys range from a simple tennis ball to special durable dog Frisbees and help you to react with your dog wile also training playing the 'fetch' game.

There are lots more dog toys available, probably at your local pet shop. It is a good idea to keep in mind what textures and current toys your dog likes to play with or chew before making your choice but as long as your dog enjoys it, it can be used as a good reward and training method.

Retrieved from "http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-training-treats-256127.html"

Should I buy an artificial Christmas tree or a real one

2010-12-10T03:20:00.001-08:00

With less than three weeks left to go before Christmas, people who haven't bought already are looking around forChristmas trees to take home.

I guess we are used to living in times of abundance because, when I was a kid,a Christmas tree was a real live fir tree, grown in some nursery or forest specifically so it could be sawn or chopped down in time to be sold for a Yuletide decoration. I would go out with my dad to buy a tree and bring it home, and then we'd bring it home triumphantly on top of the car and install it in a corner of the living room. There, my parents and I would get out the boxes of Christmas decorations and lights, stored from the year before, and we would spend an hour or so festooning the tree with all the fancy bits and bobs that turn it into a Christmas tree.

There were the strands of colored lights that were draped all over the tree. When I was very small each of these lights was a screw-in type that could be replaced if a bulb went dead. Grandpa told me that in his day, they still used little candles in clip-on holders to decorate the tree. But they were much too dangerous and could easily set fire to the tree and burn the whole house down. Modern Christmas tree lightsare so much more civilized, they are made from tiny colored LED lights or even colored strands of fiber-optics. Much easier to set up and take down, and infinitely safer for the family home!

The other kinds of Christmas decorations would be the fragile colored balls, made of very thin glass. These were clipped with springy wire to the tips of the branches of the little fir tree.

The final touch was to place a star or an angel on the very top of the tree, and thus turn it into a real Christmas tree… a Christmas tree just waiting for all the family's gift-wrapped presents to be placed on the floor underneath the tree.

That's the kind of Christmas tree I remember from when I was a kid, and the ind of Christmas tree that I and my wife would assemble each Christmas when our own children, who were boy and girl twins, were little and still believed in Santa Claus. There was one change though, my wife and I used an artificial Christmas tree that was stored away at the top of a cupboard until it was that time of year again.

So when you go out looking for just the right Christmas tree to bring back to your home, you will find a wide variety of tree types to choose from.

You can still opt for a real live Christmas tree, but they drop pine needles all over the floor. I would urge you to go with a modest-sized artificial Christmas tree of some kind. These range in size from trees a couple of feet tall to trees that are high enough to reach your ceiling. Take your pick, choose whatever color you want too, because the tree doesn't have to be green any more. It can be red or white. It can have built-in LED lights or fiber optics.

Take it home, and I hope your tree brings you and your loved ones all the good cheer and togetherness that Christmas-time is all about. Because, when you boil it all down to the core of things, whether you are religious or if you are not, Christmas is all about love.

Kick Off the Holiday Season With Your Pets

2010-12-10T03:13:00.001-08:00

One of the first major events of the holiday season is picking out your Christmas tree. If you aren't going for a half christmas tree and going to the Christmas Tree farm to pick out your fresh tree why not take your pooch along. Tthere are several great spots where you can pick out your tree with your pet. As these farms have over 100 acres of Christmas trees to choose from. In most of them, your pet is more than welcome to sniff around those 100 acres with you, picking out the perfect holiday tree.

Stop dreaming of a white Christmas

2010-12-10T03:06:00.001-08:00

I've just read an article where you can have snow, with the pull of a spray gun trigger. This is from Brevan County in Florida but I'm certian will apply elsewhere even if you just need a top up to the natyral stuff.

If you were hoping for a white Christmas in Brevard County, the chances weren't good -- until now.

Spencer Services, a pest control company, will spray artificial snow on your lawn this year, giving the impression of frostiness.

"You can walk on it. It doesn't come off on your shoes or anything," manager Roy Powell of Spencer Services said. "It doesn't wash off. It grows out and it will last from two to four cuttings. As the grass grows, you cut it and it slowly disappears."

The artificial snow actually is biodegradable acrylic latex turf paint, which also is used to mark lines on athletic fields. The liquid is applied with the company's pest control sprayer, which has been cleaned.

"There's no residue of any (pest control) chemicals," said Spencer salesman Chuck Hoot, who has marketed the product by delivering fliers to homes with elaborate Christmas decorations.

"There's a lot of neighborhoods where people really get involved with Christmas and see who could outdo who," Hoot said. "Most people want to know whether it will it grow out or whether it will hurt the grass."

Americans spent an estimated $16 billion on Christmas decorations in 2006, according to Unity Marketing. And while the figure likely will be down this year, the estimate is still in the billions.

And Brevard residents are lining up to spend $150 to $200 to have their lawns given an artificial frosting. The company charges $100 per 1,000 square feet, which is slightly larger than 30 feet by 30 feet.

Making The Xmas Dolar go further

2010-12-10T02:59:00.000-08:00

Australians cutting mates form Xmas list to save after interest rate rises

CONSUMERS are dumping mates from their Christmas gift lists to stretch their dollars further, according to research.

Only a third of Aussies will put a present under the tree for their pals this year - half the number of last year - a survey has found, reported the Herald Sun.

Australian National Retailers Association boss Margy Osmond said friends were being bumped towards the bottom of the pressie pile as consumers cut any spending considered unnecessary.

The industry is steeling itself for a potentially dismal festive season as cautious consumers reeling from recent interest rate rises concentrate on saving money and buying only bargains.

Experts predict only modest sales growth at what is traditionally the bumper time of year.

The ANRA and American Express study of 1000 people found the lion's share of gifts will flow to immediate family and children.

Christmas LED Lights Are The New Way To Go Green

2010-11-24T03:18:00.001-08:00

A new green way to light up your house is fast becoming the norm for homeowners. They are called LED lights and the new technology that runs them is cleaner and greener.

"It emits very little heat. It's very soft and warm to the touch. It's much more efficient light." Phil Watson, a lighting expert, says LEDs are the next big thing.

"We're told that in the next five to ten years it will be the dominant lighting," explains Watson. LED stands for light emitting diode. It's a kind of wafer like computer chip you sometimes see in newer street lights and traffic signals. "Incandescent light has a filament in it. LEDs do not. They are just flat chips."

While these lights are a little more expensive now, the payoff comes in energy savings. "The average led today is estimated to have a life of 50,000 hours." That means leaving the LED's on for four hours a day will give you 45 years of light...but they are not quite ready for all of your lighting needs.

"They're not decorative, so you wouldn't want to put them in a chandelier unless you had a cover over them like a shade."And as for using LED's for your Christmas lights... "You don't have any heat if you are using a live Christmas tree. You are not generating any heat and they are a very long life."

(c)JUSTIN COOPER

Courtney Love Posts Half-Naked Pics on Twitter ...again

2010-11-24T03:13:00.001-08:00

In this ever-changing world, there are still a few things we can always count on -- like Christmas decorations at the mall, Fox News saying bad things about Obama, and Courtney Love over-sharing on Twitter. Love, 46, has a history of tweeting about topics that should really be between her and a therapist. This weekend, the Hole singer over-exposed herself on Twitter yet again -- and we do mean that literally.

On Saturday, Love posted a series of racy pictures to her Twitpic account, without providing any explanation to her 78,000 followers. At some point, Love thought better of her display and took most of the pictures down, but of course, they'd already been scattered across the internet. A few of the photos show Love reclining on an armchair wearing only heels and a t-shirt, her butt exposed to the camera. Two more show the singer stretching her limbs and in a matching bra-and-panties set

What was Courtney Love thinking by sharing these photoswith the world? Normally, we wouldn't be too surprised, given Love's well-established history of inappropriate public behavior. (Remember the incident with the homeless guy at Wendy's? If not, don't worry -- it's probably better that way.) But this year, she's made a big show of trying to change her public image: telling David Letterman that she was sober, telling the New York Times that she was tired of being "perceived as a train wreck." Most of Love's Twitter oversharing, of late, has been passionate pleas urging her daughter Frances Bean to give her another chance -- which, while it makes Love seem a little coo-coo, doesn't necessarily scream "train wreck." Unlike, say, posting half-naked pictures of yourself making out with a strange woman.

Why does Love keep doing this? Is it a pathological need for attention? Does she have some kind of self-destructive impulse she can't control? Maybe it's just a desperate bid for more Twitter followers. We'll try to look on the positive side: at least she left her daughter out of it this time.

Black Friday deals come early

2010-11-24T03:03:00.001-08:00

Waiting until Black Friday is so 2006.

Retailers seem to be pushing an increasingly early start to the holiday season, and shopper Nasha Kohler is one of many Yorkers to notice.

She was working at Macy's before Halloween, when the Christmas decorations started rolling out.

"It just seems like everyone is doing it," she said. "Everybody already has their trees up. I guess maybe they want to make more money."

As consumers are stretching their dollars, retailers are stretching the season.

Area stores are hoping to inspire more shoppers earlier, offering extended hours and steep

discounts that start before the biggest shopping day of the year.

Target is advertising "Pre-Black Friday" deals on toys with a four-day sale that started Sunday and goes until Wednesday.

Boscov's is pushing "After Thanksgiving Pricing NOW," encouraging customers not to wait until after Thanksgiving to get "great buys."

The Bon-Ton's pre-thanksgiving sale started Sunday, as did sales at Kohl's, Toys R Us, and Fashion Bug.

Thanksgiving, too: Some stores that started to open on Thanksgiving when the economy was entering recession are keeping the new tradition alive.

Among those to swing open their doors for turkey-sated customers are Sears, Big Lots, Dollar General and Old Navy.

York Galleria General Manager Lucinda Hartshorne said a few of the anchor stores at the mall have always opened earlier than the mall's 6 a.m. start of business on Black Friday, but smaller mall stores are pushing to open even earlier this year.

The mall's department stores are opening at 4 a.m., she said, and the Galleria's Web site is being updated with the extended hours of internal mall stores that are hoping to catch the traffic.

"Smaller shops never wanted to open before the mall," she said. "And a few years ago, nobody was open on Thanksgiving. Everybody wants to get those dollars. People only have so much to spend, and (retailers) are trying to get them to their stores first."

Despite the pre-Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day deals, "we're still going to see very large crowds on Friday," she said.

'Gobblepalooza': York's Old Navy store is pitching a three-day "Gobblepalooza" from Thanksgiving to "Black Saturday" in place of the one-day Black Friday sale.

The chain has had a hearty turnout when opening select stores for Thanksgiving over the past two years, so the hours were extended to most stores this year, said Sarah Glazier, district manager for central Pennsylvania.

She said the York location has done exceptionally well on Thanksgiving, apparently providing an outlet for people who don't like football or post-consumption napping.

"There's nothing else really in that shopping center that's open," she said. "There are too many people in the house and it's like, 'What should we do? Let's go to Old Navy.'"

She said the biggest draws this year will be jeans starting at $10 and "puffy" coats for $15.

The York store is among those providing giveaways and video game kiosks to keep people busy while others shop. It will be open Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m., then reopen at midnight for Black Friday, she said.

A gorilla costume? Best Buy in Springettsbury Township is noted for its lengthy line and creative customer behavior on Black Friday.

General manager, Cindy Kemmerly said she has seen "just about everything" from bargain seekers since the store opened a few years ago.

People grill food, play games, and watch portable televisions in front of the store, she said.

One couple who wanted to purchase a washer and dryer waited in line from noon on Thanksgiving until 5 a.m. Black Friday, she said.

There was a man who wore a gorilla costume to keep warm, and some people last year left a futon and a recliner they used to make their waits more cozy.

The store opens at 5 a.m. this year, with its entire team of 130 employees working a minimum of 12 hours each, except minors, Kemmerly said.

Dignified bargain hunting: The store tries to keep people happy, safe, and dignified, she said.

"We have a porta-pottie placed out back," she said. "We think that's a good investment. People know that it's there, and they don't have to do other crazy things."

Around 3:30 a.m. each year, the staff hands out tickets to the people in line, she said.

"You don't have to run. You don't have to push. You don't have to injure anyone, and you know you're getting that item," she said. "We do it right, that we have enough people to maintain control."

She said there's no one single item that's expected to be most popular this year, but there are deals on televisions and other home theater equipment.

Homes tour to benefit charities

2010-11-24T02:56:00.001-08:00

The Young Matrons of Independence celebrate 70 years of caring for the community by inviting the public to the unforgettable and festive annual Holly and Mistletoe Tour.

An annual fundraiser for this civic organization, the tour features four homes, open to the public on Thursday, Dec, 2, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Each home will showcase the owners' personal Christmas motif with ticket-holders enjoying self-guided tours throughout the day and evening.

The first Holly and Mistletoe Tour was held in 1959 and featured special and unusual Christmas decorations and now 41 years later has grown into what is considered an annual outing for many as to kick off the holiday season.

Steve and Terri Morgan began decorating their 1950s home a month ago and are excited to share their traditional Christmas décor with others.

From handmade Santas to decorated trees in all shapes and sizes, the Morgans' share treasured family heirlooms intertwined with the warmth of holiday cheer. Working at the Scandinavia Place on the historic Independence Square, Terri enjoys the unique and unusual, as well as traditional.

"I enjoy sneaking unexpected pieces into the mix of it all," she said. "It's a surprise around every corner."

The monies raised through the tour and other IYM fundraisers help fund many civic and local organizations. This year alone, IYM provided more than $18,200 in grants and gifts to Andrew Drumm Institute, Boys and Girls Club, Cancer Action, Child Abuse Prevention Association, Dental for Kids, Tabitha's Closet and the Jackson County Free Health Clinic.

Supporting life enhancing services, IYM donated to the Center for the Study of the Korean War, Shepherd's Center of Raytown, Re-Discover, IBS Industries and Mother's Refuge. They also have helped the Puppetry Arts Institute and William Chrisman High School Theater and Broadcast Department along with scholarships and bus transportation for children to special cultural events.

The Young Matron's history of making a difference in the lives of the community ranges from securing the first library and kindergarten class in Independence to forming a Children's Theater.

Along with the four homes on tour, patrons will also have the opportunity to stop by the Sweet Shop located inside Noland Road Baptist Church. Along with sweets and treats for purchase, raffle tickets will be sold for the chance of owning one of five holiday decorations, which will be on display at the church.

Three of the homes on tour are located in Independence and one in Blue Springs. Tickets are on sale now for $10 or $12 at the door the day of the tour. For a list of locations to purchase tickets visit independenceyoungmatrons.com or for more information contact the Tickets Chair at tickets.iym@gmail.com.

Christmas Tree Allergies

2010-11-24T02:51:00.001-08:00

For many people, it is not truly Christmas without a fresh and adorned tree standing in the middle of the living room. The smell alone can instantly shift people into the holiday spirit. But for those who suffer from allergies, the thought of a live Christmas tree can put a damper on even the most festive of days. I must admit its something thats never affected me but nodoubt brings a whole new meaning to "Bless You" over the Christmas period

2010 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Route & Tips

2010-11-18T06:40:00.000-08:00

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returns for the 84th year, kicking off the holiday season once again. 2010 promises to deliver even more fantastical giant helium balloons, floats, marching bands, performance groups, celebrity guests, and of course, the jolly man himself, Santa Claus.

If you're fortunate enough to be in the NYC area this Thanksgiving, trekking down to Manhattan with 3.5 million other spectators will be an experience your family will never forget.

The 2010 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route is the same as the 2009 route.

* The parade begins at 77th Street and Central Park West, heading south on Central Park West.

* Once at Columbus Circle and 59th Street, the parade will turn east along Central Park South.

* When the parade reaches 7th Avenue, it will travel south until 42nd Street.

* The parade then travels east on 42nd Street between 6th and 7th Avenue.

* At 6th Avenue (Avenue of Americas), the parade turns south to 34th Street.

* Finally, at 34th Street the parade heads west to Herald Square, ending in front of Macy's.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade officially begins at 9:00am on Thursday, November 25th. If you want to view the parade, you'll need to get there early. Many start lining the streets at 6:00am. Public transportation is the only way to travel as many roads are closed and parking will be hard to find and expensive.

Parade Day Tips

* Dress warm and in layers.

* Leave strollers/chairs at home.

* Bring snacks and a thermos for hot drinks.

* Use the restroom before staking your spot. Public restrooms are very limited.

* Your best bet is to find a spot closer to where the parade begins along Central Park West.

This years performers include, Kylie Minogue, India Arie, Miranda Cosgrove, Big Time Rush, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Gladys Knight, Mannheim Steamroller, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Jessica Simpson and Kanye West.

Two new giant character balloons will join the parade this year- Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Kung Fu Panda. This is in addition to returning favorites including, Buzz Lightyear, Hello Kitty, Kermit the Frog, Ronald McDonald, Sailor Mickey, Shrek, Smurf, Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants.

If you're just interested in viewing the balloons, you can get an up-close look at inflation on Thanksgiving Eve (Wednesday, Nov. 24) from 3-10pm at 77th Street and 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Ave. This is just outside the American Museum of Natural History and is a great way to experience the excitement and history of the parade, with fewer crowds

Guess this all helps make Macy's one of the favourite Christmas Tree Stores.

Ho, ho, ho ... it's off to Santa school we go

2010-11-18T06:32:00.001-08:00

Britain's wackiest school has opened its doors, devoted entirely to educating a class of Santas.

Wookey Hole Caves in Somerset will instruct 50 students at its Santa and Elf Academy. And lessons on the course are being led by the real Santa Claus – at least according to the Wookey Hole staff.

The day-long course included the history of Santa Claus, zoology of the reindeer, costume and make-up essentials, fitness – to ensure the Santas can get down the chimneys in one piece – and acting.

The student Santas who attended the course were graded and, if they passed they received an official Wookey Hole Seal of Santa, qualification and certificate.

Students got to meet reindeer, learn how to feed and ride them, and studied the history of Santa Claus, how he evolved from St Nicholas in green robes to Father Christmas and Santa Claus dressed up like cola bottles.

They were also coached to stay relaxed when a young mum in a ra-ra skirt wants to sit on Santa's knee and also taught how to stay calm when a naughty child pulls off your beard © Thisis somerset.co.uk

I wonder if they are taught what to do incase they come across a Half Xmas Tree

Some live Christmas tree preservatives have sugar in them which make them seem yummy to your dog.

2010-11-18T06:25:00.001-08:00

Seems you learn something obscure everyday. It makes a certian amount of sense as sugar would be fairly easy for a live Xmas tree to absorb bur would also to tasty to your best friend. I remember being slight amazed when one of my boxers set about some fresh geranium flowers that were very scented, she just ate the flowers nothing else. I suppose a number of the other new items will be of interest including tinsel, ornaments, trees, electrical cords, candles, fake snow and Christmas lights so just ensure they are well protected.

Lease a Living Christmas Tree

2010-11-17T08:35:00.001-08:00

I just read a report about a company in San Jose that lets you rent a Christmas Tree. The Plantman Company will rent you a tree for 20 days. And if you get attached to it you can rent it again next year as they will put your name on it. I think it's a GREAT idea. I really hate seeing trees on the sidewalks after Christmas. Now if they delivered it complete with a Christmas tree skirt and decorations that would be service

Potted Christmas tree for indoo

2010-11-17T08:27:00.000-08:00

An often-overlooked category of live Christmas tree can be the plants that can be "portable" – moved outdoors in Summers and returned indoors during cold Winters. Norfolk Pines spring to mind almost immediately, with their stunning patterns and symmetry. And looking for something different how about Bay Laurels – Bay Trees – also can provide endless great smells, both outdoors and inside for those seeking an aromatic option which can also supply great stew and meat herbal flavorings.

More Live Christmas Tree Internet Shopping!!

2010-11-16T04:00:00.001-08:00

Following on from yesterdays revelation of Live Christmas Trees on Ebay I found this article today.

You might imagine that a guy who works for the National Christmas Tree Association would be the type to cut down his own fir for the holidays. But not Rick Dungey."I point and click, and it shows up on my front door," said Dungey, a spokesman for the Missouri-based retail and tree farmers' association. "For me, it's a convenience."

With consumers' growing comfort with Internet shopping, it seems that even tried-and-true holiday traditions are changing.Target Corp. began selling fresh Christmas trees online Sunday for the first time, joining Costco as one of the few national retailers to use the Web to sell live trees. Target spokeswoman Jill Hornbacher said the retailer believes the online-only offering will be an added convenience, especially for city dwellers.

Family farmers Jim and Beverly Whorton said online sales now make up about 10 percent of trees sold at their "choose-and-cut" Chub Lake Tree Farm in Carlton, Minn."It started by customer demand, and we saw a niche there," said Jim Whorton, who started taking online orders more than a decade ago. Back then, he built shipping containers out of discarded appliance boxes. "We have customers who've moved away to Texas or Nebraska or to the Twin Cities, or who like our trees and want to ship a fresh one to their families," he said.

No one tracks the exact number of online fresh tree sales, mainly because there are so many individual retailers and farmers doing it on the side. But it's somewhere less than 3.1 percent of the 28 million to 30 million farm-grown tree sales, according to polls by Harris Interactive Inc. for the National Christmas Tree Association.

About 50 of the 1,100 members in the association take online orders, a slight increase in recent years, Dungey said.

Having a retailer with Target's broad reach entering the fresh tree game is a welcome development, said Dungey, who is blogging about the process of getting his tree from a New Hampshire tree farm shipped to his St. Louis row house. "It signals that retailers realize that not all consumers are equal," he said. " ... Not everyone wants to buy a tree the same way."

Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst for market research firm NPD Group, said Target's online fresh tree sales are one more sign of how competitive the holidays have become. "We're watching the continuation of retailers try to figure out how to do they get any piece of the consumer spend as it relates to the holidays," he said. "Is it bad? No. Does it change the tradition of the holiday? Absolutely, yes. But guess what? That's not the retailer's issue. The retailer's job is to try to make your life better so you'll spend more money. If you want to go and cut a tree down, go ahead."

Europe's Christmas markets: essential information

2010-11-15T06:20:00.001-08:00

Getting There: The beauty of many Christmas markets is that they are close enough to make catching the train a viable alternative to flying.

Amsterdam: Festivities start early in Holland with the arrival of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) and his helpers, Zwarte Pieten, on November 14. Saint Nicholas traditionally leaves town on December 5, the eve of Saint Nicholas Day, but these days the Christmas fun continues with markets, concerts and a boat parade on December 23.

Brussels From November 26 to January 2, the heart of Brussels is transformed by 240 wooden stalls selling an array of traditional Christmas and seasonal products.

Belgium, Germany and Holland: Enjoy the Christmas traditions and markets of three different countries in one trip. Travelling by train from London, this tour will take you to Liège's Christmas market, the traditional German market of Aachen and the pretty Dutch town of Valkenburg.

Reims If you prefer your wine chilled and bubbly rather than hot and spicy, then the Christmas market in Reims might be more up your street. There are more than 125 stalls plus parades, carols, concerts and a resident Father Christmas.

Live Christmas Tree on Ebay

2010-11-15T06:02:00.001-08:00

I was just browsing Ebay when I came across an auction for Live Christmas Trees.... I kid you not, this actually seems like a great Idea. They only offer 6/7 foot trees but the idea of getting a freshly cut tree delivered by UPS seems appealing. Now if only I can persuade the driver todo the decorating as well.

Which way up is that Christmas Tree?

2010-11-15T05:52:00.000-08:00

SHOPPERS may have been excused for thinking one of this year's Christmas decorations in Newport town centre were a little abstract.
Contractors for Newport Parish Council England, the Festive Lighting Company, caused shoppers to look twice at one particular Christmas tree decoration in St James's Square by installing one half of it the right way up and the other half, upside down.
Howard Smith, chef of the Blue Door cafe, Newport, said: "I tried to work out what it was and then realised it was supposed to be a Christmas tree. You've got to laugh."
Parish clerk Maxine Yule promised to have the decoration corrected as soon as possible.

Go Green, with a Live Christmas Tree

2010-11-12T06:14:00.001-08:00

We are all used to buying cut Christmas trees that you throw away after Christmas is over.
Why not GO GREEN! and buy an evergreen tree that you can plant outside after Christmas is over.

Wanna go eco-friendly this holiday season? Heres how: Head on down to your local Christmas Tree Store:

1-Buy an evergreen tree planted in pot.
2-Take it home and decor it and enjoy.

There are some things that you need to remember; these types of Christmas trees can only be inside for no more than 10 days, Do NOT WATER it and keep it away from all heat sources. Once your tree has reached the 9 day mark your tree MUST be put back outside. You can either plant it in a pre dug hole, or place it outside and put a mound of mulch around the base of the tree and then plant it in the spring. If you keep your tree inside longer then 10 days then the tree must stay indoors all winter long. This is because after the 10 day mark the tree has begun to actively start growing again and will not survive the harsh cold. When you purchased your tree it was going through its dormant period, as all trees do during the winter months. Once they have been in the warm house for 11 days they are tricked in to coming out of that dormant state and they will not survive outside during winter once this happens.

If you decide to pre-dig a hole for your tree you must remember to put the dirt you dig out into a bucket and place it inside a garage or a shed. This will ensure that the soil will still be loose enough for you to be able to plant the tree in the ground. If you intend to use a mulch for your tree, the mulch can consist of straw, bark chips or composted yard waste.

Buying a Live Christmas Tree This Year?

2010-11-12T05:58:00.001-08:00

The holidays are fast approaching and it's time to think about that tree. Don't put off buying your live Christmas Tree until the last minute! The best trees go early and you promised yourself and your family last year, you would be organised for now on. But don't panic YET!!!!

You need to develop a plan, a couple of points to think about: firstly what type of tree there is a large variety out there. Secondly how big and by big I mean not only height but also in diameter. The other major point to think about it when you don't want to early as unless you want some brown sticks in the corner. At the same time you don't want to do to late with all the best trees gone. So think about it and put together a plan of action otherwise you might be the Grinch that stole Christmas.

Tallest tree in Inland area set to arrive Friday at Lake Elsinore Outlets

2010-11-11T06:22:00.001-08:00

The Lake Elsinore Outlets on Friday will be receiving what officials say is tallest live Christmas tree in the Inland area as they prepare the White fir for hanksgiving lighting.

The 60-foot-tall tree will arrive at 6 a.m. at the outlets, located near Interstate 15 at the Nichols Road/Central Aveue exit, according to a news release.That will need one heck of a Christmas Tree Skirt!!)

The tree will arrive in the early morning hours on an 18-wheel flatbed truck from Mt. Shasta. A crew of five men will use an 80 ft. crane to meticulously hoist the 6,000 lb. tree into place. Over the coming weeks, the tree will be decorated with 17,000 red, blue and green LED lights, along with various colored ornaments.

The tree will be lit Thanksgiving evening during the annual Moonlight Madness Sale that begins at 10 p.m

(c)www.swrnn.com

Christmas Tree Chaos: Akron loses 2nd tree in two days

2010-11-11T06:14:00.001-08:00

AKRON, Ohio - A holiday tradition in Akron hit another snag on Wednesday. It was more like a snap and boom. For the 2nd day in a row, a tree selected as the city's live Christmas tree, toppled over as crews prepared to move it to Lock 3 in downtown Akron.

This time, a city worker was injured while jumping from a toppling city-owned crane.The worker, who was not identified, was treated at St. Thomas Hospital for a shattered heel.

On Tuesday, the city's first choice, a more than 30-foot pine, split as crews tried to hoist the tree, which was donated by United Baptist Church.

"Clearly, luck has not been on our side this week," Deputy Mayor Dave Lieberth said.

The Wednesday accident happened in front of a group home on Stull Avenue. The group home had also donated the tree, a 70-foot blue spruce, to the city. It came crashing down, along with the crane, and startled residents Wednesday morning.

Jacob Schramm watched the whole thing from his bay window. "It was a big, loud boom, like a collision," Schramm said. "It was a really big noise. You could tell it was a crash, but we didn't know what kind it was," said Heather Shaull, who was startled out of sleep by the accident.

The city of Akron is trying to figure out how the accident happened. Fire investigators said there could have been a problem with the crane's stabilizers. "One of the outriggers failed and the crane itself toppled over with the tree," said Akron Fire Captain Michael Scott.

"I don't know if it's the wetness of the dirt that makes the crane a little bit unstable or if there was a malfunction with the crane," Lieberth said.

Lieberth said the city is currently searching for a third Christmas tree and several donation offers are being considered. "It wouldn't be Christmas in Akron without a real tree in downtown," Lieberth said.

What are your Christmas family traditions ?

2010-11-11T06:08:00.001-08:00

For many families, the tradition of Christmas is associated with gathering around the Christmas tree and opening gifts. But beyond that stereotypical image, Christmas is also celebrated by families and individuals in other markedly different ways.

It might be something we do for charity. It might be an activity that is unique to your family. It might be going to church on Christmas Eve. It might be the traditional family gathering that only happens once a year where our relatives gather from all parts of the world. Or it might be creating a new special Christmas tree decoration every year.

Let me know what your more unusual traditions are and see if we cand ring a few chords out their.

Christmas Tree Skirts

2010-11-10T09:13:00.001-08:00

Just goes to show what I know you can get Christmas tree skirts that show off MLB, NFL and NCAA as your sports team of choice. You can get a whole range of decorations for the inside and outside of your home so you can> There is a whole line of sports themed decor that lets your friends and neighbors know which team your home cheers for.

Christmas to provide a Job Boom

2010-11-10T09:04:00.001-08:00

There is likely to be a minor job boom over the Christmas period as a number of Christmas Stores take on staff to cater for the increase in trade over the holiday period. It will be interesting to see if this is a permanent reduction or just a small blip. The latest figure show jobless static or up but output increasing indication that productivity is being squeezed upwards.

Go Green with your Christmas Tree

2010-11-10T08:57:00.001-08:00

If you have bought a Live Christmas tree go green after Christmas participating in a Christmas tree recycling event.

After removing all decorations and lights take the live Christmas trees to a recycling centre. Trees will be reused as mulch or wildlife habitat. For the past 20 years Georgians have recycled their trees and kept them out of inert landfills with the "Bring One for the Chipper" annual Christmas tree recycling program. There is a certain to be a recycling event near you just contact your Public Works Departmen

Half Or Quarter tree

2010-11-10T08:39:00.001-08:00

Every one is singing the advantages of the half Christmas Tree but for me the corner Christmas tree has it beat - All you have to do is find a corner that's not being used and we all have one of those. Then slide in the corner Christmas tree and there you are somewhere that is festive without you having to re-arrange the furniture totally.

Duluth Creation: Shiny Metal Christmas Tree

2010-11-09T07:13:00.001-08:00

Crews in Duluth are building what will become the only steel fabricated Christmas tree in the United States standing over 120 feet tall.Last year over 200,000 people attended the Bentleyville Tour of Lights, and this year, crews are expecting the tree will draw an even bigger turnout.Rolls of LED lights will be wrapped around the tree as crews finished each section.The 50,000 LED lights are expected to use 37 amps of power, which is half the amount of power that was used on last years castle.Aside from its towering height, fans can expect the tree to twinkle and dance to music.

Hmmm not exactly as eco friendly as a live Christmas tree

Paddy Power: Call Of Duty Set Smash Records As Odds On Xmas Number One

2010-11-09T07:06:00.001-08:00

Today's launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops marked the start of a huge sales rush ahead of the festive season. The new version of the game is quoted by Paddy Power as the clear 1/6 odds on favourite to be Christmas number one.

What will worry rival game manufacturers is Paddy Power is also quoting an odds on 8/15 the game will sell over 20 million copies and earn the owners, Activision, potentially over 1bn. Whilst some question if the game will maintain its appeal following the loss of the two key creative minds behind the previous Call of Duty games, the queues forming outside Christmas stores show demand for the game is still massive.

Roberto Coladangelo, spokesman for Paddy Power, said: "The number of reports on record pre-orders and the shops preparing themselves for a barrage of gamers leaves us with little option but to make the game a massive favourite for the Christmas top spot."

Christmas No 1 Video game

1/6 Call of Duty: Black Ops

7/1 FIFA 11

8/1 Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

16/1 Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

World wide sales

11/8 Less than 20 million copies

8/15 20 million or more copies

Orlando In Black??

2010-11-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

Universal Orlando Resort kicks off the holiday season this year with live black pencil Christmas tree

Artist Shop in port Clinton

2010-11-09T06:47:00.001-08:00

The Studio, a member-driven art store, recently opened on Rice Street. Although the shop gives the artists a place to sell their work, it also gives them the camaraderie of other artists, a social place to work on their projects and a chance to meet more people in the community.

"Most of us sit at home and don't talk about our work," said member Carol Hovis, who makes children's clothes, pillows and aprons out of denim. "We make it and give it to our children and parents and friends and friends of friends.

"This gives us a way to display it. It is an outlet for those of us who make things."

Although there are many benefits to being a member of The Studio, the shop's customers have just as many. They have the opportunity to purchase high-quality handmade pieces of art, and one of the most notable benefits is the chance to buy something made in the America, something made locally.

"You hear it so much -- 'It's made in China,'" Freeman said. "I wanted to fix the problem. I thought, let's find these people who handmake these things."

It didn't take long.

After she started organizing the shop with the help of Hovis and their friend, Joan Reinbold, memberships started flying in.

Already, 21 artists have signed up to be members of The Studio.

They've brought in jewelry, embellished glassware, curling scarves, yarn necklaces, Alpaca yarn clothing, quilts, paintings and pillows. There are Christmas tree skirts, lapel pins made from wool, hand-painted sweatshirts, photographic art, lamps and handmade greeting cards. The cards range in price from $2 to $3.

"We're really making an effort to keep costs low," Freeman said. "We have neo-arts and traditional arts."

The business has members from Elmore, Genoa, Millbury, Fremont, Port Clinton and Oak Harbor. There are even artists from Michigan and New Mexico that were so impressed with Freeman's concept that they've joined as members.

Are you a Tschotschke Christmas Tree??

2010-11-08T05:05:00.001-08:00

Tschotschke Christmas Tree:
Sentimental people love to cover their tree with all kinds of christmas tree ornaments and goodies, with every glance comes a new ornament discovery and often unexpectant insight into the family life. If your tree is covered in trinkets and tschotschkes, you are probably an open individual who is comfortable with expressing and sharing yourself. Chances are your considered child-like and playful when it comes to Christmas.

What Type of Christmas Tree Are YOU??

2010-11-08T05:03:00.001-08:00

Fresh Cut:
A grown-in-the-ground tree not only has roots but is deeply rooted in ancient Christmas tradition. If your family takes the time each year to find their own fresh fir, that probably means that you have tremendous personality tied to old-fashioned traditions as well. Often, people with real christmas trees like to go 'by the book' and are authentic. It also suggests that you are a diligent and reliable individual and you find joy in the simple things in life.

Repurposed wedding dresses

2010-11-08T04:29:00.001-08:00

"Grateful but Practical" wondered what she should do with her wedding dress (other than store it). I have redone many wedding gowns. I have made some into christening gowns, confirmation dresses and even Christmas tree skirts.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.article.aspx?subjectid=360&articleid=20101108_222_D4_bDearA23313

Half Christmas Trree

2010-11-08T02:56:00.001-08:00

The Half Christmas tree, that stands next to wall saves room space. Seems like a great idea to me its great for office or reception area, Apartments, RV, anywhere you want a second tree or to add holiday decoration. It assembles in minutes, is faster and cheaper to decorate.

Halloween costume dating style

2010-10-15T06:27:00.001-07:00

You can love it or hate it but it seems like there is no getting around Halloween. From the candy corn at the office to costumed gourds at the supermarket, this is one holiday that spooks or sparks us no matter how old we are.

Unlike ever before, the chance to dress up or down is making for pure adult entertainment as retailers are predicting an increase in spending on costumes for grownups. Indeed, a survey by the National Retail Federation finds that Americans are planning to spend a lot more on this Halloween than the last, and an estimated one billion dollars will be spent on trick or treat attire for adults, and more than one third of respondents plan to throw or attend a party for All Hallow's Eve.

This newfangled enthusiasm for a holiday that once revolved around peanut sized characters can be credited to the hard times that continue to plague our realities. Playing dress up is a well-timed opportunity to suspend our disbelief and have fun for the night.

You can opt for one of this year's trending outfits or pull your classic go-to costume out from under the bed, just be warned that what you wear for Halloween sends a subtle message which may scare off or lure in the wrong types of characters.

Men:

The Cowboy: The down-to-earth but sly, sturdy and sun-kissed maverick will rope in two kinds of ladies: the demure, delicate belle or the wild trail-blazer. While playing cowboy is sure to be a fun and wild adventure for one night, know this: most women do not consider these bad boys the marrying type.

Superhero: Power hungry villainesses will be trying to dig their claws into you so be prepared to leap tall buildings (or at least use the elevator to get up to their apartment). It's easy to get fooled by damsels in disguise who are drawn to your super crime fighting capabilities, just don't bite on the kryptonite or you will lose all of your powers.

Vampire: Women for centuries have been attracted to these sinister blood sucking creatures, but remember that the paranormal world is a cold, mysterious universe and those who get off in it can be playing a deadly game. This is the type of steamy first sight attraction that is likely to go lethal!

The King: Showing up in a Viva Las Vegas getup is bound to get groupies, but wise men know that loyal fans often turn into desperate followers. If you're not looking for a relationship, dress as a relaxed rocker and skip the glitzy gold, shades and side burns.

Women:

The Nurse: You may look all nice dressed up in white but you will be tending to the heart sick and emotionally ailing in this wholesome getup. One night as Florence Nightingale may feel empowering but a guy that that requires constant therapy may quickly become tiresome.

French Maid: The black and white lacy outfit is sure to conjure images of you bending down to dust for months to come. Trick or treater beware: The hot guys who flock towards you may like to play dirty and your nights of clean fun may turn into one hot mess.

School Girl: The innocent girl next door always gets the best scores among suitors. But, the green and navy uniform, knee high socks and pigtails can lure in guys who are still stuck in third grade. Best steer clear of super geeks, action figure wannabes or anyone that shows up as Pee Wee Herman.

The Wicked Witch: It's an easy last minute get-up but there is nothing sweet or sexy about a woman in green face paint and nose warts. Naughty does not always make a sexy statement so leave the broomstick in your closet and grab that Disney princess dress.

www.singleedition.ca/

Frightland dubbed one of scariest Halloween attractions

2010-10-15T05:56:00.001-07:00

Enter the realm of Frightland if you dare and travel through the depths of darkness and evil.

Haunting its guests for 14 years, the attraction provides a "spooktacular" experience with access to The Attic, Barn of Horror, Idalia Manor, The Escape, the Haunted Hayride, Haunted Woods, Forgotten Asylum and the Town of Redemption.

Along with the occasional continence mishap, there are constant screams of terror coming from the 1,350 acres of farmland, all in the spirit of Halloween fun.

The park, which scares teens and adults with live ghouls, animatronics and creepy scenes, was dubbed "one of America's scariest Halloween attractions" by The Travel Channel.

"We have an awesome group of volunteers who work during the off-season to help create Frightland," said manager fright mom Debbie Hall. "Actual building starts in April or May depending upon the weather."

During prime time, about 150 actors gather each evening to prepare for the make-up process, which is handled by a small team of talented artists.

Joe Davis of New Castle has been deceiving guests at Frightland for six years, applying his craftsmanship of prosthetics and latex masks.

"I plan on doing this for as long as it is open since it is fun and for a good cause," he said.

A portion of the proceeds go to the Leukemia Research Foundation of Delaware in honor of the owner's daughter, who is a survivor of leukemia.

In addition to make-up artists, live actors have a very demanding position to successfully entertain 20,000 guests who travel there from all over the U.S.

Second year actor Aloura Shaver of Newark transforms into a zombie cowboy.

"I'm not scary in real life, but when I'm working I manage to make a lot of people cry and scream," she said.

Despite the harsh elements of the job at times, Shaver said many of the volunteers return year after year.

"It's like having a baby," she said. "It's busy, exhausting and rewarding all at once."
An actor for nine years, Josh Hall of Smyrna was once a 10-foot mummy on stilts at the haunted hayride.

"There is never a dull moment working here," he said.

Tween girls' costume options a soft-porn horror show

2010-10-14T02:32:00.000-07:00

"What should I be?" I overheard one girl asking another in a costume store recently.

I'm an eavesdropper, and this conversation was well worth following.

So, in all my middle-aged invisibility, I lingered as the pair of middle-schoolers contemplated their choices for Halloween. These were tweens with braces and eyeliner — young enough to fit into kids' sizes but determined to shop the women's section.

"How's this?" asked one holding a French maid costume over her skinny jeans and Juicy Couture T-shirt. The feather duster was sold separately. "Sweet. Try it on," urged the other as she pulled two costumes off the rack. One was a "Sexy Thumper Bunny." The other, a "Deluxe Pirate Wench."

The problem with eavesdropping is you can't bust into the conversation. I couldn't very well blurt out "No way, too slutty" to the BFFs who were shopping after school without their parents. That would be creepy.

So there I was, feeling like Tipper Gore as I cringed at the choices available to these girls. For your information, there's an ungodly amount of Spandex, stilettos and bustiers in Halloween stores. And a surprising emphasis on thigh-high hosiery and garters. Bondage is big, as in the array of revealing prisoner get-ups with labels like "Ally Catraz," "Miss Behaved" and "Jail Bait." Law enforcement is a major theme, such as the "Busted Police" outfit and the much-coveted "Smokin Hot Fire Fighter" number.

And waiting tables is all the rage. One of the tweeners had her heart set on a cocktail waitress uniform because, she told her friend in the dressing room, "It has good cleavage." The other settled on a low-cut costume labeled "Beer Garden Girl."

Men can choose from all manner of action heroes and historical costumes. There's Julius Caesar, a pregnant nun, a golden Buddha and even that old dancing guy on the Six Flags commercials. My favorite is the Corpse Costume Body Bag, which only comes in men's sizes.

What's disturbing in the women's section is the lack of imagination. Aside from fabulous Wonder Woman, "Princess Amidala" and "I Love Lucy" costumes, there are few heroics and little humor.

Costume companies have taken a renewed interest in Alice in Wonderland and made raunch out of the Queen of Hearts and the Cheshire Cat. Alice herself comes in several forms of soft porn.

Women basically have two choices: stripper chic or plus-sized potato sacks. This leaves me sad and sorry for my two tweeners pondering what they should be.

I've spent a week now thinking about all sorts of answers I could have offered in the costume store. For one: Be smart and strong. To the blond who will be ringing doorbells as "Sexy Thumper Bunny" this Halloween, to her friend the Beer Garden Girl, and to all the young babysitters who will be spending their hard-earned earnings on costumes this year, I say, be careful what you make believe.

Better yet, learn to sew.

Face Painting For Halloween

2010-10-14T02:25:00.001-07:00

The coolest halloween face painting ideas are here for you to look at also get some free face painting ideas. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how much FUN kids have with these kind of toddler activities.

Take a look at these halloween face painting examples below and see what you think.

Face painting patterns

These are just some of the halloween face painging ideas from many easy face painting designs you will find among the 100 easy paint designs here

Halloween bat face painting

Halloween pumpkin face painting

Halloween Skeleton face painting

Halloween vampire face painting

Halloween witch face painting

Nikki Reed (Rosalie Hale of TWILIGHT) to design Vampire Jewelry

2010-10-12T03:01:00.001-07:00

Actress Nikki Reed, best known for her role as Rosalie Hale in The Twilight Saga, revealed she will soon become a jewelry designer because she absolutely loves jewelry and wants to create something different.

"I'm working on collaborating with someone to create a line because I'm really into jewelry," she told In Touch at the Swatch New Gent Collection launch at New York's Gansevoort Park Avenue Hotel on October 6.

The 22 year-old actress, who is also a screenwriter and music video director, confessed she is really into the "skull thing right now", so her jewelry line will be naturally influenced by her latest obsession.

Is Nikki ready to design vampire jewelry? It could be a hit! Twi-hards would love it… I'd love it and Halloween is coming. Why not look fabulous on Halloween too? Yeah, I'm kind of sick of those cheap Halloween costumes and "jewelry". I digress.

Good luck, Nikki!!

Glee gets Halloween early with Rocky Horror Picture Show

2010-10-12T02:57:00.001-07:00

We all may get up and move in front of our TV as we watch FOX takes a dig at The Rocky Horror Picture Show that still elicits a cult folllowing.

The episode -- which airs October 26 -- was given a sneak peek thanks to TV Guide As for who will play whom, here are your favorite characters playing favorite characters (don't read on if you want to be surprised when the show actually airs):

Kurt takes on the role of Riff-Raff, makeup and all. Rachel is Janet, no surprise there. Mercedes takes on Frank-N-Furter, which can only be a freeky surprise for us viewers. Quinn and Santana are both cast as Magenta, but different incarations of that memorable character.

Finn is Brad, need we say more? With this info in your head, get ready for Glee when the hit show celebrates Halloween early with the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Halloween Safety

2010-10-12T02:54:00.001-07:00

They say it's thrills by day and frights by night. But some inside Six FlagsMidnight Mansion got a bit more than they bargained for Saturday night after cobwebs outside the haunted house caught fire.

Saturday's incident at Six Flags is an important reminder of potential Halloween holiday dangers.

A photo captured by an eyewitness shows flames rushing up the side of the Agawam, Massachusetts attraction. Fire investigators say decorative cobwebs made of a flammable burlap material ignited - after brushing against light fixtures on the roof.

"The fire consisted primarily of simulated cobwebs that were hung outside the structure." said Deputy Chief Alan Sirois of the Agawam Fire Department . "The fire was extinguished quickly. Extension was checked for and there was some very minor involvement in the exterior of the structure and the roof." said Sirois.

The National Fire Protection Association offers several Halloween safety tips. They say to avoid loose-fitting costumes or vision impairing masks near flames, Also, check labels for flame-resistant costumes, and be sure to avoid hanging cornstalks or fake cobwebs near electric outlets.

Alternative Iron Man Armor

2010-10-12T02:50:00.001-07:00

Our love for steampunk, which has been obvious from the get-go, has just been doubled. Over the weekend, New York was home for some of the biggest fans in comic books, and they descended upon the New York ComicCon event. During that event, Marvel held their costume contest, and one look at this design and you'll immediately realize why it won. A stagger depiction of what Iron Man would look like in the guilded age, this steampunk Iron Man is just about one of the most interesting things we've seen in a long time.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of information about how the costume was made, or even about the designer. While the picture may speak 1,000 words, we'd still like to know all of the details regarding the suit's construction, and about the designer. For now, though, we'll just have to take staring at it, and be happy with what we have.

New Wonder Woman TV Show Coming

2010-10-12T02:05:00.000-07:00

"Wonder Woman" TV show is all set to return to the small screen. The action fantasy, which is adopted from DC comic book superhero, would be made into a television series, according to reports. The new series will be produced by David E. Kelley. The renowned producer, who made his mark with shows like "Ally McBeal," "The Practice," and "Boston Legal," is reported to have signed a deal with the Warner Bros. to produce the television series.

"Wonder Women" is one of the most celebrated female super heroes from the DC comic and therefore, it may be expected that the show will appeal to the young audiences when it is aired on TV. It would not be a bolt from the blue if the show indeed turns out to be a major hit. It has been a long time plan of Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment to relaunch this comic character and reportedly the production houses were looking for the right time and the right project to feature this Amazonian Queen. The production houses also plan to create a movie out of "Wonder Woman" but before that they want to introduce this character to a wider range of audience, as the popular character has almost faded out from people's memory. The younger generation also needs to be more familiar with "Wonder Woman".

The New Adventures of Wonder Woman starring Lynda Carter has been a very popular show in the mid-1970s. However, it was called off after some year leaving its fans craving to see the character on TV since then. The new reboot of the show will surely excite her old fans. There has been no reports on which channel will it be featured or in which show will it be incorporated.

Not the sort of thing you want to meet on Elm Street

2010-10-05T03:29:00.001-07:00

Jeff Rockey has pasted a latex prosthetic to cover his eye, making himself look as if one has rotted out. The rest of his zombie makeup will blend the rubber prosthetic into the rest of his face. The Maverick Theater is staging the live theater adaptation of the classic horror film "Night of the Living Dead" as part of the Fullerton Shadows Theatre Festival.

ADAM TOWNSEND, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Top 25 Selling Halloween Costumes

2010-10-05T03:21:00.001-07:00

Not certain what to wear this Halloween? here is a list of the most popular costumes sold last month by the most popular online Costume store.

Alice in Wonderland Movie - Deluxe Alice Adult Costume
Alice In Wonderland Movie Deluxe Red Queen Adult Costume
Alice In Wonderland Movie Prestige Mad Hatter Adult Costume
Avatar Movie Sexy Neytiri Adult Costume
Batman Brave & Bold Deluxe M/C Batman Toddler/Child Costume
Dark Heart Queen Adult Costume
Harry Potter Gryffindor Robe Deluxe Child Costume
Iron Man 2 (2010) Movie - Iron Man Mark 6 Super Deluxe Adult Costume
Lil' Lion Elite Collection Infant/Toddler Costume
Lil' Mermaid Toddler/Child Costume
Lil Monster Infant/Toddler Costume
Mad Hatter Elite Adult Costume

Mischievous Mad Hatter Deluxe Adult Costume

Spider-Man Muscle Toddler Costume
Super Mario Bros. - Luigi Deluxe Toddler/Child Costume
Super Mario Bros. - Mario Deluxe Toddler/Child Costume
TMNT - Sexy Donatello (Purple) Deluxe Adult Costume
TMNT - Sexy Raphael (Red) Deluxe Adult Costume
Top Gun Men's Flight Suit Adult Costume
Top Gun Women's Flight Dress Adult Costume
Toy Story - Buzz Lightyear Deluxe Toddler/Child Costume
Toy Story - Woody Deluxe Child Costume
Twilight Twinkle (Light Up) Adult Costume
Vixen Pirate Wench Adult
Wonderland Queen Deluxe Adult Costume

Face Painting Hiccups

2010-10-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Using wet wipes can be useful for touching up and cleaning mistakes when face painting. Kids are not known for sitting still long enough to get the job done so an unscented wet wipe wrapped around a finger will help "adjust" painting "improved" by the child more interested in gaining loot than a painyed face.

Walk on the Darkside This Halloween

2010-10-04T08:51:00.001-07:00

Vampires can be Scary, Sexy, or Both! This Halloween, Treat Yourself to a Frightfully Fantastic Vampire Costume!

Who is that creeping in shadowy pools of darkness? Do I see glowing eyes and a sliver of light glinting off shiny white fangs? Vampires are some of our most admired and desired Halloween characters. These creatures, timeless and ageless humans without emotion, but stirring our passions, pique our interest like no other night-creature.

Spooky Halloweens-Overnight frights

2010-10-01T09:22:00.001-07:00

(CNN) -- Every October, haunted houses sprout up in neighborhoods across the country. If you're stuck trying to come up with a more exhilarating Halloween experience than having costumed teenagers chase you around with a chainsaw, you've come to the right place. Why go to a "haunted house" with fake ghosts when you can visit the real thing?

The world is full of spooky places, and many are open to the public, if you know where to look. From ghost-hunting tours to B&Bs and rambling mansions, we've compiled some chill-inducing overnights for thrill seekers looking for bona fide hauntings this Halloween season.

American Hauntings Tours

American Hauntings Tours, based in Illinois, organizes overnight ghost hunts in the Midwest and beyond. Numerous tours are listed on their website, including an eerie weekend in New Orleans for $600 per couple. That includes a two-night stay, a haunted French Quarter tour and more.

On October 9, participants can spend the night ghost-hunting at Whispers Estate in Mitchell, Indiana. For $85 per person, guests can seek ghostly encounters in an 1899 house where visitors frequently report being touched and seeing spirits.

Whether you come face-to-face with a real ghost or not, these retreats guarantee a good time.

"We are trying to give people an experience that they can't get on their own," said Troy Taylor, author and owner of American Hauntings Tours.

Taylor said that one of the best things about the tours is joining with others with similar interests, and he encourages participants to come with an open mind.

"If you go to enough places, something will happen that will at least leave you scratching your head."

Elaine's Victorian Inn and Dinner Theater
Cape May, New Jersey

Another option for the true ghost enthusiast is embarking on a ghost hunter's weekend at Elaine's Victorian Inn and Dinner Theater. Aside from ghost hunting, the daring can embark on a walking tour of the most eerie spots in Cape May, New Jersey.

The Inn dates to the 1860s and is reportedly brimming with paranormal activity.

"One of our known ghosts is a child named Emily, who moves shoes around the rooms, knocks items on the floor and can be heard running through the halls," marketing manager Elizabeth Hargett said.

She offers a warning to potential visitors: "Some people, like myself, get spooked and just decide they've had enough."

For a milder thrill, check out the two dining experiences at Elaine's. The 150-seat dinner theater is currently putting on the production "Zombie Beach Party," and the Haunted Mansion restaurant has an interactive dinner show called "Ghost Hunting 101."

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Weston, West Virginia

If what you're looking for is a real spine-tingling experience, you may want to spend the night searching for spirits in an asylum. At theTrans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, the fearless have the opportunity to ghost hunt from 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. in a group of 10 ... or (as if you haven't proved that you're brave enough) guests can choose to hunt alone. The cost is $100 per person during the month of October.

Daytime heritage tours are offered through October 31. Guests learn the history of the treatment of the insane and medical procedures used over the years. Guided paranormal tours are also offered at 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. for $40 per person. They last approximately two hours and show off the four hottest spots in the asylum.

Additionally, the asylum is hosting a Witches' Ball on October 30, with live entertainment, door prizes and a costume contest for both children and adults.

Prospect Place
Dresden, Ohio

In Dresden, Ohio, guests can spend the night at Prospect Place, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad network used to move slaves to freedom in the 1800s.

The 29-room mansion, rumored to be one of the most haunted homes in Ohio, was built in 1856 by abolitionist George Willison Adams and has been featured on Syfy's "Ghost Hunters" and the Travel Channel's "Ghost Adventures."

Guests should bring cameras and recorders to ghost hunt with a dedicated group of Prospect Place volunteers

A public ghost hunt, open to the public with reservations required, will be held on Halloween. The night will begin at 8 p.m. and end at 6 a.m. The minimum cost to participate is $50 per person, and all proceeds go to the G.W. Adams Educational Center.

Evening paranormal tours, lasting up to two hours, are offered for $15 per person. All evening tour attendees must be at least 18, as the Adams Center says it "will not be held responsible for psychological damage, nightmares or other harm which may occur in minors."

"There have been people so scared, they leave prematurely," said George Adams, the manager and educational coordinator.

Ghost-free daytime historical tours are offered for less daring guests.

Stanley Hotel
Estes Park, Colorado

Heeere's Johnny!

If nothing thus far seems risky enough for you, try spending the night in the legendary Stanley Hotel. The most popular room is 217, where Stephen King stayed while developing the idea for his book "The Shining." (Bonus: According to Leslie Hoy, director of operations at the hotel, Jim Carrey stayed in this room while filming "Dumb and Dumber" and checked into a Holiday Inn after only two hours.)

According to ghost-hunters, room 401 is also notable. It is said to be haunted by former housekeeper Mrs. Wilson and the former owner of a brothel, Lord Dunraven (most known for touching women in the room.)

"One of the most recent complaints was a guest saying that Mrs. Wilson ripped his pillow out from under his head, and then [he] saw the sheet coming up over his face. Taking her former role seriously, she was making the bed, with him in it," Hoy said.

The hotel has been open for 101 years. There is a resident psychic and expert paranormal investigator on staff. The hotel offers five-hour ghost hunts using paranormal equipment for $50, giving visitors access to the most haunted areas of the hotel, which are off-limits to the general public. These special experiences can be booked through the tour concierge at (970) 577-4110.

A classic queen room is going for $239 on Halloween night, with the option to enhance your stay with a 90-minute historic ghost tour for only $15. On the tour, guests will hear tales of actual sightings and see the hotel's spookiest places. Check out the hotel's Facebookpage for more special events and to read about the experiences of former guests.

There are many events going on for Halloween weekend, including a Murder Mystery Dinner and the Shining Ball, an elaborate costume party on October 30-31.

"People come from all over the world to attend," Hoy said.

Her advice for getting the most out of your stay? "Rent one of the most haunted rooms, take a daytime ghost tour to learn about the history behind the hotel, and go on an evening ghost hunt." Guests should also tune in to "The Shining" at least once; it loops at all hours of the day on one of the hotel's television stations.

Historic Anchorage Hotel
Anchorage, Alaska

Employees at the Historic Anchorage Hotel are so used to reports of paranormal activity that they keep a "ghost log" to track the sightings.

"We started the ghost log in 2004, after I experienced three strange things in the first week of December," said Terri Russi, general manager of the Historic Anchorage Hotel.

"Last Halloween Eve, we had two different psychics here. They told us we have 32 spirits. The magnetic energy was pulling them in! I nearly dropped!" Russi said.

Former visitors say that seeing a ghost is not at all unusual, most notably the abandoned bride who hanged herself in the hotel when her groom failed to show up for their wedding.

"One guest who told us he could not get out of bed because someone was on top of him. The man had such vivid details," Russi said. (Hotel employees attribute this to the spirit of a child who likes to play games.)

The hotel takes its reputation seriously, especially around Halloween.

"We go way out and decorate with monsters for Halloween. I think we have more Halloween decor than Christmas," Russi said.

A deluxe double room will put you back only $109 for a stay on Halloween night.

Lizzie Borden B&B
Fall River, Massachusetts

If you want to stray from the traditional hotel experience, try staying at a bed and breakfast ... specifically the home where Lizzie Borden allegedly took an ax to her parents. The address of one of Massachusetts' most infamous killers has been featured on "Scariest Places on Earth," a paranormal documentary reality series, and it's now taking reservations

Guests can reserve rooms belonging to various family members, including Lizzie's own bedroom. A daring guest can even book a night in the John Morse room, where Abby Borden was murdered. (If you're not creeped out enough, check out the Lizzie Borden mannequin and crime scene photos in the room.)

This room can be booked for $250 a night during the month of October, including a full tour of the home and breakfast reminiscent of what was eaten on the morning of the murders.

Bonus: Shoppers can choose amongst T-shirts, hatchet earrings and Lizzie Borden bobble-head dolls at the gift shop.

Crescent Hotel & Spa
Eureka Springs, Arkansas

This scenic 1886 hotel in the Ozarks has many reported encounters of paranormal activity, with ghost tours offered nightly.

The "grand finale" of the nightly ghost tours is "Doctor" Baker's morgue (the famous site where Norman Baker opened a hospital that claimed to cure cancer).

"The morgue is located in the lowest level of our hotel. His original autopsy table, the walk-in cooler where he kept both animal and human body parts and corpses, and the shelves where he kept body parts in formaldehyde jars are still in the area," said Bill Ott, director of marketing and communications.

"It was here where the Atlantic Paranormal Society caught a full-bodied apparition on thermograph imaging while taping their program 'Ghost Hunters' for the Syfy Network, a discovery they refer to as 'the holy grail of ghost hunting,' " Ott said.

Guests have the option of booking the Spirits of the Crescent Package, including a premium room for one night, breakfast for two, two ghost tour tickets, a ghost hunter video and two ghost T-shirts. The cost of this package is $199 plus tax Sunday through Thursday and $289 plus tax Friday through Saturday.

Ott encourages travelers to visit Americasmosthauntedhotel.com, where the hotel reprints all reports of paranormal encounters.

His advice for a ghoulish good time? "Be open to the spirit world. Allow your senses to capture anything that might be out of the ordinary (a sound, cold breeze, a brush up against you, a poke or a bump). ... It may be nothing, but it may be something."

San Diego Zoo
San Diego, California

Finally, for a milder sleepover, check out Spooky Sleepovers at the San Diego Zoo. Parents and children ages 4 and older can spend the night in "haunted" Timbuktu camp. There are opportunities to make Halloween crafts, trick or treat around the Reptile House, participate in a costume parade and eat s'mores around a campfire.

Sleepovers are taking place from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays beginning October 16. The cost is $139 per adult and $119 per child, plus admission to the zoo for nonmembers. A tent will be provided, but don't forget your sleeping bag! Reservations are required and made by calling (619) 718-3000 or (800) 407-9534.

Adult Superhero Halloween Costume Ideas 2010

2010-09-30T08:33:00.001-07:00

When it comes to Halloween, adult superhero costume choices will once again be big hits for 2010's edition of the holiday. There's plenty of timeless heroes, as well as those who have been featured in new movies from the Marvel and DC filmmakers. Here's some costume ideas to help you make a unique or great choice for your outfit on October 31.

Probably the most popular choice for 2010 will be the Iron Man 2 Halloween costumes. The successful sequel featured several characters who adults can choose from for October 31st. Women in particular welcome the Black Widow costume, worn by the sultry Scarlett Johansson in the film, which features a full black skinsuit. There's also "Ironette" which is a great female version of Iron Man. Adult males can of course be Iron Man, War Machine or Whiplash.

In addition to Iron Man's characters, there's also the classic comic characters which include Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Supergirl. Jonah Hex, Watchmen and the upcoming "Avengers" film also offer some newer characters to dress up as. Females can choose from several sexy superhero costumes including Megan Fox's character from Jonah Hex, or Silk Spectre II from Watchmen. Males can choose from the likes of the Hulk, Thor, Captain America from "The Avengers" or Dr. Manhattan from "Watchmen."

There's no doubt that there's a variety of great Halloween costume ideas for 2010, but in particular it allows kids and adults to become something else. For a night or two or three you can take on the identity of a powerful superhero, wow the opposite sex (or your friends) and possibly save the Universe!

71 Facts about the Wizard of OZ

2010-09-30T08:25:00.001-07:00

As today's Google doodle celebrates 71 years of The Wizard of Oz, we present 71 things you might not know about the musical classic starring Judy Garland©

1) So frightening was Margaret Hamilton's performance as the Wicked Witch of the West that most of her scenes were heavily edited or cut entirely.

2) When the script was written, the part of the Wizard had been earmarked for WC Fields.

3) Judy Garland's white dress was actually pink as it was easier to shoot in Technicolor.

4) A sequel using the original cast was mooted, but scrapped after Garland became such a big star and Hamilton expressed doubts over the feasibility of such a project.

5) The film has numerous lines in Premiere magazine's poll to find the 100 Greatest Movie Lines. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" came in at No 24.

6) "There's no place like home" came in at No 11.

7) "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" was at No 62.

8) "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!" was No 99.

9) The same magazine named it one of the 20 most overrated movies of all time.

10) Judy Garland's childlike physique was achieved with the help of a corset.

11) Several actors playing Winged Monkeys were injured when the piano wires holding them up snapped during a shoot on the haunted forest scene.

12) An unused screenplay was written by Ogden Nash.

13) Reports suggest each Munchkin earned $50 per week, while Toto bagged $125 per week.

14) Jell-O crystals were stuck over all the horses in the Emerald City palace to lend them their colour. The scenes were shot speedily, before the horses began to lick them off.

15) The running time is 101 minutes, but the original cut was 112 minutes – only audiences at test screenings have seen the additional 11 minutes.

16) MGM toned down the gore in L Frank Baum's novel, which involves scenes showing "Kalidahs" (tiger-bear hybrids) being dashed to pieces in a crevasse, the Tin Woodman using his axe to decapitate a wildcat and 40 wolves, and bumblebees stinging themselves to death against the Scarecrow.

17) The production costs came in at $2,777,000 – a vast sum for the time. On initial release, the film only earned $3m.

18) MGM head Louis B Mayer had the idea of changing the colour of the slippers from silver to ruby.

19) The song Over the Rainbow came in at No 1 on the American Film Institute's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Songs in American Films.

20) The film is rated No 1 on the AFI's 2008 list of the 10 greatest fantasy films.

21) In their 2007 list, the AFI ranked it as the 10th greatest film of all time.

22) So scary were the costumes worn by Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley that they had to eat meals in their dressing rooms, lest they alarm other diners in the MGM cafeteria.

23) Bert Lahr's costume weighed 90 pounds

24) In 1989, a pair of real ruby slippers were made to mark the 50th anniversary. These are valued at $3m.

25) Louis B Mayer's trigger for getting the film into production was to trump the critical and commercial success of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

26) Five different directors and 14 writers were involved in various stages of pre-production.

27) Judy Garland won an Oscar Juvenile Award in 1939 for her role; a gong she would later refer to as the Munchkin award.

28) L Frank Baum received $75,000 for the rights to his book.

29) Standard industrial paint, bought from a hardware store several blocks away from the studio, was used to coat the bricks on the Yellow Brick Road.

30) The oft-quoted line "Fly my pretties, fly" is a falsely remembered bit of dialogue – it's actually "Fly, Fly, Fly."

31) The fire that engulfs the Witch's hands as she's trying to remove the ruby slippers is actually apple juice spewing out of the shoes – the film was then sped up to make it look more like fire.

32) The uniforms of the Flying Monkeys match those worn by the Witch's castle guards (or Winkies).

33) A recycled bit of score from the film Marie Antoinette (1938) can be heard during the castle escape film – the music for both films was composed by Herbert Stothart.

34) To show Dorothy's house falling from the sky, a miniature house was dropped onto a sky painting on the stage floor, then the film reversed to make it appear the film was falling towards the camera.

35) Jack Haley's Tin Woodsman costume was so stiff that he had to lean against a board if he wanted a rest.

36) The film is meant to be one of the most watched in the western world, partly because of its heavy presence on TV schedules.

37) The head winged monkey is called Nikko – also the name of theJapanese town home to the shrine featuring the Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil monkeys.

38) In 2007, the Munchkins were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Seven of them attended the ceremony: Mickey Carroll, Ruth L Robinson, Margaret Pellegrini, Meinhardt Raabe, Karl "Karchy" Kosiczky and August Clarence Swenson.

39) Baum thought up the name for Oz when looking at his filing cabinets, organised A-N and O-Z.

40) Jack Haley regularly claimed that making the film was far from enjoyable. "Like Hell, it was; it was work!", he was say.

41) Judy Garland couldn't stop giggling while filming the scene in which Dorothy slaps the Cowardly Lion. So the director, Victor Fleming, took her aside and slapped her. She returned to the set and filmed the scene in one take.

42) The line "What makes the dawn come up like thunder?" in the Cowardly Lion's speech about courage is a reference to a line inRudyard Kipling's Mandalay: "An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!"

43) The tornado was a 35-foot-long muslin stocking, spun around among miniatures of a Kansas farm and fields in a dusty atmosphere.

44) Lux Radio Theater broadcast a 60-minute CBS Radio adaptation of the movie on Christmas Day 1950 with Judy Garland reprising her film role as Dorothy.

45) In 1985 Disney made a sequel to Wizard of Oz named Return to Oz. It has since become a cult classic.

46) The musical Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and

Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. It's essentially a back story toThe Wizard of Oz, and shows the Wicked Witch of the West is a positive light.

47) The stage version of The Wizard of Oz returns to London's West End in February 2011. The role of Dorothy was decided by BBC talent showOver the Rainbow, which aired in spring 2010.

48) Four sets of slippers were used in the film, one pair of which was stolen from a museum in Minnesota in 2005. They were insured for $1m.

49) The film won two Oscars for best original score and best original song, and was nominated for best art direction, best cinematography and best effects.

50) A Cairn terrier called Terry played the role of the dog Toto.

51) Spotlights and shadows from camera equipment are visible on the grass as Dorothy and the Scarecrow dance off singing "We're off to see the Wizard".

52) Hamilton was hospitalised with severe burns after a botched explosion in a take of the moment in which she disappears into a cloud of smoke.

53) In the final version of this scene Hamilton is clearly visible making her exit through a trap door.

54) In the original novel, the gift given to the Tin Man is not a heart clock but a stuffed satin heart put into the Woodsman's chest and then patched over with tin.

55) When George Cukor started as the director, Garland wore a blond wig and heavy, "baby-doll" makeup. Cukor changed Judy Garland's and Margaret Hamilton's makeup and costumes and instructed Garland to act more naturally, necessitating wholescale reshoots.

56) Most actors on the five-month shoot worked six days a week and had to arrive at the studio at four and five in the morning to be fitted with makeup and costumes. They would then work till seven or eight at night.

57) The early Technicolor process required a huge amount of lighting, which would often heat the set to over 100 degrees.

58) Jack Haley's aluminium paste makeup gave the actor a severe eye infection.

59) Margaret Hamilton's makeup could not be ingested, so she lived almost entirely on a liquid diet during filming.

60) A persistent rumour suggested one of the Munchkins can be seen having committed suicide by hanging himself in the background of one scene. But it's been proved false: it was actually a wild crane used in the forest scene.

61) When Margaret Hamilton returned from hospital following her burns accident, she refused to do the scene in which she flies on a broomstick that billows smoke, so the directors brought in stand-in Betty Danko instead. Danko was severely injured doing the scene.

62) In May 2010 Drew Barrymore was announced as the director of a loose sequel to the film, Surrender Dorothy.

63) The New York premiere at Loew's Capitol Theater on 17 August 1939 was followed by a live performance with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. They would continue to perform there after each screening for a week, extended in Rooney's case for a second week and in Garland's to three.

64) The film was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress, which selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1989.

65) In June 2007, the film was listed on Unesco's Memory of the World Register.

66) Last year the San Francisco Chronicle devoted a film section front page to the film, in which Mick LaSalle declared that the film's "entire sequence, from Dorothy's arrival in Oz to her departure on the yellow brick road, has to be one of the greatest in cinema history — a masterpiece of set design, costuming, choreography, music, lyrics, storytelling and sheer imagination."

67) A prequel to Wizard of Oz is scheduled to be released in 2013. The working title is Oz: The Great and Powerful. It will be directed by Spider-Man's Sam Raimi and is likely to star Robert Downey, Jr.

68) The pairing of the 1973 Pink Floyd music album The Dark Side of the Moon with the visual portion of the film produces moments where the film and the album appear to correspond with each other in a music video-like experience. This juxtaposition has been called Dark Side of the Rainbow.

69) The Observer Music Monthly voted it the greatest film soundtrack of all time.

70) On the Rotten Tomatoes website, 100% of critics give the film positive reviews.

71) The film is at No 10 on the BFI's list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14.

Tips for the younger Trick or Treaters

2010-09-30T08:17:00.001-07:00

Gone are the days of pumpkin and bee costumes. Now, the bloodier the disguise, the better. And your kids would much rather trick-or-treat sans parents. Manage your cool ghoul-without being a witch:

If the costume sounds too gory to you, it probably is. Disgusting outfits aren't appropriate for school functions or for younger kids, says Garry Gardner, M.D., chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics's Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. Think of a compromise: Maybe your bloody mummy can be just a mummy, for instance.

Kids under age 10 need some sort of supervision. Yes, you can hang waaay back or send your younger guy out with a teenage sibling. But he'll need a watchful eye when crossing streets. "So many injuries occur every year from kids darting across dark roads," says Dr. Gardner. Put reflective tape on his costume so he's more visible to drivers.

Make sure older children stay in touch. Send your kid out with a cell phone and ask her to call or text you at regular intervals with where-I-am updates (this spares her embarrassing calls from you). Also, set parameters-which areas of your neighborhood are off-limits-as well as the time you expect her home.

Part of an article by Parenting Magazine

Masked musician named best drummer

2010-09-28T04:12:00.001-07:00

A masked musician who plays gravity defying solos has beaten stars such as Phil Collins and Dave Grohl to be named the greatest drummer of the past 25 years. Joey Jordison of Slipknot, noted for playing two bass drums simultaneously, has to be strapped in his seat to play live as he performs on a spinning stage which tips to a 90-degree angle.

The boiler-suited player triumphed in the poll staged by leading UK drum magazine Rhythm to find readers' top choice of drummer for the past quarter century. Grohl, known for his drumming work in bands such as Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures, but now better known as frontman for Foo Fighters, was fifth. Collins came ninth with around 0.3% of the votes.

Jordison, who drew nearly two-fifths of the 100,000 votes, said: "I'm at a loss for words. This is beyond unbelievable. Something like this reminds me every day why I continue to do this."

Metal band Slipknot are known for performing in matching boiler suits and wearing hideous latex masks. The band's bass player, Paul Gray, died in May after an accidental morphine overdose.

The editor of Rhythm magazine. whose poll took place via sister publication MusicRadar.com, said: "Since Slipknot hit the headlines in the late 90s, we've been consistently blown away by his mind-blowing technicality and ability to bolster any project with his unique sound and style. He obviously has a massive legion of loyal fans."

‘Iron Man 2’ Actor, Paramount Try on Robotic Suit

2010-09-28T04:06:00.001-07:00

Representatives from Paramount Home Entertainment and Iron Man 2 actor Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson) trekked to Salt Lake City over the weekend to try on a real-life exoskeleton suit, created by defense technology company Raytheon Sarcos.

Raytheon showed off the suit, and let Gregg try it on, to help promote the Sept. 28 DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases of Iron Man 2, which pulled in more than $312 million at the domestic box office.

In April "Popular Science" magazine made the comparison between Raytheon's XOS 2 suit and the popular Marvel comic character, and Dr. Stephen Jacobsen, head of the XOS 2 project, called the exoskeleton a combination of art, science and engineering.

"People call it different things," he said. "Sometimes they call it inventing; sometimes they call it engineering. Sometimes they call it being a mad scientist. To us, it's the process of getting together, understanding the problems, goals and then designing something to satisfy the need."

Just like billionaire genius Tony Stark and his Iron Man suit, the XOS 2 amplifies the strengths of its wearer, letting him or her lift hundreds of pounds without tiring, and punch, kick and climb with ease. Raytheon hopes to have the suit used by soldiers in the field by 2015.

Iron Man 2 will be released as a three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with digital copy, a two-disc DVD set with digital copy and as a single disc DVD option Tuesday.

Article written by Chris Tribbey | ctribbey@questex.com

Vampire Costumes for Halloween

2010-09-28T03:33:00.001-07:00

Why not top off your look with some vampire jewelry, accessories and make-up products? Go all the way with your costume! There are naturally a lot vampire accessories, vampire jewelry, makeup, and don't forget the all important vampire fang! No worthy vampire would be caught dead without their vampire fangs. If you are a contact lens wearer then you can add a set of vampire contact lenses. (Only wear contact lenses if you have done it before, until you get used to them they can be extremely irritating

Police seek repeat armed robber wearing hockey mask

2010-09-15T08:47:00.001-07:00

Is Jason Voorhees alive and robbing?

This from www.ydr.com.....York City Police are investigating five attempted gunpoint robberies in the Avenues neighborhood, near the York Expo Center, in the last three months.

In all five incidents, the robber has approached female victims with a handgun while wearing a "Halloween" or "Scream"-style white hockey mask, police said. Property was stolen from at least one victim.

The most recent attempt was reported at 5:50 a.m. Monday in the 700 block of Maryland Avenue. Others were reported in the 500 and 600 blocks of Linden Avenue and Madison Avenue, police said.

No further details were available.

The robber is described as a male in his 30s wearing black pants, a black shirt and possibly black latex gloves. One victim described the man as having a medium build with small eyes and small lips.

Mardi Gras for Arklow

2010-09-15T08:38:00.001-07:00

A FESTIVAL atmosphere is set to bring Arklow's town centre alive this Halloween thanks to a new imitative between Cairde le Cheile and members of the local business community.

The committee, the name of which translates as 'friends together' was formed in 2005 to promote social inclusion for all sections of the community and to encourage artistic, sporting and voluntary endeavours in the town.

Each year Cairde le Cheile runs a successful festival which provides a wonderful opportunity for many cultures and nationalities to be represented.

As part of the festival, local community groups get the chance to participate in an information day to spread the word about what they do.

The proposed Halloween Mardi gras is expected to open up Arklow for a fun family event which young and old will enjoy. Organisers say that they aim to bring vibrancy and celebration to the main street and to encourage all ages to don their fancy dress costumes and get into the spooky Halloween spirit.

In addition to a kid's parade, the mardi gras will include a fancy dress comm. Who would like to get in touch with the Cairde le Cheile committee can do so by calling 0402 91770.

How to make your Halloween festivities extra spooky

2010-09-09T02:36:00.000-07:00

(ARA) - Halloween is the second most decorated holiday, so it won't be long until ghouls and goblins, witches and vampires, pumpkins and candy corn adornments begin appearing in advance of trick-or-treating and haunting celebrations.

This year, instead of buying your decorations, why not brew a little imagination? Just stir in a few items you already have around the house and a couple of cans of spray paint to create bewitching, inexpensive pieces for your home and yard.

Here are three project ideas to inspire and help you easily put some extra spookiness in your Halloween trick-or-treating.

Ghoulish gravestones
Turn a couple of old boxes into a chilling graveyard to keep the goblins and vampires at bay.

What you'll need: Black granite textured "stone" spray paint, such as Krylon's Make It Stone; spray adhesive; glow-in-the-dark paint; boxes (note: old shipping boxes work well); foam or wood letters; various Halloween decorations; hot or super glue; packing tape; newspaper; large nails or ground stakes; and scissors.

How to do it: Set up a spray paint area in a well-ventilated area by covering a table with newspaper. Assemble a box and tape over folded seams leaving one end open, as that will serve as the bottom of your gravestone. Cut a name plaque to fit the box from the cardboard of another and affix with spray adhesive. Glue letters onto the plaque.

Embellish the top of your gravestone with glued-on Halloween decorations, like a bat or skull. Paint the entire gravestone with two to three coats of "stone" spray paint, letting it dry between coats. Once it's dry, highlight areas with glow-in-the-dark paint. Place a stake in the ground, prop up your box and enjoy scaring the neighbors with your ghoulishly gorgeous graveyard.

Ghostly globes
Add a spooky twist to your outside walkway on All Hallow's Eve - without having to carve several messy pumpkins - by creating glowing ghostly globes.

What you'll need: Round glass votives; newspaper; one can each of white frosted glass, white and glow-in-the-dark spray paint, such as Krylon Glowz; and a black craft pen.

How to do it: Cover your workspace with newspaper. Spray several light coats of white frosted glass paint on the lip of each votive and let dry. Next, add several light coats of white paint to the outside bottom of votives, blending the white seamlessly with the frosted glass. Let dry completely.

Spray the entire exterior with glow-in-the dark paint, which will allow your votives to shine even when not lit. Finally, draw facial features with a black paint pen.

Spooky party servers
Embellish your Halloween party buffet by transforming ordinary terra cotta pots into spooky party servers.

What you'll need: White primer; pumpkin orange, gloss white and gold glitter spray paint; black webbing spray from Krylon; brush-on black paint; repositionable adhesive; assorted terra cotta pots and saucers; metal or enamel bowl; glue; paper; pencil; scissors; and a small paint brush.

How to do it: Wash the pots and saucers. Allow to dry. Spray all the terra cotta with white primer. Let dry and spray with gloss white. Once dry, turn pots upside down and glue the bottom of a saucer to the bottom of each pot. Draw ghosts, tombstones and other scary characters on paper. Cut the shapes out and spray one side with repositionable adhesive.

Position the paper shapes randomly on the pots. Spray the outside of the bowl and terra cotta pieces with pumpkin orange paint. Once dry, spray all the pieces with black webbing spray, then lightly with gold glitter spray. When all the paint is dry, remove paper templates and add details, such as features on the ghosts and words on the tombstones, with black paint. Be sure to not to place unwrapped food on any painted surface.

© /www.crestonnewsadvertiser.com

Freddy Krueger to terrorize 'Chuck'

2010-09-09T02:30:00.001-07:00

Chuck's latest casting coup is a dream come true: The NBC spyomedy has tapped the original Freddy Krueger—a.k.a. Robert Englund—to guest-star in next month's Halloween episode, sources confirm to me exclusively.

Englund will play Dr. Stanley Wheelwright, an evil scientist who can make your waking life a nightmare. He'll appear in this season's sixth episode, titled "Chuck Versus Aisle of Terror."

Get into the spirit of Halloween in Belfast

2010-09-09T02:27:00.001-07:00

Travellers planning a break in Belfast next month might be interested in some of the special events due to take place in the city for Halloween.

Lagan Boat Company will offer three tours on 29, 30 and 31 October, featuring live music and some spooky stories.

Customers will be invited to dress up as ghosts, witches and other suitably scary characters.

The Halloween Hoolie celebration will take place in Castle Gardens in Lisburn on 30 October, featuring a free fireworks show and other attractions, while Ulster Folk and Transport Museum will host a family festival on the following day.

Belfast visitors can also head to the Botanic Gardens on 31 October for a four-mile fun run and walk, which will raise money for the Stroke Association and give out prizes for the best costumes.

People planning a break in Northern Ireland's capital city can book flights with carriers such asAer Lingus, Flybe and bmi.

New Captain America Set Pictures Reveal Full Costume

2010-09-09T02:22:00.000-07:00

British newspaper, The Daily Mail, have got their hands on some truly amazing pictures from the a London countryside filming location of Captain America: The First Avenger and there is an excerpt of their report as well as each of the downright amazing looking pictures! There are plenty of great details on display here including wings on Cap's helmet (almost identical to those seen recently in "Captain America: Reborn") as well as some downright strange looking bad guys who if you look closely enough have the HYDRA symbol on both their bikes and on the hood ornament of the car!

For details of the report go to: htp://tinyurl.com/2fyr5q2

Halloween Horror Nights street construction update

2010-09-09T02:15:00.001-07:00

Horror Nights starts in about two weeks and street construction is really moving along compared to last week. Last week we took a look inside the Studios at Saws 'n Steam and Esqueleto Muerte. Each day, more and more props are appearing. Halloween Horror Nights kicks off officially on Friday, September 24th.

New props have appeared near the front of the park for what appears to be the "HHN 20 Years of Fear" scarezone. We've got a good mixture of props here from a 'Dragons Lair' sign (from Dueling Dragons) to a Fire Eater sign. Mardi Gras props are being brought back out again around Disaster, but this time there won't be any bead throwing and sexy flamingo stilt walkers… well, maybe. The Zombie Gras scarezone will be quite the opposite of Mardi Gras. Plastic tubing has appeared along the skyline in Sting Alley for Saws 'n Steam.

For pics on this go to htp://tinyurl.com/2umyk3x

Halloween Will Soon be Here

2010-08-22T03:55:00.001-07:00

Well Halloween will soon be upon us, only another 11 weeks , time to start planning for the event, I have always thought Alice In Wonderland and the Mad Hatters Tea Party was a great family idea, especially if you could get Dad into the Chesire Cat outfit.

If you had a couple of teenagers you could always use Batman, The Dark Knight and Batwoman Costume as a crime fighting duo. Another family event could be using The Incredibles with Mom wearing Mrs Incredible's Costume and Dad in Mr Incredible's Costume Of course he might want to go as one of his Hero's <a href="http://www.captainamericamask.com">Captain America </a>.

Personally I have always been a fan of <a href="http://www.nx9ls.com">Halloween Pirate Costumes</a> where you can always get some one to walk the plank, for my money he best plack walker was <a href="http://www.jacksparrowjohnnydepp.com">Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean Pirate Costumes</a>. Mind you <a href="http://www.elizabethswanncostume.net"> Keira Knightley, as Eliabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean</a> also did a reasonable plank walk.

There are a number of ways you could dust of last years costume and spuce them up with <a href="http://www.halloweencostumesaccessories.org"> some accessories that would enhance your Halloween Costume</a> . One of the simple ways is with <a href="http://www.facepaintinghalloween.com">some Face Painting Especially for Halloween</a> , or you may just want to get <a href="http://www.latexmask.org">a new halloween look with a Latex Mask </a>.

I have heard there are some <a href="http://www.jerseyshorecostumeshop.com">Jersey Shore Costumes for Snooki, DJ Pauly and The Situation</a> available that might be fun. If you have a mommy to be in your family she would want a <a href="http://www.halloweencostumewomen.org">Halloween Costumes For Women</a> but should order as lates as possible to ensure it still fits. She might concider going as <a href="http://www.fionashrek.org">Princess Fiona Shrek</a>, though this would need <a href="http://www.halloweenmakeuptips.org"> Halloween makeup tips</a>, especially if she is going for the green look. Us guys have it a lot simpler when all we have to do is slip on <a href="http://www.ironmanarmor.org ">Tony Starks Iron Man Armor</a>.

The are a range of <a href="http://www.halloweencoustumes.org"> Halloween Coustumes </a> available including <a href="http://www.toysstorycostume.com ">Woodyand Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story</a>. Beware when you go out on All Hallow Eve there may be Vampires about , so carry a mirror and you will be able to see the <a href="http://www.vampirejewelry.org">Vampire Jewelry </a> floating on its own in midair.

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2010-05-18T09:53:00.001-07:00

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Best regards

Nick Johnson

Http://www.thegoldenfuture.com

YOU CAN GET THE BODY YOU WANT

TAGS:Weigh, waight , wieght. Weigth, weigt, rapid weight loss, loose weight,
weightloss, abdominal fat, belly fat

Some Interesting Sites on Flatteng your tummy

2010-03-08T09:09:00.001-08:00

Best regards

Nick Johnson

Http://www.thegoldenfuture.com

YOU CAN GET THE BODY YOU WANT

TAGS:Weigh, waight , wieght. Weigth, weigt, rapid weight loss, loose weight,

weightloss, abdominal fat, belly fat

Your Beliefs Are Your Reality

2010-01-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

What you believe is what you will get and this is particularly so with rapid weight loss.

How many times do you say that you have finished lunch or dinner only to pick up another piece of food and eat it? Many people do this on a regular basis and they have programmed their mind to believe that there is always more to come simply by the actions that they are taking on a regular basis.

How many times do you cut the cake in half intending to only eat that portion and then go back and eat the other half immediately after?

When you are cutting that cake in your mind you already know that you will be getting the rest and you are falsely kidding yourself into believing that the process of cutting off half is doing you some form of good.

In fact it is better to decide on how much you will be eating and then eating that portion even if it is the whole amount because you will at least be true to yourself.

If you are constantly allowing yourself to fail by succumbing to additional food then you are training your belief system in a negative way and this begins to affect all aspects of your life.

It doesn't matter what you say to other people or what you try to have them believe. It is not helping you one bit to tell everyone that you won't be eating any more cake. What matters is what you do and whether you are doing what you say you will do.

Your beliefs are your reality and if you believe that there are many different reasons why you can't lose then the reality of your life will be that you won't lose .

If you believe that your genes or your metabolism are responsible for your over condition then that is what you will be even though a change in diet and exercise will make a difference.

Getting your mind to understand and accept the true reality is one of the biggest hurdles for most people who are trying to make changes in their life.

Believe you can do it and you will - there is no doubt about that.

Age Is Not An Excuse

2010-01-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

There's no doubt about the fact that the body changes as we age and fat is stored in places that we didn't have to worry about when we were younger.

The metabolism slows and the digestive system doesn't work as well as it once did.

Hormonal changes in the body can also affect the shape that you are in but there is one thing that always remains the same at all ages - If you eat too much food and drink too much alcohol you will gain .

Many people use their age as an excuse for being over but this is not acceptable. Consider how many elderly people there are who are still slim, fit and healthy and you will see that age is not an excuse.

Lifestyles create the body we have to live with and the effects of poor lifestyle choices are multiplied as we age because the abuse that we have been giving our body through poor food choices throughout our life accumulates with fat and other health related problems due to poor nutrition.

You can and should expect to keep your fat percentage at an optimum level throughout your life. The health benefits from doing so will pay dividends with a better quality of life and reduced dependence on medication and other health related expenditure as you age.

At any stage in your life, no matter how old you are you can benefit from improved nutrition and exercise.

Anything that will reduce the excess levels in your body fat will assist in helping you to live longer and to enjoy that time more.

Starting on an exercise program and taking care to improve your nutrition is the best way to turn back the body clock and it is never too late to start winding back the years. Obviously the sooner you start the better but starting is the essential ingredient that you need right now.

Spot Fat Reduction

2010-01-01T05:52:00.000-08:00

Contrary to what many different rapid weight loss programs suggest it is not possible to spot reduce fat from one particular part of the body.

Just because you might have fat thighs or flabby triceps you won't find a diet that will specifically reduce the fat in those areas.

When you lose fat you will lose it throughout your body and not in specific areas alone.

The same applies to areas such as the belly however there is something that you can do.

By adding targeted resistance training exercises to your daily routine you can assist the muscles in those areas to support and tone your body.

By doing abdominal exercises you can firm and tighten your abdominal muscles where they will assist in better posture. This alone can help to flatten your stomach and give the appearance of rapid weight loss through the better posture you will achieve.

You can do tricep exercises to tone and strengthen the tricep muscles and this too will help that area to look better even without fat loss.

Once you begin to lose fat throughout the body those parts where you have been applying your resistance training will begin to show the benefits of your training.

You can have the best shape abdominal muscles in the world but no one is going to see them if they are covered in a layer of body fat.

You need to understand from reading this that you won't be able to get the look of rock hard abs by using the latest advertised abdominal machine each day if the muscles are hidden by a layer of fat. Sure you will be able to add support to the whole of your body by strengthening the muscles but you need to reduce fat to get in shape no matter what else you do.

Training will help to burn the fat as will diet and you will find that most of these solutions that are advertised in the infomercials that promise such startling results include dietary recommendations and it is by applying those changes to your eating habits that has the most influence on your body shape rather than the exercise equipment.

That Four Letter Word to bring about RAPID Weight Loss

2009-12-25T05:51:00.000-08:00

That four letter word 'diet' brings about all sorts of different emotions in people and more often than not those emotions tend to be negative. To most people a diet is a struggle. It is something that they would rather not have to do. People only do on diets because they know that they have to do something about their and their health. It is a choice made out of necessity.

As soon as you believe you are on a diet you also become aware of the fact that you are going to get off it again and what do you expect will happen when you get off the diet that is helping you to get in shape?

For most people getting off a diet means reverting back to their former lifestyle and that is the lifestyle that got them over in the first place.

What you really should be doing is not dieting but making lifestyle changes because lifestyle changes are something that you can continue with forever. If you make lifestyle changes that result in healthy body then you will maintain that body for as long as you maintain that lifestyle. It is not something that you will get off at the end of achieving a result. A lifestyle is a way that you intend to live for the long-term and that is how you will remain in good shape for the long-term.

How often do you hear people saying that they are on a diet? And the next minute they are no longer on the diet.

What they should be saying is; I have made lifestyle changes and the result of those changes have been a reduction in body fat, an increase on my energy levels and an overall improvement in health.
That is what lifestyle changes can do for you and it is something that short-term diets rarely achieve.

Organize Your Life To Help With Rapid Weight Loss

2009-12-18T05:49:00.000-08:00

A disorganized person is always rushing and a person who is always rushing will tend to eat too fast. A person who eats too fast will tend to eat too much and a person who eats too much will tend to get fat.

Mess causes distress and that in turn causes people to eat too much. Are you beginning to see the picture of how having a well organized life will help you to maintain a more balanced and healthy body?

Many people resort to eating in the effort to handle stress and being disorganized is a surefire way of increasing levels of stress in your life.

Being organized will also ensure that you have the right food in your house and you don't have to resort to low quality foods that you keep as a backup for those times when you run out of the nutritious food that you should be eating.

Being organized will also help you to eat at regular times throughout the day and by being regular with your eating it will help you to maintain more consistent blood sugar levels that will reduce the chance of you getting into low blood sugar and over eating to compensate.

By planning ahead with your meals you can plan to have better meals and you won't need to resort to fast foods because you haven't got any other food organized by the time you're ready to eat.

By being organized and having a shopping list where you have determined in advance the right foods for your diet you will be less likely to buy food that you shouldn't be buying when you go to the supermarket.

Organization is one of the keys to success in following any rapid weight loss program. It also helps to reduce the amount of time that you have to think about food and think about losing and when that doesn't become such a big focus in your life you are more likely to succeed.

Some Digital Camera Sites that might be of interest

2009-12-14T04:19:00.001-08:00

When looking at digital cameras there are a number of factors to take into account. One of these is what are you intending to use the camera for?

If you are a professional then you shold be looking at Leica Camera's possibly the R9. If you are going for the medium format then there is the king of all cameras - Hasselblad (The camera that went to the moon and most of it was left behind), You could also concider Mamiya in the medium format range.

In the Digital SLR market you have the traditional names, Pentax, Nikon, Olympus and Canon all with multiple lens options. You also have the Sony range that share the same lenses as the range from Konica/Minolta camera's

A brand that has made the transition from instant print to Digital is Polaroid. There are a number of TV manufactures that manufacture digital camera, as it is a transfer of digital technology the results are excellent . these include Samsung, Panasonic and GE Camera.

Other manufactures have come to the technology a different route - Fujifilm and Kodak have a long history in photography mostly on the film side but have made the leap to digital photography. Vivtar have been know for their lenses but also manufacture cameras. Casio, Holga and Argus are also know for their compact digital cameras while Concord and Norcent while not as well know also provide digital camera's.

You can also use a number of the latest digital camera for underwater photography

--
Best regards

Nick Johnson

Http://www.thegoldenfuture.com

YOU CAN GET THE BODY YOU WANT

TAGS:Weigh, waight , wieght. Weigth, weigt, rapid weight loss, loose weight,
weightloss, abdominal fat, belly fat

Slow Down Your Eating for rapid weight loss

2009-12-04T05:46:00.000-08:00

You might be surprised to learn that simply slowing down the rate that you eat your food at can have a profound affect on your body .

The longer it takes you to eat your food, the less food you will need to eat to feel satisfied.
There are some simple techniques that can get you out of a bad habit of eating too fast and consequently eating too much.

Try to chew your food a little longer before you swallow it as this will help with the digestion of the food and the extra time that it takes you to chew will also help you to feel more satisfied without having to have such a large quantity.

Don't load up your fork or spoon with more food until you have finished eating the food that is already in your mouth. One simple way of doing this is to actually put down your fork or spoon until you ready to pick up the next piece of food to eat.

It breaks the habit of over eating from eating too fast. If you look at the way that French people in particular eat as a whole, you should notice that not only do they have smaller portions of food but they take a lot longer to eat their food. They are doing two things that help them to stay slim. Eating smaller amounts and taking longer to eat those smaller amounts.

You will find that once you start eating a little slower you will actually get to enjoy the food a lot more. You will have more time to savor the tastes in the food.

It takes a little while after eating food for your body to register the fact that it has had enough and many people overeat when they eat too fast simply because they believe they are still hungry. You should never eat until you are full; rather eat until you feel comfortable that you have had enough.

You Don't Have To Eat It All for rapid weight loss

2009-11-27T05:48:00.000-08:00

Many of us are brought up from childhood where we have been told they we are not allowed to leave the table until we finished all the food on our plate. While this was done generally with the best intentions in mind it is not the way that we should look at eating. You don't need to eat everything that is on your plate.

If you've had enough to eat you should stop whether there is more food available or not. You shouldn't need to get rid of food as these days it is no longer necessary to be concerned with keeping the food fresh as it was in the past. Stop eating and put that excess food into the refrigerator where you can eat it tomorrow.

If you are constantly finding there is additional food left when you are satisfied then you need to reduce the quantities that you are cooking or making available for your meals each day.

It is better to have a little less than too much.

Don't feel obliged to eat all the food that is placed before you when you're eating out. Even then you should only eat to feel comfortable and not feel full.

For most people it is a habit to eat everything that is on their plate and this belief has been drummed into them from childhood. Now is a good time to reverse that train of thought.

Where possible put the food on your plate that you intend to eat at any particular meal and then take that plate with the food to the table. This will encourage you to put limits on the amount of food that you will eat. Having additional food available at the table only encourages you to eat more. If it is not in sight you are less likely to feel the need to eat it.

Reward Yourself for your Rapid Weight Loss

2009-11-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

You should reward yourself as you achieve goals along the way when following a rapid weight loss program. It will give you the incentive to carry on and make you feel good about your body.

I am not suggesting that you reward yourself with a whole lot of bad food but rather something more effective such as a new piece of clothing in the smaller size that marks a stage in your -loss program where you have made another positive achievement.

It is important that you reward yourself and feel good about what you have done because the better you feel about yourself the more likely you will be to continue with the program you have chosen.

For many people it is a lack of self worth that caused them to start gaining in the first place so a reversal of this mindset can be a very powerful stimulant for getting back into shape.

It is more important that you feel good about yourself rather than being concerned what others think. By rewarding yourself in one way or another you are taking your self worth to a higher level and that is extremely important to your success not only with your reduction but every other aspect of your life.

Each time you get closer to your optimum body you are benefiting as a whole with improved health and well-being and these rewards that you give yourself along the way are significant reminders of what you have achieved and they are very powerful incentives for bigger and better things.

Never underestimate the impact that this can have on your ability to succeed with a whole new direction in life starting from the inside out.

It doesn't even need to be something that you have to spend money on even just taking time out for a while and considering what you have achieved and congratulating yourself with what you have done.

Changing Your Routine

2009-11-13T05:41:00.000-08:00

Quite often one of the best ways for most people to get started on a -loss program is to simply change the routine that they are accustomed to.

We get into the same habits of eating the same foods and doing the same things every day and the change alone can stimulate the body into action.

There is no better way to break a habit than to do something completely different and if you do it for long enough that will become the norm and changes in your lifestyle can be made within the course of a month if you habitually do the same thing every day - just make sure that that things that you do every day are making positive steps to achieving a better quality of health and lower body fat.

Most people who are over have some habit or habits that have resulted in their condition because it takes the constant over abuse of food and alcohol to get in such a state unless there are some other specific health-related problems.

If you make a concerted effort to change many of your normal routines you might find that these habits present themselves and you can begin to understand why you started putting on in the first place. If you know the reason for your condition that makes it a lot easier to reverse that state and get to where you want to be.

No matter how many rapid weight loss programs you attempt to go on they will always be a struggle if you can't resolve the underlying issues and the habits that have caused you to neglect your health to such an extent that you don't feel happy about your body.

Quite often the foods that we believe we can't do without are only needed due to the habit of always having had them. If you were brought up in a different household where your diet was different then those would be the foods that you would want to eat even if the diet was completely different from the one you currently enjoy.