How to Start a Greeting Cards Home Business

Do you like to create pictures and designs, or writing? Do you love to look at the greeting cards in your local stores? Then a greeting cards home business could be for you. This is a business with incredible growth, and income potential. It also gives the greeting card home based business owner several options in the business itself.

A greeting card home business opportunity can have you doing only one part, such as drawing or writing. This same business can be selling e-cards or cards sold in stores. It could also entail purchasing a territory from a larger card distributor.

The first step in how to start a greeting card company is to decide what part of the greeting card business you want to focus on. As a freelance greeting card artist, you would focus only on designing cards for other companies. There are costs associated with this option and could include the purchase of a computer and graphic art software if you don't already have these items.

If you decide to be a freelance greeting card writer, your home based greeting card business would focus on only writing the phrases to be used on greeting cards. For this, you only need a computer and quick turn around time.

Of course, you can always freelance as both a writer and artist. To get jobs you must contact companies to see if they are in need of freelancers. They pay from $50 an assignment to several hundred dollars per assignment. However, until you build up a portfolio of samples, and sometimes even after, jobs can be hard to find.

Another option is to purchase a vending route from a larger greeting card company. This route becomes your way of starting a greeting card company. You are required to keep current clients stocked in cards, replace old cards with new ones and get new clients to build your income. You have start up costs that can run from several hundred to several thousand dollars in inventory. However, when you take the cards to the clients, you receive your payments right then.

If you want to start your own line of cards, your greeting card business plan would focus on all aspects of greeting card businesses. You will design and write each greeting card inside and out. Your creative freedom would not be hindered by someone telling you what they want. You would make all the decisions and it would truly be your greeting cards business.

Being a greeting cards home business owner would make the internet your best marketing tool. You wouldn't be able to compete with larger greeting card companies, so you will want to create a special niche for your cards on the web and in small local stores.

This option requires research before beginning the creation of cards for your greeting cards home business. You will need to price printing services and software. Once you have these ready, you can being creating. Go ahead a start creating cards, but at the same time, think of a name for your greeting cards home business and create a website.

Websites are very easy to create, depending on the provider you decide on. Research domain name registries and web site providers. The more web pages and information you want to provide will influence the charge of the web site. A greeting cards home business web site should be able to be effective without many extras at first. The extras can come later.

Once your website is ready, put pictures of your cards and ordering information into it. If you create the web site yourself or pay someone else to do it, make sure the site is search engine optimized. This will bring more people to your greeting card web site and start selling your cards.

Since some people like to hold cards and feel their quality before purchasing, it may be best to have your greeting cards home business web site offer one free card, or one free sample package per household. This gets your cards on the market and helps drive customers to your web site. Also, consider creating a special "Thank You" card that you personalized by you for all inquiries and orders. This is another way to let people know the quality of your cards.

Have the cards printed as the orders come in to the web site. Offer personalized cards to increase sales. Make sure you have plenty of designs for each category. You want your greeting cards home business website to look full, but not cluttered.

You now know several of the options available to start your greeting cards home business. Now all you have to do is to decide which is the best option for you. This business can grow to be as large or as small as you want it.

? Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy currently has a website dealing with Reviews of Coffee Related Products such as coffee makers, espresso makers, coffee, k-cups, and more plus articles on coffee enemas and other coffee and health related topics. He also has a website of Reviews of Small Appliances such as ice cream makers, vacuum cleaners, mixers, irons, toasters, food processors, and many other appliances.

How to Choose the Best Treadmill for Your Lifestyle

When choosing a treadmill (or any piece of exercise equipment for that matter), there is a lot to consider. Many people tend to look at the price first, but you don't want to be a slave to a price.

When you're buying a car or house, you don't just look at the price; you consider durability and functionality (car) and location, schools, neighborhoods, etc. (house). You'll want to put the same effort in choosing your treadmill - it's just as important a decision. After all, your health is important to you, right?

Of course, first you'll need to think about several things before choosing a treadmill such as size, manual or motorized, how much use will it need to withstand, and maintenance issues.

If space is an issue, you may want to choose a model that folds for storage. There are several models that fold for storage these days.

If your treadmill is going to get lots of use from you and your whole family, obviously you'll want to invest more for a sturdier model. This means a heavier motor and more cushioning. Be sure to pay attention to construction also, which may be shoddy in the cheapest models.

Be sure to choose a treadmill with an adequate walking track (at least 48 inches long and 17 inches wide). And if you're going to be running, you'll need a longer track. And for comfort, select a treadmill that has a deck thickness of at least 3/4-inch or 1-inch if you plan to run as well as walk.

If you're choosing a motorized treadmill, you'll definitely want to consider motor power. Generally, the larger and heavier the motor is, the cooler it will run and the longer it will last. But don't get burned - you should choose a reputable brand when considering motor power also. Reputable brands tend to use better quality parts than cheaper models that may have heavier motors. So be careful.

And you don't want to buy a treadmill that is going to cost a fortune to fix if something goes wrong - so check out the owner's manual before buying to make sure that parts are easily replaced and not too expensive.

Okay, after you've evaluated what you want and need in your treadmill, you can consider cost. Treadmills can start at about $400 (el cheapo models) and run up to around $4,000 (top of the line luxury). Basically, you'll have to weigh the quality and features you require against what you're willing to spend to arrive at a treadmill purchase that you're satisfied with and will enjoy for a time to come.

For more information and reviews on treadmills, you should visit our Treadmill Information site. You'll discover what it takes to lose weight and keep it off for good with access to a treasure trove of weight loss tips, articles, ebooks and more.

You may include this article on your site or in your ezine as long as the article and publishing information remains intact.

How Do Contact Lenses Work?

Contact lenses rest on your cornea atop a constant supply of tears. The contacts are also held in place by pressure exerted from the eyelids. When you blink the pressure from the eyelids cause the contacts to move slightly and glide over your cornea. This allows the tears underneath to gently flush out trash or debris that may have accumulated in your eye.

This is just how the contact stays on the eye and is able to provide a way to correct vision. The way the vision is corrected is a different story altogether.

Contact lenses are prescribed to a wide variety of individuals who have vision problems associated with astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness, and presbyopia. The retinas of individuals who suffer from these conditions cannot properly focus light. When the retina does not function properly and/or does not properly focus light then the result is imperfect and blurry vision.

Contact lenses are made differently depending on the eye condition they are trying to correct. For instance, if you suffer from astigmatism your optometrist will measure your cornea so a contact can be made precisely to fit your eye. By doing this a contact is made that will fit your eye perfectly and direct light rays to one place on the cornea, which in turn corrects your vision.

Those suffering from myopia, also known as nearsightedness, will wear lenses that are thinner in the middle and thicker on the edges. This design allows the light rays to be processed correctly by the retina.

Farsightedness sufferers are prescribed just the opposite contact lens, but with the same end result. They allow the retina to process light correctly as well, resulting in corrected vision for the wearer.

All contact lenses use the basic technology to correct vision for the wearer. They redirect light to the retina so it is processed correctly. The only difference is contacts are made differently to treat different eye problems.

Maria Gonzalez is webmaster of Contact Vision, a site dedicated to bringing you up to date information on vision related topics.

See our website for more great articles on contact lenses

Spyware, What it is, What it Does, and How to Stop it

Spyware is software that runs on a personal computer without the knowledge or consent of the owner of that computer. The Spyware then collects personal information about the user or users of the infected computer. The personal information collected is usually the name of the user; the users email address, Websites visited, online shopping habits, as well as various other information about the user.

Spyware is also sometimes known as Scumware, and Adware. Although Adware is slightly different in that the makers claim that the users are aware that they are collecting information about the user. Sometimes this is true, other times it is not. Many times these terms are used interchangeably because many feel that they present the same problems. This however goes to the definition of what Spyware is, making it sometimes difficult to combat from a legal standpoint. This is generally due to how Adware works in that the user downloads a program that they feel is useful for some reason and, that program also collects user information as described above. Although the government is currently taking steps to protect users from these programs it is a slow process because of the current definitions.

Once this information is collected, the Spyware then can send your personal information to advertisers that will then send you targeted advertisements through annoying popups, and spam in your email. They can also hijack your web browser and redirect you to a page that they want you to see with their advertising targeted to you through your personal information. This redirecting is sophisticated enough to notice what you are attempting to purchase on one site and can redirect you to another site with the same or similar products so that you make the purchase through them.

In addition to the problems of "stealing" your personal information, Spyware runs in the background on your computer using up valuable system resources. This is a major cause of your PC "running slow."

The statistics are 9 of 10 computers connected to the internet are infected with some type of Spyware. This could probably be taken a step further to say all PC's connected to the internet are infected with some type of Spyware. The reason for this is because all of the best Anti-Spyware software on the market today can only stop software that it knows or recognizes as Spyware. These Spyware killers work in a way similar to Anti-Virus software and need to be updated on a regular basis to be effective.

Spyware is also a large cause of popups occurring on your computer as well. Popups are messages that "pop up" onto your computer screen generally through your internet browser. These popups can be reduced and at times stopped completely by using a web browser other than IE (Internet Explorer) such as Firefox by Mozilla.org and Opera located at:

http://www.mozilla.org/

http://opera.com/

Both are adept at stopping popups from occurring. If you choose to use one of these browsers be sure to periodically check for updates to get the best protection available.

One of the ways to defend against Spyware is to use a third party firewall. Although the current version of Windows XP comes with a firewall it is not effective at stopping Spyware as of this writing. Third party firewalls can block unwanted traffic from passing to and from the internet to your computer. Some of the better third party firewalls listed below are:

• Kerio Personal Firewall

• ZoneAlarm Firewall

• Sygate Firewall

Kerio Personal Firewall can be downloaded from its Website at the following URL:

http://www.kerio.com/us/kpf_download.html

Although they have a limited free version it does not provide the same level of protection as the paid version does. I would recommend the paid version of their firewall at $45.00. Next there is ZoneAlarm which is perhaps one of the more recognized firewall around. You can get the free version for non business users at the following URL:

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/

znalm/freeDownload.jsp

business users can get the paid version here
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp

Sygate also has a good firewall that is available for $39.95 available at the URL:

http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_pro.htm

Firewalls are effective at stopping many Spyware programs as well as other potential problems but they are not a cure all. To be more effective you will want to use Anti-Spyware software along with your firewall.

Some of the top Anti-Spyware programs are Webroot Spy Sweeper which you can buy for $29.95 and Spyware Doctor also $29.95, Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition which is free. Also free is Spybot Search and Destroy. All are good and considered some of the best at Spyware detection and removal. All four of these programs can be downloaded at download.com at URL:

http://www.download.com/spyware-center/2001-2023_4-0.html

You can also use the above URL for additional information about Spyware.

Also available now is the Microsoft beta version of its Spyware blocker.

Unfortunately there are also some very unscrupulous people out there who will purposefully cause your computer problems if you use their software. This software will often "miss" or "overlook" some Spyware leaving it unsuspectingly on your computer. Worse yet, some of these supposed Anti-Spyware programs will actually place Spyware onto your computer as well. Some of these programs are Spyblaster, Spyware Assasin, as well as many others. The best way to check to see if you are using an Anti-Spyware program that fits into this category is to visit The following URL:

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm

If you are using any of the programs in this listing you should remove it immediately and use one of the known good programs such as the ones I listed above to check your computer.

You can also keep up to date and learn more about the on going threat of Spyware by visiting the following websites.

http://www.ftc.gov/infosecurity/

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/spyware

[http://spywareinfo.com/]

http://spywarewarrior.com/

Copyright © Keith Erwood, 2005 All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Keith Erwood, is an author, and head consultant and owner of Dyanmic Network Technologies a computer consulting and services business located in New York City.

Visit us at Dynamic Network Technologies

Learn How To Be A Successful eBay Seller

Anyone can sell anything on eBay. Open an account, list your product, and wait for the bids to start coming in. While it is true that anyone can sell, to be successful, you need to know the inside secrets.

One woman made over $250,000 last year on items sold on eBay. She is just one out of thousands and thousands of people that make a ton of money just selling merchandise.

Are you ready to learn how to be an eBay seller? You will find it to be easy, fun, and exciting. Here are some of the things that you need to know to get started.

Just eBay

Although there are several other quality auction websites, eBay is by far the most popular and most successful. Although you could start using all the other sites, by spreading yourself out too thin you take the risk of getting things mixed up. In reality, it is better to use eBay and focus your attention and efforts on this one site. You will not be disappointed.

Look Around

Navigate through each section to familiarize yourself with all the different pages. You will find a site map and help tab, which are very useful tools. It will take a little time to get used to the site but start by looking. As you start selling, navigating will become much easier.

Terms & Conditions

You will run into all types of buyers that try to move past the terms and conditions provided by eBay. Know the Terms & Conditions inside and out and if you have problems, contact eBay immediately. A few examples of the insider secrets are listed below:

* Bid Shielding - Two buyers work together. One person bids high to protect a low bid place by the other person. Right before the auction closes, the high bidder cancels, meaning the low bidder gets your items for a huge bargain.

* Bid Shilling - This is where the seller actually uses a separate ID set up to inflate the number and price of the bid.

* Deadbeat Bidder - The deadbeat bidder bids on your auction and then simply fails to pay.

* Sniping - A "sniper" is a bidder that waits until there are only minutes or seconds left on an item and then quickly bids just a little higher to get the items. Although not against the T&C's, it is considered unprofessional and limits competing bidders from driving a high price.

Excluded Items

Although eBay accepts just about every type of item, there are a few exclusions such as explosions, corrosive material, etc. Before you go through the entire process of listing your items, make sure you are not listing something forbidden by checking out the do's and don'ts listed on eBay.

Competitor Analysis

Just like any other business, you need to know what your competitors are doing. This will help you make the best possible decision when it comes to your own auction. Before listing your items, do a search for the same type items to see what their descriptions looks like. Find different aspects from different sellers and use them to form one comprehensive site for yourself.

Community Boards

Pay attention to the community boards provided by eBay. They offer valuable information and helpful tips that can ultimately save you time and effort.

Category Guide

Use eBay's Category Guide, which is a helpful tool to ensure you place your auction items in the appropriate category.

When to List

The time of day you list your auction is important. The start time will be the same as the end time, which is why it is so important. If you want your auction to end at 10:00 p.m. on a Sunday night, you need to have the auction start at 10:00 p.m. For this reason, be sure to set the start time accordingly.

Do your Homework

In addition to researching what other people are selling similar items for, you need to conduct your own research outside of eBay as well to determine the going rate for your items. As an example, if you are selling artwork, jewelry, or collectibles, you need to state in your description the going price. Although you may or may not get that price from the buyer, it shows buyers that you have done your homework and will stand a little more firm in your price. It also tells buyers that they are getting quality for a good price.

When it comes to selling on eBay, the door of opportunity stands wide open. Opportunity is what you decide to make of it. As mentioned in the beginning, people literally buy and sell just about everything on eBay. For this reason, do not think that items you have would not be of interest to anyone because more than likely, they will be.

Lewis Leake helps people make money from home. His website at GrowNetProfits.com [http://www.grownetprofits.com] contains tools, resources, articles, newsletters, product reviews and traffic builders to help you make money from your home based business. Click here to Find Out What You Need To Know To Be An eBay Seller [http://www.grownetprofits.com/ebay-seller/].

How to Increase Alexa Ranking of Your Website

Alexa toolbar also useful to Browse expired websites database. Many times when we visit any website we got error message that website is not available. We have to simply click The Wayback Machine button on Alexa toolbar and we can see the old data of that website.

How to Increase Alexa Ranking of your website?

Alexa Toolbar using millions of users. Alexa Gives Ranking by Analysing the web usage of millions of Alexa Toolbar Users. Alexa Sorting Millions of websites thru Alexa Toolbar and giving numerical rank for each website browsed by Alexa Toolbar.

First Step of increasing your websites Alexa Rank is Download Alexa Toolbar and start browsing your website regularly.

When you completed downloading of Alexa Toolbar, then you can see your websites Alexa Rank on Alexa Toolbar. May be if you dont have Alexa Rank it will Display "No Data" rank. Dont worry after couple of days your website will get Alexa Rank in number.

Keep browsing thru Alexa Toolbar within couple of months period your website will get good Alexa Ranking. Suggest & encourage your friends, relatives, your Company employees to download Alexa Toolbar in their computers. You will see the miracle your compnay websites will get very nice alexa rank.

You can download Alexa Toolbar here also. please click following link to download alexa Toolbar. forward this link to your friends, employees and many others alo.

http://download.alexa.com/index.cgi?amzn_id=ahirebros

Yogesh Ahire

eMarketing consultant from India

URL: http://www.e-Gurukul.com, [http://www.e-Guru.org]

How to Build a Waterfall For Your Garden Pond

Building a waterfall is easier than you think and will add a new dimension to your pool.

When building a waterfall, as with any garden project, you must first consider the design and make a plan. The biggest mistake that people make when planning a pond waterfall is to err on the large side. For a pond measuring 12 ft x 14 ft you should think in terms of a fall of 18-24 inches. The width of the waterfall should be in proportion to the size of your pond. The important point is to make sure that the scale of your construction fits in with the surrounding features and does not spoil the balance of your overall garden design.

The next question that has to be answered is the type of construction you wish to use. There are two basic choices. You can either use a liner and place rocks to form the fall or you can save yourself the trouble and buy a fibreglass unit. Either way you will still have to use your shovel to form the site of the waterfall.

The other requirement is a pump which will be sited in the pool to transport the water to the top of your waterfall. The size of pump that you will need depends on the height and width of the waterfall and also the length of pipe from the pump to the top of the fall. Once you have finalised your plans, consult your

dealer and he will be able to supply you with the correct pump.

To maintain a healthy pond environment with crystal clear water usually involves installing a biological filter. Again your dealer will be able to advise you as to the correct type and size. The filter should be placed at the top of the waterfall so that the water is cleaned before issuing out on to the fall.

Once you have assembled all the equipment it is time to get out your shovel. If your site is level and the soil from excavation of your pond is nearby this can be used as the mound on which to place the waterfall. If you are using a liner you first dig out the channel and then fit the liner. Next place the rocks so that the water can flow over them. It is helpful if you observe a natural waterfall to give you some ideas as to how the rocks can be placed for the greatest effect. Once you are satisfied with the arrangement, use black waterfall foam to seal the rocks to ensure that the water flows over and around them and not underneath. If you have chosen to use a fibreglass preformed model, you will avoid the problem of placing the rocks and will just have to dig out sufficient soil to allow you to fit the unit.

To complete the installation fit the pump, filter and hose and connect to the electricity supply. Providing all is working to your satisfaction, now is the time to relax and enjoy your handiwork.

If you have read this far and are wondering whether it would be just too much like hard work, then consider this. Water soothes and relaxes, inspires reflection, and is a source of beauty. A cascading, bubbling stream adds interest and serenity to the garden, while a waterfall can create a dramatic centerpiece. Building a pond waterfall really is worth the effort.

Hugh Harris-Evans is the owner of The Garden Supplies Advisor where you will find further articles, gardening tips and product reviews.

How To Earn Money Without A Website

I will tell you right here and now you do not need to have a website to be successful in internet marketing.

There are some essential tools you will need, but a website needn't be one of them.

Ok, a website is useful, even more so if you sell your own products. But if you are an affiliate salesperson, you don't need your own site.

For affiliate marketing, there is in truth only one tool you need and that is an autoresponder. You need a great autoresponder that will allow you broadcast messages to the contact list that you will build. I have found that the free autoresponder programs will not let you do this, so you need to invest about $15 per month in a good autoresponder. Believe me this will be one of the best investments you ever make in your online business. And, since autoresponder programs are affiliate programs themselves, you can promote your autoresponder program and sooner or later have it pay for itself.

This is a straightforward marketing system that will promote your

affiliate program without your own website:

1. The marketing system is to establish yourself as an expert on the products you are promoting. You wil do this by creating content: first, by posting in related content forums and submitting articles to article directories, secondly, by starting your own ezine or newsletter, and thirdly, by personally contacting ezine owners and offering your article for publication in their ezine. For a free list of article directories I submit to, send a blank email to mailto:directories@homebasedbusinesstraining.com

2. You MUST promote your affiliate product or program in the resource box at the end of your article. Write a brief description of who you are, what you do, and how readers can learn more. For more detail, see my resource box at the end of this article.

3. The secret to promoting your affiliate product is to promote it via your autoresponder. Since you have written an article about what you are selling, you will have the prospect looking for more information. If you wrote an article on dog training, write something like, "For more free tips on training your dog, send a blank email to info@yourautoresponderaddress.com"

4. In your autoresponder, write a series of short emails with a few tips in each email and most importantly a sentence that refers your readers to your sales product or affiliate program.

5. So, Not only have you been promoted your product for a very

very low cost, the cost of your autoresponder, but you have been collecting names that you can offer more related products to again and again. The names also become your list for your newsletter and joint marketing ventures with other marketers.

6. Try to write a brand new article every week or at least every 2 weeks, and continue sending it to your list and article directories, and continue posting in forums. In no time you will have a nice list built. And this is all without your own website!

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as the byline is included and the article is included in it's entirety. I also ask that you activate any html links found in the article and in the byline. Please send a courtesy link or email where you publish to: support@lucygreen.com

Edward Green is the owner and operator of a successful online business. Ed has over 15 years in corporate business operations which include guerrilla marketing skills, customer service and Professional networking capabilities. http://www.lucygreen.com

Choose Your Best LCD TV Today

In today's world, there are a very few people who do not have a LCD TV. A LCD, or liquid crystal display, television is one that displays clearer and brighter picture than any other type of television and they are by far the most popular style of television worldwide.

In these televisions, light passes through a panel of liquid crystals. They either produce an image directly on a flat panel television or it is projected onto a large screen. These televisions tend to be very lightweight and provide the viewers with astounding picture quality. The only drawback in the LCD TV is that it tends not to be as bright as other styles of televisions.

Choosing a LCD TV

If you are planning to buy a LCD TV and would like to settle for the best LCD TV, then there are a few things you need to know. First you need to consider the contrast and black levels. This basically refers to, how well the television displays black color and how good the contrast is.

LCD display utilizes electric charges to twist and untwist liquid crystals which cause them to block light and therefore emit blacks. Note that LCD's use maximum power while displaying a very dark or black image. So the best LCD TV would be the one that displays blacks as clear as possible.

Also when you are on the hunt for the best LCD TV you need to think about color accuracy. The LCD TVs reproduce colors by manipulating light waves and subtracting colors and white light. Most LCD televisions manage to do this quite well but there are a few in which the color is noticeably darker than others. In order to find the best LCD TV, you will want to take your own time in order to determine which particular models offer the most in this regards.

Yet another factor that one needs to be taken into consideration while looking for the best LCD TV is the computer feature availability. LCD flat screens display static images from computer or VGA sources extremely well and with full color detail. LCD monitors are also very good at displaying large amounts of data, which explains why LCD TVs are so ideal for video gaming.

Finally, with a bit of your valuable time and a lot of patience, you can find the best TV and then make your decision in buying one.

Choose your best LCD TV today

In today's world, there are a very few people who do not have a LCD TV. A LCD, or liquid crystal display, television is one that displays clearer and brighter picture than any other type of television and they are by far the most popular style of television worldwide.

In these televisions, light passes through a panel of liquid crystals. They either produce an image directly on a flat panel television or it is projected onto a large screen. These televisions tend to be very lightweight and provide the viewers with astounding picture quality. The only drawback in the LCD TV is that it tends not to be as bright as other styles of televisions.

Choosing a LCD TV

If you are planning to buy a LCD TV and would like to settle for the best LCD TV, then there are a few things you need to know. First you need to consider the contrast and black levels. This basically refers to, how well the television displays black color and how good the contrast is.

LCD display utilizes electric charges to twist and untwist liquid crystals which cause them to block light and therefore emit blacks. Note that LCD's use maximum power while displaying a very dark or black image. So the best LCD TV would be the one that displays blacks as clear as possible.

Also when you are on the hunt for the best TV you need to think about color accuracy. The LCD TVs reproduce colors by manipulating light waves and subtracting colors and white light. Most LCD televisions manage to do this quite well but there are a few in which the color is noticeably darker than others. In order to find the best LCD TV, you will want to take your own time in order to determine which particular models offer the most in this regards.

Yet another factor that one needs to be taken into consideration while looking for the best TV is the computer feature availability. LCD flat screens display static images from computer or VGA sources extremely well and with full color detail. LCD monitors are also very good at displaying large amounts of data, which explains why LCD TVs are so ideal for video gaming.

Finally, with a bit of your valuable time and a lot of patience, you can find the best LCD TV and then make your decision in buying one.

Find the best info on Best LCD TV and even LCD flat screens.

A Plasma HDTV or an LCD TV Set - Which is Better?

Though both LCD and plasma displays come in the form of slim flat panel displays, yet from a technology perspective, these two flat panel displays process the image in a totally different manner.

Plasma uses a matrix of tiny gas plasma cells that are charged by precise electrical voltages to emit light and hence to create the picture image. Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) panels - work by trapping a liquid crystal solution between two sheets of polarized glass. When an electric current is passed through the liquid crystals, they change the polarization of the light passing through them in response to the electric voltage - as a result of which, more or less light is able to pass through the polarized glass on the face of the display.

It is not the scope of this article to go into the actual details of how these different display technologies process the image - after all, what really matters is not what is going behind the screen but rather how these different display technologies perform as a television screen. At the same time, it is worth taking note that it is these same differences that give each of these display technologies, its strengths and weaknesses, and that therefore render one more suitable than the other in certain circumstances.

The list below highlights the most important differences between these two flat panel display technologies:

Size: For the time being, collision between plasma television and LCD TV occur in the 40 to 50 inch screen range. In reality, most LCD TVs top out at around 50 inch; larger screen sizes are also available though choice is still very much limited. This means that for anything larger than 50-inch, a plasma display is your only real option if what you are after is a direct-view TV system. On the other hand, at the smaller end of spectrum, namely 15" to 36" TVs, LCD is the way to go if what you want is something stylish and slim (at under 4-inches in depth).

Price: Here, the playing field is leveling at a fast rate. Up to very recent, plasma was the obvious choice for all screen sizes where collision between these two technologies occurs; this is no longer the case. In general, plasma still leads by a good margin only at the bigger screen sizes - 50-inch and upwards. At the smaller end (up to 44-inch), the price advantage when it comes to plasma vs LCD TV sets, starts to shift more towards LCD TVs.

Overall Picture Performance: Both plasma and the latest TFT-LCD flat panel displays are capable of producing excellent picture quality - with bright, crisp clear images. However, plasma flat panel displays are more suitable for basic home theater usage than LCD. The gas cell structure within a plasma display is such that there is no light leaking between adjacent cells (or pixels). This renders plasma displays capable of displaying deeper blacks - hence more suited to television and movie scenes where lots of dark and light content is shown simultaneously.

In comparison, the nature of LCD technology - where a backlight shines through the LCD layer - means that it is hard for it to achieve true blacks (i.e. true absence of light) as there is always some light leakage from adjacent pixels.

This does not mean that LCD panel s are not suitable as TV screens; today's LCD TV sets make use of extreme high contrast panels that are capable of displaying very deep blacks, yet the latest plasma TV sets still have a slight edge.

Viewing-angle: What used to be a clear advantage for plasma displays is becoming more and more a non-issue especially with the latest generation of LCD televisions, however...

Do not always assume that viewing angle is no longer an issue when comparing plasma vs lcd TVs. The tendency - in particular with the cheaper LCD TV sets - is that the deterioration in picture quality with off-axis viewing is more accentuated with LCD than with plasma displays.

Image Retention and Burn-in: LCD TVs enjoys a technological advantage; they are not prone to burn-in, and image retention in LCD TVs - referred to as 'image sticking', is often completely reversible.

It is important to realize here that while burn-in in plasma displays and image sticking in LCD panels both lead to image retention, yet these are two completely different phenomena.

Burn-in is no longer much of a concern as it used to be with plasma televisions up to the recent past, especially for people with normal TV viewing requirements. Similarly, image sticking with LCD TVs is unlikely to take place under normal home entertainment use.

Viewing Distance: It seems that the pixel size and shape of an LCD panel renders a smoother picture than an equivalently sized plasma panel for the same pixel count.

This means that even if your viewing distance falls within the recommended distance of approximately twice the screen width for an HDTV, if this is less than at least nine feet, most probably you will be better off with an LCD TV.

Life-time: This is a non-issue with either technology. In fact, both plasma and LCD TV sets come with a quoted half-lifetime of around 60,000hrs. Even if this were just 30,000hrs, it would imply more than 14 years of use at 6 hours a day. And this when the average household in the US replaces the TV set every 7 years!

In other words, both plasma and LCD TV sets make use of extremely stable and reliable display technologies. As such, lifetime is more dependent upon manufacturer quality rather than upon display technology.

Response: Plasma TV sets carry an advantage here because even though LCD technology has improved to the extent that this is becoming less of an issue, yet LCD has still some way to go to achieve the same level of pixel response times as phosphor based displays.

Power Requirements: The advantage here goes to LCD panels as these consume less electricity. Estimates show that the use of LCD panels can result in some 30% power savings for the same screen size than plasma display.

Making the Choice

There is a market for both plasma and LCD displays - Plasma gives you a bigger screen for your dollar, deeper blacks, but then LCD do not suffer from burn-in and at the smaller end of the market (less than 40-inch screen size), LCD is your only way forward if you want something slim and stylish.

It is all a question of knowing what are the advantages and limitations of each with respect to your specific needs.

This article is an excerpt from a series of informative guides appearing on Practical-Home-Theater-Guide.COM under the Plasma and LCD TV sections of the site.

It covers only the very basics when it comes to compare plasma vs LCD TVs. There are a lot more considerations one has to take into account when selecting the display technology for a flat screen TV.

To find out more, please refer to the detailed guides appearing on the same site at http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/plasma-vs-lcd-TV.html.

Last updated on 10th May 2007. Copyright (c) 2004/2007 http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com. All rights reserved.

Andrew Ghigo ? A Telecoms/Electronics engineer by profession, with specialization in digital switching and telecoms fraud management systems; a keen home theater enthusiast, with a lifelong interest in home electronics and a devoted audiophile for the last 25-yrs.

Editor and publisher of http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com - a comprehensive home theater guide to home theater systems, product reviews and home theater design.

More informative guides on LCD TV sets appear under the LCD TV section of the site at http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/LCD-Tv.html.

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Memories of the Eighties - Fashions, Music, and More

Eighties style finds new converts

The '80s inspired clothing has been a big hit in 2009, with parents snapping up the brightly-colored individualistic fashions that make an eighties statement. The Washington Times even did an article about the return of '80s style in 2009. They recognized that the best known designers were 'playing an ode to the decade.'

Stonewashed jeans, jellies sandals, parachute pants, IZOD shirts, shoulder pads and neon colors were all a part of the era. Now, in the U.S. and Great Britain, kids with well-off parents are plucking down serious mulla for updated versions of all of these retro styles.

The acid-washed denim jacket, sequined sweaters, Members-only jackets, polo shirts, Swatch watches, leggings and penny loafers were all a part of the '80s and have all been adapted to the current generation.

The eighties had its own identity

Video games and music videos were both making their presence known in the eighties. Super Mario Brothers was a forerunner of many generations of video games. Some memorable moments came from music videos by Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Jennifer Beal. All were monumental videos. Can anyone forget Courtney Cox coming out of the audience to join Bruce on stage?

Most of what drove the music video craze in the '80s was the growing popularity of MTV. During the eighties, MTV was all about music videos. It changed music, outside of a live concert, from a purely audio experience to a visual experience as well.

The big screen was entertaining in the eighties also. Movie theaters were showing Ghostbusters, E.T., Nightmare on Elm Street, Naked Gun, The Breakfast Club and Dirty Dancing. Dirty Dancing was the only one of the six that made anyone at the time think about fashion.

In the eighties, New Wave meant something much different than changing the way you move your hand as you depart from other people. Music during the eighties was diverse and appealed to numerous subgroups of music fans. Cultural trends also included a distinct personality type referred to as a 'valley girl.' We discovered that Velcro was useful and large sharks should be avoided.

Eighties style technology

The Internet was still in its infancy in the eighties. Sure, we had computers, but their main purpose was to act as a word processor, run some relatively simple games and spreadsheets. 'Car phones' were gaining popularity. As a matter of fact, technology was gaining a new foothold and would never turn back.

Games like laser tag, garbage pail kids and Atari were popular. Fantasy Island and The Cosby Show were fun shows while Knight Rider, MacGyver and The A-team provided enough action for action fans. Saturday mornings meant the Smurfs and the Care Bears.

If you were in your teens or twenties during the eighties, you may have particularly fond memories of Flashdance, Up Where We Belong, We are the World or The Lady in Red. Music was all over the charts during the decade.

It's no wonder that baby and toddler clothing that celebrates this decade has been so popular. Adults have rediscovered the joys of eighties style as they reminisce about the unique music, movies and TV shows that were the eighties.

The Retro Baby was founded in 2004 and quickly gained an enthusiastic following. The TheRetroBaby.com website soon followed. We have built TheRetroBaby on the philosophy of customer satisfaction and original, unique products.

From our humble beginnings, and the expansion of our warehouse and shipping operation in south Florida, The RetroBaby developed our original offering of hip, trendy clothing for babies and toddlers. Our clothes hearken back to the days of Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and the Stones; clothes that you won't find on the baby next door. You can pay tribute to the greats of rock and roll and popular culture with our unique clothes.

Smells Like Teen Fashion - The Hottest Teen Idols and Their Celebrity Fashion Design Labels

You've got to love today's teen idols. They sing. They dance. They act. And they design clothes. They might not have two years of fashion school under their belts, but their legions of fans represent sizable buying power, so it's inevitable that these celebrities would lend their names to a label. However, even the most popular teen idols don't necessarily find success with their namesake brands. As with any fashion line, it takes a well-designed, marketable product to be a success. Let's take a look at ten of the most notable celebrity fashion lines by teen idols, some that have become wildly successful, and some that have fizzled.

Avril Lavigne. Lavigne's "Abbey Dawn" clothing line for Kohl's is one of the retailer's best-selling brands. Her signature pieces include skinny jeans, hoodies, and graphic tees. She even collaborated with Disney for an "Alice in Wonderland" inspired collection, demonstrating the strength of the Abbey Dawn line. One reason the singer's line is so successful is because she has always been known for her offbeat fashion as much as she has for her music.

Gwen Stefani. Unlike most celebrities who launch fashion labels, Stefani actually has roots in fashion design. She comes from a long line of seamstresses, and she created most of the outfits she wore on stage as No Doubt's lead singer. It's no wonder that with this expertise, her "L.A.M.B." line has become one of the most critically respected and financially successful celebrity brands in history, with sales of more than $90 million a year.

Miley Cyrus. She's already conquered the worlds of television, movies, and music, so the teen idol is out to rock the fashion design world as well. She's teamed with Max Azria of BCBG for the "Miley and Max" line for Walmart, a mix of boho chic and English rocker looks.

Justin Timberlake. Just as Timberlake transcended boy band teen idol status to become a global superstar, his clothing label "William Rast" has gone beyond being only a celebrity line of denim. It is now a high-end lifestyle brand encompassing leather jackets, outerwear, and tops for both men and women. The brand has become so successful, William Rast flagship stores have opened in Los Angeles and Santa Clara, California. Perhaps one reason William Rast has succeeded is that Timberlake hired actual fashion designers to develop the collection.

Lindsay Lohan. A stint as Artistic Advisor for Emanuel Ungaro resulted in a critically panned collection. Although she has parted ways with Ungaro, she continues with her own "6126" line. Originally just a line of leggings, 6126 now features dresses and bodysuits inspired by Marilyn Monroe.

Taylor Swift. The multi Grammy-winning teen queen partnered with clothing label LEI to create a line of $14 sundresses that were sold exclusively at Walmart. After one season, the line was no longer available at the store.

Mandy Moore. The once tween pop star and actress branched into fashion with her line "Mblem," a brand of contemporary knitwear and cashmere that sold in high-end boutiques and department stores. After three years, she pulled the plug on the line, saying she would get back into fashion when she found a partnership that reflected her ideas, which was not happening with Mblem.

Hilary Duff. The "Lizzy McGuire" star's first foray into fashion was her clothing line "Stuff by Hilary Duff," which was sold through Target. The company soon expanded its business to include furniture, fragrance and jewelry, but Duff eventually discontinued the line when she felt she did not have full creative control anymore. She then launched "Femme for DKNY" in a partnership with Donna Karan, which sold very well.

Lauren Conrad. After attending fashion college at FIDM and interning at Teen Vogue. the reality TV star developed "The Lauren Conrad Collection," which was carried at trendy boutiques like Kitson. Because of lackluster sales, however, the line was discontinued. Undaunted, she is now in Kohl's stores with the affordably priced "LC Lauren Conrad" line.

Ashley & Mary-Kate Olsen. The ultimate celebrity entrepreneurs, the Olsen Twins became fashion icons with their boho chic style, and are all over the fashion design landscape with several labels targeted to different markets. Besides a clothing line for Walmart, they've launched a couture label called "The Row," as well as a contemporary line called "Elizabeth and James," named after their siblings.

Teen idols come and go, and so do their fashion labels. But it looks like the trend of celebrity fashion designers are here to stay.

If you've dreamed of launching your own fashion label, an education at a fashion design school can help you towards your goal. Visit FIDM/ Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising for more info.

Paris Fashion Week - Who Says Paris Is Best In The Springtime?

You haven't lived until you've been to Paris in the winter -- during Fashion Week of course! It may be cold and rainy, but Paris is always beautiful, and buzzing with excitement at a myriad of fashion shows, expositions and parties that even us mere mortals of the public can attend. And, if you're lucky, you'll get to brush elbows with celebrities and fashion world icons who jet-set over from the prior Fashion Weeks in New York, London and Milan.

The Fall/Winter Paris Prêt-a-Porter Fashion Week is the most prominent trade event for the fashion industry, when Fall fashions are rolled-out as a season preview for the world's biggest retail buyers who're scrambling to place their orders for fashion, handbags, jewelry, shoes, hats and cosmetics. Unlike other large industry convention hall tradeshows, Fashion Week is orchestrated citywide at some of Paris' most prominent points of interest.

This year from February 25th to March 4th, top designers and fashion design students staged fashion extravaganzas ranging from the pinnacle of good taste to the surreal. Among the selected sites, were the Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Musée de l'Homme, le Champs-Elysee, le Tour Montparnasse, place du Trocadéro, Théâtre du Châtelet, and La Sorbonne.

Winter Paris Fashion Week 2007 took place February 26 through March 4, and featured everyone who's anyone in the designer world, including long-time Parisian favorites Chanel, Dior, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix and Givenchy.

Ah, the drama! Aside from the expected eccentric styles and surreal shows, more than a few eyebrows raised when an animal rights protestor stormed the catwalk nude in response to this year's apparent return to use of fur as a luxury material.

London designer Stella McCartney (daughter of Beatle Paul McCartney), then made headlines for her "fur-free" show, showcasing warm alternatives to fur, with models clad in taffetas, satins, knitwear and cashmere.

Emanuel Ungaro's Peter Dundas got everyone ready to hit the discos with his collection designed to celebrate night clubbing. Decked-out in plenty of bling and leather, the models strutted and slinked down the runway.

The most controversial show of the week had to be that of Viktor & Rolf. Dutch design partners Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, are renowned for elaborate, wildly-imaginative shows. This year, they invented awkward contraptions that the models had to balance delicately, which were fitted with lighting and music as a kind of "personal fashion show." The designs were somewhat gothic, reminding one of the movie Van Helsing. The poor models were also required to were stylized wooden clogs, which clip-clopped loudly as they paraded carefully down the runway.

Expectedly, there were WWII and ancient war themes in many of the fashion collections this year, incorporating tall boots, leather, fur, fatigue green, body armor, medallions and epaulettes. Even Jean Paul Gaultier revealed models wearing Scottish tartans with stylized Mohawks, as if going into battle.

Also during Fashion Week, the exclusive Paris boutique Colette, celebrated its 10th anniversary by inviting 10 art curators to spotlight a talent gallery-style on one of it's walls. It was a fabulous way to show off it's ultra-trendy collection of music CDs, shoes, handbags, branded water and accessories. The boutique is also renown for glamorous parties, art exhibits and dance classes, and definitely worth a visit when you're in Paris.

Speaking of accessories, Nokia decided to unveil its Nokia 7373 Special Edition fashion phones by designer Giambattista Valli at Fashion Week, at the "Dress-your-Nokia-in-Giambattista Valli" Party. For the label-conscious, this is a must-have phone. Each one comes pre-loaded with a "behind the scenes" video for a glimpse into the life and inspiration of the designer, along with a selection of Valli graphics and the exclusive ring-tone, "Rhodium."

Next year is sure to hold more fun and surprises. For sure, Paris in March is the place to be!

Mimi O'Connor is a contributing writer for Welcome2France a Paris corporate housing [http://www.welcome2france.com/short-term-corporate-apartment-in-paris.php] service.

Fashion Trends Followed by Hip Hop Celebrities

The lifestyle of the rich and famous personalities determines how much fashion trends they follow. Most of these celebrities get famous for their unique style of their own clothing line and accessories they wear. Apart from music and dance talent, they are considered as the all-around entertainment personality and an eventual fashion image at the same time. Hip Hop celebrity is a combination of fashion with a classy style, attitude and sophisticated music performer.

The fashion line they follow has a unique collection of ultra stylish accessories, shoes and clothing with exclusive patterns, radiant colors, and fabrics. These urban wear can be chosen from wide range of variety for both men and women. The best trendy clothes are more preferable by the people which make them stand apart and can be easily recognized with their choice of clothes. They simply show an attitude with a style in comfort.

The clothing wear by today's youth is the most of the clothing worn by celebrities. Such clothing is inspired by music and fashion. Whether they are spending holidays or just relaxing, youth love to be in such fashion. Celebrities clothing gives cool looks and sheer comfort. The celebrity wear consists of entire range of clothing. It includes jackets, t-shirts, hoodies, jeans, shirts, track pants, thermal wear etc. They all are available for both men and women in its unique style and cut.

Hip hop artists prefer to have sport flashy design watches which exactly suits the glamorous and funky style of the famous personalities. They are designed exclusively for superbly looking men and women. These cool, sporty and branded watches match the outfits of the celebrities. You can even find these artists with an exclusive collection of fashionable watches.

The hip hop celebrities can never be seen without their accessories. The number of well-known hip hop artists has always received a lot of attention and enjoy getting noticed for their diamonds watches and stainless steel accessories. They are considered as their favorite materials and seem perfect with their personality.

If you want to know about the happenings in the celebrity world, just have a look on the numerous websites available exclusively to join celebrity gossips. At such places, you can enjoy and get information about latest fashion, celebrity news, entertainment news, rap music news and gossip on celebrity. They are loaded with free listening songs, new songs, new rap songs, their reviews and cover all latest hip hop news. These websites are updated frequently and tightly focused on the hip hop lifestyle. Whatever detail you want for your favorite celebrities, just click and get satisfied answers related to your questions. They are actually a one stop shop for albums, music videos, events, fashion, gossips, TV shows and plenty of pictures for every celebrity.

Whatever your clothing style is, but the stylish and trendy urban wear of celebrities will surely give you a new look and attitude!

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Dancing With Your Star!

Why was the ABC show Dancing With the Stars, which pulled 22.4 million viewers for its final episode on February 26, 2006 so popular?

Star power was one reason.

From suave thespian George Hamilton, long-legged pro wrestler Stacy Keibler, and soap opera actress Lisa Rinna to NFL great Jerry Rice, rap mogul Master P and the winner, entertainer Drew Lachey, the show's celebrity quotient was high. Pairing celebs to train and dance with world class ballroom dancers in front of a studio audience was a novel idea playing off the allure of competition and the reality show craze.

Another reason the program is a hit is audience interaction, as with American Idol. The show's judges have a say, but audience votes via telephone were worth half of the votes.

Executive producer Conrad Green, quoted on ABC's 20/20, identified yet another basis for the high ratings: "People love to see partner's dancing."

The surge in swing dancing since the '90s is proof that Green's claim is true. Couples swirling, twirling and swinging in tandem to music reprises a duet as old as Adam and Eve.

The 2004 film Shall We Dance?, starring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez added fuel to current dance vogue, and the documentary Mad Hot Ballroom (2005), which follows a group of New York City students as they compete for a dancing title, helped people across the nation become aware of this wonderful art. On April 7, 2006 New Line Cinema releases Take the Lead, a dramatization of the same story as the documentary, starring Alfre Woodard, and Antonio Banderas in the role of ballroom instructor and competitor Pierre Dulaine.

Perhaps parents witnessing their children dancing solo to today's popular music released nostalgia for truly social dancing as with the ballroom and Latin American styles featured on Dancing With the Stars and the films above. This is true not just in the United States; the North American version of the series was based on the BBC's international smash, Strictly Come Dancing.

A pent-up appreciation for the good old-fashioned romance of couple's dancing is my bet as another ground for the surprisingly vast viewership of such dance series' around the world. The Waltz, Tango, Rumba, Samba and the Fox Trot all accentuate the eroticism of partner dancing, the drama of courtship and coupling demonstrated in the course of the dances.

Social dancing spotlights the sensual interplay between a man and a woman, and romance is like a pas de deux between two lovers, with playful turns, slow dips and twists of coy and assertive conversation joined with shimmying hip moves timed to the freestyle rhythms of passion and desire.

Couple's dancing enhances non-verbal communication between partners, and many relationships begin with the question: May I have this dance? The sensuality of such dancing also serves to keep excitement and verve in the lives of long-term life mates.

So, vote for your romance today by taking a ballroom dance class offered in your town or city. After just a few lessons, you may find that you're dancing with your star!

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the byline is included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Greg Thomas is a long-time writer and editor who co-founded [http://www.VoicesofRomance.com], a site to enhance the dance of your love life and strengthen relationships via audio love poems, romantic gifts, and romance tips and secrets.

The Fashion Style of Miley Cyrus

The fashion style of Miley Cyrus is something that is being copied in teenager's homes across the country. Even "tweens" and younger children's fashions have been influenced by this singing, dancing, acting phenomenon. Whether as herself or her alter ego "Hannah Montana," young ladies are clamoring to share in the fashion style of Miley Cyrus.

Miley Cyrus lives a pretty glamorous life for a teenager, and her fashion style definitely reflects this. In front of the cameras when she's attending a movie premier or appearing on the red carpet at music awards, the fashion style of Miley Cyrus is always exciting and fresh. From flannel to chiffon, her vivacious spirit adds sparkle to everything she wears.

"Kids are crazy about Miley Cyrus and they can't get enough of her and I must admit the kid has style"

-Tracy Montgomery Public Relations for Harper-Arrington Publishing

The teen star is always on the cutting edge of fashion, and she is a bit of a chameleon. She can go from girl-next-door to sultry young lady while barely batting a false eyelash. While she does have a variety of looks, the fashion style of Miley Cyrus is a very put-together one. She is styled from head to toe, and no detail seems to go unnoticed.

For example, her luscious chestnut mane is always shining and healthy, which is quite a feat considering the variety of styles she's able to create with the long locks. It certainly helps her achieve her different looks. Sometimes pulled back, sometimes cascading in curls, her hair makes a fabulous accessory to any outfit.

Of course, there are the clothes themselves. From plaids to polka dots and from plain to prints, Miley Cyrus can wear just about any look. She seems to shy a bit from pastels, and maybe it's because the brighter colors match her personality. Her thin frame also affects her clothing choices. She is one of the fortunate celebrities who truly does look good in a pair of leggings, and skinny jeans certainly do their job on her body.

The fashion style of Miley Cyrus has a lot to do with layering the look. She can often be seen sporting a funky jacket over the top of a colorful tank, with a low-slung belt to accent her waist. Boots ranging from Uggs to the cowboy variety are common in her ensembles, although she's certainly not above a classy high heel. She looks adorable all winter in scarves and knitted caps, and summer sees her in cute designer tees and the occasional strapless top. Each look is generally polished with the perfect jewelry, such as some cute hoops in her ears or a few bangles around her wrists. No matter what the ensemble, though, she manages not to overdo it with accessories.

"She has a lot of style and her influence seems to be rubbing off on teen girls around the country." -Jay Arrington

There are entire websites devoted to helping young ladies imitate the fashion style of Miley Cyrus. They analyze what she's wearing and then find similar styles at stores all over the world. The result is a shopping guide for those who want to emulate the singer's look. This famous pop star is certainly a major trendsetter when it comes to teen fashion.

Lance Smith Public Relations and Fashion writer for StartingaClothingLine.com and Digital Fashion Pro fashion designing software.

Celebrity Children Following In Their Parents Footsteps

What a lot of potential entertainers and creatives there seem to be in the younger generation these days! Fashion week recently reminded us that we have a new generation of celebrity children ready to step into their stylish and talented parents' Jimmy Choo's!

Singer Gwen Stefani's son, Kingston, was seen on the front row at New York fashion week sporting a blue and white striped blazer, jeans and a white tee. With this outfit, and his hair slicked back into a ponytail, he looked every bit the trendy tot you'd expect.

Kingston isn't alone; you only have to look at Madonna's daughter, Lourdes, Victoria Beckham's son and 'style advisor', Romeo, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter, Suri to see that these children love the limelight.

Romeo is rumored to have recently signed a deal to design children's sunglasses and he looks set to take a leaf out of his fashion designer mum Victoria's book, having shown a long term interest in the fashion industry.

Other youngsters following in their famous parents' footsteps include Sting's daughter, the undeniably talented singer Eliot Pauline Sumner (aka 'I blame Coco' or Coco Sumner) and Will and Jada (Pinkett) Smith's multi-talented son - dancer, rap artist and award winning actor - Jaden Smith.

If you're passionate about singing, dancing, acting, music or other kinds of performance you may have been inspired by others around you or memorable events and performances that had a real impact on your ambitions. Or maybe it's simply 'in the blood'.

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Choosing the Right iPod

The buzz word in technology today is wireless. First there were remote controls for TVs followed by cordless phones and cellphones. Even our entertainment systems are predominantly wireless these days. As if wireless technology wasn't enough, the size of electronic gadgets has decreased dramatically too. All these factors have made Apple iPods extremely popular and very lucrative for Apple.

The iPod's popularity is mostly due to its small size which makes it a portable entertainment center more powerful than the televisions and stereos of the 's combined. And it fits in your pocket or purse! Massive storage capacity of up to 60GB+ allows iPod owners to transfer their entire CD and DVD collections to the iPod and make it a mobile entertainment center. But the convenience of an iPod does not carry a small price tag. As a matter of fact, the iPod's price tag is the main reason why many people don't own one. Let's see if we can't fix that.

Certainly the iPod is a luxury item and not as necessary as a cellphone might be. Cellphones can be a cheap insurance policy to help you escape potentially dangerous situations when help is only a phone call away. Still, it's nice to enjoy the finer things in life.

You may be surprised if you think you can't afford an iPod. With so many verions of the iPod, there's sure to be one that fits into your budget. Half the battle is understanding all the choices available when it comes to iPods.

The 512 MB iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod available. When it comes to storing music, the iPod Shuffle is no slouch. It can hold up to 8 hours of music which is about 120 songs. Sure it would be nice to have hours of music, but do you really need it? 8 hours of music will be more than enough for most people. The Apple iPod shuffle costs about dollars as opposed to + for the latest model video iPod.

The more storage you want in your iPod, the more you'll pay for it. Differences in the amount of storage capcity drive the price. You'll pay more for 60GB than for 1GB obviously.

If songs isn't quite enough for you, consider stepping up to the GB iPod shuffle. The extra storage space is worth the small price increase. Now your iPod will be able to hold 16 hours of music - that's 240 4 minute songs. For a small price you can double your listening pleasure. And that's a good investment.

Here's the bottom line:. You can in fact enjoy the benefits of owning an iPod for a fraction of the cost...if you know how to find a budget Apple iPod. And now you know how to find a budge iPod.

Don't even think about getting an Apple iPod before reading this special investigative report. Can you really get a free Apple iPod. The truth may surprise you. Visit Free Apple iPod [http://www.entertainment2nite.com/apple-ipods/cheap-apple-ipod/best-price-apple-ipod.htm] for the inside scoop.

Purchase Cheaper iPods - Great Way To Enjoy Music

Portability is everything. The new generation of your adults is now vulnerable without them. From mobile phones to their audio players, they are nothing but lost without their mini portable gadgets. No more constraints of those ugly cable or wires. The powers of satellite, Bluetooth, infrareds and lithium ion batteries give amazing benefits to the world of the portable gadgets.

Apple's iPod is the most coveted of the portable wireless devices ever made. This gadgets does ways with brining a CD player that's bulky. Plus the CD player needs constant changing it's CD. This can be very annoying to the user. Not the iPod, this gadget can store up to 500 songs in one small compartment. It is the best alternative technology has to offer the audio freaks of this century. But, it is rather nasty on the budget. When it first came out, it was sold for $399 USD. This limited the users to the upper classes. But, like all products that are in demand it will not be long before competitors come up with their own version. Any engineer or computer wizard can dissect it and come up with a new version that does not come as expensive.

Cheaper version then flooded the market soon afterwards. These versions are not exactly imitations of the original iPod. They are unknown brands which use less expensive materials and were not highly invested on product development and research. That is why they are more affordable than Apple iPod. They come close to the original as far as memory capacity is concerned. Storing up to 120 songs, they come with a 512 MB like the shuffle.

Being low on budget is no surprise to everyone. Buying gadgets are always rivaled by the necessities of everyday living. That's the purpose of having the more inexpensive MP3 portable audio players. They come for only $70 USD and they also have nearly the same features as the iPod. Now, having to own a portable audio player will not be denied to the public.

Of course, in any marketplace or profit generating commodity competition is a must. These cheap iPods are not new to this arena. They junk down their prices to have a taste of the market share. Finding a nich that are hungry to have a piece of the original iPod, it was phenomenally successful. Within their own right, they too compete with each other. A variety of memory capacity is another way to beat one another. As well as, size and stylishness of their design are also great vantage point to contend as rivals would. More and more, these cheaper versions reached a certain apex of respectability.

Inline with this competition, there have been advances relating to these cheap versions. The makers contrive to make their own line of products better than what Apple iPods came up with. Take for example the Shuffle, their version are smaller and less heavy with 1GB for its memory span. Almost the same yet a little better, this is what keeps these cheaper versions good at what they have come up with. It may not be branded as what the real thing is, yet it can walk side by side with it head on. Some can even trick the naked eye with its appearance. They really don't intend to claim that they are iPods but they have physical similarities that are watertight. This is tagged at a hundred US dollars. Still, it is a far cry from the three hundred US dollars of the actual cost to buy the original. For 240 playing songs, this is by far a good find.

Saving a buck or two is always a good thing. When luxury is limited to the buying public because of its exclusivity or price range, rest assured that it will not be long before an ingenious plot to destroy it is concocted. Technology is suppose to be indiscriminating and for everybody's disposal. That's why breaking monopoly is never a crime. This is the best rule of thumb that any economist lives by. Where there is ample opportunity to generate money there's always competition to get the gear of development going.

This is the best thing that can happen to any consumer who would like to strike a balance between enjoying the small comforts of what techie gadgets can offer and not completely becoming bankrupt in the process.

Abhishek is passionate about Ipods and he has got some great Ipod Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 68 Pages Ebook, "Maximizing The Performance Of Your Ipod" from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/13/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Baby Genius Favorite Nursery Rhymes w/bonus Music CD

This outstanding collection of Baby Genius DVDs includes themes about playtime outings and little children interacting in the events and places around them. The focus is on entertainment and teaching children in an environment filled with fun and adventure. Animation is combined with children’s songs and includes fun-loving Baby Genius characters like DJ the Dinosaur, Vinko the Dancing Bear and more.

Price: $9.98

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Sesame Street: Kids' Favorite Songs

Movie DVD

Price: $9.93

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Elmo's World - Dancing, Music, and Books

Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 06/03/2003 Run time: 50 minutes Rating: Nr

Price: $9.93

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Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (DVD/Blu-ray Combo)

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never is the inspiring, entertaining and intimate look at the life and meteoric rise of pop phenomenon Justin Bieber. From small town boy to global super-star, Never Say Never follows Justin Bieber’s journey from his early years, to his rise from break-out internet sensation to global super-star, culminating with a sold-out show at the famed Madison Square Garden. More than just a concert, Never Say Never is a captivating, cinematic event featuring all-star musical talent including, Usher, Jaden Smith, Ludacris, and more!

Price: $39.99

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The Magnificent iPod Touch

Listening to music is a favorite past time for many among us. And quite a few of us are increasingly turning to iPods to make all our musical dreams come true. The iPods from Apple are well-known among music enthusiasts for their amazing sound quality, portability, storage capacity and slick looks. The Apple iPod Touch is no exception to this trend and is one of the most popular iPods currently available in the market.

The iPod Touch is a portable media player designed and marketed by Apple. This device is available with a graphical user interface cover flow. In addition, it has multi touch functionality and is available with 8, 16 and 32 GB of flash memory. This iPod makes use of a web browser for browsing the internet and it is also the first iPod enabling wireless access to iTunes Store.

The screen of this gadget is made of glass and it is a multi-touch interface with a physical button kept in support of the interface. The screen size is 8.9 cm and it gives a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels. So, any game or video that is played appear with clarity on the screen. The input method is confined to using the multi-touch screen interface, a Sleep-Wake button and a Home button. The device works on iPhone OS and can store files in its memory that extends to 8, 16 and 32 GB flash memory. Moreover, there is 128 MB RAM and so the iPod can be used for storing a huge amount of data as well.

The dimension of this media player is 110 ? 61.8 ? 8 mm and it weighs 120 gms. The battery of this amazing gadget gives up to 5 hrs of video playback and 22 hrs of audio playback. This video player also makes use of Wi-Fi technology. So the device can be used to transfer files at ease. The user can easily transfer videos from other devices to this iPod. This Apple iPod has a wide video screen and can play music from various channels. It weighs only 120 gms and is very compact. The video player can be easily carried everywhere by its user. People just love to make use of the extraordinary Dell Laptop to enjoy many a moment of leisure.

Jack Daniel is an expert author and the webmaster of Cheap Mobile Phones. The website having details of Apple iPhone.

Battle Royale - One of the Best Movies Ever With Mindless Violence and No Redeeming Social Value!

If you love movies with mindless violence and no redeeming social value, "Battle Royale", originally made and released in Japan in 2000, is the movie for you. Think "Last House on the Left" with a better budget and cinematic quality but 8 times as many teenagers with a bit of "Scream" tossed in!

I normally can't watch movies with subtitles but this movie is the exception. It is incredibly easy to follow with subtitles because of its simple "cartoon like" violence. I really wasn't aware of this awesome film, originally titled "Batoru Rowalaru" in Japan until I heard about it online. I don't think it was released commercially in the United States or at best was given a limited release due to factors besides the ultra violence involving teenagers but I can't state that definitively.

The plot is basically each year in a futuristic Japan that has suffered economic problems as well as a problem with teenage behavior, one 9th grade class is randomly chosen and taken involuntarily to a remote island or location. There they are each randomly given different weapons with an explosive device locked around their neck. They are told that by the end of 3 days they must kill each other with one Last Man Standing- who can of course be a woman as there is no sexism in the "game" or they will all be killed. If more then one student survives at the end of the 3 days, all their explosive devises will be activated and everyone will be dead. If anyone tries to escape the island which is surrounded by armed military personnel, they will be killed. The winner gets to live. There is no monetary prize.

Naturally all 41 students approach the Battle Royale differently. Some are moral opposed, some are morally torn while others embrace the game. The violence is overt and not hidden. Think the ultimate "Anti-Chick Flick" but with no nudity. Note a sequel to Battle Royale, "Battle Royale 2" came out in 2003, and in my opinion is terrible and a disgrace to Battle Royale 1 as it really doesn't have much to do with the first one and is just plain lousy. Apparently there are plans for a US version of Battle Royale but given the censorship and uptightness in American movies, I can't see a US adaption topping the Japanese Original.

You can buy the DVD of Battle Royale at http://www.OrderItDiscount.com - A great place to buy discount and bargain New and Used DVDs, Home Electronics including HDTV and Home Theater Systems, Household Goods, Home Gyms and Sports Equipment,Tools and Hardware and much more, delivered right to your door in speedy fashion I own this e-commerce store and I only recommend things I have and love.

If you want to read the English Translated Graphic Novels of Battle Royale, I also own Sci-Fi Fantasy Which has a huge stock of Discount New and Used Science Fiction Books, Graphic Novels, Back issue comics and Sci-fi Fantasy at low, bargain, and cheap prices.

Finding the Best Gadgets From Amazon

Everybody would be having some form of electronic gadgets or any gadgets to ease some of your work or just for the fascination it gives to you. Some of the gadgets that we have are just to satisfy our urge to have the latest in the electronics and to show off. Although there are many avenues to buy these gadgets it is easy to buy the best gadgets from Amazon. Amazon has a lot of gadget in its listing and it is easy to find the best selling gadgets in any category. This would give you an idea of how popular it is among the other similar users in the world.

All the best gadgets from Amazon have a lot of customer reviews attached to it. For example a one of the best gadgets from Amazon, the Kindle wireless reading device has around 7300 customer reviews. The customer reviews of the best gadgets from Amazon helps you to find the positive and the negative features of any gadget. The customers have the option of rating the gadget in a 5 star rating system. You can see how many customers have given the maximum rating for any product. With such information it is easy to find out which of the gadgets you can buy from the best gadgets from Amazon. The best gadgets from Amazon for the Electronics category are the Kindle Wireless Reading Device with 6 inches display, Apple iPod Touch 32 GB, Apple iPod Touch 8 GB, Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device with 9.7 inches display, and the Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 Mega pixels CMOS Digital SLR Camera with a 3-Inch LCD.

The best gadgets from Amazon can be found for any of categories. For example if you are looking for electronic gadgets, then you might look for the best gadgets from Amazon in the sub categories like Camera & Photo, GPS & Navigation, Marine Electronics, Office Electronics, Portable Audio & Video, Car Electronics, Accessories, Home Audio & Theater, Security & Surveillance, and so on.

Just visit the Amazon website and you can find the link to the Best Sellers in Amazon on the left side navigation on the main page itself. Following that link would take you to the page for the Best gadgets from Amazon with a few products listed for different categories like Electronics, and Camera & Photos. Before you buy any product it is better to have a look at the best gadgets from Amazon and see whether the product you are willing to buy is listed in it. This would give you the confidence that you are spending your valued money in some useful gadgets instead of throwing away in some inferior gadgets.

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Twilight Samurai Movie Review

When many people think about a stereotypical samurai movie, one often thinks the movie will be full of swords and bloodshed. Twilight Samurai surprised me. I'm not sure why I loved this movie, but I very much did. It was a personal story, a very intimate one, as opposed to some tale of epic societal shift. I literally felt as though I lived in this small, feudal shogun village.

Twilight Samurai (or titled 'Tasogare Seibei' in Japanese) is a 2002 film, starring Hiroyuki Sanada who you may recognize as "Ujio" in 2003's The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise. The story takes place around the 1860s and involves members of the Unasaka Clan in the Shonai Province. This area is now referred to as the Yamagata Prefecture in northeast Japan.

It is at a time of significant, progressive change in Japan just prior to the Meiji Restoration when the samurai effectively lost power. Some samurai pretend nothing is changing, others defiantly resist the changes, and some accept it as a natural defeat. The age of the sword is coming to an end and society struggles to adapt to that change.

The scenery is breathtaking and I was immensely impressed with the village sets. It very much makes me want to visit the countryside of Japan. The music is also quite good; emotional, fitting, and complementary to the cinematography.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well annunciated the Japanese dialogue was. I recognized some words, having studied Japanese for a year and a half in college. However, it would be a gross understatement to suggest that I actually understood any of the story's detail without the assistance of the subtitles. At over two hours of reading subtitles, this may not be your kind of movie - but I really connected with it.

Twilight Samurai, in some respects, has occasional tones of a romantic comedy, but is overwhelmingly a romantic tragedy in that the two that love each other are consistently blocked from being together by the arbitrary standards of a conformist culture and the societal expectations of a doomed feudal regime. The story is so familiar and so human, that non-Japanese speaking viewers can easily connect with it.

Much like many books and movies today, the protagonists in this film are people of modern-day values trapped in a time and a system of antiquated, obsolete ones. The order of the samurai and their sense of obligation and loyalty are part of what keeps a low-ranking samurai, Seibei (pronounced 'Say'-'bay') from his childhood love, Tomoe (pronounced "Toe'-'mo'-'eh'). Similarly, the conformism and social conservatism of a woman's expectations are what keeps her from him.

There are only two fight scenes in the entire movie. So if you are expecting an action movie, you'll likely be disappointed. This movie is a story about relationships. Told from the point of view of Seibei's youngest child, the story reveals itself with hints of the class Romeo & Juliette dilemma.

The samurai belong to a class and each individual samurai's rank within that class is measured by a monthly rice stipend called a 'koku.' Our widowed hero raises two daughters and cares for a mother with Alzheimer's with only 50 koku. This petty amount is described to be only enough for a single person to survive for one year. This low stipend has forced Seibei to take menial side jobs such as cage building and farming to subsidize.

Twilight Samurai is valuable for someone who is interested in Japan's culture beyond that of just martial arts. Here, a lot is learned of a samurai's place, position, and interaction with a society. While there is much that I have always admired about the samurai, there has also been a part of me that wonders if the reason why they are essentially extinct is because of some of the rigidity of their alleged values. This assertion is something I am currently writing about for an upcoming article for the Castle Rock AIKIDO Dojo Newsletter, which will review the Seven Values of the Samurai first articulated in the 1899 Japanese text entitled Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe.

In a scene near the end of the movie, I am reminded of some of the text from Miyamoto Musashi's Book of 5 Rings: The Water Book, when he describes the best ways to fight indoors. I had not truly appreciated these passages until I watched this scene from Twilight Samurai.

I first saw Sanada-san, the male lead actor, portray "Ugio" in The Last Samurai. The Last Samurai and Twilight Samurai are similar to each other in that both take place at approximately the same time period. However, The Last Samurai deals with these societal changes on a macroscopic level and Twilight Samurai addresses these societal changes on a microscopic level.

Twilight Samurai wasn't about changing the country or saving the world. It was about a series of events that brought two people together. It was about a man who was, overall, content with his place and standing in the world - who had no ambition to rise in it other than to provide as best he could for his family. I guess one could argue that of the seven virtues of a samurai, Seibei most valued that of humility.

As I watch more and more Japanese films I'm getting used to what I (at least by Western standards) might call their melodramatic performances. I can definitely see how this movie won 12 awards from the Japanese Film Academy, including Best Director, Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress. If it means anything to you, Roger Ebert also gave it 4 stars. You can rent this movie from Blockbuster Video. However, I borrowed it from the Castle Rock Library. Enjoy!

Sean Hannon is a student at Castle Rock AIKIDO. [http://www.CRaikido.com]