NINE FACTS ABOUT FIBERS.

If you've been looking for a way towards a high
octane diet, you'll find fiber to be exactly what
you need.  Even though research has shown fiber to
be powerful, many people aren't taking this nutrient
seriously.

To help you fuel your health with fiber, here are
10 facts to help.

1.  Fiber fights diseases.  A diet high in fiber can
help to prevent colon cancer and heart disease.  High
fiber helps the body to eliminate cholesterol by
binding it in the digestive tract.  For thousands of
years, fiber has been used to stop constipation.

2.  Fiber can actually help with overeating.  All high
fiber foods will take longer to chew and digest,
making you feel satisfied longer

3.  Most popular foods don't have enough fiber.  If
you like the more popular foods, you probably need
to increase your intake of fiber.

4.  Grains offer the most fiber.  Dietary fiber is
actually plant matter that we cannot digest.  The best
sources are whole grains and concentrated grain
products. 

5.  Kids need fiber as well.  Children that are older
than 2 years of age should consume a daily intake of
fiber.  Kids are most receptive to fiber found in
fruits, vegetables, and even fortified breakfast
cereals. 

6.  More fiber needs more water.  In order to keep
fiber moving through your digestive tract, you'll
need to consume a lot of water.  With your diet of
fiber, you'll need eight or more glasses of water
every day.

7.  Fiber cannot be cooked out.  When you cook
your fruits and vegetables, don't worry about cooking
the fiber out, as it stays.  The fiber found in
fruits and vegetables aren't just in the skin or
in the peel.

8.  You can get enough fiber.  If you eat more than
50 grams of fiber in a day, you can get diarrhea
and bloating, which can interfere with your body's
absorption of other key minerals.

9.  Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet
doesn't have to be hard.  Even though you may think
so, getting the amount of fiber you need isn't very
hard to do.  All you have to do is eat the right
foods and you'll be well on your way to a fiber
rich lifestyle.

As one of the key ingredients to healthy eating,
fiber is something you don't want to skip.  Fiber can
serve many different purposes, which were covered
above.  If you aren't getting enough fiber in your
diet - you should do something about now instead
of waiting until it is too late.

HOW THE INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY CHANGED EDUCATION.

A long time ago when internet wasn’t born yet the only technology that humans were able to use is abacus, old fashioned cameras and etc.

As we’ve all know INTERNET the most modern way to communicate with the people around the world. INTERNET began to operate in the 1960’s. In this way a single signal can be sent to multiple users. The old fashion way in sending mails had been thrown out in some people. Mostly now uses E-MAIL for sending mails to different parts of the country or sending it to other countries.

E-mail was developed through ARPANET as did the bulletin-board system.

It has now different qualities; here are some of them; yahoo.com, yehey.com, mail.com, hotmail.com and more. People knew that it was a modern way in sending their mails to their families, friends, loved ones, and other relatives.

In 1991, was introduced to the people of what we call now as the WORLD WIDE WEB.WORLD WIDE WEB is the part of the Internet that most users see and use and which has made it so popular. This gave birth to a big boom in web usage. The web continuous its growth in a very incredible way. There are now a billion of pages of the web and thousands more.

And now that INTERNET has come to be my way of learning, discovering and seeing new things. I feel that I’m very lucky to have my internet to hold on to. For my projects, assignments research and etc. but of course I am not forgetting to study by book, to research from libraries and etc. because I know that internet does really help a lot, but I also know that I should also help myself to relate my studies to my own learning. Because I will bring everything, I have been studying until my college until I work until I grow up and need to live my life with my own budget. Which probably so-called SALARY.

7 GREAT REASONS TO DANCE.

When it comes to dance there are plenty of wonderful reasons that people elect to dance. The fact remains that far too few of us manage to incorporate dance into our lives nearly as much as we should. There are many wonderful reasons to dance and they do not all require copious amounts of alcohol and someone with a video camera poised for America's Funniest Home Videos greatness.

Below I will suggest 7 great reasons to incorporate dance into your life as often as possible. I hope that you will take some of these to heart and find a few reasons of your own to dance more often.

Love

There are few greater reasons to dance than to show your love for your partner. You do not have to limit your dancing to your wedding night or an evening out with friends. All you need to dance with the one you love is some good music and a little bit of floor space. Dance while you prepare dinner, wash dishes, or just because it's raining outside. But dance with the one you love and do it often to keep those flames burning.

Joy

We always hear people talking about dancing for joy but how often do we really see that happen? What a shame it is that we actually take so few opportunities to dance in our society. Dancing is an outward expression of joy that is almost always infectious. Share your joy with the world and you just might find they will dance along with you. Even if they do not, you should at least be secure in the fact that at this moment in time you are much happier than they are.

Fun

When is the last time you've danced? Was it fun? I have found very few people (well other than young boys) who did not have any fun while dancing. The truth of the matter is that dancing is fun. Whether you are line dancing or trying the Tango it is great fun to dance.

Flirting

What a wonderful way to flirt dancing can be! If you haven't tried it with the one you love, there is no time like the present to do so. Find some great fun and flirty music and dance for the one you love. If you're really lucky, you might even convince them to join in.

To Make Your Children Laugh

Really, there is no better reason on the earth than this to dance. My kids love to see me dance the moves that were popular back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and share their more modern moves with me. It's a great way to enjoy your children before they decide your evil or during those rare moments when you may be on the verge of neutral in their opinions.

Fitness

While dancing does a lot to lighten the mood and raise your spirits it can also help your heart in other ways as well. Dancing is a great way to get up and moving that doesn't feel as though it is really exercise. This means that you can help your heart by dancing a little while every day. The longer you dance, the better you will feel and the healthier your heart will become.

Meet New People

If you decide to take lessons for dancing, you will find that you have the ability to meet a bunch of great new people. Dancing is a great way that many people are discovering to have fun and stay fit. This means that more and more people are joining local dance classes for these very reasons. You might develop some lifelong friendships through your dance lessons that you would have missed out on otherwise.

Of course there are many more reasons that different people take up dance. In fact, you may find an all-together different reason to take up dance for yourself. Whatever your reason you decide to dance, do it often and have fun in the process.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF GREEK THEATRE ARTS

The period around 600 BC - 200 BC was known as the Golden age of Greek Theater arts. Athens was the focal point for the flourishing arts. The political and military epicenter gave birth to great emperors, soldiers, philosophers, poets, writers and actors.

Annually plays were staged at Theater of Dionysia. Songs were sung at first in praise of God of wine and fertility, Dionysus. Out of them Aristotle’s poetry was outstanding. Its major element was tragedy which was the inspiration behind the tragic stories. Another poet Arion developed chorus singing which was known as Dithyramb. Later on chorus became an integral part of Greek Theater alongside actors, commentators and narrators who were also a part of the chorus team.  In some plays chorus acted as a separately different character. They all synchronized with each other to project the image of a single entity rather than a group. In the beginning chorus comprised of twelve singing and dancing participants known as Choreutai. Later the number was increased to fifteen and two groups of seven, known as Hemichoria, were made with a lead singer known as Koryphaios.

Plays were written by Thespis in the beginning with one actor who enacted different characters by wearing different masks. He interacted with the chorus which narrated some parts of the story and sang when required. His play’s themes were tragedy and God Dionysus. Aeschylus introduced a second actor, followed by Sophocles, who introduced a third actor. This increased the complexity of the story and opened the horizons as other Greek mythological characters were being considered. And this was when the leader of the chorus was also introduced. He was responsible to interact with the actors on stage and with the audience too, for their opinion and for the summarization. Sometimes the interaction was in the form of a song and at other times he spoke directly. The rest of the chorus sang along in the background and illustrated on the main theme.

And thus two masks became the symbol of Greek Theater or Theatron. One had a smile and gleeful expression representing the comic aspect of the play and the other mask bore a sad expression which represented the tragic aspect of the play. By 500s BC, theaters were more dignified and became the pride of Athenian culture. The first renowned theater was the Theater of Dionysus. Annual competitions were held where three tragic plays were performed and the best play was rewarded. Competition between comedy plays started in 430s BC.  

In the fourth century BC, King Alexander attacked Athens which led to the Peloponnesian War. It was then when the power of Athens began to deteriorate. In spite of the threat to the theatrical traditions of Greek, it still survived and passed onto the Hellenistic period.  It was in this period when Comedy Theater came to its full form which reflected the lives of common man. The storyline of the plays was never mixed, i.e. comedy was never intermingled with tragedy and vice-versa. Menander was the writer who attained fame during this period.

The three main elements of theater became Orchestra, Skene and Audience. The platform on which artists performed and chorus performed was known as orchestra or the dancing place. At other times it was used to conduct religious rites. Skene was a huge rectangular building behind the orchestra. Originally it was a simple hut or tent used as a backstage. Actors changed their costumes here and it was used for religious purposes also. But later it took the form of a firm stone structure with two to three doors which opened into the orchestra. Paintings were done on this structure which was used as the background of the play and that’s how the term Skene came into existence. Later on another structure named as Proskene was also erected in front of the Skene which was exclusively meant for the performance of the actors. The audience sat in round ascending stair-case form of seating. Therefore the shape of the mountain into which the whole structure is being sculptured is important.

The theater arts that emerged during that era are mirrored in the plays of today all over the world. Out of all the plays written at that time plays of tragedians like Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles and plays of comedian Aristophanes became famous in the golden history of Greek arts.  Their work was taken one step further by Plautus and Terence.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO IMPROVE YOUR SELF?

Sometimes, when all our doubts, fears and insecurities wrap ourselves up, we always come up with the idea of “I wish I was somebody else.”  More often than not, we think and believe that someone or rather, most people are better than us.- when in reality, the fact is, most people are more scared than us.

You spot a totally eye-catching girl sitting by herself at a party, casually sipping on a glass of Asti Spumanti. You think to yourself, “she looks so perfectly calm and confident.” But if you could read thru her transparent mind, you would see a bunch of clouds of thoughts and you might just be amazed that she’s thinking “are people talking about why I am seated here alone?... Why don’t guys find me attractive? …I don’t like my ankles, they look too skinny… I wish I was as intelligent as my best friend.”

We look at a young business entrepreneur and say “Wooh… what else could he ask for?” He stares at himself at the mirror and murmur to himself, “I hate my big eyes… I wonder why my friends won’t talk to me… I hope mom and dad would still work things out.”

Isn’t it funny? We look at other people, envy them for looking so outrageously perfect and wish we could trade places with them, while they look at us and thinks of the same thing. We are insecure of other people who themselves are insecure of us. We suffer from low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and lose hope in self improvement because we are enveloped in quiet desperation.

Sometimes, you notice that you have an irritating habit like biting off your finger nails, having a foul mouth, and you – of all people, is the last to know.

I have a friend who never gets tired of talking. And in most conversations, she is the only one who seems to be interested in the things she has to say. So all of our other friends tend to avoid the circles whenever she’s  around, and she doesn’t notices how badly she became socially handicapped – gradually affecting the people in her environment.

One key to self improvement is to LISTEN and TALK to a trusted friend. Find someone who you find comfort in opening up with even the most gentle topics you want to discuss. Ask questions like “do you think I am ill-mannered?”,  “Do I always sound so argumentative?”,  “Do I talk too loud?”,  “Does my breath smell?”,  “Do I ever bore you when were together?”.  In this way, the other person will obviously know that you are interested in the process of self improvement. Lend her your ears for comments and criticisms and don’t give her answers like “Don’t exaggerate! That’s just the way I am!”  Open up your mind and heart as well. And in return, you may want to help your friend with constructive criticism that will also help her improve her self.

One of Whitney Houston’s songs says “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” True enough. In order to love others, you must love yourself too. Remember, you cannot give what you do not have.

Before telling other people some ways on how to improve themselves, let them see that you yourself is a representation and a product of self improvement. Self improvement makes us better people, we then inspire other people, and then the rest of the world will follow.

Stop thinking of yourselves as second-rate beings. Forget the repetitive thought of “If only I was richer… if only I was thinner” and so on.  Accepting your true self is the first step to self improvement. We need to stop comparing ourselves to others only to find out at the end that we’ve got  10 more reasons to envy them.

We all have our insecurities. Nobody is perfect. We always wish we had better things, better features, better body parts, etc. But life need not to be perfect for people to be happy about themselves.Self improvement and loving yourself is not a matter of shouting to the whole world that you are perfect and you are the best. It’s the virtue of acceptance and contentment. When we begin to improve ourselves, we then begin to feel contented and happy.

10 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATION.

"A Piece of Blarney Stone" 10 ways to empower your communication

The Blarney Stone is a historical stone, or actually part of the Blarney Castle in Ireland where it was believed that kissing the stone can grant you the gift of gab. Yeah, it seems strange in this day and age, but who are we to question tradition? It's not like I'm saying that Santa Claus doesn't exist (OOPS!).

There is so much to know about conversation that anyone, even I, could ever realize. You can go though watching talk shows; radio programs; clubs dedicated to public speaking; ordinary conversations; certain rules still apply when it comes to interaction through words. It may sound tedious, I know, but even though it's your mouth that's doing the work, your brain works twice as hard to churn out a lot of things you know. So what better way to start learning to be an effective communication is to know the very person closest to you: yourself.

1. What you know.
Education is all about learning the basics, but to be an effective speaker is to practice what you've learned. My stint as guest at every Toastmasters' meeting I go to taught me that we all have our limitations, but that doesn't mean we can't learn to keep up and share what we know.

2. Listening.
It's just as important as asking questions. Sometimes listening to the sound of our own voice can teach us to be a little bit confident with ourselves and to say the things we believe in with conviction.

3. Humility
We all make mistakes, and sometimes we tend to slur our words, stutter, and probably mispronounce certain words even though we know what it means, but rarely use it only to impress listeners. So in a group, don't be afraid to ask if you're saying the right word properly and if they're unsure about it then make a joke out of it. I promise you it'll make everyone laugh and you can get away with it as well.

4. Eye Contact
There's a lot to say when it comes to directing your attention to your audience with an eye-catching gaze. It's important that you keep your focus when talking to a large group in a meeting or a gathering, even though he or she may be gorgeous.

5. Kidding around
A little bit of humor can do wonders to lift the tension, or worse boredom when making your speech. That way, you'll get the attention of the majority of the crowd and they'll feel that you're just as approachable, and as human to those who listen.

6. Be like the rest of them
Interaction is all about mingling with other people. You'll get a lot of ideas, as well as knowing what people make them as they are.

7. Me, Myself, and I
Admit it, there are times you sing to yourself in the shower. I know I do! Listening to the sound of your own voice while you practice your speech in front of a mirror can help correct the stress areas of your pitch. And while you're at it you can spruce up as well.

8. With a smile
A smile says it all much like eye contact. There's no point on grimacing or frowning in a meeting or a gathering, unless it's a wake. You can better express what you're saying when you smile.

9. A Role Model
There must be at least one or two people in your life you have listened to when they're at a public gathering or maybe at church. Sure they read their lines, but taking a mental note of how they emphasize what they say can help you once you take center stage.

10. Preparation
Make the best out of preparation rather than just scribbling notes and often in a hurried panic. Some people like to write things down on index cards, while other resort to being a little more silly as they look at their notes written on the palm of their hand (not for clammy hands, please). Just be comfortable with what you know since you enjoy your work.

And that about wraps it up. These suggestions are rather amateurish in edgewise, but I've learned to empower myself when it comes to public or private speaking and it never hurts to be with people to listen how they make conversations and meetings far more enjoyable as well as educational.

SELF IMPROVEMENT.

Self improvement and success go hand in hand

How do you know if a person is willing to attain self improvement? This is a question with no definite answer. It will all depend on the individual.

Many people have goals, dreams or ambitions but do not know how to go about achieving them. They may have thought about what would make up self improvement and their ideal life, but have no idea how to even begin to make the plans and take the actions required to make them a reality.

Some people have a vague idea on how to go about self improvement. These are the ones that believe that if only they had a better job, or had been given better opportunities, or met the love of their life, or whatever else, everything would be fine and they would be happy.

They feel that their happiness or lack of happiness is decided by external factors and their thoughts and actions are of little consequence.

Some believe that if only they had more money they could have whatever they want and be on their way to self improvement.

They may have spent little time thinking about what they actually want from life, and do not really believe there is anything they can do to create their fuzzy version of utopia anyway, apart from buying more lottery tickets.

Other people do not even know what they actually want from their lives and may even have little idea what would really makes them happy. They seem to just drift from day to day, week to week, month to month, and year to year, and do little more than just about get by.

They may have seemingly secure jobs and be earning enough to live relatively comfortable lives. They seem happy enough and have no great ambition to achieve anything more from their lives than they currently have.

Is self improvement important?

The reality is that throughout our lives we are all constantly growing and developing. Circumstances make us grow and develop, even if we do not make the conscious decision to do so.

Up to a certain age, we learn through formal education and we continue to learn through our experiences for the rest of our lives. We have to learn and grow to deal with everything that life throws at us. We all have to go through self improvement.

Modern life moves at a dramatically faster pace than at anytime in history. For anyone living in modern society there are more opportunities to do anything that you want to do with your life than ever before.

But there is also more competition than ever before, and ever changing technology means that there really are few, if any ‘jobs for life’ anymore. It is now normal not only to change jobs quite often throughout our working lives, but even to completely change careers and industries.

Because the workplace is so competitive, people who are ambitious and hungry for success know they need to learn new skills and knowledge to keep ahead of the pack. To attain this, self improvement is needed.

These are the people that will be most likely to keep their jobs, or progress within their chosen field, or that will be readily employable in different organizations or industries.

A commitment to self improvement and personal growth may well be the deciding factor in how anyone’s future will turn out.

EMOTION IMPROVEMENT MENTAL SELF.

Focus on your mental and emotional side to gain self improvement

Not everyone believes this but the emotional and mental aspects of a person, when combined, leads to better self improvement.

Emotions love to dominate our actions and reactions, even though we do not want it to happen sometimes. The society often see emotions as a sign of weakness, so people are used to putting them aside and focusing on the rational aspects more and more.

No matter how strict and logical you may be, you will always feel. One way or another, someone or something will get through you.

Positive emotions are a lifelong goal for many of us concerned about emotional health and self improvement. What is more important; the amount of money you made during your life or the times you laughed out of sheer joy?

People tend to put their positive emotions behind their negative feelings. This is one of the biggest problems that people come across during their lives.

There is no clear way to ignore a negative experience and try to replace it with a positive one. Life just does not work that way.

For example, when you were a child, if your goldfish dies, you would be heartbroken. Your parents will probably buy you another goldfish but the sorrow is still there.

Things get even more complex when you become an adult. A fight with your spouse the night before will affect your entire day. You will go to work angry, tired, and your mind will wander. On the way home from work you will not notice the sun shining and you would not be tempted to stop at a roadside stand to pick up some fresh fruits and vegetables.

All this because that one negative thought has contaminated the way you perceive the reality around you.

In this moment you will realize finding a safe place to relax your mind will do wonders for your emotional and mental improvement.

That place is relatively easy to find. It can be an actual place or an imaginary location. The best idea is to totally lose yourself in it.

Let us say you have a problem on your mind and it just would not go away. Go bowling. Do not know how? Just give it a shot.

Get caught up in the game. Your mind will drift away from the negative thoughts that dominated your last hours or days and start processing a whole new kind of information.

A safe haven can take many forms. It can be a song, a movie, even a person or animal. The main thing is allow yourself to get completely involved with this new activity.

You might still get flashes of the problem every now and then. Ignore it and get even more absorbed in what you are doing.

When the bowling game, the song, or the movie ends you will abruptly return to reality. You will probably want to retreat back to the safe place. Do not do it.

The safe place exists only as a helping hand, not as a solution to your life's problems, may it be a small or big. It serves only as an escape route.

You will return from your safe zone with an increased energy level. You will feel better about yourself and gain more confidence. You will see that any issue can be resolved.

This is how a small escape from a harsh reality can increase your emotional and mental health. Try to do this often and you are on your way to better self improvement.

YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS IS HAVING A VISION ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND WHO YOU WANT TO BE.

Life Mapping: A Vision of Success

Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.

Origin:  Who you are

A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior highschool student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.

Destination: A vision of who you want to be

“Who do want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen.

Vehicle: Your Mission

A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict-areas.

Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude

Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.

Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.

Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes

The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust accord.

BE A LEADER.

When you are at work, do you get frustrated because things don't seem to be happening the way they’re supposed to be? You see people milling around but nothing gets accomplished. And in the daily hustle and bustle, do you feel that your goals remain just that – goals. Then maybe its time for you to stand up and do something about it.

Most people are content just to stand around listening for orders. And it isn't unusual to adopt a follow-the-leader mentality. But maybe, somewhere inside of you, you feel the desire to make things happen – to be the head, not the tail. Then maybe leadership just suits you fine.

Some people believe that great leaders are made, not born. Yes, it may be true that some people are born with natural talents. However, without practice, without drive, without enthusiasm, and without experience, there can be no true development in leadership.

You must also remember that good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their natural skills. This takes a commitment to constantly improve in whatever endeavor a person chooses.

First of all, let's define leadership. To be a leader, one must be able to influence others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. He contributes to the organization and cohesion of a group.

Contrary to what most people believe, leadership is not about power. It is not about harassing people or driving them using fear. It is about encouraging others towards the goal of the organization. It is putting everyone on the same page and helping them see the big picture of the organization. You must be a leader not a boss.

First of all, you have to get people to follow you. How is this accomplished?

People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose. People will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going. Remember that bumper sticker? The one that says, don't follow me, I'm lost too? The same holds true for leadership. If you yourself do not know where you're headed to, chances are people will not follow you at all.

You yourself must know the vision of the organization. Having a clear sense of hierarchy, knowing who the bosses are, who to talk to, the organization's goals and objectives, and how the organization works is the only way to show others you know what you are doing.

Being a leader is not about what you make others do. It's about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what you're subordinates must be.

Studies have shown that one other bases of good leadership is the trust and confidence your subordinates have of you. If they trust you they will go through hell and high water for you and for the organization.

Trust and confidence is built on good relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics.

The way you deal with your people, and the relationships you build will lay the foundation for the strength of your group. The stronger your relationship, the stronger their trust and confidence is in your capabilities.

Once you have their trust and confidence, you may now proceed to communicate the goals and objectives you are to undertake.

Communication is a very important key to good leadership. Without this you can not be a good leader. The knowledge and technical expertise you have must be clearly imparted to other people.

Also, you can not be a good leader and unless you have good judgment. You must be able to assess situations, weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and actively seek out a solution.

It is this judgment that your subordinates will come to rely upon. Therefore, good decision-making is vital to the success of your organization.

Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not rely upon your skills alone.

You should recognize and take advantage of the skills and talents your subordinates have. Only when you come to this realization will you be able to work as one cohesive unit.

Remember being a leader takes a good deal of work and time. It is not learned overnight. Remember, also, that it is not about just you. It is about you and the people around you.

So, do you have the drive and the desire to serve required of leaders? Do you have the desire to work cooperatively with other people? Then start now. Take your stand and be leader today.

THE 12 COMMANDMENTS FOR PARENTS....

In a child’s education an important factor is the parents’ expertise for this “job”. No one is born holding all the knowledge, but we can learn and understand some things from books or advice from qualified persons.

Amongst the commandments a parent should strictly follow are the following:

1. Do not underestimate your child – he can understand more than you think he does and if you make him believe you think poorly of him this might affect his development.

2. Don’t use threat – a child loves a challenge and once threatened he might probably go on and do what he wasn’t suppose to just to see if he can escape the punishment.

3. Do not bribe your child – if you are trying to get him to learn for money for example, he will fail to understand the importance of learning, all he will get from this is the importance of money.

4. Do not make a small child promise something – small children can’t hold promises so don’t force them to lie and then punish them because they did that.

5. Do not keep them under a short leash – to grow up normally children need some space, some freedom.

6. Do not use big words or too many words when you are talking to your child – keep your ideas simple and concise so he can understand every thing you have to say.

7. Do not expect an immediate and blind obedience – it is not recommended, the child has to be learned to think for his own not to follow orders.

8. Do not indulge him too mush – he can develop compartmental disorders.

9. Do not compromise when it comes to the rules of a game – the trick for a game to become educative is too have its initial rules respected.

10. Don’t impose rules that don’t go with the age of your child.

11. Do not try to inflict quilt – quilt is not an appropriate feeling for children, especially if they are little.

12. Don’t give your child orders that you don’t take seriously – your child will try to please you and giving him an order is drastic, and it becomes cruel if that order is a joke.

All these “commandments” are addressed first to the parent. But they are to be referred to by teachers and educators as well. Along with the parents, they will settle upon an attitude and strategy for the education and growth of the child, so that they can give him all the things he needs to properly develop emotional and physically. 

THE ROAD TO INTUITION

Have you had that experience when all of a sudden you just had this huge hunch that something is about to happen, and to your surprise, that intuition was eventually translated to reality?

When you feel strongly about something without logical basis to it, that's called intuition. It comes in three impressions: clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly and feeling through listening.

Clairvoyance is when your eye goes beyond what it can see. This is when you know what is happening somewhere.

Sensing clearly is basically what we refer to as "hunch" or "gut feel." This is the time when you are overwhelmed with a feeling and you can't explain it and all you can say is "I just know."

On the other hand, feeling through listening or clairaudience is being able to "listen" between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a certain sound, whatever it is - be it a car's honk or a bird's twitting - ushers in an intense feeling.

They say only a number of people are gifted with intuition. Astrologers even insist that people born under the Scorpio or Pisces signs are naturally intuitive it almost borders on E.S.P. But studies have been sprouting left and right that proclaim that anyone can develop intuition.

Why the need to develop intuition, you ask? Why not let your emotional and psychological state as it is? First and foremost, intuition promotes good communication. It makes you more sensitive to the people around you; it often keeps you from hurting those you love because you are intuitive enough to understand them. Intuition also makes you far more creative than ever. Intuition means releasing more creative juices for any means of expression. Lastly, intuition has a healing power. This healing power is not in the physical sense, but in delving deep into your soul to eradicate some negative energy buried in it.

With that being said, are you ready to develop your intuition? Here are some ways to unlock this gift:

1. Hypnosis

Oh yes, get yourself hypnotized. Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth. Perform self-hypnosis or you can avail of hypnotic programs that can strengthen your intuition.

2. Meditation

Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart are cluttered with too many baggage and hurt,  you wouldn't be able to quiet down that part of you that could eventually initiate intuition. There are so many ways to meditate: take a yoga class, or just simply practice some breathing that could bring you straight to Zen.

3. Think positive!

A worry-free, fear-free state could do so much to improve your intuitive ability. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be able to easily recognize imminent feelings and events.

4.  Just let go.

What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place where you could find out where the letting go has brought you. Sometimes you just have to listen to the voice within you, and that voice wouldn't come out unless you let go.

5. Never expect.

After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop you from thinking and feeling clearly, never expect for an answer right away. Never expect that the "hunch" would fall on your lap immediately. Give it a little time then you'd just get surprised that -- wham! -- now you have your answer.

6. Believe in your first impressions.

When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually holds true. Most of the time, first impressions are brought by intuition.

7. Stay happy!

See? All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts immense power and such power includes intuition. In tapping your intuition, your motivation must be happiness and contentment. Given that premise, intuition will fall to you easily.

Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something that cannot be achieved otherwise. A lot of lives have been saved by intuition alone. Decisions are easier done if armed by this gift. Develop intuition now and reap benefits you have never imagined.

THE ROAD TO INTUITION

Have you had that experience when all of a sudden you just had this huge hunch that something is about to happen, and to your surprise, that intuition was eventually translated to reality?

When you feel strongly about something without logical basis to it, that's called intuition. It comes in three impressions: clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly and feeling through listening.

Clairvoyance is when your eye goes beyond what it can see. This is when you know what is happening somewhere.

Sensing clearly is basically what we refer to as "hunch" or "gut feel." This is the time when you are overwhelmed with a feeling and you can't explain it and all you can say is "I just know."

On the other hand, feeling through listening or clairaudience is being able to "listen" between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a certain sound, whatever it is - be it a car's honk or a bird's twitting - ushers in an intense feeling.

They say only a number of people are gifted with intuition. Astrologers even insist that people born under the Scorpio or Pisces signs are naturally intuitive it almost borders on E.S.P. But studies have been sprouting left and right that proclaim that anyone can develop intuition.

Why the need to develop intuition, you ask? Why not let your emotional and psychological state as it is? First and foremost, intuition promotes good communication. It makes you more sensitive to the people around you; it often keeps you from hurting those you love because you are intuitive enough to understand them. Intuition also makes you far more creative than ever. Intuition means releasing more creative juices for any means of expression. Lastly, intuition has a healing power. This healing power is not in the physical sense, but in delving deep into your soul to eradicate some negative energy buried in it.

With that being said, are you ready to develop your intuition? Here are some ways to unlock this gift:

1. Hypnosis

Oh yes, get yourself hypnotized. Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth. Perform self-hypnosis or you can avail of hypnotic programs that can strengthen your intuition.

2. Meditation

Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart are cluttered with too many baggage and hurt,  you wouldn't be able to quiet down that part of you that could eventually initiate intuition. There are so many ways to meditate: take a yoga class, or just simply practice some breathing that could bring you straight to Zen.

3. Think positive!

A worry-free, fear-free state could do so much to improve your intuitive ability. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be able to easily recognize imminent feelings and events.

4.  Just let go.

What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place where you could find out where the letting go has brought you. Sometimes you just have to listen to the voice within you, and that voice wouldn't come out unless you let go.

5. Never expect.

After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop you from thinking and feeling clearly, never expect for an answer right away. Never expect that the "hunch" would fall on your lap immediately. Give it a little time then you'd just get surprised that -- wham! -- now you have your answer.

6. Believe in your first impressions.

When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually holds true. Most of the time, first impressions are brought by intuition.

7. Stay happy!

See? All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts immense power and such power includes intuition. In tapping your intuition, your motivation must be happiness and contentment. Given that premise, intuition will fall to you easily.

Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something that cannot be achieved otherwise. A lot of lives have been saved by intuition alone. Decisions are easier done if armed by this gift. Develop intuition now and reap benefits you have never imagined.

BUILD YOUR SELF ESTEEM, A STARTER GUIDE TO SELF IMPROVEMENT

So how do you stay calm, composed and maintain self esteem in a tough environment? Here are some tips you may to consider as a starter guide to self improvement.

Imagine yourself as a Dart Board. Everything and everyone else around you may become Dart Pins, at one point or another. These dart pins will destroy your self esteem and pull you down in ways you won’t even remember. Don’t let them destroy you, or get the best of you.  So which dart pins should you avoid?

Dart Pin #1 : Negative Work Environment
Beware of “dog eat dog” theory where everyone else is fighting just to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive. No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner, and stay up late. Most of the time you get to work too much without getting help from people concerned.  Stay out of this, it will ruin your self esteem. Competition is at stake anywhere. Be healthy enough to compete, but in a healthy competition that is.

Dart Pin #2: Other People’s Behavior
Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, people walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers… all these kinds of people will pose bad vibes for your self esteem, as well as to your self improvement scheme.

Dart Pin #3: Changing Environment
You can’t be a green bug on a brown field. Changes challenge our paradigms. It tests our flexibility, adaptability and alters the way we think. Changes will make life difficult for awhile, it may cause stress but it will help us find ways to improve our selves. Change will be there forever, we must be susceptible to it.

Dart Pin #4: Past Experience
It’s okay to cry and say “ouch!” when we experience pain. But don’t let pain transform itself into fear. It might grab you by the tail and swing you around. Treat each failure and mistake as a lesson.

Dart Pin #5: Negative World View
Look at what you’re looking at. Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negativities of the world. In building self esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of worst situations.

Dart Pin #6: Determination Theory
The way you are and your behavioral traits is said to be a mixed end product of your inherited traits (genetics), your upbringing (psychic), and your environmental surroundings such as your spouse, the company, the economy or your circle of friends. You have your own identity. If your father is a failure, it doesn’t mean you have to be a failure too. Learn from other people’s experience, so you’ll never have to encounter the same mistakes.

Sometimes, you may want to wonder if some people are born leaders or positive thinkers. NO. Being positive, and staying positive is a choice. Building self esteem and drawing lines for self improvement is a choice, not a rule or a talent. God wouldn’t come down from heaven and tell you – “George, you may now have the permission to build self esteem and improve your self.”  

In life, its hard to stay tough specially when things and people around you keep pulling you down. When we get to the battle field, we should choose the right luggage to bring and armors to use, and pick those that are bullet proof. Life’s options give us arrays of more options. Along the battle, we will get hit and bruised. And wearing a bullet proof armor ideally means ‘self change’. The kind of change which comes from within. Voluntarily. Armor or Self Change  changes 3 things: our attitude, our behavior and our way of thinking.

Building self esteem will eventually lead to self improvement if we start to become responsible for who we are, what we have and what we do. Its like a flame that should gradually spread like a brush fire from inside and out. When we develop self esteem, we take control of our mission, values and discipline.  Self esteem brings about self improvement, true assessment, and determination. So how do you start putting up the building blocks of self esteem? Be positive. Be contented and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to compliment. A positive way of living will help you build self esteem, your starter guide to self improvement.

10 INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES THAT CAN IMPROVE YOU.

It might take a little coffee or probably a few rounds of beer or any other booze you could get your hands on when it comes to relaxing after a hard day's work. Well, yeah I'm guilty about that one as well, unless I'm caught dead wearing a lampshade over my head after a few rounds of vodka… half-naked! Okay, bad example and I apologize to everyone reading this after getting nightmares about me in that state of drunken stupor.

Just don't ask how it happened, please.

But what's really interesting is that how do people go through the usual part of life when faced with vein-popping stress? I mean, the new age thing like Zen or yoga is one of the good things and it actually works. Is there room for the intellectual side of people who can actually smell the roses-in-a-can while on the move? It kind of had me thinking that there really must be something in this 'mind-over-matter' thing.

Humor is indeed the best medicine there is whenever you are. I mean anyone can pay good money to listen to a comedian just to make you wet your pants after laughing so hard. Despite of what's been happening, and to those who has gone though the ordeal, it's better to just laugh while facing the troubles with a clear mind than anger with a clouded vision. One of my favorite celebrities of all time may have to be Woody Allen. Now this is one guy who gives you the in-your-face bluntness that he pulls out with gusto, even without even trying. You can talk just about anything with a man, and he's bound to mock the subject and you'll end up laughing rather than being upset about it.

Woody Allen has this to say:

1. "Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." It sounds good to me, I mean the practicality of all things does involve money but it doesn't have to take an arm and a leg to get it.

2. "I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it's the government." 'Nuff said.

3. "There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?" This happens to be one of the classic ones. I mean the issue about life's little problems isn't all that bad, until 'he' shows up.

Sure, relationships can get complicated, or does have its complications that probably any author about relationships is bound to discover it soon. We follow what our heart desires, unless you're talking about the heart as in the heart that pump blood throughout your body.

4. "Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions." And if you want more, just keep on asking!

5. "A fast word about oral contraception. I asked a girl to go to bed with me, she said 'no'." It sounds, 'practical', I think.

And when it comes to everyday life, he really knows how to make the best out of every possible scenario, and it doesn't involve a lawsuit if he strikes a nerve.

6. "Basically my wife was immature. I'd be at home in the bath and she'd come in and sink my boats." I never had a boat in my bathtub before. Just staring at it while soaking in hot water makes me seasick already.

7. "I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens." If it rains, it pours.

8. "I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." It could get worse when you're guzzling on beer… or mouthwash, and it happened to me once!

9. "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." At least he doesn't smite us with lightning, and I'm thankful for that.

And despite of what may happen to all of us in the next ten, twenty, or even thirty years, I guess we all have to see things in a different kind of light and not just perspective. I can't seem to imagine life without any piece of wisdom that could guide us. Whether we're religious or not, it takes more courage to accept your fears and learn how to deal with them is all that matters when it comes to even just getting along.

And to sum things up, here is the last nugget of wisdom to go by… however, whenever, and wherever we may be.

10. "The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don't have."

THE GOLDEN AGE OF GREEK THEATER ARTS.

The period around 600 BC - 200 BC was known as the Golden age of Greek Theater arts. Athens was the focal point for the flourishing arts. The political and military epicenter gave birth to great emperors, soldiers, philosophers, poets, writers and actors.

Annually plays were staged at Theater of Dionysia. Songs were sung at first in praise of God of wine and fertility, Dionysus. Out of them Aristotle’s poetry was outstanding. Its major element was tragedy which was the inspiration behind the tragic stories. Another poet Arion developed chorus singing which was known as Dithyramb. Later on chorus became an integral part of Greek Theater alongside actors, commentators and narrators who were also a part of the chorus team.  In some plays chorus acted as a separately different character. They all synchronized with each other to project the image of a single entity rather than a group. In the beginning chorus comprised of twelve singing and dancing participants known as Choreutai. Later the number was increased to fifteen and two groups of seven, known as Hemichoria, were made with a lead singer known as Koryphaios.

Plays were written by Thespis in the beginning with one actor who enacted different characters by wearing different masks. He interacted with the chorus which narrated some parts of the story and sang when required. His play’s themes were tragedy and God Dionysus. Aeschylus introduced a second actor, followed by Sophocles, who introduced a third actor. This increased the complexity of the story and opened the horizons as other Greek mythological characters were being considered. And this was when the leader of the chorus was also introduced. He was responsible to interact with the actors on stage and with the audience too, for their opinion and for the summarization. Sometimes the interaction was in the form of a song and at other times he spoke directly. The rest of the chorus sang along in the background and illustrated on the main theme.

And thus two masks became the symbol of Greek Theater or Theatron. One had a smile and gleeful expression representing the comic aspect of the play and the other mask bore a sad expression which represented the tragic aspect of the play. By 500s BC, theaters were more dignified and became the pride of Athenian culture. The first renowned theater was the Theater of Dionysus. Annual competitions were held where three tragic plays were performed and the best play was rewarded. Competition between comedy plays started in 430s BC.  

In the fourth century BC, King Alexander attacked Athens which led to the Peloponnesian War. It was then when the power of Athens began to deteriorate. In spite of the threat to the theatrical traditions of Greek, it still survived and passed onto the Hellenistic period.  It was in this period when Comedy Theater came to its full form which reflected the lives of common man. The storyline of the plays was never mixed, i.e. comedy was never intermingled with tragedy and vice-versa. Menander was the writer who attained fame during this period.

The three main elements of theater became Orchestra, Skene and Audience. The platform on which artists performed and chorus performed was known as orchestra or the dancing place. At other times it was used to conduct religious rites. Skene was a huge rectangular building behind the orchestra. Originally it was a simple hut or tent used as a backstage. Actors changed their costumes here and it was used for religious purposes also. But later it took the form of a firm stone structure with two to three doors which opened into the orchestra. Paintings were done on this structure which was used as the background of the play and that’s how the term Skene came into existence. Later on another structure named as Proskene was also erected in front of the Skene which was exclusively meant for the performance of the actors. The audience sat in round ascending stair-case form of seating. Therefore the shape of the mountain into which the whole structure is being sculptured is important.

The theater arts that emerged during that era are mirrored in the plays of today all over the world. Out of all the plays written at that time plays of tragedians like Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles and plays of comedian Aristophanes became famous in the golden history of Greek arts.  Their work was taken one step further by Plautus and Terence.

SHAKESPEARIAN PLAYS.

Shakespearian Plays

The works of William Shakespeare bears no comparison in the history of arts. He was a versatile English poet, play writer and actor. He has written nearly 38 plays, 154 sonnets and countless poems between the years 1582–1612, which are remembered even to this day. They had great impact on English literature and western theater. All his works have been translated into all known languages and they have been performed around over the world over a million times.

Although most of his works were written for English audience the appeal was universal. His writing style was greatly influenced by Christopher Marlowe. In 1594, Shakespeare became part-owner of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a drama company. By then he had even started acting, along with writing plays. Under his presence the company became so famous which made King James I buy the company and then it was named as King’s men.

His plays revolved around tragedy, comedy, romance and history. He started his career reworking on other writers work which was common at that time. Since then he helped the playwrights to finish their work fast. Like Hamlet was the new adaptation of a lost play named Ur-Hamlet and King Lear was the new version of King Leir. His plays on history were inspired by the Greek, Roman and English history. Plays like Plutarch’s Parallel Lives and Raphael Holinshed’s The Chronicle of England inspired plays like Macbeth and King Lear. Tempest was his original work.

Shakespeare’s early works of 1590s were based on romantic comedies and historic nostalgia which were the storyline of works like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Henry IV, Part I. After the plague, he began including rhymed couplets and dramatic dialogues in his work. His middle period works revolved around betrayal, murder, egoism, power, ambition, lust, tragedy and comedy. Plays like Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Troilus and Cressida were based on them. His later works were mostly romantic and fantasies such as The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest. His works were also published in press as a series of quartos. Two actors named John Heminges and Henry Condell started First Folio to honor and publish Shakespeare’s work exclusively in 1623. Categories such as comedies, tragedies and histories were made in First Folio. Modern critics have added categories like problem-play and tragic-comedies.

The exact order of plays is unknown and has always been the subject of an argument as at his time, plays weren’t authoritatively printed. Many of his plays had many different blueprints due to the textual corruption like printer’s error and compositor’s misreading, so the recognition of his original work is a problem. Many words and spellings were invented by Shakespeare. He had a habit of writing his plays number of time using those different words and spellings. After his death, speculations have risen about the authenticity of Shakespeare’s work. There have been very little record about the events that happened in his life and nor does his will gives an account on any of his plays, poems, sonnets and ownership of the Globe theater. It has been rumored that they might be works of Francis Bacon or Christopher Marlowe. 

The works that have been lost are Love’s Labour’ Won, Cardenio and Quixote. Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear, As You Like It, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, Othello, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Macbeth and Richard III are some the critically acclaimed works of William Shakespeare. 

ORIGIN OF THEATER ARTS

The early man as a means of interaction, to express their inner thoughts and a means to recording events, discovered arts. The ancient caves; monuments and scripts preserved in the museums bear witness to that fact. As we evolved, so did art. Art has reached such height that now it can be classified into various categories that further have subcategories. Different regions and civilizations have different forms, which have a deep influence of the culture. Vaguely arts can be distinguished as one depicted by expressing it on a medium like paintings, sculptures, architecture, and crafts and the other having human body involvement like acting, gestures, dialogues and singing. On this basis broad classifications of arts that can be made are visual arts, culinary arts, performing arts and language art.

Ancient Greeks played a major role in the persuasion of art associating with human form, which comes under the category of performing arts. Here the human figure is used as a medium of expressing art rather than materials like stone, metal, clay or paint. But to support the human form of art, clay or metal model more vividly known as props are used to enhance the performance which come under the category of plastic arts. Some of the subcategories of performing arts are theater, dance, music, magic, opera, juggling, film, comedy, acrobatics, martial arts, and marching arts such as brass bands. Accordingly the human performers depicting these sub classes of performing arts are known as actors, dances, musicians, magician, singers, jugglers, comedians and acrobats.

The word theater also originated from the Greek word “Theatron” which means “Place of Seeing”. Plays were held on special events having religious importance, so the main idea revolved around ancient roman gods with the role of male gods being enacted with musculature, elegance and poise where as the female gods being enacted with beauty, grace and anatomically correct magnitude. Singing was also used as a means of enacting other than dialogue delivery. Along with the costumes masks were also a part of the actors’ attire. The stage was set in a realistic landscape backdrop.

During the middle ages storylines of the plays were mostly based on biblical incidences with an influence of the Byzantine and Gothic art. The Eastern art was mostly influenced by the Western medieval art. Not much concentration was paid to the realistic illustration. The costumes too were surface patterning, which means the basic color of the robe was emphasized upon rather than enhancing it by playing with light.

The nineteenth and the twentieth century saw a revolution being effected by the discoveries made during that era by Aristotle, Einstein and Newton. Light was used to modulate the color and to bring about a realistic feeling by creating an environment to absorb the audience into it. As inventions were made, traveling became very easy. This led to the influence of one culture over the other, which also globalized the western taste in theaters around the world. 

As time progressed there have been diverse changes in theater arts that depicted different culture and moral values. The themes have revolved around fairytales, fables, religion, folktales, comedy, fiction, tragedy, romance, legend, history, epic, biography, adventure and material truths.  The different forms of theater arts are mime, opera, kabuki, ballet, classical Indian dance, Chinese opera, pantomime and mummers’ play. Today Theater Arts are as important form of art as any other arts and attracts all art lovers towards it.

THE HISTORY OF OPERA.

In the 1600s Opera started to flourish in Italy. French opera was popular for adding the element of dancing to opera other than the already existing elements such as singing and music. In Italian, opera means works and in Latin it means the plural of labor. This means that there can be duet, trio, and group singing. It also utilizes various aspects of the spoken theater, like costume and backdrop.

Greek were the first known theater artists especially people from Athens. Their theater plays included all the elements like acting, dialogues, singing, scene, dancing, chorus and music. This art was cultivated by different civilizations having few or all the elements. One of them was the opera. The western classical theater arts which involves conveyance through singing and dancing and not through dialogues, is known as Opera. Composition by Jacopo Peri, Dafne, was written in 1597 and was the first known composition specifically meant for opera although it was inspired by Greek theater arts, but it no longer exists. Euridice composition by Peri written in 1600s was the first recorded composition which is available till this date.

The performances are most of the times accompanied by chorus and instrumental music. Libretto is the word in opera and there have been great composers who have written famous libretti like Richard Wagner. Handel was the famous German composer who wrote for theaters in England. Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte are famous for the great musical works which were played during the opera performances.

There are two types of singing in opera. The first is recitative in which the story is being narrated in a non-melodies style and the second is aria, where the performers were more melodious. Chorus is used as a commentator and sometimes as a narrator. Subcategories of recitative are secco or dry recitative and Accompagnato or Stromentato in which orchestra accompanies the performance.  Opera can be further classified as singspiel, operetta, semi-opera and opera comique. In these types of opera, dialogues are used on the contrary, instead of recitative. Arioso too is replaced by semi-melodic passages.

Opera started with court performances and then shifted to royal theaters. In 1637 this performance was open to public when the idea of opera festival in Venice was brought up by Monteverdi. It was then known as Baroque opera which had a mixture of both the tragic and comic elements along with some education. This started a reform which was promoted by Venice’s Arcadian Academy. Metastasio was a part of this academy and his libertti became famous till the end of the eighteenth century in Italian opera. And this mixed with baroque opera was known as opera buffa.

The characteristic of Opera Seria is that it had a high tone along with secco kind of recitative. It was greatly liked due to it highly stylized form and the singers at that time were very popular and Opera Seria was in great demand all over Europe except France. The hero had the castrato voice such as Farinelli and Senesino and the heroines had the soprano’s voice such as Faustina Bordoni. Alessandro Scarlatti, Porpora and Vivaldi were some of the great Opera Seria composers. 

But Opera Seria had few loopholes. It concentrated more on drama and left music, singing and ballet behind.  It was Francesco Algarotti who brought all this elements back with his composition Essay on the Opera. He was then followed by other great composers such as Niccolo Jommelli, Tommaso Traetta and the most successful, Gluck. He used rich orchestra and vocal lines and brought a reform in Opera Seria.

10 SKILLS TO IMPRESS WOMEN.

1 Conversation
Difficulty to acquire: 6/10
Though it might not strike you as much of
a skill when you’re shooting the bull with
friends, conversation with women — in
whom you’re interested and whom you
don’t know well — is a skill, and one that
takes some practice. Listening and
actually paying attention becomes
infinitely more important. You want to
come across as both confident and
empathetic, which is something of a
balancing act. Being able to explain and
adequately express yourself, though, can
easily cover for lacking any of these other
skills, which is why it’s so crucial.
2 Style and grooming
Difficulty to Acquire: 2/10
Every guy has his own personal style, but
there’s a thin line between hipster
carelessness and looking like a slob. It’s
better to stay a comfortable distance on
the clean-cut side of that line. There’s
nothing difficult or even time-consuming
about good grooming, but women often
complain that men simply don’t bother to
take care of their appearances, and the
only excuse to let yourself go completely
is laziness.
3 Bedroom skills
Difficulty to acquire: 6/10
s*x is important, even if not for its own
sake, then because women often read
into it emotionally and assign it its own
relevance as an indicator of how you feel
about them
4 Handyman skills
Difficulty to acquire: 4/10
This broad category covers everything a
man can reasonably be expected to do in
maintaining a home and doing basic
repairs; none of this stuff is as
complicated as working with a car, and it
mostly comes down to having the right
tools for the job and being willing to get
your hands dirty. There’s virtually nothing
the internet can’t tell you how to fix, but
it’s no less impressive to a woman when
you can be relied upon for all those
repairs
5 Athletics
Difficulty to acquire: 6/10
As much as women want you to have an
emotional, sensitive side, they still want
you to be a man, and playing a tough,
physically demanding sport is about as
masculine as it gets. Bragging about your
golf game might impress your coworkers,
but it doesn’t have quite the same impact
to a woman as boxing, football or some
other high-intensity, testosterone-fueled
activity.
6 Cooking
Difficulty to acquire: 3/10
You don’t have to take classes or start
shopping for expensive cookware — just
start small. Every woman, everywhere, is
just a little bit pleasantly surprised to
discover that a man can cook, actually
wants to cook and seems to genuinely
know what he’s doing, so begin by
perfecting a handful of recipes. The bonus
here is that you’ll soon be eating better
and tastier food yourself. Once you’ve
mastered a few classics (like making the
perfect steak and some side dishes),
expand your repertoire as you see fit.
7 Dancing
Difficulty to acquire: 4/10
If there’s one way to demonstrate that
you’re confident, easygoing and
approachable all at once, it’s dancing. On
the surface, dancing is pretty
straightforward, and there’s certainly
nothing hard about it — you’re moving
your body rhythmically, and how you’re
doing it isn’t too important. The hangup
here is feeling that you’re too
uncoordinated or too shy to try, in which
case it may seem daunting.
8 Fixing a car
Difficulty to acquire: 6/10
Learning how to fix a car will probably
seem daunting if engines have mystified
you up until this point, but luckily you
don’t really need to know much. The
objective is to understand enough that
you maintain your car correctly and can
actually diagnose car troubles (particularly
in the company of a woman) instead of
just opening the hood and looking
puzzled. Besides, knowing the basics will
make you seem like less of a rube to
dishonest mechanics.
9 Playing an instrument
Difficulty to acquire: 7/10
For starters, playing an instrument well is
just an impressive ability, period. It
speaks volumes, to men and women
alike, about your character. On the other
hand, where another man might just
respect your ability to master what is, for
most people, not an easy skill, women
will equate your ability to play an
instrument with a poetic sensibility they
might not otherwise have recognized in
you.
10 Speaking other languages
Difficulty to acquire: 8/10
Certainly the hardest skill on this list to
pick pick up as an adult, speaking a
foreign language is a sign either of
dedication (that you’ve taken the time and
effort to learn) or of worldliness, and
women will be intrigued by both of those,
particularly if you don’t flaunt the ability
and just let it come up at the right
moment. Obviously you’re not going to
learn a language overnight, but the
resources are endless — you only need to
supply the time.

7 CURES FOR RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS

From not enough money to too much
stress, there are many common triggers
for relationship issues. But can your
union be saved?
According to the top relationship experts,
there are certain things you need to
understand about yourself and your
partner:
1. Understand relationship phases.
Relationships have three general phases:
romantic, conflict and commitment.
Unless they’re sending you a serious red
flag, it’s hard to figure out if someone’s a
keeper in the romantic phase.
“This is the stage where it’s all fun,” says
Richo, a psychotherapist (DaveRicho.com)
and author of How to Be an Adult in
Relationships (Shambhala). “Neither
person will show their dark side very
much, so you don’t have a picture of the
whole person.”
So when do you really know whether he’s
that special someone? When the masks
come off, says Richo. Which is why
fighting from the very start about money,
work and how many times you have s*x a
week can threaten even the most
promising unions.
What’s key is how you handle these
relationship stages and working through
relationship issues appropriately.
2. Admit your emotional dependence.
Making an emotional connection is what
people hunger for the most, says Sue
Johnson, a professor of clinical psychology
at the University of Ottawa and author of
Hold Me Tight (Little Brown and
Company).
Recognizing and admitting that you’re
emotionally dependent on your partner
can transform key moments in your
relationship and bring you closer than
ever.
“All the evidence shows that when you
feel safe, connected and sure, you’re
better at taking care of your partner, at
talking about everything from kids to
s*x,” Johnson says. As a result, you’ll have
a more satisfying s*x life.
People often feel ashamed about needing
emotional ties. “Not just men either,” she
says. “Women say this means I’m weak or
immature. I shouldn’t need this comfort
from him.”
3. Show your love the right way.
Attention, acceptance, appreciation,
affection – as well as respect for each
other’s deepest needs and wishes – is the
foundation of a good relationship, Richo
says. To improve your relationship, help
your partner know what he means to you
by expressing these 4 A’s.
“Love isn’t based on the amount of
adrenaline we feel coursing through our
bodies, but rather whether we’re present
in those five ways,” he says. “I know I love
someone when I show those four A’s and
I know they love me when they show
them in return.”
Unfortunately, we often mistake that first
rush of hormones for true love.
“The pitter-patter excitement of a heart
skipping a beat is all OK in the romantic
phase,” Richo explains, “but that can’t be
your ultimate test of whether love is
real.”
4. Embrace “Me, me, me!”
Sound selfish? Not at all, says Alison
Armstrong, founder of the Understanding
Men series of workshops
(UnderstandMen.com) and author of
Making Sense of Men (Pax Programs).
“Before you commit to someone else, get
clear about what is most important in
your life and spend your time, money
and energy on that.”
In fact, most people are attracted to
those who feel comfortable in their own
skin, she says.
5. Fight, yes, but don’t be cruel.
Happy, functional couples fight – it’s part
of the deal (and make-up s*x is the happy
ending). But when unhappy couples brawl,
it can be like War of the Roses. And
nothing brings a troubled relationship
down faster.
“A lot of couples’ therapy is helping
people fight in a nicer way,” Johnson says.
Happy couples who feel secure with one
another probably won’t get as mean as
those who aren’t feeling love from their
partner.
“They can find a way to reach for each
other” and make “safe, emotional
connections,” Johnson says.
Her No. 1 fighting rule: Don’t turn your
partner into the enemy. “Try to listen to
your own needs and fears that are coming
up in these fights,” she says. It’ll help you
feel secure with each other, even in the
midst of battle.
Another difference: Even in the midst of
a fight, healthy couples feel safe, they can
“call” for their partner and their partner
will come, Johnson says.
6. Examine your definition of trust.
Traditionally, a relationship based on
trust meant, “I trust you to be faithful and
keep your agreements,” Richo says.
But in modern times, your definition of
trust needs to also create room for the
inevitabilities of life and love, and how
you handle them, he says, such as:
“I trust myself to appreciate that you will
keep your agreements and work things
out with me.”
“I trust myself to receive that with
appreciation, and I also trust myself to
handle the times when you don’t come
through, when you don’t keep
agreements.”
“And in those times, I trust myself to try
to work it out and not to retaliate.”
People aren’t perfect, and they’re not
always as loving and loyal as they intend
to be or you want them to be.
Even though “you’re totally open to your
partner’s trustworthiness, the trust is in
myself,” Richo says. “If and when
something happens to contradict that, I’m
not going to fall apart.”
7. Get to the real heart of the problem.
You know those arguments where your
partner complains about the dirty dishes
in the sink and you end up defending
yourself or shutting down?
The real problem is deeper, Johnson says.
“This isn’t about whether to build a new
cottage,” Johnson says. “This is about the
fact that I’m scared if we build a new
cottage, you’ll spend a lot of time up
there and withdraw from me and I’ll feel
lonely.”
Getting to the truth of feelings driving
the fight – and sharing those truths – is
key to a happy love life.
Likewise, recognizing the wounds that
make you react impulsively is the first
step in healing them, Johnson says. Those
raw spot forms when your attachment
needs aren’t met and you feel
emotionally deserted.

WAYS TO KNW U RE IN LUV.

Your Brain Acts Like It’s on Drugs
Studies have shown that when you’re
falling in love, the rush of chemicals that
flood your brain—oxytocin, dopamine,
adrenaline and vasopressin—are similar to
the types of chemicals released by heroin
You May Get a Little Overshare-y
An hour ago, you were strangers. Now
you’re spilling how you slept with a
stuffed bunny ’til you were 10. Your
brain decides in 20 minutes whether or
not a person is trustworthy—so feeling
safe swapping stories is a good sign
you’re on your way to a solid bond.
You Get a Spine-Tingling Rush
You know those shivers that start when
you hear an awesome song like “Rollin’
in the Deep” or see a beyond-beautiful
sunset? Well, those same tinglies occur
when you’re crushing hard on a dude,
too.
Ryan Gosling? Meh.
When you’re in love, guys you formerly
thought were droolworthy lose a lot of
their appeal. Scientists believe this is
evolutionary: In caveman times, it
made sense to stick with a mate long
enough to raise a child together. Now?
Expect your The Notebook DVD to
gather some dust.
You Don’t Snap at Bitchy People
When you dig a guy, your brain pumps
your bod full of the so-called “love
drug” hormone oxytocin—which
scientists theorize makes you feel
more friendly and sociable.
You Get Less Headaches
Who needs ibuprofen? Research has
found that oxytocin may actually
minimize migraines.
You Can See It In Your Eyes
When you see someone you’re
attracted to, your pupils dilate. Even
cooler? Research has found that people
rate faces with larger pupils as more
attractive than ones without, so all that
eye contact is only making you hotter.
You Feel Less Stressed
Kissing decreases the stress hormone
cortisol flowing through your bod,
meaning a few makeout sessions can
totally chill you out.

8 WAYS TO CHEER UP...

Everyone feels vulnerable, sad, and lonely
from time to time but if you know how to
cheer yourself up, then you’ll get through
many of those tough moments just fine.
If you’re just having a bad day (or week)
and need to cheer up, try some of the
following. I hope you feel better soon!
1. Make your own CHEER UP book. If
you’re experiencing lots of days of feeling
down, you might benefit from creating
your own “Cheer Up” book. Create a list
(like this one) of every activity you can
think of that will cheer you up. Type it up,
add some pictures, print it out, and have it
bound.
2. Breathe. Deep breathing is a relaxation
technique that releases tension from the
body and clears the mind. You tend to
breathe shallowly or even hold your
breath when you are feeling anxious. Many
people do this and are not even aware of
it. Shallow breathing limits your oxygen
intake and adds further st
3.Water. Drink some water. Mmmmm…
water. Dehydration can cause a variety of
problems, including imbalances in your
noggin. So fill up a glass with that clear
liquid and take it down. While you’re at it,
why don’t you take a multivitamin just for
good measure? Don’t stop at that one
glass. Be sure to have a few through the
rest of the day.
4. Hugs. If a friend or loved one is
available, go snag a hug from them. You
have to give a hug to get one. Sometimes
all we need is a good old fashion hug. A
study by University of North Carolina
researchers found that hugs increase the
“bonding” hormone oxytocin and decrease
the risk of heart disease. Touch also
releases two feel-good brain chemicals,
serotonin and dopamine.
5. Play with a dog. If you don’t have one,
go get one! When I say play, I mean really
play. Get down on the ground, chase her
around, throw her “ball” and have a good
old time. You’ll be spreading some love,
exercising, and making both you and her
feel better.
6. Caffeine. Go get a soda or coffee (iced
or hot). Caffeine is a natural mood
enhancer. J Not only does it taste good in
coffee and soda and make you feel better
– it also helps to get out of the house to
get some fresh air. For a couple dollars,
this is a cheap and pleasurable pick-me-up.
7. Call a friend. Open up that cell phone,
and start going down the contact list. If
you’re not willing to call them (unless it’s a
professional contact), then maybe you
should delete them. Family members and
friends should be available to support one
another. A good old-fashion chat will add a
new perspective on life in general, and it
might provide some pleasant distraction
from whatever is getting you down.
8. Watch a funny movie. If you have the
time, slip in one of your favorite comedies
or go rent one. And when you get to the
funny parts, give yourself permission to
laugh and laugh hard. Laughter is very
good for you, especially when you don’t
think you can.
These should lift your spirits right up!
Commit to just 15 minutes, and you’ll be
surprised how much you’ll want to keep
going after your 15 minutes are up.
Hmmmm

Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: SPARK launch gains global recognition

Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: SPARK launch gains global recognition

PICK UR BATTLES IN UR RELATIONSHIP AND SAVE IT.

You learn a lot when you become part of a
pair. When you get into a relationship,
things that never made sense to you when
you were single start to become a little
more clear. I’ve learned a lot from being
in a new relationship. Though it’s only
been a few months, I feel like I’m
maturing, learning, and growing every day.
We all know that as we grow older, we gain
life experiences. We make mistakes, and
then we learn the lessons. I’ve definitely
tried to take all the lessons I’ve learned
from past relationships and used them to
my full advantage. In my new relationship,
I’m basically trying not to be an idiot. I
make a conscious effort everyday to
evaluate how I am behaving in my
relationship.
Being in a relationship is one of the most
wonderful, joyful, and life-affirming things
there is. When I’m in love, nothing can
be too terrible. The sun’s pretty much
always shining. But there is a flip side to
this. Relationships are also stressful,
complicated, and probably one of the
hardest things to get right in life.
Relationships are filled with anxiety and
pressures and over-thinking. I’m
ridiculously happy in my relationship, don’t
get me wrong, but we have our days.
You know, those days.  Everything they do
annoys you. You take everything they say
the wrong way. You just cannot get in the
groove. You bicker. You fight. You roll your
eyes. Your defenses are up, and you’re
ready for battle. A few years ago, I would
have fought every single little fight on
days like that. I would have taken offense
to something so petty and unintentional
and turned it into World War III.
Aren’t we all a little guilty of this?
Sometimes we pick fights for attention
(negative or otherwise). Sometimes it’s out
of boredom. Sometimes it’s because we’re
actually hurt and want to get it all out in
the open. We choose to fight to test the
waters. How much can this relationship
handle? How strong are we? Let’s fight and
see! Looking back, I have no idea why this
behavior was ever an option. These days,
I’m doing things differently. I’m learning to
pick my battles.
Picking your battles takes patience and
critical thinking. It means looking at the
situation you’re in and really analyzing it.
You have to think about the real reason
why you’re about to start this fight. Is it
really something worth arguing about? Are
you just being mad to be mad? Are you
even slightly affected by this situation?
It is so easy to get into the routine of
arguing when you’re comfortable in a
relationship. You fight for the passion
because coupled life has gotten dull. You
fight for the entertainment of it. You fight
for the anticipated makeup. We pout and
“get mad” for the attention that we know
our partner will give us back. We test our
partners. We push them to see how much
they’ll push back. We all do this, but I have
learned that you can have that passion
without having to fight and argue. You be
reassured that your significant other loves
you in other (healthier!) ways.
Before you open your mouth and know
you’re going to say something that might
start a fight, ask yourself these questions:
Is this really something that is going to
affect my life? Am I even mad about this?
Is this worth my time? If your answer is no
to all or any, then say nothing. Close your
mouth. Don’t pick this battle. Let it the hell
go. Spend that time you’re wasting being
angry and use it to better your
relationship. If you’re actually upset,
address the situation, talk it out and then
let it go. There is nothing worse for a
relationship than beating an argument to
death. You’re both going to be exhausted
by the time you go over the whole
argument for a fifth time. All you’re doing
is wasting your precious time!
Sometimes when I’m pouting and “mad” at
my boyfriend, I will think to myself, “At
this very moment, I am wasting our time
—our time as a couple, our time as
separate people.” The moments I spend
silent and grumpy are moments that I
could be using to talk to my boyfriend,
laugh with him and love him. Why am I
throwing away time with him that could be
spent in better ways?
That is always the reality check for me.
I’m sure there are many things that your
significant other does that may bother or
annoy you, but how many of them truly
affect you in a negative way? Remember
that your boyfriend or girlfriend is not
perfect. They are going to make mistakes.
They are going to say things you don’t like.
They’re going to disagree with you. They’ll
disappoint you. And you will do all of these
things to them too. But if the love there
then there shouldn’t be room for
unnecessary arguments. Rather than
jumping the gun and starting a fight, take a
breath . Think critically. Hold your tongue.
Fight less, love more.

DECLARE STATE EMERGENCY ON CORRUPTION--Ken Nnamani

Ken Nnamani
Ken Nnamani has called on President
Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of
emergency on corruption, if that will
address the menace.
The former Senate President also said if
corruption, which is one of Nigeria’s major
problems must be nipped in the bud,
especially as it affected award of contracts,
attention must be paid to Public Private
Partnership, PPP.
Speaking when he appeared before the
Senator Ayogu Eze-led Senate Committee
on Works, Senator Nnamani noted that $8
trillion was currently what the private
sector in the world was controlling, adding
that it was only the private sector that
ccould control corruption.
According to him, it is not business as
usual in the private sector, as private
investors monitor their businesses.
He added that First Bank Plc, a private
sector driven organisation, had a balance
sheet that was more than the nation’s
budget.
Nnamani was at the Senate with other
designated members of the governing
board of the Infrastructure Concession and
Regulatory Commission, ICRC. The former
Senate President is the chairman of the
board of ICRC.
The former Senate President, who told the
senators that he was coming to the
National Assembly for the first time since
2007, was, however, not asked any
question by the senators, in line with the
National Assembly’s procedures of asking
former lawmakers to simply take a bow
and go.
Earlier, Chairman of the Committee,
Senator Ayogu Eze, PDP, Enugu, said it was
not the intention of the Senate to allow
Nnamani stay for more than two minutes,
adding that the Senate was contemplating
whether to invite him and take a bow.
He added that Nnamani was not
summoned, but expected to have a
handshake with the senators and take a
bow.
Other members of the Board are Barrister
Aminu Dikko; Mrs Comfort Ken Saro Wiwa;
Engr. Janet Febisola Adeyemi; Mrs Yabawa
Wabi; Musa Elayo and Barrister A.U. Kanu.
[Vanguard]