Friday, November 30, 2012

Example of a Short Story

To help demonstrate what I feel is an effective way to write a short story, I've whipped up a silly little something. I hope that this example can help you in any writing you're doing. To the story!

Sushi Jawa is dead. He died in 1973 after being bucked off his bull in his final rodeo show prior to his retiring. By the time the rodeo clowns had gotten the bull off of him it was to late. Sushi Jawa had suffered a major concussion and entered a coma for 36 hours before dyeing in a Red Cross hospital.

In the first few years after the end of World War 2 and Japan's defeat, Sushi Jawa spent most of his time devoted to developing his Rodeo Show to become somewhat of a hit and a tourist attraction as the "Only Rodeo This Side of the Atlantic". By 1952 Sushi Jawa's Rodeo was making him sufficient enough money for him to be considered medium upper class. Sushi decided upon looking back at his life prior to The Epiphany, as he liked to call it, that he ought to go back to America to visit his homeland. He decided he needed to know who he was, where he'd come from. He needed answers, and he intended to meet his son.

Example of a Short Story

So in the autumn of 1952 Sushi Jawa flew to The United States of America to his home town of Springfield, Missouri. He discovered almost immediately upon his arrival that his arrival that his father had killed himself about the time that Hiroshima was bombed. Sushi's mother had left his father and the grief and pain of losing the only two things keeping his sanity was too much, and he jumped to his death from the top of the Darth Vader building. After he found this out he figured he could at least find his mother, but it turns out that she died of breast cancer one year to the day after his father killed himself. Sushi was left with only one person in the world with his blood pumping through their veins, and that was his son. He found his old girl friend, who had since become a meth head, and discovered that she had put the child up for adoption about a year after its birth. Mr. Jawa decided that it was imperative that he find his child, and so he went to the local orphanage and looked up where his child had gone. He didn't even know it's name. He soon found that the child's name was Xavier and that it was a boy. He also discovered that the last that was heard of him he was in St Louis as a waiter at a Steak n Shake. He rented a car and drove to St Louis, and found the Steak n Shake, asked around for his address, and headed to his long lost son's house. No one was home so he waited on the front step. When his son finally arrived after an hour, he was obviously drunk, and when Sushi tried to tell him he was his father, Xavier hit Sushi. Sushi cried, but then knew that he had only him self to blame and that the only thing he could do was try and fix the world so that this would never happen to anyone again. He promptly returned to Japan and began putting fifty percent of his earnings from his rodeo into a planned pregnancy equivalent in Japan.

On one of his visits to the planned pregnancy clinic, Sushi made conversation with the secretary, and they arranged for a date. One thing led to another and they ended up getting married. 5 years after they got married, they had twin boys and named them Yoshi-mitsu and Mitsurugi.

Although Sushi Jawa died before he could see his son's finish their upper schooling, he still lived the rest of his days the happiest man alive, and he always remembered the Hiroshima bombing, and knew that although the situation was no doubt terrible, there was at least some good, because one man's life was saved. And through that he saved the lives of many others.

I put a lot of time into this story, so I really hope that you liked it. I think that there's a lot that can be learned from examining the writing of others.

Example of a Short Story
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I put a lot of effort into this story, let me know if it helped you or if you liked it!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Five Of The Best US Vacation Spots You Ought To Know

For many people, their vacation plan is totally based around the place they will be lodging. Most traveler are looking for the best hotels or resorts they can afford in trying to get the best and most memorable vacation. Around the country you will find a wide range of the best US vacation spots. It is really not hard to find a good hotel in the United States for your vacations. However several people are not satisfied to look only for good. They really prefer to get the very best.

1. Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa, situated in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is, beyond all question, among the best. Rusty Parrot provides its guests a rustic stop, that include wildlife safaris. In the fall the lodge offers elk bugling, grizzlies and wolves safari, exploring the nearby Yellowstone National Park and its wildlife. Wolves and grizzlies safari is also offered in the same area in the spring. However, if taking part on safari is really not your thing, enjoy their excellent dining room and go with one of the many other activities they offer, including white water rafting, horseback riding and golf. At the Body Sage Spa of the lodge visitors are able to relax and will love the spa experience.

2. Blackberry Farm is one of the top hotels of the U.S. that lays deep in the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. It is a great place for relaxation. Just right from the hotel you could enjoy the stunning scenery of the Great Smokey Mountains. There are a lot of activities guests can enjoy. One of them is to take part in fly fishing at the Clinch River nearby. Other activities are hiking, horseback riding, carriage rides and canoeing. Around the resort grounds guests are transported in exclusive Lexus vehicles. Kids can take advantage of the child care plan offered at Camp Blackberry, while parents can relax at the Farmhouse Spa and enjoy spa amenities such as massage and hydrotherapy.

Five Of The Best US Vacation Spots You Ought To Know

3. The Point Resort in Saranac Lake, New York is known as one of the very best US vacation spots on a lakefront. The resort features four buildings, the Main Lodge, the Boat House, the Guest House and the Eagle's Nest, guests have the option of deciding their room. The excellent dining room offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner to visitors fitting in their dietary restrictions when staying at the resort. There are numerous activities at the resort guests can enjoy. In the summertime at Sarnac Lake water skiing, fishing, swimming, and sunset cruises are favored activities. Other guests prefer to take part in activities such as horseback riding, hiking, badminton, or volleyball. In the wintertime guests can leave resort grounds to enjoy skiing at Whiteface Mountain in the stunning Adirondack Mountains. Another popular option is ice skating and ice fishing on the frozen Lake Sarnac.

4. The Peninsula in Beverly Hills, California is the right place whenever you are in search of a fashionable holiday resort where you will be treated like a celebrity. The Peninsula is the advisable option for those people who want a chic, modern lodging, located amongst the stylish residences of Beverly Hills and against the background of the skyline of Los Angeles. Guests can visit the city of Los Angeles, tour Beverly Hills or shop around at the renowned Rodeo Drive. There are numerous bars and restaurants at the resort, one of them is the Roof Garden, a terrace on the rooftop enclosed by an admirable range of plants and flowers and side by side to the pool and spa. The spa provides a diversity of body scrubs and numerous treatments such as Shiatsu, Reflexology, and Swedish massage.

5. The Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California located about 330 miles north of Los Angeles provides a totally different view of California. The Post Ranch Inn is the perfect travel spot situated on the cliffs and looking out on the California coastline. It is more like a lodge, providing a fun, relaxing ambience for their guests. The inn includes a full spa which features treatments such as facials, massage, and some specialized therapy. Some of the wide range of activities that are offered are Yoga, star gazing, and guided nature walks that make this place apart from others. Fitness room and pool are also available to enjoy the guests.

Five Of The Best US Vacation Spots You Ought To Know
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For further information about best summer vacation spots try visiting also the best winter vacation spots and learn more about how to choose the best cancun resorts.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

The Key to Effective Leadership: Defining Roles, Relationships, and Responsibilities

Well, you've read keys to leadership before, probably enough to fill a sizeable key ring! But let's face it, leadership is about people - who else would you lead? So if it is about people, there ought to be a way to systematically become more effective. And I'm not just talking about folks at work, but also about leadership with your spouse and children.

So what's the scoop?

The key, as in almost any worthwhile endeavor, has to do with having a plan. In this case the plan involves defining three important "people area questions": "What are my roles?" "What are my key relationships within each of those roles?" And "What are the responsibilities that go along with each of those relationships?"

The Key to Effective Leadership: Defining Roles, Relationships, and Responsibilities

First off, What are my roles? Each of us has roles in life, some more than others. You might have a role as a boss, or as an employee. You might even have both! You might have a role as a wife or a husband, or as a father or mother. My own key roles are as a boss, as a husband, and as a father. Whatever your key roles are, write them down on the left side of a piece of paper, and leave room between them.

Study those roles for a minute or two. Each role will have key relationships within it. For instance, if you are an employee, you have a manager, supervisor, or an executive you report to. That's a key relationship. You may also have a few people who work with you on a company team, and again, those are key relationships. Don't put everyone in the company down, but capture the key few. List the key relationships to the right of each role you have on your paper. Leave space to the right of each relationship, because you've still got more to do!

As an example, I have a role as a father, and the key relationships for me in that role include my three sons. I would list their three names to the right of my role as "father". Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

The third area to consider to make this leadership exercise work is the responsibilities that go along with each of the relationships. Take some time to think about these. What do each of these people need from you in order be more effective themselves? If you're a boss and the key relationship you are considering is that of an employee who reports to you, it might be communication. It might also be encouragement, or a regular time each week to give you feedback. In the role of a father, you have to consider the age of the child you're dealing with: a 12 year old needs a lot more time than an 18 year old; and the activities you do with him or her will be considerably different. Whatever those key responsibilities, as you think of them list them to the right of each relationship.

Now you've got a full sheet, I'll bet! The final step is to start taking those responsibilities and making time for them. And this is important: if you've identified your key roles, and your key relationships within each role, and your key responsibilities for each relationship, you have a list of some of the most important activities you can take time for in your life. Putting aside time here will make those who are important to you more effective. But it will do a lot more than that. Time spent here will heal hurt feelings, it will smooth out misunderstandings, it will energize interactions. You will find that you get along better with these people, and that crises will begin to disappear in those relationships.

And isn't that what true leadership is about...making others more effective? Try this out, I think you'll find that it works.

The Key to Effective Leadership: Defining Roles, Relationships, and Responsibilities
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J Timothy Connor is the president of Rodeo! Performance Group, Inc., a team of facilitators who help good leaders wanting to move up to the next level. He has been effective with business owners, corporate executives, middle managers, and has provided services ranging from leadership development to strategic planning. Are you ready to move to that next level? Call Tim and his team.

Monday, November 19, 2012

5 Easy Steps to an Elvis Presley Hair Style

1) Dye

If you want to look like the real Elvis Presley, it's best to start with straight to slightly wavy hair. His jet-black hair color was actually dyed, since he had naturally blonde hair. The King used blue- black hair color, but anything relatively dark should be believable. You can either get the color done in a salon, or most drugstores will sell a box of hair dye. If you are getting it done in a salon, bring in a picture of Elvis that is closest to what you'd like to look like. That way, the hairstylist can also cut your hair in his style. (*If you have no hair, you may have to resort to a wig. Any online store selling clown wigs will also have Elvis wigs. Just do a search for "clown wigs" or "Elvis wigs" and you'll be fine.)

2) Pomade

5 Easy Steps to an Elvis Presley Hair Style

Once you've got the cut and color taken care of, you'll need some styling products. You can use a gel or pomade. When hair is clean and a little damp, take a good amount of gel and begin to slick back your hair starting with the sides, and working your way to the top. you'll want to put the gel only in the top most layer of your hair, unless yours is very thick. To create a pompadour, you're going to want a little volume on top. An easy way to do this is to comb your hair straight up and then let it fall back, and also avoid using too much gel. If you're using pomade, you'll use a smaller amount and make sure to warm it in your hands before applying. It works much better this way and gives a more polished look.

3) Comb

Now that the product is in your hair, comb the sides straight back, sloping with the angle of hair growth towards the back of the head. Then comb the top or front section straight up and loosely back creating Elvis' signature pompadour. You may need to do this a few time to get it looking exactly right. If you feel like you're losing important volume, flip your head upside-down, comb all your hair towards the floor, right yourself and start over.

4) Shake it Loose

The only thing missing now from your hairstyle is the small piece of hair that often would fall out of the perfect pompadour, completing the portrait of the dashing young man. While your hair is still wet and having just been combed, flick the comb through a very small section of the hair right in front and it should fall out of the aerodynamic sculptured hairdo, and add the perfect amount of humanity and accessibility.

5) Facial Hair

To put the finishing touch on your Elvis hair, you must shave and trim your sideburns. While Elvis' sideburns grew throughout his career, they were never unkempt. Once you shave and shape around how long/ large you want you sideburns to be, take a good pair of clippers and trim down the hair length to an acceptable appearance. Following these five steps will bring you as close to channeling Elvis' hair as you can get.

5 Easy Steps to an Elvis Presley Hair Style
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If you decide to use a wig instead that is Okay Too! Any great Halloween Wigs Store will have an Elvis wig. If you cant find one, just do a Google search for Afro Wig, Any store with an afro wig will also have an Elvis Wig.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Jewellery Stores - A Glance At World's Best

Jewelry – a magical word that exudes bright smiles, diamond-like glittering eyes and deep, longing sighs. Ever since the human race evolved into an intelligent straight-backed species, there are evidences that jewels in the form of precious crude metals and stones were collected and considered to be forms of splendor. There are several archeological findings of hand-made simple and elegant jewelry in various parts of the world. No wonder that in the modern age, jewelry has gained such an important status in the global market and a nation’s fortune is decided upon its possession and utilization of gold and diamond mines.

Competition among the best brands is at its optimum level and today’s jewelers are the busiest in the professional market, trying to meet the never-ending craving for priceless elegant designs. With the revolution in the area of industry and communication, world class jewelry has come to the reach of urban man and is no longer limited to remain in the prized possession of royalty and film stars. No matter what the budget, jewelry, in today’s world comes in many different forms to suit your individual style. Every variety of jewelry has long since been the ultimate fashion statement and has stayed that way till date. The earlier small scale family jewelry shops have turned into massive corporate giants spewing thousands of fresh designs each year. It is quite an impossible task to bring forth the staggering number of brands floating in the current market. However, based on antiquity and their present grasp on the world’s economy, I am going to enumerate here some famous jewelry stores and brands.

America’s best jewelry brands and retail outlets

Jewellery Stores - A Glance At World's Best

Zale Corporation

Zale is one of North America’s largest retailers in diamond, pearl and coloured stone, and gold (rings, chains, etc) jewelry. It has a chain of 2350 outlets throughout US, Canada and Puerto Rico. The firm has four flagship bearers aimed at different jewelry markets - Bailey Banks & Biddle Fine Jewelers, Gordon's Jewelers, Zales Jewelers, and Piercing Pagoda. In addition to this, Zale also runs several outlets in Canada under the names Peoples Jewellers & Mappins Jewellers. Zales.com & Baileybanksandbiddle.com are the two official online shopping malls for sale of Zale merchandise.

A brief overview of Zale’s chains is given below:

Gordon's Jewelers:

This was founded in 1924 by Meyer M. Gordon. With further expansion, the business grew into a dominant regional jewelry brand catering to local fashion and style and it has continued the tradition over the years.

Bailey Banks & Biddle:

This was created by two American silversmiths with very little capital in 1832 and the brand was established in 1878. This firm of fine jewelers became one of the country’s prominent jewelry brands and now has a nationwide recognition. Bailey Banks & Biddle has grown to more than 70 retail locations in 31 states across the country and Puerto Rico.

Piercing Pagoda:

As ear-piercing started catching up with the fashion market of the US, jewelry store owners Bernard and Bertha Cohen found it apt to open the very first Piercing Pagoda™ in the Whitehall Mall in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, in 1969. This venture became a success story when women from far and wide came to their stall for ear-piercing. Piercing Pagoda has grown from a single retail location to a chain of more than 820 kiosks today satisfying customers throughout the US and Puerto Rico with its specialty gold jewelry.

Signet Group plc

Signet, a UK based company, is the largest US specialty retail brand capturing a major chunk of the US jewellery market with its 1,221 stores in 50 states. It reaches to the retail customers through the malls under the banner Kay Jewelers and regionally under a number of well-established and recognized names. The superstores operate under the flagship name Jared – The Galleria of Jewelry. Signet Group's US subsidiary is Sterling Jewelers.

Sterling Jewelers Inc.

Primarily dealing with sterling silver, Sterling Jewelers also showcases gold, silver, diamond, and gemstone jewelry, watches, collectibles, and gifts. It has a spread of some 1,220 stores in 50 states. Sterling jewelers is ranked number one in the US (ahead of Zale). It operates “Kay Jewelers” (as a subsidiary of Signet) as well “Jared the Galleria of Jewelry” (also as a subsidiary of Signet), and about 330 regional jewelry stores under the names “Belden”, “JB Robinson”, “Marks & Morgan”.

Kay Jewelers:

Since 1916, Kay Jewelers, with it’s headquarter in Ohio, has grown from one store to more than 800 from coast to coast. Together with Signet Group plc, its London-based parent company, Kay jewelers has been satisfying clientele in the US as well as other parts of the world.

Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry:

Jared is the leading chain of jewellery superstores. It is also the leading diamond jeweler in the US. More than 100 Jared stores sell diamond jewelry and loose diamonds.

Tiffany

Tiffany, established in 1837 in Broadway, New York, first captured the world’s attention with its intricate silver designs using sterling silver. Since then Tiffany has its name associated with presidents and royalty. It has captured significant chunks of the US and UK markets. In 2006, Tiffany has presented the Frank Gehry collection of jewelry designs in collaboration with the famous architect Frank O. Gehry. Dealing with diamond, pearls, watches, Tiffany stores are available all over the world like the one on 5th avenue, New York, Harrods in London, Printemps Boutique in Paris, at Sydney, Australia, Ngee Ann City in Singapore to name a few.

Macy’s

Opened in New York by Rowland Hussey Macy in 1858, Macy’s was just a fancy dry goods store. From such a beginning, it has made a long and successful journey to become America’s first largest retail departmental store. With over 800 stores all over the US, Macy’s showcases everything from items of daily use to exquisite jewelry, collectibles and accessories.

International stores

Boucheron

In 1858, Frédéric Boucheron founded his own jewellery house and opened a boutique in the highly fashionable Palais Royal district of Paris. The luxurious boutique quickly attracted a prestigious clientele. Over four generations, the family business grew into one of the world's best-known fine jewellery brands. In 1893 Boucheron was the first jewellery store to open a boutique on the Place Vendôme, a neighbourhood known for its urbanity and elegance. In this century, while remaining true to its unique tradition and legacy, Boucheron has become a name synonymous with aggressive and luxurious modern jewelry designs.

Dior

Christian Dior, based in France, has been luring the rich and famous from all over the world with handbags, shoes, and jewelry along with other accessories. Its unique trademark jewellery designs make it figure in the top international brand names. It portrays a unique style of producing solid jewelry items with tiny, simple patterns etched or woven in gold, platinum and silver.

Bvlgari

Since 1884, Bulgari has been setting the pace for Italian style in jewellery. It was founded by a Greek named Sotirio who had a flair for roman culture. With a high volume of creativity and innovation, Bulgari looks for inspiration from Greek and Roman arts without losing focus on originality. It experiments with gold jewelry in strings of pearl and colored stones. This gives a unique colorful touch to its products. Via Condotti was its first store boasting visits from royalty and film stars galore.In Rome, Paris, London, New York and Los Angeles, as well as in Tokyo and Dubai, Bulgari has created a niche of its own.

H Samuel and Ernest Jones

In the UK, Signet is the largest specialty retailer of fine jewellery with 591 stores nationwide. Primarily situated in prime uptown locations or shopping malls, the stores operate under the banners “H.Samuel”, “Ernest Jones” and “Leslie Davis” (a trade name related to Ernest Jones). Signet sells gold, silver, diamond, and gemstone jewelry, watches, collectibles, and gifts. Some stores sell china and crystal.

Ernest Jones specializes in diamonds, branded watches and gold jewellery, which are all merchandised and marketed to appeal to the more affluent urban customer.

H.Samuel offers a range of jewellery, gold, watches and gifts.

Peoples Jewellers & Mappins Jewellers

Zale Corporation has captured the Canadian market through two brands, Peoples® Jewellers and Mappins® Fine Jewellers. Both chains are well-known throughout Canada. They provide traditional jewelry items through outlets located in prime malls and other strategically well-placed geographic locations. Founded in 1919 as a family business, Peoples Jewellers was the first company in Canada to sell jewelry on a time payment plan. Mappins Jewellers began operating in 1935, by a British jeweler named Mappins working in a Canadian firm. Mappins was acquired by Peoples Jewellers in 1964.

D’ Damas

D'damas is part of the Gitanjali Digico Group which was established in 1966. It is considered one of the earliest diamond houses and the largest diamond exporting company in India. The traditional role of diamond manufacturers exporting the bulk of their production to wholesalers worldwide is no longer sufficient to remain competitive in today’s changing market scenario. The Gitanjali Group has therefore tuned itself with changing times by adapting newer methods. Being a DTC Sightholder and a diamond manufacturer, the Group has strategically positioned itself to manufacture and promote diamonds as well as studded jewellery all the way to the retail level. D’ Damas brands include “Asmi”, “Collection g”, “Eternal”, “Glitterati”, “Gold Expressions”, “Lamhe”, “Nakshatra”, “Origin”, “Solitaire”, “Victoria's Desire”.

Tanishq

Started in India in 1995 by the jewelry business group of Titan Industries Ltd (owned by Tata group), Tanishq is the fastest growing jewelry brand in India. Tanishq is a perfect blend of style and traditional elegance. It provides an exquisite variety of 22k pure gold jewelry studded with diamonds and other coloured gems.

Cartier

The name Cartier is synonymous to awe-inspiring jewelry since the beginning of 20th century. Cartier specializes in creating mesmerizing designs on gold, silver and platinum with gems and precious stones. Available worldwide, its flagship boutiques have been operating in Paris, London and New York.

Swarovski group

In the19th Century, Daniel Swarovski opened the door to the sparkling world of crystal when he invented an automatic cutting machine. Specializing in crystal artifacts, accessories and even innovative and elegant jewellery, the company has captured the minds of people globally with its exquisitely intricate patterns etched in crystal.

EROS Fine Jewellery

Located at the foot of the Acropolis in Greece, EROS Jewellery store is a family owned business. Jewelry making in Greece is traditional but exemplifies outstanding craftsmanship at reasonable prices. If you are looking for pieces of modern, traditional, classical or Byzantine styles you will find them all here. You can also manage to get custom-made jewelry at reasonable prices.

De Beers

De Beers originally based in South Africa, is the largest diamond mining company in the world today. Recently De Beers has launched a joint venture with LVMH (De Beers LV). This, in turn, has taken the De Beers name to the High Street with De Beers jewellery stores in the US, Japan, UK, France and Dubai. The first De Beers boutique opened in London in early December 2001 at the corner of Bond Street and Piccadilly. From there De Beers has carried on opening ten more outlets in various parts of the globe. Recently, in collaboration with jeweler Neil Lane, De Beers has opened a boutique on Rodeo Drive in Hollywood catering to the rich and famous clientele there.

Chopard

This Swiss jeweled watch-making company has clinched a name of its own in the jewelry industry. Its has its branches and boutiques worldwide in countries like Austria, Great Britain, USA, Switzerland, France, Germany, Japan and the Bahamas to name a few.

Damiani

This 80 year old Italian jewelry brand is a name to reckon with amongst world’s top film stars and royalty. Started in 1924 in Valenza, Italy, this flagship brand (owned by Damiani group) of exquisite and innovative gold and diamond jewelry has become the epitome of luxury jewelry keeping its balance with original traditions and elegance. Some of their newer jewelry collections include Tahitian Pearl Jewelry Collection and their Sophia Loren collection. The Tahitian collection features beautiful black pearls, diamonds and gold. Damiani has also won the Tahitian Pearl Trophy, Italy.

Costello’s online jewelry store

Costello’s was established as the Koala Opal Centre in 1955 in Australia, exporting Australian rough opal to Japan. Over the years, it has successfully established retail outlets in prime locations in Sydney and Perth. Costello is the also the national jewelry retailer and exporter of Argyle diamonds from Western Australia's Kimberley ranges as well as South sea pearls from the waters around Broome. Costellos.com.au provides an online portal for the sale of its exquisite gemstones and pearls backed by International guarantee certificate proving genuineness of the products.

Dubai Gold and Diamond Park

Long awaited and dedicated jewellery shopping mall has finally opened in Dubai. The jewelry at Gold and Diamond Park guarantees certified quality at 37 outlets in air-conditioned comfort. Their range of jewelry includes several varieties of precious stones, yellow, white and even purple gold, platinum items; and pearls. The park is an extension of the Jebel Ali Free Zone, so, the manufactures and retailers are able to benefit from lower operating costs, which, in turn, give the opportunity to compete in international markets. The exterior throws an Arabic look while providing cool, clean and aesthetic interiors. The shops are arranged around a central square where an open-plan French Connection coffee shop gives you the opportunity to sit and observe the whole operation. There is even a museum inside the park providing the history of UAE in producing quality jewellery products. The world class manufacturers have shifted their focus on this jewelry mall. Hence it is not just the common yellow and white gold that is available here, as Prestige Palace at the park brings purple gold to the Middle East for the first time. Pinctada Pearls, which stocks only salt water pearls, showcases black pearls from Tahiti, and pinky white and creamy white Australian South Sea pearls. The park also has its special hallmark on the jewellery made here ensuring originality and quality products.

TOMEI Gold and jewelry

TOMEI Gold & Jewellery Holdings (M) Sdn. Bhd. was established in 1968. With hard work and ability to foresee client needs, TOMEI has evolved into Malaysia's premier retailer, wholesaler and manufacturer of gold and jewellery. It has grown into a powerful contributor in the second largest export market for gold jewellery in the world after India. It has a chain of versatile subsidiaries and branches providing flexible services with ever-changing marketing scenario. Under the brand names “T.H. jewelry” and “My Diamond”, TOMEI has captured the Malaysian jewelry market and is a name to reckon with internationally.

China National Pearl Diamond Gem & Jewellery Import & Export Corp

China National Pearl Diamond Gem & Jewellery Imp. & Exp. Corporation, referred to as “SINOGEM”, was founded in 1985. It is a platform for the import and export of gold, platinum, silver jewelry/ornament, diamond and gemstone jewelry, jadeite and pearls; precious metals and finished products in China. It showcases its products under the brand name “Famous” to a clientele based in more than 40 countries.

Pearl Paradise

The Pearl Paradise, founded in 1996, has its showroom in Los Angeles, California. It mainly deals with a variety of exotic cultured marine pearls like Golden Akoya, Peacock Tahitian, and Pink Freshwater. It not only caters to the crème de la crème, but also captures clients with modest means by providing jewelry suitable to their budgets. Pearlparadise.com has turned into a multi-million dollar business and boasts fourteen websites in several countries around the world, including Canada, Germany, France, the UK, and Italy. Both the showroom as well as the online shopping site display same price for the chosen piece of pearl jewelry.

Tokyo Pearl

This Japanese brand existing since 1959, offers fashionable pearl and diamond jewelry in traditional and modern flavors. It’s Akoya, South Sea and Tahiti pearls have reached far corners of the globe like Moscow, Antwerp, India, Perth and New York.

Mangatrai Pearls & Jewellery

The company, founded in 1935 in Hyderabad, India, has pioneered in using latest cost effective techniques and modern innovative ideas to present the world with elegant, contemporary designs in pearl jewelry. For centuries Hyderabad has been the centre of world’s most exquisite pearls. Mangatrai Pearls & Jewellery showcases an unrivaled collection of South sea pearls, Tahitian pearls and Natural pearls woven in intricate patterns for producing the most exquisite collection of jewelry. The brand operates with just two outlets located in prime locations in Hyderabad.

Online Jewelry stores

Online shopping malls have come a long way with regards to sale of classic as well as fashion jewelry. With more and more websites providing seal of authenticity for their products, customers have got over the initial mistrust and are shopping for jewelry online like never before! The latest range of jewelry collections is available just a click away. Not only the signature companies have painstakingly built up their online portals for direct sales of their merchandise, but they have also opened their doors to other online retail stores. Due to low overheads, online stores offer better savings on signature brands than the retail outlets. A few giant online stores providing a wide range of jewelry from traditional to innovative, antique to modern, Celtic to fashion jewelry have been listed below for your convenience:

Forzieri.com (Forzieri is a name synonymous to access of classy Italian jewelry online. It caters to several countries all over the world including USA, UK, Australia, Germany and Italy)

http://www.tulumba.com/storeitems.asp?tag=130 (For authentic Turkish jewelry)

Ediamondjewelry.com [http://www.ediamondjewelry.info] (exclusively for diamond jewelry)

http://www.moonfook.com/ (For fresh water pearl jewelry)

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[http://www.bestindiansites.com/jewelry/] (for exclusive Indian jewelry)

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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Thing One and Thing Two Costumes Guide

Know a couple of mischief makers?

Think their old costume of dressing up as two peas in a pod is just not doing the trick? For any set of two whether twins, friends, or partners in crime dressing up as Dr. Seuss's Thing One and Thing Two is a terrific idea. Even while finding themselves in the middle of trouble, the dynamic duo are always having fun. And who could argue? With a red fleece body and electric blue hair life is nothing but a game. For parents with little time to spare these costumes can be put together quickly and economically. You will be able to take credit for two fantastic looking costumes, without breaking your back to do so.

Putting together the costume

Thing One and Thing Two Costumes Guide

You have many different options for putting together the costume. Easiest of all is buying already made outfits. Another simple solution is finding a plain set of matching red pants and a long sleeve shirt. For infants you might be able to get away with a one piece red sleeper made out of fleece. You will want the "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" logo across the center of the costume, so again an already made costume might be easiest. If you decide to make your own head to your local art supply store for white felt, black iron letters, and sewing equipment.

Start by tracing a small round plate onto two pieces of white felt and then cut out the pieces you need. Next iron on the letters to spell out Thing 1 and Thing 2 accordingly. Once your logos are complete you can sew or pin them onto the tops of your red costumes. Thing 1 and Thing 2 are nice and hair from shoulders to toe, so if you happen to have red shoes, lace them up. You can try using red felt or a red magic marker to color shoes of any other shade.

The arguably best part of Thing 1 and Thing 2 is their one of a kind hair. Fluffy bright blue and a tad eccentric, nothing else is like a Thing 1 and Thing 2 hair do. Trying to get away with normal hair dye certainly wont do. Having the right blue wig will make your costume complete and may come in handy for any other occasion to dress up. This Halloween show off that special bond and love for one of the greatest authors of all time while staying comfortable in a red fleece. For a family of three, thing one and thing two accompanied by a cat in the hat can be a great idea. Staying true to a Dr. Seuss theme might even win you some extra candy while trick or treating.

Thing One and Thing Two Costumes Guide
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These are the best thing 1 wig and thing 2 wigs that we have found. You should also check out this source for great costume wigs.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The Events in a Rodeo - What to Expect

Although they have been a part of American culture for decades, many people have never been to a rodeo. With their increasing popularity, some might be interested in going, but a little unsure at what takes place. Let's take a look at an average rodeo and what the first time attendee might expect.

First of all, professional rodeos in North America come under the umbrella of both the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA). Other governing bodies exist for children's, high school, college level, senior, Native Americans and other minority groups.

The events in a modern professional rodeo can be divided up into two categories; rough stock events and timed events. The major rodeo events are:

The Events in a Rodeo - What to Expect

Rough Stock Rodeo Events:

Bronc riding - perhaps one of the most iconic of the rodeo events. Riders try to stay on the horse for 8 seconds. They are not allowed to touch the horse with their free hand. A maximum of 50 points is given to both the rider and the horse. Both scores are added up for the total with scores in the 80 point range being very good and scores in the 90s being outstanding. Bronc riding is further divided into bareback bronc riding and saddle bronc riding.

Bull riding - essentially the same concept as bronc riding, but due to the size and unpredictability of the animal, bull riding is considerably more dangerous.

Timed Rodeo Events:

Calf roping - rodeo's oldest timed event, a cowboy chases after a calf, throws a lariat or lasso around the calf's neck, dismounts, throws the calf to the ground and then ties 3 of it's 4 feet together.

Breakaway roping - a type of roping where the calf is not thrown to the ground and tied. Instead, a very short rope with a flag attached is tied to the saddle. Once the calf is roped, the horse stops and the rope "breaks away" from the saddle.

Team roping - this involves two people lassoing and restraining a full sized steer. One person will lasso the horns while the other lassos the legs. The riders work together so the steer will lose balance and lie down.

Barrel racing - an event based on speed and agility. Barrels are set up in a cloverleaf pattern. Riders will gallop around them as quickly and gracefully as possible without knocking them over. At most levels of rodeo this is a women's event.

Steer wrestling - much like it sounds, a rider will jump off his horse, grab a running steer by their horns and attempt to wrestle them to the ground. Most likely the most dangerous event in the entire rodeo.

Goat tying - a rider approaches a tethered goat, jumps off and, similar to calf roping, throws the goat to the ground and ties 3 of its feet together. Intended for younger participants to gain skills associated with calf roping, it is not part of the actual rodeo competition.

Although not part of the competition itself, many rodeos begin with a Grand Entry where riders carrying various flags and banners enter the arena with the playing of the national anthem to follow. Variety acts, including musicians or trick riders, may take part in the rodeo also.

A big part of history and American culture, rodeos are always interesting and often great fun - especially once you know what events to expect.

The Events in a Rodeo - What to Expect
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You aren't likely to find a rodeo in Southern California, but you'll find the best Long Beach events and plenty of things to do. Visit historical attractions (http://www.everythinglongbeach.com/lb/attractions/) such as Rancho Los Cerritos, where you can discover the "wild west" of 19th-century California.