All Entertainment OK

Ironic, yes, that is what some would say to the boundaries applied by a woman on their spouses or partners. A woman, though she tries to hold fast against any onslaught by a member of the male species that defines her in a traditional role, is just as likely to fall into these same roles by herself.

What Will You Find Here?
You will not find her anything but jokes and humor that slightly stereotype the female species of mankind, but all of these are posted here with the best of intentions. None of these are meant to degrade women or to put them down in any way.

Noted below are some funny and idiomatic behavioral traits demonstrated by women when coming in contact with partners of the opposite sex.

1) A woman can ask her man whether she has put on weight. But, there is only one answer to this question.

2) A woman loves to put down her own family. But, her partner may never agree or take part.

3) A woman also likes to put down the family of her partner. But, if he does not agree, then, he is blind.

4) When the partner does not clean up, it is because he is lazy. But, if the woman does not clean up after her, it is because she is tired.

5) If her partner does not like how things are going, he can go and get divorced. But, on the other hand, only the woman is allowed to think such thoughts.

6) Her partner should stop yelling at the children. But, the children have also to stop causing the woman to yell at them so much.

7) Why is it such a big deal for the partner to make coffee for the woman? But, on the other hand, if the partner asks, the woman retorts back that she is not his slave.

When the partner does not respond, the woman shouts and asks him to do so. But when he does, the woman shouts and asks him to shut up.

9) A woman complains against her partner who does not give in when the matter is important to her. But, on the other hand, every matter and incident is important to the woman.

10) When the partner buys something, he is wasting money. But, when the woman purchases something, it is because she only lives once.

11) The partner does not know how to say sorry. The woman does, but, it is just that there is never a reason to say it.

12) The partner has got to nurture the relationship. But, on the other hand, the woman is tired and needs her beauty sleep.

Conclusion:
A woman is infinitely more beautiful, encouraging, entertaining, wonderful and humane than a man will ever be. But, women have their own particular peculiarities too, and some of these have been pointed out in the above eleven female secrets of being.

Caution:
Characterizing someone, even if it is very politically incorrect, is not my intent, and this article is meant for laughs alone, so please treat it accordingly.

Sharon Gerad is a wife and mother of two, and appraises online casinos for gambling-portal gambling-portal and other gambling-portal.com/poker-rooms.html poker rooms and gambling-portal.com/bingo-halls.html bingo halls too.

There are many reasons you should play tournament poker. The main reason is because of the huge amounts of money you can win. Last year the winner of the WSOP (World Series of Poker) won 5 million dollars for first place! How else could you make that much money playing a few days worth of poker? I’m sure your not going to go out tomorrow and enter a huge tournament event like the WSOP, but the point is that tournaments can offer great rewards for little risk. You can enter tournaments for as little as a dollar fee to as much as a $10,000 dollars, the entry fee to the WSOP. Since you only have to pay the entry fee once you can only lose the cost of entry fee but you have the chance to win thousands of dollars or more!

Other reasons you might want to play tournament poker would be to improve your game, get more play time for your buck, and/or for more exciting play! Even if you mainly play ring-games tournament play can do a lot to help you improve your game. While playing tournaments you have to pay closer attention to the game, especially in No-limit tourneys. This forces you to make every play carefully so you will learn to play winning poker a lot faster in a tournament setting than in a regular ring game.

Some people may enjoy tournament poker strictly because you can get more play time for less money. You can enter a online tournament for a dollar and have a great time playing for hours. Tournament poker is also a lot more exciting because when your out of chips your done so when you make a all-in move it can really get your adrenaline pumping. It gets really exciting when you reach the final table and everything’s ridding on the turn of a card.

I myself love playing poker tournaments for all of the above reasons. I love the excitement, I enjoy playing poker hours at a time, and I love to place high in a tournament and get a huge payout as if I hit the lottery. So if you don’t want to win money and have a blast doing it you should just stick to you regular 3-6 game.

—- GET 4 FREE HOLD’EM POKER E-BOOK’S! —-

PokerBarDownload.com PokerBarDownload.com — Free Poker Player’s Toolbar!

winningholdemsecrets.com winningholdemsecrets.com — Free Tourny E-Course and E-Book!

PokerSecretsSchool.com PokerSecretsSchool.com — Free Hold’em Poker E-Course and E-Book!

The Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188 stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE HERO’S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Midnight Cowboy (1969), American Beauty (1999), The Graduate (1967) and many others (all deconstructed at the URL below) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.

and more…

*****Ultimate Boon*****

The Ultimate Boon is not necessarily for the Hero only. In Straw Dogs (1971), Janice kisses Henry.

*****Resisting the Belly of the Whale*****

Resisting the Belly of the Whale is often a norm, even for willing heroes. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), after sex, Ennis rides out alone, without saying anything.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/

The Managing Creativity and Innovation MBA dissertation, DIY creativity Audit, Powerpoint presentation and Good Idea generator software can be found at managing-creativity.com/ managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

Betting on sports has become more popular in the last few years. It used to be you had to know a bookie which is the name for a person who takes illegal bets. You can usually find one in almost every town in every state in America. Being that now most people have at least 1 computer hooked up to the internet in their homes online legal betting has almost become the norm at places like www.online-casinos-77.com and it is harder to find bookies. What has actually become the most common for of sports betting has become the office pool.

An office pool is a form of online-casinos-77.com sports betting wher several people in an office put some money into a pot the amount depends on the agreed amount per box, how many boxes each person wants to take and the total of people involved.

The person who starts the pool will usually come around to each person and ask them if they wish to purchase a box. You do not get to choose the box you get in most office pools. The person making the pool will place the names of the teams on some paper or it can be done on the computer. One team gets the vertical side and one gets the horizontal.
Then they will place scores next to each column and row in no particular order, so that now you have several rows and columns. When it is done what you have looks sort of like a chart. Then they will randomly insert the names of the people who purchased boxes.

Now each name corresponds with 2 teams and a score for both teams and what they do is usually at the end of every quarter or time period depending on the sport you are betting on, they will look at the pool and whomever’s name corresponds with the score at that point wins some money. For example in football usually the person who wins the first and the third quarter will get a small amount, the person winning at half time gets a larger amount and the winner at the end getting the largest percentage. There can also be bonuses for winning 2 quarters.

There are no set rules for an office pool except those you make yourselves.

online-casinos-77.com/tommy.html Thomas Jarvis (Tommy) is from upstate New York in a small town called West Port on Lake Champlain. He is a mechanic at the local marina and writes freelance articles for Online Casinos 77 ( online-casinos-77.com online-casinos-77.com).

One of the ways that we have to create a better understanding of the principles underlying each of the astrological signs is to look directly at the ongoing cyclical process that occurs in nature. By observing the birth, death and re-birth process that occurs in nature during the course of a year we can become more connected to the seasonal changes and also discover clues to the essential function or “job” that each astrological sign is responsible for. Starting in Spring with Aries we will move through each of the astrological signs to see how they fit into a greater whole. By becoming aware of the principles of each sign we can understand how each is an essential part of the larger process.

Aries - Initiation - Germination - Emancipation

After sowing and germination the seedling breaks out of the seed and makes its way through the soil to emancipation. The Aries principle is symbolized by the catalytic process and by acts of initiation and innovation. It is not necessarily the job of Aries to follow through! The job of Aries is to spring into action in new and innovative ways using their natural leadership and delegation skills to empower others to become involved.

Taurus - Formation - Fertilization

The outward impulse to manifest and thrive that was present in Aries now gives way to the methodical and practical shaping of the new life thereby creating a secure foundation for future growth. The Taurus principle involves the practical shaping and formation of value. Their job is to define and codify their values; what they own, so that they can actualize their potential and leave an inspiring legacy for others

Gemini - Dissemination

Now that the seedling is secure it begins to branch out and interconnect with a complex root system. The Gemini principle is driven by the compelling need to connect objects with one another to form ever greater links. Their job is to experience a diversity of sensations, thoughts and encounters so that they can create systems or theories of knowledge that are then disseminated to others.

Cancer - Assimilation

At the summer solstice the light is at its zenith. The budding plant has assimilated nurturing from the environment and is beginning to manifest an identifiable form. The Cancer principle involves the assimilation of impressions from the outer world particularly intimate experiences of nurturing. Their job is to create a secure and stable sense of belonging for themselves and others that stems from their experiences of positive familial imprinting or that is centered in their awareness of belonging to a greater spiritual family.

Leo - Fruition - Cultivation - Production - Actualization

In the heat of summer the fruit is ripe and ready for picking. The Leo principle relates to the ripening and expression of one’s creative energies. Their job is to tap into the beauty and fiery spirit of the divine child within and be role models for others in how to let that energy flow outwards so that it is brought to fruition.

Virgo - Discrimination -Perfection

The reaping begun in Leo now reaches full harvest in Virgo; a harvest culled using the discriminative faculties with the intent of doing it cleanly, precisely and with care. The Virgo principle involves analyzing and improving upon the creative output generated in Leo through discernment and efficiency. Their job is to utilize the discriminative faculties of the mind and their discipleship to improve and perfect the physical vehicle so that it becomes a purified vessel for Divine spirit.

Libra - Resolution - Equilibrium - Completion

The autumnal equinox marks the beginning of fall, which initiates a balance in nature. The falling of leaves begins the formation of fresh humus which will eventually replenish the soil depleted by the years growth. The Libra principle is associated with equanimity, justice and mediation. Their job is to be peacemakers; to promote a social consciousness that is just to all and to reflect and mirror to others the balance and beauty, the light and dark, of relationship.

Scorpio - Transformation

This process corresponds to the beginning of an inward turning period in nature when outer things gradually decay and life returns to the earth . The external forms have died back to leave nothing but bare trees and bushes above the exhausted earth from which life can flourish anew. The Scorpio principle involves the descent into darkness to transform the ego and to emerge as a powerful bearer of light. Their job is to be role models for others in the highest use of passion and power.

Sagittarius - Diversification - Expansion

After the decay and transformation in Scorpio the earth is now teaming with new life; earthworms are breaking down the decayed material and replenishing the soil with new energy. The earth is expanding the simple materials left over into complex nutrients needed for new life. The Sagittarius principle expands the concrete mind (knowledge) by demonstrating how meaning is created through the understanding of diversity (wisdom). Their job is to codify their philosophical and religious understanding to become role models and non-dogmatic teachers of universal wisdom.

Capricorn - Consolidation - Preservation

At the Winter solstice little in nature is left above ground and all living things have to consolidate and preserve their energies in order to survive the cold of winter. At this time of shorter days and ever increasing light the earth patiently endures, waiting for new forms to manifest. The Capricorn principle demonstrates how self-reliance and consolidation of power and authority lead to mastery. Their job is to be positive role models who demonstrate mastery of accomplishment and right use of power and authority.

Aquarius - Reformation

After the struggle for survival in Capricorn much of the life energy of nature still lies hidden below the ground In the Aquarius phase we see how nature disposes of her superfluous forms. Everything that has no more use or has not stood the test of winter is given up. The Aquarius principle relates to the breaking up and reformation of collective values. Their job is to be visionaries; humanitarian revolutionaries who have tapped into the next collective wave of the future and who are committed to being at the forefront of the liberation of humankind.

Pisces - Integration

In the final stage of nature’s cycle composting soil is ready for spring planting. The breaking up process of Aquarius is taken to its logical conclusion in the complete destruction of form; blending into the whole. The Pisces principle involves surrendering the personal sense of “I” to allow for integration into the whole. The job of Pisces is to teach us the value of surrender and to help us open our consciousness so that we can transcend our perception of separateness.

James Jarvis, M.A. is a transpersonal counselor, master astrologer, and LifeQwest™ Coach who specializes in helping you “Create the Life of Your Dreams.” Sign up for James’ free bi-monthly LifeQwest™ E-zine and receive a free 12-page report, “Keys to Right Livelihood,” plus monthly horoscope, coaching tips and special discounts on services. lifeqwest.com lifeqwest.com

Unlike old film cameras, with today’s digital cameras, there are many options and features that even new photographers will find easy to use. You can change the lighting, zoom in, change the background, take still shots, and so much more, The choices are endless! Excited? You should be as you are about to learn some very useful digital photography techniques for better photos.

Are you a fan of taking pictures in black and white? Do you like that old fashion look? Good news! Having a digital camera will make this easy for you as there are three options. The first thing you can do is see if you can directly take the picture in monochrome. This setting allows you to view what you are about to take a picture of in black and white on your camera’s screen. Right away, you’ll know how the picture will turn out as you’ll be seeing it right there just the same as you would see one of today’s contemporary pictures through the camera lens. Second, you could convert colored pictures into black and white by going to the gallery menu and selecting the black and white option. You also have the third option of printing them out in black and white which will enable you to have both copies—a colored copy and one that is black and white. You can do this by using the gray scale setting in the printing menu. Using these three options, you can enjoy that black and white look!

Taking pictures close up is another useful technique for capturing special moments, and it also makes it easy to block out distracting backgrounds. One way a close up shot can be taken effectively is by using macro mode. When using this mode, you can take sharp pictures being just inches away from your subject. Another thing that can be done is use the camera’s zooming function. When doing this, you’ll actually have to stand further away: however, you can still get an up close shot that is intricately detailed. Switch to portrait shooting mode of shots are further away.

Now, say you’d like to preserve objects that are moving. Using a digital camera makes this possible as this can be done by using the video feature. Many digital camera have a video feature that can record up to 30 minutes of video. Say for example you are at your child’s sporting event, and you want to capture the highlight of the game. A digital camera with a video feature will allow you to take both still photos as well as getting action video. And because today’s digital cameras are small, they easily slip into a pocket or purse and are easy to take along to a variety of family functions, vacations or events.

If you don’t already have a digital camera, you should consider getting one. Prices have some down and a good quality camera is not affordable for almost any budget. Using just these three techniques will explained above can enrich your picture taking experience. Never again will you have to miss capturing a moment that you want to remember!

To learn more about digital photography, visit digitalphotographybasics.net mastering digital SLR photography. Want to improve your photography techniques? See digitalphotographybasics.net/digitalphotographytechnique.html digital photography technique. Get advice for beginning photographers at digitalphotographybasics.net digital photography basics

“Play some Skynyrd!” was a call heard across Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Maryland this Fourth of July, but to no avail.

“The [Lynyrd Skynyrd] show was scheduled for July 4th, but due to inclement weather, thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rain, it was impossible to play,” said Ross Schilling, the band’s manager.

Both the venue and Skynyrd’s management agreed to cancel.

“We said we’d try to reschedule, and ticket patrons were advised to hold onto their tickets,” Schilling explained.

Bands are compensated rain or shine per their contract, Schilling explained. If they show up and are ready to play, they get paid.

“The band still would have had the same expenses whether they played or not. Some promoters don’t get rain or weather insurance,” Schilling said, which was the case with the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert.

Two days after the show, a release was posted on www.theshorebirds.com, the venue’s Website. It stated that Giant Productions of Easton, MD was working to reschedule, and would release information concerning their ticket refund policy. It also stated that as they continued to get information it would be distributed to all media outlets and posted on their Website.

Despite the statement that the concert may be rescheduled, one week after the show, Giant Productions decided to offer refunds instead.

“The promoter was unwilling to confirm a date we had in October. The band was going to come back for half price,” Schilling said.

Those that checked the venue’s Website or heard advertisements for the refund were given only two weeks to reclaim their cash.

“They only offered the refunds until the end of July,” Schilling said. “Everyone was kind of miffed at their only offering the refund for several weeks after the show.”

In fact, may fans never heard about the refund. Though it was purported to have been advertised on radio and through the Shorebirds’ Website, a number of those fans that were originally told to hold onto their tickets never knew about it.

“A portion of tickets weren’t refunded. There was $30,000 or more outstanding,” said Steve Yaros, general manager of Arthur W. Purdue Stadium. “The promoter had previously refunded 75 percent prior to the refund ending July 31. We’d done a large percentage of the refunds, but many customers were not happy that they didn’t hear the news.”

Calls came in to complain about the issue. Finally, one savvy customer made the connection between two of the three parties involved in the concert’s scheduling.

“There was one customer that contacted us and Skynyrd’s people, so out of the good will of our people and Skynyrd’s, everybody should get their refund by Jan. 5.”

When the band heard that their fans were left in a lurch, they took matters into their own hands.

“There was $30,000 not refunded, so the band stepped up to offer refunds. Of course people are very happy. It’s kind of unheard of. I don’t know how many bands go out on a limb to give money back. Ultimately it’s not their responsibility,” Schilling said.
Giant Productions’ owner, Ted Creighton, was quoted in “Delmarva Now” as saying that they had no legal obligation at all to refund the tickets, as “on the ticket, it says ‘all sales are final.’”

Though responsibility was one issue with this case, and though they were not necessarily at fault for fans not receiving their refund, as Shilling said, concert-goers don’t get upset with the promoter, they blame the band. Or sometimes, the venue.

“We simply rented the facility to the promoter,” Yaros said of The Shorebirds. “They paid a flat rental fee, we’re responsible for setting the refund policy.”

Though they set the policy, the promoter, Giant Productions, ultimately made the decision as to how long they would allow money to be returned.

“Whether I agree or disagree with the two-week period is not the issue,” Yaros said. “We have no stake in the revenue, but we do have a stake in our own reputation in the marketplace.

“This was the first time we ran a concert with this promoter, they’re a local business, very reputable. They’re just as concerned, but are dealing with their own financial issues with the concert being cancelled,” Yaros said.

“Right now we’re not going to come back with that promoter,” Schilling said of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

“We started up refunds about one week ago. We worked out a deal directly with the venue box office so that no one could access the money unless they were a fan or patron with an unused ticket. No other ticketing services can get refunds,” Schilling explained.

“We wanted to make sure the promoter didn’t have access to those funds, and that the revenue we put back would go directly to the fans that have unused tickets.”

Skynyrd may now find a sweet home in Maryland for their efforts in keeping their fans happy. Many bands would have let it slide. But for Skynyrd, whether it was their fault or not, they took on the responsibility.

“People pay for a ticket, they want their money back,” Schilling said.

Christine Paluf is the Editor of TicketNews.com TicketNews.com, a secondary ticket industry news and information site.

Downloading music has become extremely popular in the UK, but it can still be pretty confusing. There are some important differences between the major providers, so how do you decide which provider is right for you?Here are the major points to consider when looking at what each download service will offer you:

Do they have the music I want?How much does it cost to permanently download a track?Do they offer a subscription service or streaming?What file format do they use?Will downloaded tracks be compatible with my portable player?Are the downloaded tracks protected by DRM?The best known providers of mainstream music downloads in the UK are Apple iTunes and Napster. There are many other download sites, including Virgin Digital and HMV Digital (both powered by MusicNet). On Demand Distribution (OD2) powers several download sites including Oxfam Music and MSN Music UK.

How much music is available online?All the major providers listed above have extensive catalogues (generally over 2 million tracks). To see if they have the music you want, you can go the sites and search for music without registering or downloading any software. The Napster search facility is pretty limited without downloading their software though.

I searched for 5 randomly selected old and new tracks and found them on all of the major sites. (They were ‘Acceptable in the 80s’ by Calvin Harris, ‘Time after Time’ by Eva Cassidy, ‘Song 2′ by Blur, ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ by Marilyn Monroe and ‘Stan’ by Eminem.)

However, you will probably come across the odd track which you can’t find for download anywhere - the obvious example being anything by The Beatles (their back catalogue is not currently (May 2007) available on download).

There are some smaller download sites that cater to more specialised tastes, which frequently offer free downloads.

How much do downloads cost? One-off track downloads cost around 79-99p. All the tracks listed above cost 79p from all providers with the following exceptions:

All Oxfam tracks cost 99p, with 10p in every pound going to charity. The Calvin Harris track cost 89p with Virgin and HMV.

The cost of downloading a whole album is pretty variable, typically being 7-8 pounds for a current top 40 album.

What file formats do stores use?Most download sites (including Napster, Virgin, HMV and OD2) provide downloads in WMA format. These can be played on most computers with many media players, most commonly Windows Media Player. The major limitation to WMA files is that they are not compatible with iPods.

iTunes provides downloads in AAC format. Because they are encrypted with Apple’s FairPlay technology, they are only playable on iPods and a couple of new Motorola phones. However, you can play iTunes music on any computer, provided you have iTunes software or Quicktime installed.

How is the music protected?Most downloaded music is currently protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management). This limits what you can do with a track once you have downloaded it. Generally there will be limits on the number of times you can burn a track to CD or transfer to a portable player.

DRM protection is controversial and has been criticised by many prominent organisations and individuals. Therefore there is a current trend away from the use of DRM. A site called eMusic provides MP3 files with no DRM restrictions, and has become extremely popular despite its selective range of music. Most of its contracts are with independent labels, as the major record companies are reluctant to release their music without DRM.

However, in May 2007 Apple announced it would start to sell EMI music without DRM protection, and at a higher quality, at a slightly increased price.

Can I stream music online?Some of the OD2-powered sites offer the option of streaming a track (ie. playing it once) for 1p. You can buy a certain amount of credit, and use it for a combination of streaming and purchasing tracks.

What is an online subscription service?While all the services allow you to download tracks on a one-off basis, Napster, Virgin and HMV also provide subscription services. If you pay 9.99 a month, you can play any track in Napster’s collection, and download it to your computer. However, you cannot burn the tracks to CD or transfer them to a portable player. They offer a 7-day free trial which is easy to cancel at the end.

If you cancel your subscription, you will no longer be able to access the tracks you downloaded. If you pay 14.99 a month, you can transfer as many tracks as you like to a portable player. Virgin and HMV offer very similar subscription services.

So which online provider should I go with?If you have an iPod, it is probably sensible to go with iTunes, as most other sites only offer iPod-incompatible WMA files. If you have another kind of portable music player, you should probably avoid iTunes.

You then need to decide whether to go for a subscription service. This is probably the best option if you are a very keen music fan, or frequently listen to a varied selection of music.

Article Source - whatprice.co.uk” target=”_blank www.whatprice.co.uk

For more consumer advice visit whatprice.co.uk whatprice.co.uk

Here are four average movies that do not get any better the second time around:

Anger Management – 2 Stars (Average)

Anger Management brings young Adam Sandler together with old Jack Nicholson in a dippy comedy that borders on a romantic comedy without the dramatic bent.

Dave Buznik (Adam Sandler) is a businessman who is wrongly sentenced to an anger-management program following an incident on airline flight, but insult is added to injury when Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson), an aggressive, unorthodox therapist, becomes his live in roommate during rehabilitation.

This film is dominated by Nicholson, has a script that begs for better lines, and becomes annoying after awhile, which is very similar to Nicholson’s character in the movie. I am not altogether sure this movie would not have been better if the roles of Nicholson and Sandler were reversed.

Imagine Nicholson as a problematic, anger-management reprobate (not hard to do) and Sandler as a recent psychiatrist grad about to deal with his first real patient (easy to do). I propose this because I felt very little chemistry between Nicholson and Sandler as they were cast.

Anger Management is not a film I would see twice under any circumstances. Apparently a lot of judges felt the same way as awards were really absent for this effort.

The Emperor’s Club – 2 Stars (Average)

The Emperor’s Club reminds me of the aspirations of people starting out in life and the disappointment that inevitably comes when forcing one’s ideas upon another.

William Hundert (Kevin Kline) is a passionate and principled classics professor who finds his world challenged when a new student, Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch), comes into his class. A battle of wills ensues.

The Emperor’s Club needed a better script and suffered from the lack of a female presence. Who wants to watch a bunch of guys being smart asses? This gets to be about as interesting as watching flour turn brown.

The Emperor’s Club was not unlike the Dead Poet’s Society with Robin Williams as English professor John Keating, except Williams does a better acting job than Kline.

The message of The Emperor’s Club is negative and undermining; the message of Dead Poet’s Society is uplifting and encouraging.

Dead Poet’s Society earned an Oscar for Best Writing by Tom Schulman, and garnered three other Academy nominations: Robin Williams for Best Actor, Peter Weir for Best Director and Best Picture.

The Emperor’s Club was not even noticed at awards time.

The Fast and the Furious – 2 Stars (Average)

The Fast and the Furious is an action flick for guys featuring street car racing, macho wannabe men and mindless activity that sends a terrible message to every mixed up teenager who is out of control and looking for trouble.

Yes, the cars are great, yes, the race scenes are terrific for a fantasy world, and no, this film has no redeeming quality worth talking about. It is, in a word, stupid, and glorifies a stupid activity.

The Fast and the Furious picked up some minor awards for cinematography and music, but lacks substance and gets low marks for bad behavior. Save your money on the sequel.

Five Easy Pieces – 2 Stars (Average)

Five Easy Pieces was made in 1970 and 36 years later has become a cult film in the sense that it engenders a misplaced or excessive admiration because of an actor named Jack Nicholson and a restaurant scene that suggests humor but exhibits rage.

Robert Dupea (Jack Nicholson) is a successful classical pianist from a well-to-do family who becomes a worthless piece of nothing on his way to nowhere about 1,000 miles an hour. Dupea becomes one troubled and sad person who ends up as a trashy oil rigger.

Dupea surrounds himself with enough dysfunctional people to field a basketball team. One of Dupea’s lines in the movie says a lot: “I move around a lot, not because I’m looking for anything really, but ’cause I’m getting away from things that get bad if I stay.” Dupea just needs to grow up and stop feeling sorry for himself; he simply cannot come to terms with life and what it has to offer.

Nicholson does a great job with his role in the film (he gets his second Oscar nomination for Best Actor), but the script, story, ending and everything else about Five Easy Pieces is negative and worthless. The message of the film is just a sad, sorry excuse for living.

Nicholson becomes a major force in acting during Five Easy Pieces. He goes on to earn no less than 2 Best Actor Oscars (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and As Good As It Gets), 1 Best Supporting Actor Oscar (Terms of Endearment) and no less than 9 other Best Actor nominations.

Jack Nicholson is the most nominated actor in Academy Awards history. I was about to say he could win an Oscar nomination in any film, and then I remembered Anger Management with Adam Sandler.

Five Easy Pieces also won Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Karen Black), Best Picture and Best Writing by Bob Rafelson and Carole Eastman. Great scripts do help, but I find the message of this script disturbing.

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Ed Bagley is the author of Ed Bagley’s Blog, which he publishes daily with fresh, original articles on Internet Marketing, Jobs and Careers, Movie Reviews and Lessons in Life intended to delight, inform, educate and motivate readers. Visit Ed at . . .
edbagleyblog.com edbagleyblog.com

A Myriad of Questions

With increasing frequency I receive e-mails with questions from people interested in dropping out of the “rat race” and into a more interesting, rewarding way of life. They want to teach English, their native or first language, as a foreign language in another country. Their reasons are as varied as the people themselves; executives who want stress-relief, bored homemakers, divorcees, retirees looking for new purpose where they can apply their hard-won experience and knowledge, recent grads who want some fun and adventure under their belt before “settling down” to a more permanent career. Then there are the travelers who can “see the world” – for free - by working their way around the planet as they see fit. (They hope) Finally, there are teaching professionals who simply wish to ply their trade on foreign soil while soaking up as much local color in the process as possible. They often become career expats, like me.

Are you interested and curious about the prospect of teaching English as a Foreign Language in a foreign country? What do you need to know? How do you get started? Do you have to know a foreign language? How can you choose a good training program? Where can you go to teach? How much can you earn? Will you be able to travel? How about health and other benefits? This second article of a series will continue to help answer these and other questions, and hopefully, keep you pointed in the right direction to get going in this fascinating, rewarding field.

Online TEFL Programs

First, many online TEFL programs are not internationally accredited so you may have problems in many countries if this will be your only teaching credential. An online program may also not have as stringent requisite for observed and graded teaching. As a matter of fact, some may not even have an observed class room teaching requirement at all. You simply won’t be prepared to walk into a class room to teach a group of learners whom you can’t talk to in their native language. Not only will you be (rightfully) scared to death, but may fall completely flat on your “whatchamacallit”. Any good CELTA or TEFL certificate program will provide you with immediate “hands on” experience in working directly with EFL learners.

Second, online TEFL certifications are NOT accepted in several Latin American, Asian and European countries. For example, the Colombian Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and most high-level schools, institutes and universities WILL check this out thoroughly. You very likely won’t be able to work legally with only an online TEFL certificate. Be sure to inquire about this first, before you plunk down hundreds, or thousands, of your hard-won dollars.

Think carefully on this.

Otherwise you may well be wasting your time and money.

Want More No-Nonsense Information?

In this article series I can barely scratch the surface. You can get some additional information by going to www.ezinearticles.com and doing a search there for my name, “Larry M. Lynch”. You will then be taken to my free article postings on English teaching. Finally, don’t get me wrong, I’m not “knocking” any organization’s TEFL program. You just need to scrupulously check and compare what you’ll be getting and if it’ll be accepted where you’re planning to teach. With more than 17 years in the field working on both sides of the interview table, I’ve seen far too many things go wrong which could have been avoided by a more careful scrutiny of TEFL training programs. Yes, most internationally certified CELTA or TEFL certificate programs cost more and are far more difficult to successfully complete to boot, but, as the saying goes, you usually get what you pay for.

Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with. Good luck.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. For more information on entering into or advancing in the fascinating field of ELT send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know” send an e-mail wit “free ELT Ebook in the subject heading. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: mailto:lynchlarrym@gmail.com lynchlarrym@gmail.com