In a world torn by political, ethnic and religious conflict, only art has the power to unify, inspire, elevate, and heal. Our institutions make claims on our attitudes and loyalty; it is intrinsic in their nature to direct our energies towards fulfilling their collective goals. They are self-perpetuating. By limiting our perspective, they often divide us from each other. At the extreme, they may even split us from our deepest and most authentic selves. Though serving in many cases, a positive purpose, institutions are agenda-driven. Thus they may steer us away from self-knowledge and personal responsibility when emphasis on image, hierarchy, dogma or power, overrides more constructive human concerns.

Art, on the other hand, both the making and the viewing of it, encourages us to view the world in new ways, as well as to look into ourselves. A world without art would be intellectually and spiritually barren. Imagination makes all things possible, and art is the most profound outgrowth of the human imagination that is not subservient to external purposes (though of course, there are exceptions). Therefore, even in its all its confusing flux and diversity, art is perhaps the “purest” phenomenon among human endeavors.

On a personal level, the richness and mystery of life have intrigued me since I was a child living in rural Pennsylvania. I reveled in the sensuous beauty of forests and rolling hills. Read the rest of this entry »

Etiquette for guests are important. A formal affair is when this is of dire importance. However, with a causal party or event there are still some information a person needs to know. With every style of party, an individual needs to be on their best behavior so each guest can have a fun and amusing time. The host has various parts of the event to worry about. An unruly guest should not concern the other guests or host. There are simple measures a person can take to have fun and enjoy the surroundings. Almost every person has been taught some form of etiquette for different styles of events. There are simple procedures that a person can take to enjoy themselves and still be on their best behavior.

Invitations are sent out a few weeks in advance. It is polite to acknowledge these invites. Call the host or write a letter explaining if you can make the event or if you cannot. When the host is expecting a certain amount of people and half of those individuals do not show, time, food and entertainment is wasted. Let the host know as soon as possible if the individual is planning to attend. When the person calls and tells the host they will make it, ask if they can do anything for the event. It is helpful to the party if guests make a contribution. Most of the time the host will tell an individual everything is taken care of, however if something is needed be sure to accomplish this. Read the rest of this entry »

Plasma TV’s have been a common household name, first exploding on the market in the late 1990’s. Compared to what customers were used to, plasma TV display screens were very quickly applauded for the better digital quality that they brought about. Larger plasma televisions can be purchased with size’s up to one hundred and three inches, which make for an excellent movie watching experience.

Plasma TV’s differ greatly from the TV’s of the past, known as CRT’s. A CRT TV uses an electron beam that scans the picture from the top all the way to the bottom by different intervals. This then causes the phosphors to light up, which creates the final picture. A plasma screen uses a transistor electrode for each and every pixel, causing the image to light up much more evenly across the screen.

Plasma televisions are constructed so that the movies you watch feel as if you are watching them in a movie theater. The ratio of plasma TVs are 16:9, which are designed to match up to a person’s natural field of vision. As a result, billions of colors are displayed, creating a smooth picture and details that make the viewer feel like what they are watching is happening in real life. Read the rest of this entry »

Being a stand-up comedian is probably one of the toughest jobs in the world. Spending days, weeks, months, and even sometimes years perfecting a single comedy routine is a demanding job in itself. Going on stage and moving the audience to laughs can often be even harder.

While every stand-up comedian has his or her own ways of ensuring a successful show, there are a few tips that you may want to try to help your show go even better.

Use Your Experiences As Inspiration for Comedy

You may be the “fiction” comedy lover who likes to make jokes out of completely made-up situations, people, and settings. But many comedians use their personal experiences as the basis for the storylines in their jokes. Of course, not every situation we go through in life is comedic (let alone worthy of producing laughs). But a little exaggeration and a few imaginative additions to our real-life stories can make almost any experience “funny.”

Are you a parent? Then maybe you could build a funny story out of all the foam-padded, childproof-your-house gates, furniture protectors, and floor mats. Do you work with animals? Maybe you have a real-life incident where you were nipped that would make the crowds double over in laughter if you turned it into a story about a maniacal cat that nearly bit your head off because it did not get its hair combed to its liking. Clearly, you get the idea: real life can feed your comedy. Read the rest of this entry »