Scorpio's Child

Scorpios get a lot of bad press. They're vindictive, mean, and obsessed with sex. That's not really fair. Scorpio rules the house of sharing. They are the stewards of sharing money, resources, love, and yes sharing each other's bodies. It is their deepest most spiritual need to be completely connected, loved, and sharing from the depth of their soul. It's from this place that they are so easily hurt. Wounded Scorpios are a force to be reckoned with and yes, they're famously ruthless and cruel. How do you keep your own Scorpio child from becoming obsessive and mean?

Love them. Yes, all children need to be loved, but Scorpio children need to be loved at such a deep personal connected level. The worse thing you can do to a Scorpio child is to ignore them. They feel emotionally abandoned and never really learn to trust anyone again. You absolutely must make sure that your Scorpio child knows that you love them. Touch them with purpose. They need parents that are fully present paying attention to them. They are high maintenance children until they are convinced that they are loved unconditionally, then they become extremely self-reliant. They need to hear you tell them that you recognize them as the incredible souls that they are. They need to be taken seriously. Don't laugh off the dreams of a Scorpio child. You will crush their spirits and once they're crushed, they're cursed. Hug them with strength. Love them with your entire being. Really listen to them when they talk to you. They are incredibly wise old souls from the day they are born. They probably know you better then you know yourself. Acknowledge them and their incredible minds.

free google traffic

Reading Poker Hands

Reading Poker hands will dramatically increase your win percentages, but learning this skill is not an easy task. It takes hours of play, a good memory and an attentive eye.

Reading poker hands is not the most important part of any poker armoury, and it's not very useful for low stakes poker rooms either. Players at this level are not very skilled making them unpredictable and harder to read.

But as you become more experienced and start to move up to higher stakes games you'll begin to find that your opponents will actually be reading your play. And if you don't learn to read their hands you'll be at a big disadvantage.

This skill can only be developed through experience but by following these tips you should be able to accelerate your learning.

free google traffic

Solving The Murder at a Murder Mystery Party

If you are invited to a murder mystery party you have the chance to act out the role of your favourite detective - whether it's Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes or Inspector Morse.

While many murder mystery parties have a role specifically for the detective, everyone can join in the hunt for the murderer. Sometimes the games are written so that even the murderer doesn't know that they have committed the crime - so they can join in the fun as well.

So while these tips are particularly useful for anyone taking on the role of the detective, they will also help anyone else trying to solve the murder. (They may also help the murderer cover their trail...)

make money products

Film Review: Anything Else

I went to see "Anything Else" because I heard an intriguing rumor that Woody Allen had cut all of his own scenes out of the movie. It turns out that not only was he in most of it, there were two of him.

"Anything Else" stars Woody Allen as schoolteacher and part time comedy writer "David Dobel" who, despite participating in two of the lowest paying jobs in the U.S., can afford a vintage Jaguar. He befriends Jason Biggs as "Jerry Falk", a full-time comedy writer who would really rather be writing depressing novels about the pointlessness of existence.

Let's just take a second to look at this "Jerry Falk" character. Somehow by his early twenties he's already divorced, in therapy, and has become a whiny babbling intellectual with a well-paying writing career. Basically, he's Woody Allen, just younger. Oh good, another Woody Allen! Sarcasm!

We're clubbed over the head with how "urban" and "contemporary" this "comedy" is. They walk the streets of New York or eat in fancy restaurants for most of the film. They name-drop as many writers as possible. (Oh yeah, I've read that!) They over-use their thesauruses. They mock the idea of owning a survival kit. They hunt down hard to find records and memorabilia. They're all either actors or writers or singers. They listen to jazz. They're all fake.

The "comedy" part comes in a few clever lines that I couldn't remember if my life depended on it. That speaks to the quality of the jokes folks, not my encroaching senility.

You might be noticing by now that all I've really said about the plot is that Allen befriends Biggs. That's because, frankly, that's all there is. Sure, there's the awkward romance between Biggs and Christina Ricci (the only person in the movie who puts some effort into the performance). Still, it doesn't really go anywhere. He's nuts, she's more nuts, they torture themselves and each other alternately, and nobody's really happy. It would be funny, but there's no hook or plot twist keeping them together, so instead it's just sad and tedious. That's the plot.

make money products

The Paradox of Sarah Kane

There are some who believe that the world lost one of its finest late 20th century dramatists when Sarah Kane committed suicide in 1999. Her work produced extreme reactions in critics and audiences alike but many failed to appreciate the pure poetry of her writing until it was too late.

She was born in Essex, England, on 3rd February 1971. Her parents were both journalists and devout evangelists - religion played an important part in their everyday lives. Her father became the area manager of the Daily Mirror for East Anglia, while her mother gave up work to care for Sarah and her brother. By all accounts, Kane was an intelligent child who enjoyed learning, supported Manchester United F.C. and openly discussed God. However, in later years, when she had lost her faith, she described her juvenile beliefs as 'the full spirit-filled, born-again lunacy'.

As a teenager, she became involved with local drama groups and directed Chekhov and Shakespeare while still in school - playing truant at one point to be an assistant director in a production at Soho Polytechnic. After taking her A-levels, she went on to Bristol University to take a degree in drama, with all intentions of becoming an actress. She seemed at home in the theatre and was immensely popular with fellow students, enjoying their company to the full and indulging in a typically wild social life. She went clubbing, enjoyed affairs with women and became a great admirer of Howard Barker's Jacobean dramas (once acting in his play, "Victory") - empathising with his dark views on life and love.

make money products

Realism

In William Dean Howells' words, Realism is ' the truthful treatment of material'. But to the question 'what is truth', philosophy gives not only different answers, but also different kinds of answers, representing different approaches to the same question. That's why 'Realism' is also a term which can't be defined with merely few words. In fact 'Realism' is a notoriously treacherous concept. Vladimir Nobokov, comments on this in his post script to Lolita, as it is 'one of the few words which can mean nothing without quotes'. Many critics agree that when asking about the definition of 'Realism', it is reality itself which they bring into question. Reality is seen as something which has to be attained and this attainment is a continuous process that never allows the concept to stabilize or the word to offer a convenient mould of meaning.

In 18th century the words were considered to be 'the images of things'. For example, Melville in his Moby Dick gathers together every possible definitions and descriptions of a whale and what he shows is that you can never catch a live whale ----- 'You can only have a dead whale' ----- from the images of whale, as Tony Tanner comments in his book Realism, Reality and the Novel, published in 1969. Later this concept was modified in present language as the image of reality. But it should be remembered that this concept also makes it clear that language is the instrument to achieve reality, not just to create images, carrying with in its own material of truth.

make money products

The Ironies Of MASH

The TV show MASH ran for 11 years taking nearly every opportunity to bash the US involvement with the Korean War, which was actually an allegory for Vietnam. Many episodes showed a moral relativism between the US side and the communists, the doctors(with the exception of Frank Burns) made no distinction between the wounded and often talked about declaring the war a tie so they could go home.

The MASH set sometimes was a tense place to work, especially in the early years. One episode featured a sniper who was eventually shot by an army helicopter. Alan Alda objected to the use of gunfire to settle the issue, some on the writing staff pointed out that he had recently played an armed sheriff who had drawn his gun in a TV movie which angered the star who retreated to his dressing room.

Some who worked on the show speculated that the pro-feminist Alda had problems reconciling playing the skirt chasing Hawkeye. Although, he was always professional he stayed aloof in the early years of the show, going to his dressing room whenever there was tension on the set. Part of the job of being the star is setting standards of behavior for the cast, but Alda just wanted to deliver his lines, contribute his creative ideas, and fly home to New Jersey on Friday. One time he was asked to record a video greeting to Navy stations, he refused claiming it would encourage the troops to prolong the Vietnam war. Even at Christmas he remained withdrawn refusing to buy any presents for the cast and crew, going against traditional television star rituals.

make money products

Guidance - A True Story

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

My friend Ron had been laid off from his job. He was his young family's sole support. He loved and trusted the Lord, but he felt little sense of guidance about his future. Trying to collect his thoughts, he decided to make a day hike by himself.

An experienced hiker, he went up the mountain trial of a lone peak in Southern California in December. It was a grey winter day, and the mountain peak was wrapped in clouds. As he climbed the trail he hit heavy fog and had to carefully watch his steps. He knew the farthest place he could go on the trail, when he had to turn back in order to make it home by nightfall.

make money products

The Way of Light

The Netherlands is a country known for its religious, ideological and ethnical tolerance. But what is perhaps less known is that it is also a country religiously divided into a northern part dominated by a culture of Calvinism and a southern part, which is predominantly Catholic. Today, when people speak of 'below the rivers' they refer to the Catholic provinces and when they talk about 'above the rivers' they are pointing to the Calvinist provinces north of the geographical border of the rivers Maas, Waal and Rhine, which roughly run parallel to this historical and cultural border.

When the Netherlands declared independence from Spain in 1579 by the Union of Utrecht and were recognized by the peace agreement with Spain by the signing of the Treaty of Munster in 1648, 'the Low Lands' (as the Netherlands is literally translated), did not include the southern provinces. Only with the defeat of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 were these provinces included, and not until 1831 when Belgium gained independence were the borders constituted that comprise the Netherlands as we know it. Culturally though, the southern provinces and especially the province of Limburg (the hind leg of the Dutch lion) where I grew up belonged to the Catholic sphere of influence. Even in present day the Netherlands, it makes a huge difference in attitude and perspective on life if you are from above or from below the rivers.

make money products

Something in the Ether

There is something stirring in the world - a kind of intellectual buzz coming from seemingly nowhere. This buzz is causing a great deal of imaginative inspiration and the uncovering of ancient truths once lost to mankind and now being re-found.

When I was writing and researching for The Serpent Grail due out in May 2005 I was acutely aware of a void in the Grail arena. Everybody, to my mind, was going down the wrong path. Bloodlines of Christ, aliens and even medieval propaganda did not explain what I had discovered. It seemed there were no others on the same trail. And then another researcher called Gary Osborn got in touch. He wanted to tell me about an incredible discovery he had made. I welcomed his thoughts as I always do. But this time I was in awe. We had both come to the same conclusions from completely different angles.

Amazed and somewhat in shock we decided to put our thoughts together to create the definitive Serpent Grail book. Before this time there was a vacuum occupied by Messrs Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln and the spurious Da Vinci Code. They were all wrong and being lead down a path that simply was not true.

make money products

Review of the Vagina Monologues / Barbados

The Frank Collymore Hall was pulsing, vibrating, raving, crying, retaliating, and gushing self-affirmation when the Vagina Monologues came to the stage last Sunday evening, in a celebration of V-day hosted by the National Organization of Women (NOW). The Vagina Monologues is not only a revolutionary, provoking and eye-opening evening of entertainment, it is a bold step towards increasing awareness about violence against women and girls, and securing financial resources for organizations working towards stopping such violence and helping its survivors. V-Day was born in 1998 out of the Monologues, as its creator and performer Eve Ensler heard in her travels hundreds of women's stories of rape, incest, domestic battery and genital mutilation. She joined with a group of women to found V-day, a global movement to end violence against women. The V in V-Day represents Valentine, Violence, and of course, Vagina; and this word resounded proudly throughout the auditorium as Varia Williams, Kaye Foster, Amanda Cumberbatch and Cecily Spencer-Cross stepped soundlessly into the lives of different women from across the globe, to share the latter's experiences, or lack thereof, with their vaginas.

make money products

Five Steps to Blind Tasting a Cigar

For cigar aficionados at the dawn of the 21st century, it's difficult to find anything but greatness in the increasing availability of quality, handmade cigars throughout the world. Where once there was a small, Cuban-centric industry controlled by an elusive elite, there is now a blossoming global trade that is supporting the addition of fresh new players eager to highlight not only the high art of handmade cigars, but also the technology that is making them more affordable than ever. However, the websites, magazines and general media that are helping to rate cigars and keep quality in check are inadvertently producing a downside: how can cigar hobbyists objectively find the cigars that suit their tastes when price, ratings and brand-reputation weigh in to taint their opinion before the first draw is even taken? The solution lies in mastering the art of the blind tasting.

By following the five easy steps outlined here, cigar hobbyists, store owners and even professional tasters can be sure that they are influenced only by the inherent quality of the cigar they are smoking at any given moment.

1. Preparation

Naturally, a blind tasting relies on the taster not knowing which cigar he or she is sampling. Give a friend or family member a sampling of five to ten of the cigars you are eager to sample. Have them replace the labels on the cigar with a piece of paper marked only with a number. Have your accomplice match the number to the name of the cigar and keep the list out of your site until the tasting is finished.

For each cigar, prepare an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper divided into four sections. At the top of the sheet, place the number of the cigar you are sampling. Place headings at each of the four sections labeled Aesthetics, Construction, Flavor and Strength and General Comments, respectively. These will be the four elements you score the cigar on.

2. Aesthetics

As is the case when enjoying food or wine, the aesthetic of the item you are sampling is half of the appeal and half of the fun. For cigars, this largely pertains to the wrapper and the overall facade. Look for veins in the wrapper leaf. Is the wrapper smooth, dry and brittle, dark, light, silky, gritty, oily or coarse? Make observations on whatever comes to your mind. Remember: the idea is to capture your initial impression. At heart, did you like the look and feel of the cigar? Was it attractive to you? Or was it beat-up, brittle and worn-out? Rate your impression of the aesthetics on a scale of one to ten, pretending that you were judging an Olympic event. Don't be shy about withholding or offering decimal points for minor details.

make money products

Superstition - A World of Make Believe?

Superstitions are part of our heritage, transporting us to a distant past that links with the roots of our culture. The ancient lores of our forefathers are still very much alive, many having remained unchanged for hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years.

Rational thought and the advance of science together cast doubt on the real dangers involved yet many of us still feel we ought to be careful.

There are hundreds of common daily activities which are linked to superstition, each culture having its variations. Even those of you who say "I'm not superstitious!" have probably at some point tried to avoid walking under a ladder, stepping on cracks, knocked on wood, blessed a person sneezing, or crossed your fingers. Just in case.

Here are some of the more common superstitions and their meanings:

1. It's bad luck to walk under a ladder.

A leaning ladder forms a triangle with the wall and ground. Triangles represent the Holy Trinity, and violating the Trinity by breaking it (walking through it) would put you in league with the devil himself. Considering what Christians did to those who were considered to be in league with the devil, it's hardly surprising that leaning ladders were avoided at all cost.

2. Friday the Thirteenth

The idea that a this particular date would bring bad luck has its roots in both Norse and Christian beliefs. The Scandinavians believed that the number 13 was unlucky due to the mythological 12 demigods being joined by a 13th, an evil one, who brought misfortune upon man.

home design ideas

Bob Hope Wasn't The Only One Who Used Idiot Cards

When Bob Hope moved into television, he lost the opportunity to hold his script in his hand , something he had gotten used to working in radio. The presentation would look too stiff to his audience. He tried to memorize his monologues, but that proved to be too cumbersome of a task and it took away from his golf game. The solution was cue cards, or idiot cards as they are known in the industry. This worked well for the performer, but was hazardous for others. On one of Hope's early NBC broadcasts a well meaning assistant director held up the cards so his star could read them, then tossed them back over his shoulder almost decapitating several members of the studio audience.

Idiot cards are a way for performers to lose the respect of their co-stars. James Caan, Robert Duvall and the rest of the cast of the 1972 classic, The Godfather , were thrilled to meet the star of the movie Marlon Brando. Actor Lenny Montana, who played the thuggish character Luca Brasi was so in awe of Brando he kept fumbling his lines when they both shared the same scenes. Director Francis Ford Coppola made it work by having the character of Luca nervously rehearse what he was going to say prior to meeting the Don, making the situation appear seamless. But if Montana was willing, if unable to learn his lines, Brando was not. In his scenes there were cue cards everywhere, causing Duvall to yell at him," Marlon, why don't you learn your lines you fat #*^%*@!"

interior designing

Titanic Anecdotes

Studio executives in High Concept Hollywood have very short attention spans. When pitching a film idea, many believe if you can't do it in one sentence it is an unmarketable product. For example Planet Of the Apes (1968) starring Charlton Heston was pitched by producer Arthur Jacobs as "Moses Talks To Monkeys". Passenger 57( 1992) with Wesley Snipes was known as "Diehard On a Plane." Director James Cameron, despite a strong track record with films like Aliens (1986) and True Lies (1994) knew he would have a tough selling job after he went deep sea diving with Dr. Robert Ballard to glimpse the remains of the RMS Titanic. He became so emotionally involved by the experience that the sinking of the famous luxury liner in 1912 had to be the subject of his next picture. His pitch to the nervous executives at Twentieth Century Fox was," Romeo and Juliet on a doomed ship." There was a tense pause and Cameron said," Also fellas it's a period piece, it's going to cost $150,000,000 and there's not going to be a sequel." Fox, a studio which had known great success with both The Love Boat (1977-1986) TV show and The Poseidon Adventure (1972) was dubious about the idea's commercial prospects. But wanting a long term relationship with Cameron they gave him a green light.

interior designing

Tales Of The Warner Brothers

The four Warner Brothers, which included the womanizing Jack, the conservative Harry, the quiet Albert and the visionary Sam, had risen from obscurity with The Jazz Singer (1927) the first famous and financially successful talking movie ever made. Tragically, Sam Warner, the real brains behind the whole project, died of a brain tumor two days before The Jazz Singer's debut. Jack was thrilled by the film's success, but crushed by his brother's death. He became difficult to deal with for the rest of his life. His older and more conservative brother Harry and he fought constantly over money and Jack's womanizing ways. One time Harry chased Jack through the studio with a two by four threatening to kill him. The feud became so bitter that Jack opted to play tennis rather than attend Harry's funeral in 1958. One time Jack met Albert Einstein," Mr. Einstein, I have my own theory of relativity. Don't hire them."

Warner was fascinated by Einstein especially the physicists detailed descriptions of stars. After he left Jack told a staff member," Sign this Betelgeuse guy to a contract. Einstein think he has potential."

Despite or maybe because of his aborted singing career, Jack Warner seemed to resent similar ambitions in others. One day her was strolling through the studio lot when he heard a young man singing with a beautiful voice. It was coming from the security guard shack. Curious, the mogul walked up to question his startled employee.

"Young man, was that you singing?" "W-why yes Mr. Warner." "Young man you have a beautiful voice." "Oh thank you Mr. Warner." "MM. Tell me, young man, what would you rather be? A security guard or a singer?" "Oh Mr. Warner, I dreamed of being a singer." "Ok young man. You're fired!"

interior designing

When Stars Collide

During the silent era it was thought a waste of money to make a movie with more than one star. Personalities like Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton were considered potent enough box office on their own. But with dwindling attendance during the great depression MGM decided to feature Hollywood's first all star ensemble cast in Grand Hotel (1932) starring the mammoth egos of Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, John Barrymore and Greta Garbo. The director Edmund Goulding was unable to let Joan Crawford and Garbo have any scenes together for fear they might try to upstage each other. Although she complimented her Swedish co-star's beauty, Crawford hated Garbo's demands for top billing. Knowing that Greta hated tardiness and Marlene Dietrich, Crawford was constantly late and played Dietrich's records loudly on the set.

Crawford had another classic encounter with rival Bette Davis on the set of Whatever Happened To Baby Jane (1962). Betty, knowing that Joan was the widow of Alfred Steele, the former head of the Pepsi Corporation, had a Coke dispenser brought in for the cast and crew. When Joan was late Bette, an often nasty woman but a total pro, would proclaim loudly," Is the Widow Steele ready yet?" Joan retaliated by lining her dress pockets with weights so in a scene when Davis had to drag Crawford's nearly dead character across the floor, she almost broke her back.

interior designing

Tales Of A Hollywood Tour Guide

Author/Narrator Stephen Schochet researched Hollywood and Disney stories and lore for 10 years while giving tours of Hollywood. He had the unique idea the stories could be told anywhere and that's what led him to create the critically acclaimed audiobooks "Fascinating Walt Disney" and "Tales Of Hollywood". Here he shares some stories that happened while he was actually giving tours:

On one tour I pointed out the Fox Plaza, the building that was blown up in the movie Die Hard. A tourist asked me "How did they put that building back together so fast?"

* On the tour we stop at Rodeo Drive. The people were returning to the bus after their visit and Steve Garvey came walking by. A life long Dodger fan I said," Hi Steve." Happy for the recognition, he came over to meet the people on the bus. Unfortunately, the entire group was from England and Germany and not a single person knew who he was.

* The day after OJ Simpson was arrested, I was doing a tour where we stopped in front of the Chinese Theater. My customers were looking at the handprints and footprints, while I stretched my legs near a row of parked tour buses. Two men, one with a filming camera approached me. "Hi We're from CNN. Are you a tour guide? We would like to interview you about OJ." "Sure." "Great. Roll the camera. We're talking to a Hollywood tour guide. So did your customers ask you today about OJ's house." "Well today my people are from Romania. They are here for the World Cup. I don't think they care about OJ." "Well will you be adding OJ's house to the tour?" "Probably not because he lives west of the 405. We go east of the 405 and we are so pressed for time. I wouldn't be surprised if we have some guys who point at any old house and claim that it's OJ's!" I was kidding but the reporter took me quite seriously. "So tour guides do that do they? What tour company do you work for?" I thought, who does this guy think he is, Mike Wallace? I pointed at one of the buses owned by a rival tour company.

interior designing

It's A Wonderful Movie

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) began as a short story called "The Greatest Gift". Writer Philip Van Doren Stern was unable to sell it to a publisher, so he sent the tale out as a long Christmas card to friends. His agent subsequently sold the fable to RKO pictures, where it went through several transformations. In one version a losing political candidate contemplated suicide, only to have an angel convince him to stick around and do good works. Finally it fell into the hands of Director Frank Capra who cried when he read it, said it was the story he had been looking for all his life, and purchased it to be the first project for his new production company, Liberty Films.

To play the unassuming savings and loan clerk, Capra wanted Jimmy Stewart who he had previously worked with in You Can't Take It With You (1938) and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939). But coming back from World War II, the thirty-seven year old Stewart was no longer the easy going man about town he had been in the thirties. The former Academy Award winner for The Philadelphia Story (1940) had led a thousand men in bombing missions in the European theater in hard to maneuver B-24s. The loud engines damaged his hearing, in later years people when people would greet him and he would fail to respond, some would mistake his deafness for a cold personality. He was uncertain after five years away from the screen if he still wanted to be in the movies. Sometimes the profession seemed so humiliating. In 1943 when Stewart had tried to stay in the best hotel in Madrid, he was turned away because he was an actor. He went back to the air force base, got his Lieutenant Colonel's uniform and then they let him in.

interior designing

A Miraculous Movie

It was originally called The Big Heart. Daryl Zanuck the shrewd head of Twentieth Century Fox couldn't buy the image of Santa Claus in a court room. But like so many ventures Miracle On 34th Street (1947) came about because of passion, in this case that of Director George Seaton who had gone to New York on his own and made arrangements with the real Mr. Macy and Mr. Gimbel to film inside their department stores. Impressed by Seaton's commitment Zanuck gave the show a green light.

Who would play the little girl who didn't believe in Santa Claus? Seaton agonized over it, until the assistant director remembered an amazing child prodigy from Santa Rosa, California who could cry on cue. Her name was Natasha Nikolaevna Gurdin renamed Natalie Wood after director Sam Wood . The same Natalie Wood who would later go out on a hotel room ledge and threaten to jump when her boyfriend Elvis Presley ignored her to play poker with Memphis Mafia. The same girl who would infuriate fellow cast members of West Side Story (1961) with her tardiness, her refusal to learn simple dance steps and her insistence on long lunch breaks to visit with her analyst. But the seven-year-old Natalie had none of the typical child star precocious behavior, she gained the respect of her co-stars on the Miracle set with her professional demeanor, earning the nickname One-Take-Natalie.

interior design

Can I Have Your Autograph?

Being a celebrity means dealing with fan demands for autographs, ranging from polite and appropriate to rude and overbearing. One time Katherine Hepburn was performing on Broadway and tried to exit backstage through a crowd of jostling autograph hounds. Bodyguards helped her to her limo and once safely inside the very private star rolled down the window and shouted," Run em down! We'll clean up the blood later!" The crowd scattered and the limousine sped away, pausing long enough for Hepburn to roll down the window and wave goodbye to her fans, accompanied by an evil laugh. Strangely enough, when she lived in Beverly Hills the seclusion loving Hepburn developed the habit of sneaking into her neighbor's houses as a hobby. She became expert at climbing trees, avoiding alarms and dogs, and revealing herself just before her nervous neighbors called the police.

Walt Disney had the strange experience in the 1930s of having his name famous around the world when his face was not. Often he would forget his identification and that combined with his casual attire sometimes kept him out of fancy restaurants. Later in the 50's he became a recognized figure because of his television hosting duties. The lack of anonymity made it increasingly difficult for him to walk through Disneyland without being badgered for autographs. Disney struggled not to be brusque while explaining he didn't have time, he was trying to make the park a better place. In the 60's when the company was trying to purchase Florida marshland for a second amusement park, he was warned by his advisors to stay away from the state, the real estate prices would go up once the identity of the buyer was known. But Disney couldn't resist. Eating in a Orlando diner Walt was approached by a curious waitress,"Pardon me. Aren't you Walt Disney?" Walt who was known for being brutally honest, replied," Hell no! And if I see that sob, I'll give him a piece of my mind."

interior design

Hungry For Overkill

I don't have much time to watch television. Being the lazy person that I am, I usually let other people in the family do my watching for me.

But some events are just so important that I have to watch them myself. Such was the case with the finals of this year's American Idol. The space shuttle Columbia crash in Texas earlier in the year was another event that (sadly) I just had to watch. And I certainly did not want to miss the thrill of seeing the America's Cup sail into Switzerland.

Of course, I regularly turn on the tube whenever a George Bush invades Iraq. Hopefully, this one will soon finish invading; my electricity bill is suffering.

The latest must-see event is the Michael Jackson arrest, an event of such momentous importance that all news shows, gossip shows, comedy shows and just about everybody else is offering wall-to-wall coverage. It has been estimated that 37% of the American population has been interviewed by the media for their inside-knowledge of "the pop superstar's" personal life.

house designs

Ten Percent Of Jimmy Stewart

Jimmy Stewart was seen one night in 1933 in New York performing on stage as a female impersonator by an MGM talent scout. He was signed to a contract to come to California to work for the prestigious studio. Studio Head Louis B. Mayer expressed doubt when he first saw him,"He's so skinny! A beanpole." Efforts were made to put weight on him, the 133 pound actor was constantly sharing butterfingers candy bars with Ann Miller which seemed to fatten her up more than him.

If Mayer was unimpressed by his new star's physique, his behavior was a refreshing change compared to some of the prima donnas at MGM like the usually drunk Spencer Tracy, or the demanding to be alone all the time Greta Garbo. Stewart never complained about his salary or workload. Whatever the task be it screen tests or B-movies, he was always on time and knew his lines, although sometimes his trademark stammering lead to extra takes. If they loaned him to a lesser studio like Columbia, he was just happy to be working. Slowly, in the late thirties with great performances in Frank Capra movies like You Can't Take It With You (1938) and Mr. Smith Goes To Washington(1939), Stewart's star rose as did the respect for his talent. He became known as a swinging lady's man around town. Mayer was surprised and delighted by his Academy Award for the Philadelphia Story (1940) as well as his humble gesture of sending the Oscar statue home to Indiana, Pa. for his father to display in the Stewart family hardware store.

house designs

Strange Encounters With Hollywood Legends

Meeting famous people is often a surreal experience for both parties. In 1956 when Elvis Presley arrived in Hollywood he and his entourage stayed at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. One day he got into the elevator. "What floor?" asked the operator. "Tenth please." The operator looked at him with disdain. "You can't go up to the tenth floor. Elvis is staying there. No one is allowed there." A bemused Presley said," I know. I'm Elvis." The hotel employee stared at him for a long moment then said," Well I don't care who you are, you can't go to the tenth floor." The amiable singer agreed to go to the eleventh floor and walked down the stairs to the tenth.

Some entertainment organizations are so vast that employees don't always recognize the people at the top. Walt Disney who often was harsh with those who worked for him, had no patience for anyone at Disneyland who was rude to the customers or as he put it, the guests. One time when an unfriendly security guard prevented he and his wife Lillian from getting on a ride, Walt fired him reasoning the man would be unpleasant with others. But if someone was doing their job they had nothing to fear from the boss.

house designs

Do You Know Who I Am?

One dilemma that the super famous face is balancing the needs of privacy and recognition. One time in New York an unnoticed Marilyn Monroe was walking down Madison Avenue accompanied by Eli Wallach. " My God, don't these people know who you are?" Wallach asked her. Marilyn, whose application of make-up took nearly as long Boris Karloff''s Frankenstein Monster, grinned at him. "I'm only recognized when I want to be. Watch this." She began to swing her hips and walk in a way that was familiar to movie goers and was eventually mobbed by adoring fans.

For some stars privacy is an overrated commodity. In 1919, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford went on their European honeymoon. The two international icons had divorced their previous spouses and were concerned about how they would be greeted. They needn't have worried. In London their limousine was surrounded by admiring women who pulled Mary out of the car to shake her hand, still grateful after two year for her efforts selling war bonds. In Paris they couldn't get any sleep with crowds gathering below their hotel room to serenade them. In Amsterdam they attended a party and were mobbed by other guests who wanted to get close to them. The acrobatic Fairbanks placed his wife on her shoulder and escaped through the window. Finally, they found privacy in Hamburg, because of World War I their movies were not shown there. For an hour the famous newlyweds walked the streets unnoticed until the bored Mary turned to her husband and said,"Doug I'm sick of this. Let's go back to one of those countries were they mob us."

house designs

Who Lives In The Star Wars Galaxy?

It's hard to say where old Hollywood ended and new Hollywood began. People in the industry don't think of themselves as making history, they are just going to work. But the day in 1967 that Jack Warner cleaned out his desk at Warner Bros. studio, George Lucas and Frances Ford Coppola arrived on the lot.

The two young filmmakers were very different in demeanor. Coppola a legend at UCLA film school was 27, a loud boisterous mixture of mogul and marxist, who prided himself in dressing like Fidel Castro. He impressed film executives at first with his bravado, but later would upset them with his reckless overspending. Five years younger, Lucas, who went to USC, was quiet and introspective. The only guys at Warners who were below 30 and wore beards, they hit it off instantly with Coppola taking the mentor role. Lucas had made a thirteen minute science fiction film project called THX 1138, a dark look at a computer controlled future. Coppola convinced his protégé to extend it into a full-length film and talked Warner Bros. into financing it.

house designs

Bob Hope Stories

Once when he was a little boy in England, Leslie Hope (He later renamed himself Bob after a race car driver he idolized) wanted to pick an apple off a tree. Symbolic of his career, he didn't want just any apple but the highest one possible. He lost his balance, fell and permanently changed the shape of his nose.

house designs