Springs Preserve in Las Vegas

Springs Preserve in Las Vegas
It's a type of region humans must go to great lengths to tame. Or is it? One afternoon at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas will enlighten you to the vast array of bustling life that thrives in a desert ecological system. You'll soon be thinking: Beautiful. Bountiful. Vigorous.

The Springs Preserve in Las Vegas is an 180-acre cultural museum and natural habitat that takes you through a vivid chronicling of the Mojave Desert's history from dinosaur to human times. This inspiring destination simultaneously educates and thrills with high-tech demonstrations of life in the desert and a low-tech assembly of native animals. Guests of all ages will enjoy the thrilling flash flood simulation, the artifacts portraying life in Las Vegas when it was still a desert mining town, and the snakes, lizards and spiders that slither around their enclosures.

The Origen Museum is perhaps the most popular of the Springs Preserve's many offerings because it houses live exhibits of creepy crawlies including sidewinders, scorpions and black widow spiders. Here you'll also encounter other native desert dwellers such as nine species of lizards, Desert Cottontails, Pocket Gophers, Gary Foxes and the infamous Gila Monsters. An expansive working ant colony and live bat cave add to the excitement as you watch these animals scurry and hide and interact with their natural exhibits. If you want to learn more, guides and informational stations explain how these amazing creatures adapted to the Mojave's extreme temperatures.

While it's easy to be distracted by the live animals, the Origen building is also worthy of your attention. A glass and steel work of art, it features an expansive rotunda inspired by the desert's serene ambiance and earthy hues. An artistic representation of a spring flows beneath the perforated steel and glass flooring. Granite sculptures defy gravity. You could spend a lot of time merely admiring the lobby.

But then you might miss the beautiful Botanical Garden. Here you'll meander through delicate rose and cactus displays and admire bright vegetable and fruit gardens. If you get hungry, Wolfgang Puck's Springs Cafe is located here and sending scents of gourmet casual fare wafting through the air. The cafe offers organic, healthful cuisine that will leave your taste buds rejoicing.

If you love the Botanical Garden, you can pledge your eternal love here. Breathtaking indoor and outdoor weddings can be arranged. Your nuptials and reception will be eco-friendly and catered by the Wolfgang Puck Cafe. Packages range from $750 for intimate ceremonies in the Rotunda to $2100 for grand affairs in the amphitheater. You'll enjoy two hours of preparation time in separate bride and groom lounges, beautiful white garden chairs and the aid of an expert event coordinator.

From the Botanical Gardens continue strolling through the Springs Preserve's 1.8 miles of trails past native habitats and archaeological sites depicting the lives of the Native Americans and Spanish settlers who once lived here. The trails will also take you to the site of the old Las Vegas springs whose bountiful fresh water allowed those settlers to begin building a city in the middle of the desert.
Adding to the educational phenomena is the Desert Living Center. Inside this LEED Certified sustainable building you'll learn about eco-friendly building materials, alternative fuels, green cleaning products, recycling and composting. The Springs Preserve dedicates itself to protecting the wonderful habitats that inspired it.

Visiting the Springs Preserve is easy. It's just a short cab ride from the Las Vegas Strip and is open daily from 10am to 6pm. Tickets are $18.95 for adults and $10.95 for children 5 and older. Discounts are offered to seniors, students and residents of Nevada. The Springs Preserve in Las Vegas is well worth visiting. This attraction blooms with all the beauty and wonder of the desert you never would have realized was there.

Our newly launched site is dedicated to helping you plan a romantic Las Vegas Vacation. We're also adding new information all the time to inform our visitors about wonderful attractions and activities in the Las Vegas area. Be sure to visit us before you book your Las Vegas trip.

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Celebrate and Commemorate - How to Make Their Birthday More Memorable

 Celebrate and Commemorate - How to Make Their Birthday More Memorable

Everyone's birthday is special regardless of who they are and what their age is - whether it's their first ever birthday, an important 'milestone' birthday, or simply the chance to celebrate and commemorate another year's 'maturity'! Of course, what does get harder is knowing what birthday gifts to treat your loved one to year on year - so get savvy this year and save yourself some brain-ache by getting online and checking out the excellent range of fantastic birthday gifts available, all delivered directly to your doorstep and featuring the newest ranges of innovation and gift genius!

Birthday Gifts For Her
Girls of all ages love being treated - and seeing that you've really thought about their gift - so rather than the usual wilted bunch of carnations from the garage, why not treat that special lady to an 'experience gift' such as a pamper gift. This special voucher entitles the lucky recipient to pick an express facial, manicure or massage, and then take a friend or family member for a day of spa relaxation. These type of birthday gifts are perfect for those ladies that tend to get a little stressed during the year, or who live busy lives - they'll thank you for the chance to chill out and relax!

Speaking of relaxing, how about a personalised bottle of champagne or wine to toast the forthcoming year in style? There's a great range of vintages on offer, and the fantastic personalisation element allows you to write a special message and emblazon her name all over the bottle's label for a really exciting and special gift that she'll treasure.

For something a bit silly yet glorious, why not try utterly frivolous yet amusing birthday gifts such as the birthday balloon in a box? Delivered to her place of work, your loved one will open the mysterious brown box and a helium birthday cake will float to the ceiling, with your card wishing her the best of the day, and a box of jelly babies or chocolate treats on hand to complete the experience! Let's just hope she wasn't keeping the big day quiet from her colleagues!

Birthday Gifts For Him
Sci-Fi fans and film buffs will love something a bit quirky and different such as the amazing Dalek cufflinks! An absolute must for all those Doctor Who lovers, these luxury cuffs come presented in a gift box and will definitely brighten up even the dullest of work suits!

Otherwise why not try birthday gifts such as the heart-stopping adrenaline-packed rally driving day? This best-selling gift encompasses an afternoon's high speed driving in the famous rally cars, along a real racing track and under expert supervision. Perfect for those who secretly think they're on the verge of being discovered by Formula 1!

If practical joking is more his thing, how about the truly gross 'black widow spider' remote controlled toy? A large lifelike spider is controlled by the evil mastermind in charge of the remote control and this horrifying gift will afford hours of fun for him and his oddly humoured friends - whilst possibly driving everyone else up the wall!

Birthday Gifts For Kids
Birthday gifts for kids are a different kettle of fish all together - after all, kids do seem to have everything nowadays! So why not consider some fun and funky personalised birthday gifts which will fascinate them for having their names emblazoned all over them - like magic indeed! How about a personalised calendar, picture, diary or mug, each featuring lovely high quality graphic images and their own name included for the entire world to see - fame really will beckon at a young age! Otherwise why not combine education and fun with the monster clock! The monster is a cute, cuddly and very squashable character that kids of all ages will find themselves struggling to resist - and he carries a clock on his tummy, perfect for either learning to tell the time - or learning to keep an eye on it!

Of course these are just a few examples of the vast range of wonderful birthday gifts available online and there are also entire categories devoted to family members, friends, grandparents, boyfriends and girlfriends and other important people in your life. There is also a huge range of fantastic personalised gifts of all description - and some wonderful romantic gifts which would really provide a sparkle to your other half's birthday! All in all it's well worth doing a little bit of extra research and finding out what wonderful things are now on offer online to make your loved ones' birthdays special and memorable - and propel you into the limelight in the process! Why not indeed - get clicking and have fun in the process!

Written by John Smith co-founder of GettingPersonal.co.uk

GettingPersonal.co.uk are one of the UK's leading on-line retailers of Gifts, personalised gifts, Birthday Gifts [http://www.gettingpersonal.co.uk/birthday-presents/birthday-gifts.htm] and Gifts for all other occasions. Their website is packed with over 1,500 gifts for any special occasion.
For more go to [http://www.gettingpersonal.co.uk]

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How to Prepare For Outdoor Survival Tactics For Hiking and Camping

 How to Prepare For Outdoor Survival Tactics For Hiking and Camping

The outdoors is a beautiful place in which nature is at its best. While the places you may spend your time in at the wilderness seem very safe, there are certain precautions that every person, even the seasoned hiker or camper needs to take. A first aid kit is absolutely essential on even the shortest outdoor excursions. A simple collection of antiseptic, bandages, and hydrocortisone cream should meet the needs of most minor injuries. For more serious injuries a cellular phone will prove to be very valuable or know the locations of the nearest phones that provide service to ranger stations.

Aside from having your first aid kit and way to communicate, the best way to protect you from perils of the outdoors is to know the area in which you are camping or hiking. You would not want to be dropped off in the middle of a huge city that you were not familiar with and the woods should be treated with same respect. By knowing your area, the climate for that particular time of year is very crucial. Not having the appropriate clothing to withstand the weather could cause great harm to you and your family. Remember that a lot of areas temperature range can vary by as much as 40 to 50 degrees between daylight and nighttime hours. To help combat temperature changes the proper equipment can make life out on the terrain a little easier. There are tents and sleeping bags designed for particular temperature ranges that will help keep your body temperature at a safe level. Hypothermia and heat exhaustion are two serious concerns that happen readily to unprepared campers and hikers.

The next point of interest is food and water. Your body will require water to survive. At least 2 liters of water needs to be available daily to sustain your body need for water. While this can be obtained from streams, wells, and other natural resources, it is always a good idea to add some bottled water to your pack. Dried foods can also be packed which are typically light such as MRE (Meals Ready to Eat), and dried fruits and vegetables. A little research can also provide you with naturally occurring food sources for the area you plan on scouting. Do not eat anything that you have not thoroughly researched, as many fruits and plants can look absolutely delicious but prove to be poisonous. Wild game can also be captured for those with knowledge of trapping or hunting. An important thing to remember when eating wild game is that you risk infection of diseases but will help keep the pack weight down and provide you with the variety of diet that you need for longer excursions.

For those skilled and experienced campers and hikers, creating a fire may not be that difficult. However, depending on climate and amount of materials available to start a fire could prove a hard task for the more inexperienced hikers or campers. To make life out in the wild a little easier, waterproof matches would help start a fire easily. Two blocks of flint could also be used and of course if all else fails two dry sticks can give you that little amber you need to start your cooking fire. Pine straw and other dried vegetation are ideal for getting a fire started, but you will also need to locate larger wood sources to keep your fire going for an extended period of time. When you go out venturing for wood, do not travel alone. When possible, always try to travel with a friend in case danger does arise.

Navigation can make or break an experience in the wild. The surroundings are all typically the same no matter what direction you walk in. Landmarks are few and far in between. A compass is highly suggested along with a small map of the area in which you will be staying. Long sleeves and pants will help keep you from being injured from briars and other hazards as well as limit fresh skin available for insects. If you get completely lost this attire should be able to get through the night in many terrains, and leave items that are not needed as landmarks to help others track you or to let you know if you have been walking in circles. When all else fails, a flare gun should have been a part of your survival kit. This should then be fire when times are getting hard. Once the flare has been fired you need to stay at that location.

Some of the more common insects and animals that could pose a problem in the wild are leeches, mosquitoes, and bears. If for any reason you pick up a few leeches on your skin, it is important not to remove them without use of salt or alcohol. This is due to the jaws being left in the skin which can then become infected. Bug spray and netting should be used to prevent an abundance of mosquito and other insect bites as they are prone to diseases and infections. For addressing bears, all food needs to be kept in sealable containers to prevent the scent traveling and inviting a bear into your campsite. This is only a few of the many dangers that the wild possesses. It is important to research the natural inhabitants of any new area you plan to visit.

Another primary concern is animal bites such as spiders, snakes, and scorpions. Many breeds of these animals come packed with a toxic bite. Whether it be a black widow spider, rattlesnake, or other animal you need to know how to handle yourself. The vital part to helping a fellow camper or hiker that has been bitten is to clean the infected area well, and tie a piece of material or belt above the wound. This will help prevent infection and slow the movement of the poison throughout the body. Emergency officials need to be reached immediately if the bite is determined to come from a poisonous animal. An easy way to tell with snake bites are if a row of teeth appears it is typically a non-venomous snake, while if two distinct puncture marks are shown with or without the row of other teeth, it is a good assumption that the snake was poisonous. The next step is to assure that someone is monitoring the bitten person for changes in status. It often takes some time for symptoms to begin to appear. Treat the symptoms as best as possible with your first aid kits and seek help. The myth of sucking out venom is simply that and not suggested.

Now that we have covered the basics of outdoor survival, it is up to you to educate yourself on the specific surroundings that you will be camping or hiking. Knowledge is what will keep you alive out there, while ignorance does not have a pleasant ending.

Get outdoor survival kits and packs , we have the tools to help you survive in the outdoors

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Decorative Table Top Ideas on How to Treat Your Kids to a Haunting Halloween Lunch Time of Trickery

Decorative Table Top Ideas on How to Treat Your Kids to a Haunting Halloween Lunch Time of Trickery

Decorative table top ideas are sought after by everyone, as the approaching holiday season arrives, our eyes are sharped by clever, entertaining presentations. I have designed countless numbers of dining scape's for speciality, and high end department stores, clientele parties, and lavish wedding events.

I once was informed, that I had never repeated one single display, presentation, or a table top design. This is quite a compliment, however it helps to know that two different clients would never request the same things. One of my claims to fame is that, I'm able to create, and demonstrate over one hundred napkin folds. I will share one of my unique folds in this article with you, which includes my easy to follow instructions.

The two rooms to consider for our Halloween extravaganza, first is the Kitchen a less formal area, heavier in traffic flow, however it's an ideal working space. The Dining room which seldom is used, offers a private appeal with very little interruptions . What ever your final room selection is, it will be the most incredible haunting lunch time event of the season! I have already chosen the Dining area for my ghostly gathering, it's separate from other rooms, designated for occasional holiday dining, intended for special guests, or uninvited ghosts.

Serving a healthy, and nourishing meal is most important, and allows for treats after the festive night of Trick or Treating. Theme ideas, and decorations should always generate from the menu, and visually creative dishes can also double as eatable props. Here are a few drooling suggestions, that you can easily prepare for your creatures large, and small.

• Wraps around fingers, start with flat pita bread,tomato, spinach, or plain, spread a thin layer of creme cheese, add in personal favorites turkey, ham, bacon, grated cheddar. Roll it up forming a tube shape cut, and separate making two individual fingers. Next using one large olive sliced in half, black or green, for finger nails, stick them on with a drop of creme cheese, a natural adhesive. I don't think anyone will complain, if the Kids' want to lick these tasty fingers sandwiches!

• Jack O' Lantern Face, a bowl of tomato soup, floating on the top are three triangular corn chips, points up for two eyes, point down for a nose, and a big high five mini cheese cracker smile, garnish of parsley on top, and soups on.

• A tall glass of cold ghostly white milk, and a side serving of tomato juice, for all those thirsty Vampires.

Now that our menu has been decided, we're ready to dress the table. A black King- sized flat sheet, or cloth are perfect, use scrim, or a day sheer fabric as an over lay, and several battery operated votive candles to create a foggy graveyard at midnight effect. Then bellow, fluff, and crush the fabric toward the center of the display.Place various sizes of white Styrofoam rectangles as tombstones, standing, leaning, broken, and use a black marker to write haunting verbiage. Examples phrases such as, Died Laughing, Post Mortem, I. B. Dead, and the old reliable R.I.P. Display five to seven stones, in a high to low arrangement this configuration will deliver the best visual presentation for your setting.

Assorted colorful harvest gourds, yellow-orange mini pumpkins, and nature painted leaves from your yard, are fabulous fall additions to the over all setting. Wrap bandage gauze around the chairs, and suspend dozens of descending black widow spiders, by using clear fish line attached to the dining chandelier that by now, should be draped totally in webs.

Finally it's time to arrange our phantom party place settings, and prepare to serve our hungry, and eager goblin visitors. A combination of plastic, or paper dinnerware in bright purple, orange, and neon green for extra color splashes. A personalized place card is always a nice touch, ether a store purchased card of wishes, a monogram mini size pumpkin, or a crunchy rice cake tombstone treat.
Detailed accents like this spooky napkin fold suggestion, using a white cloth napkin, a clementine orange, an eighteen inch length of black ribbon, or raffia. Placed the unfolded napkin flat in the palm of your hand, lay the piece of fruit in the center of the square. Then slowly close your hand grasping the fruit, flip the napkin over, and tie a bow around the bottom of the fruit to form the ghost's head. Spread the end points of the napkin outward one or two inches, and stand your spooky ghost.

Bone- appetite!
Calm it playfully down, or really scare it up, remembering that designing is about your client, and their special event, please use appropriate guide lines, and subject matter. This article is designed to provide entertainment, encourage wholesome Kid's fun, and is recommended for ages from six to twelve years. Happy safe, Halloween!

Interior decorating is a personal expression of your inner self. Everyone deserves to live or work in an environment that is comfortable and excites them. You can definitely do it yourself but you want to be sure you're not making any costly mistakes. I invite you to discover the answers to the most important decorating questions asked by people planning a decorating project. Visit http://www.AffordableDecors.com now to pick up your free special report.
Donald Ramey, is a graduate of the American Academy of Art, with more than 25 years as a professional designer. He has been a highly sought-after designer for upscale department stores. He now works with private clients locally and across the country to help them define their style, choose colors, fabrics, paints, furniture, accessories, lighting and flooring that creates a wow factor for every day living. He also owns a design showroom in Naperville, Illinois.

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Natural First Aid in the Great Outdoors

 Natural First Aid in the Great Outdoors

Rest easy. We've got you covered in the Great Outdoors. Check out our tips and recipes for navigating the great outdoors with more finesse and less stress. Essential Survival Outdoors Essential Oil Tips:

* Natural sunscreen - Mix 4 oz. avocado oil (available at most health food stores) with 30 drops of our lavender oil, and massage generously into exposed areas. Reapply after swimming. (Note -because everyone's skin is different, please test this on yourself to see how you respond before spending the entire day in the sun with it.)

* Natural insect repellent - Fill a 4 oz. spray bottle with purified water and 20 drops of Purification. Spray onto clothing and skin before going outside. Alternatively, rub a couple of drops into exposed skin. Safe, effective, and non-toxic for people of all ages.

* Sunburn - For sunburn, dilute our therapeutic-quality lavender oil 50/50 in almond, coconut, or sesame oil and lightly massage into affected area a couple of times per day. For a particularly severe burn, pour a teaspoon of the lavender/vegetable oil mixture into a medium-sized bowl of cold water. Soak a clean wash cloth in the lavender water preparation and hold it over the burned area for a few minutes. Add ice cubes to the water as needed to keep the temperature low.

* Dehydration - Add lemon oil to your water. It not only makes the water taste fantastic, but it has a gentle purifying and oxygenating effect in your body.

* Insect bites and stings - If you forget to use Purification as your insect repellent, dab it on bites and stings for instant relief in itching, pain and inflammation. This works for bee stings, chiggers, ticks, mosquito, and other bites and stings.

* Overheating - Apply a drop or two of our therapeutic-quality peppermint oil to the bottoms of the feet. Add a drop to your water.

* Sprains/Strains - Apply PanAway essential oil blend strait or diluted 50/50 with a vegetable oil to the affected area. Repeat 2x/day as needed for reduction of pain and inflammation, and to speed the healing.

* Cuts/Scrapes - Apply a drop of lavender oil directly to cuts, scrapes, and wounds to stop the bleeding, cleanse the wound, promote healing, and prevent scarring.

* Blisters - Apply a drop of Purification oil strait to blisters to prevent infection and help them to heal.

* Diarrhea - Rub a drop of peppermint oil on your abdomen. Also, you can take add a drop of peppermint oil to your water and drink. For severe digestive upset, also massage a couple of drops of peppermint oil on the bottoms of the feet.

* Allergies/hayfever - For mild to moderate allergies, drop a couple of drops of lavender into your hands, rub them together and inhale deeply. Rub the lavender on the bottoms of the feet, particularly the balls of the feet and toes. For more severe allergies, take lavender oil internally in addition. Drop a couple of drops directly on your tongue, hold for a few seconds, then swallow daily or whenever you have an attack. Alternatively, get some blank capsules from your local health food store and make lavender capsules by pouring in a bit of olive oil and 3 drops of lavender. Take 1 capsules 2-3x/day or as needed.

* Spider bites -For black widow spider bites, apply 1 drop of lavender on the bite every 2-3 minutes until you reach the hospital. For brown recluse spider bites, apply 1 drop of Purification or Thieves every minute until you reach the hospital.

* Snake bites - Dilute Thieves oil 50/50 with a high-quality vegetable oil and apply 2-3 drops on site every 15 minutes until you reach the hospital.

* Poison ivy/poison oak - Dilute either frankincense, Purification, or peppermint 50/50 in a high-quality vegetable oil such as almond or olive oil and apply a few drops to affected area 2x/day. For severe cases, apply the diluted oils with a clean wash cloth in a cold compress as needed.

* Diffuse musty smells - Make a spray bottle with Purification oil (as described above for the natural insect repellent) and lightly spray your gear, clothing, and your space to clear out bad odors. Also, removes strong odors from urine, mildew, smoke, and more! For intense odors, use a small amount of undiluted Purification on site.

* Sleeping Aid - Apply a couple of drops of Peace & Calming oil to the feet and inhale it to promote restful sleep both while camping and at home. Great for adults, babies, and everyone in between!

* Repel rodents and insects from your garden - To keep mice, gophers, moles, and other rodents from messing with your garden, put 3-4 drops of peppermint oil on cotton balls, place the cotton balls in the holes and burrows, and cover them up with dirt. To repel harmful insects, fill an 8 oz. spray bottle with water, a bit of natural dish soap, and 5 drops of peppermint plus 5 drops of Purification. Spray directly on the leaves and flowers of the plants you are seeking to protect. To repel snails and slugs, make a similar spray with pine oil and spray it in the garden.
Natural Personal Care with the Essential Oil Survival Kit

* Natural deodorant - For a 100% natural, non-toxic, and low-maintenance deodorant, apply a couple of drops of Purification oil to the armpits each morning. You will still sweat, but the Purification will keep you smelling fresh!

* Natural oral care - Make your own natural, non-toxic toothpaste with a tsp of baking soda and 3-4 drops of Thieves oil. You will be amazed at how clean your mouth feels!! For children, use less Thieves oil.

* Natural skin care - Add a drop of essential oil to a small amount of sesame or olive oil, and massage into the skin morning and night. Use frankincense for anti-aging and sun damage reversal, or lavender for all skin types including acne-prone skin. This is one of my best-kept skincare secrets!!

Work With Mother Nature, Not Against Her
Essential oils are mother nature's liquid gold. They are the ultimate in first-aid and beauty treatments, and can enhance your enjoyment of all your outdoors activities. They are light-weight, portable, non-toxic, cost-effective, super-concentrated, virtually indestructible, versatile, and most important of all - they WORK! So next time you head out for that camping trip or even to the park, when you grab your water bottle and favorite hat make sure you don't forget your Essential Oil Survival Kit!

For more information on therapeutic-quality essential oils for natural first aid and healing, check out my site at http://essentialsurvival.org

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Panic Attack Help - Five Areas Where Overwhelming Anxiety May Emerge

Panic Attack Help - Five Areas Where Overwhelming Anxiety May Emerge
Who doesn't have fear and worry? These feelings are not always bad. They can actually help propel someone to move forward in life rather than sit by waiting for better opportunities to come along. At other times, fear and worry can become so consuming that a person ceases to function at full-capacity and may even shut down entirely. These panic attack cases require help and intervention if the sufferer has any hope of recovery.

The first step in overcoming anxiety attacks is to recognize what a person's particular problem areas are. The health industry has come up with a lot of fancy names for the disorders people suffer, but here is a simple list without the medical terminology. Can you find yourself in any of them?
The first three areas all deal with being in front of people in varying degrees.

Fear of being in public - Some people are so shy that they can't stand the thought of anyone paying attention to them in any way. They continually berate themselves as not being good enough, charming enough, or smart enough to participate in a group setting.

Fear of speaking in public - The next level of fear in public is having to speak in front of a crowd. This might mean in front of a school class or as the best man toasting the bride and groom at a wedding. Even if the perfect speech is written, practiced and fully-prepared, the speaker still fears that he will look foolish. He may stammer, blush, and sweat profusely.

Fear of performing in public - An even higher fear level in public is performing in front of a crowd. This is more than just speaking. The person must carry out some action, whether it be singing in a choir, starring in the lead role of the school's annual play, playing a small character in that same play, or even just walking across the stage for graduation.

Fear of specific objects or situations - There are many things people are afraid of: spiders, heights, needles, thunderstorms. Fear of the object may or may not stem from a unique experience that triggers that fear or it may just appear suddenly for no reason. Why is someone afraid of spiders? Does she think that they just ugly, scary-looking creatures, or did she get bitten by a black widow spider and almost die when she was a child? In either case, the fear is real, but the treatment will probably involve different approaches.

Fear of leaving home - Sometimes the fear of something terrible happening to an individual is so great that he or she refuses to even leave their house. The thought of going to a shopping center or mall may be unbearable. The problem is compounded when the person won't even leave their home to go to an appointment with a doctor or therapist who could give them the help they so badly need.

Worrying about these problems requires a lot of energy each day, energy that would be better spent in improving one's life. Sometimes just being able to put a finger on a problem is enough to begin a healing process. If you recognize that any of these areas affect you, pay attention to your feelings in those situations and try to identify what your thoughts are when you first notice the feeling. This can be crucial in helping you to get better.

Terrie Soberg is knowledgeable in the area of panic attacks through years of experience. For more information on panic attack help, visit http://www.panicanxietycenter.com.

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What is an Organic Garden and Do I Need One?

What is an Organic Garden and Do I Need One?
There has been an outcry over the past few years to ban pesticides and grow plants and vegetables more naturally, without interference from man-made materials like synthetic fertilizers; thus, organic gardening has become much more popular - almost the 'in' thing to do if you do any type of gardening.
First, let's define organic gardening. When you choose to go organic, you are choosing to plant with the help of nature, not synthetics. You will not use any pesticides, synthetics, or other man-made materials. You WILL use raw products that nature produces to replenish the soil, like vegetable and fruit peelings, grass clippings and fall leaves.

Organic gardening takes careful planning and knowledge, specifically in relation to pest control. You will need to know the life cycles of certain pests and which ones are likely to destroy your plants. Organic gardeners usually allow for a certain amount of damage resulting from pests. Some pests do their damage for a short time, then move on. Did you know that in some parts of the world, farmers use black widow spiders to eat the harmful pests from their crops, such as grapes? The spiders will eat the pests but not the grapes!

There are other so-called pests that are actually beneficial to your garden. Lady bugs will eat your aphids, and birds love a grub buffet. Spiders, snakes and even lizards can help keep your garden free of plant-eating insects.

Most people choose to create an organic garden because they do not wish to pollute the air with pesticides, which are known to contain harmful cancer-causing ingredients. These pesticides not only kill pests, but also deplete the soil of vital nutrients. That is why most experts agree that the fruits and vegetables we eat are less nutritious today than in years past. Pesticides are also deadly to wildlife, pets and humans.

A good solution to pests in your garden is to use a variety of different plants. Not every insect will be attracted to every plant, so an infestation will be unlikely. You can also consider natural organic pesticides, which are less harmful to the environment.

Organic gardening is all about creating and maintaining rich, nutrient-rich soil and replenishing it with nature's resources. Compost and organic gardening go hand-in-hand. If you care for the environment and Mother Earth, you may want to consider planting an organic garden, as opposed to one that uses pesticides.
Growing and maintaining an organic garden takes planning and patience. If you can accept the fact that you will have pests on occasion, you will have a pleasant, organic experience!

Gardening Care: Looking for Gardening Tips and Information? Look no further! We have an extensive collection of articles and resources at your fingertips. Visit our Gardening Articles section for great advice, or visit our Gardening Resources section for extended information
Visit our Gardening Articles section for great advice, or visit our Gardening Resources section for extended information.

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The Habits that Drive Us All

The Habits that Drive Us All
I think everyone knows what 'comfort food' means. It's that particular snack or food that you might crave when you're tired, lonely, sad, happy, whatever. That particular food that if first tasted it as an adult, you probably wouldn't like and would never eat again. And even knowing this, you find yourself drawn to it. (My big one is Jack in the Box tacos. What is in those things?)

I know it doesn't make any logical sense. I know it is a completely emotional addiction. But it's "OK". It makes me feel good. And I know it will make me feel better for a little bit of time. Well, really, I know it won't make me feel good. I "feel like" it will make me feel good. I "believe" it will make me feel better. Young, happy, content, calm. And, because my mind believes this, I DO feel better, for a short time. After the first few bites, my guilt kicks-in. (This doesn't stop me from finishing the first one, and sometimes not even the second one).

You see, I, like you, can think more than one thing at a time. I know I should not be eating that greasy, oddly textured taco. At the same time, I sure feel like eating it. I have a craving, urge, compulsion, habit, desire, wanting, inclination, idea, long tooth for, urge.... you get the idea.

How did I learn this habit? I can remember being very young, maybe seven or eight years old. On the way to the beach in Southern California with my brothers and cousins. I remember my mom and her sister, my aunt, talking about "Jack in the Box tacos". How good they are and greasy and how they'd be perfect to buy and take to the beach to eat. They were both happy and having a good time. That made me happy too. We went to the beach and it was warm, sunny we were playing and having a good time. And we ate the most delicious tacos in the world. I can remember some gritty sand getting onto some of my taco. (important, influential memories are more vivid than the mundane everyday memories). This scenario was repeated only a couple times, but I remember the first one the most clearly.

Today, even the anticipation of getting the taco triggers the good feelings that are associated with this memory. Sometimes the memory comes with the craving, but, usually not.

This same thing happens with some songs on the radio. I used to love Aerosmith until that concert with a girlfriend in the early 90's. I don't much care for them anymore and it's been at least 15 years.

I've had an embarrassing fear of spiders that I've gotten over. I've traced that back to an experience with a black widow spider when I was maybe six or seven. It was on the inside of a bubble rear window of our van - pinstripes, tangerine orange with matching carpet. Hey, it was California and the 70's. Both of my parents were freaking out and my two brothers and I had to quickly evacuate the back of the van. I am able to kill spiders on my own now, but a big one will still give me a shot of adrenaline.

One last example for you. Does anyone else still feel like a kid when someone says their first, middle and last name in a stern voice? Even a little bit? When my wife says Patrick Michael Glancy I know it's time to leave and go do something in the garage.

Anyway... enough about me. The point of all this is to show you understandable examples of learned behaviors. Emotions associated with memories that trigger very powerful, behind the scenes reactions and decisions in our minds. The habits that drive us all.

Patrick Glancy, NGH
Board Certified Hypnotist, Oregon
Specializing in behavior modification and weight loss in Oregon

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/804063

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You Might Feel Some Slight Pressure

You Might Feel Some Slight Pressure
Like most people, with the exception of those strange ones who actually like lime gelatin with grapes floating in it, I try to avoid hospital stays at all costs. Besides my pure hatred of lime gelatin with grapes floating in it, I stay away from hospitals because they scare me.
My fear is based on a universal fact: Hospitals will kill you quicker than any disease.

It is, of course, not the intention of the hospital to kill you. After all, there is the bill to think about, but a series of incompatible procedures will eventually cause your demise.

To explain my conclusion, I will use my last hospital visit as an example.
Some time ago, my family and I were camping. At one point during the night, I was bitten by a black widow spider. My wife rushed me to the emergency room.
The emergency room is where all the trouble begins when it comes to hospitals. As soon as you clear the threshold, you hear those wonderfully comforting words spoken in every hospital in America: "Do you have insurance?"
Because I was swollen to the approximate size of a 1979 Buick, all I could manage in response was "Gurag." They accepted this as a yes and took me to Triage.

Once I was in the Triage (literally translated "torture") room, fifteen nurses converged on me with whale harpoon sized needles and removed half of my blood supply. Once the harpooners left, another ten nurses arrived to tell me that I would need to provide a urine sample. I, of course, did not have to go at that point, but was able to produce a sample after they started talking about "manual retrieval" methods.

Another nurse would arrive and I would give her my complete medical history, including how often I clip my toenails and my undergarment preference.
After the entire nursing staff was convinced that all of my bodily fluids had been drained, I was transferred to a room. In the room, I was instructed to put on a coffee filter like garment and get into bed, as the doctor would be with me shortly. Shortly is a fairly loose term when used in a hospital setting. Most medical staff believe that the forming of the Grand Canyon happened shortly.

Three years later, ok so maybe three hours later, a doctor came into the room. He asked the same question all doctors ask, "What seems to be the trouble today?" This always gives me the feeling that doctors are not as highly trained as they claim. There I was, swollen like Jabba the Hutt after Thanksgiving, and he wanted to know what the problem was. If I could have spoke, I would have said "Infected hang-nail." Or something to that effect.

Over the next ten minutes, the doctor would listen to my chest (presumably hoping to catch the weather), shine a light in my eyes, and stick a piece of wood down my throat. He murmured a lot, and scribbled notes on my chart. Then he said "I am going to order some tests." Then he was gone, never to be seen again.
Most of you are probably wondering where my wife was through all of this. She was stationed in a chair, filling paperwork of all sorts. Paperwork is the essence of all things medical. If you have not filled out at twenty-seven hundred forms, then you are most likely not in a real medical facility.

Once she had signed away all rights to search and seizure and our next three children, she came to the room and began to dispense sympathy.
"I told you it was a dumb idea to go camping."
"I swear, if you weren't so darn cheap, we would have stayed at motel like the rest of the civilized population."
"Don't you lose consciousness while I am talking to you."
You get the point.

Anyway, once I was settled nicely into the room and preparing to get some rest, I was attacked by three orderlies. They were acting on orders from the invisible doctor to take me to several different areas of the hospital so leftover Nazi doctors could perform "tests" on my person.

Before nightfall, I would receive a CATSCAN, PETSCAN, EKG, MRI, CTSCAN, fingernail density test, and of course, the standard proctological exam (a free gift when you purchase three or more tests).

According to the nursing assistant to the nursing assistants assistant, all of the test came back normal. They wanted to hold me for observation.
If you look in the dictionary under OBSERVATION, it says something to the effect of: look at but don't touch or stick with sharp objects. However, the Havard Medical Dictionary defines OBSERVATION as: Lock in a room with a gassy neighbor, wake at least four times nightly, stick with a large assortment of sharp objects and force-feed lime gelatin with grapes floating in it.

There is only two ways to get a good nights sleep in the hospital. One, become comatose and two, die. Otherwise, you are aroused constantly so a variety of nurses can check your vitals including colon temperature, give you something to help you sleep, and to check and make sure you made your insurance payment before you checked in.

Eight days later, I was back to normal size. A doctor who specializes in strange diseases in people with crappy insurance finally deduced that a spider had bitten me. To make sure that he earned his paycheck, he gave me the following expert medical advice. "Stay away from spiders." Hippocrates would be proud.

C Weaver is the webmaster, co founder and writer for The Laughing Gas, [http://www.thelaughinggas.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/381507

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Being Aware Of Online Dating Profile Fraud

Being Aware Of Online Dating Profile Fraud
Something I firmly believe if you're considering online dating is the need for complete honesty. Personally I will not suffer dishonesty when it comes to online dating profiles. Unfortunately there are some very deceitful people in cyber space, guilty of one of the worst Internet match making crimes, profile fraud!
It's a crime that goes unpunished because there are either very few or no laws governing honesty in online dating. I'm quite passionate about this particular subject, as you can most likely tell. It really gets my goat!

I wouldn't know what the level of fraud is among the male profiles as I simply haven't taken the time to investigate. Some girls along the way have told me that the guys too are quite liberal with their personal descriptions. What I can tell you through experience however is that some women actually set out to deceive in order to lure you in. It's true! Like the black widow spider that lures her pray in with the offer of sex, has her way and then promptly devours him. At times I have felt like a male black widow. On more than one occasion in the past I have found myself exchanging communication with someone over the course of a couple of days until you finally get a picture out of them and they look nothing like what their profile describes. Complete outright fraud!

I recall one particular incident with a 32-year-old woman who should have known better. There was no picture displayed on her profile and she had described herself as attractive, tall and slim as well as horny, very horny! Well, what did I have to lose? She had contacted me, which was a positive as it meant I had just the faintest hint of control over the situation. I was also quite excited, she really did appear to be a good match. Unfortunately it was to be far from the case.

Once we finally had a chance to exchange photos I discovered she was in fact older than she had stated, short and grossly overweight. At best she looked nothing like what her profile had described! You have to ask yourself why? Why waist peoples time because essentially that's all your doing by deceiving potential partners. This was not the only occasion either where something like this happened. It occurred with frightening regularity and as it turned out I chose to let them know about it given the opportunity.
The main types of profile fraud to keep an eye out for are:

1. Inaccurate or false photographs.
2. Deceptive or false descriptions.
3. Deceptive or false locations.

If a person fails to offer a photo on their profile it may be for one of two reasons. Firstly they may just be shy. Secondly, they are quite possibly hiding something. This isn't necessarily the case but the likelihood is high. The best advice for me to deliver is exercise caution where no photograph is provided.

As far as false descriptions go the best advice I can give you is "Ask questions!" If you ask enough of the right questions you will soon work out if the profile they have provided is as accurate as you would like. For example, if someone includes slim and athletic in their profile, ask them what their interests and hobbies are. If you get a response like "I like to relax and sit around watching TV" you may begin to question the slim and athletic nature of the person. Subtle questions will quite often minimize the uncertainty.

The same thing goes for locations. If you know the area a person suggests they come from ask a few subtle questions relating specifically to the area. Something about a local shop or park or similar will usually do the job.

In my early days of searching for a partner online I learnt the hard way so I am hoping these few basic tips will assist you to avoid the same mistakes I made. In future articles I will address another related topic, "The Online Dating Scam". There are many, and not really just an issue of petty fraud. These scams are often cruel and costly for the unwary. I hope the knowledge I can provide you with will see you avoid such situations so keep an eye out for my upcoming articles.
Until then I wish you the best of luck with your searching.

Richard Connery would like to invite you to visit his website at http://www.richardconnery.com/ to find out more information about his latest novel "Web Games: Hearts & Minds" and to submit the 'Contact Us' form at http://www.richardconnery.com/Contact_Us.php to be kept up to date with release dates, news and information about all products available from Richard Connery Productions.
(c) Copyright - Richard Connery. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6569622

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Common Pests in Atlanta

 Common Pests in Atlanta

Like many other large cities across the country, Atlanta has bugs that we want to exterminate, too. For those considering moving into the area, learning about Atlanta's climate and insects problems is a good idea.

Here are a few facts about Atlanta. We have about 540,000 people in the actual city, however when you take into the calculations the entire metro Atlanta area, we have about 5 and a half million people calling it home. In fact, that number makes Atlanta the 9th largest metro area in the country.

We have also experienced tremendous growth in recent years. In fact, in the last decade out population has spiked up an amazing 28%!
As we are growing at such a rapid rate, we are also experiencing explosions in the bug populations, too. For instance, bed bugs were unheard of in Atlanta five years ago, however, outbreaks of bed bugs in Atlanta are now being reported at an alarming rate, causing rising concern for locals as these bugs spread from the inner city areas to the suburbs.

Atlanta is a hot travel destination as well as a lay over place, as proven by Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport winning the title of busiest airport for the last 12 years, based on the total number of annual travelers.

And of course, all of these travelers increase the probability of spreading bed bugs. Like many other metro areas, these pests are spreading here also. So, a word of advice, if you plan on staying in a hotel, check out the customer reviews and look for reports of bed bugs, since many hotels have had this issue.

The climate here in Atlanta is considered a humid sub tropical area, based off of the 50 inches of average rainfall that we get each year. Plus Atlanta is right by the Chattahoochee River, and many other smaller rivers, adding to the overall humidity. Plus, the elevation is a mere 738 to 1,050 ft above sea level. All of this moisture creates a great environment for many types of spiders, beetles, roaches and other pests.

Among some of the more dangerous spiders to be found in Atlanta are the Black Widow spider and the Brown Recluse. Take appropriate measure to make sure that neither of these spiders are in your home by using proactive pest control methods.

If you have a insect problem then you deserve the fastest Atlanta exterminator and you've found them at Atlanta Exterminator, 1266 W Paces Ferry Rd NW Atlanta, GA 30327, or you can reach us by phone at 404-333-8641. Check out our current our pest control specials!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5234910

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Stresses of Country Living

Stresses of Country Living
I moved out to the country to live in peace and beauty away from the stresses of the suburbs. It is pretty quiet out here. Unfortunately I discovered country living is not stress-free by any means.

Country living is quite different form living in the suburbs or in a subdivision with houses in your back yard! I get to look out at farmland, hear the cows mooing, all kinds of beautiful song birds singing and the honking sound that gorgeous pheasants make and occasionally coyotes howling. Thankfully I don't hear that sound too often.

I never knew how stressful living in the country can be.
Every now and then I hear a loud thump against the front picture window. Dang! Another bird that didn't see the pane and killed itself Not only does that death leave me feeling sad but the awful part is I have to dispose of the dead body. Yikes. That still gets to me! Freaks me out, actually.

Then there are the mice. When the neighborhood cats leave me gifts (dead mice on my patio or near the front door) that too freaks me out.
Of course it is way worse when the dead mouse is in the house! Thankfully I manage to turn on lights to see them rather than find them underfoot. Usually the lights surprise the living mice as much as their presence surprises me. Scream time!

So I also had to learn to dispose of dead mice and to be able to get to sleep when I know I saw the mouse scamper across the room but cannot find it. (I miss my cat who used to catch them--except then he would bring them to me!)
At first I did lose sleep. The sleep deficit built up my stress level. How would you feel about sleeping when you know a mouse is running around your house?
And then there are the spiders everywhere. I pulled back my bedcovers and there was another spider. I moved a rock in my garden and there was a huge black widow spider sitting on that rock.

I never used to kill anything. I still do not like to. But after being bitten multiple times by spiders last year and having been sick from the after effects of those bites for eight months I now kill any living thing in my house that is not human. Note: I did talk with all of them about being in my house. I did warn them.
Remarkably, what freaked me out when I first moved here making me wonder if I wanted to stay, now just bothers me. I can deal with all the animals (oh yes, the raccoons and squirrels too) both alive and dead.

I may not enjoy it but I can do it. And I still jump when I see a mouse zip by--especially because they are so fast I not only cannot catch them I cannot even determine where they went to hide!

My stress level is considerably lower now that I decided I would rather live out here in farm country than closer in to town. I also see how clearly I alone control whether or not some experience is a stressor or not for me.

And when you are ready to create new habits that eliminate stress from your life I invite you to click here to get your FREE copy of my brand new Special Report: 25 Tips to Eliminate Stress Now Click here to get your GIFT copy now.
And remember... Don't give up hope... You do NOT have to live with stress - ever!
Ali Bierman, Your Guide To Destress
http://LiveInHappinessNow.com/index1.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4699750

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Bug Bite & Bee Sting First Aid and Natural Remedy Recipes

Bug Bite & Bee Sting First Aid and Natural Remedy Recipes
It is important that parents and caretakers have a first aid box and procedure book on hand, in the home, in the event of accidents, illnesses, and emergencies. Here are some natural remedies to disinfect, soothe, and prevent further swelling of bug bites, bee and wasp stings and first aid procedure for removing a stinger.
Bug bites are often painful, terribly itchy, and can swell up to quite large. A bee or wasp sting is painful and the sooner you remove the stinger and treat the wound, the better and faster there will be relief and less swelling.

You can easily and effectively treat bug bites, bee and wasp stings and even black widow spider bites with these natural remedies.
It is important to follow first aid procedures first before applying the remedy for healing.

First Aid Treatment
DO NOT SQUEEZE THE STINGER AT ALL WHILE IT IS STILL IN THE SKIN.
1. Remove the stinger carefully and slowly. DO NOT SQUEEZE IT. Squeezing it will release further venom into the blood stream. Immediately discard the stinger in the trash.
2. Clean the wound with an antiseptic.

Natural Remedies Recipes
Plantain Leaves Natural Remedy
1. Crush plantain leaves to extract their juice.
2. Apply the juice over the wound and apply a loose band aid.
Toothpaste Home Remedy
1. Apply toothpaste to the wound and cover with a band aid.

Homeopathic Remedy #1
-Apply Apis Mallifica 30x to reduce inflammation, pain, burning and stinging. -Cover with a band aid

Homeopathic Remedy #2
-Apply Cantharis 30c for bee or wasp stings and cover with a band aid.

Homeopathic Remedy #3 - For severe allergic reactions to bee stings or black widow bites
-Apply Carbolicum Acidum, 30 c and cover with a band aid

Homeopathic Remedy #4 For itching, pain, and burning
-Apply Urtica Urens, 30c and cover with band aid.

Insect Bite Oil
-1tsp lavender essential oil (stops itching and reduces swelling) -1 tbls vegetable oil -Mix ingredients and apply to the wound. Cover with band aid.  

DO NOT USE THIS OIL AROUND EYE AREA
Extra strength Sting Paste
-1 tbls Echinacea root tincture - 1 tbls distilled water -1/8 tsp lavender essential oil -1 tbls Bentonite clay -Combine Echinacea, water, lavender and mix. -While stirring the clay, slowly and gradually add the mixture. -Apply this paste to the wound. It will stick to the skin. Store the paste in an air tight container to avoid it drying out. If it does dry out add a little water to bring it back to paste form. Use over a few days if need be.

Avoid Mosquito bites with this natural remedy, which acts as a mosquito repellent.
-1 tsp Lavender oil -Rosemary (seasoning from the grocery store) -Grind both together and apply to your skin.
Do you know?

• Do you know that applying sugar over a bite wound will keep it from scarring?
• Do you know a slice of raw onion on an animal bite will fight infection and draw out any poison?

Parents can prepare the above natural remedies ahead of time, store them in an air tight container and keep them in the first aid box or natural remedy cabinet so they are ready to use when bug bites or bee stings occur.

Michel Jayne (AKA The Parent Fairy) has 22 years parenting experience, with a teenager and preschooler under her wings. She extends an invitation for you to receive baby sleep help, on the house! Also get parenting tips, tricks and solutions to raising kids, natural remedies, having a good relationship with your spouse and keeping your family healthy. The Parent Fairy
You've exhausted every tip, every secret and every avenue and still your baby/toddler isn't bedtime savvy and sleeping through the night. Preferred by working parents, it's said to be the life saver for parents and baby who are losing precious sleep. Easy, multi-faceted, suits different personalities and is guaranteed to Help Baby Sleep at Night

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Weekend Gold Prospecting Mining Safety

 Weekend Gold Prospecting Mining Safety

Let me get started by saying that weekend gold prospecting and mining can be a lot of fun and some adventure for you and your family. You get out into the environment and get some sunshine and exercise which contribute to good health and robust living. Speaking of health the first thing that you should evaluate in relation to mining and gold prospecting is that you are physically fit to get out and hike and climb around areas that might be able to produce gold for you.

If you cannot walk or climb 50-75 feet without getting short of breath you do not belong out in wild country looking for gold. You need to limit your gold prospecting to areas that are within a short walking distance. Look for rivers, streams or desert washes that provide easy access for you and your equipment.
Some people say to me that they have a quad runner and a cell phone to get them out into gold bearing areas which is all well and good but if you have physical limitations you do not want to go out too far and alone where your safety could be compromised. Always go with other people who would like to go prospecting with you or with family members who will go with you. Always remember safety first. Some people take two way radios or cell phones with them to stay in touch with family members and or emergency services. However keep in mind that cell phones do not always work in mountainous areas and two way radios work best in line of site configurations. Radios do not work well around the corner of a group of giant mountain boulders. I know this from experience.

There are some other things to think about regarding safety issues. Are you in snake and scorpion country or in a place where there are red ants and Brown Recluse or Black Widow spiders? If you are then there are some other considerations that you should think about.

Since I live in the Southwest we have all of the above to contend with when we are out gold hunting. The first thing to remember when walking out in any wild environment is to make a lot of noise. Rattlesnakes are just as afraid of us as we are of them except for the Green Mohave rattler. The Green Mohave rattler can be very aggressive and actually chase you and bite you. Not all of them do this but enough of them do for me to provide you with this warning. So be sure to carry a walking stick to smack the bushes when you are making a trail down to your mining site.

Noise usually scares the snakes away or they will let you know where they are by rattling their tails at you. If you come upon one and it is coiled up looking like it could strike - stand still at first then slowly back away. I carry my walking stick in front of me in case I have to use a sweeping motion if the snake strikes to push it quickly aside and get myself away. The next thing is to wear leather gloves. I can think of several people that I know that reached above their line of site onto a gravel bench higher than their eyes and were bitten by snakes and spiders...they had no leather gloves on.

Now you are ready to go gold mining with any number of pieces of equipment that you can take with you. Beginners usually start with gold panning, or dry washing, sluicing, or high-banking. Others use metal detectors to try to find gold nuggets and gold veins or specimens that have broken off of gold bearing materials. All in all its fun and with practice and patience it pays off not just with gold in hand but with the adventure of it all.

P. Wooldridge is a small miner, weekend prospector and Registered Nurse. Her passion is to share her knowledge and skills with those who have never thought of prospecting for gold and with those that are actively doing it. Patti has written a how to manual for those who are interested in extracting gold from various materials like hard rock, micron gold materials, black sand and other sources. Take a look at her newest website and check out the spider bite that almost caused a man to lose his thumb.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2805011

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Interview with Chet Spiewak, Author of "Vinny the Bug Man - The Journey Begins"

 Interview with Chet Spiewak, Author of "Vinny the Bug Man - The Journey Begins"

Chet Spiewak is a self taught 3D artist, specializing in the transformation of original cartoon rendered characters, each with a unique style and great storyline. He also manages to single handedly take on the role of writers, artists, designers and production specialists to deliver 3D concepts to the public. The primary focus is to develop new CGI (computer generated) cartoon properties for the graphic novel, picture book and storybook markets. Chet's first book "An Ornament's Tale" came out for the holiday season last year and was his first computer generated storybook adventure for the whole family.

Juanita: Welcome back to Reader Views Chet. I had the opportunity to interview you for "An Ornament's Tale" last year, and it's great to see you've been busy working on your next project.

Chet: Thanks for taking the time out to interview me about my latest project. This time I meshed computer-generated 3D animated graphics with a graphic novel format creating the "Vinny the Bug Man" adventure. The first novel in this series is titled "Vinny the Bug Man: The Journey Begins."
Juanita: I understand that "Vinny the Bug Man: The Journey Begins" is for an older age group than your first book?

Chet: The "Vinny the Bug Man" graphic novel series is geared children 7-13. But I feel that graphic novel format really opens the door to children of all reading levels. I spent a great deal of time ensuring that any reader can literally follow the plot even without reading all the scripting. This is really beneficial to struggling/entry level readers who might trip over a keyword or two and just give up.

Juanita: What happens in "Vinny the Bug Man: The Journey Begins"?
Chet: The Vinny the Bug Man series follows a young Vinny Mazola, helping his Uncle Guy with their families bug extermination business. Armed with a mail order high tech bug blaster, Vinny accidentally shrinks himself down to a size of a bug at a government research facility. A distraught Uncle Guy drops him out the window into a different world... controlled by mutant insects. Vinny enters new territories ruled by evil tyrants and menacing bugs. Vinny makes friends, humors enemies, frustrates rulers and maybe in the end unite an insect world against the Tarantula Horde!

Juanita: Tell us about Vinny, and how you came up with his character?
Chet: Vinny was really the last piece of the bug puzzle. I created this bug world with hundreds of cool bug characters and whimsical worlds, but I needed a hero... and another bug just didn't seem feel right. Then one night it came to me-What would happen if a bug exterminator was stuck in an insect world! Here is an individual who has spent an entire lifetime battling bug world and now he's part it! Then it was just a matter of time creating carefree bug man character who would take his shrunken state in stride. Please keep in mind that Vinny is one of the key heroes in this adventure. He'll be sharing the spotlight with "Lester the Jester", a wash up exiled court aphid clown, and "The Whimsical Seed of Knowledge", a know-it-all seed sprout and finally "Princess Ariana", a rebellious ladybug princess bent on destroying the Tarantula Horde.

Juanita: I hear that Vinny has a quirky kind of humor that is not appreciated by everyone. Would you tell us about the humor you bring into this story and how it plays out in the storyline?
Chet: I could have easily created a dark dismal world of mimicking the real violent insect world but I decided to create a series packed with adventure, humor and fantasy. The insects clans are at odds with one another and are easily controlled by tarantulas. Each insect ruler behaves more like a spoiled child than distinguished king or queen and their loyal subjects are anything but loyal. This a perfect world for a gullible shrunken bug man to visit and get involved in some ridiculous insect plot. And at the top of this insect heap is a frustrated tarantula ruler surrounded by a cast of self absorbed incompetent soldiers.

Juanita: Chet, you mentioned that this book is actually the first in a series. How many books will you cast with Vinny, and why did you decide to develop this concept into a series of stories?
Chet: I chose to release three books introducing the main heroes in this adventure. The first book "The Journey Begins" introduces Vinny and Lester to readers. In the second book "Our Liberator Returns" Vinny and Lester rescue The Whimsical Seed of Knowledge from the Tarantulas. And the third book "Fortune Telling Woes" the Lady Bug Princess Ariana and the rest of the heroes from a pact to rid the insect world of the Tarantula Horde! After the first three books I'll make a decision based on the response from the readers. Maybe, I'll have an online contest for readers to pick the next insect invasion-Ditch Tiger Beetles, or Night Dwelling Gypsy Moths or Long Legged Spider Assassins or.....

Juanita: Most children's are fascinated by bugs, and I wonder if you had a childhood interest in the insect world that influenced this story?
Chet: Most children are fascinated by bugs and I was no different. I would collect all sorts of insects and spiders in jars when I was growing up. To this day, whenever I stumble upon a weird looking bug I make effort to catch it- 'cause you never know where an inspiration for a new bug character might come from!
Juanita: For those who aren't familiar with computer-generated artwork and how you blend it into your books, would you explain?

Chet: Instead of using traditional pen and ink to do final rendering of the images, I use computer-generated graphics to create all my images. To get effects I desire, I build virtual characters, worlds and props with realistic textures to illustrate my graphic novel. In these virtual lighted 3D worlds I pose my characters and render an image with my virtual camera. That image is then edited and placed onto a graphic novel page as a comic panel.

Juanita: What aspect of the writing/imaging process do you enjoy the most?
Chet: What I enjoy the most is telling a story with images. I can illustrate story quicker with images then with words. Almost all of my stories start off with sketch and a funny illustration, which turns into a storyboard. Then it's refined with footnotes, story notes and character scripting.

Juanita: Many children's books tell a story that is underlined by certain values and/or moralistic messages. What will children's learn from this story?
Chet: Vinny the Bug Man series really emphasizes the importance of setting your differences aside and working as team. The tarantula's rule the insect clans because they know that the squabbling insect are easy to control, hence if the insects would set aside their petty issues- freedom would prevail.

Juanita: Sounds like a great message Chet. You have been working in the computer graphics realm for many years. Did you always know you'd get into writing children's books, and was there any additional research involved pertaining to how to write a book geared for kids?

Chet: When I first started out I expected to work for one of the many design studios creating computer-generated feature films, but it didn't quite work out. So instead I combined my vivid imagination with my strong story sense and artistic style to create cartoon adventures for kids of all ages. I decided to go with what I feel than follow some textbook formula for creating children's books.

Juanita: You must have had a great time in the computer imaging process coming up with bug graphics. What kind of bugs does Vinny encounter?
Chet: In this adventure, the bugs are mutated and take on some human qualities, for example they uniforms, carry weapons and sometimes act like fools. Vinny will encounter armor clad tarantula soldiers, uniformed army ants armies, underwater bug pirates, black widow spider bikers, aphid wizards and even talking plants and flowers.

Juanita: I am a strong advocate of connecting children with nature, and in the world we live in today that can be a challenge. Was the idea of bringing in a natural element important when you were conceiving this story?
Chet: One of the keys to making a cartoon adventure believable is to have based on something that actually exists-like the real bug world The bug world is right at a child's eye level all they have to do is just spend a little time and investigate their surroundings. It doesn't matter if one lives in the city or a rural country side, there is always something to discover in the world below. I do think Vinny the Bug Series is a great way to get children talking about a world that's buzzing all around them.

Juanita: What are children enjoying most about this new book so far?
Chet: The children are really getting a kick out Vinny-"what a goofball!". He's always seems to get himself into some sort bind throughout the story, but finds way out and then stumbles back in! I also had children comment the colors and quality- most graphic novels for grade school are printed in black and white-but the Vinny the Bug Man series is full real color.(over 700,000 possible colors)
Juanita: Chet, would you tell us about your website and its interactive options?
Chet: I do have a web site devoted to the "Vinny the Bug Man Adventure", it contains a variety of interactive and informative online pages. I have online coloring section, interactive puzzles, 3D character animation, information on the 3D design process and a variety of downloads and viewable 3D images. The site address http://www.bugem.com
Juanita: Have you ever done any animation with your computer graphics? It seems this particular story, with the incredible range of imaginative characters, would translate well to a TV, or big screen format.

Chet: I have done some animation with some of these characters on a CD-ROM, titled Operation Extermination(it's a bonus when ordering a Vinny Bug Man Novel from my site). The OPEX CD-ROM(2002) contains about 40 short animated clips featuring characters in funny situations, and end up being just over 5 minutes of animation. The CD-ROM gave me real look at all the animated possibilities with this series-- a astounding feature film, video game adventure or even an afternoon kids TV series. We'll have to see what happens in the future...
Juanita: Chet, it's been great talking with you once again. Thanks for your time and best to you with your "Vinny the Bug Man" adventures! Do you have any final thoughts you'd like to share with readers?
Chet: I have created a real cartoon series packed with humor adventure and plenty of imagination. It's a series that's safe for all readers and will make a great addition to any home, or grade school library.

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We Live Underground...Like Worms

We Live Underground...Like Worms
I've often heard it said that "home is what you make of it." I always believed that to be true until the first time home became a basement.
When it became apparent that my aging aunt could no longer care for herself, she offered to let us use her savings to turn her basement into an apartment. In this way, she could remain in her home, and in exchange for free rent, we could take care of her. Since she refused to leave during construction, we were forced to live in the basement with our 5 children while the renovations were taking place.
It's important to understand at this point that her basement had been resident-free for several decades...human residents that is.

Well we got to work to try to make the place as homey as possible and I had almost convinced myself that artificial light was just as serviceable as natural light. Then one day our son came home from school and announced matter-of-factly, "Mom, we live underground...like worms." Though I was forced to agree with his assessment, I still tried to convince myself that things could be worse...and then they became so.

You've got to know that since my sister fell down the basement stairs as a child, right into a nest of black widow spiders, I have been a textbook arachnophobiac. The first spider arrived on my pillow during the night. As my husband was trying to peel me off the ceiling he laughingly said "it's just a little one!" I assured him that if it was large enough to identify as a spider, it was too big and ordered him to immediately call an exterminator. He declined on the grounds that calling an exterminator would be the equivalent to killing a fly with a ground-to-air-missile .
Though the spiders continued to reclaim their former territory, an exterminator was never called until the night we were sitting on the floor watching a movie and we suddenly got a glimpse of something as it ran under the couch. I asked my husband what that was, and he answered ashen-faced, "I don't know, but it had to duck to get under the couch!"

Since four of our children were sleeping on a mattress in the next room, it became critical that we find, and eliminate whatever creature it was. My husband handed me the broom and told me that when he lifted the couch, I was to beat it to death. Things didn't exactly go as planned. When the couch was lifted we gazed upon what appeared to be a scorpion with a great bulb for a tail that had black and yellow stripes around it and I solemnly swear it was snarling at me. When I froze in terror, my husband was forced to flip the couch across the room, grab the broom from me and start attacking it without mercy. When he realized the broom was merely bouncing off the thing, my husband quickly scooped it up onto the broom, ran to the bathroom, and dumped it in the toilet. When, after several flushings, it was still doing the backstroke, my husband finally broke down and called the exterminator. It was quickly identified as a "sand puppy." Why anyone would give such an adorable name to such a hideous creature is beyond me.
Yes, home is what you make of it, but just because you live underground, you don't have to let large unfriendly insects make it theirs.

Cindy Jaynes is a freelance writer and grandmother of twelve. To learn more about Cindy and how she earns a fulltime living online, visit her website at [http://www.easyks.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/465974

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Joe Louis Walker - Between a Rock and the Blues

 Joe Louis Walker - Between a Rock and the Blues

Joe Louis Walker, the tireless performer, lets loose with his guitar and vocals using a mix of blues, rock and roll, funk, R&B, and soul on his release Between a Rock and The Blues.

Between a Rock and The Blues: I'm Tide; Eyes Like a Cat; Black Widow Spider; If There's A heaven; Way Too Expensive; I've Been Down; Prisoner of Misery; Hallways; Tell Me Why; Blackjack; Big Fine Woman; Send You Back

Personnel: Joe Louis Walker: Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals; Bruce Katz: Piano, Organ; Jesse Williams: Electric and Acoustic Guitar; Mark Teixeira: Drums, Percussion; Duke Robillard: Electric Guitar (Track 9); Doug James: Saxophone; Carl Queforth: Trombone; Sugar Ray Norcia: Harp; Kevin Eubanks: Electric Guitar (Tracks 4, 6); Henry Oden: Electric Bass (Tracks 4, 6); Ellis Eugene Blacknell, Jr.: Piano, Organ (Tracks 4, 6); Jeff Minnieweather: Drums (Tracks 4, 6)
Joe Louis Walker - Between a Rock and The Blues is the 20th release for this tireless musician whose motto is "Play everywhere, all the time, as often as I possibly can." Between a Rock and The Blues was produced by Duke Robillard and released on the Stony Plain Records label. A blend of blues, rock and roll, Rhythm & Blues, funk, and soul, Joe Louis Walker has not slowed down and has no intention to do so; his energy makes his driving sound distinct, and it creates a mix of exhilaration and satisfaction.

Not wasting any time, he opens with a blistering pace on I'm Tide letting everyone know that he is still around and ready to attack his guitar. The lyrics reflect the pace he has set for himself as he works to get his music to the masses, "I'm tide of paying taxes, I'm tide of paying dues, I'm getting sick and tide, sick and tide of you..." The track Eyes Like a Cat features a traditional blues tempo emphasized by Joe's torrid guitar work and the horn section ringing in to accent his vocals.

Black Widow Spider, like many of his songs, was influenced from personal relationships. He holds nothing back in his lyrics, though he seamlessly adds a nice dose of levity, while his guitar work speaks for itself. The track If There's a Heaven is down and dirty and Joe's guitar work is raw and emotional that complements his lyrics "If There's a Heaven, I won't have to go to hell, cause I did some crimes, and I did some time in the county jail..."

The track Way Too Expensive has a sassy overtone as he sings about filling his gas tank and "...it is way too expensive for me." His arrangement uses the horn section to punctuate his point of things being "Way Too Expensive." I've Been Down is a deep blues sound that Joe matches flawlessly with emotional vocals "I've Been Down so long, getting up never crossed my mind... I've got the blues all the time." Prisoner of Misery is another blues track that draws its inference from his personal life and you can feel his misery and torture ooze from his guitar work and his moving vocals.

The release also includes the tracks Hallways a slow R&B song that shows the depth of Joe's vocal prowess as he serves up lyrics that are emotional and heartrending, Tell Me Why is a frolicking blues and rock and roll track with a catchy melody and lyrics, Blackjack another deep blues track that sums up the life of a gambler "I cannot even borrow a nickel, I have almost lost my mind. Because every dollar that I get, Blackjack takes away from me," Big Fine Women a saucy rock and roll with a dash of funk track, and closes with Send You Back featuring Sugar Ray Norcia playing a haunting harp.

Websites where you can procure Joe Louis Walker - Between a Rock and The Blues are Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Stony Plain Records, iTunes, and Discovery Records.

E.F Nesta is the owner, contributing writer, and Publisher of Luxury Experience ( http://www.LuxuryExperience.com ).
Luxury Experience is a monthly on-line publication, which is read in over 80 countries with a reach of over 100,000. Luxury Experience features experiential articles on luxury products and services; we do not book reservations or sell products on-line. Luxury Experience's mission is to provide experiential editorial exposure on luxury products and services, and introduce brands and products to an audience across 80+ countries. Luxury Experience is a team of high-energy professionals who bring a broad and extensive international background to their writing.

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The Femme Fatale Image in Cinema

 The Femme Fatale Image in Cinema

Some early scientists relegated women to a category somewhere above monkeys, yet below men, and the poet Milton observed that women are "a fair defect of nature"

However these were the pseudoscientific notions about female variability and vulnerability, and were used to justify sexism and discrimination in society. Perhaps out of such frustrations rose the concept of a woman who defied her stereotypical image and donned the garb of someone who is just the opposite of the popular concept, which was more or less forced upon her. The phrase femme fatale is French for 'deadly women' and was created to project a social democratic revolt against the oppressiveness of the Victorian age, where women were constricted in a corset and pushed into claustrophobic ideologies and a shrunken introverted world. She took an avatar of a female who has been created to break men's heart and to lead herself into a sunlight world. These femme fatales are allowed to have it all; power, sexuality, femininity and wealth, but they keep hankering for love and would often face a bad end because they defied the conventions. The astonished man, who had earlier created an ideal woman from his own wishful imagination, suddenly meets someone whom he cannot control or understand. He labels her as the 'bad woman'; the woman who must die or be banished because she is not the representative of his idealistic image.

Women in Hollywood- The femme fatale
Disillusioned with men and frustrated of a circumscribed life, this figure of a deadly femme fatale/ vamp- emerged as a central figure in the nineteenth century and became one of the most persistent personifications of modern female. "Who is she?" was the popular query. And the enigmatic answers would be: "She is the woman who never really is what she seem to be"
She is the black widow spider who eats her mate alive; she is ungovernable, threatening to male psyche, and a woman who challenges the patriarchal culture vehemently.

The femme fatale was a frequent character in 1940s films. Rita Hayworth as The lady from Shanghai (1948) is the most enigmatic example. She embodies the overpoweringly desirable, duplicitous and sexually insatiable femme fatale, who has been represented as a symptom of male anxieties about women. She is a creature who threatens to castrate and devour her male victim. This image of a sexual, dangerous woman is the psychological expression of a man's own internal fears of sexuality, and his need to control and repress it.

The femme fatale's appearance is always explicitly sexual with long dark or blonde hair worn loose on her back, long, sensuous legs, heavy make-up, sparkling jewelry and revealing clothes, as portrayed in Sunrise (1927). She is the 'woman of city', the urban female depicting the sexual pleasures of modern metropolitan life.

She represents an open challenge to the post war consensus of women feeling fulfilled only by their roles of wife and mothers.

Two of the most powerful screen portrayal, are Barbara Stanwyck's Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity (1944) and
Lana Turner's Cora Smith in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) in which both are frustrated wives married to dull and older men.

In Hollywood, the femme fatale's most characteristic role is a nightclub singer on the fringes of the underworld. She traps her victims through seductive dances and explicit display of sexual threat. Watch Ava Gardener in The Killers (1946) playing Kitty Collins as she is first glimpsed by her victim Swede (Burt Lancaster) singing " The more I know of Love" and you will see how she comes across as the apotheosis of a mythical femininity. She is sexy and feline, and has that dreamlike sensuality about her with her sloe-shaped eyes, curvaceous cheekbones, cleft chin, and full upturned mouth. All these features exude an open sexual invitation, and she is the ultimate femme fatale here.
The femme fatale often emerges from darkness into harsh light, or dissected by both to indicate certain instability.

The Good -Bad girl
However, Hollywood found a way to bring out the femme fatale from the narrow confines of the stereotype seductress who just doesn't resort to narcissism and duplicity to have her way. The femme fatale is also the beleaguered hero's helpmate sometimes. She is often shown as supporting him and believing in his innocence, or his ability to solve the problems. The figure of the good-bad girl combines the sexual stimulation of the femme fatale with the fundamental decency of a wife or a lover. She can appear to be cynical, wayward and obsessed with money, but this stems from disillusionment with men and the frustrations of a constrained life.

Veronica Lake in The Blue Dahlia (1946) and Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep (1946) are perfect example of the type. They are cool, terse, sexually assured and independent women, and yet remain on the hero's side. To the hero they offer a slightly mocking image and allow him to feel relaxed in their company, just like they would feel with a male companion. The good-bad girls have the masculine and feminine qualities merged together and although they appear two-faced, like the typical femme fatale, they do prove themselves to be loyal. If they cannot help the hero, they can support him and believe in his ability to solve problems. The best and most complex example of this type is Rita Hayworth in Gilda (1946)
The bad women of cinema went through a noticeable transformation over the next decades and the hideously prominent false eye lashes, hard contact lenses, huge wigs, feather gowns and shimmering two piece dresses are replaced by the more chic and contemporary get-ups. They are no more limited to being the cabaret dancers, or a gangster's moll. The fun, fearless female is played by the female protagonist now, and she has emerged as the voluptuous, deeply alluring and convincingly sexy woman who knows her mind. She is also subtle, clever, sophisticated and extremely patient, waiting for the right time to strike, just like a predator.

One of the best examples of such a woman is of Famke Janssen as Xenia Ouatappo in Golden Eye (1995).
She is like none other so far. Perceived as a classic representation of femme fatale she is the 'black widow spider' woman who devours her mate after sex. She gets her sexual satisfaction by killing unscrupulously. Watch her making love on a yacht, clad in a revealing lingerie and screaming Yes...Yes...YES!!... as she crushes the man's chest between her thighs during orgasm.

Her sadistic sexual proclivities coupled with an absolute lack of conscience make her, the deadliest femme fatale.

As Bond says in the end - "She always enjoyed a good squeeze."
Women in Indian Cinema- the image and the body
Around two decades ago Indian cinema had these stereotypical heavily made up vamps that always had a bullet shot in their heaving bosom in the end, to justify the popular notion that only 'good and pure' women deserve to get the hero. Thus the climax of a film always saw our 'demure and coy' heroine snuggling in the arms of the macho hero, while the vamp lay on the ground in a bloody pool, staring up at the hero's face with life receding out from her blue (contact lenses) eyes.

However, over the years the concept went through many changes and now we don't find these blue eyed, heavily made up and inadequately clad vamps anymore. These days the female protagonists (our heroines) have taken over from those vamps of yesteryears and have gone much ahead in wearing lesser clothes and heavier makeup; leaving the customary vamps out of work forever.
Pick up the DVD of yesteryear films and you will surprisingly find the bold and daring dance numbers that appear timeless even now. The women who played the femme fatale roles had a certain body type (read hour glass) and they were always dressed more glamorously and fashionably than the heroine. They were also the best dancers of that era.

The soft focus on the nurturer/ homebuilder women
The position of women in the Indian film industry was earlier fraught with ambivalence: in those early years of cinema very few women were ready to let their photographed images appear on screen and allow thousands of unknown men's eyes gaze at their pictures. Most of the women carried cultural baggage of strict religious taboos, which did not allow them to display their bodies to the public. While such taboos have broken down gradually and now girls are queuing up in hoards to take their chance in films, one cannot overlook the fact that the concept of bad girl, provocatively dressed, dangerous vamps came out of such beliefs that an ideal woman has to appear bashful, modest and should be covered from head to toe. She must appear as the virginal daughter who is protected all her life and then given 'all intact' to her husband to become a chaste wife, whose raison d'etre is to worship her husband. The Indian heroines played such parts to perfection and it somewhat justified their entry into the big bad world of cinema, in which they portrayed the 'Ideal Indian Woman' image to perfection, and thus affirmed that they cannot be faulted by being in films. The ideal woman was conventionally recognised as the picture of 'oppressed womanhood' and was reinstated by many female actors of the Indian cinema. The yesteryear Indian heroines played such parts to hilt, and projected the perfect antithesis to those femme fatales who tried to steal their husbands and lovers.

Here is a list of some of the bad girls having all the fun:
Demi Moore played an impressive role of a sexually frustrated boss in Disclosure (1994) who turns implacably revengeful when Michael Douglas spurns her advances.

In Fatal Attraction (1987) the script follows the tale of a one night stand turned sour and Glenn Close comes across as every married man's worst nightmare, playing the role of an obsessed lover turned psychopath. She managed the role with considerable élan. Though her role cannot be termed as the typical femme fatale, it did throw light on the stormy, mutinous side of a woman who would not compromise on anything if it comes to what she wants.

Glenn Close also played the femme fatale in Dangerous Liaison (1988), where her character Marquise De Mertenti is the deadly jealous woman plotting a heartless revenge to get even with her detractors.

In Basic Instinct (1992) Sharon Stone was the ultimate femme fatale. As Catherine Tramell, the successful novelist, she eats men for breakfast, and cuts their hearts and balls to pieces, with one leg scissoring over the other.
In Body Heat (1981) Kathleen Turner is the infamous Matty Walker, the voracious, crafty and greedy femme fatale, who is a married socialite plotting to kill her husband. Watch her in the iniquitous sex scenes with William Hurt.
In Last Seduction (1994) Linda Florentino, as Bridget Gregory is the beautiful and bright femme fatale who has everything going for her except a treacherous mind that would not stop at anything to get what she wants.

In 9 1/2 Weeks (1986) when Kim Bassinger arches her back and spreads her legs in the rain in a dark stairwell, her pouty lips and smoldering eyes are the femme fatale tools polished to perfection.

Ultraviolet (2006) was a relatively bad film, but watch Milla Jovovich as the ultimate sci-fi femme fatale. With her incredible face, hair, make-up, costume, attitude and a killer body, she is absolutely a drool worthy femme fatale in the film.

In Resident Evil (2004) she was the absolute femme fatale, and handles her weapons with deadly authority. Her menacing glare and excellent sword work are something to watch out for in this film.

Uma Thurman bristled with untamed rage, in Kill Bill (2003). Consumed with revenge she moved about like a force of nature in action scenes, and despite a subtle lack of physical grace, she handled the fights with much flair.
Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft was smart, sexy, sassy and sophisticated in Tomb Raider (2001). She was near perfect in that aggressive and physically demanding role, and despite the laughably fake breasts, she came up topper in the ultimate femme fatale role.

Pamela Lee Anderson as/in Barb Wire (1996) prevails over the baddies and gets more naked in the film than she had perhaps been in her entire life taking showers. But she managed to pull off the femme fatale role impressively.
In Blade Trinity (2004) Jessica Biel with gun is a captivating sight, and she carries off the femme fatale role with talent and matching physicality. Despite the lackluster action and some atrocious dialogues in the film, she was an enchanting sight throughout.

In Underworld (2003) Kate Beckinsale is dressed in black leather, heavy boots, and carries a no nonsense attitude and a gun, with unflinching authority. She projects an ample intensity and cold hatred with a perpetual scowl on her face, and her cold dark eyes, framed with deadly arched eyebrows give her the most effective femme fatale look.

Nazia Mallick
Writer, editor, thinker, dreamer

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