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The Basics of Sleep

sebsn — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:16:41 +0000

Have you ever woken up after a full night’s sleep only to find yourself groggy, irritable, and not wanting to go anywhere but straight back to bed? Experiencing symptoms like moodiness, impaired mental capacity and decreased energy are bad enough after barely getting sleep, let alone getting what should be considered “enough”. This is where sleep cycles come into play.

Oddly enough, obtainment of that “refreshed” feeling after a good night’s rest relies heavily upon which part of the sleep cycle we humans awake during. Wake up during the wrong sleep phase, and a rocky day lies ahead. The body undergoes a series of transitions between REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep phases each night. There are approximately five phases that constitute each sleep cycle, and humans undergo an average of four to five sleep cycles per night.

Waking up during the correct sleep phase can be as simple as following a daily regimen that’s conducive to better sleep. Daily activities such as exercising during the first half of the day, obtaining a healthy amount of sun exposure, sticking to a routine sleep schedule, and practicing good sleep posture (you might even want to invest in a better mattress) are all great ways to “groom” yourself for a great night’s sleep. Ultimately, you’ll become more energized and alert, and will be better equipped to ward off pesky health conditions.

Basics of Sleep: Facts and Figures

Guest post by Michael David, an author currently residing in Austin, Texas, and founder of TastyPlacement.

The Superhero reimaginations by Christopher Uminga

sebsn — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:15:05 +0000

I just found this picture on reddit and loved it. I decided to check out the artist Christopher Uminga and I wasn’t really surprised to find that there’s much more content to enjoy! His style is unique and often captures our well known heroes in a different and new light. Don’t forget to check out his site and his deviantArt profile.

Some of my favorites:

Wonder Woman by Christopher Uminga

The JOKER by Christopher Uminga

Iron Man by Christopher Uminga

How to Become a Stuntman (or woman!)

Guest — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:15:41 +0000

So you think you have what it takes to be Hollywood’s next stuntman? Or maybe you just like jumping off things and rolling around getting muddy and would like to know if there’s a way to make money from it? Well there definitely is money to be made from stunts (and lots of it once you get established) but it does take some practice and hard work to get to the point where being a stuntman is a stable career. Hopefully here, we’ll be able to point you in the right direction, so you can ride off into the sunset on your stunt motorbike with an awesome stunt career.

First things first (just to check), do you actually enjoy doing stunts or are you only interested in the job because of the money prospects? If it’s the latter then I’d probably stop now. Being a stuntman is a career that can well and truly consume all of your time, and you’ll spend most of that time either waiting around or being thrown through the air and working yourself extremely hard physically. You’ll spend your weeks on location and might be away from home for what could be months, so if you’re not 100% convinced this is for you – it probably isn’t.

Once you’ve decided that this is the right path for you, you’ll probably want to sign up to some kind of “stunt school”. A quick Google can illuminate lots of local courses that can develop and polish all the skills you’ll need to add to your resume. The key thing to remember is variety – a long list of well polished skills is what employers will look for as during any one project you might be required to muck in on more than one activity (it could be anything from horse riding, sky diving, motorbiking, wrestling or crashing a car).

The nest thing you’ll want to do -once you’ve built up an awesome list of skills, is get a agent. Look around and browse before you choose which one you choose as different agents will have different success rates and will want different levels of commission. Another great thing about having an agent is you can ask to talk to other stuntmen they work with. The stunt community is a great one to be part of as it’s so varied, so you’re bound to make some great friends too who can pass on job recommendations too.

Some other things to think about when starting out in this career, and things you’ll definitely be needing are listed below:

* A professional head-shot, of your face and your build.
* A gym membership – to keep in top physical condition and minimise injury.
* A willingness to travel, because once you make it big you’ll be travelling lots.
* A website and show reel, showing off your best work.

Good luck in your future career! Don’t forget your knee pads!

Josie Stokes is a keen adventurer and currently works for Wish.co.uk who specialise in gift experiences and heart racing activities. Check out their range of gifts to see if anything suits your taste for adventure!

A Brief History of Online Games

Guest — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:58:31 +0000

Computer games have existed almost as long as computers, starting with OXO, a Tic-Tac-Toe-playing program, in 1952. Similarly, online games have existed almost as long as computer networks. Early computer games required players to share a single terminal, but once multiple linked terminals were created, games sprang up to take advantage of the possibilities offered by this new technology.

These games were written by and for computer programmers and college students, since few other people had access to networked computers at this point. The University of Illinois’s PLATO system, which linked multiple user terminals to a mainframe, was developed and refined in the 1960s and early 1970s. PLATO spawned many of the features we associate with the Internet, including message boards, chat rooms, instant messaging — and online games. PLATO’s users created a wide variety of multiplayer games, including space and air battle simulators, tank warfare games, and Dungeons & Dragons-style dungeon exploration.

PLATO Empire

In 1978, a student at Britain’s Essex University developed a program called MUD, short for “Multi-User Dungeon.” Based on popular text adventures such as Zork and Colossal Cave, MUD allowed multiple players to explore and role-play in a massive dungeon setting. MUD quickly spawned numerous copies and variants, and these various MUDs are still popular today — in fact, you can still play in the original version on the Web. MUD hugely influenced many popular single-player computer games of the time, including Ultima and Wizardry, and a direct line of descent can be traced from MUD to modern massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) such as World of Warcraft.

MUD Screen

The next step in online gaming came in the development of commercial networking services such as The Source, CompuServe, GEnie, and QuantumLink (later America Online). For the first time, access to a university or other large computer network wasn’t necessary to participate in the Internet. People could join in from their own home computers, and it wasn’t long before users found themselves able to interact with each other in CompuServe’s Islands of Kesmai and other multiplayer role-playing games.

In the 1990s, Intel’s new Pentium processor made it possible to display complex graphics in an online game. This lead to the growth of networked first-person shooters such as Quake, Doom, and Half-Life, as well as elaborate graphical MMORPGs such as Ultima Online and Everquest.

Quake

The 1990s also saw the growth of online gambling sites, including casinos, sports betting, and online poker rooms, as the introduction of the World Wide Web revolutionized the way people interacted over the Internet. Despite the crudity of early gambling sites, they were wildly popular as soon as they were introduced. Many people are now devoted to online pokies and other gambling games as a hobby, and have even made good money at it.

Another development around this time was the introduction of Flash, which made it much easier to play games using a Web browser. Before that, browser-based games had tended to be slow, graphically limited, and prone to connection problems. Flash made it possible to create browser games that worked as smoothly as regular video games. Moreover, Flash was easy to use, which made it possible for amateur video game designers to create their own games and use the Web to distribute them.

Today, online games — both professional and amateur — are popping up everywhere you look, on smartphones, tablet computers, and on Facebook and other social media sites. Online gaming, once almost exclusively the province of computer experts, is now available to everyone. You are only a brief search away from a social media game or casual gaming site where you can register and play with people from all over the world. And the future promises only more depth and variety in the gaming experiences available online!

Andrea has been a passionate gamer for over 15 years. She is currently working as a marketing consultant for online games such as Online Pokies. Her greatest love are retro games, and in her free time she enjoys writing articles about them.

Against The Grain: Impressive stop motion video

sebsn — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:23:22 +0000

Everyone loves stop-motion videos. How could you not love those. They are amazing! :) And the sheer work put into some of those is astonishing. In a new music video of the Australian band Hudson common pencils tell the story. Supposedly and according to this thread on reddit animator Jonathan Chong needed “hundreds of hours and thousands of pencils” to create this wonderful animation. I guess it was worth it!

The new music video for ‘Against The Grain’ from emerging Melbourne indie-folk artist Hudson sees him collaborate with film maker/animator/VJ Dropbear (aka Jonathan Chong), producing a vibrant and colourful clip based around a mainstay from our humble artistic efforts throughout childhood – coloured pencils.

Lyrics: Hudson - Against The Grain

I’m asking questions time and time again In a race that never ever ends I’m waiting for a bus that never shows I’m opening I gotta let it go

I’m searching for a place that don’t exist Need a map to find the end of my nose Hanging from my limbs in the swaying breeze I’m opening I gotta let it go

In my life the good and bad they come and go Highs and lows are often all that show Know it’s time to go against the grain Or it will kill me down below To live in comfort and know it’s warm embrace Reminds me only to quicken up the pace Know it’s time to go against the grain Or it will kill me down below

It’s singing a song never heard All of sudden I know every word And I know there’s no direction home It’s right here where all the wild things grow

Click here to view the embedded video.

5 Impressive Castles in the World

Guest — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:21:34 +0000

Castles are some of the most amazing structures ever built. A sentiment to a time long ago, medieval castles are still around to give us a taste of what it was like to live in a culture from hundreds of years ago. Often basked in endless amounts of history and lore, castles present the world with plenty to talk about. Check out the castles below and you’ll see for yourself.

1. Mont Saint Michel

Mont Saint Michel

Once an Amorican stronghold of Romano-Breton culture built around 600 CE and then later a monastery, this now tourist destination is perhaps the world’s most impressive medieval structure. Built high on a peak, Mont Saint Michel overlooks a body of water and neighboring village, giving it a dominant and magnificent appeal.

2. Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Built around 600 CE, Edinburgh Castle is Scotland’s most historic castle. This fortress built on an extinct volcano has survived sieges, battles and power struggles for centuries. What also makes this castle special is its location in the old town overlooking the new town in Scotland, making it a landmark for both sides of the city.

3. Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle, located in Berkshire, is the oldest and most occupied castle in the world. One of the homes of the Queen, this castle is a fully functional palace and residence. Not only do people enjoy visiting the castle, they also enjoy all of the festivities that go along with it being one of the Queen’s hotspots. The most notable event that takes place at Windsor Castle is ‘The Changing of the Guard,’ where a colorful spectacle of guards switching posts takes place when the Queen resides at the palace during Easter Court (a one month stay for the Queen).

4. Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace

Made famous by Henry VIII for the massive expansion of the original palace, Hampton Court Palace is most impressive. With a large quantity of interior space and surrounding gardens, this has been an important and beautiful structure for centuries. Even people who frequent Michigan Buick Dealers will find something to love here.

5. Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle

Built in 1119 by Robert de Crevecoeur, the castle eventually became a royal residence for King Edward I in 1278. Although the castle is located in West Yorkshire, many American connections were established due to Thomas Fairfax’s ownership of castles in both lands. Leeds Castle is also quite famous for being used by various film crews to create television shows and movies.

Can you believe how talented the people who built these palaces and castles were? Even today, these structures are seen as impressive. If a 1,000-year-old building is still being marveled today, you know it’s special, and all of these castles are just that.

Joe Petchonka has been a writer for over five years, and has written for newspapers, websites and automotive dealerships. In addition to having an extensive writing background and bachelor’s degree in English, he has helped companies develop professional material to help them achieve their goals. He currently writes for a company that sells online classifieds and more through the use of social media and web design.

Streetperformer beatboxing Dubstep

sebsn — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 11:24:15 +0000

This video made its rounds around the internet in the last couple of days. A street performer in Milan, Italy was recorded beatboxing dubstep. the video starts out a little bit slow but becomes really impressive after the one minute mark. For good measure I included additional dubstep beatboxing videos (please stay, no, no , don’t leave!). Have fun and enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

And to end with a bang here’s the famous Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites acapella cover. Not only is it damn impressive, no, the video is hilarious too!

Click here to view the embedded video.

People of Earth…

sebsn — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:10:01 +0000

Great video showing riots and democratic movement with a speech of Charlie Chaplin layed over it. I don’t care too much about the video although it suits the speech pretty well. The speech itself is one of the most emotional and exceptional speeches I’ve ever heard. I think everyone should at least listen to this once. I know this is not necessarily entertainment but I felt the obligation to post this video anyway and I guarantee that you’ll feel inspired and maybe even happy after watching this. Amazing how even though that speech is actually from the 1940s from Chaplins great movie The Great Dictator it is still highly relevant to todays struggles in societies all over the world.

You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Transcript of the speech

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone, if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness — not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood, for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world — millions of despairing men, women and little children — victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me, I say — do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed — the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people and so long as men die, liberty will never perish. Soldiers! Don’t give yourselves to brutes — men who despise you — enslave you — who regiment your lives — tell you what to do — what to think or what to feel! Who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men — machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate — the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty! In the 17th Chapter of St. Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” — not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power — the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then, in the name of democracy, let us use that power! Let us all unite! Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth the future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie! They do not fulfill their promise; they never will. Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people! Now, let us fight to fulfill that promise! Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! In the name of democracy, let us all unite!

Click here to view the embedded video.

wehaveacoolsite.com moves to the US

sebsn — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:38:44 +0000

As of now this website is running on an american server. With this move we hope that the user experience for our primarily american audience will be improved and load times will hopefully decrease. Prior to today the site was running in germany which was great for me but probably not for our users. If you experience any problems in the next few days feel free to write an email or use the contact form at the top.

Have a nice day!

Choosing the Best Photographer to Capture Picture Perfect Moments on Your Wedding Day

Guest — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:08:55 +0000

Wedding photos serve as excellent reminders of the milestone event. This is why choosing the right photographer for your wedding is of primary importance. The pictures will capture the memories which you will treasure a lifetime. Taking the best photos then is essential to make the memories even more enduring. In choosing the right photographer for your wedding there are certain factors to consider. The first factor is price.

Price

The price that the photographer charges must be within the allotted budget. However, the price must not be the sole consideration. This is because low price does not always guarantee great quality. Quality should always come first but at the price you can afford.

If you are on a tight budget, it will be a good idea to hire a service like wedding photography Sydney that offer a non-album package. This will ensure that you get the best photos at the right price. Perhaps you can negotiate to have the album made a year after the wedding, once you are able to save enough money for it.

Recommendations

It will be a good idea to ask friends and relatives for recommendations on a professional wedding photographer. You can ask friends who recently got married. These people can vouch for the work the photographer did for them. A photographer who receives glowing reviews from your family and friends deserve your consideration.

Samples

Before deciding on which photographer to hire, the best thing to do is to evaluate their work samples. No matter how people rave on the photographer’s work, if you do not personally like their photos then it will not be a good choice.

If you are too keen on the photographer’s style or how the wedding photos were processed, then most likely you will not be too happy with their work on your wedding day. There must be a match on what you are looking for and what the photographer can provide.

If you are happy with their portfolio then you should hire them. It all boils down to personal choice. You could be looking for a photographer who is able to capture critical parts of the wedding such as when you did a dip on your wedding dance. These moments happen in split seconds. The photographer must be alert enough to be able to capture key moments on film.

Or, perhaps you are looking for a photographer who can provide pictures of great color and clarity. Perhaps, you might like someone who is able to capture facial expressions on their photos. These factors are important in order to determine which photographer will fit your need perfectly.

Experience

A photographer who has worked for several years on wedding photography is an excellent candidate. A seasoned photographer is able to hone his skills on doing actual wedding photography. Some photographers may have worked on the field for so many years but they have limited experience when it comes to doing wedding photography. You need a photographer who spends a good number of years on taking photos for weddings. It takes a trained eye to be able to capture the critical moments in a wedding on film.

Melissa Davis is journalist from Sydney, she often writes about lifestyle, photography and fashion. She is also a chief editor for Parade Photography, her idea is to introduce her audience to the latest fashion trends and to give some useful advice, in this guest post she was trying to give some tips on how to choose the best photographer for your special day. If you want to write a guest post too, check our new guest posting guidelines!