Cherished Teddies.......... Londa... A Sweet Friendship Is A Slice Of Life

Artist Priscilla Hillmann??.. This self-taught artist began drawing as a child, spending hours sketching her twin sister Greta. Priscilla studied botany in college and worked for the US Oceanographic Office. She pursued her interest in art, and she is best known for her charming children's books, which she both writes and illustrates. Cherished Teddies is her first gift collection and she has lovingly created these innocents in the earnest hope that each will find a special place in the heart and home os its adopted family.

Promises! Promises! (Amazon.com Exclusive)

Studio: Video Communications Inc. Release Date: 04/25/2006 Run time: 75 minutes Rating: Nr

Terminator 2: Judgment Day [Blu-ray]

A POLICE DETECTIVE IS IN CHARGE OF THE INVESTIGATION OF A BRUTALMURDER, IN WHICH A BEAUTIFUL AND SEDUCTIVE WOMAN COULD BE INVOLVED.

Cinderella (Disney Special Platinum Edition Collector's Gift Set)

Worry not, Disney fans--this special edition DVD of the beloved Cinderella won't turn into a pumpkin at the strike of midnight. One of the most enduring animated films of all time, the Disney-fied adaptation of the gory Brothers Grimm fairy tale became a classic in its own right, thanks to some memorable tunes (including "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," and the title song) and some endearingly cute comic relief.

The famous slipper (click for larger image)

We all know the story--the wicked stepmother and stepsisters simply won't have it, this uppity Cinderella thinking she's going to a ball designed to find the handsome prince an appropriate sweetheart, but perseverance, animal buddies, and a well-timed entrance by a fairy godmother make sure things turn out all right. There are a few striking sequences of pure animation--for example, Cinderella is reflected in bubbles drifting through the air--and the design is rich and evocative throughout. It's a simple story padded here agreeably with comic business, particularly Cinderella's rodent pals (dressed up conspicuously like the dwarf sidekicks of another famous Disney heroine) and their misadventures with a wretched cat named Lucifer. There's also much harrumphing and exposition spouting by the King and the Grand Duke. It's a much simpler and more graceful work than the more frenetically paced animated films of today, which makes it simultaneously quaint and highly gratifying. --David Kronke

DVD Features

For another of its classic films, Disney delivers another dazzling DVD with a gorgeous, razor-sharp picture and 5.1 sound. (Note: the 1949 film is properly presented in full-screen format, 1.33 aspect ratio, because widescreen films weren't made until the '50s.) The best part of the supplemental features is the archival material, the absolute highlight of which is two unused songs, "Cinderella's Work Song" (in which Cinderella imagines multiplying herself à la the Sorcerer's Apprentice) and "Dancing on a Cloud."

Bippity-boppity-boo! (click for larger image)

Because these numbers were never animated, they're accompanied by stylish illustrations from the Disney artists, and they're simply marvelous to look at. The artist of much of that material, Mary Blair, gets her due in a 15-minute featurette, while the better known "Nine Old Men" are the subject of a round-table discussion among some of today's top animators. In addition, a 38-minute documentary covers their contributions to specific characters of Cinderella as well as the film in general and the vocal cast. Also on the historical side is "The Cinderella That Almost Was," tracking the development of the project through decades of original Disney concepts, characters, and songs, including the 1922 silent "Laugh-o-Gram," which is also included in its entirety.

The pumpkin transformed (click for larger image)

Additional musical material includes three radio programs and a short promo of the movie by Perry Como, in which he summarizes the plot amid some songs by the Fontaine Sisters, star Ilene Woods, and the host himself. Seven other unused songs (17 minutes total) are available in audio-only. The material for kids is on the sparse side, consisting of two music videos, Disney Channel personality Sally (from "Mike's Super Short Show") learning how to become a princess with the help of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition crew and others, a minor dancing-princess feature, and a DVD-ROM design studio. Oddest extra: ESPN's "top Cinderella stories," including the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team and Joe Namath's New York Jets, although stories on Mia Hamm and tennis's Williams sisters should appeal to the film's primary target audience of young girls. --David Horiuchi

Cinderella Throughout the Years

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1957 Television Production)	Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1965)	The Slipper and the Rose (1976)
Faerie Tale Theatre - Cinderella (1982)	Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997)	Ever After - A Cinderella Story(1998)

Related Blogs

• Anti-immigration activist helped Lino Lakes pass English-only …
• Pawlenty calls for English-only law in Minnesota « Iowa Independent
• Global Voices in English » China: Aftershock – history or …
• Global Voices in English » Chile: Isabel Allende and the National …
• English Russia » Football Match Arrangement
• English Russia » Wildfires in Russia
• Asiajin » English Study Comic Paid Homage To U.S. Marines

Marriage problems are the food for marriage counseling but not the solution for your marital problems. Many people who go to marriage counseling love the counselors they see – and then they get a divorce. What does that say to you? To me it says that marriage counselors are really good at creating a connection with their clients but don’t know anything about marriage.

When you are in a marriage, if you make a mistake, then just fix it. You should never run away from your problems as this is not going to get you anywhere. If the president of the USA and everyone in the white house just threw up their hands and ran away from their problems, where would that leave the citizens of the United States? The same goes for you, if you just threw up your hands and left your family, where would your family be?

People are triune in nature; we are spiritual, psychological and physical . You would think that everyone would agree with that but western psychology, which is the body of knowledge marriage counselors refer to, is atheistic: no God, no soul; nothing! So how can they help anybody when they ignore the most essential aspect of those who seek their help; they can’t! The fact is we are souls who have minds and bodies; we are essentially spiritual beings. Understanding how you are put together is very important information if you need a “repair” or if the two of you need to know how to interact. Those who believe mankind is primarily psychological or physical pretend love is psychological (emotional). It is true most forms of passion are emotion, but love is spiritual; man cannot create it; we can’t even define love, or even describe it very well!

When your marriage hits the rock, then getting a divorce should not be your solution. There are so many marriages that have ended when they didn’t have to end. The truth is, there are many different ways you can go about saving your marriage. If you have recently hit some bumps in the road and those wonderful roses have started to disappear, then it is best to take a look at this article on saving your marriage.

Reality of what marriage is can be found in scriptures of all religions, which lay down the prescriptions and proscriptions for holy matrimony. Granted, the interpretations of rules conceived by church leaders of all religions are varied, but the foundational spiritual principles are universal. When a man and woman come together in holy matrimony the union is sanctified. The union is a spiritual union and so it has to follow the spiritual principles in order for it to function as it is intended. When people pervert those spiritual principles or pretend they don’t exist the union of marriage lacks substance and staying power. Marriage can deliver amazing benefits that stretch far beyond what human imagination can conceive and that is what marriage counselors don’t know. If they did the divorce rate for marriage counselors and other psychologists would be far below the average instead of roughly the same as with other occupational groups.

You need to learn to respect one another. Yes, he or she has hobbies you do not exactly understand, but that is what makes them their person. Sure, they play video games and it’s not fun to you, but we are sure you do other things that are not fun to them. Learn about the other’s hobbies. Perhaps, you are not interested in the hobby, because you do not understand it. You see, saving your marriage may not be that piece of cake you had been hoping for, but it is very well possible.

How we should react when economy slows down.

When the global financial market is in turmoil the first thing most people think of doing is holding onto things and cutting expenditure. And they automatically assume (because the newspapers tell them) that everyone is acting that way.

Everyone ISN`T acting that way of course. In fact, some people and some businesses thrive no matter where the economy is going. And when you look for why that is, you find that the answer often lies in a simple place where most people have never even looked. Let’s explore together.

When a ‘down’ current comes, no matter what it is, the most effective solution is to rise above it. When we go with the down current we sink with the tide and have to wait, suffocating, until the tide changes.

The truth is that when we know how to steer ourselves and be our own masters, we will able to stay afloat or swim against the current, come what may. Let us see how we can manage it.

‘Go-getters’ or ‘Go-contributors’

Consider a situation where we want much more – fatter profit, a salary boost, lengthier holidays, better freedom, and better prospects.

When we have a desire for an object, our first tendency is to straightaway go and have it. That just makes us ‘Go-getters’. And a ‘go-getter’ is surely a self-motivated person, an activist and a natural leader. Such a vision is a proven way to succeed in life as we have heard. Still, there is some sort of a snag. When this plan is brought into play, the results are somewhat surprising though in a way it is foreseeable as well.

Because after ‘getting’ and ‘having’ it what tends to follow is ‘losing’ it. We either lose it physically or we lose interest in what it was we got.

Then our interest swings to something else. This continuous swaying of interest is the biggest issue; the widening interests becoming a never-ending circle of desires so that we are never satisfied with what we have. It becomes a sort of junk food dependency!

So what if we turned our ‘desire to get’ into a desire to provide?

You might be conscious that the act of contributing produces a unique pleasure. This arises from gratification and not from alarm or self-indulgence. One can go on contributing and get so much in return like a most rewarding expedition.

Our charitable and contributing approach will produce charitable and contributing customers and group mates whereas our concern about the cost and “getting tendencies” would bring in only like-minded co-workers. Companionship with such people is surely not welcome for us!

Creative capitalism

Many businesses see this now. They are now starting to give more and more in various ways. There’s a veritable ’sea-change’ going on as more people ‘get’ the role that giving can play in their business. Bill Gates is a class example. In a July 2008 lead article in TIME Magazine he referred to it as ‘Creative Capitalism’.

He said: “Doing good might be the tipping point that leads people to choose one product over another.”

The essence of what he says is that when a business has ties with the idea of giving in one way or other, it is bound to be more temping to others. It stands out above thousand businesses the attributes of which are similar.

Creative Capitalism is about rising above what we reluctantly settle for to reach what we truly aspire to. When we can capitalise on our ideas and imagination in a way that benefits and nurtures the wider community and network; we stop wasting our resources, efforts and talents in trying to temporarily win. We start creating the real win for ourselves and for the sustainability of our global economy.

The appeal of effective giving

The initiative of bigger enterprises to contribute back to the society is known as Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR. It is fast becoming mandatory for large corporations to do so. Still, when it is done for image building or as a mere compulsion, public may eventually realise the truth. Nevertheless, it is a face-saving mechanism.

Individuals and enterprises that ‘contribute’, appeal to everyone. Their fervour and conviction about what they do are acknowledged by the people with whom they build up relationships. This acknowledgement is in addition to the official public relations campaign of the establishment.

So, what happens if we allocate some of the marketing budget to go toward giving?

Giving gives rise to something greater than what we actually are. It has the power to inspire. And true inspiration is possible only when it echoes on the people whom we want to enthuse. And we are enthused only when we put our heart and soul into the procedure. It is simply not sufficient to listen to the interesting tales. One has to become part and parcel of the whole process. Everyone has this inclination to make one’s own input – to one’s immediate relatives, friends, and to the society at large.

Transaction-based giving makes it inevitable

A far better atmosphere for donating has become possible because of an idea (or we can call it a ‘phenomenon’) by the name Buy1GIVE1 (Buy One Give One). Buy1GIVE1 is the abode of transaction-based giving. Transaction-based giving overhauls everything. Let us put to use our resourcefulness and decide why.

How would you like the scenario whereby every time you have a coke at a nearby eatery, a needy child in Africa gets clean water at least for a single day?

Or a different scenario where with every subscription to a journal that you would like to read, a sapling gets planted somewhere where it was badly needed? Or whenever you ate out, someone routinely got fed out of its profit?

Consider the scenario of someone attending a coaching session. It would be commendable if someone who needs similar coaching would get it as a direct consequence (and just at the cost of not more than 60 cents for the day’s coaching).

Or if a conference sponsors has arranged a speaker, part of whose income goes to help kids who has speech impediments due to deformities, wouldn’t that be a matter to feel satisfied? Just by attending the conference and paying for it, you are becoming part of a noble cause.

Imagine the perfect scenario where transaction-based giving can be applied in one’s own special manner to correspond with the available products and services to include every member of the group and customers. It is possible.

The economy where all benefits

As of now, enterprises all across the world are realising the power of transaction-based giving. TESCO, one of the better known supermarket chains of UK, has correlated its sales in such a way that when someone buys a pair of school trousers from them, a child in Kenya gets a school uniform.

Volvic is a Mineral Water Company that launched its scheme of transaction-based giving program last year. They help the cause of making wells in Africa. They call the scheme Buy1 GIVE 10 as it helps in generating a flow of 10 litres of water in the well, by every single litre of water they sell.

Lesser to middle level businesses have now begun to spearhead the movement of increasing the idea of global giving through Creative Capitalism. Buy1GIVE1 (www.b1g1.com), a Singapore-based Social Enterprise came up with a procedure that has turned this transaction-based giving into something each and every human being can be part of.

Buy1GIVE1 is the heart of a most powerfully persuasive transaction-based giving globally, correlating business ventures of all sizes to any noble cause anywhere. It is weaving a universal society of business givers and for SME`s, Buy1GIVE1 links up businesses, their clients AND charity requirements in a most passionate and mutually satisfactory manner. The whole thing is completely automated.

You can enrol yourself as a citizen of this marvel of universal giving by simply getting a Buy1GIVE1 `VISA` directly from the Buy1GIVE1 site at www.b1g1.com. And if you are an entrepreneur, you can become a B1G1 Business through making an online application and choosing the requirement for which you would like to donate and your product or service through which you would prefer to do it to initiate the giving. Buy1GIVE1 forwards the whole of the donation to their international Worthy Cause Partners (with more than 528 projects to choose) making the giving entirely satisfactory.

Do you know?

* Half the world-nearly three billion people-live on less than two dollars a day.

* Even when the new millennium dawned there were still almost a billion people who were illiterate.

* UNICEF has reported that more than 30,000 children die every day due to abject poverty, which makes it 20 child a minute and 210,000 a week.

* 85% of the world’s water resources are utilized by just 12% of its population. And of this, even 1% does not live in the Third World.

* One billion people lack access to basic health care.

* Rainforests of about 63,000 sq. miles get destroyed every year.

Data From Global Issues

Buy1GIVE1 Businesses- scrutinize these examples

* Buy1BUILD1 (www.sunsplashhomes.com, www.arkgroup.com.au)

* Learning to learning (www.kipmcgrath.com.au)

* Medical practice providing medical benefits (www.primanora.com)

* Phone card to communication (www.ultimatecomms.com)

* Relaxation to healing (www.meditate.com.au)

* Weight loss to kids’ meals (www.bodychain.com)

* Aesthetic blinds to lights to schools (www.blindscouture.com.au)

* Socks for protecting feet from frostbite (www.socksforhappypeople.com)

* Coaching to educate social entrepreneurs (www.b1g1forcoaches.com)

* And for an overall look, simply go to www.b1g1.com.

Finding what we are looking for-Nature gives us the clue

So let’s let us return to the starting point-turbulent economics and managing to get what we need. The needs are in fact not all that knotty. They are just a group of three words that begin with the letter S – strong bonds, solidarity and society.

When we can pool resources and not segregate and when we can divine a proper way to augment what every one has got and not cut down from what each has got, we understand that there is a veritable cornucopia of sources to be had in the world. And when we bond, jot just with our physical persona, but with our intrinsic selves, we discern something completely fascinating -that we’re all ONE. Then we comprehend how uncomplicated it is to form a universal community from something as ordinary as giving.

And nature gives us a real clue to that.

In earth’s natural workshop, beautiful butterflies fertilize flowers and help to produce gardens that continue generation after generation. It was there even before recorded history.

Failures are said to be stepping stones to success. In the same way we can turn setbacks into advantages. In reality we should be thankful for the current situation that is helping us to move ahead.

And when a person chooses to donate now itself, in spite of the financial crisis, he will feel more contended. And with this contentment he will find a hope that is rekindled anew, which will ring a bell on how the ebb and flow of things can change. Today’s charity might be that which will reverse the flow.