Articles & guides to life

How to Publish a Short Story

2009-04-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

When it comes to getting short stories published, especially for money, there's one thing you need to know, it's not easy. You might think your story is a masterpiece and more original then “Harry Potter” but chances are you're wrong. In the magazine publishing world, a magazine gets over one hundred submissions a week, all by young eager writers hoping to get there story published and maybe rake in a few bucks. Sadly the majority get shot down immediately, either because of a bad story plot, or horrible writing, of course sometimes it's the wrong genre. Whatever the reason though you can still try your best to get published, the following are tips to make your material award winning and certain to be enjoyed.

1. A major reason many short stories are refused is because of bad spelling and grammar. Sure your story could have amazing characters and an interesting plot but if writing style is broken and confused, or the punctuation is misplaced the editors won't accept you. Think about it, they receive such a large amount of submissions that even though your story has potential if you weren't willing to see it through, why should they? Why should they waist their time on a half completed story when there are so many others that are well written and enjoyable. So I repeat read through and correct every grammar mistake, have a friend do it as well and don't submit till you’ve perfected your story.

2. Although this is something any writer should know I'll repeat it, make sure your short story is captivating. Too many writers use good grammar and interesting characters, but their stories start off slow and unmoving and editors will often pass up a story after the first few paragraphs for being boring or un-captivating even if it gets better later on. The reason for this is many readers unless they're bookworms won’t read a short story if it doesn't capture their attention straight away, especially if you're submitting a children’s story. So remember make sure your story starts off with a bang and carries it through the remainder of the way.

3. Whatever you do, make sure the magazine you submit to wants your type of story. Do not submit a horror story to magazines that publishes romance, or vive versa. A large number of rejections occur because the author is too lazy to find out what type of magazine he's submitting to. My advise is to first read a few of the short stories they've previously published, by doing so you'll get a better idea of what they want and whether they'd publish you. The most annoying thing an editor can have is an author who doesn't care about the magazine but just getting his story to as many people as he can.

4. For many beginning writers, you may find it in your head to screw the system, to try and publish your story in as many magazines as possible. I repeat that is illegal unless both magazines clearly state otherwise. You may think they won't find out and you'll be free to carry on illegally but someone will and sue you. In most magazines they have a one time non-exclusive deal, which means once they publish your work you're free to try and publish it through other magazines but not at the same time! If you submit it to two magazines at once, in the hope that at least one magazine will buy it, that's okay, but as soon as you hear back from one, you must notify the other and tell them it's no longer available. Otherwise you're annoying the publishers who may have wanted to use it and will probably get a black mark on your name. Be wise to the system and don't try and cheat it. Remember always read the author guidelines and you won't get in trouble.

Finally getting published is a competitive world but not impossible, just do the best you can do and pray for the rest. If you work hard and put your all into the project, your chances go up. Don't be lazy and write one draft then submit it, instead rewrite and rewrite till you achieve that state thousands of author’s dream about, perfection.

Titanic a exhibition, Luxor hotel, Las Vegas

2009-04-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

Millions of viewers worldwide, wept as they watched the titanic sink. And as jack and Rose, stood on the rail, of the unsinkable ship, our hearts broke for them. But that was just one story in the thousands, and while it was an amazing and heartfelt movie, we the viewers want more. I give you Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition.

Located inside the Luxor hotel, Las Vegas, this epic exhibition, plays host to countless objects collected from the wreck, including the big piece. The largest part of the boat's hold ever to be excavated, weighing 20 tons, it is a feast for the eyes. But I'm getting ahead of myself, lets go back to the begging, the entrance.

Thirty dollars is a little more than i bargained for as I bought the tickets for this exhibition. But not wanting to appear cheep, before my girlfriend, I paid the cashier and entered. With no expectations, having loved the movie but not so interested in the actual story, I was a lout. However upon entering, I was caught up in the moment. This is no ordinary exhibition, a man waiting just inside handed me a card, with the name, age, and life story, of one passenger, whom at the end I would find out if he survived.

As I walked through the first room, I couldn't help but be astounded by the objects that decorated the area. Placed in glass domes, and cubes, these relics of a lost age shined with an undeterred brightness, astonishing even me. A sign on the wall told the story of one man, a youngster, who having boarded the ship with his parents, was tragically killed in the sinking. But I don't do the story justice, you must read it for yourself to understand. After that I walked through a number of rooms, each with its discoveries, each with its stories, many of which left us without a dry eye. In a few rooms were fully recreated areas of the titanic, a 3rd class passenger room, complete with a few clothes sprawled about, or a dining room. Showcasing the best of the Victorian age. But the grandest set to behold, was the recreation of the great staircase as seen in the movie. Here you are invited to step halfway up the stairs and have a photo taken, which is ready for your purchase at the end. I climbed the steps gingerly, but my girlfriend, shaking with excitement, pulled me up quicker then was expected. So that when my picture was finally shot, I was in a ruffle and looking quite fragile. But shaking it off, I took a last look about the grand staircase and moved on.

Next we had the night of the sinking, with many stories pasted on either side of the wall. As well as makeshift model of the titanic, and a real iceberg, cold and smooth to the touch. Stories from the night watchmen, and the captain, and many other poor victims of that fateful voyage. The captain, an older gentleman, with wife and child waiting at home, was on his last voyage, when he went down with the ship. Or an account telling how their binoculars were left in France, and had they only had them, they might have survived. There is no use however in thinking what might have been, the story is sunk in our annals of history, and that is that.

Continuing on I walked through a recreated side deck, with what looked like stars above, and waves below. The wind blew through my hair as I looked out, cold hands griped mine, I looked, but they were only that of my girlfriend, shivering beside me. I smiled at her, and whispered, "Don't worry, we'll never sail, I swear."
She seemed relieved and we moved on, lucky for me she doesn't hold me to my promises, as I love the ocean. Finally we entered the room in question, a replica of titanic with it sides ripped out and a detailed account of how this unsinkable ship, sank, stood by. Love stories from the boat, scrawled across the walls and I stood awhile, caught up in the emotion. Wishing that I could change what happened, but knowing all the while that this was a part of history, and a story unlike any other.

The last room held the big piece, towering over our heads, my jaw dropped as I stared up at it. A few thick glass windows littered across, and a sign next it read, its history. While too long to account here, I must say, it's had a stranger life then me, and certainly a longer one. After basking in its glory, I moved on to the sign reading the names of everyone who lived and died on the Titanic. I stood there for ten minutes unblinking, looking for any sign that the man on my card had lived. To many had died, I had read to many sad stories, and I thought that if this guy was dead, it would be too much. But then just as my faith began to dwindle I was rewarded with his name appearing on the survivors list. One thousand and something dead, yet somehow this guy had made it through, that cheered me up a bit, sadly my girlfriend's wasn't so lucky.

In the end as I exited the exhibition, I paused looking back and giving my final condolences to the many people that died that night. And whether they were good or evil, young or old, they all have a tale to tell, a tale about an unsinkable ship, The Titanic.

Discovering Africa: The beginners guide to travelling through Africa.

2009-04-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

Africa, Africa, Africa, a word that means many things to many different people. To some it’s a tourist haven, to other it’s a word that describes hell, to me it was home.

I first went to Africa when I was six years old, my parents were missionary’s and so they went there to set up orphanages and to help the people. They were originally just going to visit and maybe stay for a year, but they ended up staying there for over twelve years.

Now my father was a pioneer and he’d often go into war torn country’s leaving my youngest brother and sister with my mom, and taking me and my brother with him. We travelled from country to country, seeing the sites and helping people along the way. Following is a list of some of the places I’ve been in Africa.

In Alphabetical order: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote D’lvoire,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Well that’s around it I might have missed a few but that’s the majority, now you may think just cause I’m a missionary that I never went on safari or had some fun in Africa, well your quite wrong. I’ve done things people have only dreamed of doing, but I don’t want to keep all the fun to myself I want to share it, which is why I’m going to be giving you a first hand account of Africa. I’ll take you on a step by step guide through it, explaining to you how best to travel, how not to get yourself eaten by cannibals, and how to enjoy yourself.

To get started I’m going to explain about the different countries in Africa, about the one’s that are safe and welcome tourists, and the one’s that you stay clear of unless you want danger with your travels.

We’ll start with the safe countries. Africa is a continent built on bloodshed from the little African tribes that roam the jungles and fight other tribes for more area or for slaves, to the giant Civil wars that tear the countries apart. But not all of Africa has wars going on, and here are some of the safer area’s in Africa and the one’s more attuned for tourism.

Southern Africa is probably the best area in Africa for tourism, a lot of the countries there thrive on it. For those of you that want to experience African culture without putting yourself in harms way, I would advise Southern Africa as your place to go.

You could start off in South Africa, where you could climb Table Mountain, and perhaps you would care for a swim in the ocean or to surf some of the best spots in the world. However there are some dangerous areas in South Africa so just be careful were you go.

Next you could work your way up to Botswana, which is a dusty and dry country but it does have a lot of wildlife and they have quite a few lodge’s situated in game reserves Ext.

From there you should go to Zambia, however it’s very expensive for Americans and other nationalities to get into, and you might have to bribe a few of the officials there. A word to the wise try to stay clear of Zimbabwe, the country is still on the rocks and things there cost a fortune. In Zambia however you might like to take a stop at Victoria Falls, in Livingstone, and enjoy one of the largest water falls in the world.

From there you could drive up to Tanzania, which is probably the best place for wildlife tourism in Africa. There you encounter people that are friendly and helpful, but be warned you should always have a bit of lose change on your person to give to these people. I lived a year in Tanzania, and let me tell you a more beautiful place in Africa I have yet to see. First on your stop I would suggest the Serengeti, and then the Ngorongoro Crater, after that maybe Mt. Kilimanjaro or its less famous little brother Mt. Meru. There are also a lot of other wildlife parks to chose from and you should purchase maybe a few trinkets from the local vendors, as the people there are experts at their craft and charge much less then in other parts of the world.

From their you have a few choices you can either head down to Mozambique, which sadly I’m not to familiar with but have heard wonderful things about it, or head up to Kenya or Uganda. You also have the choice of going into Rwanda or Burundi, but That I wouldn’t advise unless you’re out looking for danger, cause there are still many rebels there and they don’t take kindly to foreigners.

Now on the off chance you decided to go up to Kenya, then there’s some different things you should know. Kenya is the next most industrialized country, South Africa being the first. Its City’s look European in a way, although crime there is high, it’s still a pleasant enough country with a nice culture and friendly people,

After Kenya you could either go into Ethiopia or through Uganda and then back down through Tanzania. I’m quite sad that I can’t say I’ve been to Ethiopia I’ve met different people who have been there and they said the culture, and the people are wonderful, not forgetting they make the most amazing coffee.

But lets say you go into Uganda well then I say welcome, I lived 2 years in Uganda in the capital Kampala, and let me say It’s a unique Country and does have some tourism not as much however as other countries in Africa. If you’ve ever seen “The Last King of Scotland” then you will have seen a little of what Uganda is like, It used to have a very large Indian population but since Idi Amin up and kicked them all out their numbers were severely lowered, but that was a long time ago and they have slowly trickled back in.

Now for North Africa, I’m afraid I’m not to familiar with it, but I wont leave you empty handed following are a number of web sites which will give you insight to North Africa, http://lexicorient.com, http://www.tourism.egnet.net, http://www.egypt.travel, http://www.libyan-tourism.org, http://www.visitmorocco.org, Ext….

Well now that I’ve covered the southern area, eastern area, and northern area, Lets talk about the south west, the west, and north west.

I’m sad to say that now I’ll have to be discussing dangerous area’s and for those of you that just want a safe journey with maybe the possibility of an occasional robbery then you should stay with southern Africa, cause it’s the wild West out here and anything could happen.

Angola one of the poorest countries in the world, yet it is blessed with natural resources above and beyond the average, sadly it’s been in civil war for the last 27 years and just ended in 2002, but left the country riddled with land mines and cost the lives of 500,000 Angolans. I was there in 2000 while the war was still going and I praise God I’m still alive the things you see there would make the toughest heart soften. Children missing limbs, baby’s without mothers, and even though the war has ended the country is still in constant need of aid and relief. When I was in Angola I stayed in the city of Luanda and let me just say I experienced a lot there. I was only ten but some of the sites I saw and people I met helped shape me, walking down the street and seeing a five year old girl without legs and hands pushing herself along the road on a piece of square wood with wheals on it, can really touch your heart and let me say it touched mine, but besides that there are quite a lot of things to see and do, the culture there was shaped by the Portuguese, but it broke from tradition and is now unique in its own sense. Since It was originally colonized by Portugal they adopted the language but since then its taken on a flavour of its own.

After that we have The Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that is slightly smaller then one fourth the size of the United States. And one established through conflict, now the war has ended and things are a lot more peaceful, of course for foreigners to get in takes a lot of bribery, unless you’re a miracle worker it should cost you a minimum of three hundred dollars to get in, mainly because you have to pay off everyone that you meet while crossing the boarder, so just be prepared for that. Besides all that there are some nice area’s to Congo, of course its ill advised to drive along a lot of the roads in the north east, as there are still rebels fighting there and they would love to capture a foreigner. Lubumbashi is a relatively safe city with maybe a little crime, just be warned don’t drive with your window down as the street kids often try to grab things from your car.

Next you could go through the Central African Republic, which is the 10th poorest country in Africa. I’m afraid I can’t tell you to much about it though as I’ve never been there, It Hasn’t had as much war as other countries in Africa, and from what I hear it’s generally safe, of course as in any country in Africa you should always watch you back.

Now could either go north into Chad or west to Cameroon, supposing you decide to go into Cameroon then I hope you enjoy yourself. Cameroon is a country that enjoys political stability and is more modern then most countries around it. There are quite a few beautiful sites to see and the culture is lively and original, they also pride themselves in their music and I would advise you to stop and listen.

From there you get into Nigeria, a country that is ripe with corruption and one that I lived five years in. But don’t get me wrong Nigeria like any other country has its pluses. The richness and diversity of the Nigerian culture is a manifestation of the socio-cultural differences of the over two-hundred fifty ethnic groups that inhabit the land for ages. This coupled with over one-hundred ten million people, makes this country one of a kind. You could first travel to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital and enjoy hospitality and refinement. Next travel to Lagos the second largest city in Africa with over eight million people, I lived there for three years and was shocked by all the sites and sounds you experience, some areas are filled with danger and intrigue and other’s are safe and comfortable.

Next if you want some adventure take a flight to Cote D’Ivoire, which is still in a dangerous situation but hopefully getting better. There are quite a number of beaches to go to, and culture is as always diverse. You could also visit Abidjan the former capital and largest city in Cote D’Ivoire.

After that you should go to Liberia, a country that was colonized by freed African slaves, sadly it has been in two civil wars lasting till 2003 that have turned the country into uprising. I remember when I went there in 1998, and how we had an apartment in the capital Monrovia, and how once when the rebels came into the city we had to stay in the bathroom for two days and if we went out we had to crawl on the floor to avoid stray bullets. Or how once we were at a restaurant with a Lebanese friend and a bunch of rebels or in this case Naked soldiers (a term referred to the black rebels who would attack wearing no clothing believing themselves to be invincible) and we had to get into our friends car and crouch in the back seat while he sped down the street trying to get away, I still remember when he pulled out this big pistol and started firing from the car. But besides that there are a lot of beautiful places in Liberia and food and lodgings are inexpensive there.

From there go to Sierra Leone, which before it’s civil war in 1991 was a tourist attraction and many cruse ships would dock there for the passengers to enjoy the beautiful white beaches and crystal clear water which is a wonderful place to go spear fishing in. The country side is also spectacular and since the civil war ended in 2000 the country has begun to grow and flourish, since 2000 almost 72,500 former combatants have given up their weapons to U.N. forces. I was there in 1999 and if you have ever scene the movie “Blood Diamond” then you’ll know what happened. I advise this country for anyone who is willing to risk a little danger to see some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

After that you could go into Guinea although it’s not in such good shape politically and violent outbreaks have been reported to be happening more frequent then ever.

From there you could continue up into the north with which I’m not so familiar or take a flight to South Africa or Somewhere else in the world.

So there I’ve explained a little about Africa and its tourist possibilities, now where you go and what you do is entirely up to you, and I just want to wish you the best cause Africa is not a continent for the faint of heart, but it is also a continent you don’t want to miss.

So like so many people before you it’s your turn to pioneer Africa and turn the Dark Continent, Light.

Elephants

2009-04-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

There are two elephant species, the African Elephant, and the Indian Elephant. Two distinct species, which live on two separate continents, that surprisingly resemble each other only in shape, first the Bigger one. Weighing over 3,000 kilos, the African Elephant is a fierce and strong mammal like unto the giant mammoths of the past, with an untamable spirit. The Indian Elephant, on the other hand, is a meek and gentle mammal, that weighs under 3,000 kilos, and is very easy to domesticate (1). The African Elephant, residing on the planes of Africa, is the biggest land mammal. With an aggressive outlook and a protective character, it is dangerous when aproaching it or its family. Both genders have tusks, which is unique compared to the Indian Elephant, with whom only the males have tusks. The tusks are ivory, which for a number of reasons, one being the human’s greed and want of all things beautiful, caused poachers to kill these magnificent beasts. In the continent of Asia, resides the Indian Elephant, which is renowned for its gentle nature and smart mind. When colonists first traveled through India, they were surprised by the sight that awaited them. People riding on Elephants! Now, because most of us have since gotten used to this, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise, and yet we cant help feeling awed by these gentle giants, as the natives call them. Sadly, today there are no more wild Elephants in Africa, or Asia, they have been hunted for their ivory, and the remaining population has been put into game parks, and reserves. Is it our curse as humans, to annihilate these wonderful creations by our greed, and selfishness? No, it is not a curse, it is a choice made by people very much like you and me, taught a bad mindset by their elders and peers. But, may we hope that we try to preserve these animals, so that generations to come may enjoy the presence, of both the Indian and African Elephants.

Top ten favorite pick-up lines

2009-04-14T15:45:00.001-07:00

Although I've never used them myself, enjoy.

1. Do you have a mirror in your pocket, cuz i can see myself in your pants

2. I have a six inch tongue and I can breath through my ears

3. If you're going to regret this in the morning, we can sleep until the afternoon.

4. Save a horse -- ride a cowboy.

5. If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put U and I together.

6. "hey come here" *with the motion of a finger telling the chick to come to you*

Girl comes over.

"If I made you come with a finger, imagine what I would do with my hand?"

7. I've heard sex is a killer. Wanna die happy?

8. Wow! Are those real?

9. Excuse me, miss, do you give head to strangers? No. Well, then, allow me to introduce myself.

10. Can I have your picture so I can show Santa what I want for Christmas?

And to end it here's a good one.

Okay, so I came over here to ask you to dance, but I'm kind of concerned. I mean, we could hit it off really well, end up having a few drinks, next thing you know you're giving me your number because I'm too shy to ask for it, I finally get up the nerve to call and we take in a movie, have some dinner, I relax, you relax, we go out a few more times, get to know each other's friends, spend a lot of time together, then finally have get past this sexual tension and really develop this intense sex life that is truly incredible, decide our relationship is solid and stable, so we move in together for a while, then a few months later get married, I get a promotion, you get a promotion, we buy a bigger house. You really want kids, but I really want freedom, but we have a kid anyway, only to find that I am resentful, the sparks start to fade and to rekindle them we have two more lovely kids, but now I work too much to keep up with the bills, have no time for you, you're stressed and stop taking really good care of yourself, so to get past our slow sex life and my declining self-confidence I turn to an outside affair for sexual gratification. You find out because I'm careless and a lousy liar, you throw me out (justifiably so) and we have to explain to the kids why mommy and daddy are splitting up. That's just too sad. Think about the children! For God's sake, if you dance with me and we hit it off, let's just keep it sexual, because we both know where it's going.

Imperial hotel - Vienna

2009-04-14T15:44:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of staying at this hotel awhile back, and my life was never the same. No let me rephrase that, my hotel standards were for ever more changed. No longer would i be satisfied with a bed and toilet, no, now i must have a king sized room, with a gorgeous view of Vienna. Add a plush bed, 40 inch platinum Tv, crystal chandlers, and maybe a stripper, maybe. But besides that last rather rude comment, that is my new standard, call me picky but you have yet to stay at this hotel.

From the moment i stepped through its revolving glass doors, i felt moved up in class as though i had become royalty, a feeling hard to fake. The bell boy stole my bags from me as i strolled up to the desk. Arriving i relaxed as a warm breath of kindness swept through me, emanating from the desk clerks. Who then ushered me through a very easy check in, no problems whatsoever. Even going so far as to offer me the same room Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie slept in one year back, with a special cost. After that i was guided up to my room by a beautiful austrian damsel, and after seeing her safely to my door, i proceeded to strip, shower and go out to enjoy the night.

Following i spent 4 of the best days of my life at that hotel, each day as invigorating as the one before. And every morning as i woke to the sun on my face, the only thoughts in my head were those of ecstasy, and that wasn't just because of the hottie in my bed. Suffice to say that when the day to depart arrived i felt extremely depressed, unable to see the light ahead, and wishing only to revisit the last couple of days. And so sadly i went downstairs to check out. I looked upon the key, a USB chip attached to a step of gold, and then handed it in to the clerk. "Enjoy you're stay?" asked the young man, i nodded with a frown. "Why then are you sad?" said he. "Because i must leave now," i replied in a mournful tone. "Ah but you will come again, everyone does," he smiled. I looked up seeing the truth in his eyes. "we are always here for our guests, giving them a taste of heaven on earth."

A broad smile stole across my face, i knew i would come back, and so that afternoon i left not feeling as though my life was over but instead knowing that i would be back to once again sample heaven.

Pro's -
Staff is friendly and helpful
Room's are hand designed and chosen to make your stay unique and enjoyable.
Many Tv channels and movies to chose from and internet straight to your computer or on the Tv.
Business lounge allows wifi computers, as well as having 3 of their own for free internet access.
Gym is clean and endowed for those looking to boost muscles.
Conference rooms are large and equipped for anything from business meetings to wedding receptions.
Good area of town.

Cons -
Expensive rooms

My rating - 6 out of 5

Hotel's rating - 5 star.

My advise - Perfect for vacation and/or business trip.

Best cinemas in Vegas

2009-04-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

Under 21, visiting Vegas, unable to gamble, or just wanting to watch the latest blockbuster? Well don't worry, with over 10 cinemas in the city, you'll have your pick. Choose the perfect time, the perfect area, and the perfect cinema.

I have been to Vegas many a time and following is a list of the best cinemas.

A - REGAL CINEMAS RED ROCK STADIUM 16
11011 West Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89135
(702) 233-6948
http://www.redrocklasvegas.com/entertainment/regal_cinemas.php

Regal Cinema. With over 16 screen's, and high back reclining seats, this cinema is perfect for the whole family. When i went there almost two years ago to this day, i was instantly swept away by the sights and sounds. Located inside Red rock resort, and while not directly on the strip, this cinema will bring you what you want in movies.

5 out of 5

B - UA SHOWCASE 8
3769 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 740-4511
www.fandango.com/TheaterPage.aspx?tid=AACUS

Located near the MGM Grand, this cinema is directly off the strip and for anyone who doesn't want to drive, this is your place. 11 screens make up this cinema, and with enhanced sound, stadium seating, and a bucket of popcorn you'll have the perfect movie going experience.

5 out of 5

C - CENTURY ORLEANS 18
4500 Tropicana Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89103
(702) 889-1220
http://www.fandango.com/TheaterPage.aspx?tid=AADZY

1 mile from the strip, lies a hotel perfect for the underage, with attractions ranging from the pool to the cinema, a better family hotel is hard to come by. The cinema, which is situated inside the hotel, has all the top films playing, clean rooms, and state of the art electronics. The only downside to this theatre is they do not except credit cards, but not to worry, they have a cash machine right next to the box office. So next time your in Vegas with your family stop by, it wont disappoint.

4 out of 5

D - GALAXY NEONOPOLIS 11
450 E. Fremont St.
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 383-9600
http://www.fandango.com/lasvegasgalaxyneonopolis11_aaqkf/theaterpage

At the end of the strip, near the stratosphere, is the Neonopolis. An elaborate cinema, with a restaurant connected and easy access from bus. Moderate prices for its location, and an array of movies to view, makes this a number one stop for people staying on the strip.

4 out of 5

E - CENTURY 16 SOUTH POINT
9777 South Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89123
(702) 260-4061
http://www.southpointcasino.com/entertainment/movies.php

On the strip, opposite end of the Neonopolis, lies Century 16. Set inside South Point Hotel, this cinema is a favorite for those wanting a private night out, not often crowded, it's perfect for a date. They show all types of movies, even ones in 3-D, as well as giving special deals everyday. So if you want a romantic movie night, this is the place to be.

3.5 out of 5

This concludes my review's, and while there are more cinema's awaiting you in Vegas, i have covered my most favorite. So next time you visit Sin City, don't just throw your money away on gambling instead spend some on the movies, i promise you'll enjoy it.

Diary of Jack Rope - Short Story

2009-04-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

Diary of Jack Rope, written from inside a mental institution

December 30th 1968

It's been two weeks since I first arrived here, and I’ve yet to get used to this place. The walls feel cold as I pass them each morning on my way to the showers. Frank, who's trying to become my friend, say's that they put ice in the walls to keep us from getting warm and strong, I don’t think I believe him. Once again I ask myself why I’m here, I’m not crazy, they say I have hallucinations whatever that means. For the longest time my wife would get so scared whenever I told her there were people in our house, she wasn’t scarred of them though, mostly of me. Must have been why she checked me in to this place, here I haven’t seen any of the people from back in my house. No but I see creatures, monsters of sorts, when I asked Frank about them he said he saw them too but had gotten used to them, I asked him why the nurses don’t take them away, Frank said only us in this dorm see them. Thankfully they keep to themselves, huddling in groups near the doors, we avoid them at all costs.

Bill has been pushing me around again whenever the nurses are turned away, I can’t do much against him cause of his height. Frank said that Bill comes from the coal mines down south, where his brain got fuzzy and he started destroying machinery and caused a big accident, I think I’m gona try and keep away from him. They let us play cards in here, and I’m always taking Franks money, yet he still comes asking to play another game with me. Today I won fifty greens off him, and hope to double it before the lights go out and we're tied to our beds. That’s another thing that puzzles me, why do they tie us down? I mean, sometimes I wake up to use the bathroom, but when I try to get up and find myself tied down, I panic and they come over and force me to swallow pills. Frank says it’s to keep us from trying to escape, but my wife said I can leave whenever I want to. I think I might ask to go home tomorrow, I don’t like this place much, it scares me. Earlier today Dorian, the vegetable, over on bed 4 died, He went into convulsions around 9 this morning and within five minutes he was dead. The black boys rolled him down the hall in a stretcher, through the door (the monsters let them through) and that was it. No one talked about him again, how strange.

The black boys by the way are the cleaners here, but they also take care of watching over us, and stopping us if we get violent. They force me to have showers in the morning, though all I want to do is stay in bed, even to the point of dragging me to the bathroom. The head of this ward is named Gina Stanforth, though she makes us call her Mrs Stanforth, I think she’s embarrassed about her first name. She’s started holding meetings each day, one hour long, in which she chooses one of us and makes us recount all our problems outside in the real world. I think she’s trying to find the root of she calls our abnormalities. Thankfully she hasn’t called on me yet, cause I don’t want to tell her about the people I see, and have her laugh at me, like so many others have. Besides they’re real I tell you, real. Today she choose Glenburg and I’ve never seen a man’s dignity torn away like she did to his today. She started by asking him what why his parents checked him in here, moving on to why he had tried to kill himself over four times, or why he was so unsocial. Poor Glenburg took it for about 20 minutes before he broke down, first weeping and then getting mad enough to try and attack Mrs Stanforth. The black boys had to haul him away in a straight jacket, he hasn’t come back yet.

Frank told me that he wasn’t happy with this new type of therapy, neither was I. Course Franks been here going on two years now, while this is just my third week. There’s a murmur of dissent running through everyone, I even heard someone say he wanted to escape, but I think its all talk. Most of the guys here are very scared of the outside, I don’t see why, it’s not scary out there. Most of my life I was happy until the strangers came into my house. My wife is supposed to come and see me tomorrow, I’m going to ask her about getting me out of here. Ops bill is walking over here, I think I’ll continue this in the supply closet.

Ok hidden now, there’s a light in this closet so I can see, no monsters in here either. Breakfast has been rather bland, horrid compared to the magnificent omelets my wife used to make for me. I miss her so, she hasn’t come to visit me yet, so I’m really looking forward too tomorrow. After breakfast each morning the nurses give us our pills, some of the guys just pretend to take theirs but really stash them. Frank says they do this for two reasons, the first being they want to sell them to some patients that are addicts. The second is that they’re afraid of what they do to you. I don’t understand why anyone would be afraid. Frank said I’d figure out in awhile. Uh oh someone’s opening the door, I think it’s one of the black boys, I’ll write more tomorrow.

December 31 1968

I’m sitting here in a chair legs tied down, they gave me permission to use my hands so I can write, I’m waiting to be taken upstairs to the shock and chop as the guys call it. I think the real name of the procedure is lobotomy, anyway I’ll tell you why. This morning I was woken up again at the crack of dawn, the black boys had thought it funny to wake us up a half an hour early, and all of us sat in stupors as they tried to get us to shower. Finally and after much prodding and pushing they managed to get us to go with them, well all of us except Shemp. He’s a short but stout older fella, who they say has the brain of a baby, maybe thats why he made such a fuss. He started fighting both the black boys that were in here and it took quite awhile for them to overcome him. The nurse on call came over with a needle and poked him full of drugs, he went limp immediately and the black boys carried him out. I still remember the look on his face, one of agony and sadness.

After the shower we were treated to a better breakfast, maybe it was to make up for the fight with Shemp, anyway it was some good scrambled eggs. That sort of lifted the mood and for the next hour we sat around, playing different games. I started a little poker ring and soon had five guys I betting against, including good ol Frank. The poor guy got so hard in debt, he started trying to bet with cigarettes and then even with little papers saying how much he owed me. I got feeling kind of guilty after awhile so I let him win most of it back. I think he enjoyed it all the same.

When meeting time came round we were all in such a good mood, that it seemed nothing Mrs Stanforth would say could tear us down. Even when she got to me and started shooting me with questions, why was your wife afraid of you? Did you ever physically hurt her? And so on, I answered most of them with a no, or a yes, but a few I had to go into detail about. She asked me whether, I had ever been in a traumatic situation as boy, I told her I didn’t remember. Then she asked why I had burnt down my house. I told her I didn’t know what she meant by that, and that no house I’ve ever been in had burnt down. She told me to stop lying and to tell the truth, and if whether I was afraid of something in that house. It was then that the images came rushing back into my head, scenes of me throwing gas on the house. It was because I was scarred, scarred of those people. I didn’t mean to do it, I didn’t. My wife wasn’t in the house, I was scared, I saw myself light a match and throw it in. It was too much I got too afraid. I started swinging my arms wildly and trying to keep everyone away. I vaguely remember the black boys standing around me, one of them holding a straight jacket. I broke away from them I wanted to get out, I ran towards the door, but the monsters were there blocking it from me, leering down at me, it’s the last I remember.

That’s when I woke up here, they had my hands tied down, but like I said before, I asked if they could free them. Frank passed by here a few minutes ago, said he wasn’t supposed to talk to me, but didn’t care.
He told me that Mrs Stanforth had ordered a lobotomy, and that I should be scared because, when people come back from one, they come back different. I tried to act brave and told him I would be fine, but something in my gut told me to be scarred, that’s when I started thinking back, on when I started the fire. That night I had come home from work, and the house looked different, cold and uninviting. The shades were pulled down and when I went inside, I saw an army of different people. All staring, they weren’t talking, I was so afraid, no one was there to protect me, I can’t remember any more, it hurts too bad.

I’m still sitting here waiting, someone said a new guy is coming in. He would be the first after me. Ah I think this is him now, the door is opening. I expect to see him cower in fear of the monsters, but no. He stands brave, the monsters try to scare him, but he doesn’t flinch. They’re shocked, they don’t know what to do, oh my they’ve just gone up in smoke. They must feed off fear, but this man he’s different then us, he’s brave, he’s happy. The black boys bring him closer. I see that he has red hair and a lot of freckles. He’s also got a strong build, like a man who’s worked out doors his whole life. He’s got a smile on his face and as he passes he winks at me, and says “The name’s R. P. McMurphy my boy, and its nice to meet you”. I stare at him as he walks on, a testament to someone unbroken by the system, and even as the nurse comes to take me away. I think that I can survive this place, if I too have a happy outlook on life.
End.

The Bodies exhibition - Luxor hotel, Las Vegas

2009-04-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Last time i was in Vegas, a good friend spoke of a museum, a museum like no other, one which showcase's dead bodies! Being a questionable character, and fascinated in pathology i decided to go. Let me say, it didn't dissapoint.

At the counter the extremely friendly clerks, sold me a ticket at the reasonable price of $31.00, as well as offering a wireless information set, which i accepted. Stepping through the black doors and entering a world that could set your skin crawling, was an experience to remember. From the begging room which holds different bones, as well as a person made up from them. I spent over ten minutes studying the many different structures, fascinated by the 200+ bones in the human body.

After that i moved into a room filled with muscle samples, as well as with two other full humans with bone's and meat only. My eye's bulged as i continued down the isle, listening to different explanations and lectures on my wireless set. from there i walked through a room showcasing the digestive track, then onto a brain room, till i finally hit the blood vein.

As i entered the room with the caution sign on the door, the darkness set my teeth on edge. The glass cabinets, adorning the room, with whole human bodies shaped by blood veins alone were a sight to remember. Brains made up from just veins, blue and red, sparkling in the dark. I spent quite a while in there soaking in the knowledge and feeling inspired.

Moving into the reproductive room, and meeting our female counterparts as well as our male feebleness, was another thing altogether. Much more then any text book could teach you, here was a whole part of a man's and woman's thigh too torso cut out, and lying in a glass cage. The skin removed showing a woman's womb. And man's parts? There was also two complete bodies of the opposite gender, missing their exterior (skin).

Next was probably the most shocking of all, and something you should never let a mother see. Babies, in little glass jars, ranging from 1 week to nine months. From miniscule creatures, to fully formed small infants. Shocking and yet surpassing anything i have ever seen, showing that their must be some sort of creator. To believe that this was just because of a big bang, would be to call yourself stupid. But i'm not preaching, see it to believe it.

After that i moved into a room, that to the side held an entire human's skin peeled from the body, looking very much like something leather face might have given to the museum. To the right were slides of the human body, pictures taken and put on glass frames, to give the appearance of a body sliced in order from head to foot. Causing my jaw to drop as i stared through the liver, kidney, and lungs. Over on the wall were two heart's, each in their own glass casing, hard to imagine they once beat with life. Then and here was the funniest part of the tour, a large glass box, holding two separate lungs, one clean, and one black as night. Above a sign stated, "The average pack of cigarettes takes off 3 hours of your life, be smart." And next to that a box where people threw away their cigarettes. Reaching into my pocket to do the same i remembered i had already given up smoking, but if i hadn't i certainly would have done so. Oh and i'll leave it up to you to guess which color lung was the healthy one, and which was the cancerous.

After that i walked through the last room, filled just with full humans. Showcased with one cut in half, to fully examine our insides, another positioned to throw a football, and so on. I walked through and studied each person, marveling at the dexterity that is the human body. Thoroughly awed i left that museum thinking one thing, "Damn i must go back." I did a few weeks later with my girlfriend, though she was a little turned off from sex afterwards (enough said).

In the end i advise this to anyone wanting an out of the ordinary experience, one which you'll be able to tell your grandchildren about. You don't have to be a doctor anymore to see first hand the human body, you just need to have a strong stomach.

Quit Smoking; Mental, Physical, and Other Factors for Recovery

2009-04-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

To start off, I want to say I was a chain smoker for three years before I quit, and that was between the age of 15 to 18. When I first picked up smoking, I was underage, but I looked older than I was, so I could buy cigarettes.

At first I figured they where nice and it was relaxing to smoke so I continued. I also thought I wouldn't get addicted and that I could continue smoking but cut it off whenever I wanted to, but like anything addictive thats just not true. Soon I was hooked and whenever I couldn't light
up, I would get nervous, fidgety, sick, and sad, so many emotions I didn't know what to do, I was addicted

Now I never was afraid of getting lung cancer and that wasn't the reason I tried to quit, the thing that pushed me over the edge and made me want to quit was a girl. You know the type, beautiful, smart, sexy, energetic, and a whole lot of fun, but the one problem was she couldn't stand smoking, she hated the smell, the taste, everything about it and she would never kiss me when I smoked, she didn't even want to be with me, so I had to make a decision her or smoking. At first I thought hey this will be easy I'll just stop smoking for awhile, and pick it up later. So I stopped for a day, and by the end I was dying for a smoke, it was then that I realized this would take a lot of hard work.

So day by day slowly by slowly I began to cut loose from smoking and by 5 months I could say I was over it. but I just made it sound so simple, well let me tell you it wasn't, and here's some different steps I took to get over the addiction.

To begin I'll give you some general knowledge. You should know that there are two different addictions with smoking one is the physical aspect, where your body craves the nicotine and you can actually get sick without it, and two the mental aspect, where your mind needs a cigarette, just the fact of having one and smoking it is good enough for your mind. It needs something to be doing, something to fidget with and thats where cigarettes are so big, they relive stress. Have you ever been talking to a hot girl or in a press conference, and been nervous or stressed, and lit up a cigarette. I know how good the feeling is, its relaxing and calming, it stops you from shaking or stuttering ext... But that doesn't mean its good for you, in actuality it's bad it makes you rely on something and if you don't have it your screwed.

Well now I'm going to be starting with the physical aspect.

1. Stopping your bodies need for nicotine. There are many different way and things to use, I suggest cigarette replacements aka other ways of getting nicotine into your body without the use of smokes. You could use nicotine patches or nicotine gum, there are also some different medicines to choose from. For more information there are different web site's available for your browsing, such as "http://www.lungusa.org" and "http://www.smokefree.gov" and many others.

Now for the mental aspect.

1. Anticipation. Before you start the process of quiting you should anticipate your bodies reactions and know that once you start you'll be dieing to smoke just one fag. Also you should throw out all cigarettes and tobacco products.

2. Tell friends and family. One of the best things for you to do is tell your family and friends, their morale support will help and encourage you to see the process through and win. When I quit it took a lot of support from my family and my friends, but probably the most supportive was my girlfriend the fact that she was with me helping and guiding the whole time and if it wasn't for her I doubt I would have made it.

3. Set a date. Pick a date of when to quit so you know exactly when it is and have enough time to prepare for it.
4. Remember that its not an overnight change. You cant expect to stop for a day and then have no desire to smoke. I've been off for a year but still have the occasional desire to smoke. So don't expect it to be an easy transition between smoker to non-smoker, cause its not.

5. For those of you who like me feel an urge to smoke when your nervous or stressed, I have one solution for you "Chewing Gum". It worked for me, whenever I felt nervous and wanted to be doing something to calm me, I would just pop a piece of gum into my mouth and Voila. Also having snacks to chew or even fiddling with something like turning a coin over and over in your hand.

Now finally I have one last word of advice to give, and that is that where you are and what you do matter's a lot. On the 7th day that I was trying to quit smoking I went out with some friends for a drink and after 4 beers the craving for smoking was so strong I couldn't
control it so I gave in and was back at square one. Now maybe when you drink you don't feel like smoking, but I'm sure something you do gives you that feeling. So I would suggest that until you've lost the addiction or at least till its considerably smaller, then don't do those things that make you want to smoke.

Well now that I've shared some of my advice with you, I can only wish you the best on your quest to leave the world of smoking far behind.

And by the way I'm still with the girl.

Top San Francisco clubs!

2009-04-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

San Francisco nightlife is as varied as San Francisco, and each San Francisco neighborhood's bars, clubs and lounges have distinct vibes. So following are four different yet equally great clubs.

Rockit Room.
406 Clement St., San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.387.6343; Web. www.rock-it-room.com.

The Rockit Room was founded by MVT Entertainment in 2005 with a single mission in mind: To help keep live music alive. and this bar and club has certainly succeeded in giving for a very exiting and enjoyable night. With live bands playing every evening and two floors including a quite seating area downstairs, the Rockit Room is one of the best small music venues in San Francisco.

Ruby Skye
420 Mason St., San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.693.0777; Web. www.rubyskye.com.

The place to be when the party starts, this club/bar is located in the heart of downtown San Francisco, and is a decidedly high style lounge that can host bands, fashion shows, dance nights, private events and more. State of the art lighting and DJs from around the world work to make this an evening to remember.

111 Minna Street Gallery
111 Minna (at Second Street), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.974.1719; Web. www.111minnagallery.com

Nightclubbing is about a lot of things, but mostly its about energy, and 111 Minna serves it by the bucket full. Upon entering you’ll find a decidedly non-bridge, peaceful, hip crowd. Whenever I want to go burn up the dance floor 111 Minna is my first choice, so with some the best electronic music in the city, and stylish art to boot, its hard to go wrong with this nightclub.

Red Devil Lounge
1695 Polk (at Clay), San Francisco CA; Tel. 415.921.1695; Web. www.reddevillounge.com.

This Theater turned hot music club takes performances and patrons to another world with elegant red lanterns, gold patterns throughout and comfortable seating. One night they can put on a spectacular show, and the next it can be the ultimate party. With their strong drinks and friendly environment the Red Devil Lounge is a club to be reckoned with.

Surviving the jungle of downtown Johannesburg

2009-04-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

So you think the only jungles in South Africa are in the wild, and have trees and animals, well guess again.
There is a new jungle, one that is far more dangerous and threatening then you’ve heard of before. One with building’s and roads, where you could get killed for lose change, and where the predators aren’t just tabby cats. This place is called downtown Johannesburg, and I advise you to stay clear of it but on the off chance you find yourself there, here is some good advice on how to survive.

I lived one year in downtown Jo-burg and let me tell you it’s a miracle I’m still alive. Johannesburg is the crime capital of the world, and there’s been many a time I wished I was anywhere else, but thanks to God I’m still alive.

I lived there between the age of 13 to 14, and my parents owned a loft space downtown which they converted into a living area. I had grown up in Africa so I was used to violence and crime, when I was 9 I saw people being shot down In front of my house in Liberia, but I was still surprised at what I saw in downtown Jo-burg.

When we first moved in, the loft was empty and we had to fix it up, so my dad asked some of our Africana friends to come and help us and bring there workers, half declined saying it was to dangerous down there, and the other half did it after a long persuasion. Of course they brought they’re guns with them, and they would tell story’s of how a white police officer was in his car at a stop light and 4 black men came up with guns and shot him 5 time.
He rushed to the hospital and somehow pulled through. or how this other white guy was in the downtown area after sunset, and went missing for three days, he was finally found inside the trunk of his car chopped up. Suffice it to say we weren’t the bravest of chaps after that. So the loft got fixed up and we began the hard part, living there.

At first we were scared, but slowly we began to loosen up. But before I talk any further I’ll give these few safety tips.

1. Never leave your car parked on the road after 6:00 pm.
2. Whatever you do always lock your car when you leave it, even if your just going to the corner store to buy cigarettes.
3. Try never to walk around by yourself, always take a partner when you leave your house. This isn’t Europe where it’s safe to walk the streets, even during the day here you should always take a partner and never walk the streets at night.
4. Don’t give money to beggars if they are around where you live. 1 if you give them money then they’ll wait outside your house and always beg, 2 They don’t take showers and they use the bathroom all over your street. I know because we had this old crippled black lady in front of our house who would beg and annoy us every time we’d leave our house. She never moved and pretty soon our doorstep smelled like the sewer.
5. Pickpockets are everywhere. They’re just waiting to strike, so never leave your wallet in your back pocket be a wise guy and carry your money in rolls or if you have to carry a wallet keep it in one of your front pockets. Also be careful with backpacks. I saw a lot of tourists who would walk around with giant back packs, and it’s like a sign saying here I am, rob me. If you have a backpack I would suggest you carry it in front of you.

Anyway back to the story, me and my brother would often go out to buy pirated movies from the blacks vendors on the side of the road. Now that can be dangerous, so I would advise you when going out to carry as little money on your person as possible, and also make friends with the people, fool around with them, crack jokes and try not to be to serious.

One place however that we always steered clear of was Hillbrow, I only ever went there once and that was by accident, my dad was driving back into downtown Johannesburg from Sandton and we got lost he drove down a few roads and before we knew it there was a small sign with graffiti all over it saying welcome to Hillbrow. We had heard story’s from friends and immediately wanted to get out sadly the street we were on was a one way, so we had to go straight. The place looked like a war zone, people everywhere and we where making slow progress, my dad was praying to the high heavens, and us boys were sitting very silently in the back. We stopped and asked a someone who looked like a security guard for directions he started telling us and when he was almost done, we look to the right and this guy was walking up towards us, he lifts up his shirt and there is a machete tucked into his pants, he starts pulling it out and at that second my dad hits the gas and speeds off, all to say we finally made It out of there but we where sure never to get stuck there again.

Time passed slowly for us and different things happened I wish I could tell you all the different story’s I have but they would take up a book, so finally a year passed, a quite eventful year, and we left, but I doubt I will ever forget my time there. And I think it was a good learning process, of course I wouldn’t advise you to do it.

I will now leave you with a few last tips on how not to get mugged, raped, or killed.

1. As you know the highest amount of rape in the world is in South Africa. Of course don’t be alarmed it’s mainly within the black race. But it could happen to you, I mean some blacks believe raping a virgin cures HIV. So I strongly suggest if you’re a women always have a man with you, when going into downtown Jo-burg. Now if there is no man with you and you desperately need to go there, then I would suggest pepper spray. Believe me you do not want to be caught downtown with nothing but a purse to beat off your attacker.
2. Know your way around. Do not just go to downtown not knowing anything, with a pack on your back and a couple grand in your special little belt which hides beneath your shirt and you think no can see it. If its your first time to downtown Jo-burg I would advise you to have a friend who knows the area to lead you around. Also always drive, walking people are the easiest targets.
3. Don’t be an idiot. Its really that simple, be smart and always use your head, of course If you would even contemplate going to downtown Jo-burg then you’ve seriously got some screws lose.

So I’ll leave you with a last story. One day this guy I knew (names Tiago) go’s to a cash machine, now its daytime and there’s a lot of people around, so he puts in his card and types in the pin, just then a guy walks up to him and sticks a knife to his stomach and say’s withdraw this much cash. Tiago does it then the guy with the knife grabs the money and then stabs Tiago 3 times. He was in the hospital for a month and was damn lucky he survived.

So I wish you luck on your tour through the jungle of downtown Johannesburg.

Las Vegas Playboy Club

2009-04-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

In 2006, 15 years since the last playboy club closed its doors, Hugh Hefner announced the new club. Standing outside the door's Hefner cut the ribbon and the club was flooded with people. Being the world's only playboy club is not easy, there's a lot to live up to, men's fantasy's and all. But this club holds it all, with the waitress dressed in hot bunny outfits, courtesy of Roberto Cavalli, the blackjack dealers as well, they truly revive the playboy bunny.

Imagine yourself sitting down to play a game of blackjack, and your dealer is not some straight faced, suite toting man, but instead a beautiful young blond dressed in the skimpiest yet elegant outfit ever. Designers wisely choose to shy from conventional decoration, instead mixing old school with new millennium technology. Evidenced by crystal chandeliers contrasting nicely with rotating plasma screens of past playboy bunnies.

The Playboy Club, rests on the 52nd floor of the Palms Fantasy Tower, sandwiched between Moon nightclub above and Nove Italiano restaurant below. It is warm and intimate, two qualities not always given in most nightlife venues. It is taylor made for everything from discreet encounters to bachelor party blowouts.

Hefner and co. showed that you cant keep a good bunny down, and to prove it, i invite you to come and visit the Playboy Club.

How to travel europe on a limited budget!

2009-04-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

To begin I would like to say that this editorial is not for the rich, or the people who have the money to fly first class and stay in five star hotel’s. No this is for people who aren’t rich and famous, for college students who want to travel the world, or perhaps you’re 30 and always wanted to see Europe but never thought you had enough money to, well now you can.

I personally have been to over 17 countries in Europe, and can say from experience that they are wonderful places and each country is unique in its own right. Following are different ways to travel through Europe.

1. For those of you who like travelling slowly and taking in a lot of the beautiful countryside, I would advise a Eurail pass. You can get one for a couple hundred euros and they differ in price and range of travel. I personally have used one on occasion, and it’s a wonderful way to take a nice relaxing journey, especially if you don’t like flying, the trains you ride in are top quality and you can even sleep in them, just pay a little amount before you get on the train and instead of having to pay for a expensive hotel you can travel and sleep all in one. For those of you who would like to purchase a pass, you may go onto www.eurail.com and enjoy the benefits of owning a Eurail pass.
2. Now say you’re a speedy person and like to get to places fast, then there are a number of airlines that are cheap and efficient to choose from, starting with Ryanair to Easyjet, and if you book in advance you can get a ticket costing anywhere from $20 to $50, of course while the amount of baggage your allowed to take is limited, its still worth it in the long run.
3. Ferry boats are also a good idea if you like the ocean and are travelling say from Italy to Greece, or the UK to France. I can’t name specific prices here cause they all differ greatly, but I’m sure if you look hard enough you’ll find good and reasonable prices.
4. Finally the last option, and this is if you want to save money. Is hitchhiking, I admit that I’ve done it more then once, and nothing bad has ever happened to me, but its really your decision and I cant make it for you. So if you have the guts and are willing to risk the chance of you meeting a deranged lunatic then go for it.

So now that I’ve shown you a few way’s of travelling, the next thing for you to do is work out a plan of where you want to go and what you want to do when you get there. You should look online and find out all the different things to do in the city your going to, different monument’s and attractions you’d like to see. If you cant get on the internet, well in that case most city’s have a information booth that you can find at most main train stations, and they have brochures and maps telling the best places to go and things to do.

Now we get to another problem where to stay, I will give you a brief list of the least expensive places to stay while giving you the best quality and comforts for your money.

1. Probably the cheapest while not the nicest are youth hostels, now don’t be fooled by the movie “Hostel”. Youth hostels in Europe are perfectly safe, and they provide you with a warm bed and clean bathroom facilities, which trust me is a lot nicer then sleeping in the train station, and I would know. Besides that you share the room with a few other travellers and you get clean sheets. Most hostels cost around 10 Euro a night, and depending on the status can charge more or less then that.
2. Cheap hotels are also an idea, if you know where to look you can go to very well priced hotel, the best thing to do is go to information in that city and ask them where you can find cheap hotel’s, they should give you a list and you can choose from that. You should also note that hotel’s closer to the heart of the city tend to cost a lot more then ones on the outskirts.
3. One of the best places to stay and where you get a good deal for your money are Bed and Breakfast’s. They have them situated all over Europe, the prices are decent and the owner’s are generally nice enough people. Once again the best way to find them is through information, or the internet.
4. One last idea and it might be very unconventional, is meeting a resident of the city and staying with them. I as a matter of fact have done that on numerous occasions. I get to a new city and don’t have a cent to my name, well I certainly don’t want to sleep on the street so I make friends with someone who lives there and after awhile I tell them that I don’t have anywhere to stay and ask them if they can put me up. I know its very strange and not a lot of people do it but it works, not all the time but if your desperate its worth a shot.

Well now that you have a roof over your head, let’s talk transport. In city’s there are different way to get around, I’ll tell you some of the easiest and cheapest.

1. Public transportation. Probably the cheapest way to get around besides walking is public transport which includes train’s, buses, and trams. For a minimum fee you can get a week pass on the trains in most countries in Europe, buses are the same and in a lot of places you can use the same ticket for the train with the tram. They get you to most areas of the city and if you have a map, you can get around easy enough.
2. Hitchhiking is always an option, though in most European city’s it’s not so easy, I would instead advise public transportation or walking.

Now that you got that down, there is still a few things you should know and one of them is about food. Unlike America, food in Europe is very expensive and to eat at a middle class restaurant may use up all of your savings. So Following is a list of the cheapest ways to eat in Europe.

1. Supermarkets are probably the cheapest way to eat in Europe. Say your in France and instead of going to a restaurant and spending a fortune, why not go down to the bakery and get a nice fresh baguette then go to a grocery and pick up some cheese, perhaps a tomato, and some salami, after that grab a cheap but delectable French wine, and go down to the park or if your in Paris, the Eiffel Tower and have yourself a feast. In every country food prices differ, in Switzerland meat costs a fortune but cheese is cheap and delicious. Every single country differs and that’s one of the great joys in travelling through Europe.
2. Fast food, while not as cheep as America it still is cheaper then restaurants, and If you hop over to Mc Donald’s or Burger King you can get a meal for 6 to 7 Euros.
3. Now If perhaps you have a girl with you and you want to take her out to dinner, then my advice is not to go look for some fancy restaurant but go to a small little place that isn’t well known or expensive, but where you can get a real taste of the culture. I have been to quite a few little restaurants that are on a side street and aren’t real famous, but their food tastes marvellous and by the end of the meal I am asking for each and everyone of their recipes.

So now that I covered all the basic aspects of travelling through Europe on a limited budget, I’ll give you some advice on what to wear and other practical steps to take when travelling in Europe.

1. Clothes, Europe has all kinds of weather from cold and snowy to warm and sunny, so my advice is to pack for the time when your going, if its in the summer then pack for a sunny trip, but its also good to take along a few winter clothes just in case what started off as a sunny day turns into a rainy and cold one. So I would suggest you pack for all types of weather cause it could be hot in Italy, but freezing in Sweden.
2. If you’re flying to Europe from America or any other country I would suggest you change your currency into Euros before you fly out. Not only do you get a better rate but it’s also easier to land in a new country and have some of the currency in case you need it for transport or other necessities.
3. Don’t worry about speaking the language. While most countries in Europe speak foreign languages, most people speak both English and the national language. Although it’s good to know a few words of the local language to help you get around and its also polite, don’t worry about speaking it fluently though.
4. Going through borders. For Americans I find that the world is growing a little unhappy with us and its getting harder and harder to go through the borders, probably the hardest in Europe is the UK border, they’ve often given me a tough time and kept me behind while everyone else goes through, they question each person and make you feel like a criminal. So my advice is keep calm, talk with them and tell them what your doing and exactly how long you’ll be there for, and above all stay sharp and look your best.

Well that’s all I can think of for now, if you have any other questions feel free to ask. I wish you the best with your travels, and hope you get to see all your hearts desires.

So until next time play safe, don’t get yourself arrested, and above all follow your dreams. Because the world is yours, just don’t end up like Tony Montana aka SCARFACE.

How to make a short movie.

2009-04-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

Good day everyone.
Now to get started on my explanations. Before we begin I have a few things to say, one I have made 4 different short movies, also a short documentary on Las Vegas.
Today however I will be discussing only one of my short movies (Wrong Boy).
It is a Science Fiction Horror, And was made with a very limited budget, and with me doing everything but acting. I will also be sharing different tips I learned, and advice on how to direct a short movie.

And now we will begin with Wrong Boy.

I made it when I was 15 and staying in The United States of America, California to be exact.
I was staying with my dad and brother's and a team of missionary’s who were all taking a vacation in the sunny climate of the West Coast.
So one day I decided to make a short movie. Around that time I had been watching a lot of Sci-Fi movies namely Classics such as Alien, Aliens, Predator Ext.....
So first thing to do was come up with an idea.
I sat around for awhile racking my brains waiting for a light bulb to turn on, and I nearly had given up when it hit me, a short movie about an alien which comes down and terrorizes a kid and his father. Not a very original idea but it was one I was familiar with and knew I could make. I also knew I could use my younger brother for the part, and as for the father their was a missionary who fit the description perfectly.

Now for you beginner’s here's a few tips when you’re trying to come up with an idea about a screenplay.
1. It is said that the first movie you ever make will be like a window into your soul, showing everything you've ever wanted to see in a movie, And even what you see in life. So my advice is chose a subject your familiar with or an idea that comes naturally. If you like horrors and love scaring people well then make your movie scary. Or if you like romance and love story’s, then make it a Romeo and Juliet. It’s really what you like and what comes naturally. I know some people try to make a video that they don’t have the feel for and it’s a flop. I myself have tried many a time to write a good Christian story, or perhaps a fast moving thriller. But it never worked and it would usually ends up ones sided and boring. So remember you have to have a feel for the thing you do.

Well now that I knew the storyline I had to get down to the task of writing the script. Easier said then done.
For me it's always been easy to dream up a story, and to know what the plot is and how I want it to begin and end. My problem was always the middle. It’s easy to be very exited about a new script you’re going to write. And you start off with enthusiasm and gumption. But then slowly that fire dies down. Or you get lost in the story and after awhile you give up or forget to keep writing. When that happens I sit down and re-read what I’ve already written and I try to rekindle the flame. Of course it also takes a lot of perseverance and determination to see it through, but trust me it will be worth it when done. Short movie's are easier of course. There’s a lot less to write and I can usually finish a short movie script that would be about ten minutes in an hour. That's if I already know more or less what the plot is going to be and who the characters are Ext....

But there are a few things to keep in mind about writing a screenplay.
1. Always start off with a first draft. And then redo that one a few times to make it shining and perfect. There’s nothing worse than a bad screenplay or one that has potential but was never perfected. I know it's easy after finishing the first draft, to lay back and think its okay and you don’t have to do anything more, but that’s not true there's always more that can be done. Whether it’s polishing off the talking, or deleting and adding new scene's or characters there's always more to be done.

2. Know your characters. Whenever I write a script I like to get to know my characters not just what I write about them on paper, but actually knowing them in my head, Creating their entire lives and knowing who they are and how they react in different situations. I tend to make each one a little like me. Giving them different characteristics that I have, making them come to life and being able to feel with them in the situations they face. It's a very important part in writing scripts.

3. Remember it's a movie not a book. That means that where books describe things with talking and detailed descriptions. Movies rely on capturing the moment in images. Say for instance in a book the main character could think thoughts and could say what he's feeling. But in a movie he can’t he has to rely on actions. (Remember the saying "Actions Speak Louder than Words") that means you can’t have the main character running around explaining how he feels in different situations. No instead he has to act them out with facial expressions with mimes. I mean look at old silent movies. They don’t have talking and yet the actors get across their messages just the same. I honestly believe some of the best actors that ever lived were from that time. So remember it’s a movie not a book, don't explain what the character’s feeling, have the actors express them through actions.

So now that I have finished the script I thought life was going be a walk in the park from their on in. wow was I in for a big surprise.
I knew I had to get a costume for the alien, but when I opened my pocket book, I saw only a few little greenbacks. So I decided I would make a costume myself, first for the mask, a friend of mine suggested papier-mâché. So I went out bought some flour and salt and whipped up the paste then got a newspaper started to shred it to pieces and then dip them in the paste. Then I blew up a balloon and started to lay the gooey strips of paper all over the balloon. Then after the first layer I stopped and let it dry then did another layer and so on so forth, till it was good and thick. I then popped the balloon and made spiky ears and a pig shaped nose which was also the mouth. Then using the glass from sunglasses and putting a sort of netting over it I had made eyes. When I had finished it looked like some weird shaped pig alien, not the best but cheap and effective. The rest of the costume was easy enough, and I even made a finger out of papier-mâché.
Then I was ready for filming and in case you were wondering what I used to film with, it was a  Canon MVX250i, 18x optical zoom and 1.3 mega pixels.
And a Rode NTG-2 boom mike and tripod, I also had a few different light reflectors and one big key light, and a small little light which could be used for a number of things and with that I started shooting.

Now here are a few things to remember before you start shooting.
1. The quality of lighting. Now say you’re like me not very rich and having only the bear minimum of equipment. Say you have a small Dv camcorder and the footage it take’s is not the best. Well that’s where lighting comes in. lighting is almost everything with filming it makes the difference between professional and beginner. You could take one shot where the person Is indoors and looking gray and lifeless. And then brighten it up with a few well placed lights and have a masterpiece in living color. It really is the best and the light’s don’t even cost that much. Just go down to your friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart. And pick up some basic lights for as little as 20 bucks a piece. Take my word for it, it will make a world of difference in your movie. And could be the difference between a phone call from Spielberg saying he wants you, or having your own father disliking it.

2. Sound quality. It is also a very important factor in making a good movie. My Canon for instance has a very basic built in microphone which while good for stupid tourists does not work for my movies. So I very politely asked my dad to buy me a boom mike. Now I know not all of you have parents who would buy these things for you, in which case I suggest you take up a summer job to get the money. Anyway my dad went out and bought me one. Cost about 200 dollars and increased the sound quality tremendously. So remember video quality matters but what the audience hates most is not being able to hear the movie.

3. Planning ahead. It’s very important before you start shooting to know exactly where your shots will be filmed and have everything set up and ready to go. Not planning ahead is one of the worst mistakes you can make. Some people just go out on a limb and go to location and start filming before they’ve ever even been there before. Big mistake, you should always go around before site hunting, looking for the best locations and making sure everything is worked out. You don’t want to go to a mall and be told off for trying to film there, I learned that from experience. You should always get permission before you film in privately owned places. Also you should try to visualize what you want out of your scene. That’s what I do and it works. Of course its not always going to be exactly how you wanted it but if you try hard enough it just might be.

4. Always rehearse. You should always remember to rehearse a scene before you start shooting. You want the actors in tip top shape. And not to be stuttering on their lines or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. So remember practice makes perfect.

Then I want on location, my whole movie was centered around the house. With some of it out in the forest. So I started filming the house scenes. First I had to pay my younger brother 20 dollars to act in the movie, but It was worth it. Then I started shooting different shots I tried to do at least 3 scenes a week. Some took awhile and others took very short. It took me under two months to film the whole thing, mainly cause I didn’t film so often. I kept the hardest scene’s for last and once while shooting an action scene in the woods I was kept filming till three in the morning.
And occasionally accidents would happen, once my younger brother knocked over the tripod with my camera on it and the cord to the mike attached. The fall bent the part of the cord that went into the camera and from then on I had to wriggle it around for it to work.
I also tried to keep things lively and exciting. There’s nothing worse than having a bunch of depressed actors to work with, so we would make jokes fool around on set and try to have a good old time. Of course I would also make sure things didn’t get out of hand, and that we would always put work first. Finally after two months of shooting it was done.

Here are some other tips on filming that I learned.
1. Always shoot a few takes of each scene. I know sometimes it’s easy to shoot one take and then think its enough. But trust me you do not want to end up in the editing process and find out that shot had some noise in the middle or that the actor was actually doing something wrong. So always shoot a few takes

2. It’s a good idea to always think ahead and know how your scene should look. Whether you want one long shot of the whole scene, or a bunch of different angles cut together. It’s always best to know what you want that way when you get out their your already prepared. When shooting a bunch of different angles try to make sure the actors are in the same positions and doing the same things. You don’t want one angle where he’s standing in front of the window and the next scene he’s a few feet away. Now perhaps not all of you can visualize how you want your movie to look before you film it, but it’s a good thing to always know what angle your shot’s are going to be filmed from.

3. You always want continuity. Something that you don’t want to happen when you shoot a scene is in continuity, in other words say perhaps the character is in the house about to go out. And then you end that scene and then perhaps in few days time you film the next scene which is at a mall, and you forget to have the actor wearing the same clothes. Or perhaps he has a complete different hair style. You always have to make sure he’s looking the same as he did in the last scene if those scenes are supposed to be taking place on the same day. Unless of course your script calls for a change.

4. Lastly be good director. Actors hate when the director bosses them around and leaves no room for change. Always be open to knew ideas and helpful comments. Of course the actor is not directing and ultimately its your movie, but you should still be open for change. You want your actor to be creative and really immerse himself in the role, and to do that he might need to change some of the characters actions or the way he talks. So be open to it. Also don’t be a tyrant. The best thing when working with actors or crew, is to win their respect. You don’t want to boss them around and force them to do the things you say. Because then they wont want to do their best for you, and your movie will end up a bomb. So always remember be open to change, and to win someone’s respect you must respect them.

Then I was ready for the editing process, some people say it’s the hardest. I say it takes hard work. I used my father’s Mac book, and I would advise that to anyone who can use one. All you need is a program called final cut pro, which is very user friendly and easy to work with, while at the same time giving you quality performance. So I got the computer, hooked up my camcorder, and uploaded the video content. Then I sat down and for one week, worked non stop on editing and at the end of the week I had my movie.

Following are different tips and some advise on editing your movie.
1. The rough edit. What you want to do when you first start editing, once you’ve gotten your footage onto the computer, you should chose one scene and work on that first. What you do is go through the different shots of the scene, and take the best one from each angle, then decide which order you want them to go in and how to cut them together so they run smoothly and work. You should do this to each of the scenes and then patch them together, that’s called the rough edit.

2. Touch up’s. After you complete the rough edit you should go through your scene’s and add sound effects where need be. You could download them off the internet or make them your self. I’ve made quite a few good punch effects from punching a green pepper or anything else you want, you just have to be creative. After that you’ll want to smooth up the transitions between shots and scene’s. You can do this a number of ways using fade out’s for the end of a scene or if you want a dramatic ending cut it right at a good time. You should also make sure that in a scene the different shot’s always complement each other and make sure that the actor is doing the same thing in each different angle. Also make sure that the sound quality is good in each shot and that it doesn’t rise or fall with changing of shots.

3. The Music. They say music doesn’t make a movie, but it sure as hell compliments one. Especially with short movies where the story may begin to get boring or so. I know with my Wrong Boy, that over half the movie had music in the background. It doesn’t have to be to loud but loud enough so that the person knows its their. Music determines the mood, a horror movie is only scary if it has the right music. Add a light comedic song to a scary scene and you get a romantic drama. So remember music is important. It either uplifts you or saddens you, It either scares you or make’s you laugh. Be sure to have the right music at the right time.

Finally I was done with editing and I thought I had finished everything. Tell one day it dawned on me I want someone to watch it. Now being a missionary it was easy for me to show people since I travel all around the globe and meet a lot of people. I was able to show it to hundreds of people, mainly missionary’s all with mixed reviews. Some people loved it and asked if they could act in my next one, Other people said it was really scary, and still other people said it was a waste of time and that horror was a stupid genre. But you know what I was pleased with myself for making it and next time around I tried to do one better, but we can talk about that later. For know let me leave you with a few tips on getting your movie watched.

Tips on publicizing your movie.
1. If it is a short movie. My advice if your film is a short is to put it on the internet. It is the fastest growing form of communication and over millions of people use it. Of course knowing where to put it counts for a lot. I would advise you tube, as that is free and probably the biggest video site around. You can get a free account there and then put a video up that is under to 100 megabyte’s and under 10 minutes. There are also many different web sites out there that you could find. For getting your movie publicized on you tube it’s really just got to do with word of mouth, there’s a lot of geeks out there and if they like your movie they’ll tell there friends and they’re friends will tell they’re friend and so on so forth.

2. if it is a feature length. Well for those of you who have made feature lengths. My advice is film festival’s get them shown there or try to get them into your locale cinema. Or onto TV. The possibilities are endless, It all depends on how hard you try.

So finally I come to the end of my how to, hope you’ve learned a lot and good luck on your film. Last word of advice is never give up, no matter how hard it may seem or how you just feel like quitting, don’t do it. Movie making is not for everyone but if you believe you can do it you can.

And “Remember whatever you hand findeth to do, do it with all your might”.

Welcome to "Articles and guides for life"

2009-04-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hello my fellow wanders, having questions on life and your pursuit of happiness well look no further, all you read here is written by me and 1000 % authentic. Enjoy!