Tips for a successful christmas party

If you wish to have that dream Christmas party, you need to plan a few weeks prior to the big day, since any successful party needs quite a bit of effort and organization. It is best not to leave it to the last minute, like the Christmas shopping, as you would not like to leave anything to chances. Here are a few tips to make your Christmas party successful :

1. To begin with, you have to take a decision on the type and the venue of the party. If there is a particular place where you wish to throw the party, you have to book the place in advance.

2. In case you decide to have the party at home, do up your house in a festive mood. And that begins with the Christmas tree. Nothing is more suitable for the occasion than a Christmas tree which truly sets the holiday mood and adds to the fun and frolic.

3. Next comes the task of deciding who you wish to call. Make a guest list, as this will help you call people in advance and avoid unwanted gatecrashers barging to your party. Also knowing the number of guests will enable you to decide how much food you need. Especially if you are thinking of taking the help of a caterer.

4. Once you have finalized the people who you wish to invite, send out the invitations fast. So that your guests have enough time to plan their schedule.

5. The entertainment section also needs to be carefully planned. For an informal get-together a simple karaoke can suffice. But if the party is a little formal, then you could think of a professional DJ to keep the mood of the party on till the end.

6. Make sure you have plenty of food laid out. This is the holiday season, when people like to splurge on food and keep all plans of dieting in abeyance till the New Year. If you feel a little apprehensive about cooking for so many people, you could take the help of a caterer. You can then save on some hard labor too ! you have some free time to look after all the nitty gritty details which crop up during the last minute.

7. Lastly, when you throw a party, make people thoroughly enjoy themselves.

The tips given above, can surely help you organize your Christmas part as if it was a cake walk. And of course, the mistletoes are not to be forgotten.

The evolution of photography the beginning

Photography! Who could have thought that we would now be able to take pictures through a digital camera and transfer to a computer and change the colors or any of the attributes of an image or a photograph? Digital cameras are sharper and provide high quality pictures that can be used over multiple mediums.

Sir John Herschel is a man who invented the term ‘Photography’ in 1839.

This was also the year when the process of Photography was unveiled to the public.

How did photography really evolve? Well! It is the bi-product of laws of physics and compounds of chemistry. The evolution of photography is a completely scientific process starting with the use of optics in the 1830’s.

The dark room or Camera Obscura existed some four hundred years back, while cameras were being used since the 11th century and yet photography did not come into public use before the 1830’s.

There were different observations made by several people that finally led to putting together of all the missing pieces and this also announced the advent of photography. Some of those important observations are:

* In the 15th century, Robert Boyle found out that silver chloride turned dark when exposed to air and not light.

* In the early 1800’s Angelo Sala observed that when silver nitrate powder is kept in the sun for long, it turns black.

* Around 1727, Johann Heinrich Schulze made a discovery regarding colors. There were some liquids that changed their colors when they were exposed to light.

* Thomas Wedgwood conducted some experiments in the early 19th century. He had captured images but could make the images permanent.

* The first ever successful production of a photograph emerged in the June-July of 1827 by Joseph Nicйphore Niйpce. The material used for this became hard when exposed to light for almost 8 hrs. Niйpce went into a partnership with Louis Daguerre on 4th Jan, 1829 to work further on this.

Four years later in 1833, Niйpce died and Daguerre continued alone to discover how to develop photographic plates. Invention of the photographic plates meant that the exposure time was reduced considerably, from 8 hrs to 30 minutes. He also made another important observation and the conclusion drawn was that immersing an image in salt would make it permanent.

Paul Delaroche, a leading French scholar made a report on this and the French government bought the rights in July 1839, and made it public on 19th Aug, 1839. This process was named Daguerreotype after Louis Daguerre.

The Daguerreotype process was expensive and one time affair. At that time there were no negatives available and hence the original photograph could not be reproduced. The only way of getting two copies was by using two cameras side by side. This led to the growing need of finding a way to copy pictures and finally led to the invention of the Calotype process by William Henry Fox Talbot.

Although the Daguerreotype was superior to the Calotype, the latter was able to provide multiple positive prints of a single picture in 1840. This was the calling of a new dawn!

Replace your wedding dj with an ipod

Whether its true or not, most everyone agrees that wedding DJs are expensive. A popular tip circulating the net is to replace your wedding DJ with an iPod and DJ your reception yourself. While this may sound like a great idea, there are some things to consider. Just as with any do-it-yourself project, you must be aware of all facets before you start.

The first most important job for a good DJ is to play music that the crowd enjoys. A simple shuffle has no way of knowing who is dancing to what. A person does need to run things, but not just any person will do. Putting your 12 year old nephew won't do you any good. The person in charge of the music needs a large amount of music knowledge. A good DJ should have this knowledge. A good DJ should be able to identify a song based on a few bars hummed out of tune or a snippet of lyrics that are slightly incorrect. Your DJ must not have a fear of speaking in front of a crowd, and this is not as easy as it sounds. One simply has to think of all the Best men who have hemmed and hawed their way through a wedding toast with the microphone held at waist level. Also, does he/she know how to auction off a garter or any of the other traditional reception activities? If not, will the bride and groom want to do these things while they should be enjoying their guests? Oh, and just like you would give your wedding singer or officiant a tip for performing your ceremony, don't forget a gratuity for your impromptu DJ.

Unless you're a music collector, chances are you don't have a music library with waltzes, polkas, old country, new country, oldies, classic rock, new rock, soft rock, hard rock, hip hop, dance, etc. And, unless you want to subject your guests to your musical tastes, you should probably buy a selection of these songs. If you're not up on popular waltzes and polkas, or don't know which songs are currently topping the country Top 40, search the web. $25 dollars should buy you enough music on iTunes to cover enough various musical tastes that most guests will enjoy themselves.

Another task for a good wedding DJ is one who is covered by insurance. Sure, your homeowners policy *might* cover it, but I'd hate to see your premiums next year if an accident does occur. Don't think accidents will happen to you? Are you serving alcohol at your reception? If you're telling yourself, "All the drunk people I know never act like fools!", stop and think about that again. Besides, many venues require proof of insurance because they don't want to see their premiums raised because your grandma tripped on a speaker cable and broke her hip. Searching the web for "wedding event insurance" will yield a whole crop of insurers who will give you a $1 million dollar policy for around $200.

Equipment is of course another important factor a good DJ brings to your reception. Do you know where to get speakers? Or mics? Or Mixer?? Larger cities will have rental companies that can provide these things. You can even find many such companies by searching the web for "dj equipment rental". Most wedding sized systems rent for anywhere from $250 to $500 dollars per day. In most cases, you must provide a truck or van to transport the equipment. Now, do you know how to set these things up? If not, will the rental company give you a tutorial? Some rental companies will give you a tutorial when you pick the equipment up, but make sure to take notes, because if you have to call them later they will likely charge you for a service call. Some equipment rental companies will deliver, setup, and test their equipment as well as pick up later, but this is extra.

That being said, if you KNOW your group will interact without being prompted (or just don't care if they interact or not), and if you've got a person with an encyclopedic knowledge of music that will run your iPod (instead of enjoying your reception), and you have adequate insurance to cover any accidents that occur due to your iPod setup, and you have a large enough music library to make sure everyone gets to hear the music they want, and you're able to get your hands on adequate dance lights and speakers, and will be saving money by spending $550 to $700 then by all means use an iPod. You honestly have no need for a DJ.

If planning and organizing all this sounds like just one more hassle, you'd probably do better to hire a professional so that you can enjoy your reception and spend your first day as husband and wife doing something besides returning rental equipment. For a few dollars more you'll get professional equipment, professional knowledge from someone who has planned and performed at hundreds of weddings, peace of mind that any glitches will be resolved quickly, no hassles about tearing down equipment when the reception is over, and no worries about getting it back before you owe another day's worth of rental fees.

Wearing a red ribbon

On February 7, 1985 at 2:00 p. m. the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was attacked by five men while opening his truck doors intending to drive and meet his wife for lunch. The beige Volkswagen were he was forced in disappeared that warm winter afternoon in the streets of Guadalajara, Mexico. One month later, Camarena's body was found savagely and grotesquely murdered.

When Camarena joined the US DEA, after having served as a Marine and becoming a police officer, his mother tried to convince him to resign, but he was determined to make a difference. In 1974, he was transferred to Guadalajara, Mexico, the center at the time of the drug trafficking empire and working as an undercover agent was investigating a major drug cartel believed to include officers in the Mexican army, the police and the government. A firm believer of the notion that even one person can make a difference in this world, Camarena, at the age of 37, sacrificed his life to prevent drugs from entering the United States schools and streets.

Honoring his memory, family and friends from his hometown in Calexico, California began wearing red badges of satin signifying his battle against illegal drugs. Soon, coalitions were formed and adopted the symbol of Camarena's memory: the red ribbon. In 1988, three years after his torture and death, the National Family Partnership organized the first National Red Ribbon Campaign in an effort to reach million of US children and expand Camarena's dedication to prevent drug use around the world.

Since Camarena's murder, the Red Ribbon Celebration and every associated campaign has touched the lives of millions of people each year. Annually, during October 23rd to 31st, more than 80 million young people and adults show their commitment to a healthy, drug-free life by wearing or displaying the Red Ribbon. This nationwide effort has become a major force for raising public awareness and mobilizing communities to combat alcohol, drug and tobacco use among youth.

Years later, the red ribbon gained international appeal as a symbol of the fight against AIDS when it was worn by Jeremy Irons at the 1991 Tony Awards. Created by the New York-based Visual AIDS Artists Caucus, this visual symbol demonstrated compassion for people living with AIDS and support to their families. Inspired by the yellow ribbons honoring American soldiers servicing in the Gulf war and the US hostages of the American Embassy in Tehran, the color red was chosen for its connection to blood and as a symbol of passion. After becoming a politically correct fashion accessory, the Red Ribbon is worn on December 1st, each year in memory and support of the HIV/AIDS victims and also to increase public awareness and thus, research funding.

Cartomancy

Cartomancy is a method of divination that utilizes a deck of cards. While the practice has been popular for hundreds of years, it has seen a recent surge in commercial popularity with the sale of Tarot cards on the popular market. They have become a party prop as much as a tool of divination. This is a fact that is met with some consternation amongst true psychics who value the truth in their trade. They value the art in their psychic gifts, and the idea of girls at a slumber party playing at divination is frowned upon.

Initially, cartomancy was done with basic playing cards. In many places it still is done that way today. While the popularity and mysterious nature of Tarot cards have somewhat negated the practice of reading standard playing cards, the principles are much the same. Though different cultures have all managed to create unique sets of playing cards, adaptations have been made which allow readings to be done using a variety of decks. When it comes right down to it, cartomancy can be done with the poker deck that you have in the junk drawer. Tarot cards can be fun and enlightening, but you needn’t feel like that is the only way to get a good reading or to get accurate guidance.

There are many superstitions about the cards themselves that are used for cartomancy. One of the most widely held beliefs is that the deck which is used for readings should never be used for anything else. The act of playing with the cards can ruin the fine edge of their accuracy. Some purists even say that no one except the owner of the cards should ever lay a finger on them. They must protect from the aura of other people so that the connection between the cards and the medium is undisturbed and clear.

The argument over what is and is not cartomancy can become heated when discussed. Though they may agree that various methods are forms of divination, many from the older schools of though refuse to bestow the title of cartomancy on any reading that does not involve a standard deck. In other words, they believe that cartomancy does not include Tarot readings. There are other types of oracle cards which they also feel do not meet the standards of true cartomancy.

The Tarot deck is much different than the regular decks of cards that you and I may be familiar with. For starters, it has more cards. They are also divided up differently. The Tarot decks include 22 “major” cards that do not have an equivalent in a standard deck. The remaining cards are somewhat similar to your standard poker cards in that each suit represents something significant. Clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades each equate to one of the major elements that make up the world. They are earth, air, fire and water.

Of course, there are also the numbers on the cards that carry meaning. This is particularly true with the face cards. What causes many problems, and likewise many to doubt its relevancy, is the dispute over the meaning of cards in identical decks. It can be difficult to engage people for an accurate reading if they are aware of these differences. One possible answer is that the cards play themselves out in accordance the way the interpreter will draw them. Could it be the cards will be played in the right way, no matter how you interpret them. Many cartomancers believe that this is the case, and thus the reason why disputes over interpretation aren’t a big deal to them.