We go around the Bo Bo Aung Shrine and at the back of it we stay in front of the Temple of Dhammazedi and Dhammapala built by the Mon king Dhammazedi. Usually, temples, pagodas, shrines, etc. are guarded by a pair of chinthes, devas, nagas, ogres, and so on but this is different at this temple in so far as it is guarded by one chinthe (left) and one tiger (right). The temple houses two Buddha statues and people say that the temple is placed where the beam of light concentrated by the diamond orb (sein bu) of the Shwedagon Pagoda hits the terrace. This may be true but neither have I ever seen the ray myself nor have I ever met anyone in person who did. Some sources say that the Temple of Dhammazedi and Dhammapala is one of the nine Shwedagon Pagoda wonders and that the Sandawdwin Pagoda is not one of them; others say vice versa.

We continue southwards and have now reached the Eastern Stairway. Here at the top of the stairway king Dhammazedi placed in 1485 the Dhammazedi stones we have seen in the north-eastern corner where they were moved to in 2008. This stairway, more precisely the entrance at street level, was also the place were on 15 March 1929 a celebration took place on the occasion of the return of the control of the Shwedagon Pagoda to the Burmese by the British.

Opposite the eastern stairway is the Kakusandha Buddha Adoration Hall. Inside the hall are several Buddha statues but the main Buddha is, of course, the one this hall is dedicated to: the 25th Buddha, Kakusandha Buddha, in an illuminated cave at the back of the hall. This statue has like the other main Buddha’s a neon halo and is made of stone after the original statue was severely damaged by the great fire in 1931. What is striking here is the fact that not only the palm of Kakusandha Buddha’s hand is turned upwards instead of being as usual turned downwards but also those of three of the four in front of his cave sitting Buddha statues. This is in so far striking as this mudra is not in conformity with any of the many mudras prescribed in the old scripts.

The Kakusandha Buddha is one of the nine wonders of the Shwedagon Pagoda.

The Kakusandha Buddha Adoration Hall that fell victim to the great fire on the Shwedagon Pagoda in 1931 was originally built in 1841 by king Tharrawaddy Min’s chief queen, Ma May Gale and the first time renovated in 1869. After being, following the great fire, re-built based on the original plans it was re-opened in 1940.

On the right hand side of the Kakusandha adoration hall you can see the Golden Shan Umbrellas.

To the left and right of the hall is a Planetary Post for the Moon. One of you said that he is Tiger; was it you? OK, then you are born on a Monday and this is your place to perform your devotional ‘yadayar’. We are waiting and when you are back I will tell you something about the Tawa Gu Buddha.

Now we take a look at the Tawa Gu Buddha who is placed on the upper terrace of the Shwedagon stupa in a niche above and behind the Kakusandha Buddha adoration hall. The terrace is some 18 feet/6 metres wide and accessible by stairs located beside the Konagamana Buddha Adoration Hall at the southern stairway.

As you may remember this terrace cannot be visited by women and requires for men the permission of the Shwedagon Pagoda Security. However, we can see the statue from here on the monitor at the column over there in the Kakusandha Buddha devotion hall. The Tawa Gu Buddha who is said to have a Ruby inside his head and would be capable of working miracles. The statue is relatively small and is different from all the other Buddha statues on the Shwedagon in so far as his eyes give a different expression to the face. I have heart people describing the eyes as ‘real’ or ‘lively’. Owing to the Rubies on the brow and in his eyes enshrined there by Bo Bo Aung (well, people believe that) and his ‘lively’ eyes the Tawa Gu Buddha is also called ‘Lively Ruby Eyes Buddha’ in Burmese ‘Padamya Myet Shin Buddha’. The Tawa Gu Buddha is one of the nine wonders of the Shwedagon Pagoda.

Having admired the Tawa Gu Buddha we see diagonally across on the right hand side of the eastern stairway the U Nyo Pavilion, which was completed in 1938. What makes this pavilion worth mentioning is that you can here see a selection of beautifully carved wooden jatakas depicting scenes of Gautama Buddhas life including the scene of Siddhartha’s birth celebration in the course of which the hermit Asita foresaw that Siddhartha would one day become either a great king or great holy man.

Oh, you are lucky. Look over there. You see the people with the Htishwes (golden umbrellas) over there? Yes, you are right. That is a Shin Pyu Procession.

Continuing southwards we are now at the Hamsa Prayer Pillar. The Hamsa prayer pillar has its name from the golden bird on the top of it. The Hamsa Bird, also called Hintha Bird, is the sacred bird of the Hamsawaddy (Hansawaddy) Mon Dynasty. For this reason the Hamsa (Hintha) Bird, representing perfect union, perfect balance and perfect life, was on the flags of the Mon kingdoms and is still on the flags of the Pegu (Bago) Division and the Mon State. Devotees praying at this post believe that they will become as healthy, successful and rich as the kings and queens of this dynasty.

Just right from the Hamsa prayer pillar in direction of the main stupa we have here the Planetary Post for the Mars located in the south-east of the Shwedagon Pagoda terrace. As you may remember the Mars corresponds to Tuesday born and is associated to the lion. Someone of you born on a Tuesday? You? Well, then here is the place to make your ‘yadayar’, in other words, to promote your luck. When you are ready we will continue.

Now we turn right and over there you already see the pavilion of the southern stairway where we have started our walk around the central stupa our circumambulation, respectively. But before we go into the south-eastern corner to rest a few minutes under the Bodhi tree that was planted there and then return to the eastern stairway to leave the Shwedagon Pagoda in order to continue our ‘Yangon Pagoda Sight Seeing Tour’ we go to the building located to the left of the upper landing of the southern stairway.

Here we are. This is the Hall of Carousel. Let us step closer and you will see why this building is called Hall of the Carousel. Yes, because there is a slow turning carousel with four silver bowls on it. Do you see what these locals are doing? Right, they try to toss coins into the bowls. I have here some coins for you and you should join them and do as they do. Why? Well, because when you succeed in placing your coin in one of the bowls you will have good fortune. I think it’s worth a try.

Ha, you see, some of you made it. Be happy, that is a good sign. By the way, here on the walls you can see very beautiful wood carvings. Starting from the left side they are telling the story of Bhuridatta, the Naga Prince, known as Bhuridatta jataka.

Stepping out of the hall of carousal we have the central stupa in front of us and turn right into eastern direction.

Having arrived at the south-eastern corner of the main platform we can see diagonally across in the far south-eastern corner the bodhi tree. That is where we now go to rest a bit in the shadow of the Bodhi Tree.

OK, let us sit down enjoy the view and have some cookies and water. This one is like the Bo trees in the north-western corner grown from a cutting of the very Bodhi Tree in northern India under which as Buddhists believe Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment (bodhi).

Having gathered some strengths we return to the eastern stairway and leave the Shwedagon Pagoda. We are now about two third down from the pagoda platform and have to cross the Ar Za Ni Street that divides the stairway in a lower part and an upper part.

From here you can take taxis when you want to leave the pagoda from here or arrive here by taxi if you so wish. In southern direction the Ar Za Ni Street leads in the former Lake Road, now U Htaung Bo Road where the southern stairway that we have used to climb up to the Shwedagon Pagoda is located. In northern direction it is, passing the northern entrance, leading in the West Shwegondaing Road.

We have reached the foot of the stairway and here in front of the fence at the end of the stone slaps the floor is paved with we can put on our slippers.

Now we have left the Shwedagon Pagoda compound and as you can see here too are two chinthes guarding the stairway. However, these ones are a lot smaller than the chinthes guarding the entrance to the southern stairway.

This is now the Kyar Taw Ya Street. Here are some small food and souvenir stalls and a few steps further down the street is the corner of Kyar Taw Ya Street and Yae Ta Shae Street. So, here on our left is the Bahan Market (Zay) Hall. All along Yae Ta Shae Street running left are shops selling food, flowers, paper umbrellas, hand fans, monk robes, monk slippers, monk umbrellas, oh well, just everything devotees may want to have prior to their visiting the Shwedagon Pagoda and/or one of the monasteries.

This is the end of our visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda. I hope you have enjoyed it and that we will meet again.

Take note Knights On White Chargers (or in red sports cars): these are the perfect places to book for a romantic mini break.

If you’re romantic mini breaking at the stage of your relationship when you need a love nest, there could be nothing more idyllic and nesty than The Dovecote in Oxfordshire. An octagon of brick with a lantern roof that lets the light in, this dovecote was once home to more than a thousand doves, now the ‘potency’ remains = a technical term for the ladder, now augmented with a spiral staircase, and the central post and loft, but the birds are gone and there’s only space for two in the spa and double shower. For a less literal love nest, the Dunmore Pineapple is one of the most unusual romantic mini break destinations in the UK. The roof of this ex-hot-house is a very literal reproduction of a giant stone pineapple and the interior is laid out over two floors, but romantic mini breakers will have to create their own steam, the hot house piping system has been shut down. If Buckinghamshire is closer, Blickling Hall’s Jacobean Tower is another romantically renovated love nest, complete with roof terrace, plush, warm fabrics and views to the coast. The legends of a ghost in the hall will only serve to bring you closer as the sun sets.

Nothing says ‘getting out of town’ like building-less views. Which are exactly what greets romantic mini breakers gazing from the windows of Clavell Tower on Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset. Built in 1830 as an observatory and a folly, this tower stands alone against the wide sweep of ocean, a romantic Tuscan-esque structure and the inspiration for Thomas Hardy’s Wessex Poems, and now fitted out just for two. Continuing the theme of tower-with-ocean-views, Martello Tower in Suffolk, is a romantic mini break fortress in thick brick that looks like a four leafed clover in aerial photos. The moat and thick walls may not seem cosy and romantic until you’re on the inside of them in front of the huge fireplace listening to the terribly exciting sound of the waves crashing outside. Romantic Mini breakers staying at Ballyportry Castle in Ireland will be able to make as much noise as they like, this tower has been been standing alone on this cliff top for more than 500 years, exposed beams, roaring peat fires and all. The Summer House, still qualifies as a tower for two – it’s an odd building, built as an ‘Elizabethan banqueting tower’, but what romantic mini breakers will want to know is that it’s pretty, has pretty views, is quite a way from the nearest ears, and has a roof terrace, four poster bed and generous fire place.

If a romantic mini break means not having to do anything for yourself then a castle hotel will be closer to the dream. You still get the four poster and spa but someone else will get the fire crackling. Thornbury Castle was the romantic mini break choice of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and you can sleep in their boudoir for around £300 a night. Amberley Castle used to belong to Elizabeth I and still has a moat and portcullis — stay awake until midnight and watch it being closed for the night — but it’s now much warmer and plusher inside. Or romantic mini break in individualized four poster, stylish bathroom-ed luxury and comfort at Langley Castle or Grade 1 listed but super stylish Blencow Hall.

As I am writing this article I am thinking of the recent accident involving the Pittsburg Steelers star quarterback, “Big Ben” Roethlisberger. If he had been wearing a helmet his injuries would not have been nearly as severe.

For most of us bikers a helmet just doesn’t fit our perception of what biking is all about, which is freedom! I mean, hey it just doesn’t look cool to be on a hog with that little sissy helmet. But, I think it looks way less cool to have your face all scarred up from sliding on it down the road!

According to statistics almost every crash where the rider wasn’t wearing a helmet resulted in a major head injury. In one study out of 900 crashes there were 980 head and neck injuries which seems to indicate that the passengers on many of these motorcycles were not wearing helmets either.

Our neighbors to the north in Canada have now made it illegal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet due to the large percentage of fatalities in accidents in which the rider was not wearing one. Of course in the United States, like many other laws it is left up to the individual states to decide the ruling. I know where I live in Florida they repealed the helmet law a few years ago and according to an EMT buddy of mine it has caused a dramatic increase in head injuries.

If you value your brain and your life you should be responsible enough to wear a helmet. Some of the factors that you should consider when buying a motorcycle helmet are below.

All motorcycle helmets consist of two main parts, an inner shell or liner which is made of impact reducing foam and an outer shell which is made to absorb the initial impact and protect your head as well as take all of the damage that the road or other hard object would have done to your head.

When buying a motorcycle helmet you should be sure that it has been approved by the Department of Transportation. If the helmet has been approved it will have a sticker from the government agency stating so. Another sticker that is recognized all over the world is from the Snell Memorial Foundation.

Another thing that is hugely important is making sure that the motorcycle helmet you buy fits properly. You need to make sure that it doesn’t fit too loose or too tight. When you take it off there should be no marks on your face from the pressure of the helmet, if so the helmet is too tight.

You also want to be sure that it doesn’t wobble around or come off easily. If you are in an accident and the helmet comes off at first impact you may be bouncing down the road on your head!

The tenets of good sportsmanship in pool are communication, integrity and respect for your opponent.

Failure to comply with the basics good sportsmanship can invoke a ball in hand and loss of game from the first offense in some pool-playing formats, as well as potential removal from a pool league or venue. While there are many places where you can shoot pool that leave players to squabble over what is essentially a simple matter, the best venues won’t allow it. Establishments with transparent and direct signage on the matter, an in-house professional or instructor or top-notch associations and tours (i.e. BCA, WPBA, etc) should all tip you that the proper etiquette must be observed and followed.

COMMUNICATION

Of utmost importance is open and strong communication between players. Many pool-playing formats rely and on it – for example, call shot formats. Many (if not all) disputes can be avoided by practicing sound, balanced communication skills. Each player is responsible for his or her actions at the table!

INTEGRITY

Most times where there is a sportsmanship question, someone has allowed his/her best judgment to be compromised. The offending player is not being entirely honest. If a player is unhappy with his or her opponent’s unsportsmanlike conduct during a match of any kind, then s/he should suspend play before advancing to the next shot and seek a venue manager, tournament director or pool league representative. This way, it’s obvious to everyone investigating the matter that you did not call this into question because you missed a critical shot or lost a game. In cases where the violation happens prior to a shot, s/he should step up from the shot and suspend play.

SHARKING – COMMON SIGNS OF DISRESPECT FOR YOUR OPPONENT

Poor sportsmanship is often leveraged as a means to distract and unravel a player’s patience and focus. This strand of unsportsmanship conduct is called “sharking” in pool playing. The below is but a starting point of reference per sharking techniques. It is by no means a complete list.

1) Standing in your opponent’s line of sight – or moving across it while s/he shoots.

2) Deliberate disruption of your opponent (talking to them, dropping a cue/chalk, etc).

3) Picking up the rack before the player sinks the final ball.

4) Loosening the joint of your cue while your opponent attempts to sink one of the final balls.

5) Deliberate delay of the game in order to disturb the rhythm of your opponent.

FINAL WORD

While a tournament director or league representative will have the final say in all cases of organized unsportsmanlike conduct, you may find yourself on your own to discuss these matters. Remember that it’s often best to walk away from an opponent who will resort to any measure to gain an advantage. As you perform better, their behavior gets worse and worse. Is that really a good use of your time? Respect your time and your game.

Practice good sportsmanship consistently and you’ll make the game that much more enjoyable for everyone.

Virender Shewag has been playing in the Indian team for almost a decade as an opening batsman. He has had a distinguished record with 19 test centuries including 2 triple centuries. But his batting average of 53 is a slight letdown compared to Don Bradman’s batting (test) average of 99. We can qualify the Dons average of 99 as it was only against two countries the UK and Australia. The Don never played any where else. So it is a moot point how he would have fared against the master Google bowler SP Gupte and off spin wizard Ghulam Ahmed on rank turning wickets in India like at Madras and Calcutta. After all Gupte tamed the famed 3 W’s(Walcott, Weeks and Worrel) on the 1953 Indian tour of the West Indies. Shewag has the distinction of having played his cricket all over the globe. He has batted on all sorts of wickets and faced all types of bowlers. He has performed creditably in England, the West Indies, Pakistan and Australia.

Shewag stands out as an audacious player whose name is synonymous with power play and fast scoring. Scoring runs at a great speed to allow his team enough time to force a result is the hall mark of a great player. Viv Richards did this and so did Bradman. Unfortunately one cannot say the same for Tendulkar who despite his 46 centuries has not led India to very many test wins. The stark fact is that with him in the side India lost to lowly Zimbabwe.

Shewags batting is clinical expertise. His batting has a flamboyance that sees runs scored at a scorching pace. It will not be wrong to say that Shewag is the one match winner in the Indian team.As a pure match winner he is way ahead of other Indian contemporary batsmen including Gavaskar, Umrigar and Tendulkar. The closest to my mind to Shewags batting is Viv Richards who could swing a match in his teams favor by batting just for an hour. Comparisons between cricketers of a by gone age with the present lot are not easy. But in case we do apply the yardstick of the way the runs are scored at all venues over the world the name of Shewag could be bracketed close to Bradman and George Hadley-the legendary West Indian batter. With 2 triple centuries he is already bracketed with 2 other all time greats -Lara and Bradman. Shewag has still a few years of cricket left and there is a good chance he could hit another triple century and then his place in cricket’s hall of fame is assured.

To the North of the Market, Norwich City Hall overlooks the center of Norwich with a clock tower that stands 185 feet high. A landmark of the City and visible from almost everywhere in the City center, the City Hall has a marvelous heritage that is easy to overlook whilst involved in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.

King George VI opened Norwich City Hall in 1938. The opening was attended by the largest gathering of residents in Norwich’s 1500-year history. The Hall’s construction was in response to increasing local governmental duties, formerly carried out in the nearby Guildhall, but which had become dilapidated and unsuitable. Today it is still considered to be a definitive example of British inter-war architecture.

In the early 1930’s, the original intention was to create a National monument. Architect Robert Atkinson was appointed to oversee the build and drew up preliminary plans for the new ‘City Hall’. A competition was held to decide the architects that would implement the construction and of 143 entries, Charles H. James and Stephen Rowland-Pierce were chosen to assist in the project. Pierce went on to plan and supervise the restoration of the Assembly house in 1950, and throughout his career won numerous honours and awards for his architecture, both nationally and internationally.

Made from solid brick walls, with Clipsham stone from Rutland for the lowest storey and Keeton stone from Stamford for the majority of the exterior work, City Hall boasts a wealth of artistic and architectural details. It is said that Adolf Hitler admired the building’s architectural style so much that he had it earmarked as a potential seat of regional government should Germany be successful in occupying England.

The walls of the ground floor entrance hall are inscribed with a list of Norwich mayors dating back to 1403, and along with the main landing on the first floor are lined with Italian marble. Many of the art deco-styled rooms are panelled with mahogany and other rich woods. Among various imaginative details, two bronze heraldic lions, designed by Alfred Hardiman, flank the outside of the building. The three doors at the main entrance are also bronze. These were designed by James Woodward and feature eighteen plaques that illustrate the history of Norwich, including the hanging of Robert Kett in 1549. The outer two doors display trades connected with the city, including chocolate, mustard and shoes. One plaque marks the building of City Hall itself.

Perhaps the most notable features of the City Hall are the stately 365-foot long balcony – the longest in England, and the imposing clock tower. The clock tower houses ‘Great George’, the largest clock bell in the UK, which also has the deepest tone in East Anglia.

Public areas in City Hall are open on weekdays between 9am and 5pm. To see more and to experience some of the very best views in Norwich, the tourist information centre organises tours and excursions up the clock tower one morning a month.

Find out more about Norwich.

Toronto’s Beach community is not only a beautiful waterfront neighbourhood with mature trees and historic houses, it is also one of the favourite places of residence for a great many artists. I was glad I had a chance to discover more about arts in the Beach when I accidentally connected with a local artist, a photographer by the name of John Dowding, during my interview with Mary Lee from Spiagga Restaurant. This gave me an opportunity to learn more about the wide spectrum of creative people in the Beach. John then connected me to Lucille Crighton who is one of Canada’s foremost textile artists.

On a snowy afternoon, after my interesting interview with Steven Zarlenga and Paul Karamat, two creative bed and breakfast owners in the Beach, followed by an interview with John Dowding, I had a chance to visit Lucille Crighton at her home: a beautiful historic property dating back to the first part of the 20th century. Lucille has a long attachment to Beach, as her grandfather bought this very house in 1927. The brick came from rubble from the Great Toronto Fire of 1904, and Lucille took me outside to show me the darkened colour and rough texture of the bricks.

Lucille also has a long connection to the textile arts: she started weaving as a teenager. With a chuckle she says she hesitates to count the number of decades that she has been weaving now. She graduated in design arts and textile arts, has a diploma in weaving with Nell Znamierowski from FIT, NYC and also completed a program in teacher training for professional hand weavers. She has written 2 of the courses (Fabric to Fashion and Fabric Design Sample) for the OHS master weaver program.

When her children were small, she opened her own yarn store and ran classes in quilting, macramé, knitting, weaving and needlework. Lucille explained that at one point she decided to specialize in weaving because it is an in-depth craft where you never stop learning. Weaving reminds her very much of music; her brother Garry is a musician. Designing a threading is quite analogous to writing music and the intricacy of the threadings keeps you challenged for a long time.

Lucille used to teach weaving all over North America, in places such as Washington DC, Portland, Oregon, Florida and Michigan, New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. All these places have weaving guilds, and they would invite her to teach colour and design in weaving. Although she enjoyed it, she had to give it up since she did not have enough time to produce the jackets that she has become so well-known for. Lucille adds that she enjoys teaching, but she loves designing.

Lucille finds inspiration in daily life and constantly looks at relationships of one colour to another, texture, line and pattern, values and intensities. While weaving, she is intuitively considering light reflection, rhythm and repetition, emphasis, balance and proportion while experimenting with new harmonious colour combinations.

“Although I work long hours it is creative, it is inspiring to put my ideas out there in terms of colour and design. I get up every morning and love what I do.” But Lucille admits that it took her a long time to get to this level of success. Today her brilliantly coloured jackets are highly coveted fashion items, and her customers often wait several months for Lucille’s creations. Her special artistic craft was honoured when she was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the One-Of-A-Kind Craft Show, a popular trade show for unique arts and crafts, held twice a year in Toronto.

Lucille and I went upstairs where three of her rooms are dedicated towards her craft. The smaller loom is set up in a room with hundreds of cones of yarn, all organized by colour, which presented quite a beautiful arrangement by itself. Lucille explained that with the Leclerc loom, bought in Canada, she uses up to 20 shuttles (the longitudinal pieces of wood that are moved horizontally across the vertical threads, creating a fabric one row at a time) for one jacket. Each bobbin in the shuttle can be set up with a different colour and as a result, Lucille can create very intricate designs as she weaves, with occasional repeats in the same fabric.

Lucille demonstrated to me how the weaving actually works: the shuttle containing the thread is virtually thrown from side of the loom to the other, creating an additional row. Then a “beater” is used to compress the new line of thread and push it close to the already woven fabric. Then pressing a foot pedal (treadle) a new opening is created for the next row of yarn. She uses numerous yarns of different thicknesses and materials; some of them have metallic or even three-dimensional effects.

Weaving is a very physical process, you always sit hunched forward and the process of throwing the shuttle produces a repetitive strain on muscles and joints, particularly when you work every day from morning to late at night. Lucille explains that she needs physiotherapy every six weeks and daily exercises to relieve the physical strain of her profession.

A second room features a larger California-built AVL loom that is actually connected to a computer and a weaving software program. Lucille added that this setup allows her to create intricate fabric designs on the computer while in the past graph paper would have had to be used. The software has made fabric design so much more convenient and efficient than before.

The third room is a cutting room where the woven fabrics are cut, ready to be assembled into jackets. In addition this room houses dozens of binders of fabric samples that Lucille has created over the years, a tangible chronology of Lucille’s artistic evolution. She could literally go back, for example, to November of 1996 and show me what types of fabrics she was producing at that time. I was admiring her organizational skills for keeping such exact records of her artistic projects. She added that she never produces the same fabric twice unless a customer specifically requests it. Now I started to understand that this is truly a craft where you never stop learning.

Weaving is indeed a very intricate craft: it takes about a week to 10 days to set up the threads on the smaller loom while the setup on the larger loom could take more than three weeks. This does not include designing the warp, weighing and calculating yardages for the yarns as well as searching out the yarns and ordering them. Lucille sets up about 200 yards of warp yarn on the loom at a time which allows her to create between 75 to 100 jackets from one setup. The nature of weaving is such that on one warp you are able to create completely different fabrics; you would not even think that the designs came from the same loom.

It was obvious to me that considering the set-up and the manual process of weaving a fabric row by row, weaving is an extremely labour-intensive process. I inquired how much one jacket would cost roughly, and Lucille responded that the average cost of a jacket is in the C$650 to $1000 range. That was actually a lot more reasonable than I had expected. Lucille explained that her customers are very diverse and simply would like to own a one-of-a-kind garment that is not replicated anywhere in the world.

Now a well established successful artist, Lucille has a substantial backlog of orders and does not have to worry about where the next project is coming from. Her marketing consists of four art shows a year: twice a year she participates in the popular One-Of-A-Kind Trade Show in Toronto, while another two times a year she is a key participant in the Beach Studio Tour.

The Beach Studio Tour is organized twice yearly by a group of about 15 to 24 local artists in the Beach who open their homes to the public free of charge for three days in May and October of every year. Pottery, stained glass, jewellery, photography, fine art and textile arts are represented, and the artists welcome the visitors with demonstrations of their crafts and an opportunity to learn about the creative process.

The artists that participate in the Beach Studio Tour collectively shoulder the arketing and publicity effort to promote this event. They fundraise and sell advertising in their flyer in order to pay for an advertising campaign. Brochures have to be designed, a mailing list needs to be maintained, PR work needs to be done in order to publicize this event and attract visitors from all over the city and beyond. As a result, a lot of work has to be split between different artists. But the Beach Studio Tour has turned into a very popular regular event in the neighbourhood that is a successful marketing tool for local artists.

During the studio tour Lucille hires someone to give a tour of the looms and answer questions, and her dining room becomes a showroom for her creations. Usually she also features guest artists and during the last few years well-known local photographer John Dowding has showcased some of his work at Lucille’s home. She also hires someone to help her on the main floor so potential clients have a chance to talk with the master artist herself and be custom fitted or to discuss future projects.

But Lucille is not only a gifted textile artist, she is also an avid gardener. Horticulture is extremely popular in the Beach, a neighbourhood with many talented gardeners. Lucille volunteers as the librarian at the Beach Garden Society and a member of the board which meets once a month. The society brings in expert guest speakers who talk about such topics as shade gardening and planting perennials. Lucille’s garden was recently featured in Gardening Life magazine.

Lucille Crighton is an all around creative person, whether it be in textile arts or horticulture and garden design. She is a one-of-a-kind Hall of Famer and a good example of the creative talent in Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood.

Credit has a love-hate relationship with the general populace. On one hand it allows us to buy stuff we want without having to pay on the spot, on the other hand it can spiral out of control, and leave us having to pay more than we bargained for. The latter isn’t really anyone’s fault except the person responsible for their card – it just takes advantage of human nature, we are easily tempted to buy stuff which seems alluring. And credit cards allow us to do that, whether we have the cash on hand or not. Regardless of what anyone thinks about credit cards and their advantages or disadvantages, one fact is clear – they are here to stay. ‘Plastic Money’ has spread everywhere, people use their cards to pay for everything, and many do not even carry cash, and who can blame them?

Cash can get stolen, while carrying a card the only risk you have is over-shopping. If a card gets stolen, you simply deactivate it at the touch of a button and incur no loss – even if you do, you are reimbursed more often than not. It’s highly convenient than carrying paper cash, and people prefer it. That’s why each shop or store is equipped with the ability to allow credit payment. Another widely known advantage is that each time you use your card – depending on which card you have – you acquire credit card points. These are reward points which accumulate and they can be used to buy more stuff – it’s free since you’re using points. Thus shopping with credit cards enable you to shop further. Different reward/loyalty programs exist and the more exclusive ones can offer some great deals on hotels, shops and all kinds of stuff. You are rewarded for spending your money. Sounds nice right? That’s because it is – especially if a person uses their credit card wisely.

Credit card points bear a semblance to frequent flyer miles. In fact technically they are the same thing – the only difference is that one gets you miles, the other gets you points. You can virtually use the two for the same things. In fact often when you book a ticket with a credit card – depending on the airline you can get a sweet discount. And you can earn miles from the ensuing flight to add to your miles tally. Using them is an art which many have mastered. Another rather obscure way to take advantage of both miles and points is to sell them online. Sell credit card points or air miles at a variety of websites. There may be several reasons for you to do this – you do not fly that often to acquire that many points and instead of wasting them for no reason, you might as well make some cash out of them.

In the fall of 2005, the Cricket Hall of Fame held it’s annual Induction Ceremony, which included the recognition of Barbados native Barbara P. Lindo. Best known for her work in the community of Hartford and other outstanding contributions to the sport of cricket, Lindo became the first woman to be inducted in the Cricket Hall of Fame. In addition, this honor will also mark the first occasion that a husband and wife team will be in the Cricket Hall of Fame. Lindo’s husband, Cyrus, was an earlier inductee.

The location for the historical ceremony was the Marriott Hotel, Adriaen’s Landing in downtown Hartford. On October 1, 2005, an impressive list of former international cricket stars were inducted in addition to Lindo. Among them, the former West Indies fast bowler, Andy Roberts and Indian leg-spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar. Roberts is known for being a very intelligent cricketer and, during one point in his career, set the then-record for being the quickest cricketer as he took less than two and a half years to reach 100 Test wickets. Chandrasekhar, on the other hand, remains India’s largest match winner overseas with 42 wickets in only five tests. Unpredictable at times, it is said that no other cricketer was more likely to deliver an unplayable ball. In addition, popular West Indian cricket journalist Tony Becca joined the hall. Becca recently retired as Sports Editor for the Gleaner newspaper and is one of the most celebrated writers in the Caribbean region.

Two other cricket personalities, Alvin “Al” Watson of Hartford/Florida and Carlyle Miller of New York was also inducted for outstanding contributions to the sport of cricket in the United States.

In every sport, just as with cricket, the Hall of Fame serves as a permanent structure used to celebrate the accomplishments of the sport’s most outstanding players and contributors. Often a popular tourist attraction, Halls of Fame are known for both their historic value, many photo opportunities and a place for fans to gather as their favorite cricket legends are forever inducted into history.

As females continue their increasing participation in sports and in history, Barbara P. Lindo achieved yet another milestone in the world of cricket and history in general. Her induction marks a precedent that will be set for other women who need encouragement and will find that in Lindo’s accomplishments and recognition.

Each year, the Cricket Hall of Fame works diligently in order to provide a program that is both reach in quality and in entertainment. Supporters are certain to once again be treated to a program filled with excitement, entertainment and enlightenment. Anyone interested in attending this year’s Induction Ceremony or for questions regarding the organization are urged to contact the Cricket Hall of Fame at 860-246-5400. Fans and supporters are invited to call with their questions regarding the Cricket Hall of Fame, it’s induction process or ticket information for upcoming events. Additionally, any events that take place throughout the year will be accessible by calling the telephone number noted above.

I´m pretty sure that you know what cancer is, and how it kills. That you know that there are many ways to get it and in different parts of your body. Can you fight cancer? Well there are ways to fight it and improve your health.

My name is Kenneth, and my mom and my aunts had cancer. Is not a pretty sight seeing your mother get weaker and sicker, and witness the chemotherapy. So I wondered if there was a natural way to fight cancer and I found one that will fight almost anything. Is all base in nutrition, types of meals and fruits that you can eat to make you feel better and improve your immune system. You see there are plenty of medical plants that doctors and pharmaceutics don’t want you to know. Because our sickness is a market for them.

Have you notice that many medicines are just for a temporary relief. That they can cure you temporary but not completely. Have you notice that in many others country they don’t have our sicknesses even if the medicine is not that technological over there.

There are so many medical plant that can cure us and prevent it so that it won´t happen again. Is just a shame that they are ignore by doctors and pharmaceutics because is not a market, if the patient gets cure completely it won´t buy again, they are just looking to get your money. 90% of all students in medical school are there for the money a doctors makes and not to help people like they are suppose to.

I have seen people thrown out of hospitals and even denied because they don’t have a medical plan or enough money. I used it on my mom and she has improve so much that I am using it too. And you feel better, stronger and I hardly get sick.

Stop eating wrong, it is like putting toxic in your body. You can get really sick like heart disease, it will make your body weak. With a weak body, your immune system is weak, there is nothing to fight the diseases, especially one like cancer. Be healthy, be strong and happy.

To learn more about what kind of food can be really healthy Click Here!