Do you have oily skin, continually feel the need to wash your face and wish you could find a way to make those pores looks smaller?

You and millions of other people with oily skin are in the same boat. Mind you, oily skin does not get lines and wrinkles as quickly or as deeply as people with dry skin… So that’s got to be a bonus – although it probably doesn’t make you feel any better about your oily skin problem, does it.

Often, oily skin is associated with acne, however, here we will focus on the classic oily skin type and look at the causes and solutions for oily skin.

Oily skin may be the result of several causes:

1. Hereditary
2. Dietary
3. Hormone levels; Age (puberty/adolescence, Menopause/change of life, etc); Birth control pill; Other medications
4. Pregnancy
5. Cosmetics and/or skin care products you’re currently using
6. Climate

Oily skin may well be in your genes. People from Mediterranean, some Asian and middle-Eastern countries may inherit oily skin from their parents. This is a genetic mechanism to help protect their skin from the high radiation of the sun. However, if you have inherited this skin type, but do not live in the climate it was designed for, this can be a problem and needs to be addressed.

Diet can be both the cause as well as the solution for oily skin. Eating greasy, oily foods will eventually produce oily skin. It is the diet’s fat (and sugar which is converted to fat) content that ends up on the surface of your skin and that is a relatively easy cause to fix. Fix your diet and you’ll fix your oily skin.

Hormonal changes especially during the teenage and change of life years can cause oily skin, often associated with acne. Similarly, pregnancy, during which your hormones change dramatically, may cause oily skin. Usually this is resolved soon after giving birth, menopause has passed or once a teenager’s body reaches maturity.

Often however, the very products you are using are the reason for your oily skin. This can be cosmetic products or skin and personal care products.

Personal products such as soaps are particularly ‘hazardous’. The reason soap is a no-no when it comes to oily skin is that the soap you use to wash your face will initially remove the oil, but it will also dry out your skin causing your skin to over-react and over produce oil which is then secreted onto the skin’s surface and oops, you have oily skin again. This is a condition known as reactive seborrhoea.

Another factor that can lead to oily skin is the climate in which you life. A humid, hot climate may cause your skin to become oily.

Many people have oily areas in one area of their face, but other areas may well be normal or dry. This is known as combination skin. Often the oily area is in the

T-Zone. That is the area covered by your forehead, nasal section and chin. You may however only have oily skin in one of these areas or elsewhere on your face. Irrespective of where the oily skin is, you’ll need to address the cause in order to fix it.

How to fix your oily skin

Okay, you can’t do much about the genes you’ve inherited, or the fact you’re pregnant or going through a change in hormonal balance. But you can still help your skin to work at a more ‘normal’ level. You can influence the oiliness of your skin and you can take steps to normalize your skin’s oil secretions.

Let’s take a step-by-step look at how you can normalize your skin.

Basic steps applicable to all causes of oily skin type:

1. Wash your face no more than 2x per day. If you do, you are likely to over stimulate your skin and this will cause it to produce more oil – not the result you want.
2. Use hot water to wash your face. Hot water is best to dissolve oil. Cold and warm water just doesn’t work as well.
3. Do NOT use commercial soaps to wash your face. These types of soaps will dry out your skin and this again will result in your skin producing more oil to protect itself against the drying effect caused by the soap.
4. Eat a healthy diet. What’s a healthy diet? Simple, use unprocessed, fresh fruits and vegetables; do not use foods that have been pre-prepared and/or conserved; do not eat junk food. Stay away from rich, fatty meals.
5. Drink plenty of clean fresh water (2 liters minimum per day).

The next step is to choose the right type of skin care products. Yes, it’s a little more difficult than just buying a cleanser and moisturizer that smell nice and hope they’ll help your oily skin.

1. Only purchase natural and organic skin and personal care products. There are many reasons for this, but suffice it to say – why put more junk into your body than is necessary?
2. Look closely at the ingredients. You will need to look for ingredients that will benefit your oily skin type. So, look for the following essential oils:

• Lemon
• Lemon-scented Tea Tree,
• Calendula,
• Lavender,
• Jojoba,
• Avocado,
• Bergamot
• Orange Blossom,
• Rosemary,
• Witch hazel,
• Juniper Berry,
• Peppermint,
• Grapefruit,
• Niaouli and
• Sweet Orange.

Many of these essential oils help specifically in normalizing sebum production.

One of the biggest problems with oily skin is that the excessive oil being produced tends to clog up the pores and cause bacterial growth (Acne) and/or oxidation of the oil (blackheads).

So, looking at this as a 3-step process:

1. Follow a daily skin care regime:

• Cleanse your facial skin using hot water and/or a natural cleanser (alcohol free) that contains essential oils and herbs to help remove oxidized natural oils and make-up residues. This will leave your skin feeling fresh and clean.
• Use a natural toner to help remove any remaining cleanser and close the open pores. This prevents further loss of moisture and by closing the pores, this prevents bacteria and other microbes from entering the open pores.
• Even though your skin is oily, you should still use a light moisturizer that contains oils such as Jojoba or Avocado as their primary ingredient.
• There is one more thing you will need to do – Use a facial clay mask twice weekly. Use Green Clay as it is the most drawing of the clays and will most help oily skin. Then follow with the above cleansing, toning and moisturising.

2. Eat wholesome food and drink plenty of water.

3. Exercise

• This step is an important step because regular exercise will promote increased blood circulation helping to nourish your skin, while providing improved blood supply to the very surface of your skin. The perspiration (and consumption of additional water) will help to flush out toxins from your skin’s pores – but remember to increase the water consumption by at least 0.5 of a liter on days when you exercise.

It is a pan. It is circular. It has a hole in the middle. What is the big deal? Why are Bundt pans so popular? If you have ever wondered why so many people seem to be in love with their Bundt pans, consider this your answer. There are a few reasons why so many cooks covet their Bundts.

The first is the fact that these pans make it incredibly easy to produce good-looking cakes. When you make a cake in a standard circular or rectangular pan, you get either a circle or a square. Then, it is up to you to make it pretty. With Bundt pans, you create cakes with a “built-in” swirl or other patterns. The cake, in essence, is self-decorated. If you are not interested in trying out for one of those Food Channel cake decorating contests, you will undoubtedly appreciate the way Bundt pans allow you to make something beautiful with very little effort.

Another reason for their popularity stems purely from tradition. These German-born pans have been around for nearly sixty years. Over that time, people have invented a number of special recipes for Bundt pans and the easily recognizable cakes they produce have become family traditions.

Bundt cakes are great for those of us who are not trained pastry chefs, as well. They are much more forgiving than other cake baking methods. The hole in the middle exposes more of the batter to the oven’s cooking temperature. That speeds the baking process and it reduces the likelihood of producing a cake that is undercooked in the middle. If you have ever sliced into a sheet cake to find the middle mushy and damp, you will immediately understand one of the most popular traits of Bundt cakes.

The aforementioned reduction in baking time is another advantage of Bundt pans. Shaving a few minutes off the amount of time necessary to produce a cake may not seem like a big deal to some people, but those who frequently find themselves pressed for time will undoubtedly enjoy winning those minutes back. That is enough of a reason to prefer Bundts to other options for many busy cooks.

See? The mystery of Bundt cake popularity is not really all that mysterious, after all. There are some very persuasive reasons to put one of the circular pans in your kitchen. They enable cooks to create very attractive, traditional cakes with less worry in less time. Those benefits are ingredients for a very popular batter!

Still not sure? Try a Bundt yourself. Start with a simple little model capable of handling six cups of batter. Make a few cakes. Even if you use a boxed mix, you will appreciate the quality of the results. Cooking with Bundt pans is fun, convenient and consistently produces some extremely tasty food!

‘Everything in moderation’ is frequently used to remind oneself that more of a good thing is not necessarily better. While the metaphor has become well-used; for the majority of people it has become a cliche with little significance to its true meaning. Socrates is credited with being the first to state, “Everything in moderation. Nothing in excess,” 2500 years ago.

Socrates believed humans need to learn to ‘know how to choose the mean and avoid the extremes on either side, as much as possible.’ Socrates emphasized considering the effects of either an exclusive devotion to one thing or an exclusive devotion to another thing. This devotion either produced a temper of hardness and ferocity, or the softness and effeminacy.

Having both qualities, he posited, produces harmony; goodness and beauty.

Buddha discovered a way to experience glory and wonder five hundred years before Jesus experienced what he called ‘the kingdom.’

Buddha said we find glory and wonder by walking the middle way (a.k.a moderation). The middle way is learning how to be moderate in all things. It is finding the middle path inside oneself where all of your Self agrees with the decisions you are making, not just a part of your Self, but all of your Self agrees.

Buddhism began in India, about 500 years before the Apostolic era and the origins of Christianity in Israel. It is interesting to note, both Christianity and Buddhism are currently greatly diminished in their countries of origin.

Buddhism is a philosophy-a way of life-based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautma (566 – 486 BC). Gautama was an Indian prince in Lumbini (now Nepal). As a prince he was destined for a privileged life. After discovering the middle way at age 35, while meditating Siddhartha reach enlightenment, awakening to the true nature of reality, Absolute Truth.

Siddhartha became known as the Buddha. Buddha from ancient Indian languages, Pali and Sanksrit, means ‘One who has awakened.’ Derived from the verbal root ‘budh,’ to awaken’ or ‘to be enlightened,’ and ‘to comprehend.’

“The gift of truth excels all other gifts.’ The world is continuous flux and is impermanent. -Buddha “Transient are conditioned things. Try to accomplish your aim with diligence. -Buddha’s last words

What is your absolute truth? What are your Ah Ha (awakened) moments?

May you walk the middle way this day listening to your inner wisdom. As you walk in moderation your inner wisdom will open you to your glory and wonder – Who you truly are.

Apart from its great poetical and literary merits, The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales is a wonderful commentary upon the English life in Middle Ages. Dryden has rightfully remarked that Chaucer must have been a man of most comprehensive nature who could bring into the compass of his The Canterbury Tales the manners and humors of his age. His keen observation, extensive travel, vast knowledge and variegated experience in the service of state had enabled him to present such a vivid picture of human life and pattern. Perhaps it was his desire to exhibit his vast knowledge that he conceived the idea of writing The Canterbury Tales.

Chaucer’s technique in portraying his characters lie in joyous originality, free from complications. In fact Chaucer being the true narrator of his age, brings before us the reality in its very original form. He is an objective writer for whom the things are best represented when they are in their original shape. He is perhaps among those who first abandoned the conventions which did not present the thing in its obvious beauty. Chaucer exhibited the entire pageant of humanity with its most part exposed and little drapery thrown over it.

Chaucer has given a great variety of professions of his time. The Knight and the Squire present chivalric class. The Clerk, Doctor of Physic and even poet himself are the representatives of learned and liberal class. Chaucer has discussed neither the elite nor the downtrodden class of his age. He gives us the vivid picture of all those professions, which were adopted by the middle class. Trading, manufacturing and even farming are not ignored by him. He has included all the professions from the town as well as from the village side.

The important aspect that we get from his masterpiece of writing is the moral condition of that age. He has introduced a number of ecclesiastical and non-ecclesiastical characters and most of them are morally bankrupt. Friar, Monk, Summoner and Pardoner being church officials. are expected to be ethical and religious but it is only their apparent look, inwardly they are money makers out of others’ problems, they are mercenaries. Chaucer has presented them in a way which exposed their lack of discipline. The institution of church, which gained great power in the Middle ages, had become a place of extortion. The wickedness was not taken as a disease to be eradicated but an opportunity of money making. The practice of giving huge tithes to abbot when vicar had inadequate income was a common occurrence. Many people abandoned their ignored and half-savaged peasantry to flock to London or some other place as chantry priests; Monk’s Statement “Why sholde he studie and make hymselven a wood” gives the true picture of his unsuitability to his job.

Not only the religious authorities but also the various social sects of life reflect the same impression. Doctor of Physic, lawyer, Manciple, Reeve and even Merchants are not sincere to their obligations. They are wearing the masks of virtue but in practice they never leave a chance to cash from others’ sufferings. Chaucer has exposed the reality in a sugarcoated way as he knew it may evolve hatred against humanity.

Females in “The Canterbury Tales” are Prioress and Wife of Bath who embody the spirit of revolt against the contemporary gender discrimination. Wife of Bath is a dominant character who declared a revolt against men in general. Prioress does not obey the injunctions of the bishop, she keeps the pets and goes to pilgrimage.

Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” gives ample information about the dresses, food and different instruments common in those days. Knight’s doublet, Squire’s short embroidered dress, fur lined sleeves of Monk’s attire, Wife of Bath’s broad wimple and heavy kerchief depicts the fashion and style of wearings in those days. Roasted swans, red wine, different kinds of fish were the popular food of the day. Daggers, swords and horses were a common sight.

It is interesting to see that his keen analysis of the characters with all their manners, idiosyncracies, likes and dislikes make them full of life and not mere bloodless dummies. They remain no more phantoms of the mind because they are not the spokesmen of Chaucer but a true reflection of their age. Along with the profiteering clerics there are various characters in “The Canterbury Tales” which are spokesmen of christian doctrines and dogmas in the fourteenth century. Among these moral characters we find Parson, Clerk, Ploughman etc. who are though poor in worldly material but rich in thoughts and deeds. Parson satisfies his conscience by being practical and not just a theoretic; As he says

“If gold reuste what shalt irene do” and

“A shiten shepherd and a clene sheep“

These statements justify the poor condition of church and social ranks because its natural that inferiors or poor will indulge in crime if the aristocratic and leading faculties are vicious. The state of morality was poor in Middle Ages when rich and poor all were sinners and had to submit to penance which was easier for rich in the shape of hefty amount.

We may conclude that Chaucer without amending or disguising interpreted the life of fourteenth century through the experience of persons and professions.

This glossary contains simple descriptions of props you are likely to find if you attend a Juggling / Circus Skills Workshop. “Juggling” in a general sense can refer to all forms of object manipulation such as diabolo, devilsticks, spinning plates etc, so it is more than just the art of throwing multiple objects in the air at the same time!

Astrojax – A toy that contains 3 balls on a string. One ball is fixed to each end of the string and the middle ball is free to slide between the two end balls. This skill toy allows you to do a combination of juggling, yo-yo and lasso tricks. It was invented in 1987.

Bar Flair – The practice of bartenders entertaining their guests while mixing drinks (such as cocktails) using bottles, cocktail shakers etc. “Flair” can include juggling and flipping the bottles, catching in the shaker cups etc. This skill became popular when seen on the 1988 film “Cocktail” starring Tom Cruise and on Britain’s Got Talent where the Bar Wizards made it all the way to the Grand Final in 2007.

Beach Flingo – A game where you pass a small ball between yourself and a partner using a bib that is made of trampoline type fabric. Very addictive and you can use these bibs to play volleyball or for a massive group game of keepy-uppy’s!

Bounce (Floor) Juggling – The art of bouncing balls off the floor in various juggling patterns.

Cigar Box Manipulation – Three rectangular shaped boxes which resemble cigar boxes but are much more solid. They are usually padded at the edges with a felt-like material. The basic tricks involve holding the two outer boxes, trapping one box in the middle (known as the “home position”) and then manipulating the middle box in various directions. W. C. Fields popularised this prop, and it gained popularity in the UK when Kris Kremo performed expertly with them on TV’s The Generation Game Christmas Special in 1993.

Club (Juggling) – One of the main juggling props. It consists of a handle and a body. You throw from the handle so that the club completes one or more spins before you catch by the handle once again. Referred to as “pins” and “skittles” by our American buddies or “torches” if they are set alight!

Club Rolling – When you roll a club on the floor, it will roll in a perfect circle. This allows many fantastic and interesting patterns to be created with 3 or 6 clubs.

Club Swinging – The swinging of two clubs around the body, arms and legs. This is a form of Contact Juggling as the props stay in contact with the performer at all times.

Contact Juggling – a form of object manipulation where one or more objects stay in contact with the body (hands, feet etc) at all times. The most common form of contact juggling is using a ball (usually an acrylic or stage ball). This was made popular in the film Labyrinth. Other props you can contact juggle with include Poi Spinning, Club Swinging & Pen Spinning.

Diabolo – A large hourglass shaped object which can be spun and caught on a string between two handsticks. The name is derived from a Greek verb meaning “‘to throw across”. Multiple diabolo’s can be spun on a string, and the possibilities for this prop keep on expanding every year with new people pushing the boundaries!

Devilstick (also known as devil stick, rhythm sticks, lunastix etc) – This consists of 2 handsticks (coated in rubber/silicone) and a larger stick in the middle which is manipulated in hundreds of different ways. Flowersticks have tassles on the end which allow it to move a bit slower in the air (making tricks easier to learn).

Feather Balancing – One of the easiest objects to balance as they move so slowly in the air. Peacock and Ostrich feathers are ideal. Try balancing on your hand, finger, chin, nose etc.

Fire Juggler/Juggling – Many of the Circus Skills props featured in this glossary have versions with wicks you can soak in fuel (such as paraffin) and light on fire. The main fire props include Fire Poi, Fire Staff, Fire Devilstick, Fire Diabolo, Fire Clubs and even Fire Balls (you may need kevlar gloves to be able to juggle these!)

Giraffe – Tall unicycle (usually between 5-6ft) where the pedals & wheel are connected by a chain. It can actually be easier to ride than a normal sized Unicycle as long as you aren’t scared of heights!

Glow Juggler/Juggling – Many of the Circus Skills props featured in this glossary have versions which you can light up. The more expensive glow props will even let you programme light sequences! Most common glow props include Glow Poi, Glow Balls, Glow Diabolo, Glow Devilstick, Glow Rings, Glow Clubs & Glow Staff.

Hat Manipulation/Juggling – Throwing and catching one or more hats using hands, feet, body and head. Tricks usually finish with the hat being thrown or placed back on the performers head.

Jitter-Ring / Gyro Ring – The Jitter ring is really just 5 little tops of slightly unusual design which are strung onto a metal ring so that they can freely spin. The discs can spin up to 1000 rpm! Makes a very pleasing rattling spinning noise.

Kendama – Traditional Japanese toy which consists of a ball on a string, a spike and several different sized cups. It bears some resemblance to the classic cup and ball game but is much more difficult!

Parasol – The rolling of an object such as a ball, coin, juggling ring or box on an Oriental parasol (which looks like a very delicate umbrella).

Pedal Racers / Fun Wheels – Fun toys with wheels that are great for learning balance.

Pen Spinning – If you have ever been bored at work/school & started turning a pen (or pencil) between your fingers, then you have been pen spinning! Lots of skilful tricks can be learned. This is a form of contact juggling, as the object stays in contact with your body at all times.

Plate Manipulation – the manipulation of plates all around the body with hands, arms, feet and body.

Plate Spinning – The art of spinning a plate (or bowl) on a stick (or pole).

Poi Spinning – Poi is a weighted object (such as a ball or beanbag) suspended from a rope or chain. You hold the other end of the rope/chain and can swing the poi in many different directions. This originates from the Maori people of New Zealand where “poi” simply means ball.

Rings (Juggling) – Flat circles of Plastic with a hole in the middle. A common item to juggle with and is considered easier than club juggling when it comes to learning with more than 3 as the rings are so thin that they are less likely to collide with each other and they are easier to stack/hold in your hands.

Rola Bola (aka Balance Board, teeter board, bongo board, rolla-bolla etc) – This consists of a round tube (such as a PVC pipe) and a board that is strong enough to hold your weight when placed on top of the tube for you to balance on. It is like a one man see-saw! Once you master the basics, then you can learn to juggle on top of the rola-bola to add a bit of danger and excitement to your performance!

Scarves (Juggling) – A square of fabric (such as chiffon). This can be the ideal way for a child/beginner to learn the basic tricks if they are having problems learning using juggling balls. This is because the scarves float gently in the air, and you have more time to put your hands in the right place to catch them (and you can catch any part of the scarf)! Simple tricks include blowing the scarf back up in the air, letting the scarf land gently over your head!

Shaker Cups – Shaker cups are also called nesting cups, as they are cups that are designed in such a way so as you can catch (nest) them inside each other. They are designed in such a way as not to stick or wedge themselves together when caught, so the inside cup is ready for release again. This is possibly the noisiest prop in a jugglers performance bag, as they are made from metal and make a huge noise when they clatter together!

Speedcups (aka Flashcups) – 12 brightly coloured cups which can be stacked in a variety of different patterns and sequences. There are Sport Stacking competitions where people compete against the clock or another person. The patterns are usually with pyramids of 3, 6 or 10 cups.

Toothbrush Twirling – Using a rubber/silicone devilstick handstick, you can hang the toothbrush from the stick and twirl it round. You can use multiple toothbrushes on one stick and have a stick in each hand. A fantastic & extremely silly activity that is a great warm-up at the beginning of a Circus Skills workshop. A toothbrush with an angled head is best! Toothbrush can also be spun on the finger, but it is best to wet your finger and the toothbrush first to give it a bit extra grip!

Unicycle – Looks like a bike but with only one wheel and no handlebars! Most likely heckle if you are riding a unicycle will be “where’s the other wheel”. You can always reply “it’s on back order” unless you are two tyred of such puns!

Walking/Balancing Ladder – An extra wide ladder which you can balance on, and then learn to walk along the ground moving the feet of the ladder (one step at a time)! You can also balance on the top rung (one leg at each side of the ladder) and start juggling while walking along.

Walking Globe – Large ball that a performer balances on top of. Various gymnastic and juggling stunts can be performed while the ball is kept moving. You have to walk backwards to roll the ball forwards!

Yo-yo – Pocket-size toy that consists of a length of string attached to a flat spool. The spool moves up and down the string allowing you to attempt several well known tricks such as “walking the dog” and “cat’s cradle”. The yo-yo has been around since the time of the Ancient Greeks.

Chess strategy is simply the act of thinking ahead and planning your moves. In a well thought out strategy, every move is planned in advance and no move is made simply for short term gain. For example, unlike checkers, if a player exposes a piece to attack you are under no obligation to take that piece if it does not advance your strategic position. Strategy can be divided into three distinct goals, each played at different times within a chess game. They are:

• The opening game. The opening game starts with the very first move and aims to progress the game quickly to a point where major pieces are protected and you have strategic advantage such as the protected acquisition of the middle board. The opening game normally consists of a memorized strategies called chess openings. The strategies must be adapted as the opponent plays their moves. Therefore there are hundreds (if not thousands) of chess openings that may be memorized and played. Recognizing the opportunity for enacting a rehearsed or memorized chess opening is key to winning the opening game.
• The middle game. The middle game starts at the completion of the opening game (of course), which is normally about 10 turns in. The aim of the middle game is to gain material advantage by taking your opponents pieces. This is normally achieved through use of tactics. The middle game is also the time where strategy is enacted to progress the game to the end game. The player with the highest material advantage is not always the winner, and therefore pieces should only be taken if they bring the game closer to the end game.
• The end game. The end game is where the king is directly under attack in order to bring about checkmate or stalemate if checkmate is not possible. The end game may also include tactics or strategies designed to allow pawn promotion.

Within each game, there are number of well known strategies that may be played to achieve each goal. Common strategies are learned from researching tournaments or other players at which point they enter the public domain and may therefore be used by other players. There are many online databases and video resources detailing thousands of known strategies. As a player becomes better at chess, they will acquire more strategies for use within the game.

Amongst other things, rehearsed strategies can be used for:

• Breaking down an opponents defenses.
• Bringing about checkmate.
• Overcoming an attack.
• Launching an attack.

Human mind curiously searches for unknown things. You can take the example of your own life. The moment you come to know about any mysterious thing, you pay much attention on that matter. Therefore, it is known as basic character of human being. Horoscopes are one of the top issues which emerge out human curiosity. You too like to discover all unknown facts especially about your future life. According to your sun sign, you’ll be able to collect exact information from it.

What will happen with you in 2011?

Aries (March 21 – April 20) The first part of the year 2010 will shower lots of opportunities in your life. You will enjoy wonderful success and prospects. Though professional life is very good from January to April, your love life won’t show the same result.

Taurus (April 21 – May 20) The starting of the year is good indeed. During this time, you’ll be blessed by various fantastic moments. The middle of the year will open opportunities to earn more and more money.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) The beginning of the year will offer steady lifestyle. You will be free from any major stress or tension. As a human being, you would be able to get name and fame.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) January to April will be good for you. Especially, your financial condition will be increased during this time. The middle of the year will show several problems.

Leo (July 23 – August 22) If you’re associated with business, profit will surely come to you. Support from various sources will offer you a happy life. From May to August, you must control your expenditure. Try to save more and more money.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22) Avoid any financial investment, especially during the first part of the year. You may fall under the trap of personal or professional trouble. You will achieve a bright career by the middle of the year. With patience, you can add romance in your love life.

Libra (September 23 – October 22) Horse racing will offer you good reward. Your financial condition will be enhanced participating in such games. The middle part of the year may not shower bliss in your life. From September to December, you will get steady life.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21) The beginning of 2010 will be lucrative in various senses. Your financial status will be improved a lot. In career, good prospect will be observed. Scorpions may get married during the first part of the year.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21) You will enjoy a happy 2010. Marriage may knock your door if you are still single. In the middle of the year, you’ll enjoy fantastic love life. Health, wealth, love everything will be good in 2010. So, it is advised to sail through the pleasure of life with your life partner.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) Take care of your health in new year 2010. You can bend towards some healthy exercise regime for maintaining a fit body. 2010 will offer you good source of enjoyment. But, in personal life, you may go through various tension and trouble.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18) The beginning of 2010, you will earn good profit. But, your career will bring several tensions. It will be continued in the middle of the year too. A happy life will arise from September to December. You may indulge in romantic affairs. Staying stress free, enjoy the pleasure of life.

Pisces (February 19 – March 21) For Pisces, 2010 will be really good. Happiness will come to you beyond expectation. Family support and financial growth will improve your life. During the end of the year, you can enjoy wonderful romantic life with your partner. If you are looking for 2010 horoscope or prediction, read horoscope of that particular year.

Pliny the Elder

Encyclopedias have remained on this earth since 2000 years. The oldest is Naturalis Historia written by Pliny the Elder in Roman times. It spreads over 37 sections covering art and structural design, natural history, medicine, geography, geology and every other facet that was present near to him. The facts were compiled from 2000 different works of 200 authors, but he wasn’t able to proof read the entries. It got published in AD 77-79. Earlier, the works by Marcus Terentius Varro were already there, but became lost in time.

Middle ages

The Etymologiae (around 630) became known as the first encyclopedia of Middle Ages compiled by Saint Isidore of Seville, a great scholar of Middle Ages. This encyclopedia spreads over 448 chapters in 20 volumes with quotes and excerpts from the work of other authors.

The High Middle ages saw reference to mostly Bartholomeus Anglicus’ De proprietatibus rerum (1240).

Vincent of Beauvais’s Speculum Majus (1260) was pretty progressive with over 3 million words in the late-medieval period.

The Suda is one huge encyclopedia of the Byzantine times of ancient Mediterranean world. It’s written in Greek lexicon style containing 30,000 entries.

17th-19th centuries

The modern idea of a printed encyclopedia, that could be extensively circulated for general use, came with Chambers’ Cyclopaedia (1728) and the Encyclopédie of Diderot and D’Alembert (1751 onwards), as well as Encyclopedia and the Conversations-Lexikon. These included comprehensive topics that had a wide scope and were in-depth and organized. The Chamber’s dictionary perhaps followed the lead of john Harris’ Lexicon Technicum.

Sir Thomas Browne, renowned English scholar and physician used the word encyclopedia in 1646 in his vulgar errors, where common errors of his times were refuted. This encyclopedia was structured on the proven scheme of Renaissance or ‘scale of creation’. It goes up the hierarchical tree starting from mineral, vegetable, animal, human, and planetary till cosmological worlds.

John Harris is given credence now for the alphabetic format he introduced in 1704 with his Lexicon Technicum: A Universal English Dictionary of Arts and Sciences: Explaining not only the Terms of Art, but the Arts Themselves”. It emphasized science as in the understanding of the 18th-century, still its topics extended beyond science to include humanities and fine arts like law, commerce, music, and heraldry.

20th century

In the early 1920’s, Harmsworth’s Universal Encyclopedia and the Children’s Encyclopedia became popular and affordable resources. In the US, the 50’s and 60’s saw several large editions being introduced and gaining popularity. They were sold through installments. WorldBook and Funk and Wagnalls came out the best.

In the second half, several encyclopedias were published. Their work was notable as they synthesized important topics from particular fields, gained through new researches. The Encyclopedia of Philosophy and Elsevier’s Handbooks In Economics were 2 such books. Most academic disciplines are covered in one dedicated volume including even narrow topics like bioethics and African American history.

Beginnings, Middles and Ends

“Every day and in every way, I am becoming an artist.” — adapted from Al Franken’s Stewart Smalley on SNL

Awareness and Knowledge is Power

Knowing your creative process, and knowing what stage you’re in, helps you be a better artist, by adding more awareness and understanding to your life. By creative process I mean the first draft stage of your art.

Are you in the beginning: enthusiastic, hopeful, a burst of energy? Are you in the middle: challenged by the material, wondering what to do next? Or, are you at end: sad or glad to be finishing?

Instead of being the effect of the thinking and feelings at each stage, recognize that such thoughts and feelings are part of the process. So, what are they in more detail?

The Beginning

When I’m at the beginning of a novel, I often feel anxiety and nervousness. When I become aware of this, I realize the feelings stem from not knowing what the story will be, only that it wants to be told. Then I realize that the anxiety is more like an excited energy wanting to bubble up out of my subterranean mind. Once I’m past the uncertainty, I become excited and start right in on story’s creation, and the beginning sails past smoothly, until I hit the end of the beginning, and the start of the middle.

The Middle

Many novelists I know talk about the “dreaded middle.” This is where procrastination rears its head. This is often where I want to run screaming from the page because suddenly I’m knee deep in the story and all my worries come to the fore: is this story any good? What about this other character? Where do I go from here? I’ve deviated from my outline. What do I do? This is where I feel like I really don’t know how to write. And what am I doing being a writer anyway?

What I’ve learned is that this is a necessary part of the writing cycle. It’s messy, not pretty, and not fit to be shown except to the most forgiving of souls. My strategy? To allow it to be messy! That’s what it is. And then I sit down to write and create more mess, and have fun doing it. Because soon comes the end.

The End

Finishing a first draft for me makes me sad. I’ve so enjoyed discovering the story that I’m sad for this discovery process to end. It will never be this fresh again. I am also looking forward to the editing phase, which has its own beginning, middle and end. As I end a story, I linger, taking my time to write the final scenes, saying good-bye to my characters in their freshness. Then I acknowledge the ending, have a good cry, and give myself time to be done. That is, I let myself celebrate, and transition to the next phase.

Where Are You?

If you are not sure what stage you’re in, seek advice. Learn from others’ experience and wisdom . If they don’t know, it will be a learning process for all. Take what resonates with you and discard the rest–not as invalid, only not as applicable to you.

Take a moment to pinpoint where you are in your process. Now what?

Celebrate Your Success

Take the time to celebrate your finished piece and the journey you took to arrive at this moment. Not only are you a creative being, you acted upon a dream and brought your creation to life. You overcame the challenges, faced the demons of weak focus, lack of motivation, procrastination, nay sayers and time-sucks. You climbed the mountain of self-doubt, fear and inertia. You did it!

Congratulations! Now show your art. Bless humanity by sharing your unique vision.

Let your light shine. Enlighten us with your beauty, truth and masterful-ness.

Learning how to make origami weapons can be a great pass time and a great skill to have. You can use this skill to make a gift for someone, impress your friends at parties or you even start your own decorative fiber art collection. Their are a variety of weapons you can make with paper, and they can range from basic to complex depending on how much additional materials you are using other than paper.

You can still make some great origami weapons with just paper though, some good examples are a knife, shuriken or even a gun with a reload mechanism. I will be giving you a quick tutorial on making a knife in this article but you can get loads more tips on how to make origami weapons over at my blog, link at the end of this article.

This weapon is moderately easy to make and you will only need a square sheet of paper.

Step 1: Use the square sheet of paper and fold it diagonally so it looks like a triangle. Fold the opposite side so it creates a smaller triangle. Then, unfold the paper so it is a square again. These folds will help to form the guide lines for the rest of the steps.

Step 2: Turn the sheet of paper so one corner is facing you. Fold in the sides to line up with the middle guide line. It should now look like a kite. 

Step 3: Fold the two middle corners back. Ensure that they line up near the outer portion of the paper, but don’t cross over. 

Step 4: Turn the paper over. Fold the sides of the paper up to create two small triangles. 

Step 5: Take one of the sides and fold it into the middle. Then, fold the bottom of the paper toward the middle as well, leaving some space between it and the other side. 

Step 6: Fold the other side toward the middle but leave some space in between. 

Step 7: Fold the paper in half. It will now look like a knife.

You can keep the knife the way it is or you can paint it for decoration. Remember these should not be used as real knives and are for display purposes only.