Archive for April 25th, 2008
April 25th, 2008 -- Posted in Portraits To Art |
GirlSense Players Just Can’t Get Enough of Cold Crush
My daughter was telling me this evening about a great fashion dress up game called Cold Crush. I’m not very Internet savvy, but from what I understood, it’s a virtual fashion boutique, and she says that it has lots of hip clothes. She just loves it, and I could see the excitement in her face as she was playing in front of the computer the other evening. I caught a glimpse of the Cold Crush page, and I could see that it’s just the kind of fashions that girls like: t-shirts, tights, tunics, and hoodies. There were lots of vivid colors, and the designs were fun-looking: the kinds of styles that make you think of hot days on the beach, with ice cream dripping down your arm; pop music; and, generally, a care-free attitude. My daughter was also telling me that Cold Crush inspires girls to care about other people, and to be kind to the environment.
It appears that dress up games for girls are very popular at the moment. It’s a really simple, though brilliant idea: create a virtual outfit in an online boutique, choosing from a range of colors and styles. What you do is move items from the e-boutique onto a virtual doll, using the computer mouse. Online boutiques are always up to date with the latest fashions and trends. Websites offering fashion games also want to bring girls new experiences that are based on fashions that are actually out there on the street. The Cold Crush boutique at GirlSense.com is a great example of this idea. Girls can use virtual money to purchase Cold Crush fashions, and dress up an avatar. It’s great fun, and it looks incredibly real.
Websites like GirlSense.com, which offer online fashion dress up games, are the perfect expression of the web 2.0 revolution. Such websites enable teens not only to buy outfits with virtual money, but also to create their own fashion boutiques, where they can display and sell clothes to other girls.
Games for girls are not a new idea. The Barbie doll has been captivating girls for generations. However, to enable girls to play new dress up games with that ever-popular doll, parents had to constantly purchase new fashion outfits, and at no small expense. The great thing about online fashion dress up games is that they are mostly free. These types of games are also regularly updated to match the latest craze, at a time where yesterday’s fashion games for girls just won’t do.
Dress up games for girls are a cool way to experienced being a businesswoman. We all ove buying and selling items that we have a personally interest in. By creating their own boutiques, and by selling their own creations to other members using virtual money, girls gain a great deal of satisfaction.
Fashion dress up games help girls to develop their own fashion vision while having heaps of fun. The Cold Crush brand is very popular with girls and teenagers, so it’s great that it has inspired an online game for girls.
Bio
John is a writer for Compucall. For more information, please visit GirlSense.com.
GirlSense Players Just Can’t Get Enough of Cold Crush / Author: Dan P
April 25th, 2008 -- Posted in Portraits To Art |
Diamond engagement rings: Bring jollity to her heart and soul
Diamond engagements rings are the best means to reflect your strong and eternal love. People gift diamond engagement rings to their lovers not to follow some trend, but because there are some deeper reasons behind gifting diamond engagement rings.
Diamond is considered to be the hardest metal around. Thus, when a person is gifting a diamond engagement ring, he is indirectly displaying his or her unbreakable love for the other partner.
Moreover, whenever we gift a solitaire or a round shaped diamond, it symbolizes eternal love. An oval or a round shape does not has any beginning and ending. Same is the case with true love. It has no ending and any beginning. Thus, by gifting diamond engagement rings, you can actually convey many feelings, which cannot be described through words.
The concept of diamond engagement rings had started long time back, but since it was expensive, it was only restricted to the upper class. Undoubtedly, it was out of the reach of the ordinary mass.
Then, started an extensive publicity of the diamonds by one of the leading diamond brands. They made diamond popular amongst the middle class. And now, a diamond engagement ring is where the heart and soul of every woman lies.
Now, the market is flooded with variety of diamonds pieces, which when studded in platinum and gold, can make perfect diamond engagement rings. Diamond engagement rings come in various colors like red, blue, yellow, green, violet etc. and the most popularly used metals with diamond are gold, white gold, platinum and silver. One can also witness immense variety in diamond cuts like diamond round, heart, princess, radiant, pear, oval, emerald, triangle, marquise and cushion
So what are you waiting for? If you are in love and want to propose your lady love, then go and get the most unique diamond engagement ring for her. Men do not like to shop jewelry, and they do it only when there is a need to buy diamond engagement rings.
To make shopping simpler, many online stores have made purchase of diamond engagement rings easy. With the help of these online stores, the interested person can get in detail, information about their preferred diamond piece. You can also get your favorite diamond piece customized.
Diamonds are women’s best friend, and can bring cheerfulness to her heart and soul. It depicts love, security, care and importance. Thus, your lover deserves this. Make her feel special…
Diamond engagement rings: Bring jollity to her heart and soul / Author: Glimmerrocks
April 25th, 2008 -- Posted in Portraits To Art |
Jonathan Adler Vases
Jonathan Adler has been reinventing the world of modern decorative ceramics. His work makes overt references to earlier designers of the 50s, 60s and 70s, yet his pieces are instantly recognizable as Jonathan Alder ceramics, lamps, textiles and furniture.
A new Vase collection designed by Jonathan Adler caught our eye. Metal screens perforated with a square pattern similar to his Kensington duvet from his dance around frosted white glass, casting an interesting shadow. The Parker Collection, manufactured by Robert Abbey, follows on the heels of the Carlisle and the Maurice.
Jonathan Alder credits his artistic personality to his parents. “My dad was sort of a rigorous modernist and my mom was a bit more loopy in her aesthetic,” he says. “I would like to think that I’m a perfect fusion of their spirits.” Jonathan Alder’s focus is always on his pottery. His career was launched in 1994 with an order from Barneys New York. His ever-expanding pottery collection mixes sophisticated modern design, kitsch, American folk art, and a good dose of tongue-in-cheek fun.
Recent additions to the Jonathan Adler collections include home textiles such as pillows and rugs, lamps, furniture, handbags and more. Plus, a new line of designs called “Happy Home” include lower priced ceramic dinnerware and accessories. And Jonathan Adler isn’t stopping there. He’s taking his unique eye for shape, pattern and decoration to interior design as well. Jonathan Adler recently designed the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs. These Jonathan Adler vases were featured in Will & Grace in a scene with Will Truman. For more details visit www.etabletop.com
Jonathan Adler Vases / Author: Prabakar, S
April 25th, 2008 -- Posted in Portraits To Art |
Do high performance filters really work?
Do high performance filters really work? Do induction kits really provide 35% more power? Here we try and shed some light on the subject.
The first example is a so called high performance flatbed filter replacement:
We threw out our old GUD Filter and replaced it with a K&N High performance filter.
The increase in throttle response can hardly be felt. The air flow is a little better but hey… Why don’t Autozone and others approve it. Why hasen’t it gotten approval from SABS. According to some contacts, these aftermarket filters also let dust particles and other stuff go through alot more than the standard GUD filters and OEM manufacturer filters. Also do note that our GUD filter was old.
Advantages:
K&N filters you do not have to throw away. They are easy to clean.
There is slightly better flow (More noticeably in turbocharged vehicles)… but really very very very little!
Disadvantages:
Filtration is not as good as the standard filter
They are more costly
Next we tested a conversion from a box filter system to a cone filter system without the box.
There is no difference at all. There is a loss of KW (Power) in many cases since the hot engine bay heat is no longer shielded by the air box. Sure, more air can enter the engine because of the cone filter surface…but what does it help if the air is hot.
Advantages:
Sounds better according to most people
Disadvantages:
Potential KW (Power) loss due to more hot air coming into the engine.
Finally, we tested a properly designed induction system:
The throttle response is a little better and more noticeable when you start reaching high speeds (Since there is ram air tubing right by the bumper ducts where wind pressure can be taken advantage of and colder air exists. The filter must also be heat shielded and away from hot air. A box can be made for the filter as well.) Also there is 2-5KW more power at most on older cars and 1-2KW more on newer cars (Obviously newer cars have been optimized properly but mass production also doesn’t help much).
Advantages:
Sounds better
Small increase in power and throttle response if done properly. More noticeable on older cars.
A little more fuel economic / efficient (but very little)
Disadvantages:
More plumbing involved. Needs to be done properly.
Conclusion:
Make sure your air filters are clean at all times. It will help reduce fuel consumption as well as offer better throttle response.
Rather go for the full induction kit or have one made especially for your car. If it is done properly, you will see a difference.
Every KW counts according to us speed junkies! So yeah, if you get 1-2KW extra, then go for it. It is a relatively cheap mod and works nice with a decent exhaust system. Remember if you have nice air flow…your engine also needs to get rid of it faster.
If you don’t want power increases… it is still a good idea to replace your old filter with a new so called high flow filter. You will benefit from not needing to replace it that often and just clean it when necessary.
Article written by Jose Smit from Snails On Steroids - http://www.snailsonsteroids.co.za
Do high performance filters really work?
/ uthor: Jose Smit
Occupation: Automotive Car Parts Specialist
Jose Smit specialises in aftermarket car parts and has written many articles on the subject.
http://www.snailsonsteroids.co.za
April 25th, 2008 -- Posted in Portraits To Art |
Salt Glow…A Spa Treatment Product to Give Your Skin a Boost
Taking care of your skin is vital, more so in the winter months. The changing seasons and harsh weather, be it hot or cold, can bring on many transitions for your skin and body to cope with, especially with the temptation to curl up by the fire or lie out in the sun. There are many skin treatments available to us today so it is hard not to take advantage of the opportunity to keep our skin healthy. Your skin is a living, breathing organism and it needs to be taken care of with consistent refreshment to maintain moisture levels. If moisture levels are not maintained then skin can dry out which is not only uncomfortable, but also your skin will have difficulty healing and replenishing it?s cells naturally…you will also age faster.
You can help maintain a healthy skin by taking a trip to a beauty and day spa. The meaning of spa has constantly evolved through the ages to accommodate many types of treatments, some of ancient and some pioneering treatments. Now, spa treatments can range from wet and dry treatments to wellness therapies and beauty treatments. Visiting a beauty and day spa really is an enriching experience and a gift to your body and your mind.
A common non chemical spa treatment that you might find in a beauty and day spa is the salt glow treatment. There are numerous salt body scrub recipes and many beauty and day spas have their own variations, however it is those with a citrus twist that are very popular and invigorating. You can make a salt glow rub in your home if you don’t have the budget to visit a beauty and day spa, and you may even be able to enlist the help of your partner if you have one.
The salt glow treatment involves rubbing coarse dead sea salt and aromatherapy oils over the skin with the aim of exfoliating the skin and stimulating the circulation. The salt in most oceans is approximately 97% sodium chloride while dead sea salt is only 12-18% sodium chloride and has vastly greater concentrations of other salts.
The rub is administered by a member of staff at the Spa. If it feels too harsh, be sure and speak up. The skin then becomes hydrated because of the oils used. You can have a salt glow rub on its own, but often it?s the first step in a body wrap, that?s because exfoliation prepares the skin for products like seaweed or algae that detoxify the body by stimulating circulation. A massage is also a nice follow on to a salt glow treatment to relax you.
After exfoliation the salt mixture is then washed off in the shower and the body moisturised with a hydrating moisturiser.
A regular salt glow, even as little as once per month, will reveal a fresh layer of skin instantly and will give your skin a healthy boost.
If you want to try making your own spa treatment products at home or fancy visiting a beauty and day spa in your area then visit www.spas4health.com
Salt Glow…A Spa Treatment Product to Give Your Skin a Boost / Author: Sharon Francis