Thursday, March 22, 2007

The Wonderful Animated World Of Disney Movies

Even though Walt Disney has produced myriad movies, it is more popular for its animated ones. After starting the animated journey with 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' in the winter of 1937, Disney movies have not looked back. One can obtain a list of more than 150 animated movies that have been produced and distributed to add to the joy of children across the world.

After a certain age, kids grow out of Sesame Street, Tellytubbies and BooBaahs. At this time the next level of entertainment that attracts them generally are the Walt Disney movies that appeal to a slightly older age group. The great thing about these movies, which has probably led to the huge popularity of the animated movies, is the fact that they appeal to adults and children alike. A mother does not mind sitting through a Disney movie with her child but an episode of Tellytubbies can be wearisome.

To the uninitiated, it may be a surprise that each Disney movie comes accompanied with a movie book. These books are published under the ‘Mouse Works’ banner and contain a simple version of the story. This can help in encouraging children to not only see the movie but also to read books, which hopefully will extend to other forms of reading at some time.

Though the company is proud of all its movie productions, some of them have attained the stature of ‘classics’ based on their popularity. Abound with simple, yet meaningful songs these movies can expose the child to emotions, morals and ways of the world while telling a story. Toddlers seem to enjoy the light evilness of some of the characters like the witch in Snow White and Cruella De Vil in the 101 Dalmatians. Alternately, some of the most endearing characters that Walt Disney movies have created are Tramp in The Lady and the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. But most of the leading characters in inspire awe and amazement aided by the color, grandeur and dazzle.

Some of the Walt Disney films that have become all time favorites of most kids are The Lion King, Toy Story, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book, The little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella and of course Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Some of the less known but equally enticing movies are the sequels to the Lion King, Dumbo, Lilo and Stitch, Pooh Bear and the Kim Possible series.

In spite of the high levels of endearment that the movies enjoy among most people, there are rumors galore about how there are countless hidden references to perverted things in the animated movies. The most known references are made to the tower on the cover of The Little Mermaid that resembles the male genitalia, the apparent erection of the priest in the wedding scene of the same movie and the dust taking the form of the word ‘sex’ in The Lion King. Hearsay has it that Donald Duck has used vulgar words umpteen times during angry outbreaks.

Some opine that these subtle references have become a tradition at the film studios. This tradition started due to the fact that Walt Disney did not assign relevant credits to the creative animators. These animators, then, took to including hidden codes in the animation scenes to get back. One such example is that of the shorts that Goofy wears. If you look close enough, you will probably see names of artists written on these shorts. Though the given instance seems possible, the inclusion of debauchery in the animated Disney movies is debatable and it remains a question as to whether it is a fact or the Rorschach effect.

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The Wonderful Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is now recognized as one of the healthiest in the world consisting as it does of large amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables, salads,nuts,seeds, omega-3 rich oily fish, olives and olive oil and being comparitively low in dairy products and red meats.

The people of the Mediterranean region, particuarly Greece and Spain, are very fortunate to live in an area where naturally healthy food is readily and cheaply available. The incidence of heart disease and cancer are lower here than anywhere else in the western world and experts now believe this is due in great part to what has become known as the Mediterranean diet.

Modern farming techniques and world wide transport has changed most peoples diets dramatically in the past centuary and it is now widely believed that such changes have had an exteremely detrimental effect on our health. Fortunately the impact of these developments has not had such a catastrophic effect in Mediterranean regions where to a large extent traditional diets are still followed. Of course with the advent of Globalization and MacDonald's! this is sadly changing. However we can all learn alot form what has become known as the Mediterranean diet and by adopting it,vastly improve our health and longevity.

The foods that grow natuarlly and abundantly in that region and have always formed a part of the local diet are as follows:-
Olives, avocados, oranges, lemons, garlic, wild asparagus, walnuts, almonds,tomatoes, artichokes, figs, pomegranates, cherries, strawberries, grapes, plums, spinach,broad beans,peppers along with many other of the more common fruits and vegetables. These provide large amounts of vitamins, minerals and fibre along with a wide variety of antioxidants and phytochemicals, the importance of which scientists are only now beginning to recognize as they discover more and more healthful benefits of including these elements in our diet.

Historically alot of the milk was produced from goats and cheese made from goats and ewes milk. Very little red meat is eaten and a large majority of the protein is supplied by oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, tuna, sword fish, boquerones and anchovies.

The main oil used is olive, traditionally cold pressed virgin, and
this is used not only for cooking and in salads but also for putting
on bread in place of butter.

All these foods provide a wide variety of nutriments which have an astonishing array of claims for improving our health such as lowering cholesterol, improving our immune system which thus not only fights infections but also helps to prevent cancer, increasing our metabolism, improving insulin sensitivity and thus lessening the risk of diabetes. It really has never been so true that you are what you eat. Certainly since moving to Andalucia and adopting the Mediteranean diet myself I have never been so healthy or managed to maintain my ideal weight so easily.

Of coures in addition to all the healthy components of this diet there is the added fact that honey is often used in place of sugar and little refined carbohydrates are eaten.

All in all most experts now agree that the Mediterranean diet is the optimum diet.

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About the Author Submitted by Ruth Polak the owner of www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com A site that specializes in holiday properties on the Costa del Sol and in Rural Andalucia. In addition you will find lots of information about Spain, Andalucia and the Costa del Sol on my site.

Diamonds Make A Wonderful Gift

Precious gems are beautiful and they last a long time and they are very valuable. Diamonds in particular shimmer in any kind of light, providing an exquisite treasure. Some people give a piece of diamond jewelry as the sole gem gift a loved one will ever receive. Others add a diamond gift to a long line of precious gems. Before bestowing diamonds as a gift to a loved one, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Diamonds are usually very expensive. If you come across a diamond that is being sold on the cheap, you have to wonder why this is the case. It may mean that the cut is not the best quality or it could have poor point value. Perhaps the gem is even stolen! You have to be careful about where and how you purchase precious jewelry to ensure that you get your money's worth in value. Check with several jewelry stores or diamond dealers. State up front how much money you have to spend and the type of gift you wish to make. The experts can help you make a good choice for what you have to work with.
Diamonds are for grown ups. Children or even teenagers rarely have a proper appreciation for diamonds. Perhaps diamond chip earrings would be an acceptable gift for older teen girls, but more lavish diamond jewelry should be saved for more mature wearers. A diamond necklace, brooch, ring, or bracelet conveys a sense of sophistication that younger women cannot often carry off. Save the gift of diamonds for a special occasion and an older girl.
Diamonds deserve special care. You don’t want to just fling a diamond ring in the jewelry box or leave it lying unprotected on a`dresser top. Preserve the beauty and keep it clean while avoiding scratches by placing diamond jewelry into velvet-lined boxes or containers. Depending on the size and value of your investment, your diamonds may need to be kept in a safe deposit box or vault at your local bank. You don’t want nosy workers or desperate thieves to make off with your prized possession. You may want to have your diamond priced or valued by an experienced jeweler for home insurance purposes. It also is a good idea to have it cleaned periodically, if needed.
Diamonds are for special occasions. Although they are often given on any occasion like a birthday or holiday, a diamond jewelry item is especially suited to commemorative occasions, such as an engagement or anniversary. Smaller diamond gifts can serve just about any purpose, but the larger, more valuable kind should not be handed off lightly. Give some thought to the meaning of your gift and what your receiver will think (as well as what you want him or her to think) before offering this unique token of affection.

By: Claire Dibello

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Claire Dibello is the owner of Any Diamonds which is a premier source of information about Diamonds. For more information, go to: anydiamonds.com

The secret formula of Coca-Cola revealed

The secret formula of Coca-Cola which famous company keeps since 1 886, is no longer a secret. The head of Turkish Peace Council of St. Nicholas, Muammer Karabulut reported that he had found out the secret. In September, 2006, he has brought an action against Coca-Cola, having demanded to open the formula of a drink.

The secret John Pemberton's (druggist and inventor of Coke) recipe, according to Karabulut, includes: sugar (%10,58 - a molar fraction), a phosphoric acid (0,544g per litre), methyl theobromine (150 mg per litre), caramel (%0,11), carbon dioxide (7,5g per litre), caffeine (150mg per litre) and Coca-Cola extract (%0,015 - a molar fraction).

Meanwhile by results of research it has been figured that this extract is natural dye «carmine» or the edible additive «cochineal». In the food-processing industry it is also known as a carminic acid and had international index Е-120.

Costa Rica Vacations Amid Exotic Landscapes

For those looking for the ultimate adventure vacation whether it is by one’s self or with one’s family, look no further then the beautiful and exotic country of Costa Rica, with its golden sand beaches, active volcanoes, lush dense rain and cloud forests, and amazing vibrant seaside towns. With something for everyone, this tiny Central American country has today become one of the world’s hottest tourist destinations, with plenty to do and much to see.
Offering fantastic adventure vacations for one and all, Costa Rica combines a laidback lifestyle with stunning natural beauty and a friendly local Tico population to provide a truly memorable and unforgettable holiday. With an impressive wealth of national parks, which cover more than a quarter of the country’s land surface, Costa Rica provides adventure lover’s with a thrilling stage; hosting everything from mountain biking to white water rafting, and jungle treks to canopy and rappeling tours of the verdant forests here. For those who enjoy the ocean in all its glory, Costa Rica has some of the best surf breaks and swells in the world, with incredible snorkeling and underwater diving opportunities as well.
For those who enjoy endless meandering trials set amidst some of the most lush and magnificent forests, Costa Rica has some incredible hiking and trekking possibilities. Visit the beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park or take a hike in the wonderful Parque Nacional Rincon de la Vieja to become truly one with nature. However, if you prefer you can visit the secluded and remote jungles of the Corcovado National Park, which is home to the last remaining coastal Pacific rainforest.
White water river rafting and kayaking opportunities are also abound in Costa Rica. Kayak out in the open ocean or raft down the roaring rapids of the Rio’s Pacuare, Revenatzon and Naranjo for wild ride. But if surfing is your thing, then head on down to the fantastic beaches that Costa Rica has on offer. Visit the Salsa Brava, Ollie’s Point, Witches Rock, Pavones or Playa Hermosa in Puntarenas for some of the most superb surf breaks in the world.
To explore some of Costa Rica’s most gorgeous sceneries underwater, dive along the coast off Bahia Drake or Drake Bay or visit the lovely Isla del Caño, home to some of the most fabulous underwater and marine life in the country. Along the Guanacaste Coast of the Nicoya Peninsula excellent snorkeling opportunities can be found at Playas del Coco, Playa Ocotal and Playa Hermosa. And if all this is not enough, try rappeling down some of Costa Rica’s beautiful waterfalls around the areas of Puerto Jimenez and Cabo Matapalo.
As you can see Costa Rica’s versatility not only extends to its landscape, but its fantastic adventure opportunities as well. So come on down to this gorgeous tropical country to experience Pura Vida or the ‘Pure Life’ and have the adventure of a lifetime!

By: Todd

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For the past three years Todd Sarouhan has been determined to provide valuable travel information about Costa Rica through his website www.GoVisitCostaRica.com. Go Visit Costa Rica is a Costa Rica Vacations & Travel website dedicated soley to Costa Rica as a travel destination. In addition to tons of information about Costa Rica you can also reserve your hotels, activities and transportation all in one place.

What Makes The iPod Shuffle So Amazing?

The iPod shuffle is a tiny digital audio player that is designed an marketed by Apple Computer.
It was first brought to market at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 11, 2005. The main tagline that Apple used to promote the iPod shuffle was “life is random.”
What makes the iPod shuffle different, is that instead of storing the data on a hard disk, it stores the data on flash memory. The iPod shuffle only weighs 22 grams or .78 ounces. This is less than the weight of your car keys.
The user can easily load a specific selection of songs into the iPod shuffle and play them in random order. This is why it is called shuffle. Research told Apple that the users of iPods often used the “shuffle” feature to listen to their library of songs.
The iPod shuffle uses the “autofill” feature in iTunes to load up the songs at random from the user’s music library or from a specif playlist. Then iTunes will copy as many tunes as it can into the iPod shuffles memory.
There are two different versions that you can purchase. The first is 512MB and plays 120 songs. The second is a 1GB version and it can play 240 songs. Apple estimates that a song is roughly four minutes long and is encoded at 128 kbit/s AAC.
The shuffle does lack the trademark display, scroll wheel, playlist management features, games, address book, calendar, and notes capability of earlier iPods. It also can’t be used with iSync. It also cannot play Apple Lossless and AIFF audio files, unlike other iPod models.
The iPod shuffle does have a better bass sound quality thank the larger iPod.
A new future for the iPod shuffle is the ability to reduce the bit rate of songs to 128 kbits/s ACC. This conversion is actually done automatically with the original file untouched on the computer and the smaller file is sent to the iPod shuffle.
iTunes will also allow the playlist to be viewed and changed while the unit is not connected. This means that when the unit is connected it can then be updates with the changed playlist.
The front of the device has buttons for Play/Pause, Next Song/Fast Forward, Previous Song/Fast Reverse, and up and down volume adjustment. On the other side it has a an indicator of how much batter life is left. This is activated by a button. There is also a three-position switch to turn the unit off or set it to play music in order or shuffled.
The device also plugs right into the computer’s USB port. While plugged in the batter is also recharged. The batter life is about 12 hours between charges. The USB plug is under the cap on the device. There is also a lanyard that attaches to the unit. This allows the user to wear the unit around their neck. Another great feature is that it can be used as a USB flash drive.
This unit is like no other portable music device that has ever been created. Check it out. God bless you.
This article is licensed under the http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_shuffle Wikipedia article "iPod Shuffle"

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For daily, cutting edge information about the Apple iPod check out: www.newinfodaily.com/ipod/ The iPod Blog

Dolphins - Great Creatures Of The Ocean

Since dolphins swim in the water many people think that they must be fish. However, dolphins are in fact warm-blooded mammals that breathe air and give birth to baby dolphins rather than lay eggs. This fact alone makes dolphins unique creatures, but they also have many more characteristics that make them one of the most interesting animals on the planet.
Dolphins and some whales are cetaceans and part of a whale group known as odontocetes. Basically this means that they all have teeth. Whales that don't have teeth to eat with are mysticetes. Dolphin teeth are cone-shaped, and it's these teeth that set them apart from other sea animals.
Dolphins live in tropical and warm waters. Many people are unaware of the fact that rivers and freshwaters are also home to few species of dolphins. These dolphins are however endangered and exist in very few numbers.
Almost 57 species of dolphins exist in the world. All dolphins have a lustrous body, which is very sleek. They have a typical long-beak like nose which is called the "rostrum". Very often, spectators tend to confuse between the porpoise and the dolphins. Both look similar in looks but are in fact different animals. The difference can be seen in their teeth. The porpoise have teeth shaped like spades for digging rocks, whereas the dolphins have teeth shaped like cones. One more main difference is that porpoises live in very cold water which cannot be tolerated by the dolphins.
Orcas are the most easily identified and best known dolphin. They are more commonly known as killer whales. People tend to think of the Orca as among the most violent and frightening sea animals. This is probably due to the fact that they are large and seem fearless in the water.
Dolphins have a long gestation period when it comes to the birth cycle of their young. The female dolphin will be pregnant for twelve months after which time she will give birth to one baby dolphin, called a "calf". Most baby calves will weight about 30 to 40 pounds and will be approximately 30 inches long. The mother dolphin will nurse her calf for the first two years of its life.
Even after they're weaned, the dolphin calf will swim and play with its mother for between five and seven years. During this time the young dolphin will learn how to find food and to interact socially with its relatives.
Dolphins live and move around in groups known as "pod". The males stay detached and do not take any interest in parenting. It is the females who rear the siblings and do all the nursing. The female does all the interaction with the calves and males do not involve themselves in community life other than impregnating the females.
The Dolphins are considered very friendly and are amongst the most wonderful animals on earth due to their intelligence and easy mingling with the humans. They try to convey through chirping their tongue whenever they interact with humans. This fact keeps the humans curious about this wonderful animal forever.

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About the author: Joshua Plansden is the chief writer for A Dolphins Fan, the best place on the internet when you are searching for the latest knowledge, accurate up to date advice and commentary to do with dolphins, For more articles on dolphins why not visit: www.adolphinsfan.com/articles
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