Best-selling writer Audrey Niffenegger has joined the ranks of the famous and infamous faces at London’s Highgate Cemetery.
The author of The Time Traveller’s Wife isn’t interred there, but was put to service as a guide there as part of research for her latest novel Her Fearful Symmetry. The book is a ghost story based around the Victorian cemetery, as Audrey explains…
See the full story at
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alohaorangeneko/3334016711/
Recent studies have shown that dancing can actually make you smarter by keeping certain parts of the brain active. And the more dancing you do, the better it is for your IQ.
A major study into conditions that affect mental activity shows that dancing is the best physical activity to keep your brain in tip top condition and reduce the risks of dementia.
The Bronx Aging Study tested activities that stimulate the mind, like reading and doing crosswords, and ones that stimulate the body, like dancing and swimming, on people aged 75 and over.
Dancing came out as the only physical activity that had a positive impact and as the most beneficial of all activities studied, with a staggering 76% reduction in the risk of dementia for regular dancers.
Because dance requires use of both the short term memory to learn new steps and the long term memory to recall existing steps, it helps to keep the brain working. Added to this is the ability to improvise on those steps and to problem solve whilst dancing and the result is an activity which can improve mental acuity and offer physical fitness.
Dr Joe Verghese, of
“In this sample, dancing was the only physical activity among the 11 that we examined that was associated with reduced risk of dementia.”
Dr Verghese added: “The precise mechanisms for this effect are not known, but dancing involves mental and physical effort as well as socialisation, all these mechanisms have been reported to reduce dementia risk.”
[For Slimdance]
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This little cutie would scoop first prize in any Beautiful Baby Contest. With her blonde hair and delicate features she and her brothers and sisters are the apples of their mother’s eye.
Unlike other babies, AmyLouise isn’t made of sugar and spice and all things nice. She’s crafted with vinyl, coloured mohair and paint by British reborn artist Deborah King...
...for the full story see http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/art/news-new-born-or-reborn
With thanks to Deborah King of www.reborn-baby.com
Not only does dance bring with it some excellent benefits for physical health, it's also a great way to spend your time and to have lots of fun. Studies have shown that smiling and laughter can improve your mood and enhance your sense of well-being. So why not combine the two for a double hit of healthiness?
When we laugh we release endorphins, which Laughter Therapist Joe Hoare describes as “the body’s happy hormones”. Exercise such as dancing also releases endorphins into the blood stream, so enjoying dancing is doubly beneficial to health and well-being. This increase in the “feel-good” chemicals in your body can lift your mood, relieve stress and reduce the risk of depression.
While laughter, which has been clinically studied for more than 40 years, is shown to relieve physical tension, boost the immune system and improve the function of blood vessels.
Add this to the proven benefits of dance, which include improved cardio vascular fitness, increased muscle tone and improved bone strength and having fun has never been so good for you.
Hoare, who has run laughter workshops for more than a decade and who has worked as a visiting lecturer at the University of the West of England, believes combining dance and laughter has real benefits.
He explained that studies have shown having a smile on your face lifts your mood and not just for the duration of the time you’re smiling.
So the physical and mental advantages of dance and laughter can be felt even after you’ve finished your workout.
Hoare said: “I dance a lot. Do it as often as you can in a spirit of joyfulness and allow it to show on your face. Don’t do it with a mask of granite, actually show the enjoyment. That’s the important part.”
[For Slimdance]
With thanks to Joe Hoare www.joehoare.com
“Clean me”, “I wish my wife was this dirty” and “E=MC2”. Which one is the odd one out? None of them – they can all be found gracing the exterior of muddy or dirty cars.
For years dirty cars and vans have been the unlikely location for clever quips and often miss-spelled comments, but now artist Scott Wade is raising the bar when it comes to vehicle scribbles by creating what he calls “dirty car art”...
Think dolls and toys and you’ll more than likely come up with warm, fuzzy memories of childhood and playing with that year’s must-have game.
Whether it’s a Furby, He-man or Barbie, it’s all about good wholesome fun. Top artists in America are exploring that idea and turning it on its head with a range of one of a kind dolls specifically designed to give you the creeps...
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/art/news-scary-dolls-freak-you-out
Image courtesy of www.newagedolls.com
True to the early tradition of the Bard, the all male Lord Chamberlain's Men gave a faithful retelling of this tale of shipwreck and magic.
While today’s audiences may be unused to the habit of actors dressing up in women’s clothing and playing female leads, within moments the fact that Miranda was actually a man was forgotten and the small but enthusiastic crowd was drawn into a world of sprites, royalty and love at first sight.
Craig Gordon as Ariel delivered an elegant and balletic performance as the all-singing, all-dancing sprite.
Prospero, played by Matt Bannister, was powerful yet truly earnest for his daughter’s well-being – a trait not often emphasised in other re-enactments of The Tempest.
With such a small cast of players the doubling up of parts was a little confusing at times. However, this is exactly what Shakespearian audiences would have expected so working out which actors were now playing which roles was all part of the fun.
Combine this slight confusion with the somewhat halting performances at the start and an audience member could be forgiven for losing interest in the play to concentrate on their picnics, the magnificent surroundings of
The actors were in fine spirits to combat this and rallied for the following scenes to captivate the attention and recreate the island drama.
Even the persistent bird calls managed to enrich the atmosphere to evoke the island setting and the more forcefully actors delivered their lines the more they echoed across the valley to add an eerie quality to Shakespeare’s dialogue.
With Mother Nature getting involved in the action, the play could be nothing less than a resounding success, but luckily for the audience and their picnics Prospero’s words weren’t enough to enlist the attendance of a real tempest.
While many may be attracted to the bright lights of
Walking
Walking in and around
Outside of the center,
Sky diving
Sky diving offers the perfect opportunity to take in the views surrounding
If the weather is bad or for those scared of heights, indoor sky diving is also available to experience the fun of freefall flight. In this version of the sport, flyers enter a large wind tunnel with a huge fan at one end which is powerful enough to give the sensation of freefall flight, but only lifts participants a few feet from the ground. Again this activity is based near The Strip.
Experts at Skydiving magazine recommend that anyone who has a condition they feel may impair their enjoyment of sky diving should see a physician before taking part. They also advise that conditions such as epilepsy, obesity and heart problems may preclude someone from participating.
Spa
For the ultimate in indulgence, a visit to a spa can offer rejuvenation and relaxation. Most hotels will combine a spa and gym visit for double the opportunity to get fit and get rid of the stresses and strains of every day life. Popular spa treatments include Bally’s
Land sailing
Land sailing, also called land yachting, is a means of travelling across land using a wheeled vehicle that is powered by a sail. These vehicles are known as land yachts or sail wagons. Just 30 minutes from The Strip, land sailing lessons and races are available, allowing teams or solo sailors to race through the dessert.
Cooking
With the wealth of eateries available in
Changes to the diet can have a positive effect on health and conditions such as obesity, hyperthyroidism and, as recently reported by the National Spanish Research Council in
[Written for Livestrong.com]
"For generations, tattoos have been a popular way of decorating the body, making an artistic statement or using the skin as a blank canvas to narrate important life events. After all, what is more unique than the body and the way it can be inked to produce art work that represents who a person is inside and what they believe?"
