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Top 10 Historical TV Series

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:26:14 +0000

If there is one genre that has found a great medium in television, it is period drama. The format of long-stretched TV series is perfectly suited to historical dramatization that covers generations, sometimes centuries. If you enjoyed watching the classic historical mini series such as Roots, Centennial, North and South, Winds of War & War and Remembrance, you will enjoy the latest TV series as well. They boast with marvelous cinematography and spectacular, high-budget production design and setting that can compare to feature films.

In terms of history, most of these TV shows are fictional stories based on facts. Some more so than others. There are people who will get all up in arms about how it really was, while others will take it at face value. But if watching an entertaining historical saga triggers your interest in true history and propels you to do some research, that will do.

If you want to see any of these TV series, check out our Top 5 Sites to Watch Movies and TV Shows for Free.

Rome

Although interesting, for most of us Roman history has always seemed too distant to relate to. HBO’s ambitious, high budget tv series Rome has managed to breathe life into this fascinating time period. It is an epic show, not lacking in the grandeur of sets and the display of period costumes. Love and betrayal, power and lust, friendship and politics, are all well plotted into the main story that follows the friendship of two Roman soldiers.

The show realistically depicts life in the raw, as it was in ancient Rome, with primitive superstitions, brutal violence, and rampant sexual activity. As it was quite expensive to make, Rome had a short, two-year lifespan.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Similar to Rome, Spartacus: Blood and Sand is a highly graphic and visceral period drama that leaves nothing to imagination. Love, battle, adultery, orgy, torture, rape, murder… It is all there in all its misery and glory. The show is a realistic dramatization of the day to day life in the hierarchies of Rome circa 70 BC. The main storyline follows the life of a man betrayed by the Romans, forced into slavery and reborn as a gladiator.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena

Released as a prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena comes in 6 episodes that fill in back stories mentioned in Blood & Sand and give a bigger picture. The action, nudity, violence and offensive language is all there as in the first season.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Deadwood

Deadwood tells the true story of the west – fictionalized of course, but not romanticized or beautified by any standards. There is quite a bit of sex, nudity and violence, and the profanity is extreme. However, all of that only adds to the “ambiance” of the setting. Legendary characters Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are mixed in with the fictional characters who are rich and complex as the dialogue they lead. The sets and the costuming are simply incredible.

The history of the Wild West is explored in all its ruthless grime, severed Indian heads and random murder, bloody fistfights, unabashed and ugly racism, opium addicts, beaten-up whores and children trampled to death by horses – and in the midst of all this, moments of transcending beauty, compassion, and kindness. So many broad issues in a small Deadwood setting, with conflicted characters and detailed scenery make this a great show. Even if you are not a fan of cowboy movies, give it a go.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers is a true and inspiring story of Easy company from basic training through the end of the war, as told by those who were there on the front lines. It is not a story about war, but men. It shows the reality of war in which you never quite know what will happen next – who’s going to be wounded and sent back home, promoted, demoted or transferred, separated from their unit, or killed. The subtext is on the war within individual values and the loss of meaningful humanity.

Created by Steven Spielberg and played by an excellent cast, Band of Brothers is filled with potent, poetic imagery. The wonderful cinematography replaces slow-motion effects with high shutter speeds in adrenaline-charged sequences – without bothering to stress formal compositions within the frame. It conveys a vivid “you are there” sense of immediacy. As far as war drama goes, this is the best.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
The Tudors

If you still haven’t watched The Tudors, you have a lot to look forward to. The show was loved by the audiences and the critics, as it covered pretty much everything from great acting, to provoking dialogues, to impressive colorful costumes and expensive production design. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is remarkable, bringing strength and credibility to the complex character of King Henry VIII. The story follows his life, painting a vivid picture of the man who married multiple times and had various lovers, who was known for despicable political actions that were not favored by many, and who single handedly managed to bring down the Roman Catholic Church.

You gets a linear view of events through different character’s eyes including the clergy as well as the monarchy. While none of the characters are particularly likable, least of all King Henry himself, the actors playing them are very charismatic. The political and sexual intrigue and the way Henry’s decisions effect everyone around him is what makes this show highly addictive.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
The Borgias

Created by Neil Jordan, and further backed up with excellent casting of Jeremy Irons in the lead role, The Borgias is a feast to the eyes, much like a feature film, with impressive production design setting, rich costumes, period details, battle scenes, photography, music… Every audio-visual aspect has been accounted for with utmost perfection.

The Borgias are painted as the first organized crime family, who are no strangers to corruption, manipulation, and brutality that are synonymous with criminal enterprise. The plot is intriguing and introduces the family members with intelligent dialogue and intertwining story lines. The pace of the action is fast – but it makes time occasionally for some rather graphic sensual scenes and gross and bloody fighting. A great watch!

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John Adams

This mini series covers the life of John Adams, and the first 50 years of the United States. The story of American independence and the portrayal of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and all major players is presented vividly. Adams is played brilliantly by Giamatti, showing a deeply principled, law-abiding, passionate, brilliant man. The plot is intelligent and diverse, with mesmerizing scenes of his relationship with Abigail, and the love story that is one of the greatest in American history.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
The Pillars of the Earth

Set in 12th century England, this action/adventure/romantic epic drama is based on Ken Follet’s classic novel. The plot revolves around the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. It shows church politics and corruption; greed and power in the fight over the throne of England; family, friendship, betrayal and passion.

Wonderful cinematography, The Pillars of the Earth features elaborate cast, expensive set production, fancy costumes. As with most modern TV shows, the script is full of nudity, sex, violent scenes, decapitation, incest, and dirty language, but it all makes for a powerful insight into history.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
The Kennedys

The Kennedys ranks with the very best miniseries. Casting is great and the acting is superb. The series’ portrayal of the Kennedy dynasty gives a lot of space to Joe and Rose Kennedy, offering more insight into the family background. It provides a rather objective view at the political lives of the Kennedy family, without being either propaganda or a smear job.

From the early election years to the Bay of Pigs fiasco, to finally Kennedy’s resolve during the Cuban missile crisis, the series will keep you on the edge of your seats. Anyone who is interested in politics or the Kennedys will want to see this miniseries.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Top 10 Crime TV Series – Best Crime TV Shows

admin — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 10:26:03 +0000

The mini series mania has put television ahead of the film industry. I’ve heard many people say that TV shows are better than movies. Although I wouldn’t necessarily agree, I can name at least ten TV shows in each genre that are better than most movies.

So lets start with CRIME. If you are a fan of The Sopranos and/or The Wire, and are looking for similar high-quality TV shows to get yourself hooked on, check out this Top Ten Crime TV Shows list. Included are the short video clips so you can get a feel for each show.

Best of all, most of these TV series are available online. Check out the Top 5 sites where you can watch TV shows for free.

Homicide Life on the Street

This TV series is a cop drama, but not a typical one: the accent isn’t on the crimes, but on the nature of the characters. They are all very realistic and human, full of virtues and faults, with issues that evolve from show to show. With elements of film noir, Homicide: Life on the Streets is television at its best.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
The Wire

Made by the creators of the Homicide: Life on the streets, The Wire has that same realistic quality. It’s an intelligent show with lots of characters and multiple story lines, and if you don’t pay attention you will miss important pieces of the plot. The Wire has been described as a visual novel, with each episode one chapter of the overall narrative. The story will absolutely suck you in if you give it time.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
The Sopranos

The Sopranos is the most financially successful series in the history of cable television and is acknowledged as one of the greatest television series of all time and a seminal work of fiction. The series is noted for its high level of quality in every aspect of production and is particularly recognized for its writing, its cinematic style, and the performances of its lead actors. The show is credited with bringing a greater level of artistry to the television medium and paving the way for many successful drama series that followed. It also won a multitude of awards, including twenty-one Emmys and five Golden Globes.

The story revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
The Shield

Although in some ways similar to The Wire, The Shield is different in that it doesn’t focus so much on the social aspects, but goes more for the action. The Shield has got all you need: gritty realism and the anti-hero characters, corrupt cops, drugs, violence, betrayal, good detective work, and most importantly, a fast going story line that will suck you in from the start.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Oz

Presenting a harsh and realistic view of prison life, Oz is one of the most graphic, down-right filthy, but at the same time, enthralling shows you’ll ever watch. Set in Oswald State Penitentiary (OZ), the script doesn’t lack hardcore brutality and unflinching scenes of sex, drug abuse, and violence. OZ is not for the faint hearted. However, it is a wonderful mixture of superb acting and character development; its characters are intensely dislikable one moment and oddly lovable the next. By the end of the first episode you’ll be hooked.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
The Corner

This deeply disturbing mini series realistically portrays the hopelessness of inner city life in major American cities. The Corner is a great American tragedy and a crime story combined; a masterpiece of television drama offering unforgiving insight into the life on the streets, narco trafficking, drug abuse, and broken families.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Sons of Anarchy

If your a fan of The Shield you will love Kurt Sutter’s take on the bikers. Sons of Anarchy realistically depicts the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, California. The cast is great, the characters are well defined and the story line is full of intelligent twists that keep you on the edge of your seats from one episode to the next.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Generation Kill

HBO series Generation Kill offers a disturbing insight into an indiscriminate war, and an unforgiving, alpha-male world. The story follows the elite Marine unit that led the first invasion of the Iraq war. It presents a vivid, unsentimental view of conflict that tries to avoid simple “shoot ‘em up” scenarios. Instead, this flawlessly acted show gives realistic impression of what it’s like to be in the front line.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Brotherhood

The series is about two brothers who take different paths in life. One is a state Senator and the other is tied in with the Irish mob. Set in Providence, RI, Brotherhood blends crime and politics, similar to The Wire. It also deals with mob and family issues, like The Sopranos. It’s available for Instant watching on Netflix.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Blue Murder

Set in the 1970s and 1980s in Sydney, Blue Murder tells the story of Australian organized crime, based on true events. The plot evolves around the relationship of controversial former detective Roger Rogerson and notorious criminal Neddy Smith. It is said to be the best ever Australian crime show ever made. The DVD release was classified R18 for graphic violence and offensive language.

Top Ten Rock-N-Roll Songwriters

admin — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 09:11:38 +0000

Not much introduction is needed here, except to state clearly that this is a very subjective list. It was very difficult to make, and there is no order of preference either. So please do feel free to post your comments and add more songwriters you feel deserve to be mentioned here.

Bob Dylan

Lets start with one person who would be on pretty much anyone’s top 10 songwriters list: Bob Dylan. A major figure in music scene for over 50 years, Dylan is by many considered a great poet, whose lyrics incorporate a variety of political, social and philosophical, as well as literary influences.

I gotta use words when I talk to you
but if you understand or if you don’t
that’s nothing to me and nothing to you
we all gotta do what we gotta do.

——-

The geometry of innocence flesh on the bone
Causes Galileo’s math book to get thrown
At Delilah who sits worthlessly alone
But the tears on her cheeks are from laughter

——-

Go to him now, he calls you, you can’t refuse.
When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose.
You’re invisible now. You’ve got no secrets to conceal.
-
Leonard Cohen

Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist, Leonard Cohen is famous for his deep voice and the richness of lyrics. Cohen’s work explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships. He has produced an impressive volume of work of high artistic quality over a five-decade career.

Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.

——-

On that fundamental ground
Where love’s unwilled, unleashed, unbound
And half the perfect world is found.

——-

Everybody knows that you love me baby
Everybody knows that you really do
Everybody knows that you’ve been faithful
Ah give or take a night or two
Everybody knows you’ve been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
without your clothes
And everybody knows
-
Waters/Gilmour

Pink Floyd is known for their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour wrote some of the most beautiful, insightful and prophetic words in the albums: The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall.

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skies from pain?
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

——-

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying.
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I’ve got that feeling once again
I can’t explain you would not understand
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb.
-
Jagger/Richards

Of course, this list would be incomplete without The Rolling Stones. Having been friends since the early 1950s, when they were classmates at a primary school in Dartford, Kent, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have come a long way together, leaving behind an impressive legacy of hits.

I met a gin-soaked, bar-room queen in Memphis
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride
She had to heave me right across her shoulder’
Cause I just can’t seem to drink you off my mind.

——-

Don’t you know promises were never made to keep?
Just like the night, dissolve in sleep.
I’ll be your savior, steadfast and true.
I’ll come to your emotional rescue.
-
Tom Waits

With his trademark growl, Tom Waits has built up a distinctive musical persona, with a cult following. Known for incorporating pre-rock music styles such as blues, jazz, and vaudeville, and experimental tendencies verging on industrial music. Lyrically, Waits’ songs frequently present atmospheric portrayals of grotesque, often seedy characters and places – although he has also shown a penchant for more conventional ballads.

Well I got a bad liver and a broken heart
yea I drunk me a river since you tore me apart
and I don’t have a drinking problem
cept when I can’t get a drink

——-

Tonight I’ll shave the mountain
I’ll cut the hearts from pharaohs
I pull the road off of the rise
tear the memories from my eyes
and in the morning I’ll be gone

——-

As I attempt to consolidate all my missed weekly rendezvous
Into one low monthly payment, through the nose
With romantic residuals and legs akimbo
But the chances are that more than likely
Standing underneath a moon holding water
I’ll probably be held over for another
Smashed weekend
Thank you

——-

Boney’s high on china white Shorty found a punk
don’t you know there ain’t no devil thats just god when he’s drunk
well this stuff will probably kill you let’s do another line
what you say you meet me down on Heartattack and Vine
-
Nick Cave

Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor, Nick Cave has proved his multi-dimensional persona time and again. His distinctive, highly dark, challenging lyrics and violent sound influenced by free jazz, blues, and post-punk were first expressed in the group The Birthday Party in the early 1980s. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were established in 1984, and are known for its eclectic influences and musical styles.

Tallys up his loneliness, notch by notch,
For the sea offers nuthin’ to hold or touch.

——-

In the days of madness, my brother, my sister,
When you’re dragged toward the Hell-mouth,
You will beg for the end, but there ain’t gonna be one, friend,
For the grave will spew you out! It will spew you out!

——-

Along crags and sunless cracks I go,
Up rib of rock, down spine of stone,
I dare not slumber where the right winds whistle,
Lest her creeping-soul clutch this heart of thistle.
-
Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello arrived to the music scene in the mid-1970s and quickly became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. A true wordsmith and an artist in word play, Costello’s lyrics stand out with rich vocabulary. He has boldly explored and experimented with diverse musical genres; one critic described him as a “pop encyclopedia,” able to “reinvent the past in his own image”.

Accidents will happen
We only hit and run
I don’t want to hear it
Cause I know what I’ve done

And it’s the damage that we do
And never know
It’s the words that we don’t say
That scare me so.

——-

Oh I used to be disgusted
and now I try to be amused
-
Jim Morrison

James Douglas “Jim” Morrison was the lead singer and lyricist of The Doors, and is widely regarded as one of the most iconic frontmen in rock music history. Morrison was drawn to the study of literature, poetry, religion, philosophy and psychology. In his songs he explored mysticism, ancient myth and symbolism and was particularly attracted to the myths and religions of Native American cultures.

Let’s reinvent the gods, all the myths of the ages
Celebrate symbols from deep elder forests

—–

Riders on the storm
Riders on the storm
Into this house we’re born
Into this world we’re thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out alone
Riders on the storm

——-

Strange days have found us
And through their strange hours
We linger alone
Bodies confused
Memories misused
As we run from the day
To a strange night of stone
——-

Not to touch the earth
Not to see the sun
Nothing left to do, but
Run, run, run
Let’s run
Let’s run

-
John Lennon

The iconic figure of our times, John Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, his writing, his drawings, on film, and in interviews, and he became controversial through his political and peace activism.

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It’s getting hard to be someone but it all works out.
It doesn’t matter much to me.

Let me take you down, ’cause I’m going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.

——-

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.

——-

Imagine there’s no heaven,
It’s easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today…

Imagine there’s no countries,
It isnt hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace…

——-

There are no problems, only solutions.
-
Robert Plant/Jimmy Page

Led Zeppelin, widely considered to be one of the most successful, innovative and influential bands in the history of rock music, left a legacy of some of the finest rock-n-roll poetry.

Tangerine, Tangerine, Living reflection from a dream;
I was her love, she was my queen,
And now a thousand years between.

——-

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

——-

Seems like the wrath of the gods
got a punch on the nose and has started to flow,
I think I might be sinking.
Throw me a line if I reach it in time,
I’ll meet you up there where the path
runs straight and high.

Top 5 Sites to Watch Movies Online for Free

admin — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:30:38 +0000

Most of the people who still rent out movies from video clubs are not aware that they can easily watch them online, for free. That’s right, with a good internet connection, you can watch all the latest movies, from the comfort of your home.

If you are an internet newbie, you may find it’s easy to get lost on those big flashy sites that promise you free movies but keep you running in circles, clicking their affiliate links that just open tons of new pop up windows in your browser, and leave you frustrated and ready to give up. Forget about them. Here are the only five free movie sites you will ever need.

Project Free – TV

Although esthetically not very appealing, Project Free-TV is probably the most easy to navigate site due to its simple layout. Don’t let these simple links put you off. Here you will find one of the most extensive data bases of free movies and TV shows on the Internet.

You can browse movies by genre, release year, or name. Project Free TV has probably the largest collection of TV series online. You can easily find what you are looking for by sorting titles by name or by recently updated.

Project Free – TV
10 Star Movies

Here is another place with tons of movies you can stream online for free. When you go to the movie page, scroll down to see all the links where you can see the movie online, then chose the one that has most thumbs up. They also have an impressive section of TV Shows for online streaming.

10 Star Movies
Movies Data Center

Movies Data Center is a huge online resource for free movies. It offers really cool and useful search features, and with over 36,000 titles, you are sure to find what you’re looking for.

Movies Data Center
Let Me Watch This

Another big site with lots of movies to see. They also offer two other sections: TV Shows and Music. You can browse titles and sort them by popularity, ratings, alphabet, release date, etc.

Let Me Watch This
Movie2K.to

As with the previous sites on the list, Movie2K.to offers an impressive selection of movies and TV shows you can watch online for free. They also have an extensive adult films section, which you must be 18 or older to enter.

It’s easy to see which movie links are working well, if you look at the smileys next to the links to guide you.

Movie2K.to

Finally, if you are out of ideas what to watch, here you can check out our Top 10 TV Shows Lists.

Top Ten Digital Libraries of Esoteric, Mystical Texts

admin — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:01:14 +0000

Internet is an endless source of treasures when it comes to mystical, occult texts from many traditions, that until just a few decades ago, were available only to the select few. If you have any interest in the subject, here are some great free online resources to keep you busy reading, learning, growing…

Internet Sacred Text Archive

Internet Sacred Text Archive is one of the largest free online libraries of books and texts about religion, mythology, folklore and the widest range of esoteric subjects. The site is devoted to religious tolerance and scholarship.

Internet Sacred Text Archive
The Hermetic Library

Hermetic Library features a collection of texts and sites relating to Hermeticism in a broad sense and the Western esoteric tradition. Includes works of Sam Webster, Bill Heidrick, Aleister Crowley, and many others. Since its creation, in 1996, Hermetic Library has become one of the most comprehensive and popular resources on the mystical and esoteric subjects.

The Hermetic Library
The Arcane Archive

The Arcane Archive is a cache of Usenet and other text files pertaining to discussions in a wide variety of Usenet newsgroups devoted to occult, religious, magical, and mystical topics. It contains sub-directories in five major categories: interdisciplinary studies, mysticism, occultism, religion, societies and fraternal orders.

The Arcane Archive
Perseus Digital Library

The Perseus Project is a digital library project of Tufts University that assembles digital collections of humanities resources. It is hosted by the Department of Classics. It is an evolving collection of resources for the study of the ancient world, including archaeology, atlas, texts and translations, text tools and lexica. Ancient Greek works in Perseus are stored as beta code, though they can be reformatted for display into a variety of transcription systems.

Perseus Digital Library
Muktabodha

This is an online digital library of rare Sanskrit texts initially focused on Kashmir Shaivism, then broadening to Trika-Kaula, Saiva-Siddhanta, Pancaratra, Natha Yoga and other tantric works, in addition to manuscripts on Vedic Shrauta ritual. Hosted by the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute whose mission is to recover and preserve endangered treasures of India’s religious and philosophical wisdom and make them accessible for study and scholarship, and ultimately as a resource for humanity.

Muktabodha
ACIP

The Asian Classics Input Project aims to preserve disappearing books containing the great ideas of the Eastern half of humanity, and to make these books and ideas accessible to the world at large. Downloadable mainly as zipped text & rtf files. Includes over 200 previously unreleased titles from the classics of traditional Asian philosophy in the Tibetan language.

ACIP
Dharmic Scriptures

Here you will find the four Vedas which you can download in a zipped Word file, together with Vedas Excerpts, Vedic Samhitas & Brahmanas Introduction, and the Upanishads, all in zipped Word files.

Dharmic Scriptures
Encyclopedia Mythica

As the name says, this is an online encyclopedia of mythology, folklore, and religion. The mythology data base is divided into large geographical regions, with further subdivisions, and is also searchable by linguistic and ethnological groups. Folklore is set up in three sections; general folklore, folktales from many lands and Arthurian legends. As an added feature there are several special interest areas – a Bestiary, legendary heroes, an image gallery, and genealogical tables of various pantheons and prominent houses.

Encyclopedia Mythica
The Theosophic Society

A large collection of Theosoophical writings, in plain text format, including books by Blavatsky, Judge, Tingley, Purucker and many others. Also, here you will find introductory manuals on Theosophy and material on the world’s sacred traditions. There is also a searchable PDF version of Blavatsky’s The Secret Doctrine, and the latter is downloadable in a zipped file.

The Theosophic Society
Taoism Digital Library

This online library hosts many popular texts in English language: The Tao Te Ching, the Chuang-tzu, I Ching and other works. Further links to a wide variety of Taoist texts and commentaries.

Taoism Digital Library

Top Ways to Earn Money Writing on Internet

admin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 10:38:56 +0000

If you like to write, there are many ways you can make money online and earn extra income on the Internet. You do not need to have a blog, or a website, or any prior knowledge of HTML or JAVA, or SEO, or whatever. How come? Well, there are already many websites out there that will let you publish your writing and make money off it, while they take care of all the technical stuff and even promote your pages by bringing them more traffic than you could ever do on your own.

So if you don’t suffer from the “must-have-my-own-domain” complex, you can not only save money on domain name and web hosting, but also skip the time-consuming process of promoting your blog, improving its page rank, optimizing the pages for search engines, link building, etc. It’s a known fact that most bloggers give up after about 6 months because they do not see the results. They do not see the results because it takes time to achieve high search engine ranking. And that’s something you get for free by publishing your writing on those sites that already have it.

Then again, there are websites that will pay you a flat fee for your articles, or put you in touch with someone who will. Internet is full of endless opportunities, if you know where to look.

Beware, though, for there are many scams blooming on the internet that will take advantage of your work and never pay you a cent for it. I recommend running a search to check for user reviews before registering at any websites, especially if what they offer sounds too good to be true. An excellent resource for this kind of research is EssayScam.Org.

Having said that, the websites reviewed below have all been thoroughly researched and are rated based on the earning potential they provide for writers.

HubPages

Hubpages is one of the best earning venues for internet writers. It allows you to post articles called hubs about anything, granting them a lot of exposure and a means for you to earn some money. It is ideal for writers who don’t have any idea about html or javascript, as the interface is very clean and easy to use.

Unlike WordPress, you can monetize your blog all the way. What’s more, HubPages gets ranked in the search engines quickly and most of them in the first pages bringing you instant traffic immediately. You don’t even need to do search engine optimization, work on traffic or advertising your blog.

With Hubpages you can earn significant passive income every month but you have to work hard to start with. People earn over £1000/$1000 per month. So if you work hard for a year or two you can get an extra few thousand every month for the rest of your life. The way this is done is through programs such as Google Adsense, Amazon.com, Ebay, and Kontera but you can also join other affiliate programs and promote your websites and blogs. If you are using Adsense, Amazon.com, Ebay and Kontera, you can link to your accounts and get 70% revenue for the time your adverts are displayed.

There is also an affiliate program that allows you generate ongoing revenue when you refer new writers to HubPages. The more high-quality writers you bring in, the greater your royalties.

Join HubPages
Squidoo

Squidoo is a great website with high page rank that lets you write and publish your own articles. They make it easy to create and update lenses. A lens is an article on Squidoo’s site. You have many different options to make your lens unique. You can add photos, Amazon.com products, ebay listings, Orbitz vacation spot, YouTube videos, etc. If you are writing a review about a book or another product you can link to a specific Amazon.com ASIN so the person can buy the product and you receive a commission. No HTML knowledge needed to use the lens builder.

You can rate other people’s lenses and leave comments. You can do that at other article sites, but what sets Squidoo apart is you can create or join a group that is interested in the same subject. When you join a group you can discuss the subject and share your view and your articles with other members. Squidoo won’t pay you for every lens you create, instead you earn a commission off of every Amazon.com sale, eBay sale, or Orbitz sale. You don’t have to have your article approved before it is posted.

They also offer a pretty good affiliate program; when you refer a person and they earn $15.00 you both receive $5.00 bonus. You need to accumulate $20.00 before you can receive payment.

Join Squidoo
Info Barrel

Although sticking to the model of a revenue sharing website, Info Barrel offers a few innovative options to its writers, redefining the way average users participate in online media sites. Every time a piece of your content is published on Info Barrel, you are entitled to 75% of all the Google Adsense ad impressions generated by your content.

Info Barrel provides its writers with the ability to publish articles in multi-formats, giving you more freedom in creative expression. Also, Info Barrel openly rewards longer articles, with a point system attributed dependent upon length of articles. Last but not least, they have an affiliate program enabling you to further earn passive income on writers you refer.

Join Info Barrel
Bukisa

Bukisa is a publisher of informational & educational content. They are both a UGC website and an aggregator, which means that they will let you submit content that’s already published on the net, as long as it’s yours. You can submit content in the form of articles, videos, presentations, audio recordings and image slide-shows.

Bukisa runs on a unique and revolutionary revenue sharing model based on two main revenue streams and the innovative Bukisa Index:
1. Getting paid for people reading, viewing or listening to your high quality published content.
2. Getting paid for the read, viewed & listened published content of your friends, friends’ friends and their friends (up to three levels).
You get paid up to three levels. Payments are processed via PayPal.

Join Bukisa
Virtual Author’s Assistant

There is a booming niche market working with authors that no one knows about, the so called “Ghost Writers”. Virtual assistants are the hottest growing job market. They are the people who work behind the scenes to create, organize and coordinate all the different pieces necessary to get a book published. They make phone calls, organize material, send out emails, coordinate designers, proofreaders and printers and conduct research. This is a no-nonsense, real, work at home business, and if you are interested, The Publishing Store website specializes in training virtual author’s assistants.

Virtual Author’s Assistant
She Told Me

This is one site that lets you do what most others don’t and even pays you for it. You actually get paid for bookmarking your links. They can be in form of articles, videos and photos. For each link you submit to SheToldMe.com a new web page is created. Every page includes the title of the scoop, the link itself, and a description of the linked site you write up.

She Told Me has a good page rank, and a link to your website will show on everything you submit. This can be a powerful traffic booster for your website or blog.

As for earning potential, She Told Me uses a truly unique approach based on 100% Adsense revenue sharing. They also have integrated Chitika ads, so if you sign up for Chitika you get all the Chitika earnings too. You can make more money on referring people as well.

Join SheToldMe.com
Best Reviewer

The creator of SheToldMe has recently created another website similar to SheToldMe in this sense:
- Adsense revenue sharing 100%
- Referrals program to get your Adsense id displayed on all your referrrals’s pages
- You can post links to your own websites/blogs and articles on other places
What is different is :
- It’s brand new, so doesn’t have alexa or google pagerank just yet
- It’s not digg-like, there’s no voting system, it’s more like an article directory, except the articles are “tops” like Top 10 best paid actors, or Top 5 best smartphone in 2010, etc.
- You also get your site URL to be displayed on all your referrals’ pages.
Join Best Reviewer
Associated Content

At Associated Content you can make money by joining their community and writing about any topic you choose, as long as you are knowledgeable about it. There is a wide range of topics you can write about, almost anything is acceptable, as long as it is in good taste. Before submitting the article, proof-read it extensively, because spelling or grammatical errors may cause them to reject your article. After a few business days you will receive a reply, either offering you a fee for your article, or letting you know that it’s been rejected. They will also offer you a monetary amount of $3 to $40 for your article. You can decide if you want to accept their offer or not. If you accept, you will receive your payment through PayPal within two weeks.

Please note, if you accept their offer they are in effect purchasing your article so you will not be able to sell it to anyone else. If you don’t accept their offer you get to keep your article, but you will not receive any money.

Most new users will only earn about $3-$5 per article, but do not get discouraged. As long as you remain an active user with Associated Content your average per article will increase. It also helps if you write about hot topics like the war on terror, celebrities, and sports.

Join Associated Content
myLot

myLot lets you earn extra money by posting discussions in their forums. You can earn $0.05 to $0.25 per post. Although this may not sound like a lot, you are not limited to the number of posts you can make in a day. Your earnings are updated daily, and a minimum amount of $10 is needed before you can withdraw payment. They pay via paypal once a month.

Keep in mind, though – you can’t make money just by replying to every post you see with a lol or one word answer. You should post an intelligent comment that adds to the conversation. The longer and more you add to a discussion the more you will make per post. A word of warning: every member can rate other people’s posts. If you make too many bad posts you will start to make less per post.

myLot accepts members from any country. They also have a referral program. You earn 25% of your referrals earnings; if you can recruit a dozen very active members you can really make some extra money.

Join myLot
Triond

Triond is a complete publishing service that enables users to easily publish quality content of any type, in any media format. It is not limited only to writers. They accept all original content on any topic, including written articles, pictures, audio, and video. You can easily keep track of all of your published items in your Triond account. You can even personalize your profile page to transform it into a unique, sharable portfolio that rivals any blog.

Triond publishes your work on a network of niche websites so you reach a wider audience, gain more recognition and earn more revenue. They give you 50% of the revenue generated by the ads displayed on your content.

Join Triond
Helium

Helium.com was launched in October 2006, and has since established itself as an excellent get paid to write articles website. It has a unique system that works like this: for every article you submit, you are given two pieces to read and rate. If your article receives good ratings it will become one of the top reads for that subject.You earn money from Helium.com by receiving a part of the advertising revenue that they make. Instead of a flat fee for each article you submit you earn money for every time someone clicks an ad while reading your article. Although you won’t be able to make a lot of money quickly you can slowly build up your income and make money.

Some topics are more profitable to write for than others. Some of the higher paying topics include personal finance, health and medical, and business.

Join Helium
Online Writing Jobs

This is probably the most extensive job website for freelance writers, the one you are likely to visit more often. There is no cost, no fee, no registration required. If you get past the visual barrier, the website is quite functional. There is a counter displaying how many people have viewed each job, it offers easy sorting function prominently displayed at the top of the landing page, and – last but not least – job posting dates are displayed, saving you the effort of applying for old postings.

Keep in mind though, this is a job list accumulator, which means that it copies writing jobs from other sites, and these are not first postings. However, it will serve to cut down your search time significantly. Highly recommended for the busy freelance writer.

Online Writing Jobs

Top 10 Tools For Writers

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:11:31 +0000

Here is the list of top ten writing tools on internet. Whether you write professionally or just for fun, you’ll be able to make use of these ten excellent writing tools. Some will help you in writing style and grammar, some in research and citation, others yet in mind-mapping and inspiration. Check them out.

OmmWriter

OmmWriter is a simple text processor, unlike any other in that its sole purpose is to help you concentrate and stay inspired. It will not check your grammar and spelling mistakes. There are plenty of other word programs that do that. OmmWriter is all about making writing a pleasure once again, vindicating the close relationship between writer and paper, but in a modern, screen version. Any writer knows that the more intimate this relation is, the smoother the flow of inspiration. If you are a scriptwriter, blogger, journalist, copywriter, poet or just someone who enjoys writing, welcome back to concentrating.
.

Visit OmmWriter website
Pulse Smartpen

This is our absolute favorite, an innovative writing gadget that adds loads of features to a once sole-purpose object. There have been quite a few attempts to create a product that could convert hand-writing to digital format, but nothing worked that great. Pulse Smartpen is aimed at students and professionals, it captures what you write and what you hear simultaneously and synchronizes the writing and audio, so when you tap a particular word, you can hear what was being said when you wrote it. If you have the need to write a lot on paper, this is by far the best product for capturing any kind of hand-written notes. The Pulse has a number of other features, such as a calculator, translator, menu-navigation arrows, bookmarks, replay, playback speed, and volume controls. These functions are just the start, as Livescribe plans to create additional productivity apps and open up the platform with an SDK. It has already been referred to as “ipen” by its users.

Despite the number of controls on the page and on the pen itself, the simplicity of use is impressive. Livescribe Smartpen will capture handwriting, simultaneously record audio, and then synchronize the two. You can charge the pen through the computer or an AC charger, and battery life is very long.

Visit Livescribe website.
Textanz

Textanz is a unique and essential tool for writers. It analyzes all types of text content and provides you with a list or dictionary of the words, phrases, and grammar forms, and their frequency of use within the text. It is not an editing program and will not change your original document in any way. The information you receive from a Textanz analysis enables you to check for excessive use or repetition of words or phrases within any document. Textanz provides a vital editing function that is missing from most standard grammar-check and editing programs.

Visit Textanz website
WhiteSmoke

WhiteSmoke Writer is probably the most advanced software for correcting and enhancing your writing. Besides the classical tools, such as grammar and spellcheck, it also offers advanced style checking and review. WhiteSmoke Writer comes in different versions to suit specialized writing needs: General, Business, Bio-Tech, Executive, and Creative. We recommend The Creative Writer as it includes all regular features and extends them with creative styles, artistic text enrichment, and an enhanced dictionary including relevant terms.

Visit WhiteSmoke website
The Literary Machine

The Literary Machine is a powerful mind-mapping tool — built especially with the writer in mind. It is packed with indexing and display techniques so general and potent that you can use it as an intelligence center. LM incorporates a unique and powerful blend of idea-generation, information-analysis, information-management, and composition tools. It does not fool around with features that your conventional word processor already does well. What it does is serve as a dynamic archive and idea management tool aimed at creative thinking.

Visit The Literary Machine website
Writeboard

Writeboard is a handy online editing tool, convenient for creative writing collaboration. You can easily save every edit and roll back to any version. Completely free, Writeboard is perfect for authors, journalists, PR folks, editors, and publishers.

Visit Writeboard website
New Novelist

NewNovelist is detailed yet easy to follow software, that enables you to write a novel. Its great advantage compared to other writing software is that it breaks down the process of writing a novel into manageable chunks. What does this mean to you? It works in the same way as a writer’s mind. It allows you to develop ideas as they occur to you, regardless of where you might be in the story.

NewNovelist has been used by over 51,000 writers in more than 60 countries to write better novels, faster than they ever dreamed of. It has received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from the press, including The Sunday Times. The software was written for all to use – you don’t have to be a technical whiz or an experienced writer – so you can get started with your writing immediately, knowing it will be an enjoyable experience.

Visit New Novelist website
WorldWideOCR.com

In short, this website provides quick and easy international online copyright registration and archiving. In 5 minutes, you can register your SEAL™ account, upload your original copyright file to their server, and download your date-stamped and protected SEAL™ file for personal archiving. Membership prices start at $20 per year which gives you 7 credits (1 credit is charged for every 20MB or less file containing copyrights).

Visit WorldWideOCR.com website
Wordnik

Wordnik is a fast-growing online dictionary of contemporary English language. Wordnik aims to show you as much information as possible, as fast as it can find it, for every word in English, and to give you a place where you can make your own opinions about words known. For any word you can see an example sentence, related words, images, statistics, and audio pronunciation.

Visit Wordnik website
ClichéCleaner

This is a program for writers that highlights passages in your text that are either clichés, other overly-used common expressions, or phrases of your own that you have repeatedly used within the same document. ClichéCleaner includes a list of nearly 7000 unique clichés and common expressions that are compared against your text.

Visit ClichéCleaner website

Technorati Tags: writing, resources, writing-tools, useful, writers

Top Ten Learning Aids for Preschoolers

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:10:29 +0000

It’s never too early or too late to get an education. If you are looking for creative ways to jump-start your child’s early education, take a look at our selection of the top ten products available for preschoolers today.

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Tablet

Winner of the Oppenheim Best Toy Award, LeapFrog’s LeapPad is like an iPad designed for kids. It is age appropriate, easy-to-use and engaging to a generation of kids that expect great graphics, games, and speed. All of it delivered, at $99.

The games pull from LeapFrog’s library of 100+ educational games – so you can select those that are most appropriate for your child and his or her needs. You can use all Leapster Explorer games and apps you already have – also a plus. The LeapPad also has a built in camera and video camera. All in all – a great use of technology that will entertain and engage any child.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Tablet
Hooked on Phonics

Hooked on Phonics provides award winning educational programs for children ages 2 to 10. Over two million families and thousands of schools are using Hooked on Phonics® products because of their proven learn-practice-play approach. Children learn at their own pace, mastering each new skill before they move on to the next. Practicing and reinforcing new skills is designed to be fun, and every experience ends with a celebration.

Winner of more than 10 prestigious awards: Teachers’ Choice, iParenting Media Award, Dr. Toy Best Educational Products Award, to name a few. Hooked on Phonics offers a variety of other educational programs, such as Hooked on Math, Hooked on English, Foreign Language, etc.

Hooked on Phonics
Funetics

Funetics teaches children to read through engaging games, activities, songs and fun. The program has been developed by top educators, incorporating research-proven instruction based on phonics teaching theory. Unlike computer-based programs, Funetics is a one-on-one experience. Your child interacts with you, not a computer screen. Unlike other programs that use workbooks and flash cards, Funetics is much less complicated, repetitive and rigidly structured. You don’t need training in education or hours of preparation. Just read the script and let the fun begin.

The Funetics course can be completed at your (and your child’s) pace, in as little as 3 months. It is based on 81 lessons that gradually introduce concepts of increasing difficulty. Each lesson takes an average of 20-30 minutes to complete. There are over 300 entertaining games and activities which provide a fun way to keep the child motivated. Lesson scripts make it easy provide high quality instruction, and assessment instructions help you track the child’s progress and adapt the program. Most lessons have supplemental activities to pace and customize for the child’s needs.

Funetics
ClickN KIDS

ClickN KIDS is a company specialized in children’s education. They offer two award winning programs to help children read and write. Both are designed by nationally recognized phonics research professor Dr. J. Ron Nelson.

ClickN READ Phonics program is aimed at children as young as 4 years old up to 3rd grade. It teaches the phonics curriculum taught at USA public schools through 100 interactive cartoon animated online phonics lessons. Children learn english correctly in a phonics game – like environment that is great fun and easy to use. ClickN READ phonics program is also ideal for older children struggling to learn to read, learning disabled children and even adults learning English as a second language. Its superior quality is sealed with a 60 day money back guarantee.

ClickN SPELL is a research based spelling program for preschool through 5th grade that teaches the 800 most commonly used words in the English language. The most commonly spoken 800 words are used 13 times more frequently than the next most common 800 words. ClickN SPELL therefore provides a solid foundation not just for spelling, but also for the English language in general. The unique instructional design makes spelling more fun and more effective than ever before. The program may also be used as an intervention curriculum for struggling spellers regardless of age or grade level.

Current Promotions:
- Buy 1 ClickN READ Student Get the 2nd FREE! Use coupon code: 2STUDENTFREE exp. 9/30/11
- Save $50 on Looney Tunes Phonics Family Pack with Code: LTPFAM50B exp. 9/30
- Save $130 On The New Looney Tunes Phonics Family Pack. Use Code: LTPFAM130
- Get The New Looney Tunes Phonics Family Pack ($330 Value) for ONLY $199.95! Use Code: LTPFAM50
ClickN KIDS
Nick Jr. Boost

Nick Jr. Boost is an online educational service designed for preschoolers through first graders, with an extra bonus: it’s totally personalized. The program was earlier known as mynoggin.com. It covers literacy, math, science, creativity, Spanish, and computer skills.Guided by national standards in preschool education, Nick Jr. Boost makes the most of the time children spend playing online with a “connected learning” approach. The idea is to start with topics and tales that grab children’s interest, mix in favorite characters, then use these ingredients to present concepts and skills that help kids learn. This approach is very effective because combining play with learning encourages children to dig deeper and develop a richer understanding.

The Parent Center is designed to keep Mom and Dad in the loop, providing an inside glimpse of your child’s progress. As kids complete activities or advance to the next level, Nick Jr. Boost clues you in on new achievements and skills. Just as important, if your child is struggling in a particular area, Nick Jr. Boost sends a heads-up plus tips for easy, offline do-together games and activities to help your child master that challenge.

Nick Jr. Boost
ABC Home Preschool

ABC Home Preschool is a great resource for preschool training for 2 to 6 year olds. A variety of subjects: Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Science and Social Studies are all consolidated into a 9-month curriculum, all fitted into one book. And the child cannot destroy the book, as the pages are laminated so that the pages cannot be torn!! AND when using the special marker the pages can be wiped clean and used again. ABC Home Preschool also provides Online Curriculum Downloads.

ABC Home Preschool
U-Play Mat

As the name suggests, U-Play Mat is a large U-shaped mat designed to facilitate easy and playful interaction between the child and the parent or a tutor. The child sits inside the opening of the “U” with full visual and tactile access to the mat, without having to crawl atop. Fifteen theme-based cards are inserted into transparent pockets on the mat surface to engage the child in a variety of exercises. This great cognitive development tool was invented by Dr. Jen, pediatrician and mother of two sets of twins.

U Play Mat
Hop, Skip & Jump

The easy and effective way to teach your child to read just like kids who pick up reading without effort. Sound Reading’s groundbreaking reading software builds on the innate abilities of speech in learning to read. It is based on innovative reading practice. Learning to read has never been so fun, fast or easy. For 4 to 6 year olds, Hop, Skip and Jump will prevent reading difficulties before they develop.

Hop, Skip & Jump
Brite Music

Brite is the nation’s leader in music-based education products. Music is a proven aid to learning. When music is involved in the learning process, children comprehend sooner and the effect is long lasting.

Music is stored in our long-term memory. When we learn something through music, we remember it longer and believe it more deeply. Brite has put the inestimable power of music to work in children education. Its main focus is on social development, self-esteem and personal safety of children of all ages.

Brite Music
The Money Mammals

This entertaining DVD fills a gaping void in childrens’ educational videos by teaching the value of money. In today’s society where debt is an epidemic, the Money Mammal message to children to “share, save, and spend smart too” comes as an invaluable lesson. If your kids enjoy Sesame Street and the Muppets, they will be sure to fall in love with the Money Mammals. The dialogue is cute and jokey, the production values are superb — the songs feature MTV-like special effects — but most importantly of all, the educational message is right on the mark but disguised as pure entertainment for kids.

Winner of numerous children and toy awards, The Money Mammals DVD is a great way to start young children on the path to a successful financial future. Through the use of puppets, fun and catchy music, and an engaging story, simple and easy to learn savings lessons come alive for children.

The Money Mammals

Technorati Tags: kids, learning aids, preschool, homeschooling, children

Top 10 Educational Board Games for Children

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:38:22 +0000

Who says learning can’t be as fun or as addictive as playing games? Board games for children are incredibly effective learning tools as they promote teamwork and boost self-confidence, while ensuring fast-paced learning inspired by healthy competition. Today there are many games available to educate the young; here we have selected the top ten award winning educational games for children.

Blokus Board Game

Fun for both kids and adults, Blokus is a strategy board game that challenges spatial thinking. Bright colors and simple rules make it ideal for ages five and up, but adults will certainly be engrossed by this unique and challenging game. Winner of over 20 prestigious awards.

Blokus encourages creative thinking and has received a Mensa award for promoting healthy brain activity. It is simple to understand, but the game’s complexity is revealed shortly after everyone begins to play. It can be addictive, even for those not normally into abstract games. Blokus is a catalyst for spatial thinking, as players form images in their mind before placing the pieces on the board. Children and adults can play together for hours of competitive family fun.

Blokus Board Game
Set Game

SET is a card game of quick recognition and deduction. It is for one or more players, for ages six and above. Winner of many awards and featured on the New York Times bestselling games page.The object of the game is to identify “sets” of three cards. Each card is unique in its four features; color – red, green or purple, symbol – diamond, squiggle or oval, shading – solid, striped or open, and number – 1, 2 or 3. A “set” consists of three cards on which each feature is either the same on all of the cards, or different on all of the cards. This game contains complete instructions for play, 81 cards, and a durable plastic carrying case.

Set Game
Passport to Culture – The World Culture Game

This is a unique, exciting board game where players circle the globe, uncovering the mysteries of our amazing world. A game that’s an international education unto itself, Passport to Culture™ is part quiz, part cultural exchange, and all fun.

Designed for ages 10 and up, with fascinating, fun-filled questions about people and places, food & drink, world treasures, greetings and gestures, or customs and traditions for all of the world’s countries and encounter surprising scenarios while traveling the globe. A Cultural IQ™ score measures each player’s global smarts, and no one ever really loses because everyone always learns something new. Passport To Culture™ is the Winner of Museum Tour Product of the Year award and Winner of National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.

Passport to Culture – The World Culture Game
Totally Gross Game

Winner of iParenting Media Award, this unique game engages kids to learn and understand all the major scientific disciplines. From biology to chemistry to zoology, there are over 220 science questions and activities.

A dose of gross helps science make sense! Did you know snot keeps your lungs clean? Or that some bullfrogs are cannibals? Learn this and more as you travel around the game board answering queasy questions. Land on a Gross-Out space, and you may have to check another player for toe jam or describe the last time you threw up! Every time you answer a question or complete a Gross-Out, stretch your slime on the score line. Stretch it to 10 and complete a Lab Experiment to win the game! Full of action and information, it’s an educational game they’ll actually enjoy. Designed for ages 8 and up.

Totally Gross Game
Mars 2020 Board Game

Learn tons of facts with over 500 multiple-choice questions related to space science and technology. Choose a spaceship and a crew member and try to land on Mars first. Along the orbital path, players must answer questions to fix malfunctions that occur. Kids love the “cool” spaceship playing pieces and becoming a crew member. Mars 2020 captures the excitement, the challenge and the science involved in reaching the red planet. Mars even continues to orbit throughout the game, which provides an added challenge. Unexpected messages from Mission Control add excitement to the play. Ages 8 and Up, 2-6 Players.

Mars 2020 Game
The Play’s the Thing Board Game

This is a game to play and preform. Kids will learn about Shakespeare in a way that captures the spirit of his work and the pure fun and excitement of the theater. So besides learning the characters, plots and quotations from Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar, players will experience the stage mishaps and the much anticipated reviews! No knowledge of Shakespeare is required. Ages 8 and Up, 2 – 6 Players.

The Play’s the Thing Board Game
Where in the World Game

Where in the World was introduced 16 years ago it launched the trend in geography games. Today, this game remains the most comprehensive world geography games that families and classrooms love. The game has been updated to include the latest facts about every country in the world including capitals, major imports and exports, languages and religions. With 6 games in one, it’s possible for players of all abilities to play together providing challenge and a world of fun for everyone. Ages 8 and up, 2 – 6 players.

Six games on six levels of play offer players of all ages a complete up-to-date tour of world geography. Learn the names, locations and vital facts of all 196 countries! Players will learn facts about every country in the world including; country name, continent, flag, capital, population, rank in size, literacy rate, monetary unit, languages, religions, imports, exports and seacoasts.Game includes 6 region maps (Africa, Asia, Europe, North American, South America and Oceania), 196 country cards, 6 wild cards, 1 spinner, 1 bodies of water reference board, 120 playing pieces and instructions.

Where in the World Game
The Whole Brain Game

This fun, fast paced interactive game challenges the mind, creates outbursts of creativity and causes the players to “Think out of the Box”. The concept is simple: It’s not what you think, but how you think it. Players are challenged to take unlike words or situations and create similarities, as one playing example. It causes the players to spontaneously think and shout out responses to the questions rapidly to beat the clock.

A mentally and intellectually stimulating, educational and fun game all at the same time! “Right brain” activity is stimulated as players generate ideas, use their imaginations and work out patterns and relationships. At the same time the “left brain” quickly structures responses using language, logic, sequences and details. Great for families, parties, schools, and anyone that dares to think differently.

The Whole Brain Game
Level Minded

Level Minded is an exciting, educational, competitive family game designed to promote social and moral development. This balancing contest of principles, values and beliefs is an educational tool, winner of many awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children Products Award, Child Magazine’s Preferred Choice Award, iParenting Media’s Best Products Award. Ages: eight and up. Number of players: 2 to 8.

Players score points by navigating a ball on a unique three dimensional labyrinth path and writing the most “level minded” responses to questions about ones personal principles, values and beliefs. The questions asked can be quite challenging, but since the players written responses are submitted anonymously, the answers can be clever, insightful or just plain silly. Level Minded includes the Junior Principles, values and beliefs deck, of questions but maybe played with multiple card decks.

Level Minded
Stare!

Winner of the National Parenting Center Seal and the Teacher’s Choice Award for the Family, this is a fun game for kids that develops memory, concentration and imagination. For 2 to 6 players (up to 18 players with teams). Ages 6-12.

Kids can test and train their visual memory skills and have a blast doing it. In Stare! Junior – the game – players have 30 seconds to stare at an image on a card. Images are varied and fun for kids to look at. It might be a movie poster, funny photo, comic, work of art and more. When time is up, an opponent will flip over the card and ask the player a series of questions about the image to see how much they can recall. What was the clown holding in his left hand? What color was the girl’s hat? Guess right and advance on the game board. Kids can play individually or on teams. The revised Second Edition includes larger image cards containing all new images and questions! Includes 960 questions on 160 image cards, game board, sand timer, playing pieces, die, and instruction sheet.

Stare!

Technorati Tags: educational, games, children, board games, learning

Top 10 Tag » mind

Top Ten Amazing Animal Videos on Youtube

‪Battle at Kruger‬

The Cougar Scene

Wild Owls Hunting

Leopard Slug Mating

Amazon Ants

The Amazing Lyre Bird

Flying Penguins

The Fearless Honey Badger

Jesus Christ Lizard

Anaconda Hunts

Top 10 Historical TV Series

Rome

Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena

Deadwood

Band of Brothers

The Tudors

The Borgias

John Adams

The Pillars of the Earth

The Kennedys

Top 10 Crime TV Series – Best Crime TV Shows

Homicide Life on the Street

The Wire

The Sopranos

The Shield

Oz

The Corner

Sons of Anarchy

Brotherhood

Blue Murder