by ·Comments Off on Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad Series

The development and preservation of the Underground Railroad was a dangerous undertaking. Enormous effort went into changing the tide of history for the African-American. The Underground Railroad played a crucial role in this monumental change. The railroad was made up of numerous escape routes that started in whatever location there were souls brave enough to reach for freedom.  The steps they took played a big part in the freedom I experience to walk these now defunct routes.  My current artistic focus is on the particular routes and experiences of a specific Underground Railroad conductor – Harriet Tubman.

by ·Comments Off on Prejudice: a black dot in white canvas

Imagine looking at a large white canvas, in the middle of it all is this back dot. Nothing else but this gets your attention and it never seems to go anywhere. You can try to stare at the empty white space but still that one single dot will bring you back.

This is a simple yet powerful illustration to an age old problem that for some reason always resurfaces, prejudice and racism in the United States of America. As much as people have been looking for solutions or trying to ignore it, it is very much still there.

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Tensions rose when news broke out on the Ferguson Missouri and Travon Martin case in Florida. Relatives of the victims scream in dismay and anger and in the bleakest of senses racism is where they point the blame. While the justice system has failed in a lot of African countries, American people however respond with fear as they have seen that even in a first world judicial system that seeks to protect them, prejudice will always be in the system depending on the views of the person. While racism is one of the long standing problems in United States right now, it sits a long side corrupt government officials, environmental problems and the whole lot.

As some would now distinguish between white and black American it is very clear as the numbers would show the world. 88 percent of cases in America where the justice system used force were against African Americans, 68 percent have a chance of having their case dismissed by a municipal judge and this account for 92 percent of arrest warrants being issued. Either bad behaviour is just rampant or as some would say the justice system refuses to give them a chance. This could also be seen in the light of global statistics about crime.

This treatment of African Americans can somehow be traced back to fear. The fear of the white Americans losing their status in their country. Exclaiming that slowly they are becoming the minority in their own country, it even breaks to an outrage when the current United States of America President speaks out to defend the slain and speak for the African American.

To think that this problem is not just an old problem, but it is also one where many have paid the price, so that the future generations might have a better one. This is a problem where more than often the world simply observes and does nothing, as if the days of slavery are being brought back to modern times. As the saying goes, “evil only happens when good men do nothing”. The truth of the matter is, this is no walk in the park, it will not be solved overnight and it will definitely be a battle, but it is one worth fighting. Whether a person is in the majority or in the minority, do not stop educating, do not stop working for a brighter future.

by ·Comments Off on The Fashion Secret: Cover Up the Unsightly Fats

Pointy Pair of Shoes

Pointy pair of shoes will make your legs look longer. Close toes shoes and sandals work better for short women. Tall women match well with open toe pointy shoes. If you think you’re bulky and short, avoid very high heels too. Those pair of shoes will give unflattering proportion to your body making you look heavier. Muffin shaped women can add accents and large belts few centimeters above the waist line. A large clutch bag will help cover those bumps too.

Pick the Right Colors

The same old trick works. The vertical stripes don’t just cut inches of fats but also make you look taller. With the latest trends and fashion, you can easily find variety of clothing styles. Again, black should be your favorite color besides navy blue and all the dark hues. It offers a slender look as seen on WP Fashionista. In the same manner, stay away from bright and light shades. Although, you may opt to mix and match these color combinations. Contrasting pairs, for instance a black skirt look gorgeous in light shade blouse. Wear slightly high heel. Put on some dark blazer or coat if you wish to hide lumpy fats on your arms.

And now the Photos

For most, life is not complete without Facebook. Who knows, one may just pull you in and take some pictures. Are you quite insecure to know that you’ve gained a lot of pounds lately? No worries. Check out the best camera pose and tricks.

It’s the smile

Be sure to give your best smile before you pose. Here’s the secret. Stick your tongue on your palate or the roof of your mouth inside the oral orifice. Also, raise your chin a little bit while doing so just to make sure that you get away from showing off the double chin once the camera clicks.

Snaps on the Tops

Yes, whenever you can. Avoid taking a whole-body picture. If it’s inevitable, tell the photographer to play angle tricks. Place the camera slightly bent up to make your angle better. Turn your body a little on the sides with one foot forward. Try the hand-on-hip pose. If not, hold your arms slightly away from your torso to make you look thinner. Avoid hair ponytails and braids too especially of you have round shape face. Play a splash of right make-up blended with the best matched foundation, eye shadows and lipstick shade. And if the pose requires you to sit, be sure to find the best angle. Cross your legs. It sounds funny but try to avoid staying too close with someone who is lean. It will emphasize your bulk.

by ·Comments Off on Essentials for Hosting Outdoor Parties

Hosting parties always sounds like a great idea until it’s time to actually prepare for the party. All of a sudden you realize you should have done a little bit more planning and not waited until the last day to get ready. It always ends up requiring way more work than you intend for them to. At first it starts out as just a “casual get together”. You say “we will just throw some hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill. No big deal”. But as the day of the party creeps up, you take a look at your outdoor patio area and realize it needs some cleaning up. You’ll definitely have to have that husband of yours do some yard work and landscaping. Maybe even pressure washing? And even though its outdoors, you still need to go ahead and clean the inside of the house from top to bottom. Obviously people are going to need to use the bathroom. And what if it rains? Do I have enough food? Maybe we should make chicken, too. What about drinks? We should probably have wine for those that don’t like beer. And soda for those that don’t drink alcohol. Before you know it, this party is a much bigger headache than you ever meant for it to be. That’s why planning ahead and having the essentials for an outdoor party is completely necessary. Once you do have those essential items, it will be a lot easier to throw together a party for any occasion, whether it be 4th of July, Super Bowl, Labor Day weekend, Father’s Day or just because it’s summer and what reason is there not to?

outdoor-party-coolerAn outdoor beverage cooler is the first thing that should be on your list, because if nothing else there will always be drinks at a party. Having a patio cooler to keep your beverages cold and conveniently close by is essential, rather than sending people in and out of the house every time they need a new drink. If your goal is to keep people outside, an outdoor patio cooler will be your best friend. There are plenty of outdoor beverage coolers to choose from in a variety of shapes and sizes, so it’s up to you which one will work best. However, the bigger the better when it comes to parties. But a factor more important than size is really ice retention. Ice retention is the length of time an outdoor cooler or a patio cooler will keep your ice from melting. With the perfect party cooler on your hands, there is no need for you to play bartender. You can party on with all of your guests.

Having a nice set of outdoor furniture is another must-have for any outdoor house parties. You want your guests to be comfortable and be able to relax. Having plenty of seating to accommodate everyone will not only let your guests relax, but you will be able to when you see everyone else enjoying themselves and not awkwardly standing around praying for someone to move from their seat. Wicker furniture is a big no-no! Sorry, but nobody finds wicker furniture comfortable in the least bit. However, if you are on a budget and wicker furniture is a must, make sure there are plenty of cushions to go around. You don’t just have to stick with traditional furniture either. Add a few bench swings, a hammock or even have a few bean bags lying around to put off a relaxed vibe. You will appreciate it as much as your guests do. Especially if they have that patio cooler right at arm’s length and never have to leave that hammock.

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The one thing that can put a huge damper on any party, regardless of how good the food is, are those pesky annoying mosquitoes! If there is one thing you can do for your guests, do this. Make sure you have plenty of mosquito repellent available to them. Whether it is a can of bug spray, citronella candles, a mosquito trap, or repellent bracelets, have something. Anything. If your guests are miserable outside, they will either end up inside or they will end up leaving. Either way, that is not good news for you or your party.

The last essential, which may seem like common sense, is you must have some type of entertainment. Don’t rely on your guests for the entertainment and don’t allow any of those awkward silent pauses to haunt your party. Have some type of upbeat tunes playing or an outdoor television broadcasting the football game or some type of white noise. You don’t want the noise blaring so that your guests are unable to hear over one another. You just want enough noise so that they have something to fall back on when those silent moments do creep up. Because they will. They always do.

If you always have an outdoor patio cooler ready to go, plenty of outdoor furniture, mosquito repellent and some entertainment on hand, you can be ready to host a party at any given time without much notice. The cleaning and the food can be taken care of on the day of the party. Everything else will fall into place.

 

by ·Comments Off on How To Build The Ultimate Man Cave

Let’s face it, most men deep down wish for a man cave. Now whether their wife or significant other allows for them to occupy a room in the house crammed full of manly things is a whole different ball game. Nonetheless, most guys out there are all seeking for that sanctuary within their house to escape everyone, and better yet an awesome place to host their friends to watch sports games and drink beer.

What exactly is a man cave?

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The term man-cave was coined a few years back now; but suffice it to say the term itself does a pretty good job of explaining what the purpose of a man cave is. The idea behind a man cave is to convert a room, basement, shed, or some area of the house into a room for the husband or dad of the home. Most husbands and fathers work long hours to provide for their families. Therefore, a room where they can experience quiet time, or watch the game uninterrupted by children, and a place for their friends to gather can seem like an oasis in a house full of chaos. Most man caves revolve around some sort of sporting theme. It may be baseball, basketball, football, college sports, or even NASCAR; there are endless options to make dad happy.  The idea would be to convert this special space into a viewing and gathering area to watch those types of sports. Maybe dad isn’t into sports at all, maybe he is into wood working or some sort of outdoor activity in which case a man cave may be made in an outdoor shed. There is no right or wrong way to construct a man cave; the options truly are endless.

What are the essentials of the perfect man cave?

Although there is no right or wrong way, most man caves do have some sort of comfy seating arrangement. Ideally, a nice big reclining couch would take up a large portion of the man cave. A reclining couch will definitely provide the father or husband of the house a place to kick back and relax. In addition to the couch, most man caves, well the best of them anyways, will have some sort of bar or keggerator set up. This is the ultimate dream of almost any man out there; a place to entertain their friend and of course enjoy an adult beverage or two. The bar area is likely to be the draw to the room, so it is easily understood that this can be one of the most costly additions to the man cave.

As previously mentioned, most man caves are going to be decorated in some sort of sporting theme. In order to fully support a sporting team, a television is necessary to watch all the “big games” that may be aired within the man cave. It goes without saying that the television can be a costly addition to any man cave. Making this matter worse is the fact that most men take their TV watching serious, and size does matter. The bad news is with a larger TV and the latest technology can come a stiff price tag. Keeping it modest in the television department without sacrificing too much viewer experience will help to cut cost.

Along with the television comes the sound system. If you go out and buy the latest and greatest flat screen television, surely this man cave will need surround sound to get the full effects of “being in the game.” As with the television there are countless surround sound system options. For those that prefer their man cave outdoors, which seems to be happening more and more these days, outdoor speakers can provide the perfect solution. Not only will outdoor speakers provide plenty of volume while watching the game, they can provide music while dad is working on his favorite hobby. Buying quality outdoor speakers is critical to ensure longevity. There are many discount speakers out there, but they can rot out after just one season when exposed to harsh environments. It is best to do your research and use review sites to find the best outdoor speakers for the money. Outdoor speakers, surround sound systems, televisions and a bar are just a few of the items necessary to create the ideal man cave.

Every man cave will be unique to his owner; that is the beauty behind the man cave. Again, there is no right or wrong way to customize a man cave. Remember that bigger is not always better when it comes to man caves. Some of the most entertaining man caves come in small customized packages. Dedicating a room or space in the home to dad and allowing him to decorate it as he pleases is the least we can do for the hard working men in our lives.

 

 

by ·Comments Off on Why You Should Exercise Using a Bike

Third on the list of benefits for bicycles is that these are eco-friendly.  Trains, buses, and cars all require some form of energy for it to function.  This can come in the form of fuel or electricity, which is not very friendly to the environment.  It can never be stressed enough on how these negatively affect the environment.  Both are non-sustainable and leave behind a huge carbon footprint.  At the opposite side of the spectrum are the conventional bikes.  These do not require an engine or any kind of fuel or even electricity to run.  Instead, it utilizes the rider’s force to move forward.  This is what makes bikes a great exercise source, because you are using your own energy to force it to move and take you to where you want to go.

Bikes are also versatile.  You can take them anywhere and on almost any terrain.  There are several kinds of bikes, which are made for more specific types of terrain and are the best hybrid bikes for men.  Mountain bikes are made to handle dirt roads and rough rocky terrain.  Another bicycle type are Downhill bikes which are made for racing down dirt slopes and are equipped with specialized shock absorbers.  Both of these are just some of the many types of bikes that are available for a wide variety of users. Don’t confuse hybrid vs road bikes as they are entirely different but similar.

Storage and parking space is also not a problem with bikes.  You have several storage options when it comes to bikes.  There are some bike models that are collapsible and can fit into the trunk of a car.  Others are lightweight so that they can be hoisted up to be stored easily.  Looking for parking space is also stress-free.  All you need is a small swatch of space so that you can secure it using chains and locks.

Riding a bike is also an equally entertaining exercise as opposed to burning the calories in a gym.  You not only get to sweat all the excess pounds off but also enjoy the scenery as well.  Go for bike rides along the coast or rarely visited places near you and you will see that this form of exercise definitely is not a waste of your time.  Go on an adventure on your bike and not only do your body good but also stimulate your brain as well.

The kind of lifestyle that most urban cities are now growing accustomed to have put a greater importance on health than ever before.  Technology has definitely made day-to-day life easier, but also has made us somewhat dependent.  Most of us depend on some form of technology to help us in our daily tasks letting us take for granted some of the more important necessities of life, like exercise.

All in all, riding bicycles is not such a bad exercise.  Not only does it cost less than using other forms of technology for exercise, but also gives you a lot of added benefits as well.  If you are tired of spending too much in commuting and would like to get some exercise at the same time, think about buying a bike.  Bicycles are the next best thing to brisk walking, jogging, and running which undeniably still result to a healthier and fitter you all without burning a hole in your wallet.