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Body Jewelry and Today's Stars

Body jewelry and body piercing practices have been observed by various groups of people all over the world throughout the centuries. For some tribes it is a rite of passage, for others it is an indicator of social status. For many, body jewelry is used to enhance personal beauty and as devices to rise above the rest of the pack. Todays celebrities have been at the forefront in making body jewelry much more mainstream and acceptable even desirable.

Whats a little pain if itll make me look hip seems to be the prevalent thought among the young and the old who are turning out in increasing numbers to participate in the body jewelry trend. Not so long ago, only punk rockers and those with bad boy images, such as former NBA star Dennis Rodman, were seen sporting body piercings in mainstream media. Today, body jewelry is endorsed by pop celebrities with mass followings, including Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Fiona Apple and Lenny Kravitz. Britney Spears has an extensive collection of navel rings, and Christina Aguilera is said to wear the most interesting body jewelry in areas that are covered by her clothing.

Some celebrities with an otherwise serious image are nevertheless fans of body art. Actress Camryn Manheim of the television drama The Firm sports multiple earrings on the cartilage of one ear. Gillian Anderson, who played the cynical and skeptical FBI agent Dana Scully in the television series The X Files, has a pierced belly button. Performers with tongue piercings include former Spice Girl Melanie Brown (Scary Spice) and dancer Jimmy Gulzar, while supermodels Christy Turlington and James King are proud of their piercings. Some sports celebrities also wear body jewelry, including WWE wrestlers A-Train and Billy Gunn, as well as football player Ricky Williams.

Body jewelry has also been used throughout the ages to enhance sensation, and by extension, sexuality and sexual performance. Genital and nipple piercing in both men and women, while not as widespread as nose, ear, tongue, navel and eyebrow piercing, still has its own following. Singer Janet Jackson has stated on the Oprah Winfrey talk show that she likes the sensation that her pierced nipples give her. Other celebrities with pierced nipples include rock musicians Axl Rose and Tommy Lee, Icelandic singer Bjork and rapper Lil Kim. Pop princess Britney Spears likewise has a pierced nipple.

Celebrities, whether they like it or not, are oftentimes looked up to as role models and the influence they wield over their fans is considerable. Fans emulate their idols preferences: from clothing, mannerism, even to the wearing of body jewelry. More and more, they are playing a leading role not only in the direction of todays fashion trends but also in the shaping of modern pop culture.

posted by avlppo @ 8:35 PM 0 comments

1972 Miami Dolphins Breath a Sigh of Relief

I was a 14 year old teenager living in Orlando, Florida when the Miami Dolphins made history with their perfect 17 - 0 season.

The following summer, our church youth group took a long hot church bus ride to Miami to watch the Dolphins in pre-season training camp. It was amazing to see linemen so huge they could sit small children in their helmets and hold out their helmet with one hand so the parents could take pictures.

I still have the football signed by Bob Griese, Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, and Mercury Morris.

This is a record that has lasted for 33 years.

So naturally I have followed the Indianapolis Colts this season as they threatened to achieve the same undefeated record. The 2005 Indianapolis Colts certainly have similar tools to the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

You could also tell that the Colt players were getting quite sick of all the questions about the streak. I can see how that would get very old very quick. At the same time, what a nice problem to have.

So now the pressure is off with the loss to the San Diego Chargers today. No one likes to lose. At the same time, I bet they are glad all the stupid repetitious questions are over.

posted by avlppo @ 5:03 PM 0 comments

Remove Permanent Marker From Carpet

How do you remove permanent marker stains from carpet? Well, the bad news is that it's called "permanent" marker for a reason. Depending on how new and how deep the stains are, you may not be able to remove them completely.

You can almost always lighten stains, though, and sometimes make them unnoticible. There are other things you can do to hide the stain as well. Start with the method here to get out as much as you can.

First, thoroughly vacuum the area. This removes any loose dirt, dust or other substances that might give you trouble when you work on the stain.

For the carpet stain removal solvent, use rubbing alcohol or a non-oily hairspray. Use a small amount on a clean white cloth, and dab at the stain. You should see transfer of the stain to the cloth. Use another dry cloth to blot up the solution between applications.

Just apply the solution and blot it up several times. Then rinse the spot with clean water and blot that up. Finally, dry the area thoroughly.

Get Out The Remaining Stain

If you couldn't get it all out, and if the stain isn't too deep, it's time to cut out some carpet - just a little. Try snipping away the stained edges with small scissors or with a razor blade or exacto knife. Use tweezers to carefully pull out severely stained fibers.

When you try the latter, you might want to remove clean carpet strands from another, hidden area in the room, and then glue them into the stained area. Then leave a heavy object on the spot for several days before walking on it. That's how you remove permanent marker in all but the worst cases.

posted by avlppo @ 1:35 PM 0 comments

Are You Using RoboForm?

Why not? Maybe you have not heard of it. Well, it's a program that can store the titles, URLs, descriptions and anything else you need for listing your websites into directories. It can also store the information for your articles including the titles, article bodies, signatures, keywords and whatever else you like.

It does more than just store all of this information. Having already entered all your websites' directory listing information or information for your articles, just go to the directory's web page with the submission form and with the press of one button, it can fill and submit the form for you. No more copying and pasting all your directory listings and articles. With the amount of time it takes you to copy and paste just one directory listing or article, you can submit all your directory listings or articles using RoboForm.

Since using RoboForm, I have upgraded to RoboForm Pro. RoboForm Pro allows you to enter an unlimited amount of websites and articles. RoboForm Pro also offers an unlimited amount of custom fields for each website and article. Using RoboForm Pro, I can submit 10 different articles to around 200 article directories in just one day. Without the program, it could take me a week or longer.

posted by avlppo @ 7:09 AM 0 comments

Trash or Treasure: Assessing Your Possessions

One personal junk is another personal treasure. Never is that more true than when you are doing a spring clean up.

The good weather held out for Fred Dowlings 25th anniversary junk day and treasure exchange. Each year for the past 25 years, co-op residents have gathered in the spirit of reducing, reusing, recycling of their possessions. Residents trade and dispose of unwanted items; its a win-win situation, all around. This year an Antiques Road Show was added to the day. I was on-hand as residents brought their prized possessions and family heirlooms to be appraised.

Some of the riches unearthed include: a 1953 Coronation toy carriage at $350; a Queen Victoria Jubilee milk pitcher at $175;a pearl brooch for $250; an antique desk for $275. The piece de resistance was a silver and diamond necklace valued at $750.

Here are some things to keep in mind when assessing the value of your items.

Condition

Chips, cracks and breaks on crystal, glass, porcelain and ceramics reduces the value of anything to a very minimal amount. Despite that fact, any item can have sentimental value even those with damage can have value to you.

Spotting Damage

Sometimes you cant tell if a piece of porcelain is cracked. Use the ping test flicking youre your thumb and finger again the porcelain. If it gives a ping sound, there are no cracks. If it gives a thud sound, it is damaged. The same test applies to crystal.

Value

Appraised value, retail value and your selling value are all different amounts.

The appraised value, sometimes called the insurance value is the amount that you would insure an item for. It is based on the amount you would have to pay to replace the item if it made an insurance claim.

The retail value is the amount that a store would sell it for. Your selling price is the amount that you would get if you sold it.

Your selling price will always be less than the retail value because most likely, you would sell your item to a dealer who in turn marks up the price.

posted by avlppo @ 3:41 AM 0 comments