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Fake Facebook E-mail Infected with Trojan

Posted on 10 December 2009 | 1 response

Are you addicted to Facebook? Beware!
Because MX Lab, a security firm, detected a new variant of Bredolab Trojan horse attached to a fake “Facebook Password Reset Confirmation” email. Some users claim that the e-mail comes from “The Facebook Team” where the sender’s e-mail address is displays as “service@facebook.com.” Unfortunately, the address and sender were disguised.

The said e-mail is accompanied with an attachment named “Facebook_Password_4cf91.zip”, also includes the file Facebook_Password_4cf91.exe” and contains the new Facebook password of the user. When you run the file, it could cause destruction on your computer. According to MX Lab, Trojan horse Bredolab executes files from the Internet such as rogue anti-spyware. It is a malicious Malware that injects its own code into legitimate processes svchost.exe and explorer.exe to bypass firewalls. It also contains anti-sandbox code which allows Bredolab to quit by itself when an external program investigates its actions.

M86 Security, another security watchdog, said that Bredolab don’t just sneak into the computer of the user but also downloads a bot called Pushdo. Pushdo will immediately start spamming out more Facebook password reset e-mails. Facebook explained that the e-mail containing the virus is not coming from them. According to them, they will never send users a new password as attachment. They advised the users to immediately have their computers run a virus scan. Facebook users should be careful with a fake e-mail disguising as a Facebook password reset e-mail containing an attachment of the new password but in reality, contains a virus.

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites worldwide. With these fake and infected Facebook e-mails spreading around, users must be careful in opening and downloading malicious e-mails and attachments. If your computer has been infected with Bredolab Trojan horse, contact Techie Now. We are willing to solve your problem. With our virus removal services, Techie Now will treat your computer right and everything will be alright.

Types of Spam and How to Avoid Or Cure it

Posted on 10 December 2009 | No responses

Personally, I have never, ever sent out any type of advertising email of any sort out of respect for others privacy. I figure if they want to find me and my sites, they can do that on search engines and directories or from the byline on the articles I write. But I have been plagued over the years by spam and spammers because of the past advertising I’ve placed on the web. That’s a no brainer for everyone that has a presence on the web. There are quite a few ways to fight it, but oft times it seems like a loosing battle.
Spam method number one and it’s cure:

Many of you have used auto submitters to advertise your site. Some of you probably made the mistake of using you main email address to submit it with. Some disreputable submission sites will harvest these emails and compile a list of suckers. Your email then is sold on that list to thousands of spammers. Big mistake.

If you have a website, most likely you have a way to create multiple email accounts. The best thing to do is to create a email address like submit at whateveryourdomainis.com and after a month of submitting your ads, delete that one and make a new one like submit2 at whateveryourdomainis.com. Next month, repeat the process. So then you have actually created a problem for the ones spamming you. In order to stop all the bounce backs, they will have to edit their lists. It may not be a major task, but even if you cause the spammer a moments aggravation, you’ve succeeded.

Spam method number two and it’s cure:

Spammers love message boards. Especially the guys who don’t speak English. There seems to be a quintessential group of nationalities who just love to fill your message board with virility pills and pornography from Russia, Croatia, and Korea to name a few.

I personally have four message boards used for various reasons. One is for my online architectural drafting classes. I’ll check the board daily and wouldn’t you know it, a spammer has joined and filled the threads with images that would make some sailors blush.

The cure can come in several forms. The best but most inconvenient for me is to require their registration be approved by me before they can post. This however takes up quite a bit of time on my part. The second best is to keep an eye on your forums and when they register, ban their back sides. They usually are easy to spot because of the user names they use like Amequelet, PraigeZoori, or Detoxon. Banning on my SMF message board usually take a second or two and they have been stopped in their tracks because of IP blocking. After a while most spammer groups will give up on their efforts.

If your message board has a calendar, you might better set the permissions to admin only for posting to it. Spammers love calendars also. On my Christian fellowship board I found over 600 posts with URL and key words that were eating bandwidth like candy.

Spam method number three and it’s cure:

Do you have an article directory? Spammers love this method too. But not in the submitting of articles. No, actually what they do is make multiple drafts of a particular article, stuff them with key words and url’s, then leave them in draft form where they are actually picked up by search engines. Of my three article directories, my general directory was plagued by this. When I figured out what they were doing, there was over 5,000 drafts in my database. The solution I’ve found is to disable drafts on your directory.

Burn Fat Faster Intensify Your Fat Burning Workouts

Posted on 10 December 2009 | No responses

Lets get to the facts losing excess body fat is a challenge. Most people never get the results that they hope for. Fat burning workouts are an essential part of losing belly fat. Speaking of your workouts are you doing too much or not enough? And what about your intensity levels during your workouts?
There are essentials that must be part of any fat burning workout (and it isn’t doing 1,000’s of crunches or tricep kickbacks).

To burn fat at the highest rate possible I’m sure you know nutrition and healthy eating is number one. To get rid of excess body fat you must be in a calorie deficit. If you are able to burn more calories then you take in, then you lose fat. The more intense your workouts are the more calories you burn and the more weight you can lose.

Let’s talk intensity in your fat burning workouts. Do you workout out with a full charge ahead intensity? or is it more of just going through the motions? You would be surprised at the lack of intensity I see in some peoples fat burning workouts.

Everyone is different most of us are not world class athletes able to stick with high intensity fat burning workout. Does that mean they have failed? No, but I also know that most of us are capable of more intensity than we think. Look if you are a beginner and out of shape you aren’t capable of the intensity of a seasoned trainer.

Let me give you an example. Let’s talk Tabata Training. Doing a pure Tabata workout 20 seconds on 10 seconds off for 8 sets might be the most intense fat burning workout there is. Without being very well conditioned can anyone do a full scale tabata workout? No. So does that mean you shouldn’t do them? No, scale it back a little as an example, do 20 seconds on 30 seconds off. Every workout decrease your rest times (this is upping the intensity).

The key to fat burning success is consistency and being persistent what matters is that you make progress. Each person has to find the intensity level. There is no need to go insane with your training.

As I mentioned before some people are able to go through much more intense workouts, then they actually are. Intense fat burning workouts also mean you can get better results while spending less time in the gym. Most importantly high intensity training provides greater benefits not only for losing excess bodyfat but also for your heart health.

Medifast is Safe and Effective for Weight Loss

Posted on 10 December 2009 | No responses

Losing 20 pounds in 30 days almost sounds like an unrealistic claim. Medifast claims it can be done. With programs designed specifically for men, women and diabetics, Medifast can be actually helping you lose 2-5 pounds a week. These unbelievable results make Medifast one of the quickest ways to lose weight, when measuring weight loss programs. Medifast also has the support of thousands of physicians who recommend it as “safe and effective in multiple clinical studies.”

What is Medifast?

It is a meal-delivery combined with meal-replacement weight loss program. You’ll follow a reduced calorie diet, about 1200-1400 calories/day, that is low in fat, gives balanced nutrition and has tested successfully through clinical research. Critics state that a diet so low in calories is counter-productive as it pushes your body into starvation mode, where the body starts preserving fat stores to survive. However, Medifast clarifies that restricting caloric intake will force your body to use those fat stores for energy rather than adding on more pounds.

Medifast Meal Plan

Following the Medifast 5 & 1 plan entails having 5 Medifast meals and 1 Lean and Green Meal per day. Every two to three hours during the day you can eat your choice of Medifast shakes, bars, oatmeal, soups, scrambled eggs, pudding and a variety of other meal replacement foods and snacks, all of which are delivered directly to your home.

For dinner, you’ll have one Lean & Green Meal that you prepare with food purchased at the grocery store. The L&GM includes of a small portion of lean protein or meat. This can be 5-7oz. of chicken, fish, beef, seafood, pork or turkey and can be cooked to our preference – just not fried. You’ll pair this protein with three servings of vegetables from the Medifast Vegetable List, which can include fresh spinach, cucumbers, asparagus, eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and green beans.

In the beginning stages of the Medifast program, higher crab vegetables are taken from your diet to help you kick start your weight loss. Vegetables like carrots, peas and corn will be allowed again at a later stage.

Medifast also emphasizes the need for regular exercise in order to lose weight and maintain health. Many programs disregard exercise and insist that changing little about your lifestyle will help you lose weight. These claims typically fail. While Medifast does not give concise guidelines to follow for your exercise program, it does suggest that you find time everyday to incorporate physical activity.

Depending on your current level of exercise- don’t try to do too much or strain. “Listen to your body” is the given suggestion and “don’t overdo it.” Many Medifast customers use walking as their activity of choice because it can be conveniently incorporated into their schedule.

The Medifast site features many testimonials from real people who’ve had success with the program, as well as blogs from six current Medifast customers. The site also offers many tools and support that has become helpful amongst online weight loss programs like weight trackers, community message boards, BMI calculator, online ordering and others.

The differentiating factor for Medifast is that it makes the distinction that this is a lifestyle change and not a quick fix diet or even a fast approach to losing weight. Some other programs may help you shed pounds quickly, but after that they leave you on your own. Medifast educates you on when you should eat, how to eat and what to eat- so that long after you’ve completed the program, you can still maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle.

How to change the Volume Licensing product key on a computer that is running Windows XP

Posted on 14 May 2009 | 13 responses

INTRODUCTION

Warning The steps in the article are effective only on Volume License media. If…

If you use a “leaked” product key (a product key that is known to be available to the public) to deploy Windows XP across multiple computers (a Volume Licensing installation), you might be unable to install Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and later versions of Windows XP, or automatically obtain updates from the Windows Update Web site. For example, you might receive the following error message when you install Windows XP SP1 and later versions of Windows XP:

This article is intended for an advanced computer user. You might find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to change the volume licensing product key

This article describes two methods for how to change the Windows XP product key after a Volume Licensing installation to resolve the issue. One method uses the Windows Activation Wizard graphical user interface (GUI) and the other method uses a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) script. The Activation Wizard method is easier. However, if you must change the product key for multiple computers, the script method is more suitable.

Method 1: Use the Activation Wizard

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

If you only have a few volume licensing product keys to change, you can use the Activation Wizard. Note We recommend that you run System Restore to create a new restore point before you follow these steps.

Deactivate Windows

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents
4. In the topic pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click Modify.
5. Change at least one digit of this value to deactivate Windows.

Reactivate Windows and add new product key

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK.
   %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
3. Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows, and then click Next.
4. Click Change Product key.
5. Type the new product key in the New key boxes, and then click Update. If you are returned to the previous window, click Remind me later, and then restart the computer.
6. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to verify that Windows is activated. You receive the following message:
   Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit.
7. Click OK.
8. Install Windows XP Service Pack 1a or a later version of Windows XP.

If you cannot restart Windows after you install Windows XP SP1 or a later version of Windows XP, try the following steps:

1. Restart your computer and start pressing F8 until you see the Windows Advanced Options menu.
2. Select Last Known Good Configuration from the menu and press ENTER. This option starts Windows by using a previous good configuration.
3. Repeat steps 1 through 8 under “Reactivate Windows and add new product key.”

If you can install SP1 or a later version of Windows XP and you can restart Windows, you have resolved the issue. If the issue has not been resolved, try method 2 or see the “Next Steps” section for more troubleshooting resources.

Method 2: Use a script

If you must change the product key for multiple computers, we recommend this method. You can create a WMI script that changes the volume licensing product key, and then deploy this script in a startup script. The sample ChangeVLKey2600.vbs script and the sample ChangeVLKeySP1 script that are described in this section use the new volume licensing key that you want to enter as a single argument. It is in a five-part alphanumeric form. We recommend that you use the ChangeVLKey2600.vbs script on Windows XP-based computers that are not running Windows XP SP1 and later versions of Windows XP and that you use the ChangeVLKeySP1.vbs script on Windows XP-based computers that are running Windows XP SP1 and later versions of Windows XP. These scripts perform the following functions:

• They remove the hyphen characters (-) from the five-part alphanumeric product key.
• They create an instance of the win32_WindowsProductActivation class.
• They call the SetProductKey method with the new volume licensing product key.

You can create a batch file or a cmd file that uses either of the following sample scripts, together with the new product key as an argument. You can deploy it as part of a startup script or run it from the command line to change the product key on a single computer.

Examples

For more information about how to script the product key, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

ChangeVLKeySP1.vbs

'
' WMI Script - ChangeVLKey.vbs
'
' This script changes the product key on the computer
'
'***************************************************************************

ON ERROR RESUME NEXT

if Wscript.arguments.count<1 then
   Wscript.echo "Script can't run without VolumeProductKey argument"
   Wscript.echo "Correct usage: Cscript ChangeVLKey.vbs ABCDE-FGHIJ-KLMNO-PRSTU-WYQZX"
   Wscript.quit
end if

Dim VOL_PROD_KEY
VOL_PROD_KEY = Wscript.arguments.Item(0)
VOL_PROD_KEY = Replace(VOL_PROD_KEY,"-","") 'remove hyphens if any

for each Obj in GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}").InstancesOf ("win32_WindowsProductActivation")

   result = Obj.SetProductKey (VOL_PROD_KEY)

   if err <> 0 then
      WScript.Echo Err.Description, "0x" & Hex(Err.Number)
      Err.Clear
   end if

Next

'
' WMI Script - ChangeVLKey.vbs
'
' This script changes the product key on the computer
'
'***************************************************************************

ON ERROR RESUME NEXT

if Wscript.arguments.count<1 then
   Wscript.echo "Script can't run without VolumeProductKey argument"
   Wscript.echo "Correct usage: Cscript ChangeVLKey.vbs ABCDE-FGHIJ-KLMNO-PRSTU-WYQZX"
   Wscript.quit
end if

Dim VOL_PROD_KEY
VOL_PROD_KEY = Wscript.arguments.Item(0)
VOL_PROD_KEY = Replace(VOL_PROD_KEY,"-","") 'remove hyphens if any
Dim WshShell
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.RegDelete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WPAEvents\OOBETimer" 'delete OOBETimer registry value
for each Obj in GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}").InstancesOf ("win32_WindowsProductActivation")

   result = Obj.SetProductKey (VOL_PROD_KEY)

   if err <> 0 then
      WScript.Echo Err.Description, "0x" & Hex(Err.Number)
      Err.Clear
   end if

Next

Free A+ Certification for IT Professionals

Posted on 13 May 2009 | 4 responses

There are so many fields came in the IT (information Technology) after the reorganization of IT (information Technology) on international scene. There are so many IT (Information Technology) institutes are available now, who are offering different IT (Information Technology) certifications courses. Although they all were very expensive in the past, but now so many IT (information Technology) institutes are offering these certifications courses free on internet. The one of many courses which are offering by IT (information Technology) institutes is A+ certifications. The one of the most popular and demanded certifications in the IT (information Technology) organizations.
A+ certifications is the first step taken by the certifier road to be an IT professional. Think about your future in the career of a professional certifier. All the certifier trainers are standing by you to help you for the certifications. And achieve your goals which a candidate has set for himself. The free education on these certifications is available on the websites of all the leading IT (information Technology) institutes all the time in each part of the worlds. The trainers are also available for required help of the candidate. The candidate need only these following things such as convenient schedule, hands on training, tests preparation, and someone to guide you etc. these certifications ensure that the right people have the right skills, the certifier trainers only polish the skills and give experience and right kind of guidance to the certifier trainer.

A+ certification consists of the following exams:

• 220-301 exam • 220-302 exam • 220-601 exam • 220-602 exam • 220-604 exam • 220-603 exam

The IT institutes have a goal to produce an A+ certified professionals, so they introduced a module system online with all the information and videos which are absolutely free for the candidates. The candidate of these certifications will have learn about the history of Comp TIA, the benefits and advantages of these certifications, the exam categories and the best practice to use when the candidate if these certifications exam at testing center.

The module is based upon different chapters which are as follow, 1st chapter is soft skills, 2nd chapter is safety and tools, 3rd chapter is Motherboards, 4th chapter is Processors and CPUs, 5th chapter is Memory, 6th chapter is BIOS and CMOS, 7th chapter is Personal computer storage, 8th chapter is personal computer power, 9th chapter is personal computer connector, 10th chapter is Adapter cards, 11th chapter is Cooling system, 12th chapter is Input, output and system resources, 13th chapter is Printers and scanners, 14th chapter is Laptop and portable devices, 15th chapter is Disk operating system, 16th chapter is Disk files, 17th chapter Diagnosing and Troubleshooting operating systems, 18th chapter is networking and the last chapter of these certifications is Security. The Free A+ certifications are very useful for the professional in the IT (information Technology) organization, and are available to all the leading training institutes of Information Technology

13 Prominent Ballet Dancers and Choreographers Born in Southern Africa

Posted on 13 May 2009 | 6 responses

Most people would not dare to proffer southern Africa as an example of a prolific breeding ground of ballet dancers and choreographers, but, that she is. South Africa, and what was then Rhodesia, has for many decades now been a veritable nursery for ballet dancers, and her progeny have, after receiving expert local tutelage , often ventured abroad, performing for the Royal Ballet and other stellar ballet companies, some accruing universal acclaim. Listed below are thirteen southern African-born men and women who have distinguished themselves in the ballet fraternity, most notably abroad.

1. Gary Burne

Born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Gary Burne joined the Royal Ballet and performed at Covent Garden, appearing in “The Prince of the Pagodas” (August 1958); “Ondine” (November 1958); and “Antigone, Symphonic Variations, Daphnis and Chloe” (December 1959) . He then returned to southern Africa and danced with the Capab Company (now the Cape Town City Ballet Company) in Cape Town, South Africa, at one time partnering Phyllis Spira (qv). Gary Burne was a flamboyant character and a gifted dancer but, rather sadly, developed a drug habit and committed suicide in 1976, aged just 44. This really was a sad and premature end to a talented dancer!

2. John Cranko (1927-1973)

Born in Rustenburg, South Africa, Cranko wrote a piece for the Cape Town Ballet Club at the age of 16, and moved to Britain in 1946 in order to study, joining Sadler’s Wells Theatre Company, of which company he became the Resident Choreographer in 1950. He made over 30 dances, including “Pineapple Poll” (1951), as well as his first full-length ballet, “Prince of the Pagodas” with the music of Benjamin Britten (1957). Cranko moved to Germany in 1961 to become artistic director of the Stuttgart Ballet, which he forged into a company of international renown. He choreographed additional ballets, including “Romeo and Juliet” (1958); “Onegin” (1969); and “Carmen” (1971).

3. Mary-Jane Duckworth

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Duckworth trained in the Cecchetti Method at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Ballet School with Dulcie Howes. She then attended the Royal Ballet School and danced professionally with the Royal Ballet, The Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet and the Ballet Russe. Duckworth started her own ballet school in Northamptonshire in 1966 and was appointed an examiner for the Cecchetti Society Classical Ballet Faculty of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in 1978. Now a Senior Examiner, Duckworth carries out extensive overseas examining and teaching tours and has also served as a trustee of various boards and enterprises pertaining to the world of ballet and dance.

4. Dulcie Howes

Dulcie Howes was born in Mossel Bay, South Africa, in 1908. She received her initial education in South Africa before journeying to England to receive ballet training, touring Europe with Anna Pavlova’s Company. She returned to South Africa in 1930 and opened a ballet school in Rondebosch, Cape Town, which later led to the founding of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Ballet School in 1932, which in turn evolved into Capab (The Cape Performing Arts Board), all under the expert guidance of Dulcie Howes, who was in essence “The Mother of Southern African Ballet”. This amazing woman was responsible for training and grooming many-a-South African ballet dancer and her influence permeated all aspects of ballet in southern Africa, and it may not be remiss to say, that without Dulcie Howes, ballet in southern Africa may very well have been stillborn.

5. Desmond Kelly

Born in Penhalonga, Southern Rhodesia, Desmond Kelly won a scholarship to study in England and initially studied with Ruth French in London, whereupon he was first contracted to the London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet) at the age of 17, earning ten pounds a week! Promoted principal Dancer in 1963, his first partner was Jeanette Minty. Kelly later toured Israel and South America with the Festival Ballet, whereupon he spent a season as principal dancer with the Zurich Opera Ballet, and also served as Principal and Ballet Master of the Royal New Zealand Ballet (New Zealand being the birthplace of his wife) until 1969. Kelly and his wife then spent 18-months at the National Ballet of Washington DC in the United States of America (USA), before joining the Royal Ballet companies in 1970. He was to partner ahost of famous ballet dancers, most notably Margot Fonteyn; Antoinette Sibley; Merle Park (a fellow Rhodesian); Natalia Makarova; Monica Mason (South African); Margaret Barbieri and Marion Tate. Kelly was appointed Artistic Director at the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1990 and was awarded the Order of the British Empire ( OBE) in 2005.

6. Maryon Lane (1931-2009)

Born Patricia Mills in Zululand, South Africa, she studied ballet in Johannesburg. Lane was one of a sizeable group of talented dancers that journeyed to Britain following the second world war, and aged just 16, joined the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet and was cast in Frederick Ashton’s ballroom ballet “Valses Nobles et Sentimentales”. It was not long before she was promoted principal dancer and danced her first full-length leading role in “Coppelia” in 1951. She later appeared in ballets choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan, including “Somnambulism” (1953); “Laiderette”; “Danses Concertantes”; “Madame Chrysantheme” (1955); “Noctambules”; “House of Birds”; “Agon” (1958), and “Diversions” (1961). She thereafter performed at Covent Garden with the famous Margot Fonteyn and remained with the Royal Ballet until 1968. Lane then retired from dancing, whereupon she became a sought-after teacher at the Royal Ballet School; London Ballet Centre and the Urdang Academy, and also opened “The Maryon Lane Ballet Company” in Cyprus.

7. Maude Lloyd (1908-2004)

Maude Lloyd was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and initially studied under Helen Webb in Cape Town, before venturing abroad to further training as a ballerina. She journeyed to London in 1926 and helped found the Ballet Rambert. Many lead roles were created specifically with her in mind, including ballets by Frederick Ashton, Antony Tudor and Andre Howard. She retired in 1940 and later became a dance critic and author of several books on the history of ballet.

8. Monica Margaret Mason (1941-)

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mason moved to Britain at the age of 14 to join the Royal Ballet, and was at the time the company’s youngest member. She became a principal dancer in 1968 and worked in alliance with the choreographer, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, who created specific roles for her, including Lescaut’s Mistress in “Manon”; Calliope Rag in “Elite Syncopations”; Summer in the “The Four Seasons” and as the Midwife in “Rituals”. She retired as a dancer in 1981 but continued to work for the Royal Ballet Company and she was appointed Director of the Royal Ballet in 2002, receiving the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2002 and was also appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) in 2008, the second Southern African-born ballerina to be thus honoured, the first being Dame Merle Park (qv).

9. Nadia Nerina (1927-2008)

Born Nadine Judd in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa, she suffered from weak feet in her youth, and upon medical advice, took up dancing. Having moved with her family to Durban in Natal, she then continued her ballet training with Eileen Keegan and Dorothea McNair. She then journeyed overseas and initially began her tutorship under Marie Rambert at the Ballet Rambert, before joining the Sadler’s Wells Ballet School, and later the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet. A Prima Ballerina by 1952, she appeared as a guest artist with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow and the Kiev ballet in Leningrad. She appeared in “Mardi Gras” (1946); “Cinderella” (1948); “Homage to the Queen” (1953); “La Fille Mal Gardee” (1960); “Noctambules” (1956); and “Elektra” (1963), and ended her illustrious career at the age of forty in 1969. This wonderful performer died at her home in France in October 2008.

10. Merle Park (1937-)

Born in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe), Park began her ballet training with Betty lamb in Rhodesia, before joining the Royal Ballet in 1954 and by 1958 was performing as a soloist. It was her performance as a milkmaid in “Façade” that caught the ballet world’s attention, and she was duly chosen as one of three soloists to appear in the 1959 Premiere, “La Bayadere”, an Ashton and Nureyev production. Park’s first full-length roles were that of Swanhilda in “Coppelia” and Lise in “La Fille Mal Gardee”. And then came her big break in 1963, when she was partnered by none other than Rudolf Nureyev in the “Nutcracker”. Park’s. additional performances include appearances in “Romeo and Juliet” and “Swan Lake”, and during her career was to be partnered by Rudolf Nureyev, Anthony Dowell, Mikhail Barysnikhov and David Wall. Merle was park was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1974 and 1983 became the Director of the Royal Ballet School, and was thereafter honoured with the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1986.

11. David Poole (1925-1991)

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, David Poole initially received his ballet training under the tutelage of Dulcie Howes at the University of Cape Town (UCT), before joining Sadler’s Wells Ballet School. Poole joined Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet in 1947 , and it was not long before he became the Principal Dancer. He appeared in performances choreographed by his fellow countryman, John Cranko, most notably, “Sea Change” (1949); “Beauty and the Beast” (1949); “Pineapple Poll” (1951) and “The Lady and the Fool” (1954). Poole then joined the Sadler’s Wells Ballet Company in 1955 before spending a period of time with both the Ballet Rambert and the Edinburgh International Ballet. However, the call of South Africa was far too strong and he returned to the land of his birth in 1959. He was appointed Ballet Master of Capab in 1963, and Artistic Director in 1967. David Poole retired in 1990 and passed away in Cape Town in August 1991.

12. Margaret Scott (1922-)

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Scott initially danced with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet, becoming the Principal dancer in 1941,before joining the Rambert Ballet company, of which company she performed as the Principal Dancer from 1943-1948. Scott toured Australia with the Rambert Ballet and decided to remain in Australia. She danced with the National Ballet Theatre Company in Australia as a Principal Dancer and participated in the negotiations with the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust that led to the formation of the Australian Ballet in 1962, and was appointed Director of the Australian Ballet School in 1964, and held that position until 1990. Scott represented Australia on the Council of the World Dance Alliance, and appeared in Graeme Murphy’s version of the “Nutcracker” in 1992, 1994 and 2000 and was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1976, and was made a Dame Commander (DBE) in 1981.

13. Phyllis Spira (1943-2008)

Spira was born in Orange Grove in Johannesburg, South Africa, and commenced her ballet training at the tender age of four! She was spotted by the Sadler’s Wells Company when on a tour of South Africa, and thence journeyed to England to join the Royal Ballet School in London, aged 15.A mere 1.5 Metres tall, Spira was one of the smallest students at the School. It did not take long, however, before the London ballet aficionados and elite were hailing her as the next sensation. Spira made her debut at Covent Garden in 1960, appearing in “Swan Lake”. She was then invited to join the Royal Ballet and was to perform in “Swan Lake”; “Giselle”; “The Sleeping Beauty” and “The Nutcracker”, while also accompanying the company on a tour of the Far East. Incredibly, on the brink of an illustrious career, she decided, however, to return to her country of birth and joined Capab in Cape Town. She later received South Africa’s highest civilian award, The Meritorious Service in Gold, and died in Cape Town in 2008, aged 64.

The Benefits You Can Obtain from Performing Belly Dancing Lessons

Posted on 13 May 2009 | No responses

If you expect to lose your weight as well as firm and tone your body, then you should try belly dancing lessons. Belly dancing itself unites two main aspects, which are weight loss and dancing. Dancing in general has never been really accepted before, but now there are loads of TV shows presenting dancing theme, like Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and so on. Those programs have successfully made dancing revives an interest. Meanwhile, weight loss makeover programs like The Biggest Loser, Bulging Brides, and Ten Years Younger also gained popularity. The two different programs are believed to cause the fame of belly dancing.

Shimmy on Fit TV

The ancient art of belly dancing is also offered on particular television show of its own. This way, belly dancing is not outdone by ballroom, hip hop, contemporary, swing, or jazz. Have you ever heard about Shimmy, a half-hour belly dancing lesson broadcasted on satellite and cable channel Fit TV? This program takes its viewers to dance with the assistance from Shivaun, Adalat, Dominique, Gillian, Karen, Manon, and Simone. These exotic and pretty dancers break steps down, starting very slowly until the viewers who follow along at home feel confidence enough to learn the moves. Slowly but surely, the pace boosts and the home viewer is belly dancing in her own living room right away.

Pace of the Show

Shimmy will begin its every episode with a dancer-led warm-up that gets your muscles prepared for the workout to come. Next, you will come to a section devoted to instruction. Through a vigorous workout, home viewers will learn four to six movements that put their hips, thighs, glutes, and abs. This way of learning makes belly dancing feels so much fun to perform.

A performance section follows the teaching. In this section, you are able to dance along using moves you just learned or sit back and watch. The pretty dancers in their flowing scarves and multicolored costumes paint a vivid picture of this ancient dance. A no-holds-barred, freestyle session closes out every episode, with hips pumping, shoulders shimmying, and fingers flying.

It Burns Lots of Calories!

You might not notice it, but belly dancing burns about 250 to 300 calories per hour. By dancing your way through an episode of Shimmy, you will burn 125 to 150 calories. Thus, after following twenty-three belly dancing competition, you may lose an entire pound. Isn’t it great to build muscle in your core and midsection? This is the key to reduce the buildup of troublesome belly fat—the most hazardous kind of fat there is!

With belly dancing, you will have greater possibility of building the core muscles that surround the spine. Furthermore, practicing belly dancing regularly will whittle your waistline in record time. So, what are you waiting for? Go check your local cable or satellite listings to see if there is Fit TV in your area. Just find out when Shimmy is on. Once it is on air, you are able to start shimmying and toning your way to fitness with belly dancing.

All You Should Recognize about the Value of Antique Books

Posted on 8 May 2009 | 1 response

Antique books are regarded valuable due to the age, topic and the illustrations that attached on the book. Antique books are identified to be lacking in INSA number which is a standard of American National Association. Regardless that fact, many self-published antique books have not registered with ANSI, generally as the cost is too luxury while amount of the books published at one time is very limited.

Writing books has been around from the time when the Egyptians put their images on papyrus. The Chinese in the sixth century also used movable type made of clay to write but the dimension of the Chinese character set made book printing intricate, time-consuming and so hardly ever been used. The overture of metal movable type did little to bear printing procedure but actually the printing press created by Johannes Gutenberg in 1450 has sped up the procedure and many true antique books printed on a Gutenberg press are still in collections at the moment.

There are a lot of causes that affect the worth of antique books as well as the substance of the book, but one of the most appreciated things is the illustrations that were used in the book. If the art work was produced by a familiar artist, the price of the book will be sky highs together with the condition of the product.

Antique Books Reproduction Thrive In Market

Antique books sometimes could not be read due to the type of paper and ink used. Antique books binding techniques generally using glue or stitching, but the age of the paper frequently split up the paper on which antique books were printed. so, handling antique books and trying to preserve the books should just be performed by trained and experienced specialists.

Recovering the content of antique books is part of the Gutenberg Project that involves not just uphold the books but also alter the book to digital configuration. These antique books are scanned into a digital file where they can be read on a computer or replicated in printed configuration.

In collecting antique books, the collector has to realize that an old book may be doesn’t have the value to make someone else notice as it valued. Wide attractions to add price of the antique books are laid on the storyline, the quality of the excellence and the excellence of the illustrations. Otherwise, the price is dependent on the personal attraction of the books’ owner.

Leisure: Steeping Perfection

Posted on 8 May 2009 | 2 responses

Andrew Stapley has a confession to make. Every morning the British scientist kick-starts the day with a brew of tea. But his technique puts speed above tradition. No heaped spoons of loose tea, no elegant china teapot. “I do it the lazy way,” he admits. “At that time of the day I’m not in the mood for any sort of preparation: I just put a tea bag in a mug.” Stapley should know better. Earlier this year the chemical engineer from Loughborough University released what was billed as the definitive study on how to steep the perfect cup of tea. It’s an age-old question in a country where residents swill an average of three cups a day. The project’s sponsor, the Royal Society of Chemistry, commissioned the three-month study to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of writer George Orwell, a heavy tea drinker who set out his own views on tea-making in a 1946 essay. Not surprisingly, Stapley’s 10-point guide has sparked a raging debate on topics ranging from whether to pour the milk in the cup before the tea (Stapley says yes, Orwell said no) and how long to steep it. Here’s what we think: TEAPOT: We agree with Stapley on this one. Always use a preheated ceramic teapot. Make sure water is fresh from the tap: if previously boiled, it will have lost some of the dissolved oxygen needed to bring out the full flavor. TEA: Choose loose Assam tea from India. Tea bags slow down the infusion process. STEEPING PROCESS: Stapley’s research suggests that the tea should brew for three minutes before pouring. This will draw out the essential tannins that give the tea its taste and coloring. But many believe that is far too hasty. “Leaving the tea for a full five minutes is the heart and essence of the English afternoon tea,” says Edward Bramah of the Bramah Museum of Tea and Coffee in London. Otherwise, he argues, there’s no time for conversation to develop. Tip Sheet agrees. You can’t rush perfection. ADDITIVES: Adding milk or sugar is optional, but either will rob the tea of its natural astringency. Lemon is a better bet, though some add honey, which Tip Sheet considers vile. (We prefer a generous splash of whisky to brighten up the day.) If you must add milk, always pour it into the cup before the tea. Its natural proteins are more easily “degraded” if poured directly into boiling tea. That creates a stale taste. Of course, even Stapley agrees that it’s all a matter of taste. Absolute rules, he admits, will always be hard to square with personal preference. “Once you have developed a taste for something, that’s how you will prefer it.” In the end, tea-making may be more art than science.

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