Archive for the ‘child genius’ Category

To see a Broadway play or musical is to step into a world that envelops you with an experience you cannot find anywhere else. Theatre has been around since ancient times and for good reason. There is absolutely nothing like watching the actors, hearing the live musical scores and going on a journey with fellow theatre-goers. It makes movies seem like flimsy comic books in comparison.

Fortunately, there are many excellent shows on Broadway and in major cities across North America today. The following list is the top ten plays you might consider attending with a date or a friend. Each one of these delivers an experience you won’t soon forget.

One of the most popular mega-hits of Broadway is Wicked. Wicked is a musical taking the witches from the Wizard of Oz and recasting them to reverse the loyalties the audience feels in the movie. The play follows the women from school to their eventual fates. The emerald skinned Elphaba, studious and misunderstood, and the beautiful and ambitious Glinda, as they move from unlikely friends to the classic opponents of the movie. The magic lies in the witty recasting of the backstory of the Wizard of Oz, to challenge assumptions and present a tale of friendship and love. And now Wicked is touring the U.S., so there’s a good chance it’s showing in a city near you.

A relatively new show called Tarzan, is a musical about a baby raised by gorillas as he encounters humans, and Jane, forcing him to choose between his two heritages. Tarzan is very popular, with many theatergoers looking forward to seeing the Disney version brought to stage. A show for all ages, the search for where one belongs in the world is a weighty subject for such a deceptively light show. Phil Collins extended his musical score from the Disney movie into a complete theatrical score.

The Lion King is a musical about Simba the lion cub and his journey to adulthood and acceptance as King. A play for all ages, the story of a youth growing to accept responsibility and duty is one of the most enduring themes in fiction. The animal puppetry is nothing less than brilliant. If you’re looking to instill a little culture in your child, this may be just the ticket. And again, The Lion King is showing in many cities.

A disfigured musical genius haunts a theatre and exerts a mysterious control over a young singer. The Phantom of the Opera is a modern classic musical, long-standing show and one of the most well known Broadway plays of the era. The classic music of the show is one of the main draws, with more than one piece from this show recognizable to almost any adult. This is the longest running play in Broadway history, and made Andrew Lloyd Webber a household name. Phantom of the Opera has played in 22 countries, 113 cities and to a combined audience of 10 million.

Les Miserables is a musical based on the classic novel of the same name, in which the obsessed policeman Javert pursues the prison escapee Jean Valjean over decades in Revolutionary France. A classic tale of obsession and redemption, this play investigates the big questions like right and wrong, vengeance and justice, and what it takes to achieve redemption, while putting a human face on the issues. Les Miserable originally ran on Broadway for sixteen years, and is back with a fresh cast to renew the magic.

Spamalot is based on the legendary Monty Python and the Holy Grail, featuring King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table as they face such dangers as the dreaded bunny rabbit. The occasionally eccentric Monty Python sense of humor is in full fury in this tale, with jabs at politics, religion, chivalry, bravery, intelligence and the French. There are limbless knights, men in tights and a chorus line of dancing divas. Spamalot is a favorite of audiences and critics alike, and won the 2005 Tony for Best Musical. If you liked the Monty Python’s TV show and movies, then this musical will sure to please.

Chicago the Musical is another famous musical, in this case about a murder trial. The Fosse choreography is iconic. While the music isn’t as iconic as some others, the odds are that most will recognize several pieces they’ve heard before, such as “Razzle-Dazzle” and “All that Jazz.” Chicago returns us to the time of Vaudeville, satirizes the justice system and shows us what great theater is all about. Definitely check this show out of you liked the movie starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere.

Rags to rock to riches, Jersey Boys is the musical story of four blue-collar boys who become the Four Tops. It follows them from their start in the Hood to their apotheosis as one of the greatest music groups of all time, with emphasis on the characters involved. This show has really taken off and become unexpectedly popular on Broadway. Now the Jersey Boys is touring America.

Mamma Mia! is a musical built around Abba staples of the seventies, dealing with a single mother whose daughter is about to get married on a Greek island. The daughter invites three of her mother’s old boyfriends to visit, hoping to find out which one her father is. The play is built around Abba music, but is an engaging story in its own right and is advanced by the music rather than providing an excuse for it. This is a play where almost everyone attending knows the music.

Rent is a musical that explores poverty, disease, and drugs in New York City. It’s a modern rock version of the 19th century Italian opera “La Boheme,” and is set in New York City’s East Village. It is a moving musical where young people strive to make it in a difficult world.

Plays are one of the most enduring human entertainments, and Broadway is the big leagues in an art form thousands of years old. Plays speak of where we come from, where we are, and where we would like to be. If you want to do something different and you value culture, entertainment and enlightenment, going to a Broadway play is something you may want to experience soon.

Jason Oconnor
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/top-10-mustsee-broadway-plays-and-musicals-129139.html

Technorati Tags: America Today, Backstory, Broadway Play, Broadway Plays, Cities Across North America, Disney Version, Glinda, Gorillas, Heritages, Journey To Adulthood, Lion Cub, Lion King, Loyalties, Mega Hits, Musical Score, Musical Scores, Theatre Goers, Weighty Subject, Wizard Of Oz, Wizard Oz

Continued from The Effects Of Divorce On Children Part 1

My personal view is that we must change divorce courts considerably. Presently the first step in the system is for one parent to file an “order to show cause,” a lawsuit against the other parent. This step should be made unnecessary except for rare and extreme situations. But everyone is afraid of being taken advantage of. What individuals don’t realize is they are trading goodwill with their spouse and security for their children when they file. Currently there is an illusion of protection from their adversary, who once was the love of their life.

Couples, who once were lovers, cast aside all the vows they made of loyalty and friendship. They completely forget the joy of their first romance and the joy felt at the birth of every child. They buy into fear that comes along with anger and mistrust. The children do know what is going on. They know their lives are falling apart. They know life will never be the same. They know, even if their parents don’t.

If divorce is imminent, the first step should be discussions with a professional whose sole mission is to guide the couple away from the current problems towards reconciliation, if at all possible. Many people who came to me at this stage actually had their marriage saved, because it is rarely too late. And although I had ended my practice of helping people get a divorce so I could focus on developing my Lessons For A Happy Marriage, I had established a routine that was very effective in maintaining harmony and less trauma for all involved, especially the children.

Currently the first step in traditionally accepted mediation has the couple meeting separately with the mediator (it is different in some situations, but it is always a presentation of “sides”). Then the mediator brings the couple together and expresses his or her point of view based on what they heard.

Obviously, this leaves both individuals wondering what their spouse had said. It doesn’t take a genius to realize this process causes even more distrust and suspicion; especially if there is a “loser” parent. This process effectively forces the couple into combat mode even though the session is called mediation.

A mediator in the true sense would meet with a couple and insist upon discussions with the sole aim of reconciliation, at least to some degree, for the sake of their children. By holding to a philosophy that both parents are equally good and equally bad, neither parent would have to become any more competitive than they were when they were married. But because it is a contest that decides who has more power during the rest of the children’s growth years, each parent is forced to protect him or herself and undermine the other parent.

My mediation style allows both parents the opportunity to describe what they think is best for the children and why. I do not allow accusations or allegations to be voiced that are intended to discredit the other parent. I remind them both of their responsibilities to their children and the first responsibility is to preserve the sacredness of both parents for their children. It is not perfect. But it at least gives people an opportunity to put their children first. My system to help couples stay together has been incredibly successful.

Our society needs and deserves a far better system for divorce. I will continue to do my part and I hope and pray others are working on this problem as well. In the meantime don’t forget to tell your spouse, “I love you.”

Paul Friedman
http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/the-effects-of-divorce-on-children-part-2-674977.html

Technorati Tags: Adversary, Divorce Children, Divorce Courts, Effects Of Divorce, Effects Of Divorce On Children, Extreme Situations, First Romance, Goodwill, Happy Marriage, Illusion, Love Couples, Loyalty, Mediation, Mediator, Mistrust, Personal View, Point Of View, Reconciliation, Sole Mission, Vows

Think of some of the big dreams you have had in your life. You score the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. You win the Miss America pageant. You’re a huge success at business and employ all your relatives. Everyone has these dreams at one time or another.

Maybe you dream a little smaller and could be satisfied with less – paying off the mortgage, retiring 5 years early, driving that special car you’ve had your eye on, seeing your child come home with all A’s. One of my favorite dreams is to have a winter home in the Caribbean to escape the cold New England winters. There are a million things to wish for.

You might be thinking, well that stuff will never happen to me. I just don’t have that kind of luck, or I was born poor and I’ll die poor, or some such defeatist attitude. Well cheer up Bucko, because if that’s what you think you’ll get, then that’s what you’ll get!

If you think achieving some of these fantasy goals is impossible you are totally wrong. Your life can change greatly for the better if you will have the courage and resolve to decide to make it that way. Take that word impossible and banish it from your life forever.

“If man were meant to fly, God would have given him wings.” Less than a hundred years ago this statement was widely believed. Now, thousands of people make airplane and jet flights daily. What was thought to be impossible is now commonplace.

Look at the hundreds of inventions and medical breakthroughs and technological advances that are in widespread use today. A man on the moon? Ridiculous! A few short years ago many of these things were thought to be impossible. People with vision and a desire to realize their dreams made all these things happen.

Make up your mind that you CAN make your fondest dreams come true. If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you think is not possible. If everyone had self-limiting beliefs and a lack of self confidence, this world would be a much poorer place.

Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and divide it vertically into three columns. In these columns, write down some of your life goals. Under one heading, list the goals ‘you know you can do’. Under the second heading, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under the third, list the goals that are ‘impossible for you to do.’

Look at this paper every day and strive to achieve the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them off when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly check off all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other one that reads things ‘you might be able to do.’

As you begin checking off some of the goals under the ‘might be able to do’ column, you should feel your confidence begin to rise. Move some of the ‘impossible to do’ items into the ‘might be able’ column. Give some serious thought to how you can actually accomplish these goals that you previously thought were impossible. 

As you go through this process, you may begin to realize that things you thought were impossible to do might just be something that you can make happen. The impossible CAN become possible.

Aim high, and work towards those goals by breaking them down into smaller sections that can be knocked off a little at a time. Let your imagination work for you as you discover newer and better ways of grabbing what you want out of life. Work hard towards your goals and never give up.

We’ve all heard of Thomas Edison’s statement that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. It’s true. You won’t make your dreams and goals come true without some old-fashioned hard work. But, anything worth having, is worth working for. And if you earn something yourself, the achievement is all the sweeter.

So, dream big and set some huge goals. Don’t settle for second best, go for what you REALLY want. Push those doubts and thoughts of limitation from your mind. You can do the impossible if you really put your mind to it. Dare to try and you will succeed.

Ernie Reynolds
http://www.articlesbase.com/goal-setting-articles/banish-the-word-impossible-from-your-life-722507.html

Technorati Tags: Airplane, Assumptions, Bucko, Defeatist Attitude, England Winters, Few Short Years, Fondest Dreams, Hundred Years, Inventions, Jet Flights, Man On The Moon, Medical Breakthroughs, Million Things, Miss America Pageant, Self Confidence, Self Doubt, Self Limiting Beliefs, Special Car, Technological Advances, Touchdown

Child genius Adi Putra goes to Parliament; meets Deputy Higher Education Minister.

Video source: NSTP e-Media

Malaysia News Archive -
http://malaysianewsarchive.blogspot.com/

Duration : 0:1:45

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Technorati Tags: Adi, Parliament, Putra

The goal of Right Brain Education or brain stimulation training is to enable the full, balanced functioning of both sides of your child’s brain by nurturing their often-neglected right brain. In doing so, Right Brain Education results in a greater whole-brain intelligence, creativity, harmony and well-being than the current normal education.
visit www.littlegems.in

Duration : 0:5:17

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Technorati Tags: Brain Power, Ealy Education, Flo, Florida, Rida, Right Brain Education, Right brain Genius